Chapter Six: Destination, Part II

 

by Havoc

"The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure."

-Sven Goran Eriksson

------

"Okay, girls...," Chris said. "This is it."

Standing outside the front door to the Pewter City Gym, Chris felt that familiar sense of anxiety start to well up within him once more. He was confident that, however badly he may have lost the last time, no matter the strength of the coming opponent, he had the will, the courage, and the resources needed to achieve victory. But that did not mean he was not nervous, all the same.

Flanking him on either side, the Weavile twins, Lara and Farah, felt the same sense of trepidation and anticipation that their trainer did. A cool breeze ruffled their head feathers, and they shuffled a little closer to Chris. Farah, on his right, blinked as her eyes were slightly stung by the wind. The scar that ran across her face went taught with the reflexive motion, making it next to impossible for her to keep that eye closed for very long.

On the left side of Chris stood Lara, Farah's sister, who reacted with a growl when the breeze hit her face but did not blink. Lara was just out of the Pokemon Center after recovering fully from a terrible accident, which had occurred while she was training with Chris and Farah inside of Mt. Moon. She was bursting with energy, raring to go, and no silly breeze or anything else was going to stop her from being at her sister's side during this fight.

Chris put a hand down, resting it on top of Farah's head. She looked up at him as he brushed his fingers through her head feathers, and he gazed down at her with a little smile. She made a small noise of affection and rubbed up against him, causing Chris to bend down and pick her up. He gave her a hug, holding her for a moment or two before putting her back on the ground.

Lara received no hug, but she paid it no mind. She was perfectly understanding of the situation, of the way that things had changed in the past few days. She knew that Chris still cared for her, but she also knew that Farah held a special place in his heart.

Chris took a slow, deep breath, and let it out just as slowly. "Okay, girls," he said. He stepped forward and put his hand on the door to the gym, the metal of the handle feeling cool against his skin. "In we go, hopefully for the last time." The trainer pulled the door towards him, cracking the seal between the building and the outside world, and strode inside, followed closely by the two Weaviles.

------

Farah had not zipped the flap of the tent up after she entered. When Chris reached out to open it, the canvas portal came away easily. His heart was hammering, and he almost felt like it might tear itself free from his chest and leap out of his throat. He swallowed, and by some miracle he managed to force it down. Pushing aside the flap, he went to his knees and put his head inside the tent.

The very first thing he noted was an odd smell, but a familiar one. He remembered very well where he had first smelled it, and the memory was enough to make him pause. Chris recalled that the same scent had filled the hotel room that first time, when Farah, the Weavile that he had raised almost by himself, had come to him and given him a marvelous favor. He had touched her in return, and he had smelled that smell, the sweet musk of her arousal.

He had smelled it a second time, several nights before, when Farah had come to him looking for more. The trainer hadn't understood then what he knew now, that Lara and Farah were no longer together, and that Farah was sincerely pursuing him because she wanted him. He had rejected her even though that rejection was based on a false fear, the fear that he would be causing trouble between his two closest companions.

But if he still had any lingering doubts about what was going on, they went away as soon as he laid eyes on Farah. She was lying on his bedroll, her gaze squarely on him, waiting for him. His throat suddenly felt a bit dry, and he worked moisture into his mouth to banish away the sandpapery feeling.

"Farah...," Chris said, trying to find words. None came to him, but it didn't seem to matter. Farah gave him a slow, toothy grin. She was obviously nervous; he could tell that much just from looking at her. However, she also looked excited, and as he knelt at the tent flap she hooked a claw at him, telling him to come inside.

Taking a deep breath, using the brief moment to prepare his mind for what he was sure Farah intended for him to do, he crawled inside, zipping the flap up behind him. With the fresh air almost entirely cut off, the scent inside the tent grew overpowering, almost intoxicating. The aroma clouded most of his thoughts, especially those pesky voices in the back of his head that told him to back out, to turn around and let Farah cool down before he actually went through with this. Of the few thoughts that remained, the most prominent were just how beautiful she looked right now, and how much he wanted to be by her side.

While Chris was surveying things in the tent, Farah was watching him, her heart pounding surely as fast as his must have been. She wanted this more than anything else in the world right now, but still, a very small part of her was hoping against hope that he would turn around and leave. That way, she wouldn't have to deal with the anxiety and fear of her first time. She knew it would be a bit scary, very unfamiliar, and that it might even hurt a little.

The Weavile looked Chris up and down, and she remembered that this was her trainer, the person who had taken care of her, with Lara, for most of her life. He had never done anything but love her and treat her as though she was family, and that was something that she felt like she could never repay him properly for. For that, she loved him dearly. For that, she wanted to give him everything that she could. Farah wanted him to know, to have no doubts that she loved him. And so she pushed aside her own doubts, her own anxieties, and her own fears.

Chris made it to Farah's side, and he propped himself up on one arm, his eyes roaming over her body from head to toe. He rubbed a hand down her side, feeling her short fur against his palm, and the heat radiating from her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, gripping gently with her claws, which just barely dug into the cloth of his shirt. Chris found himself unable to look away from her face, and a vague memory of how she got her scar flashed through the back of his mind. The memory was dismissed, however, when he saw her smile. In any case, now the scar just seemed to add to her beauty, a mark of character that punctuated this exotic moment.

For a long minute, neither of them did anything except hold each other and look into each other's eyes. Then Chris placed a hand on Farah's cheek, dipping his head to hers. Their lips met, and Farah released a soft purr as her tongue slipped from her lips to meet his. In an instant the sounds of Viridian Forest vanished, replaced by the sounds of their breathing as they kissed.

------

Brock looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching, and a smile spread across his face as he saw Chris and his twin Weaviles coming towards him. He gave Christina, his assistant, a hand signal to continue the daily routines. As she nodded and turned to issue orders to the gym trainers, he left the battle floor and went to meet Chris.

