Story Notes:
This story series is about an unusual form of Pokemon breeding. It focuses mostly on humanoid Pokemon (such as Lucario), so keep that in mind if your tastes are different. In any case, most of the series is about NC sex between Pokemon (but not rape - you'll understand if you read it), so now you know what to expect.
Chapter 4 - Turning point
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My stories seem to have been gathering a little bit of attention, all of which has been positive so far, for which I am glad. In case you're wondering, I've been putting little notifications of what each chapter contains so that people who come looking for the sex don't have to read a novel, and people who came to read a novel don't have to read the sex if they don't want to. My intention is to turn Black League into a proper story, and for this to be the case it will mean that not every chapter is a steamy sexual encounter.
As mentioned earlier, I will probably update 2-3 times a week with a new chapter, but I have a life and other hobbies and responsibilities, so I can't just pump out a new chapter a day. In any case, I hope you enjoy Black League as the story progresses, and feel free to leave comments or reviews letting me know how you feel about the series. I do appreciate the reviews, even if I don't respond to every single one.
Lastly, I'll most likely write up about 10 chapters per "section" of Black League (as you can see, this is Black League 1). This is so the story is broken up into manageable bits and people can read it in portions rather than in one huge clump. The characters, storyline, and plot, however, will all be the same throughout each section, with the only differences being plot and character progression.
Anyway, now that you've read my boringly long intro, I'll get straight on with the next chapter.
Thanks for your time!
- LucarioTrainer
CHAPTER 4 - TURNING POINT
"Umm.. what exactly do you mean by 'time alone' with me?" Roland asked nervously, aware of his proximity to the lithe Sara. She grinned, eyes sparkling with her usual mischief as she reached up to an almost invisible zipper at the top of her collar and began to slowly unzip her uniform, revealing tan skin and the barest hint of the curves of her breasts and continuing all the way down to just below her bellybutton. "Do I need to spell it out for you?" she asked coyly, taking his hand and pressing it over the fabric covering her right breast - a B cup, he guessed - her other hand sliding hungrily up his thigh to his crotch. "With battles like these, one can't help but get a little turned on. You fought well, and now I want to give you a... consolation prize, you could say."
Roland's mind whirled with possibilities and conflict. Here was a fairly attractive girl, partially naked and getting nakeder by the moment, obviously interested in sex with him, and yet he wasn't entirely sure this was what he wanted. Even though he was still deciding, his hand subconsciously squeezed her breast a little, to which she responded with a gentle moan that set his senses aflame. He felt her fingers toying with his belt buckle, unclasping that and then moving on to his jeans. He felt his jeans button be popped free, felt her fingertips enclose around his zipper and undo his fly, felt her fingers lightly caressing his now exposed erection through the thin material of his boxers.
Roland suppressed a shiver at the sensations, his mind reminding him of just how long it had been since he felt the touch of another on his body like this. Yet, a nagging thought began to intrude into his mind, even as his fingers slid under the strange fabric of her uniform to cup her breast, flesh against flesh. He was tempted to ignore the thought, the warm harmony of her body in his hands driving nearly all other thoughts from his mind. However, it felt wrong to deny his thought audience, and so he allowed it to surface.
"W-what about Demi?" Roland managed, palm pressed against her nipple as his other hand began to strip her top free of her shoulders. She paused, fingers curved thoughtfully in the rim of his boxers. "What about him? He lost, but his humiliation is none of our business. In time, I'm sure he'll eventually surpass Allora, and then he'll have his revenge. Why worry about it?" The comment made sense to Roland, just like it made sense to him to forget his stupid doubts and just ravish Sara's body. But again, the insistent thought emerged. "Well... he's my friend, and right now he's probably feeling hurt and alone. It would be wrong of me to just ignore him, especially since it's my fault he's in that position too." Roland responded, his eyes now taking in the glory of her fully exposed breasts and small, light brown nipples as she began to tug down on his boxers.
Sara sighed, popping the head of Roland's penis free of his boxers and running her thumb over it lightly, eliciting a small groan of pleasure in response. he was circumcised, and so the head was the most sensitive part of his penis, the foreskin being mostly absent. "It's not your fault that the runt was rejected," Sara replied soothingly, though a harsh edge had begun to intrude into her voice, "He was just unprepared. I told you he'd lose and he did, and if he's going to be a big baby about it then he can just sulk. My Allora would never take someone like that as a mate anyway." she finished, perhaps a little more harshly than was necessary. Roland stiffened, reaching down to pry her hands away from his crotch.
