FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“The hell is Pokemon massage therapy?"

“Massage, by Pokemon, man, they've got special Pokemon on staff that are supposed to be really good at it. They even use some of their moves to help with stiff muscles and stuff."

Terry regarded the face peering over his cubicle wall with skepticism as he closed his laptop and slid it into his bag. “So you're saying I should, instead of going to a regular registered therapist for whatever's going on inside my back and repaired pelvis, go and get some Pokemon to use Hyper Beam on my spine?"

“Oh come on, Terry, open your mind." His coworker Cam rolled his eyes. “They aren't gonna use Hyper Beam on you. But, I mean, think about it: let's say you get, I dunno, a Blastoise as a massage therapist. Big, strong, and maybe it uses some kind of water therapy to help loosen things up. Can't get that from a human therapist without paying the big bucks!"

“You do have a point." Terry thought a moment as he fished out his keys. “And it's not like they'd want their Pokemon to hurt people, right? Huh."

Cam grinned. “Know what's even better?"

“What's that?"

“It's covered under our extended medical."

“No shit?" Terry blinked. “I wouldn't have expected that."

“They're legit!" A phone buzzed, and Cam glanced back. “Shit, that's me. Let me know if you try it!"

Terry watched his coworker rush back to his own desk as he rose and stretched out his recalcitrant lower lumbar. He couldn't change today's appointment, but maybe later in the week… sure, why not.

One quick web search later and Terry had the contacts for the Poke Health and Wellness Studio. Most of his therapy sessions were boring - it would be fun to mix things up a little.

* * * * *

The Poke Health and Wellness Studio was in one corner of a nondescript strip mall with a small sign and a window with generic images - people smiling as they were massaged, playing tennis, and so forth, all with Pokemon involved in some way. An older woman emerged from the door as Terry approached, phone to her ear. He caught a snippet of her conversation as they crossed paths: “...much better rotation now, I should be able to get back into swimming next week. That Machoke has magic hands…"

Huh. Another good review. Interesting.

Inside, the clinic was simple and sparse. White walls with pine wood chairs and shelves decorated the lobby, and the front desk was a neat wooden curve behind which two figures sat - one human, one Pokemon.

The Kirlia smiled politely and went back to its work as he was waved forward by the human woman. “Good afternoon. Do you have an appointment?"

“Yes, Terry Weaver. I called earlier."

“Oh, yes, here you are, half-hour intro. A new patient, right?"

“That's right. I heard some good things about this place."

The receptionist smiled. “We have a small but very devoted group of patients. May I see your insurance card?"

Terry filled out a form while he was placed into the computer system, and traded it for his card. The woman scanned his responses. “Chronic lower back pain after car accident. Great, we have a therapist who is excellent with lower back issues. Please take a seat, it should be around ten minutes."

“Thanks." He turned to survey the chairs. Two people were in the waiting room, a middle-aged man reading a magazine and, to Terry's surprise, another Pokemon. This one was a Cinderace; it sat staring out the window and occasionally shifting to stretch out one hip with a wince. Terry sat a couple of chairs over from the rabbit-like Fire-type, who glanced over, gave him a companionable smile and nod, then went back to pondering the window.

Even Pokemon were making use of this place. That seemed to be a good sign.

As Terry waited, a woman arrived and another left, with a Pokemon he recognized as a Luxio emerging from the back not long after her. The man put down his magazine and ruffled the electric cat's short mane. “How are those ribs feeling?"

“Lux, luxio!" The response was obviously pleased.

“Good! Let's go get some poffins, huh?"

“Lux!"

Terry watched the pair leave, then looked up as his name was called. The receptionist motioned to the corridor into the back. “We're ready for you, Terry."

“Oh thanks." He stood, wincing at a twinge from his back, then followed her in.

Several doors were evident along the corridor; one open one showed a washroom, another a small break room. The others were closed except for the last on the left, which she pushed open to reveal a massage room: shelves and cabinets along one wall, a sink in one corner, and a massage table in the middle with fresh linen awaiting.

“If you could get undressed and under the drape please? Your therapist will be in shortly."

The receptionist closed the door behind her. Terry took off his jacket and hung it up, then paused and looked around. Ah, there it was - a small, discrete dish on the counter. Most of the RMTs he had seen in the last year since his accident had a tip dish out. He dug in his wallet and set a generous amount in the dish. Terry appreciated the peace that massage brought him, and there was nothing wrong with building a relationship with a therapist.

That completed, he shed the rest of his clothes, but opted to keep his boxers on. A couple of the RMTs he saw preferred that, while others were unbothered by draped nudity. For a first visit, Terry went for the safe option.

Settled on the bed and under the drape, Terry waited, enjoying the cool, gently scented air of the treatment room until someone knocked lightly on the door. “Come in," he called.

The door opened, and a slim, fox-like figure entered. It was mostly orange, with darker patches and a white blaze under its chin and down the neck, where it disappeared under an incongruous blue apron. A thick tail swished behind it, a pair of forest-green fabric bands near the base holding the Pokemon's ubiquitous forked stick. Unusually, the shock of unruly fur jutting from its large pointed ears was styled; some was neatly braided into a circular shape with ribbons of the same forest green as adorned its tail and a few glittering beads. The result was almost like furry earrings. It was a very unique look.

The Delphox smiled and closed the door. “Del, delphox."

“Uh, hi, I'm Terry."

The fox-like Pokemon offered a business card. He read one side. “Souci? Like 'Susie'?"

It nodded, and flipped the card over; it bore the image of some flowers with strikingly similar colors to Souci's fur and an explanation that 'souci' was the name of those flowers in Kalos - they were called marigolds elsewhere. “Oh, I see!"

“Delph." Souci took the card and put it away. “Phox?" The Pokemon's paws gestured to his covered body. Terry knew the routine by now.

