A/N:

Alright, so this was a bit of a more difficult chapter for me to write, as it sets up for a lot of upcoming events. Anyways, huge thanks to Archangel2462 for reading over the chapters and pointing out dozens of mistakes that I overlooked. Made me really look closer at what I was typing, as well as edit my various previous mistakes. Thanks for being an awesome beta!

Now the boring crap. I'm not associated with Pokémon or any of the products/companies in this story. I own the plot and my characters. That's it.

If you enjoy reading, please consider leaving a review. Always love getting feedback of every kind from you all - it helps me better develop as a writer. Anyways, enjoy the tenth chapter!

"…" - Spoken dialogue

Italics - Michael's thoughts

'Italics' - Telepathic dialogue

/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene (I know how long some of you have been waiting to see this label)

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."

-Morrie Schwartz

Ch. 10 - Heating Up

Michael walked out of the plane, having to make two trips for their luggage. Veronica let herself out of her ball in order to help him, much to his gratitude. After retrieving his revolver, locked in its case securely, he declared it to the security guards as checked baggage, and they were off.

Finally, he thought, a place with a somewhat decent temperature… Upon reaching the road, Michael pulled out his phone. "Sorry, Ver," he said as he looked up the number of the local taxi service, "you're gonna have to go back in the ball - just for the ride, y'know."

"C'mon," she complained, "why wait for a cab? We could just fly there."

"You can't be serious. You couldn't possibly carry me and the second pack." She glared at him amusedly.

"Is that a challenge?"

"No… I'm just saying that—."

"Nope, too late - this is gonna happen." She slipped her head through the strap, wearing the pack like an overweight necklace, and got down on all fours. "Are you just gonna stand there all day, or are you gonna jump on?"

"Ver… really?"

"Yes, really - now hurry up!" He obliged her, climbing on top of her back like they usually did for their flights. She bounded forth, then laughed herself off of the ground with her powerful hind legs. He held onto her sides tightly as they climbed higher and higher, extending their view to the city. Wow… the lights look amazing at night… Neons and whites filled his vision, the stores and skyscrapers being their sources. Hopefully, while they were so high up, the dragoness wouldn't decide to enact her promised payback.

As they soared along the coast and towards the southern mountainside, city blocks gave way to coastal suburbs and beach houses. Clothes were still, even in these modern times, being hung out to dry on lines.

After a few minutes of guessing which way they should head, the two of them finally caught sight of their target. The Coastline Resort… damn that thing's huge… The image online hadn't done the resort justice in displaying its size. Overlooking the cliffside coast, it was five stories, and composed of light-gray stone brick. A large fountain lay in the middle of the cobblestone driveway, which was filled with vehicles being parked by valets. Several pools of various shapes and sizes dotted the other side, but the most prominent feature was the large battle arena. Veronica decided that she was going to come in for a landing right in front of the entrance.

"Oh Arceus, Ver - please watch out for the cars."

"Don't worry," she said with a smug look, "I've got this." Thankfully, she didn't decide to do a nosedive or anything risky, but she did fan out her wings, allowing for a rapid landing amongst the unaware crowd.

"Holy shit!" one man cried, while his adjacent girlfriend shrieked. He clutched his chest, gasping for breath.

"That was one hell of an entrance," a nearby valet commented. Michael got off of her back so that she could stand up. The flygon removed the pack from her neck, and they both entered the main lobby. Michael went ahead and released the others… except for Alaina. I'm sorry, girl. The last thing they needed was to be swarmed by the dozens of people around them. He went to the main counter, approaching one of the open receptionists.

"Hey there, I'm here to check in. I've reserved two rooms."

"Alright," the receptionist said. "Name and room numbers?"

"Higgs; rooms forty ninety-four and five." He tapped away at the keyboard, nodding in conformation.

"Yep, gotcha right here. Three months? Dang dude. That's gonna be twenty-three thousand, five hundred fifty." Michael handed him his debit card. The hit to his bank account was definitely rough, but he could take it. And it was only fair that he do something big for the girls - all this time, they had stayed by his side, always supportive and loving. They had all left behind their previous life of adventure to stick with their trainer, and he couldn't have loved them more for it.

The receptionist handed him back his card, as well as the pair of card keys for each room. "Enjoy your stay," he told Michael.

The five of them located the nearest elevator and stepped on. One other person was in there with them - a woman in her upper forties. "Kinda cramped in her," Veronica stated, earning a shocked look from the woman.

"That's just 'cause you're so big," Charlotte replied. The woman snapped her view towards the braixen. Hah - she looks like she's seen a ghost! In a few years, when the translation technology was more widespread, maybe "talking" pokémon wouldn't come as such a surprise.

They got off on the fourth floor, and used the signs to locate their two rooms. "Well, here we are," Michael said, using the card to open one of the rooms. He flipped on the light switch as he entered.

The room released a quaint, soothing feeling. Two queen-sized beds lay in the center, a dark nightstand between them, which held a safe in it. Good, I'll have somewhere to put my gun if I don't decide to take it out. Of course, concealing his revolver wouldn't be much of a problem; he could most likely hide it in his pocket. But he surely didn't want to take the gun everywhere, so the option was convenient.

Thin, white curtains draped over the sliding door to the balcony. To the side was a desk and dresser, the dresser having the television on it, while the desk had a coffeemaker. Now that they were alone, Michael released Alaina from her ball. "What do you girls think?" he asked. Before anyone said anything, Elise dashed forth, springing up and jumping on the bed.

"Mmm, these beds are comfy," she said, rolling around and ruffling the covers, then looked at them upside-down. "I got dibs on this one!"

"That reminds me - who's sleeping where?" The beds were easily large enough to hold two of them each, and Alaina didn't even require a bed. "Tell y'all what, I'm going next door to start unpacking. You five go ahead and designate the beds." He grabbed their luggage and headed to the adjacent room. The only difference between the two was that this one was a perfect inverse of the other.

