A/N:
Hey everyone, this is a request fulfillment for Lex (FuryWrites). In between the other two one-shots in length, and somewhere around 26K words.
If by chance you want to enter the drawing for a one-shot, then the requirements are in the first "chapter."
Hope y'all enjoy.
Off the Deep End
(F Dewott x M Human)
Year: 2038 - 2044
Location: Goldenrod City, Johto
— — — — —
Omar
— — — — —
"Alright, everyone just remember that there will be no horseplay, but other than that, have fun!" The teacher's assistant dismissed the excited kids, most of which hurriedly made their way towards the lake. The gentle summer breeze carried the scent of the park's freshly cut grass - perfect weather for the occasion. It was the last day of school, and the class was celebrating their eighth grade 'graduation.' Really, Omar had thought, it was more of a celebration, but that was the least of his concerns right now. Though the thirteen-year old couldn't swim, there were several other activities going on. Some of his classmates were already setting up makeshift goals and preparing for a game of soccer.
Omar joined them, and he was selected fairly soon. Like many within his family, which had moved to Johto about thirty years ago from the Orre region, he had enjoyed soccer for many years and was pretty good at it, though he preferred defending over trying to score. With almond-colored skin, brown eyes, and black hair, he was currently 5'6 and around a hundred forty pounds. He was glad that school was out, that was for sure. It wasn't that he hated class, either; on the contrary, he was quite good at math. But more often than not, he found himself counting down the days until school would be out. Though now that it actually was, he found himself in the same predicament as last year.
The two team captains - both forwards - flipped the coin, and the other side ended up calling the toss. Everyone took their places, with Omar's best friend being the goalkeeper for their side. Though Bryce was a bit on the sloppy side with his handwork, he was more than fast enough to at least get to the ball in the case that it was kicked towards him. He had a great sense of humor, much to his classmates' enjoyment and his teachers' frustration, and seemed to be able to make a joke about any situation.
Tyler swiftly passed the ball to his left, marking the start of the game. He watched the ball drift among centerfield for a few moments, and figuring that it wasn't going anywhere for the time being, he made his way towards his friend. "So…" Omar started off awkwardly, "got any plans this summer?"
"Not really," Bryce replied. "But some other guys and I are gonna go hang out around the old abandoned motel this weekend, if ya wanna tag along."
"Wait… you mean the ones that got locked up a few years back?" Bryce nodded with a wide grin. "What? Why would you wanna go there? You'll get in trouble if you get caught…"
"Yeah, well gettin' caught ain't exactly part of the plan," the goalie said. "Anyways, we're just having a look around the place. It's gonna be demolished soon, and I'd like to see what all that fuss was about before it gets leveled. You know why that old motel is such a big deal?"
"No… not really," he answered.
"Back when the Reapers were going through the city, they went in there and supposedly killed everyone there."
"Arceus…" Omar muttered. "That's terrifying. And you guys wanna go there for what reason exactly?"
"Because it's awesome! Who wouldn't want to see something like that?"
"I don't know if I'd call something like that awesome, but okay…"
"Aww, come on. You've gotta lighten up some time, man," Bryce said.
"I'm not trying to be a wimp, it's just… if the cops catch us… oh man, my parents would be pissed," Omar stated.
"Ah, well you do you. But we're gonna go check out what those guys were up to. That's some stuff you can't learn in a class there."
"Well gee, I wonder why…" He edged forward as one of the strikers from the other team sprinted towards them. Had it not been for the midfielder, Omar would have kicked it as hard as possible, but the opportunity never came. Elliot had intercepted the ball, kicking it between the striker's legs and taking off with it towards the other side. That was what was so entertaining about the game: though it lacked the brutality of many other sports, the entire game could change at a short notice.
The ball ended up coming towards them several times, though, and each time it did, Omar nailed it with all his might, sending it to the other side of the field. One time it had even landed pretty close to the opposing goal, but it would've taken a miracle for a score like that. Most of the time was spent by making sure the ball wasn't heading towards them and conversing about any upcoming ideas for the summer.
"Hey," Omar said, "didn't you mention something a few months back about becoming a trainer?"
"Yeah, I was kinda toying with the idea a bit," Bryce replied, "but my parents were pretty against it. Especially after all that stuff that happened back five years ago."
"That definitely wasn't a time to be a trainer," Omar admitted. "It sounds wrong, but… I'm glad they killed that guy… They're kinda creepy though."
"Damn right about that," Bryce said with a laugh. "But what can ya expect from those guys? Them Reapers can't be all right in the head, having a job like that. I'm glad they do it though."
"Me too."
"Anyways, I wish that my parents would back off of it now. I never wanted to leave the country or anything like that, and Johto is pretty safe."
"Huh. I'd just be cool with even having a pokémon," Omar stated.
"I guess so. I'd probably pick chikorita if i had the choice among the local starters, but from the looks of it, it's not gonna happen for some time to come…"
"Really? I'm more of a cyndaquil guy."
"Well right now, I'm kinda hoping you'll be more of a defending guy…" Omar turned around, seeing the opposing striker - a kid by the name of William - running towards them, maintaining control of the ball despite the pressure from the midfield. Another striker approached, this one being in front of Omar, and he immediately tried to put himself between Will and the other opponent. William passed it quickly to his teammate, who secured the ball before Omar could stop it, but he wasn't about to let up on the striker. Omar shuffled with him, keeping his focus on the ball itself rather than his foe's footwork. His chance came, and he stopped the ball mid-maneuver before kicking it with all his might.
Had the ball flown straight, it would have easily become a concern for the other side's defenders. But in his rush to get rid of it, Omar had accidentally put a spin on the ball, causing it to fly to the right and well out of bounds. He watched as it hit the ground, bouncing out towards the dock.
"Good going," Bryce said jokingly. "Now go on and get it." Omar looked at the other kids, who looked back expectantly, and he found himself too nervous to speak out. Maybe someone else would be in the water and could help him retrieve the ball. He hastily turned around and began heading for the old docks.
Once he'd reached them, though, he was disappointed to find no one there, nor any sign of the ball. All the other kids who were in the water were quite a ways off.Where the hell did it go? he wondered. Omar cautiously looked over the side of the dock, seeing exactly what he was looking for on the water's surface. Oh… well crap… It was just slightly out of reach, so he would need a stick or something similar to knock it back towards the shallow water. If only he'd been taught how to swim…
Eventually he found a thin stick that looked long enough. Hopefully it wouldn't break when he tried to use it. Right now, though, he was about out of time, and the others surely wanted to resume the game. Omar went prone on the dock, stretching out as far as he could and using the stick to lightly prod the ball. It bent, but it still held, though the ball didn't move a whole lot. A slight spin was put on it, and it began drifting away towards the open lake. "Why can't this be easy?" he muttered to himself. He stretched as far as he could before swiftly hitting the ball back towards him. It stopped in place, still spinning, and one more good strike like that and it'd be where he needed. That is, until he felt himself about to fall over the side.
Omar hurriedly tried to clamp onto the dock, but it was too late. He fell into the lake ungracefully, immediately feeling himself enveloped within the water, his feet unable to find the ground beneath. His mind went blank, sheer terror gripping him as he flailed around, trying to keep upright. He held his breath, desperately trying to work his way towards the surface for what seemed like hours. But the teenager's muscles became exhausted, and the pressure became too much, the water forcing its way into his lungs. With the nearest post of the dock at least ten feet away, there was nothing Omar could do aside from panic. He was going to die over a soccer ball. Had he been able to, the boy would have cried as he began to spasm, the life being suffocated from him.
A swift force from behind rammed into him, though, and he found himself being shoved swiftly towards the shore. He could feel his foot brush across the ground, and with what little strength he had, Omar stumbled onto his feet, his head barely surfacing over the water. The boy coughed violently, spewing out as much of the water as he could as he stumbled towards the dock's pillar. Omar grabbed it, and through the heaving, turned around to see his savior.
Though he couldn't make out all of the features, he could see a small blue head, and a dark pair of eyes barely above the surface. He wasn't sure, but it looked like a dewott from what he could tell. "Th-thank y-you," the boy said, far too shaken to be embarrassed about the situation. The water-type dipped beneath the surface, disappearing as quickly as it had come.
It wasn't long before others had come, trying to find out what all the hold up had been, only to find him sputtering and gagging still. The teachers got involved, and medical attention was given. All activity stopped for the time being, and Bryce was more than a bit concerned for his well-being, but once it was clear that he was going to be fine, everything resumed. But despite that, Omar sat out for the rest of the activities, unable to think about anything other than the event. Stupid, he fumed to himself. I should've asked someone else to get it! Just a quick, absent-minded action like that, and it had nearly cost him his life. Had it not been for that dewott, it very well would have been a fatal mistake. He wanted to see the creature again, but there was no chance in hell he was about to walk over to that dock again. At least, not today.
But as the excited yells of his classmates cried out among the air, Omar remained silent, his mind still swarming. His body was still sore all over. More than that, though, he knew what he was going to do tomorrow.
. . . . .
Omar stepped off the bus, the small paper bag in hand. He'd told his mother that he was going to hang out with a friend in order to get out of the apartment. And that wasn't fully wrong, either… or guaranteed. He'd hoped that the pokémon would show up again, as he wanted to properly thank it aside from the few words he'd managed to nearly choke on the previous day. The teenager hadn't exactly told either of his parents about the incident, as he didn't feel the need to. No doubt mom would never let me near water again, he thought to himself. As foolish as it seemed, that was exactly where he was headed now.
The bus had carried him as far as the outskirts of the city, but he knew where to go from there. The lake of interest - Lake Adira - was just North of the city, towards the beginning of Route 35. The few items he'd been able to afford from what was left of his birthday money would be either a hit or a miss, but he hoped that the dewott would accept them. Mostly a few packs of berries, because he wasn't sure what else it might be interested in from a store.
Several trainers passed him by, one or two inquiring about a battle. He'd love to have been able to accept, but he lacked any pokémon, as well as idea of what he was doing in the slightest. But it was always fun to watch it on television, particularly when league battles were aired. Maybe one day he'd be able to get a pokémon of his own, but each of his parents, despite living apart, thought that he should be older before he took on that sort of responsibility. Or at least, able to provide for the creature with a job.
The park entrance came into view, and there was almost nobody there. There were only a few trainers out playing with their pokémon near where the soccer game had been held, so he wasn't particularly worried about the dewott being scared off due to the amount of people present. Omar slowly approached the docks, careful to stay away from the edges. The last thing he wanted was to repeat yesterday's accident. Looking around, he observed the scenery. The dock extended about thirty feet out into the open water, and towards the right was a small bank which cattails sprung up from.
"H-hey…" he said, somewhat quietly. He had no idea if the pokémon was even near, but he was going to at least try. "Are you there?" he asked aloud. The only answer was the slight waves of the lake, gently flowing into the shore before receding back once again. He waited there for about ten minutes, calling out to the pokémon that wasn't about to show up. Eventually, he decided to set the bag down, a bit disheartened, but determined nonetheless. Maybe tomorrow he would have more luck.
— — — — —
Dewott
— — — — —
She watched from the water's surface as the human left the area, curious as to why he had returned. He obviously can't swim… why would he come back here? she wondered. But she saw the paper bag that he had left near the dock before leaving and eyed it curiously. What is that? Looking around carefully, she slowly made her way to the bank, making sure that no humans were nearby before heading over towards the bag. Grabbing it in her mouth, the water-type quickly dashed underneath the dock before observing its contents.
Some sort of clear substance was used to contain several different species of berries that she had never seen before, and the various aromas were tickling her nose. One of the objects within had a very peculiar scent and shape, being a hard bar of some sort that was wrapped in something shiny. It almost looked like the tops of those large human structures in the distance. She grabbed it with her forepaws and nibbled at it. Eww… that's not good at all… She looked at the bar disgusted at its taste, but had noticed that it had deformed quite easily. The outer coating had given way, revealing something brown inside. The dewott thought for a moment before carefully peeling the wrapper back, releasing far more of the smell than before. Taking another bite, she was far more impressed. Oh wow… she thought. Though she didn't know what this was, it was amazing. After taking another bite, she dropped it back into the bag. Surely her mother and sister would enjoy the taste as well.
The trick would be getting the bag back to their den without it getting wet, but she was pretty sure that she'd be able manage. Along the way she found herself wondering about the human. He had seemingly wanted to make contact with her again, but she had been far too timid to reveal herself. Part of her had been curious, yet she knew from her mother that humans couldn't be trusted. But he was so young, and he seemed nice enough. After all, he'd dropped off the gift for her. Wait… what will Mom think about me bringing this back? Well, it wasn't like she'd gone out and associated with a human, so the dewott supposed that everything would be fine. But he had clearly wanted to see her, having a bit of a disappointed look when he hadn't. Maybe if she wasn't as bashful as she was, she might've come out. But what would Mom think? No doubt she wouldn't take too well to news like that.
But he seemed nice enough. He brought her food, after all. Though according to her mother, that was often a technique humans would use before capturing them, and that was the last thing she needed right now. Yet she couldn't help but feel curious about him. He was a younger one, and she couldn't see any of those capturing orbs on him. Maybe… he was just grateful. If he came back, perhaps she would look a bit more into him.
— — — — —
Omar
— — — — —
He was determined to see the pokémon, at least once more, so remaining true to his prior resolve, the teen returned to Lake Adira once again, this time two days after his last visit. He brought another small bag, though this one consisted of a few snack foods that he'd brought from the house. As it turned out, fresh produce had been expensive.
Omar approached the dock again, hoping that today might be a different story. He hadn't been able to come yesterday due to switching into his father's home for the week as per the divorce agreement. He'd known several friends that hadn't taken very well to similar situations within their own households, and at first, he hadn't either. But both his parents loved him, and simply were better off apart. It was an incompatible pairing from the very beginning, though each had said they'd make the mistake again just to have their two children, the other being Omar's older brother, Sergio.
