Chapter Text
“Pay more attention in your lessons, Amethio. I want to see excellent grades.”
“Put that sentimentality aside, Amethio-sama. As your grandfather's future heir, you must be firm and not show such a pitiful side.”
“You are a disgrace to our family, Amethio. I disown you as my grandson. You have disappointed me completely!”
“Oh, young master Amethio, it is my duty to take care of you. Only I can fix your mess.”
Amethio gasped and woke up with a start. He felt his heart beating hard in his chest and cold sweat running down his body. With trembling hands, he searched his entire body for wounds and injuries. His eyes, filled with despair, looked in all directions, trying to find glimmers of light.
Finding none, he groaned and brought his hands to his face, feeling his cheeks wet with the tears of his nightmares. He sobbed quietly as he remembered those painful memories from his past; they had not completely gone away.
They would never go away.
A warm touch on his arm distracted him. He lowered his hands from his face and turned to see his Ceruledge looking at him with a hint of concern. His Corviknight rested its beak on his legs, as if comforting him, and cooed sadly. He smiled at them and moved his arms to pat them.
Always so protective of him.
—I'm fine, don't worry.
But he was interrupted by a series of squeaks and small squeezes on his torso. He looked down and saw four mice hugging each other tightly and rubbing their little faces against his chest. He laughed a little and stroked the little rodents with his right hand, playing with their ears.
—Maushold, it's over. I'm fine.
He moved away a little to wipe the rest of the tears from his face and stretch. It was just a nightmare; he wasn't going to let it affect him more than necessary. He frowned when he saw his bedside clock, as there were only five minutes left before the alarm went off. Well, his day could start a little earlier.
He swung his feet out of bed, pushed aside the comforters, and smoothed out the mattress cover. Maushold jumped on the bed to remove the wrinkles from the fabric. He did the same with the comforters and pillows. Amethio pulled his hair into a high ponytail, walked slowly to the bathroom, and washed his face to wash away the last traces of sleep. He brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth twice, noticing that he was running out of toothpaste.
Then he went downstairs to the kitchen, where he took the apron hanging on a hook. He washed his hands and took out the ingredients and utensils he needed to make breakfast. He made an omurice with rice and sautéed vegetables, toast with jam, and coffee. He covered the food, placed it on a tray, and headed to the back. He felt a cool breeze that made him shiver; perhaps it was because of the huge pond (almost a lake) in the gardens.
From some special, oversized containers, he took out the Pokémon food he had prepared the day before and left to rest so that the flavor would intensify. He heard footsteps approaching and recognized his Pokémon, who had stayed in his room.
—Help me take out the dishes and water bowls, please.
He heard sounds of agreement and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Ceruledge and Maushold bringing lots of plates and water bowls. Corviknight's squawks made him turn his head, and he realized that the flying Pokémon had taken it upon itself to wake up the rest. In less time than he thought, the gardens and the large pond were filled with Pokémon coming out of their homes in the forest.
—Good morning, everyone.- He heard sounds of response from all of them. - Please form three lines to receive your breakfast. Ceruledge, Maushold, and I will serve it to you. Corviknight will take care of those in the pond.
Amethio quickly began placing food in bowls, and her Pokémon distributed it among the others, who were already lined up in an orderly fashion. He set out special feeders for the water Pokémon so that Corviknight could serve them without any problems.
He felt a touch on his arm, turned around, and saw who it was. He came face to face with Gardevoir and Gallade, who were holding out their hands to help him.
—Thanks for the help, guys.
—Gardevoir!/Gallade!
The distribution went quickly, and in a few minutes, he sat down in the garden, near where his Ceruledge was. Everyone was already eating breakfast, so he could start.
—Itadakimasu.
The chorus of responses from all the Pokémon gave him the cue to start eating with them. He smiled slightly; at least the bad mood caused by his nightmares was being overshadowed by the company of all those Pokémon. He shouldn't think about it, it would only make him sad. It wasn't worth it.
