I have only had two owners.

The first was the one who hatched me, a female human, slightly older with a few hints of gray fur mingled with the blonde of her head fur. She was the owner of my mother, a Typhlosion, as well as my father, a Blaziken. From what my mother told me, and from what I observed during my few months living with her, she was somewhat of a Pyro eccentric, having only Fire Pokémon living with her, save for a Buizel (who she claimed was the exception due to her bright orange fur though the creature was most obviously a Water Pokémon).

She was, by no means, a breeder of any sort and my birthing was due more to my mother and father’s planning than hers. However, she was thrilled when I hatched and, when I was a few weeks old, began training me. It was somewhat difficult, as she had little experience dealing with a hatchling and I had littler experience on what exactly she’d wanted me to do. In the end, she decided it might be best for her to give me to her nephew, whom she fondly called “Davie” (though I quickly learned that he preferred to be called David, rather than Davie). She explained that he was starting his own journey soon, having just turned ten, and that it might be better for a “young one like me” to grow and learn with “a youngin’ like him.” That, and she confided in me that she hoped to share her love of Fire Pokémon with him.

“And what better way then giving him a cute little Cyndaquil!” She’d hugged me close to her, cooing this.

I was rather uncertain about the whole matter. I would have been much more content just to stay with my father and mother, even the crazy Pyro lady… but father said it would be best for me to go out into the world, so I could see the different things and gain knowledge of the world around me.

Mom agreed, but she said it was mostly so I could grow stronger and kick ass.

I was so nervous about meeting him for the first time. What if he didn’t like me? Or my tail? I lowered my head, even more worried. My mother and Kai had both been perplexed by my tail, a little stub which I could wiggle or waggle when happy, but that apparently other Cyndaquils didn’t have. What if he thought I was weird because of it?

The Pyro lady, Kai, had patted my head a little, telling me it was okay to be scared, even a little worried, but that Davie would love and take care of me. I had tried to explain to her that I really didn’t want to go and she seemed to understand me. She bent down, touched the side of my face and said, as solemnly as I’d ever seen her:

“I need you to go with Davie, hun. I need someone to keep an eye on him, and protect him. I can’t give him your mom or pop, they wouldn’t listen to him. But you, you’d listen.” She smiled softly, pulling her hand away. “It’s scary, leaving home, I know. But won’t it be better to have a friend who understands that fear?”

I shifted a little on my hind legs, not wanting to admit that, yes, it would be better, but I was still not liking the whole idea, when she pulled something out of her pocket. It was a shiny orb with a red ribbon that made soft, musical sounds when she moved it.

“This is called a Soothe Bell, I got it just for you.” She reached behind my neck, tying it gently in place. “As a good luck token for your journey.”

When she was done, I shook my head a little, pleased by the chimes. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad…

Right?

=*=*=*=

I was very unsure around David at first. In some ways, he reminded me of his aunt. Certain little mannerisms, such as puffing out his cheeks when he was frustrated or crossing his eyes when he was thinking hard about something, for example. But for the most part, he wasn’t like her at all. She had been very outgoing, radiating energy and always in a rush over something or another. David seemed more… contained. The energy was there, but subtle, beneath the surface.

He seemed to sense my unease and made every effort possible to get to know me better, leaving me out of the pokéball longer, brushing my fur, finding me the kinds of berries I liked (Pecha, of course!), and talking with me. We actually stayed at his home for a few days, till he felt I was comfortable enough with him, before setting off on his journey (well, our journey, I suppose).

Right now, we were about a day’s travel from his home, though we actually had set out three days ago. The area was dense with trees, I’m not sure of the name but several had a crisp, sharp scent when the needles of them were broken and others had leaves that reminded me somewhat of stars, though they were dark red, which fell down occasionally.

Rather than walking on the clearly marked path, worn by many a trainers’ passage, Davie was insistent on traveling off of it. Granted, we traveled in the same direction, but there were usually more obstacles in the way. Fallen trees were the greatest problem for me, as most of them tended to be at least twice as big as myself, if not larger. In fact, the one right in front of me was a bit daunting…

I was startled to feel myself being lifted and panicked for a moment till I heard Davie say, “Careful, girl.” He easily climbed over the log, continuing to hold me against his chest as he walked through a patch of thin, yet plentiful thorny vines. They were hardly a problem for him, his clothing that he wore protecting him from scratches. He’d told me that the clothing he wore was actually handmade from his family, even taking the time to show me how they’d done it. They’d actually used berries to get the deep-red, almost clay look for his shirt and jacket, where as the shirt color, like black ashes, had come from some roots. Even the shoes he had and the apricot colored Pokeballs he had were homemade! He’d even confided in me that the backpack he had, which smelled of hide, was from one of his ancestors, made from Tauros skin (though I wasn’t to ever tell anyone, Pokémon or other, about that).

Sighing softly, I had to admit feeling a little helpless at this gesture of his. Kai said I was suppose to protect him, not the other way around… At the thought of Kai, I instantly thought of my mother and father. Did they miss me? Or were they busy trying to summon another egg from the Delibird?

These thoughts were scattered as I felt Davie stroking my neck and shoulders, the chime of my bell ringing faintly.

“Alright, Cindy.” I turned to look up at him but couldn’t see his face properly from this angle. “Help me keep an eye out for berries. I bet there’s some pretty sweet ones out here.” He moved through some more bushes, ones with dark green leaves before continuing to speak. “No one has been this way for a while so there’s bound to be a Pecha as big as my fist here!”

[Pecha berries?!] Sniffing the air, I tried to catch wind of the deliciously sweet, pink heart shaped fruit. There were a lot of other scents and it took a moment to discern which scent came from what object. The grass was the easiest to identify, followed by the earthy scent of soil. Old scents of Pokémon, though I wasn’t sure which kind, also came to my nose’s attention. There was another scent, almost overwhelming, that took me a few minutes to identify. The one scent was actually several, a mingle of scents coming off of Davie; his clothes, his bag, the pokéballs, even his skin, forming a unique blend of smells. I turned my nose closer, burying my head in his shirt, sniffing again to confirm my findings.

He laughed at me a little, I could feel his chest shaking. “You won’t find any berries in there, girl.” He stroked cautiously along my burners, having found out that applying too much pressure to them could make them accidentally light. “Keep trying though.”

Taking a final breath that ended with a wheezing sneeze, I agreed and squirmed away a little from his touch at my burners. While he was gentle, and very careful, it still made me nervous to have him touch them, least they unintentionally flare up again. That, and his touches to those spots made me grow warm under my fur.

A small shake cleared his scent from my nose, though it was very fresh in my mind. Closing my eyes, I turned my head away from him, inhaling deeply before exhaling slowly, releasing the air after having a chance to examine it in my mind, seeking out the scent I desired.

In.

And out.

In.

And out.

In.

There! Very faint, I could just make out a very sweet scent. Eagerly, I grabbed for his shirt with my paw, tugging to get his attention and pointing with my other paw towards where the scent was coming from. It smelled so good I could envision plump Pecha berries hanging in the branches, my mouth watering.

He set me on the ground, patting my head once before grinning. “’Atta girl. Now, let’s go eat!”

I replied with a very strong affirmative, eagerly taking off towards the smell as my bell jingled merrily around my neck. I figured he’d be able to keep up easily enough, his legs being longer than mine, and because I had to maneuver around the trees and thick bramble bushes. I misplaced the scent twice, having to stop both times and sit still, waiting till the wind brought it back to me. Each time, I would wave to Davie, letting him know we were on the right track, before taking off again.

Finally, when I reached where the scent seemed strongest, I began running from tree to tree, rising up as high as my legs could reach, stretching my nose up along the bark to try and find them. I paused at the third tree, suddenly uncertain. None of these trees smelled like Pecha trees… so where was the sweet scent coming from? A new berry?

“Cindy,” I turned, pausing my investigation when I heard my name. Davie had just arrived and he was looking from tree to tree, body strangely tensed. “I don’t think we should stay here, come on, let’s go.”

Reluctantly, I cast another look around before shuffling my feet towards Davie. I’d really wanted a Pecha berry! How could I smell the berries yet not see them?

Perhaps…

They were too far up in the tree for me to see them!

Squinting my eyesight further, I tried to catch a glimpse of one as I walked toward Davie, hoping to see any sign of one of those delicious fruits. With a gleeful cry, I pointed. There was one! A large berry hanging from the branches of the tree, the largest berry I’d ever seen! It was at least as big as my head, but how to get it? Oh! Maybe a Tackle would work? The trunk wasn’t very thick, a good Tackle should shake it right free!

Shifting from my right foot to my left foot, I bolted, bracing myself as I impacted with the tree. The trunk shook, the berry shaking as well but not falling. Angrily shouting at it, I gave an extra hard Tackle, this time, shaking not just the one berry free but many berries free! Yes! Lovely, wonderful, utterly deliciously special…

Wait.

Those weren’t Pecha berries.

The berries I’d thought to be Pecha berries when up in the tree were too dark a red color, more orbish in shape. Taking a step back towards Davie, I felt a little whimper rise at the back of my throat when I noticed that the berries were moving.

Pecha berries most defiantly did not move.

“This… is not good.” I just barely heard Davie’s whispered voice behind me. I didn’t realize that he’d already figured out what they were; Cherubi, little berry-like Pokémon who kept all their nutrients stored away so that they could use them to evolve later. At the moment, he was just as fixated as I was, watching the berries roll and right themselves, standing on their two little stubby legs one by one, giving irritated little growls and malevolent looking glares.

“Cindy,” his whisper continued, a little tight. “We should… we should go.”

