Chapter 7: A Gut Feeling
Samantha exhaled slowly. The wet sand beneath her feet moved all around her. She could feel the water's current working against her stationary form. She was submerged up to her navel. She was wearing blue-gray swimming trunks, a skintight black top and her favorite black and blue gloves.
Around her she could see small waves. She was maybe a hundred feet away from the shore. She was at the point before the island met the ocean. The sandbar was around thirty feet long and was mostly submerged, surpassing three feet underwater at the moment before the floor sloped down.
She made sure to note the distance carefully by observing how far the island seemed from that location.
She waited as Metagross called itself out from its Pokéball. It floated in front of her. She nodded. Metagross returned the nod. It turned away from her and the island. It concentrated its energy, glowing blue in the process. The water in front of both of them began to rise. It divided into two bodies of water, each taking a specific form. One of them resembled Dragonite and the other Salamence. Once done forming, Metagross floated behind them.
Samantha stood still. The Pokémon trainer and her Pokémon stared at each other. She held her arms slightly away from her waist. In a quick motion, she chose two Pokéballs and tossed them in front of her. At the same time as her Pokémon appeared from out of their respective Pokéballs, Metagross motioned for the imposter Pokémon to charge Samantha. Before the two water forms reached her, Swampert and Flygon collided with them.
Samantha's two Pokémon forced back their opponents. Swampert used Ice Beam on the Dragonite and Flygon used Dragon Claw on the Salamence. Both dodged, which Samantha and her Pokémon were ready for.
"Switch targets!" Samantha commanded. Without wasting a moment, Swampert used Brick Break on Flygon's opponent while Flygon used Aerial Ace on Swampert's. Both of their opponents resisted the attacks. Once the attacking Pokémon's momentum was reduced, the water Pokémon sent their attackers flying back a few feet. They both charged their opponents. Before they collided, they switched targets, mimicking the real Pokémon's previous attacks. Swampert froze his foe and dodged as the ice form slammed into the water. Flygon used DragonBreath, causing his enemy to dissipate.
"This time, make four Pokémon. It'll be two-on-one battles. Flygon, move to my left. Swampert, move to my right. We'll practice our long range attacks though. I don't care if the opponent is only inches away. We need our aiming to be perfect."
Her Pokémon followed her orders. Metagross materialized four Pokémon clones. They were of an Arcanine, a Gyarados, an Absol, and a Crobat. The first two went after Flygon; the latter went against Swampert. They both utilized the various strategies Samantha had drilled into their memory. They would dodge at the last second, feint, distract, and overpower their opponents. Although neither Pokémon was meant to excel at speed, they both showed agility in their movements and attacks. It took them only a few minutes to stop Metagross's creations.
Once they finished, she motioned for them to move closer to the sandbar. The water was now shallow, only reaching Samantha's knees. She called out Absol. "This time, you three," she motioned to Absol, Swampert, and Flygon, "will take on Metagross. We will practice our guerrilla tactics first. Then we'll work on lowering the opponent's health with a variety of elemental attacks. Finally, two of you will distract Metagross while the third readies the finishing blow. Now before we begin…" Samantha motioned to Metagross. Using Psychic, Metagross picked up her bag that she had left on the dry sand. The distance wasn't a problem for Metagross; they had trained with heavier weight at longer distances.
Inside the bag were several Max Potions. Samantha sprayed a different one on each Pokémon. Done, she draped her bag over her shoulder. "Alright, you can start."
Absol was the first to reach Metagross. Absol's blade was glowing. His Megahorn was parried with Metagross's Metal Claw. A second Metal Claw stopped Swampert's Brick Break. Iron Defense made Flygon's Dragon Claw ineffective.
Before any of Metagross's opponents could retaliate, it used Shadow Ball on the water. Although the water level was shallow, it made enough water to splash. Flygon used Aerial Ace in unison with Absol's Dark Pulse and Swampert's Ice Beam. Metagross planned on stopping all three with Psychic. Anticipating this, Flygon canceled, moved back, and used Solarbeam instead. Ice Beam and Dark Pulse were stopped, but Solarbeam hit Metagross directly. Metagross's eyes closed for a moment. The three took the chance to attack all at once. Absol charged a stronger version of Megahorn as Swampert used Earthquake and Flygon used Earth Power on top of Metagross. Metagross wobbled slightly. When it reopened its eyes, it was met with a strong Megahorn in the face.
For once, in a long while, Metagross was actually forced back.
