Rural Detour

It has been two days since Max and his team left Boontown with the trainer acquiring his sixth badge. Now accompanied by Scarlet and Bonny, Max was on his way for his next badge. May was also with them but was resting on the module on Max's back. Now that he was strong enough, he didn't mind having her there for an extended period of time, however, he was going particularly slow this morning.

{What's up with the Slugma's pace, love?} Scarlet inquired, getting annoyed by his sluggishness.

"I don't know, why don't you ask that hot bun over there?" Max replied, pointing at Bonny.

{Hahaha…} Bonny laughed, putting her paws behind her head before playfully picking on him. {Typical Max, always blaming others for your own weakness.}

{What's wrong with that? Weren't you the one who wanted to 'reward' them for winning the gym battle?} The gardevoir asked.

"I did, but I didn't think they'd be that into it. I mean, doing Bonny and Sally at the same time is one thing, but having to last over a full hour with them is another. Then I went another half hour with Dusk since she also wanted to have sex with me."

{That doesn't sound so bad…}

"Pfft. If the shenanigans stopped there, you would have been half right, however, I made the stupid mistake of going to the bathroom late last night."

{Hihi.} Bonny softly giggled.

{…Mistake?} Scarlet repeated interrogatively.

"I thought they'd already be satisfied, but the second I was done, that succubus I call a lopunny intercepted me in the hallway for a few more rounds."

{Is that so?} Scarlet replied, looking at Bonny with an amused expression.

"We went for another half hour before going back to bed, and even then, I had a bit of trouble going back to sleep."

{What can I say? I woke up from a wet dream when master went to use the bathroom.} Bonny justified almost proudly. {Besides, it's not my fault you offered victory sex in the first place.}

{I agree with her, you have no one but yourself to blame for coming up with that "reward" system.} Scarlet pointed out with a smugly face.

"*sigh* Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

{Hihi. Master's so cute when he's grumpy.} May commented, briefly rubbing Max's hair.

For a while, Max and his three companions followed the path through a thin-wooded part of the forest until they heard a commotion a few meters away. Alongside the road, three individuals were surrounding someone who was mounted on a shiny rapidash. Intrigued by seeing another shiny, Max sped his pace a little to get a closer look.

"Come on, miss. If you're so confident in your pokemon's strength, what do you say we have a battle?"

Upon closer inspection, Max noticed that those on the ground were three middle-aged male trainers and the one on the rapidash was a young woman. Upon surveying the situation, he became aware that these guys were bad news, especially since there was a shiny present.

"For the hundredth time, my rapidash isn't for sale or trading, nor is she a fighter, so why don't you do me a favor and buzz off already," The girl retorted angrily.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible, darling. No way I'm letting a shiny pokemon pass me by like this. It would be a total waste if I let one slip through my fingers."

"You wanna know what is a total waste? Shiny-hunting assholes like you and your friends, violating others and their partners just because they're a different color."

{Damn! I like this human.} Scarlet commented with a smile.

"What did you… *inhales* Alright. You wanna play a tough girl, I'll give you a—"

As one of the men took out a pokéball and was about to release his pokémon, Max approached them and grabbed his arm to stop, now grabbing everyone's attention.

"Three guys against one girl… Seriously, this world is getting sadder and sadder every day." Max engaged.

"...The hell do you want?" The man said before aggressively pulling his arm away.

"You were trying to force someone into a battle she doesn't want any part of."

"Are you fucking blind? Can't you see that that's a shiny rapidash?"

"Yeah, I see it. And?"

The man stammered dumbfoundedly for a bit and became annoyed by Max's intervention, but then quickly noticed Scarlet.

"Ohh, I see… You're acting like a smartass because you have a fancy shiny yourself. Of course, you wouldn't care about another one."

"Huh? What does that have to do with this?"

"A bit on the slow side, aren't you? Let me tell you something; I've been looking for a shiny pokémon for years, and I've had no luck finding one until today. So if you think I'm just gonna walk away from this, then you're dumber than you look."

"Huh… I'm sorry to hear that, but unfortunately, that rapidash already belongs to this lady here, so you're gonna have to look for one somewhere else."

"Fuck that, I'm not leaving without that shiny," The man said threateningly before the other faced Max as well, ready to take out their pokeball. "Maybe I'll take yours as well along with the rapidash…"

"*sigh* It's impossible to reason with people these days, seriously," Max said, discouraged.

"Who are you to judge, dumbass?!"

Max raised an eyebrow at his comment, to which an idea began forming in his head.

"...Tell you what; how about we make a deal?" Max proposed.

"...A deal?" The man repeated, curious.

"You want that rapidash, but you're willing to have a fair chance to have it, right?"

"Pfft. I'm not a complete asshole, you know."

{That's what they all say.} Bonny commented softly, making Scarlet giggle discreetly.

"Sure, whatever. So how about this; Since the lady here and her rapidash are not fighters, I'm willing to fight in their place."

"Huh?" The man said, a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

"If I lose, you can have her rapidash. But if I win, you will shut the fuck up and leave. Deal?"

"Whoa, whoa! Now, wait just a darn minute!" The girl on the rapidash exclaimed. "Who are you to decide for me?"

[Calm down, you frail human.] Scarlet said into her mind. [You won't lose your precious pokémon. Trust us.]

"What the…"

"Alright, deal," The man accepted. "No crying when it's over, though."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

{Well. Looks like a job for me.} Bonny said before taking a step forward.

{No Bonny.} Scarlet interrupted, making her stop. {I'll be master's sword this time.}

Stepping forwards herself, Scarlet cracked her fingers before facing Max's opponent with crossed arms.

"This is so stupid." The woman commented with a discouraged face, before looking at her rapidash and whispering to them. "If they do lose… We hoof it back and call for help, understand?"

The rapidash nodded in understanding before looking back at the scene before them.

"...Wait. You actually trained her?" The man stated, making the other two chuckle.

"Yes, and trust me, she's the real deal. This battle was already over the moment she agreed to fight," Max boasted.

"Hehehe. If you say so."

"Ten bucks says that he fucks her," One man behind the first one said softly to the last one.

"Make it twenty that he does it daily." The last one replied. "Just look at the pokemon he's carrying; A gardevoir and a lopunny, both are clearly female… He must be that kind of trainer."

"Ha! What an absolute loser."

Even though she knew that Max was indeed a human who had no shame in being interested in pokemon, Bonny was a bit lost at how they'd suspect such a thing.

{What's… making them think that?} The lopunny wondered out loud, a bit scared that anything could have given them away.

{I'll explain later.} Scarlet answered her. ["So? Are you gonna fight or are you gonna piss yourself in fear like the little bitch you are?"] She taunted aggressively.

Not expecting such an aggressive and trash-talking gardevoir, the three men looked at each other in surprise. However, the first one quickly retaliated and grabbed one pokeball.

"You've taught your pokemon some nasty words, dude. Is that how you talk when you two fuck?"

Not responding to his provocation, Max only stared at him with a confident expression, looking all too relaxed. If Max didn't know any better, that very display of confidence seemed to have annoyed the man.

"Hmpf. You won't be looking so tough after I win this fight. Behold my most powerful pokémon."

With the pokeball opening, a rather large and tall coalossal materialized before them. Not only was it much bigger than the average coalossal, but it also had this menacing aura to it, as if it was carrying the weight of many battles. It also had a few lost chunks visible on his face, acting as scars. If that wasn't enough, the very air around it got hotter at its mere presence.

"You're not aware of it yet, but you've just made a huge mistake." The man arrogantly affirmed. "It's been years since my pokemon has lost a battle. He doesn't even want to use the Ergowatch when he fights, as to him, it doesn't even feel like a real fight. He gets stronger by enduring real pain and taking real damage, as well as—"

["Oh my god."] Scarlet interrupted rudely. ["No one gives a shit about your stupid bromance or some shit. If he's really the fighter you say he is, then shut up and let's get this over with."]

"You little b—"

The coalossal raised a hand at his trainer before he could say anything as if to tell him to calm down.

{You've got a big mouth for such a tiny pokemon.} The coalossal engaged. {Not really good for survival if you ask me.}

{Really? Well, I don't care, because I don't remember anyone asking you.} The gardevoir retorted in a very contentious way while briefly looking at her non-existent nails.

