It was Nicky’s first time working nights at the daycare. Unlike the daytime hours, when trainers were coming and going, night was far quieter—a time when only one worker was on staff to watch over the pokemon. Still, it was their job to safeguard the daycare’s pasture and ensure that no fights were breaking out or that wild pokemon hadn’t wandered in to sneak some ‘quality time.’ It was an important job.

Nicky cracked her knuckles and headed out with a smile. She was a tall, muscular young woman who favored loose, comfortable athletic clothing like tank tops and sweats. Her purple hair, cut short, nicely complemented her dark brown skin, and her inquisitive face was framed by a crisp pair of rectangular glasses.

Humming to herself, she noted that many of the daycare’s usual suspects seemed to be doing fine. Rockruff were dozing in pairs and Basculin were quiet in their ponds. She had to separate a Sneasel and a Meowth from a small scrap, scolding them. Then, she went further.

The first trouble of the night was Serperior. The snake was one of what the daycare staff termed ‘vacationers’—that was, long-term residents. Serperior had been here at least a year. He was aloof and proud, and resisted the staff’s attempts to get him to open up. It seemed he had taken his trainer’s decision to leave him here quite personally.

“You doing alright?” Nicky said, trying to rest a hand comfortably on his scales. Serperior huffed and used a vine to swat her away—the gesture didn’t leave any damage, but the message was clear: I don’t need your help. She sighed. “Well, just… remember, I’m here for you.” She really felt badly for the poor snake. He seemed like a good sort, but he’d internalized those isolated feelings…

She pressed further into the daycare’s pastures, smiling at the flickering static of distant Blitzle and having to remind a Diglett not to let its tunnels destroy the pasture for the rest. And then she came to the second hiccup of her night: Seviper.

How curious that both of the anomalies would be snake pokemon. Seviper, despite the reputation of Poison-types as conniving, was actually a big sweetheart, which made his distracted, jerky behavior more unusual. Nicky approached him cautiously, his purple scales glimmering with moonlight, and then she saw the root of the problem.

His hemipenes were both erect and dribbling fluid, and he was humping a tree with a desperation to his voice. Ah, that was it. He was in heat. Casting her head about, Nicky realized that the daycare currently had few female pokemon that shared an egg group with him, and all were already pregnant. He had no available mate.

This was serious—a male in heat who couldn’t find release could become quite troublesome. Thankfully, the daycare offered certain quiet services; ones they didn’t advertise, yet which were considered necessary in their line of work. If a pokemon needed release and his compatriots couldn’t provide, it was on staff to help.

Nicky had known such a task might be required of her, but this was the first time she’d actually had to do it. Swallowing, a nervous tension filling her, she approached Seviper, calling out to avoid surprising him.