Jennifer walked inside the house, carrying in the three Ralts with her.

“Welp! Here it is! My family’s home! What do you think?”

The Raltses looked around the home they had just entered. From the entrance of the house, were stairs that lead up to the top floor. Left of the front entrance, was a large living room, with crescent corner sofa in the center, with a sturdy looking thick top, coffee table: which had thick sturdy legs attached to it.

The leather sofa it self surrounded this coffee table, all of which faced a large flat screen T.V on the left most wall: the sofa had a look that it was custom made with hardened leather, rather than softer, supple leather. It was then covered by a slip of some sort of cotton cloth with padding built into it, that made it both removable and comfortable, while still remaining durable and long lasting.

Right of the living room and entertainment area, was a large double sliding glass door, which lead to An even larger back yard, which housed another smaller building out back.

Just past the living area, was the kitchen, which had granite countertops that ran in a crescent shape along the left and back walls, and along the side where the living room was, which separated it from the kitchen. It is also equipped with marble tile floors.

It had an island that had three stools surrounding it on all sides. It had a stove in the island, with a dishwasher behind the island on the back wall, next to a sink.

There was a path way that acted as a hallway that connected the living room, to the front door and stairs, and the kitchen that lay just beyond the living room.

Farther down the hallway, was a closed door on the right, then a door that was located at the end of the hallways, along with a door just left of that door, past the kitchen and the door on the right.

“Ralts…” The Shiny nodded impressed with what she saw.

““…Ralts alts…”” Her siblings agreeing with her.

“Looks good right? Let me give you the nickel tour!” Jennifer insisted with enthusiasm.

She didn’t know why she was so excited to she these little Pokémon around, but she had to admit she was.

What is wrong with me?

But she shook it off in favor of continuing the tour uninterrupted; rather than analyzing a feeling she didn’t particularly hate feeling at the moment: she also just chocked it up to being her meds kicking in; along with being home for the first time in ages, and showing it off to new friends.

Even if those new friends ended up being Pokémon.

          

“This is the living room!” She turned them and herself so that she was facing it, giving the Raltses as much of the view of it as she could. “This is here where Dad and I play games, watch movies, T.V. shows, you name it, entertainment happens here.”

She waited for the Ralts siblings to take it all in before she moved on.

She watched as they stared fixated on this thing or that, taking in what a human home was like.

“Ralts!…”

“Ralts! Ralts!”

“Ral alts? Ral alts?”

“Hmm?” Jennifer looked down a the middle child as she pointed towards the T.V. “Oh yeah, guess you guys have never seen anything like this huh?” She reach down for the remote on the coffee table, only to remember her other arm was broken, and her good arm was full of Raltses.

“Umm…..” She contemplated using her powers to use the remote psychically, but then thought better of it.

So she turned to her father who was coming in after her, with Lairon following behind him.

“Hey dad?”

“Hmm? Yes sweetie?” He replied.

“Mind turning on the T.V. for me? I wanted to show the Ralts siblings what that is.”

“Hahahaha!” He laughed as he took off his shoes by the door. “Honey? Really? The first thing you want to show them of human society, is the television?” Johnathan asked his daughter with an incredulous expression.

Jennifer shrugged.

“Why not? It demonstrates what humans are capable of without the use of Pokémon, plus it also allows them to catch a glimpse into human society by what we entertain ourselves with.”

He held up his hands in a stopping motion towards her.

“Woah! WOAH! I get it, sheesh! Way to drive home and argue your point you g lady… ever considered going into politics?”

Jennifer laughed at her dad’s joke.

“Nah! Their’s no money in it, no any real power.”

“O-Ouch! I think our prime minister would beg the differ.”

Jennifer rolls her eyes at her dad.

“I Doubt that.” She quips before walking towards the kitchen.

“Where you going?”

“Ralts alts alts?”

Her dad and the middle Ralts child question her.

“To grab some drinks and snacks and finish the tour: it’s going to take you a minute before you can get that T.V. fired up anyways.”

“Alright smartass! I’ll show you!” Her father practically dives for the television remote, fumbling with the buttons. “Ha! There!”

But when the screen doesn’t do anything he looks down at the remote in frustration.

“Are these blasted batteries dead again?!” He says as he slaps the remote against his hand.

Jennifer laughs as she makes her way towards the kitchen.

“Now here my tiny little friends! Is the most sacred place in the house: where we all gather around the table and share meals with one another.”

“Ralts Ralts alts?”

“Well!… not every night, or even every day for that matter, but when it happens, it is a scared and beloved time to spend with family,” She smiled down at the three. “And from now on, you three are family—“

“Char… Char Char… Char…..” Came a tall red lizard looking Pokémon.

