*BEEP*

                                                             *BEEP*

                                             *BEEP*

                                               *BEEP*

*BEEP*                                                                  *BEEP*

                                 *BEEP*                                                                             *BEEP*

                         

                                       

                                 

mmmmmm…………

                   

                  

Noise was finally starting to penetrate into Jennifer’s subconscious.

                

                

She would recognize that set of beeping anywhere.

                            

                    

She took a slow and deep breath through her nose.

Ah!~ Nothing like the sweet chemically smell of antiseptic bleach… 

How I didn’t miss thee……… that would mean I could only be in one place……….

                                     

                                

She had been in the situation before.

       

Almost too recently for her tastes.

         

So she was already very familiar with how to wake herself up in this situation while she was drugged.

She was also very accustomed to the process of waking herself up through drowsiness because of this.

Jennifer twitched and moved her whole body until she found the nerves she was looking for: the eyes.

She slowly, but very surely, found the eyes. And after moving them around, she regained the feeling of her eye lids after moving her eyes around underneath them.

         

She made sure eye lids only opened a little bit, just enough to start letting her pupils to dilate and adjust to the light of the room she was in.

                

“Ugh…..”

          

By Arceus! Why is it that they leave the lights on and so bright?!

                                 

After she complained in her mind about the lights, she heard an unexpected thought in her mind.

                       

≈Oh! You’re awake mistress! I am so glad to hear your thoughts again!≈

                 

Huh?

               

Mistress?!

             

Who?

                    

Those weren’t my thoughts?! Who is there?! Jennifer cried out in her mind in panic.

                          

≈No need to be alarmed mistress, it is I, your humble Pokémon servant.≈

               

Wait what?

                               

That can’t be right?

                                    

 I don’t own a Pokémon...

                

 I am not even a trainer…

                                

I would never capture or enslave a Pokémon against their will! Jennifer groused.

                      

≈Ah! Forgive me mistress, I seems to have confused you with my word choice. What I meant was, that I am a Pokémon who is willing to be your servant, not that I am currently or that you have some how forced me in anyway: No one has done that to me or has coerced me into being your Pokémon; this is my choice mistress.≈ The voice explained.

                              

Jennifer’s head was spinning.

                           

She was having trouble remembering even how it was she ended up in this hospital bed, let alone with this Pokémon telling her that it was now her servant.

               

Look…… umm… are you in the room with me?

“Ralts!” She said in answer.

                                 

*CLICK*

                                

With the sound of the Ralts speaking. Jennifer’s memories started flooding into her head of what transpired from her flight up to this point,

               

“R-…Ra..lts?….” Jennifer called out weakly with a scratchy, painful throat, towards the Pokémon.

             

“Ralts Ralts!” Then she felt a tiny figure landing on her right side, away from her throbbing left shoulder. The tiny figure snuggles into Jennifer’s right side, pressing herself firmly next to her. Its tiny arms, not even able to wrap around her arm or chest. “Ralts Ralts Ralts!”

                                               

Jennifer needed to see and confirm with her own eyes, just who, and which Pokémon it was that was besides her currently.

She opened them faster than she meant to, which blinded her by the light from the ceiling light, making her blink against the harshness it had on her sensitive eyeballs.

After adjusting to the light and blinking away at the blurriness that made things out of focus.

A circular cut shaped layered light blue hair greeted Jennifer as she finally woke up, with a soft orange horn on top of its head.

Her white dress gown fell down and covered the rest of her body.

“Ra…lts!” Jennifer croaked out. “It really is— *COUGH* *COUGH*” With her throat being as dry as it was, it was hard for her to get out words.

“Please don’t strain yourself by speaking mistress. You can just communicate to me through telepathy.”

“I…—“ Jennifer wanted to argue against this. She didn’t want to be using her psychic powers at ALL.

“Why?”

“…………..” Jennifer realized it had heard her thoughts.

“Why do you wish to conceal them?”

         

Jennifer relaxed back into her bed before she answered.

“It’s because— *COUGH* *COUGH* —“

“Mistress! Please! Just think on what you wish to say. I do not wish to see you in pain or to strain yourself!” Ralts pleaded to her.

Look… I am just thirsty, I am not that strained. I just need something to drink and I’ll be able to speak to you normally.