All four Pokémon stood still. Samantha clapped and cheered. She ran up to each Pokémon and hugged them individually. "I'm so proud of you guys! You all work hard to improve. Each of you has strengths and flaws. You've all come a long way from when we started." She turned toward Metagross and affectionately rubbed one of its forelegs. "You've always been the tank in my team as well as the heaviest hitter. You're basically my sword and shield. No one has ever beaten you. Don't let it get your ego up though. Like our friends have shown, you aren't above being fooled." She smiled. "Don't ever forget how proud I am," she motioned to everyone, "of all of you." The four Pokémon crowded her in a group hug. They were all smiling at her. They all loved her as much as she loved them: dearly.
In the middle of their happy moment, gooseflesh spread over Samantha's skin. Metagross's attention was also caught by something. Swampert arched his neck. Absol growled. They shared a look of slight wariness and confusion. They had gotten a bad feeling.
Samantha quickly turned and scanned the shore and the skies around them. She looked back at Metagross and frowned. She was certain she felt someone's eyes on her. Metagross confirmed the same feeling mentally. Swampert and Absol warned Metagross of what they had felt. Metagross relayed the info to Samantha. Swampert could feel that a bad storm would hit the island soon. Absol confirmed Swampert's message. He warned that the storm would probably devastate the island for a few days.
Samantha gritted her teeth. The island's forecast had predicted clear skies. Her own devices had confirmed this. Absol and Swampert had both predicted good weather when they had arrived on the island. The storm couldn't be natural. Someone must have created a storm and directed it towards the resort. She headed back to the shore on Flygon's back. She needed to warn whoever was in charge on the resort.
Stella sighed. She was bored. She had given up wearing her beanie. Samantha constantly tried to remove it from her head. It was barely their third day but she was already accustomed to the girl. Due to this, Stella wasn't very interested in matters without Samantha around.
At the current moment, Stella had her Eevee in her lap. She was sitting on a ledge, near some stairs. The stairs were only a few wooden steps and led to the sandy beach area. Behind her was a glass door leading to the room provided for her. Out of courtesy to each guest, their rooms weren't closely connected. The wooden hallway was shared with only three other rooms. None of them were very interested in the view. Stella had been outside for two hours, just relaxing with her Eevee.
Around noon, Stella felt her stomach growl. She groaned but gave in to her stomach. She went back in for her guest card and Pokégear. Eevee decided to go back to sleep. Stella nuzzled her cheek and headed out. Making sure to lock the door, Stella tried to remember the way to the eating area. It took her thirty minutes to find it. By then, she was so hungry and tired that she collapsed into the closest chair she could find. She rested her chin on the wooden table, hoping a waitress would take her order. Luckily, a waitress did.
"Hello, honey. What would you like to eat?"
"Um…breakfast food." Stella muttered. She was pouting.
The waitress giggled. "You remind me of my little sister. How about I bring you some scrambled eggs and some pancakes with milk?"
Stella mustered her remaining strength and nodded her head.
It didn't take long for her food to arrive. Stella's mouth almost drooled as she saw how appetizing the food was. Before she ate, she thanked the waitress and gave the woman her guest card. The waitress swiped it on her special Pokégear. Stella already knew that the bill would be placed on her card. Each guest was given enough card currency to last them a few days.
As she devoured her food like a little kid, Stella thought about her time before the resort. She had been with her mother exclusively for her early life. Once she was eight, she lost her mother to a gambling debt, the circumstances never fully explained to her. She had to live with her sister, who was only a few years older than her. They struggled to run the small Pokémon grooming business their parents had originally started. It never expanded much, being overshadowed by the next door city's Pokémon mall center and its large Pokémon salon for Pokémon grooming. Stella and her sister always tried their best in making other people's Pokémon beautiful. They never went overboard. Their trademark was bringing out the inner beauty of any Pokémon. It was one of the reasons the girls never had to close their shop.
Stella tried to swallow down several mouthfuls of pancakes. She hoped her sister was doing alright. Two years earlier, her older sister married a young entrepreneur. Nowhere near being a bad man, the sister's husband had tried his best to take care of the Saito sisters, both who had taken the young man's last name. She smiled. She had total faith in her sister and her brother-in-law. She had been given an once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the luxuries of the rich. She knew she would soon have to work really hard to maintain her scheduled two weeks of vacation but she knew she'd return to her family with many stories to share.
While she ate, she noticed a neatly-dressed woman approach her table. She recognized the woman from the welcoming party. "Hello, my name is Leila Swellows. I work under the vice president, Abigail Matthews. On behalf of the Pokémon Resort, I'd like to once again wish you a happy and amazing stay." She laughed. "As a fellow guest, would you mind if I joined you?"
