My first baby by WyldClaw

Plot: short animeverse one shot about Misty recalling Togepi to her daughter. Misty's POV. I own storm, Derek, Sunset, the Pichu pups and DJ -everyone else belongs to Nintendo. () Is Translated Pokémon speech, " " is regular speech and Italics are thoughts. DJ speaks in baby talk because she is a baby herself. In my fics Togepi is a boy. The book caption entries are various Pokedex entries. Beware there are some spoilers for The Second Time Around. AAML of course. On with the fic.

Note: Due to DJ's Aura abilities she's pretty much skipped passed the baby babble stage.

XXX

It was a Sunday afternoon in mid-March- the first warm day after the snow from our past harsh winter was gone so we decided to spend time in the large backyard. Small patches of white still dotted the large backyard. . The nearby bird Pokémon were twittering, the sun was shining and my family was having a picnic in the backyard. We were in the back yard on a big blanket. My eight-year-old year old son Derek- who had a big baseball tournament for the start of the season the day before, Ash, Pikachu, Storm and their remaining pups with us-Zapp, Taran and Aki- were asleep nearby.

"Po-mon!" My brown haired fifteen -month-old infant daughters DJ pointed a finger at a picture of a cyndaquil that her learning pokepedia book was open to. She had her white sundress with flowers on and food all around her face and hands. Although her various toys were strewn about on the blanket her brown eyes were centered on the picture. She's her daddy's daughter that's for sure.

I glimpsed at the picture of the Pokémon. "Yes, sweetie that's a Pokémon. Do you know which one it is? "

She shook her head. "No."

I looked at the picture closely and saw it was a Cyndaquil. "That's a fire type called Cyndaquil." I read the caption. 'It is timid, and always curls itself up in a ball. If attacked, it flares up its back for protection. Can you try to say Cyndaquil? Cind-ah-quil" I enunciated.

She concentrated on the word for a minute as if trying to figure out how to say it. She didn't really stay into the baby babble stage that much once she learned how to form simple words. "Cyn-dil? Cyn-qu-qu..." she bit her lip

"Ve. That's a toughie. Daddy had one but she evolved into Quilava. You know that gentle cream and blue Fire Type with the spots that burn on her back? "

She nodded. Outside of battling Quilava was a very easy going Pokémon. She didn't mind if DJ made her wear bonnets or if Derek wanted to race her or groom her. It was pretty neat that she and Bayleef were best friends despite being opposing Types. I noticed that she acted shy around Pignite almost like wanted to tell him something but couldn't figure out . I could totally sympathize with her- I spent years keeping my feelings from my husband secret. "That's her . Can you say Quilava?"

"Que-aby. " she tried again "q-que-la-be." She couldn't pronounce the names of some of the Pokémon' so we shortened them for her.

That's close enough. "You came close. If you want to call her something shorter you can.

"Waby" she stated saying it like 'wav-by'. She was still having trouble pronouncing the l sound in words.

" Waby it is pumpkin." I knew the little girl was smart for her age. We didn't know if her intelligence came from her Aura powers or she was just observant. I turned to the page about Quilava and pointed at the picture. "Look. There she is."

"Waby! " she said happily.

"That's correct." I read the caption below: 'Before battle, it turns its back on its opponent to demonstrate how ferociously its fire blazes.' She used to be very timid and shy but Daddy worked with her for a long and she got stronger. " I had an idea for a game. "Let's play a game. Do you know what kind of Pokemon Quilava is?"

"Fee-yah."

Though she couldn't say a lot of words she came close and we got the gist of it. " That's right sweetie, she's a Fire type. I flipped to a random page in the book and pointed to the picture of a massive Charizard. "Do you know who this is?"

She nodded. "'Sue-et. " She couldn't say Sunset so that's what she called her. She poked the picture then looked up at me c and shook her head, confused as to why the image wasn't charcoal skinned. . ". N-No Sue-et."

"Actually pumpkin it is. Sunset's a Pokémon called a 'Charizard.' that's what they typically look like but she's a shiny color so that's why she's darker. " I read the caption beneath the picture. "'If Charizard becomes furious, the flame at the tip of its tail flares up in a whitish-blue color."