≈But why though?≈ Ralts questioned telepathically. ≈Within our minds, no one can bother us or interrupt our conversations.≈

That is all well and good, Jennifer thought to herself. But that doesn’t take the dry itchiness of my thirst away. She quipped.

≈Oh! Yes… Right! I suppose you would be thirsty mistress, you’ve been asleep for some time.≈

Ralts stood up on the bed, then walked over to the side that had a rolling tray near by. She reached over the tray to retrieve a cup that had a lid with a straw sticking out of it.

She gingerly brought it over towards her mistress, presenting it by lifting it up into the air as high as her little arms could lift it.

“RALTS!” She said proudly.

                        

Jennifer could help but chuckle at the young Ralts’s enthusiasm to help her. But this only sent her into a small coughing fit, which she could tell worried the little Pokémon.

I’m okay! Jennifer sent comforting thoughts to Ralts. I’m fine, I just need that water.

≈Are you sure?≈ “Ralts?”

         

Jennifer nodded her head.

Definitely. She assured. My throat is a little but too dry to be doing things like talking or laughing. Well… that, and the broken ribs I think I have. She jested.

Jennifer regretted doing the self-deprecating joke, because she could feel Ralts anger.

Ralts?…

≈It’s not funny to hear you joking about your own injuries mistress!≈ She told Jennifer while staring at her angrily over the top of the cup with puffed out cheeks to show how upset she was.

But the unfortunate side affect of Ralts’s anger was that it made her all the more cute and cuddly in Jennifer’s eyes: which just made her chuckle again; which made her cough again.

“Mistress! Please! Stop laughing! You’re going to hurt yourself more!” Ralts scolded.

                    

*SCRAPE* *CLACK*

             

The sudden noise of the door opening behind Ralts startled them both.

“RALTS?!—“

                    

Jennifer watched in slow-motion horror, as the cup sailed up and over head, falling directly towards her face.

           

Why me?!

                        

*THWACK* *SPLASH*

                    

“RA-RA-RA-RALTS!” Stammered nervously.

                  

“Ralts? Are you behaving?— Oh my!” May said with a smirk as she spotted her friend with a panicked Ralts walked back and forth, from the head to the foot of the bed. Her arms stuck out in-front of her trying to figure out what she should do first.

She also saw that her friend was finally awake, which she was truly thankful for,

But this scene in-front of me is just to damn funny.

May put down her bag, along with the snacks and drinks she had brought with her.

She then turned towards Jennifer with a crooked and bent smile, that looked like it was fit to burst into laughter at any moment.

                

Jennifer’s narrowed as she watched May, which only sealed May’s fate.

                         

*PFFT*

         

“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“And here we go…” Jennifer croaked out.

                   

“I’m sorry! Hahahaha! It was just too funny! Hahahahaha!”

                        

Jennifer licked her lips to get as much of the water that had drenched her as she could.

“At the very least…… call a nurse…. And get me some more water……. Please…..”

May’s laughter soon died down as she realized her friend was a bit grumpy about being wet.

“Aaawwww! Is little Jenny all wet? Do we need to change you?”

                  

Jennifer’s only response was to make a rude gesture with her hand. Which prompted a gasp from Ralts and more laughter from May.

“I will go get you a nurse and some more water, but before I leave for a minute: you have a couple people here to see you.”

“Me?…” Jennifer croaked out in curiosity.

“Actually!…. No,” May pointed at the Ralts on the bed. “Her.”

“Ralts?!” The tiny Pokémon questioned May.

              

The from around the corner, to tiny light-green heads popped out from around the corner.

               

“Ralts!” The elder sister cried out.

““RALTS!”” Her siblings doing the same.

                   

Ralts then ran to the end of the bed and jumped off, floating down to the ground before running over to hug and talk with her siblings.

May laughed again, but this time at the sight of the Ralts siblings.

She turned her attention towards Jennifer, who was also looking at the Raltses with a fond smile on her face.

                          

Look at that face… She is practically a proud Pokémon trainer, and she doesn’t even realize it.

May mouthed the words, “I’ll be right back!” To Jennifer, who nodded her head without looking away from the Raltses.

How does she do that? May wondered to herself.

             

Soon enough, the Ralts siblings stopped chatting with one another and turned back to focus on their savior laying in bed.

They all three hopped up, one after another, with the Shiny variant leading the way. She turned and struck a pose as she made a flourish like she was presenting something.