{...Hmpf.} The coalossal huffed, rather amused. {It's a wonder how someone as arrogant as you managed to stay alive this long.}

Not answering, Scarlet only looked at him with an arrogant smile.

{Oh well. With all that stupid human technology you depend on, I wouldn't think too far out of the box.}

{Oh, but I don't. If you're talking about the Ergo Watch, then don't worry about that. I don't use that either.}

{Yeah, sure you don't.} The coalossal replied, rolling its eyes. {Someone would have permanently shut that large mouth of yours if it was the case. Or maybe that's what gets yo—}

*Prouphh*

As the fire-type pokemon was speaking, Scarlet tossed a weak Shadow Ball at his face. After the cloud of dark energy dissipated a second later, a very irritated look was now visible on its face.

{Shut. The fuck up, and make your fucking move already.} Scarlet impatiently urged.

{Hnngg…} The coalossal hummed angrily. {Fine. Enjoy living the rest of your days in a hospital bed.} He added before getting into position.

{Blah blah blah.} Scarlet mocked with one hand.

{Alright. You asked for it. You're dead, you little bitch.}

With the embers all over his body bursting in flames, the coalossal charged at Scarlet with Heat Crash, which was surprisingly fast for a 'mon of his size, close to Scarlet in less than a second. However, before his attack could connect, Scarlet teleported away, making him hit her after-image. Then, as the coalossal was skidding to a halt, he suddenly got hit by a powerful Psychic attack from behind, instantly dropping him to his belly. The strength of the move was so strong that it created a small crater underneath him with everyone feeling a light gust of wind. After waiting a few more seconds, the coalossal was confirmed to be defeated, Scarlet floating over her foe as she slowly descended to the ground. It took the three men and the woman a little bit to process what just happened.

"Nice work, Scarlet," Max praised before both he and Scarlet high-fived.

{Ha! That was so easy, I almost feel bad for them.} She said, siding next to him again. {Almost.}

"Yeah. Good thing you can't resist the euphoria of overpowering someone."

{Hehe. Guilty as charged.}

The man couldn't believe it. His strongest pokémon had an undefeated streak that lasted years from when he fully evolved. He'd been through some of the toughest 'mons this region had to offer… yet he lost to this nobody trainer and his red-headed gardevoir in one blow. Now he was just standing there, completely dumbfounded by what just happened.

"Well?" Max engaged, trying to snap him out of it.

"...Wha… h-how? It can't-"

"I don't know what kind of battles your pokémon have been into to not lose for the past few years, but it was obviously child's play compared to what my pokemon went through. We're just on a whole other level, buddy."

"...No… that's…"

"Now, unless you want to try your luck again, I think it's time for you to go. If you still want to fight, keep in mind that I have six other pokemon that are just as strong as my gardevoir here."

After hearing those words, the man seemed to have come back to his senses as he recalled his pokemon and left without saying another word. Feeling concerned and a little scared for their companion, the other two guys followed him.

"Tch. Punks, these days," Max commented. "Well, I guess I should be glad that they spent more time being obnoxious than actually training their pokémon. Who knows what they'd do if they had the power to get their way."

{Not with you around.} Scarlet praised while grabbing one of his hands affectionately.

"Don't be ridiculous. You guys are the ones with the powers."

{We already talked about this, master.}

"That we did, so no need to go over it again."

{...Hmpf. You don't know how lucky you are that I love you.} The gardevoir replied with loving eyes and tightening her grasp on Max's hand.

"Well, that was… definitely something, to say the least," the woman said, now down from her rapidash and approaching Max. "Here I thought I was lucky with Spirit here, but you seemed to have been born under good stars yourself."

The woman was rather tall, roughly the same height as Max with wide shoulders and a few freckles on her cheeks. Judging by her frame and clothing, it was obvious that she was an outdoor-worker type of girl.

"Well, I'm not exactly 'lucky', but thanks," Max replied.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I… never mind. Glad that you two are okay."

"Thanks to you, it seems. To be honest, we were getting ready to book it when you made that deal without my consent, but you seemed to know what you were doing in the end."

"Well, if I wanted to take a more 'subtle' approach, we could've just knocked them from behind and have Scarlet here erase their memories."

"Phfahaha! Arceus almighty! Your honesty is hilarious and surprising!" She laughed while slapping Max's back, much to Scarlet's displeasure. "Damn, I need to find more people like you!"

"Eh, thanks. If it means a pokémon's safety, I don't mind being a cheap shot sometimes."

"So you're saying humans like me can die and you wouldn't care?"

"What? N-No, I didn't—"

"Haha! Relax, I'm just messing with you."

"...Oh. Right…"

"Hehe. You know, honesty is what I most appreciate when talking to people I meet. Hell, I like you."

"Is that so?" Max replied, more or less caring.

"Yes. You're a trainer, right?"

"Yeah."

"You guys must take breaks after all that walking you do, right? Why don't you come take one at our farm?"

"Your farm?"

"Yes. My ma and I are running a ponyta and rapidash ranch not too far from here."

"I…"

"You can choose to decline, but I'd really appreciate it if you could at least stay for dinner. It's the least I can do for the ones that came to our rescue."

"Well…" Max said, looking at Scarlet and Bonny.

{...Like always; your call.} The gardevoir said.

{Same.} Bonny approved. {We may be the fighters, but you're the shot-caller.}

{Ooh. Nice one.} Scarlet praised before giving her a fist bump.

"Well, discovering new places and people is part of the thrill of traveling as a pokémon trainer, so…"

"Yee-haw!" The woman exclaimed before jumping on her rapidash again and guiding it forward. "Follow me." She instructed before turning.

Max and his pokemon then followed the woman down the path by her side. Seeing as though it was gonna be a while, Max decided to strike up some small talk in the meantime.

"Hey, I never caught your name, though." Max started.

"Oh, hehe. Of course. My head, sometimes. My name is Roxy."

"Mine's Max."

"Nice to meet you, Max."

"Same."

"Say, are all of your pokemon really that strong?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"You don't sound too sure of that."

"I am, but since they all have their own strengths and weaknesses, it's hard to pick and choose who's the best. My lopunny, for example, is unbelievably strong but lacks a bit of finesse and precision."

{It ain't my job to look where I'm swinging.} Bonny commented nonchalantly.

"Then, there's my lucario, who's the second-fastest 'mon I got next to my zoroark. My mawile isn't as agile as them, but she's built like a tank and… Yeah, you get the idea."

"Ah. You're a pretty versatile and polyvalent trainer. I like that."

"Yeah. And since we work on multiple fields instead of focusing on just one, we have to train thrice as hard to compensate."

"Really? Well, I guess the results speak for themselves. I gotta say, it's obvious that you train a lot yourself," Roxy mentioned before briefly eyeing him, or specifically his body.

"Well—"

["So… a ranch, huh?"] Scarlet intervened, not liking the way Roxy was looking at her master. ["Care to tell us more about it?"]

"Of course. Always a pleasure to share the story of my family. If you go back far enough in time, you will know that my great-great-grandfather bought his first ponyta at the age of…"

[Good thing she doesn't know you, because that was the complete opposite of subtlety.] Max mentioned.

[What are you talking about? I'm legitimately interested in her backstory.]

At that, Max cracked a chuckle, to which Scarlet couldn't resist but to let out one herself.

[You're an asshole.]

[Says the guy who's laughing as much as me.]

[We shouldn't, though. She seems nice.]

["Nice", huh?] Scarlet repeated suspiciously, with Max giving her a deadpan look.

[Yes, love. It's exactly what you think. I want to pin her ass to the ground and pound it so hard she won't be able to walk for a week.]

[If you say so. If I go through your mind, will I find something that actually confirms that?]

[As if I could stop you.]

[My values and respect for you would, though.]

[Then, by all means, go right ahead.]

[I was mostly joking. The real reason I won't is because I don't care that much. Or if I were, to be honest, I try not to care. I already told you; I can't get mad at you for instinctively feeling attraction for a female of your species. I don't like it, but that's how nature is. Besides, we're all aware of your inclination for strong females.]

[Well, you gotta admit. She isn't half bad; strong, independent, hard-working…]

[I don't know, to be honest. My standards for human beauty are very limited, to the point where they're almost nonexistent. All humans pretty much look the same to me, with you being the exception, of course.]

[You don't say.] Max replied with rolling eyes. [And I assume it's not the case with other gardevoirs, huh?]

