A/N:

Sorry for the long wait! College applications are a real bitch. One of the chapters you all have been waiting for is finally here! Now, that doesn't exactly mean lemons (yet), but they're on their way. As a side note, finally hit the 100K word count mark!

I'm not associated with Nintendo, Game Freak, etc. etc.

If you enjoy reading, or want to submit a character idea, please consider leaving a review. In terms of characters, that does not mean that I will be able to utilize all ideas, but I'll do my best.

"…" - Spoken dialogue

Italics - Michael's thoughts

'Italics' - Telepathic dialogue


"Happiness can exist only in acceptance."

-George Orwell


Ch. 8 - Acceptance

"Please," Elise begged, with her ears drooping, "please don't be mad…" Veronica kept her eyes glued to the floor, unable to look up at him.

"Wh-what all did you learn?" Charlotte asked.

"Just about all of it…" Silence prevailed in the room, the only sounds being whirring of the fan and the occasional sniffle. "Why didn't you girls tell me?"

"I… I just thought that you…" The words died in Charlotte's throat.

"Might be upset?" Michael interjected. The braixen nodded.

"…Or even repulsed…" Layla said. "You… mentioned that you were fine with the relationships… but we weren't sure if you were okay with the idea of trying it out…"

"I see…"

"How… do you feel?" she asked.

"How do I feel?"

"About what you've learned."

"I'm… disappointed… and even a little angry…" The lucario lowered her head, her eyes squeezed shut and tears seeping out.

"Oh…"

"But only in myself," he added. "I… didn't see. Didn't see what you girls were trying to tell me all that time. And yet I even returned your gestures. I… I'm sorry… This is all my doing…"

"You… are not upset with us?" Veronica asked. "Even after finding out?"

"No," he shook his head. "I'm definitely not mad at you all. If anything, I'm actually kind of flattered that the five of you feel this way."

"R…really?" Alaina asked.

"Yep."

"Why… would you say that?"

"Because, each one of you is beautiful both inside and out. I… don't know what to do right now, or even where to begin… but I know that to be true. Although," he looked over at the latias, "now that the cat's outta the bag, I do want to know what it is that you did…"

"Okay, she quietly said. "But please… let it be in private."

"Of course - in fact, I would like to speak to all of you in private. I'd like to be filled in on what I've apparently been missing all this time. That sound like a good idea?"

"Yeah…" they all said in unison.

"Good, then we'll start tomorrow. For the last week, you all have been pretty stressed out, so I want all of you to get a good night's rest. We've got a hell of a lot of stuff to talk about…"

. . . . .

It was decided that the latias would go first - after all, the discovery of her action directly led to this situation. With the promise of seclusion, she assured him that she would be more revealing. "Look, I'm not gonna force you to talk by any means," he assured. "But I would like to get to the bottom of this. Find out what got everyone so riled up, and how we can put an end to it."

"Alright," she said, "I will tell you what I have done…" He reassuringly stroked her wing, resting his hand gently on her back. The two of them went to their favorite spot - the large oak tree. The two of them basked under the shade, relaxing in the calm, still atmosphere of Kanto's autumn weather. She had great difficulty in keeping his gaze for any length of time.

"Hey, no need to be shy. I mean, the secret's pretty well out now."

"No," she shook her head, tearing up. "You… have no idea…"

"Well, enlighten me then."

"Michael… before I say anything, I want you to promise me one thing…"

"Okay…"

"Please… when I tell you… don't resent me…"

"Alaina," he said, raising a hand to her cheek, "I would never. I don't want to hear any more of that, alright?"

"…Alright."

"Good." He took a seat, his back to the tree. Alaina levitated down, but pulled back, unsure of herself. Noticing her unease, Michael patted the ground beside him, signaling for her to take a seat. She did so, laying her head on his shoulder. He wasn't so sure how to respond, knowing that such gestures, given his recent discovery, could have more intimate meanings. But she was in distress, and he refused to deny her contact. Not that he would have, anyways.

"I… don't know how to start," she mumbled.

"Take your time," he said softly.

"I guess… I guess I'll start from the beginning," she said. The latias got herself together, and began to recall the last few months. "The weeks I spent in that dreadful machine… I knew for certain I was simply delaying the inevitable. Every time those people shocked me, it got harder and harder to breathe. I wondered why I just didn't give in. My pain would have been over, and I would go home. But then that one night, I received my answer…"

"Would that have been…"

"The dream, yes. I reached out to you from halfway across the region. I knew right then that I had found someone… someone to live for. My kind does not have dream synchronization with just anyone, you know."

"I had meant to ask you about that," Michael said. "That victini that we rescued had mentioned something about it…"

"I know," she said shyly. "He was disgusted with me…"

"Why?"

"I'll get to that in a moment," she said. He nodded, and she continued. "I strove to live on, just to see if my feelings were correct. I knew they were the moment that you, nearly dead, risked what was left of your life to save mine. Michael… I've loved you from that moment…" She trailed her claws down his chest, resting them on his stomach.

"And I was so clueless all that time…"

"In a way… I'm somewhat glad you were. Had you known the truth - what the dreams and the imprint really meant - you probably would've been repulsed, too…"

"Alaina, I would not have been repulsed. Do you care to tell me what they meant?"

"Dream synchronization… is a way for… m…mates to call out to each other, even from afar, typically during extreme circumstances… I loved you before I even knew you… I think that we were destined to b-be mates…" She… considers me her mate?

"Is that… how you feel about me? That I'm your mate?"

"I… wish for you to be mine… yes," she said. She started trembling slightly out of nervousness, so he put an arm around her and drew her close. "So… I made it so…"

"What?"

"I marked you as my mate. I imprinted on you… It's… your term for an engagement. Whenever any psychic-type looks into your mind, they will know that you are mine…"

"…Oh." The fact that she had made claim to him greatly shocked him. A legendary. Hell, he wouldn't want to disrespect one of the most sacred bonds… but this was all so forced and secretive. He kind of understood why the others were so upset. They had similar feelings, and all of a sudden, the newcomer laid claim to him.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't know what to do. I love you… but you didn't understand. I thought that if I could play things secretly… then maybe I could make you feel the same way over time…" He wouldn't be lying if he said that he felt somewhat uncomfortable with the situation. Maybe even a bit upset with the latias.

But when he reflected on what she had risked, then he couldn't help but feel honored. A beautiful legendary had been willing to oppose the norms, gaining disapproval from both family members and other peers in order to follow her heart. Regardless of what her mother said, she went through with what she wanted. Even though she had technically lied to him, what she had done was very controversial, and showed how much she felt about him. He cupped her cheek, drawing her closer and kissing her on the forehead.

"Please stop crying," he said.

"You aren't… mad at me?" she asked, wiping her face.

"Not at all. True, you did kind of throw me a curveball… but you did it out of love. And that must have been a really hard decision with your mother…"

"You have no idea," she murmured. "I'm pretty sure I've been disowned," she joked.

