Allowing for the fact that the coupling is a great success and that his Aura has imbibed some from the Original One, to be dreaming almost constantly in his sleep with said Legendary Pokémon as the main attraction is positively normal for Ash.
Most of the dreams echo what has transpired to a varying degree of accuracy, again and again, with some tweaks here and there. In most of them, Arceus is Arceus: the white quadruped, possessing a face that casual onlookers will have hard time imagining capable of showing physical affection. Its tongue is like caressing hands on his clothed body which, as the dream goes on, is stripped of clothes one by one. Its inhuman eyes, as he has found out in the real world, are perfectly capable of conveying humanly emotions in their own ways. In a few instances, Arceus is the human woman whom he has seen in Michina's Harvest Festival, as well as the seductive figure in the dream he had had in the train; coy yet alluring, like a charmer who knows exactly what she is capable of and in what ways she has affected the young man. Raven hair flicks in the soft wind around them as her lips kiss their teasing ways down his body. To his surprise though, there are also a handful few in which he has not been touched. Instead, he only sees a tall figure in the shadows with a physique which seems to suggest masculinity. As such, Ash is not able to see clearly but what he does glimpse consists of a chiselled face, fair-skinned hand which hints of his entire light complexion and ink-black hair. Extrapolating that all of his dreams feature the Creation Legend, Ash deduces that this is also a form which Arceus can wear, yet which it has not shown to the Trainer.
Regardless of its forms, none of the dreams reach the stage where he has in reality. The furthest he achieves in his dreams is heavy petting – usually close to his groin – before his current dream rolls to a foggy end only for another to begin again.
However, as much as Ash enjoys his erotic dreams, there is one dream in which he does not partake in any sort of sexual activity. The dream, which intrigues him deeper than his basal desire, is murky in the beginning before the shadows at the edges of his vision reveal the Legendary Pokemon. Here, Arceus appears as it is: a cervine creature, yet more animalistic in behaviours than it is in real life, if only in the ways it cautiously moves in the darkness, wanting to be acknowledged but reluctant to step into the light.
"Hey,"he calls out in his dream. The simple word hooks the Original One's attention from its silent pondering. "What are you doing there?"
Instead of answering, Arceus-in-the-shadows reply, -I want to come.
Ash sits down and pats the porcelain-white ground beside him.
-Do you want me to? Its inquiry is genuinely curious and, if Ash has not misjudged, a little afraid.
"Yeah. Why won't I?"He answers cheerfully, thinking that he has hid his disappointment well behind his smile. Why did Arceus need to ask him such things?
Arceus is standing rigidly, no longer pacing. Judging from the glow of its eyes, it is staring exactly at him. In a way, it reminds him of the glare Arceus had once gave to Sheena upon finding out that the first Jewel of Life presented to it is, in fact, fake. -You will have me there?
Ash is being reminded much too much of his mother's fussing which kind of creeps him out. "Stop asking, will you? Come over."
Arceus relents, though only with halting steps rather than glide as it usually does. In normal circumstances, Ash would have been proud that his perceptivity has grown to adapt to Arceus' subtlest changes but right now, to know that what he sees is signs of tension is quietly stressing.
He scoots closer to the Alpha Pokémon, finding himself a place beside its seated form.
"What's with that face?"It is surprisingly hard to be cheerful when Arceus is looking like that.
Again, Arceus avoids giving a direct answer and replaces it with a nudge. Its breath ruffles his messy hair – only just now he realizes that he has not been wearing his cap.
-Stay, Arceus whispers solemnly. -Please.
"I'm not leaving," is his truthful answer. His hand finds its way easily to the lithe neck. Muscle flexes underneath his palm at the touch as Arceus nudges him more heartily.
-Stay, Arceus repeats as if the conviction has never been uttered. Its voice is that of a feline purr, rough yet somehow soothing despite the fact that Arceus itself is far from soothed.
