A/N: Last update for this week.

A/N: 16/10/2021. I've updated and edited this story. Big chances to the story in it's entirety.

Chapter Four: Tale

As Nurse Joy had needed to contact the doctor, I'd decided to curl up around the eggs and get some sleep. Instead of disturbing me and having the doctor do his exam that evening, Nurse Joy had instead invited the doctor around for the morning. Which gave me time to get a decent couple of hours of sleep, and eat a proper meal that Nurse Joy prepared.

As agreed, the Doctor took some bloods and did a couple of scans before he asked for permission to remove the cloth that I was using to hide my eyes. I worried my lip at the request. My eyes were admittedly the worst injury I had and probably the ones that did need professional medical assessment and treatment. But did I want to know the true extent of the damage that had been done to them? I knew that once I removed the cloth that I'd have no choice but to face that truth.

Sighing heavily, I reached up and removed the cloth, clutching it tightly in one hand and dearly wishing that Nurse Joy had kept the eggs on my bed instead of moving them to allow space for the examination. Slowking had remained at the Pokemon Centre and was hovering at the head of the bed, a comforting present, but not enough to distract my nervously twisting hands.

"Jennifer," the Doctor refused to call me by the shortened version of my name as it was unprofessional for him to do so. He'd attempted to ask for a surname to call me by, but I'd not given him one. I was hesitant about whether or not I actually wanted to take up a surname and was ruminating several ideas through the corner of my mind. "I need you to lift your head so I can see the damage."

There was a dual gasp of shock when I lifted my head.

"Jennifer, I'm going to have to touch around your eyes. This may hurt." The doctor warned before I flinched back at the cold feeling of his rubber covered fingers touching around the outer rim of my eye sockets.

"Eyelids missing except for a few rough millimetres," the Doctor muttered to himself. "Muscle damage from where the eyeball has been completely removed, tears and bleeding from what looks like small knife wounds which had dug into the socket, and through the corner of the eye where the tear ducts should be. Optic nerve has been severed; the cut is not clean removing the possibility of a future implant. Looks several days old, slight sign of inflammation."

"Likely six days old at this point. I wasn't sure how long I was unconscious for afterwards, and it was difficult to track time on the boat." I explained, shocked that I didn't have any eyelids. I hadn't been able to feel myself blink, but I'd just thought that my lids had been swollen shut. "Can I put the cloth back on?"

"No, I need to flush out the wound. The inflammation might be a sign off infection, and we should use sterilised bandages until all the cuts and wounds have been completely sealed. Then you can swop back to cloth. I'll have to do the cleaning this time, but Nurse Joy is capable of doing this on the other mornings. It will have to be done every morning for the next five days, then I'll come back and do a re-assessment." The Doctor decided. "Nurse Joy, do you have appropriate cleaning fluids here or do I need to nip back to my practise?"

"I don't think I have a solution suitable for an area as sensitive as the eye socket. But I can check." Nurse Joy admitted before leaving the room.

"Jennifer, if this is the state of your eyes…"

"I'm not letting you do a complete exam." I cut in. "This is hard enough."

"Breath young Jenny," Slowking placed his hand on my shoulder. "I am here, and you are safe."

"That doesn't change anything, Slowking. I'm not submitting to a complete physical exam." I reaffirmed.

"Very well Jennifer." The Doctor sighed. "I will not push. But if you begin feeling pain, light headed or other symptoms then have Nurse Joy contact me."

"I will also have Nurse Joy contact you if areas of skin where I know I have been injured become hot to touch or begin discharging." I tagged on in agreement, grateful that the Doctor wasn't going to the push the issue.

"Doctor, I do have the appropriate solution," Nurse Joy returned to the room triumphantly.

"Ah, thank you. Jennifer, I'd normally have a patient unconscious to flush out a wound like this, but considering that it needs to be treated every day it will be better to simple numb the area as best as possible. You will still experience some pain and discomfort, and if you cannot handle it then I can prescribe a sleeping tablet which will last six hours and we can have your eyes cleaned once you go to sleep each night." The Doctor explained as there was the soft clang of plastic against metal as he set up what he'd need.

