FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Thomas let the purple Audino sit for a minute before clearing his throat. “Um, uh Doctor Hazel?" She hummed in an inquisitive way requesting him to continue. “Well, were you going to talk to me about the mission thing?"

“Mister Drake." The Shiny Audino sighed, slouching forward in her chair. “Thomas, from what I've read, you have been through an entire month of insanity. You've seen things most people wouldn't in their entire lifetime. In two lifetimes. You've witnessed pokemon tortured-" Thomas' eyes went wide at that, several beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as the image of the Quilladin hunched against the bulkhead flashing through his mind “-and maybe even killed. And yet you sit here, calm and collected." She sighed. “I don't know if it's because of the changes the Zygarde has made to you, or the relationship you have with your pokemon. But what little despair I can sense within you is being kept at bay by something… else. Something that drives you, pushes you beyond what most men are capable of."

Thomas smiled attempting to blink away the nightmarish thoughts form the underwater base as he forced his thoughts to turn to Jeremy. “There, there it is." She exclaimed. “I see it in your eyes. Whatever that is, it is keeping you going, keeping you moving. Normally I'd tell you to not rely on it, but right now, it feels like it's all you have. Am I right?"

Thomas allowed himself a tear, wiped away with a shaking hand. “I love him." It felt so good to admit it. “Jeremy is… everything to me. I can't lose him. I won't. It's why I need to get the Zygarde to Unova. Until then he's still Parker Simon's property; the Institute's property. But if I can finish the job they gave me, we can be together. We can be happy."

Dr. Hazel was taken aback by the man's admission. She could feel the love, the devotion, but her abilities only went as far as showing the symptom, not the cause. A trainer admitting to loving their pokemon wasn't rare, but this was so much more intense than the few cases she'd come across. “He's one of the pokemon you were charged with protecting, yes? The…. Hakamo-o?" Thomas nodded. “And your relationship is…"

“Physical." He admitted, holding up the leather bracer and turning it to show off the steel ring. Dr Hazel's eyes bulged at the sight of those cuffs. She knew what they meant pokemon-to-pokemon, but had never seen that relationship between a trainer and their pokemon before. She'd heard about those relationships the other way around - where the pokemon was subservient - though generally in papers regarding helping abused pokemon readjust to life outside that situation.

“Thomas, I- I'm not sure what to say." The official stance she was supposed to take was to advise him to cease such a relationship as most often it was the Pokemon who was being taken advantage of, and freeing them from that would be of utmost importance. But with what he was saying, not only was it mutual, but he was the one at risk of being taken advantage of. “You're sure this is what is best for you?"

“There's not a doubt in my mind." Thomas said without hesitation. He smiled weakly, but genuinely at Dr Hazel. “I know, I shouldn't mention it to anyone. And I don't… usually." He shrugged a little “But you asked, and, well, I thought you might not be as… judgemental." Thomas was starting to sweat, maybe he'd overestimated Dr Hazel's attitude towards such things. He gulped, realising she probably sees the worst versions of that trainer/pokemon dynamic all the time in her line of work.

It took a moment for the doctor to snap out of it. “Uh, yes. No, you're right, I shouldn't judge you. Though please understand I definitely need to talk to Jeremy now that you've mentioned this. I'd be going against my vows if I didn't." Thomas took a deep breath but nodded, handing Jeremy's ball over to the pokemon. She accepted it, placing the ball gently on the chair behind her before turning back to the man. “But back to what you're here for. I couldn't help notice your reaction when I mentioned Torture." Thomas took another deep breath, a pained expression developing across his face. “I haven't been completely filled in on what happened at the underwater base, but I know about the Quilladin."

Thomas' heart sank. He'd been happy to avoid the subject, but given it was the purpose for him being there it was only a matter of time. “Yeah, that was… difficult." blood-red flashes of the scene cascaded through his mind.

“Would you like to talk about it?" Doctor Hazel asked comfortingly.

“Do I have a choice?" the Audino raised an eyebrow, the glare from her large green eyes burrowing into Thomas' mind. “Fine." He took a deep breath “I was searching the base with Zy-... with the Zygarde. And we came across… we, we walked into this fridge thing…" He let out a long strained sigh. “He was chained to the wall. They,.. They drove bolts into him. Fucking monsters…"

Dr. Hazel pat Thomas on the knee. “It's okay, you can-"

“No. No! It's not okay!" Thomas growled. “Fucking Bruno fucked off!" Thomas moved to stand, but the pokemon put more pressure on his leg, urging him to stay seated.

“He can't hide forever." She tried to soothe the man.

“But how many pokemon have to suffer before he's caught?" Thomas pleaded, tears forming in his eyes as his mind played back the bloody scene over and over. “They drove bolts into him so hard they didn't detach when I balled him…" Thomas sobbed, his body going from a tense rage to limp with sorrow as he slouched back in the chair.

Dr. Hazel flicked through her notes on the pokemon and looked nervously up at Thomas. Deciding it better that he know than not, she took a cautious breath and explained “The doctors have studied the bolts." She gulped “They've determined from the small amount of genetic material within that they're an alloy made from Magnemite screws and Durant exoskeleton." Thomas blinked, trying to absorb the horrifying information. He tried speaking but his mouth refused to form words. “Which means - unlike regular metals mined from the ground - that those bolts are recognised by the matter conversion systems used in pokeballs."

Thomas held his hand up to silence the Doctor, shallow puffs turning to calmed breaths as the man forced the rage down. “Can they be removed?" Dr. Hazel's silence was all Thomas needed for an answer. “I'm gonna rip off his-"

“Mister Drake!" The Audino raised her voice, interrupting Thomas' threat. “For now the alterations can't be removed without causing severe trauma, that much is true. But your little Quilladin friend still has an evolution. The doctors are hopeful that the offending parts will be rejected by his body upon becoming a Chesnaught." Thomas grumbled at the thought. “Fortunately the bolts appear to be at a depth where unless turned, they shouldn't cause any pain, just discomfort." She tapped the tablet on its side, turning the display off. “Thomas, he'll be okay. It might take some time for him to adjust, but he'll be okay."

“You say that…" He sighed, shaking his head “But you didn't see the room. The bolts… they weren't… those bastards… they had… I mean-" Thomas' couldn't help but shed a tear. The implements arranged on the table in that refrigerated room were horrifying. At the time he had assumed they were just for doing whatever was done with the bolts. But thinking back on it there were blades, brands, all sorts of devices with electronic components. They truly tortured the little pokemon with everything they had.

