Story:
Their lips parted. Sasha's head fell, caressing his neck. She felt his head rest gently atop her mane. They held each other. The moon and stars were their nightlight. The tranquil silence eased, their soft breathing soothed them. Her silk tail tips dabbed the floor in contentment. There was nowhere she'd rather be, right there, with him.

Sam's mind was riddled with guilt, he had to say something. He raised his head. Her eyes rose and she whined gently, missing his affection. "Sasha...I'm so sorry, I never meant for this to happen, I would never hurt you"

She felt his pain and whimpered faintly "No Sam" she begged him not to apologize. "It's not your fault, please don't feel bad"

His head sank, his eyes traced the ground. He wouldn't forgive himself.

"Sam, please!" leaning in, fighting back her tears, she nuzzled against his cheek.

He could see he was only causing her more pain, the last thing he wanted. He rubbed back warmly, feeling the cold wet still resting on her cheek from before. "Okay Sasha" he said quietly. "You alright?"

Sniffing, she nodded. "Let's head in, it's getting cold" She smiled gently and walked slowly towards the den, waiting for him to accompany her.

He hadn't given the cold a second thought, with its mention however, he started shivering quite heavily.

She felt the chill tingle her body, her paw pads rested against the cold hard ground. It was lightly crystalled in frost Is he coming? She looked back, her brow raised then fell. Awwww. She saw his head was gently sunk into his fur, his eyes were closed and he was shivering. She smiled and padded over to him.

Sam had never liked the cold. He felt the vibrations slightly numb his body as his muscles contracted rapidly. He jumped and his eyes broke open, He felt Sasha's face against his, her warm breath along with her tails had suddenly brought some heat to his body.

She turned and pressed herself against his side, wrapping his other side with her tails. "Let's get you in" she laughed softly, guiding him inside.

They reached the entrance and the icy wind from Frost Mountain died. He met a warm wall of air from the fire she had lit before. With one last shiver he cleared his body of contractions. The ground was significantly warmer inside as well. He saw the area of her fire, the one he put out before. He remembered her reaction. He gently broke free of her hold and made his way to the debris.

She felt him leave her side. Looking up she wondered what he was doing. where you goi... her thought was interrupted by a small but wide flame.

He held his flamethrower, re-igniting Sasha's fire. He thought it an important gesture. He finished and stepped back. A roaring new flame came to life; it brought immense heat and a dancing amber light for the walls.

She gazed into the new fire. Her eyes reflected its subtle beauty as the orange waves danced in her crimson-red pools. She understood its purpose.

He looked back, checking her reaction. He saw the entranced vixen admiring the message. His head turned, smiling before slowly pawing towards the bed. He reached their leaves and they crumbled under his weight, he shifted forward to its edge, leaving room for her. He sat on his haunches and looked up, waiting for her.

A new energy awoke within her as she felt the heat caressing her face. She sighed heavily and her whole body relaxed, every stressed motion faded as she filtered her sorrow into the ground below, her tails twitched across the soil and she closed her eyes, letting her troubles escape her. A positive and optimistic feeling surged through her. She gently opened her eyes, refreshed. Then, glancing up at the corner she saw Sam sitting patiently in the bedding. His half-closed eyes fought his exhaustion. She quickly padded over to him, smiling. She got in behind him and licked his cheek. Slightly startled, he shook. "Thanks for tonight Sam, for sticking up for me and being there..."

He lay down; pulling his paws in and cuddling his tail. "You're welcome"

She saw a little smile across his face as his eyes closed. She sprawled out behind him and snuggled up to his back, before bringing her tails round and quilting him.

He slowly turned to face her, getting closer, his nose touched hers and he opened his eyes gently. Crimson eyes met him; she whispered "Good night Sam". He held his gaze, replying "Night Sasha". They both smiled. His lids fell and his head gently sunk.

She laughed softly at the sight and licked his cheek. Silence fell and the sound of Sam's gentle breathing soothed her. She drifted into slumber. Her final thoughts wandered. Sam loves me.

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"Hey Lara!" A distant beckoning awoke her suddenly. "Come see this!" She scowled and her eyes flared. what the fuck?! She threw herself out of her $90 bedroll. Her chaotic blonde hair stood as if statically charged. She grabbed her pokegear. "6:30!" She screamed. She leapt forwards reaching for the zip; ripping it open. The morning sunrise bound into the open tent, making her flinch back as her eyes adjusted. She gained focus and looked about; ready to exit when she was sure nobody else was there. She couldn't stand people seeing her in the morning, no make-up, her hair wasn't done and she was still in her fluffy pink PJs. The campfire from the night before was blazing again. She hunted the scene for him. His bag was gone and the other tent was already packed up. Where the hell is he?

"Lara!" He sat still, watching the flowing river. He had a sketchpad in his lap and was frantically capturing every moment. He heard the flora behind him shift violently. His head spun round to meet her glare.