“I was in a car accident a little over a year ago, had a broken pelvis that healed up fine but I've had persistent lower back pain ever since. The doctors think something might be out of alignment, but can't figure it out, and want to let everything heal really well before digging around in there again. So, they recommended regular massage to bring the pain levels down."

Souci nodded and reached out to lay one paw on his lower back. A look of concentration crossed the Delphox's face, and Terry felt a strange tingling that quickly subsided. Then the Pokemon touched three spots with one finger. “Phox, delphox del."

“Okay, if you just diagnosed the problem I want to hire you as my personal doctor."

Souci chuckled with a shake of the head. “Phox, phox del." That paw stretched out towards Terry's head. “Delphox?"

He was confused. “You're asking permission to touch me? To do what you just did to my back?"

Souci rocked the other paw back and forth in a “kinda" motion.

“Well… okay."

Gentle fingers - warmer than he would have expected - touched his temple. The tingling came again, then Souci drew back.

(- tight spots -)

The voice was soft, neutral, and directly in Terry's brain. He jolted. “What did you just do?"

(- psychic -)

Oh, right - Delphox were Fire and Psychic types, weren't they? Terry had no idea they could use their abilities to communicate, though. “That's a good trick. So, you found the tight spots?"

(- some. more visits, more spots, better understanding -)

“Got it. So, work on these for now and see how it goes?"

“Delph." Souci smiled and turned to the counter, placing the wooden stick down and picking up a pump bottle. The Delphox's gaze paused on the tip tray, and then moved back to Terry. One finger tapped the money there. “Phox? Del?"

He shrugged awkwardly. “Oh, just something to get the relationship started, I guess?"

Souci smiled. “Phox." The Pokemon drew the sheet down Terry's back. When his boxers came into view, the Pokemon touched the fabric with one finger.

(- comfortable with nude under drape next time -)

“Great, thanks for letting me know. Figured I'd be safe."

Souci brushed a paw along Terry's shoulders, encouraging him to get comfortable, then got to work, running over his lower back in long strokes. It was a different feel than his previous massage therapists. Oiled skin felt different than the Delphox's pads and the furred spaces between - a little less soft, but the touch was warmer. The oil felt a little more viscous than he was used to as well. Maybe something that worked better with fur? Terry filed that to ask later, and slowly relaxed into the massage.

The process was similar to what he was used to, at least. Souci started the session working across his lower back and hips to loosen muscles up over a broad area, the motions slow and relaxing rather than targeted. The added heat in the Pokemon's paws was soothing, and before he knew it Terry's mind was drifting pleasantly.

He registered the change in focus as Souci re-oiled his back and those warm fingers zeroed in on one of the problem spots, where tight muscles clumped and irritated nerves. There, the Pokemon's touch became firmer, kneading the surrounding area, finding the lines of tension radiating from the pain points, and engaging with steady pressure. Terry winced at a particularly sore spot, and Souci paused.

(- bad there? -)

“Yeah, just there where your left hand… uh, paw? is."

The Delphox hummed quietly. The paws lifted from Terry's back, and there was a pause. Two fingers tapped at the problem spot, a single pinpoint touch. A bloom of heat radiated out from that site, and he gasped as it spread across his back, saturating the muscles with warmth. When the wave had passed, the soreness had eased - quite a lot.

“Whoa. What did you just do?"

Souci's paws went back to work. (- fire punch -)

“Huh?"

(-very small, gentle use of fire punch. more warmth than fire. useful for knotted muscles -)

“Wow. I didn't know you could downsize a move like that."

“Delph." Souci's paws kneaded around the spot where the heat had been applied. That quiet voice settled in Terry's head again.

(- not a trainer? very comfortable with pokemon -)

“Nah, it wasn't my thing when I was younger. My cousin competed though, she was always at our place with her team. Had a Flareon as her main partner, so I had a lot of experience with Fire-types." He paused, turning his head to where the Delphox was working on his left side. “Sorry if this is a rude question, but do you have a trainer? I know there's more Pokemon doing things on their own lately."

Souci leaned in with added pressure and worked a palm against his lower back. (- trainer is a Pokemon doctor, wanted to try something different. runs a Pokemon clinic across town, started this place to show we can do things other than battling -)

Terry nodded, watching the vulpine's tail swish as Souci switched spots. One paw lifted, the Delphox focused, and a swirl of energy built up around two fingers that were again applied to his back. The surge of warmth immediately did its work, and the massage continued. “That - ooh! - that sounds really progressive. Very cool."

Souci smiled, that orange tail continuing to flick back and forth. The massage continued, pressure increasing and decreasing in regular intervals as problem spots emerged and were kneaded out. Finally, those warm paws left his back, and he heard the sink run. Souci circled back into his vision.

(- finished for today -)

“It feels great. You do really good work."

(- excellent. good first impression, i hope -)

“Definitely. I'll be back. How often do you recommend? My insurance and therapy plan is pretty generous."

Souci pondered a moment. (- book for next week, then see how it feels and go from there -)

Terry gave the Pokemon a thumbs-up from his prone position. “Will do."

The Pokemon returned the thumbs-up. “Delph!"

Terry waited for the door to close before sitting up to find his clothes. He stretched tentatively, and was pleased to note that his range of motion felt better. He'd have to buy Cam lunch for pointing him to this place.

* * * * *

“So how did you get into - oooh - massage?"

Stretched out on the table, covered by the thin drape, Terry waited as Souci held both paws on his back, waves of warmth flowing up and down with a steady rhythm. The Delphox had connected with Psychic earlier, and as the warmth waned that neutral, quiet voice entered his mind.

(- tried to be a battle 'mon back a few years, didn't like it. traded to sharon as a braixen, helped as her assistant, saw benefits of many treatments -)

“Nice. Really cool that you've been given the opportunity to explore something you like." Terry grunted. “My folks decided I was going into middle management for me. Paid for college, rode me until I got through, then got me a job with some family friends. Bores me stiff."