Just as he had done last time, Omar called out for the dewott, and just as before, no answer came. What was he even expecting? For her to release some sort of cry in response? He probably looked stupid, just standing there calling out for a random pokémon, all while being on the very dock that he'd nearly drowned beside just a few days ago. But he couldn't bring himself to not try. He wanted to see the creature at least one more time. Then, if that was simply it, he'd at least be satisfied.
He was about to leave when he saw something out towards his left. In the midst of the water, there was no mistaking who he was looking at. "Hey!" he yelled, excited but unnecessarily loud. The dewott timidly dipped beneath the water. "No! I'm sorry! I was just really happy to see you again! I'm not gonna hurt you! Promise!" A few seconds passed, and he watched as those black, beady eyes appeared above the surface once more, this time ever-so-slightly closer. "I uhh… brought you a few more things. It looks like you got the last bag." He was trying to calm his nerves, but Omar was overjoyed to be able to see the pokémon again, if only for a little time. He didn't have the ability to properly thank it the other day, and he wanted to talk at least a little bit to it.
Omar set the bag down at the bank and stepped back, trying to show with his body language that he meant no harm. "Oh, and uhh… I don't have any pokéballs, if you're wondering about that. I'm not a trainer," he said. That seemed to be sufficient enough for the dewott, as it began slowly swimming towards the shore. Oh wow… definitely a girl, he thought upon seeing her slightly curved form. Wait… I got saved by a girl? The idea made him laugh more so than become embarrassed about the fact. It just wasn't what he had expected, though he most certainly wasn't complaining about the fact. It was far better than death, after all.
The teen watched as she cautiously approached the bag, looking inside of it, then back again at him. "Did you like the last one?" he asked. She nodded, saying something quietly in her native speech. "I'm sorry, I can't really understand you…" He took a seat in the grass, watching as she struggled to open a granola bar that he'd brought. "If you'd like… I could help you with that…" The dewott seemed to think it over for a moment, uncertain as to whether or not to trust the human. But eventually she walked forward, before setting the wrapped treat in front of him and darting back shyly. "Aww, you don't need worry about a thing. I don't mean you any harm," Omar said. "I mean, I came here just so I could thank you for saving my life." He set the opened snack back, and she hesitantly grabbed it and took an experimental nibble.
"Ottt…" she said softly. Arceus, that was adorable! he thought.
"See? It's good, right?" She nodded before taking another, much larger, bite. "If you want, I could… I could bring you some more." She looked at him questioningly. "Oh, no don't get the wrong idea now! I'm not trying to bribe ya into coming with me or anything. I'm just…" Omar looked out towards the water, thinking about how it could have all ended within ten feet of water. "I'm just glad I didn't die over there…" The dewott looked at him curiously, and he shook his head. "Is… is it cool if I come by here? Maybe talk to you some?" She slowly nodded, though it was clear she still had a few reservations about it. "I can bring more snacks if you'd like! Got any favorites?" She disappeared underneath the dock to his surprise. Was… I too loud? he thought sadly, thinking that he had scared her off.
But she returned, holding a torn piece of wrapper in her mouth. "Ohhh, so you like chocolate?" he asked with a laugh. "That's easy enough to get. So it's fine if I pay you a few visits?" She nodded, finishing off the granola bar. "Really? Thanks so much!"
Of course, by the end of their chat, he was beginning to wonder if she would regret that decision. He talked to her about his school year or sports, since he didn't have much else to talk about in this point of his life. The dewott sat there and listened quietly, sometimes responding with a slight noise on her part, though he couldn't understand what she was saying. But she listened to the excited kid, despite likely being ready for him to shut up. If she was thinking such a thing, though, she surely didn't show it, looking back at him with interest in what he had to say, even if she might not have understood what exactly he was talking about most of the time.
"Oh crap," he said, "my dad's gonna get back from work before long. I better head out now." She tilted her head, releasing a questioning purr. "Can I come back tomorrow?" he asked. "Same time, maybe?" The dewott seemed to think it over for a moment, but she ended up nodding. "Alright! I'll see ya then!" Omar got up and, with a wave, began hurrying out of the park. If he didn't get to the bus stop soon, he'd end up missing it, and the last thing he wanted to do was run four miles back home.
. . . . .
The bus pulled away, leaving Omar about two blocks away from his father's apartment. Sergio should have already been there, as his shift at the grocery store tended to be an early one. As he walked back, the teenager couldn't help but think about the water-type. She was a shy one, that was for sure, but yet she had sat there while he went on and on about whatever he'd felt like talking about and listened to him. He wished that he could hear some of what she had to say, but unfortunately humans weren't gifted in matters such as that.
But the fact that she hadn't run off, and sat there and let him talk? That was far more than he could've hoped for. Most wild pokémon wouldn't have paid a human any mind, or would have left the scene to avoid a potential battle, or the proposition of being captured. She, on the other hand, had sat not too far away from him, though it was abundantly clear that she was the bashful type.
Omar opened the door to the apartment, already being unlocked. Great, so Sergio's home. His older brother, sure enough, was sitting in the living room, looking at something on his phone. He was still in his uniform, so he must've stayed back later than usual. "What kept you?" he asked. "Not like you've got anywhere to be."
"Hey, don't be an ass! I've got friends…"
"If you say so. Where'd you go, anyways?" Sergio asked.
"The park by Lake Adira," Omar replied.
"Really? What got you into going there?"
"I uhh… can you keep a secret?" Sergio set his phone down, looking at him questioningly.
"What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything bad - honest! It's just… when we had our last day of school, I almost drowned…"
"What?! Why the hell would you go into the water when you know damn well you can't swim?!" his brother asked.
"I didn't mean to," Omar said in his defense. "I just kinda fell in. But a pokémon saved me - a nice dewott. I went back to visit her, that's all…" Sergio shook his head in disbelief. Probably because it was in Omar's nature to get involved in some sort of trouble or another.
"You should've been more careful," he said.
"What I really need is to learn how to swim."
"Or just stay away from deep water. Seems like a pretty foolproof plan to me, genius. Definitely better than relying on a little water-type to save your pathetic ass."
"Fine," Omar stated.
"Anyways, just stay out of trouble, alright?"
"Whatever you say, Mom," he joked, earning an annoyed thump on his head.
— — — — —
Dewott
— — — — —
"Alright, not that we aren't enjoying the snacks or anything, but where are you getting it from?" her sister asked. "It's not natural, so both Mom and I know that it's human-made."
"It… yeah, it is," the Dewott replied. Her twin sister looked anything but in appearance, already having reached her final evolution. She was far more bold than the dewott, and due to her actually engaging in battles, had become a samurott years ago. And to think that her sister could hardly catch a fish…
"So how are you getting it?" the samurott asked.
"Umm… a… a h-human that I saved from drowning… he's been bringing it…" She could already anticipate the trouble she would be in.
"What?! Are you outta your mind?!" the larger water-type asked. "You know what Mom said about that!"
"I-I know…" the dewott said, cowering from her far stronger sister. "But I couldn't just let him die…"
"I'm not saying you should have, but visiting him afterwards? And while we were out, too?! Don't you think that's just a little bit reckless? What if he tried to take you? We wouldn't have been able to do a thing about it!"
"He… he could have done no such thing," the dewott replied. "He lacks any of those devices they use for capturing."
"I don't care. That was careless on your part, and you should have known better!"
"Geez, Sis… you're starting to sound like Mom…"
"Oh no, Mom's gonna be a lot more upset when she finds out. She's been wondering, too, and you know how she feels about them…"
"You can't tell her," the dewott said quietly. "Please…"
"Oh I won't, but when she does find out, I wouldn't wanna be you…" The samurott rolled her eyes before walking off the bank of their small, secluded island back into the water. Only her head remained above the surface. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Sis. I know you can't fight all that well…" The dewott averted her gaze, resenting the fact but knowing that it was true nonetheless. "Anyways, I think I'm gonna go fetch us some dinner. Those snacks you brought, while tasty, aren't really a meal for the three of us…"
"O-okay…" Her sister touched their foreheads together - an affectionate gesture between the two of them - before swimming off. The water-type sighed to herself, feeling like even more of a burden. She could hardly hunt, couldn't fight, and now… she had just introduced a new cause for concern. Sure, the boy seemed nice enough, but her sister also had a point. What if he had not been? She had her doubts about being able to fend off a creature, even with her scalchops. She could hardly fight with the razor-sharp shells, and the thought of using them for violence? If her life were in danger, then the dewott would hopefully be able to do what needed to be done - if she could muster up the courage, that is.
She absentmindedly popped one of the berries into her mouth. It was dark purple and had many small orbs, and each time she ate one, it stained her mouth a dark color. But it was sweet, and the dewott enjoyed them immensely. She only wondered about the human that had brought them. Who was he, and what exactly did he want? Did he really come just to talk? And to her of all people? Saving him had been on a whim, and likely something that any nearby pokémon would have done in her place. Yet the boy seemed not to care about that, and ventured all the way from that large city to visit her. Though she didn't know whether or not she could fully trust the human, it was nice to feel wanted by someone who wasn't in her family.
. . . . .
She looked around cautiously, making sure that no one else was around. Just as he said that he would, the boy had returned, carrying yet another paper bag. The water-type would be lying if she said that wasn't enjoying this sort of treatment, though.
The dewott walked onto the shore, stopping there as the human set the bag down a few feet beside him. "Hello again. Did ya miss me?" he asked with a laugh. "Of course you did! I missed you to, ya know!" The dewott couldn't help but laugh internally at his silly enthusiasm. She replied with a light chirp. Maybe a bit… She looked through the snacks he had brought her, noticing a few more of the chocolate bars she had discovered that she loved. Likely knowing what she was thinking, Omar grabbed one and opened it, offering it to her. The dewott gradually walked closer to him before accepting it, sitting down and taking as large a bite as her mouth would allow.
"Ha, you must really like those," he said. "By the way, I never told you my name. I'm Omar." She tilted her head questioningly. "It's not one from around here. My family came from the Orre region. Do you know where that is?" he asked. She shook her head. All she'd really known her whole life was this lake, and even that she didn't know the human name for. "Well it's on the other half of the world. Really far away from Johto, that's for sure!" The boy looked at her, seeing her look at him attentively. She was interested in what he had to say. "Say, do you have a name? I mean, not your species name, but like a real one?" The dewott shook her head. More often than not, pokémon in the wild didn't have a need for them.
"That's sad. Do you want one?" She giggled to herself, and he smiled upon hearing the sound. The dewott had no clue why she would need such a thing, but she supposed there was no harm in it. "I was just thinking… it might make things easier when I talk to you…" The water-type nodded. Go for it.
And he did. Omar laid back and seemed to generate an endless supply of suggestions, but she wasn't too fond of the way most of them sounded. That is, until he hit the last one. "How about… Krystal?" he asked. Her ears perked up. Oh… that has a nice ring to it, she thought. "So you like that name, huh?" She hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded, albeit slowly. "I was kinda running out of ideas there, but then I got to thinking about your cute little eyes, and then it kinda hit me." The dewott gave a slight smile, embarrassed to hear the compliment but happy nonetheless.
Omar and the newly-named dewott sat there for some time, and as before, he went on and on about topics that she wasn't really familiar with, but Krystal listened regardless. This time, he mentioned something about some friends of his getting into trouble last night, sneaking around some abandoned place and getting caught by police - though she wasn't exactly sure what those were, either. He'd mentioned that he told a friend that it was a bad idea just a few days ago, but this so-called 'Bryce' hadn't exactly listened. Of course, that led the one-way conversation back to the topic of his near-drowning experience.
"My brother and I were talking the other day, and I was kinda thinking that I needed to learn how to swim. You know, so something like that doesn't happen again…" Krystal nodded; everyone should know how to swim. That skill was absolutely imperative, and as Omar had proven the other day, the lack of such an ability could easily be a fatal mistake. The water-type thought to herself for a second, eventually sighing to herself. She motioned for him to follow her as she headed towards the water. "Oh…. I uhh… you think this is a good spot?" he asked. As good as any, she said, though all he heard was a series of chirps.
Krystal treaded into the water, though due to her size, she found herself doing backstrokes only a few feet in. Omar, wearing gym shorts and a tee shirt, followed her in, albeit gradually due to his reservations about the very area. Come on now, it's fine, she thought. I didn't let you drown before, and I'm not about to now. The boy must have gotten the message, as he started wading in the lukewarm water, coming up to his stomach. That's good enough for now.
For the next hours, she began to show him what she knew. Krystal began with basic floating, which would at least prevent him from drowning in the case that he faced a similar situation, and it didn't take him long to get the hang of it with her guidance. Once that was taken care of, she showed him some basic paddling, and though it looked silly, looks could be damned when it came to something like this. By the end of their session, he could at least float, though the actual swimming part was a bit on the lacking side. Had there been more time, she would have taught him more, but she needed to head off. Surely her mother would be questioning about where she had been so late, and likely the boy's own parents as well.
The dewott led him back to the bank, and he must have understood the implications. "Yeah, I guess it's best that I get going," Omar stated. "It's almost night." Krystal nodded, and the human had knelt down, the water still dripping off of his clothing. It was then that he did the unexpected: the boy reached out and wrapped his arms around her. She immediately blushed, not sure what to make of the action on his part. The boy released his hold on the stunned water-type. "Thank you - for all of this. It really meant a lot to me." She nodded shyly, glad that she could help.
She watched as he left the park, shaking her head before jumping back into the lake - but not before grabbing the latest bag of treats. Whatever that final gesture was, she had no clue, but there was no denying that it felt sort of nice. Krystal was broken out of her thoughts when a swift blur launched out of the water next to her, causing her to shriek. Her sister couldn't stifle her laughter, and the dewott rolled her eyes.
"Don't… do that…"
"Relax, Sis. You gotta lighten up and have some fun every once in awhile," the samurott said.
"I wouldn't call being scared half to death fun…" Krystal murmured.
"Well what about teaching that human of yours to swim?" She looked at her sister in shock.
"Were you… watching me?" the dewott asked.