[Well, If I were to be very objective about it, I would admit that the differences between our species are more subtle. However, I'm pretty sure you have to be used to seeing a couple to be able to tell them apart.]

[Yeah. Just remember that not all of us have an I.Q. of a thousand.]

[Eh, if only. But cut it in half and you might just be close.]

[Tss. For a 'mon with a big brain, you don't know that such statements could play against you.]

[Who said I didn't know?] Scarlet challenged. [No matter what you throw at me, I'll love it, just because it's you.]

[Now that's proof of your intellect. Intelligence and insanity are two different beings that go hand in hand. And you, my crimson rose, have a lot of loose screws.]

[Hihi. They're more than just loose, they're completely gone.]

[Hahaha. Probably.] Max agreed, petting his gardevoir.

"...Then, after that, he almost lost the ranch. However, little did they know that my great-grandfather was someone you don't mess with. Oh boy! That's something I wouldn't have liked to see…"

[Oh my god. She's still going on.] Max complained, making Scarlet giggle.

The gardevoir then felt a poke on her hips, which was Bonny who wanted her attention.

{Hmm? What is it?}

{Since it's gonna be a while before we arrive, can you explain to me what the problem was with you and me being with master?}

{The problem with… Oh. You mean what those other humans from earlier said.} Scarlet said, with Bonny nodding. {Well, let's just say that male trainers have that odd reputation when it comes to having a gardevoir with them.}

{…I'm guessing it's not a good one, right?}

{Precisely. I don't know why, but gardevoirs are often seen as 'girly" pokemon, so no one bats an eye when a female trainer has one on their team. When it comes to male trainers, however, they have way too many options to go with a pokémon that's particularly "girly". As soon as one is seen with a gardevoir, or any other pokémon that looks extremely feminine, they immediately assume that it's for that one "specific" reason.}

{Specific?} Bonny repeated, not sure to understand.

{Yes, and like you heard earlier with that insect, it's not combat-related, if you know what I mean.}

{...Oh. I… see. Well, that's just dumb. I mean, well, I guess a pokémon like you is really pretty, but there are others who look just as good.}

{It's true, but what makes our species in particular so special is that we're very human-like. Why do you think that gardevoirs are so popular on porn sites?}

{I-}

{And let's not forget that we're the 'mons that a lot of human men fantasize about, among many others. To them, we're just the incarnation of perfect femininity. Now, I'm sure you can put two and two together.}

Bonny then did just that as her eyes widened in realization.

{Ohhh… I think I'm starting to see the picture. It's… actually kind of sad, but it makes sense.} Bonny admitted, a bit demoralized.

{And I'm terribly sorry for saying that, master, but if your orientation is unearthed, it'll just add to that reputation.}

[I'm aware of that.] Max replied telepathically. [That's mainly one of the reasons why I want to stay quiet about it. Because of that and me, no dude can have a gardevoir without being accused of pokephilia.]

{As long as it's not known, it's not because of you.} Scarlet reassured him.

{Okay, I now get why other humans can think that about you, but what about me? I'm not very human-like, am I?} Bonny asked, able to hear Max's thoughts, thanks to Scarlet's power.

{Again, it's all about being pokémon having a good amount of femininity to them. On its own, a female lopunny on a male trainer's team isn't as dramatic as one might think. They mostly go with a bunny pokemon and just end up with a female because they didn't think about its gender when they captured them. However, being a bipedal pokemon with nice proportions can attract some suspicions. So if we put a female lopunny on the same team as a gardevoir, with the trainer being male, you get what you witnessed earlier.}

{...I… think I get it now.} Bonny acknowledged, starting to feel bad.

[It's okay, Bonny.] Max reassured her, knowing how she was feeling without even sensing it. [I'm fully aware of the "risks" of having an all-female team and I'm okay with it. I won't ditch any of you just because of what other assholes may think of me.]

{At worst, I can always bust some heads.} Scarlet supported.

[… How about you don't do that?]

{I can make them believe that I will, then.}

[That I can live with.]

Their words managed to soothe Bonny a bit, but she still had some doubts. No matter what they say, it doesn't change the fact that her mere presence in Max's team was enough to complicate his life. Then again, she wasn't the only feminine pokemon on the team, so knowing that she wasn't the only culprit helped her ease her worries a bit more.

"...And now, here we are. Just me and my ma taking care of the ranch." Roxy finally concluded. "I'm actually glad that I love working there, otherwise there'd be a lot of pressure on my shoulders, haha."

"That's quite the story," Max replied, pretending to have heard everything.

"Heh, look at me, blabbering about myself. What about you? What's your story?"

"A rather short one, to be honest. I got kicked out of my house by my dad almost two years ago now. Turns out the workforce just wasn't for me, neither was school, so I decided to become a pokemon trainer instead."

"That's it? Short indeed. Well, so long as you find your way in life, I guess everything's good… And how's that been going so far?"

"Great, actually. I've got an amazing team and I have six badges already."

"Really? Nice going. How much does a trainer need anyway?"

"You need ten badges to participate in the regional championship, and if we win that… when we win that, we'll be qualified for the world championship," he answered.

"There's no other way for you to participate if you lose?" Roxy asked curiously. "I remember there being some sort of gauntlet for a select few who don't win the finals, and whoever wins that qualifies as a lower-seeded trainer."

"No, there isn't… At least, not anymore," Max stated. "I've done some reading about this the other day, and apparently Rados is considered a minor region in competitive pokémon battling. Something about how the sport's decline in this region affected our international strength, thus lowering our ranking amongst the others. You're right, we used to send two representatives; the trainer who wins the regional gauntlet, and our champion. Now, up until recent years, we've been reduced to only sending our champion to compete.

"Is that a fact? Well, in any case, I'll be rooting for you," she replied with an uplifting tone.

"Thanks. Right now, we are on our way to Toroto City for my seventh badge, which is pretty far away compared to every other place we've been to. The gym leader there is supposedly an Ice-type specialist."

"Fits the thematic, Toroto City is a rather cold place after all."

"Well, it's up further north, so it would make sense."

"It's not just that. No one knows for sure why, but that area of the region is colder than it should be. I remember them already getting snow storms in August at one point."

"Really? Maybe I should've looked into it, then."

"Maybe, but it shouldn't be that cold at this time of the year…"

A few more moments of walking later, they arrived at a small intersection where Roxy took a more narrow path to the left, branching away from the main one. They continued down until they finally reached Roxy's ranch; A large barn that was quite rustic surrounded by thick, wooden fences, a vast space between them where a few ponyta and rapidash were roaming around.

"Here we are, folks. Home, sweet home."

{Whoa. This is pretty cool.} May commented, impressed by the place.

The group approached the barn along the side of a fence, where their arrival attracted the attention of the farm's many inhabitants. While nearing the building, some even pranced towards the fence to get a closer look. Roxy then dismounted her pokémon and went to open the barn door.

"Thanks for the ride, Spirit. Sorry that we didn't get far today," Roxy apologized to the shiny rapidash while gently tapping his sides.

{...It's not a big deal.} The rapidash simply replied.

With the door now opened, everyone went inside with the rapidash going his own way. Besides the "fake" barn they visited a couple of days ago, along with the fact that Max hadn't been to a lot of barns, he had a pretty good idea of how it was generally laid out. However, this one wasn't like any he has ever seen, as it was almost luxurious due to how spacious, clean and cozy it was. He proceeded to look around and spot what seemed to be a ponyta's stable, which compared to a regular horse's stables, had no door, probably to allow its occupant to go in and out at their leisure. Comfortable and visually appealing mats were covering the entire floor with a few extra accessories; A thick mattress directly on the ground, a water and food dispenser, and a small coffee table in the corner with a small radio. Outside the stables, Max could also see a couple of four-sided TV screens hanging between the boxes, to which he believed to be at least twenty of them present. Obviously, all were empty as all pokémon were outside enjoying the sunny sky.

"Wow," Max said, amazed by his surroundings. "This is like a five-star hotel for the ponyta line… or any equestrian pokémon for that matter."

"Since pokemon are smarter than regular animals, their needs are very similar to ours. We provide them food, water, shelter, even entertaining stimulations so they can relax from time to time."

"That's impressive. It must have cost you guys a lot."

"Not as much as it looks, but yeah, a pretty penny or two. As you may have guessed, a pokémon ranch brings more profit than a regular one, so it's affordable for someone who really cares for the well-being of both parties. They are also harder to care for as, like I said, pokémon have more needs than others. So in all and all, it's pretty honest work that requires honest people."

