AUTHOR'S NOTE: Asterisks denote *whispering*.

Teach Me

by Havoc

"The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life."

-Plato

------

Darin has been out late a lot this week, Fela thought to herself. I wonder what he's up to?

Fela was a Delcatty, a feline pokémon with lustrous tan fur over most of her body, except for a collar of puffy purple fur and long purple ears. And right now she was an extremely bored Delcatty. From her seat on the couch in the living room of her trainer's apartment, she could see the clock. She was always forgetting what Darin, her trainer, had taught her about telling the exact time, but from the position of the hands she knew that it was growing late. The darkness of the sky outside above Rustboro City confirmed her estimation. She sighed and gave a dejected little flip of her tail. The television was on, and she was watching a show about Pokémon Contests, but that could only hold her attention for so long. And she had a sneaking suspicion that she'd seen this episode a few times before. To make matters worse, she was hungry and her food was too high up for her to reach. Darin would be getting a piece of her mind when he got home.

To be fair, he'd had a lot to think about lately. He'd accidentally allowed his Trainer Card to expire a while ago, and the Pokémon League was being very slow about sending him the renewed license. So that meant that he and Fela were effectively stuck at home until the new card arrived. On top of that, his girlfriend had broken up with him barely a month ago and he had still been down about that when the license fiasco occurred, so he was currently a little out of sorts.

"But that's no excuse for leaving me alone and hungry!" Fela said to the air. Her words came out in English rather than the pokémon language that one might have expected. One of Darin's more successful educational ventures had been teaching the Delcatty how to talk. This ability made their training easier and allowed Fela to be a little more independent than most trained pokémon would have been. And it was always good for a laugh when an unsuspecting person heard her having a conversation with Darin.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the loud click of the front door being unlocked. Fela flipped herself off of the couch and ran to the foyer. She arranged her face into an angry expression as the door swung open. Darin stood there, looking down with surprise to see Fela waiting for him. He was a young man, twenty-two years old, and he stood around six feet tall, putting Fela's head at about waist level when compared to him. He wore his brown hair short, and had glasses over his dark blue eyes.

"Hey, Fela," he said. "Didn't expect you to be waiting up for me. It's almost ten o'clock."

"Yeah, what a surprise," Fela growled.

Her trainer eyed her nervously. She was a good three feet long, not including her tail, and could be a bit intimidating when she was angry. "Geez, what did I do to you? You could've just gone to bed, you know."

"It's kind of hard to go to bed when you're hungry!"

Darin clapped a hand to his forehead. "I forgot to set your food out before I left!" he groaned. "I'm sorry, you must be starving. I'll get you something right now."

He rushed into the kitchen with Fela hot on his heels. Inside a cupboard sat a huge bag full of her favorite pokémon food. He got her bowl out and filled it up, setting it on the table. Fela wouldn't be treated like a pet, and insisted on sitting at the table when she ate. She hopped up on all fours on the chair, sitting just like a housecat, and dug into the food voraciously. Darin sat down at the opposite end and watched her eat.

When the very last morsel was gone, Fela gave a contented sigh. "Don't ever do that to me again," she said. She looked at Darin. "Where were you, anyway? You've been staying out late for the past few nights."

Darin blinked, seeming as though he had just realized she was talking to him. "Sorry, what?"

"Where were you?" Fela repeated.

"Oh, right." Darin sat up a little straighter. "You remember how Julia broke up with me last month, don't you?"

Fela looked at him funny. "Please don't tell me you've been trying to get her to take you back."

"No, no, nothing like that." Her trainer looked to the side. "You know how last week I went to the Pretty Petal Flower Shop just outside of town to get something to put out on the balcony? Well, while I was there, I saw one of the girls that works there." He smiled a little sheepishly. "And she's really pretty."

Fela grinned. "Darin, good for you. So you've been seeing this girl this past week?"

The smile faded from Darin's face. "Er, no...not exactly."

Confusion fell over Fela. "So...why be out late, then?"

Darin shifted uncomfortably. "See...I've kind of been hanging around outside the shop. Watching her." There was a long pause. A car horn blared outside.

"Darin," Fela finally said. "That's really, really creepy."

"I know, I know," Darin said, putting his head in his hands. "I just can't work up the nerve to go in and talk to her."

Fela put her front paws on the table and leaned up. "It's not that hard. Just go in and ask her out."

"Fela, you know I'm no good with girls. That's why Julia broke up with me. I can't do anything right when I'm around a girl."

"You do alright around me."

"You don't count."

Fela puffed out her cheeks. "Excuse me!"

"Oh, you know that's not what I meant. I mean human girls."

Fela watched Darin for a moment. She could read the lack of confidence in the way he was sitting. He was propping his chin up in one hand, and was slouching in his chair. Moreover, depression was written all over his face. "This is getting you down a lot more than it should."

Darin looked up at her. "Do you know what happens in seven days?" Fela shook her head. "It's Valentine's Day in seven days. I haven't been alone on Valentine's Day in five years. If I can't work up the nerve to talk to this girl in seven days, I'm going to be miserable."

"It's not that bad," Fela said. "I've been alone every Valentine's Day I've been alive. It doesn't bother me any."

Her trainer sighed. "You just don't understand..." He stood up and walked to the hallway.

Fela twisted around in her chair. "Where are you going?" she called after him.

"Bed," Darin answered. "Maybe I'll have a better day tomorrow. Turn off the TV before you go to sleep." He walked into his room and closed the door, leaving it cracked just a little bit. He always left it cracked in case Fela needed him during the night.

The Delcatty hopped off of her chair and went back into the living room. The TV was showing a boring infomercial. She shut it off with a swipe of her front paw and then curled up on the couch. Her mind went to work. She didn't like seeing Darin in such a pathetic state. This total lack of drive that he was showing was despicable.

What's the problem? she thought. Go in, talk to the girl. Simple. That's how she would do it, if she was in his position. In fact, if she was in his position, she was pretty sure she would have had a new girlfriend by now. But it had been a month since it (she preferred to think of Julia that way) had dumped Darin.

A stray thought flashed through her head. Maybe he just doesn't know what girls want. Her eyes widened involuntarily. That must be it! He hooked up with it while he was still in high school. He doesn't have any frame of reference! Fela's mouth widened into a feline smile. So you just need a little education, is that it, Darin? Well, I'll see what I can do about that.

------

Light flooded through Darin's eyelids, which confused him, since the lights should have been off and he normally kept the blinds shut in his bedroom. He squeezed them together tighter, trying to shut the brightness out. That worked a little bit, but then he felt something join him on the bed. He thought he must be dreaming, so he rolled over and tried to make himself comfortable.

"Daaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrin..."

His eyes snapped open. Fela's face, framed by the morning sunlight streaming in through the open blinds, was inches away from his. He jumped back about a foot, nearly falling off the bed.

"Wakey-wakey," Fela said.

"Fela! What are you...?" Darin looked around the room. "What time is it?"

Fela sat up on her haunches. "Morning. What does it matter what time it is exactly?"

Darin finally found his watch on the bedside table. "It's seven o'clock," he said. "Why did you wake me up so early?"

Fela was idly cleaning her face with one paw. "Today, we're going to begin your training."

"My training? What are you talking about?"

"You have a problem," Fela said. She looked him square in the eyes. "You have zero confidence with girls. Today we change that. I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about what a girl wants."

Darin frowned. "Oh yeah? What would you know?"

"Well," Fela said, looking to either side and whispering conspiratorially, "I do happen to be female, you see. So I sort of have an insider's perspective."

"Oh, I see."

Fela straightened up and thrust out her chest. "Now, you get dressed, mister!" she barked. "Meet me by the front door when you're ready. I'll make sure you have the tools to get a girl by Valentine's Day, or my name isn't Fela! Now move it!" She jumped off the bed and tore down the hall.

Bemused, Darin got out of bed and went to the dresser. He started pulling on shorts and a T-shirt, but then Fela yelled from the living room.

"Darin! Wear something nice. Don't just pull on shorts and a T-shirt, or anything!"

Grumbling, Darin stripped off what he'd selected and went digging around for pants and a nice shirt. It was starting to look like today would be a very strange day. He settled on a good pair of jeans and a green polo. After strapping his watch on and grabbing his wallet and keys, he left and walked out into the living room. Fela was waiting for him in front of the door.

She looked him over. "Very good," she pronounced. "You look halfway presentable when you're not dressed like a teenager." She shook her head in the direction of the door. "Well, don't just stand there, let's get going."

"Where are we going?" Darin asked, stepping past her to unlock the door.

"The Pretty Petal Flower Shop, of course," Fela said. "Come on, get a move on. Your training starts once we arrive there."

------

Pretty Petal Flower Shop was situated in a wooded area just south of Rustboro City. To get to the shop, one had to cross over a long wooden bridge over a lake, and then walk about three hundred yards along a cleared path. The shop looked very old-timey, with a wooden storefront and an ornate carved sign upon which the name was emblazoned in bright pink. Outside, there were rows of berry plants for sale. Customers would go inside and pay a specified price for the variety of their choice and an employee would go out and dig up the tree, bundling up the roots so that the purchaser could take it home and replant it. Inside were flowers and ornamental plants of every imaginable species and color. You could find a plant to match any décor. Even Darin had been in a few times to get something to brighten up the apartment.

Going inside now, though, felt like the last thing he wanted to do. "Is this really necessary?" he asked Fela, as they stood outside the shop.

Fela looked up at him. "Do you want to be alone on Valentine's Day?"

"No, but-"

"Then, yes, this is necessary. I'm going to help you gain the skills you need to woo the girl of your choice." She nudged his leg with her head. "The first step is to go inside."

Darin reluctantly began the walk to the front door. "And then what?"

"Just go in and pick something out. Anything, as long as you can afford it, but try to make it a nice colorful flower arrangement. Lots of reds and yellows are good. You want to draw her attention. Once you've done that, I'll tell you what to do next."

Upon entering the store, a bell jingled. With a jolt to his heart, Darin saw that the girl he'd been eyeing was at the cash register right next to the entrance. She was just as pretty as he remembered. She had long, curly red hair and sage green eyes. Underneath the flower shop apron that employees wore, she had on a bright yellow shirt. He couldn't see what she was wearing on her legs, but he'd seen her wearing khaki gardener's pants on previous occasions. She smiled when she saw him, and he swallowed and walked stiffly into the store. He ducked down an aisle with Fela at his side. Once he was out of the girl's sight, he relaxed a little bit.

"We're the only ones here," he whispered anxiously.

"Don't worry about that," Fela said. "Just do what I say and you'll be fine. We're just going to concentrate on talking to her today, and maybe a little more if you're doing well."

Trying not to think about how nervous he was, Darin started browsing around the flower selection. There was a lot to choose from. Roses and tulips were in season right now, and the prices were lower than normal, although still kind of expensive. But there were some great looking varieties of flowers that were a little more affordable. He settled on a nice little arrangement of bright red Corn poppies. He looked down at Fela, and she nodded her approval. Darin carried the flowers up to the cash register.

The girl smiled as he approached. "Did you find everything okay?" she asked as he set the flowers on the counter.

"Yes," Darin said. "I...uh..." He swallowed nervously. "Seems like you're...having a pretty slow day here."

The girl nodded. "Yeah, Sundays are quiet for us." She moved to ring up the flowers, and then glanced back at him. "I've seen you around before, haven't I? Do you live nearby here?"

"Oh, yeah," Darin said. "I live in the city. But I come out here a lot to...see the sights."

Oh, brother, Fela thought, rolling her eyes. She whispered up to Darin. *Introduce yourself. Give her a reason to keep talking to you.*

"Uh...My name's Darin," he said.

The girl smiled again. She had very white teeth. "Nice to meet you, Darin. My name is Maria." She held out a hand, and he shook it, hoping that his palms were not sweaty. "So, what do you do, Darin?"

