Nimarkiva's Random Stuff @nimarkiva-stuff - Tumblr Blog

Hey, Nim actually gets a vacation. Sort of. Who am I kidding, things go crazy as ever, she never catches a complete break.

There is violence, and somebody dies. Also a lot of cute stuff. Dit, as ever, is the creation of the fantastic @blasticheart.

This was oddly therapeutic to write last night. I needed a break of my own, and it was fun.

Dit was bored- again- and decided that he would visit Nim instead of waiting around since it was a slow day for Pokémon battling. He had recalled that it was still summer break for her, so she’d probably be home in spite of how early in the afternoon it was on a weekday. The teacher had definitely earned a break and he hoped she was taking one.

The Pokémon trainer knocked on the door, only to have it swing open at a touch. He got defensive until he realized it was just unlocked. A large box in the entryway showed why Nim likely hadn’t shut the door completely. She had probably kicked the door with her foot after setting the delivery down. There were no signs of a fight or struggle to indicate that something bad had happened to the other trainer.

“Yo, Nim, you here?” he called out.

The Ditto froze when he heard a muffled yell of pain from downstairs in the basement, as well as other loud sounds. So much for no signs of trouble. He ran towards the basement training room as fast as he could. It sounded like his friend needed help- again. And if she needed help, there was a fight to be had. The trainer swung around the corner to the staircase, agilely jumping a good three steps at a time before stopping in the doorway leading to the training room to assess the situation.

There was loud music playing from the radio, recognizable as the sort Nim preferred to listen to when she was in a bad mood. The woman was on one knee, the large sword which normally hung on the wall laying where it had fallen beside her. She was holding her sore leg as she balanced on one knee, her other hand on the training mat for balance.

He was about to say something when she pushed herself up again, retrieving the blade. Nim had her back to him and didn’t notice he was there because of the music as she started to practice again. The woman showed signs of being in pain, favoring her right leg, but kept up with her practicing. She wasn’t as fluid a fighter as she had likely been before the accident, but still something else with a sword. Dit found it was pretty neat to watch Nim fight. It was clear where Lucas had learned to wield an Aura sword- his trainer swung the real thing pretty well.

He sat down on the bench and waited until she stopped for a break. “You ok?” Dit asked as he passed her the water bottle which was beside him.

She jumped, surprised, but took it with a grateful little smile. “Hey, Dit, you let yourself in again? It’s good to see you. And I’m ok, promise. Just needed to do some training myself.”

The Pokémon raised one eyebrow at her. He was skeptical that she should be doing such strenuous physical activity. “Doesn’t that hurt a lot?”

Nim did his least favorite response- she shrugged off the concern before taking a sip of water. “Sure, it hurts, but I need to do it. Everything hurts, Dit, almost all the time. That can’t be something that stops me. I also have a really high pain tolerance. I’ll be fine.”

Dit gave her an exasperated look. “You gotta be gentle with yourself,” he told her. “Hey. Don’t you have someone down here to help spot you if you fall over?”

She shook her head. “Nah, everyone is in the barn relaxing,” the woman explained. “They had a day, too, we did a lot of practicing with the Riolu triplets. I still had some adrenaline to work off.”

The Ditto rolled his eyes at her before asking, “You done yet?”

The woman gave a little nod, wiping her forehead on the back of her wrist. Yeah, she was definitely done for the day. She was the sort to push her limits, it was one of the things that made her a good trainer, but she had gone over what she should have been doing. Dit whistled when he saw just exactly how much the sword she’d been lifting weighed, picking it up out of curiosity. It was absolutely solid and heavier than it looked. “You are crazy,” he told her. “But this is cool. Where’d you learn?”

“Thanks,” Nim replied before swallowing some more water. “I learned as a kid, from a friend of the family. Practicing with a sword is surprisingly easier than doing bench presses and stuff. Still hurts, but you know. No pain, no gain, as they say. Everything would hurt worse if I didn’t keep moving.”

The Pokémon trainer was surprised at how much she was still able to do as he hefted the sword and imitated some of the moves he’d seen her do, testing what limits she had been pressing. It was a heavy thing, and he was curious what she’d been doing for her workout. Definitely the woman practiced as hard as her team worked on their training. That was admirable, he liked a human who was willing to push themselves in training alongside their Pokémon.

Still didn’t mean he entirely approved of a companion with chronic pain doing the same. When Nim started to limp up the stairs, awkwardly because her cane was still on the first floor, Dit followed behind to make sure she didn’t fall over. He could see the signs clear as day, his friend had overdone it.

“Mind if I take a quick shower?” Nim asked as she leaned on the kitchen counter. “Feel free to make yourself at home, you do anyways. There’s stuff in the fridge for sandwiches, or leftovers. Seems like you’re always hungry.”

The other trainer nodded, heading to the living room and settling down on the sofa instead. He could hear the water running a few moments later. Dit looked around, trying to decide what to do to keep himself entertained while he waited. A sheaf of papers at other the end of the sofa caught his eye, rustling in the breeze coming in through the open window. He reached for it and flipped through the stack casually.

He realized they were drawings. And really cute ones, too, cartoon drawings of Pokémon and natural things. The obviously photocopied ones towards the back were colored in, some really well, some badly. A few had the names of children scrawled on them, or cute little messages saying they were for ‘the world’s best teacher’ and other messages of support with bad spelling. Dit realized that each of the originals had a signature and a date on the back. Nimarkiva Anne Ramsden…oh. OH. These were Nim’s creations, likely drawn for the kids she worked with.

Dit paused when the thought struck him that he had never used her full name. He didn’t even know what school she worked at, or that she drew things for the kids. It seemed she drew a lot of Pokémon she knew. The trainer had found one page he especially liked as he rifled through the stack. It was a Ditto, sitting on the back of an Arcanine while a Vaporeon and a Galarian Rapidash stood on either side of the fire-type Pokémon.

Wait a minute. Dit took a second look and had to chuckle. Apparently that was him and some of his family. Nim had drawn a cartoon version of him, as a coloring page for her kids to do. That was kind of neat.

“I want a copy of this,” he said, holding it up when Nim stepped into the room a few minutes later.

The woman paused. “A copy of- oh, I forgot all about that. Sure, Dit, I’ll make a copy for you. Found my drawings, huh?”

“I like them,” he said.

Nim sat beside him with a little sound of amusement. “So what brought you over?”

“I was bored,” he said, raising one hand to stop her. “And before you ask, no, I don’t want a Pokémon battle for once. You look way too tired for that.”

