When you and the kits enter the Pokémon Center you can’t see Lumi or Layla anywhere, but you can tell they have been here as you pick their scent. You walk to the front counter to check what is going on. “Excuse me?” you call out from behind the counter, knowing very well Nurse Joy cannot see you, but grow inpatient when after ten seconds no one comes around to check where the voice comes. So you just decide to jump on the counter instead, giving the Nurse Joy working on the PC a scare of the lifetime. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Just grew inpatient as no one responded to me,” you try to calm down the startled Joy. “Oh, impatience must run in the family then, you must be Layla’s mate. She mentioned you were coming. She refused to leave Lumi’s side even during the operation she had to have. When we warned her it can be quite devastating to see Lumi go through surgery, she just growled at us that she will show us devastation if we won't instantly start treating her,” Joy explained what went down when she first got here. “That sounds like Layla, I apologize. She is just worried about our kit,” you apologize as you sit down on the counter. “Where are they now?” you question with a concerned voice. “They’re in recovery. Lumi just came out of surgery. I’m sure Layla will be thrilled to see you.” Nurse Joy steps out from behind the counter as you hop down and follow her toward the back of the Pokémon Center. While following Nurse Joy to the recovery, all kinds of thoughts run through your head. You have no idea what Layla will say. Will she blame you for not being there when the attack happened? Blame the kits for disobeying her? Maybe she will be excited to see you all. You also can't wait to find out what that mysterious light and display of power was when you got punched in the creekbed. You do want to wait for the right time though. Lumi is what matters the most right now. The only thing certain in your mind is that whatever her reaction, you’ll not argue the point. If you were faster at picking up the hunting cues, if you weren’t so soft with the kits, maybe they’d listened and hadn’t grown as disobedient. Your guessing doesn’t last long though as Nurse Joy opens up the door to recovery. You slowly enter the room with both Miracle and Elem behind you and Hope still laying on your back. When you enter the room, you see Layla sitting with her back facing you and Lumi resting on a small bed in front of her with all kinds of monitoring equipment and IV drip attached to her. You hear her labored breathing and watch her ears twitch in her sleep. You know she is in as good hands as she can be, but have no idea what the news is. You hear the door close behind you, finally it’s just six of you again. You lean down, letting Hope off your back. “Stay here for a moment, I will check on–” “No Kuro, I want you all here,” Layla growls softly as she interrupts you, catching you off guard. You drag yourself over and jump next to her with your ears down, ready to accept whatever is coming your way. The kits sit by the chair as there is no room on the chair. “Aren’t you going to get the push cart for them to sit on, Kuro? So they can see their sister?” Layla snarls at you without looking away from sleeping Lumi. You flinch a bit, and immediately go and fetch the nearby metal cart and lift each one of the kits on top of it. Afterwards, you return next to Layla. For what feels like an eternity, you are trying to guess what Layla’s thinking. Finally, you can’t take it anymore. “Layla, I’m sorry…” you start, testing to see Layla’s reaction. “Sorry about what, Kuro?” Layla grunts quietly, without taking her gaze off of Lumi. “If I didn’t have to learn to hunt or if I wasn’t so lenient with the kits, maybe this would’ve never happened,” your voice cracks when you confess your feelings as you’re feeling responsible for Lumi getting injured and almost losing the kits. “You dumb Umbreon!” she snarls, but then a faint smile cracks on her face, before she quickly goes serious again. “This is not on you, you didn’t cause this. Team Rocket did this.” When she mentions Team Rocket her claws shoot out tearing into the fabric of the chair you’re both sitting on. “And they will pay for it. I’m done hiding! I will tear through every one of them if I have to! Even if it kills me!” Her eyes turn slitted as her fur sparks and ears begin to twitch. “Though what’s coming for them will be hard to kill!” She gets more frantic and emotional throughout the plea as tears begin to run down her cheeks, her eyes glazed with rage. You lean into her to comfort her. