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A warden's job included many things. Medical care for their charge. Searching for their favorite foods. Aiding in grooming.
And watching their charge to keep them safe. Hours and hours of watching their noble pokemon and their offspring.
Which made the wardens incredibly popular with parents.
So on this summer day the pearl clan had moved out of the icelands until they reached a clearing free of snow, the parents of the pearl clan set off to work and forage, while the wardens who were visiting for the day were watching the children. Today it was the men of the Pearl clan Wardens who were watching over with their trained eyes. Although…
Lian was sleeping after playing tag with a couple of the kids he was also meant to be watching. At his young age people were still lenient with him. His hat had pushed itself over his face as he had fallen asleep, insisting he wasn’t tired while getting more and more comfortable. His hands were placed on a larger set of hands that were resting on his stomach. Lian was sleeping on Ingos' legs, who had his hands crossed and trapped the young man in something akin to a hug. Similar to Lian, his hat was pushed over his face, but he had done it deliberately. First to block out a ray of sun that kept shining in his face, and later to block the light out entirely when his shift of watching was over.
The last one currently watching was Gaeric, who was trapped with Ingo leaning against his chest, and a tree against his back. His right hand was playing with the end of one of the surviving fabric chunks of Ingo’s foreign coat, his left had been ripping small chunks of grass out. A few years ago Gaeric wouldn’t have let Ingo be this close to him, or even trap him in such a vulnerable position, but the stranger had proven himself and Gaeric respected the outsider turned pearl clan member.
Beyond his view of being trapped by his two fellow wardens, he oversaw the clearing quite well. The sun was shining, warming the earth, and the grass was swaying in a breeze. The only Pokemon in sight were their own. Lian’s Sliggoo was entertaining some of the children by cooling then with water, Ingo’s Gliscor was perching on a tree to supervise the area, but was currently busy trying to keep three children from trying to climb said tree, and Gaeric’s Frosslass was sitting with a small group of children making flower crowns. One flower crown was already adorning her head and Gaeric found that it matched her quite well. The rest of their teams were sent with the other adults to help out or scare away wild pokemon.
Besides Gliscor keeping troublemakers out of its tree it was quiet. The sun continued to warm the earth. The wind blew a nice breeze across the clearing. The children entertained by Sliggoo were laughing, but it was faint. The little group making flower crowns was teaching a young girl a song.
It was peaceful.
Which made it really difficult for Gaeric to keep his eyes open, his chin was already resting on Ingo’s hat (it smelled of dirt, does the man dive headfirst into the dirt?). Curse Ingo and Lian for being such nice and warm weights against his chest. He tried to rub his eyes to get this tiredness out of them, which led to Ingo giving a disgruntled sound and pulling Lian closer, making himself more comfortable against the other’s chest. Gaeric stared down in disbelief. He really shouldn’t have let the other warden sleep. He really should wake him up and -
“Oh I wish I had the Professor’s camera for this, this is beyond adorable” came from the side.
Gaeric’s head snapped to the side to see Palina and Cabala approaching. He narrowed his eyes at her, lifting his hand to put a finger against his lips. Palina’s grin grew wider, lifting her hands to show she wasn’t here to start a fight, while Calaba rolled her eyes at them.
“Never thought I would see you become such a cuddle bug.” Palina said, sitting down beside him.
“I am not a cuddlebug Palina.”, Gaeric said quietly, a pink sheen slowly creeping into his cheeks.
“You are looking pretty cozy” Palina teased in a low sing-song voice.
“Oh I most certainly know someone who likes getting cozy” Gaeric shot back, very much alluring to Palina and the diamond clan Warden Iscan. He knew- Sinnoh almighty he knew more than he wanted- and more than once covered for his sister.
“Gaeric!” Palina hissed.
“If you two are done squabbling. Gaeric your job is watching the children, not falling asleep, Palina we were late so we might as well take over for these slackers” Calaba interrupted after returning from picking the immediate vicinity clean of herbs and roots.
“This generation is a generation of slackers, no one respects anything these days.” Cabala complained as she sat down next to Palina, pulling items out of her basket to work while watching the children.
“I had it under control.” Gaeric mumbled, exchanging a look with Palina who had a pained expression about Calaba’s comment before returning it into something neutral and letting her eyes survey the area.
Palina couldn’t afford to start a fight with Calaba. Her choices regarding Lord Arcanine were still hotly debated, and no warden wanted to feel Calaba’s wrath. Not even Lian or Sabi had been safe in the past years.
Gaeric gave a sigh, letting his head rest against Ingo’s hat again (still smells like dirt) and allowed himself to relax and close his eyes. He readjusted Ingo on his chest carefully and wrapped his arms around the thinner man carefully nestling his hands under Lian’s head.
The wardens sat together like this in the warm summer sun. Palina watching over the next generation of the Pearl clan, Calaba making medicine, and the three men taking a well deserved nap.