"Demi is anything but a big baby. Just because your Pokemon has ridiculously high tastes, doesn't make him any less important. In fact, it's probably a good thing she didn't mate with him, because he doesn't deserve a Pokemon that's so up herself." He was angry now, and it showed as his erection began to diminish, sliding slowly back inside his boxers like a disgruntled snake. Sara looked at him in disgust. "Can you stop making your Pokemon's issues your own for just 5 minutes and enjoy yourself? It's not like anyone important saw that little fiasco, and both you AND him are overreacting. I mean look, your Pokemon loses one little battle and you can't even keep it up!" she said, gesturing to the vanishing bulge in his pants. Roland shrugged indifference.
"I'm sorry, I find it hard to keep an erection around insensitve, selfish sluts." he spat back, watching her eyes widen in anger. She lashed out then, slapping him across the face. "How DARE you call me a slut!" Sara cried, as tears of pain stung his eyes, "You think I'M easy? Look at you, you can't even get laid unless you get your Pokemon laid first!" Quicker than she could react, Roland whipped his arm around, slamming her into the wall behind the bed with his forearm against her throat, just enough pressure being applied to cause her to have slight difficulty breathing.
He'd had enough. It was enough for this girl to walk into his hometown, insult him and his Pokemon drag him all over town and then humiliate his partner in an unfair battle. But it was way over the line to start treating him like he was her property, and he was NOT going to put up with the bitch getting violent too. "Now listen carefully," Roland hissed as she stared at him in shock, "I don't know what bug has crawled up your ass and died, but don't think that just because you're a girl, I'm going to let you get away with hitting me. Now you're welcome to battle me, and you're welcome to get your little thrills by insulting others to make up for your lack of self-confidence, but I'm not some little toy for you to play with. If you want to have sex with me so badly, next time do it in a way that DOESN'T humiliate me OR my Pokemon first! Are we clear?"
He released his arm slowly from her throat, adrenaline still coursing through his body as he fought to keep his temper under control. He turned away from her and sat back on the bed, readjusting his belt and jeans. After a moment, the quiet sound of sobbing reached his ears. He looked up at her, half-surprised and half-guilty. Still naked from the waist up, Sara was sitting where he had left her crying softly into her hands. He sighed and looked at his own. Had he gone too far? He'd just wanted to protect his friend and himself, and she was the one who had gotten violent. Was it so wrong to react in the way he had, or were these tears from something else?
She continued to sob softly, and Roland's heart fell. Regardless of how bitchy she was being, he never wanted to cause someone as much pain as he saw wracking her body right then. He decided to try and make peace. "Sara..." he began tentatively, afraid to get any closer in case she was going to lash out again. "You don't..." she began softly, in between shuddering breaths, "Understand what it's like to be humiliated in your first battle." She choked out another sob. "Your runt got nothing compared to what my Pokemon received, not to mention I... I.." she broke down again, and Roland couldn't help but want to hug her, reaching out tentatively for her shoulder.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Sara shouted at the top of her lungs, making Roland jump, "You're just like all the others! You don't care about anyone other than yourself either, so why are you angry at me doing the same thing! It's just life! Deal with it!" Her crying had begun to soften now, and he could see her anger was returning. Roland shifted back a little on the bed. "Sara, I don't hate you and I'm not a self-absorbed person. I just have boundaries, most of which you overstepped today. Can't you see tha-"
"I don't care!" Sara snapped, cutting him off. "Just go! Take your stupid precious Lucario and go! I'll be glad if I never see you again!" Roland sighed, deciding that her mind was made up on him, and it was best to leave before things got worse again.
"Alright," Roland said gently, standing, "If that's what you want, I'll go." He gave enough of a pause for a response, but only her ragged breathing was heard and she continued to bury her face in her hands, so he continued as he stood and walked over to the rejuvenator. "But I don't believe in just leaving things here, Sara. You might not talk to me now, but I am going to join the Black League, and someday I'll see you again. When that day comes, I will battle you in a fair match, and I will prove to you that neither Demi or myself are worthy of your scorn. I don't know what happened in this mystery match of yours, but you shouldn't let it run your life. You're a beautiful, smart, and talented girl. You don't have to push people away or grind them underneath your feet to be important, and nobody deserves to be humiliated."
A little green light was on in the rejuvenator, indicating that Demi was fully healed. Roland pressed a button and the top slid off once more. He collected Demi's pokeball and turned to leave. Sara made no move to get up from her position, but she began to redress, poking her arms back through her uniform and zipping it up once more, the material again looking as though it were one solid piece of fabric. He glanced back at her one last time, with a mixture of hurt and regret, before exiting through the metal door and into the empty, quiet corridor beyond.
