"I think it should be here, right?" Ash mumbled to himself as he looked up at the large building with the signboard that clearly read 'Pallet House'.
The scent of frying food wafted from the building, making his stomach rumble slightly.
"Is this the restaurant run by my mom? Did we even have something like this before?"
Ash was a bit confused, but then he remarked with a touch of sarcasm.
"Well, it's not like I remember anything from my childhood anyway."
He shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight as he took in the familiar yet slightly different building.
Ash wasn't kidding. He really didn't remember much about his life in Pallet Town. The memories were hazy and fragmented, like a dream he couldn't quite grasp.
He didn't even remember his father, nor did he know his name until just recently, thanks to that bizarre letter.
Other than Green, who had mysteriously disappeared from his early memories, Gary had been his only real friend before he started his Pokémon journey in his previous life.
He wondered what Gary was up to in this timeline.
But now, thanks to Arceus's letter, he had a better understanding of his current situation. The weight of being married to so many people was still sinking in.
Yes, he was married now. Not to just one person, but to a whole bunch of women. He shook his head slightly at the absurdity of it all.
And yes, he had come to one simple conclusion: his father was the reason for this massive headache. He sighed, a four-year-old carrying the burdens of a grown man.
But deciding to forget about the father he only knew the name of for now, he hesitantly opened the door to the Pallet House.
The sounds of a busy restaurant spilled out, a mix of voices and clanking dishes. What greeted him on the inside was quite unexpected.
It was a bustling restaurant scene, with waiters constantly moving around, serving orders to the customers. The air was thick with the aroma of various dishes, making Ash's mouth water despite the strangeness of the situation.
But those waiters… they looked incredibly familiar to Ash. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized face after face.
They were his former companions, the ones he had journeyed through various regions with. Seeing them here, in this unexpected setting, was surreal.
"Hey, Ash! You are late!" a familiar voice called out to him. It was a girl with bright orange hair, and she sounded a little annoyed. Misty was carrying a tray laden with drinks, expertly weaving through the crowded tables.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, Misty. I wasn't feeling quite well," Ash replied, looking a bit embarrassed. He noticed a few customers turning their heads to look at him.
Just then, a customer's voice called out, "Hey, miss! Over here! My order is wrong!"
"Coming!" Misty replied with a bright, professional tone, glancing towards the customer, then her expression softened with worry as she looked back at Ash.
"Are you okay? You look a little pale. If you're not feeling well, you should really rest instead," Misty said to Ash, her voice still laced with concern. She placed the tray down on a nearby counter.
Seeing her worried expression felt extremely weird for Ash. After all, he remembered Misty to be a bit different – more headstrong and less openly concerned. Had her personality changed in this new timeline?
"No, I am okay," Ash said, shaking his head energetically, trying to reassure her. "Just a little tired."
"Well, if you say so," Misty replied, still looking a little worried. She sighed and glanced back at the complaining customer. "It seems like I can't talk now, Ash. That customer needs help.
You should change into a work uniform." Misty said while waving her hand in his direction, indicating a door at the back.
"Well, there she goes," Ash thought as he turned back, about to head towards the changing room. The aroma of freshly baked bread caught his attention for a moment.
Suddenly, a loud voice erupted.
"Hah! You old man! If you don't like radishes, then don't simply order it! Do we look like idiots to you?" Misty said, very angry as she slammed her hand on a table, her usual tomboyish aura fully on display as she dealt with the difficult customer.
Seeing the scene, Ash had a relieved expression and thought, 'Ah, there she is! The usual fiery self.' A small smile touched his lips.
With a relieved sigh, Ash entered the changing room. The air inside smelled faintly of cleaning supplies and perfume.
But.
In front of his eyes was an extremely familiar yet also unfamiliarly beautiful figure. The dim lighting of the changing room cast soft shadows on her form.
With a characteristic red and white bandana on her head, he didn't need to guess her identity. It was May. Her back was to him as she seemed to be changing.
But what was in front of him wasn't just that. She was… not fully dressed.
Not entirely, though. Her upper half only had a bra on, revealing smooth skin that Ash had never seen before. He quickly averted his eyes, his face burning.
"Ah-ah-ah…" he stuttered, his face flushing red. He felt his heart pounding in his chest.
Usually, Ash wasn't someone particularly aware of the opposite sex. But upon coming to this world, for some reason, his emotional quotient seemed to have increased significantly. He was much more sensitive to these kinds of things now.
And the alluring figure that was uncharacteristic of a four-year-old in front of him didn't help at all. He felt a strange mix of embarrassment and… something else he couldn't quite name.
"Ah, Ash! You came, huh? Your uniform is there," May said with a subtle blush on her cheeks, gesturing towards a neatly folded pile of clothes on a nearby bench. She turned to face him, now putting on a work shirt.
"Ah, alright. Got-got it," he stammered, biting his tongue as he replied, which made May giggle, a soft, melodic sound.
