FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak, etc. Individual characters are my own imaginening, and are not intended to be any part of main cannon / plotline. Individual characters like Aaron, Song, Zin, etc, are my own creations, so please ask before using. Thank you.

Author's Notes: I offer my apologies for getting this one out so late. It took me and my friend some time to clear our schedules out to finally get this hammered out. It wasn't until now that we both could sit down and correct what we could. If there are any grammar errors, I apologize. Insert perfectionist excuse.

As an observation, between this chapters release and the last one, there's been an outrageous amount of views of the stuff I've posted. 1.5 thousand, as a gross estimation. This figure is nuts. Just thought I'd share that with y'all._ I'm going to go on record and say that every time I check my user page, I'm flabbergasted. I honestly didn't think this would become as popular as it is._

Chapter 8: Truth's

I stood up from the ground, shaking my head as I grabbed the vacant chair. I could feel their eyes on me while my back was turned to them. I frowned as I put the chair back down, though when I turned to sit I did my best to put on a neutral expression. Song was at my side before I realized it, a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at her, and she smiled gently, nodding. I frowned again, but she shook her head.

Dammit Darkrai, why did you have to do this to us? I sighed as the feeling of frustration crept over me. I wish that I hadn't taken Song's psychic communication for granted. Now this silence felt like a chasm between us.

"Alright, so let me get this straight," Joy said, staring at me. "You just became a trainer, correct?"

I nodded. She frowned, shaking her head. "You also recruited these six Pokémon to come with you?"

"I don't know if 'recruited' is the right word for it," I said, shrugging. "It works, though. I'm leaning toward Song masterminding this."

Joy looked at the Gardevoir in question, then shrugged. "Doesn't matter in the long run, anyway. How did you meet them?"

"All except Zin where from the Pokémon Center adoption," I said. "I caught Zin afterwards, before reaching Celestic Town."

Joy's eyes narrowed at me. I sat up straight, not wanting to appear 'weak' to this woman. I felt that if I let slip something, one of these two would catch on rather quickly. It didn't help my case that Zin also called me her mate, though. I can always go with the 'I didn't hear that' excuse.

Highly doubted that would work. I could always hope that either Jonathan or Joy didn't hear that part. With my luck, who was I kidding?

"This is too much," she said suddenly. I blinked, but didn't say anything, less I redirect her attention back to me. "I'm going to sleep. I suggest you two do the same. It's fucking late, and I like getting up early. If we're going to travel together, might as well start getting used to things."

I grimaced, but nodded, staying silent. I didn't think that we were going to stay together after tonight, even if I did want to stick with Jonathan. But if he was going to take her side in this argument, it might be for the best that we all parted ways. I stood up, shaking my head.

"I'm gonna go outside and get some fresh air," I announced. "I'll be back."

I was quickly followed by Zin, but the others stayed behind. I gave Zin a curious look, but she flashed me a wide grin. I sighed again, not bothering or feeling the need to tell her just how much trouble I might be in. We exited the room, followed the hallway to the main room of the Center. No one was there, thankfully, not even Nurse Joy. I shrugged to myself, before heading outside the double doors into the night air.

The sign in front of the Pokémon Center said that Route Two-oh-five connected to the Eterna Forest to the west. I headed in that direction, Zin right on my heels. Neither of us spoke, as I began to get more frustrated with the situation I was in. Things were definitely a lot less complicated back at home, that's for sure. We quickly reached the edge of the city, the transition making it look like nature and city slowly ebbed into each other, the transition barely noticeable because of the trees lining the roads.

The woods of Eterna Forest edged in the distance, the road leading to the entrance not my main focus at the moment. I eyed the bridge with distrust, and decided to head to the trees to my right. While it was sparsely wooded, it had enough vegetation on the ground that the trees provided shadows in the moonlight. Thankfully, the trees opened up into a clearing, the grass covering the ground evenly but without growing rampant. I saw that the bridge from earlier went over some water. I made my way to the edge of the large pond. No one stood on the bridge from what I can see. At the edge, I sat myself down, my feet dangling over the water, the soles of my shoes barely disturbing the water's surface. I felt Zin sit next to me, her body leaning into my side.

