Pokemon Daycare (UNDER EDITING)

by CGMayra

A new twist on Daycares! Inspiring Adventures where children and pokemon learn to get along and be better friends! But chaos threaten the kindergarten-like Daycare as many adventures take dangerous turns! Do the future trainers have what it takes to tackle these problems and create lasting friendships? Candy will make sure of it! (SERIES) CONTAINS: Cute feels!

3. Picnic of Munchlax & Blissey's Wishcraft

Pokemon Daycare

Picnic of the Munchlax

By: Cutegirlmayra (:D I was so excited to write for this story that I decided to break off from my 'list' of chapters to do xD And here we go! Sorry I haven't popped this out as quickly as I usually do! I've been very busy... But not to fear! Here is your next-combined and edited-chapter! :D)

"Goodbye, Dad!" Jake waved to his departing father, sending him off as he rushed into the daycare center, "Pearl? Ugly? Where are you guys, anyway?" he looked all around, and knowing he couldn't cross the red line to the upstairs apartment where Pearl was, he just looked up and called, "HELLO?!"

"We're in the middle of a battle!" Candy leaned her head back just enough to show from the frame of the outside door, showing Jake they were on the battlefield.

"Oh? Cool!" Jake rushed out and was immediately greeted by Eevee, "Hey there, little guy!" he laughed as Eevee called out its name multiple times in glee, rushing all around him in cute circles of excitement. He was so happy that he had arrived and that they could now spend the day together. The two then ran over to where Candy was trying to instruct the girls.

"Alright, now go ahead and give Igglypuff a command!" she cried out, taking her hand and placing it upon her other arm in a 'strong pose' to get the girls hyped up, too.

Miss Pearl often stated that 'energy' was crucial in pokemon battles, and Candy's training at the private school also stated that pokemon emulate the strength they feel from their trainers, that by so doing-they both learn to have confidence in the bond between each other.

'It probably helped to learn how they both worked together as well,' Candy thought, looking to the twins and the little baby pokemon, 'A pokemon's personality can be tricky if the trainer doesn't learn how to mesh well or work around it... I guess working around it would be avoiding it, though, yeah? And some pokemon types and kinds are just easier to train than others..." She mentally sighed but kept an outward smile on her face, wanting to encourage the girls as best as she could.

'I may not be an expert at this stuff yet, but that doesn't mean I don't believe they can't be!' she pumped her hands into fists, "Now, one of you decide who goes first!"

Jake took his seat on the benches and let Eevee sit and curl up on his lap, laying across the lined-gap between his two straight and together legs to get a better view of the girls. Jake put his hands to the side of himself, kicking out his legs as he watched.

"But I wanted Igglypuff on my side!" Tia shouted out, complaining.

"But Igglypuff likes me more." Mia stuck her tongue out at her sister as Tia's face went big with shock, then puffed up her cheeks in a fit of red anger.

"She only likes you cause you make her fat with cookies!" Tia huffed the air she had stored in her cheeks out, as her sister gasped in response to such an accusation.

Mia put her hands out to her sides, shaking her fists by her hips. "Does not!" she countered.

"Does too!" Tia retorted in another childish spat.

"Girls, girls, please!" Seeing another sibling rivalry flare up, Candy tried to step forward from playing referee on the sidelines near the middle and waved her hands out, hoping to quiet the fighting. "We're supposed to be having a pokemon battle here, not a twin battle. Aye, aye, aye…" Candy shook her head as her hand came up to her forehead to pointed her thumb and index finger down and pinch the bridge between her nose. "So much for 'powering-up' the contestants." she teased herself, muttering for only her to hear.

Jake rolled his eyes and snickered at their bickering. One minute, they loved each soooo much! Practically inseparable. The next? At each other's girlie throats. He rattled the bleachers that resembled benches by stomping his feet on one of the steel and silver rows below, "Get to the actual battle, already!" he cheered in a bit of annoyance at having to wait as Riolu balanced himself upon the same row he was in and sat down next to him.

He plopped quite casually beside him as Eevee looked over with a friendly smile to him.

Riolu crossed his legs and folded his arms, watching intently...

"…They didn't allow you to battle this time… did they?" Jake observed, seeing how the neutral frown on Riolu's usually serious or unnerved face dipped slightly at the corner when he mentioned it.

"... Feeling not good enough to be challenged, huh?"

By the reaction of Riolu seeming to be hit with an imaginary attack, gripping his heart while holding his head down with sweat drops appearing all over his head and dripping down it, Jake figured he was right and that his comment stabbed straight to his pride.

Riolu's mouth hung open a bit in shock at Jake's words but held his head lower and shook his fist up, showing he was extremely agitated and offended by that statement.

"Haha, better luck next time!" he laughed and patted the small pokemon's back, who only took that as further mocking. "You're probably just too strong against a normal or fairy type like her, right? I think? I can't really tell which region she's from, anyway." He shrugged, speaking about Igglypuff.

Riolu just clenched his teeth together, growling at the fact that he couldn't battle today. He hopped off the bench and decided to do his own 'training' and try and use Quick Attack and maybe Force Palm on a nearby tree... ignoring Jake's comments, but... looking at his paw, he wondered if he wasn't allowed to battle based on Candy thinking he was too strong against Igglypuff..?

He looked down to her, wondering... before putting his arms behind him and dashing off over the bleachers and doing a front-flip before landing with style and racing to the forest...

"Wow, he sure is dedicated to getting stronger," Jake stated as Eevee jumped up on his lap to all fours, tail wagging. "Haha! You can't fight him, he's definitely super effective against you." Jake petted Eevee's head, "And I wouldn't want you getting hurt before your strong enough to take on a losing-fight as well!"

"Eevee, eevee." He seemed to be trying to tell Jake, 'it's alright. I'll become stronger with and for you!' And keep him from worrying about it too much. Eevee had a new feeling of resolve, anyway. Ever since the Gengar incident, Eevee felt the desire to become strong with Jake, leaned up to lick under his chin and make Jake laugh again.

"Haha, hey, Eevee, stop that! It tickles! Haha!" Jake leaned a knee up and Eevee had to balance himself but wagged its tail even more as it chimed out its name in joy at Jake's laughter.

Jake picked Eevee up to its hind-legs and petted its belly, letting Eevee laugh too as he had a big grin on his face, "Hehe! You're such a kidder!" and looked down back at the battlefield to see if any changes had taken place.

Apparently not...

"Just… just tell Torchic to attack!" Candy was getting exhausted, not sure how to coordinate both 'toddlers' and baby pokemon. However, she remembered her first time training up her Pichu, and knew that it wasn't all that easy at first to really nail the energy and 'bonding' from practicing battles…

"...uh… umm…" Tia looked to Candy, unsure of what to do by her obvious hesitation and her hand up to her mouth, seeming to want to bite her nails.

Candy sighed again and smiled kindly to the girl, a bit of awkward sweat dripping down the side of her face as she closed her eyes and tried to seem as friendly and approachable as possible while explaining what she clearly needed to know. "T-Try an Ember." She encouraged, "You got this!" she then threw a fist up into the air, "Say it with feeling! Give all your strength to Torchic!"

"O-oh!" Having a move now, Tia wiggled her fists in anticipation and turned to Torchic, leaning forward with a small blush on her cheeks to show her expectation of her using the move properly. "Torchic, sweetie, use Ember!" She pointed proudly towards her sister as Torchic happily rushed toward Igglypuff with determined cries, letting some flames out of her mouth.

"Tor, tor, tor!" a few more flames splurted out in a frenzy as she kept her beak down, as though about to charge headfirst at Igglypuff. Then, launching her head up and bobbing out a flurry of Ember attacks, she almost seemed to spray them out in a crazy fashion, losing aim in the process of it. "Tor-tor-tor!"

Igglypuff just sweetly tilted its head, "...Igg?" None of the fire was hitting her, but just burning and slowly being put out as fast as they were thrown out upon the dirted ground, nothing for them to cling to.

"Uhh… is that suppose to happen?" Tia asked, a bit awkward about the scene before her. "Y-you gotta aim it, Torchic!" she cupped her hands around her mouth and called out to her, as Torchic stopped dancing about in random Ember attacks and froze, blinking its eyes as though just as confused what a 'battle' was supposed to be as well, and seemed to put on a fantastic performance instead.

"Tell Igglypuff to dodge it!" Candy cried out to Mia, thinking this could still be a way to teach them something useful.

"O-okay! D-dodge it, Iggly!" Mia cried out, "My cute creampuff, you got this!" she tried to put 'Candy's feeling' into it, mimicking her strong arm fisting up and being thrown into the air.

Igglypuff danced and hopped around to successfully dodge each one, which wasn't exactly difficult now that Torchic was trying to aim but finding it a bit difficult to figure out at first. Igglypuff moved as though zooming to three different spots in 'pretty poses' as though just sketched lines to show her incredible speed.

One pose was on her head, kicking her feet up and clicking them together. The other was twirling like a ballerina before moving to her last position, which was her putting her face and arms down together before opening it up like a big, 'Hewwo!' that melted the three girls hearts but made Torchic blink and freeze as she wasn't sure why her attacks weren't hitting properly...

"D'aww~" The three girls put their hands up to their cheeks, then Candy wiggled and put her hands together and down in front of her, "She's such a fast little thing, isn't she?~ What's a good girl~ She's so cuuuttee!" she cooed, Igglypuff's natural charm coming through.

"Hmm… Quite the speedster, I see. That, and great charisma from the both of them! Hohoho." Pearl walked outside just to the side of the bleachers that were practically tiered right up against the daycare's sidewall. She had commented to herself, but Nevermore, perched on her shoulder, nodded and cawed back his approval of her aside statement.

"Uhh… Igglypuff! Use Sweet Kiss!" Mia ordered with a bit of hesitation, not sure if that was right but Igglypuff let out a fancy twirl with big, bulbous, anime cute eyes as an angel flew out of her blown kiss, keeping the puckered lips out as she spun around Torchic, continuing the adorable 'attack'.

The angel flew out and gently spun around Torchic as well, before gracefully kissing Torchic's cheek and disappearing in a gentle fade, leaving Torchic balance on one foot at the strange force before becoming completely confused, tottering as its head was heavier than its body, trying to stay upright and not stumble over on either side of itself.

"Oh no! What does that do?" Tia gripped her small dress in worry and fright, scrunching it up at the front as she watched Torchic's struggle.

"Well, it leaves Torchic confused, meaning it could-" Candy began to reach out a hand to explain and-hopefully-calm her nerves a bit when Torchic lifted its foot shakily up higher and higher..., and still being dizzy, scratched itself and toppled over, "…Hurt itself." she bent herself forward, seeing the act already happen before Tia could even give out another command. "It will keep doing that until it snaps out of confusion."

"Wha!? Then,... is it useless? Do I continue to try and battle? Do I lose?" Tia had leaned forward, calling out in disappointment and then slowly getting quieter in her realization of the hopeless situation.

"I won!" Mia spread her arms out in victory, then giggled into her hands, "That was fun! One hit K.O!" she rolled another arm around to her side as the other was bent in and towards her stomach in her joy. "Yay, yay, yay!" she threw out a peace sign, for added style.

"N-no, the battle is decided when one pokemon can't continue fighting anymore. Torchic still has a chance to win, you just have to help it snap out of confusion." Candy, as she spoke about it, thought this might be an even better teaching opportunity.

She turned to Tia, looking fierce, "You can't give up! Not now, not ever! It's not the middle of the battle that determines the outcome, it's the end!"

As she delivered that line out, Tia's eyes sparkled in her inspiring motivation, and Pearl smiled fondly... 'She's getting it... through teaching others, she's applying what was already naturally in her instincts as a trainer all along.' She nodded to her senses, seeing a glimmer of potential once again in Candy. 'She'll make a fine trainer... eventually.' she beamed, 'She's already on that great path ahead... being here will not only help the children understand but help her mature into a fine young trainer as well.' That was her hope, in the end. That Candy would be trained just as much as the children and pokemon were while being around each other.

"H-how do I do that?" Tia looked worried, though willing to try. Her words were a bit shaky, but her soul was lightened in its fears, seeing that it wasn't over just yet. However, she really wasn't sure how she could help Torchic when its confusion was making any move it tried to do hurt itself... literally taking its claw and scratching the side of its face...

When Torchic did it again, she cried out, and then put her hands together. "Oh, Torchic, no." she seemed to be begging, then channeled her psychic energy and pushed it out with the palm of her hands.

"You have to try and connect your heart with your pokemon's heart. I know you can do it!" Candy encouraged, putting her hands up and showing that she believed in Tia, then mimicking her palms towards Torchic, "Yeah, that's it! Channel your spirit to Torchic! Give her all you got!"

Tia nodded nervously, squinting her trembling eyes shut and gulping, "Torrchiicc!" she cried out, as Mia stepped back, feeling the psychic pulses and their colored energy manifesting in her sister. She looked concerned... could she lose if Torchic snapped out of it?

"Use... Emm... Ember!" Tia cried out, her sound reaching all the way into Torchic's small ear holes as her eyes blinked open, no longer swirls of dizziness.

Slowly... opening her own eyes... Tia took a chance and looked up in hope towards Torchic, "Tor-...Torchic?"

"Tor…Tor…~" Torchic was WAY out of it, doing a strange wobbly dance as it moved from one leg to the other, but then let out in that moment of clarity a single Ember which pushed Igglypuff back, connecting as she freaked out and jumped left to right.

"Iggly, iggly, iggly!" she tried to shake the burn off her small, three puffballs on the top of her head but it kept blazing faintly.

"Uhh… umm… Please use Scratch!" Tia followed up, making Candy proud as she put her hands together and up by her chin.

"She continued!" she praised, "That's it, Tia! Lead the assault! Don't let up for nothin'!" Candy cheered, as Jake moved to the edge of the seat, his mouth a wide 'o' as he watched in amazement.

"Hey, is she gonna make a comeback?" He asked, not really to anyone in particular as Miss Pearl lowered her head with a smile.

"Hmm, we'll see," she answered him, but already expecting a great turnout. "It doesn't really matter who wins or who loses, both will gain experience from this battle... but the victory will inevitably grow stronger." She boldly proclaimed in her old voice, as Jake looked to her in wonder.

"The victory... keeps the strength gained?" He looked back over to the battlefield, "But the loser... also has a gain..."

"In wisdom, yes." Pearl answered, placing a hand on her cane and bringing it toward her more, to the front, so she could lean on it. "It's a tough call, though... some aren't strong enough to see it that way. They see a wide gap between who they are and who they desperately desire to become. When one looks back though, they see that they are that stranger on the other side of the ravine, that they've crossed similar hurdles before, and to their past selves, they are more than they ever thought they could become."

Her words gripped Jake's attention, as Eevee also tilted its head and let a long, slender ear of its lean down as well, not understanding but wanting to as Jake seemed fixated on her meaning...

"So... I'm stronger than when I first came to the Daycare." He looked down at Eevee, who looked up at him in return. His thoughts spiraled upwards, and his ruffled brow turned to one of gratitude. "Yeah, it hasn't been that long, and I don't feel like I'm a great trainer yet... but I definitely feel I've changed and gotten... yeah, stronger. That's the word." He nodded and smiled, hugging Eevee close as Eevee continued to blink and look a bit distant from his thoughts, but yipped in joy at the affection and wagged his tail, "Eevee and I are friends now, and Eevee isn't so afraid of battling anymore either. We've both gotten stronger... through our new friendship." He nuzzled his nose into Eevee's neck fur as it laughed, and Pearled looked up to the two in tenderness.

"That's right, youngster Jake." She beamed at their forming bond, seeing how strong it could truly become in refining it within time. "That's absolutely how one becomes a strong pokemon trainer." she looked back to Candy... her hopes escalating. "Now, if only Candy could connect the same." she took in a deep breath and let it slowly out as she hunched more in her old age, "I just hope my withering bones last long enough to see you all succeed in your dreams."

Nevermore pecked lightly at her hair, tugging it a bit as though to tell her to stop with the negativity.

"Hohoho, quite right, I'm too young of heart to give up on thoughts like that just yet. Thank you, old friend." She looked up with a youthful grin to him, "You keep me young in spirit, my dear." She reached up and rubbed with a light pinch the side of his black-rimmed, hat-like head. He shut one eye and leaned into the loving touch, glad he could help as he let out a hardy, "Murrrkrow!" with a small opening of his jagged beak.

Alas, Torchic had undoubtedly hit itself again.

"Uh! Oh no!" Tia saw the scratch didn't connect that time around though, "Is she still confused?" and all eyes returned to the battlefield.

"It's really heating up, huh?" Jake spoke seriously, but Pearl sensed a pun in that line.

"It's anyone's game now... let's watch and learn from others' trials as well, young Jake." She instructed and lifted her cane to press it down again, as it seemed the battlefield became more dynamic in everyone's eyes now.

"Now it's my turn, right?" Mia took advantage of the situation at once, seeing Tia was gaining, she went for a counter. "Go Igglypuff! Use Copycat!" Igglypuff used a magic orb to take the move previously done before it.

But it failed.

"Wha? Nothing happened… Hey! What gives, Igglypuff!" Mia accused the little baby pokemon who also seemed just as confused as she was.

"Don't be upset with her, Mia." Candy intervened, gently coaxing her attention away from the pouting pokemon, who didn't understand why it couldn't complete the move either. "Copycat doesn't work unless the opposing pokemon used a move before it." She gestured to Torchic, still doing a wobbly dance. "Torchic hit itself, and wasn't able to provide a move for her," she explained, as Pearl then stepped in.

"Not just that, Igglypuff is faster than Torchic. If slower, then Torchic might have had another turn to be able to break through confusion's effects, and then she could replicate any attack that got through." Pearl spoke in a bit more depth, "Learning one's strategic advantage and pokemon stat expertise is a bit of a higher lesson, but there's no harm in mentioning it, either." She took a deep breath in, then out, "But no use diving too deeply into affairs that can be explained and figured out when you've learned how your pokemon battles and adapts to various situations. That bond and time with your pokemon is crucial. Since you're still figuring out the basics, just know that Igglypuff seems to have the speed factor in this match."

"O-oh..? Is that what happened?" Candy softly stated to herself, obviously not knowing much except some lessons sticking from her academy training. "Huh, stats... I remember some students were really big on that." She thought how cruel it was to catch a ton of pokemon and then rate and judge them on such things, and how those caught pokemon must have felt to be released after such an ordeal... Her friends had told her it's not so bad, the pokemon are used to being wild, but Candy wondered if stats and nature really outweighed the bond and personality that potential friendship could have had... "I guess there's a difference between the elite trainer vs. the casual one." she folded her arms, nodding to that. "At least I knew why the move failed... kinda..." She muttered.

"Heh, Ugly's not such a dumb blonde, after all!" Jake kicked his legs up in glee at his teasing while Eevee let out a gust of air from its mouth, not liking when he was being cruel to Candy.

It lightly chomped on his arm, "O-ow, hey! I wasn't being that mean! It's a compliment! The bleach didn't all go to her head!" he countered, pouting, but Candy's head fumed with red hot anger and turned around to cry out a scold at him.

"Why I outta-! I'm a natural blonde, squirt!" she retaliated, but then heard Pearl clear her throat.

"Candy… you are the mature adult, remember?" She opened a squinted, wrinkly folded eye towards her.

"Bu-bu-but-Miss Pearl!" She turned around, crying animated tears that streamed down her cheeks as she pointed accusingly to Jake, not thinking it fair that he gets to walk away with that comment. "He started it!"

"Jake!" She pulled his attention to her, as he swiped his head towards her, waiting for her verdict. "...No cookies." Pearl simply lowered her head down, as Jake picked up Eevee more into his arms and slouched.

"Whatever," he muttered, as Eevee licked where he bit to show that Jake still had some growing to do, but at least he's not as cruel as he once was to her.

"That punishment's not nearly enough! It won't work on that rascal!" Candy called out, seriously upset that Pearl just seemed to ignore the behavior Jake showed as she gritted her teeth and shook a fist up at him, tensing as he stuck out his tongue to her and smirked.

"Jake..." Pearl looked back to him, smiling kindly, but both beady eyes now slightly opened in an almost intimidating way. "I won't let you battle with Eevee again if you continue this mockery." She stated, smirking at the end as he flinched back at her words.

"What!?" Jake clung to Eevee as it blinked in confusion to his quick response, completely squished by his desperate bear-hug at Miss Pearl's 'harsher' punishment. "You can't let Eevee battle with anyone else! He'll get scared without me!"

"Then I would advise you to find a better way to address Candy." She turned back to watch the girls, keeping her head up and closing her eyes again, showing she wasn't going to engage in further discussion about it.

"…Hmph." he looked away, obviously griping about the new punishment, deciding the risk was too much for him to fight back against…

Candy yippee'd, doing a little dance as she stomped her feet to the ground in a choppy circle, then smacked her hands to her belly like a pokemon would and laughing like some weird lady. She had finally gotten back at Jake for once, but... was all that celebration really necessary?

