Wild Encounter And Reunion

The next day, Max was beginning to feel a lot better thanks to the herbs Scarlet got for him and was now able to spend his time with the girls as he promised. They didn't ask very much of him since he wasn't in top shape yet, but they still were able to make the most of their time. The entirety of Sunday went by rather peacefully and they left their camping spot the day after. Upon nightfall after making as much distance as they could, Max was pretty much back on his feet and has now settled down with the girls.

"Okay, girls, time to get back to training again," Max announced.

{Finally. I was feeling myself getting weaker already.} Bonny said, rolling her shoulders.

"Take one partner and spar with each other," Max instructed. "Master your moves and chain them together more efficiently."

{Yes sir!} They all exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Alright, now let's get started!" Max said before feeling Scarlet tapping his right shoulder. "Yes?"

{There's something I need to tell you.}

"...Alright. Luna? Mind supervising them for a moment?" Max asked, turning to the zoroark.

{Not a problem at all.} She accepted.

With a nod, Max followed Scarlet inside the module and the two sat down at the table.

"Is there something wrong?" Max engaged, noticing her sudden grim expression.

{...You could say that.} She replied, crossing her fingers on the table.

"For you to pull me to the side and admit that something's wrong, I'm almost scared of what you're gonna tell me."

{You don't have to be scared since you risk nothing with us, but I wanted to tell you so you'll be more careful going forward.}

"...Alright. I'm listening."

It took a few moments, but Scarlet managed to briefly explain to him the situation they were in without missing any crucial details. Max thought about this for a second, and the more he repeated it in his head, the more it began to make sense.

"...I see. Well, this sucks… which is putting it lightly." Max commented after she was done.

{I agree with you. Unfortunately, it puts us all at risk, not just you. But like I said earlier, we won't let anyone or anything harm you in any way.}

"Tch… Godamnit!" Max cursed, crossing his arms.

{I wanted to tell you sooner, but you got sick and… I didn't want to add more stress to you while you were recovering.}

"Given the circumstances, I can understand why you didn't. I still wish you told me earlier, but… *sigh* I trust you enough to believe that you didn't want to do it, but had to for my sake."

{You're entirely correct. I didn't like it, but your condition would've gotten worse if you were to get so worried, so I had to make that choice. That was a risk I didn't want to take.}

"It's okay. Let's just forget about it for now and focus our minds on what we can actually do."

Even though she was sure that he would've understood the circumstances, Scarlet couldn't help but feel happy and proud to have a master so comprehensive.

"It'd make sense if Qsalyla was the one responsible, but we don't know for sure. She's not the only one we got a bone to pick with."

{Wasting her time and energy trying to exact her revenge on us that badly does sound like her. *sigh* If only I could have k-} She started before stopping herself.

"Killed her?" Max finished with a raised eyebrow.

{...}

"I'm not ten years old, Scarlet. It's true that I'm not about 'murdering my enemies at any cost,' but I'm no saint either. I've told you; I'm not like the heroes in comics, movies, books, or whatever. Sometimes, some people deserve to die, and I'm not ashamed to admit that she's one of them. You know my position on that, so don't be afraid to speak your mind, alright?"

{...Alright. It's just that I don't like showing you my bad side.}

"Don't worry, nothing about you is ugly."

With Scarlet smiling gratefully, they felt the earth shaking a little.

"Looks like they're getting into it," Max said, looking through the window, but not seeing anyone in that field of view.

{That's good. Since she's still out there somewhere, we'll have to be prepared the next time she tries anything.}

"Yeah. We became exposed to the dangers of the unknown the moment we left the mansion."

{Only this time, we'll be ready for them.}

No one spoke for a moment before Max broke the silence.

"*sigh* Honestly, I don't know what else we can do about it."

{Me neither.}

"...I guess… All we can do is to find a way to prove those rumors wrong and, little by little, show who we truly are."

{That sounds nice and all, but how are we gonna do that?}

"...Well…"

{I doubt that those who believe those rumors will give us a chance to explain ourselves.}

"...That's true," Max conceded before another silence settled, this time with Scarlet being the one to break it.

{I gave it some thought, and I've decided that we'll continue our journey as normal, getting all the gym badges to qualify for the league. If she thinks she can put the entire wild population against us, I say let her, because there's no way I'm letting that scumbag ruin your dreams and ambitions. It'll be just like before, only with a bit more adversaries posing as our enemies.}

"Then we better try to be a bit more passive with the 'locals,' then. If we pick fights with every pokémon we come across, it's just gonna prove those rumors right."

{Tsk… You're right. Rha…! Goddammit! She knows too well by now of how short-tempered most of us are. That fucking bitch! She's trying to knock us out before the fight has even begun.}

"What would really help our case, however, is if we had allies of our own that will take our side without any question. But the thing is, we-"

{Don't have much, to begin with.} Scarlet finished.