"I see…"

Proceeding further into the room, they meet a middle-aged woman grooming a ponyta.

"Hey, ma. I brought some visitors," Roxy engaged, making the woman lift her eyes.

"Again? What'd they do for you this time?" She asked coldly before resuming her job.

"They helped me deal with some pompous rascals, so you could try being a bit more polite," Roxy retorted.

Stopping again, the woman lifted her eyes once more, connecting all the dots as she saw Spirit walk out of the barn.

"*sigh* I told you to stop going out with him, but you never listen. You know how much-unwanted attention shiny pokémon attract."

"And so you think I should just stop spending time with my baby?"

"There's plenty of space for him to run around without going onto the public roads. You're gonna get in deep trouble with him, young lady," she warned her daughter.

"Oh, that sounds like a great idea, ma. Why don't we keep him locked in an enclosed space forever while we're at it? That'll stop raiders from intruding onto our farm," she continued as she crossed her arms.

The woman then glared at Roxy for a short moment before sighing once more and resuming her job.

"Sorry about the grumpy nanny," Roxy apologized to Max. "She can be a bit too protective sometimes. Anyway…" She added before turning back to her mother. "I invited them for dinner, so I hope it's okay with you."

"...Do what you want," The woman replied reluctantly.

"Good," Roxy said as she turned to face Max.

"We don't want to be a bother. We have plenty of—" Max started before being interrupted by Roxy.

"She doesn't mind, honest. That's just how she is, so don't take it personally."

"...Okay then," Max replied, a bit uncomfortable.

"So…? How about I introduce you to the rest of the family?"

"You mean other ponyta and rapidash? Sure."

"This way, partner." Roxy instructed before leading them outside.

[Way to put the visitors at ease.] Scarlet commented.

[Hm. Maybe we shouldn't have accepted…] Max replied, going deeper in thought.

[We are not forced to stay, you know.] she suggested, looking at Max.

[That would be very rude, especially after already coming this far.] he stated as he ran his finger against his jawline.

[If it's the only thing that's holding you, maybe I can help with some memory alteration.]

[Tempting, but we can't always resort to that just because we don't particularly like someone.]

[...I guess.] Scarlet conceded, feeling guilty for proposing something that seemed to displease her master.

[...But if things go out of hand, then we'll go with that.] Max added after a couple of steps. [For now, just try not to make a scene.]

Scarlet then smiled at Max, touched by his compromise. A moment later, they opened another door that equestrian pokémon can also use and proceeded through the vast enclosure, where many 'mons of the ponyta line were roaming and chilling around, their presence not going unnoticed by them.

{If we stay here for a moment, maybe we could let the others have some fresh air too.} Scarlet suggested.

"I was thinking the same thing," Max said while immediately reaching for his belt to release the rest of his team.

{...Alright. Where did you bring us, this time?} Aurora asked, looking around. {And what's with all the…?}

"We're at a pokémon ranch. Roxy here invited us for dinner after kicking some asses for her," Max explained.

{What happened?} Dusk asked, concerned.

"Nothing too dangerous, rest assured," Max reassured her. "Just teaching some life lessons, that's all."

{Alright.} The delphox acknowledged, relieved.

At the same time, a group of ponyta and a few rapidash approached and began inspecting them with their eyes as well as their noses.

"Hehe. That's some affectionate pokémon you got here." Max commented, petting a ponyta that softly nuzzled him.

"Well, they're mostly curious, but I admit that they seem to take an interest in your group," Roxy said, a bit surprised.

{I'm not sure it's something to be happy about.} Scarlet commented, pushing away the head of two male rapidash that came a bit too close to her personal bubble.

{I don't know. I find it rather cute.} Luna commented with a toothy grin, mostly alone as the surrounding 'mons were sadly avoiding her.

{Shut up.} Scarlet retorted, making the zoroark smile wider.

Suddenly, a slightly taller than average female rapidash joined and passed between everyone as they moved out of her way. Interposing herself, she stopped a few inches away from Max before invasively sniffing all over him.

{Tsk. Someone clearly doesn't know the meaning of "personal space".} Scarlet complained with crossed arms at the sight.

"And… What's up with this one?" Max asked Roxy, not wanting to be rude by pushing her away.

"That's White Betty. Like almost all pokémon, Ponyta and rapidash work by hierarchy. This one is the second-highest in rank and takes a lot more 'initiative' than the others. However, I don't know why you caught her interest that much," Roxy explained, now astonished.

"Uh… You could say that again." Max lied.

Suddenly, an idea came across Roxy's mind.

"Say, ever mounted a horse before?"

"Hem…" Max expressed, looking at the female rapidash with an interrogative look.

Instantly, a wide grin appeared on the pokémon's face.

"Y-Yeah. Of course, a couple of times, actually," Max lied.

"Really? Well, I'll be darned. Do you want to give White Betty a try?"

"I..."

["Oh, yes, please. I would love to see you show us some of your riding skills."] Scarlet said, sounding suspiciously enthusiastic.

"Well… Alright…"

"Great. Let me just get her saddle," Roxy announced before heading back inside the barn.

{...Hihihi. Liar.} White Betty nagged playfully.

"What? I'm not," Max denied.

{Please…} The rapidash retorted, rolling her eyes. {I can recognize a saddle virgin when I see one. You neither have the posture nor the attitude of a proper horse rider.}

"And? I get it, not everything is Max-proof, alright? Besides, it can't be that hard, all I have to do is to sit on your back."

At that, White Betty let out a muffled chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

{Alright, pretty boy.} She started before walking behind him, her side pressing against his back. {If you think it's that simple, then whaddya say we have some fun together?} She added before rubbing the rest of her body against him before walking away.

"...Who does she think she is?" Max mumbled.

{Wow!} Sally exclaimed, getting next to him with an amazed expression. {Are you really a good horse rider, master?!}

"O-Of course," Max started to boast, failing miserably. "You should've seen me when I was a kid, I was…"

Further, Bonny stood next to Scarlet, both looking at Max with paws on hips and crossed arms respectively.

{...He doesn't know what he's doing, does he?} Bonny engaged.

{Nope. He's never even touched a horse whatsoever in his life.} Scarlet confirmed.

{That's what I thought. Why are you playing along, then?}

{Seeing master getting hurt and lying are the two things I hate the most. However, he lied to impress that girl for whatever reason, so now it's up to him to deal with the consequences.}

{If I didn't know you, I could suspect jealousy.}

{Why does everyone keep assuming that? Seriously, it's getting old and obnoxious. For the record, I'm not jealous. I just thought we could have a bit of fun by watching master making a fool of himself.}

{Sometimes, you can be such an asshole, Scarlet.}

{I know.} Scarlet casually replied while shrugging her shoulders. {What I don't fully understand though is what he's trying to prove and why.}

{We might find out. I'm a bit worried, though. If he's never mounted a horse, he might get hurt or injured.}

{Don't worry. He's not afraid of a little pain, but I won't let him get serious injuries if it makes you feel any better.}

{It does, thanks.}

Roxy came back with a saddle a few minutes later and called White Betty over to her. She took a moment to fix the saddle on the pokemon, Max's companions gathered around and found a good spot to watch.

"White Betty seems to like you, so you might enjoy riding her very much," Roxy affirmed while doing the last adjustments. "Alright, she's all yours. Good luck," She wished Max before immediately leaving to join his pokemon.

Max then looked at White Betty, who was eager to see Max make a move.

"...Okay, I lied. I've never mounted a horse before, but please, help me out a little? Just to start at least."

{Hmm… Sure. First, put your foot in the stirrup.}

"Hem. Yeah, of course. The stirrup." Max repeated, looking around, not knowing what she was talking about.

{The little ring hanging off my sides.} The rapidash specified with rolling eyes.

"R-Right."

Max then did just that, starting off with his right foot.

{You're left foot, since you're getting up on my left.} White Betty corrected, sounding discouraged already with Max switching feet in embarrassment. {And now, you push yourself up to get on me.}

Doing as instructed, Max propelled himself upward with one leg to mount her. However, he immediately lost balance as White Betty stepped away to make him fail.

"What the…"

Putting more power, Max went higher but was not quick enough as she stepped away again.

"Hey?! What gives?" Max complained.

