The Winds of Time

Chapter 2

Metal on Metal

The ancient pokemon felt a shift in the fabric of reality behind it - a bending of space that formed a connection between this realm and another, distant one. A moment later, it was not alone.

"You summoned me?" came a voice from the newcomer. "Father," it added, as if reluctantly.

The ancient one turned slowly to face the one who spoke. The newcomer shared a strong physical resemblance to it in its quadrupedal form but differed in its coloration, having a blue body lined with luminescent stripes. Metallic crests adorned its head, back and chest. A single, blue-white jewel set into its chest pulsed slowly with an inner light. It glared down at its sire with burning, red eyes, dwarfing the ancient pokemon with its own towering form. "Indeed. Too long has it been since we have spoken, Dialga."

"Ironic that you say so, considering you had little to say before, Arceus," Dialga said, the last word spoken with obvious contempt.

"I had much to say, but little that you cared to hear."

Dialga idly pawed at a rock, then crushed it under a metallic foot. "Was there any particular reason you called me here, or did you simply wish to remind me of your preeminence?"

"Long has been your absence, Dialga. The Winds of Time have grown cold without your guardianship."

"Time needs no guardian," Dialga spat. "It has looked after itself these many years and I see no reason why it cannot continue to do so."

"You are mistaken. This world suffers and I fear that it will suffer more in the coming days without your presence."

"As if you care!" Dialga said, rounding on his father. "Tell me, if you are so concerned for this world, what you have done to guide it along? How have you shepherded the masses spread out upon the land before you? You stand here upon your lofty perch, meditating on your own greatness and making grand pronouncements against those you deign to cast your gaze down upon. But will you so much as lift a finger for anyone in this world? Of course not! After all, why should you when everyone is beneath you."

"I cannot bear the weight of this world alone. That is why I invested much of my former power into my children - and especially into you, Dialga."

"So you say, but I think, perhaps, something less noble stays you. Perhaps it is fear? Fear of failure? Oh, yes, such reluctance would be wise on your part." Dialga leaned in close, his eyes smoldering into a deeper shade of red. "For the taste of failure is bitter indeed and lingers long after you weary of it."

"I know that the past has brought you pain, but you are needed here in the present by pokemon and humans alike."

Dialga made a derisive snort. "Humans. I think this world would have been better without them."

Arceus looked up into Dialga's eyes. "We both know you don't mean that," he said softly.

Dialga glared wordlessly down at his father, then turned and began walking away. "If you love this world so much," he said over his shoulder, "you can look after it yourself." The jewel set into Dialga's chest flared and the air in front of him rippled into a shimmering portal.

A moment later, Arceus was alone once more.

# # #

Ryan sat at the small, round table in the kitchen eating a slice of microwave pizza - a late-night snack before his evening rounds at the Arborea Hills Pokemon Veterinary Clinic. The sound of the evening news playing on a small television sitting on the counter broke the quiet of the evening. He watched the program absently between bites of pizza until one story in particular caught his attention.

NuGen, the world's largest supplier of pokemon medical supplies and training aids continues to face a firestorm of public criticism over allegations of pokemon abuse and bizarre experiments being conducted at one of their facilities. The story broke as a result of a video recently posted on the Internet depicting the alleged abuses. The video went viral within hours of its posting and now has pokemon advocacy groups demanding a full investigation. Inside sources report that Doctor Gregory Talbot, a senior researcher in NuGen's life sciences division has reportedly been terminated from NuGen as a result of the scandal. NuGen has since released an official statement: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by these recent revelations. As a result, we will be implementing more rigorous oversight of all research projects to ensure that they are conducted in a safe, humane and ethical manner consistent with our philosophy of providing quality care for our pokemon friends and their partners."

Ryan sniffed at the bare crust in his hand then lobbed it into the garbage can across the room as he headed out of the kitchen to begin his nightly walkthrough. He checked the stocks of gauze and disinfectant, bringing in more from the storeroom where needed. He mopped the floor, wiped down the counters and emptied the garbage. Finally, he began his tour of the recovery room.