"Exactly. Those we know so far didn't stay with us long enough to completely trust us. And even if they did, none of them have much influence. To my knowledge, at least."

{Heh… I guess we really should put this to the side for now. We've gone back to the whole 'overthinking it won't help much for now' shtick.}

"You're right." Max agreed after rubbing his face. "If we're lucky, we'll come across a pokemon or two like those trevenants who only want us to leave," he added while standing up.

{Let's hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.}

"Yeah. Well, maybe some training will take my mind off of that."

{You're still not completely healed, so don't overdo it for this evening.} Scarlet advised.

"Alright. I think training with Aurora should be fine."

{Good thinking. I believe she has enough judgment to think the same.}

"What about you?"

{I'll stay in my bubble for a bit, I'll go train with the others later.}

"About that. In those past two days, I've done some thinking and if you were to learn two other moves, you'd have a very nice arsenal."

{I already know a lot of moves. Knowing too many of them without any mastery wouldn't be very efficient. I'll just stick to getting stronger.}

"It's true, but…"

Scarlet then saw how slightly disappointed he became, before giving his suggestion a chance.

{*sigh* What are those moves?}

"Energy Ball and Moonblast. Moonblast is a must for a fairy-type such as yourself, and Energy Ball could add some variety with its grass-typing, plus it suits you. You're strong already, so if we make you more versatile, you're gonna be a war machine."

Scarlet then pondered a few seconds.

{...I'll think about it.}

"Great. You don't have to since it was mostly just a suggestion."

{No, no… I'll do it. Not today, but soon.}

"Alright. See you later, then. Love you." Max wished before leaving.

{Love you too.} She replied before he disappeared outside.

Taking a deep breath, Scarlet crossed her fingers again and rested her hands on her forehead. Back with Max, he saw how the girls have separated into three groups a fair distance from each other to do their intense training. Bonny and May were sparring together, Aurora was dodging Dusk's Flamethrowers & Psybeams from a close distance, and Luna was coaching Sally on how to properly use her speed to fight. He then approached Aurora and Dusk and decided to rest against a nearby tree and watch them for a bit. It was at that moment when they switched things up by engaging each other in close-quarters combat. Dusk was trying to keep Aurora at bay, and the lucario was doing her best to close the gap between them to land a blow. Both had good offense and defense; Aurora was quick to dodge Dusk's attacks with the delphox using telekinetic shields to block Aurora's attacks. Taking care not to create a forest fire, Dusk was skillfully controlling her flames' temperature and accuracy. Aurora then prepared a Bone Rush attack and leaped towards Dusk with the delphox surrounding her wand in a psychic glow before doing the same. The two then clashed, creating a brief shockwave that went through the surrounding area before going into a struggle. They then sensed Max watching them from a safe distance, causing the two to relax their stances and walk over to him.

{Hi, master. Were we doing good?} she questioned.

"Amazing as always. However, I was wondering if I could borrow you for a bit, Aurora."

{Sure, Max. Whatever you need.}

"We could give Luna a break and make you fight Sally in the meantime. Maybe give her a few fire-type tips as well."

{That's a good idea. Thanks, master.} Dusk replied before bowing and left towards Luna and the cinderace.

{...Y'know, she's gotten stronger and more disciplined now that she's a delphox.} Aurora commented when Max got near her.

"She more or less always has been strong, but now that she's evolved, I'm starting to see more of that from her. Oh well, as long as she stays the cute, shy, and reserved firefox I met at that lab, I'm okay with it."

{Just like we always knew her.}

"Damn right."

{So, you said you wanted to 'borrow' me?}

"Yes. Scarlet suggested that we don't overdo it with training, so I thought that practicing my weapon-wielding skills would be easy enough for me to survive."

{We could, though I'm still wondering why you want to learn weapon mastery since all you carry is a knife.}

"Because it's fun and you never know when it'll be useful."

{Fair enough. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to make use of proper weaponry someday.}

"I sensed a slight touch of mockery under that."

{Then you sensed correctly.} she retorted with a provocative but playful expression.

"Hehe. So uncalled for."

{Who knows… Anyway, I'm guessing you want to start with your favorite style of training?} Aurora said while materializing a bone with Bone Rush shaped like a katana.

"You know me so well," Max replied with a warm smile.

{Heh, I wonder why,} the lucario retorted before tossing the bone at Max, who caught it.

Aurora then materialized two different Bone Rush staffs for herself; one that's normal length, and another that's slightly larger and longer.

"I still feel a bit dumb that I never thought that pokémon moves could be so malleable."

{We were no better. I don't think a lot of 'mons know that.}

~Seventeen months earlier~

It had already been a few weeks since Max and the girls began their intense training under Mad-Ji, and were only just getting into the swing of things despite their best efforts to keep up. Even though he did not have to participate in his team's training in the morning, Max still felt that he needed to join them in order to at least try to make himself stronger. The war-torn gardevoir would occasionally allow Max to join in, before giving him a "friendly" reminder that it would only slow him down for when he trains with her in the afternoon/evening, which she won't be holding back in. On this particular day, Mad-Ji decided it was time to give the group insight on something she picked up during her time of service.

