FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Author's rambling:

Hello, everyone! After a long, long time, I come back to you with another story! =D

This time we have some human guy paired up with an awesome female Zoroark! My, my! What will happen to these two? Hoohoo!

I hope you will enjoy this! I worked hard to achieve the little objective of 10,000 words, but somehow manage to really bust it! I hope you won't mind. =')

So yeah, don't be shy to post a constructive criticism or give a rating (if applicable!) or if you see any holes or mistakes, feel free to let me know via pm, preferably, so I can fix it.

Read on! =3

-Ren

Image (C) Kame_3 / (Cropped a little)

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/kame3/

---

Farhangar was not the most populated city in the region and it certainly was not the largest in the entire continent either, but it sure looked like an ant nest when viewed from a bird's eye view. Despite such a high activity during daytime, the streets would always empty themselves as soon as the sun came down onto the horizon. Rumors about the nightly emergence of multiple street gangs and criminal groups were abundant in the human metropolis, so much that it frightened most of the Farhangarians.

However, not everyone would flee the darkness of the night where unwanted events were bound to happen. One particular girl especially loved it when the moon would triumph over the sun. She would always wait on this lonely park bench, remaining quiet and nodding politely at the very few pairs of eyes that met her enigmatic, timid gaze as she waited... waited for what? No one truly knew.

What a nice-looking young woman she was. She also possessed this strange, yet interesting mysteriousness in her manners. Being mute surely added to this, but it clearly was the subtle shyness contained in every single move she executed that really justified this lovely attribute. Most of the people living in Farhangar were slightly embarrassed to engage in a conversation with this pretty individual due to the communication barrier they faced. One person, on the other hand, was actively seeing her from time to time. This particular young man named Kevin, unlike most residents, would never look away if he were to meet her in the streets or inside any of the numerous buildings the area hosted. She would sometimes blush, flattered by his sincere concern and compassion, but especially appreciated his friendliness. This was the reason she was sitting on this bench tonight... her bench, because Kevin would be passing by soon. He never missed a single of his late night walks. Something she cherished, since she could interact with him.

He appeared in the distance. She felt her muscles tense up slightly as he approached. She was not intimidated by him, quite the contrary, in fact. She simply got excited any time she would feel close to him. Great happiness invaded her, chills traveling freely in her spine... she was in heaven. Tonight, once again, she would have the chance to feel the wonderful tingling inside that soothed her magnificent soul.

"You know I don't like it when you're wandering so late at night," the special person told her, as he got close enough, piercing the young woman's thoughts with his soft voice.

She gestured a few signs, sadly lacking the prowess of speech. She acknowledged his concern, but regretted the fact that she was putting him into an uncomfortable situation. She continued making a few more symbols in front of him, trying not to focus on the fact that behind his sweet smile hid a clear concern for safety. She had an evident regret because she had left her writing pad at home out of distraction.

"I'm not sure... it's just that you know... those things that get out at night..." he responded to her, frowning lightly. A puzzled look came upon her face. She slyly pretended not to know about the odd happenings of the night. A few more gestures were enough to fool the young man.

"What things? Oh, well, people have been talking: Street gangs, bandits, thieves... and a weird, shadowy thing roaming around the city walls in total darkness. And I'm not talking about friendly or tricky ghost Pokémon..."

He saw the woman's look wander off to her own feet, like if she was trying to express her culpability. Pokémon were something to be scared of. Well, in truth, some of them were friendly, while others were simply insane, ready to murder anyone for the thrill of it, according to the local townsfolk. To think some other regions of the world aimed for friendship and understanding of these creatures... what a waste.

"But don't worry," he continued in a more cheerful tone. "These stories were probably created so that kids would get to sleep, haha!"

She lifted her chin and stared in his eyes with that appreciative expression drawn onto her face. She knew Kevin was part of that new generation of people that tried to pierce through this unjustified hatred towards these wonderful beings. Of course, such a subject was extremely taboo in Farhangar, but with her being mute, he just did not have any fear she would tell anyone of his secret passion. She could feel his trust and confidence towards her, something that had never happened before with anyone else.

"How about I walk you back home?" the guy asked as he glanced back at her distracted expression. "Would you like that?"

The girl blinked a few times before nodding enthusiastically, happy to spend a few more minutes with her dear friend.

---

They had walked all the way to the lower apartment complexes the city possessed. These buildings offered a really great view on the nearby forest. In fact, the only thing separating the modern city from the beautiful natural landscape was a small brick wall that could have been easily climbed over. Because the woodland was so close, few were the actual people willing to live in these habitations. As the two friends finally arrived at the entrance of one of the apartments, the two individuals exchanged for a moment. The girl politely thanked her company, while he did the same:

"It's always nice to see you, but I wish we could see each other during the day more often, rather than the night."

Yet another nod came from the girl. She agreed, she always did, but she simply did not want to walk out during daylight, when a lot of people would be wandering on the streets. She had an extreme timidity issue, which accelerated the whole process of people not interacting with her. She sometimes wondered why the man in front of her would keep his current relation with her. Maybe he thought it was a cute trait?

"Anyways, I'll wish you a good night, Miss. I am going to take a trip in the forest tomorrow, so I won't be able to see you, since I will probably be back home earlier."

She did not have the time to gesture her answer, as her impulsions took the lead of her actions. She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him, softly, tenderly, so she would not scare him off. She was stupefied to feel him embrace her back with his own arms, letting her head rest against his warm chest. It felt... strange. She did not expect him to hug back or keep her close in such an intimate manner. She thought hugs were just a quick embrace and nothing more, but the young man simply kept her against him, letting his soothing warmth invade her smaller, fragile body. Not that it was a bad thing! In fact, it was quite the contrary. She felt happy... content of such an affectionate maneuver. It was pretty obvious, especially with the big grin that appeared on her angelic face. She looked up to see that he was blushing red. She found it adorable to see his caring side unfold in front of her... and for her...

---

The day after, he had decided to take a little relaxing walk in the forest. With such a pleasant breeze, added with the great forest aroma, nothing could have been able to pull him out of his blissful state of mind. He simply loved to escape the city once in a while to breathe some of nature's pure, relieving scent. The best part of his adventures was when he could completely immerse himself into the forest. If he couldn't hear a sound or even see part of the city he was living in, then he knew he was finally free from the industrial grasps he hated so fervently. Life in the community was not all that bad, but for someone like Kevin, who admired the liberty of the wild; this lifestyle was nothing but a struggle for survival. He lived well, but his sole happiness consisted of his many walks, trips to the local library and the time he spent with his mysterious mute friend.

The guy sat on a rock, a sly grin creeping onto his face as he realized he had escaped the urban area yet again. He leaned back ever-so-slightly, looking up towards the blue sky, absorbing what he thought to be a delivering aura. He could distinguish the faith, various sounds of the wildlife surrounding him. A little bird on a nearby branch visibly chirped at him.

"Pid-Pid-Pidgey!"

"Hello there," the human said as the flying type flexed its big tan brows. This pleasing moment was interrupted by some nearby noises in the bushes surrounding the young man's position. Something out there was moving incredibly fast. The scared little being fled the scene, taking flight very quickly as the guy turned around in an attempt to decipher the source of the raucous. An odd sound was made audible and a bright, purplish light emanated from the root of the pitch. A dark figure emerged from the blinding colors that had vanished as fast as they had appeared: an intimidating Pokémon possessing a very large mane.

"Zor... Zoroark," the newly arrived creature announced in its own language. By the sound of its voice, the human could determine that the being was in fact, a female. The beast stood in front of him, her eyes looking at him in this very frightening manner. He almost froze to the ground, completely paralyzed from the dark creature's stance as the idea of trespassing this being's territory might have been the reason of her sudden entrance. She walked closer to him, keeping that fearsome eye contact. It was only when she got inches from him that her expression completely changed. The Pokémon circled around him a few more times, examining his looks as he stood perfectly still. She seemed to get even closer to analyze his smell. It then occurred to him that she was identifying him with this method.

[Please don't fear me,] she pronounced calmly in a voice that echoed into his mind, continuing her tedious actions. He knew what she was, what kind of monster she happened to be:

"You are a Z-Z-Zoroark! I thought no-none were left around these p-parts," he stammered, clearly terrified by the dark vixen. She glanced at him and jumped back, so she could be facing him from a decent distance.

[Do you remember... the sad epoch when my kind and yours were fighting relentlessly?] she interrogated, ignoring the guy's fear in a way to comfort him implicitly. Zoroark was referencing to a very dark -- and not so far -- past of Farhangar. A time where her own kind faced a terrible conflict with the human race; the event that had started it all: the hatred, the prejudices, the fear...

"I... I was only a small boy back then, but I do remember, yes."

[And if you search through your memories, can you still see what happened?]

He went silent for a few seconds as images from his childhood emerged from the back of his mind. He was wondering why the being interviewed him, rather than slice his throat on the spot:

"Some parts, yes, but why all these questions?"

[Your scent is not lying. I remember you perfectly. It seems like as if it were just yesterday...]

The young man thought again, inhibiting the new information for a minute. If that Zoroark were there to kill him, he would not even have had the chance to breathe. His neck would have been fatally sliced by her sharp, reddish claws in half a second. He stared at the ground as thousands of memories gathered in his mind. After a while, it finally struck him, the vivid moment the beast was referring to blasted back to him.

"You-you're..." he stuttered, "Are you saying you are the little Zorua I saved when I was younger?"

He could notice a very little grin slowly shape itself onto her narrow muzzle.

[Yes, that is correct. I'm glad you could remember, friend.]

"It has been so long. Is it really you? I... I'm slightly shocked that you were in this area all this time. How did you survive?"

[I can perfectly understand. My evolution must be confusing you very much as well. You see, when you saved me...]

The dark Pokémon looked towards the sky before she protected her eyes from the piercing light. She took a few breaths before formulating the message she wanted to convey:

[You were young at that time. You found me struggling in one of the many traps that were set in order to eradicate us. Luckily, only my tail was stuck between the two-sided metal trap. I remember clearly that you knelt beside me and talked softly. You risked your own little fingers into the mechanism of the deadly thing and you were able to free me. My tail might have been hurt, but nevertheless, it recovered fairly quickly. More importantly... you saved me from your own kind. If it weren't for you, I would have been easily found by the hunters and eliminated. I don't want to think about what could have possibly happened after that.]

"But, why is there only one of your kind? What happened to the others?"

The furry vixen turned her head and closed her eyes once again, but this time, in total disgust as terrible memories from the past emerged in her head.

[My kind...]

She gulped.

[My kind is pretty much extinct from these parts, human. There are absolutely no sign of other Zoroark miles around here. I have traveled across the region, only to realize that I am the only remnant of my tribe and species. Perhaps... there might be others in the distant countries, but I do not have the intention of leaving my own land.]

"How did all of this happen?"

