Author's Note
I'm only saying this here to ward off the influx of reviews that'll come from people potentially misinterpreting what I'm writing.
(TLDR)
It's not a harem, not even slightly.
Legend below
"Good morning, Darling..." = Normal Speech
''Keep your head high!'' Normal Thoughts
Chapter 6
A bright purple circle that radiated psychic power appeared just on the verge of Undella Town, and appearing out from it was the Hero of Unova himself, alongside his towering and beautiful eight foot wife. There was a look of uncertainty on her face, hidden fairly decently by the beautiful smile she tried to put on for her husband's sake.
And for Hugh, he looked worn and tired, emotionally exhausted, and it was apparent that he'd only just recently been crying, if the redness in his eyes was any indication.
Yet, despite that, the man looked like he had been hit with a second wind. A determined glint had overtaken his eyes, a glint that hid more then he let on.
But his wife seemed unaware of it.
"I'm sure by now they are all home, Darling. It's been a little since everyone's been home at the same time, so I'm sure they'd love to see you." Sabrina said lightly, trying to control the mood of the air.
He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. Although, hidden behind his hair, she wouldn't have seen it anyway. "And I'm happy to get the chance to meet them all, again." He said, but there was a hesitation. "I'm worried about what they will think. I don't think this is going to go smoothly…"
"D-Darling…" Sabrina sighed. "They all love you, so very much. I think as heartbroken as they may be, it will quickly turn back around towards accepting you with open arms."
Sabrina turned towards the town, a small smile on her face. "I think some will be more difficult then others, but your daughters will love to have dad back with them." She said with a hint of amusement.
Hugh couldn't help but ask. "Daughters…?" He asked slowly, eyes widening. He turned to her, cheeks warming.
Sabrina giggled to herself, coming up from behind him, wrapping her arms around him. "Relax Darling, these ones are adopted." She hummed playfully in his ear. He sighed, for some reason her explanation tugged at his heart.
"So… Which ones are they?" He asked, genuinely curious.
She smiled. "The twins you'd rescued. The Lycanroc sisters. At some point early on they started calling you daddy, and you found it too much to tell them off. And from the way you pampered them, anyone would assume they were yours anyway." She laughed. "It's so cute, but many think it's rather inappropriate, the way they cling on to you, especially with their size. But you spoiled them rotten, and they depend on you because of that."
He sighed, thinking more about what he was to say when he got home, more than the how she was trying to distract him. Eventually she pulled away, watching as he walked further down the road, deep in thought. Her smile faded a bit, knowing that despite her attempts to distract him, he still had so much weighing on his mind.
He felt nervous as they approached the house, his house. Sabrina had decided that she wanted to try and break the ice to the rest of the household herself. With no reason to deny her, he accepted.
The door unlocked, and the sound of a live house with tv blaring and a shower running in the background immediately assaulted his ears. Compared to earlier in the day, the change was unbelievable.
Be that as it may, he was able to slip in without anyone seeing him. He stopped just past his front door, taking a moment to truly take in what he was looking at. Before him was the Pokémon that made up the champion's household, and from description alone, he was able to identify who he could see.
Facing away from the door, sitting on the large couch was Lexie, in her lap was both Mia and Mya, the sisters. The twins were passed out, nuzzling into the tall buxom Pokémon's side. And in said Pokémon's lap was was a short little dark furred runt, likely Midna, the Weavile.
They hadn't heard him enter, and he couldn't be certain, but Lexie was either too caught up in whatever she was watching, or she too was out cold, lulled to sleep by the warm bodies sleeping atop her.
"Darling, go on ahead before someone sees you. I'll gather everyone downstairs." Sabrina whispered in his ear, rubbing his shoulders for a moment. She knew that his pause wasn't from something negative, but that he was likely overwhelmed by the reality that what she said was true.
Everyone here in the house truly were his Pokémon, the family he'd always wanted. The family that his grandmother had urged him to go out and make.
