"Almost there, girl, keep it up!" I didn't think she could hear me over the sound of her wings, much less the wind, but a quick double tap on her right shoulder indicated the message "good flying," just as one tap would have meant to turn to the right or a tap on her left shoulder to fly left.

She was showing gradual signs of fatigue, her altitude having dropped roughly one or two degrees, according to the Pokenav's flight computer option, and her wings were humming a little louder than normal. While strong, I kept Celia as a reserve for most battles, as she didn't have the endurance Trent or Katherine would have. Flights like this would help her build it up, but even then I made sure it was a gradual process. I didn't want my Flygon to strain her wings or tear a muscle from continued stress, after all.

Celia gave an enthused but tired cry that rode back to me along the wind. Glancing at my Pokenav's map, then up ahead, I could make out the vague shape of buildings towering over the trees. As we got closer, the town of Slateport, came into view. The bustling, chromatic stalls and tents with trainer and non-trainers shopping for imported goods, the colorful array of umbrellas and beach towels littering the sands at the southern end; it seemed like a rather indulgent sort of town.

"The port where people and Pokemon cross paths..." Yeah, I was going to like it here.

"Good job, Celia! Just a little more." Another two taps over her right shoulder followed by pressing an open palm against her neck, signaling her to land when she could. A sharp nod of her head indicated her understanding before a hard flap of her wings had her up higher again, the idea of stopping soon invigorating her during these last steps.

Rather than landing in the town itself or, more specifically, the PokeCenter (which was often crowded with people flying in or out of the area), I directed Celia near the town's large lighthouse. Starting with a wide circle and curling inward, as if tracing the spiral of a Poliwhirl's belly, Celia corkscrewed down the beacon tower until she paused, hovering midair about eighteen feet off the ground. An accidental landing amongst a bed of Glooms had since provided enough wisdom to pause and look before landing, even if the area looked clear. Spotting nothing but ground, she dropped the remaining few feet and landed, her tail giving a pleased thump against the grass as her wings slowed to a stop. Keeping them stretched, she turned to look at me, blinking once and making a soft inquiry in the back of her throat.

Leaning forward to pat her head, I smiled. "Great job, girl."

As she leaned into the touch, I used my free hand to dig out a green Pokeblock. While I thought they were as tasty as a bitter Pomeg and a handful of unsweetened chocolate, Celia seemed to love the grimace inducing things. Her eyes instantly widened as her nose drew in the scent, she opened her mouth to allow me to toss it in, clicking happily to herself as she chewed on the treat and allowed me to slide off.

Brushing myself off, I withdrew her custom designed Pokeball, created for her as a celebratory memento of her evolution from Vibrava to Flygon. The top half was the color of newborn leaves, a soft green that was almost translucent. An orange line divided the top from the crimson bottom, designed to look like her eye-shields. She had been so thrilled to get it, going so far as to take it from my belt at night and curl around it, guarding it like a Dragonair guarding a hoard of pearls. Even now, there were times I'd wake up and find it missing...

"I think you've earned a rest, Celia," I said, trying to hold back a chuckle. With a tired bob of her head and an eager coo, she returned as a red beam to her ball, likely to sleep for the next few hours.

Stiffening my shoulders, tilting just enough to crack my spine, I massaged the lower muscles of my back and frowned, glancing at the sky. Tiny wisps of clouds, like trails of Spinarak webbing, decorated patches of the sky, the sun spreading its warmth eagerly and in abundance. This was turning out to be a perfect day. Once I found May, maybe we could go for a swim or something.

I mean, even a Master needed a break.

As I stepped down from the lighthouse platform onto the golden sands of Slateport's beautiful beach, I remembered I had promised Katherine I'd let her out of her pokeball. Breaking such a promise would lead to who knows what kind of Absol induced revenge; If she stole my underwear just for show and tell, what kind of trouble would she'd set upon me with malicious intent behind her actions?

Holding back from giving a shudder, not wanting to imagine the possibilities (knowing full well they'd fall short of whatever scheme she did come up with), I hit the release button on my belt. Her ball fell into my open palm, the weight of the ball one I could recognize instantly against the other five, though it was no different in terms of size or shape.

Pressing the small button, it expanded to fill my entire hand, the design suddenly becoming more prominent. The top half was a white pearl color, the bottom a black opal, each having a dot of the opposite color adorning the poles of each hemisphere. The button I'd pressed was the same color as the jewel on Kat's head, a blue so dark it looked like the sky before a storm. This had been a welcoming gift to her, one given to her shortly after her forced capture, but she hadn't started to appreciate it till recently...

Though mainly she used it as a taunt against the other Pokemon she fought.

Releasing two almost indistinguishable clamps on either side of the ball to unlock the lid popped open without my prompting, making me almost drop the orb on the ground as a customized black and white beam shot out and formed the shape of my Absol within. Katherine materialized seconds later, stretching her right front leg and her back left leg at the same time, opening her mouth in a wide yawn.

"'Bout time," she huffed, moving to stretch the other two. "I was getting cramped."

"You can't get cramped inside a pokeball, Kat," I corrected her, closing my eyes for a moment before minimizing her ball and putting it back on my belt. One small battle at a time... eventually I'd get her to stop popping out on her whim and wait to be called.

Her nose wrinkled even as her lip curled. "Have you ever been inside one of those?" She gave a toss of her horn. "Maybe I should roll you into a ball and drag you around everywhere!"

"Kat, they're designed to-"

"AH! Sand!" She flicked her right forepaw, not even bothering to pay attention to me. "I hate sand!" Her eyes darted over to me, narrowing into thin red lines. "Why did you let me out here?!"

"You told me to let you out as soon as I got here," I patiently explained.

"Well, why did you land on sand?" she hissed, flicking her other paw. I decided not to point out the futility of her actions, since she'd just be stepping back in the sand again, and just decided to answer her.

"PokeCenters get too crowded to land at. If you want," I offered, slipping a little iron into my voice and curling my lips to a smile. "You can go back into your ball until I get there."

Pointing back to her ball to emphasize my point, she merely whined and gave me at pathetic look as she shook her paw again.

"Couldn't you just... carry me?"

Her hopeful tone made me laugh. "You have four perfectly working legs, Kat. You can use them."

She gave one last whine as I started walking, knowing better than to stand there and argue. She'd either keep arguing with me with hopes of wearing me down or try another complaint to get me to give in to her whims. It was better just to go ahead with my decisions and listen to her grumbling behind me.

At least that way, I got things done.

As we began our trek along the sandy beach, the waves lapping quietly against the shore, I started to notice some of the... finer points of the beach. Like the volleyball pit, where women in various colors of bikinis were playing an invigorating game, one where the ball wasn't the only thing to bounce around. Or towels spread in their welcoming array, with women on top of them, bikini tops undone with the curve of their breast pressed flush against the ground. Perhaps better still were the ones in the water, the sea clinging to their curves and making it so that the swimsuits might as well have been wet paper on their forms.

Kat's voice startled me, not realizing I'd slowed to admire the view.

"I don't see what you human males find so wondrous about breasts." She stared blatantly at a woman who was very... blessed in that category. "They look like burden to me," she finally stated, snorting and lifting her head up as if trying to look down at all the women on the beach. Given her height, she failed... but the impression of the gesture stuck. "Just look at those females jump!" she continued, scorn lining her voice. "If I had those big ol' udders on me, I'd never be able to fight right! There's no way that can be comfortable, much less practical!"

"You're not supposed to be talking in front of others, Kat," I reminded her, though I tuned out most of her arguments. That sort of talk was heresy in my book. However, I did admit to finding a bit of humor in her words, as if she was seeking evidence against human females, trying to convert me away from my own species.

Finding the idea funny, I patted her head. The look she shot me showed she didn't appreciate it, finding it condescending like a child being humored... which wasn't far off the mark. Yet, she didn't comment further and actually managed to hold her tongue, a rare occurrence, though she did shoot me dark looks from time to time if my pace lagged.

We made it to what appeared to be a marketplace of sorts, small booths set up with food and drinks, as well as some with seashells, cedar boxes, and carved driftwood. I saw a few stalls selling plush dolls, including a Treecko one that filled me with a potent wave of nostalgia. It didn't take long to spot May amidst the crowd, standing in front of one of the more colorful stands. A canopy decorated the top of it, striped with varying blue and white dyes, and the table itself was covered in a woven tapestry of colors. Apparently, the more colors you had, the more successful you were. Little aqua bottles lined the top of it, May holding one in her hands and frowning at it intensely as the women at the booth watched her with a smile.

