Frontal Hits

{So, what are your plans?} Aurora asked Bonny on their way to the city.

{Already said it. I'm going to train.}

{Don't give me that crap. There's no way you would turn down some… intimate moments with him, so tell me, what are your real plans?}

{Maybe it's none of your business.}

{Oh, well, sorry for being so considerate, Miss 'I-don't-give-a-shit-about-anyone'.}

Slowing a bit, Bonny sighed a little.

{Look, I won't tell you why, but I can't mate with master at the moment, so for the last time, I'm going to train.}

{Okay. And I suppose I can't know why?}

{Exactly.}

{...Okay.} Aurora replied condescendingly.

{What do you mean 'okay'?} Bonny demanded, noticing her tone.

{Not much, besides that I thought we were 'a team'. How many times were you pestering us with that?}

{So?}

{You see, I can tell that you still don't like me, much like Scarlet. I'm making an effort here to not be a complete bitch. It doesn't mean that someone else has to take that title.}

When she heard the lucario's last sentence, Bonny was about to turn and punch her but contained herself. After all, she wasn't half wrong.

{So you really decided to drop the attitude and actually be nice?} Bonny calmly inquired.

{...I'm trying at least. You're not making things easy.}

For a moment, Bonny considered the situation. She never really appreciated her, but mainly it was because of her princess-like and selfish attitude. If she really has changed, maybe right now was the occasion to get to know her better side.

{Alright. I made a bet with Scarlet that I lost. You can guess what was the pledge.}

{So, in short, the loser can't mate with him?}

{Yes.}

{That's quite dumb.}

Then, Bonny began to immediately regret giving her a chance.

{What was the bet?}

{One step at a time, will you? Even the best of friends don't share everything in one single moment.}

{Alright, if you insist.}

Both of them went silent for a moment.

{Well, what should we do now?} Bonny asked.

{I don't know. Anything that doesn't involve seeing him sticking his dick into someone.}

{Someone else, you mean?}

{No, into someone, that's it.}

{If you insist.} Bonny mimicked.

{Whatever.}

Not knowing what to answer, Bonny proposed something.

{We can spar together if you want.}

{Sparring?}

{Why not? It's been a long time since the last time we fought.}

{I don't know. I wouldn't want to hurt you accidentally.} Aurora teased her with a mild grin.

{Don't worry, I'll go easy on you.} Bonny reassured a bit haughtily.

{Heh, I should be the one to say it.}

{And I know just the perfect place for it.}

A while later, they were back in the city and walking down the streets.

{Where is that place you talked about? I hope you're not planning on sparring right here.}

{You'll see.}

As they were walking, a familiar face exits a nearby shop.

{Hey! It's you.} Bonny called over with a wave.

The familiar face was a certain sawk named Blue.

{Oh, hi.} Blue replied when he faced the two of them as they walked to him.

{What's up?} Bonny greeted.

{Doing some groceries with my friend.}

{Nice.}

{What about you?}

{Not much at the moment. But I am about to do some sparring with her.} She answered while pointing at Aurora.

{Oh, and who might you be?} Blue asked, looking at the lucario.

{This is Aurora. She has quite the personality, but she's not that bad overall.}

{Fuck you.} Aurora retorted with crossed arms.

{See?} Bonny smiled.

{I do. Well, nice to meet you, Miss Aurora.}

{I… S-same.} Aurora said, slightly blushing.

At this moment, a man stepped out of the same shop as Blue with a plastic bag in one hand.

"I'm done, Blue, we can go." The man said to the sawk.

{Just a minute.} Blue replied with some hand movements. {Miss Bonny, Miss Aurora, this is my friend and trainer as you usually call it, Charle.}

{Hi.} Bonny greeted with a wave, unlike Aurora who did not.

Without answering, Charle just waved back with a small smile.

{Can you wait a minute?} Blue asked his trainer with more hand movements, with what he agreed with a nod.

Blue then noticed how perplexed Bonny was.

{It helps us to communicate efficiently.}

{Ahh.} Bonny understood.

{Well, it was nice seeing you again.}

{Same. Hem… by any chance, were you… busy?}

{Why do you ask?}

{Because, I was wondering if you could… help us.}

{Help you?}

{You see, we have a rematch with the gym leader of the city and it would help us if you could do a little something for me. I know you're strong and you could really make us progress.}

{Ah yes, Dulshin. Quite the opponent to say the least.}

{You fought her?} Aurora asked.

{No, but I saw a few matches. I'm always curious about how the humans and their pokemon fight in battles, so I asked Charle to see a few ones.}

{I see.}

{So, what exactly do you need help with?} The sawk inquired.

{Right.} Bonny started. {Well, if you have the time and, of course, if you want to, I was wondering if you could train me.}

{Train you?} Blue repeated.

{Yeah, you know, making me stronger and everything.}

{I know what training means.} Blue chuckled. {It's however an odd request. Normally, others are too prideful to ask for help.}

{I admit that it's not easy for me to ask, but to be honest, I'm quite overwhelmed by the events at the moment. I want to make master and the team win.}

For a moment, Blue eyed the lopunny.

{It demands some courage to do what you just did. I don't mind helping you, but I have to warn you.}

{Hmm?}

{Me and Charle are about to leave the city. In a few days, to be precise.}

{Aww. That's quite the bummer.} Bonny replied, a bit down.

{I'm sorry.}

{No, it's okay.}

{Looks like we'll have to do accelerated sessions, then.}

{What? Does that mean…?} The lopunny asked with hopeful eyes.

{That I'm going to help you for the remaining time I have here.} Blue said with a serious expression.

{Oh my god! Thanks a lot, Blue!} Bonny happily exclaimed.

{No problem. I was planning on doing mostly solo training, but it's not like a few days of break will do me any harm. I think you came at the right time as I believe I was neglecting my resting time lately.}

{Ah, because you think you'll be on vacation with me?} Bonny jested.

{Not at all. You're strong, there is no doubt about it, but my roughest training exercise might be a little too extreme for you. I had to calm down sometimes because some of my exercise routines were too tough, even for me.}

{Biting on more of what you can chew, huh?}

{Unfortunately. What about you?} Blue asked, looking at Aurora.

{Well…}

{This is a great opportunity, Aurora. Blue can really help you to get stronger. That's what you want, right?}

Aurora then remembered that she already asked Scarlet about it. However, she didn't want the others to know about it. Worse, if she refuses, it will draw suspicions.

{I… suppose I can do it too.} Aurora agreed, a bit despite herself.