"Oh, I'm a Pokémon Trainer," Darin said, a little bit of his anxiety starting to go away.

"Really?" Maria asked. "I've always thought that would be a lot of fun. What kind of pokémon do you train?"

Darin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, right now, none. I accidentally let my license expire, so I'm waiting for the League to send me a replacement." He looked down. "Right now, Fela here is the only one I can legally keep with me outside of my home."

Maria looked over the counter and saw Fela. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest thing!" she gushed. Fela gave an innocent mewl and allowed the young woman to pat her on the head. "That's a shame that you have to wait. So I guess you're kind of stranded until the situation clears up, aren't you?"

"Pretty much," Darin said. At that moment, the front door opened and an older woman came in.

"Excuse me, Miss," she said to Maria. "I'd like to buy one of the Cheri plants you have outside."

"Of course, ma'am," Maria said. She looked back at Darin. "Pardon me just a minute." She moved off to deal with the other customer.

While she was away, Fela took the opportunity to speak to Darin. "You're doing great," she said. "She seems as though she likes you!"

"You think so?" Darin asked hopefully. "What do I do now?"

"I think you should ask her out. For coffee, or something."

Darin looked uncertain. "Are you sure? I mean, you don't think it's too soon for that?"

"Look, Darin, you've got to be proactive about this. She asked you about what you do. That means she's at least a little interested. Go for it!"

A few minutes later Maria returned, wiping her hands off on her apron. "Sorry about that," she said.

"Oh, that's okay," Darin said. He took a deep breath. "Listen, this might seem a little sudden, and I understand if you're busy or whatever, but I was just wondering...Would you like to go grab some coffee sometime?"

Maria blinked. "Like...a date?"

Darin felt his cheeks grow a little warm. "Yeah, a date."

Maria looked apologetic. "I'd love to, but...I'm kind of here all day today and tomorrow."

"Oh," Darin said, his heart sinking. "I get it. I guess people who have a regular job don't have a lot of time."

"But I'm free on Tuesday," Maria said quickly. "I mean, if you are, too."

"Tuesday is perfect," Darin said, his spirits rising again. "I know this great place in the city. It's called the Fountain Café. Do you know where that is?"

"I do."

"Great! Then how about we meet there on Tuesday, around three o'clock?"

"I'll be there," Maria said with yet another smile.

Darin couldn't wipe the grin off his face. He started for the door with his flowers in hand. Fela followed.

"Darin!" Maria called.

He turned back around at the door.

She pointed at the flowers. "You forgot to pay for those."

"What?" Darin looked confused, then laughed. "Right." He walked back to the counter. "Sorry."

------

Darin and Fela went straight back to his apartment after they left the flower shop. Darin was flush with success. He had just asked out a girl for the first date with a girl who wasn't Julia in five years, and she said yes! They arrived back at the building and went up. Fela headed for the living room and got in her favorite spot on the couch while Darin kicked his shoes off, set the flowers down on the kitchen counter, and followed her.

"Darin, I'm proud of you," Fela said as he took a seat next to her. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No," Darin admitted. "It was pretty easy." He leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "So what happens now?"

Fela scratched behind her ear. "Now comes the first segment of Part B of my patented attraction plan."

"Patented?"

"As of today." Fela lay down on her spot, tucking her legs underneath her body. "Darin, I'm going to ask you some personal stuff, but the answers are essential to your wellbeing over this educational process."

Darin looked uncertain. "O...kay."

"What was your relationship like, privately speaking, with..." She choked a little. "...Julia?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"I'm talking about sex, Darin, sex! How much, how often, and what kind?"

Darin blushed furiously. "Hey, what does that have to do with anything?"

Fela spoke as though to a small child. "Well, Darin, when a man and a woman love each other very much, sometimes the man will-"

"I know what sex is, Fela, thanks." Darin put a hand over his eyes. "I mean, why are you asking?"

"Because this is a comprehensive education program," Fela explained. "And I need to know what kinds of things I'm going to need to explain to you."

Darin narrowed his eyes. "And just what exactly would you know about the subject?"

Fela sat up, staring right at him. "I've had my share of escapades, I'll have you know. There's a lot of nice male pokémon in this city, if you know where to look. How do you know where I've been while you're out during the day?"

"Too much information, Fela." Darin did not especially want to picture his Delcatty with all manner of random male pokémon. Geez, what's she thinking? I don't want to have to deal with a litter of kittens. There's barely enough room in this apartment for the two of us. "I just hope you're being careful."

"Of course I am." Fela whipped her tail at his leg. "Now, answer my question."

Darin tugged at his collar. Fela couldn't have known, but this was a rather sensitive subject with him. "To tell the truth...uh...how do I say this..." He scratched his head. "Uh, Julia was...well she was always talking about saving herself for marriage, you know...and so..." He trailed off.

Fela cocked her head. "Are you saying you never had sex with her?" She looked at Darin's nodding head, dumbfounded. "You were together for five years, and you never even touched the girl? What the hell were you staying with her for?" She shook her head. "Well, no matter. It's not as though Julia was the only girlfriend you ever had."

"Uh...," Darin said, his face the approximate color of a fire engine. "Actually..."

Fela hung her head. "Darin, are you trying to tell me that you're a twenty-two-year-old virgin?"

Darin wasn't looking at her anymore. "That's about the size of it."

Oh, man, Fela thought. We've got a much longer ways to go than I realized. Aloud, she said, "Do you even know the right way to kiss a girl?"

His head snapped back up. "Sure, I know how to kiss a girl!"

"All right, then," Fela said. She got right up in Darin's face. "Prove it."

"What?"

"Kiss me!" Fela ordered. "Prove to me that you know how to do it right."

Darin stared at her. This was surreal. Kiss a pokémon? Kiss his pokémon? "Are you insane?"

"Come on, just man up and do it," Fela said. "It's not a big deal." She waved her tail and stuck her cat-like face even closer to his. "If you really know how, then it shouldn't be a problem at all."

"Geez, all right, don't get all worked up." He took a deep breath. She is just trying to help after all, and she did really help me out back at the flower shop. Leaning forward, he touched his lips to Fela's, and then pulled his head back almost immediately.

She did not look pleased. "What was that?" she hissed. "What am I, your sister? Remember, I'm supposed to be the girl of your dreams. Act like it!"

"But that's how I kissed Julia," Darin protested.

"Listen to me, Darin. Not every girl is a prude like she apparently was. Most people want to feel something when they kiss." She leaned closer to him. "I'll show you how it's done."

Before Darin could formulate a protest in his head, Fela clamped her mouth down over his. She put her tongue out, probing against Darin's lips and forcing them open. He felt it flit inside his mouth, rubbing against his own tongue. Fela's was rough and tickled the inside of his mouth. Her breath blew against his cheek. After a minute or so, she let him go.

"Do you understand, now?" she asked. "That's how you ought to kiss someone. Now you try." She tilted her head a little to the side. "If it helps, hold my head with one hand. Some girls like a little extra touch when you kiss them. And take your glasses off. They get in the way. In fact, from now on wear your contacts. I know you have them."

Darin rolled his eyes. "All these orders."

"Just get on with it!"

Sighing, Darin removed his glasses and set them on the arm of the couch. Fela was waiting expectantly, her eyes closed. I wish she'd open her eyes. This is weird. He inched a little closer to her face. Okay, this isn't a big deal. She might be a pokémon, but this is just for practice. It's not like it counts.

"I'm waaaaaaaaaaiting," Fela said.

Choking down his reservations, Darin put a hand out and cupped the side of Fela's face. Her nose twitched a little bit. He closed the gap and kissed her. The trainer tried to imitate what Fela had just demonstrated. He extended his tongue. She parted her lips readily to accept it. Her mouth felt warm and welcoming, nothing like what Julia's had ever felt like. Darin was surprised to find that he kind of liked this way of kissing. It felt...more involved than what he'd become used to. Fela twirled her tongue around his, joining him in the kiss. He ran his tongue along every inch of the inside of her mouth.

When he finished and leaned back, Fela looked pleased. "Now that's a kiss," she purred. "Very good. I could really feel that one."

"Yeah?" Darin said. "That was good?"

"Mm-hm," Fela said. "For a first-timer, anyway." She got up on all fours and stretched her back out. "I think that's enough for today. How about some lunch?"

Darin smiled. "That sounds good."

"Now, don't forget how to kiss like that, but also don't forget this," she said, as Darin got up to prepare lunch for both of them. "You should save that kind of kiss for when she feels comfortable with you. I think you'll be able to figure out when that is, but keep that in mind."

"All right," Darin said, pulling Fela's food down from the cupboard. "I can't wait for Tuesday, though."

Fela walked into the kitchen. "Don't get ahead of yourself," she warned. "We still have tomorrow, you know." At Darin's curious look, she explained. "You didn't think this was it for my training, did you? I'm going to be with you every step of the way, and tomorrow we're going out on the town to get you ready for your date."

------

The next morning, Monday, Fela woke Darin up bright and early the same as the day before. He got dressed and they ate breakfast together, but Fela would not tell him what they were going to do today to prepare for Tuesday. She saved the explanation for when they were outside and on the city streets. As he walked towards the city center, with Fela trotting along beside him, she finally told him what was on the agenda for the day.

"Today, we're going to learn how to look presentable for a first date," Fela said. "Now, I don't have much personal experience with human customs, of course, but I have seen a lot on television shows to know what to do."

"Oh, great," Darin said sarcastically. "I'm glad to know that I'm in the hands, er, paws of an expert."

The Delcatty butted against him reprovingly. "Don't joke. I won't steer you wrong. Just trust me. The customs may be different, but a female's feelings are the same regardless of species."

Fela led him through the city to the fashion district. She stopped outside a fancy-looking hair stylist, and bade him to go inside. He looked skeptical, but knew that Fela was the best advisor he had right now, so he decided to trust her judgement and entered the place.

"Okay, Fela, what are we doing here?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Fela responded. "You're going to get your hair done."

Darin frowned. "Why? I just got a haircut last week."

"There are haircuts, and then there are haircuts," Fela said cryptically. "You'll find that the difference is clear. You got your hair cut, yes, but take a look at yourself in the mirror." She indicated the mirrors that lined the walls of the fancy boutique.

Darin looked at his hair, not seeing what she was talking about. "I don't see anything wrong with my hair."

Fela sighed. "And that is why you have me." They walked up to the counter. The woman behind it greeted Darin.

"Hello, young man," she said. "And what can we be doing for you today?"

Darin didn't quite know what to say. "Um...well, I have a date tomorrow, and I want to make a good impression..."

"And you don't want to be seen with that mess you call a hairstyle."

*Told you,* Fela muttered.

The hairstylist clicked her tongue pityingly. "You're not giving me much to work with, here," she lamented. "But I'll see what I can do." She waved Darin behind the counter, and he followed her to a chair, feeling that he had just been insulted. "So, what kind of style are you looking for?"

"Uh..." Darin looked down at Fela. She cocked her head to one side, a smile on her face. "I'm not really sure. Just something that will look good on me, I guess."

The lady rolled her eyes, apparently exasperated by his uninformed and unstylish attitude. She went to work on his hair. Darin watched in the mirror as she sprayed his hair with a little squirt bottle. She pulled out a pair of scissors and began snipping here and there, alternating cuts with brushes from a comb. The whole time she worked, she was uttering little diatribes against his obvious lack of fashion sense. Fela, sitting on the next styling chair down from Darin, kept snickering quietly, quite amused by his situation. The whole process took about an hour, and when she was done the stylist held up a mirror to the back of his head.

"So, what do you think?"

Darin turned his head from side to side, puzzled. "Um...fine, I guess." He looked at Fela curiously, but she wasn't paying attention.

After leaving the hair stylist, Darin stopped and looked in another shop's window, examining his hair carefully. "Fela, does this really look good?"

"It looks fantastic," Fela said. She waved her tail and watched a butterfly fly by, twitching a little bit as if she was considering chasing it. "Why do you ask?"