"I was starting to wonder if you'd be back," he said, taking the hand that Chris offered him. "Am I correct in assuming that you're here for your rematch?"

"You are," Chris said, not expecting the solemn tone that he found his voice taking. He looked past Brock, into the gym itself. All of the gym trainers were hard at work under the direction of his assistant, training their pokemon and building their strength, just as he himself had been attempting to do for nearly a month, now. Chris looked to either side of him, to the two pokemon who had been through so much, with him, in the time leading up to this moment. "I thought long and hard about what you told me, and I did my best to try to change my ways so that I could overcome my own difficulties. And together I think me and my friends have done everything that we can. All that remains is to defeat you and prove that we have the trust in each other that something like this requires."

Brock nodded, his expression one of approval. "It sounds like you've taken the things that I've taught you to heart." He grinned. "Very well. I don't suppose you're in the mood for waiting at this point, so let's get everything set up. I'm expecting a real challenge from you, this time, so don't hold back."

The Gym Leader turned and walked back to the battle floor, where he said a few words to Christina. The assistant clapped her hands and shouted to the assembled trainers, and they halted their individual battles. In minutes, the floor was cleared and workers went over every inch of the gym, making sure that the arena-like enclosure was in perfect condition for a major battle. Chris watched as they climbed over the rocky outcroppings and walked through the sandy pits that were installed in the stony floor, as befitting a gym that boasted the Rock-type as its type of choice.

While the battle floor was being prepared, the trainers assembled in the stands, and members of the general public who happened to be in the gym at the time joined them. Most of the work in the building was stopped, because everyone knew that it was going to be a spirited match, and they all wanted to be able to watch. Christina watched over the proceedings, making sure that nobody was out of place, and especially making sure to keep everyone well clear of the battlefield.

When all was ready, Brock took his place at one end of the field, and Chris took up position at the other. They stared each other down for a minute or so, looking each other over. Lara and Farah looked at each other as well, starting to get keyed up for the match to come. They knew that today would be the chance for them to prove themselves to Chris, to everyone in the gym, and most of all to themselves. This would be a match to remember.

Brock cleared his throat, and the whole gym fell into silence. "It's not often these days that I actually get excited about a match," he said. His voice was calm and soft, but the stillness of everyone else in the building made his words quite audible. "I've been a Gym Leader for a long time, and I've learned enough about battling and raising pokemon that it's hard for anyone to give me a challenge. But for some reason, today I look at the opponent across from me and I just get the feeling that I'm in for more than I bargained for."

Chris smiled, superimposing a confident expression over the anxiety that he was feeling inside. "It's been a while since I got really excited about a match as well," the trainer from Sinnoh admitted. "Back in my home, I never had to try to win. I always got through every battle that I engaged in with sheer strength, and it wasn't necessary for me to use any sort of strategy." Chris put his right hand on top of Farah's head, and his left on top of Lara's. "But I've learned how to trust my pokemon, and to allow them to make their own decisions. It was a hard lesson to learn, but now I know that I can count on them for everything." He scratched the top of Farah's head, and she leaned into his palm a bit.

"Well, it certainly seems that you have gained much confidence," Brock said, scratching his chin. He cleared his throat again, and raised a hand into the air. "Now, let's see if you can put what you've learned into practice!" Keeping his hand raised, he reached for his belt with his other hand and unclipped a poke ball. The Gym Leader tossed the ball to the floor a few meters in front of him, releasing the pokemon inside. From inside the bright flash of light, the form of his Kabutops resolved itself.

Chris reached for his own poke ball. "You want an interesting fight, then you've got one!" he yelled. His own ball was thrown to the floor, and from inside erupted Douglas, his Luxray. The large feline pokemon roared as soon as he saw the Kabutops facing him, and the Kabutops brandished its scythe-like forelimbs.

"Ready, and...," Brock said, his face sporting a wide smile. The whole gym was full of anticipatory tension. After a few dramatic seconds, Brock let his hand drop.

"Begin!"

------

Chris moved his hand down to Farah's rump, lightly scratching at the base of her feathery tail. Her breath came out in a purring sigh, whistling through her nose as their tongues wound around each other. He could feel from her body language, as well as from the spicy scent in the air, that she was more than ready, but he wanted to make this last. The human was in a teasing mood, and he felt that Farah would tolerate a little bit of playful fun before they moved on to the main event.

He slid his hand underneath her tail, palming the area between her legs, listening to the way that her breathing changed. Farah's breath came out in a rush, and she pulled her mouth away from his, somewhat cocking her head back. Chris smiled and put his lips to her neck, trailing his tongue lightly along her fur. She made an appreciative noise as his fingers began to tease at her nether lips, and he stroked a finger along her slit.

*Oh...,* Farah moaned, shivery warmth starting to spread through her body from her very core. *Right there...Yes...* The fact that Chris could not understand her language was the furthest thing from her mind at this moment. Besides, the way that her hips began to rock back and forth as he touched her said everything.

Chris was entranced by the sight of Farah pressed up against him, her eyes fluttering and her mouth half-open, stuttering phrases that he could not decipher coming from between her lips. For a moment, it was as though he were looking at himself from outside of himself, like he was having an out-of-body experience. He could see his own hands moving, the arms that they were attached to remaining largely still as his fingers did most of the work.

The Weavile's soft vaginal lips parted at the bidding of his fingers, allowing him to probe her entrance and touch the vaguely familiar velvety softness. Farah made a soft whimpering noise, touching her face to his neck as his fingers swirled around in her warmth, making her feel like electricity was traveling the length of her body. Tingling sparks of the most wonderful feeling imaginable spread from between her legs, but each twinge just made her ache for more. Farah arched her back, rocking along on his fingers, jumping slightly every time her clitoris was brushed against.

