~Chapter Twenty-Four~
~*~
One year later. . .
~*~
All of the dragons surrounded us as Danny gave me a silver-wrapped box. "Happy anniversary, April," he said before kissing me.
I just smiled as I handed Danny a gold-wrapped box. It's been a year, and he still amazes me.
I unwrapped my box first, and gasped at what was inside. It was a small collage of pictures of me, Danny, and. . .Mystic over the years.
I started crying when I saw it. "Thank you so much," I blubbered. "I love it."
"I knew you would," Danny grinned as he opened his present. I had gotten him a gold chain for his wedding ring, because he was always complaining that it slipped off when he went swimming, and that he didn't want to take it off. Danny loved the chain and immediately put the ring on it.
"Now you're always close to my heart," he said.
I smiled. "You're so corny," I said, before kissing him again.
~*~
Three months later
~*~
I bolted for the bathroom. I was feeling sick again. I hadn't been able to work with the dragons in weeks, because I had felt miserable. Plus, I craved the weirdest foods. Twice I had to send Danny out to get ice cream, chicken, and pickles. For some odd reason, they tasted wonderful together.
Danny came into the bathroom and winced as I threw up. He sat next to me and rubbed my back. I stopped being sick and leaned against him, rubbing my stomach.
"I wonder what's wrong with you," he wondered. "Maybe it's all those freaky foods."
"Maybe. . ." I trailed off, still rubbing my stomach. Suddenly, a thought came to me. I raised my eyebrows and slowly stood up.
"I'm going out to get something," I said to Danny.
"Are you sure? Maybe you should stay and rest," Danny frowned.
I smiled. "No, I'd much rather go and get this myself."
~*~
One week later. . .
~*~
I shrieked with happiness from the bathroom. I heard Danny running towards me, thinking something was wrong. Before he had a chance to say anything, I wrapped my arms around him and jumped up and down.
"Um, so nothing's wrong?" Danny asked.
"Far from it!" I shrieked. I surprised Danny with a sudden kiss, and then I whispered the real reason why I had shrieked in his ear:
"I'm pregnant!"
~*~
Two months later. . .
~*~
"So how's Baby?" Danny smiled as he carried a tray into my room, which held my latest favorite food, sushi dipped in cheese sauce.
I rubbed my now-larger stomach and laughed. "Baby's great!"
Danny put the tray on my night table and sat now next to me. He took my hand and stared at the ceiling.
After some time he finally said, "I can't believe it."
"What?" I asked.
"I'm going to be. . .a FATHER. A dad! It's just so. . ."
"Unbelievable?" I finished.
"Yeah. Like, wow, I can't believe it! I'm going to be a DAD!" Danny cried happily.
"Did it just register?" I laughed, hugging him close to me.
"I guess so. . .wow."
I could only laugh.
~*~
Four months later. . .
~*~
I sat by the pool and put my feet it. I really wanted to work with the dragons today, but Danny refused to let me do any 'work.' I always assured him I would be careful, but he said he wanted our baby to be healthy.
I couldn't blame him, but why wouldn't he let me swim???
~*~*~
We had been going to the doctor every couple of weeks now, so I didn't understand why I couldn't swim in the pool when I swam in the river every once in awhile. Danny said it was different.
Whatever.
It was till too early to tell the gender of the baby, but I was hoping for a girl, and Danny was hoping for a boy.
"I need someone to continue training my Charmeleon!" he kept saying.
I just laughed and said a girl could train a Charmeleon just as well as any boy, and besides, our child would be a Tamer, so they would most likely stay in the den like Dad and I had. Danny would just roll his eyes and smile.
~*~
Six months later. . .
~*~
"Draaa, Draagonite," Cielo called to me. I was putting my feet in the pool again, and it was a pain to get up; my stomach was so huge. I waddled over to Cielo.
"What?" I asked, feeling sort of crabby.
Cielo pulled something from under his tail and handed it to me. I noticed he was being careful not to squish it.
What could he possibly give me? It wasn't like I had lent him something lately. . .unless. . .
The memory came flooding back. I was covering Mystic's body, and out came. . .the egg. Mystic's child.
I choked back a sob. Cielo handed me the egg silently. I held it in my hands-it wasn't that big-and just stared at it.
Had I told Danny about the egg? I wasn't sure. But I knew I wanted to tell him right then.
I tried my best to run, but of course I couldn't that well. "Danny!" I cried. Where the heck was he?
Danny popped up from underwater a second later with a worried look on his face. He jumped out of the pool and ran to me. "What is it?" he asked, his brow creased.
I didn't say anything. I just held out the egg.
Danny smiled. "This is great!" he said. "The first Pokemon egg of the den!"
"Danny," I said slowly. "This is Mystic's egg."
The smile disappeared from his face as quickly as it came. "But how. . .?"
"I discovered it after she died," I said, trying to look at my feet, but my stomach was in the way. "And I didn't tell anyone but Cielo. He kept it all this time."
Danny just stared at the egg. Finally he said, "Are you going to keep it?"
I nodded. "Yes," I said. "Mystic would want me to."
Danny smiled and put his arm around my shoulder as we walked to my room.
