FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Author's Notes: Atramedes does Area of Effect damage. Like a Boss. World of Warcraft progression, like a boss. That sound bar crap sucks. Like a Boss.

For more relavent information, action sequence time a go go? First attempt to making anything that looks like action with words. Like, fast paced action, cause technically everything a character does are actions... you get what I mean. I think. I've had this done for a few days now, was trying to work out the grammar kinks out of it. I believe I got them all, though after looking at this for the n'th time, I've probably missed a couple. I ask for your appologies if there are any. I don't believe tagging is a strong suit of mine until I figure it out deep in the recesses of my mind, or I truly believe the story deserves a million and one tags. Until then, it's going to be simple and straight to the point.

No specific song really inspired this, except that League of Legends song that they constantly play in the Champion Art Spotlights. You can find it on Youtube by searching for the Riot Games channel.

General Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright to Nintendo, Game Freak, all those rich people that are not me. Aaron, and individual presented characters that are not from the games / anime / manga cannon are mine. Please ask for permission before using.

With that all that writen and read, I hope you enjoy chapter three!

---- Chapter 3: New Steps

I woke up to the sounds of an alarm beeping loudly next to my ears. The alarm sounded just like any other, though to me they sounded like the angry squawks of a Staraptor. I groaned, rubbing my eyes in a vain attempt to rid the sleep from me, but didn't work. I was still exhausted, but when I grabbed the offending item to my face, the bright numbers clearly portraying it was almost noon, I almost jumped out of bed. I looked around for a moment, slightly confused that I wasn't in my room, but last night crashed into my conscious like a brick.

Right, I had sex with a Houndoom last night, I thought. I sighed, shaking my head. More like done against my will, but it was either that or have my neck bitten through. Can't be blamed for that, right? I didn't dare answer that question, even sarcastically. I went for my clothes, but as I looked at the state of my shirt and pants, I decided against it. I was suddenly glad that I always left clothes back here.

"Convenient, even," I whispered to myself, as I checked underneath the bed. A bright blue shirt and some black cargo shorts was all I had here of my clothes, but it beat walking naked. I found a pair of boxers and shrugged, noticing the heart shaped design. This was a gag gift from Mom a few months ago, when she didn't know what to give me. When I questioned her about it, she was mum about the reason. Right now, I was just relieved that I had some extra protection down there.

I headed for the bathroom to do my needed bodily functions. In an afterthought, I turned on the water for the shower as I brushed my teeth, getting it warmed up. After last night, I didn't want any Pokémon being able to smell that I was thoroughly claimed by Zin. I was quite convinced that someone could still smell her scent on me. Not willing to take the chance, I grabbed the soap and began to scrub every inch of skin I could reach, paying extra attention to my crotch. I honestly just hoped that this was a spur of the moment, and Zin, or the others, didn't intend to do the same. The possibility scared me.

I let the water cascade through my head, my hair clumping together and laying heavily in my face. I contemplated on the idea of Song and Mist masterminding this entire ordeal of events, and I was honestly terrified of the possibility. If Zin was brought with the lure of sex, who knew if they didn't convince the others to do the same? Somehow, I doubt that Spirit was bribed like that; just by the way that she acted didn't strike me as such. Akalia and Xola have always been very physical in their attentions, always enjoying when we are close together. Now, I'm afraid that they'll use my experience with Zin to take it a step further. Song was a mystery to me now, and I didn't dare figure out her intentions. Mist was an even larger mystery, as I've never met her before. The possibilities that my mind came up with wasn't something I wanted to think about so early in the morning.

I didn't care that I just woke up almost at noon. It was morning to me, dammit.

I exited the shower, making sure that I got all the soap off my skin beforehand. I dried up and got dressed as quickly as possible before heading back to the bed. I grabbed the sheets and folded them as best I could to get them washed. I shook my head again, not being able to remove the thoughts of Zin from my mind. Why would she do such a thing? Why would Song allow her to do it? I drew blanks as I exited the room, hands bundled together holding the cloth close to my body.

