FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Author's Notes: Do not change your Internet settings. There is nothing wrong with what you are seeing. What is in front of you, is totally real. What you are about to read, is not a late April Fool's joke. A huge shout-out goes to BrimconSako for his amazing aid. This chapter wouldn't have been done as quick as it did without the help. Give this man a soda. Or whatever he desires to drink

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.

Chapter 17: What happens in Jubilife...

Well, color me surprised when I found out that Jubilife has a public pool. Double that when Joy insisted that we take a break from training and have a day to relax. Naturally, I was reluctant. We've been only training for two days was my argument. She countered me with saying that I had an entire week to do so. I argued back that we could do this before we left. It was when she mentioned the pool that Xola nearly squeezed me to death for attempting to refuse Joy's offer.

So I found myself being dragged along by Joy and Xola to this place. Though now I'm glad I came along. We've been working extremely hard, and everyone is in need of some kind of break. Xola has been really pushing herself more than I thought she would. She's been taking anything and everything I suggest with the attitude of a seasoned fighter. After seeing that memory from her, I wouldn't doubt that it has something to do with it.

At first I was cautious about having Xola out of her Pokéball, but the lifeguard waved my worries away. Most people that come here are trainers with water Pokémon, so it's not a rare sight. While he did mention that it was surprising to see a Milotic, he didn't say no to her being in the pool. Just no excessive splashing was the only thing, and Xola was quick to agree.

I was wearing some recently purchased swim trunks, seeing as I didn't have any on me. Joy almost laughed at me when I told her I didn't have any. I kept it simple, though, because she wanted me to get something more 'manly'. Since when were skull designs on shorts manly? Mine were plain white with a black silhouette of a flying bird on the right side. Joy on the other hand, was wearing something more eye catching.

She turned around as we made our way to an unoccupied area of the pool. Placing our towels and other things down, Joy turned to face me. Her top and bottom matching their ocean blue color. Noticeable swirls started from the edges of the fabric towards the middle, where my eyes shouldn't roam. It didn't leave much of her body to the imagination, but I didn't want to be slapped in public. I wasn't about to let off the hook that easily, however.

"Oh ho," she whispered conspiratorially, leaning forward. Her cleavage, while not overly large, was still impressive. It took some significant willpower not to keep staring.

When I looked upwards, her grin was of a predator having dinner served to them on a platter. "So you do like women." she said. It wasn't a question.

I took a step back, heat rising to my cheeks. "Please don't hit me!" I whimpered.

She laughed, pulling me into a hug. Since when did Joy become so... amiable? In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but appreciate her breasts pressing against my bare skin. I quickly slapped the perverted part of my mind down to where it needed to be, and locked it up tightly. There was absolutely no need to have an embarrassing display in public.

She pulled away from me, her arms grasping my shoulders with a firm grip. My mind wouldn't stop thinking of how her smile seemed to widen as I squirmed in her grasp. She motioned that we sit down, and I was quick to comply. I was surprised that she sat next to me, and didn't remove her hand from my left shoulder. Her grin never left her face as I felt my cheeks burn. She moved our things to the side, a belt clinking softly with something within our towels.

"Why are you so nervous?" she asked. "It's not like your cheating on anyone."

I looked around me for a moment, making sure that no one was nearby. No one else was within earshot, though Xola was giving me a tired look that told me she wanted to be in the water more than waiting for us. I sighed, shaking my head in an effort to control my nerves.

"Zin wouldn't take kindly to this," I said softly. "She's quite attached."

"Your Houndoom?" she asked. I nodded, and she gave me a grin. "She's feisty, isn't she?"

I nodded. "That's putting it mildly." I said with a smile.

"Oh, I wouldn't doubt it." she said with a grin. "Not with those looks that she keeps giving you. I swear that she wants to go at it right there and then, and damn the consequences."

I was extremely glad that she wasn't loud about it. I was grateful about the ambient noise that probably muffled our conversation from prying ears. Though I'm pretty sure that anyone could tell that my cheeks were red. And it wouldn't be hard to tell my level of embarrassment. Joy smiled, though, shaking her head.

"You know, you're not a bad kid." she said with a giggle. "Come on. Your Milotic is giving you the evil eye, too."

