Chapter 108: Tranquility Daycare
In the police station.
"Yes, yes, right there! Ohhh~"
Will was lying in a baby stroller, kicking his legs comfortably. A female officer in her early thirties was scratching the base of his tail with a backscratcher. He had never known that a Treecko's body had such a sweet spot.
"Hahaha."
"Look at the little guy's face! I'm dying."
"That's our Big Sis for you. She can handle a baby Treecko with ease."
The off-duty officers gathered around, watching and joking.
"Of course. Back in my day... huh? Isn't that Granny Sola?"
The officer they called "Big Sis" was about to brag when she looked up and saw an old woman walking into the office with a cane. She quickly stood up to greet her, and the other officers did the same.
"Granny Sola, what brings you here today?" Officer Jenny, who had a rather girlish and energetic personality, asked as she stepped forward.
"Little Jenny, my Skitty... she's run away from home again. She's been gone for a whole day. Please help me find her," Sola said, her eyes red. She was clearly very worried.
"Run away again? Leave it to Growlithe. He's the best at this sort of thing. I'll have someone take you home first."
"It's fine. I can walk back myself. Don't let such a small matter interrupt everyone's work."
Granny Sola shook her head and stubbornly turned to leave with her cane.
"But..."
"Jenny, let her go. You can't persuade her," said "Big Sis," who, as a veteran of the station, knew Granny Sola's personality better than Jenny did.
She turned back, intending to continue teasing the baby Treecko, but in the moment she had looked away, the baby had vanished.
"Where's the Treecko?!"
"Huh? I think I saw him run off after Granny Sola."
...
On the street outside the police station, Will quietly followed two meters behind Granny Sola. He didn't actually want to follow the old woman; he was just thinking. If he stayed in one place, he'd probably just be picked up and taken back to the police station like before, or, as Jenny had said, get snatched by a Meowth. So, he decided to follow someone for a while to pretend he had a Trainer.
During his time at the station, he had gathered a lot of information about this era and this city. This was the 20th year of the League Era. Not the 20th year since the founding of the Hoenn League, but the 20th year since all the regional Pokémon Leagues had formally united. The Kanto and Johto leagues had been the first to be established, but that was 60 years ago.
As for the city, it was Ever Grande. The easternmost island of Hoenn, and the closest major city to Johto. This was great news. It meant he didn't need to find a plane; he could just go to the port and take a boat. The trip to Johto shouldn't be too slow.
But the problem was, how could he sneak onto a boat without being noticed? He couldn't fly, nor could he climb walls yet. Will looked down at the soles of his feet. The small spikes were still very tender and certainly couldn't be used for climbing. He would have to at least wait until he was out of his infant stage.
Tch, does this mean I have to go back to the station and freeload for another week? Will thought, then shook his head. The police station was nice, but the officers obviously wouldn't let him stay there forever. They would most likely send him to the research lab. And setting aside whether they would discover his connection to Celebi, the moment the Pokémon Professor saw him, he'd probably just toss a Poké Ball at him. The thought alone was terrifying.
Worst case, he would just go back to the Ever Grande Forest and live the life of a wild Pokémon. It would be tough, but it wasn't like he hadn't endured hardship before.
"Treecko!" Will nodded forcefully, feeling very resolute.
His sudden cry attracted Sola's attention. She turned, leaning on her cane, and immediately saw the little Treecko by her leg. "Hm? Little Treecko, where did you come from?"
Sola looked around. The Treecko didn't seem to have a trainer. But how could a wild Treecko appear in the middle of the city? She was full of questions, but she knew what she had to do. "Little Treecko, are you lost? Do you need me to take you to the police station?"
"No," Will immediately shook his head.
"Then... would you like to come be a guest at grandma's house? I have delicious macarons."
Will paused when he heard the word "macarons." He didn't think he had ever seen such a dessert in the palace in his past life. He was suddenly curious about the taste. And this old woman seemed very kind; she didn't look like a bad person.