“Charmeleon!” Jennifer cries out at the sight of her old sleepy friend.

“Haaa?” Charmeleon yawns in response. “C-Char mele?! Meleon!”

                               

Jennifer realizes her mistake by drawing attention to herself while she could handle Charmeleon in her condition.

“Woah! Girl! Easy there easy! Precious cargo! Precious CARGO!” She shouts to get Charmeleon’s attention, so she doesn’t hug her and the Ralts siblings to death.

“Char char?”

“Y-Yeah, look.” She hefts up the children in her arms. Who look at the Charmeleon with trepidation and worry at the Charmeleon’s intimidating visage.

“Charrr?……” She questions as she leans in to get a good look at the Ralts.

“”…R-Ralts…”” The Ralts children tremble in worry at the bright red fire Pokémon.

After humming in thought while looking at the Pokémon, Charmeleon points a claw at them.

“Char Char Char?”

“*GASP* NO!”

“”RA-RALTS!””

Jennifer looks back towards her dad.

“DAD!” She shouts at him.

“FWAH?!—“ He screams in fright, dropping the remote, as he is startled by his daughter own shout. “W—What?! What is it?!”

“Are you still experimenting on wild Pokémon?!”

“Who told you?!” He looked at his daughter with a distressed expression.

“DAD?! What is the matter with you?!”

“Look! It’s perfectly legal…” He argues.

“But how is it ethical?!” She counters.

“It’s not like I’m harming them!” He shouts back. “Just a little experimentation with Birch and I’s project.”

“You know how I feel about that!” She scolds him.

“Look! Scientific means need some sacrifices, and no Pokémon are harmed in our experiments: So what, if I have to capture a few dozen Wurmple, Tailow, and zigzagoon, forcing them to evolve! It’s in the name of science! SCIENCE!” He shouts like a mad scientist himself.

Jennifer sighs after hearing this.

“J-Just make sure you’re not hurting them dad…” She relented, knowing nothing she said would change the matter.

“I’m not sweetie! This is all done under a controlled environment with safety regulations and supervised by the Pokémon Protection Association.”

“Oooh! They sound fancy!” Jennifer quipped sarcastically.

“Make fun of them at your own risk.” He warned his daughter. “They are a WGO agency.”

“Okay, yeah. That does sound impressive now when you say that.” Jennifer conceded.

           

She turned back to look at Charmeleon.

“So no,” Jennifer told her. “These guys are not for dad’s experiments.” She lifted them up a little higher onto her chest. “They’re our important guest.”

“Char mele on?…” She questioned with a clawed hand on her chin, while still eyeing the Ralts.

“Ar!” She smacked her palm into her other hand as she thought of what Jennifer was implying.

Charmeleon moved over towards the kitchen proper and pulled an apron and a chefs hat off of a peg attached to the wall.

“Char char leon!”

“”RA—RALTS!””

“NO!” Jennifer shouted in shocked incredulousness at Charmeleon’s behavior. “Charmeleon! What the hell is the matter with you?! Of course they’re not for eating!” Jennifer scolded.

“Char! Cha Cha Cha Cha ar ar ar!” Charmeleon laughs at Jennifer’s reaction. “Charmeleon Char Char.” She tells her with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Well you could have gone easier on them! It’s their first day here! They have to warm up to you first before you start roasting them with those jokes of yours like that!”

“Char Char leon?”

The three Ralts turn to look at Jennifer in betrayal.

“”Ralts?!””

“I didn’t mean roast like that!” She quickly tries to rectify what Charmeleon just set in motion. “Charmeleon!”

“Char Cha Cha Cha Cha Cha ar ar!” She laughs again before turning to hang her apron back on its peg.

She then turns back to smile at Jennifer, who was busy trying to assure the panicking Pokémon at her chest that no one was going to harm them.

She really has grown up recently, huh? Charmeleon thinks to herself.

                                          

                                                      

It was much later, after dinner. Jennifer’s dad had still yet to get the television working.

“Honestly dad!” Jennifer walks up and snatches the remote away from him. “How do you live in a modern era without knowing how to work a remote?”

“They aren’t the same as they used to be!” He argued. “They are so much more complicated now-a-days!”

“How do you watch T.V. when mom and I aren’t here?”

He looked at his daughter smugly.

“I just don’t.”

             

She blinked at him with a blank expression, before groaning at his ineptitude.

She pointed the remote at him like she was brandishing a weapon.

“I bet you make poor Charmeleon do all the work around here while you just sit in the lab.”

