Duchess woke up in the lab - she could tell by the hum of the artificial lights and the sound of footsteps on tile. She opened her eyes to find that she was correct in her assumption - she had been laid out on one of the exam tables, though she seemed to be alone at the moment. The Magearna slowly sat up; the thin paper covering the stiff cushions crinkled with her movement. She rubbed her head.
“What was I doing again...?” Duchess wondered aloud. She looked down, noticing a thick, fluffy diaper woven from silk and moss between her legs. The fairy Pokemon wiggled her bottom, feeling the soft, bulky garment gently hugging her form. “Huh, guess Slick’s diapers are pretty comfy. Though…” she looked around the lab, noticing her usual cloth diaper balled up on a nearby table. Judging by the smell emanating from it, she could guess why she had been changed.
Next to the messy garment were empty bottles for potions and other healing items. Duchess’ eyes widened - the sight of the spent medicine caused her to remember the battle she had just been in. “The professor!” She hopped off of the table, her metallic feet clinking as she landed on the hard floor.
Angelys walked into the room, followed by Slick. The former was carrying an armful of fresh potions, while the latter was holding what looked to be a large silk bag. Both Pokemon were wearing clean, fluffy diapers not unlike the one the Magearna was currently swaddled in.
“Leavanny!” Slick said, pointing at Duchess.
The potions clattered to the ground as Angelys immediately dropped them to run over to the robotic Pokemon, almost tackling her as she gave her a big hug.
“Whoah, hey!” Duchess exclaimed in surprise.
A blush spread across Angelys’ face, and she let go. The rabbit then held out her paw, an expectant look on her face.
“Huh?” Duchess asked, momentarily confused. After a few seconds, she realized what the Lopunny was trying to convey. “Oh, yeah, good fight back there; no hard feelings,” she muttered as she shook the other Pokemon’s paw. The steel-type then asked, “So, uh, what all happened? I‘m pretty sure I lost, right?”
Angelys nodded, then turned to Slick, who had just finished picking up the items the Lopunny had dropped.
The bug Pokemon rubbed his chin. “Leav, leavanny..." he started. In his own way, Slick explained what had happened:
After Angelys and the professor won the fight, the latter broke down and cried for a good while. During this time, Angelys had taken it upon herself to drag Duchess back to the lab, first getting help from Slick. Slick changed everyone, while Angelys tried unsuccessfully to use the professor’s healing machine to revive Duchess. When that didn’t work, she resorted to digging through her trainer’s stash of healing items to patch up both herself and the Magearna. Neither Pokemon had seen Professor Pearwood during that time, but they guessed that she had gone off to talk to Anjou.
When Slick had finished relaying the message, Duchess smirked. “Heh, guess I ended up getting through to the old bag after all.” After a beat, she added, “Oh, uh, by the way, thanks for healing me up and changing me and stuff.”
Angelys gave a thumbs-up and a cheerful smile.
Slick echoed the sentiment with an enthusiastic nod. “Ditto!”
Angelys’s brow furrowed in confusion. She turned to Slick, tilting her head to the side questioningly.
“Leavanny!” the bug Pokemon hastily corrected.
Duchess seemed to ignore the exchange. “So,” she started, “Where do you think - “
Before the Magearna could continue, a knock came from the front door.
All three Pokemon looked at each other.
~~~
Anjou watched as Professor Pearwood attempted to skip the umpteenth rock across the surface of the lake; the poor stone immediately sank with a dull bloop like its fallen brethren before it. The older woman bent down to reach for another rock, but halted as her daughter broke the silence.
“So, uh, we’ve been standing here for a while now. Were we going to talk, or did you just bring me out here to watch you try to skip stones?” Though the corner of Anjou’s mouth pulled into an ever-so-slight smirk, the young woman’s demeanor remained subdued.
The professor heaved a sigh before straightening back up and turning to face the other woman. “Of course it’s the former. I just…” she trailed off, her gaze drifting to her shoes. “I’m just having a hard time formulating how I want it to come out.”
Anjou nodded sympathetically. “It’s okay, take as long as you need to.”
