So it could be from the short length of the chapter, or I may have missed a few italicization marks. I don't think I specified in the other chapter, but I throw "(i)" around when I'm writing. This tells me to italicize when I'm porting it over to fanfiction. If you see one, you shouldn't, haha, but it means the word should be emphasized. Regardless, sorry for the wait; it might take a while to pump this arc out. Enjoy!
Glave's eyelids rose before the sun.
A collection of branches and small trees lay broken amidst what had been made into a clearing. Shrubbery had been vanquished, replaced by waste.
A small splash of blood was dried next to Glave's head. Its source was a scabbed-over scratch on the side of the grovyle's face. He felt the rough line carelessly and without wincing. He proceeded to brush the dirt off his belly.
[Looks like it's right at the edge of dawn. Good, I'd hate to be found out here passed out.]
The grass-type began to return to his teammates. He found his way back to the point where the forest faded into metallic mounds that nature called hills. Magnet Zone sprawled out before him, but as big as it was, something smaller tied knots around his heart.
Cindy wasn't lying on the vines that Glave beckoned to cushion their heads.
[Are you out training too?] He wondered to the charmeleon, not that there was any effect to the gesture.
Barely noticeable indentations in the forest's floor seized their last chance to snag Glave's attention.
[Footprints? They kinda look like hers... I've never paid her feet any attention. I don't think I left any when I headed out. She must just be heavy enough to make them.] Glave nodded to himself. [But why did you go there?]
The grovyle peered up into the biome waiting for Teams Fate and Moonlight. He knew his companion did not resist electricity as he did, and it bothered him.
The order to go in after Cindy reached Glave's feet before the order to report her absence reached his mouth.
The floor of Magnet Zone was unlike anything Glave had set foot on before. It was cold, as could be expected from viewing the silver-chromatic substance. However, the grass-type developed the preconception that the ground would not be solid. He anticipated it to mold between his toes and around his feet, not unlike mud. To his surprise, it was completely stiff, as though he was walking on pure steel.
The reptilian Pokémon was unaware that he forgot his treasure bag and badge. The first dungeon reached before any thoughts could remind him.
Instead of mounds of the magnetic floor, the landscape was sculpted to form walls of the chromatic material. Soon, a maze of magnetism enveloped Glave.
The grovyle was not having it. The walls all around him were an average of 9 feet tall. He leaped a third of the way up one and pressed his heels on it. Kicking himself away and repeating the process behind him, he scaled the walls and stood on top of them.
[My vines don't work here. Seems this place is to blame for that too.] Glave sighed in frustration when he tried to assemble his useful tools.
"Hm?" The sun glinted off something and hit his eye. "Wha-"
"Bzzt."
Lightning struck Glave. It was not excruciating, but he lost his balance and fell from atop the wall. His rear end reported pain to his brain once he landed from thrice his height. The top of a magneton peeped over the upper edge of the wall.
"Bzzt?"
"Bzzt off!"
Glave launched an energy ball at the Pokémon. It ducked and evaded the attack.
"Now that could be a problem." Glave rubbed his ass when he stood.
He repeated his flashy climbing process and crouched on the wall. The magneton noticed him again and prepared to attack.
Glave dodged a zap cannon and risked surveying the area. At various corners were magnemite. The electric-steel type Pokémon remained stationary. Occasionally tilting and turning, they refused to leave the spot in which they hovered.
[Got it.] The grovyle leaped down.
"Bzzt." The magneton on the other side of the wall seemed satisfied.
[Is there something in here? Probably not. These things are probably just protecting their home.]
Quickly regaining his purpose, Glave dashed down the dungeon's winding corridors. He was becoming familiar with the nature of mystery dungeons; he navigated quickly and handled his speed whenever he reached a sharp corner.
"Chu!"
The cry was distant, but it was not alone.
"Chu, chu chu!"
Glave thought nothing of the Pokémon. He determined them to be pikachu from their cries, but given they were electric-types, he deemed them as natives.
The grass-type drove his heel into the ground and skidded to a halt. Friction warmed his feet.
"Pikachu...?" He asked aloud. "The mission target-"
In a moment, Glave was pissing off every member of the magnemite line in sight. They all went ballistic at the realization that a trespasser was not following the dungeon's structure.
The reptilian Pokémon was surprised at how slow their electric attacks moved. The place behind him was consistently being struck as they failed to track him properly.
[Where are you?] Glave's eyes peered back and forth. [Gotcha!]
The grovyle flew off the wall into a square of altered land. Landing on a pikachu, the Pokémon toppled over each other until the rescue-team member was above his target. Unfortunately, little success was to be found in his actions.
Three other pikachu lit up with static and shock, separately. Recuperating from their surprise, they zapped at Glave. He held up the Pokémon in his clutches to try and defend himself, but his captive absorbed its allies' efforts and passed them to the intruder directly.
Lightning lit up Glave's nervous system and he squeezed the mouse hard. It stopped electrocuting him and the grass-type dropped it. Twin iron tails to the inside of his elbows flung him off his feet and onto his back. Not a speck of dust rose from the strange ground as he landed.
"Pika?" One of the mice's ears drooped in curiosity.
Glave caught wind of the hopeful glance it cast its teammates. They appeared excited but tense about being so. After some internal debate, two mice scurried over and held down his arms.
