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.

For a moment, the world seemed to spin. Her ears rang with the force of the meteor Pokemon’s impact. The dust in the air obscured the area temporarily, things only becoming clearer as the errant stones settled. Sharp, raw pains in her arms and hands joined the constant ache of her back. Though she could not see them beneath the coating of dirt, Aubre knew she’d probably scraped something in the explosion.

“Nnngh.” With a groan, the redhead forced herself into a sitting position. Her legs slowly drew inward, coming to a stop at a 45-degree angle. But any further movement seemed like a bad idea. Just in case the sky decided to fall some more. A concerned voice drew emerald eyes upward. “I believe a few Minior went off course—” The ginger coughed into her right sleeve, the gesture doing nothing but further dirtying her face.

“Mama!” A scared little voice called out from the clearing. Seconds later, a tiny, frilly shape burrowed into her chest. The impact had not reached the toddler’s hiding spot, but the noise and screaming had left her shaken. A fact made more obvious by the fact that she was hugging Aubre. Michaela did not often display affection often. Clink! Arthur, a Girafarig limped behind her, his gleaming prosthetic visible through the dust.

She wiggled her toes. Fingers, meanwhile, flexed testingly. Nothing appeared to be broken. “I am a little banged up but whole. Thank you for checking.” Her eyes filled with panic as she tightened her grip on her daughter. One scarred hand lifted to gently stoke the snow-white hair, her voice making soothing noises. “It’s all right, Michaela. Just a surprise, that’s all.” A shard of brown stone lay near her left foot. It wobbled in the grass as a breeze shuffled through.

Aubre gasped, trying her best to stand. “Have you seen the Minior?” That impact had been hard. No doubt this one would end up as injured as its counterpart. Which, to her, seemed like being scalped. “I was trying to help it.” Then, she remembered the second crater. “Them.” She coughed.

The weight in her chest eased at the softness of Mar’s smile. Though she realized that was silly. Her husband had made a similar expression as he lied to her about everything. Still, the salve’s effectiveness did not seem to fade, no matter how often it stung. Maybe it was how badly she faked these things. Her forced grins were brittle, like poorly fired pottery.

Though her words scolded, her gaze itself was soft. “Thank you.” Anger for her rarely made a long-term stay. “I love Serena’s enthusiasm, I just wish she would be more polite in how she showed it.” Her mind was quick to pipe up in its mocking, nasty tones. Like what? Said excuse me as she half drowned the man? Green eyes observed the sea ahead of them, pinpointing too-blue bubbles of a Seismotoad. But it was the Dragcloak that truly held her attention.

“Wow, what a stunning creature you are.” Aubre could not stop herself from murmuring. Realizing she’d said that out loud—and that it could be misinterpreted as flirting (oh, Arceus, no!), the doctor hastened to correct herself. Scarred fingers patted at the air like it was a static-filled cotton ball. “I have never seen a Dragapult of that shade before.”

The sound of water drew her gaze back out to the water where her Marshtop was probing a hole in the rock. “Tomp?” A water gun smashed into her face with a splash, the arm of a Sliggoo temporarily visible. The redhead huffed. “You cannot just go barging into people’s—Pokemon’s holes (that did not make it better) like that, Serena. It is rude.” Instead of being offended, the axolotl just turned a big green to its trainer, backflipping back into the surf.

Seeing no battle was imminent, the Kabutops lowered his blade back beneath the water. The Hoppip continued to bob above her head, enjoying its risk--free post.
“I was.” She paused for a moment. “Or, well, they were taking me. I did not really have a destination in mind.” Apparently, they wished for a little seaside holiday.

With a somewhat pained noise, the redhead lowered herself to the rocks a yard or two away from Mars. “I always did like gazing out at the water, though.” She smiled softly, remembering her beloved sister the Mantine. The way being on her back felt like flying. “It makes problems feel so...insignificant.” Maybe even the ones that left her wedding finger bare.

The Kabutops passed beneath their feet, eyes locked on a waving stream of plants a bit further down shore.

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.”

The redhead stared at the bottom of the sink for a disproportionate amount of time. This continued until the water singed her hands as she layered on what felt like the 12th layer of soap. This isn’t helping, you moron. You’re just putting off the inevitable. Turn around. The self-depreciation managed to get shaking hands to shut down the faucet.