Chris soon found a comfortable rhythm with Farah, circling his thumb around her clit while he pushed his middle finger slowly inside of her vagina. He watched her eyes roll back, her eyelids drooping, as he slipped in to the second knuckle. The corner of her mouth twitched, and Chris experienced an overwhelming surge of intense affection as the most loving smile he had ever seen spread across Farah's face. He couldn't resist going down for another kiss, and he hooked his arm underneath her back, sitting up and pulling her along with him. Chris sat her in his lap to give him a better position to pleasure her, cradling her with one arm while his other hand was engrossed in the wonders between her legs.

Farah could feel a wonderful change coming over her body. As Chris moved that marvelous finger inside of her, she could not withstand the urge to move her body, and this she did with increasing intensity and urgency. She could sense the familiar feelings of sexual ecstasy welling up within her, but somehow she knew that this was going to be more intense than anything she had ever felt before.

Her first cry was loud and shrill, like a mixture of a howl of pleasure and a shriek of pain. Farah's body shook violently, and if Chris had not been holding onto her as tightly as he was, whispering words of love into her ear, she might have fallen from his lap. Her second cry was muffled, blocked when Chris placed his mouth over hers, kissing her deeply as she spasm after glorious spasm racked her body. Moaning her deep appreciation of his efforts, Farah placed her arms around his neck, holding herself tightly to him as the last waves of pleasure passed through her body, leaving her panting and sighing with the joyful ache.

------

Brock suppressed a grimace as he saw Chris's Luxray make a charge for his Kabutops. He had made a poor choice for his first selection of pokemon, as the Luxray had a clear advantage over the Kabutops. To immediately withdraw his first pokemon would have been an unacceptable display of weakness, so he didn't want to do that. The Gym Leader decided that he would just have to rely on his experience, and that of his pokemon, to get him through this first tussle.

Chris had shouted an order to his Luxray while Brock had been thinking, and electricity crackled over the lion-like Electric-type. Brock was prepared for a strong Electric-type attack, but it seemed that today was going to be a day of surprises. Instead of merely attacked with a bolt of electricity, the Luxray whipped his tail hard at Brock's Kabutops. A silver flash and a metallic clang accompanied a surging crack of electric energy, and Brock was stunned to see his Kabutops sail across the gym. The Rock- and Water-type pokemon landed on the floor with a heavy crash, and dust fell from the rafters. The fossil pokemon made an effort to get up, but Brock could see a large crack along its right leg, and was dismayed to realize that its leg had been broken.

"What in the hell did you do?" Brock asked, as the rumbling echoes of the impact grew quieter.

"I didn't do anything," Chris said, grinning triumphantly. "It was all Douglas's idea. I just told him 'go get 'em,' and he did the rest."

Brock was surprised, but he thought about it for a moment, trying to figure out how one of his strongest pokemon could have been taken out in a single charge. He replayed the attack in his head, and recalled that the sound of metal ringing on stone had accompanied the Luxray's attack. The Gym Leader put two and two together, and came to the conclusion that the Luxray must have combined an Iron Tail attack with one of its Electric-type shock attacks. The combination of Steel- and Electric-type attacks had exploited both of his duel-type pokemon's weaknesses at the same time, turning what might have been two strong attacks into a single devastating assault. A novel strategy for a pokemon to have come up with on its own, but then again, that was exactly the kind of thinking that Brock had instructed Chris to encourage in his pokemon. He was hit with a small measure of regret that he had done this, but he was mostly pleased that he was still a good teacher even after all these years.

Brock recalled his Kabutops to its poke ball, managing to crack a smile. "It definitely seems as though you've taken my advice to heart," he said.

"Keep going and you'll find out just how much," Chris said. Douglas walked back to him, now that his opponent had gone, and Chris gave the Luxray a congratulatory scratch behind the ears. He then recalled him to his ball, and waited for Brock to make his next selection.

Brock thought his next pokemon over carefully. In the previous battle, he had seen all of Chris's pokemon, and knew that he still had a Vespiquen, a Garchomp, a Gastrodon, and of course his two Weaviles. The only one that would have any sort of clear advantage over any of his remaining pokemon would be the Gastrodon, but who knew what kind of tricks the trainer had up his sleeve now?

I'm going to have to be careful..., Brock thought. Hedging his bets, he selected his next poke ball and sent out his other dual Water- and Rock-type, an Omastar. Omastar was the second of Brock's two fossil pokemon, and he hoped that this time it would fit the bill.

Across from Brock, Chris was making his own selection. The ball that the younger trainer tossed out opened, and the rays of light that issued forth coalesced into the intimidating form of Liam, Chris's Garchomp. Brock allowed himself a tight smile, feeling better about this match-up than the last one. The Garchomp probably knew some powerful Ground-type moves that could put the hurt on his own Omastar, but then again, the Garchomp's dual Dragon- and Ground-types made it extremely vulnerable to Ice-type attacks, of which his Omastar knew plenty.

"Go on, Liam!" Chris shouted. "Show him what you're made of!" Roaring in challenge to the Omastar in front of him, Liam showcased his impressive speed by going straight for the mollusk pokemon.

Brock gave his Omastar some encouragement of his own. "You have what it takes to beat this one," he said calmly. "Play it smart and don't allow him to get any strong attacks in." As the powerful-looking Garchomp approached his pokemon, Brock hoped that his Omastar would come through. It would be so humiliating to be bested twice in a row by a Pokemon Trainer thirty years his junior.

------

Farah leaned up, giving Chris a lengthy, passionate kiss, pushing on his shoulders insistently, bidding him to lie back on the bedroll that was spread out on the floor of the tent. Though he could easily have resisted her push, Chris was extremely turned on by the idea of Farah taking control for a time; he again recalled that night a month before when she had cowed him into submission. The thought of it happening again, albeit with a bit more forewarning on his part, sent a thrill of excitement through his body.