{Oh, I'm sorry. Try again.} White Betty suggested in an amused way.

Now growing upset, Max waited a short moment and tried to take her by surprise. He almost succeeded, but White Betty moved against him to push him away, making him fall rather hard.

"...Are you okay?" Roxy asked a bit further.

{Yes, pretty boy. Is something wrong?} White Betty asked in a mocking way.

"Shut up," Max mumbled to her. "I'm fine, don't worry," he assured Roxy. "Just a little lost since I haven't done this in a long time."

"...Alright then."

{Oh Max, Max, Max…} Aurora commented, already aware of the joke.

{This is just sad.} May added with her hand to her head.

{Master… what are you doing…} Dusk said, discouraged.

{...Come on, master. What is happening?} Sally mumbled. {I know you can do it.} She added, believing in him.

"...You're not helping, you know," Max accused White Betty.

{I'm not supposed to. You're supposed to do that on your own.} The fire horse affirmed.

"Maybe for someone who knows what to do."

{*sigh* Alright. I'll give you a little boost.} White Betty said before lowering herself a little.

"...Really?"

{Yes, now come on.}

Grateful for her sudden generosity, Max then tried again and was able to get higher. Unfortunately, as he was about to plop himself onto the saddle, White Betty suddenly raised herself with a smirk, throwing Max off-balance making him fall on his back on the other side of her. Luckily, Max managed to land with minimalistic damage.

"*koff* Seriously?!"

{This just isn't your day, is it?} White Betty mocked, her head a couple of inches above his.

"...I think I hate you."

{Hihi.}

A second later, Roxy appeared in his field of view, not looking amused.

"...You've never ridden a horse before, haven't you?" She suspected with crossed arms.

"...No," Max admitted embarrassingly.

"Why?"

"...It didn't seem that hard and I didn't want to look dumb."

"And to think I commented on your honesty just a minute ago… You don't look dumb for not knowing how to ride a horse. A lot of people never did."

"..."

"You're lucky it was with White Betty," Roxy said, caressing the rapidash. "Even though she can be quite mischievous sometimes, she's sweet."

"Yeah, she's a real angel," Max responded sarcastically.

"If you apologize to her, I might be willing to teach you. If you're still up for it, that is."

Sitting up and wiping the dirt off his clothes, Max considered her offer while looking at the two of them, White Betty especially. He saw an arrogant and smug look in her eyes, but surprisingly no malicious intent. He thought that maybe she'd actually help him if he did apologize.

"*sigh* Alright… I'm sorry for lying to you Roxy, and I'm sorry for giving you attitude, White Betty," he muttered, looking down at the ground in shame.

"Would you look at that…" Roxy said, impressed with his nobility. "You don't see guys being so humble nowadays. What do you say, girl? Should we teach him?" She asked the rapidash.

Even though her decision was already made, White Betty looked at Max interrogatively, adding suspense for the sake of drama, to which she eventually nodded.

"Great. Now get up and we can get started," she told him, offering her hand.

As soon as Max was on his feet, the real equestrian lesson had begun. Now that she's had her fun, Scarlet was pretty content with watching Roxy so long as she didn't try anything funny with Max. Back with the rest of the girls, they mostly chatted amongst each other while taking a moment to take in the scenery. Except for Luna and Aurora, who decided to go on a short walk around the perimeter.

"You got all of that? It's not rocket science," Roxy said after jumping down from White Betty, done with her instructions.

"I think so…" he replied, staring at the horse gear.

"Good. Give her a try for real, this time," she instructed with a bit of a grin.

Doing as he was told, Max managed to jump on White Betty's back, which was much easier now that she's more cooperative. However, she wasn't done messing with him just yet.

{Yeehaw!} White Betty exclaimed before starting to gallop away.

"Holy fuuuuck!" Max blurted while holding onto her tighter. "You're gonna kill me!"

{Then you better hold on tight, pretty boy!}

Inside the spacious pen, White Betty was galloping at almost full speed to give Max a good scare. She continued this for a few minutes before rapidly approaching a pile of hay, to which she then skidded to a halt and threw him off of her into the hay, preventing him from getting hurt.

{Oops. My bad. Hihi.} White Betty mocked playfully.

"Pah! Ptui! I thought we were cool!"

{No, we are. This was just a little bonus.}

"I see."

{Had enough?}

"...Heh, you wish." Max retorted while getting up. "I've faced challenges bigger and scarier than you."

{Did you, now?} White Betty replied with an intrigued smile. {I like males who got the talk, now let's see if you've got the walk.}

Now smiling a little himself, Max mounted White Betty once more, her dashing away right as he did. Much to White Betty's dismay, Max fared better than his previous ride, causing her to kick things up a notch, jumping and kicking to try to throw him away. Despite not being used to feeling like he's in a rodeo, he managed to stay on her, thanks to his strong grip. Since she's never had someone hold on for an extended period of time, along with the fact that it was taking a toll on her stamina, White Betty didn't last much longer and stopped after a moment, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"What's wrong? Tired already?" Max taunted.

The rapidash briefly looked at Max with a raised eyebrow before bending down and tossing him off her back. When on the ground, Max made a roll and landed on his ass.

{Don't take that attitude with me. You're still an inexperienced human.} She haughtily told him, her head higher in a snobbish way. {But… I have to admit that you held your ground pretty well for a newbie. It's hard not to respect that.}

"Thanks… I guess."

{Say…} She started while walking next to him. {Are you planning to stick around?}

"Not really, we'll probably leave as soon as we're done eating."

{Hmm, that's too bad. Because if you did…} She said, getting behind him and nearing her head next to his. {You could've ridden me… another way~.}

Before Max could say anything, White Betty gave him a quick lick on his neck before walking away.

"…I can never read that rapidash," Max sighed while getting up.

{Still in one piece?} Scarlet asked, who joined him.

"As you can see, yeah."

{Great. Because not that you deserved it, but you kind of asked for it.} She told him with crossed arms.

"Why?"

{Seriously? 'Oh, sure. I know how to ride a horse'.} The gardevoir said, trying to mimic him mockingly.

"*sigh* I get it, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, but I couldn't help myself. I… guess I kind of wanted to impress everyone, but I didn't think it was gonna be that hard."

{Why, though? If you wanted to impress me or the others, not only was it horrendous, but also completely unnecessary. We all know how much of a badass you already are, so you have nothing to prove to us anymore.}

"Now you're just saying that, and no. I don't think it was you."

{Was it her? Was she the reason?}

"*Sigh* I don't know… My hormones, maybe?"

{Yeah, yeah, you find her hot. We know. *sigh* Just as long as you're not actually into her.}

"Don't be ridiculous. You guys are ten times better than any human girl. No matter how sexy they can be, they'll never satisfy me as well as you girls."

{You bet your ass they can't. All they can do is suck and get on four legs while I can do a lot more.}

"Really, now?" Max replied skeptically in a playful way.

{Of course.} Scarlet overly boasted. {And if you keep being a good boy, we can explore those possibilities even further tonight.} She coaxed with seductive eyes.

"Heh heh… Even after almost two years, you always manage to make me desire you."

{That's how you keep a relationship eternally exciting, by constantly feeding your libido, right?} She proudly announced.

"Not just that, but it helps, yeah. Being a beautiful, devoted, comprehensive, supportive, and loving gardevoir adds to it, too."

{Just that?} Scarlet complained falsely with hands on her hips. {I was expecting more praise than that.}

"You're right. I forgot to say that you're the greediest fairy type I've ever met."

{Hehe. Fuck you.}

"Fuck you too," Max replied with both exchanging love-filled eyes.

"...*ahem*." Roxy interrupted. "I guess that White Betty was a bit too much for you."

"More or less. Strangely enough, she doesn't seem to like me or hate me."

"That's… So unlike her. She doesn't usually mess with newbies that much. I'm really starting to think that she has a thing for you. What we don't know though is if it's in a good or bad way."

"Who knows… I have this sort of 'energy' that seems to make it easier for me to forge relationships, or at worst communicate with pokémon. They either love me or they hate me, there is surprisingly no in-between."

"Ah… Maybe you said something that upset her."

"I doubt it, but who knows."

"Anyway, I came to say that since we have quite the guests for this evening, I was thinking about starting on dinner soon so it's ready in time."

"Oh, do you need help? My delphox is actually a great cook, she could give you a hand."