She shivered slightly as if the thought of an angry Charizard was terrifying and I felt her worry. "Don't worry sweetheart." I reassured her. "Sunset doesn't get that furious. She may be tough in battles but that's just an act. You know how sweet she really is. " She smiled and I felt her joy. " you say Charizard DJ? " I enunciated the name. "Char-eh-z-ard."

"Ch-Ch-Chawy-z-" She hung her head as if disappointed she couldn't say the name.

That is a hard word for a baby to say. "It's okay sweetheart," I reassured. " It's a long word. If it's hard for you to say, you can call it that. Your brother called it 'Char-Char ' when he was little."

.she tried out the name " Ch-Chawy'."

" Very good. "

"Wike Chawy."

"They are awesome looking. Daddy used to have one he found as a charmander but he lives far away in a land called Johto. We still visit him and sometimes he comes over here. They're a fire type but they look like dragons."

"De-gen?"

"That's right. Sunset's a kind of dragon. What Pokémon of mine is also a dragon? " She looked confused so I gave her some hints. "She's orange, has a long tail and a pair of long, thin antennae but tiny wings. She's very friendly and sweet good to you."

DJ thought hard. "Whoawy?" she was still having trouble pronouncing her r sounds.

"Yes DJ. Whoawy err Aurora is a Dragonite. Daddy first gave her to me as a gift when she was a baby Dratini. Can you say Dratini? Dra-teen-eee." I sounded out the word for her.

"Duh-teen."

"Very good. That's a hard word and you came super close. Want me to show you what one looks like?" she nodded. I flipped the page to the page about Dratini. "There it is... " I showed her the picture of the small blue serpentine Pokémon.

"Duh-teen itby. " She poked the image with a chubby finger.

"Mm-hmm. They are but they grow very fast." I read the caption beneath the picture. " 'This Pokémon is full of life energy. It continually sheds its skin and grows steadily larger.' When Daddy first gave her to me Aurora was even smaller than you. "

" Whoawy big."

" Yup. She's a big sweet hearted Dragonite."

"Wike Duh-teen." She smiled at me. I was amazed at how well she talked. "Piddy."

"They sure are beautiful Pokémon. Daddy knew how much I wanted one so he surprised me with Aurora for my birthday after your brother turned one. Do you know what color it is?"

"Bloo?"

"That's right peanut. They're a blue Pokemon. " I randomly chose a page towards the front of the book and turned to it. "Can you tell me who this -" when saw what page I had turned to I felt my heart thud loudly in my chest. "-I-i-is?" I stuttered. I couldn't speak and my throat dried up.

A picture of a certain Hoenn Ghost type with a roundish gray hollow body with two stubby legs and a single red eye in the middle of its body looked up at me. It had three tooth-like projections and two wispy, light gray growths coming out of its shoulders and one on top of its head. Its light gray hands appear to be directly attached to its body. Why did I have to flip to this page? Nearly fifteen months later and I still had a small fear of Dusclops after my brief kidnapping by Violet's psychotic rival the day DJ was born. Looking down at the ghostly hands I shivered remembering of Christyana's own Dusclops wrapping one of those cold chilly hands around my throat so I couldn't breathe. The way it injured Snowie without hesitation and had been about to harm me had made me scared of the species. I wasn't scared of much-creepy bugs and my two kids being harmed topped the list- but after that horrible experience- Dusclops were high up there too. I shuddered. If Violet hadn't shown up when she did…. Calm down Misty. It's only a picture of one not the real thing. It's only a bad memory. It's only a bad memory. When will that fear leave-

"...Mama? ...Mama? " DJ's word brought me back to reality as she tugged at my shirt.

"Huh?" I looked down at my innocent little girl I shook my head to rid myself of the memory.

"Shaky." She said. " daw' 'wa.."

