Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Fate

by RoxasO13

A medium-sized town sits peacefully, undisturbed for years. That will soon change with a surge of wild Pokémon, but these are different than standard ones that live in the wilderness. It'll take a top-tier rescue team to resolve the issue, and Advent Town might not have what it takes. The story follows Glave, a treecko, who's soon to meet someone strangely similar to him. (Lemons)

15. Chapter 15

I am unaware of any writing errors, but I apologize in advance ahead of time if some arise. This chapter was finished very early compared to the upload date and the proofreading was delayed considerably, and that leads to sloppy mistakes, but I pray that I tidied this up fairly well. Enjoy!

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"Hey." Glave addressed Ruby.

The Latias hovered up beside Glave. Her body was behind him while her head poked past him. She slowly descended and laid on the ground, lazily rolling so that she was propped on her wing.

"I told you not to bother anyone." Latios got beside her.

The male pushed his twin up lightly and settled behind her. He rested her on him. Glave shot them an uncomfortable glance.

[I can't help but think that's supposed to look cuter than it does.] The grovyle shuddered. [I wonder if you're doing that because you're siblings, or if it's because you two are biologically designed to...]

{I don't expect you to understand.} Latios made himself at home in Glave's head. {We simply love each other. Nothing else needs to exist for us to show each other compassion.}

"Have you ever given someone a heart attack when you do that?"

"Do what?" Ruby asked. "I know we don't make any noise when we move, so if that's it, then I'm sorry."

{I try to steer her away from prying into other people's thoughts. Likewise, I don't connect her when I'm using telepathy with someone. Think of this as our own private line.}

[Sounds hypocritical to me.] Glave rolled his eyes behind his eyelids.

{It takes courage to say that to a legendary Pokémon. Your father had a similar confidence about him.}

[I didn't say it to you.] The ordinary Pokémon sighed, to which Ruby shriveled.

"I'm fine- you're fine, I mean." Glave never did make eye contact with the cuddling Pokémon. "What's up? You got comfortable, so I assume something was bugging you."

"Mhm. I wanted to ask you some things."

Glave's leaf flowed up and down in the breeze. He stared directly ahead, in the direction of his home, and waited.

"Shoot."

"I don't know where to start. Um, how's Advent Town?"

"It's normal, for me. Perhaps it was different when you were around, but it hasn't changed since I've been alive. No serious construction projects, no new businesses, it's just a cozy little town."

"I meant is it doing alright?"

"Oh."

Ruby giggled at Glave's misinterpretation. The grovyle couldn't pinpoint what exactly, but every sound she made was amplified in his brain. When she cried, it was heartbreaking, when she screamed in horror, it was terrifying, and when she laughed, it was easy to get lost in the joyful noise.

"The town is holding up well. It was attacked somewhere around a month ago. That was the day I met Zero. Come to think of it, I evolved that day too, but it wasn't a big deal."

"It wasn't? I thought everyone loved evolving! I've always been jealous that I'll never get to evolve." The Latias gave the twinkling stars a puzzled expression.

"I was knocked out with one hit right after mine, so I didn't feel very accomplished, haha." Glave didn't feel a shred of embarrassment when he admitted his failure." The lucario on my team was the main attacker, but she wasn't alone. I'll spare the details, but everyone had the same aura that's been traumatizing us ever since."

[Wait a second...] The grass-type gradually shifted from a humorous face to a struck one.

"Come to think of it... the first two didn't." His heart started beating faster.

[I never gave that day much thought. I avoided thinking about the specifics so I could look at Cerulean without prejudice. The salamence and Cerulean- they could both talk with that stuff controlling them. Why couldn't Aqua or Turq? Shara couldn't say anything either. And the first two me and Volt fought, the shiny luxray and the ditto, they didn't have the aura at all!]

"I need to-"

"Talk to Zero?" Latios finished Glave's sentence with a bored tone. "Slow down. Your 'friend' is unconscious." The twin spitefully finished.

"Y-yeah. I feel like an idiot right now."

"I'm so confused..." Ruby mumbled. "This set of Pokémon is kinda weird." She glanced at Latios, who snickered. "Oh, but Violet and Azure are really nice!"

"Talk to me, Glave. Ugh, it's going to take me some time to get used to saying that name again." The male dragon sharpened his focus. "Zero is out of commission, and you don't know for how long. Since Ruby is going to force us to go to Advent Town, you may as well get your thoughts straightened out now."

"Alright." Glave took a deep breath. "I've personally seen five Pokémon that had that black aura-"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hang on..." The female twin scrunched her face up, the fur creasing under her eyes. "Suicune and Entei looked kinda sick when..." She whimpered and audibly swallowed before Latios took over.

"I see. What do you know about that stuff?"

"In truth- nothing. We only have speculation. Zero and I separately deduced that it seems to control others and that it's instituted by giving the target a specific goal, along with a potential condition. Once the condition is met, the goal might alter."

"You call it dark." Latios probed.

"Right. It's not aura as in 'aura,' but it's an energy that surrounds them. I think. If you saw someone under its influence, it'd kinda look like they were ablaze with black flames."

"Hmph. Understood. Well, what did you just realize? Something clicked just now, no?"

"Yeah." Glave finally looked at Latios and Latias. The red dragon was gawking as though he was telling a scary story, while her counterpart behaved like he was hearing a mission report." The first two times I personally saw it in effect was when it was used on a salamence and Cerulean. But that day, they were talking. Cerulean bragged about how she'd kill everyone, and the salamence handed out basic villain memos."

"Are there examples of Pokémon not talking when they're affected by that stuff? You make it sound like communication is significant regarding this topic."

"When Glave got hurt..." Ruby sniffed. "When Glave got hurt, they didn't say anything. I thought there was a different reason, like they were just mad at us for something, but they never spoke."

The trio's conversation temporarily halted. Ruby peered into the night sky through blurry, wet eyes. Latios felt her sorrow and nuzzled against her neck. Glave considered the information he had and tried to discern something, anything. He was worried that by the time Zero awoke, he'd have forgotten an important detail.

[What if there's another attack?] The grovyle clenched his claws into fists. [There's enough Pokémon here, but the town... No, there should still be enough strong Pokémon there to defend. Volt, Flara, and Mr. Sitrus make a mean combination. I can't rely on others for everything though.]

{Is that so? The way you think, it appears you'd rather everyone rely on you for everything. That's rather assertive for someone who just started experiencing the outside world.} Latios took a break from monitoring his sister's mentality to pry into Glave's. {Don't let being noble get you killed. It amounts to little more than failure.}

"Why?" Glave acknowledged the legendary Pokémon's advice, but he moved on. "Why could those Pokémon talk? I don't think it was a matter of strength, per se. Or it could be. Argh, I don't know!"

The twins quietly listened to the grovyle begin to rant.

"Think. I just need to find possibilities, I don't need the answer."

"Were there any incidents before the attack on Advent Town four years ago that involved that aura?"

"I can't think of anything." Glave let out an exasperated sigh. "Zero would know better than I would."

"You sound like Glave." Ruby chirped solemnly, if such a thing was possible.

"Huh?"

"Oh, I guess you just know him as 'Dad,' right?" The Latias impermanently distracted herself from the sad atmosphere.

"You could say that. I never actually knew him, but I respect my father a lot. All my life I looked up to him. Is that weird?" Glave turned to Latios specifically.

He was beginning to understand the maturity and intelligence the Pokémon possessed, setting aside the undeniable prejudices he contained.

"I couldn't say," The blue dragon began before going into detail in the grovyle's mind.

{Between me and you, Latios and Latias both die whenever they have children. We're among the only legendaries to reproduce, but we're strong enough to warrant sacrifice to renew each other. One day, I'll just be a rock that makes my family more powerful.}

[The soul dew?]

{You're well-informed. Did that human tell you about the soul dew? It's a rare item that currently rests on an island in the southern sea.}

[He just outright told me where his family heirloom is...] Glave was surprised at the sudden openness, so much so that he forgot Latios had access to his thoughts.

{You don't intend to steal it now, do you? I'm only joking. Either way, me and Ruby didn't know our parents. She knows others came before me and her, but things are better this way. She has less of a reason to start wondering from where children come.} Latios informed the grass-type. {I didn't mean to deviate so. Put simply, we don't know our mother or father, so I can't confirm or deny whether or not your feelings are 'weird.' I can tell you my opinion. I think it's perfectly acceptable to aspire to be like heroes. Your father gave his life protecting my sister, just like he protected those to which you are close. With that knowledge, he will never be anything but a hero in my heart.}

Glave had heard it all before. His father was the "hero of the village," both figuratively and literally. He wasn't close with any of the affected family members of those his father helped out through his missions, but everyone in town revered him. The truth was that with time, everyone, Glave included, had become dull to the idea of the sceptile. Something in the grovyle changed when his brain was filled with Latios's telepathy. There was a unique honor and pride to hear such powerful words from someone who he could feel meant them.

"Thank you," Glave replied with a hoarse throat.

"See?" Ruby whispered to Latios, though the other Pokémon in the group could hear her just as clearly. "This set is weird! You didn't say anything helpful." She giggled at the jab she made toward her brother.

