Final Showdown

With both Max and Billy down to one pokémon, Scarlet entered the battlefield and was now glaring at Billy's audino, her adversary. Waiting for the signal, both looked menacingly ready to attack at any given moment. Scarlet showed a confident expression while remaining cautious.

The referee raised his arm. "Ready? Fi-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Scarlet wasting no time, had vanished before Max and tried sucker-punching Audino with a Fire Punch to the back of the head.

Audino saw this coming, as she was all too predictable in her eager stance. She turned on the dime and defended herself, deflecting the punch with her forearm taking minuscule damage. As if it weren't her first time in this situation, the audino sequenced it with Mega Punch. Scarlet had little time to respond as the deflect was unexpected but she had to defend herself. In a sweat, Mega Punch was blocked by Scarlet's Protect. Before her fist had even left Scarlet's shield, the audino used Hyper Voice at point blank, making Scarlet's head ring heavily and flinch enough to drop her shield, exposing her. The Audino grinned with mischief before striking her stomach with Drain Punch, healing herself with the stolen life.

Smirking, Scarlet raised an arm and locked her opponent in place with Telekinesis before suspending her in the air momentarily. With the audino now frozen midair, Scarlet could use her other hand to throw an Energy Ball, which landed with ease. As soon as the cloud of green energy vanished, Scarlet was attacked by Hyper Voice again.

{Gha! I hate that freaking move.} She growled after briefly hiding her ears with her hands. {Hng- I'm gonna shut you up!}

Realizing her mistake too late, Scarlet got struck in the chest beside her crest by Mega Kick from her adversary, sending her flying toward the dome wall. Landing on her feet without flinching, Scarlet used Protect again, in case she was already preparing a move. It was a good decision as the audino was already on her with another Mega Punch.

{Well, someone's all fired up, aren't we?} Scarlet snarkily questioned with a smirk.

{... I need to win that tournament. For Billy. I won't let anyone stand in my way.} Audino said with narrowed eyes.

{I must win for Max… He's come too far for me to fail him now. Let's see which one has the strongest willpower.}

Scarlet was through with talking, without hesitation she spun around again, using Telekinesis to push the audino into a psychic shockwave. Instantly, Scarlet created a Shadow Ball and an Energy Ball on each hand. She had devised a plan, just like always. She mixed the two and threw it at the audino who flinched, embracing for impact. However, the instability of the move made it explode before even touching anything. The force of the explosion was however enough to reach the audino and destabilized the audino, making her cough and hack due to the smoke that engulfed her. Scarlet then used Psybeam through the cloud, hoping to surprise her adversary. However, as soon as the cloud subsided, the gardevoir noticed that she hit nothing. Looking around, her danger sense told her to look up. Doing so, she saw the audino descending towards her with Mega Kick. With Scarlet dodging, the force of the hit sent debris flying everywhere. Dirt and dust filled the air as the audino stood strong in the debris, keeping her eyes on Scarlet. Taking another step back, Scarlet used a strong Flamethrower, firing into the dust cloud with both hands, creating a thick stream of fire. Doing her best, the audino ran and jumped around to avoid the stream, which Scarlet kept using in the hope of eventually touching her. However, her plan failed as the audino managed to get through her offensive and rushed at her with Drain Punch, which Scarlet blocked with Protect. Then, not expecting it and having extended the length of her protection in consequence, Scarlet got hit with Low Kick, hurting her and making her trip. The audino was about to strike her with Mega Punch, but Scarlet teleported away, near Max.

[Why don't you just fly away? It will be easier for you if you float above her.] Max asked her.

[Eh, how naive. No, it will not.] Scarlet answered.

[How so?] Max questioned, wondering about her intentions.

[Because of her move Hyper Voice.] She said before blocking another Mega Punch with Protect, but larger this time.

[Huh? How is it relevant?]

[Use your brain. If I fly up high, that audino will have a larger reach for her to get me as she only has to raise her head. On the ground, I can at least get behind her.]

[...I see. I think I get it.]

[Marvelous.] Scarlet said before creating multiple Energy Balls and tossing them at her feet to force the audino to back away.

[She's really strong.]

[Indeed. And at this point, this fight could last forever as we are more or less at the same power level.]

[Eh, I didn't think I'd ever see the day where a pokémon could fight toe-to-toe with you.] Max said, a bit amused.

[The world is full of surprises, master.] Scarlet said before using Ice Beam, trying to get her while freezing a part of the ground to make it harder for the audino to move around.

[You could use Calm Mind to boost your power, but I doubt she will let you get away with it.]

[...What do you suggest, then?]

[...Hmpf. Isn't it obvious?] Max asked, confidently.

[I see. I haven't really mega-evolved since we left the mansion.] Scarlet said with slight excitement.

[Then it's a good opportunity to see what you can do in that form.]

Scarlet then briefly looked at Max.

[...Alright. I hate to admit it, but in my current state, this fight is going nowhere. Time for a battle of megas.]

[Fuck yes. And remember, you're a green gardevoir, so your mega form is mostly all white.]

Max touched his keystone, carrying pride and unfiltered confidence in his pokémon. Scarlet responded by lowering her head and touching her keystone. A bright light enveloped Scarlet, blinding the field for a moment but Max grinned a little as he knew her power would now go unrivaled compared to the audino. Her dress flowed in the wind. She opened her eyes, looking up at the audino almost in a condescending manner.

{There it is! It's Scarlet's mega form!} Sally exclaimed enthusiastically, practically on the edge of her seat. {Go, Scarlet, whoo!}

"Getting all pumped up, aren't you?" Julia commented.

{No, duh! I only saw her mega form once, but that was for a party. Now, we get to see her fight as well!}

Smiling, Julia had to admit that the fight was slightly starting to put her on edge, eager to see the rest of the fight. She was pretty sure of the outcome already, but seeing such a display of power kept igniting sparks inside her.

[Wow. Even in your 'boring' disguise, you're pretty and sexy as hell in your mega form.] Max couldn't help but mentally drool on himself as he stared at her figure.

[Quit staring at my plump ass and focus, will you?] Scarlet scolded him, bringing him back on track.

[Sorry, but the sight of your rear always distracts me.] Max apologized, bringing himself back to focus.

[Not my problem.]

