A/N: Edited this story 16/10/2021. Major edits done to this story, might want to go back and check those changes.
Chapter Six: Family
Swablu was a quick learner.
By her second day, she was already trying to take off and had mastered the appropriate wing movement to gain lift and glide. I helped her by raising her up into the air, where she would lift slightly from the uplift for a moment before her wing strength stumbles and she falls back into my hands. Every time Swablu tried to take to the air, I was always under her; ready to catch her, and yet not restricting her upward mobility.
Each time Swablu tried, she managed to last a little bit longer in the air, even if she wasn't yet strong enough to get any forward movement – just a little bit upward with propulsion. When we were practising Chansey was always nearby encase of any accidents. As I was always there, and I didn't let Swablu over-extend herself, Chansey's care hadn't been needed.
By day four, Swablu was strong enough to buzz around the room for up to five minutes at a time and she was singing to the sky with joy at this. Swablu had taken to whistling my songs back to me, learning what I hummed to her and the other eggs, and only fulling back to the natural call of her species when she was exhilarated. I'm sure I'd hear some of her other calls in time, but for now I wasn't inclined to stop her learning my songs.
Because Swablu wasn't strong enough to fly for an extended period of time, she'd taken to nesting in my hair, which I kept in a bun on top of my head creating a good nest for her. We had exercises five times a day, for no more than ten minutes, to get her wing strength up. Once Swablu was able to take off on her own, and fly around the room unaided for five minutes, I'd increase the amount of time I'd allow Swablu to train – slowly and steadily.
Swablu's, when fully grown, would be able to fly at approximately 60mph for five hours in one go before needing to stop for a rest for a little while. When evolved, Altaria could fly for up to twenty hours at a leisurely 80mph, or seven hours at 160mps.
Eight days after Swablu hatched, and she was flying around on her own for ten minutes, the water-type egg that Professor Elm had identified as Froakie went from rocking to cracking. Not wanting to insight Nurse Joy's rath, I called for Nurse Joy once more. I would have sent Swablu, but she wasn't yet strong enough to make the trip to the front desk where Nurse Joy was spending the morning reading.
Froakie hatched a lot quicker than Swablu had. Within five minutes of his egg cracking, his head had poked out of the egg and his webbed hand was poking the rest of the shell out from the inside.
Once he'd gotten his body out of the egg, and gotten his baring's, I lifted the frog Pokemon up. Although the Professor had told me that one of the eggs was a Froakie, I was still surprised that such was the case; just as I'm surprised about the eggs which were dragon types. I'd never thought that the criminals had been able to breed a Greninja, and they definitely wouldn't have been able to steal this egg from a nest – the risk would have been too great for too little a reward. The risk for stealing a dragon type egg would be worth it, but not for a water type which was not nearly as rare.
"Hello Froakie," I greeted softly.
"Froak, Froakie," the Pokemon greeted me in turn, nuzzling his head against the junction of my neck and shoulder.
"Swablu," Swablu greeted her brother, leaning forward so she could be seen from her nest on my head.
"Come on, Froakie. The reading said you should get in the water, and Swablu needs a shower as well." I got up with a smile, as my two friends chattered at each other.
Swablu had recently started using her cloud like wings to run along dusty surfaces. As she hadn't gone outside yet, Swablu hadn't washed in rain as her species typically does when doing a spring cleaning. Taking her into the shower with me and Froakie would allow Swablu to clean her wings, and give all three of us bonding time. Although Froakie was a land-based water-type Pokemon, he did need to spend time in water in his first evolved form especially within the first hour after he was born. To help ensure he remained hydrated.
Froakie was a lot more active than Swablu from the get go, and I was having to battle the water-type that first night to get some rest instead of exploring everything within reach. In the end, it took a combination of my humming and Swablu's singing to capture Froakie's attention and drift him off to sleep.
Over the next few days, Froakie developed a fascination with his sister which far out weighed his desire to explore the rooms. Whenever Swablu stopped to rest within his reach, he hopped over and sat poking at her wings or rubbing his cheek along them. From what I was able to determine, he was absolutely fascinated with how soft they were and the fact that they felt so different to everything else that he happily got his webbed paws on, and yet they were also strong enough to get Swablu air-born. Swablu didn't seem to mind the attention, and had even learnt how to dive low to the ground and come up in a glid so that she could brush her wings along the top of Froakie's head when she was practising.