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll make Team Rocket pay for all the misery they caused.” Your claws shoot out tearing through the fabric as well. The kits watch their parents not knowing how to react. Even the fearless Hope decides to stay quiet. “What happened to Kuro the Pacifist and his fear of becoming a monster?” Layla asks suddenly, turning towards you for the first time since you entered the room. “Sometimes to kill a monster, you have to become one. And you said some causes are worth any sacrifice!” you growl with determination in your voice. Layla watches you for a moment. “Kuro, what I said doesn’t mean I’ll let you become a monster. It’s enough that one of us…” Layla briefly stops herself, as if cautious of something ”...I can’t allow you to sacrifice yourself for my battles, Ku–” “This is not your battle alone, Layla!” You cut her off and press your forehead to hers, staring her down to show you won’t back down. “Or have you forgotten what I did right before I was afraid to become that monster?!” To your surprise, she cracks a small smile as you challenge her authority. “I've been waiting for you to do that. Show me you have the guts to stand up for me and your beliefs. That you’re not just talking, but willing to put yourself on the line for this.” She presses her forehead against yours, the touch gentle yet full of meaning. “Thank you, Kuro, for being there for me, always.” Layla closes her eyes and wraps her tail around you, not caring how exposed it makes her look in front of family. She’s finally found in you what she’s been yearning her entire life. Someone she can trust at every turn, someone who won’t abandon her, someone willing to walk through blood and fire without hesitation. She leans her forehead against yours and stays there, silent, holding on to the one thing she never thought she’d have. Elem’s yawn finally breaks the silence as the long day catches up with the kits. Miracle is already curled up on the cold metal table. “Layla…” you whisper quietly, not wanting to interrupt the moment, but feeling like you have to. “I will run and ask if we could get some blankets or something over here so they can rest comfortably.” She doesn’t say anything, just nods. You run outside and soon return with Nurse Joy, who brings a few pillows and a full‑size hospital bed so you can all stay close to Lumi. She pulls a chair over as Layla jumps onto the bed, but the moment she starts to move it, she notices the damage you two left behind. Your ears drop in shame when you see her staring at the chair. “I will pay the damages…” you start, but seeing the amused look on Joy’s face, you just trail off. She doesn’t comment, just sets the chair aside and leaves you be. You lift the sleeping kits and place them on a pillow between you and Layla, then curl up beside them and rest your head next to Hope. “They are amazing, aren’t they?” you mutter, before yawning as the long day is catching up with you as well. “They are worth everything. I never thought I would be a mother, but since they were born, it’s all I want to be.” She nuzzles Miracle, who chirps quietly with each breath. Then she lifts up her head and meets your eyes without wavering. “And they are exactly the reason we have to end Team Rocket.” You raise your head slowly. “Yes, but how are you planning on doing that? It’s just the two of us. We can’t take down a whole organization. Can we?” you ask in confusion, knowing very well you sound like you’re going back on your word earlier. “We don’t have to do it alone.” Layla pulls out a letter from her satchel and places it on the pillow. “TWR council cleared you and not only that, but apparently there’s no evolution clause anywhere in their rules, so that is something Pawsy had made up. As an apology they have asked us to visit their headquarters, though it’ll be quite a journey. They have promised to assist us with our vendetta against Team Rocket. You look at the letter, but can’t bother to open it. Instead you get up and lie next to Layla. “So where is the TWR Headquarters?” You cross your paw over hers. “It’s in the Kanto region, about two months by foot, but that’s the only way I’ll be willing to travel. Having you and Lumi out in the open will attract way too much attention. I know an abandoned train tunnel that will lead us out of Kalos, but that is as far as I’ve explored.” Layla rests her head on your paw crossing hers as she leans into your forearm. “We have time to make the plans and arrangements. Right now, the most important thing is that Lumi fully recovers. We should have them check Hope’s ankle in the morning too.” You rest your head on top of Layla’s, feeling her warmth steady you. After a few quiet minutes, drowsiness begins to pull at your eyes. “Kuro… I’m sorry for being so hard on you all the time…” Layla whispers suddenly, causing your ears to instantly perk up. “I know you always try your best, and I know how lucky I am to have met you…” Her words come out shaky and quiet, as if admitting something she has been longing for, but never thought she would have. “It’s okay Layla…” you mutter, your voice low and heavy with sleep. You had been seconds from drifting off when she spoke, her apology pulling you back just enough to answer. “No, Kuro, I’ve been way too hard on you. You don’t deserve to be downplayed and put down all the time. And I don’t want you to feel like I