Dr. Hazel could feel the emotion and rage building within Thomas again and tried to put it in a light that might help. “Thomas, what they did is unconscionable, I don't doubt that. But the anger you're feeling now helps no-one. You want to help Jeremy?" He allowed himself a small nod “Well, getting arrested for murdering the first Rocket thug you see will make that considerably more difficult." She rubbed his knee. “Thomas, they will get their come-uppance. From what I've been told Bruno Drekavak is now on the 'most wanted' in just about every region." She pulled the tablet out, tapped a few times and brought up a police profile she'd been forwarded regarding the mission.

Thomas took the tablet and looked it over. 'Bruno Drekavak. Wanted for; Murder, Attempted Murder of a Ranger and Pokemon Abuse*. Consider Armed and Dangerous. May be accompanied by a loyal Magmortar and Electivire. Current head of the Vandimland Rocket Rising organisation.'

“It still shits me that if someone kills a human it's 'Murder', but kill a pokemon and it's 'Abuse'..." The Audino's ears sloped down in sadness, but she nodded in agreement with the man. Thomas looked below the various fine print regarding guidance on not approaching without at least a Champion-level team, information on where he was last seen and so on to see what the asterisk was for. “The full list of crimes he's charged with…" Thomas couldn't help but gasp at them all written out the way they were “How the hell was he not number one 'most wanted' before this? There has to be more words in this six-point font than the rest of the file combined!"

Dr. Hazel sighed along with him, taking the tablet back. “Money can buy you a lot. But once you cross that line, you realise exactly how much it can't buy." She stood tall - as tall as she could - and took another look at Thomas. He could see there was something important flitting about her head by the way her eyes sparkled and brow furrowed. “Are you aware of our 'hierarchy'?"

Thomas thought for a second. He couldn't understand what on earth the pokemon was talking about until an image of the board in Miss Blissey's office flashed into his mind. “Arceus at the top then-" he almost said Miss Blissey, but just grinned a little and moved on “-then pokemon then humans."

Dr. Hazel nodded. “Not our Trainers first?"

“Not according to-" He sighed, shaking his head with a smile “well, Miss Blissey."

“Ah, so your stay in Cannab really was an eventful one. I ask about the hierarchy because I need you to understand something." She looked to Thomas for an indication to continue, and he nodded. “The Zygarde is powerful. More powerful - I'd wager - than any other pokemon you will ever encounter. Certainly more than any I've heard of visiting this region in hundreds - maybe thousands - of years." Thomas took a deep breath and nodded again. “You will need help. A lot more help."

“The Rangers have agreed to-"

“No." Dr. Hazel interrupted. “They mean well, but they have their own motives. Human motives." She sighed, glancing at the door. “I should speak to Jeremy about this. He will understand." Thomas looked at her quizzically. “You'll understand later. For now I would like to speak with your… friend." She hesitated while trying to not say 'lover'. Thomas was about to interject, but she cut him off “Mister Drake, you are truly an amazing person. What you have endured I doubt many could have. And you will need to come to terms with that grief you are bottling up inside. But until you understand your position in all this, I'm not sure how much help I can be beyond telling you what I know."

The Audino jumped from her chair, then hauled herself up to stand with one foot on each of Thomas' knees. She placed her hands on his shoulders and got her face very close to his, the curled antennae sprouting from her head craning down to tap him on the temples. “You are a survivor. Before now you survived alone, but no more. Your pokemon- your friends, they love you and care for you. They not only will be there for you, they want to be there for you; and the difference in that is monumental. Trust them; to guide you, to care for you, to help you." She leaned in close and gave Thomas a soft peck on the lips.

Thomas blinked a little in surprise as Dr. Hazel sighed, pulling herself together and getting down off his lap. “My apologies, that was… unprofessional." She stammered, returning to her seat. Thomas gulped. The kiss itself was brief, but the tenderness in it was halfway between kissing a cloud and a marshmallow. “Please, leave me with Jeremy for a short while, there is much we need to discuss."

Thomas finally snapped out of it and stood up. Dr. Hazel had Jeremy's ball beside her on the seat, so he gave a little nod and wave. “Thank you. It was… enlightening." He thought back past his reactions to the memories of the Quilladin in the freezer room, to seeing the colours of his 'gift' so vibrantly thanks to her insistence. “I'm gonna just... wait. Outside." He sighed, exiting the room and hearing the familiar sound of a pokeball being activated as the door closed behind him.

There was a medium-sized waiting area nearby, complete with a vending machine and basic tea and coffee making facilities. He looked through the teas available, hoping to see something Jessa related but finding only the budget brand tea bags as expected. Opening the bag Twine had given him, he slipped the pants and shirt on, dumping the swimming clothes in the bag in their stead. The briefs Strand had chosen for him were just tight enough to emphasise his package, something he wasn't sure whether she'd done on purpose, but smiled at all the same. Dressed, he sat down and tapped away at his pokedex, bringing up the digital tickets for the S.S. Dianne the next day. He looked the ship up online using the Ranger's Wi-Fi.

The S.S. Dianne was a massive cruiseliner, and served as a primary transport for both passengers and cargo. While most ships her size had one hull, she was essentially a Catamaran, sporting two slightly narrower hulls side-by side. The central concourse linked both halves with a large glass-floor restaurant at its center. The ship was the latest in that company's line - which included the very popular S.S. Anne - and while not it's maiden voyage, docking in Sidna earlier that morning marked its inaugural visit to Vandimland.

He marvelled at the various facilities available to the S.S. Dianne's patrons and was happy to see a full-sized arena on one side of the boat and a pokemon-friendly waterpark on the other side. Thomas sighed. Maybe onboard he and the rest of 'The Drake Party' could finally take a few days to unwind. The journey itself would take upwards of a week, which he was fine with; all the more time to shed the weight of the last month's worth of running, hiding and fighting. And once in Unova - the ship apparently set to dock in Castelia City - it shouldn't be too hard to catch transport to where they needed to go.