He crouched down low, doing so very slowly, before picking me up. That didn’t stop the berries from noticing him, though. With rage on their juicy faces, their stems began glowing in what Davie later had informed me was a Magical Leaf attack. I guess it’s an attack that’s never suppose to miss but he said they must have just been learning it. All I know is that Davie had grabbed me tightly and began to run, the trees shaking and bushes trembling as the attacks hit at them, the sound like hundreds of mini thunderclaps going off at once. Suddenly, I was very scared for Davie. I didn’t know how a human would fair against a Pokémon’s attack but surely there was a reason they didn’t fight. What if he got hurt because of this, because of me?

I couldn’t look over his shoulder to see if they were following, Davie wouldn’t stop running either, not even to put me down like I demanded so I could fight against them, knowing even as I asked it that I probably wasn’t strong enough. The only hope I had was that the berries couldn’t run very fast and would give up. After all, they only had two legs, right?

I don’t know how far he ran or for how long, just that I could feel his heart beating hard against his chest, his breathing becoming ragged. He gradually began to slow, the area quiet save for his gasps. I could feel him turning to look back and gave a squeal for him to look out, but it was too late. Just as he was turning to see what I was talking about, he ran almost head first into a tree.

When he fell, he shifted me closer to him, his body twisting so he fell on his back instead of on me. I could hear him groaning in pain, one hand releasing me to feel the spot on his head, which I could only assume was tender.

“Mnnnaaaow.” He glanced down at me, squinting through one eye, grimacing. “You okay, girl?”

Eyes tearing up, I began to cry, the jingling of my bell doing nothing to pacify me. I was the one who disturbed the berries, why didn’t they go after me? Why didn’t Davie let me fight? I was here to protect him, not the other way around!

I could feel the tears falling, soaking the fur along my cheeks, whimpering apologies for not being stronger.

Rather than scolding me, he lightly brushed away my tears with his fingers, whispering gentle sounds till my tears stopped before running his hand along my head, down my back, and to the tip of my tail. With a sniffle, I rubbed my head against him, hiccupping a little as he continued to pet me, feeling a little better.

Till an ill timed Pecha berry fell from the tree above us onto Davie’s face.

Thankfully, Davie’s hands were out of the way of my burners when I jumped back (though this was not the case for the tree’s trunk), the flames instantly lighting at my sudden spike of fear. It took a moment for me to realize what had happened and an even longer span of time to realize that I heard laughter.

Davie was laughing.

He was hunched over, almost unable to breathe as he laughed, face dripping with Pecha juice and splattered pieces of it landing on his pants. He turned his head up to the tree, voice still filled with mirth, shouting, “Hey! I’m still hungry!”

He began to make a show of demanding more food from the tree, my burners gradually going out as I began to giggle with him, my squeaky voice and his rich one filling the clearing that we’d inadvertently found.

When we both had calmed down enough, though a spare giggle or two would sneak by, Davie picked up the still edible, albeit messy, Pecha berry, splitting it into two.

“Here, Cindy.” I accepted the sticky fruit in my hands, gleefully biting into the hairy rind as Davie took his own savage bite, as though to get back at it for assaulting him earlier. A small trill of pleasure vibrated from my throat, yes, this was my beloved Pecha berry.

While eating, I noticed a bruise forming on Davie’s face but, seeing how happy he was, I tried not to feel too badly. I did make a promise to myself, though. I was going to be stronger so that next time, we wouldn’t have to run. So I could protect him and keep him happy like this. Mom had amazing powers, if I tried harder, I could have them too! Those freaky little berry things wouldn’t stand a chance against my mom! In fact, if they wobbled into Davie’s area right now, I’d show them how strong I really was! My Tackle was strong enough to knock all of them out of that tree, they couldn’t mess with that! Besides, I already knew one of dad’s really cool moves… if I could just get my burner to work when I wanted it too and not when it felt like it… I could take them all on at once!

Unfortunately, this newfound realization didn’t stop me from flaring when another Pecha fell from the tree, as though to answer Davie’s earlier shouts. My poor human had to jump to his feet and try to beat out the sudden spread of flames along his pants with his half of the fruit, ruining the perfectly nummy berry.

Hiding behind the tree, so as not to get stepped on, spouting apology after apology, I came out as soon as he stopped dancing around, sorrowfully picking up the fruit that had startled me so. I offered it to him, shamefaced, trying to make up for the sopping wet, scorch mess on his pants that I’d caused. Surprisingly enough, he just gave a little sigh and a laugh before splitting the fruit I’d given him, handing me another half.

“Gotta watch out for the deadly clutches of those plump, heavy Pecha berries, huh girl?” he teased.

Flushing, I said nothing, much to Davie’s amusement.

He sat again and I moved beside him, careful to make sure my burners were away from his body. I cast a glance up at the tree, wary of any more berries falling. He grinned at me, playfully poking my belly.

“Pecha’s don’t bite.”

Just to be sure, I took another look at the half he’d given me, snarling as I imagined it to be one of those freaky berries that had attacked us before taking a huge bite out of the sweet fruit in sweeter vengeance.

That’ll show it.

=*=*=

Several days had passed since the attack of the Killer Berries and I was still trying to find a way to show Davie how strong I was. This was made nearly impossible by both the fact that he seemed reluctant to let me fight and that I was a little unsure of how I’d fair once he did. Kai had trained me a little bit, true, but I still couldn’t always get my burner to light when I needed it too. And, without my burner, I might as well just be a Normal Pokémon.

Now, knowing this was a problem and fixing said problem were two completely different things. I knew from what mom and Kai had told me that my burners would light almost instantly under certain circumstances. So far, I found that to be when I was startled, angry, or when my mother was embarrassing me. So… if I could light it instantly sometimes, why not all the time? Kai said I just needed practice figuring out what emotions could get me to light up and then focus on using them. Till then, she’d given me some exercises to help strengthen my fire within… or something to that effect. I’d yet to have time to do them, not wanting Davie to question what I was doing then tell me I couldn’t, till three days ago, when I started doing them when he slept.

Unfortunately, Davie didn’t sleep in a tent unless it was raining. He said he liked to live his life the way his ancestors had, living off the land, traveling paths unexplored, and sleeping under the stars (weather permitting), like the books he’d read about them. He often told me stories about the journals he’d read of the human travelers and their Pokémon, how things were in the older days. In fact, he always grew really excited about it, using his hands to tell the story as well as his words. His energy was contagious and part of the reason I wanted to get stronger. I wanted to be like the Pokémon in those stories, just like Davie wanted to be like the humans.

Anyway, I didn’t want to wake him but I couldn’t go to far away either, as I was still his only Pokémon and those nasty little berries might attack him. Thus, as quietly as I could, I would start through the exercises that Kai had showed me, miming the actions as closely as I could remember without waking him.

Tonight, I was running in place. Normally, Kai said I should run in a circle, but it would have been too noisy and such a small circle of running space would have made me dizzy. Starting, I began to feel a small burn in the center of my body, having noticed this same effect the day before. The longer I worked on the exercises, the hotter my body would feel. The hotter I would feel, the more uncomfortable I felt. Mom said that if I focused that uncomfortable and heat to my burners, they would light but… well, I hadn’t figured out how to do that yet.

I just have to keep trying, I’ll figure it out!

I have to…

=*=*=

David’s eyes fluttered open, not at the sound of Cindy working out, but at the absence of the warmth he felt when she slept by him. Normally, this wouldn’t have disturbed him but the previous days had been unstrenuous and he didn’t really need enough rest for his body to simply ignore signals such as this and go back to sleep. His blurry vision took a while to adjust, but his body didn’t move. When he discovered what he was looking at, all he could do was smile.

Cindy was at it again. For the past few nights, he had woken up to find her running in place or trying to do some other demanding exercise as quietly as she could. He didn’t fully understand the reason behind it but figured she was simply trying to get stronger. After all, he hadn’t been much help in that area. He cherished her, unsure how he would take it if he sent her into battle and got her hurt because of a mistake that he made. He didn’t know how his ancestors did it; Hell, how could any trainer?

The trick, he knew, was to look at it like a game, a friendly competition between Pokémon, where you are the coach in their fight for the prize. When it was all over, you were supposed to be able to keep a light enough outlook to shake the other trainer’s hand and let your Pokémon, win or lose, treat their opponent with respect.

That was how it was done.

But he still felt that he could make a terrible mistake at some point and leave his Cyndaquil hanging on a bad order. He didn’t want to cause her harm, and yet, he did want her to become strong. Not only because she seemed to want it but because if she grew stronger, she wouldn’t be as shy and they could start working up the ranks to Victory Road.

Silently, he continued to watch Cindy, as he did every night when he felt her leave his side. He wanted to tell her not to try so hard… but she seemed so determined that he felt it wouldn’t help the issue any. Besides, if she thought he was still asleep when she heard his voice, those burners might turn his pants into an inferno again, something he was definitely not looking forward to.

He heard her give a little sigh, temporarily stopping her running in place. He could just faintly make out the tiny sounds of her breath as she looked up to the sky, staying perfectly still as she looked. From the expression on her face, she seemed pensive before giving a small shake of her head and going back to her exercises, changing from running in place to working on reaching her toes, a hard feat with a rounded belly so full of Pechas.

Continuing to watch her, he was given sight to something odd. No, maybe not odd, just… curious. She was a female, after all, but he had never given it too much thought. It was hard to think of anything else, though, when she bent over in front of him like that. He knew she wasn’t doing it on purpose, and really, he shouldn’t put too much thought into it but… he really couldn’t stop himself from saying something that itched at his mind and drove his tongue, a touch of humor, perhaps, to lighten her mood, or his.

“You have a nice butt, Cindy.”

The little Cyndaquil toppled over at his words, her bell ringing and her burners flaring. He was lucky enough that nothing of his caught on fire, though he could feel the burst of heat wash over him. He thought her skin looked a pinch red under her fur but couldn’t see so well from this distance. After her flames gradually dwindled to a normal size, she turned to face him, offering what he assumed were apologies, based on the many times he’d heard her make those similar sounds. She was rubbing the back of her head, looking down to the ground. If he wasn’t mistaken, it almost looked like she might be blushing.