"…okay…. Okay…" He breathed, turning around to hug her. She was surprised for a moment, but quickly accepted his touch and wrapped her arms around him in return. "I'll… be upstairs…" He muttered into the underside of her chest, before pulling away as he went to slip into his bedroom.
Sabrina sighed deeply, taking a moment to breath. Now that he was gone, it was up to her to break to the rest of them what had happened…
She had little hope that everyone would be accepting of this new situation right out the gate…
Feelings were going to be hurt, and emotions were going to be wounded. But, there was no way she was going to hide this from them…
The lady of the house stepped into the living room, approaching the couch. She found that indeed the girls upon were passed out atop each other. At least they were in one place.
She just had to gather Priscilla, Scarlett, Tesha, and Bella. She had no doubt that one or more of them were in the shower that she'd heard going in the background.
For Scarlett, it was safe to assume she wasn't home yet. She hated the idea of having the conversation she was going to hold with them all a second time, but she supposed that it couldn't be helped. Scarlett was very close with Hugh, so she might leave that conversation up to him.
Deciding not to procrastinate any longer, she approached the couch, gently shaking the Luxray awake.
The dark furred Pokémon stirred, blinking slowly as she took in the form of Sabrina standing beside her.
"Sabrina? What's wrong, babe?" The electric type could easily and immediately pick up on the woman of the house's unease, and the tension in her shoulders. Something was clearly upsetting her deeply. She also noticed that Hugh was missing.
"I'll explain in a moment. I want to have everyone here first." She said softly. Instead of explaining more, she moved deeper into the house, seeking out the bunny and canine hiding in the showers...
Hugh sat down on his bed, sinking into the lavish and comfortable material, noting absentmindedly how soft it was, and how expensive it must've been. He could barely hear the showers running just down the hall, no doubt more members of his rather massive family.
He couldn't wait to meet them all, to speak to them, to hug them. This was the family he'd always wanted, and like a dream, he had awoken to a world where his dreams had come true. But, it seemed to have come at a rather devastating cost.
He shook his head immediately, banishing the dark thought to the back of his mind where he locked it away, key clenched tightly in his hand. If he dwelled on the what ifs, or the how's and the whys and the when's, then he'd never get anywhere, and he'd never again become happy.
He wondered, what the him before a day ago was like. The man that had become the champion of Unova, the Pokémon Trainer that had bested any and all in his way. The man that had confessed his love to the amazing beauty downstairs, that had seemingly dedicated himself to caring and cherishing these eight other beings, that had sacrificed his own personal feelings in leu of catering to the needs of his massive adopted family.
That man had single-handedly brought a massive terrorist organization down by himself, ruining a plan of world domination, and had restored a general sense of peace to the land of Unova. His very presence gave off the feeling of security, that everything was going to be alright, that never again would someone be foolish enough to try to continue the scheme that the madman behind Team Plasma had started.
He was also the man that had, despite doing and accomplishing all this, was unable to protect the one's closest to him. And now, that man was gone, in his place a shadow that barely resembled him, in nothing but body and spirit, but not mind…
The man the world had come to know as Unova's champion hero, and the man that those downstairs had come to call master, darling, daddy, friend, Hugh, babe, and all other nicknames. That man, that they had come to depend on, was for all intents and purposes, gone.
Knowing that, the man that sat on that bed was still that man, memories and experiences or not. If he wasn't still that man at heart, he would've broken at the first sign of hardship, and would've simply run away.
But he was still here. He was still here, in a house surrounded by those that loved him and depended on him. And he didn't plan on leaving them behind, nor did he plan on letting them down.
He fell back, plopping onto the bed, his bed, haphazardly. He blew out a large sigh, taking a deep breath in.
"This is all too much to handle." A part of him said. Yet he didn't believe those words, not even for a second.
Those were the words of a weaker man, who couldn't place others before himself. Those were the emotions of someone who was unable to focus on the future, that was not willing to stick it out for those that needed him.