He came first to a clear, open-topped enclosure that was empty except for a single brown-speckled egg sitting on a pile of fine wood shavings. He glanced at the card affixed to the side of pen which read, "Species: Eevee". The egg had been here for the past few days, but the card identifying it was new.

Ryan pulled out his cell phone and opened his pokedex app. It had proven useful during his employment here at the clinic, though he found its contents to be dull reading and consulted it only when the need arose. Now, he scanned the entry pertaining to the occupant of the egg. It seemed to him to be a thoroughly unremarkable creature, aside from its unusual ability to develop into a wide variety of other forms by various means.

He put his phone back into his pocket and began walking away when a soft rustling sound made him pause. He turned back toward the pen and saw that the egg was shifting on its nest of shavings. He stepped closer and watched as its movements became more pronounced. The egg fell over on its side and began to rock and shudder. After a short while, an appendage burst through the shell - a wet, furry paw - soon followed by another. Finally, the egg split in half, revealing a small, brown vaguely canine creature with long ears, a thick, bushy tail and a white ruff around its neck.

It rolled about on its back, struggling to right itself. When it finally succeeding in getting its feet underneath it, it stood, wobbling, bits of wood shavings sticking to its still-damp fur, making a high-pitched yipping noise.

"I bet Doctor Lynd will be glad to see you've finally popped out," Ryan said to the bedraggled pokemon. "Though I suppose she wouldn't be thrilled if I left you looking like you lost a fight with a dumpster." Ryan retrieved a towel from a nearby cabinet and proceeded to wipe it dry, then placed bowls with food and water in the enclosure with it.

Ryan turned to continue his rounds but stopped when he heard the eevee begin yipping again. It stood with its front paws up on the glass, wagging its tail. "It's late. Eat your food and go to sleep," Ryan told it over his shoulder and continued on.

As he moved out of its view, the eevee's cries became a shrill whine.

Ryan stopped again, sighing heavily. He waited for the eevee's whining to stop, but when it didn't, he returned to its pen. The tiny creature looked up at him, squeaking plaintively. "All right, already," he said, exasperated. He reached down and picked up the eevee who practically leapt up into his hands. "You can come with me for the rest of my rounds, but just zip it, okay?"

The eevee made a mewling sound then settled quietly into Ryan's arms.

Without further disturbance, Ryan continued with his rounds, coming first to a fully enclosed glass-fronted pen containing a snakelike pokemon with a piece of gauze wrapped around it halfway down its body. "This is Mrs. Atwood's ekans," he told the eevee. "He tried to take a bite out of a raticate and wound up having a bite taken out of him, instead." The ekans raised its head and glared at Ryan. "Don't get mad at me for telling it like it is," he told it as he checked its bandage. "It's your own fault for being a greedy guts."

Ryan narrated the stories of the remaining patients to the eevee, including a purrloin that got stuck in a tree and decided to take a swan dive off the highest branch rather than allow itself to be rescued and a swalot that ate one of its owners' poke balls with a pokemon still inside it. The owner was understandably upset and the poke ball had to be surgically removed before it got digested. When he was finished, he found that the eevee had fallen asleep in his arms. He carefully returned it to its pen then headed upstairs to his room and slid into his bed where Cutter already lay sleeping.

The next morning, Ryan crawled out from under the covers of the sofa bed, its springs softly twanging as he did. He stood and raked his fingers through his short, black hair. Cutter, nowhere to be seen, had apparently woke up before he did. Ryan rubbed his bleary eyes, yawning loudly, then proceeded to get dressed and went downstairs.

He found Doctor Lynd seated at the kitchen table, sipping a mug of tea with Cutter sitting next to her with his eyes closed and a hand on her stomach.

Good morning, Ryan, Cutter said without opening his eyes.

"Morning, Cutter, Doctor Lynd," he said, pouring himself a bowl of cereal. He sat down at the table across from Doctor Lynd who smiled at him over her mug. "I hope you're being careful, Cutter," he said between spoonfuls. "A baby's mind is probably pretty fragile."

