--- The pokemon shelter had been bought out by Aether. Despite it being restructured, Fridge was hired back on for his talents. Fridge still wasn't completely okay with it, but after the reform, his Girafarig, Paradox, was allowed to return to the newly built facility built where the old shelter was torn down. Fridge was now forced to wear a uniform and the company logo, though in exchange were better facilities to take care of feral pokemon. That said, a new facility brought in a new crowd.
During his first few shifts at the new facility, in an area of psychic pokemon was a Hypno. This one struck him as being a bit odd as it did not hold it's pendant in it's hand, but wore it around it's neck. It's body was also not shaped the normal square-ish and stocky shape most Hypno boasted. It's mane fur was also much longer and tangled, matted in many places. Whatever the case, it was at the bottom of the pecking order in the pens, often not attempting to stand for itself in any manner.
Fridge dug into the files of the hypno and discovered she'd been under Aether care for the past five years. Digging deeper, he discovered that she was at the bottom of the pecking order, and in Aether care not because she didn't want to fight, but that she COULDN'T. She had been bred as a show pokemon, specifically for beauty contests and her owner was a wealthy man who often doted on her. However he disowned her when she, raised to be a spoiled brat, acted like a spoiled brat.
Psychic pokemon were very easy for Fridge to connect to since they intentionally tried to link to your mind, making her emotions easy to read. He singled her out for care during his shifts, often treating her to some treats the others did not get. She was far from aggressive, but she was nervous as he gave her her regular body washing and dealt with the grooming of her mane. Fridge wasn't sure if it was one of her errant thoughts or an epiphany, but one day of grooming went differently.
Taking a detour to a store before work, Fridge invited her out and into one of the employee rooms. He sat her in a swiveling chair and washed her mane, blow drying it to make it fluffy and full. He carefully applied mascara, did her eyelashes, a little eyeshadow, and some blush on her cheeks to finish it. She knew to close her eyes on reflex and had no issue with what he was doing, knowing he only wanted to help her.
Suddenly he spun her around to face a mirror, showing how dolled up she was. Her eyes fogged as she tried as hard as possible to not let any tears spill, seeing how she used to look years back, but now appreciating what was done to make her look that way.
Fridge argued for her to have different housing from the others since she was raised in an urban environment and had little to no concept of how to survive in the wild. Eventually it was agreed that she could be one of the roaming and greeting pokemon; harmless to the general public and a showcase of how they could be rehabilitated.
That said, she frequently follows Fridge around, often clinging to his arm affectionately. She's often been called "his girlfriend" by the other employees, something Majesty took a liking to.
Yup. It's no different from raising a kid, rewarding them with things when they snort and stomp and cry, and then getting upset that they snort and stomp and cry about everything.
She was what he made her and punished her for being exactly what he raised her to be.
Yup. It's no different from raising a kid, rewarding them with things when they snort and stomp and
ikakins!