“And here she is, mistress Jennifer! Our savior!”

“”Wow!””

Jennifer felt her face heating up from the Raltses praise and thoughts of her.

G-Guys! Please! There is no need for that! Jennifer groaned out in embarrassment, because of their looks that were filled with so much adoration.

“But mistress! If it wasn’t for you! We would have died to that Mightyena!”

“”Yeah!”” Her siblings agreeing with her, trying to help affirm what their sister was saying.

                       

Y-You weren’t this awestruck with me before! What gives?! You don’t need to think of me as anything than other than a regular old human. Jennifer tried desperately to get them to not me her out to be some sort of special or benevolent being.

          

But unfortunately, the Raltses just stared up at Jennifer incredulously.

“W-What?!” She croaked out loud by accident.

The Shiny Ralts walks up to Jennifer, patting her on the forehead.

“Mistress, you are anything but ordinary: you are the one who saved us.”

But!— But!— That doesn’t make me not ordinary! Jennifer argued. That just makes me the one who helped you.

“Yes, but no ordinary human would have been able to hear our psychic cry; it’s only because of your own psychic power that allowed you to hear our cry at all, which should be something only other Pokémon or other psychics could receive.”

Jennifer was at a loss for words after that.

She mentally shook herself to get back on track.

But why are all three of you enamored with me?! You were all scared of me in the car. Why the sudden shift from grateful and scared? to adoring and awestruck?

The three Raltses looked from one another before focusing back onto Jennifer.

“Because of your emotions.”

My what?!

“Your emotions,” The younger sister repeated to her. “We of the Ralts line can inherently sense the emotions of others.” She reached up to touch her horn on the top of her head. “These signals we receive allow us to feel the same emotions as others.”

The shiny eldest nodded her head at her sister’s explanation.

“But also inversely,” The eldest continued explaining “Strong negative emotions tend to terrify us. Emotions and feelings like: the intent to do harm, hatred, anger, rage, or murderous intent, tend to scare us into hiding. Which is why humans have a hard time finding us if they look for us… that is, unless we want to be found.”

“We like to make friends with good trainers like you!” The younger brother chimed in. “When they have good thoughts and emotions that is!”

Jennifer was just starting to put two-and-two together.

I see…… My emotions at the time before finding you were fear, anger, rage and helplessness.

The three Raltses nodded their heads out of sync. Which Jennifer found endearing.

“That is correct mistress,” the eldest Ralts confirmed. “But your emotions when you talked with us inside the machine were: kindness, caring, gentleness, hopefulness, trust, love, and selflessness.”

Shiny Ralts put one hand on her horn and the other over her chest.

“It made me feel warm, protected and cared for… Something all Ralts seek when they look to find a trainer of their very own.”

But!— But?!— I am not a trainer! Jennifer denied.

The Raltses tilted their heads.

“But you said you were?”

“Huh?” Jennifer exclaimed aloud. “*COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH* When?”

“The day before yesterday.” The little brother supplied. “In the machine.” He reminded her.

Jennifer thinks back at the conversation at that time, trying hard to remember what it was she said.

Oh Arceus damnit!

Jennifer wanted to slap her forehead, but one arm was currently lock down in a cast and sling combo, while the other one was captured and held prisoner by the three adorable Ralts siblings.

              

Look, Jennifer started out by thinking. I wasn’t taking about myself at the time. I was talking about my friend that was with me at the time; she is the actual trainer.

                        

                           

The Ralts children looked at Jennifer in confusion and then each other before looking back at her.

“So does that mean you lied?”

“Wha?— *COUGH* *COUGH*”

Lied about what?

“That you would watch her out for us; that you would take care of us until our mother got better.”

Jennifer was staring at the Raltses in a panic.

I need to calm down, they respond to negative emotions. She reminded herself.

She let her breathed until the beeping of the heart machine stopped going so fast, then she opened her eyes, only to find three sets of expectant Ralts children looking at her.

               

URK! My heart!

                     

Look you three, Jennifer began by thinking. You don’t want me as a trainer; I would be the worst person to take you in or take care of you. I am not even a registered trainer: I don’t have a license to own Pokémon. I……….

            

             

But the children just stared at her; their eyes staring at her pleadingly.

