I Choose You!

1. First

A tradition of the Vargas family was to receive a pokémon companion upon turning twelve. That pokémon was always an Eevee. It had been that way for many generations and was a well-cherished family tradition.

Grandpa Roman Vargas, guardian of his three wonderful grandson's, beamed widely as his oldest stumbled sleepily down the stairs of their home. He managed to wait until the boy was in the kitchen before bounding over and sweeping him up into a hug.

"Happy birthday, Lovino~!" He sang cheerily, kissing the newly-turned twelve-year-old on the forehead.

Lovino turned bright red at the attention and pushes away from his grandfather, grumbling his thanks once he broke free of his grasp. As he gathered his favorite cereal and ignored the chuckling of his grandfather, his younger brothers skipped happily down the stairs and into the kitchen. They eagerly lapped up the attention Grandpa Roman gave them. Lovino rolled his eyes as he sat down with his food.

"Happy birthday, Feliciano," Grandpa Roman said, planting a kiss atop his middle grandson's head.

"Ve~ grazie," Feliciano said with a giggle. He smiled brightly at Lovino, who scowled back. "Happy birthday, fratello! I bet you're excited about today!"

Lovino poured moomoo milk onto his cereal and then viciously dug his spoon into it. "No. Why should I be?"

Feliciano gasped in horror, his amber eyes widening. "But Lovi, you get to go pick your Eevee today!"

The oldest brother said nothing as he ate a spoonful of cereal. He hadn't forgotten about it. He just didn't want to get his hopes up. He'd shared a birthday with Feliciano for tenyears and had come to expect being outshined by his younger brother, even on that day. His twelfth birthday would be no different from the rest.

A Flareon trotted into the room carrying a newspaper in its mouth. He jumped up onto one of the chairs and deposited it on the table. He continued to sit there as he turned his wise, unblinking black eyes onto Lovino.

Grandpa Roman chuckled and gave his oldest pokémon a treat and a quick scratch behind the ears in thanks. "Even Remus here remembered what day it is. He woke me up early this morning so we could go down to the Peeters Breeding Center and make sure they remember we're coming over."

Marco, the youngest of the Vargas boys, climbed up into his chair and reached for his favourite sugary cereal. He began clumsily pouring it into his bowl. "I can't wait to get my own Eevee."

"Me too," said Feliciano. "Two more years… You're lucky, Lovi."

Marco pouted. "I don't want to wait five more years."

"It'll go by quickly, kiddo," promised Grandpa Roman. He looked over at Lovino, who was beginning to get uncomfortable under the gaze of Remus. "We'll go down there after breakfast, just the two of us."

That took Lovino by surprise. His grandpa never asked him to go do things with him. Not without his younger brothers. He smiled slightly to himself and ate his breakfast with a little more vigour.

Marco and Feliciano whined about not being able to go. Grandpa Roman scolded them lightly, reminding them that they could only go when it was their turn.

"Machamp will watch after you," he told them.

The youngest two whined some more.

"But I like it when Hitmonchan watches us better," Marco said with a pout.

"He lets you get away with too much," Grandpa Roman said.

Lovino heard none of the conversation, too busy daydreaming about how life would be with an Eevee as a companion.

.


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The breeding center of their town was managed by an elderly couple who were in the process of turning the business over to their three grandchildren. They were kind people with plenty of knowledge about pokémon which they were always happy to share.

Back when his parents were still alive, Lovino spent many afternoons playing with the Peeters children in the pen with newly hatched Growlithe pups.

That was why, when Grandmother Peeters drew him into a warm hug and Grandfather Peeters patted him on the shoulder affectionately, he didn't struggle. He did, however, scowl at their oldest grandson, who stared coolly back for a moment before looking away to pluck a Zubat free from his scarf. The flying pokémon screeched loudly in protest.

Grandmother Peeters immediately released Lovino and looked over at her grandson. "Lars, be a dear and take Lovino to the Eevee enclosure. I'll take the little Zubat."

The teenager nodded and handed over the pokémon, who squeaked contentedly when Grandmother Peeters allowed it to crawl into her coat pocket and snuggle up there.

"It's this way," Lars told Lovino, gesturing for him to follow.

Lovino glanced at his grandpa, who seemed more interested in talking to the Peeters couple than following along. He huffed, though he wasn't really surprised, and followed his old playmate.

As he left, he caught part of their conversation.

"Hardworking boy you have there," remarked Grandpa Roman.

