FSE

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Journey of Discovery

Chapter 1

Author: Sauceror

Two full years had passed since the events that reshaped the face of Unova had come and gone and a new champion had been found to replace Alder. Much to the surprise of every gym leader in the entire region, the new champion came from my very own town, the smallest in the entire region (unless one counts Mistralton, which very few people do). Nuvema has never been much to look at, but it's always been my home, and it at least has the distinction of also being the home of our region's leading pokemon researcher, Professor Juniper.

As was often the case with regions' professors, she was in the business of giving out starter pokemon to new and aspiring trainers, and she had recently gained the prestige associated with having begun the journey of the trainer who ousted Team Plasma from the region and exposed Ghetsis for the fraud that he was. As a result, Nuvema had recently experienced an upsurge in tourism, with new trainers from all over the region seeking her out in hopes of etching their own marks into the region's history with stories of their own.

Naturally, this meant that the availability of starter pokemon was starting to wane rather badly. The day-care center on Route 3 was finding eggs at a surprisingly brisk pace, but even the sudden increase in supply couldn't hope to keep up with demand. Many trainers had recently been sent home disappointed, encouraged by the professor to try again next month. In truth, it had been getting a little depressing, watching all of those young people departing my home town with downtrodden hopes.

My name is Elle. It was my eighteenth birthday, and I had recently finished celebrating with my parents. Our house wasn't much, but it was comfortable and new, having been constructed thanks to the expansion of the town following our rise in tourism. Not long after my birthday cake had been cut and served and the remainder stored in the refrigerator, my parents exchanged knowing smiles, and my mother suggested that I pay Professor Juniper a visit. Knowing full well that I was a little on the old side to begin my journey and that the supply of starter pokemon had long since been exhausted, I accepted it for the social trip it was, and happily went on my way to visit the esteemed celebrity.

Upon entering, the professor greeted me with a warm smile. "Elle!" she called out, motioning me toward her. It had been over a year since I had entered her lab, and her equipment was as dazzling and confusing as ever. In truth, some of the items looked so esoteric that I doubted that even she knew what they were. I approached with a friendly smile, and gladly received the birthday hug that I knew was waiting for me. Only once I had released her did Professor Juniper surprise me with the news that would change my life forever.

"I know how badly you've wanted a pokemon." she began. "But I also know that you've seen a lot of trainers leaving town disappointed, without a single pokemon at their side." I nodded in understanding, realizing full well that she was trying to let me down gently. "It's all right, Professor." I replied with the best smile I could muster. "With all those aspiring trainers out there, it wouldn't be right for me to just barge in here and demand a partner for myself, would it?" At my words, the professor beamed at me with a surprising expression of pride on her face. "Yes, I suppose it would." she acknowledged. "Of course, it would also be unkind of me to let this special day pass without a present. So, you see...I actually did manage to keep one pokemon in reserve, knowing that this day would come."

My heart leaped in my throat. My own partner? My own starter, to begin my own journey? I'd certainly dreamed of the opportunity, but to think that it could actually be happening before my very eyes! Noticing my anticipation, Professor Juniper held up one hand. "Now, you need to know that I was only able to keep one starter pokemon, so you won't get the same selection as everyone else. If you'd like, I can simply wait and give you first pick from the next crop, but that won't be until the summer at this rate." My eyes grew wide, and I found myself staring at her as if she had grown a tree from the top of her head. Wait for a new season? With a pokeball sitting in the lab just waiting for me?

Sensing my incredulity, she offered a broad, mirthful grin and unlocked her desk drawer, reaching deep within to the back to fish out a red-and-white sphere. Carefully withdrawing it to avoid accidentally scraping it against one of the many other items within - she appeared to be taking special care to ensure that it was pristine - she offered it to me with a warm smile. "Well then, I suppose it's time to meet your new friend, isn't it?" I gladly accepted the pokeball into both hands, a giddy grin of anticipation on my face. I had seen this done a hundred times before, watched so many trainers leave Nuvema with their partners by their side, and now it was my turn! I pressed the button on the pokeball, aiming it toward the ground, and let the bright red flash illuminate the room for a moment.

