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Pokemon: Further Evolutions

CH 15

Harmony and Hate

Sitting alone in the gathering area of the island's leaders was the handsome Persian, Zeke, with his paws pressed firmly to his face. His ears flickered for a moment as he caught on to the sounds of snapping twigs nearby. Taking his paws away from his face and glancing behind him, he saw Celest, the Gardevoir, slowly approaching him. Being that she would normally float over to him, Zeke knew that she had intentionally made her approach known. The psychic type bowed to him politely before floating over to the nearest seat and sat down upon it.

"'I sense your unrest,'" she commented, looking into his eyes calmly.

Zeke smirked. "'How did you manage to guess that?'"

"'What is wrong?'" she asked him, ignoring his sarcastic remark, "'What is troubling you so?'"

"'Heh, you know you could just scan my mind,'" he sighed halfheartedly, which was something that was quite uncommon for the feline.

"'I have found it better for someone to directly tell me what is on their mind, rather than them just have me read it.'"

"'...I...see your point...'" Zeke turned away and rested his chin on his paws, looking off into the distance. "'It's...the overpopulation issue. It's just been getting out of hand lately. The morphs just continue to multiply in number, and there are even more coming in from overseas!'" Celest nodded attentively, keeping her silence as she listened to him vent his frustrations. "'And with another heat season coming around, I know that we'll be needing even more hut expansions, as well as even more huts.'" He stopped for a moment and let out a sigh. "'I just...don't know how much more stress I can take... I don't know...how much more of...all of this...I can take...'" He covered his face with his paws again, falling into brooding silence. Celest refrained from speaking up, instead electing to sit in silence as well. After a moment, Zeke blew a stream of air through his lips and ran his paws down and off of his face. "'I'm...sorry for the emotional dump I threw at you just know.'"

"'I've experienced worse,'" Celest replied, waving her hand dismissively. "'So...are you level headed now?'"

"'I think I'm good,'" he answered her, "'At the very least, I can think clearly now.'" He blew another stream of air through his lips before looking over to her. She looked back at him with a calm, almost blank expression. She seemed to be waiting for him, so he went on. "'I just...can't see any way around the situation. So it might be time for...that rule...'"

Celest nodded solemnly. "'I understand. Just know that the morphs most likely will not take kindly to the decision.'"

"'Heh, I wouldn't either,'" he admitted in a bitter-sweet tone, "'but if we're going to preserve the integrity of the island's wildlife and maintain good relations with the native pokemon, then it'll just have to be something we endure... For now, we'll wait for the next batch of pokemorphs to arrive. If it really is as big as we're expecting, then...well...I'll issue the command...'"

Celest bowed in understanding. "'So then...what about...plan B?'"

Zeke didn't respond for a moment. It wasn't something he was particularly keen on thinking about. But unfortunately for him, he had to put _everything_into consideration. Letting out a grim sigh, he replied, "'We...might as well prepare for that too... Only as our last resort...'" He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "'I'm just not sure...if the world is ready for that just yet...'"

***

Back at the pond, Grovyle and Kyo were relaxing once again. The kids were also here today, so Grovyle watched as they played around with each other in and around the pond. A soft smile spread across her lips as she watched them.

"'They all look so happy,'" she commented.

"HRMM?!" Kyo jerked up in surprise, suddenly awoken from a nap he had fallen victim to. He blinked a bit and rubbed an eye with his knuckle. "Wh-what was that? What'cha say?" Grovyle chuckled before motioning towards the children with her hand. Realizing what she meant, Kyo smiled as well. "Heh, they _do_look like they're having the time of their lives." Grovyle nodded in agreement and returned her gaze to them. Eventually, she found her eyes drift over to where Ninetales and Growlix were sitting. And seeing how happy Ninetales appeared to be with her child, the grass type couldn't help but feel a sense of...longing... "Hey...Grovyle," came Kyo's voice, "Is something wrong?" Grovyle glanced back at him, contemplating whether or not she wanted to tell him. And noticing her reluctance, Kyo spoke up again. "You know," he began, "the days of me getting in your way are over now. So uh...if something's on your mind, you can tell me..."

