Sorry for the slight delay of the chapter. Some activities I've been doing on Friday are now back, so poorly managed my time this week. I'll try to keep it steady to Friday like always, but due to extra tiredness from my overtime at work, it may be delayed to Saturday. I hope the length of the chapter will make up for it. At that, enjoy, and thanks to the beta readers for their work.


The following day, Max and his pokemon were awoken very early by some maids, to Mad-Ji's demand. Not even giving them the time to eat their breakfast, Mad-Ji made them run all across the garden, just to wake them up. The sun had barely started rising half an hour later and Mad-Ji was sitting on the patio's fence, screaming at them.

{Come on, you lazy pack of slugs! If you want to get stronger, at least put some effort into this warm-up!} She yelled with crossed arms. {You're all so sluggish, you're starting to look like a group of disabled shellos!}

Max's pokemon, minus Luna who wasn't present, were doing pretty fine since they were physically in shape, but Max along with Scarlet, who was instructed to run on her legs like the others, wasn't doing so well. Both were visibly exhausted as they were going at the same speed, with Max slightly slowing down so Scarlet could keep up.

{Damnit! My legs… extremities hurt!} Scarlet complained.

{Keep running on them Doll-Face, and you will get used to it. Now move!} Mad-Ji shouted before launching a Shadow Ball close behind them, making them go a little faster.

They then ran a little bit more until Mad-Ji was out of sight.

"You doing… okay?" Max asked, worried about his gardevoir.

{No… my legs… are about to burst.}

"You can do it... Scarlet. I believe… in you."

{Easy for you... to say…}

"If this is only… a warm-up… I'm scared of what… she will do next."

{Don't make me… think about that. I already want to die.}

A moment later, Bonny and Aurora got past them.

{Come on, slowpokes. We already have a couple of laps ahead of you.} Bonny nagged before they were already far away.

{That rabbit… she will get… what is coming for her.} Scarlet growled between breaths.

"You should… save your breath… for running."

{Don't… tell me what to do.}

"Just… saying."

After another half an hour, they could finally take a break, with Scarlet panting the most, closely followed by Max.

"I don't understand. I trained… with you girls… all the time. I thought… I should be able to keep up better than this." Max expressed.

{This is real training Nemako, not one of your fuck sessions.} Mad-Ji responded. {Alright, warm-up over. You have forty-five minutes to eat your breakfast and get back here. For every minute you're late… actually, no. I think I'll save it as a surprise if you delay me. So by all means, take as much time as you'd like.} She informed them with a slightly sadistic grin.

With the group catching their breath, they headed inside.

{Wait.} Mad-Ji said while stopping Max.

Upon noticing, Scarlet stopped to look at him, wondering what was going on. After a brief glare from Mad-Ji, she glared back a short moment before continuing.

{...Where's the zoroark?} Mad-Ji asked.

"I… don't really know. She could be anywhere."

{When I asked everyone, I meant everyone.}

"I know, but Luna is a very free spirit. Even after catching her in a pokeball, she stayed quite wild."

{I don't really care. However, if she doesn't participate, then she's on her own. No way I'm wasting my energy and time guarding someone so undisciplined.}

"Luna can fend for herself. Despite her appearance, she's pretty strong."

{Pfft. Not for long, she ain't. After I'm done with all of you, she will fall behind.}

"She's not that much into fighting, so I wonder if she will even bother. Though, the more I get to know her, the more I realize that she's just a bit lazy."

{What part of 'I don't care' did you not understand? Forty-three minutes and counting, go before you miss the only source of energy I'll allow you to have.} Mad-Ji said before walking away.

Briefly scratching the back of his head, Max headed inside as well, where he joined the others for breakfast.

"Rough morning?" Helene engaged when he sat at the table.

"Yeah," Max replied. "I wonder how I'll survive the entire day like this."

"It sure seems difficult."

"Yeah, but I have to do this, especially not after the beating I just went through."

"You won't have it easy though," Aristide commented.

"I figured that..."

"No, I mean she will do everything in her power to make you fail. If I were to tell you that a long time ago she became an instructor, what do you think is the reason she didn't last very long in that position?"

"Because… she was too violent?"

"Indeed, but it wasn't the main reason. To her, weakness shouldn't even exist, at all. She pushed all of her trainees way beyond their limits, which resulted in them pretty much failing their boot camp, thus bringing her squad's success ratio to nearly zero percent. The very few individuals that did manage to survive her training were already exceptional. She is extremely demanding to a fault, and normal people can't succeed with her."

"That was unnecessary, honey." Helene intervened. "Don't discourage him."

"I'm not, I am simply making him understand what he's about to go through. I don't know what you were thinking when you asked her to train you, but it's almost a death wish." He added, making the room completely silent. "However… she may have seen something inside you if you were able to convince her."

"Yeah, my guts. I almost saw them myself." Max replied sarcastically.