"Do it without the numbing agent." I instructed.

"Child, I don't think you realise how sensitive the eyes are…" the doctor began to protest.

"I know very well how sensitive the eyes are." I cut him off with a grim smile. I may have repressed the majority of that night, but I still remembered the initial pain of the knife digging into my eye. And it wasn't like I hadn't been dealing with the healing and throbbing pain since I woke up in Adam's tent. "I have a high pain tolerance, but a low tolerance for drugs. I'd prefer to try this without the use of medication. If I am unable to hold still, then you may try numbing the area."

"You have experienced the effects of medication before?" the Doctor asked, surprised.

"Yes," my answer was blunt, to the point and my tone made it clear that I was not up to elaborating when, how or why.

"Very well. But the moment I think that the pain is becoming to much for you, I will stop and administer the numbing agent." The Doctor gave in. I was sure the suddenly heavy and looming presence of Slowking at my shoulder had more to do with his decision to cave than anything else but, as it worked, I wasn't going to say anything.

As the doctor had warned, it was painful to have the remains of my eye sockets cleaned out. The open wound and exposed nerves burning and stinking, respectively, as the cleaning solution came into contact with them. At first, the Doctor tried to be gentle as he rubbed what felt like damp cotton against what I know knew where the remains of my eyelids. But as I kept my body relaxed and unmoving (the only show of pain being the grip of my hands on my raised knees), he started applying just a bit more pressure and using more of the solution. He regularly had to stop to dap at the liquid – both the excess cleaning solution, and what I could smell was my own blood – which was starting to trickle out over my cheeks.

It took nearly forty minutes for the Doctor to finish, although he promised it would take half that time to do so in the mornings. I'd gotten some clean bandages to wrap around my eyes.

Once Nurse Joy and the Doctor had left the room, I shifted all the eggs so that they were on the same side and curled up around them. The Vulpix and dark-type egg closest to my body heat, and the two water types further away yet still close enough to ensure they remained at the right temperature. Using one scared hand, I hummed softly to the eggs hopping that the soft vibrations would be close enough to mimic the comforting hums they would have received from their mothers. Slowking, reassured now that I'd seen a doctor and that the eggs were okay, decided to head home for a little while. He'd return to visit in a few days.

The song was one that I remember grandmother used to sing to me. It was sad, in a hauntingly powerful way. But it wasn't just a sad song, it had always made me think about standing up and acting – in my darker days it had been the memory of this song playing from my head which had helped me get up. Because it reminded me not to back down. I was strong in myself as long as I believed.

"Jenny," Nurse Joy interrupted my quiet time. "There are several people here who would like to speak with you."

"Who are they?" I questioned, sitting up but keeping my arm around the eggs. I had to shift half of them to my other side to keep them all in my arms, but if I was going to be talking to people, I wanted to be holding them all.

"Professor Elm, Tobias Altman and Lt. Surge." Nurse Joy introduced them.

"Tobias Altman?" I questioned the only name that I didn't recognise. Professor Elm, like all professors was well known, Lt. Surge was a name spoken about with fear by the criminal groups. Tobias, however, was not a name I'd ever heard before.

"He is the mayor of Shamouti Island, and a retired Ranger Captain. Despite being retired, he is authorised to take statements on behalf of the Rangers and the League. Of course, Lt. Surge is also here on behalf of the League and Professor Elm can also stand on behalf of the League." Nurse Joy explained.

"Okay. I'll speak with them." I sighed. I had a feeling they were going to be asking questions which I wasn't going to want to answer, but there were things I needed to inform them off if I was going to keep my promise to bring the criminals down.

Not feeling comfortable with strangers in the room despite knowing a little about two of them, I decided to use Aura for the start of the conversation so that I had an idea of who was who. Nurse Joy shortly returned with the three people she'd said wanted to talk with me, and it was clear immediately who Lt. Surge was.