Thomas lost himself in descriptions of both things to do on the S.S. Dianne, and places to visit in Unova - forcing him to decide whether to take the more mountainous western routes through Driftveil and Mistralton or the coastal eastern routes through Undella. He was snapped out of it when Jeremy poked his head into the break room with a curious <Thomas?>

“Hey!" Thomas swiped the pokedex off as he quickly strode over to his lover, sweeping the pokemon up in a big warm hug. The two clung to each other for a while until Jeremy pat the man on the back in a subtle request to be put down. “How'd the talk with Dr. Hazel go?"

Jeremy took a deep breath. <It was hard. But good.> Thomas gave him another - smaller - hug, smiling warmly at the pink and yellow pokemon. <Ready to go back to the motel though.> He sighed, exhausted.

“Well, we gotta make one last stop before the motel." Thomas said, Jeremy's tones forming the meaning in his mind. He smiled, wondering if he'd actually translated what his friend had said or whether he was just guessing. Thomas pulled Jeremy into the room properly, closing the door behind him. He gulped, ready to look like an idiot. “Jeremy, I don't know if I can really understand you or not. I know for pokemon it's… easier. But I don't know if I'm just guessing. So I want you to ask me something. Something you've never asked me before. Something I can't just guess."

Jeremy looked a little weirded out, but he thought hard. This was a big moment for him too. It was well known most pokemon trainers only understood the basic tonality of their pokemon, and even that tended to take years of dialogue. Thomas had come to understand Jeremy incredibly well in barely a month, and perhaps more than any other human had. More than Parker. More than… Jeremy shook his head, trying to focus on what was being asked of him. <I don't know, uh…> He shut his eyes, trying to think of something obscure. <Okay, what was Mac holding onto for most of Route 13?>

Thomas listened, the staccato series of 'Hak's' and 'Mo's' reforming in his mind. “I… a Skarmory feather?" Jeremy's eyes went wide and he practically leapt onto Thomas, arms wrapping around his trainer as he bounced up and down, overjoyed. Jeremy then let loose a rushed stream of exclamations and questions that began to get jumbled in Thomas' brain, the man unable to decipher each comment fast enough. “Woah, woah!" Thomas chuckled, giving Jeremy one last hug before standing “I'm not quite that capable yet." Jeremy blushed, but was grinning so hard he was almost unable to see. “But I take it I was right?"

Jeremy nodded, grabbing Thomas' hand and squeezing it comfortingly. <You've no idea how happy I am!>

“I have a pretty good idea." He replied, smiling. The two squeezed each other's hands and made their way out of the break room. Despite the odd looks they were getting, Thomas continued to hold Jeremy's hand through the Ranger's station and out onto the street. He only let go once he realised they had to make a quick detour through the woods. “Look, I know you and Zye don't necessarily see eye to eye, but I need to return the Quilladin to him."

<It.>

“Sorry?"

<It. It's not a 'he', it's an it.> Jeremy sighed. Thomas was right, they didn't really have the same outlook, not that he expected them to. The legendary pokemon was an ancient thing; capable of phenomenal acts of power if it chose to, but for whatever reason, it had not yet. At least, not in the times that mattered. In Jeremy's mind, it could have taken out that submerged base single-handedly. But it chose to endanger Thomas' life - and the lives of the other Rangers - instead.

Thomas grinned sheepishly “Well, you might have a different opinion if you'd seen its… yeah."

The pokemon cocked a yellow eyebrow wryly. <Oh really.> Thomas loosed a hesitant chuckle as Jeremy rolled his eyes. <Ugh. Hakamo-o have genders. Zoroark have genders. Even Goodra have genders. That… thing? It's whatever it wants to be at the time. Don't believe me? Just ask it.>

Thomas took a deep breath. If he understood Jeremy correctly, he wasn't surprised. The Zygarde could change shape at will with those little cells, being able to change gender was certainly not off the cards. “Okay, fine. They're not a 'He'. But I'm not comfortable with 'It'. Can't they be a 'Them'? Especially if they're not just once core anymore."

<Excuse me?> Jeremy's eyes bulged out in surprise.

“Heh, so, yeah. Funny story that." Thomas ran fingers through his hair sheepishly as he filled Jeremy in on the happenings in the cave. The two walked between trees as he talked, verbally backtracking to start from when he returned Jeremy to his ball in Bruno's office before being rescued by the Gyarados, the sequence of events in the caves and the return to Sidna; without him admitting to the sensual nature of his underwater travels.

<So there's two of them now?>

'Still technically one' The voice crept into the two lovers minds.

Jeremy jumped, looking around in a brief moment of panic before realising it was Zye. <I don't feel you in my mind...>

'I'm not trying to sense you.' Zye explained rather offhandedly. 'You have made your protests known in that regard. I am attempting to accommodate.'

“Thank you Zye." Thomas sighed, a peacemaking smile glancing around the trees. After a few moments the green and black hound stepped out from behind an oak.

'Please tell me there is good news.' Zye looked to Thomas hopefully.

Thomas nodded, but his tone said something else. “There is… 'good' news." He pulled a masterball from the hip mounted ball holster, and checking the surface to make sure it was the right one he held it out. When Zye went to take it from him, Thomas pulled it back a little. The Zygarde looked angry, then concerned. “You… you need to know-"

'Whatever you need to tell me, you can tell him as well.' Zye growled, ensuring Thomas knew to stop stalling. The man relented and offered the ball again. Zye chose to instead boop the button with his nose, causing a sparkling white quilladin silhouette to burst onto the forest floor. The pokemon looked up to Thomas and then to Zye as the light faded. The man could see a depth of sorrow and pain the likes of which he hadn't seen in a very long time. It was occluded by the joy upon seeing it's canine friend, but the man could still feel the darkness there.

<ZYE!> He cried, weeping into the hexagonal pattern of the pokemon's form. <I never lost hope…>

'You have Thomas to thank. And Jeremy.' Zye gestured to the other two, the Quilladin nodding but taking his time finishing the hug before turning to face them.

<Thank you.>

“You're welcome." Thomas replied. The Quilladin looked at him with wide open eyes. “I'm getting better with tones." The man crouched down to get a better look at the pokemon. The bolts glinted in the midday light filtering down through the trees. “How are you doing?" He asked, rubbing the pokemon's upper arm between thumb and fingers in a comforting way.

<I am…> The Quilladin gulped, a tear forming in the corner of his eye.

“You were brave." Thomas interjected, hoping to lighten the poor Quilladin's mood. “Beyond brave."