Oh, yes, of course. I only just listen, though. I doubt that its mind is sufficiently developed to understand anything I'd try to say to it anyway.

"And speaking of babies," he said to Doctor Lynd, "that eevee egg in the back hatched last night."

"It has? Oh, that's wonderful! After you finish your breakfast, we should go have a look at it."

Doctor Lynd finished her tea while Ryan dispatched his cereal, then the three of them went to the pen containing the newly hatched eevee where its occupant lay curled up inside. As they approached, it perked up and rushed to the edge of the pen, jumping and yipping.

"Damn, that thing's hyper," Ryan said. "Are they all like that?"

"Eevee are very energetic. It's part of the biological process that prepares them for transformation into other forms." She picked it up and attempted to examine it, but it immediately began squirming in her arms. "Ryan, could you hold it for me so I can check it over?"

He took the wriggling pokemon from Doctor Lynd and as soon as he did, it began eagerly licking his face.

"It seems to like you, Ryan," the Doctor said with a grin.

"I wish it would like me less. After it hatched, it wouldn't shut up until I carried it around for a while." Ryan looked down at the eevee who was now sniffing at his neck. "You can stop that, now," he said. The eevee, however, showed no signs of complying.

"I think you should keep him," Doctor Lynd said.

"I'm sure you'd find that adorable, but it already belongs to someone."

"Actually, it doesn't. I got the egg from a friend who had more of them than she knew what to do with. They breed like buneary, you know," she said with a wink. "I wasn't sure who to give it to, but it looks like it decided for me."

He shot her an annoyed look. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, come on, you're already taking care of one pokemon. One more won't make that much of a difference."

"Look how hyper it is, though."

"But it likes you!"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

She smiled sweetly at him.

"Fine," he sighed. "One more for the menagerie, I guess. This is the last one, though."

It's a male, by the way, Cutter added.

"Yes, I can see that it's a male, Cutter."

Just thought I'd mention it, since you sometimes seem to have trouble discerning genders.

"I told you already that I didn't know all gallade were male. Not everyone has the pokedex memorized, you know."

"Now that that's settled," Doctor Lynd interjected, "You'll need to feed your eevee regularly and give him plenty of exercise. I'll also print up a sheet detailing other things you'll need, depending on how you plan to guide its development."

Ryan looked down at the eevee, who was now chewing on the sleeve of his shirt. "Wonderful."

"And he'll need a name."

# # #

Several days later, Ryan sat on the grass outside the clinic enjoying the late summer sun. He held in his hand a tennis ball - now slightly damp after several retrievals by the eevee scampering excitedly in front of him. He threw the ball hard down the grassy hill and watched the eevee take off like a shot in pursuit. "I'm starting to wonder if taking Buster was such a good idea," he said to Cutter, who sat nearby.

Why do you say that?

"Because all he does is eat, sleep, shit and run around like a maniac."

Doctor Lynd did say that eevee are very energetic, especially when they're young. And Buster is very fond of you.

"Yeah, he likes me so much, he crawls in bed with me every night."

What's wrong with that? You and I sleep in the same bed.

"What's wrong is that he doesn't care what position his body is in when he falls asleep. I woke up yesterday with a pair of furry nuts in my face."

Yes, that did look a bit - odd.

"So why didn't you move him before I woke up?'

Well, you both looked so peaceful and I didn't want to disturb you, Cutter said, suppressing a snicker.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" Ryan said, throwing a small dirt clod at Cutter. "Just for that, you get to mow the lawn next time."

Buster came running back, the tennis ball in his mouth almost too big for it to carry. He dropped the ball at Ryan's feet and wagged his big, fluffy tail.

You're not really going to give him back, are you? Cutter asked softly.

Ryan sighed and gave Buster a scratch on the head. "No, I suppose not. Doctor Lynd would probably get all sad and disappointed and stuff if I did. Speaking of which..." Ryan nodded toward the figure waddling toward them.

"Hello, Ryan," Doctor Lynd said as she ambled up to the group. "I'm glad to see that you and Buster are getting along."