"Torchic! Snap out of it! I need you right now, so… so just do it!" Tia called, but Torchic hit itself again and finally, fainted. "Ah!" she gasped, before seeing that Igglypuff's burn also caused it to faint, falling back with swirls in its eyes.

"Oh…? I think it's dead." Mia stated, looking puzzled and tilting her head slightly before leaning up and looking over the field, then gasping as Igglypuff fell back too, "Oh no! Puffball!"

"It's not dead, silly girl." Pearl chuckled, getting up and walking over to Torchic and Igglypuff. "Here…" she pulled out two revives and then two potions, putting the revives up by their mouths as it glowed and she put it in their mouths. Then, she zipped back and forth to squirted some of the potions healing substances on the two, leaning their heads up as she did so.

Torchic twitched a leg out a bit, but then blinked its eyes open and jumped up, running around and being loud and hyper again. "Tor, tor, tor!" it seemed full of energy again!

"Hmm, hmm. See? She just needed to rest a bit is all." Pearl smiled at the two girls, then watched as Igglypuff rose up too, blinking, tilting it's head and giving a big smile and chime out.

"Iggllllyy~" It stretched a bit upwards, then yawned, cleaning itself by reaching up on its head and scruffing up and off the dirt from it.

"Igglypuff's the greatest pokemon EVER!" Mia laughed, holding Igglypuff high in the air after worriedly watching Pearl in expectation, then happily praising her after her recovery. She pressed her against her cheek, "And so fluffy too!" she nuzzled, making Igglypuff giggle with the affection.

"Nah-uhh. The word you're looking for is POOFY!" Tia rushed over, grabbing the pokemon out of her sister's hands and holding it up to herself. "And you spoil her too much!" she looked her over, "You okay, Igglypuff? I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

Torchic stopped running around as it looked to see the twins squabbling, tilting its head as they fought over Igglypuff again.

"Hey!" Mia reached for Igglypuff but Tia swiped the little pokemon to the other side of her, keeping her away from her precious twin.

"I have to apologize! Besides, you're pushing her too much!" She pouted.

"I'm the reason we won, hand my champion over!" Mia reached her hands out for Igglypuff, pushing against her sister who used her body to keep Tia away. Her head moved up and she puffed it out, "Tiiiaa!"

"Miiiaaa!" her sister cried back, as Candy walked over calmly after picking up Torchic, feeling bad it was being ignored.

"Alright, girls. Don't fight…" She still had some leftover 'giddiness' from watching the battle and how good the girls were doing, but also had some sweat drip from the side of her face in the awkwardness of how the girls would fight or be unified like a tilting teeter-totter. She bent down by them with a big, happy-go-lucky smile on her face. "Now, now, children~ Why don't we share the pokemon!" She took Igglypuff from the side that Tia was holding her on, having the two pokemon in her folded arms now, picking her up like a ball from her head. Igglypuff just smiled and remained still like a doll when people held it, not seeming to understand that there was fighting going on, but interpreting it as a fun game or more cuddles.

When Candy took her, she thought she had joined the fun game, and spread her arms upwards and out, "Iggly!" she chimed, thinking maybe this was a game of 'hot potato' like when they passed the hackysack around during activities.

Torchic just looked to Igglypuff, then stuck out her feet as though mimicking her actions but not having arms-just tiny wings-she opted to use her legs, "Torchic!" she beamed, also finding this fun. Neither seemed to care that they had fainted seconds before and instead, it looked like Igglypuff and Torchic's friendship grew a bit more after the battle.

"Why are Igglypuff and Torchic so happy?" Jake asked as Pearl nodded.

"Good observation. It's said that Pokemon battle to grow strong, but also to increase their friendships with one another." She happily explained, using her walking cane to come towards him near the front of the bleachers, looking up at him. "In other words, it's a natural behavior for them to spar with one another, hoping that not only will their rival get stronger to help them train and grow, but that their bond as friends can also be made that much tighter." Pearl looked back at the two, "I'm sure Igglypuff and Torchic feel closer because they trusted that bond, that both of them wanted to excel and get better... together."

She looked at the two sweetly, but then at the feuding twins and sighed, "Now, if only those two could learn that, instead of bickering about who's better than the other." she overheard the girls trying to figure out who won first, Tia feeling that since Igglypuff fainted too, it was a tie. However, Mia argued that Torchic fainted first, and by the rules of battle, that was when the victor should have been called.

"It's Candy's fault!" Mia pointed over to her, once again blaming someone else, "She didn't call it out in time!"

Candy puffed up the side of her cheek, "That does it..." she let Torchic down and came between the two girls, taking their hands and putting Igglypuff's small, pudgy appendages in them to connect them all. "I've had just about enough of being picked on today. Now, you can all walk hand in hand with each other." Candy placed Igglypuff on the ground, even if the girls needed to bend slightly to still hold her 'hands' since Igglypuff was so small on the ground, this meant they both could hold her and share.

"There." Candy leaned back up, placing her knuckles confidently on her hips, "Now you're both winners for this epic battle! Torchic-!" she spread out her hand and smiled as the Torchic willingly leaped up in excitement and she caught her butt on the palm of her hand in mid-air. "We are victors!" she held up the Torchic and a peace sign with her other hand's two fingers, as the twins looked down at Igglypuff between them and then up at Candy's posing.

"Tor, tor, tor!" Torchic kicked out its legs, also feeding off of Candy's enthusiasm.

"You both gave it your all, you learned a lot, and Torchic and Igglypuff gained-hopefully-some experience from it all too!" she momentarily broke her joyous mediating at the horror of knowing that if two pokemon faints, they usually don't get the benefiting rewards... "And since you two are youngsters with no pocket-change, I declare the winner-all of us!"

The twins stuck their tongues out in disapproval, "That's lame." they both said at the same time, agreeing with each other as Candy moped in the background, withdrawing back at how cut-throat these kids were at wanting to be the winner.

"Can't we all just play nice, yeah?" She sunk to her knees as Torchic happily bounced out of her hand and ran around the place, singing a bit in her usual chanting of her name with tons of spare energy.

"Iggly?" Igglypuff smiled happily, as usual, as the two girls looked at each other and smiled hugely as well, letting it slowly creep and spread across their faces as they looked into each other's eyes.

"It was fun, wasn't it?" Tia said.

"Yeah, super fun!" Mia replied, "Igglypuff looks just like a baby, huh?" she mentioned, pointing to how small she was compared to the two.

"Let's swing her like Daddy and Mommy do with us!" Tia suggested, bouncing in her growing eagerness to play with her.

"Yeah!" Mia agreed, and they began to walk as one as they swung Igglypuff between their arms.

The little pokemon was so small that it kicked up like a slightly hovering balloon before coming back down and getting swung again, very lightly as the girls laughed and giggled at it's cute reactions. "Iggggly~ Puff-puff-puff-puff! Iggggly~ Puff-puff-puff!" The girls swung Igglypuff by leaning up and moving their arms but gave Igglypuff a moment to touch the ground before they swung her again, making sure she was safe.

"Ready, Iggly?" Mia began.

"Here we go, Puff!" Tia continued.

"Weee!" the twin girls lifted her again with a gentle swing upwards and were once again in perfect unison.

The girls started chiming Igglypuff's name with her, and the two seemed to grow closer to her in that way, which made Candy sigh in relief. "At least they're getting along again." she admitted, "Whether I become a decent trainer or teacher at this place, at least I can learn how to settle some disputes..." she puffed out some air as though releasing the rest of her inadequate feelings out from squeezing her insides.

She felt her pokeball wiggle as though her Pichu-Zippity-had some words on that but just patted it lightly.

"Yes, yes~ Hai, Hai~ We'll work on getting stronger-for ourselves-too soon." she chimed with delicate lines for eyes and a small blush as she soothed her eager little pokemon who wanted to grow stronger in battles too down a bit at her side, knowing she'd charge out of her Pokeball if Candy didn't make time for their own training.

She usually tried to train in the forested area... but was busy with the Daycare, these days... She felt her life at ever being a worthy trainer was beginning to look slim to none, but she was trying, anyway.

"Could someone as incompetent as me really teach children to work well with pokemon?" she asked herself, and looked to see the twins still walking around and laughing with Igglypuff... seeming joyfully at peace with one another again. "Aww, aren't they so precious~!" Candy put her hands to her face, doting on the adorable girls and Igglypuff's cuteness. She was literally having a great day now, just knowing there were no further arguements being had.

She got up and dusted herself off as she hadn't noticed Pearl was behind her... listening from just a bit farther behind her.

She lowered and arched her eyebrows, "Poor dear..." she had heard her muttering, and then smiled gently to show she still believed in Candy's future. "Hmm, I believe this calls for a picnic," Pearl stated, and called the children to her. "Come along now, dearies. I know a beautiful and peaceful plain not too far into the forest, where Candy can train and where we can sit under a lone tree and enjoy a splendid meal together." She gestured for them to gather around her, and they quickly moved to her sides. Candy also looked up, not sure what was going on as this wasn't before planned... at least, gone over with in the usual morning rundown.

"We're going where, now?" she questioned.

Pearl looked to Murkrow, "We should continue to improve and enhance the bonds we've made. So, my old friend, could you fight off any unwanted company that may cause some harm near there? I hear some strong pokemon came into the forest not too long ago, and I don't want the children or the baby pokemon to be in any kind of danger…" Pearl seemed slightly worried, but Nevermore cawed out his pleasure at doing some 'patrol work' around the area and flew off.

Candy's Pokeball wiggled again, and she patted it to try and quiet Zippity again, "I know, I know, shhhush. I'll ask if we can help," She whispered lovingly but a bit hesitantly as she walked over to Pearl.

She was about to open her mouth to suggest she'd like to help Murkrow out when the twins bombarded her on both sides and made her stumble backwards.

"Wow, a picnic!" The girls cheered together, and Jake jumped down off the bleachers with a thrilled huff. "Whatever. It's probably gonna be lame." He stated, cutting off Candy as he continued, "Me and Eevee can work up a sweat with those tough guys!" he rotated his arm out, as though prepping for a sporting challenge. "I mean, we fought off Gangar, right? We can do anything! If we put our mind to it!" he pumped out his fists to his sides as Eevee pounced and scratched at the ground, calling out and then going into a playful stance, cheering at his words.

"I'm afraid Murkrow won't need any further assistance, Jake, but you're free to try and battle any passing-weaker-foes we may encounter." Pearl knew the level of moxie this forest held, and it was probably a bit too advanced for the little tike. "But I admire your optimism. I'm sure there's a Caterpie or Wurmple you could duel, maybe even a feisty Burmy. Ho-ho-ho!" she let out an amused bit of laughter as Jake grabbed his head and looked like he had been knocked back by her words.

"Aw, come on, Miss Pearl! So it is going to be boring, hmph! As usual." He folded his arms and then turned away from her, but gave her a stink-eye with puckered lips in his disappointment at being told 'No'.

"…Oh, what? Mr. 'I've been beat' suddenly lost the thrill in life?" Candy leaned down, smirking evilly as her face distorted in her glee at how upset he was. Though he looked away, annoyed by her, he still walked calmly up to Miss Pearl.

He very lightly pinched a piece of her dress fabric, looking up as though for aid, "I'd like to report harassment towards a child." He stated with such mature diction that Candy fell over.

"WHAT?!" she spun herself up with absolute shock and white horror on her face.

"Candy, leave Jake alone." Pearl looked over to her, twisting her torso somewhat to do so, b-but... maybe it was because the boy really could get the daycare in trouble with a claim like that...

"I'm feeling bullied." Jake's manipulating mask of sincerity was just too good, Pearl had to think of the future of the establishment over Candy's pride... that, and this boy really needed a strong talking to...

'He'd make an excellent lawyer someday... rich kids usually did know how to get what they want,' Candy grumbled in her mind, grinding her teeth together as she looked to Miss Pearl and pointed to him, "He's been bullying me! I demand a lie detector test! Snot-nose, little-!"

"Candy?" Pearl was nervously sweating somewhat, "We pick and choose our battles... don't we?" she held herself upright and proudly.

"…Little angel." She muttered out. "Well, whatever! I don't need this! I'll go train my pokemon!" she looked back to see Riolu still really trying to knock out that tree…

Miss Pearl reached down and pinched Jake's ear, giving it a good shake. "Now then, young sir, you really won't be given privileges to battle for some time now." she reprimanded, as he let her with a-'Aww man..!' but figured that was somewhat fair since he lost the battle but won the war.

Did he feel he gained experience, though?

"Riolu! Want to come and try gaining experience too?" She felt a bit bad for him, he used to be so mischievous, and at least a little lively. Now, it seemed he was training and training some more. Never stopping. Advancing skyward. He barely played like a baby pokemon anymore…

Maybe he was just growing up?

However, he was acting pretty loyal to Candy, since she always took care of the baby pokemon while Pearl ran errands and primarily acted as the provider while Candy usually was the caregiver. In other words, Pearl got the groceries, went through the paperwork, spoke with the parents, planned and hosted the activities and lessons for the enrichment of the kids and pokemon; while Candy was mostly cleaning up after them, cooking, playing, and watching the kids like a paid employee would. So, with so much time spent with her, Riolu naturally grew close to her and seemed to really trust her. Which, in the beginning, he seemed to not really trust anyone at all…

"Ri?" He looked toward Candy and smiled as if he wanted that opportunity more than anything. "Riolu! Rio!" he jumped up in glee and ran towards her, happy as can be.

"Haha! Perfect!" Candy returned the energetic smile as he dashed over to her.

"Tor?" Torchic looked up at Candy, eyes shining, still wearing the Vaporeon necklace from the Aquarium around its pudgy neck.

"Huh? Oh… I'm sorry. I think you need to stay with Pearl this time." Candy admitted, turning back to lean down and pat Torchic's head lovingly, also stroking it on the side and then tipping her up by the chin. "You already had your exercise for the day, might as well take it easy now, yeah?" She got up from her slight squat towards Torchic and brought out her two Pokeballs, holding them in an 'x' across her chest and trying to look 'cool' as she spread her fingers apart in gaps so that two fingers were on either side as she gripped the ball. "Alright, come out everyone!" She tossed them up into the air, letting a fashionably cool spin on the Pokeballs come with the action, both moving opposite of each other before opening up in an intercepting stream of light.

Pichu came out, landing quite well on her feet, and then cleaned her ear like a small rodent would with its tiny hands.

Then, just adjacent to it...

"Chikor! Chikor!" Her starter pokemon came out, one she had gotten from completing the pokemon school graduation challenge, which came bounding out with a necklace that was made to be like a tiara on her head. Her mother ran a stone and jewelry shop, so it was a gift to Chikorita when Candy first introduced her to her mother.

"Woah! What's that pokemon?!" Tia exclaimed as she and her sister ran up to it, having let go of Igglypuff for a moment. Igglypuff stood there, feeling rejected, her eyes began to water before she started crying loudly.

Torchic slowly walked over to Igglypuff, seeming to have lost all her positive energy too, and was tearing up and sniffling, not liking being rejected any more than Igglypuff did, but also maybe showing empathy as it seemed to be crying because Igglypuff was crying too. "IIGGGLY!" Igglypuff wailed out, kicking her feet up and landing on her bottom to rock wildly on the ground, "…Tor…-chic!" it sniffled.

"…I didn't know you had another pokemon besides your Pichu," Jake admitted, about to pick Eevee up but then stopping the action of leaning down, his hands out. He pulled himself back up and walked over to examine it as Eevee's expectant and happy face suddenly looked shocked by his rejection in favor of the new pokemon. He bent down to it instead and put his arms on his knees, curious about it as Eevee puffed up its cheek, glaring and growing at the Chikorita, upset and jealously grinding its teeth back and forth that some other pokemon would steal its spotlight from its future trainer's eyes.

At least, now it really hoped Jake still wanted to be his future trainer!

"Chi? Chikor? Chikor!" Chikorita was at first surprised by the new 'guest' but quickly strutted her stuff and showed off her beautiful form by modeling, loving the attention as she beamed with each new face that looked admiringly to her. The twins were entranced too, and soon, an array of 'oo's and 'aw's were heard as Eevee bit its own tail and shook its head, knawing on it in a fit of envy. Now, Eevee had made himself among the same company of the crying Igglypuff, no longer a star of cuteness in the twins' eyes, or at least, that's how it felt-And poor Torchic was merely emoting the now powerful emotions of Eevee as well, stomping it's feet and scratching them into the dirt in anger.

"Haha,… yeah, well. Flower is known to be a bit of a showoff and uh, 'Up-town' girl. Hehe." Candy rubbed the back of her head, a little self-concious to show her new addition to her team... she usually only brought her out for excercise and to walk about at home. She wasn't really sure she had 'built that taming bond' with her just yet to handle her around the kids, but she seemed to love the admiration directed to her. "I thought she wouldn't like the dirt and chaos that happened every day… Miss Pearl said we should be considerate of the different personalities of our Pokemon, s-so..." Candy worried that she should have introduced Flower soon to the gang, but Miss Pearl happily smiled up to her.

"Although that is true, it's also important to let pokemon experience new surroundings, adventures, and to grow their confidence and calmness around new challenges." Pearl looked down to the little Chikorita. "Although, this little one seems to be full of spunk and tenacity, ho-ho-ho." she laughed, seeing Chikorita was already very calm under the pressure of a bunch of new faces and young, gawking children.

Riolu paused as he went to Candy, looking at Chikorita with a confused expression, then at the other baby pokemon's wild fits. He didn't quite understand what the issue was,... maybe a psychic pokemon affecting their emotions? He put a paw to his chin and then looked back at Chikorita. It was too engrossed in creating new camera angles of its 'best sides'-which it believed to be all of them-to bother with introducing itself, let alone battling, the others.

So... a mental attack... without focusing?

Riolu just watched the other pokemon with a furrowed brow, "Riolu." I seemed to be trying to ask them to snap out of it.

"Flower's her name?" Asked Mia.

"Yeah! Cause her final evolution is pretty beautiful!" Candy admitted, daydreaming about riding her own Meganium one day. She pulled out her Pokedex, something she hadn't really done in a while since being busy with the school, and remembered that faithful day it ran into a Suicune...

Her eyes shook and sparkled... she wondered what that meant... to have a legendary saved on her Pokedex...

Blinking herself out of the memory, she then happily showed the children Chikorita's fully evolved form, "See! This Jhoto Pokemon starter has three evolutions! Most Starter pokemon do."

They all were amazed as Chikorita flipped her leaf back and turned her head, blinking her eyes to look as magnificent and 'mature' as possible.

"Wow, so pretty!" Tia exclaimed.

"Y-yeah, I wonder what Igglypuff will evolve into!" Mia wondered, as Igglypuff stopped crying and blinked it's eyes to her, hearing her name.

"Yeah! And Torchic's a Hoenn Starter, right? She must have three evolutions too!" Tia put her hands together, excitedly, as Torchic also stopped her head-banging fit she was in to express more rage before looking up to Tia with amazement at being recongized again.

"Tor?"

"Pfft, three evolutions is nothing!" Jake smugly leaned up and folded his arms, sharply closing his eyes to make his next declaration absolute, "Eevee can evolve into a ton of different Pokemon! He's the best, hands down!"

Eevee's eyes sparkled and shined, "Eevee~" it chimed, seeing that Jake truly hadn't forgotten him. It raced up to him and jumped into his arm, climbing up to his shoulders and rubbing his head to his own and making Jake-at first clumsily stumble-before laughing right along with Eevee's nuzzling.

"Haha! You bet'cha! Eevee beats every pokemon when it comes to evolutions! Besides, heh," He flicked his nose, dropping his arms down as Eevee had finally calmed down and rested upon his right shoulder. "You would give your pokemon a weird name, Ug-!" he clasped his hands over his mouth as he remembered Miss Pearl's punishment, and worried he would get it worse.

"…Go on," Candy bent down, giving him the same distorted evil smirk and face she did last time. "Just try it~"

He glared at her, "...Grr,... I hate you!" Jake screamed out in her face that was nearer to him now, making her shake back at his sound waves from his mouth. He was clearly upset he couldn't do what he wanted to anymore, and raced off as Flower put her leaf over her mouth, shocked by his rudeness.

She puffed and walked with a 'lady's flare' over to Candy, moving behind her and then to the side, stylishly moving her leaf again and striking an elegant pose. She would have no part of unmannerly humans or pokemon, only the finest of gentlemen and ladies may be within her company~

"Oh dear,.." Miss Pearl watched him charge, headfirst off as Candy just blew out the side of her mouth.

"Well, at least he's getting somewhat tamed..." she folded her arms, 'hmph'ing to the side as Miss Pearl sighed.

"How could you possibly compete and feel such a rivalry with a child?" Pearl turned back to Candy, disappointed, "You, as his mentor, should feel somewhat responsible for his emotional state and teaching him how to control his outbursts. You, Candy, are also just as explosive at times as he is." she rebuked, gently as it was, it was still a direct blow with it's honesty...

