# A Trainer's Tale - Chapter 30

Author: FoxStriker25
Tags: Gardevoir, Human, Lucario, Luxray, Mismagius, Pokemon, houndoom

#30 of A Trainer's Tale

Fox: You know that crazy dude that used to pre-read this stuff?  Ex or something or another?  Yeah.  He's back from Arkham Asylum.  No thoughts from Brim this time!

 

 

**Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak, etc.  Individual characters are my own imagining, 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 30: Distortion

 

 

My body felt sore.  It was like I was out working for a few days straight with no breaks.  Something heavy rested on top of me.  Smooth scales rubbed against my exposed skin, tightening gently.  Xola's cheek rubbed against mine as her tongue licked my ear.  I rubbed my cheek against her, my arms wrapping around her body.  Holding her against me, it felt nice.  The temperature around me felt cool and not as cold or hot as my mind imagined at some point.  Xola brought her head up and into my vision range.  A big smile worked its way along her face as she looked down at me.

 

She slowly uncoiled from around me, my body shivering as Xola left me exposed on the bed.  I smiled as I sat up.  Some of her body still clung to me as she moved.  It made my body shiver as she positioned herself around me.  Her smile never wavered.  If anything, it widened the longer we looked at each other.  She wiggled her 'eyebrows', the large appendages moving to and fro in silent rhythm.  We laughed together, the scales on her face tinged red as she made her amusement known.

 

The question of what time is it or what was going on outside of this room didn't seem to click in my head.  I wrapped my arms around her long neck, holding Xola closer to me.  Her gentle sigh teased my ear as we kept relaxing.  Neither of us said anything.  It didn't feel like words needed to be shared or said about what happened.  The thought sounded odd in my mind.  Being alright with all this.  When I was growing up, I never pictured myself to be having sexual relations with a Pokémon.  Though this is probably one of those things that there is little control over.

 

Even if there are people out there that would see this as abuse.  I think Xola would have a few choice words for them.  And probably everyone else, too, seeing how Zin was the first one to start it.

 

Neither of us moved when my Pokédex began to ring.  It seemed louder than before.  Though how that was possible was anyone's guess.  Perhaps it was due to neither of us wanting to move.  Xola sighed, moving away from me to give me the space to move towards the offending device.  Finding my pants was a project in itself.  How did they get to the far side of the room was up to speculation.  The door that lead into the bathroom was slightly ajar, with the light pouring out of the crack.

 

One of the Pokéballs was off its hook from my belt.  The door next to me opened slightly, Song looking down at me and giving me a grin.  I could feel my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

 

"Song!?" Xola squeaked, rushing over to me and pulling me away from the Gardevoir with her tail.  Song laughed, opening the door and letting herself in the room.

 

"I didn't see anything." Song said, looking at the two of us.  "Aurora let me out when you two were asleep."

 

I still have to ask how the clever little Weavile got out of the device under her own power.  Ignoring that fact, I turned my attention back to the Gardevoir.  Her smile only widened as Xola's hold on me tightened.

 

"So, did he satisfy you?" Song asked.

 

It took Xola a moment to realize that she was being addressed.  Her body shivered against mine for a moment before answering.  "More than I could imagine."

 

"Good.  Zin would approve, then.  She was a bit worried that Master would have performance issues."

 

I shook my head, staying out of this particular conversation.  If only to keep more words from being aimed at me.  Instead, I coughed politely to keep in mind that I was still present.  Both Pokémon looked over towards me and smiled.  Both of them mumbled apologies, which I accepted with a smile and a nod.

 

"Song, could you possibly explain all of this?  Not that I should be complaining, but this isn't typical behavior in Pokémon.  From my understanding, anyway." I asked, frowning in thought.  "Zin isn't being-"

 

The Gardevoir shook her head, kneeling down in front of me.  "No, she isn't being nosy or uncooperative.  She has your interests in heart, even if she can't have cubs from you.  She's been quite infatuated with you for a while now."

 

"From before we officially met, you mean?" I asked.

 

"She seemed rather taken when I kept mentioning you."

 

I grinned, feeling a bit pleased with myself.  I never thought of myself as someone that a woman would fall for.  The memory of the bruise on my face was still pretty vivid.  It isn't easy to forget when a girl punches your face.

 

Shaking the memories away, my focus returned to the two ladies around me.  Song smiled at me, standing up and extending her arms at me.  Holding tightly, she easily lifted me up from the ground.  Her face was slightly tinged red, her eyes averting me.

 

"You're still naked." she pointed out.

 

"Yes, I am.  That's why I came for my pants, which are somehow over here instead of being nearer to the bed."

 

"That may have been Aurora's fault." Song said with a smile.

 

A thought crossed my mind, which made me frown slightly.  "She's uncomfortable with this idea, you know that." I said.

 

Song pushed me towards the bed, making me walk backwards.  Sitting me down, her knees were at my sides as she climbed on my lap.  The blunt red spike on her chest poked at me for a moment before she twisted slightly and leaned on my shoulder.

 

"Song?" I called.

 

"She volunteered." she answered.  "I think the question you're looking for is if she saw anything.  Aurora came out of her Pokéball after you two were done.  All she saw was you two wrapped up together."

 

I frowned, but stayed quiet otherwise.  Song smiled at me, her hands going through my hair.  She didn't say anything else after that.  Xola nudged Song, frowning at the Gardevoir.  The two looked at each other silently, Song nodding to Xola after a silent moment and pulling away from me.

 

"Sorry." she said, smiling as she stood up.  "Do you mind putting me inside my Pokéball, Master?"

 

I shook my head as Song retrieved her Pokéball and handed it over to me.  She disappeared with a smile on her face.  Xola claimed her place as soon as Song was inside her Pokéball, wrapping herself around me.  She didn't say anything, resting her head on my shoulder.  My Pokédex began to ring once more.  I never turned off the alarm when I went to my pants.  Xola wasn't bothered by it, so I closed my eyes and did my best to ignore it.

 

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

 

Walking outside of my room, the first thought that crossed my mind is if Nurse Joy will smell anything odd when she comes in.  Going down the hallway, I confirmed that here was the room for used linens.  I went back into the room and grabbed the bed sheets, dropping them in one of the available washing machines and turning it on.

 

I didn't need more rumors flying around.  Joy was enough.

 

Speaking of Isabella, she was talking to the Nurse Joy of the Pokémon Center.  As I came near them, Joy turned to me with a grin.  Nurse Joy giggled, before turning to me.

 

"Thanks for keeping my sister in check." Nurse Joy said.

 

I'm not entirely sure what makes her say that, but I nodded regardless.  "I try."

 

Joy grabbed my arm, dragging me away from the counter.  Nurse Joy's laughter chased us away as we left the building.  She sat me on a chair in front of the Pokémon Center.  Her hands were on her hips for a moment, before she pulled a chair for herself and sat down in front of me.