"Well...I just figured that for seventy-five bucks, my hair would look, you know, different."

Fela deflated somewhat. "Darin, honestly. If you can't tell the difference, there's no hope for you."

She took Darin around the city, pointing out various people and explaining to him what kinds of things they were doing right and wrong if their aim was to capture the attention of prospective mates. They had lunch at a special restaurant that catered to both people and pokémon. After lunch, she took him to a clothing shop.

"Fela, what are we doing here?" he asked. "My clothes are fine."

"Darin, your sense of fashion can be summed up in two words," Fela said. "'Cargo shorts.'" She put her front paws up on the shop window. "Here, you're going to find something that will say 'I don't sit around all day eating junk food and waiting for my license to come in.'"

"But I do."

Fela shot him a withering look. "But you don't want Maria to know that. If that's the impression you make, you'll never get anywhere with her."

They went inside the shop. Fela dashed around the clothing racks, leading Darin here and there. He tried on what seemed like a million different types of pants. It was a little overwhelming. Darin owned maybe three pairs of pants that weren't shorts, and they were the pants that he took on the road, so they were festooned with pockets and were more utilitarian than fashionable. The pants that his Delcatty had him trying on were tight and uncomfortable. But he had to admit that she was right about one thing. They did make him look really good. He thought that he caught a few of the female shoppers in the store staring at his butt, and even thought that Fela looked a little more interested than was appropriate. Or maybe he was just flattering himself.

Regardless, Darin bought two new pairs of the pants that both he and Fela decided looked the best on him, and two pairs that didn't look as good but were on sale. He also picked up a few new collared shirts: blue to match his eyes, brown to match his hair, and one more of a green color that Fela said would match Maria's eyes. He wasn't so sure, but he figured that Fela had been paying more attention than him since he had been more concerned with overcoming his nervousness than noticing anything other than what Maria had been saying to him. He paid about a hundred dollars for his new clothing.

Damn, he thought as they left the clothing store. I'd almost forgotten how expensive having a girlfriend could be. And I haven't even gone on one date with her yet.

------

Later that night, Darin was sitting on the couch in his living room, his hair still a little damp from the shower he had just taken. He was watching television and trying not to feel nervous about his date the next day. Maria would be only the second girl he had ever gone out with, and he was very concerned about doing everything right, or at least not screwing up too badly. During dinner with Fela, he had barely eaten anything. He knew this was bad for him because not eating would only make him feel worse the next day, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to make a good impression and wasn't sure he could do it, even with Fela's help.

Fela was still in the kitchen, bathing herself after their meal. She was being very meticulous tonight, more so than normal, because she knew that she should be at her best for Darin. The Delcatty had some more lessons in mind for him tonight, and cleanliness would be important not only for Darin, but for her as well. That was why she had suggested he take a shower right after dinner. The break had given her time to mentally prepare herself as well as to begin washing off.

Finished with her bath, Fela went into the living room. She first went to the TV, switching it off, before going to the couch and hopping up beside Darin.

"How are you feeling, Darin?" she asked.

"Nervous," Darin said. "Excited. I dunno. I hope tomorrow goes well."

"I'm sure it will," Fela reassured her trainer. "As long as you remember the things that I've taught you so far, you'll be fine. And don't forget, I'll be there with you. Remember our plan?"

Darin nodded. The plan was that Darin would select a table outside of the Fountain Café next to a shrubbery or some other suitable form of cover. Fela would go along with him and hide next to the table. If it ever seemed like Darin was stumbling or needed some help, she would whisper instructions to him from her cover. That way, Darin would be okay and Maria would be none the wiser.

"Now then." Fela sat down on the couch cushion. "If we could, Darin, I'd like to proceed with your lessons."

"Okay," Darin said.

"Before we begin tonight," Fela said, "I need to make a few things clear. These next lessons are going to be very involved. The subject material may be a little uncomfortable for you." She noted that Darin was beginning to look a little apprehensive. "Don't worry, I won't make you do anything against your will, and you're free to stop whenever it gets too uncomfortable for you." He relaxed just a little bit. Fela proceeded with her explanation. "Over the next few nights, I'd like to get you used to sexual contact. Eventually, if you pursue a serious relationship with Maria, she is most likely going to expect that your relationship will become sexual, and since you're in your twenties she is going to expect that you will already have some experience in the matter.

"Since we've already established that you do not, I'm going to have you practice on me." She kept her eyes focused squarely on Darin's. "This will involve you touching me, and I will also be touching you. I plan to go from light petting to oral sex and possibly even all the way to actual sexual intercourse. This is going to involve both digital and oral stimulation, and of course genital contact if we progress to that point. It will also involve going pretty far with it. I would prefer that whatever activity we engage in each night ends in orgasm, because that's a very important aspect of participating in sexual activity with a partner."

"I...I see," Darin said, blushing furiously.

"But before we do any of that, I need to know that you're comfortable with this. I know that even us just talking about this is breaking an awful lot of societal rules, and some legal ones as well. I also don't want this to drive a wedge between us. It's going to be emotionally intense. Are you prepared for all of this?"

Darin gulped. "I think I can handle it."

Fela shook her head. "Darin, that's not good enough." He could read genuine concern in her eyes. "It's not enough for you to handle it. You need to have the right mindset so that you can go beyond handling it and be comfortable with it." She put a paw on his leg. "Please, I need you to think about it carefully."

Shocked by a side of Fela that he'd never seen before, Darin forced himself to think about what she was proposing. Not only was Fela volunteering herself as a teacher to give Darin experience in sex, she was also willing to let herself be his "practice girl". That spoke wonders for her friendship with him, but it could also lead to a sense of awkwardness between them that could create a rift in that friendship. And more than that, what she was proposing was outright illegal in Hoenn and most of the rest of the world. She was suggesting that they put both his and her freedom on the line.

Darin had heard of people engaging in sexual relationships with pokémon before. He'd never known anyone personally who had done such a thing, and what he had always understood about such relationships was that it usually involved the trainer or individual taking advantage of the pokémon. But here, his pokémon was actively offering her consent to sexual activity. He didn't think that made a difference in the eyes of the law, but it certainly eased some of the misgivings in his mind and made him feel like it might be alright in this case. And that, in turn, made him certain that he could be comfortable with the situation, as long as Fela would honor his feelings and put a stop to it if comfort became an issue.

"Okay, Fela," he finally said. "I'm comfortable with it. I'm comfortable with doing these things with you. But there's one thing I want to make clear before we start anything."

Fela nodded. "And that is?"
"If at any time you get uncomfortable with what we're doing, I want you to tell me," Darin said. "This will be a two-way street, and I don't want you doing anything you don't want to do either."

Fela smiled. "Thank you, Darin. I'm very glad to hear you say that. And I promise that if I feel like I need to stop, I will let you know." She leaned up to kiss him. Darin remembered what she had taught him, and they held the kiss for several minutes. When they broke apart, Fela gave him a brief lick on the cheek. "I'm going to go to the balcony and shut the curtains. I want you to go to the door and make sure it's locked, all right?" She hopped off of the couch while Darin went to the door. He locked and bolted it, making sure that nobody could get inside. Once the apartment was secure, and nobody would be able to see inside or get inside without their permission, they returned to the couch.

"We're all battened down," Darin said.

"Good." Fela flicked one ear, betraying a bit of excitement. "Okay, Darin. The first thing I want you to do is to remove all of your clothing. Now, typically, your partner would help you do that, but I'm a bit ill-equipped for that task, so you'll have to do it during our lessons."

Darin complied with her instructions, removing his shirt, pants, and underwear. Fela gave his body a quick look over. He was in fairly good shape, with nice complexion and slightly defined muscles. His body was also nearly hairless, which she knew was generally seen by human females as a desirable trait. She looked at his penis. He was already half-erect, which was a good sign. Fela did not foresee any difficulty on his part with performing during these practice sessions. She noticed that he was tensing his hands unconsciously. That betrayed a little bit of discomfort with the situation, but only enough as was normal.

"Very nice, Darin," she commented. "You have an attractive body."

"Er...thanks," he said awkwardly.

"Now, the first thing we'll be covering is petting," Fela said. "This is, simply put, when two partners touch each other's bodies in a sexually stimulating way. It's part of foreplay, when two partners prepare one another for sex. I'm sure you know what happens to the body when it becomes aroused, so I won't explain any more on that score." She put a paw on his leg. "I'm going to touch you now. Is that alright?" Darin nodded stiffly. "Good. Now remember our agreement. You can tell me to stop at any time, and I will."

Fela started by sitting on her hind legs and reaching up with both front paws. She rubbed over Darin's shoulders, slowly and sensuously. Goosebumps raised on his skin as she trailed her hands down his body. "Notice how I didn't start out with your penis. Foreplay doesn't necessarily have to involve direct genital stimulation, although it certainly can and usually does." She concentrated her paws on his nipples for a little bit. Darin shivered. "The nipples are very sensitive, on both the male and female. Pay attention to them. How does that feel?"

"Good," Darin said.

"Excellent." Fela continued down, over his stomach. His muscles were trembling beneath her touch. She looked up at his face. He was looking at her, watching what she was doing. The Delcatty looked down at his penis. It was stiffening, drawing closer to a full erection. "Okay, Darin, I'm going to touch your penis now. Are you ready?"

Darin took a deep breath, and nodded. He was pressing his lips together very tightly.

"Just relax," Fela breathed. She moved one paw to the base of his shaft. His penis jumped, and continued growing. Gently, she started rubbing up and down, bringing the other paw to the opposite side of his penis so she could "grip" it. He was completely hard now. Fela was impressed by his size. Looks about seven inches long. Not bad. "How are you feeling, Darin?"

"Really...good." Darin's head went back. "Ah-!" he gasped, before clamping his mouth down again.

"It's okay, Darin," Fela said. "Make noise if you have to. I don't want you to hold back, okay?" She went back to masturbating him. She did it firmly, but not enough to bring him to orgasm. He needed to have his wits about him so he could get a chance. He was making little moans of pleasure. She smiled to herself, pleased with her own technique. "This kind of stimulation is very important, Darin. It builds feelings of desire between partners and gets the body ready for sex. And besides that, it's just a lot of fun. You should never have sex without a little bit of foreplay, in my opinion." Fela noticed that a little drop of precum was leaking from the tip of Darin's penis. She took her paws away from him, to avoid inadvertently going farther than she intended. "All right, Darin, I think it's time you gave it a try. Now we're not going to proceed to oral sex tonight, but keep in mind that you can combine manual and oral techniques to make the experience that much more pleasurable."

"Okay," Darin said. He was breathing a little faster than normal.

Fela moved back from him a little bit and then lay with her back against the back of the couch, with her hind legs sticking over the edge of the cushions. "Come here." Darin moved so that he was right beside her. "Now, try the things that I just showed you."

Darin reached a hand out and rubbed Fela's shoulder. She adjusted herself so that she was more comfortable on the couch while he pet her fur. He moved his hand to her underbelly, and hesitated for a minute.

"Go on," Fela encouraged. "I don't have breasts the way that a human does, but my nipples are underneath that fur. You may have to search a little to find them."

Her trainer dug his fingers deeper into her belly fur. An inch or so past her forelegs, he found the first pair of her nipples. He closed his fingers around the left one, pinching a little bit. Fela sighed contentedly. It felt really good. He went lower, and found the second pair, and then the third. By the time he got to the fourth and final pair, she was purring steadily and could tell that her pussy was becoming wet. More eager now, Darin touched her between her legs.

"Yes, Darin, that's the spot," Fela said. She licked his arm. "Now, I want you to get on the floor so you can have a better view of what you're doing." Not taking his hand from her sex, he transitioned to his knees on the floor. From there, she knew he would be able to see her nether regions very clearly. "Spread my lips apart with two hands. It will feel really good if you do." She closed her eyes as he did just that.