{Awesome. We should ask the others too, but I don't think they will all agree.}

{Like Scarlet?}

{Yes, but not only her. I don't think Luna will see the necessity of it. And Jade is too anxious about existing, so that leaves only May and Dusk.}

{Maybe.}

{Who might they be?} Blue asked.

{Dusk is a braixen and May is a mawile.} Bonny explained.

{Oh. I don't mind helping Miss May too, but I don't think I can help Miss Dusk.}

{Why?}

{I believe braixens are mostly specialized in special abilities. To which, it's not my expertise.}

{Damn, you're right. I hope it will not sadden her too much.}

{Well, if she wishes to improve her physical capability, I'll be more than glad to help her.}

{Okay, but go easy on her, please. When it comes to close combat, she's way weaker than us.}

{It was my guess, but I'm sure she's not that bad.}

{First things first, we should start by asking her.} Aurora pointed out.

{Good point. So, is there a place and time that suits you better?}

{I mostly spend time with Charle a good portion of the day, but at the end of the afternoon until late in the evening, we do things on our own.}

{Pretty much a third of the day almost. That will do. From what I've seen in just an hour, that should help.}

{So, the same place as before at the start of the evening?}

{You got it.} Bonny responded with a grin.

{See you there, then.} Blue said while waving at them and before motioning Charle they could go.

{Isn't that great? We'll make crazy progress with him. Imagine master's face when he sees how strong we've become. Ahh, I can already see it; so impressed by my strength that he'll take me right on the spot.} Bonny expressed with a rather lewd grin.

{Anyway...} Aurora interrupted to change the subject. {Is he really that strong?}

{Oh, he is. I'm sure he could even beat me on my mega form.}

{Well, if you say so.} Aurora replied, a bit skeptical.

{Speaking of mega form...} Bonny engaged before continuing their walk. {You do have one, right?}

{Yes, and Mister 'Master' has a lucarionite.}

{Ah, true. I forgot about it. So that means you can mega evolve too.}

{Yes, but no.} Aurora expressed with a disinterested tone.

{What do you mean?}

{I don't know what Arceus was thinking when he created them, but he decided that to use it, you need to have a 'special' relationship with your trainer. Brha, talk about soapy bullshit.} Aurora explained with slight disgust.

{True. Nothing's worse than having complicity and affection with a human. A true nightmare, indeed.} Bonny replied sarcastically.

{You can keep your sarcasm to yourself, you know.} Aurora retorted.

{Sorry, but what's up with that aversion for cute and nice things? Don't you love it when you and master get all lovey-dovey? What about when you both mated last night?}

{What are you-}

{And for fuck's sake, don't try to deny it! We all know you did it with him, so get over it.}

Unable to retort, Aurora remained silent.

{Seriously, it wouldn't kill you to embrace your feminine side a bit. Sometimes, I wonder if you have more testosterone than a nidoking.}

{Is it that annoying to have someone that doesn't bend all the time to either smell a flower or get screwed?}

{Honestly, yes. Maybe you haven't noticed, but we all are girls on the team. You won't get along very well with the group if you act like you have a bigger dick than master.}

{Don't know about the dick, but surely I have more balls.}

{See? That's exactly what I'm talking about. If it's too hard for you, can you at least respect master? That way, maybe the others will like you a little.}

Again, Aurora remained silent. However, it was more about consideration than the lack of repartee.

{No way I'm gonna call him master if it's what you are expecting.}

{Then don't do it. However, it would be nice if you could at least call him by his name.}

{What was it again?} Aurora asked, with what Bonny glared at her discontentedly. {Relax, I was just messing with you. Geez, talk about a sense of humor.}

{What's his name?}

{I said I was just kidding. I do know his name.}

{Which is?...}

{Seriously? Why are you so-}

{Say it.} Bonny commanded.

Aurora then hesitated once more. She quickly understood that she won't win this one.

*sigh* {It's Max. Happy now?}

{Not yet. Who is Max?}

{What-}

{Come on.} Bonny urged.

With a louder sigh, Aurora complied.

{...Max is our trainer.}

{Who cares for us?}

{...Max.}

{Who loves us beyond everything?}

{Max...}

{And who do you love most?}

{...}

{Saaay it.}

{...It's…}

{Saaay iiiit.} Bonny kept insisting.

{Ghra. It's Max, okay. Can you shut the fuck up now?} Aurora demanded.

{See? It wasn't that hard.} Bonny said with a mischievous grin.

{I swear, I'm gonna make you pay for this.}

{Whatever floats your boat. Honestly, I don't know who you're trying to impress, but like I said, there is no shame in showing your softer side.} Bonny added with a prideful grin.

{If you say so.} Aurora replied, obviously not wanting to talk about it anymore.

With a low sigh, Bonny kept walking in silence with her comrade.

{Anyway, what do we do until the evening?} Aurora asked.

{I don't know about you, but I'm hungry.}

{Now that you mention it, I'm a bit peckish myself.}

{So, how about we head back to our hotel room, get a snack, and chill until then?}

{Meh, why not?} Aurora said, doing her half-interested act.

A little while later, they were back at the hotel. To their surprise, they saw Max and Scarlet already in their room. Max was watching TV and Scarlet's lying on the bed, doing things with her master's pokedex.

{What are you doing here?} Aurora asked.

"Hem, well, I paid for the room, so…" Max answered, with Scarlet chuckling.

{I mean, weren't you guys outside the city a while ago?}

"Yeah, but as soon as we were done, I was too lazy to walk back."

{Wasn't it you who that wanted to be stronger?} Bonny questioned while sitting on the bed in front of Scarlet.

"Yeah but, walking all the way back here?" Max complained with a fake tired voice.

{Well, we did walk.} Aurora pointed out.

{Drop it, will you?} Scarlet intervened. {If he doesn't want to walk, then it's his business.}

{Anyway...} Bonny started. {Where are the others?}

"Luna's outside and Jade's back in her pokeball. Dusk wanted to rest a bit in hers after that battle, and May was still sleeping when I took her out, so I just returned her immediately to not disturb her."

{Okay. What are your plans for the rest of the day?}

"Probably doing some shopping now that we have a bit of savings. I'm letting Scarlet rest for a while before we go. Wanna come?"

{Actually, we kind of have something already planned.}

"Oh, really? And what might that be?"

{Aurora and I stumbled across Blue, and I asked him to help me train to win the next battle against Dulshin. Aurora will come with me and all of you are invited.}

"...Okay, and who is this Blue, exactly?"

{A guy she met.} Aurora said, wanting to nag her.

"A guy?" Max replied, looking at her suspiciously.

{Nice job.} Bonny retorted, glaring at the lucario. {Blue is a sawk I indeed met, but we just sparred one time.}

"I see. Is he cute?" Max questioned, half-joking.