{Alright, listen up you good-for-nothing maggots! Time to move on to something more instructive, so pay attention!} Mad-Ji barked as Max's group lined up. {Let's start with you, Aura Mutt.} she said, pointing at Aurora.

Briefly looking at the others, the lucario moved forwards.

{If you were to choose only one move to attack me, what would it be?} the severe gardevoir inquired with crossed arms.

{...Well, I'd say—}

{I didn't ask for words, Aura Mutt!} she interrupted.

Internally growling, Aurora thought of her move as she materialized a bone staff.

{Bone Rush, huh? Alright. Come at me, then.}

Hesitating for just a second, Aurora dashed towards Mad-Ji to try to get a hit on her. Since most are used to lateral or upward strikes, she tried to take her by surprise by attacking from below instead. Obviously, she wasn't fast nor strong enough as Mad-Ji grabbed the bone with her bare hand and firmly held it in place. Aurora then tried to pull it away for a few seconds, only for Mad-Ji to pull the bone towards her alongside Aurora and slam both of them into the ground behind her before releasing her grip.

{Gha! Shit!} Aurora growled lying upwards with the bone breaking apart and disappearing.

{Not good enough. Again!} Mad-Ji urged.

Despite taking such a hit, Aurora stood up rather quickly and used Bone Rush again, making the gardevoir raise an eyebrow. Dashing at her again, Aurora then tried something even more surprising; once she was within range, she feigned a lateral hit, but purposely missed her and turned on herself before going for a piercing move towards her torso. However, Mad-Ji moved to the side and grabbed the bone again before delivering a powerful Hammer Arm onto Aurora's torso, sending her crashing into the ground a few feet away. She then tightened her grip to break the bone in half again, making it disappear once more.

{Really? Going for the same thing again?}

{But… You told me to use only one move,} Aurora justified, rolling to stand up.

{Yes. And?}

{I…} the lucario replied, visibly confused.

{*Sigh* Of course, you wouldn't know,} Mad-Ji complained, a hand on her forehead. {Get back in line,} she ordered Aurora while facing the others. {Let's start with the basics. What is a move?} she asked, but with no one answering. {Did I stutter? What is a move?!} she asked in a thunderous volume.

"...It's… a pokémon attack," Max answered.

{Good. At least one of you isn't brain dead. Now, what is a pokémon attack?}

{...An action that… hurts your opponent?} Bonny answered.

{Among other things, yes. Harming your opponent is the better answer. Now, what if I told you that moves can be used for other things if you know how to use them correctly.}

The group became lost as she said that.

{A move is an attack we use to win a fight by creating various harmful effects, some more powerful than others and can inflict certain statuses. However, there are various ways to use a move. Take this for example…} she explained before creating a Shadow Ball in one hand. {This is Shadow Ball and we all know what it does. However, what very few know are the many other ways we can use it.}

The black energy ball instantly began to divide itself into three smaller balls. Everyone widened their eyes in astonishment, impressed with the display. The three balls were then multiplied by two, now bringing the amount to six, and began moving around her hand randomly.

{Stuff like this is common knowledge if you take the time to experiment with your moves. Now… here's where it gets more complex.}

Reuniting all six balls into one large ball, Mad-Ji focused for a short duration until it became more stable. Then, she flicked her hand away, but the ball of dark energy stayed in its spot, floating in the air on its own.

"Whoa…" Max exclaimed, impressed.

{...How… Did you do that?} Scarlet asked, not understanding.

Without answering, Mad-Ji used Hammer Arm on the ball and made it explode as it would in its normal form after making contact, causing the group to reel back and cover their eyes.

{What… happened?} Dusk asked, impressed as well as confused.

{Were you asleep, Matchstick?} the gardevoir accused. {I just turned Shadow Ball into a freaking landmine.}

Impressed once again, the group looked at each other again.

{And that, maggots, is one of the many things you can do with a move once you use your brains. Another demonstration.}

Again, Mad-Ji created another Shadow Ball, but a bit smaller than usual.

{Who's tougher between you two?} she asked May and Aurora respectively.

{Hem…} Aurora hummed as the two looked at each other. {I guess in terms of defense, she's better.} the lucario replied, referring to the mawile.

{Alright, Flytrap, front and center.}

With an unhappy face due to the distasteful nickname, May moved forward. As soon as she was close enough, Mad-Ji threw the Shadow Ball at May, sending the mawile skidding back a few feet with her arms crossed.

{Ow!} she growled in slight pain.

{How did it feel?} Mad-Ji asked while the group had clenched teeth from anger.

{*Hiss* Painful.}

{Good thing I reduced the power to the minimum then. Now, watch.}

Mad-Ji then created another small Shadow Ball, however, after a brief moment of focus, the color of the ball turned into a more reddish hue. As everyone stared at it curiously, the gardevoir wasted no time as she threw the ball at May again.

