FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The sun had just risen over Canalave City. Though the docks running along the city's central canal were already bustling with activity, most of the city's inhabitants were still sound asleep.

One such inhabitant-a woman with shoulder length red hair named Gina-grumbled with dissatisfaction as her alarm clock went off, telling her in its usual irritating manner that it was time for her to wake up. With another disgruntled grumble she reached over and hit the button on top of the device, stalling its auditory onslaught for another day. She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She yawned and reached over to the bed side table where-next to that ever so irritating alarm clock-her glasses lay, waiting to be put on.

She put them on, brilliant green eyes blinking as they adjusted. She sighed. She really hated wearing glasses. No matter how many times in her life someone had told her she looked good in them, or they made her look cute, she couldn't bring herself to like the way she looked in them. Unfortunately for her point of view, it was either glasses or blindness, as she had found contacts always irritated her eyes, no matter how comfortable they were advertised to be.

With another sigh she stretched her arms out over her head with a yawn, then slid out of bed to begin her morning routine. First came a shower, then donning a blouse and knee-length skirt-her usual work attire. After a quick breakfast she was out the door of her apartment, headed toward the north end of the Canalave City.

Once Gina had left her apartment, it was only about a fifteen minute walk to her workplace-which just so happened to be her favourite place in the city-the Canalave Library. She loved the quiet atmosphere and the smell of the books. Then of course there were the books themselves. There were books from every region spanning every genre. She loved reading them and had made it a personal goal to attempt to read every book in the library. Just the thought of it all brought a smile to her face.

Upon arriving at the library her day truly began, going about the myriad of things that were required of the job, including restocking, cataloguing, and generally organising the vast collection of books. Her job wasn't all about dealing with the books themselves though. She also had to occasionally help someone to find a book, or issue a new library card, though admittedly it was mostly just dealing with the day to day running of the facility. Most would likely find such a job dull, but she rather enjoyed the simplicity of the work.

As was normal, her day at work ended at around six in the afternoon, and she began her walk home. Though she went straight to work in the morning, for her walk home she liked to take a more circuitous route, following a trail through the edge of the forest beside the town. She liked to spend some time in nature every day, and it amused her more than it should have that she spent most of her day with books only to end it by walking among trees. A sense of contentment settled over her as she walked along the roughly hewn trail. Her life wasn't the most glamorous or exciting, but she was happy none the less.

Well, mostly happy anyway. If there was one stress point in her generally easy life, it was that she had recently gone through what could only be described as a 'bad break-up' which had primarily involved finally standing up to her somewhat abusive-now ex-boyfriend. He had never physically harmed her, but he had never been kind, and had quite often been insulting or derogatory toward her. Naturally being rid of him had been a change for the better, but there was still a part of her that missed waking up next to someone else every morning.

She shook her head as though trying to shake away those thoughts. Dwelling on the past would just wind up ruining her day. Most days she didn't even think about it at all anyway, if only through constantly distracting herself. She sighed. Now her mind was on the topic though, which meant it would likely be a long night for her, as she likely wouldn't be able to push it out of her mind.

At least knowing better than to purposely mire herself in the past, she powered on forward, making for home at a brisk pace. She had almost made it out of the wooded path when she came around a corner, and stopped cold. Lying in the middle of the path was the prone form of a Lucario. Its fur was matted, and it looked as though one of its legs was bent at an awkward angle, as though twisted of broken. From what she could tell, its breathing was somewhat laboured.

She approached cautiously, unsure of what to do. The Lucario appeared to be unconscious, and it obviously needed help. As she edged closer she could see it was bleeding from several gashes along both of its arms, as well as some shallower marks on its torso and legs. Whatever had happened, clearly this Lucario hadn't come out ahead.

Whatever had happened, it needed help.

Crouching down beside it, she touched it gingerly, testing to see how unconscious it really was. There was no reaction. Completely out of it. She looked it over again. The Lucario was smaller than a human, certainly, though probably about average for a member of its species. It could be tough, but she might be able to carry it. From what she knew, an average Lucario weighed...about 120 pounds. She could handle that, at least as far as the relatively short distance to her apartment.

As carefully as she could, Gina worked her arms underneath the Lucario's body. Gently picking it up, she let out a groan as she realised just how heavy it was. This was going to be a tough walk indeed.

