"Are we gonna battle or what?!" said the arrogant boy across from Delilah and her team. He was rolling his eyes in impatience, obviously being rather very fiery and energetic, or just plan cocky and a simpleton. Mostly likely the latter.
"Be quiet, I have to double check to see if my Pokemon are ready!" Delilah retorted as she turned her back on the boy and knelled down to tend to her team. "You good to go, guys?"
Ambrose stayed quiet as everyone else joyfully cheered and Edder pretended to be frightened by the sudden loud noise. It was obvious that he's been in this situation for far too long, considering that it even fooled Ambrose for a second before he remembered the conversation they just had.
"Alright, so, first, I'm going to pull out you, Sweetheart." Delilah said to the Chimecho.
"Absolutely, my love," The Chimecho calmly rejoiced.
"And then, we'll hit 'em with you, Aquata!"
"Count on me, Delilah!" the Crawdaunt replied.
"The rest of you will be backup if I change my mind or if Aquata goes down. Which he won't, am I right, buddy?"
The Crawdaunt awkwardly smiled back. Ambrose could feel the fear radiating off the crustacean, as Aquata was probably recalling his pain from years before. Ambrose almost went over and patted the guy on the back to tell him that it's going to be alright. But then again, Ambrose wasn't one to be "comforting," especially to someone who almost strangled him to death.
"Okay everyone! Sweetheart, to the battlefield! The rest of you to the bleachers!"
The Pokemon did as they were told, Edder now trying to stay away from Ambrose to give the illusion that nothing happened earlier. Ambrose sat down on the rather cold bleachers and cringed at bit by the surprise. He held onto his egg instead of setting it down risk it freaking it out. It probably wouldn't be healthy for it, either.
"Hey," said a voice next to Ambrose. Ambrose looked to his right. The Crawdaunt was sitting right next to him, with slightly calmer eyes then when back in the room. "I hope you understand that all I'm trying to do is make Delilah happy," he said.
"Yeah, yeah." replied Ambrose. Silence took over for a moment.
"Maybe you should develop a feisty attitude; Delilah seems to like that about you."
"What do you mean 'develop'?" Ambrose snapped back.
"Well, don't expect to remain defiant. That would make Delilah unhappy. And I'm going to have that,"
Seeing that the crab was getting his knickers in a knot, Ambrose brushed him off and looked at his egg. Listening in closely, he started to hear scratching noises. It was trying to claw out? Why was it still in the shell, then?
"....ep."
"I know, I know, You'll meet me soon enough." He looked lovingly into the egg, and was talking into quite caringly. Ambrose tightened his grip on it.
"....Who are you talking to?" Aquata asked. "The egg?"
Ambrose quickly snapped back into reality. Ever since he's had this egg he's been doing all sorts of strange things and having strange thoughts. He looked at himself. He was slightly hugging the thing. He started to really consider ditching this thing. He couldn't have all this ridiculous stuff happening to him during his quest to find Kyogre. But that would have to happen after he got rid of this Delilah situation.
"Yeah. You got a problem with that, you ignoramus?"
The Crawdaunt huffed and went back to watching the battle, plotting what to do with Ambrose next. Ambrose looked back at his egg. It was practically burning up with warmth. Ambrose started thinking about the instances it started to warm up ridiculously before, as it was now. It only did this when it got really excited, like when was taking comfort in Ambrose and when the storm outside started. Excessive warmth probably decomposes the wall strength.... and if the creature inside is already fully developed, that means it was probably at the Mightyena quite a while and the bastards never showed it any care, so its walls never got the outside warmth it needed. That finally explains why it's so vibrant with activity and not hatched yet. Doesn't explain the telepathic communication or dream, though. Hm.
"What are you trying to tell me, anyway?" Ambrose whispered into egg.
"....ep?" the sound replied, obviously very confused.
Why was it baffled? Is it not trying to give me any specific message with these tiny squeals? It was in the dream, but it probably didn't know that. After all, it was probably just in my imagination.
"Aquata! Sweetheart is down! Time for you, buddy!" Delilah shouted, not even looking to the creature she was calling to. Aquata immediately responded and got off the bleachers, like the good lap dog he is.
Ambrose watched the battle. It was very good, he had to admit. Aquata was quite the destroyer, whipping out the entire opposing team without so much as a scratch of himself. Delilah jumped in excitement as little bit as she hugged her beloved Crawdaunt, who hugged her back and laughed joyously. Aquata was probably just glad he didn't get another beating. The boy stopped on the ground with fast repetition, and bad mouthed his own team, cussing at them and telling them they're not worthy of his time. So it's get ridiculed or be happy you didn't?
"Hey! What is that Pokemon over there?" the boy stopped and said, pointing at Ambrose. Ambrose looked up at the boy.
"Oh, that's a Spinda!" Delilah replied with plenty of vim.
"What's up with him? He doesn't look like regular Spinda!"
Ambrose ignored the conversation to follow, not taking interest to comments he's received before. That was, until the boy said this.
"I'll trade you for two of my Pokemon! Come on."
