Chapter Text
"Professor Kukui really hates not knowing what the surprise is!" Lilie giggled out, shoulders trembling with laughter. Satoshi snorts at his friend’s statement, trying to quickly finish the bite of omelet he’d been eating. Next to him, Gladio huffed out an amused laugh, shooting his sister a small grin.
“Sure you’ll be able to keep quiet about Satoshi now that he knows there’s a surprise?” He teased, laughing when she kicked at him from under the table.
“Of course!” She huffed, a pout finding its way onto her face. “It’s..easier now, actually? I don’t really know why, but now we don’t have to move the surprise to today, so that’s good!”
“Is it because you guys can tease him about there being a surprise you know about and he doesn’t?” Satoshi breathed out, rubbing his sore throat. Mentally, he made a note to himself not to take such big bites even as he laughed at Lilie’s offended reaction, quickly moving away from the table so he could avoid being kicked. Gladio chuckled at the two, shaking his head with a roll of his eyes and looking at his boyfriend.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be, Mr. Champion ?” He teased lightly, earning a confused look in response.
“Do I..” A moment passed before a loud yell of realization burst from Satoshi’s chest, movements urgent as he ran around to grab his things. “Ma is going to kill me!” He yelped without even realizing his slip-up.
Neither Lilie nor Gladio got to tease him for it, however, as Satoshi pressed a quick kiss to the blonde boy’s cheek and immediately took off for the door. An exasperated sigh slid past Gladio’s cheek and he waved, smiling fondly.
“He never changes, does he?” Lilie laughs softly, resting her chin in her palm as she looks at her brother. A deep chuckle rumbles from his chest and he turns to her, shaking his head.
“Of course not, it’s Satoshi.”
“Professor Burnet! I’m home!” Satoshi called out, barging into the simple beach house. There was silence as a response and he frowned slightly, looking around the main area. “Burnet?”
“Ah, I’m down here!!” He heard her voice call from the lab and he furrowed his brows slightly, quickly moving to the stairs so he could join the professor. He was surprised to see the woman standing next to Melmetal as the steel Pokémon completely devoured a steel beam.
“Why are you feeding it down here..?” He questioned, earning her attention, and she laughed lightly.
“It refused to return upstairs until you got here, but it needed to eat.” She sighs softly, turning her gaze back to Melmetal and raising a hand, gently running it over its steel body. “Its missed you, too, you know?”
“Ah..” Satoshi smiled slightly, approaching his Pokémon and leaning against it, causing it to stop eating for a moment. The steel beam is lowered to the ground and Melmetal turned its eye to its trainer, the ball of mercury widening at the sight of its trainer. “Sorry, Melmetal, I didn’t want to wake you and it risked the surprise if I was here too much.”
Satoshi lifted his head to smile at the Pokémon and laughed when two large, heavy arms wrapped around his person, droplets of mercury falling from its eye. The loud cry it let out shook his person and he quickly wrapped his arms around it.
“Sorry, sorry!”
Behind him, Burnet laughed softly, raising a hand to her cheek with a fond smile. Seeing her boy with his partners always brought her joy, the bond the young trainer shared with his Pokémon one of a kind. Seven months apart and nothing has changed, his Pokémon still loved him with everything they had in them, still craved to be in his presence. She could see he felt the same, the pain in his eyes that he had shown all those months ago there when he pulled away from Melmetal.
Raising her hand, she gently placed it on Satoshi’s shoulder, earning a startled jerk from the teen before he looked at her. That slight gleam in his eyes made her heart twist and she raised a hand to his cheek, smiling softly at his startled look.
“Are you okay?” She asked, voice gentle, and he huffed out a laugh, leaning into her touch.
“Yeah, ma, I’m okay now.”
She decided to let the ‘ ma ’ go this time.
“So this little one was determined to get strong, huh?” Burnet hums, gently petting the Riolu that had snuck her way into Satoshi’s bag. An exasperated sigh left the teen, hands occupied with Lugarugan’s rough fur and Mokuroh’s mess of feathers.
“Yeah, and I get it, but Arceus did she not care about her own safety! She took on an Iwark! An Iwark!!! It was ten times her size!!” He shot Riolu a dirty look and she threw her tiny paws up in the air, frustrated barks leaving the small dog Pokémon. “I don’t care if you’re fighting and it was rock! You just hatched!”
A soft laugh fluttered from Burnet’s chest at the arguing, hands moving to gently take Riolu’s paws so she would stop waving them around so violently. “How do you know what she’s saying? I’ve been meaning to ask you, but I’ve never gotten around to it.”
