Latest Update:One-Shot
Summary: Sometimes life gets you down. Sometimes dreams get pushed down. Sometimes things just don't work out and we bury those foolish dreams deep beneath excuses and lies. But what if you got a chance to do it? What if your excuses and lies were ripped away, and all you had to do was say yes or no. This is the story of a man who made his wish, and what he did with it. Slice of Life. AU.
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14106774/1/Blue-Jay-Café-A-Multiverse-Story
Word Count:10k
Chapters:1
Chapter 1: My Deepest Desire.
The pitter patter of raindrops landing on a tin roof made him stir.
The fresh scent of a rainstorm made him want to sink further into his soft sheets.
And the sound of his alarm made him want to smash it. He did so.
No matter how much he loved the morning hours, he hated actually getting out of bed.
Jay was just like that. Curled up in his bed with a crushed alarm clock and such peaceful natural sounds soothing him back to dreamland.
If only something would stop pawing at his face.
"Ee."
Someone. If only someone would stop pawing at his face.
"Espe."
"Nnnn, I don't wanna."
"Espe."
"Nooooo."
'Get up and feed me hooman.'
Jay cracked his eyes open a tad, taking in his room in the early morning light, the Japanese themed architecture satisfying a childhood dream, and seeing the offending sleep criminal hovering over him.
"But I'm so relaxed…"
His strong arms left the sheets to wrap around the soft velvety lilac fur of his mortal foe and pull them under with him.
"Eee.."
A yawn escaped his foes throat before she shook herself and rubbed her head against Jay's cheek. 'Enough rest hooman. I hunger.'
Jay buried his head in the soft fur for a moment before sighing. "Fine, fine, I'm getting up you fiend."
'I am no fiend. I am fluff. I am justice.'
Jay huffed in amusement and sat up. "Yeah, yeah, your majesty. Come on."
He swung out of bed and stretched his arms with a groan. His companion doing much the same as she stretched like a cat.
Simultaneous groans of satisfaction leaving their throats as they got up.
Jay shuffled with all the grace of a zombie ballerina toward his bathroom to wash up.
His partner jumping onto the bathroom counter as Jay retrieved a second toothbrush. "Come here girl."
"Espe."
'I can do it myself Jay.'
"Don't be such a baby and take your pampering like a woman."
She rolled her eyes but let him do it. She did enjoy being pampered after all.
There was nothing strange about this scene. A scene they had repeated hundreds if not thousands of times by now.
The scene of a man and his Espeon starter brushing their teeth.
The two gargled and spit into the sink as Jay washed both their faces with a towel.
His reflection in the mirror standing behind his partner.
He stood at six foot three, with a lean and athletic build, his muscles defined and showing from his shirtless state.
Various small scars adorned his frame, telling a tale from his many years of travel.
Tribal tattoos wrapped around his shoulders from his shoulder blades to collar bones, stopping halfway up his neck. Like branches of a tree, small birds were perched, some in flight, some preening, but all distinct by their bluish black colors.
Blue Jays.
His black shaggy hair falling down the back of his neck, with the bangs half covering the right side of his face.
Violet iris's looking into the mirror, checking out his partner's lilac colored fur for any ungroomed spots. Her large ears twitched and her similar violet eyes but with white pupils narrowed in joy as he brushed her. The red gem in her forehead glowed softly as her thin forked tail waved lazily.
"Hn, your perfect."
'Flattery will get you everywhere.'
Jay chuckled and shook his head as he left the bathroom, his partner jumping to hang from his shoulder.
He rose a brow at her as he rummaged through his closet for fresh clothes. "Aren't you a bit big for my shoulder girl?"
Espeon pawed the side of his face. 'You don't comment on a girls size, when will you learn hooman. My patience has limits.'
He rolled his eyes and changed his pants. "Say that when you're not using telekinesis to stay on my shoulder."
She looked away with a pout and Ray chuckled as he put on a cashmere grey sweater, not caring for Espeon's location.
She puffed her head out from the collar of his sweater and shook her puffy head roughly. Looking all the much like a happy cat.
The two matched eyes and amusement flashed between their gaze, laughter bubbling up as they made their way out of his room.
The hallway outside his room done in the same traditional Japanese architecture with doors lining the hall for his family.
The master bedroom was the largest but the floor had half a dozen smaller bedrooms, an indoor sauna and Onsen, a lounge area to hang out, and a balcony.
Jay yawned into his hand, his eyes lighting up just briefly as his body floated down the stairs.
Espeon playfully nipped at his ear. 'Who's the lazy one now?'
Jay held up a finger in the professional and serious attitude of a guy who just woke up. "I regret nothing."
Espeon's impressed hum spoke lengths and he stuck his tongue out at her before dodging as she playfully attempted to hit it.
On the way down the stairs, he passed by what looked like a giant silver bolder with a floating green orb hovering over it.
Jay passed by with a yawn and gave a light knock to the boulder. "Wake up you two, it's morning."
The boulder shook before it began to split at the seams and four massive legs spread out from a central torso. A large metallic X adorned it's face and bright red eyes lit up brightly like LED lights.
"Meta." 'Good morning master.' A smooth baritone and slightly robotic voice spoke into his mind.
Jay rolled his eyes fondly and pushed open a pair of double swinging doors to get to the large kitchen. "Don't call me master bud, I told you a thousand times."
'Apologies master.'
Jay huffed and ignored the supercomputer; he had an odd sense of humor.
The floating green ball twitched from the noise and slowly deformed and uncoiled, revealing a small white body floating inside the green liquid.
"Reun~." 'Morning Jay~!' A slightly high pitched voice called out.
Jay opened up the fridge, blocking Espeon's seeking paws from the goodies inside, and called back over his shoulder.
"Morning Reuniclus, can you two grab a new crate of flour from storage, I think were out again."
Reuniclus twisted in the air and stretched in a weird gooey way. 'Which kind? Big sis yelled at me last time I got it wrong.'