blame you for everything that goes wrong…” Layla curls her tail around you tightly and presses her head hard against your shoulder. “Before you, it felt as if… as if the world was always out to get me. Disaster after disaster. I became a hard shell… and–” “Stop it Layla!” you cut her off and tilt your head, pressing your cheek between her soft ears. “I know you. You push me because you care. You keep me on my toes because you’re afraid if you don’t, I’ll slip into feeling safe… and the world will take me from you. And honestly, without the training you’ve put me through, it probably would have.” You breathe out slowly. “Layla, you gave me the confidence I needed to become what I have to be if we’re going to do this.” You rub your cheek gently against the top of her head. As you hear Layla starting to sniffle, your heart aches. With ears relaxed, you grab hold of her ear, biting down on it firmly. You can immediately see a faint, fleeting smile on her. You wrap your paws around her body and hold her as tight as you can. “It’s okay Layla, let it all out… I will be here if you need me. For now and forever.” “Thank you, Kuro…” Her words are so faint you can barely make them out. She wraps her paws around yours, holding tight as she breaks down, crying until exhaustion finally pulls her into sleep. You, however, can’t sleep. Seeing Layla this vulnerable makes you feel hopeless. You lie there, holding her for what feels like an eternity, hoping that after taking down Team Rocket, she’ll finally be able to put all her demons to rest… yet fearing there will always be shadows she can’t escape. Eventually, though, sleep finds you too. In the morning your head jolts up as Nurse Joy and a doctor enter the room to check up on Lumi’s situation. Layla also bolts up as they approach, knocking you on your back as your paws were still wrapped around her. The doctor doesn’t even have a chance to check on Lumi’s stitches before Layla confronts him. “So, how long do you think until she is better?” Layla’s voice starts off with a growl, but she quickly changes to a warmer tone, not wanting to offend the doctor. “The punctured lung should recover fast, a few days at the most. The three broken ribs should infuse within two weeks, but any physical activity should be avoided until six weeks is up,” the Doctor mutters as he inspects the stitches. “Looks like the surgery went well though, she should wake up soon as well.” Then he gets up and starts heading towards the door. “What if we carry her? When can we leave?” You shout after the doctor. “I would advise keeping her here for at least three weeks. After that we can see how well she’s recovered.” The doctor tries to rush off, but you run in front of him. “Could you please check up on our other kit, Hope, as well? She might have a sprained ankle,” you ask as your ears drop down as you request for him to check up on her. “But of course! Why didn’t you say anything yesterday? Injuries have better outcomes if treated promptly!” he grunts a bit frustrated. He walks up to still sleeping Hope, gently grabbing her front paw causing Hope’s eyes to shoot open and instinctively sink her teeth into the doctor's sleeve, barely missing his wrist. “She is a feisty one isn’t she,” he says as Hope lets go of his sleeve. “But this is likely not a sprain. The amount of swelling still visible after a day, makes me lean towards hairline fracture instead. But x-ray will tell us more.” He asks Nurse Joy to go grab a small gurney for Hope. As Joy runs off to get the gurney, Layla walks up to you. “You better go with them. I’d go, but I’m not letting Lumi off my sight,” she snarls, barely audible. “Oh, of course, though, don't you trust them? They saved Lumi’s life,” you whisper in confusion. “I’d like to, but I’ve seen what money can do to people. Lumi is not worth anything to anyone as dead… I'll never let my guard down around her again!” She squints her eyes as she stares you down. You back away as her sudden aggression catches you off guard. “Okay, I get it. I know a shiny female Eevee would fetch a fortune, but you don’t think someone working to cure Pokèmon would try to get rich off of selling them.” You tilt your head slightly as you question her theory. She whacks her ear at your nose so hard it brings tears into your eyes. “Don’t argue with me about this, I can tell you it's far worse!” She lets out a loud growl, causing everyone in the room to turn their head at the scene. You panic slightly seeing everyone staring at you two and with Layla so agitated. “Umm… Yeah, right. Hey Doctor, would it be okay for me to accompany you at X-ray? Hope never had one, so she would likely be more comfortable,” you ramble, trying to turn the attention away from what just happened. The doctor looks at you in confusion. “Would it be okay? It’s mandatory for Trainer to be present during the X-ray. As she has no trainer, parent will suffice.” The doctor exclaims at the same time as Nurse Joy comes back with the gurney. “Suffice!?” Layla’s