[Pokémon] At the Pokémon Daycare

So I wrote this for Canalave Library's Yuletide. My recipient suggested the prompt "Ethan needs to grow up" and I went with Ethan struggling with losing to Silver. Thanks to bobandbill for the beta!


Silver didn't leave a good impression on Ethan ever since they first met. On the day Ethan was to get his first Pokémon, Silver shoved him aside without an apology. It was strange at how he stared at Professor Elm's lab, but he shrugged it off and hoped he didn't run into him again.

When he went to Cherrygrove City, Ethan ran into Silver again. He told him that Roller, his Cyndaquil, was too good for him and challenged him to a Pokémon battle. Furious at Silver's words, Ethan accepted the challenge and had Roller go against Silver's Totodile.

In their first battle, Ethan had lost to Silver. As Ethan picked up his battered Cyndaquil, Silver said "that was a waste of time" in a bored voice and walked away. It was then revealed from a police officer that Silver had actually stolen the Totodile, which made his stomach sink.

The second time Ethan met with Silver was at the Sprout Tower in Violet City. He came after Silver had defeated Elder Li, who in Silver's words was weak. When the redhead trainer mentioned that only strong Pokémon mattered to him, Ethan responded calmly that he disagreed and that all Pokémon were equal. Silver laughed and reminded Ethan how he lost their battle due to how soft he was. That caused Ethan to clench his fist and point out how it was unfair he won with a stolen Pokémon. With a shrug, Silver said he didn't care and left the building with an escape rope.

The third time Ethan met with Silver was when he was about to leave Azalea Town and entered Ilex Forest. Silver had challenged him to a second battle as he had heard how he was able to defeat Team Rocket and wanted to see if he was that strong.

He and Silver were to use two Pokémon, and whoever knocked out both Pokémon first wins. Silver first brought out Gastly while Ethan took out Speckle, his Mareep. Speckle was able to hit Gastly with a few Thunderbolts, but its ghost-type attacks were just too much for her. Ethan then took out Roller while Silver switched to his Totodile. Roller's fire-type attacks didn't do much against his opponent while a blast of Totodile's Water Gun completely soaked him good. Near the end of the battle, Roller looked exhausted. He took deep breaths while Totodile was still in good shape.

"Quick Attack, Roller!" Ethan called out urgently. His Cyndaquil let out a squeak and rushed at Totodile with a fast-paced tackle. That made Totodile flinch for a second, but he easily shook it off.

Silver crossed his arms and grunted. He commanded Totodile to scratch Roller, which his Pokémon did. Totodile extended his claws and scratched Roller's side three times, leaving marks there. Silver then ordered Totodile to blast a Water Gun at Roller, and when that happened Roller squealed at being soaking wet and collapsed.

"Roller!" Ethan yelled. He rushed to his Cyndaquil's side and picked him up. Roller's fur was soaked and he shivered.

"I knew you were lying."

Ethan's heart skipped a beat and he turned to see Silver staring at him, as if waiting to see if he would break.

"You're too soft-hearted," Silver continued. "Did you really defeat both Bugsy and Team Rocket?"

Ethan turned his gaze away from Silver, his lips trembling. He responded in a shaky voice, "Yes...yes, I did."

Silver regarded him a moment and he snorted. "Bugsy's weak, so I'm willing to believe that you beat him. You can do better, though."

Without saying goodbye, Silver turned around and moved further into Ilex Forest.

Ethan's face fell and he stood still for a minute. He gazed down at Roller, who was now curled up against his chest. The walk back to Azalea Town was less than half an hour, so he could take his Pokémon to the Pokémon Center for them to rest. That recent loss, though...

Frustrated, Ethan bit his lips and clenched his fist. Maybe Silver was right that he needed to do better.

xxx

Whenever Ethan trained, usually he was more encouraging and cheered his Pokémon on. After his loss with Silver, he decided he needed to be more aggressive.