A knock on the door sounded behind him as he unpacked. "It's open," he said. Zeke opened it and walked inside.

"How the hell did you manage to beat me here?" the zoroark asked. "My crazy-ass taxi driver was booking it at sixty - in the city."

"I flew here. Ver wouldn't have it any other way."

"Of course she wouldn't," Zeke said, shaking his head. "So anyways, whatcha think?"

"This place is pretty impressive," Michael replied. "Definitely liking the view."

"Yeah, me too. Can't wait to hit the pool bar outside. Probably gonna do that tomorrow."

"Oh no," Michael laughed. "I can't imagine you and alcohol being a good combination."

"Hey, I can handle my booze. You probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between drunk me and regular me." Hah, I bet that'd be a sight - a drunk zoroark.

"Ha, we'll just have to see, then. But please, for the love of Arceus, don't aim for intoxication."

"No promises," Zeke chuckled. "Anyways, I'm gonna turn in for the night. Seeya tomorrow."

"Alright, 'night." Soon after the zoroark had left Michael to himself, Charlotte walked inside. "Hey, have you all worked something out?"

"Mhm. The others are sleeping in there for the night. Tomorrow, it'll be Elise's turn, then Ver's."

"You all are taking turns? But someone could be sleeping in that bed each night," he said, motioning to the bed that would now likely remain untouched.

"True, but this gives us privacy." The realization of this scheme took him by surprise. He couldn't be completely sure, but all the signs were pointing to intimacy.

"O…okay." He hoped that they wouldn't try anything, but if he was being honest with himself, he doubted that abstinence was what they had in mind. If anything, they were probably going to try and turn this vacation into a honeymoon of sorts. "But please, don't try anything tonight."

"Oh don't worry," she said, "I'll let you off easy tonight."

After showering, he slipped on a pair of gym shorts to lounge around in. As he prepared for bed, seeing Charlotte sitting at the edge waiting for him, he realized that she had no plan of using the other bed. "Mind if I sleep with you?" she asked. He was more reluctant to respond to these requests, being that he now knew about the deeper feelings that they had for him. It made him a little uncomfortable to know that the girls that wanted to get into his pants also wanted to get under his covers. But… this is going to happen eventually… I might as well get used to this now.

"No," he eventually responded. He opened the drawer, about to get a t-shirt to put on.

"Please don't," Charlotte said. Michael froze, his cheeks reddening, but he obliged her, shutting the drawer back. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he mumbled. He peeled away the comforter, and got under the sheet and blanket. Charlotte set her stick on the nightstand, before switching off the lamp light. The braixen slipped in, but instead of positioning herself beside him, she got on top of him, straddling his chest. She placed both hands on his chest, and, leaning forth, kissed him on the lips. He was a little shocked by her forwardness, but he had already allowed, and even started, this with his two dragons and his lucario. It would only be fair to do so with her too. Michael returned the kiss, though it was made somewhat awkward with her pointed nose. As she opened her mouth to engage in more intimate contact, he felt her sharp fangs brush against his tongue. Charlotte, with her hands now to each side of his head, pulled him even closer, running her tongue under his.

They stayed like that for what seemed like minutes, only receding when they both ran out of breath. Charlotte clasped him tightly, panting warm air over his chest, but with a wide grin on her face. "That… was wonderful," she said.

"Glad you… think so," Michael said. Now that he was seeing her in this new light, Michael couldn't deny the fact that the fire fox was incredibly sexy. She kissed his neck, sticking her tongue out and lecherously trailing it up Michael's neck. She licked over his chin, and eventually reached his mouth again, ending with a slight nip to his lips. "Well that… was really hot," he said.

"Glad you think so," she giggled, echoing his previous statement. "I do want to ask you something, though."

"Go right ahead, Char," he said, tapping her nose.

"Why do you want to continue waiting?" she asked. "We've waited… we've all waited for so long. Is it about your commitment to 'saving it for marriage?'"

"…Yes."

"I mean, I agree with you on that," she said, "but don't you understand? It's like you're already married to us. We're gonna be together forever, and we've already waited so long." She looked at him with curiosity, wanting to know why he wouldn't pursue what she wanted. After a moment of silence, he spoke up.

"It's… mostly me," he finally admitted. "I mean, all of this is still relatively new to me. I just don't know how to go about these new feelings."

"Then try acting on them," Charlotte said. "Let us show you. We may not have mated before, but we know what to do. Please…" the braixen pouted, almost seeming to beg.

"Oh… alright," he said, giving in. "But I don't want to try anything tonight, okay?"

"Fair enough," she said. "But could we go just a little bit further?" Oh, for the love of Arceus…

"How much further?" he asked, flustered by her persistence.

"Not much. Here - if you let me, I'll guide your hands." She took his hands in her paws. He didn't put up a fight; he gave in to her. She placed his hands on each of her sides, then slowly slid them down. His fingers passed through the tufts of fur on her sides, then were brought around to rest gently on her rear end. Her tail brushed his hands, then rested upon his left. "Mmm… see? That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"N-no," he stammered. He couldn't quite grasp the reality that he was feeling her in such a way, but he was too paralyzed to move his hands. And Charlotte wanted this; if he did so, he might make her feel like he didn't want her in that way. So he remained still as she wrapped her arms around his lower back. She gave him one more quick kiss, and nuzzled his chest, falling asleep.

…..

The next morning, he was far too fidgety to remain in bed. After listening to the braixen's breathing, and, knowing that she had a much slower rate when she was asleep, he concluded that she was awake. "Alright, you can stop pretending now."

"Aww, goin' and ruining my fun like that."

"C'mon, we've got a long day in front of us. There's a ton to do here."

"Okay, spoilsport," she teased. "But seriously, thank you for stepping out of your comfort zone bit last night."

"Don't mention it," he mumbled. She mashed their lips together, clasping his back. It was short, but passionate. She pulled back, and leaned close to his ear.