Stella blushed. She was embarrassed, remembering her sloppy eating habits. She tried to quickly clean her face and nodded at the woman. Leila smiled and sat across from her.
"Normally I'm at my office or walking around the main grounds but I got this craving for the regular food instead of the food given to staff. How are the pancakes?"
Samantha stuttered. "T-they're good. I like them with lots of s-syrup."
Leila chuckled. "That's how I like mine." A waitress came over to their table to refill Stella's glass with milk. She also took Leila's order, slightly surprised to see her there though.
When she went for Leila's food, Stella sat nervously. She was unused to be around businesswoman like Leila. After looking at her for a bit, however, Stella lost her nervousness. Leila noticed her change in composure.
"Do you feel less shy around me? When I greeted you I thought you were close to tears. Sorry about that. I'm usually this friendly." She rubbed her shoulder. "To be honest, I'm usually nervous, especially around others."
Stella sat up straight. "You're very pretty though. Why would you be nervous?"
Leila smiled. "Aw thank you! You're very pretty yourself. You must have a boyfriend."
Stella shook her head.
"Oh. Well I'm sure you make a certain girl very happy."
Stella was crimson red.
Leila held up her hands. "I didn't mean to offend you in any way. I'm currently in a relationship with a fellow woman. I'm sorry. I usually don't pry like that."
Stella smiled softly. "Well, I'm not seeing anyone. A certain girl does make me very happy though."
Leila sighed in relief. She smiled back. "What's her name?"
"Samantha." Saying the name made Stella giggle. She apologized quickly. She began playing with her food.
"Well Samantha must be a very lucky girl. You're not only extremely cute, you're very shy. I just want to give you a hug!" She laughed. "Sorry. I have a younger sister. She's probably around your age. I would always baby her. She was also very shy."
Stella's attention focused back on Leila. "Aw. I have an older sister myself. She used to be like that with me too." She looked down. "I actually miss her. This is the first time we've been apart since we were kids."
Leila placed her hand over Stella's. "I understand. I'm sure she misses you too. You'll see her soon for sure. "You're Ms…Saito, right? I think I remember your file. You're scheduled for two weeks?"
Stella nodded. "My sister won a lottery and won a ticket here. She and my brother-in-law work very hard all the time. They decided to let me come here in her place. I was only supposed to be here until tomorrow but my brother-in-law talked with you guys."
Leila smiled. "I remember. I was the one who talked with him. You're scheduled to start working tomorrow. Have you given it any thought about what kind of job position you'd like? You left that section blank. Usually in a situation like this we first assign the first choices and then distribute the remaining applicants in the unoccupied positions."
Stella frowned.
"I didn't think I'd run into you but since I did, I can assign you somewhere you'd like. Is there anything you want to do?"
"Well…I've worked at a Pokémon grooming shop since I was young. I haven't worked anywhere else before."
Leila chuckled. "Fortunately, we are short on Pokémon groomers. I don't know if you've seen the wandering Pokémon here but they are part of the resort. We allow them to stay here. We feed, bathe, and care for them. Lately, our current groomers have been unable to handle the workload efficiently. It isn't their fault; we just received a bigger guest list." She became flushed. "I probably shouldn't have said that."
Stella shook her head. "It's okay. I understand how it can get. We once had to groom a police academy's Growlithe and Arcanine group. The only problem was that all of the Pokémon were barely enlisted. It was like handling stubborn puppies that would burn you if you held them too tight." Stella laughed. She was no longer nervous.
Leila clapped her hands around Stella's. "I could really use your help. You could even be in charge of the grooming apartment."
Stella nodded. "Of course, I'll do it. I'm not sure about being in charge. I can easily work under someone else. I like Pokémon grooming. It'll be like working back at home. "
Leila smiled. This girl was really nice. She'd make sure to keep an eye on her though. She didn't know if she'd be taken advantage of because she's younger. Due to her research, she knew Stella probably had ten times the experience of the workers.
As they finished their meal, talking comfortably, Leila couldn't help but feel a slight ache on her back. Stella asked what was wrong. Leila was crying.
The ocean waves were rampant against the ship, crashing and breaking against the hull. The constant rain and thunder would deter any sailor unlucky to even consider such an ill-weather voyage. The occupants of the submarine were responsible for the storm, however. On the submarine's exposed surface tower stood the second-in-command. The man was in his early forties, though his physique said otherwise. He stood at six feet. He had a permanent frown on his face. Two jagged scars crossed over his closed left eye.
Their destination was finally visible in the distance. The storm would make their appearance go unnoticed.