The past several days he had his Pokémon go against each other or other Pokémon until they were exhausted. Roller and Speckle would cry in protest when forced to battle, but Ethan ignored them. At one point Carly, his Hoothoot, got angry and pecked his shoulder, only for him to scream at her and to tough it out.

Past llex Forest was Route 34 where several trainers had gathered. He had first went against Youngster Samuel: Speckle was able to defeat Samuel's Spearow, but his Sandshrew managed to defeat Speckle and Roller with not much trouble. There was then Pokéfan Brandon, whose own Mareep was stronger than Ethan's. Going against Policeman Keith was probably a bad idea as his Growlithe was ruthless towards Carly. Despite Roller having a type disadvantage against Camper Todd's Psyduck, Ethan chose his Cyndaquil to go against it and lose. Each defeat was more frustrating then the last, but each time Silver's words, "do better" echoed in his head.

Right now Ethan was going against a trainer named Gina. She chose her Bulbasaur, that she nicknamed Rose, for this battle, which should be an easy win for him but it wasn't. He was a little surprised that Rose was able to stand toe to toe against Roller, dodging most of Roller's Embers and able to retaliate back with Seed Bombs and Razor Leafs.

"Ember once again!" Ethan commanded urgently.

"Avoid those and use Seed Bomb!"

Roller let out some fireballs at Rose, but she successfully dodged each of them. Rose spat out several tiny seeds at Roller, each one poking at Roller's skin and causing him to cry in pain. Ethan grunted and furrowed his brow. Why couldn't his Pokémon be able to defeat a Bulbasaur?

"Let's end this now, Rose! Grab that Cyndaquil and throw him at that tree!" Gina ordered, pointing at a nearby tree.

Upon hearing that, Ethan's stomach jumped. Two long vines sprouted out from Rose's bulb, and she used those to grab Roller's waist. Roller squealed and struggled to let go from Rose's grip. The Bulbsaur tossed Roller at the nearest tree, who crashed and collapsed upon impact.

"No!" Ethan rushed over to Roller's side and picked him up. There were some scratches and bruises on Roller's fur that were from Rose's Seed Bombs and Razor Leafs. He gazed over his shoulder to see Gina holding up her Bulbasaur and giggling. Soon she returned Rose and approached Ethan with a small smile.

"That was a good battle," Gina said as she let out her hand for him to shake. After staring down at her palm for a second, he looked away.

"You probably think I'm weak like Silver," Ethan muttered.

"Huh?" Gina tilted her head and blinked. "Um, I don't know who Silver is. I'm sorry that I hurt your Cyndaquil. If you want, we can go to the Pokémon Center at Goldenrod City together!"

Ethan narrowed his eyes at her and looked away. "No thanks. I can get there on my own."

"Oh," Gina said in a disappointed voice. "If that's what you want. I guess I'll see you there, then."

Ethan didn't turn around, but he could hear Gina's footsteps as she was leaving. He gazed down at Roller, resting in his arms.

You're weak.

You can do better.

Ethan's shoulders shook and his lips trembled. Was he really weak? Was that the reason he kept losing lately?

"Ethan?"

Ethan's mind stopped getting distracted when he heard his name being called. In front of him was Lyra with her Chikorita by her side.

"Oh, hello Lyra," he greeted her in a low voice and frowned.

Lyra raised a brow. "Is something the matter?"

Ethan considered whether to tell Lyra what has been bothering him. Talking about it might be better than bottling it all up. He let out a deep sigh.

"I've lost to Silver twice now. I wanted to get stronger, so I've been battling against other trainers."

"Really? So that's why I saw you seemed off during that battle earlier." Lyra then asked, "So how many trainers have you battled?"

"Four or five. I've kinda lost count."

Lyra gave him a concerned frown. When she noticed Roller on Ethan's arms, she gasped.

"Oh no, is your Cyndaquil alright?" She gazed down at her Chikorita. "Sunny, can you grab a potion from my bag?"