I made my way to the right, away from the desk and front door to drop off the sheets in the laundry room. The door opened before I reached it, revealing one of the many Blissey that work at the Pokémon Center. I stiffened slightly; fear of being instantly discovered caused my heart to start pounding instantly. Blissey noticed me and smiled, happily taking the bed sheets from me. She turned around and placed them in a pile of other dirty laundry. She faced me again, this time with an egg in her short hands, a happy smile on her face as she offered it to me.

I forced myself to smile at the happy Pokémon, if only to reassure myself. I shook my head, however, refusing her gift. She frowned at me, pressing the egg into my hands, refusing to take no for an answer.

"Why are you giving this to me?" I asked softly

"Blissey!" she responded in her language. I sighed, wishing again that I could understand their tongue. I forced a smile and took the gift, though the frown didn't leave her face.

"What do you want me to do? Eat it?" I asked

She nodded, her smile returning. I shrugged. What could go wrong, right? I mean, I've heard that Blissey eggs are safe to eat, by both humans and Pokémon. I was about to find out.

I brought the egg to my mouth, expecting a hard surface to meet my teeth. I was surprised, that while it had a tough skin, I was able to pierce it with my teeth. It was like eating an oran berry, but without the berry taste. The taste was nothing that I've ever tasted before. It was as if you had the right mix of sweet and sour put together. Before I knew it, I had devoured the egg and was licking my lips, a smile creeping up on me.

"Blissey!" the Pokémon exclaimed

"Thank you, Blissey," I said, smiling happily. I knew that I still had things to worry about, but they seemed to be put on hold, at least for the moment. I felt genuinely happy. I hugged the happy Pokémon and with a spring in my step, walked towards the entrance counter of the Pokémon Center. Hopefully, Nurse Joy was there, and we could get everything sorted out.

As I hoped, Nurse Joy was there, and the lobby was void of anyone except us two. After she was done fluffing some paperwork and putting it away, she looked up, to smile towards me. She waved me towards her, and I complied, quickly covering the small space in between us.

"You seem to look better today," Nurse Joy commented.

"Well, a good night's sleep, and waking up only to be force-fed a Blissey egg will do that to you, too!" I exclaimed, smiling widely

"I see," she said, chuckling at my enthusiasm. "Well, if you're ready, we can fill out what is left of the paperwork, and you can officially adopt the five that have agreed to go with you."

I nodded, smiling as she turned the keyboard, mouse and monitor my way. After clicking the Pokémon and agreeing to be their trainer, I passed the keyboard and mouse back to her. A few more clicks, and the sounds of the printing machine turning on was heard. A few papers were presented to me, and I looked at Nurse Joy curiously.

"It's so we have more than one copy of the records," she explained. I nodded, as I pulled a pen from the desk and signed my name in the spaces as I read the document. Thankful that it was only two pages, I handed the pages and pen back to Nurse Joy. She took them from me, and produced a Pokédex, twelve Pokéballs, and a backpack.

"The backpack has a few things that I figured you wouldn't bring with you," she said, winking at me. "There's a tent, canteen, water purifier and replacement for the filter. Oh, and your all-important sleeping bag, too."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," I said, smiling. The backpack was like those hiking backpacks, full of pockets for all kinds of knick-knacks. The red sleeping bag was hanging from underneath of the pack, strapped securely to it. The tent was on the outside, also strapped tightly to the backpack. I'll have to figure out how to set it up. Today seemed like a good day to get used to the outside world, without much support.

I nodded, accepting the items from Nurse Joy. "Thanks, Nurse Joy," I said again. I slipped the backpack on, feeling the weight, and nodded to myself. It felt just right. I slipped the bag off and put the Pokéballs inside a pocket for the moment, and slipped the thin Pokédex into one of my pockets.

"You're very welcome," she said, smiling. "Now, I think you have five ladies waiting for you out back, right?"

I nodded, grinning. "I imagine so," I said, nodding. "I'm ready, Nurse Joy."

She grabbed the keys and went around the front doors, with me close behind her. We traveled the same way we did to go back to the Pokémon area, though my smile never left me. I was feeling an entire arrangement of emotions at the moment. I felt excited, mostly, but also a bit nervous, as well. I could feel myself start taking quick breaths, and I stopped walking, closing my eyes, trying to calm myself down with little success.

"Are you alright, Aaron?" Nurse Joy asked

I opened my eyes, to see Nurse Joy give me a concerned look. I smiled, shaking my head.