I nodded, relieved that she would forgo the interrogation. In all honesty, I have no idea what prompted that. Internally, I was still debating everything that just happened. She knowingly helped me break the law. I mean, for all effects and purposes I was a Poképhiliac. Why would she help me instead of reporting me? Does she think it's an arbitrary law? Maybe it's because she's seen my Pokémon, and she knows I don't treat them any less. I honestly don't know, but that feels like the right answer.

I stood up, offering a hand to Joy to help her up. She took it with a smile, grabbing a Pokéball from her belt. She fiddled with it for a moment, before giving me a grin.

"You get to meet Calliope." she said with a laugh. "She hasn't been out of her Pokéball in a while."

I smiled and nodded. "Just as long as I don't get sprayed in my face." I said with a laugh. "Is Calliope the Kingdra you mentioned before?"

She nodded. "The one and only!" Joy said with a hint of pride. "Let's get to the water, before there's no room."

We managed to make our way to the water's edge. Xola helped a lot in this, seeing as people moved out of the way as she moved gracefully across the ground. We found a good edge of the pool, claiming it for our own for the moment. Xola was more than happy to clear the water for us, her length making others stay away as we got inside. Joy took the chance to release her Kingdra into the water. With a flash, the large Pokémon was revealed, a blue snout pressing against my face. My throat seized up as red eyes were narrowed at me. My vision was filled with a Pokémon that was inches from me, and could probably punch me through a fence with a blast of water.

"Calliope!" Joy exclaimed, calling the Kingdra's name. "Be nice to my friend, or you go back inside your Pokéball!"

The Kingdra backed up for a second, shaking her head. I turned to Joy, feeling confused. She laughed, shrugging. "I'll be right back." she said. To which one of us she said that, I wasn't entirely clear.

With Joy walking away, Calliope attempted to dash in my face again. Xola intercepted her, glaring at the Kingdra. At first I wasn't sure if Calliope would back down, but she did. I was surprised at first when she backed away from Xola when I suddenly felt a pair of hands on my shoulders, pushing me forward into the water.

I was grateful that Xola pulled me out of the water quickly. Tumbling forward was screwing up my perception rather hard. My head broke the surface and I gasped for air, turning to face Joy when I heard her laugh hysterically. I felt Xola nudge my face a few times, giving me a once over to make sure everything was alright. I decided to let her at it, or else she would never calm down.

"You alright there?" Joy asked. She looked rather pleased with herself. "Didn't swallow the pool water, right?"

"I tried not to." I said, patting Xola's neck gently. She let me tread water, but she still floated close by. Calliope swam past me, giving me a nudge to the pools edge so I could communicate with Joy better. She grinned down at me, her hands on her hips.

"It looks like you two will get along just fine." she said. "Move out of the way, so I can get in."

I did as I was asked to. Joy leapt into the water, with the grace only a woman can manage. Calliope ducked under the water instantly, quickly reappearing with Joy in tow. She gave me a smile, urging the Kingdra to move closer to me. Xola coiled around me, helping me stay afloat as Joy came up to us.

"You're not a strong swimmer, are you?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I do fine, but I get tired pretty fast." I explained. "Just don't expect me to stay far away from Xola. She's had to pull me out of the water a few times before."

She raised an eyebrow at that, looking at me curiously. I chuckled at her expression. "Let's just say that I've had a bad experience before that nearly got me drowned by Xola, and leave it at that."

"Master!" Xola exclaimed, shaking her head. "I thought you said you'd never tell that to anyone!"

I smiled at the Milotic. "I did say that I was leaving it at that," I pointed out.

Both Joy and Calliope gave us blank looks, but Joy ends up shrugging. "I'll just pretend you can guess at what she said," Joy said with a chuckle. "I honestly have no idea what my Pokémon say to me."

"How did we end up talking shop again?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Good question, and it's one I don't want to answer," Joy said with a laugh. "Come on! Race you to the other side. Under the water, so we don't bother anyone else."

I raised an eyebrow, but I was cut short of saying anything. "Readysetgo!" she said out loud, before Calliope dive underwater, taking Joy with her. Xola looks over at me, a grin slowly crawling on her face, before enveloping me in her coils. Her face comes next to mine, as we slowly begin to sink.

"Ready?" she asks.

"As ready as I can be," I reply. "Let me get a deep breath before we go under."