Suddenly, the audino got a lot more cautious and wasn't rushing anything anymore. Max could understand why, as the power Scarlet was emanating was almost palpable.

{Let the real battle begin.} the audino said with a more serious expression.

Right after saying those words, Scarlet raised her arms above her and created a huge amount of Energy Balls.

"Whoa…" Max said while looking up, amazed by Scarlet's capabilities.

The gardevoir then lowered one hand to her foe's head height and began to shoot at the audino with rapid-fire like a minigun. Instantly, the explosions fired off without pause, creating green clouds all around the audino, hiding half of the battlefield. It took Scarlet a moment before she finished her attack. Then, as the clouds subsisted, the audino emerged from the cloud of green smoke, initiating a Giga Impact towards Scarlet. Using Protect, the impact was strong enough to create a shockwave that made Max stumble, briefly shaking him up. Lowering her shield, Scarlet counter-attacked with a Fire Punch, which landed on the audino's chin. She felt her entire skull rattle upon meeting with Scarlet's fist. The normal-type pokémon rolled a few times on the ground before quickly standing up with difficulty.

{It's no use.} Scarlet said while starting to levitate higher. {As of now, you're no match for me. But allow me to demonstrate.} She lifted her head to peer into the sky above and closed her eyes, letting her power take over.

Crossing her hands together, Scarlet began using a Calm Mind. Quickly, the audino attacked with Hyper Voice to put her down. However, without even opening her eyes, Scarlet teleported away, behind the Audino. That reaction time with extraordinary, but that's just how strong a psychic type can be. Turning without stopping, the audino tried to get Scarlet again, but she teleported again. She seemed untouchable to the Audino. Her efforts were all in vain as she tried to lash out at the Gardevoir. Time and time again she seemed to evade effortlessly. Reappeared on the opposing end of the battlefield. Scarlet slowly opened her eyes and gazed unto the audino silently.

Scarlet threw her hands in the air and a bright pink light appeared between her hands as she began to pour a lot of power into it. Scarlet's eyes began to glow pink as Max could feel waves of power radiate off of Scarlet. He even started to feel the ground under him vibrating. Scarlet was finished playing around, she was going to end this with her fairy-type energy-filled Psybeam. Not ready to give up, the Audino charged a Hyper Beam. They launched their attacks, which clashed and exploded causing a shockwave to rattle the dome around and for Max to fall over. No attack seemed to gain the upper hand but eventually, the audino's Hyper Beam began to weaken, with Scarlet's Psybeam getting dangerously closer. The audino put everything she had but felt her strength slowly leaving her. Then, unable to continue, her Hyper Beam failed to overcome the powerful gardevoir's attack. Eventually, her body gave up and was sent flying and smacked into the dome wall by Scarlet's overcharged Psybeam, making the wall shake a bit upon contact with her body.

After landing on her stomach, the audino stood up with great difficulty, but her eyes widened slightly when she saw herself surrounded by countless Energy Balls. Further, Scarlet snapped her fingers, making all the balls explode at once. Then, for good measure, giant flames burst from Scarlet's arms and used Flamethrower from both of her arms before fusing them, literally creating an oversized death ray decimating everything in its path. When stopped, half of the battlefield was set ablaze as Scarlet looked down onto the battlefield, waiting for the smoke and dust to settle. When it did, embers licked at the air greedily around her opponent further down. Floating near the audino, Scarlet landed on her legs and saw her opponent laying on her belly, not moving.

{Hmpf.}

Scarlet turned to get near Max, but something grabbed her legs and stopped her. She quickly took notice that the audino had grabbed her, barely able to move her hand and head. Scarlet was surprised by the audino's sheer tenacity.

{I'm… not… done with you…} She said weakly with just one eye open, glaring at Scarlet with an undefeatable look.

Scarlet could feel the audino's emotions welling up inside her. She was impressed by her opponent's determination.

{...You fought well, but this fight is over.}

{No… I… must win. For Billy… for… everyone. I can't… lose yet.} She hardly spoke with determination while tightening her grasp as much as she could, which wasn't much.

Scarlet simply smiled as a breeze blew the rest of the dust of the wrecked battlefield away.

{Then promise me something, audino… Keep getting stronger. Never quit for yourself and your trainer's sake, and do not tolerate anything less than victory.} Scarlet told her before aiming one hand at her face, the audino still glaring daggers at her in defiance, a chuckle escaping the gardevoir. {You've got heart, hell you almost had me worried there… You've earned my respect, but this is the end.}

The audino could do nothing as Scarlet unleashed a point-blank Psychic, sending her flying and stumbling back before lying unconscious at Billy's feet. With her leg now free, Scarlet looked at her defeated adversary as well as her trainer for a few seconds before reverting back to her normal form.

Meanwhile, the referee rushed over to check on the audino's vitals before confirming that she was down and out. "Billy's audino is unable to battle. Billy has no pokémon remaining, which means game, set, match! Max Elms is our new Mallowville City Champion!" The referee announced, the stadium erupting after witnessing such an incredible series of battles.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Max exclaimed, balling his fists and doing a celebratory fist bump before running over to his gardevoir. "You did it! Scarlet! You freaking did it, you sexy bitch! You're the freaking best!"

{Heh, tell me something I don't know.} She boasted as she was still in disguise, walking towards Max.

"Brilliant! Absolutely outstanding! In all my years of hosting this tournament, I've never seen one as intense and exciting as this! It was grandiose! It was…"

As the dome dropped, Max caught her before she fell, putting her arm around his shoulders to support her better. "You okay?"

{I'm good… That audino just made me work for it is all.} Scarlet groaned, giving Max an exhausted grin.

"Is it me, or do you want that ticket more than me?"

{You're just noticing that now?} Scarlet asked him with a raised eyebrow. {Of course, I want it more than you. Sure, I hate losing, but the desire to see that smile on your face was all the motivation I needed.}

"Pfft- And you say I'm cheesy!" Max mocked playfully while looking away with a soft blush on his face, making Scarlet smile in amusement as she composed herself. Max would do the same as they saw the referee approach them from the front.

"The organizers will be here in a moment for the awards ceremony," He explained to them while eyeing the packed stadium. "C'mon, you won. Give them something to remember you by."

Taking a moment to process the referee's words, Max turned to Scarlet who merely nodded before raising a hand at the crowd, making them roar even louder. He tried to get Scarlet to wave back but to no avail, as she shook her head at him, to which he then saluted the audience for a moment until he saw Billy approaching him.