*~L&L ~*

An hour later, Gina sat in her small living room, watching the Lucario where it lay-still unconscious-on her sofa. She had bandaged its bleeding wounds, but there was little else she could do at this point. She couldn't carry it all the way to a Pokémon Center, and by the time she would be able to get to a PokéMart to buy a Potion, the store would be closed. She sighed. There was really nothing she could do but watch, and wait. At least it didn't have a fever, or any other serious symptoms like one.

She blinked in surprise as her stomach rumbled quietly. In all the rush of dealing with the injured Lucario, she had as yet failed to have dinner. She debated for a moment, then decided that the Lucario certainly wasn't going anywhere, so it couldn't hurt to leave it alone for a few minutes.

Getting up she made straight for her kitchen, putting together a quick meal and wolfing it down before returning to her living room, where the Lucario still lay, oblivious to the goings on around it. She sighed. She hadn't really expected any change, but some sign of life would be welcome. Retaking her seat, she simply waited in silence, hoping for some sign that the Pokémon would be alright.

The hours passed slowly, and Gina-finding herself unable to stay awake-eventually nodded off right in her chair.

It was a few hours later that she was awoken by the soft sounds of scraping and struggling. She blinked her eyes several times, her vision coming into focus upon the sight of the Lucario, who was now awake, on the floor on all fours, breathing heavily. She hesitated for a moment as what was before her registered in her mind, then without even a though she dropped to the Lucario's side, attempting to help it up. She was caught completely off guard by what happened next.

The Lucario spoke, but not with its voice. Instead she 'heard' a male voice in her mind say, "Back off. I don't need your help."

She jerked back as though she had been struck. It-he-had actually spoken in a manner she could understand! She couldn't believe it. She shook her head, deciding to leave that matter for another time as she once more leaned down to the Lucario, saying, "You do need my help. You're injured, and if you keep this up you'll just make it worse."

He snarled at her, then with a look something akin to disgust he said, "Fine! Just help me to my feet!"

She shook her head once more. "I think...some part of your leg may be broken. You should rest, and walking around won't help that heal."

Anger flashed in his eyes for a moment, then it was gone, replaced by something like defeat. "Alright...just...help me."

She nodded, and with their combined efforts got him back onto her sofa. Still sensing a bit of hostility from him, Gina backed away then, retaking her chair. The Lucario looked over to her, a rather irritated look on his face. "So what now? You don't expect me to just sit here until I heal, do you?"

Gina sighed. "You know, you're being awfully grumpy toward someone who saved you. If I hadn't come along you might have bled out. I think-"

"I don't think I asked for your help at all. I am grateful I'm still breathing, but don't expect me to gush over you as though you're some great and noble hero."

Gina crossed her arms. "A little gratitude would be nice, but fine. If you just wait until tomorrow morning I can go out and buy something to heal you with. Alright?"

He grumbled quietly. "Fine. Just make sure you do it as soon as possible."

His ears splayed out embarrassedly as his grumbling was replaced by that of his stomach. Looking over at her sheepishly he asked, "I don't suppose you have any food, do you?"

The corner of Gina's mouth twitched in amusement. "Oh, so now you want my help then?"

"Humph...yes please."

Gina laughed. "Alright then, since you asked so nicely. Just wait there for a few minutes."

He gave her an indignant look as she got up and walked out of the room. "I can't exactly go anywhere, you know."

She stifled a giggle, finding his irritation oddly amusing. She abandoned her mirth a moment later, refocusing on the task at hand. A quick search around her kitchen told her what she already knew: she didn't have much. She normally only had to feed herself, so she only had herself in mind when she went shopping. Taking what was really her only option, she grabbed a bowl and filled it with berries, taking it back out to her living room.

The Lucario looked at the food with disdain. "Don't you have any meat?"

Gina placed the bowl on the Lucarios lap before taking her own seat once more. "Sorry, but no. I don't eat meat, so you'll have to make due with that."

He grumbled slightly, but started eating anyway, deciding hunger outweighed any qualms he had about what his stomach was filled with. She watched in silence as he ate, pondering the many questions that she could ask him. Some she had had from the moment she found him, but others were just now taking shape. Finally she asked, "How do you do that? That...telepathy thing?"