"Wow...," Darin marveled. "It's so wet."

Fela moaned aloud. "That's because you're doing a good job." She opened her eyes again and looked down. "Rub your fingers all over it. The more the better."

Darin traced a finger along the outer lips of Fela's pussy. He'd seen enough pictures of human female genitals to know that hers were not that different. Her clitoris was perched at the top just like a human's. He stroked it with his thumb, and Fela tensed up.

"Oh, yes, Darin," she cried. "Pay particular attention to that." She pawed at the air with her front legs as Darin continued touching her. She felt drops of her juices leaking out of her body. "When I get wet enough, you can try putting a finger inside of me. That's the best of all when it comes to this." Darin played with her for a few minutes more. He was doing splendidly, at least from her point of view.

"Fela, I'm going to put a finger in now," he said.

Fela stretched her legs out. "Go right ahead." Darin pushed a single finger inside of her vagina. Looking down, she watched him push it all the way in until he got to the last knuckle. "Push it in and out, Darin." He started to pull his finger out, and then he pushed back in.

Darin couldn't believe what he was doing, but he didn't dislike it. In fact, he was starting to enjoy it a little bit. He was quickly learning that the response of a female was very addicting. He sped up his fingering of Fela, and added a second finger at her encouragement. The inside of her vagina seemed to be sucking at his fingers, drawing them back in whenever he pulled out. She was starting to thrust her hips out, too.

"Oh, Darin," she cried. "I think you're going to make me..." Her whole body tensed up and Darin felt her vagina clamp down on his fingers. A little stream of liquid dribbled out of her pussy, and began to squirt out in time with the spasms her body was making. She was making panting mewling noises as she writhed on the couch, until finally she quieted down, panting. Darin pulled his fingers out of her.

"Fela, that was amazing," Darin said.

"You're telling me," Fela said. She took a few moments to catch her breath. Darin got back up on the couch. "Oh, look. I made a bit of a mess of your fingers, didn't I? Hang on a second." She took his hand in her paws and began to lick her fluids off, cleaning his fingers.

Darin swallowed while she sucked the moisture off of him. She seemed to be lingering a little bit longer than was necessary to clean.

Finished, Fela smiled at him and let his hand go. "Darin, that was very good. I didn't expect you to be able to bring me off that quickly."

Darin grinned. "So, have I passed the first lesson?"

"With flying colors." Fela leaned over. "Now, Darin, since you gave me an orgasm, would you like it if I did the same for you? I really don't mind at all, and it would only be fair."

Darin seriously considered saying yes for a minute, but then he shook his head. "No, Fela," he said. "I appreciate the offer, but I do have that date tomorrow. I don't want to wear myself out."

"Are you sure? It might be frustrating for you to try to sleep when you've been this aroused."

"I'm sure."

Fela looked a little bit disappointed. "Well, all right. If you change your mind, feel free to come back out here. I'd be happy to help you out."

Darin nodded. "I know, Fela. Thank you." He stood up and gathered his clothes from the floor. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." He walked back to his bedroom, leaving Fela feeling a little cheated.

------

Checking his watch, Darin scanned the street outside of the Fountain Café once more. The time was 2:55PM, and he was keeping a sharp lookout for Maria. He'd arrived twenty minutes before the time he'd told her to meet him, so that Fela would have plenty of time to get herself properly hidden. Darin was wearing some of the new clothes that he had bought the previous day. Fela had recommended that for this first date he wear the shirt that matched Maria's eyes. The choice of color might make an impact on her if she picked up on it.

*Darin, you've got the flower, right?* Fela whispered from the bushes right next to his table.

*Right here, Fela,* he shot back. He held up the flower between two fingers. It was one of the Corn poppies that he'd bought at the flower shop two days ago.

*Okay, remember,* Fela said. *When she gets here, the first thing you do is complement her on her appearance, and you hand the flower to her.*

Scarcely a minute later, Darin spotted Maria walking down the street towards the café. He made to stand up and wave to her, but Fela reached out from the bushes and dug her claws into his pant leg.

*Darin, no!* she hissed. *Let her find you. She might not appreciate you telling the whole world that you two are here on a date.*

Darin kept his seat and made sure he was looking right at Maria. Soon enough, she spotted him and waved. He grinned and beckoned her over. When she got to the table, he stood up to greet her.

"Maria, you look great!" he said. She was wearing a light blue blouse with a white skirt, and she had a necklace on that featured a leaf-shaped stone. Before he could forget, Darin held up the flower. "For you."

"Oh, how nice!" Maria said.

Darin had a sudden burst of inspiration. "If I may?" He reached for Maria and she let him tuck the flower into her hair, just above her left ear.

Ooh, nice one, Darin, Fela thought.

They sat down, and Darin waved the outdoor waiter over. "I'll have a cup of the Kona blend, with a shot of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon, please." He looked at Maria. "And you?"

"That sounds good," Maria said. "I'll have the same." The waiter nodded and left to take their order inside.

Darin smiled at Maria. "I'm really glad you said you'd come," he said. "To tell you the truth, I haven't been on a date in a while. I've still kind of been getting over a breakup. We were together for a long time."

"I was happy to come," Maria said. "You seemed like a really nice guy." She turned her head slightly to the side and gave him a knowing look. "But you came in the shop the other day with something other than flowers on your mind, didn't you?"

Darin tried to cover up his surprise. "No, what would make you think that?"

Maria grinned, knowing she had her answer. "Don't try to pull one over on me! I've seen you outside the shop, looking at me. You've had your eye on me for a while, haven't you?"

Struggling for something to say, Darin dropped a hand down to his side. That was Fela's signal.

*Just be honest,* she whispered. *It sounds like she's already figured it out.*

Darin looked a little sheepish. "Well...yeah," he admitted. "To be honest, I was hanging around, trying to work up the nerve to talk to you." He laughed nervously. "Sorry if I'm weirding you out."

"Don't be." Maria kept a smile on her face. "I think it's actually very sweet."

"Really?" Darin was bemused. He figured she would have the same reaction as Fela, and think it was creepy. While he was trying to think of a way to make conversation, their coffee arrived. He took a sip of it to buy himself a few seconds of time.

*Ask her about herself,* Fela suggested. *Show some interest in her as a person.*

"So, Maria," Darin said, setting his cup back down. "Where are you from? Where did you grow up?"

Maria picked up her cup and smelled the fragrant aroma of the exotic blend. "I was born in Fortree City," she said. "I grew up in a tree house. Every kid's dream, I guess you'd say." She tasted the coffee. "Mmm...Delicious."

"Fortree City...," Darin said. "I've been there. It's a beautiful place. There's so much life in it. I remember thinking that it was really neat what can happen when humans decide to incorporate nature into their living spaces."

"Oh, yes!" Maria said, her face lighting up. "In fact, that's what got me interested in horticulture. The city was the perfect place for a gardener." She took another sip of her drink. "My parents built me a little greenhouse up on the roof of our home for my tenth birthday. I grew all kinds of flowers and even some berry saplings in there."

Darin nodded. "Then, what brought you to the Pretty Petal Flower Shop?" he asked. "It's a long way to Rustboro from Fortree, after all."

"My career," Maria said. "It's my dream to open up my own plant nursery some day. When I got out of school, I had a degree in Horticulture Science and nowhere near home to use it." She cupped her drink in both hands. "After a thorough job search on the internet, I found out that Pretty Petal was hiring. It seemed like the perfect way to get experience in the business and to save up enough money to start my own place when I'm ready." She beamed. "And after four years, I've almost got enough to get my own premises and the seeds and plants I'll need to start my own cultures!"

"Oh, good for you," Darin congratulated her. He picked his cup up. "So, do you live in the city, then?"

"No, I have a place above the shop," Maria said. "The owner rents it out to me. It's a great little apartment. The perfume from all the flowers drifts up through the floorboards and creates a heavenly atmosphere."

Darin laughed. "Sounds nice."

Fela listened to their conversation, pleased with how Darin was interacting with Maria. I knew he would open up once they got to talking, she thought. He's doing very well.

Darin and Maria talked for about an hour. Their conversation went from horticulture to training pokémon, and she even tried to find out a little about his relationship with Julia. He steered her away from that topic, though, with the explanation that he'd really rather forget about it. When it got to be around four o'clock, Maria looked at her watch.

"You know, the afternoon is just starting to slip away," she said. "And I really should be going now."

"Oh, alright," Darin said, inwardly a little shocked that the time had gone by so fast. He stood up, and she did as well. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too," Maria said, with another one of her pretty smiles. "I had a lovely time." She looked like she was hesitating for a moment, and then she stepped up to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. As she did, Darin heard a crinkle and felt something being pressed into his right hand. Maria whispered in his ear for a second, and then stepped back. With a final smile, she waved and left the café.

Once she was out of sight, Fela emerged from the bushes. She had a sly look on her face. "Not too shabby, Darin," she said. "What was that she said to you just then?"

Darin looked at what had been placed in his hand. It was a small slip of paper, with a series of numbers printed on it. He couldn't stop a grin from forming. "She said, 'Call me.'" He showed Fela the paper. "And she gave me her phone number."

Fela mewled, pleased. "Ooh-la-la, Lover Boy." She looked at his face. "You've got red on you, by the way."

Darin touched his cheek where Maria had kissed him. His fingers came away with a smudge of cherry red lipstick on them. He blushed. "Come on, let's go home." He went and paid his bill, and then walked off in the direction of his apartment building with Fela, a slight bounce in his step.

------

That night, Darin and Fela sat down on the couch again, and she prepared to begin her lessons for the night. As before, they were both washed and the apartment was locked up. Fela noticed that Darin looked in better spirits tonight than previous night. Was he remembering how well his date with Maria had gone? Or was he looking forward to what she might have in store for him?

Well, like any good teacher, she would make sure that her student enjoyed the material. "You did well today on your date, Darin," Fela said. "You needed a little guidance at the start, but once you got past the initial awkwardness you did fine on your own."

"I've got a pretty good teacher," Darin said.

Fela acknowledged his compliment with a nod and a pleased wag of her tail. "Well, let's jump right into it. Tonight's lesson is going to focus on oral sex," she said. "Oral sex is when lovers will simulate real sex on their partners using mouth-to-genital contact. It's a part of foreplay, but is also engaged in when partners don't wish, for whatever reason, to go all the way. Sexual relationships with people who have recently become involved will often start with oral sex." She stopped in case Darin had any questions at this point. He didn't, so she moved on. "There are three types of oral sex. The first type is called cunnilingus, and it's when the male will use his mouth and tongue on the female's genitals. People will also refer to this as 'eating out'. Just licking the area is enough to cause pleasure, but the greatest pleasure comes from licking or sucking on the clitoris and inserting the tongue into the vagina.

"The second type is called fellatio, and that is when the female will use her mouth on the male's genitals. It's informally called a 'blowjob'. As with the female, simply licking the penis will be pleasurable for the male but the real fun is when the female simulates her vagina by taking the penis directly into her mouth. Sometimes a blowjob also involves licking and sucking the scrotum, but I don't much care for that and in my experience a lot of males are uncomfortable with having their balls in someone's mouth.

"The third type of oral sex is one I'll only talk about, because I won't go into it in practice. It's called analingus, and it can be performed by either the male or the female on the other. The common term for it is 'rimming', and it involves licking or sliding the tongue in and out of the anus. I really don't like doing it or having it done to me and I quite frankly don't see enough value in it to let you do it to me, so we won't practice that. It's self-explanatory enough in any case that you'll be able to figure it out for yourself if Maria happens to like it.

"So, do you have any questions?"

Darin shook his head. "That was a very thorough explanation," he said.

"Excellent." Fela hopped off the couch. "Now, this is something that I think will be best for you if done on a bed, so let's go back to your room." Darin followed her down the hall to his bedroom. Once inside, Fela had him take his clothes off and lie down on the bed. When he was prone, she climbed up on top of him. She lay flat on his body, with her head resting on his chest. The tips of her ears tickled at his chin.