"H-hey! Hands off!" He struggled, but it was in vain with each of them using all their might.
Being in such an irregular foreign landscape, his vines were inaccessible. He kicked his legs in a collection of attempts to free himself, but the last two pikachu sat on his legs. His heart jumped when they began prying at his sheath.
Glave growled and tried to move his arms again. Glaring around, he reluctantly discovered all four pikachu were female.
[This is a joke.] He thought in annoyance.
The grovyle thought about Zero's warnings about how rescue-team members could get raped when they were on missions. He understood the severity of his situation, but he did not feel perilous.
The two lower pikachu fondled him vigorously.
[Can't you find someone that wants to do this?]
Glave used energy ball, summoning two grass-type attacks on his hands. The response from the electric mouse lying on his right thigh was using nuzzle on his crotch. Electricity tingled throughout his penis, which quickly began growing rigid. His balls loosened as his muscles tightened with paralysis.
Losing the sparks, the pikachu kept trying to merge her face with his testicles. The one sitting opposite her squeezed the base of his dick inquisitively, trying to get a feel for the task. The two applying their weight to his arms consistently glanced back enviously, leaving several opportunities to strike.
Unfortunately, every time Glave found a chance to move, the status condition affecting his body locked up his joints, rendering him immobile.
[Are they doing something to me? Nuzzle from a pikachu shouldn't be able to do more than stop me from using large attacks! Damnit- I can't even move!]
Soon Glave's right arm was filled with pins and needles as the weight atop it was removed. The rat that had been there stood next to his head and watched him worriedly. He glared at her menacingly, but that was not at all what bothered her. She was waiting to see if she would need to stay where she had been, or if it was viable to begin enjoying herself.
After half a minute of physical unresponsiveness from the grovyle, she decided upon the latter. The chubby mouse chirped excitedly as she struggled to swing a leg over Glave's head. Once she straddled him, she made sure he was aware of both her gender and desires.
The grass-type intended to growl, shout, or protest but his mouth met hers, though the kiss didn't involve her face. Describing her taste was hard. The rape victim found he could not expel the thought that she was unclean from his mind. The fact that she was a wild Pokémon lingered in his head, and as a result of mind-over-matter, he found himself unable to make the most of the situation.
Advent Town had many beverages, most of which were natural, but some of them were considered energy drinks. They included electrolytes and vitamins to revitalize a Pokémon, and they were all Glave could think of as he indulged in his beverage reluctantly.
Downstairs, the right pikachu began nibbling on the side of his cock as the left one sucked the very tip of it. He could feel with his tongue that they had very small vaginas; he was unsure if they had intentions of forcing themselves onto him, but he had his doubts that the result would be pleasurable for either party.
His dick jumped with electricity as he received two licks up the sides. He would have moaned if his throat did not constrict.
[Sorry, Cindy.] Glave conceded. [I promise I'm coming. Just hang in there, I may be here a while.]
"Pi-pika pi!"
The mouse that restrained his left arm left her post. The grovyle had been exposed to enough of a current to keep him from using any motor functions.
Paralysis went deeper than just electricity; the best explanation can be found in moves such as force palm or body slam, in which case the target's aura flow is disrupted or his nervous system is restricted. Performing either method triggered the other. The lightning that surged through him jolted his nerves, and thus his aura flow was prohibited from behaving properly.
The pikachu that had cried out was standing with one foot on each of Glave's thighs. He winced repeatedly as unintentionally dug her heels into pressure points. Even worse was the feeling of his staff pointing at her treasure.
The two females that were not pressing their pussies against their victim were holding the lower one by the shoulders. They used their weight to try and force their friend down the grovyle's shaft.
[There's no way this fits.] Glave pondered in disbelief.
He was almost three times her height; the average pikachu was a foot and some change tall, and this one wasn't special. His reproductive organ was more than a third taller than her.
A pop, a plop, and a tear later and the poor girl screamed in pain, not that she deserved better. Glave was unsure if she was a virgin and he took that from her, or he was physically beyond her capabilities and he damaged her love tunnel.
"PIKA! Pika pi!"
She fell forward, landing on his stomach and chest. Her face was inches from the upper mouse's ass. The one entertaining herself with the grass-type's mouth teased her companion, slapping her tail on the pained girl's face.
The way she was lying, mixed with the fact that Glave's tip was still invading her, caused his cock to bend up quite a lot, creating a load of tension. The two inactive pikachu used that information to their advantage.
One rodent lay flat on her stomach between Glave's legs. She nibbled his ballsack in the middle, where neither testicle was getting crushed by her playfulness. Her counterpart straddled his chest, or she attempted to with her stubby legs. Her pussy was smeared against the pikachu being stuffed- a command to start licking. That was not the sole reason for taking that position. She furthered her attempts to fill her friend by shoving her roughly backward, pushing and bending the grovyle's cock more and more.
The grass-type elicited a high-pitched squeak of a moan; his throat refused to open wide enough to perform regularly. He was not particularly pleasured. Instead of embracing the sensation of his cock ravaging a tiny, tight pussy, he was being squeezed to an uncomfortable degree. Nevertheless, he felt every millimeter of progress as the mated pikachu was forced further onto him. Eventually, it felt like he entered a second vagina.