"If she truly thought you were that weak, she would have never accepted."

"I didn't really 'convince' her. She tried to kill me, and when she saw that I survived, she accepted."

"If she really wanted you dead, you would already be on your way to the Hall of Origins, no doubt. She probably hit you with an attack that you were meant to endure, whether you could survive it or not. And another thing, if she didn't sense something in you, she wouldn't even give you a chance."

"So what? I'm like 'the chosen one,' or something like that?"

"Not really. You're probably just someone who can withstand pokemon attacks better than the average human."

{It makes sense. You did endure a lot of mistreatments since you started your journey, both physically and mentally.} Scarlet pointed out.

{Yeah. You survived when I went berserk during my first mega-evolution.} Bonny mentioned.

{You also endured a few of my attacks when you first caught me.} Aurora mentioned as well.

{You've managed to stay on your feet despite living horrible things.} Dusk stated.

{Maybe that's what she saw. Maybe she sensed that you could actually keep up with her training, or at least stay alive.} Aurora said.

"...I don't know."

{I've said this from the very beginning, master. You are exceptional, in more ways than one.} Scarlet reminded him.

"We'll see. I have yet to get through today before praising myself."

"You're the best. I'm sure you will show her just that." Dimitri claimed.

"Hehe, thanks."

{Aww. Isn't that cute?} Scarlet mocked.

[Shut up.] Max said in her head, making her grin a little.

Quickly, they were done with their meal and back to the garden forty minutes later. They waited for the remaining five minutes before Mad-Ji joined back with them.

{You're early, good. At least when it comes to pigging out food, you're fast. Now everyone, on your faces for push-ups.} She instructed.

Not questioning her, they did as they were told and all got down.

{Let's start with ten, see how you do.}

(Ten? That's way too easy… Is she up to something?) Max suspiciously thought.

{Ready? Exercise!}

Before they could even start moving up, Mad-Ji instantly increased the gravity around them by five times, making Max, Scarlet, and Dusk drop on their chests immediately with Aurora and May struggling to push themselves up. Surprisingly, Bonny had a bit less of difficulty than the others and was rising a bit faster.

{You've gotta be shitting me!} Mad-Ji shouted. {That's the best you Slugmas can do?! Fucking hell.} She added with a facepalm. {Clearly, there is a lot of work to be done. You maggots are gonna be very sorry soon.}

Mad-Ji then increased the gravity to a factor of seven, resulting in Aurora and the others barely being able to get up.

{I won't stop until everyone does at least one.}

Upon hearing that, the rest of Max's pokemon put more strength into the exercise. It took them a moment, but all managed to complete one, except for Max.

{Figures. Of course, it's Nemako slowing down the group.} Mad-Ji commented while glaring at Max, who was giving his all to just do one.

However, each time his stomach was barely leaving the ground, the tremendously amplified gravity pulled him back down, making him fall again and again. He even had trouble breathing due to how much his lungs were pressed against the ground. Next to him, the girls weren't under the increased influence anymore.

{Come on, master. You can do it.} Scarlet encouraged.

{Yes, master. I believe in you.} Dusk did the same.

"It's… too hard…" Max complained with a sweaty forehead.

{Too hard? Too hard?! I'll give you something that's 'too hard' Nemako!} Mad-Ji growled.

In an instant, the gravity went up another ten levels heavier. He was now so heavy that his own bones were on the verge of crushing him, unable to move at all and unable to breathe properly.

{He can't do it. Now stop!} Scarlet told Mad-Ji upon hearing him lacking air.

{Listen to me, you pathetic little shit. Never, say the phrase 'it's too hard' in front of me, got it?! It quickly gets on my nerves as it's an excuse for the weak to not try hard enough and to give up.}

"Yes...ma'am…" He said with the remaining air he had.

Mad-Ji held him for a short moment before finally releasing him.

{The same goes for all of you, as well.} She said, looking at the others. {You're all painfully weak as it is, so the least you can do is have a stronger mindset. Now back on your faces. This time, I want fifty.}

As soon as she changed gravity again, the group noticed that it was roughly one factor less intense than the first time. They then became aware that in a sense, Mad-Ji was more or less fair in the training. They still doubted that they could reach their objective in her conditions, but she at least gave them half a chance to succeed by increasing the gravity to a factor of three and a half instead of five. Again, Aurora, Bonny, and May were ahead, with Scarlet and Dusk slowly following behind. Luckily, Max managed to make a few as well, but as he was approaching his eighth, he was wondering if he could even reach twenty, making him the slowest. Bonny and Aurora were about to complete thirty push-ups, but May reached her limit and dropped at her twenty-eighth. Scarlet and Dusk had only reached their fifteenth but were still moving. Unfortunately, Max couldn't get past eleven, struggling to go for twelve. Soon enough, both Bonny and Aurora were in a tie for forty, with Aurora ahead by two.