fur sparks as she growls at the Doctor causing him to jump and take a few steps back. “A trainer should never be superior to a parent!” She takes a few steps towards the Doctor, before you jump in between the two. “Layla! Calm down!” You shout in shock causing her to stop on her tracks. Then you turn towards the shaken Doctor. “My apologies, my mate is just a bit shaken up from all the worry.” You tap your ear hesitantly at Layla’s nose and whisper “Layla, come on, our kits need them.” Layla’s growl gets more faint instantly, then she looks away with frustrated expression. “I’m sorry…” She mutters in barely audible tone. The doctor lets out a sigh of relief. “No need to apologize for my poor choice of words. That is the facility rules, but of course the parent of a Pokèmon is much more important to their young than a trainer ever could. Now, let's forget this ever happened. If umm… Mr. Umbreon would be ever so kind as to follow us.” The doctor starts walking towards the door, making sure he stays behind the gurney the whole time in case Layla changes her mind. As you follow the doctor and Nurse Joy, you can’t help wondering what Layla meant about the things humans do for money. The thought lingers only a moment before you reach the x‑ray room. The technician moves quickly, and before long the results are ready. The doctor explains the hairline fracture and sets Hope’s ankle in a cast. With Pokémon healing as fast as they do, she should be back on her feet within a week. You thank the doctor and Nurse Joy for everything, then head back to your family. You see Layla in the Lobby chatting with Nurse Joy, but she heads to you as soon as you appear. “Well? What’s with Hope’s paw?” She asks immediately. “It’s fractured, they put on a cast and brought her back to the other kits.” You’re about to head towards the room, but then remember what happened in the forest when Team Rocket attacked. “Layla… can I ask you something” You turn towards her looking into her eyes “You don’t usually ask my permission so my first instinct is to say no,“ she snarls with a chuckle, “but you will just keep bugging me so let’s get it out. What is it?” She clearly knows she doesn’t want to talk about what’s to come next. “It’s just that…” You look around, avoiding her gaze. “When I took that punch during the attack on our kits–” “I should have known you would pick on that,” she cuts you off, ”Detective Umbreon strikes again, putting Detective Pikachu to shame.” “I’m serious Layla, what was that? After that you dashed through boulders like they were made of dust,” you exclaim with lowered frown and ears slightly back as you sit in front of her. She sighs, looking away in frustration. “It was…” she growls as she turns her back at you, but instantly turns back facing you, her lip shaking while sealed shut, her breathing is heavy. “Fine! It’s called Extreme Evoboost, normally it makes Eevee twice as strong…” She growls as she turns her back on you again. “In my case… it’s complicated… and much more dangerous…” “Dangerous? Why would you use something that is dangerous?” You walk next to her and nudge her shoulder. “Because you were all down and out! If I don’t have you all, I will have nothing! So if sacrificing myself means you all live then that is the risk worth taking for me,” she murmurs quietly, her breathing steady. She’s staring into space, and her body is very tense. “Why would it be dangerous?” you try to pry more from her. “Can we not talk about this… I rather not even think about the whole power to be honest…” Layla grunts as she turns away, bumping into you on her way towards the room. “If it’s dangerous I want to know why!” You pounce in front of her blocking her path. “Damn you, Kuro… I just…” she growls at you with her teeth showing… but then she hangs her head. “I know you just want to help me. After using the power, it completely leaves me drained. I also don’t know if it has any long term effects on me. But you should not worry, I will not use that power except in extreme distress. I promise.” She lifts her gaze and looks at you with her yellow eyes watery. “I sure hope so, Layla, I wouldn’t know what I would do without you…” You tap her nose gently with yours. “Anyways, I know you'd rather not talk about this, so let's go see how the kits are doing and you tell me more when you feel ready, okay?” Layla gently nods, but her lowered ears and tail dragging the ground tells another story. For next three weeks Layla stays by Lumi’s side day and night. Hope took only four days to recover which surprised even the doctor, though out of precaution he still refused to remove the cast until a week was up. It didn’t slow Hope down though. She still managed to scale the hospital room and liked sleeping on top of the medical cabinet next to Lumi’s bed warranting a few times an angry grunt from agitated Layla. You’re not off the hook from hunting duties either and Layla makes sure that you work extra hard providing for the family. The Pokémon Center staff