Rain poured from the gray skies. She swam in a panic. She had just narrowly avoided getting caught by a trainer. Mentally cursing her own luck, her fins were rapidly treading the water, attempting to make her way deeper into the island.
Everything hurt. A searing hatred for trainers swelled up in her heart. What made them so arrogant? As she leaped out of the water, getting a good look at her surroundings, her eyes caught sight of another trainer.
What she remembered was a blur. She was beaten, bitten, and scratched at by a Zigzagoon. A heavy blow was landed, and she entered the capsule, only to break out. If it hadn't been for him, she would have surely been captured.
The first thing she noticed was his blue fur, with those black, leather-like hides on his paws and face. It had left her with a sense of wonder. When he knelt down, his red-orange eyes filled with concern, everything melted away as she calmed down.
"Are you alright?"
Opening her eyes, Milotic stirred from her sleep. She had nostalgia flooding through her. A bitter-sweet sensation rose up in her heart. More than ever, she wondered where he was. It had been several months since they last spoke, coincidentally the same time that those two trainers appeared.
Trainers…
Dipping her head out of the water, her gaze turned towards Kairi, who had been resting in the berry bath. A glance in her direction turned into an inquisitive look at the beams of light that streamed into the cavern. The angle of the light indicated that it was now early afternoon, roughly about the time that she told Kairi to stay in there.
Flowing out of her pool, the Graceful One had to shake herself awake. Making her way towards Kairi, she put that memory aside. That was the past. Now she had to take care of a human and ensure that Kairi stayed loyal to her.
What would he think about this?
Circling around the pool, she saw Kairi in that same position. That question sprung up in her mind. If she had told Kairi how she knew so much about humans, it was a certainty that it would permanently break her mind. As if she needed a nervous wreck all over again.
Now to put on a good face, take in a deep breath, and speak to her servant.
"Kairi, wake up."
At first, she saw the girl lay there motionless. Milotic worried that she would have to rudely wake Kairi up with a splash to the face, or something of the sort. Much to her relief, Kairi let off a yawn, stretching her arms up as she found herself going under by accident. Scrambling back up, Kairi glanced up at her. She noticed how Kairi had a much brighter expression cross her.
"H-Hi!" Kairi exclaimed, sputtering as she caught herself. Blinking several times, she eased up, feeling herself dip back into the bath. "Is it that time already?" she inquired, feeling at ease.
Nodding, Milotic lowered her head towards Kairi. "Are you ready to be cleansed?"
Moving out of the bath, feeling the berry juices drip off of her, Kairi struggled for a moment before she rolled herself out. It was an unusual sensation, with the mixture clinging to her flesh, but with the cool air of the cavern cascading over her. After fumbling back onto her feet, she turned, seeing her mistress letting loose a surge of steaming water into the bath. The steam rose and swirled from the structure, and it hadn't been a minute later when Milotic gazed back at her.
Trembling, holding her arms together, Kairi made a meek smile. "I-I'm ready!"
Her mistress approached her, eyed her up and down, and a rush of cool water swelled out of her. Clenching her eyes shut, Kairi was turned every so often by her mistress. Kairi found this to be a dizzying experience as her mistress sprayed her down. The pressure of the water was high, but still comfortable. Every so often she felt her mistress's fins scrape against her skin, but carefully making sure they didn't hurt. Once she was turned upside-down, Kairi opened her eyes.
Disoriented, Kairi hung upside down in Milotic's coils. Water dripped off of her, leaving Kairi shivering from the cool cavern air starting to envelop her once more. Seeing her mistress look at her curiously, she shifted herself within her mistress's grasp.
"So… Now what?" Kairi beamed towards Milotic. Shifting inside of her mistress's coils, she made a nervous chuckle. "Um… You can let me down now, right?"
Never did the Graceful One think that she could be more satisfied as she had been at that instant. She didn't have a good moment to observe Kairi while cleaning her, but now that everything had been cleaned off, it had turned out far better than she anticipated. Particularly with how it detailed Kairi's hair. Shifting her servant upright, gently uncoiling from her, Milotic spoke calmly. "How about you stand in the light, over there?"
