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Pokephilia Story - Love Has no Bounds

Embracing One More Year

By J.C. Solis

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The alarm on Justin's bedside drawer blared loudly with an ear-piercing wail, marking the arrival of another rough morning with little rest. It was barely a week since Spring had arrived, and so too did an increase in his workload at his job, as well as an increase in his allergies. He was thankful that the weather had decided to warm up a bit, and the snow was finally melting too, making the days and nights no longer so frigid. It was currently 6:30 AM, and this morning was especially hard to wake up from. He had been suffering from Insomnia for the past few weeks, which meant that he'd often be up late into the night, struggling to find a good night's rest. He was thankful for his pokemon partner using Hypnosis on him, but even still it sometimes took a while for the effect to take ahold.

Livia tried her best, however. The Gardevoir was nothing if not persistent, using her psychic powers to help her trainer at least get a decent amount of shut-eye. She was glad that her moves were able to put her trainer to sleep, and once asleep he stayed asleep. The only complaints that he made was of the quality, as he'd sometimes have nightmares which would occasionally awaken him, and once awake it would ruin the flow of sleep he was getting.

Justin extended out his arm and slammed his hand onto the alarm clock, groaning a little as he begrudgingly had to climb out of bed. His eyes felt heavy as he then went on to get prepared. He got little sleep last night, even with Livia's Hypnosis sleep aid. He'd just wake up again, but he didn't want to wake her up. He wanted her to continue resting, so he bore the brunt of the Insomnia and tried to fall asleep on his own. It wasn't too difficult to see the toll that going without rest was causing, but at least he always had a piping hot cup of coffee to help him start the day, as well as any other stimulants he could imbibe. Besides, in a few more days he would have something to feel happy about:

On the 27th of March was his birthday, and already his family was getting ready to give him a party that was to remember. But today, the 24th of March, was rather a he wished to forget.

Livia at last stirred from bed as Justin was getting dressed. She was usually already awake well before Justin was, but this time the Gardevoir decided to sleep in. The engineer, meanwhile, was putting on a pair of black dress slacks as he fumbled to get his feet through the pant legs. His torso was still bare, and while the top half was naked one could see just how powerful the man looked. Though he was overweight and somewhat obese, his body was still rippling with strength. Underneath the layers of fat were strong muscles that could carry incredibly heavy weights and needed little effort to move even really weighty objects. He could dead-lift over 130 kilograms and bench press around 90. There was no surprise on him being a great power-lifter.

Livia, on the other hand, was more of an endurance runner than a weight lifter. She was fast and agile, and it showed whenever she took part in a battle. She could do laps around her opponent and could avoid getting hit. Being a psychic type, she'd use her impressive psychic powers to attack rather than her own physical strength, though she didn't like fighting much outside of pokemon battles.

Justin put on a white t-shirt and then a white button down shirt which he then tucked into his pants. Last came a his suit jacket made out of fine Galarian wool that was quite warm. He was ready to start the day, though he noticed Livia was still laying down on bed.

"You like staying in bed there, Livia?" joked Justin. And with that, Livia let out a yawn.

"No. It's not that. I've just been up monitoring your sleep. Why didn't you tell me to put you back to sleep? I sensed you woke back up and were struggling to sleep, but I wanted you to say something."

"So, does that mean you were watching me sleep all night? Doesn't that sound kinda creepy to you, Livia?"

"I just wanted to see you get a good night's sleep, Mast- er, I mean Justin," defended the Gardevoir. "You've been having many bouts of insomnia these past few weeks. I think they've started occuring ever since your grandfather passed."

At mentioning his grandfather, Justin began feeling solemn. It still wasn't long since the funeral for had taken place, and he was still in mourning. Though he felt much better after Valentine's Day, eafter Livia declared her love for him and the two having sex, he was still in deep reflection. He knew that it would take a while to run its course. Grief was not an easy thing to handle, let alone get rid of. And that grief was what caused him to be interned at a Mental Asylum for twelve days to monitor him when he accidentally overdosed on his medicine. He still lamented what had happened. He didn't mean to cause his family and friends worry.

But another problem was arising from the fallout that came from the funeral and the admittance to the mental hospital. Justin's mental health had been on the decline, and his nerves were starting to fray even more. His mental faculties were slowly deteriorating, and it started to affect him at work and at home. Even his friends were noticing this, and they were wondering how to help him cope.

Jason was especially worried about his best friend suffering from bouts of depression and hopelessness. The man was always worried about his friend. He knew that the large man was still in mourning, and would need time to heal in order to get better.

With his clothes now on, Justin sprayed a bit of cologne and got his laptop bag while Livia finished tending the bed. The two headed out of the room and for the kitchen, where already the smell of cooking came wafting from. Justin came to the room and saw Pastor Solis reading a newspaper article while Mother Mary was cooking in front of a stove. The Handy Helpers, Jax, Sylvia and Spooks, were helping Mary cook and brought her ingredients to cook with. Jax brought a plate of food over to the Pastor, Sylvia brought a cup of warm coffee with her feelers and Spooks handed the man a container of sugar--the Pastor only liked a little bit of sugar in his coffee, without cream.

Justin and Livia sat at the table and waited to be served their meals. Mother was preparing their plates, but in the meanwhile Sylvia handed him a cup of warm coffee and Spooks brought a bottle of cold dairy creamer from the fridge; Justin, in contrast to his father, did like creamer in his coffee. While adding the creamer and sugar to his coffee, his father put down the newspaper as he then began to address his son.

"How'd you sleep last night, champ?" asked Pastor Solis, hoping that his son slept well last night.

"Not too great, Dad," replied Justin. "I kept waking up, and even when I fell back asleep, the quality wasn't all that good."

"Are you sure that you ought to be drinking coffee then knowing your condition, Justin?" chastised Mother Mary, trying to drive a point. "For all I know the caffeine from you drink is what is keeping you up at night. I keep telling you to drink decaf, like the one I drink."

"Coffee isn't coffee if it doesn't give you a buzz, Mom," retorted Justin as he felt rather annoyed from his mother's comments. "Besides, I still get a bad night of sleep even when I don't drink anything caffeinated in the day."

"Just let him drink, Mary," said Pastor Solis. "If his sleep is as bad as it is, then it won't help for him to be going to work groggy and tired."

