June 2nd

1996

Tuesday

9:30 A.M. 

A year had passed since Nicholas was adopted by the Marbettes: a small family that lives in a two-story light-blue house in Roseberry Way. This was a peaceful neighborhood located twenty-miles outside of Striaton City, owned by the Striaton City Home Association. This organization focused on the maintenance of all suburban neighborhoods within the city limits. They weren’t the strictest of home associations and were pretty lax on most things.

The pup learned to walk due to his motion lessons at the orphanage, even though he couldn’t quite talk yet. However… that moment would arrive during a very special day: Nick’s First Birthday! 

Nick awoke from his dream as the sunlight streamed through the bedroom windows, he was in a pair of light-blue footed pajamas with a zipper in the back. Both him and his big sister shared the room, since she didn’t mind sharing it. The pup noticed that she was just waking up.

The snivy let out a yawn as she went to check on her little brother, gently approaching him as she smiled towards him. She’d say to him in a cheery tone “Good morning, and happy birthday little brother! It’s a special day that’s all about you! You’re going to get so many presents, along with eating some yummy cake!”  

The pup excitedly clapped his paws together as he wagged his tail, watching as his sister lowered the crib bars. Allowing the snivy to grab her baby brother with her grassy hands. 

“First, I am going to change you into a hip outfit!” said Angelina as she placed the pup on the ground next to some toy blocks while she went to the dresser to find some clothes to put together into one outfit. Nick watched as she pulled out a pair of tan cargo shorts, a pair of white socks, and a blue flannel shirt. It had two little pockets on the front. “Got your cute outfit ready! Let’s get you out of those pajamas!”

The pup watched as the back of his pajamas were being unzipped and taken off, revealing his stylish Jeanies diaper that was underneath. Before he could be changed into new clothes, a gurgling noise came from his stomach as his tail flagged upwards. The snivy chuckled and stood back, giving her little brother some space as she watched him bend his knees.

FRRRRRT! BLORT! SMUUURSH! 

The back of his diaper bulked up and sagged as Nick deposited a mid-sized load into the back of his diaper, sighing in relief with a dopey grin on his face. Angelina chuckled and asked “All done making fertilizer?” as the pup nodded his head in response. “Okay, let’s get you cleaned up, little stinker!” 

The snivy picked up the pup, feeling the back of his nappy squish against her grassy hands as it made an audible squish sound. She was able to tolerate the stench due to her internship experience at the orphanage. She opened the bedroom door using her vines, and made her way to the bathroom with the riolu in tow. 

These two headed into the bathroom with ease, since the door was slightly ajar. Angelina turned on the lights using one of her vines, and walked up a little step ladder that led to the top of the changing table: It was wooden with a light-blue cushion on the surface, it also had separate storage slots off to the side for storing diaper changing supplies. She’d lay the pup down gently, getting a new Jeanies diaper prepped. 

“Alright, stay still little brother! We don’t need you toddling around in a saggy diaper!” said Angelina as she chuckled. Nick giggled in return as she watched his big sister get to work on changing him into a new diaper. She made sure to clean his bottom with baby wipes and apply baby oil afterwards. When that was finished, she added some rose-scented baby powder to the front and back of the denim-diaper. 

After changing her little brother, the snivy gave him a gentle pat on the head. She was given a big hug in return, he was happy to be in a fresh diaper. The scent of the baby powder was soothing to him.

“Awww… thank you Nicky! Let’s get you dressed up now!” said the grass snake as she took him back to their room.

Four minutes later…

Angelina arrived downstairs in the kitchen, wearing a dark-green flowery skirt while her little brother was in tan cargo shorts with a blue flannel shirt. Their mother had prepared a big bowl of scrambled eggs for breakfast while waiting for them to arrive. It was sitting in the center of the dining room table. Ranae looked at them and asked “Good morning! Did you two sleep in?” as she chuckled a bit. 

“Had to change a certain pup’s diaper before I got him properly clothed.” said the grass snake as she giggled along with her little brother. “Didn’t take too long, thankfully.”

“That’s good, we don’t want the birthday boy to be uncomfortable!” said Ranae as she watched her daughter place Nick into the high-chair with her vines. She slithered over to the pup, and gently tickled his chin with one of her vines. “Happy Birthday, my precious puppy!” watching her little boy giggle a bit. 

She then slithered over to the dish cabinet, and got out three bowls to serve the eggs in. The third one was smaller since he didn’t need to eat much. Nick looked around for his father as the mother started filling up the bowls with scrambled eggs, tilting his head left and right.

