FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Pokémon trades. Anyone who’d been a trainer for a while was familiar with the idea - one trainer swapping their Pokémon with one from another trainer. Sometimes directly, sometimes through various types of trade services, but however it was accomplished, the basic idea was the same - one Pokémon for another. And that was frequently what discouraged trades, because many traders were loath to part with a Pokémon they’d come to connect with so strongly. After all, trainers were encouraged to bond and connect with their Pokémon, and many took that to heart, especially when a tight bond could literally be the difference between life and death.

But sometimes, things didn’t work out that well. Pokémon and trainers alike could take different trajectories, and grow apart rather than growing closer. And that was something that could lead to a trade, especially when both parties wanted it equally. Such was the case for Brian and his Magmar Pharly…things had started off well enough years back, when a younger Brian went off with a Magby to see the world. They’d had some adventures, and had bonded over them for a long time…but the relationship had started to fall apart in recent years, as Brian felt the call of stability in his life and a dissatisfaction with the endless travels, while Pharly had been getting less and less tolerant of human society. Their arguments had been growing steadily more heated, until Brian had threatened to trade him away and Pharly had demanded it. Even when Brian had attempted to walk it back, the Magmar had insisted - and that was that, more or less. All that remained was how to go about it.

All the options had ups and downs. Trade Roulette was the easiest to pull off, requiring no extra legwork to make the trade happen, but you had no control over what you got in return, with no guarantee of things improving as a result. Direct trades allowed for better specific matching, but they took a lot more work and there were far fewer options. A Global Trade Service system was in place, which was supposed to be a happy medium between the two, but there was a disconnect between available Pokémon and desired Pokémon - it was well-known that some Pokémon would be traded for in a flash, and others could go a long time before finding any takers. Still, it seemed like the best option for Brian, who didn’t really want to take the chance on Trade Roulette. There was something he needed to do, though, which was put in which Pokémon he was seeking - he couldn’t put up on offer without having something for others to match to. Brian couldn’t say he was THAT picky, but without a few selections, there was no way he could complete his part.

After putting some thought into it, Brian was able to at least come to a conclusion: he wanted a partner who was more laid-back and easygoing. Pharly’s hot-headedness had become fairly off-putting to him, and he felt like a more relaxed Pokémon was more likely to accept Brian’s turn towards a more mundane lifestyle. A few types of Pokémon tended to be more likely to be like that - Ice, Rock, Ground, Steel, arguably Water. After mulling over a few options, Brian put in his requests. Perhaps an Alolan Sandslash, a Rhydon, a Prinplup or Empoleon, these seemed like decent prospects to him…and then it was all about the wait.

And there WAS a wait…it was over a week before he got any bites. But at least the first bite seemed to be promising - a trainer who was offering a Rhydon named Rundan. Said promise seemed to take a hit when communicating with the trainer revealed some issues - that the Rhydon was unusual for its kind, and wasn’t particularly cooperative or willing to listen to trainers and had a rather surly attitude. That had Brian leery, of course - trading for a Pokémon with known attitude issues was a dicey prospect in the best of times. It had almost been enough to tell the other trainer no thanks, but a timely row between himself and Pharly pushed his hand the other direction - it was too clear that the Magmar needed to be out of his life, for both their sakes. A few more messages and things were set.

The deal was executed at a Trade Station, a spot designed for trading across the wide beyond once things had been set up. All Brian needed to do was connect to the other trainer through their ID and place the ball in the trade module, and once the other had done the same, the trade would commence automatically. There was no long goodbye between him and his longtime companion - that ship had sailed long ago. Brian just hoped that the hello would be a lot easier, though he anticipated there might be a bit of a climb to that…Rundan sounded like he wasn’t too easy to work with, after all. But, if he just didn’t want to do much, that was fine with Brian - he didn’t need a constant guardian, just a Pokémon that would at least help protect his home and provide some companionship. Maybe he was just the right fit for the Rhydon…

It didn’t take long for Pharly’s ball to zap into the aether, and then another one to form in the module. And that was the first surprise - Rundan was in a Master Ball. Those were pretty rarely used, often reserved by those lucky enough to happen on one for the rarest of opportunities - a Rhydon didn’t really seem like the type to garner that kind of interest. But he took it and brought it home with him, preparing himself for the first meeting, and hoping he could leave a good impression on his new companion. If he couldn’t…well, he’d have to make do for a while, trades had a cooldown period to prevent abuse and he was locked in for a little while. So he was hoping that it would at least be manageable as he stepped inside and opened the ball to say hello to Rundan.

He was in no way prepared for what he saw.

Rundan was certainly a Rhydon, to be sure - it wasn’t as if he’d been hoodwinked. But Brian had been expecting a very typical Rhydon - a big, rocky beast that was mostly slate gray except for a whiter belly. Perhaps there had been a very outside chance of a shiny Rhydon, which was more of a sandstone color instead of slate gray, but that was about the only variation that he could even have conceived of. What came out instead was unlike any Rhydon Brian had ever seen: where an ordinary Rhydon would be gray, Rundan was a brickish red, and the plated armor of his body was studded with what looked like glittering rubies of various shapes and sizes. The normally white parts of his stomach area were slightly red-tinted as well. But his horn and nails were what stood out most, looking like they were entirely made of ruby that glinted in the light. It had Brian spellstruck, slack-jawed and agape at what he was seeing, not quite sure he was believing what his eyes were telling him.

Rundan seemed to believe it, though, as he let out a snort and folded his arms. “Great. Another one. You wanna pick your jaw up off the floor and introduce yourself like someone who’s NOT a clown?”