{Gha!} she growled louder than before, skidding back even further and almost dropping to her knees.

{How did that feel?}

{...Worse.}

{Good. Now get back in line.}

Rubbing where she was hit, May joined the others.

"Can I… ask what happened?"

{If you shut up and be patient for a fucking second, I'll tell you.} Mad-Ji blurted. {What you just witnessed is known as a hybrid move.}

"Hybrid… move?" Max repeated, a bit confused.

{Yes, that's what I just said. To dumb it down for you all, almost every Pokémon and their trainers learn the standard moves and just stick to them. Now, that's not to say those moves aren't efficient when properly trained. No, far from it. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg. Pokémon abilities are more than just shooting fireballs or draining another's energy.}

At the same time, Mad-Ji's left hand began to appear extremely cold as ice began forming around her forearm until it took a surprisingly sharp shape, creating a blade of ice on top of her hand and extending a couple of inches forward. The group was astonished and amazed at what they just witnessed.

{If you're creative enough with your abilities …} she explained before breaking the ice with just a strong grasp. {...You can mix certain moves together, and your combat potential will be unmatched. Now enough gawking around! Break off into pairs, pick a move, and get to work!}

~Present Day~

"Well, if we're gonna be the strongest in the region, it'll be thanks to her."

{When we become the strongest in the region.} Aurora corrected.

"Haha. Indeed."

{Ready?} Aurora asked, getting into position.

"...Actually, not yet."

{Is there a problem?}

"I was thinking that sparring with you in your mega form could be better."

{I doubt it. You know that my mega form drains the most energy from you out of all of us.}

"Not if you lower your power at the minimum."

{But why, though?} Aurora asked, getting back into a normal stance.

"I also have my training to do for you to perform better in battles. Physical training makes me stronger, but that's about it. I have to train my endurance and stamina for when you mega evolve, the same goes for the others as well. Our energy is shared when you do, so the more stamina I have, the better your performance."

{I know all of that already. It's just…}

"I know you won't train much because I'm way weaker."

{That's not the problem, here. First, you're still recovering from being sick. And second, I get a lot stronger and my aura flares unpredictably when I mega evolve, so I'm not comfortable with fighting you in that form.}

"It's just a friendly sparring session."

{I know, but what if I accidentally injure you? I haven't mega evolved enough times to be able to brag about having complete control over it.}

"...Yeah, you're right. I don't feel sick anymore, but you're right. I guess it is a bit risky." Max conceded before getting into a swordsman stance.

Aurora then observed Max for a brief moment, sensing his slight disappointment.

{*sigh* On the other hand, we'll never know unless we try.}

"...Have you changed your mind?"

{I can't turn down someone who wants to get stronger. But what's the point of doing that if I don't make full use of its power after mega-evolving?}

"Just keeping you in your mega form is slowly tiring. If you minimize the energy output, it'll drain slower, but if I train myself at the same time, our energy will drain twice as fast. Are you following?"

{...I think I do…} Aurora said, rubbing the underside of her chin. {If I mega evolve and you spar with me to burn your energy at the same time, you'll be training your stamina quite a lot without over-exerting yourself. And in turn… I'll be able to control my mega form's power to where I'll eventually not drain as much energy. That's not stupid. That's actually brilliant!}

"Nice. Thanks for accepting."

{Okay, I'm ready.}

With Max nodding, he made Aurora mega evolve in a blinding flash of light. Once it faded, Mega-Aurora appeared as an overflowing surge of aura energy lightly emanated from her entire being.

"Wow. Been a while since I saw you like this."

{The last time we did this was a couple of months ago.}

"Something like that."

{Ready?} she asked, getting into a battle-ready stance again.

"Yup," Max confirmed while doing the same.

Before they started, Max couldn't help but admire her form. A slightly taller and more proportioned figure, her body emanating pure power and the hair between her ears enhancing her feminine figure… He just couldn't get enough of that.

"You know, having a little fun with your mega form is something I could dig into," Max said seductively.

{Focus, Max.} Aurora commanded, not even fazed by his comment.

"Hehe, sorry. You know how I am with pretty and sexy girls."

{Well, I'm about to find out.} the lucario announced before dashing towards Max.

Since her power was too much, she had to use only one arm & staff to attack Max. That way, she could prevent herself from harming him even if she was going at her weakest. At first, Aurora went on the offensive with Max doing his best to block her attacks. He struggled to keep up with her increased speed but was still holding his own since she wasn't going at full power. However, as expected, Aurora left no openings nor time for Max to exploit, so he tried to create some at any chance he could. He managed to succeed in doing so a few times, only to have the lucario counter-attack immediately afterward. They then traded blows with each other for a bit until Aurora found an opening herself and struck Max's torso.

"Oof!" Max growled in mild pain while holding his chest. "Nice one."