“It’s okay girl, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Smiling, he tried to divert her attention from his comment, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable. “And look, you got your back lit up! Good job, Cindy!”

“Cynda!” She looked very proud of herself before her flames went out, though she was still happy so he just assumed she just turned them off. Walking over to Davie, she climbed up to rest on his chest, her favorite spot to relax when he was lying down. Running his hand gingerly along her back, he was surprised to find her burners had already cooled enough that they were safe to touch. Similar to melted wax, they only offered a slight sting, but not enough to deter him from massaging her burners, something that she seemed to find delightful at this moment, given her soft little sounds.

“You know, you have other attacks besides fire ones,” he smirked, the bottom of his chin resting over her nose as he continued to massage her. “Your Tackle knocked all those Pokémon out of that tree, if we get you used to fighting like that, then you’ll come into your other ones naturally.” He slid his hands from her burners to her tail, running his fingers at the tip of her little nub-like appendage before pinching it playfully. She had been so self-conscious over it when they’d first met but he found it really adorable. “So you don’t have to do all this midnight training, save your strength, okay?”

She gave a drawn out “Quilllll,” when he pinched her tail so he moved to massaging her legs, certain they’d be sore from her training the last few nights. She began talking in Pokémon and he wished he could understand her, as what she was saying seemed to be important. Oh well… her voice was cute.

Almost as cute as her butt.

Resting his whole palm along her backside so that his thumb could knead one thigh and his fingers could do the other, he used his remaining hand to lift her off her front paws and scratch along her stomach to her chin, the Cyndaquil practically melting into him.

“We need you good and strong if you’re going to Tackle our enemies into oblivion. They won’t see what’s coming to them and in no time, you’ll have mastered your fire moves to burn through whatever’s left.” He rolled her onto her back, curling her into his forearm and rubbing her belly some more. “In no time, you’ll be stronger than them all. I’ll make sure of it.”

She gave a firm nod, her body puffing up till as she made some sort of declaration in her tongue that died as soon as his fingers began brushing along her tummy. Instantly, she deflated and began to squirm, little squeaks of protest breaking through her giggles, her paws trying to push away his hand with little success. He laughed quietly, continuing to tickle her till he remembered that her burners might inadvertently flare if he kept working her up.

Ceasing the torture, he rolled on his side, curling his legs and body around her as he held her against his chest again. His hand steadied itself on her tummy, fingers drumming on her chest as he lazily looked at her. Curled in this way, he could feel her warmth, see her underbelly, and what lay just beneath it…

It was his turn to look away and blush. But why? She was just a Pokémon. It’s not like he had read stories of the old days where those solo adventures, the ones who only traveled with only one Pokémon, had developed deeper relationships with their travel mate, relationships that most couldn’t understand these days. No, of course he hadn’t done that.

Not many of them, anyway.

At any rate, it wasn’t like they were his favorite lores and legends!

Well… maybe they were…

A little.

Giving a sigh, he rested his head on his folded jacket, continuing to hold his Cyndaquil in his bare arms, keeping her tight against his clay-colored shirt, laughing shortly, trying to distract himself from his thoughts.

“You know, Cindy, we have a big journey ahead of us… so… yeah, we should get to sleep tonight.”

His words weren’t needed, though. While he’d been thinking, Cindy had already fallen asleep, most likely tuckered out from her training and from his tickling. Placing a light kiss upon her head, he may have lingered there just a moment too long for it to have been decent before waiting for his own sleep to come.

=*=*=

I nervously peeked from around Davie’s pant leg at the other trainer, making a tiny noise at Davie to indicate that I was ready. Swallowing, I slowly moved away from him, taking my place for my first trainer battle.

Shifting from one foot to the other, I waited, already unsure of this. Maybe I wasn’t ready yet, maybe I should keep training a few more days!

But… this was the fastest way to get stronger.

The trainer grabbed one of his pokéballs, having already agreed with Davie to do just a one on one battle. He shouted something before throwing it, releasing a mostly green Bug type Pokémon.

It didn’t look that bad, I could handle that!

“Cindy, use Tackle!”

“Caterpie, String Shot!”

I rushed forward, plowing into the Caterpie as my bell rang, the sphere inside clattering from side to side. The Bug rolled over backwards once before letting loose a spray of sticky silk from its mouth, the substance getting all over my nice fur. It made it harder to move and was terribly uncomfortable as it tugged on my fur. Greatly upset, I could feel her burners warming up, though they hadn’t started to blaze yet.

“Leer, Cindy!”

“Caterpie, use Tackle!”

Glaring at the Caterpie, still very upset that he’d covered me with that silken mess, he actually faltered enough that I was able to dodge his Tackle. The more I moved, the warmer I felt, the heat spreading throughout me. This wasn’t so hard! I could win this for Davie!

“Another Tackle, Cindy!” His order sounded stronger, more confident, and I responded instantly to it, though I was hindered by the String Shot. The Caterpie met my Tackle with his own but I kept pushing, even when his pink horns jammed into my forehead. Digging my feet in, I flipped him over my head. As he fell, I turned, responding with another Tackle, sending him barreling backwards towards his trainer. The Caterpie rolled belly up, giving a short cry of defeat, before curling into a submissive ball.

We did it! We won!

I gave a thrilled cry as Davie picked me up and held me above his head, spinning me around, both of us laughing and excited.

The other trainer was laughing too, shaking his head and reaching down for his Caterpie. “We have some more training to do, buddy.”

His Caterpie nodded as it was picked up, both trainers walking towards each other. “We’ll have to have a rematch sometime,” the bug trainer said, Davie nodding and shaking the other’s hand. The Caterpie also extend its little horn in good sportsmanship, which I accepted, grasping it with one paw and lightly shaking it as I’d seen Davie do. However, now that the adrenaline was wearing down, I came to the realization that I was still covered in sticky silk. There was no way I’d be able to escape getting a bath once Davie saw this!

[I don’t suppose there’s an easier way to get this stuff off than with water?]

My hopeful inquiry was met with a sheepish smile from the Caterpie who shook his head in the negative, crushing my hopes.

[I really hate baths…] I tried to move one of my arms up only to wince as it immediately pulled on my hairs. Well, perhaps I’d get lucky and Davie wouldn’t notice. Bathing was most definitely worse than being covered in silk!

Right?

“Well, come on, Cindy, let’s get you cleaned off.”

He noticed!!

Whimpering, I made a small sound of protest, hoping to get him to change his mind while knowing the odds of such an event were slim. I struggled a little, not liking the idea of having a bath.

“Come on now,” he chastised. “We need to get that silk off and there’s a river nearby. It’s not the warmest in the world, but it’ll do.”

I ceased my struggling, still not enjoying where this was going. I didn’t want to go in a cold river! Lava! Now lava was good for a bath! Not only did it burn away dirt and germs, it was also pleasantly warm and made my fur gleam!

As Davie said, the river wasn’t too far away. I had hoped he’d been mistaken but that wasn’t the case. He walked along it, carrying me, till he found a spot that had widened into a softer flowing, round, almost pool-like basin. He kind of glanced around before setting me on the ground, taking off his pack and jacket.

“I should get a bath too, while I’m here.” He started to remove his shirt, grumbling, “I smell like day-old Pecha juice.”

I snorted, trying to get the point across to him with words and actions that Pecha juice was a perfectly acceptable smell and only enhanced his natural scent but wasn’t sure how much of it he was able to understand. Finally, I brought my attention to this new enemy on hand.

The Water.

Cringing, I gingerly dipped a hind foot in, pulling it out immediately with a squeal. Whining even louder, I looked up at Davie, giving my best “do I reaaaaaally have to?” face and then glancing back at the water.

He only laughed. “Don’t worry, girl, once you get used to the water, you’ll be fine.”

Davie looked around again before removing the rest of his clothing, though he left the things he called “boxers” on. I’m not quite sure why but didn’t question it as he picked me up again. His body was warm and I pressed myself tight against him as he moved into the water, the foul liquid rising up to his waist before he sat in it, still keeping me close. Kai had already made sure he was well aware I couldn’t swim.

As soon as the water touched my fur, I jumped, half thinking of climbing up on his shoulders to escape my fate before submitting to his will. Closing my eyes tight, I shivered as the water began to wrap around me, Davie lowering me gradually into it, though he made sure to keep me against him. Stifling another shiver, I gave him my best “I am not happy” look before attempting to remove the sticky silk from my fur. The sooner I got it off, the sooner I could get out, right?

Hastily scrubbing at it, the silk persistently clung to me, no matter how hard I rubbed my arms and belly. Frustrated and upset beyond words, I tried harder, bristling with determination. I wasn’t going to let some stupid string beat me!

When he laughed at me, I felt hurt till he rubbed my head.

“Hold on, Cindy,” he smiled, using one hand to cup some water and letting it run along my fur. He ran his nails along the silk, letting it fall off of me and having the gentle current pull it away. “You need to calm down or you’ll just rub it everywhere… then you’d be in here for hours.”

Hours?

I held perfectly still.

Staying in here for minutes was bad enough but HOURS?! Whining, I cheered up a little when I saw how easily Davie was able to remove the threads from my fur. Yeah, the water was still kind of chilly… but Davie was warm and should be done soon. Besides, his nails felt good along my back…

Calming, I felt surprisingly warmer as his fingers danced along my body, his hands seeming to slow as they glided, feeling for any rogue strands.

“See?” He murmured, still stroking me. “That’s not so bad, is it?”

I gave a little bob of my head, having to reluctantly admit that. His grooming was wondrous, much better than when Kai used the brush or even when my mom licked my fur clean. I was beginning to feel much warmer inside now, oddly, which seemed to only increase the longer he petted me. Thankfully, my burners didn’t have the strength to ignite, especially not underwater, though I did feel them heating up. To show my appreciation, I began trying to pick off the silks that clung to his arms from when he’d carried me, wanting to return the favor.