What kind of man would he be if he called it quits and ran?
Scum.
Trash.
Something worse than trash.
He wasn't allowed to be that, and he wasn't going to be. He needed to be an adult, handle the world when the world tried to strike him down, and not take no for an answer.
"Huh…" He muttered to himself, struck with a sudden thought. Although his memory of his life changing journey and all his growth as a person had been washed away, he realized now that what remained instead was his courage, his dedication, and his unwavering commitment to never give up. Even now, he was sure a lesser man would've tucked his tail between his legs and would've left anyone behind to save his own sanity…
But when he was posed with that idea, there wasn't even a small part of him that, even for a moment, thought of catering to that idea. It was as if his heart had, not even for a single moment, thought of that as a future for him.
He blew out a breath, feeling that tension he'd been building up on his way home alleviate somewhat. Down the hall he heard the shower suddenly turn off, a moment later two pairs of wet footsteps echoing out as they slapped against the wet tile floor. Perhaps two members of the house were showering together?
He couldn't help but try and imagine who they were, what they were like, and how they were going to react when Sabrina told them.
As Pokémon, who were they? What was their personalities like? Was their bond as family strong enough to shower together in intimate-like situations without it changing anything? Maybe the one's showering were sisters?
"Priscilla, Bella, there you are…" He could hear Sabrina speak from down the hall. He wanted to come out and see them, to say something.
But she made him promise to stay in their room until she could explain everything. She didn't want him in the room with them when she broke the news, knowing that it would probably make it that much harder.
"…-talk to you…. -something important…" She must've moved farther away, or had begun speaking in lower tones, because he could barely hear her. "Wher-… Tesha, Scarlett?"
"Oh Tesha? Girl went out-…. jog not too long ago. Should be-… minute now…" The voice that spoke to Sabrina wasn't one he recognized, no surprise there. She had this way about how she spoke, that gave away who she must've been. If he was correct in his assumption, it was probably Priscilla the Lopunny.
He tried to strain his hearing to listen in, but they all must've moved into the living room. He sighed, moving back to his bed. His room, err, their room was a mess. Their bed sheets were all off to the side, pillows laying randomly around the room as if thrown. He saw large frilly panties and stockings laying around the room, a lewd looking bra hanging on the handle to Sabrina's bedside.
He felt as weird as he didn't, picking up the undergarments of his wife's, undergarments that he was likely the one responsible for taking off some time before. His cheeks burned lightly, but he didn't really feel worked up about the image it gave him.
He sighed, confused more than he was mildly aroused. He felt like he was in limbo, floating between feeling like this was all some huge dream he was stuck in, and that at the same time he was supposed to know everything and handle everything like an experienced adult would.
But if you take away the last five years he'd spent adventuring, maturing, aging, and learning, then all that was left was the teenager that was placed in that man's place, with nothing but the man's courage, his spunk, and his heart.
And that was all he had to get him through this…
And this was his entire everything now…
"Breathe…" He told himself, eyes closed as he took in a soothing breath. He glanced around the room, looking for some sort of dirty laundry hamper to put both his and Sabrina's laundry in. Vaguely he could hear the sound of the front door opening, someone else returning home.
He had no idea who it was, but there was only so many left that weren't home. His mind felt like it was going hazy, hand's doing menial tasks as he waited for his wife to break the news.
He wasn't aware of when it started, but after some time, he heard crying coming from the living room.
A lot of crying…
He felt stabbed in the heart, like it was his fault that he'd forgotten them all. He had no idea where that thought came from, but he couldn't shake it as easily as other depressing thoughts that bounced around inside his head.
The very idea that this was all his fault just stabbed at him, and he didn't know why…
He tried not to start crying himself, the tearful sounds of the other members of the house.
No, he can't be crying right now. Those out there needed him, right now more than ever. He needed to be strong, for their sakes, for everyone's sake.