Feeling her damp hair stick to her forehead, Kairi had to stand still to reorient herself. Once she felt as if she was on steady ground, she approached the light. Kairi still hadn't been entirely sure on what her mistress wanted out of this. Even as she stepped into the light, she wondered if there would be a noticeable difference.
Circling around Kairi, Milotic had been able to properly see her servant. The way the light shone upon her revealed the effects of the berry bath had been immediate. Kairi's skin appeared to be purified, free from blemishes, and the scratches healed up nicely because of the berries.
Most of all, Milotic had been deeply satisfied with how the bath had a profound effect on Kairi's hair. The snow-white from before was heavily dyed into a crimson, nearly matching her own fins. A genuine smile crossed her face as she brushed her fin against Kairi's shoulder. On top of all of these benefits, Kairi's skin had also become softer.
During this, Kairi carefully observed her own skin. Noticing how it had been tinted red from the bath, something that made her curious to learn more about these berry baths. Looking towards her mistress, Kairi raised her eyebrows, her heart rising and feeling lighter. "What did that bath do?"
"If I may say so myself, you look lovely, Kairi." Milotic placed her fin underneath Kairi's chin, tipping it up to observe her servant's expression. She acknowledged her servant's question, and had a smirk cross her. "As I told you before, the bathing made your skin and hair healthier."
Slipping away from Kairi, she approached her own pool of water, which had settled and become still. "Come over here and look into the water."
Intrigue and excitement washed over Kairi. Seeing how her mistress react to the effects made her eager to see what had changed. Walking at a swift pace, Kairi could barely contain herself as she stood by her mistress's pool. Feeling everything in her grow warm, she saw her mistress encourage her to take a look. Taking in a deep breath, she leaned over the pool, resting her arms on the edge.
Kairi took in the sight of her on that still surface. Her face had indeed appeared healthier, with more of a sheen on it that complimented her soft features. But what struck her as the most jarring had been her now crimson hair. While she had liked her hair before, this was mind-boggling how different it looked. Her hands raised to brush it through her hair. Even if it was still wet, some time outside would dry it out and make it more natural.
"I-Is this really how I look?"
As Kairi rubbed her cheeks, noting how soft they were now, she felt her mistress wrap two coils around her hips. The Milotic leaned over Kairi, showing up in the reflection.
"You enjoy your new looks, I see."
Quickly nodding, Kairi had a wide grin spring up, placing her hands on the edge of the pool again. "Yeah! It looks great!"
Pride swelled up in the Graceful One. Seeing her servant overjoyed from the result of the bath only served to satisfy her ego. After all, this was only because of her that the bath went so well. As she stared at Kairi in the reflection, a thought did cross her mind. With her hair similarly colored like her fins, if she hadn't been a human, something told her that Kairi could have easily passed as a daughter.
"You must learn that looks are not everything, however. While your body is becoming more beautiful and healther, you must also learn to act and behave beautiful as well. There is no sense in having physical beauty if you are not graceful."
Tilting her head, Kairi heard her mistress state this, but the idea went over her head. "What do you mean?" She tapped her foot against the floor, her mind already racing with possibilities. When her mistress didn't say anything at that instant, she glanced over at her through the reflection. "Mistress?"
Beginning to move, uncoiling from Kairi's waist, Milotic circled around her servant once more. She spoke in a calm tone to her servant, her eyes lighting up with delight. "I will train you to act beautiful, and with grace. I can assure you that you'll never be as beautiful as yours truly-" she made a small gesture with her fins "-if you work hard, Pokemon and humans alike will bow before your beauty."
Starting to glide towards her pool of water, the Graceful One continued speaking to her servant. "But that will be saved for later. For now, I have no tasks in mind for you." Circling into her pool of water, she displaced some as it gushed out onto the floor. "If you wish to sleep comfortably tonight, find what you need to make your bedding. I cannot always allow you to sleep on my scales."