The Delphox chuckled, kneading his lower left to loosen a tight spot. (- must be part of why your back is so stiff as well -)

“Could be." Another burst of heat soothed the portion Souci had just been working, and then those talented paws moved along. “Did you do formal training?"

(- sharon arranged program with a local college. two other pokemon also there, machoke who works here and a gardevoir, moved to Hoenn -)

Terry shifted at a particularly firm pressure, then grunted as the knot released. “You guys need to get some media coverage. So many people still think that Pokemon are all about battle and the League and everything, but there are so many of you out there doing interesting stuff."

Souci ran a paw along Terry's spine, a pleasant glow following. Warmth spread in his mind as well, an odd sensation that he put down to the Psychic link.

(- thank you. good to have recognition, especially from non-trainers -)

“Hey, you're more interesting than most of my coworkers, I could do to have a few Pokemon like you at the office."

(- office work would, as you say, bore me stiff -)

Terry laughed. “Fair enough."

* * * * *

“I have to say, your back seems to be holding up well lately."

Terry pulled his shirt back on and slid off the doctor's exam table. “Yeah, I found a new massage therapist who seems to have the right approach for it. Been really loose lately."

The doctor made some notes on his laptop. “That's great. I'm actually very pleased with it right now. How often have you been getting treatment?"

“Half a dozen times so far. Alternating weeks right now, or weekly if it starts to twinge."

“Not bad at all. Keep it up and we'll do an MRI in a few months, see how everything looks. I'll be sure to report that the massage is working and keep it in your treatment plan."

“Sounds good. You might find this place interesting, actually, it's a clinic that uses specially trained Pokemon as therapists. Lots of good word-of-mouth."

“Oh, I've heard of that! I met the doctor who helped get it started at a conference. Very enthusiastic." The doctor made a note. “I'll look into it further. If you're any indication, their treatment might be just right for some of my other patients."

* * * * *

Friday afternoon brought a nearly empty waiting room at the clinic. “You're it for the day," the receptionist informed Terry as he checked in. “Fridays are usually pretty dead."

He mentioned that to Souci as they got started. “If I'd known Friday afternoons were so quiet I would have let you all go home early."

Souci chuckled as the massage got underway, skilled fingers checking the usual spots for tension. Terry felt the Psychic connection kick in, a soft almost-hum in his brain accompanied by that feeling of warmth. (- never complain about you coming in. besides, no plans for the day -)

“Me neither, that's why I booked this week. Boss occasionally likes to have late Friday meetings just to be miserable so I medicaled out."

(- boss needs to be fired. no plans with girlfriend? boyfriend? -)

“Huh? Oh, no, I'm not dating anyone right now. Haven't for a while, to be honest."

The Delphox hummed, kneading a pressure point along his spine. (- not a priority? -)

Terry shrugged. “Not right now, anyhow. Still working on a lot of stuff after the accident, you know? Mentally and physically. I don't need to put that on anyone else." He paused. “What about you? I actually never really thought of how Pokemon handle relationships."

Souci worked firmly along Terry's left side and used a burst of warmth to loosen the muscles. (- depends on the Pokemon, but much less formal than humans. wild Pokemon mostly skip the formalities, but with trainers can be different -)

“Oh? Kind of pick up on the human aspect of relationships?"

(- some, yes. don't necessarily pairbond, but other things, like getting to know partners before breeding. daycares and breeding centers there for quick mating, otherwise tend to take a little more time and be more choosy -) The Delphox chuckled. (- doesn't mean nice date night isn't appreciated - or more physical date night, depending on situation -)

Terry laughed. “There's that 'skipping the formalities' thing, huh? Man, we humans could save a lot of time with that."

(- have noticed that, yes. so much weight put on perfectly natural activity. humans should just let sex be sex sometimes -)

“Ever considered writing an advice column? You'd do well."

“Delph." Souci chuckled, continuing to work his back.

They grew silent as the massage continued. Terry found himself watching the slow sway of the vulpine's tail while its owner kneaded at his tight spots. It flicked here and there, undulated back and forth, rarely holding still. He wondered vaguely if that tail movement was an unconscious action, like tapping one's fingers on a table.

The sway was mesmerizing, making ripples in the soft fur. He wondered how much work it must take to keep all that fur clean and tidy.

(- can pet it if you like -)

He started, just a little. “Huh?"

Souci's tail flicked up and settled on the edge of the table in front of Terry. (- brush daily, trim weekly, big conditioner bill -)

The Delphox winked at the human, not ceasing the massage. Terry reached out a hand. “That's okay?"

Souci nodded. Terry's fingers brushed along the thick fur. It was as soft as he expected, almost silky to the touch and smooth. He recalled how his cousin's Flareon had always been begging for tail brushes, and how he'd enjoyed running his fingers through that warm mass of fur when the opportunity arose.

“Delll."

The soft murmur brought Terry back to reality. His fingers were burrowed deep into Souci's tail fur, and the room seemed just a little - blurry? Warm? He glanced up. The Delphox was smiling almost dreamily, and Souci's touch had become less focused on his back, shifting from pinpoint precision to long strokes. There were little waves of heightened warmth rippling through his mind with each caress, and - Terry realized with some surprise - he had become quite hard against the table.

He lifted his hand away and glanced up at the Delphox. Souci continued to work, eyes half-closed, then paused. “Delph?" With a shake of the head, Souci seemed to snap back to attention. “Phox."

“Uh… didn't mean to break your concentration. Sorry."

“Delphox del." Souci's head shook. (- apologies. don't usually dissociate like that. -) The Delphox paused for a long moment and took a few deep breaths, eyes unusually wide.

“No worries. I was feeling this weird growing - heat, I guess? - through the Psychic link. Was that something you intended?"

Souci considered him for a moment, then sucked in a sharp breath. “Phox!" (- oh, apologies, unintentional, emotional resonance through the bond, lost my focus and, uh… let me just -) There was a mental 'pop' and the bond was gone.

