Ash's Adventure: Girls' Hunter Edition!

by SedaCassie

In a world where PokeGirls are caught alongside Pokemon, and where collecting harems is just sort of the thing to do, young Ash Ketchum begins his journey in...complicated fashion. Now faced with new challenges and triumphs, he adventures forth to finally prove his worth, making many new friends along the way. Many, many lovely friends. Look, it's a PokeGirl harem story.

22. Probing the Secrets of Mt Moon!

Probing the Secrets of Mt. Moon!

This was the second time in so many days that Misty had suddenly been thrown down a dark hole and woken up in a dark cave while feeling absolutely miserable, and to be perfectly honest, she was starting to grow just a little sick of it.

Or maybe that was just the sick feeling that came from being poisoned. She woke up heaving, her stomach uncontrollably convulsing. She sort of felt like she had thrown up already, and if so, gross.

Then a broad hand laid itself on her hand, and the edge of a rough, stone bowl pushed itself up against her lips.

"Drink, child," said a deep, soothing voice. "It will help soothe the poison in your veins."

Drink? How could she possibly drink when her guts were actively rejecting anything being sent through them. It was preposterous!

And yet, as soon as that cool liquid touched her lips, she found herself gulping it down. The taste was a little bitter, a little sweet, and kind of fruity. She did not recognize it, but it wasn't bad. However, it was not the taste that kept her drinking, but how everything that was wrong and sick inside her seemed to calm as it came down her raw throat.

Soon she had drained the bowl, and it was taken from her mouth. "Now, rest," said the voice, as the hand on her forehead gently pushed her back down. "The potion will take time to work. Until then, we will see to you and your companions."

Misty was quite confused as to where she was, who was speaking to her, and what was happening, but she found herself obeying, lying down and closing her eyes. As she did, she became aware of a cloth soaked with warm water carefully rubbing over her bare body, cleaning away something nasty, probably her own vomit.

Still, rest sounded like a good idea. Letting out a deep sigh, she let herself relax while the potion did its work. Almost immediately she found herself drifting off to sleep, though as she did, the more alert part of her brain observed the very odd fact that she actually did not "hear" a voice, at least not outside of her own head.

…

Utter satisfaction was a rare thing for May. Arousal was a constant place for her, a perpetual state of horniness that rarely was doused into anything lower than "bearable." She could ignore it if she had to, but did not like having to do it.

May liked sex. She liked being turned on, she liked playing with herself, she liked being watched, she liked being played with, she liked playing with others, and she really liked being screwed so hard that she temporarily lost the capacity for rational thought. Unfortunately, her only regular partner was Misty, with Ash and Yellow being fairly recent things in her life, and while Misty also enjoyed a good screwing, it wasn't nearly as often enough for May's liking. So the experience of being able to fully cut loose and let herself get screwed by someone who could match her stamina without any semblance of restraint was a rare experience.

But man, did Roxanne and Olivia ever fit the bill!

That had been an experience unlike anything May had ever had. That tussle with Onyx? Great, but incomplete. That sex-fight with Misty right after? Emotionally fraught, extremely cathartic, but also lacking a special something.

But this? This had been something else entirely. Despite their previous reservation about having anything sexual to do with her, the two of them had gone to town on her, using her as their plaything for their own gratification and hers. May had never felt so utterly controlled, so owned, so dominated by another person.

And she loved it.

Now she lay face down on the ground, her mind floating on a blissful stream of nothing, her body aching from the pounding she had been given but feeling satisfied to her core. For once, she was no longer horny. She had taken her fill.

Oh, that was nice. Maybe she could do it again sometime soon!

Despite being naked and lying flat on her face in a cold, dark cave, May just felt so utterly comfortable. She could really fall asleep like this. And why not? A rest would do her good right about then.

But there was something important, though. Something she ought to be doing. Now, what was it?

Eh, she could figure it out later. Right now, all she wanted to do was sleep…

The next thing she knew, someone was roughly shaking her shoulders, jarring her awake. "May!" that someone said. "Hey, wake up!"

"Aiyiyiyi!" May yelped. Her eyes opened, only to be greeted with a painful blur of light. She winced, and squeezed them shut again. "Stoppit! I'm okay, I'm good!"

She heard twin sighs of relief. Then someone cool and metal pressed itself up against her lips. A thermos. She took an experimental sip, and found it to be full of a cool, sweet liquid. BoosterAde. Good. She definitely could use the electrolytes.

May began drinking greedily, soothing her parched throat. Man, she had really expelled a lot of fluids.

"You didn't respond the first two times we tried talking to you," she heard Olivia said. "Had us worried there, kid!"

May finished draining the thermos. Sighing, she pushed it aside and wiped her mouth. "Well, I'm fine," she said as she cautiously cracked her eyes open. It was still too bright, so she kept them squinted, letting her pupils adjust. "Sorry for making you worry."

"How do you feel?" Roxanne asked.

A few more blinks, and she could open her eyes without pain. They were still in the cave, with the lantern sitting on the ground, providing the light. Roxanne and Olivia were both sitting on their knees next to her, watching her with evident concern. The two had both dressed (a pity), but at least Olivia still didn't have a top.

"May?"

May rubbed her head as she considered the question. Actually, while she was pretty tired, she actually felt…pretty great. It was like she had been trying to run through waist-deep snow only for it all to melt, like she had been hiking up a mountain carrying several boulders on her back only for the path to even out and the burden taken off her shoulders. She could think clearly again.

Man, she had really been in a bad way!

"I'm…good, actually," May sighed. "Like, way better."

Olivia gave her shoulders a small squeeze. She was gentle, but the bone-breaking power in that hand was still evident. "Of course. It's not like we were just about to let you suffer."

Roxanne's mouth set in a straight line, but she didn't say anything.

"Yeah, um." May swallowed. "That…really helped. I needed that. A lot."

Then impulsiveness struck her, and she leaned in to give Olivia a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you." She turned, and kissed Roxanne as well. "And you too." Olivia touched her mouth with a look of surprise, but she smiled. Roxanne didn't react much at all.

Okay, time to get moving. Her friends were still out there, and now she could concentrate fully on finding and saving them.

If only she could walk.

"Um," she said, after trying and failing to get her legs to cooperate. "A little help?"

The other two PokeGirls put their arms under her and gently hoisted her up. May got her legs under her and tried to put her full weight on them, only for her knees to buckle.

"Easy, easy," Roxanne told May as she helped keep her upright. "Take it slow. Your body is still cycling out those hormones. It's basically doing a full-flush of your endocrine system. You'll feel much better when it's done, but until it is, you'll need to be careful that you don't overexert yourself."

May nodded and concentrated. Right, keep your legs straight, get that blood flowing again, work some life back into them.

When she felt that she was ready, she nodded to her companions, and they carefully lowered her down, bring all of her weight onto her feet. Her legs shook a little, but this time they held.

"Wow," she said, taking a few experimental steps. "Do you guys get to screw like that all the time? Consider me jealous."

Roxanne cleared her throat. "Well, we are a Gym Leader's PokeGirls…"

"Yeah, but he's, like, one guy. I get that he works out and probably has a lot in the tank, but c'mon. There's like seven of you."

"Well, there is also his wife," Olivia pointed out. "She's a beast, let me tell you. And, you know, each other."

May tilted her head. "So, downtime at the Harrison home is basically a nonstop orgy?"

Roxanne scowled. "No. Children live there."

"So? Let 'em join."

"Brock's children!" Roxanne said, sounding horrified. "Are you implying that our master has sex with his own children?"

"What? No, ew! I mean you guys!"

Olivia sighed. "Kanto's gonna Kanto…"

"No," Roxanne snapped. "We do not! His eldest is seven! And despite what just happened between the three of us, we do not make a habit of having sex with children!" She then turned her indignation toward her larger partner. "And please, whatever may be customary where you come from, that is not acceptable behavior here!"

Olivia held up her palms in surrender. "Fine, fine. Hoenn prude."

"Alolan degenerate!"

"Hey!" May said, honestly offended. "Don't call me a prude!"

"She was talking to me!" Roxanne snapped.

May was taken back. "You're from Hoenn too?"

Roxanne jerked back in surprise, "Too? You're from Hoenn?"

"Uh, yeah? Brock didn't tell you?"

"He was kind of tight-lipped about you guys after you showed up the other day," Olivia remarked. "Though Onyx mentioned something about your dad being a Gym Leader?"

May growled. Now was the last time she wanted to think about Dad. "Yeah, yeah, it sucked. So, why'd she call you a degenerate?"

"Nothing!" Roxanne's increasingly frenzied voice had risen almost to a wail. "Nothing you need to know about!"

"And there she goes," Olivia said, placing her hands on her generous hips and shaking her head. "Look, I'm from the Alolan islands. And we're not so uptight about these things like you Kantoians."

Actually, now that she thought about it, May did recall reading something down those lines. The rules regarding PokeGirls varied from region to region, with some having much stricter laws in regards to sexual behavior, while others' were much looser. "Right. Is it true that you guys don't have like an age limit on who can be caught?"

"Eh." Olivia stuck out her hand, palm flat, and wiggled it. "I mean, there's still rules. If they're a minor and you're not, there can only be a two-year age difference, and you're limited to one. And the young ones need to have beaten at least one Kahuna before they're eligible, and then it's only by other minors. Not a lot of kids would want to become Pokemon trainers if someone twenty-something asshole with a full team was wandering around, poaching every cute kid they came across."

"She doesn't need to know about that, Olivia!" Roxanne cried. "You're only making things worse!"

May's brow rose. Wow, that made Alola sound like even more of a paradise than it already was. There, she could just be out in the open with what she was, without having to worry about being caught and sent back home.

A tantalizing image rose up in her mind, of her, Ash, and Misty soaking up the sun on the beach, all of them as bare as the day they were born. Ash technically owned them both, so he would be the one in the middle, lying flat on his back on a towel beneath a beach umbrella, arms folded behind his head, while she and Misty pressed up against him to either side.

May could see it now. She would be draped over his side, the swell of her breast squishing against his smooth chest, her face resting in the crux of his shoulder, with one of his legs sandwiched between both of hers, her little twat pressed into the top of his thigh. With one hand she would be slowly, almost casually pumping his erect penis, feeling it twitch and jerk in her grasp. Across from her Misty would be reclining on her side, feeding him grapes from a bowl like some kind of ancient emperor. But in time his appetite would shift toward something other than grapes, somethings his girls could still provide, and those hands of his would start wandering.

"I would like to go to the Alola Region now, please," she stated.

Roxanne rolled her eyes with a growl. "Of course you would!"

"I mean, you gotta admit that she'd fit right in," Olivia remarked. "Heck, it might even be better for her! Not having to hide means she'd be able to get proper mentorship in this sort of thing!"

"Yes, because mentorship from a culture where parents are expected to have sex with their own children is definitely the one that should be teaching kids about their own sexuality!"

May had been nodding along in total agreement, only for that last part to perform the mental equivalent of realizing that a red light was fast incoming and slamming your foot upon the brakes before your fender crumpled itself against the back of the massive truck already parked there. "Wait, what?"

"Oh, please!" Olivia placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "You make it sound like we marry our own children! It's not like that at all. Look, kids are going to learn about that stuff anyway, right? Especially if they want to become Pokemon trainers! So it makes sense to make sure they know what they're doing and being safe about it!"

May could not help but stare. She took great pride in being the sluttiest pervert in any social group she might find herself in, and yet this was a perversion that exceeded even her ability to stomach. "And…their parents teach them?"

"Yeah!" Olivia shrugged, as if casual incest were no big deal. "Why not? Hell, my first time was my mom."

May's mouth fell open. She tried to say something, to express the deep discomfort she now felt, but found words to be insufficient, so she closed it again.

"…I no longer wish to visit the Alolan Region," she said at last in a small voice.

Olivia pressed her fingertips against her own forehead. "Oh, you guys act like we're the deviants and you all are so pure! It's not like we're alone. Heck, Unovans are the same way! And I hear the Orange Islands think more like us, and they're part of Kanto!"

"Yeah, but. Your mom!" May exclaimed. "I know plenty of moms that I wanted to sleep with, and none of them were mine!"

"Again," Olivia sighed. "Kantoians. I swear."

"I'm not from Kanto, I'm from Hoenn, remember? And it's the same over there!"

Olivia threw her hands into the air. "There you go, proving my point."

Point? What point? That didn't prove anything! Seriously, was it really like that in other regions, that people would just have sex with their parents as a matter of course? What?

