Story Notes:
Pokemon isn't mine, and will probably never be mine, so any and all characters and settings that are official Pokemon/nintendo proterty are copyright to them. This IS a fan work, and the plot and setting is not intended to be commercial.
Parental Vengeance
It was over as quickly as it started, and he pulled his gloves off and tossed them into the bin in the corner. He tapped her chest, indicating she could get up, but she simply rolled onto her stomach and looked up at him with a pitiful whine. She still blushed at his... Intrusion; but she wanted him to massage her back once more, it was so comfortable and soothing before, she wanted him to keep going. He sighed and sat next to her.
"You want a backrub do you?" He asked her, to which she nodded. "Well, alright." He said, lowering his hands. 'It's not like we have much else to do."
He rubbed methodically, her shoulders to her ribs, then running the edge or one hand along her spine before returning to the back of her stomach and then her flanks. She purred endlessly at his administrations, and her leg twitched when he found one particularly delightful spot along her spine. He kept up his massaging until Joy knocked on the door, and Rose unlocked it with a click. Joy walked in and smiled lightly at the sight.
"Cute." She said. "I'm sorry to steal your thunder, Rose, but another trainer has brought his female Absol in for a checkup, she looks pretty shook up about something and he'd like to have someone look at her." Rose humphed as she got up, unhappy that he had to stop massaging her back. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all." Norris said. He felt strangely uneasy about it being a dark type Pokémon, but he quickly snuffed it out. He rather liked Absols, they were cute in their own way. Rose floated over to a counter and sat down, watching idly whilst sitting ramrod still.
"Alright. Send them in." Norris said, letting Joy return to the trainer. A few moments later a well-built young trainer came walking in, a smaller-than-average Absol by his side. The trainer lifted the female Absol up onto the table, much to her displeasure.
"I'm Vlad Westwell, and this is Dove." The trainer said.
"Ah." Norris replied, turning on his translator. "Hello Dove, I'm Dr. Norris. What seems to be the trouble?" The young female didn't speak, shivering in her place with her tail between her legs, glancing up at him with evident fright in her eyes. "C'mon, sweety, you can tell me, all I want to do is help."
While he was distracted, Vlad egded his way over to Rose. He figured her to be a stuffed toy, he couldn't see her breathing from where he was, and she didn't blink. He got right up to her before she sprang to life, scaring the daylights out of him.
"W-whaa!"
Rose laughed childishly at Vlad's expense, floating up close to the roof where Vlad couldn't reach her.
"Rose, that's enough!" Norris snapped before returning his attention to the little Absol. "Is it something you are uncomfortable telling me?" He asked quietly. "I can ask the others to leave if you'd like?" She nodded gently, and Norris stood upright. "Rose, teleport to my office and lock the door please. Stay there until I call you. Mr. Westwell, if you could step outside for a moment, she says she'd like some privacy."
"Alright." Vlad said, stepping back out the door. "I'll be waiting for you in the lobby, Dove." He called, shutting the door behind him.
'I don't want to hang around in your office.' Rose protested. 'Can I be with Nure Joy?'
"No." Norris insisted, to which she huffed.
'You're mean!' She said, sticking her tongue out as she vanished. He heard a thump behind a wall, signifying the door had just closed itself, and then a click that echoed through the wall.
"There we go." Norris said, putting his hand on Dove's head. "Now, what can I do for you little missy?"
She uncurled from the tight ball she was in and rolled onto her back, giving a light whimper. "I-I think..." She stammered, her voice like an angel's, "I think I may..."
"Let me guess." Norris said, trying to be as pleasent as possible. "You're over a year old?" She nodded. "And you've been feeling pains lately." He hazarded, to which she nodded again. "Did something happen that made the pain go away?" This time she blushed brightly and turned her face away. "... Alright." Norris said. "Just let me get a feel of your tum and we'll see what's going on, shall we?"
He gently put his hand to her stomach and started feeling around. "Let's see, there's your lower intestine-" he prodded a point on her body, "and there's your liver-" another prod, "it should be right about... Here!" He said, triumphantly getting his hand into the right location. He pushed about a little, trying to keep the absol calm by idly talking to himself as he worked until he had gotten a good feel, then he let her roll back over. "Well, I can quite comfortably say I know what the trouble is." He said. "However now we have something to discuss with your trainer." she gave him a questioning look. "You're pregnant, Dove." He said quietly. Her jaw dropped and she blushed brightly. Norris walked to the door and waved Vlad back in, waiting patiently for him to enter before closing the door.
"so how is she, doc?"
"She's fine." Norris said. "But I must ask; has she been alone with another Pokémon at any stage? For a prolonged period of time, I'm talking... ooh... Fourty to fifty minutes?"
Vlad thought, putting a hand to his chin before he replied. "Yeah, about two days ago." He said. "She was rather sick the next morning, I thought that maybe she'd eaten something that didn't agree with her."
"Well, no, she didn't eat anything." Norris said. "She's pregnant. Probably with a member of your party." Vlad's jaw dropped, but he quickly collected himself and turned a disbelieveing eye to Dove, who had tears welling in her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me that was what you thought?" He asked gently, to which she sobbed.
"I-I didn't w-want to make you m-mad at me!" She wept.
"Why would he be mad at you?" Norris asked.
She turned her head and blushed. "T-Tricky..." She mumbled. Vlad slapped a palm to his face.
"Oh, Dove!" He said critically. "If you like Tricky that much you could just tell me, you don't need to be secretive about it. Tricky may be my best friend, but that won't change if your two become a couple!"
"If I may-" Norris started. "What is Tricky? He's obviously the father, but for an estimation on laying and hatching time I'll need a species."
"Tricky is my Ninetales." Vlad said. "He's quite a handful, especially at bath time. You've no idea how hard it is to get shampoo on a Ninetales that constantly takes the bottle from you."
"Well, if it's any consolation, you've never seen one hand you a scalpel when sedated. I swear, this one time, this female Ninetales was having surgery on her intestines and even though she was out cold she was literally handing me the instruments I asked for, like she was wide awake!"
A Ninetales came dawdling into the room, head hung low as it slinked past Vlad until he grabbed a bundle of tails and wrenched it back across the floor, the creature's claws scraping fruitlessly on the lino. It looked up at Vlad with a displeased expression.
"Whaaaat?" He asked, his voice giving away his gender.
Vlad knelt down next to the golden Pokémon and grabbed his muzzle in one hand. "You could have told me instead of letting me make a damned fool of myself." He said, shaking the fire Pokémon's face gently. "Now I've even less time to prepare for her laying. I guess we could make a short visit to Sandy's parents, they'll help us out."
"You may take your Absol back." Norris said nonchalant. "She's terrified of heights." Something clicked in his head when he spoke the last few words, and his eyes grew wide. "How the hell did I know that?!"
Rose popped back into the room behind him, gently letting her presence be known by resting on his shoulder. 'You have telepathic capabilities, Norris.' She said. 'You simply read what was on her mind without realising it. It's not a hard ability to control, but it can be annoying to know what's on everyone's mind all the time.' She gave Vlad a short look. 'No, Vlad; I'm not going to let you look at my ass.'
"But I wasn't-" He started.
"That was me." Tricky said, lifting a tail. "Sorry, my mind wandered."
Rose looked down at him distastefully. 'You already have a mate.' She said.
"I'm going to live for one thousand years." He said. "I love her with all my heart, but I'll outlive her by centuries..."
'Then give her centuries of yourself.' Rose said. 'She might grow old and pass away while you live strong, but as long as you can keep her happiest for her natural life...' She trailed off for a moment. 'That is what makes you truly worth her love.' She turned her eyes to Dove who stood on the table with her tail between her legs. 'And you can stop hiding.' She said. 'I know what it is. You've some longevity in you too, don't you? Your unique patterns, the slight kink to your horn and tail, you're of the Apexis Clan; Ninetales and Absol living and breeding together for centuries has spread the gene, you'll live to be eight hundred at least.' Dove's jaw dropped as she stared at the little pink fuzzball.
"I-I never knew my parents." Dove said. "I thought I was just a regular Absol!"
'Oh.' Rose said. 'Uh, surprise?'
"How do you know so much about the different clans?" Norris asked.
She gave him a glance. 'I'd been around that particular clan for the three months of spring.' She said. 'Anyway, that doesn't matter. All that does matter is that you get Dove here to a nice comfortable place.' She motioned to Vlad with her tail.
"I would like to be able to do another checkup on her after she has layed and the young has hatched." Norris said. "She is only a young Absol, and birthing can be hazardous to her health at such a young age. I'll do it free of charge for you as an apology for me knowing what you're thinking all the time."
Vlad shrugged. "Alright, you're the Doctor." He said, offering his hand out. "Thanks for the help."
"My pleasure." Norris said, shaking his hand. He walked to a counter and opened a jar, pulling out a pair of poffins. "Here you go, kiddo." He said, giving a pink one to Dove. She gratefully took it and nibbled on it and then Norris turned to Tricky. "Catch!" He threw the poffin roughly in the fox's direction, and tricky caught it with a tail before shoving it into his mouth. Norris gently lifted Dove to the ground and waved them out. "Have a good day." He said as a golden tail closed the door behind them. "What a nice bunch." He said before grabbing Rose by her head and holding her infront of him. "Trouble, young missy."
'What'd I do?' She asked irritably.
'You know full well what you did by not doing something.' He replied telepathically. 'And you also know what you did to that poor trainer.'