"We use Calcium in it to help strengthen the shell, boosting not only the Pokemon's overall defense against special attacks but also increasing their skills in using special attacks." I heard the young saleswoman say, her voice just barely rising over the sea of white noise from the crowd as she folded her hands in front of her white, pocketed apron, no doubt trying to seem as inviting as possible. "Rubbing it on their skin will also keep it from growing dry in the sun, though that's only a temporary benefit. It also leaves a nice shine, helpful for showing off at contests."

"I don't know," May set the bottle back down, shaking her head in a way that made her tiny, Voltorb-colored bikini top seem about to Self-Destruct on its own. The lower half of her body swayed with the motion, slightly obscured by a translucent pink skirt. "$99,000 is a little too outside my price range, I think."

The vendor gave a shrug and a small smile, her curly brown hair tussling a bit with an errant breeze as she heard no doubt the hundredth "no" today. Then again, if she sells just one of those bottles, she could close shop for the day with more profit than any of these novelty stores. "You know where to find us if you change your mind."

As she turned to leave the shop, she noticed me and her eyes went wide. I too felt my heart do a little trembling motion, excited for not having seen my friend in so long. That and it was the killer look her body had. You would have never guessed she was a scientist's daughter, wearing that little bikini with the bottom barely covered by a red sash of a skirt. The only things separating her from most of the beach beauties around here were the Pokenav strapped to the edge of the sash and the duffel bag thrown over her shoulder, her Pokedex just barely peeking out of the front pocket.

"Hey, May. It's been a while."

The squeal she gave was almost enough to shatter glass, a faint whine from Kat matching my wince as she very quickly made her way over and threw her arms around me, hugging me in a way pressed her breasts tight against my chest. As I moved a hand around her waist and tugged her closer to me, I listened to her excited chatter.

"Oh, my god! Zack! It's so good to see you!" She gave another squeeze, grinning up at me. I could tell she'd been in town a while from her tan, or else she'd just been outside in the sun a lot. "It's been ages since we spoke face to face!" She pulled away, still smiling. "How have you been? How's the team?"

I was moderately disappointed when she released me from her vice-like embrace, and for more reasons than just the obvious. While she wasn't strong, she was affectionate enough to crush a boulder with love...

Something I appreciated.

"I've been fine," I answered, giving a casual wave as we moved away from the booth with the blue bottles. "Training for the Master's tournament has been going as smoothly as I hoped."

May laughed. "You're probably the only one who could say that, Zack!"

Chuckling with her, I spotted Katherine out of the corner of my eye. Her lips were pinched so tight it was neither a smile nor a frown, her eyes focused solely on May, as if she was sizing her up as her next opponent in battle. Making a note to be mindful of my Absol's behavior around her, I turned most of my attention back to May.

May was oblivious to her potential usurper. "Seems like you've grown up a little," she teased, reaching to brush a stray strand of hair away from my face before frowning and tugging on it instead. "You still have a boy's haircut," she said, giving one short laugh that sounded like a wheeze of air. "It wouldn't hurt you to get it cut, maybe even go so far as to brush it once in a while?"

Kat's growl vibrated along my bones, though May gave no sign of hearing it. A quick glance and a narrowing of my eyes at Katherine made her growls quiet, her head turning to the side in displeasure.

Hoping to keep the peace, I reached for May's wrist and gave a gentle squeeze before pulling her had away, watching the strand fall back into its preordained state of chaos. I liked my hair, shoulder-length, burnt orange, disheveled, almost appearing as if spiked downward like a lazy fire adorning my scalp. Yeah, it might have been the same cut I had as a kid... but it suited me.

Seeing that May was staring at me, a puzzled frown on her face, I realized I hadn't answered. "No, thanks, May. I like my hair the way it is." I softened my words with a smile, the way silk softens steel.

Kat gave a short, sharp nod before lifting her head and glaring at May, supporting my decision by taking it way more seriously than she needed.

Finally noticing the red eyes on her, though not the clear disapproval, May turned and gasped. "Oh! Is this your Absol?" She was already reaching a hand to pet Kat before I could advise her not to, a firm frown at Kat relaying what I expected.

A shift of her eyes away from mine, not quite a roll but the message the same, and Kat allowed May to ruffle her head fur, keeping as stiff as a stone guardian at a shrine, her muscles tensed as if to strike the moment May let her guard down.

Or, rather, I let my guard down. If May hadn't noticed the deadly vibes coming from my Absol by now, odds were she wasn't going to. At least not until it was too late.

Continuing to weave our way through the market, commenting here and there of some of the wares, we kept the conversation mostly simple. She told me a little of how her cataloging for the Pokedex was going, I told her how some of my recent battles had gone. My attention wavered throughout most of it, though, partially keeping an eye on Kat while my prime focus was the way May was filling out in her late teens.

I found it ironic that, with as much teasing as she'd give me, she still had the same familiar brown "wings" sticking out of her head with her red bandana between them. Thinking over the time we were together, comparing her current features now to those of memory, her breasts seemed about the same size as I left them, a perfect C handful, with her rump filling out nicely against the skirt. Her waist was trimmer, probably from so much biking and walking, and just as my mind started to envision what other changes her body might have gone through, I was interrupted by a rather rude Pinap berry hitting me smack in the forehead. Rubbing the spot and swearing sharply, I frowned at May, another one in her hand as she tossed it in the air and caught it, a rather displeased look on her face. I'd been caught, it seems.

"Jeez, Zack, I see you still have other bad traits from your youth." She puffed her cheeks out, as she was fond of doing, while Katherine barred her teeth at her. The Absol clearly wasn't fond of her trainer being attacked by someone she already had great dislike for. Ugh, I really hope I don't end up picking bits of May out of Katherine's claws later.

Placing a hand on my irate female's head, I could feel the tension running along her muscles like a Tauros before stampeding. The skin was taught, and her ivory fur was fluffed up a little bit more than usual. Even her bladed tail, though dulled at the moment, glimmered with the desire to cut into some human. Stroking her head as I spoke, I replied back calmly with a light humor in my voice, making sure to squeeze Katherine's scruff if I started feeling the breeze of her Razor Wind attack building up.

"You say that like I'm forty-something," I shrugged, my muscles a bit tense to deflect the next Fling attack. "Besides..." I leaned a little closer to her and gave a blatant glance down at her breasts, going so far as to point down her cleavage. "If you didn't want guys to look, you shouldn't be showcasing your wares."

Her face turned as red as I knew it would, causing my Absol to muffle her chuckling into my thigh. Danger managed, I scratched behind my ear

"I... that..." She shook her head, trying to gather the words together. They came out in a flustered rush. "Everyone else... Hey! You're supposed to act older than you are, especially if you're shooting for the rank of Champion!" She pointed an accusing finger at me, made less intimidating by the fact that her face was still the same shade of red as her struggling bikini top. "What will the other regions think if we're represented by a perverted child?! Red was ten years old when he took the title in Kanto years ago, and he barely ever said a word!"

Bah, she got me. But I wasn't about to apologize for being me. Not yet. I didn't exactly have PR to worry about at the moment anyway, and dammit I was not sorry for letting my eyes feast upon the rampant amounts of female flesh available at this beachside buffet.

But I did change the subject. "So, what had you mentioned before, about you entering into Pokemon contests?"

As easily as a Meowth distracted by a shiny coin, May pounced on the new topic. "Oh! Right! That's the whole reason I called you down here!" Her arms crossed just under her breasts as she considered what she was going to say, the blush slowly leaving her face. The presence of her arms pushed them up ever so slightly so that the fabric peeled away from the edge of her breasts near her valley... but I shifted my attention to her face after a quick glance, not looking forward to being hit by another berry.

"I'm entering the Mauville city Pokemon contest. I was actually looking for some more berries to make more pokeblocks when you arrived." I decided to hold the retort that if she stopped throwing them at people, she'd probably have a lot more berries. "Manic is going to clean house with the combinations I came up with!"