A Legendary Pokémon can be tiresome, Ash muses half-humorously. What is there to convince the Original One, after all has been said and done between them? Sure, their interactions are far less than what he would like but they are not exactly what one will call a normal couple either. A little deviation from usual expectations is expected anyhow. He leans his head against the Legend's chest, substituting speech for touch when the former can offer little more confirmation than has already been given…
…and wakes up to find himself alone on the expansive bed.
It is too anticlimactic that Ash finds himself staring at the foreign ceiling for some time before his brain will accept that he is, after all, awake. Unlike in his dream, Ash is still lying down rather than sitting cross-legged on the dream-generated floor; a white silk-like fabric covers his body, almost too delicate to be considered using it as a blanket. The scent of sandalwoods from the burners which fills his nostrils further provides the confirmation. Gradually, he becomes aware of the tensing in his leg muscles though the rest of him feels quite normal. Did he really do it that hard? It has looked so easy on-screen – He has never expected that humping is that much strenuous…
Speaking of which – Where is Arceus?
The absence of said Legendary Pokémon unnerves him for a split second before he forces himself to calm down. He is not in any sort of danger. Arceus can go wherever it wants in its own house-that-is-more-like-a-castle-than-anything, and he certainly does not have any right to tie the Pokémon down.
Even then, it is subtly evident that Arceus does not simply leave him without thought of his being.
He does not remember the silk-like blanket being present anywhere in the room before he and Arceus made love. It is brought for his sake; providing the human sufficient warmth even when the Legendary Pokémon is absent. The clothes which he has discarded in a rush lay in neatly folded squares, stacked upon each other at the far edge of the bed – somehow. It strikes him randomly that, despite Arceus' manipulation of aura being fairly impressive, Ash cannot imagine it being used for such mundane and weirdly unconventional usage. Instead, this is a chore for hands and fingers. It is shocking enough that Arceus deigned to treat him in his sickness – and now, this?
Trying not to think too much of that, Ash slips out of the sheet and begins to dress himself. A nameless tune whistles from his lips, half-consciously, before he realizes that the same melody has been sung to him by the Original One before he slept. Underneath it, Ash also recognizes a general pattern in the tune that distinctly mirrors the soothing lullaby-like notes of Oración – the song that calms raging hearts – and surprises himself with the realization.
Ash gives a wondering stare at the incense burner closest to him. White mist slithers from the holes on its surface, suffusing the room with an aroma of spices and herbal woody scents.
That thing clears my mind more than I thought, he notes. Not that he has any problem with it, seeing that his main flaw usually involves him not thinking as much as he should.
He finishes dressing himself quickly, all the while wondering where Arceus has gone and when it is going to come back. Though no longer worried, the Trainer still does not settle well with being alone. He rarely is, usually having Pikachu for company.
His Pokémon, left to roam in the forest-like garden, springs into his mind following the thought of his Pikachu. The rest of them are used to his absence so he cannot imagine them being too worried about him being away. Even Pikachu himself has acknowledged him being with Arceus. However, Ash supposes it will not hurt to find and visit them rather than wait for who knows how long in the bed. Arceus has not forbidden him to walk around, at any rate.
However, Ash is quick to find out that making the decision is far easier than following through it, especially in a place as wonky as Arceus' home.
The door is not the problem. Though heavy, the touch of his fingertip is apparently sufficient to activate whatever mechanism – whether physical or magical – responsible in opening and closing it. The panels swing open noiselessly without further involvement from the Trainer other than his initial finger-brush. His problem begins once he finds himself standing amidst the sky-corridor, with its drifting clouds and sunless light, but without the slightest indication as to where he should go. Ash remembers, albeit vaguely, of turning left once he exited the bedchamber and following the hallway until he met the huge garden gate just outside the passage. Ash follows the remembered course as closely as he can yet, try as he may, he does not seem to make any progress whatsoever.
I was sure I didn't turn around, he thinks dejectedly as he finds himself, once again, end up in front of the bedroom's door.
This is not a conventional lost-in-a-maze circumstance, not when it has been the third – or fourth, he cannot remember exactly – that he finds himself back here. The place seems to double back on itself, its space folding as if he is within the curve of a sphere.