He glanced up from his meal, giving her an odd look. "What do you mean 'how'? You may as well ask how I breathe, or how I think. I just can."

"Oh...so...can all Lucarios do it then?"

He sighed. "Yes, though we generally choose not to unless it's with our mates-as it is a rather intimate act-or if it's necessary, such as in this situation."

"I see. So, can I ask you another question?"

He rolled his eyes. "If you feel you must."

"How did you wind up hurt so badly?"

He paused, looking over at her, seemingly judging her. After a moment he returned his attention to his food. "I got into a fight. It didn't go well. That's all you need to know."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Well that much was clear-"

"Then why did you bother to ask?"

"Because I was curious to know what the root cause was." She replied, becoming mildly irritated with his disrespect and indifference.

"You don't need to know, and I'm not inclined to share."

She sighed. "Fine. I have one more question, and it should be an easy one. Do you have a name, or do I just call you Lucario?"

He quirked a brow, canting his head slightly. "Just Lucario."

"Well alright then...Lucario." Gina yawned widely then, and looking at the clock that hung on the wall above the sofa she was surprised to see it was almost midnight. Looking back to him she said, "If you're done eating, it's late and we could both use some rest."

Lucario took one look at one remained in his bowl, and set it on the table. "I do believe I've had enough."

Still just a bit put off by his rather indifferent attitude, Gina stood and started to walk back toward her bedroom, stopping for the briefest moment to shut off the only light in the room. With one last look back at Lucario she said, "Since you didn't bother to return the favour of asking-which I'm sure means you don't really care-my name is Gina."

She stood still for a moment, waiting for some response, but when it became clear that none was forthcoming she simply said, "Goodnight then," and left him there, entering her bedroom.

She quickly changed into her usual sleeping clothes-which consisted of nothing but her underwear and an over large T-shirt-then set her glasses on her bedside table, and quickly fell asleep, exhausted by the day behind her.

*~L&L~*

It was little more than pure luck that the next day was Sunday, which meant that the library would be closed, so Gina had naught to worry about with the exception of keeping her promise to Lucario to purchase some form of healing item for his present condition. But as was her way, since she didn't have to be at work, she was still asleep until nine o'clock. When she finally rolled out of bed and realised what time it was she cringed slightly, remembering her less than friendly house guest. She sighed, knowing he would probably be even less cordial now that she had kept him waiting all this time.

Creeping out into her living room, she was mildly surprised that Lucario was still fast asleep on her sofa, oblivious to the fact that she had only just woken up. She bit her lip, debating with herself. It would probably be better is she just went out and got what would be needed to heal him, but at the same time the prospect of going halfway across the city without having breakfast first was less than pleasant.

She sighed. It would probably just be better to deal with Lucario first. She started to walk across the room as quietly as she could. She stopped when she saw his ears twitch in her general direction. She held her breath, then let it out in a dissatisfied sigh when he lifted his head, looking right at her. He canted his head slightly and almost worried expression on his face. "Oh...it's only you. I thought...never mind. Where are you off to?"

She started to speak but was almost immediately cut off. "I was-"

"Actually, forget that for the moment. I'm hungry again."

"I...ugh...do you have any particular requests?"

He nodded. "Yes. Something other than berries."

"I have eggs...will that work?" She asked, mentally preparing herself for some kind of attitude filled reply.

She wound up surprised when he laid his head back down and said, "Yes, that will work."

Twenty minutes later the two of them sat together in the small living room, eating their breakfast in a surprisingly comfortable silence. Though they certainly weren't getting along as best they could have been, Gina had to admit that there was something nice about having someone there in the morning, even if it was just Lucario.

Once they were finished she left the apartment, assuring him that she would be back as quick as she could. She walked the distance to the PokéMart and once there she decided to leave nothing to chance, shelling out the money for a Full Restore. Assuming there were no internal injuries, she knew that just that one item should be enough to heal Lucario.

When she returned to her apartment, she was mildly surprised that he was once again asleep. This time he didn't react as she crept through the living room. She couldn't help but note that, if it weren't for the bandaging and slightly laboured quality to his breathing, he was actually rather cute to watch as he slept.

She stood there for a moment, considering if she should just leave the medication on the coffee table for him, of if she should wait until he woke. The decision was made for her when his eyes fluttered briefly, then opened, immediately flicking to look over at her. "You're back," he stated flatly.