I made a small noise of interest while I ran though the Pokemon I remembered her having. The only three that I knew she kept on her at all times were: Torrence, her Swampert, Eden, her Tropius, and Manic, her Manectric.

"Sounds fun," I replied, though I cocked my head at imagining her going through the second half of the usual Pokemon contest: "Are you ready for the battling part too?"

She gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of her head for a brief moment. "That's... another reason why I asked you to come. I need some training if I'm going to win. I was hoping you could have a battle with me and Manic, to help us get in shape."

My team hadn't had a good challenge in a few days, the last one being the swimmer girl who was really only difficult because she and her tits were great at distracting me. May wasn't particularly tough, but she was smart. I had come to her for pointers when I started out, learning how different environments and conditions could react with a Pokemon's abilities, for example, how the energy given off by Sunny Day's faux sun could act as a concentrated energy boost for Pokemon charging up Solar Beams. Some of them sound pretty obvious, but a lot of trainers lacked that sort of knowledge that could make a difference between a win and a loss. Besides, May could twist that information into ways that most trainers and even some professors would be shocked at.

"Alright, name the time and the place."

"How about now?" She gave a grin. "I'll meet you on the beach in about ten minutes, don't be late!" Giving a wink and a giggle, she backed up and waved before turning and walking away, presumably to find more berries.

A little surprised she was eager to fight so soon, I heard Kat laugh as May got out of earshot.

"She can't be serious..." she muttered, her face turned in a way most passersby wouldn't associate her voice with her lips moving. "I can crush anything she throws at us."

A little warning light clicked on in my head just then, that letting Katherine battle this time might not be the best idea. Having a passion to fight was one thing. Wanting to completely annihilate another living being was a bit different.

"Actually, Kat," I said, turning us around to head back the way we'd came. "I think it's time we give the others a turn. You've been sweeping the competition left and right for a while now; I think the others are starting to feel left out."

She frowned and looked at me, her head cocked in a way that made it clear she'd measured my words and found them lacking in truth. "You're just saying that because you know I'll destroy her."

"Yes," I admitted blatantly. "Yes, I am."

She had an odd moment where she looked both pleased and put off at the same time before finally giving a full body shake, her white fur ruffling loudly.

"Fine," she said, finishing the shake with a quick wag of her tail, slicing it like a blade through the air. "Delay the inevitable." She curled her lip, eyes narrowing as she eyed her ball. "But just because you're not using me in battle doesn't mean I'm going back into that little round prison you call "ethical treatment!""

"You'd rather sit on the sand?" I countered.

"I have a better idea."

The grin on her face was one that I've come to associate with bad things happening, most of which are her fault to begin with. I think her species' disaster sensing abilities are rubbing off on me...

It's either that, or I know her too damn well.

***

Ten minutes later and I found myself inside the small, casual battle ring that May had chosen. The sun was high in the blue sky overhead, a little after noon, if the rays striking my naked back were correct. My shirt? Katherine had claimed it as a pseudo beach towel, positioning it under an umbrella for shade. She toyed with a can of lemonade between her paws, a pair of sunglasses all but invisible against her natural black fur. Her tail gave small sways as she took a sip, licking the sweet and sour concoction off her lips.

...I know I'd given her the shirt but I'll be damned if I know where the rest of it came from.

The ring itself was still placed in the sands of the beach, orange cones marking its borders from the spectators that had arrived to watch. It was only a few at the moment, some simply shoppers from the stalls passing by and deciding to stick around and watch while others were beachgoers migrating their towels to get a better vantage point of the spectacle. Nearly all of them were half naked, and over half of them were female, so I was more than motivated to show off. Some of them even had small Pokemon sitting on their laps, one with a Meowth that seemed far too busy napping to enjoy any sort of show, and a couple others had larger Pokemon sitting beside them, one being a Mightyena who started digging himself a cooler hole in the sand to lie in.

Turning my attention back to field, hoping angry owners didn't come during the match to claim their things from my Absol, I shot a quick glance at the judge. The male proceeding over the match was certified to host league battles, but rather than counting the match for points or money he had agreed to rule this as a practice match at our combined request. We still had to pay to use the field, but that was mostly because neither of us wanted to walk for thirty minutes to an hour to practice on the nearby routes, and public places like this have a lot of things to worry about, such as an errant Sandstorm from an inexperienced trainer wreaking havoc. Positioned in a lifeguard stand, towering over the field, he had the best vantage point for the battle, his buzz-cut black hair and sunglasses looking down on us from his white plastic throne.

"Are the two combatants ready?"

At his words, I nodded, palming my belt to release a cream colored pokeball from its hold, the sunlight reflecting small specks of blue along its surface.

"I'm ready!"

May seemed to be abnormally confident, considering she had maybe won against me two or three times if I were to give a generous estimate, but I had other things to focus on at the moment.

"This will be a one on one battle," the judge in orange swim trunks announced, having picked up his megaphone so that the people gathering along the edges of the field could hear. "Once chosen, the selected Pokemon may not be changed out!" I shot a quick glance to confirm my Absol was still on her "blanket" and not suddenly making her way on the field. She just looked at me with a mock innocence and sipped her lemonade before I focused on listening to the judge again. "When that Pokemon is unable to battle then the trainer with the active Pokemon will be declared the winner."

As silence followed his announcement, with no objection from either of us, the judge gave a quick bob of his head.

"Please stand by! I will now be erecting the battle protection field!"

A shimmer ran along the air, separating me and May from the rest of the spectators, some watching and cooing with awe at the shimmering display. It flashed in a pattern of rainbow colors before becoming translucent. The judge's Mr. Mime, currently pantomiming a wall, would be enforcing the shielding during the battle to keep anyone nearby from being hit by an errant attack. A few of the spectators that had gathered tapped on the screen just to watch it ripple, but were quickly stopped by a single look from behind the judge's commanding sunglasses.

"The field has been erected," the judge finally announced, once Mr. Mime had given an enthused head nod. "Will the trainers please call out the Pokemon they'll be using?"

Flinging my chosen pokeball into the center of the ring, I felt my body growing taunt and ready to fight. My heart seemed to switch on, and I felt my veins buzzing for that familiar rush. Even though this fight wasn't going to be as serious as most others I've done, there's always that mindset one slips into right before they do something they feel like they were born to do.

"Let's go, Fara!"

The ball clicked open and, in an explosive red light surrounded by popping, blue sparks, a customized effect to go along with her ball, Fara appeared. The Ninetales opened her mouth to let out a haunting howl, one like you'd hear on a late autumn night, as her tails fanned out, sending a shower of tiny blue flames around her. As her tails swayed, bells around each chimed, creating a soothing tone to belie the ferocity of my fox's fighting spirit.

"Ah! Is that a Ninetales?!" May's hands clapped together and I could already see the knowledge in her head rifling and flipping open like a huge book. "I've never seen one so close before!"

As she pulled out her father's Pokedex, the judge stared in her direction. After a moment or two, as if trying to deem whether she was serious or not, the judge pulled out his megaphone again.

"WILL THE CHALLENGER PLEASE BRING FORTH HER POKEMON?"

May gave a small jump causing the audience and, if I'm not mistaken, a certain Absol, to laugh. May sighed and put the Pokedex away.

"Oh, right..." She ran her hand along her belt, touching each pokeball before stopping on the third. "I did make the challenge and all..." Pulling it from her belt, she threw the ball into the arena. "Manic! Let's show them what you can do!"

When the ball cracked open, the standard white light materialized into a Manectric wearing a black collar around its neck, a dog bone shaped magnet scribed with his name hanging by a small chain. With a shake of his head, the static that hovered around the tip of his yellow mane suddenly sparked outward, the pressure lingering along his fur causing the air above it to swirl almost like a building storm cloud.

From behind me, I heard Katherine shout something in Poketongue, Fara's ears flicking back before her head turned just slightly to look behind her. Her answer to Katherine wasn't shouted but still carried, causing Kat to laugh and say something else. Whatever she said made Fara's eyes darken and her lips curl into a smile that made me pity Manic, the Manectric flinching as Fara turned her attention towards him.

I guess Kat must have said something along the lines of "Tear his balls off," or something...

"Begin!" the judge suddenly shouted.

My brief lapse in attention caused me to lose the first move.
"Thunder Wave, Manic!"