It was like Alamos Town all over again. Icy fingers stroke down his spine at the thought.
Palkia's powers had once removed said town from its location to a strange dimensional void that no one could escape from. Fog-bound, the edges of Alamos were lost in a way that anyone who tried to brave through the blinding haze found themselves inexplicably where they started. Prolonged removal had nearly wiped the town from existence before Palkia restored it back to where it was. In contrast, Arceus' palace, it seems, is stable compared to the displaced Alamos. There are no signs of decay which had plagued the town before Palkia and Dialga made peace with each other, which calms him, but the thought of navigating a place which defies conventional senses is in itself terrifying.
Unfortunately, giving up is not an option either.
Having arrived before the golden door for what seems like close to the tenth time, Ash decides to wait for Arceus after all – which comes as a nasty surprise when he pushes the door-leaves open and finds himself staring… into absolute darkness.
The room – with all the furniture and decorations within – are gone.
His first thought connects the darkness to the one he traversed with Dialga in-between the various Closed Worlds. The emptiness exuded from those Celestial Bridges have been depressing, even sickening; the disappeared room before him holds the same feeling on a smaller scale, yet still very much unsettling.
"What is this…?!" He chokes on his words, feeling as if his lungs were suctioned of more air than necessary when he speaks. A vision of a lightless depth at the very bottom of the sea fills his mind despite the lack of something to behold before him. Despite the emptiness, he cannot help but feel a pressing weight of something unseen on his consciousness.
Ash stumbles back. His head is heavy; dizzy in a way that signals imminent fainting from lack of oxygen. The door panels are ajar before him, its darkness suffocating; his messed eyesight presents an illusion of hazy edges that writhes with intention to snatch him back into its depth –
-Close your eyes, Ash.
A comforting warmth descends over him at the same moment he obeys the whispered voice in his ears and in his head. He lets himself go limp and a solid presence catches him from behind, preventing his fall from becoming a painful collapse.
"…I didn't realize you are here," he murmurs, comforted. A familiar crooning and a translucent purple veil surrounding him confirm his guess.
Through half-lidded eyes, Ash watches as the door panels drift shut, closing with a definitive click although there is no lock visible to him. The flowing caress of its tactile aura over his skin is now a peculiar shade of pink: a mid-ground in its turning from purple to gold. He twists himself slightly to the side to take in the view of the Legendary Pokémon better – now back to its usual appearance who towers over him, complete with the golden wheel ringing its flank – and realizes that the hard, metallic surface against which he lies turns out to be the hoof of its right front leg.
Arceus' head descends to his level, its scoffing snort releasing a breath that ruffles his hair. - Why is it that you are always poking your nose into impossible places?
Despite its remark, there is no hint of real anger in its voice and mannerism, the latter which includes cat-like nuzzles and observative nudges for physical injury. Ash is feeling much better already, thanks to Arceus' golden aura soothing what remains of his discomfort from staring into the darkness.
"That's not fair! I didn't expect to walk straight into some – some black-space-room thingy –"
-Trust it to you to wander to this room, of all the places… Again, there is no admonishment to be heard from the Legendary Pokémon. Its teasing air, however, has deepened into a quiet concern. -That room is a small pocket dimension similar to the ones the Lake Guardians reside in. It is not a place for humans to be near it unprotected.
Ash naturally wonders why something like that is part of its home décor but his curiousity is swiftly answered once his face begins to look puzzled.
-It makes for an ideal training ground. Wide space for movements; empty, to avoid collateral damages.
"Training? What training?"
-You do not think that I would have allowed my martial skills rot over the centuries, do you?
Ash never gives much thought into it before this but it makes sense, once he stops to ponder on it. Its powers are terrifying, true, but Arceus also displayed more than brute strength in its fight against the Dragon Trio in the cancelled timeline. The prowess which has dominated Dialga, Palkia and Giratina in the battlefield could not have come with sitting idle on its rump. The memory is inevitably chilling – to see the mighty Dragons defeated as if they were nothing and beaten for their mercy on the humans and knowing that the same viciousness would be unleashed upon the humans next – but the concerned butting from its forehead sharply opposes Ash' reflexive fear of the Legendary Pokémon.