[W-woah! There's no way this is what she wants.] He considered as the head of his penis filled her womb. He was just over halfway inside her, and her lower lips forged a perfect circle around the oversized penetration. [Why would you throw away your first time like this?]
Meanwhile, the girl he began to ignore grew restless. She slapped his cheek a couple of times and hers lit up with electricity threateningly. Barely breaking past the paralysis, he slipped his tongue past her folds. He got a better understanding of the other pikachu's pain as he did. It took considerable force for his tongue to snake its way inside the Pokémon.
Glave's balls fell out of their captor's mouth. She got on her knees and spread the fucked Pokémon's ass cheeks.
"P-pi!?" The fearful pikachu cried from her doppelganger's slit.
Soon after, the very lowest pikachu began lapping at the adjacent one's anus. Glave felt the pressure on his cock increase, something he wrote off as impossible by then. He had a decent idea of what was going on down there.
[Wild Pokémon... They're so dirty. I don't mean to be rude, but this is just a mess.] His thoughts briefly distracted his tongue from its work until a reminding growl sounded.
Reaching her climax, the pikachu being forced to ride the grovyle's rod nearly cut the invasive member with her grip. Ready for their own turn, the two pikachu in front of and behind her lifted her. The mouse was practically propelled into the air as her vagina sought to expel his girth.
The bottom electric-type, who had yet to receive any kind of pleasure, got up to get into position.
"Rai?"
The three pikachu that were conscious froze.
"Rai, raichu ra!" The new member of the conversation was upset about something.
"Pika chu-pi..."
All three mice climbed off Glave, but that did not return his mobility.
"Raichu rai." The fully-evolved rat grinned cockily at her prey.
[The target. You're the outlaw for the mission!] Glave managed to avoid glaring at her. [If you're here, where's Cindy? No, I need to help myself first.]
Far from his surprise, the leader of the pikachu pact fixated her eyes on his penis as she steadily approached. Once she was close enough, a disappointed expression befell her. She flicked his cock with disinterest and it bobbed back into place.
Her excitement returned as her face lit up. She lifted the used pikachu by the shoulders and walked her back to her spot between Glave's legs. The exhausted mouse groaned and complained at the tearing pain between her legs. Her womb was sore, but that earned her no sympathy.
"Pika!" She was shoved to her knees in a heartbeat.
The raichu placed her hands on her head and back and forced the smaller rodent forward. She shook her head and cried desperately until her lips met the head of the grass-type's dick. It filled her mouth with just one-third.
Her leader was not concerned with her mouth. Using her weight, she pressed on the unevolved Pokémon's head harder. Glave could feel his cock prying its way into her throat, spreading open an entrance not meant to be used like this.
"Raichu! Raichu rai!" The pikachu had stalled.
With both hands, the eager Pokémon applied greater force to her subordinate. She pushed her little paws against Glave's thighs in a last-ditch effort to fight back. The sensitive spots she was digging into added to the list of reasons he was uncomfortable.
"Grrr- raichu!"
The head honcho yanked the mouse back, ripping Glave's cock from her mouth and applying an unhealthy dose of suction to it. Next, the raichu threw the younger Pokémon off to the side. She scowled at the failure and stepped on the reptile's member, putting her share of weight on it.
All the grovyle could do was glare, but even that failed to come off as intimidating when he flinched from his paralysis.
"Y-you d-d-don't know ho-ow to s-s-peak d-do you?" Glave's voice would lead one to believe he was freezing.
The raichu did not respond - verbally, at least. She assumed her prey to be resisting and stepped forward to straddle him. Licking her lips, the abusive Pokémon dropped onto him.
His reproductive organ was nearly engulfed. The raichu's stomach had a small indentation poking forward. She squealed in pain and leaned back, making it larger. Wincing, she picked herself up a few inches and dropped again. The Pokémon made a cycle of these motions; it was basic sex at first glance, but he was biologically too large for her, and she had everything but his consent in that situation.
Glave kept his eyes closed. It was easier not to watch, but he had been given time to adapt to the circumstances. The raichu jumped particularly high and slammed onto his cock, allowing him to bottom out inside of her. His fists clenched from the bittersweet pleasure.
[Huh?] The grovyle's eyes shot open.
He slowly flexed his fingers, ensuring that he would not be spotted and re-stunned. His paralysis was wearing away.
[Focus.] He kept his vision sternly trained on the raichu riding his rod. She was eating that look up, assuming it to be hatred. [I just need you to finish. I don't care anymore.]
In truth, Glave wished to thrust into her personally. The wish had little to do with her feelings, but he wanted to bring an end to her fun.
Thankfully, it did not take long. By then, the grass-type came to understand how much emotions had to do with orgasms. He had mated, or been mated by, two women, both of which were tight enough. Yet he was nowhere near ejaculating.
The same could not be said for the raichu. The crime she was committing was right up her alley, and it showed in the childish face plastered onto her. She stopped moving and her stomach visibly twitched. At the same time, her pussy wrapped itself tighter around the cock she was using.
When she opened her mouth to gloat to her underlings and scold them for trying to take a male for themselves, it was filled with an energy ball. Glave had compacted the sphere into a tighter, denser attack. She practically swallowed it before it exploded.
"Not fun having something unwanted shoved in your mouth?" He asked spitefully.
None of the pikachu moved to defend their mistress. They all lied fearfully with each other, except for the one that the raichu used to lubricate the grovyle.