"Of course. You said you were meeting with a human, and I wanted to make sure you were safe. Though seeing him now, I doubt there's any reason for concern. They're a weak species, and he's an absolutely hopeless one at that."
"Hey… he's really nice," Krystal stated. The two of them were on route towards their den, with the dewott's sister lazily floating on her back. Yet even barely putting in any effort, the samurott was faster than her. Still, with what skill she did have, she was able to teach Omar some of the basics, and it felt good knowing that she had helped him. But it was only fair, given that he'd brought as many snacks as he had.
Being in his company, though, was nice. It seemed like she had a friend, and that was a feeling that she wasn't exactly been familiar with due to her timidity. She didn't feel any pressure around him after the few days she'd been with him - most likely due to his more easy-going demeanor. As the water-type paddled back home, she anticipated the next time that she would see the boy.
— — — — —
General
— — — — —
The rest of the summer proceeded in a similar manner. Omar often came by, at least every other day if he could, and between Krystal and his own efforts he was able to fully learn how to swim. And once he had learned the skill, the two of them found themselves swimming for fun. Many times he came over to do his schoolwork near her or simply to talk with her. She watched over the course of the next two years as he matured, growing both taller and stronger. She did as well, though not to the same extent.
Their relationship had become one of the three she treasured, actually. Her mother, just as Krystal's sister had said, was not initially fond of her daughter hanging around with a human. Not after what their kind had done to the poor samurott. But eventually she relented from her position once both of her daughters were able to verify that Omar wasn't a threat. Still, though, Krystal knew very well that her mother harvested an unbudging dislike of their kind, and it looked like that feeling wasn't about to change. But as long as she didn't keep the dewott from seeing Omar…
Of course, with the two girls having come of age, there was always the prospect of finding a mate of their own in mind. Krystal's sister would have better luck with that than the dewott, who doubted that she'd be someone worth considering. She simply wasn't all that good of an option given her lack of skill or strength, other than maybe for companionship, and even then she was very shy and likely wouldn't make it far in a conversation. The only male she had had any significant interaction with had been Omar, and Arceus above that wasn't something she could actually consider. True, they had their affectionate gestures, but humans and pokémon weren't really meant to be like that.
But she supposed that stuff would work itself out in time. Or at least, she hoped.
— — — — —
Omar
— — — — —
It had taken a month's worth of paychecks, but he had finally managed to get it, and he couldn't wait to show Krystal. Perhaps ironically, he had been working as a lifeguard for a high-end resort on the eastern outskirts of the city known as the Silverridge Resort. Given that he currently didn't need to worry about paying for rent or food, Omar had been able to save most of his income, and for some time he'd had his eyes fixed on a particular piece of technology: the VFT collar. After the military had invented them, since having moved on to some newer model, trainers around the world were buying them left and right, now being able to communicate with their pokémon like never before. It had removed the single largest barrier between the two groups in history. He only couldn't wait to see the look on the dewott's face when they tested it out.
The teenager looked around the park, and saw that aside from a few older trainers currently wrapped up in a battle, there was no one else around. It wasn't the older ones that he had to worry about anyways. The young ones, on the other hand, didn't seem to understand that you couldn't just snatch up some random creature solely because it looked cute or the fact that you needed it on some sort of team that you were trying to create. If a pokémon was interested in accompanying humans, then they would show themselves in front of humans. Anything else was looked at the law as kidnapping, and even for younger trainers, it could warrant a suspension of their license to battle.
Just as usual, he saw the dewott's head emerging from the water, though she wasn't looking his way. No doubt she was waiting for his arrival, but Krystal seemed to be focusing deeply on something. Maybe she was upset with him for not visiting at the usual time within the last three days. He hoped that wasn't the case…
"Hey…" he said quietly, causing her ears to perk up. "Everything okay?" She treaded out of the water and joined him. "You're looking a bit sad…" She murmured something in her own language, and that reminded him of his surprise. Omar sat down in the grass and pulled the small package from within his backpack. "Well I've brought something that might cheer you up a little!" Krystal looked at the package curiously as he began opening it. He had made sure to get one that was blue, and the small rectangular device was in the front of the collar. "Sit still for a second - this won't hurt." Of course, after all this time, the dewott trusted him and knew full well that he wouldn't do anything to break that trust. He snapped the solar-powered device firmly around her neck, but made sure that it wasn't uncomfortable for her. "Alright, now try saying something."
"Oh, what would even be the point?" she asked herself.
"Well the point is that I can understand you now, silly." The water-type looked over at him in shock, causing Omar to laugh.
"Wh-what?"
"You heard me. It's a translator! I got it so that we could actually talk!"
"Oh… this is wonderful!" she said cheerily. She hugged against his side, and he returned the gesture, rubbing the back of her head. He always loved how her species managed to have that small tuft of hair that stuck up, and he found it adorable. "How did you get such a thing?"
"They've actually been out for about three years. A lot of trainers have them now, actually. I just couldn't afford to get one until I started working this summer."
"You… went and spent all that money so that you could hear me talk?"
"Well yeah, you're my best friend. Of course I wanted to be able to really talk with you!" The dewott smiled timidly at his statement, averting her gaze. "Just please don't break it," he said with a laugh.
"I won't allow anything to happen to it," she said quietly.
"Now what was up earlier?" he asked. "You seemed a bit distracted."
"Well… I'm just a bit worried, that's all," Krystal replied.
"What about?"
"My mother. She… she hasn't been eating a lot, lately. That and she's started coughing. I'm sure she'll be fine, but I don't like seeing her like this…"
"Oh… I hope she gets better… If you would like, we could take her to the pokémon center. They'll be able to check her out thoroughly." He hadn't stepped inside of one yet, but he knew what they were like from hearing his friends speak of them. And the Goldenrod center was one of the most advanced in the world.
"Good luck with that," she said. "I've run the idea by her, too, but… she doesn't like humans at all. I doubt she'd do it." Omar looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"What? But why? Most humans aren't bad. Just the same as pokémon, I guess…"
"Well that's true. But she had a rough run-in with your kind, and… it led to me and my sister…"
"Oh no…" He was scared to ask what happen, but the curiosity was still there. The dewott must have known, too, as she went on.
"She was… held captive by some bad men. They forced her to… they wanted eggs. Apparently our species is worth a lot to your kind. But then some men in dark suits came in... Mom said they looked like they crawled out of hell itself... and then there was fighting. All the bad people were killed apparently, and my mom was able to escape once it was all said and done. She found this place not long after. That was about twelve years ago, anyways."
"I'm… sorry to hear that," Omar said. "Guess I see why she doesn't like us much…"
"She's actually fine with you. But she thinks you're one in a million. I don't think she'd go to a place full of humans, especially one in the middle of a city."
"Oh, well that's a shame. I know I can't do much, but… just let me know if there's anything I can get. Food, medicine - anything."
"That's really sweet of you, Omar." She looked out over the lake in the direction of their den, which he knew to be a few miles out. "I… may have to take you up on that offer…"
"Well please don't hesitate. I'm always here for you." She gave him an appreciative smile, and he couldn't help but feel that the dewott was the most adorable thing in the world. Omar enjoyed the fact that they had gotten so close over the years. Now, though, with this translator, he felt that their bond would grow even stronger. He had always wondered what she had to say, being regulated to educated guesses prior to this.
And with the communication barrier between them now shattered, the two of them laid back and spoke for hours. Now it was her turn to talk on and on, and Omar listened closely to everything she had to say. She spoke a great deal about her family, but it seemed that outside of her mother and sister, Omar was her only real friend. That came as a surprise to him - the dewott was the nicest person he'd ever met. But then again, she was incredibly shy, and it had taken her the better part of a month to truly warm up to him.
They continued talking until late at night. By that point, Krystal was sitting on his right leg as she spoke of her sister's most recent visit. The arcanine that she had settled down with even came over, despite his dislike of water, and Krystal had found him to be nice enough, and someone that she would trust her sister's wellbeing to.
"That's nice. He sounds like a great guy," he said. "If you don't mind me asking, what are your plans? Are you gonna settle down too?"
"I… I don't know. You're the only male I can even bring myself to approach… and it's not like I've got a lot to offer, anyways…"
"Ah, that's not true. You're adorable."
"R-really?"
"Of course." He hugged her quickly, knowing that he needed to wrap this session up. Though his mother knew where he was, no doubt she'd be questioning of him returning around 11:00. "Now I better head outta here. I'll see ya tomorrow, alright?"
"Okay." She returned the embrace the best she could before hopping off of him. "Bye Omar!"
"You take care now," he replied.
On the bus ride back, he was already planning out the next day. He'd be working for six hours tomorrow, and then after that he'd probably go back to visit her once again. Funny, he thought, my social life is pretty much just her. A pokémon that I don't even own. The thought of it almost made him laugh. It wasn't that he didn't associate with others often - on the contrary, he found it easy to cut up and socialize with people of all sorts of different types. But there was that underlying sense of self-doubt that had always plagued him, and perhaps others had picked up on that over the years.
More than his concern about that, though, was Krystal's mother. He hadn't actually met the samurott, but he felt horrible for what happened to her. Maybe the people who had been responsible had faced a quick, brutal justice, but it still did nothing to right what had been done to her. He could definitely understand why she would be more hostile towards humans after such an incident. Omar only hoped that she would get better from whatever the illness was that she was experiencing.
— — — — —
Krystal
— — — — —
"Alright you two, dinner is ready." The older water-type took had used her daughter's scalchops to cut the fish up, as it was far easier and more practical than using her seamitars to try and accomplish the task. Krystal quickly rinsed them off in the river before returning to the two samurotts. They each began to eat, and it didn't take long for conversation to break out.
"So," the older water-type said, "you've been spending an awful lot of time near the woods." Krystal's sister looked up at her questioningly.
"Were you watching me?" she asked.
"No, Daughter. I trust you to make wise decisions enough to not need to stalk you. But I couldn't help but notice that you were swimming eastward over the last week."
"Yeah, well… I met someone there."
"You did? Really?"
"Yes. He's an arcanine, and he's really nice, actually. I think you'd like him."
"I see. Well, you are of age to make decisions on this matter on your own. I just ask that you make sure he is the one before engaging in any serious activity," the older samurott said.
"Of course. I would never do such a thing without being sure."
"Good. And Little One, your human friend - is everything still well there?"
"Yes, Mom. Omar would never do anything to upset me, so you don't have to worry about him."
"I understand. It is good you met a friend, despite him being human. I'm just glad that you managed to find one that doesn't wish to enslave you or worse. I do not intend to pry, but I cannot help but worry about you two girls. You two are my entire world."
"We understand," the younger samurott said, "and love you all the more for it." The oldest of the water-types had finished eating, though not as much as she usually did. She stood up and headed over to the water, where she took a drink before returning towards the large nest. "Going to sleep already? It's not even that dark out."
"Yes. This cough has me a bit drained as of lately. You two need not come to rest with me yet, but I ask that you keep the noise down."
"Of course, Mom," Krystal said. The samurott smiled at her two daughters before lying down quietly.
Once her mother had drifted off, the dewott helped clear away the mess from their dinner. She took the entrails of the fish over towards the edge of their island. Being about ten feet above the surface, they had no need to fear the rising tide, but she still had to keep conscious to do this in an area that the water level would never touch. Finding another good location, she continued this little project that she'd had going ever since Omar had told her about it. She dug a small hole about two feet from the previous one, dropping a persim berry inside and placing the guts on top, before covering it up.
Funnily enough, it had taken a human to tell her about some of the agricultural tendencies of pokémon for her to learn of this process. But it was a great idea, and already she had several small bushes growing. In time, they would be a nice treat for the trio, though definitely not enough to feed them on their own.
Her sister silently trotted beside her, resting on her haunches, her head level with one of the plants. "They are coming along nicely, Sister."
"Thanks. Omar told me about it, actually."
"You and that human," she mumbled.
"Hey! He's great - you know that."
"Oh I know. I'm only teasing you," the samurott said.
"Anyways, how's your new friend?"
"His name is Samson. A real sweet guy, too. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm interested."
"Really? Well in that case, I'm happy for you." Krystal wished that she was as bold as her sister, who could easily talk with just about anyone. But the dewott, on the other hand, was jumpy and shy around anyone that wasn't her immediate family - even Omar, who she had now been seeing for over two years. She had hoped that it would get better, but it was clear that things weren't about to change. Her sister must have recognized her look of dismay, as she received a gentle nuzzle to her cheek.
"Hey now, it will be alright. I know you will find someone in time - someone deserving of you. You just have to meet some people, that's all. I spoke with Samson because we just so happened to pass each other when I went to collect some wild mint, and we've been seeing each other ever since. Life can just be funny like that at times."
"Wait… I didn't think to ask, but why does he have a name?" Most pokémon that didn't live with humans lacked names, including Krystal's very own sister and mother.
"He had a trainer once, and he's kept the name ever since."
"Oh… that makes sense." Though she did have a few questions as to why a trained pokémon was living in the wild, but she supposed that could be asked at a later time. "Thank you for cheering me up, Sis."
"That's what I'm here for."
After a few more words between the two of them, the samurott joined their mother in the nest, leaving Krystal to her own thoughts once again. She looked out over the lake, knowing that tomorrow would be one of the days that she saw Omar. Krystal often wondered what his den had looked like in the midst of all those massive pillars that stretched into the sky. Or rather, his dens, as he apparently had two separate ones - one with each parent, each of which no longer resided with the other. Humans are weird…
But that didn't change the fact that she loved seeing him. Even though she was still bashful around him, his laid-back and gentle demeanor made her feel as though she wasn't an inconvenience. That was a feeling that she couldn't help but experience even here of all places, with the two samurotts doing all the hunting for them.
Once the moon had risen well into the sky, she decided to call it a night and headed over towards the two sleeping samurotts. She smiled upon seeing that her sister had left a tiny gap between herself and their mother, which Krystal loved. Stealthily slipping between the two of them, the dewott rested on her belly, and it wasn't long before she joined them.