{That's not good enough, Muks. I'm not seeing any determination or drive from any of you. All I see is a bunch of human-fucking cocksuckers who aren't even trying.} Mad-Ji shouted, hoping to push them to do better.

Unfortunately, her words didn't seem to have any effect.

{Un-fucking-believable.}

Her eyes then landed on Max, who was pathetically trying to keep up in vain. She then grinned.

{Maybe I need to change things up a bit.}

Still keeping the gravity on the others, Mad-Ji used her power to drag Max next to her. Now out of the gravity field, Max dropped on his knees, now able to breathe properly.

{I think you all need the proper motivation.}

Now using her bare hand, she grabbed Max by his shirt's collar and made him stand.

{Alright, maybe this will bring the best out of you.}

In one finger snap, Max found himself unable to breathe at all, with his entire respiratory system shut down by Mad-Ji. Grabbing his throat instinctively, Max dropped on his knees, unable to make a sound. Max's pokemon immediately panicked.

{What are you doing?} Scarlet demanded aggressively.

{You have roughly three minutes to come over here and save him. Otherwise, he's dead.} She announced with a dead serious face.

The girl's instinct then kicked in. In a rush of adrenaline, they all managed to get up, even Scarlet and Dusk who were physically the weakest, albeit with extreme difficulty.

{Better, but still not good enough.} Mad-Ji said before increasing the gravity back to a factor of five.

Almost immediately, Scarlet and Dusk collapsed on their knees, unable to stand due to their legs lacking the adequate strength to stand. May was still up, but struggling to move forward. With a determined and angry expression, Bonny and Aurora were getting closer, their eyes locked on Max.

{Aww, the power of love. Let's see how much good it will do you.}

Again, Mad-Ji increased gravity, this time to a factor of eight, now incapacitating May. Fortunately, Aurora and Bonny were still up but had gotten awfully slower. After two steps, Mad-Ji made them heavier again up to a factor of ten this time. At this point, both the lucario and lopunny stopped without falling, their legs shaking from the sheer amount of force they had to exert to remain standing. Bonny then made one step forward.

{Willpower. That's what I like to see.}

Not letting up, Mad-Ji increased the gravity yet again to a factor of fifteen, finally enough to make Aurora fall. To everyone's surprise, Bonny was still standing, her mind focusing only on one thing; saving Max. It had been around one minute and the gravity around Bonny was now sixteen times heavier, yet she was still standing, her legs slightly bent and barely able to put one leg forward. Mad-Ji then stared at Bonny with narrow eyes before turning up the gravity around Bonny until it was twenty times heavier. She was now unable to move, but was still up and lowered into a squat position. For a moment, Mad-Ji stared at Bonny again, a bit taken by surprise by the lopunny's resilience.

{Alright, Cheerleader, time for you to calm down.}

In one last attempt, Mad-Ji increased gravity as much as she could, to a whopping factor of forty, in fact. Violently, Bonny dropped down, slightly sinking in the earth. Shortly after, she canceled the gravity change as well as allowing Max to breathe again, making him loudly gasp for air with blurry vision and a dizzy head.

{...You were close.} Mad-Ji told Bonny with crossed arms.

Slowly but surely, she got on all fours and crawled towards Max.

{Are you… alright… master?} The lopunny asked with a shaky body while heavily panting.

"I-" *Koff* "...Think," Max said, on his back.

{Great…}

{Alright, you've had your rest. Get up.} Mad-Ji ordered everyone.

Everyone except Max stood up rather easily, however, the lopunny had trouble doing so, and when she got back up, her legs were madly shaking with fatigue.

{I thought those pole-dancing legs of yours were stronger than that. How disappointing.} The yellowish-green gardevoir mentioned.

Choosing not to respond, Bonny limped her way back to the others.

{What are you waiting for, Nemako? A kiss?} Mad-Ji growled to Max, stomping on him with her pointy footless leg, making him moan in slight pain. {Get your lazy ass back up, now.}

With her leaving him, he rolled on his stomach and used all of his limbs to get up.

{Alright…} She started while Max lined back up with his companions. {You now have a slight idea of what my training is all about. Expect your exercises to be rough, expect them to be seemingly impossible, expect me to not tolerate weakness in any form. But most importantly, expect yourselves to sweat like a water faucet, shed blood like an underground cage fighter, and have your willpower pushed to its absolute limit. I now officially welcome all of you to 'Mad-Ji's Playground', also known as 'the tenth circle of hell'.} She informed them, almost inspiring terror to everyone. {Now back to the push-ups. On your faces!}

Not wanting to annoy her even by the slightest bit, they did as instructed and got ready, with what Mad-Ji increased gravity by just a factor of two, leaving Max a chance to work at a bare minimum.