These were lowered to her scrub pants and wiped off. Fingertips brushed the worn-out fabric, focusing on that texture instead of turning around. 10…9…8… Suddenly, a warm hand slipped into hers. A smile appeared as she turned to the Helioptile at her side. A shaky smile appeared on her face, the tears not due solely to fear. “Thanks, Al.”

She grabbed the needle of antibiotics. A stitching kit was settled on the tray beside it.

“I am sorry about the muzzle.” It wasn’t that she thought all dogs were vicious monsters, just her mind that did. Most dogs were wonderful, loyal companions. The tendency towards some time mindless obedience set her on edge. With one final breath, the doctor turned around. Instantly, the pounding heart gained momentum. It went from bongo drum to gong as her pupils shrank to pinpricks.

A dark alley on a moonlit night. An unnerving, rubbery echo with every step. The dumpster’s edge as she slipped and fell in a panic, the feeling of burning and heat creeping up her neck. Then, came the snarl just before—ah, Al’s hand. She focused on the dryness of his claws against her skin.

This got her to the table. There, she focused on the smoothness of the steel and the smell of antiseptic. Green eyes shifted to the Houndoom as her hand moved to gently manipulate the injury. She focused on the shade of the dog’s velvety fur as she nervously stroked his hip.Warm doggy, soft doggy, little ball of fur. Please don’t get up and rip my face off, sir. Though her voice trembled, she managed not to start sobbing. “It’s a clean cut, fortunately. I do not think it nicked anything major.” That was not to say that it hadn’t cut anything, just that the injury wasn’t as dire as it first seemed.

The dampness of tears—of a puddle on her cheek. Concentrate. This isn’t an alley.

From her pocket, she pulled out a spray bottle. Within it was a powerful, high-brand surface-numbing agent. This she spritzes over the afflicted in gasping little puffs. Just like the breath of a terrified teenager. 10…9….8… After giving that a moment to sink in, he grabbed two painkillers from her pocket. These, she injected. In moments, the pain faded to a tingly feeling, not unlike the mouth at the dentist.

“Let me just give him a shot of antibiotics—” Look, see, it wasn’t even the same sex. That dog had been female. She’d even sported a pink collar. She took a deep breath, moving to soak up what blood she could. The next part required a clear line of sight. “--and, I’ll start—” Her voice dropped in volume. Stabbing the hellhound with a thick needle a few dozen times. “--fixing this.”

Michaela would be spending the day with her father. This allowed Aubre something very rare these days—alone time. She slept an hour more than normal. After that, an hour was sunk into a book she’d left alone so long dust had bloomed on its bookmark. But wasting hours just sitting there filled her with guilt.

Maybe she could transform this ‘me-time’ into ‘me-and-my-Pokemon’ time. Peeking into their room, she quickly noted Alister hogging the game controller. Ricardo, looking impatient in his pom-pom form, sat next to him. “Good morning, guys.” A chorus of noises came back, all of them with a similar sentiment. “Do any of you fancy a walk?” The lizard waved off the invite and the bird did the same. Arthur, still asleep and half under the bed, just turned away. Maggie seemed interested, though nervous.

The two water types jerked their heads up with no small measure of interest. “Marsh! Marshtomp!” Serena crowed with glee as she jumped off the bed and toddled towards her trainer. The Kabutops, trying to look above everything, waited a moment before doing the same. Aubre nodded thanks to the pair, grateful her worries about being left alone were unfounded.

“I will leave some money on the table. You can grab a pizza if you want.” Hopefully, the smart-aleck Helioptile didn’t just buy a small one and pocket the money. Maybe it was worth saying something. “And, you better tip this time.” A look of faux insult covered the electric-type’s face as he pointed to his chest with an aghast expression. He was a great customer.

Sometime later—thanks to the help of a friend of a friend—Aubre landed where Mars was fishing. "Thank you for the ride, Ulysses." A grateful nod was given to her husband's dragon as it took off. There was something about shores like this—wild and unkempt—that seemed more beautiful than the white sands of a resort. It felt more right somehow. Realizing she was staring at the fishing man, debating if she should say something or act like he was invisible. She wished more people treated her that way.