Facing her mistress, slowly moving towards her, Kairi had been about to say something. Perhaps it was a thanks, or something similar. As she heard her mistress speak to her about this, her face had instead contorted into concern. Placing her hands on her hips, Kairi sighed. "If that's the case, I suppose it's part of training, right?"
Once her mistress nodded in agreement, Kairi made a bow towards her from the waist. She felt more mellow from this news, which was peculiar when she thought about it. Once Kairi stood upright, she rubbed the back of her head, making a meek smile. "So what should I do then?"
"Outside, you can pick leaves and ferns to create bedding. Take as many as what makes you comfortable." Yawning, Milotic raised her fins to dismiss her servant. "You don't have to go too far, so you should be fine on your own."
That was all Kairi needed to hear. Taking in a deep breath, she felt more at ease with this answer. "I will do my best then, mistress." Turning on her heels, Kairi briskly walked towards the entrance to the cavern.
Seeing her servant walking on her own, disappearing into the entrance, Milotic felt that her suggestion had been far stronger than she anticipated. Already Kairi appeared to be far more mellow compared to this morning. It was a departure from a drained, sniveling human girl. It might not get rid of all of her flaws, but she was certain that Kairi would be easier to take in commands.
Once she felt Kairi's presence leave the cave, she rested on her coils. No Pokemon would dare to come close to her home, let alone approach Kairi. A nude human that smells of water and berries would probably confuse them. Finally feeling some form of comfort in this, she was left alone in the cavern with her own thoughts.
Outside of the cavern, Kairi stood there, shielding her eyes from the bright afternoon sunlight. On her own for the first time, she saw how the stream above dribbled down towards the cavern. Blinking several times, the jungles surrounding her on all sides, she felt that the easiest course would be to follow the stream. After all, it was easy to follow and a notable landmark.
Feeling her feet press into the damp soil on the stream's banks, Kairi took the time to take in the sights and sounds. With her new appearance, she felt far more comfortable. Placing her hands behind her back, her eyes gazed up at the canopies above her, seeing how tall the trees stretched, the sun in the sky still poking through with an intensity. The air was hot and humid, but not uncomfortable for Kairi. Even as she looked over at her left and right, the jungle was thick, with vines dangling down and some Pokemon flying between the trees.
She flinched at the sight of one that flew overhead. That brought her thoughts back to earlier, how she had nearly died at a Pokemon's hand. If her mistress hadn't intervened, Kairi hadn't been sure on what would have happened. Perhaps she should ask the Graceful One on what she should do if that happened again.
Pausing, Kairi saw the nearby ferns. She had been lost in her own thoughts for several minutes, keeping near the stream, and suddenly remembered why she was out here to begin with. Looking back, the cavern entrance had disappeared into the foliage behind her, but she still had a relative idea of where she was. Crouching down to the fern, Kairi remembered how they brushed up against her, and how soft they felt. Getting on her knees, she rubbed the fern's leaf between her hands, also noting how large it was. Just a few of these would do the trick!
Eagerly, she took her hand, followed the leaf to the base, and snapped it off. Holding it up, Kairi saw how the single leaf had been about a third of her size in length and width. She hummed to herself, returning to pluck several more from the fern.
Her thoughts went undistracted, focused on the task at hand. She heard the bubbling water behind her, even as she got on all fours and went into the foliage to pick some more. Kairi knew that there had to be more-
"AI-POM!"
Her heart skipped a beat as this loud cry come out from above. A scream escaped her and immediately scurried through the brush. Curling up into a ball in the clearing by the stream, Kairi found herself defenseless against whatever called out to her. She managed to see purple fur, and clenched her eyes shut.
"G-Get away from me!"
Kairi heard the creature leap up and hide in the branches above. All she could think of was how it could descend upon her, and then do unimaginable things. Just like that creature from this morning!
