Victor had a very comfortable sleep.
This morning, he was standing on the balcony, a toothbrush in his mouth, holding a cup and leisurely brushing his teeth as he watched the backyard slowly wake up.
Beside him, a purple, chubby Pokémon was mimicking his actions.
"Gurgle gurgle~"
Ptoo.
Victor spit the water out, went back inside to wash his face, and then headed downstairs with Gengar.
...
In the bushes outside the still-closed Breeding House, a Pokémon with two large horns was staring intently at the building.
"Pinsir."
This place... why does it feel so nice?
The two horns on its head twitched.
"Pinsir."
I'll sneak in and take a look.
Just then, Lilligant pushed open the Breeding House door and hung up the "Open for Business" sign.
She was talking with Roselia as she prepared to go back inside.
The Pokémon in the bushes caught the sweet fragrance coming from the flower on Lilligant's head and its expression became entranced.
"Pinsir~"
With a clamp of its two large horns, it charged towards Lilligant.
"Lili?!"
What's that?!
"Roselia?"
Hearing the commotion, Victor ran out with Gengar.
"Lilligant, what happened?"
He ran out the door and saw Roselia hiding behind Lilligant.
Lilligant had an Energy Ball formed in its hand and was launching it, one after another, as if they were free.
Finally, it gathered a tornado of flower petals.
"LILI!"
Petal Dance: Tornado Version shot towards the Pokémon.
Watching the Petal Dance that Lilligant unleashed, Victor pursed his lips.
It's a good thing Lilligant likes me.
You call that Petal Dance? That's a 'Tornado Destroys a Parking Lot,' Victor complained internally.
He then looked at the Pokémon lying in the crater after the smoke cleared.
Its greyish-brown shell was covered in wounds.
The two large horns on its head, which should have looked menacing, were now battered and looking rather pathetic.
It struggled to get up, but a single flower petal drifted down from a tree and landed on it.
It collapsed again, its eyes replaced with swirls.
A Pinsir?
What is it doing at my Breeding House's door?
But first, he looked at Lilligant and Roselia.
"Are you two okay?"
"Lili~" Lilligant patted its chest, sighed in relief, and then gave Victor a sweet smile to show it was fine.
"Roselia~" Roselia came out from behind Lilligant and shook its head, also indicating it was fine.
But it seemed to be blaming itself.
When trouble happens, all I do is hide behind Lilligant.
I want to be a Pokémon just like her...
But the moment there's danger, I just hide.
Sensing Roselia's low spirits, Lilligant released its sweet, calming aroma.
"Lili~"
It's okay. I'll protect you. Don't worry.
"Roselia."
Thank you.
Victor saw this and crouched down.
"It's okay, Roselia. You were very brave, too," he said, patting its head and taking one of its flower-like hands.
He gently sniffed it.
"Who knows? Maybe when you evolve, you'll be the one protecting Lilligant and all of us."
At Victor's affectionate gesture, Roselia's face turned red.
"Roselia~"
So embarrassing.
But when it heard his words, it looked at him uncertainly.
"Roselia?"
Can I really?
"Of course you can."
"Lili~"
"Gengar—"
"Pin... Pinsir—"
Just as Victor and the others were joking around, trying to cheer Roselia up, a weak voice came from the crater.
Victor looked over.
Almost forgot about you.
He walked towards the downed Pinsir.
Gengar and Lilligant flanked him on either side.
Lilligant walked beside Victor to the Pinsir.
She looked at the Pokémon that had jumped out of the bushes and charged at her and Roselia, feeling a little scared.
But then she saw Victor next to her, and she relaxed.
She then formed another Energy Ball in her hand.
The Pinsir in the crater saw Victor approaching and was about to play pitiful to get help, but then it saw the Gengar next to him, and the Lilligant holding an Energy Ball and glaring at it with hostility.
It remembered charging at them, only to be met with an Energy Ball. It had thought it could take it, but it had hurt a lot.
Just as it was feeling proud for tanking the hit, it had looked up and seen a whole barrage of Energy Balls following it.
It had barely blocked them when it saw a tornado of petals flying at it.
It hurt so much—
At that thought, its eyes rolled back, and it fainted again.
"..."
Looking at the Pinsir that had fainted again, Victor had a headache.
Lilligant, seeing it pass out, shyly dispersed the Energy Ball.
She then discreetly took Victor's hand.
"Lili~"
I'm not a violent girl.
Victor held Lilligant's small hand, noticing her expression.
He smiled to himself.
He then squeezed her hand.
Such a cute and beautiful Lilligant. How could she be violent?
Roselia came up and took his other hand.
Victor looked at the Pinsir in the crater and checked its status.
[Pinsir]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Bug]
[Ability: Moxie]
[Known Moves: Harden, Focus Energy, Seismic Toss, Bug Bite, Double Hit, Circle Throw, X-Scissor, Swords Dance, Superpower.]
[Mood: Happy turning to Sad]
[Status: Fainted from fright]
[Introduction: A Pinsir from who-knows-where. It escaped from the Pokémon Center, looking for a safe place to stay, and set its sights on the Breeding House. It was captivated by Lilligant and wanted to bravely pursue its love. The consequences—]
Looking at the introduction, Victor sighed.
He took out his phone, about to call Nurse Joy.
But just as he unlocked it, a call from Nurse Joy came in.
"Hello, Joy."
"Victor, a Pinsir escaped from our Pokémon Center."
"Mhm."
"We checked the surveillance, and it looks like it headed in the direction of your Breeding House."
"Mhm."
"It has a bit of a mischievous streak and likes to play pranks. Be careful if you see it, and tell Lilligant and the others to be careful too, because it—"
"Uh, Joy."
Hearing her panting as she rushed over, Victor thought for a moment, then interrupted.
"What is it, Victor? Did you see it? Are Lilligant and the others okay?"
"No, it's... Joy, listen, it's just that... the situation is a little complicated."
"Anyway, you should just come over."
...
Inside the Breeding House, the Pinsir trembled.
A Blissey was healing its wounds.
Nurse Joy looked at the Pinsir, which was meekly accepting treatment, a little confused.
Especially when Lilligant looked at it, it would immediately hide behind the Blissey.
"This is—" Joy asked, puzzled.
Victor then explained what had happened.
Joy's eyes widened in realization, and she covered her mouth and giggled.
"Lilligant."
After she had her laugh, she waved Lilligant over.
Lilligant came to her.
"Lili~"
I am very gentle.
Lilligant insisted that it was a proper lady.
"Good job," Joy whispered in its ear.
Lilligant smiled in surprise, then saw Joy nodding repeatedly.
It covered its mouth and smiled.
Back when it was an abandoned Petilil, Joy had been the one to comfort it.
So, they had a very good relationship.
They were now whispering secrets to each other, and Lilligant's eyes would occasionally flick over to Victor.
Victor: ?
...
Get 10 chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"