As Froakie and Swablu interacted and grew, I got a better idea of their individual personalities. Swablu was very happy and open, she enjoyed nesting on my head, and she had started joining me in my showers because she enjoyed the way that water felt falling onto her body and wings – especially if I massaged her wings to ensure that all the dust she collected was washed away. Froakie was extremely curious. As long as I or Swablu was in the same room as him, he was quite happy to explore and look through everything. He also enjoyed being cuddled, and running his webbed hands over new textures, although his favourite remained Swablu's wings. Considering how young he was, I'd gotten a large pool inflated and filled so that Froakie could submerge himself for around nine hours each day to ensure he stayed hydrated, although he preferred to swim around the fountain on the rare occasions that I went out into the garden. As he got older, he wouldn't need to remain in the water as long each day, and eventually he would be able to go several days without being submerged, as long as he had water to drink.
As I'd had three weeks of recovery time, I started practising a part of my Aura training which I'd never done unless it was with Lucario who was able to breach the distance: mental connection. Aura Sensing allowed me to get a feel for other Being's emotional states, but I'd never been strong enough to truly reach out and feel the mental and emotional state of a Pokemon before. So, near the end of my meditation each day I started focusing on Swablu and Froakie in order to learn the difference between them and I slowly started picking up emotions which were muted. It would take time and practise to be able to pick up stronger emotions and, from there, I'd be able to move onto feelings and impressions, and in time actual words. At the minute, I was only able to communicate with psychic type Pokemon who already new Telepathy, such as Slowking who'd been by a few times and was the one to take up instructing me on how to feel another's mind, and also Pokemon who had Aura and could use that as a 'cheat' in order to communicate using Telepathy. From what I recalled of his explanation, Lucario didn't use recognisable Telepathy that would be identified as such by a Pokedex, but it had the same effect and was always easier to do with those who were Aura Adapts even if they had no practise.
Just as Froakie was beginning to settle down, just before midnight on the 3rd February, the second water type egg which Professor Elm thought might be a Piplup, went from warm and rocking to cracking within twenty minutes – the fastest of all my eggs to progress through the stages. Swablu had been warm and rocking for two days prior to hatching, and Froakie a full day, yet Piplup's egg skipped through that stage very quickly. From the time of the first crack appearing, to the moment Piplup's head knocked the top off of the shell, only five minutes had passed. If it hadn't been for the brief flare in life force which jarred my Aura Sensing, Piplup would have hatched within the confines of the incubator instead of the safety of my arms.
Once Piplup was free of her egg, I washed the thick down of her fur in the warm water of the pool, with the help of the sleepy but curious Froakie, before feeding her some berries I had on hand and then snuggling up with all three members of my family and going to sleep.
I was woken in the morning by a disgruntled Chansey who was trying to check on the baby Pokemon held protectively in the shell of my arms, without waking the other two baby Pokemon on the bed since they both had some more growing to do until they reached the 'normal' hight of their respective species.
"It seems that the eggs might all hatch a little quicker than Professor Elm predicted." Nurse Joy observed as she entered my room as I relinquished my new family member for an examination.
"I think my little madam just didn't like the idea of waiting around any longer. From the moment her egg warmed up and started rocking, she was out twenty-five minutes later. I didn't have the time to call for you before she joined us, and I was two tired to think about calling for you after I bathed and fed her." I shrugged lightly before climbing out of bed.
"She?" Nurse Joy questioned as she critically watched the exam her Chansey was preforming. She trusted Chansey to know what she was doing, and knew that using her machines wouldn't end well with Jenny's protective nature.
"Yes, she. At the minute, Froakie is my only boy. I hope at least one of the others is a boy, so that he doesn't feel different for being the only male." I frowned at the thought. It was already peculiar that two of my eggs were female, so I hoped that the remainder would be male. From my research, females of most Pokemon species were more temperamental and less likely to want to take part in Pokemon Battle's as directed by a Pokemon Trainer; mostly because it was harder for a Trainer to earn their respect. Because of this, it was rare for a Pokemon Trainer to have a large, female based, Pokemon team.
Piplup, despite being so young, was a very proud little Pokemon. She refused to accept food from Chansey or Nurse Joy. If it wasn't placed before her by me, she wouldn't eat it. Because of this, I took to making all the food, including the snacks, for everyone – including Nurse Joy and Chansey. It was nice to make food for people who actually appreciated it, and I was learning new recipes which were better suited for feeding each of my new Pokemon that weren't just berries. I also made sure to research what Slowking liked, so that I could thank him for all his help during his short visits.