She sniggered to herself at her prank before Norris jiggled her, still holding her head in his hand. 'How far will my powers progress?' He asked. 'I mean, will I end up being able to float and teleport or will my abilities stay reasonably limited?'
'I'm not sure.' Rose said. 'Though you can only read minds and speak telepathically, your powers have progressed a bit quicker than I anticipated. Most psychic Pokémon help unlock their trainer's own psychic capabilities, and depending on the strength of this Pokémon's own psyhic capabilities, the human trainer's powers will be lesser or greater.'
Norris sighed and covered his eyes with one hand. 'And I've been bestowed psychic powers by a Mew.' He said. 'I get the strange idea that this isn't going to stop at telepathy.'
As if on cue, Rose became fidgety and Norris sighed. 'What now?'
Rose blushed a little, but couldn't turn her head away with him holding her so tightly. 'I need to go do something private.' She said. Norris sighed once again and walked to the staff toilets, where he put Rose in a cubicle on her own.
'Better?' He asked. She didn't answer him, but he could tell she was trying to keep from saying something inappropriate. 'Don't lick yourself clean like I know felines do, there is toilet paper right there.'
'Shut up, Norris.' She said irritably. 'Or you'll be kissing my feet.'
Norris chuckled and shruffed his shoulders, leaning against the wall and staring at his shoes. He waited for a few minutes, but didn't hear the toilet flush. 'Are you alright in there?' He asked. 'I can go get some rope if you'd like?'
Is she wasn't so shy, she'd have gone out there and slapped him. 'How the hell do you get the water clean again?' She asked.
'There's a button on the top, push it down.' He replied. 'The water in the resevoir in the wall rushes into the bowl, forcing the contents to be pushed into the sewers.'
'Yeah, thanks.' She said. 'That really helps my appetite.'
'You're hungry, too?' He asked exasperated. 'Good thing food is free for Pokémon here, eh?' He heard the toilet flush and Rose came floating out the door. She stopped in front of Norris, who shook his head, grabbed her, and put her paws under the sink, where he washed them. She waited for him to finish whatever it was he was doing to her before she spoke.
'What the hell was that for?' She asked.
'Whatever you wiped with the toilet paper would have gotten germs onto your hands, and I can't have a germy Pokémon in the examination room, now can I?' She nodded weakly, admitting he had a point. "Now, let's go get some food." He said aloud, letting her go and walking out. She followed him cautiously, he had proven difficult to read now that his psychic powers were active, and something about him seemed wrong. His personality hadn't changed, but...
There was a roll of thunder outside, and for a split second she could feel the legendary bird of electricity, as if it knew something she didn't and was trying desperately to tell her. She reached out with her mind, but something... No. Someone stopped her probing thoughts, and her eyes widened when she realised it was her mother.
Norris had heard her gasp, and turned to her with a worried look on his face. 'Is something the matter?' He asked, before she turned her eyes to him.
'My mother knows where I am.' She said, before she twitched. 'Oh crap, here she comes!'
There was a short, sharp popping sound and a second Mew floated before him. She looked quite angry, and blue energy crackled off her form and around the room. She gave Rose an angry glare before pinning Norris to a wall and holding him up with psychic power. She growled angrily.
'What have you done to my daughter?' She asked, anger dripping from her voice.
"I've not done anything to her!" Norris replied, which got him queezed tighter. "Honest! All I did was save her life and feed her!"
'Liar!'
'Mother, he's telling the truth!' Rose pleaded, tugging her mother's shoulder. The elder Mew spun her gaze, throwing her daughter across the wall.
'After all I've taught you, you go and let yourslef be fooled by this human?!' She snapped. 'Have you not listened to a word I've said?! Humans are dangerous, they trick you into one of those little deathtrap balls and then you're stuck being their slave for the rest of your life!'
"Humans only live about -nng- ninety years!" Norris wheezed. "We're particularly short-lived."He winced as he was squeezed ever tighter. "I-I, for example, probably won't live -ngh- for much longer.' His entire body shuddered violently. "Your hold is on my entire body, internal organs included." He managed to wheeze. "I can literally feel my heart... Slowing..." He barely managed to finish his sentence before he went limp as his heart stopped. The elder Mew humphed and let go of her hold on him, and he slumped to the floor. Rose moved past her before she could stop her and put her little paws pitifully on his limp body.
'Norris..?' She hazarded, shaking him. 'Norris, this is no time to sleep, you need to wake up.' She shook him slightly harder as she said this, and she became more hysterical with each passing second. She started saying his name in short, sharp bursts, each more insistant and desperate than the last before she stopped shaking him and put her head onto his shoulder. Her mother simply looked on as she broke down.
'You cry for a creature as pitiful as a human?' She asked rhetorically. 'Foolish girl, they are not to be pitied or wept over, they are brutish and evil, much like the Pokémon who stay with them too long become.' There was another popping sound and she turned around, there was a larger, much older looking Mew floating silently behind her.
'Many a human is pitiful for their misguided ways with their companions.' It said, a deep raspy voice with definate male touches within. 'However, psychic type trainers rarely are as rash or arrogant. Being truly bonded with their charge, they develop powers not unlike the Pokémon's own and are always extremely close to their Pokémon, regardless of how long they have been together.' He sighed as he watched Rose crying her eyes out onto Norris' shirt. 'Not only do you owe her an apology, but we must find some way to remedy this situation.'
'We shouldn't be worried about some pathetic human!' Rose's mother snapped. 'He is not our concern!'
'Our daughter's well being is, however.' The male said calmly. 'Have you actually looked at her emotions? She wouldn't want to stay around us any longer, and even if we forced her to, she'd either end up a hopeless recluse or mentally unbalanced.' Now he floated closer and poked the female with his hand sharply. 'You made that human our concern when you killed him; either you'll help set that right or I'll see to it that you never get to see our daughter for as long as I live.'
'You wouldn't dare!'
'Do you truly believe that?' He asked. She shot him an angry glance, but she quicky grew fearful of the aura he had about himself; like someone had thrown an entire tin of blue paint against a tile floor and then stuck his form right in the center of it. She backed away carefully.
'W-what do you want me to do?' She asked.
'I shall get his lungs to fill, you are to restart his heart.' He said. 'If we are lucky, he may not have been dead long enough for his brain to lose its charge.'
'And if we are unlucky?' The female hazarded.
'He'll come back to life as a mindless vegetable, and our daughter will hate us forever.' He replied. 'Begin.'
The female sighed and concentrated, using her psychic powers to stimulate his heart into beating while her mate forced him to breathe. For a short while it didn't work, but eventually Norris inhaled much sharper than when the male was forcing air into his lungs. He coughed for a moment, and his eyes slowly flitted open. Rose was still crying on his shoulder, and she hadn't noticed him wake.
"Hey... Kid..." Norris said weakly. "Don't cry... You're so much... Cuter when you don't cry..." His eyes closed again and his world went black as his body started to reactivate, taxing his evergy. Rose's mother floated over gently and put a paw on her daughter's shoulder.
'I'm... Sorry I over-reacted.' She said sadly. 'I didn't know he meant this much to you.' Rose nodded, but didn't really bother paying attention to her mother. 'I know you probably can't forgive me for nearly taking him from you...' Her mother said. 'But I'm truly sorry.' And with that, she teleported away.
Now it was her father's turn to float closer and converse. 'You felt Zapdos' power earlier, didn't you?' He asked. she nodded shyly. 'It is nothing to be shy about. He was trying to warn you that another of our species was looking for you with malicious intent. Little one, I am unsure about your decision to live with this human, but if it brings you happiness, I shall accept it; I only want what is best for you, and right now, what is best is what is in front of us. He has known you only a day, and yet he already loves you with as much heart as your mother or I. Our clan shall always be open to you and your human companion should you ever wish to visit us.'
Rose turned her tear-filled baby blue eyes to her father. 'Thank you, dad.' She quietly said.
'You are always welcome.' He replied, smiling to her. 'Now, when I leave, call for another human to help him. Tell them that you were afraid of the thunder and accidentally hit his heart with a psychic attack from your fear, they will not know any better, and he shall get the best treatment they can provide. Don't let them keep you away from him, not even to let you sleep.'
''Thank you..' she said. He nodded sagely and vanished with another pop. Rose wiped a tear from her eye, hugged herself closer to Norris and screamed for Nurse Joy.
Joy didn't truly believe Rose's story, but she didn't have any evidence to the contrary, so she left well enough alone. She checked Norris thoroughly, leaving the Chansey to run the center whilst she did her best to check him for injuries and make sure his heart was beating properly and that he was, indeed, still alive. Rose had quite a large bruise across her back, and Joy wanted to make sure she hadn't damaged anything important when Norris 'fell on her'. Joy went for the same route as Norris when inspecting Rose's back, but instead of getting purrs out of the little kitten, all she got were whines of pain as she ran her hands across tender bruises. Rose had insisted that she never leave Norris' side, so Joy had to massage her while she rested on top of Norris, who was using up one of the beds, not that they got many that needed to use them. Joy lightly poked a particuarly large dark-purple bruise, making Rose squeal.
'Ah! Stop, it hurts too much!' Rose yelped, writhing under Joy's probing touch.
Joy sighed. "This is a lot of damage," She breathed, "I've only seen this much bruising on a psychic type when they've been hit with a powerful feint attack or a particularly strong pursuit; lie still and I'll rub some potion on you to help you heal."