*Pah!*
A white and green hand materialized behind him and smacked the back of his head. 'I didn't yell at you for getting it wrong you fool, I yelled at you for spilling it in the hallway because you were dancing with it.'
'Ow! Your so mean big sis!'
Jay's second oldest partner rolled her eyes as she passed the grumbling Reuniclus who quickly went off to the storage with Metagross in tow, knowing he had to keep his brother from getting distracted.
Gardevoir hovered into the kitchen and bent over Jay's shoulders to give him a hug. 'Morning Jay. Espeon.'
Jay half returned the hug without turning while Espeon waved a lazy paw in greeting. "Morning girl, sleep well?"
Gardevoir nodded against him. 'The shift is always disorientating for us who can see the weave, but we are fine now.'
Jay grimaced at the reminder. "Yeah, it's not pleasant. But never mind that, it's a new day, a new month, and a new world. Thankfully, the little trouble maker will be out of it for a week at least."
Espeon and Gardevoir nodded along to that.
'Too much energy in that one.'
'He deserves his title.'
"That's for sure, let him sleep as long as possible for our sanity. Anyway, come on, let's get things organized and then find out what world were in. I want to open by lunchtime if possible."
'Got it.'
'I'll go do some scouting. Metagross is already scanning for electronic waves. So far he is finding little.'
"Hm? Is that so, I guess it's not a modern world then. I'll deal with it in a bit, for now, I need some elixir of life."
Gardevoir and Espeon shared a look of exasperation before the former teleported out and the ladder got comfortable wrapping around Jay's neck like a scarf.
"You comfortable over there?"
'Silence hooman, I must rest from dealing with you. Don't forget my sustenance.'
Jay chuckled and moved along.
He might hate getting up, but the early morning was his favorite time for a reason.
There was a peaceful serenity to the world as things slowly stirred. And the rainstorm outside was doing wonders for the mood.
He floated over to the coffee station, a long line of silver and black coffee machines and presses resting on a dark wooden counter top.
A large jar levitating off a top shelf holding a dozen such jars to land gently on the counter as he got the right measuring cups and removed a cup of beans.
Excelsa beans were his favorite. Rare as they may be on in a modern market, they have a fruity and woody taste to it that sets in better than Arabica or Robusta could.
A gas flame was lit as he trapped the beans in a metal mesh and roasted them slowly over the flame. Turning and smelling them as they heated up and browned.
The strong cocoa scent mixing with the scent of the rainstorm outside.
His medium-dark roasted beans were poured into a pestle and mortar, where they were slowly ground up into powder and released its aroma even more strongly.
The fine powder was tapered off into the machine, and he set about making himself a proper cappuccino with the milk steamer.
While the machines worked, he grabbed a stick of cinnamon and heated it over the gas flame, enriching the space with the rich scent, wonderfully mixing with the existing scent of beans and rain to make a soothing trifecta.
A beautiful coffee cup was placed gently down as he filled it first with coffee, then added half the milk, stirred it with the heated cinnamon, and dressed it with the milky foam to make a neat symbol of a bird.
Half the joy of the process was seeing that final product where it all comes together.
He sniffed his elixir with a delighted face, savoring the scent, before taking it along with a bagel and a bundle of grapes back the way he came.
He floated along the hall, waving to an excited Reuniclus carrying a large crate over his head that spilled flour behind him, only to be caught in a Telekinesis hold of Metagross following behind with a stoic look.
"Look behind you Reun." He called casually and floated up the stairs with a look of gratitude to Metagross.
'Oh no! The Flour! I'm leaking!' *Crash*
Jay and Espeon ignored the chaos behind them like veterans, one focusing on not spilling a drop as he floated along, and the other not caring for the world as she rested in her favorite spot.
Soon Jay made it to the lounge area and passed by it toward the balcony. A U-shaped balcony with a Japanese styled wooden railing, opening up to the sky above and behind his home. A soothing cherry blossom tree planted in the center of the space, digging into an artificial pit with soil.
The rain that fell down seemed to hit an invisible barrier above the balcony and slide down as if it were a solid surface.
'Definitely worth the money spent on those runemasters.'
The barrier blocked out sight, sound, elements, and all kinds of things that could be adjusted with a dial, currently set to allow those inside to see, hear, and smell out, but not vice versa.
A marble outdoor table sat comfortably between two comfy lounge chairs. A firepit placed in front, and outdoor couches and floor cushions around it as well.
Jay floated over and reclined back into his lounge chair with a sigh of contentment, Espeon cuddling deeper into his neck with a purr.
The floating coffee cup coming to rest down into his hands as he took his first sip, feeling the golden liquid of life slide down his throat.
"Mn… perfect."
'Narcissist.'
Jay's brow twitched. "I should have never given you that dictionary."
Espeon's left eye cracked open with a smug grin.
'The human language has so many fun words.'
"I regret."
Espeon's chuckles tickled his neck and he couldn't help but laugh along as he scratched her fur. Her eyes glowing as grapes floated up to her mouth for her to enjoy.
His favorite morning drink, the sounds and sight of the rainstorm falling feet away from his spot, and the warm and serene form purring into his shoulder relaxed him like nothing ever could.
Jay was a simple man, but this was his heaven.
As he drank some more, he let his mind wander to the past a bit.
His first steps, after his unfortunate end. An end while in the military. That day might have mostly faded from his mind, but the sounds of gunshots and the smell of iron in the air remained strong till this day.
His rebirth was cruel in a way.
An emotionless dimensional being telling him he accumulated enough positive karma over multiple lifespans to be granted a wish within limits.
A wish that was limited to the point of frustration as he couldn't think of anything the being would accept as adequate.
In the end, a tired and exhausted soul decided to ask for a deep desire of his. One he buried out of embarrassment.
He wanted to open a coffee shop. Most of the memories from his first life had faded with time, reverting him to be closer to the form of his second life, but one thing he recalled was how his parents at the time laughed at his young dream.
