“Waaa…” Erika tightly held her mother’s hand, burying her face in her mother’s hem, crying incessantly.
Kaname stood to the side, watching Erika whose tears wouldn’t stop, her mouth twitching slightly.
She couldn’t help but start to reflect.
Was it going too far to let Erika participate in the capture of Ekans just for convenience?
After all, the other girl had been raised under protection all her life.
But on second thought, Erika herself had clamored to see it at first; if she hadn’t been allowed to join, given Erika’s personality, she would surely have been sulky afterward, and might have even done something more reckless to prove herself.
“Sigh…” Kaname sighed in her heart.
Girls are such a hassle.
Five-year-old girls are even more of a hassle; their emotions are completely unpredictable.
Kaname had no awareness at all that she was also a five-year-old girl now, standing there with an air of sophisticated maturity, constantly lamenting in her heart.
“Kaname~ would you like to come stay at our house for a couple of days too?” A gentle voice interrupted Kaname’s thoughts.
The speaker was Erika’s mother.
She squatted down, her eyes level with Kaname’s.
This lady, dressed in an elegant kimono, perfectly matched Kaname’s impression of the future Celadon Gym Leader.
She was gentle, generous, meticulous, and considerate.
By comparison, Erika was…
Kaname suppressed the urge to complain and looked up at the person in front of her.
Kaname, who possessed a highly deceptive appearance, had always been popular with adults of this type.
Erikas Mother looked at Kaname with a smile, her eyes full of affection.
After the teacher’s explanation, she knew that these two children had discovered the snake.
Although she didn’t know the details, they were clearly both terrified.
She truly wanted Kaname to stay at her home for a while to change environments and calm her nerves.
Kaname’s brain worked rapidly.
With such an incident occurring at the Daycare Center, it would definitely be thoroughly searched.
The risk of Eevee’s hiding spot being exposed would skyrocket.
Erika’s home was a private residence and was definitely safer than here.
There was no reason to refuse; in fact, it was exactly what she wanted.
“B-but…” Going along with her previous disguise, Kaname lowered her head and twisted her hands together, appearing tempted yet timid.
“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you…
I’m just a…” “How could it be?” Seeing how sensible the child was, Erikas Mother felt even more distressed, wishing she could pull the little one into her arms.
Her tone carried an irresistible warmth.
“It just so happens that Erika has been constantly talking about wanting to play with you.
With you there, she’ll surely forget what just happened much faster.” “Go pack whatever you need to bring now.
I’ll be driving you and Erika home in a bit!” “Sob, mhm…” Before Kaname could answer, Erika, who was still sobbing nearby, wiped her tears while nodding frantically, her other free hand tightly clutching the corner of Kaname’s clothes.
Now she didn’t even need to find an excuse.
She just had to pack Eevee up later and take it back to Erika’s house for the time being.
Kaname let out a long sigh of relief and nodded obediently.
While the plan was succeeding on this side, the atmosphere in the hallway on the other side was exceptionally grave.
“I am terribly sorry!
Truly, terribly sorry!” Chinatsu looked pale, constantly bowing and apologizing to the surrounding parents.
She couldn’t understand why a dangerous wild Pokémon would break into the Daycare Center.
The fences were checked every day, and security measures should have been fine, yet the accident had happened anyway.
It was currently the peak time for school pickup.
Parents who hadn’t left yet gathered in the hallway, their faces grim.
“…I am very disappointed in the protection measures of this Daycare Center!
Is this the safe environment you promised?” “What if my child had been bitten?
Who would be responsible?!” The adults, turned into demons, were holding the Daycare Center accountable, their angry roars rising and falling.
Meanwhile, the culprit of this disaster, the Ekans, was now slumped on the cold floor.
Its purple scales had lost their luster, its mouth was slightly agape, and it didn’t even have the strength to curl up in defense.
Clearly, that blast of ‘Kaname Special Spicy Perfume Spray’ had caused it immense damage.
Even so, the adults still had lingering fears.
In contrast.
The small children hiding behind the adults were sizing up the creature with curious gazes.
“Is that an Ekans?
Why is it so small?” “Yeah, aren’t Ekans on TV really big?” “It looks like it’s about to cry…” The children’s whispers were mixed into the arguments, making the scene even more chaotic.
After such an incident, no one was willing to leave their children at the Daycare Center any longer, and parents picked up their kids to leave.
But there were still orphans like Kaname in the Daycare Center with nowhere to go.
“Parents, please be quiet for a moment.” The Director walked out, leaning on her cane.
Though she was elderly, she possessed a strong presence at this moment.
“The occurrence of such an incident is a failure of the Daycare Center.
We will absolutely not shirk our responsibility.” The Director bowed deeply, then straightened up and spoke steadily.
“We will immediately issue a commission to League-certified Pokémon Trainers.
Professional security will be stationed here as early as tomorrow.
We will also conduct a comprehensive inspection of the walls and ventilation ducts to absolutely guarantee the children’s safety.” Seeing the Director personally apologize and provide a plan, the parents’ expressions softened slightly.
Kaname stood behind Erika, watching coldly before withdrawing her gaze.
Since the matter had become so big, the origin of this Ekans would certainly undergo further investigation.
Although surveillance wasn’t widespread in this era, those ‘government personnel’ had just visited when the incident happened.
As long as one wasn’t a fool, they would connect the two.
At the very least, she could make the person who brought the Ekans in suffer a major loss.
Since this Ekans had been caught, it certainly couldn’t be taken back.
Furthermore, to appease people, the Daycare Center might truly have permanent Pokémon Trainers on guard in the future.
When that time came, she could find an opportunity to pretend she had just discovered Eevee and hand it over through official channels.
“Kaname, shall we go pack your things?” “Mhm.” Kaname nodded, said goodbye to Erikas Mother, and turned to run back to her room.
Once inside, she locked the door.
She immediately stuffed the biscuit box back into its place under the bed and organized a small backpack she usually used.
“Come out.” Kaname beckoned toward the underside of the bed.
Eevee had heard the commotion outside long ago and now cautiously poked its head out.
“We’re going to Erika’s house.” Kaname padded the bottom of the bag with a few changes of clothes and picked up Eevee to stuff it inside.
Eevee squirmed its body in resistance, but under Kaname’s gaze, it still obediently curled into a ball and crawled in.
“It’s bigger there than here, but it’s also full of strangers.” Kaname pulled the zipper, leaving only a thin slit for air, and warned in a low voice through the backpack.
“Once we’re there, you still have to hide well.
Don’t let anyone find you…” “Bui…” Eevee nodded, curling its body up uncomfortably.
Having been cooped up for two days, it missed its freedom, but faced with Kaname’s fearsome authority, it didn’t dare to argue.
At this moment, Eevee was just wondering.
What would the new environment be like?
Would it be different from here?