I hugged her- even at her young age she could tell the difference between good Auras and bad Auras. "S-Sorry baby " I willed my trembling to stop ."i was just remembering a very bad experience with this kind of Pokémon who tried to ...hurt me right before you were born . But I got away with help from daddy and auntie Violet and then you were born.." I took in my sweet baby and smiled as love replaced my fear. . My precious little peanut. Even fifteen months later- and after waiting all those years- I can't get over how sweet she is. She's such a happy girl-guess she got most of Ash's good natured temperament- good thing she didn't get his appetite.

I chuckled, feeling much better.

"Mama ... daw ' wa byes."

"That's right sweetie. I just needed to think of something happy. And it was you."'

.

"Whaf po-mon it?"

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. "It-it's called a D-Dusclops. "

She looked at the picture and then hid her face into my shirt as if worried the Ghost type Pokémon was going to come out of the book, " mama No wike. No wike"

I didn't know if she'd sensed my fear about the Ghost type through Aura or if she really was scared of it. She shivered herself. "I don't blame you, sweetie. It is a scary looking Pokémon. Let's find a different page to look at "

I knew one way to cheer her up. I flipped the page to an extremely easy one for her - Come on, I know that page is here. I looked at the pages as I flipped through them. The book was about Kantonian and johto Pokémon. Espeon, Hitmontop, Igglybuff, Mr. Mime, Octillery Noctowl, Ninetails, Pidgey. Bingo! Found it! " Hey DJ." I nudged her. " I found an easy one for you. "

She sniffed as she looked up from my shirt. " Whaf one?"

" Look at the page in your book. Do you know who this Pokémon is?"

She looked back at the page and He face lit up as she recognized the electric type immediately. I knew she'd recognized her dad's first Pokemon. She grinned. "Pika!" she pointed over to the sleeping mouse and then to the page in the book. "It Pika!"

"That's my smart girl." I kissed her forehead. That was her first word to Ash's disappointment. He wanted it to be 'Dada' since Derek's first word was "Mama" but His regret didn't last long- her second word had been "Dada."

"Pika dada's po-mon."

I nodded. "That's right. He is Daddy's starter. The two of them met even before they met me. They're really, really close best friends. What color is he?"

"Ye-wo."

I nodded. "That's right. He's a yellow Pokémon. Do you know what his pups' names are?"

She bit her lip in concentration. " '... Ki, tawa, Zapf?"

"Wonderful job, peanut. Now here's a hard one: what will he never evolve into?"

"W-why-chi?"

"Very close " I told her. "It's actually Raichu. But that was a hard one. Want to do another one?"

She nodded enthusiastically. For a while we played the game and for such a young infant she was really good at it. It was easy for her to say some simpler names like Natu, ditto, Shinx, Eevee- that she called " Vee-Vee" but a lot of the other names were tough for her to say.

. "Okay sweetie, let's try this-" I stopped mid-sentence. I'd flipped the page to Togepi's page. The sight of that familiar round Pokémon with a spiky top and red, white and blue patterns on its bottom made a tear fall.

"Po-ball? " She asked.

"Th-that's not a Pokéball sweet bean. Th-that's a Pokémon called Togepi. "

"Tiggypi?"

"Tog-ge-pi." I pronounced.

"Tiggypi." she repeated.

I chuckled. "Close enough."

The picture made the memories of Togetic hit me like a Body Slam. I miss him so much. . I didn't realize I was crying until DJ looked up at me and pointed to my face. I felt something wet. "Cwy."

"Sorry about that. " there must be tears on my face. I wiped the tears away. "I'm just. ...Sad. "

"Whys?"

"I used to have a Togepi myself years and years ago when I was traveling with daddy. When he hatched He imprinted on me," she looked puzzled at the word. "That means he thought I was his mommy."

"Dada?"

"Yup. He thought Daddy was his daddy too just like how Noivern thinks he's his daddy. He didn't seem to care that i wasn't a Pokemon like him or that he wasn't a human. " I smiled recalling when he saw me after called me 'Mommy' for the first time. With that one word my heart melted into a pile of goo. "I raised him and took care of him so in a way he was my first baby. " She pointed a finger at herself. "I know you are a baby. But I had him way before I had you or your brother. So taking care of him prepared me for having the two of you."

