{"sf1_id":396360,"sf2_id":"7ejgkJrm","title":"A Trainer's Tale - Chapter 30","author":"FoxStriker25","words":11204,"posted_at":"2012-06-29T04:16:00.000Z","tags":["Gardevoir","Human","Lucario","Luxray","Mismagius","Pokemon","houndoom"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/396360-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-30","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/7ejgkJrm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/89/2d/892d7ffb-6456-4c05-bce6-fd1e28d7b0a9","description":"#30 of A Trainer's Tale","content":"Fox: You know that crazy dude that used to pre-read this stuff?\u0026nbsp; Ex or something or another?\u0026nbsp; Yeah.\u0026nbsp; He's back from Arkham Asylum.\u0026nbsp; No thoughts from Brim this time!\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n**Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak, etc.\u0026nbsp; Individual characters are my own imagining, and are not intended to be any part of main cannon / plotline.\u0026nbsp; Individual characters like Aaron, Song, Zin, etc, are my own creations, so please ask before using.\u0026nbsp; Thank you.**\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nChapter 30: Distortion\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy body felt sore.\u0026nbsp; It was like I was out working for a few days straight with no breaks.\u0026nbsp; Something heavy rested on top of me.\u0026nbsp; Smooth scales rubbed against my exposed skin, tightening gently.\u0026nbsp; Xola's cheek rubbed against mine as her tongue licked my ear.\u0026nbsp; I rubbed my cheek against her, my arms wrapping around her body.\u0026nbsp; Holding her against me, it felt nice.\u0026nbsp; The temperature around me felt cool and not as cold or hot as my mind imagined at some point.\u0026nbsp; Xola brought her head up and into my vision range.\u0026nbsp; A big smile worked its way along her face as she looked down at me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe slowly uncoiled from around me, my body shivering as Xola left me exposed on the bed.\u0026nbsp; I smiled as I sat up.\u0026nbsp; Some of her body still clung to me as she moved.\u0026nbsp; It made my body shiver as she positioned herself around me.\u0026nbsp; Her smile never wavered.\u0026nbsp; If anything, it widened the longer we looked at each other.\u0026nbsp; She wiggled her 'eyebrows', the large appendages moving to and fro in silent rhythm.\u0026nbsp; We laughed together, the scales on her face tinged red as she made her amusement known.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe question of what time is it or what was going on outside of this room didn't seem to click in my head.\u0026nbsp; I wrapped my arms around her long neck, holding Xola closer to me.\u0026nbsp; Her gentle sigh teased my ear as we kept relaxing.\u0026nbsp; Neither of us said anything.\u0026nbsp; It didn't feel like words needed to be shared or said about what happened.\u0026nbsp; The thought sounded odd in my mind.\u0026nbsp; Being alright with all this.\u0026nbsp; When I was growing up, I never pictured myself to be having sexual relations with a Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; Though this is probably one of those things that there is little control over.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven if there are people out there that would see this as abuse.\u0026nbsp; I think Xola would have a few choice words for them.\u0026nbsp; And probably everyone else, too, seeing how Zin was the first one to start it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNeither of us moved when my Pokédex began to ring.\u0026nbsp; It seemed louder than before.\u0026nbsp; Though how that was possible was anyone's guess.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps it was due to neither of us wanting to move.\u0026nbsp; Xola sighed, moving away from me to give me the space to move towards the offending device.\u0026nbsp; Finding my pants was a project in itself.\u0026nbsp; How did they get to the far side of the room was up to speculation.\u0026nbsp; The door that lead into the bathroom was slightly ajar, with the light pouring out of the crack.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOne of the Pokéballs was off its hook from my belt.\u0026nbsp; The door next to me opened slightly, Song looking down at me and giving me a grin.\u0026nbsp; I could feel my cheeks burn in embarrassment.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Song!?\" Xola squeaked, rushing over to me and pulling me away from the Gardevoir with her tail.\u0026nbsp; Song laughed, opening the door and letting herself in the room.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I didn't see anything.\" Song said, looking at the two of us.\u0026nbsp; \"Aurora let me out when you two were asleep.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI still have to ask how the clever little Weavile got out of the device under her own power.\u0026nbsp; Ignoring that fact, I turned my attention back to the Gardevoir.\u0026nbsp; Her smile only widened as Xola's hold on me tightened.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So, did he satisfy you?\" Song asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt took Xola a moment to realize that she was being addressed. \u0026nbsp;Her body shivered against mine for a moment before answering.\u0026nbsp; \"More than I could imagine.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Good.\u0026nbsp; Zin would approve, then.\u0026nbsp; She was a bit worried that Master would have performance issues.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head, staying out of this particular conversation.\u0026nbsp; If only to keep more words from being aimed at me.\u0026nbsp; Instead, I coughed politely to keep in mind that I was still present.\u0026nbsp; Both Pokémon looked over towards me and smiled.\u0026nbsp; Both of them mumbled apologies, which I accepted with a smile and a nod.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Song, could you possibly explain all of this?\u0026nbsp; Not that I should be complaining, but this isn't typical behavior in Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; From my understanding, anyway.\" I asked, frowning in thought.\u0026nbsp; \"Zin isn't being-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Gardevoir shook her head, kneeling down in front of me.\u0026nbsp; \"No, she isn't being nosy or uncooperative.\u0026nbsp; She has your interests in heart, even if she can't have cubs from you.\u0026nbsp; She's been quite infatuated with you for a while now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"From before we officially met, you mean?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She seemed rather taken when I kept mentioning you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI grinned, feeling a bit pleased with myself.\u0026nbsp; I never thought of myself as someone that a woman would fall for.\u0026nbsp; The memory of the bruise on my face was still pretty vivid.\u0026nbsp; It isn't easy to forget when a girl punches your face.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShaking the memories away, my focus returned to the two ladies around me.\u0026nbsp; Song smiled at me, standing up and extending her arms at me.\u0026nbsp; Holding tightly, she easily lifted me up from the ground.\u0026nbsp; Her face was slightly tinged red, her eyes averting me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're still naked.\" she pointed out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes, I am.\u0026nbsp; That's why I came for my pants, which are somehow over here instead of being nearer to the bed.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That may have been Aurora's fault.\" Song said with a smile.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA thought crossed my mind, which made me frown slightly.\u0026nbsp; \"She's uncomfortable with this idea, you know that.\" I said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong pushed me towards the bed, making me walk backwards.\u0026nbsp; Sitting me down, her knees were at my sides as she climbed on my lap.\u0026nbsp; The blunt red spike on her chest poked at me for a moment before she twisted slightly and leaned on my shoulder.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Song?\" I called.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She volunteered.\" she answered.\u0026nbsp; \"I think the question you're looking for is if she saw anything.\u0026nbsp; Aurora came out of her Pokéball after you two were done.\u0026nbsp; All she saw was you two wrapped up together.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI frowned, but stayed quiet otherwise.\u0026nbsp; Song smiled at me, her hands going through my hair.\u0026nbsp; She didn't say anything else after that.\u0026nbsp; Xola nudged Song, frowning at the Gardevoir.\u0026nbsp; The two looked at each other silently, Song nodding to Xola after a silent moment and pulling away from me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sorry.\" she said, smiling as she stood up.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you mind putting me inside my Pokéball, Master?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head as Song retrieved her Pokéball and handed it over to me.\u0026nbsp; She disappeared with a smile on her face.\u0026nbsp; Xola claimed her place as soon as Song was inside her Pokéball, wrapping herself around me.\u0026nbsp; She didn't say anything, resting her head on my shoulder.\u0026nbsp; My Pokédex began to ring once more.\u0026nbsp; I never turned off the alarm when I went to my pants.\u0026nbsp; Xola wasn't bothered by it, so I closed my eyes and did my best to ignore it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n========================///////////////////////=========================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWalking outside of my room, the first thought that crossed my mind is if Nurse Joy will smell anything odd when she comes in.\u0026nbsp; Going down the hallway, I confirmed that here was the room for used linens.\u0026nbsp; I went back into the room and grabbed the bed sheets, dropping them in one of the available washing machines and turning it on.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't need more rumors flying around.\u0026nbsp; Joy was enough.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSpeaking of Isabella, she was talking to the Nurse Joy of the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; As I came near them, Joy turned to me with a grin.\u0026nbsp; Nurse Joy giggled, before turning to me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thanks for keeping my sister in check.\" Nurse Joy said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'm not entirely sure what makes her say that, but I nodded regardless.\u0026nbsp; \"I try.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy grabbed my arm, dragging me away from the counter.\u0026nbsp; Nurse Joy's laughter chased us away as we left the building.