"...C-Congratulations," He praised shyly, presenting Max a hand.

"Thanks. That was a good fight back there," Max praised back, shaking his hand. "You actually made my team sweat, which is saying a lot considering what we did to come this far."

As soon as their hands touched, the crowd cheered in awe at the sight of good sportsmanship. Billy didn't appear upset or sad at his defeat, instead, he looked content with his results as his mouth curved into a small yet nervous grin. "Y-Yeah… You too. We all trained very hard, but I guess it wasn't enough, heh."

"Then that means you'll have to train harder for next time," Max said encouragingly. "You've got talent, which means you'll go far once you put the work in."

"Y-You think so? W-Well in that case, I'll do just that." Billy replied a bit awkwardly, he and Max glancing to their sides to see the organizers approach them with medallions and a briefcase.

"What an incredible finals, you two!" one exclaimed enthusiastically with a wide smile. "Seems as though this field could use a refurbishing of sorts."

"That's an understatement, some spots are still burning," said the one holding the medallions.

Luckily, both seemed rather amused. Then, as all three reached them, the referee slightly bowed and left.

"Congratulations, to both of you." The third one praised.

Before continuing, he turned on a microphone he had in one hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He said in the microphone, addressing the crowd. "I'm afraid to say so, but this was the last match, and thus, concluding the tournament of MallowVille. However, we are not done, so don't leave your seats just yet. First, I want to thank every trainer that participated in the tournament, but especially, those two." He said, pointing his hand at Max and Billy. "You both really put on a good show until the end, despite some battles being a bit anticlimactic from being too short." He said, making both Max and Billy smile in embarrassment and some spectators laugh. "...But never mind that. The results are there. So, one last time, give them a round of applause for their magnificent performance."

As well as the organizers, the spectators applauded loudly with cheering and whistling. A bit embarrassed, Max and Billy nodded and waved a few times.

"Truly remarkable. Now, I know most of you are busy, as am I, so let's jump into the second part right away, the prize giving." the organizer said before motioning for another one to come while the crowd cheered again. "First, let's start with you." The microphone man said while getting next to Billy. "I'm terribly sorry that you couldn't win the final match. Any thoughts on that?" He asked, showing the microphone to Billy.

"...A-A bit disappointing, f-for sure. B-But I'll do better next time." He simply said.

"That's the spirit. Never give up. Therefore, you may not have won, but we still have a prize for you."

With him backing up, another faced Billy with a box before opening it. Inside, was an all-red pokeball.

"A cherish Ball. A very rare and special pokeball that not many have the chance to see, let alone have it."

"Wow!" Billy exclaimed at the sight of the shiny red pokeball.

"But as a second prize, it's all yours."

[Damn! That's a sick pokeball. I could almost be jealous.] Max said into Scarlet's mind.

[Pfft. Says the guy who will have a better prize.] Scarlet replied with a raised eyebrow.

Shyly, Billy extended his hands and grabbed the pokeball.

"It is said that the best of the modern technology was put together to create that pokeball, from its rarity, so choose carefully which Pokémon you wish to put it in."

"T-Thanks. I pretty much have an idea who I'll choose."

"Marvelous. Billy, everyone!" The organizer exclaimed, making the crowd applaud loudly again, as well as Max and Scarlet, with the gardevoir putting less energy into it.

The organizer then walked next to Max.

"And here we are. The grand champion of the MallowVille tournament." He said, with the spectators already cheering. "How does it feel to be number one?"

"Um, great I guess." Max simply answered.

"Haha." The man laughed, as well as half of the crowd. "A man of few words or just a little jester."

"Kind of both, actually."

"Hahaha. I like this guy. Anyway, is there anything special to say?"

"Well… I guess I do." Max replied while looking at the stadium. "I appreciate all of your praise and cheers, but I just want to point out that the real winners… are them." He said before looking at Scarlet, making half of the crowd cheer in awe with a tiny portion booing him.

{Godamnit! Why did you do that?!} Scarlet said, hiding half of her face with one hand in embarrassment.

"Hehe. Sorry, I had to say it." Max said, looking back at the organizer.

"Well, in a sense, you're not entirely wrong. Alright, are you ready to receive your prize?"

"Of course."

Then, the third organizer came towards Max with another box, a bit smaller this time. Inside was a mildly large ticket with golden borders with V.I.P. written in silver in the middle, with smaller characters under it.

"And there you have it. The V.I.P. ticket for the best and biggest amusement park in the world; Poke-Man Wonderland!" The gentleman announced before a thunder of clapping and cheers resonated all across the stadium. Even Billy applauded, with Scarlet being suddenly more frantic about it.

"Oh, man! That's dope!" Max said, grabbing his prize.

"And it's an understatement. With that, the in and out cruise to the park and the services on it are all free of charge."

"Really? So everything will be free? Wait, a cruise?"

"Practically. And that, it's only on the boat. The ticket also allows you to spend an entire week in the park with everything free of use as well. The only exception is that your pokémon will be charged for any extra services they use besides what's already included."

"Holy… That's already a lot. Damn! Now I understand why some were so eager to get it."

"Many would sell their siblings for such a thing, so keep it hidden as much as possible."

"Yeah, I can understand why."

"Well, that's it, everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the moment you spent here. So, for one last time, thank you very much for coming to and assisting in this tournament. Good night, everyone, and see you next time."

Closing his microphone, the three organizers left the field, leaving Max and Billy alone behind, as the stadium was slowly being emptied.

"Congratulations again on the ticket." Billy praised.

"Thanks. To be honest, I feel kind of bad for having it. Maybe someone else deserves it more than me."

Billy tilted his head in confusion, wondering why Max isn't as enthusiastic about winning. "But you made it to the finals and won fair and square. I'd say you have every right to claim that prize."

"...I guess."

{Master, being lectured by a little boy in front of a stadium full of people?} Scarlet nagged hard with an exaggerated sassy look. {If this isn't embarrassing for you, I don't know what is.}

"Oh, shut up, you," Max retorted to Scarlet with a smile, quickly realizing that Billy was about to ask him how he knew what she was saying. "*ahem* Sorry. Scarlet and I are pretty much an old couple at this point, we bicker with each other all day long."