Lt. Surge was tall, taller than anyone I had ever met before. He also felt physically stronger than anyone else I'd ever met, with a presence which screamed 'solider'. If I hadn't been hearing tales of him whispered over firelight for the last two years, I would have known he was a combat veteran. Unlike Nurse Joy's kind and soothing Aura, Lt. Surge was stern and unbending – steadfast.

Next to Lt. Surge was a thin man of average height. I couldn't understand much about him, but assumed that he was the Professor based on the sense of curiosity and energy which radiated from him. If he'd been the re-tired Ranger, there would have been a firmer grit under his most dominate traits, and he'd feel older. This man was probably the youngest in the room, mid-twenties if he was lucky, while Nurse Joy was the next youngest at around thirty.

The final man was the smallest and oldest of the three. There was the feel of experience about him, but his overall Aura was kind and grandfatherly. If I'd been able to sense my grandmother, I suspected that she would have felt very much like this man. Kind and giving, but stern and protective at the same time.

"Jennifer," Nurse Joy used my full name instead of the shortened version that she had been using previously. "There are three gentlemen here. Lt. Surge…"

"Kid," A gruff voice grunted in greeting, coming from the solider I had previously identified as being the famed lieutenant.

"Professor Elm…"

"Hi." The voice bounced with energy like the man in the middle, and he actually waved despite not knowing that I was able to 'see' the movement.

"And Mayor Tobias Altman."

"Call me Tobias." The final man had a smile in his voice as he spoke. "There is no need to use my title in such a setting."

I nodded slowly but focused my attention on Lt. Surge even as I allowed my Aura sensing to fade. Now I knew who was who and had a basic idea about them, I didn't need to still be actively sensing them. If they moved, I'd be able to hear them do so.

"Are you going to stop the criminals, Lieutenant? Stop them from hurting other Pokemon?" I questioned him. I couldn't see why else he would be here, so far away from his home city. He was one of the few League members who were strong enough that the criminals all actively avoided operating in his area: the Blackthorn Clan, Professor Oak and Agatha being the only other people to have the same feared respect.

"Aye, I'll be going after those nasty pieces of work who decided to hurt Pokemon and human alike and stopping them." Lt. Surge agreed.

"Jennifer," Tobias interrupted before I could say anything else to the Lieutenant. "Before we get into details that Lt. Surge can use, we need to know a little more about you. Your story, if you will. Starting, with your full name and age."

"Why?" I questioned.

"In order to place you as a ward under someone's guardianship we need to fill in the blanks in your personal history, or it could help us find family that you would like to stay with. Explaining how you came to be under the mercy of criminals will also help us update our policies to prevent this from happening in the future." Tobias explained.

"This is also a psychological evaluation," the professor spoke up, his voice unusually solemn. Tobias and Nurse Joy made shocked noises that he would choose to divulge that information. "I need to know that you are emotionally and mentally in a place where I can authorise you being primary carer of these eggs."

"There is no way Jennifer is eleven, she can't be the primary career of a Pokemon." Tobias was definitely frowning.

"There are exemptions to the rule, and if she is the ward of myself or another Professor, or Nurse Joy then the technical authority of the Pokemon will be them but the primary career will be Jennifer." Professor Elm explained. "With the bond between Jennifer and the eggs, it would be detrimental to separate them."

"I see," Tobias muttered.

"You looked over Nurse Joys notes?" I asked the professor.

"I have, but I will be doing my own examination at the conclusion of this conversation to determine the strength of that bond and perhaps provide some additional information." Professor Elm was back to being his more energetic self with this statement.

I nodded slowly at this information. As much as I really didn't want to tell them more than necessary, it made sense why they needed to know. And I wouldn't have been able to hide it forever. My mother's DNA was registered on Kumquat Island and I would have to tell them that I was taken from there so they could compare my own DNA against those registered on the island and could find her. If I told them the truth now, I wouldn't have to argue against being sent back to her latter.