— — — — —
Omar
— — — — —
Towards the end of his junior year of high school, Omar found himself in the general pharmacy a block away from the pokémon center. Had it not been for his insurance, nor for the fact that the lady working there had helped him with an illegitimate prescription out of her pity for the samurott's situation. Everyone involved did. Once he'd run some of the symptoms by his brother, who relayed them to a friend of his in pre-med, it wasn't difficult to figure out. The weight loss and troubles with eating - the coughing up blood - it all pointed to one thing: tuberculosis.
The disease struck an uncomfortable feeling to everyone that knew of the samurott. Tuberculosis wasn't really a threat within the city. It was virtually nonexistent throughout the civilized world, and in the off chance that one got it, there were always treatment options that ensured survival. But in the wild, that was an entirely different story.
Omar nodded when he approached the pharmacist, and she went about getting his bag, having become used to his order. Every month had been the same three medications, and it cost about Ᵽ200 each time he came in for a refill. But that was something that he could manage easily, had it not been for one other factor. In her illness, Krystal's mother had become unable to hunt for fish. That was his next stop, one he made every single day now. He purchased them wholesale at the western ports, being the only way he could afford to feed the pair. Krystal didn't require a whole lot, but a two-hundred pound samurott was a different story. That is, when she could keep food down. But he had done the best he could for both of them over the last months, and with help from the dewott's sister, they were able to feed the two. He felt bad for her, too, as she was trying to tend to her mother's needs, all while raising a family of her own.
Seeing his devotion to the issue at hand, Omar's parents each decided that he was more than capable of keeping a pokémon of his own. But that would have to wait until the samurott improved. As of now, he couldn't afford it, with Ᵽ500 a month and nothing to show for it by the time he had finished taking care of the two water-types.
Once he had purchased the five-pound fish - a small blackfin tuna on this particular day - from the docks, he set it in the cooler that he used each day for the same purpose before waiting for the next bus.
He just wished that she would come in and accept the help of the pokémon center. There were a lot of people who were willing to pitch in and help her if she just allowed them to do so. But Krystal had been having the same conversation with her time and time again, and it didn't seem to be getting anywhere.
The bus stopped, snapping him out of his thoughts. It seemed like on some days, he was zoning out like this a lot. After having finished work, he would make this stop, just as he had the past six months. While his friends were using their money to save up for cars, or college, or going out and having a good time in general, he was providing for two pokémon that weren't even his. To think that he'd been at this for half a year, and yet he had never even seen the samurott in person… Omar walked the remaining way towards Lake Adira, now knowing the area like the back of his hand.
As usual, when he approached the lake, Krystal hurriedly walked out, and he quickly set his things down, embracing her as she slammed into him, the empty pill box in her paw. "Hey… it's okay…"
"No…" she said with a whimper, "it isn't. She's… gotten worse. Please tell me…"
"I've got them right here," he said gently. Omar released her and pulled the small paper bag out of his backpack. Since her species lacked the digits to open the medicine containers, he had to disperse each pill throughout the small box so that the samurott took the exact ones she needed each day.
"Thank you," she replied quietly. "I can't ever repay you for all that you've done for us…"
"You don't have to," Omar said. "But… aside from the meds and the food, there isn't anything else I can do. She needs to come in…"
"I know… I tell her every night…"
"Still no luck?" he asked. "Why would she just sit there and grow weaker? She's willing to accept human medicine, but not direct care? They would have fixed everything." The idea that the samurott could still be refusing such a proposition was beyond him.
"She's… she's stubborn. I just don't know what to say at this point. She's heard it all before." Krystal had been doing her best to convince her mother to get past her hatred of humans, if not only for her own wellbeing.
"Please… you've gotta get it across that this doesn't ever work out well for people who don't get treatment. The meds help, but… if she's getting worse, then it's not enough. She needs to get actual help. These pills aren't cutting it."
"You don't have to tell me…" Krystal sat in his lap, and looking back, he couldn't help but think about how massive a change it was from where they started. But that was to be expected given everything that had happened.
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with getting help. I mean, hell, if you hadn't helped me back then, I wouldn't be here now. We can't do it on our own all the time. I just hope she comes to realize that."
"Me too…"
For what seemed like hours, she sat there, and he lovingly pet her. But as much as neither of them wanted to part, they both needed to be somewhere. Krystal stood up, still on top of him, and hugged him tightly. A light nuzzle against his cheek, and Omar returned suit, rubbing her back as she embraced him. Krystal eventually released her hold, much to both of their disappointment, and hopped off. Omar got back onto his feet, then made his way to the cooler.
"Got a blackfin today." They were one of her favorites, after all. He'd come to learn that after nearly half a year of this routine.
"Thank you, Omar…" He gently set the fish in her arms, and she backed away, neither of them wanting to part. But they would see each other soon enough.
"I'll seeya tomorrow, Krystal. Tell your mom what all I said…"
"Of course."
Omar left, knowing that she would likely engage in the same argument, only to reach the same outcome. He just couldn't understand why the samurott wouldn't back down. This wasn't a fight that she was going to win - if her condition was worsening, even with the effects of medication, then she would die from this. Tuberculosis was a large threat to pokémon in the wild, and all she had to do was just come into the city for some time, and they would take care of everything at the pokécenter.
Well, that's the way it would've worked. Truth be told, he wasn't so sure that she may have pushed it too far, in which case there wouldn't be anything that could be done to save her.
— — — — —
Krystal
— — — — —
"This is ridiculous, Mom! You'll sit here and wither away when they're willing to treat you! Are you kidding me?" Krystal's sister asked. The four of them had been at this time and time again, but never this heated. Krystal felt powerless between the two samurotts, though one of them hardly had the strength to swim at this point. Samson seemed to be in a similar predicament to the dewott.
"I don't care!" the older samurott said. "I swore that I would never step foot in that city again after what they did to me!"
"Arceus' sake, Mom! Those guys are all dead!"
"If I may…" Samson stepped in, "you know that I had a trainer once, too, right? I can assure you that none of the humans that I ever met were like that."
"Are you implying that I am a liar?"
"No, no! Not at all! I'm just… they aren't all like that. Not at all. In fact, most of them will treat you as part of their family," he said. Despite the strength of his species, the arcanine looked powerless against the stubborn samurott, even in her illness.
"Really? Then why did you leave?"
"Because my trainer was killed in a car accident, and his family did not have the resources to take care of me. I still visit them, though. They're not all bad, I'm telling you…"
"Well you didn't see them like I did," the water-type said. "The things they were willing to put others through for the sake of money… and they used to be such a minority, too! But they took over the world it seems, and over the countless bodies of our kind!"
"Are you kidding me right now?" Krystal's sister asked. "That was a long time ago! None of the humans around are responsible for such a thing! They punish one another just the same for killing one of us as they would a human. You're just using whatever reason you can at this point to avoid them! And for someone who hates their kind so much, you seem to have no issue living off of one's generosity! If it wouldn't be for that boy, you would be dead now!"
"I of all people do not need reminding of that…" the other samurott stated bitterly.
"Well then what gives? You seem to think he's the only good one out there. This is just foolish, and you know that!" Though Krystal's mother didn't want to admit it, there was no denying that point any longer. Krystal had begged her to make the better decision, but she lacked the fierce demeanor that her sister had. And though she loved her mother, the younger of the two samurotts wasn't about to back down.
"Mom… please…" Krystal said quietly. "I'm begging you… Omar has offered countless times to take us there himself. He would never do anything to wrong you…" Her mother looked down upon her, and then went to say something, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she sharply turned her head to the side, and a weak fit of coughing ensued. Nobody could ignore the drops of blood that had been sprayed upon the grass.
"Just look at yourself," the dewott's sister stated. "Do not delay this any further. You either go with him and get some real medical treatment, or you keep at this until you die. And by Arceus, you better not make that second choice."
Once her sister and the arcanine had left to tend to their own three children, Krystal remained there on the small island with her mother. The samurott sat there, clearly deep in thought about the conversation, but unwilling to talk about the matter at hand any further. Why must she be so stubborn? Krystal thought. She watched the larger water-type's chest rise and fall with strained breaths, even fighting the inevitable as she slept.
The dewott curled up against her mother's side, hoping that sleep would soon reach her. But there was no ignoring the fact that she was scared. It had gotten worse to the point where she didn't understand how anyone could even be alive in such a state. Through what had once been a thick layer of muscle, Krystal could see ribs. She… she looks like death itself… She could only pray that the samurott would come to her senses before the wretched illness claimed her life.
. . . . .
Her favorite part of the day now having past, Krystal swam back home with another fish gripped gently in her mouth. Omar had become a vital part of her life, and the two of them hated being apart. For him, it meant going back to trying to balance out school and work just so that he could support her family. But for Krystal, it meant being away from the one friend she had so that she could watch her mother further deteriorate.
She reached the small island, and the samurott was sitting there, staring silently at the lake, not even noticing as Krystal approached. She set the fish down on the stone slab, and her mother looked at her weakly. The dewott hated nothing more than seeing her in such a state, but she had no idea what to say anymore. It had been over a week after the argument with her sister, and the only indication that the samurott was budging from her position was the fact that she said she would 'consider it.' But the disease within her wasn't going to wait for her to make that decision.
Krystal absentmindedly watched the process as the fish was prepared, the scales being discarded to the side with the head, organs and tail. Once the raw meat had been separated, the samurott dabbed it with a little bit of rosemary for flavor. It was a great touch, in Krystal's opinion, and the spice always reminded her of home.
"It's ready, Little One," her mother said, doing her best to sound cheery. There was no amount of effort, though, that would've suggested that to be the case. Wordlessly, Krystal took her smaller portion, not feeling particularly hungry, but nibbling at the fish anyways. "How was your friend today?"
"Hmm?" Krystal asked.
"The human you meet with. How was he?"
"Oh, Omar. And he was fine. Kinda tired today…"
"I see."
"But that's just because he got off work." The dewott laughed at the thought, despite their situation. "You know, Mom, it's kinda funny. Almost three years ago, I saved him from drowning, and he went and became a lifeguard of all things…"
"That is interesting," the samurott stated.
"Yeah. Now he's doing a pretty good job of saving the two of us right about now… There's no way that Sis would've been able to pull through with both us and her own kids."
"Omar seems to be a kind one. If only he wasn't a human, he would have made a fine choice for a mate."
"M-Mom!"
"Relax yourself, child. I was only thinking aloud. But it is not something to be concerned with. He is human, and that is that."
"But… why don't you like them? I know that the men who took you… they were evil. Most humans are fine, though…" She didn't understand where this hatred had come from.
"I do not expect you to understand. He is the only one I trust you with simply because of the fact that he is a harmless boy, and he has done a great deal for us. But I have seen trainers, young and old alike, yelling or hitting our kind for something as petty as losing a little bit of money. Greed is imprinted upon their very souls. That is why I dislike them. The ones who took me are proof of how far some of them will go."
"But you just said some of them. You know that those aren't the only ones! And when Omar and I have been out in the park, we've seen so many trainers loving our kind! You can't just let the bad ones define your view of their entire species!" She was almost sounding like her sister, now, likely to the samurott's annoyance. "But you know that Omar isn't like that. He spends everything he earns to help us, and he gets nothing in return. That is not greed." Her mother remained silent, looking at the much smaller water-type.
"He is good-hearted. I know that much," her mother whispered.
"Yes, and he's not the only one! They aren't that different from us, I'm telling you! Not all of them want money, or power, or… whatever - it's just that there's no reason for you to sit here and… and…" Krystal began to tear up, and before she knew it, she hugged her mother's head against her chest, sobbing softly. "Please!" she whimpered. "Please, Mom! I don't… want you to die!"
For a moment, neither of them said anything as Krystal cried. But eventually, she felt a single paw on her back. Her mother nuzzled her tenderly, giving her the little bit of affection she could physically muster.
"I… I am sorry," the samurott stated. "I never meant to hurt you girls. You two are the only thing I have in this world, and my greatest joy in life. I suppose… if he is with us… then I will go." Krystal looked at her in shock, and a wide smile stretched across her face.
"Th-thank you!" she shrieked. "We… we need to see Omar tomorrow! He always comes to the dock, and he can have us in the pokémon center in no time at all!"
"Alright then. Your sister can help me get to the shore. But I swear, if any other humans try to capture either of us…"
"Trust me, Omar would never let anything like that happen. And besides, nobody would ever do such a thing in public." The dewott couldn't be happier right now. Her prayers had been answered, and her mother had finally come to her senses about the issue. Words simply couldn't express how much of a relief it was. Omar is gonna be so surprised tomorrow! He would undoubtedly be willing to make the accommodations - he had mentioned that he had the ball ready just for this very purpose. Once she had been treated thoroughly, he would smash it, and this whole thing would be behind them.
"Thank you, Little One, for always having my back." The samurott lovingly nuzzled her daughter, who returned suit.
"Of course, Mom. I love you…"
"And I you. Now let us rest. Something tells me that we'll have a long day tomorrow…"
She fell asleep soon after, leaving the dewott to look up at the night sky, listening to her mother's labored breathing. But she knew that this would be the last night of that. Tomorrow, they were going to start the process of making everything better. Thank you, Omar…
It didn't take long for Krystal to join the samurott in rest, pressed against her side.
. . . . .
The morning sun woke her, with Krystal having rested better than she had in a long time. Of course, until the disease was completely gone, she would still worry, but she could sleep soundly knowing that her mother was finally making the right decision. She rubbed her eyes, deciding that today of all days, it would be best not to sleep in. Though on the other hand, it wasn't like there was a whole lot that they could do until Omar showed up.
Krystal eventually decided to get up, despite the comfort of the situation. She would collect several of the berries from her small garden, which would make for a good morning snack for the both of them. She was about to head off, before a wide grin appeared on her face, and she gently hugged against her mother's side. She remained there for a moment, listening for the heartbeat that had comforted her so many times as a child.
But there was none.