“Uh? Oh…” Brian shook his head to kick his brain back into gear. “S-sorry…I…I’ve just…I’ve never seen a Rhydon like you before…”

“Of course you haven’t. No one has. And I’m really starting to regret that anyone did.” Rundan was pretty grumbly, and Brian was starting to remember what he’d been told about Rundan - uncooperative and surly. And clearly, his reaction was not helping.

“Well, I, uh…I’m glad to meet you, Rundan. My name’s Brian, and…well, I’m your trainer now.”

“Fantastic. We’ll see how long that actually lasts.”

“Uh? It’s…kinda early to be giving up on that, don’t you think?”

Rundan snorted again. “Uh-huh, sure. Big dumb brute can’t possibly have pattern recognition, can he? I know that look in your eyes - it’s the look of ‘I’ve just found my cash cow.’ Well, you can forget it, buster - I’m not handing anything over to you. I’m not here to be a gem farm for you to get rich off of, so you can just suck it up and endure the disappointment like all the rest of them.”

Brian blinked a bit at Rundan. “What…that’s not what…why would you even think I’d think that?”

“Because that’s what they all think. Because apparently that’s all I’m good for to humans. They get visions of riches when they get me, and then ditch me once it’s clear I won’t put out for them. I’m done hoping for any different, at this point I just want to find my way back home without any of you nutcases following me. So let me know when you’re done trying to think of ways to win me over so I start handing you gems, so I can shoot down all those lame and tired entreaties and get to the end of things already.”

Rundan turned and stomped off outside, plopping himself down in the yard with his back turned to Brian. The human just stared at him, the glittering rubies even more prominent in the sunlight, making the ruby Rhydon even more of an eye-catching specimen…but clearly that was a sore spot for him. Brian wasn’t sure what was going on exactly, but he did know that Rundan had already formed an opinion about him…one that he was sure wasn’t flattering, at that. And that meant that Brian had some work to do, because the last thing he wanted was to have another Pokémon at odds with him, especially for the wrong reasons.

How could I be thinking of him as a…moneymaker or something when I didn’t even know what I was getting? I hope I can get through to him that I don’t care about that. Even if there was something rather alluring about those gemstones…

———

One thing was rapidly clear: trying to get along with Rundan was going to be an uphill climb. And Brian knew there was only one way to deal with steep hills, and that was to take it slow and steady. So he didn’t push too hard, giving Rundan space to get used to things, and trying to engage him gently. The Rhydon remained fairly distant and hostile, but would answer questions that Brian had…and that was starting to help paint a picture of just what had gotten Rundan so ornery.

According to Rundan, he was originally born quite a long ways away, in a caldera on a distant island whose location he stubbornly refused to even hint at. The caldera, apparently, was an astonishing hotbed of gemstones of so many different types, and home to a heavy variety of Rock-type Pokémon as well - and the Pokémon had taken on the qualities of the environment around them, becoming significantly altered towards having gemstone qualities of their own. Some of them even more extensively than Rundan, who was fairly tame by comparison - to hear the Rhydon tell it, some of them had virtually entire bodies that looked like giant gemstones. It was quite unheard of among the rest of the world, and the Pokémon preferred it that way, it seemed; Rundan was the first one to have actually left the caldera in decades, if not even into the century mark. Of course, part of that was knowing that humans were rather covetous of gemstones and that they were at risk of being captured and abused for what they had, and not wanting to lead humans to their location to loot their homes…there was a pretty strong discouragement of ever indulging in wanderlust.

Rundan was one of the rare ones who hadn’t listened. He wanted to see more of the world than just that little island, and while he hadn’t been invested in the idea of being trained necessarily, he wasn’t averse to finding someone who knew said world a little better and could help him out. So he’d found his way out and onto a larger landmass, trying to be guarded since he knew what kind of attention his appearance was liable to bring, but determined to stick it out and have a more fulfilling life…by now, though, he seemed to be having pretty significant regrets.

And of course, it was prior trainers who were largely to blame for that.

Hearing the bitterness in the Rhydon’s voice when he talked about the humans who’d tried to ‘train’ him before was uncomfortable, to say the least. It seemed that he’d been hoping that the rumors about how he might be treated were exaggerations or even lies…hopes that hadn’t been realized from the start. Brian was the sixth trainer that Rundan had been tied to, and the prior five had been rather disastrous experiences, starting with the first one to catch him…Rundan hadn’t really fought it at the time, hoping to engage in some kind of partnership, but the jerkass who’d caught him had almost immediately started demanding the rubies on his body, imagining he could sell them for big bucks, and was trying to parade him around as a trophy at the same time, insisting that it was a sign of his great wealth and status that he could possess such a fascinating specimen. The obnoxiousness had grown quickly tiresome and Rundan had demanded a trade or release, which the trainer had resisted for a long time until someone else had stepped in and forced it to happen.

Round two, however, had been no better than the first - the trainer had traded Rundan to a friend of his, who was pretty similar in terms of personality and annoyance. It had been the same story all over again for the most part, except for a harder push on harvesting from his body. Something that would become a recurring theme for Rundan, and which he would refuse every time on principle…the Rhydon conceded that it wasn’t really harmful for him, the rubies studding his hide were organic growths that naturally dropped off from time to time and he also shed from his horn and nails routinely, so it wasn’t as if he was lacking for materials he COULD give. But he didn’t want to be seen as just something to be used to profit off of like that, and even if he didn’t need them, he refused to give up those parts of him to anyone. When the second trainer had kept trying to push the issue, he demanded a trade again, and this time through Trade Roulette, so he didn’t get saddled with another one of that group.