" Bad Tiggypi?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. He was very curious and sweet. He had this habit of wandering off to explore but I couldn't watch after him all the time. Luckily Pikachu acted as his babysitter and made sure he didn't get hurt. There were a few times that he vanished and like any mother I was scared something bad happened. . " The times in Viridian City, Mandrin Island North and on the blimp going to Valencia Island instantaneously came to mind. " but we found each other again." I paused. "You know Daddy's Totodile?"

"Toto?"

"Yeah... Toto. Daddy and I didn't know whose Pokéball caught him so we had a battle. Daddy sent out Pikachu so I sent out Togepi,"

"Boo-boo?" She asked. She'd seen him after he got roughed up in her dad's battles.

"No. He didn't want to fight him since he helped looked after him. Daddy ended up winning Toto But that's when Poliwag evolved."

"Toed?"

"Well not then. He became a Poliwhirl then. Later on thanks to Daddy not paying attention to where his King's Rock fell he became Politoed. But that was one of the few times Togepi battled. Mostly I carried him in my arms. I didn't care he was a Pokémon -In my eyes he was a little baby who needed a mother. There were times he went missing. -". I recalled the feeling I had when I saw he was gone in Viridian City. "But luckily I found him with help from daddy. I raised him like any mother would: with lots of kindness and love."

"Wuv?" She asked.

"Yes, sweetie- Lots and lots of love. He was very friendly toward other small young Pokémon including…." I shivered again-"Bugs. You would have liked him and I'm definitely sure he would have liked you."

She yawned, "where t-t-Tiggypi?"

"Actually he evolved so he is a Togetic."

M

"Tiggytik?" she asked.

" Its Togetic but you can call him that," I told her and flipped to the next page where there was a picture of one.

"That Tiggytik?" she pointed at the picture.

I nodded and somehow read the caption without my voice cracking too much. "'Th-they say that it will appear before kindhearted, c-caring people and shower them with h-happiness.' I don't have him anymore. But just because I don't have him doesn't mean I don't think about and miss him. I'll always miss him since he was my first baby. He may be far away but the memories live right here-" I tapped my forehead and then poked DJ's chest. She giggled. "And right here in my heart. "

"Wike dewy an' Cawin?" She asked , referring to my sister's Dewgong and Luvdisc who lived at the Cerulean City Gym. She' had only met them through the portable vid-phone when I called my sisters and tried-and failed- to trade Psyduck for Dewgong.

" That's right. Soon you'll get to meet them."

There was a few minutes' silence "Mama Where Tiggytik?"

"He went bye-bye." I made my hand wave in the air.

"Wh-why?" she rubbed her eyes sleepily and for good reason- it was getting close to her afternoon naptime.

I thought hard how to explain. "He had to protect his new home, which is this beautiful hidden place called Mirage Kingdom that's far far away. They worship Togepis t and the only way someone can rule is with a Togepi. Within this kingdom there is a portal to a secret garden called the Togepi Paradise. Hundreds of Togepis live there. If the person ruling doesn't have a good heart the Paradise will vanish and the kingdom will vanish." I paused to drink some water then resumed my story. "There was this bad man named Colonel Hansen who wanted the throne so he took me just get his hands on Togetic- well then he was a Togepi. Daddy, uncle Brock, max and your godmother May- along with this nice girl named Princess Sarah saved me but Hansen was crowned king and immediately jailed Princess Sara's parents- the King and Queen. Since he didn't have a good heart the Togepi Paradise began to wither. When Togepi saw the state of the Paradise he got very upset. Hansen came at us but we tried to stop him with our Pokémon. Togepi saved us by evolving and fighting back. "

I swallowed back my tears as I ended the story. "W-with T-Togetic's help we dethroned Hansen and got things back to normal. I saw how happy he was there and how much he'd gown up. I made the c-choice to leave him there to protect the Kingdom. I felt like m-my heart was ripped in half. But I knew it was the right choice. "

As I ended I looked down and saw DJ fast asleep in my lap, sucking her thumb. I was glad she'd fallen asleep during the story. I glanced at the picture again, changing the page to the Vaporeon page and then to my two sleeping kids. If he had never imprinted on me I don't think I would be a great a mother as I was. He really taught me a lot about nurturing and motherly instinct. "Thank you Togetic" I sighed.

