He said in a very tired, withdrawn but satisfied tone of voice:

Tom: Ah...this is the life. I suppose I deserve to rest for a change, after all that happened throughout our travels.

Tom: It's been a while since we've rested ourselves like this...we always had to move our butts off when we have to deal with our missions.

He then took notice of what topic he just saw while he was watching the documentary, especially having to do with the Stars and anything Stellar-related, and gave his own thoughts for tonight relating to a certain someone he knows.

Tom: Ah, the Stars. How have you guys been up there? Sorry for being too unattentive, considering I have a Star that is very, very special to me to take care of my own.

Tom did not know that a certain someone was listening to him and it gave off a satisfied cry of glee.

Tom: I suppose that you all seem happy, or maybe sad up there, watching over how the world works while we're working here, even if we're also watching you if we wanna get things off our chest after a long, long day.

Tom: Though, pretty sure that my Star would want to join sleeping there with you someday, but he's busy here with us right now.

Someone inside the house just shifted and made a flabbergasted cry, somehow preparing to move outside, emitting a bright yellow twinkle as it does so.

Tom: I would have wanted to see the farthest reaches of space as well as the entire Solar System, if not the entire Milky Way galaxy itself. I heard it is quite beautiful to observe from there, and I'd gladly trade someone else just to get the chance to see what the entire cosmos looks like.

Tom: *sigh*, If only me and my crew get to see those, though... it'd be awesome.

-Jerry finds that remark quite a bit rude. []

-Jerry remembered Tom's promise to him back then. []

-Jerry remembered his promise to Tom back then. []

-Jerry remembered how he teared up while reciting his promise to Tom back then. []

-Jerry remembered how he looked into Tom's eyes and he saw inside Tom's inner Wishes. []

-Jerry proclaims that he WILL keep his promise to Tom, no matter what. []

-Jerry does not want to return to his old self anymore. []

-Jerry does not want to trade his freedom for every Star in the night sky, as well as seeing the farthest reaches of space, where he is all alone. []

-Jerry does not want to be all alone at all anymore. []

-Jerry does not want Tom to leave and wants to never, ever let go of his embrace. []

-Jerry wants to stay with his Pokémon Siblings and Papa Tom Forever and Ever. []

-Jerry wants to see the farthest reaches of space and the universe with Tom leading him and the others on their travels. []

-Jerry IS a FREE Guardian Wishing Star. []

-Jerry wants Tom to hug him very tightly as a form of apology very soon. []

-Cuddle Time as payment of debt is underway, for a few minutes. []

He then decided to use his headphones to continue listening to the documentary, then after a few minutes, decided to take a nap as he did so. Ten minutes after, he drifted into his normal sleeping pattern, not knowing that his headphones have been removed from his ears, and he was being caressed by something silky, as well as being hugged and snuggled by someone on his chest as he slept and took a nap. The sensation then faded away after a few minutes, and he was back to being alone once again.

It took him a few minutes to wake up and fix himself up, then he took his phone and scanned it for some messages, and laid it down for a while when he heard a door opening and closing, as well as a bunch of familiar cries of different volumes.

Jess: /Wait...Oh hey guys, look! It's Papa! On the Meeting Tree!

Chuuuu-Chuuuu!

Jess went outside first, wearing her trademark green bow on the center above her head.

Serena: /Oh, Papa! Let us move, everyone!

Veoooooon!

Serena went out next, her wearing her pink and white bow that just looks like her organic ones on the left side of her ear.

Victor: /Papaaaaaaaa! Oh, heeeeey, Waiiiiiiiit! Wait up!

Tiniiiiiiiii!

Victor went out next, him wearing his trademark leprechaun green scarf, the strips laid down on his back as he did a happy dance in his position when he saw his Keeper.

Jerry: /Papaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Huuuuuuuuuug!

Cheeeeeeeeeeeee!

Jerry followed suit, him wearing his trademark yellow scarf that transformed its 4 separate strips into two, long capes as they flowed gracefully on the ground and his Giant Wish Tag also flowed freely in the wind as he walked.

Manny: /Papa hug Meee! Papa hug all of us!

Pheeeeeeeeeeeee!

And finally, Manny went out last, him wearing his own tied up, short, green, silk cape that flowed freely and gracefully on the ground, billowing in the breeze as he also saw his Keeper and made a happy dance just like his older Brother, as the crystals on his body gleamed a little as he walked.

He saw his own Pokémon move out of the backyard and scanned the area, then afterwards they saw him as he gazed at them, then Tom quickly turned his eyes away from them, feigning him not noticing them, in which the Electric and part-Psychic Mouse, the Fairy Bunny Fox, the Fire and Psychic Bunny-like Luckbringer, the Steel and Psychic Guardian Wishing Star and the Water Sea Guardian Prince then ran towards their Keeper's position-their usual meeting place, the Meeting Tree, screaming cries of joy and glee as they scrambled running towards him. Tom was then dogpiled by his own Pokémon, especially his youngest Ward, Manny, as he crashed into Tom's face point-blank, then Manny hugging and snuggling his cheek profusely to compensate, to Tom's delight. Tom's Pokémon then snuggled themselves onto him in unison, the Pokémon squealing and crying in happiness as they were having fun struggling to find ground to hug each other properly.

After Tom straightened himself out, the Pokémon followed suit and behaved themselves, then found their respective positions on this particular, intimate hug, with Jess holding Tom's right torso and arm and snuggled onto his right chest side, Serena on the left torso and arm and snuggled onto his left chest side, Victor snuggled close to his right shoulder and cheek, Jerry on the left shoulder and cheek, and Manny on the center-on his Keeper's lap and tummy.