"When you're up to it… whenever that is, I expect nothing but the best. I want it to last for at least an hour, okay?"

"O…okay…"

…..

"So here are our options for today," Michael began, "we could go into town, and probably find something to do there. We could go to the pools outside; hit the food stands. Also, there's the arena in the back—."

"There," Layla said, cutting him off. "We should battle today! Arceus, it's been how long? Two years, almost, and the closest I've come is the occasional spar with some other pokémon on base."

"Yeah, and if we wanna participate in that tournament, then we'll need to practice," Charlotte said. "Don't you wanna give it a shot again, Michael?"

"I would be lying if I said I didn't," he admitted. "But… I don't think it would be fair to Alaina…"

"What do you mean?" Layla asked.

"Well… I had mentioned that I didn't want to be flaunting a legendary around. She'd have to stay hidden all day, unable to participate."

"Michael," she said, "I'm going to have to stay hidden no matter what. Please, let the others have their fun. I will enjoy watching them by your side."

"…Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't like to exclude you like this…"

"It's what comes with being a legendary," she said. "I'm sure."

But they weren't going to be fighting on an empty stomach. Before they left the building, and with Alaina using her invisibility, they headed down to the resort's buffet, where complimentary breakfast was being served from various stands. Veronica looked around the room excitedly. They weren't going to be making much money off of her this trip. Michael made three trips - one for Elise's meal, which she obviously couldn't carry, one for Alaina's, who whispered to him what she wanted, and finally, his own.

Thankfully, as they ate, nobody seemed to notice the food on Alaina's plate, which seemed to vanish into thin air. Rather, those that did look over at their table were more so appalled by the mountain of bacon that lay on Veronica's plate.

After they left, it seemed as though the girls could barely contain their excitement. After all, it was a chance to relive the dreams that they had all left behind for the greater good. "Come on, Michael," Layla said, "we're burning daylight!" With the lucario hurriedly leading Michael along, they reached the arena in no time. As he walked through the entrance, he took in the sheer size of the facility. Shit… this place is huge!

The battle arena was closer to a stadium in size. Four battlefields lay in the center, able to undertake several battles at once. Three out of the four were already in use. The stands looked like they could seat nearly fifty-thousand, and with the four huge screens facing each direction, the viewers would be presented with quite the show. At each end of the field were large, open-sided tents, enclosing several laptops and tables. That must be where we register for the tournament, Michael thought.

"I'm heading over there," he said to them, pointing at the station to his right. "My guess is that's where we sign up."

"Alright, you go ahead," Layla said. "I'm gonna check out the competition."

"Please don't start any fights," Michael said.

"No promises." Knowing he better hurry, he jogged down to the tent.

"Hello. Are you here to sign up for the tournament?" the woman asked.

"I sure am," Michael replied. "Mind telling me the rules?"

"Not at all." She took a pamphlet from a stack in the center of the table, and, opening it, began to inform him about the rules. "The rules are fairly simple: using no more than six pokémon, you must win battles to progress forward. There are no restrictions on types or species. In order to participate, you must inform us of how many pokémon you have, as well as their primary type. When battling, you and the other trainer must use the same number of pokémon; whoever has less on their team dictates the maximum number that can be used during that match. For the sake of time, though, no trainer may use more than three pokémon in the scoring rounds."

"Alright, that sounds simple enough," Michael said.

"Mhm. The way it works, though, is a little bit more complicated, so bear with me for a second." She turned the page, showing him the diagram of the tournament. "So for your first three battles will be the scoring rounds. There, the performance of your pokémon will be scored by three judges. The added score from the three battles will be compared with all of the other participants. The highest scoring sixty-four will be allowed to progress to the elimination rounds."

"Alright, so I'm guessing it'll become a knockout tournament at that point..."

"Yep, that's right. So would you like to join?" Michael nodded. Before he could start inputting the four names, he heard something that he never would've expected to hear.

"Go ahead and put me in, too," Alaina whispered from over his shoulder. W…what? But I wasn't gonna use her… What about laying low?

"Give me a moment, miss," Michael said. He went towards the walls of the arena, taking out his cell phone to avoid looking like he was talking to himself. "You want to participate, Alaina?" He couldn't believe her suggestion.

"I was thinking that maybe if you were about to lose, then…"

"But what happened to keeping you concealed?"

"Well, think about it. The people that wanted to hurt us… to kill us all off - they're gone now. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore. And even if there were… a life lived in fear is no life at all."

"That… that's true," Michael admitted. "But don't you think it would be a little unfair? I mean, you are a legendary and all."

"Maybe… but you could use me as a last resort. Not to just sweep through others' teams. How's that sound?" He couldn't see the latias's face, but by the tone of her voice, he could imagine her giving him a pleading look.

"Oh, alright. But just as an ace up the sleeve, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," she chimed. He made his way back to the registration table, and picked up where he left off.

"Okay, I have five pokémon on my team."

"Alright," she said, hitting a few keys. "Primary types?"

"Let's see… fire, ice, ground, fighting… and dragon…"

"Wow, seems like a balanced team," she said. "Sounds like you'll get pretty far." Oh, you have no idea, he thought. He knew how strong the girls were, and soon, the participants would too. "May I see your ID?" He fished it out of his wallet, then handed it to her. "One moment…" She held his ID up to her screen, tapped at a few keys, then nodded. "Alright, you're all set. Now your three scoring battles are being scheduled."

"Already?"

"Of course - the tournament starts in three days." Well damn, looks like we got here just in time. The small printer to the side whirred to life, then printed out a small slip. She tore it off and handed it to him. "Here you are." Michael took the slip and looked at it. Let's see… what the hell? Their first opponent was a trainer by the name of Chris Osborn. He looked average enough. What was so surprising was the date and time of the match - six in the morning, four days from then.

"Why is my first match so early?" The others were at decent enough times - one at eleven, the other at five in the afternoon.

"Well, there's probably going to be around seven hundred participants - there is every year. We have to fit all those battles into two week's time, so there's going to be some inconvenient match-ups. Sorry about that."