The thunder wolf's previous apprehensive vanished, his shoulder fur bristling as he gave a howl, a barely visible array of paralyzing electromagnetic energy rippling along the air like sound waves. It was like he had thrown off that swirling aura of electricity and flung it towards my Fara!

My reflexes allowed me to recover before the attack hit, shouting my first command to her just in time.

"Safeguard!"

Her second and fifth tail swayed in unison, the bells chiming harshly. A dim blue veil of mist swept in front of her as if stroked by an invisible brush, canceling the electric energy.

"Return fire! Flamethrower!"

All nine of her tails moved as one, rippling once than going ramrod as flames roared free from her mouth, blazing a path through the sand on there way towards Manic.

"Quick Attack!" Shouted May hastily. "Then encircle her!"

He dodged a moment later than he should have, the scent of burnt hair wafting by, but I think that was more from the close proximity to her flames than a direct hit. May, however, wasn't so lucky. Thankfully, the small barrier around her, the twin to the one that was erected around me (courtesy of Mr. Mime), shimmered with the same rainbow colors as the larger barrier before going translucent again once the blast faded. That, however, didn't stop May from almost falling over.

Ignoring the familiar manic laughter coming from behind me, thankfully masked by a few chuckling spectators, I focused again on the match to find Manic circling Fara with an amazing quickness, making it hard to lead the Flamethrower to where he was going to be.

"Spread your attacks, Fara!"

Shooting out small blasts of less powerful Flamethrowers, more interested in stopping him rather than knocking him out, Fara kept her ground, spinning quickly to try and keep up with Manic. The crimson flames either cancelled out the after images or, when she found him, just served in making him run a second quicker to avoid a full on hit.

Glancing at May to see what she thought, I found her smiling.

A twist in my gut confirmed that was about as good as Kat smiling but I couldn't pinpoint what her plan was. Sure, Manic's speed was picking up, but at the rate they were going, he'd be tired out long before Fara was.

"Manic, Shock Wave."

The calmness of her voice made me uneasy but I couldn't see the source of the danger. Shock Wave was a guaranteed hit due to its spherical pattern... but it wasn't strong enough to do significant damage. What was I missing?

One of the after images moved irregularly and before I could point it out to Fara, Manic was already leaping into the air, jumping a good fifteen feet above her.

A brilliant flash of vermilion caused my eyes to go out of focus for a short moment, the scent marking a storm tickling along the air just as the sky gave a crackle. My eyes blinked enough to see an unbelievable electric surge fill the arena, the walls shimmering in frantic patterns of reds, blues, yellows, and greens while I heard Mr. Mime just outside it yelling frantically. The walls of the arena flexed outward, as if threatening to break, but the colors only flashed a frantic pattern once more before caving back into their natural form and shimmering back to clear.

Fara's knees were shaking from the attack, the blow having taken more out of her than I'd imagined. A soft hiss came from her, the only sound of pain she'd allow herself, as the air sparked in the aftermath. I didn't think Manic would be strong enough to pull an attack of that magnitude, I still didn't think he could. It had to do with all the running around, something scientific that May was good at...

But what?

The luxury of time was not one to be enjoyed, however. Fara's body shook, trying to cast aside the remaining tingles of electricity that surely must be seizing through her, the ground along her feet sparkling as if polished glass.

Glass...

Glass!

Let's see how May likes it when science comes to bite her on the ass...

"Manic, while she's stunned, Quick Attack!"

Manic sped up his descent by folding his legs against his body, diving head first at Fara.

"Fara, Iron Tail the ground!"

Her first and seventh tail moved first before all nine shone with a reflective, metallic coating. Plunging them into the ground like nine steel hammers, she tore up the area around her, breaking the newly formed glass from her earlier Flamethrowers. Ripping them upward, shards of glass flew with the momentum, right into the path of the oncoming Manectric.

"Ah! Manic, watch out for the glass!"

May might as well have forgone giving that order; Manic was already working on just that. A twist in the air and a discharge of electricity did the trick... but it also messed up his trajectory. Rather than plowing into Fara, as was his intent, he landed just behind her...

In perfect range of her tails.

"Finish it," I told her, clenching my fist the way I wanted to clench this match. "Iron Coffin!"

"Iron what?"

May's question was swiftly answered.

Fara's tails, still coated in their metallic shells, rang with a fatal chime and wrapped together to form what looked like one massive tail. Striking his side like a bat, she flung the wolf across the ring, slamming him into the shielding.

With a speed only exhibited when necessary, Fara closed the gap with a few leaps, making a final jump into the air.

Manic turned belly up just in time to see her landing atop him, her larger body straddling his as her Iron Tails came from around her hindquarters and dove into the ground around him. Her front paws pinned him at the shoulders, her back ones giving the leverage she needed to keep him down, not to mention her tails prevented him from moving away. The smile on her lips was pleased but not necessarily pleasant, as if she'd caught some insignificant prey that had given her more trouble than its worth.

I swear, I had heard him whimpering. That shouldn't have felt as good as it did.

"Manic! Use Shock Wave! Get her off you!"

Fara's teeth bared themselves in a smile that looked akin to a serrated blade, as if begging the poor canine to move. From experience, I knew that if he did, those tails that docilely surround him, keeping him still, would curl into him like a Persian's claws. Manic, however, didn't seem inclined to try and merely tucked his tail in submission.

"Fara, bid him goodnight."

Fara's smile softened, her lips moving to cover her fangs, her eyes gradually shimmering with an iridescent blue. Her vulpine lips met with his muzzle and gave him a soft, canine kiss, gazing into his eyes with a look that would spin his world into a dream. Manic looked at her, clearly confused, till his eyes unexpectedly fluttered and his body jerked once with sudden realization. By then, it was too late. His muscles had already relaxed as his head turned to the side, his eyes closing as his mouth opened wide into a raspy snore.

"The Manectric is unable to continue battling," the judge announced, waving his flag to signal the end of the battle. "The winner is Zack!"

Applause rippled along the sidelines, the amount of spectators having grown in numbers since the battle began (though it had to have only been five minutes at best). I heard Kat's voice amongst the cheering, using the audience to mask her speaking. At least she was getting smarter about it; though at least one person mentioned an overly excitable Absol wearing the sunglasses they thought they lost...

The defense screen fell, starting at the top and fading downward in droplets of several colors that faded to nothing. May recalled Manic, moving around the arena to speak with me.

"Sand into glass, huh?" She sounded annoyed but pleased at the same time. "I see those strategy lessons I've given you have started paying off."

I figured it couldn't hurt to let May believe that, rather than to admit it was just chance and going with my gut as usual.

Fara moved towards me, her head held high even though I could see her eyes darting to the ground, careful to avoid any stray shards of glass that the psychic-type was already in the process of picking up with his powers. Her tails trailed behind her, the bells ringing gently as she came to a stop at my feet, moving to sit and press her head lightly against my chest. The gesture of affection shocked me for a moment, as Fara had always maintained a sort of distance from me that I'd not understood. While willing to train with me, she'd never really appreciated my attempts at brushing her or touching her.

More than pleased with this turn of events, I slowly moved my hand to touch the top of her head, the soft fur parting easily as my fingers ran through it. A sort of sigh came from the back of her throat, almost drowned out completely by May's chatter.

Katherine brushed against my thigh, more to let me know she was there than to steal the attention I was giving Fara. She grinned up at me, expressing without words the glee she'd experienced at watching the battle, before turning her attention back to May.

It didn't escape my attention that somehow the little devil had put on my shirt.

"You were good too, May," I finally said, sensing this was the point to interject. Still stroking Fara's head, moving around the curves of her ears, I could concede that was true. She had gotten better, though she'd never really be at my scale.

I considered asking if she wanted another battle, maybe with one of her other Pokemon, but the sheen of her skin made me think otherwise. If a short battle like this took so much out of her, I didn't want to drag another one out of her. Besides, she was going to be training for a contest, not a gym battle. Her Pokemon were strong enough to protect her from the ferals out on the routes. That's all a trainer really needed.

"Thanks!" She gave a soft laugh. "Now, if only I could fight like that against everyone, I'm sure I'd get even better!"