"M-me!? L-Li-Like him!?" She fumbled as she gestured to herself and then to a fleeing Jake, "B-Bu-But-! Miss Pearl!"

"I won't have another word on it. You must learn to control yourself before you can ever hope to garner respect enough from both these children and your own caught Pokemon. Have you heard anything I've taught you?" She lightly tapped Candy with her cane, "You mustn't be a child anymore, but just like Gym Badges show your taming rank, you must learn how to communicate with people just as well."

Candy rubbed the side of her head where Miss Pearl had 'lightly bonked' her. "Y-yes, Miss Pearl..." She pouted, thinking about it. "...This is kinda a lot... much harder than I thought it would be." She admitted, sinking a bit in her own skin. "Getting along with Pokemon is one thing... they're all unique individuals, after all. You can feed one a snack and gets its complete trust but another you have to give your all for it to even battle alongside you... How on earth am I supposed to do that with people!?" she grumbled, slouching her body forward and letting her arms dangle down as she groaned, lost for how to even start. "I wanna be the very best trainer, not the very best people person..."

Miss Pearl shook her head, "Friendship transcends what anything is, but who the soul inside can trust. That's the ultimate skill anyone can ask for. Pushing through the obstacles to battle our way into the hearts of any and all beings. Pokemon and people alike!" Even though old, Miss Pearl clenched her fist and held it skyward. "That is the true essence of not only a wise and strong Pokemon trainer but an excellent human being as well!"

Candy watched her in amazement, idolizing her... before not knowing exactly why her sank heart at such words. She was devoted to learning from Pearl, that much was sure, but... "A-Anyway, I gotta go." For some reason... she felt... guilty. How she treated Jake... it was like finally getting her revenge on him! But now it... just didn't make sense to her.

Could... She really not be a good trainer if she couldn't get along with a rambunctious Jake?

"C-come on, you guys… let's train." She barely even looked at her pokemon as she gestured for them to follow her, going another way off the training field. Zippity looked back to Jake, and her ears bent down as she walked after her trainer, thinking she should go after him.

Honestly... the boy could get himself into a lot of trouble. Eevee may be with him, but...

Wasn't it still dangerous? Like last time?

Looking up as she waddled beside her trainer, her eyes narrowed as she felt Candy should be more determined to succeed... but seeing her head down and walking so stiffly, her eyes covered in the shadow of her squarish, lined bangs... she looked down and seemed to feel the sulken energy feeding into her heart as well.

Growing angry at her sympathy, she shook herself free of the strength-sucking feeling and placed a hand on Candy's leg, smiling up at her with the confidence to know that she could do it! It was... strangely comforting... for the little Pichu who acted as though she didn't like her trainer.

Although growing up with Candy, she was like a babysitter, but also a devoted guardian who would keep her out of harm's way.

She may resent Candy for how 'weak' she felt... especially with that stupid Everstone lodged in her stomach, but... she was still her trainer. From the day she hatched in her crib, up till now...

That fact never changed.

"…At least you don't hate me as much as you let on." Candy had looked down and seen the kindness in her first, true friend's eyes. Knowing her Pichu was always gonna go hard on her, wanting them to get stronger, become better... but still cared about her and wanted her to be a great trainer too someday…

"Riolu!" Riolu seemed to believe that too, stepping up after Candy as she looked behind her to see him trailing along with a hopeful smile on his face as well. He nodded, then moved his hand to her, then both back to himself, and then let them out in a wide gesture as if to show how much he liked and had faith in her.

A fighting spirit really, that's what he was trying to convey. That him and Candy shared that longing.

"Hahaha! I love you too, kiddo." She winked to him as Chikortia just kept her eyes closed and walked on, strutting. She knew that dirt was beneath her feet, but trekked on through it anyway.

Nothing was going to spoil her mood, so long as she could be admired and treated like a lady, she'd tough out the dusty pebbles that threatened her perfect aesthetic.

"…And I suppose you love me too?" Candy asked, looking down sarcastically at her starter as Flower barely opened the eye that was closest to Candy's side to look up at her, before swiftly huffing and closing it again as she just kept on walking. "Right,…" Candy sweatdropped, "I guess I deserve that for not spending a lot of time with you lately…"

Back with Pearl and the kids, they all sat down to enjoy a lovely picnic, having caught up to Jake and Eevee, who tried to battle a Spearow, but sadly it was a bit much and they had to flee from it when its buddies showed up to defend it.

"Grr... I thought Pokemon battles were one-on-one!" he cried out, but Pearl just sighed, sending Murkrow to head the Spearow off.

"Many Pokemon call upon friends, nowadays. You have to be careful. The pride of a Pokemon can be its flock, herd, etc. Be weary, young Jake." She stuck her head up as she explained, then looked to the twins and little baby pokemon behind her. "Shall we?" they set up the blanket and food provisions, watching as Jake sat with them in a hard 'drop' to the blanket and folded his arms, pouting.

Previously, Pearl had let Jake go out exploring while she and the kids had gone back to the kitchen and made their meals. Eevee had grown stronger, and she knew Jake was more cautious after the Gangar incident for Eevee's sake, so she trusted they'd stick close to the Daycare. Miss Pearl taught them how to make a sandwich and then packed some other goodies with her for the pokemon, they made poffins for themselves with the kids' help, who loved to stir the pot and try not to splash.

"Now, this may be hard for you to believe, but I, too, have a pokemon I keep with me." Pearl chimed.

"We know that, Miss Pearl." Tia began, as Mia looked up to finish, having poffin batter all over her cheeks.

"You have Octavius and Nevermore!" Mia happily beamed, looking to the sleeping Octillery on Pearl's head.

"Not quite them, a secret, other pokemon I've had for some time now." Pearl chuckled, but then lifted one wrinkly, flapped skin over an eye to look like she was 'winking' and held up a pointer finger, "But don't tell Candy, I plan on bequeathing it to her when I feel she's ready." She reached into her long sleeve.

the excitement built as she revealed the Pokeball, and the twins eyes were sparkling in wonder and excitement.

"What kinda pokemon is it?" They asked, but Pearl just had a star fly out to the side of her, like in anime to show confidence and skillfulness.

"Don't you worry about that, I intend to show you all that at the picnic." Those words caused the twins to plug their mouths and then look to each other with excited squee's, not sure how to contain their growing anticipation on meeting another 'mystery pokemon' like Candy's.

Now, back on the picnic blanket, the three kids moved closer, excited as ever to see what it was as Jake had heard from the twins whispering in rapidly in both his ears what was to happen.

"Why does the Pokeball look so... different?" Asked Jake, noticing it had a funny color and slight detail-shape to it.

"Oh, I caught it in a Heavy Ball." Pearl explained, "I knew it would evolve into something special, so I thought, why not?"

The children looked confused by the new concept, and she 'ho-ho-ho'd at their enthusiasm to learn.

"My, my. To be young and so innocent again," She hummed to herself, "There are many types of Pokeballs. Jake, your father runs a Pokeball Company, does he not?"

Jake nodded, "But... umm... I guess I never needed to buy one or anything..." He admitted, "I'm not a trainer, s-so... and Dad doesn't bring his work home with him, you know?"

"And that's quite a good man to do that," Pearl nodded, admiring his father's care towards his family life. "Well, then. Pokeballs are rather common, you can get a Nest Ball, Fast Ball, Net ball, Dive Ball... there really are many." she laughed, "So, what do you think a 'Heavy' ball does?"

Tia raised her hand, and Miss Pearl nodded to her as she spoke, "It captures pokemon that are large."

"That's right!" Pearl exclaimed, delighted she guessed right. "Heavy balls capture pokemon that are heavyset, overweight, or simply very large."

"Wow, this pokemon must be ginormous!" Jake's eyes went wide, "B-but... you said it gets even bigger?!"

"Not quite yet." Pearl smiled, "I wanted a pokeball that would suit its 'eventual' size. Take a look," she threw up the heavy ball, "Come on out, sweet Munchlax!" She called as the pokeball opened up and she caught it while the white surrounded the side of the picnic blanket and a Munchlax appeared. It was a bit withdrawn at first, scrunched up with its arms in and its eyes squinted shut, before blinking its eyes, and looking around.

"Woah! It's a Munchlax! Aren't they rare?" Asked Jake, seeming to know something about it.

"You know the pokemon but not the pokeball?" Mia gave a judging look to Jake as he tensed back and held up a fist in his anger at her accusation.

"H-hey! I can know different things from other things! It's not that bad!" He chided back, fuming out steam.

In the background, the three baby pokemon seemed to look upset and fearful, panicking as they all realized their attention was once again swiped from under their feet. Torchic slowly withdrew a bit shakily behind Tia and Igglypuff puffed up its cheeks behind Mia, Eevee just sat on Jake's lap, narrowing its eyes as a downward arrow showed its displacement if the other pokemon should gain Jake's attention over it.

"Hoho, he adores spicy food." She lifted up a poffin, reaching into the basket and handing it over to him, hoping it would liven him up a bit. "Here you go, deary."

It waited a moment, looking down at the food in its lap before the split coloration part of its head wiggled up and down, as though sniffing the goodness in its claws. "Munchlax~" With a cool-sounding voice, he tossed a hand on top of it, leaping up and doing a spin as though this was the best gift ever presented to him. Before coming down, he shoved it in his mouth and ate with munches and crunches, shown by his swiggling mouth once he landed on the blanket.

"Woah!" the three kids were quite impressed by his little stunt, having some flare to when he ate, apparently.

"Hoho, he really loves to do a trick for food. That's how he usually got food from other trainers before I caught him. I thought he may be a good addition to Candy's party someday. But remember, don't tell her." Pearl held up a finger to her mouth, the universal sign of keeping it a secret.

Pearl had been strolling along with Nevermore on her shoulder and Octavius on her head, as usual, when a few trainers were tossing food to a performing Munchlax. It was doing a handstand on the conjoining part of the fence, opening its mouth and delightfully eating what people would throw in its mouth. When Pearl stopped to look, it took notice of her, and seeing how plump and well-feed the two pokemon were, it jumped down with a flip and rushed over to her.

"Oh? Quite spritely for a little Munchlax." Pearl commented, peering down to it as it approached her, jumping on one leg at a time before alternating, "Usually, you consume and sleep all day, is that right?" the Munchlax jumped up on one paw and clicked its feet together, opening and closing its mouth as though to show it wanted food. "Hmm... to survive, you've relied on kind passerbys, haven't you? Learning that entertaining them is easier than finding food on your own, is that it?" she smiled at its kindness, then reached into her pockets and threw some candy at him. He swallowed it whole, then sat down and patted his stomach. "You would make a perfect gift for a friend of mine. She's bold and persistent, but lacks some fundemental courage, although excellent at achieving good bonds with those around her. She needs more work, but her liveliness would suit you well, and she'd feed you handsomely."

At that, the Munchlax blinked its eyes open, as though surprised when she pulled out the pokeball and lightly tossed it to his head. "There ya go." she slyly smiled, as he opened his mouth instinctively to swallow it but then tilted as it heavily hit the side of his head, making him almost fall to the side before the light overcame him and he was taken into the Heavy Ball.

Nevermore cawed, and she laughed her usual way, "Hohoho, I'm aware he's not as big as his evolution will be, but I feel a Heavy Ball will remind him of his potential, as well as my hopes to remind Candy that her dreams are also in the near future, and she can evolve to make them happen as well."

As the Heavy Ball rocked back and forth, it finally sedated itself to a lulling 'Ding' of sparkling light. Since she was old, and bending down might prove difficult or even a nightmare, Nevermore flew to the pokeball and used his talon to pick it up, coming back to her as he dropped it in her hand.

"Thank you, old friend. I think a new member to Candy's team would suffice as a gift of goodwill. After all, she needs more motivation to train her and her team. A new friend might give her that kick she needs to take her training more seriously... for both herself and her pokemon's sakes." She laughed pleasantly and walked off, the passersbys that were admiring Munchlax before clapped at the elderly woman's success and seemed glad the little pokemon had finally found a forever home.

The three kids mimicked her by putting their pointer fingers up to the center of their lips, nodding as Munchlax started doing more tricks, and pointed to their food.

"Don't give him any. Hoho, he'll never stop eating…" she admitted, having an awkward tear drop drip down the side of her face. "I've already fed him this morning, this is only a treat."

"Heh, she'll probably give him a dumb name," Jake stated, taking his sandwich and chomping down on it, mimicking Munchlax's face as he also chewed. When he swallowed, Munchlax came into frame and held a finger up to his own mouth, wondering if Jake would share.

"…Jake…" Pearl looked concerned when she heard him say that, and looked directly toward him. "Why do you pick on her so often? It's been almost 6 months now and you still persist on hurting her with your cruel jokes…" she gave him a look like she wanted to understand but just simply couldn't. "You really don't dislike her as much as you let on, now, do you?"

Jake moved his mouth to the side as though thinking about it... taking a piece of his sandwich and tossing it for Munchlax to stumble backwards, his arms up in the air as he groped for it, before tripping back and landing with his mouth open in shock as the piece flew into his mouth. Happy by this, he looked down at his mouth where the piece of food was on his tongue, then closed and swallowed, giddy as he happily spoke out his name in satisfaction at catching it. "Munchlax~"

"…She's dumb." Jake stated again, but this time, as calmly as he could. However, something was off when he said it that time, as he stared down and seemed slightly depressed…

"You can't always mean that… I always thought you might...well." Pearl stopped, looking down and away from him. "Nevermind."

"What? Like her?! Are you mad!? She's as wild as a pokemon! She's loud and she can't do anything right! She may try and be kind, but she's really just a funny person to mess with. Cause she's so dumb. If she wasn't so ugly, I would actually think her flaws just made her that much better." He took another piece of his sandwich, really ripping into it as he held it with both hands, and then proceeded to stuff his face. "I hate her! I hated her since the moment I met her!" after swallowing, he belted out that loud declaration, but Pearl seemed to look past it... he was a young boy, probably admiring the adults around him.

"…I see." Pearl smiled, seeing as she seemed to have guessed right as her eyes arched at his denial. "Well, girls like to be complimented, not scorned." She stated and continued feeding the little baby pokemon who glared at Munchlax while they nibbled on their food, seeing him perform tricks and the girls clapping.

Torchic pecked in malice at her salad, Igglypuff took one grape at a time and shot them into her mouth as she side-glared the new arrival, and Eevee just shoved its whole face into a bowl of poffins that had been placed out from the basket and seemed to purposefully keep its eyes closed to the 'distraction' from the delicious food.

"Munchlax! Munchlax!" he seemed to thank them and nod his head in gratitude when they gave him a little piece of food to eat, and Pearl didn't scold, just sipped her drink and was glad they were at least... partially listening by not giving him large portions of their meals.

"Make sure you don't-" Before she could begin in reciting her words, the girls tossed him another piece of food, this time, bigger and a meat portion.

"Here you go! Haha! Do another one!" Mia and Tia said in unison as he dived up in the air and grabbed it in dramatic flare, like a fish emerging from the water to snap at a flying piece of food.

"Girls..! Please don't feed him anymore. He'll get persistent." Pearl warned. "Munchlax was a wild street performer, he was terribly difficult to catch for most trainers. Disappearing from trainer battles by running off and leaving no trace of ever being there. He was that good… But one Arena Trap Ability and he would have been a sitting duck." She stated, watching the lively Munchlax as he seemed to grow desperate for the girls' attention again, pawing for their food and continuing to do tricks by alternating which leg he hopped on but failing and messing up due to his fixation on their food… his act was stumbling about to try and snatch their food if he couldn't earn it, but Nevermore flew over and pecked his head, causing swirls in his eyes before being dragged away from the kids.

"Munch…" he wined out, seeming about ready to cry in depression.

The girls sadly turned to him but looked away. "It seems... kinda cruel not to feed him when he looks like that, though.." Mia admitted, her eyes arching back.

Munchlax's head was dragged to Pearl's lap, where she lightly stroked it as Nevermore flew back up to a branch on a tree, being lookout for anything suspicious that might try and ruin their picnic.

"I caught him by simply catching him off guard, not appearing to him as a typical trainer wanting to catch him. My calmness led him to being so easily caught, along with the Heavy Ball as an added bonus." she had heard a few trainers speaking about not seeing the Munchlax perform anymore, and wondered if anyone had caught it. When she told them she had, they were amazed and told her the stories of the countless attempts others had made. She found it fondly humorous that they all would charge at him or try and deceive him when all she had to do was distract him with food and then gently throw a superior Pokeball at him.

She did notice the trainers were novices, but still.

Every Pokemon was different...

"He's only bluffing his hunger, he's perfectly fine." Pearl stated, showing with a gentle nod to trust her word. "I know it's hard to see through manipulation… But as future trainers and soon-to-be young ladies... It's important to learn how to set healthy boundaries, like when to share your food and when not to." she sighed, remembering her time with the little performer as well… and knowing all his tricks… not just the ones he performed but his acting ability, too… "Before I caught him, I noticed how he would rub his belly and act faint, then pretend to be too weak to perform a trick. When someone would feed him in the parks or by the trails to the forest, he would suddenly be full of life and energy again, performing as a thank you for their offering of charity." she looked down and scrunched his cheeks up, "I never thought about really catching him until recently... I'm glad I did, though. Candy could use his talents and refine him just as much as he could refine her, too."

"He's a trickster, huh?" Jake stated, looking at him as Eevee pawed his leg, worried he was too interested in Munchlax as he was with Chikortia earlier that day as well. "Oh! Sorry! Here!" he gave Eevee a poffin he especially made for him, as Eevee delightfully ate it and jumped around, deciding to do a trick for Jake too. "Woah! Look at that!" he exclaimed. "That's some pretty high jumps there, Eevee!" he complimented, seeing Eevee really reaching up into the sky before flipping and dancing upon reaching the ground.

"Eevee!" it chimed, but Munchlax heard the excitement in Jake's voice, his head literally shot up from Pearl's lap to look over in his direction.

"Oh, boy." Miss Pearl slouched a bit as Munchlax's body started getting up and waddling over to him, starting to try and do more amazing tricks and outshine Eevee for further food as well.

Eevee wagged its tail before being almost 'trambled and squished' out of the way by Munchlax's fat body, pushing it aside with its belly to make room for itself, and sat by Jake, banging its belly to make music.

"Uh..." Jake watched the performance of Munchlax slap its belly to have it jiggle and make noises as though music before looking over to Eevee who had its front legs spread apart and was shaking its head off the ground, gritting its teeth. "Sorry, these are only for the baby pokemon," Jake stated with a hint of favoritism towards Eevee, and lured the other pokemon over and fed them too.

Munchlax looked so worried, seeing the other pokemon get fed while not really doing anything made him even MORE desperate to get some for himself. He looked pale and faked choking himself, slapping lightly Jake's leg for him to look at him as Jake closed his eyes and lifted his head up, still feeding the others as they darted to his hand. "Nope, I'm not watching." He remembered Pearl's words, and she smiled at his obedience. "Miss Pearl was right, you are persistent, but you don't need any more of our food. You're fine the way you are, right now." He scolded with discipline radiating from his voice, which shocked Munchlax even more, who threw an arm over himself as though taken aback, his face twitching in realizing he wasn't going to be fed by him anymore.

He dashed with tears in his eyes to the twins, flopping down and kicking his legs out as he held Mia's waist, but she just lifted her nose up as well, "No way, mister, you already had half my sandwich." she snuffed out the remaining hope out of his eyes as Tia gave the final, fatal blow.

"Yeah, Igglypuff needs to be fed too!"

Munchlax looked as though he was spinning around in darkness, the light dimming all around him, his stomach aching from the inside as he fell as though losing all will to live.

"You've done every trick in your book, dear boy." Pearl offered him a seat near her, patting the ground with the edge of her cane. "Relax, and maybe we'll feed you some more, hmm?" Since she noticed he was completely out of ideas, she offered to feed him later. He sighed and sat next to her obediently, waddling over and flopping his toosh down by her side, looking down as though defeated. "If you are only obsessed with food, it makes it a perfect motivation, but also... I believe it could limit your growth on the inside... why, you raced away from battles before, right? Don't you want to get stronger?" She wondered, but he just shook his head, his eyes shining as he looked at the buffet of sparkling goodness laid out on the picnic blanket.

She sighed and picked out another spicy poffin, "Savor it, and be content." His eyes shined with stars and he swallowed it in one gulp, licking his lips as she shook her head, tsk'ing three times at his behavior. "At least you're grateful." he patted his stomach to show he was, leaning back and wiggling his feet out to show he was happy with one more morsel in his belly.

However, when the kids looked over, he went right back to acting. Jolting in place, no longer rubbing his belly but holding it up, he hung his head low, looking utterly crushed that they wouldn't let him have every last bit of their food. He usually tricked trainers into giving him all their food, and before they knew what they had done, he would dash off and race to find a new audience.