 

"Alright, it's later.  Do you want to talk about it now?" Joy asked.

 

I blinked, frowning.  "I guess this is a good time.  Though do we have to do it here?"

 

"It's now or I'll just keep doing it."

 

There was no way out of this, is there?  "Alright."

 

"What's your issue?" she asked.  "Don't you want a regular girlfriend?"

 

I sputtered slightly at the blunt question.  Bringing my hands up, I tried to catch my bearings quickly.

 

"All I want is to keep the peace right now." I said, trying to explain myself.  "Zin thinks that you have more personal reasons why you're staying close to me.  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."

 

She stayed silent for a moment.  "Do you think she would do that?" she asked.

 

I shook my head.  "I don't think so, but Zin acts like she owns me.  As much as I've tried to convince her that she doesn't have to worry about, she still snarls behind your back."

 

Joy frowned at this.  "She's very possessive of you, isn't she."

 

I idly noticed that what she said wasn't in the form of a question.  "Yeah, she is.  It's a little annoying."

 

"Do you think you can explain the situation to her?"

 

I nodded.  "It's probably for the best.  I don't see anyone else really complaining about it."

 

She smiled, nodding.  "That's good to hear.  I'm glad."

 

"Come to think of it, is there any other reasons why you're doing this?  I mean, this is pretty elaborate." I asked, narrowing my eyes.

 

Joy frowned at me.  I could almost hear the gears spinning in her head, trying to come up with a plan on how to explain all of this.  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.  Though the main question behind all of this is why.  Why would she feel this way?  Maybe she's impressed in surviving all I've been through?  She's been through half of it all already with us.  That couldn't be it, could it?

 

I returned my attention when Joy started talking again.  "We've been through a lot.  I think of you as a good friend, and... maybe a bit more, too.  It's only natural to care for your companions so they don't get killed.  Especially if Cresselia is still after us after what she did to Route Twenty-Four."

 

"That doesn't make sense." I said, frowning.  "She wasn't interested in you or Jonathan.  You never seemed interested in breeding, like I originally thought either."

 

"Can't I just worry about you?" she whispered.

 

"While I appreciate it, there's no need to put yourself in needless danger." I pointed out.  "Darkrai almost killed you when we were at the monastery."

 

"You wouldn't have made it out of Mount Coronet without me." she pointed out.

 

"While I myself may have had issues, I wasn't alone by that point." I countered.  "He would have gathered his wits."

 

"Before the Abomasnow got to you?"

 

"Yeah.  Not to mention I still had four other Pokémon that would be able to put up a fight."

 

She shook her head.  "I find that hard to believe." Joy said.  "It looked like the two of you were in a pretty shitty spot when I came in."

 

"Still think we would have been fine." I said, nodding in finality.

 

It was a bit of a bluff, and I was pretty sure it wouldn't hold out for long.  Knowing Jon's team now, this was easy to say with confidence.  Back then, I didn't have a single clue what kind of Pokémon he had.  The worst fact was that she knew.  Her grin told me that much.

 

"I'll call Tauros shit on you." she said with a grin.

 

I stayed quiet, before shaking my head and sighing.  "I think you spaced and forgot that I was there when you admitted that you didn't know about his team."

 

Well, I was trying to play off a mistake she might have made.  Guess it's hard to fool this particular person.  Joy laughed softly at my predicament.

 

"What are you going to say now?" she asked almost tauntingly.  "Are you going to listen to me, at the very least?"

 

I sighed, nodding towards her.  "Alright, shoot."

 

"Now that I have your full attention.  The League knows of you." Joy said, leaning forward and lowering her voice.  "There hasn't been all that much different action from them since the attack, but they know of it.  Someone will talk.  We can't take that risk.  YOU can't take that risk.  If we need to return to Sinnoh, you would be put in jail the second you stepped out of the airplane.

 

"You need some way to cover for you." Joy continued in the same tone of voice.  "I'm giving you the easiest alternative.  Though if you prefer to put the air that you're gay, by all means.  Though somehow I don't think Jon would go for it."

 

I sputtered at that last thought thrown in.  "No!" I exclaimed.  "Jeez... alright.  But do you think that the League will react like how you think?  I mean, we haven't done anything illegal."

 

"Doesn't matter." Joy said, narrowing her eyes.  "All it takes is one slip-up from our part, and the other Leagues will fall in line with Indigo Plateau.  Unfortunately, the other Leagues will follow the demands of Indigo Plateau if a case is deemed extreme.  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."

 

"What do you think would happen if they found me?"

 

"They would most likely send you back to Sinnoh, suspend your license, and set your Pokémon free or put them up for adoption.  Probably use them as evidence to prove that you've been mistreating them, as well.  They'll cook up some shit for it.  Same thing they've done before in public cases, so they won't do anything different with you.  Except that the League is the final authority in this case, and they have all the evidence they care to see."

 

"And getting caught would discredit my parents indirectly or some crap like that, too." I mumbled.  My body shivered.  This idea sounded worse and worse the more we sat on it.  Damn it!  Planning wasn't my strong suit!

 

"At least this will buy us some time." she said, smiling.  "Get out of Cerulean City and probably leave Kanto soon.  The longer we stay here or in Johto, the higher the chances that we'll get caught."

 

"Jon is going to be an issue, isn't he?" I asked.

 

"That's not a question I can answer." Joy said, shaking her head.  "Depends on what he says, or if he reports to the Rangers at all.  Has he mentioned what his priority is as of right now?"

 

I nodded.  "He admitted that Zapdos was his highest priority.  I'm not entirely sure what that means.  He did mention about reporting in every so often, but I'm not sure what he meant by that."

 

Joy nodded to herself.  "If that's true, then that should mean that as long as Zapdos is in his possession he's doing his job.  How much trust do you put on the guy?"

 

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.  "He's been with us all this time.  I've only known him for a day before we met up with you in Mount Coronet."

 

"That doesn't answer my question." she said, eyes narrowing dangerously.  "Do you or do you not trust him."

"Why is this so important?"

 

Isabella rolled her eyes.  "Because, idiot, he has connections with the League!" she hissed out.  "Indirectly, anyway, but it's still there.  The wrong word or thing he says in a report might get us all fucked over.  Now answer the Arceus fucking question!"

 

She was breathing hard by the end of her punctuated statement.  I was taken aback at her outburst in all honesty.  Responding was the last thing on my mind right now.  Joy seems to have put a lot of effort into whatever plan she has in her mind.  I nodded, frowning for a moment in quiet thought.  Her breathing was the only thing that I could hear, other than my own heartbeat hammering in my ears.