At first, that seemed like it had paid off - the third trainer started out better, having heard about the stories of the previous two and saying he wasn’t like that and he wouldn’t ask Rundan to give up his rubies like that. Unfortunately, the operative word there seemed to be ‘ask’, because Rundan had woken up one day to find the trainer prying some rubies off of him - and when he’d read the trainer the riot act, he had the audacity to get upset that Rundan cared, because it wasn’t like he NEEDED them, and the human allegedly needed them a whole lot more than he did. Another trade demand had swiftly followed, but trainer four had been little better, quickly ratcheting up the pressure on Rundan to surrender rubies to him because he was broke and needed the money…except Rundan knew he was broke because he was an inveterate spendthrift who couldn’t resist an impulse buy to save his life, and he wasn’t going to indulge that. Trainer five, similarly, had quickly started trying to guilt Rundan into providing for him, trying to say he wasn’t going to force anything but laying it on thick about how he could really use the support and that it would be such a minor thing to do that would have such a major impact for him, and then getting steadily more hostile when Rundan continued to refuse.

With all this becoming clearer, Brian was having an easier time understanding why Rundan was so pessimistic about things and unwilling to get close to him - he’d been burned so many times already that he didn’t believe there even was anything but fire left for him. And of course, that made it tough for him to provide reassurance that he wouldn’t be the same - after all, how much weight did those words carry when they’d been said so hollowly before? The reality was that Rundan wouldn’t trust him until he’d shown that he could be trusted, and that was a high bar to clear for the human after all that…so the only thing he could do was try to let it go at its own pace.

So, that was what Brian did. He gave Rundan his space, letting the Rhydon have his private area in the house where he didn’t enter, and asserted he wouldn’t unless Rundan asked him to or there was an issue that couldn’t be ignored. He engaged Rundan in conversation but didn’t push it if Rundan wasn’t interested, and didn’t try to beg for attention from him or make repeated entreaties for his trust. Food was made available, but he didn’t make Rundan eat that, and let the Rhydon go out foraging if that was his preference - which seemed to be more often than not, though Brian noticed that occasionally the offered berries disappeared at some point, and he was pretty sure he didn’t have Rattatas hanging around. He would occasionally ask if Rundan needed anything, but accepted the grunted refusals - it wasn’t as if he wasn’t self-sufficient enough, Brian didn’t need to play pet owner. Everything was designed to try to make the ruby Rhydon as comfortable as possible, and hopefully prove that he didn’t need to worry about Brian.

It wasn’t exactly monumental results, but Rundan seemed to be getting a little less guarded over the couple of months that Brian engaged in his conservative campaign. He was still distant, but was starting to voluntarily associate with Brian, and talk with him a little less harshly. It was still gradual, but it had Brian encouraged…but he knew he needed to be careful, because it was still at the point where one mistake could upend everything - and he needed to make sure he didn’t make it.

———

Of course, naturally, the universe was going to put that to the test.

In his post-trainer days, Brian had taken towards a more stable life, but not necessarily a less active one. Physical labor was what he gravitated towards, his focus on landscaping and construction and home repair but also dabbling in other projects, and consulting with folks on their needs. His work was reviewed well, generally - apart from the rare case where a difficult client left things sour, which was always a risk in that line of business - and he found no shortage of it, being nearby enough communities that had enough needs that his calendar was usually not empty. It wasn’t exactly the rock-solid foundation of a consistent paycheck, but he was doing well enough that he wasn’t going hungry. He’d rather hoped that his new partner might be able to help him out on the job, but it seemed unlikely that Rundan would have any interest in that - he probably wouldn’t like the exposure. But Pharly hadn’t been willing to get involved either, so Brian was used to going it alone, and that was what he continued to do.

The biggest asset he had in this was his truck. A rugged blue pickup, it was Brian’s old reliable - it carried all of his tools, was great for transporting supplies, and was critical for actually getting to the jobs. He put it to work every day, and tried to make sure it was treated right, taking it in for work when he had an open day. While things had gone bad here and there, it had never been severe enough that it had put him in a bind, and he was able to get things fixed up before long.

It was on his way back from just finishing a job that it happened, though. A loud grinding sound from somewhere underneath, a sudden rumbling, and Brian found himself losing control, unable to stop. He went off the road and over a couple of moguls, giving him a powerful rock before the truck came to a rest. Brian fortunately hadn’t been badly hurt, apart from a few bruises, but something had clearly gone very wrong with his old reliable. It had taken a good bit of effort to even get it towed due to the off-road incident, and he’d needed to pay for that and for a ride home, leaving him a bit out of sorts - his truck had some pretty significant body damage from the mishap, and that was before whatever had gone wrong that had sent him there.

It had taken a couple of days to get the news…and it wasn’t good.

“What do you mean, irreparable?”

“Not exactly an ambiguous word, Brian.” Reiff was Brian’s long-time mechanic, someone he’d trusted for years with the care for his old reliable. Brian was so used to hearing ‘yeah, I can take care of that’ from him that something else seemed almost unthinkable. “I’m sorry, but this just isn’t gonna happen.”

“But…why? It…how can it be that bad?”