The group went on like that for the entire day, only receiving a break at noon for lunch. The excruciating exercises were lined up one after another, leaving the group barely any time to rest. In the end, Max couldn't keep up anymore and failed every exercise Mad-Ji threw at them. From physical training under a heavy gravity field to sparring under the same condition to actual fights with her, as well as working on pain tolerance and damage resistance, nothing was left out and they felt it.

Now close to the evening, the group was in a squat position and had to hold it like that under four times normal gravity.

{Alright Muks, that will be enough for today.} Mad-Ji announced before canceling the gravity change, making them fall on their knees, panting. {Tomorrow, same place, same time. Dismissed.}

With sore bodies, the group stood up and headed inside the mansion.

{Except you, you stay.} Mad-Ji said to Max, halting him.

Again, the girls instinctively looked behind but knew that it was pointless asking what's going on, so they kept walking, in the hope he wasn't about to get beaten up due to his poor performance. Mad-Ji waited until they were all inside before looking back at him.

"I sucked, I know, no need to tell me."

{If I want to tell you how much of a filthy, weak, and slimy scumbag you were, then it's my goddamn business to do so. Understood?}

"..."

{Understood?!} She said louder.

"Yes. Yes ma'am."

{Trust me, I'll break that ignorant attitude of yours.} She threatened while glaring at him, making him look down. {...Anyway, that's not the reason why I wanted to speak with you. Mind walking with me?} She proposed to him with a raised hand.

"Not at all." He answered before she began walking at a rather slow pace so Max could keep up with his exhausted body.

While doing so, he told himself that even though he didn't want to, she would have probably dragged him along anyway.

{Well, look at you, Nemako. You're actually learning.} She said, hearing his thoughts.

They then walked in silence for a couple of seconds.

{You know, despite what you may think of me, I'm a fair gardevoir. I'm the first to tell you what you lack and what needs to be improved on, which would be everything in your case. I can also tell when someone is doing pretty well or just not as bad as I anticipated.}

"...Okay."

{I must admit, I may have misjudged you a bit. For a human, you actually did better than I expected.}

"Really? I don't really th-"

{When I speak, you keep that filth-sucking mouth shut, is that clear?!} She commanded aggressively with a glare.

"...Sorry."

{As such, you've done shit compared to the privates I've trained, and I've met humans way more exceptional than you. Yet, despite the difficulty and the unfairness of the training, you kept your head held high and continued without much complaint.}

"..."

{You're not fooling me, Nemako. I knew from the very start that you couldn't keep up. I made extra sure of that.}

"...Why then?"

{To see how long you would last in a training regime that was way beyond your abilities. First, I wanted to test your resilience and the strength of your motivation. You even cheated death with your resolve alone, which isn't all that common. Today, I wanted to test your resistance and patience towards unfairness and your ability to follow orders, even if they are senseless. Again, you proved that you have more guts than you seem to let on. Your motivation may be lacking, but the results are there.}

"I… thanks, I guess."

{I'm not saying this to praise you or give you any recognition. I simply think that a well-informed soldier is a better soldier. What I actually wanted to tell you is that you have more potential than I gave you credit for.}

"So, what's gonna happen now? Will I still need to attend the pokemon training?"

{Fortunately for you, no. If I keep you there, you'll just slow the others down and might even get killed. I went soft on you today, but if I trained them for real, that would be too dangerous for even you to handle. No matter how tough you are, you're still a simple human. I doubt you can withstand a full-powered Fire Blast to the face.}

"Probably not."

{So, here's what's gonna happen…} She said while leading him to an open area of the garden. {...I'm gonna train you personally with an adapted program.} She announced before stopping.

"It makes sense, but…"

{But what?} She demanded aggressively.

"Wouldn't that… mean more work for you?"

At that, Mad-Ji only raised an eyebrow.

{The only one you should worry about the most right now is yourself.} She said before making the bag he saw in her room the other day appear next to her.

Kneeling down, she opened the bag, revealing a vast arsenal of weapons of all kinds; knives, firearms, even a couple of shortswords. She then grabbed a combat knife and gave it to Max after standing up.

{Like I said, no matter how hard you train with them, a human will never reach the same level as pokemon in terms of power and capabilities. The only way for a human-like yourself to at least have a slight chance of survival against them is to use weapons.} She told him while making the knife dance a bit between her fingers.

"Are you sure? The master at Aurora's dojo seemed to be a strong human, maybe even able to beat a couple of pokemon."

{Ah, Master Setsui. I know him. As you might have noticed yourself, he's an abnormally large human and has strength beyond what even his size implies. You can say he's one of these 'exceptional humans.' Sorry for telling you this, actually, not really, but you're not exceptional. Besides your decent resilience, you have nothing special. Just a plain and boring pile of average.}

"I… I understand." Max replied, hurt by that statement a little, even if it was true.