{Not you too.} Bonny said desperately.

"Just asking."

{You have like, five girls with you already, why so possessive over one?} Aurora demanded.

{Nice try.} Bonny retorted. {First of all, we all know that you want master all for yourself, so shut it. Secondly, even if he's good-looking, he never will be as handsome as master. And even if he was, my heart is already taken in the first place.}

{It almost got taken by another one.}

Max was about to intervene and scold Aurora for that unnecessary and rude comment, but Bonny just ignored her.

{I don't know about you, but a little bit of jealousy never killed anyone. In fact…} Bonny said before snuggling Max a little. {Feeling desired is quite the turn-on.}

{Well, I guess it's time for me to go.} Aurora replied before standing up, sensing some mating session coming up.

{Relax, I don't plan on doing anything.}

"You don't?" Max wondered, surprised that she didn't rip his pants off by now.

{I'm sorry, master. I really want to get stronger, so I'm afraid I'll have to save up my energy just for that purpose.}

"Oh, okay," Max replied, a bit disappointed.

{I promise you that after we beat the gym leader, we'll get it on all night long, okay?}

"It's okay, really. You're not my possession, so do as you please. I'll wait for you." He reassured, rubbing her cheek.

{Thanks, master.} Bonny exclaimed, hugging him. {Like I said, everyone is invited, even you. You could come with us.}

"I don't really feel like it today, so maybe tomorrow."

{Okay, but don't wait for too long. Blue and his trainer plan on leaving the city within a few days.}

"Okay. I'll come tomorrow then if they are still here."

{They should be. Can you let May and Dusk out so I can ask them?}

"Sure," Max answered before letting the two pokemon out.

{Do you want to get stronger, May?} Bonny inquired to the mawile as soon as they were out.

{Hem, I guess.} May replied, a bit confused by the sudden question.

{Great, because Aurora and I are going to train with a strong pokemon. I was wondering if you would want to join us.}

{I…} May started, looking at Max with interrogative eyes.

Max answered with a simple nod.

{Isn't Scarlet the one that usually does it?} May questioned.

{About that…} Bonny said, turning her head to Scarlet.

{I suppose a change of pace can't be too bad. If that Blue is a sawk, he must be better than me in close combat and physical prowesses.} Scarlet explained without even leaving the pokedex.

{Just like she said.} Bonny agreed, looking back at May.

{Well…} May started, feeling a bit hesitant.

[I hope you aren't… you know, mad at me.] Aurora asked to Scarlet's mind.

[Not really.] Scarlet responded, sounding even happy. [Actually, it's quite the opposite. I'll be more than glad to be spared from having to spend time with you.]

[Oh.] Aurora replied, not expecting that kind of response.

Scarlet quickly felt that she had hurt her a little and almost instantly felt a little bad about it. A feeling that she wasn't used to before her encounter with Max.

[Come on, I was just messing with you.] Scarlet apologized in her own way. [Like I said, having someone teaching you differently than me is pretty nice. Surely he can teach you things and ways of doing it that I can't, which is good. I am no physical fighter.]

[I guess, but it's not like I already trained and learned things with you. Yet. So...]

[True.] Scarlet simply conceded.

{Nice.} Bonny said after May finally agreed to go with them. {What about you, Dusk?}

{I don't know…} The braixen replied, shyly playing with her fingers. {I'm not the very physical type.}

{And he's not the very special type, so that's why I thought you would probably pass on it, but I wanted to ask first, just in case.} Bonny pointed out to the thinking fire-type pokemon. {However, you're welcome to join if you want to work on those muscles, but since you're a special type…}

{That won't help me a lot.}

{Unfortunately.}

Everyone could see that Dusk looked disappointed, but a lot less than they anticipated. Max thought that it was mostly because she couldn't follow them.

{If you want to get really stronger, Scarlet is still the best choice for you.} Bonny affirmed.

"I'm afraid they are right, pretty girl," Max said, gently petting her. "It won't be very useful to train for something you don't use often. I mean, a body in good shape is still important, but not as much as hand-to-hand fighters like them."

{Don't worry, master, I understand.} Dusk reassured, not even feeling a little sad.

"That reassures me. So, when do you plan on going?"

{Not right now, but a little bit later. We planned on chilling here until then.}

"Alright, might as well do it all together. I wonder if Jade would like to join us." Max wondered, looking at Scarlet.

[Do as you want.] The red gardevoir told him with a slight touch of arrogance.

Max felt that it bothered her a little, but he couldn't just do as he pleased just because she would say so. A part of him knew she knows as well and wondered if it was one aspect that she liked about him. A soothing feeling confirmed his thoughts. Reaching for Jade's pokeball, he let her out.

"Hi again, Jade."

{Hi.}

Slowly but surely, Jade was getting comfortable being with them, even if it was the slightest progress.

"Do you want to chill with us?"

{Chill?} Jade repeated, confused.

"Oh, right, I guess you're still not accustomed to human expressions. Chilling means we just sit on our butt and do mostly nothing."

{Nothing?}

"Well, not nothing, nothing. We either watch TV or have conversations. Basically, we just relax and do whatever we want, as long as we avoid doing physical activities as much as possible."

{Sounds lame when said like that.} Scarlet commented.

{I second that.} Bonny agreed.

"I mean, we just sit somewhere and be as lazy as possible. I hope it's simple now."

{Ooh. Looks like someone is grumpy.} Scarlet mocked.

"No, I'm not."

{I thought mating was supposed to calm down males.} Aurora mocked as well.

{Which means that someone didn't do their job properly.} Bonny accused, looking at the gardevoir.

{Yeah, right. Like hell, I'll do a half-assed job.} Scarlet retorted.

"Okay, that's enough." Max interrupted, not wanting to embarrass Jade more than she already seems to be. "Anyway, you get the idea. So, what will it be?"

At first, she was hesitant as usual.

{I don't know.} She replied, looking at everyone briefly. {What… do we do exactly?}

Smiling, Max then explained to her about the human custom of lazing around, as well as talking about what a TV was.

{So basically, we just sit there and glare at a box?} Jade concluded.

"Well, it's a bit more elaborate than that, but in the very big lines, yeah."

At this moment, Jade was not very enthusiastic about it.

"Just give it a shot."

{It may sound boring at first, but it's better than you think.} Aurora told her.

"Ha. Says the girl who always complains about how stupid movies are." Max commented.

{They are, but on rare occasions, you can find something a little funny.}

"Your call, Jade. You do whatever you feel comfortable with."

