Chapter 2:
Survival of the Fittest, Part 2
/
Hiora stood there, waiting for the ones who were chasing Jade to enter the sanctuary, keeping her behind his back, and trying to keep a level head, so he could effectively knock the jackass out of each of them.
He clapped his hands together and closed his eyes, waiting for them to arrive. He didn't have to wait long, because not three minutes after, the hunting party stormed their way in. Pyre led the group into the building, and spoke. "Priest of the Immortal Way, release the traitorous female that hides within your house of divines and devils, she belongs to us and we intend to punish her for her deeds. This does not concern you."
He responded first by opening his eyes, and staring at each of them in turn. Then he spoke, "I am afraid that you are wrong in the case of this not concerning me or my Temple of Infinity. The lady has claimed sanctuary within this sacred place, and I must provide it against those that would do her harm as is my duty as a caretaker of all life. Depart from your destructive path, for I have claimed her as a daughter of my own within this house of ever-living beings, and the wrath of you hunters holds no sway in this place. Leave here with your anger, let her go, she is not worth destroying yourselves. I know of the hunt ritual you call the rite of Survival of the Fittest, and since she is protected here, she has bested you in this ritual. I implore you, release yourselves from this aggressive and pointless exercise, or I will be forced to imprint my lesson on you and your group by planting my foot up your collective asses."
Pyre squirmed slightly when he heard this threat, and this delayed his action. So he was unprepared when one of the hunters stepped forward in his stead, "Fat chance of having that happen, you human freak! We are taking that traitorous whore where she belongs, the gallows, and if we have to get through you to do it, we fucking will, right men!"
The other hunters applauded their fellow for his speech, and Pyre was forced to coincide with it, "I'm afraid he's right. None of us can return until she is either taken back to be strung up, or our time runs out and she is freed from the rite. Forgive us for this, Priest Hiora. Men, prepare to take him down, and do not get cocky; this human has more than a few tricks up his sleeves!"
The men, eager for their first kill of a human, readied themselves for the assault, and some even licked their lips in anticipation, no doubt the scent of Jade in heat spurring their primal behavior. Despite Pyre's warning, however, they did indeed get cocky and started hooting at Hiora and taunting him with vulgar things, making fun of him.
Still, he remained stoic. It wasn't until one of the more rash and youthful hunters questioned if he fucked the girl pokèmon in their sleep that he reacted, his eyes bolting open and no longer their calming nature of green, but once more that demonic gray that instilled chills in the hunting party. His eyes actually seemed to be silver, almost glowing, but that was not what was important, what happened after however was.
Hiora laced his fingers together, and threw his palms outwards as if cracking his knuckles. Then he flipped his hands so they closed once more, with the knuckles pointed toward the crowd of hunters, and he murmured under his breath, "Hands of the land."
At first, like before with Manta, nothing happened in the slightest. Still, the entire group knew better than to mess with this man. There were stories about what happened when people tried to screw with him, horrid stories, and the figure who just caused him to react recalled one from his friend that he had watched happen to a guy called Manta not too long ago.
For a minute they waited, and waited, and waited, when it seemed that he was bluffing, Pyre stepped forward, only for his action to be the cause of both retribution and regret. He stepped, not out back toward the woods, but into the building.
With a smirk, Hiora pulled his hands to his chest, and suddenly two large hands that looked remarkably like his own sprang up from beneath the floorboards, catching them by surprise and rending holes into the wood. Now mimicking his earlier actions, the hands wrapped their earthy forms around the group, rendering them helpless, and pulled them across the floor to him, ripping large rents into the floorboards.
He stared Pyre in the eyes. "Well, now, look at the havoc you caused. Oh, don't give me that indignant look; you know for a fact that this is your fault. You forced me to defend myself and the pokèmon you insulted by daring to say I would rut with my own children, my own family no less. Furthermore, I have given you ample warning beforehand, and you scoffed at it. So now, I will have to teach you all a lesson and beat the hormones out of your fuck happy bodies!"
With that, he pushed his hands away from himself and towards the door, and the earthen extremities complied, throwing the hunters out of the building before vanishing back unto their origins. Hiora cracked his neck, and managed to get over the distance between them with only a single step toward the group. He was like a big green flash, and seemed to resemble what Jade and everyone believed was one of two things. She spoke it in an undertone beneath her breath, "That man is either a rogue sage ninja, or a mortal god."
Indeed, he seemed to give off that impression as he waggled his finger at them like a parent to a naughty child. "Now, now, we can't let you get out of punishment that easily, right? You have to pay for what it is you did. Now, even though you are hunting that poor female because she violated your laws by being with a human, and that I will probably never understand and confounds me to no end due to your roots, I refuse to allow any harm to pass her willingly, as I have made her a member of my family. In other words, if you think for a second that I will turn a blind eye and allow you to take her to be hanged," he moved up close, an aura of power beginning to form around him, "then you are sorely mistaken and I promise you are about to receive the thrashing of ten lifetimes."
Hiora then began delivering on his promise.
(Tune: Boom by POD)
Within the blink of an eye, he smashed the palms of his hands into two hunters, and moving like a graceful dancer, he used the momentum to flip-kick and plants his foot on Pyre's head. Not stopping, not even slowing down, he used Pyre to elevate himself into the air. He smiled from the high point, and landed in the middle of the group, delivering a spin kick on his hands. This only seemed to be a deterrent and to anger the enemies, which was apparently his plan, as he proceeded to take each on one at a time.
He assaulted them each individually, both swiftly and mercilessly, and it looked as if he attacked them three times at once. He swiftly dispatched half a dozen hunters, using a powerful charge attack; he threw three more into various kinds of foliage. After he finished the entire troop, he turned his gaze on Pyre, who had stood up. Hiora pointed at him, "You're not getting off, since you brought them here, you get the bulk of the payback."
He flashed over to him, threw him in the air, and proceeded to land combos all over him. One of the hunters got up and saw Pyre's dire situation, so he helped by trying to nail Hiora with arrows.
Bad move.
Moving like a whirlwind, Hiora overtook the hunter, only for another to start trying to pelt him. Pretty soon, all the hunters were trying to hit him with various projectiles. Trying to, because Hiora dodged them with ease, flowing like water through the arrows, aura spheres, and other items. He laughed, and spun like a top, bringing up a storm of dust and leaves. None of them could see well into the nature storm, and Hiora seemed to be even faster inside it, whirling around like a cyclone.
