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!

11. Playdate! (UNEDITED)

Pokemon Daycare!

Ch. 15

Playdate!

By: Cutegirlmayra (Hey guys! I'm still looking forward to hearing any suggestions for pokemon you'd like to see in this story! Although I'll be writing the story regardless, you can PM me for pokemon you'd like to see appear! For the next chapter, I'd like to use a pokemon that could be found in a Circus! Also, also, please join me for a discord event and Instagram livestream after I've completed more updates on my fanfiction stories! For more details, please PM me or message me on Tumblr. And now-

On with the show!)

"It's too hoooottt…." Candy lays halfway down the Daycare's rocking chair placed outside the facility. She fans herself with each rock of the chair, swaying slightly more down till her back is almost touching the seat cushion.

In the yard, the children are awaiting the mail. Cleo is holding Totodile, who has become accustomed to being held like a child by now. But he starts spraying a light drizzle of a Water Gun attack, leading to Minccino rushing up and playing in it, wanting to get cool. However, water seemed to slightly irritate the pokemon, so it shook itself under the water a few times every now and then.

Yamask was floating around in the air, seeming a little more confident about not hiding when he was at the daycare. However, underneath him was the gym's tunnel. There, little Brandon flipped through a children's story book, having scary depictions of the Big Bad Lycanroc-Midnight Form chasing down Little Red Riding Hood.

He seemed fixated on the scary images and freaky look of the illustration, fascinated as he flipped the page and jolted slightly at another scary image of the Pokemon going to eat Little Red in her Grandmother's clothes, "Ohhh…" he chuckled and continued flipping through the book.

Cleo laughed at the two pokemon at play, seeing Totodile squirm a little as he kept the Water Gun going and wanted to chase Minccino around. But Cleo held him closer and continued to giggle, forcing him to lean his head up and spray some water upward, also giving her a light bath of water as well.

"That looks kinda fun…" Candy lazily tilted her head down to look at the child before seeing the new Mudkip walk absentmindedly towards the stairs.

"Hmm?" She blinked her eyes, looking up more and getting up slightly when she noticed his eyes weren't even looking down to see the steps. "Hey, Kip. Look out for the-"

He never broke this stride, falling down the steps, he simply gave off a monotone "Kip!... Kip!... Kip!..." all the way down the three steps. Once his face was covered with dirt, he kept his feet moving and flopped on his back.

After still walking in the air for a moment, he turned to the side of him and finally realized he wasn't walking on the ground any more. "….Kip?" he tilted his head.

"….Gosh, I hope I didn't drop your egg." Candy got up, at last, walking over to the poor pokemon and flipping him right-side up. "Go on, don't get lost." She patted his head and he blinked a moment, before bouncing his legs up and down, checking to make sure the ground was there.

Once he knew he was back on the ground, he happily continued to walk.

"…That'd a boy." Candy made a worried face, not wanting to address the issue, but sure as anything that this Mudkip had an IQ problem.

"Maybe he just has a slow nature, but a big heart?" she laughed to herself, and then sighed, "Maybe he's the egg the Rocket Gang got..? All that light air from the balloons could of… nah, I won't think of about it." She scratched her head and looked to see Pearl walking with a man. He had dreadlocks, African American descent, and seeming to wear baggy orange, black, and green army trousers with a hip-hop or rap logo on his orange shirt.

"Imma sayin' is all. My baby could use some Poke'n interaction." He explained, a charming smile on his face, though he was much taller than Miss Pearl.

"We would be delighted to hoist such a energetic girl! You'd have to fill out the paperwork, of course."

"That's the thing, miss. I ain't got a lot of money to my name."

"Oh, you're a good father. I can tell." She opened one of her eyes and winked to him, stopping her approach towards the daycare and turning herself towards him. "Now then, what did you say her name was?"

"Why, she's my smooth Jasmine, Miss. I call her Jazzy, but she often goes by Jaz." He made some odd poses, then did a small dance before spinning on the ground and then jumping back up to her, offering her his hand. "I promise, Miss. She a fine child. Won't do you or your chi'ren no harm. She's just playful, is all. Real playful."

"Sounds like a treat! Hoho!" Pearl shook his hand. "We'll discuss payment and contracts when you bring her up here. I hope we're not too far a walk from the square…" she seemed a little worried, but not by much.

"Oh no, ma'am! She a ball of energy! I'll personally walk her here or have my Hitmontop bring her on up. He a good poke'n, Ma'am. He was there when she was born, when she was walkin'—Ma'am, I tell you. He was there on her first word!"

"Oh, that's delightful! I love hearing about pokemon and children growing up together! That's part of our daycare, you see. To bring up young pokemon and children alike. To experience the world together and to learn to understand one another."

"Makin' friendships. Uh-huh. I like that. I like that very much, Miss." He nodded and kept that large, spreading like butter smile upon his face. His eyes seemed to sparkle at the permission to have his daughter attend the daycare, and immediately seemed ready to go off and get her.

"I'll come back for the paperwork. I gotta tell ya. It's real sweet what you just done for my baby there…" he seemed really touched she was going to work something out with him. Pearl smiled sweetly and gestured for him to come down to her level.

He was startled at first but did so, hunching down and squatting as pearl took her finger and wiped a tear from his eye.

"You're a good man. And a fabulous dancer at that! I hope you run into some better times…"

"Thank you, Ma'am." He beamed a radiant glow. "I honestly try, Ma'am. My baby got a good life. Honest. She never want nothin'. But I want to give 'er this here daycare experience, ma'am. She'll be a good child. Not a peep of backtalk, I swear!"

"I know she'll be an angel. I can't wait to meet her."

The two parted on a sweet note, and the man took off on a powerful sprint back to the city.

Pearl took her walking cane and started up the path closer to the daycare's front entrance while Will's Mailvan came around the corner and over the hill from the forest.

"Pearl!" Candy waved to her, coming up to the fence and leaning over it. "Hey!" she cried out, curious of the man and the prospects of a new little girl joining the daycare. "Who was that?"

"That was a street dancer from the City's square." She moved over to the side and placed her cane at the crook of her elbow, looking up to see Will come out and get dog-piled by the baby pokemon.

Cleo laughed as Yamask floated around Will, then looked around and flew to Cleo.

"Where's Brandon?" she put a finger to her mouth, as Yamask worriedly looked around, little sweat spraying off the sides of his head as he quickly flew back to the gym set, trying to get him to come out and be apart of the new excitement.

"Okay, okay! I get it! I've been gone too long!" Will laughed, having Minccino and Totodile loving on him with playful tackles and love-bites on his light blue mailman jumper.

"Totodile! No biting!" he laughed, lightly nudging him away while he chewed on his on the side of his hands, lightly enough that it wasn't bothering Will too much.

Mudkip still walked towards the side of the van, before his mouth opened wide in surprised. He appeared to have just noticed it. He turned to see Will on the ground and looked excited again, his tail wagging twice before beginning another slow and casual walk over to him.

By the time he made it, Will was already getting up, petting Minccino. He bounced and then jumped up and down to be noticed. "Kip!... Kip! Kip! Kip!"

"Oh! Hello?" He turned to see the little pokemon and bent down again to pet him. "A new hatch?" he looked happily over to Pearl and Candy.

When his eyes rested on Candy though, he took on a serious expression, and looked away.

Candy didn't notice it though.

"Oh yeah! This is Mudkip! He's a bit…" she was cheery at first, coming around the fence and gesturing to Mudkip, before…

Her hands curled back into each other…

"Spacey." She sucked in her lower lip and put her hands behind herself. "How are you?" she shifted her eyes from the pokemon, not wanting to discuss it further.

"You shouldn't feel guilty about it." Pearl mentioned, walking over and patting her back. "Hoho, it's probably just his nature to be a bit oblivious."

"And to roam around…" Will lifted a foot up, seeing Mudkip continue his afternoon walk without fail, even not bothering to round Will's foot but keep marching on as Will lifted it.

Will looked under his legs, a goofy smile reflected his feelings for the little guy. He lifted himself back up and stretched. "Whelp! What's the plan for today?"

"What's the mail, first." Candy teased, folding her arms with a playful smile.

"Oh!" he quickly jumbled himself back together and raced to the back of the mail truck. "Give me just a second-!"

Candy looked around with her head bobbing around towards the window, trying to squint and see in the darkness of the back.

But once the large, back doors of the van opened, she noticed it was empty of pokemon… just boxes and letters piled everywhere…

"…Where's Gail? And Seamour?" she seemed sad to not see them, "They're always with you, aren't they?"

She leaned herself back, arching her back to try and see Will's expression. He was so silent… that wasn't like him…

Her eyes widened slightly at his melancholy eyes… his mouth in a sharp line that bent slightly into a forlorn frown as he dug through the boxes and placed loose letters inside of them.

"They're at the daycare." He explained without a hint of joy in his voice. "The other daycare." He placed the boxes down, shuffling through a bit before taking out a few letters and walking over to Pearl. "Not much today, just looks like bills and some junk mail." He then turned to place the box back in and lock the doors up.

Candy moved around to the side of the van, watching him still. "Why… did you leave them at the daycare?"

She tried to lighten the mood after the heavy creaking of the doors finally slamming and him taking out the key.

"Did someone want a Ralts or Pelipper egg?" she joked, smiling… hoping it was contagious.

A small smile streaked his face, only for a moment. His eyes never met hers… didn't even look her way, before he rounded the other side of the van. "Nope. They just…"

He jumped through the window and doorless front of his van, stepping into the driver's seat.

Now she was sure he was avoiding her.

"Wouldn't have grown stronger with me…"

"Will!"

She jumped up to balance herself on the driver's side, gripping the blue metal that held the front and the van together.

He looked shocked to see her standing up so close to him and looked up with wide eyes.

"…You look sad. You should pick them up soon." She stated. "…I hate to see you acting so… alone."

He looked as though he was seconds from crying,… but held his emotions back and moved the long black stick-shift into drive.

"I have to get back to work… But…" he tipped his hat down, his eyes hidden from her now. "Thanks." He began to drive as the van tumbled and vibrated a little from the engine, and so Candy hopped off and watched it drive away…

"Will…" she seemed worried, wondering if she had accidentally hurt his feelings before…

"Hmm, something troubling that young man." Pearl concluded, opening her eyes to small slits that blinked her small eyes out to get a better look through the sunny day of the afternoon sky.

"He's too far gone now…"

"I can't help him?" Candy felt her whole body tense up.

"No, child. The van is too far to stop him and ask any further into it." Pearl waved her cane around, as if thinking about striking Candy for the silly remark, but changing her mind after discovering that Candy had honestly mistaken her.

"Ahh… to be young and heartbroken again… now those were the days." She walked on, back into the daycare while the little pokemon followed after her with Cleo.

"Miss Pearl? Oh, Miss Pearl!" Cleo, after seeing the adults were done talking, finally spoke up about her concern.

"Hmm? What is it, little one?" Pearl stopped to look back down at her.

"Where's Octavius?" She pointed to her head.

"Why, he's probably fallen asleep on my… uh… oh!" she felt up on her head and hat, her bun in the back and just above her large head. "Oh!" her eyes went wide. "Where's my Octi!? My precious, precious boy!" she started to touch her pockets, feeling her pokeballs and taking one out. "Did I put him away..?" she clicked the pokeball, having it grow big and opening up to reveal nothing inside it.