As she laid there, curled up into a ball, Kairi heard scurrying from the tree. Opening her eyes, peeking out at whatever it was that was approaching her, Kairi got a better look at this Pokemon. It looked small, with a tail that had a glove-like hand on the end of it. Hopping towards her on all fours, Kairi flinched and tried her best to curl up even more.
"W-What are you? I don't have anything."
Tilting their head, the Aipom stared at Kairi, feeling more confused with each passing second. It crouched down in front of Kairi, looking at her straight in the eyes with their own bright pair. It had seen trainers before in the past, and most were either annoyed or appeared upset when confronted with Pokemon. This was the first time that they had seen a human that was so afraid of them. What was she even doing here anyway?
"Aipom! Aip!"
Patting their chest, they tried to make themselves establish that they weren't a threat. Putting on that trademark goofy grin, they stood tall, offering their glove-like tail for Kairi. "Aipom!"
Blinking, noticing the Aipom extend out their hand towards her, Kairi slowly got out of her curled up posture. Pushing herself up, she felt the specks of dirt stick to her side, and a groan escaped her. Realizing that it wasn't going to hurt her had been a sweet relief. Sitting upright, she felt somewhat embarrassed at that realization. Here she was, scared that it was going to kill or hurt her, and it wasn't hostile in the slightest! Taking in a deep breath, Kairi spoke quietly.
"S-Sorry. I just haven't had the best time here."
Looking down at the Aipom, she shook its hand-like tail. Something about the way they held it out indicated to her that they meant for it to be shaken. Kairi noticed how soft their fur was, on top of how delighted they looked when she took their hand. "So you're an Aipom?"
"Aipom!"
"I guess that answers my question." Kairi laughed, pleased to know that they had no intention of harming her. As she tried to withdraw her hand back, Aipom immediately leapt onto her. At first she was startled, but saw how they landed on her lap, snuggling up to her stomach. She had to resist the urge to push him off, being the first Pokemon, outside of her mistress, to rub up against her like this. Feeling them getting this close to her was an unusual feeling, but all she had to do was think of what her mistress said earlier.
All Pokemon and humans will bow to your beauty.
With that thought in mind, Kairi couldn't help but feel appreciative of her mistress. Stroking the Aipom's head, she did her best tom not giggle. The way they rubbed their head against her stomach made it tickle, something that she knew her mistress wouldn't allow.
"So… What else can you do?"
Hearing this, Aipom looked up at Kairi. Although it couldn't quite understand what she was saying, they could tell from the way her expression shifted that she was curious. "Aipom!" Leaping off of her, Aipom quickly went to the stream, plucked up four rocks, and stood before Kairi with a delighted look crossing them. Without further to do, it began to juggle.
Tossed up into the air, the rocks twirled as Aipom made sure to keep their balance. It watched cautiously at their own juggling antics, making certain that every little detail didn't go unnoticed. It tossed the rocks in the air, expertly moving them between each hand without any sense of intimidation.
They saw how Kairi observed them, leaning forward as a delighted look crossed her, and all they could think had been how this human seemed so different from the rest. Even the way she smelled had been so unique so as to catch their eye. After several minutes of juggling the rocks, they caught them all into their hands, before casually walking over to the stream and discarding it. Returning to Kairi, they bowed, placing their gloved tail in front.
Thoroughly entertained by the Aipom, Kairi couldn't help but keep smiling. She clapped her hands together, and bowed her head towards her newest acquaintance. "I was too quick to judge. I apologize!" Rising up as soon as she said that, Kairi locked eyes with the Aipom, realizing what she had been out here for in the first place. Standing up, stretching her arms and legs, Kairi made a grunt as she eased up.
"But I have to go and get some leaves for bedding."
As soon as she said that, Kairi noticed how the Aipom picked up the couple of fern leaves that she had plucked. "Yeah! Those!" Noticing how instinctively they went for the leaves, Kairi placed a hand on her hip and had an idea come to mind. "Actually, would you mind helping me out with this? I have to pick a lot of these so I can sleep comfortably."