[There was, a long, long time ago, a relationship where my kind and yours lived in harmony and looked after one another. The Zoroark would fend off any intruders and protect the humans, while they would produce food and build shelters for everyone. As the years and generations passed on, the humans had developed some incredible technology... they kept developing and expanding their city, while the Zoroark preferred their natural habitat and their own way of life.

One day, a conflict erupted between the two groups when the humans started to build on a land we Zoroark called 'sacred'. A large grassy plain where generations of foxes had grown and evolved. There was this stone altar where newly evolved Zoroark would be praised and congratulated by the various tribes established in this territory. All of this was gone in a single day because of ambitious human projects...]

"God... that's terrible. Is that what caused the great war of Farhangar?"

[Yes, sadly. In just a few days, an impressive hatred grew between the two groups. This was the moment when the battles began. My kind was obviously the strongest at first with their brilliant use of illusions, but their defeat was sudden when the humans developed an anti-illusion necklace. This special apparel could make the illusions worthless. At one point, the few that remained were simply cornered... the humans simply aimed... and they just...]

"You don't need to continue, Miss. Please."

She nodded in approval. It would have been far too painful to end her tale. She stared at him and took a deep breath. The guy looked down in an upset embarrassment.

"I... I'm so sorry," he tried to say. "I should not have brought up this subject."

The illusory Pokémon remained silent and completely turned her back on the visitor, wanting to avoid the shame of being seen crying. The human wanted to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but resigned to do so, his hesitance and fear taking the lead. She looked back at him for a few seconds before telling him to leave her alone. She seemed destroyed on the inside, almost... heartbroken:

[I see you do not even want to touch my shoulder. I don't know whether I should see your hesitance as fear or simple disgust.]

"No, it's not what you thi-"

[Please go. I need to be left alone, like I am used to be.]

"I..."

[Please.]

"I'm sorry."

He stepped away, looking back at the Zoroark as she ran in the opposite direction, vanishing from his sight in a matter of seconds.

---

The next day, the young man would spend his entire free time in the library, trying to find peace and quiet just like that mysterious Pokémon he had met with. He had managed to offend her greatly from his point of view and he felt very bitter about it. As he roamed around the silent place, he picked up a book here and there, all concerning the mysterious illusion fox species he was so intrigued by. He began to read the first of his books, discarding any pejorative or propagandist novels that happened to be promoting the hatred for the famous Pokémon. A little tap on the shoulder brought him out of his very deep pondering.

"Oh, hello," he said absentmindedly, absorbed in his reading subject as a familiar figure sat beside him. It was his mute friend he saw almost every day. She seemed a bit distracted, but the young man could notice her glance moving from his face to the pages of the controversial books he was currently viewing. He tried to hide the content of the document by putting his palms over the pages, shortly following with an excuse:

"Listen, it's not what you think. I'm not-"

He felt her smaller hands rest on his, gradually moving them away from the old work he concealed so poorly. She peered closer and examined the various images that clearly depicted Zorua and Zoroark anatomy. As she flipped through the pages, she saw that it consisted of a fairly informative book. The text and opinions were neutral and no racism or discrimination was felt towards the furry species. The girl took out a notepad and a pen and put them beside the open work. She thought for a moment before taking action:

" This is a good reference," she wrote to him, using her pen in a bizarre, but swift way. "But what are you reading that for?"

The young man turned towards her to face his interlocutor more properly: "I'm doing some sort of personal project. It's about...umm, if I were to apologize to a Zoroark, in their traditional way. I wanted to do it in their manner, not the human way."

It took some time before the mute individual could tear her eyes away from his. A light smile crept on her face before she could look down to write some more:

" Haha, did you meet one or something?"

He giggled.

"Oh, no. We all know they have all disappeared, hehe..." he nervously added, trying to escape the girl's question and wondering gaze. Before he could add anything else, she poked him with the tip of her shoe, indicating she wanted to be the next one to "talk". She scribbled yet again, taking a lot more time this instant. A few minutes later, she ripped the page off and put it onto the table before rising up her seat. She waved her goodbye and smiled as she quietly left the library, leaving the young man with her advice:

" Naturally, Zoroark would not write on paper like human do. They would instead draw small pictures to indicate what their message revolved around. However, like a minority of Pokémon, some Zoroark had psychic abilities. They were telepaths, to be more precise; able to send their thoughts between themselves and towards other species or human via brainwaves. If you want to make sure your apology will work, consult page 76 and use the template. You'll need a scroll, some sincere feelings and a bit of creativity. Zoroark are extremely sensible when it comes to apologies; you should be careful about what you intend to do. Most of all, be sure to make the recipient feel like you really are sorry and that it's not just to be over the matter. With that, your project should be good."

By the time he was done reading, she was already out of sight. He wondered how his friend could know so much about this specific domain, but did not regard further into it as he came to the conclusion that she must have been reading a lot, since he was basically her only friend, sadly.

---

The cleaning products always smelled so good to him. They were also extremely useful when he was making some artisan crafts; surely because he was not the most careful person when messiness was to be included. This particular project, however, was no normal undertaking. With a total of sixteen hours dispersed over 5 days, this very stylish and personal apology scroll had been completed. Sure, he had made one heck of a mess, but the trouble was well worth it, according to him. The delicate artistic piece was simply... astonishing. Bright colors and beautiful patterns had replaced the unattractive template contained within the reference book.

On the left side of the horizontal parchment, the symbol used by the Zoroark to represent their own species had been drawn fairly accurately, while on the opposite side, the symbol depicting humans had been illustrated. Under each respective signs, a Zoroark and a human - the man himself and the mysterious female he had met - were facing each other fairly closely. The exotic pictograms portraying "harmony, friendship and peace" had been placed just above their heads. Another thing that was special about this was that two large squares had been left out blank under the pictured scene. These very particular spaces were to be used by the concerned parties. Both of them were to put their paw or hand into black ink to each leave an imprint onto the paper, just like a form of signature. The young man was very proud of this, as he had come up with the idea all by himself. He simply hoped that it would be enough for the Zoroark he had met in the forest to accept.

He meditated for a few days, thinking carefully about the whole process he had to plan before engaging in a meeting with the concerned creature. He deducted that this was not only an apology; that it also happened to be a test of trust. Any other generic Farhangarian would have run for its life and reported the incident to the authorities, but not him. This meant that the Pokémon trusted him and that he was returning such a precious feeling by accepting to meet her a second time...

He sighed. Today was the big day. He could not bring himself to stop trembling as he progressed deeper into the woods. The human was not quite sure about how to provoke the summoning of the dark Pokémon he sought, this was enough to make him doubt she would show up during his random walk; still, he had big hopes for this. Within moments, he would reach the clearing he had chosen for his ritualistic action. He hesitated and began to shake as he coughed a few times, worryingly preparing his voice for the next step:

"Zoroark! Zoroark!" he shouted, using his palms in an attempt to make his cries louder. He thought that she could perhaps - and hopefully - hear his signaling with her set of sharp, pointy vulpine ears. He listened for a few seconds before coming to the sad conclusion that the vixen had chosen not to manifest, or that she was out of reach. He was about to leave the area, his head hanging low, but refused to abandon so easily. He waited for a few minutes before yelling out once again, using his lungs to a greater extent:

"Zoroark, please! Hear my call! It's me!"

He expected some leaves rustling or even some other wildlife movement, but none of that happened. He stood, looking around with hopes to see any activity, but alas, he was only deceived. He turned around, only to be surprised by the most wonderful of appearances. The dark illusionist had seemingly used her marvelous skills to conceal herself before making her entry. And he would try to hide his merry, satisfied expression.

[You... you came back,] she pronounced softly, a clear hint of surprise and delight in her womanly voice. She approached closer, making herself more visible as she entered the clearing more properly. It was then that he looked up to meet with her piercing eyes. After a light nod, the young man shortly began his complex procedure. She observed him carefully.

He knelt in front of her and maintained eye contact as he reached for the scroll nestled in his armpit. He knelt down in front of her and deposited the odd object on the grassy ground before revealing its content, ready to be consulted by the furry vixen. The creature tilted her head slightly and stepped closer to the human. She then knelt as well, meaning she had accepted to check the manuscript. She put her paws on each extremity the object possessed and carefully examined the various drawing and symbols that covered the surface of the paper by dragging her red claws under each element. Her eyes glanced to and fro, undecided whether to focus on the man's sincere, patient look or his remarkable masterpiece. His apology was, to say the least, very adorable, but also quite impressive. She could see just how much effort he had put in his work: every single mark of colorful paint, every accurate symbol and not to forget the amazing representations, along with a seductive creativity.

[You wish to repair what has happened,] she declared to him in a soft whisper as a little tear strolled down her vulpine face. [You want us to renew our friendship and therefore, permit the rebirth of our peoples' peace.]

He nodded with a compassionate smile; glad to see the Zoroark was seizing his message.

"We might be very different, you and I, but I don't believe that it will keep us from being good friends. I hope that we can go past these stupid ideals and enjoy a wonderful friendship," he said in a calm tone.

They both remained silent for a few seconds, looking at one another.

"This is not meant to be some sort of contract, but I put two spaces here and here, so we may put our respective imprint," he clarified before demonstrating what he was explaining. He took out an inkpad from his bag and put the face of his palm in it. He let the black ink mark his hand before he placed it onto the thin fabric, letting the scroll absorb the pattern of his colored appendage. When he removed himself, the two beings could see the attempt had been successful. The imprint of his hand had been perfectly done, its evident shape clearly drawn onto the paper apology. The Zoroark caught on that and followed, doing the exact same procedure and signing the paper on her own end. A bright smirk was made visible on her part.

"I know this is not the prettiest of apologies, but I tried my best," he continued, returning the merry smile. "I have read a lot about your species, Zoroark, because I knew that if I were lucky enough to meet you again, I wouldn't have wanted to ruin it like the other day."

She closed her eyes and stood up, offering her red claws to him so that he could do the same.

[You completely understood what this was all about... I'm flabbergasted,] she admitted as the human rose up. [This is a beautiful scroll, Kevin. I feel truly honored to be presented with such an illustrious apology. Only a fool could deny such a lovely, friendly demonstration of such a great will of friendship.]

"Thank you. That really means a lot."

The young man reached for his backpack, unzipping the biggest compartment in a slow movement. He dug his hand inside and took the time to be careful with the flower he took out. A bright iris efflorescence was revealed to the two individuals. It twirled in the hands of the nervous human as he thought for a small instant, choosing his next words carefully:

"I have also wanted you to accept this. Irises are the symbol of true friendship. There are many types of irises in the world, just like there are many types of friendships. I hope that ours can begin to bloom, like this very flower. I want it to grow more and more until it gets as colorful and as healthy as this small blossom, never to wither again. I want us to go beyond our differences and our terrible past, Zoroark. Let us renew this friendship our people used to share. I'm sure we can do it, you and I."

The Zoroark took the symbolic object with her claws and put the pretty flower into the side of her puffy red mane, just above her right ear. Her passionate look was more than enough to show that she had accepted the second offering.

