September 8

“Today the forecast is very good indeed. Not a cloud in the sky and a temperature between 22 and 25 degrees in pretty much every corner of Kanto, still quite hot for this time of year. In the evening, there is a good chance this might change, when cool winds carrying rain come in from the south. These rains will spread out across the southern parts of Kanto throughout the night, lowering the temperature to about 12 degrees.”

“Thanks Olivia. This concludes the morning bulletin, but be sure to stay tuned! We’ll be right back after these commercials, joined by none other than Ash Ketchum himself! In this, his first ever television appearance since winning his championship match from Cynthia and becoming Pokemon Master, be prepared to get all new insights into the drives and the mindset of one of the top trainers in the world. Stay tuned!”

“Alright, it’s almost starting!” May squeeled with a giddy grin. She was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cornflakes as she watched the morning news. The last two weeks had been all sorts of crazy for the young trainer, and by extension for May as well. Ever since he defeated Cynthia, the whole world seemed to want a piece of Ash. Truth be told, May found it difficult to deal with, having to share her boyfriend with half a dozen members of the press and other media and Ash himself had been overwhelmed by the attention more than once. Now, in order to get things over with in one go, he had agreed to appear in a television interview. They hoped that after that, the media’s lust for sensation surrounding Ash’s victory would be sated.

With a guilty smile, May reminded herself to be thankful that the media hadn’t caught wind of the party that had been held in Pallet Town upon Ash’s return. Like before when Ash had defeated Ritchie, the booze had flown freely and she had trouble remembering exactly what had happened. Most of it felt like a long forgotten dream now, but the feeling of ecstatic joy and happiness that had dominated the party resonated through without a problem.

The commercial block seemed to take its sweet time, so she casually zapped through some other channels as her eyes wandered around the room. It still felt quite foreign to her, but the beginnings of familiarity were definitely starting to set in…

Hardly more than a day after the tournament was over; Ash had asked her to come live with him in an apartment he would be renting close to Viridian City. The sneaky bastard had been preparing that little stunt for more than a week, ever since they had both realized what they felt for each other was more than just a quick fling. May had been stunned, needless to say, when he made the offer. She had fully expected to return to her own flat in Hoenn, but in the end it only took her a few seconds to throw that idea in the trashcan, hugging Ash ecstatically as she accepted. Give or take a day, they had been living together now for almost a week now, and she couldn’t be happier.

The apartment was spacious, a combined kitchen and living room forming the heart of it. Two doors on the left lead to the bathroom and the bedroom she and Ash shared. The bathroom featured a bath just long and wide enough for two lovers to frolic in comfortably, as well as a shower cabin, washing machine and dryer. A large two-person bed featuring a striped white-and-blue pattern on the sheets occupied most of their bedroom, where a series of closets lined the wall and white curtains kept out the morning sun. On the right wall of the living room, two more doors led to a second bedroom, which was used for storage at this point, as well as an extra room in which May was setting up a photo studio, so she could continue her fashion shoots for the Pokemon Fashion magazine, as well as other magazines for which she had started to freelance. All in all, it wasn’t the most original of designs, but it worked and May could definitely see herself settling down in it, together with Ash.

Her grin took on a slight shade of guilt when she focused on the soft, dark grey couch she was lying on as she watched the television. They had made love in their new home for the very first time on that couch. She could still feel its soft material rub into her back, Ash’s thrusts increasing in speed and strength as the most delicious rug burn slowly worked its way into her shoulders. May had to giggle when she remembered what happened next. Both she and Ash had spilled their juices all over the couch and it had taken them literally hours to get the stains out again. They had barely finished when May’s parents dropped by for a visit. If only her mother knew what happened on the couch she had been sitting on, May snickered.

“No, I don’t want to buy your magical cleaning gizmo! C’mon, enough with the commercials already!” she moaned wistfully. Funny how time always seemed to slow down when you were waiting for something exciting. Embarking on another round of channel zapping, May ended up on a sports channel, where a fit looking girl with pink hair was joined by a group of Fighting-type Pokemon as she performed some morning exercises.