Ryan offered a steadying hand as she lowered herself awkwardly to sit on the grass. "Don't you think you should take some time off," he said. "You're not getting around so well and you look like you're going to pop any minute now."

"I get around well enough," she replied, "and when I 'pop', as you so eloquently put it, it won't much matter where I am, so I might as well keep busy. And speaking of keeping busy, I have something you might be interested in."

"Do tell," Ryan said, eyeing Buster as he began rolling around on his back.

"The owner of a machine shop in town is having a problem with some pokemon that have moved into his shop and started harassing the employees. He needs someone to get them out so they can get back to work."

"That's not really my area of expertise. Why doesn't he get a professional pokemon trainer to handle it?"

"Because there aren't any League trainers in town right now and word has started getting around about what you did at the NuGen facility."

"Cutter did most of the work with that, really."

"Then take him with you. The owner of the shop is offering to pay a very reasonable fee for the service and you did say you were looking for ways to make a little extra money." She gave him a nudge on the shoulder. "What harm is there in taking a look? If you check it out and you still think it's something you can't handle, you can always turn the job down."

Ryan considered for a moment. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to at least look into it."

"That's the spirit! You should take Buster with you, too. He could use the exercise and his keen sense of smell might come in handy."

"You just don't want him zipping around the clinic."

"He is your responsibility, you know."

"Thanks for reminding me."

# # #

Ryan and his pokemon came to a large cinder block building on the far side of town. A faded sign that read "North Star Metal and Machine" hung over the door. As they approached, a tall man standing out front wearing a flannel shirt and jeans came up to meet them. "Are you the ones the veterinarian sent?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm Ryan Meadows. Doctor Lynd said you have a pokemon problem."

The man extended a meaty hand. "Indeed I do. Name's Lars. I own this shop. I hope you can do something about this."

Ryan shook Lars' hand which swallowed his own as if it were a child's. "Why don't you tell me what's been happening from the beginning."

"A few days ago, the drill press started acting up, so we opened it up to see what was wrong. When we did, the press shocked one of my workers."

"What's so weird about that?"

"Nothing, except that the main circuit breaker for the press was turned off. There was no power to the machine at all when it shocked him."

"Ah. Well, that would be unusual, then."

"It gets worse. Soon after, the other machines in the shop started acting up, too, shocking and even throwing parts of the machines at the workers. It got so bad, I had to send everyone home before someone got seriously hurt." He turned to face the building, crossing his arms. "I think my shop is infested with ghost pokemon. I hope you can get rid of them because I'm losing money every day my shop stays closed."

"Ghost pokemon, huh? What do you think, Cutter?"

My abilities are affective against such creatures. I believe I can handle them if the need arises.

"Alright," he said to Lars, "I can't promise you anything, but we'll have a look."

Lars led Ryan in through the front office and to a door in the back behind the counter. "This leads to the shop area," Lars said, unlocking the door. "Good luck, and be careful."

Ryan and his pokemon entered the workshop, a room the size of a small warehouse filled with large, industrial machines interspersed with racks, trays and bins full of metal products of all shapes and sizes. Sunlight slanting in from narrow windows near the ceiling cut through the gloom of the otherwise dark interior. A flip of the light switches near the door produced nothing from the large fluorescent fixtures overhead. Ryan turned to his pokemon. "Cutter, stick close. Buster, try to stay out of..." Ryan paused as Buster raised up, putting his paws on Ryan's leg. Ryan sighed and cast a weary look at Cutter. "Just tell him not to get near anything dangerous, okay?"

The trio made their way slowly through the shadowy interior, their footsteps on the concrete floor ringing out through the utter silence. The scent of machine oil hung heavy in the air. The farther in they went, the more evident became the shop's disarray, with piles of sheet metal cast haphazardly among the orderly rows of heavy machinery and tools left hastily behind on workbenches.

Dark, shapes occasionally appeared to move at the edges of Ryan's vision, but when scrutinized, revealed themselves to be only irregular shadows cast by collections of metal in the dim light.

A clattering of metal falling to the ground echoed from a distant corner of the workshop. Cutter's head swiveled toward the noise. What was that?