Latios only smiled behind her. He underwent the same reaction as all other Pokémon when he heard the female twin making emotional gestures.

"Anyway, Glave. Maybe you're overthinking this aura you two have seen."

"What!?" The grovyle was stunned.

"Don't misunderstand; I'm not saying it isn't a threat. Listen well. A user is a person or Pokémon who uses something. If there are one or more masterminds behind this, then they are using this aura. Consider it the same way you consider other abilities."

"Other abilities?" Glave went back to thinking.

[I think I almost get it, but I can't put it into words. How would Zero interpret-] The short Pokémon's heartbeat increased as a lightbulb lit up behind his eyes.

For Glave, the answer was Zero. Just that morning, the human threw down with a Pokémon that was systematically tied for strongest Pokémon with Mewtwo. The effort of overusing his powers left the human incapacitated.

"Seems you've got it."

"Are you sure about this?"

Latios scoffed.

"Of course not. We aren't looking for answers, remember? Just ideas."

[I get it. Whoever is controlling Pokémon can't just do it infinitely. It could be that they need to recharge after passing their will onto a Pokémon. That makes a lot of sense.] Glave glanced at the blue dragon. [Damn. You figured out such a possibility in as short a time as you did? Zero was definitely wrong about you and your Poke... Pokedex? I think he said that.]

"I will caution you about preconceptions. Don't become so engrossed within them that a truth that doesn't abide by them leaves you shocked." The wise Latios commented.

"Yeah. Thanks. I've got a lot to think about now. But you wanted to talk, right Ruby? Your brother kinda stole the spot..." Glave trailed off at the end of his sentence.

The Latias he tried talking to had dozed off amidst the serious talk he and her brother shared. She lightly snored, but her mouth did not appear to be open.

"Today was rough for her," Latios explained. "Much more for her than for me. One of my life's biggest nuisances is her bond with your teacher. He's a freak of nature- rather, not of nature, who shouldn't exist. She disagrees wholeheartedly, and I don't blame you for doing the same. Every word that comes out of his mouth irritates me, yet Ruby fawns over just the syllables."

"If being with him makes her happy, what's the problem?" Glave gently attempted to defend his teacher.

{What is the reason for prolonging the innocence of a Latias?} Latios telepathically questioned, so that Ruby didn't overhear the subject.

[In my own words? I don't rem-]

{It doesn't matter.}

[They are supposed to be so compassionate that they'll long for a child to the point where each day it breaks their heart that they can't have one. That might be a little over the top-]

{That's under the top. Far, far under the top. She's especially close to that human.}

[Woah, you're not suggesting-]

{Allow me to stop you before you get started down that path. I would vomit.}

Surely enough, Glave heard Latios's stomach make some kind of noise and the dragon swallowed.

{The human lifespan maxes out near one hundred years. That of a single Latias minimizes at one thousand.}

"Oh." Glave frowned. "Oh."

"Separation was the ideal answer, at the time. I don't know what excuse I'll use to pry them apart this time." Latios admitted out loud.

"That doesn't make any sense..." Ruby muttered in her sleep. "I'm never gonna use this stuff, Latios. Stop... learn it."

{If you don't mind, her chat with you can wait until tomorrow. I'd like to rest as well now. Try not to let your active mind prolong your consciousness."

Glave nodded and stood. The grovyle quietly crept back to his tent, waiting for a short period outside Violet and Cream's sleeping quarters. He listened for any sounds of movement, even if it meant accidentally hearing his leader relieving himself. The grass-type would have considered that to be a blessing at that moment. When silence greeted his ears, he left.

Cerulean was stiff as a board when Glave entered the tent. He crept over to the blanket he slept on rather than a sleeping bag. It wasn't long before his body was just as still as the lucario next to him.

The sun pushed itself to rise above the horizon. The sky was a collage of orange light that gradually spilled into its classic blue further West. Pink clouds sprinkled the scenery as the sunlight struck them.

[It's time to get up.] Glave forced himself to accept the words.

The grovyle had waited diligently; he was awake far earlier than he should have been, but he earnestly hoped that Cerulean's sleep would be disturbed as a result of Zero's aura beacon. The lucario only moved a muscle when she naturally rolled over, inadvertently waking herself.

"Morning, Zero, Glave." She yawned. "Ah, that's right. Anyway, good morning." She told her teammate. "How do you feel? You seem healthier, at least up here," she pointed at her head, "But I would only know if you were completely traumatized."

He nodded in agreement.

"So much has happened that no one thing has the power to drive itself into my core right now. It's like when there's one thing to eat away at me, it's not unlike a blade. It stabs through the material it strikes with less force than a weapon that utilizes blunt force."

"Way to make it sound bright and colorful."

"Hope red's your favorite color." He made one of his darkest jokes, but it was genuinely humorous in intent.

The packing went well. Glave made a highlighted mental note that Azure was pushing herself far further than she was at the battle not 24 hours prior.

[You didn't do anything when Zero was in trouble. I refuse to believe that all four of you were frozen in fear. Tell me the truth.] Glave squinted at the gardevoir's back.

"I know you aren't staring at Azure's pancake ass, so what's cracking?" Cream bounced up next to the grovyle.

"Nothing. It's really helpful that we have psychic-types who can lift all these poles and things. I think that might just be what makes tents viable in the first place." He lied.

"Kinda boring, but I guess you're right. Next time make sure your comeback has something to do with asses though. Shouldn't be that hard since you tapped mine~" She flicked him on the head.

"I'll start thinking of a list now," Glave remarked to the lopunny, at which she laughed and walked off to the machoke Zero reprimanded a few nights ago.

[I don't judge Pokémon when I can help it, but that's a bona fide slut. All the men here seem to enjoy it, so it can't be that bad. Except for Beat.] Glave smiled at his speculation.

When everything was said and done and the cart crew had all the luggage, the Pokémon set off to Advent Town. They'd traveled for enough time so that they'd enter the town at night. And they did.

The whole way, Glave chatted with Cerulean, Ruby, or Latios whenever someone had something to say, but with such a long road trip, there could never be enough words to fill the gaps. The Latias had forgotten what she had been concerned with the prior evening. Everyone except for those four started cheering as the department store poked over the trees, and eventually, the white walls of Advent Town were upon them.

Truthfully, there was someone else who didn't express happiness. Zero, the incapacitated human in the arms of Beat, lay stagnant and peacefully. He had stabilized and was no longer losing blood, but he showed no signs of waking. Once more, Glave had accepted there was nothing he could do for his mentor.

The forty-two Pokémon plus Zero that attended the expedition departed through the Eastern gate. They arrived through the Northern gate, and by the looks of things, that was anticipated.

A white ribbon spread across the opening in the wall, and ballons were hung at both sides. A crowd larger than that of the expedition awaited the nearing rescue and exploration teams.

Glave frowned.

[I wonder if there's ever been a death before. No one here has talked about Shara, but Shade Strike is a solitary team.]

The bisharp on Shara's team carried a body bag containing her corpse slumped over his shoulder. It wasn't intended for zoroark; the container was taller than her, but it didn't support her width. The dark-type's hair was outside of the bag.

Team Ultima wasn't in the front like the leaders Glave thought they'd be. Instead, they lingered near the back. Whatever eager Pokémon led the pack broke through the finish-line-like ribbon and returned home.

The Machamp Guard lined the streets and instructed the expedition members on what to do. As much as everyone would like to return home and take the day off, they were to head to the town square for a ceremony.

Thus, they entered the literal square in the center of town. There was a stage that'd been set up at the Northern side; it didn't take that long with the muscular and intellectual strength the citizens possessed. The Mayor awaited unanimous quiet behind a podium when everyone gathered. Since the pavement had been damaged during Cerulean's attack, they replaced a large amount of it with grass that was tended to daily. The large square was 75 feet on all sides, and it just barely contained all of the Pokémon from the expedition.

Since shorter Pokémon were toward the front to see, Glave was almost positioned in the front row. Cerulean got a pass for being next to him so long as she was not blocking anybody's view.

Draco cleared his throat and Team Ultima began climbing the stairs. They had been waiting patiently on the side, evidently aware of the ceremony prior to its occurrence.

The team of four Pokémon motioned to someone in the crowd. The political dragonite was discombobulated.

"Unfortunately, sir," Azure began, "There was one casualty during the expedition. Team Ultima failed to keep the peace at all times."

The Mayor turned his attention to Zero, who was still lying in Beat's arms, and equipped a deep, sympathetic expression. It was a face he'd practiced during many times of hardship.

The bisharp from Shade Strike walked up to the stairs of the stage and waited for further instruction.

"There was a zoroark, I believe named Shara, that lost her life while we were away. We understand she was afflicted with the aura that has previously troubled Advent Town before she was unintentionally struck down," The gardevoir concluded.

From the Mayor's face, one would've thought he'd seen someone get struck down. The dragon's posture changed entirely. While he was naturally astute, he straightened up and eyed the body bag slumped over the dark-steel type's shoulder.

"I-I see." He stammered. "I will personally see to the informing of the victim's family."

Glave was burdened with a curious sensation.

[What is this?] The grovyle pondered. [I can't put my finger on it, but something about just now bothers me.]

"The time to mourn will come, if for her friends it has not already passed." Draco cleared his throat.