“Ah-!” Satoshi nudged Lugarugan and Mokuroh from his lap, both Pokémon whining at the forced movement, but allowing it. Moving to Burnet, he sat next to her, holding his hands out to Riolu. There was no hesitation in her movements as she freed herself from the professor and jumped into her trainer’s lap, making herself at home.
“It’s an..aura thing?”
“Aura?! I thought only Riolu and Lucario had control of that?!” Burnet leaned into his space rather quickly and he laughed nervously, looking down at the curious Riolu in his lap.
"It is a...long story that I really don't feel like explaining. I wouldn’t say I forgot about it because I could never forget about that journey, but I never really touched on the Wave-" He paused, startled by the slip-up, before continuing, “ aura since I left there. Riolu triggered it in me when she called out to me from her egg.” His laugh was mildly forced and a sympathetic look crossed the Professor's face. Reaching a hand out, she gently placed it on Satoshi's arm, offering him a gentle smile.
"You don't have to talk about it anymore.." She didn't want him to be upset because she asked him about something he wasn't ready to remember. A soft sigh was his response and he gently placed his hand on her's, smiling slightly.
“Thanks, Burnet..” Satoshi sighed softly, shoulders slumping ever so slightly. Riolu’s soft paw touched his cheek and he chuckled, raising his free hand to take her’s. “It’s a hard subject is all. Let’s move onto something else for now, yeah?”
“I know what we can move on to!” Burnet lit up and tugged at the hand he’d placed over her own. “The baby has been kicking this entire time.”
Satoshi’s eyes lit up in excitement and he allowed her to place his hand on her stomach, excitement pooling in his gut. A moment passed and then there was a small kick, a grin spreading across his face at the feeling. He’s never gotten to feel a baby kick before, he’s never been around a pregnant woman for long enough to get the chance, but now here he was, feeling his little sibling--- Burnet’s baby kicking at his hand.
“Awesome..” He breathed out, looking up to meet the professor’s gaze. An amused laugh bubbled from Burnet’s chest, her hand gently touching her stomach next to his hand.
“Kukui had the same reaction when he felt them kick for the first time,” She hums, grinning slightly, “You two really are so familiar.”
Satoshi can’t help his grin at that statement, an odd prideful feeling bubbling in his gut. It was such a compliment to be told he was similar to Kukui, he didn’t know how to explain it, but it always made him feel like he was just given the ultimate compliment.
Burnet laughs at his reaction to her words and begins to push herself up, only for her form to tense, eyes widening in silent panic. Concern flooded the teen and he raised his hands to hover near her, eyebrows furrowing slightly.
“Burnet? Are you okay?”
“ The water broke. ”
Satoshi’s stomach dropped.
“Are you joking-”
“Would I joke about this, Satoshi??” She questioned, an urgent lilt to her voice. Satoshi quickly stood to his feet, Riolu jumping to the floor so she didn’t fall as her trainer fumbled for his phone. “Satoshi, calm down-”
“I need to call someone!” He looked at her, expression determined despite his panic. Burnet didn’t have time to speak before the teen was dialing a number, a moment passing before his mother was beaming from her side of the phone.
“Satoshi, sweetheart! What has you-”
“ Mom, ma is in labor and I don’t know what to do! ” The words came out quickly and he could hear a strained huff of laughter from the woman behind him. Hanako stared at him in silent shock from her side of the phone before she looked confused.
“Then why are you calling me , sweetheart? Why aren’t you calling her husband ?” She smiled warmly in an attempt to calm her son, though it only seemed to make him short-circuit for a moment. His expression went blank, mind catching up with her words, and then he let out a sound, sounding nearly affronted.
“I’m stupid! ” He yelped out, hands quickly moving to try and find the professor’s number. A soft hand on his back made him jerk towards Burnet, the Rotom Phone quickly rising from his hands when he nearly dropped it in order to fuss over his mother figure.
“Satoshi, dear, calm down. I just went into labor,” Her words were slightly strained and he could feel his panic increase, but she touched a hand to his cheek gently and smiled, “Just call Kukui, okay?”
Swallowing thickly, he nodded and took deep breaths to calm himself, turning back to his phone, where a confused Rotom and his mother both stared back at him.
“Rotom, call Dad.”
Neither Hanako nor Burnet had expected the contact name for Kukui, the familial term one he didn’t use often for the professor. Despite this, Rotom was adding Kukui to the call, it taking a few moments for the older man to answer due to it being school hours.
“Satoshi? Why are you calling at-- Are you in the house?” Kukui’s brows furrowed in silent confusion before he noticed Hanako and jerked in surprise. “Miss Ketchum! What’s going on?”
“ Dad , you need to get home now, Mom went into labor.” Satoshi tried to keep himself calm, but he could feel the tremor in his voice. Dark eyes went wide as saucers at the sentence, a mixture of glee and panic creeping onto the man’s face as Kukui’s eyes darted to the class.