"Don't know," Ryan replied. "Want to check it out?"

Not really, but I suppose we should.

Ryan spun around at another clattering of metal, from the opposite direction but nearer. Buster lowered his head, growling.

Something is here, Cutter said, extending his arms into blades. Be ready.

The whine of a band saw pierced the air, followed by the hum of other machines spinning up one by one, each closer to the group than the last. Ryan started backing toward an empty workbench when suddenly, a circular piece of metal came hurtling through the gloom toward him, whizzing past his head close enough that he could feel the wind of its passage on his cheek. Cutter knocked another flying piece of metal aimed at Ryan aside with a sweep of an arm blade. I can't see where they're coming from, can you?

Ryan saw shadowy shapes separate from some of the machines and begin floating toward him. Bolts of electricity began arcing between some of the hovering shapes, briefly illuminating them enough for Ryan to see that they consisted of collections of gears, cogs and various inner workings of the machines they arose from. "Yeah, I see them," he said, counting more than half a dozen of the animated assemblages, "and I think we might be in over our heads, here."

I agree, Cutter responded, facing three more that emerged with a clangor of metal rods being knocked from their racks.

"Okay, everyone, back to the door!" Ryan called out, and began hurrying toward the entrance. The sounds of crashing metal and staccato pops of electricity followed behind them as they fled. Their escape, however was cut short as more of the gyrating assemblages of metal cut them off, forcing them to seek an alternate path. After several twists and turns dodging their attackers they found that they were being pushed farther from the exit, not closer.

Two of the animated clusters of machine parts harried them close from behind. When one of the pursuers swooped low near Buster, the eevee growled and turned on its attacker. The eevee leapt high, slamming its body against the spinning metal gears. The metallic creature, unfazed, responded by sending one of its clustered gears shooting back at Buster like a spinning blade. Buster screeched in pain as the gear slammed into its tiny body, sending it tumbling into a large workbench.

Ryan turned and saw Buster lying unmoving on floor and swore. "Cutter, watch my back!" he shouted as he grabbed a length of aluminum rod from a nearby rack and charged the cluster of gears advancing on Buster. Ryan swung the rod like a staff, smacking the metal creature several times while dancing nimbly away from its swooping counterattacks. Behind him, he heard Cutter's blades ringing off the body of the second creature. Finally, seeing an opening, Ryan drove the metal rod into the rotating gears, the soft aluminum wrapping up around them, binding and fouling their movement. With a raspy, grinding noise, it retreated.

Ryan scooped up Buster and ducked behind the large workbench while Cutter, arm blades aglow with a shimmering purple light, drove the other metal creature back. Ryan pulled out his cell phone, popped up just long enough to snap a photo of the retreating creature into his pokedex app, then hunkered back down behind the cover of the workbench. He then turned his attention to his eevee who whined piteously in his arms, his white ruff streaked red with blood. "Dammit, Buster," he said softly, "Why'd you have to do something foolish like that?"

Cutter joined them behind the workbench. It appears they've been driven back for the moment. His eyes fell upon the wounded eevee. How bad is it?

"Bad enough. I don't have anything to help him, either. I should've known something like this might happen, I just... I've never done anything like this before."

Don't worry, I can help.

"You can?"

Yes. Set him down on the floor.

Ryan did as instructed. Cutter placed his hands on Buster and they began to glow with a soft, pulsing light. Slowly, the wounds on Buster's side began to close.

"I didn't know you had healing abilities, Cutter," Ryan said.

One of my many skills.

"Wait a minute. If you can do that, then why didn't you heal yourself after the houndoom attacked you back at NuGen?"

Because the healing pulses of psychic energy I generate have to resonate between myself and another living creature in order to build up enough power to be effective. And since the energy waves peak on the odd reflections and through on the even ones, I can only heal another, not myself.

"Ah. Right." Ryan's phone chimed, drawing his attention. "Got a match on the photo," he said as he began reading the information being displayed by the pokedex. "According to this, the things attacking us aren't ghost pokemon. They're metallic pokemon called 'klang'. Let's see, they shock, throw gears... Yeah, pretty much figured that last part out already."