She nods, giving me a moment. I take a few deep breaths, mentally preparing myself. Two quick breaths are followed by a big one, and with a nod I'm plunged under the water. My hands grasp against Xola's scales, doing my best to hold on as I was dragged along for the ride. Eyes stung due to the nature of the water, but I could see that we were catching up. If they slowed down or Xola was that fast, I wasn't entirely sure. Turning to my right, Joy was giving me a one finger salute. Bubbles burst out of my mouth in surprise, turning into a gasp as my head broke the surface suddenly.

"Cheater!" I yelled, pointing accusingly at Joy.

"Me, darling?" she asked, feigning a foreign tone and swooning dramatically. "I would never cheat on you."

"Wait, what?!" I asked, almost backing out of Xola's coils. Where did that come from?!

Laughter echoed around me. Even Xola was against me! I turned over to the Milotic. "No sweets for you, lady." I said sternly.

"I don't think I have to worry about that." she said smugly. She winked over to Joy.

"I'll give her all the love that you don't." Joy said, laughing.

I'm being conspired against. The deities must have it against me today.

Xola pressed her face against mine, nudging me gently. "We have children coming." she whispered.

Sure enough, three kids were swimming in our direction. I nodded towards their direction, and Joy turned to see them. She waved at them enthusiastically. I ventured she must be in a really good mood. The thought of her taking drugs to be so cheery didn't seem to be out of the question. I didn't really picture Joy in my mind as a person that was friendly to everyone in the general sense.

The group was of two boys and a girl, probably around ten or eleven years old. I could never tell kids ages. They didn't have Pokémon with them, either. I scanned around in case their parents were nearby, but nobody was paying us any mind. When the three reached the wall next to us, the girl pointed at both Xola and Calliope, beaming proudly.

"Told ya so!" she exclaimed. "What I say? I saw a Milotic and a Kingdra, and here they are! You two owe me, big time."

"We didn't bet anything." said one of the boys. The one that spoke wasn't facing me and had short red hair. The other kid had freckles.

"Dude, don't lie, or else she'll tell mom." the freckled kid said, shoving water at the red haired kid. "Do you really want that to happen?"

The red haired kid shook his head. "Yeah, better not."

The girl, meanwhile, had approached Joy and was gawking happily at the Kingdra. The two boys gave each other a shrug before going to join the girl. Xola nudged me again.

"So, what now?" she asked.

"Why are you asking me?" I asked back with a shrug. "I thought you were the one that wanted to come here so bad."

"But you're not having fun." she pointed out. I shrugged. "You're not answering me." she pressed.

"I dunno." I said, sighing. "You know that water isn't my deal."

"I thought we were over that." she commented dryly.

"We are." I said, sighing. "I'm just nervous, about a lot of things."

"This is about Song, isn't it." It wasn't a question.

"It's definitely part of it." I said with a sigh.

"Hey, mister!"

My conversation was interrupted by the girl swimming towards me and Xola. I regarded her with a raised eyebrow, but she ignored the look.

"Hey mister." she repeated again. "Do you mind if I can touch your Milotic?"

I looked over to Xola. "It's your call." I said.

She smiled at me, leaning her head down towards the girl. She reached for Xola's neck, rubbing her scales in a gentle manner. I could tell because Xola wasn't writhing like crazy.

"What's her name?" the girl asked. "The lady didn't say."

"Her name is Xola." I answered, smiling slightly.

"She's pretty."

Xola stiffened slightly at the compliment, the scales around her face turning slightly red. Joy approached us, the two boys floating nearby Calliope.

"Another lap?" she asked

"You up for it, girl?" I asked Xola, facing her with a smile.

She pulled away from the little girl, giving her a nuzzle before nodding to me. "I want another chance." she whispered.

"I'll take that as a yes," Joy said. She turned to the kids. "Hey, do you mind giving us a countdown? Back to the far wall and back here."

The kids swam back to the wall, pulling themselves out of the water. Joy looked towards me, giving me a satisfied grin. I raised an eyebrow, and was about to ask what was so funny, when the girl began counting down from ten.

I quickly grabbed hold of Xola by the five count. At zero, my vision was underwater again.

=====================//////////////////////////////////===================

Zin insisted on walking with me. When pressed for a reason, all she said was to be with me. I didn't insist that she explain herself. Joy was acting weird enough, ever since insisting that we hung out more often. Why was this happening? Shouldn't I be grateful that she wants to be with us? And why do I keep getting myself in these crappy moods?