A faint memory stirred in my mind, of her once telling me she always fought better with people she knew. Quite honestly, had it been someone else, I think she and her Manectric could have pulled it off and won... such beliefs would only stifle her growth and didn't say much for her confidence.

Worse yet, I'm sure Kat had already picked up on that.

As I thought on the matter, May wrapped her arm around mine, sliding along my free, non-Kat side. A good choice on her part; the alternative would have been death.

"Why don't we get out of the heat?" I could feel her breast pressing against my side as she leaned into me. "I hear the PokeCenter is giving away free sodas... and Manic could use a little TLC."

Swallowing, trying to force my eyes from doing a swan dive into May's cleavage, I looked up and away instead. My throat was a lot dryer than it had been a moment ago.

Clearing my throat, I nodded. "Sodas sound great."

Kat gave a small growl, presumably over May's proximity, but Fara merely looked up at me, her tongue flicking once against her lips. However, something in her gaze made my throat feel even drier and even coughing once or twice did nothing to ease it.

May kept her arm around mine, leaning into me from time to time, while my Pokemon padded silently behind us. Well... mostly silent. I could hear Kat muttering something or other under her breath in Poketongue that Fara just made little huffs or quiet barks to. The feel of a conspiracy crept over me and I found myself pulling May just a little closer to me. She gave a surprised glance but smiled, going back to asking me questions about Fara.

Once at the PokeCenter, I took another moment to take in the sights. The Pokemon Centers were the hubs of any trainer in the area, places to meet, trade, battle, brag, anything you would want. It occurred to me that me and May could have just gone here for the fight, but remembering all of the half-naked women that were bouncing and cheering me on earlier quickly nipped that little argument.

The place was as bustling as any other PokeCenter, several trainers hanging around outside of the glass doors to the large, two-story building, which was stylized to look like a square Pokeball I always thought. As we entered the building, the doors sliding open for us, I couldn't help but feel the eyes of the other trainers looking at my two Pokemon. It had occurred to me how rare they both were, and how beautiful their white and off-white fur looked in the bright sun. As I went to the lemonade stand someone had set up inside the cool building, several trainers came up to ask me about them, and a few younger ones asked if they could pet both of them.

Fara was more than happy to feel their attentions, which again was a bit surprising considering her previous aversion to my touch, while Katherine stayed stone still as a small hand started touching the black crescent horn jutting from her head. I could tell she was trembling from the sensation, her horn being unbelievably sensitive to soft touches like that, and to keep her from whining I told the kid to keep it to her fur. May's giggling certainly didn't help the situation, the defeated Absol taking deep breaths to calm herself down while a couple of kids not too far from us dared one another to try and grab one of Fara's tails to see if there really was a curse tied into them. The yellow-white kitsune smiled and sat on her haunches, her tails softly ringing as though daring the children, but luckily for them, they were too smart or too scared to try

Amidst all the attention and congratulations me and my Pokemon were receiving, I realized I'd almost forgotten to ask May something about the battle. Reaching for a cup of lemonade, I turned to her and got her attention with a poke of her arm.

"Hey, May... how did Manic pull off that supercharged Shock Wave attack?"

"Hmm?" She seemed to think for a moment, as if having to recall what I was talking about before understanding hit her like a Noctowl hitting a barn. "Oh! Simple, really." She glanced at me, as if checking to see that I really didn't understand it before speaking again. "Using Quick Attacks speed, we were able to supercharge Manic's attack by building static electricity. It's kind of like how you get that small zap when you touch a doorknob after walking on the carpet in your socks."

"Really?" Huh... I would have thought sand would have discharged it...

May nodded. "Spraying things with high-velocity sand is a quick way to build up electricity... we just modified the theory a little bit by having Manic do the work instead of the sand."

I swear, if she had glasses on she would remind me of my old instructor. The way she explained things made it seem so simple I felt stupid not to have thought of it myself despite how never in my wildest fantasies would I have paid that much attention in school.

Glancing towards Katherine, checking to make sure she wasn't getting into too much trouble, I saw her face already buried in my cup of lemonade, the sly dark type having snuck herself a treat of my beverage. When I finally noticed, a couple of the trainers who had seen the act before me laughed, having anticipated when I'd finally notice my Absol had been stealing my drink. I tapped the little jewel on her head and she looked at me, smiling with my refreshing drink dripping back down into my cup from her cheeks. She gave my finger a lick as I pulled the cup away, making sure to drink the rest of it (to a chorus of "eeeews" from the few younger trainers there) before she could somehow sneak another few laps in.

I'll think of a way to punish her later. I swear it.

***

I left my Pokemon at the Center along with May's, deciding it to be one of the few ways I could speak with her without a little furry troublemaker following. That and they were about due for a checkup anyway.

May and I spent the time along the beach edge, still within close range to the PokeCenter should we be needed. She had splashed around a little, leaving me to sip my soda and watch her. We talked a little, about the past and the future, making me realize that as much as I liked May our goals were fairly different from each other. There were times when I had considered rekindling our relationship into something more romantic, and in all honesty it'd probably work out, but I wasn't really satisfied with the thought of her being there for me as anything other than a close friend. It would probably mean I'd have to start feeling guilty about the porn. I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment yet.

We had a light meal afterwards in the Pokemon Center's rather bland dining hall. Their food was just about as bland as their drab white decorum, though there were instances of color here and there to keep it from looking like a hospital. When we went to collect our Pokemon from the counter, our footsteps being moderately louder on the tile now that not nearly as many people were talking and moving around, we decided to spring for a shared room for both of us to spend the night in instead of heading out and camping. PokeCenters had several rooms available for trainers to stay the night in, especially while their Pokemon healed, but they were usually cramped, four-trainer-to-a-tiny-room setups. We were lucky to have found one that was empty, most of the trainers that were here earlier having gone to stay at one of the beachside resorts no doubt, and the prospect of being alone with May was a very appealing one. Even though I didn't consider her my girlfriend, I still had a very strong physical attraction towards her, and would have brought it up if the first thing she said when she entered the confined, simply adorned room wasn't "Alright, it's time for me to pass out. Goodnight, Zack!"

This was doubly frustrating as, after a battle, my desire tends to spike like a Nidoran in season.

In the darkness of the room, I could still make out the green glow of the clock and hear the murmured voices of those walking down the halls or the light steps of those above us. Turning to my side did little to help, my back and my opposite side also failing to cause comfort enough for sleeping. Moving back to my back, I stared up at the bunk-bed above me and gave a soft growl. The mattress, thin as it was, might as well have been the ground under my tent tarp...

My legs felt warm, uncomfortably so, and leaning my head so my chin rested on my chest provided the answer. Kat, still adamant about not going in her ball, had fallen asleep in my shirt and had now sprawled over my legs. Trying not to wake her, I moved them out of the way and kicked half the blanket off... only to find the air was too cold on the outside to offer me comfort.

Frustrated, I decided I might as well get up and walk around, see if I could burn off some of this energy. Normally, I would just masturbate till I came, clean myself up, then fall asleep after... but with Katherine and May in the room it seemed too much like tickling a Vigoroth: Dangerous and stupid.

Not that I would have normally minded if it was just Kat, and maybe May if she were really in a deep sleep, but the last thing I needed was for my Absol to wake up during my masturbation session and want to do what we did earlier, only to then have May wake up during that particular discussion. Not knowing how May would feel about those kinds of relationships, even though I'd dropped a few feelers during our earlier conversation, I decided to leave well enough alone. Watching two Pokemon have sex is one thing. What Katherine and I have done is something all on its own.

Mindful not to wake either female, I slipped out of the bed and made my way for the door, my seldom used pajama pants enough covering that I shouldn't get yelled at by anyone.

I mean, considering the beach attire, I was pretty well dressed.

May rolled to her side as I moved to step out, her breasts shifting against the older nightshirt she wore. The material stretched tautly, outlining her tempting globes and causing my cock to stiffen a moment in interest. The only thing restraining me from copping a feel was uncertainty of May's interest in continuing the sexual aspect of our relationship.

That, and if I showed too much interest in breasts, Katherine would probably end up taping water balloons to her chest to try and keep my interest.