 Angelina noticed her brother searching around and said “Daddy’s at work, Nickster. He gets up early before any of us, we’ll see him later tonight. Maybe we’ll see him on the news today!” Nick was a bit disappointed that he didn’t see his father at breakfast, but that mood changed to excitement as he wagged his tail back and forth. Watching as his mother placed a smaller bowl of scrambled eggs on the high-chair tray. 

Ranae picked up a spoon using her vines and scooped some eggs from the bowl onto its round silvery surface, she said to the puppy “Here comes the train, choo-choo-choo-choo!” as she slowly brought the food towards his mouth. The pup ate the food instantaneously, smiling with his two front teeth. 

The process was repeated until all the eggs were finished, the serperior smiled and said to Nicky happily “Good boy! You finished your breakfast, now it's milky time!” as she planted a kiss on his cheek. Ranae heard a loud truck honking, which surprised her and Nicky. The pup was curious about it.  

“Angie, can you please check if that’s the milkman?” Her mother asked.

“Right away mother!” said the grass snake as she went out to the front porch. 

This was indeed the milkman, standing outside his blue and white delivery van with an insulated box filled with today’s fresh milk! The name ‘Silk Ribbon Milk’ was written across the right and left side of the vehicle, with the slogan “Guaranteed Milk Deliveries Since 1925!” His uniform 

With the latest advancement in refrigeration technology, Milkmen made a grand comeback in 1980 and have been thriving ever since. After all, some people still wanted to have milk delivered to their homes without needing to visit the grocery store each time. It was a grand convenience at an efficient price! 

“Good morning Angie, I’ve heard from the neighbors about your newest addition to the family! Congratulations!” said the milkman as he adjusted his white cap for a moment. 

“Thank you John, today is my little brother’s first birthday!” said the grass snake as she picked up the box with her grass hands. 

“Sounds exciting! You’ll find something very special in today’s delivery, good day to you!” said John as he got back in his delivery van and drove away to finish up his deliveries. The snivy nodded as she headed back inside, and brought the insulated box into the kitchen. She opened the box and started putting the milk away, watching as her mother used her vines to grab a bottle from the package that was labeled ‘Vanilla Oran-Berry Baby Formula.’ 

“You’ll love this baby formula, hun!” said Ranae as she slithered to the counter to grab a baby bottle to fill up. Nick waited with anticipation as he wagged his tail and kicked his feet about. The mother slithered back over to her son, putting a baby bottle filled with baby formula right on his tray. She’d watch as the pup excitedly took the bottle and began drinking it down slowly. 

The serperior took the opportunity to put the baby formula in the fridge with the rest of the milk, not wanting to leave it out for too long. She wanted it well-preserved until she needed it again. After five minutes… the little pup had finished his bottle and let out a small burp. 

“Excuse you, little brother!” said Angelina as she chuckled. 

Ranae took her son out of the high-chair using her vines, and gently placed him on the floor. Watching him toddle off to the living room with his big sister following behind him. She didn’t want him getting anywhere he shouldn’t be. The grass snake turned on the television as her little brother sat in front of it. The device made a clicking noise as it turned on. The screen was showing Striaton City News.

“Hey, it's daddy! Look at the screen Nickster!” said the snivy. The pup looked at the screen happily, sparkles forming in his irises from the excitement. A gallade in a dark-blue suit and red tie was about to give out the morning news, as he stood in front of an animated weather map. 

“Good morning Striaton City! I’m Lonstan Marbette, and you’re watching the Striaton City News! The most reliable news network in Unova! Here’s what we’ve got for the morning news: Child abandonment has dropped by thirty percent over the last couple of months, parents are properly preparing themselves to raise children right,  asking themselves if they are ready to start a family! Also… I’d like to wish my newly adopted son a wonderful happy birthday! Hope you have a good first birthday!” said Lonstan cheerfully. 

“Dada! Dada!” exclaimed Nicky as he wagged his tail happily and touched the tv screen with his paws. Angelina was quite surprised to hear her little brother say his first words during his birthday, her mother heard her son speak from the kitchen as she slithered over to the living room.

“Nicky… those were your first words! Good job little brother!” said the snivy as she hugged her little brother.  
“That’s a good boy, come here son!” said Ranae as she watched her son toddle over to her. She’d gently coiled around her baby boy and cuddled with him. “Can you say Mama?”

“Ma- ma- Mama!” the pup said.

“Very good! Your father would be proud of you!” said the serperior as she planted a kiss on his forehead, hearing a giggle as she uncoiled from around him. “Go give your big sister a hug!”

“Big Sissy Angie!” exclaimed Nick as she gave her a hug.

“I love you little brother!” said Angelina as she hugged him and gave the pup a gentle pat on the head using her one vine. 

Three hours later… 

It was now twelve-thirty five in the afternoon, the three were having lunch in the dining room. Angelina and her mother were enjoying a salad while Nick recently finished a healthy vegetable soup, which he didn’t seem to mind. The moment was interrupted when a knocking was heard from the front door.

