He watched the lanky human, Gothitelle and Nature distance themselves from the crowd.
When they were far enough, he turned to the group to analyze them.
Helena, the human female, was circling around with the children, a childish air around her as she played, Tapu Koko floating around, instigating a fight.
The human male from before had a hand on his face, a sight could be heard while Fiama chased after the woman happily.
The walking mountain was covered with children, at some point he had seated on the ground, letting them move freely around him.
There was a Skiddo chewing his clothes and a Grookie in his head, messing his hair, along with other young Pokemon, but, even though they could and were a bit rough, he was nothing but gentle and patient with them.
The short human with strange ears was close to the mountain, staring at Torchic, who stared back at him, the human suspicious and the pokemon curious.
Seeing this, he approached.
"He won't bit you"
The human gave him a side eyes, but soon resumed to stare at the Torchic.
"I'm not worried about a bite" Said the Human "I'm interested on their abilities"
He hummed a response, understanding a bit.
He too was curious about these strange humans abilities.
"This guy is a Torchic" He said "He's a Fyre Type, if i remember well, he can mega evolve, but the ranch won't have the Mega and Key stones for a while"
He heard about mega evolutions, but never saw one, it would be strange to see one where came from.
"What is that?"
The man seemed intrigued by the information.
"The boy talked about it earlier, but a didn't quite understand"
"Mega evolutions are a type of pseudo-evolution" He explained "When a trained caries a Key stone, the pokemon caries a mega stone of compatible with them and both had a strong bond, it can make the pokemon temporarily evolve into a new form, but when there is no energy to sustain the form, it will disappear, and if there is no bond, it won't happen, you can't force mega evolution, well, you can, but it won't and well, Nature told me that a forced mega evolution can hurt the Pokemon"
"It kind like a relationship" The human said "It won't work if both sides don't feel the same"
"Yeah, many pokemon related things focus a lot on emotions, relationships and state of mind, even a natural mega evolution can go wrong, with the pokemon losing control of themselves because of the surge of power and ignoring the trainers orders, but that don't usually happen, just an unusual cases, nature said that he only saw one case"
"The boy seems to know a lot" The man said.
"He study a lot" He said "We have a library here, there is many interesting things about pokemon, like old tales or facts about species, I usually join the others when they make a study group to hear what they're reading"
"Don't like reading?"
"Can't read"
The man arched a brown, confused and curious.
"Not much to read when you're in a cage all day, learning to speak was faster and easier, Nature and some of the other rescues tried to teach me once, after a came here, but it's really not my thing"
The man seemed to have accepted the answer, his atencion returning to the Torchic, who was now pecking his shoelace.
"What is that?" The young one mumbled "Why do those humans have strange feets? And why this one is shorther"
He chuckled at the questions, remembering that this Torchic in particular was more curious than the others.
Satisfied with what he saw, he turned to the others.
And things were… interesting, to say the least.
Helena was letting herself be attacked by a Rufflet, pecking her shin relentlessly while the woman showed a fighting instance directed to Tapu Koko, a wild smile on her face.
Her fiance was calmly using his Pokedex, pointing it around, obviously more interested in the Pokemon themselves than their fights, Fiama was cradled in his arm, sleeping.
The mountain was still covered in children, but they were calmer now, the Skiddo from before was chilling at his side, head on his lap, and the Grookie had found a place to rest on his hand.
It was an amusing sight.
And he couldn't be counted out.
With a jump, he perched on the man's shoulder, surprising him a little.
"It amaze me how you decided to take care of them" He pointed out "I can count on my claws how many other them Nature would want to babysit this manences apart from Nature, Gothitelle or me"
"But you only have six-" The young man started, only to pause and give him a sympathetic look.
"It kind of remind me of the time you were children"
He looked down, the burly man had a fond smile under his thick beard, with his free hand he helped a Squirtler who had fallen into her back to turn over.
"So curious and full of energy" the mountain said with a chuckle "It's just like before, the difference is that I don't need to chase them around the place"
"For now" He said "They're only calm like this because it's their first time meeting a human"
That coungh the group's attention.
"First time?" The woman asked.
"Nate did say that Fiama was born here" The man said.
"Apart from the rescues and the Tapu" He said "All pokemon here were born on the ranch, Alpha, that Zarude you saw before with me, is not only the first Zarude being born, but also the first pokemon to be born here, and he's only one year and four months old, Fiama is relatively young, with eight months, and the Grookie in your hand is months old, many pokemon are practically ready for fight after being born"
All human eyes widened with surprise, the man looking down at the Chimp in his arms, and the mountain looking at the monkey on his hand.