{Aww. Did I hurt your feelings?} She mocked. {Well too fucking bad, you better get used to it. Neither I nor the world will spare you. You're not the hero of any story here. At best, you're that one weird fan of the hero that no one likes.}

"Okay. I think I get it."

{Do you, now? Like I said, surviving in this world as yourself requires knowledge and experience of many things, one of which being the mastery of weapon-wielding.}

"No hand-to-hand combat practice then?"

{Of course, you're gonna practice that as well. Nine times out of ten, you won't use weapons against other humans, so I'll teach you a couple of ways to fight back.}

"I've beaten a few humans here and there."

{Bwahaha!} Mad-Ji laughed in mockery. {By seeing how easily I got past that 'defense' of yours, you have seen nothing yet. In the state you are in right now, pretty much half of the world could kick that flat ass of yours.} She added, making Max sigh at her non-stop onslaught of insults. {What is it? Can't take any form of criticism? Do you want to cry like the little bitch you are?}

"No… Could we just start already?"

{Well…} She started, hand on her hip. {Normally, I would have just asked whether or not you wanted to wuss out, but for once, you're not half wrong. Catch.} She admitted before tossing the knife at him.

Max planned on catching it, but when he noticed that his hand was about to get stabbed, he withdrew it, making it land near his feet.

{*Sigh* Fuck me in my war-torn ass. This is going to be a long session.} She commented, discouraged with a hand on her face.

Growling quietly to himself, Max bent down to grab the knife and faced Mad-Ji again. However, she suddenly disappeared, making Max look around to find her. Quickly, she appeared to his side roughly two or three inches away from him.

{I'm about to kill you. What do you do?} She said while charging a punch.

Not wanting to get hit, Max plunged his knife forward to try to stab her, but instinctively aimed beside her so as to not stab her for real. Not even dodging, Mad-Ji kept her momentum and hit Max with a right hook, making his head almost spin. Surprisingly, her hit was weaker than he was already used to as the pain was just moderate.

{Seriously? How do you plan to defend yourself if you don't even try to?}

"I did try, but…"

{But you hesitated, again. For fuck's sake, where the hell did you leave your balls and spine?}

"Where they belong." Max retorted. "Honestly, you're the first individual that I ever met to think that caring for another living thing is considered weak."

{And yet, you're not done meeting pokemon or humans just like that. And don't go giving me that crap. You don't care about me, you're just afraid of retaliation.}

"Bullshit. I'm not a psychopath."

{Oh really? I can see in you that you crave stabbing me. Making me bend to your will so you can feel superior to the one you despise.} She accused, walking near him, making him back up slowly.

"The hell are you saying?"

{You live with and fuck a psychic-type pokemon, so you should know by now that you can't hide anything from us. I know everything about you. About the part of you that wants to hurt me, to dominate me, to violate me.}

"W-What?"

{Tell me. How would your precious and overly possessive 'girlfriend' react if I were to tell her that you want to fuck me?}

"Shut up. Shut up!" Max shouted before pushing the blade towards the junction of Mad-Ji's neck and head.

In a flash, Mad-Ji grabbed the blade with two fingers, stopping the course of the blade half an inch away from her throat.

{Not bad. You aimed well, but you're still too slow.} She professed him before pushing the blade away, making Max back up.

"...Why would you say that? You and I both know that it's not true. I made a promise with Scarlet, and I intend to keep it."

{You're still keeping that promise if you have thoughts and desires without actually doing anything.}

"I. Don't."

Staring at him, Mad-Ji couldn't help but crack a chuckle.

{Even if it would have been the case, I'm not the kind to mind others' business. I just wanted to motivate you a little.}

"By using twisted methods?"

{Your naivete is both cute and very annoying. Anything goes when it comes to survival in the wild. If you're restricting yourself by using rules and morals to deal with problems, you won't last long. If it wasn't for your pokemon carrying your weight, you would be dead by now.}

"Probably, that's why I'm allowed to stay humane at least a minimum because I can afford it."

{*Sigh* That's just plain stupid. If only you didn't have that child-like way of thinking, you could've been something more. What a waste. Anyway, now that you know you can't actually touch me, you should be able to aim straight. Again.}

Even though he was more accurate than before, it took him a few more tries until he was on point with his aim. Even though he indeed couldn't bear her attitude and personality, Max didn't want to hurt her for real. He did wish to be able to smack her though.

{You put way too much power in your arms for nothing. You should be putting your entire body into your strikes.} Mad-Ji instructed after deviating a couple of his attempts. {If you want to pierce through thick skin, your noodle arms alone won't be enough.} She added before grabbing the knife from him. {Let me show you.}

In a swift movement, Mad-Ji used her entire body, mostly her upper part, and went to stab Max, stopping just as the tip barely touched his shirt. The force and speed were such that he felt a small breeze from the movement and barely saw her moving.

{You probably won't ever reach this level, but I can try to get you as close as possible.}

"Alright." Max nodded.

{Again.} She said, giving the knife back.