"Well then it's her loss," he said, hugging her tightly. "I'm glad that we have you."

"I'm glad that I have you," she replied, nuzzling him. "…May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you… reciprocate my feelings?" she asked timidly. You would ask that, wouldn't you? It was, quite literally, the question that he hoped to avoid. He was one day into this realization, and already one of the five was wanting to know if he potentially had feelings for her.

"I… I don't know, Alaina," he said. The latias's demeanor dropped slightly, but he continued. "All of this is so sudden… and all of you feel this way. I don't know what to do…"

"I see…"

"I just need to get my thoughts together," he said. "But, whatever you think… don't take that as a no."

. . . . .

Now that Michael knew fully what he was dealing with, he began to speak with the others. He decided to talk to Elise first, as the glaceon seemed to be on the edge of panicking. "Don't worry, sweet girl - everything's alright," he reassured. He kneaded her paws, holding them firmly but gently.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"A little bit overwhelmed by all of this," he replied. "But looking back, I can't believe I didn't catch on to all of your all's advances."

"I'm… sorry if I got too close at times," she said, her face lowered.

"Not at all. I enjoyed all the times we cuddled together."

"…But that's done now," she sighed. "Now that you know what was behind it…"

"I hope not," Michael said, getting her to perk up. "I never want to lose my intimacy with you girls, and that includes our more physical bonding." Hearing those words definitely relaxed the glaceon, who, in return, embraced him in a feral hug.

"Thank you," she said, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. With the adorable expression on her face - a slight blush, and lidded eyes - he couldn't help but give her a peck on the muzzle.

"You know, you have always been so sweet natured. I don't think you have a mean bone in your body."

"I have no reason to. I have you," she said, licking him on the cheek. "Ever since the day you bought me, I've only experienced happiness."

"Do you… feel comfortable talking about it?" he asked her. She nodded.

"I… think so."

"Okay, take your time." Still clamped around him, she took a deep breath, and, releasing it, recounted her story.

"I've always disliked mightyenas… That poacher - he had one. It scent tracked my siblings and… found us when we tried to get back to our den. I was the slowest."

"So he got you…"

"Yeah… And before I knew it, I was in a cage for over two weeks… He fed me and all, but he only took me out for a few minutes a day to… you know."

"Son of a bitch…"

"And always under supervision. That's the worst feeling in the world - to have someone staring you down like that." Michael couldn't even imagine that kind of humiliation, and didn't want to. Doing so would only breed anger for a man that he would likely never see again.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all that."

"Well… you were the one who got me out of that situation… so I guess I'd say it worked out well in the end. You treated me like a princess."

"You are a little princess," Michael said, stroking her back. "You are adorable, kind, and modest." His words brought out a prominent blush in her cheeks, but her wide grin dismissed any thoughts of embarrassment. "Would you mind telling me when you developed feelings for me?"

"I… I've always had feelings for you," she admitted. "You've treated me so well, and… I really… w-want you…" He was shocked that the timid glaceon would have admitted to such a thing. She…wants me like that?

"R…really?" She meekly nodded.

"And…I almost got you killed over it. I could just tear myself into pieces…"

"What are you talking about?"

"The day we got attacked…" The mightyena pack? But that was a freak accident.

"We've already talked about this. I got myself hurt. None of that was your fault."

"That's… not entirely true," she said. "I was… in heat that day."

"That must have been that sweet scent…"

"I know you must think badly of me," she said. "When you were rubbing me… I may have accidentally…"

"Gotten aroused?" She nodded, closing her eyes to avoid looking at him.

"Wow…" The revelation was definitely unexpected, but he wasn't disgusted. Somehow, and curiously to him, he was far from it. Maybe it was a result of the subliminal realization that her arousal smelled great to him.

"I'm so sorry," she whimpered.

"No need to apologize. I just wasn't expecting that. But then again, it makes sense now. They must've smelled your pheromones."

"They must have… Are you disgusted?"

"N-no, I'm not," he replied. "I'm a bit shocked, honestly, but I'm not disgusted." She sighed in relief, the worry dissipating from her face. He scooped her up, pulling their chests together in a tight hug. "You're so cute, y'know that?" She raised her face level with his, briefly touching her muzzle to his nose. She stayed there for a moment, seemingly contemplating something, and then moved slightly to the side, kissing him on the cheek.

. . . . .

Layla, without a doubt, took him by the greatest surprise. She was straightforward and showed no signs of embarrassment. Laying beside him on the ground, looking up at the cloudless sky, she, too, recalled the origins of her feelings.

"When I was under that horrible man, my day-to-day life was full of nothing but dread. I knew what he was gonna do to me if I evolved. Looking back, I know now that there was no chance in hell that would happen, but I didn't know at the time."

"How did he get you in the first place? Riolus, even with their weaker aura sensing capabilities, can detect a person's general emotions."

"It wasn't my choice. He bought me from some underground breeding facility when I was young."

"Oh."

"Female riolus cost a pretty penny, too. But that pervert was willing to pay that if he could have a lucario as his bitch…"

"You know, I'm kind of happy I put a couple of rounds in him."

"Me too. There's a special place in hell for what he did to Ellen…"

"Ellen?"

"She was the lopunny that lived with us." Oh no… "She ended up doing almost all of the housework, and he abused her in every way imaginable."

"I'm glad she's out of that situation now," Michael said.

"I am too. I often wonder what became of her. We weren't close, though. She never really spoke."

"I can see why. Living as a slave tends to screw with your head."

"I know I would've been messed up. I probably would have taken my own life if he ended up doing that to me. But y'know what?" She leaned in towards his ear, positioning herself over his chest. "After all you've done for me, I sure as hell would love if you did." She pulled away, giving him a flirtatious look. Oh… my… Arceus. Did she really just say that? The heat flushed to his cheeks, and it would've been impossible for him to hide his blush.

"Wh….what?!"

"You heard me," she giggled. "Mmm, you're so cute when you're flustered."

"You… just…"

"Mhm. You seem surprised."

"Well yeah. Where did that come from?"

"It's what I've wanted to say for so long now," she said. "I've saved myself completely for you, because I want to be yours. So why don't you go ahead and take me?" Her sultry demeanor was testing him, and he had to make a conscious effort not to get aroused from her words. And the way her right foot was brushing against his inner thigh… "I bet you'd like to ravage me; pound me until you fill me with your seed."

"L-Layla… please stop," he stammered.

"Why?" she asked.

"It wouldn't be right. What about the others?"

"…Ugh, fine," she pouted. "But consider taking up my offer."

"O… okay?"

"Just know that my tail is always raised for you, and only you."

. . . . .

Veronica calmly glided toward the ground. For once, she didn't make some sort of heart-stopping nosedive or spiral. "Huh, that was surprisingly gentle for once," he joked.

