"something on your mind son?"
Winn flinches a little at the sudden question after the long stretch of relative quiet as the two finished their respective lunches.
"not really sir. Just thinking is all" the youngster confessed his legs kicking absently against the metal legs of his chair as he spoke.
"mind if I ask what about?" the older man questions after taking a deliberate sip of his drink his sideways gaze appraising of the young boy beside him. Considering this had been the third night in less than a week he'd had to gingerly shake the sleeping boy awake well after the library had officially closed
Again, Winn hesitated to answer "why do they call you 'the voice of the bats' I heard a few of the older trainers talking earlier." He says and the other man can tell that wasn't the only thing on the young boy's mind.
That earns a low chuckle from the man beside him. "I wasn't always a night guard for the local library you know?" he answered his tone light enough Winn didn't feel the need to fund a place to hide as he would talking with his father. Either of them since being shuffled off 'into the system' as he'd heard someone call it as he was dropped off at an address that hadn't been his own. "one time I was an assistant researcher for the presentation and protection on Zubat habitats" his friend goes on.
"Those scare me." Winn confesses whilst chewing on the end of the straw for his milkshake.
"Scared me too in the beginning." The man beside him agreed "but then I realized just how useful they could be and not just in a battle."
He could see the boy wanting to ask what he meant but he could also see Winn's gaze checking the clock on the diner wall then fidgeting nervously once more when he saw just how late it was getting.
"I've already let your foster parents know Hels and I will be keeping an eye on you till morning kiddo don't worry." The guard soothes seeing Winn's shoulders visibly relaxing at the reassurance he wouldn't be returning to his latest attempt at a placement family just yet.
"Thank you, sir," Winn answers with honest relief clear in his voice as he meets the other man's eyes.
"No problem at all kiddo." The elder man waves off sharing a pained glance with their waitress and his wife when she came back with a refill on his coffee and another glass of milkshake for Winn.
"So, Kiddo you finally thought of a name for your starter mon yet?" the soft-voiced woman probes already knowing the next day was Winn's tenth birthday.
Winn hesitates at the question. "I don't think I can." He admits "Jason said kids like me don't deserve to have a Pokémon because I have bad blood, just like my dad."
"Next time I see that boy I'm having Ember bite his behind." The kindhearted woman grumbles under her breath earning a low purr from the Growlith at her side behind the counter.
"And I think it's time we give the boy his birthday gift."
Winn blinked several times in surprise at that. Almost falling from his seat in the process. "A present….for….for me?"
"A well-deserved one too." His friend nodes sending a wink towards Helen as he spoke then reaches over to playfully ruffle a hand in Winn's hair. "Just cause you share that man's name doesn't mean a lick about who you're going to be son." He reminds
"Would you mind going to fetch her dear? I'll stay and explain a little." Helen decides at Winn's shocked expression. Her husband nodes once before easing his tired limbs from the counter stool and heading up the back stairs to the couple's apartment.
"An old researcher friend of ours had an egg hatch recently under her care." Helen starts off "sweet little thing it turned out to be when it decided to join the world but also just a little too much for poor Tess to handle in her old age." She goes on "but when Ken and I told her about you and how reasonable of a boy you have shown to be since moving here she decided, and Kev and I agree that if you would want to you should have the first choice of becoming her trainer."
"H—Hhh-her?" Winn echoes
"Her." Kevin agrees coming back into the empty diner his arms now encased in thick rubber gloves as he carried a small bundle like a wrapped bred loaf over to them.
It was only when Winn looked closer that he saw the sleeping face of a Yamper nestled in the elder man's arms.
"You remember that story of how that trainer Ash met his Pikachu right?"
Winn nodes his eyes never leaving the resting Pokémon. "Well, this is kind of like that only instead of it being from anger or upset this little one is just so dang happy to be here she can't control her own electricity sometimes." He chuckled just as the dog-like electric type shifted in his arms yawning wide as it looked around.
"Kies." Winn decided earning at least some of the waking Pokémon's attention once it had been lowered gently to the ground Winn kneeling too a few paces away.
"Kies?"
"Short for Kiesler. It was the last name well the real one anyway for the inventor who cracked the code for wi-fi years before it was even a possibility." Winn explains now gingerly holding out his hand for the curious Pokémon to sniff at. "Hedwig Kiesler." He finished before either could ask the woman's full name.
"So, she was the reason you pulled down all those old-time Pokémon movie books." Kevin mused once more lowering himself back onto his chair as the two youngsters gauged one another.
"and I think she likes her nickname." Helen muses seeing more than a few sparks flickering around the young electro dog's short tail the longer Winn had talked.
"Let's get a picture before Kies was it? electrifies the camera." Kevin chuckles pulling a small camera from the pocket of his shirt as Winn manages to scoop up the happily whimpering dog without getting shocked himself in their shared excitement at meeting.
Winn doesn't bother whipping away a few more tears sliding down his cheeks as he kneels to lean the laminated picture against the gravestone.
"Thanks again, old man." He whispered more towards the preserved image of the man beside his then ten-year-old self as they both smile wide for the camera. "for everything."
Kies no longer the small, tanned pup in the photo but a far stronger and a little more intimidating opponent for those that thought to challenge her trainer was the first to greet him when after several more long-held seconds Winn stands and walks away from the grave marker.
Linda and her ice-typed Alolan caught Vulpix Snow Drop watching them both with mirrored saddened yet understanding expressions.
"Seems someone missed the party." Winn attempted to joke when the white and black pelted hatchling yawned from its nestled place against the carrier on his girlfriend's back. The days hatched Zigzagoon blinked up at him in confusion before stretching up to nuzzle against the approaching man's outstretched hand.
"I think I'll call her Kevin." The nine-year-old holding Linda's umbrella free hand decides looking from the marker to her father and then over at her once again dozing Pokémon.
"First Oreo now Kevin." Winn chuckled sweeping the giggling girl into his arms. "you know you don't have to decide just yet sweetie, you still have until tomorrow." He reminded tickling her sides until she was giggling and squirming in his grip. "but you can ask Grammy Helen's opinion later tonight before you decide okay?" the father reminds running his free hand over Kies's head as the small family made their way back between the rows of grave markers.