 

Jon has never really guided us wrong before.  Misguided perhaps, but never with the intention of harming us.  At least, I feel that way.  Even after traveling through to the monastery, it felt like at least we got our bearings there.  Though that message from Jirachi still didn't make any sense.  I brought my thoughts back in line.  After seeing how much he's done for the group, I nodded.

 

"I trust him." I said quietly.  "And you, too.  Thank you for all of this."

 

Her hardened look softened a bit at my words.  "We're all worried about this." she said softly.  "No one else is going to believe anything the champs say, just due to how much influence the Leagues have.  We have to get to the bottom of it all ourselves."

 

"We can always retire somewhere really far away." I said, bringing up how she's mentioned it before.

 

She grinned.  "I don't think so.  Pretty sure you have a point, after seeing how Cresselia showed up here out of nowhere."

 

"Why did you bring it up then?"

 

"I wanted to know how dedicated you were about finding out the truth.  You're not gonna wuss out on me now, are you?"

 

I shook my head.  "No, I'm not.  Far from it.  Though a better question for the moment is how far are we willing to take our plan?"

 

She blinked, turning away for a moment before returning my gaze.  "For as long as we have to, as much as we have to." Joy said slowly.

 

So she is reluctant to do this.  I was a bit scared that she jumped on the opportunity because of some repressed feelings she has for me.  Maybe my mind was coming up with some odd reasons.  It's not like we've really spoken about each other in private or something.  Or maybe this was some elaborate plan?

 

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

 

"Why are you really trying this hard?  There's more to this, isn't there?" I asked back.

 

Joy's mouth opened, but no words came.  She shook her head, her long hair following her motions.

 

"I think that you're hoping for something more, aren't you." I stated, looking straight in her eyes.

 

I wanted to ask her a lot of things right now, but bombarding her with too much might just chase her away.  It didn't bother me that she felt like this.  My concern was for her own safety due to Zin's constant disapproval.

 

"I'm worried that you'd be hurt.  Zin has always been pretty vocal about you being a little too close to me."

 

"Let me talk to her then." Joy said.  "I'll make her understand."

 

"That line sounds like some famous last words from a movie."

 

"Trust me."

 

I sighed, grabbing Zin's Pokéball and holding it in my hands for a moment.  Part of me was terrified for Joy.  Claiming that Zin has a temper is like saying that fire can just get you burned.  Something tickled my sides, startling me and making me drop the device.  The Pokéball hovered in midair for a moment, revealing Victini.

 

"Haven't seen you in a while."

 

"Hasn't been a really good reason to appear!" Victini said, being overly cheerful.  Her voice was the same as always.

 

"So, this is your Houndoom?" she asked, holding the Pokéball in her small paws.  She moved it around the air, the device hovering while it spun.

 

"I'd like to ask a favor."

 

"From little me?" she asked in a high pitch.

 

Somehow, I feel like I'm going to regret this.  "Yes.  Take care of Joy.  I'm not entirely sure how Zin will react when they'll talk."

 

Victini looked at me oddly for a moment, but nodded.  "Sure, no problem.  Why though?  Unless it's some sort of super secret I'm not supposed to know."

 

I shook my head.  "No, it's not some secret.  I'm just afraid that my Houndoom may be antagonistic with your trainer."

 

"You use a lot of big words, don't you?"

 

"Zin might get angry to the point of attacking Joy with what they're about to talk about."

 

"Much simpler.  Thank you, and of course I'll keep her safe."

 

Smiling, I nodded to the smaller Pokémon.  "While I don't doubt your strength, don't let her blow up anything in sight."

 

"What's the worst that can happen?"

 

"I don't want to think about that."

 

I looked over to Joy.  We echoed our worry at the same time.  Victini grinned at the two of us.  "Is there something I should know?" she asked.

 

"I'll let your trainer answer that question.  Not really my place to say."

 

"We WILL talk later, right?" she said, standing up and not letting me answer.  "Let's go, Victini."

 

"You still have to come up with a name for me, ya know." Victini said, floating towards her trainer.

 

I sat there, still idly wondered if I just opened a sealed nightmare into the world.  Suddenly I craved to be held, if only to comfort me in that I'm doing the right thing.

 

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

 

Akalia and Mist accompanied me alongside Song and Baast.  We did our part of being tourists pretty well, I think.  It didn't help that my Pokémon weren't native to this area.  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.  After being shown the gym and being bombarded by perfume, my Pokémon unanimously voted to go to the nearest park.  One of the trainers at the gym pointed out that the gym doubles as a park area for anyone.

 

After walking around and seeing the park as a whole, Baast dragged us all to a bench underneath a tree.  While it was a bit unerving that there wasn't an actual breeze, the temperature was cool inside the building.  I looked up for the first time, finding relief that there was a glass ceiling that let in sunlight.  There were artificial lights around, like light posts on the paths and near what look like heavy traffic locations.  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.

 

"You look tired, Master." Song pointed out.

 

"Nervous." I clarified.

 

This drew confused looks from my friends.  Akalia nudged my leg.  I would have ignored it if it wasn't for the shock that went through my body.

 

"Akalia!" I yelped, my heart beating a mile a second.

 

She gave me an innocent of a smile.  Whatever reprimand I had in my mouth didn't come out.  I sighed, shaking my head.

 

"I better tell you before you hear it from Zin." I said, sighing and regaining my composure.  "Joy and Zin are going to talk."

 

"_That doesn't sound like good news._" Baast said, a grin forming on her muzzle.

 

"My thoughts exactly." I agreed.  "Victini agreed to keep an eye out for Joy.  Pretty sure that they'll be able to keep Zin in line."

 

"That is if she does keep her temper in check." Mist said thoughtfully.

 

"Joy has a pretty good argument." I offered.

 

"Which is what, exactly?" the Mismagius asked.

 

I looked around for a moment, making sure that we were out of earshot from anyone nearby.  Baast's ears twitched for a moment, before nodding.  "_Doesn't sound like anyone is nearby._" she reported.

 

"I do not detect anyone nearby, either." Mist stated.

 

I nodded.  "Thanks, everyone.  I'm not sure how to say it, so this will be blunt.  Joy wants to be my girlfriend to make sure the League has no extra suspicion to look into us."

 

"_So you look like a normal human to this League, right_?" Baast asked.

 

"That's the idea, at least." I said, nodding.  "The problem is that I think that Joy has some repressed feelings or something, and that Zin will have an issue with that."

 

The four Pokémon around me nodded.  "I can see why this has you a bit nervous then." Song said as her arms wrapped around my neck.

 

"I'm afraid of returning to the Pokémon Center and finding the smoldering remains of a building."

 

"If what you say is true, then I am confident that Zin will restrain herself." Mist stated.  "If it is for your safety, she will listen."

 

"You sound sure of yourself, Mist." I said, frowning.

 

"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.  "She will listen to Joy, just as she has listened to us when it is in your best interest."