Uuhhh! Why would you even want me as a trainer anyways?! I don’t even like Pokémon battles! I don’t like seeing Pokémon fight or get injured! I should be the last person in the world that ever has a Pokémon! She thought to them. You guys could do so much better than me; get actual trainers who could help you fully, take care of you like a trainer should: to help you get stronger and to help you reach your peak. I’m not!—……. I can’t…—

“*SIGH*… I am… not sure… I can be-E what you need me to be!— *COUGH* *COUGH*”

                 

Once again, the Ralts children looked at one another, then nodded as one before focusing back on Jennifer.

                               

“But that is why we want it to be you; We want to be with you because we trust you.” The Shiny Ralts told her.

                       

                               

*BA-DUMP*

                      

What?

                               

                                

                                         

The Ralts siblings started nodding out of sync again at her question.

“You’re special.” The eldest told her.

“We trust you!” The middle sister told her enthusiastically.

“We like that you care for us; that you protected and saved us. That even though you’re scared of having your own Pokémon, you made a promise to us that you would take care of us anyways.” The youngest brother added.

The older Shiny Ralts stepped forward and placed her small hand under Jennifer’s chin.

“We like that you want what you think is best for us. Even if that isn’t necessarily you. That you risked your life to save ours… But most important of all is,” Ralts jumped up and hugged Jennifer.

“We love you!”

                                              

*BA-DUMP* 

                          

W-Wa?!— WA-WHAT?!

Jennifer tried looking down at the Ralts in terrified amazement at what the older one just told her.

“H-Hey! No fair sis! We agreed to tell her together!” The younger Ralts sister complained as she also ran up to hug near Jennifer’s face.

Wait?! Wait wait wait?! What?! Wha?!— What is this?!

“M-Me too!” Said the youngest brother with a leap towards his family and Jennifer.

WHA?!—

              

“”We love you! Please let us stay?!”” The Ralts siblings begged.

                   

                 

Jennifer just felt like crying.

Just as Raltses could sense emotions of others. Jennifer could also feel the love and trust they had for her.

GAH!— my heart! It feels like it’s going to burst!

She looked down as best she could at the snuggling Raltses crowding around her right arm to hug her.

She felt a tear escape as she realized their was no way she could; or that she would be able to reject these tiny children.

“Alright… Alright!— *COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH*” Jennifer bemoaned what she was about to say.

I’ll take you guys in; you can come live at our house. She said as she finally relented.

“”RALTS!”” Cheered the three siblings with a raise of their hands.

              

BUT! Jennifer thought loudly to get their attention.

I don’t suppose my dad would mind if we had some guests over for the time being: but I am still going to have to ask him first.

And just so you know and don’t get your hopes up. I still don’t want to be a trainer: and I don’t plan to get my license. She explained. But, for as long as you live in our house; for as long as you want to live there. I promise that I will look out for you guys, and watch over you, and protect you, and love every single one of you… Sound good?

“”RALTS!””

They dog-piled back on to Jennifer’s good shoulder again, she disturbed her bad side, but she endured it, as to not upset the little ones. She smiled as she felt their happiness radiate out of them and envelope her.

Just what have I gotten myself into?

                               

                                        

                                       

———————————————————-

                            

May was walking back to the room carrying a pitcher of ice and a pitcher of water for Jennifer.

As she came around the corner, she spotted the purple haired nurse she had talked with earlier, along with two other nurses looking and spying around the corner, into Jennifer’s room.

“What is going—“

“”SHH!””

May blinked in surprised at the nurses shushing her.

The purple haired one waved her over while holding up a finger to her lips in a shushing motion.

“Come and look at this!” She whispered.

May walked up to the nurses and looked around the corner with them. She spotted her friend sitting there, looking intently at the Raltses while they chatted at her.

It was obvious to anyone who was watching that they were talking to her out loud, but Jennifer wasn’t saying anything, but it seemed she was having some sort of back and forth conversation with the Pokemon, even without speaking.

                

It couldn’t be?!…… May thought shocked.

The purple haired nurse looked at May before whispering to her.

“I didn’t know your friend was a psychic?!” She whispered to May in wonder.

                    

“………………………………..” May watched as something had obviously be said or do. Because the Raltses cheered and jumped towards Jennifer, hugging her like she was their long lost trainer.

                  

“……..Neither did I………” May said in a hurt tone.