Patricia Greenwood

  —

  I understood her hurt, I truly did, but my new daughter certainly didn't look thirty in mind right now, eyes screwed up, deliberately ignoring our existence. It was the next day already, and she had refused to look at us the whole time, much less talk. It was obvious that she felt guilty, and I wasn't going to have that.

  "Erin, you can't just ignore our existence. Not only is that childish and ineffective, it hurts." She winced, but didn't open her eyes.

  "This makes you seem very much a child, Erin." Another wince, and her maid was glaring at me now. Leaf spoke up, voice breaking.

  "Erin, I'm so sorry I told you, I just-" Erin finally opened her eyes, and they shot towards my other daughter, standing there with her combat maid. They were understanding eyes, and kind, despite the pain in them. The guilt.

  "Leaf, you don't need to apologize for wanting to talk about something traumatic. I am so sorry you had to-" I cut her off this time.

  "Erin, did you give that thing permission to let Leaf watch?" She winced and whispered a 'no'. "Then don't apologize for something you had no control over, and stop feeling guilty for it." Her face was bitter, but I knew it wasn't at us.

  "We don't blame you for anything that happened there, Erin. We love you, and you just need to accept that. That's not your choice, and you know that. Your only choice is to return it or not, end of discussion." She chuckled painfully.

  "Why are you starting to sound a little like me, Patricia?" I laughed, long and loud. She gave me an odd look, and I didn't blame her. Leaf was watching with a grin, though.

  She had been there.

  "Well, dear, I actually had the same thought last night at the community center, which, by the way, we are now an official Rescue organization." Erin's eyes shone softly for an instant. I had seen that before. That was intense happiness.

  "After the Professor and I got done, someone asked about Maddy, actually." Erin started chuckling again, grinning even as the Healing Pulse hit her. She was trying not to, but it was just too funny. Too predictable. She knew without me saying it.

  "Well, I told them about her, then I smiled like you, dear, and asked if they wanted to meet her." A single bark of laughter escaped her, lips tight in pain and humor.

  "Maddy took that as an invitation, however, and released herself. Nobody was hurt, but I think a few pants needed to be changed. I felt bad, but much less than I would have before I met you. It was funnier than anything. You are a bad influence on your new mother, Erin!" She laughed a few times before her maid glared at me. Even the maids could glare at will, it was insane…

  "So yes, Erin, I am starting to sound a little like you. You also curse less, which I'm still working on." She glared at me, still smiling. Then her eyebrows rose.

  "Rotom, buuuddy?" It floated into her view, smiling already.

  "Yes, Erin? I have no idea what you want me to do, so I need to hear your instructions, please." She giggled a little at that.

  "Rotom, I would like to initiate a Pokemon Trade between me and Patricia Greenwood, please and thank you." She was so happy, and I was too. Finally!

  "Not a problem at all Erin… Okay, I assume you want to give her Leto at least, so Artemis as well…" It giggled at the look in her eyes. Then it turned to me.

  "Patricia Greenwood, would you please verify this inventory of Pokemon that are to be transferred into your care?" Its eyes were happy, but it was serious, too. This was a serious moment.

  Just a happy one, too.

  "I verify that this inventory is correct. Now please give me my babies, Rotom." It laughed, and with a ding, I became the official caretaker of sixteen rescues, and I almost cried in relief.

  It had not been an easy time, almost three weeks of studying every day, butchering Pokemon, cooking, taking care of the house, the rescues… Leaf helped, of course, but she was also training both her and her new sisters' teams. The Indeedee were a gift from Arceus, and Galar, and they had taken to helping me everywhere these days, thankfully. Everywhere but butchering, that is. That was more than fine by me. They knew I was grateful for any help.

  "Erin… I know that this isn't something that will… help, in a real way, but… I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, dear. We love you. Thank you so much for coming into our lives, even if it hasn't been for long yet. Thank you for what you did for those Pokemon. They thank you, too." She smiled at me, warm and open despite the pain there. Despite the uncertainty so clear in her face, the guilt. Despite the way her eyes slid to Leaf and jerked away.

  "Your welcome… mom? Now I'm confused, should you be mom and Leto be mother?" It warmed my heart, even as me and Leaf both laughed.