I stopped walking, leaning against a tree and sliding down. I looked upwards, the sun hiding behind the cloudy sky. It looked like it would rain today. Damn forecast was wrong. It always is.

"Something is bothering you, isn't it?" she asked, sitting next to me. Looking over to her, she was staring right at me. Her eyes were peering right into mine, and for a moment I didn't know what to do. Lying felt like a really bad idea.

I sighed, closing my eyes and shaking my head. "It feels weird, Zin." I said with a shrug.

"You miss Song, don't you." she said. It wasn't a question.

"Of course I do," I said. "Even I think that's obvious."

"You shouldn't be beating yourself over this so much." she said, rolling her eyes at me. "You said your goodbye, you danced the night away, and then you get to have sex with her, too. Don't get all bent out of shape about it."

I blinked at her, startled by what she said. She grinned at me. "Don't think that I didn't know." Zin said. "I don't pin Mist as a Pokémon that keeps people from waking without a good reason."

I shook my head again. "I didn't put her up to that." I said quickly.

"I know you didn't." Zin said, laughing. "It's kinda sweet that she wanted to have you for herself like that. I can appreciate a female with initiative."

I felt my cheeks flush as she mentioned that. "Like what you did with me the first night?" I asked.

"NOW you're getting it." she said, placing a paw on my leg.

A shiver went down my spine, becoming more pronounced as Zin climbed on top of my lap. Her eyes filled my vision as her breath felt warm against my face. Her tongue lapped at my face gently, focusing on my lips. I pressed an advantage, pressing my lips against hers. I grabbed one of her horns with my right hand, holding her close with my left. A growl rumbled through me as her tongue dominated mine within my mouth. My chest began to warm up, making my back feel like I was laying on a pack of ice.

I forced myself to back away from her, slowly realizing that I was in public. No one was around, but I still didn't want anyone to walk in on us being amiable. Not wanting to go to jail was a strong deterrent.

She sighed all the same, licking my lips one more time before nuzzling my chest. "Thank you." she said softly.

"For what?" I asked.

"For remembering," she said, as if that explained everything. "It felt like you were ignoring me."

"Zin, ignoring you is a death wish." I said, chuckling. She batted my chest, making a high pitched whine.

"You know I didn't mean it in a mean way, so stop that." I said, wrapping her up in my arms. She didn't fight against me, leaning against me more heavily.

We sat in silence for a moment or two, as I gathered my thoughts. "I just don't want to get in trouble, that's all." I said, trying to explain myself. "There's so much that can go wrong, especially here in Sinnoh. In Johto, maybe not so much, but I still don't want to risk either you or anyone being taken away."

"Do you really think other humans would do that?" she asked.

I nodded. "I know that they would, because I've had to see it happen." I answered. "While I never found out if it was true or not, suspicion is enough to get authorities to investigate a person."

"And here it's wrong, but in this Johto place, it's ok?" she asked.

"Basically, from what John says." I said with a shrug.

She leaned forward, her tongue licking my ear for a moment before her teeth held it in her mouth. I didn't move, my body wanting to writhe in combined discomfort and arousal.

"You're going to fuck me as soon as we get to this Johto place." she whispered in my ear. "You owe me a few favors, and I intend to collect."

With my hands still around her, I pushed against her weight and pinned her to the ground. With the advantage of position, I leaned down and kissed her again. While her tongue still beat mine, I maintained as much control of the situation as I could.

I pulled back from her, a smile forming on my face as I looked deep into her eyes. "And I'll be waiting for that moment to happen."

======================/////////////////===========================

"So, you are a breeder now." Mist deadpanned.

It was late at night. Another sleepless night for me, and it seemed that Mist was as much of a Noctowl as I was turning into. Deoxys and Weavile also accompanied me, both either unable to sleep or wanted to keep me company. We were all on the roof of the Pokémon Center again, though this time without the company of Joy and John. They were both sleeping when I left the room.

"You aren't angry with me, are you?" I asked.

The moon was out tonight, the sparse clouds in the sky doing little to hide its glow. Mist raised an eyebrow at me, making me feel as if I was incompetent.

"You do remember what I told you, don't you?" she asked. "About me."

I nodded. "Yes, I do remember," I said, frowning at the thought.

"Do you think this makes me comfortable?" she said, frowning.