[I know. I've never seen the Mayor make that face. He's always collected. He doesn't get surprised even if you throw a curveball at him. I don't even think he ever lost his composure when Zero reported our bizarre encounters with him.] Glave nodded in agreement with his own discernment.

"You have returned earlier than prior years. Were there any disturbances to the annual tradition of exploring distant lands?" The dragonite smiled and resumed his front. He was a genuinely nice Pokémon, but appearances were necessary for a position as vital as his.

"That's right. I'll be brief, but Rayquaza made itself known while we were at Mount Glacia."

"Oh, dear. That is quite the interference."

[That doesn't stand out.] Glave carefully watched the designated leader of his home. [You're normally like that. But why does the mention of legendaries not bug you if that earlier did? What about that mattered?]

"How was such a threat handled?" The Mayor continued his review.

At that question, Team Ultima shared a moment of glancing at each other awkwardly. Violet faced the Mayor first.

"Zero stepped up. He battled Rayquaza, and that was that." The delphox shared uncomfortably.

Draco blinked a few times in response. Seconds went by before he spoke. In that time, he scanned the human Beat carried.

"He battled Rayquaza... and won?"

The crowd began its typical chattering, but it was different this time. The crew that participated in the journey to Mount Glacia was not the only group of Pokémon present. Many, many civilians lined the edges of the town square. When the spectators heard the news, there was a wide separation between those that had been there and those that had not.

Glave and Cerulean, who were at the end of one row of Pokémon, were in earshot of both parties. Those that attended the cinematic smackdown recited parts of it or agreed with the general concept that the human from their town reigned victoriously.

That stood out immensely to the lucario, but Glave was too lost in thought to listen. Nevertheless, Cerulean was surprised to find the Pokémon were claiming Zero as a sort of representative for their side while writing Rayquaza off as some bad guy.

Meanwhile, the majority of the general population was repulsed. Scoffing and making skeptical gestures, it was quickly made known that they didn't believe such an event could end in the manner they were being told.

"I would have to say yes, sir," Violet called over the noise. Some Pokémon heard her and quieted down, and the respectful silence spread outward. "I do believe that the term 'win' may be stretching the truth, but it is a fact that he was the last one standing. Additionally, he analyzed his opponent's condition to ensure his safety when the battle ended."

The Mayor said nothing. He closed his eyes and took in the resuming conversations all around him.

Glave watched the dragonite, half-focusing on what he saw. The grovyle noticed Volt and Circe, along with the two kids, in the crowd. Jolt had evolved into a luxio since the day his brother had gotten himself into trouble. He put on a smile and waved before outright ignoring them.

"It wasn't a fair one-on-one battle, sir. I don't mean to discredit Zero, but the eon twins coincidentally were in the area and helped him." Cream reported.

"Ah, yes. I saw Latios and his sister," Draco waved to the two twins. They were sem-surrounded by shocked and admiring Pokémon. "I was going to ask if you were well and what brought you back to our town, but I believe I understand. It is certainly unexpected to see you, but let it be known that this is a pleasant surprise, you two."

Latios nodded and Ruby giggled and bobbed slightly higher as she levitated.

[That was unexpected? Somebody died, ya know...] Glave felt a pang of guilt when he recalled the events of Shara's death once again. His back stiffened. [Hang on. Were you expecting that?]

The grovyle tried to find evidence for his building claim. With sloppily mustered precision, he picked apart what he could.

[Focus. The eon twins' appearance didn't get to him. He was put off when he heard Zero won the fight, but why wouldn't he be? Argh, I'm wasting time overthinking this.] The grass-type took a deep breath.

Paying attention to the ceremony again, his eyes locked onto the bisharp still standing uncertainly at the bottom of the stage. Specifically, he spotted the body bag containing his temporary companion.

A chill spread from Glave's core to his fingers and toes, running down the tip of the leaf spilling down his back. His muscles tightened up and his body went ultimately rigid. Grass energy forcefully sculpted twin leaf blades onto the grovyle's forearms. Rage pumped through his veins akin to venom and his eyes shot open.

"Damn, are- woah!" Cerulean jumped when she saw the battle-ready Pokémon.

Glave glared vehemently at the man in charge of Advent Town. The grass-type Pokémon involuntarily growled, startling all the Pokémon around him. They eyed him uncertainly, to a degree that garnered the Mayor's attention. The dragon-flying type's reaction, a sad realization, solidified the truth in Glave's heart.

Tucking his arms in front of him and creating a curved X with the blades growing off his forearms, Glave tackled through the crowd. Everyone got out of the way before they were hit.

The grovyle was on the East side of the forty-something Pokémon in the center. He was headed West.

"Glave!" Volt yelled to the short Pokémon. "Grr, I'm sorry about this, sir!" He told the Mayor and took off after his adopted son.

Draco watched them go. The outer shell of civilian Pokémon made way for the two as well.

[When did you get so fast!?] Volt mentally questioned the young grass-type, who was notably outrunning the luxray.

Glave ran past the Town Hall and the Rescue Federation. He hauled ass to the tourist district, where he fell to the ground meters in front of his house. Rolling onto his knees, the grovyle began pounding the ground. Each thrust of his hand into the pavement introduced a brand new energy ball to the stone flooring.

"Glave! What are you-" Volt came to a halt beside his partner's son. "What's wrong, Glave?"

Latios materialized on his other side. Airborne colors distorted until the psychic-dragon type was visible. He refrained from speaking, resigning to simply hovering and listening for the answer.

"You wouldn't get it... You wouldn't understand!"

{Even still, focus.} Latios stopped the next cement-slam by using barrier under the grovyle's fist.

Glave stopped moving and panted, resting on his hands and knees. Sitting back, the other two Pokémon saw the anger carved into his face.

"What happened, kiddo? Me and Circe were watching you when you lost it. Shock and Jolt were scared you were hurt." Volt chastised him.

"Hurt Pokémon don't run off like that." Glave spat the words out. "As I said, neither of you would care."

"Care?" Latios repeated aloud. "It wasn't that earlier. Besides, for you to decide our feelings like that means we can do the same, no?"

"N-no, it isn't like that."

"Glave, we're not stupid," The luxray stepped forward, "It's obviously got something to do with Zero. And I brought you up for four years, I know you well. If it was just his condition troubling you, it wouldn't have yielded this reaction. What did you see?"

"...Nothing. I didn't see anything. This whole trip... this damn expedition- I feel like an idiot." Glave pushed himself back with his shaky arms, sitting on his knees." The goal was so vague the entire time. Maybe find a dungeon. There were no instructions for looking for one."

"Volt and I are not lacking in intelligence. Speak clearly." Latios chimed in.

"You and Ruby were confounding factors. I got to thinking about this in the crowd, and I think the true objective for these past few days was for Zero to die."

Latios and Volt glanced at each other over the grovyle between them.

"Zero was my partner, just like your father was. Why would you think I wouldn't care about something like that?"

"Nevermind him, Glave. His instincts as a father make him say that. More importantly, why do you speak so boldly?"

"There were too many puzzle pieces in one spot," Glave told the legendary Pokémon. "You can't control the picture the pieces make."

"So be it. Let's go inside. This is your home I take it. Then you can tell us what the pieces were."

Getting out of the sun, though the season for hot temperatures had long since passed, the three Pokémon occupied the beds in the hut's main area. Glave sat on Zero's bed since it was in the middle, while Volt curled up on the grovyle's. The luxray managed to retain a vigilant appearance. Latios floated over Cerulean's bed, turning his nose up to the furniture.

"The Mayor... You know him. You said you liked him, so hopefully, you can relate to this. I've never seen him shocked or upset. He wasn't particularly disheveled when Azure told him someone died. That's why it threw me off when she mentioned who did perish, and he looked like she punched him."

"That doesn't mean anything yet," Volt interjected.

"Even so, it checks out. You know Draco likely as well as I do. That sounds incriminatingly accurate to me." Latios replied.

"On top of that was the stuff about the expedition. It was suspicious in retrospect. We barely knew where we were going, and we got there separately. That wasn't that weird though. What was strange was that we were supposed to just kick some snow around until it magically opened a portal to a mystery dungeon that was probably devoid of anything valuable." Glave paused.

"You don't sound finished."

"No, I'm not. Rayquaza's appearance was also unusual. He just... showed up."

"He?" Volt raised an eyebrow.

"Keep quiet about that. That repugnant human will-" Latios received a cutting glare from Glave. "My apologies," he begrudgingly stated.

"He didn't have any of that dark aura. Even with a head as hard as those scales, he was thinking rationally. There were even responses made to Zero's jokes."

"Joking during an ass-kicking? That sounds more like Glave than Zero." Volt announced.

"Either way, he just strolled along and wouldn't negotiate. They started fighting nearly instantly."

"You certainly absorb a lot of information." Latios nodded. "However, how can you say that was scheduled? Why would Rayquaza have known that you all would be there that yesterday? Does Advent Town have existing contacts with any legendary Pokémon?"

"No. We don't, not even with you or Ruby, and you two are regarded as citizens here." Volt shook his head.

"Noted."

"The last thing..." Glave brought the subject back around, "The body bag Shara's body is stuffed in is too small. Well, it's too big and small."

