Chapter Text
"I know I don't usually ask you to do this for me, Flapple, but I swear it's for a good and legitimate cause!" you told the apple-shaped dragon. She simply sat in the grass of the main yard before you began bothering her, almost "full apple" as you liked to call it. The red shell of her wings and cap shone brightly in the sunlight, but her seed-shaped yellow eyes looked completely unimpressed with your request. She turned her chubby-cheeked face away from you in defiance. You drug your hands from your bandanna in your hair down your face with a groan.
"Flaps. I'm begging you on my hands and knees, " you stress your position, "Our usual Appletun is out for the count and you're my last shot. Pretty Please?"
The creature continued to look at you with disinterest. Shifting until her back was facing you she showed just how little she cared for your trouble. You continued to bombard her with whispers of "please" until she extended her rounded wings and began bobbing away. Which, of course, in response, you jumped up after her to stand in front of her.
"C'mon Flaps! It's for love! Real true love! I can feel it! You love, well, love don't you?" you cry in dismay.
The dragon rolled her eyes and let out a snuff at your antics. She turned in the opposite direction to escape your insistent babbling. With one step you were back in front of Flapple's flight path. She huffed in frustration and hovered in front of your face, considering blowing a small puff of Dragon Breath into it.
"Please," you begged desperately, "I'll give you an extra big curry portion all week!"
The pokemon's eyes seem to spark with interest for a second, but overall she remained unconvinced. She looked at you practically saying "not quite enough". You placed your hands on your hips and sighed, "Two weeks?", no change, "Fine! A whole month! Just please help me!"
Your fingers crossed as the bobbing apple dragon in front of you considered your bribe. You could practically see the little gears spinning in her tiny head. It was agonizing and frankly, embarrassing. To have so much invested in a creature that looked like fruit and spent her days sitting in the grass doing nothing but, well, whatever she does. It was absurd, in the least. Yet here you are crumpling in relief as the little stem-like horn on Flaps' head dips down to give her version of a handshake.
You gently grab it and follow her head in an up-down motion. You thanked her over and over again. Even going as far as to feed her one of the tart apples she so treasured. Smugness practically radiated off of the little dragon. She was going to be the most spoiled pokemon in the yard for the next month and she embraced it.
As you ran off to find her a breeding partner for her your smile grew. Phase one of your plan was leaving the metaphorical station.
~~~
As a pokemon breeder, sometimes you get contracted by professors to help out with research on genetics. Mostly in the areas of what affects IVs and why exactly shinies have different colors than that of their species. You were fairly new to the team so for your first few months you served as a glorified errand runner while you studied to earn your certification.
Your first "mission" was to deliver a few dynamax-capable pokemon to a Professor Sonia in Wedgehurst. You entered the lab and were immediately greeted by thousands of books. Most were on the shelves that lined the walls, but there were a good few stacked beside a short couch. A few desk-like tables also had books and papers strewn all over them. Pushed to the side in between then was a whiteboard. Written haphazardly at the top and underlined several times was "DYNAMAX VS GIGANTAMAX". What seemed like dozens of disorganized bullet points and notes were littered underneath the heading.
"Hello?" You called out through the seemingly empty building, "Professor Sonia? Are you here?"
You heard some shifting about and a particularly loud thud, but no one appeared. So you try again, "Professor? I'm from the breeders? I have the pokemon you requested?"
You begin moving more towards the staircase that you assumed lead up to a living space. Your foot was placed on the first step, hand on the railing. A loud bleat from behind you startles you, so you whip around to find a Dubwool looking up at you with skeptical eyes. You sigh in relief and bend down to pet the Dubwool's soft fleece. You run your hands along the ridges of its horns and rub its cheeks as you admire its well-kept fur.
"Well hello there," you sweetly whisper to the creature as you continue petting it, "you wouldn't happen to be Professor Sonia would you?"
The ball of fleece lets out a satisfied bleat and shakes its head in a "no" motion. You let out a giggle that you hide behind your palm. You stand up laying a palm on the top of its large grey collar of neck fur. Continuing to gently rub it you ask, "No? You couldn't happen to let me know where the professor is, could you?"
"She's out right this minute," Another voice suddenly says from above you. It's a guy, about your age, shrugging into a wrinkled lab coat and with crooked glasses balancing on his nose. He hops down each of the stairs as he adjusts his coat and glasses to look presentable.