— — — — —
Omar
— — — — —
He had waited and waited, but for some reason, Krystal hadn't shown up today. It had been the first time in awhile, and he was beginning to worry. Maybe they had managed to catch a fish on her own today? But then again, she had visited him daily well before he had started bringing them food. Jeez, dude… you're starting to act all clingy… And he wasn't trying to, but he couldn't help it at the same time. It wasn't a medicine day yet, so all he was hoping to drop off would be the fish that he'd just purchased, but it looked like nobody was coming. Well, at least it's in ice…
Deciding to return the following day, Omar left the park, still hoping that he'd make it back in time to catch the bus. It just isn't like her, he kept thinking. Had she had something planned, she would have let him know ahead of time, rather than having him wait around for nearly two hours. He just hoped that everything was okay.
Once he'd walked into his father's house, it was well past dinnertime. Sergio and Victor both were in the living room, watching the television. But upon seeing his younger brother walk in, Sergio immediately muted it, and both of them looked at Omar questioningly.
"What gives? It's almost ten…" Sergio stated.
"I know. Krystal didn't show up, so I was kinda waiting out there for some time," he replied.
"How is her situation?" his father asked.
"From what I heard last, she and her sister were still trying to convince their mom to come to the pokémon center," Omar replied. "Anyways, that's why I still have this fish on me…"
"Yeah, keep that outside please. Don't want my house stinking," Victor said. "Anyways, dinner's in the fridge."
"Thanks."
Though food really wasn't the main thing on his mind right now. Omar barely even tasted it, his mind still swarming with thoughts about the dewott. Funnily enough, it seemed like his entire life revolved around her. But he didn't have a problem with that - not for someone like her, at least.
All there was to do, then, was try again tomorrow, and be ready to support Krystal as needed.
. . . . .
Looking back, he remembered every single tiny detail of that day. He'd gotten dressed - jeans and a striped t-shirt - and headed down to the gas station, buying a new bag of ice after the one from yesterday had fully melted. He went to work, as it was on a Saturday, changing into his bathing suit and mostly surfing the web while everyone swam. It hadn't been a very eventful day, but he still could recollect all that had happened. After all, it was the day that everything changed.
Once he had finished work, Omar changed back into his clothes and slung his backpack over his shoulder, grabbing the cooler on his way out. The day seemed fine enough, with the temperature slightly warm and not a cloud in sight. Since he'd left a bit earlier than usual, and the bus wouldn't be ready by the time he arrived at the station, he cut through the small local market in the backroads of the city just to kill some time. Both pokémon and humans filled the area, and the crowd was a bit large, but it was exciting nonetheless to look around.
But any feeling of joy died once he'd arrived at Lake Adira. A samurott's head was poking out of the water by the docks, and he curiously approached. That's weird… That wasn't exactly the company he was expecting, but seeing as to how they weren't exactly common around these parts, it was clear that this one was related to Krystal. His thoughts were confirmed when the dewott swiftly paddled towards him. The second she emerged from the water, though, it was clear that something was wrong. She was crying.
His heart sunk, and the cooler fell to the ground as she ran up to him. He listened as she wailed, unable to form comprehensive words, and Omar hugged her tightly against him. The samurott was doing her best to keep it together, and he began to connect the dots. No… please don't tell me…
"Sh-she… Mom…"
"I… I'm so sorry…" Omar said quietly. Though he had done all that he could have, he still felt as though he failed her. He held the dewott for dear life.
"S-she was… g-gonna come in!" Krystal sobbed.
He lost track of time, and the two of them remained there, him doing his best to comfort her, but unable to keep the tears from falling himself. It wasn't fair at all - to be that close, and for everything to take a turn for the worst.
"You two… are all I h-have left…" Omar clutched her against his chest, and the samurott had made her way out of the water, joining them on the shoreline. The large water-type had also failed to refrain from showing her emotions, and to anyone that would have passed by, unaware as to what had happened, the three of them would have looked pathetic.
"I will always… be here for you," he said quietly as she burrowed into his neck. "Anything you need at all…" Though there was nothing he could do about the matter, other than to support her as much as he could in her time of grief.
— — — — —
Krystal
— — — — —
He did his best to do just that over the next two weeks. Omar ended up being at Lake Adira more often than he was at work, or even his own home. She would be there waiting on him, and sometimes her sister would even join. He would hold her as they talked, and Krystal would go on and on about whatever would come to mind. But the conversations would always gravitate back towards her mother, and the tears would start once again. Every time, he would hold her and rub her back as she cried into his shirt.
Each morning, she'd wake up, not understanding why the samurott wasn't in the nest. But then the reality would come crashing down, and she'd run off into the water, hoping that Omar would be on that shoreline to help console her. Krystal's sister was dealing with it the best way she knew how, which was to avoid talking about the matter altogether, though the dewott knew from their previous conversation that she was equally as heartbroken.
She… she's really gone… she kept having to say to herself. All this time, and now the samurott was no more. It was something that she would have to adjust to, and tragically so at that. A pain unlike any other had started within her chest, a result from the emotional trauma, and she wanted nothing more than to just crawl back to her mother one more time. To tell her how much she loved her, and how she missed her. But she would never have that opportunity again in this life.
It was not something that she could get over, nor would she ever be able to do so. Death may have been the natural way of things, but it was not something she could easily deal with. Her mother had been kind and caring, showering both her daughters with an unconditional love. And now… The dewott shook her head, tears forming once again.
Omar was walking towards the dock, a plastic bag in hand, and Krystal sped towards him. The human joined her on the ground, and she in turn sat on his leg, placing her head against his chest. "Are you doing alright today?" he asked.
"How could I be? My mom is…"
"I… I was hoping you were feeling a bit better…"
"I don't think I'll ever get 'better' - how could I?" she said with a sniff. Of course, he didn't have a response to that. It had been the question that she had tried to find an answer to ever since her mother's death.
"I guess… you can't ever really move on past all the pain, but… well, like I've said before - your sister and I are both here to help you out."
"You've helped me so much in the past," Krystal said. "I wouldn't be lying if I told you that you were my best friend. Well… my only friend, but I care for you greatly. There's nothing you can do about this, though…" Well, that wasn't entirely true, as she and her sister had discussed a few nights before.
"Well I'm here to try. I did bring lunch, if you'd like to eat." Perhaps the meal would help to take her mind off of things. That and she was hungry, having been far to miserable to eat most days. But whatever he'd purchased smelled really good, and she nodded. "Good. I stopped by a cafeteria on my way up here. I heard that they made a really good fish pakora, so I got you that." He opened the white container, and she looked at it curiously.
"That's… fish?" she asked. The meat was in round pieces, each coated with a red powder of some sort.
"Yeah, they fry it. I didn't think about that, actually - you've never had it fried before. Well, I'm sure you'll like it." She grabbed a piece and looked at it, before taking an experimental bite. More flavors than she had ever imagined flooded her taste buds, and instantly she loved it. "Guess that answers that question," Omar said as she took a much larger bite, finishing the piece altogether. He took a bite of his own meal, which was probably the most bizarre food item she'd ever seen before.
"What… is that?"
"It's a burger. They're really good, but it's a totally different type of meat. It comes from a cow instead."
"Really? Why would anyone wanna eat that?"
"It's actually really good. Try it." He held the burger to where she could take a bite, and she sniffed it before doing just that. She chewed it slowly. It was… different. There was something kinda red coming out from it that tasted pretty good, but as for the meat itself, she much rather preferred to stick to her own.
"Mmm, not my favorite," she said.
"Yeah, I could tell that by the way your face scrunched up," he said with a grin. "Anyways, don't forget dessert." She hadn't noticed it before, but there was a chocolate bar in the bag - the same exact brand that he'd gotten for her all these years. She smiled back, and the two of them continued to eat. Throughout their meal, though, Krystal's mind was racing. He must have realized, too, as he set the half-eaten burger down. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No," she said, taking another bite of the fish. "I'm just thinking…"
"What about?" She made eye contact.
"I… I get why you returned the first time, but… why have you kept coming back these three years?" He flashed her a puzzled expression, clearly taken back by the question.
"What makes you ask that?"
"Did you… feel like you owed me something?" Krystal asked.
"Well… I mean I kinda wanted to tell you how grateful I was. But I wanted to come see you…"
"Why though? Why would you want to come see me?"
"What kind of a question is that? Who wouldn't want to see you? You're an awesome person, and I… right from the start, I knew that I wanted to know you better. You ended up becoming my best friend, and now I can't even imagine a life without you in the picture." He… really? Then maybe that little question in the back of her mind might be worth asking. "Why would you ask something like that?"
"I just… I guess I was curious…"
"What's going on, Krystal? You know you can tell me what's up." She looked at him, unsure whether or not to say it. But as uncertain as she was about the issue at hand, she figured that she might as well go for it.
"Well… my sister and I were talking the other day. She has a mate and two children of her own, now, and… she's been taking care of me. We are… both of the same age, but I am poor at hunting, combat… really, just about everything. I can't allow her to worry herself with her pathetic sister while she tries to maintain her own family…"
"First of all, I don't ever wanna hear you talk about yourself like that again. But what are you getting on about? If you can't hunt, then what's your plan?"
"I was thinking… maybe…" Now that she had actually gotten this far, Krystal had trouble getting the words out. "Maybe w-we could…"
"Of course, Krystal," he said, much to her surprise. "I've always loved our time together, and you have always been welcome at my place." She hugged him tightly, forgetting that her paws were coated with the powdered seasoning, which was now on his shirt. "I mean, if that's what you were going for, that is…"
"…I-It was," she said timidly.
"To be honest with you, I was kinda thinking the same thing. But I didn't want to say anything about it. I mean… it wouldn't have been the time at all…" She couldn't help but smile, happy beyond words. At least one thing had gone right…
"Does… it require one of those balls?" the dewott asked.
"Well, kinda… I mean I'd definitely think that it's best to have a ball for you. But I'd never really have you in it. Most trainers only use 'em in emergencies."
"I see," Krystal said quietly. "My sister and I… we talked for several hours two nights ago - about this. I… could we visit her often?"
"Well yeah. I'm not gonna take you off to some secluded part of the city and separate you from your family. You're free to come and go as you see fit. I think you've got a misunderstanding of what trainers are like. Y'all aren't prisoners," he joked.
"That's good to hear." She had finished the rest of her food, and she set the light box over to the side. The water-type just hoped that she wasn't too much of a bother to her new trainer, being that he'd be more or less completely providing for her. "…Thank you Omar. For everything. I just wish… that I had some way to repay you for all that you've done…"
"Aw, you just being in my life is payment enough," he said with a laugh. "I'm glad I've got a friend like you, Krystal." The two of them hugged, to which the dewott nuzzled him appreciatively. Throughout all this, he had been her base of support - her shoulder to cry on. He had already done so much for her, and she was grateful that Arceus had given her such a friend.
— — — — —
Omar
— — — — —
Looking back, all of it seemed so long ago. Now he was nineteen and living on his own. Well, him and Krystal, of course. She had stuck at his side ever since then, and the two had become nearly inseparable. Both of them had grown a little more, too. He was now six feet tall and around a hundred eighty pounds, and she had become quite large for a dewott, though he attributed that to her near-inability to evolve. She was almost 3'4, making her about seventy pounds in weight.
He was still working at Silverridge Resort at this point, making nearly twenty an hour. While it wasn't what many would consider a major career choice, it paid enough for the two of them to be comfortable and rent an apartment in an area that was safe. It was a good thing that a dewott didn't cost a whole lot to take care of.
The pool was fairly large for a private one. It had a very amorphous shape to it, with three major sections branching outwards. One of them was only four feet deep for people who mainly wanted to fool around, and out towards the center, the depth reached five and a half feet. One of the other three sections was separated off, with a small set of fountains shooting upwards. Over there, the water level was merely eighteen inches deep, being a section for the children to play. More often than not, if he needed to jump in, that would be where it occurred.
The resort was definitely intended for wealthier guests, as one could easily tell upon seeing it. The pool area was always kept immaculate, and the stone used for much of the construction was smooth granite. The one other staff member that was generally working was Bryce, who ran the outdoor bar, which doubled as a grill. That seemed to be more of an attraction than the pool. In that area also happened to be several wooden tables, each with large umbrellas overhead.
The job itself was easy enough, too. He mainly needed to be ready in the case that someone needed help, which actually wasn't all that often in his experience. He'd done numerous different rescues over the years and had received his certification in CPR, and there hadn't been any cases on his watch in which an ambulance was needed. And to think that it had all started with him nearly drowning himself. It was a funny thought, but it was true nonetheless. Omar had wanted to help out others similarly to how Krystal had helped him. And speaking of the dewott…
She was reclined back in the beach chair, sitting quietly in the shade. Her eyes having been closed for about thirty minutes now, and Omar assumed that she had drifted off. He was glad that his boss had allowed him to bring Krystal along for his shifts. While he wasn't allowed to really speak with her much while on the clock, as it could distract him from his duty as a lifeguard, it still helped him feel not as alone.
As for her wellbeing, Krystal had coped with the death of her mother as one would expect. It had been about two years since, and the breakdowns had become pretty infrequent. It still struck a painful cord within her, but the dewott was doing a lot better than she had been when they had first partnered up. He could remember holding her on the bed as she cried, and those were times that the both of them likely wished that they could forget. But it was all in the past now.
Omar quickly looked over the resort's pool, finding there to be only three people swimming. Just about everyone that came to Silverridge was pretty well-off, and his services were very rarely used. Generally it was a child that fell in due to a parent not watching them well enough. But today had been a pretty uneventful day. Though the temperature was fine for such an activity, it seemed that nobody really wanted to go swimming. Of course, he was completely fine with that.
Krystal shifted onto her side, and her eyes slowly opened. The trainer stared at the dewott's sleek form while she yawned. "Did you have a nice nap?" he asked.
"No, not really," she mumbled. "I couldn't get comfortable."
"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. Well, luckily for you, our couch is waiting for us. About time to go."