Rose nodded and whimpered as she watched Joy empty some of the contents of a Super Potion bottle onto a rag before putting he bottle down and sitting next to her. Joy put the rag onto Rose's back and gently wiped it across her fine fur and soft skin. Rose tensed up as Joy rubbed over the largest of her bruises, and she whined pitifully, but Joy didn't spend much time on that particular location, and soon removed the rag altogether.
"Lie still and try to get some rest." Joy said. "I'll have one of my Chansey stay at the door and keep an eye on you so that no-one can try to steal you." Rose nodded weakly and closed her eyes. She heard Joy's shoes tap out of the room, and the sliding door close, and then all that she could hear was Norris' breathing and the gentle beat of his heart. Soon his gently moving chest rocked her to a peaceful sleep.
Norris woke at seven PM to a heavy feeling on his chest. He looked down and found the position to be occupied by Rose. He had his strength back, and knew he was safe to go, but he didn't want to wake the little pink fuzzball, so he lay still and carefully ran one of his hands across her scalp. She murmured cutely, but didn't wake, stirring into a curled-up position on his chest and giving him a perfect view of her bruised back. He mentally cringed at it, particularly one bruise that had turned a brilliant shade of green. He felt sorry for her, in one day she had not only tied herself to him, but had also been attacked by her own mother and had to watch him die before her very eyes. She was probably incredibly depressed still, and he didn't want to wake her back into her misery. There was a faint popping sound next to him, to which he turned his head.
'Hello, young human.' Rose's father said to him. 'Don't be alarmed, you might wake my daughter.' He continued, raising his paw. His eyes were closed, focusing on observing Norris through psychic feeling alone.
'You're Rose's father?' Norris asked telepathically.
'Yes.' He replied. 'And I see she has taught you to Project, that is good. Our conversation can progress quietly and not disturb her.' He lowered his paw and opened his eyes a crack. 'Yes, Norris. I am Her father. I understand that she has... Tied herself to you. Your minds are linked, even if you don't think they are.'
Norris nodded weakly and felt what could only be described as a scratching at his mind, like something was pleading to be let in.
'Your mental defences are impressive, to say the least; probably due to you being a human psychic, we've just not learned the right way in because we've not been around humanity long enough. If you could... Unfold your mind, I could read your memories and see for sure whether or not my decision to leave her with you is right.'
Norris sighed and relaxed his thoughts. He hadn't realised how hard he'd been concentrating on his thoughts, and now that he relaxed, it was like letting go of a wheelbarrow full of bricks. He could feel the niggling feeling vanish, and soon his mind wandered over the previous day as the elder Mew directed his thoughts. His mind wandered through his examination of Rose, and he shifted uncomfortably. Rose's father didn't pay much heed to his nervousness.
'I'm sorry for that bit.' Norris said as his mind got onto the Absol.
'Think nothing of it.' Came the reply. 'I saw you meant no offence, and she did enjoy you massaging her back.'
Norris nodded weakly. 'I've... Never cared for Pokémon as a companion before.' He shyly pointed out. 'I wanted to at least make sure she was healthy. I've seen how distraught trainers can be when their Pokémon have been seriously injured...'
'You already have a strong bond to her emotionally.' The male Mew said. 'That is good.' He continued to read Norris' mind while he gently stroked Rose's ears. Norris stopped stroking, however, when she whimpered and twitched her leg, a distressed look forming on her face. She twitched again and a tear rolled down her cheek.
'Nh... No...'
'What's wrong with her?' He asked the elder Mew, who had gotten up to date on the last twenty-four hours. He probed her mind for a second or two.
'She is having a nightmare.' He said, his voice a mumble. 'She is remembering when her mother... Killed you.'
'You don't need to be so melodramatic about it.' Norris said. 'I'm alive and well, no serious damage has been done.' He carefully pulled Rose into a hug, making sure he didn't touch her most certainly tender bruises. "Shhh." He said, starting to gently run his hand across her head. "Everything is alright." She stopped twitching, and her face became calm once again, she nuzzled his shirt.
'Like... Cinnamon...' She mumbled in her sleep.
'Her dreams have gone to happier things.' Her father said nonchalant. 'I must be off.'
'W-wait.' Norris said, grabbing the Mew's little paw.
'Yes, young one?'
Norris was reluctant to say anything, and this translated into the Mew through his facial expression.
'You may say anything you wish to me, Norris.' He said calmly. 'Please, speak your mind.'
'I... I wanted to thank you for giving me a chance.' He said. the Mew smiled.
'You are most welcome, Norris.' He said. 'I know that although the humans who do evil are the more obvious, and that they are the ones who have caused the more rare Pokémon to go into hiding, the potential for greatness exists within. Though you won't go out on your own adventure to visit other cities and peoples very often, to meet other Pokémon you needn't have to; many come here already. You're not perfect, but you're as close to perfect as I could hope for my daughter. I will be watching her life most intently, have a pleasent week.' And with that, the air around him popped and he vanished.
"Yeah... you too..." Norris mumbled, still stroking Rose's little ears.
Rose awoke with her head in her tail, curled up in the fetal position. She wearily opened her eyes and gazed about the room, not that there was much to see in the Pokémon Center's wards. Dreary decor, feeble lighting, an overabundance of furniture... She couldn't get used to staying here for any prolonged period of time without at least adding more colour than just plain white. She didn't know how humans could stand such a boring and mediocre colour; why not choose something more cheery? Like... Pink? Or a nice orange? Hell, she'd have appreciated a disgusting green compared to the glaring white. For a minute she tried to recall where she was, but soon remembered that she had fallen asleep on top of Norris, and she turned around sharply, her back flaring painfully in protest. She felt a hand swat her gently but firmly.
"Don't make any sudden moves like that, you'll do more harm than good." Norris said. She was lying in his lap, his legs crossed under the blankets. "Hold still while I apply this to your bruises." He said, holding up a bottle full of a murky green fluid.
'Wh-what is that..?' She asked nervously. 'Nurse Joy put some potion on my back before I drifted to sleep earlier...'
"Don't worry." Norris said. "This stuff is a special blend of berry juices that I came up with, mainly Oran and Leppa. It's almost as effective at revitalising Pokémon as the machine is, but it works best if applied externally."
'What about the potion?' Rose asked curiously sniffing the bottle.
"Well, if I'm any guess, she didn't put enough on to soak into your bruises. I have a plentiful stock of this stuff, it's great for breakfast juice and a fair amount of Pokémon who come to me dehydrated adore it. But because I have so much, I can spare as much as I need to, and right now I think I'll use a little." He pulled a rag from the bedside table and carefully soaked it in the murky juice. "Try not to move, I might hurt you more." He held the slightly dripping rag above her back and gave her a concerned glance. "From what I've seen, this might hurt."
Carefully he slapped the rag over her back, and instantly her eyes went wide with shock; not only was it cold and wet, but it felt like her skin was melting off her body. She gave one short cry of pain before blacking out.
"Hmm." Norris said. "I didn't think it'd be that painful... Maybe this is supposed to happen?"
Rose awoke a short time later at Norris' home, she was lying on the couch in the back room, and the rag had been removed from her back. She sat up on the couch and looked about, this room was better than that dingy ward. Beds weren't everywhere for a start, and there was a chaotic form of colour coordination of reds and blacks. The room was pleasently cool, and she felt a cold breeze blow over her. This struck her as funny, it was the middle of summer, the only breeze that there should have been would have been hot and unpleasent. She yawned and stretched, flicking her ears as the cool air blew through her fur once more. She shrugged it off and curled back up in the couch before a snuffling nose made itself present and she suddenly found herself curled up with another, bushier tail. Instantly she leapt off the couch.
'N-Norris!?'
Hearing her shriek, Norris came dashing into the room. He stopped when he saw rose floating over the creature who had decided to intrude on her resting spot with a terrified look on her face.
"It's an Umbreon, silly." He said, picking her out of the air. "He belongs to my mother. My father's Glaceon is in the kitchen with us."
'I don't like Dark Types...' She mumbled. 'I can't read them.' She sat in his crossed arms for a few moments before looking back up at him. 'What're your parents doing here, anyway?' She asked. 'I thought they kicked you out.' Norris shook his head.
"When I told them that I'd adopted a Pokémon, they came running to meet the little bundle of joy that had managed to weedle its way into my life. They've not seen you yet, but they probably know that you're a psychic type, what with that screaming and all. C'mon, I'll introduce you to my parents."
He carried her into the kitchen where two humans, a woman who looked to about mid-fifties, and a man with a short beard and moustache who gave Norris a cold glance as he walked into the room. Rose had curled back up, nervous of meeting the two adult humans.
"Where's this Pokémon you said you had gotten?" He asked. "We don't come all the way from Canalave City to see just you."
'That was mean.' Rose said privately to Norris.
'I know, but just watch his reaction when he sees you. If I'm right, he'll think you're fake.'
"Mother, Father, I'd like you to meet Rose."
Norris gently showed his parents the little pink bundle curled up in his arms. His mother didn't react, but his father did exactly what he had predicted.
"Now you're just teasing us!" He roared. "You call us after two years to show us some plush toy, acting like it's real! Has the absence of a Pokémon in your life dulled your brain, or did you get hit on the head?!"
"Now that's just plain rude." Norris said, lowering his hands and putting them on his hips. Rose floated there, still curled up for a few seconds before uncoiling from her own tail. She opened her eyes slowly, acting like the bright light stung, before wagging her tail a little.