~*~
Nine months later. . .
~*~
The egg was safe and sound, in an old pillowcase so it would be nice and warm. I couldn't wait until it hatched.
Of course, I was very near my due date, and I couldn't wait until I 'hatched'. I had been to many more doctor appointments, and the doctor said my baby was healthy, and that he knew the gender, but I didn't want to know. I thought it would be a fun surprise.
Danny poked his head into my room, where I had been laying on my bed, just staring at the ceiling.
"April?" he said. "Do you want to go now?"
I nodded and sighed. "But this means I have to find the Pokeballs. I know they're around here somewhere," I added, trying to get up.
Danny helped me up and then opened my closet, where about sixty Pokeballs tumbled out.
"Problem solved," he laughed.
I smiled, but I couldn't laugh. Today, Danny and I were going to leave the den to spend a few days at the Pokemon Center until I was ready to have my child. Then, after he/she was born, we would go live with my mother back near Cherrygrove City and New Bark Town. I didn't know how long I would stay at home, so I would have to return all of the dragons to their Pokeballs.
Except for the egg. I was going to take the egg with me, and keep it in a Pokeball until my child was old enough to understand about the den. For some reason, I felt that Mystic's baby was going to be perfect.
It took awhile to get everyone back into their Pokeballs. They were very, very reluctant to go back inside, but they couldn't fend for themselves without a tamer.
I laughed to myself as I returned Cielo, the last dragon, to his Pokeball.
"What?" Danny asked.
"When I first found out about the den, I told Mystic I wasn't a dragon tamer, and didn't want anything to do with the den. And now I was just thinking that they can't fend for themselves without a tamer. . .I just called myself a dragon tamer!"
Danny smiled and kissed me. Or at least, he tried to, but my enormous stomach was in the way, so he kissed my cheek.
"I can't wait until this baby is born," I moaned as I spread the Pokeballs all over a table, and then covered them with a sheet. "My stomach is too big."
Danny laughed. "Yeah, I can't wait either. I STILL want to know what the gender is!"
"We'll just have to waaaait," I said in a sing-song voice. Then I picked up one suitcase with some things that I didn't want to leave in the den. Danny took it from me, saying I shouldn't carry it, and carried it himself. I made sure the key was around my neck. It was.
"Let's go," I said.
We left very silently. In fact, the den was the quietest I had ever heard it-no Dratinis and Dragonairs splashing and crying out. Just the sound of running water.
Danny and I swam up the river and got back to civilization.
I'll be back Mystic and Dad-that's a promise, I thought as Danny and I walked hand in hand to the Pokemon Center.
~*~
One year later. . .
~*~
All of the dragons surrounded us as Danny gave me a silver-wrapped box. "Happy anniversary, April," he said before kissing me.
I just smiled as I handed Danny a gold-wrapped box. It's been a year, and he still amazes me.
I unwrapped my box first, and gasped at what was inside. It was a small collage of pictures of me, Danny, and. . .Mystic over the years.
I started crying when I saw it. "Thank you so much," I blubbered. "I love it."
"I knew you would," Danny grinned as he opened his present. I had gotten him a gold chain for his wedding ring, because he was always complaining that it slipped off when he went swimming, and that he didn't want to take it off. Danny loved the chain and immediately put the ring on it.
"Now you're always close to my heart," he said.
I smiled. "You're so corny," I said, before kissing him again.
~*~
Three months later
~*~
I bolted for the bathroom. I was feeling sick again. I hadn't been able to work with the dragons in weeks, because I had felt miserable. Plus, I craved the weirdest foods. Twice I had to send Danny out to get ice cream, chicken, and pickles. For some odd reason, they tasted wonderful together.
Danny came into the bathroom and winced as I threw up. He sat next to me and rubbed my back. I stopped being sick and leaned against him, rubbing my stomach.
"I wonder what's wrong with you," he wondered. "Maybe it's all those freaky foods."
"Maybe. . ." I trailed off, still rubbing my stomach. Suddenly, a thought came to me. I raised my eyebrows and slowly stood up.
"I'm going out to get something," I said to Danny.
"Are you sure? Maybe you should stay and rest," Danny frowned.
I smiled. "No, I'd much rather go and get this myself."
~*~
One week later. . .
~*~
I shrieked with happiness from the bathroom. I heard Danny running towards me, thinking something was wrong. Before he had a chance to say anything, I wrapped my arms around him and jumped up and down.
"Um, so nothing's wrong?" Danny asked.
"Far from it!" I shrieked. I surprised Danny with a sudden kiss, and then I whispered the real reason why I had shrieked in his ear:
"I'm pregnant!"
~*~
Two months later. . .
~*~
"So how's Baby?" Danny smiled as he carried a tray into my room, which held my latest favorite food, sushi dipped in cheese sauce.
I rubbed my now-larger stomach and laughed. "Baby's great!"
Danny put the tray on my night table and sat now next to me. He took my hand and stared at the ceiling.
After some time he finally said, "I can't believe it."
"What?" I asked.
"I'm going to be. . .a FATHER. A dad! It's just so. . ."
"Unbelievable?" I finished.