As the door closed, Sara sighed softly and pulled her knees to her chest. She knew that at least some of what he had said was right, and she'd secretly hoped he'd have beaten her at that match. Maybe then, she'd thought, it would have given her the strength to face her own past. But he'd lost, and she'd gone and made it worse by poking fun at him, as had been done to her. The thought of the past brought an onrush of painful memories, and Sara curled up tight to avoid crying any more than she already had. "You'd better keep that promise..." she whispered to the empty room, as though somehow it would transmit her words to the already retreating figure of Roland.
***
By the time Roland emerged from the old shack, the sky was darkening and it was getting somewhat chilly. Kicking aside fallen leaves as he went, Roland trudged through the forest and back into his town, making it back just in time to see the street lights come on. Not feeling like facing the inquisitive looks his parents would undoubtedly give him for being out so late, Roland hiked along the edge of town, following the woods until they broadened out into a grassy plain, which rose up onto a hillside. Once there, he followed the winding dirt track up the hill to the spot he'd used to sit and think as a boy.
It was very dark now, the sun having nearly entirely dropped below the horizon, the shadows of the few trees on the hillside casting long fingers that stretched up the slope of the grass. Roland glanced around his old hangout. There, by the big tree, was the place he'd had his first kiss. He'd only been 8 at the time, but such childish innocence merely served to make the memory more pristine, untainted as his memories were now by the undertone of sexuality that a mature body felt. Up on the hilltop, everything seemed simpler and more innocent, as though here life passed without the darker taint of pain or anger or guilt. Here, life was perfect.
At least, that had been his thoughts as a kid. When he'd taken his friend up the hill and they'd kissed, it had all been just part of a game. Back then, games were something that you played, but now, at 20, it seemed the games played him. Lust and love - he swung between the two like a pendulum, unsure of which was the purer of the two feelings, hating the way they often mixed to blur the lines between right and wrong. Pokemon too, must experience these feelings, he reasoned, and no doubt it must have been confusing for Demi to be rejected on his very first try and lust or love - whichever he'd picked.
He lifted Demi's pokeball, noting that the little indicator still showed he was sleeping. "That's fine by me," thought Roland to himself, "I still need to work out just what I'm really going to do with myself. The world doesn't stop turning just because things get confusing or hard..." On that thought, he noticed that the sun had finally sunk below the horizon, and as the blue tinge of night deepened, the sounds of the nocturnal Pokemon began to emerge - HootHoot cooing softly, rustles and twig snaps as wild Pokemon made their busy ways through the darkened foliage. In truth, it was probably a little dangerous to be out with no Pokemon guarding you at night, but the woodland Pokemon were rarely dangerous, and Roland felt sure they recognized his presence anyway, just as he recognized them.
Not that that was a concern anymore, as the little indicator on his pokeball switched to normal status, alerting Roland that Demi had finally awoken. Knowing that Demi preferred the wilds to the cultured environment of the terrarium, Roland released the catch, and his Pokemon materialized beside him. Demi looked around, a little confused at his surroundings at first, and then settled down next to Roland, his back also against the tree. Roland could see that Demi still looked pretty depressed, but was doing his best to be strong for him. He sighed, and put an arm around his partner.
"Y'know, Demi I used to look up at these stars and wonder if our existence even mattered, compared to the magnitude of the universe out there." he began, gesturing to the faintly visible twinkles of stars in the darkened sky. Demi glanced up momentarily, his thoughts still on his crushing rejection and humiliation from earlier. Seeing this, Roland continued. "But... I don't think that matters. Whatever purpose we have, whatever it may mean to the bigger picture, we're only really conscious of ourselves. I think that what matters is to live in a way that you feel is appropriate, rather than trying to live up to other people's expectations, or giving up because you feel like you don't matter." He turned his head to face Demi seriously. "Worst of all, life lets us make stupid decisions that we have to then live with, and we don't get another chance to take it back. My stupid decision today was letting you put your pride on the line for some pretty girl. You're worth more than that to me, and I'm sorry."
Demi turned his head away, tears springing unbidden to his eyes. Roland had hit home in a way - he felt foolish now for going along with the battle. The alluring charm of Allora had made him take leave of his senses, and though he had fought his hardest to earn her admiration, it was pretty much impossible for him to have won. Instead, his first sexual experience with another was a humiliation and rejection, and his only real friend had seen it all. Why was he such a screw up?! Demi leapt to his feet and turned to leave, wanting to run as far and as fast as his legs would take him, away from his mistakes and away from his failures. Nobody deserved to be saddled with a failed runt like himself! Roland's hand shot out and caught his arm.
Roland spoke now with urgency. "Demi, listen to me. I know it was hurtful to you to have to deal with that as a first experience. You've been called inadequate your entire life, and I've never really done much to help you past that. All we've ever done is battle, but when it came to the other aspects of your life, I was negligent. I left you to fend for yourself, because I was afraid of getting involved in that stuff, and that was messed up. I know you're upset right now, but running from your pain will never let you heal. Please, we've been together for years now - will you at least hear me out?"