Grovyle laughed at that, looking back at him with a grin. "'Well, I can't help but be a bit skeptical, you know?'" Kyo laughed as well, smiling at her pleasantly. Grovyle's smile gradually faded as she looked back to the kids playing in the pond. She hesitated again, reminding her self soon after that she really could tell him anything. With that in mind, she leaned back a bit and asked, "'Kyo, what are your thoughts about having kids?'"

Kyo's face began to burn up. He tried to speak, but only ended up stammering and tripping over his own words. Grovyle looked over to him with a curious, and at the same time serious, expression across her features. Eventually realizing that he should probably think before speaking, Kyo paused to formulate his thoughts. "I'm...honestly not sure if I'm ready for a responsibility like that," he began, "The thing is...in my culture, well...former culture I guess...a couple usually waits before having their first child. It's...a big responsibility to have one...and I feel like I'm just a bit too young to be having one right now..."

"'I...see...'" replied Grovyle, noticeably sinking lower into where she was sitting.

Kyo frowned; it was apparent that his answer had disappointed her. "I'm...sorry if that wasn't the answer you were looking for... I just didn't want to lie to you either..."

"'It's fine...'" she replied, sitting up a bit, "'but...do you think you'd be willing to have one...at least at one point?'"

Kyo found himself blushing again. In a rather pointless effort, he tried to turn away to hide his blush. "...Yeah...at one point...I think I would definitely have one."

"'With me?'" Grovyle asked. That made his blush vanish instantly.

He looked over to her in concern. "...What do you mean by that?"

Grovyle's gaze fell lower. "'Well...I just feel that...one day...we may end up...leaving each other..."

Kyo fully turned his attention to her, turning his body and waving his hands. "No, no, no, no. I would never want to leave you. Why would you ever think that?"

Grovyle sunk a bit lower. "'I don't know... I just...figured that it was a possibility...'"

"Grovyle..." said Kyo, "if I ever ended up having my own kid, I doubt that it'd be with anyone other than you."

"'Well...what makes you say that?'" asked Grovyle.

A blush rose to Kyo's face again. He twiddled his thumbs underneath the water before replying, "Because...well...I think you're the only one I would ever want to have one with..."

That was enough to get Grovyle blushing as well. "'I...I see...'" With both of them being so bashful at the moment, they did nothing but sit there with their faces glowing red for the next couple of seconds. Eventually, Grovyle spoke up again. She frowned slightly before saying, "'So...Kyo...would you ever consider adopting some more pokemon-like standards?'"

Kyo tilted his head. "Pokemon standards? What do you mean?"

"'Well, you're no longer living in a human society,'" she explained, "'So, I don't think anyone would judge you for having a kid now. After all, most of the morphs on the island don't really hesitate on having one. Especially because human standards don't apply here at all.'"

Kyo hesitated for a moment. That was a very valid point she had brought up. It wasn't like they were being watched here. There literally wasn't a single human here on the island. And the only other morph (that he was aware of) that was human was already mated to two females and with a child of hir own. On top of that, he had found out in their conversation that the two of them were relatively the same age. And, if it really came down to it, he wasn't obligated to tell his family back home if he were to have a child. He had already barred telling them about the fact that he was living on an island crawling with male craving, horny, and naked females, so what was a little early love making to add to the list? But...at the same time...one thought still lingered in his head.

Reluctantly, he answered her. "Grovyle..." he began, "I...I'm not sure...if I..." He closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn't bring himself to tell her. How could_he? He wasn't even sure what it would mean to them and their relationship with each other. He shook his head. _No, no more hiding anything from her. At the very least...she deserves to know... He opened his eyes and looked to the grass type sitting beside him. A concerned look was spread across her face. With an inward groan of agony, he went on. "...I don't know if I'm going to be living on this island...for the rest of my life..."

Grovyle's eyes widened in shock. Her hand immediately went over to her chest, her heart throbbing as thoughts raced through her mind. "'Kyo...'" she managed to say, "'...you...want to go...back?'"

Kyo bit his lip, turning away from her slightly. Seeing the pain on her face made his heart ache. But she had to know. He couldn't lie to her after all they had been through. "I...would like the chance to see my family again..."

