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Chapter Three: The Departureby Havoc

It was around two in the morning when Chaz opened his eyes and rose from bed, leaving Mimi sleeping peacefully underneath the covers. Unable to sleep, he left his room and started downstairs, the scene that he had witnessed mere hours before still playing on loop in his brain. Until he had stumbled upon the evidence, his sister, Rachel, would have been the last person that Chaz would have expected to be entertaining a sexual relationship with Todd, the family Ninetales.

I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised, Chaz thought, reaching the bottom of the stairs. Rachel's never gone along with expectations her whole life...Why should her love life be any different? He went into the living room and sat down on the couch, lost in thought.

He was so lost in thought, in fact, that he almost didn't notice when the other end of the couch shifted with added weight. Chaz looked up, and saw his sister sitting on the other end of the couch, now clad in a bathrobe, looking at the floor. Todd was sitting on the floor next to her, his ears and tails drooping.

Chaz didn't really know what to say. He'd just walked in on what had been his and Mimi's nightmare situation for the last six months, and was probably not much better for Rachel and Todd. Trying to figure out what to say, he looked at his feet, focusing on his toenails while thinking of how to break the awkward silence. A second later he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt something cold and wet touch his hand. Todd was nosing his hand, whining softly.

"Hey, Todd...," Chaz said. The Ninetails's ears pricked up a little bit, and he gazed up at Chaz with a slightly ashamed look in his eyes. Chaz sighed. "Nobody's mad at you, Todd. Don't be sad." He rubbed Todd's head, and the Ninetails wagged his tails a little and licked his fingers. He turned his eyes over to his sister. "Nobody's mad at you, either, Rachel."

Rachel looked at him. "I'm...so...embarrassed...," she managed. Chaz could see that her eyes were red, and the makeup that she'd been wearing at his party had run down her cheeks a little. He felt awful for her, and wished that he'd had the courtesy to knock on her bedroom door earlier, rather than just barging in without thinking.

"How...um, how long have you been...?" Chaz asked, feeling a little unsure of how to complete the question.

His sister took a shaky breath. "About...about seven years," she said, wiping her face. Rachel sniffed, and reached for the corner table, pulling a tissue from a box that sat there. "I...I don't even remember what started it. It just...happened...one day when I was the only one home. Well...Todd was here, too, of course..." The Ninetails hopped up onto the couch beside her, and laid his head on her shoulder, lapping at her cheek. Rachel put an arm around his neck.

"I see," Chaz said.

Rachel rubbed Todd's side, looking sick. "You must..." Her voice caught in her throat, and she swallowed. "You must think I'm disgusting..."

Chaz's heart nearly broke when he saw his sister breaking down in front of him, and he reached over to squeeze her knee. "Of course I don't," he said. "You're my sister...I couldn't ever think that about you."

"Even after you've learned this about me?" Rachel asked, her voice nearly a whisper.

"Well, I...I'm sort of in the same situation that you are," Chaz said.

Rachel's head came up, her eyes widening, the tears halting with shock. "What?" Instantly she sucked in a sharp breath of realization. "Mimi."

Chaz nodded, his face set and his heart racing. His sister was the very first person he had ever told about him and Mimi. Almost certainly, he was the first person she had told her own secret to.

"Of course...," Rachel breathed. "It makes sense now...You bought her that necklace. Nobody spends that much on a single gift unless it's a really special one..."

"Yeah," Chaz said.

"How did it start with you?" his sister asked, her voice sounding oddly excited. Chaz could understand the feeling. For such a long time, he and Mimi had been keeping their relationship under wraps. It was oddly liberating for him to find someone who shared his secret, and it seemed that Rachel was feeling the same relief.

Chaz rubbed the back of his neck. "That's...sort of an odd story...," he said. "One night, Mimi got sick, and it looked like she might not make it." He felt a lump rise in his throat as he remembered that night, and he had to swallow past it before he could go on. "But she pulled through, and it made me realize just how much I love her. How much I would die inside if she was taken away from me. That's really all there is to it." Chaz doubted Rachel wanted to know the exact particulars of how Mimi got sick, so for her sake he left it out of the story.