As well as being stubborn about food, Piplup was stubborn about walking. She saw the ease in which Froakie hopped everywhere and Swablu flew, and she wanted to be able to move as easily out of the water as they did despite her species being known for the clumsiness on land until after their first evolution. To try and help Piplup achieve her goal, I would stand behind her and offer support on either side of her as she moved forward. Hopefully, helping her walk so early in life would make it easier for her to move and fight on land before she evolves, especially since her body was still finishing the final stages of growth.
Once the other eggs had finished hatching, I was going to take Piplup and Froakie to find an inlet for them to swim in so that they could begin developing their muscles to combat stronger water. They needed to learn to navigate in their natural habitat, and I didn't want to deprive them of the experience of being in salt water. I also needed to leave the Pokemon Centre and explore the island that I called home at some point, but I couldn't do that until all my family had hatched and joined me.
The day after Piplup hatched, the Vulpix egg started becoming warmer to touch. Unlike its siblings, the Vulpix egg was much slower to go through the process which proceeded hatching, remaining warm for several days before it started intermittently trembling for several more days. I was keeping the egg under close watch since the Vulpix within could either get stuck at this point in the hatching, or begin cracking the shell, and I needed to be prepared to act whichever the case may be.
"Jenny, how are you?" Nurse Joy took a seat next to me in the garden. Swablu was flying around the garden, occasionally landing on either Froakie or Piplup, who were currently playing a chase game which double as a balancing exercise for Piplup. I was sat with Vulpix's egg, gentle rubbing the mineral solution onto the shell while sharing body heat.
"I'm fine?" I answered, a tilt of confusion in my voice.
"How are you coping with three baby Pokemon, with three more on the way?" Nurse Joy clarified.
"At the minute, it's going well. All three of them are young yet, and their personalities are melding well. But we haven't started training nor have we left the Pokemon Centre. I'm sure there is going to be problems which arise as they grow older and their personalities clash with their siblings – both the ones they currently have and the ones who have yet to hatch. But, when those problems arise, we'll get through it." I answered thoughtfully. At the minute I could foresee Piplup's pride perhaps leading to tension and jealously in the future if I didn't keep a close watch on her, and how the others responded to her attempts to learn and move like them.
"There was doubt that someone so young could handle so many young Pokemon at the same time, but I think you are well on your way to proving them wrong." Nurse Joy said, a distinct note of pride in her voice. "You looking forward to seeing Vulpix enter the world?"
"Since they were a runt, I was worried they wouldn't be strong enough to make it to viability. But they are close to hatching and once they've hatched, I know I'll be able to complete my promise to Ninetales." I admitted, putting the cloth to one side now that I'd finished polishing the egg. It was the 7th, three days since the egg started showing signs of hatching, and I was beginning to worry that Professor Elm was going to need to be called upon to help Vulpix.
Despite my worries, Vulpix joined the world as the clock struck midnight, turning from the 8th to the 9th. It seemed that my family were determined to keep me awake at night. Hopefully, the next one would hatch during the day instead of when I was struggling to stay awake after a long day of training and looking after his three siblings. Vulpix was weak when he came out, unable to stand on his own, but he was alive and Nurse Joy said he would be fine. It would just take time for him to grow and catch up with where his nest mates would be, and I needed to keep an eye on his tail as it started splitting over the next few months encase it wasn't formed enough to break up properly as the tail was the last thing to form within the egg.
Because Vulpix was such a young fire type, I had to be careful that he didn't come into contact with either Froakie or Piplup after they'd gotten out of the water. Until Vulpix was two months old, water could be very detrimental to his health and possible painful if there was enough of it. Beyond this care, after three days Vulpix was able to take his own weight and begin walking and playing with his three older siblings even if he could only skuttle around on trembling legs for a few minutes at a time. He kept trying to catch Swablu, who fluttered before his noise, or pounced on either Froakie or Piplip who were both more mobile despite Piplup's occasional tripping moments. It would take another week before he would be able to walk around on stronger legs, and a week more before he could move around for an hour at a time.
In the time between Vulpix's birth and the next egg starting to hatch, I hadn't been able to make out a distinct personality yet. Vulpix was quiet, but once he started gaining mobility he enjoyed playing with his siblings, but beyond that I couldn't make anything else that was unique to his personality. Although I did learn that he likes to have small amounts of charcoal mixed into his food as more than a health benefit. There were hints of focus and determination, but with how young he was I couldn't determine if these sparks of emotion were part of his personality or just response to the situation.
I had six days to bond with Vulpix, while maintaining my growing bond with the rest of his nest mates, before the egg which was identified as Dragon type warmed to the touch and started intermittently trembling.