"Oh. Haha. I can relate," Billy replied, scratching the back of his head timidly. "Daisy and I do that too, sometimes, teasing and nagging each other from time to time. We even play pranks on each other every so often."

"Relationships with pokémon are just better, am I right?" Max shared while petting Scarlet.

"Hehe, You said it. It's not just Daisy, I love my team very much. I hope we can stay together forever."

"Amen to that," replied Max as he looked down at the rest of his pokeballs, silently praising the mons inside for all their hard work.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Max, but my ride should be here at any moment, so I wish you a good night and goodbye," Billy said before bowing and leaving.

{My my. What a polite little human! Maybe you could learn a thing or two from him.} Scarlet teased with crossed arms and a smug smile.

"Oh really? What do you prefer? Good manners or someone who can give you a good cunnilingus?"

{...Why do you always use unfair arguments?}

"Because at war, every weapon is allowed. And you know how much of a soldier I am."

{Oh yes. I know one who's a good soldier.} Scarlet said before projecting in his head an image of her shoving her hand in his pants.

"Precisely."

Before they could think to eventually leave the grassy terrain, both got joined by Sally and Julia, with the cinderace almost running.

{You did it, master! You're the best!}

When close enough, she jumped in Max's arms and hugged him tightly.

{You were amazing!}

"We were amazing. As a team." Max corrected, hugging her tightly as well while holding her bottom with one arm.

"Really nice performance back there. And that last match, it was just… wow." She said before briefly looking at Scarlet.

"Thanks, though I didn't do much in Luna's and Scarlet's battle."

"And they performed very well. You know, sometimes, I wonder if we really need to yell orders and such. Our pokémon can handle battle on their own pretty well."

"Then our utility will keep declining, thus making trainers go extinct."

"I doubt it," Julia replied, putting her hands behind her head. "They will still need some coaching and organization. In the worst case scenario, it will become like coaching a sports team or whatever."

"Maybe, but no matter what happens, we will still need each other. Am I right?" Max shared before gently pinching Sally's nose affectionately.

{As for me, I will.} The cinderace agreed, briefly nuzzling him.

"Hehe." Julia laughed lightly. "Anyway, maybe you want to go heal your pokémon and announce the good news to them." She pointed out.

"You're right. Plus, we're starting to look like idiots in the middle of the field for no reason." Max remarked before dropping Sally.

As the four of them headed inside, Max couldn't help but keep looking at his ticket, unable to be prouder of his team than right now.

{See? I told you I would win it for you.} Scarlet mentioned.

"I never doubted you. I admit I got scared a few times, but in the end, I knew you girls would surpass yourself. It's crazy, though. Just a few weeks less of training and maybe we wouldn't have won."

{If I'm being honest, it was almost near a close call.}

{Billy's pokémon were really strong.} Sally said.

"Indeed. He was good, but we were better."

With Scarlet and Julia genuinely smiling, they reached the conference room to heal Max's pokémon. On their way there, he was greeted and praised by bypassers. A girl with her three friends even asked for an autograph. A bit surprised, Max obliged and signed his autograph, as Scarlet and Julia found the situation a bit awkward. When inside the empty conference room, Max used the machine to re-energize his pokémon before releasing them.

{So?!} Bonny asked half a second after appearing.

{Did we win?!} May questioned.

All were looking at Max eagerly with wide-open eyes, except for Luna, who was patiently waiting.

"Well…" Max replied, wanting to put some suspense.

{Stop doing that!} Dusk demanded.

"Hehe. Alright, alright. Just… look at this!" He announced before showing them the ticket.

Outside, two people were walking in front of the conference room talking when screams from the room scared them.

{Oh my god! Oh my god! We actually did it!} Bonny exclaimed in utter joy.

{We did it! We did it!} May sing happily while jumping around.

{Yeepi! I'm so proud of our team.} Dusk said, forcing Scarlet into a small enthusiastic dance.

{Y-Yeah. Me too.} The gardevoir replied, trying her best not to trip.

{Damn! What a relief. I'm so glad none of our efforts were in vain.} Aurora shared, briefly dropping her head backward.

"Heh. It's never in vain when we do our best."

{I get your point, and I kind of agree, but it would have been a pain in the butt for putting so much work into something uselessly.}

"Well, it's true that winning is gratifying."

{So that's it? We're gonna go to that amusement park?} Sally said.

"Why yes. And judging by this ticket, we have one year to use it, so we can go whenever we want."

{How about as soon as possible?} The cinderace proposed.

"Haha! Eager, aren't you." Max said, petting his cinderace. "We could do that too."

"So? What's your plan?" Julia asked.

"Well, as for today, it's a bit late to take the road, so I think I'm gonna spend the night here before setting out tomorrow."

"Alright."

At that, Julia, Max, and his pokémon left the conference room and the stadium, where some people were chilling or just walking around. Again, Max got praised by some, but this time, none asked for an autograph. After a moment of glory, which irritated Scarlet quite a bit, they finally left the vicinity of the stadium to head outside the city and the large campsite.

"Alright, just go ahead. I'll catch up to you later." Julia announced before stopping.

"Oh, you're leaving?" Max wondered, doing the same.

"I just have an errand to make. I'll be back in a moment."

"Alright. See you later, then."

"Yup," Julia confirmed before leaving.

Now at the campsite, Max and his pokémon could reach the module without seeing many people, as they took a path that was away from the majority of the other trainers. Once in, Max sat at the table and went all limp on it.

"Ooof! What a day." Max shared, suddenly sounding tired. "I'm all wiped out."

{Ah. You tell me.} Scarlet approved, sitting next to him before dropping her head on him.

{But it was worth it.} Bonny mentioned while sitting at the table as well, alongside everyone else beside Luna.

"...But that audino, though…"

{Audino?} Aurora wondered.

{It was Billy's last pokémon.} Sally explained.

{Ah.}

"Boy, she was determined to win."

{Yeah. I can respect that. She was strong, but just unlucky for facing me. Anyway, the least I can say is that she managed to drain me quite a bit.} Scarlet said.

"Haha. Those multiple mega-evolutions kind of did the same to me. I think we're getting in bed earlier tonight."

{And not celebrating our victory?} Aurora mentioned. {That's kinda anti- climatic.}

"Well, there's always tomorrow. Besides, there are other trainers not far away, so the noises of our 'celebration' might alert them."