"You really love her," Rachel said.

"Of course," Chaz said, a little more defensively than he meant for it to sound. "Don't you love Todd?"

"Absolutely," Rachel said, not an ounce of hesitation in her answer. "You don't know how hard this past semester was, having to leave him at home." She hugged Todd tighter, kissing the top of the Ninetails's head. "I've been looking for apartments in the city that will allow pokémon. I found a good place that's not too expensive, and I'm taking Todd with me when I leave for the next semester."

"Sounds like you have it all figured out," Chaz said, somewhat enviously. He wished he was in the position to do what Rachel and Todd were going to do. Often, finding someplace where he and Mimi could be alone together was a difficult task. Traveling on foot as they did, they were somewhat restricted to the usual paths when it came to moving about the region, and therefore they usually risked being discovered by fellow travelers when they had sex. While he had to admit that the element of danger did add a certain thrill to their lovemaking, they both would have rather gone without the adrenaline rush if it meant they could be more secure in their relationship.

Rachel just sat for a moment, stroking Todd's side while he licked at her cheek. "What about that thing Mom mailed you?" she asked. "Are you gonna...?"

"I was thinking about it," Chaz said, his mind going to the item he had been hiding in his bag for the better part of four months. "I don't know though...I keep thinking of..."

"What do you m-...," Rachel started to ask. Then she closed her mouth, a sad expression flashing across her face. "Oh...That...Yeah..."

Chaz looked down at the floor. "I just don't know if I could handle making that sort of commitment, and then having Mimi..." His throat closed for a moment, and he had to clear it before he could continue. "It's just...She's not going to live forever, you know?"

"Yeah...," Rachel said, her eyes dropping down as well. "I know. It's definitely something you have to consider. I don't have to worry about that problem. If anything, Todd is probably going to outlive me." She looked back up at Chaz. "How old is Mimi, again?"

"I'm not really sure," Chaz answered after a few moments' thought. "She's been with me for about four and a half years, now, and she was pretty young when I caught her...At the most I'd say she's five years old." He swallowed. "That's like the late teens for a Lopunny. All things considered, she probably has twenty-five or thirty more years to look forward to..." Chaz felt something drip down his face, and realized he was starting to cry.

Rachel stretched a hand over and squeezed his shoulder. "That's still a long time," she said softly. "Chaz, if you think about it too much, then before you know it the time will be up and you'll have wasted the time you could have used to enjoy being with her."

"I know, but it's so hard...," Chaz managed. "It's not fair to find the person that you would have wanted to spend your whole life with, and then realize that they'll be taken away halfway through."

In the melancholy silence that followed, the two siblings could hear nothing except the occasional rustle of a tree in the wind outside. Rachel kept her hand on her brother's shoulder, with the roles they had assumed minutes ago reversed. She became the comforter, and he the one who needed comforting.

The soft sound of bare feet on the floor caused Chaz to bring his head up. Mimi was standing at the bottom of the stairs, obviously curious about his absence from the bed. Chaz forced a smile, and beckoned her over. The Lopunny heeded his call, and crossed the living room to the couch, eyeing Rachel a little apprehensively. She could sense that something of importance had happened while she wasn't present, although she wasn't sure what it could be.

When she was close enough, Chaz gently pulled her down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her midsection and hugging her tight against his body. He buried his face in the downy fur that covered her long ears, drawing comfort and strength from her familiar, loving presence. This was the feeling that he wanted to last forever, and never wanted to let go.

Mimi made a startled noise of protest, looking fearfully at Rachel. She couldn't have known that the cat was already out of the bag, and she was shocked that Chaz would be so reckless. But Rachel just smiled back at the two lovers, and to Mimi's astonishment she bent her head down to Todd, who was sitting right next to her, and kissed the Ninetails full on the mouth.