  "I don't see why we can't both be mom." She grinned.

  "I rode in my moms mouth." She was grinning at us, but wincing. Yeah, I bet it was pretty bad in there.

  "Just call mom mom, it makes it easier on me. Leto can be my mother, I think she already thinks I'm her daughter, anyways." I saw Erins grin expand so wide she actually winced, even as her eyes turned more pained momentarily as she looked at Leaf.

  "She absolutely does, Leaf. I talked with her through Rotom, actually. You are her daughter already… her runty, weak daughter that needs so much help, but she loves you anyways." I began to laugh as Leaf's face turned red. I gave Erin a light, mock glare.

  "Dear, that wasn't a nice thing to say. What did Leto reall-" Oh. I began laughing harder, to the indignant squawk of Leaf.

  Erin didn't lie.

  Leto was kind, but vicious.

  "So yeah, screw it, I guess. Mom and mother are kind of interchangeable, anyways, that was a dumb question… Not that you're going to hear mom a lot from me, Patricia." I smiled, still laughing at my other daughter.

  "That's fine, Erin. Now, I see your maid trying her best to do a butler impression, and I think it may be time to go for now, let you rest." Her face grew frustrated, but I just gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

  "Everything heals, and you will make a full recovery. Waiting to heal might not be fun, but it works, dear." She smiled and closed her eyes.

  "See ya later Patricia, sis." I smiled as Leaf gave her a kiss on the cheek. Even that hurt, but not nearly as much as a hug. She looked happy to receive it, even as I watched the guilt flare up…

  Looker needed to hurry with that therapist! None of us could exactly go to a regular one and be able to unload much at all!

  We walked out back and sat down at the table. Leto's little platform was gone, but the grid of stone plugs was easy enough to see. She used them to pull up stone when she wanted to see Erin. We really had to finish furnishing her room… Just a bed, at least, but there was a lot on its way. We just had to wait, same as Erin, unfortunately.

  I mean, we couldn't even move her yet, not without a Psychic, like how we had gotten her in. The air ambulance team had been something else… Wait, Indeedee were Psychic/Normal…

  Most of the rescues were already out here, of course. I had bought a small variety of Pokemon games, but they had been received to mixed results. For the majority of the rescues, they were happy to just… exist, and relax in the sunshine, outdoors but not out in nature, safe. They didn't need to do something to be happy. It wouldn't stop me from trying, and there were a few things I had planned, but if the Indeedee hadn't said anything yet, I would trust them.

  I had quickly found that five Indeedee were more than enough to wait on me hand and foot. It had been quite hard getting them to stop, in fact. Not all of them, of course, they focused on the rescues, but at the moment we didn't have many, truly. The sterner butler seemed to have elected himself to be my personal butler, though. He was quite firm on the matter, actually… Is that called a valet?

  I was going to have to ask him if he wanted a name. I couldn't just say 'my butler' in my head!

  The other butler seemed to have decided the Ranch needed order, and that he would glare it into order. It seemed to be working so far, as he directed the other three Indeedee when not doing his own, self-appointed work. He had already asked when we were getting a Grass type, because butlers were not farmers.

  I wanted to help, but of course I wasn't allowed to do that, my valet wouldn't hear of me kneeling in the dirt. Not me, absolutely not! Not unless it was to interact with a rescue, of course. Still, I should have some fresh vegetables in a month, far less when my daughters found me a good gardener Pokemon.

  "So, any plans now, mom?" Leaf was looking at me with concern, and I couldn't figure out why. What did she think I- Oh.

  "No, dear. We are a rescue organization, but I'm not exactly going to go to the few that never shut down and offer Clefairies services to them. She has a limit per day, right? No… I really don't have plans, other than for the Ranch." She was worried I would try and take on more. I would, but for Erin, for new Rescues. Those already somewhere would be best left there, so long as it was a good organization.

  Considering the inspector from the League that had come by this morning to evaluate us, I doubted any bad organizations had slipped by. They were very understanding, and knew the Ranch was freshly built. I actually got quite the number of compliments, and a heartfelt thank you for my work.

  Then I found out that my Ranch was amazing.