<Nerves of steel.> Jeremy said, patting the slouching pokemon on the back before realising what word he'd just used.

But Thomas was quick to counter “More like Titanium!" He ruffled the pokemon's fringe.

'Titan.' Zye stated. The three turned to him. 'I cannot think of a name more fitting to one as strong and brave as you have proven yourself.'

The Quilladin looked to Thomas and Zye - who were both nodding in agreement - before turning to Zye. <You wish to call me Titan?>

'Only if you agree to it.' Zye explained, trying not to pressure the young pokemon. 'I simply offer it. Apparently some find the need to have individuality a requirement.' Thomas gave the Zygarde a raised eyebrow, the pokemon choosing not to expound on that point any further for the time being.

<I like it.> He said, smiling. <C-can you call me by it?> The nervous smile was slowly eroding the sadness and fear present in the Quilladin's eyes, but Thomas could still see within them the lingering torment of the abused pokemon.

'Thank you Titan. For saving me.' Zye said in an official tone, sitting before the Quilladin with a kind of bow. The irony of such a short pokemon being called Titan was not lost on Thomas, though thankfully the part of his brain that found such a name hilarious was keeping quiet.

Thomas allowed the reunited legendary and their ward a moment of silence before taking a step back. He took Jeremy by the hand and began to lead him away. “We'll let you two catch up."

'Wait.' Zye requested, causing the two lovers to turn around. 'You were to say something important before.'

Thomas sighed. “It's about the… uh… bolts." He muttered, looking from Titan to Zye and back.

Titan reached up nervously to touch one, his face dropping when he realised they were still attached. <What are they ? What do they do? Can you get rid of them? What if->

“Titan, it's okay. Just take a deep breath. Let me explain." Zye placed a paw on the Quilladin's shoulder, calming the pokemon enough for him to stop panicking and allow Thomas to continue. “They're forged from Durant and Magnemite steel, so they won't disappear when you're balled." Titan's breathing quickened again, but Thomas spoke before he could panic again. “But because it's not a part of 'you', as it were, when you evolve they should fall out."

<When I evolve?> He looked to Zye.

'We will work on getting you trained up as quickly as possible, to get rid of those. But for now,' the legendary pokemon gestured to the undergrowth 'I have made a small camp in preparation for your return. Today we rest.'

“If it's any consolation," Thomas said, hoping his comment wouldn't be taken too badly “They do kinda make you look like a badass." Jeremy stared up at his trainer in open mouthed disbelief. Zye's eyes first went wide then narrowed judgingly at the man, scowling silently.

But Titan looked to the ground then back at Thomas. <You think so?>

Thomas guessed from the tone that he was asking for clarification. “Some humans get big piercings and tattoos to make themselves look more threatening or strong. What you got there most pokemon wouldn't survive the process, let alone a human."

Jeremy picked up on the lightening mood of the Quilladin and after blinking himself back to a state of mind where he could verbalise his thoughts, he stated <Yeah, if I faced you in a battle, I'd have no idea what I would be in for. You gonna hit me with a vine whip or shock me with a thunderbolt?> He chuckled a little uneasily <Would keep me on my toes, that's for sure.>

'Thank you.' Thomas felt as though those words were just for him, the echo in his head tighter and less resonant than before. He winked back at Zye in response.

“Come on." He squeezed Jeremy's hand. “You two rest up. Sounds like you got some busy days ahead of you. Oh!" Thomas smacked himself in the head. “I almost forgot. We're headed off on the S.S. Dianne tomorrow." He brought an image of it up on his pokedex. “Ticket says Passenger Dock A, 5pm sail time, but we should be there for boarding by three at the latest."

'My presence may be problematic.' The echo was back to normal.

“Got a first class room, if I can sneak you onboard, you'd be able to stay in there with no troubles." Thomas offered. “Getting Titan onboard is no trouble. With you, maybe I could lower a rope? Griff might be able to carry you." He thought a little harder. “Hey, you could do that whole 'stick to the side of the hull' thing you did on the R.R.S. Kyogre." Thomas could tell from Zye's look that the pokemon had no idea what he was talking about. “Bruno's ship."

'That might be possible for a short while, though it would take considerable energy to do so while it was moving.' They admitted.

“We can sort it out tomorrow, get a look at the ship from the docks and see what's possible. For now, rest up." And with that Thomas and Jeremy waved farewell to the two green pokemon and made their way back to the road.

The motel wasn't too far away by tram, but Thomas wanted to pick up some lunch for the crew holed up there. He followed Jeremy's nose through the lunchtime crowd at one of the nearby shopping centers, finding several places selling pokemon food. He acquired a veritable smorgasbord of treats and berries for the assortment of pokemon types waiting for him to return. He also found a small tray of macarons which he bought with a smile. Then after getting several sandwiches for Thomas, they left for the motel.

Jeremy decided it would be nice just to have a walk with Thomas. They rarely had time together and now that they were no longer being hunted by Rocket Rising, the Hakamo-o reasoned it was time they enjoyed a daytime stroll.

<So, you can understand me now? That's…>

“Amazing? Useful? Sexy?..." Thomas chuckled.

Jeremy punched Thomas playfully in the arm <You think you're funny…>

“Oh, I know I'm funny." Thomas grinned. “Knock Knock."

<Really?> Thomas looked at Jeremy expectantly. <Fine, 'Who's There'?">

“An impatient Pikachu."

<An impatient pi->

“PIKA!" Thomas exclaimed, startling Jeremy and several nearby pokemon. The absurdity took a moment before Jeremy couldn't retain his grin, shaking his head as he uttered a quiet chuckle. “HA! Made ya laugh." Thomas wrapped one arm around the pokemon's scaled shoulders for a hug, the two continuing to awkwardly walk side by side for a while.

<So what do you think caused… this?> Jeremy gestured to each of their throats.

“Well, when air passes through a set of vocal chords-" Thump! Another punch to Thomas' arm interrupted him, Jeremy's glare one of amusement tinged with a concerned seriousness that seemed to follow him everywhere. “Okay, sheesh." Thomas took a deep breath, not sure how to broach the subject. “Well, That night Zana and I met up with Zye-"

<IT did this to you?> It was Thomas' turn to glare. <Fine. 'They' did this to you? How?>

“That night, all sorts of things got discussed. At one point they showed Zana and I… visions? Memories I guess." He sighed “They see the world completely different than we do. There are colours - energies - that surround all of us. And they can see them, but I don't think they really understand what the colours themselves mean, just how they… work? I dunno. It's... it's a bit trippy."