Or, well, she would, if it did not make her worry so much. A small weighted harness with an extensive tether kept Maggie from blowing off in a brisk sea breeze.

“Excuse—” Before she got her words out, a streak of blue shot by on her left. Her youngest Pokemon didn’t seem to want to admire thewater as much as she wanted to submerge herself in it. “Serena, wait!” The water-ground type turned as she neared the water. But her unease in this new form made stopping difficult.

Splash! The Marshtomp rolled into the water with a noise and a flurry of flippers. Water splashed up on the fisherman’s perch, likely coating his ankles. And, without a doubt, scaring off any interested fish.

Aubre wilted as she rushed forward, tugging the Hoppip’s string to her chest like a security blanket. “I am so sorry, sir.” She swallowed, peeking into the depths. Her cheeks colored with embarrassment. “She’s just—very—extremely—llike that.” Just before her heart filled with worry, the Marshtomp burst from the water with something best described as laughter.

Much more reserved in his approach, the Kabutops slid silently into the water a dozen yards away from the slumbering Dragapult.

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

1X Type 2 Evo (Mudkip > Marshtomp) (50 PD)

TOTAL

do come again!

50 PD

The apology received an unseen smile in response. “I think I owe you an apology.” The look accompanying the expression gesture was not really a smile. It represented powerlessness and self-loathing. In many ways, the expression reflected terror. It stood in for a hundred different emotions a few facial muscles couldn’t convey.

“A Houndoom?” Aubre swallowed. The voice shrunk until it was barely a defeated whisper. “O-oh.” A good doctor would have asked for more information. Maybe ran off to get supplies. The redhead just continued staring at the door knob with a shell-shocked expression.

Aubre had spent years in therapy trying to build up a tolerance for something that once seemed normal. Hypnosis? Medication? She had tried it all. And, while she was certain she’d made some progress, she’d never gotten around to testing it. Especially not in such a high-stakes situation. Worse yet, not with that particular dog Pokemon. After all, it was easy enough to convince her that a Dachschbun wasn’t what’d hurt her. But an actual Houndoom?

Arceus, give her strength.

The injuries were bad/. A Scyther’s blade could easily cut through an artery or blood vessel. And, until she opened the door, she wouldn’t know if the dog could make it a few more hours. Which meant hiding might kill someone’s best friend. A burden Aubre doubted her broken back could carry. In came a deep breath as the redhead moved to grab the door handle. “Alastor. Move.” A noise of protest from the other side made her shake her head, even if no one could see it. “Please.”

With a worried expression, the lizard stepped aside. He didn’t like this. Not one bit. The door opened with a quiet click as the tiny doctor turned into the nearby exam room. Her eyes remained averted as she moved to wash her hands. They shook beneath the water. She’d seen the blood on the man’s shirt.

Aubre tried to concentrate on the now/ The sting of hot water on her hands. The hardness of her new shoes. The familiar scritch-scritch of Al’s claws on the tile.

“Put her on the table, please.” The redhead swallowed as she dried her hands with the provided paper towel. “And, if you could get her to put on a muzzle that’d be…appreciated.” The last fire hound to attack her wasn’t even injured at the time. God knows what might have happened if she tried to poke the fire-type with a needle.

The outburst over, Aubre suddenly felt the weight of what she’d done. It was like the spine she formed was now a kettlebell hanging from empty hands. That was not to say she thought what she said was wrong, quite the opposite. That did not mean some part of her didn’t feel guilty for speaking up. But one glance at the stunned ghost took care of that.

Violence was never okay. Or, well, not unless both parties consented to it. It wasn’t that she wanted to ban Pokemon battles or anything. Even if she, personally, tried to avoid them.

The ghost type’s trainer was nowhere near as reassuring. Even as the doctor tried her best to remain composed, she could feel his eyes on him. To fight off the pins-and-needles sensation, the ginger offered him a small, nervous smile. Fortunately, the young man decided it was time to open his mouth, which made this far less awkward. “I am sorry if I—I was not trying to accuse you of stealing.” The lizard at her feet snorted, big blues rolling upward. A shoed foot gently prodded Alister. “But it’s an understandable interpretation, I’d think.”