{...}

Again, she was hesitant. By passing time with them, she was getting accustomed to their presence. Yet, it seems that there is a line she still can't cross. She didn't know the why or the how, but there is always a part of her that tells her that she was out of place. A part that may never vanquish. Maybe it was because she was used to only interacting with gardevoirs a huge part of her life, if not the entirety. It could also be that maybe being with a group reminds her of her old patterns and the life she had before. They all really seem nice. Deep inside and unknowingly from her, she wishes she could get over it.

{I… I guess a try can't hurt.} She finally conceded.

"Awesome. You can take my seat if you want."

{No, it's okay.} She refused before sitting on the ground, her back against the foot of the bed. {You already do more than enough for me.}

"Alright. Don't be afraid to ask if you ever grow tired of the hard ground."

Jade only nodded shyly. For a couple of hours, all of them enjoyed the relaxing moment from switching channels and arguing about what was good or not. Surprisingly, Jade seemed to enjoy it as well. Not as much as the others, but shyly in her corner, she would occasionally share her opinions from time to time. Eventually, the end of the afternoon arrived.

{Well, I think it's about time we go.} Bonny pointed out after the end of an episode of a low-rated series Max never heard of.

{Aww. We were having so much fun.} May expressed, a bit disappointed.

{I know and it pains me to do it, but there are things we all must do. You still coming?}

{Yes.} The mawile answered before standing up alongside her.

{Let's go see how worthy he is.} Aurora said, following them.

{See you later, master. We'll be back later.}

"Try to be back before midnight."

{We'll try. Bye-bye.} Bonny wished with May waving at them.

Waiting that no one was looking, Aurora discreetly and shyly waved at Max before closing the door behind them.

"You're not interested?" Max asked to Scarlet.

{About being told by a brainless brawler what to do? Not really. Besides, my physical power is even better than your average gardevoir, so no need to waste more time on it.}

"If you stop completely, you're gonna lose that strength."

{I keep myself in shape by my own means, don't worry. Thinking of it, would you be intimidated if I end up more muscular than you?}

"I don't think it's possible with that frame of yours. I mean, sure, you can always improve, but there must be a limit to what your body can endure."

{Aren't you underestimating a pokemon?}

"Phhft, of course not. You know me." Max responded with a playful, dismissive wave.

{You better. But you're not entirely wrong. Gardevoirs aren't meant to be physical, so I don't really know.}

"Anyhow, what do you want to do now?"

{Good question.} Scarlet started, dropping the pokedex and placing her hands behind her head, going thoughtful. {There's always trying to break the bed, but we have an unwelcome guest, so it's out of the question.}

"I hope you're not talking about Jade."

{Hm.} Scarlet hummed while shrugging her shoulders.

{I suppose it means that I need to go back in the pokeball.} Jade said morosely.

"It means nothing. Scarlet didn't mean what she just said and will apologize." Max scolded.

{Yeah, sure.} Scarlet replied nonchalantly.

"Scarlet..." Max growled.

{That wasn't very nice.} Dusk scolded as well.

{So?...}

"Scarlet, we already talked about it. You don't have to like everyone in the team, but I asked you to at least not be unpleasant with them."

{There is no need to-} Jade started before getting interrupted.

"I know, Jade. But it's not just about you. Scarlet needs to learn that she's not the boss of everything."

{Seriously? You're gonna use that tone with me?} Scarlet replied, starting to get upset.

"I'm not using any tone, but if it's too hard for you to respect a living being, even if just a little bit, maybe I will eventually."

{I think I respect you and the others well enough.}

"But not everyone."

{Nobody is perfect.} Scarlet retorted arrogantly.

*sigh* "Look, I don't want to get into a fight with you. I know you don't like your own kind, but you have to get over it someday. I don't remember seeing her doing anything to you."

{Hmpf. There is no need to.}

"Alright, then. Just be a selfish gardevoir for the rest of your life." Max gave up.

For a moment, the room was silent besides the TV.

{...What will it change if I do apologize anyway?} Scarlet said lowly.

"Not looking like a complete jerk? Being a delightful gardevoir everyone likes?" Max pointed out, his voice calm and assertive.

{I don't care about being liked by everyone.} She replied with an even lower volume before being ignored again by Max. {...Fine. I'm sorry.} She apologized almost inaudibly.

"Thank you. I'm sure she accepts your apology." Max assured, looking at Jade.

Jade replied with a shy nod, even though she seems very uncomfortable with the situation. She just hopes that Scarlet doesn't end up hating her even more.

{I… think it has been enough time for me outside for today.} Jade told him.

"Really? I hope it's not because of what just happened."

{Well, not-}

Jade then paused for a moment. She didn't want to make them feel bad, but more importantly, she didn't want to start lying to them. With all the effort they are making to convince her how trustworthy they are, an unknown force wanted her to start doing the same. However, it started to get messy in her head, not knowing what to think. She was so lost that she simply couldn't manage it at the moment. She really needed some alone time.

{I wish I could say no, but I would be lying, and I don't want to do that. It's not specifically because of you, but all of this is making me uncomfortable and I still can't handle it yet.} She admitted.

"...Well, your honesty is quite appreciated," Max replied, a bit surprised by her bluntness. "I hope someday we can help you in any way we can."

{T-thanks. But if you don't mind, I need a couple of days alone.}

"Okay. I'll bring you out only for lunch, then."

{Thanks.}

With a nod, Max returned her to the pokeball.

{Poor Jade. She's really having a hard time adapting.} Dusk sympathized.

"Yeah. Though, if we keep being nice and not intrude on her personal space as much as we can, maybe someday she can overcome it."

{That would be nice.}

"In any case, maybe I should train myself. I mean, revise our tactics."

{Oh, you made me remember...} Scarlet said suddenly. {Can you both come over here?} She finished, pointing at the bed.

{Me too?} Dusk wondered, with what Scarlet nodded.

"Well, it has been a while, but a threesome can't hurt." Max shared, sitting on the bed with Dusk, who blushed heavily from the comment.

{Perverted, just the way I like. But no, I was thinking about something more… well, just less sexual.}

"Ah, and what might it be?" He questioned, curious as much as Dusk.

{Can you both close your eyes?} Scarlet requested.

Immediately, both did as told without any questions. Max and Dusk then felt a respective gardevoir hand on their forehead.

[Now master, try to speak telepathically to Dusk.]

[Hem… okay. Dusk, can you hear me?] He said in his head, focusing on the braixen next to him.

[Yes. I can hear you, master.]

Then, they felt the hand moving away.

"I'm sorry, Scarlet, but I already talked with Dusk telepathically before, so what are you trying to prove?"