"Thankfully," she said, before sitting up. He had to admit, she looked a little silly in the small sunglasses she wore. They were meant for a human child, but she had taken to wearing them, which he thought was adorable. A dewott wearing bright pink sunglasses, complete with cheap plastic diamonds on the side. She must have noticed his goofy smile. "Hey, my shades are fine!"
"Oh I know. Anything you'd wear would be fine." She looked away timidly, then grabbed the decorative pillow from the chair and tossed it at him. He laughed, then scooped her up in his arms. "Silly little girl."
"Not so little anymore," she replied, but ended up nuzzling his cheek affectionately. With everything that had happened between the two of them, Omar couldn't imagine life without her now. That hadn't stopped him from wishing that their partnership had occurred under more ideal circumstances, but there was no changing that anymore. He was just glad that she seemed to be dealing with it better.
What had begun to confuse him, however, was the dewott's mannerisms. Over the past couple of months, these gestures had become the norm for them. Not that he was complaining - far from it, actually. He found it rather sensual, and enjoyable at that, but he couldn't help but wonder why the amount of these affectionate actions had begun to increase.
"You know, I think we should do something tonight," he stated.
"L-like what?"
"I dunno, you pick. We could make fish if you'd like."
"Ohh, I like the sound of that. Maybe some salmon and a movie?" she asked. "That's always nice…"
"Whatever you say, Krystal." He tapped her lightly on the nose, causing the water-type to giggle. "Arceus, I love hearing you laugh." She assumed her shy demeanor once again, but he wasn't having it. "Aww, wasn't trying to make you feel embarrassed or anything. You're just too damn cute."
"S-stop it…"
"Mkay."
With his shift over, Omar packed up his stuff and put his shirt back on, before switching up with his replacement - a guy by the name of Jared. With Krystal eagerly following behind, the two of them got into his car and left.
While he was driving to the grocery store, Omar had thought back to the times where he'd walk in to get the pills, before making the trip to the port. He just felt sorry that he couldn't have done more. If only the samurott had reached her resolve just a few days earlier. Perhaps they could have saved her. But there was nothing they could do now.
Once they pulled into the parking lot, Omar stepped out, and Krystal followed quickly behind, hopping out his side. He began running through the few items they'd need, both for dinner and around the house in general. Fortunately, he had partnered up with a pokémon that didn't require much in the way of provisions, which was why he was able to afford it. He had no clue how career trainers were able to do it. Especially for those 400 pound dragons…
Then again, he would hardly consider himself a trainer. Krystal hadn't battled a single time since she'd been with him, as she didn't seem to like it. He didn't have a problem with that, though, since he never wanted her around for that purpose. No, they were with one another because they were friends, not for fighting.
She perked up upon reaching the deli, standing as tall as possible to try and see the various fish. He laughed, seeing as to how she was still a good foot or so away from being able to do that. "Come here." He hoisted her up by her waist, hugging her against his chest.
"That one," she said, pointing to the front slab of salmon. It looked to be around a pound, so that would run him about Ᵽ20. Fortunately they had the spices and other ingredients for the meal already at the house. Omar signaled the deli worker - Mr. Carter - who approached the pair, knowing them quite well after all this time.
"What'll it be today?" he asked. The man was in his sixties and had worked in this store ever since it was built. Omar had known him ever since his parents took him shopping here, and surely it must have been interesting for the older man to have watched the boy grow up and start his own life.
"That slab of salmon right there," Omar said, pointing to the one that Krystal had indicated. He wrapped it up within the plastic package before setting it on the counter.
"Well alright then. You two take care, now. Come see me again."
It wasn't long before they had left the store, both of them anticipating the night to come.
— — — — —
Krystal
— — — — —
The dewott sat on the couch beside her trainer, having finished her meal already. Not that she had really been able to savor it, much to her sadness. But her thoughts had been running rampant lately, and she could already tell that it was going to be one of those nights. Krystal sighed quietly, trying to make it seem as though she were paying attention to the movie. In reality, though, the only thing on her mind was Omar's little action from earlier.
While he was preparing dinner, she had been watching and pitching in where she could. But one thing had led to another, and they were talking over just a few of their happy times, and laughing, and… She had hugged him, and he responded with a quick peck to her head. It was something that he'd done several times in the past, and each time she tried to act as though it wasn't a big deal. After all, it was very common for trainers to have such gestures with their pokémon - even disregarding the gender of both. But she wished desperately that it there was more to it than just that.
It had taken her some time to come to the realization. At first, she had fought against it. What would her mother have thought? What would her sister think? And it just seemed so… weird. And yet despite all that, she still knew how she felt. The samurott had stated that he would have been a prime candidate for a mate had he not been human, but at this point, Krystal couldn't care less. He had devoted everything he could into helping them out in their time of need, and despite all that had happened, not once had Omar ever asked for anything in return.
When she had devoted serious thought to it, Krystal found herself unable to come up with any other explanation. The way he spoke to her, looked at her… how he held her close. Even now, she was experiencing that, trying to play everything off as though she weren't about to lose her mind. The two of them were laying on the couch, and he had an arm around her, hugging her against himself. It had been something that they'd done for awhile, but now that she knew of these feelings…
And to make matters worse, there was absolutely nothing she could do about the matter. Every time she even thought about bringing up the issue, she found herself nearly immobilized and unable to utter a single word. She was far too reserved to just go and say something like that.
The television had been nothing but background noise to her thoughts. He… he takes care of everything… and I just sit here… She had felt bad about it in the past, but Omar had always assured her that it wasn't a problem - that her simply being there was payment enough. Of course, that answer only served to further convince her of these feelings. Why can't this be easy? she thought to herself.
"You okay there, Krystal? You've been awful quiet…"
"Yeah, I'm fine… Just a bit tired." Of course, that wasn't the case at all. She hadn't really done much of anything all day aside from lounge around.
"Gotcha. Well, if you'd like, we could head to bed. Gettin' a bit sleepy myself."
"Th-that would be nice," she stuttered. Omar sat up, and as usual, lifted her up with him. The human hugged her against his chest as he walked back towards their bedroom. Of course, that only took a few seconds. Being in a city, the apartment was pretty small, but with just the two of them, they didn't exactly need much. He took her into the bathroom where the two of them brushed their teeth, then onto the bed.
At this point, the dewott always burrowed underneath the covers. Two years of being with him - and six of knowing him - and she still hadn't managed to get used to this part. But that didn't stop the human from draping an arm over her form, causing her cheeks to become warm. Their life together had been a complicated rollercoaster ride for her. He was always so sweet to her, and he didn't seem to have a mean streak in him at all. But then he'd go and do something like this, and the feelings would resurface once again. And to make matters worse, she had found herself unknowingly reciprocating the affections. Her mind and body were pulling her in two different directions; no doubt learning of his pokémon's feelings for him would cause a very strange tension between Omar and her.
So she had restrained from saying anything. Then again, it wasn't like she could manage to say anything to begin with. Krystal wished that she was more like her sister, who lacked these social fears completely. The samurott had been very successful in her own relationship, and part of the dewott envied her for that. Why hadn't she been able to evolve, or talk to others without the timidity of a pup? It just wasn't fair at all. Her entire life, she had felt like a parasite, living off of the goodwill of others, her family at first, and now Omar. But each time she had stated something along the lines of that idea, he would tell her that she was perfect, and the best part of his life. It made her want to act on her affections.
Krystal just wished that it would end. But she couldn't risk losing what they already had over what might not be. Most humans had really good bonds with their pokémon. But it was so much more than that to her, and that was perhaps what hurt the most about all of this.
Omar had already fallen asleep, and she shifted slightly closer. Well, so close and yet so far away. But this would have to do for now.
— — — — —
Omar
— — — — —
The following day was far more eventful, but that was to be expected on a Saturday. The weekends always brought more people, and though Omar generally didn't work them, he was filling in for Jared, who usually had the Saturday shift. Not that he minded at all, as the overtime pay was pretty hard to turn down. Since there were a couple dozen people around the pool, he had to remain far more attentive to the crowd. He knew from personal experience that it only took a moment for something to go horribly wrong.
Krystal knew this, and she remained off to the side so as not to distract him. Of course, if someone was ever in danger, she would spring up and help wherever possible. But that didn't keep his mind from wandering back towards the dewott. She had been acting very strange as of lately. One minute they could be cuddling happily, and the next she would fall silent, assuming a far more shy demeanor. He'd be lying if he said he fully understood the water-type. But she was the greatest thing to happen to him, and he just wanted her to be happy. Though it definitely piqued his curiosity as to why she seemed to be acting so peculiar as of recently.
And had his job been more eventful, then perhaps he would have been able to keep his mind off the topic. But as a lifeguard, Omar basically needed to sit around all day with nothing to do just so he could be ready to intervene in the off chance that someone who couldn't swim fell into the pool. It was anything but a difficult work, but it surely wasn't active, either. Of course, there was his lunch break, in which everyone would need to get out of the pool for fifteen minutes. Maybe it would be worth bringing up the topic then. The last thing he wanted was for things to be awkward between the two of them.
Noon eventually rolled around, and as expected his services hadn't been needed. He blew the whistle, causing for everyone to get out of the pool, giving him the much appreciated lunch break. Krystal joined him at the bar, where the two of them ordered their respective meals. One of the perks of this job was the discount on the food, which the two of them definitely took advantage of. Once they had gotten their food, they headed over to one of the small, circular tables with a bright yellow umbrella overhead.
"Hey," Omar said, halfway through his meal, "I've kinda been thinking a bit. Is everything okay between the two of us?" She looked up at him questioningly.
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well, I mean you've been acting a bit off, that's all. I just wanted to make sure everything's alright."
"Well… y-yeah. It's fine…" He definitely wasn't buying that, but he wasn't about to pressure her into an answer. Omar just wished that he knew whatever it was that was troubling her. He was her best friend, was he not? The dewott could trust him to help her however he could.
"Alright then. Just promise me you'll let me know if something's wrong?" he asked.
"S-sure thing…" Omar sighed inwardly, knowing that she was withholding something from him. He wasn't trying to pry in the slightest, but seeing her on edge like this was concerning him.
Once his lunch break was over, and several people were already pushing their luck, stepping into the pool without being told to, Omar left Krystal to herself, resuming his fairly uneventful job. He just hoped that whatever was troubling her would stop.
. . . . .
Omar stood up, stretching out once his shift ended. Just as always, he was more than a little ready to clock out, and the next lifeguard had already arrived to take his place. The water-type also took notice of the time and had sprung to her feet as well, probably feeling the same way.
But he had something else in mind aside from just leaving. All sorts of events went on within the resort on Saturdays. Sometimes there were tournaments, even, and those were always entertaining. Other than that, there were several great dining facilities, each of which he got the same discount at. Maybe having a little bit of fun was what she needed. The dewott trotted up to his side near the gate towards the resort, looking at him inquisitively. Usually they exited out the other side, after all.
"What do you say to sticking around for a few hours? Maybe just see what's going on inside?"
"Oh, uh… okay then."
"You don't seem too sure," Omar replied.
"No, it's just… what do you want to do?" she asked.
"I dunno. We don't always have to have a plan, right?"
"I guess not."
Aside from the filled parking lot, cars were surrounding the resort, letting him know that something was going on here for sure. He generally never kept up with Silverridge's events, but this certainly had his curiosity piqued. "Wonder what's going on in there…"
"It… looks like a lot of people…" she murmured. At first, she had disliked large crowds of people, but after all this time, she was able to manage it, so long as he was with her. But being on her own in the midst of great amounts of people had made her anxious a time or two in the past when one of them had accidentally wandered off.
"Hey, I'm right here," he said, placing his hand lightly on her shoulder.
Once they'd entered the side of the building, it didn't take long to figure out what all the commotion was about. People were lined up towards the arena, leading him to believe that it was something battle-related. The double doors were held open, and people had filled up nearly every seat inside of the facility.
"Hey there, mind telling me what's going on?" Omar asked a blonde woman in her forties.
"I'm surprised you haven't heard," she replied.
"Yeah, me too, considering I work here," he said with a laugh.
"Well, the champion has come for a visit. A few of the local trainers are battling him in six one-on-one matches. I was able to book my tickets about a week ago."
"Oh, I see. I wish I'd have known about it - I might've bought two myself. It's always fun to watch Leo's pokémon go at it."
"Of course," the woman said with a laugh. Omar noticed the line was moving forward, with the people handing their tickets to the receptionist beside the doors.
"Well, I'll leave ya to it. Have fun, alright?"
"Will do," she said with a smile.
With that idea out of question, the two of them ended up in one of the restaurants within the resort. Even though they didn't have tickets to the event, it was still airing on the local channel, and Krystal and Omar watched as Leo Browning leveled all six of the challengers that came up against him. He had yet to lose a match during his reign, which was an impressive accomplishment within such a competitive league. But perhaps that was to be expected for someone who devoted their entire life to the position.
Their food came, and they each went about eating. The resort always had good food, and perhaps that would be enough to lighten her mood up a bit. He rubbed her head softly, causing the dewott to purr as he ran his fingers through her fur. Omar had come to know exactly where she liked being rubbed after all this time, and it was something that he definitely took advantage of. Seeing her content just felt right.
"Come on," he said, once it was late in the evening. "We might wanna get home. That is, if we're gonna go to the service tomorrow morning."
"Oh… sure thing." He helped her down from the booth, and they were on their way. The two of them headed out towards the side parking lot, which was small and secluded - intended for the usage of staff only.
"Did you have a good time tonight?" he asked.
"Of course. We always have fun," the water-type replied.
"Well we try our best, don't we?" He put his arm on her shoulder and gently pulled her closer, to which she hugged him in response. The vehicles had come into sight, including the resort owner's sleek convertible. Omar's car was parked on the other end, and kind of stuck out from the rest, being an older model and used when he had bought it. But in his opinion, all that mattered was the fact that it worked.
He was standing beside the dark blue Chevy, fishing through his pockets for his keys when he heard the click. They both turned to their side, seeing the origin of the source. A man wearing a dark hoodie was approaching them, holding a switchblade in his right hand. "Let's just get this over with," the man said. "I want your wallet and keys now." Omar was starting to panic, never imagining that something like this would happen to him - and here of all places! Krystal cowered behind him, terrified of the situation even more.
