FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Drake Party - as Zana had decided to describe them to the receptionist - had finished up one by one, making their way to the foyer rejuvenated and relaxed. Thomas fished the occasional tea leaf from his hair before giving each of the pokemon a quick hug and balling them back up. At the very least he figured they'd want to keep nice and clean after their massage session; with the possible exception of Dusty, for obvious reasons.

He debated about keeping one pokemon out just in case, but thought perhaps it would be better to just lay low once back out on the streets. He asked if there was a lost property bin he could have a look through and the receptionist led him to a closet with a dishevelled cardboard box inside. She explained how everything in there was several months - if not years - old, and he was welcome to it. He found a black beret and some pink-tinted glasses along with a black jacket. He popped into a change room, put on some long black pants, white tee-shirt and the black jacket. He stood a little more upright, adjusted the beret and barely recognised himself in the mirror.

Thanking the receptionist he then left the Four-Arm Massage Parlour, bringing up a map on his pokedex. There seemed to be quite the length of city between him and the park where he assumed the Zygarde would have hidden. He looked around for transport and noticed a rail line. Following it led him to a small stop near the edge of the industrial district: which this city was somewhat known for. He waited around and eventually a tram showed up to ferry him, a couple of late workers and a particularly frustrated-looking Nidoking off into the night.

As he stood - the bumps and leans of the trams voyage pinballing him between the Nidoking and an apathetic Bunnelby - he tried to correlate the location of the Ranger HQ with any local parks and hopefully a nearby hotel. They'd requested to meet Zye and he was hoping the pokemon would accept the invitation, but figured finding him to let him know before the morning would be prudent. Of course, that was assuming the Zygarde could have travelled the distance between Wooloobell and Sidna in the last ten hours or so.

Realising there was a rather large nature reserve behind the Ranger HQ, Thomas decided to make his way there. He spotted a pokemon hostel on the way and bumping into the Nidoking he thought back to Blisseys, wondering if perhaps he should try such a place again. As the tram clacked by it he put the hostel out of his mind for the time being. With Rocket Rising now under heavy scrutiny, they'd surely have trouble operating in the same way as before, he figured he'd be able to stay at a normal hotel for the night without much issue.

The tram pulled around to the front of the Ranger HQ and Thomas got off. Several minutes of circumnavigating the complex to get to the reserve's entrance, gave the man a decent idea of the size and scope of the Ranger's operation. He could see through the fence dozens of vehicles, several strange harnesses for various forms of pokemon strung up in a Hangar, an assortment of barebones-construction buildings that looked like training areas along with various staff and maintenance crew doing various tasks in several garages despite the late hour.

Seeing so much tech and money behind the operation, he wondered why Darius Colman didn't trust them to help him earlier. Though Thomas realised Darius still didn't know he'd made contact with them and gotten their help already. He made a note to contact the doctor in the morning and have a chat about recent events, just in case things got out of hand.

But his mind was quashed of such thoughts as he entered the reserve and felt the familiar mental fog indicative of the legendary's presence. He followed the sensation to a small copse of trees where he sat at the base of one. Zye appeared a few seconds later, taking a seat next to Thomas and resting his green and black muzzle on the man's shoulder as he sighed. 'It is good to see you.'

“Good to see you too." Thomas grinned, patting the pokemon's haunches affectionately. “Been a helluvan evening."

'You have sought me out, and you seem… happy, but determined. Is there news on my ward?' Thomas nodded at Zye's question. Was he that easy to read?

“Bruno took him out into international waters. The cops can't chase." A disconcerted growl rumbled forth from seemingly everywhere at once. But Thomas was quick to calm the Zygarde “I got in contact with someone who might be able to help. The local Rangers. They want to meet me tomorrow morning. Aaaand…"

'And they wish to meet me as well.' Zye semi-interrupted Thomas' intentional pause. The man nodded again. 'Do you feel they seek to capture me?'

“I, I don't know." Thomas said truthfully. “So far they've been super helpful. Apparently Parker Simons was one of them. That's how we got in contact, Jeremy-" Thomas felt the Zygarde's posture shift at the mention of the man's lover. “He pointed out their symbol while we were looking for somewhere safe to stay in Wooloobell. That place worked out fine, nobody tried to interrogate us or anything. So I reached out to them when we arrived. Figured if the Police were unable to continue pursuit, maybe they could."

Zye pondered Thomas' line of thinking for a short while before coming to his own conclusion. 'What makes you believe they plan to help?'

Thomas thought about it for a moment. He'd read up a little on the Rangers organisation while sitting at the restaurant earlier. “Honestly? I think they have similar goals as yourself; keeping the environment - and the pokemon within - safe from folks like Bruno and the other rocket fucks." He cracked his knuckles, visualising the beat down he wanted to give the man despite being easily twice Thomas' size. Thomas looked out past the treetops to the large building housing the Rangers HQ. “Could always have you this side of the fence and get them to come to the other side. Give you plenty of chance to run if you feel the situation is getting hairy."

'And what about you? What if they decide to capture you?'

Thomas thought about it. He doubted it would come to that, but he shrugged it off. “I'll let Officer Jenny know where I'm going as well as Dr. Colman. If I go missing, I trust them to get on the case." He thought a moment about it then added “Might leave Zana and the rest behind as a backup. I'll take Jeremy, maybe Mac or Dusty as well, just in case."

Zye seemed to accept that answer, and Thomas wondered whether it was because he trusted Thomas, or trusted Zana to start shit if something did happen. He wouldn't find out, as the legendary stood, huffed a little impatiently and turned to leave. 'I shall be waiting here come morning. You should sleep.'

Thomas yawned. “Yeah. Probably should." As he felt Zye's presence disappear into the trees behind him, Thomas stood up and dusted himself off.

Slinging the duffel bag back over one shoulder he set off back towards the streets. The night grew a slight chill as he slowly made his way down the silent pavement. A thin mist had descended which had made the man nervous. He followed the rail line for some time without a tram passing, the hour too late for the service to run. Eventually he made his way to the shipyard district and found a rough-looking motel set up on the waterfront.