“Not all the—“

“Char, le meleon.”

“H-Hey! Don’t tell her that!”

Jennifer looked at her dad incredulously.

“Do you even know what she said?”

“No! But I can guess just as good as you can!” He told her. “And I’m pretty sure she said I let her do everything.”

Charmeleon picked at her claws with a satisfied smirk on her snout.

“Char.” She confirmed.

“See?!” He pointed at his Pokémon like this vindicated him somehow.

Jennifer rolled her eyes before using the remote to turn on the T.V. She then sat down next to the Raltses, Lairon and Charmeleon.

“Ralts alts?” The younger sister asked Jennifer.

“Yeah, Its… umm… kinda complicated to explain. So let me tell you what a T.V. Is used for, then I can tell you what you can watch with it.”

After a short explanation to the Raltses on what a T.V. was, Jennifer then started switching though different shows to explain the difference between them.

“R-R-Ralts!” The middle child stared fascinated with everything she saw.

The youngest one looked sleepy, and so did the older one as well.

Charmeleon was sitting on the sofa, with a leg resting on her other knee, a lemonade in her claw, enjoying the cooking show they had just switched to.

After about two more shows, the last of the Ralts children had fallen asleep.

Phew! Finally!

She looked around the room, her dad, Lairon, and Eevee, were all equally passed out on the sofa.

She rolled her eyes.

What old men! She thought of their lack of stamina at staying up late.

She looked at the drowsy looking Charmeleon sitting on the sofa, looking for all the world like a tired mother.

I guess she is my dads first Pokémon… She is almost like my second mother, huh? She pondered as she looked at the older Pokémon.

She then stands up.

“Char?” Charmeleon whispers quietly.

“I want to go put these three up in the spare room, will you help me pick up two of them and take them there?”

“Of course dear, you needn’t ask.”

Jennifer smiles at Charmeleon’s helpfulness, then turns back to pick up a Ralts from between her siblings.

                  

But, just as her hand is about to pick her up.

                        

Jennifer realized how very natural it was to reach for the blue haired Ralts, even before considering picking up either of her siblings first.

                              

The fact is…… I didn’t…

She realized that she only had thoughts of grabbing the eldest and letting Charmeleon pick up the other two.

I shouldn’t play favorites like this…………

But even as she berated herself, she forced her trembling hand to reach down and pick up the blue haired Ralts.

What am I doing? What is wrong with me?

                   

                              

“R-Ralts?~”

“Shh… it’s okay,” She assured Ralts. “We’re just going to take you to your bedroom to sleep.”

“Ralts Ralts Ral?”

Jennifer nodded.

“Yup,” She whispered to her. “You’re three’s very own bedroom.”

            

Charmeleon sat there as she watched in fascination at the daughter of her master, who had notoriously refused to do things related to owning a Pokémon.

Sure she helped her father feed us or took care of us, and was generally kind to us… but this?

She looked at Jennifer looking down at the sleepy Ralts in her arm, with a loving affection that she once remembered Jennifer’s father looking at her with.

Is she finally going to do it? Is this the one? Charmeleon almost felt excited at the prospects of this.

Best not rock the boat, lest I get my tail wet.

She waited until Jennifer moved out of the way to get up and grab the other two off of the sofa.

She followed Jennifer down the hall to the door on the right, where a single bed lat there, with a couple of nightstands sat besides the head of the bed.

They both laid the Ralts down on the pillows before Jennifer reach down for the blanket.

“Char Char.” Charmeleon told her.

“I could get it…”

Charmeleon rolled her eyes at Jennifer.

“Char Char leon mele.” She quipped back in a whisper.

“I am not a cripple!” Jennifer groused with a hiss.

“Shh!” Charmeleon shushed Jennifer.

Who had the good graces to look scolded.

Jennifer looked down at the Pokémon sleeping on the pillows.

Jennifer watched as Charmeleon pulled back the covers to tuck in the tiny Ralts.

“You’re good at this.” Jennifer commented.

Charmeleon chuckled.

“Comes with practice.”

Jennifer wondered who she was talking about.

She shook that thought from her mind, as it wasn’t important at the moment.

“Hey, come with me. I need to tell you three something about the Ralts.”

“Okay.” Charmeleon agree and follow Jennifer back out into the living room to sit down.

Jennifer reached over and tapped both Lairon and Eevee.

“Lai?”

“Eev?”

“Hey guys, just wanted to let you all know this at once before I headed to bed.”

                                    

                                

Then Jennifer explained to her father’s Pokémon, who were basically her family.