“It’s an old vehicle, Brian, and one that’s had a lotta wear put on it. You got a lot of good life out of it. But everything reaches its end, and this truck has. Your brakes failed out there, part of one of them sheared off. Your frame was seriously damaged, to the point where it can’t be fixed, it would have to be replaced. The engine was fractured in the accident - it looks like it was already going inside, and the impact just finished it off. Your transmission’s barely hanging in there, it’s still operable but it’d be on borrowed time. Any one of these things I could figure out a way to fix, even two of them I could justify it. All of them? It’d cost you more than getting a new one. I can’t do that to you, Brian, especially since I don’t know what else might end up going in short order.”

Brian’s heart sank. He had no idea it had been THAT bad…and realistically, replacing that many key components, it almost was like he’d be getting 50% of a new car anyway, only with another 50% that had a decade of wear on it and would be more prone to failure. Logically speaking, he knew Reiff was right…but that didn’t make it easier to swallow. “I…I see. Thanks, Reiff…”

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Brian. I can recommend you some places to look, there’s some shops that have good vehicles out there.”

“Yeah…uh, yeah, send that my way. Uh…I guess I need to find a way to get my stuff outta there, then.”

“I’ll hold onto it long as you need. Stop by whenever you’re ready. Best of luck, Brian.” The phone went dead on the other end, and Brian sank into a chair, head in his hands. Reiff was doing him a solid, but he didn’t know how much it would matter - because he was pretty sure he couldn’t afford a new truck. His buffer was enough to cover a few months of regular living, but a truck was well beyond that. But if repairs were more than that, then he couldn’t go that route, either…but that meant he was stuck. He effectively couldn’t work without his truck, beyond maybe a couple of consulting opportunities but those weren’t where he really made his money. So not only was he going to be unable to afford a truck, he was going to get farther away from that the longer he had to go without.

Suddenly, his stable life seemed to be coming apart at the seams.

———

A couple more days on, and Brian was finding the news to be as bad as he thought. He’d searched online listings for vehicles, including the dealerships that Reiff had suggested, and the results were fairly depressing. Everything was outside of his price range…the dealerships promised good rates on loans, but Brian knew he couldn’t get those - he’d tried to get loans before and been told that his unsteady work was considered a risk, meaning if he was to get one, they would have pretty high payments and interest rates. Other listings which were for-cash offers were too high for him, and a few desperate attempts at negotiation or payment plans were rebuffed. There simply weren’t that many out there on offer - must people didn’t have trucks, they didn’t have need for them, and those who were selling them could pretty much name their price and find a buyer eventually.

It was making Brian feel worse than ever. The clock was ticking, and every second felt like it was drawing money away from him…that wasn’t literally true, but the longer he went without, the more of his reserve he’d have to use, and the less he’d have to offer. It felt like the world’s worst catch-22, and he didn’t know how he was going to get out of it.

Heavy footfalls near him…he looked up to see Rundan heading towards the back door. The Rhydon paused as he passed, looking at him with a quizzical look. “You look like hell.”

“…I feel like it.”

“…What happened?”

Brian sighed. “You remember I had a problem with my work truck a few days ago? Well…it’s kaput. I need a new one. But I’m…having trouble finding one in my price range. And I’m kind of stuck because I can’t do my job without one…so it’s kind of a mess.”

“Oh.” It was probably the first time that a somewhat unsympathetic response grated a bit on Brian, but he pushed it away - Rundan wouldn’t really understand, he was a Pokémon, these were things he really didn’t have context for. “Well, good luck with that.” And with that he stepped out, heading off into the back yard and off into the trees, the light glinting off of those rubies until he was shrouded in shadows.

Brian’s eyes lingered on it a little too long. The rubies…it took a beat, and then he outright slapped himself, the sting making him grimace, but not as much as the twisting in his gut. What was he thinking? Rundan had suffered enough people treating him like a money machine, how could he even THINK something like that? Then again, how could he not, when he was in a bind like this? But how garbage was that, that all that time and effort he put into trying to get Rundan to trust him, he could just…casually toss away because of his personal problems?

The last thing he needed was the addition of anger to his negative feelings, but it wasn’t receding, as he suddenly stood up from the computer and stomped into his bedroom to chastise himself more. There was only one thing he knew for sure - he COULD NOT ask that of Rundan. And if he couldn’t keep himself straight on that, then he needed to do the right thing and let Rundan go his own way.

———

The next days were the tensest ones Brian had had since his blow-up with Pharly. Day after day, spending time doing next to nothing other than looking for vehicle listings everywhere he could possibly try, without success. He tried calling places, pleading with sellers, trying to arrange something that would allow him to get somewhere, but everything seemed to be a dead end…even the three listings he found which seemed like they were just barely within his price range were nothing but daggers in his heart as all three had been sold by the time he came across them.

He was withdrawing from Rundan, avoiding the Rhydon as much as possible. It was clearly something that Rundan noticed, though he wasn’t saying anything about it…which Brian did at least slightly appreciate because more of that was just going to lay in on him worse. He alternated between agonizing temptation and crushing guilt, hating himself for even thinking of using the Rhydon like that but in his worst moments he couldn’t help but think that it would solve the problem. The number of times he’d thought about that was matched only by the number of times he was tempted to go to Rundan and tell him to go elsewhere before he proved himself no better than anyone else who’d tried to be his trainer. At this point, he wasn’t sure he even was.

About two weeks after the bad news, Brian was on the phone yet again, trying to make miracles happen. “Please! I’m just looking to set up a payment plan! I can pay you every week! I’ll pay you double the asking price total, I promise you I’m good for it!”

“You’ll pay me today or you’ll pay me never,” came the cold reply. “I’m not looking for someone trying to grift for a cheap truck. Cash up front, no exceptions.”