"What the hell Alex!" She screeched. "Can't you let my alarm wake me?! Just Once!"

"Yeah, yeah. Look at this!" his eyes averted to a small shoal of Magikarp. Their scaly red tails were swaying madly, fighting the rapid current. His pencil hit the pad again; he loved to keep his drawings as memories.

"You woke me for this?" Her anger faded, replaced by surprise and confusion. Really Alex? Some Magikarp in the river?

"Don't you see what's happening?" His brow raised in excitement. "They're training!"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. She looked down to see him digging through his backpack; he turned and thrust a very aged magazine into her hands.

"Check page 33" He retrieved his pencil and glanced up at the river. Two of the Magikarp were struggling. Their tails were about to give way. He sat in awe, mouth open and eyes fixed on the two as they slowly split from the group, using every ounce of strength to go on.

She flicked through the magazine. Based on what her eyes had caught on previous pages she wasn't in for a decent read. She found the page and sighed, 'Pokémon Independent Training' crossed the header in big writing. It had huge blocks of text, a few pie charts and a line graph she couldn't quite grasp. Completely uninterested, she chucked it aside. She half expected him to fall over himself trying to pick it up but his focus was elsewhere.

The two frantic tails slowed to a halt and Alex watched as they were both swept downstream. He grabbed his bag and sketchpad, ready to follow them when his hand was caught. He flailed backwards.

"Alex, why don't we forget this and have some breakfast, I'm starving" she whined. Her hands still gripped on his.

His disappointed attributes lightened, he loved cooking. "Fine, I'm kinda hungry myself". He saw the first smile of the day break across her face and she dropped her grip. He took a final glance at the Magikarp before heading back to the campsite.

Still fully aware her hair was a mess and she wasn't dressed yet, she retreated to her tent to get ready. She heard Alex fumbling through his bag, the clinking of small pans and cutlery.

"Eh...Lara it's going to have to be soup today, we're nearly out of supplies" he said as he rummaged through his bag, he found a half loaf of bread and a tin of tomato soup.

"Yeah, soups fine. Are we anywhere near Cerulean yet?" she longed for civilisation, she never really liked camping.

"About a half hour or so, it should be just around Frost Mountain" He too yearned for the nearest pokemon centre; his back was a little sore from his nights in the tent. He grabbed one of the small pans and opened the tin of soup with the can-opener pro he'd bought from one of his magazines. The red liquid hit the metallic bottom of the pan and he held it over the fire.

In the short time she had, Lara had changed and brushed her hair and was adding the finishing touches with her make-up.

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Sam woke gently to the sound of Sasha's voice. Her paws were on his side; shaking him softly. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned.

"Sam, come and look at this, I've found a trainer!" She saw his eyes shoot open.

"What! Where?" His voice emphasized the shock. He quickly stood, awaiting her response.

"Follow me". She turned and scurried out the den towards Frost Mountain.

Sam chased her, allowing thoughts of his mother's captor surround him. Branches and leaves rustled as they hurried to the trainer. He glanced to the sky and saw a small cloud of smoke. Sasha was heading in its direction. He saw her pace slow. She crouched down and looked at him to suggest he do the same.

She peered over the top of the bush checking he was still there. Her ears bent flat so she wouldn't be seen. Sam crawled towards her and pawed the bush, slowly pushing its foliage out of the way. He caught sight of a trainer not too far away. He was crouched beside the fire, pouring steaming red liquid into two porcelain bowls. Sam's eyes focused on every characteristic of his face. He sighed and dropped his stare.

Sasha looked down at him. She saw in his eyes that this was not the same trainer that caught his parent. She felt for him and placed her paw on his shoulder sympathetically. She motioned to him to head back to the den but he stayed.

His eyes followed the moving zip on the pale orange tent next to the trainer. He saw another trainer step from the opening. Again, he sighed it wasn't the same person. He watched as she accepted the steaming bowl from him.

Sasha's nose twitched and she caught the wonderfully warm aroma. She inhaled deep and sighed, smiling. "What's that lovely smell?" she asked.

Sam raised his muzzle, sniffing. He cringed. "You like that smell?"

"You don't?" she was surprised. She took a step forward, following the scent. Her face left the cover of the bushes and she heard a scream.

Sam looked up to see the white bowl rolling towards them; it had been emptied of its goods. A metal spoon hit the floor and he saw the female trainer waving at her mouth.

"It's right off the fire you idiot, of course it's going to be hot!" The male yelled. His eyes left the flailing girl and followed the bowl. It had stopped just short of the bush and he saw Sasha.

She saw his eyes light up. "Wow! A Ninetales!" He reached over and grabbed his sketchpad. "I was hoping to see one before we left!"

Sam's claws pierced the ground as he watched the trainer's every move.