“Well, it beats waiting for these damn commercials to finally end…” May reasoned as she stood up with a slight spring in her step, mimicking the pink-haired girl’s pose as best she could. “Besides… I’ve been overdue for exercise as it is… I think I’ve gained some weight too lately…” she reckoned. The girl on the television then addressed the camera, and through it, her audience, in a voice that was at once kind, but also told you that she wouldn’t take anything except your best.

A few minutes later, May could definitely feel the burn in several places of her body as her pajama started to cling to her increasingly sweaty body.

“Now, one final thing before we go on with the cooling down!” pink-hair ordered. “Stand straight, feet slightly apart and raise your hands in front of you.” May followed obediently.

“Now, bend down and try to reach your toes. C’mon, as low as you can go! Feel the burn in those legs?”

Oh, she felt a burn alright… But not in her legs.

Her breakfast splattered over the floor as a sudden wave of nausea crashed over her. Before allowing herself to puke again, she ran into the bathroom where she continued to retch and cough above the toilet, losing whatever was left of yesterday’s dinner until there was nothing left but bile and a burning sensation in her throat. With a shuddering gasp, she stood upright and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Urgh… that was terrible...” she mumbled as she flushed the toilet and made her way back to the living room. Ash’s interview on the television fell on deaf ears as May sat down with her face in her hands. She didn’t like being sick, and this had been the third time she had lost her breakfast this week. What was going on with her?!

-

It was just after 2 in the afternoon when Misty finally finished up with the day’s activities in the gym. Like every Saturday, the gym was only open to challengers for half a day, giving Misty plenty of time to enjoy the surprisingly nice weather. She had just finished taking a shower and was now on her way to the sunbathing area in the public pool part of the gym. With the gym now closed to the public for the weekend, she had the place for herself so she didn’t bother to actually wear anything under her bathrobe. One of the many privileges being a gym leader could give you…

Thanks to the whole Battle of the Champions Tournament, the young Cerulean red-head hadn’t had much of a chance to get a tan yet, having spent the best weeks of summer in either a hotel or a Pokemon stadium. Not that she hadn’t enjoyed herself though! It had been fun, and seeing her friends again after so long had definitely been a great experience she reckoned as she dropped her bathrobe to the ground and went to lie down nude on one of the sun benches, only wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Well… Come to think of it, maybe she had been lying…

Even though she had enjoyed the tournament, the road towards it and the time between battles had been overshadowed by the greatest disappointment of her live. She had lost Ash Ketchum, the boy she traveled with all those years ago and the boy she had secretly loved ever since, to May Maple. She felt her throat tighten just thinking about it. Never would he hug her like he hugged May, or tell her that he loved her. Never would she have the chance to have sex with him again, like they had on the first morning on their way through Vulcan Forest.

Back then, she had promised May that she wouldn’t stand between her and Ash, and truth be told she hadn’t. But that didn’t make her feel any better… It had hurt, hearing them having sex every night in the opposite hotel room. Misty had tried to drop it, tried to give it a place as she attempted to just forget about Ash as lover material. It had been two weeks since the tournament and still he was the only thing on her mind… Arceus, why was it so hard?!

“I guess-…” she mumbled vaguely as the sun continued to shine on her skin, oblivious to her sadness. “I guess forgetting about a 10-year long crush is just easier said than done…”

Then, there was also Max, May’s little brother and her junior by about 5 years. He had been nice to her, very nice actually even though she wasn’t in the proper state of mind to appreciate it, back at the tournament. He was there, by her side keeping an eye on her and generally just being his kind, if somewhat geeky self. Not to mention, he did have certain… assets, if you will. What he lacked in experience when it came to sex, he more than made up for in the raw girth of his member. Just thinking about that night in their hotel room made the special place between her thighs tingle.

And how had she repaid him?

By screaming out Ash’s name when Max brought her to orgasm…

God she had messed up bad. Even now, more than two weeks later she hadn’t found the words to apologize. But then again, she didn’t really view Max as dating material. Good for a quickie, put bluntly, but there simply wasn’t the spark she felt when she saw Ash. Besides, there was quite a bit of age difference too, the boy was sixteen for crying out loud!

But what was she thinking? After the whole Ash debacle, dating or finding a boyfriend were the last things on her mind.