The dust storm soon wrapped itself around the entire hunting party, getting larger and larger until the whole group was inside it. Hiora acted, and launched another series of rapid fire attacks, nailing the hunters individually with what once again appeared to be three strikes at once. In less than a second, the deed was complete. He stopped moving, the dust storm falling apart, and revealing the chaos. He snapped his fingers.
(End tune)
Hiora picked up Pyre by the neck, "Now listen, you should be thankful that I immobilized each of them instead of putting them out of commission permanently, so here's what you are going to do. You are going to take your hunters, and leave, or I'm going to have to deal something a bit more permanent. Are we clear?"
Pyre nodded rapidly, very much scared by Hiora and his amazing powers. Hiora released his hands grip on Pyre, and took a deep breath, bringing his hands up, then down in an imitative motion of the path of inhaled air. He looked at Pyre, now much more calm, "Well, then, you and your troops better get going. I believe it is a few hours journey back, unless you would rather I guide you to a city or bring medication?"
Chilled by the concept of being taken to the humans, Pyre quickly shepherded his hunting party into a frantic retreat back into the trees.
Hiora smiled, and then he returned to Jade's side, "It's all right now, Jade, I took care of business, those assholes aren't coming back for a while." Then he turned his attention to the damaged wooden floor, his smile replaced with a scowl, "Great, damage to the floorboards, it could take a few days for the things to get repaired. I really need to learn to control my temper. Although, maybe it doesn't have to take that long after all."
Hiora's hands became parallel to the floor, his palms facing downwards, and he raised them before bringing them back down in a mighty swing. In response, wood vines came up and started to weave in between the damaged areas, like needle and thread, making up for the lost timber. Soon the areas were completely covered, and it appeared as if the damage had never taken place.
Jade just stood, flabbergasted, as Hiora admired his work. He smiled at it, "Well, now that that's taken care of…" He turned to Jade, "Please close your mouth it isn't a home for homeless flies." She shook herself out of the stupor, "How, how did you do that?"
He placed his hands behind his back, "Did what, exactly?"
"How did you manage to fight like that, it looked like you hit them three different ways at once, and how did you fix the floor like that?"
"Ah, well, to answer your second question I will tell you at some point in the future, just not right now. As for the first one, I was in fact hitting them three times at once. It's a style of combat I developed specifically for ending a fight in a hurry. I call it Thousand Palm style. That technique I was using was the most basic of the moves it the repertoire for this art. I won't show you everything I can do, and not just with that art either, but I will tell you that jutsu isn't my only skill."
Then he looked down at her, desirables, and blushed, "Um, Jade, perhaps we should get you something to wear over your, rather, private areas."
She didn't realize what he meant until he used his eyes to gesture down toward her hips, or more importantly, the lips between them. She blushed at the site of her breasts and woman hood exposed to the one who just rescued her, who happened to be human. (Now none of you can complain that I don't deal out fan service for my faithful readers [A/N]) "Well, perhaps first, instead of clothes, you should get cleaned up. You must want a bath after all that exercise with those men that were hunting you."
She nodded, and Hiora lead her deeper into the compound. He took her to a bathroom and guided her inside, closing the door behind her. He talked from outside the bathroom, "I would help you bathe in there, but since you're a woman and I'm a man, well, you get the idea."
He told her how to work the shower, and went off to get some clothes from a very large closet. He hadn't told her that most of his home was under the surface of the earth, or that it was rather massive.
Hiora opened the walk in closet, and started picking clothes. He guesstimated what sizes she was from his brief 'show'. He figured her about average size, and a D-cup, so all in all she was a regular, although busty, woman. He grabbed a few different kinds of clothes, not sure what ones she would prefer to wear, and headed back to the bathroom.
Hiora returned to find Jade out of the bathroom, and still a bit wet. As she dried, Hiora noted the shimmer the water produced on her fur, and the grace of her slender limbs. She had the towel wrapped over her chest, but when she leaned over to pick up the necklace that she dropped; Hiora had to avert his gaze or risk succumbing to a bloody nose. He handed her the pile of clothes while trying his best to not get aroused, and hoping she wouldn't notice if he did in any case.
She took the clothes and re-entered the bathroom, trying on the different outfits. He spoke at the door, "I tried to guess what size you were, so if they are ill fitting, please forgive me." He waited a little bit while she tried on the clothes, and when she left, he had to hold his nose to keep from bleeding all over the place.
Apparently, she wasn't a fan of frilly outfits, so she had picked a sleeveless black shirt and skinny blue jeans, with tennis-shoes and regular socks. The outfit made her chest more pronounced, and her hourglass figure stood out like blood in snow. All in all, it took every ounce of Hiora's will not to either jump her or get a nosebleed. He turned away to take a few deep breaths, his suppression training helping him cope with his hormones. He turned back with a smile, "Well then, you sure are quite the knockout. How about we go eat some dinner, since it is getting late, and then I'll show you to your room."
Mentally, however, he was engaged in an intense battle. He was doing his best to suppress the 'naughty' imagery that was filling his mind, reminding himself repeatedly that she was his daughter now, and incest wasn't exactly a very fatherly thing to do. The longer he spent in her presence, the less and less he felt the urge to pull her into the nearest bedroom and let out his 'little man' on her. Now, the urge to fuck her banished from his mind, he led her into the dining hall, enjoying her shocked expression when she saw it.
Despite its rather mediocre size (it wasn't much larger than a school cafeteria); she was shocked at the variety of pokémon in the room. Practically any from Oddish to Blaziken dined in there. It shocked her to see so many species living in one building. She even saw that some of them weren't pokémon, but poké-anthros. It was an amazing site. Hiora led her down to the tables and gave her a seat before sitting down next to her on her left side.
He started eating, breaking apart his chopsticks and giving a small prayer of thanks before digging in. She followed his steed. It took a bit to figure out how to work the chopsticks, but Hiora helped her learn. When she took her first bite of sushi, it made her eyes widen. It was amazing.
Hiora started to talk with the others, and though she didn't notice it at first, due to pokémon speak coming plain as English to her; she soon realized that this human could do the same. She decided that it would be something to bring up at a later date.