And so, Will nodded and trotted after her.
After they had gone, Officer Jenny appeared, throwing her hands up with a sigh. "See what I mean? That kid is just a glutton who's never had good food. If a bad person came along, he'd be lured away in a second."
"Woof," Growlithe nodded in agreement.
"Oh well. With Granny Sola, there shouldn't be a problem. She'll definitely take good care of the little one."
"Woof."
...
In the northeast corner of Ever Grande City stood a two-story villa called the "Tranquility Daycare." Behind it was a small but well-equipped yard where seven or eight Pokémon were playing.
"Come in, little Treecko," Sola said, leading Will inside. The villa wasn't luxuriously decorated, but it was very warm and had everything one could need.
Will hadn't expected that by randomly following an old woman, he would end up at a Pokémon Daycare. This was quite lucky. Even a small daycare was a perfect place for a young Pokémon to grow up safely. At least he wouldn't have to worry about being attacked by other Pokémon, or about going hungry or cold. He decided to stay here for a week or so.
"Here, you sit here and be a good boy. Grandma will go get you something nice to eat," Sola said, placing Will on the sofa and then heading into the kitchen.
Will looked around the house and knew that Granny Sola was not a poor woman. The furnishings were modest but cozy. She had likely spent most of her money on improving the backyard environment. When he had come in, he had caught a glimpse of it: the backyard was basically a miniature Pokémon paradise, with a flower garden, fruit trees, a pond, and a lawn. It even had some playground equipment for human children. It was clear that Sola was a kind old woman who truly loved Pokémon.
Come to think of it, if you didn't love Pokémon, you wouldn't turn your own home into a daycare.
A short while later, Sola returned with a plate. "Here, macarons. They've just been heated up, so they might be a little hot. Eat slowly, okay?"
Sola first placed the plate on the table in front of him. Then she picked Will up, sat him on her lap, and held a green macaron to his mouth.
"So pretty," Will said, admiring the treat. He looked at the other colors on the plate; they were like works of art. But even art had to wait until his stomach was full.
Nom~
He opened his mouth and ate the macaron in one bite. His eyes instantly lit up. It was sweet but not cloying, crisp but not hard to bite. The texture was superb. And he could immediately taste that the green outer layer had been made with the juice of a Nanab Berry. He was very familiar with the taste of these berries.
"Is it good?" Sola asked, looking down at his expression with a gentle smile.
"Delicious," Will nodded.
"Hehe. You can't eat too many sweets, okay? You're still growing. Grandma will make you a nutritious dinner tonight," Sola said, picking up a yellow macaron and offering it to him.
"Ooh~" Will squinted his eyes, savoring the food, and responded comfortably.
"Good boy," Sola said, stroking his head. She turned to look out the window. The sky seemed to have darkened a little, and she couldn't help but sigh.
"Treecko," Will said, looking up at her.
The old woman's hair was completely white, and her face was full of wrinkles. She even needed a cane to walk outside. She must be quite old. He thought back to what he had heard at the police station and guessed that she was worrying about her Skitty who had run away.
Well, if its level isn't high, I can beat it up before I leave and make it behave, Will thought to himself. He then turned and hugged Sola, hoping to ease her anxiety.
Sola was a little surprised to be hugged, then she gently hugged him back, a happy smile on her face. This was why she loved Pokémon so much. These simple and sensitive little creatures were so good at comforting people.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Will felt something scratch his tail. He looked and saw a ring on Sola's hand. The ring was crudely made and not very smooth, which was why it had felt uncomfortable when it brushed against him.
"I met him sixty years ago. We've been married for over forty years now..." Sola followed his gaze, and seeing the ring, she couldn't help but reminisce.
Hearing this, Will knew she was about to start telling him her story. Thinking that he didn't have much else to do for the next few days, he decided to listen. Perhaps there was something he could do to help, to repay her kindness before he left.
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