Unlike Piplup and Vulpix, the next egg started hatching in the middle of the day after showing signs of hatching for only thirteen hours. As with all its previous siblings, I'd been carrying them around since the moment it began showing signs of hatching, and the first crack appeared while it was play time and so we were all outside.
From the egg, a Pokemon I didn't recognise emerged and I couldn't identify based on physical descriptions of the dragon's that I'd been researching. He had large ears and a domed head, wings with two points that end with small hands, feet with two long toes and he had collar type fur around his neck and the top of each of his legs. Clearly, he was a flying type dragon, but the only dragon types that I could think with flying-typings were ones who gained such a typing after one or two evolutions such as Dragonite, Kingdra, Salamence and Altaria. I couldn't think of a single dragon-type Pokemon who were also flying type in their first evolve form.
"A Shiny Noibat." Nurse Joy identified the Pokemon who was clinging to my front, having buried his head into my chest when I picked him up.
"A Noibat. What colour is he? You said he was Shiny, what colour are other Noibat?" I questioned, gentle rubbing my thumb at the point where Noibat's large ears connected to his head. With each passing of my thumb, the slight tremors from Noibat subsided although he hadn't made a noise beyond a single thrill when I'd first picked him up.
"Normally Noibat's have light purple fur, with darker purple on their ears, and black fur around their collar and hips." Nurse Joy explained. "Your Noibat has turquoise fur on his body and inner ear, but his wings are black as are his collar and the fur on his hips. You need to be careful with his eyes, and allow him to adjust slowly to the light. Noibat's are typically born in caves and only travel at night until they are three or four weeks old and they start slowly acclimatising themselves to daylight."
"That's why he's buried his head in my chest, because it's too bright out here?" I questioned with a frown.
"Yes," Nurse Joy confirmed.
"Then let's move inside. Can you tell me more about Noibats? What region are they found in? What sort of food would he like? Is there anything I need to know about his care?"
"Noibats are mostly found in Kalos. There numbers are unknown, currently considered to be rare, but it's assumed there are lots of them but we have yet to locate their nests." Nurse Joy began explaining. "The Blackthorn clan are heading the research and protection into the species. Your Noibat is the first reported shiny, the Clan will be wanting updates."
"That's understandable." I hummed. Kalos had only recently joined with Kanto and Johto, but they were still reserved in providing details of their Pokemon to other regions, and there was still Pokemon that they were finding out about.
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Noibat was destined to be a prankster. Even as young as he was, he'd strengthened his wings enough to be able to fly under his own power within four days and had immediately taken to dive bombing everyone. Swablu was put off at first that Noibat was turning out to be a better flier then her, then she discovered that she could take corners faster and tighter than Noibat who wasn't as small and elegant as she was.
Just as Noibat's personality became evident, so did Vulpix's. Despite being the middle child, he was very serious and responsible. Keeping an eye on Noibat while he was playing his aerial games and barking in disapproval if he was doing something too dangerous or annoying one of the others to the point of upsetting them. He was also very determined, overcoming his initial physical weakness very quickly so he could help Piplup stay on her feet and also play leap frog with Froakie.
Both Noibat and Vulpix responded to my attempts at communicating with emotions more readily than Swablu, Froakie or Piplups. Vulpix innate psychic-typing which was theorised to be attached to the fire-type, despite no research having proved such so far, meant that he was able to respond to my attempts at reaching out. It would take time to be able to communicate in the way that I was able to with a true psychic type like Slowking, but I was determined to help him harness this power even if it was just to telepathically communicate to the fullest extent without straining my Aura Senses. For Noibat, Slowking revealed that her flying-dragon would be able to learn and use Telepathy as he had such as an Ability, and he was unconsciously tapping into this ability whenever I reach out to him.
Finally, four days after Noibat was born, the last egg began to hatch. After five hours of warning, my last family member joined us. After the first crack, Deino had joined the world within three minutes – using her head to break the shell.
Deino's were typically found in the mountains of Unova, it was rare for them to be captured because they typically avoided humans and lived as packs. Because of this, there wasn't a current known accounting of their population's estimated size, and so they were considered to be rare – particularly outside of Unova. Not even a member of the Blackthorn clan was known to have a Deino or any of its evolved form.
Deino's were blind in their first two evolutions, which meant they used their nose and ears in order to learn about the world and interact with it. Because her ears and noise were how she learnt about the world, they were extremely sensitive.
"Deino, welcome to the family." I spoke softly, carefully lifting up Deino and bringing her onto my lap so she could get my scent. "Swablu, come forward and meet your sister, but please we quiet. We don't want to overwhelm her."