He smiled, stroking along my back before going back to massaging my legs, as he had done the night before. “You fought really well, Cindy. I’m very proud of you, I knew you could do it.” He tweaked my tail before moving to rub the spot the Caterpie had Tackled me.

Unconsciously, I made a low whine, feeling my burners heat up the water around me. His words barely reached my mind, a sudden warm haze clouding my thoughts before I could give a small nod. I didn’t know what caused that reaction each time he tweaked my tail, but it felt kind of nice…

[I was only able to do it because of you, Davie.] I rubbed my head against him, resting a paw on his chest. [Without you, I wouldn’t have been so strong.]

His hands moved back to my tail, pinching and rolling it, making my skin was burn under my fur, not just at my cheeks! My whole body felt warm… My burners didn’t seem to be the only place leaking heat either. It felt like… like that spot was getting warm too. I almost missed his words, whispering along my ears as he teased my tail.

“You make a good water heater, Cindy,” he gave a tug with his thumb and forefinger, pulling my tail gently. “I don’t think I ever want to get out now.”

I couldn’t even form an answer to that, just give a small whimper of agreement. As long as he kept doing what he was doing, I think I’d have agreed to anything.

(Later, much, much later, he told me what he’d been thinking about as he played with my tail in the water. About the stories he’d read, the ones where trainers had married their Pokémon, even had children with them. A lost art that no one seemed to want to know in this age, where the matter was taboo. He whispered about how he wanted to know what would come of our union if we’d have an egg, being that the hatchling should be a Cyndaquil with some of his traits, if it worked the same way as two Pokémon breeding, though he couldn’t fathom what traits it would have.)

“You like that, huh?” I felt his hands slid to cup my bottom in his palm, the way he was playing with my tail changing as he went from pinching it to massaging it with his fingers.

The most I could do was give a slight nod and a mumbled answer that would have been no more intelligent sounding if Davie could understand Pokémon. Arcing up a little, I moved closer to his chest, feeling the water around me heating further. Thankfully, the current kept churning cool water in and cycling the hot water out, else, I think I might have caused the water to boil. However, the cool water cycling in did nothing to ease the warmth between my legs and it was getting unbearable.

[What’s… happening?] I looked up at Davie, whimpering. [Wh-what are you doing?]

He didn’t answer, just kept playing with my tail and rubbing his hands along my bottom. It was only when his palm moved lower, towards the spot where the heat was coming from between my thighs that I pulled away from his hand, strangely timid about his touching there. I didn’t have very far to go though. Since I couldn’t swim, there was no way for me to get out of the water without Davie taking me out. I felt so hot… why?

“Little scared, hm?” He closed his eyes, sighing, before shaking his head and smiling. He lifted me out of the water, leaving me confused on the riverbank while he just kept grinning at me. “No worries, Cindy! At least you got the water nice and warm for me!”

I was disappointed but relieved at the same time, having no clue how to handle what he’d been doing to me or why my body had reacted as such. I felt poorly, afraid of those things I didn’t understand, but felt better when he told me it was okay. The things he’d been doing… they’d felt good, but too different from anything she’d ever felt before.

“Now at least we know to avoid String Shots, right girl?”

I gave a nod, only half aware of what he was talking about. Out of the water, the air felt cold, though my body was still warm within. Shaking my fur, I sneezed as water tickled the inside of my nose. Licking the remaining droplets off my fur, I watched him, trying to make sense of what had occurred, but unable to do so.

What was I missing?

=*=*=

The “cold shower” did David a lot of good, his nerves finally calming as they cooled. What had he been thinking? There was no reason to do that with her. Just because he was curious was not a viable explanation!

Gulping, he tried to rationalize. Maybe he was being too hard on himself. He didn’t know a lot of what he was doing but there wasn’t any harm to it. She hadn’t been protesting, heck, she even seemed to enjoy it up till his hand had drifted lower. His curiosity had just gotten the better of him, that was all.

That, and of course, the romantic ideals he had dipped his brain in many times. Maybe he could… well, it was possible… no, only the bad guy in the story put those kinds of things before the trust of their Pokémon. He’d stave off his curiosity until she grew curious as well. Until then, she was his partner, his companion, and someone he really had to teach Ember eventually.

Sighing, he sank lower in the water.

It really didn’t help that she had such a cute butt…

=*=*=

Panting, I cast a quick glance at the fallen Sentret. It had been very fast, hard to Tackle, but I’d done it. I’d won again!

“Good job, Cindy.” Davie knelt beside me, the other trainer returning his Pokémon before walking away.

Davie handed me an Oran berry and I accepted it, knowing as well as he did that the Oran would help me recover some of my strength. It wasn’t as good as my precious Pecha… but it was still pretty good.

“How are you holding up, my little gladiator?”

Gnawing on the firm outer skin to get to the array of flavors within, I gave a grunt to symbolize that I was fine. So far, I hadn’t been hurt badly, in spite of how many trainers we’d fought, though I was getting a little tired. I figured I could go another round.

Once I got it open, I uttered a pleased squeal before eating it from the inside out.

It was at this time that a trainer approached us, clearly intending to make a challenge. I think he’d actually been hanging around, watching us fight, but I wasn’t too concerned. Right now, I was too busy eating my Oran to be bothered much by him.

“You’re up next, huh?” Davie stood up, brushing himself off. “Just give her a sec to finish eating, then we can get this show on the road.”

“Take your time.” The kid frowned, though, perhaps “kid” wasn’t the right term. He seemed bigger than Davie, perhaps even older, and he held his pokéball loosely, as if the slightest nudge could send it tumbling from his fingertips.

Finishing up, I licked the juice off my lips before shifting uneasily.

“Ready to go, girl?”

I gave a tiny nod, stepping forward.

“Good.” Davie moved back, leaving plenty of room for me to fight whatever new opponent this would be. “Let’s keep our streak running, Cindy.” He turned his focus to the trainer. “I have only one, so we’ll do a singles match, that cool with you?”

"That's fine," the large kid chuckled, letting his pokéball drop. When it hit the ground, a shining beam of light formed into a soft, round shape. A leaf sprouted from the energy field first, soon followed by the rest of the Pokémon.

“Chikorita,” I heard Davie mumble behind me. “That’s a lot rarer than some of the other ones we’ve fought…but we can still do this!”

Moving closer, I waited. The Chikorita swayed a little, seeming wary of me. He didn’t know that I couldn’t use Fire attacks… but still, it was nice to know that he would be leery.

“As challenged, I’ll make the first move. Cindy, use your Smokescreen attack!”

Opening my mouth, I let loose with a dark cloud of smoke, stifling a sneeze as it tickled my nose, spreading by to cover myself and a sizable piece of the “arena.”

“Makis, use Growl!”

I could hear him from outside of the Smokescreen, his Growl making me shiver a little, though I could not see him. Well, I couldn’t see all of him… I could just make out his shadow moving along side the smoke. But… I wasn’t going to let Davie down!

“Tackle!”

Bursting through the dark clouds, I tried to hit the shadow of the Chikorita, but I was mistaken of his exact positioning and he dodged it, retaliating with an array of leaves that came from the command of “Razor Leaf!” from his trainer. I managed to evade most of them but a few hit my backside, causing me to lose my balance and stumble, my bell chiming loudly. I recovered as quickly as I could, using a Leer attack that Davie ordered… but my attack didn’t seem to faze the Chikorita.

“Tackle, Makis!”

“You too, Cindy, Tackle!”

We rammed into each other, my Tackle having more power to it but Makis’ was still fairly strong. Locked in combat, shoulder to shoulder, we dug our heels in, pushing the other, trying to overcome and overwhelm each other but gaining no ground.

“Quick! While she’s in close range, use Poison Powder!”

I was unwilling to back down and thus, was unable to escape as the Chikorita released glittering, violet powder from the buds along its neck. The stuff was getting on my skin, in my nose, even in my eyes, though I tried to squeeze them shut. Suddenly, I didn’t feel well, like my strength was being slowly sucked out of me.

“Cindy!” I could hear not only determination but also concern in my trainer’s voice. “We can do this! Tackle him while he’s close!”

Feeling woozy, I tried to shake my head, only to find that it increased my dizziness. Standing perfectly still, trying to reorient myself, I was hit heavily in the side by Makis’ own Tackle, causing me to land in a heap on the ground. Trying to get up, I felt myself bristling as the human trainer began to laugh.

“I figured as much, she can’t use Fire attacks, can she?”

Davie didn’t say anything but I could tell that he was almost as upset as I was.

“Well, finish this up. Makis, use Tackle again.”

I rolled to the side, just evading it. Rising, I tried to counter with one of my own Tackles. When it landed successfully, causing him to stumble, I followed through with another, knocking him down. I had to stop when I felt my energy waver, my mouth feeling dry all of a sudden, a sense of nausea washing over me. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like he was getting up!

“Synthesis,” the trainer ordered.

The Chikorita fanned his leaf out, the sunrays touching it to make it glow golden, the light shining to caresses his whole body. When it dimmed, the got up, ready and eager to continue while I was worn and slightly ill. I still couldn’t give up yet, though! Focusing, I kept myself upright, waiting for Davie’s next command.

“Cindy, use Leer, then give him all you’ve got!”

I gave it my very best Leer, slowly feeling a burning sensation at the back of my mind. What was it? Anger?

Yes.

I was angry. How dare that trainer laugh at Davie and me? I could almost feel my Leer intensifying, the Chikorita sensing it and taking a step back, hesitating.

“Oh, come on, Makis! She’s done for, just Razor Leaf her.” The trainer was shaking his head, clearly unimpressed with me or this battle. That just made me angrier. As the Chikorita prepared to follow through with his attack, swinging the leaf around his head and loosing several leaves my way, the trainer continued with, “Just as I thought, pit her with a decently trained Pokémon and she’s nothing. She needs a lot more training.” He smirked, “Or a better trainer.”