"OHHHH!" Her face looked horrified. "My precious pokemon! My dearest friend! Octavius? Octavius where are you!?" she started to call in a frenzy before Candy rushed over and held her a moment.

"Calm down, Miss Pearl, try and remember your day!"

"Oh dear… oh dear, I left you and the children to get some groceries for the daycare… I … oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…"

"Do you suppose I left him at the fish market!?"

-In the City's open Marketplace-

Since there weren't any docks or ports near the mainland where the City was, closer to the dropped valley of the mountain's forests than it was to anything else, the city was mostly covered in snow or leaves by the time anything got shipped in.

While driving around, Will looked saddened and sighed, waiting a moment in traffic as he leaned his head against his steering wheel.

"She showed some care for me and what do I do?" he sunk more despairingly into his seat. "I blow her off like a whiny wimp…" he hit the horn on accident and impulsively leaned up and off of it, looking immediately apologetic as he bowed his head to the other drivers. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

'How could this day get any worse?" he thought himself, closing his eyes and seeming close to tears before hearing a familiar sound.

"Octi?"

"Huh?" he blinked his eyes opened and looked over to the side of the street, seeing a pile of fresh fish produce and then an Octillery sitting on the stand.

He waved his tentacles out as if wanting to go to Will.

"EHHH?" Surprised, Will stuck his head out of the van. "Octavius!? Is that you!?"

"Octil-til-til-til!" he shot forth a signal beam and Will looked up into the sky to see it travel all the way up to the clouds.

"Oh no… Miss Pearl must have her memory going some, huh?" he sweatdropped, feeling bad for the little guy. "Well, if that's the case. I'm sure she didn't mean any harm. Come on." He opened out his hand. "Can you move any?"

Octillery quickly jumped, having a determined look in his eyes… but fell flatly to the ground and tried to lift his suction cups off the ground with great effort. Moving was difficult, and tears filled his eyes every time he got one tentacle up, the others became stuck again.

"Octi… Octi-Octi!"

Will sighed, "You mean you only get stuck on the pavement when you try to walk?" he looked both ways, carefully balancing his foot up as he looked once again, both ways, then dashed out into the street.

"Hang on, Octavius! I'm coming-in-in-ing-EEEE!" Horns were honking at him as other cars screeched to a halt. Incoherent voices shouted out to him and many shaking fists were seen protruding through rolled down windows.

"I'm sorry!" Will cried back, scooping up Octillery in his arms and running in place a moment as he turned and looked both ways again.

He was now holding up more traffic than had already been present. He dived into his van and had swirls in his eyes, "That… was probably the most craziest thing I've ever done…" he admitted to himself as Octillery was being squished under his weight.

"Octil-til-til…" his tears revealed his agony.

-Just another Hour Later-

"I mustn't dawdle. I shall return before the day is done." Pearl threw on a shawl and began to tie it in the front, seeing that it adjusted nicely upon her shoulders.

"Miss Pearl… I'm sure the authorities could find Octavius faster than just-"

"No, no. This is my own fault." She looked up to Candy. "One must face their own follies head on. As a Pokemon Trainer, I have every bit of responsibility to care for my pokemon as I do myself. To leave Octavius on his own is like to forget your own friends…" she placed a hand up to her chest, closing her eyes as she seemed to suffer in her empathy towards her darling pokemon. "I may be growing old, Candy… but my heart is as spirited as the day I left on my own adventure." She looked back to her and placed a hand on her cheek. "There, there. I know I'm old, but it's no excuse. I must find my dear Octavius."

As she was about to depart, she opened the door to be knocked down out of surprise when a loud voice pierced through her once powerful teaching moment.

"What's up!?" The street dancer placed his fingers in odd shapes and shook them around.

"What'z up!?" A little girl with a pony tail also mimicked the gesture, winking an eye and sticking her tongue out cutely the side.

"This be my little girl! Introduce yourself! Ah-uh… Miss?" he looked down as Candy helped Pearl up.

"T-that's quite alright. No need to be alarmed." Pearl sweatdropped, "We weren't expecting you so soon. Forgive me, I seem to be forgetting a lot of important things lately… oh…" once up, she placed a hand on her back and groaned a bit in pain, but then smiled nervously up to the man. "My, my. What a beautiful daughter!"

"Thanks, miss!" he let his worry subside once he saw Pearl upright again, and patted his little girl's back. "This be my own Jaz! She's the melody of my heart and soul, man! Tell'em baby."

"I'm Jaz!" she struck another cute pose. "And I'm gonna be a pokemon superhero!"

"That's right, baby." He nodded, hoisting her up on his shoulders and then placing his hands up like a warrior stance to the left, one arm hooked back and over his face while he looked up to the side with his other arm extended in that direction. "My baby gonna take down the bad guys!" he struck a new pose. "Take names!" and ended on a sillier position, more like a dancer's finishing style-move with his hand down and supporting him on the ground, his legs out and holding him upright. His other hand held her in place as she also balanced on his shoulders. "And bring home the money!"

"No, daddy. The fame!" she struck a confident smirk and pointed to Candy. "Just like you did!"

Candy looked a bit confused, "I did what now?" she tilted her head as the loud voices caught Brandon's attention, and he stuck his face out of the tunnel.

"You saved that egg from Team Rocket. I heard it on the news." She leaned over her father's head while he leaned back up and stood above the two ladies. "Daddy said only tough heroes take on the Rockets."

"Haha, you'll have to excuse me. I like to praise her moral compass with good role models like yourself to get inspired from." He winked to Candy. "I hope you don't mind representin' the good of the world."

Candy blushed, not sure how to take that. "O-oh, you know—I-I-I dig it!" she struck a pose, trying to fit in…

The whole of the daycare grew silent…

Jaz and her father laughed and laughed, her hitting the top of his head and him stomping his foot down. "Bahahahaha! This place is amazin', yo! Good vibes all around!" He nodded and smiled, placing his daughter down and squatting again to be more leveled with her and Cleo. "Now, Jazzy. You make friends with both the pokemon and this little girl here… 'ight? I don't wanna hear that any trouble came from you. No cuttin' up or nothin'. You be that beautiful girl I know you is."

"Yes, Pop-a." She popped-and-locked it, like dancers do.

"Yeeeeeahhh, you know how it is, girl!" he mimicked her, the two dancing together while Pearl looked down, clearly still distraught.

"…Pearl,…" Candy felt bad and dropped her previous pose, feeling self-conscious about it anyway and placed a hand on her shoulder. "How about you help this man with the paperwork and I'll look around for Octavius? It's a long walk and I'm sure you're tried-"

"Candy! Miss Pearl!" Will looked exhausted, having parked his mailvan and dashed wearily towards the daycare. The street dancer and his daughter moved to the side, not sure what was going on as he held the Octillery over his head, toppling left and right as he tried to make it to the daycare's door.

"Ah…haaaa…" Pearl's eyes opened and sparkled as she saw her pokemon. Her hands instinctively came up to her face, "Octavius… is that you?" her heart leaped and she immediately ran to meet him, leaving her walking cane and rushing to him.

"Octavius, forgive me!" she cried out, smiling in everlasting joy as Octavius crying face jumped from Will's grip, causing Will to fall down and scrape his face against the dirt.

Pearl embraced him and spun around, "Ohhh! You're alright! I was so worried…" her eyes still shone of a thousand 'thank you's, but she was too absorbed in having received her pokemon and friend back that she didn't bother helping Will up.

Instead, Candy rushed to him and bent down, helping him as he his face finally lifted off the ground.

"Will! Are you alright..?"

When he came too, spitting out dirt, he looked up and blushed at her face…

'She's… caring about me again…' he quickly shook his head and moved up to scratch his head, still embarrassed. "I-I-I found him at the fish market… I'm glad no one thought twice about him, since he just blended in so well."

"Oh, noooo!" Pearl's face turned to horror. "I remember now!" she looked back to her Octillery. "I was placing my bags down, feeling my head was a little heavy today so I placed him down to watch the bags as I went to buy some more things. When I came back to the bags, he must have wandered off a little bit and I totally forgot I had set him down!"

Octavius nodded, showing how sorry he was. He had been secretly poking his long nose to the bottom of the fish stand, nibbling on yummy guppies he felt no one would care about missing since the bigger fish were placed on top the pile anyway. While he placed the bigger fish back and jumped out of the way of the fishermen selling the produce, he wandered back to the stand where the grocery bags once were to notice they were gone.

Panicked, he had waved his tentacles around and cried out, shooting out Signal Beams to try and get Pearl's attention, but he couldn't find her no matter how much he looked or shot signal beams into the air.

"Octi, Octi…" He was trying to plea that it was his fault, and not her own. But she still looked to him with such kind eyes that he wanted to take all her guilt away.

His tentacles danced on the sides of her cheeks, trying to cheer her up as she shook her nose to his nozzle and then placed him back on her head.

He situated himself and sat back down on the side of her head. "Octi!" he looked thrilled to be back in his proper place.

"Well, Nevermore's asleep in the berry vineyard so that takes care of you two. Phew… How can I ever repay you, Dear boy?" she finally turned to acknowledge Will, but he already felt fulfilled when Candy had offered to help him up.

"T-that's okay, I'm just glad he's back where he belongs." He nodded to Octillery and then Pearl.

"I really do have to get back to work though." He scrambled up, but his face flushed red when Candy held her own hands to the side of his face.

"Now hold on, career boy!" she puffed up the side of her cheek.

He was rushed in and Pearl gave him some money, "You're an excellent delivery boy. I can't thank you enough!"

"See?" Candy released him and let him take the money, though he really kept insisting he couldn't take it, he was quite literally forced to leave with it in his deep pockets…

"Good deeds are always rewarded!"

"Em-hmm." He was still shaking form nerves at her touching his face…

He wobbled back to his car and tripped trying to get in but chuckled and drove off.

His head spun a little as he drove to get his pokemon back from the daycare. "Wait till Gail hears about this..!" he excitedly stated, "And Seamour's gonna shout- PELIPPER!- in surprise, I just know it!" he beamed, thrilled that his last interaction with Candy wasn't awkward and went smoothly this time.

He raced to pick them up, missing them more and more already.

"Candy's right! If I work hard and do what I'm supposed too, then I can raise my pokemon to be strong no matter what! Good deeds get rewarded. Hmph." He nodded, determined as he sped off faster down the dirt roads.

"You mean… that nice mailman saved that woman's pokemon?" Jaz pointed to Octillery, then looked to her father. "Does that mean… he's a…?"

"Mail-hero!" the dad cheered, winking down to her. "You should aspire to be just as great as mailmen!"

"Yeah!" she cheered back. Just then, Pearl happily explained she would help figure out a contract for the man as he nodded and followed her in. Jaz took the opportunity to obey her father's instructions and came up to Cleo, who was listening quietly to the conversation. "And what's your name, little girl?" she smiled.

"I'm Cleo." Cleo shyly ducked her head a little behind Totodile, who looked annoyed that he couldn't be put down.

"Hmm?" Jaz looked at Totodile. "This your pokemon?" she asked.

"W-well… He's the daycare's. But I like to call him my baby~" she turned him over and started rocking him as his eyelids drooped, more annoyed than sleepy…

"Aww, I think he likes it!" Jaz misinterpreted, then looked around. "Ay, this place got a T.V or somethin'?"

"Em-hmm." Cleo looked up from mothering Totodile and looked over inside the play area. "It's next to the shelves of blocks and play things."