'Hello!' She cutely said. Norris' mother swooned.
"She's adorable!" The woman cried, grabbing Rose in her hands and mushing her face up.
'She's suffocating.' Rose said. 'This isn't as pleasent as you thought it would be.' The woman let go.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" She quickly apologised.
'It's okay.' Rose said, brushing her fur back into place.
"I can't believe you own a Mew." Norris' father said. "Simply can't believe it."
"Hey, I don't 'own' anyone!" Norris snapped. "She's my friend, not my slave!"
"Watch your tone with me, boy!"
"Or what?! You'll kick me out of my home; one that took me over a year to afford?!" He yelled. "I've worked hard to make it in this world, I got a job and started learning vetinary sciences at the local Pokémon center the very day you two kicked me out! I didn't force Rose to stay with me, she came willingly; hell, if anything, I'm more her slave! I keep her comfortable, give her a soft place to sleep, keep her nourished, and I make sure she's healthy and happy, never once have I worried about my needs before hers!" He was shaking now, his hands curled into tight fists until his eyes fell on Rose's. She was scared, not of his parents, of him!
He felt his anger drip away and his hands unclench as he stared into her watering baby-blue eyes. He reached forth with one of his hands and gently stroked her head. "I'm sorry for scaring you, Rose." He mumbled. "This is exactly why I didn't protest when I was kicked out in the first place. This exact argument." He glared at his father, who was sitting back in his chair with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Pokémon aren't tools or slaves, they're not pets or toys, Pokémon are treasured companions; they bring their friendship to the young and old for little more than the comfort it brings them and a hearty meal. Poverty was abolished thanks to Pokémon. The misery old folk used to feel doesn't exist with a companion to share their lonliness with. True, some people use them to battle one another, and others use them as tools for wicked deeds, but it is the human who colours how Pokémon act. Your Glaceon battles in gyms for those near-worthless badges, not because you tell her to, but because she wants to do it for you. She shoulders her wants and needs in favor of your happiness and the praise you give her afterwards.
And I can bet that your Umbreon, Darkie, absolutley adores the attention you give him, Mother. How many ribbons has he won? Ten? Twenty? Do you think he even cares about the ribbons? As long as you still lavish him with affection at the end of the day, keep him well fed and cozy, I'll wager that he wouldn't care if he beat a Gyarados in an Ugly Contest just as long as you were happy." His eyes fell back on Rose and he hugged her tightly, still stroking her head and back as she purred contently. "I don't need Rose to fight for me, she doesn't need to work on routines, though I'm sure she'd like to be pampered, she doesn't even have to stay. I like to have her around to keep me company. She's not mine, she's her own, and I'd not have it any other way." He smiled momentarily as Rose nuzzled his shirt, and he let his mind wander. He, unwittingly, managed to read the Glaceon's mind and he sighed.
"Oh, not you too Eira." He said, raising a hand to his face. She looked up at him accusingly. "What, did you want it to be a surprise?" She shrugged her shoulders.
"What about her?" His father asked, still barely to contain his shock that Norris had exploded at him like that. Norris gave him a hopeless look.
'She is with egg.' Rose said quietly. 'Most probably Darkie's.'
Now the Glaceon carefully crawled behind Norris; once she had always used him as cover for when she'd done something that she knew his father would disapprove of.
"How the bloody hell could you know that?!"
'No going back now.' Norris thought to himself. "Rose... Unlocked psychic powers in my head." He said. "And Eira's not exactly hiding it that well." Behind him, the Glaceon whimpered. Norris looked back at her. "Now, now, there's nothing to be afraid of. I certainly don't blame you."
Darkie, the Umbreon, came dawdling in and stopped next to Eira, nuzzling her quizzically. She whispered into his ear and his eyes went wide, and then he, too, cowered behind Norris. He looked up at the human to make sure that Norris'd not lash out at them.
"Darkie, I've no problem with you doing what you want with her." Norris said. "Your owners might, but I think that you two should be praised, not punished."
"It's not your decision!" His father bellowed. Norris looked up and glared at him. "And don't you try telling me how I should raise my own Pokémon!"
"I told you we should have run away afterwards." Eira said. "He's going to destroy our egg and keep us apart forever!"
"Get over here, you!" Norris' red-faced father yelled. Eira didn't budge, and the man bore down on her life a falling piano, only to be stopped short by an invisible barrier.
"You'll not touch them." Norris said, never looking away from his mother. "And if you even try, I'll give you exactly what you've had coming to you for years."
"He's... Protecting us?" Darkie mumbled. "But why?"
"Clearly he doesn't realise that Master will beat us when we get home."
Now Rose pushed off of Norris' chest. She floated ever closer to the invisible barrier, right until she was nose-to-nose with Norris' father. 'You're lucky you can't understand them, the image you have of them being so trusting would break in an instant.' Her eyes shone for a moment as she collected memories from the Glaceon. 'Perhaps you'd like to see what your 'punishments' do to her?' Her eyes shone again and the large human threw his head back, clutching at his eyes. Rose turned her eyes to Norris' mother, who hadn't gotten over the shock of her son being psychic yet, and sighed. 'I'll show you, but I'll be gentle.' Again her eyes flashed, and the woman twitched her head.
"That is... Most unpleasent." She said, turning on her husband. "I can see why she cowers from you, you old fool." She mumbled.
"You are not to harm her, father." Norris said. "I can just as easily take her from you now, and I can do it legally. I know she'd not want to be away from your praise, but it isn't har to find a family who love Pokémon for who they are, not what. She can't control her bodyclock any more than you can control that damned Nanab vine in the backyard."
"I can cut down a vine!" He growled.
"Oh, I don't doubt that you could spay and neuter her, I'll do the surgury if I must, but then you must think of the future. If you cut down the vine, no berries can grow, and then you lose a source of food and a wonderful feature in the garden during springtime when it flowers. Remove her ability to breed, and not only would she be unable to have pups, but you'll miss out on all the wonderful times you get from having the youthful puppies about. Don't cut down the tree before you taste the berry, give her a chance; for her sake."
"Paul, let up." Norris' mother said. "He's got a point, and I wouldn't mind another bright young face around the house."
"But Sarah..!"
"If you make a fuss of this like you make a fuss of everything else..!" His wife growled. "Next time I'll come down here with the Pokémon and you can stay at home alone!"
Norris' father sighed his defeat. Norris he could probably yell into submission, but his wife he couldn't avoid. "Fine." He said. "But so help me, if the puppy makes a mess of the carpets-"
"Hey, we never did that!" Darkie protested indignantly. Norris sighed and stepped past his father, collecting Rose and holding her out to his mother.
"Would you like to hold her?"
A few hours later, after Rose had gotten used to Norris' family and had learned how the air conditioner worked, his parents headed off to bed for the night and Norris carried her to the bathroom, where he filled the tub and put Rose in, despite her feline protests to water. He pulled out Pokémon shampoo and conditioner that he had bought while she was sleeping, and was carefully rubbing it into her fur while she sat on the edge of the bath. She was purring at his gentle administrations, and leaned into his caressing hands as he worked. He was trying not to chuckle at her affectionate behavior, and he barely suppressed a snigger or two when she licked his hand. He finished with her back and turned her around, working his way across her chest and down her stomach. She giggled girlishy when he tickled her stomach and mewled at him to get on with it and stop teasing. Sighing, Norris finished covering her in shampoo suds and dunked her into the bathtub. She flailed for the split moment she was in there, but settled again when he pulled her out, brushing any excess soap from her fine fur. After he had dunked her a second time, earning himself a nip on his finger, he grabbed the conditioner and begun again.
'Why're you starting again?' She asked. 'Please don't dunk me, I worry you'll not let me up!'
'I'm applying the conditioner.' He said. 'It's like the shampoo, but will make your fur and skin shine. And if I don't dunk you, how will I get it out of your fur?'
She shrugged. 'Don't.'
'I can't just leave it in your fur, it'll clump up and hurt.' He said. 'I could use a rag to wipe it off you?' She nodded, and he turned to the sink, opening the cupboard and pulling out a small rag, which he put into the tub. He returned to cleaning Rose with the conditioner, playfully tickling her once again as he passed her stomach.
'Why do you torture me so?' She asked between giggles.
'Your mind says torture, but your body says fun.' Norris said, leaning his second hand in to increase the play. The little kitten below him writhed as he tickled her, and she giggled endlessly until she accidentally slid into the bath, slipping beneath the water with a quiet splash. She struggled to the surface and grabbed the edge of the bath.
'At least I finished getting the conditioner on you.' Norris said, fishing her out. She still giggled, and he sat her on the sink top, pulling a new toothbrush from the cupboard. She shut her mouth tightly at this and leaned away from him.
'Not after last time.' She protested.
'But I bought a new flavour.' Norris insisted, picking up a fresh new tube. 'Wiki Berry.' He said. 'You like dry foods, and they make a whole array of different flavours.' He squeezed the paste onto the toothbrush and grabbed her jaw. 'Open.' He commanded.
He sat on the side of his bed, Rose floating in front of him as he gently stroked a special brush over her back. She purred contently as the extremely fine brush untangled hidden knots in her fur and massagd her skin. Norris continued down her back, and across her front, and finishing by trailing down her tail. He put the brus on the bedside table and pulled her into a hug. She purred loudly and nuzzled against him.
'You still smell like Cinnamon.' She said.