“I’ll get it… keep eating your lunch kiddos.” said Ranae as she slithered over to the front door and opened it. To her surprise she had four visitors: Liam, Marsha, Patricia, and Melaine. They were holding their own wrapped birthday gifts.

“Hello, we came for Nick’s birthday!” They exclaimed. 

“He’ll be happy to receive visitors for his birthday party, you’re rather early! Come on in!” said the serperior as she welcomed them in. Marsha was in a yellow skirt with lightning bolts while Patricia’s was light yellow with pink flowers. Liam and Melaine were in unique outfits as well: the squirtle wore a white polo shirt with blue shorts while the vulpix wore a light-pink shirt with a salmon pink skirt. Both youngsters were in pull-ups. 

Nick was rather excited to hear visitors coming in and wanted to eagerly see who was here, kicking his feet about and wagging his tail as he waited to be taken out of his high-chair. His big sister lifted him out of it with her vines, and placed him on the ground, just in time to see the recent visitors enter the kitchen. 

“Hey Angelina!” said the pikachu and emolga as they brought their gifts to the living room, along with the others. The pup toddled after them as Angelina joined along. She was quite surprised to see two of her classmates, along with two of Nick’s friends from the orphanage. Just as the two younger pokemon put their presents down by the television, they looked and smiled at Nick who was approaching them happily.

“Nicky, my little brother!” said Liam as he extended his arms wide. “Come give your big brother a hug!” 

“Good to see you, Nicky!” said Melaine.

“Liam! Melwaine!” exclaimed Nicholas as he toddled towards them. 

When the pup got close, he’d give the squirtle a great big hug as he wagged his tail with excitement. It had been over a year since he saw any of his friends from the orphanage, so it brought Nick great joy to see them again! 

“Awww! This is such a cute moment!” said Marsha. 

“It’s very heartwarming!” said Patricia.

“Agreed, I am glad they came to visit their friend and playmate. After all, all the kids at the orphanage loved him!” said Angelina. 

“Nick… you’ve really changed over the last year. You can now talk and walk, and it looks like you’ve been treated well by your new family. I’m so happy for you!” said the squirtle as he gave the pup a pat on the back. “You’re going to love the gifts we brought you! Miss Marin allowed us to pick them out. She also dropped us off as well, and will be back later on to pick us up.”

“I remember carrying you on my back, that was quite a fun memory. Not sure I'd be able to do it now… but I don’t think I’d mind giving it a try!” said the vulpix as she lowered her back. The pup looked and curiously made his way onto the little fox’s back, gently sitting down. Melaine slowly raised her back, finding it a bit difficult to carry the baby. “Oh my… you’re a bit heavier!”

“He is growing after all, and with his healthy diet… he’s not going to be sick too often.” said Ranae as she slithered into the living room. 

Nick enjoyed riding on the vulpix’s back as he looked around the room, noticing an emolga standing by Marsha and his big sister. He didn’t know who this was, and titled his head to the right with curiosity.  

“Nicky, this is my other friend Patricia, one of my middle-school classmates. We usually hang out at Striaton City Mall.” said the snivy. 

“Pa- pa- pa- Patwicia!” said the pup happily as he got off Melaine’s back and toddled over to the emolga, giving her and Marsha a big hug. 

“A pleasure to meet you, Nickster.” said the emolga. “He looks really cute in that blue flannel shirt!”

“Good to see you again, Nicky. I’m glad you’re doing well!” said the pikachu. “Yeah, he does look cute!”

“Want to play outside with your friends while the house is decorated?” Ranae asked her son. Nick nodded in reply as he toddled over to the door that led to the backyard, watching as Angelina walked over and opened it with her vines. 

“So… did Nicky do anything special today?” asked Patricia.

“He actually said his first word… It was dada!” said Angelina as she watched the three youngsters walk into the backyard. 

“That’s adorable, he must really want his daddy!” said Marsha. 

“Yeah, he even tried looking for him during breakfast.” said the snivy.

“Did he learn to walk before he could talk?” the emolga asked.

“Yeah, even though it's more like toddling. I’m sure he’ll get it down, the pup got a head start from his motion lessons at the orphanage” said Angelina.

“What toy does he play with most?” asked Marsha. 

“One of them is a blue and yellow rattle that he shakes around when he’s in the living room.” said the grass snake.

“That is very cute!” said Patricia.  

The backyard was small and surrounded by a white wooden fence, it had some toys and a playset for younger children like Nick and his friends. One of his favorite toys was a dark-blue ball with yellow stars. Angelina and her friends decided to keep an eye on the youngsters in the backyard. 