"Awesome!" Jaz quickly raced towards it as Brandon popped out with Yamask's mask over his face, whispering 'boo'.

When he didn't hear a scream, he rose the mask over his head and ducked under it, looking to see why no one was afraid of him.

He looked disappointed when Jaz and Cleo were sitting in front of the t.v, and ran back to his tunnel in the gym, throwing the book out of it and pouting towards it.

Yamask followed him, worriedly hovering over his head and then placing his mask back over his face. It was if Yamask didn't want him to be sad, but be just as excited as he was when he tried to scare the other kids.

Brandon giggled, moving the mask and smiling to Yamask. "We'll scare them next time." He finally spoke up, and rubbed Yamask's forehead.

"Yamask… Ya…" Enjoying the praise, Yamask dipped his head down and closed his eyes, happily soaking in the loving touch.

"What are we watching?" Cleo asked, looking curiously to the caped and masked man on the television screen.

"Whaa? You don't know who the Lone Rider is?" she looked back in a dramatic, dumbfounded way to Cleo. "He's the super hero of the metropolis! Him and his trusty sidekick, Gogoat, battle badies and protect their city from crime!"

The man on the screen jumped onto Gogoat, who reared up and gave a serious expression.

"How did Gogoat get on a skyscraper?" Cleo asked as Totodile jumped out of her arms, sitting down in front of the screen and looking memorized. He wasn't used to watching t.v… so the new experience had his eyes flashing the colors of the screen and being entranced by the images upon it.

"Why..? I… I don't know, little girl." She looked just as confused, but shook her head. "You don't question the hero, Cleo! You respect his privacy!"

"Oh." Cleo felt bad and nodded, "I'll remember next time."

"See that you do." Jaz nodded, folding her arms in defense of her hero, and then excitedly looked back at the screen. "Lone Rider takes out bank robbers and jewelry thieves. But lately, he's been after a new kind of big, bad boss. We're not sure what he's after, but he's kidnapped Destiny Diva! The other girl super hero and her Meowstic. But I think she's secretly working for the bad guy, ya see?" as Jaz explained, Brandon walked back in with mud all over him. He had his blanket over his head and walked in like a zombie, trying to groan as Jaz looked over and crunched her brow in.

"Whhaaa? Why is there a little boy with a dirty blanket on his head?"

Brandon dropped his arms, flopped down, and cried.

Candy rushed over and helped get him cleaned up, but Cleo looked worriedly towards them. "I wonder if he wanted to scare us…"

"Scare us? Scare me!? Pfft. I ain't scared of nobody!" she jumped up, looking around. "I need a sidekick! You'll be the princess!" she pointed to Cleo, who looked honored by the sudden title but not sure how to accept it.

"I'm… a princess?" she pointed to herself, as Totodile broke away from the entrancement of the screen and turned back to the oddly enthusiastic human girl.

"Em-hmm. And…" she looked to see Nevermore outside, and excitedly exclaimed, "That's a evil goon here to steal our secret battle plans!" she raced to the shelves, pulling out a wooden sword and waved it towards the window. "Don't worry, princess! I'll save you! Oh no!" she pointed the sword to Totodile, who blinked in surprise. "The enemy's already infiltrated the castle! I'll save you! Ha!" she lunged at Totodile, who impressively jumped and landed in a cool manner.

"Woah, he's fast!" Jaz looked surprised, but recovered quickly. "I've got you now!"

"Minccino!"

"Huh?" Jaz turned to see Minccino jump in the air, looking upset as she thought Totodile was being attacked for real. "Where'd you come from?"

"Minnnn!" she spun herself around, revealing her tail. "Ccino!" she began to Tickle Jaz into submission.

Jaz laughed and laughed and laughed. Rolling on the ground and dropping her sword. "Okay, okay, I yield! I yield!"

Minccino jumped down on all fours, looking fierce and nodding with a smile. "Cino!" she was glad Jaz stopped her attack on her friend.

Totodile rushed over, getting into the spirit of things and lightly bit on Cleo's hand.

"Huh? What's wrong, Totodile?"

He nudged her, and she got up to only be dragged away by him.

"Oh my! Are you hungry or something?"

"Ah, princess!" Jaz reached for her wooden sword, "Grr… Took her while I was down. Those dirty, rotten dragons!" she charged after her, but Minccino looked gasped, thinking she was still going to go and hurt Totodile.

"Min, min, min!" she quickly ran on all fours after them, worried for her friends.

While the children raced around the daycare, Candy placed the dirty towel and blanket into the hamper and put Brandon down.

"Man… that's the most upset face I've ever seen you make." She wondered what was wrong, but Brandon said nothing, just sat and looked grumpy.

"Huh… well, if you wanna go play again, you can. Just stay out of the mud, okay..?"

"It was blood." Brandon countered, getting up and walking away.

Candy shook a moment in fright, "B-but… it looked like mud… Smelled like it too…" she was shaken up a bit but recovered when she raced back to check the towels, "I was sure it was mud!"

After Jaz's father exited the door, Jaz stopped her pretend to race back to him, "Papa, are you leaving?"

"Yep, little angel. I'm headin' back to the streets." He did a small dance for her, and she laughed.

"Oh papa."

"I'll come back every day at the same time though, or Hitmontop will. We gotta entertain to make it rain." He rubbed his fingers together, a universal sign for money. "But I promise to be back soon."

"Before nightfall?"

"Before nightfall, baby."

He bent down and kissed her head, as she nodded and turned back to Cleo.

"With my father's blessin', I can now slay the dragon!"

She raced off as her dad placed his hands on his sides. "You know, my baby really has a great imagination."

"If only we could put it to good use." Pearl smiled, Octavius having his eyes closed up looking content and happy on her head again.

"IT'S NOT BLOOD!" Candy held the towel up, spooking the father and Pearl as they whipped around in horror.

The two sighed out a long breath as Candy flinched at their reaction. "He… He said it was though…"

Brandon gasped, sitting on the steps and looking back at them. He turned to Yamask, "It worked!" he whispered in joy, and Yamask did a little dance in the air to celebrate.

He was happy, so long as Brandon was happy.

"Yall scared me so badly!" The man laughed, "You know, some schools put on plays. Yall should consider making one."

"A play?" Pearl thought that a strange twist in the conversation, but Candy's eyes lit up.

"Oh, oh! I'd love to be on stage again!" she remembered dancing with Combusken, and the good memories piled back to her.

She started swaying and singing, and from how happy she looked, Pearl nodded and turned back to the man. "We'll see what we can do."

At the end of the day, the children were asked what they would like to perform. Jaz wanted to be the hero and asked if Minccino could be her sidekick. "After all!" she stated proudly, sitting on the ground with the other kids while the adults bent down to speak with them, "The little guy's tough! He protected the dragon and all."

"His name is Totodile." Candy smiled kindly, just to inform the girl in case she didn't know the pokemon's name. "But yeah. Let's make him the big scary dragon!" Candy wiggled a finger at him, and Totodile eagerly went for it, snapping at it before Candy dipped it down and tickled his belly.

He rolled over and enjoyed the small pet, yawning as he was growing sleepy from running around.

Cleo immediately scooped him up in her arms, rocking him like a baby doll to sleep.

He was actually lulled pretty fast into submitting to her arms again, since he was able to get all his usual energy out from snapping at the wooden sword and pulling Cleo away from Jaz.

He liked the 'pretend' game he had learned, and wanted to play it again when he woke up from his nap.

Minccino still didn't understand what 'pretend' was. And though she tried to understand, she kept feeling like this new human girl was going to hurt her friends. She felt uneasy around her, but didn't protest to being this 'sidekick' thing. The other humans just thought she was consenting and she didn't mind doing what Candy wanted her to do.

"You'll be a cute little knight, Mini!" Candy held her up as Pearl rose an eyebrow to that name.

"Mini?"

"Oh… uh, yeah."

Candy placed her back down.

"I nicknamed everyone… even though I know I probably won't use it much, or even keep their nicknames… I just thought, Minccino—Min—Mini! See? It's not a huge change, and Totodile could be-!"

"Baby!"

Cleo embraced him and he struggled to get out of her choke-hold again, not liking to be picked up so much and wishing Cleo wouldn't smother him like this.

"…B-baby?" Candy looked to Pearl, who 'hoho'd in her old lady laughter and so Candy just shrugged. "I guess that's your nickname for him then."

Totodile looked less than overjoyed at that decision…

Yamask flew around, wanting one too.

"Ya! Yamask!"

"Ohhh, name him, masky!"

"No!" Brandon jumped up, startling Pearl and Candy who hadn't really heard him speak before.

"The boy speaks." Pearl leaned back, her heart racing from the outburst.

"He speaks kinda abruptly too." Candy gripped her chest, taking small breaths.

"…Spooks."

"Huh?"

"Spooks. His name is Spooks! Here, Spooks!" Brandon held out his hands and Yamask, not understanding the word, still dove down and embraced him.

"See?"

"Alright, alright. Looks like I was too late in naming them, then." Candy rubbed behind her head.

"Mini Hero." Jaz patted Minccino, who nervously scurried away and hid behind Candy, digging into her elbow and hiding in the crook behind it, wanting to still peek out and see what was going on.

"Huh?"

"Oh, you must have started her." Candy patted Minccino who leaned up into the soft touch, crawling onto her lap.

"…She didn't act that way when I touched her." Jaz looked disheartened, so Pearl stepped in to give a teaching moment.

"You must learn to adapt to pokemon, Jaz. There is a nature and respect you must learn to give each other." Pearl outstretched her hand to Minccino, who sniffed it, and then rubbed against it. "If either of you try to enact your will upon the other… then no bond is form, only submission. Such things lead to fear… and fear… leads to aggression." Pearl lightly scratched under her chin, and Minccino laughed and squealed out of delight.

"Understand?" Pearl smiled with reassurance to Jaz, showing her there was still much to learn about Pokemon.

"…I don't want Mini Hero to not like me." She pouted, looking down and thinking about it. "Ah! I know!" she cheered up instantly, jumping to her feet and standing tall, brimming with hope and passion. "I'll show Minccino in the play! I'll show her I'm the hero!" she struck a pose as the others nodded and chuckled at her resolve.

-The Next Day-

"You want me to WHAT!?" Candy was placed down in a chair next to a computer, looking messy and shaken up in her casual clothes. "But I thought I needed to clean and-"

"You leave your chores to me!" Pearl, wearing the garden overalls strapped on tight and had Nevermore on her shoulder. "My pokemon and I will see to it that there done! Now, you write that script, youngin'!" she seemed full of energy, shaking her hips as she left to get to work as though excited at the prospect of being able to do some hard labor again. "Ah, I missed the grind~" she reminisced about her times training her pokemon through labor and service for others. The memories flooded her mind and she happily took some of the aches and back pain to relive even a moment of that delightful feeling of accomplishment after hard work.

Candy dug her fingers into the sides of her cheeks, dragging them down in distress as she turned to the menacingly daunting computer. "…I have to write..?" she wasn't much of an 'writer' so to speak, but she sighed and opened a document. "…Emmm…" she looked up, thinking… "Emm…" she closed her eyes, twitching slightly in annoyance and overthinking… "AHHH! I can't do it!" she kicked her feet against the wall underneath the computer's table. She flopped her head down on the table, just behind the keyboard… sighing.