"I understand." Hopefully, the girls would too. But he doubted that they'd be uncooperative - after all, they were really pumped about battling again.

By the time he had made his way back to them, he noticed that Layla had already pissed another trainer off. He was a good three inches shorter than Michael, had a lankier build, and black hair. Behind him was a feraligator, a linoone, and a gligar - each looking equally as irritated. Great… "Is something wrong here?" he asked, snapping both her and the trainer to attention.

"Is this shit-talking lucario yours?" By the tone in his voice, he could tell that Layla must've really struck a nerve.

"She sure is. What's the problem?"

"There is none," Layla shrugged. "He was practicing some moves. I just pointed out a few flaws and suggested some improvements. I think he took it as an insult to his manhood."

"I have trained my pokémon very well," he said. "I bet you haven't won three gym battles like we have!"

"You're right," Michael said, "we haven't won three gym battles, we've won twelve. And participated in two leagues." The trainer looked at him in shock, but then shook his head.

"You think you're more skilled than me and my team? Then how about you put your money where your mouth is?"

"Of course," Michael said, "as long as the girls are up for it."

"Hell yes!" Layla said.

"How's a thousand sound?" Michael asked.

"One thousand?!"

"Mhm. Scared you'll lose?" Of course, he was looking very insecure now. But he wasn't going to back down.

"Fine. You're on," he said through clenched teeth. "I've got the three you see here."

"Alright, so then I'll only use three." They moved to opposing sides of the last unoccupied field, their teams following them. Michael knew what the girls were capable of; he wasn't worried. Alright, definitely using Layla, being that she's got a type advantage over one, and moves that can hurt all three. If she goes down… which I doubt will happen, then I'll follow up with Elise, then Ver, if shit really gets rough. Looking at them, though, I don't think that Ver will see this fight. "I'll send mine out first," Michael said. He nodded towards Layla, who smiled and stepped forth.

"Alright, go on, Gligar!" Looks like he doesn't name his pokémon… The type disadvantage didn't discourage him whatsoever. He mentally went over Layla's moveset. Let's see… aura sphere, high jump kick, power-up punch, counter, water pulse, flash cannon, extreme speed, ice punch, and thunder punch. Yeah, we don't have anything to worry about.

"You can have the first move," Michael said.

"Fine. Gligar, use brick break!" The flying scorpion leaped into the air, making a loop and gliding straight for her. Michael formulated a plan to take their opponent out - get him on the ground and hit him with an ice punch.

"Layla, knock him out of the air with a water pulse!" The lucario's palms started to glow as she collected moisture from the air, and she took aim as the gligar approached.

"Gligar, don't let it hit you! Dodge it!" He whipped to the side, dodging before she could release her attack.

"Aim ahead of him, Layla!" She thrust her arm forth, launching the highly pressurized water at her opponent. The blast clipped the gligar's left wing, making it shriek as it wobbled in flight. It tried to regain its equilibrium, but its balance only worsened, and it fell to the ground rolling.

"Get up Gligar!"

"Layla, don't let him! Hit him with an extreme speed!" She dashed towards him, kicking up dust as she went. Before her opponent could get to his feet, she slammed into him full-force, sending him right back to the ground. The gligar grunted as it staggered, trying to do something to stay in the fight. "Alright, finish him off with an ice punch!" As she walked towards the barely conscious gligar, the fur on her right hand froze stiff. She hauled back and gave her foe one last strike - a harsh punch in the chest. The gligar rolled over, face down, and didn't move. The trainer returned his fallen pokémon into its ball.

"Fuck... you're up, Feraligator…" Their next opponent looked somewhat unnerved with the competition, but readied himself nonetheless. "Hit her with a hydro pump!" As the blast of water approached her, Michael got an idea from his physics class.

"Dodge it and use thunder punch on the water!" Just as the water approached her, Layla spun to the side, avoiding the torrent. This time, electricity crackled through her hand, and she struck the water. Just as Michael had planned, the electricity zipped across the torrent, and sent the current through the feraligator. It immediately roared in pain and ceased its attack. Shit, that thing took a nasty hit. As her foe convulsed, Layla walked towards him. I'm not so sure that Elise will even see this fight, Michael thought. Layla had that look in her eye - she craved more conflict, more fighting. And that feraligator didn't have a chance of stopping her from getting what she wanted.

"Feraligator, do something!" the trainer panicked. His pokémon, in desperation to do something, shot her with an ice beam. The attack hit her dead on; she looked aside, then shrugged and kept going. "U-use bulldoze!"

"Counter it," Michael said. Just as the feraligator's tail swept around, preparing to use the ground-type attack, Layla responded with her own move. She harshly brought her fist down on his tail, painfully forcing it to the ground. "One more thunder punch." She grabbed his red back scales and swiftly pulled them down, causing him to fall backwards. She raised her fist, which crackled with static once more, and slammed him with a sharp hook to the side of the face. Layla stood up, stretching her arms out.

"Come on now," she said tauntingly, "give me a real fight." The other trainer went red with anger, sending out his final pokémon.

"Use double team! Don't let her find you!" Michael rolled his eyes. Apparently he doesn't know that aura sphere never misses… The linoone fabricated over a dozen illusory copies of itself, surrounding Layla with the facades. "Hit her with a sand attack!"

"Layla… just close your eyes…" She shook her head; from what he could see, she seemed to be stifling laughter. She did as she was told, and the cloud of sand harmlessly impacted her. "Charge up an aura sphere!" She charged up the attack, using both hands to increase the size of the sphere.

"Now use headbutt!" All of the copies lunged inwards towards her. She stood still, knowing full well what was about to happen.

"Release it!" She shot the aura sphere, which zipped behind her, impacting one of the linoones. The others faded away, and the true linoone fell to the ground, out for the count.

"Layla three, asshole zero," the lucario said, beaming.