For ages, trainers have reported feeling a myriad of emotions upon seeing their starter pokemon. Awe, confusion, fear, surprise...but only delight could describe how I felt as I gazed down at the sleek green form of a young Snivy, who even then chose that moment to stare up at me in wonderment with deep amber eyes. "Hello there!" I greeted my new partner with a bright, friendly smile. "I'm Elle. Looks like we're going to be...partners?" As I spoke, the Snivy turned its back to me and crossed its arms, uttering what sounded for all the world like a tiny 'harrumph'. Juniper smiled down at me as I knelt to try to encourage the Snivy closer, and explained, "Now, you know that pokemon take a little time to get used to you when they first meet you. Snivy will grow more accustomed to you as you travel with him, just try to be patient. In the meantime, would you like to give him a nickname?"

A nickname. Something significant, something I would be calling him at the very least until we found the name rater in Castelia. There, we could change the name I registered for him if he simply despised it...but two gyms stood between us and that massive town I'd sworn I would one day visit, meaning that we would both have to live with it for the time being. Moments passed, becoming minutes, and I finally said - not to the professor, but to the Snivy - "All right, how do you feel about...Marco?" For several seconds, no reaction could be seen, but a hand gradually came up to the underside of his chin as he appeared to consider the name's merits. I could feel my heart lighten as he finally gave a curt nod of approval, and I declared, "Marco it is, then. Marco, I've heard that pokemon like traveling alongside their trainers; do you want to walk with me, or would you prefer the pokeball?"

I knew even then that someday, I would understand precisely what he wanted, that his gestures would mean as much to me as my own syllables. In the meantime, however, I watched with a slightly pensive expression as he approached the pokeball in my hand, eyeing it for a long moment as if seeing it for the first time. A small hand moved to cup the white underside, and I waited with bated breath to see what he would choose...only to grin when he closed it of his own accord with a firm, decisive nod. He would be walking with me, it seemed, and the professor looked pleased at the revelation. "Now, I would teach you how to catch pokemon, but I've seen you watching, and I know you've already been tutored by proxy. So, instead, I'll give you these." A small box with a ribbon on top was passed to me, and he eyed it with no small amount of curiousity as I set it on the desk and began to open it.

Contained within were the essentials for a new trainer. Five pokeballs, normal variety. Standard-issue pokedex. Three potions, a recent change ordered by the new champion to help fledgling trainers survive those first few crucial matches. Finally, I held up what looked very much like a tightly-packed sleeping bag, a deep royal blue in color. "All of this is for me?" I asked, scarcely able to believe my good fortune, and the professor nodded her assent. "Every last bit! Now, I've already cleared this with your parents. They're happy for you, so I want you to go out there and conquer the league with Marco's help, all right?" Overwhelmed by emotion, I could do little but throw my arms around Professor Juniper and squeeze her for several long motions before giving an enthusiastic nod. "I will! Come on, Marco, let's get moving!" I declared, before hurrying outside.

The little snake pokemon nodded, following me and glancing at the entrance to Nuvema with some trepidation. It occurred to me then that he might never have really been outdoors when not within the safe confines of a pokeball, and I knelt down to offer some reassurance. "It's all right." I cooed. "We'll catch some more teammates, and I know Accumula up ahead has a pokemon center. I won't let anything happen to you, all right?" He blinked as if snapped out of his reverie and glanced up at me for a moment before folding his arms once more and looking away, giving that same 'harrumph' as before. I couldn't quite suppress a giggle at that - evidently, I had injured what passed for his pride, and I apologized immediately. "I'm sorry! I'm sure you'll hardly even be challenged on Route 1, I just wanted to let you know I'm with you all the way." This, at least, earned me a slight shrug before Marco began to walk toward the exit from town and toward the tall grass.

Days passed, and our training began to pay off. Marco grew noticeably stronger, outspeeding his opponents almost every single time and delivering sharp blows with the attacks he learned. Allies were caught as well, a Patrat and a Lillipup, and they were trained alongside him to improve their abilities. Every once in a while, Lilly would bring me a potion or some other useful item, but I think he was happiest to have other pokemon by his side to help him shoulder the burden of fighting on my behalf. Accumula Town came and went, along with a brief visit to the trainer school for a bit of a refresher course, and I became accustomed to sleeping outside in the sleeping bag that had been provided; as I quickly discovered, rumors of lodging for pokemon trainers in centers were pure fabrication, and we each learned to fend for ourselves using the money we gained from defeating other trainers and our slowly developing survival skills.