"It's okay Mimi," Chaz whispered. "Rachel knows, and we're still safe." He pressed his lips to the nape of her neck, stroking one hand over her belly.

Reassured, Mimi relaxed in his arms, sinking against his body with a soft trill of relief. Our secret is secure, she thought to herself. Turning around on his lap, she saw that Chaz's cheeks were wet. She brushed a paw against them, a questioning tone in her voice as she wiped the tears away.

"It's nothing," Chaz said. "Don't worry about it..." He put a hand to the back of her head and drew her face close to his, silencing any further questions from her with a deep kiss. Mimi draped her arms over his shoulders, pressing into him. When the kiss ended, Chaz quickly gave the tip of her nose a little peck, rubbing her back. "Just know that I'll love you forever, Mimi."

Mimi laid her head on his shoulder, allowing him to cradle her in his lap. She longed to be able to repeat those words to him, but her contented trill as she nuzzled his neck told him everything that he needed to know. They sat like that for long minutes, oblivious to Rachel and Todd, the rest of the house, and the world around them. The Lopunny began to grow sleepy again in Chaz's embrace, and his gentle hand stroking her side was as effective as the sweetest lullaby. Before much longer, she was asleep in his arms.

Chaz kissed her forehead, looking at her peaceful expression, determined not to allow the tears to come again. When it all came down to it, this was what was important. This was what he should focus on. The present was now, what happened later held no consequence. They would take the hurdles as they came, and weather them as best they could.

For now, Chaz decided to take Mimi back to bed. As he got up, carrying her along with him, Rachel touched his arm, making him pause for a moment.

"There's somewhere I think you should go," Rachel said, speaking softly so as not to wake Mimi. "If you walk out the back door, and head straight north through the fields and into the forest, you'll come to a little lake. I don't think anyone else in the village knows about it, and I've been there many times with Todd. Being there might help you think through some things." She let her hand skim over Mimi's leg, gazing at her pokémon friend's sleeping form. "Take her with you. Trust me, you won't regret it."

Chaz looked towards the back door, then back at his sister. "Thanks," he said. "I think I will, tomorrow before I leave. And thanks for listening."

"No, thank you for listening," Rachel replied. "It feels so good for someone to know..." She grinned. "Love ya, little bro. Good night."

"Love you too, big sis." With that, Chaz carried Mimi upstairs and to his room.

---

When morning came, Chaz and Mimi both arose from bed and prepared to go downstairs for breakfast. While dressing, Chaz waited for Mimi's back to be turned, and when she was not looking he withdrew the small box that she had almost seen the other day and slipped it into his pants pocket. The young man had a goal for the day, and to go unprepared for that goal would have indeed been a tragedy. He hesitated for a moment, and then reached into his traveling bag and pulled out another item, placing it in his pocket as well.

Once they were ready, the couple descended the stairs and went to the kitchen, where Chaz's mother, Mena, had a sumptuous spread of fresh fruits and bread prepared for the family. Chaz helped himself to buttered toast, while Mimi happily dug into a bowl full of berries. Adam, his father, was already out working in the storehouses, cataloguing the produce in preparation for shipment. Rachel, predictably, was still in bed, and Todd was likely with her as he was nowhere to be seen in the living room.

"So," Mena said, sitting down to eat with her son and Mimi. "What's on the agenda for today? Any big plans for your last day home?"

"Not really," Chaz lied, finishing his toast and reaching for a glass of Oran juice. "I just thought I'd go walk around. You know, get some fresh air, sort of say goodbye to the village, that sort of thing."

His mother nodded. "That sounds nice. Just make sure to come by the house before you leave town. We still have to give you your birthday present, after all."

"I will," Chaz promised.

When breakfast was over, Chaz went back upstairs and spent about half an hour cleaning his room up and repacking his belongings for travel. He carried his things down to the foyer and set them by the front door, where he would be sure not to forget them when he left that evening. As soon as he was prepared, Chaz went into the living and found Mimi sitting on the couch.