"My name is Jennifer Hart." I started. "Hart was my grandmother's maiden name; I don't know my mother's surname and wouldn't use it even if I did know. I lived with my grandmother for my first three years before she died, and my mother was forced to take up custody of me. My mother was a party girl, sleeping around with multiple men. She didn't know or care who my father was and never wanted me. "

"What's your mother's name?" Tobias questioned, there was the sound of scratching as he wrote notes on what he was being told.

I just shook my head. "They have both lived on Kumquat their whole lives."

"Kumquat?" Tobias was confused. "That is a long way from here."

"Yes." I agreed. "My mother pulled me from the pre-school I'd been in and started leaving me with various friends. That was until she ran out of friends. I was five when she reached out to Gary. She knew Gary from when they were young children." I turned my headed away and pulled the eggs even closer. "He stopped by Kumquat often to resupply and 'visit' my mother. During that visit, it was decided I was to be smuggled off the island on Gary's boat and back to the criminal's base of operations. They'd claimed an unnamed island, an unnamed island which they've called 'Grasshope'."

"Did your mother know that Gary was a criminal?" Lt. Surge was the one to question.

"Yes, yes she knew." It was painful to admit such, but I couldn't live in denial.

"Do you know where Grasshope is located?" Lt. Surge questioned, his voice twisting in contempt over the name.

"It's west. One of the small islands. You should be able to find it by looking at your Ranger records, because it's the one island no one has landed on for at least the last two years." I shrugged.

"That's impossible," Tobias muttered. "All islands have a rotation of visits from Rangers, plus random landings, especially those which don't have inhabitants."

"I don't know how or why; I just know it is." I shrugged. "Only those associated with the criminal groups actually landed on the island."

"I'll pull the appropriate paperwork." Lt. Surge grunted, making his own notes. "And find out who made such a thing possible. Can you tell me about the criminals who live on the island and how the organisation is run?"

"There were nine criminals who lived on the island full time, but a further twenty members which I knew of who lived off land." I began. "The Leader was Brad. Then there was the Forger, I don't know his actual name but he was the one who made all their legal paperwork. He was terrified of you, Lt. Surge, I think he'd run into you before but I'd never over heard that story."

"What did he look like?" Lt. Surge grunted.

"Tall, thin. Burn scar on his left forearm, his nose was pointed and bent to the left. Um… brown hair that was cut short. Light brown eyes. Tanned skin. I think he used to work for the League in some capacity." I frowned as I tried to recall as much as I could about the Forger.

"I know." Lt Surge growled. "Fredrick Yandrill, I was the one who burned his arm and broke his nose trying to bring him in."

"Other than the Leader and Forger, there is James and Tyler. Then there is Adam, Ajay, Danial, Dexter and Yan. Of course, then there is Gary." I continued now that Lt. Surge had identified the Forger.

"Tell me what each of these men do?" Lt. Surge requested.

"James and Tyler are the breeders. Gary is the Breaker. Danial does maintenance. Yan is the doctor. Dexter the primary on island searcher. Ajay and Adam, I don't know what they were supposed to do as primary but I called them, the wrecker and the cruel. They were worse than Gary and it was his job to hurt the Pokemon." I explained. Technically, Danial was also one of the searchers but he also did most of the maintenance so that was the title I gave him.

"Other than their roles, how do they organise themselves?"

"They have defences set up around the island, um… most of the water defences are designed to keep water Pokemon they've captured in and the wild Pokemon out. They don't have a night watch or anything, so if you approach at night, you can catch them by surprise. The Forger… Fredrick… and Brad handle the majority of the negotiations for sale and other things. Gary typically does the supply runs because he is the one with those connections, but they do have actual 'Suppliers' based in Azalea City, Fushia City and Mandarin Island. I don't know the names of anyone who lives off the island, only their code names." I shrugged lightly at admitting that. "But there should be paperwork you can use to track them in Fedrick or Brad's office."

"Their titles… well they are pretty much self-explanatory." I finished.

"Gary was the one who took your eyes?" Nurse Joy was the one who questioned.

"No. Gary isn't cruel enough. Adam took my eyes. Gary caused pain to create certain behavioural patterns. Adam, and to a slightly lesser extent Ajay, caused pain because they enjoyed it."