"I noticed that on the way back," Latios muttered. "Yes, I can understand your concern. The bag is too tall for her and yet her body is just too wide to respectfully contain her hair. From the shape, I'd say your friend would find himself rather cozy in that thing."

A hard knocking on the door made all three Pokémon watch it quietly. It opened without any acknowledgment from either party. Cindy stood in the threshold, her face creased with concern and wild with worry. She was surprised to see the two Pokémon beside her childhood friend.

"Oh!" The charmeleon shook her head. "Nevermind! Glave, is everything alright? Me and my mom went to the ceremony to see you, but you made a scene."

Cindy entered the door and passed into the living room. She nodded at Volt and gave him a short greeting. When she spotted Latios, she gasped and shook her head as she returned her attention to the grovyle.

{A Pokémon as young as her unfazed by a legendary Pokémon? That's quite the character. Is her status to you "mate?"}

"N-no, it's not," Glave muttered, almost blushing through his venomous emotions.

The fire-type took another step toward him.

"Then what's wrong?"

"W-what?! No, not you-" He jerked back as she reached toward him.

The solid, wooden door was knocked far gentler than Cindy had done.

"Glave? Volt? Are either of you in here?" The voice calling from outside was dreadfully sympathetic, stringently lacking its natural charisma.

Glave snarled, but his arms didn't move when he tried to do make them. Volt scowled at him.

{Calm down. He's come here of his own volition. At this moment, you should respect his courage instead of encouraging cowardice. Also, if those vines you seem so handy with so much as break the pavement you will be considered a criminal.} The eon twin attempted to soothe the Pokémon to whom he'd taken a liking.

"I'll take that as a yes." Cerulean sarcastically prodded from behind the door as well. "We're coming in. We kinda need to."

The lucario opened the door, but she stepped back. A serene dragonite stood in the doorway. He flinched at the murderous expression directed at him.

"I'm glad you two are in the vicinity, Volt, Latios. However..." The Mayor frowned at Cindy. "I don't believe we've ever met."

"She stays." Glave surprised himself by not screaming. "Whatever you've come to say to me, she'll hear it with me."

Cindy was elated. The charmeleon wouldn't have been so passionately affected had she known that the grass-type's primary reason for keeping her was to spite the Mayor, but for right then, ignorance was bliss.

Cerulean entered the doorway sideways. She carried Zero in her arms. Dried blood stained his face and all of his cuts were ugly scabs. As she stepped around the dragonite, Glave hopped off the bed so she could lay him down.

"I see you've inherited your father's intelligence. He didn't always utilize that brain of his, but when he didn't, it was because his miraculous intuition couldn't be understood by anyone else."

"Get to the point."

"I've not much to say. I'd like to wait until Zero is functional again before I get into the nitty-gritty of things. I merely have a few instructions I wish to report." The Mayor crossed his arms. He looked old when he wasn't trying to seem welcoming.

[Instructions.] Glave mentally repeated. [After-]

{Stop.}

When the Mayor didn't receive a response, he continued.

"For one, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I'd like for you to temporarily relocate to another house. I'd much prefer you remain in the tourist district, but I get the impression that my saying that urges you to do otherwise. Zero will be kept here, in the comfort of his own home, until he awakes."

"You'll be a lucky fool if he finds Advent Town comforting (or) his home when that time comes," Glave interjected.

"Hey-"

"Please refrain from interfering, Volt. If this is his will, what right have I to evade it? No matter. Zero will be monitored for the time being. I haven't the slightest clue when he'll recover, but Azure and Beat will inspect him thoroughly when Team Ultima finishes with the ceremony. His lust drive is a high priority threat to the safety of my citizens after the battle that was described to me."

"Lust drive?" Latios inquired.

"What he calls his 'bio mods.'"

"Finally, what most directly applies to you, Glave. For the time being, I'm assigning you as the temporary leader of Team Fate. The natural restrictions of your team will still apply, with one exception."

"Natural restrictions?" Glave rolled his eyes. "What, is there something I don't know about?"

"You are probably aware of it. Zero hasn't put in to recruit anyone, and I don't know if that was his will or not, but Team Fate was prohibited from adding to your threesome. In recent years, however, it was decided that a minimum of three members are required to form a viable rescue team. Currently, you're down a member. Answer this now. Do you wish to continue performing missions while Zero it out of commission?" The Mayor wearily ordered Glave.

"..." The grovyle took a moment to reset his breathing. "...Missions? I'll be honest. Ninety-nine percent of my being is shouting at me to say no. To deny you the revenue from those missions. To enjoy knowing that the town you lead is suffering. Just to get back at you. But I won't do that. Wherever it is, there's one percent in me that's telling me not to. Or maybe it's two halves of a percent. Because I want to help Pokémon, just like Glave did. And because that's my master's will."

The tension in the room was palpable. Volt was conflicted; the luxray was proud of his son's heart, but the end of his rant carried worrisome ties.

"If that is your wish, I will permit it. However, you will need to find new members to temporarily occupy Zero's slot. It can't be just anybody. He or she must be familiar with combat, and they must be willing to strike down to protect what is held dear." The dragonite waited for Glave's reaction. To his interest, he received one from someone else.

"Can I fill that spot?" Cindy requested with confidence.

The other five Pokémon stared at the charmeleon.

"I don't mean to call him out, but before Glave went on the expedition, I beat him in battle. He's already on an exploration team, so that should say something about my combat skill, right?" She pushed harder. "Plus, he's a grass-type, while that lucario," she motioned to Cerulean, "is a fighting-steel type. I'm not bad for coverage."

"You beat Glave?" Volt blurted out. "Just a month ago you lost to him as a treecko."

"Giving you the benefit of the doubt," The Mayor began speaking, "as long as you three promise me to only take on light missions, and not challenge Landorous, I think I can bypass the paperwork. I meant someone who'd been on a team..." He glanced at Volt.

"Landorous?" Cerulean tilted her head.

[Damnit! Even if I'm pissed, your brain is still more impressive than mine.]

"Tch." Glave scoffed, "It only takes you five seconds to find a legendary that's super-effective to all three of us."

"No, Glave." The Mayor advised him. "It took me years. It took me decades, as a matter of fact."

The grovyle hesitated to do or say anything to Draco's response.

"I believe that wraps most things up here. Latios," he turned to the other dragon in the room. "I need to know how long you'll visit with us. I am very, very pleased to see you and your sister, though I wish the circumstances were different."

"Likewise, Draco. I can't tell you exactly how long we intend to stay, however. Ruby is obsessed with making sure Zero is going to live."

[That's far more than he can say.] Glave stared down his Mayor.

"I see. That actually leads me to my next point. I forbid her from seeing Zero until he comes to."

"Understood. I take it you're telling me so I can help inhibit her efforts?"

"Correct, as usual. Given you withdrew her from Team Luck after the tragedy that befell it, I don't presume you'd allow her to be with Team Fate for the time being? It could do her and them some good." The Mayor suggested.

"I'll think about it. Not for their first mission. I'd like to see some performance before I think about application. I need to know that she won't be exposed to anything detrimental to her innocence, and a combination of these two may not prove sufficient for that goal." Latios referred to Glave and Cindy.

"H-huh?" The latter asked.

"What are you talking about?" Volt peered at the legendary Pokémon.

Latios glanced between the two young Pokémon.

"My apologies." He told Glave. "Again."

"I understand. Once you've decided, you know where to find me. Team Fate," The dragonite sized up the impermanent trio. "As a precaution to your overall inexperience as a rescue team, I'd like for you to perform a joint mission with another team. I have one in mind, but I'll reach out concerning that tomorrow. Until then, find another place to sleep and get plenty of rest."

The Mayor turned to leave the crowded house.

"Wait!" Glave reached out toward him. "Zero's been knocked out since yesterday! You mean he won't be back until after tomorrow!?"

"I..." The Mayor didn't turn around. "Listen well, Glave. Always be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. Azure and Violet both tried to heal him, but he simply wouldn't be restored. Beat did a quick check-up on him, and he said there was something off about Zero. I don't have a degree in aura, so I can only repeat what he said, but Zero's aura channels are flowing in a way that rejects moves from outside entities."

Hesitating for a brief moment, the political leader exited the home. All eyes were on Glave, who stared horrified at the closed door.

All his life, there was an emotion he never understood. Cindy mocked him countless times for it, and sometimes she taunted him using it as well. Among the academy for Advent Town's children, he was revered for his courage, especially so given the identity of his father. It was that day, however, at the beginning of Winter, that Glave realized. The pain squeezing his heart, whispering dares at it to burst, was fear.

And yet it was gone as fast as it came. The grovyle pressed a hand to his chest and felt his heart pumping inside him.

[Fear... It's pointless. I'm scared, Zero. I'm scared for you. But I don't feel any different than normal. I won't let this hinder me.] Glave closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them. His sight just happened to be set on Cindy.

Latios almost said something to Glave telepathically, but the knowledgeable dragon determined the obstacle the small Pokémon faced to be one that required self-ambition to overcome.

"So, what are you thinking for housing?" Volt asked first. "If you want to stay with your partner, I've been there before, kiddo. Just remember your room is still open. Well, it will be when we kick Shock out of it. Just say the word."