-In any case, I am glad that you are awake, Arceus quickly interrupts, sensing a minute taint of fear in his moods. It will not do if it is allowed to grow and bother him, or if he recognizes his misplaced fear and be just as bothered by the realization.
Unceremoniously, Arceus drops to lie down beside him right in the is still left of its aura writhes around the Trainer; cuddling him with the Legend's compulsion to soothe. While it can be fun to tease and be cared for by the Original One, there is an anxiety in its manners that Ash dislikes.
"Hey, no harm done, Arceus." He reaches above him to twirl his finger in one of the longer locks on its throat. Arceus croons more loudly, expressing pleasure in his treatments.
-My apologies. I have thought that you will still be asleep when I come back to you… Its nuzzles and little licks are telling Ash that his wandering causes worry for the Original One only in aspect of his own well-being rather than because he is breaking rules, if there are any. Sometimes, it appears that Arceus is far more anxious to please him rather than the other way round.
"By the way, what you've been up to before you came to find me?"
Arceus casts a look of disbelief as if the answer is too obvious for the question to be asked in the first place. Ash allows himself a little satisfaction in managing to distract the Legend from some pointless worrying.
-Why, tending to your Pokémon, of course.
"Huh?
-You are their Trainer. At least, I am obligated to keep them updated.
"Do you have to? It's not like I've been gone for a long time…"
-Nonsense. Your responsibility to them is my own as well if you cannot fulfil them. It will not do if I keep them waiting unnecessarily.
Somehow, this seemingly apparent commitment touches the young man. Beside the sex itself, Arceus has been blatant about its earnestness in their relationship and worded everything carefully and clearly (which is good since his skull is sadly thick), but to show it in this almost offhanded fashion implies naturalness to the action that ought not to be debated.
A polite touch to his shoulder makes him turn around to face the Original One. -Do you wish to see them?
"Sure I do." He is beginning to miss the lot of them, especially his Pikachu, but something else is nagging at him at the moment. "Though… I rather clean myself first, you know."
It is more of a psychological thing than anything else since he neither appears nor feels particularly dirty. It simply feels weird not having a bath after his love-making with the Legendary Pokémon. As its response, Arceus uncoils a string of purplish aura which places the Ketchum onto its back. Though taken by surprise, Ash's hands wrap around the neck in a reflexive hug to secure himself as Arceus floats away from the shut door.
"Arceus?"
-There is a bathhouse that you can use, if you like.
Oh yes, he is indeed lavishly pampered by the Original One. Just the fact that it has 'house' in its name recalls an image of a ginormous bathing space that is more than fit for a king's use. From what he has seen so far of Arceus' domain, his imagination may not be far from the truth. Everything is enlarged to gigantic proportion that some getting used to is in order everytime he beholds something new in the palace.
As it is with the garden, Ash remembers little of the journey other than the sky-corridor itself. He decides to just go with the flow, assuming that asking will only yield an answer that is too complicated for his brain to grasp even if Arceus is willing to do the extensive explaining. As expected, the huge door – nearly identical to the one which contains the black space except for the fine aquamarine streaks that frame the panels – still momentarily baffles the Ketchum despite his mental preparation and self-reminder. Rather than the unsettling darkness he encountered before, this door opens to a luxurious looking bathing space with a pool roughly thrice the size of that found in Misty's Cerulean Gym. The fact that its size is comprehensible is in itself puzzling to the Trainer, seeing that other structures in the place reaches a size where it is possible to contain a microecosystem within. He points this out to Arceus, who merely flicks its head as if shrugging dismissively.
-It is a bathing pool. If I wish for a larger water body, there is always the Circle Lake.
