Unwelcome Babysitting

"I heard we were going to get a group of knights assigned to Shiverkeep." Kazoku hummed as she distracted a young pichu with some sort of plush.

Shatter hummed back in acknowledgement as he kept a close eye on some of the baby pokemon that were playing nearby. When he'd agreed to come to Freestate to "broaden his horizons" as Kazoku had put it, he had not been expecting to become a babysitter. Honestly one glance at him should tell people he was not a good choice to be around kids. Yet as fate would have it an unexpected hatching of a lot of the eggs in Lily's care had caused the poor mega audino to need some help. Even if that help was temporary. Somehow Kazoku had convinced him and Metal to help out. Neither of them should be trusted with kids. Though Metal seemed to be doing surprisingly well. Mostly due to just how interested all the little children were in him. Shatter suspected Metal remained so still as the tiny pokemon crawled all over him for fear of hurting them if he moved. "How did you hear about that?" Shatter finally decided to ask. He certainly hadn't heard about any knights coming to Shiverkeep.

"Well when you talk to people you learn things." Kazoku sound only slightly annoyed, but Shatter had learned she didn't often let her frustration with him show. She was always trying to get him and Metal to talk to the other residents of Shiverkeep more. "I was speaking with mayor Elske the other day and he mentioned there'd be a group of knights coming because of the issues we've had with Team Havoc." She gently patted the pichu she'd been entertaining on the head an sent them back to the others.

"I'd hardly call anything they've tried to do an issue. Plus me and Metal have handled them just fine." Shatter huffed. The three idiots who had been trying and failing to cause chaos in Shiverkeep were of no consequence to him. Plus if he and Metal didn't find them first Mane and Reise were perfectly capable of handling them.

"I suppose the mayor is worried they might become more of a problem in the future." Kazoku shrugged as she pushed a ball back towards an azurill. "Either that or the knights the,selves are worried." She gave him a searching look. "Are you... upset that Shiverkeep will have some more pokemon around to protect it?"

Upset? That some group of heroes would be showing up? Hardly. It wasn't like they'd have any reason to bother him, so what did he care?

"OBSERVATION: YOU SEEM UPSET." Metal pointed out. The traitor.

"I've told you that you can talk to me Shatter." Kazoku gave him a disappointed frown that was far more effect than it had any right to be. "If something's bothering you I'm happy to lend an ear."

"We simply don't need them around." Shatter opted to dance around the truth a bit. "There's no point when we already have the situation handled."

Metal nodded stiffly, almost tipping the eevee that had been climbing up his head off. "THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECORDED INCIDENTS THAT HAVE REQUIRED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE OUTSIDE OF THE RESOURCES IN SHIVERKEEP. CONCLUSION: PRESENCE OF FRONTIER KNIGHTS IS NOT REQUIRED AND A WASTE OF RESOURCES."

Kazoku drummed her paw on the floor for a moment. "I don't believe that's the entire reason though." She frowned as if she was trying to figured out a rather odd puzzle. Shatter didn't really love the mental comparison. "You... enjoy dealing with them and you're worried that when the knights come you won't be able to do that anymore?"

Shatter blinked in surprise. How had she..? Metal gave him what seemed like an amused look, several of the young pokemon they were watching giggle at his expression. "BASED ON CURRENT EVIDENCE IT IS SAFE TO CONCLUDE YOUR HYPOTHESIS IS CORRECT KAZOKU."

"It would see so." Kazoku smiled. "Don't worry Shatter. I don't doubt that we can get them to let you keep having your fun. You know Mane will have your back."

"I... suppose." Shatter huffed. The very thought of people supporting him willingly sort of felt wrong. In the past anyone who'd helped him had been forced in some way or another. The way the citizens of Shiverkeep genuinely seemed happy to help him, even if he very rarely would offer to do the same, still baffled him. 

"Well, for now there's no reason to worry about it. Right now our main concern is all these kiddos." Kazoku stood up. "Want to see if you can help me get them down for a nap?"

"MISSION OBJECTIVE UPDATED: GET TINY POKEMON TO SLEEP." At Metal's declaration the young pokemon began to scatter. Lovely. This was going to be a long day.