Grovyle opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. She closed her mouth and looked down. This was...a lot for her to take in, and she had to take a moment to really think about the implications of what it all meant for the two of them. "'......I see......'" was all she managed to come up with for the moment. She slumped down into her spot in the pond, clearly disheartened by the statement. It nearly broke Kyo's heart seeing that, but deep down, he knew that they would have come to this conversation at one point or another. "'.........Kyo?'" Grovyle called out, causing him to look over to her. She pursed her lips before continuing. "'Kyo, I'm...not sure...if I'd be willing to follow you there...if you were to leave...'" Kyo's heart dropped. Grovyle looked back to him, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "'Kyo, you...already know how I feel about humans after what I've been through...'"

"I know... I know..." Kyo sighed, "and I understand that. I understand that you were treated unfairly, and that scarred you, as well as your perception of humans in general." Kyo's gaze fell down to his lap again. "It's just..." He sighed. "...I would really like to see my family again..." Grovyle stared back at him, letting out a sigh of her own. Wordlessly, she scooted over and leaned against him. After she did, Kyo leaned against her as well, resting his chin atop her head. Underneath the water, she reached out and rested her hand on his thigh.

"'Welp,'" she began, "'it looks like we've found our next problem between us...huh?'"

"Yeah..." Kyo said solemnly. He laughed a bit, trying his best to lighten up the mood. "But hey, if we were able to work things out with our first problem, then this one should be easy to resolve...right?"

Grovyle nuzzled his neck slightly, ignoring the slight stings it brought about in favor of getting closer to him. "I really hope so...because I still really like you..."

Kyo couldn't help but blush. She really did care for him. It was no wonder she had such a hard time reminding him of her past. "You'd...like my family as well," he reluctantly continued, "They're really nice, and they were really accepting of me after my change..."

"'I don't doubt that,'" Grovyle replied, pausing for a moment before lifting her head from his neck and looking to him, "'but...would they be okay with...me?_Would they be okay with you..._being with me?'" Kyo opened his mouth to reply, only to stop. She had a point. He hadn't told his family anything about her yet, or about his relationship with her. He began to feel rather worried, his lowered eye ridges showing that much. Grovyle's lips quivered as she went on. "'And you said that you had to leave your town because they rejected you... Would they even let you back in? Would they be okay with you being in a relationship with me, or even accept_me_ in the first place?'"

Kyo remained silent, his heart dropping as he realized that she was right. And he agreed with her. He left because_he wasn't accepted back into the community. He left because continuing to live there not only endangered himself, but also the people he lived _with. And if he went back, he'd just be putting his family and himself in danger once more. And if he brought Grovyle with him, that would put her in danger as well, if not more danger than himself.

"'I'm not trying to say anything negative about your family,'" Grovyle continued, "'especially after the way you described them to me. But...I'm just...so afraid of humans... I just...'" She shuddered a bit, closing her eyes. "'I just don't think I can handle living in their society...'"

Kyo let out a slight sigh. "I can't really blame you..." He slumped a little in his seat, sliding his hand over to Grovyle's and rubbing it gently. The two of them remained silent after that, allowing the sounds of the children playing in the pond to fill their ears. "I'm...sorry, Grovyle," Kyo spoke up, "I hadn't really thought about...the implications of going back... I guess I was just...really wanted to go back..."

"'...I'm sorry too,'" said Grovyle, "'I should've at least considered your feelings as well... I guess I was also blinded by my desires... I don't really know why I want to have a child so badly... Probably just because most...if not all of the other morphs I've met so far already have kids of their own.'"

Kyo nodded again. "Don't worry... I understand..." Silence fell upon the two of them for another moment.

"'...Kyo?'" Grovyle called to him, making him glance over to her, "'Please...don't ever leave me...'"

Hearing this, Kyo immediately sat up once more. "Wh-why would you think I would?" he asked in concern. Grovyle looked up from her lap with tears gathering in her eyes.

"'B...because it's starting to seem...like we won't be able to work this issue out... And the thought of you leaving me... It scares me...'" She began to shudder as the gathered tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Kyo scooted closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"H-hey," he said, "c-come on now. Didn't I tell you? I would never want to leave you... Yes, we've run into another rough spot. But...we got over our first one." Grovyle sniffled slightly, wiping some tears away from her eyes. Seeing this, Kyo moved even closer and wrapped his arms protectively around her. When he continued, he spoke in a softer voice. "Just don't worry...alright? We're gonna be able to work this out together... I promise..."

Grovyle smiled at him, sniffling once. "'...Thank you, Kyo... I just...'" Her lips quivered momentarily, "'I just don't want to lose you...'"

