Though the tasks in the daycare seemed simple, there were actually all kinds of chores large and small: cleaning, cooking, feeding Pokémon, welcoming guests, cultivating herbs, tidying guest rooms…
If Carver and Bewear had to handle all of it on their own, it would take quite a bit of time.
But with the Clefairies helping, that was a different story.
Taking advantage of a lull in visitors, Carver and Bewear gave the Clefairies emergency training and assigned them various tasks.
Currently, there were twelve Clefairies in total.
Carver divided them into six groups of two:
Chef Clefairies: prepare food for everyone.
Housekeeping Clefairies: clean and maintain the daycare.
Waiter Clefairies: greet guests and serve meals.
Caretaker Clefairies: feed and care for Pokémon in the backyard.
Farmer Clefairies: water, fertilize, and harvest herbs and vegetables.
Medic Clefairies: use healing moves to treat injured Pokémon.
Carver and Bewear taught each group their duties.
Bewear, being good at chores and caretaking, handled the Housekeeping and Caretaker groups.
The remaining eight Clefairies were personally trained by Carver.
First, he bought two Wailmer watering cans from town and gave them to the Farmer Clefairies, teaching them to water the fields regularly.
Since there were no Water-type Pokémon at the daycare, the Clefairies filled in.
The Medic Clefairies had it easier—their "clinic" was set up inside the spaceship.
Any injured Pokémon could head there for care.
As for the Waiter Clefairies, their job was simply to deliver food to guests staying at the inn.
The hardest task was training the Chef Clefairies.
It took Carver three whole days to teach them how to make ramen, sandwiches, and berry juice.
Watching the two Clefairies now happily making sandwiches, Carver let out a long breath.
These few dishes were enough for now—their main focus was still the daycare.
Carver had worried the Clefairies might struggle or lose interest since they'd never done this kind of work before.
But he was wrong.
"Clefairy!"
The Clefairies quickly adapted to life at the daycare in just one day.
There was unlimited food and endless milk and juice—it was just like the "land flowing with milk and honey" from legends on their home planet!
Here, they didn't have to forage or worry about danger.
Every mealtime, that human named Carver would bring them something delicious.
They'd never lived like this before—not even on their home world. It was fun here!
Still, play was play. Work was work. They were determined to take it seriously.
Carver had said this was an employment relationship.
They helped out at the daycare, and he would help fix the spaceship and collect Moon Stones, the fuel they needed to resume their interstellar voyage.
Once they had enough Moon Stones, they could leave this planet and continue searching for the legendary land.
That night, after a day of work, the Clefairies gathered inside their spaceship to chat about the mythical destination.
They promised each other that once they gathered enough Moon Stones, they'd depart together.
"Clefairy!" said one of the Chef Clefairies dreamily. (Cooking is so fun—I love it!)
It felt amazing to see someone happily enjoying food they had prepared with care.
The Farmer Clefairies shared the sentiment.
Earlier, Gloom had told them: even if a seed looks tiny and ordinary, given time, it can grow into something tall, blooming with flowers and fruit.
"Clefairy~" It was something to look forward to!
Even better—the Farmer Clefairy turned to its Chef counterpart:
"Clefairy!" (Carver said once our plants bear fruit, we can give them to you to make new dishes!)
"Clefairy?!" Chef Clefairy's eyes lit up—really?
"Clefairy!" The Farmers nodded enthusiastically. That's what Carver and Bewear told them!
"Clefairy!" Wonderful! The Chef Clefairies were filled with anticipation.
Even those in other roles were enjoying themselves.
On their home planet, there were only rocks. No flowers. No greenery. No juice. No milk.
And the work here? Not tiring at all. Most of the time, they were just goofing around.
Not to mention the tasty snacks Carver and Bewear provided…
Was this… paradise?
Then one Clefairy hesitantly asked, "Clefairy?"
Do we… still need to search for the land of milk and honey?
They didn't even know where it was—and might never find it.
"Clefairy!" One Clefairy nodded resolutely. Of course! That's why they left their home world to begin with!
The rest fell silent.
With the Clefairies settled, and plenty of new help around, Carver was in a great mood.
But another issue remained—what to do with the six meteorites they had given him.
To the Clefairies, they were just pretty decorations.
But Carver knew—any one of them could reactivate Mt. Chimney, cause a volcanic eruption, and awaken the ancient Groudon.
And they were… warm to the touch. Did they emit radiation?
Alarmed, Carver looked at his hand.
No burns. No sickness. Not even a rash.
"…Maybe humans in the Pokémon world just have special physiques?"
Carver muttered, remembering how Ash could take a Thunderbolt head-on.
Speaking of Ash…
At this time, Steven hadn't yet become Champion, and Ash was only four or five years old.
That meant the major plot events of the Pokémon world were still at least five years away.
Perfect.
They could spend those five years quietly developing.
And if Groudon and Kyogre ever started wreaking havoc on Hoenn, maybe—just maybe—they'd be ready.