Sasha froze. Her eyes met his repeatedly as they darted from the pad to her. His hand swayed, marking the paper with her image. She felt a sudden tug on one of her tails. Sam's muzzle was wrapped around it pulling it back; telling her to get out of there.

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Lara rolled her eyes at the sight. So used to him sketching every pokemon he saw. Looking at it, that Ninetales would be great in contests she thought.

Alex heard a clink and looked up; he saw the fox licking the remains of his tomato soup from the bowl. He smiled and laughed. "We're not the only ones who like my cooking" he said.

"Alex the soup came from a tin, that's not cooking" she said jokingly; walking towards the tent leaving him stunned at the fact this pokemon was eating his food.

He watched in amazement as it's head turned to reach every spot of the bowl. He heard rumbling behind him and turned to see Lara with her poke-belt on.

She reached back and withdrew a pokeball.

"What are you doing?" he said, trying to keep his voice down.

"What do you think, I want to battle it, not draw it." She said, smirking.

"So you're going to beat a Ninetales with your Oddish...Think about it" he said rather convincingly.

She scowled in defeat. "You battle it then!"

"Why?"

"I need a new pokemon for my contests"

He knew she needed another pokemon, the judges had requested she get another, they said they had seen enough of Oddish. He sighed and glanced over at it. The bowl was now clean and it looked up at him innocently, licking its lips. He didn't want to hurt it. He'd never been a fan of battling but Lara's next contest was in just three days, in Cerulean. He thought it respectful to at least ask it beforehand. "Ninetales, I challenge you to a battle" he waited for it's response.

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Sasha's ears perked at the sound. She felt the tugging on her tail stop. Her competitive nature was sparked. She looked up at the trainer. He was serious but there was something different about him. He didn't seem to be like other trainers, he asked her to battle him. He respected her decision. She lifted her paw, stepping through the bush.

"Sasha no!" Sam begged. He was shocked she had accepted.

"It's okay, I'll be fine" she said reassuringly.

Sam cowered down into the depths of the bushes. A gut-wrenching feeling overtook him, a mixture of fear and concern.

She left the confines of the bush; standing tall and elegant, her tails dabbed the floor in excitement. Her eyes watched as "Alex" withdrew a pokeball from his bag. She saw him look at her as if making sure this was what she wanted. Her crimson eyes held his gaze and she nodded. He threw the ball to the air and a huge white light erupted. A towering and bulky figure appeared, a Blastoise. This will be good. She looked the beast up and down, then to its trainer. The first move was his.

"Blastoise, water gun" a shaky voice commanded.

It dropped to all fours. A distinct click was heard as it's huge cannons locked into place. Sasha took a battle stance, ready to dodge the attack. Within seconds she was looking at a beam of highly pressured water soaring towards her. She rolled to the right and out of its path.

Sam near leapt the height of himself as the water shot through the bush, tearing it to shreds. He scampered behind a nearby tree just in time. His head peeked round, searching for her. The golden-white vixen stood tall, smiling. He sighed, relieved.

Wow! This one's strong she thought as her stance widened. Inhaling, she bellowed a twister of red-hot flames towards the Blastoise.

"Blastoise! Withdraw quickly!" It obeyed and its head, short arms and legs sunk into its shell as it hit the floor. The raging fire-spin engulfed its entire mass. Embers from the flames sauntered through the air as the blaze faded. Vanishing, it left a charred-black shell, still smoking.

Sasha smiled, she thought she had won.

Darkened body parts exited each orifice. Her mouth fell open as it stood, completely unaffected. Lets see you stand after this she laughed and her eyes lit red.

A perimeter circled the Blastoise and its eyes widened, unable to move. It roared in pain as its uncovered parts were constricted. The increasing pressure squeezed its body tight.

Sam watched from the tree, amazed. She's winning! he beamed.

Her body tensed as she maximized her psychic hold. She heard a loud cracking sound followed by another roar from the pokemon.

"Alex! It's cracking his shell! Do something!" The girl screamed.

Dazed by the display, his focus returned "Blastoise, Protect!"

A dome of green light pulsed from its form, effectively breaking the crushing barrier. The light faded and it stood for a second, panting.

"Hydro Pump quick!" It hit the floor again, click.

Sasha had no time to dodge. The sheer velocity of the water caught her off guard. It struck her body sending her crashing into the shaft of a tree. The high pressure jamming her against its bark. She whined sharply in pain. The jets of focused water continued to cram her body against the tree before finally stopping. She slid from the bark and hit the ground, motionless.

"Lara, catch it". She was already ahead of him and threw her pokeball towards the fallen pokemon.

"No! Sasha!" Sam bolted from the bushes to her side, looking down at her for a mere second then it hit him. He felt a sharp pain on his side as the pokeball made contact. He yelped as his very aura was sucked into the ball. It slammed shut and struck the floor, pulsing. Emotions flooded his mind. He felt a constricting weakness fall over him.