"I don't want to lose you either..." Kyo replied, hugging her gently. They nuzzled up against each other, holding each other in a loving embrace. After a while, they separated and looked into each other's eyes. They remained there for a while, almost forgetting what they were doing there in the first place. Then, without warning, Grovyle moved forward and wrapped her lips around his in a soft kiss. Kyo's eyes widened in surprise before they drifted closed, leaning forward a little and returning the kiss. It wasn't like the one she had given him the first time they met. No tongues were wrestling against each other. No one was fighting for dominance. It was just...a gentle...loving kiss. It felt like a heavenly, blissful eternity before she parted their kiss, with her cheeks burning bright. Though, unsurprisingly, Kyo's cheeks were burning even brighter than hers. He opened his mouth to try and say something, but all he managed was an unintelligible "Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh." It made Grovyle giggle and smile at him. It took the water type a good minute before he was able to come up with something to say. "I-I'm gonna...go tread the...the um...wh-what was it ca--OH right." He knocked his knuckle against his forehead. "I-I'm gonna go tread the water for a bit...if...that's ok with you..."

"'Alright,'" Grovyle replied with a pleasant laugh, "'Go ahead. I'll be here waiting for you.'" Kyo bowed in thanks before stepping out of the water, his legs going wobbly for a bit before he managed to straighten out. Grovyle laughed again and sat back down, leaning back and resting her arms along the edges of the shore as Kyo walked over to the emptier side of the pond. As she sat back, she watched the children laugh and play with each other, still unable to ignore the sense of longing she felt deep in her heart.

***

Over at the docks, Zeke was nervously standing in wait for the S.S. Gyrados. Standing behind him were Ben the Bastiodon and Trey the Nidoking, both of whom he called in to help with unloading supplies. Off to his side was Celest, who was clearly far calmer than he. Whilst Zeke's eyes flickered here and there, Celest's eyes remained closed. Zeke's heart was racing and Celest's beat steadily. No one said anything to each other, not that it would have helped to make Zeke any less nervous. Today they would see for themselves how big the newest group was. They had been told that it was a larger group than their last one, and that group had already held a large cluster. To know that the incoming group was larger than that one was...concerning to say the least. Zeke wanted to remain calm, but with all of the recent conflicts he had been forced to resolve, it was difficult for him to not think about what this incoming group meant for the morphs on the island.

But he did stop. He stopped very abruptly. As soon as a familiar silhouette came into view, all of his thoughts were thrown out the window. The S.S. Gyrados was here, and already he could see the large crowd of morphs gathered on the deck of the ship. His heart thudded in his chest. He prayed that he was seeing the entire group, and not just some section of it. Before he knew it, the Gyrados was docked, and the bridge was lowered down. After a few minutes, clusters of morphs began to file out of the ship. Zeke's heart dropped; there were so many morphs! Sixty at the least, and each one would need a hut to live in. To make things worse, morphs were _still_coming down! Beside him, Celest opened her eyes and examined the growing crowd carefully. As she did so, the Scizor, Ken, hovered over to Zeke and handed him his clipboard. The feline merely bowed in thanks before Ken hovered off to assist with the cargo.

Zeke looked back over the crowd of morphs. There really were a lot of them. He gulped a bit and opened his mouth to speak. But, when he tried, no words came out. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe evenly. After a moment, he opened back up and tried again. But still, no words came. Celest's voice suddenly sounded out. "'Zeke, are you alright?'" The Persian closed his eyes again and eased a breath out.

"'Yeah...I'm fine.'"

"'I know you're lying, Zeke,'" she commented. Zeke laughed nervously and looked over to her.

"'Well...my mood doesn't really change anything anyways...'" Returning his attention to the crowd, he cleared his throat and tried to speak up once more, this time doing so successfully. "'Greetings, everyone! My name is Zeke, and I would like to welcome you all to the island. I'm one of the island leaders here, and I'm going to be acting as your guide for today. Now...I'd like to inform everyone that that we are having a bit of issues at the moment with...fitting everyone in here, so I apologize for any inconveniences that may come your way in the near future. We're trying our best to help everyone find comfortable living arrangements on the island, so we could really use your cooperation in order to pull that off...'" The morphs all looked amongst each other silently, muttering and exchanging words. Zeke felt he knew what it was they were talking about, and it didn't help him feel any less calm. He cleared his throat nervously, trying to catch everyone's attention once more. "'Now, everyone, please follow me. And be sure to stay together as a group whilst I give you all a tour.'"