{...You're talking about sex, don't you?}

"Huh? Well, I…"

{Why is it always about sex with you?} Scarlet inquired.

"Wait, what?"

{I'm kind of disappointed in my little poochie. I thought better of you.} Luna jested.

"Oh, come on. Who can blame me for thinking that?"

For a few seconds, no one said a word.

{Hmpf. Pervert.} Aurora nagged playfully.

"Oh, fuck off."

{Haha. Relax, master. We were just messing with you.} The gardevoir assured him before briefly squeezing Max's nose.

"*sigh* I should have guessed."

{Poor master. The more tired he is, the less he gets jokes.} Bonny commented with a small smile, her elbows on the table.

{Hehe. Let's give him a break. He really put a lot of energy into those fights.} Sally mentioned.

"Hehe, yeah. But let's not forget about the real winners here, which brings me to the next point…" Max said before dropping the ticket in the middle of the table. "Congratulations to all of you. If we won, it's thanks to all of our combined efforts. I am so proud of you all." He concluded with a wide smile.

{Well, you don't have to make it a big thing, you know.} Bonny said, looking away in embarrassment, as well as everyone else.

"Sure, but I want to. I'm not the last one to bawl when someone gets on my nerves, but I'm the first one to praise and tell you how awesome you are and amazing you did. And that is the result of our labor. I just wanted to point that out."

{So you're basically just saying that we're the best.} Scarlet said. {Nothing new here.}

"No matter. I just think that it's worth being mentioned every now and then."

{Well, it's true that we all took a beating for that.} Bonny said before grabbing the ticket.

{Oh my god! I just can't wait to get there!} Sally exclaimed, getting really hyped.

{Me too!} May followed.

{We're gonna have so much fun!}

{You bet we will!} May said before both she and Sally high-fived.

{I wonder what kind of stuff there is in there exactly.} Aurora wondered.

"Ask, and you shall receive," Max said before getting on the tablet and getting inside the internet browser.

{Oh! Do you know how we should celebrate?} Dusk started. {With a little feast.}

{That's a nice idea.} Luna said.

{I second that.} Bonny approved.

Then, as Dusk went over to the kitchen to prepare the food with Scarlet's help, Max showed the rest of the girls what was inside Poke-Man Wonderland. All were astonished by how many things and activities there were in there, hyping them even more. A little while later, Dusk and Scarlet served the food in a record time, putting a vast array of various meals all over the table.

"I don't know what's more impressive; The amount of choices, or the time it took you to prepare all of that," Max commented, eyeing a well-cooked and prepared turkey.

{Even if I'm a psychic type, it's faster when someone helps.} Dusk mentioned while dropping the last few plates.

{Damn. I don't even know where I should begin.} Aurora said.

{How about the closest one?} Bonny suggested while pushing a plate of ribs toward her.

{Alright. Thanks.}

"So, let's dig at-"

*knock knock*

"Huh? Who could that be?" Max wondered, standing up from the table.

{I'm guessing it's that pretty Julia.} Bonny almost whispered.

{Plausible. She and Max seemed to have become rather… friendly.} Aurora replied the same way.

{*gasp* Could she be master's first real friend?} Sally said lowly. {That would be so nice.}

{Shh.} Aurora hushed before extending one ear, quickly followed by everyone else.

Now at the door, Max opened the door.

"Julia?" Max said, seeing the punk-styled girl outside his door.

"Sorry if I'm late, but…" Julia engaged before grabbing a box of thirty-two beer bottles of a brand he never heard of. "I figured that our champions deserve a little bit of celebration."

"Oh, wow. Thanks for the attention." Max replied, grabbing the box after Julia handed it to him. "The thing is, we were kind of already on our way to some celebration of our own."

"...Oh. I-"

"Care to join us?"

"J-Join you? I do not know… It's been a while since I partied." Julia said a bit hesitantly.

"Come on. Dusk and Scarlet made one hell of a feast, so I believe we'll need some help eating all of this. Same with this?" Max said, looking at the box he was holding.

"Oh, that's a brand that even pokémon can drink. But let me warn you; if you plan on taking one, remember that it's made so that strong and tough pokémon can get drunk on it. I'll let you imagine how fast a human gets drunk on that. If you can take three or four, you're a real mad lad." Julia explained.

"I see. So you planned to make my entire team drunk?"

"Well, more or less," Julia confirmed with shrugging shoulders.

"Haha. I don't dislike the idea. Come on in." Max said, heading towards the kitchen.

"O-okay."

Once in, the door closed behind Julia. With an unsure pace, she followed Max.

{Hey! It's Julia!} Sally exclaimed enthusiastically, with what the female trainer shyly waved at them.

["Glad that you could join us."] Dusk greeted.

"Y-Yeah."

"Don't be shy. Take a seat." Max instructed before dropping the box nearby. "We'll try that after dinner." He added before sitting next to Scarlet.

["You're pokémon aren't with you?"] Scarlet asked, getting awfully close to Max.

"Nah," Julia answered, sitting after Bonny and Aurora made some space for her. "They are with other pokémon, doing some 'bro' things."

"Ah, you were kind of ditched already."

"Yes and no. They told me, but I wasn't 'very' interested."

"What were your plans before I invited you?"

"I didn't have any, really. I would have probably spent the night with my other annoying friends."

["Your concept of 'friendship' seems a bit peculiar."] Dusk mentioned before giving her a plate.

"Well, when you're weird like me, you can't ask for miracles. You take what you can."

"Am I weird to you as well?"

"You have sex with your pokémon, so I wouldn't classify you as normal that much."

{PFFFHHAAAaaa!} Bonny burst into laughter, alongside Sally, with the rest laughing normally.

"...Fair enough," Max replied, unable to hide a tiny smile himself. "How did you find out though?"

Julia only stared at Max and Scarlet with a raised eyebrow, who were more glued together than a freshly made couple.

"We were that obvious?"

"In general, no. But you two kind of got very comfortable when I'm around, so…"

"I see. I blame you for that." Max scolded Scarlet playfully.

["I can't help it. It's hard to control yourself when you're with a pervert such as this one."] Scarlet said, hardly poking Max's cheek. ["If you knew how many lewd images he projects in my minds."]

