[nospaces]

[newclass=.hearthurt]position:relative; height:600px; width:500px; background:#F0E6DC; padding:2px; border-radius:100px 5px 5px 5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartpichurt] position:absolute; height:250px; width:500px; background: linear-gradient(-90deg, #F0E6DC, transparent), url("https://i.imgur.com/PeKHcFm.png") no-repeat center; border-radius:100px 0px 0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearticonhurt] height:100px;width:100px;background-image:url("https://i.imgur.com/VjNmSk6.png"); border-radius: 50px 50px 50px 50px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartpkmnlisthurt] width:20px; [/newclass] [newclass=.heartpkmnhurt] position:relative; top:0px; right:-220px; height: 30px; width: 30px; padding:2px; margin:2px; background-color: #bbb; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-block; background-color:#F0E6DC; border:solid 1px #8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttextboxhurt] height:310px; width:260px; position:relative; right:100px; top:10px; padding:20px; background:#fff; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt] overflow:auto; text-align:justify; height:310px; font-size:12px; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; color:#56535A; padding:5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt b] color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartsidehurt] position:absolute; top:490px; right:-10px; background:transparent; width:190px; padding:10px; max-height:70px; text-align:justify; overflow:auto; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteboxhurt] position:absolute; top:390px; right:10px; background:#fff; border:solid 1px #8CA055; width:150px; padding:10px; height:72px; overflow:auto; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteshurt] height:65px; overflow:auto; font-size:12px; text-align:justify; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; color:#56535A; padding:3px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttaghurt] position:relative; display:inline-block; background:#fff; margin:1px; padding:5px; font-size:9px; text-transform:uppercase; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearticonholderhurt] border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border:solid 1px #8CA055; padding:10px; border-right-color: #FFFFFF; position:absolute; right:40px; top:260px; background:transparent; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px;background-color:#313131;border:#fff 1px solid; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] width:2px;background-color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteshurt::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px;background-color:#313131;border:#fff 1px solid; [/newclass] [newclass=.heartnoteshurt::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] width:2px;background-color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[googlefont=Roboto]

“Aww! Look at the Delibird!” Aubre exclaimed as she pointed at the impeding Christmas spirit stampede. “I have never seen so many in one place before. Though, I suppose, I have only ever met the one.” Her Aunt Jenna’s original partner was one of the winter birds. Though, his feathers were more purple and less Santa’s outfit. The approach of the Delibird was accompanied with an introspective pause.“I wonder if it’s some sort of event? Could we be in their spot?”

“Should we—?” Green eyes met blue just as the tsunami crashed upon them. Aubre stumbled as the penguins tried to shove between her legs. “Oh!” That initial terror faded as she realized it wasn’t violence on their mind but food. Her hand lifted to her mouth as her lizard disappeared in a sea of blubber and plush feathers. “Lisk! Hel!” He protested as he rose on his tiptoes in an attempt to keep the treats out of the reach of the Christmas chickens.

Soon enough, the squawking mob quieted down. For a moment, red-faced and irritated, the lizard kept the bowl close to his chest. Sparks flew from his skin each time a beak reached for it. “Helio!” Only after his trainer threw a glance at him did he relent. Anyone too greedy received a small spark for their poor manners. All around him, fallen candy littered the ground like autumn leaves.

“O-oh, it is quite all right.” Aubre reassured the younger man. “I am the one who invited them, right? I mean I did not ask to a mob but I was not clear about how they should do it.” Maybe she’d print signs if she did this again. Not that she wanted to. Standing her begging for business made her feel cheapened somehow. Maybe that was just the coupon at the bottom of the flyer? “I’ve never seen this many Delibird in one place, before.”

At the question, her cheeks turned cherry red. One hand rose to worry at her arm. “That’s not what I—” The candy bowl was lured to the ground as her Heliolisk pulled his notepad and mini pen from his belt. A hand rose to tuck an errant stray of hair behind one year. “I was trying to say Pokemon clinic.” The pen skated across the paper. “I’m a doctor. Or, well, almost.”

The lizard walked up to Locke, his mouth tilted upward in a smirk. ‘It’s where suckers go for—' Before the boy could finish reading, Aubre moved to snatch it from her friend’s home. “He would like to know if you wanted any candy.”

Blue eyes narrowed at her. Spoilsport.