"W-why are you doing this?" Omar asked.
"Because I've got shit to pay for too, kid. Now fucking hand it over."
"I don't have a wallet on me… I don't keep one."
"Bullshit. Empty your fucking pockets." He did as he was told, the only thing on his person being his cell phone and his keys. The robber snatched them both from him. As much as he wanted to do something - to fight back - it wasn't worth either of them getting hurt. He was just hoping that it would all be over, and for a moment, it had seemed like it was so. But then the man spoke again. "The translator too." He felt a knot in his stomach, but Omar turned around slowly.
"N-no…" Krystal said, backing up. "You… you got this for me…"
"Krystal… do what he says. It can be replaced."
"I'd listen to him. I don't have a damn problem cutting you up either."
"Please, Krystal… just give it to him…" The dewott had tears in her eyes, but her paws eventually went up towards the collar. Apparently it wasn't fast enough for the criminal's liking.
"For fuck's sake, bitch - I don't have time for this!" He shoved Omar backwards, nearly causing him to trip. He grabbed the car to prevent himself from falling over, but the water-type hadn't reacted at all. She squealed as the man lifted her up by her throat, slamming her into the vehicle, and the lifeguard immediately snapped.
"Don't you fucking touch her!" he yelled, tackling the aggressor to the ground. He punched the man in the face with whatever strength he could muster, repeatedly connecting his fist with the robber's jaw. On the third strike, he felt the blade sink in. Though the pain was nullified, Omar felt the foreign object in his abdomen, and he jumped back in fear. The switchblade somehow came out completely clean, and the man was regaining his bearings much faster than Omar liked.
He pulled himself up using the car, then tried to punch the man once more. The criminal blocked his arm and thrust the knife forward. Omar tried to dodge it, but it was no use - the blade stuck into his shoulder, barely missing his throat. This time, he felt it, and every fiber of his being wanted to scream out in pain.
"Should've just fucking listened, kid," the man said, panting heavily. He shoved Omar down, and the trainer crawled back, seeing the dewott look at him in terror.
"R-run…" he managed to say, but she stood there, completely paralyzed. "Pl-please…" he stammered. Omar looked at her, lacking any hope of getting out of this. He just hoped that she could.
A gunshot caught everyone's attention, and the robber froze up. A series of shots were fired, and Omar could barely see as one impacted his side, causing the man stumble. Panicking, he ditched the robbery attempt and fled into the night as fast as he could. Omar remained on all fours, watching as his blood fell to the ground. He heard footsteps approaching, and slowly looked over his shoulder. Jared was standing there, a pistol in his hand.
"Th…" Omar fell onto the ground, lacking the strength to support himself.
"Fuck!" he heard Jared yell. "Stay with me!" And as much as he wanted to, Omar found his vision blurring. The last thing he remembered was Krystal crying, holding him for dear life.
. . . . .
Somewhere along the ride, he came to, with several people in the large vehicle. His shirt had been cut off, and he noticed an IV had been stuck into his arm. He immediately groaned from the fiery pain lancing through his wounds, the adrenaline having worn off by now. But the medics aboard weren't frantically going about in an effort to save him. That had to be one good sign, at least. It wasn't long before he lost consciousness again.
. . . . .
Omar woke up, wondering where he was. The room was dimly lit, and his body was slightly inclined against the bed. Ugh, what the hell… He looked around, immediately realizing that he was in a hospital. Shit, that's right… He looked down at his chest, noticing that he was bandaged up. The throbbing had subsided some, but that might just be pain medication. The trainer couldn't deny the fact that he'd been lucky in spite of things; his injuries certainly could've been a lot worse. Had it not been for Jared…
He shifted, getting ready to sit up, but felt something against his side. Looking down, he saw his dewott hugging against his form, and he gently stroked her head. Omar noticed that the bed was moist around her head, and her fur was matted. He continued to pet her until her eyes slowly opened. "Hey…"
"Omar!" She pressed her muzzle into his unwounded shoulder, trying to keep herself from crying.
"Hey now… it's alright…"
"I was… so scared," she said with a sniff. "I thought that y-you… you would…"
"Nah, I think you're stuck with me for awhile longer."
— — — — —
Krystal
— — — — —
It had been a week since that incident, and she had counted herself more than lucky. Omar's stitches had been removed, leaving two small scars in place of where the knife had gone in. The criminal, on the other hand, had passed out from blood loss in his attempted escape, and was taken to the hospital before being arrested. And her trainer had already toyed with the idea of getting a gun himself as a result of the robbery. Krystal didn't exactly know what to think about that, but one thing was for certain: she never wanted to be in a situation like that again.
She had felt the same level of terror upon finding out that her mother had died. Even though the EMTs had assured her that he would be alright throughout the ride back, she had panicked upon seeing his clothing covered in blood. Her entire world felt like it had fallen out from beneath her.
Now, though, everything was as it should be. Well, except for one thing. But she didn't know if she had the courage to go forward with the issue. She hadn't in the past, and aside from the near-death experience, she doubted that she did now. But Krystal was determined to at least make an attempt, whatever that would look like…
Truth was, she had tried to bring up the topic a few times prior. But she would always find herself stumbling over her words, never actually making it close to the confession. Why had she been cursed with such timidity? This was Omar of all people! And yet, that was exactly the problem. If she happened to be wrong about all this - if she screwed this up - then it might spawn an uncomfortable tension within the relationship she treasured most. That very risk may have been what intervened in those past cases. But today she would try. Or at least, that was what she kept telling herself…
She was blankly staring out the window as they drove back from the hospital. "So what's the plan for tonight?" he asked. Somehow, despite sporting two new scars, he seemed to be the happier of the two.
"I-I don't know…"
"Oh come on," he said, stopping at one of the endless red lights within the city. "You've gotta have some idea." Well of course, she did. But how to even approach that subject was far beyond her. She could feel her cheeks grow warm from the thoughts. Nothing too much - she just wanted to snuggle into him and tell him how she felt. Then maybe they could take things a step further, and… "You okay there?"
"Eep!" she shrieked.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you… I just saw you staring off into space…"
"It's… it's okay…"
"Is something wrong?"
"No," she said unconvincingly. "Not at all. I just… I guess I'm a bit tired." In a way, she was, too. She was tired of all this self-doubt, but yet she couldn't seem to help it.
"So, are you still gonna love me with these scars?" he asked jokingly.
"O-of course…" Hearing that, though, was perhaps the most frustrating part. He'd told her he loved her countless times. But he didn't mean it - not like she did, at least.
"That's good to hear." The light turned green, and the car sped up once again. Thankfully it was early in the afternoon, as the five o' clock traffic here was unbelievably slow.
They eventually pulled up into the apartment complex. Once they entered their home, Krystal headed for the couch. She had no clue how she would go about bringing the topic up, or how she'd keep her calm throughout such a matter. That feeling of doubt was still in the back of her mind - that would likely remain for some time, too.
He set his keys down onto the counter and headed to the bedroom, returning with his laptop. "I was browsing around a bit earlier, and I think I might've found something."
"Oh? What is it?" she asked. He sat beside her, opening the laptop. Once the screen popped up, she wordlessly looked at it. "O-oh…"
"I know you aren't a big fan of the idea, but… I'm not about to let something like that happen again. If it hadn't been for Jared… I think I'd have ended up in the ground instead of a hospital." She had to agree with that, though she shuttered seeing that she was staring at a pistol on the screen. But the dewott would need to accept the fact that sometimes the world was dangerous. And she certainly didn't want her Omar getting hurt like that again.
"Yeah… I know…"
"Anyways, I'll probably pick it up next month."
"I see… Well, please be careful with it…"
"You know I will. But enough of that. I've kinda been wanting to talk to you, you know."
"What about?" she asked.
"Well… you. I mean you can't expect me to actually believe that everything is completely fine. This has been like… one of the longest conversations we've had in a month. But you won't tell me what's going on…" She averted her gaze. What little bit of a plan she'd had had just gone out the window, and now she wasn't in much of a position to hide, other than to just tell him the same lie: that absolutely nothing was wrong. Of course he wasn't convinced - she was horrible at lying. She didn't know why she'd thought that she'd be able to stall this along indefinitely.
"I don't… I don't know if I…" She looked up at him, fighting the urge to tremble. "I can't…"
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No! Not at all…"
"Then what gives? You can always talk with me about anything…" Omar said. He sounded slightly taken back, even.
"It's just… I'm sorry Omar…" She had expected this talk to have started out differently - to maybe have actually been ever-so-slightly assertive, even. But reality came back down, and just like every time before, it put her in a position in which she didn't know what to do. But what she didn't expect was for him to pick her up and hug her against him.
"It's okay…" he whispered. "If it's something you'd rather keep to yourself, then I won't pry." He kissed her head softly - as he always did - and she shuttered. How she wished it had been on her mouth instead… If only she had the forwardness of her sister - she would definitely have been able to take control of the situation then. "I love you," he said. But he didn't mean it like she wanted.
"I… I love you, Omar." She froze up, having said it far slower than she intended. She just hoped he hadn't caught on.
"What?" By the sound of his voice, Krystal could tell that she had unknowingly given herself up. The panic began to set in once again - this wasn't at all how things were supposed to go! Maybe he would let it slip by… "Krystal… did… did you mean that? I mean… how I think you did?" She looked down, but there was no way out now.
"I… I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The tears were starting to well up in her eyes. "I know… I know it's weird… I'm so sorry…" Now it was Omar's turn to look away, trying to process it all.
"Well… I didn't think anyone would feel like that. Not about me…" The dewott still didn't know what to say, though a multitude of thoughts were going through her head, embarrassment being the prominent one.
"P-please… please don't… be mad…"
"Mad? Why would I be mad?" She looked at him questioningly, and he shook his head. "You've been the greatest thing ever to happen to me. And besides… I can't be upset about that. Not when I feel the same way." What?
"Y-you do?" she asked, not believing what she was hearing.
"Yeah. I… haven't really known how to go about telling you or anything, but… I've felt something for about two years now."
"Omar…"
"I know, I probably should've said something, but I didn't want to risk it. I… I couldn't tell if it was what you wanted." She didn't know what to do at this point, but the water-type finally managed to look up at him once again.
"And… you don't care? About me being a pokémon?" Krystal asked.
"Not really, no. I mean it's not something to be scared of anymore. It's not super uncommon, and things have gotten better with it. I'm not sure how I feel about Clemmons, but… that's one thing she did right. I think the other dude might have made all this illegal," Omar joked. "But aside from all that, I'd be fine being with you even if half the country was getting ready to kick our door down. You're worth it."
"Thank you, Omar. I-I love you…" And this time, she was free to say it how she truly meant it. And that felt great.
"And I love you, Krystal." She nuzzled him appreciably, before making eye contact.
"S-so what does this mean now?"
"Well… I dunno. I didn't think we'd make it to this point…" A small grin spread across her face, and she responded with a nervous laugh.
"Me n-neither. But… we could always st…start with something…" Krystal trailed off, unable to complete her sentence. At first it had been from her nerves, but now it was because she was happier than she'd ever been.
"Sure - if that's what you want, that is…" he said.
All the pent up emotions had begun the process of releasing themselves. Neither of them knew who started the motion, but before Krystal had known it, the couple had closed the tiny bit of distance still between them, pressing their lips together softly. Her arms shot to his side as she struggled not to fall into him. This is… actually happening! she thought. He rubbed along her sides as he kissed the pokémon, causing her to release a pleasured squeal.
Once they eventually separated, the dewott managed to make eye contact with him, smiling shyly, but unable to withhold the giggle.
— — — — —
Omar
— — — — —
It had been about two weeks since their confession, and he couldn't be happier. There didn't seem to be a moment where the two were in private that they weren't all over each other. The two of them were currently cuddling on the bed, and he was about ready to turn in for the night. At least the following day was Saturday, and this time, he wasn't filling in for Jared. That meant sleeping late with his newfound love.
Speaking of which, Krystal had decided to nuzzle his neck. "Sweet girl." He returned suit, and before either of them knew it, they were drawn in to a gentle lip-lock. He had known for some time that he had feelings for her, and for everything to have worked out like it did was more than he could have asked for. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you more," she teased.
"Alright, whatever you say." Omar grasped her smaller figure, loving how her fur felt against his chest. She seemed to take notice of this and snuggled into his body. "You play dirty, you know that?"
"I do my best," she replied.
"I never thought that… well, things would turn out like this…" Omar stated. "But here we are…" He looked her in the eyes, meaning every word from the bottom of his heart. "You've made me a very happy guy, Krystal."
"I could say the same about you. All those years… you came to help us. You never wanted anything in return, and I… I couldn't imagine a better m-mate than you…" He could see that she had trouble saying the words, but this time, the timidity was paired with a sheepish grin.
"So we're mates now, huh?"
"Well… wouldn't that be what you call it?" Krystal asked.
"I suppose so. Though that kinda leads to some other implications."
"Y-yeah… I guess…"
"Hey, no need to get all shy on me now. We were literally just making out."
"I… I know. It's just…"
"Oh, the whole 'mate' part…" She nodded. Of course, I should have known… The dewott was far too reserved to start on a subject like that. It had taken everything within her to hold it together when the two of them had confessed, so asking to take things to the next level was probably far beyond what her nerves would allow for. That would leave things to him, and he wasn't quite sure himself of asking something of the sort. "I mean… did you… want to?"
"I-I… kinda…" she said quietly.
"If you don't want to, I have no problem waiting…" he said. "I'm not exactly in a rush for something like that to happen. But I don't want you feeling like you've got to hesitate to ask me for anything."
"I know…" Krystal replied. He held her close, and the dewott remained still. Her breathing was quick and frantic, and Omar could feel her heart racing. "I guess… i-if you want to try…" He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it - especially because it was with her of all people. Though he was questioning whether or not he would fit. While she may have been a big member of her species, she still was a dewott, and only a few inches more than half his height.
