After dinner, Victor, Gengar, and the Machoke cleaned everything up. Afterward, Victor led the Machoke to an empty room on the first floor.
However, the Machoke indicated that they didn't like sleeping in rooms. They much preferred the outdoors, where they could also protect the Breeding House from thieves.
Victor had no choice but to agree, promising them that he would build them a proper shelter out there in the future.
"Machoke!" The lead female Machoke gave him a thumbs-up.
After getting the Machoke settled, Victor took Gengar upstairs to get ready for bed.
Seeing Victor and Gengar head upstairs, the lead Machoke looked at the other two. They all nodded in unison, put on the hard hats Victor had given them, and went through the kitchen's back door into the breeding grounds.
They began their first patrol. Even though nothing had been planted and no Pokémon were being boarded yet, they still carried out their duties diligently.
When Victor came out of the shower, he found Gengar wearing the white lab coat from the lottery winnings and with the stethoscope in its ears. All it was missing was a pair of glasses to become Dr. Gengar.
"Why are you wearing that outfit again?"
Victor didn't have a use for the lab coat or stethoscope at the moment, so he had let Gengar have them to play with.
Hearing Victor's question, Gengar handed him the phone. Victor looked at the screen and saw that Gengar was binge-watching a TV show.
The protagonist was a Ditto. The story was about how the Ditto would wake up every day transformed into a different Pokémon, facing a new crisis based on its form. In the end, however, the Ditto always managed to resolve the crisis and protect the other Pokémon.
Ditto's Daily Shift?!
Well, I'll be.
Looking at Gengar's serious expression, Victor said with a perfectly straight face:
"So, is Ditto Gengar a doctor today? It's a good thing, because I'm feeling a little unwell."
Hearing this, Gengar pressed the stethoscope to Victor's chest and listened intently to his heartbeat with a solemn expression.
After playing with Gengar for a while, Victor yawned, did a backward fadeaway jump, and landed on the bed.
"Goodnight, Gengar," Victor said, and the room's lights dimmed.
"Gengar."
The patrolling Machoke saw the lights in the room go out, exchanged glances, and began to patrol even more carefully.
...
The moment Victor opened his eyes, he found Gengar floating in mid-air, using its psychic powers to hold the phone while it tried to follow a yoga video.
He watched as it tried to mimic the person in the video, reaching its hands over its head to grab its upturned feet, only to find that it was physically impossible.
"Gengar?! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ"
Victor couldn't help but laugh. He stood up, opened the curtains, and saw that it was a clear and sunny day.
He stretched, got ready, and then went downstairs to make breakfast.
After breakfast, the Machoke went back to the yard to rest, while Victor sat at the counter, carefully writing out the Breeding House's business sign.
[Gengar's Happy Paradise (Breeding House)]
[Service 1: Pokémon Boarding.]
[Service 2: Pokémon Egg Sales. (None currently in stock, pre-orders available)]
[Service 3: Rare Item Sales. (Coming soon)]
[Service 4: Custom Toy Sales: Wooden Carvings]
Victor picked up the large wooden board and walked outside. Just as he was setting it down, he saw Joy walking towards him, holding a Grass-type Pokémon in her arms.
"Joy," Victor greeted as he walked over.
"Is that... a Petilil?" Victor was surprised to see the Pokémon in Joy's arms. Weren't Petilil from the Unova region? How did one end up in Sinnoh?
He could tell right away that the Petilil was not in a good state.
He welcomed Joy inside. She glanced at the sign by the door before following him into the Breeding House.
"Looks like the Breeding House will be able to open for business soon."
"It's already open, actually. I can start boarding Pokémon now," Victor replied.
Joy nodded, then continued, "I came to see you because of this Pokémon." She looked down at the Petilil in her arms.
Then, she mouthed a single word: "Abandoned."
Victor nodded grimly and took a closer look at the Petilil. Its poor condition was obvious even at a glance.
[Petilil]
[Type: Grass]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Chlorophyll]
[Known Moves: Absorb, Growth, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Synthesis.]
[Mood: Utterly devastated]
[Status: Hopeless, On the verge of collapse]
[Friendship: -50 (Doesn't want to see anyone)]
[Introduction: The partner of a trainer from the Unova region. Due to constantly losing battles, her trainer heartlessly abandoned her at the Twinleaf Town Pokémon Center. Upon learning she was abandoned, her sense of self-worth has completely shattered, causing her to fear the dark. She is currently on the verge of a total collapse.]
Seeing the Petilil's status, Victor couldn't help but frown.
This was worse than just "bad." "Hopeless" and "on the verge of collapse" meant the situation couldn't be more serious.
Gengar floated over with a glass of water and handed it to Joy.