Mother Mary handed Justin's plate to Jax, and the little Riolu then took it to the man in dress clothes. Justin got his plate and immediately began eating the eggs, sausage and hash-browns that was on the plate. He was pretty hungry, and he didn't want to waste a moment to eat so that he could drive on out to work. Livia got her plate of food too, along with a cup of decaffeinated coffee; she, for one, didn't want the buzz that a full cup of regular coffee would give her. All the while, Jax, Sylvia and Spooks looked pleased at the family as they ate. The three could sense the emotions and emanations from the family, though the one who was giving off negative aura was the young man in the suit. He was giving off a negative aura, and it was quite a powerful negativity that his family should be able to feel as well.

The three Handy Helpers looked at each other with worry at seeing Justin's negative aura. Though he was eating well and taking good sips from his mug of coffee, they could tell that something wasn't right. Of course, Justin wasn't known for having a cheery demeanor or a normally happy gait, but today's negativity was much more powerful. But in the end, the Riolu, Sylveon and Duskull Helpers knew that there was little they could do for him. He, himself, would have to accept their help in order for them to do something, and currently the man just wanted everyone to butt off.

"What're your plans today, Dad?" asked Justin, hoping to start to small talk.

"Well, I've got a meeting with the Lakeshire Town City Council today, and you know how much I love pointless politics," said the Pastor with sarcasm and a good chuckle. "Honestly, give a me a day of working on paperwork than with the Delibird-brained people who work in the council."

"I still say that you ought to run for mayor this summer, Dad," said Justin. "You could put the council in their place and get their heads out of their asses for all I know."

"Language, dear," warned Mother Mary.

"You know I don't want to deal with politics all that much, Justin," explained the Pastor. "You and the whole congregation want me to run next election time, but I've got enough on my plate as it."

"I think you'd make a fine mayor, Honey," responded Mary. "I think you'd do a wonderful job. I know for a fact that the people already trust you. Besides, the church is already running smoothly thanks to you and all you're doing. Think about how the town will be under you!"

Pastor Solis only grumbled. He'd have to think about this more. The thought of him helping the community further was a nice one, though he wondered how the Church would go on without him. He didn't feel all too comfortable abandoning his role as church organizer and leader, though he knew that the church organization would just simply replace him with another person.

Justin, on the other hand, felt that his father would do a nice job as Lakeshire Town's major. He was an avid community member as is, and he enjoyed helping people. He was one of the most trusted members of town, and people all over looked up to him. Whenever he'd walk down the street, people would always wave and greet at him. He was a man who was loved and inspired love. And his son hoped to be just like him, to be a man of values and integrity, one who the whole community would enjoy the company of. He was proud to have such a wonderful Dad, and he honestly cherished him.

But Justin also knew that his Dad was under terrible amounts of stress. The topic of Pokephilia was a constant one, and it would only serve to cause more problems. The fact was that it was pervasive. People in town were gossiping all about it. People even wondered who among them were Pokephiles. Rumor spreading was rampant, and people were on edge. And worst of all was the treatment of those who were discovered. These people were often time publicly shamed, and the treatment would range from either looking at them curiously to showing absolute scorn at them. And people like the priest, Father Matthew Grint, were out there spreading foul and hateful gospel about the sin that these people were supposedly committing.

It all looked like society was coming apart, and who knew if there was going to be another player to bring further chaos into town. For sure there were plenty of people out there who'd want to take advantage of things. There are people who simply want to see the whole world burn.

Justin knew that his Dad was going to be forced to pick a side. Pastor Cristian didn't hate Pokephiles or have some sort of vendetta against them. He knew a few of them personally, in fact, and they were all grateful for his presence. He didn't judge them for their acts. He treated them like regular people. But choosing their side would mean alienating a good size of his conservative congregation. But then again, choosing the Anti-Pokephilia side would mean turning against his personal values and betraying the kind people he has come to know. He wouldn't dare abandon people in need, but the situation was starting to get tense.

All the Pastor wanted for people to love one another, no matter what their beliefs or practices were. All he wanted was peace in his town, and perhaps all over the world. He didn't want for these petty debates and arguments to carry on. It was best to just let this go.

Justin and Livia finished their plates of food and drank their coffee. With the conversations over, they said goodbye to the Pastor and Mother Mary and went for the garage, where Justin's stallion was waiting for him. The black and silver Shelby Mustang GT500 was waiting, and the 760+ horsepower vehicle was waiting to come alive. Justin liked driving this car, and the sound of the vehicle's massive supercharger was intoxicating. Though it tended to use a ton of gas, this powerful car was incredibly fast and agile, and it was the engineer's pride and joy. Despite him liking it a lot, Livia was not too fond of it. She didn't like both the noise and the speed of the car, as she feared that he would lose control and crash.

So far, that has yet to happen.

The two of them got into the car while the garage door automatically opened. They drove off and went for Justin's work, with about one hour to get there. The drive was rather quaint and uneventful, with Justin only nudging the throttle a little bit to and driving slowly down the streets. Other cars seemed trivial compared to his, and there was even a show car with a ton of mods pull up next to Justin's car, with the music blasting loud and the driver looking like a hoodlum. The hoodlum revved his engine, perhaps as a way of saying that he too had a sweet car to be envious off, despite it being an old Toyota Corolla with a ton of aftermarket mods that did little in the way of actual performance. On the green light, the Corolla sped off with it's exhaust roaring despite only going twenty miles an hour.

Justin decided to let the little car have it's dignity. It wasn't worth showing who had the better pair and risk getting a ticket for doing something rash like speeding or reckless driving.

But one thing that caught Justin's attention was something that he had been seeing more of recently. There were protests out in the streets, as usual between Pokephiles and their Pokemon versus the Anti-Pokephilia Crusaders and their own pokemon. The Pokephiles lifted up signs that said everything from "Free Love" and "We are NOT a Taboo" while the Crusaders had signs that said "A Sin against Arceus" and "The Worst of all Taboos". The protests were getting out of hand, so much so that the protesters were blocking traffic. But one thing to note was that the Crusaders side was much larger, and had plenty of angry people in their ranks.

Justin just stared at the protesters as he was stuck in the middle of the street. He wondered how the Crusaders would think if they found out that he, the son of the Church's pastor, was a Pokephile. For sure it would bring shame upon his family, and perhaps hurt his father's reputation. He just wondered how it would be like to get berated by people like Father Grint and the Crusaders, for people to look at him funny whenever he'd walk down the street. Perhaps he'd be like his co-worker, James Pitch, who was shamed and fell into a depression. He even tried his best to hide from his co-workers and not draw further attention to himself, though when he confided in Justin about leaving work due to the stigma Justin told him to stay strong and not feel too downtrodden and guilty.

