AN: I accidentally uploaded the unfinished chapter, here's the finished version.
1.
The Breeder and the Newbie
…0…
When Berwald woke up that cold winter morning it was to the sounds of screaming. Berwald stumbled out of his tent, almost falling as his legs caught in his sleeping bag. Pushing his glasses up, he ran towards the screaming. Bursting into the clearing near his camp he saw a slim blonde boy beating back a swarm of Pidove from an injured Tepig and three eggs lying amongst the tattered remains of an orange tent. Berwald only took a second to wonder what had caused normal docile bird Pokemon to attack before calling out one of his own Pokemon.
Manectric gave her body a shake pleased to be out and turned to look at Berwald questioningly. He simply gestured to the scene before them in reply. Manectric lifted her head and gave the scene a glance before turning to Berwald for confirmation. He nodded and with a regal nod in reply Manectric rose to her feet and calmly walked towards the boy.
"Ma ectric." She spoke, sparking in warning catching the Pidoves' attention. The bird Pokemon turned to glare at her with furious yellow eyes. They replied and fluffed up their wings threateningly. Manectric narrowed her red eyes and Berwald knew instantly that whatever the Pidoves had just said it had been insulting to his prideful Pokemon. Without a second's pause he shot across the clearing and tackled the stunned boy to the ground.
A second slower and the boy would have been hit with the giant Thunder attack Manectric released to show the Pidove exactly who they were dealing with. The boy squeaked rather from the shocking display of power or Berwald's considerable heft he didn't know. Berwald looked up to find Manectric carefully licking her blue fur down, the Pidove fleeing in the distance feathers looking distinctly singed.
"Th't was unec'ss'ary." Berwald told her seriously. Manectric gave a regal shrug to show she did not care about his opinion and approached. Berwald looked down to find a blushing blonde looking at him with wide purple eyes. Berwald blinked in surprise at the color, but realizing the boy must be uncomfortable rose to his feet.
"'re you 'lright?" Berwald questioned as Manectric leaned down gave the boy a considering sniff. The boy nodded and sat up dazed. Manectric wriggled closer apparently liking what she smelled. She gave the boy's curls a friendly lick causing him to squeak. An oink of protest came from nearby and Berwald turned to find the injured Tepig glaring furiously at Manectric. Manectric leaned forward to give the boy another lick, this time on his cheek. Tepig squealed loudly and indignantly, snapping the boy back to reality.
"Tepig!" the boy shouted jumping to his feet and almost falling back down as he hurried to the infant Pokemon. The boy swung it up into his arms stroking the Pokemon gently and reassuringly. As its trainer checked its injuries the pig gave Manectric a downright smug look. Berwald hid his amusement at the behavior when the boy looked up at him tearfully.
"Please, sir do you have a Potion? I'm out and Tepig's hurt." Said Pokemon nuzzled against its trainer looking quite pathetic. Berwald suspected most of it was an act because of Manectric's presence, but there was no denying the wounds. Berwald nodded and gently took the infant Pokemon from the boy. He went to draw a potion from his bag, but realized it wasn't with him. All he had on were his pajama bottoms and the belt he wore his pokeballs on. Berwald sighed and gestured for the boy to follow him.
The boy shook his head and pointed to the eggs. Berwald watched as the boy quickly went to check on the eggs. The small Pokemon in Berwald's arms gave him a worried look as Berwald wondered how the boy, who was clearly a new trainer, had come to posses one Pokemon egg, much less three.
"Sir, could you carry one along with Tepig?" the boy asked softly, cradling two of the eggs awkwardly in his arms.
Berwald shook his head and grabbed two of his pokeballs. The boy yelped barely staying on his feet as Chansey and Kangaskhan appeared. Both of them were well trained nursemaids and quickly went about seeing to the eggs. The boy's mouth dropped as the Pokemon took the eggs from him with a no nonsense professional manner and placed them in their respective pouches. Chansey noted the third egg and graciously picked it up to offer to him, apparently deciding he was competent enough to be trusted with it. Berwald wanted to smile as the boy stuttered out a stunned thank you. The boy didn't realize he'd just been given a considerable honor, since half the time Chansey and Kangaskhan didn't trust Berwald to touch an egg they were caring for.
The boy looked up to Berwald mystified and squeaked a little under Berwald's intense stare. Berwald nodded in the direction of his camp before turning to walk. Berwald heard the boy hurrying after him, while Chansey and Kangaskhan chatted as they followed. When they got to the camp Berwald quickly tracked down his bag and started treating Tepig. As he worked on the infant Chansey and Kangaskhan fussed the boy into sitting between them. Manectric gave them all a cool looking over before going to sit at the boy's feet. Tepig growled annoyed, but didn't try to break Berwald's gentle grip.
"H're's y'ur T'pig." Berwald said switching the Tepig with the boy for the egg. Chansey gave him a look and Berwald handed the egg over with a sigh. As Chansey adjusted the eggs in her pouch, Berwald watched the boy gently reassure his Tepig and cuddle it. Manectric didn't seem very happy and very pointedly walked away to sit beside Berwald and seethe. Deciding he was uncomfortable being the only one stand Berwald sat and began to carefully work a hand up and down Manectric's spine. In a few seconds she melted and curled up against him.