“Nope… Guess I’ll be stuck with you two for a while…” she mumbled quietly as she eyed her two hands before she let them roam across her body, quickly finding just the right spots to tease and caress herself. All these thoughts about Ash, Max and the things they had done on Vulcan Island had made her horny, and face it; she could use a little distraction.

Her left hand hovered over her breasts, so much more sensitive lately, her flesh already covered over in goosebumps in anticipation. The fingers of her right hand slowly trailed down, over het flat, toned stomach towards the fuzzy bush of hair between her thighs. Hmmm, she’d have to trim that next time she had the chance.

Her fingers lightly grazed her lower lips and an almost electric current of pleasure shot through her body. That was the stuff… If only she hadn’t thrown away that dildo, she could sure use it right now. Ah well, she would just have to make do with her fingers. She raised her legs a little, tilting her pelvis and allowing her fingers better access to her needing lips. As she lightly touched herself, she could already feel herself getting wet. If there was one advantage to doing it herself it would be knowing exactly which buttons she needed to push.

It didn’t take Misty long before she gently pushed one, then two of her fingers inside. The hand that was taking care of her breasts increased its tempo, lightly pinching her rock-hard nipples as she massaged her budding mounds. When the thumb on her hand down below found its way to her clit, there was no holding her back. She couldn’t suppress a high-pitched squeal as the feeling her fingers gave inside her coursed through her body. Her bosom went up and down irregularly as her breath came in rapid moaning bursts.

“Just… a little… further! A little… bit… lower…” She was getting close… So close! So close to finding that one special spot… the special place deep within herself that she knew would set her off. If only she could-…

“YES!”

There it was, she cheered mentally, as though she had never lost sight of it. Her pace quickened, her slender fingers going in and out at such a speed they were a blur, the soft wet sopping sounds mixing with Misty’s continues moans. Her eyes were closed as she imagined it was a man making love to her. Broad shoulders, strong arms, a loving gaze in his eyes. She didn’t even know who it was she imagined, all she knew was that she wanted him close to her. With powerful thrusts he pushed into her, she could feel it, with every thrust her body responded. Her head pounded with every thrust, blood flushing her cheeks, her chest, her very being.

Pounding…

Pounding….

Pound-BRAAAAAGGGH!-….

Just as her body exploded with lust and relief, so too did a wave a nausea crash over the Cerulean girl, forcing her to empty the contents of her stomach on the floor as her body trembled in orgasm.

Misty gasped for air as the world around her slowed down and stopped spinning, a sour taste in her mouth and a sickening smell in her nose. Her orgasm had left a sizable patch of translucent fluid on the bench and her fingers were coated in the sticky substance, yet for Misty the wonderful sensation was completely overshadowed by the sickening feeling in her stomach. This hadn’t been the first time since her return from Vulcan Island, and she felt a cold core of fear in her stomach as she stood on shaky feet, staring at the mess she made and wondering… What was wrong with her… And what did it mean?

-

It was just after lunch when Max laid down on his bed, arms under his head as his gaze roamed over the ceiling of his old bedroom. It had been so long since he had been here, in the room where he had spent the nights of his early childhood, until he started traveling with his sister and their friends at the age of nine. Now, a little over seven years later, he couldn’t help but notice how small his old bedroom seemed. The Slakoth wallpaper seemed so… foreign to him now; he no longer felt any connection to it.

After finishing Third Place in the Battle of the Champions Tournament, Max had decided to take a break and return home. It had been quite a while since he had seen his parents, and their reunion had been great. However, when talk moved towards Max’s future, he had discovered he no longer knew what he wanted. Before the Tournament, the young Petalburg prodigy had earned two badges in the Sinnoh region, but he no longer felt like Sinnoh was the way he wanted to go. Traveling through Sinnoh meant travelling alone, and that was something the Tournament on Vulcan Island had definitely shown him he didn’t want to do anymore.

