Chapter 14 - Together
Aramis proved to be an early riser, just like his parents. The very next morning, Haru was woken up by the little Virizion nudging his head against her cheek just before she normally woke up.
"Good morning, Aramis. Did you sleep well?" Haru stroked his head as Aramis nodded at her question, but then he looked a bit uncomfortable. Haru knew what that meant!
"Come on, out we go!" She gently shifted Virizion's head off her lap before getting up to lead the baby Pokémon outside. He ran off to find a spot he liked and came back a few minutes later, full of energy and looking happy as he had been the previous day. Haru sat on the porch with him and stroked his head, "are you hungry?"
"Vir!" Haru took that as a yes, so she got him some breakfast. Smiling to herself, Haru knew she would settle into this new routine quite happily.
The days went by as the weather got warmer and warmer, so much so that Haru went down to the local river for a swim. Aramis had never done so before, so she was mostly doing it for his benefit so he could get used to the sensation.
"Come on Aramis, the water feels good!" She called to the nervous hatchling.
"Viri-zion!" Aramis shook his head rapidly.
His father on the other hand looked annoyed by his son's cowardice, and said something to him that sounded as if he was telling the hatchling to do as he was told. Aramis looked back at the water, but didn't go in.
Haru came over then and flicked some water at him playfully, "oops, better get me back!"
"Viriiiii!" Aramis looked angry at that and jumped into the river to chase after his mother and flick water at her. Haru laughed at that and said, "there you go, it isn't so bad is it?"
"Viri?" the hatchling blinked, looked down, then looked delighted, "Viri!"
"See, doesn't that feel good?"
"Viriviri!"
Virizion watched the two play in the water by the riverbank, settling down and enjoying the warmth of the sun. He had to smile a bit as Aramis jumped on his mother, momentarily surprising Haru with his weight. As she came back up, she was laughing, "my goodness, you've gotten heavy!"
"Vir-viriiii!" Aramis puffed his chest out and Haru tickled him, causing the baby Virizion to laugh.
Thinking back on his life a mere few years ago, Virizion would never have dreamed that he'd be in this situation. Every now and then, he'd wonder if it was all real, but looking at the two in the water as Haru actually washed Aramis instead of just playing, he had to smile a little.
'My brethren both found their chosen humans lifetimes ago... yet here I am with mine right here. But...' he looked away from the scene, 'do I love them? Do I love her especially?'
He would never have believed it possible to love a human if Cobalion had never told him so. And when he thought about it... he had been so focused on the bad of the human race for the last few centuries he had forgotten the good... he had seen with his own eyes the bonds that humans had with their Pokémon. That boy Satoshi was a good example, now that he thought of it... He knew that the human race was far from trustworthy as a whole, but a few of them really seemed to be shining examples of the kindness he once new...
His thoughts were rudely interrupted by water being splashed on his flank. Shocked, he looked around to see the very two he was thinking about leaning on the edge of the river bank, both looking like naughty children who knew they were up to no good.
"Ready Aramis? One, two..."
"Don't you dare-"
"THREE!"
As one, they splashed Virizion as hard as they could so he was soaked. Once done, they both giggled and did something Haru called 'bro-fisting', "nice one Aramis, getting your daddy all wet."
"Viri-zion!" The hatchling laughed.
They were stopped then when Virizion splashed them right back with his head, creating a wave and sending them flying backwards on their butts, but this just made them laugh.
"Hmph, children," Virizion snorted and stood up to shake himself down.
"Daddy's no fun, is he?" Haru said to Aramis, who giggled in response.
"Really Haru? I don't recall you complaining when we play those foolish human games every winter," Virizion huffed and settled back down once he was dry again.
"I guess we'll just have to wait until winter until daddy gets fun, eh Aramis?" Haru grinned.
"Vi-ri," Aramis nodded and then ran over to his father to get out of the river, where they had a short conversation which made the youngling blush.