"Was that a Flareon?!" Lara's mouth fell open and she turned to an equally stunned Alex.

The ball shook violently for a second more before coming to a halt. The status ring in the centre flashed a deep red.

"Blastoise return" he held the ball up and a red beam of light drew it back in. He quickly threw it into his bag and ran over to the limp fox. His fingers lightly pressed her neck, feeling for a heart-beat.

"Is it okay?" Lara asked as she bent down to retrieve her catch.

"It's fine, just unconscious. We should take it to the pokemon centre in cerulean just in case" he stood and looked at her "You going to catch it or what?"

"That was my last pokeball" she looked down at it in wonderment.

"Well release the Flareon, we need to go!" his tone changed. His concern was increasing and her lack of any annoyed him.

"What? I'm not releasing a Flareon! You know I love the Eeveelutions."

He sighed "Whatever, we don't have time for this, come on" he knelt down and wrapped his hands round Sasha's body; he lifted her up and put her head over his shoulder. His arms shook slightly with the sudden weight. He placed one hand on her back while the other held her waist. Her tails dangled at his ankles.

"What about my tent?" she realised.

He grunted. "Pack it up and I'll meet you at the centre" he said before running off towards the mountain.

She looked around at the mess and sighed. With her latest catch still in her hand there was no way she was cleaning up just yet.

She threw the ball to the air and watched patiently. A white light erupted and a dazed Flareon appeared.

Sam felt the earth under his paws again. He opened his eyes and met the familiar campsite. His recent memory flooded back as he looked around him. Where's Sasha?

Her eyes lit up and she flung herself at him "Oh you're so cute!" her arms wrapped around his front and she felt him flinch backwards. She let go and glanced at him, smiling. The smile faded as she heard him whining softly under his breath, his head darted round looking for Sasha.

"What's wrong?" she rested her hand gently on his fluffy mane.

Where did the other trainer go? Is she alright? I can't lose her too! his mind raced. He looked into Lara's eyes and jumped up, his forepaws rested on her knees and his face came closer to hers. His eyes watered and he whined again in desperation.

A deep sympathy overtook her. "You know that Ninetales don't you" she rubbed his mane and saw his eyes widen as he nodded. "Don't worry. Alex is taking it to the pokemon centre. It will be fine" she smiled reassuringly and embraced him again, this time he let her. His soft mane brushed against her neck and her hand slowly caressed his back. "You'll see your friend soon, I promise".

His head sunk into her neck, eyes closed. He needed to see her, to know she was okay.

She slowly let go of him and looked down "We'll go see them soon, I just need to pack up first" She stood to go dismantle her tent. From the corner of her eye she saw him run off towards the bush. She turned and saw him grabbing the fallen soup bowl in his maw and returning with it. He set it down at her feet and looked up.

"You want to help? Great, could you put out the fire?" he turned and looked at the fire with a challenged look. She smiled as she realised the irony in her request - asking a Flareon to put out a fire.

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With the sky-scraping mountain now at his side he pushed on. His legs rocked back and forth at decent pace. His focus was not tripping on one of her tails. His guess for half an hour to town was at a walking pace so he'd cleared almost half the journey by now. His arms ached under the pressure. He never meant for the attack to do this much damage but he underestimated Professor Oak's Blastoise. His grip kept slipping; her fur was still soaked from the attack. At this pace, along with the fact she was very warm at touch anyway, she would be dry in no time. He looked down and realised he'd finally found the path they strayed from the other day, when he thought he saw a Clefairy he had to check it out (Much to the annoyance of Lara). His run broke to a jog as he tired. Along the way he saw a few startled trainers staring at him, one tried to question him on his hurry but he had no time for them.

He sighed heavily as he saw the Welcome to Cerulean City sign in the distance; he'd not been there in a while. His failed attempt at being a trainer himself started there with the Cerulean Sisters. He realised a short while after that, he'd rather get to know pokemon and their habitats instead of battling them. His footing caught one of her tails as his right arm struggled to hold her weight. He stumbled forward but caught balance just in time before quickly re-adjusting the weight by straddling both arms around her waist, her head bobbed atop his shoulder. They soon passed the sign and he headed for the pokemon centre. He knew exactly where it was, having took his pokemon there from his gym battle before. That and it had a big P on its roof. The automatic glass doors swung open to reveal a welcoming face which quickly turned.

"Oh, what happened?" her flustered face dropped as he approached her desk with the vixen in hands.

"It's a wild pokemon, I was battling it to catch it" he said, trying to catch his breath.

"Right, Chansey, I'll need a stretcher for a large fire pokemon" A round pink Chansey emerged from the halls and beamed at Nurse Joy, she seemed delighted to help. The stretcher pulled up beside him, waiting for him to place the Ninetales down. He gently laid it on what looked like fireproof sheets, but he was no expert. His arms dropped to his sides, lifeless as the muscles relaxed. His t-shirt showed a dark wet patch where it had pressed against him. The Chansey rushed into the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) but Nurse Joy stayed for a moment.