"Fela, what are you doing?" Darin asked.

"Shh...," Fela whispered. "Don't talk. This is one of the most intimate moments that you can have with a partner. Just laying with each other, listening to the sounds of each other's hearts beating. Feeling close to the other person. Feeling them breathe." She put her front paws on his shoulders and pulled herself up a little bit. She kissed him deeply. "I want you to know what this feels like."

Darin remained motionless. He focused on Fela lying on top of him. She was right, it was an amazing feeling. Her soft belly fur was pressed against his skin. He could feel the Delcatty's heart thump against his chest rhythmically, and could feel her lungs expanding and relaxing as she breathed. He put his arms around her body, began stroking her back. She started purring, a deep rumble that echoed through his body.

The cuddle was wonderful for Fela, too. Her trainer's hands went over her body, making her feel fantastic. His breath drifted out of his nose, breezing through the fur on top of her head. Despite her initial intentions to keep this a strictly student-teacher affair, she had started looking forward to their lessons with more eagerness than might be deemed appropriate for that sort of thing. Already, she was becoming incredibly aroused from thinking about what they were doing.

Fela mewled and picked her head up as she felt Darin's erect penis brush against her tail area. "I think we're starting to get a little ahead of ourselves, here," she said, a touch of reluctance in her voice. "Perhaps we'd better move on."

"Huh?" Darin asked. Fela could tell he was starting to slip into a sexual haze. No matter how little experience he had in his mind, his body knew exactly what was going on. "Oh..." He shook his head to clear it. "Right, right."

"I'm going to start off with you, tonight," Fela said. "It's going to wear you out a little, probably, but I'm going to use it to teach you another valuable lesson." She slid her furred body down his, hissing a little bit as his cock rubbed against her pussy. Temptation told her to stay there and take it all the way, but she powered past and kept going until her head was at his waist. She placed her front legs along his thighs. "Three things before I start, Darin. Number one: try not to thrust up into my mouth. That can cause a girl to gag, and I might bite down somewhere you don't want me to. Number two: remember to warn your partner before you cum. That's for her safety. If you catch her off guard, she could choke. A tap on the head usually suffices, although you might want to give a verbal warning as well. Some females will prefer to just swallow it, but they'll still want a heads-up so they know what's on the way."

Darin nodded. "And the third thing?"

Fela winked. "Number three: lay back and enjoy the ride." She turned her attention to his penis. He was throbbing in time with the beating of his heart. Fela breathed in and blew a gentle stream of air at the tip. Darin stirred and gave a little "Whoa!" of surprise. She giggled and put her tongue out, touching it to the base of his cock and licking up slowly. Her rough feline tongue made a soft rasping noise as it traveled along his length. She knew from experience that the feeling would be intoxicating to a male, and her trainer seemed to be no exception. His hands balled up, clutching fistfuls of the sheets.

"That's really good," Darin said.

Fela made no noise indicating she had heard him. She was focused on giving him her best. When her slow lick brought her to the head, she grasped the very tip in between her lips and began circling her tongue around and around the sensitive knob of flesh. Darin was moaning from the sensation that she was causing him. The Delcatty felt a hint of saltiness kiss her sense of taste. She took her mouth away from Darin's penis, and a thin strand of precum came with her. She purred her approval. He was responding well to her efforts, letting her know that she was doing what she meant to do.

Darin was finding it hard to keep himself from pushing Fela's face down onto his penis. What she was doing felt good, almost too good. He wanted her to keep going. He worked the muscles in his groin, jerking his cock and tapping Fela on the nose. She squeaked with shock and looked at him.

"Impatient, aren't we?" She smiled to let him know she was joking and again placed her mouth over his penis. Fela sucked gently on the head before moving her mouth down further.

Darin drew his left leg up and put his right hand over his eyes, slapping his other hand on the bed. It was all he could do to maintain control like Fela had instructed him. Every instinct in his body was telling to push deeper into this warm, wet paradise that she was introducing him to. She used her tongue in incredible ways, lapping the bottom of his cock while moving her head up and down his shaft. Every now and then, she would use his penis like a popsicle, with long, broad strokes of her tongue. He wondered how he could have gone so long in life without feeling anything like this. Darin put a hand down and laid it on top of Fela's head, rubbing her long ears.

It wasn't long before Fela began to sense something happening. Darin's pulse changed, and his breath quickened all of a sudden. She knew that he was about to cum, but she waited for him to follow her directions and give her the warning. Finally, when she was beginning to wonder if he was deliberately trying to not cum, he tapped the back of her head weakly.

"Fela," he gasped. "I'm about to..."

She smiled inwardly and sped up her oral treatment, adding a subtle twist of her mouth. He tapped her head again, probably thinking she hadn't noticed the first time, but she ignored it. The Delcatty was working very hard to impart her knowledge to her trainer, and she wanted a little bit of reward for her efforts. At last, Darin gave up and cried out with pleasure. His penis pulsed in her mouth and a jet of warm liquid shot down her throat. She mumbled around his cock and swallowed, gulping as he continued to ejaculate. When his climax subsided, Fela lingered at the tip, milking every last drop out of him.

"So, Darin," Fela said, licking her lips and crawling back up to chest level. "How do you feel now?"

Darin laughed nervously, still breathing hard. "Great," he said. "That was...wow." He closed his eyes. "I'm kind of tired."

"Oh, no, don't you fall asleep," she reprimanded him. "Now you have to learn the important lesson of reciprocity. A girl is going to be quite mad with you if you take without giving back." Fela rolled to the side, off of Darin and onto her back. She looked over at him. "Go on, get your practice in."

Pushing his weariness aside, Darin situated himself in on the bed below Fela. She spread her legs for him, giving him a glorious view of her sex, glistening with anticipation. He gripped her waist and pulled her closer to him. Her ears were trembling with excitement. Darin touched his hands to her pussy, parting the lips.

Fela squirmed. "Describe my scent, Darin," she said. "Tell me what it makes you think of."

Puzzled, Darin inhaled. "It smells like..." He struggled to put it into words. "Like a perfume. Sweet, but not sugar-sweet. More like flower-sweet, with a hint of musk and a little bit of salt."

"Mmm...," Fela said. "Is it an unpleasant scent?"

"No, not at all."

"Remember this, Darin. Not every girl is going to have an exactly pleasing odor, down there." Fela lifted her head up to look at him. "It's generally not their fault, and most of the time has nothing to do with hygiene. Everyone is different. But you cannot avoid pleasing your lover because of it."

Darin nodded. "I understand."

Fela put her head back down. "Alright, I'm ready. Show me what you can do."

Slowly, still a little unused to the idea of putting his mouth where she wanted him to, Darin lowered his lips to her sex. He kissed the fur around the area first, acclimating himself to what he was about to do. Then he went for it, taking a tentative lick at her flesh. The first thing that hit him was the taste. It wasn't like her scent. The sweetness was muted, overcome instead by the saltiness and a touch of bitterness. He mulled the taste over before deciding that it wasn't unpleasant enough to ward him off. He licked again, and then again.

Fela whimpered with delight at what he was doing. She hadn't been with anyone who was willing to do this for her for quite some time, and it was even better than she remembered. Darin circled his tongue around the entrance to her vagina, avoiding actual penetration for the time being. She shivered as he gently closed his teeth over her nether lips, pulling them. Ooh...I didn't tell him about that...Inventive... The pokémon curled her toes when his roaming mouth found her clitoris. She moaned as he sucked on it, sending electricity up her spine.

"That's good, Darin," she managed. "Excellent technique."

He kept up his stimulation of her clit, and raised a hand up to her belly. He dug through her fur until he found her nipples and began to tease them. While he did this, he started to probe her vagina with his tongue. Darin darted in a few times, flirting with full penetration, until finally he snaked his tongue inside of her. Fela threw her head back and howled in ecstasy. He thrust in and out of her, gaining confidence with every passing second. His tongue curled around inside of her, hitting every spot within her body. After a few minutes, he went back to her clitoris.

Fela was a little disappointed that he'd stopped the tongue action, until he stuck a finger inside of her. "Oh, gods, Darin!" she cried, overcome by the double action of his mouth on her clit and his finger in her vagina. Her sex was gushing at this point, leaking fluids over both Darin's face and the bed. "Come on, just a little more. I'm almost there." He put a second finger inside of her, gently sliding them in and out while sucking and licking at her.

It was too much for Fela. For the second time in as many days, her trainer made her cum. She tossed her head from side to side, howling and thrashing her tail. Darin held on to her hips, holding her and continuing to lap at her sex all through her orgasm, keeping her at a heightened state of pleasure. It felt like hours before her body finally allowed her to relax. She went limp on the bed, panting, with her eyes rolled up.

Darin crawled back up to her, a little concerned at her posture. "Fela? You all right?"

"So...good...," Fela gasped. It took a while for her to regain her composure. "Darin, you're a natural at this. I'm trying to remember why I thought you needed a teacher."

He smiled. "I'm glad you approve." He yawned widely, at the exact same moment that Fela did. They stared at each other for a moment, and then burst into laughter. "I think it's time to sleep."

Fela agreed. She made to get off the bed, but stopped. "Um, Darin? Can I ask a silly question?"

"Go ahead."

"Would it be alright if I slept here with you tonight?"

Darin looked at her funny. "Why do you want to do that?"

"No reason," Fela said. "It's just that we used to when I was a Skitty, and I kind of miss it sometimes. Just tonight, for old time's sake."

He thought about it. "I guess there's no harm in it," he finally said. He pulled the sheets down and made a spot for her beside him. Fela curled up there. Darin drew the covers over both of them, reached over to the light switch, and flipped it off. "Sleep tight."

------

Fela woke up early Wednesday morning. The apartment was silent as a grave, and dim light was filtering through the cracks between the slats in the blinds. She yawned, popping her jaw in the process, and came to a surprising realization. During the night, she had shifted from her original sleeping position so that the upper half of her body was laying across Darin's chest. Startled, she looked at him. He was still asleep, unaware that she had woken. Quietly, she got off of him and climbed down from the bed, creeping out of the room and down the hall.

I shouldn't have done that, she thought to herself. I'm letting myself get too close. We should not have slept together last night. She went into the living room, and dragged open the curtains that hid the living room from the balcony and the world outside. The sun was still hidden behind the buildings of Rustboro City, but the sky was rapidly growing lighter. I have to keep this professional.

Still thinking things over, Fela took up position on her usual spot on the couch, waiting for Darin to wake up and come out. She had known since the beginning that she would look forward to what she was doing with Darin more so than when she went out into the city looking for companionship, but she had chalked that up to the fact that he was her trainer and friend. She had been convinced that she would be able to separate herself from the sexual acts she was demonstrating to him. But that was becoming increasingly difficult as she began to found that she was enjoying it. And that difficulty was compounded by her perception that Darin seemed to be looking forward to it just as much as she was. True, she thought that this was because he was eager to learn, but it still affected her.

I won't begin any new lessons for a few nights, Fela decided. I need a chance to solidify my true intentions. And she found herself clinging to the hope that the intentions which she dubbed as true really were.

------

Darin and Fela hung around the apartment for most of Wednesday. Except for little conversations at mealtimes, she didn't talk to him much. He wondered why. Maybe she was just worn out from the night before. They had gotten pretty wild towards the end of it.

Around five o'clock, Darin decided to call Maria. He wasn't sure if she'd gone in to work today, but he figured that five was a safe time to call. Going to the phone, he searched the various notes and slips of paper on the refrigerator for her number. When he found it, he picked up the phone and started dialing.

Fela, who was napping lightly on the couch, perked up her ears and opened her eyes at the sound of the phone being lifted off the cradle. Raising her head off of her folded front legs, she listened in on his side of the conversation.

The phone rang several times before someone picked up. "Hello?"