His eyes traveled down, eventually finding the aged, crackled world map that hung from his wall. Hoenn, Sinnoh, Johto… Kanto…

Maybe… Maybe competing in the Indigo League was a good way to go? Somehow, the more Max considered it, the better he felt about it. For Ash, it had all started in Kanto and retracing his idol’s steps had an unmistakable appeal to Max. Besides, traveling through Kanto meant he was only a few hours away from all his friends! Ash and May near Viridian City, Brock in Pewter City… Misty… in Cerulean City…

A sudden light thumping sound roused Max from his thoughts and forced him to focus on the white egg he had so mysteriously come to possess while on Vulcan Island. It was shaking slightly as it lay in the makeshift crib Max had made out of an empty trashcan stuffed with a few towels.

“What… You think I should go to Kanto too?” Max chuckled as he stood up and inspected the egg closer. As if it could actually understand what he was saying…

The egg let out a particularly powerful shake, which seemed to indicate it could understand Max just fine. Max looked on in awed surprise.

“Okay, I guess you actually can understand me… Either that or I’m starting to go mental, talking to eggs and all that… Anyway, Kanto it is! I guess I should give Professor Oak a call, see if he can tell me where and how to start.”

He didn’t like loafing around, life felt so much better with a goal in mind. His fingers were about to press the buttons on his PokeGear when it suddenly rang on its own accord, the display showing “Dawn Calling…”

“Hmmm? Dawn? Why would she be calling?” Max wondered aloud, before accepting the call.

“Hello, this is Max speaking, how are you Dawn?”

“…”

 “!!!”

“Hold on, hold on, slow down! What did you say?... ZOEY BROKE HER WHAT-?!”

-

The sun shone brightly in the sky, its light streaming down in clear sparkling rays through the forest’s canopy as Iris and Ritchie walked along a swirling dirt road, somewhere just past the border from Johto into Kanto. Iris, bursting with energy as always, had taken to the trees, swinging from branch to branch and taking in the beauty of the Kanto region from a higher vantage point. Ritchie much preferred the safety of solid ground though, while Iris’ faithful Fraxure had little choice but to stay on the ground. After having evolved, his new body simply didn’t allow him to tag along with Iris, let alone traverse the treetops on his own. It made the young dragon sad, the bonding time with his trainer sorely missed. At least he had Sparky now, Ritchie’s Pikachu was always up for a game and he had gotten to like the little mouse a lot.

“Iris! Are you sure you should be doing that?!” Ritchie called out as they went along, an edge of worry in his voice. If it hadn’t been for his fear of heights, he would’ve gladly joined her. His bushy-haired girlfriend let out a sparkling laugh, sailing through the air before landing in the branches of another tree with the agility of a cat.

“Oh, stop worrying Ritchie! This is great; you should try it out sometimes! I can’t believe how different Kanto is compared to Unova.” Ritchie sighed, scrathing the back of his head.

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about! Do I need to remind you you’ve been sick for the past two days? I mean, just this morning you couldn’t even hold your breakfast down! I really think you should get down from there!”

Iris let out an annoyed huff. If there was one thing she hated it was people thinking she was weak and vulnerable. Well, she wasn’t! She was a dragon master in the making!

“Humph! That was nothing! It’ll take a lot more than an upset stomach to get ME down!”

With an agitated grunt, she leapt down landing on Ritchie’s precious solid earth with a jarring impact.

“There… Are you happy-… urgh… n-now?-…” as she raised herself a feeling of nausea, all too familiar these last two days, suddenly rose into her throat.

“Yes sweetie, very happy…” Ritchie remarked quasi-sarcastic, before he noticed a sudden unsteadiness in Iris’ stance. “Are… Are you okay?”

A moment later, Iris rushed past him and behind a tree. As soon as she was out of sight, Ritchie heard the familiar splatter of half-digested food a hard surface. “Oh no, not again!”

He quickly followed her, rubbing her shoulders softly and keeping her massive amounts of hair away from her mouth as a second loads splattered against the tree’s base.

“That’s it… First town we find, I’m taking you to see a doctor Iris!” Ritchie said in a tone that was soothing while leaving no doubt that he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

After one final retch, Iris straightened herself shakily.  She wiped a few stray tears from her eyes, before replying in a raspy voice.

“Yeah, I give up. You win on this one… This definitely isn’t normal…” Ritchie gently supported her as she wobbled back to the open road.

