She knows...

"AHHHHHHHH!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

Several pokémon look up from what they're doing as two feminine screams echo through the forest. One of joy and exhilaration and the other encompasses absolute terror and fear.

As I somersault with a twist through the air, tossing Courtney through some branches, and effortlessly catching her and stabilizing us, I pull her closer towards my actual body.

"What's wrong, Courtney?" I sputtered through several laughs. "I thought you said you would be fine with high speeds?"

She shoots me the nth betrayed look of the last…15 minutes. I stopped counting past 10 looks. "I'm fine with high speeds!" She shouts over the rushing winds. "I'm not fine with being tossed around like a doll!"

"Okay." I shrug my shoulders. She yelps as she suddenly plummets towards the ground, only stopping a couple of inches above the dirt floor. However, she relaxes when she sees that I'm keeping her level, despite the computation inefficiency in such an action.

Ignoring the middle finger she sends me, I pick up the pace, really putting the actuators to the test through this gym of a jungle. There's still the other end of the limit I have to test—fragility. If I were to accidentally eviscerate several trees, the Rangers would be all over me.

I feel her actively tug on the arm, so I pull her back up to me. She looks resigned. "Do we even have to go this fast?" She's begging now, huh?

I shrug my shoulders. "Probably not. The gym leader is wandering the forest, looking for 100 challenges, and it's not like we can force her to just abandon that and battle me officially. Unfortunately, the world doesn't revolve around us, and we can't force it to move forward."

She crosses her arms, accentuating her bust, and pouts. "I wish we could. We wouldn't have to do this and could just make up time elsewhere."

I shoot her an inquisitive glance. "You mean like an amortized analysis of a pokémon journey?"

"…Something like that." Hearing her voice take on a strange tone, I check her, seeing her almost gag.

"Hey!" I indignantly shout. "If you throw up on me, you're cleaning me! Personally!"

———————————————————————————————————————

If it weren't for the smell, I'd be overjoyed right now. As it turns out, Courtney was never one for gymnastics due to having an easily upset stomach. So, I had to walk into the city covered in the remains of her lunch.

Did I learn a lesson from this? Yes. It's check if a person is prone to being motion-sick before you toss them like a Substitute doll. Will I do this again? Absolutely.

Anyway, Courtney did stick to her deal, so now we're inside the bathroom to the room we're sharing at an inn, and we're both naked, and she's cleaning me. It got over most of my back, so I'm sitting down while she scrubs my back in this deluxe bathroom that Courtney paid extra for. Apparently, it's a mixed design of a typical Kalosion and Kantonian bathroom. So, there's a shower area for washing with buckets, a tub large enough for two, and another standing shower with frosted glass.

I, most assuredly, am grabbing as many mental images as possible of Courtney. I'm not sure if Serena informed her of my tastes in partners…because she's doing this. I don't know what her reaction would be, treating me like a guy that sneaks into a women's bathroom, under a disguise or some excuse, just for sexual fulfillment.

Though…I am kind of doing that now, aren't I?

Okay. To respect her privacy, I won't do that…anymore. And…I'll tell her, either when we leave the bathroom or tomorrow at the latest.

"Did I get everything?" Courtney asks, dutifully fulfilling her promise. She…hasn't, but I can do my chest myself. I think I'm going to lose it if she…accidently brushes against my back again.

"I-I think so…" I stutter out, feeling a warmth deep within me that I'm desperate to extinguish. Looking back, she tilts her head.

"Mmm, no. It looks like I missed a spot." Before giving me a chance to respond, she presses her generous chest against my back, reaching under my arms to scrub my chest with the soapy loofa. The rough material grazes my nipples gently as she stares into my eyes. I…I can't look away. She's so…close!

I feel her other hand grasp my right breast and give it a gentle squeeze. I stifle an involuntary moan as her face grows closer. Her lips…they're so thin…and look soft. They're…smirking?

As she scrubs my left breast, her thumb flicks my nipple. Then…she stops, hugging me tightly. Leaning over, she whispers in my ear, "You think I didn't notice?"

Just like that, cold washes over me, the heat within immediately extinguished. She…saw me looking? "You…what?"

"I saw the way you looked at me when we first met…and the way you looked at Serena," she says, lips almost grazing my ear. "She asked for my help on relationship issues. It looks like she's trying to choose between you and that Ash boy."

She pulls back, releasing the hug. She moves around, now in front of me, everything in full view. Kneeling down, she grabs my chin and leans in close. "She also told me that you're having feelings for other girls, too. Personally, if I had to chose between you and that Ash boy, I would choose you." She smirks again. "I like a person with a mind."

Then she pulls back for what I think is the final time. "However, if you expect anything more of me, including this seed of a notion of a female-only relationship with multiple members, either as equals or with you as the head, you need to grow a little…in an emotional way. I need you to become a little more assertive."

With that, she walks into the shower, starting the water and filling the bathroom with more steam.

I… My mind needs to process all of…this. She wants me more assertive? She's fine with being in a multi-person relationship? That means…she wants me to take the lead in pursuing her? But, what about Serena? But…

Augh. I think I need to finish here and go to bed. My head can't take any more…

She's promoting a harem…right…?