\u0026nbsp; She sat me on a chair in front of the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; Her hands were on her hips for a moment, before she pulled a chair for herself and sat down in front of me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Alright, it's later.\u0026nbsp; Do you want to talk about it now?\" Joy asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI blinked, frowning.\u0026nbsp; \"I guess this is a good time.\u0026nbsp; Though do we have to do it here?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's now or I'll just keep doing it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere was no way out of this, is there?\u0026nbsp; \"Alright.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's your issue?\" she asked.\u0026nbsp; \"Don't you want a regular girlfriend?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sputtered slightly at the blunt question.\u0026nbsp; Bringing my hands up, I tried to catch my bearings quickly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"All I want is to keep the peace right now.\" I said, trying to explain myself.\u0026nbsp; \"Zin thinks that you have more personal reasons why you're staying close to me.\u0026nbsp; It's been a trial just making sure she doesn't convince Aurora that she needs to take a 'walk' and put you in danger.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe stayed silent for a moment.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you think she would do that?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't think so, but Zin acts like she owns me.\u0026nbsp; As much as I've tried to convince her that she doesn't have to worry about, she still snarls behind your back.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy frowned at this.\u0026nbsp; \"She's very possessive of you, isn't she.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI idly noticed that what she said wasn't in the form of a question.\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah, she is.\u0026nbsp; It's a little annoying.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you think you can explain the situation to her?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"It's probably for the best.\u0026nbsp; I don't see anyone else really complaining about it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe smiled, nodding.\u0026nbsp; \"That's good to hear.\u0026nbsp; I'm glad.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Come to think of it, is there any other reasons why you're doing this?\u0026nbsp; I mean, this is pretty elaborate.\" I asked, narrowing my eyes.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy frowned at me.\u0026nbsp; I could almost hear the gears spinning in her head, trying to come up with a plan on how to explain all of this.\u0026nbsp; While I don't claim to be smart by any extent of the imagination, it seems she has some sort of crush or attraction for me.\u0026nbsp; Though the main question behind all of this is why.\u0026nbsp; Why would she feel this way?\u0026nbsp; Maybe she's impressed in surviving all I've been through?\u0026nbsp; She's been through half of it all already with us.\u0026nbsp; That couldn't be it, could it?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI returned my attention when Joy started talking again.\u0026nbsp; \"We've been through a lot.\u0026nbsp; I think of you as a good friend, and... maybe a bit more, too.\u0026nbsp; It's only natural to care for your companions so they don't get killed.\u0026nbsp; Especially if Cresselia is still after us after what she did to Route Twenty-Four.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That doesn't make sense.\" I said, frowning.\u0026nbsp; \"She wasn't interested in you or Jonathan.\u0026nbsp; You never seemed interested in breeding, like I originally thought either.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Can't I just worry about you?\" she whispered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"While I appreciate it, there's no need to put yourself in needless danger.\" I pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"Darkrai almost killed you when we were at the monastery.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You wouldn't have made it out of Mount Coronet without me.\" she pointed out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"While I myself may have had issues, I wasn't alone by that point.\" I countered.\u0026nbsp; \"He would have gathered his wits.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Before the Abomasnow got to you?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah.\u0026nbsp; Not to mention I still had four other Pokémon that would be able to put up a fight.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"I find that hard to believe.\" Joy said.\u0026nbsp; \"It looked like the two of you were in a pretty shitty spot when I came in.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Still think we would have been fine.\" I said, nodding in finality.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was a bit of a bluff, and I was pretty sure it wouldn't hold out for long.\u0026nbsp; Knowing Jon's team now, this was easy to say with confidence.\u0026nbsp; Back then, I didn't have a single clue what kind of Pokémon he had.\u0026nbsp; The worst fact was that she knew. \u0026nbsp;Her grin told me that much.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'll call Tauros shit on you.\" she said with a grin.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stayed quiet, before shaking my head and sighing.\u0026nbsp; \"I think you spaced and forgot that I was there when you admitted that you didn't know about his team.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWell, I was trying to play off a mistake she might have made.\u0026nbsp; Guess it's hard to fool this particular person.\u0026nbsp; Joy laughed softly at my predicament.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What are you going to say now?\" she asked almost tauntingly.\u0026nbsp; \"Are you going to listen to me, at the very least?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed, nodding towards her.\u0026nbsp; \"Alright, shoot.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Now that I have your full attention.\u0026nbsp; The League knows of you.\" Joy said, leaning forward and lowering her voice.\u0026nbsp; \"There hasn't been all that much different action from them since the attack, but they know of it.\u0026nbsp; Someone will talk.\u0026nbsp; We can't take that risk.\u0026nbsp; YOU can't take that risk.\u0026nbsp; If we need to return to Sinnoh, you would be put in jail the second you stepped out of the airplane.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You need some way to cover for you.\" Joy continued in the same tone of voice.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm giving you the easiest alternative.\u0026nbsp; Though if you prefer to put the air that you're gay, by all means.\u0026nbsp; Though somehow I don't think Jon would go for it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sputtered at that last thought thrown in.\u0026nbsp; \"No!\" I exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; \"Jeez... alright.\u0026nbsp; But do you think that the League will react like how you think?\u0026nbsp; I mean, we haven't done anything illegal.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Doesn't matter.\" Joy said, narrowing her eyes.\u0026nbsp; \"All it takes is one slip-up from our part, and the other Leagues will fall in line with Indigo Plateau.\u0026nbsp; Unfortunately, the other Leagues will follow the demands of Indigo Plateau if a case is deemed extreme.\u0026nbsp; All of the authorities would be looking for the usual places, and sending scouting parties through the major and minor routes in the attempt to find you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you think would happen if they found me?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They would most likely send you back to Sinnoh, suspend your license, and set your Pokémon free or put them up for adoption.\u0026nbsp; Probably use them as evidence to prove that you've been mistreating them, as well.\u0026nbsp; They'll cook up some shit for it.\u0026nbsp; Same thing they've done before in public cases, so they won't do anything different with you.\u0026nbsp; Except that the League is the final authority in this case, and they have all the evidence they care to see.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And getting caught would discredit my parents indirectly or some crap like that, too.\" I mumbled.\u0026nbsp; My body shivered.\u0026nbsp; This idea sounded worse and worse the more we sat on it.\u0026nbsp; Damn it!\u0026nbsp; Planning wasn't my strong suit!\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"At least this will buy us some time.\" she said, smiling.\u0026nbsp; \"Get out of Cerulean City and probably leave Kanto soon.\u0026nbsp; The longer we stay here or in Johto, the higher the chances that we'll get caught.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Jon is going to be an issue, isn't he?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's not a question I can answer.\" Joy said, shaking her head.\u0026nbsp; \"Depends on what he says, or if he reports to the Rangers at all.\u0026nbsp; Has he mentioned what his priority is as of right now?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"He admitted that Zapdos was his highest priority.\u0026nbsp; I'm not entirely sure what that means.\u0026nbsp; He did mention about reporting in every so often, but I'm not sure what he meant by that.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy nodded to herself.\u0026nbsp; \"If that's true, then that should mean that as long as Zapdos is in his possession he's doing his job.\u0026nbsp; How much trust do you put on the guy?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shifted uncomfortably in my chair.\u0026nbsp; \"He's been with us all this time.\u0026nbsp; I've only known him for a day before we met up with you in Mount Coronet.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That doesn't answer my question.\" she said, eyes narrowing dangerously.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you or do you not trust him.\"\n\n\"Why is this so important?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsabella rolled her eyes.\u0026nbsp; \"Because, idiot, he has connections with the League!\" she hissed out.\u0026nbsp; \"Indirectly, anyway, but it's still there.\u0026nbsp; The wrong word or thing he says in a report might get us all fucked over.\u0026nbsp; Now answer the Arceus fucking question!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe was breathing hard by the end of her punctuated statement.\u0026nbsp; I was taken aback at her outburst in all honesty.\u0026nbsp; Responding was the last thing on my mind right now.\u0026nbsp; Joy seems to have put a lot of effort into whatever plan she has in her mind.\u0026nbsp; I nodded, frowning for a moment in quiet thought.\u0026nbsp; Her breathing was the only thing that I could hear, other than my own heartbeat hammering in my ears.