"It suits you well," he added with a smile. She replied with a bright expression. The illusory Pokémon walked forth and gazed into the human's eyes. He did the same until they were only a few inches from each other.

[I forgive you. I hope you forgive me as well.]

"Thank you so much. Yes, of course I forgive you."

What followed was truly amazing. The two individuals stepped closer and embraced one another in a tender hug. This scene was a symbol of an ending feud between the humans and the Zoroark, in an abstract sense. The young man and the vixen had made peace and with that and they mutually thought it was for the best to part ways and digest the event.

[We will meet again, Kevin... very often, rest assured,] the dark Pokémon announced with some emotion in her telepathic voice. She took the scroll and carefully rolled it back up before stuffing it in her large mane. The duo examined each other for a few seconds still before they managed to break their long, tear-filled staring.

---

He had grown with an even deeper interest in the illusory fox Pokémon as the days passed on. Of course, he had to inhibit most of his feelings so that no suspicions could be made about him. However, on this particular day, it had been extremely difficult to accomplish the harsh task that was containing his grand joyous mood; for he had been invited to visit the den of the creature he admired so much. The proposal had been much appreciated, albeit very timidly accepted. Various ideas hoarded the human's mind as he progressed closer to the area that corresponded to the vixen's residence. He dearly wanted to make a good impression for his first official visit; that's why he took the care to bring a basket of freshly picked berries along the way. Sunset was visible in-between the many trees that surrounded the path. Hopefully, the Pokémon could have the eye to see he had dressed well. When he finally arrived at the designated area, a familiar furry figure emerged from the darkness of a rocky mountainside cavern.

[I was waiting for you,] she said in a low, seductive voice that could only reflect the way she sensually moved. She was standing at the entrance of the habitation, a paw resting on her thin hip while she warmly smiled as the guy timidly walked closer to her position. She gladly embraced him, cautiously wrapping her warm arms around his human torso, minding her claws.

[It's so nice to see you. How are you?] she asked as they broke the hug.

"I'm doing great. How about you?"

[I'm doing marvelous, thank you!]

"Oh, here! I have harvested a few berries along the way. I hope they're good ones!"

[Oh my! How kind of you! You shouldn't have!]

A little giggle later, she took the human by the wrist and dragged him inside the natural shelter without a word, a merry smile on her vulpine visage. She gestured to him, enticing him to take a seat on one of the flat rocks that happened to be installed within the haven. He could only grin as he observed the hostess gather a few materials to prepare a decent fire. He was surprised by how effective she was with the flint and tinder, starting a really nice fire in a matter of seconds. She returned to him, fiddling with her claws a little when their eyes met.

[Sorry to have made you keep waiting,] she apologized as she slid her arms around the man's torso. [I had to get us some lighting before it could get too dark.]

"Hey, no problem. That was a good move."

Kevin attempted to break the hug, but the Zoroark simply would not let him do so, as she was focusing her attention on something else. Her pointy snout grazed the surface of his neck gently and very slowly. Her eyes closed shut and it was only when she finally released him from her grasp that she realized how strange the impact of her gesture must have felt for the human.

[My, my... May I say that you smell terribly good?]

"Why thank you, Zoroark. You're flattering me," he said as he shyly bowed his head. "I've put on a little bit of cologne."

She purred and had this lovely spark in her eyes that admired the young man's devotion. As much as she appreciated his understanding, she felt the need of an explanation was more than necessary:

[I hope I'm not scaring you or anything, friend, but that's just how my kind greets one another. There might be a lot of things I might do that you would consider... odd. I wish you can understand.]

"Oh, Zoroark, please don't worry about those kind of things. You know I'm open and ready for anything. Plus, I do a lot of things that the average human might find weird! But to tell you the truth, I'm honored to be visiting your den tonight. I'm a little nervous, but I'm so happy right now."

His trembling hands evidently confirmed his statement. The Zoroark could only nod as she put her paws in front of his limbs to compare with him. She was shaking slightly as well, a compassionate expression on her face.

[Yes. I think we might have a lot in common, you and I.]

They nodded and looked away for a few seconds as the flames behind them seemed to grow bigger as more and more wood got caught in the fiery element. The dark type lifted one of her paws to caress her opposite arm, distractingly looking at the man in front of her. She held back for a while, but finally shot her embarrassing question at him.

[Could... could I... identify your smell a bit better, Kevin?]

"You... want to sniff me?"

[I... no, forget what I-]

"Please do! I'd be delighted if you could recognize me in such special way," he insisted. "Is it better if I remove my coat?"

[Yes...]

The human then proceeded to get his apparel off, granting his exposed neck to the Pokémon's discretion. She stepped forth and did not miss the opportunity to place her paws onto his shoulders as her muzzle ventured onto his collar. The scent was amplified now that the clothing had been removed. The cologne was a cherished bonus, but what she truly sought, his true odor, was thankfully still perceptible.

"May I do... um, the same, Zoroark?" he said while glancing at her own neck, which was partially hidden behind black fur.

[You want to track my scent as well?]

"If that's okay with you, of course!"

[Absolutely!] the Pokémon exclaimed joyfully, agreeably surprised by the young man's offer.

The human leaned slightly forward to get a better position for his experiment. She was looking straight at him, right into his hesitant gaze. He nuzzled forth and placed his palms around her shoulders, feeling the fur she possessed slide between and across his fingers for a short moment before he ducked his nose entirely forward. He closed his eyes and focused his attention onto her neck, grazing the surface of her coat as he began searching for any trace of a particular smell.

There it was... an aroma he never had accustomed himself to. He opened his eyes while the Zoroark gently took him by the back of the head. The fragrance she naturally possessed could not be described by the guy. It was not something one could simply bombard with adjectives. All he could say was that it was an amazing scent.

[Can you smell me?]

"I can..." he responded in a dreamy voice that made them both smile softly. "Wow, Zoroark," he added while he slowly pulled away. "I never thought someone could smell so good. I don't even know how to explain it."

She was, beyond any possible doubt, adulated by his honest statement. A little blush had appeared on her face, which was, coincidentally, shared by the human.

And so began their night trips. They met in the forest every once in a while, more and more often. They reunited to talk of just about anything. Sometimes they laughed and played around, the illusionist gladly pranking and impressing the human with her amazing powers. Thus was the flow of their very unique bond, a bond that still grew stronger with every single encounter they shared, regardless of the length.

---

"You seem to be all cuddly and happy since a few days. What happened to you?"

She kept silent, naturally, but her wolfish grin was enough to demonstrate the playful state she was in. In a careful movement, she hugged him a little tighter and stuck her chest against his while she glanced up into his eyes. She took out the tiny notepad from her jeans pocket and hurriedly scribbled her answer so he would not wait too long.

" It's a secret!"

Before he could react to the written statement, the young man was teasingly pushed by the girl. She smiled wide and began to jog, taunting him with her little bum as she went. Invited by the playful demeanor, he could only oblige, trying to run a bit faster than her pace. Ultimately, after a few quick movements, she was able to get out of his reach. The chase ended when the young woman turned back to see a wheezing guy. She approached him with a hint of concern in her face as she saw that he seemed to be struggling with his breathing. Once she was in a fair range, she rested one of her palms onto his back and glanced at his heaving chest. She was about to write on the trusty notepad she always carried with her, but a sudden embrace cut her off.

"Haha, got you!"

Triumphant, the man laughed at his cheap victory and grinned in front of her small pouting protest. Her expression soon changed when he took her by the waist to hold her closely.

" Will I see you around soon?" she wrote.

He looked back at her and seized the back of her thin neck in his palm. He rubbed gently, a bit shyly, before keeping her against him for a few seconds.

"Of course," he affirmed. "I'm always around Farhangar or in the forest... or in this case, reading in the library."

" What will you read today?" she continued with a content smile.

"Oh, maybe that old book I saw about Zoroark. It had tons of nice pictures inside, by the looks of it. You'll see I'll become one myself if I keep it up!"

It appeared as if for a slight instant, her eyes shone of a bright bluish light. The young man caught a glimpse of the odd phenomenon, but was brought back to reality by the mute woman by her harmless poking. She was very amused by the blunt statement. She put her fingers onto her mouth and seemed to gasp a little breath.

"Oh, you find this funny? You won't be laughing when I begin to poke you with my big red claws!" he shouted as he put his hands onto her sides and began to wiggle his fingers wildly. This caused her to wiggle uncontrollably in his arms. It stimulated her so greatly that it caused her to let out an improbable, voiced laugh:

"Ha-arrk..."

They both stood immobile for a moment upon both hearing the strange vocalization. She realized that a voice, her voice, had emanated from her. She quickly thought of a way to cover the unusual event for a mute person by coughing some air. She furiously scribbled on her note pad:

" I won't hold you here any longer; I think I'm sick. You go ahead and have a good read, alright? Take care."

He bowed his head lightly while he read her lines, but just as he wanted to return the goodbye, he could see that she had already distanced herself from him with a rather hurried walk. He waved his goodbye to her back and within seconds, she was already out of sight. He found her escape to be fairly sudden. He dearly hoped he had not done something a bit too personal or perhaps even hurt her feelings, because she was not looking sick the slightest.

---

On that same day, just as the young man was leaving the library with a backpack filled with the establishment's complete collection on the special subject that interested him, which was about a dozen books, he saw that he had been staying inside for longer than the usual. On the way to go back to his residence, a duo of shady men waited for him in one of the many dark alleys that were present in the sector. The area was dark, very dark, but he could clearly see the two thugs heading straight for him under one of the few street lamps that were posted here and there. He accelerated his pace, wishing to rapidly get past the two criminals out of cautiousness, but the maneuver had unfortunately failed. The two bullies seized him by the shoulders:

"So, I heard ya like those foul beasts?" one pronounced as he pulled out a sharp little blade from his pocket. The man inched his head away from his face and tried to remain calm despite the menace of the metallic item.

"Foul beasts?" the man innocently asked, wondering what the guy could be referring to until it suddenly hit him as the books in his backpack pressed against him. "Oh, no no, I was just reading about them," he said in a semi-assured tone.

"Those books should be used to start fires and wipe asses, not to pick up dust in the corner of a bookshelf... or be read by a sicko like you," the second one darted with a false threat. "We normally don't offer such a kind treatment, but we'll leave you with a choice..."

"Either we tear those books apart and take all your belongings... or we tear you apart instead, it's up to you," the armed bully offered with a nagging expression on his sinister face. He pulled out a stick from behind one of the many trash bins that surrounded the group and handed it to his partner. "We could always just do all of the above, don't you think?"

"What? Why?"

"We know you like them... a bit too much, surely," he continued.

Without any warning the first man punched the poor reader's stomach. He curled up as the hit made him knock back against the wall little. He struggled to catch his breath and dropped his bag in the process, so he could amazingly manage to get away from his first aggressor. Sadly, this only led him to the second man, who gladly swung his wooden stick at the agonizing guy. The weapon hit him right behind his left leg, making the unfortunate fellow crumble down in pain as he shouted from the terrible injury. Not a few moments later, thankfully enough, another voice was heard in the distance, alerted by the young man's distressful cries:

"Hey, stop that you two! You're both under arrest!"