"I'm sorry, Master," she said softly. "I shouldn't have yelled at her. It's just that I didn't want her to keep calling you those things."

I sighed, frowning. "I understand, Zin. I really do, and I appreciate the fact that you stood up to defend me," I said, trying to stay positive. "I'm more worried over the part that you called me your mate."

"Well, you are!" she exclaimed happily. Her tail wagged against the grass, tapping against my hand every time it made its circuit. "You've become my reason to be here, still. If it wasn't for you and Song, I don't know where I would be. Probably someone's prize, eventually, or hunted down by others of my kind. I don't even want to think if my old pack finds me."

"Zin," I said, but she kept talking. Either she didn't hear me, or chose to ignore me.

"Then Song comes along, and totally changes how I think of humans," she continued, her voice beginning to crack with emotion. "I was always told to stay away from you humans! My mother was KILLED, defending our pack from humans. My father would eventually be caught by a human trainer. Do you even think what I did was easy?"

I stared at the Houndoom, focusing on how much her eyes were shining in the moonlight. Fur bristled, eyes wide, flecks of flame and shadow escaping her mouth as she talked. I wanted to hold her, but she shook her head at me. My heart pounded in my chest as I looked at her. After a moments silence, she continued.

"It took all I had to trust Song," she said, her voice returning to normal. "The first thing I wanted to do when we got into my den was rip your throat out."

How she said that unnerved me. The tone of her voice didn't have any hint of the usual playfulness in it. She wanted to kill me? Try as I might, I couldn't help but gulp audibly. The sound echoed easily in my ears, and I didn't doubt that she heard it. My heart started beating faster, but a paw on my arm stopped me from bolting. I looked again at Zin, her eyes beginning to shine as red tears began to escape. I breathed out through my nose, and smiled at her, wrapping my arms around her neck. Without hesitation, I faced her and gave her a kiss right on her muzzle.

I imagined that shock was prevalent in her mind, as she didn't react immediately to my act. Her tongue quickly snaked out, dominating mine and taking command from me. We stayed like that for a few moments, before I pulled back due to lack of air in my lungs. The smile on her muzzle after that, though, made it totally worth it.

I turned from the water and sat facing her. "Zin," I said, "there's nothing that would change how I feel about you right now. You trust me, both with your safety, your body, and your love for me. I don't think I could ask for more."

"Then why are you angry at me?" she asked, her voice sounding hurt.

"I'm not angry at you," I said, trying to explain myself. "I just didn't want Joy to know that we... do the things we do together. Not a lot of humans understand, or accept, that Pokémon are intelligent beings. If they knew what we did, they could throw me in jail and put you all inside the Pokémon Center again for adoption."

Her eyes narrowed, a growl forming deep in her throat. "I'd never let anyone do that to you," she said menacingly.

I chuckled softly, bringing my hands to scratch under her jaw. "Thank you," I whispered, leaning close to her. Her tongue licked my cheek, and I smiled. We stayed still for a moment, enjoying the silence and the outdoors before a cloud moved over the moon. I shivered slightly, as a cold wind blew by. Rain began to drop suddenly, and I regretted leaving everything back in the center.

"Race you?" I asked, standing up from the ground.

"What do I get when I win?" she asked sweetly.

I felt my cheeks burn, thinking of a suitable reward for her. "Well, I do owe you a mating," I said slowly and softly.

She turned to me, all mischief gone and replaced with a look I've seen only once so far. She nearly knocked me on my back; her lips pressed again mine as I held her close to my chest. The rain started to pour, slowly but building momentum. At the moment, though, I don't think either of us cared.

"I love you, Master," she whispered, before pressing her lips against mine again.

When I finally managed to get my first lungful of air, I managed to reply back. "I love you too, Zin."

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

We walked back inside, thoroughly soaked. My clothes needed to be washed anyway, but I don't think that Nurse Joy would approve. A Chansey promptly appeared, pushing a bucket with a mop and calling at us with a happy tone.

"Are you going to clean after us?" I asked.

