"It's raining, it's pouring..." Haru sings softly, little rain boots stomping emphatically through wet underbrush and puddles. He celebrated his ninth birthday a couple of weeks ago, and was given a new digital camera, something he'd been begging for. He kept it safe in his shorts pocket, both camera and body kept dry by the big orange raincoat covering him, hood up to protect his long, spiky yellow hair from the rain also.
Next to him, Umi his mother's Samurott, padded along keeping an eye on the boy while his mother was away for the day at Professor Sarutobi's research lab. "Sam…"
Haru looked over at the large pokémon, smiling. "Don't worry Umi! I just wanted to try out the cool features on my camera... we won't go too far."
But... we have already gone too far. Umi thought to himself, though he merely sighed and continued to walk with the boy. Looking down at the smiling blonde child with the sunny grin, Umi couldn't help but snort in amusement. He indulged the boy far too much.
After five minutes, Haru threw out his arms in the "halt" sign. "OK! This looks good." Haru said out loud, nodding in agreement with himself. Umi just rolled his eyes and settled down by a tree while Haru carefully pulled out his camera, already in its waterproof case covering, and turned it on. Haru grinned as he picked the particular settings he wanted, and without further ado snapped away.
Click—Flash! Click—Flash!
"Hmm... it might be better with no flash." Haru murmured after a few pictures like this. Adjusting the setting, he took a test picture and smiled happily at the results. "Much better!" he shouted happily.
Umi watched Haru take picture after picture, and had to marvel at the little boy.
How many pictures can you take of wet trees? I wonder what difference exactly he's seeing in these same trees he's seen for years. he wondered, looking around himself.
Rain fell softly, having a while ago lightened to a steady drizzle, upon green leaves dark in the absence of bright sunlight. Droplets dripped from leaf, from branch, to overfed green grass below or on the occasional flower that popped up. Beautiful, it was true, but nothing to take twenty pictures for.
Haru giggled delightedly, spinning around to take a picture of Umi—majestic in his armored splendor, and those seriously cool thick whiskers, as he reclined against a big tree with rain falling all around him. "You look awesome Umi!" Haru chirped.
"Samurott!" Umi barked.
Haru laughed and raised the camera to take another picture of the Samurott who now wanted to mug for the camera, but paused. He tilted his head to the side—what was that sound?
There it was again! "Umi... do you hear that?" He asked, but Umi had already gotten up and placed himself in front of Haru, looking around with a sharp gaze. Haru paused, and listened hard. He perked up when he heard it again... what sounded like a whimper?
"Umi… I think a Pokémon is hurt. We should help!" Haru stated, starting out surely and then gaining confidence. He looked up at the disapproving Samurott, before the pokémon relented with a sigh. Haru crept carefully out to the front, Samurott right next to him as they moved closer to the distressed pokémon. The next whimper was heard coming from under a bush a few feet away. Haru moved a little closer before crouching down.
"Hey, are you hurt? Are you hungry? If you come out, I can help you." Haru chatted in a soft voice, tone as soothing as he could make it. "Aren't you wet and cold? If you're hurt I bet the rain isn't helping... Come out, I can help you, if you'd like."
It is alright to trust him little one. He is the son of my master, and he is but a baby much like I presume you to be. He is kind, and will not hurt you. Umi spoke in his own Pokémon tongue, Haru supposed he was trying to convince the little critter under the bush that he was nice. Whatever Umi said must have yielded results because the bush rustled a few times, before a tiny brown paw inched out. The rest of the body followed in a similar slow and timid manner. Haru immediately took notice of the wounded right hind leg.
"Oh! An Eevee..." Haru exclaimed softly. The little fluffy Pokémon blinked rapidly at the sight of him and the Samurott guarding him. Haru smiled encouragingly, being careful not to show teeth in case the Eevee might take it as a sign of aggression, and held out his hand.
"I have some things back at my home that can heal you... or I can take you to Professor Sarutobi's if I'm all out! You can get your leg fixed and get some food... sounds pretty good huh? Then after, if you want, you can leave whenever you're ready." As he spoke, Haru shuffled closer with every other word, just a little bit at a time. By the time he'd stopped speaking he was within reach of the Eevee and could pick him up at any time.
The Eevee, trembling and timid, looked at his hand and then back to his face several times. Haru waited patiently, though he couldn't stop from fidgeting every now and then. Then, finally, the Eevee raised a paw and put it gently in Haru's small hand. Grinning happily, Haru gently scooped up the Eevee and trotted back home, Samurott by his heels.
"Umi, do you think I should take this Eevee to the Professor's? I guess mom might not like it if I use her healing stuff without asking..."
Umi nodded, barking an affirmative. Haru nodded as well, breaking out of the forest then going around his house. He trotted into the middle of the road, then turned left. "Don't you worry buddy," Haru reassured the Eevee with a megawatt grin, cuddling the little creature closer to provide some warmth. "Professor Sarutobi can have your leg feeling all better in no time at all! And my mom, she's a really cool Ranger— they keep the wild Pokémon safe and other stuff, but she spends more time being a Researcher these days for me— and my dad he—"
"Whoa, whose ear are you talking off this time Haru?" The familiar voice of his father filled with warmth and quiet strength makes Haru perk up, turning his head to look over his shoulder.
"Hi dad!" Haru chirps, and turns around to show him the injured, now fiercely trembling Eevee. "I found him in the woods; his back leg is hurt so I was taking him to the Professor's place. Did you have a good trip? How come you're back, I thought you'd be gone for another two weeks? Did you get me—?"