Ash immediately decides that the so-called lake is closer to the size of Earth's smaller seas if what passes for a recreational pool here is fit for large-scale swimming competition. He is set down near the water's edge; a perfect reflection of himself stares from the mirror-smooth surface which is only minutely disturbed by the distant breaths of the Original One. Dipping a toe in it and breaking the image into thousands of scattered pixels, Ash is not surprised to discover that the water is not warm – he can see no steam at the surface – but it is neither cold, merely cool in a way water is when left in a shade.
The vast pool tempts him into stripping which he does with impunity until he begins to unfasten his belt. A sudden bout of embarrassment catches him off-guard at the notion of being nude before Arceus, whereupon his mind cheerfully supplies the result of him unclothed the previous time. Images from his recent, jumbled dreams play in his mind like stills from an erotic slideshow, all steamy bodies and tangled limbs frantically trying to claim territories on each other's skin, kisses and caresses which last into eternity –
Suddenly, his jeans feel like a torturous prison about his groin. The rustle of the coarse fabric on his flesh, even through his undershorts, makes him gasp and jump from the unexpected sensation.
Arceus would have raised an eyebrow if it has one. -You are still wanting? You are quite insatiable.
Arceus will really burn him with embarrassment if it keeps this up!
"I'm not!" He blurts out defensively even though he knows better. Frantically, he turns his back towards the Original One to hide his condition even though such a thing is useless by now. His face suddenly feels steaming-hot as he confuses himself with the working of his belt.
Arceus is behind him in a second; golden aura entangles him in the next.
"Arceus –" He begins but its harsh breath tickles the nape of his neck with exciting warmth. Ash struggles to swallow his own collecting saliva while the tip of a tongue slithers along his neck and tentatively flits around his lower jaw.
-You really are quite tempting but…
The aura slowly, lazily meanders around him: From his head and down to his neck, entwining his arms and fingers with ethereal glow that spreads to his chest and abdomen. Eventually, it finishes the flow to his feet and returns to the Pokémon in forked endings. To his surprise, Ash's budding lust subsides the longer he is embraced in the golden light until it vanishes altogether, his penis becoming relaxed as if he has not felt any sort of stimulation previously.
-I rather not take the chance, it replies to Ash's inquiry behind its calming effects. -As much as I would like a repeat performance, I may end up asking more than what you can give.
Despite himself, he bristles minutely at the comment. He mutters, "I'm not…w-weak!"
-You certainly are not, Arceus agrees, surprising the Ketchum, -but seeing that you have ended up sleeping for two straight days, you cannot blame me for being cautious.
"It's not like I'm going to –" He stops and does a double-take at Arceus' nonchalance. "Wait – TWO days…?"
-Well, it would be if I synchronize the time flow to Earthly realm but –
"I slept for TWO DAYS…?!"
While Ash can only manages what he internally calls an idiotic gaping, Arceus gives him an odd yet fond look. -It is inevitably taxing when you mate a Legend, dear one.
It is, Ash decides, kind of a little bit like sugar rush when making love to a Legendary Pokémon if Ash understands Arceus – at least, with those of high-tier powers. The influx of Auras is a parallel to the intake of sugar in this case, invigorating the participants during the act but the mortal one of the pair will be left drained once the mating is concluded. Though his pride is somewhat mended by the assurance, his dismay persists.
"But that won't do at all, would it? I mean, if I ended conked out cold for days every time –"
-It WAS your first, Arceus reminds him comfortingly. -We will get used to each other over time.
Arceus is being polite about it, of course, but it also views the topic as a foregone conclusion or something that it has long anticipated and prepared to adapt to. Its casual tone is sufficient to convey the finality of its opinion on the matter. Ash obediently discards the topic, albeit with certain reluctance, and continues with his undressing and steps out of the puddle of his jeans, leaving only his boxer still on his body.
There are no stairs for access into the pool. Instead, the 'shore' deepens gradually with distance to its full depth halfway to the centre of the pool. Ash wades through the still water until he finds himself able to completely submerge. He proceeds a little further with a combination of paddling and swimming until his feet are off the bottom, whence his natural buoyancy keeps his head above the waterline.