The mist and general sketchiness of the place made him somewhat paranoid and very shifty looking as Thomas arrived in the small reception just after midnight. The Machoke gulped. He asked how much a night was and the machoke pointed to a list on the wall. It would be forty eight credits to stay one night, but eighty for two. The machoke tapped the guest book, prompting Thomas to lean over the counter and ask how much it would be to stay two nights without signing the guest book.

The Machoke grinned and flipped the list over. The cost was nearly double. Thomas sighed, asked for two nights and swiped his card. The Machoke looked at the man suspiciously, but when Thomas' payment for two nights was accepted by the machine, he reluctantly handed over a keycard and motioned towards the hallway to his right. As further incentive, Thomas said his thanks, and placed a handful of coins on the counter, covering them with an arguably clean kerchief he'd discovered in one of the jacket pockets. The Machoke smiled at the sound of the coins, and just nodded as he picked up the bribe.

Thomas hurried to his room, popping Jeremy out of his ball as soon as he had the door closed. He then proceeded to stumble towards the small bed and collapse onto it. Jeremy could read the man pretty well by now and simply curled up next to him, arm over Thomas' chest as the two faded off into sleep.

Come morning Thomas had awoken to Jeremy gently hugging him. He stayed there, revelling in the warmth while the clock on the side table slowly ticked past 6am. It seemed as though every time he blinked, five minutes would pass. But come 7:10 Thomas had pulled himself groggily out of bed and set about organising himself for the day. He brought the crew out and got them up to speed. Zana was fine with staying back, but also seemed eager to cause havoc if things went south. Mac was elated to join in the fun, while Dusty took things a bit more seriously. Griff opted to stay in his ball so as to not run the medicine needlessly low, while Carmen was quite happy to nom on some of the treats and listen to her CD; which she hadn't had much of a chance to since she had revealed its usefulness to her trainer a couple days earlier.

After bidding the two remaining pokemon farewell, Thomas clipped Mac, Dusty and Jeremy's pokeballs to his belt and set off for the Ranger HQ. On the way out he saluted the Machop, who gave him a nod as he was handing over his shift to a Poliwrath. The two pokemon spoke in hushed tones about the man before the Poliwrath too gave him a nod. Thomas smiled back - hoping they had discussed his desire to stay off the radar - and left the motel behind him. In the light of day he could see it was a motel of a traditional setup except the rooms were set around a small series of docks. Where one would usually park their cars were instead mooring posts, floats and the occasional boat or dinghy.

He spotted a payphone nearby, and remembered his need to contact Dr. Colman. He swiped his card on the reader and gave the Dragon Institute a call. Dr Colman was apparently in a meeting and couldn't come to the phone, so Thomas left a message saying 'the package is uncooperative, seeking help from the Rangers to solve the problem.' Hanging up the receiver he double checked the line was dead and then set off into the cool morning air.

He had about a little over an hour before his meeting, which would give him enough time to get something to go from one of the few tuck shops or cafes on the way but not enough time to dine in. He found one such store and grabbed two egg salad sandwiches from the fridge along with a bottle of Cheri-flavoured sparkling water. By the time he'd reached Ranger HQ, the sandwiches had been devoured and the bottle was half empty.

With five minutes to spare he wandered in through the thick glass doors and across the organisation's seal emblazoned in black marble across the otherwise white marble floor. He made his way to the front desk, and was told to take a seat on one of the couches lining the side of the entry space. He acquiesced, and right on nine a short woman in a red and yellow jacket and short skirt strode out into the foyer. “Thomas Drake, I presume?"

Thomas took a deep breath before standing and shaking her outstretched hand. “You presume correctly…"

Thomas' pause and raised eyebrows cued the woman to respond, which she did, smiling. “Ranger Strand, but please, call me Kiera." She gestured to the Azumarill behind her “And my partner Scarlet." Thomas' brain skipped a moment as he looked at the very blue pokemon and tried to think of how she got her name. Scarlet waved politely, a friendly smile beaming from cheek to cheek. Kiera saw the somewhat puzzled expression on Thomas face and chuckled. “It's a long story." She waved him towards one of the side doors “Come, we've got a few folks who want to speak to you, and your 'friend'."

Thomas nodded and followed Kiera, with Scarlet keeping pace just behind him. He found himself admiring the woman's proportions, something he rarely did. But despite her height - or lack thereof as she couldn't have been more than five foot tall - she had a well toned and very curvy body. An hourglass figure if ever there was one, but she knew how to walk professionally and didn't show much sway in her hips as she led Thomas down the halls. It didn't stop her body from jiggling slightly with each footfall though. She led him through some concrete hallways to a meeting room, where he was guided to a seat on one side of a large meeting table. The other seats were occupied by three other Rangers and - once she sat down - Kiera on the end. “Good morning." Thomas said, unsure how to start the whole thing.

“Good morning Mr Drake." The man on the other end from Kiera said, pushing a pair of half-moon glasses up his nose. He wore a similar red and yellow jacket - though more tailored to his build whereas Kiera's was a bit more stylishly cut - and was completely bald except for a pair of thick, white, bushy eyebrows. “Thank you for bringing all this to our attention." He leaned back a bit in his chair and gestured to the other Rangers. “You've already met Ranger Strand. Next to her is Ranger Braid," A middle-aged woman with deep red hair pulled back in a bun smiled at Thomas and nodded “then Ranger Coil," A man in his thirties with a thick black beard and handlebar moustache grinned manically across the table “and myself, Top Ranger Twine."

“Pleasure to meet you." Thomas said automatically.

“Pleasure's all ours, really." Ranger Braid said as she neatened the few sheets of paper in front of her. “Shall we get right to it?"

Twine nodded. “Our help line last night reported that you filed an informal request for aid. Something to do with a stolen Quilladin."

“And a Zygarde." Ranger Coil added enthusiastically.

“Yes," the older man grumbled glaring at his underling “And a Zygarde." He took a deep breath, calmed himself and turned back to Thomas. “We've listened to the recording, but could you confirm your current issue or… 'request' for us?"

Thomas sighed, not too enthused about going through the whole story from the beginning. “So, how far back should I go with this?"

“As far as you think necessary." Kiera offered, smiling.