"Maria? Hey, it's Darin," Darin said.

"Darin!" Maria said. "I wasn't expecting you to call so soon."

Darin grinned. "Well, I had a great time yesterday and I couldn't wait to give you a call." He leaned against the kitchen counter. "So, how have you been?"

"Not bad. I had work today, and I just walked into my apartment a few minutes ago. You have good timing." Darin heard a noise that sounded like a pair of shoes being kicked on the floor. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, really." Darin tapped a finger against the back of the receiver. "I was actually wondering if you're free tomorrow."

"I can be. What did you have in mind?"

"There's this place outside of the city that I was thinking we could go to," Darin said. "It's by the lake between here and your place. There's this spot on the far bank, near the forest, where you can see the sun go down clear through the trees. It really makes the water look awesome."

Maria sounded delighted. "That's a great idea. So we'd be going in the evening, then?"

"Yeah, I thought I could come out to your place and then walk you over."

"I'd be delighted! Um...I could make us some dinner to take with us, if you'd like."

"Oh, that'd be great," Darin said.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow," Maria said. "I can have the food ready by five-thirty, so why don't you show up around then? The stairs leading up to my apartment are just around the back."

Darin wrote down the time and place on a notepad. "I'll be there."

"I'll be waiting for you." Maria hung up.

Darin replaced the phone and walked back into the living room. He found Fela sitting up, waiting for him. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"Yep," Fela said. "Sounds like you've got something set up for Thursday."

"Yeah." Darin sat down on the couch. "I asked Maria out to that spot on the lake. You remember, that little clearing on the far bank with the willow tree where we go to train sometimes."

Fela nodded. "I remember." She licked her paw and wiped it over her face, clearing off a little patch of dust. "Do you think you're ready for something like that? It'll be a pretty romantic setting."

Darin frowned. "I think as long as I remember everything you've taught me so far, I should be fine."

"True." Fela lay back down. "Do you want me to tag along?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind. Just in case there's some way you can help me."

"Then I'll be there." She put her head down and closed her eyes. "But I'm not going to give you a hand unless you really get in trouble. It's time for you to start spreading your wings." Her tail twitched as Darin began rubbing her back. He asked her the question she knew was coming.

"What's on for tonight?"

Fela opened one eye. "Nothing tonight. I...need a little break."

"Oh," Darin said. He sounded a little bit surprised. "Well...okay. I guess it has been pretty tiring lately. Just let me know when you want to start again."

Right now, Fela said to herself. But...I can't.

------

Thursday was as uneventful as Wednesday, although Fela was more talkative. Whatever had been bugging her the day before, it seemed to Darin as though she had gotten over it. She spent the day advising him on how he should act, and what he should do in the event of various situations. He took everything in and hoped he would remember her advice if the time came to use it. He thought he probably would. Things had been going well so far, and Fela seemed to have confidence in him, so he had confidence in himself.

Around quarter to five, Darin left his apartment with Fela by his side. He was dressed in more casual clothes than on the last date, with hiking shorts and a T-shirt appropriate for all of the walking that he would be doing this evening. They walked to the edge of the city together, and went over the bridge that connected Rustboro City with the opposite side of the lake. As they crossed the wide wooden bridge, Darin looked to the far bank, bordered by trees. He could just barely make out the clearing that he had told Maria about. It was very secluded, and he had never seen anyone over there. He doubted that many people would even notice it.

When they got to a place where Fela could begin making her way to the area surrounding the clearing, they stopped for a moment. "Okay, I'll be along with Maria shortly," Darin said. "You'll be there, keeping an eye on me, won't you?"

"Of course," Fela said. "But I think you're going to do fine." She stepped to the trail that led to the clearing, barely visible behind the plant cover. "Just be yourself, and remember everything you've learned." She disappeared into the woods, her tail whipping through the long grass after her.

Darin watched her go, and then continued on to the Pretty Petal Flower Shop. Arriving there, he went around to the back and found the stairs that Maria had told him about over the phone. He climbed up them to a landing where there was a door. The door was surrounded by a border of ivy, and a few potted plants were sitting around the landing. Darin took a little breath to calm his nerves, and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, he heard footsteps approaching from inside, and then the door opened.

"You're right on time," Maria said. She was dressed in clothes much the same as what he was wearing. She had on a tank top and shorts. He did his best not to glance down too frequently at her rather nice-looking legs. "Come on in. I'm just finishing up the food."

Darin followed her inside. He was immediately hit by the combined scent of what seemed like every single type of flower there was in the world. "Boy, you weren't kidding when you told me about the smell of this place."

Maria turned her head, flashing her pearly whites. "I know, isn't it wonderful?"

He looked around her apartment. The place was small, but it had a nice feel about it. There were only three rooms that he could see. The main room, which he was in right now, was the living space. It had a dining table and a few overstuffed armchairs, with a small television sitting on a stand in one corner. A small kitchen area was next to the door. Two more doors were set in the wall opposite the front (back?) door. One of them was slightly open, and he could just see through it that it was her bedroom. The other, closed, door was what he assumed to be a bathroom, since he didn't think the bedroom would go far enough back for it to be in there.

Maria went to the kitchen. She had a few things laid out on the counter. "I'll only be a minute more. I just made us some cold sandwiches and some fruit."

"Take your time," Darin said. "No rush." He watched her load everything on the counter into a bag. She grabbed a big bottle of water out of her refrigerator and a blanket off of one of the armchairs, and then joined him where he was standing.

She hooked an arm around his. "Shall we?"

"Off we go, then," Darin said. They left Maria's apartment and headed back along the road. The sun was starting to set when he got to the path leading to the clearing. He brushed aside a few low branches so Maria could pass through without getting scratched. They walked through the trees for about ten minutes until they came out into the clearing.

"Oooooooooh!" Maria gasped.

The place looked amazing. The sun was low in the sky, and the light reflected off of the surface of the water, causing it to sparkle like a million rubies. Down by the edge of the water, a gigantic willow tree sat with its branches dipping into the lake.

"Come on," Darin said. "Let's go sit down and watch."

------

While the two humans sat down on a blanket by the water, Fela was tucked away in the trees, watching them. She saw Maria handing Darin what looked like a sandwich. Her stomach growled. She wished she'd had the foresight to ask Darin to bring along something that she could eat while keeping an eye on him.

Oh, well, the pokémon thought, sighing to herself. Might as well enjoy the sunset. Alone...

------

Darin and Maria enjoyed the food that she had prepared for the two of them. The sandwiches were meatless, Maria explaining that she was vegetarian, and were composed of leafy greens and cucumber slices. They were really good, although Darin thought that he would have preferred a little bit of turkey or something like that. While they ate, they watched the sun setting. Darin glanced behind a few times to see if he could spot Fela, but she was keeping well-hidden. After a bit he stopped thinking about her, and concentrated on enjoying the evening air. Situated by the water's edge, the couple could just make out fish floating by underneath the surface. A few curious water pokémon approached them, but shot away quickly when they realized they were human.

Finally, the bottom edge of the sun touched the horizon. The lake was immediately lit up like fire, making a spectacular lightshow. As it sank lower, the lights became muted, and the sky faded to a purple hue with cloudy patches of deep red. While they watched, Maria reached over and held Darin's hand. He decided that it was the perfect moment.

"Hey, Maria," Darin said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Valentine's Day is coming up," Darin said. He prayed fervently that his voice wouldn't crack. "I was wondering...If you don't have any plans, would you like to go out for dinner that night?"

Maria looked at him. "Pretty ambitious night for a third date," she said. "Don't you think?"

"I guess it is." Darin gave a tiny shrug. "So, is that a yes?"

Maria laughed. "Well, I suppose you've forced my hand. I'd love to."

------

Fela watched the two of them growing closer. It sounded like Darin was talking, but she couldn't make out the words. Maria was looking at him, and she could see her lips moving.

If only I could hear what was going on, she thought. But that damn lake is swallowing up all the sound!

------

The last sliver of the sun slipped beneath the skyline, and the sky started to darken. Maria put her head on Darin's shoulder. He circled an arm around her waist.

"This is very romantic," Maria said softly. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah," Darin agreed.

"Hey, Darin?"

"Yes?" Darin turned his head to look at her, and she picked that moment to kiss him. Time screeched to a halt when he felt her lips on his. She kissed him just like Fela had taught him to expect, and he kissed back.

------

Something inside Fela made her want to leap out of the trees and put a stop to their kiss. She had to catch herself, had to remember why she was here. This was what Darin wanted and she was his instructor. He was supposed to be doing this. And she wanted what Darin wanted.

She watched them kiss each other. The sun had long since disappeared completely. The only light available was moonlight that was beginning to filter through the tree branches.

If this is what I want..., Fela slowly said to herself, then...why does it hurt? The Delcatty watched her trainer fall to the ground, with Maria coming down on top of him, and she had the sudden urge to cry. I can't look at this anymore. You're on your own, Darin.

She slipped off silently through the trees, leaving the scene behind.

------

Darin walked Maria home through the dark. They had spent about half an hour at the lake after the sun had set. Maria walked right next to him, holding his arm and pressing against his side. The situation felt a little surreal to Darin. They had only met a few days ago, but she already seemed to be growing close to him. The walk back to her apartment felt like it took hours.

They stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to her place. "I had a really great time tonight," Maria said, still holding his hand.

"Yeah," Darin said. "Great time."

She bit her lip for a moment. "Would you...like to come up?" she asked.

Darin smiled, and shook his head gently. "No, I..." He thought of an excuse. "I need to get home and feed Fela. She's probably getting pretty hungry at this point."

Truth be told, he thought to himself, I'm just not ready for it right now. I feel like we're rushing into this relationship really fast.

Maria looked disappointed, but she nodded understanding. "All right. Next time, perhaps." She kissed him one more time, and then turned around and walked up the stairs.

Darin called up after her. "I'll pick you up at seven on Saturday!"

She smiled down at him, and went inside. The door closed behind her.

Keeping his eyes on the door for just a few seconds more, Darin finally walked off, heading back to the road. He thought about the night. Things were going really well with Maria. It was obvious that she liked him a lot.

Something bothered him though. When Maria kissed him, he didn't feel anything. Oh, sure, he felt her lips and her tongue, but he didn't feel anything inside. And that seemed a little weird to him.

It wasn't anything like kissing Fela, he thought. Maybe it just takes a while with some girls. That didn't seem right to him, but he shrugged it off and made his way down the road to where he expected to meet Fela. To his surprise, she wasn't there. That's funny. I told her to wait for me around here.

He ventured into the woods, pushing through the branches and brambles to the clearing where he'd just been. Darin searched the area for Fela. He looked down by the water, and underneath the huge willow tree. She wasn't there, and she wasn't in the bushes where he thought she'd probably been watching him and Maria from, either.

"Fela!" he called. "Fela, where'd you go?" There was no answer. A little worried, he decided that she must have gotten tired of waiting and gone home ahead of him. He left the woods and starting walking back to his own apartment, his pace a little faster than it might have been normally. But when he arrived back at his front door, she was nowhere to be seen. He didn't think she would have been able to open the door on her own, but he went inside just to see. The apartment was quiet, and she wasn't in any of the rooms. Darin fought the urge to panic. She was probably just out walking around the city. Fela did that all the time. He would just sit down and wait to see if she came back.

------

An hour or so after he got home, Darin heard scratching at the door. He leapt up from where he was sitting and practically ran to the door. When he opened it, Fela was standing there. She pushed past him and walked into the apartment.

"There you are!" Darin said. "Where have you been?"

"Around," Fela said. She sounded upset, even a little angry.

"Out visiting one of your guy friends?" Darin asked.

Fela rounded on him. "And what would you care if I was?" she growled.

Darin was taken aback. "I wasn't...I didn't mean anything by that," he said. "I was just asking."