Momentarily confused, Aipom stared at Kairi, then back to the leaf it held in its hand. It knew that Kairi had been gathering leaves, but they weren't sure why. However, she seemed sincere in her words, and so it raised the leaf over their head and nodded in agreement. As long as she wasn't going to harm them, they would be willing to help out.
Quickly, the two went to work, making swift work of the nearby ferns and grasses. It hadn't been more than ten minutes when they met up by the stream, each holding a sizable amount of bedding material. The early afternoon sun warmed them, melting down whatever anxieties Kairi had.
Laughing, half-running, Kairi felt liberated. She led the way to her mistress's cavern, looking back every so often to see Aipom chasing after her. There had been something about this that just made her so blissful. Perhaps it was the realization that not all Pokemon were out to get her. Or it could be her mistress's words becoming true. As she stopped herself before the cave, Kairi waited patiently for her new friend to come back.
"Hey Aipom!" Turning back, she saw her companion stand some ways away. They stood there, eyes wider when they caught sight of the entrance. Keeping the bedding close to them, Aipom's goofy grin was swiftly replaced with an anxious one. Their feet trembled, and their tail began to shiver. Worried, Kairi motioned for them to come closer. "What's wrong? Come on, let's go!"
Begrudgingly, the Aipom came closer, still finding Kairi enjoyable to be around. Once they had gotten close to Kairi, hands clinging to the bedding that they had gathered for her, both human and Aipom descended into the cave.
The first thing that went through the Aipom's head was fear. Fear of meeting her head on. When Kairi turned the corner, they caught a glance of what looked like Pokeballs in the corner, but they hadn't been sure. Scurrying alongside their friend, Aipom could feel their heart racing. Terror pulsed through them, fearing what they got themselves into.
They entered the main chamber, and the smell of the Graceful One was unmistakable. Aipom kept close to Kairi, even as she stood at the entrance, seeing her unphased by the fact that she stood in front of the most feared Pokemon on the island.
"Mistress! I'm back!"
When the Milotic uncurled from the pool, Aipom hid behind Kairi, hoping that the Graceful One wouldn't see them. Approaching Kairi, her icy gaze staring at the Aipom, they felt everything scream at them to run away. Dropping the bedding, the normal-type ran as fast as they could out of the cavern.
The Graceful One and her servant stared at each other for a moment, with Kairi looking back to see Aipom sprinting out of the cave. Milotic was the first to speak.
"I didn't expect you to be so attractive after a single bath." She tipped Kairi's chin upward, tilting her servant up to get a closer look. "Why was that Aipom helping you? Did you order it to do so?" She paused, then smirked. "Did you do it by force?"
"What?" Kairi blinked, surprised at that last question. Shaking her head, she couldn't help but blush at her mistress's comment about being attractive. "N-No! I just asked them to help."
Asked? That concept was absurd. Milotic observed Kairi's face to make sure that she hadn't been lying to her. Kairi wasn't lying. That alone struck her as peculiar. Having been a trainer before this, the Graceful One was certain that there would be some remains of it in her subconscious. Some traits that she had yet to scrub out. Moving her coils to drape around Kairi's shoulders, she spoke sternly. "You were not sure, so I will only tell you this once. Never bring outsiders into my cave, unless I command it.
"Now, place the bedding where you please, and return to my side. I've been thinking of what to train you for while you were away."
Without too much thought, Kairi picked up the bedding, walked along the cavern, and nonchalantly laid it down some distance away from her mistress's pool. When she crouched down, scattered the leaves around, all Kairi could think of was what her mistress had planned for her. Once she made sure that it was proper, Kairi walked over to her mistress's side once more.
Once she stood at attention, Kairi waited patiently for her mistress to explain what the training was. She saw the Graceful One glance at several of the berries that were picked yesterday, making them levitate and bringing them closer.