'And you're still adorable.' He replied. 'Now get some sleep, it's been a big day.'
He gently lowered her onto the pillow on the other side of the bed, turned off the lights and lay back. Though it was slightly alien to him, sleeping with another in his bed, he slept soundly, happy that such a pleasent surprise had graced itself on his life.
"You want a backrub do you?" He asked her, to which she nodded. "Well, alright." He said, lowering his hands. 'It's not like we have much else to do."
He rubbed methodically, her shoulders to her ribs, then running the edge or one hand along her spine before returning to the back of her stomach and then her flanks. She purred endlessly at his administrations, and her leg twitched when he found one particularly delightful spot along her spine. He kept up his massaging until Joy knocked on the door, and Rose unlocked it with a click. Joy walked in and smiled lightly at the sight.
"Cute." She said. "I'm sorry to steal your thunder, Rose, but another trainer has brought his female Absol in for a checkup, she looks pretty shook up about something and he'd like to have someone look at her." Rose humphed as she got up, unhappy that he had to stop massaging her back. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all." Norris said. He felt strangely uneasy about it being a dark type Pokémon, but he quickly snuffed it out. He rather liked Absols, they were cute in their own way. Rose floated over to a counter and sat down, watching idly whilst sitting ramrod still.
"Alright. Send them in." Norris said, letting Joy return to the trainer. A few moments later a well-built young trainer came walking in, a smaller-than-average Absol by his side. The trainer lifted the female Absol up onto the table, much to her displeasure.
"I'm Vlad Westwell, and this is Dove." The trainer said.
"Ah." Norris replied, turning on his translator. "Hello Dove, I'm Dr. Norris. What seems to be the trouble?" The young female didn't speak, shivering in her place with her tail between her legs, glancing up at him with evident fright in her eyes. "C'mon, sweety, you can tell me, all I want to do is help."
While he was distracted, Vlad egded his way over to Rose. He figured her to be a stuffed toy, he couldn't see her breathing from where he was, and she didn't blink. He got right up to her before she sprang to life, scaring the daylights out of him.
"W-whaa!"
Rose laughed childishly at Vlad's expense, floating up close to the roof where Vlad couldn't reach her.
"Rose, that's enough!" Norris snapped before returning his attention to the little Absol. "Is it something you are uncomfortable telling me?" He asked quietly. "I can ask the others to leave if you'd like?" She nodded gently, and Norris stood upright. "Rose, teleport to my office and lock the door please. Stay there until I call you. Mr. Westwell, if you could step outside for a moment, she says she'd like some privacy."
"Alright." Vlad said, stepping back out the door. "I'll be waiting for you in the lobby, Dove." He called, shutting the door behind him.
'I don't want to hang around in your office.' Rose protested. 'Can I be with Nure Joy?'
"No." Norris insisted, to which she huffed.
'You're mean!' She said, sticking her tongue out as she vanished. He heard a thump behind a wall, signifying the door had just closed itself, and then a click that echoed through the wall.
"There we go." Norris said, putting his hand on Dove's head. "Now, what can I do for you little missy?"
She uncurled from the tight ball she was in and rolled onto her back, giving a light whimper. "I-I think..." She stammered, her voice like an angel's, "I think I may..."
"Let me guess." Norris said, trying to be as pleasent as possible. "You're over a year old?" She nodded. "And you've been feeling pains lately." He hazarded, to which she nodded again. "Did something happen that made the pain go away?" This time she blushed brightly and turned her face away. "... Alright." Norris said. "Just let me get a feel of your tum and we'll see what's going on, shall we?"
He gently put his hand to her stomach and started feeling around. "Let's see, there's your lower intestine-" he prodded a point on her body, "and there's your liver-" another prod, "it should be right about... Here!" He said, triumphantly getting his hand into the right location. He pushed about a little, trying to keep the absol calm by idly talking to himself as he worked until he had gotten a good feel, then he let her roll back over. "Well, I can quite comfortably say I know what the trouble is." He said. "However now we have something to discuss with your trainer." she gave him a questioning look. "You're pregnant, Dove." He said quietly. Her jaw dropped and she blushed brightly. Norris walked to the door and waved Vlad back in, waiting patiently for him to enter before closing the door.
"so how is she, doc?"
"She's fine." Norris said. "But I must ask; has she been alone with another Pokémon at any stage? For a prolonged period of time, I'm talking... ooh... Fourty to fifty minutes?"
Vlad thought, putting a hand to his chin before he replied. "Yeah, about two days ago." He said. "She was rather sick the next morning, I thought that maybe she'd eaten something that didn't agree with her."
"Well, no, she didn't eat anything." Norris said. "She's pregnant. Probably with a member of your party." Vlad's jaw dropped, but he quickly collected himself and turned a disbelieveing eye to Dove, who had tears welling in her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me that was what you thought?" He asked gently, to which she sobbed.
"I-I didn't w-want to make you m-mad at me!" She wept.
"Why would he be mad at you?" Norris asked.
She turned her head and blushed. "T-Tricky..." She mumbled. Vlad slapped a palm to his face.
"Oh, Dove!" He said critically. "If you like Tricky that much you could just tell me, you don't need to be secretive about it. Tricky may be my best friend, but that won't change if your two become a couple!"
"If I may-" Norris started. "What is Tricky? He's obviously the father, but for an estimation on laying and hatching time I'll need a species."
"Tricky is my Ninetales." Vlad said. "He's quite a handful, especially at bath time. You've no idea how hard it is to get shampoo on a Ninetales that constantly takes the bottle from you."
"Well, if it's any consolation, you've never seen one hand you a scalpel when sedated. I swear, this one time, this female Ninetales was having surgery on her intestines and even though she was out cold she was literally handing me the instruments I asked for, like she was wide awake!"
A Ninetales came dawdling into the room, head hung low as it slinked past Vlad until he grabbed a bundle of tails and wrenched it back across the floor, the creature's claws scraping fruitlessly on the lino. It looked up at Vlad with a displeased expression.
"Whaaaat?" He asked, his voice giving away his gender.
Vlad knelt down next to the golden Pokémon and grabbed his muzzle in one hand. "You could have told me instead of letting me make a damned fool of myself." He said, shaking the fire Pokémon's face gently. "Now I've even less time to prepare for her laying. I guess we could make a short visit to Sandy's parents, they'll help us out."
"You may take your Absol back." Norris said nonchalant. "She's terrified of heights." Something clicked in his head when he spoke the last few words, and his eyes grew wide. "How the hell did I know that?!"
Rose popped back into the room behind him, gently letting her presence be known by resting on his shoulder. 'You have telepathic capabilities, Norris.' She said. 'You simply read what was on her mind without realising it. It's not a hard ability to control, but it can be annoying to know what's on everyone's mind all the time.' She gave Vlad a short look. 'No, Vlad; I'm not going to let you look at my ass.'
"But I wasn't-" He started.
"That was me." Tricky said, lifting a tail. "Sorry, my mind wandered."
Rose looked down at him distastefully. 'You already have a mate.' She said.
"I'm going to live for one thousand years." He said. "I love her with all my heart, but I'll outlive her by centuries..."
'Then give her centuries of yourself.' Rose said. 'She might grow old and pass away while you live strong, but as long as you can keep her happiest for her natural life...' She trailed off for a moment. 'That is what makes you truly worth her love.' She turned her eyes to Dove who stood on the table with her tail between her legs. 'And you can stop hiding.' She said. 'I know what it is. You've some longevity in you too, don't you? Your unique patterns, the slight kink to your horn and tail, you're of the Apexis Clan; Ninetales and Absol living and breeding together for centuries has spread the gene, you'll live to be eight hundred at least.' Dove's jaw dropped as she stared at the little pink fuzzball.
"I-I never knew my parents." Dove said. "I thought I was just a regular Absol!"
'Oh.' Rose said. 'Uh, surprise?'
"How do you know so much about the different clans?" Norris asked.
She gave him a glance. 'I'd been around that particular clan for the three months of spring.' She said. 'Anyway, that doesn't matter. All that does matter is that you get Dove here to a nice comfortable place.' She motioned to Vlad with her tail.
"I would like to be able to do another checkup on her after she has layed and the young has hatched." Norris said. "She is only a young Absol, and birthing can be hazardous to her health at such a young age. I'll do it free of charge for you as an apology for me knowing what you're thinking all the time."
Vlad shrugged. "Alright, you're the Doctor." He said, offering his hand out. "Thanks for the help."
"My pleasure." Norris said, shaking his hand. He walked to a counter and opened a jar, pulling out a pair of poffins. "Here you go, kiddo." He said, giving a pink one to Dove. She gratefully took it and nibbled on it and then Norris turned to Tricky. "Catch!" He threw the poffin roughly in the fox's direction, and tricky caught it with a tail before shoving it into his mouth. Norris gently lifted Dove to the ground and waved them out. "Have a good day." He said as a golden tail closed the door behind them. "What a nice bunch." He said before grabbing Rose by her head and holding her infront of him. "Trouble, young missy."
'What'd I do?' She asked irritably.
'You know full well what you did by not doing something.' He replied telepathically. 'And you also know what you did to that poor trainer.'
She sniggered to herself at her prank before Norris jiggled her, still holding her head in his hand. 'How far will my powers progress?' He asked. 'I mean, will I end up being able to float and teleport or will my abilities stay reasonably limited?'