"There, now isn't that pleasant?" Pearl smiled and handed him a bowl of poffins, "Be kind and respectful of others' foods, and I'll give you your own handful of some."

Ecstatically, he started chowing down, leaving crumbs all in his wake.

"Now, now… that may be your last bowl, don't you think you should savor it and eat sparingly?" Pearl tried to warn him, "I may not have any further 'snacks' for you, you know... not until dinner time."

Munchlax froze in complete fear, shaking as he realized this old lady could be right. If it was his last meal,… he should savor it.

He tried to just bite a little of the poffin off, like the other pokemon, as he tended to swallow things whole and keep going, only chewing for dramatic effect for the trainers he bamboozled.

He wasn't sure how to eat without just stuffing his face, and took another awkward bite at the poffin, leaning his mouth out and slowly closing it to bite off about the tiniest piece of it yet again. He chewed in big, dramatic tears that were like blobs around the bottom of his eyes and streamed down like swiggling waterfalls.

"Oh, you can eat a little more than that… I was only trying to see you make the effort…" she gently patted his head, seeing his dilemma. "We'll have more food for dinner, I'll swear to that, since I know for a certainty the chef won't let anyone starve." she winked, rubbing her hand to his back as he happily ate the full poffin and placed his hands on his stomach as though happy this wasn't his last, holding his head up as though having hope for a buffet come dinner time.

Igglypuff was treated like a baby again as the twin sisters fed her using their physic powers to mentally lift the poffin up to her. It wobbled in the air and seemed only to be lifted a little off the ground, moving up and down as it tilted, before then falling to Igglypuff who had to open wide and jump for it. If she wasn't fast enough to eat it, it'd topple to the ground and she'd race after it, making the girls laugh as Jake choked on his sandwich, not sure if he had seen what he thought he just saw.

The twins held hands and he looked at his own hand, wondering if he could do that too. Tia blushed as he looked seriously to her other hand, and took it, pointing to the poffin, "I wanna make it float, too!" he declared, as Mia just pouted over to him.

"You can't," she stated, "You're a simple Tom."

"...Simpleton, and that's not exactly a nice thing to say." Pearl had been helping the girls with their 'baby talk' but was glad it was paying off, helping them as they were now old enough to make these minor mishaps, unlike before. "Jake, psychic power can be shared, but just like pokemon, it is a gift."

"Well, present it to me." Jake laughed, making a joke, but Tia's face was looking down as red as a tomato, her mouth swiggling in her nerves.

"M-maybe we should... em... try it?" she closed her eyes, hoping her sister wouldn't notice her feelings...

However, she kinda did, but couldn't quite understand until she started using her psychic ability, "Fine, but only to prove to you that we're better, right?" she looked back with her sister's pride in mind, but Tia... just shook her head.

"Y-yeah, we're the best..! Emm... B-but... Jake can try too." this was... new.

Mia was confused but as the sisters lifted the eaten poffin from Igglypuff's grasp, she wiggled her arms for it as though Pokemon Amie. Jake made a face and she mimicked it, happy to be playing before Jake tried to mentally move the poffin... but even with his hand in Tia's... "H-hey! It's not working!"

"Patience, you're out of sync with us." Mia puffed up a cheek, "Your aura is all wrong."

"Aura?" he seemed confused but kept trying as Miss Pearl took Mia's other hand.

"Mind if I play, too?" She smiled with a tenderness that warmed Mia's heart.

"O-oh... yeah! That sounds fun!" her demeanor changed, and although Miss Pearl and Jake couldn't perform the same psychic telekinesis, Riolu held Miss Pearl's hand and could see the different Auras in them. Eevee placed a paw for Jake to hold and happily ate as though absent-minded from the rest of everyone trying to use psychic energy,... well, Everyone but Miss Pearl, who was just enjoying the company of the children and baby pokemon eating her picnic goodies and getting along together. Eevee's tail wagged as it yipped a little with food in its mouth, closing its eyes and bending them to show it was pleased that it had Jake's affections and somewhat his attention again.

Munchlax just kept his eye on the prize... salivating as he watched the floating treat that Igglypuff was still happily reaching for and laughing as it moved and teetered in the air. Torchic also raced underneath it, getting a thrilling kick up in the air after it as the poffin would dodge her with the help of the twin sister's powers.

Elsewhere, Candy was a bit away from the plains but wanted to stay close enough in case she got hungry too.

"I wonder if they're all having fun... Miss Pearl is pretty good with the kids, I'm sure they're fine." She worried a bit about the kids, but knew Miss Pearl could handle anything. She placed her hands that were on her hips with her torso slightly tilted in their direction-though she couldn't see them from this far away beyond the hill-up to the back of her head as she spoke aloud her thoughts. "Oh well, come on, guys! I heard Pearl is saving us some Poffins and sandwiches!" she cheered back with one arm extended in a positive expression of how she was trying to support and motivate her pokemon, as Chikorita panted and then shied away from the opposing 'dirty' pokemon in front of her. She had been fighting some Kakuna, Silcoon, and a Spewpa that all would hop back when she tried to use her leaf to get them away. She wasn't really hurting them... just didn't seem to like them. "Oh, stop acting like a rich girl's lap pokemon and use Razor Leaf!" Candy commanded, shaking her fists up and down in front of her as though wanting her to battle already. "I don't like how you act so high and mighty, kinda like the twins sometimes…" she sighed, leaning back and away from the fight as the curious, wild pokemon kept blinking their eyes and wanting to come close to Flower, mostly for her shiny necklace that acted as a tiara on her head.

She covered it with her leaf, then lifted a leg up and shoo'd them again. "Chik! Chikor!" she then put the leaf down to her nose and turned her head sassily away, as though insulting them that they smelled bad.

The pokemon suddenly had red anger marks, which were like inward arrows to show a vein pulsing on their foreheads. They leaned forward and even tackled her, piling on as the shock in her face made her flinch as she was swarmed. Under them, she grew enraged that they dared to touch her, and let out a powerful Razor Leaf from below that knocked the pokemon back and hard against several trees. They fell from the fall for added damage and were completely knocked out, "Chik!" she stuck her nose up and flicked her head to the side, getting up quickly to dust herself off from the dirty ground and walked back to Candy with her head held high in superiority, rubbing the dirt on her side off on her legs.

"H-hey, Flower, quit that!" Candy felt icky about having dirt on her legs, lifting one up and wiping it off as Chikortia just looked up at her as though unamused, her eyelids slightly down as though telling Candy she was meant to be her personal assistant, "I'm not your maid!" Candy hollered back, but Chikorita just turned her head sharply away again. She sighed, "I guess I'm just happy you at least listened to my commands, Flower..."

Zippity was fighting against a powerful Venonat, which charged Zippity as she was fighting solo on this one. Candy was busy trying to bond and train with Flower, so she was too impatient, wanting to get stronger sooner rather than later. The Venonat used Confusion, jumping back before its eyes glowed. Zippity was on all fours, before it looked up in surprise and suddenly had a massive headache, being lifted into the air, "Pi, Piiichuu... PICHU!" it was blasted back, scruffed up and looking like it might actually lose this one. "Pii..." she tried to grit her teeth and get up, but the Venonat took one powerful, threatening step towards Zippity, its foot creating a puff of loose dirt to fly up in a brown cloud at her mighty stance.

Back at the Picnic, Riolu had closed his eyes to feel the Aura shifting about with the twins and the poffin, before another signature registered and he opened his eyes to turn his attention to it. "Riolu." he looked serious, letting go of Miss Pearl's hand.

"Hmm? Riolu? Is something wrong?" Miss Pearl looked over to him, then in the direction he had gotten up to walk towards. She studied it... then the look of determination and powerful urge that they reflected... she could tell at once, he was ready for something and needed to go to it. "Very well." She nodded, treating it solemnly, "I expect you back before we all head out, understand?" He nodded with a small smile to her, and then took off with his arms behind him, up and ready.

Venonat swung its head around as though preparing to charge, before finally going in for the finishing tackle attack, crying out as it lowered its body in an attempt to ram Zippity back into the tree, but then...

"Rioooo!" a shine from the top of the trees, as the white, rotating star disappeared and revealed Riolu flying down from on-top the trees to intercept the tackle and block it with his hands up to push against the Venonat's head, skidding across the ground as it was now defending Pichu. His eyes twitched from the effort of his struggles, the Venonat a fearsome opponent, but as Zippity weakly got back up on all fours, her expression turned to amazement and thanks.

"Pichu... Pi?" She bent her eyes back, as Riolu gritted against the Venonat before smiling reassuringly back to Zippity.

"Riolu." He nodded, before narrowing his eyes as he lifted his arms up and rotated his body to give a round-house kick to Venonat, "Rio-Riooooolu!"

The slam forced the Venonat back, flying a bit through the air before it crashed with an even greater cloud of flying dirt after it. It twitched on the ground a moment, as Riolu walked up to it, one arm and leg after the other.

Riolu had fought against pokemon in the forest and woodland area, trying to train himself up and practice the things he had learned at the Daycare. Candy and Miss Pearl would show him the ropes, teach him the lessons he needed, and he would implement what he could out in the wild. He was a loner by nature, mischievous at times, but was growing up quickly. He liked to fight, and even though he understood he was outranking the other low-level baby pokemon at the Daycare center, he also had a feeling Candy wasn't quite able to take his strength and training where he wanted it to go. Though... he hoped she would be, she was the only one he could really trust that he knew...

He stopped in front of the Venonat, pivoting his stance and waiting for it as it struggled with sweat flying everywhere to get back up on its feet before jumping up and glaring to him. Riolu just lowered his head, keeping his eyes fixed on his foe. He rushed her with great speed and agility using a Quick Attack but fell on his face as Pichu skillfully aimed and shot him down. The Venonat looked up in surprise but jumped back to dodge his sloppy landing from the hit.

"Riolu!" blinking in confusion, he then got up and held a fist back to Zippity, who seemed to inform him that this was her fight to get stronger, not his.

She appreciated the aid, but she was still going to be the one to faint this Venonat.

he looked back at her... his eyes searching for understanding... before finally conceding and getting up fully off his knee that he had risen on and walked to the side. If she wanted this to be her victory, he couldn't argue with that. He had ruffled the Venonat up, it was up to her to take the experience... to be the true victor, after all.

"Pi! Pichu, Pi!" she called, which confused him as he stopped walking to the sidelines. She gave him a smile, before suddenly really drilling him, as though to shake it off, and come tag-team it.

Venonat now flinched in fright, sweating as it didn't think that was fair, and looked between the two, as Riolu smirked and took Zippity's paw, shaking it as he helped her to stand upright. She was still half-lowering one of her eyelids since she was fairly injured, but wasn't going down till she saw this through.

With a powerful cry, Zippity and Riolu, hand-in-hand, ran at the Venonat-who immediately shook in great fear before being flown back and tumbled against the forest floor, crashing as it was out of sight, but the decent could be heard continuing with each new noise of bushes and twigs getting flung over or through.

Zippity and Riolu then looked at each other and laughed one to another; A true victory.

"Zippity? Are you over here? Heeeey!" Candy called, moving through the foliage as she had Flower tucked under one of her arms, "Oh, Wow, Riolu!" she looked to see them together, and thought maybe they were training together. "Ah, I see. Couldn't wait to train, huh? Zippity's a pretty tough opponent, really sparring with her will definitely give you experience!" Candy rose a hand up and formed a fist, tightening it firmly, "No doubt about it! She'll make you really work hard and want that victory..!"

At such praise from her trainer's faith in her, Zippity's eyes sparkled, "Pichu-Pi..." she seemed to be saying her name as though so happy that Candy saw her as a strong partner. Riolu also looked over to see Zippity's face... but then wondered... looking down... if Candy didn't see him the same way.

"Zippity! When you two are done, I need to start training with you too!" she then looked to Flower, "Alright honey, you're done." She set her Chikorita down as her leaf fell in exhaustion over her face like she just got the free ticket to go home and do her nails, sighing and going to relax. "Return." She immediately happy to receive that command and lifted her head to the warm glow of red that proceeded from her Pokeball, happily closing her eyes to it as though going to the spa. As she was brought back to her Pokeball, Candy nodded and tucked it away. "I hope it has a mirror in there for ya…" Candy mocked a little but still loved her pokemon dearly. It was her prize for graduation, after all, a crowning achievement that Candy never thought she might pass. Her mother gave Flower that necklace at her jewelry shop to wear and feel like part of the family wanted and accepted as part of Candy's team. Knowing she liked girly things, Candy figured wearing it as a kinda stringed tiara would be nice for her, which she loved and refused to take off, strutting around with it as though royalty.

It was very sparkly…

Zippity nodded to Candy and looked seriously at Riolu, as if stating with her eyes that he was going down, and she didn't have any more time to waste with him.

Seeing that resolve, he sighed and nodded, deciding to be kind and let Zippity play the role that Candy saw in her eyes.

In a way, Zippity and Riolu were the same, both wanting to be strong despite their obvious limitations. Zippity couldn't evolve because of the Everstone and Riolu wasn't high enough in levels nor experience to be able to fight well enough to gain any added strength... but he could feel it. That he needed someone to bring him there... there's only so much a pokemon can do on their own...

It's why fully evolved pokemon were somewhat rare in the wild, though not completely uncommon.

Zippity got into a battle stance, letting go of his hand and coming to Candy's side, ready for action. He jumped back and bent his knees with his hands ready to punch if necessary. "Alright, let's go!" Candy called out, as Zippity, still somewhat weakened from the last fight, wouldn't let Candy see it and feigned strength that Riolu was surprised she still had left.

Was this... the power of being teamed up with a trainer?

"Let's hit him with everything we got! B-but gently!" Candy waved a hand out, as though still recognizing Riolu as... A baby pokemon...

He didn't know how to feel about that, his eyes arching at seeing that Zippity took the credit, but also was taking the stage as well in Candy's heart... "Thundershock!"

Riolu fell back, hitting something behind him. His shoulder hurt, his feet pushed against the soggy, clump of moss and grass beneath his feet. He breathed out of his mouth a moment, looking up as he knew one Force Palm could end it on Pichu... Zippity... What was it like? To have a trainer name you... to have a trainer... trust you? In your strength..? Combining determination looks when it came to facing any trial or challenge in your way?

He got on to a knee, balancing himself before getting up and wanting to know that power. Pichu was weakened, and yet, that attack had more force than he thought possible.

He let out a cry with a powerful whip of his head flinging back, his arms coming up as though powering-up and ready to charge. Let's see it, then... the strength of Candy and Zippity... fighting as one team. However, as he moved away the object he had ran into was casting a shadow and he slowed his raised fist as he looked at its silhouette... this didn't look like the slender trunk of a tall tree...

He took a step out of the shadow... lowering his fist...

Candy was shivering as Pichu cried out in shock... then he heard a huff, chuffing angrily behind him...

As he fully stopped, his eyes darted to look behind him, and he slowly turned around. His mouth sprang back and his ear-appendages rose up in fright. He freaked and ran, seeing the large Ursaring standing with a bulk that could squish him, and let out a fierce roar.

"…Oh, crap." Candy let out a whimper, her eyes growing small as she rushed to scoop up Riolu, "RUUUNN!"

"Piiii!" Pichu flipped out with its yellow hair standing upright like a cat's and being blown back by the roar. It tried to rush to make sure Candy was safe grabbing Riolu before both scampered frantically to gain momentum and get away, about-facing as Candy almost tripped and had to use her free hand to push off the ground while her legs kicked the dirt behind her in a desperate attempt to flee and get away. Pichu smiled up at the wild pokemon for a minute, as though apologizing, before scattering off after Candy.

"Come on!" She called, racing away with them as the Ursaring lifted its head up. It had just been napping before hearing all the commotion, and knowing that some human usually raced through these woods and disturbed the place, it felt Candy might be that familiar scent of a trespasser.

At the Picnic, Miss Pearl was sipping her drink in total relaxation before looking to see Candy, Riolu hanging from her in her arms, and Pichu all racing towards them. Candy was waving with energy, and Miss Pearl smiled. "She's early, something must be-Oh!" Pearl blinked, before looking to Munchlax and quickly flinching, "My! She's not supposed to see you!" She then heard a familiar caw and blinked back to the scene to see Nevermore suddenly diving down, his expression of warning, arched eyes as he cawed with the same vigor.

"Oh dear..." She rose up, taking on a serious expression in her frown. "Candy, dear? What's wrong?" Riolu looked alright... so then..?

"Pearl! Get the kids out of here!" Candy shouted out, rushing into the plain as everyone turned to look at her.

"Huh? What's Ugl-! I mean... What's she doing here? Ah! Woah!" Jake seemed to stop himself from insulting her, wondering out loud and not wanting to get in trouble with Miss Pearl again, but glaring back over his shoulder before seeing the trees shaking violently a little distance away from where Candy had just come out of the woods. "What's that!?" but then saw the massive brown bear-like pokemon charging out of the forest and heading straight after them. It was bulldozing through the plain like a steam train, eyes as red as fire.

"AHHH!" The girls panicked, "That Aura is fierce!" they both shouted out, taking one arm of Igglypuff each and darting up. They had done so before they had even turned around to see the large, hostile pokemon emerge from the forest.

"What are you two so scared about?" Jake got up, knees shaking, but trying to look brave. "Miss Pearl is a pokemon trainer! We can do this! We've been training for this!" he was then nudged by Eevee, "Ohh..?" he looked down to see Eevee's eyes full of fear, wobbling as though on the verge of tears and trying to get him to step back and run away like the two sisters did. Realizing, and having his heart ache a bit from it, that neither he nor Eevee were strong enough to face such a fully evolved and bulky pokemon as this, he consented to getting Eevee to safety. He bent down and picked him up, running with the sisters as they both turned to see what else was going on as they fled.

"The picnic... Candy... Miss Pearl!" Tia cried out, feeling bad their day seemed ruined which they had planned and worked hard for. She remembered making the food and everything... but then, her heart bled out in loving fright as suddenly she gasped and saw Torchic was still eating, not leaving the food behind. "Torrrchiicc!" she cried out, "Nooo!" she screeched to a halt with her heels and tugged on the arm she was holding with Igglypuff, causing Mia to also skid and get flung back, but she caught herself on her feet, looking to her sister.

"Wha..? What did you say!? Ah! Oh no, Torchic!" she noticed then too, as Miss Pearl was focusing too heavily on the situation at hand... but maybe... Munchlax? "Munchlax! Hey!" Mia waved an arm, then cupped her hand by her mouth to call to him as Igglypuff looked a little sore from being dragged around in the air... it made an upset face, as though its stomach was going to puke from all the poffins if they kept swishing her around like this between them. "Grab Torchic!" she called.

"Yeah, and get out of there!" Tia added, her hand bundling up into a fist and placing it by her chest, leaning towards the terrible scene.

Munchlax jolted from being called, getting up and looking about to grab Torchic leave. His hands extended... but then...

His nostrils flared once or twice, as though he smelled the air and noticed all the food that was still out... left unattended... Miss Pearl distracted... Torchic eating that delicious portion... all to... herself...

His face suddenly turned blissful.

"Wait! Munchlax!" Jake also turned around, "Miss Pearl!" but neither were listening. The girls came up to him as he gritted his teeth, "Oh no, the other pokemon are gonna get hurt!"

"What did you say about Miss Pearl being a trainer?" Tia's eyes bent in worry, but trying to find hope.

"Yeah, she should be able to protect them,... right?" Mia added, but also looked greatly concerned for their well-beings.

"Munch! Munchlax!" he quickly tried to take and shove as much food in his furry belly as possible, very common for Munchlax's to keep food in their belly fur, after all.

"Don't! You fool, you'll get hurt!" Pearl had finally turned back after hearing his sing-songy melody at scooping up the food and tucking it under for safe keeping.

"And fat!" Mia shouted after her, "Just grab Torchic and save yourselves!" she cried out.

Candy raced by and saw the strange pokemon, "Woah! Is that a Munchlax? Sweet!" she thought as she stopped to speak that verbally, before flinching again at the way the Ursaring tore through the earth in its wake. "Just let it take the food, come on!" She scooped up Torchic and continued to flee as Pichu Thunder Shocked what she thought was the strange wild pokemon stealing their food and then continued to dash away as Munchlax just blinked its eyes and looked a little 'shocked', getting zapped paralyzed it slightly and made it realize how much danger it was actually in. Now... it couldn't move out of the way of the Ursaring!

Suddenly, self-preservation was far more important, even than food!

"Candy! That's mine! Please, get him away from the food and over here!" Pearl called back, waving her arm in the air. Nevermore, instead, dived down and from Pearl and used its talons to grab Munchlax's shoulders, struggling to fly but able to get some lift off the ground to speedily move Munchlax away.