Demi paused, trying to sort out his feelings. Roland was the only real friend he'd ever had, but he had to sort things out for himself as well. The crushing fear that none would ever see him as anything more than a runt had plagued him his entire life, pushing him to desperation in battle and life, trying desperately to break through to others. He just didn't see how Roland could help with that, kind as he was. "Demi, you're far from inadequate. You've always had more guts, determination, and strength of heart than any Pokemon I've ever seen. Allora and Sara were shallow and selfish, and they nearly had even me fooled into thinking that they were right, just because they were popular! But you know what? I think it's time for you and I to step out of the shadows and into the limelight."
Now Demi was curious, turning to face Roland, whose eyes gleamed with newfound determination, still clutching Demi's arm tightly. "Neither of us really care for battling, though we both hate to lose. At the same time, we have both been pretty lonely in our lives - me because all of my friends left to become Pokemon Masters years ago, and you because of your height. But both of us have skills and talents that could far outshine anyone else, and you performed AMAZINGLY in that battle with Allora. Sure, you didn't win, but she had an unfair advantage. Tell me Demi, have you ever masturbated?"
The question caught the Lucario off guard, and he took a step back, though still caught by Roland's hand. Masturbation was more of a human thing that Pokemon had learned to adopt, but even so, answering this kind of question felt weird. Still, his trust for Roland won out eventually and he shook his head slowly. Granted, he'd considered it from time to time, but Demi had been afraid to touch himself, lest he somehow soil himself for his future suitors. That notion felt silly now, in retrospect. Roland nodded matter-of-factly. "Well that's even MORE to your credit, if that was your first time ever being touched. Just imagine if you'd had as much sexual experience as Allora had. You'd have won without breaking a sweat!"
Demi smiled a little then. "Roland is right, I guess," thought Demi to himself. It was true, after all, that Allora had a LOT of sexual experience behind her, and he had only ever fantasized about sex. Roland continued, gently letting go of Demi's arm. "Demi, you're ten times the Pokemon she'll ever be, and you can't let one rigged match get you down. In fact, the best way to get revenge is for you and I to rise to the top. I say we go out there and win the Black League Championship."
Demi stared at Roland in semi-disbelief, not sure he'd heard correctly. Was he insane? Did he want to humiliate Demi even further? Roland shook his head. "I know that look, Demi. You think this is just about me, but it's not. Did you know that the Black League champions are so sought after as studs that they literally have Pokemon waiting to breed with them all year round?" Demi blinked, not quite getting what Roland was suggesting. "Demi, you have what it takes to reach the top. You're fine as you are now, but if you want to, you and I can take that whole league apart, and nobody will ever DARE call you a runt again!"
Roland was getting passionate now, standing and raising his voice loud enough to scare a Murkrow into flight. "Just think, Demi! How much of a 'fuck you' would it be to all of the people who looked down on you if you were the number one most desired Pokemon in the world? Even if you and I don't win the whole thing, we've definitely got what it takes to be famous. No, not famous - INFAMOUS!" Demi had to admit, he was getting a little caught up in the buzz now. If Roland was right, if he really was half the Pokemon Roland claimed he was, he could forever lose the title of 'runt'. 'Stud' indeed had a nice ring to it, and to be desired by all those females? Heck yes.
Roland continued. "While you were asleep, I had a look at the rankings for breeder battles. There are five ranks - starting at D, it progresses all the way up to S. Only A and S ranked battlers can compete in the championships, and coincidentally, Sara happens to be an A-rank opponent. If we could come so close to victory with her, D rank will be a breeze." Demi nodded, his visions of crushing defeat already swept away by the thought of being the best at something new, something different. Call him runt if they wanted, but Demi was determined now to show them all that height didn't matter in the least. Allora had better enjoy the memory of bringing him to orgasm, because she would be the last Pokemon ever to do that. From now on, THEY would be the ones cumming helplessly on the floor, and he, unlike Allora, would show them grace in his victory. He grinned openly at Roland now, his desire for battle rising.
"And the best part is? You and I have a secret weapon, Demi." Roland added with a wink. Demi tilted his head in curiosity. Roland grinned. "The receptionist at the Black League arena is someone I know, but she also has access to all of the rankings and league files for the trainers. With her assistance, you can I can learn the ropes of this game very quickly from watching official replays of championship matches - the only recordings in existence, due to the ban on recording devices in the arenas." Roland crouched now, so he was eye-level with Demi. "What do you say, pal?" he asked, extending his arm.