“Come on, please! I’ll sign a promissory note! Hell, you can put a lien on my house!”

“Empty, empty, empty. There’s only one thing I’m interested in, and that’s full payment up front. I’ll trust nothing else.”

“Please! I’m begging you, I’m at the end of my rope here!”

“What you are is wasting my time. Don’t call me again unless you have the cash.” The phone went dead, and Brian sank to his knees and dropped his head into his elbows, a frustrated cry breaking free from him as he tried to vent his agony. How could everyone in the world be so unreasonable? Or was he just that untrustworthy? Was it him? Did people just not want to deal with someone like him? It seemed almost impossible that NO ONE would parley with a person and it wasn’t a reflection on themselves somehow…what possible hope did he have, if he couldn’t work out something with someone? Everything seemed utterly hopeless at that moment, and he didn’t know what he was supposed to do.

Slowly he returned to the computer, bleary-eyed as he tried to blink away tears. The thirty-four tabs he had up seemed like false hope at this point…the call he’d just made was the lowest price he’d seen of trucks that hadn’t already been sold. He was even starting to consider small passenger cars at this point, just to get SOMEthing, but who was going to have faith in someone in his field who had such a grossly inappropriate car for the job? And it wouldn’t be nearly sufficient for a lot of things he would normally do…it seemed like just another way to screw himself over in the long run, but right now he wasn’t sure there was ever going to BE a long run…

More thudding footsteps, and he forced himself not to look their way - the last thing Rundan needed was his nonsense. But they didn’t take their usual route...instead, they came up almost behind him, and then Brian jumped a bit as a hand thudded down on the desk. Trying to compose himself, he looked up at Rundan, whose face was as unreadable as he’d ever seen it…and then as the Rhydon’s hand pulled away from the desk, he looked down, and his eyes widened. A collection of significantly-sized rubies and ruby pieces was sitting there, glinting in the light. “Wh…what…”

“Take them.” Brian looked back up at Rundan. “Take them. Sell them, or trade them, or whatever. Get what you need.”

“Wh…I…”

“No. Don’t…not now. Just take them and do what you need to do.” Rundan leaned in. “But you owe me. Understood?”

“…Y…Yes. I, I…I understand. Rundan…thank you.”

No response, Rundan straightened up, took a deep breath, and then headed out the back door as he usually did. Swallowing, Brian gathered up the rubies, stuffing them into his pocket. He wasn’t sure how much they were worth, but at the moment, that was less important than the fact that they gave him a chance. But he couldn’t help but wonder if they were going to cost him something else…his next call was a hasty one to a ride service to take him into town, to see what was going to happen next.

———

It was late into evening, the sun below the horizon when Brian returned home…in a brand-new pickup. The emotional whirlwind of the day was still sinking in for him as he exited…the highs tempered by anxiety over what they might result in.

He’d taken the rubies to a gemstone dealer in town, not sure what to expect. He definitely wasn’t ready for the jeweler’s reaction, which was akin to a five-year-old’s response to a litter of puppies. Apparently their value was far above what Brian would have anticipated, because of their source - the Pokémon-produced ruby material was not only high-quality, but dramatically more durable, making them coveted in both visual displays and practical uses. The price he had named was several times over what Brian had in his bank account…only after the fact did it occur to him that he probably could have even haggled beyond that, but perhaps it was for the best that he didn’t.

Instead, he’d taken his unexpected bonanza to the bank, deposited a fair bit of it, and took the rest to one of the dealerships Reiff had suggested. After some searching, he had found the truck he was interested in - one he’d been looking at early on but which seemed outside any reasonable chance of him getting. Now, he could pay cash for it…which the salesman clearly hadn’t expected, and seemed to be thrown off by, needing to call someone to ask if they did that. It was a bit too late to go get his tools, but Brian was no longer feeling the pressure of that…he would have time now to get his act back together.

But now, he had to figure out what was going to happen with Rundan. The Rhydon had said he owed him…Brian wouldn’t have questioned it for a second. But how was he going to feel about this? He knew full well Rundan had detested being seen as a source of income…had Brian pressured him without realizing it? And what was he going to do now? Would he demand to be traded again? Ask to be released? Either one, Brian would readily have done, if he wanted it…but he knew he would spent a long time feeling like a heel for not proving to be any better than the past several trainers that had made Rundan unhappy. He was trying to brace himself mentally for the worst, without really knowing what that was going to entail…

As he stepped in, he saw Rundan standing in the doorway to his area of the house. The Rhydon’s expression was still hard to read, but he didn’t look outright pissed, at least. “Everything taken care of?”

“Uh…yeah, it is. I…everything’s…going to be fine now.”

“Good.” Rundan let that linger for a moment as he straightened up. “I want you to come in here. Don’t keep me waiting long.”

Brian blinked a bit as Rundan retreated into his quarters. That was unexpected…the Rhydon hadn’t ever offered that, much less commanded it. And it really was more like a command than anything…but for how much Brian owed him, he could live with some commanding. He took a minute to compose himself before stepping in…it wasn’t like he didn’t know this area of the house, it was where Pharly had been before the trade, and it still was mildly scorched inside, but the heavy scent of earth and rock hung in the air, even though the window was cracked open. The floor had a bed of dirt on it, which seemed pretty well tamped down, as well as some plants that had been brought in and potted in rocks…Rundan had been decorating a bit. But it was the imposing figure of Rundan that was drawing the most attention, standing with arms folded in the center of the room. “Close the door behind you.”