Hiora continued to speak, laughing at a joke a familiar Oshawatt told, and grabbing a drink. He reached a little too far, and grabbed a green paste instead. The Oshawatt, Jennifer, tried to tell him, but it was a little late when he swallowed the wasabi whole.
Oops.
Suddenly, he started to sweat, and he fanned his mouth. His face turning red and he tried to find a drink. He soon panicked, and looked frantically for something to cut the heat. Jade, seeing what was happening, quickly grabbed a bowl of dark colored liquid and yanked his mouth open, pouring it down his throat. He took a few deep breaths, the Oshawatt across from him laughing at his misfortune. Honestly, Jade giggled a bit at this. The mighty Hiora brought down by a little green paste. He panted, "Thank you, Jade. Good lord, I need to remember to distinguish between water and wasabi."
She was curious. "So, what is wasabi?" "It's a spicy food that is often served alongside sushi and it is eaten with it. I believe if I remember correctly, it is often used to kill any viruses in the sushi as you eat it. In small portions, it is very delicious."
Curious, she took a piece of sushi and dipped it lightly in the wasabi, getting only a small portion on the food. Popping it into her mouth, the spice of the wasabi was cut by the fish, and it tantalized her mouth. She smiled. Hiora then pointed to another bowl of the dark fluid she'd used to cool his burning mouth. "That there is called soy sauce. It is very salty, and also goes well with sushi and other Japanese dishes. You pour a small bit onto your food like so." He took the saucer and poured a small amount over his plate of sushi. Then he took a piece and ate it. She imitated him. It was even more delicious to her. "I take it you are a big fan of sushi?" She nodded, and then he smacked his head, "Oh, shoot, I forgot to introduce you to the others!"
She tried to stop him as he stood, and clapped, attempting to get attention in the din of the dining hall. Annoyed by the ignorance of his desires, he willed the wind around his hands a bit and clapped again, the sound now booming slightly throughout the hall, getting the attention of everyone. "Thank you. Now, everyone, I would like to introduce you to the latest member of our family. Her name is Jade." He gestured to his right, only for Jade to be sitting down trying to hide herself. "Don't be afraid, it's fine." Shyly, she stood, and Hiora introduced her, "Everyone, this is Jade. She is the newest of us, so I expect you to treat her with the same respect you treat both me with and your fellow family with. Now, that is all."
The crowd returned to their meals. Hiora sat down at the table once more and resumed his meal, that is until a Blaziken came over to their table. A poké-anthro wearing baggy ninja pants. He leaned on the table, "Hello, miss, how about you and I get to know each other?"
Hiora didn't even look up from his food, "Johnny, leave her alone, she isn't one of those horny women you adore hanging out with. For all you know, she might have popped the balls on the last guy who tried to flirt with her." Johnny looked at Hiora, "This doesn't concern you, Father Hiora, and this is a simple conversation between two civil people." Hiora still kept his attention on his food, "Well, you don't have to hit on her so hard. She just joined the family, so could you at least give her a day to get settled before you try and score?"
The Blaziken Johnny held up his hands, "Fine, fine, you win, Father Hiora." He looked at Jade again, "Come find me when you want to have some fun." Then he walked off. Hiora sighed in relief, "Thank goodness, I thought I might have to get involved with him." Jade was curious, "Why is he like that?"
"Are you talking about the penis that walks like a man?"
"Yes."
"This is him being normal. He's been like this ever since I let him watch Ghost Rider. It's his favorite movie."
"So how many times did he watch it?"
"Once."
"So it lit up his ego that much?"
"Yep."
Jade felt a little odd about that. She already didn't like to share a home with horny people, and already knew what that was like. It sent a shiver crawling up her spine when she thought about it. She shook it off, it wouldn't do to think about that life any more, this was her life now, and she knew it.
She finished eating and followed Hiora to a small room. Inside was a closet full of clothes, a small chest for personal belongings, and a bed that fit her perfectly. She tested it with her hand before she jumped onto it, the softness of the feather mattress making her drowsiness much more pronounced than before. Hiora watched as she quickly descended into a deep slumber, and shut the door quietly behind him.
As he walked back to his mat at the building entrance, he felt a small tug in his chest. His eyes widened, and he flashed out in a puff of smoke. He appeared in a large crater, and that is where his pain grew.
He clutched his chest as an aura of dark fire consumed him. He crouched, the pain overwhelming his body. Eventually, the stress grew too much to contain, and as he threw his arms wide, he cried to the heavens three words, "CORRUPTIVE POWER WAVE!"
A pulse of pure dark energy exploded from his body, expanding until it filled the crater, resting like a golf ball on a tee. He hovered at the center of the orb, the explosion of power having weakened him. It pulsed once, destroying all matter within the dark ball, and then vanished as if nothing happened.
Hiora, weak from the exertion, flashed back to his mat before he passed out.
/
Jade woke with a yawn, stretching out her limbs on the feather bed. She lay there for a minute, relishing the comfort of the mattress, before a knock came at her door. She sighed, and changed out of her clothes. She put on a gray t-shirt with white long sleeves, and black jeans. After thinking for a second, she put her necklace back on around her neck. She stared at the ruby for a second before the knock came at the door for a second time, much louder. She went over to the door and answered it, not expecting who was there.
"Johnny?" The Blaziken smiled, "Yeah, it's me. Listen, I wanted to know if you were up for something today. Maybe we could go see a movie, or something, as friends. By the way, can I apologize for my mouth the other day? I couldn't help myself; you just looked so damn hot. Please forgive me."
She didn't know what to say to that. So, she forgave him. "You know, I think that it's okay. After seeing Hiora when I put my things on, I have a feeling that some of the other guys were having wet dreams about me."
Johnny laughed at that, "Yeah, they probably were! I talked to some of the other guys, and trust me; some of the things that they said made me feel like crawling into a ditch. Well, what do you want to do today?"
She thought for a moment, "Well, your sudden change in behavior is just too much. You're up to something. Spill it." He sighed, "Alright fine. One of my lady friends kicked my ass about how I was acting, and after some time, I realized that maybe I'm not quite the feathery Johnny Blaze I want to be. He's kind of my hero. So after a bit of time to myself, and a spiky foot in the place where the sun don't shine, I got an attitude adjustment. At least, I'm not quite all asshole anymore. So, want to go find some fun?"
"Tempting, but I'll pass. I think that Hiora was going to take me to the city today. Sorry."