Sunny made a sound, which Ethan assumed was a "yes." Two vines popped out from her neck and she pulled out a portion bottle from Lyra's bag. Lyra gave her thanks to Sunny before returning her. She sprayed some sips on Roller's back. When several of Roller's wounds began to fade, Lyra smiled and scratched the Pokémon's forehead.

"There, you should be fine now little guy." Lyra faced Ethan and her smile faded. "Did you let your Pokémon have some rest, at least?"

"Not really. I've been so caught up training my Pokémon and I didn't get a chance to stop."

Lyra's frown deepened. "Training without rest will hurt you and your Pokémon more. Come on, I'll take you to the Pokémon Center at..." Lyra stopped there, and a grin slowly formed on her face. "Actually, I have a better idea."

"What better idea?" Ethan asked.

"There's a Pokémon Daycare Center just outside Goldenrod City that my grandparents run. Your Pokémon can rest there."

Ethan had heard of Pokémon Daycares before. They were places where trainers could drop off their Pokémon and have someone watch over them for a while. He had never been to one before but always wanted to. He wasn't sure if visiting one would help his current situation, but it was nice of Lyra to offer some help and it would be rude of him to decline.

"Alright, I'll go to the daycare," Ethan said half-heartedly. Despite his less than enthusiastic tone, Lyra beamed at him.

"Great! It isn't too far from here, come on."

Lyra made a hand gesture for him to follow, which Ethan did. He returned Cyndaquil and followed her with slumped shoulders, feeling like a heavy burden.

xxx

Lyra always loved visiting her grandparents' Pokémon Daycare. There would be all kinds of Pokémon staying there, including ones not native to either the Johto or the Kanto region. Her grandparents allowed her to play with them as they trusted her to not harm any of them. Seeing Ethan being down after that loss worried her, so she hoped the visit there would cheer him up.

It didn't take them long to reach there. The building resembled a cottage house with stone steps and chimney, which was fitting as it nestled in the middle of several tall trees and grass. A wooden sign with the words "Henceforth Pokémon Daycare" was pinned in the middle of the ground. She and Ethan were in front of the daycare, her friend staring at it.

"So this is your grandparents' daycare?" Ethan asked.

"Ah huh!" Lyra said, beaming. "They love taking care and raising Pokémon, so I think yours will like it there. Come on, let's go inside!" Without waiting for Ethan's response, she grabbed his arm and they stepped inside.

The daycare's main room was small with a few furniture for the visitors to sit on and a table with water and snacks. There were several pictures hung on the wall which were of Lyra's grandparents from decades ago to fairly recent. One of the workers, Janet, kneeled down to feed a Vulpix some Pokémon kibbles.

"Janet!" Lyra called out her name as she and Ethan approached her. Janet stood up straight and greeted her with a warm smile.

"Lyra! What brings you here today?"

"I'm taking my friend Ethan to see my grandparents. Are they here?"

"Yes they are. They're outside watching the other Pokémon."

"Oh, cool! The both of us will go out there now," Lyra said before leaving with Ethan.

Behind the daycare was a wide open field for the Pokémon to stay at. A Wigglytuff was chasing two Bellsprout who were running away from it. A pond where many of the water-type Pokémon swam nestled in the middle of the field. A large dark-feathered bird with a red tip at the end of its forehead perched at one of the tree branches; Lyra recalled that Pokémon to be the main bird of Sinnoh. Seeing all those Pokémon made Lyra grin.

"Looks like there are quite a few new Pokémon since I last visited here. You see that bird? It's a Staraptor which I've only ever seen from television. There are also a couple of Sentret hanging in that bush. And oh, I see a Vaporeon and Wooper splashing water at each other! Isn't that cute?"

Ethan didn't react the same way, as if his mind was preoccupied. "Hm? Yeah, it's kinda cute."

Lyra frowned, not liking Ethan's tone there. Her face changed to a smile when she spotted her grandparents feeding a Girafarig and a Stantler. When they finished giving the Pokémon food, her grandparents noticed her and grinned.

"Lyra!" Grandma responded first.

"Hello, Grandma! Hello, Grandpa!" Lyra went to hug her grandparents, their embraces warm and welcoming.