What Jennifer didn’t notice however, was how serious Eevee had gotten.          

                                  

         

               

               

                     

Ralts was asleep, when the door to their room crept open a bit more with a squeak, waking her in the process.

“Ralts?” She whispered, hoping and wondering if it was Jennifer coming back into sleep with them.

But just in the light spilling in from the outside of the room, she would see the silhouette of Eevee standing there.

“Ralts?” She called out to him curiously, on why he was there.

           

The Eevee chuckled quietly.

“Because Ralts…” Eevee sauntered into the room and jumped up onto the bed. “…We need to talk; we need to set the record straight.”

“W—… *GLUP* …—What does that mean?” Ralts asked him nervously.

“It’s simple really,” Eevee told her suggestively. Then he jumped up, pushing Ralts back down onto the bed.

“Ra!—“

“Sshhh! You don’t want to wake your siblings or want to wake up and upset Jenny do you?” He told her in a hush tone with a pawn over her mouth.

Ralts trembled at the power this Eevee had for how small it was: even though they were the same size.

So this is the strength of a Pokémon with a trainer?! She thought to herself in fear.

“Now, allow me to inform you of your place here. I’ve seen how you look at Jenny, and frankly, I don’t like how she is looking at you either.” He hissed at Ralts. “So I want it to be made clear to you. I don’t care if she did try to save you, or that your mother was killed: I am Jenny’s first Pokémon, and I am not going to let some snot nosed baby Shiny Ralts waltz in here and steal her from me!”

                        

Ralts felt a deep seated pit of despair fill her stomach at Eevee’s words.

≈Her first Pokémon?≈ Ralts asked him telepathically.

Eevee nodded.

“That’s right. I was her first Pokémon, but she rejected me. So instead I became her father’s Pokémon. I like master, I really do. But he wasn’t the person I had my heart set on. So I told myself, that no matter what! I would wait for Jennifer to get over this irrational fear of Pokémon fighting and doing battles with one another; and learn the joys of being a Train with her Pokémon.”

≈But!… That isn’t what Jennifer wants! She doesn’t want to be a Trainer that does battles. She just wants to be friends with us≈ Ralts argued.

“Do you really think that matters?” Eevee berated Ralts. “Once she has a Pokémon of her very own; once she realizes that being a trainer is fun! That battles aren’t things to be feared or that she has to worry about us getting hurt, then she will be a great Trainer: my Trainer.”

≈Do you even hear what you’re saying Eevee?! Do you even care what Jennifer wants?≈

“Do not tell me, what Jennifer wants or needs! I have been part of her family for six years now! I was supposed to be her introduction into the world of Pokémon! But she wasn’t ready at the time.” He smiled as he thought of something amusing. “But I can see it now! That look in her eyes, the way she is interacting with us more!” His face grows into an angry snarl. “The way she talks with you and takes care of you three! It just isn’t fair!” Eeven shouted with a shove of his paw on Ralts’s face. Slamming her head deeper into the memory foam. “What you don’t even know about Jennifer, is that she almost died eight months ago! I almost lost the one person who could take me out and make me stronger as a Pokémon should be! Instead of being trapped here next to a professor, who does nothing but research and experiments all day, and every night!” He lectures Ralts. “She nearly died! She has already gone through so much! She needs me! She needs someone by her side to take care of her! And that some one is going to be me!” He growls at Ralts. “So don’t get it into your head that your special, just because both you and Jennifer are Psychics! Don’t think for a moment, that she is not just going to throw you away to some trainer the first chance she gets! She doesn’t want you; she never will! The only Pokémon that Jenny needs, is me!”

Eevee jumps back off of Ralts, his tears streaming down his face, soaking his fur.

Ralts trembles as she watches him walk towards the door. He stops to look back towards her.

“Don’t you start thinking she cares about you: she just pities you! To her, you guys are just a charity case that she has to take care of, because she thinks she let your mother die. But the truth of the matter is: your mother died because she was weak; because you, were weak. Because she had to protect you, and even then, she couldn’t even do that. And now, because of you, Jennifer is hurt!” He told Ralts bitingly. “And never forget that her pain is all your fault!”

With that he left, walking out of the room and disappearing out of sight.

                    

Ralts lay there in bed after Eevee came and threatened her. She trembled at the thought that this Eevee might do something to her, or worse, something to her brother and sister.

“R-Ralts…”

Ralts was startled by the sudden noise of her sister next to her speaking.

“W-W—… *GULP * …—Were you awake the whole time?”

Her sister nodded.

“Yeah, I was so scared! I thought that Eevee was going to kill you!”