 

"Besides, it's not like she has in mind to steal you away." Song said, her grip tightening around me.  "She doesn't strike me like someone that would do that."

 

"_She's had plenty of chances to stab us in the back_." Baast said, nodding.  "_She's been with us through most of it all.  I doubt it myself, as well.  While Zin can be hard headed, she'll listen to reason_."

 

"I hope so." I said, sighing.

 

"She will, Master." Song said, holding me tightly.  "Now stop sulking and relax!  By the way, I want the details of what happened last night!"

 

My face felt like it was on fire.  "I thought your curiosity was satisfied when you appeared from the bathroom."

 

She laughed, her fingers kneading my shoulders.  Mist and Akalia turned away from me while Baast snickered.  The Lucario's ears focused on me, however, betraying her actual interest in the subject.

 

"Wouldn't you prefer to hear it from Xola?" I asked when no one spoke.

 

Baast shook her head.  "_I'd much rather hear it from you, actually_." she said, grinning wickedly at me.

 

I took another look of our surroundings, worried that someone may be headed our way.  Song stopped me after I twisted around once.  "Stop stalling, dear, and please answer truthfully." she whispered in my ear.

 

A shiver went down my spine.  I tried to gather my thoughts quickly, especially when Baast began to approach me with half-lidded eyes.

 

"It was... interesting to say the least.  She was very passionate, leading our movements." I whispered.  "I should say something about what you said about her, Song, but I'm not."

 

Song laughed behind my back, while Baast snickered openly.  I could see Akalia's tail wave in the air, while Mist didn't show any sign of acknowledgement.  Perhaps she was reserving judgement.

 

"Anything else?" Song asked softly.

 

"It felt like she was very possessive.  She didn't let go of any part of my body while we were together." I continued, keeping my voice low.  "Though letting go is an understatement.  She had me wrapped up all throughout our time together."

 

Mist giggled softly, quickly joined by everyone else.  Song's head rested on my right shoulder as Baast leaned forward to be on top of me.  The Lucario's teeth nipped on my earlobe, my body flinching against Song's grip.  Baast rested her head on my left shoulder, her tongue licking where her teeth bit my ear.  The only issue I had with all of this is why was I getting aroused?

 

Mist's laughter reached my mind as Akalia's paws rested on my knees.  Looking downwards, the pitch in my pants would be obvious to anyone passing by us.  I closed my eyes, focusing in calming down my hormones.  Baast whined softly in my ear as my body relaxed.

 

"_You aren't any fun_." Baast said.

 

I wanted to laugh, but a chuckle escaped me anyway.  "Says the now insatiable Lucario."

 

"_Not my fault_."

 

"And I suppose that it's mine."

 

"Yes, actually!" Song stated with a laugh.

 

Everyone laughed around me, though I noticed Akalia shifting her eyes from meeting my gaze and Mist's gems glowing a bright red on occasion.  I shook my head, politely coughing to get everyone's attention.

 

"But since we've mentioned the subject, are any of you bothered by what Joy is doing.  I would like to get your thoughts on the matter."

 

The four Pokémon around me looked at each other for a moment, then at me.  Before long, they began to converse in their own tongue.  While it was impossible to understand what wasn't meant for me, their body language hinted at how they were feeling.  Akalia's fur bristled with electricity when Song mentioned something.  Baast shook her head, motioning her paws around a few times.  A finger was pointed at first to me, then at Mist.  The ghost's gems flashed an angry red color as she glared back to the Lucario.  Baast waved her arms and spoke quickly, which seemed to calm Mist down.  The gems on her body were still glowing red, but not as brightly as a moment before.

 

Song spoke calmly, almost like being the voice of reason among present company.  The Gardevoir punctuated her words with calm gestures and small nods to each individual.  One after another, they nodded.  Akalia's electricity stopped flowing, while Mist's gems returned to their normal purple pulse.  Baast stopped pulling me closer to her chest spike.

 

Song's face slowly moved into my vision, her smile putting me at ease.  "I had to remind everyone why we were here in the first place."

 

"Don't remind me of that, Song." I said, frowning.  Her smile inverted, her hand hitting me my cheek hard.  Note to self: never give Song another reason to slap me.

 

"You will never say those words.  You will never think these words ever again." Song snarled.   "I would rather be here, with you, than with any other human in this entire planet.  Don't you dare insult me by saying otherwise.  Do you understand me?"

My response wasn't immediate.  I was shocked that she even slapped me in the first place.  It's gotten to the point of that we've traded places now.  My hand rubbed my jaw gently.  I just glad that she didn't pop anything out of place.  It hurt, though that may be a good thing.

 

"I won't." I answered with a smile.  "It looked like I needed a reminder myself."

 

"You've made me believe those words, Master." she said sternly.  "I believe in you."

 

The other three nodded with Song's assessment.  It was still worrisome that we weren't out of any sort of danger.  It wasn't worth bringing up again.  Not if anyone is going to react this strongly.  Either way, I shouldn't be worrying about it so much, either.  Was it so bad that I worried about it so much?  Perhaps it wasn't, though my confidence in everyone should outweigh the concern.  It isn't like no one doesn't know the dangers that we're facing.

 

Song rubbed my cheek gently, smiling as she did so.  "Feeling better?" she asked.

 

"I think so.  I won't apologize for being concerned, but I'll trust you."

 

"Just like you should have been doing this entire time."

 

I nodded.  Words felt inappropriate at this time.  Song smiled, wrapping her arms around me in a hug.  Baast grinned at me, her fist hitting my shoulder gently.

 

"Any particular reason why you're hitting me, too?"

 

"_No.  Just wanted to remind you that I'm here, too._" she said, her voice echoing in my mind.  "_You really shouldn't worry so much_."

 

"I just don't know what to do." I said, sighing.

 

"_There's always a light further down the road, even if we can't see it yet_." the Lucario stated.  "_We'll find it._"

 

I nodded numbly.  Baast's eyes narrowed as she hit my shoulder again.  I was about to complain when she leaned on top of me, being careful not to impale me on her chest spike.  Mist laughed, shaking her head as she floated above the four of us.

 

"You should have known better by now, Master." she said.  "Song isn't the same little Ralts from before."

 

A jolt of electricity made me jump slightly.  Akalia jumped on my lap, resting her body on top of mine.  Laughter reached my ears as the Luxray covered my face with her fur.

 

"Shouldn't we be on the ground for this?" I asked.

 

"Perhaps." Mist agreed.  "I understand you want to be close to Master as well, Akalia, but suffocating him with your fur won't help."

 

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

 

I entered the Pokémon Center no worse than usual.  The afternoon breeze was fresh, hinting at a cold night later.  Nothing seemed out of place, which was something that was bothering me for a while.  Nurse Joy smiled at me, letting me know that a new set of linens were on my bed.  Thanking her as I passed by, she went back to attending her business on her desk.  Opening the locked door, it was good to see that things were still normal.  My mind had come up with all kinds of imagery of police waiting for me or some other nonsense.  While I had enough reasons to be worried, perhaps that was taking a bit over the hill.