When Chris was fully reclined, Farah set to removing his clothing. Her hands were not exactly optimized for such an activity, so Chris had to help her a little. While she was occupied with unbuttoning his pants, he removed his shirt, and then reached down to assist her in unzipping them and slipping them down her legs. Farah's heart leapt as she saw his body mostly naked under her eyes, and it was with a certain measure of impatience that she pulled his boxers off of him.

Finally, for the first time, he was completely nude, and she got her first really good look at his body. To say that Farah was not disappointed by what she saw would have been a gross understatement of the way she felt at that moment. In an instant, she realized just how much she had been desiring this, and for a few seconds all she could do was stare, frozen in the wonder of seeing the man who had suddenly become her lover bared for her.

It's really happening, Farah said to herself. I can't believe it's really happening. As though to reassure herself that she was not imagining things, she gently took hold of his penis with one of her clawed hands. For the second time, she marveled at how rigid he was, and how thick and nice it felt in her hand. He...He really is turned on by me...I'm so glad...

Chris flinched a little when Farah wrapped her fingers around his cock; she did, after all, have a fearsome set of claws in her possession. Relaxation followed a split second later. Farah knew what she was doing, and he knew she could exercise the delicacy necessary to avoid hurting him. He forced his heart to slow down, putting his trust in the lovely Weavile who was handling his member.

Before continuing, Farah just had to slide up to chest level with Chris, and she hugged him tightly. Chris hugged back, liking the way that her furred body warmed up his bare skin. He stroked all along her back, rubbing at her pussy when his hand reached her rump. He thrust up a little, unable to hold back the urge, and the tip of his penis just barely bumped up against her folds. Farah purred in pleasure, but reached back and pushed his penis away.

*It's not time for that, yet,* she admonished him, shaking her head a little. The slight disappointment on his face told her that he clearly understood the meaning of her words, if not the words themselves. Farah kissed his cheek to mollify his letdown, and slid back down his body. With his member in front of her face, she had free reign to do exactly what she wanted to do.

An impish thought running through her head, Farah exhaled gently on Chris's erect penis, calling upon her Ice-type powers to infuse her breath with a frigid chill. His body stiffened as the cool sensation rolled over his genitals, and he started to shiver from the cold. The chattering of his teeth was soon replaced by a loud groan of relieved pleasure as Farah engulfed his cock with her lips, the humid warmth of her mouth banishing the icy sting.

Farah flicked her tongue along the underside of her trainer's member, committing the taste of his skin to memory. She wanted to be able to remember it always, so that from now on, every time they did this, it would be like coming home after a long day away. The Weavile pulled her head up, her lips encircling the head, and she swirled her tongue around it. A slippery drop of precum oozed from the tip, and Farah greedily lapped it up, taking delight in the salty-bitter flavor. Eager to taste more, she began sliding her mouth along his length, taking more and more of him into her mouth. She had to stop when she was about three-quarters of the way down, lest she choke herself, and she moved back up.

"Sh-shit, Farah...," Chris moaned, his voice shaky. He was apparently enjoying this very much, and Farah felt her cheeks warm as he brushed her head feathers with one hand. She purred around him and started bobbing her head, her lips sliding over his skin and coating his member with a thin layer of her saliva. His increasing rate of breath thrilled her, arousing her once again, instilling her with the desire to reach that pinnacle once again. And on she went, giving Chris the sweetness of her affection, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she was just as concerned about his pleasure as she was about her own.

------

Brock took the offensive this time instead of remaining defensive, as he had in the first engagement. "Omastar, remember, that Garchomp's weakness is Ice!" he shouted to his pokemon. "Don't worry about anything except hitting its weak spot!"

Chris's Garchomp reached the Omastar, and ran right over it. In the instant before the Omastar was hit, it withdrew into its shell, protecting itself from the devastating power of the dragon pokemon's charge. The momentum of the assault tossed the Omastar about fifty feet across the gym floor, and it hit the floor with a dull clunk. Such an impact would have devastated many other pokemon, but when the Omastar uncurled itself from inside the protective coating of its shell, it appeared to be completely unharmed. Meanwhile, the Garchomp had skidded to a halt and turned around, snarling and prepared to make another strike.

"Liam, be careful!" Chris shouted. "That thing is really tough. It's going to take everything you have to make a dent in it." Liam nodded, baring his teeth, and streaked towards the fossil pokemon again.

Brock's Omastar made a screeching sound, rearing up on the bottom portion of its shell, and a dull blue glow surrounded it for a brief second. For a moment, it seemed as though the ancient-looking pokemon would just stand there, as if Liam could do nothing to harm it. Then, when the Garchomp was a mere twenty or twenty-five feet away, the Omastar screeched again and let loose a bright, shock-white beam of intense icy power.

The Ice Beam attack hit Liam full in the face, knocking him back and covering his reptilian hide with a mosaic pattern of ice crystals. Liam roared in pained shock, crashing down on his back, his arms coming up to claw at his face frantically, fighting to clear the ice from his eyes and nose. He managed to knock enough ice off that he was able to get up and dodge the next Ice Beam, which froze a twenty-foot section of the gym floor, making a slick patch of ice.

"Don't panic, Liam!" Chris shouted, trying to encourage his Garchomp, who was still clawing at the remaining ice on his head. "Just focus, and you can do this!"

Lara and Farah both winced as they watched Liam trying to clear his vision; the Garchomp was actually cutting himself in his panic, and it was giving the Omastar enough of an opportunity to get in position for its next attack. While Liam was finally knocking the last few patches of ice off of his head, the fossil pokemon was making a series of small chittering noises. All of a sudden, everyone in the battle arena began to shiver as the air temperature dipped. Chris recognized the danger and immediately shouted to his pokemon.

"Liam, you need to get moving!"