{Is it me, or are you not completely focused?}

"What do you mean?"

{I'm used to a more focused Max when I'm sparring with him,} she said, stopping her fighting stance. {Maybe mega evolving me was a bit too much?}

"*grunt* That's not it. I guess what Scarlet told me is working better than I had hoped."

{I see. Well, I suppose that's not very encouraging news, so it's understandable. But that's exactly the point of training, so we don't get caught off guard again. Or if we do, we can least properly defend ourselves against an attack.}

"Yeah. You're right. I shouldn't bother too much about it," Max conceded, scratching his forehead.

{Alright. Do your best.}

"I'll try."

For the next twenty-five or so minutes, Max continued his intense sparring session with Aurora before collapsing to the ground out of exhaustion. As if the increased stamina drain didn't already make things difficult for him, he also had a lot of trouble emptying his mind, but considering that he just recovered from a sudden illness, Aurora was a bit more forgiving.

"*pant* *pant* Your mega form… *pant* *pant* drained me faster than I thought."

{I can feel that you've already reached your limit.}

"I'm fine. I just need to… *pant* *pant* take a break to catch my breath."

{I can also see that you're also not at a hundred percent yet.}

"Well, my body just fought off some sort of virus recently, so yeah… that might be it."

Aurora then reverted to her normal form and approached Max to help him sit up.

{Our session is over. You should rest more.}

"Huh? Why? Just a five-minute break and I'll be-"

{I'm not asking. You shouldn't overdo it, so take the rest of the day off to regain your strength. As soon as you're back to a hundred percent, we'll continue.}

"Aurora, I'm fine…"

{Please, Max? For me?} Aurora pleaded as she placed her paws on Max's hands, staring into his eyes.

It suddenly became a contest of wills as they stared at each other for a few moments, although Max's quickly began to falter the more he stared into her eyes. Her gorgeous, sparkling, puppy-dog eyes. Max tried to look away, but he just couldn't as Aurora gave him the full sad-canine package; droopy ears, a slight head tilt, a pouty face with a quivering lip, and to top it all off, a soft, pleading whimper. She was not making this easy for him, and before Max could say or do anything to convince her otherwise, she unleashed her secret weapon; a single tear forming in her left eye. That seemed to have done it for Max as he let out a sigh of defeat, as making her so much as shed a tear was one of the last things he wanted to do.

"Tch… Fine. I'll go rest," Max finally accepted, albeit reluctantly.

{Thanks.} The lucario replied happily, immediately dropping her sad-puppy act. {We'll spar with each other again before you know it.}

"If you say so."

{I'll be back in a bit so we can meditate.} Aurora announced before leaving to join the others nearby.

Sighing once again, Max sat at the base of a tree and looked forward, where he caught a small glimpse of the girls training together. A few moments later, he wasn't panting anymore and had his head resting against the tree.

"*sigh* It's hard being a human," he muttered to himself. "Seriously, how did she even do that? The pokédex said her species can't learn Fake Tears or Baby-Doll Eyes… Right? Tsk. Should have seen through it. That was so unlike her."

Suddenly, he felt as if he was being watched and abruptly stood up to pay attention to his surroundings. He heard a noise to his left, but when he turned his head, he saw nothing but more trees and bushes. As he was frowning from this strange occurrence, Max suddenly felt danger coming from his right. Without taking the time to look, he tried to dodge to his left, but whatever was attacking him was faster. Luckily, his swiftness seemed to have saved him as Luna came out of nowhere and blocked the attack of what was revealed to be a black and yellow pokemon, who retreated backward to move away from the zoroark. The pokemon was a bipedal, black-and-yellow-furred creature with touches of cyan and had a cat-like facial structure. Judging by their appearance, Max assumed it was an electric-type. As Max stood back up, both Luna and the pokemon were glaring at each other.

{Rookie mistake. You let out your murderous desire too soon,} Luna told the pokemon with a tiny smile.

{...}

Choosing not to answer, the pokémon's gaze moved towards Max.

{Don't even think about it.} Luna growled, signaling Max to hide behind her.

Then, with a provocative smile, the pokémon disappeared in a flash of lightning, confirming its electric-typing.

{Get down!} Luna blurted before quickly shoving Max down onto the ground.

Luna saved him again just in time as a Slash attack grazed her face, tearing off a bit of her flesh. At that same moment, the pokemon's claw began to emit electrical energy and aimed at Luna's weakest spot in hopes of incapacitating her to get to Max.

*SMACK!*

Before the attack could connect, Aurora appeared in a flash and smacked the pokemon in the face with an improvised Bone Rush/Force Palm hybrid move. The electric-type pokemon then got propelled a few meters away and tumbled onto the ground before regaining their stance. Even though it was still in a good enough condition to fight, the pokémon knew that two against one was a bit too much, so it attempted to flee. However, after turning their back for just a second to run, it was suddenly frozen in place by a veil of psychic energy.