Harold clenched his fists. They would suffer for their crimes. No one could stand in their way. It would be a massacre.
He climbed down, closing the top of the tower as the submarine began to descend back into the water. Their spies had already infiltrated the resort. The submarine would go under the island. No one would see them coming.
Unfortunately for Harold, a new group of guests were headed towards the resort. Their train had beaten the storm. Their arrival was estimated to be an hour before the storm. Out of the seven of them, five of them were current Pokémon Champions.
Secretly, the Pokémon Champions were all enthusiasts of relationships with Pokémon. Their group included the following Pokémon trainers: Lance, reinstated Kanto Champion; Wallace, current Hoenn Champion; Cynthia, current Sinnoh Champion; Iris, current Unova Champion; and Eon, current Johto Champion. These trainers were all known as the strongest trainers in their area.
Iris, the youngest one in the group, stared out the window. She was wearing her favorite and well-known white and pink dress. Its sleeves were wide. The dress opened up widely near the bottom, allowing for a good view of her legs whenever she was being careless over her movements. Nearing seventeen, she was attractive but still held a few childish characteristics, adding to her image's appeal. Even with her attire, she didn't stand out too much in regards to the rest of the group.
Sitting next to her was Cynthia. She had donned a thin black top with long sleeves. Her cleavage was slightly exposed as her top dipped into a V. She had retained her common choice of black slacks with black shoes. Surprisingly, her hair lacked any accessories, which was always a must with Cynthia. Her blond hair shined in the light. Her gray eyes were concentrated on the person sitting across from Iris and her.
Wallace, who had replaced Steven as Champion years before, an action which thankfully allowed Steven to return to his research, was known for his flashy clothing. He wore a white cape, an item to seem more like an inconvenience inside a train. Underneath, he was wearing a blue and white dress shirt and purple pants. He kept staring at Cynthia and Iris.
"Is there any reason why you can't focus on the landscape rather than us?" Cynthia asked, annoyed.
Wallace sighed, retaining his smile. "When you are faced by such lovely company, why not expose yourself completely to the beautiful sight?"
"It's creepy. You agree with me, right, Iris?" Cynthia asked the distracted girl next to her.
Iris turned to them. "Did you say something?" She then turned to Lance. "Can I see your Pokémon again when we arrive?"
On the booth across from theirs sat three individuals. On one side sat Lance. He had taken the role of Champion after their previous Champion quit. He was well-known for his connection with Pokémon and his mastery with Dragon Pokémon. He smiled, his eyes closed. "If you want, we can even battle."
Iris cheered. "Awesome! I can't wait!"
Cynthia rolled her eyes. It was always the same thing when they ever met. Iris was always hyper and trying to smother Lance, though out of admiration. Wallace always attempted to flirt with Cynthia and Iris, the former always turning him down on the spot and the latter not noticing him at all. Lance would constantly be self-absorbed in his personal adventures or his Pokémon. The only individual who served as a preferable companion out of the Champions was Eon. Unfortunately, he was rarely inseparable from his love, Lucy. Cynthia was happy for them but she wished she could spend some time alone with Eon as friends. He was a nice guy, though he had a temper. She groaned. Most of her friends were intimidated by her Champion status. The people in her status group, who lacked intimidation, were hard to deal with.
Speaking of Eon, he was busy whispering to Lucy. They both seemed really happy. As a single and very attractive woman, Cynthia was slightly jealous. She spent most of her time away from Pokémon Champion duties being hit on by guys who didn't recognize her as a Champion or by Wallace. She was regretting her acceptance of this trip. She still smiled. These people were part of her life though. She giggled quietly, not wanting Wallace or anyone else to notice. She also enjoyed that they all were into Poképhilia. Almost no one knew that the highly respected individuals liked to spend their private time getting familiar with Pokémon.
Cynthia normally avoided it but she couldn't help thinking about Samantha. She had been part of their group in the past, before Poképhilia was even popular underground or known to the current Champions. She remembered how dedicated the girl was to her Pokémon. She fit right in with them. Always laughing and smiling, they had been a complete group.
She shook her head. She hadn't thought of Samantha in a long time. She knew Samantha and Lance hated each other, hence the subject rarely coming up. The only person with the guts to anger Lance was Eon and vice versa. That was never a pretty sight.
Wallace noticed her downcast eyes. He squeezed her hand and gave her a sad smile, silently letting her know he was aware of where her thoughts were drifting to. They all knew each other well enough to notice changes in their behavior.
Thankfully, Lance was busy talking to Eon and Lucy. If he had noticed her sadness he might have…
"So anyone hear the rumors for this place?" Wallace asked the group.