{I'm getting to that. Dusk, did you do anything, in particular, to hear and speak to master telepathically?}

{Hem, not really. I admit that it surprised me a little.}

{Hm. Then I guess it could work, then.}

"Can someone explain to the non-psychic?"

{Me too. I'm not sure I understand your goal of this.} Dusk pointed out.

{Without going into big details, I found a way to have an advantage in battles.}

"An advantage? Could you elaborate on that, please?"

{Basically, I should be able to use my powers to connect two minds together.}

"And that means…?" Max questioned, making Scarlet roll her eyes.

{It means that from now on, and thanks to me, you should be able to discuss strategies directly into your battling pokemon's mind.}

"Really?! That would actually help a lot! No need to keep my teammates in the dark with my thousand improvised combos in case our initial strategies are ineffective."

{That's the idea. However, it's not in the bag yet. I still need to test how far I can do that. No need to tell you how energy-consuming linking two minds will be, so I also need to see for how long I can do it.}

"Whatever the outcome is, the idea itself is quite the lifesaver."

{I got the idea shortly after May told me about when she was underwater and couldn't hear a single word from you. With this method, even that won't be a problem anymore.}

"Thanks, Scarlet. Again, you're a huge asset for making our team stronger."

{No big deal.} Scarlet replied modestly, blushing slightly. {I just want to see you happy at the end of the day.}

"You're doing a pretty good job so far," Max assured, making her smile shyly.

{About that threesome…} Scarlet reminded, her shy face morphing into a mischievous one.

"Oh, I was just kid-"

{I'm in.} She interrupted.

"Oh, well, it sure is a- And there goes my clothes," Max said before noticing mid-sentence that Scarlet made him naked in a split second.

{What? It was your idea.}

*sigh* "I used to be told to be careful about what you wish for."

{Aww, poor little human.} Scarlet mocked before pushing him on his back on the bed. {Life is so cruel with you.} She continued, starting to make out with him afterward.

She debuted by caressing his cheeks while eagerly kissing him, then she slowly moved downward one of her hands. She spent a couple of seconds fondling his chest with her other hand before reaching the forbidden zone and noticing that he was already hard. Without needing to speak, Scarlet broke the kiss and looked at him with a grin.

{Do you want to start?} She asked, looking at Dusk with the corner of her eyes.

Not far from Max's side, the braixen was looking at them, sitting on her knees and wriggling her lower half.

{S-Sure.} She half-confidently answered, moving between Max's legs.

As Scarlet was gently stroking him, she let go of it when she felt that Dusk had a grip on it. As usual, the braixen took a whiff of the meat so she could go crazy on it, and so she does after only a few licks on it. Opening her maw, she gently clenched her teeth on the entire shaft, as if she was about to literally eat it. On her side, Scarlet kept kissing him with a hand rubbing his lower abdominals, awfully close to Dusk's meal. Far from wanting to be passive, Max had one hand on Scarlet's left cheek and his other one rubbing her hips and outer thighs. Quickly, she took his hand and put it where it belonged: her womanhood. Softly, Max started to rub her wet folds, but mainly focusing on her small clit, making her lowly moan. When he felt that she was more than enough wet, he then went to fingering her entrance.

{I can't wait anymore.} Dusk complained lustfully.

Suddenly, Max felt Dusk's very hot entrance rubbing against his shaft, and in a matter of seconds, she was already sitting on it.

{Yes!} She moaned when she felt her insides being filled to the brim.

As Dusk started riding him, Scarlet was varying the kisses; sometimes on his lips, sometimes everywhere close to them.

[I do enjoy the agility of your hand, but I prefer something else a lot more, so if you may, can you hurry up a little and come already?] The gardevoir urged lustfully.

[Can't I just… enjoy it even a little?]

[Never said you couldn't. It's just… You know that I'm not very patient.]

[Why didn't you go first, then?]

[Trying to not be a complete jerk once in a while.] Scarlet replied, referring to earlier.

[How considerate of you.] Max retorted playfully, rolling his eyes. [She's usually satisfied with an orgasm or two, so hold on a little.]

[Okay, but hurry. I want it so bad.]

Max sure wanted to please his beloved gardevoir, but not at the cost of neglecting Dusk, so he went just a little bit faster. He also tried speeding up the process by trying his best to rub her clit with his left hand. With an increase of muffled moans, Max knew it was super effective.

{You're… aggressive today…, master.} Dusk pointed out as she was feeling her climax getting near.

Soon enough, she reached it and seemed to be particularly intense by how her vagina was crushing his shaft.

{Wow… That was really good.} She expressed while catching her breath.

"That much?"

{That much.} Dusk confirmed.

"Glad to hear, then," Max replied with a warm smile.

{I'm a bit sore right now, so that's gonna be enough for now, but…} She said before briefly pausing. {I would like to do it again later on.}

"Sure thing," Max replied with a smile.

Smiling herself, Dusk gave Max a quick kiss before leaving to the bathroom.

"So cute."

{She has her charms.} Scarlet said before sitting on his thighs. {Now, let's get him ready and…} She added while using her powers to clean Max's penis up and made it hard again. {...all set.}

To Max's surprise, she didn't immediately put it in, but pressed her entrance on his shaft, gently rubbing herself against it.

"Why the teasing? Weren't you the one that wanted it so badly?"

{The only thing I love more than mating with you, is to make you beg for it. The more you do, the more you will want me and appreciate me.} She coaxed.

"I don't know if I should qualify you as selfish or not."

{Call me whatever you want, as long as I get what I want.}

Rolling his eyes, Max had no choice but to wait for her. But luckily for him, she was almost as eager as him.

{Hmmn!} Scarlet moaned as soon as she got filled as much as possible.

Without further ado, she immediately proceeds to the love-making session.

{Oh yes!} She moaned before already starting to accelerate.

"Whoa! If you plan on finishing it quickly, you're on the right path."

{Come whenever you want… I'll make you hard again.} She replied ecstatically, not slowing down a bit.

"Okay. Just try to not kill me."

{I'll… try.}

She kept that pace for a few minutes until Max was already about to burst.

"I warned… you," Max said before releasing all of his seeds inside her.

Scarlet then stopped for a brief moment and made Max's blood go where it was needed again when it was about to shrink.

{There we go. Ready for another round?}

"Always." He whispered with a seductive tone.

Unable to resist his devotion and charm, Scarlet rushed towards his lips and ferociously made out with him for almost a whole minute. After that, she resumed her riding, but slightly slower than before due to Max's after-orgasm sensitivity. With her hands on his chest, her grasp was varying in intensity depending on where Max was hitting inside. A little while later, it was her turn to be close to her climax. To her delight, she felt that her master was also close and smiled at the thought of coming together. Doubling her efforts, she got as tight as possible and went all out.