I saw Pikachu pad over to me. (You still miss him don't you?) He asked as he sat to the right of me. I scratched his left ear.

"Yeah… I do. " I admitted. "He was the first Pokémon I really raised from an egg. I got so used to him being his sweet non battling self I was totally shocked when he evolved and beat General Hansen."

(It was for the best. But then Tracy's Azumarill had Tidal's egg.)

"Well... I didn't raise Tidal from the moment he hatched. Tracy gave him to me once he was old enough and learned enough from his mom. "

He looked over briefly to his three pups. (No wonder you took to them so well after they hatched.)

"Yeah… in a strange way they're like my other kids. I'd do anything to protect them. After the turmoil she'd been through I knew I had protect Aki from- from Dodgy Dirk " I remembered what I felt when I stopped the poacher from killing Aki a few years ago. He looked at me knowing what I was feeling. "I'm Sorry if I woke you up."

He shook his head. (You didn't. I was lightly snoozing. Besides we stopped Hansen and it had a happy ending. )

"It sure did."

(You made the right choice Misty.)

"I know. It's just seeing the picture in the book brought all the memories back. Like I told DJ he was my first baby …"

(I think you were an excellent mother to Togetic)

"You helped a lot too." I pointed out.

(Well, I couldn't let him hurt himself) he replied. (So I did my best to keep him from harm-)

"And got injured instead." Ash ended. . Apparently he had woken up and overheard our conversation. He got up, carrying Derek-fast asleep- and sat down next to us. I rested my head against his shirt.

The mouse chuckled. (It wasn't that serious. It was more like bruises and bumps than anything I faced in a battle. Boy was he quite the explorer.)

" He was..." He saw me as I gazed down at DJ's book. "I felt your fear when you saw that page."

I nodded as I lowered my voice. " Yeah. Fifteen months later and…and y-you'd think I would be over it. L-looking at its picture I almost felt its hands around my throat a-and… "

Tears ran down my face and I couldn't finish the sentence... He stroked my hair and wiped the tears from my face. " I know, sweetie. It's okay. It's not your fault you turned to that page. "

(It was just a picture of a Dusclops not that sadistic model's cold-hearted one. Just keep on telling yourself that the fear will fade eventually) Pikachu told me (just like that… other time).

I nodded and shivered - not even wanting to think about what Sunset's abusive former trainer tried to do to me before our wedding. Don't think about it. It's in the past. He can't come back. Neither can Christyana. They won't return. Arceus knows what happened to Dr. Yung. He'd better not show up around here. It's okay .I'm safe and so are Derek and D J. Ash noticed the slight tremble. "Mist? You okay"

The shivering stopped. "Y-yeah- J-just trying to think about those two… situations."

"Blossom…. It's not your fault that you got briefly kidnapped both times, you had as much control over them that control of what – th-that inhumane psychotic monster d-did in th-the Overgrown Forest. -Even if-" his voice cracked. "If Ch-Christyana had succeeded in her plan, I wouldn't have rested until I found and rescued you. You know I will always find you. "

I kissed him. " But it wasn't just the picture of the Dusclops…. I tried to get tried of the m-memories by gong to a different page for DJ. First i found the Pikachu page, which cheered her up."

(Of course she'd get excited at that page.) The mouse stated.

"She almost managed to say Raichu." I told him.

(Wow. I'm impressed.)

I nodded. " Me too But flipping to Togepi's page didn't help. All the memories just came flooding back."

My husband kissed me. "No … it couldn't have helped. After the whole accident with Yung when the Butterfrees migrated and i saw them for a while I got a quick memory jolt of-of him. " A tear leaked out of his eyes down his face. I brushed it away before it fell onto DJ.