"Really? I appreciate that, thanks. I've always enjoyed seeing pokemon do human stuff."

"Impressive, aren't they? Oh, Dusk?" Max called, making his delphox come over.

{...Yes, master?}

"Roxy needs help in the kitchen. Wanna give her a hand?"

{*Gasp* Do I?!} Dusk exclaimed enthusiastically.

"See? Chef Dusk the delphox, at your service. It's actually pretty cute." Max teased while petting her.

{You're mean, master.} Dusk pouted slightly.

"Heh heh… Sorry about that. I just can't help but tease those I love," Max justified.

{I know I do.} Scarlet added. {I'm just more hardcore when it comes to that.}

"Well regardless, I appreciate the help. Let's go miss Dusk, we'll fix dinner up in no time." Roxy led as both her and the delphox headed towards the house. "If you don't know what to do, feel free to give my ma some help!" She called out before heading inside.

{Seriously? We're helping her and she's making us work for her as thanks?} Scarlet complained.

"Breaking a sweat every once in a while isn't so bad. Not that much different from training, and besides, I can see why they'd work for their next meals since they're not pretty wealthy."

{What makes you think they're not rich?}

"I mean, you can make a pretty good living working on a farm, but I doubt they'd be swimming in cash."

{Okay, I guess that makes sense. It doesn't seem to be the case here.}

"How can you tell?"

{You didn't listen to her story earlier, did you?}

"I… Well… n-no more than you, I'm sure." Max retorted.

{Despite how it looked, I actually did pay attention.}

"Of course," Max replied with rolling eyes. "Seriously, what I wouldn't give to have the brain of a psychic type."

{Indeed.} Scarlet confirmed with a proud smile.

"So you're telling me that they are wealthy?"

{Maybe not "Spencer's" rich, but they do make a really good living.}

"I guess we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, then."

{*Sigh* Anyways, I hope they finish up soon. It's kinda boring here.}

"...Sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have accepted."

{It's okay, master.} Scarlet reassured her, hugging one of his arms. {You meant well and you can hardly say no to free food.}

"Eh… Practically none of us can."

{Hihi. I don't know what the odds were, but you somehow managed to collect seven gluttonous pokémon. Well, Dusk… Not so much, but you get what I mean.}

"Luna is a pretty light eater too, despite her size. She still eats three or four more times than me, though."

{Big girls need big meals, no?}

"Heh heh, true."

{Well then…} Scarlet said, leaving his arm. {I guess I'm gonna wander around, looking for something to do.}

"Oh, before you go…" Max stopped her as he pulled off the module of his back. "Take this, in case you or the others get too bored."

{How thoughtful of you, thanks.} The gardevoir said, grabbing the module. {What about you?}

"I don't know. I'll probably just snoop around. I always liked this kind of place and the last time I was at one was when I was eight."

{Aww, master as a kid. I wish I could see that.} Scarlet shared with a warm smile.

"First of all, never gonna happen. Second, you probably already have seen my younger self in my memories already."

{More or less. The older your memories get, the less reliable they become, even more so when they're from a very young age. As far as your memories go, your actual appearance might be a lot more different than what you remember.}

"...Okay."

{But a face rarely changes a lot when getting older, so I can make a virtual picture of it.}

"And what do you see?"

{A cute little boy that I could've eaten whole.} She affirmed with a mischievous grin.

"Not sure I would have liked that at the time," Max said while tapping his chin.

{I don't know. If I had taken things very slowly…}

"Let me just stop your fantasies right there before things get out of hand, you little predator."

{Aww. Alright, Mr. Boring. Just when things were getting fun, too.} Scarlet complained before leaving.

"*sigh* That gardevoir… So beautiful, yet so unpredictable."

Then, while turning around, Max noticed that everyone had gone to who-knows-where, leaving him all alone in a pen full of ponyta and rapidash. Now that they were used to him, they mostly ignored him as they just kept to themselves.

"Maybe I should go help Roxy's mom," He mumbled while heading inside again.

On his way there, two female rapidash friends walked side by side towards him from the opposite direction.

{Hi, mister!} They both greeted him enthusiastically with a smile while passing next to him.

"Hem… Hi ladies," He shyly greeted them back with a small hand wave.

The two rapidash then increased their pace before walking away while laughing lightly, Max rolling his eyes as continued his walk towards the barn. Upon arriving, he was about to get past the door frame when a male ponyta walked out, bumping into him almost intentionally.

{Out of my way.} He arrogantly demanded while continuing his walk without even looking at him.

Choosing not to reply back, Max stood in the door frame and stared at the rude pokemon. While wondering what was wrong with him, he noticed he was all by himself, walking towards a corner before lying down. Before getting inside, Max noticed that he was looking in a specific direction, to which he decided to see what was going on without being invasive. However, Max realized that the ponyta's gaze was aiming at a small group of rapidash, with one of them recognized as White Betty. Putting the pieces together, he stopped his walk and let out a sigh.

"Not really good at giving bro talks, but… Here we go."

~POVC~

Back at the corner, the solitary male ponyta laid on the ground, looking at some of his peers, or rather at White Betty.

{*sigh* It's so unfair.} He complained softly.

"Hey there, buddy."

Too focused on the view, the ponyta failed to notice that Max had approached him from the side.

{Huh? The hell do you want, human?} He inquired aggressively, instantly getting defensive.

"Nothing, really. I just wanted to say that if I ever did anything to tick you off, I'm sorry."

The ponyta then stared at him, quickly eyeing him from head to toe in a condescending way.

{Sure. You were looking so sorry when you were having fun on her back.}

"Hmm… I thought so. You're talking about White Betty?"

{What? N-No. Why would I?}

"Because I mounted only one rapidash in this pen."

{Erh! The way you say that is disgusting.} He replied, overreacting a little.

"Haha… Not the best choice of words, I admit." Max conceded, noticing that his phrasing was quite pejorative.

{Can you go away, now?}

"Are you sure? I mean, staying here could attract her since we became friends pretty quickly."

At that, the ponyta stared at Max with a slightly embarrassed face.

{...A-Are you taunting me?}

"No, not really. I just thought that since you seem too shy to go speak with her, maybe I could give you some help. Maybe even be your wingman."

{I-I'm not shy! I don't need any of your human help!}

"..."

{Hmpf. Who do you think you are? Showing up out of nowhere, seducing everyone and immediately making them all googly eyes for you while I…}

"...While you…?"

{...While nothing. Get lost, already.} He growled before standing up to leave.

"*sigh*"

{He's jealous of you.} May said, who appeared next to him, sitting at the top of the fence. {Poor guy.}

"Honestly…" Max started, resting his back against the fence an inch away from the mawile. "The more I think about it, it's moments like this that I regret having this 'ability'," Max quoted.

{Aww, don't say that. I think it's part of your charm.} May said in a flirty way.

"If you say so. My charm would vanish if I were to lose it."

{How many times will we have to tell you that it's not true?} May scolded.

"You think I would still have it?"

{Of course, master. I don't love you just because you're attractive, you know.}

"Really, now?" Max replied, slightly skeptical. "So you say that things would remain the same if I became 'normal'? That the charm that attracts other pokémon just… *snap* Like that?"

{I don't like the way you said "normal", but yeah. But, I'm not sure if I wanna figure that out.}

"That's mean…"

{Sorry, but it was right there.}

"Hehe. You're lucky you're cute as fuck," Max said while caressing her head affectionately. "You can pretty much do whatever and I won't be able to hold a grudge against you."

{Good thing I'm not the type to abuse that power.}

"Haha, true. Anyway, I'm still wondering what I should say or do to help him."

{Do you want my personal opinion?} May suggested.

"Go for it."

{Just give up.}

At that, Max looked at May, very surprised.

"Give up?"

{I know that kind of pokemon. He sees you as competition for that rapidash's love, so no matter what you say or do, it won't help. Someone might be able to help him, but not you.}

"Okay, but—"

{You can't always save and help everyone, master. I know how much you want to, but sometimes, letting things work out on their own is the best thing we can do. Even if it hurts to do nothing, it's better than to risk making things worse.}

"..."

{He's not gonna listen to a single word you say, trust me.}

"...It's rare to see you give that kind of advice. Who are you and what have you done to my cute little mawile?"

{I'm still here, I'm just trying to help you not waste your time and energy on lost causes. You're welcome to try anyway, but don't say I didn't warn you.}

"It's okay. I'm just surprised because I usually expect this sort of thing from Scarlet or Aurora or Luna."