Physically, Johnny said that was fine, mentally, he was in the middle of seeing her get fucked hard when it shattered and he was cursing his luck, despite telling her the truth and everything. Some things don't change.
Jade closed the door, and then breathed a sigh of relief. She thought about that old adage that the truth will set you free, and believed that at least in some ways, it was true. She could see in his aura that he was less than an inch from wanting to jump her and hump her till his legs broke. Her back up against the door, she slid down until her butt made contact with the floor. She held herself, knowing in her heart that this would most definitely not be the last time. Picking herself up, she went to eat some breakfast.
She got to the dining hall, grabbed some rolls and meat, and started to eat. As she ate her breakfast, she noticed that Hiora wasn't there. She talked to Jennifer, who told her that he often ate breakfast outside in the training field. After finishing, she asked around, trying to find someone to show her to the training field. Eventually, a Snivy named Grace agreed to take her there, needing to get some exercise in anyway. She thanked her, and together they went up to the training field.
/
They got there, and saw that he was in the middle of something. Grace brightened, and she got Jade to sit down on one of the benches to "Watch the master at work." Her curiosity aroused, she sat down and watched.
Hiora stood in the middle of a dirt circle, hands together, waiting patiently for something. Then all of a sudden, what he was waiting for came whistling out of the trees, an enormous wooden log headed straight for him!
Jade got up to warn him, but Grace stopped her, telling her to look. When she did, what she saw amazed her.
Hiora waited until the last second, and then thrust his palm at the log, stopping it where it made contact. Another log zoomed from the trees, and met a similar fate. The logs started to come faster, and he blocked every one. Then, as a grand finale of sorts, a log descended from the heavens with the intent to crush his skull, and he shattered it, not by hitting it with an open palm, but with a closed fist.
Hiora was relishing the exercise, when he heard clapping. He turned swiftly to see Jade's clapping from the benches, and the Snivy Grace waving for his attention. He waved back, only to get a log to the face. He flew a bit, and Jade gasped, feeling at fault for distracting him. They raced over to Hiora, hoping to help him, only to see that he didn't need help. He got up, dusted himself off, and looked at them. "Can you just ignore that last bit?"
Jade nodded while Grace cocked her head to the side, debating it for a second. Hiora looked at her, and knew what she was thinking. It wasn't often they saw him like this. Then she nodded, and he sighed. He talked to Grace, "I take that your being here means that the experiment was finished?" Grace nodded, "Yes. The test results have come. You would like to be given them now or wait until I can give you a full report?"
"I'll wait; I have other things to attend to before getting back to the project."
Grace bowed and left. "What was that about?"
"Oh, don't worry about that. I happen to be a scientist, so some of the scientifically inclined residents here help with my experiments. So, what is it you wanted to see me about Jade?"
"Weren't you going to take me over to the city?"
"Oh, right! Well, then, would you like to go there now?"
She nodded. "Alright then. First I have a few things to take care of before we go. Would you wait while I take care of them?" She nodded again, "Fantastic, meet me at the front of the Infinity Temple and we'll head out.
She bowed before leaving, thinking back to when he'd stood between the hunters and her. That Hiora had a fine aura, and he had so much charisma, and such a big heart, that she couldn't help but think of him as a father, ironic since she hadn't had one growing up except maybe the Grand Master, but even that was only because he'd comforted her after-
She shook her head, that was then, this is now, and they weren't apart of her life anymore. She still couldn't help thinking about Pyre. He'd known, and tried to help her get out, a lot of times he'd even gave her a shoulder to cry on, and the only time he'd been mean to her was after they had drank that stupid rum! He'd even tried to cut himself after that when she refused to forgive him. The past came back to her, and she let it come this time. It may be the past, but her past made her present, which in turn wove her future. She sat down on Hiora's reed mat, crying. He actually was the only one who cared up until she'd been convicted of treason. She thought, and realized that he might have believed that she'd chosen the enemy over him. He didn't forgive her for that, but yet he'd helped her escape. She tried to decipher him as she waited for Hiora.
Hiora waved to her as she left, and when she was out of site, he let his weariness show. He appeared to gain half a century in age within a few minutes. His eyes were not quite so bright, and he felt as if he'd lived over three millennia instead of three decades. He rubbed his eyes with his left hand, walking inside and using an elevator to access a basement floor below the basement floor, a secret level known only to a select few residents. He changed out of his robe and into a white lab coat, hanging his robe in a hook inside the elevator. He stepped out to the scene of various pokémon moving about like so many worker ants. The Snivy Grace came over to Hiora right as he set foot in the lab, and began to inform him, his mind already settling into the grooves of an older age than his own…
Jade sat, waiting patiently for Hiora, her thoughts now clear. She had decided that she would make it up to Pyre as soon as she could, right after he'd been released from the hunt, and her life wasn't what he was after. She went into a crossed legged meditative position, concentrating on taming her wild emotions. Her heat had ended the other day, and now she could look at a man without wanting to get herself knocked up. Not that some guys still didn't give her dirty thoughts, she just preferred to have the man she was going to fuck the night away with to be him. The man. The one, the guy that was going to be hers until death took them and then beyond that.
As she sat there meditating, Hiora too the opportunity to come in, and noticed her on the mat. "Jade, in deep thought?" She opened her eyes wide when she heard his voice and bolted off the mat. "Hiora! I-I didn't mean to use your mat! I was just thinking!"
"You were thinking about your past, and about Pyre, weren't you?"
"How did you guess?"
"Well, considering that they were the most recent event in your life, and threatened to be the last event in your life, it wasn't that hard to figure out. Oh, that and I can read minds."
"You know, that would have come in handy to know when you 'adopted' me."
Hiora laughed, "I'm just joking Jade. I can't read minds. I don't think that anyone really can, they just read impressions, which I also can't do. So your mind is safe from me, provided what you're thinking isn't too obvious. So, are you ready to go?"
She nodded. He took her by the shoulder and brought her to a car parked on a road about a quarter mile away on a road. "Why so far away? Wouldn't it be easier to pave a road to your place?"
"Well, two reasons, one is because that would be unnecessary damage to nature, and I'm already not a fan of all the hypocritical people 'going green' out there. (Consider this my shoutout to Foamy the Squirrel) Two is the fact that a little extra effort won't hurt you if you can afford to spend it, and I know I can afford to spend it. Also, I'm not a big fan of cars, but I will use one when necessary."