[nospaces]

[newclass=.hearthurt]position:relative; height:600px; width:500px; background:#F0E6DC; padding:2px; border-radius:100px 5px 5px 5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartpichurt] position:absolute; height:250px; width:500px; background: linear-gradient(-90deg, #F0E6DC, transparent), url("https://i.imgur.com/PeKHcFm.png") no-repeat center; border-radius:100px 0px 0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearticonhurt] height:100px;width:100px;background-image:url("https://i.imgur.com/VjNmSk6.png"); border-radius: 50px 50px 50px 50px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartpkmnlisthurt] width:20px; [/newclass] [newclass=.heartpkmnhurt] position:relative; top:0px; right:-220px; height: 30px; width: 30px; padding:2px; margin:2px; background-color: #bbb; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-block; background-color:#F0E6DC; border:solid 1px #8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttextboxhurt] height:310px; width:260px; position:relative; right:100px; top:10px; padding:20px; background:#fff; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt] overflow:auto; text-align:justify; height:310px; font-size:12px; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; color:#56535A; padding:5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt b] color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartsidehurt] position:absolute; top:490px; right:-10px; background:transparent; width:190px; padding:10px; max-height:70px; text-align:justify; overflow:auto; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteboxhurt] position:absolute; top:390px; right:10px; background:#fff; border:solid 1px #8CA055; width:150px; padding:10px; height:72px; overflow:auto; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteshurt] height:65px; overflow:auto; font-size:12px; text-align:justify; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; color:#56535A; padding:3px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttaghurt] position:relative; display:inline-block; background:#fff; margin:1px; padding:5px; font-size:9px; text-transform:uppercase; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearticonholderhurt] border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border:solid 1px #8CA055; padding:10px; border-right-color: #FFFFFF; position:absolute; right:40px; top:260px; background:transparent; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px;background-color:#313131;border:#fff 1px solid; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] width:2px;background-color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteshurt::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px;background-color:#313131;border:#fff 1px solid; [/newclass] [newclass=.heartnoteshurt::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] width:2px;background-color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[googlefont=Roboto]

Instead of getting a laugh, his pun was treated like some circus animal’s parlor trick. His brow stitched together in irritation as he dug tiny needle claws into the paper. He acts like humans are so special. I’ve seen how some humans write.

The fact that this was a child made this interaction a bit simpler. There was little need to worry about authority in this situation. It was also unlikely he’d hold some sway over her life in the future. Not unless she needed a Delibird flock for some strange reason.

Big green eyes blinked. “Have you not?” Aubre murmured to herself. “I never even thought of it as strange.” Most of her Pokemon were literate. In fact, the only Pokemon of hers that could not write merely lacked the appendages to do so. That or they’d never been exposed to writing. The latter is the case with her rescued Kabutops, Roman. “Al and I were inseparable as children. He just picked up on it, I guess.” Aubre smiled at him. The lizard huffed.

While normally she abhorred violence, she really could not blame the electric type for his reaction. If a hoard of Santa Clauses had charged her at that speed, Aubre doubted she’d have reacted in a calm and measured way. “Oh, as I said, it is quite all right. No one was hurt. I am just glad someone stopped by.” Cold marketing had a knowingly low success rate, but it was difficult not to feel snubbed. Aubre still could not shake the thought that there was spinach in her teeth.

At the mention of holidays, Aubre blinked. “Are they busier that time of year? Malls and corporate events?” None of her Pokemon had real jobs. Though she did pay them to babysit every so often. Then, she felt really silly. If she’d just waited a moment, he’d have taken all the mystery out of it. She stretched her hand out to gently grasp his. “I suppose that answers my question. I have never seen them used for deliveries before.” Likely because other companies prioritized speed.

Her own introduction followed though it seemed rather sluggish to her. “I am Aubre Mckenna—” Here she hesitated. The hyphen felt like a chicken bone in her throat. “--Settentrione. Uh, doctor of Pokemon.” It appeared she was not ready to break that bond just yet. For a moment, her eyes dropped to Locke’s bandages, but (though apparently empathetic), she did not ask. Prying into other’s scars was quite intrusive.

“It’s on the edges of Slateport—a quieter part.” She lived outside the city itself in a very upscale area. The talk of trouble coaxed out a motherly tsk. “That might catch up with you one day, you know?” Like the fire after smoke or the echoes of an enraged howl. “And, well, a lack of insurance might too, depending on where you are.”

Aubre smiled. “We’re part of the public network—” Very much against her husband’s insistence. He’d wanted her to join one of the high-end clinics that ignored ‘riff-raff’ in favor of providing premium service. But, to her, that’d felt wrong. “So, the charges are minimal, though not as low as—” The Pokemon clinics? “--free.”