Gritting my teeth and stepping outside, shutting the door quietly behind me, I moved down the hall and into the main lobby, nodding the Nurse stationed at the counter as I left. Now, I'm not one to give in to the myths that all the nurses have pink hair because they're related, or come from a secret, secluded tribe of pink-haired amazons, but I have to admit they did look strikingly similar. I think they just dye their hair pink so that we can notice them in a crowd just in case of an emergency. It's better than the PokeCenter Illuminati theory...

Making my way outside the facility, determined that there were better things to think of than conspiracy theories involving pink-haired nurses with nice tits overthrowing the world, I breathed in a deep breath of sea air and summer night, feeling more relaxed already. I opted to make my way towards the beach, figuring there would be few people there compared to the lit sidewalks and few vendor booths that remained open. A few kiosks caught my eye along the way, ones I'd seen before but didn't have a chance to explore in depth given May being with me. They were peddling magazines similar to the one in my bag, minus the tear marks, creases and missing pages thanks to a certain Absol. I was pulling out my wallet, fully intent on buying the one with a swimsuit model strikingly similar to the girl I had fought two days ago, but May's words echoed in my ears like a bell gone bad.

Was I really as immature as she said?

No, I wasn't. If I were immature, I'd be worrying about what other people thought of me. But the idea of having another magazine with big-breasted women for Katherine to chide me over when she inevitably stuck her little black nose in my bag turned me off of the idea. Putting my wallet away, I headed to the beach without my purchase, almost stepping into the ocean as I contemplated the matter of my maturity lightly, but once I stepped back onto the sands of the beach the shift in the wet, chill temperature between my toes had shocked me into alertness, making me realize I hadn't even remembered to grab my shoes.

Laughing at myself, I followed the shoreline, walking along the wet sand while being pleased by the thought that the waves would lick away my footprints. The black sky above made the ocean look like midnight itself, the waves twinkling with living starlight as the ocean spray washed into my nostrils. I spotted some shells along the way, pieces of driftwood and seaweed... even a Krabby who stopped and stared at me, blowing bubbles before frantically scuttling back to the sea.

Yeah, you better run. I might not have any Pokemon on me, but I could still punt your ass.

Time and distance seemed abstract as I walked. Only once I reached a grove of coconut trees did I stop. The ground was significantly less grainy but the view of the ocean was still magnificent. I was completely secluded here, cut off from the beach while at the same time still a part of it while I watched the waves roll back and forth against the edge of my little world. The trees themselves whispered as they drank the breeze before it got to me, giving me only the scent and none of the chill that the ocean sighed my way.

Relaxing with the soft breaths of the tide, I slowly lowered myself to the ground and looked up past the coconut tree leaves to stare up at the stars, the lack of lights making them all appear like salt spilled on a black canvass. I didn't know most of the constellations, but the few I did know I was easily able to spot. There! Kingler! Only fitting I spotted him first, I suppose, with this being the beach and all... Oh! And there, to the right: Dugrtio. Ah, and Cubone. Which means just behind me is...

Huh?

My fingers had bumped into a small object in my pockets as I was leaning back.

Pulling it out, I held it against the pale moonlight. It was a pokeball, Fara's, to be exact. The small blue designs on her capsule gleamed brighter in the moonlight than the sun, making the once pearl colored ball almost a radiant blue.

I must have put her into my pocket without thinking... the idea of always having a Pokemon on myself so ingrained that the walk with May earlier, while pleasant, had left me with a feeling of nervousness. I wasn't afraid of being attacked, having surprised my then-Treecko Trent when we were first starting out by bashing a Taillow in the face with a branch rather than let my Pokemon protect me from the dive-bombing bastard.

Well, as long as Fara was here, she might as well enjoy the beautiful scenery with me.

Pressing the button, the ball popped open and the familiar red light with blue flecks swirled to form Fara. She gave one leisurely blink, her head turning to the side as her third, fourth, and fifth tail waved, perhaps confused with her surroundings.

"Sorry for waking you, girl." I reached a hand to pet her, seeing if her earlier friendliness extended into now. "I couldn't sleep and I guess I just grabbed you on accident."

A hum sensation moved along the inside of my head, a soft voice not so much speaking as brushing against the very part of my brain that gave me thoughts.

[It wasn't an accident, Zack.]

My body grew tense, knowing the sensations of telepathy and instantly looking for the Psychic that was doing it, standing and balling my fists. When only trees, water, and sand met my sight, I turned back to my Ninetales, who didn't seem the least bit alarmed.

[We are quite alone,] the voice went on, Fara giving another slow blink, though a smile tweaked at the corner of her lips. Husky but feminine, like a woman who'd just had sex, the voice continued. [I hope you don't mind too much, this ability.]

I didn't have to be May to figure it out.

"Fara?!"

Her head lowered in a regal, yet timid sort of bow. Her tails moved, swirling around me in a sea of fur, the chimes of her bells slowly working on relaxing the sudden heart stopping panic her psychic voice had induced.

[Astute...] her voice murmured, echoing gently within my mind. [Have you also determined why you've arrived here? Perhaps why I was with you in your pocket?]

The touches of her feather light fur against my chest made me take a step back, suddenly troubled by the thought that she had manipulated me into coming here.

Her eyes seemed to wince, as if picking up on my less-than-subtle anger and the dislike I held for Psychics in general.

[You came out of your own accord,] she answered, one of her tails brushing against my side like a lover's touch. [I... merely gave the suggestion of taking me with you and finding a more secluded location.] Her lips turned downward at the corners, a frown slowly coming onto her face. [I would have eventually had you to myself... but your own wanderlust assisted me in fulfilling my goals. All it took was just a minor suggestion.]

"You know how I feel about that," I replied sharply. Psychics, especially the humans who were coming into their own telepathic and telekinetic abilities, filled me a severe unease. The thought that someone could whisper a harmless thought into your mind and cause you to do things without you realizing it... Granted, it was rare that someone was powerful enough to do such a thing, but I had just been directed without realizing it. If every limb on my body were to wither and become useless, at least I'd still have my mind!

That would always be mine.

Her eyes looked away from mine and, for a moment, it wasn't just a one-way street. Whatever connect she had with me opened both ways, allowing so that I could feel her reluctance to provide me with her secret, knowing as well as any of my other Pokemon the reason for my dislike of Psychics, and that it could possibly turn me away from her. There was also a weighted sensation towards the back of her mind, the feel of the argument she had with herself over the matter on a near daily bases. The thorny feel of jealous that bound the other two when she saw how easily Kat could communicate with me but not herself... and the heat that consumed and burned the three was her desire for me.

The link was severed quickly, like a Pincer snapping through a tree, and she turned her gaze back to mine before looking down. I didn't feel less angry... which in itself made me calm down. If she was strong enough to influence my steps, then she was strong enough to quiet my rage. She could have, but she didn't... and she was saying all she needed to say by remaining silent. My sudden burst of hatred turned into a solid lump of guilt in my chest. Was this how I was going to treat my companions?

"It's... alright, Fara," I found myself saying. "I... trust you." Swallowing, my throat thick at the thought of how long she had kept this to herself, how long she had doubted me, I shook my head. "That makes the difference between you and them."

Even though she could have read the words before I spoke them, she waited until the last syllable dropped from my lips before letting out a breath held in by worry. I knelt back to her side, my hands crawling up to the sides of her beautiful face and aiming them towards myself. How could I not trust a Pokemon who saved my life?

Her eyes rose to meet mine and I was caught like a Butterfree in a net. Dropping backwards, only half aware as my back rested up against a tree trunk, I watched her move closer to me and then push her warm body against mine in a feral embrace, licking warmly right over my heart. Those thoughts of desire she had fed me before started to get sorted out in my mind, and currently I found myself standing at the top of a slippery slope. I had already had sex with one of my Pokemon, and with the way my fingers started gravitating towards the soft white fur of my fire-type companion, that unfulfilled desire that haunted me today was kicking back up again. Fara wanted it, and my body certainly wasn't going to complain, but wouldn't this cause Katherine to grow even more irate? There's no way she wouldn't smell sex on us, and-

[You worry far too much, my Lord,] she responded with a voice only a porn star sitting on a throne could provide... probably digging it out of the "most arousing voices" folder in my brain. [Katherine was the one who gave me this idea. She's smarter than she tends to let on...] She gave a short lick along my neck, teeth nipping in tiny points against my skin that almost made my hips jump with desire. [She said you wouldn't turn me away... that a strong male needs many strong mates. All I needed to do to join your harem was to prove myself to her.]