“Sad but true,” Nim chuckled. “Well, I’ll never say no to a visit from a friend. MT is coming tonight, for a chat and a sparring match to work out some of his stuff. I’m also expecting a new arrival at some point tonight or tomorrow. Oof, I still have to set up for that…and I have to get the triplets their shots tomorrow at the Pokémon Center.” “What you need is to rest,” Dit grumbled.

“Probably right,” the woman agreed with a small sigh, leaning back. “I needed that workout, though, I had some stuff in my head to deal with.”

“What sort of stuff?” the Pokémon found himself asking. Chronic pain, regularly putting herself in danger to help Pokémon who were violent when they arrived at her house…what else was going on now? He hoped it wasn’t something to do with the medication he knew she took.

“ADHD and some other stuff,” Nim said, tapping her knuckles against the side of her head. “The brain stuff.”

Dit sat straight up at that. “Nim, tell me what is on your mind right now,” he demanded.

“Gee, thanks Pinky, you say it like I’m broken,” the woman said dryly.

“I mean it,” he said, pointing at her and jabbing his finger at her shoulder with each statement to emphasize what he was saying. “Quit ducking around the question, Nim. Talk to me, don’t brush yourself off. You take care of everyone else, but who takes care of you? Friends worry, and you call me your friend, I should know what to be worried about. What’s on your mind?”

Nim blinked, startled by his force. Dit had been pretty calm around her lately, so it was a shock to have him be so aggressive and demanding now. He was in her space again like he did when he was trying to express that he was in charge. The woman gave him a soft smile to try and soothe the irate trainer.

“Ok, settle down,” she said, gently pushing on his shoulder to get him to sit. “You’re right, and I’ll tell you.”

Dit found he had good reason to worry about the human after hearing what was on her mind. She was feeling the pains she’d had even before getting hit by a car more often lately, and hadn’t been sleeping well. With everything going on recently, the things in her head had chosen to act up a bit, and the prescription only took off the edge. He’d seen the medication she was on, it was the strong stuff and that was saying something. It wasn’t good. Everything was acting up at once and she was just tired.

“Well damn,” Dit said softly. “That’s a lot. No rest for the wicked…except you’re one of the good ones.”

“Thanks, Dit,” Nim replied with a tired little smile. “It really is a lot, but it’s why I focus on other people. It keeps me distracted from everything. Can’t focus on what hurts if I’m helping someone else get through what is hurting them.” “Not exactly a healthy coping mechanism, and we’ve had this talk,” the Ditto chided. “You considered doing some self-care? Maybe a vacation?”

Nim snorted. “Dude, really? You’re going to get on my case, too, Pinky? Lewis and the others already do. I know it’s not great, but it’s what works to keep me together right now.”

Dit took a good, long look at her. The woman was tired- real tired. More than just staying up late to take care of the triplets, and more than just an early start. Now that he knew what all was going on with her, he had to wonder if she’d gotten any sleep. A bad day usually came after an even worse night, something he understood all too well.

“When did you last sleep?” he asked her after considering it.

Nim pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re not going to like the answer. I think…yesterday morning? Yeah, sounds about right. I got up about 9:30, I slept in.”

“You didn’t sleep at all last night?” Dit demanded. “That is really unhealthy. You should go to bed. Right now.”

“I’m exhausted, Dit, but I still can’t sleep,” she told him softly. “And not because of the reason you think. I can’t slow my brain down enough to fall asleep right now. I’d just be staring at the ceiling. It happens, sometimes.”

He thought about what she was saying. If it was something with her head that wasn’t allowing her to sleep, well, he could fix that. The Ditto subtly put one arm behind her on the sofa. “Nim?” he said cheerfully. “Yeah?” she asked, turning her head to look at him.

“Goodnight,” Dit replied. He brushed his arm over her head, now the wing of a Butterfree. The Pokémon made sure she got a good dose of the sleep powder.

Nim had just enough time to cough and blink at him owlishly before slumping against him. Dit carefully took her glasses off her face, letting the woman rest with her head on his shoulder for a few moments. “You trust me too much,” he said as he looked down at the slumbering human, smirking.

He easily lifted her to her room, tucking Nim into bed. Some sleep would do her well. Hopefully it would take care of some of her mental state, too, a good rest usually did with that sort of thing. The Pokémon trainer then went back to the living room, exhaling slowly. Now there was nothing to really do at the moment. Dit was about to just go back to the park when he spied the large box in the entry way.

Nim had mentioned having to set up something for a new arrival she was expecting. This delivery likely was part of what she needed to finish. Since Dit was the reason she wasn’t getting it done, and he was bored, he might as well help out a bit.

The trainer recoiled as if the contents of the box had bitten him when he saw what it contained. An incubator? What did Nim need one of those for? He had unpleasant memories of the devices. Dit scratched at his neck as he considered what he should do. He really did not want to touch this thing. But he also knew that Nim wasn’t a Pokémon breeder. Maybe her new arrival was an egg that needed human care or intervention for whatever reason. He himself had brought her three Riolu eggs, it wasn’t a stretch to think that she got others at her rehab house.

“You better appreciate this, Nim,” he grumbled as he lifted the device out of the box.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Apparently the woman had been a lot more tired than she’d let on for the sleep attack to have worked so well. Upon seeing how tired her own Pokémon were after going to let them know she was asleep, the Pokémon trainer had stayed to keep an eye out for trouble. Dit found himself pacing outside the bedroom door and glancing at it every so often. Evening had fallen, and he knew who was on the way to visit her. Sticking around made him nervous as he wasn’t always sure where he stood with the big Mewtwo. But he also knew her enemies were some of the same as her powerful guest. Leaving her alone under the effects of a very effective sleep attack was not so great an idea either knowing what he did about her lifestyle.

“Nim, wake up already,” he muttered under his breath.

He looked up when a large shadow fell over him. Welp, her friend had arrived. The genetically altered Pokémon looked down at Dit with an unreadable expression. Then the Mewtwo looked to the doorway, where Nim could be heard snoring softly on the other side.

“I just made sure she got some sleep,” Dit said quickly, raising both hands to chest level with his palms towards the Mewtwo. “She needed it.”

The Pokémon surprised him by laughing. “Yes, she needs to sleep more than she does,” MT agreed, speaking telepathically in his thoughts. “I have seen that for myself on many an occasion. Trickery is often the only way to make sure she lays down for a time. Or blackmail, when she is particularly stubborn.”