From the dry ground of the poolside, Arceus watches with a characteristic tilting of its head; a vaguely avian gesture that usually shows its curiosity.
Ash raises a hand and signals a thumbs-up, then makes a quick dive to wet his hair. The cool water on his skin is massively refreshing and Ash resurfaces with a burst, revelling in the sprinkling of water droplets around him. His laughter is inevitably irrepressible.
"Arceus, it feels great!" He shouts, swimming with lazy backstrokes back to the waiting Pokémon.
It does not feel at all like having just wakened up from a two-day sleep. Truthfully, he is not tired whatsoever. In fact, he feels great, healthy in every way – and even enthusiastic. It may very well be that there is a bit left of that sugar-rush effect.
"See, Arceus? I don't look tired or anything, right?" He paddles up to the shallower waters and lay down on his back. He is close enough here that he does not have to shout to be heard, and the Original One's expression is readily visible.
-Are you still upset over it? Again with the forehead-touch on his shoulder; it is like Arceus is trying to make it as formal as possible. -I am only being careful. If I turn out to be wrong…well, we can think of something to do then.
"I know." Disliking the new propriety, Ash foregoes it altogether and presses a surprise kiss under its eye. If he had retained his arousal, Ash presumes that the kiss will not be as innocent as it is. When he pulls away, he does so only slightly that his nose is still touching its face. "I'm glad that you care for me. But I don't like it when you're acting like you're on a tightrope."
An uncertain Arceus makes a peculiar sight to the Ketchum who is used to its more authoritative side. For a moment, he fears that Arceus does not appreciate having its decision contended, even in a very mild manner as it is.
"Trust me a little, please?"
-…You are right, Ash. I am sorry, it says without a trace of the expected protest. To his surprise, the Legendary Pokemon pushes itself to him, closing distance between them until his bare chest meets the warm, metallic point of its forehead. -I simply do not want my impatience to undo everything we have achieved.
Ash can't decide whether he sounds sulky or excited at the prospect of more time with Arceus. "I've said it before: You're overthinking it. It's not good stressing yourself over it."
-I see. You are not giving me a choice to argue over it, are you?
Ash frowns. A peculiar note has entered the Original One's voice; feigned irritation or a pleasing dissatisfaction, but not quite.
"Nope."
Right there and then, to Ash's surprise, he is washed over by a series of wave… only to realize that these are not made of water. Arceus' passive aura surges, a thousand emotions condensed, but the water around him ripples only from his movements, not the Legend's.
He wonders briefly – partly in fear, mostly curious – what it means before a light pressure lands on his forehead.
-I envy your carefreeness.
"Nah, most people I met said that I'm too careless for my own good."
-All the same… Most people would not even consider a Pokémon for a mate. Perhaps I should be thankful to your so-called carelessness.
Ash sighs dreamily, basking in the now-retracted aural emanations. Arceus' kiss on his forehead remains, however, and the breaths exhaled creates a gentle gust that warms his face.
"So…can you take off…whatever you put on me just now?"
-…I cannot; it was my Aura, assimilated into you to soothe but not restrain. The effect will wear out in a few hours though.
"Alright, we'll wait. Just so you know though, you owe me."
-…Very well.
The touch on his forehead is followed by a moist trail of its tongue, tracing unrecognizable lines on his skin. The gesture, intimate yet still decent for its standard, conveys a deep wanting and an equally deep concern.
Always concerned, always fearful. Ash does not expect to change it, only lessen the more unnecessary edges.
Ironically, its seriousness often draws the opposite from the Trainer. Perhaps it is his instinct to keep it from being too sombre.
"Hey, stop being so gloomy." He thrusts his hand underwater, flinging it as if he is about to lob a ball backwards; the resulting splash soaks his drying body and Arceus' face which has remained stationary in its forehead-kiss.
-I am NOT.