“After you were adopted, the orphanage has received some changes: we now have a larger playground, and we go on special field trips every other Friday! It’s very exciting!” said Liam.

“Yeah, it's really great! In other news: Tom was adopted three months after your adoption, by a rich family of sorts. We forgot their names. But… I heard from them that they were going to sign him up for Growlithe Scouts.” said Melaine. The pup thought about that name for a second, and suddenly remembered who he was as he nodded his head. He knew that boy since he was one of his playmates. “Other kids have made drawings of you in the Activities Room, they really miss you. In a way… you made a small impact on the whole facility.” 

“Oh…! I forgot to mention that me and Melaine will start potty-training soon. Even though our pull-ups feel the exact same as diapers do. I’d rather fill my diapers than use a toilet, it's more convenient. Also… aren’t both technically a portable toilet?” the squirtle playfully asked as he chuckled to himself.

“That doesn’t sound wrong, won’t disagree with that one!” said the vulpix.

The pup came across his favorite ball in the backyard, and said “Play!” as he held the toy in his paws. The squirtle thought for a moment and asked his friend, “Hey Nickster! Can you say the word Ball? I know it's a word you struggled with, but you don’t have to say it if you don’t want to!” 

Nick looked at the toy ball in his paws, then back at his friend Liam. He took a deep breath and made his attempt to say the word. He’d say “B- b- ba- ba-!” as he tried his best to sound it out. Melaine decided to give him some words of inspiration.

“You can do it, take your time! I believe in you!” said the vulpix.

“Ba- ba- ba- Ball! Ball! Ball!” exclaimed the pup happily as he put the toy ball on the ground and pushed it towards Liam.

“Good job, Nicholas!” said the young squirtle as he pushed the ball towards Melaine.

Angelina and the others watched as the youngsters pushed the ball between each other, forming a near perfect triangle shape. They were happy to see the young pokemon enjoying themselves. While that was happening, Ranae slithered outside and asked her daughter “Can you help me set up the decorations in the living room and kitchen?”

“Sure I don’t mind at all,” said the snivy as she looked towards her friends. “Would it be okay if you two kept an eye on the youngsters?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on them!” said the pikachu.

The grass snake went inside with her mother to help set up decorations, while her friends kept a close eye on the other kiddos. Liam, Melaine and Nick decided to stop playing with the ball, choosing to play on the small playset instead. Both the riolu and squirtle got up on the swings while the vulpix went up to the main section, and rode down the slide. 

“So… did you hear about Green Serenity? They’ve gotten popular over the last three months, and they are now number two on the Silver Star List! Right below Braviary 6 who remains at the top!” said Patricia.

“Wow, that is really groovy! I’d be up for buying tickets to their next concert!” said Marsha.

“Me too! It’d be all that!” said Patricia. “If I could… I’d get Denzel’s autograph! He’s so dreamy…!”

“That is so true girl!” said the pikachu. 

Both girls squealed with excitement, which got the attention of the kiddos who were confused about them. The two noticed and said to the youngsters “Don’t worry, we're just getting excited over something!” The kids nodded and went back to having fun.

After an hour later…. 

Nick and Liam were about to get off the swings when they heard their stomachs emit a quiet gurgling sound. They stopped in place as they tightly grabbed the ropes that supported the seat, quietly grunting to themselves. Melaine watched from above the playset as she giggled. 

FRRRRRRRT! BLORT! SMURSH! PSSSSSH!

The youngsters felt the back of their shorts bulk up and squish, depositing a midsized load into the seat of their padding while soaking the front as their bladders relaxed. They sighed in relief with a dopey grin after finishing.

“So warm and mushy…” said the squirtle as he patted the back of his shorts.

“Warm….” said the pup as he emitted a loud purr and wagged his tail. 

Marsha and Patricia walked over to them, catching the odorous scent of dirty diapers coming from the two youngsters on the swings. The pikachu giggled as the emolga covered her nose and gagged a bit, not used to the scent of dirty diapers. 

“Jeez…. what were these kids fed?!” Patricia thought to herself as she watched the two kids get off the swing. 

“Changing time!” said Marsha as she watched Nick and Liam approach. “You both have stinky diapers!”

“Glad I did my business before being dropped off, not sure I want to use my pull-ups yet.” said Melaine.

“Hey Patricia, want to lend a girl a helping hand?” the pikachu asked her.

The emolga stood in shock, darting her eyes about as a bead of sweat formed on her forehead. She was anxious about changing diapers, since she didn’t know how to do it and didn’t want to deal with the strong odor. The flying-electric type stood back and giggled nervously. 

“I don’t think I should… perhaps you should ask Angelina!” suggested Patricia. 