"Don't believe her. She's a pretty little liar."

"Hehe." Julia giggled heartily. "Anyhow. Thanks for inviting me and letting me steal your food."

["Take as much as you want."] Dusk encouraged, taking place around the table as well.

Then, as she was picking stuff, Julia noticed that Luna was filling her plate while standing beside the table. She was about to ask why she wasn't sitting with everyone, but seeing very little space that was left on the table, she quickly guessed why.

"Do you want to exchange places?" Julia proposed to Luna. "I think I'm taking your seat."

{Don't mind that. Even without you, I almost never sit when everyone is there. Let's say that my generous trunk needs more space than most.} Luna explained, making some of the girls giggle.

A bit lost, she looked at Max, who quickly translated.

"Oh, I see. For a second, I thought I was one too many."

"Hm…" Max started with a bite in his mouth. "Don't worry. No one here is all stuck up. If they have a thing to say, they won't hold back."

"Alright. Kinda like it." Julia said before starting to grab stuff.

For a part of the evening, they all ate, talked, and shared some anecdotes, mostly Julia. Both Max and Julia shared some common things, but Julia seemed to be the bolder and more reckless one of the two. Unlike Max, she seemed to be the one looking for trouble when she was younger. Fortunately, it seems that life straightened her temperament a little.

"And then, I got behind Steven's back and pulled a knife on his throat. Needless to say that they revised themselves rather quickly."

"Damn. That's taking 'Not taking shit from anyone' to another level." Max commented after a chuckle.

"When you're a girl and two guys want to rip your clothes off, you have to take things up a notch a little."

"Well, I guess what matters is that you're okay."

["Respect, though. You reacted well."] Scarlet praised. ["The only difference is that I don't know if I would have let them go."]

"I was tempted, but unlike pokémon, we can't get away from laws as easily as them. We can't teleport or go invisible."

"Anyway…" Max said, wanting to change the subject quickly. "The food was divine. Good job, girls." He praised, looking at Dusk and Scarlet respectively.

{Well, not wanting to brag, but it was better than I expected.} Dusk shared.

{You can brag from time to time.} Scarlet told her while nudging her with one shoulder.

"Without 'bragging', I too would like to see you be proud of what you do a bit more. You're so talented in many things."

{Aww. Stop it. You're embarrassing me.} Dusk replied, hiding half of her face with very long ear hair.

"Well…" Julia said abruptly before standing up. "I think now is the time to…" She continued before grabbing the beer box and dropping it on the table. "Have a little bit of fun." She finished before opening the box.

"Well, I'm not usually that drinking type of guy, but I suppose once a year can't kill me."

"Just once a year? Kind of unexpected."

"Why? Do I look like a drunkard that much?"

"No, but more like someone who's partying from time to time."

"Sorry for not meeting your expectations."

"Hehe. I didn't mean any disrespect. Here." She said before serving him the first bottle.

Besides the transparency, the bottle looked like any other. However, the inside was what made Max slightly uneasy. The liquid seemed slightly thicker than any other beer and had a pinkish-purple coloration.

"Before you ask, no, it's not toxic for humans. As I said earlier, it just intoxicates you way faster than any other beer." Julia assured him while giving a bottle to everyone else. "So it's best to just sip on it if you don't want to puke all over your place after just one drink. Anyway, trust me, you won't be able to take a big gulp."

"Really? Let me be the judge of that myself." Max retorted before uncapping his bottle, seeing this as a challenge.

{Calm down, master. Maybe you should listen to her.} Scarlet advised.

"Come on, now. It's not because I don't drink often that I can't handle alcohol." Max boasted before taking a generous gulp.

Immediately, Max removed the bottle from his lips after quickly swallowing.

"Ghaa! Ngghh! Hhhag!"

While grimacing in every possible way, Max also made every possible sound he could make, feeling his entire being burning from the inside. He instantly regretted his decision.

"Fuck!... That hurts." Max complained, his mouth almost being sucked inside his throat.

"I told you. I don't know who you tried to impress, but that was an epic fail."

"Shit…"

["That's just how he is when he's the only male in a group of females. Can't help but show a little outburst of testosterone from time to time."] Scarlet explained, amused by Max's well-deserved pain.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Max retorted, still grimacing. "Whoa. I feel my head getting lighter already."

"Also told you," Julia said before taking a tiny sip of her bottle.

Then, everyone tried it.

{...Weird taste. It's not bad, but…} Bonny started.

"First time with alcohol?" Julia asked, seeing their rather neutral faces.

{Not really.} Aurora answered.

["Our first time was a little while ago."] Dusk said, referring to the Spencer's Party.

{There was a drink like that, but it was better.} May mentioned.

["But it's offered, so I won't complain."] Scarlet said.

"Sorry if I couldn't get something better. Stuff like this is rather expensive."

"Don't be. Despite speaking their minds, my girls are grateful pokémon. They don't mind the quality. They just appreciate the given gift."

"...Happy to hear. Well, get ready everyone, because it's party time!"

Raising her bottle, the girls and Max did the same and bumped their own bottles against each other, the official cue to start a celebration. Even though he was already a bit tipsy, Max was now taking tiny sips as well while the girls were taking bigger ones. Besides Sally, who had trouble with the taste, all more or less enjoyed the beverage.

While doing so, the evening was going on with the group getting intoxicated slowly but surely. The more they were, the more talkative and personal they were getting, laughing and sharing stuff more and more.

{And since that moment… I've never… ever come close to a Hypno ever again.} Aurora said, on her way to be on the 'drunk' side.

"Haha. Good riddance. Those are creepy mofos." Max approved, him being drunk.

"*sigh* I wish I could understand pokémon as well as you do." Julia shared before taking a sip in her second bottle, nearing the end. "Seems really dope."

Scarlet then dropped her bottle and sighed even louder.

["Do you want to at least understand this crazy bunch?"] She proposed, sounding oddly annoyed.

Due to being slightly drunk too, her telepathic voice was a little distorted, but nothing unpleasant to hear still.

"Well, I wish I could…"

["Then move your cute ass and come with me."] Scarlet commanded before standing up.

"Umm…"

Before she could ask why, the gardevoir grabbed Julia's arms and pulled her up.

"Oh, wow! What an honor! Haha!" Max commented enthusiastically, with Bonny and May cheering.