“Are you okay?" Terry rolled over and started to sit up, then remembered too late that he was still rather, ah, firm, and paused. The light drape kept him concealed, but settled perfectly to highlight the bulge at his groin. Souci's eyes flicked down, then up, then down and back up, and widened even more.

“Phox del delph deldelllphox!"

A flurry of Pokespeech and waved paws suggested that the Delphox was both flustered and trying to say that their time was up for the day. Terry had never seen Souci so off balance, and held up a hand. “Hey, take it-"

He was too late. The Delphox straightened, balled the massage apron in front of its hips, and dashed out the door so quickly Terry expected it to fall off its hinges. The Kirlia who he frequently saw at the front desk walked past a moment later, staring in the direction Souci had gone, then looked into the room at a bewildered Terry with a curiously raised eyebrow.

He stared back. “What the hell just happened?"

The Kirlia shrugged and closed the door for him.

* * * * *

Rain pelted down against the windshield as Terry made his way through the late-day streets. He hummed along with the radio, pondering his dinner options for a quiet Friday night. Order some Mexican? Yeah, that would work.

Traffic backed up at one of the usual spots on the edge of downtown, and Terry found himself creeping along as bursts of rain lashed against the car. Figures scurried along the sidewalk, umbrellas fluttering in the rain. One, though, caught his attention - a strangely familiar one.

Terry peered more closely. An orange-and-brown figure in a blue windbreaker was trying to stay dry at a bus shelter, frantically digging in a messenger bag, only to be doused by a gout of water splashed up by a passing car. The beribboned ear fur drooped from its usual ringed splendor, and the Delphox looked thoroughly defeated.

Finding a gap in traffic, Terry wheeled into the lane, slapped his four-ways, and reached over to crack the door. “Souci!"

The Pokemon looked up. He waved. “Get in!" Souci paused for only a moment, then dashed to the curb and clambered in.

Terry pulled away before anyone got too cranky with his presence. “Are you okay?"

Souci fumbled with the seatbelt, dripping water. “Phox, del delph PHOX."

“I think I just learned my first Pokemon curse words."

Souci snorted, pawing water from their eyes. “"Delphox del."

“My gym bag is on the back seat - there's a clean towel in there, I didn't make it today."

He glanced at the Delphox as Souci pulled the towel out, mumbling quietly while drying off. He had been in for one session since the one where the Pokemon had dashed out on him; it had been as friendly and pleasant as ever, though Souci had not used Psychic and they had communicated verbally as well as they could. He'd kind of missed that touch, but if Souci wasn't comfortable with it, he was fine with that too.

For the moment, the Pokemon was focused on wringing out that thick tail. Terry turned out of the busy traffic and onto some side streets. “What were you doing out there anyhow?"

The Delphox grunted and motioned with one paw. Terry nodded, and felt the buzz of Psychic a moment later - and a flare of annoyance that he recognized as coming from Souci. (- running chores, missed my bus, didn't expect that much rain -)

“That's annoying. Did you call your trainer?"

(- phone got drenched, needs to dry off. bugger of a day -)

Terry turned a corner. “Sounds like it. Hey, my place is a few blocks away, can I offer you some more towels and call your trainer for you from there?"

Souci glanced over with an odd expression. “Del?"

“I don't mind at all. Always happy to help a friend in need."

A smile creased the Delphox's muzzle, accompanied by a warm glow through the Psychic link. “Phox."

“Glad I tidied the place up!"

* * * * *

Terry opened the door for his guest. “Come on in. Shoes can go - wait, you know, I don't even know if you wear shoes."

(- usually only in bad weather, wasn't expecting it… sorry -)

He took the Pokemon's sodden jacket and hung it up by the door. “Don't worry about it. Here, why don't you go dry off - the bathroom's just down the hall to the left."

Souci headed that way, looking around. “Del delph."

“Yeah, I moved in here a few months ago. Bought it with the settlement from the accident." Terry put away his gear and walked into the kitchen of his modest house. “Three bedrooms, new kitchen, nice little backyard. I like it."

“Del!" The Pokemon found the bathroom and flipped the light on. “Phooox."

“Oh, yeah, and a big shower and soaker tub." He chuckled. “If you need to warm up, go ahead and use the shower, I don't mind. Oh! What's your trainer's number?"

Souci held up a finger. “Phox." The Pokemon walked a few feet back towards him, then the voice slid into his head again.

He thumbed the number into his phone. “That Psychic connection has a range, huh?"

(- yes, fairly short, otherwise would hear all kinds of things from all over -)

“Makes sense. Shout if you need anything, huh?"

Souci waved and disappeared into the bathroom. A moment later the shower hissed on. Terry smiled and called the number he had taken down. It rang twice. “Sharon Viburnum."

“Oh hi, my name is Terry Weaver. Souci asked me to give you a call."

“Souci? Is everything all right?"

“Yes, I happened to be driving past and noticed Souci caught out in this rainstorm, so I offered to help out. I'm one of their massage patients."

“Caught in the rain again, huh? Souci is terrible for that, he never checks the forecast." Viburnum chuckled. “Is he warming up? He's prone to colds. Fire types, you know."

Terry listened to the shower hissing in the background. “Yes, we were near my place so I brought the- er, him, here. He's using the shower."

“My condolences to your water bill then. If you have any kind of herbal tea that would be helpful as well, if you don't mind." Someone spoke in the background. “Right, just a second! Ah - can Souci wait there for a couple hours? I'm tied up but happy to come by and pick him up around 9-ish. I don't mean to impose-"

“That's no problem at all. We seem to get on well, and I've got a big hot water tank."

Viburnum laughed. “I'm sure he'll get on with your Pokemon as well."

“Oh, I don't have any Pokemon."

The doctor sounded surprised. “Really? And you've thrown in to help out one that you just know from your massage therapy? You're very comfortable for not working with them regularly."

“Funny, Souci said the same thing. We've had some nice chats during our sessions."

“Really? You don't train but you understand Pokemon speech?"