Dit perked up at that. So he wasn’t about to be reprimanded for what he had done to Nim, cool. It was slightly unsettling to have the big Mewtwo there even though they weren’t on bad terms. Dit actually wasn’t sure where they stood, though he did know that the big guy had briefly owed him a favor for helping Nim while her team was away. He also felt that the Pokémon had appreciated the help when Telibris had been after Nim. They weren’t exactly chummy, but at least the Mewtwo wasn’t ready to rip out his guts like he’d been when they first met.

“So…you come to her for stuff, huh?” he asked in an awkward attempt at conversation when the Mewtwo made no move to let him get past.

“Yes,” MT said simply.

Dit fidgeted, jamming his hands in his pockets. He was about to say something when the clone spoke again. “You have not wished her harm for some time. When she ran into trouble, both with the Scyther and with Telibris, you saved her life when we were not there to aid her. Thank you for not abusing her trust that you are a good Pokémon at heart.”

“Maybe I’m not,” Dit replied. “I kill people who find out about me and I take out Team Rocket members any time I get the chance. That Nim survived to earn my trust says a lot more about her than it does me.”

“You are surviving,” the Mewtwo corrected. “You have allowed Nim to keep your secret and have not done any further harm to her. You offered your aid when she was wounded, showing kindness to my friend. When Telibris attacked her, you threw yourself into the battle with no promise of reward nor threat of consequence to save her life. She speaks well of you.”

The Pokémon trainer smiled a bit at that. Of course Nim did, she always wanted to see the best in anyone, human or Pokémon. “She talks about me, huh? No offense, but she rarely talks about you guys. The most I’ve heard was when Telibris was around and you guys told me stuff yourselves.”

MT nodded. “Indeed, she enjoys when you stop in for a visit and worries when she does not see you for long periods. She is nothing if not forgiving and has never held the past against you,” the Mewtwo said quietly. “As she has not held my actions against me. She sees our future actions, which is a very admirable quality.”

“I heard about the tree branch through the shoulder,” Dit told him, wincing in sympathy at the thought. “That had to seriously hurt.”

“It could have killed her,” the psychic Pokémon replied in a pained voice. “I am…particularly defensive of this family member for what wrongs I have done to her.”

Dit whistled. “And when you think about it, that’s just what Nim has told us about or we already knew.”

“I try not to think about what others she may have encountered or what they have done to harm her, outside of her involvement with my affairs,” MT said dryly.

Both of them froze when Nim snored particularly loudly in the other room. But then her slumber leveled out again from the sound of things. Dit noticed the Mewtwo’s left hand was glowing slightly- he’d done something to ease Nim’s sleep unless the trainer missed his guess.

“The others will need a solid meal,” MT said thoughtfully. “And I would prefer to know she is in safe company while she sleeps so soundly. Will you stay with her? It is another favor I would appreciate and repay, as I offered before when she was wounded and repaid in full.”

Dit blinked as he looked up at the taller Pokémon again. The big Mewtwo really wanted him to stick around and help out the trainer a second time? Helping Nim when she’d gotten sliced up by a Scyther and then again when she had faced the altered clone Pokémon, Telibris, really had earned him some powerful trust.

The Pokémon trainer nodded slowly. “Not like I had to be anywhere.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When Nim woke up the next morning, it was to the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen. The woman blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she tried to figure out who was cooking. When she heard cheery whistling, she realized it was the same tune Dit always hummed or whistled when things were going his way. In a strange turn of events, he was making breakfast for her. Normally she was the one cooking when he stayed over at her place for whatever reason.

Nim padded out to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. Dit beamed when he saw the human. He was standing at the stove while his team and some of hers could be seen through the window in the back yard, running off some morning energy. In particular, they were trying to wear out the rambunctious little Riolu pups.

“I made coffee,” he told her with a grin. “Everything else should be ready real soon.”

“Thank you, Dit,” Nim said appreciatively. “Normally it’s me making breakfast, the reverse is nice. But don’t think we aren’t going to talk about that low blow of a sleep attack.”

“You’re welcome, it’s what friends do,” Dit smirked.

“Friends hit friends with sneaky attacks?” the tattooed woman asked with a chuckle. “But it is nice to hear you say that.”

He simply grinned, not saying anything. They both knew she had really needed the sleep. “So, breakfast?” “Distraction with food is normally my thing,” she teased. “But breakfast sounds great, Dit, thank you.”

He gave her a toothy grin back. The Ditto watched their teams through the kitchen window for a moment. That reminded him of something else from the day before. “So, I saw the incubator and set it up for you while you were snoozing, you getting another kid?” Dit inquired.

Nim nodded at that. “An unknown egg, with a crack in it,” she explained. “Everyone thought I was nuts when I said to put duct tape over the crack and send it to me. It’s showing signs of still being alive, so I’m hoping that incubating the egg will help keep it that way.” “…duct tape,” Dit said slowly. “You told them to put duct tape on a cracked egg.” “It’s waterproof and keeps the crack from getting worse,” Nim said with a nod. “A bit of hot glue around the edges, too, to really keep it sealed and from spreading. Gotta keep everything in somehow, no early jailbreak from the shell.”

Dit gave her a strange look at her sense of humor. “For an egg, I guess it’s not that bad an idea.”

“The rangers managed to warm it up, and it’s still alive. I’m just hoping that whatever caused the crack didn’t hurt the little one inside too much,” the woman said as she sipped from her coffee mug.

“What are you going to do if it did?” Dit asked her.

Nim chuckled. “What I always do, Dit. Do my best to help and make sure the Pokémon can live a good life. You’ve seen how it was with Kip, and what I’m doing for him.”

The Ditto nodded as he dished up breakfast for the two of them. Then he made an amused sound. When Nim looked at him, he explained what had crossed his mind. “Knowing what I do about you now? I’m gonna laugh if it’s something that grows up and evolves to be near-legendary. I’ll come over and find you got zapped or something, looking an absolute mess while whatever you hatched thinks it’s a great game.”

“Oh, you’ll be laughing, until I ask you to babysit, Pinky,” Nim retorted.

Dit shook his head at that. “No way, nuh-uh, nope, I don’t do babysitting. You want to get away from the kid for a bit, I’m your guy, we’ll get pizza or burgers. But watching a kid? You’re on your own, lady.”

“Fair,” Nim said. “Thanks for setting up the incubator, Dit. And for breakfast. This is honestly a really nice way to wake up. No wonder you pass out at my house all the time.”

He made a face at her, then gestured at her plate with his fork. “Less talking, more eating, you skipped dinner when you slept all night.”