don’t allow you to bring in kills from the wild for sanitation reasons, and to avoid frightening the other patients, but you and Layla work around it. You trade duties, one of you staying with Lumi while the other goes out to hunt when mealtime comes. Over the next three weeks you grow surprisingly skilled at tracking prey and providing for everyone. A few times you try to press Layla about what she meant when she said she knows what money makes people do, but she only shrugs it off, saying most people are predictable. On the day Lumi is finally supposed to be released from the Pokèmon Center, a spring storm rages on. Wind swishes on the eaves, rain lashes the windows in a chaotic rhythm, and every so often a distant thunder can be heard. When the doctor gives his final verdict of Lumi being discharged, you immediately bolt towards the lobby to let Layla know Lumi has fully recovered. However, as you approach the lobby you hear loud arguing from the counter. You proceed with caution and peek around the corner, only to see three Team Rocket grunts yelling at Nurse Joy. You can’t hear exactly what they are saying, but it cannot be anything good. One of the slams their fist on the desk, causing Nurse Joy to back away. A security guard can be seen calling for help. That is when you notice one of the grunts missing an ear lobe and is covered in scar tissue on his arms and legs. Your rings start to flare up and you squint your eyes in anger. That must be the grunt who survived, the one who Hope took an ear from and Layla’s Ice Blast shrapnell further injured. It takes every bit of effort to stop yourself from rushing in and ripping his throat out, but you know you better go and hide the kits instead. You rush back to the recovery room where the kits look at you as you cautiously enter the room looking over your shoulder. “Team Rocket is here, and the looks of it one of them is the one Hope already got an ear from,” you whisper to the kits as you walk up to an air duct opening, which Layla had loosened in case you had to escape for some reason. Now it works as a perfect hideaway spot. You manage to get Lumi, Elem and Miracle in, but that’s when you realize Hope is trying to sneak into the lobby with her ears twitching as she prowls towards the hallway. You charge after her, grabbing her from the scruff as you pull her back in the room. “Dad! Let me go! I’m not afraid of them!” Hope grunts loudly. You just drag the struggling kit from her scruff into the duct, and back into it yourself, barely making it in before two of the grunts charge in, one of them the one missing the ear. “I know I heard something from here! Sounded like that little bastard who ripped my ear off!” one of the grunt shouts as they all charge in. The grunts tear through the room the moment they enter. A metallic crash shakes the duct beneath your paws. Lumi freezes beside you as another loud bang follows, you curl your tail around her protectively while plastic shatters somewhere. The room echoes with scraping metal and heavy footsteps stomping back and forth. You hear drawers slam open and cabinet doors bang on their hinges. Every now and then supplies clearly scatter across the floor. Through the gaps in the vent, you can briefly catch a room in total chaos. Another deafening crash shakes the room, followed by a shout, “nothing here!” They must have flipped the hospital bed, you think. For several tense moments, all you hear are boots crunching through debris and the frantic sounds of the grunts tearing apart anything that might conceal a hiding place. The noise suddenly comes closer. Heavy footsteps stop almost directly beneath the vent. “All clear!” Your muscles tense. Then the door bursts open. "What do you think you're doing?!" Nurse Joy's voice rings through the room. “You guys can’t be here! I keep telling you we don’t have any Eevee patients at the time!” Nurse Joy screams frantically. The grunt with missing ear charges toward Joy causing her to jump towards the door. “What is this then!?” The grunt pulls out a tuft of fur he found from the hospital bed. “Looks much like the light fur belonging to a Shiny Eevee! Where the hell is she?!” he screams as spit flies out on Joy's face. “That might have been from Absol…” Joy starts “Absol is not that color! Tell us or we beat the information out of you.” The other grunt starts approaching Joy. You begin to growl and your rings start to glow, you’re just about to charge out to help Joy, as the third grunt charges in the room. “Guys we gotta go, Police are here!” He shouts while panting. The other two grunts grunt at the same time, heading to the door. As a last thing the grunt missing an ear, turns around and pushes Joy on the ground. “This is not over! We will be back for them! I know they are here!” They then hurry towards the door. Once it closes, you charge to Joy. “Are you okay?” you ask, sticking your muzzle under her arm trying to help her up. “Yeah, I am fine, Kuro, maybe a bruise or two,” she says while