"I'm not the creative type… well, I guess I'm creative in battles… but not writing." She rolled on her chin and accidentally fell asleep.

While she slept, the three children peeked through the door of the office room, never having gone in there before.

"Are you sure we should be in here?" Cleo asked, looking nervous as she held Totodile like a puppy sagging in her folded arms.

"Quit actin' like we're not supposed to be in here!" Jaz turned and waved a hand behind her, not liking the 'unadventurous' type of people. "Come on, you too. In ya go." She took Brandon's wrist and lightly pulled him in as he shivered with his blanket tightly around him.

"I'm… scared." Brandon admitted, but no one seemed to hear his light plea to be released back into the play room.

Yamask, Minccino, and Mudkip peeked through the door, wondering what the children were doing as Yamask tried to cry out to Brandon.

"Shhh!" Jaz spun around and the pokemon flinched, ducking their heads in apology as Yamask cried out much more softly.

"You gonna get us caught!"

"You only get caught if you're doing something wrong." Cleo protested, turning around to Jaz with a worried fright that she might get in trouble.

Jaz smiled and shook her head, "Yall people need to chill. This is gonna help the Miss! Not hurt her or nothin'." She moved over to the computer, clicking the mouse as the screen came back on, showing the empty document.

"Let's make a story!" she whispered excitedly, nudging Candy's body away as it rolled and bent over the side of the chair, causing her to snore as Jaz moved up to her lap, sitting down and starting to type. "Okay… the cast is us… and The Miss can be the villain!"

"Candy? A villain?" Cleo's eyes bent in confusion, her brows colliding as she turned to Brandon, who clung to a piece of her frilly pink dress she was wearing that day. He pinched her dress's fluffy shoulders and wiped his eyes, having loose tears of fear begin there.

"If she wakes up… will she eat us?"

"Ohh! A witch too! A pokemon witch!" Jaz stuck her tongue up to the side of her mouth, something that seemed to be a signature about her. As she typed, she spoke aloud what she was doing, and the other children pitched in without really realizing that was what they were doing.

"I've never written a story before." Cleo stated.

"That's what a princess would say." Jaz lightly remarked from the side.

"I wanna be the Big Bad Lycanroc." Brandon spoke just slightly louder than before, leaning his head down and looking up at Jaz on the chair.

"You can be my sidekick." Her typing grew a bit loud and as Brandon pouted, being upset by her quick reply, Candy twitched and the children all held their breath.

Jaz slowly turned around, motioning with her hands for Candy to just bend back and fall asleep again.

Her eyes slightly blinked but she flopped back against the chair.

The children let out their held breath in relief, and Jaz continued, "Yamask is a ghost type pokemon, right? He looks creepy, anyway. He can move the props and then disappear, right?"

"I'm not sure if that's how Yamask works…" Cleo looked back at the pokemon.

"Totodile's the dragon, Minccino is my knight!" she turned to smile brightly to the little pokemon, who noticed her odd stare and tilted her head, blinking her eyes in innocence.

She didn't seem to understand the children or the world around her very well… so she still didn't understand what was going on.

She only knew to keep her distance from the new human girl…

Phil arrived about an hour later, hearing giggles and laughter from inside as the children raced outside and started rehearsing their parts.

He smiled, "Glad to see the daycare's doing some good." He had some wood and blueprints in his hands and over his shoulder. He looked tenderly to the building he had refurbished and nodded, "Could use a new paint though." He seemed to say that lovingly and move on.

"Alright! Let's get to work!" He threw out three pokeballs.

An Alolan Dugtrio shook themselves out from the white light of energy that formed their body, and happily swayed their blonde hair and looked up to him.

"Oh man, you mess up your hair again!" he laughed, walking over. He fashioned one of their heads into a manbun, the other into a ponytail—just like his own—and the last with a do-rag.

"Alright, where's my heavy lifters?" His charming grin turned to see Makuhita and Timburr, both doing their own enthusiastic gestures to show they were ready for the job at hand.

Makuhita pounded his big belly, jumping side to side as Timburr twirled his wood and then caught it again, tapping it to the ground to show he was pumped up and ready to go!

"That's the spirit!" Phil gripped his muscular arm. "Who needs Machokes, right?"

"You still adamant about that?"

"Oh, Will!"

Phil got up from kneeling down previously to help his Dugtrio's hair situation, and rose to proudly look upon his brother, coming over with his pokemon. "You know I get picked on for not carrying around a Machoke. But there not the only build pokemon for labor. Hmm?" he noticed Gail and Seamour, well behaved as they stayed on either side of him.

"Oh? Did you pick them up then?"

"Yeah. I decided from now on… We're training together!" Will looked down at Gail and Seamour, who nodded to him and replied with determined looks.

"That's… actually what I wanted to ask you about." Turning back to his older brother, Will scratched his head in embarrassment, looking down and seeming to cower a bit from asking this. "If it's not too much… maybe before you work on the stage for the daycare's play… you could do me the honor of battling you…" he looked away then, embarrassed as Phil's expression turned to one of surprise.

"HHAHAHAAHA-BHAHAHAHA!" he let out a hardy laugh, placing a hand to his stomach and his head, leaning back. "You know you could never beat me, Will! Haha!"

Will shook a fist, feeling awfully childish again as he muttered, "We were children… and I couldn't wrestle well with you!"

"Ha! Alright. I'm curious to see how much stronger you've gotten. But I thought you hated fighting?" he turned his head and examined Will in a comedical way.

Phil was the obvious manly man, and he gave some slight, indirect teases towards his brother's physique.

Will closed his eyes from his brother's mockful gazing up and down at him, twitching in obvious insult and keeping his body as straight as a twig. "I'm not against it… I just never had a reason to battle much before…"

"Before what? Candy?" Phil leaned closer, honestly inquiring but being a bit too forward about it.

Will's eyes shot wide open, pushing his brother's face away as Phil grinned and pushed back. "That's not-! You're being too nosy!"

"Ah, it is a girl! One of the main reasons men work out so much!" Phil laughed, "Alright, alright… I'll help you buffin' up so you can get yourself a muffin." He teased, and moved away to point to the battlefield.

"I'm supposed to be taking down the bleachers and putting the stage there. We'll fight there! The stage can be sat on too, so the children can still watch battles being taken place… speaking of which." He whistled to the kids. "Hey!" he waved, grabbing their attention. "Who wants to see some real Trainers take each other on?"

The children immediately stopped playing to turn and look over to him, Nevermore flew over to check on what was going on before seeing their was no danger and flew back behind the house towards the orchards and small vineyard to Pearl again.

"A battle?" Pearl looked up to the sky, "With whom?"

Nevermore crowed, but she politely smiled back to him with a sweatdrop.

"You still speak so wonderfully, Nevermore. But I'm afraid even after all these years, I only understand a few of your crowings…" she then started back to work as Nevermore smiled with a soft look in his eyes to her, tilting his head and then flying up to help with the berry picking and the like.

The children all rushed up to sit on the bleachers one last time before they would be taken down. Brandon struggled to climb, having one leg dangling off and looking back at it while he struggled. Yamask pushed his head up to his foot to give him some added support and Brandon finally made it up the level he wanted to get too.

He then untied his blanket from around his neck and opened it up for Yamask to come inside.

Eagerly, Yamask dived in and turned around, huddling in the warmth next to Brandon.

Minccino jumped up a few steps before Jaz patted the seat next to her, inviting her to sit by her.

"This seat's not taken." She encouraged with a pleasant smile. "You can sit here if you want."

But Minccino just stared at her, looking to see Cleo rocking a resistant Totodile… who finally looked exhausted from trying to break out of her loving grasp and just allowed himself to be rocked, looking agitated again that he couldn't fight her back without hurting her.

Minccino took one more glance at Jaz… before rushing over to be near Cleo's seat.

Jaz frowned, saddened but not letting it deter her. "You'll like me yet!" she nodded with a fierce fire within her, and then turned to watch the match.

"Go builder dude! Yeah! Mailman! Hurray!" she cheered, raising her arms up and pumping them excitedly. She then glanced down to see Mudkip crying excessively from below, clearly wanting to be up with everyone but unable to figure out how to climb up the seats.

"Kip, kip, kip, kip, kip!" it was like a constant bark, but his eyes were genuinely distressed.

"Aww… no one should be alone." Jaz lowered her arms, feeling sorry for the poor little pokemon and began to climb and jump down, scooping him up in her arms. "I got'cha little fella! I'll be your-!" she scaled the seats quickly with a mighty leap, "Herrooo!"

Once back in her spot, she set him on her lap and squished his cheeks, then stroked his back. "There we go! All happy now, little boy?"

Mudkip's head turned to gaze around him… then he happily shouted out, "Kip!"

"Good." She nodded, and went back to watching the start of the battle.

"Please don't let your pokemon get too badly hurt…" Cleo ducked her head in slightly, holding Totodile close to her as his eyes drooped in annoyance. Finally, too much energy built up inside of Totodile and he just HAD to move!

He wiggled and pulled away until finally shaking Cleo enough that her hold loosened and he jumped down to the lower seat.

"Ah! Baby, no!" she got up, reaching out for him as Totodile danced in his freedom, and then jumped around excitedly to cheer for the battle to commence.

He glared up at Cleo, seeing she wanted to grab him again…

"Just… stay still, Baby…" she tried to slowly approach him, but her foot slipped and she fell backwards, landing on her butt with her other leg drapped over the seat. "Offph!"

Totodile seemed to laugh in victory, and then rush down the seat to avoid her.

"Ah! Baby..! Ohh…" she looked disappointed, but got up and wobbled after him. "You could get hurt!"

Jaz turned to see the commotion and made a fishy-face. "She should just let him be him." She muttered quietly to herself, before looking up and closing her eyes. "But Daddy said not to judge." She turned back and waited. "We gonna have a fight or not?" she pouted.

Phil weakly smiled to the little girl before looking back to Will, "You really sure you want to do this?"

Will held himself tall and refined, "Yes." He nodded, taking on a serious tone.

"Finally!" Jaz cheered, as Mudkip finally got all his feet down and under himself, sitting like a cat for a second and lifting his mouth open to cheer in his own way too.

"Mudkip."

"The king says proceed." Jaz laughed into her hand, remembering that she made Mudkip the king and Cleo's father in the script…

"Alright, here I go! I choose you, Timburr!"

"Tim, timburr!" Smashing onto the field, Timburr threw his wooden beam down before twirling it back over his shoulder. He was ready to go, smirking as Will gulped a moment with sweat forming over his forehead.

'I can't show weakness now… I have to do this! To prove myself!' he didn't know where Candy was, but he was slightly relieved she wasn't watching. That might have been too much pressure at the moment…

He didn't want to embarrass himself if he…

'No!'

He shook his head, 'I can't let myself get distracted by thinking about negative outcomes! I'm not a mailman right now, I'm a Pokemon Trainer!' his eyes narrowed and he threw his arm out dramatically. "Let's deliver! Gail! I choose you!" finalizing his trainer catchphrase, Will did a unique motion where he swayed his pointer finger from a crooked arm towards himself, to a turn and point action.

"You're Kirlia to start, eh? Kids? Why is that a good thing for him, and a bad thing for me?"

The children looked to each other.

"Type… advantage?" Cleo tried to pronounce, worried she may get it wrong as she had given up on trying to catch Totodile, who was a few levels down now and sitting happily to watch the battle.