Taking a deep breath, he began. Thomas mentioned his run-in with Bruno in the forest, which led to meeting Jeremy, sneaking through Milra and his quick conversation with Dr Colman. He then spoke of his brief time in Cannab, the trek along Route 13 to the cave where he lost the Zygarde and his encounter with the Crobat. He explained his aural implant - which he made a mental note to clean later - and the two encounters with Rocket Rising at the motel culminating in the assault on the hospital. Next was his near-death experience in the second cave - almost mentioning the bounty hunter but stopping himself just in time - and his arrival in Bait Bay. He name-dropped Champion Nargun and how he stowed away to get to Wooloobell, as well as what awaited him there.

“By the time I managed to get out of the sewers, Bruno had found me. We traded blows, and he ended up running. But…" Thomas choked up a little, remembering the defiant scream of the Quilladin as it descended before the bright flash of a pokeball capture. “Back at Owlra, that Chespin that went off with the Zygarde?" The Rangers all nodded keenly, enthralled with Thomas' story. “Well he ended up kinda becoming the Zygarde's ward. And..." He took a deep breath, shaking his head “when Zye dropped down to put an end to Bruno's bullshit, he lobbed a weird white and purple ball. I think I heard someone call it a Masterball?"

Kiera's eyes went wide. “He what?" Twine pulled a small laptop out of a satchel beneath the table and opened it to show the other three the video that had gone viral. Coil and Braid nodded along, obviously having seen it before but still watching intently at how everything unfolded. Thomas heard the angry cry before the electrical pop of the ball activating. “Oh… Oh I'm…" She turned to Thomas. “I am so, so sorry."

Thomas smiled weakly. “Well, Zye wants his friend back. And he's not headed to Unova until that happens." Thomas let out a deep breath and sat back in his chair, unsure of what the Rangers would do next. They looked to each other then back to the paused video.

“Would we be able to speak to this Zygarde, in person rather than through you?" Coil alsed, prompting Kiera to raise an eyebrow. “Just, y'know, to corroborate everything."

Thomas felt uneasy about the man, but relented, having already discussed eventualities with Zye the night before. “Sure. They're waiting outside." The four Rangers looked surprised at the man's words, which led him to grin cheekily as he realised they'd not detected the legendary yet. Thomas indicated for them to lead the way as Twine picked up his laptop and ushered everyone towards a rear exit. They stepped out into the bright morning and wandered over to where Thomas was pointing; an area near the fence clear of buildings but still sheltered by equipment. “They just want to talk." He said to the trees.

On cue, Zygarde stepped from the shrubbery. Thomas had to stifle a chuckle as the pokemon had obviously groomed himself for the occasion, each cell polished to a mirror-like sheen, everything green slightly glowing while everything black seeming to absorb the light around it. It was a good show and effective at casting a fog of awe over the Rangers. However it didn't escape Thomas or Zye's notice that Coil had shifted one hand to a pokeball on his belt during the reveal. Thomas settled his own hand casually on Jeremy's ball just in case. Zye nodded ever so slightly at his friend and spoke. 'You wish to speak?'

Twine seemed completely lost in the situation so Kiera spoke up. “Thomas has come to us with a request on your behalf." She took a step closer to the fence, but Zye didn't budge. “We wanted to make sure he was genuinely acting for you."

'I understand. There has been much distrust towards my friend of late.' The words came from everywhere, and yet nowhere all at the same time, and was causing Braid some discomfort. 'Apologies.' Zye focused the source of his sound to come from his own body, despite being projected into the humans minds. 'I was unaware of your past.' He bowed to the woman who - seeming a little more at ease - politely bowed back and offered a weak smile. All bar Twine and Zye looked at her puzzled. To get their attention of the now embarrassed Braid, Zye returned to the conversation at hand 'Yes, I have placed my confidence in Thomas Drake to act on my behalf. He has inquired as to the rescue of my ward, correct?'

It was Twine's turn to talk. “The Quilladin captured by Bruno Drekavak, yes?" Zye nodded. “Well we've consulted our special operations team and they see no major issue in taking the Yacht." He flipped the screen around on the laptop to turn it into a large tablet and brought up a satellite image of the location, which given the way the light was playing on the waters surface, Thomas rightly deduced was a live feed; give or take a few seconds. Coil's expression seemed to change as he started looking around as though trying to find someone. Thomas noted it but tried his best to not to look like he had.

'I wish to be present.' Zye stated, the tone in his voice making it more a fact than a request.

Twine caught the tone and agreed. “Our team would be honoured for the company."

'And Thomas.' Zye added, gesturing to the man with his green and black muzzle.

Coil spoke up “Your attendance is something we'd be unable to stop even if we wanted to, but this is an official Ranger operation, there's no place for a... civilian."

Thomas nodded, realising there was something else at play, but before Zye could protest he summoned Jeremy from his ball. Jeremy, thinking he was about to fight immediately adopted a defensive stance, but Thomas pat him on the shoulder and explained. “Apparently we can't go with them because I'm a civilian, not a Ranger."

Jeremy turned to Zye - eyes narrowing - but the Zygarde just nodded respectfully, catching the Hakamo-o off guard. He then turned to the rangers present, and noticing the differing lapel pin on Twine, politely walked up to him and waved for him to hand the tablet over. Coil was about to protest but Twine had already passed the device.

Jeremy swiped several times, tapped a few more and eventually brought up a document which he turned for Twine to see. Twine read it carefully, his eyes narrowing and bulging at various intervals before swiping the file away. “Thomas and Jeremy will be joining the team. No exceptions!" He jabbed a finger in Coils direction who was preparing to protest before being silenced. “We'll take the boat under cover of darkness. Be there at midnight." His finger made a few swipes on the laptop before Thomas' pokedex beeped with a message. “It was a pleasure." He bowed to Jeremy, Thomas and Zye. And with a broad gesture to the other rangers to follow, Twine turned and left.

'That seemed productive.'

“Yeah…" Thomas grumbled, glaring at Coil as he walked off fuming. “Not sure about that guy though." Jeremy nodded, cracking his knuckles. Thomas sighed, looking at his pokedex for the time. “Well… we got a day to waste."

'I shall find you at night's peak.' Zye said before moving to leave. But he suddenly stopped, head turning to face Jeremy. 'Thank you.'

<I'm doing this for your friend, not you.> Jeremy replied, not entirely coldly.

'Still, thank you.' And with that, Zye was gone; one with nature once more.