“All right, just take it easy Iris, don’t overdo it. There’s a small town nearby, ten maybe twelve kilometer away. We can be there in an hour or two… Unless, unless you want to fly there on Zippo?” he offered. Iris had to choke back a fresh wave of nausea just thinking about flying on the great Charizard’s back again. On any other day and in any other state, she would’ve been fine with it, but now she preferred to have both feet firmly on terra firma.

Ritchie picked up on her reluctance with ease, rubbing his nose awkwardly. “Right, I didn’t think you would… If only we had something like Zoey’s Tauros or something…”

Just then, Iris’ Pokegear vibrated in the pocket of her pants, humming a jungle-like ringtone as she retrieved it.

“Well, speak of the devil Ritch… It’s Zoey!” Iris brought the phone to her ear and answered, moving a bit out of Ritchie’s hearing range as she did, more out of habit than anything.

He was curious as to why Zoey would call them. Sure, they had bonded a bit during the tournament on Vulcan Island, but he wouldn’t consider them close friends just yet. So why call now?

Unless.

Unless…

Ritchie saw his own shock of realization mirrored in the face of his girlfriend as she hung up. Joining him again, she spoke at a rapid pace, sickness and nausea made place for determination and purpose.

“Scratch that Ritchie, pull Zippo out and get him ready for flight. We need to get to Sinnoh as quickly as possible!” he nodded in consent.

“Right! What about Fraxure? Should we tie him under Zippo’s belly again?” Iris faltered for a moment, collecting her thoughts before she turned to her draconic friend with an apologetic look on her face.

“No, I don’t think that’ll work… We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and Fraxure would slow us down and tire Zippo out.” With a heavy heart, she pulled an old but pristine Pokeball from her backpack and pointed it towards Fraxure. “Sorry sweetie, I know you don’t like this… but this is an emergency!”

Fraxure let out a low rumbling whine, but he saw the look on his trainer’s face and knew there was no other way.

Giving the ground a sad slap with his tail, he nodded his tusked face and only just managed to repress a shudder as the Pokeball’s red light pulled him in.

“I promise it won’t be for long… I’ll let you out as soon as I can” Iris murmured affectionately before she joined Ritchie who had summoned Zippo and was just finished tying their belongings on to the special saddlebags they had purchased for the fire-type.

“You ready for this?” he turned to her.

“I am, let’s do this! We need to get to Zoey and the others!”

With Ritchie’s help, she climbed on top of Zippo, hissing momentarily as Ritchie clumsily grasped her bosom as he helped her up.

“Ow! Watch out Ritchie… Those are tender.”

“Ah shit, sorry sweetie… You ready to go then?”

“Hmmm-mmm!” she murmured, bracing herself as Zippo took to the sky, roaring loudly as they flew over the forests of Kanto, passing villages and cities much faster than they could’ve ever done on foot.

-

Twinleaf Town… Such a quiet town… Peaceful, bright, friendly and not to mention a way better climate than Snowpoint City had been ‘blessed’ with. Zoey could see why Dawn loved this place and she had to wonder what it must’ve been like for her blue-haired girlfriend, growing up here. The pregnant girl let her eyes roam across the living room as she was lying on her back on a sofa, Dawn’s favorite sofa, if her mother was to be believed. Zoey had only been here for little over a week, living with Dawn and her mother, and she already felt more at home than she could recall ever feeling in Snowpoint City.

But, then again, her feelings towards her childhood home in northern Sinnoh were probably overshadowed, ever since she returned home from the Tournament and had to break the news of her pregnancy to her parents…

-

“I don’t understand… I really don’t understand!” her father babbled as he walked around in circles in the living room. He let out a groan as he scratched himself behind the head, streaks of grey already advancing on what little blond hair he had left. Reginald Williams looked upon his daughter once again, as if he felt a need to confirm what he had seen when he opened the door for her. Blinking his eyes and clearing his head hadn’t caused his daughter’s pregnant belly to disappear.

“W-… Why-… Th-…” nothing came out right, all a stuttering mess as Zoey just stood there, flanked by Dawn on one side and Delia Ketchum on the other. Arceus, that woman had been a blessing. She had not only offered her tips, but she had also promised to support her when she would finally tell her parents about her pregnancy. Which was, well… now.