"Ooh! You can stay with me!" Cindy excitedly announced.

The other four Pokémon stared at the charmeleon.

"Oh c'mon, it'll be just like a sleepover! My mom's fine with it, don't even worry about that! You need to let go of some stress, Glave. I don't know what happened, but you've never looked so piss- angry." She glanced at Volt.

"Now that you say that," Volt was lost in thought, "what was that earlier about these two not being good for Ruby's innocence, Latios?"

"G-gah..." Glave flinched.

"Uh-oh." Cindy stepped back.

"Actually, what do you mean by Glave needs to 'let go of some stress?' How do you plan to do that?" The luxray pressured the two.

"C'mon, Glave! No time to think about it!" Cindy took him by the hand and started running.

Whether it was a spur of the moment, or he just wanted to get away, Glave didn't resist. He ran with her to the house he'd visited second only to what was once his own.

"Hey, you weren't serious about-"

"I was." Latios cut off Volt, who whistled in response.

"Already? Glave is still underaged and he only evolved a month ago. A ladies man like his father, I suppose."

"A ladies' man is right. He's layed that charmeleon, the whoreish lopunny atop that stage, and a lycanroc."

"I'll be damned- three!? I've only ever-" Volt's voice was audibly stuck in his throat. "Did you just say a lopunny?"

"Mom, I'm home!" Cindy cheerfully called down the hall.

Glave entered behind her. The front door to the charmeleon's house brought visitors directly into the living room. They had a TV mounted on the wall to the left and a couch on the right.

"Is she? I don't think the ceremony should be over yet."

"Oh yeah, you're probably right. She's got a thing for rescue teams, so she'll probably see it through to the end. That means we can get spicy right here on the couch with the thrill of getting caught~" The charmeleon lustfully suggested.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Your mom would cook me for you two's dinner."

"One girl eating your meat isn't enough for you?"

The quip was just clever enough to get a twitch in Glave's loins, but he sat down and ignored it.

"I never watched television-"

"Ew, just say TV."

"TV... when I lived with Volt. They have one, but Shock and Jolt hogged it for cartoons and stuff. Everything is reruns since human society was destroyed. 'Sides, Advent Town has a ban on programs involving humans anyway, so you have to get lucky-"

"Who's that Pokémon!?" Several voices from the TV challenged the viewers.

"Wh-wha..." Glave squinted hard at the machine.

The language he had just heard was easy for him to understand, but it felt exotic. It was the same as when Zero talked to him.

"It's pachirisu!" A silhouette on the screen filled in with the electrical squirrel's image.

Following the intermission was a show of a small group of humans traveling with their Pokémon.

"What is this...?" Glave asked in blatant astonishment.

"Oh, haha, apparently it's a show about Pokémon. Or the name of it is 'Pokémon.' This is like, season gajillion though, or that's what the info for it says. Ironically, it's more about those humans there than anything."

"When did they..."

"Like ya said, everything is reruns, but this is new for us. The ban was lifted the day you guys set off for the expedition. Momma said something about how she thinks they want us to warm up to humans."

"Well, I thought it was a pretty good guess." Flara made herself known as she opened the door. "A boy in the house, alone with you, without my permission, Cindy?"

The charizard flapped her wings. The gust flung Glave's head leaf against the wall. If he did not know better, he could have sworn he was feeling fear right then as well.

"Oh, Mommy, you made it back in time! This hooligan can't keep his groping claws off me!"

Any doubts the grovyle had were vaporized. He rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

"HAHA! You're not like your dad at all!" Flara shook the house with her laughter. "Well, sweetie, if she's giving you a hard time, stuff her mouth with something she doesn't want to take out." The fire-flying type winked, not that her target audience was looking at her.

"It's nice to see you as well, Ms. Flara." The grovyle replied.

"Hahaha! Anyway, be careful not to do it near any windows. Your father used to peek at me through mine. I think he got his heart broken when he saw me making Cinder-Block head over there. But who knows, I mean, he turned around and made you a month and some change later!" Flara navigated to her bedroom on the left side of the house, chuckling the whole way.

"Oh, Mom! Glave's staying the night!"

"Alright, thanks for the heads up! You want him to sleep in my room or yours?!"

"Ew, gross! Get your own!"

The two yelled at each other down the hallway.

"Is this a normal family...?" Glave asked himself aloud.

"Hell no, my mom's a weirdo. Besides, Glave, you lived with Volt, and he and Mrs. Circe have a normal family. You were a part of it." Cindy focused on the TV for a few seconds before her smile left. "Why would you say that? You don't feel like you belong with them?"

"Wow, you took that down its own rabbit hole. I think what I mean was, 'Is this a different normal family?" You two express yourselves far more than I'm used to."

"Used to the two pups you grew up with?" Cindy raised an eyebrow.

"Do you just want me to say I was talking out my ass?"

"That'd be nice."

The two Pokémon watched TV for a few hours. When Flara returned from her room to prepare food, she found her daughter curled up against an unreceptive Glave. He was engrossed within a marathon of the show that came on earlier. He was fascinated with the coordination between humans and their Pokémon partners. While the show was easily aimed at younger audiences, he strongly admired the animation quality and strategies employed by the trainers.

[I wonder what Zero's life was like when he was under those scientists... Did he have access to videos like these? He could pull off everything I've seen, I'm sure of it.]

"Supper will be on soon. Go ahead and wake her up in a few minutes," Flara announced from the kitchen, startling Glave.

"Yes ma'am."

[So respectful.] The charizard considered Glave's typical behavior. [It might be a good thing you didn't raise him, Glave.] She smiled.

The grovyle did as he was instructed and awoke his couch companion. He ate with the fire-type family, whose members were energetic and frequently cracked jokes, many of which were directed at the only male present. Eventually, Flara backed away from the kitchen counter where they ate. It served as a dining table since they lacked one.

"Well, that was good- you don't have to tell me, I made it." She boasted with confidence. "Well, Glave, that sofa gets harder the more you sit on it. I've had years to figure that out, so I'll spare you the trouble of investigating yourself. If you're uncomfortable, you can sleep there, but you know where Cindy's room is." The charizard gave a dismissive wave and journeyed to the left side of the house.

"She's really trying to sell you off... You aren't defective, are you?" Glave got off the stool he sat on. It was taller than him.

"You can always find out... Play with me and see if I explode or something."

"I think you'd do that even if you weren't."

The two entered Cindy's bedroom. She had a twin-sized bed, or it was closest to that size. All or most of Advent Town's furniture was custom made. None of the beds were produced with the same measurements, and several were made with the client's specifications in mind.

The town had a construction business with a family of conkeldurr running it. They doubled as a carpenter shop whenever there were no building projects underway, and that was the case for over four years.

Glave made a motion to get on the bed, but Cindy stopped him.

"Uh-uh, I don't think so." She pulled him back by the wrist. "You haven't bathed since you got back. You're not about to dirty up my bed."

"That's a concern of yours? I'm surprised." Glave half-joked.

"Come here, loser."

Cindy pulled him into a bathroom. The grovyle always assumed she had two closets, but one of the doors lead to the room they now stood in. It wasn't large, but it had a sink, shower, and toilet. It looked slightly older than the average human restroom, not that anyone in Advent Town was aware.

The shower doubled as a bathtub, with sliding doors for privacy. They were short enough to let light over the top so that the user wasn't blind while they tried to bathe. Cindy slid back the right door to reveal the interior.

The tub was white, but it was more of a plastic material than ceramic. Whatever it was made of, it was far friendlier than any porcelain counterparts; it was not as easy to slip on the surface and it was nowhere near as cold in the Winter.

Cindy began fiddling with the controls, turning the cold handle some and the hot handle twice as much. She pulled up a knob on the tub faucet and water stopped pouring from it and started spilling from the top.

"Wow. It was just a tub at Volt's house. There aren't even any bathing utilities in the tourist houses. There's a tiny room on the left with a sink and a toilet, but that's it." Glave narrated his thoughts.

"Oh really? How have you been bathing since you started on Team Fate?" Cindy asked without turning around.

She kept her hand under the stream to see when the water got to a comfortable temperature. Glave noticed that the drain under the faucet was currently plugged, making the water pool anyway. It wasn't completely sealed, but the water built up faster than it could drain out.

"I-... Actually, I don't think I have."

Cindy jerked around, accidentally swinging water at him.

"You what!? How do you not reek right now? That's disgusting, don't you sweat during missions!?" The charmeleon gagged. "I sucked you off since then!"

"Well, you cleaned it off with an oran berry..."

"That's unreal. I guess grass-types are resistant to smelling like shit. If I go a few days without cleaning myself... Well, I'm not as fortunate as you." Cindy shivered. "I almost don't want to get in with you now."

"Wait, with me?"

"Stop acting so surprised, you dunce." The fire-type shook her head and climbed in.

The back of the tub was slanted, which made it comfortable to lie back like Cindy did. Glave got in after her and eyed the intrusive faucet at the other end of the bath.

"Like we weren't gonna do anything in here?" Cindy patted her thighs. "Sit down."

Glave stayed where he was for a few seconds, staring uncomfortably at his childhood friend. Something inside him made him hesitate while the water droplets above pelted his head and shoulders. He gave in and sat on the charmeleon's lap.