Iris, Eon, and Lucy shook their heads. Cynthia cleared her throat. "I heard a few things. I dismissed them though." She glanced at Lance, who nodded.
Wallace grinned. "I think we're talking about the same rumors. I had to practically blackmail these two governors to spill about their vacation at the place. It turns out that the place is infamous, or would be, for their focus on Poképhilia. This isn't known to the guests at first. They know it's a taboo subject for most. They do their best to hide the actions behind closed doors. The staff secretly and slowly implants the idea in their guests though. 95% of their guests embrace the idea. 100% return on several occasions."
"What happens with the 5%?" Cynthia asked.
"They're silenced!" Iris exclaims, joking.
Wallace shook his head. "Let's just say that they receive a hefty sum to keep quiet. All guests are warned that 24/7 surveillance occurs and that the resort is in possession of their lewd actions. This is to keep them quiet as well or as an alternate threat, though I think you can have a copy of your favorite moments. This ensures that both supporters and haters of the concept don't talk."
Lance placed his elbows on his knees. He rested his chin on his hands. "It seems like a lot of trouble to keep running this place. Then again, I know several Pokémon League officials who would pay big money to relieve sexual tension built by seeing Pokémon all day, knowing full well their secret will be kept. That means a lot of money. It's like a drug company secretly introducing an addictive drug and then supplying you with the drug at higher prices while threatening you that they have proof of your usage. Do you know if they up the price for repeat visits?"
Eon raised an eyebrow. "You want to be a repeat guest, don't you?"
Lance smirked. "Of course I do. I have urges. And who knows, I could find my own Lucy or Lucy herself in an orgy."
A vein pulsed visibly on Eon's forehead. With his sharp eyes and spiked silver hair, he could pull off some scary expressions. Cynthia could feel her skin crawl. She knew that when Eon's eyes changed from expressing love to expressing anger, the switch could almost be deadly. It didn't help that he was the strongest Champion, both in Pokémon battles and in physical strength. She quickly returned the conversation to the resort.
"I'm curious as well. Do you know if they raise the price, Wallace?"
"Well I asked a few people who have gone. Apparently, this thing is very exclusive and yet not, at the same time. That might sound confusing but it's true. I've met high government officials who've gone and regular Pokémon trainers who go regularly. You guys remember Flannery, right? She's one of the gym leaders under my region. She helped shine some light on the matter. One of her Poképhilia partners is visiting the resort right now. According to them and others, the price depends on what you sign up for. It's like a regular hotel. You can have a small, simple room or go all out in style like a king. I, myself, chose a high priced room. It cost 30% of the full price since I was invited and also for being a Champion. It only cost around 80,000 Pokémon dollars for two weeks. That's pretty cheap for two weeks. I've seen some resorts charge nearly 100,000 for one night."
"Would they charge you the same next time?" Iris asked. She had finally stopped looking outside.
Wallace shook his head. "They give a 5% discount if you come in the same year as your last visit though. We get 40% off for being Champions, meaning we get 45% off. What gets people to go several times is that you can work off your stay. It has reasonable hours, good pay, and you can still enjoy the resort's activities. Flannery's guy is currently a bartender and is having some kinky sex with the resort's Pokémon."
Cynthia frowned. "How many do they possess? I'm somewhat put off if we're using the same Pokémon a hundred other people used. I know there aren't any sexually transmitted diseases that you can get from Pokémon but still. I don't want to be the first case."
"Flannery had the same concern. She volunteered in the Pokémon grooming section. They are very meticulous about the Pokémon. They have a large hospital for just Pokémon. She said that the Pokémon have more healthcare than most humans." Wallace grinned. "Sounds good, no?"
Cynthia smiled. "Well if she trusts it, I guess I will too." Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Anyone notice the storm headed towards the island?" Lucy asked.
Everyone else look surprised. Lucy motioned towards the window. They all moved closer to the window on her side. Like she mentioned, there was bad weather headed to their next destination.
As they pondered over it, they heard the intercom come to life. "Welcome to the one and only Pokémon Resort. We hope you all enjoy your stay."
The storm's coming!
Anyway, I wanted to thank Eonight for submitting a character to me. That's not to say I'm accepting requests. I was interested though since I've never worked with a requested OC. I won't be accepting any OCs for now since the storyline is already planned out for several chapters. Adding more characters or scenes than planned only makes my job harder and chapters take longer to write. I've already learned that writing things on the spot only work for so long xD
Hopefully you guys like the story. As always, reviews are welcome, regardless if positive or negative. Next chapter will be done around next week. Thanks for reading!