 

I turned on the lights, my heart jumping to my throat when Joy and Zin were sitting on the newly made bed.  My limbs felt like Akalia just shocked me twice over.  What was first intended to be curse words jumbled together to be an incoherent mumble.  Zin laughed, shaking her head.

 

"Told you he was going to be surprised." Joy said, grinning.

 

"Alright!  I give up, I give up.  Jeesh, you're so demanding." the Houndoom shot back with a smile.

 

Joy looked in my direction, smiling.  "We talked." she said.  As if that explained everything.

 

"Why didn't you tell me about this plan sooner!" Zin demanded, jumping off the bed.

 

When I didn't respond, a sharp pain shot up from my shin.  The Houndoom looked up at me with an annoyed look.  I knelt down before she decided to use her teeth next.  Don't think that Joy would approve of already breaking in any of the new clothes.  Not like that, I don't think.

 

"Well!?" the Houndoom demanded.

 

"We just talked about it this morning." I pointed out.  "It started when Joy jumped on my lap while I was talking to my parents in the Celadon department store."

 

Zin's grin was wide, her sharp fangs making me feel a little nervous.  "Things are starting to make sense." she said with a nod.

 

"What do you mean?" I asked.

 

"The things that Joy said." she answered, her tail pointing towards Joy.  "By the way, warn me before you go handing me to other humans next time."

 

I blinked in curiosity, but decided not to question what was going on.  Joy was laughing, her head shaking.  Zin laughed softly, but controlled herself quickly.

 

"Want me to tell him, Zin?"

 

"Go ahead."

 

"She jumped me as soon as I opened the Pokéball." Joy said, grinning.

 

"That's not unusual." I answered.

 

"Well, maybe for you.  She kissed me straight in the mouth."

 

It felt like a Golem was dropped on my head.  "Must have been some awkward moment."

 

"Victini wouldn't stop laughing!" Joy exclaimed.  "When Zin finally realized it wasn't you, she spat on the ground and demanded where she was and what was going on.  Remind me how you put up with her thick skull."

 

"Anyway, as you can tell, we talked and no one was hurt." Zin said, snorting in my direction.  "Honestly, you should have more faith in me, Master."

 

"With the attitude that you've had towards Joy, I wanted to make sure that you wouldn't do something crazy."

 

"Like what?" she asked.

 

"Burn the building down." I deadpanned.

 

"Innocent little me?  I wouldn't harm a Butterfree!"

 

Somehow, I doubted that.  I kept my mouth shut regardless.  Seemed like this wasn't the best time to point that out.  Zin narrowed her eyes at me, puffing out a puff of flame in my direction.  Joy's laughter kept Zin from concentrating in creating something more menacing.

 

"Will you stop laughing?" Zin demanded.

 

"Why?  Are you going to stop me again?" Joy asked.

 

"You want to give Master a show like we put on for Victini?" Zin shot back.

 

I decided that even my room wasn't safe from Zin's perverted influence.  My cheeks felt like Zin breathed fire on them.  Words failed to come out any stronger than whispers.  I stood up and walked back out, closing the door behind me.  The last thing that my mind wanted to see was THAT being shoved in my face.  It was probably a joke.

 

Right?

 

I shivered in the hallway before focusing on moving again.  Well, behind me wasn't safe, and down the hallway was the washing machines.  Laughter echoed from the door behind me.  Well, going back would probably make me look like a huge pervert.  Nodding, I decided to go back outside.  Hopefully by the time I come back the two of them will have calmed down.

 

I slammed into someone as I turned the corner.  Hurried apologies came out of my mouth as I stood up.  The other person apologized as well.  Looking up, my cheeks burned as it was Jonathan that I had bumped into.  Grabbing his arm, I pulled him away from the hallway and back outside.

 

"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed.

 

"You have your own room, right?" I asked.

 

"Yeah, why?"

 

I sighed in relief.  "Just making sure.  You took your time getting here."

 

"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.  "But yeah, it took longer than I thought."

 

"Perfectly understandable." I said, nodding.

 

"Where's Joy?"

 

I could feel my cheeks burn at the question.  My fingers grabbed his arm tightly, pulling him with me towards the building's exit.  I practically flung him into a chair, lunging forward when the chair itself teetered dangerously backwards.

 

"What is wrong with you!?" he exclaimed.

 

I didn't answer immediately.  How in the hell do you tell someone that two women were seducing you on the spot?  More importantly, point out that one of those two was your Houndoom and the other was Joy?  I sighed, grabbing another chair and sitting in front of him.

 

"Well?"

 

Again, I was silent.  How does someone bring what I just saw to someone?  I shivered again, the afternoon wind blowing across the city.  Jon looked at me patiently, his arms crossed and foot tapping on the ground.  My eyes roamed our surroundings once more, double-checking in case someone came nearby before I spoke.

 

"Joy and Zin are in my room."

 

"What's the problem with that?" he asked.

 

"You don't get it.  Joy's plan is to be my girlfriend, to avoid being suspicious to the Pokémon League." I hissed out.  "Joy and Zin are _getting along_."

 

He blinked, but didn't look as surprised as I was.  "She finally told you.  That's probably a lot of weight off her mind now."

 

It felt like two Golems were dropped on my head.  "What?!"

 

"Don't tell me you haven't seen it by now." Jon said, rolling his eyes.  "She's had eyes for you since we met Deoxys and Victini.  She's a nice girl, but she's not my type."

 

"She told you?" I asked.

 

"She's mentioned it a few times.  We've talked.  She was afraid that you'd just shut her out if she even mentioned something even close to going out with her."

 

"What did you tell her?" I asked.

 

"What we've talked about before.  Remember when I asked you those questions in Eterna City?  When you tried to run away?"

 

I nodded, motioning to him to continue.  "She asked me to fill in the small gap that she didn't know, plus what I thought of you.  I trust you, just like you've trusted me.  She asked me what I really thought of you, and I told her."

 

"And that would be?"

 

"That you need help." he stated.  "You're going to need my help, as well as hers and all our Pokémon.  She wants to help you.  You shouldn't even be questioning it by now."

 

"I'm not!" I exclaimed.  At his raised eyebrow, I continued.  "But this wasn't what I was expecting."

 

"And you were expecting any of this to happen to you?" he asked.

 

I shook my head.  "I rest my case." he said, his hand clasping my shoulder.

 

Silence stretched between the two of us.  Jon moved his chair so we were sitting next to each other.  The afternoon slowly changed to twilight.  Something bothered me about him.

 

"What have you thought about fixing your friendship with Zapdos?" I asked softly.