Fela turned her head to the side, regretting her outburst. "Oh," she mumbled. "Sorry..." She walked to the couch, her tail dragging on the floor. "I was...taking a little stroll." Fela jumped up to her sacred cushion.

Concerned, Darin followed her and sat next to her. "Something's bothering you." She wouldn't look at him, so he moved his head around to look at her. "You can tell me. What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Fela lied. "I'm just...just really tired."

"Okay...So school is out of the question, then?" Darin joked, trying to cheer her up.

Fela wasn't biting, though. "Tomorrow, Darin," she sighed. "I'm not up to it tonight."

"Alright, don't push yourself." Darin reached down and rubbed her back comfortingly. His hand felt good against her fur, calming, and she started to purr a little bit. "You hungry?"

"No," Fela said. Her growling stomach, however, betrayed her fib.

"Don't lie, you're starving," her trainer scolded her. "You need to eat."

She finally smiled a little bit. "Oh, fine," she said. "If it will satisfy you, I suppose I can choke down something."

------

Fela felt better Friday morning. She was able to tell herself that she had only felt bad the day before because it was a shock to see him kissing Maria. That was all. She just hadn't been prepared for them to go that far so soon. After all, she was just her trainer's instructor, nothing more.

During the day, Darin went out to get things for his big dinner with Maria on Saturday, Valentine's Day. The big goal. Before he left, Fela had made him a little list of things to get. There were the conventional items: rent a tuxedo, rent a car, buy a nice corsage (not from Pretty Petal, obviously, to avoid spoiling the surprise), and make a reservation at a nice restaurant. Less conventional was the other item that she had told him to pick up, and one that had made his face as red as those tacky Valentine's hearts: a package of condoms. At first she hadn't thought Darin would get that far tomorrow night, but when he told Fela about the offer Maria had made the night before, she thought it couldn't hurt to be prepared.

While Darin was gone, Fela spent her time relaxing on the couch and thinking up her plans for the evening. Tonight, she knew she would be giving him his final lesson. After that, he would be ready for anything. Fela only hoped that she would be able to bear it. She had considered not going through with it, but she just knew that she had to. She had to know for sure if what she was feeling was for real.

Darin didn't get back until late in the evening. When he walked back into the apartment, he grinned and held up all the fruits of his labors. "I got it all," he said, triumphant. "Every single thing."

Fela raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

"Even that," Darin said, coloring nicely.

"Where did you make a reservation?"

Darin hung up his rented tuxedo in the front closet and put the corsage in the refrigerator. "L'oiseau Bleu," he said. He went down the hall to put away the rest of his purchases.

Fela widened her eyes. "That's the most expensive restaurant in the city!" she called, impressed. "You're really determined to show her a good time, aren't you?"

Her trainer strode back into the living room, tossed the rental car keys on the kitchen table, and kicked his shoes off. "I might as well pull out all the stops," he said. "It is a special night, after all." He sat down on the couch.

"Good. I'm sure she'll have a great time with you." Fela tilted her head to one side. "Well, Darin. I guess your training is complete. Except for one, last lesson." She held his gaze. "Are you ready for it?"

Darin scratched the back of his head. "You know, Fela, we don't have to if you don't want to."

"But I do." The Delcatty looked down at the floor. "Please, Darin, just let us finish what we started. I'm doing it for you." And, me too.

Her trainer smiled and rubbed her ears gently. "If it's what you want, then." He got up from the couch. "Shall we?"

They walked back to the bedroom. Darin closed the blinds while Fela reclined on the bed. The room was dim, with the only illumination coming from the lights down the hall, in the living room. While she watched, her pulse quickening, Darin pulled his clothes off until he was fully nude. He joined her on the bed. For a few moments, they just looked at each other.

Finally, Fela breached the silence. "This is it, Darin," she said. "Everything we've done so far has been working up to this." She took a deep breath. "Tonight, we're going to have sex."

Nodding, his face betraying some level of anxiety, Darin remained silent.

"I just want you to know that it's okay to be nervous your first time," Fela assured him. "Everyone is. But once you get past the initial nervousness..." She smiled dreamily. "Oh, Darin, there's just nothing like it. Especially if it's with someone you really, really care about. Sex is the deepest, most involved physical bond you can have with someone. And it can be really special." The pokémon reached out with a paw, brushing his face gently. "I'm happy to be able to do this with you."

"I'm glad you'll be my first, too."

Fela felt emotions welling up inside of her. "Thank you," she whispered. "That means a lot to me." She swallowed. "There are a few things you should know before we do it. You already know that foreplay is very important before you have sex. But you also need to keep in mind that there are many different positions possible, and each girl is going to have one that she favors more than others. I'm not sure what ones human females generally prefer, but I know that I prefer it from behind. I've heard of other pokémon doing it with the female on her back and the male on top. Conversely, you can do it with the male on his back and the female on top. There are all kinds of variations.

"And, Darin, remember that when...if you have sex with Maria, you need to be careful if you don't want to get her pregnant." Fela was aware of how she had changed her phrasing, and hoped Darin wouldn't pay too much attention to that. "That's what the condoms I told you to buy are for, obviously. You don't have to worry about getting me pregnant, of course, so consider this experience something of a treat until you're ready to start a family." She stretched her neck out, touching her nose to his. "I think we're ready to begin."

Darin turned his head slightly to the side and kissed her. She opened her mouth, beckoning him inside. He pushed his tongue forward. As always, her kiss was warm and caring, like he imagined a kiss should be. Like how he had expected Maria's to be. He let his hand reach out and touch Fela, caressing the fur on her flank. She whimpered into his mouth. Her tail curled over his legs, rubbing up and down. Darin wrapped his arms around her body, and pulled her on top of him. They laid together, Darin brushing his hands over her back, still locked together in a deep kiss.

After a minute or so, Fela pulled her mouth away from his and let her tongue skim under his chin, down his neck, and to his chest. Darin sighed heavily, teasing the velvety purple fur at the base of her ears. She flicked her tongue over his nipples, tugging a little with her teeth every now and then. His hands reached down to her rump, and he massaged her hindquarters. She mewled softly, encouraging him to keep at it. Darin dragged a finger around her hip.

"Lift up a bit, Fela," he breathed.

Closing her eyes, Fela did as he asked. She hissed softly as Darin's hand came into contact with the silky fur that surrounded her nether regions. He moved his palm in a circle, his touch eliciting waves of gentle pleasure. The area grew damp, and Darin pressed his fingers deeper, finding her pussy. He slipped a finger inside of her slit, rubbing up and down along the slippery flesh.

"Wait, Darin," she said. "I want to do something." Darin removed his finger, and Fela turned around so that her face was now at his groin. "I've always wanted to try this." She took his half-limp cock into her mouth, sucking gently. Darin caught on quickly. He put his hands around her waist, and soon she felt his tongue flicking against her sex. She almost melted on the spot. The double sensation of having his penis in her mouth and his tongue on her pussy was indescribable. She assaulted his cock, giving him a proper lashing.

Darin, for his part, was loving it. For some reason, having Fela take him on from this direction was a lot more stimulating than when she was facing the other way. He figured that it had a lot to do with having her pussy right in his face. He was all too happy to return the same to her while her mouth was hard at work. Taking his hands from her hips, he used both of his thumbs to spread her apart. He dipped his tongue inside, tasting her and licking into her warm depths. She bucked her hips back against his face, moaning.

"Deeper, Darin, go deeper!" she cried.

He did his best, pushing his tongue in as far as it could go. While he did that, he took one hand and started rubbing her clitoris furiously. She was flowing freely, and a little trickle of her liquids mixed with Darin's own saliva and went down his chin.

Fela let Darin's penis slip out of her mouth, unable to concentrate on what she was doing anymore. She stood up on her front paws, her head back and her mouth open. She panted, the sensation threatening to overwhelm her senses. It just feels...so good...when he does it. The Delcatty could feel that she was about to climax. She ground her pelvis down against Darin's face, driving his tongue even deeper into herself. "Darin..." She threw her body down, trembling uncontrollably as pleasure rocketed through her body. Fela clung to his legs, uttering disjointed phrases in her own language.

Darin rubbed her back as she came down from her sexual high. "You doing alright?" he asked, a trace of amusement in his voice.

"'M fine...," she mumbled, her face pressed into his stomach. That was too good... Fela picked her head up and drew a deep gasp of air. "Wow..."

"Do you want to stop now?"

"No, I'll be alright." Fela turned back around. "Besides, you still have to pass your final test." She shooed him away from the head of the bed. When he was out of the way, she lowered her head to the pillows, giving herself a place to brace her body. She stretched her rump into the air. Under Darin's watchful eye, she ever so slowly lifted her tail, presenting a very wet, very inviting-looking pussy. "Go on, Darin. Give me everything you've got. Don't hold anything back." She closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she felt Darin's hands settle on her flanks. This is it, she thought. If I can get through this, and I'm alright, then...then I'll have proved to myself that...it's not really love...

Darin gripped his penis, and placed the tip at Fela's entrance. This is really happening..., he suddenly realized. I'm about to lose my virginity...to my pokémon. Is...is this right for me to do? He was struck by a sudden moment of indecision. Do I go through with this? What if Fela regrets this later? What if I regret this later? This was, quite frankly, an act of bestiality, even if Fela was fully able to give clear consent. That didn't change the status of what they were about to do. What they had, for that matter, already done.

Fela looked back with a plaintive expression on her face. "Darin, please do it," she said. "Please, I want you to do it."

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Gathering up his courage and shoving aside his questions, Darin pushed forward. He and Fela groaned together as his penis slid into her waiting vagina. Every sensation he had felt to this point was as nothing compared to what it felt like inside of the Delcatty. He could feel her body's incredible warmth along every inch of his member. He kept going until he was hilted inside of her. Darin had never felt so close, so involved with another being before this moment. It was incredible.

Fela was in a state of bliss. She felt full, and not just in a literal sense. It was like something had slid into place inside of her mind. The way things were right now, right at this moment, felt like the way they had always been and should always be, and she was hard pressed to consider any way that it could be different. This is what they mean by being complete...

They remained stationary for some minutes, as Darin got used to the feeling of being inside Fela. Then he began to move, slowly pulling out of her. Pleasure unfurled in both of them as his cock stroked her insides. He thrust back in, pushing her into the pillows a little bit. The next thrust came faster than the first, and a bit harder. So it was with the next, and the next, until Darin was sliding himself in and out of Fela at a good pace. Nervous as Fela had said he would be, he was getting over it pretty quickly. Soon he was just lost in the wonderful feelings that were being introduced to him.

While Darin was enjoying himself, Fela found herself becoming...not sad, exactly, but...a feeling of melancholy was beginning to tap at her brain. Because she was beginning to feel that emotion that she had been hell-bent to tell herself that she was not feeling. And it wasn't helping to tell herself that right now he was just her student. That wouldn't work anymore.

Stop! she screamed inside her head. Don't do it, Fela. Do not go down that road. You...you can't...go down that road... She moaned aloud, unable to hold back the expression of pleasure. "Darin...Darin, that's good! That's so good!" Her tail lashed the bed, moving of its own accord.

Darin bent down and wrapped his arms around her middle. He began pumping into her faster than ever before. "Fela...I think I'm...gonna cum...," he moaned. His balls were slapping against her clitoris, adding another dimension to the already overpowering bliss that they were both feeling.

Fela squeezed her eyes shut. I...I can't...I can't stop loving him... Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. Why can't I stop loving him? Her claws tore into the sheets, and her body seized up as she came. She howled a tortured sob of combined passion and grief, feeling the warm rush as Darin joined her in ecstasy. He filled her with his essence, both satisfying and destroying her. It's...not fair...Why...Why does she get to have him?

------

"Damn, why does this thing have to be so tricky?" Darin grumbled, trying to get the tie on his tuxedo to look just right. He checked his watch. "If I'm not ready soon, I'm going to be late." He attempted once more and managed it this time. "Finally." With the tie in place, he went into the bathroom and went over his hair with a comb one more time, just to make sure that it looked alright. When he was satisfied, he went back into the bedroom to get his shoes.