{Oh my god, YES!} Scarlet moaned rather loudly when she felt the hot, thick juice filling her, causing her to orgasm as well. Both spent the next few seconds catching their breath. {A gardevoir… is simply the best… don't you think?} She boasted.

"I admit that you're hard to beat in some of your expertise fields."

{Oh, come here you.} Scarlet said before passionately kissing him. {I think you earned yourself another go.}

With Max smiling, they went for two more rounds.

"Phew. That was especially good this time." Max commented as both of them were lying next to each other.

{I agree. If it keeps getting better and better, our standards will become unimaginably high.}

"Then that would mean we wouldn't be able to live without the other anymore."

{It's fine by me. I don't plan on leaving you, ever.}

"Out of context, it could be scary."

Max then noticed Dusk from the corner of one eye trying to discreetly leave the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Max asked, making her jump a little.

{Oh, hem, n-nowhere.} She stammered, stopping and looking at them with embarrassed eyes.

"Wait, did you stay in there until just now?"

{N-no. Yes. M-maybe. I didn't want to disturb you.}

"What did you do in there this whole time?"

Not responding, Dusk only tried to look at anything but them.

{You were watching us?} Scarlet hypothesized.

{N-no. I'm n-not like that.} She replied, madly blushing.

{She totally watched.} Scarlet teased with a grin.

"Anyway, what were you planning to do?"

{Well, I just wanted to go for a walk in the park. I thought that maybe I could also go see how the others are doing.}

"Oh, that's great. Scarlet, mind accompanying her?"

{Not r-}

{No, it's okay.} Dusk said abruptly. {I can go on my own.}

"I know, but-"

{I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself.} She retorted a bit aggressively.

Noticing how mean she sounded, she immediately regretted it.

{I'm… very, very sorry. I didn't mean to.}

Max and Scarlet then looked at each other nonchalantly and smiled.

"You're right, Dusk. I apologize. I shouldn't treat you like a kid. See you later, then. But if anything, contact either me or Scarlet, okay?"

{Yes.}

While leaving them, Dusk backed up towards the door while saying sorry every half second until she was on the other side and closed the door.

{See? That's what I mean when I say you have a bad influence on her.} Scarlet playfully scolded him.

"Oh, I'll show you a bad influence." Max retorted before starting a tickle fight with her.

*sigh* {Sometimes, they can have zero tact.} Dusk mumbled to herself outside the hotel, still feeling embarrassed. {I hope they're doing okay.} She added, thinking about May and the others.

Since she didn't know where the park was, it took her a little while, but she managed to find it.

(Looks nice.) She thought, gazing at the nice-looking park.

Once in, she immediately felt comfortable. Big cities weren't exactly her thing. To her, the peace of nature was a lot better than the noisy city. However, she could easily overcome it with master at her side. She was curious about her friends doings, but she took extra time to enjoy the place.

(Why didn't I come here earlier?) She said, feeling very relaxed.

As she was walking, she encountered some humans and pokemon, mainly together. She attracted the attention of some male pokemon as they were waving at her, sometimes sending her winks. Not wanting to be rude, she waved back at them with a smile before continuing her walk. Then, she came across a female human with a crying kid in her arms. Dusk noticed that he was stretching his arms towards a nearby fountain. Feeling curious, she went over to the fountain and saw the problem: the kid had dropped a toy in the water and was now floating in the middle of it. Since the fountain was rather deep and the middle was far to reach, the woman just gave up on it, telling her kid that she will buy him another one. Naturally, Dusk's first reflex was to try to help them. She then used her psychic abilities, bringing the toy to her and gave it back to the kid, making him cease his crying.

"Thanks a lot, little one. Thank you so much." The mother gratefully thanked her.

Smiling at them, Dusk then resumed her walk once again. To her, it felt so good to help someone in need. After a couple of steps, she saw an off-road trail, leading to a more forest-like path. Immediately taking it, she made a couple of meters when she thought she heard something. Stopping in place, she focused on her hearing sense. It was so low that she even wondered if she was just imagining things. However, as she lingered on trying to detect something, a little more audible noise was heard from a distance away. She wasn't sure, but they seem… familiar.

(That must be them.)

She then tried her best to go towards the noise's provenance. Luckily, her ears didn't deceive her and the noise was getting progressively louder until she recognized it as Aurora's growls. It took her a few minutes to find them.

{I'm not done yet!} Aurora bawled as she was standing up from the ground and rushing towards a blue pokemon.

The blue pokemon didn't even move from his position and calmly waited for Aurora to get close to him. In a blink of an eye, the lucario was swept and kicked to another place.

{Too impatient again.} The blue pokemon lectured.

Walking slowly closer, Dusk saw May sitting at the feet of a tree.

{Hi.} Dusk greeted her when next to her.

{Oh. Hi, Dusk. I didn't expect to see you here.} May greeted back with a smile, happy to see her.

{How'd it go?} Dusk asked, sitting next to her.

*sigh* {Horrible.}

{That much?} Dusk replied, a bit surprised.

{We get our butt kicked by Blue every time.}

{Blue?}

{It's the sawk over there.} May explained, pointing at the sawk pokemon, now fighting both Bonny and Aurora at the same time, hardly making more effort.

{Oh my. He seems really strong.}

{He is. That's why I'm taking a little break. My butt hurts from being kicked too much.}

While being observed, Bonny and Aurora were trying their best to land a hit. On rare occasions, they got close to land a hit on the Karate Pokemon, but their attempts were in vain. And at one point, Blue projected Bonny at Aurora, making double damage with one move.

{He doesn't go easy on you.} Dusk commented, feeling bad and worried for them.

{Nope, but that's what Bonny and Aurora wanted. Well, mostly Aurora, but Bonny didn't want to look like a coward, so…}

{I see. What about you?}

{I also want to get stronger, but I'm not afraid to say that I need a break.}

{Are you well-rested?} Blue gently asked to May.

Seeing Bonny and Aurora heavily panting on the ground, May sighed and stood up.

{I guess it's my turn to get punched.} She said to Dusk before walking to Blue.

When they were facing each other, they both saluted before getting in their fighting stance. Before even moving, May did a quick Iron Defense and charged at Blue with Pound. He blocked it and she used the momentum to jump in the air and fall back with Steel Fang. This time, Blue dodged it, making her attack a chunk of the dirty ground. Seizing the opportunity, Blue went for a sidekick. To Dusk's surprise, and glee, she dodged it backward. Unlike the other two, May was doing pretty well against him. She was less reckless and tried to think thoroughly before attacking. Eventually, and after a rather long sparring session, May demanded a time out, panting heavily. Again, Blue overpowered her, but she at least managed to get one hit: a Pound attack on his chest.