"Yeah," she said, her voice noticeably distant. He hopped off of her back, and patted her shoulders.

"Lighten up, Ver. Everything's okay."

"Maybe for some…" He took a seat against the oak tree, motioning for her to join him. She did so, laying straight against him - her back against his stomach, and her neck craned upwards, leaving her head on his left shoulder.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Because," she sighed, "I'm competing in a race that I don't have a chance in."

"Why would you say that?"

"You have Alaina - a legendary that would do anything for you affection - and three of the most sought after females. Elise has the most captivating, friendly nature, and that adorable little face to top it off. Layla's stunning and wants to get in your pants so bad that she can't stand it, and Charlotte's an attractive, sassy little vixen that feels pretty much the same way. But me…" she shook her head.

"What about you?" She looked at him somberly.

"What would you see in a giant flying lizard?" Michael had never been aware that his flygon was insecure with her appearance.

"Is that… what you think of yourself?" She didn't say anything, but nodded.

"If a human has a relationship with a pokémon," she said, "it's typically with a mammalian species. Starters, too, and I'm sure there'd be millions in line to bed a legendary. But flygons… we're not exactly desirable. I know - I've looked it up several times. People want gardevoirs, lucarios, eevees, lopunnies... no one wants a dragon…"

"How do you know I wouldn't?"

"You… do you mean that?"

"Ver, I don't know what you think, but you are beautiful."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Don't sell yourself short." He wrapped his arms around her, and she gave him a lick on the cheek.

"How is it that you're always restoring my confidence?" Veronica asked.

"That's what I'm here for."

"And I love you for it," she replied, pivoting around and embracing him. He ran his hands up her back, stopping at her shoulders and pulling her closer.

"So how'd it start?"

"My feelings?" He nodded. "I fell for you after our gym battle back in Goldenrod."

"Ah, so when you evolved."

"Mhm. Before that, I simply didn't care - about anything, really. Looking back, I'd say it was because I was lonely. Didn't really think that anyone else cared about me, so why should I give a damn about anything? My first trainer definitely didn't care; she was more tied up with her cell phone and nail polish and lipstick… Arceus, she was annoying. She could do all that stuff - for hours upon hours - but didn't want to ever spend time with me or her family. Hell, I don't even know why she got a pokémon in the first place. It's not like we trained or battled much."

"So what did you do?"

"I… may have lashed out a bit…"

"Really? How so?"

"Well, I destroyed over Ᵽ500 of makeup, for starters. Oh, and I chewed up her phone."

"Damn, you were a destructive little thing, weren't you?" She laughed.

"Maybe a little…"

"A lot," he corrected. "But she totally deserved it."

"Yeah. Anyways, she took me to the nearest place she could drop me off, which happened to be Dragon's Den. I think I spent a little over a year there before you picked me."

"One of the best decisions I ever made." He stroked her neck, making her high in content. Absentmindedly, his hands went lower.

"Careful," she said.

"Oh, yeah, I meant to ask you about that. What is it with you and that spot on your neck?" She looked away awkwardly, having difficulty finding the right words.

"Dragons… err… are sensitive in that spot."

"Sensitive? How so?"

"That… specific area is… a turn on. It's like your equivalent to foreplay…" Oh shit, so all those times…

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know," he said. "I would never have teased you like that…" She chuckled, parting his hair with a single claw.

"That's alright. If you let me make you mine, you can do it all you want."

. . . . .

"About damn time you figured out," Charlotte said, rolling her eyes. "For awhile there, I thought we were never gonna make any headway. But then again, you didn't exactly pick it up on your own, now did you?"

"I… uhh…"

"Yeah, mhm, you had someone tell you everything. Now who was it?"

"I'm not telling. They wanted it to remain anonymous." She looked at him in an unamused way.

"It was that zoroark, wasn't it?" Dammit, how the hell did she guess that?

"No, it wasn't Zeke. But I'm not telling you any more than that," he lied, hoping that it would throw her off.

"If you say so…" She stood up, walked around him, and embraced him from behind. "Y'know, I think it should count for something that I was the first to feel this way."

"Really? When'd you start?"

"Ever since the first day," she said, smiling.

"The first day?"

"Right the moment you picked me."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm. You chose me when I was the least appealing of the three. When you picked me… I knew then that I wanted to be more than your pokémon. He stacked the odds against me, but you didn't care about battling or rarity." Stacked the odds against her?

"Who did?"

"Who else?" She can't be serious…

"What would Sycamore have had against you?"

"I… I don't know fully," she said. "I… haven't told you what happened with him, now have I?"

"No…" He was praying that his fire fox hadn't been hurt. She sighed.

"As you know… I may have been a bit hyperactive as a fennekin."

"Yeah, no kidding," he joked. "But I enjoyed every second of it."

"Well… I don't think he did…" Professor Sycamore… what did he do to her?

"Charlotte…" he said, tearing up, "please tell me he didn't…"

"Huh?" She looked at him confusedly, but caught his meaning. "Oh, no - nothing like that," she reassured him. "No, he didn't hurt me physically…"

"I don't understand… He seemed like a decent guy…"

"Maybe on the outside," she remarked. "But on the inside, he was anything but decent."

"What happened?" She shook her head.

"It doesn't matter; it's in the past."

"Charlotte… please?"

"…Alright, fine - but I don't wanna talk about it any more after this, okay?"

"Gotcha." She paused for a moment, simply grasping him tightly, before finally speaking up.

"Living at that place had always been pretty fun. Dozens of volunteers poured in every day, so we always had people to tend to us, or play with us. Only, I ended up exhausting a good bit of them."

"I could imagine."

"I only wanted to play," she said matter-of-factly. "There was never any harm in that…"

"Of course not."

"One night, the volunteer accidentally left the kennel unlocked. I snuck out and went down the hallway - mostly just wandering around. I went upstairs, and he had his door open."

"So you went in?"

"I figured that he might be bored, or that he might want to play. Hell was I wrong…" She paused for a moment, tense from recalling the bad memories. He ran his hands through the tufts of hair on her shoulders, eliciting a contented sigh from her.

"Take your time."

"…I hopped up on his desk. He was working on something, something on his desktop. I accidentally knocked the computer down. It shattered. I don't think I've ever seen anyone flip out like that."

"He got angry?"

"Yes, but first he called someone up. He was really in a panic. I stayed there and watched. Had I known what was gonna happen, I would have left."

"He must've been working on something really important."

"I remember him talking about a paper. Something about genetics and moves. He ran over to his laptop, and after a few minutes, started screaming something about it being 'too late,' and that 'it' was already submitted." Already submitted? What's that supposed to mean?

"What happened after that?"

"He… turned around and kicked me… I tried to run away, but my side hurt, and he shut the door. I remember him telling me that since I had ruined something he cared about, he would return the favor. I spent the next three years at that place."