<What were the visions about?>

Thomas took a deep breath “Everything Jeremy, everything. From when Parker broke through it's cube all the way up to Wooloobell." Jeremy nodded, not quite understanding.

<So how does being able to understand me fit into… all that?> Jeremy asked, still confused.

“I think that night, Zye showed me more than they meant to." Thomas leaned in closer “I trust you, but nobody else can know." Jeremy nodded, giving the man's hand a quick comforting squeeze. “If I concentrate I can see the colours. Without their help."

Jeremy looked a little confused <My colours?>

“Everyone's colours." He admitted quietly. “Yours, mine, that guys…" He pointed to a dockworker wandering back to work from their lunch. “For instance: we are connected by a bright purple strand. I don't know what all the colours mean, but I think Purple means… love?"

Jeremy looked down, as though trying to find the strand. <Is it… here?>

Thomas sighed. “I, I can't see them right now." he admitted, shrugging. “Dr. Hazel helped me see them earlier, so I know it wasn't Zye helping as he seems to have trouble interacting with minds through big buildings like that." He placed a hand over his heart “But it came from here, so I can only imagine, it goes right here…" He moved the hand over Jeremy's chest, then kissed him on the head.

Jeremy blushed, placing his hand on top of Thomas', holding it against him as he smiled contentedly. Then he realised Thomas had kissed him in public, in broad daylight. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, and there were a couple folks with raised eyebrows, but nobody seemed to be overreacting.

Thomas also realised what he'd done and cleared his throat, taking a step away from Jeremy before gesturing that they continue. “Let's… head back to the motel." After a block they once again joined hands and walked in each other's company silently the rest of the way.

It was Jeremy who threw open the door to the motel room, his dramatic action met with surprised stares from several pokemon. Once they realised their trainer had returned safe and sound, Mac and Carmen ran into the entryway; the Goodra hugging Thomas and Jeremy in turn while the Whirlipede did tight circles around the two of them. Zana gave the two a very critical glare, but eventually allowed them a congratulatory pat on the back. Thomas felt she wasn't going to forget him not contacting her as frequently as she'd have liked.

Thomas pulled himself through the hugs and collapsed into the couch. Jeremy placed the contents of their lunchtime shopping trip on the small table/desk thing. With the crew crowding around the table now that lunch had been served, Thomas reached to his belt and popped Dusty's ball out, summoning the Surfsdale into the rather cramped living area. Carmen seemed just as excited to see her equine friend, running up to the pokemon and giving him a hug around the neck.

Zana's eyes popped out of her skull, looking at the other balls on Thomas' belt. “Are those… Masterballs?" She asked, bending over to examine them more closely.

Thomas growned. “Mm-hmmm. Nabbed them off the rocket guys. Empty though, so that's a bonus." Thomas said with pride. He reached over to the table and grabbed one of the sandwiches.

“And what about that one?" She pointed to the multi-hued blue ball. “I've not seen that type before."

“And yet you know what a masterball is?" Thomas smirked as he unwrapped his sandwich. Zana raised an eyebrow, taking a deep breath and puffing out her chest defiantly before snatching the sandwich out of Thomas' hand. “Ugh. Fine. Gonna need to step outside for this one." Thomas motioned for the group to follow him to the back door. Jeremy, Dusty and Zana seemed quite content to stay near the table, but Carmen and Mac were too curious not to join the man. Once looking out onto the dock area, Thomas popped the Dive ball from it's holster and aimed it towards the water.

“THOMAAAAAAS!" The gyarados hollered as it splashed into existence.

Thomas sighed, turning to his pokemon friends for their reaction. Everyone had wide open eyes, looking between the water type and their trainer for some sort of explanation. Except carmen. She looked with squinted eyes at the Gyarados, examining him closely until she spotted the faint green cross on its chest. <Squishy?>

<MYSTERIOUS STRANGER!> The pokemon launched itself from the water onto the dock, wrapping around the Goodra tightly. Thomas was about to summon it back to save his companion until he noticed the two were effectively embracing each other.

“Thomas?" Zana called from inside. He turned away from the ecstatic duo to his mistress. “I have questions."

“You're not the only one." Thomas quipped before addressing the Goodra and Gyarados who had calmed down a little, the latter placing the former back on the dock. “Okay, can either of you explain?"

<He's one of the Magikarp I sent to find you!> Carmen squealed, overjoyed at being reunited and translated to Thomas via a rather bemused Zana.

“So Carmen is your 'mysterious stranger'."

<Carmen…> He looked at the Goodra with awe. <A beautiful name…>

“Oh please!" Zana grouched while Jeremy barely held back his laughter.

“Seems 'Squishy' there is keen on your own 'squishy'..." Zana rolled her eyes, taking a big bite out of the sandwich.

“Squishy?" The Gyarados' massive head swung around to face Thomas. “That's your name? Squishy?"

Before he could respond, Carmen stepped forward and spoke. “His name. I gave." All but Zana and Thomas went silent as they heard Carmen speak.

<You… how did…> Jeremy mumbled.

“She's been learning. Since Wooloobell." Thomas beamed, so proud of his glorious Carmen. He turned to the strange pair and gave them a casual salute. “You guys catch up, I need me some food." Returning to the table, Thomas pulled out a second sandwich and plonked himself down on the couch.

<We're not gonna address the fact Carmen can talk now?> Jeremy inquired, a subtle tone of sadness in his voice. Thomas and he finally had a really personal connection allowing them to talk to each other, which meant - with the partial exception of Zana's illusory ability - he was the only pokemon Thomas could really understand. But if Carmen could talk? Jeremy felt as though their breakthrough had been diminished somewhat.

“Okay…" Thomas huffed, sitting more upright in the chair as he unwrapped his lunch. “So back in Kangaskhan Valley with those Feraligatr- oh, that's right…" Thomas remembered Jeremy had been on his own adventure at the time with Griff, and Zana hadn't joined the party at that stage. “Okay, rewind a few weeks. We were going off the beaten path from Route 13 to Owlra when we came across a commune of Feraligatr." Zana's eyes went a little wide, the zoroark gulping and hoping nobody noticed her veneer slip while she straightened herself back out. But Thomas noticed, and she could tell. Fortunately he just continued the story. “Well, if I've got this right, a Croconaw gave Carmen a disk with lessons on how to speak on it."