'I'm not sure.' Rose said. 'Though you can only read minds and speak telepathically, your powers have progressed a bit quicker than I anticipated. Most psychic Pokémon help unlock their trainer's own psychic capabilities, and depending on the strength of this Pokémon's own psyhic capabilities, the human trainer's powers will be lesser or greater.'
Norris sighed and covered his eyes with one hand. 'And I've been bestowed psychic powers by a Mew.' He said. 'I get the strange idea that this isn't going to stop at telepathy.'
As if on cue, Rose became fidgety and Norris sighed. 'What now?'
Rose blushed a little, but couldn't turn her head away with him holding her so tightly. 'I need to go do something private.' She said. Norris sighed once again and walked to the staff toilets, where he put Rose in a cubicle on her own.
'Better?' He asked. She didn't answer him, but he could tell she was trying to keep from saying something inappropriate. 'Don't lick yourself clean like I know felines do, there is toilet paper right there.'
'Shut up, Norris.' She said irritably. 'Or you'll be kissing my feet.'
Norris chuckled and shruffed his shoulders, leaning against the wall and staring at his shoes. He waited for a few minutes, but didn't hear the toilet flush. 'Are you alright in there?' He asked. 'I can go get some rope if you'd like?'
Is she wasn't so shy, she'd have gone out there and slapped him. 'How the hell do you get the water clean again?' She asked.
'There's a button on the top, push it down.' He replied. 'The water in the resevoir in the wall rushes into the bowl, forcing the contents to be pushed into the sewers.'
'Yeah, thanks.' She said. 'That really helps my appetite.'
'You're hungry, too?' He asked exasperated. 'Good thing food is free for Pokémon here, eh?' He heard the toilet flush and Rose came floating out the door. She stopped in front of Norris, who shook his head, grabbed her, and put her paws under the sink, where he washed them. She waited for him to finish whatever it was he was doing to her before she spoke.
'What the hell was that for?' She asked.
'Whatever you wiped with the toilet paper would have gotten germs onto your hands, and I can't have a germy Pokémon in the examination room, now can I?' She nodded weakly, admitting he had a point. "Now, let's go get some food." He said aloud, letting her go and walking out. She followed him cautiously, he had proven difficult to read now that his psychic powers were active, and something about him seemed wrong. His personality hadn't changed, but...
There was a roll of thunder outside, and for a split second she could feel the legendary bird of electricity, as if it knew something she didn't and was trying desperately to tell her. She reached out with her mind, but something... No. Someone stopped her probing thoughts, and her eyes widened when she realised it was her mother.
Norris had heard her gasp, and turned to her with a worried look on his face. 'Is something the matter?' He asked, before she turned her eyes to him.
'My mother knows where I am.' She said, before she twitched. 'Oh crap, here she comes!'
There was a short, sharp popping sound and a second Mew floated before him. She looked quite angry, and blue energy crackled off her form and around the room. She gave Rose an angry glare before pinning Norris to a wall and holding him up with psychic power. She growled angrily.
'What have you done to my daughter?' She asked, anger dripping from her voice.
"I've not done anything to her!" Norris replied, which got him queezed tighter. "Honest! All I did was save her life and feed her!"
'Liar!'
'Mother, he's telling the truth!' Rose pleaded, tugging her mother's shoulder. The elder Mew spun her gaze, throwing her daughter across the wall.
'After all I've taught you, you go and let yourslef be fooled by this human?!' She snapped. 'Have you not listened to a word I've said?! Humans are dangerous, they trick you into one of those little deathtrap balls and then you're stuck being their slave for the rest of your life!'
"Humans only live about -nng- ninety years!" Norris wheezed. "We're particularly short-lived."He winced as he was squeezed ever tighter. "I-I, for example, probably won't live -ngh- for much longer.' His entire body shuddered violently. "Your hold is on my entire body, internal organs included." He managed to wheeze. "I can literally feel my heart... Slowing..." He barely managed to finish his sentence before he went limp as his heart stopped. The elder Mew humphed and let go of her hold on him, and he slumped to the floor. Rose moved past her before she could stop her and put her little paws pitifully on his limp body.
'Norris..?' She hazarded, shaking him. 'Norris, this is no time to sleep, you need to wake up.' She shook him slightly harder as she said this, and she became more hysterical with each passing second. She started saying his name in short, sharp bursts, each more insistant and desperate than the last before she stopped shaking him and put her head onto his shoulder. Her mother simply looked on as she broke down.
'You cry for a creature as pitiful as a human?' She asked rhetorically. 'Foolish girl, they are not to be pitied or wept over, they are brutish and evil, much like the Pokémon who stay with them too long become.' There was another popping sound and she turned around, there was a larger, much older looking Mew floating silently behind her.
'Many a human is pitiful for their misguided ways with their companions.' It said, a deep raspy voice with definate male touches within. 'However, psychic type trainers rarely are as rash or arrogant. Being truly bonded with their charge, they develop powers not unlike the Pokémon's own and are always extremely close to their Pokémon, regardless of how long they have been together.' He sighed as he watched Rose crying her eyes out onto Norris' shirt. 'Not only do you owe her an apology, but we must find some way to remedy this situation.'
'We shouldn't be worried about some pathetic human!' Rose's mother snapped. 'He is not our concern!'
'Our daughter's well being is, however.' The male said calmly. 'Have you actually looked at her emotions? She wouldn't want to stay around us any longer, and even if we forced her to, she'd either end up a hopeless recluse or mentally unbalanced.' Now he floated closer and poked the female with his hand sharply. 'You made that human our concern when you killed him; either you'll help set that right or I'll see to it that you never get to see our daughter for as long as I live.'
'You wouldn't dare!'
'Do you truly believe that?' He asked. She shot him an angry glance, but she quicky grew fearful of the aura he had about himself; like someone had thrown an entire tin of blue paint against a tile floor and then stuck his form right in the center of it. She backed away carefully.
'W-what do you want me to do?' She asked.
'I shall get his lungs to fill, you are to restart his heart.' He said. 'If we are lucky, he may not have been dead long enough for his brain to lose its charge.'
'And if we are unlucky?' The female hazarded.
'He'll come back to life as a mindless vegetable, and our daughter will hate us forever.' He replied. 'Begin.'
The female sighed and concentrated, using her psychic powers to stimulate his heart into beating while her mate forced him to breathe. For a short while it didn't work, but eventually Norris inhaled much sharper than when the male was forcing air into his lungs. He coughed for a moment, and his eyes slowly flitted open. Rose was still crying on his shoulder, and she hadn't noticed him wake.
"Hey... Kid..." Norris said weakly. "Don't cry... You're so much... Cuter when you don't cry..." His eyes closed again and his world went black as his body started to reactivate, taxing his evergy. Rose's mother floated over gently and put a paw on her daughter's shoulder.
'I'm... Sorry I over-reacted.' She said sadly. 'I didn't know he meant this much to you.' Rose nodded, but didn't really bother paying attention to her mother. 'I know you probably can't forgive me for nearly taking him from you...' Her mother said. 'But I'm truly sorry.' And with that, she teleported away.
Now it was her father's turn to float closer and converse. 'You felt Zapdos' power earlier, didn't you?' He asked. she nodded shyly. 'It is nothing to be shy about. He was trying to warn you that another of our species was looking for you with malicious intent. Little one, I am unsure about your decision to live with this human, but if it brings you happiness, I shall accept it; I only want what is best for you, and right now, what is best is what is in front of us. He has known you only a day, and yet he already loves you with as much heart as your mother or I. Our clan shall always be open to you and your human companion should you ever wish to visit us.'
Rose turned her tear-filled baby blue eyes to her father. 'Thank you, dad.' She quietly said.
'You are always welcome.' He replied, smiling to her. 'Now, when I leave, call for another human to help him. Tell them that you were afraid of the thunder and accidentally hit his heart with a psychic attack from your fear, they will not know any better, and he shall get the best treatment they can provide. Don't let them keep you away from him, not even to let you sleep.'
''Thank you..' she said. He nodded sagely and vanished with another pop. Rose wiped a tear from her eye, hugged herself closer to Norris and screamed for Nurse Joy.
Joy didn't truly believe Rose's story, but she didn't have any evidence to the contrary, so she left well enough alone. She checked Norris thoroughly, leaving the Chansey to run the center whilst she did her best to check him for injuries and make sure his heart was beating properly and that he was, indeed, still alive. Rose had quite a large bruise across her back, and Joy wanted to make sure she hadn't damaged anything important when Norris 'fell on her'. Joy went for the same route as Norris when inspecting Rose's back, but instead of getting purrs out of the little kitten, all she got were whines of pain as she ran her hands across tender bruises. Rose had insisted that she never leave Norris' side, so Joy had to massage her while she rested on top of Norris, who was using up one of the beds, not that they got many that needed to use them. Joy lightly poked a particuarly large dark-purple bruise, making Rose squeal.
'Ah! Stop, it hurts too much!' Rose yelped, writhing under Joy's probing touch.
Joy sighed. "This is a lot of damage," She breathed, "I've only seen this much bruising on a psychic type when they've been hit with a powerful feint attack or a particularly strong pursuit; lie still and I'll rub some potion on you to help you heal."
Rose nodded and whimpered as she watched Joy empty some of the contents of a Super Potion bottle onto a rag before putting he bottle down and sitting next to her. Joy put the rag onto Rose's back and gently wiped it across her fine fur and soft skin. Rose tensed up as Joy rubbed over the largest of her bruises, and she whined pitifully, but Joy didn't spend much time on that particular location, and soon removed the rag altogether.