"How are you, kiddo?" her grandfather asked. When he noticed Ethan, his grin widened. "And is this a friend of yours?"

"I'm doing great! And yes, I brought a friend with me. His name's Ethan."

Grandma offered Ethan a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Ethan. I'm Kathy, and this is my husband Eugene."

"Hi to the both of you, I guess," Ethan said in a bored tone and faced away at everyone.

Lyra's stomach sank while her grandparents' eyes grew wide and exchanged confused looks. There was a short awkward silence until Grandpa cleared his throat and spoke.

"I take it you and Ethan are here to visit?" he asked her.

"Yup! I brought him here to have a look at the daycare and have his Pokémon rest here for a bit."

"Oh, really?" Her grandfather chuckled, and he faced Ethan. "Well, my wife and I would be delighted for you and your Pokémon to stay here."

"Is it alright if we get to see your Pokémon?" Grandma asked.

When Ethan's face was still in an indifferent expression, Lyra was afraid he would say that he changed his mind and would go to Goldenrod City instead. Fortunately though he let out a grunt and released his Pokémon: Roller his Cyndaquil, Carly his Hoothoot, and oh--did he recently have a Mareep? Lyra couldn't help herself and squealed.

"Aw, you have a new Pokémon, and it's a Mareep!" She kneeled down to scratch the Mareep's chin. Ethan's Pokémon made a happy "bahh," as if enjoying it.

Roller lifted his head and squeaked. His eyes looked tired, but otherwise he was feeling a little better now. Carly perched on Grandma's shoulder and gave out a low "Hoot." Grandma giggled and patted the Hoothoot's head.

"You have very cute Pokémon there!"

"I agree!" Grandpa picked up Roller, who sniffed at him and squealed happily.

Ethan shrugged. "Thanks, I suppose."

Lyra frowned. She thought her grandparents' compliments would cheer Ethan up, even if a tiny bit. A small smile formed on her lips when an idea came to her.

"Hey, why don't our Pokémon play together?" she asked Ethan.

Again Ethan looked like he wasn't paying attention. He blinked and replied, "Huh? Sure, whatever."

"I think it's a great idea," Grandma said while Grandpa nodded in return.

"Okay, great!" Lyra pulled out two pokéballs from her bag. "Time to play, Sunny and Bom-Bom!"

She released Sunny, her Chikorita, and Bom-Bom, her Aipom. Sunny stretched her back while Aipom danced and made noises. Her Pokémon noticed Ethan's, and they began chasing each other.

"Say, you kids are hungry?" Grandpa asked.

Lyra beamed and said, "Yes, I'm starving!

"I'm kinda hungry, I guess," Ethan said in a less enthusiastic tone.

"Great! We have a few spare rooms, so you guys can take the one upstairs. In the meantime, I'll go ahead and make something for dinner."

Her grandparents headed back to the daycare, the children following behind. Lyra gazed over her shoulder to see Ethan hung his head down and his shoulders slumped. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips: clearly he was still upset over Silver. She wondered if there was any way to make Ethan feel better.

xxx

While Grandpa was cooking dinner, Lyra helped Janet and Grandma with taking care of the Vulpix from earlier. She was a little shy with other Pokémon but loved to hang out with Janet and Grandma and gave the best lick on the cheek. Ethan watched the television instead with an uninterested expression on his face, very likely not paying attention. Again that worried Lyra.

After another hour or so, Janet had to leave from work and go back home in Goldenrod City. Dinner was ready shortly after, and everyone went to the kitchen and gathered around the table.

Grandpa cooked spaghetti tonight, which was Lyra's favorite food of his. The meatballs were soft and juicy, the noodles were nice and tender, and the sauce had a hint of sweetness that she loved. She glanced over at Ethan, who only took a handful of bites of his dinner. He was now playing a meatball with his fork.

Lyra cleared her throat. "Say Ethan, is there anything you want to know about the daycare?"

That caused Ethan to stop and looked up.