"You said the rescues weren't born here" The mountain said "So how old are you?"
"I'm nineteen" He said proudly.
He was considered an adult by Pokemon standards, a bit past his prime if being honest, but Nature has warned him that ever since he came here, his life span increased by a good margin.
Which was good, he didn't want to die of old age when he reached thirty.
He had many things to see and now that his body feels a few years younger, he could do much more!
Now all that was left was for his feathers to grow back and he would be back to his old glory!
He misses how humans enchanted strange looks.
"You said you entered the ring when you were little" The man said "How little?"
He hesitated for a moment, thinking.
He honestly didn't think much about the time before the rings, as they were so distant and blurry that it was more a distraction than a real memory.
"A few months old?" He answered "Can't really remember much, I think I had just established my territory when it happened, but I have to admit, a good forest is the best environment I could ever ask for, it was like a Magikarp in the water when I first entered the Orchard"
The humans didn't say a thing.
He found their silence strange, he changed the subject.
"Your granddaughter's fiance told me you have a flower shop" He said, excited "What kind of plants do you have there? Anything that looks like the ones we have here?"
He has been curious about it since Nature said they were in another world.
After finally meeting a real forest (well, not really, since it was technically an orchard), he became curious about the flora, often asking the Raboot siblings, Nature or some of the rescues to read for him.
Some of the children were still learning how to read, so he couldn't ask them, but it was fun to look at the pictures with them, even if the books weren't about botany.
The humans enchanted a few looks, but he didn't notice, more focused on the mountain.
"I saw some fruits that look a bit with the ones I know"
Fruits?
Oh! He knows that word!
"That's another word for berries, right? We have a lot of them 'round here! If you see a red spiky one, be careful, they're spicy, but I'm pretty sure there's some nanabs around here, Nature said they look just like bananas"
He started to look around, looking for nanabs when a familiar face, yet a bit too close for recognition, appeared in front of him.
"Boo!"
"Argh!"
He stupidly got scared, losing his balance.
He would have fallen if he hadn't holded the mountain's head.
"Tapu Bulu!" He said angrily.
The deity was laughing with gusto, like a child who got to scare an adult.
"Dear Arceus!" Said the deity between laughs "You're as easy to scare as always!"
Tapu Koko was a good deity, he really was, being the most calm among the four and actually the most responsable, but even the Grass deity had his moments.
Much to his chagrin.
"Keep your pranks to the other deities!" He said "I have enough on my plate"
As one of the only ones who volunteer to take care of the children, he was used to getting caught on pranks.
They were children, it was normal for them to want to play.
But it was a big hit on his pride to be pranked by a deity with a few centuries on the bill.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Said Tapu Bulu, circling him.
"Say that without laughing!"
He respected Tapu Bulu, he really does, but seriously, he wanted to smack him hard.
But he didn't, as he knew he would miss.
"Excuse me?"
For a second, he was confused, then he looked down.
He was still holding at the mountain head, one of his wings covering his face.
"Oh shoo-"
He, once again, lost his balance while trying to get some distance from the mountain, falling from the mountain's shoulder.
Just to be caught by a big human hand.
"That was close"
The mountain seemed as surpised as he was, the mountain looked releaft, but he embaressed to no end.
He got out of the mountain's hand standing rigid in front of him.
"You have my tanks" He said "But that was unnecessary"
He did his best to keep his composure while he hears the laughter around him.
_______________________________________
Friedrich did his best to maintain his composure, he really did.
The kid was already embarrassed and he could tell that the other young ones and the deities were laughing (his friend and family too, were snickering), the poor thing looked like he wanted to bury his head somewhere.
"Well" He said "Your welcome"
The Pokemon just nodded, still not quite calm, feathers puffed and face brightly dyed in red.
Friedrich smiled at the kid in front of him.
He was young, younger than he imagined, but had already seen the worst of human nature.
Yet, here he was, talking to them like none of that had ever happened, asking questions like a little kid, eyes as bright as the eyes of the young ones that played around him, most slowly losing interest in him and wandering off, but the little monkey and bush-looking goat remained with him.
He could see a bit of his younger self all over the kid.
The scars that cover his body, his strong bearing, strange for his structure, the prideful gaze in his eyes, and his posture, nearly militar.
Like a young soldier.
Like he used to be on his academy days.
And a dark thought crawled on the back of his mind.
What if he became like me?
And, before he could contain himself, he opened his mouth.
"Hey kid"
"Kid!?"