"Oh," was all you seemed to be capable of saying as he ran a tanned hand through his violet hair. His eyes sparkled from the smile that danced onto his face. You felt your mouth quirk up at the edges, his smile was infectious, apparently.
He put a hand behind his neck and sheepishly smiled, "Sorry that it took me so long to get down here, in between you and me, I was asleep."
You laughed, not at him but at how cute he seemed, "Long night?"
"Yeah," he chuckled extending a hand for you to shake, "I'm Hop, being a professor in training especially under Sonia isn't as easy as it sounds. "
"Neither is being a pokemon caretaker and breeder, I'm (y/n)," You introduce, you take the hand from the Dubwool and extend it to him, the begun to dig through your bag, "I assume that being a professor in training gives you clearance to take deliveries for the Professor, huh?"
"I suppose so (y/n)," He chortled. You liked the way that your name rolled off of his tongue. He paid close attention to your movements, anticipating impatiently the pokemon you carried for their research. It made your heart skip, you blamed it on anxiety.
You pull out two pokeballs to hand over to the young almost-professor with a smile. Your hands brushed as he took the two eagerly from you. He was already smiling like a madman about the two. He began to practically shake in excitement as he looked them over he tried to open them in a rush.
"They're two fairly big boys, even for an Orbeetle and a Snorlax. So I'd let them out in a place where you don't chance them breaking something, " you laugh, placing your hands over his to prevent him from pressing the buttons to let the two beasts out.
That sheepish face returned and he blushed, "Ah, you're right mate. We should take this outside, yeah?"
"Oh, so this is an 'us' thing now?" You asked with a smirk, savoring the idea of spending more time with the young professor. You had to admit, he was growing on you. It was probably his infectious happiness and an adorable smile.
He noticed what he said and turned a bit red, "Ah, well I thought you would like to y'know say goodbye or something to them. Since you raised 'em 'n all, make sure they're in good hands."
"You're so thoughtful Hop," You gush, "But I didn't really raise them, I'm just an errand boy for now. I'm in training to become a breeder, just like you are to become a professor!"
"Oh! Really?" he asks, seeming pleasantly surprised seeing as his smile miraculously widened, "then I hope that we can grow into our jobs together mate!"
Dubwool bleated in between the two of you begging for attention. You both burst out laughing. Your hand sunk back into Dubwool's fleece as you watched Hop's eyes crinkle with laughter. You hadn't noticed until now that they were a deep yellow, the color of thick honey. Your heart twanged. A seed of adoration, a tiny crush, had been planted in your heart.
~~~
With every small delivery of more "ordered" pokemon, that seed sprouted more and more until you felt like a huge rose of love was wrapped around your heart. You were completely infatuated with the young Professor Hop. You volunteered every single time to deliver to the small lab in Wedgehurst and even met the infamous Professor Sonia. Hop was the only thing that you could focus on and it was beginning to affect your work. You nearly let a Ryhorn loose because you were daydreaming about how it would feel to be in his arms. You began to devise a plan to confess, and solve your problem.
It all started with an Applin, the pokemon known to be a traditional symbol of everlasting love. That's how you spent the next few days you pampering the smug Flapple know as Flaps. Her partner that you picked out for the time was a smaller, far more awkward Flapple called Munchi, and he got a more diluted version of the same special treatment. The fact that Flaps was so satisfied with herself irritated you, but your mind was more set on your goal: getting that Applin.
"Here you go you, little princess," you said through gritted teeth as you placed a heaping plate of curry in front of Flaps. You could swear that she was smirking at you. You shook your head and went on to serve the rest of the pokemon in the yard. After cleaning up your curry pot and utensils you went inside the daycare building. Pulling out your copy of "Pokemon Breeding for Dummies" you began to study.
A loud thunk, sounded on the window right beside you. You look up and go to check outside your window for any stunned flying types. Instead, you find Munchi, shaking his head before beeping in your direction.
"You okay there chap?" you ask him, getting closer. He quickly rolled back upright and spread his wings to bob away from you rather quickly. You looked at the pokemon in confusion. He turned back as if to check if you were following. Upon discovering that you weren't, he beeped at you again and tossed his head imitating a "follow me" gesture. So as anyone with any lick of sense would, you followed him.
He leads you to what appeared to be a nest, in the center was another Flapple (who you assume is Flaps) gone full apple. Munchi bumped her gently with his head, and she began to move. Her wings unfolded and head rose, showing off the green spotted egg she surrounded with a proud look on her face.
You couldn't resist the smile breaking out on your face, "You cheeky bugger."