As we neared the point at which an entire week had passed, I began to notice that he was having some difficulty maintaining his accuracy, even with attacks that should have struck without fail. On multiple occasions, I found myself sending Ricky or Lilly in to clean up where he should have been successful on his own. Ordinarily, this wouldn't have been a problem; sending one of them in to gain combat experience had proven to be extremely helpful when I was first getting them up to fighting trim, and was largely responsible for why they were at their peak at the time. The issue arose when one of the local trainers finally threw my victory money down in disgust and exclaimed that he hadn't even been trying. It was after that incident that I resolved to discuss the issue with him, to see if something was bothering him.

Matters became complicated when my attempts to approach him were thwarted by the fact that he began to disappear at night. When the rest of the team and I were laying down for a good night's rest, he would often vanish into the nearby foliage and wander out of sight. I worried greatly about him at first, but he would always return after a short while, seeming noticeably less irritable and ready for bed. For a time, I considered this to be a worthwhile coping mechanism, and it served its purposes. It wasn't until a wild Purrloin chased him back into our little camp and had to be defeated that I realized that he was taking a significant risk each evening to escape from us for a short while. What, I wondered, could be so important that he would risk being stranded in the wild with no trainer or team to assist him? Before going to sleep that night, I resolved that I would find an answer to my question the following evening.

The day passed smoothly enough, with most of the team gaining in level at least once, though the diminishing returns from fighting wild pokemon that weren't much of a challenge anymore were proving to be a bit of an obstacle; I knew that we would soon have to challenge the leader of the Striaton gym, and I voiced this concern to the team. The others seemed eager to give it a try, but Marco's reaction was little more than a distracted, diffident shrug that got one of my eyebrows rising. I began to explain, "We have to be at our best for the gym leader. I know their little trick, and it's going to be hard to account for that Pansear's power. We have to get stronger, okay?" This might have been unwise, I later reflected, as his reaction was to swat a nearby pebble with his tail and storm off. I finally released a sigh and decided to make camp for the evening, selecting a small clearing that could only be cleared by a pokemon knowing Cut unless you knew where to squeeze through a few widely-spaced trees.

As had become his habit of late, Marco took his leave of the camp after dinner, shortly before bedtime. Although I was somewhat tired, I resolved to stay awake and make a note of his trail, so that I could follow it shortly thereafter. I asked Lilly to keep watch over the camp, and she gave a quick 'pup!' of acknowledgement before I slowly drew up to my feet. I had no idea how far away my errant starter would be, I reflected, but I knew that he reliably found his way back to camp, which meant that there would be some sort of path. I set off, out of the warm glow of the campfire, making sure to keep my gaze low for telltale signs of the passage of a Snivy: snapped twigs, trodden grass, and other hints as to his eventual destination - if, in fact, he had one in mind. The notion that he might simply be indulging in wanderlust flitted through my mind, but I discarded the idea so that I could focus on the task before me without distractions.

It wasn't until several minutes of searching, carefully traveling down hills and stepping on rocks to get across a small stream, that I finally heard a curious, rapid breathing that instantly sent a chill up my spine. It certainly sounded like him, but why would he be breathing so heavily? Had he been training in private to keep up with the others? Had he been forced to escape some wild pokemon? Gingerly, I approached him with the utmost caution, trying to keep my presence a secret...but I was no equal to his skill in the wild, and I felt and heard a twig snap beneath my feet. Reflexively, I drew in a quick breath, and he abruptly turned to face me with a look of shock on his face. At the very least, a little voice in the back of my head congratulated me, I had been stealthy enough that he hadn't sensed my presence before that moment. He looked at me, I looked at him, and he clasped his hands in front of him to try to hide the source of his discomfort with a blush on his cheeks.

My studies of pokemon leading up to this moment had given me a fundamental understanding of the basics of their anatomy, which I absorbed with a clinical interest at the time. This had done nothing to prepare me for what I saw before me. Protruding from what would normally be a well-concealed slit along the underside of his belly, nestled partially between his legs, was a plump red length of bare flesh that glistened faintly in the moonlight with moisture. Only a few inches long, it was nonetheless certainly suitable for another of his kind, although his acute embarrassment at letting me see him in this state was palpable. It slowly dawned on me that this moment could traumatize him if handled poorly, so I knelt before him and offered him my most gentle smile.