A lump formed in my throat, making it slightly hard to breathe properly. I swallowed the feeling down, choking slightly before being able to reply coherently.

"I want you to ask yourself something, Mist." I said. "Before you ever told me what happened to you, did you ever think that I would force you to do something you wouldn't want?"

"I would have no idea." she said stoically. "I did not think that you would have sex with a Houndoom, either, but yet you did."

Both Deoxys and Weavile moved at once, their footsteps loud on my ears as they approached from behind me. I sighed, rubbing the back of my head.

"Well, you didn't really complain when we did it together, either." I pointed out.

She stiffened as she hovered in the air in front of me. The corners of my mouth wanted to curl up in a satisfied smile, but I forced them to stay still. Smiling right now would make me look like a condescending ass.

"Mist, it isn't me being an idiot by ignoring you." I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "I didn't do it to spite you, if that's what you're feeling."

"Sometimes I get that feeling." she said. I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Perhaps it is not fair of me to uphold you to my standards." she said, explaining further. "I did not mean to confuse you."

I pulled out my Pokédex and her Pokéball. My thumb pushed a few buttons, to a new feature that I found out recently by accident. It was the release feature.

"If you want to, I can release you." I said, raising both devices up to her. "You don't have to put up with me anymore, if that's what you want."

She hovered, her eyes staring into mine, before she spoke. "You wouldn't dare." she whispered.

With Pokédex in my left hand, I pressed a button with my thumb. A chime rang out before a computer voice spoke. "Beginning Pokéball purging of one Mismagius, please wait."

Silence fell around us. It seemed that even the air around us waited for anything else to happen. The stillness was broken again by my Pokédex. "Purging to take place after sixty seconds."

I was grateful that it didn't count down every second, but at every ten mark, it spoke it. "You wouldn't dare!" Mist screamed at me, as the Pokédex said fifty.

"I would and I am, if this is what you want." I answered with a shrug.

"Why?!" she demanded.

Forty seconds. "Because you don't want to be around me anymore," I said sadly. "If you want to be your own ghost, and your own life, you should go."

"But that is not what I want!" Mist exclaimed.

"Then what is it that you want?"

Twenty seconds remained. The silence that followed my question hung in the air like a shroud. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound escaped.

Ten seconds left. It now begins to count down every second.

Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. On-

"Pokéball removed from perimeter," the Pokédex chimed. "We regret to inform you that you will have to start the process over again. Please try again."

Mist was hovering over me, a mixture of fear and anger etched on her face. One of her hands had batted away the Pokéball, sending it rolling across the roof of the center. Weavile dove after it with a happy sound.

"Why?" Mist whispered. "Why do this to me? Are you testing me?"

I shook my head. "I don't need to test your loyalty to me." I said, shrugging. "I never doubted you."

Raising a hand, I held back the question. "I know I didn't answer your question outright. I'm getting to that. I think it's important that you get to know my train of thought, though."

Weavile came back, tugging at my pants. Looking down, she was holding Mist's Pokéball almost reverently as she presented it to me. I smiled, rubbing her head gently before taking it off her claws. She quickly backed away, climbing effortlessly up Deoxys, resting on top of his head.

If the situation wasn't so serious, I would laugh.

Turning towards Mist, my Pokédex bleeped again. "Do you wish to continue?" I closed it to shut it up.

"I'm not good at these speeches, so I'm going to sum it up and expand where you deem it needed," I said, sighing. "I trust you. Completely. But trust can't be just one direction. I need you to trust me.

"I understand that breeders make you uneasy. With what you've been through, I understand your fear to a certain level. But I'm not that person that did those things to you. I would NEVER do such a horrible thing. Whatever came over you that even made you think I would, I want you to get it out of your thoughts. I'd much rather die than do something so atrocious to someone I love."

"Love?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Mist. Dammit, I love every single one of you. Maybe it's that I'm stupid. Maybe it's an inherent male disability. I don't know. I care about you too much."

"You... love me?"

I restrained myself from shaking my head, as much as I wanted to. It felt like I was underwater, everything else blurring together except Mist. "I trust you with everything I have, Mist." I said. "Yes, I love you. Was there any doubt before?"

I was suddenly enveloped by her, the ghost's lips pressing against mine. My hands wrapped around her body, returning the affection as best I could. I could feel moisture falling against my skin, realizing that she was crying. The kiss was all too brief, our lips parting and leaving me out of breath by the intensity. She looked bashful for a moment, as if she forgot that I had to breathe.