 

He stiffened immediately at the word 'Zapdos'.  It wasn't his fault, but it was an odd seeing him become cautious all of a sudden.

 

"I've... given it some thought." he admitted.  "I want to get along with her."

 

I stayed silent, in case he was going to say anything else.  A moment passed in silence, so I nodded in acknowledgement.

 

"You want to be in friendly terms."

 

"Not what you have." he clarified.  "Just being able to make her understand that what she wants isn't what I want would be good."

 

"You know that might be impossible." I said with a frown.

 

"At least we tried." he said with a sigh.  "At the very least, being able to use her without being threatened with rape would be a huge improvement."

 

"Think you want to start tomorrow?"

 

"That soon?!"

 

"Unless you have an idea on where to go next." I pointed out.

 

"Well, didn't Misty say that Professor Elm investigated the Cerulean Cave?" he asked.

 

I frowned.  "Pretty sure you're right, though your Zapdos presents a greater threat just due to being so close to us."

 

He nodded.  "We can probably go the next day.  Give her a good chance to stretch her wings and actually be outside of her Pokéball.  If she's anything like Zin, she's going to be ornery as fuck the moment she's out."

 

He nodded.  We both stood up and headed back inside the Pokémon Center.  Relief flooded me the moment I saw Zin and Joy outside of my room.  They both looked at us, grinning in our direction.  Jon continued forward past them, but neither of the two ladies payed any attention to him.  He waved his hand lazily behind him, as both Joy and Zin walked towards me.

 

Joy grabbed my arm and pulled me down the same hallway.  A door opened and I was practically thrown inside.  Stumbling to a stop, a cold nose was pressed against my neck while sharp teeth touched my skin.  The lights were off, and the only light came from the open door before it was closed with an soft clicking sound.  Joy laughed, followed by Zin's soft growl.  I could feel Joy's hands go through my hair as Zin made herself comfortable on my chest.

 

"Just sleep, alright?" Joy said from above me.  "It looks like we have a busy day tomorrow."

 

Zin growled softly.  I reached for one of Joy's hands, and she took it in her grasp.  The Houndoom stopped growling when I used my other hand to scratch behind her horns.  My touches were as gentle as possible, to avoid causing her any harm to her.  Zin made a high pitched noise, that sounded like she was pleading with me.  Joy giggled softly, her hand leaving mine to scratch the Houndoom a bit.

 

"Why are we on the floor, anyway?" I asked.

 

"Stop talking." Zin said.  "Just... please stop and let me have this."

 

I smiled to myself in the darkness.  Tomorrow promised to be an interesting day, to say the least.  Having my team at the ready was a good idea.  Zin's breathing slowly became slow and gentle.  It was nice to see her relax in my arms again.

 

"Can you raise your head for a moment?" Joy asked from above.

 

"Sure." I said, doing the asked task.

 

One of her hands pressed against my forehead, pushing down and letting me rest on something soft.  The first thought that crossed my mind was that it was a pillow.  Turning to my side proved that theory false, as my nose made contact with Joy's shirt.  The denim under my cheek was now obvious.  I started to pull away when her hand pressed against my exposed cheek.

 

"Please." she said.

 

I don't think it was my choice anymore to say no.  Instead, I made myself as comfortable as possible.  Tomorrow looked to be a busy day.

 

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

 

"You want to talk to everyone?  Is that why you wanted everyone out here?" I asked Joy.

 

She nodded.  "Mostly so your team can ask their questions." Joy clarified.  "I'm pretty sure that you'll be busy with Jon today, so you won't need everyone, right?"

 

"I was thinking of everyone being there for my own sake." I chuckled.  "Still, Zapdos shouldn't be an huge problem."

 

"I will go with you, Master." Iolanthe said.  "I don't have any specific questions that aren't shared with the group."

 

Joy frowned, passing Iolanthe's Pokéball to me.  I nodded, smiling at everyone.  "Stay safe."

 

"I'm going to be inside a building surrounded by a dozen Pokémon.  Pretty sure we'll be fine." Joy said with a laugh.  "Get out of here, before Jon thinks something is holding you up."

 

"You're right.  Io, let's go.  See you all later." I said, waving a farewell and closing the door behind me.

 

We walked to the entrance of the Pokémon Center.  Jon was waiting for us with two boxes in hand.  He raised an eyebrow at me as we approached.

 

"Thought you were going to have your team with you." he mentioned, passing a box to me.

 

"That was the plan, until Joy had the great idea of stealing everyone away for something." I explained.  "What's in the box?"

 

"Breakfast for you." he said.  "Nothing special, so don't get your hopes up.  Good thing, I guess.  You two can share."

 

I rolled my eyes, opening the lid to find a rather fancy boxed meal inside.  My attention was returned to Jon, to see him walking out of the building already.  We chased after him and soon settled walking in a brisk pace.  It looked like we were headed out of the city limits.  Not in the direction of the Cerulean Cave, that much was clear.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

 

"East." he answered.  Well, that doesn't explain much.

 

"There's a bit of woodland over there." he continued.  "Mainly open plain and some hills.  Should be able to find a good open space for Zapdos to stretch her wings."

 

I nodded.  "Sounds reasonable."

 

We walked in silence.  The trip wasn't very exciting, though I kept running through things to say to Zapdos the further we walked.  "Did you tell Nurse Joy where we were headed?" I asked.

 

"Yeah, I did.  Just in case Joy needs to find us quickly." Jon said with a grin.

 

"Just making sure." I said with a laugh.  "Iolanthe, are you alright?  You've been awfully quiet."

 

She shook her head.  "No, I'm fine.  Just observing you, Master."

 

Another laugh escaped me.  "Well, just let me know if you see something interesting."

 

I could almost feel her amusement as she looked at me.  "Perhaps." she answered enigmatically.

 

The path under us changed.  It wasn't as well maintained as it was inside Cerulean City.  Numerous cracks and small craters adorned the path as it lead further away from the city.  We followed the path for a few more minutes if that, before Jon veered off the path completely.  I blinked, but followed him into the virtually flat plains ahead of us.  It wasn't for a while until we stopped.  We had gone over a hill, well out of sight from anyone just walking through.

 

He flopped down, opening his box and digging in without another word.  I shrugged, getting as comfortable as possible on the hard earth.  Iolanthe sat next to me, looking at the contents curiously.  Grabbing a piece of rolled rice, I offered it to her.  She looked at it strangely for a moment, before taking hold of it with one of her tentacles.  It slowly dissolved as she slowly 'ate' it.  She nodded enthusiastically and reaching to grab more.

 

"Just remember to share." I reminded her.

 

Her eyes looked at me pleadingly.  Eyes that I've seen on Zin and Song a few times now.  I sighed, shaking my head.

 

"You've got it rough." Jon said.