"Come on, Mimi," Chaz said, holding a hand out to her. "There's a place I want to go see today. Want to come along?" Mimi nodded, her expression innocently curious. Mena was in the kitchen, washing dishes after breakfast, and so did not see the two walk through the living room towards the back door.

On the way there, Rachel emerged from her room, tousled-haired and looking sleepy. Upon seeing Chaz and Mimi leaving the house, she smiled and tossed a casual wave his way. They both waved back, and then exited the house, closing the door quietly behind them.

Once outside, Chaz began walking north, just as Rachel had instructed him, with Mimi following close beside him. On the way, they passed through the fields, and several townsfolk sent morning greetings their way. Chaz returned their hellos but didn't stop. He was anxious to reach the spot that his sister had told him about, and to do the things that he had resolved to do upon getting there.

Shortly after passing through the outermost field, they reached the tree line. The forest around Pinewood was dense, and soon they were swallowed up within the tall, old trees. Little sunlight reached the forest floor, and it almost seemed as though they were walking in the late evening, rather than midmorning. The deeper they went into the woods, the fainter the sounds from the village became. Chaz realized that he and Mimi were very much alone, far away from the eyes of any other people.

Mimi looped one arm through Chaz's, drawing herself close to him as they walked. He looked over at her, and she looked back, smiling. She was tempted to stop right where they were, and entice him to take her then and there. It certainly wouldn't have taken much seducing on her part. But she overrode temptation, and continued to allow him to lead her through the trees. Chaz seemed to know where he wanted to go, and she was a little interested to know what was up ahead.

Eventually, Chaz began to hear running water through the trees, and knew that they must be getting close to the spot that Rachel had directed him to. Soon after that, they broke through the trees into a bright clearing. Chaz brought a hand up to his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the sudden increase in light. When he was finally able to see clearly again, he stood in awe at the beautiful sight before them.

Twenty feet from where he was standing, a lake was sunk into the forest floor. A wide stream flowed into the lake from deep in the forest, and the sound of the running water created a natural symphony that echoed around the trees surrounding the clearing. Reeds lined the lakebed, created hiding places for brightly-colored fish that flitted about among the water plants.

"Wow...," Chaz breathed, at the same time as Mimi gave a long, slow trill of wonder. "This is beautiful..." Looking down to see feathery grass at his feet, Chaz impulsively slipped off his shoes and socks. The green carpet felt amazing between his bare toes. Somehow, the sun warmed the grass, yet the air around them still felt cool and pleasant. The whole area seemed full of life.

Mimi called from a short distance away, breaking Chaz out of his moment of amazement. He looked around, and spotted her sitting in the shade of a tree that drooped out over the water, tendril-like branches dipping into the lake. She beckoned him over, smiling, and Chaz moved to her side, taking a seat next to her. She lay down, placing her head in his lap and sighing comfortably. For a while they just sat in silence, listening to the sound of the water and enjoying each other's company in the shade.

Chaz found himself entranced by the flow of the stream into the lake. There was no end to the water; it flowed relentlessly into the lake. But once the current entered the larger body of water, it was instantly lost in the overwhelming volume. A smaller part forever intermingled with a greater whole.

That image suddenly struck Chaz with the force of a charging Tauros. In an instant, everything became clear to him. He could see himself in the imagery of the lake, as well as his relationship with Mimi. The stream was fast and full of energy, lively, just like their love was. But once the stream hit the lake, the current disappeared, just as their relationship would, eventually. Just like the lake persisted after the stream disappeared, Chaz knew that he would inevitably outlive Mimi. However, the water that formed the stream of their love would forever live on in the lake of his heart.

The message was abundantly clear to Chaz. No matter what happened, no matter where his and Mimi's love led, the memories that they shared together would always be with him. The love that he felt for her would not go away with her death, it would merely change. Chaz now knew why Rachel had told him to come here. He'd needed the proper perspective, the natural guidance to see what his deepest feelings had been trying to tell him all along.