“Skipping a meal here and there won’t kill me, Dit,” Nim replied before taking a bite. That better not have been the implication Dit thought it was. Whatever it was that Nim hatched didn’t need a nanny, she did. “Three square,” he said, pointing at her with the fork. “I mean it.”

“I manage two, most days?” Nim offered with a sheepish laugh. “That’s good, for me.”

Dit made an annoyed sound, looking up at the ceiling as if he was asking some higher power for guidance- or patience. “Lady, you need a babysitter, you know that? Three. Square. Don’t give me that crap about two meals being alright.”

“My bad,” Nim said, getting up when the doorbell rang.

Dit watched as she talked to the ranger who was dropping off her newest arrival. The woman was gentle as she took the fragile thing, further swaddling the already wrapped egg in her own hoodie to keep it close and warm. When the door was shut, he got up to see what Nim had.

The rangers who had found it had taken her advice- there was a huge y-shape of silver duct tape on the egg’s side. The edges of the duct tape had been held down with smears of hot glue, not the prettiest thing but effective. Dit honestly had no idea what type of Pokémon this egg would hatch into. When he reached out to touch it, though, it was warm and gave a tiny shake.

“Well, seems active,” Nim said as she carried the egg to the incubator. “May be a week or more, or just a day or two until it hatches- there’s no way to know.”

“You can see Aura, right?” Dit asked. “Doesn’t that help?” Nim shook her head. “Not really. I can’t get a good read on eggs, never have been able to.”

“If that thing hatches into a legendary or something, I really am going to laugh, that’s just your luck,” Dit told her as she got the egg settled.

“Gee, thanks,” Nim grumbled. “Ooof, it’s heavy, whatever it is!”

“You let me know how it goes,” Dit told her. “I’m off to go see about a Pokémon battle or two, it’s a great day out for that. You better not skip lunch or dinner, you hear me?”

Nim rolled her eyes. “Dit, I’m ok, honest.”

“Believe it when I see it,” he quipped back. “Later, Nim. Take care of yourself for once.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dit found the front door was unlocked when he arrived at the rehabilitation house about a week later. That usually meant Nim was home…but there was no one in the house. When he called out for her, the response came from the back yard. He chuckled when he saw that the woman was working in her garden. That seemed to be her place to escape from the world for a bit, when she needed it. The egg was beside her with a blanket nest to rest in. The Riolu triplets were playing in the sun where Nim could keep an eye on them as well.

“Stay out of the pokénip!” she told him playfully when he inspected the area where she was working. “How goes it, Dit?”

“Good,” he replied as he hunkered down beside her.

The woman smiled as she continued to work, yanking out weeds and trimming back some of the dead leaves as she knelt in the dirt. She waited for her fellow trainer to say why he was there. As she thought, Dit spoke up after again after a moment. “I was bored, you want to have a Pokémon battle?”

A little smirk tugged at Nim’s lips. Yup, there it was, just as she thought. “Sure, Dit, I have time for that before I get started on packing,” she agreed.

Dit perked up. “Packing?” he asked. “What for?” “I’m going to the Alola region for a week, in a few days,” she explained. “I was hoping you would come around so that I could tell you that. The others convinced me, I need a vacation. Not with Team Family, either, a vacation away from everything. The Mewtwo siblings are going to take care of the triplets and my mystery egg while I’m gone, as well as the house. I’m taking a real break from things.”

“Alola region, huh?” he said slowly.

“Eeeyup,” Nim answered. “I’m going to spoil myself and take a trip just for fun, see some of the amazing Pokémon they have there. I’ve heard there are some beautiful variants as well as so many that are truly unique- I want to see for myself. And, you know, take a few days away from the crazy that is my life. I will miss you, though, I’ll be sure to text you photos of Pokémon and places I see while I’m away.”

Dit was happy for her, Nim needed a break. What with her near brushes with death recently, the things she did for her family, just her life in general…the woman had more than earned a vacation. “Put me in the suitcase to go with?” he joked.

“Oh jeez, do you know all the booster shots you’d need to go with me?” she asked with a snort. “It was bad enough getting the triplets their shots, and all they were doing is staying home. Bing was not having any of that.”

Then she paused. Dit got the feeling he was not going to like her next question when he saw her expression change. There was something on her mind. “Dit, you’ve been living as a human a long time,” Nim said slowly. “How have you been getting your vaccination shots from the Pokémon Center?”

Yep, nope, he didn’t like that path of inquiry. “I…ah…haven’t been,” he said as he pulled his cap down a bit more. “My family still gets theirs, though.”

Nim made an annoyed sound at that. “Dit, that’s really important! What if you get sick or something?”

The Ditto waited a moment for her to realize what she was suggesting. “Right, right, you can’t use the appearance of your trainer if you’re getting shots as a Pokémon,” the woman grumbled. “Ugh…when was the last time you got them?”

“Before I killed him,” Dit said simply.

He watched as the woman reached under her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. The Pokémon trainer could definitely see the gears whirring away in her head. Nim was bothered by that now- and he knew her, she had to be coming up with a plan. Over the months, she had come to be a friend, and as his friend, the human worried for his sake.

“What are you thinking?” he asked when she looked up and smiled.

“I have an idea,” she told him.

Dit shook his head. “I’m not going to like it, am I?”

“Probably not,” Nim admitted.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dit was right, he did not like Nim’s idea at all. But he had to admit it was a good one. The Mewtwo she knew who did like him somewhat, the big one, had created an illusion for himself with his powers to look like Dit so that they could give permission for Nurse Joy to give the Pokémon his needed shots.

The Ditto fidgeted on Nim’s shoulders as they walked in. He had to be in his own form, so the woman had offered to carry him. Dit did not like needles…and while he appreciated what Pokémon Centers did, especially Nurse Joy, it made him nervous to be here. He wrapped himself around Nim’s neck a bit tighter to tuck himself into her hoodie.

“Hey, it’s ok,” she said with a small smile, gently stroking the Pokémon’s back.

“No it’s not,” Dit muttered back. “I don’t like shots. Needles bug me.”

MT made an amused sound as he walked with them. The big Pokémon wore Dit’s face, which the Ditto found mildly disconcerting. He’d even managed to recreate the Pokémon trainer’s distinctive grin without any trouble. Yet again the Ditto found he was happy not to be on the clone’s bad side.

They used the excuse that he wasn’t talking because of a sore throat- which Nurse Joy accepted- and let Nim explain that Dit wasn’t current on any of his shots. “Oh dear, that’s terrible!” the nurse said. “You really shouldn’t have let your Pokémon go so long without them!”