  The pond, the garden hill, the size. I had registered as a Small organization to start, so having more than an extra large yard was amazing for my status. Maddy and my garden were my supply logistics, and they were more than enough for my current number of rescues. The Indeedee were basically looked at and then healthcare was ignored. If there was anything lacking, the Indeedee wouldn't let it remain that way. They had a well-earned reputation.

  My Ranch was also a bit of a mess.

  To be fair, there were very few things actually wrong, just places they could be better. There were simply so many places! Not that he blamed me. There was a reason this inspection had happened the first morning. The one next week, as well, would be more of a check-in than an evaluation. The one in a month from now was the serious one, but I wasn't worried. I wouldn't let this place fail.

  "Well, that's good… I can't wait to leave! I don't blame Erin for being injured, obviously, but Arceus! I Journeyed more before the start of the Circuit than I have since, not counting flying!" I winced at that. Circumstances or not, she was right.

  "Well, at least you-" I cut off as I heard a small, lower-case roar from the large gate in the fence we had installed. Leto was standing there, staring at us. I gave her an easy smile, looking at her in confusion.

  "What is it, dear? Do you nee-" My breath caught in my throat as a large, bipedal Pokemon hesitantly entered the yard.

  Six and a half feet of rounded beige fur slowly strode through the open gate to the actual backyard. I left it open, but the rescues never really liked to leave the backyard. They cautiously watched as the Pokemon drew closer. It looked at me with rage dancing in its eyes, snout scrunched up in primal fury, two large, jagged scars running down its torso, but so faded through age and Evolution I could barely tell. The rage? Normal for a Primeape. The scars?

  My voice was small and tearful as I barely breathed out my words.

  "Mister Punches?"

  The wince at the name was the exact same, and I threw myself at him, already crying. The way he tried to dodge out of the way was also exactly the same. The way he let me catch him and hug him was very different, though. Then again, it had been a quarter of a century.

  My second Pokemon ever, my Mankey Mister Punches, was here. I was so glad I had told Leto to watch for the scars all those weeks ago, so glad they were still visible despite Evolution and age.

  I wouldn't have been able to take it, if not.

  —

  Leaf

  —

  "Mom, as touching as this is, and it really, truly is, I have a question, please?" She glanced up from her hug with the huge Alpha Primeape long enough to give me a quick questioning look.

  "Mister Punches, mom? Primeape, I'm so sorry for my mom. She's bad with names, I mean, my name is Leaf, but that's just mean, mom!" He didn't laugh, but he looked less angry, so I think it landed. I mean, all Primeape look angry, because they always are. My mom's face was so red and I began giggling even as she spoke up.

  "Leaf, I was ten! What did you name your stuffed Oddish when you were ten? What was it again? Hmmm?" My blood went cold.

  "Mister Punches is really good for a ten year old, actually!" He glared at me, but I just grinned at him. He seemed momentarily stunned at my complete lack of reaction to an Alpha Primeape glaring at me, then he grew happy at my next words. Well, less rage-y.

  "I think he deserves a better name than Mister Punches though, mom. Maybe see if your naming sense has gotten…" Primeape looked worried as I trailed off, even as my mom grinned.

  "That sounds like such a good idea, right Mister Punches?! I have to get the name in while I can, obviously!" He looked like he was considering tossing her, but he nodded. My mom didn't even hesitate.

  "Mittens! Because you have little hand mitts!" She was serious! What was wrong with her?! I exchanged looks with Primeape, and he looked so done. My look turned pitying, and he nodded at me.

  "Sorry Primeape. She loves you, though?" He grunted, frowning at my mom. Happily. It was weird, but then again, look at my life. My moms old Mankey turns up at our house an Alpha Primeape, and what does my mom do? Hug his back like a Mankey as she talks into his face over his head! She was still doing it!

  I mean, I got it. She didn't like to talk about her Journey, but she loved to talk about her team.

  The back door slid open with a harsh clack. She didn't mean to, but the door wasn't Pokemon friendly, so when Maddy opened the door, it was always slightly too hard. She slowly, awkwardly waddled out, hunched over and watching her feet, before she stepped fully onto the deck. She shook herself a little, then looked up.