getting off the floor. You charge towards the door to make sure the Team Rocket is gone. When you reach the lobby, Officer Jenny just enters the lobby, but the grunts must have just gotten out before she arrives. Nurse Joy reaches the lobby right after you. “Is everything okay, are they still here?” Jenny asks in a confident, authoritative voice, her police training evident in every word. “Everything is fine, and I think they just left as they saw you coming. They must have taken a side exit,” Nurse Joy confirms. You sniff the air. “Yeah they went out that door, couldn't have gotten far. I can go find them, officer!” You shout as you start heading that way. “Now hold it, Umbreon!” Jenny hollers. “ I have no idea where you learned to talk. But you’re not a trained police Pokemon. We will handle this,” Jenny shouts at you. “I can make a civil arrest, can’t I?” Kuro asks while lifting his brow. “What? Now I have no idea where you heard that, but that does not extend to Pokémon. No, you cannot make a civil arrest. Now stay here and stay out of our way!” She charges outside in the rain, flicking her rain hood up. You look frustrated, but the last thing you want right now is law enforcement coming after you. You watch as the police scatter around. It is early afternoon, but the raging storm outside makes it very dark. You return to the kits, who have all crawled out of the vent and watch the mess made by the rockets. “You should’ve let me go after them.” Hope sulks as she phases back and forth “And what? Get captured or worse? I thought I told you before, you have nothing to prove! And even then, seeing you would have just confirmed what they think they know!” you growl at Hope with your rings glowing as you’re increasingly frustrated. Hope senses this as well as she backs away. You immediately calm down, seeing your own kit scared of you. “I’m sorry, Hope, I didn’t mean… I just don’t want any of you hurt okay… and seeing them... Where the heck is your mom? She would know what to do,” you ramble as you just don’t know what you should do. “Can you all just stay hidden for now. I will try to find your mother.” You head back to the lobby to check if Joy knows about Layla. “Hey, Joy, do you know where Layla is? I haven't seen her since this morning. It's not like her to just disappear.” Before she answers you walk towards the window looking around outside if you can see her. “She went out in the morning, about twenty minutes before the grunts showed up. She didn't say where she was going, but she never really does,” Joy exclaims, while she’s filling out a report Jenny left with her about the incident. You keep phasing back and forth the window, you can't think of why Layla would even go out in such weather. The heavy rain has created a few inch deep river down the cobblestone street and on the bottom of the hill, the street water is pooling probably close to a foot deep by now. That is when you spot something heading towards the Pokemon Center. At first it is just a shadowy figure, covered in mud, but when it gets closer there is no mistake – it’s Layla. You charge to the door with your ears perked up, but as she steps into the light, your ears drop suddenly as you freeze in place. You couldn’t see it earlier because, but now that Layla is close enough to the Pokemon Center lights, you can tell she isn’t just covered in mud, but also soaked in blood. In shock you charge to her aid. “Layla! Are you hurt? Don’t move, I go get–” “Kuro Stop! It’s not my blood…” Layla snarls angrily, as soon as she steps in the lobby, Joy lifts up her gaze from the papers and gasps, placing her hand in front of her lips. “Where have you been? Why are you covered in blood and mud?”
“I was going out to hunt when I smelled him.” Layla's ears stiffen as they snap back. “The grunt who attacked us.” She squints and stares you straight in the eyes. “They were standing between me and the Pokémon Center, so I couldn't attack them anymore. I couldn't risk leading him here.” Her claws begin to extend slowly. “So I hid. I waited for the police to drive them out of town.” A low growl rumbles in her throat. “After that, I tracked them.” For a brief moment, something dangerous flashes in her eyes. “They never saw me coming.” her claws fully unsheathe in an instant against the hard tile flooring, with echoing sound in the otherwise quiet lobby. “My only regret is that the bastard who hurt Lumi only died once.”