"You spent three years there?! As a starter?"

"Mhm. He made sure that none of the volunteers ever played with me. I was always 'in time-out for bad behavior.' Hardly got to interact with any of the other fennekins. And sometimes, to lower me even more… he brought me to the very edge of freedom. I would be presented to trainers - with others that were clearly better options. If he pulled me out, I was always pitted against others with special moves, or more experience, or a shiny froakie… 'They'll never pick you,' he'd always say. But then you did."

"And not a day goes by that I'm not glad that I made that choice." She grasped him tightly, pulling him against her smaller body. "And just to think, before you even knew me, you were looking out for me..."

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked.

"Sycamore had told me that he was impressed with my work; that my theory laid the groundworks for new research into move inheritance. And three years before I picked you? That would have been the exact time that I had finished and submitted my thesis. From what you've told me, I think he might have been trying to steal my work before it was turned in. Had he been able to do that, I would have been expelled for plagiarizing my own paper."

"Some things were just meant to happen, I guess," Charlotte said. "Do you think… you and I could be something?" Michael looked down, unsure of how to answer her question.

"Char, I… I don't know," he sighed. "All of this has kind of hit me like freight train as of recently. I… love all of you all equally. I've never played favorites, and you all want the same thing that I couldn't rightfully go through with any one of you."

"Wh…what?" she asked, her voice cracking up.

"How would you feel if I engaged in a relationship with Elise?"

"I… I don't…"

"You would be hurt that I chose her over you, wouldn't you?" She nodded wordlessly. "Don't you think that the others would be hurt similarly if I chose you over each of them?"

"…Yeah…"

"I'm totally at a loss for what to do. We all know way too much for things to go back to the way they were before, yet no matter what I do, I'll be crushing four of you. I just… I don't know what to do…"

. . . . .

With everything coming to light, the tensions somewhat settled amongst all of them. Alaina apologized for making a move behind everyone's back, and Veronica apologized for threatening to bash her skull in. Hostilities aside, and Michael had accepted what he had been ignoring all along.

Despite this, though, a new issue took the place of the previous one - an issue that was ongoing inside of all of them. Michael didn't know what to do, or who to pick. Did he even want to try something like this at all? He had mentioned that he was open to the idea, but following through with such a claim was a different matter entirely. And with one of the girls that had been with him all this time? True, he had thought of them as the greatest things in the whole world, but a bond like this was something that he would never have considered. And no matter what, he couldn't bring himself to choose one over the other.

Apart from his internal struggles in the perspective of jumping into a relationship with one of his girls, he didn't have a clue how he should approach the topic of a relationship of this sort in general. He supposed that he should try to act as though nothing was different, but in all honesty, that would take some practice. Or at least, somewhere to start. And in doing so, he'd need someone to ask for advice.

. . . . .

Michael knocked on the door, hoping that he had not woken his friend. He heard the faint sound of the vulpix's voice. "Come on, Sammy! You know I can't reach the doorknob."

"Alright, alright, give me a sec." A moment later, Samuel opened the door, still in the process of slipping on a T-shirt.

"Was I… interrupting something?" Michael asked.

"N-no, not at all," Samuel said. "I was just lounging."

"Could I talk with you for a little bit?"

"Sure, is something wrong?"

"Kind of." The two walked inside, taking seats on the couch. Nicole hopped on Samuel's lap, just as she always did.

"What's up?"

"I umm… found out that the girls…"

"Are smitten with you?"

"…Yeah."

"Took you long enough," Nicole said teasingly.

"So it really was obvious to everyone but me?" Michael asked.

"No offense man, but yeah."

"I must look like a moron right now."

"Just when it comes to dealing with girls," Nicole said.

"Nicole." Samuel nudged her slightly.

"No, she's right. I can't believe I missed the cues all this time. And because I let this go on for so long, encouraging it and reciprocating it, now I've got to make a choice that's gonna hurt four of them."

"That's… tough," Samuel admitted. "I don't know if I can offer you any advice in that regard."

"Pick Charlotte!" Nicole cheered. Samuel rolled his eyes.

"I didn't come to ask advice on who to pick," Michael said, "but thank you, Nicole, for the recommendation."

"No problem!"

"So what do you need advice on?"

"Just… this whole matter, in general."

"Oh, you mean the idea of a relationship with a pokémon?"

"Yeah," Michael said, nodding. "This is all so new… I just need some insight."

"Well," Nicole said, "what's troubling you? What's stopping you from trying?"

"Aside from the fact that I've never been in a relationship at all…"

"Neither had Sammy," she interrupted, "and look where we're at now."

"I'm just curious as to how this all works…"

"I'd say just the same way as any relationship," she said.

"But… the anatomical differences…"

"So?" She placed her front paws on Samuel's shoulders. "Tell me, does it look like anatomy is getting in our way?" To emphasize her point, she mashed her lips together with Samuel's, making his eyes go wide in shock. She pulled away, giving him a slight lick on the lips in her retreat, leaving Samuel blushing.

"N…Nicole," he gasped, "not now…"

"Oh, don't worry," she giggled. "There will be plenty of that later." She hopped off of him, heading back to the bedroom. She shot him a suggestive look. "Don't keep me waiting too long." Well damn, Michael though, she wasn't very subliminal about that at all…

"Well that was… interesting…"

"S-sorry about that," he stammered. "She's uh… rather blunt when it comes to things of that nature…"

"No kidding. Kinda went in for the kill there," Michael said.

"Yeah…" Samuel fell silent, likely unsure of what to say. Michael decided to break the ice.

"So uhh… about the whole relationship…"

"What about it?"

"I know this might be a really personal question…"

"Go ahead."

"How do the two of you… uhh…"

"Oh! We haven't gone that far. Not yet, at least. We agreed to wait until she evolves before we do anything too serious."

"Gotcha." Michael was somewhat disappointed to hear this; since sex would likely be an upcoming topic if he were to try this out, he wanted to learn about it before he was blindsided again. Not that he would have ever dreamed of doing something like that with any of the girls. But with the way things had heated up, he knew that someone was going to try to make a move - probably Layla.

"I mean, we fool around a little bit, but nothing major… Why do you ask, thinking about gettin' it on with one of them?" Michael's cheeks reddened from his not-so-subtle implications.

"I… I don't know…"

"Then are you attracted to them? Any of them?" Michael thought it over. Was he? He had always told the girls that they were beautiful. But did he feel that way - in this manner? Their personalities were amazing, and he could easily see himself attracted to them based off of that. But their physical appearances? The truth of the matter is that if you are in love with someone, then you need to love every single thing about them, both inside and out. He reflected on each of the girls, now with the knowledge that he had acquired the other day.

First there was Charlotte, his starter and very first partner. She was always so upbeat and positive, bold and courageous. Her vulpine grin, perky ears, and bushy tail all served to make him question his attraction.