Ralts nodded her head at first, but then she thought about it.

“He—… He wouldn’t have… he—… *GULP* …— He’s too much of a coward.” She told her little sister.

“How can you say that after what he said to you?! You’re so brave sister!”

But the older Ralts shook her head.

“I’m not though…” She reached over and grabbed her sister’s hand. “I’m so scared sister! I was so so scared! *HIC*”

“Don’t cry big sister, don’t cry!” She reached over and held her sister as she let out her sadness.

*HIC* *HIC*

*BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP*

“Maybe!— *HIC* —Maybe it would be better if I didn’t want to be her Pokémon! Maybe I should just forget the whole thing! I’m so scared sister!”

“Hey hey… it’s alright… don’t say that! No matter what happens, sister. I will support you and help you in making Jennifer take you as her Pokémon.” The younger sister assured her Shiny sister.

“B-B-But! She doesn’t want to be a Trainer! She doesn’t want a Pokémon of her own! How am I supposed to?!—“

“Do you need to be?”

“……. *HIC*… What?…” The eldest asked confused at what her younger soster was suggesting.

“Why not just be her friend and just live here with her? This way, you can be her Pokémon, without having to force Big Sis-J into being a Trainer.”

                      

“……………………… Do you think that will work?” The variant asked her sister.

“It might… you never know until you try.”

She smiled at her sister.

“Thank you sis! I am so glad you’re both here with me! *HIC*”

“Always sister. Always.”

                               

*BA-DUMP*

                                  

                             

———————————————————

                                                      

                          

*BA-DUMP*

                        

Jennifer threw back the covers and sat up.

Grrr! Can’t sleep… need more pills and something to drink… my heart won’t stop racing!

             

Jennifer walked down stairs, heading for the kitchen to get a drink.

She smiled as she spotted both her dad and Charmeleon sleeping on the sofa with the T.V. still on.

             

After getting a drink of water and taking some more of her pain meds, she headed back for the stairs.

           

“…………Alts……….—*HIC*—……..”

                               

*BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP*

                                 

What?! What was that?!

She moved towards the guest room to check on the Raltses, hoping to see them asleep.

I really hope their asleep.

                 

She looked in through the crack and saw three tiny bundles underneath the covers.

There, see! All is fine, nothing to worry about—

          

“……Ralts….. *HIC*………..” 

It was only then that she noticed that one bundle was shivering and making whimpering cries.

                       

*BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP*

            

She opened the door a crack to go inside, but the moment she did, the door squeaked.

The trembling Ralts bundled up farther into the covers, as she trembled more.

Hey now! It’s okay… Everything is okay… Jennifer sent her thoughts towards the bundled Ralts.

≈Mis— Mistress?!≈

The Ralts threw back her cover to look out.

Hey there Shiny… what’s wrong? You’re trembling…

≈I… I… I had a bad dream…≈

Jennifer didn’t need her psychic powers to know this was a lie.

Why was she lying to me?

That hurt her in a way Jennifer couldn’t even begin to fathom.

          

*BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP*

Damn that hurt! Why did hearing her say she was fine when she’s not and lying about it being a dream hurt me so much? Why?

*BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP*

                              

Hey now, there isn’t a need to hide it, you don’t need to be scared to tell me anything. No matter what, if you tell me anything, I’ll believe you. She sends her thoughts to the Shiny Ralts.

           

≈……………………..≈

Ralts hesitated before saying anything more.

≈Will you?….≈

Yea?…

≈Will you sleep with me? Sleep with us I mean, I miss sleeping with you like we did in the hospital… I am scared to sleep here without you≈

          

Nothing in this sentence was a lie.

I guess she really was having a bad dream. Maybe that is why she did tell me at first: because she thought her request was juvenile.

Jennifer smiled down at the blue haired Ralts.

You don’t ever need to ask Ralts. She repeated what Charmeleon said to her earlier.

Jennifer used her psychic powers to levitate all the bedspread, including the Ralts, then she slipped onto the bed, before lowering everything back down on top of her.

The two younger siblings on her left.

The eldest on her right so she could selfishly stare at her.

“Better?…” She asked the Ralts in a whisper.

“Muchbetter Mistress………. Thank you……. For comforting me……… for everything…really………….” Ralts said sleepily as she stared up at Jennifer.

It’s not a problem, Jennifer told her in thoughts. I hope you sleep better now. Goodnight Ralts.

                 

*BA-DUMP*

≈Good night Mistress…………. I love you……….≈

                    

                                          

                                       

                                   

                               

                                

……………………………….

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                         

                               

.…..I love you too……