Oh, she was so lucky that she was born in one of the regions that didn't allow that. For everything she held against her father, at the very least he had never laid hands on her.

May shuddered. Just the thought of having to give up her first...anything to her dad was-

Hold on!

"Wait, what was that you said about Brock's kids?" May asked.

Roxanne squawked in indignation. "Excuse me? I'm not doing anything with his kids, not yet!"

May stared. "Not. Yet?"

"Of course not!" Roxanne said, angrily folding her arms over her modest chest. "His eldest is seven, remember?" She thrust a finger at May's nose in a manner that suggested that it was a common pose for her. "And I repeat, you were a special case! It's not something I would do normally!"

Wow. Wow, okay. "Okay, but you're basically saying that you're still gonna sleep with Brock's kids when they get older," May pointed out.

Rather than offending her, Roxanne just seemed confused by the insinuation. "Well, if I'm still around and they want to. I don't know if they'd be into older women, but I am a family-owned PokeGirl. It's kind of what we're expected to do."

Olivia laughed. "Remember Forrest's sixteenth birthday?"

"Oh, that boy," Roxanne said with a sigh. "I overheard him bragging to everyone about how he was going to get to spend the night with all of his big brother's PokeGirls, and after he was done, they'd all want to be with him instead!"

"But then we got to the big moment, and he just froze up in fear!" Olivia slapped her thigh as more laughter shook her mountainous tits. "We literally had to coax an erection out of him! It was kind of adorable."

Roxanne nodded. "Yolanda was much more confident. But then, she had actually gotten laid before turning sixteen." She then turned to May; one eyebrow arched. "Seriously though, you didn't know this? It's pretty much the standard no matter which territory you're in."

"No," May said. "My dad never…His PokeGirls didn't…"

Then she slowly exhaled.

Kris.

Lyra.

Her whole life, they had been kept away from her. She only could even see them when visiting her father's gym. Her family had owned those lovely, sexy things, and they could have been hers one day.

"You know, I might hate that man," she said at last.

"Who, Brock?" Olivia said in bewilderment.

Roxanne groaned. "No, she means her own father!"

That just seemed to confuse Olivia further. "You hate your dad because he wouldn't let you sleep with his PokeGirls?"

May didn't answer.

After the silence got too awkward to bear, Roxanne cleared her throat. "Well. Regardless. Other regions'…provincialities aside, we should get moving."

May sighed. "Right. You're right." She turned to the stone wall and looked up. Though she couldn't see it from where she was, the dark hole that the three of them had fallen out of was up there somewhere, the one that would lead them to where Ash and Misty had gone. "Can't get distracted. Let's go."

…

The first thing Ash noticed was something small nudging him in his side.

He opened his eyes, saw several shapeless blobs of color, and closed them again. Ow.

"Ni?"

Shaking his head, he slowly blinked, clearing his vision. Okay, he was…he was sitting up against a wall. And he was…That was Nidoran there. Nidoran was okay. That was good. As for himself?

Well, he ached, but nothing felt like it had been hurt too badly. Which was a nice surprise, considering that he hadn't had Tangela around this time to break his fall.

"I'm awake," he mumbled to Nidoran. "I'm okay."

Sure enough, Nidoran was there, sitting crouched by his side and looking up at him in concern. Well, at least they were both okay. Then he felt something fuzzy brush against his ear. A glance, and he saw Zubat sitting perched on his shoulder. The tiny creature nudged Ash's cheek with his wing.

"Hey, glad you guys are okay too," Ash told them both, giving a scratch behind the ears to Nidoran and then to Zubat. "But where's-"

It was then that he noticed that someone was holding onto his other hand. A few more blinks to clear a little more of the fuzziness away, and he looked past Zubat and saw that Misty was sitting next to him against the wall, her legs drawn up and her hand clasped around his.

To his relief, she looked fine. Still naked, save for some kind of grey cloak that she was clutching around her shoulders with her other hand, but he wouldn't call that a bad thing. And she didn't seem to be poisoned anymore, either!

Unfortunately, that did raise some troubling questions.

Misty was watching him, her soft, freckled face up bunched up in worry. "Ash?"

"I'm good!" he said. "How about you? Are you okay?"

There was a long pause, and then Misty heaved out a sigh. "Yeah. The poison's all cleared up, and I don't think either of us got injured or anything."

"Okay," Ash said with a nod. "Good." He leaned his head back with a nod. "Whew."

The two of them fell into a deeply uncomfortable silence. And that was odd, right? Ash was bursting with questions? Where were they? How did they survive? Why was Misty suddenly cured? Where was Jessie? And he was sure that Misty had plenty to say as well.

And yet, there they were. Sitting next to each other. Saying nothing.

Ash sighed. Oh, forget this. One of them had to start things off.

"Where's Jessie?" he ventured.

The edge of Misty's mouth twitched. "Over there," she said, pointing.

When he looked where Misty was pointing, Ash's brow rose in surprise. Jessie was there, all right. But she most definitely wasn't all right. She seemed mostly unharmed, save for the wounds she had taken fighting Misty and Ash's Pokemon, and her hair was still a fright.

But she apparently had been subdued by something and tied up. Some kind of sticky white stuff, like several spider-webs bunched together, was binding her legs together, had her arms tied behind her back, and covered her mouth, gagging her.

She was still conscious, and clearly extremely upset with her current predicament, if all of her kicking and struggling was any indication. But she also wasn't going anywhere.

"Um…did you do that?" Ash asked.

Misty shot him a disparaging look. "How?"

"Good point," Ash admitted.

"I'm literally naked. You have all the stuff. I don't even have rope, much less bug silk!"

"Right, right. Dumb question."

"Yeah, if it had been me, she would've just been paralyzed. And unconscious. With a rock."

"Got it," Ash sighed, laying his head back. "It is really obvious when you think about it."

And the deeply uncomfortable silence returned, only now Ash had even more questions.

Where were they? They were in another cavern; that much was obvious. But it was unlike any Ash had seen thus far.

For one, it was much warmer than the others, heated by some unseen, natural source. Maybe they were near a thermal vent or something. At the least, that explained how Misty was able to touch him without zapping him, as she didn't need to keep her static field up.

But for another, it was clear that this was someplace special. The tunnels and caverns they had passed through so far had all been incredibly cool, yes, but this was on a whole other level!

For one, it most definitely not had been strip-mined like those tunnels. Ash could see several metallic streaks passing through the walls, ground, and jagged ceiling, ore veins that glinted and sparkled in the light. Large clusters of colored crystal nested on the walls or pushed their way up from the ground, their facets reflecting the light in a dazzling display. Water poured down from a couple of spouts in the walls into natural pools, which in turn drained out into canals that cut out a network throughout the cavern, further reflecting the light and filling the space with multicolored sparkles.

"Wow," Ash said. "This place is amazing!"

Misty shrugged. "It's okay, I guess."

"I mean, look at this! We've got to be the first people to see this...maybe ever!"

"Neat."

Ash barely heard her. He was too busy taking in the majesty of their surroundings, trying to wrack his brain to identify all the different crystals he could see. Heck, maybe there were even some fossils around! Wouldn't that be something?

Still, there were several discrepancies that could not be ignored, ones that were starting to excitement. He glanced around again, at his very much uninjured self, at the now cured Misty, and the tied-up Jessie. There were reasons for all of those.

"Okay," Ash said at last. "Go ahead."

Misty's face darkened. "Running after her like that was really stupid."

"What? No, I meant-"

"Seriously, what were you thinking? I mean, forget how dangerous she is, did'ja forget that these caves are full of wild Pokemon? We barely escaped the Zubats, and there's millions more of them! And oh yeah, those two Nidos. And the Rhyhorns. And probably lots of Geos also. And the Parases also! And that's not even getting into things like…uh…hot geysers? Poison gas? Well, I can't say having the floor go out from under us, because that's literally what happened!"

"Misty…"

"But hey, here's something you should've thought of! She's your PokeGirl! Why didn't you just order her to stop? At the very least it would've slowed her down!"

That was actually a very good point, and Ash felt quite stupid for not thinking of it. But to be fair, he did have a lot of surprising things happen in short succession, and it wasn't like he was experienced in the whole PokeGirl business.

"Well, okay, but-"

"But you sure seem real comfortable giving me commands! Like, literally forcing me to shut up and rush after a crazy criminal PokeGirl through a bunch of wild underground tunnels full of who knows what! When what you should've been doing was listening to me!"

"Look, I'm sorry, I just-"

"You didn't think, Ash! I know! And that's how many times you got us in a worse situation? Come on!"

Now Ash was getting impatient. "No, I meant, go ahead and tell me where we are and what's going on!"

Misty sighed. She slumped back against the wall; her anger seemingly having drained out of her. "I know, I just had to get that out."

And then a new voice, this one low and gruff spoke. "Perhaps I can help answer your questions, young man."

Ash leapt to his feet. That voice had been in his head! And yet he had heard it perfectly clear. "Huh?" he said, looking wildly about.

A creature emerged from the shadows.

It was somewhat human-shaped, a bipedal form that rose to about Ash's height, with broad shoulders, long arms, and thick legs. Its skin was yellow, a ring of feathery gray hair ringed its neck. It had a triangular head with beady blue eyes, a pointed snout, and no visible mouth. It walked along with the aid of a gnarled old walking stick.

And a round its neck hung a round metal amulet on a black cord.

Ash's heart just about stopped. No. Not that. Not one of those.

"A Hypno?" he exclaimed in horror, patting himself all over, looking for any sign of molestation. "What did it do to me?" Then he hastily clapped his hand over Misty's face. "Misty, close your eyes!"

Sighing, Misty pushed his hand away. "Relax, Ash. He's not dangerous."

Ash gawked at her. "It's a Hypno! And we're kids! You know what Hypnos do to kids!"

The Hypno heaved out a deep sigh and started walking towards them. "I see your kind's prejudices regarding my friend's species still hold true. Rest assured, Malakai's sexual preferences do not include human children. In fact, he finds the very prospect both morally reprehensible and personally repulsive."

Ash went stiff. "What?" he squeaked.

"He's saying that he has moral standards and thinks we're gross," Misty told him.

"No, I got that! But did that Pokemon just…talk?"

Misty shrugged. "So did that Meowth."

Which was a very good point. Actually, that was pretty weird, now that he thought about it.

Ash looked down at Nidoran and Zubat, who were huddled together at his feet." How about you guys? Can you talk?"

Nidoran shot him a look and rolled his eyes while Zubat let out a squeaking sigh.

Right. Stupid question. But hey, there was a trend beginning.

Then the gravelly voice in his head spoke again. "Furthermore, he wishes to clarify that the individual responsible for that stereotype is seen as an aberration both sexually and behaviorally, and really wishes your kind would not judge an entire species based off of the actions of a single deranged individual."

Ash stared. Meeting a talking Pokemon was weird enough. Being lectured on insensitive stereotyping by a talking Pokemon was so bizarre that it almost looped back around to feeling normal. "I…sorry? No offense intended?"

"Hypno," murmured the Hypno, in a wholly different voice, this one thin and aged. This was followed by the mental voice. "Malakai accepts your apology, and acknowledges both your youth and the extreme emotional duress you must be under."

Ash's eyebrows rose up. "Thanks? And…" Something just occurred to him. "Hey, why do you keep talking about yourself in the third person?"

The Hypno tilted his head. Then he rolled his eyes.

"My apologies. It is not Malakai's voice you hear in your head. Rather, he is acting as my conduit, transmitting my thoughts to you so that we may converse."

"What," Ash said flatly.

"Ash?" Misty said as she stood up to stand next to him. "You'd better brace yourself. It'd going to get weird."

The hairs on the back of Ash's neck rose up.

All around him, the cave lit up from some unseen source.

The place they were in turned out to be much larger than Ash had anticipated, larger than any cathedral he had ever seen, larger a concert hall, larger than a sport's stadium. And they were not alone.

All around were Pokemon. Zubats fluttered about, clinging to the stalactites overhead. Bulky Geodudes and Gravelers ambled about, under the watchful eye of a trio of Golems (actual wild Golems!). Sandshrews and Sandslashes peeked out from a cluster of holes. Parases and Parasects all huddled together in a large group near the water. Nidos of every type wandered around, even a few Kings and Queens.

