Episode 4: Welcome to Avalice

Only two destinations so far into the mystery of Gon's absence and Jin and Nina are learning so much about the little dinosaur. They've learned that he's got a generous heart and he's an expert in relationships. So far, things were adding up slowly for the two warriors. This time, on their next trip to Avalice, they're so glad they've got Detective Pikachu to help them out here because they were totally clueless about the world of Freedom Planet. They were ready to learn more about Gon as well as learn what Avalice is all about.

When they did arrive, they were actually at the very base of the hidden treehouse within Dragon Valley. Pikachu cheered like a kid in a candy store on the inside, but kept his composure on the outside as the three detectives looked around at their surroundings.

"Awesome!" Pikachu cheered softly. "We're in Dragon Valley, right where we need to be. Avalice's heroines live right here at this treehouse. Their names are Sash Lilac, Carol Tea, and Milla Basset. I know these ladies."

"Apparently." Jin muttered as he looked at the electric sleuth upon his left shoulder with an unimpressed glare in his eyes. Nina looked at the ladder as her boss continued. "So far, this place looks a lot like Earth. What's the difference between the two?"

"This planet's citizens are all anthropomorphized animals. Phew! Takes a lot outta ya to say that word."

"Huh! Really?" Nina asked with astonishment. "Every single person here is an animal?"

"Yep! And I'll prove it right here and now. C'mon, guys. Up the ladder!" The two human warriors did as they were told without hesitation, having Jin climb up first. By the time they reached the porch at the top, Pikachu somehow managed to knock on the door three times and the three waited patiently for the door to open. After a full minute, an adorable pure white female basset hound with orange hair, green eyes, three green stripes on each ear, and wore a black and orange jumpsuit with green and orange bands on each wrist and ankle greeted them with her adorable charm. "Hey, Milla! It's been a while!"

"Pikachu?!" Milla replied as she allowed the electric mouse to leap into her arms for a welcoming embrace. "It has been a long time since we've last seen you. How are you?"

"I'm fantastic, thanks. These two with me are Jin Kazama and Nina Williams from Tekken. They're in the middle of solving the mystery of Gon's absence."

"Gon? We've haven't seen him in over 10 years. I've always been wondering where he's been, too. Did you find him yet?" The three visitors were inside by the time Milla said that last word, having Nina volunteer to close the door.

"Nope, not yet. In fact, even with the clues we've gathered so far, we're stretched thin."

"Oh, no. I hope he's okay. Ya wanna know why he was here, though? Maybe that oughta give ya some more clues."

"Just send Lilac and Carol down here and we've got a deal."

"Gotcha!" The adorable dog placed down Pikachu on the wooden floor before she went upstairs to get her two 'sisters'. The two human warriors took a seat on the couch as they waited patiently.

"So far, so good. Gon was here like Blossom said, but he was here ten years ago… and as far as I know, Freedom Planet's been around for about five. I guess he knew this game would be a hit long before the rest of Earth, eh?"

"Probably." Jin replied. "I guess we've got a whole lot of information to take down here." He pulled out his notepad at the exact same time as Nina and the two warriors were ready for anything. "Before we see them, though, what kind of animals are Lilac and Carol?"

"Lilac's a half-water dragon and Carol's a green wildcat. The two of them are… inseparable… to put it nicely."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that Carol and I are actually a couple." Lilac came in as she came out from a hallway with the said wildcat holding hands with her. She was dressed in her signature blue unitard, but had much longer purple hair that was a topknot ponytail that stopped just below her short tail. Her famous tendrils were much longer than that. Pikachu was shocked to see the dragon look so mature. "Hi, Pikachu. How are you?"

"Never better." Pikachu replied. "It sure had been ten years since you've seen Gon because all three of you actually look pretty grown-up."

"Yeah, it's really been that long. Last time we've seen him, he saw that Carol and I's relationship was thriving, even though we were only friends at the time." The three heroines took their own seats at that last word spoken from the dragonblood. Jin and Nina didn't waste any time writing this information down. "The truth is, we were ashamed by the fact they we were about to become Avalice's first and only same sex couple, despite the fact that we're both bisexual. Before Gon's arrival, we have just saved Avalice from the damages caused by Merga after Lord Brevon's defeat and Carol and I decided to come out of the closet in secret."

"Yep!" Carol agreed. "But, we didn't want the public to know so soon, especially after what we went through to save the whole planet. We knew it would ruin our reputation as heroes, even with Milla added to the mix."

"So, I had to call upon Gon to help us find a way to get the public to still honor us as heroes, even with my relationship with Carol."


(Flashback – ten years ago)

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

"I got it!" Carol announced as she headed for the door in her usual speed of the wildcat that she is. When she opened it, she was excited to see Gon in all of his short glory. "Gon!? I thought you had Tekken to deal with."

"Nah, not anymore." Gon replied with honesty. "I've got more personal things to deal with, but I wouldn't mind stopping by here for a minute. Lilac actually called me over. She said something about your relationship with her becoming more a problem for Avalice rather than a celebration."

"You heard correct." Lilac came in from the bedroom, dressed in her best from the second Freedom Planet. "The heavy burden of shame is hitting both of us so hard that we're afraid to show the rest of Avalice our sudden romance. We just know that they're not ready."