"Fuck off!" the irritated trainer said as he returned his last pokémon. Michael walked into the middle of the field, patting Layla on the shoulder.

"You did great out there," he said.

"Thanks. But now I need a shower. That sand got everywhere," she said frustratingly, before giving him a dirty look. "Maybe you could help me out with that." Michael rolled his eyes, but wasn't exactly surprised. He made his way to the defeated trainer.

"Well, looks like we won," he said, unsurprised with their victory, but shocked that Layla had managed the feat all on her own.

"Fine… here's your money." The trainer pulled out his wallet, then gave Michael his winnings.

"Thank you," Michael said, accepting the money. Had the trainer not been so rude to Layla, Michael wouldn't have accepted a thing from him. But with the tone he had struck with not only her, but his own pokémon, Michael didn't feel bad in the slightest about taking the money. The trainer walked off, with both his pride and wallet hurt. He turned back to Layla and smiled. "Girls, looks like we've still got it."

…..

They all left the arena that night thoroughly exhausted. After witnessing the one-way battle between him and the hotheaded trainer, several others had wanted to try their luck at taking on the girls. All of them failed, some more miserably than others, and had felt the sting of defeat. Michael had won, by the time they were unanimously ready to call it a day, over Ᵽ13,000 - almost twice his monthly salary. Of course, that wasn't counting all of the military benefits (of which there were many), but it was still an impressive feat - at this rate, they'd be making money from their vacation.

Alaina had, according to their plan, stayed invisible the entire time. Michael felt bad about her being left out, so he made sure to spend some alone time with her after dinner. If the time came where she wanted to battle, then she would reveal herself, but for now, they thought it best to continue laying low.

Showers were also a unanimous agreement. Since he knew that the hotel's complimentary hygiene products weren't going to cut it for their group, he made sure to buy several packs of soaps and bottles of shampoo for all of them. Once they returned, Michael took Elise into his room and bathed her. The glaceon sighed from his treatment, and seemed to almost fall asleep at several points of the bath. When all of the dust and dirt had finally been removed from her sleek, blue fur, Michael drained the tub. She shook her whole body, slinging water in each direction and wetting Michael in the process. "Thanks for that," he joked.

"Sorry…"

"It's okay, El. And besides, I'm getting in the shower anyways." After she had left the bathroom, he did just that. As he scrubbed the day's sweat off of his skin, he couldn't help but think about how well they would be doing in the upcoming tournament. None of them even took a hit… we quit because they were tired, not hurt. I think we'll make it to the finals.

But among other thoughts, were of course, those of his girls. Was he ready to explore their new relationship? Of course, the next level might just be pushed on me… He knew that at least four out of the five voiced the fact that they wanted to try, but he still wasn't so sure if he was ready.

As he readied for bed, he noticed that Elise had already burrowed under the covers. He joined her, seeing her light blue cheeks adopt a reddish tint. Nice to see that I'm not the only one shy about this whole ordeal… He hugged her against him, pressing their chests together. She licked his cheek, and he could feel the rapid beating of her heart. She pressed their noses together; he could feel her cold breath against his face. "C…could I…" The words seemed to die in her throat. When he reflected back to it, the glaceon and he had been in such a position several times. The only thing different was that now they were both aware of what was going on, and there was nothing stopping them. Michael was the one to break the ice. He closed the small gap between their lips. The glaceon gasped, but settled into the kiss, her ears standing straight up in excitement. He felt her cold breath enter him; that, along with her sleek fur rubbing against his chest, and he was having to fight displaying his arousal. She pulled back, panting heavily for breath.

"Is that what you wanted girl?" he asked. She eagerly nodded, managing to work up the courage to lick his lips.

"Y-yes!" she shrieked. "It's… what I've always wanted." He tightened his grip on her, placing one hand behind her head, the other around her back.

"Sweet girl," he said, gently kissing her neck. "You know, I think this is something that I've wanted for awhile too - with all of you. I just didn't know it at the time." Staring into her deep sapphire eyes and seeing her wide, happy smile, Michael felt all past uncertainties melt away. Being with them like this… it just felt right. It was the only thing that ever did. Throughout the years, from the good times to the bad, they had always been with him. They had always been supportive and loving, and he couldn't thank them enough for it. "I love you, Elise," he said, before mashing their lips back together. She was more prepared for this one, and opened her mouth to receive him more intimately. Michael gently caressed her tongue with his. She wasn't interested in an oral battle of dominance; she just savored their kiss, as evident by her cute moans of enjoyment. Oh Arceus, he thought, I hope she keeps doing that. She sounds adorable. The glaceon before him had captivated all of his senses.

But as their kiss deepened even further, with her sexily sucking on his tongue, Michael started to want something that he never would have thought - the result of ignoring any sort of romantic feeling for so long. A part of him wanted to go further. But… Elise hasn't shown that she wants to go there… yet… And I don't think that I should be diving straight into this either! So he did what he knew for sure he wanted to keep doing - kissing her.

For what seemed like hours, the two danced under the covers, finding new positions to enjoy their new pastime. Only when Elise passed out did they stop.

…..

"Hey man, where the hell were you yesterday?" Michael asked. Zeke just grinned.

"What? I told you I was hittin' the bar."

"True. But damn dude - you should've seen the girls yesterday. They fucked up every single challenger that came. We're gonna destroy the competition in the upcoming tournament."

"Woah, y'all are gonna participate in that?"

"Hell yeah. Why not? The girls can take whatever comes their way, and it's gonna be fun to relive our campaigning days - even if it's only for a little bit."

"I'd like to see that. When's your first battle?" Zeke asked.

"Our first tournament battle's in three days. But it's scheduled for six a.m." The zoroark looked distastefully at him.

"Why the hell would they book you for such an ungodly hour of the morning?"

"Lotta people. They've gotta have battles going practically every minute."

"Well I don't think I wanna get up that early."

"Come on," Michael prodded, "it would do you good to get off your sorry ass. Come see how the pros fight."