<Speak like a human?> Jeremy asked, walking over to Thomas.

“Yeah, like a human." Thomas confirmed. Zana looked between Jeremy and their trainer, finally dawning on her that the two weren't just acting off tone and gestures, but were responding legitimately to each other. She was about to ask her own question but was cut off. “So while in Wooloobell I picked up a CD player and some headphones for her to listen to it. I didn't know exactly what she had at the time, I thought it was just music. But she spoke to me on our last night there."

<Well, what did she say?> Jeremy snatched the sandwich from Thomas' hands and began munching on it grumpily.

“Dammit!" Both Jeremy and Zana gave him a domineering glare and he cleared his throat. “Sorry." He waited for Jeremy to join Zana leaning against the wall opposite the couch before he pulled out the third sandwich from the bag. Zana couldn't help but grin at her little pet's ingenuity. Thomas unwrapped the sandwich and before he could be interrupted, took a huge bite of it, savouring the taste before continuing. “Jhee jed…" He swallwoed his mouthful “She said her name, and mine." He blushed a little remmebering the true context “But it was a good start for only a few hours practice."

Almost on cue, Carmen came bounding into the room, hefting Thomas from the couch and hugging him tightly. “THANK YOU!" She cried, swinging the man back and forth. When she was finished, she lowered him back to the ground, but as she pulled away, his sandwich went with her, stuck to her chest amongst some sticky green gloop. “Uh…" She tried peeling it off, offering it back to the man apologetically.

Thomas sighed. “You can have it." He tried not to make it seem as though she was in trouble, reaching up to ruffle her antennae, pulling his hand away covered in slime. “I guess Squishy got you all riled up." She nodded as both Jeremy and Zana tried not to burst into laughter. “Well, I'm gonna go have a shower. Enjoy your lunch." He turned to Zana and Jeremy. “Well, enjoy 'my' lunch." He gave them a cheeky 'so there' grin before heading for the shower.

Once he was gone, Zana turned to Jeremy. <So, he can understand you now.>

<Yep.> Jeremy beamed, the jealousy in Zana's voice making up for the situation with Carmen. <Feels great.>

<Yeah, I bet it does.> Zana grumped, tearing into her sandwich in anger.

Jeremy watched the zoroark destroy her lunch and sighed, knowing there was more behind him and Thomas' connection than just the language barrier. He didn't know everything about their resident translator, but he knew enough to know she'd been abused by her trainer - if that's what you could call them - and for her Thomas was a kind of new start. <Look, it's more complicated than just Trainer-and-Pokemon.> He wondered how much he should tell her, given Thomas' hesitance. <I think it has something to do with Zye. But Thomas doesn't want to talk to the little green prick about it, and I don't think he wants us to either.>

The reveal seemed to dull the rage in Zana's eyes enough for her to take the last few bites of sandwich normally. She looked over to the table and noticed the Lum Berry treats on the table. Thomas had started buying them for Griff to help with the pokemon's condition, reminding her the Noivern had been stowed in his ball after the alarm went off for his medication the night before. She figured as Thomas was back, he'd be able to dispense the meds accordingly, as he hadn't shown her what doses were needed. Hearing the shower start up in the bathroom, she made her way past Jeremy and over to the trainer's bag, retrieving Griff's ball and activating it.

Immediately the alarm sounded, the multi-tonal beeps flooding the room as Griff burst into being next to the table. He had just enough time to spy the poketreat feast before a cry of “Oh come on!" echoed from the bathroom. Zana and Jeremy both looked shocked at the outburst, the former going a little red, though Jeremy couldn't tell if it was embarassment for being the cause of Thomas' cry or anger at the man's reaction. The door to the bathroom swung open and Thomas emerged, wrapped in a towel looking both embarrassed and tired. Faint sunburn lines around his wrists, ankles and neck gave proof to the morning's Gyarados ride back to shore.

Griff's posture slumped as he pulled the pill box from Thomas' pack, grabbed the beeping great ball and hurried towards the bathroom. Thomas held the door open for the noivern, then closed it behind him before taking the meds. He sighed. “I'm sorry, mate." He knelt down in front of the pokemon and gave him a hug. Griff was a little hesitant at first, but eventually reciprocated, holding Thomas close. “It's been a rough one." Griff whistled his condolences, interrupted only by Thomas' stomach growling back. “And my lunch was either slimed by Carmen or devoured by Jeremy and Zana. So I'm a little on the hangry side too." he grumbled jovially.

<Are you okay?> Griff whistles and clicks sounded concerned, he'd seen Thomas go through lots of crap over the last few weeks, and heard about lots more from the others. But the man seemed almost on the verge of breaking. <Thomas...> He pulled back from the hug to make the man look at him. Thomas's eyes were red and teary, the day's events having worn him down. He understood now why the man had cried out the way he did when the medication reminder alarm went off. He swept the man into a much tighter hug at that, wrapping his wings around him tightly.

“Thank you." Thomas wept into the pokemon's embrace. “Thank you thank you thank you…"

<You're okay. You're safe.> Griff knew the man couldn't understand his assortment of clicks and whistles, but he hoped his soothing tones would carry enough meaning to help. What he didn't expect was for Thomas to begin chuckling.

“You're purple." Thomas muttered behind the pokemon's thick white neck fluff.

<Uh…> Griff was beginning to think the man might be suffering some sort of late-onset concussion. <I'm also green. And black.> He chirped matter-of-factly.

Thomas guessed from the 'no-duh' tone Grff had given him that the pokemon didn't fully understand. He internally facepalmed as he realised only Jeremy and Zana really knew about the whole 'seeing colours' thing, and that the release of emotion in Griffs embrace must have opened the gates to that sight. He pulled back as far as he could given two huge Noivern wings were keeping him wrapped up nice and tight. “I mean… it's hard to explain." Griff gave him another hug, and as he held the man tight Thomas observed a collection of small pink tendrils try to poke and prod him, wrapping around him but unable to fully take hold.