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon has never really guided us wrong before.\u0026nbsp; Misguided perhaps, but never with the intention of harming us.\u0026nbsp; At least, I feel that way.\u0026nbsp; Even after traveling through to the monastery, it felt like at least we got our bearings there.\u0026nbsp; Though that message from Jirachi still didn't make any sense.\u0026nbsp; I brought my thoughts back in line.\u0026nbsp; After seeing how much he's done for the group, I nodded.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I trust him.\" I said quietly.\u0026nbsp; \"And you, too.\u0026nbsp; Thank you for all of this.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer hardened look softened a bit at my words.\u0026nbsp; \"We're all worried about this.\" she said softly.\u0026nbsp; \"No one else is going to believe anything the champs say, just due to how much influence the Leagues have.\u0026nbsp; We have to get to the bottom of it all ourselves.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We can always retire somewhere really far away.\" I said, bringing up how she's mentioned it before.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe grinned.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't think so.\u0026nbsp; Pretty sure you have a point, after seeing how Cresselia showed up here out of nowhere.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why did you bring it up then?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I wanted to know how dedicated you were about finding out the truth.\u0026nbsp; You're not gonna wuss out on me now, are you?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"No, I'm not.\u0026nbsp; Far from it.\u0026nbsp; Though a better question for the moment is how far are we willing to take our plan?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe blinked, turning away for a moment before returning my gaze.\u0026nbsp; \"For as long as we have to, as much as we have to.\" Joy said slowly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSo she is reluctant to do this.\u0026nbsp; I was a bit scared that she jumped on the opportunity because of some repressed feelings she has for me.\u0026nbsp; Maybe my mind was coming up with some odd reasons.\u0026nbsp; It's not like we've really spoken about each other in private or something.\u0026nbsp; Or maybe this was some elaborate plan?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What are you thinking?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why are you really trying this hard?\u0026nbsp; There's more to this, isn't there?\" I asked back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy's mouth opened, but no words came.\u0026nbsp; She shook her head, her long hair following her motions.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think that you're hoping for something more, aren't you.\" I stated, looking straight in her eyes.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI wanted to ask her a lot of things right now, but bombarding her with too much might just chase her away.\u0026nbsp; It didn't bother me that she felt like this.\u0026nbsp; My concern was for her own safety due to Zin's constant disapproval.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm worried that you'd be hurt.\u0026nbsp; Zin has always been pretty vocal about you being a little too close to me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Let me talk to her then.\" Joy said.\u0026nbsp; \"I'll make her understand.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That line sounds like some famous last words from a movie.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Trust me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed, grabbing Zin's Pokéball and holding it in my hands for a moment.\u0026nbsp; Part of me was terrified for Joy.\u0026nbsp; Claiming that Zin has a temper is like saying that fire can just get you burned.\u0026nbsp; Something tickled my sides, startling me and making me drop the device.\u0026nbsp; The Pokéball hovered in midair for a moment, revealing Victini.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Haven't seen you in a while.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hasn't been a really good reason to appear!\" Victini said, being overly cheerful.\u0026nbsp; Her voice was the same as always.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So, this is your Houndoom?\" she asked, holding the Pokéball in her small paws.\u0026nbsp; She moved it around the air, the device hovering while it spun.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'd like to ask a favor.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"From little me?\" she asked in a high pitch.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomehow, I feel like I'm going to regret this.\u0026nbsp; \"Yes.\u0026nbsp; Take care of Joy.\u0026nbsp; I'm not entirely sure how Zin will react when they'll talk.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nVictini looked at me oddly for a moment, but nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Sure, no problem.\u0026nbsp; Why though?\u0026nbsp; Unless it's some sort of super secret I'm not supposed to know.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"No, it's not some secret.\u0026nbsp; I'm just afraid that my Houndoom may be antagonistic with your trainer.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You use a lot of big words, don't you?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Zin might get angry to the point of attacking Joy with what they're about to talk about.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Much simpler.\u0026nbsp; Thank you, and of course I'll keep her safe.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSmiling, I nodded to the smaller Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; \"While I don't doubt your strength, don't let her blow up anything in sight.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's the worst that can happen?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't want to think about that.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked over to Joy.\u0026nbsp; We echoed our worry at the same time.\u0026nbsp; Victini grinned at the two of us.\u0026nbsp; \"Is there something I should know?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'll let your trainer answer that question.\u0026nbsp; Not really my place to say.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We WILL talk later, right?\" she said, standing up and not letting me answer.\u0026nbsp; \"Let's go, Victini.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You still have to come up with a name for me, ya know.\" Victini said, floating towards her trainer.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sat there, still idly wondered if I just opened a sealed nightmare into the world.\u0026nbsp; Suddenly I craved to be held, if only to comfort me in that I'm doing the right thing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n============================/////////////////////////===================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAkalia and Mist accompanied me alongside Song and Baast.\u0026nbsp; We did our part of being tourists pretty well, I think.\u0026nbsp; It didn't help that my Pokémon weren't native to this area.\u0026nbsp; Many of the locals smiled and waved as we passed, and a few kids and their Pokémon took me to see the sights of the town.\u0026nbsp; After being shown the gym and being bombarded by perfume, my Pokémon unanimously voted to go to the nearest park.\u0026nbsp; One of the trainers at the gym pointed out that the gym doubles as a park area for anyone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter walking around and seeing the park as a whole, Baast dragged us all to a bench underneath a tree.\u0026nbsp; While it was a bit unerving that there wasn't an actual breeze, the temperature was cool inside the building.\u0026nbsp; I looked up for the first time, finding relief that there was a glass ceiling that let in sunlight.\u0026nbsp; There were artificial lights around, like light posts on the paths and near what look like heavy traffic locations.\u0026nbsp; The sun looked like it's reached the zenith of its path, so there wouldn't be a need for them for some time yet.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You look tired, Master.\" Song pointed out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Nervous.\" I clarified.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThis drew confused looks from my friends.\u0026nbsp; Akalia nudged my leg.\u0026nbsp; I would have ignored it if it wasn't for the shock that went through my body.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Akalia!\" I yelped, my heart beating a mile a second.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe gave me an innocent of a smile.\u0026nbsp; Whatever reprimand I had in my mouth didn't come out.\u0026nbsp; I sighed, shaking my head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I better tell you before you hear it from Zin.\" I said, sighing and regaining my composure.\u0026nbsp; \"Joy and Zin are going to talk.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_That doesn't sound like good news._\" Baast said, a grin forming on her muzzle.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"My thoughts exactly.\" I agreed.\u0026nbsp; \"Victini agreed to keep an eye out for Joy.\u0026nbsp; Pretty sure that they'll be able to keep Zin in line.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That is if she does keep her temper in check.\" Mist said thoughtfully.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Joy has a pretty good argument.\" I offered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Which is what, exactly?\" the Mismagius asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked around for a moment, making sure that we were out of earshot from anyone nearby.\u0026nbsp; Baast's ears twitched for a moment, before nodding.\u0026nbsp; \"_Doesn't sound like anyone is nearby._\" she reported.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I do not detect anyone nearby, either.\" Mist stated.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Thanks, everyone.\u0026nbsp; I'm not sure how to say it, so this will be blunt.\u0026nbsp; Joy wants to be my girlfriend to make sure the League has no extra suspicion to look into us.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_So you look like a normal human to this League, right_?\" Baast asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's the idea, at least.\" I said, nodding.\u0026nbsp; \"The problem is that I think that Joy has some repressed feelings or something, and that Zin will have an issue with that.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe four Pokémon around me nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"I can see why this has you a bit nervous then.\" Song said as her arms wrapped around my neck.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm afraid of returning to the Pokémon Center and finding the smoldering remains of a building.