She starts dragging herself towards the room with kits, leaving blood and muddy footprints in her wake. You look at horrified Joy, who looks back at you. You don’t say anything, but your lowered brow, ears pinned against the skull and a frown beg her not to call the police. Luckily for you, Joy gives you a faint nod. You follow Layla into the room, where she has already pulled the rain gear on the kits. “We’re leaving! And I don’t want to hear a single objection from you, Glowbutt!” She snarls angrily. “Can’t we wait until after the storm…” You start to try to reason with her. “Do you want me to drag you out? Because I will! You saw that room! You saw what they did to Lumi. They know she is here. Before I got to them, they called in the hair they found. We will not be sticking around another moment, Kuro!” She then embarks towards the front door. Nurse Joy walks to Layla and kneels down. “I really don’t think you should go yet, Layla, just wait until the storm passes.” Nurse Joy tries to persuade Layla from taking off. Layla just grunts as she keeps on adjusting the camo rain cloak on Lumi. “Layla, we really should listen–” “Kuro!” Layla snaps her teeth at you, causing you to abandon any plea you may have had. “Fine! If you want to stay here another day, be my guest! You can catch up once the storm dies down, but me and the kits are leaving now!” she growls angrily. It's clear she doesn’t want to spend another day in this place. Outside, Miracle and Hope are already standing on a large boulder, their furs soaked through and their cloaks flapping forcefully in the wind. You let out a loud sigh in protest, but you’re not about to let your family leave without you. Even if you don’t agree with Layla’s decision, you know there’s no changing her mind. So you step out into the storm with them, accepting that wherever she goes, you go too. You pull on the camo cloak and glance back at the closing doors and the cozy lobby one last time. For a reason you can’t explain, your eyes catch on the calendar hanging on the wall. The realization hits you like a hammer – you haven’t tracked a single day since the attack with Team Rocket, haven’t even cared to. Yet out of all days, you happen to look now… April 15th. Your birthday. Fifteen years since the tragedy with your parents. “Oh great…” you mutter to yourself as you reluctantly drag your feet forward. Layla must have picked your mumbled words as she leaps in front of you right before you get to the front door. “What is it, Glowbutt? If you have something to say, it’s better to say it now, because out there, in that wind, even I’ll have a tough time hearing anything.” Though at first she seems accusatory, her posture and voice appear genuinely concerned. “It’s nothing… Let's just go. The sooner we go, the sooner we might find some place where we can rest tonight.” You avoid eye contact as you lower your gaze slightly and walk past her. “You do know you're a terrible liar, right, Kuro?” Layla reminds you and slaps your nose with her ear as you pass by her. “Can we just go if we have to. Unless you have changed your mind,” you grunt, getting frustrated with her trying to dig the truth out of you. “Fine, whatever…” Layla rolls her eyes at you. She signals the door with her tail to Elem and Lumi and then dashes outside with the two kits right on her heels. The storm doesn’t seem to bother any of your family, but you would much rather spend the day cozying indoors. Once you step outside, you’re immediately ankle deep in mud and the wind blows off your hood, sending your ears flapping in the wind. “Oh, Kuro…” Layla chuckles as she comes and helps you pull the hood back over your head, tightening its flush around your face. “We’re barely outside and you’re already soaked. We have about a five day hike to Couriway Town which has the train tunnel leading out of Kalos region. So please, try to keep up.” Layla turns around, flicking her mud soaked tail towards the nearby forest. Elem, Miracle and Hope all happily run along the side of Layla, but Lumi decides to keep you company. “Daddy, I don’t like the storm either.” Lumi chirps, her light colored fur covered in mud about halfway through her body. You smile at her. “Do you want to climb on my back? I know the cloak is soaked, but at least you don’t have to drag through mud.” Lumi’s eyes light up as you say it. Without her responding, you crouch down allowing Lumi to climb on your back. “Thanks, Daddy, this is much better.” Lumi wraps her paws around your neck. “Hold on tight, Lumi, we need to keep up with the rest.” You pick up the phase, catching up with the rest of the family. Layla shakes her head at you as she notices Lumi on your back, but doesn’t argue about it. Six of you start hiking through the storm. With Team Rocket on your heels, it has come more apparent than ever that you must keep moving, no more long rests, no more practising. You must keep moving.
This was so warm and charming in the most fiercely protective, found family way Layla's my only regret is that the bastard who hurt Lumi only died once" was a gut punch, and the way she immediately shifts into getting the kits out snapping at Kuro but still helping him with his hood shows exactly who she is But the detail that got me was Kuro catching sight of the calendar and realizing it's his birthday, fifteen years since the tragedy and just muttering Oh great before moving on I'm an artist, would love to sketch that moment. Discord: the_emily_john
This was so warm and charming in the most fiercely protective, found family way Layla's my only regr