"Hey, I'm sure I could take… well, Elise, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Michael joked. "But seriously man - it's much more fun to watch a fight where both sides aren't trying to kill the other."

"I'm sure," Zeke said. He looked aside, then nodded. "Alright, I'll come and watch y'all kick some ass." He went into his room, then grabbed a pair of aviators. "I'm going out to the pool. Care to join?"

"You're going back to the bar again, aren't you?"

"You know me well," the zoroark laughed. "Come on, I'll buy ya a drink." He questioned the zoroark's statement, but was interested nonetheless.

"I'm not exactly of legal age…"

"So? Who gives a fuck?" Zeke asked. "If you're old enough to become a damn war hero, then I think you're old enough to have a drink."

"The law doesn't see it that way…"

"But one of the bartenders does. I struck up a conversation with her yesterday. And I watched her serve a seventeen year-old a beer. You look old enough to pass - and besides, I've got my ways to convince others."

"Which would be?"

"Simple. We just go to another bar, and I'll touch up your appearance with an illusion." I can't believe that we're actually discussing this…

"I've never so much as touched a drink in my life," Michael said. "I don't know how much I can take."

"That's what I'll be there for. Go on and grab your bathing suit. This place has got some nifty pool bars."

"Should I bring any of the girls?"

"Nah man. You spend most of your time with them. You need to have some guy time."

"…Alright." He quickly went into his room and changed into his swim trunks and a white t-shirt. He made sure to grab a towel on his way out. On the way, Zeke made sure that they stopped by the resort's souvenir shop. Scanning over the display cases, he pointed to a pair of sunglasses.

"Dude, get these. They'll make you look older." The item he had recommended was a dark pair of Randolph aviators. They've probably jacked the price way up, he thought. Looking at the price tag, and seeing them priced at Ᵽ250, he confirmed his suspicion. But they would serve as a good, useable souvenir, and they would make him look older. So he had to make a trip back to retrieve the money from his wallet back in his room.

As he walked out of the store, he tossed the package in the garbage can. "Hell yeah, just like mine." Michael rolled his eyes at the zoroark's statement. The duo went out to the back, wading into the pool that Zeke specified. Michael removed his shirt, tossing it to the side. The water was decently warm, and Michael found that he had no problem adjusting. "Over here," Zeke said, motioning for him to follow. Michael drifted after him. They made their way towards one of the smaller pool bars in the resort. A blonde-haired woman, looking to only be a few years older than him, was conversing with another customer. She spotted Zeke, then smiled.

"Hey there, nice to see you again." She looked over at Michael, and though she tried to remain discreet about it, he caught her stealing a few glances over his form. "So you gonna introduce me to your friend?"

"Yeah. Cory, this is Michael."

"Nice to meet you," she said. "What'll you be having?" He looked over the options, but he didn't know where to start. Thankfully, Zeke stepped in.

"He's kinda new to all this. Get him a Heineken, and me a margarita. Charge 'em both to my room."

"Sure thing." She opened the mini-fridge to her left, and, grabbing a green bottle, flipped the cap off with a bottle opener. She set it down in front of Michael, before making Zeke's drink. Damn… she didn't ask for ID or anything… "These were brewed nearby, so they're really fresh. Good choice for a newbie." Zeke looked at him expectantly.

"Well go ahead. Try it." Michael raised the bottle to his lips, then took an experimental sip. It tasted pleasant enough, and much milder than he would have expected. But then again, he wasn't exactly comparing it to anything, being his first sip of any sort of alcohol. "What do you think?"

"Not bad," he said, "not bad at all. Much better than what I was expecting."

"Good to hear," Zeke said as he sipped his own drink. He carefully picked the lime off of the glass and tossed it into his mouth.

They stayed there for over an hour, simply chatting at the bar. Michael was amazed by how many drinks the zoroark could down. Whereas he had only drank two beers, Zeke had knocked down three martinis. And those are pretty strong, too… By the time they had left, the zoroark was slightly stumbling. But other than few balance issues, Zeke was true to his word - he didn't seem otherwise affected in the slightest.

Just to be safe, Michael made sure to escort his friend back to his room. He ordered him room service, as he didn't like the idea of the zoroark going into the cafeteria alone. Once he and the girls had eaten and went back to their rooms, Veronica grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Come on, in we go," she said, somewhat forcefully. Once they were inside, she shut and locked the door behind them. They prepared for bed mostly in silence. Michael couldn't help but fear what she might do if she kept true to her word. As he finished brushing his teeth, she hoisted him out of the bathroom, throwing him onto the bed. Oh Arceus… she's pissed…

Before he could move, she pinned him down and slammed her mouth against his. In less than a second, she completely overpowered him, exploring his mouth while he was powerless to stop her. Not that he would, anyways. The flygon was dominant with her intimacy, refusing to let him move an inch. If she decided to take what she wanted, that would have been the time to do it.

But all she claimed was his mouth. Her wings were extended outward, and her tail curved over her body, but she only continued kissing him. His mind went blank as she scraped his tongue with her teeth. Veronica withdrew from him, flashing him a large grin. "You're mine tonight," she said. "Mine to do whatever I want with. Do you understand?" He was speechless from her words, but managed a slight nod. "Good. Now you're going to find out just what you did to me that day. Of course, you know which day I'm talking about, right?" He nodded again. Damn… looks like she hasn't forgotten…

"Ver, I'm s—."

"Hush!" she hissed, cutting him off. "You're going to understand, and then I'm going to choose what we do tonight." She craned her neck, bringing their eyes only mere inches from one another. "Now, for starters, I told you how sensitive that spot was. I told you, and you went and teased me like that anyways." She growled at him, and he couldn't tell if it was out of anger or playfulness. "Not cool. Not. Cool."

"You're right, Ver," he said, getting more worried by the moment, "and I'm sorry, I—."

"I wasn't done yet!" she said, interrupting him once more. "Here's a question - do you know what I had to do after you pulled that little stunt?" He was almost scared to answer her.