For a little while, Mad-Ji taught Max the basics of knife combat. The first volley was to defend himself against creatures, and the second was against other knife users, which should mostly be humans. Later, they took a short break from that and moved on to train self-defense techniques. What she was teaching was something similar to krav maga, a self-defense martial art that he had seen a couple of times on the internet, but harder and with a lot more content and add-on strikes. He recognized a couple of lingering techniques inspired by karate, muay thai, wrestling, and so on. Since the weapons were lethal to Max, Mad-Ji was pretty reasonable with the training, not actually stabbing or gutting him. However, when it came to hand-to-hand combat, she was ruthless, not hesitating to punish him when he made mistakes. Choking him to the limit, almost breaking his joints, wounding him, everything; his defense wasn't good enough. As the sun was set after a day of training, every part of him ached, but at least he was still in one piece.

"GHaaa!" Max growled in pain, landing hard on the ground after being projected by Mad-Ji.

{Maintain balance in your fucking stance, goddamnit! Are you even listening?!} Mad-Ji yelled.

"Yes, I'm trying. You just…can you at least... give me…some openings?" Max replied, slowly standing up.

{Yeah, sure. I'll do just that. Just like the next pokemon or human that wants to kill you, they will definitely let you hit them if you ask nicely.} She mocked. {*Sigh* Alright, that's gonna be it for today. I've had enough human incompetence for one day.}

"So… no training with the girls tomorrow?" Max asked, dusting himself.

{You can do whatever the fuck you want, but I don't recommend it. I was planning on training the "girls" during the day and you in the evening. And trust me, I'll make them all work just as hard in a shorter amount of time. Every day is gonna be harder than the last, so you better save your energy if you don't want to end up in pieces.}

"I… Won't that be a waste of valuable training time?"

{Heh, now you're starting to learn how it works. Not bad, but how many times do I have to tell you that you're just a frail little human? You can't keep up with training meant for pokemon. The regime I have planned for you will be plenty enough and trust me, it will be a miracle if you get through it. Now, go take a shower, eat a proper dinner and go to sleep. You're gonna need it.} Mad-Ji suggested, walking past him.

"I… will, but… what could I do during the day? If we only train in the evening, I have the entire day free."

{I'm not your fucking guidance counselor. Be creative, fuck one of the houndooms, I don't care.}

Not knowing what else to ask, Max began to think about it while she crossed her arms.

{...You're willing to do anything for your companions, right? Then try to think of what else you can do for them. Getting physically fit won't help them at all as they can fend for themselves and will be the ones protecting you. Use that time to ask yourself how you can be really useful to them.}

"But… that's why I'm training with you. What's the point if they are the ones protecting me again?"

{To be less of a burden and a dead weight to them by increasing your survival skills a little. You don't train for them, you train for yourself.}

"But… I already do everything for them. What more can I do?"

{Do you really?} Mad-Ji inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"You're goddamn right I do!" Max assured her with intense determination.

{Nice try, but that's just bullshit.}

"What? How fucking dare you?! You don't even believe my-"

{What's Matchstick's favorite color?}

"W-What?"

{Your Braixen; what's her favorite color? If you do everything for them, surely it's something you know.}

"It's…umm…"

{...No clue, huh? Figures. Cheerleader, the Lopunny. What's her favorite meal?}

"You mean Bonny? Easy. Anything that has nuts in it."

{And her favorite nut?}

"It's… the…"

With Max unable to answer, Mad-Ji only glared at him.

"I… don't know…"

{You, conniving, piece of shit.} The gardevoir snarled. {Were you born a selfish, fucking hypocrite, or did you have to work on it?! And to think you had the balls to try to bullshit me by pretending to be a caring trainer? Seriously, you piss me off so much that I could unscrew your head and use your body as my personal toilet!} She said angrily, making Max look away in utter shame. {You know why I hate you so much? Well, let me fucking tell you. You. Are. Full. Of. Shit. You act like a nice and caring human, but you're not. You pretend to be doing things for the sake of your team, but you're not. Everything you do and say is to fuel your lousy, fucking, pathetic little ego.} She accused, pushing him on the ground with one finger. {You're a facade and a fraud, one who lies not only to others but to yourself as well. Your pitiful excuse for a girlfriend may turn a blind eye, but I recognize a selfish, lying Nickit when I see one.}

"I-"

{Shut the fuck up or your days of traveling, battling, and fucking pokemon will end today!} She yelled. {Your whole life, all you ever think of is yourself, your little harem being one example. It's bad enough that you're a polygamous asshole who likes having girls throw themselves at your dick, but being so hypocritical that you wouldn't even allow any one of them to mate with someone else other than you? Not to mention that you tell yourself that you 'love, care and groom them for their wellbeing?' Ha! Hilarious! You only do that just to get recognition in return, to have them acknowledge you as their 'loving master.' You want to get stronger for their sake? Sure, I'll give you that, but only because you wish to fulfill your delusions of being some kind of an alpha male to them.}

Again, Max wasn't able to retort with anything and only looked away.