"That's right!" Phil gave a charming wink and point to her, something he did to make women swoon but Will just sweatdropped.

"They can learn as we go along…" he argued slightly, but Phil just laughed and ignored him.

"Alright, Timburr. Fighting moves won't do very good, although they're stab…" he rubbed under his chin.

Will looked confused at the wording. "Stab?"

"Hmm? You don't know? HA!" His eyes blinked wide and then he leaned his head back to laugh again. "Honeslty, Will. How are you supposed to impress ladies if you're stuck learning like the children? Haha!"

Will twitched in rage.

"Stab, children," he turned to address them on the stands… "Is when a pokemon's type and the move you're using are the same, then that move's hit is better." He punched a hand into his other one. "Make sense?"

The children nodded, but Will just looked ticked off.

"Right, let's continue! Timburr, use Rock Throw! Enough with the dawdling and let's get building!" his catchphrase came out as he jumped up and seemed to punch the skyline, while Timburr pounded the ground, dug up a stone underneath it, and threw it up and at Kirlia.

"Dodge it!" Will cried out.

Gail teleported with a ballerina twist, and started dancing once she reappeared away from the impact area.

"Great work!" Will praised, "My move!" he tightened his fist and let out a battle command. "Let's go for a super effective Confusion!"

Kirlia spun around before opening her arms, "Kiiirrrrllll!" she let out a melodious cry as waves of physic energy flew out towards Timburr.

He was hit back, looking startled by it and seemed confused.

"Yes!" Will fist pumped inward. "Let's go for another one!"

"Chip Away, Timburr!" Phil kept his cool, as Timburr shuffled his feet a moment, trying to snap out of confusion. He wasn't confused this round though, and immediately swung his wooden beam at Kirlia before her second Confusion attack could hit him.

"Kir!" she spun off, twirling at the damage.

"Ah! Gail!" Will leaned back.

"Again!" Phil shouted as Timburr rose up and whacked her again, catching his wooden beam as it spun back to him from the momentum, hitting the ground to propel itself to him.

"TIM-TIM-TIM-" as he dashed, he carefully held his wooden beam behind him. "BURR!" he rapidly landed another Chip Away, continuing his assault as Will was too shaken up to direct Gail.

"Ah…a…ah…" he was having a hard time thinking… his hands were growing sweaty… "That's enough! Use Teleport!" he shouted out, worried about his friend as Gail's eyes finally opened from being knocked back so many times and teleported.

She appeared behind him as Timburr was too slow to notice her speedy retreat.

"Confusion!"

"Timburr, no!" Phil cried out.

"Timmmm…" Timburr's body started glowing…

"Kir-!...Kir, kir? Kirlia?" Gail stopped her attack, startled and starting to move back away from the increasing size of the white light.

Her face turned to horror as the children all leaned forward on their seats.

Turning around, the white flashed away to reveal the hulking mass of the new pokemon before her…

"Gurdurr, Gur…" he looked over his shoulder, down to her.

"Kir… Kirlia…." She twitched and shook in fright, but politely curtsied with a sweatdrop on the side of her face, closing her eyes in terror.

"C…Confusion?" Will's teeth were clattering.

"Well, would you look at that." Phil looked just as surprised, spreading his arms out. "Dude! You're huge!"

Gurdurr turned to his trainer, smiling as he picked up his now iron red beam. "Gurdurr, Gurdurr."

"Haha! Lookin' good!" he winked, but noticed swirls in Gurdurr's eyes. "Huh?"

"Gurdurr, Gurrr…."

POOMPH.

"Gurdurr! Ahh… Shoot! I got distracted."

Phil lunged forward, but then 'tsk'ed and bit down on his teeth, looking sorry as Kirlia had heard Will's command and immediately gone for another Confusion.

"Alright… that was my bad."

"So fast!" Jaz's eyes lit up with sparkles.

"Oh… does he have potions?" Cleo worried, placing both hands up to her mouth.

"They were… terrified." Brandon's eyes were wide with fascination as well.

Jaz turned to look at Brandon with a creeped out expression, "You really like when others get spooked, huh?"

He turned to her with that same smile of delight and his big eyes gave her chills. "That's not normal!" she looked away, and he continued to gaze upon the battle.

"Well… at least he'll be able to lift the heavier woodpiles now." Phil sighed, but returned his pokemon.

"Time to finish the job, Makuhita!" Phil gestured with great passion for Makuhita to step up.

Sighing, the pokemon did so and fixed the bow on his head, tightening it with a fierce expression on his face.

He punched the air a few times and then readied himself.

"Focus Energy!" Phil cried out.

"Maaaaa-!" A spiraling of different flickering up lights spun around Makuhita.

"Kirlia, use-!" Will was confident now. 'Another Fighting type, Gail should-!"

"Fake out!"

"What?"

"Maku!" Makuhita slammed his fists together against Kirlia, having rushed up to her as she flailed back and flinched.

"Wait- no!" Will stretched out his hand, "It's my move!"

"Makuhita shifted in and is faster. I've been giving him Carbos since I first caught him. I hate slow fighting types. So that's one thing. The other is that Fake Out can be used at the beginning of a switch-in or round. It's an automatic flinch, my brother." He winked, knowing he was handsome but it only made Will more upset.

He felt the rage… felt the need to want to succeed rise up in him again. His fists rose up in front of him, and his jaw was starting to ache from his intense bite upon it.

"P…Phil…" he almost growled out.

"Don't be mad at me, brother. You should have studied…" he smirked, throwing his arm out again for another command, "Now-! Use Knock Off!"

"No!" Will's eyes shook, 'That's a dark type move! I wasn't aware he could learn that-!"

Kirlia fell from a mighty hit from Makuhita, who slammed his open hand down on her, having dark essence covered in it.

Her eyes turned to swirls… as Will hung his head down, eyes covered in shadows.

"Hahah! There goes your physic advantage!" Phil folded his arms, laughing wildly again before seeing his brother's expression.

"Aw, come on, Kid. I told ya it wouldn't be easy, right?"

Will wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "No, you did warn me. But I won't quit now…"

"Hmm?"

"I have an ace up my sleeve." He glared towards his brother, his hope still burning bright. "Let's deliver! Gyarados!"

"Gyara-what now!?" Phil winced back, seeing the massive light from the pokeball as Gyarados emerged, swinging his head around and crying out a loud roar. "Eeee…!" his smile shifted to a teeth-bearing frown, chattering slightly. "Since when!?"

"Since now." Will felt a bit more confident, but then…

"GYARA!" Gyarados had tears spraying from his eyes, turning back to Will and tackling into him.

"GAHHH!" Will was knocked down and then brought up in the air as the Gyarados cried and held him in his mouth, sucking and licking him, wrapping his lips around him.

"Ew, gross!" Jaz closed her eyes as Cleo also hid her face.

Brandon's mouth dropped, not sure what he was looking at…

"Gy-Gyarados!" Will cried out, "P-put me down!"

The Gyarados stopped crying a moment, blinking as tears stayed on the side of his eyes, but then put Will down.

"W-wha… what are you..?" Will shook himself of the spit he was soaked in, but turned around to try and understand what the pokemon wanted.

The pokemon's eyes still held tears that trembled every now and then. "Gyaaa…." His whiskers wiggled and he nudged Will, having his face very close to his body.

"Uhhh…" Will still didn't understand.

"I think you've got yourself a lover, not a fighter!" Phil laughed.

"Lonely nature…" Will remembered looking at his pokedex after catching the Gyarados, seeing it's power stats were high.

He turned back to his new pokemon, hoping to get stronger through him, and realized as he kept his arms out and away from his soaked self…

That this pokemon might just want to be loved.

He sighed, "I know you just want to hug me, but-"

Gyarados was wrapping his tail slowly around Will, but pulled back when Will pushed it away. "But-! We're in a battle right now! I was hoping to teach you Surf and ride you across the lakes I usually have to go around for my mail routes… but I can't exactly cuddle with you during matches!" he was trying to be sincere, but the Gyarados reeled its head back and started spraying out tears again.

"Is this a Rain Dance?" Jaz looked up and opened her hand to feel the water.

"N-no, I think it's just crying." Brandon finally spoke up, reaching up to feel the water as well. "It's not scared though… so I don't care."

This made Jaz flinch away from him again.

"Poor thing…" Cleo, with her big compassionate heart, stood up. "Gyarados! I'll hug you!"

Gyarados stopped crying, sniffing and shifting to the child.

"Wait! That's a rather large pokemon little lady!" Phil tried to explain but the Gyarados lowered its head gently to the little girl.

His whiskers curled around her and she giggled, hugging his head as he let out a happy, but piercing thrill of joy.

"See? He just wants someone to care about him." She petted his nose, and little tears bundled around the corners of his eyes, crying from joy now. "You should praise him while he battles. Maybe he'll feel more inclined too if you give him extra attention for it?"

She pulled away as his whiskers untangled around her and he let out another, softer cry this time.

He turned to Makuhita, who no one had noticed was turning white…

"Wait…" Will squinted, "It can't be!" he leaned back. "Two in one go..!?"

"Well, all be…" Phil turned back to the battlefield.

"Makuhita's evolving just like Gurdurr!"

"Ah, man…"

Will slouched forward.

"I'm the one supposed to be growing stronger here…"

"HARIYAMA!"

"Fake out!"

"Wait, already!?"

Gyarados's stomach was squished in by Hariyama's new large hands and fell back a ways in agony.

"Hang in there, Gyarados!" Will stepped forward, "Uhh…" he made a quick double-take to Cleo, and then looked a little nervous as he said, "You're… you're doing fantastic?"

With that little bit of encouragement, Gyarados reeled his head back into the battle, his eyes burning with determination. "GARRRAAA!" he cried out.

"Alright, it's working." Will grinned and waved to Cleo. "Thank you!" he cried out and looked back to the battle.

"Hariyama, let's use Vital Throw!"

Hariyama grabbed Gyarados's tail, swinging him around before slamming him down on the ground.

"Gyaaa…" Tears formed again upon his face.

"Try… uh…" Will had to search through his pokedex to figure out more…. "Ah-ah! Twister!"

"Gyara!" he twisted the tail that was being held by Hariyama, causing him to get smacked on the ground while a powerful wind picked up and spun as well.

Gyarados picked himself back up and threw his tail into the winds, causing Hariyama to get flung into the powerful tornado and then slam back down on the ground.

"Hari-!" he hit the dirt pretty hard.

"Hariyama, use-! … Gr… Focus Energy again!"

"No critical hits this time, Gyarados! Let's end this! You're-…uh… wonderful!" he spread his arms out, trying to be kind.

But Gyarados turned around, thrilled by the compliment and came over to get hugged, tears flooding his eyes again like sprinklers.

"N-no!" Will was once again nudged with loved, having Gyarados rub his head against his body. "O-okay, Gyarados, withdraw." He took out the pokeball and returned him. "Phew…"

'I just can't deal with Gyarados right now… I need to take this seriously.' Will strategized, then brought out Seamour.

"Pel!" Seamour flew into position.

"Hariyama, Fake Out!"

"Dang, that does quite a bit." Will muttered to himself, seeing Seamour get knocked out of the sky.

"Use Knock Off!"

Trying to get back up again, Seamour was slammed down.

"Wing Attack!" Will cried out. Pelipper got up, being able to take a hit, and flew his wing straight up like a sky uppercut at Hariyama.

Hariyama fell back a ways… then down with swirls. "Harrrri…!"