Brian did so, then stepped forward; Rundan was feeling mildly intimidating, probably not a surprise given that he was a powerful Pokémon with a half-foot on him. “Rundan…I…I can’t thank you enough…but…I…if I need to apologize…”

“That’s not what I need or want.” Rundan leaned towards Brian, his horn spinning a bit as his eyes bored into Brian’s. “…I’ve never fucked a human before. You’re going to help me change that.”

The whiplash of the day wasn’t done, apparently, as Brian found himself mentally reeling from that. Rundan wanted to fuck him? That had literally come out of nowhere, the Rhydon had never even suggested it before…it was going to be extremely unfamiliar territory for Brian, who wasn’t even entirely settled on his sexuality but was inexperienced no matter what - it was one of those things where he’d never really been able to work up the nerve to approach anyone for even a fling. But, if this was the price for what Rundan had done for him? It was his obligation to do it without complaint. So, he gave a hurried nod and hastened to get out of his clothes, hoping that his naivety wouldn’t prove unsatisfactory for playing his part…

It was probably one of the fastest disrobings Brian had done, not wanting to tax Rundan’s patience any more than necessary. He certainly wasn’t putting on a striptease of any sort…with everything bared, Rundan would be able to see his full form, a well-built human just a shade over six feet tall, muscle that was not chiseled but was plenty thick and modestly toned from years of physical labor, a bit of extra hair on his chest and stomach, matching the slightly messy deep-brown mane on his head. A couple of scars were visible on his arms from construction mishaps, and a small one on his right side from a surgery years ago. Not nearly as impressive in any way as the Rhydon in front of him, in his opinion, but it wasn’t really a fair comparison…it seemed to be meeting with enough approval, though, as he was seeing a slight grin on Rundan’s face - the first time he’d ever seen that in the multiple weeks he’d been Rundan’s trainer. “Not bad. Now let’s see what you can do with it. Why don’t you get me out and get me hard?” He pointed down to the slit between his legs, which didn’t stand out very clearly from his body - Brian was clearly going to be getting a crash course in Rhydon anatomy. This was definitely not how he’d ever imagined he’d get it…

Still, he was determined to live up to his end of things, so he got down on his knees and started rubbing around that slit. The hide around it was tough as anything - no surprise, Rhydons were known to be able to tolerate a lot of punishment and high temperatures. It felt like it was going to be a trial to actually get two fingers into the slit, but as he tried pushing, he felt the flesh relax slightly, and he was able to delve inside…it surprised him how much softer things were in there, it felt a lot less rocky and a lot more fleshy, still firmer than a human but distinctly more pliable than the outer hide, but also somewhat rough to the touch, like sandpaper, and there was a tacky, gritty fluid around that felt very thick and sticky. The slight rumble from Rundan was telling Brian that he was doing something right, at least…

A third finger was added, then a fourth…and Brian was slowly registering that the flat of his hand was fitting fairly comfortably inside that slit. Whatever Rundan was packing was BIG…he wasn’t feeling it yet, but he was working his hand slowly back and forth, rubbing his fingers and kneading the flesh here and there, trying to get more response out of the Rhydon, whose breathing was picking up a bit and drill was whirring here and there. As far as he could tell, that was what pleasure looked like…surely Rundan would be telling him to stop if it wasn’t, right? He wasn’t sure if there was more he should be doing, were there other sensitive spots on a Rhydon? They were sort of known for NOT being sensitive…

Before he had to try to figure that out, though, he felt something hard pressing up against two of his fingers. He started pulling back out, continuing to rub a bit as he did to coax that cock out of its hiding place, letting it make contact with him before he retreated more, the slit slowly parting as his fingers drew back, making it a looser fit. As he drew out, his sticky fingers backed away to watch the Rhydon’s cock push out of that slit…his eyes couldn’t leave it as he watched it emerge, a beast of a staff, a fittingly ruby-red color (though decidedly more fleshy than rocky), pointed at the tip but getting dauntingly wide within the first couple inches, and having a spiraling groove down the length that made it look almost drill-like…Brian couldn’t say he would have been surprised if he saw it start spinning like Rundan’s horn. By the time it was all the way out, it was closing in on dimensions closer to Brian’s forearm than anything else, and he could safely say he’d never seen its match before.

“Staring at it ain’t gonna make it smaller, or get me off any quicker,” remarked Rundan from above him, though he sounded amused rather than annoyed. “Hm. That mouth of yours doesn’t look like it’s gonna do the trick without a whole lot more practice, but I wanna feel that tongue work me up a bit. Make sure to slide it into that groove a bit, I love how that feels.”

Swallowing a bit, Brian leaned in towards that thick tool, his breath hitching as the thick earthen musk, a potent mix of soil and sediment in scent, flooded his nose in a fierce rush. He’d never even known a scent could be that strong…the bigger surprise was the reaction he had to it, thick as it was it still wasn’t terrible, and he felt an odd warmth trickle through him, and a twinge down below. Trying not to think too much about that, he leaned in further, reaching his tongue out to tentatively lick at the tip…the flavor was as strong as the scent, almost too much, but he hung in there and slowly licked again, reddening a bit as the realization was sinking in that he was finally losing his sexual naivety to a Pokémon. Surely it couldn’t be THAT unusual, not with all the rumors around, but still, it felt like he was breaking some kind of taboo with this…

It wasn’t stopping him, though, as he got a little more adventurous with the licking as he got used to the taste. It still wasn’t easy, the cock was pretty dry and rough and his tongue was feeling the burn a bit as it desperately tried to wet Rundan down a bit…which felt like a losing effort, it felt more like he was getting drier than Rundan was getting wetter. Minding what the Rhydon had said, though, he tried running his tongue along the spiraling groove going down that cock, getting a pleased rumble from Rundan as he did…the tip of his tongue was raked raw against that flesh, forcing him to stop a couple times, but the reward for that was that Rundan’s tip was leaking a bit, which he tried to capture with his tongue. That might have been a bit much, as the dollop of thick pre was pretty fiercely salty and silty, making him cough a bit when he tried to swallow it down.