That was it!

I could feel my fury peak, only infuriated further by my misery at being sick, not to mention the stab at my Davie! My burners lit, fueled by my indignity and righteous anger. With an livid cry, I loosed a burst of flames from my mouth, the fire burning the leaves to ash and washing over the clearly startled Chikorita, even going so far as to nearly scorch the trainer, who fell on his ass to escape being burned. After the attack, I felt lightheaded but managed to stay upright, panting, but still willing to fight.

Makis was running around in a panicked circle, trying to put the flame on his leaf out. His trainer, meanwhile, was trying to sputter out another attack.

“T…Tackle! She’s almost finished! Stop running around fucking Tackle her!”

The Chikorita obeyed, turning on his heel and running right towards me. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact…

But it never came.

Peeking one eye open, I was just able to witness the spark on his leaf suddenly blaze back to life. With a squeal, he began to run around again. Around, and around, and around till he eventually stopped, falling forward as the flame finally fizzled out on its own accord. Giving a tiny twitch, the Chikorita didn’t move again.

The battle was over.

Making my way back to Davie, I felt my flames extinguish. I almost made it to him before falling, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. I was feeling warm, an uncomfortable, unbearable warm that had nothing to do with my normal heat.

“Lucky punk,” I heard the other trainer grumble, just before Davie’s arm wrapped around me, holding me close to him.

“It’s okay, Cindy. You did a good job.” I felt him lifting me and gave a tiny whimper as my stomach protested the movement. “Let’s go get you taken care of.”

I faded in and out along the way, only fully regaining awareness when a familiar scent wafted.

Pechas!

I turned my head in time to see Davie pick one from the tree, the same tree that had dropped the one on his face. He bit into the berry, peeling the skin off before bringing it to my lips.

“Drink it slowly, girl.”

Closing my eyes again, I licked the juice from the berry before sinking my teeth into it, sucking. The parchness in my throat faded as I swallowed it, the juice still sweet but also soothing. I continued to lap at it until I could stomach a bite, giving a contented grunt as I felt my body temperature slowly returning to normal.

“Good girl.” His sigh was one of relief, followed by a hint of pride as he spoke next. “You did it, Cindy… You crushed them both. That Ember was powerful, you almost caught the trainer on fire! Hah, I would have liked to see him run around like his Chikorita… but I suppose that there will always be another chance.” He kept holding the berry for me, still keeping me cradled in his arms. “That was amazing.”

His grip tightened a little.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispered, voice taunt. “I’m sorry for pushing you back there. If anything had happened to you…”

I shook my head a little, trying to argue with him that he hadn’t been pushing me, no more than I’d been pushing myself anyway. Reaching up for his face, I lightly patted his cheek, hoping to at least get across “it’s okay,” figuring that most of my message had been lost.

Still, it seemed enough to cheer him up. Kissing my forehead, he went back to teasing me.

“I’m glad to see that I didn’t have to talk about your butt to get your burner going, Cindy.” He tugged on my hind foot, grinning at me as I pulled back, going along with the game. “That would have been a bit awkward, I think. Still, all you have to do now is just remember what made it light up during the battle and it should work.” He took a bite of the Pecha, juice dribbling down his cheek, going unheeded as he continued to smile at me. “If you burned that brightly on command, I bet you could burn a hole through solid rock!”

I didn’t understand his fascination with my bottom, the blush on my cheeks spreading at his comment. As to lighting my burners faster, just the thought of that mean trainer was enough to get me to flare my burners! Though I kept enough control not to do so now, as I thought Davie would not like his jacket getting singed.

As much as I enjoyed when Davie smelled like Pechas, I recalled very clearly how the last time he’d made us bathe. I didn’t want another bath so shortly after the last one and leaned upward, daintily licking the juice off. Davie just sort of chuckled at me before sitting on the ground, leaning his back against the tree and taking another bite of the berry. I kept licking the juice, feeling his hand gradually release my hind foot before stroking my underbelly. Giggling, I paused in my bathing of him just in time for him to run his tongue over my fur. It made me giggle harder, his actions almost Pokémon in nature.

“Hah! You’re starting to taste like Pechas, Cindy. Maybe you should cut back?”

I puffed my cheeks out before turning my back to him, replying that he tasted like my beloved Pechas too, but he’d barely eaten any! Looking back at him, I was prepared to let him really have it when I noticed some more juice at his lips. Wriggling, I moved forward to lick it off. There was more than just the taste of Pecha berries there… for some reason, there was a hint of saltiness mixed with the sweet. It was actually rather good.

He just laughed at me, offering me his juice soaked hand. With a joyful cry, I eagerly went to work on licking the savory juices off.

“We still have a ways to go,” he sighed, though still smiling as he wriggled his fingers. “But I don’t think we have anything to worry bout. You’re getting stronger and soon we’ll be able to take on the world. We’ll have to, if we’re going to be champions, right?”

Curling closer into his arm, I listened to his voice, relaxing as I moved my mouth over one of his fingers, sucking it gently, bobbing my head in reply. As long as I had Davie as a trainer, we’d be champs in no time! No living berries or stupid, meanie trainers were going to stop us either!

=*=*=

He was still chuckling softly as she licked his fingers, smirking as she cleaned him. However, when he felt his index finger being sucked, he froze. His eyes slowly moved to her face, watching her engulf his finger, bobbing back and forth, feeling the tongue dart along the tip…

His curious little shoulder demon peeked over his shoulder, as if to say, “What’s going on here?” David didn’t feel the need to answer the wicked thing, but still hesitantly pulled his finger back a little, watching her get playfully frustrated at his ‘game’ as he took a breath through his nose to calm himself.

The demon whispered to him, *You know, I bet if you took some Pecha juice and put it on your--*

David closed his eyes, throwing his head back and knocking the demon against the tree behind him. That would be sick and wrong!

*That’s why it’s fun!*

Another knock.

She’s my closest companion… I wouldn’t degrade our relationship by using her to sate my own…
*Like she’d mind.* The demon sneered, waving a hand as if to dismiss his arguments. *You know she’d do anything to make you happy, just like you’d do anything for her. What’s wrong with that?*

It actually took him a while to form an answer that satisfied himself. Because… she wouldn’t know what she was doing. If I… if I did something like that to her, I’d be no better than those who use their Pokémon in other ways. No, I’m better than that… I won’t do something so degrading to her.
*Pussy.*

You shut up.
David popped his finger out of Cindy’s mouth, trying to ignore the slightly uncomfortable tightness in his pants that had come from even thinking about doing something like that… despite how hot it would be… and…

I thought I told you to shut up.
*You know you love me.*

He sighed as he felt her hot mouth move on to the next finger, sucking on it like a bottle or a… well, there wasn’t a point in fighting his thoughts. He’d just wait until she fell asleep, then work a few things out between him and himself. He only wished he’d brought some lotion with him to make the job a little easier…

*You could always use Pecha juice,* his demon pointed out, oh so helpfully.

The next time he hit his head against the tree, it hurt. He hoped it would knock his demon out before himself. At Cindy’s curious noise, he grinned, trying to hide a wince.

“Just… trying to scratch an itch, girl,” he remarked, looking at the concerned face staring back up at him.

She kept an eye on him then went back to suckling, which only made it that much harder because she LOOKED at him while she was doing it. It made several things that much harder.

Well, at least she only had three more fingers to go.

As soon as she finished cleaning the finger she was on, Cindy moved her paws to hold onto Davie’s hand, he assumed it was to make sure that he couldn’t move it while she played. He thought she was going to just go back to cleaning his fingers but instead, she maneuvered his hand so that she could lick the valley between his thumb and index. As her tongue washed back and forth over that spot, light little flicks that made him want to groan, it was all he could do to think clearly. It grew even worse when she placed her mouth there, her teeth gently holding the skin in place as she sucked, her tongue still licking along the skin before taking his next finger in her hot little mouth.

His breathing was sufficiently deeper as he watched. Giving a strained, closed-mouth groan, he let his finger slide out of Cindy’s moth, hearing a dull pop that made him mentally wince. For some reason, it was hard not to find this the sexiest thing ever.

His saliva-cleaned fingertips started brushing around her fur, rubbing her head and sliding down her short neck to drum lightly on her chest. Maybe if she knew... maybe it would be okay... But how would he explain something like that to her? She was still young, and though she was physically able to, it still sort-of felt wrong.

"Cindy," David sighed, trying to keep himself from letting her suck on his finger as he slid it away from her determined mouth, watching her body curl to follow it as it ran down to her belly to escape her. She looked up at him and cocked her head, her little tail giving a tiny shake.

"That's... I think I'm clean enough," he told her, watching her tilt her head in the opposite direction out of further curiosity. Apparently, he still had some juice left on his fingers. He tried to find the words to explain to her why he really stopped... but he couldn't find anything, until he saw her tail wiggle again, the idea making him blush slightly.

"You remember when I did this, girl?" His fingers slid over her belly, carefully skipping over that little patch of parted fur as it went to her tail. He lightly pinched the base of it, moving back and forth before rubbing to the tip of it. He watched her reaction, then smirked, knowing how good it felt to her.

"Well, it feels that good to me," he explained, knowing that it probably felt a lot better to her, but that wasn't important. "But it does more than feel good..."

This was the hard part, but his alternative was tricking her naive body into sex, which he wouldn't, no, couldn't do. "My fingers are sensitive, just like your tail, and when someone plays with them like you just did..."

He stopped playing with her tail and lowered her down his stomach, looking down as he kept her suspended in his arm just inches above the demon's advocate throbbing against the inside of his pants, making sure he held her at an angle to see it, knowing he had to explain what it was before she thought it was an injury and went down there to...