Elise was easily the cutest thing in the world. The first day, upon realizing her sweet nature and adorable features, he couldn't help but want to take care of her and to protect her. The glaceon was a sleek, graceful sight, and, again, he contemplated if he was attracted to her as well.

Then there was the fearsome flygon, that veiled her loving nature in the form of aggression. Veronica had always been rough on the field, but gentle on him. And with her thick tail, smooth body, and beautiful smile, he couldn't deny that she had also captured his eye.

Layla was… definitely trying to bring out his more carnal side. Whether he liked to admit it or not, she had just about taken him the day before. She was calm and collected, and had always been sweet to him. But now that all the feelings were out, she had let her true intentions abundantly clear. And with voluptuous, firm hips, and that lustful gaze, he couldn't help but consider her "offer."

And then there was the newest member of the team. if she hadn't sacrificed both her life and reputation for him, he didn't know who had. A legendary had come forth and made her affection for him known, and had even taken action towards her feelings. And he wouldn't be lying if he said she was gorgeous. Her soft, warmhearted personality enthralled him. The light hazel eyes matched his own, like they were, as she had put it, 'made for each other.'

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was attracted to them. All of them had their own perfect attributes, and if any of them were his only pokémon, then he surely would have been willing to try.

"I… think I am, yeah," Michael replied. "But I don't know how I can choose…"

"Well," Samuel shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you about your specific case. But if you do decide to go through with it with one of them, just let it all happen. I can't exactly tell you what to expect, but if the time comes, just act as you would for a human."

. . . . .

"C'mon," Layla whispered the next morning. "We made breakfast." She gently nipped his ear, causing him to stiffen up. She left him, giggling to herself over his reaction. Michael shot her a glare, but was shocked at what he saw. Her back was turned to him, her tail raised. He snapped his head to the side as a result of seeing her nether region, and fairly certain that it had been intentional. Oh my Arceus… I can't believe she just did that…

But when he thought about it - even though it was only a moment - he had looked. He might have been caught completely off guard, but he was sure that he could have averted his gaze at least a little bit sooner. I… can't believe I just looked at her that way… He wanted to feel disgusted with himself… but more than that, he couldn't help but feel exhilarated. He made his way to the bathroom, where he got himself together while going through his morning routine.

Breakfast was awkward, needless to say. Every once in a while, he would look up to meet one of the girl's stares, to which he would avert his gaze once more. He wondered what they were thinking, or in Layla's case, tried not to wonder what she was thinking. He knew that she would undoubtedly try something, and that it was only a matter of time. And with his recent sighting, he wasn't completely sure if he'd turn her down. No, he mentally chastised himself, I couldn't do that to the other four. I would have to stop her if she tried to make a move.

But that led him right back to his ultimate dilemma. What was he to do? He couldn't rightfully pick one of them over the others. He loved them way too much to hurt their feelings in such a way. And one of them had already, quite literally, taken him as a mate. Was he obliged to choose Alaina? …No, he reasoned, I'm not obliged to do anything in this situation. Even though Alaina claimed me, she did it without me knowing. As far as I see it, she's in the same boat as the others. He really didn't have to act at all, when he thought about it. But life from there on out would always be more tense, given that he knew their affections for him. And if he did nothing, then maybe… maybe he might hurt them through inaction. This… this just sucks. No matter what he did, the majority would get hurt. I guess this is what I get for stacking my team full of girls…

"Michael," Charlotte said, gaining his attention, "is something wrong? You've barely touched your food."

"Sorry, just thinking."

"About?" He made no response. Obviously, he didn't want to disclose his thoughts to them.

"Y'know, we don't have to sit here and ignore the elephant in the room," Veronica said.

"I know. I just… don't know how to talk about all of this…"

"Well, you could start by talking…" The flygon had a point, though he didn't want to admit it.

"I don't know what to do," he finally stated. "I just don't. This is all way over my head right now. I refuse to hurt four of you by picking any one of you. And I love you all the same, so I don't even think I could pick if I wanted to." For awhile, no one spoke. Maybe the realization that he wouldn't do anything left them speechless.

"I wouldn't want you to do that," Elise finally said, somewhat pouting. "I… love you, but I wouldn't want you to pick me if it hurt my sisters."

"Agreed. It wouldn't feel right to take him while the rest of you can only sit by and watch," Charlotte said. "I want you… but not at the expense of hurting the rest of you." That's great, at least we've reached some sort of consensus.

"All this time," Veronica stated, "we've been telling you what we want. I don't think we ever asked if any of this is what you want…"

"I know now that I do feel attraction towards you girls," he said. "But like I've said before, I'm not picking." Alaina levitated from her seat, taking the empty plates to the dishwasher.

"Maybe… maybe you don't have to," she quietly said. He tried to formulate what she was saying, but found himself confused.

"What are you saying?"

"Well… you're troubling yourself with the idea of picking one of us… why not pick all of us?" Alina's idea came out of nowhere, and everyone was, needless to say, shocked by it. He wouldn't have considered the prospect of polygamy, but now the option was clearly set before him.

"You mean… a relationship with all of you?"

"It could… it could work," she said. "You wouldn't be excluding anyone, and yet everyone could act on their feelings…" She had made somewhat of a point, but still, the idea seemed ridiculous.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about polygamy," he stated. "You girls are familiar with my views on all this stuff, right?" They nodded. Morality was a frequent discussion topic in their household. There was little debate, as they agreed wholeheartedly with each other in terms of ideology, but they still found it an interesting subject - especially with the direction that the world seemed to be going in.

Michael was very traditional in terms of relationships, a strong proponent of both individuals saving themselves for marriage. And he would accept nothing less; if there was one thing he was adamant about, it was the fact that if he were to settle down with a girl, she would be a virgin. She would be fully his, and he would be fully hers.

But he couldn't fairly expect something like that in the case of polygamy. It wouldn't be right to expect each of them to give their virginity to him, when he could not give himself fully to them.

"It wouldn't be right… I couldn't dedicate myself fully to each of you if I'm with all of you. It wouldn't be fair."

"How would it be unfair?" Veronica asked. "Do you not love us all 'infinitely,' as you put it?"

"You know I do."

"Then your love for us should not be affected by you being with all of us." The flygon had a point, and he found himself struggling to counter it.

"I… I don't know," he said. "That seems like a great way to invoke jealousy." Veronica shrugged, looking at the others.

"Would any of you be jealous?" she asked.

"No… not really," Layla said. "I just want—."

"We know what you want," Charlotte said. Oh, so they're all aware of Layla's desires… "But I think that might work. I mean, you all are my sisters. I wouldn't want Michael at your all's disappointment."

"I feel the same way," Elise piped up.

"A-all of you?"