{C'mon, master. I can be wise and give good advice too.}

"I know," Max concluded while looking at her.

However, Max wasn't able to unlock his gaze from the mawile, who was looking around while gently waving her tiny legs.

{...What?} May asked, noticing him staring at her.

"Nothing. It's just… D'aww! Come here, you!" He blurted before quickly pulling her into a strong hug.

{Wha- Hey?! What are you doing?!} The mawile exclaimed, taken off-guard.

"Why do you gotta be so damn cute?!" Max justified before planting a couple of kisses on her head.

{Here we go again…} May said, rolling her eyes with a tiny smile, accepting her fate.

He kept doing that for a couple more seconds before stopping.

"Sorry. Couldn't help myself."

{It's okay. I'm used to your love outbursts. It's still way better than the violent outbursts I'm used to.}

"You know how I am May; when I say I love you, I mean I love you."

{Another part of your charm.} May stated while looking up.

"Hihi. But say, May..."

{Hm?}

"How come you're here with me instead of any of the girls?"

{Why not? Am I bothering you?}

"Oh no no no, I'm just wondering since they all kinda scattered about. I can survive on my own, so why did you choose to be with me?"

{I don't know. I just… wanted to, that's all.}

"...Okay. I'm actually kind of relieved as I thought you may have had an argument with someone."

{Don't worry about that. It may happen from time to time, but it's never bad enough that we don't want to see or talk to each other for a while.}

"It… does?"

{Huh? What does?}

"You girls argue sometimes?"

{Well… we don't do it often, but it happens.}

"Huh… Okay then," Max expressed, gently dropping May on the fence again.

{What is it, master? Did we disappoint you?} She asked, a bit worried.

"No, but how come I wasn't aware of that?"

{Well…} May started, obviously a bit uncomfortable as Max stared at her while she chose her next words carefully. {It's kind of… our disputes, you know.}

Not sure to get it, Max just kept staring at her.

{Look, we're not hiding this sort of stuff from you on purpose. It's just that you have better things to do and we wanna manage ourselves without you having to step in all the time. We love you, master, but—}

"It's okay, May, I get it. No need to explain yourself."

{You… do?}

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

{...}

"You're right. It's not healthy for you to always have someone be your babysitter all the time. You can and have to learn to solve your own problems sometimes. However, that doesn't mean I like knowing that my girls are giving each other a hard time."

{Relax, master. It's always been either a disagreement or a brief shouting match at worst, nothing too major. Don't worry, though; if we ever come across a problem we can't solve on our own, we'll tell you.}

"Thanks. Still, how come I just heard about all this now?"

{You never asked?}

"...Well, look who's saying something I would say," Max replied, amused as he poked May's belly.

{Hihi. You make it too easy for us.} May giggled.

"I blame your cuteness for distracting me," Max stated in a sly tone.

{You mean like this?} The mawile cooed, holding her hands together as if to plead and pray, her eyes like a puppy.

"Stop it! You're gonna kill me," Max commanded playfully before pinching one of her cheeks.

{Hihi. So, what are you gonna do now?} She questioned, not minding the cutesy treatment.

"I don't know. I was thinking about helping Roxy's mother in some way until dinner. You can tag along if you want."

{Sure. I don't know what I can do with my size, but I'll try anyway.} May stated with a hint of determination.

"I can always have you mega-evolve," Max pointed out while grabbing her to put her on one shoulder.

{Yeah, but doesn't it tire you out quickly?}

"A little, but I'm getting used to it the more I do. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to hold it so you could even spend an entire evening in your mega-form," he stated as he briefly daydreamed of the idea.

{That sounds amazing, but would it be a good idea for you?}

"Why wouldn't it be?" he questioned curiously.

{If I get used to my mega form to the point where it doesn't exhaust us, won't my normal form be considered inefficient once I devolve?}

"...Explain."

{Like, if it could somehow be permanent, I would definitely keep it that way, but since my mega-evolution is dependent on us both, there's no way I'd be able to stay in my mega forever. What would happen if I stay like that for years and something happens to you?

"Hmm… I get what you're telling me May, but this whole 'maintaining your mega-form' dilemma is actually not as bad as you think," Max continued with the mawile looking up at him in confusion. "In fact, I've done a little digging into how mega-evolutions work and how trainers fully utilize it, and I've been thinking about sparring with each of you in your mega-forms more often. When push comes to shove, we'll be needing that power in future battles, yet we can't afford to have either of us waste all that energy. I don't know if we'll be able to hold a mega-form forever, but we can at least minimize the energy depletion from both parties as much as possible by training in that state. My goal for all you mega-mons will be to stay like that until it becomes as natural as breathing. It'll take some time, but we'll get there."

{But won't that make my normal form weaker from all the mega-evolving?}

"Not at all. You won't feel any different once you devolve, in fact, it'll actually give your normal form a small boost compared to before. It's not a major one, but you'll eventually feel the difference after enough times, granted that you don't overexert yourself, that is. Think of it like this… May I…?" Max then reached towards May's scruffles holding her mega-stone, which she allowed him to remove while he showed her his key-stone. "Mega-evolving, as you know, is a two-way street; I lend you my strength, and you use that strength to become stronger and transform. If we condition ourselves to not get so easily tired whenever we enter that state, my stamina will grow along with your power. And it's not just your mega-form's power that will grow…"

{…My normal form's power will too, and the cycle will keep on going.} May concluded as it all started to make sense.

"Exactly."

{I… I think I get it now. So I won't become more useless once I devolve back to a regular mawile.}

"Like when I was in Scarlet's body?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

{Well, maybe not that useless, but something close to that.}

"Ah, so mean. You're hurting my feelings."

{If it's just close, it's fine.}

"Alright, you've just earned yourself a tickle assault," Max threatened playfully while briefly tickling her belly.

{No, please!} May cried out, trying to shield herself from him. {I promise I'll behave.}

"Good. And that's how you discipline a rebellious girl."

{Haha! You wish.}

At that, the gang wandered around until dinner, either helping with minor tasks or just chilling outside. It was now time to eat as the group gathered inside Roxy's house, sun slowly setting in behind the trees. After Roxy pulled out a few spare chairs, everyone gathered around the table.

"Wow! This looks delicious," Max exclaimed while gazing at the feast before him, consisting of various meals.

"Aw, shucks. Your delphox was a huge help," Roxy stated. "We've outdone ourselves, thanks to her."

"Yeah. I'd say I put Dusk on the list of girls I'd marry," Max praised, making Dusk blush under her fur.

"Hehe, I feel you. Too bad she's a pokemon, am I right? Haha!" Roxy joked while serving herself.

"Hehe, yeah. Indeed." Max said, feigning a chuckle, creating a very brief and almost imperceptible awkward moment amongst the gang.

"I heard that you helped my ma a little bit too. You didn't have to do that, but thanks."

"Don't mention it. Never really worked on a farm before, but I'm used to breaking a sweat."

{Indeed you are.} Scarlet mentioned nonchalantly, making some of the girls smile a little.

"I figured as much. Do you work out? I mean, you obviously do, but what's your workout schedule look like? You barely have the time and equipment to do some heavy lifting as a pokémon trainer."

"You're right, I don't, but I've got my ways of working out."

"Really? Would you mind sharing?"

"Not at all. I train and spar with my pokémon."

"Is that so? Ain't that a little… dangerous?"

"No more than having a personal human trainer, actually. I've seen videos of many accidents happening between trainers and pokémon, but as long as everybody's careful…"

"I understand, but given the strength and power difference between the two, we can't say that accidents are at the same level. An accident between humans ends up worse in broken bones. With a pokémon, you can easily get killed."

"True, but here's the thing; Being a pokémon trainer can be very dangerous, lethal even if you don't know what you're doing. At this point, I'd be risking my life wandering into the wilderness alone than training with my girls."

"The girls? Ah, you're talking about your pokemon. I'm no pokémon expert, but I kind of figured that most, if not all your pokemon are female. That is quite a strange but strong team you got there. Then again, I'm not really into pokémon training, so it might be more common than I think."

"It actually is," Max lied. "Though, it's not that common these days. I just happened to have that kind of luck, ending up with a full roster of seven female pokémon."

"Wasn't the maximum amount of pokémon a trainer can carry six? Maybe it changed."