"But… I…" Julia managed to say before being dragged inside the bedroom.

["Go sit there."] Scarlet ordered after the door closed behind her.

"What… are you going to do?"

["Move over there and you'll find out."] Scarlet said with a tiny push.

"...Okay."

Not wanting to contest her demands, Julia obliged and went towards the bed, tilting slightly every now and then. Right behind her, Scarlet put her hands on Julia's head as soon as she sat on the bed.

["Close your eyes."]

Feeling her heart speeding up, Julia did as told and closed her eyes.

["Now relax. You will feel a bit of discomfort, but you'll have to deal with it."]

Soon enough, Scarlet initiated the knowledge transfer. Since she didn't transfer much, it took less than a minute.

{Done. You should be able to understand us, now.}

"Wow! You still speak in your poke-speech, but I can understand you. Like I thought, it's really dope!" Julia shared, amazed. "Crazy even."

{Great.} Scarlet said before turning to leave.

"Wait, wait!" The human interrupted, putting Scarlet to a halt. "Let me at least... t-thank you."

{Huh? Well, you just di-}

Without any warning, Julia got near Scarlet and pressed her lips against hers, stealing her a fierce kiss. Taken way too off-guard and a bit slower than usual, Scarlet let Julia kiss her for a few seconds before realizing it and pushed her away.

{The hell was that?!} She demanded, whipping her lips with her arms.

"Oh. Umm… s-sorry. It was stronger than me. I'm really sorry." Julia apologized, feeling guilty while taking one step back.

{Well, try to contain your impulsivity a little bit, will you?}

"Again, I'm very sorry. It's just that… powerful beings really turn me on, especially if they are females."

{I don't need justification.} Scarlet told her calmly. {I just want you to not do that again.}

Then, Julia felt even more guilty and looked away in shame. Scarlet was about to leave, but curiosity stung her. Also, she felt a bit bad about leaving like this.

{...Did you really just try to have your way with me? What did you expect?}

"I… don't know. I feel really bad for… those thoughts behind Max's back. I just… couldn't contain myself. I'm so stupid, or just drunkier than I thought." She said, getting upset. "I know how I am when drunk, and yet…"

{Not smart, indeed.}

"Yeah…"

For a short moment, no one spoke.

"So… now that we have started…"

{Seriously?} Scarlet inquired, almost annoyed.

"I'm sorry but… I'm so horny right now, and… You're just standing there… being all pretty and powerful…" The human explained while eyeing her.

{Oh no, you don't.} The gardevoir retorted, hiding as much as she could. {Not only is Master the only one allowed to touch me that way, but I'm not into females, alright.}

"...What if it's only me who does the touches?"

{You don't give up that easily, do you?}

"In my normal state, no, and it's even worse when I'm drunk."

Scarlet then looked at her for a short moment in silence.

{*sigh* You're a female with a strong personality that knows what she wants. I can respect that.}

"..."

After sighing again, Scarlet closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again.

{Alright.} She finally said before walking past Julia to sit on the bed with crossed arms and legs.

"Alright?" Julia repeated, looking at her interrogatively.

{As you may know, I have a rather curious nature, so if you give me one good reason to accept, then I'm willing to see what you can do.}

"What?! R-Really?" Julia exclaimed, not sure she heard well.

{Are you calling me a liar?}

"No, no! Of course not. But… Max?"

{He wouldn't mind, don't worry. I made sure of that. Not so strangely enough, with another male, he wouldn't accept, but with another female, he's okay with that.}

"Heh, lesbianism is always a guy's fantasy."

{Not really, but that's beside the point. I'm waiting.}

"Ah. Hem… so… one reason?" Julia asked, a bit nervous.

{Yes, but a good one.}

"Okay… umm…"

{Quick before I change my mind.}

"No, wait! Umm… hem… You… would please a friend?"

{...Nope. I don't dislike you, but I can't say we're friends yet. We haven't spent enough time with each other.}

"...Okay… umm…" Julia said, starting to panic a little. "You… do the right thing?"

{Seriously?} Scarlet inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Damn. I admit it was bad. Okay…"

Julia then went thinking for a moment until she got an idea.

"...You know, I don't doubt the expertise of Max, but you know what they say: 'No one knows a woman better than another woman.' I could do stuff that maybe he hasn't thought of yet."

{What are you implying?}

"Oh, nothing like that. Since I have my fair share of experience, maybe I could… you know… go places where you didn't think it was possible."

{My, my. You sure are a bit full of yourself when it comes to your sexual skills.}

"Well, I've been with women before but… I've never met someone like you. I always knew I had a thing for powerful women, but I didn't know it could reach the pokémon species. I guess that what I'm attracted to is power, not gender and species. The way you fight and crush your opponents is just…"

For a short moment, Scarlet just stared at her.

{...You're one strange human, Julia.} She commented.

"Yeah. I get that often."

{I like that. Maybe I misjudged you a little.}

"..."

{Alright.} Scarlet said, dropping her hands behind her. {Come and show me that expertise of yours.}

"For real?"

{As I said. Just remember that I'm not into females, so I won't do a thing.}

"I'm fine with that."

{I'm waiting, then.}

With a nervous smile and wide eyes, she walked closer to Scarlet until she was just a few inches away from her.

"Maybe… lay down?"

With a tiny smirk, Scarlet did as told and laid on her back. Gently, Julia moved on top of her.

"I guess we can start with kissing."

{Anywhere but on the lips. Those are reserved for Master.}

"Alright."

Slowly, Julia moved her face closer to Scarlet's head and began to softly kiss her head. Quickly, she realized the difference in skill between her and Max's kissing. She was talented and she liked it but was still below her master's level. She didn't stay there for very long before moving down. Maybe it was out of habit, but Julia instinctively looked for nipples.

{Pokemon don't have those, remember?}

"Hehe. Sorry."

After that, Julia kept kissing and licking Scarlet's chest, slowly moving towards her crest. Before she could go too close, Scarlet stopped her with a finger.

{Not the crest either.}

"Why?"

{Because it will be too easy for you. I prefer when others struggle with me.}

"*Chuckle* Max sure mustn't get bored with you."