{Well, would you look at that? A hostile pokémon with a death wish.} Scarlet said while casually walking close to Max and Luna while being joined by the others. After briefly making sure that Max and Luna were relatively safe, she stared at the yellow pokémon with crossed arms, her eyes glowing brightly in blue as she prevented them from moving. {...Don't even bother trying.} she continued, feeling the pokemon using all of its might to get free. {No one can escape from my psychic grasp.}

{Oh no! Are you two alright!?} Dusk exclaimed, helping Luna to her feet while Bonny helped Max.

{I'm fine, don't worry.} Luna replied.

"Besides that injury, you mean?" Max said, pointing at where blood was slightly visible.

{'Tis but a scratch, little pup.} the zoroark affirmed.

{Does it hurt?} Scarlet asked.

{Eh, not really.}

{Alright. I'll fix that up for you later. Right now, we've got some interrogation to do.} Scarlet announced before making the pokemon face them before moving them closer. {Through torture if we must.}

"Let's try less barbaric methods first," Max suggested, walking next to Scarlet. "Who the hell are you? In fact, what are you?"

{She's a Zeraora, a legendary electric-type. Although there's nothing "legendary" about her, if you ask me.}

"I see. So what brings you to our humble campsite? Why'd you attack us out of nowhere?"

{...}

Not answering, the Zeraora, now recognized as female, only glared at them with an almost enraged expression.

"Look, cut the tough-girl act, 'cus it's not gonna help you, and this gardevoir right here isn't very patient," Max said, pointing at Scarlet. "So you better start talking before I let her take over, and just so you know, not even I will be able to stop her once she has her way with you."

{Pfeh! I've got nothing to say to you bastards! You wanna kill me? Go right ahead, see where that gets you!} The Zeraora barked before spitting on Max.

Luckily, Scarlet's powers deflected the projectile before it hit.

{Master…} Scarlet growled with clenched teeth. {I won't be able to control myself for much longer.} She warned before tightening her psychic grip on the Zeraora, making her grunt in mild pain.

"Just hold on a little longer. She's obviously acting just like those Trevenants, so this might be our chance to get some answers," Max assured her.

Regaining her composure, Scarlet loosened her grip enough to not hurt the Zeraora as Max began approaching her.

{Be careful, master.} Dusk asked, worried for his safety.

"Let's try this again… Why are you attacking us? And why me specifically?"

{Just because you ask me nicely, you think I'll answer? Hah! Good luck getting me to talk, asshole.} She insulted, making Scarlet and a few other girls clench their fists.

"What will it cost you? Have we ever done anything to you?"

{...Seriously? Do you think I'm stupid? I'm not just some random idiot, like you or those other humans I've come across. Not surprising though, coming from a pack of murderers.}

"Murderers?"

{Yes! Murderers! I'm the guardian of this forest, and no murderous scumbags are gonna harm anyone or anything under my watch!}

"And what gave you the impression that we're a pack of murderers?"

{Word travels fast around these parts. I've heard all about you, and what you've done. My scouts and foragers have each told me the same story.}

"What is that story exactly?"

{Ha! Are you shitting me?! You're not even aware that news of your heinous actions would spread amongst the pokémon of this forest? Just how dumb are you lot?!}

{For now, the dumb one here is the "guardian" who's accusing us without any solid proof.} Scarlet retorted aggressively.

{They are not accusations, gardevoir. I'm stating pure facts!}

"So you have proof of our wrong-doings, then?"

The Zeraora then glared at Max for a brief moment.

{Tch. I don't need proof. I can recognize killers just by looking at them.}

"*sigh* You've got to be fucking kidding me…" Max muttered to himself while facepalming. "Alright, Scarlet, this is getting us nowhere. Let her go."

{Are you sure? She could try to kill you again. You heard her, she said she despises quote "murderers" unquote.} Scarlet pointed out, looking at the Zeraora haughtily.

"We can't really blame her for not being aware of what's really going on. If she won't talk, then there's no point in holding her hostage any longer."

{As you wish…} Scarlet reluctantly accepted before releasing the Zeraora, who then fell on one knee and stood back up to stare at the group maliciously.

{You won't trick me with your 'nice guy' act by sparing me. I'll be keeping a very close eye on you, and if you hurt so much as one 'mon in this forest, I'm bringing an army. You're on my turf now!} The Zeraora growled before disappearing in a flash.

{What a dumb bitch.} Scarlet expressed with an upset tone.

"Maybe, but let's place ourselves in her shoes for a moment. If the roles were reversed, would you believe a complete stranger's claims after hearing a lot of bad things about him?"

{...Tsk. I guess not} Scarlet growled, getting rather angry now.

"If we're lucky though, maybe not doing anything to her or any pokémon will help our case."

{I don't know… She doesn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed.} Bonny inferred.

"If she's a supposed 'guardian' of this forest, maybe she's just been given that role. She did seem kind of young for a legendary, but she must at least have a little bit of common sense, right?"