"It's beautiful, isn't it, Mimi?" Chaz whispered, his words almost swallowed up by the sound of running water.

Not as beautiful as I think you are..., Mimi thought. Still, she gave a short trilling purr of agreement, stretching her legs straight out in front of her. The Lopunny tilted her head to one side as Chaz rubbed right at the base of her ears, feeling a tingle of pleasure run its way slowly up the length of her spine. She reached up, grabbing a pawful of his shirt, and gently but insistently pulled down.

Taking the hint, Chaz propped Mimi's back up with one arm and lowered his head, his eyes locked with hers. When their lips connected, the sounds of the lake and the forest surrounding it vanished. What Chaz could sense was the beating of his own heart, the sound of their tongues twining around each other, and the wispy rushing of their breath. Mimi's arms went around his neck, anchoring herself to him.

Moving his mouth from hers, Chaz kissed along her cheek until he could whisper into her ear. "We're all alone, sweetheart," he breathed. "Nobody else around for a mile, at least." Mimi trilled excitedly in the back of her throat. "Let me give you everything..." He lifted her so that she was sitting on his lap, her chest to his, and brushed a hand down her back. Mimi shuddered and wrapped her arms around his body, pulling herself tight to him, her breasts flattening against his chest.

Chaz moved his hand lower on her back, teasing her nut brown fur as he went. He'd always loved how her coat felt on his palms, as soft as down and as smooth as silk, perfect in every way. Mimi moaned softly, laying her head on his shoulder. Her moan quickly intensified as Chaz's other hand began to stroke her sensitive ears, in turns brushing the thick fur on the outside and trailing along the bare skin on the inside. She ground her hips against his involuntarily, as she started to become more and more aroused from his attention. When he felt this, Chaz was seized by the desire to immediately throw his clothes off and make love to her as hard as he could. But he beat back this impulse. Today, his pleasure was unimportant. Today, she was the only thing in this world that mattered.

He moved his hand gradually, inching it down her lower back. Feeling her soft cotton ball of a tail against his fingertips, he closed his hand around it, squeezing firmly. Mimi's gave a sharp squeak of shock and arched her body, her eyes shut tight. Her chest now prominently displayed for him, Chaz wasted no time in lowering his head to her breasts, kissing each one tenderly before closing his lips around one nipple. He suckled at her forcefully, flicking the tip of his tongue over the sensitive nub of flesh and pulling lightly with his teeth. His lover's hands went to the back of his head, and the little gasps of pleasure issuing from her mouth encouraged him to keep it up.

While his mouth was occupied with her front, Chaz's hand had moved from her tail and was exploring the endless possibilities of her rear. Her ample rump filled his palm, and he worked his fingers over her, massaging her ass firmly, reacquainting himself with what he had been denied for days. With a sigh of satisfaction, Mimi lifted up on his lap. Chaz picked his head up and smiled.

"Now, now," he teased. "Don't get too excited." He moved his hand further down, to her leg, as if he was going to skip what she wanted completely. She whimpered, a plaintive expression in her eyes, giving him the look that had been breaking his heart for so long. Chaz relented, returning to where he had been. He traced a finger along her slit from behind, feeling it come away soaked. "I thought I said not to get too excited..."

Mimi trilled impishly, her eyes drooping closed as Chaz slipped a finger into her folds. Oh, gods... She bent her head to his, kissing him as his finger probed her insides. Mimi was anxious to get to the main event, but she wasn't above a little warming up beforehand. She pressed her tongue between her lover's lips, tracing tiny shapes all over the roof of his mouth. He returned the same to her, shifting the hand that had been caressing her ears to her face, rubbing at her cheek with the thumb. Mimi bucked a little on his lap as he pressed a second finger into her wet warmth, slowly dragging them in and out, drawing her arousal to dizzying heights. He always knows...Always...