 

"Don't encourage her!" I exclaimed, a mixture of a groan and chuckle coming out of me.

 

I grabbed a few more pieces for myself, before passing the rest of the box to Iolanthe.  She looked surprised for a moment before trying to pass it to me.  I smiled, taking another roll from the box and popping it in my mouth.  Her eyes widened, but she relaxed after a moment, waiting for me to finish and taking another roll and presenting it to me.

 

It was only after a moment that I noticed Jon looking at us expectantly.  He looked at us with tolerated patience.  Iolanthe placed another roll into my mouth, before covering the box with two tentacles.  She looked focused for a moment as she probably ate what was left inside the box.  When Iolanthe removed her tentacles from the box, everything was gone.

 

"You're a big eater." Jon muttered.  Iolanthe looked a bit flustered, her eyes widening.  I hugged her tightly against my body.

 

"Well, you ready for this or not?" I asked.

 

"Just be ready to make a shield or something." Jon said, directing it to Iolanthe.  "She might be a little mad."

 

He stood up, stretching and grabbing the Pokéball in question.  I stood up with him.  Before either Iolanthe or myself could say anything, Jon released the Pokémon inside.  A brilliant flash of light left me blinded momentarily, a loud screech echoing in the air.  I closed my eyes and rubbed them, hopefully before Zapdos could see us being basically helpless.  As my vision finally cleared, Jon was standing rather rigidly as Zapdos rubbed her face against his body.

 

It would be amusing if it wasn't for the fact that it was this same Zapdos that almost disemboweled me.  A question popped in my head.  Does she know that Jon is her trainer?

 

Zapdos bolted upright almost immediately as I thought of that question.  She moved towards me, before lowering her face to be at level with mine.  "Master?"

 

That answers that question.  She didn't know what had happened in all that time.  There's not much I can save you if she gets angry with you, Jon.

 

I shook my head slowly.  "I'm not your master, Zapdos.  Jon is." I said slowly.

 

She blinked, jumping back with a flap of her mighty wings.  The gust of air blew dust into my nose.  Zapdos was next to Jon instantly, grabbing his shirt with her beak.

 

"Zapdos, STOP!" he yelled.  The great lightning bird complied reluctantly.

 

"Why did you call me, Master?" Zapdos said, now directing it to Jon.  "Do you need me?"

 

He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.  I waited for him to say something, in case he didn't want me to interfere.  After a few moments Jon looked away.  I intervened before Zapdos did anything again.

 

"We're here to talk, Zapdos.  About your relationship between the two of you."

 

She opened her beak, but Jon stopped her with a glare.  Zapdos glared back with the same intensity as before.  Sparks of electricity began to jump across her yellow feathers.  For a moment, it looked like she would lash out at any second.  Thankfully, she calmed down before anything happened.  She nodded slowly, making herself comfortable on the ground in front of us.

 

"Alright.  I was brought here to be some sort of emotional support for Jon.  Neither of us have our teams with us.  I left mine with Joy and... I'm not sure what you did with yours, Jon."

 

"They're with Nurse Joy going through a check-up." he explained.  "I figured that this would be a good time to show that I'm not here to control you, Zapdos."

 

Zapdos shook her head.  "I want to be more than a Pokémon to you, my Master!" she exclaimed.  A surprised look overtook her.  "What did I just say?"

  "Master?" Jon said.

 

"NO!" the thunderbird screeched.  "You're my mate!"

 

I kept an eye out in case that Zapdos would lash out.  Even then, it looked like she was mostly under control.  "Jon, I feel like she shouldn't have problems there."

 

"Why?"

 

"Zin.  She's never had problems calling me her mate or master.  Do you think that-"

 

Another screech came out of Zapdos, her body writhing on the ground as if in pain.  Jon and I approached cautiously.  Jon touched her beak.  Her eyes were closed tightly and her body began to shake.

 

"Jon, you have to calm her down." I said.  "This can't be good."

 

"How do you suggest I do that?" he asked.

 

"Tell her how much she means to you!" I exclaimed.  Lightning was beginning to crackle along the thunderbirds body.

 

He only hesitated for a split second.  "Zapdos!  Listen to me!" he yelled out.  "Come back to me.  Focus on my voice!  I need you!"

 

Zapdos didn't stop immediately, but she slowly began to calm down.  The electricity was the first thing to stop.  Jon was whispering now to Zapdos.  He had his arms wrapped around her neck, saying whatever it was to her alone.  Whatever he was saying, it was enough.  Now, seeing that Zapdos was more calm, the more important question was if he meant whatever he just said.

 

Zapdos still had her eyes closed when I slowly approached.  Jon looked like he was about to become sick.  I raised an eyebrow at him, but he shook his head.

 

"What's wrong?" I whispered furiously.  "I can't really protect you from her if you lied to her face."

 

"No, I didn't lie." he answered.  "I don't know what came over me."

 

The rage I felt simmering in the back of my mind was quenched with his words.  He looked surprised, almost scared of what just happened.  Zapdos was slowly stirring in his arms.  I could feel Iolanthe's tentacles grab my shoulders tightly.  Jon shook his head, though, facing Zapdos.

 

"Master?" she asked softly.

 

"Aaron, do you mind if we talk in private?" Jon asked.

 

"You sure you got this?" I asked.  He gave me a swift nod in response.  "We'll be over there." I continued, pointing at a random direction.  Iolanthe followed me closely, leaving Jon to his lightning bird problem.

 

"Do you honestly think it's wise to leave them alone?" Io asked.

 

"If you thought there would be a problem, you would have voiced it, wouldn't you?" I asked back with a smile.

 

She looked surprised, but nodded.  "That's why.  They both need to sort out their issues.  I came along to help them out with that.  Though it didn't look like they needed our help at all."

 

"Perhaps our presence helped." Io said.

 

"Maybe.  I'm not entirely sure, but I'm willing to believe it." I said with a chuckle.

 

We crested a hill, feeling the sun get a bit warmer as it made its way through the sky.  I'm glad that things worked out for the better.  Highly doubt we're out of the woods yet with this issue, but it's not my place to stick my nose into.

 

"Do you think they'll have more problems?" Io asked.

 

"That's like saying the relationship I have with all of my Pokémon is perfect." I pointed out.  "I'll give you the answer, it's not.  I'm not perfect, and won't pretend to be.  My best chance is to help everyone find their happiness."

 

"Being with you makes me happy."

 

"Well, that's nice.  But I'm sure we've had this discussion before.  You're not here to observe.  You're here to experience.  But what?  Love?"

 

"We can start with that, if you don't mind."

 

"I don't think that you have to worry too much about me with that." I said softly.  "I love all of you.  There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep you as safe as possible."

 

Her tentacle brought my head to her chest.  "Perhaps I should take you on that offer.  No one has claimed you recently, have they?"

