Day Care of Domino 5: - Attract
"Miss Francis!"
"Coming! Coming!"
It was Christmas Eve and the Day Care Centre was packed. The crowd would be gone by five, what with the Centre closing early for Christmas, closing at half four today and reopening at midday on Boxing Day for a few hours.
She was actually planning on spending her Christmas here, in the place that felt most like home. "Can I help?" Jamie asked, noting the Dragonair that was sleeping near the top of the tree. She paused to examine it for a moment, noting the slight differences in shade and size and determining that it wasn't Kaida, like she'd first thought, but Hiryu, meaning Miko had to be here somewhere.
"I was wondering how we'd go about adopting a Pokemon."
"I want that one!" The woman's daughter pointed to the Dragonair, who opened one sleepy eye and looked at them before going back to sleep.
"I'm sorry, you can't have Hiryu, she belongs to a friend of mine."
"But I want it! I want it! I want it! I want it! I want it!"
Jamie had run into children like this before, as she continued to scream and scream.
"I don't suppose your friend would be wiling to sell her would they?"
"We don't sell our partners." Jamie frowned.
"You promised!" The daughter whined, "You promised you'd get me a Pokemon for Christmas!"
"She did, did she?" Jamie looked irritated, "You do realised there is a long process you have to go through before you can adopt right? It's not like picking out furniture. Each Pokemon has specific needs and…"
"We know how to handle pets."
Jamie scowled, "I'm sorry, but there is a process you have to go through, I cannot and will not just hand over a Pokemon, especially one that belongs to a friend of mine."
"I want to speak to the manager!"
"Let me get her." Jamie went out back, changed her working jacket for a smart one and walked back over to the woman, "Day Care Leader Jamelia Francis at your service."
"How rude, I want to speak to the real Manager."
"I am the real Manager." Jamie growled, "And I stand by what I said earlier. You cannot take a Pokemon away today and from your attitude, I don't know if you would be acceptable."
"I'll complain to your boss!"
"Complain away, in fact I'll get Mr Kaiba on the phone and he can explain exactly why I'm saying no."
"Do, you'll see that I'm right."
Jamie flipped open her Pokegear and hit seven on the speed dial pausing for a moment while she waited, "Hi, It's Francis Jamelia, could you put me through to Kaiba Seto please. Yes, I'll hold."
There was a wait of about ten minutes, and then Jamie spoke again, "Kaiba-Kun, Francis here. I know you're busy and I'm sorry for disturbing you, however could you possibly speak to this customer for me, she's demanding to speak to my boss."
She passed the phone to the woman, who proceeded to be 'polite' to Mr Kaiba and in turned, was told in very calm, busineseese exactly where she could stick her head. This of course irritated the woman, who shouted "Well I don't want one of your stupid animals anyway!" and slammed the Pokegear shut so hard that the outer screen cracked.
Jamie's hands clenched into fists, but she relaxed them before the woman could see. She was a little pre-occupied telling her daughter to "Come on dear, I'll get you a Dragonwing and that Pocket Monster game, that's so much better then one of these horrible smelly creatures."
Jamie didn't have the heart to mention that the game was based on 'those horrible smelly creatures', and she was just glad she was leaving, at least until the woman wheeled around and pitched Jamie's Pokegear into the lake.
Jamie wheeled around and was shrugging off her jacket and blouse and heading for the lake when Shade, Jamie's Mightyena, ran in front of the woman, tripping her over and causing her to fall face first on a patch of damp ground, making those playing with the Pokemon around her laugh.
Wearing little but her KC swimsuit and her light trousers, she dived off of the pier and straight into the icy cold water, taking just half a moment for her lungs to start taking the oxygen from the water instead of the air, and swearing at the temperature, having forgotten completely that the lake wasn't heated, it would have been bad for the Pokemon.
Knowing that the longer that her Pokegear was down here, the less chance it had of working again once it was dry, she dove, not getting too far before there was a double splash and one Dragonair swam around her in circles, wanting to play, while the other wrapped gently around something, exited the water and was back again before Jamie could count to five.
"You two are feeling playful." She laughed, aware her voice wouldn't carry well underwater, "What're you distracting me from?"
She went to rise to the surface, but the deeper blue Dragonair, Kaida, wrapped around her legs and pulled her further under while the paler blue one, Hiryu wrapped around her torso, providing warmth.
"Let me go!" She protested, swatting at Hiryu with her arms, but it wasn't effective in the slightest, in fact all it did was get her a sarcastic look from the Dragon type Pokemon.
