Remember that the shiny Vulpix is named Sorrel. The last name of hers, nor Tracey's or Alex's, may not be revealed anytime soon.

Sorrel started to wail out at the middle of the night again, the third time tonight. It was 2 in the morning. Alex, still half asleep, walked over to Sorrel's bed; an extra bed, twin size, was put in Alex's room. He picked her up, placed her over his shoulder, and started to pat her back. "Shh…" Alex stressed out, "…it's alright. I'm here…" Sorrel started to quiet down; she eventually fell back to sleep. Alex eyes opened up, realizing what he could've done. Damn it, why didn't I think of this sooner? He thought.

He took Sorrel to his bed, and lied on his bed; he took Sorrel by his side. He fell back asleep, with his arm around Sorrel. This…should keep me from being awake… Alex thought before he fell back asleep. Sorrel cuddled up in Alex's arm, sleeping on his arm.

About 2 hours later…

Sorrel woke again, almost frightened when she woke up. She looked up, looking around at what she saw. She was about to cry out again, until she saw Alex.

She remember what he and that other Pokémon said, and went back to sleep. A…A…Alex… she tried to think out. She smiled at the thought as she fell asleep, cuddling up in Alex's arm.

The Morning…

Alex woke up, remembering that Sorrel was sleeping in his arm. He took her up, and left her on her bed so that he could do his bed. He left the room open when he left.

He walked down to the table, where Luke was sitting down. He sat across him from the table. "How the hell could you keep up with that?" Alex asked.

"We couldn't," Luke responded. "It was sorta hell the first few months… things were easier when Absol came in one day. She sorta taught us how to take care of you… We just sorta left you on your own when you got older."

"How did that work out for you?"

"It was sorta good, helped us sleep a little better at night."

Alex started to think out something. "Aren't you a nocturnal Pokémon?"

"No…I think not…"

Sorrel woke up from her bed, looking around. It's sun out, so it's not night. She looks around and sees numbers on a machine. It said this: 10:16 A.M. She learned very quickly that the numbers was the time; she doesn't know what "A.M." stood for. It was morning, though the sun is about high up. She jumped out of her bed, and walked out from the room.

She heard Alex at the kitchen, so she ran down the stairs to see where in the kitchen he was. She saw that he and some blue and black Pokémon are at the table. She ran towards the table.

Alex looked around at who was running at the living room. He saw that it was Sorrel.

"Hey Sorrel!" Alex said, holding out his arm. Sorrel jumped to Alex's lap, her head popping out above the table. "You think that she'll be hungry at this time of day?" he asked to Luke. Sorrel smelled the meat, about 1 centimeter thick, on Alex's plate, and started to eat it. She took small bites on the meat, enjoying the juicy, cooked flavor of the meat. Luke and Alex see Sorrel as she bites down on the meat. "I'm guessing so…" She keeps eating the meat until the meat is gone.

Luke looks at his glass of water which he never drank of. He slid it to Alex, taking hold of the glass. He tilts the glass a little on an axis, letting the water leaning over to the tip of the glass. He moves it toward Sorrel, her licking the water. She drinks up about half of the glass.

"That seemed to fill you up," Alex said. Sorrel jumps out from the table, and seemed to run around in a circle. She stopped after a while and started to stare at Alex. "Hold on," Alex responded, "gotta eat first." Sorrel run to the couch and sat there. Alex looked at his plate. "Hm, she ate all of the meat."

"I guess," Luke responded. "Go get some more if you want, I made some more."

"No, it's alright. I'll just finish off the rest of the plate."

"Hm…" Luke said, biting into his meat. Alex looked as he started biting down the meat, holding it with his bare paws, the juices of the meat going down his mouth. This wasn't the first time Alex seen Luke on how he eats. Maybe I should get some more… thought Alex.

About 8 minutes later…

"Hey…can you help find some info on a Vulpix?"

"You need it for Sorrel?"

"Yeah…I gotta know some stuff before completely…devoting time…for…Sorrel—hey, have you devoted your all of your time for me?"

"Uh…probably not—I'm just gonna go and check on the info. Bye." He slammed the door on Alex. Alex stared at the door, and then looked back on him. He saw Sorrel out, sitting out and happy. "Alright, c'mon; let's go take a walk."

"How do you think they're holding up?"

"Tracey is at school, it's just Alex that's holding up…for now."

"Oh…then how do you think he's holding up?"

"I don't know; this is his first time taking care of a child, other than his own body."

"He took care of his own self before? He's like 16; of course he would take care of himself before." Luxray looked out in the horizon of the park.

"No, I mean when he was about 8 or 10…somewhere around there." Absol responded, trying to get Luxray to look at her.

"Well…wait, who was his guardians?"

"Luke and Glaceon."

"They're dudes; they don't know much on…parenting, or whatever the hell it's called."

"Yes it's parenting, but being a 'dude' doesn't mean anything on about how much parenting they can do."

"Sure, I guess…"

"Whatever." Absol stops trying and looks at the direction Luxray is looking to. Luxray looks at Absol, looking up and down and then back in the direction he was looking to originally.

I wonder if I should ask… Luxray thought. Damn it—it's now or never! Maybe I should start out slow… Luke looked at Absol and asked, "H-how much…how much time would you give up if we ever had a kid?"

Absol seemed shocked at the question. We? She thought. She blushed a little bit, still trying to get her head straight. "Um…well I would devote…most of my time on the kid…but not all of it. You would have to devote your time on the kid too you know, instead of drinking and going to the bar."

"Hey, when was the last time you've seen me at the bar, or hear anyone else say that I was gonna go to bar?"

"Actually…never; since the last time you've brought your new friend."

"Right, Manectric. I've been sober for almost, I think, 5 months now."

"Are you—?"

"No, I don't plan to quit drinking, but I plan to try not to get drunk again."

"Oh…Okay." They both stare at the same direction of the park. Luxray puts his paw over Absol, Absol surprised at what he's trying to do. She later became comfortable with it. Luxray then moved Absol closer to him. Absol leaned her head toward Luxray's side, Luxray leaned his head over hers. They both look over the park, seeing those enjoying themselves and their friends in the morning.

"Want to go to Luke's?"

"Why?" Absol looks at Luxray.

"I'm a little hungry." Absol laughs a little bit, and gets up.

"Sure, why not? I'm a little hungry too."

I kinda forgot what A.M. stood for and what P.M. stood for. If anyone knows what that means, then tell me. Thanks.

-K9P