"Heh, you have gotten better." Phil returned his pokemon, then looked to his Alolan Dugtrio. "Ready?" He put his hands to his hips, confident as his pokemon dug it's way to the proper position.

"Time to try out that TM I just learned." Phil grinned, "Use Stone Edge!"

"Seamour, use Water Pulse!"

Pelipper shot out the powerful water attack, but the Alolan Dugtrio dug down into the ground, popping up with only some of the attack actually affecting them. They shook out their wet hair and looked upset, seeing how they're trainer spent time to fix their hair up.

They started to shake the ground… before throwing their heads up and leaning skyward while sharp, large rocks pillared up from the ground off of each other.

Pelipper's eyes widened, "PEL-?!" as the rocks collided and sent him flying down.

"Alright!" Phil threw a hand up, "One hit K.O!"

"You… you have to be kidding me…" Will looked to his poor friend, eyes with swirls, leg twitching.

"Grr… Gyarados!"

He returned Pelipper but when Gyarados came back out… he turned with tears streaming down his eyes. "Gyar…"

"Huh? W-what's wrong now…" Will flinched back.

"You hurt his feelings!" Cleo stood up, angry as any motherly child would be. "He just wanted to be loved and you threw him back into his pokeball!"

Will fell over.

In a very animated way, he rose back up and stomped his foot to the ground. "Ohhh! I can scratch your head later! This is a battle! We have to get stronger!"

Gyarados turned away, closing his eyes to cry softly, "Gyara…"

"Uhh…" Will's face pulled back in shame, and finally he took on a kinder tone. "Look… Gyarados, you're supposed to be the ace up my sleeve, you know? The Pokemon to really help me get stronger." He tightened his fists. "I'm sorry if I relied too much on you at the start… I barely know you and I'm sure it's strange for you to have a trainer too… But…" he held his head down, shaking his fist up as he wanted to win so badly..! To prove to the world… to prove to himself… that he was stronger than he appeared!

"But I really need you to still be my ace! Ah… that's it! Ace! You're now my Ace!" he lightened up a bit, thinking of a good nickname for Gyarados as Gyarados turned around. "Gy..?"

"Ace. It's your new name, pal." Will smiled, and Gyarados seemed to admire his trainer's smile. He hadn't seen Will really 'happy' since being caught, so this was reassuring that his trainer wasn't always expecting so much from him.

He shook his head with happy tears now, nodding that he would do his best.

"T-thank you…" Will's face brightened up, "Alright! Let's use a water attack!"

Gyarados blinked his eyes.

"What!? You're a water type, aren't you? How can you not have a water attack!?"

Being scolded, Gyarados shifted itself a few times, not sure what to do since he didn't have that attack.

"Alright, Thrash it then!"

He went to attack but-

Phil yawned, placing his arms behind his head to hold it up, looking more relaxed. "This is kinda dramatic for a battle… Let's just end this with another Stone Edge and get back to work!" Phil called out, very chill.

Dugtrio still looked pumped and ready to go, turning to Phil and nodding in agreement, happy to consent.

They dived under to avoid the mighty thrashing of the large pokemon, before bursting from the ground on top of the powerful pillars of stone, spiking him and also scaling the pillars themselves.

"Sucker Punch should do it!"

"Sucker Punch..? That only triggers if I use an attack… Gyarados!" he waved his arms around, "Stop attacking! Don't-!"

"Hahaha! Come on, little brother. It's like you're waving down a plane or something. Thrash can't stop once it's activated." He shrugged.

"WHAT!?"

Gyarados went for another attack, blinded by the wild thrashing he was doing to sense anything around him.

With that, Dugtrio swiped their noses in unison, causing a purple arrow of dark energy to knock Gyarados back over and over again.

He fell over with swirls in his eyes…

The children cheered except for Cleo, caring about the poor Gyarados more than the battle's dynamics.

"That was a type disadvantage and everything! He totally came back to take the win!" Jaz cheered, but Brandon just sighed and sunk back, hunching a bit as he hid under his blanket.

"No one got scared again…" "Yamask, Ya…" Yamask mimicked his movements and sank more under the blanket.

"Alright, kids! Off the stands! Dugtrio! Use Dig and start Bulldozing down the area. Tim-…ah, I mean, Gurrdurr will pick up the scraps while Hariyama places the floorboards down."

Dugtrio returned the site to its original state, creating a magnitude to disperse the standing rocks just enough to crumble down. The Battlefield was fixed and cleaned up, and then construction on the stage began.

Phil healed up his pokemon with Revives and Water Bottles that he had, patting their backs and praising them for a job well done, then moved over to Will.

"Training's not easy, huh?" He patted his back too, deciding against laughter. "You know, training with flirting can help too…"

Will's anger finally spiked to its limit.

He withdrew Gyarados, "Sorry…" he muttered to him.

He turned away from his brother, his eyes covered by his mailman hat as Phil's hand that was patting his back remained in the air.

"…Will?"

"You don't get it… two of your pokemon evolved! You won even with a type disadvantage… it's not fair."

"Woah, Will, hang on." Phil raised his hands up and gestured for him to calm down. "Take it easy there… I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…"

"I can't flirt with Candy cause she-!... she has this kind of condition! It's not easy! While you get stronger, I only seem to fail her! While she gets stronger, she also gets weaker as well, and I can't do anything to bring her up out of it!" he shook his head. "I want to support her… I want to show her I can stand by her and be trusted but… she's afraid. What can I do if she's afraid!?" he clenched his pokeball in his hands… before wet tears started falling onto it, rolling off the sides of its red and white steel…

Will was falling apart… and Phil had no idea what to do.

"…I'm sure if you hit on her a bit… she won't feel too, too scared of ya…" Phil tried to be more sensitive, but his words weren't helping. He didn't know what Will meant by 'condition' but hoped it wasn't anything too serious.

Will's teeth felt like they'd never come apart if he didn't release them, so he took a big breath and turned to Phil.

"I'm fed up being weak!"

"Woah! What'd I do wrong!?"

Phil stepped back.

"If I knew you needed to win this battle so much, I would have gone easy on ya… you just did a 180 on me, Will. How am I supposed to react?"

Will knew it wasn't fair to expect his older brother to understand…

"You've… you've always been strong… at everything you do."

Will turned away, walking back to his van.

"…Where are ya goin', Will?"

Concerned, Phil followed him, but Will pivoted, speaking over his shoulder.

"I'm just going to the lake to train, alright?! Leave me alone!"

"Will…"

Phil watched the Mailvan disappear in a whirl of dust… following it with his eyes as it trailed away speedily over the dirt roads and small hills out of the forest area.

"…I don't know what's going on, Will… but…"

He tightened the ponytail behind his head.

"I hope you're okay, my man…"

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together, turning around to his pokemon. "Is everyone back to working fitness? Haha! Let's get to work then!" he rotated his shoulder and got his pokemon riled up for the stage construction.

The stage was finished by dawn, and Phil was paid and took off.

Candy asked if he'd seen Will lately…

"Took off to the lake, I'm afraid."

"Lake..?" Candy had woken up that moment with a finished script. She felt she must have been so tried, that she forgot she wrote it. But the mail was already delivered that day and she wondered how she missed it… "I've never been up there." She admitted.

"It's beautiful this time of year." Phil tugged his hat down, smiling to her. "You and Will should go there sometime. Have a cute little picnic or something." He winked.

"Uhh… Yeah, okay." She wasn't sure how to take that, but Phil took off and she didn't really want to ask…

Pearl was busy instructing the children on their parts and telling the pokemon what to do for the 'game of pretend'.

"I'm surprised Candy wrote herself as a witch…" Pearl studied the script… she heard laughter from the children and figured it wasn't all Candy's doing… "Right, well. She must have written my pokemon as Goons as well?"

The children giggled again, and she knew her answer.

"Very well. Let's get our lines down then. Have you all invited your parents this evening?"

"Yep! My mommy and daddy are coming!" Cleo jumped a little in spot, very excited as her feet never parted.

"Daddy's bringing a talent scout. I'm not sure how scouts are talented, but I hear they do good community service." Jaz seemed mixed up on what that meant, but Pearl just smiled politely and didn't feel the need to correct the child. After all, it would only make the children nervous, and she didn't want them not having fun…

"Let's not take this too seriously. It's meant for you and the pokemon to work together! Let's start by making some of the props and getting supplies for the backgrounds. We can all help with the painting and hard work!" she bent down to their level, and the children all cheered in unison.

"Right!"

-A Couple Hours Later-

Pearl and Candy were instructed to keep the parents busy while the children quickly finished up setting the stage, which Pearl and Candy thought adorable and so they went to meet the parents.

Everyone was sitting down, but Candy was mostly startled by the large Kangaskhan that looked excitedly around for one of the children. Her little baby in her pouch stuck its head out, also looking around for its friend.

"Woah! Wonder who's parent owns that…" Candy tried to tip-toe by it, but it just looked down at her and smiled sweetly.

"KHAAANNNN…" Its voice was rather boisterous, but it looked very sweet and warmhearted.

Its baby jumped and climbed up a bit, still holding onto its mother's pouch. It laughed and waved its arms about to Candy, much like a baby.

"Aww… how… adorable." Candy felt the wind rush by her hair and in her face at the Kangaskhan's welcome. She was still a little spooked by the size of the pokemon… she had seen a Lapras… but safely behind an Aquarium and at a distance.

"Oh, where's my baby? Where is he?" A woman began to frantically, although whimsically, search around with her head bobbing everywhere as she seemed to have long hair, a very nice outfit on, and some feathers in her hair.

"Wow, fancy free." Candy never really saw a high-class woman so openly before. Her pretty red woman's suit had a white ruffled shirt underneath and she was hurriedly seated by Brandon's Nanny, instructing her to take a sip of water.

Candy looked to see Pearl approaching her, and took a deep breath to do the same, a smile upon her face.

"I just thought we'd see the children before the performance." She nodded, shyly, before looking up to 'oh!' excitedly at being approached.

She patted her knees, "Hello. Are you by chance..?"

"I'm Pearl, and this is Candy."

"Ah, Miss Mackel! Candy, dear. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Brandon's mother shook their hands, "I'm so sorry my husband couldn't make it."

"Well, he is abroad, is he not?" Pearl hummed a laugh, and Brandon's mother nodded with a smile. "Yes, well… it makes it awfully lonely at home… but that's where my dear Kangaskhan and Brandon bring some joy to the household." She rubbed the seat next to her, suggesting for someone to take a seat.

"I have pictures! They are the most wonderful of friends!" she was so young, but also seemed to sheltered and pure. Candy politely bowed her head and obliged, sitting next to her as Pearl went to greet Mr. Johnson.

"I'll have to have you excuse me. More of our guest are arriving."

"Oh, but of course." The woman nodded and pulled out her phone, bedazzled with—what Candy assumed—were fake diamonds all along it. "This is Brandon when he was just a baby… and, oh… the poor dear." She touched her heart when the phone showed pictures of him in the hospital. "I'm a very frail woman… so having a baby was a miracle to say the least of it. To see him as frail as I in that baby bed… Oh, it was impossible to bear." She then flicked through more photos of Brandon growing up, and something in Candy's stomach sunk at the thought of a mother's worry for a sickly child…

"But here, look… he's finally getting the hang of walking. And that's when my husband caught a Kangaskhan, all the way from Kanto!" she showed the picture of the stylized pokeball and then her holding it with a baby Brandon. "I can't explain how much that meant to me… to have a healthy pokemon mother to support me as I tried to raise a son all on my own. I don't blame my husband for his work… I'm just so sorry that I can't travel and be in climates where naturally anyone could survive…"

She seemed to be get sorrowful, so Candy quickly pointed to a picture. "Is that Kangaskhan holding Brandon?"