"Oh, Marco." I whispered to him, my voice quiet despite the lack of a need for such. "It's all right! It's perfectly natural." He turned his head away to avoid looking at me, and I suggested, "Have you found someone special? Is that it, have you been sneaking out to see her?" He continue to withhold eye contact, but gave a quick shake of his head to the negative. I paused to consider the possibilities - had he recently found someone who had left for some reason? Or was it possible that he'd come out here to avoid disturbing us? Another revelation came to mind, and I could feel my cheeks warming as I inquired, "Have you been coming out here to get...relief...on your own?" He winced slightly at that, offering a faint whimper, and his hands moved slightly. Only then did I realize that it would be very difficult for him to do something of that nature without a mate, nature's way of ensuring the propagation of his species.

I knelt there for several more seconds, piecing together the bits of the puzzle now that I had that essential piece. He had been fighting poorly recently because of a need that had gone unmet, perhaps a sense of loneliness adding to his distraction. Certainly, I reflected, it would be nice to have him back to fighting at full strength, but there was a more compelling reason to try to find a solution. Here was my friend, my partner, visibly suffering before me and embarrassed at his predicament. Slowly, I sank down to my bottom on the grassy earth, and motioned with one hand. "Come here." I told him, in my most soothing voice. "It's all right. I'm not angry with you. If anything, I'm glad I understand better now." Several long moments passed with Marco looking up at me with a hesitant expression, and at first, I thought he might turn away and make a retreat.

Slowly, with no small amount of hesitation, one leg moved in front of the other as he began to approach. The dark red flesh before him bobbed with every step, making him wince faintly with each motion, and I barely suppressed a similar gesture in sympathy; after all, who knew how long he had been shouldering this burden alone? I patted my lap for him to indicate my acceptance, and I could feel his hands hesitantly pressing on my thighs as he climbed up and sat down with me for the first time. I let a hand drift lightly along the back of his head and neck as I smiled down at him, and I quietly breathed, "Thank you for trusting me. I promise, no one will know but us." A brief, grateful glance could be seen, and for several minutes, we merely sat together in the moonlight, the darkness surrounding us.

Soon enough, I could hear slightly rapid breathing, and I swiftly turned my head in an attempt to locate the source of the sound. Not behind me, not to either side, but in front of me. I glanced down at my partner to discover a single clear droplet of liquid dribbling down the underside of his shaft, and I swallowed just once, considering the implications. Was this something that other trainers had to do, but never discussed? It would certainly offer a benefit in battle, and anyone could tell that he desperately needed the assistance. Almost another full minute passed before I let a hand brush down along his side, and I breathed in the quiet of the night, "Marco, I...I can help you with this, if you want me to. If not, just let me know and I'll try to find some other way to-" No sooner had the first half of the sentence left my lips than I could feel his hand upon mine, cool and smooth, and hear a quiet, plaintive 'Vyyy...' as he guided my touch to the inside of a thigh.

Pensively, I petted along his thigh for a moment, blushing warmly as the caress gradually ascended. "One condition." I could hear myself whispering. "You mustn't tell anyone that I'm helping you this way. Not even the rest of the team. All right?" His head butted lightly against my belly, and I could feel him nod his assent. This, then, was my cue: I allowed my fingers to glide along the base of his shaft where it was thickest, and began a slow ascent toward the tapered tip. The flesh was almost alarmingly hot, and if his quiet panting was any indication, it was distinctly sensitive as well. He squirmed in pleasure in my lap, and I smiled down at him, thinking how much happier he seemed to have someone doing what he could not. "Good?" I asked, simply to make sure that I wasn't misreading his signals, and he responded with rapid nodding and a gasp of, 'Vyyy, vyy!' as I lowered my fingers once more, now coated with the slick wetness that he'd generated.

"I've never been with a boy before." I quietly told my partner, who had already heard many less ribald secrets in the quiet of the night. "...so I'm not entirely certain that I'm doing this right. Just be patient with me." I allowed my fingers to brush up and down the thick, warm shaft, fondling and stroking, allowing my fingertips to massage wetness into the rigid length with careful, loving attention. Marco's reaction was unmistakeable, panting and moaning, occasionally pressing up into my fingers; despite my inexperience, I was apparently doing an exemplary job of bringing him pleasure. After almost a minute of this, I slowly closed my fingers around the base of his shaft and began an easy, steady rhythm of ascent and descent. This only seemed to spur him onward, and I could feel his tail rubbing against me as it tried and failed to thrash.