"I… no…"

"I had to go in the bathroom and tend to myself," she hissed, her claws gripping him tighter. "You had pushed me into arousal… so much so that I had to restrain myself from pouncing on you then and there. But I knew that wouldn't work. After all, the others would fight me off, and I can't take them all. So I dealt with it myself." She leaned in even closer, touching their foreheads together. "But guess what? The others aren't here now." Oh no… He was praying that someone would save him from the crazed dragon on top of him, but he knew that it was in vain. The door was locked; the others couldn't get to him. Maybe… Zeke and my rooms have conjoining balconies. Maybe he could get in and… No, what am I kidding. He's probably out like a light, and he couldn't take Ver anyways…

"Ver, look at me. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Damn right you shouldn't have done that."

"I just meant it as a joke, and—."

"A joke? Really? That, my Michael, was no joke. No, if you wanted to arouse me, then you should have been willing to see things through." She got up, pacing around the bed. Though she was no longer on top of him, he didn't dare move. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked, but mostly to herself. "I mean, I guess I could force you into a nice, long romp… But to be honest, I'd rather have you do it willingly. So here's what's gonna happen." She turned to face him, pointing a sharp claw at him. "Lose the pants or I'm cutting them off." The threatening glare that she was casting him made him know that she was serious.

Hesitantly, he slipped down his pajama pants, leaving him standing before his flygon in his boxers. Michael looked down, unable to meet her gaze as she took in the sight. "Mmm… that's what I like to see." He couldn't help but blush from her staring at him in such a way, but he said nothing. Veronica licked her lips, then grabbed him by the shoulders, this time pushing him to the bed more gently. She licked his cheek, trailing to his mouth and locking lips with him once more.

As strange as he found it, he couldn't deny the fact that he enjoyed her assertiveness. As her teeth scraped against his lips, she forced his head back, then went for his neck, dragging her somewhat rough tongue down his bare chest. I hope she isn't… doing what I think she is… She continued down, trailing around his navel, and stopping at the edge of his boxers. The flygon gave him a dirty look, then skipped over and started at his knee. Pinning him down, she began upwards. Ahh… she isn't going to let me off without… He felt a slight tug as she nipped at the lower hem of his boxers. Veronica slipped a claw inside, getting dangerously close. Before she went any further, she looked at him intensely. "I'm going to let you off the hook tonight. But don't think that you're in the clear. Next time, you will go through with this. Understand?"

"Y-yes…"

…..

Michael drifted to the side of the pool, Elise happily keeping up, doggy-paddling behind him. She looked up at him and smiled, panting lightly. They had decided to go swimming for the day. Well, most of them. Charlotte expressed her inherent dislike of any water that didn't fit inside a cup, and decided to laze about on one of the large folding chairs near them. "Come on," Layla said, "the water's fine - warm, even. Quit being such a spoilsport." Charlotte shook her head without opening her eyes.

"I don't know what's so hard for you to understand," she said. "I'm not coming in." Michael rolled his eyes. He had been listening to them argue about the braixen's lack of desire to go swimming for almost an hour now. Elise seemed to be the only one focused on having a great time; as she nudged his side, he stroked hers, feeling the wet fur matted against her. She didn't have her hand on him at the moment, but he knew that Alaina was also close by. Layla had been swimming laps, treating it more like an exercise than an enjoyable pastime. But where was Ver?

He heard her roar, and was barely able to look up in time to see her come to a spiraling nosedive. The dragoness slammed into the water, creating a huge splash that startled several around her. But few people got wet - the way she had angled her entry had sent the vast majority of the water towards one particular person…

"Ahh!" Charlotte shrieked. The vixen had, despite her desire to remain dry, been completely soaked. "Ver, you… you bitch!" The flygon simply laughed, floating on the water's surface

"Lighten up. I was only having a little fun," Veronica said.

But her "fun" also had unintended consequences. Some of the water remained in the air, taking the form of Alaina's side and wing. "Oh no…" she said quietly. Before anyone managed to see her, Michael saw the latias's form fly towards their balcony in an effort to stay out of sight. Charlotte returned moments later with a towel wrapped tightly around her, slightly shivering. Michael got out of the pool and made his way to her, siting on the edge of the beach chair.

"Here," he said, helping to dry her off. The poor fire fox had been drenched by the wave, with her white and orange fur sticking together in thick strands.

"Th…thank you."

"Don't mention it," he said. "Ver was just playing around. She didn't mean anything by it."

"… I know," she sighed. "But still, it's pretty annoying…"

"I'm sure it was." He looked aside, seeing the dozens of tables in front of the outdoor restaurant, and got an idea. He went up, and, after standing in line for a few minutes, ordered something. He returned to Charlotte with an ice cream cone. "Here you go."

"Oh, oran berry! Thank you!" The vixen immediately got to work on devouring the ice cream. Michael rubbed her still-wet back, then went back to the pool. He waded back in, feeling Layla brushing up against his side.

"Finally ready to have some fun?" he joked.

"I was having fun," she countered.

"I think that much exercise was a bit excessive…" She shook her head.

"No - I was thinking about how bad we're gonna beat the others in the tournament." Hah, typical Layla. Always stoked for the competition… She grabbed his hand, and led him off towards the deeper end of the pool.

…..

Michael was about to remove his bathing suit, preparing for the shower, when Layla opened the door. Oh shit… I thought I locked that… She wordlessly tossed her towel to the side, moving closer to him. What is she…? "Mind if I join you?" she asked.

"I-in here?"

"Mhm." A multitude of thoughts were racing though his mind, but he didn't voice any of them. She must have taken that as clearance, as she walked past him into the shower. That made it so that he had to join her, lest he hurt her feelings by walking out. Hesitantly, he joined her, now deciding to leave his swimming trunks on for the sake of decency. Seeing this just made her roll her eyes. "You know, you need to let loose a little." She embraced him, nuzzling his stomach as the water impacted them. "If you like, I could help you do just that." He felt a wayward paw rub down his side, stopping on his inner thigh.