What. No. Ambrose immediately starting saying all kinds of swears at the two. Which they unfortunately only heard as "Spinda Spinda."
"Well, at least not him, but he does have a newborn on the way! So, we can trade him!"
"That'll have to do. Which ones of this group here do you want?"
We're all slaves treated like baseball cards.
After Delilah negotiated with the boy about getting his Linoone and his Taillow, which he decided was worth it, Delilah and her Pokémon headed out to the entrance room of the Pokémon Center. It was finally getting late and time for bed. It seems that the rain finally let up.
"Hey, Delilah," Nurse Joy asked, stopping them. Delilah spun around and put arms behind her head. "Maybe we should take that egg of yours to our backroom beds. There, we can get help it get past those last stages of hatching. Who knows? Maybe it will hatch overnight!"
"That's a great idea, Nurse Joy! Perfect timing to trade the newborn Spinda, too. I just settled a trade with the boy I just battled."
"Hah! I guess today is your lucky days! Everybody wins!"
If only that were true.
Delilah reached down to get the egg from Ambrose. Ambrose smacked her hand violently away from it, and Delilah quickly pulled away in pain.
"Ow! You little son of a-"
"I'll allow the Spinda to spend the night with it to stop this argument before it begins. Besides, his body heat will aid in it hatching faster, too!"
Delilah examined her fingers. None of them were seriously hurt, but they did when Ambrose initially swiped. "Fine. I just hope he doesn't get too attached with it. I don't want to have to deal with a clingy dad trying to mess up my trade."
"Lay a finger on it, moron, and I'll gouge out your-!"
Nurse Joy picked up the protesting Spinda. "Let's get you to the back room before you get yourself into trouble, mister." She playfully said as she turned around and headed for a door. "Good night, Delilah!"
"Yeah, good night Nurse." Delilah said as her voice vanished behind the door closing behind Ambrose.
----
Ambrose was laying on the tiny, comfortable bed. The egg was next to him, snuggled mostly under warm blankets. The bed was raised on stilt like poles, making the bed at least three feet from the floor. It had wheels on the ends to move the bed around easily if necessary. And to make sure there wouldn't be any wandering Pokemon, the bed was sealed shut with a bottomless plastic box with air-holes the size of Ambrose's fist attached neatly and securely to the bed. It was also coated with a special drying chemical to prevent it being destroyed by elemental attacks. Cool. Totally awesome. Really, there is something out to screw me. I swear.
Ambrose looked over to his egg next to him. I was definitely cute, wrapped up in all its blankets. He couldn't stop a little smirk approaching on his face.
"At least I have you, I suppose." He said.
....Well that's weird. Usually it replies by now. Probably sleeping. Pups always sleep a ton because the rest allows there body to develop in an idle and stable state. That's how they get all their excessive energy, too. Constantly taking naps. Best to let it sleep.
Ambrose looked back to the ceiling. He imagined the night sky, just to convince himself that he'd be able to get out of this mess, hatchling free of any brainwashing, too. Ambrose felt that being equal with the humans perhaps wasn't the right desire to have. Maybe being superior was better. But, that wouldn't solve anything. It'd just make the tables turned and have the same situation with only the roles reserved. Sigh.... Does any idea want to not fall apart today?
Ambrose closed his eyes, tired from the day. He quickly fell asleep.
"....Well maybe you should've not knocked me up!" said a woman's voice.
Ambrose quickly woke up. What? He looked up to find he was right next a giant mountain, and more precisely, right next to a cave. He got up and walked two steps to see the entrance to a cave, and caught the tail of some kind of canine pokemon with his eye.
"Maybe you could've told me you were disguising yourself as my species! And it's not like I intended it, you could've said no!" A male's voice said, most likely the canine Ambrose saw a bit of. Ambrose continued to walk, but was blocked by invisible wall. Another dream?
"Bite me!"
The canine's tail disappeared, obviously about to march out. Ambrose leaned a bit to catch a glimpse of the creature.
Ow!
Ambrose awoke to find his hand was in a lot of pain. Something bit him in his sleep. Softly, but still bit him. Who could've done this? It was only him and the egg-
Ambrose shot up as he realized there were shell fragments all over where the egg had been. He looked to where hand had been. There was a little nose popping out from the covers, and a bulge three fourths his size under them. This was obviously the egg's contents. The dark fox, or whatever it was supposed to be.
Ambrose slowly reached for the sheets as the nose moved around, smelling the bed itself. Grabbing them, Ambrose pulled them quickly away off the figure. After a short-lived moment when the blankets flowed carelessly into the air, there was a baby fox-like monster sniffing the ground. It stopped for a moment, realizing it was no longer under the blankets. It raised its head and looked straight into Ambrose's eyes.
"Ep!" it cried, not restraining the wide smile it now had on its face while it wagged its tail.
(OCC: Nideous and Blayze, please note that Cobalt and Amethyst will meet up with Ambrose after this Delilah side story is over. So please, have your own creative exploring the city looking for Ambrose quest while you're at it. :3)