"Geez... You're gonna make for a tall sceptile. I think you're three feet tall now." Cindy ran her hands from his knees up to his thighs and waist.

"Maybe you're just gonna be a short charizard."

Ignoring him, the fire-type picked up a bottle that rested on the upper lip of the tub that connected to the wall. She opened the top and turned it upside down. Squeezing it, she poured a lot of its contents across Glave's chest. She closed and returned the container.

"If you're a reptile, shouldn't you have scales instead of fur?" Cindy put her hands on the grovyle's chest.

Glave stifled a moan when she began lathering his body with soap. It would not have been a sexual sound; he was simply stressed and tense. Hands moving all over his body, as was the case now, in a massage-like pattern was blissful.

"There's n-no way I'm truly saying this to you, b-but don't stop."

"I wasn't going to~"

Cindy carefully worked her claws over the boy in her lap. She focused particularly on his shoulders, armpits, and inner thighs. When she was rubbing his upper legs, she felt something hit her hand.

"Now what is that?" The charmeleon walked the two front claws on one of her hands down Glave's midsection, strolling along until her they tapped on a long piece of meaty flesh. "You weren't having naughty thoughts, were you?"

Reaching for the bottle at the edge of the tub, she again spread soap on Glave. This time, she squirted a line of it along his semi-erect member. It was essentially at full length, but it was not as hard as it could get.

Cindy wrapped her claws around the cock and began stroking it. Glave was always amazed at how Pokémon with claws could perform lewd acts so well without hurting their mate. As he was thinking about it, his chest ached with guilt.

The grovyle's body jerked and he slapped his friend's hand away from his penis. He crawled out of her lap, breathing heavily.

"Hey!" It didn't take Cindy long to realize something was wrong. "Glave? Glave, are you okay!? I swear if I poked you with a claw and you're overreacting-"

"I can't!" Glave interrupted.

The plugged drain had led to a considerable level of water filling the tub. Every movement either Pokémon made sloshed it around.

"I can't do this..." Glave rubbed his eyes, having gotten water in them. "Not after Shara."

"Huh? Whaddya mean?" Cindy drew back.

She helplessly watched Glave struggle to look at her.

"The girl that died on the expedition." The grass-type could hardly be called speaking. "I killed her." He shook his head violently, his leaf slinging water across the shower. "No, she wasn't a girl. She was a woman. I-I mated her."

Glave stared at the infinite ripples as water from above rained into the pooled moisture below. He attempted to ease his mind after he confessed to Cindy. The water could be heard splashing and he the charmeleon kneeling before him.

She grabbed his hips and pulled him toward her, making him fall on his back in the water. Now between his legs, Cindy dipped down, rubbing her chest against Glave's cock. She slid up his body, running his semi-flaccid member along her lean figure. Lying atop the grass-type, she pinned the sex tool between them.

"To tell the truth, I wanna know everything. I want to hear everything. How she made you feel. How I compared to her as a 'woman,' to the details of what happened." Cindy licked Glave's cheek, earning a blush. "But I'm not that cruel. Take the time you need. But let me do this for you, and if you really can't take it, then stop me."

Glave's body wasn't covered in suds, but the soap still left him slippery. That added to his pleasure when the charmeleon lying on him retracted, grinding herself against him still. Finally, her head was level with his lower head. She lifted herself off his body and he moved to protest, but she gave his tip a tender kiss.

Cindy's eyes met Glave's as her lips gently sucked on the end of the dick beneath her. His claws hovered near her face until they fell. The charmeleon took that as a go-ahead and she started engulfing his cock. Her mouth opened wider as she took more of him into her.

She pushed her tongue so that it grazed the sensitive underside of his member. When she did, he grunted and his cock twitched, tapping the top of her mouth. Cindy gagged in response, but she recovered like nothing happened. Her throat spread welcomingly for its visitor.

"Ugh," The fire-type let go of the cock, "Last time it tasted like berries. Soap isn't an upgrade."

Cindy giggled and wrapped her hot mouth around his girth.

"Wait. Come this way, I can make you feel-"

"It's fine. I'm not in the mood for your sloppy tongue-work right now."

She dug her nose into his balls and inhaled, drawing back when she breathed in water.

"Ngh- the worst burn for a fire-type Pokémon..." Her eyes opened. "Here, if you want it that bad, do whatever you want with it."

Cindy twisted around, trying to slither around in the confines of the narrow tub. She got on her hands and knees, rear facing Glave. Lying on her chest, butt still raised, she spread her ass cheeks open with her claws. Her pussy parted demandingly.

Glave sat up, if for nothing else, for a better view. He closed the distance, knocking the growing water around. Cindy's face was lying on the slanted far side of the tub, so the water didn't yet impede her.

"D-doesn't this seem dangerous for your tail?" He asked, though his eyes never left her tail-end.

"The flame? Nah, Pokémon normally mistake it for a condition to our lives. It's more of a monitor. The tip of a charizard-family member's tail can get chopped off; we won't die. They can go underwater too, the fire doesn't go out."

To demonstrate, she flicked her tail between Glave's legs. It was underwater, but that was to distract the grovyle from the fact that it was inches from his balls. He yelped and fell forward, smacking his chest against her ass, thus smacking her chest against the tub.

"Ow! Just your dick, idiot, don't try to climb in!"

"Sorry." He recited, placing his claws on her upper ass as he got up.

Embracing the sight, Glave leaned forward and gave a single, slow lick from her clit to the end of her pussy, letting his snaky tongue pop in and slide roughly out of the orifice.

"Ooh~ Finally. I'd mistake you for Regigigas 'cause of your slow starts."

Glave rolled his eyes and dug a claw into her pussy, pumping it in and out to make sure she was wet enough for what his instincts told him to do.

"Oh!" She called out in realization rather than pleasure. "The soap's beside you. It should be slippery enough if you wanna try..."

The grovyle furrowed his brow. He had turned to look at the soap, but he did not catch on to what she meant when she trailed off. Returning his sight to the view she gave him, he found she was pulling at her anus with a claw. His puzzled expression became uncomfortable.

"Woah. Sorry, but I'm not interested in... that."

"That's fine. I've never done anything, I just know some Pokémon do. Mom's never made any jokes about it as she has with everything else, so I don't even think she's put anything there. I kinda wanna try it, but I wasn't planning-"

Glave had heard the gist of her message and gotten impatient. He speared Cindy's pussy with one thrust. Instantly, his cock was at home in her love tunnel. It clamped down on the erection throbbing within her. Gripping her ass again, he rhythmically pounded her cunt.

"W-what the hell! Ah~ What's gotten into you!?" The charmeleon excitedly panted. "Fuck~"

Removing one of her hands from her buttocks, the fire-type violently played with her clit.

With her rear as open and exposed as it was, Glave could fit nearly all of his member in his mate effortlessly. The water was loudly being flung about between the lovers' movements.

[Kinda looks like Zero's protect.] Glave thought about the shimmering surface.

He slammed himself deep into Cindy, knocking her chest further up the slope.

"Ow! What the fuck now!?" She whined, glaring at her mate.

To her dismay, he appeared guilty again. She sighed.

"Please, finish fucking me before you have your spells. I'm ready to fill this bath with my own damn cum, and you're not makin' that easy." Cindy played with her clit, but it was the only pleasure she received while Glave's cock was stagnant.

"No kidding... I probably should wait to mention this, but I wanted to tell you now, then you can decide if you want to continue."

"Go ahead, hurry!"

[It's not that easy.] Glave mentally admitted to himself.

"That zoroark isn't the only woman I've mated."

Cindy's fingers froze, her clit mashed between two claws. Her heart sank. She did not struggle with the information that he had sex with Shara because he was clearly struggling with other things.

"...Who?" She asked in a tone just over a whisper so she could be heard over the shower running.

[Not easy whatsoever.] Glave took a deep breath.

"Uh- well," he struggled. "You know Cream?"

Cindy sat up sharply, bending Glave's cock down until it was expelled from her cunny. She twisted around to look at him.

"Cream? Cream the lopunny? Team Ultima's Cream?"

Glave didn't look at her. He slowly nodded. Cindy only stared back at him.

"When?"

The grovyle opened his mouth to tell her, but he recalled at the last second that he'd directly lied to his best friend about the same matter before.

"It was after a mission. I don't remember when exactly."

"You've only-" Cindy started to snap at him, but she stopped herself short.

[He's still suffering. Cool it, girl. He'll come around.] The fire-type slapped herself with both hands, a line of her juices stringing between it and a claw.

"Well, how was it?" She joked, but she was secretly desperate to know the answer.

"I'm not sure how much you'll believe me, but I'll tell you the truth. It was good- of course, it would be. But she didn't feel as good as..." Glave hesitated. "She didn't feel as good as you. She's a bigger Pokémon, and it shows. The same goes for Shara. They both had more experience than you, but you're... I don't know what to say. 'Tighter' sounds bad out loud. Plus, their having experience just made me feel even worse at this stuff. I'd take you over them any day."

Glave winced, beating himself up for the situation he was in.

[You're telling your childhood friend about your sexual experiences in the middle of mating with her, and you're talking about Shara like all you knew her for was fucking. Good job.]