{Haha. How cute. If you knew how many retards claim and "protect" their territory…}

"Some actually are, I'll give you that, but they don't all have to be like that," Max argued.

{And by the time you find out, you're already dead.} Scarlet argued even more.

{Guys, please!} Dusk intervened to stop them. {Stop fighting. We don't need to argue with each other right now.}

"...*sigh* You're right," Max conceded, giving up on the argument.

{...I'm sorry,} Scarlet sincerely apologized, although still a bit mad.

"Let's just forget about it for now," Max said, walking towards the module.

The girls followed him back while looking at each other in uncertainty. As soon as he got near the module, they stayed outside while Max entered it to sit at the kitchen table. He stayed inside for a little while alone with his thoughts until Scarlet appeared in front of him.

{...How're you feeling?}

"Angry, confused, but more than anything, worried."

{Understandable.} She replied before silence settled in for a short moment. {You know… even though I don't completely agree with you, you made the right choice. At least, I hope so.}

"With that Zeraora?"

{Yes, and with those Trevenants as well. I hate being treated like a 'doormat,' letting others walk all over me, but… if we keep going the pacifist route, maybe everyone around us will believe that we're not what we're made out to be. Maybe those rumors will vanish on their own, even.}

"...That would be great, indeed."

{We'll get through this, we always do.} Scarlet reassured after grabbing his hands.

"With the team I have, I don't even doubt it. It's just super annoying."

{I agree, but being mad about it won't help.} The gardevoir affirmed in a rather pragmatic way.

"I know… *sigh* I need a shower," Max announced while standing up.

{Take it easy, master.} Scarlet replied while smiling.

Max was on his way to the bathroom but was then stopped by Scarlet who grabbed one of his wrists.

{Aren't you forgetting something?} She asked with a slightly seductive expression.

Rolling his eyes with a smile, Max leaned towards her and gave her a tender kiss, which was lovingly returned. After breaking it, Max received a light tap on his ass while on his way to the bathroom again. While trying to stay level-headed, Max took a long hot shower to help him relax. Once he was done, he walked inside the bedroom to put on a new pair of underwear, before noticing that Scarlet had left the module on his way in. Now alone and not in the mood to do anything, Max grabbed the tablet and laid in bed while he tried to take his mind off things. A little while later, the automated door slid open to reveal Sally stepping into the room.

"Sally?" Max said, surprised to see her alone.

{Hi, Max. I was wondering if you were… doing alright.} she engaged, paws behind her back at the base of the bed.

"Well, I've calmed down. I appreciate you checking on me."

{Good. Good. Great, even.} She said, looking away. {Y'know, if you need… um… someone to hug, I-I'm here, s-so…} she continued, getting shyer and cuter with each second.

"...Alright, come here," Max told her with a smile, moving the tablet to the side.

Smiling as well, Sally got on the bed and crawled next to Max where the two immediately snuggled against each other.

{Ahh! This bed feels so good…} She expressed with closed eyes and her face on his shoulder.

Max then got the impression that she was saying that more to herself than to him.

"There, there…It's alright. I'm okay now." Max softly said, petting her.

Sally then took a few relatively deep breaths, as if she was trying to calm herself down.

{...M-Max?}

"Yeah?"

{Do you think… everything will turn out okay?}

"...Of course, Sally. We're warriors now, and as long as we stay on our toes, no one will be able to hurt us. Take that Zeraora, for example. She tried to mess with us and we sent her running."

{...Alright. It's just… that I don't want to lose you… or everything that we have.}

"Everything…? You mean the others?"

{Not just them, but… all of this. For as long as I can remember, I had to put on a happy face with a fake personality that even I thought was my true self, but… You're the first person in my entire life, human or Pokémon, who's willing to accept who I am and… make me feel true love. Before I met you, I'd never realized that I've never really been happy with my life. Now, I have friends, a dream to look forward to… and a lover. Now that I'm finally happy, I don't want to lose that feeling… *sniff* I don't want to lose you, or Scarlet, or May, or Bonny, or… *sob*}

Max felt his arm getting wet as she spoke.

"Sally? Look at me." Max called out, making her look at him with eyes full of tears. "I will never, ever, let anyone take me away from you. The only way they'll do that is over my dead body. I don't want to lose you either, or everything that we've been building up for the past couple of years, so you can be assured that all that time you spent waiting for us won't be in vain. From the moment you joined us, I promised you that I'll make you the happiest cinderace there is, and I intend to keep it. That's what being a pokemon trainer is all about. At least, that's what I think."

Shortly after being comforted, Sally wiped the tears away from her eyes and dropped her head on his shoulder again.

{Thank you, Max. I'm so grateful for everything you do for me.}

"Anytime, sweetheart."