The scared punks ran away as fast as they possibly could when they were spotted by a bright light. The hurt man had the time to take a few wheezing breaths before he was found by the new character. It happened to be a police officer. He was probably patrolling the sector for the night. The young man figured it would have been for the best if he hid the books from him, or perhaps he would be the one to beat him down. He quickly did his thing and put the backpack onto his shoulders as the man helped him stand back up.

"Are you alright, buddy?" the slightly overweight and troubled older man asked. "What are you doing here so late in the night?"

"I'll be okay; I just came out of the library and was heading home."

"Do you need an escort to go back home safely?"

He was about to reject the offer, but was cut off by one of the fleeing criminal, his shout echoing throughout the alley:

"Fuck yourself, Zoroark lover! We'll see you again and we'll cut you real good!"

He stepped back a little when he saw the expression of the law enforcer change dramatically. He began to run the best he could as soon as he saw the police officer's clear intention. He was now frowning, both in confusion and in disgust.

"What? Come back here, you little prick!"

Luckily, the young man was able to get away in the dark night. He hid in a pile of trash bags, the officer running right past him, exhausted because of his apparent poor health condition. The adrenalin gradually dissipated from his tensed body, letting the sharp pain install itself in his leg. He whined quietly as he walked towards the city gate. He avoided the remaining patrolling humans until he was out of the damned place. He looked back to see that it was probably for the best to come back some other time, as this particular night seemed to be especially favorable for physical assaults like the one he had just been victim of.

He advanced through the obscure environment at a tedious pace, roughly heading for the last remaining shelter he knew of. When he finally reached the entrance of the Zoroark's den, a few branches snapped under his feet. The furry being appeared in a lightning instant, ready to pounce onto any aggressor or intruder. Seeing it was only her good friend, she lowered her guard and hesitantly stepped closer to him.

[K-Kevin? What are you doing here this time of the night?] she questioned, knowing this wasn't a normal time to come and visit her.

"I just... could I stay here for the night?" he desperately queried between a few coughs, confidence lacking in his tone.

[Of course, but what's happening? Is anything wrong?]

"I just needed to see you," he justified with a little forced smile, walking up to her in an odd fashion.

[Are you hurt?] she asked while she observed his odd walk pattern.

"Oh, I just tripped on my way down the stairs, that's all," he tried to continue, his uncertain intonation taking the lead. It was not enough to fool the smart girl.

[Tell me the truth, Kevin,] she ordered with a stern face. She came close to him, taking him by the shoulders as her piercing gaze looked at him carefully. She observed him for a few minutes before she wrapped her furry arms around him, carefully leading him towards her safe cave.

"I had a bit of trouble on my way home, to be completely honest with you," he reluctantly explained to her.

[What happened?]

"Well, there were these two guys... They had seen me reading about your species and kind of saw I was interested in your kind, somehow. Or maybe they heard me speak with my good friend about what kind of stuff I read. I don't know... they just waited for me to get out of the building before beating me up in a dark alley."

[They beat you, you say?]

"Yes, one of them punched me in the stomach very harshly. The second one had a stick, which he used to hit me behind the leg."

[My gosh... this is terrible!]

"I'll be alright, please don't worry," he pronounced as the Pokémon carefully deposited him near the lit fire pit. "I'm just sorry to barge into your den like this."

[Kevin, you're not "barging in",] she insisted as her claws rested under his chin. [I'm really relieved you came to see me here.]

She felt some sort of guilt inside. She was aware it was indirectly because of her that he had been in this dangerous situation.

[Please, come and lay on my bed, I'll tend to your wounds.]

He did not have much choice. She picked him up yet again, carrying him to a separate, dimmed area of the habitation. He nodded and sat on the edge of the comfy spot. He looked at her go with a slight sadness in his eyes. She gathered some berries and some wooden items from a section of the cavern reserved for that kind of material.

[I must apologize,] she declared on her way back, cradling many things in her furry arms.

"Hmm? Why, Zoroark?"

[It's a little because of me that you got in trouble.]

"No, please don't feel like that. It is not because of you," he protested. It might have been true that the subject he researched was the element that motivated this unfortunate event, but the human did not want his dear friend to think she was the cause of it.

[Take it easy for the rest of the night; you'll be sleeping here,] claimed the Pokémon.

"But I can't-"

[No "but". You remain all comfy here, young man.]

He remained speechless for a few seconds before a warm laugh escaped his lips. He could not help but grumble playfully at the dark vixen:

"Fine, but I'll have to invite you over some day so we're even."

[I'll look forward to that, Mister!]

She began to grind a few berries against a special set of wooden pestle and mortar to produce a weird mixture that she would apply on the wounds to aid the healing process. Her peculiar manners reminded him of someone familiar to him, back in the city; his dear friend that hung out with him once in a while. She and the Zoroark seemed to be walking very similarly and kind of possessed this way of smiling that always appeared to be contagious. He decided to ignore it for the moment, for he needed to recover, not question the Zoroark about things he found odd at certain instances.

He leaned back, staring at the ceiling as the dark vixen finished her laborious macerating. She brought a bowl of precious mixture and deposited it next to the rather luxurious bed. She sat on the edge of the mattress and put her paw onto the human's clenching fist. The young man's gazed examined the illusionist and seemed to relax as he lost himself in her beautiful eyes.

[Something is troubling you,] she simply declared, more than aware that Kevin probably had a lot going on in his mind. She was right, and it made the guy a bit angry against himself to bring his worry in her face.

"Well, there's this girl I'm good friends with," he began to explain. "Last time we met, earlier today, we began to play around a bit and well... something odd happened."

He paused remembering of the odd occurrence.

"You see, she's supposedly mute, but when we were fooling around, I heard her laugh and make some sort of purr. I'm worried because she ran away shortly after it happened."

She remained silent and rubbed her arms anxiously before she climbed in bed with him. She curled up close to him and glanced at his wounds.

[I... I...]

By now, the human was aware that it seemed to be a touchy subject for his friend, who was obviously reacting abnormally, considering both girls had never interacted with one another... Unless...

"Zoroark... why do I possess this strange feeling we know a lot about each other? I mean, it's been some time since we met in the forest, but I feel that it's just like if we had met ages ago. What I mean to say is that we seem to get along extremely well and we understand each other so greatly... I very much like it, but how is this possible?"

The dark creature stopped breathing for a split second and directly stared at the young man as she gulped. It was at this moment that she left his side and resolved to stand in front of him, stepping on her greatest fears.

[I must... reveal something to you, Kevin. It's very important that I do this, to me at least.]

"Why do you sound so serious? Is it something bad?"

She looked deeply into his wondering eyes.

[Yes, it is a very delicate matter, Kevin. It might... affect us greatly.]

"I understand," he nodded hesitantly while she stepped back even further from him. She positioned herself at a decent distance, an unwilling expression on her face. A bright purple aura soon engulfed her entire body as its very shape began to morph before his very eyes. He could see her posture change dramatically until it resembled a human's. Her claws disappeared to let room for some fine, delicate fingers, while her head rounded itself. Then, it hit him like a brick to the head when the very image of his friend appeared.

Zoroark had secretly been, for all this time, the girl he had spent so much time with. All the puzzle pieces began to connect in his mind now. This explained why she could not speak out loud. It also indicated why her knowledge about the Zorua and Zoroark line was so much prominent. It made him realize that the sudden change of mood had happened in her right after he had presented the apology to the vixen, along with her glowing eyes and the reason as to why she had ran away after letting out a laugh.

She could see his face contort in a mix of confusion and shock as she presented her little plan. No explanation was necessary to show him her second form. Nothing but a sly disguise, which had been useful in the complex task that consisted of getting closer to him. Of course, it was not to hurt him, it was only to get closer to the young man without making it too much of a shock and also because her kind was thought to be eradicated in Farhangar.

"I... need some time to think."

[I'm so sorry... it's not what you think... I just wanted... I just...]

It made him incredibly upset at himself: First, because he hated to see Zoroark in this saddening mood she had just plunged in and secondly, because he couldn't find any decent words to comfort her, to reassure her that he fully understood the motives of her action. He could only manage a weak nod in her direction, his embarrassment demonstrated by the eye contact he lacked towards the distressed girl as warm tears began to stroll down her fake form.

[I'll be getting some more berries now,] she said while she regained her original shape, a terrible sorrow perceptible in her tone. [I'll be right back.]

Just as she was about to escape his uncertain gaze, she found herself staring at him some more.

"Zo... Zoroark?"

[Yes?]

"Be safe, okay?"

She nodded with a blank expression on her face. It was a good thing that he still seemed to care, but the pressure and the nervousness her revelation had caused was far more present in her mind than anything else.

[I promise.]

And with that, the furry beast jumped out of sight, running towards the surrounding forest biome to harvest more of the precious fruits that were to be added to the odd paste that would eventually be applied on the young man's wounds. This left him all alone in the dimmed lighting of the cavern. He repositioned himself onto the bed and lied down completely, putting his palms over his eyes. He sighed loudly upon the mixed feelings he experienced. He had come up with some sort of doubt ever since the incident that made the girl speak, but the sudden revelation averred to be quite the shock nonetheless. This meant that since all that time, the mute girl had been the disguised Pokémon he had recently began to interact with. It was unsettling to realize that fact, but on the other hand, he could comprehend the motives behind this clever covering. With all the danger involved with the Farhangarian, society, it was only normal for the vixen to use her brilliant illusions to cover up her identity. She had wanted to meet her long-lost savior and thus, she had been able to track him and meet him with this false form. It was extremely intelligent of her to use an alias to interact with him as well; she had planned it all to the most precise of details: The inability to speak, the late night appearances, the Zoroark knowledge and counseling... the young man was astonished at the astuteness of the scenario. He pondered upon the various memories and analyzed the true profoundness of the dark type's actions for several moments, breaking his concentration once in a while to listen if he could hear his dear friend come back.

He sat back up with a light groan and glanced up above the head of the furniture. There, on the wall, a familiar item was neatly hung: the revered scroll that sealed the truthfulness of their special bond. He rose from the mattress and painfully stood right up, close to the beautiful art piece. He put his hand onto the imprinted trace that corresponded to his hand. He looked at the opposite end, where the evident inked Pokémon paw was. After all this time, all their adventures, they had finally managed to make it up, to let a free flow between them and achieve a friendship a lot of people would have wished for. He could not deny it, he did possess some very strong feelings towards Zoroark, especially after being over the fact that she and the mute girl had been the same person; and he loved them both with an ardent passion. No wonders. His feeling gradually transformed into a warm sensation in his chest that caused him to breathe appreciatively and with a little smile. He was startled by the hostess:

[I'm back from-]

She interrupted her greeting when she saw the human's doing. A foul sentiment of guilt struck her, forcing her to look away in shame. Was he regretting the signature of the apology? Was he feeling disgusted by her vile conduct? She was not entirely sure of the answer, but knew had had surely been deceived by her illusions.