They were down there long enough for Jamie to know something was going on, before the Dragonairs released her and she swam for it, breaking the surface to see the place deserted except for her friends.
"What?" She asked as she was towed from the centre of the lake to the pier, where she was helped out by 'Kura.
"It's past closing time, I asked the girls to keep you busy while I kicked people out. You were knackered."
"I couldn't have been down there that long…" Jamie frowned, remembering having closed her eyes at one point, exhausted from attempting to free herself.
"You were down there so long I was considering rescuing you." 'Kura said, "I told the girls to distract you, not kidnap you."
"You weren't rude, were you?" Jamie bit her bottom lip.
"Na, they were concerned that you didn't surface but I just said that you'd slipped out while no one was looking and would be back later. Miko said she'll see you tomorrow." Bakura grinned, "I thought I'd come by before the others do and give you my Christmas present."
"I have one for you, it's out the back."
"I'll wait by the tree."
Jamie was there and back in a few minutes, practically racing across the Centre to grab the present.
"'Kura, I…"
"Let me speak first." 'Kura held up his hand. "Jamie, I know how hard this Christmas will be for you. It's a time for family to get together and you're here, stuck with the Pharaoh and his geek squad, none of whom are family, no matter how hard they try."
"'Kura…"
"Let me finish." 'Kura held up a hand, "I can't promise you that I won't have to go away, or that I can get you home, or that everything will be alright, but I can promise that I will watch out for you and that as long as I can be there for you, I will be."
"But what about…?"
"Ryou?" Bakura asked, "He's fine with it. As long as I let him do what he wants, he'll let me protect you."
"I don't need…"
"I know you don't need a Guardian, you're Jamelia Francis of Littleroot Town, Aspiring Champion of the Sinnoh League, you need no one to protect you, but maybe you can let me fight at your side, with my Haunter and my Flygon."
"I… I can do that." Jamie smiled.
"Jamie, what I want to say is…" Bakura held out his gift to her, "Just open it."
"It's early…"
"Please."
Jamie unwrapped it, careful to preserve as much of the wrapping paper as possible, and revealing a jewelery box.
"'Kura?"
"Go on."
She opened it carefully, revealing a ring, white and yellow gold, twisting together, inlaid with a single diamond.
"Kura?"
"It's not an engagement ring." Bakura said swiftly, "But…"
Jamie picked it out of the foam protecting it, examining it, "'Kura, it's beautiful."
"Jamelia.." Bakura paused, putting the ring on her finger, it was a perfect fit, "What I wanted to say is… I love you."
"I love you too…" Jamie said, hugging him and then backing off, "But…" Looking at the present in her hands, with the ring glinting in the lights from the tree, it seemed woefully inadequate. "I'm sorry…" She handed it over.
"For what?" 'Kura asked, stealing a kiss, "I'll love it, whatever it is."
Jamie bit her lower lip as Bakura unwrapped the present to reveal… "A box?" He grinned at her, opening it to reveal a Dragonwing, a copy of Pocket Monsters Johto and a set of six Pokeball like things. "Jamie?" He asked, holding one up.
"Those are Holoballs, they're being released next month, in time for Kaiba's Tournament." She smiled, "You download your team of six from the game, one to a holoball and the ball acts like the projectors do on a Duel Disk."
"Cool." Bakura grinned.
"Not as cool as…" Jamie was looking at her ring.
In response Bakura got in close, took her in his arms and kissed her properly.
"Ehem." Bakura finally broke the kiss, leaving his rather stunned girlfriend to try to work out who her boyfriend was glaring at. "Sorry to disturb you and all but…" Joey frowned.
"I'll go."
"'Kura, no!" Jamie grabbed his arm as he let her go and turned to leave.
"I can't be around him, you know that." Bakura indicated Yami, who'd taken over when he'd seen Bakura, "Besides, I'll find you tomorrow."
"I'll be waiting." Jamie smiled dreamily, letting go and letting him leave the day care.
"So, it's official?" Yami asked.
"Oh shut up you." Jamie was only half joking when she glared.
"You want to stay here over Christmas, don't you?" Yugi asked, Yami having taken that as a sign to 'get lost'.
"It's more like home then your shop. Sorry Yugi."
"I was going to suggest we came here." Yugi said, looking up at the closed dome roof, "Tomorrow that is, anyway. I don't see why we couldn't stay overnight."
"But what about Grandpa?"
"Hmm." Yugi thought about it, "A camp bed?"
"It could work."
"There's an easy way to find out…" Joey grinned, getting up. "I'll be right back."