"I'm sorry, Nurse Joy, just nervous. I'm good, though," I said, nodding.

She smiled at me, placing a hand on my shoulder as I walked towards her. "You'll be fine," she said, giggling. "If anything, you'll be great. The first days are always the hardest, so don't get discouraged."

"I don't think Song, or the others will let me," I said, chuckling.

"That's right, we won't."

Song's voice entered my mind as I noticed her and the other four sitting at on the grass. Akalia immediately stood up, and began to rub herself on my legs, purring deeply. Xola slithered next to me, rubbing her head against mine. I laughed as I felt her tongue on my neck, though I felt my heart skip a beat or two at the action. It reminded me too much of Zin's actions from last night. I pushed the feeling away as quickly as I could, so it wouldn't bother me. I'll sort that out soon enough.

Spirit, Mist, and Song were the last to walk, or float, towards me. Spirit was blushing again, but I was pleasantly surprised when she hugged me again. Mist and Song avoided physical contact with me, simply smiling at me. They both wore very self-satisfied smiles. Almost too convenient, considering what happened last night.

"I'll leave all of you to do your business," Nurse Joy said, smiling at me. "You take care now, alright?"

"I will, Nurse Joy, and thank you again," I said, waving at her as she walked away, closing the gate behind her.

"So, did you enjoy helping Zin?" Song asked, her voice almost a whisper in the back of my mind

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You set me up." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I did," she responded, her voice light. "Are you mad at me?"

"Yes, actually, I am," I hissed at her. "I have a whole body of scratches and a neck full of bite marks proving it, too. I have no idea how Nurse Joy, or one of the Blissey didn't notice anything!"

Song's laugh did not help my mood one bit. It seemed to me that she was treating this like one big game. "You do know, if they find out about this, I can get arrested, right?"

"No one is going to find out," she said, nodding towards me.

"Famous last words, if I'm to be a judge of them," I said coldly. "They could revoke my trainer's license, and put all of you back here, or worse."

"Like what?" she asked

"Total alienation from other Pokémon," I said, frowning. "Or worse, use you as testimony and force you to say what I was forced to do to Zin."

"I'll make sure that it never happens," Song said, confidently

"Right," I said, rolling my eyes. "I can't believe that you told her that she could do those things to me, though."

"What DID she do, then?" she asked, her voice mischievous

"No way am I telling you," I said, frowning.

"I can just get it straight from the source," Song said, smugly

"By Arceus, you're impossible," I said, exasperated. I grabbed her hand gently, making her look into my eyes. "If anything, just please discuss it with me first. The surprise was... well, surprising, to say the least."

"It was a fitting birthday present, wasn't it?" she asked, her eyes flashing red

I sighed, releasing her hand. I shook my head in defeat. "Why do I feel like I've signed a contract with Darkrai?" I lamented out loud

All five Pokémon winced at the Dark Walkers name and I grinned at their response. It wasn't my intention to bring him up like that, but it was the first thing that popped inside my head.

"Don't ever speak his name so lightly!" Song exclaimed

I chuckled at her response, but I relented, if only just. "Uh huh," I said, rolling my eyes. "Serves you right, doing whatever you did to set me up. Hopefully you never have something like that happen to you."

Her eyes narrowed at me, but didn't follow through with the implied threat. I might have to pay for it later, but right now, it felt too good to get back at her. If only just a little. Nothing to the extent of getting surprised like how I did, but it was enough for me.

"So, back on topic," I said, shaking my head. "Beside the outstanding issue of Zin, are there any other concerns?"

Akalia was the first to step forward, nuzzling my hand. I kneeled in front of the Luxray, scratching behind her ears encouragingly. Her red eyes glowed in their golden glow, giving her a very intimidating look. I smiled, however, shedding off the backpack and trying to find the Pokéballs without averting my eyes. Thankfully, I found them without much trouble, and expanded one in my hand, presenting it towards her. Her head tilted to the side, as if to signal confusion. I smiled at her, shaking my head.

"You come with me because you want to," I said, shrugging. "I'm not forcing you, and I don't want Song, or Mist, to be making you. You come with me under your own will."