With a nod and a wave of her hands, she pulled the mop from the bucket and started drying the floor around me. I bent down to pick up Zin, to give the Chansey less work. It also let me hold her closer, much to her agreement. Zin licked my ear affectionately, sending a very pleasurable shiver down my spine. Not wanting to risk her display to be noticed, I hurried as fast as I could to our room. Thankfully, the door was unlocked, and I quickly opened it. Inside, not much had changed. The gigantic three headed Pokémon was nowhere in sight, so I imagined that Joy must have recalled her. Speaking of Joy, I saw her turn in her bed, now wrapped from the neck down in a blanket. She was sleeping soundly, her features relaxed.

Jonathan was knocked out cold, too. He was fast asleep in his own bed, a Lucario sitting on a chair with its legs crossed as if meditating, sat next to him. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that I avoided being interrogated. Turning to my bed, all of my Pokémon were still awake. They turned to me, giving me curious looks, but stayed quiet. I quietly headed for the bathroom with Zin in tow, being grateful that the bathroom door didn't squeak like back at home.

"What is it, Master?" Zin asked quietly.

"Both of us need to get dry, if we're going to sleep," I said, chuckling. A grabbed a towel from the rack, sitting on the toilet lid. With Zin still on my lap, I went ahead to get what moisture was left on her fur. Her laughter made me stop for a moment, looking at her curiously.

"You do know I'm a Fire type, right?" she asked innocently. "I mean, I dry my own fur all the time. The only reason why I'm still wet is because of you."

I blinked, before shaking my head. "Leave it to me to mess that up, right?" I said with a smile. "Well, that ruins my plans."

"What, what?" she asked, her eyes wide. If she had visible ears, I'm pretty sure they would be perked up right now.

I gently placed my fingers along her neck and back. She tensed momentarily, before I began to massage along her body. I used my experience with Akalia and Xola to give Zin a way to relax. I just hoped that I didn't find spots she didn't like to be touched. I worked my fingers along her neck, making my way down her forelegs and along her back, paying attention to her reactions.

"Akalia wasn't kidding," Zin murmured. I noticed that her eyes were closed and her breathing had slowed. I smiled, gently bringing my fingers to her sides. Her tail hiked upwards instantly, though she slowly lowered it. She turned to give me a very seductive look, eyes half lidded while her spaded tail tip wagged excitedly in the air in front of me. I think that she wants what I owe her, right now.

"Zin, I don't think this is the best time for that," I said, feeling nervous of the possibility. It wasn't like either of us was quiet during our first time together. Not to mention that there were people on the other side of the door.

"And why not?" she asked, raising her upper body while pressing her lower body right on top of my crotch. I felt my throat tighten, my fingers stopping from kneading her muscles.

"Well, we could wake up Jonathan and Joy, for one," I said, trying to keep my composure. "And do we really need to let everyone else know that you've laid a claim on me?"

She looked at me from over her shoulder now, a grin spreading across her muzzle. Something about that told me that she didn't care for either of my concerns. I had to stop this, before it got out of hand. I really didn't want to give Joy more reasons to be suspicious of me. Not that it seemed she needed any more.

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her back to my chest. I held her there, enjoying the simple act, but trying my best to calm down the incredibly aroused Pokémon. I could feel the heat coming from her. Not just her body, either, as her arousal began to form a wet spot that I could feel through my pants. Everything was becoming hot extremely quickly, and not just in the figurative sense.

"If I promise you a night, will you behave today?" I asked. "I know that you probably don't want to stop, but I won't risk your safety. I can't take that risk, especially not here."

She let out a soft whine, and I was afraid that she would lash out, but she calmed down quickly. "You promise?" she asked.

Somehow, I know this was going to come back and haunt me, but I had to make some kind of compromise. "I promise, Zin," I said, nodding.

She let out a soft sigh, snuggling against me. She stuck out her tongue at me playfully, while I shook my head. Noticing that I was as dry as I was going to get, I still wanted to change pants. I just hoped that Jonathan's Lucario was really asleep and not meditating deeply or something like that.

"Can you get me a pair of shorts?" I asked Zin.