[Fine. The mission doesn't ask for you anyway.]
The raichu coughed up smoke from the attack. Doubling over, she began to spit out blood.
"Don't drown on that in your sleep," Glave told her.
She turned back to look at him in confusion and he used headbutt. His forehead smacked into her cranium with a resounding thud, and she fell over. The reptile rubbed his head before scooping the Pokémon up.
"Scram." He called to the outlaw's minions.
The raichu was too heavy for him to jump over walls, but Glave was still quick. His body had been trained for exploration and rescue work, and it showed as he took off holding a Pokémon that weighed more than him.
[I'd ask what the hell you did with Cindy, but I don't want to deal with you being awake.] He attacked her in his mind. [Though there's no evidence that you did anything to her. Maybe this is just your unlucky day.]
A few moments later, he found what he was looking for.
The first thing he noticed was the charmeleon lying on her chest. Her rear was hiked up and there was a pikachu under it. His face was buried in her belly, and his small cock in her vagina. Two more stood at her front and back, thrusting into her mouth and anus. Streaks of cum thinly coated her body, likely from the seven or so pikachu lying drowsily around her.
The second thing Glave noticed was that the ground they were standing on was grass.
Two thick, powerful roots split the soil open. They swept through the air and knocked the two standing mice flying. They hit a metallic wall far away with a crack. Vines shot from under all but one pikachu and wrapped them up. The final one, the one still pumping his penis into the fire-type almost three times his height, was ripped from her by a vine squeezing that very organ. It lifted him into the air by his small cock and let him dangle by it. He yelled and blasted electricity, but the vine never released him.
One of the roots soared across the field and slammed into the small electric-type.
Cindy's eyes appeared glazed, and she had not reacted for the most part, aside from closing her mouth once able. She looked around, shocked to see Glave dropping a raichu before he grabbed her legs and flipped her onto her back.
"Wh-wha-" She grit her teeth and widened her eyes when he filled her pussy.
Cum leaked out from around their connected genitals, visual evidence that others had been there already. Glave shifted back and forth, ignoring her questions until he let loose inside her. When he came to, he saw the charmeleon blushing madly at him.
"Sorry." He stood, his deflating cock bobbing as it popped out the hole. "I didn't get to finish on my end."
She stared at him in awe as he held out a hand to help her up.
"I... I think I'm supposed to be offended."
Cindy went to dust herself off and smeared semen across her body.
"Yuck." She scoffed at the abundant liquid.
"Are you okay?"
"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine."
Glave eyed her with suspicion and concern.
"You are? That wasn't... traumatizing or anything?"
"Nah, not really. Don't get me wrong," she shivered, "If they were any other species of Pokémon, I probably wouldn't be. These guys are like two inches long, I felt way more discomfort than pain. 'Specially here."
She pulled her tail up to reveal two leaking orifices. Glave did not give them a second glance.
"Did you have to do that?"
The fire-type pointed at the pikachu he had punished last. And punishing was an understatement. The vine had still been securing him by his most sensitive area, and it did not turn him loose when the root struck him. Currently, blood flooded out as a result of the collision.
"No. But it felt good." The grovyle admitted. Cindy shot him a shocked expression. "I don't mean- I- I don't really know how to put it. But it was like practice."
"Practice? For ripping-"
"For hurting others."
They were quiet for a little while. A couple of the pikachu that were tied down were sleeping like nothing was wrong. Others squirmed, others tried to solve their problem with voltage. The injured one was unconscious.
"Does that make me a bad Pokémon?" Glave whispered. "Being on a rescue team... Sometimes you have to fight. And sometimes the opponent is stronger than you. Sometimes playing fair and surviving don't have anything to do with each other. I need to be ready to hurt the ones who hurt the ones I love. That's how I felt when I attacked them."
Cindy stood just behind him and watched him longingly. She moved to hug him, but she decided against it until she bathed.
"I think sometimes you have to hurt. Hurt and be hurt, I mean."
"Sounds like a deep question for two kids to get into. Though looks t'me ya already got yourselves into some' deep." Kuroh was walking toward them. "What the hell, you two? Do you have anythin' to say for yourselves?"
The childhood duo flinched at the interrogation and evaluated their circumstances.
"I woke up this morning and Cindy was gone. I rushed in-"
"Without telling anyone? Ya should consider changing that team name of yours to 'Deathwish.' Nails the head. Ya even left this behind," the dark-type finished, brandishing Glave's rescue badge.
"What do you mean, you rushed in?!" Surprising both males, Cindy disregarded the absol's lecture. "You were gone this morning! I went in to find you!"
"When I woke up. I got back-" Glave's voice hit a roadblock. "Oh." He rasped.
"Allow me to give you a piece of advice." A gentler voice breezed its way into the conversation as Flow floated to them. "I will tell you what Kuroh would take two-thirds an hour trying to get his point across. Communication is key in all aspects of life."
Even though his mental tension rose, Glave's body relaxed.
"I believe I have discerned what occurred. You did not sleep with your lover the previous night, did you?"
[Lover?] Glave blinked.
"Whatever happened, you tended to other business and slept away from the group. Cindy here reacted the same way as you, only sooner. That creates three gaps in communication, all of which could have saved a lot of time and pain. Seeing as time cannot be rewound, all you can do is learn. A failure is only a failure when you possessed the knowledge to succeed. Therefore, you failed today."