“Why didn’t you tell about… about THIS before Zoey?!” her father finally managed to choke out, causing his wife, the dashing red-head on the couch, to let out a quiet sob.

“I know and I’m so SO sorry that I never told you!” she blurted out, her voice as choked up as her father’s. “I just-… I didn’t want to saddle you up with the mess that I created!”
“And I darn fine mess it is, too!” her father agreed, an unmistakable edge of anger clear in his voice. He sat himself down on the couch besides his wife. “And where’s the father, Zoey?! Last time I checked, it takes two to create a mess like this! Where’s the bastard who got my sweet innocent 19-year old little girl pregnant?!”

Zoey swallowed, fighting back tears as she let her head hang down, eyes downcast and not facing her father’s faded blue eyes.

“I… don’t know…” she confessed, her voice a feeble squeak. Had she looked up, she could’ve clearly noticed a twitch in her father’s left eye, as well as a vein bulging dangerously at his temple.

“WHAT?!” Zoey cringed, breaking out in tears as her father nearly exploded in anger.

“You mean to tell me you got pregnant, and you don’t even know by WHOM!? Just how many guys have you been sleeping around with then?! For Arceus’ sake, child, I thought we raised you with some goddamn morals!”

At this, Delia Ketchum stepped forward, shielding the crying form of Zoey in some effect as she spoke in a clear, determined voice.

“Please, mister Williams, calm down! As a parent myself I know this is a lot to take in-…”

Zoey’s father scoffed, eyeing the brown-haired woman with undisguised anger. “I bloody well doubt you do!”

“Even so, you need to calm down and let us explain! I’ve gotten to know your daughter pretty well over the last couple of weeks and I can assure you, this whole situation has nothing to do with a lack of morals!” Delia pressed on, undeterred by Reginald’s rude interruptions. She continued to explain, sometimes assisted by a sniffling Zoey, how Zoey had attended a party when she began her Unova journey, and how she made the honest mistake of drinking too much alcohol, ending up in bed with a so-far unknown male before finding out she was pregnant a few weeks later. When she finished, Zoey’s father remained ill-tempered.

“So, Ketchum… What you’re telling me is, that the father of my daughter’s baby is SOMEWHERE in Unova, not even REMOTELY aware of what he did to my DAUGHTER?!” he slammed his fist on his knee, unable to contain his rage.
“Arceus above, we can forget all about a marriage then! What a fuckin’ mess…” he sighed wistfully. Her attention peaked, Zoey’s head snapped up, looking her father dead in the eye.

“W-… Dad, what do you mean, marriage?!”

“You know damn well what I mean, Zoey” her father scoffed. “A child should NEVER be born out of wedlock!”

“Wha-? Dad?!… If you knew who the father of my baby was… You would FORCE us to get married?!” Zoey seethed incredulously.

“Of course I would!” her father retorted. “You need a man to support you, to protect you, to protect your baby!” Reginald raged, standing up from the couch to face his daughter on equal level. Said daughter wiped away the tears in her eyes with a  furious swipe.

“ I don’t need ANY support, least of all from some GUY who’s too stupid to take his responsibility!” she snapped. Her father let out a humorless laugh.

“Pfah! I can see that! If you didn’t need no support, then why did you come home now?! Arceus, Zoey, if only you had told us sooner, we could’ve taken precautions!”

“Precautions?! What kind of precautions?” Zoey asked, subconsciously taking a step back as she started to realize she no longer knew her father as well as she always thought she did.

“Anything!” her father bristled, throwing his arms in the air. “We could’ve arranged an adoption! Hell, if you had only told us when this all began, we could’ve even had it remo-…”

“NO!” Dawn suddenly interjected, she could be silent no longer, stepping forward as her eyes seemed to radiate with anger. “Don’t say it… Don’t you even DARE say it! Above all, your daughter LOVES that baby! I’ve seen Zoey’s eyes light up every single time she felt it, so don’t even think for a SECOND that abortion would have been an option!” she scoffed, as Zoey’s father seemed to shake with repressed anger. Dawn pushed on.

“And for what?!  So that you don’t lose face?! Or is it because that damn church of yours forbids you?!”