The Garchomp finally went on the counterattack just as the temperature dropped into the freezing range, and Chris hoped against hope that it would be in time. If he was right, the Omastar was preparing an attack that would end the battle for sure. Liam crossed the distance to the opposing pokemon as fast as he could, although he was starting to slow as the air began to grow much too cold for him.

Brock's Omastar screeched even louder than it had before, and a shower of ice crystals erupted from its body. At the exact same instant, Liam slammed into the Omastar with full force, and the two disappeared in the cloud of icy mist created by the Blizzard attack.

Chris shielded his face from the cold with his arms, unable to keep his eyes open against the fearsome attack. A howling, frigid wind blew around the enclosed battleground, mixed with the pained howls of pokemon who were fighting hard to overcome each other. Chris almost dared not to look, but eventually the wind died down, the temperature began to rise just a fraction, and he was able to open his eyes and survey what the furious assault of ice had wrought.

Liam lay on the floor, unmoving, obviously knocked out cold by the Omastar's attack. The Omastar rested on top of the Garchomp, its stubby tentacles upraised in a victory pose that would have been comical in another situation. The mollusk pokemon had successfully defended itself against a much tougher opponent, and quite easily, too.

"Damn," Chris hissed, recalling Liam. He looked down at the ball in his hand once his Garchomp was safely tucked away. "Tough luck, buddy. You'll get 'em the next time." He put the ball away, and looked up at Brock. "Well...The next one decides the match, then." As a rule, Chris knew that the Gym Leader only went into battle with three pokemon. They were tied at one victory each, so whoever won the next one-on-one would be the overall victor.

"That's right," Brock said. He crossed his arms, a sense of anxiety creeping up inside of him. This was the first time in a while that he'd come so close to losing a match. "This is it." He uncrossed his arms, reaching to his side, and selected a poke ball. Chris watched, his breath held, as the Gym Leader sent out his third and final pokemon. He knew what it would be even before the ball hit the gym floor.

When the seal on the ball cracked, Chris was unsurprised to see a huge, hulking Onix emerge from it. Onix was widely known as Brock's specialty, his favorite pokemon to take into battle. Consequently, it was also his strongest pokemon. That was bad news in itself, but the fact that this was the last pokemon that would be sent out meant that Chris was faced with a difficult decision. He would have to choose among his remaining pokemon for the opponent that the Onix would face.

Chris had wanted to bring both Lara and Farah into the mix during this fight, but during the excitement and exhilaration of coming here, he had forgotten to tell Brock that he wanted a multi-battle for the last match. Now that Brock had already chosen to send out one pokemon, his hands were tied. He could pick only one, also.

Turning to look at his twin Weaviles, he gauged their expressions. From the look on their faces, they both understood the situation as clearly as he did.

"Okay, girls," Chris said. "It looks like I messed up a little. Only one of you is going to be allowed to fight, and I certainly want one of you in there. You're the best I've got."

Lara and Farah looked at each other. Each could see that her sister was thinking the same thing. Neither of them wanted to go it alone, as they were at their strongest when working together. On the other hand, this was a normal-sized Onix. Still imposing, but nothing like as big as the monster they had faced inside of Mt. Moon. Each of them was capable of taking on the Rock- and Ground-type behemoth, even without the help of the other. They looked back at Chris, indecision written on their faces.

"So. Who's it going to be?"

------

Chris's vision was growing cloudy as Farah continued to suck him off, and the thought flashed through his head that she had not decreased in skill in the slightest since the first time she had done this. She seemed to remember exactly what he liked, too. He felt as though every movement she made was gauged specifically to elicit a reaction of enjoyment out of him. He shivered whenever she bit down slightly with her teeth, her front fangs just barely grazing his skin, just enough to cause a tingle to run along his length. Whenever she paused with her lips around the head of his penis, she would lock eyes with him, blink once, and then close her eyes, slowly moving her head back down. It was incredibly exciting, and he could not but let out a soft moan every time he exhaled.

"Farah," Chris managed to say, when he felt like he couldn't take any more. He was right on the verge of letting loose, and just a few seconds more would have given Farah a full mouth. "Farah....Stop...You gotta stop..." He put the back of one hand over his eyes, gritting his teeth, trying as hard as he could to hold back.

Farah slid her lips up and off of his member, looking up at him with a grin. She licked her lips, holding his gaze. Chris almost came from seeing that, but he clenched his leg muscles painfully, and the feeling ebbed away. He picked Farah up and brought her to his level, holding her close against him, overcome by sudden excitement. Farah was trembling while he held her, and Chris stroked her back soothingly, knowing that she was feeling anxious about what they were surely going to do next.

It's weird..., Farah found herself thinking, her heart pounding a swift cadence in her chest. Now that we're about to mate...I'm more nervous than I've ever been in my life...But just a few seconds ago I was more excited than I've ever been in my life. She couldn't stop shivering, and even the normally calming presence of Chris's hand along her back wasn't doing much to help relieve the anxiety.

Chris was a bit concerned when he felt how much Farah was shaking, and he looked at her face. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly, brushing her cheek with one hand.

*I'm...I'm terrified!* Farah blurted out, not able to keep from uttering the words. They were the truth, too. Now that it was about to happen, she was scared out of her wits. Was it going to hurt? How much was it going to hurt? What if she wasn't any good at it, or what if Chris changed his mind after they did it?

"Are you scared, Farah?" Chris asked next. He, of course, had not understood what the Weavile had just said.

Farah simply nodded, scared of what his response might be. There was no reason for it, but she was worried that he would be angry if she admitted that she was frightened. She looked away from him, ashamed of herself for becoming like this after acting so eager. A low chuckle began to reverberate around the tent, and Farah looked back at Chris, taken aback by this reaction.

"Farah...," Chris said. He put a hand to the back of her head, and pulled her head to his, kissing her lips. She purred softly, closing her eyes. He stroked along her back down to her tail, twisting her tail feathers around in his fingers. Farah's head came up, her mouth slightly open, her back arching as he played with her tail. Chris smiled, looking into her eyes. "Farah...Farah...There's nothing to be scared of. I'm here, you're here...I'll be right here with you. I'm not going to hurt you."