This is not good news. My abilities aren't going to do much good against metallic pokemon.

"Not what I wanted to hear right now, Cutter."

There's a larger door near the back of the workshop. Couldn't we escape there?

"I already thought about that, but I saw that it was padlocked from the outside when we arrived. Besides," he said, peeking up over the workbench, "it looks like there are even more of them on that side of the shop." Ryan ducked his head back down just as a spinning gear flew toward him, embedding itself in a nearby wall. It quivered there for a moment then tore itself loose, flying back the way it came. "Dammit! Looks like they're coming back. We're going to have to make a break for it."

I'm almost done. Just give me a few more... Cutter pulled his hands away as Buster's body began to ripple and convulse.

"What's happening? What did you do?"

Nothing! All I did was heal him!

The eevee's body seemed to inflate, its limbs growing longer in short, rapid spurts. Its fur began to change as well, its color fading from a medium brown to a light grey.

Wait, I think - he's evolving!

A wave of expansion rippled from Buster's head, down through his rib cage and along his spine, muscle and bone thickening in its wake. The rapid growth continued until at last, when the final throes of his metamorphosis ceased, his entire body had enlarged to more than triple its original size. Buster rolled to his feet and shook himself out vigorously, shedding the white ruff of fur from his neck, leaving a uniformly smooth coat of glossy, grey fur slashed with angular black stripes.

Ryan had little time to marvel at the sudden change in his pokemon as more gears came flying over the top of the workbench from the group of klang advancing on their position. Ryan saw Buster's fur lay down against against his body then harden into a shiny, metallic coat. Buster emitted a high-pitched screech then charged headlong at the klang. A pair of gears shot from the attacking pokemon but bounced harmlessly off Buster's metallic coat as he dove at the klang, his slashing metallic claws sending sparks flying off their gearlike bodies.

"Alright, let's move!" Ryan said to Cutter. "Tell Buster to make for the door."

The trio started fighting their way through the workshop, Buster sweeping a path forward through the klang, their gears grinding ineffectively against his armored body while Cutter held off the klang pressing in from the rear.

As they neared the exit, Ryan stumbled and a klang that slipped in from their flank closed in on him. Ryan looked desperately around for a weapon and spied a hand drill lying on the floor a short distance away. He scrambled for it, snatching it up as the klang swooped in to strike. He held it up and pulled the drill's trigger, its metal-boring bit spinning with a whine. The klang stopped, hovering in place before the drill in Ryan's hand.

Ryan, something strange is happening.

"What do you mean, something strange?"

The klang have all stopped. It looks like they're focused on you. And I sense a change in their mood. They feel - expectant.

"Expectant?"

Yes. It actually feels quite a bit like Buster does when he wants you to throw a tennis ball for him.

"Really?" Ryan released the drill's trigger then revved it a couple times. The klang revved its gears in response, echoed by a similar sound from the other klang surrounding the group. He slowly waved the drill back and forth, which the klang nearest him followed intently.

You definitely have their attention, now.

Ryan stood, then slowly walked toward a nearby bench vise which held a square piece of sheet metal clamped in its jaws. Ryan waggled the drill at the klang then drilled a hole in the metal, the klang hovering near as he did. When he finished, the klang bobbled up and down, its gears revving excitedly. Ryan set the drill down on the bench, then stepped away.

The klang hovered over the drill, enveloping it into its gearlike structure, then used it to drill another hole next to the one Ryan had just made. When it was done, the other klang converged on the first and Ryan watched as they passed the drill among themselves, taking turns making more holes in the sheet metal.

"I'll be damned. Hey, Cutter, can you talk to these things?"

Yes, I believe so. Why?

"Because I think I have an idea."

# # #

Lars rushed over to Ryan and his pokemon as they emerged from the workshop. "You are alright, I hope? I heard quite the commotion from inside."

"Yes, we're all fine except for maybe a few bumps and bruises," Ryan said, "and we have some very good news for you."

"Oh, thank goodness," Lars said. "So you got rid of them, then?"