{You're getting better, May. However, you still take too much time before attacking. You have the opposite problem of Bonny and Aurora; you hesitate too much. You, as well as your friends, need to find the balance between impulsivity and hesitation. If you don't see openings, try to create some.} Blue advised.

{I'll… try.} May replied, still catching her breath.

{Don't get discouraged.} Blue reassured, looking at the other two, now next to Dusk. {I'm not an easy opponent, but if you train hard and do it the proper way, you could even surpass me. Now, I'll take a break myself. Feel free to spar together.}

After saluting them, Blue left the area.

{Heh, surpassing him. It won't happen soon enough.} Bonny commented.

{I got to admit that his technique is quite something.} Aurora said. {I never saw someone fight like him at the dojo. I don't think he could beat the grandmaster, but surely the majority of the dojo.}

{I'm wondering how come, someone, that strong is just... I don't know… roaming the streets with his human.}

{You think he's too good to walk on the same road as us?} Aurora snorted.

{That's not what I meant. Not entirely at least. What I mean is how come he's not a champion of some sort. His master doesn't seem to be a well-known face, either. It bugs me a little to be honest.}

{Maybe he's just not the type to show off.} May speculated.

{Perhaps. It's a shame, though. He and his human could go far.} Bonny pointed out.

{He seems a bit…} Dusk started.

{Ah, don't judge by the look.} Bonny reassured, guessing what she was about to say. {He might be a too serious type of guy, but he's really nice. He could've spent the day training alone to get stronger himself, but instead agreed to help us out.}

{Oh.}

{He might look rough, but that's just the way he is, I suppose. He respects our limits and tries to make us surpass them. However, surpassing our limits can hurt quite a lot.} Bonny replied while rubbing and stretching one shoulder.

{Well, you did overdo it a little.} May mentioned.

{A bit of rivalry never hurt. Well actually, it does.} Bonny retorted, making May roll her eyes.

{You all seem to be in very good hands.} Dusk said with a relieved smile.

{Yeah. Rough and hurtful hands.} Aurora stated.

A short moment later, Blue was back.

{Ready?} He asked while tightening his belt.

Before standing up, the three of them lowly sighed desperately.

{You can do it.} Dusk encouraged.

They kept sparring and did some muscular exercises until sunset arrived.

{That will be enough for today.} Blue announced. {Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I'll go up a notch.}

{What!?} Aurora exclaimed. {We barely made it out alive today!}

{You said you need to get stronger to beat the gym leader in two weeks from now. I'm sorry, but if you want to get stronger in that short lapse of time, you can't afford to stick with light sparring and exercises, even more so if you consider that my time here in the city is limited.}

{It pains me to say it, but he's right.} Bonny remarked. {We won't improve much with regular training methods. Do whatever it takes so we can win. Just... try not to kill us.}

{That's not my intention. With that, I wish you a good evening.}

After a salute, Blue went to leave the park for the night.

{Alright girls, time to head home.}

{If we can make it. My legs are so weak that I have the impression that they're gonna shatter at any moment.} Aurora complained.

{So do I. Let's go.}

With difficulties but with the help of Dusk, the group left the park as well and headed towards the hotel. It took them almost an hour to arrive back as night had fallen.

{No way I'm taking the stairs.} Aurora said, going to the elevators once inside the building.

{Me neither.} May agreed, following her.

Reluctantly, Bonny followed them and tried her best not to act too afraid. She hated elevators, but it was better than fainting on her way up the stairs. Luckily, no one seems to have noticed Bonny's uneasiness since no one commented. That, or they were just too tired to care. With a ding, Bonny was the first to leave, closely followed by the others. Using the little remaining energy they have, they walked back to the room and opened the door.

{We're back.} Bonny announced.

The first thing they noticed is the absence of Scarlet and Max was doing push-ups.

"Damn, you guys look wrecked," Max commented, standing up.

{You have no idea.} Bonny replied before dropping herself face-first on the bed.

{That guy is a monster.} Aurora said, doing the same action on the couch.

"That much?" Max inquired, looking at May.

Seeing that jumping either onto the bed or the couch was too much effort, the mawile just dropped herself on the ground on her back.

{You have no idea.} May too replied tiredly.

"...Okay, hehe," Max said, picking up the mawile. "He really didn't go easy on you." He scoffed.

{I know what you're thinking; no, he's not mean or anything. We told him not to hold back.} Bonny assured.

"Still... I'm not sure I really want zombies as my fighters." Max remarked playfully.

{We're not stupid. We'll take a day or two of rest before the battle.}

"I admire your enthusiasm, but I just want to be sure you're not pushing yourself too much."

{Okay, dad.} Bonny mocked. {By the way, where's Scarlet?}

"Outside. I don't know where exactly, but she said she was gonna be relatively close."

{Okay.} *yawn* {I hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna go to sleep extra early tonight.} She said while lazily moving her head to the pillow.

"Not at all," Max replied, noticing that May was already asleep in his arms.

He then put her on the bed next to Bonny and covered them with the sheets. Guessing that Aurora might be sleeping, he went to get some sheets and covered her as well.

{...Thanks.} She lowly mumbled.

Max didn't know if she actually thanked him or was just sleep talking. It made him smile either way.

"Any particular reason on why you haven't joined them in their slumber, Dusk?" He asked, seeing her still standing near the door.

{W-well… I want to ask something of you before doing so.} She replied, playing with her digits.

"Oh. Ask away, then."

{...Can you kiss me… on my lips?} Her face now faintly turned to a shade of red.

"Hehe, you look very adorable when you blush. Since you asked so nicely, I would be glad to." He obliged, making his way to her.

Max crouches a bit to be at the same level with her muzzle, taking both of her paws with his hands. He then nears his head while tilting it, now connecting their lips. There was no need to open their respective mouth, just a simple kiss was enough to convey their love and affection. After ten seconds of blissfulness, they separate.

"Was it enough to satisfy your demand?" Max asked with a grin.

{Very much so.} She answered while smiling brightly. {Good night, master.} She added, hugging him.

"Rest well, Dusk." Max reciprocated her action.