{He doesn't, and neither do I with him.}

Smiling, Julia resumed where she left off, skipping her crest while getting lower and lower. As she was nearing her womanhood, Scarlet couldn't help but feel a little spark, triggering a little bit of excitation. Then, as she was just an inch away from her genitals, Julia skipped it and directly over one leg, kissing and licking the inside of it.

(Oh no! Not another teaser.) Scarlet thought.

Despite the deception, Scarlet knew that teasing by not going directly for the cherry was better in the long run, but painful at the beginning. The way she was tracing and pressing all over her legs was nearing Max's skills, making it quite enjoyable for Scarlet. After a brief delay, Scarlet's breathing began to speed a little, feeling her lust rising slowly. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Julia left the gardevoir's legs and pressed her hands against Scarlet's thigh, near her buttocks.

"Wow. So cute and pretty."

As Scarlet rolled her eyes, she felt the human's lips pressing her entrance, sending a tiny wave of pleasure through her body, making her bite her lips lightly. Julia gave a couple of kisses before doing some soft suctions, pulling a bit more blood towards her clitoris. Then, when Scarlet's pleasure button was nicely inflated, Julia gave her entire slit a nice and eager lick, lapping on the little amount of juice the gardevoir was secreting.

{S-Shit!} Scarlet expressed, grasping the sheet under her tightly.

"Damn. Didn't expect a gardevoir to taste that good. It must be your fairy-typing."

Immediately after, Julia began to assault Scarlet's pussy with expertise that took her off-guard, making her eyes go all wide. Instantly, she knew what she liked and wanted in a matter of seconds, which took Max weeks to find out.

{S-Shit…} Scarlet said before starting to moan lightly. {How… is it… possible…?}

While eating the gardevoir, Julia had one hand firmly grasping one thigh while the other was caressing and rubbing anything within reach. A moment later, when she guessed that Scarlet was wet enough, the human stopped her licking and stuck two fingers inside the gardevoir, making her moan in surprise. She fingered her for a little while before removing her fingers and putting them in her mouth, wanting a real good taste.

"...Salty and slightly bitter, but a nice and subtle sweet taste. I'm so jealous of Max right now that he can have that on a daily basis."

Not even waiting for a response, Julia resumed her fingering, but this time, she added some tongue play to the mix. With Scarlet's ever-increasing pleasure and lust, Julia was fingering and licking for a little until she couldn't take it anymore. She removed her juice-covered fingers from Scarlet and began fingering herself without cleaning her finger, making sure to mix her fluids with Scarlet's. Soon enough, it was Julia's turn to moan lightly, but hers was mostly muffled by the gardevoir's womanhood. Julia was so turned on and excited it didn't take very long before she reached her first orgasm. When it hit her, she stopped licking Scarlet and pressed her head against the gardevoir's pelvis, lightly pushing against it as she was having a powerful-looking orgasm. Not only that, but it lasted for almost twenty seconds until Julia gradually relaxed and stopped any movement, panting a little.

"Oh god…" Julia said, now all limp on the bed between Scarlet's legs. "I can't remember that last time… I had an orgasm… this strong."

{You seemed to have enjoyed it quite a lot.}

"Heh. It's almost an understatement. I can't thank you enough for giving me that opportunity."

{I was curious about what you could do, so all the thanks go to my curious side.}

"No matter. Thanks anyway. Let me just… catch my breath a little… and I can continue."

{You want to keep going?}

"I'm not satisfied with just that. Also, I won't have that chance anytime soon, so I'm gonna enjoy it as much as I can. And finally, I have yet to make you come as well at least once."

{Are you sure? I don't know how long it could take. Besides Max, no one really made me orgasm.}

"I'm willing to try."

{...Alright. Again, you managed to get my interest. I'm curious about how long it can take you to make me orgasm.}

"I'll try as long as necessary."

{Unfortunately, it won't do. Not that I don't enjoy it, but it's Master who I want to spend the evening with, so you have, let's say, half an hour to make me come.}

"Half an hour? It shouldn't be too hard. I rarely went with girls that took longer than that."

{Uh huh. Well, not wanting to rush you, but the clock is already ticking.}

"O-Okay."

Getting on all fours again, Julia immediately resumed her work on Scarlet.

(Oh god! Max has nothing to envy from her, but damn she's good.) Scarlet thought, starting to lose control of her eyes.

For half an hour, Scarlet tried her best to not orgasm too quickly. Since it wasn't the one she was madly in love with, it was rather easy as the excitement wasn't the same. However, Julia did a nice and steady job and wanted to reward both of them by letting herself go at the thirtieth minute. It was a weak and barely satisfying orgasm but felt good nonetheless.

"Got you," Julia said with a proud smile.

{*pant* Congrats.} Scarlet praised.

"So? How was it?"

With Scarlet sitting up, Julia moved out of the way.

{Well…} The gardevoir started, wanting to create a bit of suspense. {...You're not on Max's level but you surprised me.}

"Well, I never claimed to be the best in the world." The human said with a smile.

{You exceeded my expectations, which were quite low, to be honest. I guess you weren't half wrong when you said girls know girls better.}

"Haha. Such strong honesty." Julia replied, a bit amused.

{But still. I don't regret the experience, so it's an accomplishment on its own.} Scarlet said standing up to leave with a naughty smile hidden on her face.

"Hehe. At least I got the minimum. So... I-I know this sounds awkward, considering that we just did, but do you want to have another beer with me? Or maybe hanging out together any other day?"

{Look, you're just a girl who my master likes as a friend. But I don't dislike you. On the contrary, you earned a few trust points with me after all the support you gave to Master... And our "experience" was kind of nice... so I might think about it in the future.}

"That's-"

{However... Just promise me that you will always stay away from Master, I mean... EVER... and we could remove the "not being friends" part between us… Otherwise, if you ever look or touch Master in a different way...} Scarlet said in a somehow threatening way. {You won't be welcome around us anymore.}

(I have faith in Master, but… They are both humans… Better be careful with her around.) Scarlet thought after warning Julia.

"Y-Yeah. It never really crossed my mind, actually." The human said, feeling a bit intimidated.

{Glad to hear. Anyway, feel free to join us as soon as you pull your panties up.}

Before Scarlet could leave, Julia noticed that she somehow, without her knowing, pulled her own underwear down around her knees. As soon as she heard the door, the human quickly got up and rapidly pulled her panties up.

"Damn. How lewd that was." She mumbled before leaving the room as well.