Demi nodded and grinned, clasping that arm with his paw. The time had come to sweep aside the mistakes of the past, and to forge ahead with their dreams into a brand new tomorrow.Chapter End Notes:Darn... my chapters are getting longer and longer. I'd prefer to keep them around 3000 words each, but this one is close to 4000. Oh well, guess you guys get a little extra this time :
As mentioned earlier, I will probably update 2-3 times a week with a new chapter, but I have a life and other hobbies and responsibilities, so I can't just pump out a new chapter a day. In any case, I hope you enjoy Black League as the story progresses, and feel free to leave comments or reviews letting me know how you feel about the series. I do appreciate the reviews, even if I don't respond to every single one.
Lastly, I'll most likely write up about 10 chapters per "section" of Black League (as you can see, this is Black League 1). This is so the story is broken up into manageable bits and people can read it in portions rather than in one huge clump. The characters, storyline, and plot, however, will all be the same throughout each section, with the only differences being plot and character progression.
Anyway, now that you've read my boringly long intro, I'll get straight on with the next chapter.
Thanks for your time!
- LucarioTrainer
CHAPTER 4 - TURNING POINT
"Umm.. what exactly do you mean by 'time alone' with me?" Roland asked nervously, aware of his proximity to the lithe Sara. She grinned, eyes sparkling with her usual mischief as she reached up to an almost invisible zipper at the top of her collar and began to slowly unzip her uniform, revealing tan skin and the barest hint of the curves of her breasts and continuing all the way down to just below her bellybutton. "Do I need to spell it out for you?" she asked coyly, taking his hand and pressing it over the fabric covering her right breast - a B cup, he guessed - her other hand sliding hungrily up his thigh to his crotch. "With battles like these, one can't help but get a little turned on. You fought well, and now I want to give you a... consolation prize, you could say."
Roland's mind whirled with possibilities and conflict. Here was a fairly attractive girl, partially naked and getting nakeder by the moment, obviously interested in sex with him, and yet he wasn't entirely sure this was what he wanted. Even though he was still deciding, his hand subconsciously squeezed her breast a little, to which she responded with a gentle moan that set his senses aflame. He felt her fingers toying with his belt buckle, unclasping that and then moving on to his jeans. He felt his jeans button be popped free, felt her fingertips enclose around his zipper and undo his fly, felt her fingers lightly caressing his now exposed erection through the thin material of his boxers.
Roland suppressed a shiver at the sensations, his mind reminding him of just how long it had been since he felt the touch of another on his body like this. Yet, a nagging thought began to intrude into his mind, even as his fingers slid under the strange fabric of her uniform to cup her breast, flesh against flesh. He was tempted to ignore the thought, the warm harmony of her body in his hands driving nearly all other thoughts from his mind. However, it felt wrong to deny his thought audience, and so he allowed it to surface.
"W-what about Demi?" Roland managed, palm pressed against her nipple as his other hand began to strip her top free of her shoulders. She paused, fingers curved thoughtfully in the rim of his boxers. "What about him? He lost, but his humiliation is none of our business. In time, I'm sure he'll eventually surpass Allora, and then he'll have his revenge. Why worry about it?" The comment made sense to Roland, just like it made sense to him to forget his stupid doubts and just ravish Sara's body. But again, the insistent thought emerged. "Well... he's my friend, and right now he's probably feeling hurt and alone. It would be wrong of me to just ignore him, especially since it's my fault he's in that position too." Roland responded, his eyes now taking in the glory of her fully exposed breasts and small, light brown nipples as she began to tug down on his boxers.
Sara sighed, popping the head of Roland's penis free of his boxers and running her thumb over it lightly, eliciting a small groan of pleasure in response. he was circumcised, and so the head was the most sensitive part of his penis, the foreskin being mostly absent. "It's not your fault that the runt was rejected," Sara replied soothingly, though a harsh edge had begun to intrude into her voice, "He was just unprepared. I told you he'd lose and he did, and if he's going to be a big baby about it then he can just sulk. My Allora would never take someone like that as a mate anyway." she finished, perhaps a little more harshly than was necessary. Roland stiffened, reaching down to pry her hands away from his crotch.
"Demi is anything but a big baby. Just because your Pokemon has ridiculously high tastes, doesn't make him any less important. In fact, it's probably a good thing she didn't mate with him, because he doesn't deserve a Pokemon that's so up herself." He was angry now, and it showed as his erection began to diminish, sliding slowly back inside his boxers like a disgruntled snake. Sara looked at him in disgust. "Can you stop making your Pokemon's issues your own for just 5 minutes and enjoy yourself? It's not like anyone important saw that little fiasco, and both you AND him are overreacting. I mean look, your Pokemon loses one little battle and you can't even keep it up!" she said, gesturing to the vanishing bulge in his pants. Roland shrugged indifference.