She nodded and held up the small plastic bag that held the Full Restore. "And I have something here for you too."

He sat up excitedly only to hiss and hold his sides, his eyes clenched in pain. Looking wearily over to her he said, "I hope that works, cause I'm getting really sick not being able to move without...causing this."

She pulled out the Full Restore, showing him the little green spray bottle. "I know it doesn't look like much, but this thing can supposedly heal any injury and restore you to full health."

For the first time since they had met he smiled, if only ever so slightly. "Good. The sooner you heal me, the sooner I can go kick that Blaziken's ass."

Gina stopped cold, mid way through the motion of stepping toward him. "Wait...are you saying that...you got these injuries from fighting a Blaziken?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Yes."

"And you intend to go back and fight it again?! What's wrong with you?! Do you want to die?! Cause that's what'll happen if you go through with that lunacy!"

He sat quietly as she yelled, then, when she stopped, his voice rang out just as quietly through her mind. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You're just a human."

"Yes dammit I am human, but that gives you no right to be condescending toward me! Can you at least try to explain why you seem intent on killing yourself?"

"No. You wouldn't understand."

Gina clenched the little spray bottle tightly, half considering simply chucking at his head. But, after a moment of the two of them staring at each other, she decided to go a different route. Walking over to one side of the room, she set the Full Restore on the highest shelf of a wooded bookshelf that dominated most of the space in that area.

She then walked over to and sat down in the chair that currently faced the sofa. "There. If you want it, get it yourself."

He growled, baring his fangs. "You...you...bitch! You can't do that!"

She smirked. "Oh? I think I can. You have three choices here. Try to get it yourself, spend the next several weeks listening to me try to talk you out of your suicidal idiocy as you heal naturally, or you can at least make the attempt to explain your reasons to me, and just maybe I'll give you the meds if I think you have a good reason."

He snarled. "Why do you even care?"

She hesitated. "I'm not sure really...except that I know I won't play a part in helping someone essentially commit suicide."

He looked back and forth between her and the green bottle, which now seemed infinitely far away. He sighed, looking over to her with an expression that was equal parts irritation and sorrow. "Fine, if you feel the need to force my hand like this, then I will tell you. How much do you know about Lucarios?"

She blinked, caught slightly off guard by the question. "Uh...not much. Fighting-Steel Type Pokémon with an aptitude for ranged attacks, and capable of sensing the energy field called 'Aura'. That's about it. Well, that, and now the telepathy thing."

He seemed mildly disappointed, but continued anyway. "Well...I'll keep this quick then. First you should know that Lucarios mate for life. When we choose a partner, we are pledging undying loyalty to them until one or both of us is no longer alive, and even then we rarely take a new mate. Also, females are...comparatively rare among Lucarios. We're a mostly male species, so we often have to look outside our own species for a mate."

"So...what does this have to do with you fighting a Blaziken?"

"I'm getting there!" He snapped. Reigning himself in he carried on. "So...like so many have to, I found a mate outside of my species. A Lopunny, to be exact. I...don't know how many humans are aware of this, but Lopunnies are rather promiscuous, and tend to require a lot of...attention, to keep them satisfied. I thought I could provide enough for her. Turned out, I just wasn't enough."

Gina's eyes softened as she began to put together the pieces. "She betrayed your trust for that Blaziken, didn't she?"

He nodded. When he next spoke, his telepathic voice was dripping with both anger and anguish. "I tried to fight for her. But as we fought, as I thought I might just have a chance to win...I realised that she was cheering him...cheering the Blaziken on. That broke my heart...and it was then that I wound up getting my ass completely kicked. And now...now if for no other reason than vengeance I want to go return the favour to that bastard."

"But...wasn't it her who really hurt you?"

"Yes...but even now I couldn't bring myself to strike her, not only because it would be dishonourable, but also because I still feel for her."

Getting up from her seat, Gina covered the short distance to the sofa, and sat beside him, wrapping her arms around him in a comforting hug, being careful to avoid impaling herself on any of the spikes that protruded from Lucario's body. He reached a paw up, lightly gripping one of her arms, burying his face against her. He seemed almost on the verge of tears as he asked, "Do...do you understand how awful it feels...to be so hurt by someone who you love...by someone you thought loved you?"