  "ROW!" I should have seen this coming.

  Before anything else could happen, I threw myself at Maddies beak. It was sharp, but I just wanted to push it down, and I knew where I could grab it. I didn't manage to drag it down, but me dangling from her beak made Maddy stop long enough to look. She got an awkward expression on her face as she saw my mom hugging the Primeape she was about to fight. A Primeape who looked highly amused, even through his rage, by the sight of the huge Fearow waddling out of our small door.

  "Maddy, meet my second Pokemon, Mister Punches! Or Mittens! Oooh, how about Mister Mittens?" I think she was doing this on purpose? I honestly couldn't tell, right now. She was so happy!

  Primeape exchanged a look with Maddy. Maddy wasn't the worst name, honestly, but they shared a lot in that look. They both sighed.

  My mom was a very easy person to love. She was so full of it it was hard not to. She was still… mom.

  "Mankles? You have shackles and you used to be a Mankey?" He gently tossed her off and gave me a look. I knew that look.

  "I honestly don't know if she's serious. Maybe Erin could suggest some good names? She's got all sorts of weird shi-tuff in her head." My mom glared at me from the ground. She had landed very lightly, and I got the feeling she was used to being pushed away from hugging him.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "That was a little close, Leaf. Also, yes, that would probably be a good idea, not to mention I need to introduce them! She can probably talk this evening, right?" She looked at her butler. The sterner one had, of course, designated himself my moms manservant. Valet? He was still a Nurse, of course, but we had five Indeedee, six with my combat maid still serving here. He had the free time, and he was already fiercely protective of her.

  I got the feeling the Indeedee were here to stay. Not that they hadn't been intending to, but there were re-evaluation periods for Pokemon employees that were transferred across regions, and they could just go back if they wanted to after the year they technically 'had' to serve as part of their contract, not that they would be forced to remain here if they wanted to go back before then. The entire goal of a Rescue Ranch was the ideal environment for an Indeedee, though, more than a Pokemon Center. I mean, healing was always needed, but this type of healing gave them so much more time to serve.

  He nodded at mom and us, then stepped up to Primeape and gave a short nod of his head, then swept his arm around. Primeape actually looked at him in confusion and I smiled. Pokemon understood each other regardless of species, I think he just couldn't understand an Indeedee. And how they operated.

  "Pretty sure he's welcoming you, and asking if you want to stay? Because he would need to get a sleeping spot set up somewhere?" He sharply nodded at me, then turned on his heel to look at Primeape.

  Primeape looked at him, then me, then mom, Maddy, Cerberus still sleeping somehow, the rescues, Artemis practicing her Dragon Tail in a deserted corner of the yard like she shouldn't be doing, the Ponyta corpse hung up from the a-frame, Leto looming over the fence, as one did when one was the Tyrant Queen, then back to the butler. He shrugged, but nodded.

  My mom actually squealed a little bit and rushed at him. Once again, he actually let her hug him, but he was mad. So really, he was annoyed.

  "Oh, we can have a sleepover! The barn doesnt have any TV's yet, but we could set the projector up in there! I can tell you all about everything! I want to hear all about your life, too! Rotom can help us!" He looked to be actually mad now, but he just blew out a huge explosion of air from his mouth. I specifically didn't say he sighed, because that had been more than a sigh.

  It was like he tried to expel his rage, because I swear it worked! Not an instant later, he got calmer in one motion!

  He gently tossed her at Indeedee, and the butler just nodded at him as he steadied my mom.

  —

  Erin

  —

  "Okay, Patricia, serious question, now. What the fuck?" I mean, it was cool as shit, I loved Primeape's, but what the fuck, mom?

  Huh, that didn't feel as weird as I thought it might. Still, it was sarcasm, probably doesn't count.

  "Erin, dear, just because I can't flick you now doesn't mean I can't keep a running count with Rotom's help. We have our own agreement, so don't try any of your spooky fae contracts or dragon rage with them." She what!?

  "You what!? No, Patricia, that isn'-" Rotom cut me off.

  "Erin, would you really tell me to go against my word?" I glared at its little electric grin.