"And I just feel awful about it already." Gon closed the door with his long tail as he said this and sat with Lilac and Carol on the couch, having the two hold hands. "First of all, let's talk about how it started. What did you two do that sparked this relationship all of a sudden?"

"Well, it happen on one Halloween. We both wore pretty provocative costumes that day and just seeing Carol in it made me fall for her almost instantly."

"Same here." Carol admitted as she blushed. "Lilac's came with a helmet, but she refused to wear it. Ironically, when we got to Mayor Zao's costume party at his palace, we both had to use the bathroom really quick before the costume contest and, after we did our private business, well… one thing led to another as we saw each other."

"I was the one that confessed my love towards her first and I had to kiss her with all the compassion in the world to prove it. Turns out that she felt the same way by the way our tongues were wrestling each other within our mouths."

"And we nearly had sex, too!"

"Whoa…" Gon muttered. "I kinda wished I could've see that. What happened next?"

"The party went on as usual after that. Lilac and I acted as casual as possible and it worked, even after we won. I got second place, though. Lilac won the grand prize, which was a brand new car. I won an ATV that I gave to my sister, Corazon. She was there, too."

"And she didn't suspect a thing from ya?"

"Not a thing."

"It's what really happened after the party that really signified our love for each other." Lilac confessed. "It was my idea to drive back to the treehouse with the new car I just won and, as soon as we got there, we didn't get out of the car just yet. I figured that… this was our chance to really express our feelings while nobody's watching."

"You mean…?" Gon started to ask, but paused as he waited for a sign from the ladies, which were a raised eyebrow from each of them simultaneously. "…you two had sex… actual sex… in the car?!"

"Yes!" Both heroines replied with no remorse. Gon nearly fell off the couch with shock, but he managed to maintain his balance anyway as he continued.

"Oh, my God! Glad you did it here. If the rest of the public were to see that right now, they would probably hate you just as much as Spade does."

"Now you see why we're hiding it." Lilac confessed. "How can we confess our love to the rest of Avalice without losing our reputations as international heroines? I'm sure you can think of something. That's why I called you."

"Hmmm… well, since I'm kinda in that same scenario with my current situation, all I can truly tell ya is just act as though nobody's watching. Keep your PDAs small and comfortable for everyone to see, like holding hands or giving kisses on the cheeks for a while. Once they get the hint, go ahead and go all out, but still keep the sex at the treehouse. Trust me, I learned that the hard way."

"I kinda knew that's what we had to do." Carol guessed. "Thanks for the tip, Gon! We'll keep that in mind from now on, but seriously? You're in a relationship with someone? Short as you are, I just can't imagine."

"I know it's kinda hard to believe, but it's the truth. Unfortunately, I can't tell ya anymore about it than I've already told you. It'll ruin me. Just be happy for me."

"We already are." Lilac admitted with her regal smile as she gave the short yellow carnosaur her warmest embrace he's ever felt in his life. "Whoever the lucky girl is, let her know that she's blessed to have a soulmate with a heart that's as pure gold as your own scales."

"Thanks, ladies." The small dino said this as he was receiving a group hug from everyone now, including Corazon. He felt truly honored as a joyful tear escaped an eye. "I truly appreciate it. I'll be sure to tell her when I get to her."

"Take your time, then." All four ladies released him as Lilac said this. "We'll all pray for you and your mate."

Gon's response to that heartfelt statement: An adorable smile that couldn't be ignored.

(End flashback)


"So, my suspicions were correct." Jin started as he just finished writing down all of the information Lilac and Carol had shared with him and his two fellow detectives. "When Gon left us, he said that he had 'extremely personal reasons' for leaving. Now that we've been hearing that the rex has been helping with relationships and he's in one of his very own! I knew it!"

"Glad you figured that out." Lilac replied. "But, of course, he didn't give us any further details about his own relationship. He didn't even give us her name or species."

"Now those we'll find in due time, but wow! What a development!" Pikachu exclaimed. "But, he did say that he was in a similar situation compared to your relationship with Carol. Does that mean that whoever his mate is… isn't the same species as him?"

"That could be a definite possibility, but I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet. Just be glad that you've finally got some break in this case."

"My sentiments exactly." Nina agreed. "Thank you all so much for sharing this story with us. That really gave us a much bigger insight on Gon's current whereabouts."

"Glad to be of service, guys." Carol said with a salute. "When ya do finally find him, give him our regards, wouldja?"

"Will do." Jin replied as he and Nina stood up with the heroines while Pikachu made a leap for the son of Kazuya's right shoulder. "In exchange for that favor, can you tell us where he went to next?"

"Well, shortly after that moment, he said he was going to a city called The Bronx, New York to meet up with a pair of street fighters that are in the happiest marriage." Lilac replied. "Surely, they don't need his advice there, but he probably visited them just to check up on them."

"What are the Street Fighter's names?"

"Ibuki and Alex."

"They're married?!" Pikachu exclaimed. "Since when?!"

"Who knows? We're all shocked at the news ourselves when he told us."

"Well, I'm anxious to know! Jin, Nina, let's hightail it to The Bronx! NOW!"

After that was said, the three detectives didn't waste any time commanding their VT devices to teleport them to The Bronx to not only check up Ibuki and Alex themselves, but find out how two totally opposite warriors in terms of size could be compatible with each other and why Gon was there.

To be continued…