He sat down on the bed to put them on. While he was doing that, he noticed that there was still an indentation in the sheets where Fela had slept. Last night, they had both been too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep where they had collapsed. She hadn't been there when he'd woken up. He'd found her in the living room, of course occupying her usual spot on the couch. At the time he hadn't said anything, but she'd looked like she'd been crying.

I hope she's okay, Darin thought, lacing up his right shoe and starting on the other one. I guess...maybe we took it a little too far... He tightened the laces on his other shoe, and stood up to look at himself in the mirror. The young man turned from left to right, checking himself over. Not bad. I hope Maria approves. He lifted the jacket off of the bed and put it on, completing the ensemble.

When he walked out into the living room, Fela was sitting by the door, waiting for him. "Are you feeling alright?" Darin asked her. "You didn't look so good this morning."

"I'm fine," Fela said. Her voice did nothing to convince him.

"Fela...If we went too far last night...I just hope it hasn't hurt our friendship."

Fela shook her head. "Darin, nothing could do that." She smiled, and injected more confidence into her voice. "I did what I did to help you. And I'm happy that I could." She circled a paw in the air. "Turn around. Let me see how you look."

Darin slowly rotated in place, holding his arms out to the sides. "So, what do you think?"

"You look like...like a perfect gentleman," Fela said, her eyes shining. "Maria is a lucky girl." She looked at the kitchen. "Don't forget the corsage."

"Right, thanks." Darin went to the refrigerator to retrieve it. On the way back to the door, he grabbed the car keys. "I guess I'm off, then."

"I guess so."

Darin reached for the door, but stopped. He put the corsage down and went to his knees, grabbing Fela in a huge hug. "Thank you for everything. I only wish you were coming along." He let Fela go.

She wiped her eyes with one paw. "You don't need me anymore, Darin. You've got everything that you learned." She sniffed. "You're my best student."

"Your only student."

Fela's face broadened into a smile. "Right." She slapped the door with her tail. "Go on, now. She's waiting for you. Have a wonderful night."

Darin nodded. "I'll probably be back early in the morning. Dinner's on the table, when you're ready."

Fela kept the smile on her face until Darin was out the door, but it melted away as soon as he was gone. She went back to the couch and laid down, rested her head on the cushions, and sighed. After all, it would never have worked. She sniffed again. But still...we'll always have that one magical week, Darin. I only wish it could've been Valentine's Day, too...

------

Darin pulled up to the Pretty Petal Flower Shop at exactly seven o'clock. He got out of the car and went around and up to Maria's apartment. When he knocked on the door, Maria answered almost immediately. She looked beautiful. Her red hair was piled on top of her head, with a few loose strands hanging down around her face. She was wearing a strapless black gown that had gold curlicues over her breasts.

"Wow," Darin said. "You look amazing."

"You're no slouch yourself," Maria said, a twinkle in her eye. "Well, Darin, shall we be off?"

Darin held his arm out. "Right this way." He led her back downstairs and to the car. He opened the door for her, and then went around to the driver's side. When they were all settled, he started the car up and began driving back to Rustboro City.

Maria laid a hand on his leg. "I've been looking forward to this all day," she said. "Where are we going for dinner?"

"I made a reservation for us at L'oiseau Bleu."

"Ooh! They have dancing there, don't they? Do you know how to dance?"

Darin nodded. "I took a class in high school, so I think I'll be able to hold my own." He looked over and smiled. "Even if I'm a little rusty, I'm sure we'll have fun anyway."

"As long as you're there, I'm sure we will," Maria said. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "And after we're done with dinner, I have a special dessert waiting for you back at my place."

He shivered. "I can't wait to try it."

When they got to the restaurant, there was a valet there to park the car for them. They went inside. L'oiseau Bleu was a very fancy restaurant with a Taillow motif. There were enclosures spread around the interior with the pokémon inside, and artwork featuring Taillow was hung on the walls. Immediately inside the entrance was the maitre d's station, with the dining area beyond. The tables were made of rich red wood with gold inlays. Past the dining area was a set of gold double doors, which led to a ballroom where couples enjoying dinner could go if they wanted to dance.

As Darin announced himself to the maitre d', the man asked if he would like to sit down for dinner now or have a table set aside for him so that they could dance first. Maria really wanted to see the ballroom, so Darin asked to be taken there first. He and Maria followed an attendant to the double doors. They opened automatically, and the couple was treated to a magnificent view of the opulent dance floor.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" Maria said.

The room was circular, and had pure white walls with golden columns from the floor to the ceiling, which towered overhead. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and light sparkled over the marble dance floor. There was a string quartet in the middle of the room playing some very nice music, and about twenty other couples were out on the floor, dancing.

"Would you care to dance?" Darin asked. She nodded, still entranced by the rich decorations. He led her by one hand out onto the dance floor. Once they were in a clear space, Darin placed a hand around Maria's waist, holding one of her arms up with the other. She put her free hand around his back, and they began dancing to the music. Darin had a little trouble remembering the steps at first, but once he got the hang of it they went along smoothly with the tune that the quartet was playing.

After a few songs, Maria rested her head gently on Darin's shoulder. "This is so nice...," she said. "I'm glad I'm here with you."

"I'm glad you're here, too, Fela."

Maria picked her head up. "What? Did you just call me Fela?"

"Uh..." Darin blinked. "Yeah, I think I did."

Maria laughed. "Darin, she's your pokémon! How could you be that absentminded?"

Darin laughed too. Huh, weird, he thought. Why did I do that? He shrugged it off and went back to dancing with Maria. When the quartet started to play a song that they had already heard, they decided it was good time to go back out to the main part of the restaurant for dinner. Before they left the ballroom, Maria stopped him at the door.

"I just want you to have this, before we eat." She kissed him like she had at the lake. Again, Darin was a little unsettled by the fact that, although her kiss felt like a real kiss, it didn't give him the same sense that he got when Fela had kissed him.

Fela's kiss is warmer. Hers feels like she really means it. He and Maria walked out into the dining room, and were shown to a table. But I like Maria, don't I? So I should feel the same thing from her, right? They sat down, and their waiter showed them the menu. Darin picked out a steak with assorted vegetables, salad, and a seafood soup. Maria ordered pasta with a cheese sauce and steamed carrots on the side. Neither of them had any real knowledge of wines, so they took the waiter's recommendation when it came to that.

Their conversation while waiting for the food wasn't very memorable. Darin only half paid attention, because his mind was still on Maria's kiss, and why he was finding it deficient when compared to Fela's.

Maybe it just stood to reason, at this point. After all, he had known Fela for an awful lot longer than he'd known Maria. He'd gotten Fela when he had just started high school, as a baby Skitty. They'd been together for years now, and were very close friends. If her kiss felt more real, it was just because they knew each other so well.

I don't know, though, Darin thought, as their food arrived. I knew Julia for an awful long time. And it never felt that good when she kissed me. He nodded absently while Maria talked about what she wanted to do with her future business. Okay, granted, we never kissed like I've kissed Fela, but still. I've known Fela for about the same time as I knew Julia. But then, Fela had still spent a lot more time with Darin than Julia ever had. In fact, she's been there for...well, everything since I first met her.

And that was what made Darin really start to think. Fela had always been there. For everything. He recalled one time, when he'd been told that he would fail his senior year of high school if he didn't pass Calculus, his worst subject. He'd come home quite depressed, and Julia had been no help. She'd gone out for the night with her friends, leaving him alone. Only Fela had been left behind, and she spent that whole night by his side, cheering up and pushing him to study harder so that he could ace the final.

That wasn't all, either. During his admittedly rocky relationship with Julia, Fela had always supported him and kept him going. She'd never badmouthed Julia, never called her names, but had done her best to get him through the tough times and keep him happy. The name calling had come after Julia had broken up with him, and he'd really appreciated the way that Fela had used the insults to try to keep his spirits up.

She'd even comforted him at the expense of her own health. Darin had come down with a really bad case of the flu one winter. He'd been bedridden for a week, and Julia hadn't come over because she said she didn't want to catch it. While he was recovering, Fela spent every waking hour with him, and even curled up next to him a few nights. She had gotten as sick as he had, but they'd both pulled through it together.

Oh, man, Darin said to himself. It's so obvious now. Why didn't I see it before? He looked around the restaurant. What am I doing here? I'm about to make the biggest mistake of my life.

"Darin?" Maria asked. "Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet since we sat down, and you've barely touched your food."

Darin brought himself out of his thoughts. "Maria, I..." He sighed. "I think we need to talk."

------

Fela jerked awake as the clock in the living room began to make noise. Since she couldn't read the numbers, she counted the chimes. Ten o'clock.

"Another Valentine's Day alone," she said to the air. "Normally doesn't bother me, but..." She laid her head back down. This year is different. The Delcatty thought about turning on the television, but even that little distraction held no joy for her anymore. Dinner was another option; she still hadn't touched the food that Darin had left for her. But she didn't feel the least bit hungry.

All of a sudden, something touched her back. Fela started and whipped her head up. Darin was standing behind the couch.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Darin...," Fela said, blinking. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I figured from the way you jumped." He pulled his tie off and tossed it in a chair. His jacket went next. "How's your night been?"

"I...fine, I guess, but...what are you doing home so early?"

"Oh, yeah, that..." Darin put his hands in his pockets and looked away. "Well...things just...didn't work out."

Fela sat up. "What do you mean?"

Darin blew out a breath. "I...just wasn't feeling it." He looked back down at Fela. "I realized that, tonight, I'd just rather be here at home with you."

Fela was confused. "So, what about Maria?"

Darin walked over to the kitchen table, and emptied his pockets onto it. "We talked a little at the restaurant. I basically told her I like being around her, but I didn't see our relationship going anywhere beyond friendship."

"And how did she feel about that?"

"I think she was disappointed," Darin said, walking back to the living room. "She said that she really liked me, and tried to get me to change my mind." He spread his hands. "But after a while, she saw I wasn't going to reconsider, and she agreed that it might be for the best. We finished dinner, and I took her home. She asked me to remember her if I ever changed my mind."

"And will you?"

Darin shook his head. "No. This feels pretty final to me."

"But...but the whole point of everything was so you wouldn't be alone on Valentine's Day!" Fela protested. "How could you just call it off?"

Darin came around the couch. "Listen, Fela." He sat down next to her. "I was with a girl who didn't love me and who I didn't love for five years. Through every fight, you were there. Through every trial breakup, you were there. Through every depressing thing that's happened to me, you've been there to comfort me and convince me that I can go on." He swallowed past a lump in his throat before he could continue. "When I've needed you the most, you've set aside your own life to make room for mine. You showed me what love really is, Fela. And I love you."

A tear slid down Fela's face. "Oh, Darin..."

He kissed her then, and hugged her with all of his feelings. Fela put her forepaws around his neck and hugged back. Their kiss lasted an eternity, though mere minutes passed in the real world. When they needed to breathe, they would pause for a few seconds before going right back to it. Darin tangled his smooth tongue with her rough tongue, exploring her mouth and trying to commit every detail of it to his memory. As the kiss finally ended, Fela sighed and climbed onto his lap, turning her back to his chest. Darin wrapped his arms around her belly, pulling her against him. He buried his face in the downy fur on top of her head, feeling the warmth of her body against his. Fela purred softly, her tail waving serenely.

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the night?" she asked quietly.

"Well, I was thinking we could go out," Darin said. "We can walk around for a bit, enjoying the night air, and then I could bring you back here and make you something special for dinner." He stroked her stomach. "And then we could retire to the bedroom, and review our lesson plan."

Fela turned her head for another kiss. "I think," she whispered, just before their lips met, "that is a lovely idea."

------

"Teach me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand."

-Chinese Proverb