As Thomas motioned for Jeremy to follow him to the exit, he spied Kiera at the building's back door. She glanced either way then motioned Thomas over. Wary but curious, Thomas power walked over to her. “Can, can I talk to you for a bit?" She asked quietly.

“Sure," Thomas said, head tilted a little as his eyebrows raised.

“Not here. Somewhere… private."

Jeremy tugged Thomas' hand, eyeing the exit. But The man took a deep breath and gave the palm-down signal of 'just wait a sec'. “Okay, lead on." He looked out to the forest and could still feel Zye's subtle haze in his head. He hoped the pokemon would know what to do if this went south.

Kiera led Thomas through side passages and up several flights of stairs until they reached what appeared to be her office, the door emblazoned with 'Kiera Strand Technology Acquisitions'. She swiped a keycard and entered, gesturing for them to follow. Once inside she closed and locked the door. The office was medium in size, but filled with shelves and tables covered in devices in varying states of repair. One table held a glass case with what appeared to be a levitating pokeball cube, while on a shelf near the back was what looked like a segmented metal pikachu mask. At the back of the cluttered space sat a desk with a chair behind it and two in front. A retro-style lamp flickered to life as Kiera approached.

“Any visitors?" She asked the lamp. Thomas and Jeremy shared a look of confusion before the lamp vibrated to life. It hummed a bit before out of it popped a small flickering pokemon that looked like a spiky red ball with eyes and lightning bolts protruding from either side. The Rotom shook its head side to side. She breathed sigh of relief then noticed three sets of eyes on her, all looking for some sort of explanation. “Oh, uh, sorry. Thomas, Jeremy, this is Tom." She realised her shortening of Rotom to Tom was perhaps confusing in hindsight.

“Pleasure to meet you." Thomas said politely, bowing a little as Jeremy looked to his trainer quizzically before doing the same.

“Ever come across a Rotom before?" Kiera smiled as she sorted the mess of papers on her desk. Thomas blushed. Jeremy looked a little confused before understanding washed over him. He burst out laughing. “What? What's so funny."

“I have. It's a… uh… long story." He scratched the back of his neck, somewhat uncomfortable as to where that story might lead.

Kiera just looked at his pained expression and raised an eyebrow. “Sure it is." She tidied a little more, letting the mirthful Hakamo-o comfort his embarrassed trainer in silence before offering the two a couple of chairs to sit in. She sat behind her desk, and Tom zapped itself back into the lamp, flickering on.

“So, where's Scarlet?" Thomas asked, looking around.

Kiera tapped a pokeball she placed on her desk. “She's here. What I have to discuss with you…" She glanced to Jeremy and back. “She's a new hire. And, well… it's a bit of a sensitive matter."

“A sensitive matter…" Thomas repeated emptily, hoping Kiera would explain why she brought them there. But she just continued staring at the both of them, somewhat more critically than before. “What is so-"

“I saw the way you two behaved out in the yard." She interrupted, still looking them over. Jeremy looked visibly uncomfortable, he could see where this conversation might be headed, and realised they were deep in the bowels of what was essentially a ranger filled bunker. Escape could prove difficult. “So let me ask you plainly; what is your relationship with Jeremy?"

Thomas was on the spot. This was one of his newfound fears; being brought to account for what would amount to 'unethical' actions. The world was still mostly against human-pokemon relations, with some countries laws outright opposing such things. Fortunately Vandimland never had a set of rules regarding this, as it was seen more as an ethical boundary than a legal one. Or of common sense and safety in regards to some of the larger or more hazardous pokemon.

But he couldn't straight up answer, he needed to gauge her reaction just as she was trying to get a read on him. “Why did you ask Tom if anyone had visited. Your office was locked."

“Are you gonna answer my question?"

“After you answer mine." Thomas stood his ground.

Kiera sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Tom's been with me for a few years now. I used to bring him with me as my 'Partner' pokemon. But I've suspected someone has been sneaking into my office lately, so I've had to retire my friend here," she rubbed the lampshade affectionately “so he can stay back and keep an eye on things while I'm out."

“What do you think they're after?" Thomas couldn't help but ask.

“Dirt, probably." She straightened her jacket. “Let's just say I've ruffled a few feathers here, and there are several rangers who'd rather see me go than work together."

“Why would-"

“You haven't answered my question." Kiera interrupted again, smiling.

“Please understand," Thomas began, Jeremy giving him the 'are you serious' look “I can't just outright say some things. Especially in a place… like this."

“You've got no enemies here." She offered.

Thomas shook his head. “I don't know that. Dr. Colman didn't clue you guys in on my existence even though Parker Simons was one of you and I was being hunted by Rocket Rising. Tells me a lot."

“Then why come to us?" Kiera seemed genuinely concerned, which caused Thomas to open up a little more.

“Honestly?" He looked to Jeremy and sighed. “We ran out of options. Zye- Zygarde wants his friend back. The cops can't help. I can't do it alone. Jeremy pointed out your symbol back in Wooloobell, and that's when I learned of your organisation's existence."

“You'd really never heard of the Rangers before?" She said half sarcastically.

“You don't get to do much research into pro-pokemon organisations when you're trying to earn enough coin to have your weekly meal." Thomas snapped back, tension about being in the cramped office reaching its peak. But he took a moment to calm down, seeing the shock and embarrassment on Kiera's face helping him to realise his outburst for what it was. “Look, knowing Colman hadn't suggested you help us way back in Milra has me really wary, but there was literally nobody else I could turn to."

Kiera thought on that for a bit, rubbing the lamp shade as she mulled it over. “I was assigned your case last night." she tapped a tablet on her desk. “Probably not long after you called in. I've done some reading and you've left a very interesting trail. Seems just about every pokemon you've interacted with has either held you in the highest regard or would blush at the mention of your name."

Thomas took a deep breath. He'd been rumbled. His expression was all Kiera needed to know. “I… I mean…"

“You don't have to explain yourself, I just want to know…" She gulped, leaning over the desk to whisper. “What's it like?"

Thomas had to take a moment as the question registered. He glanced over to Jeremy who was just as shocked and looking to Thomas for what to do next. Thomas blinked several times, then caught Kiera's gaze. “What's 'it' like?"