"Does it have any open wounds? Is it poisoned, paralysed?" A barrage of questions escaped her.

"No, it's just unconscious, probably from the sudden blow to the tree" he said.

She shot him a strange look and nodded "I'll keep it here tonight to monitor its stats, do you need a room?"

"Oh, well yeah, I guess. I'll actually need two rooms; my friend will be here soon. Thanks"

She reached behind the counter and tossed him two sets of keys. "I'll let you know how Ninetales is later" she smiled and walked to the ICU.

He sighed, pocketing the keys. Looking round he noticed the video-phone to his right. He walked over and lifted the handset, a monotonous tone left the phone as he dialled the number.

"Oh, hi Alex!" He saw a familiar face.

"Hey professor, just wanted to let you know, I'm in Cerulean now"

"That's great, I hope you didn't need the Blastoise I gave you" he chuckled.

"Well actually, I used it to battle a Ninetales for Lara. Anyway it kinda got out of hand and I had to run here to the pokemon centre"

"Oh, I see, is he alright?" the professor seemed concerned.

"Blastoise is fine Professor" he laughed "but the Ninetales took a big hit, it was unconscious so I brought it here"

"Well, I hope it's okay... So I assume now you're in Cerulean you won't need my Blastoise. Would you mind if I got it back? I could use his help"

"Yeah, no probl..." he paused, realising the ball was in his bag back with Lara. "Eh, sorry but you'll have to wait a little longer, in the rush I kinda forgot my bag, but don't worry, Lara will be here with it soon."

"That's fine Alex, there's no hurry. So how is Lara anyway, last time I spoke with her you were in Johto right?"

"Yeah, she's fine, she lost her last two contests and the judges told her to use a different pokemon...Which reminds me, she just caught a Flareon actually."

"Ah, she'll be happy with that, I've seen her with those Eevee magazines" he laughed "how many ribbons does she have now?"

"Still just the one, from New Bark Town" he admitted; trying not to sound unsympathetic.

"Well I'm sure she'll..." "SOL!" The professor flew off screen from the force of a snowy white figure.

Alex raised his brow in puzzlement. "Are you okay professor?" He heard rumbling in the background then suddenly an enlarged face appeared on screen. It was navy blue with deep red eyes. It was gazing into the camera as if looking directly at him. He saw it's head tilt and its eyes wander. It was curious. He heard a muffled "hey!" in the background; the Absol glanced to the right before being nudged to the side, off screen.

"Sorry about that Alex, this Absol here gets a bit excited. She hates missing anything" he laughed and patted the fluffy white mane of the fiendish pokemon. It sat proudly on it's haunches and smiled.

"I didn't know you had an Absol professor" his exhilarated voice raised, he had only seen them in magazines.

"It's only very recently I caught her, she's been helping me with the other pokemon. I guess she just kept coming back for the food" he chuckled. His award winning pokemon food for each species was extraordinary. The Absol glanced once more to the screen at Alex and shifted out of sight. A plastic white bowl Frisbeed onto the Professors lap and he looked down; seeing it was empty. They both laughed in unison. "Well Alex, I'd best be off and feed her, I'll speak to you later"

"Bye Professor" The image collapsed and he put the phone down. He looked around him; it was strange to see the pokemon centre so quiet during the day, especially in Cerulean. He casually pulled from his jeans a key at random. Room 12. Taking one last glance at the status light of the ICU, he strolled down the corridor adjacent to the phone. The ocean blue tiles sparkled, freshly cleaned. He found his door and reached up to unlock it. The key wouldn't twist counter-clockwise. He tried the handle and the door swung open. A startled Chansey stood on its tip-toes watering a little plant, upon seeing Alex it blushed and ran out the room. He had to step back to let it's plump figure escape. Must be shy he thought. Rooms haven't changed much since I was last here. It was a pretty basic layout. One main room with a double bed, kitchen appliances, TV and computer, and an en suite bathroom. The one thing he loved about the Cerulean centre was the hot tub-like baths; they had built in water jets and bubblers capable of soothing a raging Primeape. The walk-in showers were pretty big also, but he preferred baths.

He walked over to the computer, having once spent the night of his gym loss stuck to its screen, researching. The power button let out a distinct cough as if untouched for weeks. He switched on the monitor and waited patiently. A short tune informed him the desktop was loaded. Unfortunately the Kanto pokemon centres hadn't installed a network yet, so online games were out of the question. They did however have an extended pokedex database. Alex had previously found it very interesting; looking up the pokemon he carried once as a trainer who now belonged to his sister in the breeding centre back home.