Ah... so that was what the discussion had been before the match... This explained the Manectric's discomfort. The affection Fara started showing me afterwards also made sense too... with Kat's encouragements, she'd decided to trust me.

Taking advantage of the fact she'd now let me touch her, I moved my hand along her jaw down to her shoulder. Small blue motes of light danced off her fur at my touch and she huffed indignantly at the back of my mind, her lip curling to show a fang.

[They are not blue dandruff, thank you...]

Laughing, reminding myself I'd have to be a little more mindful of my thoughts, her wet nose nuzzled along my neck and shoulder.

[You never have to censor yourself with me, Zack. Be who you were born to be... that's the man I committed myself to.]

Her tails moved around my chest and sides, treating me with the same gentleness I was showing her while her tongue moved to lick along my jaw. Her way of mating was soft compared to Kat's, slower, but equally intense. Maybe Pokemon types contributed to their mating habits?

I opened my mouth to ask her, only to have her meet my question with a wet nose touching mine and her tongue slipping into my mouth.

[Questions later...] she whispered, moving a paw to lightly touch upon my groin. I was already stiff, and though the feel of a warm paw pressing down on my shaft should give me plenty of cause for alarm, I only felt more turned on for the effort. Yes, there was the affection I felt for my beautiful fire-type, but at the same time, the thrill of it made me feel wild.

And I was nothing if not wild right now...

My hips pressed instinctively against the weight, the surrounding warmth and the continual touches of her tails that played along my skin already working at getting me even harder. As her paw lightly stroked my cock, mainly by moving up and down against the cloth, my hands moved from her shoulders down along her back. She, unlike Kat, was all muscle... but her fur was soft everywhere whereas Katherine's could sometimes feel wiry. Despite the firmness of her body, though, she felt lithe and agile, like a steel spring.

Moving my hands past her tails, I cupped her ass, kneading the strong flesh that was there. She pressed back eagerly against my hands, letting out a heat that burned into them to signal her own anticipation. Moving my hands to her inner thighs, I found them almost too hot to touch. Her body shook as she gave a vocal whine, my fingers having grazed her tender bud. I continued to play with her feral cunt, which was like a teardrop pointed downwards and swollen with heated flesh, the star in the middle puckered closed but begging to be spread by more than just casual touches. Daring, I started to slip one of my fingers into her pussy, which was already wet and as hot as meat cooked rare.

Her mouth was opened in a pant now, her tails undulating in a motion that wasn't unlike sex itself. They twisted together, the bells chiming softly like gentle choruses of hushed moans as they writhed against one another, a couple moving down to push my finger into a light, piston motion. I felt her inner walls squeezing me, trying to pull me in with far more control than I ever would have guessed her to have. I guess she has been around a while... I wonder what other tricks she knew.

As if responding to my thoughts, and no doubt she was, her paw along my swelling groin suddenly took a more forceful role, moving her claws under my waistband and tugging. Between her claws and teeth, she was able to yank the material off. Her desperation itself was arousing, though I had to help her lest I end up without clothes to wear back to the room.

Moving her head back up, her nose bumped into my cock. She jerked for a moment before leaning closer, making my cock throb just looking at her sniffing me. I could feel small drops of pre squeezing out, my hips shifting, watching her to see what she'd do next. Her tongue moved out of her mouth, cupping the undersides of my balls before trailing along the length of my shaft, greedily licking up my precum. Her paws rested on either side of my hips, making sure I wouldn't go anywhere though I had no intention of doing so. Moving along the entire length of my cock, her tongue curled around it, squeezing it before slipping back into her mouth. It wasn't rough, like I'd expected her tongue to be, though it did have a texture to it that definitely wasn't human, and worked with a skill that she could have only sucked from my fantasies.

When her mouth moved to encircle my dick, I dug my nails into the dirt and bit back a cry. The feeling of my shaft inside her oven like mouth was far more intense than anything I'd felt before. Her tails, which still stroked along my sides like eager, playful Growlithe pups, suddenly diverged from each other, two of them moving to stroke my inner thighs while two more brushed my sac and the remainder nuzzled against my arms, legs, sides, and anywhere else they could touch.

Resting my head back against the tree, unable to keep myself from thrusting into her mouth with my hands around her head, I felt myself panting with my fingers toying with her warm cheeks. A soft cooing sound floated along my mind, like a swirl of lights that faded and bloomed again. She pulled me out of her mouth, lapping lavishly at my shaft while that noise formed into stifled, hushed, whispered words. [Give it to me, Zack,] they had said, like a desperate command coming from a queen in need. [Let me taste you... please...!] She finished as she went back to sucking, redoubling her efforts and letting her tails roam across my body like several servants adoring me with their touch, each one begging in their own wordless way to fulfill their mistress's desire.

My stomach contracted, my lower muscles tightening as I came without remorse into her mouth, the temperature almost cooler now that my spunk was coating the insides of her maw. With my thumbs holding the base of her throat, I could feel her moving to swallow along my fingertips, making my cock twitch as she glanced up at me, seeming very pleased with herself.

As I moved my hands away, she withdrew with one long, fast lick that sent blue sparks flying over her head with the force of her movement, my last spurt landing on the tip of her nose before it resigned to simply to beading over the head of my cock.

One smooth lick was all it took to clean her nose, her eyes still watching me as her tails waved.

[How was that, my Master?] The word made me smile, wondering if Kat told her to call me that or if she had chosen it herself. [I hope you enjoyed it... because we're not done yet.]

I wanted to tell her just how unbelievable it was... but I'm sure she already knew in words far more eloquent then what I could form at the moment.

"That was... amazing, Fara," I finally managed to say.

As she started to straddle me, her forehead pressing against my own while the heat from her body kept me warm, conscious thought reared its ugly, justified head.

Kat...

While my mind toyed with what was wrong and tried to apply it to my Absol, I suddenly groaned.

Kat was alone with May!

I moved to get up only to find I was unable to. Glancing at Fara, I suddenly realized I was much in the same position as Manic had been earlier.

[Don't make me beg...] there was a soft whine to her voice that seemed almost foreign given her otherwise proud demeanor.

"Sorry Fara, but if you knew what I know..."

I felt a little laugh cut me off from within my own mind, as though the idea offended her. True, I'm sure Fara knew much, much more than I did, but still, it didn't help to ease my worries. If Katherine woke up, saw that I wasn't there... hell, she was probably waiting for me to leave so she could be alone with May! The things she could do...

...What could she do?

That laugh came again, this time with a little [Ah...] of realization. [Do you see it now? Katherine won't hurt May so long as she knows it would displease you.]

My mind gave a brief struggle like a Magikarp on land. May could be in trouble but it wouldn't be serious... they'd both been asleep when I'd left them. Besides, rushing to her rescue (if, in fact, something was wrong) would only prove Kat's point, right? About me always having to protect her? I also had Fara to consider... not sure how our relationship might suffer if I left after what she'd done for me. My pants, or lack thereof, urged me towards Fara while the slowly fading sensible part of my mind tangled with what Kat could and/or would do alone with May.

I curse thee, pants, for being so damn influential.

Before I could convey my decision, Fara's tails were once again converging on my body like hungry Caterpie, desperate to touch any part of me. The sharp, precise smell of her arousal caused my half-hard cock to pulse back to life, wanting to be in her now more than anything.

Shifting my weight against the tree, feeling the bark lightly raking my back, I pushed forward, taking my lover with me.

"You have a point... but if Katherine tears her apart, you're cleaning up the mess."

Her mirthful, psychic giggle filled my mind with that same dark giddiness. [Yes, my Lord.]

I didn't know which moniker I liked more.

She landed on her back with a thud, a small cloud of sapphire wisps ballooning out from her fur. I heard a gasp escaping her lungs but after a brush from one of her tails, I was reassured.

My fingers pressed lightly against her pussy, spreading her petals open as the heated juices spilled onto them. Playing around her pillowy entrance, sticking two fingers now just at the swollen black flesh of her teardrop opening and spreading her, I smiled as she squirmed and bucked, her tails pulling at me in desperation. Despite being brought here almost against my will, I never felt like I had more control over anyone, and I loved it.