  "You're a ghost, Rotom. You're practically guaranteed to go against your word at some point." It zapped me, and I glared at it. It was like, two volts though, my personal maid didnt even glare at him.

  Ugh, I loved her so much, but I couldn't wait to not need a personal maid! I would kill for her, though. Like, a lot of killing. I would do a good bit of wetwork for her, no questions asked, with the same exact warm smile as she had right now. If Fraxure ever messed with her I would eat him. I already threatened that, but I would make it worse. I can be inventive!

  "So, Erin, do you have any good ideas for names? For some reason, the name I gave him when I was ten is embarrassing." I was already grinning as she spoke. I looked at Leaf, casually standing next to the angrily embarrassed Alpha Primeape. She grinned so widely.

  "This is unfortunately Mister Punches, but mom wanted to try Mittens, because of the new hands."

  I burst into laughter, heedless of the pain even as Healing Pulses hit me. Holy fucking shit, no!

  "No, no you did not name a Mankey Mister Punches twenty five years ago, see him walk back in as an Alpha Primeape, and try to name what feels like a Champion level Pokemon Mittens! Tell me you didn't do that!"

  Leaf was laughing so hard, but Primeape was actually looking at me with gratitude. And rage, of course. Raging gratitude. He was pretty calm, all things considered… Rage was pretty under control, and he was middle-aged or older, he'd had the time and drive to do that solo…

  Hmm…

  "Ever thought about Evolving?" He froze for a split second, then he was scrambling to the bed, crouching down to put his face near mine, smile wide and eyes alight with interest. I smiled at the enthusiasm, heedless of the Alpha Rage Pokemon in my face.

  "So, I have to tell you, this isn't a nice, easy Evolution like Primeape was- Don't you dare growl at me, I know what you went through! You will gain typing! You become a Fighting/Ghost type, because you die." He reared back, even as Patricia gasped. I continued quickly.

  "Well, there's two things that can happen here, from what I understand. Your rage alone becomes so great it transcends death, that's it. That's the worst option, however, because that's not you. However, if you master your rage, truly master it, and transfer it all to your fist, you'll learn a new attack, Rage Fist. Perfect that attack, truly bringing all of your rage to bear into your fist." His eyes were wide with fearful excitement. And rage, of course.

  Primeape were so fucking coool!

  "You will still die, but you will have mastered your rage to the point that it sustains you through death itself. Make no mistake, your heart will stop in a moment of clarity and understanding and calm you have never felt before in your life, and you will die." He didn't even blink.

  "It's whether you keep going that makes the difference."

  "Whether you hold tight to the rage you have mastered, made your own so completely it is you, and balance it with your newfound clarity, or if you falter in your first moment of true inner peace and relax your grip on your rage. I can see it in your eyes. You've seen those who failed to master their rage. They simply died, or their rage became a new being as they perished. They left behind serene corpses. That is why I said it isn't easy like the Primeape evolution. It is a fundamental shift in self."

  He just stared at me for a second, the bare minimum of rage in his eyes, then he turned a bewildered gaze on mom. Huh, first time I thought that… Not sure how that feels, completely… Not bad, really nice, actually, but… Is that too fast? It is, right? For them too, right? Am I cheapening it?

  Is it pity love? No, I know it's not. That's not how love works…

  I still can't help but feel I don't deserve it…

  She laughed at him.

  "Yes, Erin is a bit… special, dear. She knows what she's talking about, though, and she never lies. I would prefer you not die, you know, but I can't stop you. Maybe spend some time with me before you kill yourself?" Her eyes were growing wet, and I saw the rage in his eyes flare, then die down. He sighed, walked over to her, patted her shoulder once, and shook his head.

  "Thank you, dear. Maybe later? I don't want to stifl-" He grabbed her face and shook her slightly, then let go. Her face was so red when we could see it again.

  "Oh, so we're back to that, Mister Punches? Are we facepalming again?" I grinned at the look on their faces. She was ecstatic to see him, and he was obviously just as happy, despite outward appearances.

  I cleared my throat.