They fell into an easy quiet. Berwald wondered what the boy would do now. They were in Pinwheel Forest and it was close to Nacrene City, but until they got there he would be without any shelter. Plus the only Pokemon Berwald had seen on the boy was an infant and eggs. He'd been unable to even handle a few Pidoves, alone the boy was no match for anything more powerful lurking in the forest. And that was just the Pokemon. Berwald had been hearing rumors about strange criminals stealing Pokemon since he'd arrived in Unova. Finally Berwald came to a conclusion. The boy would get himself killed.
"Sir?" a soft voice asked causing Berwald to look up.
"Hm?" The boy flinched and Berwald frowned. He hated when people wore that expression when the met him. Berwald's shoulders slumped and the boy looked guilty, but then his eyes suddenly widened as he stared at Berwald. He looked away, but not before Berwald saw his face was bright red.
"Er, thank you." The boy managed, despite his voice being oddly high pitched and strangled.
"'t w's f'ne." Berwald assured him. "'m B'rw'ld." The boy blinked and looked confused for a few seconds before his eyes widened and he nodded.
"It's nice to meet you Mr. Berwald. I'm Matthew Williams." The boy told him quietly, still not looking at Berwald.
"B'rw'ld." Berwald corrected. Matthew nodded, but seemed to go an even brighter. Berwald was confused now. He was used to flinching and squeaking. He was used to people being terrified of him, because frankly Berwald had a scary face. But blushing was new and he wasn't sure how to react. Matthew's purple eyes looked up at him, and Berwald could see how uncomfortable and embarrassed the boy was.
"Sh-shouldn't you put on a shirt?" Matthew questioned, voice strangled. Berwald felt his own face go warm and quickly went to change in the tent. By the time he got back, Matthew had managed to get one of the eggs back and had Tepig curled into one side and Manectric curled into the other. Chansey and Kangaskhan had moved to where Berwald had been sitting and watched the Fire Pokemon and Electric Pokemon shamelessly competing for a bewildered Matthew's attention.
Matthew looked at Berwald beseechingly, but the man shrugged, frankly amused at his always perfectly poised Manectric's inelegant behavior. Berwald went to settle beside Kangaskhan nodded towards Matthew approvingly. Chansey piped in her agreement. Berwald shook his head in amusement. They'd probably suspected his decision when they saw the boy's camp. His Pokemon knew him too well.
"H'w 'ld 're you M'tthew?" Berwald questioned. Matthew took a few seconds, but finally replied.
"Seventeen." Berwald was thrown, the boy was so short and slender, not to mention so wide eyed innocent he'd expected younger.
"I th'nk you sh'ld tr'v'l w'th m' 'ntil w' g't t' N'cren' C'ty." Matthew stared at him and Berwald sighed before repeating more slowly. Matthew went bright red and to Berwald's horror got teary eyed.
"You d'n't h've t' if you d'n't w'nt t'." Berwald rushed to assure him. Matthew shook his head.
"It's not that. I wanted to ask you if I could, but I was embarrassed. We just met after all." Matthew told him and smiled. Berwald blinked surprised by how pretty the boy looked. "I'd like to thank you."
The boy paused and then asked. "Where are you heading after Nacrene?"
"N'v'ma." Berwald answered and Matthew beamed.
"I'm from Nuvema, I was heading back to talk to Professor Juniper about the eggs." Matthew paused and looked at the eggs and then Berwald sheepishly. "I suppose you want to know how I got them?"
Berwald nodded.
"And about the Pidoves?"
Berwald nodded more firmly.
Matthew looked up at him suddenly shy. "I've just started out and I didn't have the three Pokemon you need for Striaton City's Gym yet. I heard about Pinwheel and thought it would be a good place to train. Originally I'd planned to challenge Lenora, the Nacrene Gym Leader, on the way. But I saw her battle and decided I should probably hold off."
Matthew shifted the egg in his grasp and Berwald leaned forward. The blonde's voice really was quiet. Almost too quiet to hear.
"Before I could start training though I heard this shouting and found this bike near a ditch and an old man inside it. I helped him out and he just gave me these eggs as thanks. He told me he ran a Day-Care and the trainers whose Pokemon had had them didn't desire the eggs. He said he'd been looking for good trainers for them and since I'd been so kind he was sure I'd be good to them. Before I could tell him no though he got on the bike and sped off." Matthew paused shoulders slumping. Berwald couldn't blame. Not even one badge, one infant Pokemon already and he was expecting three more. As a breeder Berwald at least knew what to expect and how to take care of them, but he was just a new trainer with no experience. Berwald gave Matthew's shoulder a comforting pat. Matthew looked stunned and then touched. For a few moments Berwald though the boy would burst into tears.
"Th' pid'ves?" Berwald questioned, to get past the awkward moment.
Matthew looked at Tepig, who was suddenly finding the ground very interesting. When he looked up up he was wearing a sheepish expression, but his tears were gone.
"Tepig was practicing her Ember and she accidentally singed one of their tail feathers. They didn't take very kindly to it and attacked." Matthew admitted softly. Berwald nodded and gave Tepig a considering look. Yes, there was definitely no way he could let the boy go by himself with such a hot head.
"You 're c'ming w'th m'." Berwald said firmly. Matthew looked relieved and then gave Berwald one of the most breathtaking smiles he'd ever seen.
"I'll try not to get in the way." Matthew said softly and Berwald felt a slight pang at the sight of the beautiful boy. This could be problematic. He wasn't used to someone smiling at him. But looking at that soft, helpless face he couldn't take back what he said, not when the boy would likely kill himself without him. Berwald would just have to take the problems as they came.