[nospaces]

[newclass=.hearthurt]position:relative; height:600px; width:500px; background:#F0E6DC; padding:2px; border-radius:100px 5px 5px 5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartpichurt] position:absolute; height:250px; width:500px; background: linear-gradient(-90deg, #F0E6DC, transparent), url("https://i.imgur.com/PeKHcFm.png") no-repeat center; border-radius:100px 0px 0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearticonhurt] height:100px;width:100px;background-image:url("https://i.imgur.com/VjNmSk6.png"); border-radius: 50px 50px 50px 50px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartpkmnlisthurt] width:20px; [/newclass] [newclass=.heartpkmnhurt] position:relative; top:0px; right:-220px; height: 30px; width: 30px; padding:2px; margin:2px; background-color: #bbb; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-block; background-color:#F0E6DC; border:solid 1px #8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttextboxhurt] height:310px; width:260px; position:relative; right:100px; top:10px; padding:20px; background:#fff; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt] overflow:auto; text-align:justify; height:310px; font-size:12px; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; color:#56535A; padding:5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt b] color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartsidehurt] position:absolute; top:490px; right:-10px; background:transparent; width:190px; padding:10px; max-height:70px; text-align:justify; overflow:auto; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteboxhurt] position:absolute; top:390px; right:10px; background:#fff; border:solid 1px #8CA055; width:150px; padding:10px; height:72px; overflow:auto; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteshurt] height:65px; overflow:auto; font-size:12px; text-align:justify; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; color:#56535A; padding:3px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttaghurt] position:relative; display:inline-block; background:#fff; margin:1px; padding:5px; font-size:9px; text-transform:uppercase; font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearticonholderhurt] border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border:solid 1px #8CA055; padding:10px; border-right-color: #FFFFFF; position:absolute; right:40px; top:260px; background:transparent; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px;background-color:#313131;border:#fff 1px solid; [/newclass]
[newclass=.hearttexthurt::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] width:2px;background-color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[newclass=.heartnoteshurt::-webkit-scrollbar] width:2px;background-color:#313131;border:#fff 1px solid; [/newclass] [newclass=.heartnoteshurt::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb] width:2px;background-color:#8CA055; [/newclass]
[googlefont=Roboto]

The second the tch left her mouth, Aubre felt guilty about it. She was not old enough to be this boy’s mother and had no right to lecture him like one. There were a hundred different reasons he could partake in risky behavior. And a personality defect was only a small percentage of that. Way to be judgmental, Aubre. Why not just sew a scarlet letter on him and put him in the stocks for the night?


“Few people do—unless they make a living at it.” That or they thrived on adrenaline. She did that once. Or, at least, that was one reason she did trick flying. A finger rose for advice. “Though it can help to consider all potential consequences of a situation. Obsessing over them, though, is not much.” Something she understood quite well. The squawking from the birds drew a quiet laugh, one the doctor hid behind her sweater’s sleeve.


“It’s plain how much they care about you, at least.” Her cheeks reddened. Her fingers tugged at the hems of her sleeves. Let’s just imply he is a neglectful trainer while we’re at it. Great idea. A correction was not long in coming. "And, well, vice versa, of course.” In her time at the clinic, she had seen some Pokemon were quite the opposite. The looks they gave their trainers were practically threats. Then, of course, there were the hoarders. The people who took wild, sentient beings from the wild to collect dust in some box somewhere.


“Well, you can always drop by for a visit. It’d help them be more comfortable.” Most Pokemon (and people) hated the doctor. “I would love someone dropping by for a simple check-up. It really is a relief from all the—” Broken bones and horrific battle injuries. The grim diagnoses for birds who would never fly again. Aubre’s smile was tight, like a rubber band drawn too tight. “--pressure.” Though the other doctors had their fair share of leads, she felt like a Mandibuzz for taking them into her queue. Especially since the other two specialists were real professionals with years of experience beneath their belts. The ink was still drying on her own doctorate.


At the talk of the business, she forced a smile. “The clinic itself has been around a while. But it moved after I joined. The price and convenient location were too good to pass up.” Aubre sighed to herself. “I do prefer the solitude myself, but after how we immigrated, we couldn’t afford to be…picky.” The lizard rolled his eyes at his trainer and set off to scribbling.


‘Her husband’s a mobster.’ The paper read in his surprisingly neat scrawl. Aubre turned to look, nodding mindlessly like a bobblehead. Then, her face froze in terror. “Al! That isn’t funny! Just because he’s—just because the shoe fits—you are just perpetuating a stereotype.” The redhead was an awful liar, and she knew it. Before he could write something else, the woman plucked his pen from his hand. Only a large letter ‘T’ was visible from the other side.


“Sorry—” She laughed. “Al has a very unique sense of humor." When she turned, he’d conjured another pen. ‘They’re not bad.’