[Damnit... I screwed up.] The grovyle clenched his fists. [Some leader... Then Cindy got hurt because of me? To think, something so horrible happened on her first mission-]
"I can't say I have anything to redeem myself with, but at least give Glave some credit. He captured the target." Cindy motioned off to the side where Glave had dropped the raichu before rescuing the charmeleon.
"You did?" Kuroh's head swiveled to face the body. "Guess it pays to have a resistance. She's 'sposed to be a tough'in though. How-"
"I don't want to talk about it. I really just want to go home." Glave's voice lacked emotion.
Flora caught up. She was nipping at the treasure bag around her neck to lift the flap. There were actually two, with the second one facing behind her.
"effape obb?" The meganium offered through the muffling flap of the bag.
"We got an outsider with us. Get two, Flow." The leader of Team Moonlight instructed his ally.
"I think you forgot something. Oh, you mustn't have been-"
"Please." He rolled his eyes.
The froslass pulled two blue orbs out of the sack around her partner's thick neck. She tossed one to Glave.
"Hang on tight to that one," she motioned to the raichu. "Meet us in front of the Rescue Federation."
A flash of light warped the accompanying team away. Glave stared into the cool sphere. The moment he started to sulk, he remembered something important.
Grabbing the raichu and ensuring Cindy was holding onto him, he crushed the escape orb. The feeling of being transported home was unlike teleportation. His body felt like it was being separated into millions of small pieces and reassembled elsewhere.
The two trios landed in Advent Town. Team Fate was standing in front of the team's official house.
"C'mon." Cindy jogged toward the center of town.
Glave lifted the mission target and glanced at the door behind him.
[I'm coming right back. I promise.]
The grovyle sped off toward his destination, catching up with Cindy in no time.
"Damn, *pant* when did you *pant* get so fast?"
"Dunno."
The grass-type glared at the Town Hall as he passed the building. He silently considered for how long his feelings toward the building would remain toxic. A minute later, he rounded the corner and spotted Team Moonlight waiting in front of the Rescue Federation.
"Nevermind. You three move faster." Cindy slowed from a run to a walk before stopping.
"Kuroh's house is a little closer than yours. Say, how come you're out of breath but Glave isn't?" Flora questioned. "He has to carry around that rather large creature. Well, not anymore. Yes, you can set her down."
Glave did as he was told, laying the raichu on the ground, snoring peacefully.
[I can't believe you're so evil.] Glave focused on her innocent face. [You look like you could be one of us.]
"A'ight, you two can scram now. Go get bathed, take care of your business, do whatever ya feel needs doin'." Kuroh neared the front of the building, where two magnemite floated behind a counter. "We got it from-"
Glave took off.
"-Here." Kuroh sighed. "Kid, beating yourself is for the bad guys. Don't do their work for them."
Cindy contemplated the words, but Glave was already around some structures.
[I'd love to catch up with him, but I need to bathe first. I'm gonna reek of pikachu cu-]
"One more thing I meant to tell him. Or maybe I just decided now. Take tomorrow off. We won't help ya until at least the day after, and good luck findin' a third. You two need tomorrow. 'Specially for your combined experience to be so low."
"Something this peaceful should be nice, but I can't say I'm not bored." Cerulean sat on her bed, resting her head on one knee.
"I don't have an issue. I could stay here for days. Fighting should not be incorporated when unnecessary." Beat was meditating on Glave's bed.
"Yeah? Why's that? I find rough-housing pretty fun, as long as I win."
"Tch." The male lucario's mouth pulled into a frown. "There are no winners in war."
"I didn't say anything about war."
Before the two lucario could continue their debate, the door burst open. Glave stood in the entryway to the bedroom panting. He straightened up and focused his attention on Zero.
The human lied dormant in his bed. His chest rose and fell slowly. His hair was a couple of millimeters shorter, but it was greasy and dark.
"No change, huh?" The grovyle asked, touched by dejection.
"We're still waiting. There's nothing else to be done." Beat shut his eyelids and resumed his meditation.
"What about food? It's been four days now."
"I can't say I know for sure, but his instincts are hand-crafted for survival. His aura might know how to convert itself into physical sustenance."
"Is that something that happens often?" Glave inquired, with the female lucario expressing curiosity.
"No, I have not. Likewise, I had yet to hear about a human that could fight amongst Pokémon before I met Zero." Beat curtly nodded. "He's something special. You don't win a fight like that just to die in the aftermath."
"Gotcha... Hey, how come it's just you here?"
"It isn't?" Cerulean placed her paws on her hips assertively.
"I mean why isn't there another member of Team Ultima here."
"The Mayor gave it some more thought and decided that we should not be receiving special treatment. That includes bypassing the three-man limit." Beat crossed his arms. "I support his decision."
"However, that also means that I'll be staying here permanently until Zero gets his ass out of his bed." Cerulean huffed. "I hoped they'd decide it was safe and let me stretch my legs. I don't mind watching him though."
"The objective is to get him outside the town walls should he wake. Not for you to bend over."
Just then, Cindy poked her head through the front door.
"Glave in here? Never mind, I don't need to look; I know he is. Anyway, Kuroh said to take a mandatory day off tomorrow. It'll be that much more time for Zero to recover, among other things he had to say. I'm gonna head to my house to get cleaned up. you may as well stay there again tonight, so I'll be waiting."