Told him to be a man and get a real job. Ending up in him joining the force out of desperation for freedom.
And years later, when he was close to the end of his contract, he didn't even think about his dream anymore. Letting it sink beneath the waves of his heart.
It was only his death and the offer of something more that unearthed it.
The being never laughed. Hell, it didn't show an ounce of real interest. It just waited and denied all requests until he made his final one.
A multiverse traveling coffee shop and home designed to the mental image in his head.
His wish was surprisingly accepted, but nothing else was spoken as the being grabbed him and he felt searing pain scorch his soul in a way he could still feel echo today.
When next he woke, he was a ten year old in a world he was intimately familiar with. The world of Pokemon.
He recalled being over the moon at the start, until reality sunk in.
There was no bar around, no special powers, no safe haven.
He found a tattoo of a circle that wrapped around his forearm and somehow knew that it contained his wish. His bar was hidden inside the tattoo. And it wasn't coming out.
A single sentence was placed in his mind whenever he focused on the tattoo, one that didn't originate from himself.
[Become a champion to unlock.]
Jay despaired. He shouted, kicked, and screamed, but nothing changed.
He was stuck as a ten year old in a new world without any connections, in a random forest without civilization in sight.
Needless to say, he was off to a bad start.
The memories of those starting days were not pretty. Having to resort to lots of the brutal aspects of what he knew as a soldier.
The world of Pokemon he landed in was both dangerous in the way of feral Pokemon that eat humans, and it being some thirty years before the timeline he recognized. Not that he knew that at the time.
He was screwed up the wall, and only a chance encounter with a wild and injured Eevee saved his life.
The two helping and defending each other until they could make it to a town where they were immediately cared for by the authorities.
Time moved forward, with one challenge after the next.
Jay wasn't someone who sought a fight. He didn't care for battle. But he wanted his bar, he wanted to travel, and he wanted to give a big middle finger to the bastard who screwed him with his wish.
He fulfilled a third of his wish over the years, traveling as much as he could, seeing incredible and amazing sights the natural world had to offer.
He gathered friends along the way, trained them constantly.
He found an affinity for physic types, later managing to awaken his own physic potential thanks to a fortunate encounter with a true teacher. A few hundred year old psychic Pokemon who took him and his team on as students.
His new abilities and his team's strength allowed him to travel farther, see more, and face harsher challenges.
The world was rough, both from feral Pokemon, the natural world, and the human element. It wasn't an apocalypse setting, but it was far from the peaceful world of Ash Ketchum.
He studied, he grew, he matured, and his soul was soothed as his heart was filled by the warmth of his companions.
The world sharpened him like a blade on a whetstone in blood, sweat, tears, and more.
It took years, nine years specifically, to finally attain the role of champion.
The world wasn't an anime, Pokemon took years to evolve and train, and those at the top worked just as hard as you to get where they were.
But he did it, as one of the youngest in history to become champion at just under twenty years old. And then he gave it up in a heartbeat and disappeared from the public view before they could pile responsibilities on him. The old champion keeping his post with a flabbergasted face. The woman was ready to retire.
Jay never cared for it; he just wanted his wish unlocked.
And he got it.
With just a thought, he knew he could summon his dream building from his tattoo at will. The process was not instant but took a few hours to summon or store away.
To store away, nothing living could be inside.
To place down, nothing living could be in the way. But if an empty building were in the space, it could overwrite itself on the space and occupy it as if it were built there.
The building itself was perfect.
Two floors, the first holding the bar/coffee shop with a mix of an old style wooden tavern and a relaxed jazz bar.
A large kitchen space connecting the bar to the back area where a hallway with doors for supply storage and the stairs leading up were.
The second floor was the living area, designed from traditional Japanese architecture like he wished for. The master bedroom, bath, extra rooms and bathrooms, the large Onsen and sauna, the lounge area, and the balcony.
He couldn't ask for more.
Except he wish he had.
The entire thing was stripped bare and empty, not even a bucket.
Only the barest of things like countertops and shelves were installed.
He had to buy and move everything himself, which wasn't too bad when you had plenty of money and telekinesis alongside a full team of champion level psychic Pokemon.
He spent a fortune on furniture, kitchen appliances and machinery, and everything he needed to make his dream home come true.
The Pokemon world had a much smaller population than most worlds, but it also had a very advanced technological scale.
With that said, the building was really just a building with no special awareness, no AI, no indestructability, nothing.
But it wasn't just that.
He also had to actually place the building somewhere where he could connect power lines and piping for water and waste.
And if all that wasn't enough, he couldn't multiverse travel anywhere.
The magic formation with a big sign labeling it for traveling had an energy bar. He had to supply the energy.
But even after three months of charging it with electricity, it barely reached 1% power.
He was very not calm the day he realized it.
Resigned to his fate, he stuck in for the long haul and began spending his time practicing with coffee, mixing drinks, and a few various deserts he knew how to make. He figured he had a few years to practice.
He wasn't the best baker around, but the stuff he knew how to make, he could do pretty well.
And it was during one such baking session, deep in the mountains where he overlayed his bar onto a cabin he owned, that he got a visitor.
A curious little thing full of energy and a love for Macarons. One of the few items Jay could make well.
Being a lover of Pokemon and being able to speak with the mythical tiny being, Jay served it all the macarons he had available.
It guzzled them all like a black hole and finally collapsed with a happy face and swollen stomach. However, Jay underestimated it's curiosity, and while he was washing dishes, the mythical Pokemon found his magic formation room.
In less than a minute, the energy bar that barely moved was overflowing with energy and sparking dangerously.
One second Jay was washing dishes, and the next him, his team, and the little trouble maker were hurling through space and time before landing harshly in a new reality.
Jay and most of his team had hurled their stomach contents before he could make his way to the formation room and found the little one passed out with a content smile like it just did something super fun.
Jay was floored by the results, but even more insane, the energy rating on the formation was still not burnt out.