"Mistress, I didn't know you could make berries float." Kairi said this quietly, trying to curb her enthusiasm for this lesson in grace. The berries landed on the ground before her, brushing up against their feet before they lost momentum.
"There are many things that I learned over the years. How do you think I am able to float in the air freely? Through sheer will alone?" Milotic was bitingly sarcastic, but her eyes focused on the berries laid out before Kairi. "Are you ready?" Once she saw her servant nod, she smiled as gently as she could, Milotic focused on one berry before Kairi. Hovering it up, she spoke to Kairi rather calmly.
"You will walk a full circle around my pool with this berry balancing on your head." She hovered the berry around Kairi's head, swirling it around before returning it to in front of her servant. "To become as graceful as I, you must learn how to balance properly. Hold your arms out to your side." Once she saw Kairi do as such, she continued. "Walk with one foot directly in front of the other. Toes touch the back of the heel." Milotic observed as Kairi did as instructed, watching her servant place one foot in front of the other.
"Like this, right?" Kairi inquired, looking back up at the Graceful One, easing up as she did the motion again.
"Just like that." Milotic carefully floated the berry above Kairi, placing it gently on her servant's head. "Keep your hands straight out, and never let your palms become uneven with the ground. Balancing a berry requires delicacy. A slight tremble will make it fall.
"Try to relax. Try not to move with sudden movements. With enough training, you will be able to move like this swiftly and adeptly. If you make it once in a circle around my pool, that will conclude training for the day."
Observing Kairi carefully, she saw her servant take one step before the berry tumbled over, landing on the ground with a thud. Milotic hovered it back up, instructed Kairi to start back one step, before placing it on her head once more. "Do not be deterred if this happens several times at first." She saw Kairi mutter something like "Alright," under her breath, sensing the human girl beginning to feel pressure from this.
Several more steps. The berry was still on top of Kairi. Milotic surveyed the human girl, constantly thinking to herself. If Kairi had been a trainer, then she sure was different from all the others that she had met. The fact that she simply asked the Aipom to help her, and that he obeyed her without hesitation, had struck her as curious. While she had been pleased that her hypnosis was so skillful in locking away Kairi's memories, she couldn't help but realize that she had this human for more than a day.
Shifting in her pool, Milotic thought about having Kairi as a servant. Kairi lashed out first, stating bluntly that she was going to capture more Pokemon. Yet could that have been a ploy? When Kairi first came into the cave, she felt sad, with something weighing on her.
No, all trainers were out to get the Pokemon who live here, hiding in asylum from their malicious deeds. Milotic felt justified in taking Kairi hostage. Perhaps it was because of that that Kairi's mood improved. Even now, as she walked with the berry on her head, trying to balance it, Milotic shut her eyes. She wanted to think more to herself, to logically justify taking Kairi in this manner.
However, her thoughts were broken once Kairi let off a sigh, along with the sound of a thud. Blinking, Milotic noticed how her servant crouched down and picked the berry up again. Milotic sensed agitation, something that she was certain that had been scrubbed out of Kairi earlier. "Kairi, what is wrong-"
"How am I supposed to do this?!" Kairi jerked her head to glare at her mistress, eyes welling up with tears. She held the berry out towards the Milotic, getting more and more frustrated. "I can't even make, what, three feet without it falling? This is stupid!"
Stupid. Almost immediately, Milotic made the area grow cold in her anger. Perhaps Kairi wasn't so different from those humans after all! Maybe she was mistaken! "If you think this is so stupid, then give me that berry," she said curtly. She wasn't going to have disobedience in this cavern. What happened to the calm, tranquil Kairi from just a short moment ago?
Leering at her mistress, Kairi walked over to her, fuming over this lesson. What was the point of this impossible task? It's like asking her to wrestle that Victreebell from earlier. An impossibility that seemed insurmountable. Holding the berry out to her mistress, Kairi stared at her with a deadpan expression. "Sorry." She said this in a curt voice back.