Chris kissed her again, and Farah found that her fear had left her. She took a breath of the warm, humid air in the tent, and let it out slowly. The Weavile inclined her head towards Chris, and dragged her tongue along his throat, telling him "Yes, I'm ready now."

Moving slowly, Chris rolled Farah onto her back, keeping his eyes on hers. She put her arms up alongside her head, stretching her spine out a little. A joint popped, and neither of them was able to keep from laughing, as some of the tension in the small space broke with the sudden noise.

"Well...," Chris said, trying to keep the tremor he was feeling throughout his body from becoming evident in his voice, "...here we go...Farah..."

Farah closed her eyes. She was not as scared as she had been a second earlier, but for some reason she just wanted to feel, and not see, the instant in which they first came together. She let darkness claim her vision, and her brain painted the picture for her. In her mind's eye, she could see Chris's hand gently stroking her stomach, his other hand resting on the inside of her left thigh, slowly pushing it aside. Her legs opened for him, and she could sense his hips rubbing against her legs as he settled in between them. Her rump slid along the bedroll as he pulled her a bit closer to him, and then she felt the soft, pulsing tip of his penis prod at her silken folds.

Chris took a ragged breath, his throat nearly closing as he pushed against Farah. She was wet, grown slick with arousal from their wonderful foreplay, but still her body resisted his actions. He knew that at first it might hurt a little, and he was reluctant to cause her even the smallest bit of pain, but his desire to be with her and to complete the union that they had both started was greater than any reservations he had. The human slipped an arm underneath the Weavile's back, holding her around the waist, and he pushed forward with his hips while, at the same time, he pulled her to him.

As Farah felt Chris begin to penetrate her body, her eyes shot open. A stinging, stretching sensation, centered between her legs, made her vision cloud with tears, but still she looked down. Farah let out a soft moan as she saw Chris's member slipping inside of her body slowly, the sight making her heart melt in a sense of pure love. It looked so right, as though that was exactly where his penis was always meant to be, and the feeling...She could not have described it if she had been asked to, but everything in her body was telling her that it was perfect. The pain was nothing, she could deal with that, she just wanted him in her, forever and ever.

"Oh, Farah...," Chris hissed, his voice strained by heated passion. He looked down at her, tears beginning to collect in his eyes also. Farah gave a strangled cry as he sat up, carrying her with him. He held her just above his lap, looking down at the point of their union, the picture printing itself indelibly in his memory.

Farah didn't think she could ever feel better than she felt right now, right here, in this moment...

And then her trainer, her lover, began to move inside of her...

------

*Okay...,* Farah said, starting to take a step forward. *I'll be the one to bat-*

Lara threw and arm, pushing back against her sister's chest, preventing her from going forward. She stepped in front of her, an expression of determination on her face, her muscles bunched up and tight. Farah was surprised by the image that her twin was presenting; she had never seen the other Weavile so keyed up, at least, not in recent memory.

*I'll do it,* Lara said firmly.

Farah took hold of her shoulder, trying to pull her back, but Lara shrugged away her grip. *Sister, you're not strong enough,* she asserted, her voice desperate. *You can't-*

Her words were cut off by the glare that Lara sent her way. *Don't you dare say I can't,* she growled, sounding very angry. *I may have been in the hospital for a while, but that doesn't mean I've lost my strength! I have strength enough for this, sister.*

Chris watched the exchange between his girls, quite sure of what they were debating. He would have raised the same objection that he felt that Farah was making, had he been the Chris of a month ago. Now, however, he trusted that the twins would come to their own decision, and that regardless of the outcome letting them decide was the right course of action.

*But...why?* Farah asked, not understanding why her sister was so adamant about going into battle. *Sister, you've been out of action for so long. You're not at your best, and in any case, why would you risk getting hurt again? You could go back to the hospital, and it might take even longer this time!*

Lara looked straight at her sister, her expression softening just a little bit. *Oh, sister, I appreciate your concern, I really do. But I have to do this.* She turned her head to look at the Onix, which was weaving back and forth, impatient for battle.

*But why?*

*Three reasons,* Lara replied, turning her eyes back to her sister. She brushed her head feathers back, brushing away a small collection of ice crystals that had gathered there from the fight between Liam and the Omastar. *First, to prove something to myself. That battle back in Mt. Moon shook my confidence. I have to do this, and win, to prove to myself that I still can, and that I'm as strong as I thought I was.

*Second, to prove myself to everyone else. I can see the look in that Gym Leader's eyes. Don't you see it, Farah? He looks at me and sees a small little Weavile, something that isn't a threat to his big, strong Onix at all. I want everyone to see just how wrong he is, and that I can give him just as much trouble as he thinks he can give me.

*Third...well...* She glanced at Chris for a second, and then back at Farah. *I don't know exactly what happened between you and Chris when you were out in the forest, but you came back shining brighter than I've ever seen you shine.* Lara finally smiled, beaming at her sister. *I want you to consider this...not exactly a wedding present, really, but as close as it can be to that. I love you, sister.* She gave Farah a quick kiss on the cheek, and then strode out in front of Chris, taking her position on the battle floor.

Farah couldn't speak for a few seconds, so touched she was by her sister's actions. *I love you, too, sister!* she shouted, after regaining her tongue. *You can do it! I believe in you!*

Brock's Onix roared a challenge to Lara as she stepped onto the battleground, and many people in the audience flinched at the thundering cry. Chris resisted the urge to cover his ears, and watched as Lara sneered at the towering rock snake.