"How did you end up with the eggs?" the professor questioned.

"I stole them from the criminals. I decided if I was escaping with the Vulpix egg, I was going to try and save as many as I could. These were the only ones left in the breeding hut when I made my way there. There should have been at least thirty-seven eggs in there at the time but, in the time that I was unconscious they'd finalised sales and shipped the eggs out." I frowned.

"If you were six when you ended up on Grasshope, how long were you with them?" Lt. Surge questioned, obviously waiting and leading to another point.

"Two years. I'm eight."

"Why did you wait so long to make your escape?" Lt. Surge asked the question he'd clearly been leading towards with his previous question.

"They typically kept a close eye on me. Especially at first. The few times I slipped away, it was to get a Pokemon or egg to safety with the wild Pokemon on the island. I never had the opportunity to get a boat and get away from the island before they noticed. But, when Adam… Adam's punishments always leave me…" I struggled to find the correct way of wording this. "After Adam got his hands on me, I would be unable to do anything for several days. They must have assumed that between that, and the fact that they would assume it would take me several days to get use to navigating without sight, they didn't need to watch me so closely. I managed to get away while they were sleeping."

"What about the rest of the organisation? You said there was twenty who didn't live on the island, and you said three of them were suppliers?" Professor Elm questioned.

"The six Suppliers: a brother-sister pair based in Azalea city, a married couple in Fushia city and two business partners on Mandarin Island. I think the business partners own a shipping company of some kind, because the boats all go through them. Then there is Mr Kanto, Mr and Mrs Johto and Mr Hoenn. These four run their respective regions, and the others operate under their commands. I think Mr Kanto has four underlings, Mr and Mrs Johto have two and Mr Hoenn has four." I tried to tell them everything that I could remember to make it easier to find the paperwork when they made it to Grasshope.

"Do you have a physical description of any of them?" Tobias requested.

"I never met any of them. I only ever over heard talk about them and occasional caught glimpses of paperwork which was left out." I shook my head, lifting the dark-type egg up and hugging it close for a little while. "You'll just have to find the paperwork and do the leg work."

"I know someone who is very good at the leg work," Lt. Surge chuckled. "I'll find the paperwork; they'll figure out the identities of these people."

"When you go after them, you should know what you're facing." I lifted my head, once more giving the impression that I was looking at the Lieutenant. "Your team is strong, and against any one or two of their teams I have no doubt that your team would walk away. But you'll need back up to defeat all eight of them."

"The more I know, the better I can pick my team to best be able to handle them." Lt. Surge agreed.

"I don't know what Pokemon the Forger has, he never released them. Gary has a Machamp, Nidoking, Seismitoad and Fearow. His Fearow is very good at air battles, but struggles to fight landed Pokemon. His other three Pokemon are grapplers, using their physical strength to overwhelm and beat down an opponent." This time, only Lt. Surge was taking notes as he was the only one who needed to know about the details of the criminals individual Pokemon teams and fighting styles.

"On first approach and in the water, you need to watch out for Tyler whose team consists of Golduck, Dewgong, Feraligatr and Walrein. As he wasn't originally a Pokemon trainer, nor does he need to actively subdue strong Pokemon, his team are not as strong as Gary's. I'm not confident on Gym Team Levels, but I'd estimate his team might be able to stand toe-to-toe with a Level 2."

The knowledge I'd picked up on Gym Team Levels was scattered and based on the conversations of those of the criminals who had once been trainers before turning to a life of crime. From what I'd been able to piece together, Gym Leaders had three teams: level 1, 2 and 3. Level 1 teams were the weakest and level 3 were the strongest before they'd start using their personal teams, which again were split based on strength based on length of time they'd been together. Their strongest team was typically their personal team which had been with them longest, and could challenge the Elite Four team members if necessary.

"James is Tyler's opposite in that his team consists of Typhlosion, Camerupt, Emboar and Braixen. His team is of a similar strength as Tyler, with little to no experience."