The kid sounded offended, almost scandalized by the call.
"I was thinking" He continued "Would you like to come with me?"
There was a beat of silence, the kid was obviously stunned, being caught off guard once again, before his expression became serious.
"Is there a reason for this?" He asked "'Cause there's no way you'd want me off all Pokemon here"
He stopped for a moment, letting a chuckle escape.
That attitude reminded him of the time his wife asked him to accompany her to her family's flower shop when they were young.
He asked her if she needed something or if she lost a bet, she laughed at him the same way he was doing now with this kid, and he would respond to the question with the same way she did.
"I just thought you might like the plants I have back at home" He said "Isn't it better to see them for yourself than to hear them from someone else?"
The kid nodded, seemed convinced for a moment, but then shaked his head, darting a glare at Friedrich.
"That can't be the only reason!"
Yep, exactly the same reaction.
He held back a chuckle, giving the kid a smile.
"I would actually love some help back at the shop" He said, then gesturing to the young ones with him "I was also thinking of bringing these two with me"
The monkey and the goat, both calmly resting on him while the others were already running around.
"I don't really have any other reason" He said "And my place is way too big for just me and my wife, we could with some company"
The kid hesitated, eyes narrowed in distrus, looking at Friedrich from head to toe.
For a long time, the kid didn't say anything, just staring.
But soon came the answer.
"I can go with you" Said the kid "But only if you bring my friend"
______________________________________
Nate has been chatting with Nathan and Gothitelle for a while, letting both patties know each other and see if they could try a period of foster homing before an official adoption.
But it seems that it wouldn't be necessary, as they both got along pretty well, and now they intended to proceed with the adoption process.
They were coming back when he heard.
"I can go with you, but only if you bring my friend"
He knew this voice, it was Hawlucha.
And he knew what kind of situation this thing would go.
"Lyka won't like this" He said.
Their arrival startled the group, most of the children, seeing Gothitelle and him, runned off somewhere to play, Nate didn't worry, as he saw Alpha moving in their direction from the trees.
Only Grookie and Skiddo stayed, too content to really care.
Hawlucha was nervously avoiding his gaze, suddenly finding a lot of interest in his feathers, like a child about to be scolded.
It made Nate sight.
"I won't stop you from convincing someone to take you and Lyka" He said.
Hawlucha eyes laid on him, feathers not as important now.
"But you'll have to accept that Lyka might reject just by hearing that it was your suggestion"
Again, the Pokemon avoided his gaze, feathers gaining a new level of importance.
He sighted once again.
"Who 's Lyka?"
He turned to Goban, he looked confused and suspicious.
"Lyka is one of the rescues" He explained "He and Hawlucha came from the same ring and had the same trainer"
"He teached me how to speak human language" The Pokemon added.
All the human flinched at the mention of the rings, especially Friedrich, and Nate assumed that Hawlucha may have talked about it, as he did sometimes.
"The thing is" Nate said "Hawlucha wanted to find a place for them two, but Lyka don't think he can find a place to stay because of his disabilities and didn't want to spoil Hawlucha's chances, so he asked me to register them both as a single charge and not a pair"
"He's a stupid mutt if he thinks I'll leave him!" Said the Pokemon.
"Show respect as he is older than you" Tapu Bulu reprimed, not really mad, but disappointed.
"And stronger" Added Tapu Koko, not really mad, just bored "And he has more experience"
"He is right" Nate said "He still carry you by the scruff as if you were just a kid"
"Technically he still a child?" Tapu Koko thought out loud "Now that Pokemon can live for a good while, nineteen isn't much"
"I'm not a kid!" Shouted the Hawlucha.
Ignoring Hawlucha and the Tapus, Nate proceeded to approach Friedrich and the others.
"You seem to be an wonderful person mister Friedrich" He said "And just by the way those two stayed so calm with you, I can tell that you for sure that I would be more than happy to let all for go with you if it is of your desire, but I can't go against their wishes"
He gave the two children, Kneeling in front of man to stroke their heads, making both smile.
"The same way the humans have the right to choose the Pokemon they want to take" He said "The Pokemon also have the right to choose if they want to go with the humans"
He looked at Friedrich's eyes.
The man had a gaze he had seen too many times on the rescues, and himself, the gaze of someone who lived through many hardships, who had gone to hell and crawled back on their own.
But there was also a serenity that even Nate could envy.
He could tell, no matter what Pokemon Friedrich choosed to take with him, they'd be the happiest in the world.
He pondered for a moment.
If it is Friedrich, Lyka might…
A small smile formed in Nate's mouth, an idea surging.