Cindy watched him silently. The charmeleon pushed him aside and reached for the shower controls, turning off the water. She removed the drain plug and climbed out of the shower, pushing the curtain aside and slipping out. She picked up a towel. Glave felt dejected until she reached back in and locked her hand around his wrist.

"Get up." She ordered him.

Practically getting pulled out of the shower, Glave stumbled over the lip of the tub and trekked behind his friend as she returned to her bedroom.

Cindy threw her towel onto the bed. It floated down in a perfect rectangle, covering a small spot. She let go of his hand and climbed into bed. She crawled toward the head and lied on her back. She grabbed her ankles and pulled her legs over her head. Her pussy was revealed to the world in full. Glave set his jaw as he watched her, wondering if she was making fun of him.

"Fuck me." She instructed him with a straight face and a demanding tone.

"What about your-"

"If my mom hears us, it better be because you have me screaming." The fire-type adjusted herself so her head rested on a pillow.

Glave steeled himself and tried to subdue the mass of negative thoughts swirling around in his mind.

[Put it aside. You've got something else to deal with.] He sighed and climbed onto the bed.

He walked on her bed, feet sinking into the mattress. He fell and bounced on it, his tip slapping her entrance a few times in the process. He quietly began, taking hold of her ankles.

Cindy's arms dropped onto the bed. She didn't play with herself, and she kept her eyes closed. The girl braced herself as her legs were spread over her.

The grovyle forced his cock inside her. The insertion was slow and controlled. He paused for a moment once he bottomed out. Just after, he began thrusting his hips rapidly. Cindy's eyes shot open as he drilled his way to her core. The bodies of the two Pokémon clapped together loudly and the bed creaked, even though both participants were small.

"Sh-shit~! Slow down!" Cindy threw her head back.

Glave tilted forward, burying himself slightly further. Cindy's head drifted back and she moaned in pleasured shock when the grovyle forced his lips against her.

"M-mm..."

The uncoordinated movements between the two made their lips part several times as they clumsily kissed during their intercourse. The mixture of the two's saliva dripped down onto Cindy's chest.

Glave pushed her legs to the sides, forcing them down at her sides.

"Glave! I-I'm not that flexible!" Cindy cried out, arching her back.

"You will be when I'm done with you." He replied in a serious tone.

The female blushed deeply at the control her mate was exhibiting. Before long, she felt her orgasm building. She panted in anticipation as ecstasy bloomed in the pit of her stomach.

Never slowing, Glave acknowledged the increased constriction around his cock. Cindy's body temperature increased and he caught wind of it with the flesh rod he had embedded in her.

"Damnit!"

Cindy dug her claws into the sheets. She reached her climax, squeezing Glave's dick with her tightening cunt. Her love juices would have streamed out on their own accord, but with Glave's movements never ceasing, they created strings of orgasmic fluids connecting the two, smearing and reforging with every thrust.

"Why the fuck are you still moving!?" Cindy begged as she kept getting railed through her orgasm.

She didn't receive a verbal response. Glave continued his back-and-forth rhythm and she felt his cock begin to swell inside her.

"Wait!" The charmeleon pointed to her mouth. "I want it in here!"

When she was done speaking, the fire-type allowed her mouth to remain agape. It appeared silly to Glave, and he would not have known how to react under normal circumstances. However, driven by lust and carnal instinct, he could only agree with what she was getting at.

The grovyle rammed his cock into his childhood friend's maturing vagina three more times, staying inside her for a second at the end of each. He growled as he pulled out, somewhat lunged forward, and dug his knee into the pillow next to Cindy's head.

He did not make it to his destination in time, and the first rope of cum strung itself along her neck, chin, and lip. After that, he sank his cock into her mouth and she wrapped her lips around the grovyle. Several spurts of semen shot into her mouth after that, painting her tongue and sniping the back of her throat.

Once finished, he pulled out. Cindy sucked harder when he was almost free, creating a plop and his cock to bob up and down when he did get loose. The female opened her mouth and showed off her prize to Glave. She puckered her lips to suggest a kiss to the grovyle, but he shook his head and rolled over next to her. An audible gulp beside him informed him where his sperm ended up.

Glave's eyelids quickly grew heavy, but the girl lying next to him nudged his side.

"Do something exciting," She rolled her eyes as she dragged a finger up her face to collect the remnants of their excitement. "Cuddle, get on top of me, but don't just get on the other side of the bed."

"What?" The grovyle asked skeptically. "That sounds ridiculous. I'm going to-"

Ignoring his preference, Cindy grabbed him by the waist and hoisted the reptilian Pokémon over her and between her legs. The way she layed him down reinserted his almost-retracted blade into her crevice.

Glave gritted his teeth from the feeling of his oversensitive member being squeezed again. The charmeleon wrapped her arms around her closest friend in a hug.

"Let's see how long it takes you to fall asleep like this. I'll be out like a light, so don't take advantage of me." The fire-type yawned when she was done speaking and flattened her head against her pillow.

Glave blushed, face against her chest. His cock was beginning to unsheath itself again, but his hormones were not suggesting anything. He said nothing in protest, resigning to closing his eyes and doing as she said.

Rays of sunlight pierced through Cindy's window, putting dancing specs of dust on display. Glave's eyes slowly opened to the organic rising and falling of his pillow. He pushed himself up against the bed and a sensation downstairs made him fall back down.

"Oof!" Cindy wheezed in her sleep.

The grovyle peered forward, visibly disgruntled. His cheeks flushed when he found he was still lying on his charmeleon companion. Again, he sat up, earning another euphoric reaction in his loins. He grunted as he watched his fully erect pole exit its soaking home.

A few clicks came from Cindy's pussy as he finished pulling out of her. Cum began seeping out of her sacred spot.

[Did I... finish again in my sleep?] Glave considered bashfully.

"Are you trying to put an egg in my daughter?" Flara lowly whispered, holding her head mere inches behind Glave's ear.

The grovyle froze as a time-stopping chill permeated his body. He refused to turn around. Flara's claws sank him and pushed him forward. His cock burrowed back into Cindy's cunny at an awfully slow pace.

The charizard began to push and pull the harshly shorter Pokémon, essentially fucking her daughter with Glave.

"Ngh.. What are you doing?!" He finally asked.

"Wouldn't you do this anyway? My family loves giving a hand, as I'm sure you've seen. Now be honest, Glave." She leaned in even closer, "Do you want to cum inside my daughter?"

"Oh... Right there~" Cindy moaned, unaware of what was happening.

[I think this is going to be the most awkward experience I've had for a long time. It definitely beats the stuff with Cream and-]

"Zero!" Glave exclaimed.

The grovyle knocked Flara's hands off his shoulders and hopped off the bed, bolting toward the door. His reproductive organ had mostly shrunken by the time he was outside; any and all sexual thoughts had been forgotten in the drop of a hat.

"Hmph. You certainly are strange compared to your father." The charizard watched the grass-type dashing past her daughter's bedroom window, headed toward the tourist district.

The fire-flying type sighed with her hands on her hips and shook her head at the sight below her. Tracing a claw up her daughter's rear to her entrance, the large Pokémon collected Glave's leftover semen alongside whatever sexual fluids Cindy had secreted.

Flara poked her wet claw through Cindy's lips.

"Get up, you're late. Glave's already gone." She retrieved her claw and thumped her child's nose with it.

"Ow- fuck!" Cindy's back arched as she swore. "Hm... This better not be yours."

The charmeleon licked her lips and swallowed.

"No, it was Glave's. He was generous enough to give me some." Flara winked.

"What the hell does that mean!?" Instantly, Cindy was alert and heated.

"It's a secret," Her mother departed down the hallway, swishing her tail seductively all the while. "Now get your ass out of bed."

Glave burst through the door of his home. Inside, Zero lied dormant. He was guarded by Azure and Beat. Cerulean was waiting on her bed.

However, those weren't the only Pokémon present. An absol, a frosslass, and a meganium were on the other side of the bedroom. The meganium stood next to the bed, while the other two Pokémon were lying on it.

"Sorry if this one's yours." The absol spoke first. "We didn't wanna stand around and wait for ya, y'know."

"Only for a moment, I believed you might be showing some respect." The frosslass giggled.

Glave looked at the team in confusion. He knew a good deal of the rescue teams in Advent Town; it was his desired profession, after all. On top of that, the expedition exposed him to the sight of most of the teams in town, but most of them refused to associate with Team Fate.

"I don't understand..." Glave remarked.

"Me and Azure will remain here until Zero awakens." Beat brought the grovyle's attention back. "Or rather, someone from Team Ultima will be here. We have opted to split into half a team while we wait. We do not simply carry the title of "Strongest Team" because we feel like it. Cream and Violet are capable of withstanding what they need, and there may be only one of us present at a time."

"I see... I guess that checks out."

Even though he spoke calmly, Glave had begun to fill up with umbrage. The more he considered the Mayor's actions and Team Ultima's foreknowledge of them, the less his mind could be kept at ease. The grass-type suspected that Beat caught onto that as he and Cerulean showed slight reactions when his emotions were riled up.

"So you think the first thing Zero will do when he wakes up is..."