"Do I get to watch you change?" she asked innocently.

This was going to be a long night.

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

I woke up all too soon after going to sleep. Sleeping on a bed felt pretty good, I have to say. When you aren't being hospitalized, I guess. I felt a soft hand shake me awake, and I opened my eyes to see Song and Mist above me. I nodded, feeling my body become alive, even though I had probably a few hours of sleep. Flipping my Pokédex open, it revealed that I've slept four hours. Not the best, but it'll do.

Except for Song, Mist and Zin, who was now waking up, everyone else was in their Pokéballs. I attached my belt back on my waist, while quickly grabbing my backpack from the ground. I patted Zin's shoulder, and she nodded.

"We're leaving, then?" she asked.

I nodded, pressing a finger on my lips. Zin nodded back at me, as I grabbed my backpack from the ground. Making a quick sweep around, making sure that everything I owned was packed away, I put on my boots. It was probably going to be cold outside, because it was early. I decided not to worry about it at the moment. Plenty of time to change pants later, after I got out of here.

I stood up, slipping my backpack on me as we quietly made our way to the door outside. I opened it slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. All my efforts were foiled when a cry rang out in the room.

"Luc! Lucario!"

"Mist, Confuse Ray!" I ordered, hoping that it'll slow them down enough. I heard a startled cry, as the Lucario was hit by the attack, or at least successfully distracted. I ran, Song and Zin right behind me. I looked over my shoulder though, just to make sure. I was grateful to see that Mist floated behind as well, nodding in satisfaction.

"Where are we headed?" Mist asked calmly. I shook my head, not bothering to waste any breath on details.

"Just follow me," I said, panting. "I have an idea."

We passed by the main desk, and I was silently thankful that Nurse Joy wasn't there. I didn't linger, however, as we passed the double doors and headed outside. The cool night air chilled me slightly, but I didn't let it bother me. We headed west again. Without stopping, I pulled out two Pokéballs from my belt, pointing at both Song and Zin.

I didn't explain myself, and I'm pretty sure I would pay for it later. I recalled them both in silence, their faces frozen for a moment before disappearing into their chambers. I quickly attached them back, but grabbed another one. I opened it without any flashy preamble, feeling whatever time Mist bought for us had already dried up a long time ago.

Spirit appeared in a flash in front of me, and I was grateful that she quickly picked up on the situation. She swept me off my feet and in the same motion she jumped up into the air. I wrapped my arms around her neck, as I felt the air rush around me as we climbed upwards. When we stopped, I looked around, though I was scared to death to look down.

I pulled out the Pokédex, and flipped over to the map function. Thankful that there was a compass, I quickly figured out the quickest way out of Eterna. Well, the only real options I had at this point were to go west into Eterna Forest, or go south to Route Two-oh-six. Though the bike road sounded like a terrible idea, it looked like there was a cave system nearby. Holding the Pokédex firmly, I pointed in the general vicinity that was southward. Spirit understood me well enough, as she propelled us in the way I pointed. Keeping an eye on my map, I guesstimated that we were right above the bicycle route. I tapped my Flygon's neck gently, getting her attention. I pointed downwards when she looked at me, and nodded. We began to lose altitude and speed, as we made our way downwards.

"Master, what are you doing?" Mist asked. I looked to my side to see the Mismagius slowly descending with us.

"Trying to get out of a horrible situation by running away," I summarized. "I really don't want to explain to either Joy or Jonathan that I've been having sex with both Zin and Akalia."

"Why do you think that it would be a problem?" she asked.

We were passing by the road now, the bridge like structure looming above us as we lowered into the trees below the support. As soon as we landed, I recalled Spirit back inside her Pokéball. I was tempted to return Mist, but I decided that she would get angry at me, since we were having a conversation.

"Some humans don't see it as Zin, or you do," I said, trying to explain. "Some humans think that people that do so do it to take advantage of them. This is, unfortunately, how Joy sees me."

"But you would not do such a thing," she said, eyes narrowing.

"I know I wouldn't. You know I wouldn't. Zin, Spirit, Akalia, Song, and Xola all know it. The problem is that they won't believe that."