Just like that, the charmeleon closed the door and left.
"Oh!" Cerulean's boredom decreased slightly. "How'd your mission go? Probably boring with the surplus of team members. There's no wonder there aren't that many large teams around here."
"I captured the target by myself."
"Not bad at all. Then what's that smell?" Beat opened a single eye to peer at Glave.
From Cerulean's face, she clearly smelled it too but she refused to say anything.
"That was from getting raped by a hoard of pikachu. Lucky me, mine were all female. It wasn't traumatizing, but it gave me a lot of time to think about how much I messed up." The grovyle ran his hands up their opposite arms.
"I wasn't there, but it sounds like the result of carelessness."
Glave flinched from the dog's words.
"Taking that into consideration, if you already had that much time to worry about it, don't waste any more."
"I already know that. It isn't always easy." Glave turned his attention to the dormant human. "So often when he's not around, I let myself think, 'this would be so much easier if Zero were here.' It's such a hard habit to break."
Cerulean said nothing. She watched Beat to see what he would say. After focusing on his meditation for a few seconds, he opened his mouth.
"I don't have much to say to that. Either realize that you're strong or realize that you aren't strong. And if it's the latter and that's a problem, then see about fixing it."
[I hear you on that one.]
The grass-type shook his head.
"You're right. I'd better head out. Doesn't seem like there's a lot to do here."
The door clicked shut behind Glave.
[Damnit. My chest... It feels like when Shara died. Except it's different.] He touched his throat, testing whether or not it was as tight outside as it was inside. [It's as if both cases are poison, and this time I took less of it but it was more lethal.]
"I need to get my mind off things."
With that, the grovyle began making his way from the Tourist District to the Southern Gate. As he was walking, foreign thoughts filled his mind.
{Going somewhere?}
[Latios.] He processed internally.
{You are by far the least jarred Pokémon I have ever communicated with through these means. Even your father jumped from time to time.}
[I can imagine why. I'm heading out of town for a little bit. Just outside the gate; they'd find me pretty quickly if I died.]
{It has always astounded me how so many Pokémon can feel so positively toward that pile of garbage. Frankly, I feel saying that is an insult to trubbish and garbodor alike, but look at you. Even someone as mentally undisturbed as yourself is brought down if he is.}
[Not to be rude, but can you really say you know me or my thoughts? I take that back, you probably know my thoughts pretty well. Can you say you know how I normally behave?]
Glave had yet to stop walking. He turned a corner, getting closer to his destination with each step.
{You can discern much from someone's head. You lack the psychological defenses to keep me out, and I take the liberty of learning what I want to know.}
[For some reason, I'm not that offended.]
{Good. I take it you've plans to get stronger?}
[What do you think I'm doing?]
Latios materialized next to Glave.
"Then I may as well assist you. It's the least I can do for your father, and the sooner you become a hero, the sooner your teacher's reputation will begin to diminish. I never expected such a positive reaction to his presence within these walls."
"You were here the whole time? You coulda said something sooner." Glave rolled his eyes. "And I don't think you're as good at reading things as you think you are if you believe his reception was positive."
"Not everyone hates him." The dragon spat the words out, as though he desperately wished they were not true.
"What do you mean?"
"His fight with Rayquaza was mind-blowing. I have been gathering intel on the city's status since I got here. All of the expedition members hold some form of respect for it."
"Him."
"It." Latios reiterated. "Whether that respect is formed from awe or fear is irrelevant. The news is spreading that he 'protected' the citizens of this town. I also learned that he told everyone he was here to do just that."
"Believe it?"
"Hardly. He's a human."
[You said "he's."] Glave smirked.
{We are legendary Pokémon, not perfect.}
"Stay out of my bubble. And what exactly is the matter with humans? I have yet to be told what the reason for the war was. Seeing as Zero is the last one, I have to say one hundred percent of them are good."
"The war? I can tell you about that. I haven't the slightest idea why more Pokémon don't talk about it. Other than wanting to forget the damned species."
After so much conversing, the duo reached the gate. They were greeted by a machamp at either side of the exit, but the only thing that happened was the right one writing down Glave's name and species on a clipboard.
"You can really tell me?" Glave was suddenly far more invested in the conversation and far less torn in his mind.
"It was vague. Tension was high between humans and free Pokémon."
"Free?"
"You call them wild. It is our nature to roam the wilderness. We have our habitats, just as humans had theirs. They trespassed and received punishment. But a team of high and mighty political figures from various nations proclaimed they were considering a project to bridge the gap between humans and Pokémon."
"There's a gap? What did they-"
"I could never explain with words. You know humans almost like you know Pokémon. Zero-" Latios flinched as he slipped and said the man's name, "is the worst example of a human you could have met. He's overflowing with power."
"You could still try. Besides, can't you telepathize the knowledge to me?"
"Moving on," he ignored. "No other human has ever used Pokémon moves. They were like weak normal-types, except they took extreme damage from any type and possessed low durability. It takes far less force to kill a human than a Pokémon."
[Wh-what?] Glave could almost feel adrenaline. It should not have been a surprise to him; Latios was strong, and he had something to protect. [But if humans were weak... Did he really-]
"I killed 11,037 people in the war."