And then there were the Clefairies and Clefables, one of the rarest of all of Kanto's native Pokemon species. The little pink fairy-types were known to live in Mt. Moon and Mt. Moon only, and were only occasionally glimpsed even by exploring trainers. It was said that they weren't even originally of Earth, but had come from the moon itself, riding down on a glowing comet that would become the mystical moonstones. Ash not expected to encounter any through his own trip through Mt. Moon, but he secretly hoped.

Ash's head was swimming. So many wild Pokemon, many of them exceptionally rare, and all gathered before him!

Not that he was going to try to catch any of them, of course. That would be stupid.

But man, did he want to.

Standing upon a rock apart from the rest was a large Clefable, one who held a slender oaken staff, topped with a glowing pinkish-white crystal. That had to be the one in charge, right?

"Um, sorry," he said to it. "My mistake. And, uh, thanks for saving us, I guess."

The Clefable stared back.

Then it snickered and shook its head.

"Croo-Soggon-Nyah is certainly a well-respected member of our community, but it is not she you are speaking to."

"What?"

Then the floor started to rumble.

It was not an earthquake, not any seismic activity. Rather, it was the movement of something very large, something massive, in fact. And it was something quite close.

The sea of Pokemon parted, revealing the far end of the cavern. There a wide ring of earth had been forced up to about the height of Ash's waist, forming what looked like a crater. Within the crater was a pile of glowing crystals, ones that shone with a faintly pinkish hue, the same kind that was embedded in the Clefable's staff.

As he stared, the pile of crystal in the crater began to rise up, light refracting off their facets to bathe the cavern in rainbows. Ash's mouth fell open. The pile was made of huge, round chunks of crystal, all connected in a line. But how were they rising up like that? Was the Hypno levitating them? And what kind of crystal were they? He had never seen a crystal that glowed like that!

Except he had. Once. Under glass, in the Pewter City Science Museum.

They were moonstones, a huge pile of moonstones, rearing up in a chain!

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "Hey, Nidoran! We found the…"

Then the moonstone boulder at the top of the chain turned toward him. It was roughly ovel-shaped and had a jutting spike on its top, like a backswept horn.

What was more, there were two chunks of amethyst crystal on either side, like a pair of eyes.

They were a pair of eyes.

It was alive. The chain of moonstones was alive.

Ash looked the body of the moonstone creature up and down, finally recognizing its shape.

Oh.

He was talking to an Onix.

A talking Onix.

A talking Onix made entirely out of moonstone.

Huh.

Old Malakai the Hypno sauntered up to stand by him. "Greetings, Ashley Curtis Ketchum," said the moonstone Onix through Malakai. "Rest assured of you and your companions' safety, though I fear this chance meeting complicates matters for both of us."

"Hello," Ash said, still staring. Shooting a glance to Misty, he leaned over and whispered, "Misty, did I hit my head? Am I dreaming?"

"You know, it's funny," Misty said, also staring up at their incomprehensible host. "I thought the exact same thing when I first met him."

"Okay, well, am I?"

She shook her head. "Nope. This is real. You're not dreaming."

"Oh," Ash said. "Well, bad news, I'm about to be."

With that, he fainted dead away.

…

Team Rocket was known for being a great many things.

Cruel. Greedy. Heartless. Ruthless. Brutal. As Kanto's top criminal organization, Team Rocket had built their empire over the bodies of those who had gotten in their way, and had no reservations about trampling and exploiting anyone they saw fit in order to keep and expand that power.

To those who didn't know better they were also seen as bumbling, incompetent, almost comical in their blundering. This of course was a carefully cultivated impression, intended to keep from being taken seriously enough to draw prying eyes.

But criminal masterminds or blustering clowns, if there was one thing that both impressions agreed upon, if there was one thing that Team Rocket itself agreed upon, it was that Team Rocket was anything but hospitable.

Also, they weren't known to be plant-lovers, either.

Clearly Administrator Cliff felt no need to maintain that illusion.

He brought them to his private garden. A private garden. One of Team Rocket's most feared and respected administrators, and he had a private garden within his secret underground base.

Apparently his headquarters was actually the abandoned mining facility constructed by SilphCo several decades earlier. Though they had been successful in driving the miners out (with the help of the League), the local Pokemon had opted to leave it untouched rather than destroy it, so it had been left to decay. As such, when Team Rocket had begun Rocket Operation: Shoot for the Moon (whatever that was), they had simply moved in, fixed the place up, and redesigned it into their personal headquarters.

Part of that redesign was the garden. What the room had been previously, Cassidy couldn't tell, but it was large and domed, with a circular glass skylight at the very top. Though they were still deep underground, natural sunlight was brought in through a series of lenses and mirrors, allowing Cliff's garden to thrive.

And thrive it had. At the center of the garden was an actual willow tree, kept healthy from a diet of concentrated sunlight, mineral-rich soil, and the mountain's natural springs. Spread out from that were flowerbeds, vegetable gardens, even a few shrubberies. Near the edge, furthest from the sunlight, there were even carefully tended mushrooms and other funguses. It was clear that Administrator Cliff not only was quite diligent in the care of his garden, but he had been caring for it for quite some time.

The four of them sat at a circular table, the sort that one might expect to find on the porch of a countryside mansion. A tea had been laid out for them, as well as a luncheon of fresh vegetables, rich, and fish. Cassidy had been hesitant to partake at first. After all, Rocket Administrators had been known to secret various illicit substances in meals provided for their guests. But after the first, reluctant bite, she had suddenly found all of her reservations evaporating.

"Take it slow," Cliff advised between sips of tea. "The worst of the nausea will have already passed, but it is best to not test your limits."

Sound advice, but Cassidy was finding it very hard to comply. She was absolutely famished, with her last decent meal being sometime early the previous day. And she had spent the whole night hiking through the mountains.

She gulped her serving down and was about to go for seconds before good sense made her hesitate. Would it be allowed? Would Administrator Cliff see it as a breach of manners?

However, seeing the look on her face, he merely motioned toward the food and nodded. That was all she needed. And at her side, Butch and James were doing the same.

Finally the food and drink had all been consumed, and the three of them slumped back with sighs of contentment.

But now that her hunger and thirst had been sated, Cassidy was faced with a far more uncomfortable task: figuring out what the hell was going on.

And to do that, she would have to question one of the most powerful and feared men in all of Team Rocket.

"Um, sir?" she said. There was a slight quaver to her voice. Damn it. "I-If you don't mind me asking..."

Cliff arched an eyebrow. "You wish to know what it is I'm doing down here."

"Oh, obviously not!" Cassidy was quick to clarify. "We would never dream of prying into your business, especially business so obviously classified as this! I was just wondering-"

"Peace, Ms. Parker," Cliff said, holding up a palm. "It is all right. And you are correct: my operations down here are highly classified, and upper-management frowns upon dolling out any more information than is necessary. Security concerns, you understand."

Cassidy bobbed her head. "Oh, yes sir! Absolutely! Totally understand! No problems here!"

"Though to be frank, it is not a policy I entirely agree with," Cliff said with a slight frown. "I obey, because such is my duty, but I think we can all agree that some measure of cooperation between you and my people from the onset would have prepared you better for certain...setbacks."

Butch squirmed in discomfort. "You, uh, know about all that, huh?"

"Of course. We had you under surveillance from the start. I have to say, I give your plan credit for creativity and commitment. Had Mr. Harrison's PokeGirls not interfered, it might actually have succeeded."

James chose that moment to jump in. "See? That's what I've been saying! The plan was fine, but no, they had to-"

"Peace, Mr. Morgan," Cliff said, locking eyes with the babbling blueberry. "What's done is done. All that matters is what happens now."

Cassidy did not like the sound of that at all. Exchanging an uneasy glance with Butch, she said, "Wh-What do you mean?"

"I mean we are presented with a problem. Though we all are united under the banner of Team Rocket, I regret to inform you that your immediate goals and mine provide...complications for one another." Sighing, Cliff leaned back and crossed his legs, his chair squeaking as it struggled to bear his mass. "Truthfully, you come here at something of an awkward time, as our operations are in a delicate stage, and I'm afraid that the chaos your operation is stirring up is most unwanted."

...

"I am Ambihilech, son of Ernotech, son of Okonebech, keeper of the Holy Star and Guardian of the Mountain."

Fortunately, Ash awakened from fainting fairly quickly. And upon once again having to come to grips with the idea of talking to a moonstone Onix, he and Misty were now seated on the ground in front of the crater, listening as Ambihilech spoke to them through Malakai the Hypno. The two of them had apparently been nursed and cleaned while unconscious. Even Ash's clothing, which he had been wearing when he had been knocked out and still wearing when he had woken up, felt like they had been washed. He didn't want to think too much about that.

And further proving that Pokemon were far better people than people were, they were even fed, being given two stone bowls each, one filled with clean water and the other with some kind of bubbling hot stew. Ash had been skeptical of the stew. What did a Pokemon know about preparing food fit for human consumption, anyway? For all he knew, it used Ratata dung as a seasoning. But to his surprise, once he had taken a small, experimental sip, he found it to be quite good: the broth thick and savory, with several chunks of roots, tubers, and mushrooms floating within. It was, however, flavored with some kind of hot pepper, so Ash ate slowly, lest the spiciness be too much for him.

"You are not the first humans to come under our care," Ambihilech explained as the two children eagerly filled their growling bellies and soothed their dry throats. "One of your kind tired of the pressures of your cities, and came to the mountain, seeking peace and simplicity. He was of no threat, so he was permitted to stay."

"He lived here?" Ash wanted to know between sips.

"Indeed. His name was Isaac. We grew quite close, actually, he and I. He learned much from us: how to survive these caverns, how to find food and water, and what places were safe and what places he would be unwelcome in. But we also learned from him. He taught us much about the ways of your people as well. That stew was a favorite of his."

Man, that sounded like the perfect life to Ash! Making the mountain his home, exploring its caverns, living in harmony with the Pokemon. That Isaac guy knew what was up!

"What happened to him?" Misty asked.

"Oh, he died."

That got a wince out of the two of them. "Oh," Ash said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He was an old man, and it was ninety-two years ago."

Onixes apparently lived for a very long time.

Ash had expected some measure of strange and wild adventures when he had prepared for his journey as a Pokemon trainer. And he had dreamed about plumbing the darkest depths and uncovering the world's most mysterious of secrets. But even so, he hadn't expected to do it so quickly.

He wondered if this was a normal part of being a Pokemon trainer. True, the magazines he had read had made a strong point to hype up what an exhilarating adventure he was in for, but this…No, no, no. If every trainer's journey was like this, then there would be absolutely no secrets left by now. It was just him.

Ash wasn't sure whether to be elated or dismayed.

Then he glanced to the side, over at the beautiful young girl sitting naked right next to him, that wool blanket still thrown over her bare shoulders. Misty's brilliant emerald eyes were open wide as she stared up at…at the talking Onix made out of moonstones currently rearing up over the pair, soft lips slightly open in wonder.

Elated. Bad luck and evil criminal stalkers aside, Ash was definitely elated.

Misty must have felt Ash's eyes upon her, as she then glanced over to him and, catching him staring, furrowed her brow in a dark scowl.

Crap. She was still mad. Wincing, Ash returned his attention to the giant glowing rock-snake.

"For generations my family has watched over this mountain and all who dwell within," Ambihilech told them. "We keep its secrets, and guard it from those who would intrude upon our realm."

Ash's eyes went wide at the implication. "Wait, intrude? You mean-"

A low, grinding sound rumbled from deep within the Onix's translucent body. For a moment Ash was genuinely concerned that it was a growl, that he had upset the astonishing creature. But then he realized that Ambihilech was laughing. "The sacred bond between your people and ours was established in the time of our forefathers' forefathers. Those who respect the duties of a trainer are allowed entry, and are permitted to take under their care those whom they have bested in holy combat, and what treasures they uncover with their hands are theirs to keep. Such has always been the way." Then the grinding rumble deepened, becoming an actual growl of anger. "However, there are those with no respect for that bond, those who are ruled by their greed and come here seeking to rob and destroy."

"The SilphCo miners," Misty said in a low voice.

"A disgusting violation of the pact," Ambihilech said. Even Malakai his interpreter made a deep, phlegmy sound of disgust in his throat. "Truthfully, had your own heroes not risen up and stood by our side to drive those reprobates off, we would not be having this conversation right now. The Mountain would be forbidden to your kind, and all those who would dare trespass would be executed on sight."

Ash gulped. Misty whimpered.

"Fortunately, your heroes proved their honor that day, and the pact was restored. With conditions."