"H...hi," he simply acknowledged, too maladroit to add more after being surprised during his intimate thoughts. "Um..."

They remained silent for a few minutes, plainly glancing at one another from time to time as an awkward emotion was shared between them. The encounter ended when the Pokémon parted her own way, going towards the exit of the cave. It was only a few minutes later that the man decided to go out to find her sitting on the grass, looking towards the sky.

He could not reject the truth that the dark Pokémon looked beautiful under the moonlight. Even at that distance, he could notice how adorably well her eyes shone. Her red coiffure delicately moved because of the subtle chilly breeze that swept across the area. It all made him smile. With a muffled grunt, he began to walk forward, trying to ignore the pain the best he could as he approached the marvelous creature.

"Can't sleep either?" he began with a tender voice.

[No...]

Her answer was a bit cold, depraved of its usual merriness or lovely charm. Nevertheless, he went closer to the Pokémon, the peculiar sound of his struggled walk perceptible in the darkness as he got nearer. He sat beside her and noticed that she had lowered her head in shame while he so harshly advanced. She probably knew what was on his mind still. They both remained silent for a while, somehow appreciating the hidden sentiment this awkward silence brought to them. The vixen spoke:

[It's a full moon tonight.]

"Hmm, yes... yes it is," he talked softly while he looked up and leaned back onto his forearms. "I heard Zoroark appreciate these in general. Is it the case for you too?"

She nodded with a little smirk: [Yes, I love it very much as well. It's something I always look forward to. I think... this is the first time I share a full moon with someone else, Kevin.]

"I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me, friend."

She glanced back at him. He had closed his eyes and found the strength to cross his legs. She observed him, his relaxed breathing and his serene state. She averted her cyan gaze when his eyes reopened.

"It must have taken you a lot of courage to reveal your secret, right, Zoroark?"

[Yes.]

"I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I was a bit shocked."

[I'm sorry too, Kevin. I just... didn't know how to reveal that to you; I'm still a bit scared I messed up.]

"Don't mind about that. I'm just so happy right now."

[You are? How come?]

"I am, because this event made me realize that my two friends were in fact... one great best friend, with whom I have so much in common with, shared so much with and enjoyed life a lot better because of her. I guess you got me good with your illusions... and I guess that explains the illusory girl's inability to speak and other things, but I want you to know I understand why you did it and that I hold absolutely no grudge against you for it."

She remained silent, a little smile creeping on her snout. He stood up with a little whine, looking at the dark creature's sparkling cyan eyes, a hand offered to her so she could execute the same move.

"I just hope you're not feeling bad about yourself. I know I made you feel uncomfortable earlier today by not talking to you and staying silent like an idiot."

He held her paws gently and felt a mutual, concerned hold.

[No, that's not it, Kevin. I was simply frightened to lose you, my one and only friend in this pitiless world. I care so much about you and I don't want us to get apart because of my mistake.]

"It's not a mistake, trust me. I think you handled the matter so thoughtfully and appreciate it entirely. I don't have the chance to be a wonderful being with amazing illusory skills like the appealing individual I'm looking at, but I can assure you that I would have done the very same if I had been in your place, Zoroark."

She blushed and tiled her head slightly at the compliment. He was so flattering and comprehensive about her that she could not restrain herself as she pulled him close for a well-deserved hug. She regretted hearing his little yelp of pain, but was soothed by his protective arms.

"Besides... it's not like I can run away in this condition, right?"

[Oh, Kevin...]

She nuzzled his shoulder lovingly, emitting a small purr as she did. She felt how warm and careful his embrace was; his affectionate pets gradually transformed themselves into tender, infatuated rubs.

[Would you like to spend the night with me again, Kevin?] she suggested. [I'd love to look at the moon in your company...]

"Yes, I would like it very much, Zoroark..."

---

The medicinal mixture the bipedal fox had concocted had done real wonders to his bruises. Not only had they began to feel less present, but he also had the privilege to smell of a delicious berry scent! This cloudy morning, after a wonderful night shared under the sparkling stars, the duo had agreed that they needed more supplies. The required some more medicine, more nourishment, but they also came up with the conclusion that a great trip to the forest would do them some good.

"You sure it's okay if I'm riding you like that?"

[Of course!] she insisted with a light giggle, realizing the twisted innuendo that revolved around the statement. [As long as you're gentle, we'll have tons of fun...]

"Oh, you!"

It was immensely considerate and practical of the Pokémon to offer such an awesome transportation service. Otherwise, with the young man's physical status, the little trip would have soon changed into a long and tedious expedition. They wanted none of that and on the plus side, none of them whined about that chance opportunity to be close to one another.

Her walk was quick, but very careful so it could be easy on the human. They threaded between trees and clearings, searching for the tiny bushes that contained the fruits they so passionately sought after. It was about an hour later that the encouraged team found a group of berry-ornamented foliages. A great display of various types of juicy produces was offered before their common, hungry gaze. A quick gratified look was shared between them to stress their glorious discovery.

[Do you see those tiny green ones?] she queried as she deposited the man onto the forest soil with extra care. [They are Lum berries; the main ingredient in your magic potion.]

"Ah! It's a good thing your nice nose led us here!" he retorted with a playful nudge. "I hope we can find everything we need around here because we have ventured pretty far!"

[Very true, and the skies don't look too good either. Let's hurry up and grab a big load.]

Without any moment to spare, the explorers began to harvest the multiple bushes that contained a fair variety. The Pokémon seemed to be doing well, while the human took a bit more time to see which berries were good for harvest.

[Be sure that they're real hard to the touch,] she explained, her light blue eyes looking at him with this admiring spark they possessed. [That's how you can differentiate them from other berries that simply haven't reached maturity yet and are still green in coloration.]

"Wow, you know a lot. Thanks for the tips!"

[No problem! Looks like you're arms are almost full.]

"Haha, yeah, all my pockets are also filled with these right over there!"

He proceeded to show the yellowish polka dot goods with a bright smile. The Zoroark's look was as wide as his:

[Oh, Sitrus berries! What a nice find! Let's grab a few more of these so we can keep the seeds and replant them some time!] she exclaimed joyfully before grabbing a few herself. Kevin was a bit clueless at first when he saw that the vixen's arms were practically empty. It was by observing her that he could see she had stuffed most of her gathering in her large puffy mane.

[Hey, want a taste?] she suggested, offering a portion of the delicious-looking food. He accepted, taking it from her claw before biting on it very hardly. He soon found that the wonderful item harbored the sourest taste he had ever savored. His face distorted from the strong influence, to the Pokémon's greatest joy.

"Woah, haha! It's not called "Sitrus" for nothing!" he said, still recovering from the sheer effect such a tiny orb could have caused.

It was a few seconds later that the first few droplets of water were felt by the happy friends. They initially decided to shrug it off, but were soon forced to seek shelter under one of the bigger trees that offered decent protection.

"Maybe the rain will go away soon?"

[I'm not so sure. Let's hurry and get to the den as fast as we can. Hop on my back and get in my mane, Kevin. It's going to be a wild ride.]

"Understood," he quickly said while he mounted the vixen. He carefully inserted himself into the puffy red and black part of her body, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to guaranty a firm, solid grip.

[Hold on tight,] she reminded him.

Without any further warnings, she pounced forward at an incredible speed, enough to skip on to a really far distance and to lose a berry or two. She ran in the direction of the natural shelter, progressing through the ever-growing storm. The wind was stronger by the minute and the rain did not hesitate to pick up. The imminence and suddenness of the harsh weather was surprising. Some of the nearby leaves ripped off from the trees, the whipping temperature forcing the duo to endure a tough climate.

Thankfully, the way back had been far faster; the entrance of the cavern was finally in sight. The beast accelerated the pace and dashed, but as she did so, a rather large branch fell in front of her. Heading straight for them, the Pokémon jumped directly at the wooden obstacle, her claws glowing of a bright reddish aura. In a split second, the branch was sliced in half, making way for the two friends and preventing an eventual collision. The human widened his eyes at the demonstration of impressive skills. It was the first time he was witnessing such a sharp agility. The prowess of her movement was mesmerizing, especially in a downpour like that one.

At last, the duo finally made in inside the safe, natural haven. The creature released a small sigh and once again took the care to get the man out of her protective part appropriately. She nodded at him approvingly while he reached the inside of her mane to retrieve some stored supplies they had harvested. She then helped herself as she shook the water off of her. A good thing her mane was semi-permeable.

The human took the time to organize the various items in the designated cavern area reserved for supply storage. He was satisfied to see he and Zoroark had retrieved such a grand quantity, but as he lost himself in deep thoughts, he could only smile when he came to the obvious conclusion that he found himself happy because of the good time he had with the Zoroark, rather that the copious harvesting. When he walked back to her, she was looking outside with a worried expression.

There was no way her illusions could stop such a growing storm. A bit nervous, she shivered and crossed her arms. It was then that she felt the familiar presence of the young man behind her. He shyly reached for her waist, wrapping his arms around her in a warm fashion. It felt so nice... he felt so nice. They both sat down in the darkened corner of the den, away from the raging elements dominating the entrance of the lair, the human keeping the Pokémon close to him. Her worries slowly and gradually dissipated as she snuggled into the soothing embrace. She looked back at him with a loving gaze, her eyes filled with contemplation as he nuzzled her neck with an evident blush on his face.

"It's going to be alright," he told her in a soft tone that was almost overcome by the furious rain outside. "I know I'm not strong like you are, or able to create impressive illusions, but I'll do my best to keep you safe, Zoroark."

She put one of her paws onto his thigh and observed him carefully as she rotated, sitting back onto his lap, but this time, in a manner that could make her face him directly. Never had she thought he would be willing to be that close to her, which caused her to doubt the gesture slightly:

[Aren't you scared to be so close to a monster, Kevin? Am I not frightening you sometimes when we hug or get... close like this?]

"Scared?" he wondered, a bit surprised by the Pokémon's question. "Not at all."

He somehow deduced the reason why she was asking that. He clearly was aware of their current position and imagined it was putting the creature into an uncertain state. He made sure to softly hold her while a small smile appeared on his face.

"If there's a monster here, it's me, Zoroark."

He distanced his visage from hers slightly to have a better look at her curious vulpine features. Her expression demanded more details.

"A being with such a beautiful personality, such a beauteous grace... and the ability to create wonderful things with her impressive powers... I call that a Goddess, Zoroark, not a monster."

She could not withstand his loving expression. She lowered her ears and nuzzled his neck softly while she let out a few tears onto his shoulder.

[You know that if they see us together... you will be rejected from them, and you will be considered an outcast... a deserter,] she protested with a little sobbing in her tone, knowing their bond could be at stake at any moment. [I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Kevin... like the other night. It scared me so much.]