"Alright then. If you'd like… I could start things out." She was far too embarrassed to say anything, but a small nod was her response. He rubbed her cheek, trying to hide the fact that he himself was nervous. Neither of them had done this before, but now he was about to engage in the most sensual display of love with a pokémon. He hadn't thought about what others would think of such a thing, and if he was being honest with himself, he didn't really care.
Omar ran his hand down her side, wordlessly asking for permission. "G-go ahead," she stated, her voice barely audible. He gently trailed his fingers around the front, and it didn't take him long to brush across her slit. She made a cute little gasp in response to being touched there for the first time, and he knew that he would enjoy listening to the noises she made. Through her fur, her tiny crevasse was warm to the touch, and he prodded, feeling around for the opening. "Ahh… Omar…"
"Does that feel good?"
"Y-yes… please don't stop that…"
"Aww, is my little dewott enjoying me playing with her?" he joked.
"Omar… I-I…"
"You don't have to say a thing," he said, pecking her on the cheek. "Just enjoy yourself for me, alright?" She briskly nodded, and he trailed his finger deeply through her folds, before pushing inward. Her opening parted to make way for his digit, and immediately Krystal released a surprised squeal. Omar slowly pumped his finger in and out of her, rubbing her head with the other hand. She had a paw in front of her mouth, trying to contain the noises that he was enjoying so much. He felt her tiny sex clamping down on him, and he couldn't get over how warm her depths felt. Omar had long since been sporting an erection under his shorts, but he'd tend to that later.
A better position was definitely in order, though. He laid back, temporarily pulling his finger out of her, then picked up the confused water-type and placed her on top of his chest. With her being level with his head, the two engaged in a sweet kiss, and Omar inserted his finger once again, causing her to gasp into his mouth. He sunk in halfway past the second knuckle before feeling the barrier. Not yet, he thought. But he did retract his digit, only to add a second finger. Krystal gripped him tightly in response to the action, and her short, adorable breaths were being frantically released onto his neck. "Oh… oh Arceus…" For several minutes he went at it like that, fingering her at an increasing pace. Her juices had coated his fingers and dampened the fur around her crotch, and he was hoping that it'd be able to loosen her up for what was about to come. Though at this point, he wanted to replace his hand with his mouth.
"You ready for me to taste you?" he asked.
"I… th-that might feel n-nice…" she stammered. He drew her in for a deep kiss, and his tongue brushed across her smaller one. Omar grabbed her rear in his hands, rubbing it as they made out. With her scalchops on the dresser, he was able to run his fingers through her fur, which was something that he found himself being turned on by more and more. She gasped as he lifted her once again, this time moving her towards his head. "Wh-what are you…?"
"Like I said, I'm about to use my mouth," Omar stated. He was now able to get a good look at her folds, and she looked away in embarrassment. But he wouldn't be having any of that, and instead set her down gently. She reached out and grabbed the headboard as he began to explore her sex with his mouth. Using his thumbs, he stretched her folds to the side and wasted no time at all in licking the soft, pink flesh between. Krystal's legs nearly buckled, and she grabbed onto the headboard tighter. Fuck that's adorable, he thought as he gave small kisses to her lower lips. The dewott was releasing several high-pitched gasps in response to his treatment, and that alone was reason enough to continue. He couldn't really describe the flavor, but he found himself drawn to it solely because it was her. Omar pushed the tip of his tongue into her opening, and she pushed forward, taking him by surprise.
"Ah… it feels s-so…" Krystal was having trouble getting the words out, but she began to grind into his mouth in an effort to increase the pleasure. Deciding to use one of his thumbs to massage her clit, Omar continued to assault her flower, now able to go deeper inside. He was starting to really get into it as he clasped her rear, pulling the dewott onto him while he ate her out. Her back quickly arched when he rubbed her clit a certain way, giving him an idea. Omar withdrew his tongue from her depths and focused his efforts on the sensitive nub. The reaction was instant; Krystal's legs tightened around his face as she pushed into his mouth.
But to his surprise, Omar found her pulling away a few minutes into that treatment. He looked at her questioningly, and she was a panting mess. "What gives? Was I not doing a good job?"
"N-no… you were doing great. I just… I want to make you feel good, too…"
"Oh really? Well what do you have in mind?"
"Don't… don't girls also use their mouths?" Krystal asked.
"Yeah, that's something guys like. I've got something in mind, just bear with me a second." She stepped off of him, though her legs threatened to give way when she did. He slid his shorts down, freeing his erection in view of the dewott.
"How… how is this gonna work?" she asked. While he was average for a human, for a creature of her size it was a different story.
"I've been kinda thinking about that myself, sweetie. But I think we'll manage." At least, he hoped. Maybe he wouldn't be able to fit it all in, but no doubt they'd try. He gently set her on top of his stomach, and she got the idea. "See? This lets me keep doing what I was, too." She backed up slightly, bringing her wet folds into reach once again, and he licked down the middle, resuming his prior activity. Krystal sniffed his member, then took an experimental lick. He couldn't help but find the entire display adorable, seeing her try her best to pleasure him. While she was rapid with her tongue work, it was unrefined and sporadic. But the fact that it was her was enjoyable enough, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
In this position, he was able to access her from several different angles. While she went about coating his member in her saliva, he began sucking on her clit, prodding into her opening once again with two fingers. With his other hand, he rubbed her head as she did her best to pleasure him. Omar doubted that he'd be able to climax from that alone, but what came afterwards would surely do the trick. Krystal managed to fit the head into her tiny mouth, and her tongue licked around the tip quickly, all while she had begun to knead his shaft with her paws. Krystal was starting to get into it herself, moaning onto his manhood as she tasted it.
He sunk in to his previous depth, feeling her walls contract around his fingers. The trainer was going to have a time replacing them with his own member, seeing as to how eager her tiny body was for the intrusion. For the moment, though, he focused on his current efforts. The dewott sucked on his member with as much diligence as she could muster, and one of her paws had wandered low enough to his sack. Ah… you're not all that bad at this… What she lacked in her ability, she was doing her best to make up for in her frantic exploration of his most sensitive areas, and he was loving it.
Eventually she released his member from her mouth, and a drawn-out cry was his only indication before he felt her climax rush. He kept at her clit while the juices forced their way past his fingers, dripping down her rear and onto his face. Trying to catch her breath, she looked over her shoulder at her trainer.
"A-ah… th-that was…"
"I know," he panted, meeting her gaze. Though he hadn't yet released, Omar couldn't be happier, having pleasured the dewott that he loved. "Here, turn around."
"But you didn't…"
"That's fine. We'll get to that later. Right now, though, I just wanna hold you." She left his member, instead turning around, resting on his chest. Krystal gently rubbed the scar on his collarbone, but he wouldn't be having any of that. Omar pulled her in, placing a kiss on her lips, and she returned suit. Her smaller tongue once again caressed his, and his hands explored her body as they made out. They both lost track of time throughout the affectionate gestures. Once they had eventually parted, both were out of breath, connected by a thin strand of saliva.
"Omar… do y-you want to… you know…"
"Yeah, but is that what you want?"
"Mhm," she replied. "I just… please be gentle, okay?"
"Of course. You do know that it'll hurt some, right?" he asked.
"I… I do," she said with a nod. "But… I want you…" He stroked her cheek gently, and she nuzzled into his hand appreciatively. He would do his best to alleviate the pain, but it was going to be inevitable this time around. Omar set her on her back beside him, before crawling over her. His member was stiff as could be, and he set it on top of her folds, causing her to gasp. Something both of them had been wanting for a long time, and now it was about to happen. Grinding his manhood across the slit, he found it made easy by the sheer liquid around her sex. Hopefully that would make the journey in easier.
The grinding wasn't cutting it out for them, though, and pretty soon they both wanted to take the next step forward. He looked at her, and she nodded. "Go ahead…" She didn't sound so sure of herself, but that was likely due to her nervousness about the situation. It wouldn't be long before they would find themselves on cloud nine, but first they'd need to get past this final, most intimate point in their relationship. Wordlessly, Omar brought his thumbs to her fold, spreading them open and revealing the pink flesh again. Her opening stared back at him, and he fought the urge to put his mouth to it once more.
He carefully guided the tip towards her opening, realizing that she would have to stretch significantly to accommodate him. The second his member contacted her warmth, a feeling like no other lanced throughout him - a feeling that would increase tenfold once he was all the way in.
He gently pushed forward, and it took a moment, but he felt her sex stretch out, allowing for the head of his manhood to enter into her waiting cavern. She chirped, clearly in surprise of the sensation of being filled in such a way, and they weren't even close to done. "Ohh… it feels so… so good," she said.
"Do you want me to go in some more?" he asked.
"Yeah… just take it slow please…" Omar added a bit more of his member, and she gripped the sheets tightly with both hands. The feeling of her silky walls against him was enough to make him gasp, and he was wondering if he'd be able to last long enough inside to make her climax a second time.
He wasn't halfway through when he was stopped by the barrier. "Krystal…"
"I know," she said quietly. "B-be careful, okay?" He positioned himself directly over her, taking her paw in his hand. She nuzzled his cheek, and he decided to engage in a deep kiss to try and take her mind off of the pain. He prodded at the fleshy wall a few times, and on his third push, he felt it give way.
"Ahh!" she cried, tears beginning to well up. He remained still while she adjusted to his member, trying his best to comfort the dewott as she sobbed.
"Shh… it's okay. I'm right here," he said.
"It h-hurts," she stammered. He softly kissed her lips again, and Krystal licked him appreciatively. While she was regaining her bearings, Omar couldn't help but relish in how amazing she felt around him. Even if she couldn't take much more, he was fine with that; the fact that he was in her of all people more than made up for any size constraints.
Eventually she settled down, and, gasping for breath, nodded for him to continue. He slowly withdrew his member, the friction against her tight opening bringing him far more pleasure than he could have ever imagined. A little bit of her blood coated his now-soaked manhood, hidden from sight once again as he pushed forward inside of her. She moaned as he reached his previous point, then passed it by about an inch, deciding that this would be enough for the time being.
A pace was established, and Omar gradually removed himself from her, before pushing back in. Her legs were parted wide for him, granting him much-needed access to her flower. She took him by surprise by wrapping her arms around his head, pulling him in for a kiss as he penetrated her repeatedly. The warmth surrounding his manhood was starting to get to him, and Omar found himself gasping quietly into her mouth from the sensation. She released her hold on him, breathing heavily from their lip-lock, soaking in the ecstasy of being mated by her trainer. With what little strength she had, she wrapped around him in a loose embrace and buried her face into the crook of his neck.
"You're… really tight," Omar panted.
"Ahh… I… I think you c-can… go a bit deeper…" He wasn't about to argue, and Omar pushed forward more. When their hips were only an inch apart, she didn't tell him to stop, and cautiously he decided to try going the rest of the way. He clasped her smaller body against his as he ventured into her depths, surprised when he felt her fur on his pelvis. She had somehow managed to take him completely.
Their lovemaking consisted of long, deep thrusts on his part, and countless tiny kisses. He rubbed her paw, with the two of their appendages firmly clasping one another. Each time he hilted within the dewott, Omar fought the urge to shoot his seed into her. He decided to withdraw from her completely in an attempt to delay his rapidly approaching climax. "Why… did you stop?" she asked in disappointment.
"I'm sorry, I… I didn't want to release just yet. You feel way too good…" In the absence of his member, though, he had begun fingering her sex once again, doing his best to keep her aroused as well. When the pressure in his loins had settled down, he got an idea. "Hey, what do you say we try something else?"
"What do you have in mind?" she asked.
"Turn over - I think you'll like it." She did just that, lying face-down on the bed. Her head rested on the pillow, and he had a better view of her rear, including her smaller tail hole. Maybe one day, he mused to himself. Right now though, he lined himself up with her slit, and gently guided his member in once again. She sighed as he sunk in to the hilt, and Omar lowered himself to where his chest was touching her back, being careful not to put much weight on her. "See?"
"This is… nice," she replied. Omar slid his hands under her chest before swiftly hilting into her. Krystal bit down on the pillow, and he plowed her as quickly as he could, knowing that he was already throwing out his previous goal of lasting longer. There was no way that he would. "Mmmph!" she moaned as he continued, and the sound served to turn him on further.
"Fuck… I love you so much," he said. His member threatened to release at any moment, and by the sound of the dewott beneath him, she wasn't that far behind. Her sex was milking his member for all its worth. "I think… I think I'm close," he stated, feeling the pressure from before, only significantly stronger this time around.
"M-me too!" she said. He slammed into her, and the intensity was far too much. She clamped around him, and with a loud cry, he felt her walls contract around his member. He felt her climax spray onto him, and it was only a few moments later when he violently came inside of her. Omar clasped the dewott against him as he emptied his load into her, hilted within the water-type.
Neither of them found themselves able to speak, both being completely out of breath from the surreal experience. A light sheen could be seen on his skin, the result of him being covered in sweat from the intense activity. But words were not needed - everything had already been said. He pulled himself out of her, seeing their combined fluids drip down her slit and onto the bed. They would surely need to clean things up in the morning, but right now there were other things to focus on. Krystal turned over, her tiny chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Th-that was…"
"Amazing," he said, finishing her sentence. She briskly nodded, then raised her hands towards him. He got the message and picked her up, hugging her against his body tightly. The two looked at each other, and she smiled, pressing her lips to his. They remained like that indefinitely, losing track of time within one another's embrace. She drew back and placed her paws on his cheeks. "I love you," she said.
"You've been the best thing to ever happen to me," he replied. "Thank you, Krystal, for being in my life."
The two laid down, picking a spot that wasn't an absolute mess from their prior activity. She was snuggled into his bare body, her head pressed against his chest. The dewott fell asleep, listening to his heartbeat as he tenderly rubbed her head.
Omar felt his own eyelids becoming heavy, and knew that it wouldn't be long before he joined his lover in the realm of sleep. With a final kiss to her cheek, he drifted off, looking forward to this new chapter in their lives.