She smiled, splitting her muzzle wide and revealing sharp white teeth. Her nose tapped the Pokéball, and her form instantly transformed into red energy. The Pokéball opened in my hands, absorbing the mass of energy that Akalia had turned into and closed itself. I was surprised that it didn't begin to wiggle, signaling that she was fighting against the capture process, but I shook myself out of my own surprise. I opened the ball by tapping the middle button, releasing her out of her confines in a flash of red light. As Akalia fully formed, the glow surrounding her body dissipated, leaving behind the Luxray just as if nothing had happened. I smiled, as she nuzzled my hand gently.

"So, who's next?" I asked, taking a second Pokéball and expanding it.

One by one they came forward. Xola was next, almost smothering me when I let her out of the Pokéball. To my surprise, Mist was next, hovering in front of me. Her eyes were focused, but a smile adorned her face. I opened another Pokéball, and she willingly touched it, extending what looked like a hand towards the device. Again, just like with Akalia and Xola, Mist didn't resist being captured. As soon as it was safe, I released her from the Pokéball.

"Well, that was interesting, Master," she said, her voice echoing softly

"Are you alright?" I asked, concerned for her. Akalia and Xola didn't come out of the Pokéball feeling odd, judging by their actions. The Mismagius shook her head, the grin still visible.

"I am fine, Master," she said, nodding. "Just... getting used to this again, is all. Please, do not concern yourself, as I can assure you I am safe and sound."

I nodded to the ghost, smiling back at her rather positive demeanor. As I turned to face Spirit and Song, Spirit had walked towards me. Her cheeks were flushed, but wasn't visibly nervous. No clicking claws or wings buzzing this time. I smiled, reaching for her claws, letting me take them into my hand. She smiled back at me, her claw gently grasping against my hand. She nodded her head, bowing slightly as I presented the Pokéball to her. Spirit gently tapped it, and was absorbed into the ball. This time, it gently wiggled in my hands, but it stopped almost as soon as it started. I took the resisting as not enjoying being inside of the Pokéball too much, so I released her like the others.

As soon as she materialized, her personality changed. Gone was the shy Flygon, and instead, I get one that's more than happy to choke me in her embrace. I could see her face out of the corner of my eye, her eyes closed with tears falling through. I gently patted her back, pulling myself from her embrace to cusp her face with my hands.

"It's OK, Spirit," I whispered softly. "You aren't sad, are you?"

She shook her head in my hands, her tongue grazing the palms of my hands. I smiled as she stood up, her head held tall, as if proud of her choice. I turned from Spirit to the last one left. Song stood there, mouth wide in a smile as she nodded to me.

"Any more requests from you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her

She laughed; her voice light in the edges of my mind. "No, actually, I don't. I cannot speak for the others in that respect, can I?" She asked rhetorically. I rolled my eyes at her, but offered a Pokéball to her. She reached out to the ball with her hand, her eyes meeting mine and not looking away until she was gone with the flash of being absorbed into the small device. A bit of resistance, just like Spirit, but soon the ball stopped twitching in my grasp. I released Song, as she turned to face me from being released.

She was wearing a smile, as her voice was a melody in my mind. "So, where are we to go?" she asked

"As soon as we're all ready, I'd like to start going up Route two hundred ten north to reach Celestic Town," I said, grinning. "I've always wanted to see the Celestic Town ruins firsthand. From there, probably head west to Eterna City. If we're confident enough, we can challenge the gym leader there."

"But first, we have to find Zin," Song said, smiling.

"Yeah, we do," I said, sighing. "She did say that she would meet me in the morning, just not where."

"Don't worry too much, she'll find us," she said, nodding to herself. "I'm sure of it."

"Then we better get moving," I said, picking up my backpack. "Do any of you want to go back inside the Pokéballs?"

I wasn't surprised when all of them shook their heads. I laughed, motioning them to follow me. It was past noon and I wanted to at least say good-bye to my mom and dad. They deserved that much, at least. Packing some extra clothes wouldn't be such a bad idea, either.