Well, that was good news, but Ash still felt less than reassured. "Um, w-we're not intruders, I promise you! I have nothing but respect for tr-trainer, uh, rules, and-"

"Peace, child. I know a bright-eyed and purehearted trainer when I smell one. For centuries I have watched so many of your young delve into my mountain, all eager for adventure." Ambihilech lowered his head, a deep sigh coming out as a grinding rumble. "Alas, not all emerged again. The mountain is not without its perils."

That was for certain. Ash really hoped to not become part of that statistic.

Then Ambihilech swung his neck first one way, and then the other, taking the time to focus on each of them. "I do admit, it is rare that a human child should find themselves a blessed mate already." He then looked back toward Misty. "Or become one. But ah, what do I know?

Ash stared blankly. "A blessed mate?"

"He means PokeGirl," Misty whispered over to him.

Right. Interesting name, but kind of cool. "Oh. Um, it's not exactly…common."

"Nor is it any business of mine," Ambihilech said in a dismissive tone. "What is my business are the new intruders."

Ash felt his chest seize up. Oh no. "New intruders?" he asked, half-dreading the answer.

Ambihilech inclined his head. "As before, many humans have descended upon the Mountain, seeking to exploit its riches. But those who came before acted out in the open. These move under the cover of darkness." He moved his head around, surveying the huddling groups of Pokemon. "Those before did not care whom they hurt. These seem actively malicious."

That was all Ash needed to know. "Team Rocket!" he exclaimed, as the sinking feeling in his chest descended deeper.

"That is what they call themselves, yes." Even though it was one Pokemon's mental voice transmitted through the mind of another, there was no mistaking the disgust Ambihilech had for those people.

"Of course," Misty groaned as she buried her face in her palms. "Of course they're here."

"They are. Several of them, in fact. They have taken up residence in space abandoned by the miners and have been infesting our tunnels ever since." Ambihilech sighed. "I told everyone that we ought to destroy that facility, but noooo. It was haunted by evil energy, they all said, and no one would go anywhere near it, as if they were any kind of expert."

Ash got a very strange feeling. He was just only getting used to the idea of having a psychic conversation with an Onix made out of moonstone, but for some reason the very humanlike asides that Ambihilech was dropping was the most off-putting part of it all.

"What are they doing?" Misty asked. "They're not hunting you, are they?"

"They are." Even communicated mentally and secondhand through another, the disgust in Ambihilech's voice was evident. "That is why I have gathered those that I could here, to keep them safe. However, that does not seem to be their ultimate aim."

Ash didn't like the sound of that at all. "What are they doing? What are they after?"

In answer, Ambihilech turned his head up, looking toward the shimmering clusters of crystal. "This mountain is home to a great many treasures. The crystals you see, and those buried in the earth. Precious minerals, valued by your kind. Remnants of Pokemon long dead. And even the remains left by ancient humans, long before even my time."

That grabbed at Ash's attention. Was Ambihilech implying that there were actual ancient ruins somewhere beneath the mountain? He knew that the pieces of extinct civilizations could be found in Kanto, but he had never heard of any found in Mt. Moon.

"But the most precious of all of the mountain's treasures is the Holy Star, which fell from the heavens in a time long since forgotten, bringing the forefathers of our friends over there with it."

Ash and Misty looked in the direction that Ambihilech was indicating. There, the clan of Clefairies and Clefables was gathered.

"From the..." Then Ash's face lit up. "Wait, are you talking about the moonstones?"

"I am."

Now Ash's mind was truly boggled. "Is...you're not saying that...that Clefairy is..."

"Aliens?" Misty broke in. "Clefairies are aliens?"

That just seemed to confused the crystalline serpent. "I confess, I am not quite certain of what you are speaking. Alien to what?"

"Uh...to here? To this planet? Earth?"

"Earth? As if in, the soil?"

Misty now looked totally stumped.

"She means the planet Earth," Ash said.

"What is a planet?"

Now Ash was stumped as well.

Catching the conversation, Croo-Soggon-Nyahthe Clefable sighed and waddled over. "Cleffa!" she said up to the perplexed Onix. "Clefable! Clefable-fable!"

"Ah, that is what you mean," Ambihilech said at last. "Their kind did indeed come from the stars."

Ash and Misty both turned to stare at the Clefairy clan. Aliens? All this time, and a species of Pokemon that he had grown up reading about were really aliens?

"But that was many ages ago, and now they are as native to the mountain as I am. So no, they are not alien."

Well, Ash supposed that that made a little bit of sense, but it was still gave him a weird feeling.

Huh. Aliens were real. And there were a bunch of them right over there. That was something he was going to have to process.

"Okay, let's back up," Misty said. "You're saying that moonstones came from like some asteroid or something that crashed here millions of years ago and brought the Clefairies with it?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying. The Holy Star threw up the Mountain, and became its roots. The crystals of the Mountain were changed by its power. That is what your kind have been taking from the stone." Ambihilech then reared up, presenting his glowing body to them. "My father's father's father's father's father was bathed in its light when it landed, anointing him and his line as Guardian."

"Wow," Ash said in fascination. This was so freaking cool!

"Okay..." Misty said. "But you're also saying that Team Rocket is here for the moonstones specifically."

"Precisely. They search out veins of crystal that has been transformed by the light of the Holy Star and rip them from the stone." Then Ambihilech tilted his head. "But I must confess that I am somewhat surprised that you did not know that already. After all, you brought one of their number down with you."

Cold fear gripped Ash's chest. The hand holding his stone bowl of stew started trembling, and he hastily set it down before it slipped from his grasp. He glanced over to Misty, who was now hunched over, face in her palms.

Ash ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth, trying to moisten it. "Uh, it wasn't like we meant to! She got away, and we were chasing her to stop her, but the floor caved in, and-"

"Peace. I know," Ambihilech told him. "Your mate already explained the situation. Though I do find it odd that you have one of these 'Rocket' creatures as one of your blessed mates as well."

Ash bowed his hand. "That was…also an accident."

"You seem to have experienced a great many accidents," Ambihilech observed.

Ash sighed. "It's been a weird week."

"Hmmm. Well, regardless, she does complicate manners. Accidental as your…acquisition of her may have been, she is still yours. She may be one of our enemies, but we have no claim over her."

Which was all well and good, but Ash was picking up on an implication that he didn't care for one bit. "Uh…what would you have done to her if she wasn't my PokeGirl?"

It must have been a difficult thing for a being made entirely out of crystal to twist his face into an expression of puzzlement, but Ambihilech still managed. "Feed her to the flesh-eaters among us, of course," he said, as if the answer were obvious.

Ash's stomach dropped. That was exactly what he had been afraid of. There was obviously no lost love between him and Jessie, but he didn't want her to die!

However, it seemed that whatever it was Malakai was doing to transmit Ambihilech's thoughts, he wasn't focusing it on Ash and Misty specifically, for as soon as Ambihilech said that, Jessie, who was still lying tied-up at the back of the cave, immediately began thrashing and kicking, her gooey gag muffling her panicked shrieking. Honestly, Ash couldn't really blame her.

"Please don't let your friends eat her," he said.

At his side, Misty let out a long sigh, clearly in disagreement.

Ambihilech's crystal coils rippled in a way that somehow conveyed a shrug. "As I said, her ultimate fate is not ours to choose. So please make a choice, preferably one that would neutralize the threat she poses?"

There was no use asking Misty for input; Ash already knew what she wanted. His mind raced, trying to come up with some other option, some way of dealing with the Jessie problem that wouldn't involve killing someone.

Fortunately, there was the obvious solution.

"Uh…her human ball! Have you seen it? It looks like this, only not scratched up." He pulled out Misty's human ball and held it up to the Onix.

Ambihilech tilted his head. "We recovered all that fell with you. However, our search of her was not exactly thorough, as our main concern was restraining her."

"Well, if you find it, I'll be able to recall her, and then she won't be a problem anymore! And then I'll give her to the police the first chance I got!"

"Should've done that back in Pewter City..." Misty mumbled.

Ash winced. "I know!" he mouthed back.

"Done," Ambihilech said. "We will search her, and all places she has been. If it is still around, we will find it."

Ash sighed in relief. Well, that was one problem taken care of!

Unfortunately, there were also the other Team Rocket agents prowling around. Plus the Zubat swarms. And the Nidos. And the Rhyhorns. And likely many surly Geos.

And then there was...

"Wait!" Misty said suddenly. "There's something else! A friend of ours, a kid like us! She's got brown hair and red clothes. We got separated from her, and she's probably somewhere in the mountain looking for us!"

"Oh, and she might have two other PokeGirls with her," Ash added. "Grown-up, in like leather...bikinis. Um, they helped us fight off Team Rocket the first time, but like she said, we got separated from them, and haven't seen them since."

Ambihilech cocked his automobile-sized head. "We know nothing of your friends. Your own journey was not made known to us until you fell into our sanctuary."

"Okay, but you can find her, right?"

"I will send out what scouts I can spare. If your friend is indeed down here, they will do what they can to find her. Though be warned: the Rockets also patrol these tunnels, and if your friend has already been found by them, my people will not risk themselves for her."

No. No, that wasn't enough. "But what if they're hurting her?" Ash protested. "Isn't there anything you can do?"

Then the crystal Onix locked eyes with him, and in that moment Ash remembered exactly what sort of being he was addressing, and just how small he was in comparison. "We will do all we are willing to do. You are deserving of our sanctuary, but you are still an outsider. We must see to our own safety first."

Ash exchanged a look with Misty, who seemed as worried as he felt, probably even more. May was a very important person to him, yes, but she and Misty had been best friends for years.

He forced himself to take in a deep breath, hold it, before slowly letting it out. Stay calm. Try not to think of all the dangers May could be facing. Wild Pokemon. Rocket agents. Even the mountain itself. There were endless hazards.

He just hoped that, wherever May was, she was safe.

...

"Now, that was just weird," Olivia remarked as the three of them made their way through the cold and dark tunnels of Mt. Moon.

"Yup, that really was," May agreed.

"Well, Parases are both bug and grass-typed," Roxanne said. "Fire is there mortal enemy. So when a fire-typed PokeGirl drops through the ceiling, a fear response is to be expected."

"That wasn't just fear; that was outright panic," Olivia said.

"We popped into their nest out of nowhere. Of course they would be frightened."

May shrugged. Truth be told, it had been a little freaky to have so many fungi-infested bugs skittering around, but it had quickly grown apparent that they were much more afraid of her than she was of them. After that she just felt kind of bad for intruding.

"Well, at least they let us go," she said.

"That felt more like, 'Leave now, and please, please, please never come back!'" Olivia said.

"Yeah, well, it's not like we're planning to. So no harm, no foul, right?" May looked around. "Anyway, this is definitely the way that Ash and Misty came, right?"

"That's what those mushroom-heads seemed to indicate," Roxanne said. Questioning a panicked hive-mind of infested insects had proven...difficult, and not only because of the language barrier. But the best she had been able to piece together from their desperate babbling and motioning was that, yes, two human children had come through the night before, but had also been shown the way out, and could the three of them please do the same and leave now?!

"Good," May said. Then she smiled. "Heck, maybe that's why they were so freaked out! Misty had this...thing about bugs, and I wouldn't put it past her to start throwing lightning bolts all over the place in panic once she saw them."

Roxanne nodded, though she made a point to keep her own concerns private. While it was entirely possible that Ash and Misty had simply been asked to leave and the three of them were now hot on their trail, there also existed the possibility that the two missing children had been badly injured by their fall, and the Paras colony had done what a bunch of subterranean bugs might do to a bunch of fresh meat that had fallen into their grasp.

She didn't think that was the case. But the possibility did exist. Hopefully May wouldn't start to suspect something down those lines.

"So, hey, to change the subject," Olivia said. "Once we do find them, any idea on how to get out of here? Because the only way out that we know of is through the roof of that Paras nest, and I don't think they're letting come back that way."

"Worse comes to worst, you and I can probably just punch our way out," Roxanne said.

May turned to the pair, her eyes glittering with excitement. "Oooh, can I watch?"

"Um, I guess?" Olivia said. "I mean, why couldn't you?"

"And can you do it naked?"

Olivia burst out laughing while Roxanne just shook her head in exasperation. "All right, that's enough out of you," she snapped, grabbing May by the shoulders and pushing her forward. "Keep walking." She then shot a warning glare at Olivia. "And you! Stop encouraging her!"