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If what you say is true, then I am confident that Zin will restrain herself.\" Mist stated.\u0026nbsp; \"If it is for your safety, she will listen.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You sound sure of yourself, Mist.\" I said, frowning.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"While she has you in the forefront of her mind more than she admits to, she is not as blind as she seems.\" the ghost said, nodding slowly.\u0026nbsp; \"She will listen to Joy, just as she has listened to us when it is in your best interest.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Besides, it's not like she has in mind to steal you away.\" Song said, her grip tightening around me.\u0026nbsp; \"She doesn't strike me like someone that would do that.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_She's had plenty of chances to stab us in the back_.\" Baast said, nodding.\u0026nbsp; \"_She's been with us through most of it all.\u0026nbsp; I doubt it myself, as well.\u0026nbsp; While Zin can be hard headed, she'll listen to reason_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I hope so.\" I said, sighing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She will, Master.\" Song said, holding me tightly.\u0026nbsp; \"Now stop sulking and relax!\u0026nbsp; By the way, I want the details of what happened last night!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy face felt like it was on fire.\u0026nbsp; \"I thought your curiosity was satisfied when you appeared from the bathroom.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe laughed, her fingers kneading my shoulders.\u0026nbsp; Mist and Akalia turned away from me while Baast snickered.\u0026nbsp; The Lucario's ears focused on me, however, betraying her actual interest in the subject.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Wouldn't you prefer to hear it from Xola?\" I asked when no one spoke.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBaast shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"_I'd much rather hear it from you, actually_.\" she said, grinning wickedly at me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI took another look of our surroundings, worried that someone may be headed our way.\u0026nbsp; Song stopped me after I twisted around once.\u0026nbsp; \"Stop stalling, dear, and please answer truthfully.\" she whispered in my ear.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA shiver went down my spine.\u0026nbsp; I tried to gather my thoughts quickly, especially when Baast began to approach me with half-lidded eyes.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It was... interesting to say the least.\u0026nbsp; She was very passionate, leading our movements.\" I whispered.\u0026nbsp; \"I should say something about what you said about her, Song, but I'm not.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong laughed behind my back, while Baast snickered openly.\u0026nbsp; I could see Akalia's tail wave in the air, while Mist didn't show any sign of acknowledgement.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps she was reserving judgement.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Anything else?\" Song asked softly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It felt like she was very possessive.\u0026nbsp; She didn't let go of any part of my body while we were together.\" I continued, keeping my voice low.\u0026nbsp; \"Though letting go is an understatement.\u0026nbsp; She had me wrapped up all throughout our time together.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMist giggled softly, quickly joined by everyone else.\u0026nbsp; Song's head rested on my right shoulder as Baast leaned forward to be on top of me.\u0026nbsp; The Lucario's teeth nipped on my earlobe, my body flinching against Song's grip.\u0026nbsp; Baast rested her head on my left shoulder, her tongue licking where her teeth bit my ear.\u0026nbsp; The only issue I had with all of this is why was I getting aroused?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMist's laughter reached my mind as Akalia's paws rested on my knees.\u0026nbsp; Looking downwards, the pitch in my pants would be obvious to anyone passing by us.\u0026nbsp; I closed my eyes, focusing in calming down my hormones.\u0026nbsp; Baast whined softly in my ear as my body relaxed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_You aren't any fun_.\" Baast said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI wanted to laugh, but a chuckle escaped me anyway.\u0026nbsp; \"Says the now insatiable Lucario.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Not my fault_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And I suppose that it's mine.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes, actually!\" Song stated with a laugh.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone laughed around me, though I noticed Akalia shifting her eyes from meeting my gaze and Mist's gems glowing a bright red on occasion.\u0026nbsp; I shook my head, politely coughing to get everyone's attention.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"But since we've mentioned the subject, are any of you bothered by what Joy is doing.\u0026nbsp; I would like to get your thoughts on the matter.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe four Pokémon around me looked at each other for a moment, then at me.\u0026nbsp; Before long, they began to converse in their own tongue.\u0026nbsp; While it was impossible to understand what wasn't meant for me, their body language hinted at how they were feeling.\u0026nbsp; Akalia's fur bristled with electricity when Song mentioned something.\u0026nbsp; Baast shook her head, motioning her paws around a few times.\u0026nbsp; A finger was pointed at first to me, then at Mist.\u0026nbsp; The ghost's gems flashed an angry red color as she glared back to the Lucario.\u0026nbsp; Baast waved her arms and spoke quickly, which seemed to calm Mist down.\u0026nbsp; The gems on her body were still glowing red, but not as brightly as a moment before.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong spoke calmly, almost like being the voice of reason among present company.\u0026nbsp; The Gardevoir punctuated her words with calm gestures and small nods to each individual.\u0026nbsp; One after another, they nodded.\u0026nbsp; Akalia's electricity stopped flowing, while Mist's gems returned to their normal purple pulse.\u0026nbsp; Baast stopped pulling me closer to her chest spike.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong's face slowly moved into my vision, her smile putting me at ease.\u0026nbsp; \"I had to remind everyone why we were here in the first place.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't remind me of that, Song.\" I said, frowning.\u0026nbsp; Her smile inverted, her hand hitting me my cheek hard.\u0026nbsp; Note to self: never give Song another reason to slap me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You will never say those words.\u0026nbsp; You will never think these words ever again.\" Song snarled.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I would rather be here, with you, than with any other human in this entire planet.\u0026nbsp; Don't you dare insult me by saying otherwise.\u0026nbsp; Do you understand me?\"\n\nMy response wasn't immediate.\u0026nbsp; I was shocked that she even slapped me in the first place.\u0026nbsp; It's gotten to the point of that we've traded places now.\u0026nbsp; My hand rubbed my jaw gently.\u0026nbsp; I just glad that she didn't pop anything out of place.\u0026nbsp; It hurt, though that may be a good thing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I won't.\" I answered with a smile.\u0026nbsp; \"It looked like I needed a reminder myself.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You've made me believe those words, Master.\" she said sternly.\u0026nbsp; \"I believe in you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe other three nodded with Song's assessment.\u0026nbsp; It was still worrisome that we weren't out of any sort of danger.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't worth bringing up again.\u0026nbsp; Not if anyone is going to react this strongly.\u0026nbsp; Either way, I shouldn't be worrying about it so much, either.\u0026nbsp; Was it so bad that I worried about it so much?\u0026nbsp; Perhaps it wasn't, though my confidence in everyone should outweigh the concern.\u0026nbsp; It isn't like no one doesn't know the dangers that we're facing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong rubbed my cheek gently, smiling as she did so.\u0026nbsp; \"Feeling better?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think so.\u0026nbsp; I won't apologize for being concerned, but I'll trust you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just like you should have been doing this entire time.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; Words felt inappropriate at this time.\u0026nbsp; Song smiled, wrapping her arms around me in a hug.\u0026nbsp; Baast grinned at me, her fist hitting my shoulder gently.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Any particular reason why you're hitting me, too?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_No.\u0026nbsp; Just wanted to remind you that I'm here, too._\" she said, her voice echoing in my mind.\u0026nbsp; \"_You really shouldn't worry so much_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I just don't know what to do.\" I said, sighing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_There's always a light further down the road, even if we can't see it yet_.\" the Lucario stated.\u0026nbsp; \"_We'll find it._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded numbly.\u0026nbsp; Baast's eyes narrowed as she hit my shoulder again.\u0026nbsp; I was about to complain when she leaned on top of me, being careful not to impale me on her chest spike.\u0026nbsp; Mist laughed, shaking her head as she floated above the four of us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You should have known better by now, Master.\" she said.\u0026nbsp; \"Song isn't the same little Ralts from before.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA jolt of electricity made me jump slightly.\u0026nbsp; Akalia jumped on my lap, resting her body on top of mine.\u0026nbsp; Laughter reached my ears as the Luxray covered my face with her fur.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Shouldn't we be on the ground for this?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Perhaps.\" Mist agreed.\u0026nbsp; \"I understand you want to be close to Master as well, Akalia, but suffocating him with your fur won't help.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=========================////////////////////===========================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI entered the Pokémon Center no worse than usual.\u0026nbsp; The afternoon breeze was fresh, hinting at a cold night later.\u0026nbsp; Nothing seemed out of place, which was something that was bothering me for a while.