Having some time to kill before work, Derek approached his makeshift ranch with Jonesy atop his shoulder, greeting the Miltank, Grumpig and Spoink before letting out a loud whistle.

"Ah, there you are." Alerted to his presence, a blazing tail can be made out in the early morning sky, signaling the approach of his Charizard before it makes a hasty descent. "Always ready to kick up some dust, ain'tcha?" A gentle pat was all the affection he afforded, Derek's pokemon letting out an arrogant huff as it accepted what it viewed as a compliment. Which it was...more or less.

"Seems like you've been working hard to chase wild pokemon out of here." A second look around would allow him to take in a sight he'd been hoping to see. Property void of vandalism, and pokemon unscathed. Though his "retired" nurse Blissey was here to tend to any needs of first aid, there was still some amount of worry he harbored for his pokemon when he was away.

"Here's something for your efforts." Pulling out a piece of meat for the pokemon he was going to give to it regardless, Derek was glad to see it happily cook and consume the food without reluctance. Sometimes it was hard pleasing Apollo, who much preferred the days of it's youth in the care of Derek's sister. "Keep it up and there's more in it for ya." Turning his attention to his phone, a message had popped up asking for him to report at HQ as soon as possible.

"Oh, gotta go! You all behave now, I'll be stopping by later with more food." Waving back at the pokemon, the ranger and his Sobble quickly took to the back of his Corviknight, which promptly flew them to the ranger headquarters for...whatever it was.

@exhibit

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Deciding to pay the others a visit, Derek strode into his ranch with Jonesy at his shoulder, quickly approached by the Hisuian pokemon who'd been under his care. Unlike their originally hostile demeanor, they seemed to enjoy the peaceful life here on the ranch.

"Alright you two, reign it in a little." The Hisuian duo were just a little too fond, nearly knocking Derek over as he allowed them to nuzzle and show affection. "Some nice people came by to have a look at the ranch. They didn't believe you'd be so well-tempered." Chucking some feed their way, Derek welcomes the two families through the nearby gate.

In truth, it was mostly their kids that wanted to see pokemon that didn't belong to their timeline. Though upon laying eyes on the Zoroark, they were quite thrilled. Both because of the intimidating look in it's eyes, and how fluffy it was. "No petting, by the way. Unless it's the Miltanks or Grumpig. Some of us have trust issues, but feel free to take some pictures."

After about half an hour showing them around and doing his best to locate all the pokemon, Derek's Blissey came out and helped him see off their guests. It was nice to see the look on the kid's faces when they watched these pokemon for the first time. If only they knew the trouble one had to go through just to acquire one, let alone train them properly. The process of domestication wasn't a feat accomplished within a single generation, and that was exactly why he wouldn't let them get too close to the Zoroark.

@exhibit

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Another day at the ranch meant waking up early to get his Miltanks, well, milked. Though it was actually Blissey who helped whip them into shape, providing the buckets for them to use. Derek, on the other hand, was bringing breakfast around to everyone.

"Zoroark. Decidueye." These two are offered meat, and quite a bit of it. Their need for protein was not unknown, and since they guarded the ranch and farm pokemon while he was away, it was more than deserved. "I think you guys are gonna like that." It was a new cut that they weren't used to, and the butcher even went so far as to season and tenderize the meat before packaging it.

The pigs were given a variety of things, like berries and nuts, as they had quite the sweet tooth. Shedinja didn't seem to like eating food Derek brought, but for Cutiefly an assortment of flowers were in order. As everyone seemed to enjoy their breakfast, Jonesy tugged on Derek's collar for attention. "What?"

The Sobble seems jealous, and a little sad. As if it was wondering why Derek didn't have anything for him. "You think I forgot? Reaching into his pocket, a particular berry sat on the end of a lollipop stick. Candied in syrup and sprinkles, Derek offered it to Jonesy, whose eyes and mouth watered up at the offer. "Haha, enjoy it."

Taking a seat on the stairs, the gym leader takes in the scenery as the morning sun finally finishes breaching the horizon. The days had been growing warmer, and he was very much looking forward to another summer here in Hoenn. But for now, Derek needed to decide on his own breakfast...

EXHIBIT

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Making his approach, the pokemon of his little farm came to greet Derek. It had been some time since he last visited in person, the piling duties of his station getting the better of him. With a bit of a lull taking place, he assumed now was a good time to take a load off.

Sharing some special snacks with them all, he can't help but find himself staring out at the sky. Last time he came, the gym leader answered to the call of a blackened sky. Derek's thoughts quickly turned to the ones he lost on that day. The first Skarmory he'd raised. But after everything, he learned now that they were still out there. Somewhere.

The gentle nature of his pokemon nudging him in gratitude for the tasty treats brought him back, allowing Derek to simply enjoy the moment for what it was. Still, deep down he knew it wouldn't last.

How could it?

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tl;dr
lucky letter +1

@tagging

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