After a moment, Pearwood looked back up. Though her tears had long since dried, her eyes were still red. “Well, I suppose you can surmise what it is I want to say to you, so I’ll just proceed with saying it: I’m sorry - for everything. I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. I’m sorry for avoiding and ignoring you during your stay here. I’m sorry - “ The professor choked up as her eyes became misty again. “I’m sorry for -” She stopped, breathing sharply for a few seconds before continuing, “I’m sorry... for leaving..." She trailed off, the tears once again flowing strongly.
Tears welled up in Anjou’s eyes as well. She wanted to reach out and give a comforting hug, but she stayed where she was, silent, lest she interrupt.
Pearwood sniffled, wiping her face with the cuff of her labcoat. At length, she resumed her apology. “I’m sorry for staying so distant for so long... I’m sorry for being so stubborn..." She swallowed, then sighed. “It was never about the money - that was just a flimsy excuse I made to justify my walking out on you and your father. I know that no amount of it could possibly be an adequate substitute for proper love and guidance. I’ve... I’ve been a terrible mother.”
Anjou once again felt the urge to reach out and hug the woman, but just as she stepped forward to do so, Pearwood held up a hand.
"I know... I know that it’s not fair of me to ask for your forgiveness so soon, after having been gone for so long.... So I’m not going to. Not yet.” The professor reached into her pocket and pulled out a small plastic trophy. At the base of the dull golden trinket was a plaque printed with “#1 Mom”.
“Do you remember this?” Pearwood asked. “You gave it to me when you were 9 years old. You may have forgotten about it, but I’ve kept it on my desk this whole time...” She briefly stopped to wipe some tears from her eyes. “I ... don’t think this describes me very well right now, though, so I’m respectfully returning it.” She held the trophy out, her hand shaking. “I hope that maybe, someday, after I’ve truly made up for the way I've treated you, I can... earn it back.”
This time Anjou didn’t stop herself from reaching out and wrapping her arms around the professor, bringing her in for a tight hug as she burst into tears. “Oh, mom…”
The both quietly cried and hugged for a bit, the gentle lapping of the lake against the shore underscoring the tears flowing down their faces.
After embracing for a while, the two eventually pulled away.
Anjou wiped her tears, then gave an emphatic nod as she took the trophy. “I also look forward to the day you can earn this back.” Putting it into her pocket, she added, “After making it up to both me and Dad.”
“Of course,” Pearwood said with a nod.
The two stood in silence for a bit, each looking out over the lake as they ruminated.
Eventually, Anjou asked, “You were so adamant before. Why the sudden change of heart?”
A wry smile appeared on the professor’s face as she started to reply. “Well, to be honest - “
“Anjou! Professor!”
Duchess was running toward the pair in the distance, waving her arms.
“Let’s just say that it took a spirited Pokemon battle to knock some sense into me,” Pearwood finished, looking at the approaching Magearna as she spoke.
“Hey!” the fairy Pokemon said as she reached the pair. “Sorry to interrupt, but you’ve got to come back to the lab! The new arrivals are getting outta hand!”
“New arrivals?” Anjou and the professor asked in unison, as they first looked at each other, then back at Duchess.
“Yeah,” the Magearna explained, “Someone came by and dropped off some pokeballs. Apparently they were found abandoned in an old house at the edge of town or something. We let them out to get some fresh air, but some of them started getting kinda crazy!”
“Well,” Pearwood said, turning back to Anjou. “Why don’t we take care of that together?” She quickly added, “That is, if we’re finished up here, of course.”
“I’m ready when you are,” Anjou replied, a small smile creeping onto her face.
Duchess crossed her arms. “Well, I’m glad you two worked things out. Now c’mon, Angelys and Slick are probably dyin’ in there without our help!” She turned around and started leading the duo back to the lab.
Thank you, Duchess, Anjou thought to herself as they made their way back. She made a mental note to properly thank the mythical ‘mon later. As she walked, she could feel the small trophy in her pocket, and she once again grew hopeful.
Though the past month had its ups and downs, everything ultimately ended up working out. It may not have gone exactly as she had originally envisioned, but Anjou couldn’t help but smile. It definitely wasn’t perfect, but it was certainly good enough.