"So, a water team, a fire team and a fighting team." Lt. Surge summed up.

"From what I've seen, Adam has a Marowak and a Piloswine while Ajay has a Gastrodon and a Rhydon. I'm positive they have more Pokemon on their teams, but I've only ever seen them with these two." I shuddered as I thought about the way that those two men had used their Pokemon to hurt the other Pokemon and the screeches of pain… "The Pokemon are just as cruel as their masters. I've only ever seen them attack with the intent of causing pain."

"I've faced the type before," Lt. Surge grunted in disgust. "Normally have a team of eight Pokemon, all trained to fight in the same way. Although, Gastrodon doesn't fit into the type of Pokemon typically used by such people."

"Danial has an Alolan Sanshrew, Poliwrath, Quagsire, Parasect, Pinsir, Magneton, Meganium and Alolan Persian. I think he's from Alola originally, because they don't have any connection with that region yet and the way his team fights…" I trailed off thoughtfully. "He doesn't fight from the front. He likes having his Pokemon fight from the shadows, the ground or water. Surprise attacks and long rang, when he needs to get close, they go in fast and then get out."

"Dexter is well rounded with his team and as a fighter, adapting as necessary since he's the one most likely to face against wild Pokemon of unknown strength. He has a Sneasel which prefers ice type move over dark type, a Starmie, Scyther, Electabuzz, Vileplume, Exeggutor and Murkrow."

"Danial Lewis and Dexter Stuart?" Lt. Surge growled the names.

"I think so. They don't use last names a lot, but I think that Brad called them Lewis and Stuart once." I frowned. "You know them?"

"They were up and coming trainers, made it six and twelve in the Indigo Conference respectively. Then they dropped off the radar five years ago." Lt. Sure admitted.

"Yan, the healer has what could be considered the weakest team because he doesn't like fighting." I continued. "His team relies on status effecting moves, confusing and putting their enemies to sleep. He has a Hypno, Medicham, Grumpig and Florges."

"What of the leader, Brad? What sort of Pokemon does he use?"

"Dodrio, a Kankaskhan who never had a child. Hitmonhan, Charizard, Golem and Trevenant. He has another six Pokemon at least, but I've never seen them." I finished.

"Well, this sounds like its going to be a fun fight." Lt. Surge chuckled grimly.

"You need to be aware of Lucario. He will probably aid you in the fight to ensure that these criminals are stopped and can no longer threaten him or his charges." I warned. "He lives in a cave south of the island, along with those that I saved and the wild Pokemon who are in hiding."

"I'll keep an eye out for him," Lt. Surge promised.

"And can you tell him that I'm okay, please? He might think that I died and I don't want him mourning me. He's already lost his trainer and life partner."

"I'll make sure he knows. Do you want me to see if Lucario would like to join you here?" Lt. Surge quired.

"He won't want to join me here. The island is his home, and he feels responsible for the other Pokemon that live there. As long as he knows that I'm alive and okay, he will remain on the island." I shook my head.

"I'll arrange protection and regular Ranger visits to the island once the criminals have been cleared out." Tobias promised. "The Pokemon that remain will be protected."

"What will happen to me?" I questioned.

"You have several choices," Tobais started. "Nurse Joy has offered you a room here. Or you can stay with Professor Elm or Professor Oak. All three have the authority and ability to look after the eggs and help you raised the Pokemon, and are willing to take you in. When you are old enough, the Pokemon will be officially transferred into your name, which can be as early as your tenth birthday based on assessments of which ever of the three you decide you would like to be your guardian."

"Why would Professor Oak offer to take me in?" I frowned.

"He has a grandson your age, and a granddaughter six or seven years older. Unlike with Nurse Joy, you'd grow up with other children. Professor Elm offered to take you in because he has the greatest experience with eggs, and lives within the heart of a village so you'd be close to a school." Tobias explained. "Nurse Joy offered you a place here because the island doesn't have a large population so you can slowly reintegrate yourself and your team."