MT looked sheepish, and Nim added that Dit was a bit shy of needles and would always hide when it came time for them to come in, which was why it had gotten so out of hand. He made an annoyed sound in her ear, but went with it- that was a good explanation which seemed to satisfy the nurse.

“Now, since it’s been so long, he’ll need all of them,” Nurse Joy explained as she started to prep the syringes and needles. “That means no shapeshifting for three days, for a Ditto, so that the doses aren’t thrown off.”

“Three days?” Dit hissed in Nim’s ear. “What am I supposed to do for three days?”

“Relax, you can stay with me,” the woman whispered back softly. “I can’t make you do this if you don’t want to, Dit, and I won’t bug you about it, but you probably really need these.” The Ditto sighed, slumping against her. “Fine.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“I don’t like needles,” Dit grumbled as Nim walked. “Ow.”

The woman made a sympathetic sound. “Sorry about that, Pinky. I’ll make it up to you, promise. Anything you want for lunch, I’ll get it or make it, how does that sound?”

“I’m not hungry,” he muttered. Nim blinked in surprise at that. Dit, not wanting food? He definitely was sore and out of sorts then. “Alright, offer still stands when you want it,” she said.

“This sucks,” the Pokémon said again. “But I probably did need those.”

“You know, my mom always used to do ice cream for me and my brother when we had to get our shots,” the woman mused. “It helped, a bit. You want to stop at the stand near the park?”

Dit shifted on her shoulder so that he could look at her. Nim had a brother? He didn’t know that. She never talked about him. The Ditto hoped it wasn’t because…he was…dead or something. His fellow trainer noticed the look and chuckled. “His name is Joey, he’s on his own training journey,” Nim said. “He’s definitely something else- got the same fire I do, we get it from our mom. She lives in the Kanto region.”

“I didn’t know you had family that wasn’t, you know, the Mewtwos and the crazy,” Dit said after a moment. “Why don’t you talk about them?”

“I just haven’t thought about it,” Nim said. “I mean, I haven’t told them about you, after all, and it just never really came up. It’s not like I meant for it to be some big huge secret.”

Dit leaned forward when Nim pulled her phone out of her pocket, pulling up photos of her family to show him. A smiling teenager with curly dark hair and dark blue-grey eyes who was posing with a Dodrio, a smiling older woman who looked so much like Nim with graying hair and a Treecko. There also photos of the Pokémon they worked with. There was even a picture of her brother, holding a trophy from a tournament and pointing at it with a big grin. Dit recognized it as the same style of trophy as one in the basement training room- like sister, like brother, he had apparently won in one of Nim’s old stomping grounds and was proud of that fact.

“He’s just a kid,” Dit said.

Nim chuckled. “A kid of seventeen, yup,” she agreed. “He was the ‘oops’ baby, but my mom and I love him. I cut my training journey short to go home and help take care of him, then set off again when he was old enough and didn’t need me. I love him, he’s something else.”

The Ditto lightly poked Nim in the side of the head. “The more you talk, the more I really think you need a vacation,” he grumbled. “Quit doing so much for others, be selfish for once.”

“I know, I know, I’m going to the Alola region for a vacation,” she reminded him. “My own choice, too, no one really had to twist my arm to get me to go. Tomorrow, I’m hopping on that plane first thing in the morning and taking a breather.”

Dit paused. “Ah…Nim? Nurse Joy said I can’t shapeshift for three days,” he reminded her.

The woman tilted her head back with a frustrated sound. “Aw crud, I knew I was forgetting something. Maybe I can shift my plans a bit,” she mused. “Crap, I wasn’t thinking.”

Like hell he was going to let Nim reschedule. She definitely needed a vacation if she hadn’t thought of that already. Normally the trainer planned for every little detail. Dit made a non-committal sound as he leaned against her neck. “Or, you know, you still go as planned,” he told her slowly.

“Yes, but I promised you could stay with me,” she said. “You know, while you aren’t supposed to be doing any shape shifting? It’s my fault because I’m the one who insisted you should get your vaccinations updated.”

“Pokémon don’t need plane tickets,” he reminded her.

Nim gave him a blank stare. Then realization slowly hit. Oooh, he was right, he could definitely go with her. Who would honestly notice one more tourist when he could shift again? And it was definitely a new area for battling, something she knew he absolutely loved.

“Want to go to Alola for a week?” she asked with a chuckle.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The plane ride was uneventful. His friend definitely had needed the trip- it was plain to see from the moment they stepped off the airplane. Nim spun around with her arms outstretched, and beamed from ear to ear when a beautiful wreath of extremely fragrant tropical flowers was placed around her neck in greeting by one of the welcoming staff. Dit was less amused by that because he was still currently on her shoulders, but didn’t grumble too much.

“Oh, this is perfect!” she exclaimed as one of the attendants got her suitcase for the woman. “This is going to be great! I think…I may have needed this.”

Nim then paused when she realized that Dit wasn’t saying much. The Pokémon trainer normally had a lot to talk about. That he wasn’t saying some variant of ‘I told you so’ about her needing a break at the moment was strange. “You’re awfully quiet…”

“Damn flowers in my mouth!” he mumbled in protest. “Oops,” Nim said with a laugh as she adjusted the wreath for the Ditto. “Sorry about that.”

Dit took a deep breath before looking around. Yep, this was definitely paradise. Beautiful beaches, sandy battling arenas, a boardwalk with restaurants cooking things that smelled amazing…this place had everything he could want. And just as importantly, his friend had already started to relax. He was sitting on her shoulders and could feel that some of the tension had already gone down.

“Gonna be a good trip,” he agreed.

Their hotel room was plush and on ground level, with a sliding door that literally opened on to a stretch of private beach for the guests only. Nim sighed deeply when she saw the view. “Wow,” she said as she dropped her suitcase to the floor. “Oh man, Dit, look, that small island there is literally an arena only open at low tide! How cool is that?”

He made an amused sound as Nim looked longingly at the beach. Before Dit could even suggest that unpacking could wait a bit, Nim was already kicking out of her boots and her socks. Her cane was left forgotten in the room as she ran out to the sand…and then onward to the ocean. The Ditto was surprised when she went right on into the surf, splashing water everywhere as she did so.

“Hey!” he protested.

Nim stopped when she was up to her waist in the gentle waves, and playfully splashed a little water at him. “It’s warm,” she told him with a laugh.

“Didn’t mean I wanted to go in,” Dit replied. “But it is ok, I guess.”

“Good, hold your breath,” Nim said before holding her own nose.

The Ditto paused. “No, no, don’t you dare!” he demanded.