================== ================== =================

I'll never understand my parents. How they knew to have everything set up for me, or even that I had 'picked' these five, I'll never know. I think they can read my mind. I didn't know, and I wasn't really complaining. Perhaps Nurse Joy had a hand in that. Regardless, it put me ahead of schedule, and it allowed us to get to the base of the mountains before the sun completely set. The sky was still with golden and purple hues, the sun making a dazzling display, while I began to set up camp.

I was actually looking to find other trainers in their journey, but I found none while traveling. I couldn't be discouraged, though. The world is huge, with many places to explore and sights to see. Perhaps this was a bit of an unused road, then? Solaceon never got that many Pokémon trainers visiting, only stopping by for the day-care center. Either way, I still wanted to visit Celestic Town, and it was closer than traveling anywhere else.

Not encountering with Zin throughout all this time unnerved me. She did say that she would come. Did she lie to me, then? The possibility was there, I guess. I kneeled down, picking up twigs and branches that were scattered on the soft soil. Camping near home was never like this, that's for sure. Thankfully, I was only a few steps away from my tent, and I hurried back to my clearing, with hopes to make a fire tonight.

As I put everything in order, making sure that nothing would catch on fire, I pulled out a lighter that my dad gave me. The dry kindling ignited easily, and by gently coaxing it, it grew vigorously. I nodded, rather proud of myself.

"A step in the right direction," I said out loud, grinning widely. I pulled out some cooking utensils, some meats, and a small iron frame to go over the fire to cook. I thought for a second, but then shrugged, pulling a Pokéball from my pocket. Opening and releasing it to my side, a perplexed Akalia appeared.

"Lux?" she said, her tone questioning.

"Just wanted some company," I said, smiling. "I apologize if you were sleeping. You can continue if you'd like."

She shook her head, walking towards me. Her broad head rubbed against my back, her deep purrs rumbling through my body. I smiled as I reached out to her, rubbing her fur.

"You wouldn't be hungry, by any chance?" I asked, raising an eyebrow

She came to my side, nodding feverishly. I reached for the others Pokéballs in my pocket, releasing them one by one. With all five Pokémon out, I smiled again.

"Dinner's ready, I guess?" I hazarded, digging through my pack.

I was grateful that mom had given me what felt like a ton of Pokémon food with matching bowls for my team. Again, how did my parents know, I don't really want to find out. Just the thought makes it a little scary. Compound that with the whole Zin incident, and it becomes a bit terrifying. Who knew what they would do if they found out? I didn't want to think of that right now.

I busied myself with serving my team with food. I found it a bit odd that a Mismagius, a Ghost-type, would actually eat physical food, but I didn't let it bother me. I had enough in my thoughts in my mind at the moment.

I busied myself preparing my own meal, as the others ate. I found myself calming down, as the heat of the fire slowly warmed me over. The sky was turning dark now, the moon slowly becoming visible through the sparse clouds in the sky. The stars glowed brightly across the darkness, beginning to bring a close to my first day of independence. I marveled at the idea, despite wanting this for so long. I wasn't going to kid myself; I knew I was downright scared of this. Regardless, I was enjoying my newfound freedom.

"Master, are you alright?"

The voice startled me out of my thoughts. I turned my head, to see Mist hovering next to me. I smiled at the ghost, though she pointed at the fire.

"It seems your food is burning."

I looked to where she was pointing, and moved quickly to avoid losing my food to the fire. I must have become lost in my reverie. I inspected my food, and nodded. Dad would have called it fully cooked. Either way, if I didn't eat this, I'd have to cook more, and I wanted to ration what I could. Just in case.

"You seem tense," Mist continued. "I do not believe that you are a person that loses themselves in their thoughts often."

I smiled at her as I swallowed a piece of my food. Able to speak, I responded. "Well, you'll probably end up finding out that I like to think a lot. I never had a lot of friends back in town, as I usually occupied myself with work, or being busied away doing my parents bidding."

She stayed silent, eyes studying me with casual observation. I smiled again, and continued eating. The gems on her body glowed softly, as her bowl floated gently towards her. We ate in silence, enjoying the fire and company as we enjoyed what we ate.

I shook my head, wondering how I was going to clean up after myself. I thought for a moment, before Mist spoke.

"You could ask Xola for help," she said, giggling.

The Milotic heard her name, and from my point of view, flowed towards us. Her body aligned itself behind me, her eyes looking at me curiously.