And he could see why. The thick brown bandages were back across his arms, across his whole body interwoven with strands of dark blue. He focused on the dark yellow ethereal restraints, willing the pink tendrils to peel them away. Every time Griff gave a little squeeze, the tendrils would surge with power, and Thomas used that to help pry away the strands wrapped tight around him.

The process took several minutes to begin, but only seconds to finish. With a tight hug and a whistled <You're safe> from Griff, Thomas felt the fear wrapped around him be torn away. The sensation was incredible, like jumping into a jacuzzi after sitting in a cold stream for hours, the icy spears of rushing water replaced with soft bubbling jets of warmth. He watched as the pink tendrils not only wrapped around him, but poured into him, pulsing into the deep blue and both brightening it, and altering it's hue. He could feel the shift of emotion inside himself, from a kind of exhausted apathy to relieved comfort. It was as if the man had only just noticed how soft and warm Griff's wings were, and how the pokemon's heartbeat was a gentle, soothing rhythm that he could lose himself in.

Griff could feel the change in Thomas' body, and hugged the man tighter. The tenseness and stress seemed to have melted away, and Thomas was now more actively hugging back. Thomas could see the pink tendrils thicken and push deeper into him, he could feel them inside, filling him with a sense of calm, the pattering of droplets from the shower running in the background helping to elicit a peaceful atmosphere. But as he watched the pink interact with the ever lightening purple at his core, Thomas felt something else begin to stir. The feeling of comfort, acceptance and overall love began to take a different course.

His cheeks flushed, his body tingled and he felt a stirring in his loins. The colours; their mixing was causing his arousal. He could feel the change, and allowing his libido to start driving his decision making, Thomas decided to experiment. He didn't know how long this 'window' into these colours would last but if Zye was able to manipulate these things so effectively, and if he was able to allow someone else's colours to influence him, then maybe he could learn to do the same.

Thomas focused on the bright purple now coursing through him, pushing it up through his chest, into his arms and down through his fingers. He could see the little blobs waver and strain under his command, barely doing what was asked. He felt Griff squeeze again, pumping more calming pink into him and it sparked a thought that would change Thomas' view on the universe. Thomas hugged back, not just willing the lustful tendrils from his fingers, but opening himself to Griff's embrace and allowing their energies to mingle. In a rush Thomas felt the pokemon's worries, pain, and love pour into him. He could only assume Griff felt the same as the pokemon gasped, muscles twitching from the rush of emotion. But one emotion overpowered all the others.

Griff pulled back far enough for his muzzle to press against Thomas' lips, a deep passionate kiss overtaking the pair as they acted on the powerful emotions flowing through them. For Griff it was a release, what they'd had back at the hospital was wonderful, and he'd secretly hoped to give it another try. For Thomas it was verification of a thought that had only recently taken shape. A dark part of his mind wondered if he could harness the use of colours to make other things happen, but fortunately there was both a more sensible part of his mind telling him to forget that notion and a lustful Noivern moaning into his mouth to take his mind off it.

Griff's tongue wrestled with Thomas' as his arms and wings tried to pull the man closer to him, needy groans from the two of them signalling their combined permission to go further. Thomas was already down to just a towel, so when Griff dragged his claws across the man's back he shuddered from the raw sensation. He moaned appreciation into the Noivern's muzzle, prompting the pokemon to push his tongue deeper and lock lips tighter.

But eventually the two had to come up for air, and with a gasp Thomas whipped the towel away, revealing his achingly erect member. With Griff unfurling his wings Thomas could see his meddling had had the desired effect, the short but thick humanoid cock throbbing in the steamy bathroom air. “Oh Griff…" He mumbled, eyeing the crimson meat standing proud amongst the velvety purple fur. He couldn't decide what he wanted more, the tightness of Griff's arse or to be filled with that impressive cock. With perfect timing - as the two of them regarded each other's form - Thomas' stomach growled again. “That settles that." He quipped, lunging at the pokemon.

Griff was surprised by his trainer's speed, and could only watch as Thomas' lips parted around the thick cock, his mouth barely able to open wide enough for the head of it. Jaw stretched and tongue lashing the underside, Thomas wrapped his arms around Griff's thighs and lifted him up, slamming the pokemon against the bathroom wall. The movement lined the thick red cock up a little better with the man's throat, and also allowed Griff to wrap his legs around the back of Thomas' head for support.

Thomas felt silken wings slap against his back as clawed hands ran up his neck and through his hair. He inhaled deeply through his nose before pushing himself forward, the wrist-thick cock straining the man's jaw as it slid further inside. He felt the member just barely pass the curve at the back of his throat when tufts of fur pressed against his lips. Thomas loosed a deep, rumbling moan, causing Griff to shudder and his cock to throb with anticipation. No one - human or pokemon - had ever taken his cock like that, and it felt amazing.

Thomas' rhythmic gulping massaged the crimson cock's head, his tongue barely able to writhe around the massive shaft. Griff whistled an incomprehensible string of tones, leaning back against the wall in an attempt to just relax and let his trainer do whatever he wanted. Why stop the man when he was making him feel this good? Thomas pulled back a little, exhaling hard before inhaling deeply and mashing his face against the pokemon's pelvic fur once more. He was hungry, and not just in the gastric sense. Thomas could still barely sense the colours swirling around, his head caught in the purple haze as he realised the two of them were acting almost like a feedback loop. The intensity of Thomas' lust was radiating outward into Griff's energy, which the pokemon was pushing back into Thomas as his desire to comfort the man turned to wanting to mate with him.

Griff's legs strained against Thomas' neck, muscles bulging and twitching along with his stifled thrusts. Thomas could tell the pokemon was holding back from ramming his meat down the man's throat, probably trying to uphold the trainer/pokemon hierarchy. But he was having none of it. Thomas pinned Griff's thighs to the wall with as much strength as he could muster and pulled back off the tumescent member. With a gasp of air and a lustful groan, he looked the Noivern in the eye. “Don't hold back." Images of Zana waiting expectantly for him to continue flashed through his mind, the words she'd want to hear forming on his tongue and spoken almost without thought. “Use me." He gulped, going red in the face before opening his mouth wide.

Griff's heart skipped a beat, Thomas was offering himself so brazenly. It was so strange, yet undeniably hot. Not wanting to disappoint, he tensed his leg muscles and drove Thomas' face back down onto his crotch. The thick cock was thrust past the man's lips to smash the back of his throat, a followup shift of the pelvis grinding that cock further into his mouth as the angle changed enough to slide into his throat proper. Thomas moaned his appreciation as Griff began bucking on his face.