"What about I bring you to see Lyka in the Sanctuary?" He offered.
______________________________________
He was in his cave, or Palace of Solitude, as the young ones called.
He had heard from the Raboot brother, who passed by the Sanctuary quickly before running off to chase Tapu Koko and a young Zarude, that there was a visitor in the ranch.
He was a bit surprised, as today was the first day, and he was pretty sure Nature didn't make any advertisement, as the boy was a bit too distracted to think on something like that.
But he soon brushed off, more focused on his food and sleep.
After all, who would want an old mutt like him?
And the idea of getting a new trainer was still a bit strange for him.
And this whole thing about another world too, he founded it hard to believe.
Arceus forgive him, but he thought the boy was crazy when he first came here.
But now? He was ok with it.
Still strange, but a good strange.
He could rest as much as he wanted and eat well.
Who wouldn't want that?
But well, things weren't always calm.
"Lyka?"
Lyka, that was how the young ones started to call him, as he is a Lycanrock of midday, and it kinda stuck out, he accepted it as his name, and was happy with it.
Opening an eye, he saw Nature, the boy who owned the Ranch.
He was a strange one, but Lyka wasn't one to judge.
What really brought his attention was the man behind the boy.
He was tall and burly, wearing a tick coat and gloves.
Lyka narrowed his open eye.
The man could wear a coat and gloves, but it did little to hide his bearing and the little scars poking out of the clothes edges.
The man looked at him, and he looked back.
"This is Friedrich" Nature introduced "He wanted to see you"
Him? Of all mon?
He closed his eyes and sniffed the air.
Soon a bitter smile surged as he opened his eyes.
"You've met that kid, huh?"
The kid was a Hawlucha, not really that young to be called a kid, but too young in his eyes to be called an adult.
He knew the kid for years and adored the ball of feathers, he would love to share a good roof with the kid, but knew that hardly anyone would lYka himself, so he prefered to stay behind and make sure the kid had a chance.
But it seems that the kid didn't agree with that.
He took a look at the man, not at all surprised that he could speak human language, which confirmed his assumptions.
"So?"
He raised from the ground, getting out of his cave by dragging part of his body.
"What did that kid say to convince you to see me and why would you choose him out of all pokemon here?"
There he was, a paralyzed Lycanrock that couldn't move half of his body because of an old wound.
If he was here, that means that he talked with Hawlucha, which means he intended to take him, and, if he really wanted the kid, there's a big chance that he would take Lyka.
And if he wanted to take Lyka, it would be good if he saw what he came to see at its full misery.
The man stared at him for a moment, he could see the serenity in his eyes even from where he was.
And, when he opened his mouth, Lyka was surprised by the response.
"I saw the younger me in him, just like I see a bit of me in you now"
Lyka expected many things, like 'I wanted to give him a good life' or other things that he had already heard before coming to the ranch, but not that.
"Nate told me that both of you came from fighting rings"
He cringed, bad memories flashing for a moment.
"Being a Hunter is not that different"
He looked at the man approaching him and crouched as he took off one of his gloves.
And there they were, battles scars and calluses, a proof of hard work and battles won.
But there were so many scars that were worrying.
The worst part aas that he could bet his food that the man would have much more ander his coat.
"Hunters are trained since young" Said the man "We even have places that legally let us fight each other in the pretest of learning, the academies being one of them"
The man's hand trembled a little with that.
"We are the soldiers of our nation" He said "And the only soldiers too, and, when young, we desire for recognition by our peers and veterans and have big loads of pride in us"
He brought the hand closer to himself and put back the glove.
"But for some of us" He continued "When we grew enough, we discover that we are not all that we thought we were, we start to slowly break and distance ourselves from what we used to be, 'till the moment we start to assume there won't be a place for us to return and need someone to pull us back"
Lyka looked at the man, a smile received him like a Double Slap.
"I don't want to see that kid to become like what I once was" He said "And I can tell you need someone to pull you back, like my wife once did to me years ago"
He put a hand on a pocket, taking a Premier Ball from it and showing it to him.
"I would like to take you" The man said "Not just because I want to take the kid, but because you need help, and know I can provide this help"
Lyka stared at the Premier Ball for a moment, then at the man.
He could feel the man's worry, just pure and genuine worry, something he didn't have in any-mon other than the kid.
Not this much.
He felt a small smile forming while sitting the best he could and raising a paw.
"Your a strange human"
He touched the Ball, content.
"But I like it"
That was all he said while letting the familiar light cover him.