But things would go too far with these protests.

A few glass bottles with a flaming rag was thrown at the pokephiles. No one saw who threw them, only that the glass bottles had a liquid inside. Upon hitting the ground, the bottles exploded with a burst of fire spreading all over the place. People and pokemon were engulfed in flames. Screams began to fill the air as the attack took it's rabid tone. The pain of the screaming pokephiles filled the air as people came to rush to their aid. Many of the crusaders were silent, their faces shocked at what one of their own had done. The rescuers tried to put out the fires that were burning the victims.

Justin and Livia looked at the flaming people on the floor as the tried to put themselves out, with shock completely filling their faces. This hatred had gone on for too long. This was the result of the scorn and bile that had been developing.

But the Engineer was not going to allow this madness to carry on.

Justin, without wasting a moment, turned off his car and immediately got out to rush to the burned victims. He pulled out his phone and immediately called the police and requested the paramedics. He took off his suit jacket and tried to use it to stop the fire on one man who was on the floor ablaze. He tried his absolute best to put out the fire, hoping to save the man from the rage of the crusaders. The man seemed to have been the one closest to the Molotov cocktails when they exploded. Large parts of his clothes had burned off, and exposed skin was charred and burned.

A tinge of rage filled Justin's heart as he put the man out. He turned around to face the crusaders. His face was that of venom and abhorrence, a justified fury that wanted justice. His depression and sleeplessness had all but faded, and he was going to let the other side hear his words as though they were the words that came from the mouth of an angry god.

"YOU FUCKING MONSTERS!!!" he bellowed with such intensity. "Which one of you deplorable assholes threw those bottles?!! Which one of you is the one who attacked a bunch of innocent people, just because you don't agree with what they do?!? They didn't deserve this, and if you agree with this then you deserve your spot in Hell!!!"

The crusaders were silent as the Son of the Pastor looked at them with indignation and rage. The sound of police and ambulance sirens were heard off in the distance, with some of the people fleeing. All the while, Justin turned around to tend to the burned man, the man's face that of agony as he suffered his burns. Justin did his best to keep the man alive, and ordered Livia to use Healing Pulse to try and alleviate the man's pain. For sure, he'd do his best to give as much information to the police as possible, and hopefully track down the people who threw those bottles. He didn't care if it was getting late for work. He didn't care if people were to somehow find out then and there that he was a Pokephile. No side won this argument, and the consequences were clearly seen among the burned and charred people on the floor.

This was the ugly side of hate. This was the true face of hatred, and everyone present knew that things had gone too far. Hatred had simply gone too far...

Justin and Livia walked into the blueprint room at work, their faces tired and their nerves frayed. Justin's jacket was missing, though it was honestly too burned for him to take inside his workplace. He wondered if the news of what had just happened had already reach his co-workers. He wondered if they already knew his part in the riot, and of the heinous attack on the Pokephiles from the Crusaders. Though he figured that word would spread fast, he also thought that news would not spread so quickly. He was three hours late to work, and that was due in part to the police detaining him so they could get his eye witness testimony. Perhaps the news had not yet arrived among the engineers.

But when Justin arrived into blueprint hall, it seemed that the latter was true. The other employees, including Jason, rushed on over to greet Justin. It seemed that everyone in the room had heard what occured. And they were all bombarding the man with questions, hoping to hear his side of the horrible attack that had just occured.

"Fucking hell, Justin, what happened out there?" said Jason with little minced words.

"A tragedy, that's what happened, Jason bro," replied Justin.

"The news is blowing up with what happened out there. That was messed up," said a man from among the crowd.

"Fucked up is more like it, Carl," replied Justin.

"Yeah, Justin, I heard that a bomb blew up and burned people pretty bad. Is that all true or are the news reporters just lying," said a blonde haired woman in business casual.

"It was actually more like a Molotov cocktail, Lisa, but other than that the news weren't lying. I saw it all go down, and it was damned horrific." Justin shook his head in disbelief, as though it was hard for him to believe what had occured despite him being there to witness it all.

But one man who was still too hesitant to come forward was James Pitch, this time with his pokemon partner, Mila the Leavanny. He seemed rather tense about coming forward, though he had done little to warrant him attention. But Justin saw this, and so he called James over to come and give his opinion on what had happened. It was about time to make something clear to everyone in the room.

"What do you think about what happened to the Pokephiles, James?" asked Justin so that everyone could hear. "I know you're one, but do you think this is fair as to what had happened?"

James was at a loss of words. He didn't like being on blast like this. But deep down, he wanted to tell the truth. He wanted to speak his heart, and so let the people in the room hear his opinion.

"I... I think what had happened was... was just horrible," he finally said.

"Damn right it is," said Justin as he prepared to voice his opinion. "I don't care if these people are committing a taboo, they didn't deserve what happened. Pokephiles aren't so bad to be treated like that, and they don't deserve to have something like this happen to them. I don't even care if a person is railing their pokemon or their pokemon are railing them or whatever. When violence like this happens, you know that's when things have gotten too far."

The other people in the room began to feel bad. A good portion of the people in room had formed some negative opinion on Pokephiles, including on James. What had occured earlier today was proof that the negative backlash on Pokephiles was flawed. The Pokephiles were peacefully protesting their rights. They wanted to show that they were not freaks. They wanted to show that they were still people. And like people, they still had emotions and feelings. James was one of those people, and though he had special feelings for his Leavanny, he was still just a regular guy. He cared for his pokemon and for her emotions. He wanted her to be happy and to enjoy her time with him.

Justin had purposefully called on James to give his opinion to end the hate within the workplace. He was tired of pokephiles getting mistreated. He was tired of the protests. He was tired of the mania that was going on all around him at work and the gossiping behind people's backs. He wanted to at least end the discrimination at his job, hopefully once and for all. And it seemed that the people in his job were getting the message. Soon, everyone began to return to their desks with a change of heart. There was much that they had to think about. There was much they had to contemplate on.

James was the last to return to his desk. But first, He and Mila looked at Justin with a smile on their faces. They were happy to know of someone who would stand up for them. "Thank you, Justin," he said with gratitude.

"Thank you for standing up for people like me."

"No problem, James," replied the Pastor's son.