She was silent for a moment, considering whether it would be worth mentioning her own recent relationship. She decided in the end, that it would probably make him feel better to know that he wasn't so alone in his pain. "I...not...in the exact way that she hurt you...but I do know how it feels for love to hurt."

He pulled away from her slightly, looking up at her with a sniffle. "R-really? How so?"

She hesitated, but realised it was too late to go back now. "Well...I wasn't exactly in a lifetime commitment at the point when it ended...but I recently got out of a relationship. I was in love...but that love blinded me for far too long. It took me nearly two years to realise that...he didn't really care for me, and he was even verbally abusive. So...while I may not know exactly what you're feeling...I do understand how bad it feels when someone you care about is the one who hurts you."

He fully pulled out of her embrace then, looking her over. "Then...it would seem you do have some understanding. But do you now understand why I must go back...why I must fight again?"

"No. There's no good reason for it, and it would just get you killed. What would that prove? How would that help you?" She was more gentle in berating him this time, but she still did as best she could to impress upon him the futility of it all.

"I...it's a matter of honour...of pride. I can't just let it go."

Fighting back anger, Gina breathed in and out slowly. "There are more important things than pride, you know. Pride isn't worth dying over, especially not when you don't have even a chance of winning. Why can't you just...move on?"

His brow furrowed slightly. "Move on? What do you mean?"

"I mean...forget about this whole thing. Find someone else to be your mate. Someone who won't leave you the moment some other male shows up. You could still have a long, happy life...but not if you get yourself killed over something as foolish as pride."

"I...I really don't know. I'm not sure I could. I want so much to try and fight again...but...what you're saying does admittedly make sense. I...think I have to spend time thinking about it."

Gina sighed. At least it was some progress. "Well...should I leave you alone then...so you can think about it?"

He nodded. "Yes. I would find that preferable. And thank you...for caring."

Gina was caught off guard by that small display of gratitude. That was just about the nicest thing he had said to her since they had met. "Um...you're welcome."

Without another word she got up and left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

The rest of the day passed with little said between the two of them as she did her best to give him the space he needed. The silence between them wasn't broken until the next day, when Lucario saw fit to express his dismay over her leaving him alone while she went to work. "What do you mean you have to go?! You can't just leave me all by myself!"

She shook her head as she set some food on the coffee table, leaving what she hoped would be enough to last him until she returned. "I'm sorry, but if I don't go I'll lose my job, and that will make things worse for both of us."

His brow furrowed. "How?"

She sighed. "Look, I don't have time to explain economics right now, so you'll just have to trust me, alright? I promise I'll be back."

He crossed his arms. "Humph. Fine."

She rolled her eyes, but said nothing other than goodbye as she walked out the door, leaving him on his own. As the day passed Lucario couldn't help but think about all the things that had transpired over the course of the past few days, and more and more he found himself wondering just what it was that had driven Gina to help him as much as she had.

It was late in the afternoon when his thoughts were interrupted by Gina returning home. After an oddly awkward greeting and her taking the time to change out of her work clothes the two of them ate dinner as Gina took the time to explain why her job was so important. When finished with his food Lucario set his bowl aside and said, "So basically, you work for this...money...and you use it to...buy...things that you need like food...or this apartment."

Gina nodded. "That's the basics of it."

Lucario laughed. "You humans do have a talent for making things complicated, don't you?"

She smiled slightly. "Yes, I suppose we do."

"Okay then...so what is this place you 'work' at...this...library?"

She smiled a bit wider as she did her best to explain the library and its functions to a creature who had never even seen a book before. When she was finished he seemed only more confused. "So these books tell stories...but don't actually speak?"

"Right. Here, I'll show you." Getting up Gina walked over to the bookshelf-where the Full Restore still sat-and grabbed one of the little paperback books that was there. Returning to Lucario she handed it to him for his examination.

Opening the pages, he starred perplexed at the words written there. "So these symbols mean things?"

She nodded. "Right. Their grouped into words, which-if taught-you can read as easily as you listen to someone speak."

He closed the book, looking over the cover. He blinked a few times and his eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Looking over to her he asked, "So, what does this book say?"

Taking the book back from him she blushed upon recognising the cover. "Uh...I'd rather not say."