"I guess I have one." He faced Lyra's grandparents. "So how did you two decide to run a Pokémon Daycare?"

Grandma said, "Oh, well Eugene and I enjoy watching over Pokémon and helping them become stronger." A nostalgic expression washed over her face. "After we settled down, we opened this Pokémon Daycare and it has been the best decision we ever made!"

Smiling, Lyra asked, "I bet this place is always booming with trainers dropping their Pokémon, yeah?"

"Not really," Grandpa said with a chuckle. "It's slow on some days, but we cherished every Pokémon being brought here." He ate a piece of meatball, and faced Ethan. "You're on a Pokémon journey, right? How is it going so far?"

A deep frown formed on Ethan's lips. He seemed to hesitate in responding, but eventually he did.

"Well, I began my Pokémon journey a few months ago with Roller as my starter. I have two badges so far and defeated Team Rocket at Azalea Town. They're nothing, though."

Grandma's eyes grew wide, and she grinned. "Oh, so you're the trainer that took care of Team Rocket a couple weeks ago? Honestly I'm impressed and...a bit confused as to why you think otherwise."

Lyra swallowed some of the spaghetti and responded, "There's this kid that defeated Ethan a few times and he's upset with that."

After gulping a glass of water, Grandpa chuckled once more. "I've encountered other young trainers that came here having similar situations. I always tell them that there will always be other battles and trainers to go against."

"No!" Ethan rose from his seat and slammed his fist on the table, which made everyone flinch. "I need to prove to Silver that I'm not weak!" He let out deep breaths. Once he calmed down, he said, "I need to go outside."

After Ethan left the kitchen, Lyra furrowed her brow while her grandparents exchanged confused looks. This was worse than she thought. She dragged out a sigh.

"I'm sorry for what has just happened. I'm gonna go check up on him." She rose out from her seat and rushed out of the kitchen, hoping Ethan didn't cause more trouble than he already did.

xxx

Ethan stepped outside to the backyard and walked at a brisk pace. That outburst at Lyra's grandparents was probably uncalled for, but he didn't care. He passed by a Nidorina eating berries and two Persian curling up next to each other, only glancing at them for a second.

He stopped at a tree next to the pond. Still frustrated, he picked up a rock and, with a grunt, threw the rock at the trunk. That caused a few Spearow and Natu to fly off, and an Elekid that rested underneath the tree to run off.

"Why have you been a bad guest since we came here?"

Ethan's shoulders jumped when he heard Lyra's voice. He turned around to see her with a deep frown.

"Staying in this daycare isn't helping me to get stronger," Ethan said bitterly as he hung his head down. He put his hands inside the large pocket of his jacket.

Lyra gasped and furrowed her brow at him. "That's not the point of this visit!"

"Then what's the point?" Ethan screamed, which made Lyra narrow her eyes at him.

A short and intense silence stretched between the two. During that, there was a rustling sound from the bushes and both Ethan's and Lyra's Pokémon came out from hiding. Carly and Lyra's Aipom perched at the tree that Ethan had just hit while Roller, Speckle, and Sunny approached closer to the trainers. Lyra then spoke.

"You know what? If you want to get stronger so bad, then let's have a Pokémon battle."

Ethan's face fell. "What?"

"You and me have a battle with your Cyndaquil against my Chikorita." She glared at him and put her hands on her sides. "Or are you afraid you'll lose?"

While taken aback by Lyra's challenge, Ethan actually was glad she did. He would prove Silver wrong and defeat her. A smirk curled on his lips.

"Fine, we'll battle. Roller, come here."

"Sunny, you come here, too."

Both Sunny and Roller made confused noises and exchanged looks with each other. Eventually they obliged and went to their respective trainer's sides. Ethan was the first to command.

"Use Flame Wheel, Roller!"

"Stop Roller's tracks with Reflect!"

With a loud squeal, Roller burst into flames and rolled towards his opponent. Sunny summoned a mirror screen to protect herself, which caused Roller to bounce right off from it. Ethan gritted his teeth.