"Coming! Coming!"
It was Christmas Eve and the Day Care Centre was packed. The crowd would be gone by five, what with the Centre closing early for Christmas, closing at half four today and reopening at midday on Boxing Day for a few hours.
She was actually planning on spending her Christmas here, in the place that felt most like home. "Can I help?" Jamie asked, noting the Dragonair that was sleeping near the top of the tree. She paused to examine it for a moment, noting the slight differences in shade and size and determining that it wasn't Kaida, like she'd first thought, but Hiryu, meaning Miko had to be here somewhere.
"I was wondering how we'd go about adopting a Pokemon."
"I want that one!" The woman's daughter pointed to the Dragonair, who opened one sleepy eye and looked at them before going back to sleep.
"I'm sorry, you can't have Hiryu, she belongs to a friend of mine."
"But I want it! I want it! I want it! I want it! I want it!"
Jamie had run into children like this before, as she continued to scream and scream.
"I don't suppose your friend would be wiling to sell her would they?"
"We don't sell our partners." Jamie frowned.
"You promised!" The daughter whined, "You promised you'd get me a Pokemon for Christmas!"
"She did, did she?" Jamie looked irritated, "You do realised there is a long process you have to go through before you can adopt right? It's not like picking out furniture. Each Pokemon has specific needs and…"
"We know how to handle pets."
Jamie scowled, "I'm sorry, but there is a process you have to go through, I cannot and will not just hand over a Pokemon, especially one that belongs to a friend of mine."
"I want to speak to the manager!"
"Let me get her." Jamie went out back, changed her working jacket for a smart one and walked back over to the woman, "Day Care Leader Jamelia Francis at your service."
"How rude, I want to speak to the real Manager."
"I am the real Manager." Jamie growled, "And I stand by what I said earlier. You cannot take a Pokemon away today and from your attitude, I don't know if you would be acceptable."
"I'll complain to your boss!"
"Complain away, in fact I'll get Mr Kaiba on the phone and he can explain exactly why I'm saying no."
"Do, you'll see that I'm right."
Jamie flipped open her Pokegear and hit seven on the speed dial pausing for a moment while she waited, "Hi, It's Francis Jamelia, could you put me through to Kaiba Seto please. Yes, I'll hold."
There was a wait of about ten minutes, and then Jamie spoke again, "Kaiba-Kun, Francis here. I know you're busy and I'm sorry for disturbing you, however could you possibly speak to this customer for me, she's demanding to speak to my boss."
She passed the phone to the woman, who proceeded to be 'polite' to Mr Kaiba and in turned, was told in very calm, busineseese exactly where she could stick her head. This of course irritated the woman, who shouted "Well I don't want one of your stupid animals anyway!" and slammed the Pokegear shut so hard that the outer screen cracked.
Jamie's hands clenched into fists, but she relaxed them before the woman could see. She was a little pre-occupied telling her daughter to "Come on dear, I'll get you a Dragonwing and that Pocket Monster game, that's so much better then one of these horrible smelly creatures."
Jamie didn't have the heart to mention that the game was based on 'those horrible smelly creatures', and she was just glad she was leaving, at least until the woman wheeled around and pitched Jamie's Pokegear into the lake.
Jamie wheeled around and was shrugging off her jacket and blouse and heading for the lake when Shade, Jamie's Mightyena, ran in front of the woman, tripping her over and causing her to fall face first on a patch of damp ground, making those playing with the Pokemon around her laugh.
Wearing little but her KC swimsuit and her light trousers, she dived off of the pier and straight into the icy cold water, taking just half a moment for her lungs to start taking the oxygen from the water instead of the air, and swearing at the temperature, having forgotten completely that the lake wasn't heated, it would have been bad for the Pokemon.
Knowing that the longer that her Pokegear was down here, the less chance it had of working again once it was dry, she dove, not getting too far before there was a double splash and one Dragonair swam around her in circles, wanting to play, while the other wrapped gently around something, exited the water and was back again before Jamie could count to five.
"You two are feeling playful." She laughed, aware her voice wouldn't carry well underwater, "What're you distracting me from?"
She went to rise to the surface, but the deeper blue Dragonair, Kaida, wrapped around her legs and pulled her further under while the paler blue one, Hiryu wrapped around her torso, providing warmth.
"Let me go!" She protested, swatting at Hiryu with her arms, but it wasn't effective in the slightest, in fact all it did was get her a sarcastic look from the Dragon type Pokemon.