"Nah, it's still six. Technically, my gardevoir's wild since I never officially caught her. That doesn't stop her from following me around, however."

"I see. Well, you must be one hell of a trainer to have yourself one hell of a team. Not only do you take care of them, but you're still able to look after yourself as well. That's mighty impressive."

"Thanks. It wasn't easy at first, but pokémon training is pretty much all I got going for me, so I might as well commit to it."

"Naturally. Say, it'll be pretty late once we finish eating, so if you're interested, would you like to spend the night here?"

"Ahrm… *koff* *koff*" Max vocalized, choking on a little bit of food.

"Again with this, Roxy?!" Roxy's mother exclaimed.

"What? We have a guest room, so we might as well use it." Roxy justified.

"How many times do I have to remind you that this is my house!"

"Tskaw! Where's your sense of hospitality, ma?"

"Foolish girl, if only you had a husband."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

["We appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid we'll have to decline."] Scarlet said out loud with her telepathy while gently tapping Max's back. ["We have a long road ahead of us and we hate to intrude on other people's houses."]

To no one's surprise, Scarlet's tone was slightly provocative, but it was subtle enough so that only the gang could hear her irritation.

"Oh, don't worry about being a bother. I've invited you all as guests, so it's only fair if I treat you as such," Roxy argued.

["And we appreciate your offer, but we'll be fine, thanks."]

"Does she speak for you?" She asked Max.

By the way she said it, the girls were starting to fear the worst; that Scarlet would lose her cool as Roxy was obviously trying to get her hands on him. However, she surprised everyone as she managed to keep it to herself and even smiled politely, despite uncontrollably grasping Max's shoulder a bit too strongly.

"*Koff* Yeah, sometimes," Max confirmed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "She kinda has a point. The sooner we have our hands and paws on those ten badges, the sooner we can start preparing for the Rados League," He half lied.

Roxy then stared at him for a few seconds before giving Max the benefit of the doubt.

"...I see. Oh well, I guess being a pokémon trainer really is a rough life."

"Yeah, being a pokémon trainer isn't as fun and casual as people think it is. You've gotta be able to make some sacrifices for yourself and your team."

"Must be hard. I guess it wouldn't be for me."

"Yeah. It's a bit of a grueling job with a lot of risks, but the reward is worth it. It can be hard, but you learn and improve so much with them. At least, that's what I think."

"Uh-huh."

Before they could go back to eating in peace, the group heard a commotion outside, causing them to look out the window.

"...What's going on out there?" Roxy asked interrogatively while approaching the window.

Upon doing so, she could see all the ponyta and rapidash running around in a panic.

"Something's wrong," She said before rushing outside, followed by Max & co.

After almost being bumped by some panicked pokémon, the gang rushed towards where they were all gathered. They then saw a ponyta lying on the group, deeply wounded with a gash on his side and bleeding quite a lot, its peers seemingly protecting him from something.

"What the hell is going on?!" Roxy exclaimed in shock.

"This is bad. Quick Scarlet, Patch him up with Healing Pulse."

{On it.} The gardevoir acknowledged before quickly kneeling down and using her move to its fullest.

"How did this happen?!" Roxy wondered out loud in panic as well.

"We'll figure it out, but first, we need to keep him alive," Max instructed. "If she's quick enough, maybe my gardevoir can save him."

{There she is!} One of the rapidash exclaimed.

{Don't let her get away!}

In a swift motion, half of the herd galloped towards Luna and tried to attack her. Luna was very short to react in time as she wasn't expecting such a large attack. Luckily for her, Dusk's reflexes kicked in and shielded her with her psychic powers just in time.

{Whoa whoa woah! What's the meaning of this?!} Bonny exclaimed, who alongside Aurora, got in between Luna and the herd, ready to defend her.

{They are siding with the killer! Get them as well!} One rapidash incited.

With Bonny tensing her muscles and Aurora activating her aura, the rapidash got on two legs and tried to stomp them.

["ENOUGH!"]

Scarlet suddenly unleashed a telepathic shout and created a shockwave that was strong enough to push everyone aside, even shaking the nearby trees. Instantly, the calm came back with everyone staring at her, who was standing with one hand raised while still healing the ponyta with the other one, looking furious.

{Everyone, shut the fuck up and let me concentrate!}

Glaring menacingly at everyone for another few seconds, she returned her full attention to the injured ponyta, whose pain seemed to slowly fade away. Nobody moved or spoke in the meantime, with the only noise being the hum of Scarlet's Healing Pulse. After a short moment, the rapidash looked at each other while whispering, taking the time to carefully move away from Luna and the others, making sure not to turn their back to them. The only one that had the courage to get near Scarlet was Max, who got down on a knee next to her.

"...Sorry about that. Do you think you can save him?"

{Easily. He lost a lot of blood, but he'll pull through once I'm done here.}

"That's good to hear. You're the best, Scarlet," He praised before leaving her alone to join the others.

{That was… scary.} Sally said, feeling anxious.

"Don't worry. She's not mad at any of us," Max reassured her while petting her, which seemed to have worked. "You okay?" He asked Luna.

{Yes, I'm fine.} The zoroark assured, with her gaze strangely avoiding his.

Her tone was also slightly off, but knowing her, he assumed that she was a bit mad at herself for not seeing it coming, therefore deciding not to press it further. Not too far from them, Roxy was with her mother a bit further, inaudibly talking at each other.

"...Luna…" Max started.

{I didn't do it.} She answered immediately.

"Yeah, I figured as much, but why'd they target you? Any ideas?"

{I'm… not sure.}

"What do you mean by that?"

{...}

Now Max was suspicious of her, that she was hiding something from him. However, it was obvious she didn't want to talk about it right now, so he left it alone. A moment later, Scarlet stopped using her move and stood up, finished with her healing.

"Nice work," Max praised after joining her with the rest of the team.

{He lost consciousness a moment ago, but he'll be okay.} Scarlet summarized. {It wasn't as deep as I thought, and I was able to stop the hemorrhage in time.}

"*sigh* That's a relief."

A few seconds later, Roxy and her mother arrived at the scene.

"He'll be okay," Max reassured her. "Right now, he'll just need some rest and maybe some iron or protein to restore more blood quickly."

"...Thanks for fixing him up…" Roxy said before briefly looking at Luna. "...But I think it's best for all of you to leave."

{What? We didn't even do anything?!} Bonny exclaimed, very offended.

{Yeah! How can you guys just-} May followed.

"It's okay, girls," Max intervened. "We were planning on leaving right after dinner anyway. Let's go," He commanded before leaving.

{...Hmpf. Ungrateful jerks.} Bonny commented before following Max, alongside everyone else.

Under the gaze of hostile eyes, the group left the farm to continue where they left off a bitter silence settling in as they walked along until nightfall.

{...We should stop here for the night.} Aurora suggested.

With everyone agreeing without a word, they traveled off-path and settled down at the border of the forest. As soon as everything was set up, Luna went for her usual routine and left for the woods to be alone. She traveled a couple of meters and was about to jump up a tree when Max approached her from behind.

"Where do you think you're going?"

{...Setting off for my usual nocturnal business, as always.} Luna answered without looking at him.

"Then you wouldn't mind explaining a few things first, then?"

At that, Luna straightened her back.

{Hmpf.} She huffed before turning to face Max with crossed arms. {As a matter of fact, I do mind. I don't have to tell you anything.}

Luna's sudden defensive attitude caught him off-guard, but he managed to not show it.

"...I mean, technically you don't, but—"

{Then that means we are done here. I'll be seeing you later, Max.}

"Geez Luna, what's up with you? I'm not trying to find the culprit, I just want to know what you're hiding from me," Max stated, slightly annoyed.

{Do you really? Because I missed the part where I'm obligated to tell you.}

"You're not obligated, but we're friends Luna. Close friends, at that."

{Then don't talk to me as if I'm forced to listen to you.}

Max was getting rather upset but was cool enough to see her point clearly.

"...*sigh* Y-You're right, I'm sorry. I guess I'm still mad about them accusing you of what happened, which I know isn't the case."

Luna then briefly looked at him from over her shoulder, piercing him with her predator eyes.

{...*sigh* I'm afraid your judgment was misplaced, despite your pure intentions.} She started while turning one side towards him.

"W-What do you mean?"

{I am responsible for what happened to that ponyta.}