"It's a simple solution," Alaina said. "That is, if you're willing to try it." In a way, he was in between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, they had presented an option before him; an option that, if he refused, might hurt them - make them feel like he didn't want any of them. But if he were to pursue this, then he would have to overlook the awkwardness of it. A relationship with all of them? He definitely wouldn't have thought of that. "Are you?" the latias asked.

"I don't know," he repeated. "To think, just yesterday I was questioning my attraction to pokémon. Now polygamy? This is a lot to take in at once."

"I'm sure it is," Charlotte said. "But would you be willing to give it a shot?"

"I… guess?" The braixen smiled widely at him, about to jump out of her chair in excitement. "I mean, I—."

"Really?!" she shouted unnecessarily loud. "Th-thank you!" Great. What have I gotten myself into? His thoughts were interrupted by the lucario hugging him tightly.

"You won't regret this," she said. "I know it."

. . . . .

To his relief, all hostilities amongst the girls settled as if they had never been there in the first place. But a new tension seemed to rise. He had made sure that it was understood that he wanted to wait awhile before they did anything too serious, and the girls agreed. But that definitely didn't stop them from being flirtatious. And now, they didn't even wait to do so when they were alone with him. Even Elise was more bold than usual, hopping up into his lap and pecking his cheek.

But there were new questions to be answered. What will the guys think? All of his comrades, except Thomas, had been fine with Samuel's relationship, but that was an entirely different case from his. Samuel, after all, was in a relationship with one pokémon. He had five.

Hearing a knock on the door, the clingy glaceon reluctantly got up, letting Michael answer it. The Commander had gone door to door, and already had several behind him. "We need to head out," he said. "Sorry it's so sudden, but we've got a nearby distress call from the Viridian Police Force."

"Alright," Michael said. Elise pouted, but they all knew the requirements of the job: he had to be ready to go at any time.

They ran to the armory and slipped on their suits. "Hold up," Wesley said to Thomas. "Got something else in mind for you. The rest of you, hurry up. We'll talk about everything "

. . . . .

Michael and the others jumped off of the Chinook, their thermal visors highlighting the distant police officers, crouched behind their vehicles. The doors were opened to act as shields, but they had been doing a poor job - fragmented shards of metal lay about; the bullets had penetrated straight through them.

Further away, they could see the source of the conflict. An old, two story house with fading white paint had the five targets inside. The top windows had long been shot out, and they could see the barrels of the rifles pointing outside. Though he couldn't make out the exact builds of the weapons, he did recognize the typical AR-15, but with various attachments. With red dot sights, it was apparent that the criminals possessed higher tech weaponry than what they were used to. But with what they had in mind, it wouldn't do them much good.

Samuel set up in the forest, scoping in on the left side of the front. He easily had one or two in his sights, but the plan wasn't to kill them. No, these guys were coming back with them. A month or two in Johto's interrogation and torture rooms would convince them to give any information they had. John took position about ten yards to his right, taking the other side.

As for the rest, they headed around the back, each taking position at different points on the property. Michael crouched behind the old white pickup not far from the corner, while Alex and Kevin stood on either side of the rickety shed. Michael kept his eyes on the balcony, just in case one of the aggressors came out. With all in order, Thomas trudged toward the side door, ready to storm the building.

The plan was pretty simple: he would infiltrate it single-handedly after they flashbanged the upstairs, while the others would fire through the windows at the enemies. Of course, they had to be careful that they didn't hit them in any fatal regions, but the fact that the enemies would be engaged from all sides, inside and out, would surely result in their fall.

Thomas, being that he would be walking straight into heavy fire, did not have his Reaper suit. Instead, he wore a modified bomb suit. It was densely packed with ballistic armor, and weighed well over a hundred-fifty pounds. With his size, though, Thomas was easily able to deal with it.

"Flash 'em," Wesley said. Everyone readied themselves to cover Thomas's infiltration. Alex and Kevin threw their flashbangs through the back window. Frantic yelling could be heard from the second floor as Thomas trudged through the house. Michael kept his sights through the balcony door. Within seconds, the spraying of the machine gun echoed throughout the house. Soon after, the others joined in, hitting the aggressors wherever they could non-fatally. Michael caught a glimpse of one enemy, stumbling off to the side, yell in pain as a small cloud of red mist sprayed out from his shoulder. Samuel had placed the shot carefully, and, before he hit the ground, his legs were mowed out from beneath him.

"Shit, we've got a runner!" Thomas said. No sooner than the words had left his mouth, one of the enemies had jumped over the balcony, landing on the truck and jumping over Michael and dashing into the woods. Clasping his rifle, he had a bloodied hockey mask.

"I've got him!" Michael said. He took off after him, dashing into the darkness of the forest. Though he could see the man, he couldn't guarantee a clear shot - he would have to stop moving and take aim, and he may very well be gone after that second of inactivity. Plus, the enemy didn't seem to know that he was trailing him, so there was no need to risk the chance of killing him.

Michael finally caught up to the enemy, who was rummaging through a duffle bag. His rifle was set aside, and he took out a new magazine and jammed it in, then took out a radio.

"They just took the whole gang!" he yelled. "I'm the only one left!"

"Shit," the voice on the other end of the transmission said. Michael silently crept closer, while the enemy was chambering the first round in his AR.

"We need backup now! !hat's the only way we're getting outta this shit!" he yelled. "You gotta send Raptor!" What?

"Alright, I had her stationed in the area just in case. She'll be there in a moment." She? The transmission was cut. Michael was but a few feet behind him at this point.

"I don't have a fucking moment," he muttered to himself. He grabbed the rifle and stood up. Michael, raising his TAVOR over his head, smashed it into the back of the enemy's. He immediately fell to his knees, then to the ground. He didn't move any more.

"Ohh… fuck," Michael said. "I think… I may have killed this one..."

"Dammit Higgs!" Wesley said.

"You had one job!" Kevin added. Michael knelt beside him, feeling his neck for a pulse.

"Nope, he's still alive. Out like a light, though."

"Fine," Wesley sighed. "Someone get over there and help him. Brace yourself for whoever's coming." Michael concealed himself in the shrubbery, keeping alert for whatever may come.

"I'm on my way," Alex said. The offer of backup in the dark woods was far from unwelcome. Michael listened intensely, but the howling of the wind was the only sound that he heard. Of course, until the footsteps of his comrade drew nearer.

Alex stepped out into the open clearing. A glimmer of the moonlight was reflected on the ground below him, but only Michael was able to look up and trace it to its source. No… it can't be… It landed straight in front of him. He immediately shot at its midsection, but the armor absorbed the blunt of his shots. With a quick spin, it slammed its thick, strong tail into his face. Alex was sent to the ground, sprawled out and unresponsive. His mask was cracked, the visor completely broken.