She was right. The Farhangarians would not tolerate such a relationship. Although wandering humans were an incredibly rare sight, there always was a possibility of the said event to happen, even in the deep woods. Zoroark's and Kevin's friendship was strong, but the stereotypes and prejudices the other humans possessed in Farhangar were also present. If the duo were to be spotted together, that would mean the guy would certainly be exiled by force, and that the dark Pokémon would be hunted down.

"Then so be it," he pronounced decisively, making the vixen look up in astonishment. "We're literally risking our lives by staying together if we're close to Farhangar, so I won't return to live there."

[What... what are you saying?]

"I have been thinking about it for a good while and with what happened recently, I have taken a decision," he declared. "I don't want to live in Farhangar anymore. If you accept, perhaps we could maybe live together? Just you and I and the-"

His determination at that time was absorbing, but sadly cut off by a puissant bolt of lightning that crackled as loud as an explosion. The Pokémon wanted to caress him, show him how much she loved to be close to him at that moment, but she was cut off by the raging storm yet again. A tree fell at the entrance of the small cavern, making the two friends jump as it clashed loudly onto the ground. Terrified by the sound of the nearby impact of the wooden colossus, she closed her eyes and nestled herself into the young man's grasp. She felt the grip around her waist get tighter and firmer as she let out a tiny whine. She was a bit embarrassed to look so scared in front of him, but on the other hand, she was incredibly happy with his protective reactions. He pulled her even closer so she could press her whole body against his, a reddish blush appearing across her face... and his. He petted her again, from her waist up to her shoulders, digging his fingers into her delectable fur, repeating the process a few times.

[Thank you, Kevin... you're so wonderful...]

They remained silent as time passed, the storm still mighty and strong. They kept snuggled close and ultimately drifted off to sleep as the rampaging climate gradually simmered down to a more peaceful downpour.

---

She was the one to wake up last. She found herself into the young man's grasp. When she looked around, she saw that the storm had withered away during the rest of the night. She spied up to see he had not yet noticed that she was awake. She hesitated for a moment, but finally let herself be tempted by a more intimate greeting than usual. A delicate, timid lick was felt on the guy's cheek. It was then that he looked down at the seductive furry being, meeting with her marvelous pair of gleaming sky-blue eyes and her amused expression he could never resist to.

[Good morning,] she shyly said, her face inches from his.

"Good morning, Zoroark. How are you doing?"

[I'm doing quite well.]

There was a little silence between the two close friends when they realized how physically close they were still. The vixen put one of her paws onto the man's chest and gave him another lick on the opposing cheek.

[Thank you for keeping me safe, Kevin. It...means a lot to me.]

"It was my pleasure. Thank you for... letting me hold you like this," he added with an evident rosy flush on his face.

[Mmm...You can feel free to hold me anytime...] she appreciatively hummed with a tempting smirk. She repositioned herself onto him and put her muzzle under his chin. [Are you feeling better?]

"A bit, yeah, but I still have a little pain on the back of my leg."

The young man still felt a tiny bit of pain in some of his movements, but it was not worth any mention, according to him. He gently petted the Pokémon on his lap, delighted by her positive diagnostic:

[Great! I think that you might be fully restored with this last mix we harvested berries for. I'll go make it right away!]

She stood up in a gradual movement, helping him along the way with her fluffy limbs. He could only watch her go as she held her beautiful long hair, polishing the pearl that separated the two sections so nicely with the aid of one of her forearms. By doing that, she was giving off a very nice view of her delightful rump, where the twisted end of her soft, red and black asset usually kept her delectable derrière out of view. The human could only appreciate such a perfect rear, accidently letting out a pleased moan. Naturally this brought up the Zoroark's attention, only to see the young man try to look away subtly with more than a little blush on his face. She giggled to herself and made sure to bend down excessively for his viewing pleasure as she picked up the necessary supplies from the ground. As anticipated, he could not look any other way and just as expected, the dark vixen managed to spot him again.

[You'll have to be less obvious about it next time, dear,] she suggested in her appealing voice, clearly baiting the human with the sexiness of her physique. It made her laugh when he nodded without a word, somehow submitted to her order. She felt so nice to see that he was looking at her in that special way. It somehow gave her some confidence about herself, as well as some questioning whether or not he was interested in more...

She came back a few minutes later with a bowl of freshly mashed fruits. She directed him to her room and told him to lie down face down so she could apply the magic mixture.

[It should not hurt too much, but if you feel a burning sensation or some itching, please let me know.]

She began to apply the nice-smelling mixture onto his revealed leg. He twitched at the cold stimulation. The vixen placed her other palm higher onto his leg, brushing the surface of his thigh a bit distractingly as she continued her rubbing on the wound. She glanced up to look upon his posterior, just like he had done for her before. Right then, she verified she was not under his watch, but inevitably met with his accusative gaze.

[You're not supposed to look at me if I want to stare at your butt too, Kevin,] the creature teased with a little wink, laughing a bit nervously from getting caught red-handed.

A few minutes later, she was all done nursing him and the inseparable duo were eating breakfast together. He found it funny to see her take so much care of him, but somehow, it only felt right for both of them. He would not be the one complaining about it. He pondered upon his feelings towards the Pokémon he joyfully shared his existence with and more particularly, the statement she had told him while taking care of his leg. The human was certain that the Zoroark liked him a bit more than a simple friend, surely, but was not sure how to interpret the intimate gestures she did such as snuggling close to him or licking his cheek. He looked at her. Were these little actions meaning more than he thought? He did not know how to compare it; would a little lick be like a kiss on the cheek? If so, how would Zoroark kiss him if he were to...

[Kevin? Are you okay?]

He was surprised by her voice.

"N-no... Just thinking about some stuff," he justified a little shyly. "I was wondering... how do Zoroark show love to one another? I can't recall if I ever read about that."

[Well...]

She deposited the berry she was holding and paused to wipe her vulpine mouth out of courtesy before answering the man properly:

[It's not much different from humans, really. I mean, when you like someone, you start hugging and cuddling and just... get closer to that person in general. We also like to pet and rub, along with kisses too if you're really close. I guess it all goes according to the mutual feeling. We also use our tongue to just give a little lick as well, which represents a very intimate gesture...]

She halted her explanation when she realized the reason why the man in front of her probably asked such a thing and the consequences of her clarifications. She had, quite obviously, revealed a lot more about her inner thoughts concerning the young man and how she portrayed him.

[W-why do you ask?]

"Oh, I'm just... um, just curious, that's all."

She felt a little bit sorry that she hadn't let him know sooner about the licking thing and the petting, but could not deny that her heart was filled with joy. Her presumptions were confirmed when he reached for the back of his neck, scratching it in his distraction while he looked downwards, an evident insecurity in his expression. She could only do the same as they both shared that great smile that explained it all.

The rest of their meal was eaten in complete silence; the lack of words at that time forgave by the incessant flow of thoughts that stormed their mind each time their eyes met. The Pokémon rose up and made her way to the human to break the seemingly infinite situation.

[I would like to show you something, Kevin,] she told him as she took his hand in her palm. He followed the being outside and stopped besides her. She kept her hold on him and let her body begin to be surrounded by an odd purple mist.

Surprised at first, Kevin realized that the Pokémon was using one of her illusion affinity. Soon enough, the whole area around them was tainted in the same mysterious colored wave. It was then that she transported him into some kind of new world. The terrain shifted dramatically, letting place to a resplendent plain. A few rare trees crowned the soil here and there, their size varying mildly. Most of them were rooted near the unique source of water: a small river that traversed the greenery, just like a snake, slithering around various small rocky formations. The young man stepped closer from this natural landmark; shortly followed by the artist that had made it all appear. He knelt down in the grass and cupped his hand as he lowered it into the brilliant, glistening water. The second his palm made contact with the pure-looking liquid, he felt how temperate the current was, despite being one of Zoroark's extremely realistic illusions. He widened his look and glanced back at the vixen.

"That's... such an amazing, place..." he whispered to himself as he felt her arms wrap around his shoulders.

[This is my dream land; a place where one may roam free without any worries. It happens to be situated near a city, but it's never visited by its inhabitants, because it is an area considered off limit to the population's boundaries,] she explained before taking a deep breath of the surrounding air.

These plains seemed to be extremely special for the Pokémon, by the looks of it. The young man took time to observe the paradise, not seeing any reason why someone could possibly dislike that environment. Zoroark's love for peace and quiet was justified, considering her traumatic past and her love for nature's impressive sceneries. He looked at her and admired how serene her state was. This haven was the place for her; it was the place that would make her the happiest, he could deduce that much.

He gently seized her muzzle in his palm, causing her to momentarily drag herself out of her daydreaming. He followed with an embrace hugging her carefully in the process. She lowered herself slightly and leaned onto him with a tiny purr of satisfaction.

"This is like a paradise for you, isn't it?" he questioned with a little smile, his eyes staring into hers with that spark of affection they possessed. She could only nod with an equally sweet expression, nuzzling his nose timidly.

[Yes, it is. If there's one thing I want to do in my life, it's to manage to find that territory and establish myself over there,] she passionately followed as her claws moved to the young man's sides. She saw him close his eyes before he lovingly rubbed his nose into the mane that complemented her forehead. She emitted a satisfied growl from his discreet touch and listened to his next words attentively.

"I want to help you travel to this wonderful place, Zoroark; I want to make you realize your dream."

She widened her eyes for a second before she lightly stroked his arms with the help of her crimson claws, a clear disinclination in her look.

[But... what about us? I mean, you live in Farhangar and I'll be miles and miles away from you if I go there... I can't do that to you, to us...]

He answered her pondering by shaking his head.

"I want to help you, Zoroark. I want you to realize that dream and be happy. Besides, I think it could be fun if we actually lived together, just you and I, out in the wilderness. We could be our true selves without risking to be seen by anyone, since it's such a remote area."

[You would abandon everything to follow me?]

"That is correct."

[Oh, but Kevin... why would you do such a thing?]

He raised his hand to gently caress the vixen's cheek before he could manage to let out his thought:

"Because I love you, Zoroark... I love you with all my heart. I don't think I could live without you."

She was momentarily in shock, out of breath at the declaration of her best friend.

[I... I love you too... so, so much!]

She leaned closer and simply kissed him because of the passion that invaded her whole body. Her intention was quickly responded to with a kiss on his own, despite their mutual shyness.

[I wanted this for such a long time... my love.]

---

He did not own many possessions, but he had taken everything that seemed necessary for the long trip the couple planned. They had neatly made a list of things to bring beforehand and actually managed to fit everything inside a large backpack and the Zoroark's spacey mane. Accompanied by the Pokémon in disguise, Kevin had no trouble to simply conceal everything as her illusions did the entire job. They had to retain their cheerful shout as they passed the city gate one last time, hand in hand.