"I am sorry." she whispered, shaking in my arms. "I shouldn't have, and yet I did."

I shook my head. "It's fine." I said, holding her. "All that matters is that you're happy. I can handle everything else."

"You do not have to be alone in that." she said, smiling at me.

"I know," I said with a chuckle. I looked over to Deoxys, who was pretending not to overhear our conversation. His efforts, while having good intentions, were a bit late.

"I don't think I can feel alone if I tried," I said, facing Mist again. I smiled at her. "Please tell me if there's anything that bothers you. I'd hate to make another decision that would make you feel ignored or unappreciated."

"I will, Master." she said with a happy sigh. "I promise."

======================////////////////////////=======================

Mist insisted to sleep again, but refused to go inside her Pokéball. She began to merge within me, starting from her lower body. I grabbed hold of her, hugging her body close to me as she slowly disappeared inside of me. My body shivered at the sensation, but I didn't let it bother me more than that. I looked over to Deoxys, who was busy entertaining Weavile with something that looked like a glowing ball.

As I approached, Weavile insisted to be on top of my head. I complied, Deoxys placing her where she dictated. I chuckled softly, feeling her claws grab hold of my hair so she wouldn't slip off. "Can't I just hold you?" I asked. She let out an indignant cry, sitting behind my head again and grabbing hold of me.

"She is very insistent." Deoxys said. "Almost as bad as you can be."

"Very funny." I said with a laugh. "I have myself a regular comedian."

"Would you wish for me to stop?"

"Oh, Arceus, no," I said quickly. "I don't mind at all. Just surprised that you can make a joke."

"I am... trying to fit in more with you," he said cautiously. "I also did not know that you did such things with Pokémon."

I raised an eyebrow at him, turning slowly as not to displace the resting Pokémon on my shoulders. "You mean that whole display from earlier," I said.

"Yes." he said, nodding. "Is it voluntary?"

"That's an awkward question," I said, restraining the urge to laugh. "It was forced on me the first time. You can ask Zin about it, if you want the details. I'm sure she would love to tell someone else. It was forced on me the second time, though I probably could have said no. If you mean if it's voluntary for both involved, then yes. I don't force them to do the act if they don't want to."

"What about if they desire you?" he asked.

"Well, then I'm the one in trouble." I said, chuckling. "If you've never noticed Zin giving me weird looks, it's because she's wanted to jump me for the last few days now. Possibly longer, in all honesty."

"Jump you?"

"Have sex with me," I clarified.

For the first time, he stopped talking. His eyes were wide, and if he had a visible mouth, I'm quite sure it would be opened in surprise. A mental image of myself gave a fist pump in the air in self-serving victory.

"Wait." Deoxys said, a tone of surprise in his voice. "You mean to say that you've done that, with some of your Pokémon?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like if it was the most horrible thing in the world."

"It's not natural." he persisted.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Yeah, it probably isn't. Tell that to the Houndoom downstairs? She'll grill you until you see her point of view. Akalia would probably join her, and I wouldn't be surprised if Mist would, too. And let's not forget about Song, either."

I shook my head. "It feels like it's happened more often than that," I mused to myself out loud. "Probably because Zin constantly reminds me that she wants to go do it at all times of the day."

"And you just let them?" he asked.

"I don't force them to." I said. "I try to understand their thought pattern, and make sure it's something that they want to do, and not just their body demanding them to sate something out of their physical control. It isn't Akalia's fault that she was still in heat when it happened. The same could be argued for Zin. Probably. Song and Mist are the other culprits, but they have extenuating circumstances."

"Meaning?" Deoxys asked, dragging the word out.

"Meaning that the reasons are more personal than just the demand their bodies place on them," I said, sighing. "I don't feel that it's my place to say. Song's situation is more than just that, and Mist's was just confusion in action."

"I don't understand."

"It's probably for the best. Sometimes, I wish things were simple."

Silence fell around us, the sounds of the city night life passing around instead of our voices. This was probably the longest conversation I've had with Deoxys. I still wondered how he spoke without a mouth.

"Deoxys."

"Yes?"

"How is it that you can talk, but you don't have a mouth?"

"Does it bother you?" he asked.

"A little bit," I admitted. "I guess it bothers me. It's not a problem, but it's a little unnerving."

