After eating, Fang Yan and Gengar tidied everything up, then he brought the Machamp to an empty room on the first floor.
The Machamp, however, said they did not like staying in rooms. They loved the environment outside and wanted to live outdoors, where they could also protect the Pokémon Day Care and keep thieves out.
Fang Yan could only agree, and he also promised to build them better quarters there in the future.
"Mach!"
The female Machamp raised a thumb with one hand.
Once he had settled the Machamp in, Fang Yan took Gengar upstairs to bathe.
Seeing Fang Yan and Gengar head upstairs, the female Machamp glanced at the other two Machamp. They nodded together, then, wearing the hard hats Fang Yan had given them, went through the kitchen's back door to the boarding grounds in the backyard.
They began their first patrol. Even though nothing had been planted and no Pokémon were boarding there yet, they still patrolled dutifully.
When Fang Yan came out of the bath, he found Gengar wearing the white coat from the prize draw, with the stethoscope in his ears. All he needed was a pair of glasses to become Dr. Gengar.
"Why are you wearing that outfit again?"
Fang Yan had no use for the white coat and stethoscope at the moment, so he had given them to Gengar to play with.
Hearing Fang Yan's question, Gengar handed him the phone to look at. A glance at the screen revealed that Gengar was following a show.
The protagonist was a Ditto. The story was about Ditto waking up as a different Pokémon every day and encountering different crises depending on which Pokémon he became. In the end, though, Ditto always resolved the crisis and protected many Pokémon.
Magic Martin?!
Well, then.
Glancing at the utterly serious Gengar, Fang Yan said with a straight face:
"Is Magic Gengar a doctor today? As it happens, I'm feeling a little unwell."
Hearing that, Gengar pressed the stethoscope to Fang Yan's chest and listened to his heartbeat with a solemn expression.
After playing with Gengar like this for a while, Fang Yan yawned and flung himself backward onto the bed like a fadeaway jump shot.
"Good night, Gengar."
As soon as Fang Yan said that, the room's lights dimmed.
"Gengar."
Seeing the lights go out, the patrolling Machamp exchanged glances, then began patrolling even more carefully.
When Fang Yan opened his eyes, he found Gengar floating in midair, controlling the phone with psychic power and learning yoga from the person on the screen.
Gengar tried to copy the person in the video, reaching a hand over his head and behind his back to grasp his raised foot, only to discover that he could not do it no matter how he tried.
"Gengar?! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ"
Fang Yan could not help laughing. Then he got up and drew back the curtains. The weather was clear today.
He stretched, washed up, then went downstairs to make breakfast.
After breakfast, the Machamp returned to the backyard to rest, while Fang Yan carefully wrote out the Pokémon Day Care's services at the counter.
[Gengar's Happy Paradise (Pokémon Day Care)] [Service 1: Pokémon boarding.] [Service 2: Pokémon Eggs for sale. (Currently unavailable; advance reservations accepted.)] [Service 3: Rare items for sale. (Currently unavailable.)] [Service 4: Small items for sale: custom wood carvings.]
Fang Yan picked up the large wooden board and carried it outside. He had just set it down when he saw Nurse Joy approaching with a Grass-type Pokémon in her arms.
"Sister Xiaoshui."
Fang Yan walked over and greeted her.
"Is that... a Petilil?"
Looking at the Petilil in Nurse Joy's arms, Fang Yan was a little surprised. Wasn't Petilil a Pokémon from the Unova Region? How had one ended up in the Sinnoh Region?
But Petilil did not look well.
After Fang Yan welcomed Nurse Joy inside, she took another look at the wooden board by the entrance before following him into the Pokémon Day Care.
"It looks like the Pokémon Day Care will be opening for business soon."
"Actually, it can open now. We can already take in Pokémon for boarding."
Fang Yan answered, and Nurse Joy nodded before continuing, "I came to see you because of this Pokémon."
Nurse Joy glanced at the Petilil in her arms as she spoke.
Then she mouthed a word: "Abandoned."
Fang Yan nodded and carefully examined the Petilil in her arms. Her poor condition was plain to see.
[Petilil] [Type: Grass] [Gender: Female] [Ability: Chlorophyll] [Known moves: Absorb, Growth, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Synthesis.] [Mood: Utterly heartbroken] [Condition: Has lost hope; on the verge of a breakdown] [Friendship: -50 (Does not want to see anyone)] [Description: The partner of a Trainer from the Unova League. After repeated defeats in battle, her Trainer finally abandoned her heartlessly at the Pokémon Center in Twinleaf Town. Upon learning that she had been abandoned, her sense of self-worth suffered a severe collapse, causing her to fear the dark. She is currently on the verge of a breakdown.]
Seeing Petilil's condition, Fang Yan could not help frowning.
This was far worse than merely being in poor shape. Having lost hope and being on the verge of a breakdown meant the situation could not be any more serious.
Just then, Gengar floated over with a glass of water and handed it to Nurse Joy.