"Well, he certainly deserves it!" The absol barked with laughter.

His teammates were humored, but the other four Pokémon were not.

[You don't have a problem with Zero?] Glave's chest felt hollow.

"A-anyway. What's Team Moonlight doing here?"

"Hey!" Cindy burst through the door behind Glave. "What the hell did you and my mom do while I was asleep?!"

"I- ah- uh- wait-" Glave stammered, searching for something to say.

"Well, Glave." The frosslass's voice was not unlike wind chimes. "The Mayor asked us personally to escort you on a mission or two."

"Yep! We'll be performing joint ops 'till you three feel like ya can sack baddies on your own again!" The absol flashed a confident grin.

"Actually, you'll be assisting those two until Team Fate's leader is discharged."

Glave had not heard the Mayor's voice since the previous day, but it was far too soon to hear it again. The grovyle glared at the dragonite, who surprisingly was making eye contact, though their emotions heavily contradicted one another.

"Wh-which two?" Cindy asked, visibly dejected.

"Why, that would be you and Glave, who I'd like to reiterate will be the temporary leader. I must for the sake of order overlook your friendship. You will follow his commands on missions and you will not act dangerously and expect to avoid any consequences with 'it was just a joke,' understood?"

"Yes sir!" The charmeleon chirped, happy she was accepted to go with her friend.

"What about Cerulean?"

The Mayor nodded at Glave.

"I have changed my mind since last yesterday evening. Cerulean will be temporarily placed on standby. I am by far surprised that, even now, Zero maintains a worse disposition than you given you attacked Advent Town and he protected it. I do not think I need to explain further why you will remain here until he can say otherwise."

Cerulean obediently nodded, but she quickly grew puzzled.

"Stay here as in stay in town or...?"

"Not quite. I want you to monitor Zero whenever you are awake. Should he awake,"

"I get it. Ah- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." The lucario shook her head.

"No matter. Team Fate," The Mayor turned to the two young Pokémon. "Today Team Moonlight will determine your mission. This assignment needs to be easy; this charmeleon has never seen fieldwork," he nodded to the absol. "Past today, you can determine if you will keep working with these three. However, if you choose not to, you will need to choose another member to add to your team, but it is imperative they have experience on a team."

Glave nodded, but he chose not to speak. The Mayor did the same, turning to depart. Having said what he came to say, the town's head returned, presumably to his office.

"...Did I just get fired?" Cerulean asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Sounds like it." The dark-type dog laughed again, showing off his humorous nature. "Sucks to be you. Anyway, kiddies, you two ready? I'd say we'd show you the ropes, but I've never seen three legendaries and lived to tell the tale."

The absol winked at the end of his sarcastic announcement, but Glave considered its contents.

[Three legendaries... Articuno, Suicune, and Rayquaza. And Zero handled all three of them by himself.] Glave bit the side of his tongue. [Why was I useless for everything? We didn't battle Articuno, but I'm super effective to Suicune. And yet I waited behind his protect.]

"Cut it out." Beat ordered the grovyle. "Go sulk somewhere else. Or preferably, don't."

"Urf... Yeah. Anyway, we're ready when you three are." Glave told the absol.

"Perfect!" He hopped off Glave's bed and strutted past him and Cindy. "C'mon buckos, big day ahead!"

The two looked at each other uncertainly, but Cindy grinned and took off after him.

The frosslass slipped past Glave and the meganium waited for him to move. He set off at a brisk pace to catch up.

"So, the name's Kuroh! I know Glave here, or at least I know of him, but I don't think we've met before." Kuroh, the absol, chattered at Cindy.

"I'm Cindy. You might know my mom better. Big charizard named Flara?"

"Rings a few bells. Anyway, that big beauty back there is Flora," he cocked his head toward the meganium."

"My name is Flow." The frosslass gave a gentle smile. "I hope I can spare you from some of Kuroh's rambling here and there. Apologies if I fail, he becomes intoxicated when he hears his own voice."

Cindy's lips curled up, but Glave found himself unable to smile.

"Tch, I do not!" Kuroh rolled his eyes. "I'm thinking we run to Magnet Zone for this one. It'll be a 'simple mission,' but it'll also be a two-day trip if everything goes well."

"Magnet Zone? I don't know that one."

"Well, my grassy compadre, it's a landscape of some metal-ish alloy stuff. The point is, there's a bunch of electric types that make themselves at home in the set of dungeons there."

"Okay... Why will it take so long?"

"It's just far away, and we don't have a badass powerhouse that can TP continents 'cause he thinks they'll look better if they were over just a tad."

"Are you talking about Zero?"

"Who else? Were you sleeping during the fight with the glorified sky noodle? No disrespect to Rayquaza, but that was something. Whatever, I'm getting off track. The target's a raichu. Big bandit kinda fella' too, and the cherry on top? She hides among a rowdy bunch of pikachu. Their strength is found in their numbers, so with a team of five, it should be a cakewalk. We've got two dudes, 'scuse me Flora, a dude and a dudette, that resist electric and I hope you can use dig?"

"I can."

"Awesome!" For the first time, Kuroh equipped a somewhat serious demeanor. "Look, I can get ahead of myself. If ya ain't interested in this mission, speak up. We don't hafta take on an outlaw right out the gate, but I'm confident in us. We'll look out for ya, but don't let us smother you."

"Us?" Flow covered her mouth with the loose, sleeve-like part of her arm. "I believe you're mistaken, Kuroh. We never would smother the poor darlings. Pay him no heed, we'll take care of you, but I should hope you do not expect us to need to."

"We'll do it." Glave glanced at Cindy, who nodded in agreement.

"Then we can leave now?"

"N-now?" Cindy questioned the impulsive request. "We don't need to get anything first?"

"We're exploration teams. We keep ourselves ready for anything, and that don't always mean outside of town." Kuroh shook his head. "If there's somethin' ya need, we can run by the department store, but our team has everything we should need for a journey."

"Come to think of it, Cerulean carries our treasure bag, so we don't have a single thing right now."

"Yikes, now that could be a problem. A'ight, one of you run on back. I'd say we coulda just split supplies when we got there, but there's no need since we're still here."

"Split supplies? Why would we need to do that?" Glave peered at the absol.

"Oh, ya never know. 'Sides, we don't wanna get split up and let that be the end of anyone."

"Fair enough. I'll be right back."

In a matter of moments, Glave had retrieved the treasure bag granted to his team. Team Midnight's bag hung around Flora's thick neck, flattening some of her petals against her body.

What with Magnet Zone being far South of Advent Town, the quintet of Pokémon departed that morning with the intention of sleeping somewhere near the dungeon once night fell. As dusk was settling, they came to the edge of a forest.

Past the brush of trees was yet another set of scenery that was unlike anything Glave could have envisioned. There were low, rolling hills of what looked like chrome. The sun hit the metalloid landscape, casting strange colors down the slopes that were different depending on the angle they were viewed from. The transition between grassy land and the glass-like ground was on the rough side. There was no raw dirt or sand, the environment just changed from green to silver.

"Wow..." Cindy scanned the wide area.

The charmeleon had never been far outside Advent Town. Any mystery dungeon would come as a shock to the girl, but the biome she witnessed now was rare among veterans.

"It's amazing how big the world is. Every dungeon I've been to could have been written off as somebody's fantasy world." Glave crossed his arms.

"Alrighty then! Ain't no need to go in if it'll be pitch black 'fore we can find the target. We'll make this a pit stop and wrap things up in the mornin'." Kuroh grinned, putting his excitement on display.

The dark-type dashed up a nearby tree. His claws sank into the soft bark as he tore his way up a spiral pattern to reach a sturdy branch that could support his weight. Flora strode over and lied on the ground beneath him. Flow floated up and sat down on a branch opposite Kuroh's, resting her head against the center.

"So are we supposed to..." Cindy motioned to the two Pokémon high above the ground.

"I'm not going up there," Glave responded.

"You two can run off if ya need to get frisky, but don't stray too far." Kuroh called down to them without opening his eyes.

Cindy blushed and kicked at the ground.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to get into anything tonight. We'll need our strength first thing in the morning." Glave informed her.

"We did it last night and we thought we'd be on a mission today," She muttered, though she pretended she didn't when Glave asked what she said.

The grovyle lied on the ground near a tree trunk. He summoned a slew of vines that were considerably softer than the ground. Cindy stood next to him with her hands on her hips. Glave took the hint and brought up vines to expand upon his makeshift pillow. The charmeleon collapsed next to him, pushing her ass against his crotch.

"Er... I said-"

"You don't know how to cuddle, doofus? Start by putting your arm-"

"Shut up." Glave shook his head, but he did as she said.

The grovyle hugged the girl from behind. The fire-type's tail rested on his hip, but the tip containing her flame was far enough away to not burn him. From there, the male waited patiently for his companion to fall asleep.

About an hour later, Glave felt sure that all of the Pokémon on the joint mission were asleep. He dislodged his arms from under and around Cindy and slipped from under her tail. While walking away from the area, he shook his left arm to try and wake it back up.

After walking for five minutes, the grass-type stood amongst a plain patch of forestry. He flexed his arms and focused.

[Alright.] Glave thought to himself, collecting energy. [Let's get started.]