"That makes sense."
He held open the passenger side door for Jade before getting into the drivers seat, pulling his keys out of the sleeve of his robe. She wanted to ask how he managed to keep so many tricks up his sleeves (pun intended), but decided against it. That was something for bothering about at a later date. Right now, she stuck her head out the window, watching the world fly by, and enjoying the convenience of the modern motorway. The wind whipped her dreadlocks, blowing in her face and surprising her by how powerful it was. She let the car take her away, away from the home she knew, away from the forest she'd lived in, and to the city she'd always wanted to see up close…
Hiora watched as Jade watched the world from outside the window, amazed by the speed of the car. He smiled, making sure to watch the road in front of him. He looked at the sign for the nearest city. Two miles, it wasn't that far, so he knew that it wouldn't take too long to do what he needed to. As he approached the city, he laid down the rules for while they were in the city. "Jade, the people here might be a smidge more tolerant of people like you than in villages, but there are plenty of people that will take advantage of you, so you will need to listen to me on how to behave in the city. Do you understand."
"Yes, dad."
"Good. Now, first of all, we need to stay close. I do not doubt your survival skills, but the people here do not play fair, so we have to watch each others backs. I never come to the city alone."
She perked up. Hiora didn't ever come to the city alone, so he was full aware that the city could kick his ass. Translation: unless she paid attention, she wouldn't stand a chance. "Listening now, are we? Now then, the next thing you need to know is that if you ever get lost, there are people to turn to if you can't find me. If this becomes the case, look for people in blue, most likely with Growlithes by their side. They are the police. They enforce the law. They will also keep you safe until I can come get you." She nodded, now etching these rules into her brain. "The most important thing you need to know is that you are not considered equal to everyone here. This is important; you have to watch where you go and what you say around people. If you are attacked you have the right to defend yourself, but that is one of the very few things going for you. So don't ever get into a fight if you can avoid it, because people have a habit of twisting things around to benefit themselves. Do you understand all of this?"
"Yes, I understand perfectly."
"Then tell me the rules that I told you."
He turned to face her while they waited to get in. "Stay close by. If I get lost and/or lose you, find the police. Above all, do not fight unless absolutely necessary." He grinned, "Good. Now I have some errands to run. I need to stock up on food, and gather some scientific supplies, and pick up some gear from the lab…"
As he reviewed what he needed to purchase, Jade took a look at the bed of a baby blue truck. Considering how big it was, and what Hiora needed to buy (… and grab some stuff to repair the training grounds, and get my hands on some more medicinal herbs, and grab some regular medicines while I'm at it…), she wasn't believing that this would be a small trip. Meaning she might get to really explore the city. As she leaned her arm out the window, a white skinned man and a black skinned man walked up to Hiora's truck as they waited in line. The white man grabbed Jade's wrist, "Hey, sugar, how about spending some time with me tonight. You're old enough to drink, right?" The black guy hung his head, "Nah, man, you got to have some pizzazz, a little style, you can't ask to fuck her just out of the blue. You have to have a little grace."
To emphasize his point, the black man walked up to Jade and leaned on the truck, "I'm sorry about my friend there, how about we talk about this outside the truck?" The white guy elbowed him, "Ooh, yeah, real smooth. You are about as slick as a piece of shit, you know that?"
"Hey! Try to have some class in front of a lady."
"Like she gives a damn. She's an anthro, probably a horny fuck machine. I bet she doesn't even talk!"
The black guy had obviously had enough, "Look, I'm not gonna sit around here listening to you degrade someone with obviously a bit more control than you. I'm out."
"Alright, see ya Brock."
Then the black man, Brock, left. The white guy still tried to score, but know he was a bit ruder, "So come on, come with me for some real slutty fun, seems like your kind of thing, anyway." Jade had had enough of this walking erection, "I have yet to open my legs for anyone, you dick-for-brains, so go get bent."
The white guy didn't take too kindly to that, "Hey, since when do you get to say anything, anyway? Get out of the fucking car!" He grabbed her wrist.
Big mistake.
He saw Hiora in the driver's seat, or rather, he saw his silver eyes looking right at him conveying the message, "You try to pull her out of this car and I'm going you pull you into it and you do not want that to happen." He promptly let her go. "Fine. I'll see you later then, missy."
He left before Hiora or Jade could react to his statement. 'Missy?' They silently fumed about that for slightly different reasons as they sat in the line. They got to the front and Hiora paid the gate fee, the guard opening the gate and bidding them both a good day. 'Day's been fine up till now,' they thought simultaneously.
Hiora pulled his car forward, and Jade went from pissed off to pleasantly shocked in a matter of seconds. Ever since the walls had been erected around the cities for the war, she'd wanted to see the city with her own two eyes, and now she was, in all its modern glory.
Hiora, however, being used to the intimidating presence of the city world, was still thinking, but now he'd gone back to his list. (… and I need to get some more batteries, and I should probably work out a check up for Jade, come to think of it…) Jade just enjoyed listening to the sounds of the city world. As Hiora pulled up to a hardware store, she continued to watch the world around her.
Hiora got out of the car, and let Jade out of the passenger seat. "Try not to say anything in the city unless you have to. That white trash was a perfect example of how dangerous the city is." She nodded, staying close to Hiora but not too close to where people thought they were dating or anything like that. He led her to the storefront, and was about to go inside, when the store clerk waved for his attention and pointed to the window. He looked and saw a sign that said "No anthros allowed" which made his blood pressure rise a bit, but he took a breath and calmed down, turning to Jade, "Jade, there's been a change in plans. Apparently this store is no longer anthro friendly, so you will have to wait in the car while I get my purchases, okay?"
She simply got back in the car and locked it, making sure that no one could get inside until Hiora got back. She leaned against the seat and decided to take a small nap while Hiora did his shopping (Let's see… should I buy this 32 pack or the 48 pack that's slightly less but not as strong?). She waited for a few minutes and started to get bored. Eventually Hiora came out carrying two large crates on a dolly, loading them into the back of the truck before getting back in the drivers seat. He looked angry, "That jerk! Trying to lob on an 'anthro caretaker' tax when I know perfectly well that no such charge exists! The nerve of that guy! If he ever meets me in a dark alley, I swear that not even his mother would recognize his ass! I'm sorry Jade, this store used to be a great place, but now someone obviously wanted to change who they support! Now how about we go do something fun to make up for it?"