He heard a knock at the door, his bedroom door. A moment later Sabrina leaned in, her face looking as if she had only herself just stopped crying. He ran to her side, embracing her immediately, hands rubbing circles on her back.
"It's okay. It's okay." He told her, his voice strong despite how tumultuous his heart felt on the inside. He knew she was trying to act strong for the rest of them, as was he, but he knew she wasn't holding it together well. She hugged him back, squeezing him tightly as if to reaffirm that he was there, that he was still real.
He blinked when he felt something grab his leg, glancing down to find the tear stained face of a Weavile struggling to not break out in tears. She looked like she wanted to say something, mouth opening and closing, but she couldn't find the words.
But he wasn't going to make her struggle any more, as he bent down, scooping her up in a hug. It was as if that act of his was the confirmation for her, because she started bawling the moment she felt his hands hold her firmly.
"Hey… Midna… It's okay, I'm not going anywhere." He said softly, letting her get her tears out. However, it was the hesitation when saying her name that made the reality so much harder for her to accept.
The short thing didn't seem to care if it looked embarrassing as he held her up, soaking in all the comfort she could get. One hand held her up, while his other slowly ran through her hair, constantly reassuring her that he was staying right where he was.
He heard footsteps from behind Sabrina, seeing more from the house meekly peeking into the room.
The Lycanroc sisters stood by the door, nervously watching from the hallway. He could tell that they wanted to come in, to hug him and more, but they were hit with a sense of uncertainty. He didn't see any more, and he wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or a good thing.
He smiled light at the twins, putting on the most comforting face he could manage. "Mia, Mya." He said slowly, addressing each. He saw them tear up when he spoke however, and he realized that he must've addressed them wrong, getting the two mixed up.
Before he knew it they had him trapped between them, hugging him so hard he was afraid they'd break something.
"I'm Mia…" The red furred one cried.
"And I'm Mya…" Her twin, the tan furred one whispered meekly. He struggled to not cry with them, the utterly distraught look on their maws too much to handle.
"I-I'm sorry. I won't ever mix your names up again." He promised quietly, wrapping them both in a hug as best he could. Midna was crying below them, but he hadn't forgotten her. He pulled all three of them into a hug, letting them vent their frustrations.
He didn't know when it happened, but when their crying had finally begun to slow, he was able to ask about the other members of his house. "Where are the others?" He asked gently, still running his hands through both twins heads of hair. Both had fallen asleep on him, too taxed by the events of the day to stay awake any longer. Only Midna stayed awake, softly crying into his chest, though she did not make a sound.
"T-They… they're in the living room…" The short Pokémon muttered quietly, unable to look up to meet his gaze.
"I've got to talk to them too…" He muttered softly, running his hands through her red feathers. She didn't look up at him, silently clutching his shirt with her claws.
"…Okay…." She whispered. She eventually got up, wandering over to Sabrina. The biggest Pokémon in the house didn't hesitate to kneel down, pulling the younger Pokémon into a comforting hug.
The young man stood up, slowly moving for the bedroom door. He stopped just before leaving, patting Midna on the head gently, letting her know that he was still there. He didn't trust his voice in that moment, so he opted for smiling at her instead.
Stepping into the hallway, he moved for the living room. He quickly spotted the rest of his family, all sitting at different end of the couch. He saw a Blaziken, Tesha sitting uncomfortably on the couch, her hands clasped tightly together, her gaze glued to the floor.
He saw the underdressed Luxray, Lexie he believed, staring blankly at the tv screen as if to distract her from the coming conversation that was bound to be had. Beside her was a Lopunny, Priscilla if he remembered correctly. Then there was Bella, he couldn't miss the Arcanine in a two piece swimsuit, sitting on the couch rubbing the back of her bunny companion. Her face was torn, like she'd been told her master was just killed in an accident.
The only one looking his way immediately was Scarlett, the red and black haired Pokémon staring at him with a tearful smile.
He knew the moment they all locked eyes with him that it was going to be a long…
Long night…
Chapter
6
End