And with that, peace returned to the workplace. Justin and Livia were the only ones still standing, and their stance on the issue was now known. To this, Jason got off of his computer desk and went up to Justin, lifting his hand up to give a High-Five. The Pastor's Son obliged, slapping his friend's hand as the other man gave a look disbelief at the little lecture that Justin gave.

"That was awesome, bro," said Jason. "I'm glad that you gave that little speech. Hopefully, things will start to get a little less tense around here."

"I hope so." But with the high that came from tension diminishing, Justin's other feeling came surging in. His depression, which he had managed to shove aside, was making a comeback. "I've... I've been pretty depressed these past few days. Things have been getting hard for me with Depression, and I still feel bad over my grandpa's death. I was able to push things aside today with what happened and all, but... but..."

"Just try to cheer yourself up, buddy," smiled Jason. "Your friggin birthday's coming up in a few more days. I'd say just relax, cheer up, and get ready to pig out and party. I know for sure I'll be cooking up a rack of ribs for you to chow on."

"Thanks, man."

And with that, the two men went back to their desks. The day was still ahead of them both, and there was a lot to get done with their current project with Pokeballs.

But quiting time came sooner than expected. The clock hit Three Thirty in the afternoon, and with that the day was done. Justin was already stepping out of work with Livia when Jason and his blaziken Camilla came over to chat for a bit more. There was much to plan ahead for Justin's birthday, though the man would say that he didn't want anything too special. He just wanted to be with his family and friends. He just wanted to be with those close to him.

And so, Justin and Livia climbed into the silver and black super sports car once more, the sound of the V8 engine coming to life once more, with the engine rumbling with sheer power. The car rumbled out of the Pokeball Plant parking lot and onto the forest road, where the V8 roared loudly as Justin put the pedal to the metal as soon as he had space. For sure, driving a powerful muscle car was quite stress relieving for the man, though the intensity of the car was too much for Livia as she clutched the safety handle with all her might. Each person handled the car's power differently.

But as Justin came upon the usual residential area of his drive, the same one where the fire incident occured, he noticed a man standing alone in the middle of street. Justin stopped, wondering what he was doing and why he kept blocking the road. He was getting rather irate, wondering what the problem with the man was. He wore an all black attire, and his face was shrouded in a hood and made it impossible to identify him. He was tall and lanky, though he didn't look like he was harmless. To the contrary, the man looked like he had an agenda, and this started to make Justin nervous. He honked the horn at the man, hoping to get him off to the side, and hopefully soon since two cars came up from behind Justin and were waiting patiently for him to move on.

When all else failed, He opened his car window and stuck his head out, hoping to yell at the man to get out of the way.

"Hey buddy, you're blocking traffic. I got a car or two behind me, so do you mind?"

The man stayed silent.

"Buddy! I've got two cars behind me. I need you to move out of the way, now," said Justin, this time with more authority.

The man only stood there further. All the while, four more black clad people appeared from the sides of the road, from bushes and from behind houses, and walked towards the sports car. Justin felt that things were getting serious. He looked at Livia, and the two didn't know what to do. Against their better judgement, the man and his Gardevoir got out of the car. The cars behind him now began to honk, though there was nothing that anybody could do with the people on the road.

"What's your problem, buddy?" said Justin in a rather exasperated tone. "What do you all want?"

The man stood there quietly as he looked at Justin and Livia. But he wouldn't stay silent for long.

"All those who support Pokephilia will burn," said the man in a loud voice. "Those who follow this taboo will face tribulation. And those who support them shall join them in their pain."

Justin didn't know what to think from this other than it was a mistake for him to have gotten out of the car. He felt that a fight was coming and that he and Livia would have to crack some skulls. He didn't like brawls and battles unless they were pokemon battles for some event. He knew how to throw a punch if need be, and Livia certainly could use her powers and throw a move or two to fend them off. But the two were hoping that things wouldn't come to that.

But one thing that made Justin reel was what the cloaked man said. He was irked by this blatant and callous quote, and he wanted to let the man hear a piece of his mind.

"Do you support what happened earlier then?" challenged Justin. "Do you like it to have people burned for the sake of hatred and spite?"

The man looked at Justin with a venomous gait from behind his darkened hood.

"Not only do I support it... I ordered it."

Justin froze there as he looked at the man with chills going up his spine. He realized just how much danger he was in, though he also felt a billowing anger rise up his gullet. The man in front of him caused the horrible burns on the protesters, and it seemed he had some sort of agenda. Justin knew he was in trouble, but he also couldn't just run away. He needed to know the truth. He needed to know the reason behind why this man had ordered such a heinous thing.

"Why..." Justin looked att he man with both disgust and fear. "Why did you do that? Is it really that bad in your eyes that you'd resort to violence?"

"Violence is the only option remaining. Soon, the world will go into chaos at the hands of those who commit the taboo. I am hoping to stop the taboo before more sacrilege is committed."

"But that's so counterintuitive! You'd use violence to stop violence?"

"Not violence. Fear. Only through intimidation will the world see the error of it's ways," the shrouded men then straightened his posture as he looked intently at Justin. "And for that, some examples will have to be made."

Livia went ahead of Justin in order to protect him. She wasn't going to let these men do whatever dastardly deed they were planning on her trainer.

"If you plan on hurting my trainer, then you'll have to go through me," she said in a clear English for the shrouded man to hear.

"So, you've committed sacrilege as well," said the man, realizing that the two in front of him were pokephiles. "So be it. You'll both be shown the errors of your way."

And with that, the shrouded man and his followers threw out a pokeball, releasing a Malamar, Dusknoir, Houndoom, Hypno, and a Hydreigon from the leader. All of these pokemon looking rather powerful, and some were even Super Effective against Livia. Livia was outnumbered five to one, and for as strong as she was she wouldn't be able to take out all of the pokemon at once even with her most powerful moves. The five pokemon advanced towards her, hoping to inflict some serious damage on her and her trainer.

"This doesn't look good, Livia," said Justin as Livia back-up right to his front.

And at that, the pokemon began to charge a move each. They were all getting ready to lob a move at Justin and Livia. Behind them people were already gathering and witnessing the event occur, with some of them using their phones to video record what was happening. For sure this would serve as evidence for the police, though it was yet to be seen whether the Engineer and his pokemon would get through this in one piece. For now, the two prepared to be hit by the incoming moves as soon as they were charged.