"Alex!" Michael raised his weapon, releasing a barrage of lead towards the pokémon's chest. Sparks flew off of its armor, with it visibly flinching. He didn't let up, emptying the entire magazine into her. But the so called Raptor still remained standing, and cast a fierce glare towards him. The armor was cracked and broken, but still concealed her. She made her way towards him, extending the two blades from both arm pieces. This time, he was responsible for two lives. And this time, he didn't have Alaina to help him. He withdrew his dagger; if that armor was strong enough to resist rifle rounds, then the 9mm sure as hell would be a waste of time.

She was the one to strike first. A diagonal slash approached his shoulder, and he parried it with his much shorter blade. The other followed, going for his head. He ducked under, the curved sword barely missing the top of his head. Using the opportunity, he thrust his dagger forward, trying to stab her. But much like last time, he had made the mistake of letting her get too close. That was made evident by the harsh kick in the stomach. He was sent back to the tree, the unconscious gang member not far from his feet. Blocking all of the incoming attacks was getting harder and harder, her agility making itself very obvious. He dodged to the side in attempt to avoid the slash, but all of a sudden, the blade ceased - it was deeply embedded within the tree.

Michael used the situation to his advantage. Grabbing her right arm with his left, he put all of his strength into holding it back. With his other, he took the dagger and swiftly stuck it in between the plates of her armor. She roared out in pain, and the entirety of the dagger sunk inside. The hilt pointed downwards; entering through her side, with the blade piercing bone and continuing deep into her leg. Michael never gave her the chance to react. He withdrew it slightly before striking it in at a slightly different angle. She hissed, and the blade was soaked in red.

That was the point when Raptor decided that she had had enough. She violently jerked her arm away, and the next thing Michael knew, the sharp, curved blade was deep within his left arm. She yanked back both blades, freeing herself of him and the tree. A quick look to the side, and he saw the cut to have split his bicep in two, revealing the surface of his humerus. But there was much less blood than he had expected, and, in the adrenaline, almost no pain.

With no time to worry about his severe injury, he deflected a swipe to his mid-section. Raptor made sure to stay further back; she wasn't going to make that costly mistake again by getting herself stuck once more. The glare from her soulless eyes showed her anger towards him, her seeping side bearing testament to her frustration. As she prepared for another swipe, however, she flinched. The gunfire sounded, and stayed on her helmet. Raptor used her arms to shield her head, turning and hurriedly stumbling into the woods. Kevin and John had arrived, providing cover fire for their comrades. "Get him the hell out of there!" Wesley said. Slinging their rifles over their shoulders, they both grabbed Alex at each end, picking him up and carrying him away. Michael, with his unscathed arm and dragging the fallen gang member behind him, followed after them.

With the adrenaline wearing off, he could more prominently feel the pain in his left arm. Amid the pained throbs, his skin felt like it was crawling, but he didn't look. Rather, he focused on getting back to the Chinook and getting the hell out of there. Thomas carried one gang member on each shoulder, while Samuel carried both of their weapons. Within minutes, the officers were storming the building, confiscating everything they had brought, mainly consisting of the weapons and drugs they had been transporting. Their unconscious bodies were bound and shackled, thrown onto the helicopter with them. Samuel kept watch over them with his pistol tilted in their general direction.

Alex was lowered onto the stretcher, and the two medics approached him. Upon removing his mask, they found that the damage wasn't as bad as they had initially thought. It was rough: his nose was broken, and the shards of his visor's material had cut his face, but it could have been much worse. Immediately, Grace and Sebastian got to work on healing his wounds.

"How's it look?" Wesley asked.

"Not too bad," the meowstic said. "Definitely got beat up a bit, but it's not really serious."

"Well in that case, tend to Michael's arm first," he said. "He got a pretty nasty cut back there." Michael had forgotten about his own wound during the time, as he had been focused in keeping him and Alex alive, and getting out of there. Grace approached him.

"Always getting hurt, aren't you? Go on, show me your arm." The blood surrounding the wound made it difficult to see properly, so he had to remove his whole suit. But when he removed his left sleeve, he couldn't believe what he saw. "Is this some sort of joke?" the gardevoir asked.

"What?"

"You'd rather me focus my efforts in closing up a little scratch rather than his face?" she asked, motioning to Alex.

"What the—." Wesley was speechless at seeing the result. Michael's cut was shallow and no longer bleeding, despite the fact that he had received it only half an hour before before. I… healed that quickly? "No, that's a load of bullshit," he said. He picked up his laptop, and, going into their visual feeds, he accessed Michael's. He watched as the encounter with Raptor progressed, and found the particular moment he was looking for. He paused it and flipped the screen to face them. "Call that a little scratch?" On the screen was the clear picture of Michael's deeply cut arm, recognizable only due to the short moment that he had been able to look at it.

"That's… that's not possible," she said. "See for yourself."

"He must have… healed," Sebastian stated. "But humans don't do that…"

"Wanna explain, Michael?" Wesley asked. He had not revealed the news to anyone as of yet; Michael felt that he should be careful about how he broke the news to them - if he even decided to do so. But now, the choice had been made for him - they wanted an answer. "Michael?"

"It was a gift from Alaina," he replied. "She told me that I would be able to heal, but… I didn't know it would be that fast."

"And you didn't think to tell me this because?"

"Well, how would you have responded if I just came up to you and said that I could do something like that?" Michael asked. "You would have thought me to be insane. And I didn't even know the extent of it." Wesley didn't respond, probably mentally admitting that he had a point.

"Wait a second," Sebastian said, "humans cannot use powers. So then this must have been a change to your biology, right?"

"Yes. At the cellular level. From what she told me, everything regenerates."

"I don't… believe it. That means…"

"The telomeres…" Grace said.

"They won't shorten; no, they won't - not after a certain point."

"Could y'all speak some fucking English?" Kevin asked. "What the hell is all that supposed to mean?" Sebastian shook his head in disbelief.

"It means he will live indefinitely. Practically immortal."

. . . . .

Wesley had called Michael to his office, still relatively silent after the discovery of his new abilities. Great, Michael thought, just something else that I managed to get myself into trouble about. He had, admittedly, not thought everything out in regards to his healing and immortality. Just how had he expected everything to work out, anyways? They were going to find out eventually - one way or another. He should have planned for this better, instead of carelessly putting it off. But it did him no good to think these things over now. He had been found out, and now it was time to come clean about it.

"I was thinking all of this over on the way back," Wesley started. "Gotta say that I was initially a bit upset that you'd go and do something like this."

"Why? If anything, it makes the medics' jobs a whole lot easier."

"It makes all of our jobs a hell of a lot harder to conceal the fact that one of our members is immortal." Shit, he's got a point… "But I've been thinking this through, and this all might just work out." He walked over to his file cabinet and began rummaging through it. He retrieved a vanilla folder and went back to his chair. Upon the Commander opening it and seeing the photo, Michael realized that he was looking at his file. "I thought so," Wesley muttered. "Just wanted to look to make sure. You were initially headed towards a biology-based career, right?"