“Kids, I need to go, class is dismissed!” Snapping his gaze back to the device, he swallowed thickly, trying a smile. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
The sound of questions being asked was the last thing the three heard before Kukui was hanging up, leaving the mothers and son alone.
“I hope he doesn’t speed..” Burnet joked, trying to lighten the mood, only for a pained gasp to slip past her lips at the feeling of the baby moving. Satoshi was immediately crouching beside her, hands hovering near her anxious.
“Burnet, hun,” Hanako’s voice spoke up as Rotom moved closer to the younger woman, “Take deep breaths for me, okay? Can you follow me?”
Satoshi could only watch as his mother worked Burnet through breathing, his hands grabbing at one of her’s and allowing her to squeeze it. Slow breaths were sometimes broken by a pained whimper and the teen could feel himself growing more nervous, gaze snapping to the window frequently, as if that’d make Kukui appear faster.
A few moments passed and the sound of a car skidding to a stop outside was their only warning before Kukui was barging into the house, eyes on his wife and pseudo-son. Gold eyes cracked open and Burnet offered her husband a strained smile.
“Surprise..?”
After hanging up with Hanako, promising to keep her updated, Kukui had Satoshi help him take Burnet to the car, the three quickly going to the hospital. The teen tried to steel his nerves by helping the pregnant woman breath, going through the same exercises his mother had until they reached the emergency room. Kukui’s panicked yell of “ My wife is in labor! ” seemed to be all it took for people to quickly begin moving around the area, startled nurses getting a wheelchair for Burnet as others prepared a pathway to the labor ward.
Satoshi felt his anxiety spike as a contraction hit her, a yell rising from the woman’s throat, and he was hovering next to Kukui, both trying not to overwhelm her yet trying to comfort.
“Mrs. Burnet, do you want your husband to come with you?” A nurse questioned, moving behind Burnet to grab the wheelchair hands and begin pushing her. It took the professor a moment to answer as slow breaths left her, gaze flickering back to Kukui.
“Yes,” She breathed out, a pained growl leaving her as the baby moved, “I want my son to be able to wait outside the room.”
“Of course, Ma’am.”
Satoshi had to ignore the shock to his system it was when Burnet called him her son, the sentence not getting to fully sink in when Kukui was pressing a hand against his back and pushing him forward so they didn’t get left behind. He couldn’t move his gaze away from his mother figure, hands shaking with nerves even as the nurse pushing Burnet’s wheelchair gently talked her through breathing.
He hadn’t even realized they’d reached the room until he saw them entering a room, a hand instinctively reaching out to take her hand. Kukui’s touch stopped him and he looked at the professor, seeing the nerves settled into the older man’s eyes.
“She’ll be alright. Wait out here, okay?” Despite his nerves, Kukui’s voice was calming, and Satoshi felt himself nod, watching as his pseudo-father followed after the nurse and Burnet.
He could only watch as nurses flooded in and out of the room. Every now and then, Burnet would let out a scream and he felt his stomach lurch, hands trembling, but he didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t go into the room. He didn’t even know how much time had passed as he paced the hall, waiting for news on the professor. It wasn’t until a hand touched his shoulder that he was snapped out of his thoughts, instinctively jerking away from the sudden touch.
He turned to see Kukui holding his hands up in surprise and he relaxed, instinctively reaching a hand out to grab at the professor’s arm.
“Is she okay?” He questioned, voice shaking with urgency. A strained laugh was his response and Kukui moved his hand to his head, smiling slightly.
“It seems the contractions have stopped for a moment, she wanted me to check on you..” Kukui frowned slightly at the frazzled look on the teen’s face and he dropped his hand from his head to his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Are you okay?”
Satoshi swallowed thickly, gaze darting down to the floor as he squirmed anxiously under the man’s concerned gaze. “I just..I’ve never been present when someone went into labor before..”
He couldn’t see the way Kukui’s smile softened and stiffened for a moment when he was pulled into an embrace, though he quickly returned it. The hand rubbing soothing circles into his back made him relax and he let out a shaky breath, hands trembling.
“She’s glad you were there, it helped her stay calmer than she would have been if she were alone.” Kukui explained, allowing the young adult to slowly calm down in the hug. He pulled back when Satoshi did, though a hand stayed on his shoulder, the other falling to his side. “I’m glad you’re here, too. I wanted you to get to meet the little one.”
“Are they going to be okay? It’s a month early..” Satoshi couldn’t help his nerves, even if he was calmer than he had been. A soft sigh left the professor and he looked to the door, frowning slightly.
“I can only hope.”