“I can work it out sometimes, but he's also used Psychic to connect-"

“You're capable of communicating through Psychic? That's very interesting! We need to meet some time. There are not a lot of humans who haven't grown up with their own Pokemon that are receptive to Psychic links!"

She sounded thrilled at this information. Terry chuckled. “I'd be glad to meet you some time. It's not perfect, by any means, and we had an issue once with something Souci called - what was it… emotional resonance? I guess it means I-"

“-can feel strong emotions that can amplify or reflect your own. Again, that only happens when there's a strong connection." Viburnum fell silent for a moment. “Very, very interesting. Well, if nothing else, I'm glad Souci is building friendships outside of other Pokemon - it's something I very much encourage." Someone spoke in the background. “Oh! Yes, one moment. Terry, I need to get back to it here. Can you text me your address? I'll let you know when I'm on the way."

“Sounds great. See you then."

What an odd conversation. Pokemon specialists certainly had their own way of doing things. He set the phone down and listened - the shower was still running. Fire types in water was a funny concept, but if it kept the Delphox healthy, Terry didn't mind. In the kitchen he found a box of tea and started some water boiling.

A few minutes later, the shower went silent, and shortly after, Souci reemerged. He - and Terry realized that until Viburnum had mentioned it, he hadn't actually known the Pokemon's gender - had replaced the two green bands on his tail to hold his stick, but the fur of his ears was puffed out in its natural state.

“Hey! Feeling better?"

Souci nodded and made his way back into the living room. His voice settled into Terry's mind once again, carrying with it that pleasant warmth he was familiar with from their sessions. (- much better, apologies for all the hot water -) He sniffed. (- tea? -)

“Yeah, I had some bags of chai. Your trainer said it might help keep you warm."

“Delphox." (- spoke with sharon? -)

Terry poured a mug of chai for Souci, who took it gratefully. “She asked if I would mind you staying a few hours, she's wrapped up with something. I said I'd have to throw you out."

“Phox?!"

“Kidding." Terry grinned at the shocked expression on the Pokemon's muzzle. “I don't mind having you over if you're okay with it."

Souci frowned, then quite deliberately stuck his tongue out at Terry. “Phbbt."

“Oh my Arceus, I think that's the silliest thing I've ever seen you do." Terry laughed. “Gotcha."

(- cranking up the heat on that fire punch next time -)

“Hey now, I'm a weak human, none of that. Come on, make yourself comfortable."

Terry took his own tea and settled on one end of the sofa. Souci sat at the other, collecting his messenger bag. He wriggled around a moment, then produced green ribbon and strings of beads from inside the fabric wraps around his tail.

“That's a handy storage spot. Must take a while to braid your fur like that, huh?"

Souci grunted and put the decorations in his bag, then fished around and produced a brush. (- try to do it every few days, but got nasty from dirty water -) He curled his tail around into his lap, removed the stick and set it aside, and started brushing. (- hope you don't mind more casual me -)

“Not at all! It's actually nice seeing you more relaxed and less professional. I don't think I've seen you not wearing some kind of clothes before, for one." Terry chuckled. “That's a lot of fur, you know?"

(- you do like my fur, don't you? must have been a trainer in a past life or something -) Souci glanced past his tail at the human on the other end of the sofa and flashed a playful smirk. Terry found himself grinning back, that odd warmth from the Psychic link seeming just a bit more intense as they shared the moment.

Souci busied himself with some strokes of the brush along his tail as Terry sipped his tea. The motions seemed to relax the Pokemon, whose eyes half-closed as he focused on capturing and straightening fur with each movement. Through the link it felt - comfortable. Relaxed. Calming.

Glancing up, Souci caught him watching, paused, and offered the brush handle-first. (- give it a try -)

“You sure? I barely even brush my own hair." At a confirming nod, Terry took the brush, then drew the Delphox's thick tail across his own legs and started running the bristles carefully along its length. It was, he confirmed, a relaxing activity, and in a few strokes he felt himself settling in, growing warmth suffusing him from the nearness of the Fire-type's body and the pleased murmurs of his vulpine companion. It was pleasant, and uniquely intimate.

The more he brushed, the more the brushing felt right - the more sitting here with Souci felt right, the better the Delphox's fur felt under his hands, the warmth rising from his body close by, the slightly spiced scent of him… and when Souci turned and took the brush back, leaning closer, that felt right too.

(- terry? -)

“Hmm?"

(- i'm going to kiss you now -)

Delphox muzzles, Terry discovered, were just as warm as the rest of them. Pointed, soft, and a little difficult to figure out when it came to lips pressing against one another. The warm glow of the Psychic link flared into bright heat as that touch lingered, then shifted as Souci drew back to meet his gaze. The link shifted - curiosity, questioning.

Terry considered a moment. Then he brushed his fingers through the fur of the Delphox's cheek, cupped his head, and pulled him back in.

Souci turned into a furry ball of pleasure against Terry's chest. The human slipped his free arm around the vulpine's waist and drew him closer as the kiss lingered. Souci's lips parted against Terry's, and the heated tip of his tongue flicked forward. Terry met it with his own, and Souci moaned breathlessly.

Terry's mind was afire with desire. He wasn't sure if it was the Psychic or just the partner. It had been some time since he had kissed anyone, and even longer since his few fumbling encounters with other guys in college, but having Souci in his arms felt just right at the moment.

Their tongues caressed eagerly against one another as they kissed. Terry rubbed the fur between Souci's ears, holding him close. With the other arm, he leaned back and pulled the smaller Delphox up into his lap. Souci shifted smoothly to straddle his legs, and stretched his full body against Terry's. A firm bulge pressed against his belly. Terry broke the kiss, nuzzling under the Pokemon's sharp muzzle. “I think you're enjoying this."

“Delphox… delph." Souci leaned back so Terry could see the pink tip of a tapered cock peeking out of the fur. He leaned forward again to settle that length against the human's own bulge with a playful grind.