At that, Trey and Ben went off to go help with the cargo, passing by the crowd of morphs as they followed Zeke's lead. Celest silently hovered over to his side and looked to him with concern. "'Are you going to be alright on your own?'"

"'I'll be fine, Celest...'"

The psychic type narrowed her eyes at him. "'You're lying again.'"

Zeke smiled and glanced over to her. "'...I know...'" Celest breathed in deeply and sighed out steadily. She nodded in acknowledgement before excusing herself and hovering her way back to the ship to help out with the cargo. Zeke watched her as she left, sighing to himself internally before looking over to the crowd and elevating his voice for them as he began their tour.

***

Over at the pond, Kyo was once again sitting peacefully with Grovyle. This time around, though, they were alone, for the children as well as the morphs watching the, had left. Now, they were just sitting back and relaxing. Whilst Kyo sat back casually, Grovyle leaned her head against his shoulder. It was nice, quiet, and much more peaceful in comparison to when the kids--

"Heeeeeeyyyy,'" called someone happily, startling the pair of morphs and making them jolt. They turned around to see Rina, the Zoroark, who wiggled her fingers at the pair. "'My, my, so _who_is the one who has stolen away my shy, little stud from me?'" She giggled playfully before walking over to them and sticking her foot in between them, slowly lowering herself into the water as a way of telling them that she wanted in. Not left with much time (or choice), the two of them scooted away from each other to allow her room. Once she was settled in, she let out a happy sigh and wrapped her arms around the two of them. She then turned over to Kyo and greeted him, "'Hello, my little gator flavor.'"

Kyo blushed and stammered for a moment. "H-hey Rina... L-long time no see, huh?"

"'Oh too long,'" she answered jokingly, letting out a laugh and rubbing his shoulder with her paw, "'So, who's _this_that you've been hanging out with?'"

Kyo began to stammer again. "W-well, she's my girl-uhhh-I'm her booo-uhh-we're maaa-nooo--"

Grovyle sighed before cutting in. "'I'm Grovyle, a close friend of his.'"

"'Aaaahh, I see,'" Rina replied, tilting her head thoughtfully, "'So are the two of you mates then?'" That was enough to get Grovyle blushing as well. Both she and Kyo ended up turning away bashfully, their cheeks practically glowing red.

"'W...well,'" she began, "'no...we aren't...'"

"'Ohh,'" said Rina, smiling and raising a brow.

"'N-not yet anyways,'" Grovyle quickly added, making Rina's smile wider.

"'Oooooooooh,'" she said with a thoughtful nod, "'I seeeeeeee.'"

Grovyle huffed and gave her a look. "'Ok, so...who are you exactly? I don't believe we've met before.'"

Rina smiled mischievously. "'Oh, honey, if we ever did meet, I'm sure it'd be an experience you'd never forget.'" The grass type narrowed her eyes at her, making the vixen's smile widen. She flicked her ears and sat back slightly. "'I'm Rina, one of the island leaders here, and also a close friend of Kyo's.'" Upon hearing this, Grovyle's eyes widened in surprise. She looked over to Kyo, who was extremely flustered by the situation at hand.

"W-well," he stammered, "I-I mean we are friends...b-but I don't think I'd say she's as close as...you know...you and I are..." And upon hearing that, Rina pouted at him and whimpered.

"'Awww,'" she booed mockingly, "'so you don't see us as close friends then?'" She clasped her paws together and leaned her cheek against them, batting her eyes at him sadly. Kyo began to stammer again, unsure of how to react.

"Well I...I mean I guess we're...fairly close?" he managed to add. Rina instantly "changed" moods, happily clapping her paws together and squealing lightly.

"'Oh YAY,'" she cheered, "'We're CLOSE friends!'" She suddenly unhooked her arm from Grovyle and hugged Kyo tightly, shoving his face into her generously sized bust (or perhaps the other way around?). As Kyo's face lighted up like a Christmas tree, Grovyle growled lowly to herself in jealousy.

"'Okay then, Rina,'" she spoke up, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible, "'so what do you do as an island leader?'"