"Yeah. Like, wow, I can't believe it! I'm going to be a DAD!" Danny cried happily.
"Did it just register?" I laughed, hugging him close to me.
"I guess so. . .wow."
I could only laugh.
~*~
Four months later. . .
~*~
I sat by the pool and put my feet it. I really wanted to work with the dragons today, but Danny refused to let me do any 'work.' I always assured him I would be careful, but he said he wanted our baby to be healthy.
I couldn't blame him, but why wouldn't he let me swim???
~*~*~
We had been going to the doctor every couple of weeks now, so I didn't understand why I couldn't swim in the pool when I swam in the river every once in awhile. Danny said it was different.
Whatever.
It was till too early to tell the gender of the baby, but I was hoping for a girl, and Danny was hoping for a boy.
"I need someone to continue training my Charmeleon!" he kept saying.
I just laughed and said a girl could train a Charmeleon just as well as any boy, and besides, our child would be a Tamer, so they would most likely stay in the den like Dad and I had. Danny would just roll his eyes and smile.
~*~
Six months later. . .
~*~
"Draaa, Draagonite," Cielo called to me. I was putting my feet in the pool again, and it was a pain to get up; my stomach was so huge. I waddled over to Cielo.
"What?" I asked, feeling sort of crabby.
Cielo pulled something from under his tail and handed it to me. I noticed he was being careful not to squish it.
What could he possibly give me? It wasn't like I had lent him something lately. . .unless. . .
The memory came flooding back. I was covering Mystic's body, and out came. . .the egg. Mystic's child.
I choked back a sob. Cielo handed me the egg silently. I held it in my hands-it wasn't that big-and just stared at it.
Had I told Danny about the egg? I wasn't sure. But I knew I wanted to tell him right then.
I tried my best to run, but of course I couldn't that well. "Danny!" I cried. Where the heck was he?
Danny popped up from underwater a second later with a worried look on his face. He jumped out of the pool and ran to me. "What is it?" he asked, his brow creased.
I didn't say anything. I just held out the egg.
Danny smiled. "This is great!" he said. "The first Pokemon egg of the den!"
"Danny," I said slowly. "This is Mystic's egg."
The smile disappeared from his face as quickly as it came. "But how. . .?"
"I discovered it after she died," I said, trying to look at my feet, but my stomach was in the way. "And I didn't tell anyone but Cielo. He kept it all this time."
Danny just stared at the egg. Finally he said, "Are you going to keep it?"
I nodded. "Yes," I said. "Mystic would want me to."
Danny smiled and put his arm around my shoulder as we walked to my room.
~*~
Nine months later. . .
~*~
The egg was safe and sound, in an old pillowcase so it would be nice and warm. I couldn't wait until it hatched.
Of course, I was very near my due date, and I couldn't wait until I 'hatched'. I had been to many more doctor appointments, and the doctor said my baby was healthy, and that he knew the gender, but I didn't want to know. I thought it would be a fun surprise.
Danny poked his head into my room, where I had been laying on my bed, just staring at the ceiling.
"April?" he said. "Do you want to go now?"
I nodded and sighed. "But this means I have to find the Pokeballs. I know they're around here somewhere," I added, trying to get up.
Danny helped me up and then opened my closet, where about sixty Pokeballs tumbled out.
"Problem solved," he laughed.
I smiled, but I couldn't laugh. Today, Danny and I were going to leave the den to spend a few days at the Pokemon Center until I was ready to have my child. Then, after he/she was born, we would go live with my mother back near Cherrygrove City and New Bark Town. I didn't know how long I would stay at home, so I would have to return all of the dragons to their Pokeballs.
Except for the egg. I was going to take the egg with me, and keep it in a Pokeball until my child was old enough to understand about the den. For some reason, I felt that Mystic's baby was going to be perfect.
It took awhile to get everyone back into their Pokeballs. They were very, very reluctant to go back inside, but they couldn't fend for themselves without a tamer.
I laughed to myself as I returned Cielo, the last dragon, to his Pokeball.
"What?" Danny asked.
"When I first found out about the den, I told Mystic I wasn't a dragon tamer, and didn't want anything to do with the den. And now I was just thinking that they can't fend for themselves without a tamer. . .I just called myself a dragon tamer!"
Danny smiled and kissed me. Or at least, he tried to, but my enormous stomach was in the way, so he kissed my cheek.
"I can't wait until this baby is born," I moaned as I spread the Pokeballs all over a table, and then covered them with a sheet. "My stomach is too big."
Danny laughed. "Yeah, I can't wait either. I STILL want to know what the gender is!"
"We'll just have to waaaait," I said in a sing-song voice. Then I picked up one suitcase with some things that I didn't want to leave in the den. Danny took it from me, saying I shouldn't carry it, and carried it himself. I made sure the key was around my neck. It was.
"Let's go," I said.
We left very silently. In fact, the den was the quietest I had ever heard it-no Dratinis and Dragonairs splashing and crying out. Just the sound of running water.
Danny and I swam up the river and got back to civilization.
I'll be back Mystic and Dad-that's a promise, I thought as Danny and I walked hand in hand to the Pokemon Center.