A timer appeared showing a forceful teleport would happen again thirty days later. With or without him.
He came to the conclusion that it wouldn't stop jumping until it ran out of energy all together. He sighed at his lot in life, but he took the punches as they came and rolled with it.
So what if he was on an off track runaway train? They would run out of momentum eventually and he was going to enjoy the high speed ride along the way.
He had already been through three worlds. Three jumps through time and space.
The first being a modern world not unlike his original earth. Unfortunately, the tech level was far below the poke world, but he already had what he needed so he didn't mind.
He treated it as a test run and took the chance to gather more furniture, recipes, and such while he had access to overnight delivery and the internet.
As for funds? Metagross had a field day.
The world was in an age similar to the first decade after the internet was born, and his supercomputer Pokemon explored and ripped away funds from people he could confirm were corrupt.
Not only was money stolen but evidence found was planted on social media sites in various countries, not allowing a single one to simply delete it.
Jay mostly left his friend to himself, his human brain unable to comprehend the speed and processing his friends brain did.
Metagross had a soft spot for kids and seemed to start something like a revolution as he took control of the internet. His own little Skynet. Jay was so proud and 100% ignored the chaos around the world to drink and make coffee and deserts. The little trouble maker woke up and demanded more macarons.
Thankfully, Metagross was more focused on removing corruption and helping children in need then building robots to do his bidding.
Overall, a fun visit but nothing noteworthy as he opened his bar to business and got some feedback from some customers. Outside the extra crates of gold bars anyway. Jay had long since learned that Metagross always tried to make life easier for him. He was an awesome friend.
Rich or not though, he wanted to enjoy his dream and worked on forming three menu's. One for coffee. One for booze. And the third for deserts. Specifically, macarons.
After making thousands of the things to appease the little monster, as well as his team who fell in love with them, he just threw in the towel and focused everything on them.
The combinations were endless after all, so he never really got bored.
It was a peaceful month.
The second world completely flipped the table and sent him to a wuxia world.
Jay got a full taste of ancient Chinese face slapping in a real life cultivation city. A low scale one most likely for the early arcs of a story, but one he was thankful to be in.
Without crazy ancient elders around, he never had to worry about his building, as a member of his team is always actively emitting an EM field that alters the perception of anyone who looks at or enters the building.
Ignore the strange creatures being abnormal.
Ignore the sudden appearance of this store.
Do not investigate anything here once you leave.
If hostility is directed toward any member of the shop or the building itself, change the hostility to some other nonliving target and make them think they need to do something at home immediately.
Jay didn't think it worked on everybody but as a non-cultivator, he never knew if some elder in disguise passed through.
As champion level psychic Pokemon, his team was very capable of altering the minds of others without breaking a sweat. Some had greater strengths in specific areas while his other members had different strengths.
Jay's personal strength was in Telekinesis, with a minor in teleportation. Mind stuff was annoying for him, and at best he could skim surface thoughts or put someone to sleep.
It might seem cruel to mess with someone's mind, but frankly, the only thing the effect did was similar to a 'Notice-Me-Not' spell from Harry Potter. It just altered their perception lightly.
Either way, it was a sacrifice he would make every time to keep drama and trouble away from his doors.
He was on vacation.
Many fun things happened in the cultivation world.
Jay got front row seats to cliché type speaking and acting with young masters walking around, and the bigger young master slapping the smaller ones with cash and face.
Few jade beauties were around unfortunately, but the beauty level was generally much higher than most worlds for both men and women, cultivation doing wonders for them.
Jay personally couldn't cultivate when he tried. He wasn't born to the world, he didn't have the pathways for energy to enter and flow, and he didn't have access to whatever mystical treasures could grant him such things.
So he shrugged and went back to making Macarons and coffee.
It amazed him that the people on the world has little to no concept of good coffee!
The savages!
Jay actually found coffee beans for sale in the market, being sold in substantial amounts, and For what? For goddamn insect repellent!
The people were boiling the beans to get the caffeine out to use to defend from mosquitoes and ticks.
He almost spat blood and fainted when he heard. And then he laughed when the shopkeeper told him to spit blood someone else.
It apparently happened a lot to people in their culture.
He practically sold out the store that sold the beans, making a poor merchant couple extremely happy.
They weren't just normal beans either, but spirit beans.
The cultivation world had 'spirit' added to consumable items that were filled with natural energy of heaven and earth.
For Jay anyway, the beans didn't do anything special for him at first compared to regular beans, but later on he learned a few traits. It had long term, small improvements in the body if drank continuously. And in the short term, it gave the drinker a sense of peace and tranquility, making their stress almost evaporate.
He was thankful the beans were cheap because he filled a storage room with crates of them.
The second thing he got were….chickens!
As someone who made macarons almost daily, he needed eggs! So many eggs….
So he bought a dozen spirit chickens who laid….get this… spirit eggs. Fascinating.
They were basically just really high quality eggs with tons of flavor and nutrients. And the spirit chickens, being more than your regular chickens, could lay up to a dozen eggs each a day.
He converted one of his storage rooms into a chicken pen for them, making it as comfortable as he could, and let his team watch over them.
Espeon especially loved to go in there, but Jay and the rest of the team were always quick to step in before she scares one of them to death.
Besides the beans and eggs, he got some nice clothes, some souvenirs, and some cool enchanted items. He couldn't go to a wuxia world and NOT get a space ring to store stuff.
He got some spirit herbs and spices to grow in his own indoor garden.
He got a few crates of various interesting liquors. Mostly Sake.
He was sad to find out he couldn't use Jade Slips. As cool and useful as they were, he didn't have the energy to use them.
All in all, it was an uneventful trip. The city itself wasn't anything crazy, but there were fantastical tales of other locations.
Something he might want to try and come back to see one day.
He noticed how the multiverse formation was showing a section of marble lights on the wall, with symbols for the worlds he had already been to.
Hopefully, that meant he could return to them, but so far he couldn't change the formation. It was super charged and couldn't be stopped.