The Pokémon chlidren in unison looked at their Keeper with a meaningful gaze, their eyes holding Tom's in line, their eyes then forming a watery gleam as they looked at their Papa intently like it's the end of their world and HE is their only hope to cling onto, as their eyes pierced through Tom's own, staring through his very soul, their eyes telling him that they love him very much with all their heart.

The children then moved their arms, mostly their hands, towards Tom's chest on the center, then gave the best hug they could give for their Papa, closing their eyes in unison as they felt each other's warmth, their hands stacked on top of each other, and as Tom noted silently, his Pokémon literally hugging him and holding him very, very close to his heart, once again.

They really, really LOVE him that much.

Though, he had to admit, he understood why. They have since come a long way from being lost and astray, and them almost resigning themselves to becoming what they were destined to be, but they loathed so much, to being a one, big, tight-knit Family and forming an organization that gave them all a purpose, mostly saving anyone they can, and experiencing brand new things they've never had before.

And Tom knows they wouldn't trade what they have right now for the world, at all.

He felt happy. So happy. His Pokémon even moreso to him, of course.

The children then calmed themselves down as they breathed normally, them just ignoring their surroundings and focusing only to their Papa and Papa alone, them staying close to Tom's warm body for at least a quarter of an hour, them forming a metaphysical connection to each other by starting their own "Soul Bulbs", and of course Jess herself turning on his Keeper's "Lightswitch" up, lighting up her own "Soul Bulb" and powering up her "Soul Core Battery", as they all rested themselves on the shade of their very own Meeting Tree, silently listening to the soothing, natural sounds of their surroundings in the quiet reaches of the night, as well as all of them just staring above the wide horizon of the night sky, contemplating their place in the world and being glad to have some sort of comfort for the time being.

After a quarter of an hour, Tom then began asking his own children something.

Tom: So, have you guys done the chores we had for tonight?

The children proclaimed a chorus of agreement.

Tom: I see. So, what are you guys doing out here? I thought you guys wanted to rest after what you did for tonight.

Jess: /We wanted to rest with our beloved Papa being snuggled close to us, so we came to find you!

Serena: /I would've guessed that you would be right here where we always hang out on our Free Time, dear Papa.

Victor: /Since we be done with our chores, we wanted to be with Papa, and me really need some break! It was very, very tiring, Papa!

Jerry: /And you not forget what you said about Me earlier, Papa. Me NEVER, EVER want to leave you.

/Me belong to Papa and ONLY Papa, Forever and Ever, and Me promise to you way back then, Me will keep for as long as Me live.

/Me would trade off every Star in the sky to be with Papa. Me would trade off to see Big Black Outer Space to be with Papa.

/Me not want anything else but Papa with Me always. Me only live for Papa. Me love Papa. Very, very much.

/Now Papa need to hug Jerry very, very tightly and never let go until Me say so if Papa wanted to say sorry to what he said to his precious Star earlier.

Tom: Do you really mean that, Little Jerry?

Jerry slightly narrowed his eyes to his Keeper, him sensing Tom being in a playfully indignant manner. He then responded to him in his usual childlike, cute, echoing yet soothing voice as he looked at his Keeper while sitting on his lap:

Jerry: /Yes, Papa. Jerry will be hugging Papa very tightly while Me hold Me hand close to Papa's heart, as Me will also listen to Papa's heart sing me a very nice song while Me rest.

/And Papa will NEVER, EVER let go, okay?

Jerry then shoved his cute face towards his Keeper's nose as he does so, staring through his Papa's eyes like that of a pleading puppy as Tom's also made contact with his Star, peering on his very soul once again.

Tom: ...okay my dear Star, I...guess.

Manny: /Manny want hug Papa! Manny happy! Manny be tired, too. So, Manny hug Papa with all me heart like Brothers and Sisters! Me then rest with Papa, too!

Jess: /We're gonna rest here with you here for now, Papa. And as we always say, we will never, ever, EVER leave your side, for we are all too close to your heart, as we know your heart is as well to all of us.

/We all complete each other's lives.

Serena: /It is right, is it not, dearest Papa?

Tom just calmed down and looked at them in a caring manner and told them then and there:

Tom: Of course, everyone. It's OUR Promise to each other. You are MY Family. I love you all with all my heart, Forever and Ever.

The children then had their gaze deeply held onto their Keeper, them having their eyes dreary while sporting heartwarming smiles on their faces, then hugged him as tightly as they could and told their Papa goodnight as they closed their eyes in unison as they felt each other's warmth, then afterwards had their hands stacked on top of each other, Tom's Pokémon hugging him and holding him very, very close to his heart for the third time but now, they also had their heads laid down against their Papa's chest and listened to their Papa's heartbeat as their lullaby to put them to a peaceful slumber for the night.

Tom's Pokémon (in unison): /Thank you, Papa.

After a few minutes, the Trainer and his Pokémon children slept peacefully into the night, both snoring in perfect synchronization as they all entered their shared mental dreamscape.

It wouldn't be before long before they realize that their resolve as a Family will be tested once again.


Author's Notes:

As Tom just finished watching a documentary on his phone, the Pokémon children just finished their errand that they just did out of their love for their Papa, so they went outside his house then found him laid down on the Meeting Tree and ran towards him to snuggle and hug him very, very close and close, then them having a heart-to-heart with each other after their hard work for today.

They really love their "Papa" that much, though their love exceeds Tom's, but they love him all the same.

Tom felt content and warm.

So warm.

For now.

Pokémon belongs to Nintendo/GameFreak