"As if I needed it!" May chimed, sounding upbeat for the first time since they had met her. It was clear that their threeway coitus had done her a world of good.

Though speaking of which, it was probably time to broach what promised to be a very sensitive subject. Roxanne shot a glance to Olivia who, upon catching it, nodded once.

Olivia cleared her throat. "So, um, May."

"Hmmm?"

"You know that even if we find your friends-"

That got a reaction out of the young girl. Her head snapped around to shoot a death glare at Olivia. "When we find my friends," she hissed.

"Right," Olivia quickly amended. "Of course. When we find your friends, you do know that Misty is probably not going to get her gym back."

"With any luck!" May said with a snort. "Screw that place!"

Wow, that was hostile. Roxanne was honestly taken back. She knew the bare basics of May's past, but clearly there was even more drama at play, even between her and Misty.

Olivia looked surprised as well. "Wow. Um, you really…Okay, but-but what I'm…Uh, so why do you hate her gym so much? Like, what's wrong with that one in specific?"

Realizing that they were getting off track, Roxanne jumped in. "What Olivia is saying, why not come back with us?"

May's head jerked back. "Wait, what? You mean, to Brock's gym?"

Roxanne nodded.

"Uh, no. No, no, no, no. No way!" May seemed horrified by the very suggestion. "I'm not cooping myself up in any more gyms! And I'm definitely not stopping being a PokeGirl! I'm going to see the world with Misty and Ash like they promised!"

Don't push back. Redirect. The point wasn't to argue with May's convictions, but to plant an idea in her head, one that might grow into something workable later. "Okay. But what about after?"

"After what?"

"Let's say you three adventure all over Kanto," Roxanne said. "And your friend Ash wins all eight badges. Then what?"

May stared at her like she had brain damage. "Uh, duh? Get his cute little ass into the tournament thing!"

Roxanne nodded. "And then what?"

"Then he wins! He's the champ, gets a big trophy, that loser Gary gets what's coming to him, hooray!"

Olivia tilted her head and frowned. "Who's Gary?"

Roxanne held up a hand to her, preventing unnecessary questions. "And then?"

"Dunno," May said with a shrug. "I mean, I guess that gets him a shot at that Lance guy. He'd like that. Apparently he's a big fan."

"And do you expect him to win?"

May shrugged again.

"You know it's really unlikely that he'd beat Lance," Olivia put in. She held up a hand, forefinger and thumb held mere centimeters from one another, indicating the slimness of Ash's chances.

"Yeah, probably," May said. "So?"

"So then what?"

May folded her arms, a sullen look that Roxanne recognized from a dozen different middle-schoolers that she had had to discipline in the past in her eye. "Say, here's an idea: how about you stop leading me on and head straight to the point?"

"The point is, sooner or later the adventure is going to come to an end," Roxanne told her. "Then what will happen?"

"Are you stupid? I stay with them, wherever they go! There's other regions out there, other tournaments!"

"Yes, there is," Olivia said in a gentle tone. "And then what?"

May shivered, the sullenness giving way for uncertainty. "I-I don't know. Whatever they want to do, I guess."

"And you want to stay a PokeGirl and keep away from your dad, right?"

"Of course!"

"Then how about this?" Olivia said, folding her arms beneath her breasts. "Brock can help you with both. He's got the political pull to keep you safe, has a great big gym to hide you, and trust me when I say that if you did is as much a bastard as you're making him out to be, then he'd have to cross over Brock's dead body to get to you."

May's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to be hidden," she said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to be kept safe! I want to be out there, out in the open, free!"

"As a PokeGirl, right?"

"Of course!"

"Then consider this," Roxanne said, thrusting a finger at her. "You are...um, sorry, how old were you again?"

"Twelve!"

Roxanne's face twisted up in disgust, but she shook it off quickly. "Then in only four years, you'll be old enough to be a PokeGirl legally. But in that time, we can help you! Train you! Make you stronger! Teach you how to properly control your...your power and your libido! So that when you can go out and reveal yourself openly, you'll be so much stronger than anyone else your age!"

"Seven professional PokeGirls as your mentors," Olivia said. "Brock looking after you and protecting you. And besides, it's not like you'll be stuck in a hole in the ground. You'll still be able to go out and explore and stuff. You'll just have us along to guide you."

"Uh, yeah, no," May said flatly. "Not leaving my friends. Nope, no way."

"Then bring them along," Olivia suggested. "I mean, once Ash has done all the adventuring he wants, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to study under Brock. Or, hey, do it now! I know he wants to get out there, but what if he waited for a few years, had Brock Harrison himself training him, so that when he does set out, he'll be one of the best-trained Pokemon trainers in Kanto?"

"Plus, if Misty is as constantly harassed by Team Rocket as you say, wouldn't it make sense for another Gym Leader to look after her until the problems with her gym were taken care of?" Roxanne added. "And who knows how long that'll take?"

"Think about it," Olivia urged. "You'd have Brock to keep your dad away. You'd have us to look after and train you. You'd have your friends with you. And in a few years, when it's time to leave, you'll be able to be a PokeGirl openly, and no one would so much as give you a second glance if you decided to walk around naked. I mean, except for the obvious reasons, of course."

Roxanne sighed. She didn't particularly care for that argument, but she understood why Olivia had made it.

Then she turned her attention to May. Encouragingly, for a crude as her arguments had been, they seemed to be working. Rather than the openly hostile rejection from before, May now seemed conflicted, standing still with her pensive eyes darting back and forth between the two older PokeGirls. She kept opening her mouth as if to speak, only to close it again with her thoughts unstated.

"I'll...think about it," she said at last.

"Please do," Olivia said, laying a hand on May's shoulder and giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Remember, we just want to help."

Shivers ran through May's body at that simple touch, making her eyelids flutter. "Yeah, uh...I get that." She coughed. "But...let's get back to what we were doing. We can talk about all that once we've found them."

Olivia nodded, and then Roxanne did too. The three of them set out again, Roxanne in the lead, Olivia in the rear, with May walking in thoughtful silence between the two.

...

This was the second time in so many days Meowth had been caught and locked up by his own stinking organization, along with the loser Pokemon of those loser humans he was forced to work with.

But unlike the situation in Viridian City, this was much less pleasant. For one, instead of being shoved into a tiny little pet carrier, he and the others were instead kept in a large kennel at the back of a cave. The cave was colder than he'd like, but hey, it sure beat the crap out of that tight, claustrophobic space.

They had even been fed, with several dishes of Pokemon chow and bowls of water laid out for them! Again, not ideal, as Meowth had gotten somewhat accustomed to human food, but hey, a step up was a step up.

The only question was could they trust the food. Or each other.

They were all in a circle around the kennel, each one a fair distance from their neighbors. In the middle was the food and water, which all of them was hungrily eyeing. Meowth hadn't eaten for almost a day, and neither had the others. They all wanted it.

But what if it was poisoned? Or drugged? Meowth was a faithful servant of Team Rocket, but that didn't mean he harbored any illusions about its trustworthiness.

And if they did all go for the food, what was to prevent any of the others from backstabbing someone else and taking their share? These were questions that had to be considered.

Meowth eyed Raticate, who was the closest to him. Then he shot a glare over to Poocheyna. Nobody moved.

Finally Houndour growled. "Houndour! Houndor, Houn?"

(translation: "This is madness! If we cannot trust Administrator Cliff, then who can we trust?")

"Oh, yeah?" Meowth snapped. "Yah really trust dis guy dat much, Houndope?"

"Houndour! Houndour dour Houn!"

(translation: "Of course! Administrator Cliff is one of the most noblest servants to the Glory of Team Rocket!")

Off to one side, Sableye rolled her gemstone eyes and made a point to loop her disgusting tongue all the way around and lick herself on the ass, conveying her opinion of Houndour's fanatical loyalties.

"Well den, mebbe yah beddah be dah one tah take dah first bite!" Meowth said.

"Houndour, Houn Hound!"

(translation: "All right, then I will!")

Houndour trotted confidently toward the food. Approaching one plate, he knelt down and began eating.

Everyone watched in hungry anticipation. Honestly, Meowth wasn't sure what he wanted to happen more, that the food prove to be safe or that it was poisoned after all.

In a few short bites, the dish was empty, and Houndour began lapping at one of the bowls of water. Finishing it off, he raised his head and declared. "Houn? Houndou-"

(translation: "See? It's fine-")

That was as far as he got before everyone else charged.

...

"The scouts have been sent out," Ambihilech said. "We have few to spare, but they will do what they can to find your friend, as well as your other blessed mate's human ball."

"Uh, th-thanks," Ash said. "We appreciate it."

Misty felt a scowl forming at the reference to that monster Jessie being referred to as one of Ash's "blessed mates," but she didn't say anything. If there was one person you didn't want to argue with, it was a giant snake made entirely out of boulders. So long as they found May.

She, Ambihilech, and Ash were walking through the tunnels of Ambihilech's little (well, actually, quite large) sanctuary, with Malakai trailing behind to provide a line of communication. Misty was still naked save for the cloak she had been loaned (she hadn't asked where it had come from and they hadn't told her, which was probably for the best), though thanks to how warm these caves were she didn't need to put up her static field. It was odd how comfortable she was getting walking around in the nude. Not that she hadn't been somewhat used to it before (one did not be friends with May Maple without developing some sort of exhibitionist streak), but there was no denying how...enjoyable it was now. And that sort of bothered her. She really was going to have to do some thinking once they were out of here.

They stopped in front of what looked like the entrance to another cavern. Inside it was dark, though there was some illumination from the various crystal clusters.

"In the meantime, you two ought to see to your needs," Ambihilech said.

"Our what?" Ash said.

Ambihilech did that weird, rippling shrug again. "I confess, I do not fully understand many of the rituals or customs behind the taking of a blessed mate, but I do know that frequent coitus is required. As it is now, as your smell would indicate."

Oh.

Misty's cheeks warmed, and she had to keep from rubbing her thighs together. It was true that ever since Misty had woken up, she had felt that ever-persistent need nestled within her loins steadily grow and grow. She and Ash had gone at it four times already since waking up, and she was already fighting the urge to pounce on him and tear his clothes off.

Honestly, maybe she should rethink the whole PokeGirl thing. Yes, it felt fantastic, but sweet salty seas was it inconvenient!

Still, it was kind of weird how casual Ambihilech was about the whole thing, wasn't it?

"It…It is," Misty admitted. She tried speak as calmly as possible, but couldn't keep her voice from catching.

"Ah. Well, there you go," Ambihilech said with one of his rippling shrugs. Then he turned to focus on Ash, his head titled in puzzlement. "Does something trouble you, young Ashley?"

Misty couldn't help but smirk at that. Though she hadn't brought it up, she had found out about Ash's full name some days ago, when she had been putting his trainer ID. She hadn't said anything at the time, preferring to save that information for later, should it come in handy.

And as it turned out, when the talking moonstone Onix had wanted to know Ash's name, Misty had answered honestly. Served him right.

Sure enough, Ash shot her a confused look, obviously wondering how Ambihilech had learned that. "No. um, Well, it's just…I didn't expect…I thought you find the whole 'blessed mate' thing to be…weird."

Misty sighed and rolled her eyes.

For his part, Ambihilech continued to stare down at the two in bemusement.

Then he began to tremble, his long, rocky body jerking, while a deep, grinding sound emitted from within him, like chunks of granite being dragged across cement.

He was laughing. The talking moonstone Onix was laughing.

Then Ambihilech turned his attention toward the cave they had stopped in front of. Following his line of sight, Misty looked in as well.

It was a large, circular cavern, one lit by more crystal clusters protruding from the walls. In the center was another crater-like nest, this one even bigger than the one back at the main cavern.

And within were several other Onixes, all curled up together, all with their heads reared up and looking toward Ambihilech with eager interest.

"Young Ashley," Ambihilech said, his mental voice full of amusement. "Your kind is not the only one known to take on several mates through trial of combat."

Misty made a choking sound from deep within her throat. Ambihilech didn't mean...

"Now, if you'll excuse me…" Ambihilech said before slithering in to join his...well, his own "blessed mates."

Though they both knew that they shouldn't, neither Ash nor Misty could resist standing and watching for a bit. Apparently Pokemon had even fewer privacy taboos when it came to sex, because none of them seemed to care that they were being watched, and carried right on.

"Wow," was all Ash could think of to say after a bit.

"That's a big harem," Misty remarked.