"I apologize for the inconvenience," he said, his expressive eyes looking downcast. "It was not my intention to do so."

I waved the apology aside. "Communicating isn't the problem, just how it's done. Though if it feels more comfortable this way, don't stop for me. I'd like to know how is it that you do it."

"It's rather simple, really. I just excite the air particles in the air similar how your vocal box does. Except that I do it outside my body with my own psychic power."

"Doesn't that exhaust your power?" I asked, curiously.

"The power I use for speech is minimal, in the grand scheme of things," he explained. "To put it in perspective, the drain in power is like taking a bucket of water out of the ocean."

That's definitely one way of putting it.

"So, we're talking about what kind of bucket?" I asked, a grin beginning to creep up on my face. "Because I can picture some rather large buckets."

At first, I was afraid that he didn't pick up on the joke. His eyes seemed to smile at me, before he shook his head. Laughter echoed around me a moment later, as his body shook in mirth. Weavile scratched at my skull gently, as if telling me to stop making him laugh. I placed a reassuring hand on her back, before bringing my attention to the hysterical Pokémon.

"I didn't think it was that funny." I commented as Deoxys calmed down.

Apparently, this just made him chuckle. He finally managed to get himself under control, his chest heaving in a relieved sigh. At the very least, he seemed more at ease.

"I think I needed that," he said, nodding. "I apologize, if I was too loud."

"Don't sweat it, though Weavile might have a word or two about that."

At the prompt of her species name, an arm moved from the right side of my head to the top. Deoxys started laughing again. I was afraid of asking what made him laugh this time.

===================////////////////////////////////=======================

My hair was a mess as sand, dirt, and wind blew around me. I focused on breathing through my shirt, my eyes blinded by what was going on in the battlefield. Joy was around here somewhere, but wherever that was is another matter entirely.

"Ocelomah! Night Slash!"

A slash of black cut through the monotony of brown flaked atmosphere. A yowl of pain rang through my ears. "Spirit, Dragon Claw!"

The veil of sand didn't expire like yesterday's effort. Slashes of green were met by black blades that seemed to hover in midair for a second before disappearing. Grunts and angry hissing noises could barely be heard over the roar of the ever blowing Sandstorm that engulfed us. A loud yowl cut through the veil of sound, overpowering everything else.

"Oce!" Joy screamed suddenly.

The sandstorm continued, but was beginning to lose its powers. In moments, the wind had died down, but was still strong enough to blow around dirt and sand. Spirit was standing still, deep gashes along her deep scales were blood flowed. Joy's Leipard, Ocelomah, was on the ground, a heap of matted purple fur in front of my Flygon.

Joy already beat me to moving towards the scene, and was inspecting for battle damage. She quickly pulled out her Pokéball and recalled the Leipard. She sighed, shaking her head.

"Will he be alright?" I asked Joy. From the brief glimpse I got, Ocelomah was rather wounded.

"I'll go to the Pokémon Center right away," she said, frowning. "Maybe I should have used another Pokémon for training. Oce isn't one that can take a hit."

I nodded. "Just as long as he's fine." I said, as Spirit hid herself behind me.

"He will be." she assured me. "You go take care of Spirit, before those scratches get worse. You got your backpack with you?"

I nodded, pointing over to a nearby tree. She nodded back at me. "Don't be late now." she said, waving at me as she walked away.

I turned around, pulling Spirit gently up to a standing position. We reached my backpack, and I insisted that she sit down while I inspected her closely. Her face was a mixture of pride and pain, wincing slightly as she sat still. My inspection was quick, grabbing an roll of bandages and a potion spray. Quickly spraying the miracle medicine, the cuts were beginning to heal. I sprayed liberally, wrapping the wounds as quickly as I could. I was extremely grateful that her injuries, while they looked severe, weren't threatening and could be cured with this.

She looked at me, sighing deeply. Was she afraid of me thinking poorly of her? Her eyes avoided looking at me, as if ashamed. As I tried getting her attention, her head bowed close to her chest and her vision was focused to the ground under her feet.

"Spirit?" I asked softly, trying to get her attention. She didn't respond to my question. "Spirit, please look at me."

She did as I requested, tears shining behind the red shields covering her eyes. My heart skipped a beat at the sight. Why would she cry?

"What is it, girl?" I asked, softly. "Is something wrong?"