But suddenly, a black figure rose from the ground and faced the five pokemon and their trainers. It was in the form of a Darkrai, and the pokemon outstretched its right arm and built up a sinister aura around it. Before the moves could be launched, the Darkrai sent out a black pulse from its hand, hitting the other pokemon and cancelling their moves, putting them to sleep as the Dark Void move sent the pokemon to slumber within a horrid nightmare. With this, all of the pokemon began to suffer damage as the move caused them to get hurt over time. Before their pokemon could faint, the five black clad attackers returned their pokemon to their Pokeballs, knowing full well that they were up against a might powerful pokemon.

Justin and Livia breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that their savior had single-handedly taken down five pokemon that would have been exceedingly difficult for Livia to fight alone.

"Whew! Thanks for the save, Luke," sighed Justin at the close encounter.

"Thank you for saving us," added Livia. "I don't think I could've taken on the five of those pokemon all by myself."

Luke turned and nodded at the two. "I noticed these five cretins skulking around here, and I began to wonder whether or not they were going to cause any trouble. I've been searching for the people responsible for the incident earlier today, and I have been hoping to catch them again in the act. It seems that my patience has come true."

The five shrouded figures looked at the Darkrai and his friends with scorn. Their plans have been foiled, for now at least, and there was no way they could fight such a powerful pokemon by themselves. For now they planned to escape, especially with the sound of police sirens heard off in the distance. But as the leader pulled out what appeared to be a smoke bomb, He gave one final warning to the Pastor's son.

"It seems that we'll have to beat a hasty retreat. But before we leave, know this very well, Solis. What you and those who you support are doing is shameful in the eyes of Arceus, and it must be punished. Beware, for we are always around the corner, searching for Pokephiles for whom to try to convince of the error of their ways. This is the our mantra... the Mantra of Team Shroud."

And with that the leader of the so-called "Team Shroud" threw down the smoke grenade, and the entire area began to fill with a dense cloud of smoke. The smoke made Justin's eyes water, and the smoke was so dense that it even blocked a little bit of the sun's light. But soon the smoke cleared, and once clear the five members of this brand new criminal enterprise were gone. The police arrived and immediately began to secure the scene, with some of them either having their pokemon partners like Arcanine and Luxray or had a firearm in their hands, usually a pistol or revolver.

The most senior looking officer among them, looking like a man in a detective outfit, came up to Justin, approaching with a Lucario right next to him. The Detective was tall and well built, though he also looked rather gruff considering how young he also looked.

"Justin Solis? Is this you?" asked the man. Justin just nodded his head. "Good, good. I'd like to ask you some questions as to what just happened. We got word that there was another incident happening around here, and so we came here as quickly as we could to try and catch the criminals in the act."

"Well, you guys came a little too late," responded Justin. "Luke here sent those goons packing. Me and my pokemon were hassled by these five goons, and they sicked their pokemon on us and were about to launch their attacks when Luke here saved us in the nick of time."

"Well, I want to ask you about everything that you know, Justin," said the Detective. "I know that you and your pokemon have been through a lot right now, but your information can help bring these people to justice. I have reason to believe that these people may have been responsible for the Molotov cocktail incident earlier."

And so, Justin gave the Detective as much information as he could give. He mentioned everything from finding the leader of the group in the middle of the street, the appearance of the people and their body shapes, and any other features he could remember. He told of how the leader confessed to having started the fire incident earlier, that he had orchestrated the attack. He even gave a clear description of the pokemon that they had, which were all rather rare pokemon to find out in the wild or even raise in the Daegar Region. The detective remained dedicated to his work and with a stern face, but even he could not hold back his true feelings. When Justin gave further details about the confrontation the Detective made occasional faces of anger and showed tinges of that anger from occasion. When the interview was over the Engineer had given the detective information on everything he knew and experienced. Justin tried his hardest to recall everything, and he hoped that that was enough.

"So these criminals identified themselves as Team Shroud then," recounted the Detective. Justin nodded. "Well, if this is all you know, then I won't keep you. I'll tell the other officers to let you go, so you can leave right now." But then, the Detective's face turned grave. "But I recommend that you keep a vigilant watch from now on. From what I gathered, these people seem to know who you are and your routines, which is why they were able to stop you. Try to remain vigilan in cas they decide to come after you again, and in case you feel you're in danger call the police."

"Thank you, Detective," replied Justin. "By the way, what's your name?"

The Detective smiled. "The name's Lombardy. Detective Jacob Lombardy. Here's my card," he said as he handed the man his info card. "Call me if there is ever an issue. I hope that you're going to be okay. I know that this may be stressful."

And so, Justin and Livia turned around and walked to their car. The two were still rather shaken, their bodies still rather trembly due to the adrenaline that coursed through them from the shock.

The two of them couldn't arrive home fast enough, and even Livia thought that the 760 horsepower engine in the car was still not fast enough to get them home as quickly as possible...

It was now finally the day. The 27th had arrived, and on a Saturday no less. The Solis home was abuzz with activity. The sound of a charcoal grill being manned was evident, and so was the delicious smell wafting from it. As usual, Jason was the one who manned the grill, though Kiara decided that she didn't want to be outdone in a cooking environment by her friend. Still, whatever skills the sous chef had in the kitchen, they paled to the Pokeball Engineer's capacity in front of the grill. Still, she was determined to learn, and so she at least got around to helping the grill-meister out and preparing some of the meats with seasoning and sauces. All the while, Saria, Justin and the pokemon would be the judges to taste and critique the delicious food.

But as hungry as Justin was, he was also troubled. Ever since the incident three days ago, both with the crowd burning and being confronted by Team Shroud, he had not been able to find respite. He was nervous and paranoid, both two things a schizophrenic should not have too much of. His psychosis had been through the roof as he kept looking out the window from home, so much so that it was worrying both Livia and Mother Mary. He even lifted his head up above his cubicle at work to see whether or not there was anyone spying on him, so much that some of his co-workers began to complain.

Curiously enough, Justin's depression had mostly subsided, though he was still struck with the occasional spout of worry or dread. But he knew that he couldn't show his paranoia nor psychosis on his birthday party. His friends and family had been planning on having an outdoor barbeque for a while, and He felt that ruining it with his mania wouldn't be fair to all the effort they put in.