“Okay, that’s fine.” said the pikachu as she led the way. “Come on kiddos, let’s get you cleaned up!”

The emolga breathed a sigh of relief as she watched them walk away, not having to worry about diaper duty as she kept her eyes on the vulpix who was enjoying herself. Upon entering the house, Nick and Liam looked at all the wonderful decorations: blue and yellow ribbons, streamers going across the walls, small blue and yellow lights stretched along the ceiling, and even yellow and blue party hats on the table. 

Angelina was watching some television in the living room with her mother, watching as her friend came over to them with the two stinky kiddos, giggling to herself. “Need help with changing some diapers?” she asked. Marsha nodded and replied with “Yeah, I asked Patricia originally, but she dipped out of that.” 
“That’s fine, I didn’t really expect her to be helping with diaper duty anyways.”  said the snivy. 

Both girls brought the kids upstairs to the bathroom to get changed. While that happened, the serperior heard the living room landline phone ring. She slithered over to it and used her vines to pick up the phone and answered the call. “Hello, Ranae Marbette speaking!”

“Hey honey, I’ve got good news! I’ll be home a few hours earlier. I am bringing back some gifts and a birthday cake for our boy!” said Lonstan.

“That’s great dear, did the boss lessen the workday for you?” the wife asked. 

“Yes, she wanted me to spend time with our son! I’ll be home at five-thirty this evening, just in time for dinner as well!” said the gallade. 

“Nick will be happy to see you, he was actually looking for you this morning!” said Ranae. “His first words were dada! He really wanted to be with you!”

“My goodness, that’s great honey! I’ll see you later this evening! I’m so proud of him!” said Lonstan proudly over the phone. 

The call ended between the two as the serperior put the phone back in its slot, pleased that her husband was going to be home earlier than usual. He tends to come home late in the evening. Being a news reporter wasn’t an easy job, and it can be straining work at times.

The girls arrived back downstairs with the two youngsters following behind them, smelling of rose-scented baby powder after being changed into new diapers. Their outfits remained unchanged. 

“Wow… these are really comfy diapers, just like those cloth swim diapers I wore one time!” said Liam.

“They are very comfortable, that’s why my mother buys them. It’s one of the best diaper brands out there, it’s got a lot of padding in the front and back of the diaper, for the purpose of keeping the wearer dry!” said Angelina as she brought them to the living room, just as her emolga friend brought Melaine back into the house from the backyard. 

“Yeah, my pull-ups are nothing like that!” said the young turtle. 

“I am back from inside, this kiddo was getting tired from playing outside and wanted to go in.” said Patricia as she brought the vulpix over to the others. 

“Welcome back, come join us!” said Marsha. 

Everyone was sitting on the couch, with the youngest kids in the center. There was just enough room for the seven of them, especially since the youngsters didn’t take up much space. Ranae coiled around them in a motherly manner, cuddling with them. Her daughter changed the current channel over to a science documentary titled ‘Robotics and Advanced Security Algorithms: Technology Will Never Be The Same’ 

“Isn’t technology great? Maybe we’ll have robot servants that tend to our every need!” said Angelina.

“So… I could have a robot that gives me snacks?” Liam asked as he chuckled. 

“It’s a possibility, I’d like a robot servant that does all my mall shopping for me.” Patricia said. 

The girls giggled as they continued to watch the documentary, Nick and his friends were resting their heads against the couch. The youngsters were enjoying being cuddled by the serperior, her body was keeping them cozy while they watched TV.

A few hours later… 

Ranae uncoiled herself from around the youngsters that were peacefully napping on the couch, and quietly slithered into the kitchen to prepare dinner. It seems they got tuckered out after the documentary was over. Angelina and her friends smiled as they slept. 

The serperior grabbed her recipe book and went to the Soup section, wanting to cook up a delicious pot of Nanab Berry Veggie Soup. She went right to page twenty-five, where the recipe was located and left it open near the stove. The ingredients were as listed: Seven Nanab Berries, Five Carrots, and Vegetable Broth. 

“Okay… that shouldn’t be hard to find.” said Ranae as she went to gather her ingredients. She was able to gather five carrots and a plastic container of vegetable broth, but… she couldn’t find enough Nanab Berries. The mother only found three. She was rather shocked, realizing she was four berries short. “Oh dear… not good…” 

She thought to herself for a moment, slithering back and forth with a bit of anxiety. She wanted to make a wonderful meal for the birthday boy and her husband, but she couldn’t give them anything. Angelina walked into the kitchen and asked quietly “Are you alright, mother?”

“Sorry honey, I think dinner plans are about to be delayed. I don’t have enough Nanab Berries to make the Nanab Berry Veggie Soup I planned to make,” said the mother.