Too late, the woman was already falling backward into the water. She came up just seconds later, and Dit gave her an annoyed look as he sputtered. “Really, lady? Really?” he grumbled.

“Sorry,” she said with a grin which implied she was anything but apologetic. “Come on, let’s see about dinner, I’m absolutely starving!”

Nim got changed into dry clothes, and had given Dit one of the biggest, fluffiest towels he had ever seen to dry off with. It was nice- he was looking forward to trying out this space as a human. The tub looked like it could hold three people in it, and the two beds in the room were absolutely enormous. It was a nice space to crash for a few days.

“You up for trying some new foods?” Nim asked Dit after scooping him up again and placing the Pokémon on her shoulder. “I saw a restaurant that is buffet-style, offering a lot of local cuisine.”

“That sounds good!” he said, wriggling a bit in excitement. He genuinely did enjoy trying different foods. Sure, the Ditto had some favorites, but new things? That was half the fun of being human.

The food was good. Dit was surprised at how much Nim had eaten- she’d even remembered to take her meds before dinner without being prompted to do so. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen the woman eat such a large meal in one sitting. Normally he was the one with the healthy appetite, not her.

Once they were back in their hotel room and their teams had been take care of, there had been the surprise of fireworks going off from a ship offshore. Nim and Dit had watched from the beach, enjoying the show from the comfort of the sandy stretch. Her team and his also watched with them, appreciating the fun event.

“This is perfect,” Nim said softly, laying back on the sand. Dit cuddled into the crook of her neck, watching as she traced the stars above them. Her hand found the constellation Milotic, and her fingertip traced along it.

“You did that in the ruins where we stayed with that Mew, too,” he recalled. “What does that mean?”

“It’s always been my favorite,” Nim told him, scritching the top of the Ditto’s head with her free hand while she mapped out the stars above them. “Whenever I was stressed or things weren’t good…I’d look up from my window, and there would be the great starry eye of that beautiful constellation. I still do that, on the bad days. Or the good days, like today.”

“Today was a good day?” Dit repeated.

“One of the best,” she promised with a smile, lightly resting her cheek against the Pokémon in affectionate gesture. “And hey, after tomorrow you can get out and enjoy it properly, too. No offense, but I’m looking forward to having you back to normal.”

“I can’t wait,” Dit said with a happy sigh. “I want a Pokémon battle, I bet there are some neat ones to fight here.”

Nim chuckled. “So predictable, but that’s not a bad thing.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nim was sound asleep and suspected nothing. Dit snuck up alongside her bed, carrying a glass of ocean water retrieved just moments before behind his back. The Ditto watched the sleeping woman for a moment, a very slight smile on his lips. She looked so peaceful. But that could not last. His expression became a big cheeky grin as he dumped the water over her face.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!” he said cheerfully as she sat up, sputtering and cussing. “That was for dunking me with you when we got here, by the way.”

“Oh, you so did not just do that, Pinky!” Nim said, flinging off the covers and chasing after him. Dit laughed as he ran out the door and onto the beach, but realized his mistake when she followed after. That water was pretty close, and Nim was already soaked, she had no reason not to use it against him.

“Hey, no, no, play fair,” Dit said, hands out as Nim came towards him with a smirk of her own.

She laughed, tackling him into the surf. “Should have thought of that before you started it, Pinky!” she told him.

Dit shook his head at her antics as he helped her to her feet, after managing to get up out of the water himself. The other trainer really was feeling better. He had seen her sarcastic humor and the way she liked to joke before, but not this sort of playfulness.

“You want breakfast?” Nim asked before he could say anything else. “Because breakfast sounds amazing, I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking breakfast on the beach.”

“Sure,” Dit agreed, a bit surprised. Normally getting her to eat was a lot harder- the day before, she’d eaten three square meals and now she apparently was still up for breakfast. The Ditto almost wasn’t sure he was hanging out with the same trainer.

Lewis, who had woken up at the noise and followed them out, made an amused sound. Dit raised one hand to covertly whisper to the Haunter. “Are we sure this is Nim?” he asked the other Pokémon.

“Weird, isn’t it?” the Haunter replied. “Come on, slowpokes, breakfast!” Nim called out to them from the doorway to their room.

“Very,” Dit agreed with a nod.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dit was waiting for Nim where they were supposed to meet up for lunch. He found it worrisome when the woman didn’t show up over an hour later. When he called her cellphone, it went straight to voicemail. “Come on, lady, where are you?” he muttered to no one in particular.

Which made it all the more unnerving when someone replied in his thoughts with telepathy.

“You are far from home, Ditto.”

“Oh hell, not you,” he groaned, looking around for the last person he wanted to see while he was worried about Nim.

Sure enough, there was the altered Pokémon, leaning against a nearby wall. He was dressed in a bright t-shirt and shorts, odd considering he had preferred dark clothes when they last met. He still kept his own preferred human appearance, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and dark eyes. He had gotten some sun, though, or maybe was eating better, because he didn’t look as pale this time.

Telibris was the last person Dit wanted to meet in good health. He’d been a big enough pain in the ass when he was in physical distress. The Ditto was not keen on another run-in if the other Pokémon had finally recovered some.

“I could say the same,” the altered clone replied dryly. “When last we met, you wished me ill.” “You were gonna kill my friend!” Dit growled back under his breath, trying not to be obvious. “What did you do with Nim?”

The clone’s eyes widened. “She is here as well?” he asked, obviously startled.

Dit froze at that response before whirling around to face him straight on. “You didn’t know that?” he demanded.

“No,” Telibris said. “I did not know that. I have no desire to see her and felt that Alola would be best to escape to.”

“I don’t believe you, what did you do to her?” the Pokémon trainer snapped back.

Telibris shook his head. Then he gestured for Dit to follow him after looking around to make sure no one had noticed the outburst. “Come with me, you are making a scene and that is bad for both of us.”

Dit swallowed hard before going with the altered clone. If it was a trap, he was ready to give Telibris one hell of a fight. To his surprise, the other Pokémon led the way to a quieter place which seemed to be more popular with locals than the tourists. Telibris then pulled a small notepad and pen out of his pocket, ordering a black coffee for himself as well as a soda for Dit. The man behind the counter nodded and grinned before getting started on that. The clone smiled back before taking a back table with the irate Ditto.

“It is quieter here,” Telibris said. “Less obvious so we can talk. I speak the truth, I did not know that Nim was here and I have done her no harm. Think what you will of me for our past interactions, but I truly do not know where your trainer is.”

