The approach of the bunny and her owner went unnoticed. The giant dinosaur beside her breathed heavily enough to deafen the noise. Much of her view, meanwhile, was blocked by a giant wooden neck.

“Gregory! Stop!” Aubre was fighting laughter when Thomas arrived. The giant dinosaur decided to thank her by trying to lick her face. Gloved hands reached up to gently grasp his face, trying her best to keep his head in place in place. “My husband would be quite displeased, you know?” A bellow ended his affections as he turned towards the fence.

It was the Oricorio who spotted their greeter first. A gentle coo emerged from his beak as he moved to rearrange his head feathers. The slouched pose he’d adopted with the child vanished as the dancing bird adopted a more graceful pose. One wing swept elegantly in front of him, allowing him to sweep into a bow. “Rio!”

Looking up from her seated position, tapping at mommy’s phone, Michaela frowned at the bunny creature. “Hm.” Big blue eyes blinked at the fairy-type. Her head tilted. After a moment of introspection, Audino received her verdict. “You’re fat.”

At those two words, Aubre’s head whipped around with the force of a Hoot-Hoot. “Michaela! That is not a nice thing to say!” As she turned to face the child, she found herself looking at Thomas. “Oh! Arceus!” The woman startled, hands lifting briefly to her chest before worrying at her shirt and jacket. “Thomas—” She began as her cheeks darkened. “I am SO sorry.” Green eyes shifted to the Audino.

“Same to you, Dede.” Aubre’s voice dropped to a whisper as she approached the fence. Both gloves were tugged off and tossed into a bin strapped to the fence. Sometimes Aubre wondered if the smell of them would ever go away. Emerald eyes locked onto her daughter. “She’s been going through a…phase.” Likely due to how horrible of a mom she’d been lately. First, she split up with Leon, and now all that mommy-daughter time was shifting into mommy-daughter-work time.

The toddler huffed. “It IS fat, though.”

The Oricorio, seemingly mollified by this modicum of attention, let out a cheery whistle and a small salute. This was followed by a few shifts of his feet, recognized as the beginnings of his Sensu dance. Unfortunately, his Casanova act seemed to do little. The fair maiden seemed content to rush into the arms of the more rugged, broader-shouldered man. “Corio!” He cooed in farewell.

Michaela just stared up at the Audino, her little lips pursed into a thoughtful pout. The thing did not react to what she said, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “Hmph.” Especially when the toddler admitted the fairy rabbit was kind of cute. It looked like a big pink marshmallow. She wanted to squeeze it.

Too stubborn to ask for it to come to play, Mikky crossed her arm and leaned moodily against the fence post. Big, inquisitive blue eyes lifted to the man talking to mommy. She didn’t like him. He looked like daddy—if daddy ate a bunch of rocks.

Aubre rubbed their nervous hands against her jeans. “I am her mother. It’s my responsibility to make sure she knows better.” Her cheeks flared red It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried to get Mikky to play nice with others. Quite the opposite, in fact. “And, what she said was quite uncalled for.” You did not see mean things about other people’s bodies. At the continuation, she chuckled. “Fortunately, her tongue is the only sharp thing on her.”

The interaction between trainer and Audino drew out a small smile. None of her Pokemon were that cuddly anymore. Even the Girafirag rarely tolerated her strokes these days.

At the mention of Gregory, the redhead turned to face to her patient. “I find most Tropius to be easygoing. Something fortunate for all of us.” A rampaging plant dinosaur was far from idea. “My father uses one at his gym.” Aubre remembered many nights spent napping on the beast’s broad back. “Still, I am glad to hear he has been such a gentleman.” It almost made up for her daughter’s behavior.

“I think he’ll be ready to head home next week.” Her teeth worried at her bottom lip. “I just—I’m not sure how safe he’ll be out there.” No one had been caught for the poisoning attempt. Still, the risk would probably be better for him than being locked up.

Aubre turned to watch the Audino’s advancement, a light smile playing at the edge of her lips. Though Michaela tried to look uninterested—arms crossed and face crinkled into a little pout—her eyes held the tiniest gleam of anticipation. Knowing her amusement would just make things worse, the ginger turned back to the therapy pen. “Your Audino have the patience of saints, truly.” A sigh escaped her mouth. “Most of my Pokemon are the opposite.” Especially Alister, who spent most of his time actively avoiding the toddler.

At the offer of a hug, the little girl huffed. She bet this thing was squishy! “Mngh. If it’ll make you feel better.” Tiny arms wrapped around the Audino, fingers strained to latch together. The fatty skin indented where she pressured. It’s like a smore!! After a moment, Mikky pulled back with a single, robotic nod. “Fits my hypo-the-is.” Behind her, his eyes shining with mischief, the Oricorio extended his purple arms in a request. What about me? His expression said.

Green eyes lifted to the gentle giant’s face, watching him amble his way across the pasture. As a Toucannon soared by, he bellowed a greeting. Her lips dipped slightly as her eyes filled with sympathy. “It is sad that he needs it.” She leaned against the fence. “But I believe it would do him some good, even if it would likely not help in this situation.” Apparently, the pair’s train of thought had been approaching the same depot.

“There have been a few other instances as of late.” Her eyes flashed with uncharacteristic anger. “And it is not a matter of natural interaction.” Though she didn’t have enough proof yet. “There’s a large orchard in the area. I believe they might be laying out more than pesticides.” After all, they had to pad their bottom line, and lost stock wouldn’t do that.

“But there’s no easy way to prove it.” The company’s public relation team did a good job offloading blame onto everyone and everything else.