She cleared her throat and-with what dignity she could muster-returned the book to the shelf before returning to her seat. "So uh, do you have anything else you want to ask me about?"

He shook his head. "No, not at the moment."

And so it was that the following days proceeded in much the same fashion. She would leave for work in the morning, making sure he had enough food until she would return at night. When she would arrive home they would have dinner, and Lucario would ask more questions about human life in general. Most of her responses to his questions generated a snarky retort, and usually he wound up summarising his thoughts with 'humans are strange' or something along those lines. But, in spite of how any given interaction between them went, the two began to go from merely tolerating each other, to genuinely enjoying each other's company.

Finally, after what seemed to be quite the long week, Sunday came once more, meaning another day off for Gina. Rolling out of bed with a yawn, she-after taking care of her most immediate morning needs-walked out to the living room where Lucario was still asleep. He had made remarkable progress in healing, even without the Full Restore. Already his wounds had stopped bleeding, removing the need for his bandages. And more importantly he was already able to walk, albeit with him clinging to her the whole time. With or without her assistance, he would probably be able to leave soon.

She sighed, feeling an odd twinge of sadness. Why should she feel sad? After all, she had known he would have to leave eventually. She would certainly miss having someone to talk to, but she couldn't force him to stay.

She was distracted from her thoughts by Lucario waking with a toothy yawn. He looked over to her and quirked a brow, one corner of his mouth twitching slightly as though in amusement. "How long have you been standing there for?"

She rolled her eyes, but still smiled. "Don't get any weird thoughts in that furry head of yours. I've only been here a minute."

"Well alright then. So where do we stand on breakfast?"

She laughed slightly at how one track his mind tended to be. Once he got an answer it was always on to the next question. "Don't worry, I'll whip something up shortly."

They ate breakfast in a comfortable silence, as had become their habit over the past week. When he was finished, Lucario set his plate on the coffee table, taking in a deep breath as he looked over to her. Gina could immediately tell something was off, as though he were nervous about something. He cleared his throat, then said, "Gina...we need to talk."

She blinked in surprise. That was the first time he had actually called her by name. Now she was certain something was bothering him. Setting her own plate aside she asked, "What about?"

"Well I've spent...a lot of time thinking about they turns my life has taken recently."

She nodded. "I see. So does that mean you've reached a decision about the whole fighting thing?"

"Yes, I have. I actually reached that decision about three days ago. I'm not going to go back and fight. I'm going to move on with my life, or at least try to."

She smiled widely. "That's great! But, why didn't you mention it sooner?"

Lucario hesitated for a moment, then said, "Because once I made that choice, I found myself grappling with another one. That being, how I should go about moving on."

"What do you mean?"

Again, there was hesitation before he answered. "Well...I would like to find a new mate. Preferably one who would, well, not repeat what was already done to me. And well...I don't know if it's because of how well we seem to be getting along now, the fact that you've done so much for me, or simply because you understand on some level what I went through, but I was thinking that...maybe..."

Her eyes widened as she realised what he was getting at. "Me? You want to be with...me? Wh-what would even make you think that I would in any way be a good choice?"

He smiled slightly. "Well, you are rather kind, and you cared for me when I doubt most anyone would have. And I've come to enjoy the time we spend together."

"I enjoy spending time with you as well, but that's not the issue here! I'm human...you're, well not!"

He smirked. "And why is that such an issue?"

She sighed, exasperated. "And what makes you think it's not?"

He raised a paw, pointing to the bookshelf. "That book you handed me the other night. I may not be able to read, but I'm not blind. From a distance, one could mistake the image on the uh...cover, for two humans in a passionate embrace...but it's not two humans, is it?"

Her shoulders slumped as she sat back in her chair. "I...no. It's a human and a Gardevoir."

They both went silent for a few moments, him starring intently at her while she tried to ignore his gaze. Finally she groaned, putting her face in her hands. "Fine! You found me out!"

Sitting back up she sighed heavily. "A few years back I found a book about a relationship between-well between a human and a Lucario honestly-and it caught my interest. I found that I rather enjoyed reading and fantasising about those kinds of relationships. But, that doesn't mean I want to be involved in one!"

His ears splayed out sadly, and he gave her a pleading sort of look. "Couldn't you at least give it a chance?"