“She’s not my trainer, she’s a friend,” Dit growled through grit teeth, annoyed at the insinuation he could be kept again. “And why should I trust you?”

“I have nothing that will convince you,” Telibris replied quietly.

The Pokémon trainer leaned forward, hands braced on the table as he got ready to demand more answers of the other Pokémon. Then he paused when the irony hit him. At one point, he had tried threatening Nim like this, when he was warning that he was going to kill her if she had told others what she knew about him. Then, later on, he had no proof for her friends that he didn’t want her dead until he’d gotten to show that by saving her from bleeding out.

He was pretty sure this Pokémon would not be in the mood to save Nim from any trouble, but Dit saw the parallels. Telibris probably was being honest. The Ditto sighed before leaning back, forcing himself to relax. “Yeah, I know that feeling,” he said. “Been there, done that.” “You have also tried to end her life?” Telibris asked hesitantly.

Dit made an annoyed sound before nodding and admitting their past. “Three times. The first time, she stopped me with literally the same attack she used on you on the bridge. Almost the same spot. I don’t know what stopped me the second time, when I actually could have done it. She just seemed so sincere, like she really trusted me. Then a third time, when I thought she had told someone. Again, I didn’t, she just…did not seem like she was lying to me. I found out later she hadn’t blabbed like I thought, and I was glad I did not kill her.”

Telibris gestured for him to be quiet a moment when their drinks were brought over. Then he focused on the Ditto again. “I wondered why you would help her so vehemently. You call her your friend, and you know full well how she throws herself into harm.”

“Stupid me,” Dit grumbled. “I do care, and that’s a problem when shit like this happens.”

“You may have your reasons for disliking humans, but it is impressive what loyalty you show those you call your friends of any species,” Telibris said slowly. “I will help you find her. I know this island, I have come to call it home since we last met.”

“…what’s in it for you to help me find her?” Dit asked warily. “You gonna try and kill her again?”

“No. I will get my curiosity sated,” the clone replied. “I am no longer actively seeking her to kill her. I merely wish to know how she has managed to earn your trust.”

Speaking of trust…Dit didn’t trust Telibris any further than he could throw him. But he had to admit it was helpful to have the other Pokémon with him as he asked the shopkeepers if they had seen a tourist matching Nim’s description. The Ditto wasn’t sure how far they’d get, considering how many people were about on the island, until one remembered her for her particularly distinctive Sharpedo tattoo. The woman recalled that the tattooed Pokémon trainer had been going up on a tour to one of the volcanoes, with a local guide instead of one of the big tour groups.

“Just great,” Dit muttered as he hiked after Telibris. “This is just great. Knowing her, something awful happened when she tried to do something good. We’re gonna find her half-dead somewhere.”

Telibris gave him a confused look. “You truly think that?” he asked.

“I know her,” the Ditto said. “You’ve seen the ones that she knows, you of all Pokémon should know what she messes with. It’s not like her to miss a schedule or not answer her phone.”

“Perhaps the battery just died and the tour went late?” Telibris offered.

“She keeps that phone charged because she runs a safe house, and sticks to schedules in case people need her,” Dit grumbled.

The altered clone made an amused sound at Dit’s vehement insistence that something terrible had happened. But when he saw a very distinctive knob-headed cane laying on the path the locals often chose to use, he had to pause. The Ditto made a sharp sound of dismay before picking it up, looking around for any signs of a struggle. A bit of the dirt was churned up on the path. There were a few snapped plant stalks nearby, too. Fortunately he could find no signs of blood, which was oddly reassuring.

“Possibly you are right,” Telibris mused softly. “I may have underestimated her ability to get into trouble even in paradise.”

“Told you so,” the Pokémon trainer muttered.

Dit found which direction most of the broken leaves were going in and decided to head that way. Telibris blinked before following him into the dense underbrush. “It is not wise to go off the trails if you wish to avoid getting lost,” he reminded the Ditto.

“We’re both shapeshifters, dumbass!” Dit reminded him. “The beaches are perfectly visible if we need to fly out.”

“Such a charmer,” Telibris snorted.

“You know, you’re a lot more like Nim than you think,” the Pokémon trainer told him as he followed the broken leaves. “She tells me that all the time.”

The other said nothing in response. What could Telibris honestly say? He still was not sure what he felt regarding the woman now that his eyes had been opened to the truth. The clone certainly did not feel the way Dit did about her, but he also did not want her dead by his own hands any longer. It was an odd juxtaposition after having only wanted her death for so long as he had.

The two of them paused when they reached a steep ravine. There was no way that Nim had crossed it, not on her own. And it was too wide for almost any human to have jumped. But the path of broken bits continued on the other side. Dit thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. “You, what other Pokémon had she encountered when you were around?” he asked Telibris.

“I do not know,” the clone replied slowly. “You have spent more time in her company.”

“Ok, let’s try this a different way,” Dit said. “What could she possibly run into here?”

Telibris paused. “Would you like them in the order of most to least dangerous?”

“It is Nim we’re talking about,” the Pokémon trainer quipped back.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The clearing near the base of the volcano was enormous, and sure enough, it was where Nim could be found. She was standing alongside a Silvally, and Nim was holding a blue sword of focused Aura. Four members of Team Rocket were opposite them.

Given how tired everyone looked, Nim and her team had given them hell while preventing their capture of the Silvally in a very unfair fight. Now the entire affair had culminated a standoff. At this point, it was who would give up first. The woman was visibly shaking on her feet from pain and overexertion, while all of the Pokémon on both sides had been utterly exhausted to the point of fainting and being recalled to their pokéballs. Her team had held out against an impressive four full teams, but even they had limits. It was human against human this time. But the other humans could not attack Nim physically while she was wielding a claymore made of Aura. Nor could Nim get the exhausted Silvally away from its attackers without opening herself up to her opponents.

Dit shook his head when he saw that Nim had managed to find trouble. Protecting another, too, as usual. “Oy, you missed lunch!” he called out to her.

The woman perked up at that, grinning over her shoulder. “Yeah, Pinky?” she yelled back. “Sorry, I had an unexpected playdate. A little help? They like to play way too rough.”

While she was distracted, one of the grunts pulled a knife and lunged forward. Dit did not think twice about shifting to a Greninja and hurling throwing stars before the human could stab his friend. Muscle and skin tore easily, dropping the man quickly as blood splattered on the others standing near him. The remaining three yelled in surprise at the unexpected and particularly bloody demise of their comrade.

“Oh shit!” Nim yelled when Telibris reached out with his powers and snapped the neck of another, realizing he was there for the first time.