Malakai let out a long groan. He looked like he was fighting a massive headache.

The wizened Hypno then gave the two children a glance, shrugged, and then turned to walked away.

"Um, hey!" Ash called after him.

Malakai paused. He looked over his shoulder, head tilted in puzzlement, eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Sorry, but is there any place we can go to have some privacy?"

Misty swallowed hard.

As for Malakai, his irritated scowl became more confused.

"Look, it's a human thing, okay?"

"Besides, you don't want us banging right in front of you, right?" Misty threw in.

Malakai's face twisted up in disgust. "Hypno," he rumbled, and then pointed his finger. Further down the path was another cavern entrance.

"Thank you!" Ash hastily grabbed Misty by the hand. She couldn't help but let out a small gasp as the touch sent electricity up through her arm, but in his haste his didn't notice. The two hurried away from the increasingly annoyed Hypno and the entrance to Ambihilech's boudoir and the grinding sounds coming from within.

The cavern turned out to be much simpler than the one they had woken up in, and seemed to be a storage room of some kind. At least, several stacks of food that a Pokemon might enjoy, from mushrooms to plants from the surface to actual bags (where had they gotten those) of something that smelled rather meaty (she didn't want to know where that had come from). Still, it would do.

As Ash looked back over his shoulder back toward the Onix orgy, Misty took a moment to compose herself. Come on, get it together! Yes, she most definitely wanted to do this, but there was something that had to be addressed first.

And that was that Misty was still mad at Ash.

"Whew," Ash said, turning away from the tunnel. "Man, I knew Mt. Moon had some really cool secrets, but I never counted on anything like that!" He turned to Misty. "I mean, I thought humans were horny, but it turns out-"

The rest of his thought died in his throat.

Misty had her arms folded over her chest, one finger tapping the opposite bicep, lightning flashing in her emerald eyes. Yes, that crackling energy was sparking away deep inside her, bringing warmth to her cheeks and thickness to her breath. Yes, the insides of her thighs were shimmering with moisture.

But she was still angry, and he could tell.

Ash's shoulders slumped. "So, I'm guessing you're still made at me, huh?" he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

Misty's eyebrows crept closer together. "Part of me wants you inside me, the other part wants to knock your block off," she said. "And right now, I can't tell which one is stronger."

Ash winced. "Look, I know-"

"Ash, just don't," Misty sighed. "We've had this talk before, and I'm getting kind of sick of it!"

"What was I supposed to do?" Ash demanded. "Just let her go off to get killed? I know she's a bad person, but not even she deserves that!"

The glare Misty shot him was so fierce that he actually took a step back. "So instead you order me to chase blindly after her to get killed myself?" she snapped back. "Did you forget that I can't disobey you? Did you forget that she's bigger and probably stronger than me? I could've been killed, Ash! And I did get hurt!"

That definitely shook him. "I-I'm sorry. You're right, that was...I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"Well, I did! And it's one thing when I get in trouble and something bad happens! It's another when I'm forced into something I don't even want to do and can't say no!" Angry tears were starting to prickle at Misty's eyes. "I'm starting to like being your PokeGirl, okay? There's times where it feels really good when you take control! But when you do this sort of thing it makes me not want to!"

That got to him. Ash went stiff, his throat expanding as he swallowed hard.

Truthfully, for as angry as Misty was, she didn't like blowing up at Ash like this. But she just had to make him understand. "Ash, last night you promised to protect me," she said. "Remember that? Remember how important that was? That was the deal. But the second something went wrong, you forced me to chase after an older and probably stronger PokeGirl, one that, again, already tried to kill you, through a bunch of underground caves filled with Arceus knows what!"

That was it. That was the point Misty needed to drive home. She knew Ash was reckless. She knew Ash was stubborn. She knew Ash had this weird protective streak over everyone and everything that he caught. That was fine! But for her to put herself in his hands, to let him own her, she needed to know that she could trust him.

And so far, his batting average wasn't looking great.

But it did seem she was getting through to him. She could see the guilt in his eyes, the way his throat was tightening.

Still, she didn't avert her stare. She just waited.

Finally Ash exhaled the breath his was holding, and his shoulders slumped. "I know," he mumbled. "And again, I'm sorry. But I can't-" His voice caught, and he had to force the rest out. "I can't just abandon someone down here, no matter who they are! Especially since she was only down here because of me. I know she's a bad person, I know she doesn't deserve our help, but I just can't!"

He was practically pleading with her to understand, to see why he couldn't just abandon Jessie. And honestly, Misty kind of wanted to slap him!

But the two of them were getting to know one another. When pushed, Ash put up walls. But much like she had redirected that electric surge whenever she orgasmed, Ash could be redirected as well. Maybe there was a middle that could be reached.

"Then please. Just take a second and think," Misty said, taking Ash by the hand and squeezing it with both of hers. "I can help you! You're a good trainer, Ash! You're great at thinking on your feet and coming up with tactics on the fly! But not every battle needs to be fought head-on. And sometimes you need to just let something go."

Ash, who eye's had been softening as she spoke, suddenly grew hard and resolute. "No."

Misty sighed. "Ash..."

"I'm not doing that," Ash said with a vehement shake of his head. "I can't. I just...can't."

Misty was silent for a moment. Then she said, "And if we were both in danger, and you could only save one of us, would you let her go to save me?"

"What?" Ash blinked. "I...I mean of course I would! I just don't think-"

"And if she was in danger, and the only way to save her was to make me do something that you knew would get me hurt, would you do it?"

Ash inhaled sharply. "I..."

"Because it might come to that, Ash! What're you going to do then?"

That struck him silent. He fidgeted in place, rising up and down on his toes as he stuck his hands in his pockets, only to pull them out to jam into his jeans pockets instead.

Then he said, "If I had to make a choice, I'd choose you. Every time. But I can't not try. You get that, right?"

Sighing, Misty let some of the tension ease out of her tightly wound muscles. "I know," she said. She leaned in toward him, laying her fingers on his shoulder and resting her head against his neck. "I'm just scared that you'll try too hard."

His arms encircled her waist, drawing her in closer. "Okay. Next time, I won't force you to do anything. And, um, I'm sorry about that too. I kind of...forgot the whole obedience thing."

"Well, you better not," Misty grumbled as she shifted her arms to drape around his neck. "Time and place, Ashley. Sometimes it's good. Other times, not so much!"

Ash's whole body flinched. "Okay. Seriously. How did you two find out about my name? Did May tell you? Yellow?"

"Nope." Misty snickered. "I looked you up in the computer when I put your ID together. Your school ID was there, along with your full name." She drew back, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "So when Ambihilech asked your name, I told him!"

Ash groaned. "Okay, look. It was my Grandma's name, okay? Mom and Dad...didn't really think things through. So don't call me that."

"Aw, but I think it's cute!" Misty reached up to lightly boop Ash on the nose. "But okay. Ash it is, then."

Shaking his head, Ash drew her close again. Sighing, Misty let her eye close. She wasn't really satisfied with how her talk with Ash had resolved, but enough of her anger had been mollified that she was able to enjoy being held by him.

"So, um," Ash said after a bit, giving the fullness of her rear a squeeze. "You said there's times where you like it when I take control."

Misty snorted. "Well, there was when you were giving me orders when we were fighting off those Zubats," she murmured, her soft lips brushing the nape of his neck. "You were my eyes, I was your…um…lightning rod, I guess." Her naked hips started to move back and forth, slowly rubbing her groin against his thigh. "That felt…really good. Th-Then there was last night. When you made me let you take care of my…oh…my little problem." She gently kissed his shoulder, making him shiver. "That…Okay, I was really annoyed at first, but that was also…that also felt good. Giving myself to you like that. Letting you…you use me like that. That was hot."

Misty could feel Ash's groin twitch against her as she said that. Good. "So…you like it when I tell you what to do, uh, s-s-sexually?" he said.

"Well, it's a little weird," Misty admitted. "With May, I'm usually the one taking the lead. Still…" Fingertips caressed the back of Ash's neck before holding him firmly, bring his mouth to hers. Eyelids dipped, lips molded against each other, and she tasted his sweet breath.

"I think I can get used to it," Misty finished as she drew away from him,

Ash slowly breathed out. He seemed to be psyching himself up.

Then he place his hand on her shoulder and murmured, "Then get on your knees."

…

After their meal, Cliff led Cassidy, Butch, and James through his headquarters, down to the kennel to pick up their Pokemon.

Cassidy wondered how long the old mining had been abandoned before Team Rocket had found it, and how much they had restored. It was obviously old, with rust marring most of the surfaces, but power had been restored, the lights replaced, and the dirt and scum scrubbed clean. Agents, Grunts, and PokeGirls were milling about, seeing to one task or another. It was clear that Cliff ran a tight ship.

"The full details of our mission here are, of course, classified," Cliff was saying. "You of course understand: should any of you be captured, then it's best to give you as little information as possible so there is little you can reveal if tortured."

James blanched. "Tortured?!"

Butch agreed. "I ain't heard of no police torturin' nobody!"

"Then you've never done time in a Kalosian prison camp," Cliff remarked. "Besides, we have enemies other than law enforcement. That ninja fool down in Fuschia, for example, would have no reservations whatsoever in removing your digits one-by-one Regardless, what I can tell you is that our operations here are at a critical junction. We are nearly complete, but the local resistance has complicated matters. We cannot afford further complications."

That drew Cassidy's attention. "Uh, 'local resistance'?"

Cliff nodded. "Yes. Pokemon. Wild Pokemon. We expected them to push back against our efforts. Some territorial behavior was expected." They stopped in front of an alcove in the wall, one that led to a rough stone shaft. Within was a cage elevator. Cliff smacked a button on a pole, and there was a loud whine, followed by the cage opening. "But they have proven to be surprisingly well-organized." They all stepped inside and the cage closed. "It's the fault of that crystal Onix, I just know it."

With a rumble the elevator began to descend.

"I'm sorry, but did you just say something about a crystal Onix?" James said.

Cliff nodded, his brow knitted together in a fearsome scowl. "Onixes are most commonly composed of granite, yes, but ones made up of other minerals have been known to exist, rare as they are. This one is made up of chunks of crystal."

Cassidy gasped. "Sweet Mother of Arceus, something like that would be worth-"

"I am well aware of its value as a prize and am working toward its capture," Cliff said, cutting her off. "However, at the moment I am more concerned with the fact that it has taken up something of a leadership role for the local Pokemon, and is doing an admirable job making trouble for us." The elevator came to a stop, and the cage slid open again. "Which brings me back to my original point. Given the state of things down here, we really do need as few complications as possible, and your operations is complicating things for my operation."

...

Trembling with excitement, Misty did as her trainer had commanded, obediently kneeling down in front of him. Now that she was eye-level with his denim-covered groin, she could see the fullness of his erection straining against the front of his pants, twitching with desire.

"Wow, how many times have we gone today?" Misty said, cupping his bulge with her hands and giving it a light squeeze. "And you got another one loaded up." She leaned in to plant a small kiss on the front of his crotch.

Ash let out a low grunt through clenched teeth. "Th-Then do something about it."

Yes, Master, her mind responded. She blinked at her own body's reaction. Wow. Make no mistake, she fully intended to obey, but those were words that she never had expected to come out of her brain!

Worry about that later. For now, penis.

"You got it," she said, and then reached to undo his belt, popping it open and loosening it around his waist. From there, she slid the button of his jeans through the hole and pulled down the zipper. The metal teeth parted, revealing white patterned with little red pokeballs. With one level of restraint gone, his bulge pushed out from between the flaps, giving her glimpses of the stiff, pink rod through the slit of his boxers.

"There you are," she purred, reaching in to coax it out the rest of the way. Ash's little eager cock flopped out.

As before, Misty felt a rush of excitement at seeing his naked boyhood, not unlike the thrill of anticipation that came from the initial ascent of a rollercoaster. Her swollen pussy lips were already beginning to weep, but now the liquid warmth was starting to seep down the insides of her thighs in earnest.

She gently took it into her hand, filling her grasp with its spongy firmness. Closing her eyes, she gave it a kiss at the base of the shaft, right over the ballsack, and continued kissing her way all along its length, before planting one last kiss on the head. A brief lick, a quick taste, and she opened her mouth to receive, taking his full length inside her.

Misty's eyes fluttered in pure ecstasy. Oh, it felt so good having him inside her like that, feeling him twitch and tremble against her lips.