"'Oh, everyone,'" she answered, perking up and looking over to her with Kyo still in her arms (and bust), "'Anyone that asks anyway.'" She giggled slightly. "'You see, I'm in charge of keeping the morphs at peace, so that means socializing with them as much as possible. And in order to do that, I sometimes have to help satiate certain...urges...'" She wiggled her eyebrows at Gwen, making her bite her lip and blush. "'And today was a particularly busy day, so I'm taking the chance to unwind now. OH, and how lucky I was to have run into my most favorite reptile of all time! The Sexysaurus rex!'"

"...Can I sit back up now?" asked Kyo, his voice muffled by her flesh mounds. Rina giggled and glanced down at him.

"'Ohhh, couldn't you just stay there for a little bit longer?'" she giggled, "'Besides, I was hoping you'd be up for a little playtime.'"

"HMMM?!" exclaimed Kyo, still muffled by her chest. She giggled again.

"'Oh you know what I mean. Just because I came here to relax doesn't mean that I'm not up for a little bit of fun.'" Kyo managed to pry himself free from the milk-maker-mash and gave her a look.

"C-come on, Rina," he replied hesitantly, "y-you know I'm not really that open yet..." Just behind the vixen, Grovyle was glaring daggers at her, her eye ridge twitching every now and then.

Rina clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "'Fine,'" she said, "'your other girlfriend can join in too.'" Kyo stammered uncontrollably upon hearing that, his face bright red as he fished around for the right words to say. Having had enough of the dark type's antics, Grovyle firmly placed her hand on her shoulder and pulled her way from Kyo. Caught off guard, she looked back at her with a surprised look on her face.

"'Okay,'" Grovyle said to her, "'clearly he isn't looking for any of that.'"

"'Oh?'" said Rina, raising a brow, "'What makes you so sure about that? I mean he hasn't even said 'no' yet.'" At that, the two females looked over to him, making him freeze as he realized the pressure was on him.

"Ddddeuuuuuuuuuhhhh," he began, his brain completely abandoning him in his time of need, "You see-I don't even-I can't decide when-maybe we can-No we should-I think we should-How should we do--"

Rina smirked and looked back to Grovyle. "'See? He hasn't opposed the idea yet.'" Grovyle grew that much more frustrated with the island leader, her hands balled up into tight fists before she spoke again.

"'LOOK, he's NOT looking for a relationship with anyone else right now,'" she said firmly, looking to Kyo for support, "'Right?'" Though still stumbling over his words, the water type managed to nod in confirmation. Once he did, Grovyle smiled triumphantly and looked over to Rina. However, instead of a look of recognition, the vixen merely broke into laughter.

"'A relationship?!'" she managed to get in between laughs, "'Honey, all I'm looking for is some more frisky fun. I don't wanna get tied down or anything like that. How's that any fun? Besides, there's no harm in sharing. It's like the humans say: sharing is caring.'" Grovyle opened her mouth to respond, only to realize she didn't have a response in the first place. Not even so much as a counterargument. She sank back a bit from where she sat as this realization hit her. "'And let's not forget,'" Rina continued, looking over to Kyo, "'we are pokemon. It's normal for us to do things like that. There aren't any humans here to judge us, so we can do anything we want risk free.'" Grovyle and Kyo looked to each other for a moment, and then looked away. A brief, but almost deafening, silence fell between them all. All the while, Rina glanced back and forth between the two morphs. "'So? Are you all up for it?'"

Kyo suddenly stood, disturbing the water and surprising Rina from the abruptness. She looked over to him with a smile, looking up to him with high hopes. "Maybe another time, Rina," Kyo answered dully, "I've got...stuff to do." Rina raised a brow, but Kyo paid no mind to it. "Come on, Grovyle," he said without so much as a glance towards either of the females, "...let's go." Grovyle nodded before standing as well, following Kyo as he stepped out of the water silently.

"'O-oh umm,'" Rina stammered, "'O-okay then, honey! Y-you two have fun with uhhh...whatever it is you're doing! B-bye bye! Catch ya later hun!'" Kyo only waved his hand in a goodbye as they walked away.

***

Kyo hadn't actually had anything to do; they were just walking towards their huts. And for the entire time, Kyo didn't utter a single word. Grovyle kept her silence as well, but more due to her growing confusion and concern over what was going on with him. Sure, he wasn't the most talkative morph on the island, but he had been much more open to her since the tournament ended. The fact that he hadn't explained what was going on back at the pond, and the fact that he still hadn't told her up to this point was beginning to worry her.