  "So, I need more information. Evolution or not, what do you want to do? I named my Pokemon on an individual basis, after knowing them for honestly far too long. That was my fault, I kept waiting for a perfect moment that never came. What does Primeape want? Do you only want to get stronger for yourself? Your troop? What is it you want out of life from this point forward? Because I have a lot of ideas, one really good one, but if you want to be a peaceful protector who has mastered his rage, that is one naming scheme. Will you run rampant, improving yourself further through combat? Do you want a little peace in life, after a lifetime in the wilds? Do you want anything? What manner of being am I naming, Alpha Rage Pokemon?"

  He just stared at me for a moment, just like everyone else, and I blushed.

  "Hey Rotom, could you translate? I got a little too excited…" That got some chuckles, and my ghostly phone hovered closer, already talking with Primeape.

  Rotom was… interesting. I really wasn't sure how to feel about it most of the time. It made my life so much easier, in many ways. Especially the whole 'basically my lifetime alibi' part. That was the hard part, too. It was in many ways my minder. A minder with its own personality that fit right into my team and family while I had been in a coma. I didn't blame it for their assignment, honestly. I liked the little shit already, but still…

  Rotom made a zzt sound and we looked at it.

  "He says that he doesn't know, really. He's lived in the same spot for probably the entire time, if I'm getting it right? He has a troop, but there's other, non-Alpha Primeapes, so he has no obligation to support them. He wants to get stronger, but he also wants to work on mastering his rage, now that you told him all that. He's… please don't punch me. He's not exactly old, but he basically just left his prime, an-" Rotom dodged the punch that flew their way.

  "-and he's seen what happens to leaders when they get old. He's an Alpha, yes, but in a few more years he would have no troop. He would still be powerful, but…" Primeape was scowling at it, and I knew Rotom was extrapolating a lot there. There was no way he would have said all that. I was scowling, too.

  "Rotom, not cool to extrapolate when you're acting as a translator beyond the actual interpretation. You took his message and warped it, warped his thoughts. You distorted his truth. You know my feelings on that matter! Shame on you… Still, was that mostly right?" Rotom dropped a few inches, but I could see the amusement in its eyes. Primeape glared at it fiercely one more time, then nodded at me, still furious.

  His giant, scowling face was inches from mine, and I could almost feel his rage tickling my skin. He seemed like he was about to explode!

  Arceus, you did good work here, llama-god.

  Wait, wasn't it Mew who created Pokemon? Wait, no, weren't they just the source of, what, DNA? Mew, you can be my new religions Saint, I guess?

  "Well… Would you like a more positive name or negative? Up for positive." He took a long minute to think, and I met Rotoms eyes and glared at it a little. It just smiled back, showing a picture of me during my last punishment. The look on my face as I pouted in Leto's mouth was… My glare turned feral. It had gotten that from Raihan's Rotom!

  Finally he poked me to get my attention and pointed up, and I managed not to cry out as he did it. He didn't know. My maid knew that, too, considering the fact he didn't have a surprisingly forceful three-foot tall maid berating him at the moment. She was still scowling, though.

  "Attacker or Defender? Up for attack." Up, quickly too. No surprise there.

  "You a father?" He shook his head and I breathed a massive sigh of relief internally. I had skinned more than a few Mankey and Primeape. We would stop hunting them, now. I don't regret their deaths, it's all part of the cycle, but still… It was quite a bit different when you knew one.

  I had found that much of this world was like that. Wild Pokemon? Everyone knew they were just as intelligent as humans, if more limited in their means of expression or understanding. The same light shone in everything, after all. So how do you reconcile eating something, someone like that? You don't. You can't. So you accept it. When Leto hunted down a Pokemon, she ended a sapient, intelligent life, and we all partook of it.

  We were still only human, the humans among us at least, so we compartmentalized. We make hard truths easier to deal with. We turn 'wild' Pokemon into essentially a separate reality we interact with, where we acknowledge their existence, their intelligence, but… that was it. They weren't our Pokemon. They weren't our family or friends. They weren't a part of our society. There were plenty of trainers in Kanto that raised the Pidgey line! Those Pidgeys were a part of society, even as their trainer's family ate a farmed one! There may well be Pokemon Kingdoms out there, or something similar! I didn't care! Until known, wild Pokemon were food, foes, or both. That included any future captur-