She looked a little panicked as the thought that she had misread everything suddenly crashed into her mind. “I mean, uh, well…"

“What's being with… a pokemon… like?" He asked, much to his own surprise. Thomas knew full well he was a few words off giving the game away. And while there'd be no legal ramifications for his actions specifically, it could be considered abusing pokemon which did have a criminal charge associated with it, along with the permanent removal of his trainers license.

Kiera nodded, hand still stroking the lamp. Thomas could see in her an extreme sense of nervousness, similar to what he was feeling. He knew what bluffing was, he'd had to do it many times over the past decade. He couldn't be entirely sure she was showing her true emotion - or in this case, hiding it poorly - but something in his gut told him she was being honest with him, and really putting her neck out asking. “You swear to me there are no recording devices in here. Nobody watching. Nobody listening."

“It's just us four." She assured him, tapping the lamp in case he had forgotten about Tom.

The man sat there for a moment, wondering if he should go through with it. Jeremy seemed insistent that he not, though he knew why. The Hakamo-o didn't want to risk losing him either. But Thomas placed a comforting hand on Jeremy's shoulder and nodded. “It's like nothing I can describe. Jeremy and I… we're connected in ways I didn't think possible." He thought back to the vision Zye had shown him, the rich purple aura reaching out to touch him, bonding with him and forever pointing the way to each other.

Kiera smiled wistfully. “Really, it's that intense?"

Thomas realised he was in all the way now, no point in holding back. “Physically, its something I'd never experienced before. But emotionally, I…" Thomas sat back in his chair, exhaling heavily “I love him." Jeremy grabbed Thomas' hand and squeezed it, grinning happily at his lover, though a look of panic was hidden behind the happy facade.

“And there have been no… complications?" She asked, somewhat more pointedly.

“Look, we're beyond euphemisms." Thomas groaned, half wanting to gush about all this to someone, half wanting to run for the hills. “If you want to ask something, just ask. I am the least qualified person to judge you."

“I mean, everything… fits?"

Thomas blinked at the woman. “You're a Ranger, shouldn't you know a bit more about pokemon physiology than me?"

“Well it's one thing to look it up, it's another thing to, y'know, live it." She admitted, blushing.

It was then that Thomas saw his avenue. Whether she was probing for this purpose he didn't know, but he knew he had to try. “Why not ask?" Jeremy wasn't sure if he had heard right, and looked to Thomas with a raised eyebrow.

“A-ask what?" She spluttered, sitting back in her chair, trying to physically remove herself from the conversation that was rapidly turning against her.

“You know what. Ask him." Thomas nodded his head towards Jeremy. “Assuming Tom is okay with that, of course." The rotom popped out of the lamp and hummed through the air to whisper in Kiera's ear. Her face almost turned the colour of her pokemon as she looked at him bug eyed. “What was it?" Thomas asked, getting out of his chair to walk over to the woman. He crouched down beside her and sighed. “Did you come across some human/pokemon porn? Watch some pokemon mate? Why are you so interested?"

Kiera's expression changed from nervous to resigned as she sighed heavily. “Technically both." She pulled the tablet close and swiped several times. Some bodycam footage started to play of a Ranger team infiltrating a warehouse late at night. As they broke in the footage showed a Machamp in a police cap railing a woman cuffed to a prison set. Several shouts, some strange lights and blurry movement brought the camera into the next room where a young man was balls deep in a Vaporeon in a crude mockup of a cave. “I was part of a team that came across an Apriporn filming location."

Thomas' eyes were almost bulging out of his head at the visuals. “Apriporn?"

“They're a company with no mainland headquarters. Makes them hard to stop, but occasionally we get word of a filming location. Most of the time we're too late to do anything, but this time…" The footage showed fewer and fewer rangers breaching each room until a scream can be heard in the distance. Thomas noticed 'KSTR' in the bottom corner, and came to the realisation that this was Kiera Strand's camera. As she approached the next door it stood ajar. She slipped inside to see a grey and yellow Hakamo-o furiously fucking a woman on a large circular bed. Styler drawn she stood silently as the Hakamo-o just looked at her without stopping.

Thomas turned to Kiera who was looking anywhere but the screen, her cheeks beet red. Jeremy had made his way over and was just as shocked as his trainer at the visuals. The Hakamo-o on screen increased his pace, grinning at Kiera as the woman moaned in bliss, amazingly unaware they had a visitor. He made Kiera watch as he pushed his human partner to climax before finishing inside her. Then to add to the Ranger's humiliation, he pulled his cock free and gestured for her to come lick it. The woman - thinking the Hakamo-o had meant her - slid around the satin sheets to suck the pearly white fluid from her lover's rod. The pokemon didn't correct her, just grinned maliciously at Kiera as the other woman cleaned his still pulsing tool.

At that moment several rangers push in around Kiera and detain the Hakamo-o, the naked woman - finally realising they had company - tried asserting her innocence, how she'd been dragged there and so on, but she too was cuffed and taken away while Kiera seemed to take a seat at the edge of the bed. Kiera shut the video off at that point and swivelled on her chair to face Thomas and Jeremy. “That… That's why." She sighed, gesturing toward her office. “I was pulled from active duty and given a desk job. It's not bad, but..."

“I take it Scarlet doesn't know?" Kiera shook her head at Thomas' question. “And you're not planning on telling her."

“What do I say? I was eye-fucked by a Hakamo-o as he came inside another woman and now I want the same?" She slapped a hand over her mouth, realising what she'd said.

Jeremy looked to Thomas, who shrugged but nodded towards Kiera. Jeremy placed his hand on hers. “Ask him." Thomas said more gently than before. “Ask him sincerely, and honestly." Thomas stood, to give the two more room, and walked back to his chair, taking a seat to see what Kiera would do next.

“Jeremy…" Kiera looked to Tom for guidance, but he just bobbed happily in the air. “Jeremy, I want to so bad… but I just…" Jeremy turned her chair to face him properly, then knelt before her, taking her hands in each of his. He nodded at her, prompting her to continue. She took a deep breath and gulped. “Jeremy, will you have sex with me?"

<Why?> She looked puzzled at Jeremy's vocalisation, so turned to Thomas.

“He's asking why you want to." Thomas explained. Tom nodded in agreement.