Reminded that she herself skipped breakfast, the talk of hunger made her stomach rumble. The fact that she craved ice cream of all things was equal parts ironic and depressed. “Well, in the future, I hope she asks first. She could have gotten hurt.” Even the undead was susceptible to injury in the right (or, well, wrong) circumstances.

The vendor drew green eyes up. Why was he whining like that? “Well, I think not having to pay a fine might make up for some of it. Or, well, all of it. I suppose it depends on how much ice cream you have.” The stand did not look too big. So, she doubted it’d be that much work. Trying to ignore the vendor’s look of desperation, the redhead folded her arms over her chest.

After what felt like an eternity, Aubre released a sigh. Out from her pocket came her wallet and a very lux credit card. It was her husband’s, in truth. But the redhead knew she was still on the account. And, well, it wouldn’t really change anything. “How much was it?” She moved towards the counter as she spoke, resignation in every step.

With his trainer out of sight, the Heliolisk pulled out his memo pad from his little bag. With it came a small blue pen. Using this, he wrote a small message. Moving to type Archer on the leg, Alastor offered him the sheet. In crisp handwriting were two words: “You suck.”

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.

For just this night, they would be as they were. Two people in a relationship that made little sense. His charm and accented voice as charming as it'd been before. Her own smile and heartache were soothed by hot cocoa and thoughts of smiles on Christmas morning.

Gathered beneath the tree, the pair worked to capture the magic of years past. A time before she knew that those gentle hands--the ones who'd comforted her--had done things she could not understand. Ones that had been at fault for the mess of her back. Leon may still be her rock, but no longer was she a drowning person clinging to him for safety. Now, she wasn't sure if it was safe reaching for the rope.

But then he smiled and, for a moment, she forgot. Instead, her mind went back to the happier times. The first time she tried to teach him how to bowl. The honeymoon on the foothills of Mount Sillver. S These memories distracted her as she tried to finish the bicycle's assembly.

Little hands fretted as she tried to make things just so. Gifts stacked and restacked like the nest of some obsessive magpie.

"I believe you are missing a screw, mia gattina." His voice was a gentle purr. The expression is loving, sweet, and gentle. But she didn't know if she could trust it. Look what happened last time. "So, I am. Thank you." Aubre smiled back. "You have to wonder why they make toys so hard to put together." He laughed. She did the same.

Really, they were both liars. Maybe that's why it worked.

Green eyes lifted to blue as she gently grasped his hand in hers. Her fingers traced familiar scars. "Thank you." Aubre gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. "Michaela will love it."

His voice was quiet, despondent. "Me too."

Unvoiced was her own agreement: Me three.
UwztNn7A

“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.

Well, at least my  Pictionary career to fall back on track, Alister thought to himself. As the man protested, the lizard brought his claws and the notepad up to his head. Tiny ivory claws dug in briefly as he tried to figure out a way to communicate what was wrong. “Lisk!” No matter what he said, this guy would take it as discrimination. Which it totally wasn’t. Aubre loved dogs. Her best buddy growing up even happened to be an Arcanine.

Discrimination? Aubre felt her blood run cold. If the board thought she was turning patients away, they’d take her license away. Then, she’d have to turn to sex work or murder or something else to provide for her daughter. Then, she’d probably get a horrific nickname to go with it. One article and any chances of doing what good she could in the world would vanish. The rest of her days would be spent sleeping on the streets or relying on a criminal for sustenance.

Her uninjured hand rubbed at her shocked palm, the pain helping her focus. “That does not sound like Alister—” While he certainly could be rude—and likely contributed to her daughter’s bad behavior—he did care about her work. Never had he overstepped the line or put one of her patients in danger. “I do not understand why he’d do that.” Then, the whimpering drew her attention. She’d heard that noise before. Right around when Leon sunk a bullet into a Houndoom’s shoulder.

“Would your Pokemon happen to be a dog?” She swallowed. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to control her pounding heart. A steady count in her head kept her fixated on the now. When she spoke, her voice was full of guilt. “That’s just—I have a—I have canine-related PTSD. The board is aware, but we rarely get emergencies.” The woman laid her palm on her side of the door. “How—how bad is it?”

Her hand lowered back to the door handle. “The other doctor should be back soon.”

She could do this.

She could do it.

She had to do this.