"This happens... Cindy, I'm not sure how much do you know about... I guess mating, but that is what I would use to mate with." His hand started petting her head again, flowing away from her tail to rub from the middle of her nose down to her shoulder blades. "You're special to me, Cindy, and even if it feels good to me, I want you to know what it did. Not that I mind, of course... if I were to mate, you'd definitely be the one I'd choose to be with."

He felt jealous of those whose connections weren't as strong with their Pokémon. They could explain such things easily, thinking that their Pokémon are just animals that listen to what they have to say. David wouldn't have said that it was hard for him. In fact, expressing himself was the easy part. Keeping his hormones in line was difficult, but it had to be done. She had to know what she was doing to him.

His only hope was that she didn't find some way to despise him.

=*=*=

I immediately squirmed as he played with my tail, my thoughts clouding. I tried to follow what he was saying but the most I got was that sucking on his fingers felt good to him. Though… why wouldn’t he want me to play with his fingers when him playing with my tail made me feel like this? Well, it did make me feel somewhat shy considering where I heated up…

He completely lost me on the subject of mates. My mom and dad were mated… what was wrong with Davie and her being mated? They already spent so much time together anyway, what would be the difference?

Looking at the strange lump inside his pants, I finally was able to identify the scent I’d been picking up. It was a little different from his normal scent, which was what had thrown me off. Now that I was focusing on it more and less on the scent of Pecha juice (which still, in my mind, smelled very nicely with his scent), I could distinguish the almost earthier aroma mingling with his. I thought it had been the tree at first, but it only smelled like an ordinary Pecha tree, barky with a hint of sweet, sweet, Pecha. The earth itself, when I thought about it, wasn’t what was causing the change in Davie’s scent. I was still perplexed by this, wondering not only how he seemed to have grown a tail out of nowhere, but also how this tail was affecting his scent.

Softly, I inquired to him about it, gesturing to see his tail, to figure out the trick with the scent and how it was beneficial to mating. Mating was just having a partner forever, right? Did they tie tails together? I don’t recall mom or dad having to do something like that…

Was I missing something?

=*=*=

It was too much to hope she’d been taught anything about mating, which dawned on David when he saw her continuous puzzled expression. He really didn’t have the means or the methods of explaining the Pidgeys and the Combees to a Pokémon. There wasn’t a lecture she’d understand or a chart he could show her. Hell, they’d barely helped him!

“Ah…” He looked up, a bit puzzled himself as to how to proceed. She wanted to see it? Casting a quick glance around, lowering his voice as if there was the possibility that someone could hear him, he murmured, “Alright… I suppose it’s only fair.”

It didn’t help that his voice mimicked what his demon was thinking, only perverting it to make it seem justified as he undid the fastener on the front of his pants. He kept her a decent distance but still fairly close to his crotch as he pulled out his shaft. It seemed more than a little odd to him that he was revealing himself out here in the relative open but… she was just curious, right? It was only natural to be curious. Hell, he was curious. Still, he worried over when the lines of curiosity and perversion blurred for him, but it didn’t stop him from leaving his sensitive flesh bare to the forest air, the foreskin shielding his delicate head from the prying eyes of his companion. She just wanted to look.

There was no big deal, no big deal at all…

=*=*=

I leaned a little closer, trying to get a better look at this tail. Funny, it didn’t seem like a normal tail… not the kind I’d seen, anyway.

I tried to wriggle from Davie’s grasp, wanting to touch it and see if it was capable of wagging or not when I noticed something interesting. It seemed to be leaking juice! This called for a moment of heavy thinking. Tails didn’t leak juice… did they?

Mumbling, I pondered this.

Charmanders and their kind had flames on their tails… was Davie part Grass Pokémon? Pulling a little further from his grasp, I was able to get my nose just over his tail, sniffing at it. The scent was so pleasing and much more potent now that his pants were not covering his tail. There was still that earthy, rich mix from before but now, with my nose so close and his pants away, I could just distinguish another flavor to the smell.

Pecha juice! He was leaking Pecha juice?!

There was no way he could hold me now! I wanted a taste!

Squirming and fussing, I managed to get myself just free enough to run my tongue along the juice, wanting to confirm this discovery.

“Ghkt!” The strange noise made me stop, just in time for Davie to pick me up and bring me to look at his face. I whined at him, trying to express my displeasure with this. Thankfully, there was still some along my mouth which I licked. It really was saltier than sweet, the faint flavor of Pecha just barely there. I wonder… if he ate more, would he taste more like it?

“That’s…” He took a few breaths and I tilted my head, watching him. “Cindy, I… that’s not something you should just jump into. Gods alive, how do I explain this…” Flustered, Davie seemed to have trouble finding words. “Well, when you did that… it would be the same thing as…” He took a deep breath and I waited. “As me… doing… this.”

I tried to inquire what he was talking about but he didn’t answer. I could understand human, or so I’d thought, but he didn’t seem to be making very much sense. Perhaps I was misinterpreting? Yet, the full meaning of what he’d been trying to express became clear as he moved me, lifting me a little higher and putting his mouth there, running his tongue over and into that spot. I couldn’t suppress a tremble that worked it’s way from my bottom to my top, a heavy, breathless sigh escaping as my body instantly heated up. It…it felt like that to him?

I could feel my cheeks reddening, the realization suddenly weighing heavily on me. I now felt very foolish and silly.

“See?” He moved me away from his face, holding my bottom to his chest as he moved my face to his. “That’s what it felt like. It was good… but you didn’t know what you were doing. I think you know a little bit now, though…” His other hand moved to rub my nose, his fingers sliding between my eyes as he casually petted along my fur. “But that’s the sort of thing you have to be ready for, Cindy. Unless you know what you’re doing, then you shouldn’t do it, okay?”

Giving a muted apology, I lowered my head in shame before giving a small nod, my bell giving a faint chime. Closing my eyes completely, giving a soft sigh, I felt his fingers travel along my skin, my body still humming with unfamiliar energy and sensitivity. It felt good but… My whole body seemed to be blushing under my fur, at least, that’s how it felt. I didn’t think I was ready to see what else touching his body, or mine, would bring. It was just too… well, almost too good.

I grabbed little fistfuls of his shirt, rubbing my head against his chest, trying to rub my blush away before apologizing again.

Davie laughed a little, stroking along my back, though avoiding my burners. That was probably for the best, I wasn’t sure I could keep them from accidentally flaring.

“It’s okay, girl,” he cooed, his voice becoming soft and warm. “You don’t need to apologize. Maybe we can try this when you’re ready, until then, let’s focus on the goals ahead of us. You defeated your strongest opponent today, but they will get stronger. To beat them, we’ll have to be even better than we are now, alright?”

I had to fight to keep from apologizing again, instead giving a firm nod. I had done well today, hadn’t I? Soon, if not already, Davie would see that I was a good protector for him and not the other way around!

Loosing my grip on his shirt, wagging my tail a little, I made my declaration loudly, [Next time, I’ll beat that Chikorita really easy! And those angry berries! I’ll even be stronger than my mom!] I paused, considering those words before admitting reluctantly, [Well, maybe not as strong as my mom but really close!]

Giving another nod, my enthusiastic speech gave way to a yawn. Rubbing one eye, I smiled at him, nuzzling his chest again.

[I love you, Davie.]

“I love you too, Cindy.” He adjusted himself, trying to get more comfortable, I suppose. “Now, you get some rest. I want to make sure that nasty poison is out of your system. When we wake up, we’ll start training again.” I felt him press his lips against my forehead before leaning back and going silent.

Curled up against him, listening to the steady beating of his heart and feeling the way his chest rose and fell as he breathed, I could honestly say there was no other place I wanted to be.

=*=*=

It was a week or so after my fight with the Chikorita and I was beginning to feel moody. We’d been in the same area, which wasn’t upsetting, but the same trainers seemed to want to fight Davie and I again and again. The battles were steadily becoming boring, a quick Ember here, a Tackle there… even my latest move of Quick Attack was enough to finish a low level Caterpie or Pidgey. I didn’t know if Davie was feeling the same or not so I didn’t voice these concerns, after all, any experience should be good experience but… well, it was taking me longer to learn new things because I was winning so easily. In fact, since Quick Attack, I hadn’t learned anything.

“Better luck next time, eh?” Davie shook hands with a trainer, the same one we’d fought on my first battle. The trainer gave a sheepish grin before heading off, most likely to find someone else to spar with.

He and Davie had talked a little before the battle and, from what I’d heard, that Chikorita and his trainer had been the strongest fighters here. Because of the fact we’d beaten them, everyone was hoping to face us to see how we measured up. And, as I said before, it had grown really dull really fast.

When the trainer was out of earshot, Davie sighed. “It’s time we leave the forest, Cindy.” He shook his head a little. “We’re strong, too strong to stay here. These trainers won’t get any better if we keep beating them like this and there are bigger and better challenges waiting for us on the other side of these woods.” He smiled down at me, chuckling a little. “Let’s go back to our tree one more time. We’ll stock up on Pechas for you, just in case we don’t see one for a while. You know the way, girl, lead us there.”

The prospect of new trainers to face just slightly overcame my disappointment at leaving my wonderfully special, delightfully delicious, perfectly precious Pecha tree behind. Well, I’d just have to make sure Davie picked them all for me before we went!

Heading forward, I waved to Davie, signaling him to follow before pointing and chanting, [Pecha! Pecha! Pecha!] as I lead the way. Our tree wasn’t too far away from where the trainers liked to gather but…

Wait. What was that?

Freezing, I lifted my head and rose on my hind legs. I took several very large sniffs, trying to confirm what I was smelling. Giving a very low and volatile growl, fur bristling on end as I recognized the scent of my beloved Pechas AND the scent of a certain Pokémon.

I was not going to stand for this!

Taking off in the direction of my tree, I could hear Davie give a shout and start running after me. I didn’t pause, a moments delay could make all the difference for my precious Pechas!

I arrived sooner than Davie, frantically sniffing the ground, looking for tracks or scents before lifting my nose to the air again. I could smell them, the same scent I’d first mistaken for Pechas. They were here… where?