"Oh, yes," agreed Grandmother Peeters. "He and Zacharie both. I worry about Laura though."

"She has her father's spirit," Grandfather Peeters said fondly. "All she wants to do is run wild and free…"

.


.

Lovino and Lars were mobbed by a mass of chortling, happy Eevee the moment they stepped into the pen. There were only ten or so, but the way they ran around them, darting between their legs and tripping them up as they walked made it seem like there were many more.

Lars caught one as it jumped up onto him. "You came just in time. We're going to start moving them outside today."

"What's going in here next?" Lovino asked. He managed to get over to one of the fallen logs and sat down without falling over. The Eevee gathered around his legs, begging for attention.

"Bug types, I think," Lars replied, scratching the Eevee in his arms under its chin. "A few Caterpie and Weedle. I think we have a Paras or two getting ready to hatch."

Lovino shuddered a little. He wasn't very fond of bug pokémon. An Eevee jumped into his lap and he managed to pat it on the head before it hopped down and ran off into the tall, fake grass. As he watched, several others chased after it.

"They want you to play," Lars noted.

Lovino crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not here to play. I'm here to pick one of them."

Lars hummed as he set down the Eevee he'd been holding. "You should know by now that pokémon choose you, not the other way around. Remember Laura and her Sentret?"

"Yeah, yeah," Lovino grumbled. How could he forget how jealous he'd felt when, at eight years old, Laura had a pokémon companion to call her own. She still had the fluffy creature, though it'd evolved into a Furret while protecting her from a rogue Starly.

The Eevee that had run off began chortling loudly and then a dark blur shot out of the tall grass. It leapt for Lovino, landing squarely on his chest and knocking him backwards off the log. Lovino cursed loudly and grabbed the fluffy creature by the scruff of its neck before it could run away.

"Little fucker," he grumbled as he sat up. He lifted the wiggling pokémon to eye level for a better look.

Unlike the rest of the Eevee, his coat wasn't reddish-brown. It was much darker - more of a rich, dark chocolate color with a reddish tone to it. And where the others had accents of off-white and cream, the one he was holding had accents of light tannish-brown.

"Looks like they managed to flush out the shy one," Lars remarked. "He's been here for about a year now. He never comes out for anyone except Laura. If it weren't for her, I would've left him outside."

The Eevee stopped struggling and smacked Lovino's arm with its back paw a few times before giving up. Pitiful black eyes stared at him and it was then that a choice was made.

"I want him," Lovino heard himself say. He lowered the Eevee to his chest and wrapped one arm around him securely before releasing the scruff of his neck.

Lars smirked knowingly, but didn't say a word. Instead, he quietly led Lovino back out front so they could finalize everything.

.


.

Five years later, Lovino found it hard to believe how lucky he'd gotten to have been picked by such a wonderful Eevee. As he walked through the crowds of an amateur pokémon trainer tournament in search of his companions - Feliciano and Laura - he couldn't help but think back to the first time he met the pokémon.

"Fratello!" Feliciano shouted, his voice rising above the chatter of the crowd. He pushed through a gathering of people, waving his arms wildly in the air and doing his best to get his brother's attention as he ran towards him. "I made it to the semi-finals! What about you?" He asked once he reached Lovino.

Lovino wordlessly held up his card, showing that he hadn't lost. His Eevee, who he'd named Sicily, chortled softly and pawed at his leg.

"Yay! We're both in the semi-finals!" Feliciano cheered. "I'm up against someone named 'Ludwig' next. What about you?"

"Antonio," Lovino muttered, nodding towards a smiling brunet who was busy chatting-up a blushing Laura. There was a Turtwig sitting on his head.

Feliciano followed his gaze and stared at his brother's next opponent for a moment. Then he smiled brightly. "He looks nice!"

Before Lovino could snap back with a reply, an announcement for the beginning of the semi-finals rose above the clamour of the crowd. Feliciano skipped off, eager to get to his next match and show off the skills of his Vaporeon named Macaroni. Lovino glared at Antonio for a moment longer until Laura spotted him and waved. He turned around quickly and picked up Sicily before stomping off towards his designated battlefield.

There was no way he was losing to that charming, smiley bastard.

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End


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Ah, something to write in hopes of overcoming writers block on my other fanfictions. And I've been in a pokemon mood lately, it seems.

Thanks to everyone over on the Hetalia Event Comm for giving me feedback and new ideas for what pokémon the characters should have!