I don't own Pokemon.
Touching thing making soft noises. Not bad. Not good.
Scared. Don't want touching-thing hurt by new thing. New thing smells big. Smells like...other. Like...not me. Like female.
Female-thing puts good feeling thing near things for eating. I think-is good smell?
I move things for eating. Is good...taste. Is good taste, too.
I not worried anymore. Female make soft noises. Is good.
"I'm not a kid, Professor. You don't need you to babysit me"
Aurea Juniper closed her eyes, taking in a breath, put on a genuine smile, and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Viktor certainly wasn't anymore-now he was almost as tall as she was. Soon she'd be the one looking up at him.
"I know, Viktor. But this situation is...well, it's very unusual. And not only do I want to study it, I want to make sure that you don't get hurt in the process."
Viktor's trademark nervousness that seemed to have lifted was setting back in. He looked back and forth between the Deino that was eying them intently (at least, if he HAD eyes) as he munched on a Bouffalant steak.
"Well, I mean..he bit me already. What's the worst he could do besides that?"
Juniper glanced down at the bite marks on his hand that he'd neglected to mention to the Nurse Joy in the Pokemon Center until after he'd woken up. Needless to say, the Nurse, now sulking outside the restraining room, was not amused.
"...Viktor, you remember the talks the class had on how some dangerous Pokemon exist, but you shouldn't judge all of them by their species?"
"Yes?"
"Well, this is one of those times, and as your Professor I need to make sure you're properly equipped for this. There's a difference between being ready for a dangerous Liepard and what this little Deino's going to grow up into after a long time."
"What do you mean?"
Juniper sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"That's...that's not the problem right now and won't be for years. I can't in good conscience allow you to keep him. It'd be the equivalent of giving a child a loaded gun to play with."
Viktor stiffened, and the little Deino stopped staring blindly at the two of them, instead rising on his legs and hissing at Aurea as she began to yell at Viktor.
Female thing making LOUD BAD NOISES at first thing-male thing, not sure what to call. Is bad. Like food things female leave, but like first male-thing better.
More LOUD BAD NOISES. I make noises, female makes them too.
Is not good. Make more noises.
"I don't think he wants to go. He hasn't hurt me very bad yet, and didn't you say that even the meanest species can be nice-at least to their trainer-if they're raised right?"
"Yes, assuming that you're already relatively experienced! This is your second Pokemon, Viktor!"
The boy looked down, crestfallen, and Juniper immediately felt sorry for her raised voice. Returning her hand to his shoulder, she lowered herself slightly so she was at his height, his shorter bangs brushing against her lengthy brown locks.
"I'm sorry, Viktor. I shouldn't have snapped. But I just want to make sure you're safe. I'm sure that you'd do a fine job of raising this little Deino into a two-headed Zweilous and finally a Hydreigon. But I don't feel safe with you doing that just yet. Why don't you leave this little guy with me and come back after you collect the Quake Badge?"
The trainer looked between the Deino, slightly teary-eyed, and back at Aurea's sympathetic pupils.
"I...I..."
His lower lip began to quiver under the pressure, and Juniper could tell he was about to cry.
"You don't need to decide now, Viktor. Why don't I give you a minute with Deino to think it over? I'll be outside, sweetie."
The junior trainer nodded dumbly, nose snorting as he held in tears, and Aurea Juniper backed out of the room. He had far too much on his hands for someone so young to deal with.
Female gone. Male thing make noises, feel wet with things for touching.
Use things for moving-think they called feet-and reach male thing. I make happy noises. Male use touching-things near thing for eating. Is called mouth.
I not use mouth on touching-thing. Male make happy noises.
I like. I use mouth to get taste, know male taste.
Male uses things for touching, moves me. Feel safe. Like hard good thing.
I like. He likes.
We make happy noises together.
Aurea Juniper wasn't sure whether she should scream in horror or sigh in relief at what greeted her. A trainer attempting to hug a Deino before knowing them for at least a few weeks generally resulted in Deino-on-trainer mauling.
Yet a trainer-Deino hug was exactly what she was witnessing. Viktor certainly appeared to still have both his eyes, and judging by his happy sobs and Deino's high-pitched cries of joy (she knew a Deino's distress call, and this most certainly wasn't that), they were both enjoying their embrace.
Viktor noticed her entrance, and moved back away from Deino slightly to speak to her.
"Professor Ju-Juniper! I think I'll b...be alright. Can I take him with me? Please?"
As if to twist the knife of guilt he had unintentionally driven into her heart, Viktor's Oshawott-the very same that she had raised for this purpose-waddled in from behind her, noticed the hug, and, being the welcoming little otter that he was, scrambled over to join in.
If she posted a video of this online and charged-per-view, Aurea was certain her research would be funded for life.
She'd also be accused of infecting everyone on the planet with diabetes.
And, taking in a moment to behold the boy and his first two Pokemon hugging, Professor Juniper was certain that she'd have it no other way.