“Worry about him later, these guys first!” Dit commanded when one of the remaining two focused his attention on fighting the woman.

Nim nodded, defending herself. The Ditto realized in frustration that even with her opponent being a member of an organization that wanted her dead- she couldn’t kill. She was not striking any finishing blows, only defensive ones. He leaped over and slit the man’s throat himself, allowing Telibris to deal with the remaining human.

“Thanks,” Nim said slowly, regarding the corpse at her feet. “Ugh, still never going to get used to seeing a dead body…”

Telibris watched her. “Your companion has killed to keep his secret many times before, yet you still cannot kill even to save your own life?” he inquired.

“Hey, I don’t judge him, and he doesn’t judge me,” Nim snapped back, leaning against a nearby tree. “We all make different choices.”

“No, it is…admirable, in its own way,” Telibris said. “That you respect life so much, and that he is willing to kill for another as well as his own sake. Two sides to the same coin, after a twisted fashion.”

“Do I have to worry about you?” the Pokémon trainer asked the clone.

Dit watched, wary. Telibris had told him he was just curious. Now he’d see for himself if that was the case. Telibris stared evenly back at the woman, having a telepathic conversation just between the two of them. Then he looked away sharply. “Enjoy your vacation,” he told Dit before shifting to his own form, a strange combination Lucario and other Pokémon.

The Ditto stared as the hybrid shifted wings and took off from a standing start. “Yeah, leave the bodies for us to clean up,” he grumbled. “What was that about, Nim?”

Nim chuckled softly, a tiny smile on her face. “He’s still confused, but apparently you two spoke? I don’t have to worry about him trying to kill me here, at least. He promised to leave us alone here in Alola.”

The other Pokémon trainer chose not to elaborate on the conversation they’d had in the coffee shop, simply nodding before looking at the mess. “Jeez, this was supposed to be a vacation. How’s your new friend, lady?”

She looked to the tired Silvally, who bent down to give her a little nuzzle. Their secret was safe with the Pokémon, and it was grateful for their aid, particularly the human who had come to its rescue. Nim rested her forehead against the powerful creature’s cheek for a moment, raising her hands to its neck. Dit watched as her hands glowed blue with Aura, offering her own energy to the Pokémon. It gave a trumpeting call before fleeing into the dense undergrowth, using the gifted strength to return to the safety of its own home where it could recover in safety.

“The Silvally will be just fine,” Nim said with a tired smile. “Hey, sorry about lunch- let’s clean up here, and I owe you one. Again.”

“I stopped counting,” Dit told her with a snort.

He insisted that she rest while he dealt with the cleanup of the scene of the fight. The good thing about the area was that it was secluded- and there was an active volcano right there. No worrying about the body being found in a lake or dug up, he could just dump them into a pool of fire to clean up after himself. The Ditto easily did so without a single qualm. Nim might have been his friend, but these goons had been the sort of humans he hated with a passion, it was nothing to him to dispatch of them and get rid of the corpses. Just taking out the trash, really.

“So how did you get roped into that?” Dit asked with a frustrated sigh as they walked back to the trail.

Nim chuckled as she leaned on her cane. “The Silvally almost ran me over, trying to get away from them. My guide just ditched me, ran back towards town. I couldn’t let them get their hands on that Pokémon, I had to help. And you saw what happened from there.”

“I’m not gonna be around to rescue you all the time,” the Ditto grumbled. “You know that, right?”

“Hey, I did just fine when dealing with the Lugia recently!” Nim protested.

“The what now?” Dit demanded. “Hey. Whoa. When did that happen?” Nim gave him a little shrug. “Last month?” she offered sheepishly.

“You, back on vacation, right now,” Dit told her firmly. “No more crazy, you were supposed to be avoiding that.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The woman sighed in contentment as she stretched out on a beach chair, a cold fruity drink in hand and Lewis resting beside her. “Back on track with our vacation,” the Haunter said with a grin, hands clasped behind his head as he got a little more comfortable. “I’m up with Dit, no more of our usual insanity, we’re going to do the rest of this thing right. We have a few more days in paradise, let’s use ’em wisely.”

“Hmm-hm,” she agreed.

Nim snorted when she heard a familiar voice nearby, calling out to another trainer for a battle. “And he’s having fun,” Lewis chuckled. “You ever wonder how we ended up having him hang out with us?”

The woman snorted. “Some days, yes, but you know what? I’m glad he does hang out with us, and I’m glad he came with us to Alola.”

A few minutes later, victorious crowing could be heard. Apparently someone had won, and knowing the bets he made, it had been a good one as well as a fun battle. Dit would probably be in a fantastic mood the entire rest of the day. Nim made an amused sound at that before settling down again to enjoy her break.

“Go get ‘em, Pinky,” she chuckled.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“So good to be home!” Nim said as she dropped her suitcase in the entryway. “The vacation was nice, but I’m happy to see my boys.”

“That egg hatch yet?” Dit asked curiously.

The woman chuckled, shrugging, and beamed when the triplets came running to see her. She put the small floral wreaths she’d gotten for each of them around their necks, nuzzling each Riolu fondly. Neve and Kip were happy to get cuddles- Bing immediately went for a Wind Chop to Dit’s stomach, but Dit was expecting it and deftly blocked the infant’s attempt at a greeting. “Hah, not this time, you little monster,” the Ditto told the youngster.

Bing smiled at that before going to hug his mother. MT was the Mewtwo who was there when they arrived home, and he gave Dit a small nod before focusing on Nim. “Your family has grown,” he said. “The egg hatched, and is aware of who her adopted mother is. She was…not pleased to see Sunny and I as opposed to you.” “Oh, great!” Nim said eagerly. “Where is she? And what is she?”

Dit perked up as well, rather curious to see what Nim had left behind. He paused when a Cosmog came around the corner at the sound of Nim’s voice, almost slamming into the wall in the excitement of getting to see her mother for the first time. The female trainer blinked, but didn’t so much as bat an eye at trying to hug the gaseous little Pokémon when the baby cuddled against her. She was all smiles as she snuggled the new arrival.

“You want me to say ‘I told you so’ now, or later?” Dit asked with a snort. “And on that note, I’m out of here. Babies are your thing, not mine.”

“Later, Dit,” Nim agreed, grinning from ear to ear as she snuggled with the newest addition to her family. “And no, don’t you even think about telling me that.” He laughed as he made his way out the door. Just before he closed it behind him, the Ditto gave her a big grin. “Told you so,” he said before shutting the door quickly.

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