“How about we order a pizza? You won’t have to cook, and I am sure Nick wouldn’t mind trying something new.” said the snivy. The serperior thought it over for a second and realized it wasn’t a bad idea, she smiled towards her daughter saying “Good thinking, Angie. I was panicking and didn’t realize I could just do that. Go ahead and call Miltank Pizza, do you remember the phone number?”

“Yes mother, I remember it very well!” said the snivy as she went to the living room landline phone and dialed in the number. She began placing the order for two large cheese and pepperoni pizzas. Nick heard the conversation over the phone and got curious, the pup had never tried pizza before. He had only seen commercials for various pizza places around the region. 

After getting off the phone, Angelina went back into the kitchen and said “The pizza will arrive at six-thirty in the evening due to the amount of orders they are receiving right now.”

“Six-thirty… that isn’t too bad. It’s just around dinner time!” said the serperior with a sigh of relief.

Nick slowly got off the couch while his two friends were napping, toddling right into the kitchen as he said “Pizza?” with curiosity as he tilted his head to the right and wagged his tail around. 

“Yes Nick, that’s what we're having for dinner. I’m sure you’ll love it!” said Angelina. 

The pup wagged his tail excitedly as he headed back to the living room, just as his two other friends were about to wake up from their nap. He got out some building blocks called PokèBlocks, they were in many different vibrant colors: blue, light-blue, red, orange, and even yellow! 

Liam and Melaine let out a yawn as they opened their eyes, and saw that their friend was playing with PokèBlocks. They actually had this back at the orphanage, but not in these colors. Both of them got off the couch and headed towards the pile of blocks. 

“Play, play, play!” said Nick as he gently pushed some blocks towards his friends. 

“Sure, I love to play with these! It’s fun what you can build with!” said Liam. 

“Oh boy! PokèBlocks!” exclaimed Melaine.

The kids began to play with the toy blocks, building whatever they desired to their heart’s content. They were being watched over Ranae who slithered back into the living room. Angelina, Marsha and Patricia went to the dining room table to talk about the latest hip things in fashion. 

After three hours, it was five-thirty in the evening. Nick and his friends built a pretty big house with some other buildings next to it, they were proud of their work. The serperior said to them “Well done! You three should be architects!” Liam giggled and said “I appreciate the compliment, though I’d rather be a Firefighter.” 

“I want to be part of the Police Force!” said the vulpix.

Nicky looked at them both and smiled, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to be. There was plenty of time for him to think about it. 

“Those are nice goals to have, I am sure you’ll do your best to become what you want to be!” said Ranae as she gave them a pat on the head with her one vine. 

The pup was about to take down the building he made and build something else when he heard a knock at the door, his tail began to wag with excitement. He toddled to the front door and tried to open it up, but couldn’t quite reach the door knob. His mother slithered over to the pup with a purse over her neck, chuckling at his attempt to reach the knob. 

“Let me get the door for you, sweetie.” said the serperior as she opened the door. Standing on the front porch was an Arcanine in a red shirt and black pants, holding a bag on his back that contained the pizzas. The scent of it was very comforting.

“Good evening ma’am! Got your pizzas here, having a birthday party?” asked the delivery pokemon. 

“Yes, it’s my son’s first birthday. He’s standing right by me,” said Ranae as she used her vines to get twenty pokédollars from her purse, handing it to the Arcanine who delivered the pizza. They’d take the month with their paws, and put it into a small slot on their bag. He’d look at the pup and smile, saying to him  “Hope you’ve had a good birthday, kiddo!”

“Thank you, please have a good night sir.” said the serperior. The arcanine nodded and headed away from the house, going back to the pizza restaurant he was sent from. He didn’t have a car, so he traveled on foot. Nick’s mother closed the front door and slithered to the dining room, putting the pizzas on the dining room table. 

“Dinner time everyone!” said Ranae as she used her vines to place Nick in his high-chair. 

“Alright, booyah!” said Marsha as she headed to the dining room. 

“Yeaaah!” said Patricia. 

“Oh boy pizza!” said Melaine and Liam.

Everyone was now gathered at the dining room table, enjoying slices of cheese and pepperoni pizza. Nick was being fed his pizza by Ranae, who was cutting up a slice of pizza into squares. The pup was eager as he opened his mouth wide, wagging his tail rapidly. The other youngsters were put into booster seats so they could reach their plates of food. 

“Open wide, here comes the cheesy goodness!” said the serperior as she brought the food towards his mouth. The little baby ate the square slice, letting out a happy yelp after he chewed and swallowed it. “Isn’t it yummy?”

“Yummy! Yummy!” exclaimed Nick as his mother continued to feed him until his first slice of pizza was gone. 

“I love Miltank Pizza, they have the best pizzas in the Unova region!” said the pikachu.