"You counted?" Glave's voice squirmed its way through his vocal cords.
"If you would let me finish... Anyway, evidence of the project was never found. However, mention of it riled up Pokémon globally. Biological studies were assumed to be conducted in order to construct a human that could do things Pokémon could."
Glave stopped and glanced at the dragon-psychic type.
"You don't think that describes Zero?"
"I simply cannot confirm that. As true as it may sound, I find myself unable to breach his mentality."
"Is that how you judge everything? By what other Pokémon think?"
"Not necessarily. But the evidence would be beyond damning if I could see his earlier years. A lack of access to that data leaves me with skepticism. For example, you don't get experiments right on the first cycle. Not with biological engineering. There's no way that thing could have been the only outcome of that project. Countless other victims should exist."
"Maybe they didn't get as far as Zero?"
"Would you suggest they died? By what means? Do not make me say these words again; Zero possesses other-worldly strength. The test subjects of whatever theoretical experiments may have occurred, at least the ones that reached the stages before him, would be strong enough to fend for themselves- against man and Pokémon alike."
[Whatever kind of changes were made to their bodies may have caused their deaths though... Ah, don't say anything. I was just thinking to myself.] Glave looked at Latios, who was already watching him.
"It's weird knowing you can hear thoughts."
"So long as I'm listening. I feel a strong resolve building up within you. I take it that is to say you are ready to begin?"
Glave nodded.
"Fine then. What is a good first step?" Latios pretended to be slightly troubled. "Ah yes, a good lesson one. Try to hit me."
Cindy's front door creaked open. A grovyle stepped inside, covered in dust and sweat. His mind was numb, alongside his feet.
"Oh, dear! I enjoy a man that doesn't mind getting dirty, but that is something." Flara raised her eyebrows. "Use the shower before you use any of my furniture," the charizard called to Glave, but he was already on his way to do as she said.
When he arrived in Cindy's room, the charmeleon was absent and the shower could be heard running.
[She won't mind.]
The grass-type opened the bathroom door. He moved toward the running shower and peeked around one end of the curtain. Cindy was lying on her back against the slanted end of the tub. Her eyes were closed and her hand was rubbing her clitoris.
"Do you want me to wait outside, or can I come in? Doesn't look like you're using that water." He asked from outside.
"Shit!" The fire-type swore. "You scared me. Yeah, come in."
Glave pulled the curtain back and stepped in.
"Woah. What happened to you? You look like the nanab berries that lonely moms stick up-"
"Given your mother is single, please don't finish that sentence."
"Well, answer the question."
"I got the living hell ripped out of me by Latios."
"What!?" Cindy sat up. She rested her active hand on her leg. "Why the he-"
"We were training. And my back feels like it gots its own personal results. He's so incredibly fast. But it was helpful. Now I'll never be able to forget what dust in my eyes feels like," he expressed as he rubbed his eyelids. "I'd deal with getting soap in them to avoid that."
"Lie back. I can wash you."
Glave remained standing with his back to her and frowned.
"I'm not in the mood right now, just so you know. You can trust me to touch your body without it ending up being more training." Cindy sighed and rested her own head against the wall behind it. "Today wasn't easy for me either."
"If this'll help you relax..." The grovyle kneeled and let himself gently fall back against her.
"Funny. I was just thinking the same thing." She smiled calmly behind him.
Glave closed his eyes as he heard the bottle clicking open and closed. Cindy's hands slid together, creating suds with the soap between them. Her hands ran all over his body. He was only required to move whenever she needed access to a covered spot.
Eventually, he was made to stand under the water so it could wash off the lathered soap. The grass-type could feel the dirt sliding off his body as the bubbles slid off him and down the drain.
"That was nice. Thanks." Glave looked at Cindy over his shoulder. "i'll make this up-"
"I really did like it. This was mutual, Glave. Now do me a favor and dry off and get to bed. I won't be tempted to jump on you if you're not awake."
Glave nodded and stepped out of the shower, enjoying the laughter he was leaving. After following Cindy's first instruction, he crawled into the bed and laid his head down on one of the pillows.
Sunlight beamed in the window. It illuminated the bedroom and infiltrated Glave's pupils as his eyes cracked open. Cindy's face was inches away from his, so much that he was surprised they did not feel each other breathing.
The floorboards creaked as the grass-type's feet pelted them.
"Hey, handsome."
The voice stopped him as he reached for the door.
"You missed supper last night," Flara told him.
She was sitting on the living room couch watching the TV. Surprisingly, it was the same show Glave and Cindy had seen with humans and Pokémon.
"Yeah. I fell asleep."
"Well, there're leftovers in the fridge. I'd say feel free to have a bite- I'm sure you'll be an official member of the family one day, may as well treat you like one now. However, the refrigerator is acting up."
Glave almost blushed. He could hear the refrigerator shaking violently.
"Acting up how?"
"Well, it not opening is a pretty good start. And all that bouncing around woke me up."
Static arched around the utility. The grovyle was reminded of his teacher.
[Looks like Zero whenever he's upset. No, not really. He never looks like he wants to fight, and that's the only time he flexes his lightning.] Hope coursed through his heart. [Maybe he's awake. But... a few minutes can't hurt.]
Glave spat out a bullet seed fast enough to leave a dent in the fridge, but it did not. The loud pop startled Flara.