Her tongue slid up and down Ash's dick, taking in his taste. Her lips closed around its tip, and she happily took its full length into her mouth, a preview of when he'll being filling her other mouth very soon.

Ash's hand came down, his fingers lovingly cupping her cheek. Misty's heart fluttered at the sweetness of his touch. Still keeping his dick in her mouth, she tilted her head, pressing into the warmth of his palm.

Suddenly Ash roughly seized her by the hair with both hands. Misty glanced up at him in surprise, wondering what he intended.

Then, to her delight, he pushed her head away from his crotch, only to yank her back in. In and out, in and out, Ash thrusting his boyhood into the warmth of her mouth.

This was the control that Misty wanted to see him take. This was the Ash that she didn't mind submitting to. She gladly let him keep roughly using her mouth for his pleasure. One hand reached down between her legs to finger at her throbbing snatch while the other seized the stiffness of one of her nipples and pinched it hard.

That's right! Use me! Use my mouth as your cock-sleeve! Ravage my naked little body and make me your toy!

"Misty," Ash groaned. "I'm...I'm almost-"

Misty hastily pulled her lips from his dick with a small pop. "Well, don't waste it!"

She leaned back, presenting her bare torso to him. The hand that she had been using to masturbate slid two fingers down to spread her pussy lips wide, opening herself to receive. "All yours," she purred.

Ash nodded. He was about to descend upon her, but then his face lit up. "Wait! Can we try something?"

Whimpering in frustration, Misty stared pleadingly up at her Master. Try something? Now? Couldn't he see how much she needed him? Besides, she could see the precum dripping from the tip of his penis! If they didn't hurry, it was all going to be wasted.

"What?" she squeaked.

"There's something I sort of did with May the other day, but we didn't get to go all the way. Get on your hands and knees and turn away from me!"

And with that, Misty understood. Oh, so that's what he wanted to try? Well, she was certainly fine with that!

"Yes," she breathed, and shuffled over onto her belly. Pushing up onto her hands and knees as instructed, she turned away from Ash, presenting him with her rear. With a fetching glance over her shoulder, she smirked, and wiggled her butt back and forth for him.

Moving as if he were in a trance, Ash knelt down behind her. Then he grasped her by the hips and slowly slid his dick up between her thighs.

"Oh, yes," Misty murmured as the boy's shaft, already slick with her saliva, now ran itself up and down her aching pussy, smearing its length with her hot arousal as well. Ash then withdrew, and Misty felt the tip press up against her entrance.

"Oh."

With a grunt, Ash pushed forward, entering her from behind.

"Oh!"

Mewling helplessly, Misty collapsed, her upper body sprawling onto the cave floor as Ash filled her up. There was just something about having his cock in her pussy that made everything feel all the more beautiful. Sure, she had taken dildos and strap-ons and a few things that she was a little embarrassed about (she had been alone and horny and had to make due with whatever happened to be around) that were all longer and thicker than Ash, but they had all been nothing more than lifeless tools, no matter how closely they had been designed to resemble living flesh. Ash's boyish little cock was alive, full of spunk (literally now!) and vigor, and as eager for her as she was for it.

Deeper and deeper he went, sliding in until her hips were pressed against his, and she could feel his dangling testicles bump against her thighs.

"Oh man, you feel so good," Ash groaned. His body shivered against Misty, pleasantly vibrating his cock where it was sheathed inside of her. With one hand he grabbed onto the curve of her ass, fingers digging into the firmness of one cheek, while the other ran up and down her side, squeezing, caressing, and yes, even groping.

Misty was all but panting with joy. Ash was touching her. Ash was inside of her. Ash was enjoying her young body like he should be. Oh please, please let him touch her more, let him run his hands over every bit of her nubile flesh, let him use her like the obedient slut that she was meant to be!

To her delight, Ash started to do just that, firmly grabbing onto her hips with both hands and pounding his cock in and out of her. Misty squealed as Ash pounded her doggystyle, mounting her like a Arcanine in heat. Her rump slapped against his thighs, every thrust sending sparks shooting through her brain. Keeping herself braced on one forearm, she again thrust her hand back between her legs to toy with her throbbing clit, swirling the little pearl of flesh around.

More! More! MORE! Take me, take me, TAKE ME!

Then Ash yanked her ass back one last time, grunting as his cock spasmed inside of her. Splurt after splurt of gooey warmth shot out into Misty's immature womb, filling her whole body with heat. Ecstasy overwhelmed her, short-circuiting her mind and leaving her a twitching, babbling mess. Muttering nonsense, her upper body collapsed against the hard stone of the cave floor, helpless to do anything as the orgasm surged through her.

Finally Ash was spent, and he too fell to the side, taking her rump with him. With a shudder, Ash slowly began to withdraw. Misty couldn't help but let out a moan of protest. She hated it when his penis left her. It made her feel so...empty inside.

Fortunately, Ash himself wasn't going anywhere. Gathering the trembling PokeGirl into his arms, he laid down on the ground behind her, hugging her tight. Sighing, Misty let herself relax into the cuddle. Mmmm, so nice...

What the heck was that?

Misty's eyes fluttered. Huh?

What did I just do?

Now that the haze of lust and pleasure was lifting, Misty felt more of herself start to return. And with it came a healthy dose of chagrin.

Seriously, what had that been all about? She had never just lost herself like that before, not even with May! It was like all of her base desires had just risen up and overwhelmed her, not only her need to be screwed, but also her need to be...to be controlled, to be owned, to be utterly dominated by Ash!

And...okay, she had told him that she liked that, but not that much! Actually now that she thought about it, not even May had ever gotten quite that slutty before, right?

Well, maybe she had, but that was May! She was Misty stinkin' Waterflower! And Misty Waterflower was nobody's pet slut, not even Ash's! They were supposed to be more like...partners! Heck, she was still his mentor! That meant she outranked him, right? Or...Or something! Where did she get off getting all submissive for some rookie-

Making a pleased sound deep in his throat, Ash exhaled in a long, happy sigh. "Good girl," he murmured, gently stroking her side.

And with those two words, Misty felt everything inside of her go utterly tight, from her stomach to her pussy to her throat.

Ash noticed. "Uh, Misty? Are you-"

Wow. Okay, talk about having something awakened inside of you!

"Um, A-Ash?" Misty said, her voice cracking. She shifted around in his arms, so the two were facing one another. "Could you...call me that again?"

"Huh?"

"Please." Misty laid her head against his chest, her own arms slipping in around his waist. "Again. Please."

Ash hesitated, but then his embrace tightened, drawing her closer. "Good girl."

If she wasn't afraid that making any sort of vocal noises would cause her to break down sobbing, Misty might have laughed. Earlier she had mocked Ash's stupid off-the-cuff pet name of "Sparky." But now he had just stumbled upon one that taught Misty something she had never realized about herself.

Then Ash's hand traveled up, fingers lightly caressing her back and shoulders, before coming to rest in her hair. He began to gently stroke her, with all the tenderness of comforting a beloved family pet.

"You're such a good girl."

Oh God, she hadn't even asked him to pat her head, and he knew! She didn't even know that she wanted him to do that, and he knew!

Something inside of Misty broke then, and the tears came loose. Softly crying, she buried her face in Ash's shirt.

Ash's hand froze. "What? Misty? What's wrong? What'd I do?"

Inhaling sharply through clenched teeth, Misty hissed out, "Don't you dare stop."

Ash still seemed confused, but his hand resumed stroking her hair. "Okay," he said. "Good girl."

He held her, letting her cry, letting her ride out her own confused fear and happiness, as one clueless dork's loving affection found the weak spot in the high walls Misty had spent years building up and brought them crumbling down.

…

"What?" Cassidy said in alarm. "What do you mean by that?"

They were continuing down another hallway, this one of rusted metal. There were a series of doors to either side, most of them taped off, but a few looked to be back in use.

"It's quite simple," Cliff said. "Your hunt for your quarry is interfering with my work. And the value of my work supersedes yours, no offense, I had deigned to take the simplest solution: my people will subdue those you are pursuing and bring them here. Once they are safely in our custody, you will be allowed to deliver them to Archer as ordered."

"Um..." Cassidy, Butch, and James all exchanged a look. "We were...sort of supposed to do that ourselves..."

"Yes, yes, I know," Cliff sighed. "Archer does like his 'tests.' There is some value in them, I admit, but sometimes that boy's insistence on perfection overrides his good sense. In this particular case, results are needed. And I can provide results."

...

While things were still dire, they were at least better than they had been. The three PokeGirls were now on what was likely the right path to find the missing children, they had plenty of supplies, Team Rocket was no longer hot on their trail, and May was now centered and sane. Not only that, she was actually considering making a healthy life choice, a positive direction all around.

They continued on through the tunnel, searching for any sign of Misty Waterflower and Ash Ketchum. As they did, both Roxanne and Olivia's morale only improved. After all, this was practically their natural habitat.

"You know, as bad as things are right now, it does feel kind of nice to be back down here," Olivia remarked.

Roxanne nodded. "True. I mean, I wish it were under different circumstances, but if we have to be trapped anywhere, at least it's here."

"What?" May said, snapping out of her trance. "What's that mean? You've been here before?"

"Well, not here here," Olivia admitted. "Not this part specifically. But yeah, we've taken plenty of trips to Mt. Moon with Brock."

"He is a rock-type Gym Leader," Roxanne told the girl. "And we're rock-typed PokeGirls. It only makes sense."

"Ah," May sighed. "Buncha rock nerds. You remind me of Ash."

"Oh, he likes rocks?" Olivia said.

"Big time. Fossils especially. Guy's got this thing about extinct Pokemon."

The edge of Roxanne's mouth perked up. "Oh yes, I heard he went gaga over Brock's Kabutops."

May shrugged. "I wasn't around for that, but yeah. Me, I don't get it, but hey, whatever makes him happy, I guess."

"Well, he has a point. They are fascinating. In fact, much of the Pewter City Science Museum's fossil collection was dug up from this very mountain." Roxanne placed a hand on the rough, stone wall. "In fact, that's actually how I became Brock's PokeGirl. It gets me access to the Science Museum and Mt. Moon, and plus I get to learn under Brock himself! Did you know that in addition to being a highly respected Gym Leader, he is also a leading expert in tectonic bodies?"

May stared. "So, wait, being his PokeGirl is basically like an internship for you?"

"Not inaccurate, but more like a study program. I'll actually be finishing up sometime next year, but haven't really made up my mind if I want to go back or stay on a bit longer. There are many advantages to being a Harrison PokeGirl."

"Huh," May said. "Say, where are you from again?"

"Rustboro."

"That explains it, then," May said. Rustboro definitely did a lot of boring rock stuff. She turned to Olivia. "What about you? Is this like a college thing for you, too?"

Olivia laughed. "Me? Oh, no, he caught me the old-fashioned way during a trip to Alola, back when he was still a traveling trainer. Can't say I was all that disappointed, though. I mean, have you seen those biceps? Rawr!"

"Yeah, I'm not really into grown-up guys," May said flatly.

"But grown women are fine?" Roxanne said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. Boobs."

"She's got you there," Olivia remarked to Roxanne.

"I'm sorry, what was your reason for not wanting to be released again? Oh, that's right. Something about the islands not having anywhere near that, ahem, 'outstanding quality dick.'"

Olivia snorted back laughter.

"Um, are you trying to convince me to sleep with Brock?" May said, her face twisting up in disgust. "Because sure, he's good looking and all, but I am so very much not interested."

That did it. Olivia lost all control and just about doubled-over laughing while Roxanne buried her face in her palm. "No, May. Nobody here wants you to sleep with Brock."

"Though, hey, just out of curiosity," Olivia said once she had calmed down enough to straight back up. "What are your preferences, anyway? Because you seem to go for girls of every type and age, but don't seem to really like guys all that much."

Roxanne's face fell. "Olivia, are you really questioning the actual child about her sexual preferences?"

"We literally just had sex with her, Teach. Afraid that ship's sailed."

Roxanne's stomach clenched up. She did not need to be reminded of that.

Nor how much she had liked it.

"Um, well, truthfully, I do just like girls better," May said at last. "In all shapes and sizes. They're just so...pretty, you know? But guys are...case by case. Like, they're fine, but not my first choice." Then the corner of her lip perked up. "There's a few I would definitely want to mount me like a Persian in heat, though. Just drive their meaty rods into my sweet little pussy and ravage me!"

"Okay, stop," Roxanne hissed. "I do not need-"

"Just take me straight to Pound Town! Smack my ass, twist my titties, and make me sing!" May continued, now clearly just doing it to be a little snot.