"Let's….j-just finish the shower," he said.

"Alright, fine…" Despite this, though, she didn't refrain from giving him suggestive looks, or giving him exposing views. He had to fight himself to keep from looking. Though he had come to terms with the fact that he sure as hell wouldn't mind taking things to the next level, a part of him still felt that he should wait, at least for a little while longer.

Once they got out and dried off, he prepared for bed. Layla wouldn't let him put on anything besides his briefs, much like Veronica the night before. She sat on the side of the bed, waiting for him. When he got close, she stood up, wrapping her arms around his midsection, and locked lips with him. The two of them quickly engaged in an oral battle of dominance. Before long, Michael found himself losing that battle, with the lucario over him, straddling his waist. She pulled back, then leaned in closely to his ear. "All that's keeping us apart is one tiny layer of clothing." She licked his neck, nipping at his ear. "Come on. You can do whatever you want with me…" Turning over, and keeping mind of her chest spike, she lay on top of him, with her back to his chest. Looking up, she engaged in another passionate kiss with him, stroking his cheek.

Michael's vision was filed with the lucario, from her beautiful face, still in contact with his own, to her hourglass figure, and finally, to her tight, muscular legs. Her tail lay on his leg, and her legs were spread. He couldn't see her nether region from the angle he had, but he wasn't straining to do so, either. "Don't leave me waiting," she said. He slowly rubbed her stomach, trailing his hands down her sides and cupping her rear. "Ah… there you go," she sighed. "You're just… an inch or two away…"

But he couldn't work up the courage to go any further.

…..

With one day left before their first match, Michael and the girls engaged in a few more practice battles. Their practice was more so for the elimination rounds, as they felt that they would be participating in them. After all, no trainer had managed to knock out a single one of them ever since they got back into the swing of battling. Without cares and without fear, they could all agree that this had been the most fun they'd had in years.

But Michael couldn't help but feel bad for Alaina. She was her usual, loving self, but he knew it must be hurting her to have to remain hidden day in and day out like this. The latias never showed it, and the pain was not apparent in her voice, but he knew it must have been there.

But he didn't know that on that very night, something would happen that would make up for all of it.

…..

Michael was sitting on the heavily cushioned chair on his balcony, watching the sun set over the expanse of the sea. The only sounds that permeated the air were those of the few wingulls that were flying about, nothing more than dark silhouettes against the orange sky.

Alaina was on his lap, finally able to relinquish her invisibility. It would be far too difficult for someone to spot them there; they were well outside of the general view. She wasn't focused on the impressive scenery before them; she only stared into his eyes. It took him a moment to catch on, but it struck him as odd. "Why aren't you enjoying the view," he teased.

"I am," the latias said, nuzzling under his chin. "Come on, let's go to bed." She led him back inside, gently holding his hand. He went through his evening routine, preparing for bed. As he walked back in, shirtless, and set the alarm, he saw her staring down steadily. She looked up at him. "We… had a meeting today," she said, almost under her breath.

"Oh? How'd it go?" He sat beside her cross-legged.

"Well… you know I can't talk about anything that goes on in there. And besides, it wasn't anything to exciting. No, what I want to talk about was what happened after the meeting."

"Alright," he said, starting to grow somewhat concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No… quite the opposite… But I think I should tell you what's been going on ever since that fight with my mother." Michael's blood began to boil at the thought of the rude latias that tried to control her daughter. Best intentions be damned - a life lived in chains wasn't much of one at all.

"What's been going on?"

"Well… I haven't attended the last three meetings. I told her that day… told her that if she didn't let up on me, that I would leave for good, never to see her again. I don't think she believed me, or at least, until it looked like I had kept to my word."

"And you saw her this morning?"

"Yes," the latias said. "Her and my father."

"Does she… know about all of this?"

"Mhm. Does now. I told her about the imprint, about our relationship - even about the others. But more importantly, I told her about you. I told her that no matter what she said, no matter what she wanted, I had made up my mind, and I had chosen for myself."

"What did she say about that?" She looked at him, seemingly still surprised as the words left her mouth.

"She… apologized. Apologized for it all."

"She did?" Michael couldn't believe her - not after his encounter with the older latias.

"Yeah… she did. Dad had talked to her. Explained to her that my life was my own to live, and that if I was happy with my mate, then she should be too."

"Wow… that's great!" he said. "But… seriously… I think hell just froze over."

"I know!" Alaina said, laughing. "But there's more. They both blessed our union!"

"Really?"

"They sure did." She gripped his hand tightly, bringing it to her mouth and kissing the back. "But that brings me to my next point. We haven't been unified yet."

"We haven't?" he asked her confusedly.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"But the imprint…"

"The imprint is what you might call an engagement of sorts. In order for us to become one, though…"

"Oh…" he caught on to what she was saying. The others had asked to go further with him, or make out until they succumbed to exhaustion, but now, Alaina was asking to take the ultimate step in their relationship.

"I know this is all still new to you. I'm surprised we've made it as far as we have, to be honest," she said. "But I'm asking you now… to come together as one." Michael's cheeks flushed from her request. She had been outright and open with him, asking that they do what he had been putting off. Was he finally ready - ready to do this with a legendary?

His mind cleared as she pecked his lips. The kiss was neither long nor deep, but passionate and sweet in its own way. She brought her amber eyes level to his. "Please…" Michael gulped, but stood up. He unbuttoned his shorts, pulling them down and stepping out of them, revealing himself to her in the same way as he had Veronica and Layla. But this time, things would be different… He tried to continue, but his hands were slightly trembling.

Alaina made her way over towards him. She grabbed his hand once more. "Hey… it's alright. I'll be here with you every step of the way…"

"O-okay…" He nodded, giving her the permission to do as she pleased. The latias smiled softly at him, giving him one more quick peck before lowering her hand.