That was it. Milotic slapped the berry out of Kairi's hand, and immediately wrapped a coil around her servant's wrist. She squeezed it tightly without any remorse. Seeing how Kairi fell to her knees, a gasp escaping her as she began to tremble in pain, Milotic spoke in a harsh, but contained, voice. "How dare you speak to me in that manner. After all I have done for you, after all of these years. Not once have you lashed out at me like that. I give you food, shelter, and I'm doing my best to make you beautiful and graceful! Do you not want to become better?"
"I-I do!" Kairi cried out, hot tears started to swell. Shutting her eyes, she felt the pressure on her wrist grow more insufferable. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Seeing her apologize was enough for the Graceful One. Letting go of Kairi's wrist, she saw how there was a distinct mark on her skin. Immensely displeased with her servant, she tried to keep her anger from boiling over again. "Pick up that berry and feed it to me."
Watching Kairi scramble, the Graceful One couldn't help but think of the last trainer she had met before her servant. They had made quite the mess, she had to admit. Once Kairi picked the berry back up and ran towards her, making a hurried, "H-Here is your berry, mistress!", she ate it soundly while thinking of what to add to this lesson. She had to make Kairi remember not to trifle with her and double as an exercise in patience. Once she chewed the berry thoroughly before swallowing it down, her eyes focused on the two remaining berries.
"You will balance two berries on the backs of your hands. If either berry falls, you shall starve and sleep on the cold, damp floor." The berries hovered closer to Kairi. "However, balance both of these berries and you may sleep on my scales as well." She saw her servant's eyes light up with that prospect. "I see you are motivated. That's good. Do realize that this is a punishment for your behavior, though. For future purposes, never do that again."
"Y-Yes, mistress." Kairi held out her hands to her sides once more, a newfound sense of fear coursing through her. She saw the berries hover, before feeling the weight of them press down on either hand. "I-I won't fail you, or talk back, or-"
"You may proceed."
Taking in a deep breath, Kairi began. She felt her body calm down, her eyes carefully looking forward. Foot went in front. Hands to her sides. Deep breaths. After a minute, Kairi seemed to lose herself into the task. Each step felt unified in its effort for balance. The berries' weight seemed to disappear. Her vision narrowed, and everything started to fade away. Only focusing on this task. Only focusing on herself.
Minutes passed and Milotic could feel herself growing increasingly more bored as she watched Kairi. Despite her servant lashing out before, perhaps injuring her wrist had been far too great of a punishment. But what else was there without destroying her mentally? The last time she had tried to punish a trainer for their arrogance, it ended up completely crippling them into madness. No, physical punishment had to suffice. Even she couldn't justify what she had done before.
As Kairi moved along, Milotic quickly took notice of how Kairi had been doing far better than before. Her breath was calmed. She moved carefully. She struck a perfect balance. What was the change? It couldn't have been simply fear. Rising out of her pool, Milotic's interest grew tenfold. If Kairi could focus this hard, blotting out the pain of her wrist with sheer determination, what was stopping her from becoming beautiful and graceful?
Watching Kairi with intrigue, the question came up again in her mind. Was it necessary for Kairi to be her servant? Humans did the same to Pokemon, after all. Capturing them, training them, forging them into an extension of themselves. She was simply doing as they did, right?
No, she was thinking too hard on it. This was natural for her to have Kairi as her servant.
She returned to patiently watching Kairi as she made her way around the pool. Perhaps she should impose a time limit next time, considering Kairi took long enough to bore her. But then again, getting her thoughts straight was always pleasant. The Graceful One couldn't help but also ponder upon what else she had to teach her servant. For certain, she needed to teach Kairi how to be self-sufficient so she wouldn't need babying when she went outside.
Once Kairi began to move back to the starting point, Milotic quickly took note, realizing that she had accomplished her task, on top of continuing to push through. This proved to her that Kairi, despite making her deeply upset, was still willing to learn and push herself hard from her hypnotic suggestions earlier. Shifting in her pool, Milotic wondered if she should say something. Congratulate Kairi on her success, or-
"Kairi!"