"O-oh? I didn't know you had one... come here, you-! Annnnd Nevermore's got it." she already had her hands full, but looked up to see the bird pokemon had successfully gotten him out of harm's way. "Strange little guy, but nice to formally meet you!" She realized it wasn't the best circumstances though and had a bead of sweat drip down the side of her face. Tucking Riolu and Torchic under her arms, she then motioned with a look of seriousness for Nevermore to place the Munchlax on her shoulders, "Come on, I can take it!" she stated, "You gotta help Miss Pearl, give him to me!"

Looking back, Murkrow seemed to wonder about trusting her before Pearl nodded and he consented, eyeing her back in judgment but turning back around and flying slowly to air-drop the Munchlax onto her shoulders. The weight caused her to stumble a moment but she caught herself, now passing the kids and turning to stand beside them.

"You guys alright?" Her head was dipped a little but her face looked strong,... though her back was bent significantly as Munchlax looked around as though never having been carried in either way before.

He looked around before sliding down the curvature of her back, reflexing to catch himself with his paws gripping her shoulders. He was now riding piggie-back, and honestly, was a bit confused on this whole experience.

The Ursaring rose up to stop its continuous chase as Miss Pearl stomped her cane down, blocking him from Candy and the others. Riolu's eyes shook, this was his fault, wasn't it? Shouldn't he be the one to close out the fight? Why was he letting others fight his battles for him?

He had helped Zippity... they fought together. Was that at all different from a human and a pokemon teaming up?

He had seen them fight in unison before, as Miss Pearl lowered her head slightly as though a cue as Octavius, having slept most of the day, lifted its head up and shook it as though just now aware he needed to battle.

He jumped down and held his two front tentacles up, ready to square up and battle. "Picking on smaller pokemon and people alike, anything that's less than yourself, is that it? You should be ashamed." Pearl threw out her arm, "If it's a fight you want, then I will oppose you! Go, Octavius! Use Gunk Shot!" he fired out a powerful, lumpy ball that gathered by his tunneled mouth and spat it outward.

Ursaring just tilted its body and dodged, snickering before stomping the ground and roaring skyward, creating a trembling in the earth. "Ah! An Earthquake!" Miss Pearl used her cane to keep her steady as it slammed its huge foot on the ground again, preventing everyone from running any further.

Riolu, jumping from Candy's arms to the shaking ground, squinted an eye towards the opponent. "Riooo..." He didn't want to just back down, but then..! "Riolu!" he noticed that Zippity had fallen over, swirls in her eyes... It was Super Effective! Torchic and himself were up in Candy's arms and didn't suffer any damage, Igglypuff was being held up by Mia and Tia before the girls shrieked and even Jake and Candy let out a cry. They all tumbled to the ground. "Riolu!" He looked to see Torchic lightly pecking at Candy's head, her face a little up towards himself but looking out of it. Her eyes twitched... as Munchlax was still on her back, unharmed as well, but just... sitting there and being dead weight.

He blinked, as though unsure what was happening, and pulled out a poffin that was shaken out from under his fur. He looked surprised to see it, as though having already forgotten it was there and started to chew happily in big bites at it.

In the air, Nevermore could at least avoid the attack and called down to the youngsters. Since Pichu was out,... Riolu shook a fist and ran to Candy, looking at her pokeballs and deciding to press one. It got bigger and he pulled it out and pointed it to Pichu, his first priority was going to protect her if he could, but Igglypuff, Eevee, and Torchic were still vulnerable to attack. He aimed and called out, and amazingly, he had guessed right and it was her pokeball, which withdrew her back.

He patted the pokeball, then made it small as though forgiving and forgetting and being kind and loving. He put the ball back on Candy's bag strap, seeing she also wore a pokeball necklace but figured that may just be for looks. It had fallen out but he didn't bother with it. He then spoke to the other Pokemon to get the human kids and themselves to higher ground, up on a rock maybe.

Igglypuff began to scoot one twin as Torchic the other, Munchlax followed the train as more berries, poffins, and sandwiches kept falling out of his fur and he ate them as they did so. Nevermore lifted Candy up to the boulder and then Jake, calling to Miss Pearl as she looked back, her cane helping her stand upright while Riolu was dashing back to her side.

"I'm glad." She stated, "Nevermore... Ahh..!" Pearl suddenly felt a sharp pain in her spine, and covering her head before her cane-like slow motion-fell from her grasp she toppled forward. The baby pokemon all looked shocked and called out to her. Octavius turned around and with worry spraying up in sweat by his head, he dashed and jumped to her, seeing her back had given out and she, therefore, collapsed to the ground.

Nevermore dove in and caught Riolu as he was going to dive for her, pulling him up as Riolu kicked the air in his fury. All the humans... all of them were fainted... He closed his eyes, frustrated at his lack of power and his own fear of the large pokemon. He had stayed, obediently, on the sidelines... He let Candy see him as a baby pokemon, and humbly didn't complain. But now, with all their lives at stake, he couldn't just flee or wait for someone to rescue him like with Gangar, again! He would no longer be helpless!

He would grow up, he would get stronger, to where they couldn't just see him as a child anymore!

He instructed Nevermore to head around and let him try and help it defeat the Ursaring, not taking no for an answer as his heart pumped with drive and a will to win. They had to win. Their tiny family was at stake here.

The Ursaring, snickering again at fainting the humans, took a chance to sniff out the picnic and start heading towards it, as Torchic suddenly flapped her wings out and made him look to it, confused why it was making such a fuss.

It seemed angry, scolding him, calling him out on his cruelty and bullying habits.

He rose in anger again, growling towards it before Murkrow glared and swooped in, distracting it as it swiped at him.

Suddenly, Igglypuff was also shouting out, creating a ruckus as it was crying for the hurt kids, Candy, and Miss Pearl.

Eevee had also been carried by Jake and was crying by his head, taking his hat in his mouth and gripping it in grief.

With Ursaring distracted, it covered its head from Nevermore's attacks and the baby pokemon's shouting, as Octavius was protecting Pearl, it wouldn't move from its spot, but fired out another Gunk Shot with his front tentacles protectively as the Gunk Shot hit this time and knocked it back.

On its muzzle suddenly became apparent that it had been poisoned, and taking the opportunity, Riolu let go of Nevermore and pulled back his hit, directly hitting it with a critical hit, super-effective Force Palm.

With the added poison damage, it toppled down but caught itself with its massive arms, its tassels by its shoulders flopped and dangled as it struggled and bent an eyelid with its pain.

Candy... slowly stirring... leaned up and groaned as she gripped her head. Her vision was blurry but... she saw Miss Pearl on the ground.

"P-... Pearl!" the kids were all surrounding her on a raised rock it seemed, flat but... she figured she was moved by the pokemon. "Did you guys... Grr..!" she gripped the rock and tried to get herself up. "Where's Pichu!? Kids!?" Her eyes shook before hearing the kids groan as well and begin to wake up... they all suddenly cried out Pearl's name.

"Oh no…" Candy used all her remaining strength to try and get her footing back, sliding off the rock once she noticed the kids were waking up and were fairly alright. She stumbled but caught herself and ran towards her mentor, "Come on, Pearl! You're the boss around here, you gotta fight!" She was... streaming tears as she finally fell at Pearl's side, Riolu and Nevermore tag-teaming with Octavius to overwhelm and push the Ursaring back from the others. "Miss Pearl..! Err... You gotta... stay with me here... stay with us!" she placed a hand on her back, lightly shaking her... but the woman wouldn't stir as the others did.

While the children got up with eyes full of tears, Mia suddenly looked up and pointed towards the sky, "Wah! Look at Riolu!"

Everyone's heads looked up and Tia let out a gasp, "He's heading straight for the mean pokemon!"

"What!?" Candy turned around, having forgotten that Riolu was with Zippity a moment ago. She reached down for her Pokeball, and felt it wiggle slightly. "Ah... are you in there, Zippity?" she looked down before back at Riolu. "Riolu... did you... are you trying to save us..?"

Torchic, Igglypuff, and Eevee were safely in the twins' and Jake's hands, and the kids were up on the rock... so if it used Earthquake again, they would be safe and somewhat protected, elevated above any splitting of earth, which thankfully, didn't happen.

"URSAAA!" The Ursaring slashed the air, trying to land a hit on the Murkrow as it dodged beautifully, but was distracted for a moment by Pearl as Candy's cries kept sounding more and more desperate.

"Murk!" he flew high up, staring down with his full attention turned to her. Worry was an understatement... Full of rage, his glared deepened to a revengeful seeking eye towards the Ursaring, who stepped back a moment as his eye twitched from the poison. Octillery rubbed his head against Pearl's.. also too inconsolable to keep fighting. Nevermore didn't care about Riolu joining in at the moment, although before he was cautious, now he was just gonna let the little tike do what he pleased. He had his own score to settle... and fueled by his longing to attack, it dove down for an all-or-nothing Brave Bird.

Before his body began to flare up for the attack, Riolu jumped yet again from holding on to a talon and hit Urasring with a Force Palm directly between its head, causing it to step back and rub its forehead while batting the small pokemon away, leaving it to squint back to look for Murkrow who then dove down to hit it in its stomach with the Brave Bird.

Landing well, since the Ursaring was treating him for naught and only batted him away instead of a seriously dangerous Slash attack, Riolu took a powerful stance and skidded across the ground, front-flipping to race back into the fray. He watched the Ursaring shake a little and lose a bit of its footing, wobbling slightly and shaking his head from the damage that was dealt once again, being a bit too affected by poison to really get a bearing on things. He started to wildly slash around without much sense of direction, and Riolu expertly maneuvered himself around to his feet, looking up with a desire to end this fight.

Though he may be little, he could pack a punch.

"RIOOO!" Riolu darted up its body, Quick Attacking all over as it rammed its knee and elbows into its joints. The Ursaring let out a powerful cry before grabbing Riolu, opening its mouth to reveal a bright light... Riolu stared in horror into the great beast's mouth... as it charged... a Hyper Beam.

Diving in at the last second from the side, Nevermore's face turned to one of a guardian and flung his underbelly to block the attack as the hit blasted out. The beam shot Nevermore into Riolu, pushing him out of the Ursaring's grapple, as they both then flew back and skidded on the ground.

Riolu was on his hands and knees, his eyes closed and shaking before opening them to see Murkrow limp and shaking... his pain apparent, but smiling up at Riolu with a wink.

Riolu's eyes watered... someone else had protected him again... he still wasn't strong enough... "Rioluuuu!" his eyes sprayed out blobby tears as he cried out seeing Murkrow slowly lean his head down and was knocked out... No matter how strong he was... the recoil of Brave Bird and the Hyper Beam was too much for even this experienced battler to bear.

While Ursaring recharged, he let out a powerful victory cry, banging his fists to his chest. Riolu pushed Murkrow over, shaking his limp form in grief and lying his head upon his feathers. He sat on his knees, shaking at seeing Murkrow with swirls in his eyes. His head was lowered... he wanted to be strong enough to protect those he loved... he heard Candy and the kids crying... the baby pokemon's tearful shouts as well... he didn't want to back down... he wanted to keep fighting.

Looking up with gritted teeth, ambition, and his eyes full of shamed tears, he glanced up back to relive Pichu's fainted expression, Pearl on the ground, Candy's closed but shaking eyes in her pain, the human children fallen, his friends in disarray and fright... he felt rage build inside him... a need to be more, to become more than he was currently at...

Octavius, gripping Pearl's head, suddenly stopped nuzzling her to see her eyes open slightly... her hand reaching out as her eyes went black and back to sight... again and again... seeing a shaky image of her beloved Nevermore upon the ground by Riolu's quivering form.

"Ah… Oc-Octavius... N-Never… m-more... Candy... the Chi... Children... ugh..." Pearl then reached up to Candy's face, who went to embrace her but she was too injured, and her head fell limp yet again into Octavius's tentacle arms. Her hand fell flat against the ground as Candy's hand twitched, wanting to take it... but realizing...

"She doesn't..." she had to get the words out, "L-look so good…"

Jake was about to cry too, as the girls grew afraid, having already been unable to hold back their tears.

The baby pokemon looked worried and afraid, the Ursaring taking note of the atmosphere and thought it had won, seeing it fit to reap the benefits with the baskets of food on the picnic sheet, it took one and gorged itself, trying to find something to cure its injuries and poison.

Eating happily, it dug into the food, trying to regain its health back.

"Ah! It's eating the food we made!" Mia exclaimed, "I worked hard to make those… We all did..." Mia grew disheartened, she wasn't sure what happened if someone lost a battle between a wild pokemon... she didn't want to find out. She retreated to a quieter voice, moving to her sister who held her.

"What are we going to do? Will it eat us after it's done too?" Tia must have been thinking the same thing as her sister, as Jake shook his head.

"W-we... We should maybe call for help." He also... seemed unsure.

Candy was freaking out, too. If they wiped out... the kids were in danger. As long as they had their pokemon, they shouldn't get to that point. Normally, even Wild Pokemon only target the trainer's Pokemon, but this one did a wide-ranged attack to specifically knock everyone down.

She gripped her hand into a fist by Pearl's side, Octavius lovingly stroking his severely injured, old trainer's hair comfortingly.

"N-no, just stay down and be quiet, alright? We're not wiping out... we're... I-I mean… I'll… I'll..." Candy... had no idea what to do. Without Pearl's guidance, and the fact that Zippity was already fainted and couldn't fight with her, and Flower was too weak to combat that thing!

She started losing faith in herself... and that's when... Munchlax struggled to find the appetite to eat any longer.

He had never paused, but now... he hesitated to bring the food into his mouth. He looked at Candy... Miss Pearl's words echoing in his ditzy memory...

"You would make a perfect gift for a friend of mine. She's bold and persistent, but lacks some fundamental courage,"

He looked as Candy's eyes were stripped of all hope, crumbling to despair and fear...

He tried to bring the food back up to his mouth, opening the entrance wider... but stopped yet again... lowering it.

"Although excellent at achieving good bonds with those around her. She needs more work, but her liveliness would suit you well."

He hadn't fainted because... she willingly took him on her shoulders, bearing his weight, and then carrying him on her back before the Earthquake hit.

He once again... began to close his mouth, not looking at the food... but only at Candy. That was... her? The one the kind old human lady said she caught him for? B-but... how could he help? He was just a glutton with an endless stomach...

"I feel a Heavy Ball will remind him of his potential, as well as my hopes to remind Candy that her dreams are also in the near future, and she can evolve to make them happen as well."

He looked over at the crying pokemon and kids, then Riolu by Murkrow's side... his heart... was filling up, unlike his bottomless stomach.

"I think a new member to Candy's team would suffice as a gift of goodwill. After all, she needs more motivation to train her and her team. A new friend might give her that kick she needs to take her training more seriously... for both herself and her pokemon's sakes."

For the first time in Munchlax's life... he let a piece of food drift out of his clutches,... fall down from the rock,... and roll with a few bounces on the ground.

He got up and hopped down from the rock, as Torchic and Igglypuff watched him with curiosity in their own dispair, Eevee still nudging Jake, relieved he was alright.

"Munchlax!" he put a foot forward into Candy's view, which made her jolt out of her own negative thoughts and look over him.

"H-huh?" She had no idea what his intentions were, but he held out his hand to her.

"Munch!" Munchlax extended a hand to her, someone else was stealing his food, and he wouldn't have it. Someone else was causing tears instead of earning that food with laughs, and he wouldn't sit by and allow it to commence.

He worked hard for his food, creating peace even with some deceit. He wasn't for hurting humans to get it, just... maybe swiping them of a delicious meal. Candy looked at his hand as he continued, "Munch, Munch!" he bounced his hand again, showing he wanted her to take it.

When she did, he pulled her up and tugged her towards the picnic, making her wince back at the Ursaring, filling himself as he chewed and looked over to them with stuffed cheeks.

"Urs?" The giant pokemon glared down at him, seeing him try and convince him that it was his-er... there food!

"Munch, Munch! Munchlax, Munch!" He waved his free hand around, explaining that a pokemon should earn food in a respectable... 'ish'... way, and not hurt others for their own gain.

Ursaring took his giant bulky arm up... and swung. A powerful Hammer Arm to get Munchlax away from him as Candy was throw back as well, screaming out as she grabbed Munchlax, rolling and tumbling with him. "Munchlax! Ahh!" He had fainted instantly at the power of the large pokemon, as she opened her arms on the ground and gasped to see the swirls in his eyes.

Riolu's eyes twitched over to the scene and was done watching this bully continue to wreak havoc upon those he cherished. Candy was in danger again, seeing pokemon and people getting hurt alike, he had to do something to quit this from happening! They were falling left and right, and something in him snapped, and he felt his aura flow faster within him.

"Riioooolllluuu!" He let out a powerful cry and took off after the Ursaring, crazy rage in his eyes as he began to glow white, charging as the Ursaring-still chewing without much worry now that it was recovering and the poison gone-swung another Hammer Arm down before Riolu dashed to intercept it as the Ursaring was mostly trying to get the little thing away again, like last time, but this time... Candy was also within range of the attack...

"Ah! It's Riolu!" Tia cried out. "What's happening to him!? He's…"

"Glowing!" Mia finished for her, the children watching in amazement as he clasped the Ursaring's fist and caught its powerful swing, suddenly rising in height and having his white silhouette transform before their eyes.

"W-what..?" Candy scooted back, looking at him as she saw the evolution take place.

"RRRIIIOOOOOOOOOO-CARIO!" the transformation happened during mid-sentence, as a Lucario emerged from the glowing white with a powerful blast to reveal himself, his mouth open as he twisted the Ursaring's hand and brought it down to a knee.

"URSA!?" It was shocked that he had not only evolved but substantially grew in strength.

Not just that... he was at a major type disadvantage now...

Lucario's eyes were sharp and angled, he pulled the Ursaring to him without fear and slammed a fist into the Ursaring's face, having jumped up off the ground to be able to reach it.

The Ursaring didn't seem all that hurt, as it turned its cheek and smiled. It seemed to like the new challenge, and spat out the food still in its mouth, rubbing its chest where it was thrown back.

Lucario stood, unwavering in front of Candy and the fainted Munchlax. "Lu... Lucario?" She seemed a bit stunned, but Lucario kept his sights fixed on the Ursaring.

Ursaring, having a bit of an ego about his strength, didn't care who got hurt and went to lift his foot for another Earthquake.

Lucario's eyes widened and his ear-appenages stood up a bit as he rushed at breakneck speeds to grab his foot, keeping it from going down as Ursaring tried to stomp him, but realized... he couldn't... he couldn't put his foot down!

"Urssaa!?" he was getting taken-aback by Lucario's sudden surge of power, and tried to let out a powerful Slash attack at where Lucario was below his feet. It hit and sent Lucario back, flopping to Candy's side as she reached out for him and called his name, but it didn't seem to do much. He was fine.

He got up, his growl fierce and threatening, before Ursaring charged in hopes to ram into him, but Lucario met him in the middle and crashed his paws into his own, causing Lucario to skid his feet against the ground from Urasring's sheer size alone. This created a huge cloud of split dust forming on either side of them, a trail of his resistance against being pushed back lined the ground as he finally got enough force and footing to stop Ursaring from ramming him back any further. Still having that insanely, vengeful seeking look in his eyes, Lucario fought for the honor of his friends and himself, and suddenly formed something in his hands that were pushing against Ursaring's.

"Ursa?!" It opened its mouth in shock, feeling the power awakening from the core of Lucario to his hands. Lucario struggled, but with enough effort, put the two's-shoved up against eachother's hands-in the center of themselves. This would be above Lucario's head and at the chest of Ursaring, but it was aimed up at his face... this was..?

His own terrifying attack, as though Lucario was saying-Look at me... this is your end!

It was like when Riolu looked into Ursaring's mouth to see the charging Hyper Beam... Ursaring was so startled that fear arose and left it shaken, its jaw quivering as the light kept growing and the aura kept building under its paws... this was going to be a massive hit...

"Ah!" Candy knew that move! Seeing it on T.V during a Pokemon League championship, she rose up quickly and held out a fist in front of her chest, "Rio- I mean," she shook her head, "LUCARIO!" She cried out, as his heart escalated in joy at hearing her about to direct him. "Use-!" her fist and his own... they seemed to be connected somehow as she threw her fist forward and pushed his Aura forward into the devastating new attack, both hands shoving forward as Ursaring faltered back and was consumed in the light of his attack. "Auraaaa Sphhhhheeeeeere!" she cried out, finally letting the tears that she dared not let the children see fall from her own eyes as Pearl lay motionless on the ground, breathing slightly and moaning from the pain in her old back.

"LLLLUUUCCARRRRIOOOO!"

The Aura Sphere dealt major damage, as it was super effective and also at point-blank range. After all the hits it had taken, it finally started to move down, and at last, lifting a paw up to try and get one last Hammer Arm off, Lucario jumped up and slammed another round-house kick that sent it flying back into the trees. It lay motionless with swirls in its eyes, a goofy smile on its face, and an arm entangled up by a crashed tree. Finally, it twitched, as many wild pokemon came to check on it, before looking over at the victor, having never seen that pokemon before.

