Hey guys sorry I haven't uploaded in a while been kinda busy with school. I wrote this story to focus on Pepper and Nine back home while Tony was in the middle east, enjoy!


Chapter 7: Meanwhile

Malibu, California. March 2009

It's been a month since Tony went missing and Nine was still waiting for her master to come home. She sat in front of the doorstep ready to greet Tony as soon as he returns…if he returns. Pepper and her Espeon, Eddie, arrived at the mansion to make sure that Nine eats something they were both surprised to see Happy along with his Pangoro in the kitchen preparing the saucers. Both of them had the same expressionless face that's why people call them Happy and Sunny as a joke.

"You don't have to be here Happy I can take care of Nine and the others on my own."

"I know but I decided to make myself useful, you need all the help you can get." Sunny was filling one of the saucers with mineral water while Happy was filling the other one with fresh fruit.

Pepper was worried about the situation, "How's Rhodey?"

"He's still in the middle east, hasn't found a lead on Tony yet."

"We'll let's hope that they both make it back in one piece." Pepper looks out the door to see Nine still sitting there looking at the driveway as if Tony will appear any second now, "She's been on that doorstep since Tony left, you think after a month she would take a hint."

"Well she's known Tony since he was born, they have a closer bond than most Pokémon have with their partners." Happy and Sunny headed out the front door to give Nine her lunch.

As soon as they were out of Nine's hearing Pepper expressed her worry for the fox, "I know that those two are close and she's the only woman who's stuck around with Tony the longest but she can't sit there for the rest of her life." Happy looked at her with a serious face, "What?"

Happy sat down at the chair as if preparing to tell her a story, "I read this story about a Ninetales owned by a Scottish soldier during the Anglo-Scottish Wars they went into battle together and the story said that they knew each other since his childhood."

Pepper nodded, "Okay and how does this involve Nine?"

"Well the soldier died in 1538 in battle, his Pokémon was at his house with his family when they heard the news. They didn't find a body so he was officially declared MIA, that gave the Ninetales hope that he was still out there. He waited at the front of the door thinking that his master would come back someday." Pepper looked over her shoulder through the glass door where Nine sat in front of, she knows that Ninetales live for almost a century due to the power that's stored in all of their tails and a disturbing question escaped her.

"How long did the soldiers Ninetales wait for him?"

"On record for 400 years." Pepper was shocked at how long the Pokémon waited for its owner

"Is it still…"

"No it died in the 1900's, old age."

Pepper sat down to process this, "So your saying that unless we find Tony dead or alive Nine's gonna waste hundreds of years in front of that step waiting for someone who might never come back?"

"It's sad but yeah, so let's keep our fingers crossed that he'll come back preferably alive." Pepper nodded they both know that Tony can be a pain in the ass but that doesn't mean he deserves to die.

Pepper stepped outside towards the pool, she took out her lure ball to let Diana swim in the pool for a bit, "Come out and have a swim Di." The beautiful Milotic came out of the ball and swan happily in the pool. Pepper smiled at her Pokémon; her place doesn't have a pool so she tries to get Diana in the Olympic size pool as much as she can. Her mind instantly flashed back to when she first got the tender Pokémon.


She was in the living room working out the logistics for a charity event in Stark Industries, she was planning to bribe the bartenders to give Tony apple cider or iced tea instead of champagne or scotch as she predicts he would. The last thing they want is for Tony to get drunk at a benefit to raise money for the make a wish foundation. Her Espeon, Eddie, was organizing the files with his psychic and making sure his master drinks water. She was writing on the papers when Tony walked in holding something behind his back.

"Morning Ms. Potts, Eddie."

"Morning Mr. Stark." Pepper said without taking her eyes off the paperwork.

"I was wondering if I could have your undivided attention for ten minutes?" Pepper and Eddie had confused looks on their faces, usually they were the ones trying to gain the eccentric billionaire's attention when it came to business matter.