She sighed, looking away from his pitiful eyes. She DID like him and enjoy the time they spent together. Hell, she had even caught herself thinking about him while she was at work on one or two occasions. But what he was proposing...well was essentially proposing marriage seeing as Lucarios choose a mate for life. Did she really feel ready for something like that? Did she even care for him enough to risk it? Daring to glance over at him she felt her heart skip a beat, leading her to sigh again. Why the hell did she have to find him so damned adorable?

Without a word to him she got and walked over to the bookshelf, grabbing the Full Restore from where it had sat for the whole week. Returning to his side she said, "This might sting a little," the proceeded to spray the contents of the bottle across his entire body.

He seemed to glow slightly for a moment, and after a cringe and a pain filled hiss, all of his wounds appeared to have vanished. He looked over his body, astonished. "I...I can't believe it. I honestly didn't think that stuff would work so well. But why now?"

She started walking toward her room, smiling back at him over her shoulder. "Because if I'm gonna give this a chance, it won't do for you to be unable to perform well."

His jaw dropped as he realised what she was saying. "Really?"

She nodded, then gestured for him to follow. "Now come on, before I change my mind about this."

He got to his feet, the first few steps being a bit shaky after not walking on his own for over a week. Once he was sure of his footing he followed after her, a few steps behind. Upon reaching her bedroom she stopped, standing still and silent for a moment. Then, just as he was about to ask what was wrong she said, "I have to admit I'm nervous about this. Until ten years ago...what we're about to do would have been illegal...and even now there are a lot of people who look down on it."

He nodded understandingly. "Most pokémon don't really care, but there are still a few out there who see even thinking about mating with a human as disgusting and wrong."

Turning to face him, she smiled. "Well, what do they know anyway?"

She immediately began undressing, blushing slightly as she was very aware of Lucario's eyes tracing over he body as she pulled off her shirt, then slid her jeans down her legs, leaving her in nothing but her underwear. Next she took off her glasses, setting them on her nightstand. She immediately turned to face Lucario when he made some sort of surprised sound as she did set them down. "What? Is something wrong?"

He looked away from her, seeming a bit nervous. "No I uh...well I was a bit...surprised is all."

"By what?" She asked, crossing her arms.

He gulped. "I uh...well humans-from what I've heard-can be sensitive about weird things, so I'd rather not say."

"You can either tell me, or this whole thing is off."

He sighed. "Fine. I was just thinking that...you look better without those things on your face."

Her jaw dropped. "Okay, that settles it, we're definitely going through with this."

He watched as she quickly discarded her bra and panties, all the while wondering what was going on in her head. It would probably be better, he decided, if he didn't ask. When she turned to face him again, now completely unclothed, she blushed, her whole face turning red as it suddenly came over her that she was standing completely nude in front of a male she had only known for a week. "So I uh...um...what do you think?"

His eyes passed over he a few times before he said, "I'm used to something with more fur, admittedly, but..."

He trailed off, clearing his throat as he shifted his gaze away from her. "You may not be what I'm used to, but you're still having the proper effects on my body."

That only made her blush harder. "So um...where exactly is it then?"

He canted his head. "Where is what?"

"You know...the proof of the effect I'm having on you." She punctuated that by gesturing in the vague general direction of his crotch.

"O-oh. That. Well, my fur covers it rather well. It...should become more visible shortly."

He dared to look back over at her, wondering what it was about her form that was arousing him. She had no fur, and no tail. She had hands and feet instead of paws, and her face-while far from unpleasant to look upon-didn't have the same feral beauty that say, a female Lucario would have. And yet, the more he looked, the more he wanted her. He sighed quietly, and almost contentedly. What did the why matter? He was clearly attracted to her-as evidenced by his now rapidly swelling length-and that was enough.

He tensed slightly as she started to walk toward him, but forced himself to relax. Now right in front of him, she knelt down, examining his now very hard maleness. She quirked a brow slightly. "It was hidden pretty well. I honestly expected it to be smaller, not that I'm complaining. Though I do admit it is shaped different from what I'm used to. That tapering end isn't something I've ever dealt with before."

He nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed by her inspection of him. "Yes well, our anatomy is rather different from that of humans."

Standing back up she stepped in as close to him as she could without risking being stabbed by his chest spike. "So then, how'd you like to show me just how different it is?"

