The night was calm over Pallet Town, the stars faintly blinking above the quiet rooftops. Inside the Caelum residence, the dishes were washed and neatly stacked, the faint smell of stew still lingering in the air.
Leyn stood in front of the sink, brushing his teeth with an expression far too serious for someone about to go to bed. His mind was spinning like a clock.
"If this keeps going, I'll only be able to buy Pikachu's food and nothing else…" he thought, frowning at his reflection. The numbers kept running through his head: allowance, prices, expenses, weeks. "A third of my savings gone just for one week's worth of good food. I need to think of something soon, or I'll be broke before the month ends."
When he finished, he turned toward the bed, where Pikachu was already curled up comfortably, tail flicking lazily.
"Hey, Pikachu," Leyn said, sitting beside him. "You got any business ideas? Something… profitable?"
Pikachu sat up, eyes glinting with mock wisdom.
"Pika pika… pika pika pika!" it said with a serious nod, as if delivering an ancient secret.
Leyn stared blankly. "…You just said nonsense, didn't you?"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, completely proud of itself.
Leyn sighed deeply, laying down next to him. "You know what? I'll just look into it tomorrow…" he mumbled, pulling the blanket over them both. Pikachu snuggled close, and soon enough, the two drifted off to sleep.
---
Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, and the smell of breakfast filled the air. Leyn was sitting on the couch, munching on toast while staring at the television. His parents were eating at the table, chatting softly.
On screen, a cheerful jingle played:
"Need your home spotless? Call Kanto Clean! From cleaning to grooming — we do it all!"
Leyn blinked. His brain froze for half a second… then his eyes widened.
"…Cleaning… berry picking… grooming…" he muttered.
He jumped up from the couch so suddenly Pikachu tumbled off his lap.
"I got it!" he shouted, startling both his parents.
Rhea nearly dropped her fork. "Leyn! What on earth—what did you 'get'?"
Leyn turned to them, eyes blazing with excitement. "A business idea! I can combine everything — cleaning, berry picking, Pokémon grooming, washing services — all in one! It'll attract more customers because it offers everything!"
Gerald blinked, halfway between amusement and surprise. "Wait, you're saying… you want to start a business?"
"Yeah!" Leyn nodded eagerly. "Think about it! People are always busy or don't want to clean up after Pokémon. If I offer all that in one package, I can earn more! And Pikachu can help too!"
Rhea and Gerald looked at each other. There was pride in their eyes, but also concern.
Rhea sighed softly. "Son, it's wonderful that you're thinking ahead… but you're still young. You can rely on us a little, you know?"
Gerald added, "You've been grounded recently for the Fearow incident, remember? You don't need to rush to make money right after that."
Leyn scratched his cheek, looking a little sheepish. "I know, but… I just want to stand on my own. I don't want to rely too much on you or Professor Oak. I want to earn what I use."
His parents smiled at that — proud and a little sad all at once.
"…You're growing up too fast," Rhea murmured, ruffling his hair.
Gerald chuckled. "Alright then, let's see how this 'business idea' of yours turns out. Just… don't overwork yourself, okay?"
Leyn grinned. "Don't worry, I'll make it work somehow!"
---
By mid-morning, Leyn was at Leaf's doorstep, Pikachu perched on his shoulder. When Leaf opened the door, she tilted her head. "You look way too excited for this early in the day. What happened?"
"I got a great idea!" Leyn declared, launching into his pitch like a born salesman. "A multi-service business! Cleaning, berry picking, Pokémon washing, grooming — everything!"
Leaf blinked. "Wow, that's… a lot." She crossed her arms. "But… where are you gonna find people to help you? You still have to go to the lab almost every day."
That made Leyn freeze. "…Oh."
"And where will you get the tools and supplies for that many services?" she added gently.
Leyn's excitement deflated like a balloon. "…Right… that too."
Leaf panicked a little seeing him slump. "Ah! But it's not a bad idea!" she said quickly, waving her hands. "You just need to solve those problems first! It's a great plan once you get that sorted!"