"Usually I'm the one who asks you that."

"Espe" Eddie nodded.

"Well you're a better person than I am so hopefully you'll agree, work later talking now." Pepper rolled her eyes, put her work down and approached her boss.

"What can I help you with Mr. Stark?" Pepper said with a fake polite smile.

"Actually I don't need your help at the moment I just thought I'd give you a present."

Pepper raised her eyebrows, "My birthday isn't for a few months."

"It's not a birthday gift its more of a one-month anniversary gift."

"One-month anniversary?"

Tony smiled, "Yeah today's the day you've been my assistant for a full month."

"And that should be celebrated because?"

"Because none of my past assistants have lasted that long before quitting."

Pepper said in a sarcastic manner, "I can't imagine why."

"Neither can I, but since you're the only assistant that's been able to stick around this long here's your present." Tony brought his hands out and a Lure Ball was presented to the strawberry blonde.

Pepper eyed the ball curiously before taking it, "What's this?"

"It's a Lure Ball, you remember when I was out fishing with Obby last weekend? Well I caught this bad girl and thought well this'll be a nice gift for a certain young and plucky assistant."

Pepper raised an eyebrow, "Is that the first thing you thought about me, plucky?"

Tony shrugged, "Plucky in a good way in your own way." Tony liked how this woman could keep up with his banter.

Pepper looked at the ball in her hands, "What did you catch me?"

Tony gestured towards the giant pool, "Let it out in the pool and find out."

Pepper let the mysterious Pokémon out of its ball and was surprised at the brown fish with dopey eyes and blue fins and tail that dived in the pool. Pepper didn't recognize this Pokémon do she assumed that Tony and Obadiah fished at a different coast.

"What is it?"

Tony explained, "It's called a Feebas it doesn't have many attacks or defenses but its average on speed which is good. It's basically a brown more useful version of Magikarp."

Pepper looked at the fish Pokémon in front of her conflicted on whether she should be grateful that Tony got her a foreign Pokémon or insulted that she got such an unattractive Pokémon that as useful as Magikarp the worst Pokémon. She looked at Eddie who shrugged at her silent conflict, Pepper looked at the fish and made a decision.

"I suppose when I'm here I can let it out in this pool?"

Tony nodded, "We'll it's a water Pokémon and your house doesn't have a pool so yeah…assuming your going to keep it."

Pepper shrugged, "Can't let a perfectly good gift go to waste, can I?"

"And that's why you're my longest lasting assistant, are you gonna name her?"

Pepper thought about it, "I think I'll call it Diana."

Tony asked, "After the princess?"

"She was my childhood idol."

"Course she was, smart quiet and powerful just like your new Pokémon." Pepper glared at her boss after his sarcastic comment, she might as well make the most of this new Pokémon.

Pepper took care of the fish Pokémon for the next few months with Eddie, she fed her treats and made her dive through hoops in the pool hoping to teach her useful moves. Diana was happy that she had a funny and kind woman for a master as most people saw her kind as turd colored Magikarp. It wasn't until month 3 that Pepper understood why Tony got her this fish.

She let her newly evolved Milotic out of its ball with Tony giving a smug smile to his annoyed assistant, "You knew she would evolve into this." Pepper said it as a statement rather than a question.

"Course I did, I'm not ten."

"Why didn't you tell me when you gave her?"

"Wanted it to be a surprise, was it?" Tony asked. Pepper was very surprised when her dopey fish evolved into the graceful and beautiful serpent that swam before them. Diana could sense her master's annoyance in the bearded man and "accidentally" splashed a wave of water towards the man soaking him. Pepper looked shocked at first then she snickered at her boss's misfortune, she could see Tony smiling.


She flashed back to the present with tears in her eyes reminiscing the fond memory. Eddie saw his master's sadness and comforted her by wrapping himself around her ankles. Pepper silently prayed to whoever was up there that Tony makes it back home safe.