"Like Ash?" Olivia suggested.

May nodded with great enthusiasm. "Exactly! I want that lovely boy to make me his breeding-slut! Just fill up my orifices until I'm leaking cum from at least three different holes! Tie me up until I'm utterly helpless, and spank me raw like the bad girl I am. I want him to-"

"Wait, hold on," Roxanne said suddenly. She tilted her head and sniffed the air.

"-cover me with bruises and teeth-marks! I want him to-"

"May. I'm serious. Stop. Something's wrong."

May stopped, thankfully enough. She looked around as well.

"What is it?" Olivia whispered.

Roxanne's eyes narrowed. She knelt down, touching a hand to the cold, stone floor.

Micro-tremors were emitting through the ground. Something was coming.

"Get ready," she said to the other two as she slowly rose up. "I think there's-"

Then there came a metallic wump, followed by the sound of expelling gas.

Roxanne was instantly on high alert. "Get down!" she cried. "We're-"

Something small and around came sailing out of the darkness to land in their midst.

The three PokeGirls scattered in three different directions. Not that it made any difference, as the wumping continued, and more of the objects were launched toward them.

Roxanne braced herself, expecting some kind of explosion.

There was none.

Huh?

Still tensed up, Roxanne opened her eyes. On the ground were a number of metal cylinders, about the size of softballs.

And they were all hissing.

Realization hit her. Hold your breath! her brain screamed. Hold your breath before it's-

It was too late.

One by one, all three of them slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Moments later, several figures clad in full-bodied black outfits, their faces covered by gas masks emerged to stand over the fallen PokeGirls.

...

"We will have them soon enough," Cliff told his subordinates. "The boy I expect will be disposed of. The renegade Gym Leader and the daughter of the Hoennian Gym Leader will serve rather obvious purposes, and Harrison's PokeGirls will make for excellent leverage. Team Rocket is served by their capture, you return to Archer's good graces, and I may continue my work unabetted." He paused in the middle of the hallway, and turned to face them, his hands clasped behind his back. "I think we can all agree that this is a mutually beneficial solution."

Cassidy shot a glance at Butch, who was anxiously gnawing on his lower lip. They were both thinking the same thing. On the one hand, it did solve all of their problems.

On the other, if Archer ever found out...

But it seemed that James's concern was not with upsetting their boss. Why would it be? His entire existence upset anyone with half a brain. "But what about Jessie?" he demanded. "You haven't said anything about her?"

A small smile tugged at Cliff's mouth. "Ah, your loyalty to your partner is quite commendable. Do not worry yourself, Mr. Morgan. Jessie will be returned to your side soon enough, and you both will be able to enjoy the suffering of those who dare oppose the might of Team Rocket."

...

As Jessie sat bound hand-and-foot by sticky silk, her eyes and mouth covered with more of the same, she came to learn quite a bit about herself.

The first is that being a PokeGirl was a lot different from being a healthy young (and quite stunning) woman. For one, she was stronger now. She could literally feel the raw power coursing through her muscles, more than she had ever experienced before. It almost made her want to actually go to a gym, just to see how much she could lift.

Almost.

For another, everything just felt…clearer. More real. It was like all of her senses sensitivity had been cranked into overdrive, like she had lived her whole life as a dull butter knife that had finally been whetted into a lethal blade.

Everything was so fresh and new! Her nose was stronger, filling her nostrils with the pungent stench of moist stone and wild Pokemon (yuck). Her ears could now discern the rumbling of nearby Gravelers and the dripping of water into a nearby pool. Her skin had never been so sensitive, with every movement filling her with sensation! Hell, she could almost taste the molecules in the air! Granted, it tasted awful, filled with what she could assume was the result of several days of nonstop Pokemon flatulence, but she could taste it, to her regret.

But most of all, she was now growing aware of PokeGirls' most famous features.

Jessie considered herself quite sexually competent. A beautiful flower such as herself was alluring by nature, and she saw nothing wrong with exploiting that allure for her own pleasure. But never in her life had everything felt quite so...so...so sensual!

It was like every single nerve in her bottom had been rewired to connect directly to her loins and kicked into overdrive. Even simple things like the rustle of her own clothing over her body was enough to make her shiver. And let's not forget the part about her being all trussed up! That was, yes, very bothersome, but there was no denying the excitement that she derived from it! It reminded her of her college days. Not that she had ever attended college, but she had broken into enough of them, and on more than one occasion her attempts to infiltrate various fraternities and sororities had resulted in some kinky fun.

Clearly this was something that could be tons of fun in the right circumstances.

These were not the right circumstances.

Fortunately, she had an out. While the two horny brats talked to the giant glowing rock-snake (and oh, she could not wait to report the existence of that thing to the nearest Rocket HQ! Something like that had to be worth a fortune!), she was experimenting with her newfound power. And in doing so, she learned a few things.

For one, if she concentrated, she could fill her own saliva with venom, and that venom was slightly acidic! Not any kind that could hurt her, but it did make short work of the sticky webbing covering her face.

From there it was a matter of trying to get her own drool onto the bindings that tied her hands together without being noticed. She had to twist her body around, awkwardly angle her head, and spit at her wrists. It took several tries before she managed to score a hit.

Wait. Someone was coming, no doubt in search of her human ball.

Well, to that, Jessie was quite proud of herself for her quick thinking.

Actually, there were a lot of things about herself she was proud of, from her runway model looks to her evil cunning to her criminal allure. But she was also quite proud of her ass. It was of a perfect shape, like two juicy peaches filled with sweet, sticky nectar!

And that nectar of course referring to her irresistible charm, and not any specific bodily issue commonly associated with one's ass. Yes.

The point was, Jessie had a great ass!

It also, as she had come to discover, in possession of an anus durable enough to take any number of small objects. Sure, there were the expected things like cocks, strap-ons, and dildos, but there were other, more unorthodox things as well, such as various items of contraband when passing through customs was needed. Though it had been a bit of a pain at first, Jessie had come to enjoy those jobs.

And now that her new and improved body was twice as hardy as before, she could take even more items up her ass without so much as feeling discomfort! In fact, it actually felt pretty good!

And by that, it of course means that she had stuck her shrunken-down human ball into her anus before those horny brats or savage Pokemon could get their hands on it. It was there now, plugging her up quite tightly, secured safe and sound.

Now all she had to do was get out of her bonds before they started probing her more closely. Jessie had on more than one unfortunate occasion had her smuggled contraband found out thanks to some very deep probing, and it was not an experience she wanted to repeat with Pokemon.

She could feel the soaked strands around her wrist began to weaken as her spit ate through them. A pull, and they came loose.

Now that she had her hands free, she sat up, spat in her palms, and rubbed it over the webbing covering her legs. Come on, come on...

The footsteps were coming closer. Damn it, hurry up!

That old Hypno, the one that the big glowing Onix had spoken through, emerged, looking quite put out. Damn it, not him! He was a psychic-type, while Jessie was poison! There was no way she was a match for him.

Sure enough, as soon as he saw what she was doing, his eyes widened in alarm, and he immediately touched his fingers to his head. "Hypno!" he growled, and the room filled with a deep, pulsing hum.

Jessie stiffened, anticipating having her free will ripped away from her as he overpowered her mind and...had his way with her fresh, youthful body, or whatever it was that Hypnos did with their victims.

It didn't happen.

Jessie blinked. Huh? Was something supposed to happen? Was she being mind-controlled already? Were her thoughts still her thoughts, or was she already a mindless puppet?

Maybe this was a hallucination. Maybe he was making her suck his yellow cock already, but in her mind nothing of the sort was happening. Maybe-

The Hypno lowered his hand, and though his face was quite different from a human's, the expression of bewilderment was unmistakable.

"Hypno?"

Ha, it had failed! Well, of course it had! Jessie's mind was like a steel trap, far too stronger to bend to some measly savage!

Then the Hypno gestured with his hand, and Jessie felt some unseen force began to tug at her clothing, pulling upward.

Oh no, mind-control had failed, so now he was going to use telekinesis to throw her around! Why control her when he could simply smash her unconscious against all the hard stone?

Her clothing fluttered, and she felt the pull push up against her...only to stop.

Now Jessie and the Hypno were utterly bewildered. What was going on? His psychic powers were clearly working; she could feel the telekinetic force on her clothing. They just weren't working on her!

Well, of course she was immune! Her mind was strong, powerful enough to resist any measly Pokemon's attempts to-

No, no, no. Wait, that couldn't be it. She had been mind-controlled by Pokemon before, specifically in an especially embarrassing disaster when her and James's plans had been foiled by a single Kadabra owned by a trainer with a very juvenile sense of humor. Just because the two of them had been disguised as clowns to infiltrate a circus didn't mean it was okay to actually force them to work as clowns for a whole week!

Besides, wouldn't her new poison-typing make her even more vulnerable to psychic power? The only way she would be outright immune is if-

Wait.

Hold on.

Sure, she was poison-typed, but a lot of Rocket Grunts were, once they were caught. A PokeGirl's typing reflected something about their soul, their true nature, so it only made sense that evil girls received such appropriate typings.

But there was another typing that a lot of Rocket Grunts received, so much so that it was often a coin-toss whether they were poison or the other one. Jessie had simply assumed that given her new venomous nature meant that that coin had come down on the side of poison.

But what if it hadn't? Well, all right, it had, she definitely had a poison-typing. But what if it hadn't landed on any particular half, but instead balanced on its side? Dual-typings were rare, sure, but not unheard of.

Time to test it.

Wriggling her legs out of the web's binding, Jessie stood up, and reached deep inside of her for her power. The venom in her veins warmed in response, but she pushed that away. She wanted to see if she had another kind of power within her.

She did.

It was so odd, almost like lightning bolts of ice were crackling through her. It was cold, but also warmed her, energized her, empowered her. She could feel the twisted energy sweep out from her black heart and into her hands.

And when she brought her palms together, a sphere woven from night itself grew between her hands.

The Hypno's eyes went wide as he realized what was happening. He started to turn, no doubt to call for help, but it was too late.

"Goodnight!" Jessie crowed, and hurled the shadow ball.

It hit. The Hypno went stiff as dark energy swept through it, invading his mind and paralyzing his body.

Score!

Jessie seized up a nearby rock the size of a basketball. To her delight, it felt as light as a basketball as well! Dark, venomous, and incredibly strong! Oh, she should have let herself be caught so long ago!

With that, she hurled the rock right at the disoriented Hypno's head.

It hit, and the creature went down.

"YES!" Jessie crowed. She leapt into the air, pumping her hands in victory. "That's right, you ugly, wrinkled, old banana! Nobody puts Jessie in the corner and-"

Multiple noises of confusion in a variety of different voices rose up.

"Oh."

Right. There were still quite a lot of wild Pokemon in the cave with her, and all that commotion had drawn their attention. Everywhere Jessie looked, she saw dangerous eyes staring right at her.

Then those eyes all turned to the downed Hypno, who was lying lifeless on the floor, and the looks of confusion became ones of surprise, followed by anger.

And when they all turned back toward her again, the malice radiating from them was palpable.

Jessie ran a few quick calculations in her head, surmised that her chances of taking on dozens, if not hundreds of angry Pokemon all on her own were minimal at best, and decided on another course of action.

Time to go.

Without another word she spun on her heel and bolted for the nearest exit, legs propelling her faster than any Olympic sprinter, while howls of fury swelled up behind her.

...

A/N: Guys? I don't know about you, but I think Misty's starting to really like pet play.

Anyway, this dropped at least faster than last time, so there's that. Clearly Ash and Misty will continue to have major philosophical differences going forward, but hey, that's the standard for them. At least they be banging now.

So funny story about our new living boulder friend. The Crystal Onix episode was actually way after my time so I never saw it, but I must have heard about it from somewhere. When I came up with the idea of an Onix made out of crystals, I thought I had been the first to think of it, but then I was like, "I could have sworn I heard of this already being a thing from somewhere." A quick Google search confirmed that, yup, the anime did beat me to the punch, so I guess I did hear about it from somewhere and it like subconsciously influenced me.

Still, mine is made out of moonstone, talks, and is really horny. So, take that really old episode that I never saw.

ANYWAY, I finished updating all the Pokemon's pronouns and genders and shit. Still, it was a LOT of material to search for, so there's probably some stray ones that I missed. If you catch any going back through old wank material, feel free to let me know.