"Aww, are you picking on your son?" Haru teased as she came over herself to pick up her towel and get out.
"No more than I pick on you," Virizion looked smug, and head butted Haru gently so she fell back into the water.
"Aaah!" Haru splashed back, catching the towel before it fell in, "you're horrible." She pouted to the legendary Pokémon.
"If you expected me to be nice, human, you are sorely mistaken,"
"Of course I am," Haru pouted and proceeded to dry herself.
Virizion snickered at that and stood up as Aramis shook himself down, "shall we head back?"
"Indeed, now that you've traumatised Aramis with the river you can introduce him to Terrakion," Virizion grinned, "he's at the house with Cobalion."
"Really? Oh yes..." of course, Cobalion probably wanted his battle, "Terrakion won't be... mean, to Aramis... will he?"
Virizion shook his head no, "he'll probably be suspicious of how you are raising him, but other than that, I don't think he'll be a problem," looking at the woman beside him, he said, "I don't know why you're worried, Terrakion likes you."
"I know, but sometimes he can be a little too gruff for his own good," Haru sighed, "I mean, I understand why but Aramis is only little..."
"You underestimate his tolerance. He puts up with you after all,"
"You're horrible," Haru huffed.
"Stating the obvious again, human."
"Of course."
They were laughing as they returned to Haru's house, where Terrakion and Cobalion were waiting. Aramis was running ahead of them, but saw Terrakion and hid behind Cobalion.
"Aramis, you don't need to be scared of Terrakion. He won't hurt you," Haru said gently.
The hatchling peeked at the brown Pokémon and slowly came over to sniff him. Terrakion leaned down to let him, and once Aramis deemed him safe, he looked delighted and nuzzled the Cavern Pokémon's leg happily. Terrakion looked just as happy... in fact, it was the happiest Haru had ever seen him. Maybe there really was some truth to Terrakion having a soft side after all.
"I think he wants to play with you, Terrakion," Haru said, smiling at him, "I'm sure he'd like it."
"I think so as well," Cobalion replied, "go."
"I-If you say so," Terrakion was not used to being taken to so well by such a young Pokémon, but he looked delighted none the less. Bending down, Aramis managed to scramble onto Terrakion's broad back and settle there with a delighted cry.
As they went off into the forest, Haru shivered a little and said, "I'll be back once I've got changed. Then we can battle, Cobalion."
"I'll be waiting," He replied, which made Haru grin and run inside.
She came back dressed and ready to go. Together, her, Cobalion and Virizion went to the forest arena.
Withdrawing her Spiritomb and Seismitoad again, she had them on standby to protect the forest as she was using another fire Pokémon. Terrakion arrived too with Aramis sitting on his back, and Haru shook Cobalion's foreleg before they started their battle.
"Come on out, Blaze!" throwing her Pokeball up, Haru's starter Pokémon Blaziken appeared, ready for battle.
And so it began. Cobalion truly lived up to his title of a legendary Pokémon; even despite being weak to both fire and fighting types, he put up an extremely fierce fight. Finally, Haru defeated him with a powerful Blast Burn attack.
She threw the luxury ball she had prepared for Cobalion, capturing him inside. The ball jiggled on the ground for a moment before it pinged. Picking it up, Haru smiled and said, "looks like you have a new sparring partner, Blaze!"
"Ziken!" It looked happy with that.
As Haru let Cobalion out to treat him with a full restore, on the sidelines, Terrakion seemed to be fighting a war with himself by the look on his face. Virizion watched him, but then a little voice spoke instead,
"Waaa~ Mama's so strong!" Aramis looked absolutely delighted, having watched the battle and cheered on his mother, "don't you think so too, Terrakion-jii-chan?"
"W-well-" Terrakion looked down at that and then at Virizion, "is she strong?"
"She beat Cobalion and me in a fair fight, isn't that something?" Virizion huffed.
"Hmm..." Terrakion watched as she finished spraying Cobalion with some kind of potion...