"Lie still and try to get some rest." Joy said. "I'll have one of my Chansey stay at the door and keep an eye on you so that no-one can try to steal you." Rose nodded weakly and closed her eyes. She heard Joy's shoes tap out of the room, and the sliding door close, and then all that she could hear was Norris' breathing and the gentle beat of his heart. Soon his gently moving chest rocked her to a peaceful sleep.
Norris woke at seven PM to a heavy feeling on his chest. He looked down and found the position to be occupied by Rose. He had his strength back, and knew he was safe to go, but he didn't want to wake the little pink fuzzball, so he lay still and carefully ran one of his hands across her scalp. She murmured cutely, but didn't wake, stirring into a curled-up position on his chest and giving him a perfect view of her bruised back. He mentally cringed at it, particularly one bruise that had turned a brilliant shade of green. He felt sorry for her, in one day she had not only tied herself to him, but had also been attacked by her own mother and had to watch him die before her very eyes. She was probably incredibly depressed still, and he didn't want to wake her back into her misery. There was a faint popping sound next to him, to which he turned his head.
'Hello, young human.' Rose's father said to him. 'Don't be alarmed, you might wake my daughter.' He continued, raising his paw. His eyes were closed, focusing on observing Norris through psychic feeling alone.
'You're Rose's father?' Norris asked telepathically.
'Yes.' He replied. 'And I see she has taught you to Project, that is good. Our conversation can progress quietly and not disturb her.' He lowered his paw and opened his eyes a crack. 'Yes, Norris. I am Her father. I understand that she has... Tied herself to you. Your minds are linked, even if you don't think they are.'
Norris nodded weakly and felt what could only be described as a scratching at his mind, like something was pleading to be let in.
'Your mental defences are impressive, to say the least; probably due to you being a human psychic, we've just not learned the right way in because we've not been around humanity long enough. If you could... Unfold your mind, I could read your memories and see for sure whether or not my decision to leave her with you is right.'
Norris sighed and relaxed his thoughts. He hadn't realised how hard he'd been concentrating on his thoughts, and now that he relaxed, it was like letting go of a wheelbarrow full of bricks. He could feel the niggling feeling vanish, and soon his mind wandered over the previous day as the elder Mew directed his thoughts. His mind wandered through his examination of Rose, and he shifted uncomfortably. Rose's father didn't pay much heed to his nervousness.
'I'm sorry for that bit.' Norris said as his mind got onto the Absol.
'Think nothing of it.' Came the reply. 'I saw you meant no offence, and she did enjoy you massaging her back.'
Norris nodded weakly. 'I've... Never cared for Pokémon as a companion before.' He shyly pointed out. 'I wanted to at least make sure she was healthy. I've seen how distraught trainers can be when their Pokémon have been seriously injured...'
'You already have a strong bond to her emotionally.' The male Mew said. 'That is good.' He continued to read Norris' mind while he gently stroked Rose's ears. Norris stopped stroking, however, when she whimpered and twitched her leg, a distressed look forming on her face. She twitched again and a tear rolled down her cheek.
'Nh... No...'
'What's wrong with her?' He asked the elder Mew, who had gotten up to date on the last twenty-four hours. He probed her mind for a second or two.
'She is having a nightmare.' He said, his voice a mumble. 'She is remembering when her mother... Killed you.'
'You don't need to be so melodramatic about it.' Norris said. 'I'm alive and well, no serious damage has been done.' He carefully pulled Rose into a hug, making sure he didn't touch her most certainly tender bruises. "Shhh." He said, starting to gently run his hand across her head. "Everything is alright." She stopped twitching, and her face became calm once again, she nuzzled his shirt.
'Like... Cinnamon...' She mumbled in her sleep.
'Her dreams have gone to happier things.' Her father said nonchalant. 'I must be off.'
'W-wait.' Norris said, grabbing the Mew's little paw.
'Yes, young one?'
Norris was reluctant to say anything, and this translated into the Mew through his facial expression.
'You may say anything you wish to me, Norris.' He said calmly. 'Please, speak your mind.'
'I... I wanted to thank you for giving me a chance.' He said. the Mew smiled.
'You are most welcome, Norris.' He said. 'I know that although the humans who do evil are the more obvious, and that they are the ones who have caused the more rare Pokémon to go into hiding, the potential for greatness exists within. Though you won't go out on your own adventure to visit other cities and peoples very often, to meet other Pokémon you needn't have to; many come here already. You're not perfect, but you're as close to perfect as I could hope for my daughter. I will be watching her life most intently, have a pleasent week.' And with that, the air around him popped and he vanished.
"Yeah... you too..." Norris mumbled, still stroking Rose's little ears.
Rose awoke with her head in her tail, curled up in the fetal position. She wearily opened her eyes and gazed about the room, not that there was much to see in the Pokémon Center's wards. Dreary decor, feeble lighting, an overabundance of furniture... She couldn't get used to staying here for any prolonged period of time without at least adding more colour than just plain white. She didn't know how humans could stand such a boring and mediocre colour; why not choose something more cheery? Like... Pink? Or a nice orange? Hell, she'd have appreciated a disgusting green compared to the glaring white. For a minute she tried to recall where she was, but soon remembered that she had fallen asleep on top of Norris, and she turned around sharply, her back flaring painfully in protest. She felt a hand swat her gently but firmly.
"Don't make any sudden moves like that, you'll do more harm than good." Norris said. She was lying in his lap, his legs crossed under the blankets. "Hold still while I apply this to your bruises." He said, holding up a bottle full of a murky green fluid.
'Wh-what is that..?' She asked nervously. 'Nurse Joy put some potion on my back before I drifted to sleep earlier...'
"Don't worry." Norris said. "This stuff is a special blend of berry juices that I came up with, mainly Oran and Leppa. It's almost as effective at revitalising Pokémon as the machine is, but it works best if applied externally."
'What about the potion?' Rose asked curiously sniffing the bottle.
"Well, if I'm any guess, she didn't put enough on to soak into your bruises. I have a plentiful stock of this stuff, it's great for breakfast juice and a fair amount of Pokémon who come to me dehydrated adore it. But because I have so much, I can spare as much as I need to, and right now I think I'll use a little." He pulled a rag from the bedside table and carefully soaked it in the murky juice. "Try not to move, I might hurt you more." He held the slightly dripping rag above her back and gave her a concerned glance. "From what I've seen, this might hurt."
Carefully he slapped the rag over her back, and instantly her eyes went wide with shock; not only was it cold and wet, but it felt like her skin was melting off her body. She gave one short cry of pain before blacking out.
"Hmm." Norris said. "I didn't think it'd be that painful... Maybe this is supposed to happen?"
Rose awoke a short time later at Norris' home, she was lying on the couch in the back room, and the rag had been removed from her back. She sat up on the couch and looked about, this room was better than that dingy ward. Beds weren't everywhere for a start, and there was a chaotic form of colour coordination of reds and blacks. The room was pleasently cool, and she felt a cold breeze blow over her. This struck her as funny, it was the middle of summer, the only breeze that there should have been would have been hot and unpleasent. She yawned and stretched, flicking her ears as the cool air blew through her fur once more. She shrugged it off and curled back up in the couch before a snuffling nose made itself present and she suddenly found herself curled up with another, bushier tail. Instantly she leapt off the couch.
'N-Norris!?'
Hearing her shriek, Norris came dashing into the room. He stopped when he saw rose floating over the creature who had decided to intrude on her resting spot with a terrified look on her face.
"It's an Umbreon, silly." He said, picking her out of the air. "He belongs to my mother. My father's Glaceon is in the kitchen with us."
'I don't like Dark Types...' She mumbled. 'I can't read them.' She sat in his crossed arms for a few moments before looking back up at him. 'What're your parents doing here, anyway?' She asked. 'I thought they kicked you out.' Norris shook his head.
"When I told them that I'd adopted a Pokémon, they came running to meet the little bundle of joy that had managed to weedle its way into my life. They've not seen you yet, but they probably know that you're a psychic type, what with that screaming and all. C'mon, I'll introduce you to my parents."
He carried her into the kitchen where two humans, a woman who looked to about mid-fifties, and a man with a short beard and moustache who gave Norris a cold glance as he walked into the room. Rose had curled back up, nervous of meeting the two adult humans.
"Where's this Pokémon you said you had gotten?" He asked. "We don't come all the way from Canalave City to see just you."
'That was mean.' Rose said privately to Norris.
'I know, but just watch his reaction when he sees you. If I'm right, he'll think you're fake.'
"Mother, Father, I'd like you to meet Rose."
Norris gently showed his parents the little pink bundle curled up in his arms. His mother didn't react, but his father did exactly what he had predicted.
"Now you're just teasing us!" He roared. "You call us after two years to show us some plush toy, acting like it's real! Has the absence of a Pokémon in your life dulled your brain, or did you get hit on the head?!"
"Now that's just plain rude." Norris said, lowering his hands and putting them on his hips. Rose floated there, still curled up for a few seconds before uncoiling from her own tail. She opened her eyes slowly, acting like the bright light stung, before wagging her tail a little.
'Hello!' She cutely said. Norris' mother swooned.
"She's adorable!" The woman cried, grabbing Rose in her hands and mushing her face up.
'She's suffocating.' Rose said. 'This isn't as pleasent as you thought it would be.' The woman let go.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" She quickly apologised.