Moving outwards in a circle, sniffing, trying to find their location, I gave a vicious growl when I pinpointed them. They were in MY tree!

Stomping my foot, my back burners flared instantly as I began to shout at them, telling them to show themselves, the Sweet Scent in the air spiking and suddenly growing thicker. The limbs of the tree began to rustle, one by one the berries sticking their heads out, a look in their eyes as the caught sight of me. Some of them were laughing, making snide comments I couldn’t quite hear. Davie’s arrival only seemed to make them jeer more, their plump bodies shaking as they rolled down from the branches, landing on their feet. As soon as they reached the ground, they began to shuffle and growl quietly, fixing their full attention on me. I almost thought of taking a step back till Davie reassured me.

“There’s a lot of them, girl… but we’re stronger now. Let’s show them what happens when they mess with us!”

My flames rose higher. He was right, I could do this! I could show him how strong I really was now, he’d never have to defend me against some stupid berries ever again!

Stepping towards them, a few of the berries rustled amongst themselves, still no more intimidated by me than they had the first time. They were going to find out the hard way all of the training Davie and I had done!

Their leaves started to glow and I remembered it from before, the attack where they flung out the multiple glowing leaves. They hadn’t been so good at it then, but if I’d improved I should assume they had. Davie seemed to have the same idea.

“Cindy! Use Ember, spread it as wide as you can!”

As their attacks built, I remembered the sounds of their leaves hitting the trees and how they’d chased Davie and I. I shuddered once, in remembrance, but the firmness in Davie’s tone helped me to gain back my courage as did my bells soft chime. I was stronger now, and more importantly, I could use fire.

Sucking in a deep belly of air, loosing the breath with a wide flung Ember attack, the few berries that had been able to fling a leaf or two had them engulfed in flames, the ashes drifting away as the fire raked over the berries. Several were startled, flinching away and giving out unhappy squeals as the flames licked at their bodies. Some sustained burns and grew all the more angry because of it, crying out in rage, while a few of their comrades rolled along the ground to extinguish the flames on their stems.

“Now, strike fear into them with a Leer, then follow up with a string of Quick Attacks!”

If the berries could have understood the orders, they might have backed away. Instead, they got back into their angry cluster and began charging their leaves or their neighbors’ leaves, darting forward with their stubby legs and their overly round bodies with a battle cry that would have been funny… if not for the large number of berries planning to run into me (or over me, whichever the case may be).

Giving a loud cry, I focused on using the most powerful Leer I could muster on the berries, my flames burning even higher. Some seemed to falter or cringe but they still continued their attack. I held my ground, waiting for just the right moment before darting forward, slamming into the nearest berry before blurring to plow into the next one. I even went so far as to pause for a moment between bursts, leaving the berries to rush forward with a Tackle before I blinked out of their sight, leaving them to Tackle each other. When I finally had to stop to catch my breath, I was surprised to see that most lay on the ground, completely defeated or just barely struggling to rise. I hadn’t been hurt by any of them, though I was winded.

=*=*=

“You did great, Cindy!” Davie looked at the fallen Cherubi, giving a short laugh. “Is that all ya got, ya juicy little punks? If so, then get out of our grove! Stick around any longer and I’ll let Cindy here show you how she eats her berries!” He gave a conspiring sort of smile before continuing, “I’ll give you a hint, she tears them apart!”

That actually seemed to scare some of them, who looked at the Cyndaquil as if she was some sort of cannibalistic beast. However, one of them, the largest, plumpest of the patch, stood and took a few wobbly steps forward, giving a brawny, “Rubi!”

His little leaf started going back and forth, prompting the others to do the same. All of them together were able to pull off a decent Sunny Day, the bright light shining through the branches of the trees.

David chuckled. “Sunny Day just makes fire attacks more… powerful… you know…”

Something caught his attention from within the tree branches, something that was moving and rustling. It appeared to be a long, blue bud, which shivered and opened when the sunlight hit it. With a loud “Cher~” the flower bloomed, revealing itself to be Cherrim, Cherubi’s evolved form. They were normally happy, exuberant creatures. This one… not so much.

Cindy’s attention had turned to the tree as well, giving an angry cry. David assumed it was due to the fact that the Pokémon was in her Pecha tree. Based on the gestures and stream of “Cynda! Quil-quil-cyndaquil!” he figured she was trying to get it out of the tree so it could fight her. But the Cherrim didn’t seem inclined to do so and, instead, let lose with a Solar Beam from its spot amongst the branches. With the Sunny Day that the Cherubi’s had provided it, it needed no delay to charge and was able to hit Cindy successfully, killing her burners and flinging her backwards, David just barely able to catch her. The Cherrim laughed from the branches, making a big show of plucking one of the Pecha berries and eating it.

Cradling Cindy in his arms, he found there was a burn mark from where she’d been hit. Gently setting her down, he stormed towards the tree, picking up a fallen Pecha berry along the way, reeling back and flinging it at the Cherrim before he could even think of the consciences of doing so. The tree was tall, though, so by the time the berry reached the Cherrim, it only had enough force to splatter harmlessly against its face. That, apparently, was enough to piss some Pokémon off and this one hadn’t been the happiest flower in the tree to begin with. A bright flash of light, a hard impact to his midsection, and David was doubled over, letting out a gasp. It felt as though the beam had punched him, leaving almost a burning aftereffect. Dropping to his knees with the following surge of pain, trying to take in breaths to return the air that was denied to his lungs, the Cherrim’s petals began to glow, preparing it’s own perfected Magical Leaf to strike the human and his Pokémon.

And David wasn’t in any condition to dodge an undodgable attack.

=*=*=

I had watched as Davie, yet again, went to my defense. I tried to call for him to come back but he didn’t listen, even going so far as to throw a berry at the Pokémon in the tree. The next thing I knew, Davie was on the ground and that flower in the tree was glowing like the berries had when using that leaf attack. And he was aiming it at Davie, not just me!

Unsteady, I got back up, my burners lighting back up. How dare he?! How dare he hurt my Davie?!

Opening my mouth, flames spewed forth, green and blue in coloring, as opposed to red and gold. They were so hot that the bark on the tree smoldered and the leaves wilted, some catching flame. Pechas overheated, splattering around the flower, who evaded my Ember enough to only lightly get brushed by the flames but was hit by the scalding hot berry juice. It cried out, actually losing its balance and falling from the tree on the opposite side. For a moment, I thought I’d won till the Pokémon emerged, angrier than ever with splatters of juice streaking its face and body. It began to glow bright gold again, about to fire another of those light attacks again. Before it could release it, I used the attack my father had been famous for.

My flames spread from along my burners to cover my whole body, so intense they actually caused me pain before I used my Quick Attack to get close enough to slam into the flower, the bright sun and my own anger increasing the heat. Needless to say, it was a very effective Flare Blitz that I think my father would have been proud to see.

The brush around me didn’t have a chance to catch fire as the heat surrounding my body sucked up all the oxygen it would have used. The moment I struck the flower, its leaves became charred, flower petals darkening just from being in contact. It didn’t even let out a sound as it smashed against the tree, embers and ash falling free from the branches as it fell forward in an unconscious defeat. The berries, its followers, I guess, quickly changed their tactics to survival, rushing to their leader’s aid. They all picked up the charred flower and, with as much speed as their stubby, fearful bodies could manage, hobbling away at such a fast pace it almost made me laugh.

“Cindy… that was amazing!”

Exhaling, pleased with myself though still sore from the Solar Beam and my own flames, I could fully appreciate why my father didn’t use that move very much and why Kai had insisted to use it only in dire situations. But this odd tingling sensation… was that an aftereffect of…?

My flames suddenly swirled around me, covering my form. There was a bright flash of light and when both light and fire faded, I suddenly found that the world around me had changed. Everything was smaller… or, I was bigger. Sitting on my haunches, I tried to figure out what had happened. Not only that but… where did my nose go to?

I tried to grope for my nose, finding my arms much longer than before, but my long snout was no longer there! Sniffing the air, I found my sense of smell as sharp as ever, despite the change in my nose. Confused, I tilted my head, asking Davie what had happened.

He got up, holding his stomach and stumbling towards me, a wide grin on his face. “Hah! Well look at that! You evolved! We haven’t even fought our first gym yet! This is fantastic!”

Hugging me, I felt his cheek press to mine, suddenly understanding what had happened. I hadn’t expected it to feel so peculiar but that was okay. I rubbed my cheek back against his, thinking. If I evolved once more I’d be a Typhlosion, like my mother. I’d really be able to protect him then! Running my tongue along his face, working on getting some of the soot off that had fallen from the singed tree, I looked upward, hoping to find a Pecha survivor. Unfortunately, it seemed that they had either splattered or been singed. Sighing, I rested my head on Davie’s shoulder.

“The sacrifices we must make, huh?” He ran his hand along the back of my head, scratching behind my ears. It made me feel moderately better about the no Pechas. “Sorry, girl, I know how much you love your Pechas… are you feeling okay? That Solar Beam looked like it hurt.” He laughed a little. “I know mine did.”

Making a slight clicking noise with my tongue, scolding him for being so reckless, I ignored his question in regards to my own health. After evolving, I felt much better and full of more energy than I had as a Cyndaquil, so my wounds were negligible now. However, I was certain humans didn’t heal that quickly and often were hurt more easily. Lightly giving him a push, I got him to sit on the ground, climbing onto his lap so I could tug his shirt up and examine his stomach.

There was a small, round bruise where the energy had impacted. Touching it lightly with my claws, he flinched, but didn’t make any sounds of pain. The slight discoloration only increased my guilt for him having gotten hurt and made me re-vow to grow stronger to the point he would no longer need to protect me.

I didn’t know any healing moves or I would have used them, instead, I leaned forward enough to run a tiny lick over the mark, thanking him for loving me so much that he was willing to suffer for my sake.