Gradually, Chaz began to turn around, rotating so that his back was to the lake. He withdrew his fingers from Mimi and gently eased her off of his lap, sitting her on the grass with her back up against the trunk of the tree they were under. Mimi looked at him, curiosity hidden by the erotic expression her face had adopted, as he got on his stomach on the ground in front of her. Her face warmed quite a bit as he spread her legs apart, exposing her burning sex to his eyes. The indecent position served to turn her on even more than she already had been, and as a slight breeze wafted through their sanctum and stirred against her pussy, she began to shiver with excitement.

"You know how beautiful I think you are, sweetheart," Chaz said, looking up at her. Mimi covered her face a little with her paws, the words embarrassing her at the same time that they made her heart throb. Smiling, Chaz returned his eyes to the wonderful sight before him. His lover was right there, a scintillating treat that he longed to sample, and he had no intention of denying himself the indulgence.

Chaz lowered his head between Mimi's legs, inhaling and smelling the familiar scent. Good enough to eat, he thought. Eagerly his tongue came from his mouth, the tip just barely grazing the bottom of Mimi's sex. He drew it up slowly, the faintest hint of her flavor exciting his taste buds. With his hands on the Lopunny's thighs, he could feel her hips shifting as she fought to hold herself in one place. He reached her clitoris, but halted his tongue just below the sensitive bud, instead moving back down again. Chaz stifled a laugh as Mimi moaned piteously, disappointment evident in her voice. He would make up for the teasing soon enough, though, and she knew it even as she was frustrated by his torturous tongue work.

Taking one hand off of her legs, Chaz used two fingers to spread her lower lips apart. Heat from the area radiated against his cheeks, and he reveled in the anticipation of the fun to come. Leaning forward, he softly kissed her clitoris, and then his tongue dove inside. Mimi pressed back against the tree, her mouth opening and a paw going to the back of his head. Tiny, squeaking gasps escaped her lips, and her toes curled up tightly, as though an electrical shock had made her body go rigid. Chaz took the hand that had been holding her open from her pussy and moved it to her lower belly, stroking her bud with the thumb. His other hand snaked up her body and found her breasts, where he began teasing her nipples.

If ever I had any doubts he loves me..., Mimi thought, barely able to form words in her mind, ...this would burn them all away... She began to moan louder, unable to hold herself back. She could feel every movement of his tongue inside of her vagina, curling, pushing, pulling, twisting, thrusting...and it was all making her feel like she was going mad. Her head was spinning, simultaneously full of thoughts of affection for her mate and empty of anything except for the desire to feel more, to lose herself in the haze of pure, raw lust. If anything could be compared with this, it would be nothing less than climbing to the top of the highest cliff in the world and then taking the plunge from the top, freefalling into oblivion until nothing was left except the sheer thrill of the ride.

Mimi did not want the ride to end, but like all good things even the joy of what she was feeling had a conclusion. Luckily for her, the conclusion of this little tale was concurrent with the climax. As Chaz picked the perfect moment to look directly up at her, Mimi looked down at him, their eyes connecting for a single, nearly unending second. Her human lover, her mate, gazed up at her with his beautiful green eyes and brought his head up, although his hand never left her sex, never ceased giving her the pleasure that she desperately needed right at this moment. He smiled at her.

"Go ahead, sweetheart," Chaz said, his voice reaching her ears, cutting through the film of bliss that had been clouding all of her silly senses. "You can let go...I love you..."

Oh, gods...I love you, too, Chaz... In that instant, all control was lost. Mimi clutched pawfuls of grass, a guttural moan forcing itself out of her mouth as her climax tore through her body. She felt as though her body was flying apart, and any strength that she may have had left her as she gave herself up, losing herself in the feelings that were coursing through her very marrow. And then there was Chaz, rising to his knees and enveloping her in his arms, catching her lips with the deepest kiss she had ever experienced. Mimi had no concept of time anymore; nothing mattered other than the here and now. And as wave after wave of ecstasy washed over her body, she knew that what she felt about this man, and what he felt about her, here and now, would last forever.