And there they went, packed like mules, towards the deepest reaches of the woodland. Using a map and Zoroark's extreme perception of their surroundings, they soon managed to find the right way and did not waste any time. They mostly traveled during the day, using the precious darkness of the nights to enjoy the close rests the deserved. Undoubtedly, this grand trip was an occasion neither of them frowned upon to get closer. Their diet consisted of berries that they had found along the way, mainly. It had become quite dull after a day or two, but it had not been enough to discourage them, because they found ways to make their meal far more enjoyable with a little pinch of imagination...

[Would you like to play a game with me, Kevin?]

"A game? Sure! What is it?"

[It's a guessing game!] she announced in a cheerful tone. She lifted the basket she was holding and showed it to the curious human. [I'll be blindfolding you and giving you one type of berry at a time and you'll have to guess what kind it is by the taste,] she explained with a sly little smile across her muzzle.

"Haha! That looks fun! Is there any reward?"

[Hmm, well, I haven't thought about that yet, so I guess we'll see if you earned it after the game! Haha!]

"Hey! That's not fair!" the young man playfully shouted as the dark individual surrounded his head with a black band of cloth. He playfully tried to resist, but the Pokémon was obviously far too strong for him. In a split second, he was found to be completely blind, submissively kneeling in front of her. The young man wanted to protest, but he did not have the time to even open his mouth. He felt the Zoroark move behind him, taking his arms and putting them behind his back.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the young man asked in a laugh.

[I've got to make sure you won't cheat by feeling the shape of the berries. I know how sneaky you can be...] she announced to him as she tied his wrists together. He once again tried to counter the oppression, but as with his first attempt, he failed greatly, only to be comforted with a flirtatious pat on the head.

[There, there, good boy!] the creature continued in a suggestive tone. [I think we're ready!]

"Oh, you. You really know what you're doing, hm?"

[You bet. You're sneakier than a lot of dark types, haha! I can't trust you for this game!]

"You're so smart... That's one of the many reason I like you, Zoroark."

She purred loud and licked his cheek. She teased him for a few seconds.

[You're flattering... but that won't save you from my punitive game...]

Fruit after fruit, the human soon understood that the vixen was merely making them laugh by feeding him very odd-tasting orbs. At one time, he struggled with how sour one of them felt, the next moment, he could be spitting out an excessively hot berry. Although the experience was funny, he could mostly manage to get the names of each berry he was fed with.

[You sure learned a lot!] encouraged the dark Pokémon with a bright smile the human could not see. Nevertheless he could feel her enthusiasm, something he was very much grateful for. He looked in her general direction and lifted his head while he pleaded his concern:

"I think this is the last berry, right?"

She laughed.

[Yes... I hope you'll like its taste...] she told him in a tone that sounded overly sensual for a silly little minigame.

"Zoroark?" he asked, confused by the fox's terribly erotic tone. He was left unanswered. The dark vixen munched onto the sweetest fruit of her arsenal, a big change comparing to the sour, spicy or bitter tastes she had previously tortured him with. She then leant in closer and closer as she threw the little remains of the last fruity orb away with a simple flick of her claws. She rested both of her paws onto the young man's thighs and gazed upon his clueless face, cherishing the fact that he looked so obedient under her powerful influence.

Her limbs made their way up his sides, gently caressing his skin until she rested them onto his shoulders, pushing him gently to feel his resistance. She slowly closed the gap that stood between her prey and herself, grazing the tip of her muzzle along the young man's cheek. She could feel his irregular breathing mix with hers. He surely caught on what she was doing, because he instinctively opened his mouth to receive her more appropriately. She finally pressed her lips onto his, applying a delicate pressure until she could feel his hungry response. It was then that she initiated some deeper contact, grazing her tongue against his lips as an invitation, which he gladly accepted. It was slow at first, but it began to grow stronger and stronger with each passing lick. Their respective tongue soon found one another and began to waltz delicately in an unhurried rhythm.

Upon a little pause, the two friends remained speechless for a few seconds, both unable to find the right words to describe their thoughts. The man simply leaned forward, trying to judge where the pretty Zoroark was so he could get more of the love she so kindly blessed him with. Just like a bird demanding nourishment, he silently begged for a second serving of this special "berry".

The Pokémon could only oblige, aiding the human in his quest for affection by freeing his wrists and removing the blindfold. She purred softly when his hands instantly rose to her face, caressing her in a gentle, romantic fashion.

[More?] she baited in such an attractive manner. It left the man idolizing her with his eyes. Never had she seen him so passionate, so devoted, so... in love...

It was then that the two of them shared a second kiss, stronger this time. Passion took them away, sending them in a state of complete dependence as they distributed the delicious taste of their sweet-coated caress. Stopping only a few moments to catch their breath, needless to say it had been hard for the couple to stop these enticing gestures if only for half a second. They could only come to the conclusion that their type of games was simply the best.

---

Yet another day passed before the absorbing view of their objective came into range. The beautiful, alluring landscape was just as the illusionist had shown. The grass swayed smoothly by the breeze's will, putting emphasis on the true peacefulness of the environment. The couple dropped the totality of their cargo and walked towards the center of the discovery. Zoroark was trembling out of pure ecstasy. She ran forward, using her bestial force to sprint at an amazing speed. She went to the river, visited almost every tree, she just was not sure of where to begin. She returned to her love a few minutes later, since he had not been able to keep up with her. Her tear-filled eyes told him more than he needed to know. Before he could ask anything, he was assaulted by a shower of loving kisses. He kept the Pokémon close as she cried of joy in his shoulder.

"We did it, Zoroark... we did it..."

[This is so... so... so wonderful, Kevin! I'm totally speechless... just look at how beautiful it is. It's a lot prettier than what I remember from the images in my mind.]

He wiped her beautiful cheeks, clearing her warm tears off of her angelic vulpine face as she tightly cuddled him. He took her in his arms, causing her to emit a little emotion-filled laugh. He transported the Pokémon to the edge of the river and deposited her onto the bank. She dragged him down for an ardent kiss, relentlessly showing her extended passion. It had been difficult for them to break off, given the strong sensation they still felt after finding their ideal paradise.

"I'll go grab the supplies, so we can erect a shelter for the night," the young man merrily announced before trailing off to the big pile of items. He hauled most of the stuff they had brought while he joyously watched over the Zoroark who was appreciating the wonderful place. As it turned out, the only residents of the plains seemed to be the few fish that roamed the calm waters of the river. That left the Zoroark to be all alone with the human she loved so much. She glanced at him with a little smile, observing him as he stretched from all the carrying he had just done.

She joined him for the next step: creating a decent housing. After drawing a few rough lines onto the ground, the illusory creature nodded at the guy to see if the markings indicated on the ground would be enough:

[I'll need you to stand back, now, Kevin. I am going to create a semi-permanent illusion.]

He quizzically tilted his head.

"What is that?"

[It's an illusion so realistic, that it can block or hinder the elements of nature itself. Rain or wind, for example, can both be stopped by that type of brilliant phenomenon. They are extremely strong and it is very unlikely that one of them would fade away, but they do take a lot of strength and mental effort to materialize,] the Pokémon cleverly clarified, both of her paws onto her hips.

"Zoroark, wait a minute," the friend protested. "Is this dangerous for you?"

[No, don't worry. I won't overdo it, but you have to know that there is a secondary effect to that kind of power usage: I won't be able to use my telepathy for a while.]

He hesitated for a moment before giving his approval. The idea didn't seem too safe from his point of view, but on second thought, he knew that the illusionist was far more knowledgeable in her own domain than he could possibly be. He obliged with a tiny smirk:

"Alright, but be careful, okay?"

[I will,] she said with a smile, closing her eyes before lifting her paws in the air in a slow manner.

[Say, I have a favor to ask of you,] she pronounced before activating her abilities.

"Yes?"

[May I ask you to hold me while I build us a cozy little shelter?]

He was amused by the playfulness of her tone and could only accept her demand.

"Of course."

As soon as his arms surrounded her thin waist, an array of colors began to take form in front of them, materializing into walls that rose up according to the marks that had been left on the soil. The small house came into sight with a very basic layout. No windows, no floor, just a few walls and a flat roof. Afterwards, the glowing elements lost their shine and solidified. The Zoroark emitted a big sigh and leaned back against her lover out of exhaustion. Her tongue cutely hung out from her maw and she breathed a bit harder than usual. The young man caressed her and took her in his arms, bridal style, to lead her inside the newly formed shelter.

"You okay, pretty girl?" he asked as he entered the building. "Let's go see what you built us in there!"

"Zor," she positively nodded as a playful giggle escaped her muzzle lips.

It looked as small as it seemed on the outside, but would be more than sufficient for the moment. The door-less entrance lead directly to a plain room that contained a counter with a cavity in it. Except for that sole thing, a little storage crate had appeared in another corner. He entered the other, darker room, which once again, did not possess any door. He could notice that almost nothing could be distinguished in the said place due to the lack of light, except for a rather small bed covered by a pillow and a basic canopy.

"Oh? A bed for the two of us?" he wondered. The creature humbly lowered her head as a bright blush appeared on her face. She remained silent for a few seconds, allowing the young man to continue:

"Well, this certainly is a nice surprise, Zoroark. I'm very flattered!"

"Ar?"

"Yes, I'm sure," he said as he held her tightly. "You make me so happy, pretty vixen."

He kissed the top of her head and hugged her furry upper body against his chest before he stepped closer to the furniture. He delicately placed the dark Pokémon onto the cushiony mattress and winked at her as she snuggled onto the soft surface. She then gestured at him with one of her red claws, inviting the human to share the surface of the bed with her. It had been created for a couple after all.

"Zoro? Ark Zoro?" the beast wondered as the guy lied down next to her.

"Yes, it's very comfy, Zoroark. It's even better than the one I had at my residence in Farhangar!"

"Arrrk. Zor-Zor... Zoroa ar-ark."

"Continue your illusions later? Haha, I'm afraid I won't let you do that. You're going to relax until tomorrow, missy!"

She laughed softly, her half-closed eyes looking at him with a hint of admiration within. She rested her head onto a pillow and felt the man cover her body with the soft sheet the end of the mattress was covered with. She was aware the habitation was very, very incomplete and thus, she hoped the young man would be able to support it. Even at this rate, these semi-permanent illusions did take most of her energy, the secondary effect acting as evidence. She thought for a moment and deducted that it might have been better to let the matter drop for today indeed.

"Let me cook you a little something. You go ahead and take it easy for the rest of the day, okay?"

"Zor," she agreed in a merry tone.

"It's only... 1 o'clock, so don't worry about anything. You did your part, now it's my turn. I'm restricting you to this very chamber, missy!"

The Pokémon curled up in an adorable manner as she glanced over the man, her bright cyan eyes examining him in a very peculiar fashion that could only show a playful maliciousness. "Restricting" sure was an understatement, but it was a good thing she could restrain herself from any suggestive commentaries. Her look would surely give it away nonetheless. He giggled as he left the room in a silly, taunting walk.