\u0026nbsp; Nurse Joy smiled at me, letting me know that a new set of linens were on my bed.\u0026nbsp; Thanking her as I passed by, she went back to attending her business on her desk.\u0026nbsp; Opening the locked door, it was good to see that things were still normal.\u0026nbsp; My mind had come up with all kinds of imagery of police waiting for me or some other nonsense.\u0026nbsp; While I had enough reasons to be worried, perhaps that was taking a bit over the hill.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI turned on the lights, my heart jumping to my throat when Joy and Zin were sitting on the newly made bed.\u0026nbsp; My limbs felt like Akalia just shocked me twice over.\u0026nbsp; What was first intended to be curse words jumbled together to be an incoherent mumble.\u0026nbsp; Zin laughed, shaking her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Told you he was going to be surprised.\" Joy said, grinning.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Alright!\u0026nbsp; I give up, I give up.\u0026nbsp; Jeesh, you're so demanding.\" the Houndoom shot back with a smile.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy looked in my direction, smiling.\u0026nbsp; \"We talked.\" she said.\u0026nbsp; As if that explained everything.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why didn't you tell me about this plan sooner!\" Zin demanded, jumping off the bed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen I didn't respond, a sharp pain shot up from my shin.\u0026nbsp; The Houndoom looked up at me with an annoyed look.\u0026nbsp; I knelt down before she decided to use her teeth next.\u0026nbsp; Don't think that Joy would approve of already breaking in any of the new clothes.\u0026nbsp; Not like that, I don't think.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well!?\" the Houndoom demanded.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We just talked about it this morning.\" I pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"It started when Joy jumped on my lap while I was talking to my parents in the Celadon department store.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nZin's grin was wide, her sharp fangs making me feel a little nervous.\u0026nbsp; \"Things are starting to make sense.\" she said with a nod.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you mean?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The things that Joy said.\" she answered, her tail pointing towards Joy.\u0026nbsp; \"By the way, warn me before you go handing me to other humans next time.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI blinked in curiosity, but decided not to question what was going on.\u0026nbsp; Joy was laughing, her head shaking.\u0026nbsp; Zin laughed softly, but controlled herself quickly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Want me to tell him, Zin?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Go ahead.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She jumped me as soon as I opened the Pokéball.\" Joy said, grinning.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's not unusual.\" I answered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, maybe for you.\u0026nbsp; She kissed me straight in the mouth.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt felt like a Golem was dropped on my head.\u0026nbsp; \"Must have been some awkward moment.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Victini wouldn't stop laughing!\" Joy exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; \"When Zin finally realized it wasn't you, she spat on the ground and demanded where she was and what was going on.\u0026nbsp; Remind me how you put up with her thick skull.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Anyway, as you can tell, we talked and no one was hurt.\" Zin said, snorting in my direction.\u0026nbsp; \"Honestly, you should have more faith in me, Master.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"With the attitude that you've had towards Joy, I wanted to make sure that you wouldn't do something crazy.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Like what?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Burn the building down.\" I deadpanned.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Innocent little me?\u0026nbsp; I wouldn't harm a Butterfree!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomehow, I doubted that.\u0026nbsp; I kept my mouth shut regardless.\u0026nbsp; Seemed like this wasn't the best time to point that out.\u0026nbsp; Zin narrowed her eyes at me, puffing out a puff of flame in my direction.\u0026nbsp; Joy's laughter kept Zin from concentrating in creating something more menacing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Will you stop laughing?\" Zin demanded.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why?\u0026nbsp; Are you going to stop me again?\" Joy asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You want to give Master a show like we put on for Victini?\" Zin shot back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI decided that even my room wasn't safe from Zin's perverted influence.\u0026nbsp; My cheeks felt like Zin breathed fire on them.\u0026nbsp; Words failed to come out any stronger than whispers.\u0026nbsp; I stood up and walked back out, closing the door behind me.\u0026nbsp; The last thing that my mind wanted to see was THAT being shoved in my face.\u0026nbsp; It was probably a joke.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nRight?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shivered in the hallway before focusing on moving again.\u0026nbsp; Well, behind me wasn't safe, and down the hallway was the washing machines.\u0026nbsp; Laughter echoed from the door behind me.\u0026nbsp; Well, going back would probably make me look like a huge pervert.\u0026nbsp; Nodding, I decided to go back outside.\u0026nbsp; Hopefully by the time I come back the two of them will have calmed down.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI slammed into someone as I turned the corner.\u0026nbsp; Hurried apologies came out of my mouth as I stood up.\u0026nbsp; The other person apologized as well.\u0026nbsp; Looking up, my cheeks burned as it was Jonathan that I had bumped into.\u0026nbsp; Grabbing his arm, I pulled him away from the hallway and back outside.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What are you doing?!\" he exclaimed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You have your own room, right?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, why?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed in relief.\u0026nbsp; \"Just making sure.\u0026nbsp; You took your time getting here.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I wanted to make sure that we were in the clear and that the boss didn't have anything else for you or me.\" Jon pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"But yeah, it took longer than I thought.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Perfectly understandable.\" I said, nodding.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Where's Joy?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI could feel my cheeks burn at the question.\u0026nbsp; My fingers grabbed his arm tightly, pulling him with me towards the building's exit.\u0026nbsp; I practically flung him into a chair, lunging forward when the chair itself teetered dangerously backwards.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What is wrong with you!?\" he exclaimed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't answer immediately.\u0026nbsp; How in the hell do you tell someone that two women were seducing you on the spot?\u0026nbsp; More importantly, point out that one of those two was your Houndoom and the other was Joy?\u0026nbsp; I sighed, grabbing another chair and sitting in front of him.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAgain, I was silent.\u0026nbsp; How does someone bring what I just saw to someone?\u0026nbsp; I shivered again, the afternoon wind blowing across the city.\u0026nbsp; Jon looked at me patiently, his arms crossed and foot tapping on the ground.\u0026nbsp; My eyes roamed our surroundings once more, double-checking in case someone came nearby before I spoke.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Joy and Zin are in my room.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's the problem with that?\" he asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You don't get it.\u0026nbsp; Joy's plan is to be my girlfriend, to avoid being suspicious to the Pokémon League.\" I hissed out.\u0026nbsp; \"Joy and Zin are _getting along_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe blinked, but didn't look as surprised as I was.\u0026nbsp; \"She finally told you.\u0026nbsp; That's probably a lot of weight off her mind now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt felt like two Golems were dropped on my head.\u0026nbsp; \"What?!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't tell me you haven't seen it by now.\" Jon said, rolling his eyes.\u0026nbsp; \"She's had eyes for you since we met Deoxys and Victini.\u0026nbsp; She's a nice girl, but she's not my type.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She told you?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She's mentioned it a few times.\u0026nbsp; We've talked.\u0026nbsp; She was afraid that you'd just shut her out if she even mentioned something even close to going out with her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What did you tell her?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What we've talked about before.\u0026nbsp; Remember when I asked you those questions in Eterna City?\u0026nbsp; When you tried to run away?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded, motioning to him to continue.\u0026nbsp; \"She asked me to fill in the small gap that she didn't know, plus what I thought of you.\u0026nbsp; I trust you, just like you've trusted me.\u0026nbsp; She asked me what I really thought of you, and I told her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And that would be?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That you need help.\" he stated.\u0026nbsp; \"You're going to need my help, as well as hers and all our Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; She wants to help you.\u0026nbsp; You shouldn't even be questioning it by now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm not!\" I exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; At his raised eyebrow, I continued.\u0026nbsp; \"But this wasn't what I was expecting.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And you were expecting any of this to happen to you?\" he asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"I rest my case.\" he said, his hand clasping my shoulder.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSilence stretched between the two of us.\u0026nbsp; Jon moved his chair so we were sitting next to each other.\u0026nbsp; The afternoon slowly changed to twilight.