He didn’t have time to question it as a Nurse poked her head out and called Kukui back in, another contraction on the way, the slow yell rising from Burnet making him bolt to the room.
Satoshi was left alone once more, Burnet’s pained yells becoming more and more frequent, the sound ringing in his ears. It felt like hours passed and they probably did, leaving him only able to pace the walls and listen to his mother-figure yell out in pain as a baby pushed their way out.
Then a doctor slipped in and it sounded so much worse .
Curses slipped in with the yells, the words having the possibility of being amusing if it weren’t for the pain dripping in them. His legs felt like jello, his stomach churned, and he found himself unable to stand anymore, sitting in one of the waiting chairs and just listening as Burnet cried out in pain. He never knew labor was so terrifying, never knew how intense it got, and witnessing it first hand, even from the other side of a door, was nerve-wracking.
And then there was crying.
Soft at first, barely there, before the sound of a baby wailing echoed from the room. He could hear the joyful laughs from the professors as the nurses and doctor checked on their child, could hear their joy, and he couldn’t help but wonder if that’s what made it worth the pain. The excitement and happiness that came with having a child.
Satoshi felt himself relax, slumping back into the chair as their happiness washed over him. The anxiety that something would go wrong fell away into relief that they were alright, a hand moving over his heart as he took slow breaths. He couldn’t help it when he jumped as the door opened, Kukui poking his head out to smile at him and motion him to the door. The nerves were back, but they were fearful nerves, just simple ones.
Standing from the chair, he walked to the door and allowed himself to be pulled in, eyes widening at the sight of Burnet.
The poor woman looked burnt out, face red from exertion with sweat still dripping down her face. Her chest heaved with her breaths, hair sticking to her face and the pillow her head rested on. He couldn’t help but feel bad for it, but it immediately turned to awe at the bundle he noticed in her arms.
The infant’s dark skin was wet with water after being cleaned up some, the faintest sign of dark scattered over the top of their head. Their eyes were squeezed tightly shut, blocking him from the color of them.
“Satoshi,” Burnet spoke up, earning his attention, “Come meet your brother.”
He had to ignore the bubbly feeling that rose in his chest at the word brother , quickly moving to the opposite side of the bed Kukui was on so he could peak down at the child. He was so small, most likely due to being early, and Satoshi felt like he would break him if he held him. That’s why, when Burnet turned as if to pass him off to him, he backed away, a panicked glint in his eyes.
“What’s wrong, kiddo?” Kukui spoke up, visibly amused by his unsure reaction to holding the baby. A flush danced across the young adult’s face and he looked down, hands ringing slightly.
“I don’t want to break him..” He murmured, though his voice was just loud enough for the professors to hear. A moment passed before both laughed, though they quickly quieted when the baby made a noise of distress at the sudden noise.
“You’re not going to break him, sweetheart.” Burnet hummed, amused as she watched her husband move to stand next to their pseudo-son.
“Want me to show you how to hold him?” Kukui asked, placing a hand on Satoshi’s shoulder. The raven haired boy quickly nodded and the professor chuckled. Stepping towards Burnet, Satoshi could only watch as the two carefully transferred the infant into Kukui’s arm, his eyes glued to how they positioned him in his arms.
He bristled slightly when the baby was brought towards him, gaze uneasy, and Kukui chuckled. “You don’t have to hold him, Satoshi.”
“But I want to..” He murmured, brows furrowed in frustration. An amused huff was his response and he jumped when Kukui reached a hand out, easily supporting the small child in one arm as he positioned Satoshi’s arms. He felt stiff as he was moved, almost like a mannequin as he watched himself be moved, his arms moving into a cradle-esc position.
“Make sure you support his head and don’t let it fall back too far, he could hurt his neck.”
And just like that, the baby was being transferred into Satoshi’s arms. A brief moment of panic hit him, eyes snapping towards the professors, but their encouraging smiles helping him calm. Looking down at the infant, he watched as he squirmed slightly in his arms, soft coos leaving the tiny human. Seeing him up close, Satoshi felt his heart tighten slightly as the baby grabbed at the blanket and held it tight.
Carefully adjusting his arm so he could hold him in the same position Kukui had, he found himself doing it with ease, the action not as hard as he feared it would be. Moving his other hand, he gently nudged the baby’s hand and felt himself grin when a tiny hand grabbed at him.
That’s when his eyes opened, bright golden hues staring up at him, and he found himself vowing internally that this little boy would always be his brother.
He hadn’t even realized he was speaking up. “What’s his name?” He finally asked, the urge to know the little one’s name intense.
The professors shared a look before both smiled warmly, Kukui reaching a hand out to take hold of one of Burnet’s.
“His name is Kalino.”