"I don't want to be a burden on anyone. Who would be the best to stay with that would allow me to get a job? I need to be able to earn money so that I can pay for the Pokemon's medical expenses, training equipment, food. And of course, save up for when I become a trainer."

It was very common for those who turned eight to start small jobs, especially those with low-income parents or a future in Pokemon Training. Despite my grandma's urging, my mother hadn't done so, but I had always planned on getting a job as soon as possible. Now that I was free, and had six Pokemon to care for, I wasn't going to hang around and rely on others.

"Jenny, you've only recently lost your sight. You need to learn to adapt, you need to look after your Pokemon, and then, once your Pokemon are old enough to be more independent, we'll look to see if there is a way for you to earn money. Create savings to look after your Pokemon." Nurse Joy scolded. "But, as you will have Pokemon, you will be able to find work no matter who you stay with."

"Then… I'd like to stay with you for now Nurse Joy. So Slowking can visit us." I decided.

"Alright, I don't need to be here. I've got work to do. And so do you Tobias. The kids made her decision." Lt. Surge announced.

"I'll visit with the paperwork to ensure that the Pokemon remain in your custody and Nurse Joy is your listed guardian." Tobias promised before he followed the Lieutenant out.

"Which just means I need to do a check on the eggs, and then we can leave you to rest and settle in." Professor Elm announced happily. "Which would you like me to start with?"

"Well, flying types are fast hatchers so I'd like you to check that one first please. Then the two water types, because I think they are the oldest. Then Vulpix. Then the dragon, and the dark type which I think has a secondary typing of a dragon." I made sure that the professor knew which egg was which as I identified them.

"Well then, lets see…" The Professor lifted each egg up and began examining them while muttering to himself. This continued for thirty minutes before all the eggs had been examined and returned.

"I have a family incubator, so that the eggs can all be together while you sleep since it is not safe for you to be sleeping surrounded by the eggs and it will ensure that they are kept at the correct temperature." Professor Elm started off. "As it is, these eggs are all in remarkable good health with a very strong bond formed with yourself."

"Now, as for identity. I haven't been able to identify the flying type, but it isn't a common flying type like a Pidgey or Starly. I had a little more success with the water types: one is a Piplup and the other might be a Froakie. All three are due to hatch in two or three weeks. Could happen in any order. Vulpix will probably hatch a week after those three, and will likely show little to no sign of his runt status beyond being slightly smaller than normal for his first month or so of life."

"I knew Vulpix's hatch quickly, but six weeks?" I questioned, surprised.

"Vulpix's do most of their growing before birth which is why most runts don't survive when born wild. They typically hatch between six and ten weeks after birth depending on environmental factors. A six-week hatch means the egg is well cared for." Professor Elm explained.

"What of the others?"

"The dragon is a dragon and a flying type, and the dark type is also a dragon type like you suspected." Professor Elm sighed. "Unfortunately, I am not as familiar with dragon breeds due to the Blackthorn protectiveness. I've never heard of a criminal organisation getting this many dragon eggs. I'll have to contact one of the Blackthorn Clan to get an identification on the eggs before they hatch, and they are going to want regular updates on the dragon's health as it is."

"I don't mind sending reports to the Blackthorn clan." I admitted. "Dragons… dragons and the Blackthorns have always had a strong bond so it makes sense that they are going to want to make sure that the ones who have come under my care are okay. Do you have a hatching estimate for them?"

"Well, the Dragon/Flying type will probably hatch in five weeks, and the dark type in six weeks. These eggs are already four or five months old, so they are close to hatching. Did the criminals ever capture any dragons?"

"None that they were able to breed. The dragons always responded harshly to their attempts and didn't survive the process. And they didn't have any dragons on their teams they could use, especially since most of their teams are male." Pokemon were always the gender of the female Pokemon, even if they typically took something from their male partner.

"Which means they were stolen from wild Pokemon," Professor Elm sighed. "This may explain the reports of rampages that the Blackthorn clan has been having to deal with as the Ranger have been unable to calm the dragons in question."

"I could visit the Blackthorn clan at some point, so they could see the dragons instead of just reading reports." I suggested.