"And why is that?" she asked calmly. "Do you know this for a fact?"

I shook my head and sighed. "No, I don't. But, I'd rather not take the risk, either."

"Not risking anything means we do not learn anything," she said in a steady voice.

"Risking might also mean me heading to jail," I pointed out. "I'd love to see how that would turn out."

"We would not let that happen," she said, nodding her head. It reminded me of what Song said.

"Famous last words," I said, echoing the same words I said to Song. I shrugged, feeling like I was struggling in vain with the subject.

"We'll talk about this later, when I'm sure that Jonathan or Joy aren't following us," I said, looking skyward. The sun was still hidden below the horizon. The light posts shining from the path above us was the only light that reached down to where we were. Clouds still rolled through, black against the dark sky. At least it wasn't raining.

"Come on," I said, still watching skyward. "Don't want to get caught."

"He already knows where we are," Mist said calmly.

"What!" I exclaimed, my heart feeling like a lump in my throat. Before I could even turn back around, a wall of air struck me, making my hair whip backwards. I covered my face with my arms, hoping to not get hit by anything in my face. Something heavy landed in front of me, judging by the loud thud and the deep growl that came ahead of me. I lowered my hands to see Jonathan dismounting a Dragonite, gently patting the Pokémon as he dismounted from its back.

"Finally found you," Jonathan said, giving me a grin. "You shouldn't have attacked Baast. We would have had a harder time tracking you."

I didn't respond, though I slowly backed away from Jonathan. Either he had pre-empted my actions, or he was being cautious, because I felt a pair of claws around my throat instantly. I stiffened, feeling the cold claw tips against my throat. It almost made me want to scream in fear. It didn't help to hear Jonathan chuckle either.

"Sorry," he said, shrugging. "Gem likes to sneak about."

"Sableye," the Pokémon behind me whispered gently in my ear. I could feel a cold sweat pour down my back, before the Pokémon slowly let the claws come off my skin. Though instead of getting off my back, it climbed on top of my head and sat there. The instinct to throw whatever it is towards Jonathan was a very tempting one, but I still didn't want to feel those claws against my neck. Not to mention that it is his Pokémon, and the others he has on him.

"First of all, Gem, don't hurt him. He isn't going to run," he said, nodding. He looked extremely confident, though I wanted to agree. I didn't plan on having my throat ripped out.

"Second of all," he said, shaking his head, "what was that all about? Why did you run?"

"Joy," I said, frowning.

"Ah. I think I get it," he said, shaking his head. "She didn't mean anything she said."

"And how do you know that?" I asked, suspicious of his intentions. "What did she say?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, but kept his calm. "We talked for a bit after you took off. She felt bad, that's all."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that," I said, sneering. "She's kind of a bitch"

"Alright, I'll give you that," he said lightly. He still looked extremely convinced that I had everything wrong.

"Right," I said, frowning. "Look, I don't need to convince you or anyone of what I do or what's happened to me. I don't even know what's going on, and I have a pretty good feeling that you or Joy have no better clue than I do. Also, what she said about me being afraid of bridges. That was low."

"Not up to me to convince her about that," he said, shrugging. "Though, why don't you want her to join us, anyway?"

"Who told you that we were traveling together any further than this?" I asked, walking towards him. I pressed a finger on his chest. The Sableye on top of my head and the Dragonite behind him growled in unison, but I didn't fall for the threat.

He shrugged again. "Just thought it would be nice for us to travel together," he said. "It can get lonely out on these roads. Kids these days don't know how to gauge their own strengths and know when to ask for help."

I didn't rise to the bait, staying silent. I shrugged though, picking up the Pokémon from atop my head. While it didn't struggle, the two green gem eyes shined brightly against the darkness. I quickly handed over the Sableye to Jonathan, who then proceeded to place it atop of his own head.

He pulled out two Pokéballs and recalled his Dragonite and Sableye. After attaching them back on his belt, he walked past me and sat at the base of one of the pillars.

"Look, all I want to do is talk," he said. "Hear me out, and I'll hear you out."