Thomas released Griff's hips and turned around so that his back - and the pokemon's knees - were against the wall, giving Griff a bit more space to properly gyrate his hips. After a short while Griff had the state of mind to pull back far enough to let Thomas get another lungful of air before slamming back into the man, glucked moans synched to every deepthroated thrust. Thomas would suck on the meaty intrusion with all his might, the Noivern having to put every ounce of effort into pulling out of the near vacuum tightness.

<Thomas…> Griff's whistled groan signalled an approaching orgasm, and Thomas went into overdrive. His hands reached up, fingers digging into the fluff around the pokemon's neck before dragging down his chest. Velvety fur parted around thomas' fingernails as they scratched the dragon type's dark hide. <T-Thomas…> He whistled again, the tones ending with several clicks as his hips bucked hard against the man's lips.

Thomas wrapped his arms around Griff's waist and pulled him as close as possible, as deep as possible. The first jet of jism splashed against the back of his throat, the warm gooiness slickly sliding down into his belly as the second and third blasts struck atop the first. Thomas released his deepest, growling moan, the timbre broken by the rivulets of cum flowing down past his vocal chords causing a sloppy bubbling.

After another couple of spurts, Thomas was beginning to feel light headed. Subconsciously he began sliding down the wall until he ended up on the floor, Griff still pounding away into his tight throat. When the Noivern realised Thomas was getting close to passing out he pulled away awkwardly, legs needing to unfold from under the man's head before he could extract himself. Once free, he allowed the last few thick ropes of dragon-cum to strike the man across his cheeks, grinning at his trainer's devotion. But as he backed up, he felt the man's own impressive member press against his tail.

Thomas coughed a little, his airway free of the pulsing meat, only to gasp in shock as a powerful clawed foot pressed down against his face. Griff was standing over him, wiping his foot on the cum-stained cheek, and Thomas had no idea what the pokemon was doing. Until he withdrew the claw, wrapping it around the man's cock firmly enough to coat it in the thick, warm fluid. Thomas released a sensual groan, his own needs slowly being met by the surprisingly dominant Noivern. But the sensations didn't last long, as Griff released the throbbing member from his tight grip.

What followed was almost too quick for Thomas to properly appreciate. Griff swung his legs over Thomas' waist, straddling the man before slamming his entire weight down on Thomas' crotch. Were it not for the lubrication afforded by Griff's jism, the act of hilting Thomas in his rear would have caused both Griff and his trainer considerable discomfort. But thanks to the pokemon's quick thinking - and having been playing with himself via his tail for several minutes - there was just barely enough to get all the way in and still cause enough friction to be intensely pleasurable for both.

Thomas opened his mouth to scream out in bliss, but he was silenced by a hand towel quickly shoved in there by the speedy pokemon. Thomas unleashed his lustful tirade into the cloth, sending waves of pleasure through the Noivern thanks to it's sensitive hearing. Tiny claws then raked down the man's chest as Griff began bucking, riding his trainer for all he was worth.

It wouldn't have taken an expert to notice the man was on edge. The act of being deepthroated by his pokemon had sent Thomas into a giddy pre-orgasmic state, and now that Griff was impaled on his throbbing human cock, it was all the man could do not to explode. He wanted this to last so much longer, but his body was apparently going to deny him that. He tried to focus on staying strong and going the distance, but a whipped tail striking his thigh was the clincher.

A muffled cry of pleasurable pain emptied into the cloth as Thomas emptied his balls into Griff. The pokemon felt the first splash of human cum inside his arse and connected it to the whipped tail and landed another blow on Thomas' other leg. The man arched upwards, attempting to bury as much of his pole inside the Noivern as possible as his near inaudible moans were picked up by attuned ears. Griff shuddered, a smaller climax rapidly approaching as though deep down inside he could almost feel the same sensations Thomas was.

Human hands grasped at smooth linoleum in a futile attempt to grip anything, knowing he could cause his pokemon friend harm should he try to grab his delicate wings and squeeze. But after several more bursts of seed, Thomas slumped to the floor, exhausted. Griff cooed and whistled as he too collapsed, albeit onto the man's chest. They lay on the floor for several minutes, getting their breath back and playing with each other's bodies; Thomas running fingers up and down the velvety hide he was becoming more and more familiar with, while Griff played with the man's short and wet hair.

Their playtime was broken by the beeped alarm going off again. Griff's eyes practically glowed red as he snatched the ball off the bathroom counter with a clawed hand. Thomas could see the glare of a pokemon ready to crush his ball into a million pieces, so gently removed it from him and ruffled the fur on Griffs head comfortingly. “I should probably have done that first…" Thomas chuckled sheepishly, trying to defuse the situation, but there was no need, Griff simply collapsed back down atop the man, giving him a tight hug. “It's okay buddy, we'll find a way to get you back to your old self."

Griff nodded, squinting his eyes closed as he gave Thomas one last hug before dismounting the man. The two sighed as the warm air of the misty shower cascaded over their sensitive skin, the running shower having been embarrassingly forgotten in their lusty haze. Thomas blinked at the white surrounding them, wondering if they'd achieved some sort of nirvana regarding their colours. But it was just water vapour, the colours having disappeared from view sometime in his epic deepthroating adventure.

The man rubbed his eyes, blinking as he tried to locate the pill box while pointing out an empty drinking glass on the counter. “Right. Grab that glass, we got a few to get through this time." He smiled at Griff, a look of sorry understanding in both their eyes as they set about giving Griff the medication he needed nearly a half hour prior. “And then, lunch." His stomach growled in protest “For you, at least."

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[In several chapters time I'm gonna be adding another pokemon to the roster. I want suggestions from you, my audience. In the next chapter I'll be compiling the suggestions and take the most suggested/upvoted pokemon to put to a vote. There have been some great suggestions so far, and this is your last chance left to get your suggestion in.]

[The only restrictions are: No legendaries (except pseudo legendaries like Arcanine, because pokedex descriptions can be wacky). We've already got one ancient/mythical pokemon, more might be a bit excessive and mess with the plot. And no Wailord. Bit too big for what I have planned. If they can fit in a space roughly the size of a shipping container, that would be ideal.]