Outwardly, Lara appeared unimpressed by the intimidation display put on by the Onix, but inside her stomach was churning. She had no shortage of doubts about how she would fare in the battle to come. Her memories flashed back to the battle in Mt. Moon, and how badly she had been injured by a pokemon not unlike the one facing her now. The difference, of course, was that it had been a much larger Onix that had sent her to the hospital, but Lara was still a little frightened. How much worse might she be injured now that her sister would not be there to help her?

Her eyes focused on Brock, who had started to speak again. "Here we go, Chris," he was saying. "I'm ready when you are!"

Chris threw out an arm, shouting. "Go, Lara!"

Lara did not need telling twice, and her feet began slapping on the gym floor as she ran towards the Onix. Her style was quick charges and overwhelming force, and she was going to have to use all of her strength to take down an opponent of this size. The thought flashed through the head of every person watching the battle begin to unfold, even Chris, that it was a bit surreal to see such a small pokemon going on the offensive against a much larger one. Everyone in the arena, including Brock, was inwardly scoffing at the diminutive Weavile.

Chris, of course, was not. He stood there, watching Lara charge, a slow smile starting to spread across his face. For some reason, while watching Lara confidently step up to volunteer for the fight he could not help but feel triumphant. It very well could still come to pass that the battle would be lost, but even so, he had achieved a lot with his pokemon since losing to Brock.

He knelt down next to Farah, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I hope your sister does well," Chris said. "It's all in her hands, now."

------

Chris's body almost turned into rubber when he started to thrust inside of Farah, and he had to close his eyes to concentrate on not collapsing in a useless heap on the floor of the tent. With his eyes shut, he could better feel what was going on, and he marveled at how warm Farah's slick vagina was around his cock. She was gripping him, almost fighting his every move with how tight she was, and he put a little more force into his movements.

As her body began to loosen up a little, Farah felt the pain drain away, and she gasped when sweet, shimmering pleasure flowed through her. She never imagined that it would feel this good, no matter how much she had fantasized about it. Her hands went down, slightly behind her back, and braced themselves on his thigh. From that position, she could begin to move herself, raising and lowering herself to meet every one of his thrusts. Farah found herself gritting her teeth, sucking her breath through the cracks, making a sharp whistling noise as the air flowed in and out. His member moved within her, sliding along well now that her body had adjusted. Chris was just a little bit too long for her to comfortably take, but she relished the pinching sensation of his cock pushing against the boundaries of her cavern. The Weavile wanted to feel more and more of it, and she ground her hips down every time he dove inside, forcing him a little deeper.

He looks so cute, Farah thought to herself, looking up at Chris. His eyes were shut tight, and his lips pressed together in a thin line. Every so often, his lips would part slightly, and the barest whisper of something would drift out, too quiet for her to catch what he was saying. All she knew was that he looked gorgeous, even with beads of sweat pouring down his face and his hair all messed up. None of that mattered to her, so long as she could be with him like this. She never wanted this to end.

The desire to keep it going forever almost made Farah fight the rising pleasure within her. Every stroke that Chris made inside of her threw her closer to the that pinnacle of sublime ecstasy that only lovers can achieve, and she wasn't quite ready to go there just yet. She wasn't done enjoying this, enjoying feeling him inside of her, and watching him enjoy being there.

Farah hooked her heels around his hips, anchoring herself to his body. Her legs weren't quite long enough to make the journey all the way around his waist, but still she held on, moaning and pressing against him. She gasped as Chris's hand went underneath the ruff around her neck, feeling for her hidden breasts. His searching fingers found them, and a new dimension was added to Farah's pleasure as he teased her nipples. They hardened into stiff nubs with his touch, and now her joy was spread all over her body. She howled aloud, breaking the silence of the forest outside again with an expression of her carnal desires. Reflexively, she lurched up, pressing her lips insistently against her lover's. Nobody was around for miles except wild pokemon, but she still wanted to quiet herself. Her pleasure was not for anyone other than her and Chris to enjoy, and nobody else could be permitted to intrude upon it even only with their ears. And so she kissed him, and the only things she could hear were the rushing of their breath, the gentle hiss of the wind through the trees outside, and the sinfully exquisite sound of him sliding in and out of her body.

Chris could feel that he wouldn't last much longer, not this, the first, time. His muscles ached, his lungs were burning, and he felt thoroughly overheated, and yet still he found the strength to go on. Farah's vaginal walls started rippling along the length of his member, and her head pitched back, a squeal of intense delight coming from her mouth, so loud and shrill that it hurt his ears. Frantic to join her, not wanting to miss the chance to be one with her in ecstasy, Chris leaned forward, laying her on her back. He thrust his hips back and forth, picking up the speed a little more, watching as Farah's eyes shot wide open as her pleasure increased twofold.

"Farah...Oh, God...!" Chris groaned, stars exploding in his field of vision. He held onto the Weavile's waist, pushing her down on his member as he came. It felt as though bolts of energy were running along his body as he emptied himself into her, pouring all of his emotion into the little pokemon who loved him.

When it was all over, he found that he couldn't hold himself up any longer; every ounce of strength that had been contained in his body was now gone. Chris allowed gravity to pull him to the floor of the tent, mercifully coming to rest beside Farah rather than on top of her. His penis slid out of her with a wet slurping sound, and she sighed heavily as his presence left her form.

------

Lara let out a ferocious battle cry, her eyes blazing with sudden fury as she leaped at the Onix. From down on the ground, Chris watched as she used every bit of power contained in her legs to jump halfway up the body length of the rock snake. Using her claws, Lara latched on, just like a mountain climber would use crampons to scale a rock face.

Incredibly, the Onix seemed to have been a little intimidated by the cry that Lara had made, and took a few moments to react to the Weavile's attack. When it did, however, it did so with little fear. The Onix pitched its body to the side, moving to dislodge Lara and send her flying. She managed to hang on, although screeching noises rang around the gym as her claws scraped and dug into the rocky hide of the enemy pokemon.