It was not until half an hour later that the human came back with brilliant plates full of warm cooked food. To his slight disappointment, he found the furry being slumbering deeply. Producing remarkable illusions like hers surely was a tiring exercise and she did deserve every minute of rest she could have. Unfortunately, her extremely acute sense of smell was what disturbed her from her rejuvenating sleep, the annoying odor of a freshly made meal in the air.

[Mmm... smells good.]

"Ah, your telepathy is back!"

She nodded, a warm smile covering her muzzle as she sat up. She flicked her paw and put her other limb on her thigh, waiting for the human to execute her order: [Come here, you...]

Without any warning, as soon as he was in range, she grasped the human's shoulders firmly and very lightly dug her claws into his flesh so she could get a good hold of him. She stared at him with this seductive, yet lovely gaze that did not fail to get his attention. He had just the time to deposit the tray containing the two plates onto the opposite side of the mattress before she dragged him down, enclosing her dark furry arms around his neck to force him to abide to her needy maneuvers. She nuzzled the guy plenty as he was prompt to stick his body against the Pokémon's. She released a few subtle purrs in a way to show her contentment over his action. Those animalistic sounds got louder when the blissful couple made contact in a more intimate manner. He had taken her by the side of her delightful vulpine face; gently petting her while his other hand occupied the illusion mistress' back. When their lips softly made contact, it was almost enough to send them both in a more aggressive state, making them want so much more from the minimalistic encounter and forget about the served lunch. They deepened their kiss and thankfully restrained themselves from going a step ahead and lying down to knock the food all over.

"You're amazingly beauteous, my dear. I simply can't resist your charm," the human said as an excuse.

[Mrrr,] she lowly growled at him with her romantic voice. [Do you know how happy you make me? You're the cutest, Kevin.]

They rapidly ate the entirety of their respective serving, or rather; they gulped it down as fast as they possibly could, so they could resume their romantic behaviors. She climbed on top of him and playfully pushed him down on his back as she positioned herself comfortably onto his lap.

"Hey there... weren't you all out of energy earlier?"

[I'm sorry, but I simply couldn't let such an occasion pass by. You know how I love to be like this, don't you?]

His nod was soon followed by the Pokémon's restricting measure: She took the young man's arms and put them above his head, restrained by one of her strong paws. She necessarily had to lower her body, which caused her breasts to softly rub against the human's chest. Upon feeling his covered torso, she simply had to lift his shirt until it was all entangled around his arms. A naughty expression covered her face when she lowered down, taunting his naked upper body with her tender, furry breasts.

[I just wanted to warn you, because once I start something like this, I know I can get a bit... rough and insatiable...]

"Well then, I'll try my best to follow your lead and fulfill your needs..." he said to her teasing face. "I want you so much, my love. I'm all yours..."

Her deep growl was more than enough to signify she had understood his message. He could not hold his own desires of being taken by a dominant woman like herself, which was a very nice surprise. He glanced at her when she sat up, grinding her hips tightly against his hardening member. She began a back and forth motion directly against his pants, causing her to close her eyes in delight. He glanced at her chest, her moving mounds, to be more precise. They were concealed under a thick black mane but still, he could visualize their nice volume pretty accurately. This surely added to his "happy situation" down there as well.

[Here, don't be shy, Kevin...]

She took his hands in her paws and slowly slid them up her chest to reach her delectable bosom. He was baffled to feel how big her assets were behind all that thick fur. She raised an eyebrow and clenched his groping a bit harder to see his reaction. He was tantalized by the softness of her hidden breasts, so much, that he had to dig his fingers a bit deeper to quench his curiosity.

He lowered his head, giving them a few licks before eagerly using his whole mouth. The Pokémon released a breath of relief and was glad to see the human have so much fun with her. Her wetness became more prominent as he worked a bit harder, naturally pushing her to grind more and more onto his stiff member. She felt herself getting closer and closer as the whole length of his appendage rubbed along her sensitive area, reaching upwards to tease her very special little switch with each hump she did.

[Oh no. I'm gonna... oh! Ah!]

"It's alright, let it all out, dear!"

[I... ar, Zor!]

She let the severe reactions of her body take over, succumbing to a puissant peak. She pushed against the object of desire and let her fluids gush out of her. A decent quantity went onto the male, definitely making him damper. He held her as she shook with a soothed demeanor, enjoying the complete duration of her intense culmination. She ended the exploit by falling into the guy's close embrace.

[I want so much more but... huff... but I'm all out of energy now... oof...] she said with a bit of regret in her voice, breathing pretty soundly. She rubbed onto the human and held onto him for a few seconds before going limp.

"Maybe it's better if you rest a little?"

He was left unanswered until a cute little sound got out of her maw:

"Zo... arrr."

He lifted her chin and was surprised to see she had fallen asleep in his hold. He held a giggle and smiled wide while he deposited her right next to him. He tossed his clothes away and kept his boxers on out of courtesy. It was the first time he was hearing the fox snore... and he could not deny that she sounded absolutely adorable. He curled up around her, keeping his arms around her while profiting of this position to snuggle inside her luxurious mane.

---

The next morning, the human was rewarded for his kindness. The end of the Zoroark's immense hair lightly tickled him under the nose. He pulled it and tried to get rid of it like if had been a bug of some sort, but the soft texture always came back onto his face, ultimately waking him up from his sleep. When his vision adjusted to the dark room, he could clearly feel something odd around his crotch. He glanced down to see the Zoroark slid down his boxers with a long moan. Just as he was to question her, he realized she was a lot closer than he thought; he was blessed by the most surprising sight of his life...

"Oh... oh my..."

[I'm so sorry, but you poked me all night long with your thing. I just couldn't resist anymore...]

The illusion fox Pokémon was draped over the young man in such a way that her bum hovered near his face. He could notice how moistened the pink slit she presented to him really was. A sixty-nine would have been the last thing he would have expected in the morning, but he sure did not deny the concept. He brought his face closer and released a hot breath onto her personal area, causing her to tighten her muscles as she released a little sigh.

"You're such a bad girl, Zoroark..." he reprimanded jokingly with a little tap on her bum. She looked back at his lustful gaze and backed off ever-so-slightly to tease him a little. She was so close to his face that he could feel the sheer heat radiate from her nether region. "I do feel bad that I'm getting all the fun, though..."

[Oh, by Arceus, yes... lick me, Kevin, don't leave me hanging,] she begged while she forcefully rammed her derrière against his face. His member hardened completely after the daring maneuver, loyally showing his arousal over her. Then, without wasting any time, he began to move his tongue across the puffy lips she possessed. Shivers were instantly sent throughout her spine, forcing her to arch her body slightly. She took his stiff limb and looked back at him while she delivered a long, slimy lick along his shaft.

He gasped and unleashed a little surprised moan before plunging his tongue onto the space between her folds. He was rewarded with more and more of her wetness as he progressed; occasionally alternating between long movements and slow teases. He would dig his nail into her fine butt to get some reaction out of her, which included a loud array of bestial growls of pleasure.

On her end, she gladly took all the precum he gave her, but soon felt too excited by his teasing. She humped his face, gradually going harder and harder as she felt his touch run into her dripping vixenhood. This caused her to directly sit on him while he worked into her. She felt how soon her climax would come if he would keep going like he was:

[Just... a bit more... r-right there, Zor! Ah! Zo-ah-arrrk!]

In one last move, she grabbed the base of his stick firmly and released a loud feral cry of deliverance as her essence squirted out of her flower. The young man frantically flexed his tongue to grab as much of the warm nectar he could possible get. It dripped all over his face and began streaming down his chin.

[I ca... can't take it... anymore...] she struggled to pronounce as the inevitable fruit of her labor came closer. [I want you inside, Kev... vin.]

They repositioned themselves so that she could rest against him, onto his lap. Facing him, she mercilessly showered him with her soft licks, cleaning him up nicely. He lowered his head and made her lean back a little while he dug his head into her warm cleavage. He lovingly kissed the inside and increasingly gave more and more affection to the voluminous breasts. He wrapped his mouth against one of her mounds and assaulted her nipple by the aid of his revered organ.

She pressed him against her with one of her paws while the other soon trailed down to her special spot. Lightly and carefully squeezing her button between her claws. When the young man noticed her tempting technique, he could not hold his offer to help her further.

"Here..."

He slid his hand besides hers and eventually took its place, his smaller and much more dexterous fingers stimulating her far better. She soon began to make his area all wet with her hot juices.

"Are you ready for this, Zoroark?"

[I never needed something so badly, Kevin. Please get inside me. Let's be one, you and I.]

Her voice sounded like a sweet music to his ears. Her politeness charmed him, along with her unmistakable desires, which was sending a warm feeling straight to his stomach.

"I love you, Zoroark. I'm all yours," he emotionally whispered to her.

[I love you too... so fucking much...]

He could only giggle at the dramatic change of tone she had done. He followed with a nod, telling her he was about to enter her. His firm organ slipped a few times across her hot spot due to how lubricated it was at that point, causing the dark vixen to growl at the human:

[Oh, by Arceus, you tease me so much... and I love it!]

He emitted a short laugh just before he could manage to penetrate her burning cavity. They both held on tight as the hard rod made its way inside, filling the Pokémon until it reached the end of her tight tunnel. They followed with an easy rhythm, taking the time to appreciate the fact that they were now linked together in the most intimate way possible.

[Ugh... g-good...] she stammered as her tongue idly hung on one side of her open mouth. [P-please keep going, my love! Don't stop, roark!]

"So wet... so slippery..."

He kept at it, going faster and faster while he felt the Zoroark's claws dig into his skin. How he loved it to see her being in such an ecstatic state. It did not take long before her vocalization changed to a higher pitch, indicating she was on the very edge. The human could feel her parts clutch all around him as she gave in to the amazing experience. All this flexing tightening on his member was what set him off. He pushed deep into her slippery hood and grabbed her bum with both of his hands to assure the firmest of grasps he could manage. He shot a big spurt of warm seed deep inside her, followed by another and so on. He kept pumping it all into her, more than motivated by her enthusiastic shouts that her own orgasm was procuring. Right then, their combined efforts felt like nothing they had felt before.

When they were mutually done with the long-lasting tingling their own release exerted, they both crumbled down on the mattress, entirely drained of their vigor. Their breathing was quite loud, but thankfully slowed down and came back to a more average rhythm. The couple exchanged a few kisses before remaining motionless for a few minutes, a bright smile covering their respective face. The Pokémon gave Kevin a big lick and placed her paws onto his heaving chest before she broke the silence:

[Mrr... I guess we should go back to work... and explore our surroundings a bit further at some point, huh?]

He affirmatively nodded and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her plenty. He kissed her cheek and lightly scratched under her chin, making her emit a sweet-sounding purr. She bit her lower muzzle lip as her pleased gaze rested into his own.

"I'll be forced to scold you if you work too hard today, though," he affirmed with a little taunting in his voice.

[Oh? Well then, that might be very interesting...]