Title: Mother
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Strikingiceshipping (Bruno x Lorelei)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #148, Nurture
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Warnings: Het

Bruno smiles as he watches Lorelei tenderly wrap the baby seal in a warm blanket. He hears her click-clack her way to the kitchen, heating up warm milk specially imported from Shinou.

It’s quite endearing, really, how nurturing Lorelei can be. Behind that icy façade is a woman who truly cares about Pokémon.

He wonders if she knows he feels the same.

Lorelei joins him on the couch. Bruno puts an arm around her casually, while the Ice Mistress bottle-feeds her Spheal. It’s the only one that survived, found in the bottom of an illegal fur operation – the poor thing got caught with the wild baby Seel.

He is furious that these things still happen. Nonetheless, beating up the men behind the crime would not solve anything. Murder is still murder…

He still shudders, remembering the rows of bloody carcasses. No wonder the Dewgong population is declining! Lorelei talks about it a lot, fretting about the wild Ice Pokemon. Baby Seel are practically defenseless, relying on their parents.

Spheal burbles, as the Fighting Trainer grins and pats it on the head. Baby Pokemon are adorable. Besides, he is certain that Spheal can grow up well with Lorelei taking care of it.

He just wishes that these types of things would not happen.

She begins to hum, and he closes his eyes.

For one moment, he can pretend that everything is all right with the world, and when Lorelei leans over and pecks him on the cheek, he smiles foolishly. Sometimes, he wonders why she bothers. Does she truly enjoy his company?

He hopes so.

Is he being too sappy?

No, he decides. And if crying for innocents makes him less of a man, he will have to teach those naysayers a lesson.

End Fic

Completed 12/25/07

Edited 1/28/10

Cold showers in winter are the worst things ever! Don’t kill baby seals!