The third world he went to was a wild one.
He actually ended up in the world of Harry Potter.
Not one he was fully familiar with however, seeing as the year was 1910 and he was in France. He didn't even speak French.
One does not truly learn to appreciate the versatility of a champion level psychic Pokemon until something comes up.
Two of his Pokemon were capable of understanding any language by pulling the knowledge from pedestrians or in the case of Metagross, by surfing the web.
The supercomputer program knew every language the modern world knew, making it incredibly easy to understand a foreign language like they did in the wuxia world.
And thanks to their bond, it wasn't hard for Metagross to simply 'download' a package of information into his brain.
It only worked because he was able to organize it with his own abilities, and because Metagross studied the Jade Slips of the wuxia world.
Those little jade tools literally captured concepts one person understood and allowed others to grasp what that person understood.
It still hurt like a bitch, so they avoided doing it often.
Anyway, point being, Jay learned French…with a headache that lasted three days.
But after that it was open season and he was ready for business.
He moved his shop into the French equivalent of Diagon Alley, not even needing to hide his occupation of a rundown shop being replaced with a new building.
The only EM wave needed was for them to think it's just an impressive but not noteworthy piece of magic. No one bothered him.
He got set up, changed his menu's to French, and let in the crowds.
The wizards and witches were wonderful customers, loving the relaxing vibe of the shop along with the coffee and macarons.
France had invented Macarons back in the 1830's, so it wasn't something new to them, but the flavor combinations and methods for making them were much more interesting than the boring versions in the day and age.
Dozens of people clamored to buy them and ask for how they were made. Some of the more culinary types were quite adamant.
And Jay has a bit of a weakness for blonde haired-blue eyed beauties using their charms to get what they want. Just a small one.
On a side note, he may or may not have started a macaron revolution in one of the culinary and confectionery centers of the world.
Anyway, he took a bunch of gold to the goblin run bank, exchanged it for galleons under their excited eyes, and went on a bit of a shopping spree.
First stop was clothing.
Jay wasn't much of a clothing craze, but if the option was between normal clothes, and clothes made from magic materials, the choice was obvious.
It might have been 1910, but the power of money and mental abilities to make people not question things, he could get what he wanted without issue.
Casual clothes were made from acromantula silk and woven with three enchantments. [Self-Clean] [Temperature adjust] [Size adjust].
On top of that, the clothes were much tougher to tear then normal clothing, but it wouldn't stop a blade. It wasn't armor.
He got a dozen pairs of slacks in grey and black and a dozen more button down shirts. It didn't take long to realize from the start that if he dressed sloppy, customers were put off. He didn't need to wear a suit, but he took to wearing slacks and button down shirts or cashmere sweaters while working.
Needless to say, his new wardrobe was a dozen times more comfortable than the old one which he donated to charity.
A couple pairs of outdoor and travel clothes made from dragon hide.
Dragon hide boots, shoes, and gloves.
He even got a nice wizard robe for the heck of it.
The look on the shopkeepers face when he paid could light up a Christmas tree.
From the clothes shop, he went to the book store.
He only wanted one thing, as without magic nothing else was useful.
Occlumency.
While he had no magic, he was a psychic and he was interested if he could learn something.
He also grabbed some books on runes to get an idea for what was possible and not.
From there he went to the liquor shop, browsed their wares, and put down an order for crates of various magical beverages.
The poor chore boy was sweating and struggling so he moved things along with TK, holding up a pretend stick for a wand he had been using all day.
Next door to the liquor shop was the tobacco shop, and he was very interested in checking it out, having been a smoker in his first life.
Much to his surprise and joy, they sold tobacco that had a variety of REAL flavors instead of the chemical bathed crap of the modern world.
It used various magical ingredients he didn't care to learn.
On top of having cool flavors, it didn't leave any scent of harsh smoke, only the scent of the flavor.
And with the properties of the ingredients, they had long since removed any harmful or addictive parts. Not seeing a point in poisoning themselves just to get a good casual smoke in.
He got enough to last him years.
By that point, the day was ending, so he went home and read up on runes before going out the next day to find a rune master.
A common profession for a wizard or witch with at least a NEWT in runes was to open a business offering their services.
They could do many things with runes, it just cost a high price for even simple things.
Jay honestly felt a bit ripped off even with all his gold but he shrugged it off and paid.
The building got a full round of runes for protection from damage, magical or not, his bedrooms, storage rooms, and so on all had their space expanded threefold from the point where you open the door to the room.
He even got a training area under the shop for his Pokemon to stretch.
The balcony got a dial for altering the protections.
The bathroom drains got runes for waist vanishing and supplying, heating, and cooling water. He no longer needed to connect his shop to existing pipes for water and waste.
And with solar panel technology from the Pokemon world, he didn't need to connect to a power source.
And with a supercomputer Pokemon, he didn't need a Wi-Fi router (if an internet signal existed).
He was fully self-sufficient from that point on.
Just as exciting, he found an offered rune was for keeping a cup of liquid warm.
They made a thin plate of metal carved with the rune, and any cup placed on top with liquid was remain at whatever temperature it was at without soiling the drink.
Even in France they had an obsession with tea it seemed.
What he custom asked for was a few such thin plates to create special designs from coffee foam.
He could do it himself, but it gets aggravating doing it for so many people over and over. Now he just placed a cup of fresh coffee on the plate, and the design would appear in the foam.
So much time and effort was saved.
Of course, he couldn't power the runes himself as he had no magic. Unlike the enchanted clothing that was made from magical materials and retain their effects, the runes needed an energy source.
Which led to the additional purchase of an expensive ward stone, which his little bundle of energy was in charge of charging once a month.
A bit round about, but it got the job done, and now his home was powered up and less of a worry.
All in all, he spend a solid half of his entire finances on shopping in the world but he didn't mind.
He even bought some dragon dung fertilizer for his indoor garden. It might have smelled but it was contained to the room and it worked wonders on any plant life.