"Could you give me a hand cleaning this up, Xola?" I asked, pointing at the dirty dishes

"Let me aid you as well, Master," Mist said, her voice light in the air.

I turned to see her eyes and gems glowed in unison with a bright purple light. My plate in my hands began to gently shake. Looking down, I noticed the same glow around its edges. I let it go, and it floated above me for a moment, before moving away from the fire and the others. The other plates and such were lifted in a similar fashion, and after Mist had collected them all, she nodded.

"Ready?" I asked, curious

"Ready," Mist replied

"Xola, Water Gun," I said, nodding

My Milotic complied, blasting a pressured beam of water towards the floating plates. When the two collided, the water seemed to almost stop for a moment, before continuing in its course. I was paying a close attention to both Mist and Xola, wondering when Xola would stop, or Mist needed for the water to halt.

A low haunting cry came from Mist, and Xola stopped immediately. The utensils hovered back towards me, and I extended my arms out. They all fell stacked on top of each other neatly, the glow slowly dissipating.

"Thank you Xola, Mist," I said, smiling. "I'd give you a hug right now if I didn't have my hands full."

Xola smiled at me, nodding. Mist giggled again, and I smiled at both of them. I went back towards the fire to let these things dry. By now, everyone had curled up in a corner of our camp, and was either stargazing, or dozing off. I grinned, excitement building in me again. It was the little things that I was enjoying. I'm glad that no one regretted their decisions yet. Now, if only Zin would show up and be accounted for, every-

"Did you miss me?"

I jumped, a yell escaping my throat in surprise. I didn't land on my feet, so I scampered around on the ground, turning to see Zin the Houndoom sitting placidly. A waging tail and a wide grin on her muzzle told me that she enjoyed what she just saw. I held my hand against my chest, feeling my heart pound in my palm.

"Arceus, don't scare me like that, Zin," I said, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

She laughed, shaking her head. "It just shows that you aren't paying attention," she said, nodding to herself.

"Uh huh," I said, not wanting to argue with her logic. "So, did you show up to torment me, or are you still interested in joining my journey?"

"Well, now that you mention it, it does sound fun to torment you, as you say," she said, covering her muzzle with a paw. Shaking her head, she continued. "I'm still interested, but you have to catch me first."

"You want me to catch you, as in a battle?" I asked

"Yep, so no holding back now or I'll never take you seriously," she said, standing on all fours.

By this time, all of my team had awakened. Akalia growled deeply, her eyes glowing yellow. I nodded, patting the Luxray on the head.

"Alright, Akalia, you're up first," I said, pulling out my Pokédex. Flipping it open, I quickly found the battle application, to monitor Akalia's vitals, in case I had to recall her back from the fight.

"Here, Master. You'll need this."

Song pressed a Pokéball in my hand, the small form easily grasped in my tight fingers. I smiled, nodding back at her.

As Akalia stood there, pawing the soft earth with her paws, I recognized a bit of her actions. She tail would twitch in time with her ears, and her claws would extend slightly. I always knew that she was a 'retired' Pokémon, but I never imagined that those actions would be part of her normal routine when battling.

I didn't hesitate when Akalia stopped her movements. I took it as her signal to begin. "Akalia, Shockwave!"

Her tail rose, pointing towards her opponent, a bright flash was able to be seen, before a wave of lightning shot forward, rapidly closing any distance that was between it and its target. Zin didn't flinch, however, as she opened her maw to release a Flamethrower attack to match. Lightning met fire in midair, and the result was a soundless explosion. Heat and air met my skin quickly, warming me up, but I did my best to not let it distract me. A quick glance at the Pokédex told me that Akalia was still fine, unharmed by the attack. Smoke covered the battlefield, leaving only shadows to be barely seen.

"Thunderbolt!" I called out

Yellow light emitted from Akalia's body, as a ray of lightning lashed out towards her intended target. A howl that made my toes curl pierced the air. Akalia's attack, while it didn't miss, was blocked by what looked like a shell of blue energy. Zin pressed her advantage, lunging forward to attack. Zin jumped, and I shouted a command by instinct.

"Flash!"