"Nope," Ryan said with a grin, "they're all still in there."

Lars frowned. "I don't understand. How is this good news if I can't open my shop?"

"Let me explain. You see, you don't have ghost pokemon running around in there, you have machine pokemon called 'klang'. Apparently they moved in a week or so ago, attracted by all the machinery you have here. It turns out that they aren't vicious, just territorial. The reason they attacked the workers is because when they opened up that drill press and started working on it, the klang thought the workers were trying to force them out of their home. That's also why they came after us, at first."

"I see. But how does this help me?"

"Because they don't just like machines, they like doing stuff with them. I showed them how to drill a hole in some metal and they started making more holes in perfectly spaced rows. I'll bet you can train them to do just about anything in that shop. With all the extra help, I bet your workers could double their output - maybe more." Ryan held up his cell phone which currently displayed an encyclopedia page on the klang. "I also looked up some info on these critters and it says that they can integrate themselves into pieces of machinery, even growing replacement parts for them when they wear out."

"I admit, that sounds very interesting, but won't they be a danger to the employees?"

"Actually, Cutter, here, had a talk with them and they agreed to play nice with everyone as long as nobody tries to kick them out. They'll work for you and even keep all your machines in top condition. All you have to do is feed them a bit of scrap metal now and then, and maybe a bit of electricity."

"I had no idea they could be so useful. If what you're saying is true, I'd gladly let them stay. I'd like to see this for myself before I call my workers back, though."

"Of course. Let's go inside and I can get you acquainted with your new tenants."

# # #

"So," Doctor Lynd said, settling back into a chair, "you not only solved his pokemon problem but you actually helped his business and the pokemon themselves at the same time. I have to say, I'm impressed."

Ryan quirked a small smile. "Things got pretty dicey for a minute but we managed to pull it off in the end."

"That still doesn't quite explain how Buster evolved into his new form. I don't think I've ever seen an eevee evolve like this before."

"Apparently, no one else has, either. Because I'm the first one to ID it, I even got to submit a name for it."

"So, what did you decide to name this new species?"

"Metalleon. Seemed appropriate, since he's all metal-y. I submitted it less than an hour ago and I've already got pokemon researchers blowing up my e-mail. Anyway, I'm going to go grab something to eat. Could you give Buster a once-over? Like I said, things got pretty hairy in that shop and he took a beating before he..." Ryan made a vague, sweeping gesture at Buster who cocked his head in response. "...you know."

She waved him away and turned her attention to Buster, calling him up onto an exam table. "So, Cutter," she began once Ryan had left the room, "how are things working out with you and Ryan?" she asked.

Cutter shrugged. Okay, I guess.

"That didn't sound very enthusiastic," she said, examining Buster's rib cage. "Is something wrong?"

No, not exactly. It's just that I'm having a hard time understanding him.

"How so?"

Sometimes he feels so - distant. Whenever I'm around him for extended periods, he gets uncomfortable, sometimes even irritable. At first I thought he just wanted more space, but whenever I distanced myself for any length of time, it elicited feelings of anxiety from him.

"I see. He's probably still adjusting to having someone like you around."

I suppose.

"You've only known each other for a little while. Just give it some time."

Cutter nodded silently.

"And you," she said to Buster, running her hands through his fur, "are made of some pretty tough stuff because I can't find a thing wrong with you. In fact, you look..." A sharp intake of breath cut off her words as she suddenly bent forward, holding her stomach.

Cutter rushed to her side. What's the matter? Is something wrong?

"No, but I need you to go get Ryan. Tell him I'm going into labor."

Cutter dashed off to the kitchen and returned a short time later with Ryan in tow. He rushed over to Doctor Lynd who stood leaning against a counter. "Okay, what do we do?" he asked frantically. "Should I call someone? Should I get you something?"

"Ryan, calm down," she said evenly.

"Do I need to call the hospital? Where's my phone? I just had the damn thing! Where'd I put it? I think it's in the kitchen..."