“I haven't done anything with another guy for ages, but I'm willing to try," Terry murmured against one pointed ear, following up with a nibble along Souci's neck. The Pokemon shivered and whined.

(- like both men and women, been a while since with a human male though -) Souci's mental voice was shaky in Terry's head. (- let me refresh my memory -)

The Pokemon slid backwards off Terry's lap and reached down to unbutton his pants. Terry lifted up and let Souci slide his slacks free. His erection bulged under his boxers. Souci slowly lowered himself to kneel between the human's thighs and nuzzled along that bulge. Terry groaned. Souci's pink tongue flicked out and teased against the fabric, then the Delphox hooked the band of his shorts and freed his shaft.

Terry's cock bobbed in front of Souci's nose. The Delphox admired it for a moment while peeling the boxers free, then brushed a slow lick along the bottom. Terry gasped and twitched, a bead of pre emerging, and Souci quickly licked it away with a little moan of pleasure. Then the Pokemon opened his muzzle - sharp teeth flashing - and engulfed the human's shaft with one motion.

“Oh fuck!" The inside of Souci's mouth was hot and wet, and the lips clasped around his base felt amazing. Terry shed his work shirt and rested a paw on Souci's cheek, stroking the fur there, as the Pokemon started to bob up and down, carefully avoiding teeth as he suckled and slurped along the human's length.

Through the bond, it was obvious Souci was enjoying himself. Terry noticed one arm twitching, and glanced downward. “Mmh… are you jacking off?"

Souci held Terry's cock with one paw as he slid up onto the sofa. He angled his body to give Terry a good view, then slipped his fingers around the tapered length emerging from his fur and started to stroke as he bobbed on Terry's cock. Terry watched the show as Souci continued to suck him, panting with pleasure.

The Delphox's blow job was warm and sloppy, saliva coating Terry's length and dripping into his crotch. The reason became obvious as Souci lifted his muzzle away, panting, to crawl over Terry's hips again. This time, he shifted forward, erection bobbing over the human's belly. (- may i ride you? -)

“Arceus yes!"

Terry felt fur against his well-slicked tip, then flesh, and then the pressure of the Delphox's tight ring. Souci moaned and jerked his hips, and Terry found himself two inches deep into his first-ever Pokemon.

“Dellll… phox!" Souci lifted up and dropped again, taking even more of the human's shaft, then held there, rocking up and down with little motions that had Terry moaning.

“Fuck you're tight… and hot!" he managed, reaching up to rest his hands on Souci's hips. The Delphox grinned breathlessly at him and gave one more push that buried Terry to the root. “Oooh damn!"

“Phox delph…" Souci leaned down into an urgent, lustful kiss. The human held his vulpine partner close, grinding up into the clenching warmth, until Souci lifted his hips and started to ride the shaft buried deep inside him. “Pho phox phox!"

“Yeah, me neither…" Terry brushed a hand through thick fur and homed in on Souci's erection. It was smaller in overall size than a human might boast, fairly slim and pointed at the tip. It was also rock-hard, very warm, and dripping with precum. He spread that around and started to pump in time with Souci's movements. Souci whined, and through the Psychic link Terry felt pleasure building. “Cum for me, Souci…"

The Pokemon leaned back, thrusting atop his human partner, taking Terry deep over and over as his muscles began to clench. (- squeeze the base -)

Terry did as requested. He slid his fingers down the Pokemon's cock and found some bulges a little wider than the shaft. Souci whined in desire as he stroked over them, then circled the base beneath them with his thumb and fingers, and squeezed.

“Phooooox!" The bulges surged and grew against Terry's grasp. Muscles clenched and twitched, and with a howl the Delphox erupted into orgasm. Thin gushes of white semen spurted from the tapered tip of his cock, splashing up Terry's chest and belly, pooling on his skin. The clenching and the flare of climax through the bond left Terry unable to control his own finish, and as Souci convulsed atop him he burst, cock pulsing against the Delphox's insides as it jetted his thicker seed into the Pokemon.

Terry was surprised to run down first. When he opened his eyes he saw that Souci was still cumming, his shaft twitching steadily with little spurts of thin fluid. The Pokemon opened his eyes and leaned down to touch foreheads with the human. “Delph phox…"

“Do I have to?" Terry breathlessly released the Delphox's cock, still fully hard and with the bulge at the base inflated. “Super sensitive like that, huh?"

Souci rubbed his cheek against Terry's and sagged. (- yes, that kind of pressure around my knot encourages orgasm… when tied with partner more sperm can find eggs -)

“Makes sense," Terry agreed, reaching down to knead the vulpine's tail base with both hands as they relaxed. “Uh… I forgot to ask if it was okay to finish inside you. Sorry."

Souci licked his nose. (- would have said if it wasn't, but thank you for checking -) His look turned devious. (- means I owe you one, though -)

Terry lifted an eyebrow. “That mean you're interested in doing this again?"

In response, Souci kissed him again. (- fun to spend time with you. professional at clinic, maybe get together sometimes as friends? -)

“I'd like that, yeah." He stroked the Delphox's back. “I think we both need a shower though. You are very … productive."

(- sorry, yes, big volume, long orgasms, part of life -) Souci stood, letting Terry's mostly-soft cock slip free. (- shower together? -)

“I'm down. Let's go."

* * * * *

Despite early concerns, there was plenty of hot water left. The shower was big enough for two - not that Terry had ever had anyone else in it with him before. Souci was of a reasonable size to share, though. Shampoo did quickly become scarce as the two of them industriously scrubbed semen out of the Delphox's fur.

Terry turned to scrubbing himself down, soaping up his well-coated chest and belly before turning to face the spray of the water and letting it rinse him down. It felt good, and a moment later felt better when a pair of furred arms slipped around his waist. “Hello there."

“Delphox." Souci settled bodily against Terry's back, nuzzling at his shoulder. Terry leaned into the Pokemon, who rumbled pleasure in return.

Something nudged up against Terry's rump. “Uh… are you getting hard again already?"