Leyn smiled faintly. "Thanks, Leaf. Maybe I'll just start small again — like performing tricks with Pikachu for some pocket money."
"Performing tricks?" she repeated, curious.
He nodded. "Yeah, you know — showing off Pikachu's moves, maybe make a small show or something. Nothing big."
Leaf chuckled softly. "You really don't run out of ideas, huh?"
He grinned. "You'll see. One day, it'll pay off."
---
When they arrived, Gary and Blue were already inside — predictably arguing over something.
"I'm telling you, my chart's more accurate!" Gary barked, waving a clipboard.
Blue scowled. "You just copied mine and changed the order!"
Professor Oak sighed from his desk. "Boys, if you keep fighting, I'll make you both clean the Tauros pen again."
That shut them up quickly.
"Morning, Professor!" Leyn greeted cheerfully.
Oak looked up and smiled. "Ah, Leyn! Leaf! And Pikachu — good to see you. How are you all?"
Leyn scratched his head. "I'm fine, Professor. Just… trying to figure out a business idea."
Oak raised an eyebrow. "A business idea?"
"Yes!" Leyn explained the concept — the all-in-one service plan, the issues he ran into, and how it led to his fallback plan of performing tricks with Pikachu.
By the end of it, Oak was chuckling heartily. "You've thought it through quite well, Leyn. But tell me — are you really going to give up just because of a few problems?"
Leyn shook his head immediately. "No way! I'll start small first while I figure out the rest."
Oak smiled approvingly. "That's what I wanted to hear. In that case, let's make a little adjustment."
He opened his planner. "From now on, you'll work at the lab five days a week instead of seven. The remaining two days are yours — to rest or… 'pursue business ventures,'" he said with a grin. "And I'll also increase your allowance to four hundred Pokédollars per day. That should help a little."
Leyn's eyes lit up. "Really!? Thank you, Professor!"
Hearing that, Gary and Blue immediately piped up.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Gary complained. "We want that too!"
"Yeah!" Blue added. "If we work hard, we should get paid too!"
Oak laughed. "Alright, alright. If you two work seriously and help properly, I'll give you the same."
The boys fist-pumped in victory.
"And Leaf," Oak said, turning to her, "I almost forgot to give you this." He handed her a small card. "Your official lab ID. You've been working here long enough — you've earned it."
Leaf blinked, surprised. "Oh! But—"
"No buts," Oak interrupted with a kind smile. "Take it. You worked hard, and this comes with the pay you've accumulated so far."
Leaf blushed slightly, bowing her head. "Thank you, Professor."
Oak left to check on the research yard, the kids gathered around a table.
Leaf turned to Leyn. "So, tell us about this plan of yours again. Maybe we can help."
Blue leaned forward eagerly. "Yeah! I want in!"
Gary crossed his arms. "You can't leave me out either!"
Leyn chuckled. "Alright, alright. The plan is simple — Pikachu and I will perform tricks. Stuff like dodging, using Thunder Shock with perfect timing, or pretending to faint dramatically."
Blue's eyes gleamed. "What if you end with a cool pose? Like Pikachu standing on your shoulder with sparks flying!"
Leaf giggled. "That's actually a good idea."
Gary tapped his chin. "We could also spread the word first. Maybe put up flyers saying something like, 'Come see the Pikachu that defeated a Fearow!' That'll attract kids easily."
Leyn laughed. "That's… kind of shameless, but effective."
Leaf nodded thoughtfully. "We could even set up near the town square on weekends — lots of people pass through there."
The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon planning, laughing, and sketching silly poster ideas. Pikachu, sitting proudly on the table, occasionally zapped the pen Gary was holding whenever he tried to draw something embarrassing.
By the time the sun started to set, the group finally packed up.
"Well," Leaf said, stretching, "that was fun. We'll make your show a hit!"
Gary smirked. "You better not forget who helped with the advertising."
Blue rolled his eyes. "You mean I made the good slogans."
Leyn laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. Thanks, everyone. See you tomorrow."
They all waved as they went their separate ways, the last light of the evening reflecting on their faces — four young friends, already taking their first small steps toward the future.