I still didn't trust him. Anything he said could land me in jail, if he really wanted to. He might want for me to actually admit it, and that alone put me on edge.

"Mist stays out, though," I said tersely.

"Fair enough," he said, nodding. "Just don't attack me with her."

I nodded back. I took a good look around as I dropped my backpack on the dry ground. The bike route was what looked like a good distance up, probably a good twenty or thirty feet above our heads. The pillars were enormous, much larger than I would be able to wrap around with my hands, shooting skywards to support the road. They weren't elaborately decorated, though a few had graffiti painted on them.

I sighed, sitting next to him. I didn't feel comfortable doing so, but it was either next to him or sit on the ground. He turned to his left, looking straight at me, and smiled.

"Thanks," he said.

"For what?"

"For giving me a chance."

I sighed, shaking my head. "It's not like you gave me much of a choice," I stated.

"Maybe," he said, shrugging. "It'll work out."

"For whose benefit? Your own, or mine?"

"Hopefully, for the both of us," he said, nodding.

That just confused me. I narrowed my eyes at him, and I felt Mist's 'hands' on my shoulders. Jonathan looked at us both with a composed face. He didn't look intimidated or scared of us, that's for sure.

"We should listen to what he has to say, Master," Mist whispered in my ear. "I am quite certain that he will not do as you think he will."

I turned to the ghost, frowning. "How do you know that?"

"While he is trained to suppress his thoughts against psychic intrusion, I have more subtle ways to gain information I seek," she said softly. "Please, trust me."

I swallowed what spit I had in my mouth, feeling a loss of words. I nodded to Mist and turned my attention back to Jonathan.

"Must be nice to be able to talk to your partners so easily," he commented.

"Yeah, it's pretty convenient," I said. I was still wary of sharing too much information with this guy. It honestly felt too good to be true.

"Alright, I'm going to ask you a few questions," he said, smiling. "I know the answers to most of them, but just to have some groundwork. All official and stuff. Is that alright with you?"

I sighed, but nodded. What's the worst that could happen?

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

"Alright, last two questions," he said, smiling as he took notes. "You ready?"

We must have been talking for hours. It would go back and forth, as we asked each other questions. I was grateful that he did so. It made me want to answer him, at the very least. Though I still didn't trust him, the questions seemed innocent enough. He had asked where I lived, what I did for a living before becoming a trainer. Simple stuff like that. Though, the way he asked this made me feel like I would regret ever starting this.

I nodded though. "Ready as I'll ever be," I said.

"Have you taken advantage of your Pokémon?" he asked.

"Like...?" I asked, not really understanding what he wanted for an answer.

"Have you physically abused your Pokémon?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Have you ever mentally abused them? Put them down, that sort of thing."

I shook my head again.

"Have you had sex with your Pokémon?" he asked calmly.

"That's more than two questions," I pointed out.

"Answer it," he stated coldly. "This is important."

I looked at Mist, who still had her 'hands' on my shoulders. She gave me a nod and a smile, trying to calm me down as best she could. It wasn't working, that's for sure.

I sighed, waiting for the inevitable yelling, downright disgust, or possibly the metal clink of handcuffs tightening around my wrists. I looked back at Jonathan, who was still looking at me expectantly, gently tapping the pen in his hands against his Pokédex, or whatever device he had.

We stayed silent for a moment. He waited patiently while I just hopped he would get the message. Either he wanted me to say it, or didn't get the implied silence to the question.

"Yes, I have," I whispered. I cringed, looking away as soon as I said those words, expecting the worst. I barely heard him laugh, though it didn't sound like it at first.

I looked back at him, to see him holding his sides, shaking his head. "Really? Was that all you were afraid of?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, but the way you reacted made me crack up."

I blinked, extremely confused. "What?" I asked. "Wait, you're not going to throw me in jail?"

He shook his head again, trying to control his laughing. "No. Jeez, no. You don't have to worry about that from me," he said, chuckling still. "I operate through Johto laws, not Sinnoh."

"Wait, what does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that while this whole 'Poképhilia' thing is considered unlawful here in Sinnoh, it isn't in Johto," he explained. "And no, I'm not reporting you. Again, I work under Johto jurisdiction. Sinnoh's rangers could arrest you, if they heard what you've admitted to. I don't have to."