---

It was some time later that Mimi lay in Chaz's arms, thoroughly drained from what they had done together. They were lying on the grass, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her, breathing in the moist air of the forest and the scent of each other. The sun shone into the clearing, and the light was beginning to shift their way as the day grew later and the shadow from their tree started to recede.

"What a day, eh, Mimi?" Chaz sighed, his eyes focused on clouds drifting through the sky above their heads. "I wish today would never end." Mimi murmured delirious agreement, still submerged in the waters of afterglow.

Chaz took a few minutes to think about the time he had spent at home, at what all had happened during that time. It had been his first time home with Mimi while they were together, and it looked as though, wonder of wonders, they were going to get away from home without anyone besides Rachel finding out about them. That had been worth celebrating, and he was relieved that by this time tomorrow, the worries he had experienced while in his parents' house would be a distant memory. Looking over at Mimi, who had her eyes closed and looked as though she was on the way to dreamland, he had no choice but to decide, however, that going through all of the worry was worth it to be with someone that completed him so thoroughly.

"Actually...," Chaz said, suddenly sitting up, "there's something I need to do, Mimi..."

The Lopunny sat up, looking curiously at Chaz as he put his hand into his pants pocket and withdrew a small object. Her expression became even more confused as she recognized the object as something she hadn't seen in a very long time: her poké ball. She made trilled questioningly, looking from Chaz to the poké ball, wondering what was going on.

"I don't know why I still have this...," Chaz said, staring at the ball and sounding almost as if he was talking to himself. "There's no reason for it. In fact, it's almost insulting." He turned his eyes up to Mimi. "You're not my pokémon anymore...You're so much more than that to me. You're who I love, and you're the one person that I don't ever want to be apart from. And that's why it's about time I did away with this thing."

Chaz pressed the button on the center of the poké ball, expanding it to full size. He then cocked his arm back and hurled it into the center of the lake, where it hit the water. The device bobbed at the surface for a second before it began to spark, water starting to short out the electrical circuits. The seal on the circumference of the ball cracked, and water flowed into it. There was a loud popping sound as the power in the poké ball died, and then the red-and-white sphere sank, disappearing from sight.

Mimi stared out at the lake for a few seconds, amazed at what Chaz had done. She had never expected that he would do something like that, even if their relationship was as deep as it was. She knew as well as he that once a poké ball was destroyed or even severely damaged, the mechanism that instilled loyalty in the pokémon that had been contained in it was severed. Hadn't he been afraid that she might run away after getting rid of her ball? The Lopunny was deeply touched that Chaz felt that level of trust in her, that he would be willing to go against everything that he knew as a Pokémon Trainer and destroy her poké ball. In that moment, she knew better than she ever had that she had not been mistaken in giving her love to this human, this man who had always been so kind, so caring, so wonderful to her.

When she finally turned back to Chaz, her paws went to her mouth, in order to cover the way that her jaw had dropped in surprise. Mimi blinked her eyes, certain that she couldn't be seeing what she thought she was seeing. But when her eyes opened again, the sight in front of her had not changed in the slightest. Chaz was holding a small black box in his hands, and the box was opened to reveal a silver ring, which had a diamond flanked by two tiny sapphires set into it.

"Mimi, this is something I want to give to you," Chaz said. "This ring has been passed down from mother to son in my family for generations. Mom gave it to me a while ago, and she told me that Dad gave it to her when he asked her to marry him. She said that I should give it to the woman who means the most to me, to the love of my life." He took the ring out of the box, and took her left paw in one hand. "And that's you, Mimi."

Speechless, Mimi watched as Chaz slid the ring onto what would be the ring finger of her left paw. Amazingly, the ring fit perfectly, almost as if it had been made specifically for her. She held her paw up in front of her face, looking wondrously at the beautiful ring. Overcome by emotion, she clutched the paw bearing the ring to her heart, tears beginning to fall down her face.