" I know how much it hurts, Ashy. But he wouldn't want you to be sad, he'd want you to remember the good times and tell yourself he's in a better place. "

(One where he's young again and has all the food and nectar he wants and is happy watching you along with. your dad.) Pikachu told him.

"I do pal. But like you told DJ and Pikachu he really helped prepared you for your current motherhood role." My raven-haired husband said. "Can you imagine what you'd be like as if you hadn't raised him."

I thought about that for a few minutes. Hmm. I don't think I'd be as sensitive or patient or collected. Plus now that I think about it holding Togetic and watching him seemed almost natural to me, like that was what I supposed to do later in my life.

"See? Things would be much different. " He smirked as if knowing my thoughts.

I playfully shoved him. "Hey. Stop sensing my thoughts with Aura. " I looked around at my family on the blanket: Pikachu, Storm and their three pups, my messy haired son sleeping in Ash's lap and DJ in my lap as i stroked her hair. " you're right though. He sure did." I smiled widely. This is my family and no one messes with it.

"Sweetie?" he asked a few minutes later.

"Hmm?"

"If you had a chance to go back in time and do your journey … would you?"

" Where did this question come from?"

He glanced over at Aki's half tail and then down at Derek in his lap. Five years on and it stung that we had to have Mewtwo wipe their memories of those two times. It hurt having to lie to my baby boy about it. " Just Thinking about what would have happened … if we'd been more forceful in telling her to stay put."

(We couldn't have done more than we did.) Aki's dad pointed out. (She's too headstrong like me. She wouldn't have stayed put, besides if she hadn't…) he gulped and didn't finish the sentence: Derek- and probably all of us would either stuck in a cell somewhere, abused or… even perhaps even dead.

"I know," I muttered. "Things happen for a reason. We can't change what happened in the past." I looked over at Ash and a smile crept on my face. "Just like I can't go back and save a certain idiot from trying to take on Fearow and his gang... Twice."

He winced. "Hey I survived both times. "

(Thanks to Pidgeot and I) The mouse stated.

" Well… I had it under control."

I rolled my eyes. "Riiiight. And what about when said idiot nearly drowned in the Orange Islands during the Lugia fiasco?"

"How was I supposed to know the Collector was gonna send those triangular shaped force field rings as we were flying back to the shrine? If… you hadn't been there I-"

I put a finger to his lips for a second as I felt my face burn. That incident had been when I first realized that I liked him. Who would have thought that incident would have led to this? . "Don't even say it. We can't change what happened."

(Like she said things happen for a reason. Besides if I hadn't saved you from Fearow's flock the first time we wouldn't have become such best friends.)

"Fair point pal." He scratched the mouse behind his ears. "Or met … those three. Nothing would have been the same. " He turned his gorgeous dark brown orbs onto me. "Would you do it all again?"

I didn't need to think about that. "Yes…I would. In a heartbeat."

"All of it? Including the constant bickering, my bad sense of direction, getting into scrapes with Jesse and James… meeting yours truly? And you wouldn't change a thing?" He asked.

"Maybe a few things-like making sure you didn't get us lost every other day and telling you how I felt sooner than I actually did … " I glanced down at my two sleeping kids again lovingly, down at my wedding ring then back at my husband. "But the majority? Not really."

Ash kissed me on the lips and I returned the kiss. "He really changed your -actually all of our lives for the better."

I smiled. He got a small blue leather box out of his pocket and handed it to me. "What's that?"

"Uh well…" He blushed. "You know how I never got you an Anniversary gift since I had to go to that Frontier Meeting and then we got hit with that bad weather for the next few weeks and then soon after that Derek had the baseball tryouts."

"Yeah…" I nodded wondering what in the wide world he was getting at.

"Open it."

I did. I could only stare at the gifts inside while my heart turned into pile of mush. Oh my! "Holy freaking Arceus." Resting in the middle of the box was a beautiful silver bracelet with a peridot charm shaped like a water droplet. Next to it was a small rose quartz cut into the shape of a heart on a silver chain.

(We asked the jeweler for the least show offy but nice necklace) Pikachu said as I stared at them in amazement.