\u0026nbsp; Something bothered me about him.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What have you thought about fixing your friendship with Zapdos?\" I asked softly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe stiffened immediately at the word 'Zapdos'.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't his fault, but it was an odd seeing him become cautious all of a sudden.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I've... given it some thought.\" he admitted.\u0026nbsp; \"I want to get along with her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stayed silent, in case he was going to say anything else.\u0026nbsp; A moment passed in silence, so I nodded in acknowledgement.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You want to be in friendly terms.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not what you have.\" he clarified.\u0026nbsp; \"Just being able to make her understand that what she wants isn't what I want would be good.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You know that might be impossible.\" I said with a frown.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"At least we tried.\" he said with a sigh.\u0026nbsp; \"At the very least, being able to use her without being threatened with rape would be a huge improvement.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Think you want to start tomorrow?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That soon?!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Unless you have an idea on where to go next.\" I pointed out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, didn't Misty say that Professor Elm investigated the Cerulean Cave?\" he asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI frowned.\u0026nbsp; \"Pretty sure you're right, though your Zapdos presents a greater threat just due to being so close to us.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"We can probably go the next day.\u0026nbsp; Give her a good chance to stretch her wings and actually be outside of her Pokéball.\u0026nbsp; If she's anything like Zin, she's going to be ornery as fuck the moment she's out.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe nodded.\u0026nbsp; We both stood up and headed back inside the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; Relief flooded me the moment I saw Zin and Joy outside of my room.\u0026nbsp; They both looked at us, grinning in our direction.\u0026nbsp; Jon continued forward past them, but neither of the two ladies payed any attention to him.\u0026nbsp; He waved his hand lazily behind him, as both Joy and Zin walked towards me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy grabbed my arm and pulled me down the same hallway.\u0026nbsp; A door opened and I was practically thrown inside.\u0026nbsp; Stumbling to a stop, a cold nose was pressed against my neck while sharp teeth touched my skin.\u0026nbsp; The lights were off, and the only light came from the open door before it was closed with an soft clicking sound.\u0026nbsp; Joy laughed, followed by Zin's soft growl.\u0026nbsp; I could feel Joy's hands go through my hair as Zin made herself comfortable on my chest.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just sleep, alright?\" Joy said from above me.\u0026nbsp; \"It looks like we have a busy day tomorrow.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nZin growled softly.\u0026nbsp; I reached for one of Joy's hands, and she took it in her grasp.\u0026nbsp; The Houndoom stopped growling when I used my other hand to scratch behind her horns.\u0026nbsp; My touches were as gentle as possible, to avoid causing her any harm to her.\u0026nbsp; Zin made a high pitched noise, that sounded like she was pleading with me.\u0026nbsp; Joy giggled softly, her hand leaving mine to scratch the Houndoom a bit.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why are we on the floor, anyway?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Stop talking.\" Zin said.\u0026nbsp; \"Just... please stop and let me have this.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI smiled to myself in the darkness.\u0026nbsp; Tomorrow promised to be an interesting day, to say the least.\u0026nbsp; Having my team at the ready was a good idea.\u0026nbsp; Zin's breathing slowly became slow and gentle.\u0026nbsp; It was nice to see her relax in my arms again.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Can you raise your head for a moment?\" Joy asked from above.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sure.\" I said, doing the asked task.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOne of her hands pressed against my forehead, pushing down and letting me rest on something soft.\u0026nbsp; The first thought that crossed my mind was that it was a pillow.\u0026nbsp; Turning to my side proved that theory false, as my nose made contact with Joy's shirt.\u0026nbsp; The denim under my cheek was now obvious.\u0026nbsp; I started to pull away when her hand pressed against my exposed cheek.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Please.\" she said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI don't think it was my choice anymore to say no.\u0026nbsp; Instead, I made myself as comfortable as possible.\u0026nbsp; Tomorrow looked to be a busy day.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=========================////////////////////===========================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You want to talk to everyone?\u0026nbsp; Is that why you wanted everyone out here?\" I asked Joy.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Mostly so your team can ask their questions.\" Joy clarified.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm pretty sure that you'll be busy with Jon today, so you won't need everyone, right?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I was thinking of everyone being there for my own sake.\" I chuckled.\u0026nbsp; \"Still, Zapdos shouldn't be an huge problem.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I will go with you, Master.\" Iolanthe said.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't have any specific questions that aren't shared with the group.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy frowned, passing Iolanthe's Pokéball to me.\u0026nbsp; I nodded, smiling at everyone.\u0026nbsp; \"Stay safe.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm going to be inside a building surrounded by a dozen Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; Pretty sure we'll be fine.\" Joy said with a laugh.\u0026nbsp; \"Get out of here, before Jon thinks something is holding you up.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're right.\u0026nbsp; Io, let's go.\u0026nbsp; See you all later.\" I said, waving a farewell and closing the door behind me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe walked to the entrance of the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; Jon was waiting for us with two boxes in hand.\u0026nbsp; He raised an eyebrow at me as we approached.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thought you were going to have your team with you.\" he mentioned, passing a box to me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That was the plan, until Joy had the great idea of stealing everyone away for something.\" I explained.\u0026nbsp; \"What's in the box?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Breakfast for you.\" he said.\u0026nbsp; \"Nothing special, so don't get your hopes up.\u0026nbsp; Good thing, I guess.\u0026nbsp; You two can share.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI rolled my eyes, opening the lid to find a rather fancy boxed meal inside. \u0026nbsp;My attention was returned to Jon, to see him walking out of the building already.\u0026nbsp; We chased after him and soon settled walking in a brisk pace.\u0026nbsp; It looked like we were headed out of the city limits.\u0026nbsp; Not in the direction of the Cerulean Cave, that much was clear.\n\n\"Where are we going?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"East.\" he answered.\u0026nbsp; Well, that doesn't explain much.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There's a bit of woodland over there.\" he continued.\u0026nbsp; \"Mainly open plain and some hills.\u0026nbsp; Should be able to find a good open space for Zapdos to stretch her wings.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Sounds reasonable.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe walked in silence.\u0026nbsp; The trip wasn't very exciting, though I kept running through things to say to Zapdos the further we walked.\u0026nbsp; \"Did you tell Nurse Joy where we were headed?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, I did.\u0026nbsp; Just in case Joy needs to find us quickly.\" Jon said with a grin.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just making sure.\" I said with a laugh.\u0026nbsp; \"Iolanthe, are you alright?\u0026nbsp; You've been awfully quiet.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"No, I'm fine.\u0026nbsp; Just observing you, Master.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother laugh escaped me.\u0026nbsp; \"Well, just let me know if you see something interesting.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI could almost feel her amusement as she looked at me.\u0026nbsp; \"Perhaps.\" she answered enigmatically.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe path under us changed.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't as well maintained as it was inside Cerulean City.\u0026nbsp; Numerous cracks and small craters adorned the path as it lead further away from the city.\u0026nbsp; We followed the path for a few more minutes if that, before Jon veered off the path completely.\u0026nbsp; I blinked, but followed him into the virtually flat plains ahead of us.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't for a while until we stopped.\u0026nbsp; We had gone over a hill, well out of sight from anyone just walking through.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe flopped down, opening his box and digging in without another word.\u0026nbsp; I shrugged, getting as comfortable as possible on the hard earth.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe sat next to me, looking at the contents curiously.\u0026nbsp; Grabbing a piece of rolled rice, I offered it to her.\u0026nbsp; She looked at it strangely for a moment, before taking hold of it with one of her tentacles.\u0026nbsp; It slowly dissolved as she slowly 'ate' it.\u0026nbsp; She nodded enthusiastically and reaching to grab more.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just remember to share.\" I reminded her.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer eyes looked at me pleadingly.\u0026nbsp; Eyes that I've seen on Zin and Song a few times now.\u0026nbsp; I sighed, shaking my head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You've got it rough.\" Jon said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't encourage her!