"Go and use Tackle!" he ordered.

"You too, Sunny!"

Both Roller and Sunny charged and tackled each other several times. Ethan and Lyra's other Pokémon watched the battle closely, their heads moving as if to keep track at them.

Lyra said, "Okay Sunny, change things up with Magical Leaf!"

"What?" Ethan yelled, taken aback by that command. "Burn as much of those as you can!"

Sunny twirled the large leaf on her head and several colorful-flashing leafs popped up. Roller spat some fireballs at the leaves, and was able to get most of them, but some slashed at his fur. A lump formed inside Ethan's throat.

"Ember!"

Roller yawned and barely was able to keep his head up. Ethan's shout caused him to flinch and he released small fireballs once more. For a second, Ethan thought Roller was going to doze off. Each of them hit Sunny's face and sides, leaving scorch marks there.

"Alright, great!" Ethan cheered and raised his chin. His grin disappeared though when a smirk stretched across Lyra's face.

Sunny started to glow in a bright light, illuminating the evening darkness. The scorch marks on her sides and face faded. Ethan realized that was Synthesis, so he clenched his fist and groaned in frustration.

This happened almost exactly in his battle with Gina earlier. Was he going to lose to Lyra? That was the outcome he didn't want.

"Quick Attack!"

"Counter with Razor Leaf!"

Roller already rushed toward Sunny at breakneck speed and slammed into her. She was pushed at the edge of the pond and fell into the water. A few seconds passed until two vines were pulled out and wrapped onto the trunk of the tree. Ethan gasped in shock when Sunny exploded out of the pond and let out several Razor Leafs at Roller. The Cyndaquil sustained more cuts on his body, causing him to cry out in pain.

Lyra called out for another Magical Leaf, and Sunny released colorful leaves at Roller again. It was Roller's turn to be pushed into the pond, and when he did there was a small splash. Ethan gasped and rushed to the edge of the pond.

"Roller!" Ethan slipped his arms into the waters and pulled Roller from there. His Cyndaquil was soaked and shaking. He glanced around to see that Lyra and her Pokémon had disappeared for a moment. They came back about a minute later, Lyra holding a towel.

"Here. My grandparents have some towels inside the building."

She handed him a towel, which Ethan accepted. He wrapped it around Roller like a newborn baby and cradled him. Both Lyra's and his Pokémon gathered around them with worried looks.

"You're hurting yourself and your Pokémon if you keep this up!" Lyra yelled. Ethan gazed up to see her giving him a disappointed look. "I get that you're upset about losing to Silver, but he's a jerk. You're a good trainer, Ethan, you need to not let him get to you so much." Lyra sighed and pinched her nose. "It's time to grow up."

It's time to grow up. Those words drilled deep inside Ethan's head. He gazed back down at Roller, still breathing and looking at him with sad eyes. Seeing him like that made his heart sink.

"What's going on here?" That voice belonged to Lyra's grandmother, Kathy he recalled. Her grandparents approached them with concerned looks.

"Lyra got upset at my behavior towards you two earlier and challenged me to a Pokémon battle."

Kathy gasped and her eyes grew wide. "Oh my. Are your guys' Pokémon hurt?"

"Sunny's fine, but Roller could use a quick check," Lyra said and looked down, sounding ashamed she was the one that hurt him. Both Sunny and Bom-Bom also hung their heads down, as if sympathizing with her.

Kathy gave a nod and went to Ethan. He handed Roller to her, and watched as she put a palm over his forehead. She made a "hm" sound and pulled out three berries from the fanny pack around her waist. She put a berry next to Roller's mouth and he slowly chewed it. Kathy did the same action with the last two berries and Roller also ate those. A relieved smile tugged at her lips.

"Roller's forehead started to heat up, but I gave him some berries that should make him feel better."

"Thank you," Ethan said in a low voice. He felt his heart jump in his stomach, as if he didn't deserve any help from Lyra's grandparents.

Throughout all this, Lyra's grandfather, Eugene, was silent and just watched. He crossed his arms, his stare piercing through Ethan's soul.