Lucario stood like a powerful entity in their sights... his eyes never resting from their intense glare... a sharp breeze suddenly blasted to the side of him as he turned around to Candy...

He had felt it.

The power of a trainer... and their partner pokemon.

For himself, this time.

Hospital

"Just hold on, Pearl!"

Pearl coughed, being rolled away on a stretcher as she lightly took Candy's hand, who was racing along with it down the hall. "…The... The children..?"

"I called their parents, they're fine!"

The nurse removed Candy's hand and placed Pearl's back on her chest, shouting out instructions to other Nurses as Pearl continued, both Candy and her ignoring the men and ladies. "…The Poke... Pokemon..?"

"At the Pokemon Center, please don't try to speak too much!"

The atmosphere was frantic, the nurses finally pulling her straight into a double-doored room as Pearl seemed relieved, resting her head to the side... with a pleasant smile as the doors closed behind her and another male nurse stopped Candy from entering. "I'm sorry, you can't go in there. You're not family." He explained, and a female nurse came up to place a hand on Candy's shoulder, seeing that Candy was emotionally distraught at someone blocking her way. "Please wait here!"

...And so, Candy did... standing... not moving for hours...

The doors flung out and in a few times, and Candy's terrified and worried face remained ever vigilant and unwavering. Her hand to her heart... praying... 'Please... The kids were fine, just jostled a little. The Pokemon were alright...' her tears began again... 'I'm fine... just... please... Please let Miss Pearl make it out alright.'

The doors slowly fell in and out at a lesser tempo... the sight by the swinging doors inching closer and closer together before finally closing sank Candy's heart.

Munchlax held her hand... Nevermore and Octavius by her shoulder and on her head...

And that all seemed... like the end of the world.

Blissey's Wishcraft!

Candy held her hands together tightly, bending down with her head hung low and finally allowing herself to wipe the sweat off her brow. Her blonde hair cut in sections of streaming rectangles almost looked like gentle blinds over her see-through window of emotions all across her face, praying for the best.

The Pokeball containing her beloved, childhood Pichu jolted about and finally broke loose from her, bouncing on the ground before opening its mouth to release Zippity as she flexed out her bent ears squished down to her cheeks. Shaking off the beams of light, she looked up at Candy, worried as her eyes inwardly arched to show her consideration towards her anxious feelings.

Zippity took a hesitant, but brave step forward to place a delicate hand on her trainer's grasped ones. She smiled sweetly, as Candy came up from her bent posture on the seat of the People's Hospital.

"Zippity..." Candy's eyes shook with thankfulness, she wasn't alone in this, but still... she drooped her gaze back down to the floor, placing her firmly held hands up by her stomach and on her lap, eyes full of tears that she wouldn't let budge. "…I just… I wish I was stronger." Candy finally let one hand go from her killer-grip they had on each other, using her wrist to wipe some of the starting tears off from racing each other down her cheeks. "Rio-I mean, Lucario stepped up to the plate. But,... me? I was useless… What kind of trainer am I?! I can't even protect those I care about!" Candy pulled her legs up to herself on the waiting bench, crying out her sorrow and fears that she had withheld for so long. Zippity watched, feeling hopeless when it came to comforting her again, but jumped up on the bench and called to Candy, just trying to distract her from her stress.

A nurse came out, and seeing Candy's state, patiently waited politely for her to notice, seeming to understand her condition. She put her clipboard in front of herself and made sure her footfalls were head just enough for Candy to know she was awaiting her attention when she was ready.

After only a second or two, Zippity tilted her head in curiosity at seeing the Nurse patiently waiting. "..Pi?" she seemed to think a moment before realizing this was the Nurse Joy of the Humans, "Pichu, pi-pichu!" Zippity tapped on Candy's arm hurriedly, as she looked up and sniffed, rubbing her eyes more to clear up her vision while the Nurse smiled lightly.

"H-huh? Oh!" Candy immediately got up, standing attention, quickly trying to regain herself so she could hear what the Nurse had to say. "Um, I'm sorry, is... Ehem, is Mrs. Pearl..?" she hesitated, unable to part her lips any further at the thought of something being wrong.

"Your friend is badly hurt, but with time, I'm sure she'll come out of it alright." The Nurse softly said, continuing her polite but professional smile of sympathy. "Are you sure she has no family to come and see her?"

"Her two sons are off on adventures right now." Candy responded, and then looked down, realizing they had no idea their mother was in critical condition... "Will she make it out okay, though? No serious.. b-breaks or-..?" Candy had heard that Pearl's sons were quite the stellar men, Pokemon Trainers through and through. They left at ten and used to call on several occasions, but as they got older and started living their lives more fully and maturely, they dedicated themselves to exploring the world of Pokemon. In conclusion, they would carry less and less contact with her the more the years went on.

"…Time will only tell." The Nurse stated, trying not to sound rude or grim about it, but she couldn't make any proper promises either. She held her clipboard over her mouth, "I'm sorry… but only family members can ask for definite medical analyses. I'm afraid I can only tell you that." The Hippocratic Oath!? In this situation!?

Candy's heart broke a bit, but she knew it was for privacy reasons…

"R-right… thank you."

What could she say? She wasn't a family member... but she was really all Miss Pearl had left, at the moment...

Candy sat back down and started praying for a miracle again, as Zippity watched her in fright at what emotions she could see between the two humans. Then, seeing the Nurse pivot to an about-face and start walking away, saddened a bit as well at her news to the young lady, Zippity leaped and bolted after her a few steps, "Pichu! Pi, pi, pichu, pi!" it was almost as if she was saying that it couldn't be all she could say, that there must be something she could do to help Candy and Miss Pearl.

She stopped and lifted herself up on her hindlegs, breathing a bit at her chase but the woman wouldn't yield to her pleading cries...

She turned to look back behind her, Candy's hands once again, together and trembling... wetted with falling tears... winning the race.

-Daycare day-

"If Mrs. Pearl doesn't get well, who will run the Daycare?" asked Tia, worriedly holding Igglypuff in her arms as her twin sister, Mia, stacked more blocks in the play area.

"Come on, Tia, don't ask me these things." Mia responded, "We have powers, but not that good of powers..." Lucario looked out the window very seriously, seeming to be secretly listening in as well to the young girls conversation and thinking that very thing, too. He folded his arms, would Candy finally step up and take charge? His stare was that of uncertainty,... he didn't know if the young human girl was ready, but something in him hoped she would take control and be the leader he wanted her to be. He slightly tilted his head and moved his eyes to Candy, seeing as she wasn't giving a definite answer to the girls at all, either…

He sighed, continuing to remain disappointed and stare out the window... maybe he'd go and train for a bit, just to get his mind off of things and step away from the sorrowful atmosphere.

"I think she's probably done for," Jake stated, brushing Eevee's fur. "She's an old lady, after all. They don't live long once they've reached that age, right?" Candy moved over and smacked him upside the head, no hesitation. "OW! Hey!" he gripped the back of his head and noticed how she barely even looked at him.

"She may be old but she's tough! Don't say such things! You always say the meanest things!" She knew he could of called her a 'hag' and he didn't, so it showed he cared, but she just... wasn't able to be around that kind of talk right now.

Her outburst scared the three children, as she breathed heavily and felt tears begin to form. She remembered what Miss Pearl said, about being there for the children, and also to not smack Jake... even if he deserved a gentle, but scolding, whack to set his attitude in check at times. It's not like she ever tried to hurt him... She walked outside, feeling bad at how immature she was acting, and even Lucario closed his eyes and lowered his head at her lack of guiding comfort for the youthful children. "I need some air!"

"You need more than that…" Jake commented, rubbing the back of his head, but he looked away, seeming to feel guilty about what he last stated, too. He didn't mind the little skirmishes he got from play-fighting with Candy, but... Although he liked the attention, he felt he may have hurt Candy more than just the slight bonk she gave him on the head. That was just their dynamic, always butting heads, but this felt... more like she wasn't her usual cheery and energetic self.

Torchic followed Candy, who put an arm over her eyes and looked skyward, crying…

"..Tor..?" Torchic wasn't too sure why she was crying, because to be honest, she didn't really know what happened to Pearl. She had seen the kids cry before and remembered how Miss Pearl would gently squat to their sides, the best she could on her old, wrinkly knees anyway, and pat their backs with a loving heart and infinite patience. "Torchic! Torchic!" She bolted in front of Candy and started to do a cute dance, trying to make her happy as it usually worked for the children.

Candy removed her forearm from over her eyes and looked down, giggling through her tears slightly before getting down to a squat and hugging the kind Torchic. "I'm sorry… I'm completely lost without Pearl… I just don't know if I can do this alone…"

"You don't have to do it alone."

"Ah!" Candy pulled Torchic out of her hug, holding her out in front of herself. "TORCHIC?!" she gawked at the boyish voice from the small little chick, but Torchic just tilted her head in confusion. Did... she stop her from crying?

"A-hah… N-no-no, it's me."

"Uhh…" Candy turned around to see that the awkwardly chuckling guy's voice was coming from none other than Will, scratching the back of his head before giving her a wave.

"Thought you might need a delivery... of some helpful assistance!" he took his hand down and swung it into a thumbs up, "And I'm the mailman to deliver it!" he grinned the best he could, trying to comfort her. "Or... something... like that... haha." he grew nervous again, blushing lightly at what he felt might have been a bit cheesy and landed too weirdly.

Candy began to tear up again, "WWWWWIIIIILL!" she burst into sprinklers of emotions and almost seemed to glide into his arms, making him step back a bit and regain his balance at her wildly strong jump at him, before glowing bright red all over his face and flailing his arms about, not sure what to do with her sudden act of willingly taking his aid.

"Ah-ah-ee, oh." He finally settled down and just let his hands rest on her back. "I-I was worried about you, so… " He blinked a few times down to her, flustered beyond belief, but somehow... extremely happy and feeling very accomplished that he had chosen to come by the Daycare today. "How's Pearl?" he cautiously decided to ask, watching as she pulled out of his arms just slightly, and held her a bit better than before, but still lightly as she composed herself to talk through her overly expressive gratitude.

"She…" She hiccuped through her sobbing, "I don't know. They won't let me visit her, or know what's wrong and going on. Only family can ask those questions and see her… and I have to be here at the Daycare during visiting hours! I don't know where her actual kids are and even what region to phone the Pokemon Center in to let them know! Oh, Will!" she clung to him tighter, draping herself over him as he suddenly felt a very chivalrous feeling build within him. It was like a hero taking his sword, and he hadn't felt this drive compel him to help so much before this exact moment. He had always been a good lad, but this was like a fire under his feet, now! He took enough courage to move her away and start planning each step in his mind on how to get the situation stable and manageable. He held a very confident look upon himself when his eyes met Candy's hopeless ones, practically on her rope's end in worry.

"You go see Pearl, then. I'll stay here and watch the children and baby pokemon!" he stated, nodding to show he was determined to help and sincere in his feelings to find a way for her to check in on Miss Pearl. "I can't just stand by and watch you cry. You have to see Pearl, she must be pretty lonely without your optimism." He gave her a kind smile, which warmed her to think that even in this state, he still found her to be the type of person that inspired such things.

"Ah,..! W-Will…" Candy's eyes grew three sizes that day, making Will awkwardly have a bead of sweat scroll down the side of his head, animatedly. Her appearance and attitude were so exaggerated... but it was quite cute.

"J-just don't cry, okay?" He wished she'd slightly grow up a bit, but didn't complain. She was kinda charming when she needed the help…

"Lucario! Car!" Lucario carried a determined stride out from the front patio of the Daycare building's entrance, taking his paw and hitting it against his chest once arriving in front of the two.

Again, Torchic just slowed blinked at all this developing, still uncertain what was going on. Did Will make Candy cry again? "Torchic, tor!" she held an equally determined expression and ran to peck at Will's feet, but Lucario scooped her up quickly ahead of time, holding her under his arm and placing another paw on her head as she seemed to immediately calm down as though in a livestock crush that farmer's use for cattle that acts like a compressing hug to reduce stress.

"...Lucario…" he looked to Candy, as though hoping she understood his resolve to accompany her.

"Haha! I think he wants to escort you." Will smiled, feeling the same. He pulled out his pokeballs and clicked their circular buttons, letting them open up on his fingers as his two beloved pokemon emerged from them. "Seamour, Gail, please help me with watching and protecting the daycare kids and pokemon today, alright?" It was his day off, why not? Besides,... he was sure they'd be popular with the kids, and natural babysitters anyway. They always were good on the job, watching and taking care of packages, so he hoped this wasn't too much of a stretch for them.

Gail twirled around, being a Kirlia now. "Kir, kirl!"

"Woah! She evolved!" Candy stated, amazed to see the little Ralts she once knew now a little more older and matured.

"Haha! Yeah! I had a battle with my rival mailman. There's two of us you know, and well, when we meet we have a battle, and I won! Kirlia came shortly after." He seemed very proud, as Seamour flapped his wings and glared a little at her, but not by much, he just seemed jealous of all the praise she must have gotten from Will during that said event.

With his slight huff, he used his webby, short feet to kick some dry dirt her way, but she went straight on her tippy-toes and dodged, giving him a knowing expression of being just a bit better than that.

"I'll leave it to you, then." Candy nodded to Will, honestly happy for him and his pokemon, and more grateful then she could express in her hurry to see Miss Pearl. She took Torchic from under Lucario's arm and smiled to him and then placed Torchic in Will's care, bending down a bit to speak to her. "I'll be back soon, before the daycare closes, I promise!" She then looked up to Will, "Will and everyone are going to look after you. But as always, I expect you to also take care of the others as well, can you do that for me, Torchic?"

Torchic paused a second, but then kicked out her feet in her usual hyperness, excited to be given a role during this strange time as well! "Torchic, Torchic, Tor!" she seemed more than eager to lend a claw to the cause!

Candy nodded, "That's my girl." and stood up straight to lightly wave to Will, "I... I couldn't have asked for a better friend,... Will." She beamed.

It was the first time... she had ever acknowledged him as a close friend.

He smiled, a little too enchanted by the moment, and as though dreamily, lightly nodded back to her. "Y-yeah, good luck..." he softly stated.

Once she got permission, she took off without a single ounce of worry for the Daycare anymore. Lucario followed closely behind, his arms back behind him as he raced as though the wind, keeping easily up with her fast pace.

The forest pokemon immediately looked deflated as they face-palmed or shrugged down from their branches and looked away, seeing the strange human bulldoze once more through the terrain with expert skill and knowledge of how high to jump over this log while avoiding the low hanging branches here and there. She hadn't ran through the forest in a long time, so the pokemon were a little more forgiving this time...

One Emolga even glided down into the wind of her jump, amazed at how much drift she could get from it. Another, a Pancham, was chewing on a berry before being spooked by her Olympic-like hurdle dash over a long rock he was under, gripping the rock and his chest as he breathed rapidly from such an encounter.

The other pokemon followed along the trees or grassy path, as though welcoming back the legendary terrorizer of the forest they hadn't seen in a while.

Lucario checked to make sure no further hostile pokemon would bother them like last time at the Picnic, but satisfied that the wild pokemon were only curious about her, he seemed able to let his guard down before-

A Tangela snickered behind a tree, letting one of his vines out for Candy to trip. Lucario immediately eyed it, panic rising before skidding into the vine to move it out of her way as she continued through, not even noticing.

"Tangela!" The creature worriedly began to flee, as Lucario didn't have time to discipline it, but just took off to keep up with Candy.

By this time, most of the pokemon were now thinking of Candy as a mythical human who trampled forest as she raced through them, but most did this rumor as a joke, but minor and small pokemon began to think Candy was some sort of legendary, remembering when Suicune told them not to fear her disruptions anymore.

Back at the Daycare, Eevee ran out with Jake as the two looked to see the fading images of Candy and Lucario leaving across the road and into the forest density. "Where are they going?" Jake asked, wanting to somewhat apologize when Candy didn't come back in.

"Eev, eev!" Eevee was tempted to race after them but stopped when he noticed Jake didn't pursue either. "Eevee?" he turned around on the road, knowing it's unsafe and looked both ways before charging back eagerly to Jake's side.

"They're just going to say hi to Mrs. Pearl." Will walked up to him and bent down to address him. "I'll be taking care of you all now for a little bit, is that alright?" Will gave him a closed-eye smile, trying to be reassuring.

Jake looked him over... his eyes trailing the older boy's weak, physical form before a mischievous smile traced his lips. He folded his arms, defiantly, "Sure,… yeah… we'll see." he knew he could get away with anything now, so he slowly walked back in, measuring up his new victim for torture and once in the entrance, looked back at Will over his shoulder before rushing to tell the girls his devious plan in hurried excitement.

The girls were practicing their physic abilities with Igglypuff and the blocks, as Igglypuff would hold a block up and try and drop it, but before it fell, the girls would hone their concentration to teeter the block suspended in the air. Hovering ever so lightly in the air, Igglypuff would clap for the girls, and it'd wobble before gently being released back to the ground in a soft, tumbling fall. when Jake ran in between their fun training session, he sat down in the circle's front that they had created in their sitting arrangements and started whispering to them the new dynamic. "Candy's gone to see Miss Pearl, the Mailman's here to look after us! Candy knows our tricks and kicks but this bloke doesn't! See what I'm saying here?"

The girls looked to each other, "Does that mean..." Tia began, "We could..." Mia added before both girls smiled in the same thrilling energy he had exuded, "We can manipulate the cookies down the shelf and eat them early!?" they had such misguided hope in their eyes.

He smirked, narrowing his eyes sinisterly, "Oh, better than that! Waaayyy, better than that! Heheheh..."

Eevee's ears bent back, not too sure what to make of the children snickering like this.

Will walked in and placed Torchic down, who immediately ran back in. She tried to get the kids' attention but when that didn't work, squawked and chirped cutely while jumping up with ruffled, loose feathers to try and make some noise. It didn't seem to distract them from their whispering scheming... Defeated, Torchic looked up at the fatted other bird that fluttered into the room with a pointed-toe shuffle from Gail. "Tor?" she blinked, then with a burst of hyper energy, decided to jump on Seamour's back after a few 'donut' circles like they do with cars to 'get a running start' up his back. The impact almost made him fall forward onto his large beak, but he regained his balance well with his large, though flatted and thin wings. He sighed once the danger was avoided and curiously looked back to see the small bird pokemon wanting him to fly, bouncing her butt on his back with eager joy and anticipation.

His eyes were like staring into an empty void.

The children then seemed almost demonic in their shadowed faces as their smirking grins were the stuff of nightmares, looking over to Will.

Gail had a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face as she tried to hold a brave smile...

She was doing this for her beloved trainer, and she could always hold the little baby human evolutions with her telekinesis if they were being rowdy or rough.

She could do this...

She had faith in her skills... She had just evolved, after all. Mature and refined, now.

She was shaking.

"Okay, kids!" Will clapped his hands together, motivated to start the show and have some fun with the kids. "Want to play a game?"

What befell then was complete and utter chaos…

-On the way to the Hospital…-

Candy could only move at the speed of a raging, wild rocket. There was no in-between unless she ran out of 'fuel', that is. She charged with hurried huffs past the bulletin board of the city, the skyscrapers creating rectangular blocks of sunlight that flashed her vision as she ran through the different sections of shadows and daylight. Skidding to a halt as she sped by it, the gravel grinding against the soles of her boots, Lucario finally paused, arching an eyebrow up in confusion as he slowed to a jog and held his arms back over his chest, as though expecting the unexpected from Candy. He blinked in uncertainty at what had stopped her pursuit towards finding Miss Pearl at the Hospital. "Lucar..." He approached her with soft pawfalls, looking to her face to try and get a read on her when noticing she was walking towards something that had her complete and undivided attention. It was almost as though something had possessed her, and following her eyeline-he was momentarily taken aback by her mad dash to the bulletin board and her hands pounding against it-She had locked onto a poster of a traveling 'healer'... and her arms were blocking it from escaping her vision.

After a second of staring, a little too uncomfortably close for Lucario to think this was normal, Candy suddenly pulled off it with enthusiasm.

"This is it, Lucario!" She had finished reading it over, and after only a second of pondering the benefits of what it said, was convinced this was how they were going to save Miss Pearl. Her head held itself high and her fist gripped confidently into a tight hold, as though she wouldn't take no for an answer on this idea. "Come see my fantastic healing abilities! Have a bad hip, no problem! Spiritual problems? Taken care of!" she read excitedly to Lucario, pointing with her other hand and pressing hard against the board as she slid her finger over every line it stated. "Wait... where's... Ah! Here we are!" Her eyes traced the words before landing on what she was looking for, returning to her cheery reading of the solution she had found. "Feeling down? Well, come right down! We have to go here, Lucario!" she finished her reading and looked over to him behind her, taking his paw as he shook his head, not liking the sound of this charlatan act.

He tried to oppose once again as she tugged him onward after her, but even shaking his free paw out to kindly tell her this wasn't going to work was ignored. He freaked out a moment with twitching white eyes as she dragged him at breakneck speeds to the location of the 'Healer's hut' stationed in one of the local parks.