Akalia let out a loud yowl, matching Zin's from earlier. White light engulfed the Luxray's body, followed by an explosion of light. I threw up my arms over my eyes to protect myself from the blinding attack. Spots danced in front of my vision as I saw that Zin was experiencing a similar experience like mine. Recovering from being temporarily blind, I ordered the next move.

"Akalia, Thunder Fang!"

Akalia pounced on her opponent, biting down on Zin's neck, unleashing a charge of electricity from close range. Zin howled again, body convulsing as her body suffered from the attack. I expanded the Pokéball without a thought, and threw it with as much accuracy and strength I could muster.

Akalia saw the device, and let Zin go, just as soon as the Pokéball reached her. The ball engulfed the Houndoom in red energy, and quickly absorbed it into itself. The Pokéball itself shook violently, and I prayed that it would be enough. As soon as I thought it, the Pokéball instantly divulged its contents, flying back towards my hands.

No witty remarks this time. Zin howled again, throwing her head back, only to unleash a Fire Blast in Akalia's direction. Both myself and Akalia were shocked, and I winced at Akalia's pained yells as fire burned through her. A quick glance at the Pokédex told me that my Luxray was out of the fight.

I grimaced, retrieving Akalia's Pokéball from my pocket to recall her back from the battlefield. Recalling Akalia, the sight of her like that was not something I was going to shake out of my mind for a while. I shook my head, steeling myself for the next round.

"Xola, are you ready?" I asked, turning to the Milotic

Her soft coo was my answer, as she slid like a snake across the grass to confront her challenger. Xola stood there, her head swaying to and fro, as if finding a tempo in her mind.

Zin wasn't having any of it. If she was angry, or just excited of the battle, I didn't know. She opened her maw again, unleashing yet another Fire Blast. Even having Xola as a Water-type, I wasn't going to risk her getting her hit by such a powerful attack if I could help it.

"Xola, Safeguard!"

Her body became outlined in green for a moment, only to project a rather large barrier in front of her. The Fire Blast met this barrier, and it seemed for a moment that the Safeguard would fail against the onslaught. The barrier held, however, the fire attack dissipating harmlessly before Xola's ability failed.

"Aqua Ring," I said, with determination

Xola let out a soft cry, as blue energy manifested and folded around her. Three rings spun around her body, glowing softly as they helped keep Xola's aura in peak condition. It also acted as a deterrent to getting close to her, as she could also unleash the rings to good effect.

Zin ran forward, releasing another Flamethrower. Xola deftly dodged by slinking down, making her body touch the soft earth. The thought formed in my head, but I didn't know if she would know the technique. I believe it's a good time to begin improvising.

"Xola, Brine!"

From her position, Xola launched a blast of water from her mouth, directly aimed at the Houndoom. Either from position or not being aware, it hit Zin straight in the chest. Another haunting howl came, realizing that Houndoom is part Fire. I pressed my advantage, feeling empowered by Xola's advantage.

"Hydro Pump!"

Xola brought herself up from the ground and reared up, before opening her mouth to release a high pressure blast of water towards Zin. She didn't even attempt to avoid it, rolling over the ground as she was washed over by the blast. Being hidden away from sight, I still was weary of Zin faking injury. She did get hit by a strong Water attack, true, but she also took a Thunderbolt without flinching, either.

It seemed that Xola sensed my uneasiness, as she didn't let down her guard either. She returned to her original stance, her head swaying to and fro again, her head and eyes watchful for anything that may even resemble a Houndoom. The rings did not dissipate, either, only adding to her allure of an old battler. I spotted Zin's prone form, slowly staggering to get up, and I took another opportunity. I threw the Pokéball in my hand, once again trying to capture to conniving Houndoom.

My aim was true again, Zin being absorbed back inside the Pokéball once more. I heard the all too familiar whine of a Pokéball absorbing energy, even through the pounding of my heart in my ears. Even after all she's been through, she struggled against the Pokéball, her struggles visible by the violent shaking of the device. This continued for quite a while, as I struggled to keep my breathing under control. Nervousness was beginning to take its toll, as sweat began to bead on my brow and hands clenching.