{I saw the real you the second I laid my eyes on you. You're the kind of human that I loathe the most. Scumbags looking to disrupt the peace of this region are one thing, but you? You make me so sick, not even a Trubbish would want anything to do with you.} She spat some more before starting to walk away.

A couple of steps later, she was about to disappear behind the cedar hedge when she stopped.

{Oh, and one last thing before I forget…} She started, looking over her shoulder. {Should I injure you during training, your 'girlfriend' isn't allowed to heal you in between sessions. Break this rule and I will rip both of your hearts out.} She told him before getting out of Max's sight.

Speechless, Max took a moment to process what he was just accused of. Almost a minute later, he stood up.

"Hmph, no wonder why I hate myself so much." He mumbled.

With his hands in his pockets, Max faced the direction of the mansion but decided at the last second that he didn't want to go there just yet. He instead turned around and walked towards the direction of the forest. Before entering the woods, he was already lost in his thoughts for quite some time.

(Tch. She's just jealous of how many people actually love me. She has no one to love and vice versa, that's why she's targeting me.)

He walked while telling himself that kind of thing for a moment before stopping in front of a rock.

(...Ahh, who am I kidding? Everything she said was true.) He thought while sitting before the rock with his back on it. (A good trainer? Ah, I'm mediocre at best. I say that I love them, but I've never even asked any of them about their interests, passions, or ambitions.)

While dropping his hands on the ground, he felt something cold and hard. Upon further inspection, he picked it up and recognized the object as the knife he and Mad-Ji used to train earlier.

(How did this end up here?) He wondered.

Inspecting it for a short moment, Max's eyes stopped as he observed the sharpness of the blade.

"*Hmpf* It sure is made to kill."

He then put the blade on one of his wrists.

(I know I've gotten mad at you for trying to take your life away, but hey, I'm just a 'selfish, fucking hypocrite,' so I can do it too.)

He then pressed the blade harder without much movement.

"They would be happier here without me. They've got everything they need and Mad-Ji is keeping them safe. Hell, she's even training them. Me? I'm not good at anything anymore. At least I was for a good amount of time. I saved Scarlet and May from horrible environments, helped Bonny, Aurora, and Dusk become part of a loving family. I think I even helped Luna feel better about her past. But… now that they are okay…"

Then, he tried to go for it. The blade was firmly pressed against his wrist. All it needed was one swift and decisive swipe. Just as he had gathered the courage to do it, he had remembered what he told Scarlet when she told him about her attempt on her life and stopped at the last moment.

"Tch. Can't even do it. Once a coward, always a coward." He said, tossing the knife away.

Loudly sighing, Max dropped his head on the rock behind him, hurting himself a little. Not caring in the slightest, he simply stared up at the sky and contemplated what he could see through the tall trees. For a moment, he tried to think of nothing, trying to forget about his existence until he heard a commotion not very far away. With the sound getting closer, he heard barking.

"Ah. Probably the houndooms chasing away some Rattata." He said to himself, not caring much.

Quickly, the barks stopped and the last one sounded pretty close.

"Or an intruder. Huh, that could be interesting to see." Max mumbled while standing up. "I wonder if they will burn them or tear them apart."

Heading towards the noise provenance, Max walked for a little while through the woods until he found it. Hiding behind a tree, he then spotted three houndooms surrounding a familiar-looking cinderace, who didn't appear to be in the best of conditions.

{For the last time, you are trespassing on private property. Leave at once or face the consequences.} One of them threatened.

{I would, but… I don't know where else to go.} The cinderace replied, looking scared.

{How about where you came from in the first place?}

{I… don't remember the way back.}

"Wait a minute…" Max mumbled, leaving his hiding spot. "S-Sally?" He called out while getting near them.

With everyone turning to look at him, the cinderace went from feeling fear to relief and happiness in an instant.

{Max!} She loudly exclaimed before rushing at Max furiously quickly, tackling him into a hug on the ground. {Oh, Max! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!}

"Sally? Is that really you?"

{Yes.} She confirmed with her eyes getting watery on his chest.

"Uh, not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?"

{Who the hell is she?} One of the houndooms asked impatiently.

"It's okay, guys. I know her." Max assured, rubbing Sally's back.

{That doesn't matter, she's still trespassing.}

"I get it, and I'm sorry about that. I'll bring her right away to Helene and inform her of the situation."

{If we don't kick intruders out, then our job doesn't mean shit.}

"Don't worry, guys. I'll take full responsibility if anything goes wrong."

The houndooms then looked at each other.

{Tsk. Fine, whatever. She better not cause any trouble, alright?} The houndoom said before the three of them left.

"I sure hope so," Max mumbled.