After finishing breakfast, with the help of all those Pokémon, he headed to his room to get dressed and start work. His Ceruledge had gone ahead and already taken out his uniform and shoes. He thanked him and got dressed calmly, knowing he still had plenty of time. He combed his hair and left it loose, then rinsed his mouth to remove any traces of breakfast. As he left the bathroom, he ran into Blissey, who was holding out a glass of water and a cloth napkin with two pills on it.
—Blissey, Blissey.
—I forgot, thank you, Blissey.- He grimaced at the scolding look on the Pokémon's face. -I won't do it again, I'm sorry.
—Blissey.
Amethio swallowed the pills and drank all the water in the glass. He didn't like it, but it was necessary. Blissey took the glass and napkin, and he walked outside, where a smiling Wailmer carried him on its back to the other side of the pond. Out of habit, he closed his eyes when he encountered a stone wall dividing the pond in two, but it was only an illusion caused by psychic Pokémon. After so many years, he still hadn't quite gotten used to it.
Once he reached the other side of the pond, he climbed down from the whale Pokémon's back and patted it in gratitude. He saw the back of his café, where other early-rising Pokémon were already busy. He tilted his head and watched as the Minccino meticulously cleaned the floors, tables, and every surface. They were very clean Pokémon... or very perfectionist. Well, with the Indeedee pair in charge, it was no surprise.
He saw the two Pokémon, which brought back other memories. He shook his head to push them away and focus on his activities. He let the Minccino work and headed for the kitchens. He took a quick look around to make sure everything was in order. Soon he felt Ceruledge and Maushold position themselves right beside him, attentive to any announcements they might hear. Amethio smiled warmly as he watched the Pokémon enter through the doors in an orderly fashion and settle down at the work tables, ready to start their workday just as he was.
He turned to the blackboard behind him, where the different desserts and other dishes that needed to be prepared in advance were written, as well as the special orders that had to be delivered.
It was going to be a tough day.
—Listen, we have a lot of work to do. We'll have to divide up the tasks for today. Team 1 will make the cupcakes and other desserts, and will be led by Blissey. Team 2, led by Ceruledge, will take care of the special orders so that Corviknight and his delivery team can deliver them to the corresponding customers. There's a very large order of Poké Puff for the Pokémon Center. Finally, the Maushold team will handle orders from customers who come to the café. Remember to support each other, and if there are any issues, let me know. I'll stay at the bar to prepare drinks, but I'll spend some time at each station to lend a hand.
There was a chorus of responses from all the Pokémon, who understood Amethio's words. He clapped twice and bowed to signal that they could begin. He enjoyed watching the Pokémon move in harmony and perfect synchronization, weighing and mixing ingredients, beating mixtures or kneading cookies, baking and stacking products nonstop. He leaned lightly against the doorframe and remembered that he had to take some time to help them.
Minutes later, he made his way to the drink bar, his usual spot. Among his many tasks, Amethio was in charge of preparing drinks and desserts. Since he had a well-organized team of Pokémon, his workload had decreased significantly. He remembered with nostalgia his early days, when there were only Ceruledge, Corviknight, and Tandemaus (now Maushold). Now there were more who had joined his little family.
The Arceus clock on the wall told him it was almost time to open.
Amethio quickly took out the chalkboard he had prepared the day before. He had made some small drawings to decorate the day's promotion and placed the sign a short distance from the entrance. Two little Oshawott followed him and took care of watering the flowers so that the Flabébé and their evolutions would give them some of their energy and remain beautiful.
He glanced at the small Rookidee-shaped mailbox near the entrance and saw that it was empty because the wings were down. He sighed, and a sudden calm came over him: there was nothing. He could relax that day.
He changed the sign from “Closed” to “Open” and placed it on the glass door. Then he went inside and headed for the bar. He smiled and waited patiently for the first customers to arrive.
Today would be a great day.