After petting her some more, Max felt her head move once more. Looking at her, Max saw the cinderace staring at him with love-filled eyes and a big smile. He waited for her to ask another thought-provoking question or something, but she just kept staring at him without doing anything else. Smiling, Max didn't need words to understand what she wanted him to do. He then leaned close to her and went for a kiss, which Sally returned as if she was begging for it. Whilst making out, Max pushed her onto her back and moved over her before breaking their kiss. He then saw the cinderace smiling and all exposed with extended arms, not even trying to not look vulnerable, but waiting for his actions with trusting and loving eyes. Smiling as well, Max leaned in for more kisses, which Sally happily returned. However, he didn't make out with her very long and began to move lower, passionately kissing her neck.

{Ah! Master…!} Sally expressed, slowly getting aroused with her heart pounding faster.

Max swiftly put a hand on her right thigh and caressed it while assaulting her neck with kisses, speeding up the cinderace's breathing. Then, as she was starting to get lost in lust and excitement, Sally felt one of Max's hands reach her womanhood, making her gasp in surprise. Before she can say anything, Max began to work on her genitals, gently rubbing her entrance for a short moment before going for her cherry.

{Oh my god! M-Master!} She moaned with stiffening paws and feet.

"...You like that?" He whispered softly in her closest ear.

{Y-Yes…}

"Really? How much?"

{A… a lot. It's the best!}

"Glad to hear it."

Max then stuck his tongue out and began licking her ear.

{AAAaah! K-Keep doing that, please!} She moaned in great pleasure.

A little while ago, both discovered that Sally's ears were pretty erogenous zones. A few licks were enough to turn her face into a steam machine, ready to blow.

{N-No… wait. I-If you do both… at once… I'm gonna come… soon…}

With Max cheating a little, it only took a full minute before the cinderace had her first orgasm. She was slightly out of breath once she came down from her orgasmic high, and was now staring at Max with eyes that told him that she wanted more.

"Now that we're done with the appetizer, let's dive right into the main course."

Albeit a bit clumsily, Max removed his underwear without moving away from Sally, before she briefly looked down and up at him, her smile growing wider. With a reassuring smile of his own, Max gently inserted himself inside Sally's burning hot vagina, causing the two of them to moan with faces full of pleasure and lust.

"Damn…! Fire-types, am I right?" Max commented, enjoying himself a lot already.

Touched by his comment, Sally's smile got wider as she felt her burning and passionate love for her master grow as if it were limitless. Her face then morphed into an ahegao expression the more Max thrust into her. They had sex for roughly half an hour, with Max coming two times with Sally coming twice as much.

{O-Ohh… Oh my gosh…!} Sally exclaimed, both lying next to each other, lightly panting. {That felt… especially good this time around, heh heh.}

"I think… the more you're all open our hearts are… the better we feel under the sheets."

{It… makes sense… I think…}

"Haha. Please, Sally. Don't change for anyone," Max told her, rolling to hug her.

{Hehe. The joke's on you, I don't even know how I could do that anyway.}

With Max laughing some more, they stayed in that position until they both fell asleep.

A couple of hours later, Max was awakened by someone tugging at his shoulder. Opening his eyes, Max sat up and noticed that everything was pitch black, meaning it was probably past midnight. Even though he couldn't see very well, he noticed that all the girls had joined him in bed, as well as a familiar shadowy figure standing in front of him.

"L-Luna?" Max softly said, to not wake anyone.

{Yes.}

"What's up? Something wrong?"

{That depends… There's someone outside who wishes to see you.}

"...Seriously? Who is it?"

{I don't know, but she told me that she knows you.}

(She?) Max thought.

Then, the sudden curiosity and desire to know who the hell could want to see him at this time of night drove him to stand.

{I don't know what your relationship with her is, but you might want to cover yourself up a little bit.} Luna pointed out.

He then noticed that he was still butt naked from the mating he had with Sally earlier. Carefully moving down the bed, Max retrieved his underwear before putting on some pants and a shirt.

{...What… are you doing, master?} Scarlet asked with a very drowsy voice, lazily sitting up. {You seem… excited about something.}

"Luna says there's someone outside who claims to know me."

{...Someone… who… Maybe I should come too.}

"Sure. If she knows me, she probably knows you as well."

With a nod that no one saw, Scarlet slowly floated away from the bed to get on the floor next to Max.

{*Yawn* Right behind you.} The gardevoir whispered before she and Max began following Luna. {By the way, master; Next time, if you don't want to be abruptly awakened by sudden rape, you should at least cover your junk before going to bed.}

"Says the gardevoir who wants to see me naked all the time."

{Oh, I still do. I actually wanted to pounce on you the moment I saw you, but since I'm a fair player…}

"Such sportsmanship."

The three of them were now outside the module and found a figure sitting and staring at the lit-up heating globe, whom they recognized as an absol. Once they were close enough, she looked behind her to stare at the trio, or more specifically Max, before smiling.

{I knew I recognized that tall zoroark, and that red gardevoir confirms who you are.} She said as she stood up to face them. {I'm glad I got to see you again… Max.}