"Why yes." She immediately began full of life again, and doted more on the two. "They were inseparable! I replied on Kangaskhan so devotedly that I had to hire a Nanny to remind myself she was a pokemon, and not my hired assistance. But she was always such a good friend… Never complained when I was worried about how I should be raising Brandon…" she looked up to her Kangaskhan as she returned the fond look in her eyes.

"KHHHAANNNN…" she dipped her head down and Brandon's mother stroked it lovingly while she closed her eyes to enjoy it.

"I'll never know a better pokemon to teach a mother how to be a mother… then a Kangaskhan."

Candy smiled warmly at the two's obvious love for one another. It was tenderly sweet~

"Are you married?" she leaned back to give her attention to Candy, as the baby Kangaskhan jumped from its mother's pouch to land in her lap, and she squealed with excitement. "Oh! There's junior!" she tickled his feet and then held him like a baby on her lap before turning her gaze back to Candy. "Well?"

"Oh! Oh-oh-oh, no. No, not… um… I'm not married." Candy grew flustered, shaking her head and speaking rather quickly as her hand motioned out her distress. "Honestly, I'm not even dating."

"Oh?" The woman looked disappointed. "Shame. You're such a pretty thing." She looked to see Mr. and Mrs. Johnson heading over to them. "Ah! The Johnsons! I've only met you at a dinner party, you probably don't remember little old me."

"Scarlet Desport!" Mrs. Johnson exclaimed, having a Chatot perched on her shoulder. She wore swirling glasses and looked a little like a comedian. "My! You're the talk of the city! I heard you've just recently opened your manor for tourists!"

"Oh dear, now I've seemed to occupy your conversation." She covered half her face in a very humble and shy manner, something Candy admired in the lady.

"Not at all!" Mrs. Johnson slid on in to the backless chairs and crossed her legs, acting very cartoony… "Why, I'd just love to have a little spat with you on my Talk show!"

"Just a spat! A little spat!" The Chatot mimicked.

"Oh gracious, wouldn't that be fun!" Mrs. Johnson tugged on Mr. Johnson's shirt, pulling him back from having what seemed like a decent conversation with Pearl, before being thrown down by his wife.

"Offph!" he turned around looking like he was guilty of something, but noticed his wife's light tone and immediately grew calm again.

"We must have Scarlet on my show!"

"W-well, yes. Of course, honey. You know you have people to talk too for that…" he seemed a little out of place beside her. As though… she turned to him for work to be done, but there wasn't anything he had control over to do.

"Oh, Scarlet! I can't believe our children go to the daycare together!" she embraced both of Scarlet's hands in one sweeping motion, leaving the Nanny—who was leering above them— to have her eyes shoot out a little from their sockets as though the woman had disgracefully touched royalty.

"Oh!" Mrs. Desport was surprised by the woman's enthusiastic nature but nodded politely to her rambling…

As the two spoke, the Chatot would occasionally chime in, but didn't seem to do more than that.

"It's quite laughful to think we have only met once!"

"Laudable! Laudable!"

"Oh, hush you! Stop acting like people try to avoid me! Or at least, don't see me coming… haha!" it all appeared like a comedy skit as the Chatot spoke up once again.

"Don't see me coming!"

"Don't mind him. He's used to being on television."

"Used to television. Don't mind. Don't mind television!" he made a parrot's beautiful chirp and Mrs. Johnson explained that's the noise Chatot's make when announcing themselves.

As the ladies continued speaking, Candy noticed that Mrs. Desport kept looking to the stage as though distracted by thoughts of possibly Brandon, and then returned to nodding politely to Mrs. Johnson's comedy spiel and how she wanted her to join her on her show as a famous guest.

"Famous?"

"You're in all the rich and hot magazines, darling! You must know?"

"I… I see."

"No gossip, I presume?" the Nanny stepped in, glaring down and warning Mrs. Johnson of her impudence.

"Oh? Only the good stuff." Mrs. Johnson took a small moment to realize the hint and patted Scarlet's hands down back to her legs. She brushed off the Nanny and continued, "But I suppose none. Since you don't have any guests that visit you."

"…" Scarlet turned aside.

"Right, well, do think about it darling!" the woman scurried off, but it seemed more like the Nanny was going to shoo her with a broom first.

"…What was that all about?" Candy wondered out loud.

"My… Husband is gone often… people hope to catch some… handsome man coming along to spread rumors. I live a very quiet life, you see. They all hope for a scandal I'd never take part in." she looked away. "However… There have been some news about my husband… but he reassures me it's all publicity twisting it. I… Well, I believe him with all my heart." She dusted her pencil skirt off and adjusted her hat. "People just want to talk about me, but I'm truly not an interesting person. I wouldn't know what to say on her show…"

"Some people should mind their own business." The Nanny scoffed. "Taking people's lives and ruining them! If you ask me… Keep your nose on your own face!" she huffed, followed by a violent shake that left Candy frightened and moved away, thinking the Nanny was going to attack something.

"That's quite alright." Mrs. Desport calmed her nanny now. "Kangaskhan comforts me. She's great at pretending to be scary, you see? So she'll chase away the paparazzi. But they always think I'm hiding something… they just can't believe a comfortable housewife is so inept at making drama."

Candy laughed at that, and nodded eagerly. She seemed so nice… so elegant, but also so fragile…

No wonder she was protective of Brandon, besides her husband and Kangaskhan, he was her whole world…

"You are the salt of the earth… Mrs. Desport." There was a tenderness in Candy's eyes as she spoke that.

Mrs. Desport turned to her and smiled a model's picture-perfect expression, but she was naturally a beautiful lady.

"Now, where are the children? Is anyone attending to them? Brandon's deathly afraid of everything and I worry he may need someone to hold him." She clamped her hands tightly together. It was clear that although she wanted desperately to run to him, she was controlling herself and looking around, trying not to make a scene.

"The play should start soon, I'll go look to see how the children are doing with the pokemon." Candy got up sweetly and decided to ease her worries, "Don't worry!" she spun around, striking a pose as her pastel pink and white dress spun with her. It hit her side and hung back down, "I'll make sure your boy shines tonight!"

Mrs. Desport's face looked relieved. She mouthed a 'Thank you' as her Nanny raised a bit of her lip up, as though a Granbull growling.

Candy knew if she didn't keep what she just said… the Nanny might assassinate her in her sleep!

The thought terrified her and she turned around trembling in fright.

Kangaskhan leaned down to have her baby jump back in her pouch, then put a comforting hand to Mrs. Desport's shoulder, as though sensing she was still a bit unsteady.

"I know. I must let him live outside of my arms. I know this. But even you have your baby always in its pouch!" she teased while Kangaskhan gestured that a moment ago, she let him out!

The laughed jollily as Mrs. Johnson leaned over to Mr. Johnson, arms folded. "A woman that happy can't have martial issues… there must be something I can get her to talk about."

"Honey," Mr. Johnson patted her leg, "The play's about to start." He smiled cheekily up to her and she grinned with a knowing look, before slapping his hand playfully away and waving a pointer finger in his face.

"Hey! I'm a nice lady! I won't pry too far unless I'm on T.V." she …. defended?

"How's everyone doing?" Candy peeked through the curtain, seeing the children all in their costumes. "Well, I hope?"

"Yep! Is my dad here yet?" Jaz slung her wooden sword into her loosened slash around her waist before bounding up to Candy. She tried to look passed the curtain, only to see a few people there.

"Uhh… I'm sure Pearl will see him!"

"Miss Candy!" Cleo exclaimed, all dressed her in princess garb. "You haven't put your witch's makeup on!"

"Oh." Candy looked to see Octavius and Nevermore in dark and heavy makeup. "…Yeah, I'm not doing that alone." She pulled out her pokeball and brought out Zippity.

She was spoked at seeing the two in such gothic looks and turned squeamishly to her trainer.

"Oh yeah." Candy nodded.

Zippity shook her head in agony.

"Oh yeah…" Candy just kept nodding to her pleas for mercy.

She took Zippity and headed into the back, "Let's get this show on the road!"

Pearl waited with anxious hands by the roadside… truly not giving up hope till the last moment.

Finally, there was a shout in the distance.

"We're coming!"

"Oh, thank the heavens." She picked up her dress a little and ran towards him. "Your daughter would have been furious with you!"

"Hey! Sorry, ma'am. I got the talent scout!" He gestured to a man with a nice suit on.

He took the hat off and looked a bit confused, "I'm… I'm so sorry, I seem to be underdressed." He brushed himself off and looked to the street performer. "You said this was a play."

"It is. My daughter's play."

"I'm sorry… Our movie production was hoping for... um… well…" he looked at the daycare, seeming to think this was shoddy. "More 'experienced' child actors." He plopped his hat on and went to walk away, but the man's Hitmontop jumped in his way, arms spread out.

"Hit! Hitmontop!"

"What in the world?"

"I'm sorry, sir. But please. My baby can act, honest! She wrote the whole play!"

"Oh gracious." The man pulled out a fine handkerchief and dabbed his head with it. "Did she now?" he seemed even more skeptical. "Serves me right for…" he muttered something under his breath, but Pearl seemed to hear him.

She grew awfully upset by it, and gripped his ear, stringing him in. "Now listen here, sir! Our children are stars!" she winked behind the talent scout's back to Jaz's father, who nodded a thank you and helped the man to his seat.

"Right this way, mister!"

"Unhand me-! Oh… Is that Scarlet Desport?" he suddenly seemed intrigued and sat down without a struggle. "My… this must be better than I thought." He sat more properly and adjusted his hand cuffs. "Ehem, p-proceed!" he fixed his white gloves and then twiddled his fingers to her.

She nodded politely back and looked to see the stage lights come on.

He immediately coughed into his hand and clapped, looking to his side to seemed amazed that Mrs. Johnson was here too.

"Good gracious! Johnson's Talk? I was sorely misled, but I'm glad I stayed." Seeing famous talk show hosts and prestigious wealthy members there, he wondered why not more people showed up.

"Glad you stayed!" Chatot squawked out and then winked to the older gentlemen, startling him as well.

He seemed unused to pokemon…

Candy shoved the curtains out of the way, wearing the witch's costume as the crowd all gasped at her black and ripped up dress, though it was all very modest, she wore a slip underneath. "I! The witch! Have created a dragon from the lagoon!" a small children's swimming pool was rolled onstage as Totodile dived out of the water, trying to act like he was roaring.

"Toood! Tood!" he then sprayed water up in the air.

"HAHAHA!" Candy's witch laugh was spot on, and the Talent Scout took out some binoculars and seemed interested in where this was going. "Now! I shall kidnap the beloved princess of pokemon and ensnare all the pokemon who try to save her—making them my goons! WHAHAHA!" she took up a broomstick and dusted the stage while Nevermore and Octavius came waddling onto the stage. Mist was spraying everywhere as Murkrow used Haze and flapped his wings. "Mur! Murkrow!" "Occcctilllllerrrryyy~" trying to seem spooky, Octillery shook out his tentacles, and the junior Kangaskhan ducked his head down in fright. Kangaskhan lovingly patted his head to reassure him the scary goons weren't going to fly out and peck at him.