But the news of his confrontation with Team Shroud shocked his friends and family. Pastor Solis was equal parts shocked and worried, with a generous amount of outrage on Justin recounting the Team's confession for the Protest Fire Bomb. He wanted to do all that he could to protect his son, perhaps hire a bodyguard for him. But he knew that his son would resent that. Plus, it would only serve to draw more unwanted attention to the young man. He put his faith in The Alpha, hoping that his grace would protect his son and keep him from harm.

Saria and Kiara were equally enraged, just like how Jason was when Justin showed up for work bearing the news. The two women normally aren't ones to get angry, but they were a force to be reckoned with when they were. Their pokemon were equally enraged as they showed support for Livia on what she witnessed and experience. Razor, Lance and Camilla vowed to protect her and Justin if the time came.

"Who in the friggin hell do these Team Shroud goons think they are, burning those innocent people and attacking Justin like that?" fumed Saria as she took a bite out of a link of sausage.

"I don't care how powerful their pokemon are. I'd have beaten the living crap out of them with Lance," added Kiara. "Nobody treats Justin like that. And what they did with those poor folks is just despicable.

But Justin only grunted at his friends anger. He wasn't too keen on violence.

"I don't think violence is the answer, guys," He said, using some metal tongs to serve himself some grilled food straight off the grill. "I don't think that stooping to their level is right."

"What do you mean it isn't right? You got sympathies for these punks, bro?" said Jason, with his New York accent getting more intense.. "These baboos think they can just go out and create a ruckus, burning people alive and shit. A sock in the fucking face is what these assholes need."

"And don't you think I'm pissed off too, Jase?" retorted Justin. "It's just that... just..." The Pastor's son at last spoke his mind. "I'm fed up. I'm so fed up with everything that's going on. I'm just so god damn tired of all this arguing, all the protests, all the fighting that is going on. Why can't people just accept Pokephiles for who they are and leave them the hell alone?"

And at this, a single tear began to roll down his face as his eyes began to water.

The friends looked at the exasperated man with glum faces. They saw that He was tired. He was just sick and tired. He had seen the nasty side of humanity, and he had recently met people who would commit terrible things just to intimidate and cause fear. The worst part was that Justin was now a target for these people. He stood up publicly for the Pokephiles, and now he was being targeted for standing up for what he believed in. The fear in Justin was evident all throughout these past three days. He was stressed out of his mind, and there was no telling when he would be attacked again.

"I'm tired too," said a voice from behind the friends.

Pastor Solis, in a black blazer jacket and white button shirt, came walking towards the friends. His face was wrinkled and tired, and his beard was growing tufts of grey. He could only imagine what his son was going through. He knew his son had been through a lot. This was not something easy to go through. And the Pastor wanted to do something to stop the violence that was taking place in the streets.

"I've seen many people come up to me in fear," the Pastor said with remorse. "They're afraid of what might happen to them. They see that society is turning against them. They're afraid to admit what they do. And it's something absolutely disheartening, to see people cower in fear like this. This isn't what Arceus would want. This isn't what he'd want for his children to do, to fight amongst themselves and attack each other. This is nothing but causing pain on another, hoping to prove their point and force their opinions and beliefs on others. This isn't just protesting or voicing your opinions. This is terrorism."

The last three words that the Pastor said were the most striking. And what he said next both shocked and then placated the friends.

"Arceus has revealed to me what you four have done. I know what you are doing with your pokemon behind closed doors. But I also know that you four are also nice and respectable people, which I can't say for the ones causing this violence. From what I can tell, Arceus is not upset by this, and he doesn't want to see anymore violence. This has all gone on for far too long. But because of my position as a church leader, I can't publicly do anything, and I hate that. I wish I could come out and declare my support for the Pokephiles, but then the others will feel alienated, betrayed by their church leader who should be embracing everyone no matter what. But for that reason alone is why I want to show at least some support to them in private."

The Pastor then turned to his son.

"I know that you're part of that crowd, Justin. I know that you're taking a big risk by showing your support, and even taking part in it. I just want you to know that I'm not angry or upset at you, though I do wish for you to find a human partner in the future. I just want you to know that Arceus and I are with you, and so are your friends and family. But I also want to warn you that I can't protect you. If people find out, you could wind up in danger. I just want you to know and prepare."

Justin just looked at his Dad with a solemn face.

"I know, Dad," he responded. "I know the risk we are in. But I want to follow my heart. I just want people out there to accept us Pokephiles, and if not then at least not throw bottles full of flaming liquid at us. I just want there to be peace, is all."

The Pastor nodded his head. "Anyways, I ought to head to the church. It's currently Gospel Study, so I need to prepare my doctrine to share today. I hope you all have a fun time here." He then walked up and grabbed a piece of meat, and took a big bite out of the juicy and tasty morsel. "You're pretty good at the grill, Jason. Keep it up."

"Actually, I cooked that, Mister Solis," beamed Kiara.

"But I taught her how," jumped in Jason, causing Kiara to grumble.

With a smile and a good chuckle, the Pastor turned around and headed back home.

Justin and his friends decided to make things more interesting. Saria had brought a small little stereo from home, and she put in a CD of a nice, feel-good retro song, with Saria waving her hands and cheering while she got some cups from which to play beer pong. The friends had bought a good amount of beer, from Justin's favorite Oranguru Bortus' Alolan Ale to Corona Krabby IPA to Arrogant Barbaracle Strong Beer, with that last one being Jason's favorite and what he brought over. Soon, all the food was grilled and the friends and their pokemon began to chow.

After eating stuffed, the gang played some party games along with their pokemon. The aforementioned Beer Pong was played first. Beer Pong has many rules and variations, but the friends decided to play like this: the four trainers and their pokemon would split into two teams, with Saria, Kiara, Lance and Razor forming one while Justin, Jason, Livia and Camilla forming the other. Every round a team of four would have to throw a ping-pong ball into a cup of beer, and whichever side made the most balls into the beer cups made the losers drink the contents of those cups. It was a simple game, but one that would grow harder and harder the more the teams drank, and the more drunk they got.

While Livia and Camilla were up for playing the game, Razor and Lance were not, noting that they were usually abstinent from alcohol.

"Come on, you fuddy-duddies," complained Camilla. "A little bit of beer won't hurt the two of you. Just unwind, relax and enjoy the fun."

"I agree," said Livia. "It's just a harmless game. I'd say just enjoy it."

Lance could only groan. "But I don't drink."

"Is it because you're a cheap date, Lance buddy?" teased Razor, which incited a growl from the Lucario. "Look, I don't drink either, but I think it'll be fun. If I join in too, then will you come to play for a bit, Lance ol' buddy ol' pal?"