"All done! Do you feel better?" Haru asked the Iron Will Pokémon.
"Much, thank you. That was a great battle," Cobalion replied with a small smile.
Haru grinned at that and withdrew her other two Pokémon as Terrakion and Virizion came over.
"Aww, Aramis, having fun up there?" Haru giggled.
"Viri!" He then scrambled off Terrakion's back to come over and get cuddled by Haru. Watching all of this made Terrakion realise why Cobalion and Virizion had both chosen Haru as the human to protect them from other trainers... and she was a strong trainer.
"Haru..." the woman looked up at him from where she was on the ground, hugging her adoptive son, "you said you had one of those balls for me, didn't you? Can you show me?"
"Oh, of course," Haru got out the heavy ball and enlarged it, "it's called a Heavy Ball. It's great for heavier Pokémon-Terrakion, wait-"
For Terrakion had pressed the button in the middle of the ball with his nose, causing it to open and for him to turn red and go inside. The ball wobbled for a moment before pinging too, announcing Terrakion's capture. Haru was in shock at this... why would he do such a thing?
Cobalion however chuckled at his brethren's antics, "Terrakion never has been the best with words. Looks like he has chosen you too, Haru."
"I..." She was shocked. Of course, she knew that Terrakion's aggressive behaviour was merely a front now that they knew each other... but she had not expected this. Haru smiled a little... maybe now she could get to know him better?
"Better not let him out of there, he's probably embarrassed," Virizion snickered.
"I can't keep him in there forever," Haru giggled and then let Terrakion out. Once out, she smiled and said, "what did you think?"
"It's weird being inside those," Terrakion grumbled, to which Haru giggled, "I promise you won't need to go in often, but now at least I can take you to the Moor of Icirrus."
"We can go there by ourselves,"
"I know, but three legendary Pokémon going there at once is bound to gather a ton of attention," Haru grinned a bit sheepishly, "ever since the fire hundreds of years ago, Pokémon Rangers guard it so it's never attacked again. You wouldn't be able to get in easily without being noticed when it's all three of you."
"Pokémon Rangers... I have heard of those," Cobalion said, sounding thoughtful, "they're similar to our Pokémon Knights."
"I've never considered that!" It just occurred to Haru then that there were some similarities between the two. But whether or not related was not something that Haru could determine. Nodding, she looked up at the three and said, "well, how about a week from now we all go there?"
Cobalion nodded to that, "yes, that is a good idea." Terrakion nodded his agreement too.
And so, the group split to go back to their respective homes.
"I think you surprised Haru greatly," Cobalion said to his brethren as they went through the forest together.
"I would not have considered it before today... but after meeting Aramis..." Cobalion remembered what the little Pokémon had said in answer to his questions...
"Are you alright up there, little one?"
"I'm fine, it's high up here!" Aramis giggled and settled on the big Pokémon's back.
"Aramis... Haru... how do you regard her?" Terrakion had asked, looking up at the little Virizion.
"You mean mama?" At Terrakion's nod, he grinned brightly and said, "she's the best mama in the world!"
"So she treats you well?"
Aramis nodded, "of course! We play every day, and she teaches me to be strong! I love my mama."
"I see..."
"Aramis said all of that, did he?" Cobalion smiled a little to himself, "I did wonder how she would handle raising one of us, but it seems as though little Aramis has the best 'mama' we could have hoped for."
"When I saw how she battled you, and the integrity of it, along with how she has been raising Aramis... I think I finally saw what you and Virizion have seen in her," Terrakion sighed, "so she'll do."
Cobalion didn't reply. He knew that Terrakion's gruff nature hid the fact that he liked Haru, but that was to be expected. He had been hurt badly by humans in the past, after all.
"Indeed. Let's go."
"Let's!"
A.N - The truth is, Terrakion didn't really need that much more convincing. :P Also, Jii-chan is a friendly way to greet an older male, usually 50's and beyond.