Welcome to Aloeleaf Ranch!
The sun hadn't even fully risen into the sky, when the assorted bird Pokémon recovering in the aviary began their trilling melodies, their shrill sonatas and their obnoxious cries for food, all joining and rising in an uproarious racket. Unfortunately, the aviary was far too close to the farmhouse for anyone's liking… Despite earplugs, no one could stay asleep for long once the birds had started singing. With groans, crusty eyes and cracking backs, the Allemoore family awoke, readying themselves for a busy day of caring for the injured Pokémon that occupied the ranch.
The middle daughter, Summer, was especially reluctant to rise from her warm bed, having been up late the previous evening, watching the finals of the Johto League Pokémon tournament on the family's ancient television. Grabbing the first shirt and pair of jeans available, she pulled them on without thinking and trudged down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. Joining her older brother and younger sister at the table, she picked at a piece of toast, awaiting her assignments for the day.
"Chris, I need your help administering booster shots to the litter of feral Skitties we found last week," their father began to address his son in a clinical, formal tone, "After that, the hatchlings all need their vitamins, the Poochyna's splint needs to be checked and re-bandaged, and Charlie needs his antibiotics." Summer's older brother groaned, slumping in his seat; Charlie was a rather ill-tempered Tauros who wasn't fond of visitors in his pen.
Adjusting his glasses, Mister Allemoore continued passing out the chores, momentarily skipping Summer to address his youngest daughter, who was spreading jam on her own toast, "Larkee, the stables need fresh hay laid down… I want you to refill the food and water troughs… and Precious needs to be brushed." The smaller girl gave a squeal of delight at the prospect of spending time with the family Ponyta; she was definitely in her little-girl "horsey phase".
Finally, he turned to her, "Summer, you have tank duty: check the PH balance for the salt and fresh water enclosures, make sure they all get fed, give that Gyarados her ich medicine and replace the ice blocks for the arctic Pokémon." After a moment's consideration, Summer nodded, figuring she got off easy. Sure, Larkee would do less work, but she was only twelve, after all.
Their father double-checked the checklist on his clipboard before setting it down and grabbing his apron from its hook on the wall. "Out the door," He ordered, gesturing for them to rise and depart. Each one reached up to snag their own aprons as they passed and headed out the door, into the cool autumn air.
At the end of the well-organized garden walk, the family split, each one heading off to their respective jobs; Larkee skipping, Christopher walking purposefully beside their father, and Summer wandering almost vaguely. It wasn't that she didn't love Pokémon – she did! – but because the injured Pokémon would be reintegrated into the wild, she wasn't allowed to bond with them, or even consider being friends. Everything had to be professional… clinical.
Even with her slow gait, she quickly reached the large building that held all the different water-type enclosures. Pushing the double doors open, a sigh escaped her lips. Before, when she was younger than Larkee, even, Summer had dreamed of starting her own journey; of heading out into the world; but, right before she'd had the chance, her mother had passed away, and her dream had come to a screeching halt.
"I'm too old, now," Summer voiced her thoughts to a rather large, languid Sealeo who suffered from a large, painful gash in her side, "I've missed my chance. No professor would give me a starter Pokémon at seventeen… Let alone my own Pokédex. Besides," she dropped a huge, brand new ice block into the water, making small waves across the tank, "You guys need me, don't you?" Her voice was soft, almost desperately seeking affirmation.
At Summer's hopeful gaze, the she-Sealeo gave an unimpressed snort, diving under the freezing water. Before the resulting wave hit the side of the salt-water tank, before Summer could even give a muttered curse, the ice Pokémon resurfaced, looking directly at the shivering, soaked-to-the-bone human girl.
"What...?" Summer slowly leaned in to look, her brows knit together as she spotted something clutched between the Sealeo's front flippers. It was an egg, with light blue spots along the cream colored shell. For a moment, silence descended upon the two of them; intangible thoughts passed between them. Then, suddenly, the girl leaned back on her heels, giving a loud, punctuated curse, "Aw, fuck!"
In a flash, the young woman had jumped up and sped down the wrung-ladder of the arctic water tank. "Stay there!" She shouted over her shoulder, pointing at the Sealeo, "Don't move!" Summer intended to bring her father to see the egg, before she did anything else.
While it didn't take her long to find both her father and Chris at the back pasture, she couldn't approach them directly; held carefully between them, in a tentative moment of peace, was Charlie. "Dad!" She called quietly, waving at him from the fence, trying to get his attention.
"Summer?" Chris blinked, noticing her first, keeping his hold on Charlie's horns, just in case, "The water Pokémon giving you trouble today?"
Their father didn't take his eyes off the Tauros, finishing the injection, giving it his utmost concentration. "Alright, Chris…" He spoke softly, as not to agitate the large bull between them, "You first."
No further urging was needed; Chris carefully released Charlie's horns, backing ever so slowly away, toward both Summer and the fence. Once he felt the solid wood at his back, Chris placed his hands on the top rail of the fence, hoisting himself up and onto it, in a sitting position. "I'm clear," He called to their father, swinging a leg over to drop to the ground beside his sister.
Nodding, their father gave Charlie a gentle, affectionate pat on the snout, "Behave yourself, alright?" Then, with the same consideration that Chris had shown, he moved back to the fence, making his way out of the pasture. "That went well," He congratulated, giving his son a proud pat on the back. "Now…" His attentions turned to his middle-child, "What's wrong?"
With only a gesture, Summer lead both of the men to the aquarium, moving rather quicker than she had earlier. Though it had been mere minutes since she had left to find them, she worried; something could have happened to the egg, or the Sealeo, while she was away.
The silence that had fallen earlier was clearly at an end; it was as if each difference species of Pokémon was trying to be heard over the others, to make their calls and splashes the loudest. Everything seemed to be alright when they finally arrived at the arctic enclosure. "Look," Summer gestured at the egg, now alone on a floating sheet of ice. Taking hold of the ladder, she began to climb, making her way up to the lip of the tank.
"Be careful," Her brother cautioned, knowing exactly what could happen if the Sealeo suddenly became possessive of her egg.
Nodding, their father added, "If she left it on the ice, there might be something wrong."
"I got it," Summer kept herself from snapping, just barely, "Gimme a sec…" Carefully, she took the unhatched Pokémon egg in both hands, removing it from the enclosure. Then, tucking it into the crook of her arm, she descended the ladder, watching for the female Sealeo. Even after Summer had regained her footing on the ground, the ice Pokémon hadn't made an appearance. "Here," She held the egg out to her father, taking a step forward, to close the distance.
Then, just as her foot hit the ground, as if Summer's life had suddenly been written by a second-rate movie director, the egg shook in her hands, beginning to crack.