“Dellll…" (- handsome guy in the shower with me, how can you blame me -)

“Okay, fair. I might need-" Deft fingers teased at his crotch, playing with his sac and fondling his soft penis, which stirred under the attention. “-a bit more time?"

(- trust me? -)

“I may regret this, but yes."

(- heh -)

The wet-furred body left his back, and the playful paws slipped down to rest on his hips, then to knead his rump. He glanced back to see Souci kneeling behind him, and then gasped when the Delphox leaned forward and lapped directly along his crack. “Oh, okay, well…"

“Del." Souci nipped playfully at one asscheek, then his fingers spread the human's rump and he leaned in. His warm tongue flicked in, hotter than the shower water that ran down Terry's body, and teased at his anus with playful touches.

“Nng… never had this done before, it's - different…" Terry leaned forward against the shower wall and gave the Delphox more room to work. Souci's fingers pried his cheeks further apart, and he licked and nuzzled with eager movements. “Feels nice."

Souci's wet, slick tongue pressed against his tight ring, warmth relaxing the muscles there, teasing just within as the Delphox worked him over. One paw slid up between Terry's legs to fondle his balls and growing arousal. Terry groaned at the dual stimulation, shifting to give the Pokemon more access to his ass.

(- can feel how much you like this -) Souci's mental voice almost purred in Terry's mind as his tongue swirled and prodded. Terry could feel the Delphox's eagerness in their link - eagerness, and anticipation.

He knew that Souci was going to pull away just before that warm tongue disappeared. Those paws rested on his hips again, and he felt wet fur whisper up his body, Souci's slim chest resting against his back. He was almost ready when the tapered tip of the vulpine's shaft slid along his damp cleft and, thanks to the warmth and wetness of Souci's talented tongue, slipped smoothly into him. Almost.

Any pain from that initial thrust was blotted away by the flare of pleasure through the bond. Souci moaned against Terry's back, arms tight around his waist, one paw straying down to fondle his resurgent erection. The Pokemon's cock was hot against the tight ring of muscle, and that heat helped open him. Souci's hips worked slowly, sinking ever deeper, then picked up speed as Terry relaxed.

It was an intense sensation that was amplified by the link, and Terry found himself riding waves of pleasure as Souci ground against him with slow, steady thrusts. The Delphox nuzzled against his neck and shoulders, brushing licks and gentle kisses, stroking Terry's thick erection in time with his eager humping.

Terry pushed back against the shaft buried inside him, taking it deep. Souci met him with a soft growl, and Terry felt the bulge at his base starting to press against his ring. The Pokemon ground hard against him a few times, then slowed. His cock slipped out, pressed between Terry's thighs.

(- mind changing for a better position? -)

Turning around, Terry slid his arms around the shorter Delphox and leaned in to kiss him deeply, pressing their cocks together and grinding. “Bed?" he suggested, turning off the shower. “We'll need a bunch of towels…"

Souci nibbled on Terry's lip playfully, then smirked. He stepped out of the tub and concentrated for a moment. A wave of heat rippled from his body with a quiet “whuff." Steam was sucked away by the fan above, and Souci stood with dry - if slightly frizzed - fur. (- meet you there -)

“That's cheating," Terry called after the retreating figure. Souci raised his tail playfully as he disappeared down the hall. Terry grabbed a towel and dried himself, then made a quick detour to the kitchen and followed.

His bedroom was easy enough to find, and when he arrived he found Souci stretched out on the bed, pawing the erection that stood firm from amid his fur. “Delll. Delph."

“You look very tasty. Want to pick up where we left off?"

“Del!"

Terry smirked and tossed over a small jar, then crawled up next to him. “Coconut oil. Works as a good lubricant."

Souci unscrewed the lid and watched as Terry positioned himself on all fours. “This good?"

(- very good -) Warm fingers smeared cool oil on Terry's still-relaxed bud, then pressed inward, leaving a smooth coating of lubrication behind. Souci set the jar aside and knelt between the human's thighs, angling his oiled shaft to slide back inside. Terry moaned and settled himself to help find the right spot. Warm paws clutched at his hips and pulled back as Souci thrust forward, burying himself deep once again. (- feels so good inside you -)

“You - ah! - feel good inside me…" Terry panted and rocked back to push the Delphox's cock deeper. Souci hunched over his hips and back, pumping eagerly away, warm breath cascading over Terry's shoulders as their pace picked up.

The bulge at the base of Souci's shaft started making itself known again, pressing against Terry's ring more and more with the Delphox's urgency building. Souci reached around and took Terry's length in his paw again, stroking rapidly.

“I can feel you getting close," Terry moaned through rapid breaths of his own. “Gonna fill me up?"

In response, Souci clutched the human tighter. His thrusts became a little shorter, a little more firm, and he reached up and clamped his muzzle down on Terry's shoulder. Teeth pinpricked against bare skin. Terry gasped in surprise, and hardly even noticed as the Delphox thrust hard, hilting inside him.

“What the - oh, fuuuuck!"

He did notice the quickly growing pressure inside him - the knot that inflated and bulged against all sorts of interesting things in his lower abdomen. It nudged against his prostate, making him moan; his knees gave out and he slipped to lay fully belly-down on the bed, Souci's weight on him - and that Pokemon cock locked firmly inside.

The Delphox ground against his rump, testing the tie. Terry wriggled against the shifting movement. Souci growled softly and murmured “Delllphox" against Terry's ear. Through the bond came the translation: (- you're all mine now -)

And then he started thrusting again, short, rapid humps that drove his shaft as deep as it could manage with each movement. The knot tugged against Terry's muscles, ground against his prostate, and sent bolts of pleasure through his entire body until he could take no more. His balls drew up, muscles clenched around the invading cock, and he came as hard as he'd ever done in his life. Trapped between his belly and the bed, his erection pulsed and jumped, leaving a huge load pooling on the covers.