Kiera thought hard before answering. “Because of everything." Thomas could tell the flood gates were open as she began rambling. “Because I can't get that scene out of my head. Because I haven't had sex in years. Because she looked so happy. Because I need to know what it feels like. Because…" She sighed, shaking her head “Because it just feels so empty, I feel so empty. I just…" She pulled a hand from Jeremy's grip to wipe away a tear. But instead of placing her hand back on Jeremy's she instead reaches out to Tom. He quickly zipped back down into the lamp, which she began stroking.

“Where was Tom during that raid?" Thomas asked, piecing the puzzle together.

“Camera." She muttered, her brief glance cluing Thomas in to the existence of her body cam on a shelf.

An idea formed. “Does the footage go straight to a cloud drive, or does it have to be downloaded manually?"

“Manual." Kiera answered, raising an eyebrow.

“And once downloaded it can be deleted from the camera?" Thomas picked the device up, turning it over in his hand. Kiera nodded, still unsure what the man was talking about. But Tom understood. In a flash the Rotom was out of the lamp and possessing the camera, which began floating in midair, taking on a more rotom-esque shape. The little red recording light flicked on as it pointed directly at Kiera and Jeremy. “Last question, how soundproof are these walls?"

“V-very…" Kiera stammered, everything clicking into place.

Thomas leaned forward in his chair. “Ask him."

“Jeremy, please. Please." She bit her bottom lip, hoping the brief piercing pain would draw the words out. “Please take me. I need… I need to know."

<Know what?> Jeremy all but whispered, with Thomas translating.

“I need to know if this is real or just some stupid fantasy. I-" She looked at Tom “I need to know... for him." Jeremy smiled, standing. He released her hands and placed his own on her shoulders as he leaned in for a kiss. She accepted it willingly, moaning as the Hakamo-o's bright pink tongue pushed its way into her mouth. He treated her gently, like one would a first timer and this served to heighten her state of arousal.

Jeremy scraped his claws down Kiera's back and around her sides, before sliding them under her jacket. She got the hint and pulling back from Jeremy's kiss she began to strip. But the Hakamo-o stepped closer and took over; slowly, gently removing first her jacket, then her shirt. Kiera stood before the pokemon in a sporty bra and short skirt. He stepped closer, his bright pink member peeking through the draconic slit at his hips as his arousal grew.

And they kissed again. There was no hesitation from Kiera, she threw herself into the Hakamo-o's embrace fully, her lips pressed tight against his muzzle as Jeremy tongue-fucked her mouth. She was only slightly shorter than the Hakamo-o, and his muzzle pressing down onto her lips gave her libido the powerful push it needed. Staggered moans from someone who's throat was being rhythmically invaded flowed through the room, and hearing the tone shift from bliss to concern, Jeremy allowed Kiera a deep breath before diving back in.

Seeing his lover dominate another pokemon was a treat, but as Thomas watched Jeremy take on a human Ranger with such assertiveness was beyond hot. His pants bulged almost painfully waiting for a moment when he could whip his member out and beat along to the other two. But he knew she'd have to be in the right mindset to let him get away with that, so Thomas waited for the appropriate time.

Jeremy pulled out of the passionate kiss, lifting Kiera up to plant her on her desk. Without waiting for permission, he sipped a claw through the elastic of her panties and pulled down. He didn't bother removing the garment entirely, just far enough for it to slide down her legs and collect at her ankles. Though Kiera, wanting more freedom than that kicked it off one leg. Before she could kick it off the other, Jeremy grabbed both her legs and spread them wide, kneeling down to treat her pussy like he had just treated her mouth. His tongue shot into her dripping hole with zero resistance, the thickening muscle flexing and flicking as it pushed deeper. Kiera writhed on the desk, barely able to breathe as she's assaulted by the pokemon's tongue. She tried to close her legs around Jeremy's head but he held them open, sliding her closer to the edge so he could fit more of his jaw around her hole.

“J-Jeh- AH!" her moan turned to a squeaked gasp as Jeremy's ministrations caused Kiera's pent up body to shudder through an intense orgasm. Her hands wrapped around his head plates pulling his muzzle further onto her as she bucked onto the pokemon's tongue. Jeremy meanwhile was tonguing furiously, trying to draw out her climax for as long as possible. When he felt her body begin to go limp, Jeremy made sure to grab her hands, allowing her to slowly fall backwards across the desk.

Kiera moaned contentedly as she lay across her desk, head having fallen off the other end as her eyes blinked open to see Thomas seated only a few feet away. Her cheeks were already flush from the sensual climax she'd just been through, but seemed to go an even deeper shade of red when she saw the man's bulge throb. But before Kiera could utter a single word, Jeremy had stood up and placed the tapered tip of his bright pink member against the swollen folds of Kiera's pussy. Her eyes went wide as she looked up to Thomas, then rolled back in pure bliss as Jeremy slowly pushed himself inside her.

Thomas knew the pokemon was larger than your average human downstairs, having acclimated to him over the course of a month. But she had only seen the Hakamo-o in the raid. That Hakamo-o who was smaller both in height and size. Jeremy's colouring certainly set himself apart from the rest of his kind, but he was also exceptionally tall for a Hakamo-o, pushing the limits of what the species known sizes were. And when it came to his equipment, he was equally as blessed.

Tom buzzed around the room, getting a better angle of Jeremy's insertion before moving in for a closeup. When Jeremy saw the Rotom approach he smiled, pulling back out of Kiera as he lifted her skirt to show off every little detail to the possessed camera. Then pinning her legs down so she wouldn't be pushed back from the force, Jeremy impaled Kiera on his meaty spear.

Her mouth opened wide in a silent scream of pleasure, the veins on her neck bulging from the effort as Jeremy bottomed out, over eight inches of Hakamo-o cock filling her as the thick base stretched her entrance wide. He kept his cock there for several seconds, letting her get used to the feeling before pulling back out. Thomas watched as her eyes blinked back to normal and her breaths became rushed. She panted heavily, her hands running over her cheeks and through her hair as her mind tried to figure out what was going on.

While focusing on the room around her, she once more noticed the bulge in Thomas' pants and subconsciously licked her lips. Thomas raised his eyebrows in surprise, but - testing the waters - unzipped and pulled his cock out for her to see. With Kiera looking at Thomas' member lustily and moaning was invitation enough for the man, though having a Hakamo-o slam his cock into her pussy caused her to practically beg Thomas with her eyes.