She smiled and agreed, so Hiora set off for the nearest arcade. He had about thirty dollars in excess money he had brought with him, ten of which he added just in case something like this ever happened. He found one that he knew very well, because it was an underground supporter, so he took Jade there to have a little fun. He went to the entrance only to be stopped by a bouncer. "I'm sorry sir, this is a private establishment, and you and your friend will have to leave." Jade looked upset, but Hiora just smiled, "I walk with the guardians of nature, breathing life into that which is lifeless." The bouncer responded, "I see all that which is unseen and seen, weaving the story of life wherever I walk." Then together, "I walk in eternity, for I am Arceus, the creator." The bouncer lifted the rope, "Please come in. I will need your names, however, as I need to inform the boss of your arrival." "This here is my daughter Jade, and as for me, you can just tell him an old friend decided to stop by for a while." The bouncer nodded, allowing them to pass and radioing the information into his lapel mike.
Jade followed Hiora, about to ask why the bouncer was talking into a button on his jacket, and what that little poem was about, but her mouth was to busy dragging its jaw on the floor when she walked in and saw what this place had to offer. Wall to wall, devices of all sorts were spread around the building. Everything from Tetris to 3-D roller coaster simulators to even an in door golf course. She hadn't notice that they had descended into a basement, because she was still gaping at all of the contraptions before her. Hiora simply turned around, spread his arms wide, and asked, "What do you want to try first?"
They played for at least three hours, doing DDR, virtual and real golf, shooting, boxing, and basically trying every kind of game this place had to offer. She was having a blast, and her laughing made Hiora happy. Just like with all the other children back at the temple, her happiness gave him happiness in return, like father and daughter, and as she tried to beat his high score in pinball, he couldn't help but want to find her someone to love her as much as he did, and to give her a great home in the city, while still keeping her safe from all the dangers.
When Hiora checked his watch, he noticed the time. He got her attention, "Hey, Jade, are you happy?" She nodded, "Good. I still have some other things to do, so do you want to wait her while I do them?" He couldn't help but enjoy how big her eyes got when he said that. It made him laugh. "I'll take that as a yes." He turned to leave when a voice caught his attention, "Hey! Don't think you're going to leave without saying hello to me, Hiora!"
He looked behind him to see a white blond, not the man from before, wearing a black suit come over to him. He smiled at him, "Gerald! How are you!
"Oh, fantastic! I still haven't thanked you properly for giving the start on this place!"
"It was nothing, Gerry, nothing."
"Nothing? This would still be a pipe dream if you hadn't driven off the competitors, and given me the money, and need I remind you that you saving my life while this was still in the proto stage? So what are you doing here?"
"I was just showing my newest daughter Jade a good time."
"Would that be this cutie here?"
Jade waved while holding cotton candy. "Hi." She backed away when he reached his hand to her. "Oh, don't be afraid of me, hon, I'm a big friend to the poké-anthros, hell, my wife is an Arcanine, so have nothing to fear from me. Well, except maybe my sharp tongue when I drink a bit, but that's only if someone pisses me off. Just ask Christine." He shook her hand, and looked over to the stairs, "Speak of the devil, hear she is now!"
Jade turned around to see the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. She wore a suit like her husband, but it really accentuated her curves. Her bushy tail swished behind her as she descended with three secret service looking guards, the onyx-black stilettos almost clicking on the carpet flooring. Her right hand bore a gold band and she walked over as if she was a supermodel, which, if Jade could judge at all by her aura and the way she moved, was what she was. She had a kind face and a loving persona, and when she reached Gerald, she kissed him gently, and Jade couldn't help but notice the slight jealousy in Hiora's aura. Christine spoke up, "Were you just talking about me?"
"Yeah, I was just telling Hiora here and his newest daughter Jade about you."
Christine shook Jade's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet a fellow anthro. I must say, your fashion sense is great. Did you ever think about going into modeling?" Jade shook her head, "You should. You have some great legs, and that busty chest is too good to waste." Gerald eyed his wife, "Now, Christy, please don't tell me you got back into your old habits again. I love you, but I don't' know if I could compete with partners like those, or even if I want to." Christy gave him a playful shove, "Oh, relax. I was just complementing her. I got over that phase years ago, ever since I met you I haven't thought that way about a girl. You've kind of kept my attention better than any lady could. Now Hiora," he bowed to Christy, kissing her hand in a gentlemanly manner, "my husband told me many things about you. A lot of them really good things, but not that you were a flirt."
"I'm not; I just find that the old ways of treating women, except for what was rather sexist, are fine ways to behave around the fairer sex. After all, that is how I was raised."
"Well, well, smart and a gentleman, that's a rare combination. I also know how brave you are, if what half of what my husband says is true, you're the reason he's alive and we have a baby on the way."
That last bit of information was a surprise to everyone there, "Christine, you're pregnant?"
"Consider it an early present, from me to you."
Hiora congratulated his friend, "Good for you, Gerry, didn't you always want kids?" They kissed again. Hiora proceeded to give Jade some money to pay for the games, but Christine stopped him, "What are you doing, Hiora?"
"I'm giving her some change to pay for what she wants to do." Gerald shook his finger, "Oh, no, after all you've done for us, I don't need my debt to get any bigger to you than it already is. Take these." He handed them two green cards, and Hiora tried to turn him down, "No, I couldn't possibly take this. Making you two happy is all the payment I ever need, you know that." Gerald persisted, "I refuse to have as close a friend as you pay for any of the things here. I insist." Hiora took the card reluctantly. Christine explained, "These are two new cards of the new membership Gerald and I formed, a monthly fined group that has unlimited access to everything, and these are on the house permanently." After learning that, he tried to return the card, "I can't do this to you. It's too much."
"No! You saved my husbands life, and even he agrees with me that we both owe you more than we could ever repay."
Jade asked what the cards were, "We haven't actually came up with a name for the cards yet. But, I think that your name might provide a good title. Christine, how about we call it the Jade membership." She clapped, "Yes! Jade cards! That's perfect! Oh, now you to simply must take them, you solved another problem for us, and after all Jade, it's named after you!"