Dusk now proceeds to the bed to finally get some shut-eye and Max being the gentleman that he is, lifts the bedsheet for her. After she got comfortable, he put it back down. Now that everyone was asleep, he felt slightly lonely. He wanted to spend some time with Scarlet, but he didn't know where she was. Or so he thought. Surprisingly, when he thought about her, he had the feeling that he should go check the roof. Turning off the lights and then leaving the room, Max headed towards the stairs and went up. When at the top, a door presented itself in front of Max, probably leading outside. Like he guessed, he was now on the roof with the usual ventilation and white smoking thingy scattered everywhere. To his contentment, he saw the red gardevoir sitting at the edge of the building, feet hanging to the void.

"I don't know why, but I guessed that you would be here." Max engaged, walking towards her.

{Our connection keeps getting stronger and stronger. You should know that by now.}

"Hehe, I know, but I love the fact that I can find you without knowing exactly where you are. I impress myself every time."

{Don't brag too much or you will end up having a slightly disproportionate head compared to the rest, like me.}

Laughing, Max sat next to her.

"I know you wanted to have some alone time, but since everyone is asleep, I was feeling a bit lonely."

{It's okay. I was about to come back soon for the same reason, anyway.}

"Everything is fine, then."

Scarlet then softly sighed before laying her head against Max's shoulder.

{...I suppose.}

"What are you thinking about?"

Scarlet sighed a bit louder.

{Everything and nothing. The past, the present, and the future. About how different things could have been. About if it would have mattered in the end. You know, girly stuff.}

"I wouldn't call that girly. Everyone thinks about that stuff every now and then."

{The problem is that it's more than every now and then. Every time I'm alone, I can't help but to be lost in my thoughts.}

"Why staying alone, then?"

{It helps me think more rationally and get ideas from time to time.} She answered before leaving Max's shoulder, getting uncomfortable.

"I see."

{Sometimes, you find illumination in pains.}

"Whoa, those are big words for a small gardevoir."

{Hehe, maybe I sounded a bit too dramatic.}

"A little." Max retorted, chuckling.

{How was the girl's training?}

"I'm guessing it went okay, but they told me they got pushed pretty hard. Their trainer doesn't seem very forgiving."

{That's exactly what he must do. I think the appropriate human expression for that is, 'no pain, no gain'?}

"I suppose."

{Being a fighter himself, he must be better than me.}

"Hey now, Scarlet. Why are you thinking like that all of a sudden?"

Instead of answering, Scarlet stayed silent for a moment.

{Aurora had asked me to train her shortly after you and Bonny left the beach.}

"Really?... That's quite surprising."

{Indeed. Even though I didn't want to do it at first, I accepted.}

"Knowing how much you dislike her, that was very nice of you."

{But… when she told us that she had found another trainer…} Scarlet started but paused for a bit. {It made me happy that in the end, I wouldn't have to do it, but a part of me felt like I was being pushed aside.}

Max was quite astonished. Since she knew her, it was the first time she shared something like that and spoke freely of her emotions. Max felt very honored that she trusted him that much and proud of her for finally letting out her bottled-up emotions.

"How does that make you feel?"

{...A bit upset, I'd say.}

"Haha." Max laughed. "True to yourself, I suppose."

{It's not funny.} Scarlet pouted.

"Haha, sorry. I didn't mean to mock you. I'm just really happy to see yourself opening up a bit to me. We have no secrets from each other, but you never really spoke out your true feelings."

{...}

"Most of the time, you just say that you're okay, or just… don't talk about your emotions at all."

{...I don't know. Maybe being together, alone and under a big half moon made me a bit soapy.}

"Well, I think we should do it more often, then."

{Hehe, maybe. Moments like these are very pleasant.}

Then, a sudden small feeling of culpability filled Max.

{What's the matter?}

"Nothing big, really. It's just that being with you like this made me realize that I don't spend enough alone time with each and every one of you."

{Can't really blame anyone. Firstly, we all have matters at hands that keep us busy at the moment. And secondly, you can't be alone with every one of us all the time.}

"That's what I feared when I accepted to have multiple… well…"

{Mistresses?}

"..."

{Don't be embarrassed about it. Anyway, not all of us needs alone time and at the same time. In my opinion, you're doing well. You just have to take it when it comes.}

"Like now?"

{Yes, like now.} Scarlet assured before resting her head on his shoulder once more.

"I guess." Max replied, coiling an arm around her.

{I was thinking, now that you and Aurora have bonded a little, she should be able to mega evolve, right?}

"Oh, you're right. I completely forgot that I had a lucarionite."

{Same old master, always having his head in the clouds.}

"If we both ever find the time, I guess we can try it."

{If you are that close, it's worth the try. She could become a pretty big asset if she does. Well, if she stops being hot headed, that is.}

"We'll manage."

{I'm sure you will.}

"Hehe." Max chuckled, now looking at the sky. "...Want to know what I think sometimes when I'm alone?"

{Of course.}

"I think about how I met every one of you, but especially you, Scarlet. When I reminisce about it, I remember how clueless and lost I was. I had nothing and started a pseudo journey because there was nothing else I could do. But then I saw you at that pond, on the other side."

{...I too think about that. It was…}

"I would say magical, but it would sound way too cheesy. However, that moment meant something. I mean, who could have known back then that we would end up like this?"

{Surely not me.} Scarlet replied. {I also remember how lost I was at that moment. I was so wrong about a lot of things. We should thank destiny that we got thirsty at the same time.}

"Haha, indeed. You were so different. Well, not that much, actually. You were following me around and was too shy to ask me for help."

{I wasn't shy. I just… I didn't trust you completely.}

"Hehe. But when I think back on how I taught you how to kiss... Now that was magical."

{S-Stop it.} Scarlet ordered, feeling embarrassed and going red on her face.

"You were so cute. You still are, but back then…"

{Are we done talking about the past?} Scarlet demanded, overwhelming Max with an embarrassed feeling.

"Hehe, yes we are."

{...You pretty much saved my life back then, so I can't tell you enough how grateful I am to you for that.} Scarlet said after a short moment.

"Don't mention it. I also can't tell you enough how grateful I am for the amount of times you saved me."

{You should be. Without me, you would have ended up dead a thousand times by now.} Scarlet jested with a giggle.

"Haha, probably."

Then, they both went silent.

{Say, do you mind if we stay like this for a moment?}

"Not at all." Max assured, caressing her hair.

Eventually and after a while, Scarlet fell asleep. Feeling quite tired himself and that now it was night time, Max stood up while picking her up bridal style. Thanks to her being lightweight, he could easily pass both the roof's door and their room's door. He gently dropped her on the bed, next to Bonny. He undressed himself and went under the sheets. Probably out of instinct, Scarlet immediately turned around and hugged him.

(Sweet dreams, Scarlet.) That was his last thought for today before he too fell into the sweet embrace of slumber.