Chaz brushed her tears away, cupping her face gently in his hands. He kissed her deeply, putting everything he had into the kiss, letting his hands drop to her back. He pulled his mate close, and the two spent hours in each other's arms, as the perfect morning turned into the perfect afternoon and came to a perfect end.

---

The sky was just beginning to turn orange when Chaz and Mimi finally arrived back home, tired, happy, and a little more than a bit disheveled. His family was waiting for him, knowing that he was going to leave almost immediately, and they spent about twenty minutes having a heartfelt and, in his mother's case, tearful goodbye. When it was Rachel's turn to give him a hug, she took a moment to whisper in his ear.

"Was it as good as I said it would be?"

Chaz nodded. "Even better."

"Good," Rachel said. She squeezed him tight. "Take care of yourself, little bro, and her, too."

"I will," Chaz promised.

The family all said goodbye to Mimi, too. Thankfully, nobody noticed that she was wearing the ring. It probably would have been a good idea for Chaz to wait to give her that, but the time had felt right earlier, and he was happy that he had not waited. Once all of the goodbyes had been said, Chaz stepped in the front door to retrieve his things. Before he and Mimi could begin walking off, his father stopped him.

"Hold on, son," Adam said, his hand on Chaz's shoulder. "You're forgetting something quite important."

"I am?" Chaz asked, confused. He mentally ran a checklist of what he had packed into his bags, and came up empty. The trainer was fairly sure that he had remembered all of his belongings, and hadn't left anything behind.

"You are," Mena said, coming up behind her husband. "You still haven't had your birthday present."

Chaz blinked. "Oh," he said. "I guess I'd forgotten about it." In all the excitement of the afternoon, Chaz had in fact completely forgotten that his birthday had been the day before.

"Wait right here, Chaz," Adam said. He walked into the house, closing the front door behind him. A minute later, the sound of an engine starting up was heard, and the outside garage door slid open. From inside the garage, a brand-new black pickup truck drove out, complete with a hard top camper shell. The truck stopped in front of the family, and Chaz's father opened the door and hopped out of the cab. He tossed the keys to Chaz with a grin.

"No way!" Chaz blurted out, stunned. He looked around at his family. "You guys don't mean...For me?"

"All yours, son," Adam said. "All gassed up and ready to go. Registration's in the glove compartment, in your name. Happy birthday, Chaz."

Reeling from surprise, Chaz walked forward to check the truck out. The interior of the cab had leather seats, a GPS navigation system, and a nice stereo system. But the really good stuff was in the back, inside the camper shell. The bed of the pickup truck had been lined with brown carpeting, and a camp bed had been installed on the floor. There was an air conditioning unit bolted on the top of the shell, and a small television was mounted on one of the rear wheel wells. Chaz couldn't believe it.

With this truck, Chaz and Mimi would finally have a place to sleep if it got too rainy outside, or if they wanted to have some privacy. They could go places they had previously been restricted from, using the off-road capabilities that this vehicle offered. Done with his inspection, Chaz climbed out of the back of the truck and went back to his family.

"Thank you so much," Chaz said, beaming. "This is just about the best birthday present you've ever given me!"

"We thought you would like it," Mena said. She gave Chaz one more hug. "Use it well, be safe, and please visit home more often this year."

Chaz said goodbye again, and then he and Mimi got into the truck. Chaz showed her how to buckle up correctly, and then he pulled his own seatbelt across himself, fastening it securely. With a final wave out the window to his family, and a final smile at Rachel, Chaz started the engine back up, put the truck into gear, and pulled away from the house. Within minutes, they were on the road, back to their journey and to their life together.

"Well, Mimi," Chaz said, taking his eyes off the road for a minute to look at her. "That was a good birthday, wouldn't you say?"

Mimi nodded, trilling softly and placing her ringed paw on his leg, looking out the window as home was left behind.

---

"Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end."

-Unknown