"Don't call me "buddy ol' pal", Razor. I think that is a bit too much," remarked Lance. "And fine, so long as we all don't get too drunk."

And so the fun started.

The game ended in a tie, though everyone was too drunk to carry on. Other games were played, like Pin the Tail on the Mudbray and Musical Chairs. The fun carried on with these funny games, with Saria being so dizzy and drunk that she fell down accidentally stuck the pin in Razor's behind as he tried to catch her, causing the poor frog to yelp in pain. Everyone had drunk a good amount of alcohol by the end of the night, and they were all range from being tipsy to being on the more intoxicated side. Though nobody was yet slurring their words, they had all hit the sauce kinda hard.

And the finale of the birthday party came when everyone ate cake. Justin got to blow out the 2 and 5 candles that represented his now 25 years of age, and then Justin began slicing it up. The cake was rich and chocolaty, and everyone enjoyed taking bites out of their piece. Opening presents would be the last thing they did before heading back to their homes for the night. Justin got a 100 Pokemon dollar gift card from Saria, a bottle of premium cologne form Kiara, and a nice black blazer jacket from Jason.

"Thanks so much, everyone," said Justin as he took a bow. "I'm so grateful for all of this stuff and for coming to my party."

"No problem, bro," cheered Jason. "I was just hoping that youse would have a fun time, is all."

But the girls were the ones who were more worried.

"Will you be alright, Justin?" worried Saria. "I know that you were pretty tense this past week."

"Don't sweat it too much, Justin," added Kiara. "So long as you got Livia looking after you, you ain't got nothing to fear from any goons coming for you. And if you do, be sure to call me and Lance on over to kick some goon ass."

The pokemon also showed their support for the man, and they voiced it to the Gardevoir.

"I thank you all for your support," smiled Livia.

"You're welcome, Livia," replied Razor with a cheery look.

"Just know that the Alpha is always watching you and your trainer's back," assured Lance.

"And if not, then you can count on us to kick some no-good baddie behind back to whether it is they came from," added Camilla.

And so, the friends picked up after themselves and threw away any trash. With that done, the three friends and their pokemon left, hoping that the Pastor's son would be fine after doing so much with him and cheering him up. Justin could only sigh as he looked out from his front porch at his leaving friends. And with that, he turned around and entered his house, locking the door behind him and hoping to have a quiet night with his partner and companion.

But as Justin looked up at Livia, he could tell that she looked at him with a bit of a wry look. He didn't know what that look was for until the two of them entered their room. As he went to lay down on bed--his head still spinning from the effects of the alcohol--he heard the sound of the latches on his door being locked. At first he didn't think too much about it, thinking that she was just being cautious with someone barging into his room unexpected. Then his mind began to wander even further. He wondered what Livia had in mind to do right now. She'd always act more daring whenever she'd drink alcohol, along with being unpredictable. But Justin noted the signs this time. He opened his eyes and saw Liva looking right at him with a wicked smile on her face, standing on the side of the bed and looking at him with mischievous intent.

"What're you planning on doing, you minx?" asked Justin rather wearily.

"I plan on giving you a present as well, Master," said Livia as she climbed onto bed. "I hope that you'll accept it. And even if you don't..."

Justin only groaned, realizing what she meant. The man was usually not one to think with his penis. He was often quite serious when it came to romance. He wasn't one to rush things, and he didn't like breaking hearts. But then again, he knew that there was no getting away from this. Livia wanted to give him her "present", and it was something that she hadn't done recently since Valentine's Day.

"You know that I'm not usually a horny or sex craved guy, right?" he tried to reason with her.

"Funny to hear that a man is trying to talk his way out of sex," teased Livia.

Justin knew that there was no talking his way out of it. He was going to have to go through with this whether he wanted to or not. But at the same time, he was rather hesitant. There was just something inside of him that kept him from committing, and that something was the confrontation with the members of Team Shroud earlier this week. He felt them watching him right now, as though they were perhaps looking in from his window right now. And worst of all was the judgement he felt. He felt that maybe what he was doing with his pokemon wasn't right. Maybe he was wrong on his stance on Pokephilia.

But then he remembered the burns of the people he tried to save earlier this week. He saw the blackened and burned skin of the victims. He remembered their screams of agony, and with that he made up his mind. If being following this so called "taboo" meant being attacked for no good reason, then he'd join in on the taboo and do his damned best to stop this wanton hatred and violence.

Justin bolted out of bed and went for his windows, surprising Livia with his speed. He closed the windows shut and covered them with the curtains, which were thick enough to block the light outside. He didn't care about taboos anymore. He didn't care about his own shyness. He was going to follow his heart and do what deep down he wanted ot do. He turned around to Livia, hoping to embrace her love and affection at the cost of sacrificing what little remained of his innocence and so-called "Shame".

"I think I'll take you up on your offer, Livia," said the man as he began to take off his clothes.

Livia was elated to hear this. She rushed over to bed and pulled back the blankets while Justin took off is remaining clothes. All that remained was his boxers underwear, which he'd leave for her pokemon to remove. His full naked body was visible, with his good sized gut and curves visible. But underneath that fat was the body of a muscular man, and he looked powerful and capable of great feats of strength. Already he had a bulge in the crotch of his boxers, and he was ready to commit to the taboo. He laid down on bed, onto his back with he legs spread out to the sides. The rest was up to his pokemon.

Livia came upon Justin with sultry eyes. She lowered his boxers to reveal his erect member. She could already smell the scent of pre cum even when he had on his underwear, and now the scent was overpowering and wonderful. First, the Gardevoir would like to get a taste of him again. She grabbed his erect cock, squeezing and causing Justin to spasm from the pain. He leered at her, to which she only snickered. She stroked him for a good while, hoping to squeeze out the first drops of his delicious sperm.

The liquid seed keep flowing, and with a good flow she placed her mouth over his cock, taking licks out of his tip with her tongue and suckling with pressure. Justin groaned at feeling this, and it was just so incredible. His pokemon was such a vixen, and he didn't know how she was able to do this so well. The Gardevoir continued to suckle and lick, hoping to take in greedy amounts of sperm as he continued to squirt tiny drops. More would be sure to come, but the Gardevoir would rather save that supply for her when they have actual sex.