Terry's orgasm rippled through the Psychic bond and combined with the grasping ring that held Souci's knot tight to set the Delphox off too. He shuddered and humped hard into the human beneath him. Terry felt that tapered cock twitch before a bloom of heat announced Souci's climax, gushes of thin, hot cum spreading around the trapped erection. Souci ground hard with each squirt of semen, his muzzle pressed tight to the side of Terry's neck, panting and making soft, pleased sounds until he relaxed and settled on the man's back.

They lay in dazed silence for long moments. Terry finally found his voice. “Holy fuck. That was intense."

Souci nuzzled his shoulder. “Delph." He reached up and cupped Terry's cheek with a paw, caught his gaze. “Del?"

Terry leaned in to kiss the Pokemon's pointed muzzle, letting their tongues linger together for a long, affectionate moment. “Yeah. I did enjoy it." He felt another twitch inside him. “I can tell you did too. Uh… are you still cumming?"

“Delphox." (- usually lasts up to twenty minutes, biggest ejaculation is right after knotting but more comes until knot deflates -)

“Goddamn. Good thing I'm a cuddler."

Souci giggled. (- here, reposition for better cuddling -)

Directed by the Delphox, Terry shifted his legs around, jolts of pleasure jerking through his body as the knot continued to stimulate him. Souci slowly rotated them until Terry was on his back, Souci kneeling between his legs.

The new position allowed them to be face-to-face, and they took full advantage. Terry stroked through Souci's fur, finding the vulpine's soft spots and scratching them, while Souci kneaded at his arms and chest with gentle fingers, all amid playful kisses and nuzzles and twitches within as the Pokemon continued to fill him.

To his surprise, Terry found himself growing erect again. Souci smirked and brought his knees under Terry's rump, straightened, then doubled over to slide the man's shaft into his muzzle. He started thrusting again, letting the knot do its work against Terry's prostate, and at the same time emphasized the sensations through the Psychic link - in both directions. Terry gasped in pleasure, and it took only a few minutes until he clenched and spurted another load over Souci's tongue. Souci's cock jumped within him as the sensations drove the vulpine to another small orgasm in return.

That third round left both of them sagging in exhaustion, and Souci's knot deflated quickly afterwards. Terry grunted as he tested the tie, then gasped when the Delphox gave a quick jerk of the hips and popped the last of the bulge free - riding a gush of thin cum that coated the Pokemon's crotch and legs, along with the bed.

They sat up. Terry stretched. “Okay. That was fucking awesome-"

(- and awesome fucking -)

“-yes, and awesome fucking, but if we're gonna do that again I need to start some stretches."

Souci smirked and leaned in for another kiss. (- i hope we can do that again. for now, another shower? -)

“That's a good idea. I don't want to give you back to Sharon covered in cum."

(- would not be the first time, but point is made -)

Terry lifted an eyebrow. “There's a story there, and you're going to tell it to me eventually."

(- one word: charizard -)

“Okay, that raises a lot of interesting mental images. Anyhow, let's shower, and then we'll have to find something to do for an hour or so." Terry led the way towards the bathroom. “You play video games?"

Souci laughed. (- if it's with you, yes -)

* * * * *

The rain had cleared and Saturday dawned sunny and pleasant. Terry, slightly achy, took advantage of it to get the lawn mowed and some other chores done around the house.

He had just put everything away when his phone rang. The number baffled him for a moment until he recognized it.

“Hello, Doctor Viburnum!"

“Hi Terry. I just wanted to thank you again for what you did for Souci last night. You were a great help, and a good friend to him, and we both appreciate it."

“It was no problem at all. I quite enjoyed it myself. I've never had the chance to interact with a Pokemon who I could have a conversation with."

“It sounds like you took full advantage of that opportunity, from what Souci has told me. He doesn't jump into bed with humans very quickly at all, so you made quite an impression on him."

Terry stared at the phone for a moment.

“Oh, don't panic, Terry. Souci and I are extremely close, and he shares many of his experiences with me. To be honest, I had to - ah - help him relax this morning after he told me about your evening."

“I, uh - well then."

Viburnum chuckled. “It's all right, Terry. If you were a trainer you'd understand a little more the bond that we can form with our Pokemon. Sometimes we can be very forthright about things like this. At any rate, Souci said you two spoke about continuing your therapy at the clinic, but also getting together outside of the professional setting sometimes. I fully encourage that."

“Yeah, I need to teach him how to play Mario Kart a little better, that will take time."

He heard an outraged “Delph!" from the other end of the line, and chuckled. Viburnum joined him. “That does sound like fun. I would also like to get together with you some time and talk about your relaxed nature around Pokemon. You might be a good candidate for a project I have underway."

“Oh?"

“Yes. There are a number of Pokemon who have physical or other issues that make it impossible for them to join battle teams, and also keep them from other activities. I'm building up a network of people who might be willing to assist in helping them along. Souci thinks you would be an excellent choice."

Terry blinked. “Really? Well - I'd be happy to talk to you about it. I've never thought about getting too involved with Pokemon, but if there's a way I could help, I can certainly take a look."

“Great! I'll be in touch. Until then, may I give this number to Souci? His phone is dried out and functioning again, and he'd like to be able to text."

“Of course, I'll look forward to hearing from him."

“Lovely. Thanks again, Terry. Talk soon."

Terry hung up and stared at his phone, deep in thought. Helping Pokemon recover from injuries and other conditions? Was that really him? He considered it a moment. Yes - yes it could be him. And damn, would it be a nice change from work.

He walked inside for a glass of water. A text notification dinged on his phone.

Guess who?

He chuckled and responded.

Some rando, I'm sure

A moment later another text came in. He opened it and was immediately glad he wasn't in public. It was a low-angle picture with plenty of orange-and-brown fur, a patch of white, and several inches of pink jutting from the prominently exposed sheath. Above was a smirking Delphox face.

How's this for rando?

Terry shook his head - and saved the picture. Hanging out with Pokemon was going to be very, very interesting.