“It’s like heaven on a plate, it's a beautiful thing!” said the emolga.

“It's the ingredients they use in the pizza, that’s what makes it so good!” Angelina exclaimed.

“We don’t often have pizza, so this is a yummy treat! Thank you Miss Ranae!” said Melaine.

“Yes, thank you so much!” exclaimed Liam. 

“You’re welcome, I am glad you all could come to celebrate my son’s first birthday!” said the mother as she cut up a secondary slice into squares. “Now… is my pup ready for slice number two?” The shiny puppy nodded his head and opened his mouth wide. 

Ten minutes into dinner time, Lonstan walked through the door and into the dining room, dropping a stack of presents onto the ground and putting the birthday cake next to the pizza boxes. Nick was very excited to see his father come home as he wagged his tail in anticipation!

“Honey, I am back from work!” said the gallade as he put the gifts down for a moment and looked upon his son with a smile as he lifted him from the high-chair. “Happy birthday son! I got plenty of gifts for you to open!” 

“Dada! Dada! Dada!” said the pup as he hugged his father.

“Welcome home dear, as you see… we had a change of meal plan for today’s dinner.” said the serperior as she chuckled.

“I don’t mind a good pizza dear, especially since it's from Miltank Pizza. I can recognize that wonderful smell from anywhere!” said Lonstan. He went to put the gifts in the living room, and returned to the dining room afterwards to grab a slice of pizza to enjoy. “I heard about your first words, and I am very proud of you!” 

The pup smiled as he was placed on the floor. Since he was finished with dinner ahead of everyone else, he toddled over to the living room. Wanting to open birthday gifts. The pup started dragging a big birthday gift away from the gift pile by the  television, he was going to open that one first. 

After dinner was finished, everyone gathered in the living room and sat by the couch. Lonstan chuckled when he saw that his son selected the biggest gift first. The pup had a total of eight gifts to open. Each gift had different colored wrapping paper with name tags indicating who it was from.

The mother took out a camcorder, and powered it on. She’d hit the record button and said to her son “Go ahead Nicky, open that gift! I can see how eager you are by the wagging of your tail!” as she giggled to herself.

Nicky yelped with happiness as he began tearing the wrapping paper off the box, wanting to see what was inside. From all the children's television shows, the pup had seen how younger cartoon characters opened gifts and thus mimicked that when he was opening the biggest present first. 

The first present was a Black Mini Truck that he could drive around the house, it required an adult to fully set it up for usage, and it had a rechargeable battery. The pup tried to open the box, but had some trouble with it. Lonstan chuckled and said to his son “Don’t worry about getting it, we’ll set it up tomorrow! Go and open another gift my boy!” 

The little baby nodded as he grabbed a smaller gift that was from Liam and immediately unwrapped it within ten seconds, he’d take the top off and look inside: there was a picture book, one of his favorite picture books from the orphanage. It was called ‘The Brave Knight and his Dragonite’. He certainly loved this book since his squirtle friend enjoyed reading it to him during his time at the orphanage. 

“I figure you’d like that picture book, you liked looking at the pictures. So I asked if I could give it to you, and Miss Marin gave me permission!” said Liam. 

“That’s nice of you, I am sure Nick will like that book being read to him,” said Ranae. Nick looked at the pile of gifts and grabbed another box that was in gold wrapping paper, immediately unwrapping it and pulling the top off. He reached his right paw inside of it, and pulled out a gold and silver rattle with bronze bells. It was from Marsha. 

“Wow, a new rattle! That looks so cool!” said Melaine.

The pup began to shake it around, listening to the soft ringing that the bells emitted. It had a soothing effect on the baby as he relaxed a little. He certainly liked this gift!

“I figured he’d like that rattle, the bells on it are a nice feature. It’ll help calm him down if he gets rowdy.” said Marsha. 

Twenty-five minutes later… Nicholas was down to his last birthday present. It was a medium-sized rectangular box with dark green wrapping paper. He’d tear off the wrapping paper, wondering what was in the last box as he wagged his tail slowly. It was revealed to be a blue and yellow medium-sized toy xylophone. The pup was rather curious about it. His mother slithered over to it and took it out of the box using her vines, placing it right in front of her son, along with some wooden mallets.

“It's a Xylophone sweetie, it's an instrument that makes music with these mallets. Let me demonstrate” said Ranae. The serperior picked up the mallets with her vines and struck two of the wooden bars. She then gently placed them in her pup’s paws. “Go ahead and give it a try!”

The pup looked at the mallet, and then struck one of the wooden bars with the mallets. It emitted a low-sounding musical note. He then hit another one, with this one making a high-sounding note. He giggled and began hitting whatever wooden bars he wanted.