"I'm sorry, I find it hard to keep an erection around insensitve, selfish sluts." he spat back, watching her eyes widen in anger. She lashed out then, slapping him across the face. "How DARE you call me a slut!" Sara cried, as tears of pain stung his eyes, "You think I'M easy? Look at you, you can't even get laid unless you get your Pokemon laid first!" Quicker than she could react, Roland whipped his arm around, slamming her into the wall behind the bed with his forearm against her throat, just enough pressure being applied to cause her to have slight difficulty breathing.
He'd had enough. It was enough for this girl to walk into his hometown, insult him and his Pokemon drag him all over town and then humiliate his partner in an unfair battle. But it was way over the line to start treating him like he was her property, and he was NOT going to put up with the bitch getting violent too. "Now listen carefully," Roland hissed as she stared at him in shock, "I don't know what bug has crawled up your ass and died, but don't think that just because you're a girl, I'm going to let you get away with hitting me. Now you're welcome to battle me, and you're welcome to get your little thrills by insulting others to make up for your lack of self-confidence, but I'm not some little toy for you to play with. If you want to have sex with me so badly, next time do it in a way that DOESN'T humiliate me OR my Pokemon first! Are we clear?"
He released his arm slowly from her throat, adrenaline still coursing through his body as he fought to keep his temper under control. He turned away from her and sat back on the bed, readjusting his belt and jeans. After a moment, the quiet sound of sobbing reached his ears. He looked up at her, half-surprised and half-guilty. Still naked from the waist up, Sara was sitting where he had left her crying softly into her hands. He sighed and looked at his own. Had he gone too far? He'd just wanted to protect his friend and himself, and she was the one who had gotten violent. Was it so wrong to react in the way he had, or were these tears from something else?
She continued to sob softly, and Roland's heart fell. Regardless of how bitchy she was being, he never wanted to cause someone as much pain as he saw wracking her body right then. He decided to try and make peace. "Sara..." he began tentatively, afraid to get any closer in case she was going to lash out again. "You don't..." she began softly, in between shuddering breaths, "Understand what it's like to be humiliated in your first battle." She choked out another sob. "Your runt got nothing compared to what my Pokemon received, not to mention I... I.." she broke down again, and Roland couldn't help but want to hug her, reaching out tentatively for her shoulder.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Sara shouted at the top of her lungs, making Roland jump, "You're just like all the others! You don't care about anyone other than yourself either, so why are you angry at me doing the same thing! It's just life! Deal with it!" Her crying had begun to soften now, and he could see her anger was returning. Roland shifted back a little on the bed. "Sara, I don't hate you and I'm not a self-absorbed person. I just have boundaries, most of which you overstepped today. Can't you see tha-"
"I don't care!" Sara snapped, cutting him off. "Just go! Take your stupid precious Lucario and go! I'll be glad if I never see you again!" Roland sighed, deciding that her mind was made up on him, and it was best to leave before things got worse again.
"Alright," Roland said gently, standing, "If that's what you want, I'll go." He gave enough of a pause for a response, but only her ragged breathing was heard and she continued to bury her face in her hands, so he continued as he stood and walked over to the rejuvenator. "But I don't believe in just leaving things here, Sara. You might not talk to me now, but I am going to join the Black League, and someday I'll see you again. When that day comes, I will battle you in a fair match, and I will prove to you that neither Demi or myself are worthy of your scorn. I don't know what happened in this mystery match of yours, but you shouldn't let it run your life. You're a beautiful, smart, and talented girl. You don't have to push people away or grind them underneath your feet to be important, and nobody deserves to be humiliated."
A little green light was on in the rejuvenator, indicating that Demi was fully healed. Roland pressed a button and the top slid off once more. He collected Demi's pokeball and turned to leave. Sara made no move to get up from her position, but she began to redress, poking her arms back through her uniform and zipping it up once more, the material again looking as though it were one solid piece of fabric. He glanced back at her one last time, with a mixture of hurt and regret, before exiting through the metal door and into the empty, quiet corridor beyond.
As the door closed, Sara sighed softly and pulled her knees to her chest. She knew that at least some of what he had said was right, and she'd secretly hoped he'd have beaten her at that match. Maybe then, she'd thought, it would have given her the strength to face her own past. But he'd lost, and she'd gone and made it worse by poking fun at him, as had been done to her. The thought of the past brought an onrush of painful memories, and Sara curled up tight to avoid crying any more than she already had. "You'd better keep that promise..." she whispered to the empty room, as though somehow it would transmit her words to the already retreating figure of Roland.