"No need to get upset about it, hun." She raised her eyebrows at him.
The fridge rattled and fired a purple ball at Glave. He sliced through it with a leaf blade. The substance was extremely hot, lightly burning his arm. The contents of the kitchen appliance were thrown around inside their container as it tried to detach from the wall, but thick cables held it in place.
[It used will-o-wisp? A ghost-type then...?]
"Stop!" Glave put his hands on the front and pushed it. "Hang on!" He called behind him.
He heard Flara getting up, and he did not wish for her to attack.
"Relax! Just calm down!" Electricity bounced from the machine to his skin. The prior day prepared him for the experience. "You don't wanna be in there, do you? Just chill out, and try to focus."
Flara kept an uneasy stance as she prepared to use flamethrower, though she would not choose to attack so long as Glave was in the way.
"It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you again."
The refrigerator calmed down, but it still vibrated in between the dishwasher and the sink.
"Er... Actually, can you kind of turn a little bit?"
Almost to his disbelief, it did as he asked. Glave reached behind the fridge, praying that it would not slam him against the sink. He pulled on the power cord and it exited the wall.
A rotom bolted out and flew around in the air. It shot around Glave's head several times in jagged circles before flying through the wall.
"A rotom... I figured it had to be that." The grovyle tracked the electric-ghost Pokémon as it zigzagged into the sky.
"That was amazing. I wish that would've been a mission request so you could've gotten credit." Flara was stunned. "I would have believed your father had come over to see about an issue. I'll have to give you a good reward sometime," she finished with a wink.
Disregarding her comment, Glave left the house. He strolled toward Team Fate's house. The same scenery from his whole life passed by him yet again. A familiar storefront caught his eye. It was the shop that bore similarities to a dojo from the outside.
[I can't remember that place's name. Mrs... I know she was a medicham. They sell-]
"Boop!"
Something bumped Glave almost violently, nearly knocking him over. Ruby shimmered to life and giggled next to him.
"You barely looked surprised!" She flipped upside down and kept flying next to him. "Whatcha doin'?"
"U-uh... I was heading to see Zero. I'm getting really worried about him. We can only go so long without eating or drinking, and being asleep that long is-"
"He'll be fine! He's really strong!" She spun around, sending a gust of wind. "But I do wanna go see him... Latios isn't letting me into the Tourist District. That's where they keep him, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't say they 'keep him' but he's there right now, yeah."
Ruby sighed, somewhat less cheerily.
"I do want him to get up. I haven't seen him for four years. I missed him, and it hurts really bad now that he's so close. Plus the Winter Festival is coming right up..."
[The Festival? Damn, I forgot all about it.]
"Four days from now?" He asked.
Ruby nodded.
"He'll definitely be up by then." He was encouraging the Latias as well as himself.
"Whaddya do while you wait?" She floated so her body was behind him but her head was oblviously close to his.
"W-we were going on missions still, but today's an off day. Yesterday me and Cindy got ra-r-really tired. Hoard of pikachu. Turns out those little mice are annoying."
"Hee hee, but they're so cute!" Ruby laughed. She sounded like a child.
Glave was simply happy that he caught himself before saying something sexual.
[Thank Arceus you don't read minds like your brother. I'd be a lot less eager for Zero to wake up if I let that one slip.] He smiled at his own thoughts.
"Yeah. Well, I'm planning to go train outside-"
"I can go with you!" The eon twin invited herself.
"Ac-"
"But first, I wanted to get your opinion on something!" Her voice became determined.
She flew down the street, disappearing as she soared.
[That was weird.] Glave hurried to get to the Tourist District since the legendary Pokémon was not allowed, but to his shock, she flew up behind him.
"Ta-daaa!" The excitement temporarily teleported off her face. "Man, you still aren't scared? Well, what do you think!?"
She was holding some kind of fabric.
[Is that clothing?] Something in his mind clicked. [As in for a human?]
It had a hood, and it was fairly long. Nothing connected the cloth save for three vertically-aligned buttons strung together near the collar. The only issue Glave had with it was its red-and-white color scheme.
"I-it looks nice." He looked away from it.
"I made it for Zero! It'll be his gift for the festival!"
"Shit." Glave stopped walking.
He also stopped breathing as he glanced at Ruby, but she was laughing.
[So you're used to Pokémon cussing, but nothing sexual has ever reached your ears? How have you never heard anyone telling someone to go fuck themselves?]
"You forgot to get him a gift, didn't you?" She chirped with laughter.
"I did, but I've got an idea of what he may like. I can't be sure though. Lemme go see if he's up, and I can get a better understanding. I can also ask about that-"
"No! Don't tell him I made this! The whole point is for it to be a surprise! Don't you live here? I'm not talking to the wrong grovyle, am I?" Ruby pouted and backed off a couple of feet.
"S-sorry! I won't, I just wasn't thinking. Now if you'll excuse me..."
"Yeah, okay!" The dragon vigorously nodded once. "Come get me if he's up! Anyway, I'll come find you when you start training."
"Wait-"
She blasted off over the rooftops of Advent Town. Somewhere midflight she became invisible.
["Come get me" right into "I'll come find you." Is this why Zero had an attitude when he was talking to her?] Glave shook the ideas out of his head and resumed on his path.
"This time," he muttered, "he's definitely gonna be awake."