Not wishing to disappoint, Thomas stood up, and after allowing the Rotom time to focus in on Kiera's face, he stepped close enough for the tip to be within licking distance. Thomas' shaft bobbed as his excitement grew, and entirely on purpose Jeremy let Kiera slip a little across her desk after a powerful thrust, pushing his cock a couple inches into her open mouth. The man wasn't sure if she'd refuse him, play with him or what. His answer came in the form of her lips sealing around his shaft just below the head while her tongue gently licked up and down the sensitive slit.

Jeremy held himself deep inside Kiera, sliding one of his claws along the inside of her thigh to elicit a moan. Thomas shuddered at that sensation, holding back his urge to deep throat the woman then and there. Kiera though seemed to have gotten back some of her wits from the mind-bending orgasm a few minutes prior, and began suckling on the head of Thomas' cock like her life depended on it. It was his turn to pant as she used every part of her mouth to give him the shallowest, but most intense blowjob of his life.

Seeing how hard she was trying to please Thomas, Jeremy used one hand to pull Kiera back down the desk, his trainer's cock popping free from her mouth as he firmly pressed against her clit with his other hand. “AAAhhhhh-gh!" Kiera cried, grunting at the end. She craned her neck to look up at Jeremy, who was staring at her with the same domineering expression as the Hakamo-o in her video. A sharp shiver ran the length of her body as her fantasy was finally made real. She relaxed her head, allowing it to flop back over the end of the desk where she was met once more by Thomas' throbbing erection. She looked at it, then up at Thomas. And without breaking eye contact, she opened her mouth wide, splaying her tongue out to invite him inside.

Thomas didn't hesitate. He pressed his cock against her tongue, but she didn't suck it in, she just looked up at him whorishly. Thomas gulped, hoping he was reading the signs correctly as he thrust into her open hole. Inch after inch of his cock buried itself in her waiting throat until he bottomed out. Watching her neck distend from his meaty shaft pushing through it was one of the most erotic things the man had seen, which given the last month was quite the accomplishment. What made it better though was seeing her muscles constrict around it as she began gulping along his length.

Thomas could barely stand it, withdrawing all the way to see what she would do. Kiera swallowed some saliva, licked her lips and held her mouth open again. Thomas looked to Jeremy who was just as amused as his trainer at the development. Jeremy pulled out as well, winking to Thomas who smiled in understanding. Looking down at the woman whose eyes were begging him to continue, Thomas waited until Jeremy's hips flexed before forcing his cock back down her throat. He bottomed out at the same time as pokemon companion, Kiera moaning deeply into his member at the sensation of being fucked from both ends simultaneously.

Timing himself to Jeremy's pace, Thomas started fucking the poor woman's throat, plunging deep over and over before giving her a few seconds to breathe and repeating the process over again. Kiera tried reaching out to grab Thomas' hips at one point but the rough fucking from both ends was too much for her mind to coordinate such an action properly, so she ended up lifting her bra and just playing with her breasts instead.

Both Thomas and Jeremy couldn't help but see that as an opportunity, using their nails, claws, fingers and palms to scrape, grope and knead her body as they ploughed her throat and pussy. In little time at all Kiera's moans got higher in pitch, staccatoed from the increased pace Jeremy had fallen into. Thomas could tell the two of them were getting close to their respective climaxes - as was he - and decided to give her something she'd never forget.

Thomas continued thrusting a few seconds longer than he had before, making the woman gasp for air as he pulled out. But instead of thrusting back in he walked around to Jeremy's side of the desk and leaned against the edge. Jeremy, not entirely sure where Thomas was going with this but happy to find out, let the man guide him towards pulling Kiera off the desk. Thomas then sat her in his lap, his cock grinding between her cheeks as Jeremy began thrusting just as furiously as before.

Thomas' hands slid around Kiera as she moaned loudly, throat free of obstruction. “Fuck, yes! Oh Jeremy!" she cried, her hands sliding atop Thomas' as he kneaded her breasts. With every slap of Jeremy's hips against hers, the man's cock was squeezed between her arse cheeks, his hands groping the bountiful bosom before him in rhythm. “Fuck, I-I…" She squeezed Thomas' hands tightly as her whole body shuddered, legs vibrating as the climax overwhelmed her.

Jeremy grunted, doubling his efforts as her pussy walls clamped down around his member. They rippled and pulled at him, trying to milk him for every last drop of cum. It didn't take him long before Jeremy rammed his cock as deep as possible, clamping his mouth around Kieras to tongue fuck her as he pumped load after load of hot dragon-cum into her. She moaned loudly around his invasive tongue as the two of them rode out their joint climax. Jeremy''s growling in response only driving her more wild.

Thomas didn't stop with his groping, even when Kiera's hands began twitching and let go of his. If anything he became more specific with his fondling, finding her thick nipples and grinding them between his middle and ring fingers with each squeeze of her breast. He could feel individual pulses of Jeremy's cum hit inside her hungry womb as Kiera's arse clenched at each impact. As the two slowly returned to a normal breathing rate and Jeremy withdrew his tongue from her throat, Thomas leaned around to whisper in her ear. “Do you want to taste?"

Her eyes were open in an instant, looking to Jeremy as the Hakamo-o slowly withdrew his cum-covered cock from her dripping pussy. He took a step back before giving her the same gesture the grey Hakamo-o had in the video, ordering her to lick up the mess. She gulped and leaned over, giving Thomas an idea.

Jeremy realised what Thomas wanted to do and grinned. He took another small step bak, forcing Kiera to pull away from Thomas just a bit. The man's hands shifted from her breasts to her waist in one quick movement and pulled her back onto his cock. Kiera's eyes went wide as Thomas' entire length quickly disappeared inside her used hole as gravity - and a substantial amount of lube courtesy of Jeremy - helped hilt the man inside her.

Kiera whimpered at the sudden intrusion, but Thomas was no match for Jeremy in size. Her gaping hole easily accepted the man's length. And once again sensing a cock inside her, those muscles began rippling, milking Thomas as she sat in his lap. But Thomas wasn't done. He pressed a hand against Kiera's neck, forcing her gently down towards Jeremy's still drooling member. He didn't have to push far before Kiera took over and continued her descent towards the bright pink phallus.