  Actually, maybe that last part is just a me thing? I… might be thinking like a dragon, there. Because if I view something as a food source, and intend to eat it, I'm not going to befriend it. Wait, shit, I've done that before, too! Chickens are very personable and affectionate, when they're not being shitbirds. Fuck, what was this line I felt? Because I had the feeling it was just 'catch dragons, all others are food.' Which… I mean… I loved dragons, and I was obviously good with them…

  Fuck, I love so many Pokemon out there, though! I didn't want to capture any more, or at least not with one badge, but eventually I would have liked to send something to Professor Oaks Ranch… or I guess… mine? Shit, it was, wasn't it? I was a Greenwood! I was adopted! I was the sister of my favorite video game character, and her mom, the character that gave me Running Shoes, is my new mom. It was so weird!

  I would never say it was unwelcome, but I felt like… I didn't deserve it. It was too fast. What did I do for them? I know that's not what love is, love chooses, not you, I'm not stupid, but tell my brain that. What did I do? I helped Leaf, big deal. Then I got drunk and she caught me babbling about shit… Next thing I know I have a legal guardian… Then…

  Then they were forced to witness.

  I had fucked up, badly. I don't care if the deal was already struck, that I had been forced to forget, compelled to go to Mt. Moon. It was still me who had walked us in there with vague legends driving me forwards. I'd let my one success get to my head, and I had paid the price for it. I accepted that I had to pay that price. I had understood what was going to happen to me, in exact detail. Acceptance of the actual event was a very different thing. I hadn't told a lie when I told them I would do it all over again, and that I had a choice. I would make the same choice again if presented with the same situation. It just wasn't much of a choice, obviously. In more ways than one.

  Thankfully.

  I think everyone has had the idle daydream of being a hero. Unless you're Superman, most heroes get hurt a lot. It's known, and understood. When we see a superhero get pummeled into the ground, when we see them bleed, it makes them human. It makes them relatable, it makes us able to empathise with them. We don't expect even Superman to never take damage. Taking on pain for another is a core tenant of many belief systems, and it is everywhere.

  Nobody wants to be the villain. Heroes take on pain so that others don't have to, right? The shield against the darkness? The first line of defense? Take on all the pain in the world?

  A willingness to sacrifice yourself for another?

  I give sincere, honest, literal praise and thanks to my new Creator and Savior, Arceus, that answers can't be changed, not in fae deals.

  I am an actual convert! Llama God supremacy, full stop. I will preach his word! I'm not sure if he has an official word or not, I don't care!

  Because I would have changed my choice after about five seconds of feeling myself compress. I would have given it everyone in that abyss, in the world, the universe, just to make it stop.

  Then the mind-shattering agony would have stopped, and I would have been lost.

  Heroes were overrated.

  Survivors were better.

  They were all looking at me, and I realized I had lost myself in thought. I felt my face grow hot, even as my mind raced.

  "So, there's a few… You're going to try to Evolve eventually though, right?" He nodded at me even as my new mother's eyes teared up. I wasn't going to have that, hell no!

  "Well, don't try Rage Fist until I give you permission, allow your tiny little brain the privilege, judge you worthy, how's that sound, Mister Mittens?" He growled in my face, literally almost touching me, and I forced my battered body to move just enough to kiss him on his snout. His whole body froze before he reared back. I grinned at him.

  "You'd just die right now. I'll tell you when you've mastered it enough to make the attempt. How's that?" He growled again, but nodded tightly. I smiled, wider and more easily.

  "That's a good start, right there, bud! I know they have to have monks who meditate here, we'll find you some instructional videos on meditation. I was always sh- horrible at meditation, but I could give you the basics later. If you're going to become a deathless monkey of rage, and stick around here as Patricias Pokemon, though…" He nodded at me, bewildered. I had figured he was going to stay, I just wanted to be sure before I gave him an option like this.

  Fuck if this name isn't going to be in my family.

  His face lit up at the look on mine.