He opened the program and watched the loading bar compile every entry. Into the search bar at the top right he keyed 'Ninetales'. He found himself craving to know more about them. The page displayed a picture of two Ninetales in their natural habitat, their Vulpix young were nestled between their mother's tails while the father watched over them. Scrolling down he found the pokedex entry along with several extended features. Every possible detail on this pokemon was here. Even to the point it was listing the average height and weight of a healthy Ninetales. Scrolling down further he found 'How to look after your Ninetales'. It recommended regular grooming and bathing. It also had videos on how to check it's dental health. The bar on the side displayed latest updates on the pokemon. The most recent article told how they had proven Ninetales can live for 1000 years. The post just below though caught his attention. It read 'Ninetales Capable of Telepathy'. He had heard of psychic pokemon being able to speak to their trainer with their mind but he'd never believed it.

After spending almost an hour learning more of the fox something caught his eye, he saw Lara from his window, dragging his bag pack along the path, her own bag, overflowing with items. She had never been good at packing. Behind her Sam wore her tent bag on his back, it hung to the side slightly. Loose poles and material poked out its compartments. A dazed looking Oddish followed, it balanced a small saucepan in its head leaves

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Her paw twitched as she gently regained consciousness, slowly opening her eyes she felt a warm hand behind her ear, petting her. Raising her head she gained focus. Looking down on her was a bright-eyed smiling face. To her right was a Chansey, also smiling. Her head shifted round taking in her surroundings. All man-made. The last thing she remembered was a wall of water barrelling towards her.

"You're in a pokemon centre. I doubt you'll have seen one before. Don't worry I'm here to help you" Joy said gently, still petting her.

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"That's it guys, nearly there" she looked back, she was clearly struggling more than they were.

Sam's eyes traced the ground; a sense of hopelessness had overtaken him.

They reached the automatic doors as they opened; Alex walked out. She sighed and thrust his bag into his chest. "Next time, you take your own bag".

"Hi to you too..." he laughed but he could see she wasn't in the mood.

Sam looked up at Alex and took a glint of hope from his upbeat attitude.

"You got my key?" she muttered, desperate to have a hot shower after spending days camping.

"Yeah, right here" He dug in his pocket and threw her the Room 11 key.

She snatched them from the air, sighing again. She started down the corridor, glancing at the doors. "How's the Ninetales?" her tone finally changing, showing some consideration. Her voice rose as she ventured further down the lobby.

"It's in the ICU at the moment. Nurse Joy wants to keep it overnight" he noticed her attention was elsewhere as she unlocked her door.

She swung it open and held it for the pokemon. Behind her she realised only Oddish ran through. She looked back at Alex and saw him crouched down to the Flareon. It looked up at him, his eyes begging Alex to take him to Sasha.

"I'll be right back Oddish" she smiled as she watched it put down the little pan and collapse, sighing.

Alex could see there was something troubling the Flareon. He saw Lara coming back.

"I think they know each other, Flareon and Ninetales" she said.

"That would explain you catching it by accident, I suppose".

"Why do you keep referring to Ninetales as 'it'?" she asked, the littlest of things would bug her at this point.

"I don't know if IT'S a boy or a girl, do you?"

"No, I wasn't exactly looking was I?" This in mind she knelt down to Sam. One quick glance at his manhood confirmed his gender. She saw Sam blushing slightly in response. "Male...I'm going to guess that Ninetales is female, you should have seen him back at the campsite; he really wants to see her"


The status light above the ICU flickered off, a strained beep echoed round the room. Nurse Joy walked out followed by Chansey.

"How is she?" Alex demanded.

"Ninetales will be fine, she's awake now, I've gave her some Asvinol which repairs any internal damage. I would still like to keep her overnight. You did the right thing, any longer and she may have went into a coma"

Sam ran up to Joy, standing on his hind legs he pawed her knees.

"Can we see her?" Alex asked, on behalf of Sam.

"Sure, go on in" she smiled and opened the door.

Sam bolted through, his eyes immediately found her. She was sprawled out across a stretcher in the corner. "Sasha!"

Her ears perked at the familiar voice. She sat up to see him running towards her. "Sam!" she smiled.

He leapt up onto the bed and embraced her.

She yelped lightly, her back was still sore. She felt him pounce back, ready to apologize. No way is he apologizing. She grabbed his head with her paw and their muzzles met.

His eyes widened in shock then gently closed as he sunk into the kiss. He felt her tails wrap warmly around him.

Lara walked in first, seeing the two kissing she turned back to Alex with an open mouth smile. He glanced round the door and understood.

"They're mates" she beamed "No wonder he was worried".

Sasha broke the kiss, looking up at the two. Sam sighed in contentment.

The pair approached the bed. Alex, smiling warmly, gently stroked her side. Her fur was so soft. "I'm sorry Ninetales; I really didn't mean to hurt you". She held his gaze, again surprised by the sheer respect he gave her. She nodded slightly, forgiving him. If anything she was impressed he had beat her. Lara neared the side of the bed and leant over to pet her. "You were really strong back there, you should be proud" she said, her hand trailing through the silk fluff of her mane.