Zippity also came out, looking like this whole thing was dumb and barely putting any effort into acting.

"Now! Onto the trap!" Candy rushed off with another evil cackle, and Cleo appeared at the top of a tower made from cardboard.

"She's well into it. Unlike that Pichu of hers, huh?" Mrs. Johnson side-commented before seeing her child in the tower. "AHHH! That's my baby! Go, Cleo! Woo!" she pulled out an air horn.

It almost nearly knocked the hat off the talent scout.

Cleo nervously waved to her mother, and then continued her part. "Oh those poor pokemon. They have all been turned into mindless ghosts types from the evil witch's enchantment!"

She held her hands together and up to her face… She looked around as if something was meant to happen.

"Cute child." The talent scout nodded, before seeing Yamask pop up too closely in his binoculars.

"GREAT ARCEUS!" he fumbled with his specs as Yamask grew afraid and raced back on stage, looking spooked and not knowing where to go.

"That's it… stay on the stage…" Pearl tried to cox him to following her hand motions, but the little pokemon shook in fright at the bright lights raining down on the stage…

"Ya….Ma…Yamask…"

"Ahh… B-but surely a hero will save me from the Dragon's clutches!" Cleo continued her line. And just then, Jaz smirked and nudged Brandon out.

"Showtime!"

Jaz pops onto the stage! Striking dramatic poses as Minccino is pushed on by Candy, who looks down at her knight's attire and tries to set the helmet up to look at the people sitting down below.

"…Minccino?" She blinks, utterly confused on what's going on.

Brandon is scared stiff, shaking as his mother's eyes light up.

She cups her face and tries to hold in her excitement, while Kangaskhan waves happily to him, giving him a big grin.

The whites of his eyes reveal only more so how afraid he is of moving, and Jaz pats him on the back to keep going.

"I'm your hero, princess! Me and my trusted sidekick and knight shall save you and all your pokemon friends from this evil witch!"

She unsheathed her sword and flipped towards the mini-swimming pool, impressively showing off her acrobatic skills from her father's dance moves.

"Woo! That's my baby!" she heard his voice and got excited, but never broke character.

"Todaahhh!" Totodile peered out of the water before jumping out and biting her sword.

"AH! An ambush!" she exclaimed.

Mincinno looked over. Seeing Jaz fighting Totodile, she puffed up her cheek and thought she was trying to hurt him again. But as she ran to punish her with another tickle, she stopped to see Nevermore and Octavius diving in to peck at her head or grab her leg.

Pichu waddled out, sparking a little at her cheeks, before moving to the other leg, and sitting down. "Piii…" she rolled her eyes.

This confused Minccino… she didn't think it was right to gang up on the human girl.

"Oh no! The Witch's Goons!" She fought as though growing weaker with each swing. "I… I can't combat all these pokemon alone!"

Minccino swiftly stopped running, her eyes full of horror as she wondered why they were all fighting her.

Jaz turned and pretended to whack Nevermore away as he faked falling back and looking exhausted. Then another fake swing to Zippity, who released her leg and rolled back as if being hit.

"Well, at least she's acting now." Candy shrugged from off stage, seeing Pichu roll all the way through her legs and then spark her butt. "Ou-!" she smacked a hand over her mouth, not wanting to distract from the performance. "You little…" she turned around as Pichu got out of her roll and stuck her tongue out at her.

Revenge was sweet.

Jaz had real sweat on her face from tug-o-waring with Totodile and the sword, but also having instructed him to not let go yet. There rehearsals never made sense to Minccino, so she would always assume Totodile was holding his own.

But now… the lights also were very warm, and Jaz's struggle grew more fierce when she realized Minccino and Brandon still weren't following the script.

"Grr.. Hey! Help me, trusty knight!" she threw a hand out to Minccino. "M… Mini hero!"

Minccino's reaction was unhesitating.

The Talent Scout gasped as the rest of the audience was amazed at how fluid and swift Minccino's tail knocked Octavius off of Jaz and frantically swung herself around the wooden sword.

"MMMMIIINNNNN-!" she jumped off with a small hit on Totodile's nose. "Ccin-!" then, used her tail to tickle his muzzle, which was still not letting go, and happily smiled while she held onto the wooden sword. "O!"

Totodile sneezed, letting the wooden sword go and having Jaz push him up and back into the mini-pool or… lagoon.

"TOTAH!" his splash was genuine, as was his surprise when he came up out of the water.

"Minccin?" Minccino looked up at Jaz, worried about her as Jaz smiled and nuzzled her nose.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down, partner."

The Talent Scout rubbed his eye of a tear.

"Now! Let's go save the princess!" Jaz swung her sword directly out, causing Minccino to rush up her shoulder, seeing now that Octavius and Nevermore retreated as swiftly as Totodile, and understood that Jaz must have just excited them to play or something.

When no real harm was had, Minccino decided that Jaz wasn't hurting anyone and cried out happily, "Ccino!" mimicking the pose but without her own sword, just lifting her little helmet up to see better.

The small crowd cheered, but the noise made Brandon duck his head, on the verge of tears.

Yamask felt the negative energy and started racing around the stage, banging into props and having the tower tumble over and down on its many cardboard boxes. "Ya-Ya-Ya-!"

"Yamask, no!" Candy cried out.

Cleo began to falter on her little stool, and started flailing her arms as she fell. "N-nooo!"

"Toto?" Totodile looked up to see her falling, and panicked. He kicked and sprayed water around but couldn't get out of the mini pool like he did before, slipping on the smooth surface everytime he did in his frenzy.

The audience gasped, but-…

"Minccino, use Helping Hand!"

"Minci-!"

A loud clap was heard and then transferred to Jaz, as Jaz jumped and felt her body able to lift her higher than ever before!

"Woah!" Jaz exclaimed, "That actually worked!" she reached up and grabbed Cleo, landing down swiftly and immediately sticking a pose with Cleo being held bridal style and her on one knee. "Encore!"

Suddenly learning a new move, Minccino turned to the audience as the lights all angled towards her, and she clapped her hands and used Baby-Doll Eyes. "Minnnnnnnccciiiinnnooo~"

The audience was on their feet, clapping tremendously.

"Hahah! I don't know know why I can't stop clapping!" Mrs. Johnson and Chatot applauded loudly, as did Mr. Johnson and everyone there.

"It messed up at the end, but that didn't even bother me due to the splendor of that little girl's charisma! And that Minccino just makes me want to clap even more! Bravo!" he laughed, not sure what was happening to him.

At the end, the Talent Scout praised Jaz and Minccino while the other parents doted on their children and took pictures.

"Are you alright?" Mrs. Desport pushed some hair out of Brandon's face, smushing his cheeks as she did so and kissing him repeatedly. She was used to no answer, but still acted as though he had given her one. "Oh, I know it was scary, I'm sorry! Mama's here now, there, there…" she held him close as he looked as though the concern was unwelcomed…

The Nanny glared down Candy, who hid with an 'eep!' behind the curtain call…

Pearl stood up, "Now, now. I know that was a little daunting…"

"Drama adds to the show!" The Talent Scout cheered.

"…Is he still under Encore's effects?" Jaz turned to her father, who knelt down by her side, whispering.

"I don't know, baby. But how'd ya know Minccino's wicked moves?"

She grinned widely, "When they told me to understand pokemon so I could befriend them, I looked up Minccino on your old pokedex, Pop-a."

He popped and locked it before leaning back down again.

She laughed, and he praised her with a kiss for her efforts, messing up her hair a bit.

"Daddy~" she chimed, rubbing her hair down.

"A splendid little actress you have here, sir!" the Talent scout took off his hand, offering his hand to her.

Jaz and Minccino shook it, but Minccino used her tail while sitting on Jaz's shoulder.

"I would love to make you a star in our latest feature film!"

"Woah… really Mister?"

"Em-hmm, absolutely! Your Minccino not only acted as if this was life or death, but you could feel how real the connection between you two were!"

The two turned to stare at each other.

"I think that's cause Minccino thought it was kinda real…"

"Min…"

"Even better!" the man exclaimed, "A pokemon who can ACTUALLY envision itself in that scenario! I won't take you without her!" he gestured his hand to Minccino.

"Oh, but… she's not my-"

"Nonsense." Pearl walked up to the three of them, having to scroll past Mrs. Johnson and Chatot, crying out tears as they both embraced Cleo after the ordeal that happened on stage…

"So long as Minccino agrees to it. I'll even let you catch her."

"R-really, ma'am!?"

"When the time is right."

Pearl winked.

Minccino looked over at Jaz, and then smiled innocently to Pearl.

"I think until then, you two will make a fine cast together."

Jaz threw up Minccino's helmet-

"We're gonna be heroes!"

"Minccino?" Minccino tilted her head, blinking up at the excited girl.

While everyone went home, Jaz's Father thanked Pearl for her kindness in letting Minccino come to rehearsals and shoot with Jaz for the new movie. He left with a thankful heart, as Pearl could tell he just wanted her to have what he never did, and if that meant being a star, then he'll get her to the sky.

"A loving and passionate father will always strive to put their children first." Pearl stated, nodding as they departed.

"I'll have the little one on my talk show! It'll promote the daycare too!" Mrs. Johnson winked, waving goodbye to Pearl. "Just… no more climbing for Cleo, alright?"

"Duly noted." Pearl sweat dropped, bowing humbly to the parents as they departed with Cleo too.

"Bye, bye, Baby." Cleo waved to Totodile while her father held her hand, and Totodile waved with a sad expression upon his face.

"Ah, you'll save the princess next time." Candy bent down and patted his head, but he only flopped down and moped some more.

"That reminds me. You'll have to clean up the stage with Nevermore's help, Candy."

"WHAT?!"

Zippity emerged from behind the curtain, dragging Candy out by her boot's dangling ball string as Candy struggled not to go.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized quickly to Mrs. Desport, who hushed her fears and told her it was alright.

"I think that was just a little too much stimuli for Brandon." She explained, and held him up with her. "But it was a lovely play, honest, it was."

"Wrote it myself." Candy tried to act proud, but that's when Chatot squawked from a distance.

"I wrote the play!"

"Hey! I wrote the play!" Jaz countered.

A small war erupted and Jaz had to explain to Candy what happened.

"Aw, man!" she face-palmed, "And here I thought I had some real talent…"

"Nope, that for me!" Jaz laughed, causing the others to laugh too.

"Oh, hardi har…" Candy pouted, but secretly smiled too.

Finally, everyone went home… even the Nanny who whispered death threats under her breath as she passed Candy…

"Well, that was fun." Pearl looked to see the pokemon washing makeup off and putting the sets down, only to find the baby pokemon yawning and falling over to sleep.

"Let's… put these young ones to bed, shall we?... Candy?"

Pearl sighed when she saw Candy, cuddled up next to Zippity and Octavius, snoring softly and soundly to sleep…

"I suppose the moral of this lesson is to work through the mess we make for ourselves." Pearl shook her head, "Though… I'm no playwright. Ha!" she spun the broom up in her hands and looked energized. "Time to get to work!"

Candy woke up, thinking she had cleaned the entire stage all in her sleep… But she was proven wrong yet again and decided it was best to conclude that she try and be talented at one of two things.

Being a Pokemon Trainer… or sleeping through things.