He let out a quiet, lustful growl. "Just say the word. Oh...but since we do have to accommodate avoiding my spikes, it would probably be best for me to take you...from behind. It would also let me get a better feel for how far into you I can safely go."

She smiled knowingly. "Is that so? Are you sure you don't just want to dominate me?"

"I...that may be a part of it." He admitted.

She leaned in close, her emerald eyes just a few inches from his red, and whispered, in an almost needy tone, "Then I'll gladly oblige. Just don't take it too easy on me, 'kay?"

He smiled a devilish little smile. "That won't be much of an issue."

"Good." Turning away from him she walked over to her bed, climbing into the pink hued sheets and blankets. She then got on all four, resting her arms on a pillow on front of her. "Will this work?"

His only response was a nod and another lustful growl. He approached slowly, easing up behind her as he got into the bed with her. He reached forward, placing his paws on her body just beneath her arms, running them down her form, caressing her curves and enjoying the feel of her soft, smooth skin and its subtle warmth. He didn't know how attractive she was by human standards, but he found her form to be quite pleasing. She had nice wide hips, a slim waist, and her breasts-while clearly perky and firm-were on the smaller side, making her a bit closer in shape to a female of his species.

He also rather enjoyed the way she let out little gasps and moans as he touched her. She was already quite ready for him. Bringing his paws down past her hips he took a firm grip on her well formed rear, telepathically whispering, "Brace yourself. I'll be as gentle as my instincts will allow, but it'll still probably be rough."

Already panting a bit she looked back at him over her shoulder. "Please...just start...I can't take much more of this."

Taking a deep breath, he began-inch by inch-to gently slide his throbbing maleness into her. He immediately took notice of both how hot and how tight she was, holding him in a vice like grip as he pushed himself deeper into her.

For her part of it, Gina's mind was reeling. It wasn't the thickest she had ever taken, but the shape alone was stimulating her in newfound ways. On top of that, the feel of his fur brushing against her, and him gripping her so tight with his paws, it all combined to make her able to think of nothing but the feelings.

Her breath started coming in ragged gasps as he finally managed to hilt himself. She could feel every throb of his maleness, sending little waves of pleasure through her. Pulling back, he left almost nothing in her but the very tip, then slid back in, this time a bit faster than before. He repeated the process, each thrust coming faster than the last until her whole body was being almost violently rocked forward by each impact of his hips against hers.

It took all of his self control to not release with each time he hilted himself, with the sound of each moan that slipped past her lips. Her body was glistening with sweat from the exertion, and he was panting heavily, desperately trying to keep the experience going, to extend their bliss just a bit longer.

He slowed just a bit as he realised that his knot was beginning to swell. He was getting very close to his climax now. He gulped. He had neglected to tell her about the fleshy bulb at the base of his length, and now debated with himself over whether he dare risk tying with a human. Surely she would enjoy it, and his instincts were screaming at him to do it, but what if she was hurt by it?

Finally he made his decision and-as gently as he could-pushed his knot into her body, resulting in an almost inaudible pop. It continued to swell, locking them together and forcing him to resort to smaller, rougher thrusts, which only made her moan all the louder. Only a few moments passed after that before she felt a wave of pleasure pass through her as she reached her climax, her inner muscles spasming all around the inhuman invader.

The feel of her muscles tensing and contracting around him so pushed him over the edge, loosing him what little control he had as his virility was fired off into her body.

After a few minutes of silence with the exception of laboured breathing, Gina looked at him over her shoulder, smiling wearily. "That...was fantastic and all...but do you think you could...you know, dismount?"

He laughed. "I uh...I would, but my anatomy has us chained together for at least another ten minutes."

She sighed. "Guess I'll have to wait then."

As he had predicted, about ten minutes passed before the swelling had reduced enough for him to comfortably pop his knot out of her.

Spent from all they had just done, Gina flipped her body over, sprawling out over the bed. Lucario laid down beside her, snuggling up close. Still breathing a bit heavily, he smiled slightly. "You know...I hope you're not expecting some...big, dramatic outpouring of emotion because of all this."

She giggled. "No, that would be asking too much, wouldn't it?"

"Only a little."

They both laughed then, cuddling as close as they dared, keeping his spikes in mind. The two drifted off to sleep in each others arms, bot happy to have finally found someone who truly cares.

Never...the end...