"You don't have to," I echoed. "Will you?"

He laughed and shook his head again. "Nope," he said. "Though, I'll ask that you apologize to Baast. She'll torment you later if you don't."

"Your Lucario?" I asked. He nodded, and I frowned. "Sorry about that."

"I understand, and so will she," he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I would've done the same, in all honesty. I was trying to figure out how to approach the subject when you left."

I sighed, shaking my head. "I was afraid," I said, shivering slightly. "After seeing so many reports of other trainers get caught, and after all this started between me, Zin, and Akalia, I didn't want to end up like them."

"Again, I understand where you're coming from," he said gently. "Don't worry about that now, alright?"

I nodded, a smile creeping up on me. "Should we head back?" I asked. "And where's Joy, anyway?"

"She was going back to sleep after I ran out the door to chase after you," he said, shrugging. A grin slowly made its way across his face, however. "What do you think she's doing right now? Doing what you do?"

I felt my cheeks heat up and the implied comment. "Jeez, that's not what I want to think about!" I exclaimed.

He laughed, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. "Though, I still wonder how you do it," he said, chuckling.

"What do you mean?" I asked, still feeling my cheeks burn. Since when did he become so comfortable with this subject?

"Like, why not just a regular girl?" he asked. "What made you choose a Pokémon over a human?"

This time, it was me who laughed at the question. "It wasn't a choice for me in the first place," I said, grinning. "Zin was in heat."

"And when was that?"

"Before capturing her," I said. He gave me a stare that clearly said that he didn't believe me. I laughed again.

"You can't be serious," he said, surprise in his voice. "You could have been killed!"

"Yeah, I know," I said soberly. I pulled a Pokéball from my waist and released Spirit from its confines. The Flygon appeared in a flash, and was quick to inspect me. I laughed as she grabbed my face in between her claws, her face inspecting mine thoroughly. She nodded, before embracing me tightly against her body, claws grabbing my shirt and the tips beginning to dig into my back.

"You can ask her yourself, if you want," I said, chuckling.

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

We stepped inside the Pokémon Center, the double doors swinging closed behind us. Nurse Joy gave us a smile as we walked towards her.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully. "Will you be staying today, as well? It's not usual that a trainer would leave before sunrise."

I looked over at Jonathan, who shrugged. "We might," he said, nodding. "Depends if Joy wants to stay an extra day."

Nurse Joy giggled. "If I know my sister, she'll want to move," she said, nodding. "Though, I think that she'll make the exception for you two."

"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. Nurse Joy giggled again.

"Your Flygon mimics your actions almost perfectly!" she exclaimed. I turned to face Spirit to see, but she was looking the other way. Her claws were clicking against each other, and a red hue to her cheeks was visible. I chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, what I was going to say," Nurse Joy said, giggling still, "is that since my sister is a breeder, she probably has ideas for your Pokémon."

I looked at Jonathan, and he looked at me. We shared a grin. "I think that she'll find that our Pokémon aren't interested in matchmaking," Jonathan said easily.

"Well, I highly doubt it'll stop her, but it's nice to see her more relaxed than I've ever seen her before."

We both nodded, and made our way back to our room. Jonathan's Dragonite and my Flygon both walking behind us, easily fitting in the wide hallway. His Dragonite looked at the door and shook its head, making a low cooing sound. Jonathan chuckled, before pulling a Pokéball and recalling the gigantic dragon back inside the device.

"Sometimes, doors aren't fair," he said.

I nodded. "I know what you mean," pulling my own Pokéball to recall Spirit. She cooed softly, before being absorbed back inside the orb. When we opened the door, everything was quiet, until Joy screamed.

"Why don't you people fucking knock!"

To protect ourselves from having things thrown at us, we quickly dodged behind the wall outside of the room. I managed to reach the door handle and close the door before anyone was hurt. I shook my head, trying to get the image I had of her out of my head.

"Do you have any idea why she was naked?" Jonathan asked.

I think that today is going to be a long day. A very long day.