Arceus does not draw away as he expects. However, a bright glow in its eyes alerts him to the change in its hues. The irises remain red but the green background flashes blue for a couple of seconds, quick enough that Ash may have easily dismissed it as a trick on his own eyes.
Until a wave of water crashes over him, that is.
There is no warning at all. Ash is suddenly engulfed by a rogue wave that comes from who-knows-where when the pool has been perfectly still just a few seconds ago. Instinctively struggling for breath, the water somehow recedes as soon as he is about to make the mistake of gasping when he would have still been underwater. He splutters with imagined inhalation of liquid only to find that air, not water, which fills his throat.
"Hey, that's just unfair!" He coughs, still half-dazed by the sudden brief drowning but clearly aware of what has just happened. "Damn Multitypes."
He utters the last word with the same nuance as others will a curse. It is grossly biased that he, a human, is unable to use even the simplest Water-typed tricks when Arceus can change its very Typing freely across the board.
Arceus glows bright, its amusement evident.
The glow then becomes brighter, heralding more than just manifestation of its mood. It glows in a specific pattern – a pattern Ash has seen for the first time in a circumstance less favourable than what he is in now, and recognizes it for what it is.
When Arceus' body dims, all of the coloured portions of its body are in various shades of blue, save for the red irises. The water in which he is immersed thrums with invisible energy like Furfrou's sudden alertness to the humanly inaudible shrill of a canine whistle.
"I haven't see you changed Types for a while," Ash remarks, wondering why Arceus activates its Splash Plate.
Arceus gives no reply to it, not verbally, but the water surrounding him moves to an unnatural current that carries him to the deeper part of the pool. Naturally, Ash expects rebuke of some sort but Arceus follows after him, stepping on the surface as if it does so on solid floor, each contact of its hoof-tip creates ripple on the water. Arceus' mastery over water proves to be more refined in this forme, more instinctive and controlled than just the raw force required to initiate an attack. Ash lets himself float on, in complete confidence that Arceus will not let him sink, and indulges in the soothing coolness of the water flowing around him.
Soon, the current ceases; Ash kicks himself upright in the water, his hands fluttering to keep him afloat, and watches as Arceus descends beside him, hardly disturbing the water as it does. The pool is not yet at its deepest here but enough so to nearly submerge the Original One, leaving only a thin strip of its back exposed on the surface. He swims the short distance to the Pokémon; the lower protrusion on its neck serves as a convenient handhold. Arceus' white furs cling tightly to the underlying skin, creating an illusion of a sleek, smooth hide in the glistening wetness.
Grinning playfully, his hands drawing abstract patterns on the wet hairs, Ash says, "This is not going to pay for it. You still owe me."
-I wouldn't presume. Its neck comes to rest along the surface while Ash makes a swim for the lowered head. A brief glow marks its changing back to its normal Forme, the wheel reassuming its golden appearance, as does Arceus' underside regaining its grey colouration. -And it is still too early to try anything else at the moment…but I would love to just be with you.
Ash does not blush but his ears do warm up by a degree or two. "You're quite the romantic, aren't you?"
-I have never denied it.
His hand tugs gently on its lower jaw. Unresisting, Arceus yields itself to the Trainer's bold, open-mouthed kiss, its head an anchor for Ash in the fluid environment with little else to hold on to. Despite Arceus' earlier efforts, a faint tingle sparks between his legs as their tongues find and curl around each other but it is still too weak to grow into a true arousal.
Ash dislikes the restrain but he is already pushed underwater while their kiss lengthens, deepens into teasing bites and licks, passionate but merely playful. The bottom is a long way down but Arceus lifts a front leg to meet him halfway before he reaches an uncomfortable depth: hard muscle wound about dense bone against the human's back. Water presses against his eardrums but Ash does not care much about it, not even for his shortening breath – Arceus provides more than enough for him once he begins to gasp, their breaths circulating between them.
The restrain holds fast, unfortunately.
Even so, it is a long time before Ash swims his way back to the surface with Arceus beside him, looking inordinately pleased for what they can still gather in their limitedness.