Hiora placed the card reluctantly in his wallet, and Jade simply stared at it. He noticed the look on her face, "Ooh, boy, Gerry, you and Christy here might have just created a monster. This was her first time here, so now I think we all are going to come to regret this." Christine simply smiled at him, "Well, then, since it's her first time, why don't I give her a tour while you two old friends get caught up. C'mon, Jade, I have a feeling you've only scratched the surface of what we have to offer. Have you ever tried ice cream?"
As Christine took Jade deep into the 'arcade', Gerald talked with Hiora, "So, she's the latest rescue in your one man crusade for the poké-anthros, huh?"
"Yep, I saved her from some people from her own clan trying to hunt her down, and from what I guess; she had been hunted for talking to humans. She's lucky to have found me."
"So she used that old writ of Survival of the Fittest?"
"How should I know, you're the guy who does that kind of research!"
Gerald cocked his eyebrow, "Okay, okay, you got me. I knew it for a fact because she had that red ruby necklace around her throat. You saw it, right?"
"Yeah, and I honestly don't know why she doesn't take it off."
"I have a theory, but I want to keep it to myself. Can you do a favor for me and take care of her while I go do some shopping?"
Gerald nodded, "Sure man. It's the least I could do. Hell, I could send you everything you'd ever need if you'd give me the chance!"
"You know as well as I do why I can't let you do that. What I'm working on is too sensitive for me to show favoritism to a specific organization. As long as I appear to be neutral to every big business, then no one will send troops after me to try to take my research. Do I need to remind you of the Johto army slaughter I had to participate in?"
Gerald fingered the bridge of his nose, "Okay, okay, you have a point. Why won't you tell me what went on back then."
"Because I already lived it once, I don't want to live it again."
"Fair enough. The war I participated in showed me how big a jackass the modern person can be, especially if you give them enough power."
"I have to go, keep her safe, alright?"
"Alright. Go get what you need, and if I can help in any way, feel free to tell me."
"I will. And let me know when your baby is born. I want to see the little kids."
"You mean kid."
"Yeah, kid, sorry, slip of the tongue."
As Hiora quickly retreated, Gerald pondered that 'slip of the tongue' that he'd let out. It was a little too obvious for him. But he let it go, because he'd learned that dwelling on the many thoughts and actions of his friend would serve to give him nothing but a giant headache.
/
Jade was whipping Christine's ass, and she knew it. After a three round session of DDR, two full games of Time Crisis, and a short stop at the bar for her first hot dog, Christine sat down while Jade continued to explore the amazing world of games. Gerald saw his wife stretched out on a couch in the membership lounge, watching Jade go nuts. He sat down next to her, and she laid her head in his lap, purring silently as he stroked her hair. He took a look at her belly, and noticed the slight roundness of it, only visible if you knew the cause. He looked her in the eye, "So, what are we going to name our child?" She thought, "I think that Deuce would be good."
"What if it's a girl?"
"Well, why don't you pick the girl name?"
He thought, really wanting to pick a good one. Then he looked at Jade, and it struck him. "I think that Pearl would be a good fit. How about you?"
"Pearl, yes that's a beautiful girl's name." They kissed again. Then he looked back at Jade, "I take it that Jade tired you out?"
"I swear that girl is like a kid in a candy store."
"Well, to be honest, she kind of is right now. She's never had stuff like this. I probably don't doubt they had video games, but this a new experience. This will probably be a good experience for when we have to deal with this with our little one."
He nuzzled her hair. Jade took no notice of any of this, too enthralled by all of the amazing games before her. Then Gerald called her name. "We're going back to our bedroom for a bit. So you just stay here and have a blast, okay?"
Jade nodded briefly before going back to blasting people out of the sky. It helped that the game was about shooting anti-anthro people. Christine looked at Gerald with bedroom eyes, and they walked away, Gerald fingering her butt as they went to their bedroom for some privacy.
Of course, it only takes a few minutes for all hell to screw you over.
One of the hunters had found the white boy from earlier wandering through Lucario territory. He held him at spear point. "Halt, human! This is anthro territory! Turn back! We are in a search for a girl named Jade." The name struck a nerve on the boy. "What do you want with that bitch?" The hunter perked, "You know where she is? Tell me! We have to kill her for betraying humans! If you don't, I will be forced to torture you for the information!"
He held up his hands, "Whoa, whoa, easy! I intend fully to help you, but you have to trust me!"
"We do not trust the traitorous human filth trying to kill us. Speak your name, furless, you are going to meet the Grand Master."
He smirked, "My name isn't that important. What's important is you getting together your hunter buds and meeting me at the city wall. I happen to know a few places that that little shit Hiora will go to, and if we're lucky, that Jade is going to be easy to grab. No one tells me to get bent, nobody…"
After a while, the white blond boy was pointing out an arcade with a bouncer to Pyre, "See! That blue truck there is Hiora's! All you have to do is get passed the bouncer there and then help me in; I can get you into the basement level where she's probably hidden. Honest!"
Pyre doubted the boy's honesty, "Listen, if you're trying to trick us, or protect her in any way, the first one to run you through will be me, and I promise you it won't be something sharp." The boy gulped. "That's f-fine, as long as I get to have my way with her first." Pyre then told the boy to go distract the guard while he climbed on the roof.
The boy did as he was told, watching Pyre out of the corner of his eye as he managed to use amazing acrobatics to scale the building. He walked over to the bouncer, "Sorry pal. This is a private place. You'll have to go." He smiled evilly, "Well, that's fine, but can I ask you something first?"
"Fine, what?"
"Are you spear-proof?"
"What—"
"NOW!"
Pyre dropped from the roof like a ninja, landing around the man's neck and holding him by the head, using his spear to stun him, which he threw away as it broke and twisted the mans head so it snapped, spinning it all the way backwards as he flipped off, landing delicately as he drew another spear. He mourned the fact that he killed someone most likely innocent, just doing his job, but he did not show it as he made the other hunters watch the boy, leading the way inside.
He walked in and looked at the boy, "Alright, boy, where is she?"
"She's most likely down the stairs in some sort of VIP lounge, probably masturbating to Linkin Park." Half the group, including Pyre, nearly winced at how casually he mentioned that. It was a testament to how wicked a man, or a hormone-crazed teen, could be.