"I have something to show you two," he said in a tone that Ethan couldn't pinpoint.

Eugene turned around and walked toward the daycare. Ethan and Lyra exchanged confused looks and then turned to see Kathy smiling at them.

"Go on, you two. I'll watch Roller for a bit."

A part of Ethan felt that he should be by Roller's side, but he trusted Kathy that she would watch over him fine. He nodded and followed with Lyra to the daycare.

xxx

Ethan went to the main room with Lyra and her grandfather. When he first stepped inside, Ethan noticed that there were several photographs hung on the wall but didn't pay attention that they were of Lyra's grandparents during various stages of their lives. Ethan looked through those photos with Lyra next to him, now actually interested in them. Meanwhile, Eugene went upstairs.

"Wow, are some of these photos of your grandparents with the Pokémon they looked over here?" he asked, and Lyra beamed. Right now he gazed at a photo Lyra's grandparents splashing water with a Politoed and a Squirtle.

"Ah huh. They like to take photos with the trainers and their Pokémon as a way to remember them. I think it's sweet."

Ethan made a small hum, agreeing with what Lyra said. At that moment, Eugene came down the stairs.

"Ah, here it is," Eugene said as he approached them. "I kept this photograph with me since I was a boy."

He showed the photograph, which was a picture of him and an Azumarill, Gloom, and Skarmory. They were outside of the Olivine City Lighthouse on a sunny day, grinning ear to ear.

"You were a trainer before?" Ethan asked. He was genuinely curious.

"Yes. I had four badges and three Pokémon with me. My journey was cut short though when I became ill and was in and out of the hospital for a year."

"I think you told me this before," Lyra said. " You let my father watch over Betty and Petals while Arthur you let go."

"I did. What I didn't tell you is like Ethan I had a rival, too."

"You did?" Ethan said with wide eyes. Next to him, Lyra tilted her head and blinked.

"His name was Ritchie, and to me I didn't think he raised his Pokémon all that well. We battled several times, and each time I lost. Eventually I won a battle against him, but at the cost of hurting my Pokémon. I didn't feel good over that win."

Ethan pondered over Eugene's story for a moment. He asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I can tell that Lyra is worried you're pushing your Pokémon too hard."

A dreaded feeling dropped into the pit of Ethan's stomach. Both he and Lyra were right that he did push his Pokémon more than he should, and they were hurt because of him. He wasn't becoming a good trainer...no, a good friend to them.

"Maybe Lyra is right that I need to grow up."

A sad smile tugged at Lyra's lips. "No, I lost my temper out there. I know you care deeply for your Pokémon."

Ethan shook his head. "I deserved that wake-up call, though. I also should apologize to my Pokémon."

Lyra regarded him a moment, and her smile returned. "Grandma should still be outside. Come on!"

Everyone went back outside. Most of the Pokémon save for the nocturnal ones already went back to sleep. Kathy sat down on the bench with Roller, still covered with a towel, on her lap. Carly and Bom-Bom were perched on Kathy's shoulder while Speckle and Sunny sat down on the ground and gazed up at her.

Ethan froze, hesitating to move or speak. He looked over his shoulder to see Lyra and Eugene nodding at him. Turning back, Ethan inhaled and moved a few steps forward. Kathy and Speckle looked up at him curiously while Carly puffed his feathers and let out an angry, "Hoot." Sunny and Bom-Bom stared at him. Roller perked up from Kathy's arms.

"How's Roller doing?" Ethan asked in a timid voice.

With a sweet smile, Kathy said, "He's doing wonderfully. Give him these berries before you go to bed, and he'll be fine after a full night's rest."

Kathy handed him a few more of the berries from earlier, and Ethan put them in his jacket's pocket.

"Thank you, I'll remember to do that." Scratching the back of his neck, Ethan faced his Pokémon. "Hey, guys. Look, I know I've been a jerk to all of you the past week or so. None of you deserved to be treated that way."