She pointed towards where we were dueling with Joy. Was she afraid of what happened? "What about the fight?" I asked softly. "Did Ocelomah hurt you somewhere else?"

She nodded, tapping her chest softly with a claw. So, they talked while the fighting was going on. At least, that's what I'm understanding.

"He said something mean," I ventured. She didn't respond. "Am I right?"

She nodded, before exploding vocally, speaking in her language. Though the barrier didn't let me understand her, it was obvious that she felt hurt. I want to say insulted, but I wasn't entirely sure. Judging feelings by tone of voice is still a work in progress for me.

"This wouldn't be about the Darkrai fight from a week ago, would it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow to her.

She stiffened suddenly, her shoulders slumped downwards as if in defeat. I wondered what Ocelomah would say to make her so angry. I would venture to say that Spirit was furious. But what would he say to get her to react so strongly? I've never seen her like this before. Well, except during the Dakrai fight, but not before or after. It's hard to picture such a gentle acting Pokémon act so violently.

An idea formed in my mind. "He called you a liar, didn't he," I said to her. I knew I was right when her eyes glared into mine. To say I was surprised is an understatement. Perhaps the Leipard was prideful about himself, or his trainer. I don't vividly remember if he was one of Joy's Pokémon that fought Darkrai, or he heard it from the ones that did.

It felt very silly, for another Pokémon to be jealous of one of mine. I tapped her shoulder, a smile on my lips as she looked up to me. I dropped to my knees in front of her, bringing my hands to cradle her head between them. I forced her to look straight at me, as I continued to smile at her.

"I want you to ignore anything that Pokémon says, alright?" I said, focusing my attention on her. "Whatever the reason he said the things he said, fine. I understand you're angry. That's fine, too. But I want you to know, that it's important for you to know the truth.

"You're part of a team. A team that kicked Darkrai's ass. Whatever it was that you did at the end, that was amazing. I don't think I've ever seen any kind of Pokémon do that, even on tournaments or whatever. I saw it happen, and so did John and a whole bunch of others. Don't let his words get to you, because they don't mean anything."

Why was it that it was my Pokémon having emotional issues? I sighed softly, rubbing my fingers along her cheeks and jaw. She slowly began to make a soft rumbling sound that reverberated across my fingers. I nodded, releasing her and sitting next to her. She leaned over to me, tipping me over and landing on top of me.

She fidgeted, trying to get up. I wrapped my arms around her neck, holding her in place. Her eyes flickered about, wide in panic as her wings beat the air. She almost lifted me off the ground, before slowing to a halt. Her breathing was at a fast pace, her heartbeat easily felt against my chest as she slowly stopped struggling.

"Ain't so bad, isn't it?" I asked, grinning up to her. She shook her head, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Spirit, what is it?" I asked. She began to fidget again, before closing her eyes and shaking her head.

I'm definitely missing something here. She's been acting like this for quite some time. Is Spirit attracted to me, too? Was Mist telling me the truth back at the Pokémon village? I wanted to ask, but I noticed Spirit's eyes were closed. Her breathing had finally calmed down, and her muscles were relaxed. Her tail wrapped possessively around one of my legs, her claws resting against my sides. While she wasn't the lightest Pokémon, the weight didn't bother me.

Perhaps I should just prepare some questions, for the next time. I wondered if Zin put ideas in her head about us being something more. Did Spirit want that to happen, or was it just her need? Something told me that I was going to be talking to Joy about this situation. Possibly Jonathan, if he knew anything about Flygon mating rituals. I highly doubted either of them knew anything. They were my closest resource material, though.

Unless you counted the information from the source. I imagine that Mist or Zin would just adore the opportunity to translate it all for me. Of which it will be explained to me in complete vivid detail. It may be easier for Spirit to open up to them, as well. Deoxys, I imagine, could as well. But the problem was that he seems to have the experience to navigate such a situation. Also, I didn't want her mind to be read forcefully. That would be detrimental.

I sighed, closing my eyes in thought. An idea was forming in my mind. I had no idea how valid it was, but it was something. Maybe I wasn't so stupid after all. But for now, I'll let Spirit relax. She needs the rest, after all. I smiled at her serene expression, a feeling of contentment and happiness rising. Maybe this would all work out in the end.

If anything, I'm sure that Zin or Mist would make it work.

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