As I sat under the trees, gently bringing my friend such long-delayed bliss, I began to learn from him. Certain areas were more sensitive than others, some spots could be massaged longer than others before he grew used to the sensation. Some kinds of panting were better than others, and when he squirmed, I knew he was truly enjoying what I was doing. The steady rolling of my fingers and palm along his aching girth was definitely doing the trick, and I quietly whispered, "I'm so happy I'm here with you." down to him, enough to make him tilt his head back and gaze up at me as a single tear slipped down one of his cheeks. "S-Sni..." he moaned, his body quaking in my lap as he writhed all the more actively, and his breath began to quicken at an accelerating pace as the warmth building in his cheeks build in intensity. Even with all the stimulation I was offering, I could tell that he was holding back, trying to prolong the moment as much as possible.

"It's all right." I uttered, bowing my head as far as I could to give the top of his head a gentle kiss. "You can let go now." His eyes widened, his expression tensed along with the rest of his body, and he uttered a sharp, "Vyyyyy!" as I felt sticky heat begin to paint my fingertips in long, wet lances of pearly white that stood out in the night. Over and over again, I could feel long-restrained pulses of warmth covering my fingers and palm, his body drawn taut against my own as he found himself in the throes of climax. For nearly ten full seconds, he erupted in my hand, but there was no sensation of inconvenience or disgust, there was no sense of guilt - only the knowledge that I was making him truly, profoundly happy for the first time in far too long, that I was caring for him as a friend and not just a trainer.

Finally, his body slumped against my own, and he panted harshly for breath as I stroked along his back with my free hand. "There now." I told him. "Feel better?" His head bobbed in a weak approximation of a nod, and I smiled fondly down at him and murmured, "It was nice, wasn't it?" Another brief nod followed, then what appeared to be a moment of coherent thought before he gazed questioningly at me. "It was nice for me, too." I confirmed, the hand at his back switching to brush his cheek for a second. His mouth opened for a moment as he stared up at me, hope in his eyes, and I let out a quiet giggle. "Of course we can do this again." I promised. "And I won't tell a soul, just like you won't, right?"

For the first time since we met, I saw him give a bright smile as he nodded his head, and I scooped him up into my arms to hold him close. "I should probably clean off my hand. I'm guessing you don't want a bath right now, hmmm?" He nodded his agreement, and I found a large leaf nearby to clean my palm. "Let's go back to camp." I offered, and I giggled once more as I felt him nuzzle at my cheek for a moment before snuggling into my arms and closing his eyes. By the time we had gotten halfway back to the camp, he was peacefully asleep, and I made the rest of the trip in silence. Had I truly just done something so intimate with my pokemon? Was it wrong? Conventional wisdom said it was, but...there was no abuse, there was no suffering. He was undeniably happy, and the experience had definitely brought us closer. As I stepped into the campsite to find a very drowsy Lilly still holding the fort and Ricky fast asleep, I made my decision: conventional wisdom be damned, what we had just done was beautiful, and it would likely happen again.

The following days proved to be a whirlwind of successful battles. With his frustration and distraction gone and his bond with his trainer stronger than ever, Marco transformed into a whirlwind of Vine Whips and Wraps, even going so far as to defeat Chili's Pansear without requiring any assistance from the rest of the team. I found myself doubting whether or not I had fought fairly, but Chili himself assured me that my team was not over-leveled for the fight. No, he informed me, my Snivy was simply far too enthusiastic and vibrant of a fighter, enough to make him look like a match next to a bonfire. That evening, we celebrated with dinner in the gardens outside of town, all three of us happily dining and wallowing in our good fortune and meals purchased with a small portion of the winnings. More pokeballs and potions had been purchased, of course, but I knew that the team needed to bond over this win, and bond it did.

That very evening, we camped out together in a copse of trees nestled into the back area of Route 3, hidden away from view of passing trainers and the day-care (in which Marco notably showed no interest), and I found myself gently brushing the back of Marco's neck as he tugged lightly at my shoulder and glanced deeper into the trees. "Come on." I whispered with a smile, gathering him into my arms and disappearing into the night, leaving Lilly to her now-customary guard duty.

It was going to be another very interesting evening.