"Ryan!" Doctor Lynd's raised voice immediately silenced him. "Listen to me. I've done this many times before and we have plenty of time. Now, I want you to stop, close your eyes and take three deep breaths."

"Okay, but I just want to make sure..."

"Three deep breaths, Ryan. Eyes closed. Now." She waited until he complied, counting out each breath for him. "Good. Now, you're going to get my keys out of my purse and you're going to drive me slowly - slowly - to the hospital, okay?

"Okay," he said, and began rummaging through her purse which sat on a nearby table. As he returned with her keys she clutched her stomach again.

"Change of plans," she said through gritted teeth. "You're going to help me up onto that exam table and we're going to deliver this baby here."

"What are you talking about? You just said we have plenty of time!"

"Those contractions were about two minutes apart. This baby's coming and it's coming now."

Ryan's eyes widened. "But I can't deliver a baby. I don't know how!"

"Fortunately, I do, and everything we'll need is here. Now prop up the exam table, get me on it and I'll tell you what supplies and instruments we'll need."

The minutes that followed were a flurry of activity as Ryan scurried from cabinet to cabinet retrieving towels, disinfectant, latex gloves and various medical instruments and tools.

Ryan's pokemon stood nearby in quiet anticipation, watching as Doctor Lynd lay on the exam table. Long, measured breaths were punctuated by words of instruction and brief cries of pain. Sounds of exertion and words of encouragement began to overlap and grow in intensity, reaching a crescendo as Doctor Lynd uttered long cry of pain which was joined by a another, higher-pitched cry.

Ryan held the squalling newborn, still dripping with its birth fluids, in his gloved hands, "It's a boy," he declared.

"A boy!" Doctor Lynd breathed. "Let me see him."

Ryan laid the infant on his mother's stomach, careful not to over-stretch the umbilical cord that still tethered him to his mother's body. She looked down at him, her face still flushed with the exertions of her labor, and beamed.

Ryan eyed the newborn with concern. "Are you sure he's supposed to be that color? That doesn't look like a very healthy shade of purple."

"He's fine, Ryan. You can relax," She said, grasping the infant's tiny hand. "You did an amazing job."

Ryan took a clean cloth and dabbed the sweat off Doctor Lynd's face. "You did all the work. All I did was play catcher."

"You know, you have an uncanny talent for underestimating yourself."

Buster wants to know if you want him to clean the baby off for you, Cutter said, gesturing toward the Ryan's metalleon who was eyeing the still-wet infant.

"Um, that's okay. I got it," Ryan said and began carefully wiping off the tiny newborn with a towel. "So, what's his name?" he asked.

"Alexander Ryan Lynd."

"Wait, did you say Alexander Ryan..."

"My husband James wanted his middle name to be Bartholomew," she said, making a face. "I never liked it, but since we agreed that I'd pick the name if it was a girl and he'd pick the name if it was a boy, there wasn't much I could say. Now you've given me a very good excuse to give him what I think is a much nicer name. If its alright with you, of course," she added.

"Sure, Doctor Lynd. I don't mind."

"Ryan, you don't have to keep calling me Doctor Lynd, especially not after today. You can call me Karen."

"Karen," he said, testing the name out. "I don't know. It feels kinda weird - like calling your mother by her first name."

"I see," she said, patting him on the arm. "In that case, Doctor Lynd will do just fine."

# # #

Ryan walked out with Doctor Lynd as the paramedics wheeled her and her baby out of the clinic on a gurney. He and his pokemon stood outside in the cool evening air and watched until the ambulance drove out of sight. "Well, you wanted to know how little humans were made," he said to Cutter. "What did you think?"

I must admit, it was rather messy and a little frightening. Cutter paused, then looked up at Ryan. Nevertheless, watching a new life come into being... It was a profound experience and I feel privileged to have been a part of it. Don't you feel the same way?

"What I feel," he said, stretching his arms over his head, "is tired. We fought our way through a metal madhouse, made peace with a bunch of pokemon who tried to take our heads off only minutes before and delivered a baby - a freaking baby - all in one day. That ekans in the back can give the stink-eye to someone else tonight because I'm calling it a day."