***
By the time Roland emerged from the old shack, the sky was darkening and it was getting somewhat chilly. Kicking aside fallen leaves as he went, Roland trudged through the forest and back into his town, making it back just in time to see the street lights come on. Not feeling like facing the inquisitive looks his parents would undoubtedly give him for being out so late, Roland hiked along the edge of town, following the woods until they broadened out into a grassy plain, which rose up onto a hillside. Once there, he followed the winding dirt track up the hill to the spot he'd used to sit and think as a boy.
It was very dark now, the sun having nearly entirely dropped below the horizon, the shadows of the few trees on the hillside casting long fingers that stretched up the slope of the grass. Roland glanced around his old hangout. There, by the big tree, was the place he'd had his first kiss. He'd only been 8 at the time, but such childish innocence merely served to make the memory more pristine, untainted as his memories were now by the undertone of sexuality that a mature body felt. Up on the hilltop, everything seemed simpler and more innocent, as though here life passed without the darker taint of pain or anger or guilt. Here, life was perfect.
At least, that had been his thoughts as a kid. When he'd taken his friend up the hill and they'd kissed, it had all been just part of a game. Back then, games were something that you played, but now, at 20, it seemed the games played him. Lust and love - he swung between the two like a pendulum, unsure of which was the purer of the two feelings, hating the way they often mixed to blur the lines between right and wrong. Pokemon too, must experience these feelings, he reasoned, and no doubt it must have been confusing for Demi to be rejected on his very first try and lust or love - whichever he'd picked.
He lifted Demi's pokeball, noting that the little indicator still showed he was sleeping. "That's fine by me," thought Roland to himself, "I still need to work out just what I'm really going to do with myself. The world doesn't stop turning just because things get confusing or hard..." On that thought, he noticed that the sun had finally sunk below the horizon, and as the blue tinge of night deepened, the sounds of the nocturnal Pokemon began to emerge - HootHoot cooing softly, rustles and twig snaps as wild Pokemon made their busy ways through the darkened foliage. In truth, it was probably a little dangerous to be out with no Pokemon guarding you at night, but the woodland Pokemon were rarely dangerous, and Roland felt sure they recognized his presence anyway, just as he recognized them.
Not that that was a concern anymore, as the little indicator on his pokeball switched to normal status, alerting Roland that Demi had finally awoken. Knowing that Demi preferred the wilds to the cultured environment of the terrarium, Roland released the catch, and his Pokemon materialized beside him. Demi looked around, a little confused at his surroundings at first, and then settled down next to Roland, his back also against the tree. Roland could see that Demi still looked pretty depressed, but was doing his best to be strong for him. He sighed, and put an arm around his partner.
"Y'know, Demi I used to look up at these stars and wonder if our existence even mattered, compared to the magnitude of the universe out there." he began, gesturing to the faintly visible twinkles of stars in the darkened sky. Demi glanced up momentarily, his thoughts still on his crushing rejection and humiliation from earlier. Seeing this, Roland continued. "But... I don't think that matters. Whatever purpose we have, whatever it may mean to the bigger picture, we're only really conscious of ourselves. I think that what matters is to live in a way that you feel is appropriate, rather than trying to live up to other people's expectations, or giving up because you feel like you don't matter." He turned his head to face Demi seriously. "Worst of all, life lets us make stupid decisions that we have to then live with, and we don't get another chance to take it back. My stupid decision today was letting you put your pride on the line for some pretty girl. You're worth more than that to me, and I'm sorry."
Demi turned his head away, tears springing unbidden to his eyes. Roland had hit home in a way - he felt foolish now for going along with the battle. The alluring charm of Allora had made him take leave of his senses, and though he had fought his hardest to earn her admiration, it was pretty much impossible for him to have won. Instead, his first sexual experience with another was a humiliation and rejection, and his only real friend had seen it all. Why was he such a screw up?! Demi leapt to his feet and turned to leave, wanting to run as far and as fast as his legs would take him, away from his mistakes and away from his failures. Nobody deserved to be saddled with a failed runt like himself! Roland's hand shot out and caught his arm.
Roland spoke now with urgency. "Demi, listen to me. I know it was hurtful to you to have to deal with that as a first experience. You've been called inadequate your entire life, and I've never really done much to help you past that. All we've ever done is battle, but when it came to the other aspects of your life, I was negligent. I left you to fend for yourself, because I was afraid of getting involved in that stuff, and that was messed up. I know you're upset right now, but running from your pain will never let you heal. Please, we've been together for years now - will you at least hear me out?"