\" I exclaimed, a mixture of a groan and chuckle coming out of me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI grabbed a few more pieces for myself, before passing the rest of the box to Iolanthe.\u0026nbsp; She looked surprised for a moment before trying to pass it to me.\u0026nbsp; I smiled, taking another roll from the box and popping it in my mouth.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes widened, but she relaxed after a moment, waiting for me to finish and taking another roll and presenting it to me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was only after a moment that I noticed Jon looking at us expectantly.\u0026nbsp; He looked at us with tolerated patience.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe placed another roll into my mouth, before covering the box with two tentacles.\u0026nbsp; She looked focused for a moment as she probably ate what was left inside the box.\u0026nbsp; When Iolanthe removed her tentacles from the box, everything was gone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're a big eater.\" Jon muttered.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe looked a bit flustered, her eyes widening.\u0026nbsp; I hugged her tightly against my body.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, you ready for this or not?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just be ready to make a shield or something.\" Jon said, directing it to Iolanthe.\u0026nbsp; \"She might be a little mad.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe stood up, stretching and grabbing the Pokéball in question.\u0026nbsp; I stood up with him.\u0026nbsp; Before either Iolanthe or myself could say anything, Jon released the Pokémon inside.\u0026nbsp; A brilliant flash of light left me blinded momentarily, a loud screech echoing in the air.\u0026nbsp; I closed my eyes and rubbed them, hopefully before Zapdos could see us being basically helpless.\u0026nbsp; As my vision finally cleared, Jon was standing rather rigidly as Zapdos rubbed her face against his body.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt would be amusing if it wasn't for the fact that it was this same Zapdos that almost disemboweled me.\u0026nbsp; A question popped in my head.\u0026nbsp; Does she know that Jon is her trainer?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nZapdos bolted upright almost immediately as I thought of that question. \u0026nbsp;She moved towards me, before lowering her face to be at level with mine.\u0026nbsp; \"Master?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat answers that question.\u0026nbsp; She didn't know what had happened in all that time.\u0026nbsp; There's not much I can save you if she gets angry with you, Jon.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head slowly.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm not your master, Zapdos.\u0026nbsp; Jon is.\" I said slowly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe blinked, jumping back with a flap of her mighty wings.\u0026nbsp; The gust of air blew dust into my nose.\u0026nbsp; Zapdos was next to Jon instantly, grabbing his shirt with her beak.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Zapdos, STOP!\" he yelled. \u0026nbsp;The great lightning bird complied reluctantly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why did you call me, Master?\" Zapdos said, now directing it to Jon.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you need me?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.\u0026nbsp; I waited for him to say something, in case he didn't want me to interfere.\u0026nbsp; After a few moments Jon looked away.\u0026nbsp; I intervened before Zapdos did anything again.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We're here to talk, Zapdos.\u0026nbsp; About your relationship between the two of you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe opened her beak, but Jon stopped her with a glare.\u0026nbsp; Zapdos glared back with the same intensity as before.\u0026nbsp; Sparks of electricity began to jump across her yellow feathers.\u0026nbsp; For a moment, it looked like she would lash out at any second.\u0026nbsp; Thankfully, she calmed down before anything happened.\u0026nbsp; She nodded slowly, making herself comfortable on the ground in front of us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Alright.\u0026nbsp; I was brought here to be some sort of emotional support for Jon.\u0026nbsp; Neither of us have our teams with us.\u0026nbsp; I left mine with Joy and... I'm not sure what you did with yours, Jon.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They're with Nurse Joy going through a check-up.\" he explained.\u0026nbsp; \"I figured that this would be a good time to show that I'm not here to control you, Zapdos.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nZapdos shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"I want to be more than a Pokémon to you, my Master!\" she exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; A surprised look overtook her.\u0026nbsp; \"What did I just say?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Master?\" Jon said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"NO!\" the thunderbird screeched.\u0026nbsp; \"You're my mate!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI kept an eye out in case that Zapdos would lash out.\u0026nbsp; Even then, it looked like she was mostly under control.\u0026nbsp; \"Jon, I feel like she shouldn't have problems there.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Zin.\u0026nbsp; She's never had problems calling me her mate or master.\u0026nbsp; Do you think that-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother screech came out of Zapdos, her body writhing on the ground as if in pain.\u0026nbsp; Jon and I approached cautiously.\u0026nbsp; Jon touched her beak.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes were closed tightly and her body began to shake.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Jon, you have to calm her down.\" I said.\u0026nbsp; \"This can't be good.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"How do you suggest I do that?\" he asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tell her how much she means to you!\" I exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; Lightning was beginning to crackle along the thunderbirds body.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe only hesitated for a split second.\u0026nbsp; \"Zapdos!\u0026nbsp; Listen to me!\" he yelled out.\u0026nbsp; \"Come back to me.\u0026nbsp; Focus on my voice!\u0026nbsp; I need you!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nZapdos didn't stop immediately, but she slowly began to calm down.\u0026nbsp; The electricity was the first thing to stop.\u0026nbsp; Jon was whispering now to Zapdos.\u0026nbsp; He had his arms wrapped around her neck, saying whatever it was to her alone.\u0026nbsp; Whatever he was saying, it was enough.\u0026nbsp; Now, seeing that Zapdos was more calm, the more important question was if he meant whatever he just said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nZapdos still had her eyes closed when I slowly approached.\u0026nbsp; Jon looked like he was about to become sick.\u0026nbsp; I raised an eyebrow at him, but he shook his head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's wrong?\" I whispered furiously.\u0026nbsp; \"I can't really protect you from her if you lied to her face.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, I didn't lie.\" he answered.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't know what came over me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe rage I felt simmering in the back of my mind was quenched with his words.\u0026nbsp; He looked surprised, almost scared of what just happened.\u0026nbsp; Zapdos was slowly stirring in his arms.\u0026nbsp; I could feel Iolanthe's tentacles grab my shoulders tightly.\u0026nbsp; Jon shook his head, though, facing Zapdos.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Master?\" she asked softly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Aaron, do you mind if we talk in private?\" Jon asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You sure you got this?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; He gave me a swift nod in response.\u0026nbsp; \"We'll be over there.\" I continued, pointing at a random direction.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe followed me closely, leaving Jon to his lightning bird problem.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you honestly think it's wise to leave them alone?\" Io asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If you thought there would be a problem, you would have voiced it, wouldn't you?\" I asked back with a smile.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe looked surprised, but nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"That's why.\u0026nbsp; They both need to sort out their issues.\u0026nbsp; I came along to help them out with that.\u0026nbsp; Though it didn't look like they needed our help at all.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Perhaps our presence helped.\" Io said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Maybe.\u0026nbsp; I'm not entirely sure, but I'm willing to believe it.\" I said with a chuckle.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe crested a hill, feeling the sun get a bit warmer as it made its way through the sky.\u0026nbsp; I'm glad that things worked out for the better.\u0026nbsp; Highly doubt we're out of the woods yet with this issue, but it's not my place to stick my nose into.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you think they'll have more problems?\" Io asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's like saying the relationship I have with all of my Pokémon is perfect.\" I pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"I'll give you the answer, it's not.\u0026nbsp; I'm not perfect, and won't pretend to be.\u0026nbsp; My best chance is to help everyone find their happiness.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Being with you makes me happy.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, that's nice.\u0026nbsp; But I'm sure we've had this discussion before.\u0026nbsp; You're not here to observe.\u0026nbsp; You're here to experience.\u0026nbsp; But what?\u0026nbsp; Love?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We can start with that, if you don't mind.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't think that you have to worry too much about me with that.\" I said softly.\u0026nbsp; \"I love all of you.\u0026nbsp; There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep you as safe as possible.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer tentacle brought my head to her chest.\u0026nbsp; \"Perhaps I should take you on that offer.\u0026nbsp; No one has claimed you recently, have they?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, unless there's been talk without me knowing.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, perhaps I could do with some more bonding.