He walked down the stairs, moving quietly and looking around each corner. He saw the enormous building at the bottom of the steps, probably not even six feet under, which cause him to laugh when he remembered that the name on the front of the building was in fact 'Six Feet Under Arcade and Bar'. He laughed quietly, not wanting to disturb any of the other people down here, as he sheathed his spear. The others did the same. They walked in, the crowds giving them a wide berth, and then he saw it. A glass room cordoned off by a door with the letters VIP on it, and Jade inside. With regret in his heart, he motioned for the boy, "Alright, you were telling the truth, and you held up your end of the bargain. When we get out of here, and only if nothing suspicious happens, then you get your part of the deal."
The boy rubbed his hands greedily, making a slight chill crawl down Pyre's spine. Pyre coordinated the other hunters to surround the doorway, avoiding being spied from beyond the glass, and he walked up, noticing the scanner by the door. He turned to the white boy for an explanation, "It's a card scanner. You need a membership card of some sort in order to open the door. Or you could do this."
The white boy pulled a card attached to a small palm pocket sized computer by a flat wide multi-colored wire out of a suitcase he'd insisted on bringing with him. "I saw this in Terminator once and it gave me the desire to want to figure it out so I could try it." He stuck the card in the slot, and started up the computer. He explained what he was up to, "Since this has a number pad, I figure that I can hack the scanner for the last code entered, re-enter it, and then essentially fake my way into the door using information already entered in the device." After a few moments, a low beep was heard and information flared on his device. "Damn! The last code was erased! So this is useless! There is now only one viable option I can think of. We have to get a card and use it on the door. It will let us bypass using the number pad and let us in." Pyre was getting annoyed very quickly, "Or we could do this."
He pushed the boy out of the way and used the blade of a folding knife strapped to his hip to slash the device in the card scanner. The device let loose a light short beep before letting loose the same beep from before. Frustrated, he stabbed the number pad, causing the door to slide apart. "Wow, I never thought that would really work in a million years." Pyre smiled, "The thing about technology is if you can strike it just right with something metal, you can mess with the circuitry causing the wires to cross, shorting out the old program if done properly and bypassing any security protocols."
"I do know when someone is trying to bullshit me; you do get that, right?"
Pyre growled, "You aren't the only techno-savvy wise-ass around here." He went inside with the others and they surrounded Jade.
Jade didn't notice until Pyre grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. She noticed the hunting party, "How did you all get in here!" The white boy stepped forward, "Hey, don't forget the deal! I get my hands on her first before handing her over to you!" She saw him, "You! You're the walking erection from earlier!" He smiled, "I see you remember me. You are a little slutty shit, you know that? At least, you will be when I'm done. I'm going to fuck you so hard, you'll never forget me. Not even as the rope that's going to snap that pretty little neck of yours is being lowered around it and the floor beneath you is pulled away. You are mine. Let's go, we probably don't have much time before police arrive."
One of the hunters tied a gag around her mouth as they dragged her out. Some people noticed, and reached for cellphones, only to stop when they see the weaponry on the hunters. She watched as the hunters carried her out like a prized bird.
Once they were out of there, it had grown dark, the hunters had to hurry. Pyre turned to the boy, "Alright, our deal is done. Now, do not kill her, we need to have that happen when we hang her for the entire village to see." He grinned, his eyes raping her body already in his mind, "I get that. I won't kill her, but I might make her bleed a little. You could live with that. No, don't answer that, you don't need what I'm going to do in that head of yours."
He dragged her to an alley, wanting privacy for what he was about to do to her. He licked his lips, anticipating what Jade feared. He proceeded to use his belt to lash her legs down, pulling her pants to her ankles. He felt the tension in his pants and scrambled for the zipper, watching her squirms and struggles to get free. He simply grinned at her with that evil smile of his. "Squirm all you want, Jade, you're mine now, and I intend to take you, whether by force or by your own will. NO one is going to help you now."
Strong words for a wimp.
She bit through her gag, finally able to get a scream out, and she took a deep breath, only for him to cover it with his own mouth. She tried to fight his kiss, but the longer he held on, the more he fondled her, and the harder it was to keep herself scared for what he was about to do. She could feel him trying to get her wet, and she fought her basest urge to mate with the teen before her. She couldn't stop a moan from passing through her lips. He heard it, "Damn, this is gonna be easier than I thought. Now relax, this might hurt, but I promise that will only increase the pleasure."
By now, his penis was pressing against her sex, making her want to push him away and push him inside at the same time. When she realized that he'd stopped kissing her to watch himself, she let out a scream for help. He quickly cut it off by planting another one on her mouth, but not before he started to shake with rage. He raised his hand to hit her, and she tensed, anticipating the sting of the slap.
The slap never came.
He lowered his hand, deciding instead to torture her with his sperm, and he got ready to start the pushing, when a leaf came out of nowhere spinning at him and cut off the end of his penis, performing a quick and rather painful circumcision.
That's when he screamed.
She quickly used her hands to push him away right as she heard someone yell, "Pikachu, thunderbolt!"
"Pi…ka…CHUUU!"
A bolt of yellow electricity raced forward and hit the boy, shocking him better than any tazer. Then she heard the voice again, "Bayleef, return!"
When she looked at her savior, she saw a teen wearing a blue flak jacket and a red hat with a creative green 'p' on the front. He held out a hand wearing a fingerless glove, after he came over his embarrassment and she pulled her clothes up to cover her genitals, "Are you okay?" She backed away, and he crouched down, keeping his hand stretched out, and looking her in the eyes, "its okay, I'm not here to hurt you. I'll introduce myself."
"My name is Ash Ketchum."
Dun, dun, dun! Yes folks, the great Ash Ketchum has made his debut in my story like I promised. Plus, the next chapter will detail just how he managed to come to her heroic rescue. This does not mean that the story will be happy. I'm going to borrow a quote from Manta to describe life for this story, "Life's not all Butterfrees and honeybees, it's full of cold, hard, shit." So expect some serious ass-kick delivered express to our heroes.
Ash: Aw, really, I don't need a size 32 boot up my ass right now.
Jade: Besides, that ass belongs to me in a few chapters!
M.H.: Hey, that's not till later in the story! Don't give anything away!
Ash: Too late.
M.H.: Well just for that, how about a size 56 steel toe?
Ash and Jade: O.o
M.H.: That's what I thought. Well, till next time, remember; when in doubt, follow the shadows.