 

"No, unless there's been talk without me knowing."

 

"Well, perhaps I could do with some more bonding." she said, her grip tightening.

 

"Maybe." I said teasingly, grabbing hold of one of her tentacles.

 

"Don't you two get all crazy out here.  You're in public."

 

We turned around to see Jon and Zapdos.  I stiffened immediately when the giant bird brought her face down to mine.  Her beak was hard to focus on, so I turned my attention to her eyes.

 

"Thank you.  For giving me another chance." she whispered.  "I would have died without your interference."

 

"You're welcome." I said, smiling.  "Well, what about you two?  Sort out your problems?"

 

"No, not yet." Jon said.  "But, in all honesty, it's a start."

 

"That's good!" I exclaimed.  "Start small."

 

They both nodded.  "We better get back.  I'm pretty sure that my Pokémon are ready to be picked up, and to rescue Joy from your own crazy misfits."

 

"Hey!  They may be misfits, but I'm the only one that calls them misfits!" I said, laughing.

 

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

 

Something was wrong.  Everything _felt_ wrong.

 

As soon as we stepped inside the Pokémon Center, I bolted for my room.  The door was broken.  I yelled for Jon to get his ass over.

 

"What's going... on?" he asked, noticing the door.

 

"Get Nurse Joy here." I ordered.  "Ask her if she knew if this happened."

 

"Master?" Iolanthe asked, her touch bringing me back to reality.

 

I shook my head, turning to look at Io.  Her eyes were wide as she shook her head.

 

"What is it, Io?" I asked.

 

"Please calm down." she whispered.

 

"I am."

 

"Then why is your hand clenched into a fist?"

 

I looked down, to see what she was talking about.  Both of my hands were curled into fists.  It took a conscious effort to relax, and even then it felt like my entire body wanted to shake.  For all I knew, I was really shaking.  It felt like I was.

 

"What's going on, you two?" Nurse Joy asked.  "What happened to the door?!"

 

"That's why we called you." I asked, narrowing my eyes.  "We just came in."

 

"I know!  I just saw you two walk in!  Have either of you gone inside?"

 

I shook my head, Iolanthe and Jon doing the same.  She sighed.  "Let's go together."

 

Jon walked forward, grabbing the door handle and pulling.  The door came off its hinges, metal screeching against itself and the sound of wood snapping.  He put the door on the wall, making sure that it wouldn't fall down.  Jon was the first one to go in as well, and I followed closely behind.  Iolanthe's tentacles grabbed hold of my shoulder when we made it inside.

 

"What happened in here?" I asked.

 

The entire room was covered in Unown language.  All the words glowed with an inner blue light.  They were etched on the walls, ceiling, and even the floor.  The sound of the light switch being flipped echoed in the silent room.  Sparks of electricity came from where the light should have been.  With the intermittent light from the short-circuit and the lights from the walls, the room was devastated.  The bed was almost destroyed, and the door that would lead to the bathroom met the same fate as the first door.  The sparks stopped soon after the switch was flipped once more, Nurse Joy muttering behind me.

 

"What does it say, Aaron?" Jon asked.

 

I shook my head.  "Give me a moment." I said, hesitantly touching the walls.  I almost expected a shock, but the words were actually on the walls.  They were cold to the touch, almost to the point of freezer burn.

 

"Nurse Joy!  Are my Pokémon here?" Jon asked suddenly.

 

"They should be.  No one has checked them out without my permission."

 

"Let's go get them real quick.  Aaron, will you be alright?"

 

"I won't go anywhere." I responded.

 

The two of them left me and Iolanthe alone in the dark room.  Song's staff was on top of the bed.  I grabbed hold of it, using it as a support.  Also, for something to grip that I knew wouldn't break.

 

The 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.  It almost felt like a code.  If it was, it wasn't that hard to decipher.  Each sentence had a misspelled word.  Picking up on this, my eyes quickly scanned the walls.  The message repeated itself soon, with the same mistakes.

 

Not a coincidence.  Especially after putting all the letters together.

 

"Master?" Io's voice, again, bringing me back from my mental isolation.

 

"Where's Jon?" I asked.

 

"Right here!" he exclaimed.  "They took my Pokémon, too.  Who the fuck did this?!"

 

Nurse Joy looked panic-stricken.  "What's going on?  What am I going to do?!"

 

"LISTEN TO ME!" I roared.  "Nurse Joy, you should put a barricade on this room and say that your remodeling.  I'll grab my things.  You can put a curtain over outside so no one has to look in.  Maybe put a Chancey or two on guard duty.

 

"Jon, you're coming with me.  You still have Zapdos' Pokéball, right?"  At his nod, I continued.  "Good.  Meet me outside in a minute or two."

 

Both of them looked at me in surprise, but nodded.  Maybe it was the staff that gave them the idea that I wasn't messing around.  Either way, they both got moving.

 

"Master?" Iolanthe asked softly.  "What's going on?"

 

"I don't know, Io.  But whoever did this, they left a calling card." I growled out, slamming the end of Song's staff to the ground.  Anger ran through me almost like a poison.  "It would be extremely rude to keep them waiting."

 

After taking a deep breath I grabbed my backpack.  It somehow survived the carnage of the room.  I shrugged.  It beat replacing everything, that's for sure.  Jon was speaking with Nurse Joy in hushed tones.  They both turned to me as I appeared.  Nurse Joy gave me a sad smile and wished us safe travels.  Jon quickly followed me outside.

 

"Where are we going?"

 

"You know this area better than I do." I said without preamble.  "Do you know where the Ruins of Alph are."

 

"Yeah, of course I do.  It's in the middle of the Johto region, connected to Violet City.  Why do you ask?"

 

"That's where our stranger is." I answered.  "Call out Zapdos.  We need to move."

 

"Zapdos!?" he exclaimed.  "Here?  Right now?"

 

My hands grabbed his shirt, pulling him to me.  Our faces were practically touching at this point.  "If you want to rescue your Pokémon, mine, and Joy, you better summon Zapdos RIGHT NOW!" I bellowed.  "This is NOT the time to hesitate, for fucks sake!"

 

He grabbed the Pokéball in question, releasing the thunderbird.  She was in the middle of a greeting when she saw our faces.  Jon was quick to explain the situation, and she nodded.  Zapdos lowered her body, allowing the two of us to climb on her back easily.  I grabbed hold of Iolanthe's Pokéball and recalled her.

 

"Hold on tightly, Master!" Zapdos called.  With a great flap of her wings, we were airborne.

 

My grip on Song's staff tightened with every flap of Zapdos' wings.  We needed to hurry.  Who would do such a thing?  I shook my head.  That question didn't matter right now.  All that made sense was to make whoever did this pay.

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/7ejgkJrm
Part of the series A Trainer\'s Tale
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