Hessner cringed as an obnoxious rapping sound at his door tore him from his muse-induced trance. The Cacturne hastily scrawled one last sentence across his paper before getting up and angrily hobbling his way towards the door. He swung it open to reveal a familiar Patrat... with a Baltoy egg clutched in his palm.

The Patrat offered Hessner an apologetic look and a shrug before extending the egg towards him. "Found the local boys playin' around with it in the ditch. Got a good sturdy shell, though. No damage."

"F****** serious... Again?" Hess greedily snatched the egg from the young Patrat's grip to inspect it. He was right, no cracks or dings on the shell's smooth surface. Ground types have always been notorious for their effective defense. Grateful for the fact, the Cacturne protectively tucked the unhatched boy into the folds of his robe to keep it warm. He returned his gaze to the Patrat, only to discover the rodent had acquired an amused expression. "What." Hess snapped at him with a glare, his outwardly aggressive nature somewhat softened by his shameful nurturing tendencies.

The Patrat chuckled, shaking his head at his friend's predictable behavior. He knew better than anyone that the Cacturne's prickly exterior was just a charade. "What do you mean 'again?'" He also knew the grass-type secretly enjoyed being the one everyone turned to when they found a homeless egg. "Who else was I to go to, the Primeape across the street? Hell no. You're the best option, and you know it." He folded his arms across his chest with a smirk before teasing: "You might as well open up a daycare."

Hess dismissed the boy's comments with the roll of his eyes. "Hope you taught the kids a lesson, at least. They're more than lucky that this egg wasn't hurt." He gave his friend a dark look as he swung the door shut.

With a sigh, the Cacturne slid the egg from his robe to get better acquainted with his new family member. A long pause and a thoughtful hum later, Hess finally spoke. "Well, Amias." He nodded with a fond smile, pleased with the selected name. "You better not turn out to be a f*** up like the last one."