It was quite the success.
And as his shop grew more popular among customers in the magical world, he gained some interesting visits from the French Veela population, much to both his and their joy.
They were quite the curious birds and both told him, and asked him, to use his TK in wonderous ways.
Unfortunately, he underestimated them.
Apparently when you became a recognized sex friend with one adult Veela who vouches for your ability to satisfy her completely, you become a very sought after partner for an entire conclave.
At first he was bewildered and happy.
And soon after he was running and scared.
There was only so much of one man, and they were literal sex fiends in the dozens.
His team had to come in and save him with their usual mind tricks.
But it wasn't enough.
There was one Veela, the matriarch of the conclave, a century old woman who looked no older than twenty-five with the greatest MILF body he had ever seen.
And she knew occlumency to an advanced level. While his team could force their way past her shields, it would hurt her and he wasn't willing to go that far.
It was one time. Just one . flipping . time. That he slept with her because you're not a straight man if you don't try at least once with that solid ten, and she sucked him dry to the bone.
Since then she practically hunted for him, forcing him to move his shop around and hide. He could practically feel her glowing eyes staring at him the day he was ready to move, and he was staring at the multiverse formation with an unnerving focus and pleading eyes asking it to hurry up.
He was so relieved when he landed in the current world that he just stayed inside and holed up for the day, wanting to be lazy and relax with his family and partners.
It's only been three months since he started, and he already had a crazy adventure.
He met various people in each world. Some familiar last names even in the last world.
And his team wasn't always holed up. Espeon practically went everywhere he went if she wasn't wandering off to explore on her own.
Metagross went full Skynet in electronic worlds.
Reuniclus was only allowed out with Metagross watching him. they made that mistake the first world and had to clean up a scandal of alien claims.
Although it was incredibly amusing finding him sitting on a couch with a lowered head as a granny whose eyesight was bad enough to mistake him for a child went off, lecturing Reuniclus about manners and being careful.
She even handed Reun some hard candy and gave him a hug at the end. It was heartwarming.
The block of destroyed buildings and factories behind said home with a granny was not heartwarming.
They booked it hard.
Gardevoir liked finding book stores and staying inside if she wasn't needed for anything, but she was the mother hen and big sister of their family, always wanting to make sure the world was safe before Jay even stepped outside.
She was also the most vicious of the group. Trigger her maternal instincts and well…Jay had seen roadkill look better after she was done.
The fifth teammate never really left the bar. He hovered down there like a statue and was the main source of the EM wave that effects thoughts.
The last teammate was a real recluse and never even left his pokeball unless needed. It was a strange one that met Jay on a special night. after helping it recover and explaining things to it over a psychic bond, it seemed to become attached to him. Listening to his requests and very rarely asking for things at all. It just seemed happy to always be near him.
It was also his true ace when he fought for his championship. All his teammates were true champions, but it was something else.
And of course, the unofficial seventh member, the tiny menacing ball of infinite energy and optimism who was currently sleeping. The space jumps always tucker it out for a week or so.
He finished his cup of coffee and stretched his legs, finishing his little trip down memory lane just as Gardevoir teleported in.
'Jay, I finished my scouting.'
Jay waved to the seat next to him. "Sit and relax first. Thank you for the help as always."
Gardevoir smiled at him and sat down before going on. 'It's my job Jay, and I'm good at it.'
"No, your job is being your beautiful and amazing self and enjoying our adventure to your hearts content. Everything else is more a hobby."
Gardevoir blushed and poked him. 'Stop that. I'm enjoying myself plenty.'
Jay laughed at her expression. "Good. I still remember that little Kirlia that followed me around everywhere with excitement."
Gardevoir had enough and teleported a ball of rainwater on Jay's head. Unfortunately, a sleeping cat was resting on his shoulders.
"ESPE!"
Jay sputtered for a second while Espeon jumped up ready for war.
'Oops, sorry sister, didn't see you there.'
'You know I'm always here!'
Gardevoir looked away with an innocent whistle while Espeon growled and got ready to pounce.
Before it could escalate, Jay laughed and hugged Espeon to his chest, pulling out the water from both of them with TK and throwing the ball off the balcony.
"Now, now, none of that you two. A real fight might just destroy this city. My girls are more mature than that right?"
The two pouted and looked away.
"Good, now Gardevoir, how about you share what you found." Jay relaxed back and floated a grape to each of their mouths.
The girls munching away in annoyance.
Gardevoir nodded seriously and began. "It seems the name of this city is Magnolia, and there is an interesting power system here…"
*Line Break*
Cana Alberona was a young woman who prided herself on few things in life.
Her guild, her beauty, her lineage, her drinking ability, and most importantly, her ability to find good booze.
While even the newest members of Fairy Tail could tell you she was a heavy drinker, guzzling down drinks by the barrel, only those who really knew her well would know she was a true connoisseur of alcohol in all its forms.
And due to that, she had a bit of a hobby she mostly kept to herself but which wouldn't surprise anyone to know.
She was always one of the first customers to any new bar that opened up within fifty miles of Magnolia, trying out what they had to offer, and getting some reputation with owners so she could get good deals on any new source of liquor she found.
It didn't always work out as many bars were not to her tastes, and many more had generic liquor for sale she could buy from the guild, but it paid off as she had a dozen small out of the way watering holes that constantly supplied her addiction.
Contrary to how it seemed to guild members, Makarov and Mirajane cut her off from the guild supply a long time ago. They couldn't supply enough for her on top of the rest of the guild who drank a few barrels a day in total.
Cana didn't mind all that much. It was unfortunate to lose a source, but she made enough money through jobs to enjoy life at her own pace.
While not an A rank power mage like some of the others, she was a versatile mage with her cards magic and could give any of them a run for their money if push came to shove.
So she wasn't hurting for cash, and she always had an ear to the ground for rumors of new bars opening up in her domain, ready to see if they were worthy enough to make her list.