"Nine" she yipped softly.

Sam bounced over to the side; he began licking Lara's hand, thanking her.

"Awwww, you're so cute!" she picked him up and cuddled him.

Alex looked at the two of them, then to Sasha. They both smiled.

She placed him down next to Sasha. "I'm heading for a shower now Alex, I'm glad you're okay Ninetales!" she waved, deciding to leave Sam with Sasha for a while.

"Yeah, I'll go get some supplies, anything you want for dinner?" he asked but she had already left, he heard a faint "Surprise me!"

He ruffled their manes gently, "I'll see you later guys, try and get some rest Ninetales".

She waited. The swing doors steadied after his exit. "I'm really sorry Sam; I know you were just looking out for me back there. I had no idea he'd be that strong" she placed her paw atop his.

"I'm just glad you're okay...There's something I need to tell you though" his head dropped, ashamed. "After you fainted, they threw one of those balls at you..."

"Did he catch me?!" she interrupted.

"Well, no. I ran to you and the ball... Hit me" his eyes began to water. "She caught me Sasha!"

She moved to his side, wrapping her tails round his body. "Sam, it's okay, they seem nice" she didn't understand.

"But...They haven't caught you" the first tear brushed one of her tails. Thoughts of them having to part ways took over.

"I'll come with you Sam. If I have to follow these trainers round the world. I'm coming with you" she rested her head against his, watching the tears slowly stop.

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"Thanks" he took his change and receipt. Stocked up on some pokemon essentials, he made his way towards the local grocery store, just opposite. Stopping outside the entrance he spun a rack of sunglasses round. He tried on a few pairs but he knew he wasn't about to spend half his life savings on a pair of designer glasses. He took a worn basket from the stand and entered. The air conditioned space refreshed him; even the late afternoon sun was tiring. There were a few customers he thought were only in there for the cool release. He wandered round the aisles, adding the select few brands that met his standard to his basket. Any passer-by would think he lived on canned food. So used to buying them for a quick meal when camping. Now, Lara's dinner... she had been very critical of his past choices. Staying clear of the sushi and the meat he found the vegetarian selection. She says she's not a vegetarian but any time he tried a meat dish she refused. He grabbed a readymade veggie lasagne and joined the queue at the tills. To his immediate right stood a magazine rack. He'd made a mental note upon entering to check if the latest Pokewatcher edition was in. His face lit up as its front page showed they had captured new pictures of the legendary Moltres. He swiftly added it to his basket.

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A blast of steam fled the bathroom as the door swung open. Invigorated, Lara walked out. Digging through her jam-packed bag, she pulled a sizeable hairdryer and plugged it in. Her long blonde hair slowly started to lighten and fluff out, then being groomed into place by her brush. When satisfied with her hair she stood, allowing the towel that tightly clenched her body to drop. Her last clean pair of pants were buried deep at the bottom of her bag. She added a mental note to wash the rest of her clothes later. She found them and leg by leg pulled them up; they hugged her crotch tightly, absorbing the remaining moisture from the shower. The contours of her lips were slightly visible through the pink cotton. One fresh pair of jeans remained, also at the bottom of her bag. It was a little creased at the edges but her body heat would soon flatten them out. She grabbed her pokegear from the nightstand, checking the time. 6:10pm. She had missed the start. With her other hand she grasped the remote, pushing the red button at the top, the screen began to pixelate. "Each berry has its own unique effect on pokemon, the ability to combine different berries into Pokeblock to suit their needs is an important skill for modern co-ordinators" Vivian, the host of her pokemon contests also had a show, teaching co-ordinators useful skills for use in their contests. Lara lay on the bed, still half naked watching the show.

Seconds later she heard a knock, "Lara, can I come in?" Alex was fumbling around with bags outside. "Hold on Alex", she sprang off the bed to her bag, pulling out the matching bra to her pants. Slipping it through each arm and tying it at the back. It gently cupped her breasts. Still quite petite for a young adult. Lastly finding a t-shirt, it stated 'I [Heart] -lutions' in between was a picture of an Eevee. It was an impulse buy last week in Viridian. She pulled it over her head and opened the door.

"Hey" he said as he walked in and grounded the bags. His finger tips shook, slightly numb after carrying them.

"Hi, what'd you get me?" she started poking through the bags. She noticed he had bought a fur brush, pokemon food, some fire-type poke-treats and three pokeballs. She sighed. "Alex, I think you should take care of Ninetales. You get on well with her and after all, you were the one to take her here. She should be your pokemon, not mine."

He looked up and smiled, he was wondering how he would ask her but now he no longer needed to. "Thanks Lara. I just hope she wants to come with us, she may like the wild"

"My Flareon won't be going anywhere without her, so she better be coming along" she laughed. Her focus then returned to the screen.