That was unexpected. They certainly are gorgeous and stunning. "You do like them right Mist? I mean I know you don't wear jewelry a lot unlike your sisters. I didn't want to get you anything horrid and the white roses i sent you didn't make it up for missing our anniversary"

(Not your fault the snowstorm hit on your anniversary and we were stuck at the Indigo Plateau) Pikachu pointed out,

"I know. But I wanted to still get you a gift. I was trying to figure out when to give you it and-"

"You're such an adorable doofus. But you're my adorable doofus. Do me a favor Ashy…"

"Anything, my beautiful angel."

"Shut up for a few seconds." I put the bracelet on my arm. "Now let me kiss you." I kissed him again on the lips for few minutes. I gently put the box with the necklace on the blanket next to me. " They're absolutely perfect. "

(I told you she'd love them.) Pikachu said.

He put the necklace around my neck and fastened it. "Whatever did I do to deserve such a caring loving husband as you?"

"I ask myself the same question all the time, my angelic water blossom. I may have travelled all over the globe with different female companions like Dawn, Serena, May and the end no matter where I went my heart was always with you. I just didn't realize it until I came back to Kanto after the Kalos League."

I felt my face blush and my heart turn into a pile of mush-even after eight years of marriage he surprised me. "Are you trying to make my face go as red as Sunset's Fire Blast? "

He smiled at me. " Maybe… I love you, Misty Waterflower-Ketchum"

"I love you too." I sighed as I rested my head back against his chest.

"Happy belated anniversary sweetheart." he kissed the top of my forehead and I felt warmth spread all over my body.

….

In my lap DJ fused about for a few minutes and stirred before she opened her eyes. She took her thumb out of her mouth ands blinked sleepily as she saw her father and brother. " …Dada?"

His eyes softened as he looked down at her. " Hi peanut. Did Mommy and i wake you up?"

She shook her head and pointed to her mouth. " owies."

"oh pumpkin . You're teething so it's bound to hurt.." he told her. " Do you want your teething ring?" She shook her head.

" What about winnie? " I asked, ready to reach for the red shirted Teddiursa Pokedoll that was once her older brother's - which I knew was a foot away. " Does it hurt that badly?"

She shook her head. " Just owie."

" Think of something happy to take your mind off the pain." I suggested.

"Twies." She gazed from me to him and back again then smiled showing her incoming front teeth. " Mama dada. Pin 'wa." She stated.

Ash looked from her to me confused. "Pin 'WA? Pin 'wa? What's - oww." I elbowed him. " Why'd you do that Mist?"

I lowered my voice. "You know exactly what she means by 'wa. " I jerked my head to Pikachu then Storm-who had woken up and was now grooming her fur - then to him.

The confused look left his face a few minutes later. "Oh… right. Aura"

I sighed. He's such an idiot at times. She pointed her chubby finger at Storm and her pups. "'Torm!" she said.

Ash smiled at her. "That's right sweetie. That's Storm. Mommy, Pika and I first met her a while ago. Do you want to hear the story?"

"Towy! Towy! " She clapped her hands in excitement.

"Okay pumpkin. A long, long time ago when Mommy, Pikachu, Uncle Brock and I were first traveling we came to this big lush forest..."

...

I half listened to the story as I let the warmth from his shirt and his words engulf me. I wasn't worried about her learning about Jessie, James and Meowth's involvement. After we saved them and vice versa when Derek was little we decided to either substitute other Rockets we'd run into in their place in stories or make some up. We thought that since Derek was a best friend with Jessie and James' son Jaden it was their call to tell the boys about our past history or if they asked.

As he talked I saw Derek wake up and listen to the story as Storm got up and sat next to her mate. A few minutes later Aki, Taran and Zapp got up and joined us. I gazed over from my two kids to the three young mice Pokémon listening intently to the tale.

I looked up at the bright blue sky for a heartbeat. Wherever you are thanks a million Togetic for teaching me how to be a fantastic mother. For In that blissful moment with just the nine of us on the blanket life seemed perfect- i wouldn't have traded it for anything.

The end