"Hahaha, Ash, you are going to be an idiot forever, aren't you?" May wiped a tear from her eye, still laughing softly, and brought him his uniform. It was a smaller version of the restaurant's staff attire.
"Here, figured you would be too lazy to get it yourself," she said while leaning in slightly, flashing a playful smile that Ash's growing brain couldn't quite process, leaving him even more flustered.
...
The restaurant was a hive of activity. Shouts for orders echoed from the tables, the clatter of plates and cutlery filled the air, and the sizzle of food from the kitchen added to the lively atmosphere. The aroma of various dishes mingled together, creating a unique and enticing smell.
But in the changing room, the situation had been a bit different –
a moment of unexpected awkwardness and burgeoning awareness for young Ash.
...
May smirked mischievously, seeing the completely blank expression on Ash's face.
She then quickly got properly dressed, smoothing down her uniform, and left the changing room, leaving poor Ash letting out metaphorical steam from his head due to the overload of information and unexpected sights.
He could hear her humming softly as she rejoined the chaos outside.
Finally, after a moment of silence, he calmed down, taking a few deep breaths.
"Hah ha! If I'm going to be this flustered by every little thing, how can I ever become a Pokémon Master? Stop thinking about useless things, Ash! You need to help out at the restaurant now!"
Ash let out a small laugh after regaining his composure and steadied himself. He picked up the uniform, a small apron included.
After quickly putting on the work uniform he found, he stepped back out of the changing room.
The noise level in the restaurant seemed to have increased even more.
But the scene outside was even more chaotic now. More customers had arrived, and the staff were rushing around even faster, their movements a blur of efficiency.
"Ash! Don't just stand there like an idiot! Help us out!" May called out, her expression serious and completely different from the mischievous look she had just given him. She was expertly carrying a tray of food.
"Okay! But what should I do first?" Ash asked, looking a little lost amidst the hustle and bustle. He felt a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.
"See those empty tables over there?" May said, pointing towards a section of the restaurant near the window. "Grab some menus from that stand and take them to any new customers who come in. Can you do that?"
"Yes, I can do that!" Ash replied, puffing out his chest with a determined grin, a look that May had seen countless times before in their previous adventures. He grabbed a stack of menus that were almost as tall as he was.
He was pumped up to help, but Ash didn't know what awaited him. The reality of working in a busy restaurant was about to hit him hard.
The restaurant was incredibly busy, and soon Ash was running back and forth, taking menus to table after table. He tried his best to keep up with the flow of customers.
New customers kept arriving, and it felt like he was never getting a break. He even bumped into a few people, earning him apologetic glances and hurried "excuse me"s.
Sometimes, he even tried to take their orders, holding a small notepad and pencil, but he often got confused with the different dishes and had to ask either May or Misty for help, who would patiently explain things to him.
Then came the complaints. It seemed like everyone had something to say.
"This soup is too cold!" one grumpy old man grumbled, pushing his bowl away with a loud clatter.
"My drink hasn't arrived yet, and I've been waiting forever!" another customer called out impatiently, tapping his foot.
Ash, being the closest and eager to help, often found himself on the receiving end of these complaints. He didn't really know what to do, so he would just apologize sheepishly, his head bowed, and try to find someone who could sort out the issue.
The work was much harder than he had imagined. His initial enthusiasm started to fade as his little legs grew tired and his head began to spin from the constant activity.
But every time he felt like giving up, he remembered his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master. He couldn't let a little hard work in a restaurant stop him.
He had faced much tougher challenges before, battling powerful Pokémon and saving the world. Surely, he could handle this.
Furthermore, he just needed to keep going. His determination, a trait that defined him, began to resurface.
"Finally, it has ended!" Ash exclaimed as he slumped over onto one of the empty tables in a quiet corner, completely exhausted. His uniform was slightly stained, and his hair was a mess.
May and Misty laughed at his dramatic display and replied in unison, "Now you know our suffering, you lazy husband." They exchanged amused glances.
They playfully patted his head and continued to tease him, but there was a hint of affection in their voices.
"Hey, don't tease Ash so much. He is just busy preparing for his time as a trainer,"
a sweet voice chimed in. It was a girl wearing a chef's uniform, her hair neatly tied back, with sunglasses tucked into her breast pocket.
It was Serena, wiping her hands on a clean towel.
"Serena, you know that's just an excuse for him slacking off at home," another voice chimed in with a playful tone.
This girl was wearing a bright pink apron over her uniform. It was Dawn, carrying a stack of clean plates.
"Girls, don't tease my boy so much after he finally decided to help," a more mature and warm voice said from behind them.
It was…
"Mom," Ash uttered, surprised and a little relieved to see a familiar face.
Yes, it was Delia Ketchum, her eyes twinkling with pride as she looked at her son.
"Hey, Ash, good work out there," Delia said with a warm and encouraging expression, ruffling his hair gently. "You were a big help today."