"I got us a lasagne for dinner" he saw her face grimace "Don't worry it's a veggie meal"

"Ah, you do listen, thanks" she sighed and looked his way "Any chance of you heating it up?" she was engrossed in the show.

He smiled and shook his head. What would you do without me. He fetched the ready-meal and pierced a few holes in the film lid. Avoiding the oven he lazily placed it in the microwave and turned the dial to 3 minutes.

Later that evening, the sun had set on their eventful day. After a soothing bath, Alex stepped into the hallway; he'd made use of the complimentary robe. Knocking once more he entered. Her room was immersed in darkness, only the vibrant light of the TV danced on the walls. Looking to the bed he found her sleeping. Freshly clothed in her fluffy pink pyjamas her head lay to the side, her long blonde hair quilted her face, parting only at her open mouth. Careful not to wake her he slid the remote from her grasp. The light vanished from the room. The hallway light from the door was all that remained. He approached the bags and fumbled silently through them. Pulling a bag of treats and a pokeball he exited, closing the door softly behind him.

Bare footed he crossed the light starved tiles to the ICU. One lamp next to Joy's desk lit the foyer. With the back of his hand he pushed the swing doors. Again only one lamp struggled to light the room. To the corner he saw her stretcher; they both took their usual place. Sam curled to a ball beneath Sasha's tails as she hugged him ever so tightly. Their breathing was their only movement. He approached the two in slumber. Sighing gently, he had hoped to say goodnight. He looked down on them, so graceful. Onto the bedside cabinet he placed the treats and pokeball. A small metallic clink echoed as he set it down.

Sam's head rose slowly, Sasha's tails trailing off it, brushing down his face. He yawned and caught sight of Alex moving his hand, leaving behind a pokeball. He glanced up to him, his head tilted slightly, questioning its purpose.

Alex smiled, watching the innocent amber face wondering his presence. His hand slid to the bag of treats, slowly ripping its seal he took a small biscuit, particularly seasoned for fire types. He held it out to Sam, watching as his nose twitched around it. Trying a shy lick; he allowed the spice to saunter his buds. Smiling, he gently took the biscuit from his grasp. The silence broke as his jaw lovingly crunched at it. Licking his lips his gaze met the pokeball again.

"It's for her" Alex whispered softly, careful not to stir Sasha. Sam's eyes met his "I hoped to ask her tonight" he paused.

Sam's head fell, his eyes lost in thought. He felt a warm hand stroke his mane.

"I know you're scared" "But I promise... You'll always have each other" pausing, he looked to the pokeball. "I promise, I'll look after her". Then back to Sam, he sat on his haunches, listening intently. "I'll leave this here" he said tapping the pokeball briefly. He stood; reaching in he pulled another biscuit and offered it.

With no hesitance Sam took the edge with his front teeth, careful not to graze Alex's fingers. Savouring it he felt one last ruffle at his mane and he watched him leave. He looked back, smiling sympathetically before pushing the swing doors. Sam's eyes gazed down lovingly at Sasha. Taking her tail tips in his maw he gently pulled them over his head and snuggled back into her fluffy warmth. Slowly drifting to sleep, his last relieving thoughts... She's coming with me.

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"Sam..." Her vision faded in. Lost in a pool of euphoria she panted heavily. Lying on her side, raising her head she looked down. Her hind leg was raised, Sam's muzzle buried in her genitals. Bolts of pleasure surged through her entire form as his tongue engorged her femininity. Time and space was lost. All that existed was this moment. Her moisture leaked from her sex, soaking his face. His rapid lapping continued. His hot fiery tongue clashed with her own wild, searing heat as her glorious climax neared. His ravenous pace increased, his muzzle pushing into her very walls, craving more. Her soft, lustful whining echoed, accompanied by her desperate need for air. Her paws fixed down, gripping. Nine golden tails grabbed his body, locking him there. Her leg, still airborne twitched madly as she felt it building. His blazing lingua penetrating deeper, deeper. Swirling passion like none other enveloped her. Tightening her grip at the very last second it arrived. Closing her eyes, an immense wall of sheer pleasure tore through her letting body.

Consciousness slapped her. Opening her eyes, the universe returned. The pounding orgasm still rushed. Her legs straddled his torso, her sopping pussy, grinding against his back. She rode him. Juices flooded from her roaring sex. Tightening her grip further, she embraced him as her walls clamped down. Every muscle tensed, enjoying every second.

Panting viciously she released, the intensity in her crotch was slowly fading. Still winking, her lips pushed her juices out, forming a river over Sam's back. Reality had returned. Small shards of light scaled the walls. One lamp. Sam's motion-free body lay beneath her grasp. Still sleeping. Her breathing calmed, closing her eyes again she held him. Her raw, sexual passion, unlocked by the wet dream. Replaying the scene over and over, consciousness drifted from her. Time faded again, ecstasy left the vixen, resting.