Victor gave Joy a reassuring look, then said something to Gengar. Gengar nodded, phased through the wall into the warehouse, and returned with a pair of pruning shears.
The Petilil had its eyes squeezed shut, its head buried deep in Joy's arms as it trembled. Suddenly, it felt a gentle touch on the leaves on its head.
"Lili?"
It raised its head, trembling, and saw that its messy leaves were being slowly and carefully trimmed by a pair of shears held in a human's hand.
It turned its body to look at the human.
His eyes shone with a gentle light, and a warm smile graced his lips. He looked at it quietly and said softly, "A Petilil as cute as you should always be as beautiful and lovely as a little princess."
Hearing these words, the Petilil seemed to remember something. Then, the Breeding House was filled with a heart-wrenching cry.
"Lili..."
The Machoke in the backyard heard the crying and came to the front to see what was happening.
Victor ignored the "Currently collapsing" notification that popped up in the status window and simply continued to look at the Petilil with a gentle expression.
When the crying subsided, he continued, "It's okay, Petilil. It's okay. It's good to cry it out."
He handed the shears to Gengar, then took the Petilil into his own arms. He accepted the Gengar-themed watering can from Gengar and gently sprinkled water onto its leaves, the droplets soaking through to his shirt.
"You know, there used to be a Pokémon here who loved playing pranks," Victor said softly, holding the Petilil. "No one else understood it. It just wanted someone to play with. Then, it found someone who was willing to play with it. It changed everyone's opinion of it and helped that person open a Breeding House."
Hearing this, Gengar was so moved it gave Victor a big lick.
Victor continued, "At the same time, there were a few Machoke who took on odd jobs to get by. Because they rarely found work, they often went hungry. Then, they also found a Breeding House. Now they protect it, and they've proven their worth to others."
"Machoke~" (Tears streaming down their faces.)
At this point, Victor held the Petilil up, his gaze meeting its small eyes, which were no longer filled with despair.
"That Breeding House is this one, right here. What I'm trying to say is, every Pokémon has a reason for being. Gengar does, the Machoke do, and you do too."
Victor's smile warmed the Petilil's heart. "He just didn't know it."
"And there are many people and Pokémon who will love you. After all, you're so cute. If you don't believe me, look."
Victor held the Petilil and turned in a circle.
It saw Joy smiling and nodding. It saw Gengar making a funny face at it, and instead of malice, it felt only concern. And it saw three Machoke giving it a thumbs-up with healthy, wide smiles.
Finally, its eyes met Victor's, his smile like the first day of spring, his gaze like a warm current flowing into its heart.
"Li... Lili."
The Petilil began to cry again.
After the Petilil had cried its heart out, Victor looked at Joy. "Joy, I'm really swamped here. Could I possibly ask you to let Petilil help me out for a little while?"
Joy was stunned for a moment, then understood. She looked at the Petilil. "Would you be willing to help him?"
Victor also looked at it and said, "I really am so busy. It would be a huge help if Petilil could lend me a hand."
Hearing that it could be helpful, the Petilil hesitated for a moment before nodding its head.
At that moment, its status window updated:
[Petilil]
...
[Mood: Sad]
[Status: Stepped back from collapse, Self-doubting]
[Friendship: 20-40 (He said I can help him?)]
[Introduction: He said I can help him. Can I really help him? If I mess up, will he...]
Victor glanced at the update and said, "Thank you, Petilil. You're already a huge help."
He didn't say anything more. In a situation like this, only actions could heal the pain in its heart.
"Let me introduce you. This is Gengar, and these are the Machoke."
"Everyone, say hello to our cute Petilil."
"Gengar~" Gengar took out a small toy and offered it to the Petilil, only to realize the toy was as big as the Petilil itself.
"Gengar?! Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ"
Seeing Gengar get upset, the Petilil let out a soft cry to comfort it.
Gengar instantly recovered, used its hands to pull its mouth into a wide, funny grin.
Feeling Gengar's cheerful spirit, the Petilil's mood lifted considerably.
"Machoke~" The Machoke, as always, gave a thumbs-up and a healthy smile.
Seeing that Victor had managed to help the Petilil, Joy breathed a sigh of relief. She said her goodbyes to Victor and the Pokémon, needing to get back to the busy Pokémon Center.
"Sanli, could you please escort Joy back to the Pokémon Center?" Victor said to one of the Machoke.
"Machoke! ∠(｀ω´*)" The Machoke wearing a hard hat responded and snapped a crisp salute.
"?!"
Yesterday its four arms were fighting each other, and today it can salute?
Don't tell me there's a Pokémon that CAN'T salute, right?!
Victor secretly glanced at Gengar.
"Gengar?! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ"
"Never mind, never mind."
It even noticed that? So perceptive.
Watching Joy and Sanli leave, Victor held the Petilil and headed towards the backyard.