Something TF lore headcanons something
So I basically created my own silly lil lore stuff for how new mechs are brought about and created. It's not much, but it's something. I'm putting it all under a cut. But feel free to send in questions about anything that comes up! This is a WIP, after all, so I will be occasionally going back and adding things/making changes.
-General Idea-
Upon a batch creation of sparklings, an event called the Batching (or Batchening if you wanna get silly about it,) a guardian will be waiting to choose one or several sparklings. Once one or more guardians have chosen a sparkling or more to take care of, the sparkling(s) officially becomes "under the name" of said guardian(s). This is an open-to-interpretation or an emergency contact type relationship, in which case the guardians and mechs can be seen as a parent/child relationship, an older/younger sibling relationship, or, arguably the most common, a mentor/apprentice relationship. When you take someone under your name, some paperwork needs to be filled out as soon as possible so the sparkling can be registered as an official citizen.
-Created Without A Guardian-
When batches of young mechs/sparklings are created by Cybertron (for whatever purpose or reasons it has) and crawl out of the Depths of Cybertron, they are usually greeted by mechs looking for apprentices. Or, as mentioned before, the mech is looking for a child to raise as their own, or a sibling to look after. Each time a new batch is ready to emerge from the Depths, this event draws in mechs of all kinds in the area to watch, although most mechs are there to find a sparkling to take under the name. Sometimes sparklings find their way into places that aren't expecting them, or there are too many younglings for the amount of mentors. Sure, there are systems and agencies formed to help support mechs without guardians, but they shouldn't be completely relying on these systems as not every system is for every young mech. They are flawed, and not every system is infallible. These include adoption agencies (talked about in Other Options) and pairing agencies.
Pairing agencies, like adoption agencies, are designed to help pair sparklings to a mech or family of mechs. What makes the agencies different, however, is that pairing agencies typically aim more toward mentors looking for apprentices and apprentices looking for mentors. They are just as popular as adoption agencies; it just depends on what you're looking for.
-Other Options-
While most mechs attend the Batchening, some cannot make it or choose not to go. There are, however, two (2) main options for those wishing for a sparkling: adopting or producing one. Adoption is as it says; the mech(s) that wish to be a guardian must file the proper paperwork when adopting. Producing one, while possible, isn't always 100% guaranteed. There is a ~70% that this method does not work. This is why you'll be told by other mechs that attending the Batchening event or going through an adoption agency is the best choice of action. Some, however, are willing to take that risk.
My thoughts say it doesn't matter what resources you have, everyone has that same 70% failure tied to them. High-wealth cities are built more around the larger batching area(s), while poorer cities are in the "worse" batching areas, meaning they may possibly have to make a journey to the nearest high-wealth city/city-state. But by "worse" that just means that there are few sparklings as compared to the high-wealth cities. You'll likely have to make a journey if you're in the "worst of the worst" areas where there's no access to a batching area at all.
Having more sparklings under your name is mainly a sign of wealth. It shows others that you have the funds and the resources to raise more than one, and having more than one is seen as a good thing…for those with the wealth and/or social status to do so.
-Being Removed From Being Under The Name-
While there are many reasons you can be put under the name of a guardian, there are just as many reasons you can be removed from being under the name. The most common reasons are: (1) the guardian(s) thinks you are ready to take care of yourself on your own or (2) your guardian doesn't want to or can't take of you (such as due to lack of funds.) If the sparkling is still young, such as fresh out of the Depths, to take them out from under the name, some paperwork must be filled out beforehand.
-Extra-
Sparklings are created gray at first to which they either develop color or paint themselves to express themselves. They are also created as mostly mature beings with no life experience. This would be the human equivalent of a teenager around 16 or 17 years old. But, if two (2) or more mechs manage to successfully produce a sparkling, the sparkling in question would be the human equivalent of a small child around 7 to 8 years old.