"Breathe boy!" Minato playfully chided his youngest, sunniest child. "Now, it was a good idea for you to bring him, from the looks of it this is a bad injury, and he looks to be pretty young—"
"How do you know it's a he?" Haru interrupted.
Minato chuckled. "It's a safe bet with Eevee. Now, in order, your other questions... I had a nice trip, but it's even nicer to be back home. I finished up my business pretty early on so I could come home early. And, yes, I got you a Torchic beanie." He finished up smartly tugging on the bright blonde locks so similar to his own. Patting his knees, Minato rose up and put his hand on Haru. "Now let's go visit Professor Sarutobi and your mom. Umi, thanks for watching after him."
"Okay!" Haru cheered, starting down the road again, marching in front of his little group as he talked to his heart's content. "So did you see Naru? Mom is kind of upset that she didn't come home for her birthday, but I guess it's so exciting being on the road she totally forgot! I bet she's got loads of Pokémon, but do you think she has lots of water Pokémon like mom? Or did she go for speed and electric like you? Then again you have a lot of dragon Pokémon, and can we visit your new Dragonite when we get there dad? Oh, what did you name..."
On and on as they walked down the road, and occasionally Umi and Minato would look at each other with fond exasperation as Haru didn't even take a breather to let his questions be answered. "I mean, it's just so cute because he's exactly like Kushina." Minato murmured to the Saruwott, who nodded and let out a raspy laughter in agreement.
"Hey, what are you just shuffling along for? Come on!" Haru's voice breaks them out of their moment of comradeship, and they look to see Haru pouting on the doorstep of the Sarutobi research lab.
"Ah, sorry baby." Minato apologized as he and Umi walked into the building after a huffing Haru.
"Don't call me baby, I'm nine years-old." Haru grumbled.
Minato agreed with a smile, but internally winced at the reminder that he missed his baby boy's birthday. This was the second time, and Kushina swore that if he missed a third he'd be sleeping on the couch for a long time to come. Shaking the thought out of his mind, he guided Haru into the research area where he was sure Sarutobi would be.
"Professor Sarutobi, are you in here?" Minato asked, knocking on the doorframe a couple of times before poking his head in. Instead of seeing the wise old man, his eyes widened and then he smiled wide at the sight of his wife flipping through old records alongside a couple of aides.
"Nope, just me!" Kushina corrected with a grin. "And Senji and Rika."
"Hello." Minato nodded to the two aides who had become flustered at the very sight of him. He smiled awkwardly but didn't comment— they had started just recently and they hadn't had enough exposure to really get used to him.
"Hi mom!" Haru piped up, leaning around Minato's leg.
"Haru!" Kushina looked from Minato, to Haru, and then her eyebrow raised in consideration when her loyal Samurott came around the doorway. "Okay... what's with the party?"
"I just met these two along the way." Minato excused himself, gently pushing Haru forward.
Haru scampered forward and raised his arms up a little to show the Eevee in his arms who had since stopped trembling and was now looking around in faint curiosity. "Mom, I found this Eevee in the woods behind our house. He hurt his back leg... Can you heal it?"
Kushina crouched down and a pale hand slowly, so as not to frighten or startle the Eevee. Gently she ran her hand through its fur, checking for any other injuries. Taking the Eevee from Haru's arms she straightened up and walked out the room, going down to the hallway to another room with an examination table on it. Placing the little Eevee on the table she moves to the cabinets and drawers, rummaging for salves and bandages to wrap up the leg.
"Mom, is he going to be okay?" Haru asked, taking a seat on the plastic chair to the side. Minato sits with him, Umi resting just outside the room by the doorway.
"Sure, the wound isn't too bad... probably an Ursaring trap," her voice is venomous as she says the word. "Since he can't have gotten too far after incurring such an injury, I bet I can find that trap before another Pokémon gets hurt."
Haru nods, looking around the room before a small squeak has him turning back to the table. The tiny little Eevee shivers once, sneezes, and then looks at him with its big brown eyes blinking at him so cutely. "Vee." It squeaks softly, and Haru smiles reassuringly at the cute Eevee.
"It's okay!" Haru said confidently. "Mom is really good at doing this stuff, so you'll feel better soon."
"Well, it should take a few days, so we'll have to take care of him." Kushina corrected, though she smiled proudly at her son.
"I'll take care of him! I can do it, I can!" Haru yelped excitedly, legs swinging.
"Are you sure?" Minato asked in mock seriousness. "Taking care of a Pokémon is a lot of responsibility, and an injured Pokémon is even more so... plus you're so young."
"I'm not young!" Haru pouted. "I'm nine years old— I'll be able to go on my trainer journey in two years. Isn't this a great way to get some experience in caring for Pokémon before I go off?"
"Oh, don't remind me of that!" Kushina bemoaned, starting to clean the Eevee's wound. "It might sting, but I'll be quick ok?" she told the Pokémon gently. "You know... he's very young. It's strange to see an Eevee this far from a city... they're rare in the wild. And one so young would usually be with either a trainer, in a daycare center, or with their mother. And yet, this Eevee looks to have been born in the wild."
"You think he may have been abandoned? Or perhaps he has lost his family?" Minato asked.
"It's possible... but we'll never know for sure. Either way, he's practically a baby. You'll have to take good care of him, Haru." She told her youngest boy sternly.
"I will." Haru nodded.
"Great..." Kushina smiled and turned back to the Eevee, whose eyes would always wander back to Haru. Because I think you just found yourself a lifelong friend