  "Where I'm from, one of the major religions had many, many, many deities. I won't try and delve too far into his qualities, because honestly there was just so much interesting stuff in that religion I forget too much of it. I mean, Ganesha alone! Honestly? Coolest mythology in my opinion, I mean, vimanas were basically just UFO's! Anyways… I'm thinking of two options. One was the… okay, wow, I tried to think of a way to compress his tale, but hell no. Too much, too many ways to screw it up. He ascended to the status of divine being, and divine companion to another divine being. He was a God of Strength, Courage, and Self-Discipline. And so much more, but really, it doesn't fit all that well, but I wanted to give you the option." His eyes were wide, and he wiggled his hand back and forth. Yeah, I didn't really sell that one.

  Purposefully.

  This was a bit of a fae choice, sue me.

  "The other option I'm thinking of was so famous that I didn't even know he was inspired by that and other mythologies at first, never heard of the original novel. I had encountered his theme, characters based off him, for years and had never heard of the original until I got bored one day and looked it up. He was the inspiration for my favorite hero ever, but… shi- I'm going to stop rambling."

  "He was the Monkey King, born from a magical stone that received the positive nature of yang, the mighty heavens above, and the negative nature of yin, the sturdy earth below, thus growing capable of birthing life. He learns martial arts from a magical Taoist. Taoist… think of it like… your path in life that you follow in all ways, kind of, if I'm remembering correctly? He trains himself to be powerful and wise. He rebels against the very heavens themselves, and is imprisoned under a mountain…. You probably don't care about his history, though. Let me tell you what the Monkey King could do!" His eyes were wide and excited, almost awed under the thin layer of rage, and the rest of the room was watching me intently.

  I was kind of excited, too. I get to ramble about mythology and fantasy and not get called a nerd! Not that I'm all that knowledgeable, without Wikipedia here… Or accurate, probably…

  Still, so cool!

  "He could carry the weight of two mountains on his shoulders while running as fast as a meteor. He was immortal nine times over! His staff, the Jingu Bang, was a powerful weapon, weighing eight tons! It started as a twenty foot iron pillar that he was given as a joke, as he searched for a weapon capable of bringing out his strength. He was shocked at how light it was, and wondered if it might be smaller, to be easier to carry, and it shrank to a perfect size. It could shrink to the size of a needle, and he would hide it behind his ear to pull out in combat to surprise his foes! He could leap thirty four thousand miles with a single technique, called Cloud Somersaulting, that was created for him to take advantage of how he liked to hop around!" I glanced around and my face almost hurt from how hard I blushed.

  Even Primeape was grinning at me!

  "A-Anyways… Yeah, you could say he's cool…" I ignored the chuckles and laughs I heard. "Have a preference? First, or second?" He was already nodding when I said second and I grinned at him.

  "Last question. His name was two names, technically, but I think it might be a bit like a, ah… Mister Punches situation, like, Punches would have been better, right? Not great, but better?" He nodded at me even as Patricia scowled at me. Happily. She was so happy to see him again.

  "Okay, how would you like to be known as The Monkey King, Wukong? Full name, Sun Wukong." He gave me a huge smile, rage almost completely absent, and went to hug me!

  I didn't even need the Indeedee's or anyone. The instant his arms reached out I raged at him. I had figured out the mechanism. It wasn't anger, actually. It was just directed intention, they simply weren't happy intentions. I intended to scare the shit out of him so he wouldn't hug me. I'd love a Primeape hug, but not now!

  He jerked back so fast he actually knocked my maid over, and my glare turned real for a moment before I let it go. He hadn't known, hadn't meant to. I grinned at him even as he picked himself off the floor. Not much, though, because he did offer my maid a hand up. She didn't need it, already halfway up, but he had offered.

  "I'm injured. Moving anything hurts, even talking. I'd love a hug later, though? Primeape are bada- cool as hell." Arceus damnit Patricia, MOM, I like cursing! It was like an extra exclamation point for my thoughts! Fuck y- Okay, no, not going to curse at you… Still…

  Fuck!

  I hate being a kid again. I'd accepted it, knew I was acting like one again when I wasn't watching myself carefully. Just like a certain incident, however, acceptance doesn't mean I wouldn't change it if I could… and I can't. Hopefully that's not also for the best…

  He grinned at me, then turned to Patricia. She was smiling so widely at him, so happily, but I saw it coming a mile away.

  "Can I have another hug, Mister Wukong?"

  She got facepalmed again.