It wasn't necessarily a large park, but a fun one for many families. There, Candy heard a spokeswoman's voice and pivoted at shonen speeds, displaying dramatic, sharp and shadowy angles on her face and body as she swiftly expressed an attitude of seriousness she must have been feeling that radiated in her agile mobility. It made Lucario look like an accessorized keychain jostling in her waking wind.

She was honed in on the voice... A seeking missile... charging with unwavering determination towards its unsuspecting target.

"That's right! Me and my pokemon can even make a lame man walk! A blind man talk-Ah! I mean, see! So, what are you waiting for?! Come right down! Don't be shy, just open one eye, that's all you need!" A young woman with extra-long hair and the weirdest fashion trend spun around and tried to throw flyers out at people. She had pink curls towards the end of her long train of spider-spun silk hair, a showman's hat with a red, stringy feather, and a jacket that made her look more like a circus salesman than a healer...

When Lucario finally caught his breath, worried Candy pulled something in his arm, he placed a paw to his chest and looked up, then jolted back in shock at the voodoo-looking gypsy hut.

He slowly twitched and flinched each subtle joint he could feel towards Candy's direction, was she serious!? She couldn't be as ridiculously fooled by this as a human child!?

But alas, he smacked both paws into his face at seeing the stars and enthralled wonder upon Candy's face, her fists up by her shoulders in delight at the spectacle.

Was Miss Pearl doomed by the childish disillusions of this teenager?! Lucario was baffled at her stupidity but didn't know how to cut this episode short, knowing he wasn't the main protagonist...

But he'd be the hero if he must... he ground his teeth in that agitation, knowing he'd probably have to save Miss Pearl AND Candy... all by himself. Again.

"Behold! This young Sandshrew was in a terrible fight! And now, his poor little body just can't stand!" a young boy came up, holding a very weak-looking Sandshrew, as Candy pushed through the crowd.

"We gotta get a closer look at her technique!"

Lucario just held his head down, following after her idiocy as though disappointed in her, eyes downcasted somewhat but also up to make sure she was gonna be okay.

Her eyes grew big when she saw the Sandshrew and looked back in utter hope to Lucario, who just shook his head at her Naïve nature.

She had parted two heads back and then a shoulder of a person in front to stick her torso out of the crowd and get a much better view of the scene. Her innocent grin to Lucario only was surrounded by the annoyed atmosphere of the disapproving glares of the people around her, which made Lucario have a rather large drop of awkward sweat on the side of his face.

How can a being be so dense!?

"Now! Watch my amazing Pokemon's ability! Blissey!" At the flashy swish of the showman's arm, a pokemon solemnly stepped out, not seeming to be amused by all this attention. Its eyes looked a bit apologetic to the people, and her head lowered a bit in shame. "Blissey! Summon your healing abilities as a spiritual priestess from the moon!"

"Hey, isn't Clefable from the moon?" a voice suddenly stung at the woman's ears, making her flinch in white.

"I think she's got the wrong pokemon..." Another voice sorrowfully stated, as though her believability was slipping... dramatically...

"Haha! She confused a Blissey with a Clefable!" Another individual mocked, laughing loudly. "It's the 'happiness' pokemon, yeah? Doesn't look so happy now!"

With the crowd laughing, Blissey's fur could sense the disappointment and sadness of children watching, holding on to their parents as they were hoping for something magical and cool to happen. "Bliss..." Her eyes swiveled in tears, her heartbreaking at such a thing. She was meant to bring joy through her treatments, not misery...

The young woman's eye twitched at her folly as she quickly moved on, still keeping her hoke alive with some flare. "Ehem, well, lighten the path to show this young Sandshrew's soul a better tomorrow! Make him even stronger than before! Blliiiisseeey!" she announced, dramatically throwing in some fanfare with a kazoo she pulled out of her jacket's pocket. She spun on one foot and twirled about like a perfectly positioned 'T' but the top half longer due to her body bending in the spin.

"Bliss…ey…" The pokemon had a tiny sweat drop on the side of its face. It's not like it could work magic, here... just logical laws of healing attributes and properties.

"Heeeallll Pulse!" the young woman wiggled her hands out in front of her as though conjuring up the move herself. She then turned to the crowd, "Your wishes will make this pokemon's power ten times stronger! Thus is the immense magic of hopes and dreams!" she gave a sense of urgency to her performance, and the kids suddenly perked up, more engaged now. At their rising excitement, Blissey could feel a shift in herself, and she smiled lightly. At least... one good thing could come from this,... right?

"Quick! Everyone, together! Heal Pulse! Heal Pulse!"

She got the crowd to clap along with her as Blissey stored up her power. "We'll need more than that! Clap with all the sincerity in your heart!" Now, instead of mocking, people were starting to engage in the energy of the moment the young performer had created. A mother clapped her little toddler's hands together, a father and his son clapped and chanted as well, a pokemon and his trainer synced their claps up and smiled to one another once they had the rhythm of the crowd and looked back to the young woman. "Think of Sandshrew! Don't shirk now! Heal Pulse, Heal pulse!" she pleaded more fervently than before to the crowd of onlookers.

The boy with the Sandshrew watched the crowd, before looking worriedly to his Sandshrew who was breathing lightly.

Lucario, slowly clapping since he was a bit of a people pleaser and didn't want to stand out too much, wondered why the young boy didn't just take Sandshrew to a Pokemon Center... he looked up to Candy and was once again-not sure why-surprised to see Candy clapping with all her might in huge, slamming impacts of her hands together.

"COME ON BLISSEY!" she cried out, "HEAL THAT POKEMON!"

He just froze in absolute shock of willingness to be dragged into these sorts of things.

But then... a thought occurred to him.

Did Candy really feel like all other options were void? That this was her last...

Hope?

"Lucario..."

His eyes softened to her, realizing she was grasping for anything that could give hope to the despairing situation with Miss Pearl. Candy had no idea what was going on since the Nurses wouldn't tell her. It made sense, now... why she was so desperate for any solution... anything... to help her dear friend.

In that regard, he respected her a bit more, that she didn't just give up to the feeling of being useless.

Blissey had finally stored enough energy, and letting out a cry, she threw her head back up and with great effort, released a stunningly powerful, mighty Heal Pulse that sparkled and shimmered. Bubbles of light moved out in a ripple around her, and everyone around held out their hands to feel the warming light and soothing touch of its effects. However,... according to the Pokedex,... it only restores up to half of Sandshrew's Hp.

To the showwoman's delight, not many people seemed to pick up on that! Even the mocking, 'happiness pokemon, not moon pokemon' guy... she secretly glared at him from the corner of her eye as she dipped her hat down.

The Sandshrew seemed to be healed though, as far as anyone was concerned. So, continuing with her show, the young woman let out a chuckle and tipped off her hat. "A miracle! Cheaper than anything at the Pokemon Center, my friends! Now, a little donation to this beautiful heart and good saint, Blissey! Donations~? Donations~?"

...Wasn't the Pokemon Center free?

Lucario sighed.

People gave her some loose change as she bowed and thanked them before rushing over to get more cash.

It seemed this young woman preyed upon inexperienced trainers or those who weren't familiar with Pokemon and the life of a Pokemon Trainer.

"You, young lady! You seem itching with a personal problem!" she just happened to single out Candy, who-honestly-looked the most expressive out of the entire group.

"Ah! Yes! I do!" Candy's 'intuition told her that this woman must have magical sight just as much as her Pokemon did, seeing as she knew she was in distress.

"Haha! I thought so," The woman winked, charmingly putting her hand back on her head. "Then, shall my Blissey give you a miracle as well!?" She gestured out to the dispersing crowd, already making their way out of the scene.

The boy with the Sandshrew placed him down and they held hands, walking off as he was a fairly small child. Lucario watched, and with a scrutinizing eye, noticed the happy Sandshrew still had some scuffled scratch marks and bruises from before...

With the boy holding him, no one would have noticed that some damage still remained.

He hated liars and just plain dishonesty, so he shook his fist, growling at the deception.

"Oh, yes please! Come with me!" Candy grabbed her hair since the woman had turned to engage different sides of the crowd, and spooking the girl for a moment, took off just like before with Lucario.

"Ah, wait, I-AAAAHHHHHHH!" the young woman was whisked away, suddenly pulled behind like a banner to a jetplane as Candy cried back to Lucario.

"Don't forget the Healer!" she called out as Lucario just stood there... realizing she was kidnapping a phony.

Blissey's colors and power had spread out, and when finished, she smiled lightly and took a small breath to composure herself. She finally opened her eyes, seeing everyone mostly dispersed, besides a Lucario who pivoted towards her in such a towering hatred she cried out in horror.

"...Car…" Lucario seemed embarrassed but was more annoyed right now than anything. Candy was... technically his trainer? Right? He had to listen to her? He wasn't quite sure, still learning the ropes of things from the Daycare as well as the other pokemon who called it their home. Running out into the center of the ground, to Blissey's point-of-view, he looked like a killer. She was frozen in fear as his eyes glinted an evil shine, and he lifted Blissey up in one fatal swoop, being strong enough to do so. He was twitching at her weight but managed to start running after Candy once throwing her up on his back and caring her piggie-back style. She cried out in terror before realizing he wasn't harming her, and daintily blushed with a hand up to her face.

"Blissey?" She blinked her eyes down to Lucario, confused on the situation. What did he want her for?

Lucario repositioned her on his back, bouncing her up and letting her jump down on his spine as he let out a cry of pain. She looked ashamed but he quickly spoke out a few grunts, sweating at the effort, but making her think it was nothing more than good training for him. He explained over his shoulder the situation, and Blissey looked mortified at what it could mean. As Lucario kept following Candy, Bissey tried to convince him not to take her, that her Trainer wouldn't just quit the show... even knowing Blissey's limits...

Lucario, already having his pride bruised by struggling with her weight on his back, knew the feeling of being an imposter all too well... As a pre-evolution, he always acted tougher than he really was.

He evolved because he wants to be someone that can show that true strength can happen and be found, that it's not impossible. He looked back at Blissey, "Lucario. Lucar, car." He sincerely hoped she would find the strength to at least do something, give anything to Candy's plea of not losing hope.

He didn't know if she could actually do much healing, but to inspire those to heal... or even to gather that much hope as the duo did... he felt that would be enough for Candy's wishes towards helping Miss Pearl.

It was a tall order... but one that left Blissey utterly saddened for. If she was their only hope... then... it did sound hopeless, after all.

"What do you mean 'heal my friend', huh!? That takes real money, missy!" The young lady cried out, huffing and turning away from Candy once Candy breaked at her struggling.

They were now ahead and mostly to themselves as Blissey was healing Lucario, who was breathing in scattered puffs to catch his breath from carrying her weight of about 103 when his own weight was 119 across so much. So, half his weight, plus he had only just evolved into a Lucario, and still getting used to the new change. He caught up to Candy a little distance behind and was stretching out his back while Blissey apologized but he just mildly had a bit of sweat on the side of his face as he smiled sheepishly. He moved another paw out to wave up and down, telling her it was fine. Besides, it was Candy's fault for charging off on her own, not really stopping to talk about anything first...

"I'm Candy!" She pointed hurriedly to herself, then towards the direction of the human hospital. "And my friend, who owns a daycare that I work for, is very injured! I'm sure your Blissey can heal her! Please! You've gotta help us!" she took her hands in her own, as the lady awkwardly started to figure out the situation more.

"Uhh… well, sure, but… umm…" The young girl wasn't sure what to do. It would hurt business to lie, so she needed an excuse. However, before she could, Candy's eyes were pleading and her face looked desperate... making her stumble with a twitching, open smile and not be able to finish her sentence.

"Really!?" Candy exclaimed in pure delight, her eyes now large and round, sparkling off the sides of her face. "Oh, thank you so much! The children will be so happy! And the pokemon too!"

"..Uh,..kids?" The girl looked down, 'Maybe... this is a little too over my head, I gotta find a way out of this without hurting my rapport!' she tried to think, but Candy was going a mile a minute, shaking her hands in her own as she wobbled up and down in the wiggling sensation of Candy's enthusiasm.

"I'm Candy! Oh, you already know that. This is Lucario! One of the pokemon we raised at the daycare center. Ah! Me and Pearl that is!" She stretched out her hand to Lucario behind them, as he closed his eyes and lowered his head, still awkwardly not sure how to put the news to Candy... would the show lady do the right thing and just tell her?

"Lucario…" Lucario lifted a paw, showing that that was him as Blissey looked to Candy and then himself.

A Daycare lady is injured?

Blissey saw that Candy had pure intentions for dragging her out of the park, her desperate act was in hopes of trying to save her old friend, and it melted her heart. She always wanted to actually be a nurse's pokemon, instead of just performing 'miracles' like a spectacle for loose change.

She was about to nod and respond, having some confidence that this could actually put her true desires to heal pokemon and people into practice, at least... worth a shot-when her trainer popped out in front of her frame to block her from her determined look to help. "Sorry, no can do. You just ain't rich enough." She stated and started moving her Blissey back, bending down and using her arms to guide her off. "Anyway, sorry, I don't do gigs at Hospitals, bye~" That might do it, she may sound stingy, but this was the marketing world for ya!

Besides... it hadn't worked out before, why should she be allowed in now?

"W-wait! Please! I'll pay you anything!" Candy started to chase after her.

"I don't want- Woah!... anything?" her eyes shined, 'Is... is this kid secretly an aristocrat? Maybe the lady got a bad hip, shouldn't be too bad to fake a full recovery if it's a fever halved, right? She could recover well...' The woman schemed, putting a finger up to her mouth and then smirking down to her Blissey, who worriedly knew what she was thinking... she knelt down to whisper to her, "Hey, look and listen. We've never actually healed a human in critical condition before, and well.. you know I flunked out of nursing school so this could be our chance to be real nurses!" Blissey sighed, shaking her head. They shouldn't do it for the money...

However, she was already rubbing her hands together, money signs in her eyes as she got up without another look to Blissey, turning around to salute Candy, sticking her tongue out in a silly way. "Miracle worker Joy reporting for duty! And this is my Blissey, where can I sign up?" Her long pink hair flowed behind her as she seemed to be mischievously playing a sly operation.

Ticked off by her blatant lying, yet again, Lucario stomped a foot down and had veins of anger pulsing around himself. He called out a few times, but Candy just shed a tear and nodded, holding her hands in excited fists, "Yeah! Lucario's thankful too!" He flinched and looked at her with white, socket eyes. With his mouth gaping with a small tremor at the bottom of his chin, he cried out again, clearly stating he was not!

Hospital... Again.

"Okay, we made it on time!" Candy finally did look exhausted. All the racing around and galloping at breakneck speeds finally took its toll fee and laid a flat number down as though her body was the taxi man telling her to pay up. She looked at the clock, visiting hours were still up, they had a chance! "And then I have to get back to the Daycare… Will might be worried... Ah!" She saw Joy acting slightly nervous, fiddling with her fingers as she hunched down at the sign outside to indicate a place of healing... when she walked in the hospital, it was like that day she flunked her examination... the look of mocking nurses, the doctors' harsh critiques that she'd never make it... well, she made them right. However, Blissey's face lit up at being there. A second chance! A new beginning! A place she could truly belong! Her fur fluffed up with all the awaiting emotions of the patients in that hallowed space of recovery, and she wanted to get to all of them with comforting treats and service, maybe even a little bit of her healing abilities too. Just to brighten up the world was all she really wanted, make it one healed smile at a time.

Blissey's dream was to heal the world of sickness and ill-health. This was where she belonged. She knew it. She could feel it in her being.

However… with a dead-beat trainer who flunked out of Nursing school all because she lost faith in herself after a major failure… Though, something that could have been worked on to make things right, she felt more a sham than an actual health worker.

She looked back at her trainer, starting to wimp out, and looked down in sorrow... It was only an exam, not a real patient, and yet, it made her trainer feel she wasn't good enough to help out the world in the little way she could.

It would make more of a difference to persevere at what she really wanted to do instead of cash-grab in the performing "street" arts...

"Alright, listen, Sweet-tooth." The lady began, reaching a hand out to Candy.

"Candy." Candy corrected, turning around but having a bit of an adverse reaction to the nickname. Lucario could see it because it was a quick correction, a bit of a hard snap if you will to it.

Where'd that come from..? Lucario cocked an eyebrow up and wondered as the Showy Joy also took note of her change in tone at correcting her.

She was already feeilng pretty defensive, so this didn't help that.

"Whatever, isn't that what I said?" She snapped back, motioning with her arms in a frustrated shrug. "Look, A wishcraft cost about a few cents, but a gig like this? We're talking BIG money. Especially making an in-house call." She folded her arms, still trying to drain Candy of any possible 'rich person' money she might have lying around on her person.

Candy glared at her a moment... still seemingly caught up on her name's topic...

Joy immediately backed down, "C-Candy... got it." She nodded, humbly. 'This girl just went from zero to a hundred for little to no reason!' she squawked in her head. 'Her name being said right mean that much to her?'

"Alright, Fair enough!" Candy finally responded, returning somewhat to her usual cheer. "Her family can't come and help, and she's already dirt poor as it is! She used all her money to rebuild her grandmother's or mother's or great grandmother's… I forgot, but one of her mothers' Daycare Centers for Pokemon and People alike to learn from each other!... that didn't sound right." Candy got tongue-tied as Lucario faced palmed, and pointed to the room he could feel Pearl's aura in. "Okay, we only got one shot at this! So, let's do it! I'll tell the Nurse you've given me permission to go with you and see Miss Pearl. It's not really lying... but it does kinda imply you're her kin." She took off to the front desk and started working her 'magic' on the woman present there.

"…Geez, this girl is really putting all her hopes on us, huh?" Joy felt a harsh pain come in her chest, squeezing as she realized the dire situation Candy and her mentor were in. "Sounds like this 'Miss Pearl' also has dreams she worked hard for... huh?" She slowly came to the realization that this was probably too big a deal for her.

Her hands twitched at the PTSD of her first examine, treating a Pokedoll but accidentally being too hasty, cutting a wire just a smidge that sounded an alarm that meant she had taken the 'fake patient's life. She was so disturbed by it, one of the first times she had made such a fatal error on a test. It wasn't necessarily an important exam... but it shook her up so much, she looked to others for comforting words of encouragement, saw their judgments instead.

"Can't believe she tripped the wire on that one. This should have been easy at this level.", "What if that was a real Pokemon? Or even a person?", "She won't make it if she gets nervous and doesn't have steady hands like that... she shouldn't be a nurse.", "What a mistake, I would advise her to quit now before she actually gets out in the work environment and realizes she can't just smile apologetically to a family or trainer like that..."

"We've never healed a person before!" She backed further away, the faces of the masked in green trainee doctors and nurses were now all returning to her memory. If she couldn't heal pokemon... She trusted her Blissey, another Pokemon, to. However, what she wouldn't admit, is that she felt she truly needed the power of healing Pokemon moves to make a difference,... she felt her own efforts would only end in tragedy. "I-I-I'm not qualified to even see a patient! I'm out of here!" Joy whispered under her breath, hearing the alarm sound vividly in her mind as the prop pokemon doll just rested on the counter of her examine... the buzzer relentless at her errored flaw.

Knowing Candy was already halfway down the hall, not even looking back to check and see if Joy was behind her in her euphoria to help Miss Pearl out. Joy could picture that happy-go-lucky girl giving a toothy, big ol'smile as she looked over her shoulder... but the buzzer sound still going off in her head as the image faded to that pokemon doll laying still with the tripped wire she had cut on accident... what if... what if she only made things worse for this woman? What if she disappointed Candy and was arrested for commanding her Blissey to only heal her cuts and bruises, Candy telling them that she had promised a full recovery or something like that?!

Her foot skid back against the squeaky hospital floor. "I... I can't-!" She tried to take off, but her Blissey charged her body to the side and cut her off, glaring up at her. "W-we can't!" she protested, stopping and looking down, trembling as though about to cry with her head down.

"Bliss!" Blissey stated confidently, "Bliss, Blissey!" It was as though she was saying they could, and they will.

"But,… what if we fail?" She looked deep into her Blissey's eyes, her partner that always believed in her... would hand her textbooks after the exam to try and encourage her to continue learning, and mock-ups of different Pokemon anatomy. So much to learn... She took off her hat, scrunching it on her chest. "I… I don't want to let that sweet girl down…" she admitted, as Blissey took her hand and patted her Trainer's side, encouraging her to go and 'set the stage'.

Her fur could sense Joy's fear... maybe...

Candy wasn't the only one that needed to believe in miracles.

"…You really believe... in me… don't you Blissey?" the flunked out nurse Joy looked up at her beloved, spirited Pokemon. "You never once gave up on me... even when I did resign and throw in the towel at school... you never resented me for it, but always kept pushing." Her memory returned to her on her bed, depressed, as Blissey sat next to her and leaned her body to her arm, being there in that moment with her. When done with a show, Blissey would try and hand her her old textbooks, but Joy would just smile and fix a loose button on her showwoman's attire.