Suddenly, he came to a stop, almost causing Grovyle to walk into him. She looked to him, noticing his body language had sufficiently changed. His tail hung limp, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes were seemingly glued to his feet. Her concern growing even further, Grovyle placed a hand on his shoulder. "'...Kyo?'" she called to him. He didn't look up.

"...Can I ask you something?" he asked. Grovyle rubbed at his shoulder gently.

"'Of course,'" she answered, "'What is it?'" Again, he didn't look up. A moment passed before he spoke up again.

"Grovyle...what are we?" She blinked, confused by his question.

"'W...what are we?'" she asked, "'...What do you mean by that? I...I don't understand.'" At that, Kyo turned to her, and they looked right into each other's eyes.

"What are we to each other?" he asked, his voice faltering slightly. He choked a bit as he went on. "A-are we mates? Boyfriend and girlfriend? S...something?" Tears began to fall from his eyes, and he felt his throat begin to close up on him. Grovyle began to feel similar as she witnessed him begin to break down.

"'I...I still don't understand,'" she said gently, "'What is it that you're asking me?'"

Kyo closed his eyes and turned away, wiping away some of his tears with his forearm. "We...we're friends...right?" he asked, "we're at least that, right?"

Grovyle stepped closer to him and slid her hand over to his other shoulder. "'Of course we are, Kyo... Without a doubt...'" Kyo sniffled slightly, taking a moment to even out his breathing.

"A-are we...close friends?" he asked.

"'Mmhm,'" Grovyle replied with a nod, "'I'd say we are.'"

"...How close though?" Kyo asked in a low tone, catching the grass type off guard.

"'How...close?'" She pondered what he meant by that, unable to find an answer to the question. Kyo turned to her again, his eyes ridden with tears.

"G...Grovyle," he went on, his voice almost failing him, "I-I don't...want to be the one...holding you back from getting--" He stopped for a moment, the lump in his throat making it difficult to speak. "...I don't want...to keep you from...getting what you want..." He sniffled and wiped his nose, continuing before Grovyle could respond. "I felt...terrible for doing that to you during the days before the tournament...so I can't stand the thought of doing it again...accidently or otherwise..."

"'Kyo...'" said Grovyle, absolutely baffled by how he was acting, and completely unsure why he was doing so. Cringing, Kyo turned away from her again.

"Grovyle..." he went on, "I...I know your heat cycles have been getting worse for you lately..." Grovyle covered her muzzle with her hand, trying to hide the shock that had felt upon hearing that. How had he known? Her question was quickly answered ad Kyo continued. "I've noticed how you've been suppressing yourself outside of your hut... Grovyle...you're my friend...so I don't want to be the one holding you back from what you want... I don't want you to just..._tie_yourself down to me if it means putting you through this... B...besides, you--" He chocked suddenly, forcing him to pause for a moment. "...You can even get...the child you've been wanting sooner... Let's be honest...it'd probably take me too long for me to be ready for one..." Grovyle couldn't believe her ears. What she was hearing was breaking her heart. Tears began to rush down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak up, but again, Kyo beat her to the punch.

"I'm not gonna lie... I've definitely had thoughts about other females on the island," he admitted reluctantly, "even_after_ we decided to hook up with each other. I feel guilty for doing that...but I just can't push those thoughts away! Not with so many other females here... So, you could say that I...can relate to your heat in some ways..." He wiped his nose again. "I...I know that pokemon here don't really form strong relationships with their mates...so...I can learn to get used to you--" He chocked again, forcing him to stop momentarily. "I can get used to you...leaving me to find better mates. It'll probably be better for the both--" He stopped again, but instead of it being due to his own body, it was to look at Grovyle as she rushed to his side and hugged him tightly from behind. "...Grovyle?"

"'No, Kyo,'" she said to him firmly, shaking her head multiple times, "'No way am I doing that... Not after all we've been through together...'" She paused as she tried to keep her tears from preventing her to speak. "'I've always wanted to...to be with you...ever since we started talking... Th-that's why I've been...suppressing myself. I-I thought that if I didn't...then you'd end up feeling uncomfortable around me... Maybe even intimidated by me... I mean, I raped you before... So I thought that if I started...you know...advancing on you, then you'd be reminded of that and...feel scared...'"