Demi paused, trying to sort out his feelings. Roland was the only real friend he'd ever had, but he had to sort things out for himself as well. The crushing fear that none would ever see him as anything more than a runt had plagued him his entire life, pushing him to desperation in battle and life, trying desperately to break through to others. He just didn't see how Roland could help with that, kind as he was. "Demi, you're far from inadequate. You've always had more guts, determination, and strength of heart than any Pokemon I've ever seen. Allora and Sara were shallow and selfish, and they nearly had even me fooled into thinking that they were right, just because they were popular! But you know what? I think it's time for you and I to step out of the shadows and into the limelight."
Now Demi was curious, turning to face Roland, whose eyes gleamed with newfound determination, still clutching Demi's arm tightly. "Neither of us really care for battling, though we both hate to lose. At the same time, we have both been pretty lonely in our lives - me because all of my friends left to become Pokemon Masters years ago, and you because of your height. But both of us have skills and talents that could far outshine anyone else, and you performed AMAZINGLY in that battle with Allora. Sure, you didn't win, but she had an unfair advantage. Tell me Demi, have you ever masturbated?"
The question caught the Lucario off guard, and he took a step back, though still caught by Roland's hand. Masturbation was more of a human thing that Pokemon had learned to adopt, but even so, answering this kind of question felt weird. Still, his trust for Roland won out eventually and he shook his head slowly. Granted, he'd considered it from time to time, but Demi had been afraid to touch himself, lest he somehow soil himself for his future suitors. That notion felt silly now, in retrospect. Roland nodded matter-of-factly. "Well that's even MORE to your credit, if that was your first time ever being touched. Just imagine if you'd had as much sexual experience as Allora had. You'd have won without breaking a sweat!"
Demi smiled a little then. "Roland is right, I guess," thought Demi to himself. It was true, after all, that Allora had a LOT of sexual experience behind her, and he had only ever fantasized about sex. Roland continued, gently letting go of Demi's arm. "Demi, you're ten times the Pokemon she'll ever be, and you can't let one rigged match get you down. In fact, the best way to get revenge is for you and I to rise to the top. I say we go out there and win the Black League Championship."
Demi stared at Roland in semi-disbelief, not sure he'd heard correctly. Was he insane? Did he want to humiliate Demi even further? Roland shook his head. "I know that look, Demi. You think this is just about me, but it's not. Did you know that the Black League champions are so sought after as studs that they literally have Pokemon waiting to breed with them all year round?" Demi blinked, not quite getting what Roland was suggesting. "Demi, you have what it takes to reach the top. You're fine as you are now, but if you want to, you and I can take that whole league apart, and nobody will ever DARE call you a runt again!"
Roland was getting passionate now, standing and raising his voice loud enough to scare a Murkrow into flight. "Just think, Demi! How much of a 'fuck you' would it be to all of the people who looked down on you if you were the number one most desired Pokemon in the world? Even if you and I don't win the whole thing, we've definitely got what it takes to be famous. No, not famous - INFAMOUS!" Demi had to admit, he was getting a little caught up in the buzz now. If Roland was right, if he really was half the Pokemon Roland claimed he was, he could forever lose the title of 'runt'. 'Stud' indeed had a nice ring to it, and to be desired by all those females? Heck yes.
Roland continued. "While you were asleep, I had a look at the rankings for breeder battles. There are five ranks - starting at D, it progresses all the way up to S. Only A and S ranked battlers can compete in the championships, and coincidentally, Sara happens to be an A-rank opponent. If we could come so close to victory with her, D rank will be a breeze." Demi nodded, his visions of crushing defeat already swept away by the thought of being the best at something new, something different. Call him runt if they wanted, but Demi was determined now to show them all that height didn't matter in the least. Allora had better enjoy the memory of bringing him to orgasm, because she would be the last Pokemon ever to do that. From now on, THEY would be the ones cumming helplessly on the floor, and he, unlike Allora, would show them grace in his victory. He grinned openly at Roland now, his desire for battle rising.
"And the best part is? You and I have a secret weapon, Demi." Roland added with a wink. Demi tilted his head in curiosity. Roland grinned. "The receptionist at the Black League arena is someone I know, but she also has access to all of the rankings and league files for the trainers. With her assistance, you can I can learn the ropes of this game very quickly from watching official replays of championship matches - the only recordings in existence, due to the ban on recording devices in the arenas." Roland crouched now, so he was eye-level with Demi. "What do you say, pal?" he asked, extending his arm.
Demi nodded and grinned, clasping that arm with his paw. The time had come to sweep aside the mistakes of the past, and to forge ahead with their dreams into a brand new tomorrow.Chapter End Notes:Darn... my chapters are getting longer and longer. I'd prefer to keep them around 3000 words each, but this one is close to 4000. Oh well, guess you guys get a little extra this time :