Jeremy ran a claw though her hair, licking his lips as he gave her a dominating stare. Kiera extended her tongue to taste the pearlescent fluid. As soon as a drop touched it, her pink muscle retreated behind her lips to taste the pokemon's seed. Thomas realised she must have liked the flavour because almost instantly she returned to lick along the underside of the throbbing tool, then up each side. Jeremy groaned and growled, loving the attention from this buxom human.

Thomas couldn't hold back any more. Seeing Kiera go crazy for Jeremy's cum was too much, so he grabbed her hips and wrenched her arse into his lap before firing his seed deep into her belly. She gasped at the sensation, though somewhere inside a switch flipped and she responded by practically inhaling most of Jeremy's length. Her lips pushed down two thirds of the way, his cock pushing against the back of her throat before she came back up for air. Though seemingly not satisfied with herself she rammed her face back down on Jeremy's crotch, gaining a few more inches over last time as she felt the tip of his member press hard enough against the back of her throat that it began forcing itself down it.

Thomas, still gripping Kiera tight around the midsection had enough sense of mind to realise his arm was in the way of her bending properly, and in one fluid motion pulled his arms out from around her waist and down against the small of her back. This angled her torso just right that Thomas gained another few inches inside her milking pussy while lining her up for Jeremy to thrust all the way into her throat.

But Kiera still had one last surprise for the duo. Moaning into Jeremy's tool, her tongue went into overdrive, sliding around the slick member over and over, pooling the cum in her cheeks before swallowing against the cock. Over, and over. Jeremy hadn't felt anything like it, and fresh after his recent cumsplosion, he felt his body pushing him over the edge again. He pulled back just long enough for Kiera to say “Make me swallow every drop." before slamming himself back inside her, roaring his statement of dominance.

Kiera did as she promised, gulping gown each load of spunk fired from Jeremy's member; the hot pulses massaging her throat as much as her throat's muscles were massaging the erupting tool. The three of them remained locked in an erotic 'H' until Jeremy felt Kiera politely tap his side. Withdrawing, both he and Thomas were surprised to see the brilliant pink cock absolutely spotless. Kiera licked up a few beads of cum in the corners of her mouth before smacking her lips.

She then pulled herself off Thomas, a near torrent of cum spilling out of her before she closed her legs tight by crossing them. Then keeping them crossed, she impossibly bent over - giving Thomas a show of her delicious peachlike arse - and hooked the panties hanging off one foot over the other before pulling them up, resetting her skirt as though nothing had happened. Thomas followed suit and in a short time both humans were decently clothed again, and Jeremy's arousal had slid back beyond his slit. Tom floated down once he realised Kiera was ready and dropped the camera into her hands before zapping back into the lamp. She tapped a button and began watching the video, smiling before turning it off and placing it on the desk.

Jeremy looked to Thomas, then to the one bracer on the man's arm that didn't have a pokedex attached. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Kiera. Thomas understood and began to unbuckle it. “Kiera, you need to know something." He said, taking his time with each buckle, as though it were more a ritual than a piece of clothing. “Every pokemon… enthusiast-"

<Slut> Jeremy interjected with a comical cough. His tone was enough for Thomas to understand, and blush heavily much to Kiely's confusion.

“Everyone in our position," he reiterated “seems to have one of these. It's a sign of… being taken. As it were." He held the bracer out for her. The nature of the straps and buckles made it so that despite their size difference, it could be made to fit her arm. “Pokemon seem to recognise it more than humans, which I haven't entirely come to understand why. But everyone I've met so far that has seen this and understands what it means, understand what Jeremy means to me."

Kiera took the bracer and held it in her hand. She looked at the pokedex on Thomas' other arm and smiled. “We had a transfer from the Oblivia islands, they brought a new Styler with them." She pulled the watch-like object from a desk and removed the band. She thread one of the leather straps through the back of the Styler before strapping it to her arm. She held it up for Thomas to see, and both he and Jeremy nodded their approval. Tom buzzed out of the lamp and into the styler, humming excitedly as he was able to be closer to his partner.

Thomas remembered Kiera asking if he'd seen a Rotom before, and his memory that was quickly dismissed for being inappropriate. He realised it was now more appropriate than ever. “Kiera, I want you to call someone. Call them right after I leave."

She looked a little puzzled and concerned “Okay, who am I calling?"

“The Owlra Gym Leader, Miriam Coral. Tell her I said hi, and to ask Hailey where to get that toy." He said, grinning.

“What toy?" A smirk was pushed from her mouth as soon as she said the word, realising what Thomas might have been alluding to, and that it wasn't so much of an urgent matter as he seemed to make out. Though as she thought about it, she realised it kinda was.

“Trust me. If she knows I sent you to her, she'll know just what to tell you." Kiera still looked a little doubtful. “If you're unsure, have Tom chat to Hailey." He looked to the lamp then tapped his chin “Actually, not sure how that would work."

“I can sort something out." She said cautiously. “There really are people out there - not porn people - that… do this?"

Thomas nodded “I don't know of many. And not everyone with one of these-" He held his remaining bracer up “-will be part of that club. But I could see it in your eyes when you looked at Tom." She smiled at that, stroking her lamp lovingly. “And I think you could see it in mine." Thomas looked at Jeremy before leaning over to kiss him on the forehead.

Kiera looked to the clock on her desk and sighed. “I'm sorry Thomas, but I've gotta kick you out. I have a meeting in a half hour and need to… clean up."

“So I take it we won't see you tonight?" Thomas asked, straightening his clothes.

“No. Not a field agent any more. Coil will be there along with one of the Ops teams." Thomas grumbled at the man's name. Something about Coil just sent his hackles right up. “But we'll want you to come back for the debrief, so I'll see you then." She rubbed the surface of the bracer, trying to get her arm used to the covering. “And thank you."

“Be true to yourself and your pokemon. The rest will just fall into place." He leaned down and gave Kiera a hug, followed soon after by Jeremy. “See you for the debrief."

“Good luck Thomas." She waved him out of her office.

As the door shut behind Thomas and Jeremy they looked to either side of the identical cement corridors. “What's the rule with Mazes? Always turn left? Or was that right?" Jeremy rolled his eyes and began retracing their steps through the Ranger's complex with Thomas in pursuit.

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