"N...no," Kyo denied, turning towards her and placing his hands on her sides, "Those days are behind us. I understand that you have needs to be satisfied."

"'And I know you have needs as well,'" Grovyle went on, her voice faltering slightly, "'so I don't want you to tie yourself down to me if it means suppressing your needs. Look, I...the only reason I fended off Rina was because I thought she was making you uncomfortable with the way she was acting.'" She blushed a little and looked away slightly. "'Plus...I...I might've been feeling...a little jealous...'" Kyo couldn't help but smile at that. Grovyle shook her head again and continued. "'B-but I can put those feelings aside. I-I don't want to get in the way of what you want either...'"

It was Kyo's turn to shake his head. "No, no, no, no. That's not what I was trying to say. I get those urges too, but it's just because there's so many...um...promiscuous females here. So it just gets a little difficult to ignore my hormones from time to time." He looked into the grass type's eyes and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I don't mean that I struggle the same way you do. I...I'm just saying that I want you to be happy, and that I don't want to be the one in the way of your happiness..."

Grovyle smiled brightly at him, with a large amount of tears welling up in her eyes. After wiping them away, she gently said to him, "'And I want you to be happy as well...'" Kyo smiled back at her, and they stared into each other's eyes for a while. Neither of them minded the silence, as it was something they had grown accustomed to through the duration of their time together. But soon, they found themselves inching their muzzles closer to each other, getting close enough to feel each other's breaths roll across their necks. Their lips eventually met, and they shared a gentle and loving kiss. Their eyes fell closed, and they held each other closely. It was a sweet moment that grew increasingly passionate as they went on. The kiss slowly deepened, and they eventually found each other's tongues in each other's mouths. They kissed again and again, and they drew their bodies even closer. Eventually, they broke away from each other and looked into each other's eyes.

"...I love you, Grovyle," Kyo sighed softly, not really realizing that he had said it aloud before it was too late. The grass type blushed brightly.

"'I...I love you too, Kyo,'" she said with a smile, making his heart flutter, "'so I'm willing to follow you wherever you go... Even if it means...going back to your home...'"

Kyo chocked, completely caught off guard from this statement. "But...G-Grovyle...you don't have to..."

"'But I want to,'" she replied, "'and the thought of having you deal with the hate from the humans there...all by yourself... It feels...scarier than the thought of being hated there...'" Kyo's heart fluttered again. She was serious. She really did love him.

"Th...thank you, Grovyle," he said to her, his voice almost failing him, "b...but _only_if you're comfortable with it...should the time come..."

Grovyle smiled and trailed her hand down his back. "'As long as you're there by my side, then it'll be fine.'" Kyo smiled at her.

"...Thank you, Grovyle," he said gratefully, "and I promise, as soon as I'm ready, I'll give you the child you're wishing for." Grovyle smiled back at him, tears of happiness spilling from her eyes.

"'Th...'" she stopped, choking a bit on the lump in her throat, "'thank you Kyo... Th...thank you so--'" She stopped again, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "'Thank you so much.'" At that, they went in for another kiss, this one _far_more intense than the first one. They pressed their bodies flush up against each other's, and their tongues began to wrestle. And it grew deeper and deeper until they were forced to breathe through their nostrils. Kyo's hands found the back of Grovyle's head, and her hands found his neck and shoulders. She grinded up against him, and he coiled his tail around her leg. Their kiss didn't separate, only slightly parting for gasps of air. Once they finally stopped, the two of them were panting heavily with a trial of their saliva clinging to their tongues.

"I..." panted Kyo, his cheeks flushed red in a fiery blush, "I think now would...be a good time...to relieve some tensions..."

"'...Agreed,'" panted Grovyle, her cheeks just as red as his, "'...Do you think...you could help me out this time?'"

Kyo's length throbbed at the request. "I...I'd love to..." At that, Grovyle smiled and went in for another hungry kiss. After they separated, the two of them hurried into one of their huts. Which one was it? It didn't matter to them anymore. At the end of the day, a hut was a hut, a place to stay. A place to live. And you live with people you love and care deeply for. And that was why it didn't matter to them now, nor would it matter for a long time.

Because they were together, and wanted to be together, no matter where they went.

***