A good five minutes of this carried as Livia continued licking, suckling and loving every minute of it. It was just such a wonderful time for the both of them, and though they only sex one time before it seemed that their skills had improved. But the engineer was soon feeling the build up of pressure behind his cock. He felt that in another half a minute he would probably lose control and release.

But the Gardevoir seemed to know when the man was nearing the edge. She stopped and looked at with a nod of no. She didn't want him cumming just yet.

"Wow, that was close," sighed Justin. "I think we ought to try something else, no?" he suggested.

"I think I know what to try next," said Livia as she began to climb onto bed.

She crawled onto her trainer, with her legs beneath her body as she began to align herself for what came next. In truth, she had been hoping to do this again for a long while. She was excited to continue doing this with her trainer, and she hoped to continue showing her love for her trainer no matter what came next.

"I missed doing this," said Livia as she aligned her entrance with his member.

"So did I," replied Justin. "I sure hope no one is peeping in on us or something like that from the shadows of the room."

"Nobody can look through the window, and if they did I'd sense their presence."

"Well, you didn't sense one person last time, and He got the voyeur view of a lifetime."

Livia blushed, realizing who he was referring to. Looking back, she wondered how it was possible for her to not sense the dark aura of Luke the Darkrai.

She lowered herself further and further onto Justin, his member slipping right into her and going deeper and deeper. She tried going slowly for it was still quite painful. Her tight snatch incited a few moans from her trainer, who found that her pussy was still as tight as it was last time. But the Gardevoir trooped on, sliding herself further and further upon her trainer. She felt a little bit of her Nymphomaniac side take over, wanting more and more of her trainer inside and having his cock rub against her walls. She was enjoying this greatly, and her mind was filling with waves of pleasure as they jolted up her spine.

Justin, too, was also enjoying this touching sex session. Soon, his pokemon started short hoping onto him, slowly lifting off of him until just the tip remained and then falling right back down onto him. It was rather intense, and he soon found himself gripping his bedsheets as his own waves of pleasure shot up from his dick to his brain.

This was not yet the most intense sex session that the two of them could have, yet they were both feeling great waves of pleasure, both from physical contact as well as from the gratification of knowing that they were giving pleasure to each other. They were connected both physically, emotionally and sexually, and these three things combined amplified the sensations in their groins.

"Y-y-you like this, Master?" said Livia, her voice creaking from her mind being rocked.

"I do," replied Justin, his mind only slightly more intact than his pokemon's.

"I think I'm really starting to get into this whole 'Having sex with you pokemon' taboo sort of thing."

Apparently, his mind was still lucid enough to crack a joke as well--unlike Livia, who was using most of her mental capacity just to keep a straight face. She loved the feeling so much, having her pussy walls squeeze and rub against a hard cock like that of her trainer's. She wanted even more, and with that she elevated her speed. She was now rising and falling with even more intensity, so much so that the two began to feel pain. Justin also pushed his hips upwards, thrusting his cock into her pussy and meeting with her downward drops so that the two of them could connect even harder. The room was filling with the slapping of their thighs and crotches, though they tried not to moan too loudly to not cause attention to what they were doing. Still, the two of them were heavily engrossed into this sex session, and they were loving every passing minute of it.

But all good things have to come to an end. The familiar pressure in their groins was being felt again, and just like before they wanted to end with a bang. Livia kept hopping up and falling down with even greater force as Justin continued thrusting upwards and into her, so much so that he was hitting her cervix. And the climax was at last arriving as their intensity reached incredible new heights. This sex was much more intense than their previous time. And the climax that was just about to send them over the edge was on a whole new level.

Livia slammed onto Justin one last time, and what followed threw them into the abyss.

Justin's cock erupted into his pokemon's pussy, bathing her most private insides with his human seed. He was cumming and throbbing with so much force that his member was even feeling tinges of pain. But Livia was feeling it the most, for her mind went out like a light bulb as she just sat there, feeling jet after jet of cum shoot into her, and her pussy contracting hard to greedily suckle all of the sperm her master could give. But though Livia's orgasm was much more intense than before, the outcome was still the same. She fell forwards as her mind felt a numbness that came from raw ecstacy and mental collapse.

Just like before, Her Trainer caught her fall and slowly lowered her onto him. He put her head onto his bare chest and wrapped an arm around her, bringing her even closer to him. He tried to put her at ease, patting her head and kissing her forehead in order to lull her back into a sense of calmness.

Justin was rather calm and relaxed by this sex session. He loved his pokemon to a fault, and she loved him in return even more. She meant everything to him, and he would do anything to make her happy, just as she would likewise. Livia stirred from her mental collapse, her face rather blank and foggy, as though she had just forgotten what had just happened.

"Wah... Was that good... good for you, Master?" she could barely mumble.

"It... was wonderful, Livia," said Justin, his mind also feeling rather foggy. "And I enjoyed every minute of it. This was the best birthday gift I ever received."

"I'm... glad you liked it," she smiled, knowing that she had done a wonderful job. "It was my intention to make you... feel happy. I hope this helps with your depression and psychosis a bit."

"I doubt any medicine out there can compare with this." And with that, the man kissed her forehead. "I might need to do this more often."

"And I'll be glad to give more of this to you..."

And with that, the Gardevoir's head once more fell on his chest as she fainted, her eyes swirling as though she had been KO'd by an opponent. Justin could only chuckle. She seemed to have taken this hard, but none the less she seemed satisfied. He lifted her up and placed her on the bed, lifting himself off the bed and grabbing a small towel and wetting it from a water bottle to wipe their crotches clean. He wiped his own still standing, and he went over to Livia's side of the bed and wiped her own crotch clean, though she still moaned when he rubbed her a bit.

All Justin could think of while he threw the towel into the laundry hamper and put on a clean pair of underwear was how he had just broken the boundary yet again. He had sex with his pokemon again, and not only that but it was more intense than last time. The two of them loved it. The orgasm was so incredible. And the two of them would be sure to do it again. He didn't care anymore about taboos. He didn't care about the fear caused by the violence from the Crusaders and Team Shroud meant to intimidate Pokephiles. He loved his pokemon, and that was one thing that would never change.

With that in his head, and now One Year older, Justin got ready to sleep. He took his medicine from his bedside drawer, hopped onto bed and pulled the blankets over him and his pokemon. And this time around, sleep came much easier.

The usual barriers caused by insomnia were no longer present. He no longer felt tension in falling asleep. He no longer beared anymore shame...