Sherry felt like collapsing. Since both of the other caregivers had called in sick that morning, she had been run-ragged caring for several preschoolers by herself the entire day. And that was after spending the previous night mostly tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.
Thankfully, the woman wasn't exactly by herself - she had her Pokemon companion, Sundial, helping her. The sunflora, who wore a red bowtie and a pull-up colored like a timer ball, was leaning against the painted wall of the playroom. “Flora!” he said as he wiped his brow.
“You said it, buddy!” Sherry replied as she wiped her forehead with the long sleeve of her pink shirt, which matched her socks and shoes in hue. The nursery aide moved to sit down for a well-deserved break, but suddenly stopped as she caught a whiff of a foul odor.
“Hang on,” she said, straightening back up. “Smells like one of the kids already needs a change again.” She tightened her brown ponytail, which was held up by a yellow tie that matched the clip securing her bangs. "You check the kids on that side of the room, I'll check the kids over there," she said to her Pokemon partner as she pointed.
Sundial nodded, sighing as he headed off. Sherry, meanwhile, made a beeline for the group of children in the nearby corner.
Roscoe and Jerimiah were playing “house;” both boys were playing the role of the parents. Jerimiah was wearing a white chef’s apron over his usual blue shirt and white shorts. Roscoe, who was wearing an orange hoodie and black pants, was aiming a toy power drill at the wall.
“Bweakfast is almost weady!” Jerimiah called out as he flipped a plastic pancake in a toy frying pan.
“Okay!” Roscoe replied, “Gimme another minnit, an’ I’ll have the wall all fixed up!”
The kids’ Pokemon were playing the role of the children. Jerimiah's Igglybuff, Moondust, was sucking on a yellow pacifier as it sat in a highchair; it wore a black and blue hook-and-loop diaper with a yellow crescent moon on the seat, resembling a moon ball. Meanwhile, Sneaker, Roscoe’s Wynaut, was busy setting the table; they wore a purple-and-white tape-up diaper with an “M” on the rear, reminiscent of a master ball.
“Diaper check!” Sherry declared as she approached the kids.
“Alweady?” Jerimiah asked as he cocked his head.
Roscoe was similarly puzzled. “Dinnit we just get our diapers changed?”
“Naut?” asked Sneaker as they inspected the seat of Moondust’s diaper. The Igglybuff, in turn, frowned, spitting out its pacifier to indignantly say “Iggly!”
“Don’t worry, this’ll be real quick,” Sherry replied as she patted everyone’s fluffy butts in sequence. Roscoe was a little damp, but the kids and their Pokemon were otherwise clean - no messes to be found.
The young woman frowned. “Huh, it’s none of you..." she muttered. She scanned the room again, her eyes fixing on another group playing in the opposite corner.
Roscoe scrunched his nose. “Hey, I ‘mell poo-poo!”
“Me too!” Jerimiah chimed in, waving a hand in front of his face.
Moondust and Sneaker seemed to echo similar sentiments.
Jerimiah looked up at the caregiver. “Miss Shewwy - “
Sherry had already started heading over to the next group of children. “Don’t worry, I’m taking care of it. You kids can go back to your game now,” she called over her shoulder.
The boys and their Pokemon looked at each other and shrugged before sitting down to their faux meal.
At the table in the other corner, Veronica and her Toxel, Yucky, were assembling a jigsaw puzzle. The blonde preschooler wore a white blouse with matching tights, pink shorts, and a black jacket with matching slip-on shoes, which were also the same color as the hair ties in her pigtails.
“Hand me dat one, dere!” she said to Yucky, pointing to a puzzle piece right in front of the Toxel.
“Tox tox!” Yucky replied as it passed the piece along. The electric Pokemon wore only a pink-and-white tape-up diaper with a heart on the seat, resembling a love ball.
Behind the two, Sandra sat in a beanbag chair reading a picture book. She wore pink hair ties in her brown pigtails, with a matching pink skirt, as well as a light-blue long-sleeved shirt, white socks, and yellow buckled shoes.
The girl’s Pokemon, Rosebuddy, sat in her lap, quietly reading alongside their trainer as she slowly turned the pages. The Budew wore nothing but a black-and-yellow hook-and-loop diaper resembling an ultra ball.
“All right, girls!” Sherry called out as she arrived. “Gotta check your diapers again. Your Pokemon’s, too.”
Sandra looked up from her book, protesting, “Hey, I’m cwean!”
Rosebuddy hopped up and down as they chimed in. “Budew! Bud!”
“Yeah,” added Veronica, “You jus’ cleaned us up a little while ago.”
Yucky nodded in agreement.
“Well,” Sherry replied, “Someone here needs a change, so let’s just check, okay?”
She reached for the seat of Veronica’s shorts when the little girl held up a hand.
“Wait!” the preschooler said. She squatted, a determined look forming on her face. She stayed silent for a few seconds before exhaling sharply and standing back up. “Okay, now you can check my diapie!”
Sherry grimaced as she patted the now warm and puffy seat of the kid’s shorts. “Couldn’t you have waited…?” she muttered.
Veronica giggled.
“Well, at least it was just pee,” Sherry noted as she wiped her hands on her yellow apron. "Seems like your diaper can hold a bit more, too, so no rush for a change..." She then proceeded to check the other girl’s diaper, followed by both Pokemon. The woman frowned - everyone else was clean and dry. "Huh, I thought for sure it would be one of the poison-type Pokemon..." she mused.
“Eww!” Sandra suddenly blurted out. She cupped her hands over her nose. “I smell doo-doo!”
“Dewdew!” Rosebuddy giggled.
“Yeah,” Veronica agreed, “Someone made yucky!”
The girl’s Toxel cocked its head. “Oxel?”
“No, not you, Yucky,” Veronica clarified.
“Hmm…” Sherry scratched her head. “Uh, sorry for bugging you,” she said to the kids before heading off.
Veronica waved. “Okay, bye!” The preschooler sat back down with a wet squish and resumed doing her puzzle; her Pokemon soon joined her.
Sandra and Rosebuddy looked at each other and shrugged before resuming their reading.
Back on the far side of the room, Sherry met back up with Sundial. “Nothing, huh?” she asked.
The Sunflora shook his head. “Sun…”
“Well,” the woman continued as she once again moved to sit down, “I guess we can figure out the source of the mystery stink after I take a break, cuz I just gotta si-” she cut herself off as she sat down with a soft, mushy smrsh.
Sundial grimaced. “Sun...flora?” he asked, pointing at the bulged out bottom of his trainer’s blue jeans
For a second, Sherry said nothing. She then facepalmed, before bursting out in laughter. “Man, I must be really tired!”
With a sigh, Sundial shook his head and went to retrieve some wipes and a fresh diaper.