“I’m sorry…” Reginald Williams almost spat at her, his voice thick with barely contained anger. “But I don’t believe we’ve been introduced yet… miss… So would you kindly tell me who you are and what gives you the GODDAMN RIGHT to speak to me like that?!”

Dawn replied, not in the least bit intimidated by Zoey’s father, her voice even.

“My name is Dawn. I’m from Twinleaf Town and a coordinator just like Zoey. And I just so happen to be her GIRLFRIEND, too!”

The silence that followed was sharp as knife’s edge…

“THAT’S IT! This is TOO MUCH!” Zoey’s father raged, slamming a painting from the wall in anger. “Not only is my daughter, my ONLY DAUGHTER, pregnant and fuckin’ READY TO POP… She’s also turned into a GODFORSAKEN LESBIAN! My own FLESH and BLOOD!”

“Reginald!” Zoey’s mother cried out, rushing up to restrain her husband.

“Sir! There’s no need for this!” Delia joined in as Dawn wrapped a protective arm around Zoey behind her. Zoey’s father eyed Delia and Dawn visciously.

“You two… OUT! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” he cried out, pointing a shaking fist to the door before he eyed his daughter. “As for YOU… Get up to your room! You’re grounded for the rest of your LIFE girl, while I figure out how to deal with this MESS!” Zoey’s face darkened, new tears streaming down, but she held her ground, despite her father’s torrent of rage.

“No…” she stated flatly. “If that is how it is, I’m NOT going to my room dad… In fact, don’t expect me to stay for even a SECOND longer if THIS is how you plan to treat me!”

Reginald seemed to almost explode.

 “I am your FATHER, girl and you WILL obey me!”
“You’re not acting very FATHER-LIKE if you ask me!” Zoey bit back, balling her fists. Her father spluttered indignantly before he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“My word is LAW as long as you live under my ROOF, girl! NOW GET UP THERE AND OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

“If that’s what you want, YOU CAN HAVE IT! I’m LEAVING!” Zoey threw back, her voice cracking as she turned around leaving parents dumbstruck as Delia and Dawn followed her.

“I’m LEAVING” she reinstated, “and if you EVER want to see me or your grandchild again, you had better come up with a DAMN good apology! GOODBYE”

With that, she left through the front door, leaving her parents dumbstruck as the door slammed shut with a whole new sense of finality.

-

That had been more than a week ago, Zoey concluded as the last shreds of her recollection faded to the back of her mind. Dawn entered the living room and crouched by her side. She pressed a gentle kiss to her face, just below her right eye, kissing away the single tear that the memory of her parents had summoned.

“Everything all right?” Dawn softly murmured as she hugged her close. “What were you thinking about?”

“Oh, you know…” Zoey scoffed softly. “This and that… The baby… My parents…”

“I-… I’m so sorry about that… About how all that worked out…”

“Eh, don’t be… It’s not your fault… I just-… never thought my dad  would lash out like that…”

“Well, you’ve still got us, remember?! And let’s not forget Ash, May, Misty and Max, and everyone else too! We’ll be with you all the way…”

“I know, luv… I know…”

After a few minutes of quiet embrace, Zoey gently nudged her girlfriend.

“Help me up for a sec, will you? I’ve been lying here for hours… I need to move a little.”

“Oh of course! Steady now…” Dawn assisted her, finally managing to get the whole bulk that was Zoey’s body up and standing on their second attempt.

“I could use a bit of OJ right now… Do you want some?” Zoey offered as she waggled her way towards the kitchen, an arm draped over her big belly.

“No thanks love! I’ll get some by myself when I need it!” Dawn replied.

Just as Zoey crossed the border between kitchen and living room, she let out a sharp yelp as a sharp pain stabbed through her stomach.
“Zoey?! Are you okay?” Dawn was by her side in an instant, supporting in any way she could.

“I… I think so… I don’t know-…” the young red-head gasped until a second throb interrupted her. Her eyes widened as she felt a sudden wetness between her thighs, streaming down her legs and leaving dark stains on her jogging pants, eventually forming a small pool of clear liquid on the kitchen floor.

“Oh god… the baby!” she groaned out as Dawn too noticed her fluids dripping down her legs.

“Oh shit!”