He tried to go in again, but a hand stopped him. “Good enough. It’s something you’ll need time to get used to.” The unspoken implication that Brian would have that time did not pass unnoticed. “On my bed. We’re moving on to the main event.”

Brian nodded, flushing a bit - he didn’t need elaboration to know what Rundan meant. It wasn’t far to crawl over to the bed of dirt that Rundan apparently slept on, definitely not what Brian would have considered a comfortable bed but clearly the Rhydon had no complaints. Rundan got behind him, laying down on his side and taking hold of Brian bodily as he pulled the human against that sturdy body, positioning him so that his ass was resting right up against the tip of his dick. Brian’s nervousness spiked a bit - this was a hell of a way to lose his virginity, raw and dry to one of the roughest tools he could ever imagine…he hoped he could handle it.

But Rundan wasn’t rushing it…that tip was pushing against him, but not in yet. He felt the Rhydon rumble a bit as his head pulled up beside Brian’s. “Do you know why I’m doing this?”

It seemed like a heck of a time for a pop quiz, but anything that gave Brian a bit more time to mentally prepare was welcome. “Ah…I…you…wanted me…to pay you back…for what you gave me…wasn’t it?”

“On the surface, yes. I didn’t want to give you something for nothing…I wanted you to give something in return. Because then it feels like I’m not being used, but we’re making a trade…like it’s my choice rather than my obligation. But it couldn’t have happened if I hadn’t felt like you could be trusted.” Rundan’s hand rubbed against Brain’s chest. “I thought you were going to be like everyone else…blinded by selfish desires and seeing me as just a means to an end, not a person. Even though you went longer than anyone else without trying to push at me, I never truly trusted it…but then you fell into a place where you were in trouble. I could see, you know, when you looked at me…it would have been impossible not to imagine where your thoughts were going. And yet, through all of it, you didn’t try to push me. You kept your word that you wouldn’t ask, tried to find any other way out, drove yourself to agony to avoid breaching that boundary. You proved that you respected me in a way others didn’t…I finally felt, truly, like I was someone to you.”

“Rundan…” Brian’s heart was buoyed so much by what he was hearing. To know that he hadn’t ruined things between him…that Rundan had seen him and felt touched by his efforts to not treat the Rhydon so miserably, despite how hard the temptation had been. To know that Rundan had deemed him worthy to get close to, to open himself to…

“So I put my trust in you, Brian…I gave you something, told you it was something you would have to give something for. And when you came back and I named my price…you didn’t hesitate. My biggest fear was that I would tell you what I wanted and you would refuse, you would argue, you would act like it was too much, and my trust would have been wasted…but you listened, and you proved willing to give what I wanted to me - even if that was yourself. I may not ever feel comfortable with just giving you part of myself…but I trust you enough to allow for that kind of exchange. And I’m going to do my best to make sure you get something out of this, too…it’s going to be rough, but I’ll do whatever I can to make it easier on you.”

Brian sniffed a bit, tearing up slightly at Rundan’s heartfelt statement. “Rundan…thank you. I know you’ll make it a great experience…I want to feel what you can do. Please…let me give you what you want.”

He felt Rundan grip him tighter, and a testing push against his rear…and then, he felt it, that first push that forced the tip of that cock into his rear end. It was impossible not to tense down as the hard shaft pierced him, then slowly bored in, small pushes that edged it deeper inside, working him open against his body’s protests. The stretch felt like a lot to start with, and it quickly got more intense as thicker flesh pushed in…he could feel that rough texture against his insides, hot and dry and almost scratchy, and he could feel the bulge and groove of that odd drill-like surface, it almost felt like it was spinning inside him as it worked in further. Brian’s breaths came hard and fast as he desperately tried to relax himself for that incredibly thickness that kept plowing deeper into him…it wasn’t a fast entry, but something that big felt like too much at any speed.

Rundan was making it happen at his speed, though. He was just going deeper in, not pulling out even slightly as more and more of his cock disappeared into Brian. At the very least, it wasn’t getting thicker anymore, but that thickness was getting deeper inside him, stretching him pretty fiercely, so huge and heavy inside him…and it wasn’t getting any smoother of a ride, either, as the precum leaking out wasn’t really doing anything other than adding some extra friction, and only really slipping into that groove. Brian was just trying to keep his breaths deep and controlled, trying to endure as long as Rundan kept it up…

It was a bit of a blessing when he finally felt the Rhydon’s body press up against his rear. He couldn’t believe how packed his body felt…Brian could swear he could see a bulge from the raw thickness of that dick speared inside him, though maybe that was just an illusion from how stretched out he felt. Thankfully, Rundan was letting him get used to it…and the surprising thing was that it didn’t hurt, even though it felt like an immense stretch and the heat of that rough rubbing against him was standing out starkly. His body was taking it, even if it was protesting in other ways…he’d always wondered about those stories that seemed to suggest humans could get frisky with pretty big Pokémon, but maybe they weren’t so unlikely after all.