It wasn't even twenty nine hours since the opening of a new bar that she received the news on her informant line. A clerk at her favorite breakfast bagel shop letting her in on a rumor of a new bar that opened only a few blocks away from her guild.
A rumor that if pulled true would light up her day.
She turned a hard right from the path she usually took to the guild, all but skipping down the street, doing wonders to a pair of girls on her chest and giving pedestrians a wonderful morning treat, her brunette curly hair flowing over her shoulders creating a mesmerizing sight.
Holding a hand up to block out the morning sun from her eyes, she looked around the area the rumor spoke of. A usual stone lined street with various buildings, stores, and apartments you could find anywhere in the city.
A street she had passed numerous times over her nineteen years of life.
Her eyes narrowed as she spotted the change. A new building front with a new sign.
{Blue Jay Café}
The three words were written in dark blue cursive on a black sign with two blue jays on each side. The sign hung from a thin horizontal metal pole hanging above the door.
Opaque rectangular glass windows stood out on both sides of the entrance.
Outdoor square flour pots seemingly built into the lower side of the wall added a nice touch of color with the planted purple lavender giving off a pleasant and relaxing scent.
Cana whistled at the sight. "Damn, someone really put some love into you didn't they?"
'A nice looking café/bar, easy on the eyes but also giving a soothing vibe. You get a 9 out of 10 for external appearance.'
A soft bell above the door jingled as she pulled it open and walked in, immediately noticing the change in lighting and style.
The opaque glass didn't let as much natural light in, letting the interior be lit by dim hanging tube shaped lights.
A large hearth to one side glowed with a lit fire, adding a second dim light accompanied by the soft sound of crackling wood.
A step down from the entrance opened to a space with a dozen wooden round tables and soft leather seats.
A half circle of a half dozen cushioned booths lined a wall with ample space between each other.
A dark red wood and brick lined the floors, walls, and ceiling. Wooden beams crossing between spaces with hanging tarps as well as lush carpets on the floor adding a relaxed feeling to the ambiance.
Leather padded double doors stood at the far back, with a few more doors lining walls to the far right and left walls.
And at the far central back was a large oval bar made of what she would assume was mahogany. Lines of neat shelves lined behind holding an assortment of liquor bottles. Many she couldn't identify at first glance, already building up an excitement within her.
She took it all in like a hiker getting their first view and breath of fresh air at the top of a six hour climb, almost moaning at her content.
"Ah~, a solid ten appearance and ambiance wise. A solid fucking ten."
She rarely rated a bar so highly without even trying their liquor first, but sometimes the appearance and mood can be just as satisfying as a good drink.
As she approached the bar at the back, she noticed something else.
A tall statue of sorts, with eight large eyes going around a spherical head. It almost looked like a giant clay doll of sorts.
An interesting design choice in her opinion.
But as began looking away, the pupils moved to look at her.
She almost tripped as she snapped back to it.
"Did you just…"
Nothing looked different. The eyes were looking the same way she first saw them.
"I could have sworn you just…"
She couldn't finish her thought as the leather padded double doors swung open and a man came through drying his hands on a towel while a lit cigarette burned with…purple? Smoke.
Not the weirdest thing she had seen before.
"Hm? A customer already, we don't open till nine." The man sent the clay statue an annoyed look as he walked behind the bar.
Cana looked over the man with an appreciate gaze.
Tall, a muscular form not at all hidden by his clothes, strong jaw line, smooth black hair falling down his neck and half covering his right eye, and delicious violet eyes looking at her with a raised brow which she ignored to blatantly check him out.
He was wearing black slacks and a grey button down shirt that hugged his figure in all the right places. Leaving the top few buttons loose, showcasing a sexy tattoo from the bottom his neck to his collar bones, and up the side of his neck to his back.
She practically purred as she strolled up to the bar. "Hello tall, dark, and handsome. Where have you been all my life~?"
The man deadpanned at her for a total of five seconds and blew out a cloud of smoke before responding. "Woman, it's like 8:30am, I'm not even open yet, chill."
The scent of lavender hit her nose from the smoke and she chuckled while raising a hand to rub the back of her head.
"Heh, sorry, a good bar and the possibility of new liquor gets the blood rushing to my head."
The man shrugged and threw the towel over his shoulder. "No harm done. I'm glad you enjoyed my creation."
Cana's eyes shined with excitement. "It's amazing! Seriously, just the design and ambiance already makes my top five list."
The man rose a brow in amusement and leaned forward on the bar top. "Oh? And where do I fall behind these others on your list, Ms.?"
"Cana, none of that miss stuff. And so far you fall behind in the most critical area. I haven't tried your booze yet!"
She slammed a closed fist on the bar top with fiery eyes.
The man sweat dropped.
"Right. It's nice to meet you Cana, names Jay. And as I said, I don't open till nine. The sign in front should have said that. Actually, was the door unlocked?"
"Hm? Sign? What sign? I didn't see anything."
Jay shot the clay statue another annoyed look, and Cana could have sworn his violet eyes glowed for a second.
"*Sigh* I guess I'm opening early today. Here's the menu." He handed over a lamented page from behind the bar and Cana eagerly took it as she sat on a bar stool.
The first side held an assortment of caffeinated options that were quite appealing, but not what she was looking for.
The opposite side a much more interesting assortment of some kind of desert. A macaron it was called. Very appealing, but still not what she was looking for.
She looked up with hurt eyes. "Where is the booze?"
Jay shot her an amused glance and blew out some smoke while holding up a thin black book. "The SIGN out front." He said while his eyes turned to the statue with an emphasized tone before looking back quickly. "Would have told you, but I don't serve liquor before three PM."
Cana leaned back as if struck. "What?"
Jay shrugged. "It's one of the few rules I have."
She snapped back and slammed a fist on the counter. "What kind of savage rule is that!? It's barbarous!"
"Being drunk before three in the afternoon is whats savage."