Ethan stopped to see his Pokémon's reactions. Carly deflated herself and let out a soft "Hoo." Speckle shook and also made a noise. Roller gave him a long stare. Ethan's heart almost skipped a beat, but he continued.

"I promise to be a better trainer and friend to you guys. I hope you can forgive me."

Again, Ethan awaited their response. Speckle was the first, letting out a happy cry and rubbing affectionately at his leg. Carly was next, flying over to Ethan's shoulder and nuzzling on his cheek. He chuckled, ticklish at their touches. When Roller still stared at him, Ethan frowned at first but then a few seconds passed--

--and Roller jumped out of Kathy's arms and into his own.

Ethan gasped, stunned at Roller's action there. His Cyndaquil lifted his head up to lick his face. Overjoyed, he beamed and their noses touched. Roller's snout was slightly cold and wet but he didn't care.

"Aw, that's very cute!" Lyra cooed, clasping her hands together. Both Bom-Bom and Sunny went to her side and made agreed noises.

Kathy chuckled and she rose out of the bench. "It is. I'm very glad that they made up. Say, do you kids want some cookies before going to bed?"

Ethan's face lit up, cookies being his all time favorite snack. Lyra reacted the same way, a grin stretching across her face.

"Yeah, of course!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Cookies sound great!" Lyra said cheerfully.

"Great you two!" Eugene said and clapped his hands. "Kathy bought some cookies from Coco's Bakery in Goldenrod City. I think you guys will love them."

Everyone began to come back inside with Ethan and his Pokémon following behind. A huge burden was lifted off Ethan's shoulders now, glad that he was able to patch things up with his Pokémon.

xxx

That night Ethan finally was able to relax and enjoy Lyra's grandparents' company. Eugene was right that he indeed loved Coco's Bakery's cookies: the chocolate chip, pink, and brownie cookies had the right amount of sugar and were his favorites. While he and Lyra were eating the snacks, Kathy told them a few funny stories that happened in the daycare, like the time she and Eugene were taking care of a Ditto and it went missing by disguising as another Pokémon. Ethan laughed aloud when Eugene talked about the Ditto pretending to be a Corsola and poking everyone.

When it was getting late, Kathy led the children to their rooms and said goodnight to them. Ethan let Carly go outside the window to perch on a tree while Speckle and Roller joined with him in bed. He made sure to give Roller the berries that Kathy had given him, and then everyone fell asleep with Roller in Ethan's arms and Speckle just below his legs.

The next morning, he and Lyra prepared to leave the daycare. Ethan had Carly and Speckle inside their pokéballs while Roller was next to him. Earlier he and Kathy checked his temperature, which went back to normal. Ethan was relieved that Roller was much better now.

"I want to thank you Mr. and Mrs. Henceforth for letting me stay for the night and making me feel better," Ethan said with a grin.

"It's no trouble at all," Kathy said, offering him a soft smile. "Though you should thank Lyra as it's her idea to have you come here."

"Yeah!" A smug expression stretched across Lyra's face, and she crossed her arms. "I think I deserve some thanks, too."

Ethan chuckled. "Alright, alright, you get some thanks also. I didn't mean to leave you out like that."

"I know, I was only teasing," Lyra said with a wink.

"You're more than welcome to come back to visit," Eugene said. He also gave him a soft smile.

"I'll be sure to come to visit again!"

Ethan went to embrace both Lyras' grandparents. When they hugged back, he felt warm inside their arms. After he let go, Ethan picked up Roller and watched as Lyra also hugged her grandparents. Eventually she finished and walked up to him.

"Ready to go?" Lyra asked.

With a nod, Ethan said, "I am. Let's go."

He and Lyra waved and shouted goodbye to Eugene and Kathy, and the old couple did the same. After several seconds, Ethan and Lyra turned around and headed towards Goldenrod City.

Silver might have stronger Pokémon and probably would win more battles, but Ethan made peace with that. He was glad that Lyra helped him before he hurt his Pokémon more, and looked forward to his next visit to the daycare.