Kairi jumped back with a jolt, taken by surprise at her mistress's interruption. She had pulled back her hands so quickly that the berries fell with a light thud. Staring at her mistress, Kairi wondered if she was going to speak more, however the realization of what happened was so great that, as she looked over the berries, she pushed her hands through her hair. Distraught at the sight of the fallen berries, Kairi took in a deep breath, shut her eyes, and tried her best to keep her composure. There had been one word in her mind from this: disappointment.
Sighing, she knew what must be done. Kairi scooped the berries back up into her hands and offered them to her mistress. She stood there silently, glancing away from the Milotic as she felt the berries being scooped up from her hand. After the berries were plopped into her mistress's mouth, Kairi placed her hands behind her back, blushing out of embarrassment that she had failed. What could she do to improve herself the next time?
Without a moment to spare, Kairi felt her mistress lick her along the forehead. Confused, she gazed at her mistress, arching her eyebrows as her eyes flicked between the pool of water, the Milotic, then back away.
"Tell you what, since you did such a fine job, we are going to get fresh food after I groom you."
That statement came out of nowhere. It did catch Kairi's attention, as she felt her heart spring back into place. Trepidations ran through her, and her gaze was now set upon her mistress. Kairi noticed the way that her emotions were struck from a spot that she hadn't been used to, how she stood there, glued to the floor, unsure of what to say. Her throat dried up, and the only thing she could really say had been "D-Didn't I fail?"
Not a moment too soon, and Kairi found herself being lifted into the air, feeling her mistress's coils fold over her waist and hips. She wondered why her mistress suddenly had a change of heart when it came to her task. Placing her hands upon the damp scales, Kairi's eyes were steadily drawn towards the Milotic. "Right? I failed, right?"
"You're so eager for failure, did you not notice where you stood?" Milotic noticed how Kairi was still perplexed by this simple notion that she succeeded. Moving her head in the direction of where she stood, Milotic was eager to spell it out for her servant. "I was observing you closely, and you went around the pool in a complete circle. If I hadn't stopped you, you probably would have gone further." She gave a lick on Kairi's chest and face.
"R… Really?" A smile cracked to the surface from Kairi's confusion. She had a sense of relief wash over her, coupled with a sigh. Her hands were quick to rub her mistress's scales as much as she could, shutting her eyes as she became overjoyed. "I'm so glad! T-That I-" Kairi sniffled, hot tears ready to burst out from sheer joy.
Not wanting her servant to show a disgraceful outing of crying, the Graceful One was quick to wrap her neck around Kairi's shoulders, doing her best to show something akin to a hug. Pride swelled up in her at Kairi's victory, and she wondered if this is what human trainers felt with their Pokemon. Sensing her servant's enthusiasm and joy at the notion of succeeding, Milotic broke the embrace and set Kairi back down onto the cavern floor. Gazing upon her servant, seeing the effects of the berry bath, on top of a more upright posture from the positive attitude, made her feel proud of having Kairi as her own.
Despite this, she felt it was necessary to inform Kairi. Draping a coil around Kairi's shoulder, Milotic lowered her head to be level with her servant. "I am proud of you for accomplishing the task, but I will be imposing a time limit from now on. Do not disappoint me in the future."
"O-Of course!" Kairi had to keep her enthusiasm down, to keep herself from sounding that she was too pleased. She hadn't been sure why, but she felt this as a reflex. Standing upright, puffing out her chest, Kairi placed her hands upon her hips. "So, what's next?"
"Well, we are going to get your food, of course." Milotic swirled around Kairi, beginning to move towards the entrance to the cave. "You will learn how to hunt. Meet me outside when you are ready."
As the Graceful One disappeared up into the main entrance, Kairi wondered what she meant by hunting. If she gathered berries, then surely hunting was something similar, right? Plucking herself back up, Kairi made her way through the tunnel, and towards the entrance.
Anything new to learn was a positive in her book.