Rundan waited until Brian was settling down before starting to move again. The pull back was a rush, Brian moaned as he felt that heat pick up from that abrasive dong, part of him relaxing deep inside before getting stretched out once again when Rundan thrust back in, a much more rapid manner than before. Intense again, but not as much as Brian feared, it seemed like he had been broken in a bit already…his cock was still hard, and the pleasure was peeking through, his prostate being ground hard by that girth. He reached back to cling to Rundan as the ride started to get rougher, trying everything he could to hold on for the wildest experience of his life.

It didn’t take long for the full power of a Rhydon to be thrust upon him, literally. The only real break Brian was getting was that Rundan was on his side, not able to leverage his legs to really thrust in with his full power - perhaps a conscious decision by him to keep it from getting to be too too much for the human. But what Brian was getting was potent enough - Rundan’s strength was wildly above his, dictating every movement over whatever fight his body even hinted at putting up, plowing in and drawing out on his own terms. That cock was an unstoppable force as it screwed into him, the illusion of twisting even stronger at pace with that spiraling shape twisting down the length. The heat was getting sharper, the tacky fluids were getting more spread out and adding to the friction, heating Brian up so much he might have thought a Fire-type was claiming him instead.

And through it all…Brian was really starting to get into it. The pleasure was getting a whole lot clearer as he adjusted somewhat to the intensity, it was never going to get easy but it was getting more manageable as he was truly broken in. The stretch was starting to feel good, the heat was starting to feel good, the crushing pressure on his prostate was starting to feel really good, and whatever had held back the good feelings was fading into the background. His own cock was starting to leak pre outright, squirting a bit when he got a particularly hard push from Rundan…he was starting to move a bit into the thrusts, attempting to squeeze here and there, though his squeezing wasn’t accomplishing much.

And as Brian adjusted, Rundan gave it more, drilling in sharply, his horn whirring here and there, lustful growls shaking the human as he clung tight to him. More of that fluid was leaking out, adding to the feeling of fullness inside Brian as he pushed back into that rocky body. It felt like he was getting close, with the heavy grunts and rumbles coming from him, his movements getting a little more unsteady…his tail was thudding against the ground with each thrust now, pulling most of his cock out and driving in back in almost recklessly, a punishing rutting that was carrying him rapidly towards the finish.

But Brian got there first, crying out as his cock suddenly jerked and shot, pearly white fluid gushing out hard onto the floor in front of him. His body jerked a bit in the hold of the Rhydon, clenching down hard as that drilling ‘Don dong delved deep, tightening up as much as he was physically capable of…and that seemed to be the last push that Rundan needed, the extra friction from that tightness getting him to the end. A roar escaped him as he slammed in one final time and let loose a heavy gush of grainy cum deep inside Brian, the thick, heavy fluid almost clinging to the human’s insides as it pushed rapidly into him. The amount that was being pumped into him was astonishing, as was the sheer weight of it - every gush felt like a pound of fluid being deposited into him, pumping his gut nice and full…he was pretty sure he was going to be swollen up from this, if the cock wasn’t already making him bulge.

Finally, Brian went slack in Rundan’s arms, slumping a bit as the high of his climax faded away. He was left panting hard, feeling several pounds heavier and fuller, still stuffed totally full with Rhydon dick. Rundan was panting a bit, still leaking into Brian but at a much slower rate. “Fuck…that was…way different than a Pokémon…mmph, really…amazing. I hope it was good for you, too…”

“Ah…Rundan…that was…wild.” Brian reached up languidly to rub the Rhydon’s face. “Never would’ve imagined it being like that…was pretty rough to start, but I think I got used to it by the end…”

“That’s good. I’m really glad you were able to enjoy it...makes it feel better that I was able to get this from you. Was worth it in the end to get a chance to try this out…”

A chance to try this out…it took a moment for that to sink in to Brian. Rundan had intended this to be a one-time thing…he’d seemed to imply otherwise earlier, but maybe that was just the mood he was trying to evoke. Trading so much for just one chance to have this experience…it didn’t seem right, Brian had gotten so much out of it and it seemed like such small recompense, even if it was something Rundan had desired. There was something he could do about that. “Rundan…I…I haven’t paid you back yet. Not really…what you gave me was worth so much, and this…I couldn’t feel right just leaving it like this. I owe you so much more, and…well, if this is what you’d like, I’d want to give you a lot more than just one chance at it.”

Rundan was quiet for a moment, seemingly thrown off by that. “…Really? I thought it would’ve been a lot more…weighty to ask something like this from you.”

“Maybe for some…but I don’t feel like it is. It feels small compared to what you did…what I know is not really in your comfort zone, and which did a whole lot more for me than I ever could have expected. It wouldn’t be fair to just give you one indulgence for something so big…so I want to keep doing this. I might need a day or two between sessions to recover, because you’re, ah, quite the ride…but I’ll be happy to bring you the pleasure you’re seeking.”

Rundan’s arms shifted, pulling Brian into a tight embrace. “Brian…thank you. I…I really…appreciate that you value me that much. I’ll make it worth your while to keep putting yourself out there for me like that, I promise…I want to hold on to you for as long as I possibly can. I may be the one with rubies on me, but you’re the real gem…a treasure I couldn’t ever put a price on.”

Brian pushed into Rundan as much as he could, taking a hold of the Rhydon’s hand and squeezing it gently. Perhaps Rundan had finally found what he’d been seeking for so long…and perhaps Brian had too, maybe he’d finally found that partner that he could share his life with and it would be good for both of them. They were each other’s gems, to hold tight to and treasure with their lives, as long as they could.