Damn! Lara thought, baring her teeth. I've weakened since going into the hospital...This thing is tough! She held on as best as she could, praying that her grip would be strong enough to let her remain stationary until she had an opportunity to climb further up the Onix. The head was the key, she knew. If she could either blind her enemy or knock it senseless, she would be able to win in the ensuing confusion. But getting there would be the hard part, at least as long as the Onix continued to try to shake her loose.

*Come on, sister...,* Farah whispered, clasping her hands in front of her. Watching her twin being tossed around on the Onix was making her feel like a million pins and needles were piercing her body all over, and she desperately wanted to charge onto the battlefield and lend a hand. If it had been an option, she would have done so in a heartbeat, but if she did that now then Chris would be forced to forfeit the match due to her interference.

"Onix!" Brock shouted, his voice nearly a scream in an effort to be heard over the sounds of battle. "That Weavile's claws are too tough for you to shake it off! Slam it into the ground!" Heeding its trainer's advice, the Onix heeled over on its side, and Lara was now in danger of being pinned between the Onix's body and the floor of the gym.

*Oh, no you don't!* Lara snarled. She charged up her claws in a quick Metal Claw attack and dug them into the rock snake's hide as hard as she could. The Onix roared in pain and abandoned its attempt to slam her into the ground, instead starting to flail as hard as it could. Lara was buffeted about on her opponent's body, and winced as she felt herself getting bruised on the tough surface, but she held fast, her razor-sharp claws embedded firmly.

Then, for a split second, the Onix was stable. Maybe it was catching its breath, or perhaps Brock had shouted an order that Lara had not been able to hear. Whatever had happened, Lara did not care. She saw an opportunity and she seized it, releasing her hold with her claws, and quickly climbed up the Onix's body. With a burst of speed, she made it up to just below the Onix's head before she was forced to halt her advance and dig in again, as the Onix had begun to try to dislodge her once more.

"That's it, Lara!" Chris yelled, his voice sounding excited. "Keep going, you've got it!"

*Go, Lara!* Farah yelled, ecstatic. She, too, could see victory within their grasp. *You're almost there!*

The Weavile held on, doing what she could to catch her breath while she was jarred by the frenzied movements around her. She was actually in a more stable position than she had been before; up on the head, there was less momentum that could send her flying off, whereas on the body she had been in danger of sailing away because of the whip-like motions of the Onix's body. Gradually, Lara realized that she was in a stable enough position to make her next move. She took a deep breath, gathered her wits about her, and waited for the right moment to go.

Brock almost realized the threat in time. "Watch it!" he shouted desperately, the fear evident in his voice. "Hurry up and throw it off!"

Unfortunately for him, his warning came a moment too late. Lara had already clawed the remaining distance up to the top of the Onix's head, and now she was in the perfect position to make her strike. Channeling the power within her, she leaned over the side and opened her mouth, allowing a brilliant Ice Beam to shoot out and strike the Onix right in the face. The enemy pokemon roared and redoubled its efforts to knock her away, but Lara maintained her grip and kept up a steady stream of ice. In seconds, the entire front of the Onix's head was covered in a thick sheet of glittering ice.

Down on the floor, Brock could only look on helplessly. He felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, and did not want to believe what he was seeing. A little pokemon, barely the size of a child, was bringing his Onix to its proverbial knees. He was going to lose.

Lara knew that she had to end the match decisively, and so she readied an attack that she knew would end the match once and for all. As Farah had done back in the cavern in Mt. Moon, she focused inward, locating the centers of her mind that governed her emotions of pain, hatred, and anger. Focusing her efforts on these areas, she built them up, drawing the emotions out and to the forefront of her psyche. The amber jewel in the center of her forehead began to shine brightly, and what looked like dark bolts of lightning crackled across her back, over her head, and between her teeth.

The air pressure in the gym dropped noticeably, and Chris felt his ears pop. Immediately after that, Lara's body seemed to shimmer, and then a burst of dark energy exploded from her body, directly into the Onix's head. Her Dark Pulse thundered through the Onix's mind, disrupting the normal flow of thought and blanking it out. It let out a truncated howl, and then went silent as its eyes closed and it was sent into unconsciousness.

Uh-oh..., Lara thought, as the Onix's head began to accompany the rest of its body to the floor. She braced herself, holding on tight, waiting for the thundering crash that she knew was about to happen. Seconds before she and the Onix would collide with the floor, the Onix's body glowed and disappeared. With a rather anticlimactic thud, Lara landed on the floor, as Brock recalled his pokemon to its ball.

Lara sat up, trying to regain her sense after the disorienting fall, when she was slammed back into the floor by a ferocious hug from her sister.

*You did it!* Farah squealed, her voice full of joy. *You did it, you did it, you did it!*

"Good job, Lara," Chris said, coming up behind Farah. Lara looked up from her sister and saw that her trainer's face was split by a wide grin, a look of unprecedented of pride in his expression. She felt herself smile widely as well, sore as she was, and hugged her sister back tightly. After what she had felt to be a failure in Mt. Moon, this victory was better than anything she could have hoped for.

Finally, all three of them had their win.

------

Exhausted, Chris and Farah lay together in the tent, cuddled up with one another and feeding off of each other's warmth. Farah was thoroughly spent, she was sore, and she was dreading waking up in the morning. But still, she was happy.

Chris whispered something, and while Farah could not quite hear what he had said, she could feel that the words were the same as those that he had been uttering in the midst of sex, somehow. She leaned closer, trying to make out what he was saying. His voice was hoarse with weariness, but when she put her head right next to his, she was able to make out what he was saying.

"Farah...I love you..."

Tears beginning to pool in her eyes, Farah angled her face towards his and kissed him, surrendering to her heart forevermore.

------

"We have shared the incommunicable experience of war. We have felt...we still feel...the passion of life to its top. In our youths, our hearts were touched by fire."

-Oliver Wendell Holmes