"Bliss, bliss!" Blissey took her out of her thoughts a moment, making her stay in the now and present time. Blissey's eyes shook, knowing that when Joy thought she was asleep, would take out the medical books and read them over again, or go on her phone to look up updated research into the field.

"…Heh, you believed in me back in school, too." She sadly put her hat back on, her eyes covered in shadows before she lifted it up and looked just as determined as she was! "But that was because I couldn't help you succeed in your powers! I won't let you down again!"

"Her Blissey needs more support from a confident trainer, she's too nervous.", "I wouldn't mind training her Blissey, she seems more competent than her trainer if she just pushed herself a bit more with better guidance.", "That Blissey might have potential, but I can't tell with her awkward trainer's bad direction and scattered instructions..."

"I... let you down before," She admitted, her eyes softening, "Through our wishcraft on the streets, I've learned to be more expressive and clear in my delivery and directing the audience to the action... I think this time... I think... Maybe just enough so..." She sucked in her lips, still showing a little uncertainty. "We can at least try!" She put a confident hand to her hip, and spread her feet a little more apart but in a firmer, sturdier stance. "Blissey! Let's go!"

Blissey cheered, taking a big leap up in the air and wiggling her feet out in her joy. Her Nurse Joy!

"Maybe this Pearl's not all that bad, anyway? It might just be a sprain and we can get off easy, right?"

Blissey fell over on her back on her way down from the enthusiastic cheer...

"I meant-Oh!" Joy held out a hand and flinched at her falling down. "L-look at that girl, she may of just exaggerated 'critical' you know? That's all I was saying..!" she tried to correct herself but...

"B-Bliss.." Her Blissey smiled nervously at her, having sweat trickle down the side of her face from how her trainer was acting. But... at least she was willing to put her all back into her true craft, the one she knew they both wanted with all their hearts!

"Alright! Here we go!" took a step back towards the hallway... with a moment of hesitation.

Blissey took her hand, and Joy smiled at her. "Together." she gripped her hat's broad, rim tip. They followed where they saw Candy disappear to and found Lucario was leaning on the wall besides the room. His head down as though respectfully, and his arms folded with a leg turned up over the other. He looked to them, tsk'ing with a bit of a growl to Joy, who nervously stopped approaching but Blissey smiled sweetly and moved over in front of Lucario, showing him a look he didn't quite understand.

Did she... really think they could help?

"Lucar... io." He moved off the wall and stepped aside... but could they possibly do?

Entering Pearl's hospital room, their hearts sank at how lightly the old woman was breathing. "...that doesn't look like a sprain." Joy gulped, looking to the monitors to try and get as much information from them as she could. She moved over to the dripping water and flicked it a few times, then put her hand to her chin. 'They've got her on a lot of pain killers... She must have had a bad injury or fall...' she then looked to Miss Pearl, her hands neatly propped on top of her stomach as she lay somewhat propped up on the bed. 'Hmm... In her elderly age, even a small trip could do some damage...'

Blissey's immediate reaction was to cover her mouth and rush over to the older woman, holding her hand and showing deep love and affection for her as she stroked it gently...

Joy just remained silent... not sure what to say...

This wouldn't be an easy solve... and she only had a little to induce from the information around her.

"This is my friend, Joy! She's gonna help you get better, Pearl…! I know she will!" Candy got up from kneeling down beside Miss Pearl's bed after waiting for Joy to come in and clapped her hands together. "Heal, Pulse! Heal, Pulse! Heal, Pulse!" she began, looking to Blissey with the eyes of a child's trust.

As Candy repeated the hopeful clapping, mimicking the bliss of the children that once surrounded the park at Joy's contrived entertainment, Joy felt more pain strike at her heart, crushing her core and swallowing her soul. The grief-filled over her at trying to scam this sweet kid, seeing that the situation was rather hopeless after all.

She looked to Blissey, who was more riled up than ever to try and help, as she looked to her trainer to give the command.

Blissey still believed... did she not even look at the monitors?

Joy gripped her heart, her clothes bending inwardly at her fingers scrunching up at her guilt and lack of faith. She could hear her heart pounding loudly to tell Candy the truth, unable to hide her nerves that streaked across her face, draining color in it.

This made Lucario anxious, so before she could cry or show any chance of disappointing Candy, he pulled her out of the room with a swift yank. She stumbled backwards out of the room by such a forceful pull, gasping for air to calm herself and her regretting emotions at firing up Blissey and Candy like this. "Car! Car! Lucario!" He yelled at her to get a grip of herself, emoting through his arms as his own eyes were closed, trying to not reveal his own dismay. She was in too deep now, he wouldn't let her deceive Candy... but he also didn't want her to let himself down either, too...

He refused to open his eyes, keeping them squinted shut... seeing her Aura cool into a color that almost made him want to cry... He didn't know the situation with Pearl... but seeing the fake Nurse's aura devastated him.

"Heal Pulse-ah… is something wrong? Do we need more people?" Candy walked outside to peek out of the room, but Joy looked away from her, her eyes once again covered in shadows as Lucario turned his head away, rubbing his eyes with his arm as he didn't want Candy to see any loose tears...

He had let this chaos run amok too long... he should have stopped it when he had the chance. He shouldn't have let Candy get her hopes up... this was partly his fault as well.

"C-Candy... I can't-" her voice was shaky, but she wasn't able to get the truth out, her fists shook as she pulled them down to her sides, "The truth is..." But before she could confess her trickery...

"Come on, everyone! I have an amazing healer here who needs you to cheer for her to have her magic healing abilities work! Everyone, together! Heal Pulse, Heal Pulse!" She clapped and called down the hallways, crying out to the other patients.

"C-Candy-!" Joy reached out, when suddenly...

A little boy heard the sound, "Heal Pulse?" He looked to another child in the bed next to him. The two smiled, "Heal Pulse! Heal Pulse!" they giggled as they sang it out, chanting to the energy as an older woman and her husband, sitting in another room, looked out the door. She smiled at her husband, tapping something on her bed that helped her sit up a little more, and he got up to help her clap her hands together.

The two happily chanted, "Heal... Pulse... Heal... Pulse..." At the slow, rhythmic clapping they could do for her weakness.

A teenage girl with a bald head suddenly started clapping, a baby with some air up their nose in a tube laughed the child's two parents clapped and chanted with the rest of the hallway, seeing as it made the little baby mimic them and smile.

All the while, Blissey's fur began to elevate, rippling the small, wing-like structure by her arms as they vibrated with the lifted spirits.

The whole hospital was chanting, even the other patients in the room with them started to chant, happily.

Little kids cheered, as nurses wondered what was going on.

They soon joined in, not sure what was going on, but walking towards Candy and Joy, as Lucario looked around...

feeling everyone's Aura begin to spike in a unified pattern, liking up what was once a low-lit place...

"Come on, Joy! I know you and your Blissey can do it! Just like the Sandshrew-!" Candy turned back to look at her but Joy had reached forward and grabbed her shoulders.

"STOP IT!"

All went quiet for a second, and Joy breathed heavily down, sweat trickling down her face in large portions. "Stop saying I can... I can't… I'm just a good-for-nothing dropout! I'm not even a real nurse! I don't have healing abilities, it's just Blissey! She can only heal halfway, not fully, I lied!" She cried out, as the hospital heard her confession travel down through the narrow hallway.

The two boys stopped clapping, looking at each other in their beds.

The elderly couple drooped their shoulders down, but the elderly wife lifted up a hand to cup her troubled husband's cheek, attempting to soothe him. He still smiled over to her, unconditionally in love with her even still, towards the end.

The teenager looked furious, as though she had heard so many lies in her life, and kicked a medical rolling poll away from her, getting back under the sheets of her bed.

The parents still held a hand to the baby inside the infant care center, as the father wrapped a comforting arm around his wife, holding her close and stroking her arm as she placed her head under his neck... the two just watching the baby continue to clap and smile, it's eyes slowly closing and blinking awake again.

"I'm no wonder healer… I'm just a kid who wanted to make an easy buck. I've never healed a human before… and… and wishcraft is just a show I put on to make myself feel better!" she admitted...

Blissey's fur... she looked around at it and started shedding tears. No... this was all she had ever wanted. To bring inspiring joy to those crippled with hopelessness. She couldn't look at her trainer, crushing her heart at her lack of faith in her and herself...

She turned away from the door, forlorn at such an outburst of heartbreaking disbelief.

People just needed something to believe in... to get better, sometimes... it only takes a spark of hope.

Candy stopped a moment, hearing her, and tightened her mouth together. She seemed unable to look at Joy... her eyes now covered in darkness as well before Joy slowly... let her arms drape and slide off the young girl.

"...Now you know," Joy cried, her arms shaking. "How much of a failure of a human being I am..."

Lucario looked away, knowing it would come to this but slightly allowed himself to hope for the better.

"…Heal... Pulse…" Candy held up her hands, "Heal..." she lightly put them together, and though a silent clapped, it echoed down the hallway. "Pulse..." Joy looked up at her, seeing the tears streaking down her face. What was... she doing? "Heal…P-pulse…" A few ghost pokemon, like a Lampent, peered over into the window of Pearl's room, wanting to see what all the commotion was about.

Some healing pokemon also looked around the corners, wondering what was occurring to cause such disarray.

The two boys looked to each other, one laying in his bed and the other with his legs crossed on his own. He jumped down, moving his chords attached to his veins and what have you to roll with him to his friend's bed, getting excited again as they clapped together, repeating their earlier chanting in comradery.

The elderly couple heard the two boys, and glad to hear the festivities had continued once more, the husband helped the shaking wife's hands to clap together again. "Heal... Pulse..." they were a little behind, but that didn't trouble them.

The teenager lifted her head up, looking out her hospital bed and suddenly her spirits were renewed. She threw off the sheets and sat up again, clapping loudly, "HEAL PULSE! HEAL PULSE!" she made her voice could carry forward, as the two worried parents' fears left them, looking to each other and then out the door to smile and clap along with their sick little baby again.

They chanted as the baby cooed, missing its hands to clap, but having the same joyful desire to mimic its parents and keep them clapping too.

Joy jolted up, having been bent down in front of her with her hands rising back to her shoulders, "You... You're still not understanding?" she began, amazed at Candy's belief in her. "You… you're being a fool!" she cried out before the hospital started cheering louder than her naysaying. The nurses also seemed to be a part of the choir now, sticking up their noses to Joy and seeing the effects of the little minor chaos was having on their patients. One nurse looked to a man in a wheelchair, blissfully unaware of what was happening around him, but swaying his crooked or disfigured arms about and leaning his head back to join in on whatever fun was happening. Joy backed away, seeing another male-nurse helping attend a lady, who was holding her fist up as she needed the male nurse for support.

"Heal Pulse! H-Heal that pulse, alright!" she cheerfully joined in, feeling the spirit as well.

Soon, even more people participated, as a female doctor stepped out of her office with two other male doctors, clapping along confusingly as they searched for context clues on what the hullabaloo was all about.

"You… you all are putting too much faith in me!" she screamed out before Blissey had once again, quickly taken her hand.

"Bliissss..." She looked down to see the eyes of her sworn partner, in everything, for life. It was like Blissey was begging her to trust in herself and in her abilities, to believe that something good could come from just taking the courage to try.

"…Blissey…" Joy looked down, remembering her joy at her first acceptance letter and dorm room. The nice friends she had made, the grueling study hours that were all worth it come the first test, and how passionate she was in learning all she could in her classes.

She nodded, quietly accepting that she could at least put on... one last show for them all. "Blissey! By the power of these people's hopes and wishes! I command you…" she held her fist out in front of her, and then spun around, holding it out to Blissey as she threw off her hat. "Grant unto Miss Pearl the power to pull through her hardships,"

The kids both looked up, bravely as they heard her words.

"To have love be her guide to life!"

The elderly couple held one another, surrendering to the joy of that sentence with ease and gladness, as though they knew it was true.

"To bear the burdens to heal from her scars and wounds!"

The teenager wept bitterly, her hands pushing together so much it made her wrist hurt.

"With faith, that good can come to those who believe in it, with all their hearts!"

The two parents embraced each other and held their hands to the incubator...

"Blissey! Hear the cries of all those that believe in you! And now, HEAL PULLLLSEEEE!"

Everyone cried out in unison with her,

"Heaaaalll Pulllsseee!"

Sometimes... it takes a pokemon to raise a human, and a human to train a pokemon.

And sometimes... it takes all of us to heal each other.

"BLIISSSS!" Blissey charged up the feelings and connections everyone was making through this affair, summoning power as it flew out all around her. Lucario was amazed, and for the first time, started pounding his hands together in rushed claps, trying to add to whatever strength she had just manifested.

"LUCCARRIOOO!" he clapped as hard as he could.

A powerful, sensational display of colors rose up from Blissey as she threw out the true and faithful move, hitting Pearl with all its strength as she let out a Heal Pulse, pink and dazzling.

Candy, Lucario, and Joy all held their breath with intense stares on the sleeping Pearl… who coughed a minute...

"N-noo.." Candy froze before her legs shook under her and she fell to her knees by the doorway. Lucario's eyes still remained hopeful... before dropping his hands down. She had tried her best...

Blissey squinted her eyes open, feeling the anticipation of the other Hospital participants, who were all listening carefully to hear the result of their efforts. She weakly turned to see the disappointment on all their face, as she looked to her trainer, who cried saintly tears as she muttered, "Just this once… I wanted… I wanted to pass..." She muttered, then looked over to Blissey, "It's okay, ol'girl... I let you down again." Before shutting her eyes quickly, "I just didn't want to let you all down!"

The patient next to them seemed to sigh sadly at hearing that it didn't work, as though used to bad results, leaning somewhat forward forlornly. She let her hands touch together again... as though she had hoped that if it worked, it might work for her as well.

Blissey looked to her trainer and Candy, back and forth, before puffing herself up, especially at the cheeks in defiance. She couldn't let this stand as is! Looking back at Pearl, she took a strong step forward.

"What on earth is going on in-" A nurse came in as Blissey spread her arms out wide, and performed a new move... Healing Wish. The lights from the window increased in a green glow, scaring off the startled Ghost Pokemon as the warm light created an expanding circle around Miss Pearl. The pillars of lights seeped into the atmosphere around them, and even the accompanying patient in the room, on the other side, aww'd at the spectacular display. It burst with the green ray of encircling light around Miss Pearl and the colors ceased... and Blissey... her eyes dulling... fainted back on the spot as Lucario rushed in and grabbed her... seeing... if she was still alive.

"Lucar? Lucario!" he cried out, jerking his head back in fright before he heard her slightly breathing... She was alive! Just fainted..! "Lucar..." He sighed in relief, then looked to Miss Pearl's bed in haste, his head shooting up to it. "Lu-car!?" he called to Miss Pearl, mimicking the tone of someone saying her name. He carefully laid Blissey down on the floor as a few other Nurses' pokemon rushed into the room to see the fainted pokemon, and an Audino gave orders quickly and administered some revives to help Blissey wake up.

Blissey had fainted,... but Pearl began to stir, blinking her eyes open, and sitting up as if nothing had happened. She stretched out her back there was a light 'pop' sound. "Oh my, that's much better... hmm? What on earth..?" she turned to look at Candy, and the large audience in the room now. Still very confused, she blinked her eyes a moment. "Now, what was I just doing this-... Oh! My pain is gone, I'm wide awake, and I heard some awful shouting..." she recalled, rubbing her head, "Hmm? Octavius? Are you not there upon my head today? Where are my Pokemon? Ah, the Daycare! Candy, what are you doing here?"

"P-P…" Candy's lips puckered in her joyous tears, "PEARRRRLL!" Candy jumped on the bed and hugged her, crying like a little baby as Joy's eyes shook in amazement, and walked over to kneel beside her fainted Blissey as the other pokemon tried to get to work on her, while the Nurses all attended Miss Pearl, amazed by the results.

"Her bones are healing so smoothly!" One exclaimed, and another nurse of darker complexion got so excited she raced out and called down the hallway in crazy excitement.

"It worked! The little old lady is up and talkin', everybody!"

Everyone cheered in excitement and glee, the whole of the hospital was abuzz by the result.

Was it real? Was it true?

Lucario's eyes looked around at the expanding pillars of flaming light, brightened in love and happiness at the great outcome. They really were... as one people.

"You… you gave up your own health… to save her. Blissey…" Joy placed a loving hand on Blissey's forehead, the Pokemon struggling to hurry and heal her.

"Wow! I've never seen a Pokemon heal a human before! You should really come by more often!" The Nurses began to state, "And the way you invigorated the whole of the hospital including us staff, not just that, but you also had such encouragement towards your Pokemon as well! We'd love to see you come back if that's alright! The children would love to have you, I'm sure!" Joy just looked up at her in shock.

They wanted... h-her, too?

"B-but I-" before she could respond, the Nurse had grabbed her hands, "Please! Could your Blissey maybe teach that move to our own pokemon? It would really help!"

"O..O-Of course…I mean…um…" She hesitated, but then Candy dangled some cash over Joy's head.

"For you! Thank you so much, magical healer lady! Haha!" She cried out, happily as Joy was overcome with emotions. "I guess you were just playing the drama, a little cruel at times, but I'm sure you didn't mean any harm in it! The heroine needs her great fall before the triumphant! So everyone can cheer her on that much stronger, right? Hehe, thank you again!" she hugged her and raced back to Lucario and Miss Pearl, taking his arm with her, "Come on, Lucario! Say hello to Miss Pearl!" she got him to nod and smile to Miss Pearl before Miss Pearl spread out her arms and he walked into her arms, finally allowing himself to cry openly.

"N-no, you keep it." Joy smiled, "I'm going to go back to school!" but Candy shook her head.

"For your schooling, then. I bet you'll make a fine healer!" she laughed, "Take that as my bet already won!" she... her naiveness was really a powerful positivity to make the impossible, possible... wasn't it?

Lucario grinned to Candy as Miss Pearl petted his head, "Good boy, Lucario. You really showed that mean Ursaring what ho! I'm very proud of you."

That... was all he wanted to hear. Glad to hear that his efforts in saving his friends paid up in the end, his guilt at her getting hurt faded away, and seeing Miss Pearl being alright meant he didn't fail in his mission to protect them all, after all.

-Later that day-

"I'll miss you, Nurse Joy!" Candy waved from the Daycare's front fenceline, Miss Pearl back with her cane, and Octavius safely on the side top of her head again, Nevermore flying beside her.

"Ah! Not a nurse yet! Haha!" Joy had her hair done up, restraining it back to show she was buckling down this time, and Blissey was limping, but recovering quickly.

"Take care now, child. Thanks for helping me out, oh! And the other patients, of course!"

Pearl waved with Candy to say goodbye to the future Nurse Joy and her wonderfully powerful and loving Blissey. Joy wiped a tear from her eye, "Geez, I know I gotta be stone cold as a Nurse, but these things always get me... don't they?"

Blissey just shook her head, patting her side, "Bliss, Blissey..!" As though encouraging her to never dismiss her feelings like that. It was feelings... after all... that saved Miss Pearl's well-being, in the end.

"Yeah... okay." She took a deep breath, "Stiff upper lip doesn't mean tight heart vessels! Otherwise, blood can't flow well and... well... love's gotta flow, right?" She dropped the metaphor and just put her hand to Blissey's back, getting up and down the hill... out of sight.

As Candy and Miss Pearl headed back in, Candy was sure to give Miss Pearl any needed support she might need up the stairs, but Miss Pearl kept telling her she was fine and not to fiddle, grateful for her concern, though.

"Did my sons call?" She asked, but Candy didn't have the heart to answer... "Ah, I see. They didn't know. Well, probably better that way." she concluded, "After all, my children are living their best lives. Best to not worry them."

Candy remained silent but hugged Miss Pearl. "I was worried," she admitted, as Miss Pearl patted her head.

"Yes, dear... I know." She leaned into Candy's bent embrace of her head, as Octavius and Nevermore looked relieved as well, Octavius dancing with his tentacles and Nevermore smiling from above. Lucario felt a disturbance, then...

He was worried about what Aura this was, and sweating a moment, turned to look around.

"Hmm…? What's wrong, Lucario?" Candy asked as they both turned to see the Daycare in a mess. "Oh… oh no… Will!" Candy rushed in, as Lucario bolted after her, and Pearl just sighed.

"Oh dear…"

(Woo! That was a blast! :D What became of Pearl? A true Miracle. Lucario joins the team and is a powerful but still young pokemon at heart, but... will that mean he's maybe too powerful for the Daycare now? Speaking of the daycare… without Pearl… would it have all been over!? No need to fret on that now ;) What is to fret about, is what in blue-blazes has Will gotten himself into now with a bunch of unruly kids?! And who is bound to show up next? Find out, in the next chapter of Pokemon Daycare! :D)