'It's okay.' Rose said, brushing her fur back into place.
"I can't believe you own a Mew." Norris' father said. "Simply can't believe it."
"Hey, I don't 'own' anyone!" Norris snapped. "She's my friend, not my slave!"
"Watch your tone with me, boy!"
"Or what?! You'll kick me out of my home; one that took me over a year to afford?!" He yelled. "I've worked hard to make it in this world, I got a job and started learning vetinary sciences at the local Pokémon center the very day you two kicked me out! I didn't force Rose to stay with me, she came willingly; hell, if anything, I'm more her slave! I keep her comfortable, give her a soft place to sleep, keep her nourished, and I make sure she's healthy and happy, never once have I worried about my needs before hers!" He was shaking now, his hands curled into tight fists until his eyes fell on Rose's. She was scared, not of his parents, of him!
He felt his anger drip away and his hands unclench as he stared into her watering baby-blue eyes. He reached forth with one of his hands and gently stroked her head. "I'm sorry for scaring you, Rose." He mumbled. "This is exactly why I didn't protest when I was kicked out in the first place. This exact argument." He glared at his father, who was sitting back in his chair with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Pokémon aren't tools or slaves, they're not pets or toys, Pokémon are treasured companions; they bring their friendship to the young and old for little more than the comfort it brings them and a hearty meal. Poverty was abolished thanks to Pokémon. The misery old folk used to feel doesn't exist with a companion to share their lonliness with. True, some people use them to battle one another, and others use them as tools for wicked deeds, but it is the human who colours how Pokémon act. Your Glaceon battles in gyms for those near-worthless badges, not because you tell her to, but because she wants to do it for you. She shoulders her wants and needs in favor of your happiness and the praise you give her afterwards.
And I can bet that your Umbreon, Darkie, absolutley adores the attention you give him, Mother. How many ribbons has he won? Ten? Twenty? Do you think he even cares about the ribbons? As long as you still lavish him with affection at the end of the day, keep him well fed and cozy, I'll wager that he wouldn't care if he beat a Gyarados in an Ugly Contest just as long as you were happy." His eyes fell back on Rose and he hugged her tightly, still stroking her head and back as she purred contently. "I don't need Rose to fight for me, she doesn't need to work on routines, though I'm sure she'd like to be pampered, she doesn't even have to stay. I like to have her around to keep me company. She's not mine, she's her own, and I'd not have it any other way." He smiled momentarily as Rose nuzzled his shirt, and he let his mind wander. He, unwittingly, managed to read the Glaceon's mind and he sighed.
"Oh, not you too Eira." He said, raising a hand to his face. She looked up at him accusingly. "What, did you want it to be a surprise?" She shrugged her shoulders.
"What about her?" His father asked, still barely to contain his shock that Norris had exploded at him like that. Norris gave him a hopeless look.
'She is with egg.' Rose said quietly. 'Most probably Darkie's.'
Now the Glaceon carefully crawled behind Norris; once she had always used him as cover for when she'd done something that she knew his father would disapprove of.
"How the bloody hell could you know that?!"
'No going back now.' Norris thought to himself. "Rose... Unlocked psychic powers in my head." He said. "And Eira's not exactly hiding it that well." Behind him, the Glaceon whimpered. Norris looked back at her. "Now, now, there's nothing to be afraid of. I certainly don't blame you."
Darkie, the Umbreon, came dawdling in and stopped next to Eira, nuzzling her quizzically. She whispered into his ear and his eyes went wide, and then he, too, cowered behind Norris. He looked up at the human to make sure that Norris'd not lash out at them.
"Darkie, I've no problem with you doing what you want with her." Norris said. "Your owners might, but I think that you two should be praised, not punished."
"It's not your decision!" His father bellowed. Norris looked up and glared at him. "And don't you try telling me how I should raise my own Pokémon!"
"I told you we should have run away afterwards." Eira said. "He's going to destroy our egg and keep us apart forever!"
"Get over here, you!" Norris' red-faced father yelled. Eira didn't budge, and the man bore down on her life a falling piano, only to be stopped short by an invisible barrier.
"You'll not touch them." Norris said, never looking away from his mother. "And if you even try, I'll give you exactly what you've had coming to you for years."
"He's... Protecting us?" Darkie mumbled. "But why?"
"Clearly he doesn't realise that Master will beat us when we get home."
Now Rose pushed off of Norris' chest. She floated ever closer to the invisible barrier, right until she was nose-to-nose with Norris' father. 'You're lucky you can't understand them, the image you have of them being so trusting would break in an instant.' Her eyes shone for a moment as she collected memories from the Glaceon. 'Perhaps you'd like to see what your 'punishments' do to her?' Her eyes shone again and the large human threw his head back, clutching at his eyes. Rose turned her eyes to Norris' mother, who hadn't gotten over the shock of her son being psychic yet, and sighed. 'I'll show you, but I'll be gentle.' Again her eyes flashed, and the woman twitched her head.
"That is... Most unpleasent." She said, turning on her husband. "I can see why she cowers from you, you old fool." She mumbled.
"You are not to harm her, father." Norris said. "I can just as easily take her from you now, and I can do it legally. I know she'd not want to be away from your praise, but it isn't har to find a family who love Pokémon for who they are, not what. She can't control her bodyclock any more than you can control that damned Nanab vine in the backyard."
"I can cut down a vine!" He growled.
"Oh, I don't doubt that you could spay and neuter her, I'll do the surgury if I must, but then you must think of the future. If you cut down the vine, no berries can grow, and then you lose a source of food and a wonderful feature in the garden during springtime when it flowers. Remove her ability to breed, and not only would she be unable to have pups, but you'll miss out on all the wonderful times you get from having the youthful puppies about. Don't cut down the tree before you taste the berry, give her a chance; for her sake."
"Paul, let up." Norris' mother said. "He's got a point, and I wouldn't mind another bright young face around the house."
"But Sarah..!"
"If you make a fuss of this like you make a fuss of everything else..!" His wife growled. "Next time I'll come down here with the Pokémon and you can stay at home alone!"
Norris' father sighed his defeat. Norris he could probably yell into submission, but his wife he couldn't avoid. "Fine." He said. "But so help me, if the puppy makes a mess of the carpets-"
"Hey, we never did that!" Darkie protested indignantly. Norris sighed and stepped past his father, collecting Rose and holding her out to his mother.
"Would you like to hold her?"
A few hours later, after Rose had gotten used to Norris' family and had learned how the air conditioner worked, his parents headed off to bed for the night and Norris carried her to the bathroom, where he filled the tub and put Rose in, despite her feline protests to water. He pulled out Pokémon shampoo and conditioner that he had bought while she was sleeping, and was carefully rubbing it into her fur while she sat on the edge of the bath. She was purring at his gentle administrations, and leaned into his caressing hands as he worked. He was trying not to chuckle at her affectionate behavior, and he barely suppressed a snigger or two when she licked his hand. He finished with her back and turned her around, working his way across her chest and down her stomach. She giggled girlishy when he tickled her stomach and mewled at him to get on with it and stop teasing. Sighing, Norris finished covering her in shampoo suds and dunked her into the bathtub. She flailed for the split moment she was in there, but settled again when he pulled her out, brushing any excess soap from her fine fur. After he had dunked her a second time, earning himself a nip on his finger, he grabbed the conditioner and begun again.
'Why're you starting again?' She asked. 'Please don't dunk me, I worry you'll not let me up!'
'I'm applying the conditioner.' He said. 'It's like the shampoo, but will make your fur and skin shine. And if I don't dunk you, how will I get it out of your fur?'
She shrugged. 'Don't.'
'I can't just leave it in your fur, it'll clump up and hurt.' He said. 'I could use a rag to wipe it off you?' She nodded, and he turned to the sink, opening the cupboard and pulling out a small rag, which he put into the tub. He returned to cleaning Rose with the conditioner, playfully tickling her once again as he passed her stomach.
'Why do you torture me so?' She asked between giggles.
'Your mind says torture, but your body says fun.' Norris said, leaning his second hand in to increase the play. The little kitten below him writhed as he tickled her, and she giggled endlessly until she accidentally slid into the bath, slipping beneath the water with a quiet splash. She struggled to the surface and grabbed the edge of the bath.
'At least I finished getting the conditioner on you.' Norris said, fishing her out. She still giggled, and he sat her on the sink top, pulling a new toothbrush from the cupboard. She shut her mouth tightly at this and leaned away from him.
'Not after last time.' She protested.
'But I bought a new flavour.' Norris insisted, picking up a fresh new tube. 'Wiki Berry.' He said. 'You like dry foods, and they make a whole array of different flavours.' He squeezed the paste onto the toothbrush and grabbed her jaw. 'Open.' He commanded.
He sat on the side of his bed, Rose floating in front of him as he gently stroked a special brush over her back. She purred contently as the extremely fine brush untangled hidden knots in her fur and massagd her skin. Norris continued down her back, and across her front, and finishing by trailing down her tail. He put the brus on the bedside table and pulled her into a hug. She purred loudly and nuzzled against him.
'You still smell like Cinnamon.' She said.
'And you're still adorable.' He replied. 'Now get some sleep, it's been a big day.'
He gently lowered her onto the pillow on the other side of the bed, turned off the lights and lay back. Though it was slightly alien to him, sleeping with another in his bed, he slept soundly, happy that such a pleasent surprise had graced itself on his life.