He gave a soft groan, but didn’t sound as though he was in pain. His hands roamed over my body, what parts weren’t covered by his shirt, roaming lazily over my fur.

“This is just incredible… I’ve never seen a Pokémon evolve before. Seeing you change… it was an amazing sight. How do you feel? Any different? Any problems getting used to it?”

Shifting a little in his lap, brushing my head along his chest, I considered them before answering, also giving a small shrug.

[I feel a lot stronger than before, but it’s a little different because I’m so much taller now.] Wriggling my head through the loose neck hole of his shirt, licking his cheek again. [It’s also weird… this little nose.]

Davie laughed, lifting his hand to touch where my muzzle used to be, tracing a small circle in the fur of my brow. “Yeah, I’ll miss that nose of yours.” His laugh turned into a smirk, his other hand rubbing the only other part of me that was outside of his shirt now, my thighs. He started to massage them, helping me unwind from the fight. “Hey, but at least you still have a cute ass,” he teased.

Rather than flush and look away, mumbling embarrassedly at the comment, I moved closer to him, fur brushing against his chest as I gave a pleased trill. I felt a little warm, but I was in no danger of losing control of my burners. Either I had gained enough experience through battle or this form allowed me to successfully manipulate my flames. Either way, a smile formed when I realized several benefits of being able to control my fire. I licked his neck once before giving a gentle nip.

Feeling him grow warm, I smiled as his cheeks grew red for a change. His hands flexed around my hips as he spoke, his voice seeming quieter, huskier.

“My, my… it seems my little Cindy is growing bolder…” He kissed the top of my head, actually running his tongue over my fur. “It feels nice,” he admitted, closing his eyes as his forearms pressed me closer to his chest. “Doesn’t it?”

I could feel his heart beat against my body, feel his warmth mingling with mine. My cheeks felt hot, but not out of shyness or shame. My paws against his chest, I pressed my ass closer to his hands, feeling that spot growing warm again. This time, I wasn’t as perplexed by it, though I was still lacking some knowledge on the subject. Instinct seemed more than ready to teach me, thankfully, and I pressed my opening against where his tail lay. It wasn’t quite as stimulating as his tongue had been but it was still somehow better because of my desires to seek the pleasure he’d once awakened in me. It did feel good, though… really good.

I felt his chest move under my paws, his fingers dancing along my ass, starting to pull it in opposite directions, spreading it a little, at the same time pressing himself harder against me.

“Cindy…” My name came out as a sigh and a moan, mixed together. I could feel my own breath coming out in short gasps each time he pressed himself close to that spot, feel the warmth spreading inside me, feel moisture gathering around there. Perhaps it was similar to the liquid that Davie released from his tail? Suddenly, I wasn’t content with him wearing his clothing any more.

Pulling out from under his shirt, I pointed to his clothing, demanding as best I could for him to take them off. If I was completely exposed to him, I wanted him to be the same for me. He watched me, staying still for a long enough time I thought he wasn’t going to, before smiling and taking off his jacket, followed by his shirt and pants. He left on a material that was under the pants, boxers, I think, before moving so that his back was lying against the tree.

I was displeased and somewhat disappointed that he’d kept a piece of clothing on him but paused when I caught the change in his scent, the extra bit of earthiness that I’d smelt before from him. Approaching him, my tiny nose now twitching as I moved forward, I rested my head on his thigh, just where his tail lay, looking at him in such a way to ask if it would be all right this time around.

He moved and I lifted my head, his hands grabbing the edges of his boxer and pulling them down to his knees, slipping them off. There was nothing blocking him from me, his tail wagging free of the cloth and lightly slapping against his stomach, some of his juice splashing along his skin. I looked up from his tail to him, his eyes answering mine.

It was okay now.

My response was one of joy itself, more because of the wordless communication we’d shared then the actual consent given. However, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass by.

Bringing my nose to his tail, so close it almost touched, I inhaled his scent again, feeling myself grow even warmer. With a happy murmur, I ran my tongue from the bottom to the top of his tail, swirling it along the tip, tasting the sweetness of the Pechas Davie had eaten from before, along with the saltiness I associate with his own, natural flavor. One of his hands dug into the grass, the other touched my check, resting there.

“Cindy…” He spoke my name gently, running his thumb along my cheekbone before he put his hand onto his tail, holding it steady for me and pulling back some of the skin, showing me the tip, which was glistening from both his juice and my saliva. When I licked along the top of his tail, I began to notice how more juice would appear to replace that I’d lapped up. Could I get more by sucking on it?

Opening my maw, mindful of my teeth, I slid the tip in, nursing gently on it before gradually increasing pressure. A rasping groan made its way into my throat, indeed, I could get more juices from him this way. Davie also seemed to be enjoying it, making his own noises of appreciation. Continuing to lick and suckle, I found myself growing flushed and… uncomfortable? Yes… though that word still isn’t right for the feeling. The spot of me that grew warm yet didn’t flame, it felt as though it was lacking something… it was frustrating!

I remembered how I’d climbed on his lap and rubbed that spot against him, would it feel that way if I tried again? Giving one more lick at his tail, I slid my body along his, squirming when I felt his heated tail pressing against me down there, my own juices spreading along his tail as I moved my body against him, panting and whining at something I desperately wanted but had no name for. If anything, my rubbing against him like this was only increasing the feeling of discomfort. Giving a weak whimper, I hoped he could tell me what I could do to end this.

One of his hands moved to hold my shoulder, pulling me to his chest while his other moved his tail. I couldn’t see what he was doing, didn’t really know, till I felt him glide his tail once, twice, three times against my opening, the hand along my shoulder sliding till it rested at his favorite spot, my ass. His breath washed over my face, my name the only thing on his lips as he pushed very gently down on my body, his tail starting to enter me.

It was a very strange sensation, something so large being put inside that tight, little spot. But… while it was different, and a little odd, it felt surprisingly good. However, I had to pull away a little when I felt something inside of me protesting Davie’s entry, a sliver of pain from within. The pain subsided when I moved away, yet, when I rested back down, pushing him inside of me again, there was that stubborn sting. I experimented with it for a moment, moving my body slightly up or down to judge the amount of pain and deem if it was worth noting. Compared to the Solar Beam that had hit me, this really was minimal. Besides… lowering my eyelids, gazing just barely out from under them, I smiled. The more I moved him inside of me, the greater the pleasure became. Surely a little bit of pain was nothing compared to all of that?

Davie leaned forward, kissing my brow. “Just relax, girl,” he whispered. “I’m sorry this has to hurt the first time… but it’ll feel better soon.”

Touching his forehead to mine, he left it there, holding my body to his until finally the barrier within me that had been preventing him from having full access ripped, the pain intensifying to such a magnitude that I didn’t realize my claws had dug into him till after the faint scent of blood tinted the air. My ears flattened and I tensed, in spite of having tried to remain calm. My claws flexed once more before I had enough sense to pull them away, tiny marks decorating his chest as I gave a tiny sniffle and a whimper, my insides aching. But… he said it would fade, and I believed him. Till then, I apologetically licked the wounds I’d left on his chest.

“Whenever it stops hurting,” he murmured, his words a soft breath against my folded ears. “…go down easy, as deep as you want to go…”

I nodded, continuing to lap at his scratches, mending them as best I could with my tongue, bumping my head lightly against him. The pain, minor as it was, faded soon enough. Cautiously, I allowed myself to move, lifting up a little, feeling no pain, then sliding back down. It was still a little tender… but… oh!

A pleased whine curled in my mouth, escaping as a lax sigh. Oh… This was much better now. I pulled up again before moving him back inside of me, testing just how much of him could fit inside of me, along with what made the pleasurable sensations increase. Turning my head, fascinated with the way he disappeared inside of me, offering a sound of wonder with a hint of need, I kept moving, pace increasing. The more I did this, the more I felt as though there was something just out of my reach, something my body wanted but was unable to have just yet.

It was as puzzling as it was vexating.

His hands squeezed at my hips, his own thrusting into me, hitting something that made me gasp loudly, raggedly. It tried to twist my head this way and that, my bell chiming, trying to figure out what on earth he’d hit inside of me that felt THAT good before panting and looking back at him with hazy eyes. I felt like I was burning from the inside out, certain now, that whatever my body wanted so long as he kept doing that or I kept doing this, I would find the answer I sought. In response to his actions, I pulled away before ramming myself back on him, crying out again when he hit the pleasure spot inside of me. Head arching up, body clenching around his tail, a needy moan escaped me as I could do was beg for him to give me what I needed without knowing what that was.

His pace increased, shooting up as I slammed down, the bell continuing to ring and ring, his hands leaving my ass to hold me tighter to him as he bucked upward inside of me. He gave a sharp moan, gasping my name before all of a sudden I felt him tense and my body responded by tightening, seeming to explode from within, releasing a wave of pleasure, so intense it was almost a flash, unlike anything I’d experienced. Warmth raced along inside of me, my body suddenly weak yet light. Trembling, unintentionally so, I rested on his chest, needing to feel him next to me, a solid weight as my mind swam in the glow, momentarily misplaced in bliss. The bell gave a quiet, almost muffled ring, the only somewhat conscious thought I had that drifted along my mind was:

That was way better than any Pecha.

=*=*=

As Davie held her in his arms, the sun still shining through what leaves remained of the tree, he looked up, relaxing his head against the bark. What other things had occurred beneath the Pecha’s gaze, he wondered. Were there other trainers that had claimed their partners in such a way under its branches? Regardless, this was their story now, the tree having born witness to not only their weakness, but their strength. In a way, it was the first one to read the story he’d not yet written. A story to show that the old ways hadn’t died, one that wouldn’t likely be released for many, many years but perhaps one day would inspire other trainers the way the old journals and books he’d read had inspired him.

Luckily, the Pecha tree wasn’t about to give any spoilers.