Suddenly, all resistance stopped, and the ball ceased its shaking. Even though I knew that she was captured, I didn't react immediately to the thought. Xola slowly relaxed, releasing the Aqua Ring around her, converting the rings into energy. She slid to the Pokéball and grabbed it. When the Milotic returned to me, she dropped the Pokéball in my hands. Still shaken, I hesitated for a moment, before walking towards the fire. I kneeled near the light, and released Zin from her confines in front of me.

As she appeared from the Pokéball, she was lying on the ground in front of me. I smiled, bringing my hands on top of her head. Her eyes opened slowly, wincing gently under my touch.

"Remind me next time, never to make Xola angry," she whispered softly

I smiled gently. "I promise," I said, petting her head.

"Keep doing that and I'll fall asleep right here," she said, leaning towards my hands.

"Then let me get comfortable," I said, beginning to stand.

"No need, Master," Song said gently. My sleeping bag was being brought out for me, courtesy of Song's telekinetic powers.

"Thank you, Song," I said, smiling as I took the floating roll. I opened it quickly and lay on top of it. Zin moved towards me, immediately falling prone on top of me.

"This reminds me of last night," Zin said, smiling. Even exhausted after a fight, she still has enough energy to be like this?

"No reenactments," I said, shaking my head. "At least, not yet, anyway."

"Good," she said, laying her head on my chest. Her deep and slow breaths telling me that she was beginning to fall asleep. I chuckled, as I placed my hands at my sides.

"Any of you is more than welcome to the tent," I said softly. "It seems I'm staying out here tonight."

I think that I heard Spirit squeal, though I wasn't for sure. For some reason, I can't picture Song or Mist making such a sound, though I could be mistaken. I sighed, but smiled regardless. I looked upwards, enjoying the slowly dying fire, the familiar weight of Zin on my chest, and the bright night sky above me.

"Things could be worse, Master," Song said, her voice echoing in my mind.

"I was thinking the same thing, too," I said, shaking my head.

"I know you were," she replied, sitting next to me. She raised my head and put it on her lap. I looked at her, clearly puzzled, but she shook her head.

"I'm not wooing you, if that's your fear," she said. "Though I would like to be as close as you are to Zin, I'm not going to do so like she did."

"That means a lot, Song," I said, smiling.

We stayed silent for a moment, before a thought crossed my mind. She giggled softly, her hands gently stroking my hair.

"I know that you're a bit angry still with me," she said. "I don't blame you, but let me explain why I did so."

I nodded, staying silent. Song seemed to be composing her thoughts, but she shrugged and shook her head. I brought a hand to hold the one she was using to brush my head, and she smiled.

"I knew that Zin was in heat," she began. "I also knew about her absolute distrust of humans. I knew why, even though she kept that hidden from me. I could sense the hate she projected for humans. Even through that, though, she was interested in you, and that caused her more confusion than she ever thought possible.

"When she finally found the Pokémon Center for the first time, she was infuriated, as she thought we were kept here against our will. I am thankful that we managed to clear that situation up, and she constantly visited, if only to speak to me. I seemed to be the only one interested in talking to her, and I would tell her about you."

"So that's why she was obsessed with me," I said, shaking my head.

"No, not true," she said, giggling. "At first, she saw you just like every other human. Though when I showed her that what I said was true, she slowly grew to like you, from a distance, obviously.

"Her heat was a different story. It had been far too long that she had been satisfied, if at all. I only suggested that she would consider the offer, though I did mention that you wouldn't argue too much. Plus, it was kind of a gift for you, too. It's not every day a female willingly gives her body to someone they just met."

I sighed. I wasn't going to argue with that kind of logic. Though I didn't like it, I couldn't say that I didn't enjoy it. I'd be lying if I did. Though, I do wish things would have been different, but there isn't any point to worry too much about what's happened already.

"I get it, Song," I said, stifling a yawn. "I'm not going to argue about it anymore. Just, please... warn me next time."

"Don't worry, Master, I will," she said, stroking my head.

"This applies to the others, too," I said, rolling my eyes

She laughed at my expression. "Now you're being a spoilsport!" she chided, giggling.

I sighed as I closed my eyes, still on her lap. I needed some kind of sleep. I wasn't going to climb mountains if I didn't get some kind of rest tonight. And, hopefully, Song will keep her hands were they belong.