“Someone is having a fun time!” said Patricia as she looked at the living room clock with Marsha, surprised by how much time had passed. It was currently seven-fifty in the evening. “Oh my, look at the time!”

“Yeah, it’s getting pretty late. We should get going.” said Marsha. The pikachu and Emolga got off the couch and walked over to Nicky. The pup turned towards them. 

“Goodbye Nicky, we're heading out. We enjoyed being at your birthday! Too bad we couldn’t stay for cake.” said Patricia. 

Before the two could head out, the pup held onto Marsha’s forehand. He didn’t want her to leave just yet, which surprised the pikachu and emolga. He was a bit sad. 

“It’s okay Nick, you’ll see them again. They have to get home before their parents get worried about them.” said Angelina. 

Nick gave them a quick hug and watched as they exited the living room. This was his way of thanking the two for the birthday gifts. His big sister walked over to him and patted him on the head.

“I think some birthday cake will make it all better. Won’t it, Nickster?” the snivy asked him.

For a moment, the pup had forgotten about the birthday cake and got excited over it, wagging his tail rapidly as he let out some happy yelps. His big sister chuckled and said to him “Very good, little brother! Before we do… we have to clean all this wrapping paper. But don’t worry, you’re the birthday boy! You don’t have to worry about this mess!”

Nick watched as his big sister and his parents cleaned up the ripped up wrapping paper that was scattered all over the floor, sitting down as he looked at all the wonderful gifts he received. He got these items as listed: a black mini truck, a new rattle, two picture books, a bright-blue toy ball, a stuffed audino doll, toy pokéblocks, and a xylophone.

It only took ten minutes to throw away the ripped up scraps of wrapping paper, it was now onto the birthday cake. One of the most exciting parts of a birthday party! The little pup toddled towards the kitchen, eager for this moment to arrive!

Unfortunately… Liam and Melaine had to head out since Miss Marin came to pick them up. The audino thanked Ranae for allowing the two to play with Nicholas, and headed out with the orphans. Escorting them back to the orphanage where they belonged. 

The pup was happy that he was able to play with his friends, waving to them as they left the house. He was then picked up by his father and placed in his high chair. Ranae grabbed the matchbox, along with a single blue birthday candle. Angelina got four plates out and put them in their respective places, along with spoons. The father moved the pizza boxes and got the cake ready for cutting, making sure to grab a serrated knife from the kitchen. Placing it on the dining room table. It was a vanilla cake with blue and yellow frosting, with the words “Happy Birthday, Nicky!” written in dark blue icing.

“It’s almost time, sport!” said Lonstan as the birthday cake was placed in front of the pup. His wife handed him the match box and candle, giving him the honor of lighting the candle wick. He nodded and struck the match against the striker’s side of the box, igniting the top. The mother had her camcorder ready to record the moment. Angelina made sure to turn the dining room light off before returning to the table

Nick watched as the candle wick was lit by his father, just as the lights were switched off. The serperior turned to her daughter and husband, saying to the both of them “On the count of three, we’ll start singing. One… two… three!” They started singing “Happy Birthday” to the pup, who was happy and excited.

Once they finished, Ranae smiled towards her son and gently said “Go ahead and make a wish, my pup!”  The little boy thought about what he wanted to wish for, and then blew out the candle with a quick blow of breath. His wish was to never be abandoned ever again, and that his two friends get adopted.

Angelina and Lonstan clapped as the mother slithered over to the puppy, watching as she cuddled with him for a bit before grabbing the serrated knife with her one vine, in order to cut a slice of cake. Nick was the first to receive a slice since he was the birthday boy, then it was onto everyone else. The lights were switched back on by Ranae.

“Congratulations little brother, you’re a year older!” said Angelina.

“I’m so proud of you son! I wonder what kind of person you’ll become.” said Lonstan as he stroked the top of the pup’s head, listening to him emit a loud purr. 

The serperior grabbed a spoon with her vine, and then scooped some of the pup’s birthday cake onto it. She brought it towards his mouth as she said “Here comes the birthday express!” watching as Nick ate it without a doubt. As usual, it was repeated until he finished his slice of cake. 

After the pup finished his slice of birthday cake, he felt full and sleepy as he let out a loud yawn. The snivy giggled in response, saying “It’s bed-time for a certain birthday puppy, come along little brother. You’ve had quite a wonderful day today!” as she went over to the high-chair and lifted her little brother from it using her vines, carrying the baby in her arms. 

Nick was brought upstairs to Angelina’s room, and put into a pair of dark-blue footed pajamas. She then placed her little brother into his crib, gently tucking him and giving him a dark-blue pacifier to suckle on as he slept. This was the best birthday that he ever had! One that would be cherished forever!