Cana huffed. "Ha! I'll have you know it would take until after three for me to get drunk on almost anything. My body is 70% alcohol, my blood is more acidic then a carbonated drink, I . am . a . professional . drinker. Don't lump me in with deadbeats who can't handle a drink."
Jay nodded calmly. "You done?"
Cana sat back down. "Yeah, so can I have some booze now?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"I'll do you a favor."
"No."
Cana dropped her head on the bar top with a groan as the menu slid away. "Ugh, fine! Just give me a coffee or something."
Jay chuckled and slid the menu back while leaving his finger on a spot. "How about an Irish coffee."
Cana didn't even bother to look up and waved a hand. "Sure, whatever that is."
Jay internally sweat dropped. The young woman had a one track mind it seemed. Not that he didn't remember that.
Even with extremely faint and distant memories of the world after a decade without reading or watching the anime, and another decade in the world of Pokemon, he could still just barely recall the fact that Cana was a major alcoholic.
He wasn't even surprised she was the first cast member that walked through his door.
A careless shrug was all he did as he left the menu where it was and turned to head back to the kitchen. "I'll only be a few minutes."
Cana watched out of the corner of her eye as the handsome barista entered the kitchen before looking back at the shelves of booze.
'Whiskey…Scotch…Sake…Gin…Vodka…oh god… I recognize the names but not the brands. I swear I've never heard of half of these. Where the hell did he get them…and how the hell can I get them?'
She stared intensely and longingly at the bottles for long enough for Jay to come back with a steaming cup and a plate of macarons.
"You know, staring at them won't make them open themselves up to you."
Cana's eyes tore away with a smirk. "Oh? Is that personal experience speaking?"
Jay rose a brow and set the dishes down, capturing Cana's attention. "Were you that annoyed at me denying your vice?"
Cana moved her eyes away from the very interesting looking assortment on the plate to look back at Jay. Seeing his look, she paused before blinking in realization.
"You know… I'm sorry for the snark. It's too early and the sight of all this liquor got me excited. Kinda tunnel visioned when I walked in haha…" She rubbed the back of her head and chuckled sheepishly.
Jay breathed out some smoke and nodded calmy. "You must really love booze huh? I thought your speech earlier was a joke."
Cana smirked. "I only exaggerated a bit. It is my life blood. I can't remember the last time I went twenty four hours fully sober."
Jay hummed and sat down in a tall stool behind the counter. "Any reason for that?"
Cana cupped her hot coffee mug, smiling down at the image of a bird in the foam. "This is beautiful, I almost don't want to ruin it. And nothing to serious, just a mix of stress and enjoyment, that's practically why everyone drinks."
She blew on her cup to cool it down as Jay chuckled. "Don't worry, I can make you another one. And while I agree with you, I can't say I've met many young women so…passionate…about liquor before. Especially before nine in the morning."
Cana hummed as the slightly bitter scent of coffee mixed with the sweet smell of fresh cream, cinnamon, and something oddly familiar infiltrated her nose. "Hm, well I do love drinking liquor for taste mostly. I'll admit it became something of a bad habit over the years that kept growing, but I have my reasons. Why did you open this bar?"
Pulling out an inventory book from under the counter, Jay opened it and responded. "Would you believe me if I said it was a childhood dream?"
Cana looked offended. "You're asking me that? Of course I would believe it!"
Jay chuckled and turned to look at her for a moment before returning to his book and began jotting down what he needed to stock up on. "Right, my mistake. Enjoy your coffee and snack before it gets cold."
"Oh, right." Cana raised the glass to her lips. "Still think it's a shame to ruin the foam."
"It would melt soon anyway. I'll make you another if you want."
Cana paused her response to take her first sip and her taste buds exploded in ecstasy! Or they would if such a thing was possible without being life endangering.
She did let loose a small moan however, at the taste of liquor hit her tongue in mix with the coffee, cream, and cinnamon.
Her eyes closed as she really savored the drink for a moment before giving Jay an incredulous look. "I thought you said no booze!?"
Jay smirked. "I don't sell direct liquor till three. I attempted to point out the menu item but you ignored me."
Cana scoffed. "I didn't even know you could add booze to coffee! This is groundbreaking!" She looked like her whole life was a lie.
Jay shrugged. "I could give you something else if you don't want it."
She practically hissed at him and protected the mug in her embrace. "Over my sweet ass."
Jay rose a brow at the comment, giving her a look that said 'Really?' but she was clearly ignoring him to whisper soothing words to a coffee cup. "Shh, the bad man can't hurt you."
He couldn't help but be amused. "How am I the bad one, your drinking it."
She waved her hair imperiously. "Ha! Shows what you know. It will become one with me, it's liquid fueling me, bringing life to my garden of Eden."
Jay tapped a finger against his book and nodded. "Well you enjoy that."
"I will."
"Good."
"Great."
The two shared a look before laughing lightly.
"Your amusing Cana."
"Right back at you babe. Now what are these colorful cookie things?"
Jay's face lit up a bit at the question. "Macarons. They are thin, flavorful meringue cookies that are sandwiched together with some kind of filling. They have a smooth, crisp shell and a moist, chewy interior."
Cana unconsciously licked her lips hearing that but she was more focused on Jay's change of expression, which was quite cute in a way, he seemed enthusiastic. "And whats with the colors?"
"Macarons can be made in any color or flavor you can imagine. It's an artform of endless combinations, with each step of the process potentially altering the flavor of the final product…"
Jay went on speaking while Cana was finding things increasingly amusing to watch. She nibbled on the cookies and enjoyed her entertainment.
Contrary to the calm and cool exterior he was showing since she met him, the passionate side speaking like an idiot about cookies was very endearing.
And the cookies rocked to. Pistachio was her favorite flavor.
She hummed to herself while sitting there with a smile.
Cana might have just found herself a new top spot on her list.
If the booze checked out anyway.
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14106774/1/Blue-Jay-Café-A-Multiverse-Story