Perhaps Jenny had once again helped promote the daycare in Fallleaf Town, because early the next morning, just as Carver and Growlithe got up, a new customer arrived.
There are generally two types of customers who come to a daycare.
The first type includes breeders, trainers, or coordinators who want to hatch Pokémon eggs for battle purposes. This group tends to have high standards for a Pokémon egg's potential.
The second type, however, are non-trainers. Their Pokémon are not for combat, but for companionship and daily life.
Today's guest, Miss Reiko, belonged to the second type.
Miss Reiko, about twenty years old, was a gentle and refined young woman.
"I live and work alone here in Fallleaf Town, and I'd like a Pokémon to keep me company," she said to the young-looking Carver.
"What kind of Pokémon do you like?" Carver asked, glancing toward the kitchen, where the Clefairy were busy preparing breakfast.
Reiko thought carefully. "Hmm… I'm not really sure. I'd like one that can keep me company and make me feel less lonely. Do you have any recommendations?"
Carver considered it for a moment, then asked, "May I ask what kind of work you do, Miss Reiko?"
"I'm a painter," Reiko replied. "I used to live in Rustboro City, but after some unpleasant things happened, I moved to this quiet little town to start over."
"But living alone is just too lonely, so I want to buy a Pokémon to keep me company."
Carver nodded and asked, "Have you had any experience with Pokémon before?"
"No… I never wanted to be a trainer. I went to school as usual, graduated from university, then started job hunting. And now… here I am."
"I see," Carver said. After a moment of thought, he had a fitting recommendation. "What do you think about a Glameow?"
"Glameow?"
"Yes. It's a very cute cat-like Pokémon with pink fur. While they're not naturally clingy, if you raise one from an egg, that won't be an issue."
"Glameow is gentle, not aggressive, and very quiet. It would quietly keep you company while you paint—perfect for an artist," Carver explained calmly.
"Glameow…" Reiko murmured.
A memory came to her of seeing someone walking with a Glameow on the street—a soft pink, obedient cat Pokémon. It was indeed adorable.
"And if you ever tire of its cuteness, you can use a Moon Stone to evolve it into a Purugly," Carver added.
"In that case, I'll go with Glameow!" Reiko decided.
"Alright. The price is 70,000 League Credits. We accept cash or transfer," said Carver.
Unlike Trapinch, Glameow wasn't considered rare. In Hoenn's cities and surrounding forests, it was fairly common, hence the lower price.
For a painter, it was affordable. Reiko paid, and Carver handed her the Glameow egg.
"Thank you very much. I'll take good care of this little one," Reiko said politely, then got ready to leave.
"Take care, Miss Reiko," Carver said.
Reiko smiled and nodded, then left the daycare.
Just as she left, the chef Clefairy finished preparing breakfast.
Today's breakfast was scrambled eggs and milk, served by the Clefairy waitstaff in the dining room.
"Thanks for your hard work, Clefairy!" Carver patted one on its fluffy head.
"Clef~!"
After breakfast, the daycare officially opened for the day.
Unfortunately, no new customers arrived for a long while.
With nothing to do, Carver wandered around the daycare.
Taillow still hadn't shown up. Standing at the front door, Carver scanned the area but didn't spot it anywhere.
With more Pokémon in the daycare, the berries on the berry trees weren't quite enough to feed everyone. To help make ends meet, Bewear had grabbed a basket and headed into the forest to forage.
Carver and Growlithe waved goodbye as it left, then returned inside.
He went to the backyard to check on the Pokémon left for breeding and looked around to see if any eggs had been left behind.
Swampert and Quagsire were still spending time together by the lake, working on their bond. They hadn't laid any eggs yet.
This was normal in the daycare business.
There wasn't much Carver could do—he could only wait patiently.
Meanwhile, the Clefairy were happily playing around the daycare. Though each had their duties, when working together, they could finish tasks quickly and spent most of their time playing afterward.
In the herb garden, Oddish was fast asleep under a fruit tree, and Carver didn't disturb it.
Instead, his attention went to two Clefairy dressed as farmers watering crops with a Wailmer Pail. Their big eyes sparkled with anticipation as they looked at the freshly sprouted seedlings.
Those sprouts were the fruits of Oddish and the farmer Clefairies' labor.
Carver exhaled deeply, feeling a lightness in his chest.
"When Swablu hatches, I can count on it to help with watering," Carver thought.
Swablu could change the weather to rain and summon showers with Rain Dance—perfect for agriculture.
The whole daycare felt vibrant and full of life.
Compared to the abandoned state it was in when he arrived, it had already grown lively.
"Woof woof!"
Growlithe sat obediently by his side.
It had grown a lot since it hatched—now about the size of a normal Growlithe.
Once it evolved into Arcanine, Carver could ride it!
Arcanine, nearly two meters tall and over 300 pounds, charging down a road with him on its back… Carver could barely imagine how cool that would be.
"Growlithe, grow up fast, alright?" Carver said, patting its head.
Growlithe closed its eyes contentedly and barked, "Woof woof!"
At the same time, at Meteor Falls…
Ten-year-old Steven Stone stood thoughtfully at a fork in the path.
"My training here at Meteor Falls is just about done. Beldum has evolved into Metang, and I've found plenty of rare stones."
It was time to move forward.
Steven took out a map and looked up his next destination.
If he crossed Meteor Falls and passed through the vast Fallleaf Forest, he'd reach the agricultural hub—Fallleaf Town.
"Metang, return!"
He packed up his stones, recalled Metang into its Poké Ball, and began walking toward Fallleaf Town.