Fang Yan gave Nurse Joy a reassuring look, then said something to Gengar. Gengar nodded, passed through the wall into the storeroom, and found a pair of pruning shears.
Petilil had her eyes closed, her head buried deep in Nurse Joy's arms as she trembled. Suddenly, however, she felt something happening to the leaves on her head.
"Peti?"
She raised her head shakily and discovered that a hand holding shears was slowly trimming the leaves on her head into a neat shape.
She turned around and looked at the human before her.
His eyes shone, and a gentle smile rested on his lips as he quietly looked at her. Then he said softly, "A Petilil this adorable should stay cute and beautiful forever, just like a little princess."
Hearing those words, Petilil seemed to remember something. Then heartbreaking sobs filled the Pokémon Day Care.
"Peti..."
Hearing the crying, the Machamp in the backyard all came to the front to see what had happened.
Fang Yan ignored the [Breakdown in progress] notification that popped up in the status panel and simply watched Petilil gently.
Only when her sobs grew quieter did he speak again. "It's all right, Petilil. It's all right. Just let it all out."
He handed the shears to Gengar, then took Petilil into his arms. Accepting the Gengar-shaped watering can Gengar handed him, he gently dripped water onto her head. The water seeped through her leaves and soaked his clothes.
Holding Petilil, Fang Yan spoke softly.
Hearing this, Gengar was so moved that he gave Fang Yan a lick.
Then Fang Yan continued, "There were also a few Machamp who earned money by helping others with their work. Because hardly anyone hired them, they often went hungry. Later, they found a Pokémon Day Care too, and protected it. They proved their worth to others."
"Mach~" (Tears streamed down their faces.)
At this point, Fang Yan lifted Petilil and met her little eyes, which were no longer filled with despair.
"That Pokémon Day Care is right here. What I want to say is that every Pokémon has a reason to exist. That goes for Gengar, for the Machamp, and for you too."
Fang Yan's smile warmed Petilil. "He just didn't know it."
"There are plenty of people and Pokémon who like you too. After all, you're so adorable. Look, if you don't believe me."
Fang Yan turned in a circle with Petilil in his arms.
She saw Nurse Joy nod with a smile, and Gengar pull a face at her. Looking at that frightening face, she sensed no malice in it, only concern. There were also the three Machamp, giving her thumbs-up and hearty smiles.
Last came a smile like early spring, and eyes that flowed into her heart. Fang Yan was looking at her with a smile.
"Pe... Peti."
Petilil burst into tears again.
Only after Petilil finished crying did Fang Yan turn to Nurse Joy. "Sister Xiaoshui, I can't keep up with all the work here. Could I ask you to let Petilil help me for a while?"
Nurse Joy froze for a moment, then caught on and looked at Petilil. "Would you be willing to help him?"
Fang Yan also looked at her and said, "I really am so busy. It would be wonderful if Petilil could give me a hand."
Hearing that she could help him, Petilil hesitated for a while before finally nodding.
At that moment, the status panel updated too:
[Petilil] [Type: Grass] [Gender: Female] [Ability: Chlorophyll] [Known moves: Absorb, Growth, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Synthesis.] [Mood: Sad] [Condition: No longer having a breakdown; doubting herself] [Friendship: 20-40 (He said I could help him?)] [Description: He said I could help him. Can I really help him? If I don't do a good job, will he...]
Fang Yan glanced at it, then said, "Thank you, Petilil. You really are helping me so much."
He said nothing else. In a situation like this, only actions could heal the hurt in her heart.
"Let me introduce everyone. This is Gengar, and these are the Machamp."
"Everyone, say hello to our adorable Petilil."
"Gengar~"
Gengar took out a small toy and offered it to Petilil, only to discover that the toy was as big as she was.
"Gengar?! Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ"
Seeing Gengar sink into dejection, Petilil offered him a word of comfort.
Gengar immediately bounced back, pulling at the corners of his mouth with both hands to make a funny face.
Sensing Gengar's mood, Petilil felt quite a bit better too.
"Mach~"
As usual, the Machamp gave thumbs-up and hearty smiles.
Seeing that Fang Yan had resolved Petilil's problem, Nurse Joy breathed a sigh of relief. She then said goodbye to Fang Yan, Petilil, and the others, preparing to leave. After all, the Pokémon Center was very busy.
"San Li, sorry for the trouble, but please take Sister Xiaoshui back to the Pokémon Center."
Fang Yan spoke to one of the Machamp.
"Mach! ∠(｀ω´*)"
A Machamp wearing a hard hat answered, then saluted.
Yesterday, those four arms were still fighting each other, and today he could salute?
Surely there weren't any Pokémon who still couldn't salute?!
Fang Yan stole a glance at Gengar.
"Gengar?! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ"
"Nothing, nothing."
He noticed even that? So sharp.
Watching Nurse Joy and San Li walk away, Fang Yan headed toward the backyard with Petilil in his arms.