They were down there long enough for Jamie to know something was going on, before the Dragonairs released her and she swam for it, breaking the surface to see the place deserted except for her friends.
"What?" She asked as she was towed from the centre of the lake to the pier, where she was helped out by 'Kura.
"It's past closing time, I asked the girls to keep you busy while I kicked people out. You were knackered."
"I couldn't have been down there that long…" Jamie frowned, remembering having closed her eyes at one point, exhausted from attempting to free herself.
"You were down there so long I was considering rescuing you." 'Kura said, "I told the girls to distract you, not kidnap you."
"You weren't rude, were you?" Jamie bit her bottom lip.
"Na, they were concerned that you didn't surface but I just said that you'd slipped out while no one was looking and would be back later. Miko said she'll see you tomorrow." Bakura grinned, "I thought I'd come by before the others do and give you my Christmas present."
"I have one for you, it's out the back."
"I'll wait by the tree."
Jamie was there and back in a few minutes, practically racing across the Centre to grab the present.
"'Kura, I…"
"Let me speak first." 'Kura held up his hand. "Jamie, I know how hard this Christmas will be for you. It's a time for family to get together and you're here, stuck with the Pharaoh and his geek squad, none of whom are family, no matter how hard they try."
"'Kura…"
"Let me finish." 'Kura held up a hand, "I can't promise you that I won't have to go away, or that I can get you home, or that everything will be alright, but I can promise that I will watch out for you and that as long as I can be there for you, I will be."
"But what about…?"
"Ryou?" Bakura asked, "He's fine with it. As long as I let him do what he wants, he'll let me protect you."
"I don't need…"
"I know you don't need a Guardian, you're Jamelia Francis of Littleroot Town, Aspiring Champion of the Sinnoh League, you need no one to protect you, but maybe you can let me fight at your side, with my Haunter and my Flygon."
"I… I can do that." Jamie smiled.
"Jamie, what I want to say is…" Bakura held out his gift to her, "Just open it."
"It's early…"
"Please."
Jamie unwrapped it, careful to preserve as much of the wrapping paper as possible, and revealing a jewelery box.
"'Kura?"
"Go on."
She opened it carefully, revealing a ring, white and yellow gold, twisting together, inlaid with a single diamond.
"Kura?"
"It's not an engagement ring." Bakura said swiftly, "But…"
Jamie picked it out of the foam protecting it, examining it, "'Kura, it's beautiful."
"Jamelia.." Bakura paused, putting the ring on her finger, it was a perfect fit, "What I wanted to say is… I love you."
"I love you too…" Jamie said, hugging him and then backing off, "But…" Looking at the present in her hands, with the ring glinting in the lights from the tree, it seemed woefully inadequate. "I'm sorry…" She handed it over.
"For what?" 'Kura asked, stealing a kiss, "I'll love it, whatever it is."
Jamie bit her lower lip as Bakura unwrapped the present to reveal… "A box?" He grinned at her, opening it to reveal a Dragonwing, a copy of Pocket Monsters Johto and a set of six Pokeball like things. "Jamie?" He asked, holding one up.
"Those are Holoballs, they're being released next month, in time for Kaiba's Tournament." She smiled, "You download your team of six from the game, one to a holoball and the ball acts like the projectors do on a Duel Disk."
"Cool." Bakura grinned.
"Not as cool as…" Jamie was looking at her ring.
In response Bakura got in close, took her in his arms and kissed her properly.
"Ehem." Bakura finally broke the kiss, leaving his rather stunned girlfriend to try to work out who her boyfriend was glaring at. "Sorry to disturb you and all but…" Joey frowned.
"I'll go."
"'Kura, no!" Jamie grabbed his arm as he let her go and turned to leave.
"I can't be around him, you know that." Bakura indicated Yami, who'd taken over when he'd seen Bakura, "Besides, I'll find you tomorrow."
"I'll be waiting." Jamie smiled dreamily, letting go and letting him leave the day care.
"So, it's official?" Yami asked.
"Oh shut up you." Jamie was only half joking when she glared.
"You want to stay here over Christmas, don't you?" Yugi asked, Yami having taken that as a sign to 'get lost'.
"It's more like home then your shop. Sorry Yugi."
"I was going to suggest we came here." Yugi said, looking up at the closed dome roof, "Tomorrow that is, anyway. I don't see why we couldn't stay overnight."
"But what about Grandpa?"
"Hmm." Yugi thought about it, "A camp bed?"
"It could work."
"There's an easy way to find out…" Joey grinned, getting up. "I'll be right back."