\" she said, her grip tightening.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Maybe.\" I said teasingly, grabbing hold of one of her tentacles.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't you two get all crazy out here.\u0026nbsp; You're in public.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe turned around to see Jon and Zapdos.\u0026nbsp; I stiffened immediately when the giant bird brought her face down to mine.\u0026nbsp; Her beak was hard to focus on, so I turned my attention to her eyes.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thank you.\u0026nbsp; For giving me another chance.\" she whispered.\u0026nbsp; \"I would have died without your interference.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're welcome.\" I said, smiling.\u0026nbsp; \"Well, what about you two?\u0026nbsp; Sort out your problems?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, not yet.\" Jon said.\u0026nbsp; \"But, in all honesty, it's a start.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's good!\" I exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; \"Start small.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey both nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"We better get back.\u0026nbsp; I'm pretty sure that my Pokémon are ready to be picked up, and to rescue Joy from your own crazy misfits.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hey!\u0026nbsp; They may be misfits, but I'm the only one that calls them misfits!\" I said, laughing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=======================//////////////////////===========================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomething was wrong.\u0026nbsp; Everything _felt_ wrong.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs soon as we stepped inside the Pokémon Center, I bolted for my room.\u0026nbsp; The door was broken.\u0026nbsp; I yelled for Jon to get his ass over.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's going... on?\" he asked, noticing the door.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Get Nurse Joy here.\" I ordered.\u0026nbsp; \"Ask her if she knew if this happened.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Master?\" Iolanthe asked, her touch bringing me back to reality.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head, turning to look at Io.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes were wide as she shook her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What is it, Io?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Please calm down.\" she whispered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I am.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Then why is your hand clenched into a fist?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked down, to see what she was talking about.\u0026nbsp; Both of my hands were curled into fists.\u0026nbsp; It took a conscious effort to relax, and even then it felt like my entire body wanted to shake.\u0026nbsp; For all I knew, I was really shaking.\u0026nbsp; It felt like I was.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's going on, you two?\" Nurse Joy asked.\u0026nbsp; \"What happened to the door?!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's why we called you.\" I asked, narrowing my eyes.\u0026nbsp; \"We just came in.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I know!\u0026nbsp; I just saw you two walk in!\u0026nbsp; Have either of you gone inside?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head, Iolanthe and Jon doing the same.\u0026nbsp; She sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Let's go together.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon walked forward, grabbing the door handle and pulling.\u0026nbsp; The door came off its hinges, metal screeching against itself and the sound of wood snapping.\u0026nbsp; He put the door on the wall, making sure that it wouldn't fall down.\u0026nbsp; Jon was the first one to go in as well, and I followed closely behind.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe's tentacles grabbed hold of my shoulder when we made it inside.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What happened in here?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe entire room was covered in Unown language.\u0026nbsp; All the words glowed with an inner blue light.\u0026nbsp; They were etched on the walls, ceiling, and even the floor.\u0026nbsp; The sound of the light switch being flipped echoed in the silent room.\u0026nbsp; Sparks of electricity came from where the light should have been.\u0026nbsp; With the intermittent light from the short-circuit and the lights from the walls, the room was devastated.\u0026nbsp; The bed was almost destroyed, and the door that would lead to the bathroom met the same fate as the first door.\u0026nbsp; The sparks stopped soon after the switch was flipped once more, Nurse Joy muttering behind me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What does it say, Aaron?\" Jon asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"Give me a moment.\" I said, hesitantly touching the walls.\u0026nbsp; I almost expected a shock, but the words were actually on the walls.\u0026nbsp; They were cold to the touch, almost to the point of freezer burn.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Nurse Joy!\u0026nbsp; Are my Pokémon here?\" Jon asked suddenly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They should be.\u0026nbsp; No one has checked them out without my permission.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Let's go get them real quick.\u0026nbsp; Aaron, will you be alright?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I won't go anywhere.\" I responded.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe two of them left me and Iolanthe alone in the dark room.\u0026nbsp; Song's staff was on top of the bed.\u0026nbsp; I grabbed hold of it, using it as a support.\u0026nbsp; Also, for something to grip that I knew wouldn't break.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe words were easy to decipher, but it was annoying that whatever wrote this didn't have the common knowledge of how to write a proper sentence.\u0026nbsp; It almost felt like a code.\u0026nbsp; If it was, it wasn't that hard to decipher.\u0026nbsp; Each sentence had a misspelled word.\u0026nbsp; Picking up on this, my eyes quickly scanned the walls.\u0026nbsp; The message repeated itself soon, with the same mistakes.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot a coincidence.\u0026nbsp; Especially after putting all the letters together.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Master?\" Io's voice, again, bringing me back from my mental isolation.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Where's Jon?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Right here!\" he exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; \"They took my Pokémon, too.\u0026nbsp; Who the fuck did this?!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNurse Joy looked panic-stricken.\u0026nbsp; \"What's going on?\u0026nbsp; What am I going to do?!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"LISTEN TO ME!\" I roared.\u0026nbsp; \"Nurse Joy, you should put a barricade on this room and say that your remodeling.\u0026nbsp; I'll grab my things.\u0026nbsp; You can put a curtain over outside so no one has to look in.\u0026nbsp; Maybe put a Chancey or two on guard duty.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Jon, you're coming with me.\u0026nbsp; You still have Zapdos' Pokéball, right?\"\u0026nbsp; At his nod, I continued.\u0026nbsp; \"Good.\u0026nbsp; Meet me outside in a minute or two.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBoth of them looked at me in surprise, but nodded.\u0026nbsp; Maybe it was the staff that gave them the idea that I wasn't messing around.\u0026nbsp; Either way, they both got moving.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Master?\" Iolanthe asked softly.\u0026nbsp; \"What's going on?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't know, Io.\u0026nbsp; But whoever did this, they left a calling card.\" I growled out, slamming the end of Song's staff to the ground.\u0026nbsp; Anger ran through me almost like a poison.\u0026nbsp; \"It would be extremely rude to keep them waiting.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter taking a deep breath I grabbed my backpack.\u0026nbsp; It somehow survived the carnage of the room.\u0026nbsp; I shrugged.\u0026nbsp; It beat replacing everything, that's for sure.\u0026nbsp; Jon was speaking with Nurse Joy in hushed tones.\u0026nbsp; They both turned to me as I appeared.\u0026nbsp; Nurse Joy gave me a sad smile and wished us safe travels.\u0026nbsp; Jon quickly followed me outside.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Where are we going?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You know this area better than I do.\" I said without preamble.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you know where the Ruins of Alph are.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, of course I do.\u0026nbsp; It's in the middle of the Johto region, connected to Violet City.\u0026nbsp; Why do you ask?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's where our stranger is.\" I answered.\u0026nbsp; \"Call out Zapdos.\u0026nbsp; We need to move.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Zapdos!?\" he exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; \"Here?\u0026nbsp; Right now?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy hands grabbed his shirt, pulling him to me.\u0026nbsp; Our faces were practically touching at this point.\u0026nbsp; \"If you want to rescue your Pokémon, mine, and Joy, you better summon Zapdos RIGHT NOW!\" I bellowed.\u0026nbsp; \"This is NOT the time to hesitate, for fucks sake!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe grabbed the Pokéball in question, releasing the thunderbird.\u0026nbsp; She was in the middle of a greeting when she saw our faces.\u0026nbsp; Jon was quick to explain the situation, and she nodded.\u0026nbsp; Zapdos lowered her body, allowing the two of us to climb on her back easily.\u0026nbsp; I grabbed hold of Iolanthe's Pokéball and recalled her.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hold on tightly, Master!\" Zapdos called.\u0026nbsp; With a great flap of her wings, we were airborne.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy grip on Song's staff tightened with every flap of Zapdos' wings.\u0026nbsp; We needed to hurry.\u0026nbsp; Who would do such a thing?\u0026nbsp; I shook my head.\u0026nbsp; That question didn't matter right now.\u0026nbsp; All that made sense was to make whoever did this pay.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"A Trainer\\'s Tale","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/389676-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-29.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/402854-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-31.json"}}