But I had to give in. Relenting to her needs, I pulled my fingers away to lick them clean, a taste akin to cinnamon playing along my mouth as I steadied my hips. Placing my cock at her entrance, I leaned over her and gave one solid thrust that buried me in her, claiming her eagerly in one swift stroke instead of easing my way in.

A high-pitched bark startled me as the searing heat almost scalded my cock. Her tails only continued to pull me against her, though, and the sweet moistness of her pussy kept me from pulling out. The mixed signals of pain and pleasure made me wince, pulling out a moment then pushing back in like dipping my arm in and out of a hot tub. The more of her juices coated, the less the heat burned (perhaps as a method of allowing sperm to travel to her womb without frying?) so I kept pumping in and out of her, trying to spill as much of her juices over me as I could.

Wrapping my arms around the back of her neck, I pushed in further, feeling the muscles in her tails as they moved. Her vaginal walls caressed and massaged my cock as if it were a second mouth filled with several strong, pulsating tongues. Again, she must have pulled this from my deepest fantasies, but how she had the experience or practice was beyond me.

Then, I went from just thrusting to really fucking her, my hips engaging in a primal rhythm as I held her hips against mine and bounced my throbbing dick inside of her again and again. Every pounding slap added degree after degree to the rising heat of her sex as the friction between us began to build, her back arching as she let out whimpering whines into the salty air. Even her juices couldn't stop the full radiance of her inner heat, but the mild twinges of too-much-heat weren't enough to stop me. In fact, they drove me onward, feeling like I was stoking a fire. This was how badly Fara needed me, feel me cum in her, to offer her the same relief I'd given Kat, which she'd given me.

My balls slapped against her furred hind as the base of her tails cupped my scrotum wonderfully. Her tails had tensed up, twitching and swaying with each thrust, sometimes pulling me, sometimes thrashing against the ground, the chimes of her bells becoming more and more like a sharp chirping as they jerked with each movement. If I were of a saner mind at that point, I probably would have worried for more than a second about someone finding us, but right now I was as uncaring about that as a feral Pokemon claiming a female to hold his seed.

Her juices did more than coat my cock. The harder I pumped into her, the more her juices spread. They splashed against my balls, ran down her fur, and soaked the ground beneath us. A frantic murmur traveled along my mind but any actual words were lost on me as my climax began to approach. The blazing furnace of her inner walls, the way her claws dug into my shoulders, the fact that her tails were now so very tightly coiled against my thighs and ass, her head hung back as she panted with abandon, flecks of drool coating along the edge of her lips.

For me to bring one so reserved as her, to make her into this, this primal, wild beast... I loved every second of it.

She gave a cry that echoed in my mind like a scream, liquid fire suddenly jetting from her pussy against my thigh and balls, a flicker of flame brushing past my face, causing hairs to singe as my skin protested the heat. But it was nothing compared to the fire inside of me right now, building behind a furnace just waiting to be opened and let its heat bloom into her tight tunnel.

That measure of passionate pain coupled with the tight way she squeezed my shaft made me cry out and sent my body into a familiar spasm, her walls squeeze me like a vice of silken fire. I hiked her hips against mine and started hammering into her faster, fucking her fast to help get myself off that much more quickly. It paid off, and only moments after she came I joined her panting body in heavenly bliss, feeling a yell of pleasure getting caught in my throat only to be released in a deep groan as I came inside of her. My cum hurt as it blasted out of my sensitive cocktip, almost stinging as it ejected with a potent pressure while her tight, vulpine pussy squeezed and swallowed every drop I deigned to give her.

Dripping in sweat, I panted as I felt her tails coil around me, wrapping me into a furry semblance of a hug. A soft whine curled along the back of her throat, a low whisper filling my mind as she tried to drum up the concentration to connect. When she did, her voice seemed blurred, muffled.

[Th-thank you... Master.]

I gave a grin as an answer, knowing she could feel my sentiments that I should be the one thanking her.

As my climax's wave of bliss began to pass, questions began to crop up in my mind like Oddish. I felt her cringe then sigh, brushing up against my mind.

[One, if you will, Master.] One of her tails gave a lazy flick, her eyes closed as she remained still, clearly enjoying herself.

"Why did you want to mate with me? When we can't... I mean Kat was in heat, and well I wanted to relieve her and it ended up being better than I could have hoped, but... you're not in heat. You wanted this."

The groan that creaked in my mind made it apparent she'd wished I'd chosen a different question. A tired voice danced along my thoughts.

[Pokemon... we mate for different reasons, Master. Sometimes for offspring, sometimes for companionship, sometimes to feel safe in trusting ourselves to another... and of course there is love.] Her head turned to the side, one tired eye looking up at me. [Two Pokemon who cannot conceive but wish to spend their lives together will do so, the same as some of your race. Some might mate with others or find other ways to breed...] Her eye closed. [But... for me... the reason I chose to mate with you, Master... is that you are different from the other humans.]

There was a small pause as she drew in a breath through her nose as a human draws air for their words.

[You're like a Pokemon trapped within the shell of a human... Your heart calls out to the wild while your mind pulls you back to civilization.] Her mouth opened in a yawn. [Not in a bad way, of course...] Another brief pause. [Several humans seek to protect us, claiming battling is wrong and preferring us to remain weak. Others seek to exploit our might, believing we are tools for their use.] Her eye opened again as she gave a tired smile. [You neither see us as tools or that which should be protected...at least in the extreme sense of the word.] Her eye closed again but her smile only deepened. [You see us as equals, Master. That is what drew me to you... why I came with you.]

The time we met was one I'd not forgotten.

I had been lost in a desert cave, having been without water. The little I had I split between my two Pokemon, Trent and Celia (a newly captured Trapinch at the time), giving them the instructions to find water or help. I had slept, trusting Trent to find aid, and awakened later to a soft blue fire that seemed to pull me along. It had led me out of the cave to my two Pokemon and Fara... and we've been traveling ever since.

[Yes...] she whispered, her voice sounding fainter. [They told me what you did... the sacrifice you made for them. So I decided to come along. Had you forsaken your Pokemon to save yourself, or kept them in their capsules believing they were too weak to fend for themselves, I would have had little sympathy, but seeing your strength, and how your team responded to you...] The smile on her lips was soft, sweetened by a memory. [It... reminded me of someone I once knew.] The chuckle she gave seemed more of the memory than here and now, but that didn't offend me. I'd have suffered through a lot more to enjoy the husky tones of her laughter. [ I was more than happy to join your team.]

Pulling out of her, listening to her whine of protest that made me smile, I moved to stroke behind her ears, shifting to a more comfortable position so that I could enjoy her company in the afterglow.

"I'm glad you did, Fara."

Her tails gave one last squeeze before falling away, her maw opening in one large, last yawn, before curling up into a ball, wrapping her tails around her.

Smiling, I gave myself a once over, trying to determine the extent of the damage.

My inner thighs were red, a few spots sensitive but nothing bad enough to call it burned. A few hairs, from the smell, had gotten singed during her climax... along with one of the trees behind me. My cock had little wisps of steam rising off of it, unusual considering such a warm night, but not so considering the much warmer place it had been.

Damages aside, I found myself immensely pleased.

As nothing was irreparably lost, I moved to throw my pants back on, feeling like I'd forgotten something. Reaching to scratch my chest where Fara's claws had dug in at one point, I suddenly remembered I didn't have my shirt.

Then I suddenly remembered other things.

"Ah... Dammit," I sighed. Harmless or no, the amount of Katherine I could see was inversely proportional to how much damage she could cause.



+++++++ Thirty Minutes Ago...++++++++

Kat wagged her tail once, watching from the window as Zack left the PokeCenter with Fara's ball safely stowed away in his pocket.

"Sooner than I expected," she muttered to herself, cocking her head before shrugging.

Moving away from the windowsill, she padded over towards May, a smile on her face as she reached a claw to poke the sleeping girl.

"Mmm?" May turned, her eyes still closed. "Zack?"

A sharp poke to her forehead seemed to wake her up, making her jump and look around in a daze. Kat watched in mild amusement as May fumbled around in the dark till she found the light.

"...Kat?" May glanced around, noticing Zack wasn't there. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

A sharp, ivory toothed smile spread along the shadow of Kat's face.

"Yes, May... We need to talk."