"Yeah," Michael said, nodding. "I took some time off to actually have a little bit of a life, and then, before I knew it, I was into the Johto Gym challenge. After trying Hoenn out, I found the massacre."

"Right. And are you still considering a job in bio-med?" Michael had to think it over. After teaming up with the girls, he pretty much stopped worrying about the future. With his intelligence and their strength, money wasn't exactly a problem. Granted, he would've settled down eventually and used his experience to find a job, but he hadn't been too concerned with all of that.

But upon joining the military, he set all of that aside - his trainer ambitions and his future plans. He wanted to do whatever he could to put an end to the evilness plaguing the world, but in doing so, he recklessly pursued a career that he had no control over. Of course, if he could go back and undo that choice, he would not - he and the others had done a lot of good in putting an end to the terrorist's organization, and he got to meet Alaina, which led to the bond he now shared with the girls. But in terms of his degree, he had no clue what he would do. "I don't know," Michael finally said. "I mean, I guess. I don't exactly know when all of this will be over, or when it will be the time to close the curtains on the Twenty-Fifth Squad. I've always loved biology, and I've got a degree in it."

"Do you like your job now?"

"It… has its ups and downs, but yeah, I'd definitely say I enjoy the good that we do."

"Then how about sticking with us - forever?" The proposition came out of the blue, and Michael was admittedly confused by it.

"I… don't understand. Stay here forever?"

"Mhm. Just think of all the experience that you would gain over the years. You could make for one hell of a commander. But most of all, our forces would protect your secret. Just think about this for a second: what would a bunch of scientists think if they found out that one of their colleagues had abilities like yours? What do you think they'd want to do?"

"Oh…" Michael caught on to what he was saying. "In all honesty, they'd probably be all over me. They'd likely want what I have."

"Yep. I'm sure you, growing up in Kalos, remember how the field reacted to finding out about that ultimate weapon and AZ? They pursued him tirelessly, and have tried to reactivate the weapon countless times. Some things just aren't meant to be, and immortality is one of them. And yet here you are."

"Yeah…"

"You could stay in Johto's military. No politicians, no scientists - just us. Away from the media, out of the public view… It would be a mutual benefit - we keep you safe and secure, and you lead the future generations." Hmm, he's got a point. But how would the girls feel? We'd remain pretty tied down to the military for the rest of our lives.

"I don't know how the girls would feel about this all… We were thinking about starting up our campaign again, maybe try again at the gym challenge. If there's always a need for me, then how will I be able to travel around and do what they want?"

"I'm not sure that you completely understand what'd be required of you as a commander," he responded. "Of course, during times of war or conflict, we'd need you to be pretty stationary back at HQ. But other than that, you're free to go after each tour. I'm sure y'all could get a lot of battling done in three, four months. Think about it: when there isn't a need for the soldiers, there really isn't a need for the people to lead them." That is true…

He eventually settled on the fact that he would need to talk to the girls about it. But upon actually binging the topic up to them, he found that they didn't really have much to talk about. They all seemed to think that it was a great idea, and that it would keep them all safe, while also allowing for them to have some fun every once in awhile. And the military took very good care of them. Once they got past the combat aspect, they really didn't have anything to worry about. All expenses that they could possibly think of were taken care of; most of his paycheck was spending money. When it was decided that his physical services were no longer needed, then there would be nothing to worry about. Life in the military might just be the life for them.

. . . . .

Michael shut the door to Elise and Veronica's room, heading back to the living room. Alaina levitated over the couch, watching a documentary of, of all things, the legendary Groudon. Funny, he mused, it kind of feels like I know a celebrity or something… The video footage of him wreaking havoc on Sootopolis, bending the very faults of the earth and changing the landscape for years to come - all in an effort to attack his water-type foe - was truly a sight to behold.

"There you are. Come, sit with me," she said. He took the spot beside her, and she levitated closer. "He's much scarier looking like that, wouldn't you say so?" In his primal form, Groudon seemed to have no remnant of his usual self, with the radiating golden hues from his body completely clouding out any sense of recognition of their friend.

"Definitely," he replied. "Hope he doesn't have to go through any of that shit ever again."

"That's a terrifying experience - to not have control over your body." She placed her hand on his, then drew closer to him. "Thank you for saving me. For everything." He embraced her, returning her affection fully.

"No, thank you. Ever since you've joined us, you've been such an amazing addition to our family. It's all because of you that I've even found out about your all's feelings and have been able to experience this new bond with you all." He held her against himself, feeling her heartbeat against his chest. She craned her neck, facing him directly.

"I love you," she said.

"I... love you too." He rubbed the side of her face, seeing his reflection in her similarly golden eyes. If it weren't for her, he would never have come to this realization, and he wouldn't be experiencing this new sensation. The sensation of, for once, stopping and acting on what his heart had been saying all along. All thanks to this latias before him; or rather, on top of him. He felt strange, but far from bad about the wayward thought that had worked its way into his head. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe, he needed to stop thinking about these sorts of things. This was them now.

Michael decided to take a leap of faith, and listen to what he had been forsaking for so long now. He gently pulled her closer, and Michael was the one to close the gap between their lips. She closed her eyes; he pressed in a little more, deepening the kiss. The contact was brief, but heartfelt nonetheless. Alaina looked at him with half-lidded eyes, basking in the happiness she felt at what had just happened.

"So… much for you… wanting to take it slow," she gasped.

"Trust me, I do," he said. "I just felt that we could take things one step further."

"Well," she giggled, "you won't hear me complaining." She trailed her hand down his neck and to his chest. "That was a bit rushed, though."

"I'm sorry, I was a bit nervous."

"No, nothing to apologize about," she said, smiling, and looking to be half drunk. "We'll just have to work on it." With that, she pressed her lips back into his, slipping her arms under his and clasping his back tightly. This one lasted much longer, and soon, he felt something else making contact with his lips. Her tongue begged for entry, and, opening his mouth slightly, he allowed her passage. The feeling of her small tongue making contact with his own made his face heat up. But despite this, he refused to be the one to end their oral dance. When Alaina decided to end it and pull back, he could see that she, too, had a prominent blush on her face. They were both gasping for breath.

"Was that… just an excuse to do it again?" he asked. She waited a moment to catch her breath before responding.

"Maybe," she teased. "I'm so glad to be with you in this way. Although," she cooed, trailing further down to his stomach, "I do wish to go further."

"Alaina… it wouldn't be right. We just started all of this."

"We are bound together as mates," she said. "It's only natural that such a bond would come with mating."

"But I just learned about all of this," he countered. "Please, just give me some time, okay?"

"Oh, alright. I suppose we can go with your idea to wait." She nuzzled under his chin, leaning in closely to his ear. "But know this: when you do decide to go further, you are mine." Michael gave her one more peck on the lips.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."


A/N:

Annnnnd done! Be sure to leave a review/like if you enjoyed! Until next time.