Once the houndooms were out of sight, Max gently pushed Sally away, making her sit right in front of him, and began noticing her execrable condition. Her fur was almost entirely covered in dirt and she even had a few cuts and bruises scattered across her body. He wasn't sure, but she also seemed slightly skinnier than the last time he saw her.

"...Well?" Max asked with curious eyes.

{Well… What?} Sally started while playing nervously with one of her dropped dirty ears.

"*Sigh* Nevermind. Let's get you cleaned up." He said, standing up before helping Sally to do the same.

Taking her hand, Max headed towards the mansion. As soon as he stepped out of the woods, Scarlet appeared.

{You called for me?} She asked.

"Yeah, we got an old friend who is in rough shape. Care to heal her a little?"

{...Sally?!} Scarlet exclaimed upon recognizing the cinderace.

{...Hi, Scarlet.} She shyly greeted her, looking embarrassed.

{What is she doing here?} She asked Max.

"I'll get into that as soon as she doesn't stink anymore." Max jested.

{Sorry.} The cinderace apologized.

{...Alright. Hold still.} Scarlet conceded, shrugging her shoulders before going near Sally and used Healing Pulse on her.

Since she had just a few benign injuries, it only took a couple of seconds before she was fully healed.

{There you go, all patched up.}

{Thanks.} Sally said gratefully and with a smile.

"Can you teleport us into a bathroom as well?"

{Naturally.} She affirmed before all three of them were standing in one of the mansion's many bathrooms in an instant.

Immediately, Max turned the faucets on and started filling the tub. Since Sally was a fire-type, he guessed that she liked it extra hot, so he adjusted the temperature in consequence. However, he made sure not to make it boiling hot so he could at least dip his fingers in.

"It should fill up in a few minutes so I can start washing you," Max told Sally, making her nod shyly.

{Care if I stay?} Scarlet asked.

"I don't mind, but what about you?" Max asked Sally.

{I don't mind either.} She answered.

{Great.} The gardevoir replied with a small smile, sitting on the edge of the bathtub with crossed legs and crossed fingers.

Only a minute later, the water level was high enough to start.

"Hop in," Max instructed.

With another shy nod, Sally got in and sat with her back facing him. With Scarlet watering her, Max grabbed a nearby shampoo bottle and dropped a fair amount on Sally before starting to rub her. For a moment, nobody spoke, but Sally quickly understood that they were waiting for her explanation.

{I… just couldn't bear it anymore.} She stated.

"Couldn't bear what? Togetheart?"

{No. Well, not… exactly…}

{What do you mean?} Scarlet interrogated.

{The place was nice, but…} She said before looking at Max over her shoulder. {...You weren't there.}

"Me?" Max asked, a bit perplexed.

{You're the first person I've ever fallen madly in love with. No one had ever shown me the same level of compassion and concern the way you did. Sure I… I've had a few crushes here and there, and we've talked for a bit but… they were nothing like you. So… I just couldn't stand being away from you. Every day without you was way too cold and empty.}

"I… see."

{I love you so much, Max. I just couldn't live another day without you.}

{So you left Togetheart to try and catch up with us?} Scarlet theorized.

{...Exactly. It was hard finding you guys in that big city, but I managed to follow you into this town.}

"Wow. That's... actually pretty impressive."

{Even I don't know how I managed to do that. I understand next to nothing, yet…}

{Ah, the power of love. Such a mysterious but unstoppable force.} Scarlet commented with a smug face, making Max look at her desperately in a playful way.

"So in short, you changed your mind?"

{Yes. I didn't care about the risks. I just wanted to be back with you again. I know you don't have any more space in your team, but I'm willing to stay wild and follow you around, just like Scarlet.} She suggested, making Max and Scarlet look at each other. {I-I'll even keep my distance if you think I'm too annoying.}

"...Sally…" Max said with a gloomy tone.

{So, can I come with you?}

"There's… something you should know."

{What is it?}

"We… our team isn't full anymore."

{Really? Did someone end up leaving? Gosh, I hope it's not Bonny. She's so pretty and strong, not to mention she's a bunny Pokemon like me, so I guess it makes us sisters or something. Hehe.}

"It's… Jade." Max said, rubbing Sally with less energy.

{Really? Jade left? Well, that's a shame. She may have been very shy, but she was kind and nice. I hope she's doing alright.}

"No. She…*Sigh* She's dead."

{Wha-? She's… what?} Sally asked, as if all of her enthusiasm left instantly.

"Long story short, old enemies came back for us, she got caught in the crossfire, and…"

Now speechless, it took a moment for Sally to process the information.

{She's… d-dead? For real?}

No one answered, but the silence afterward was speaking for itself.

{There's….no way. If this is your idea of a sick joke, I'm not laughing.} She said, her eyes already getting watery.

{...Unfortunately, Sally, we're not joking. Jade… is no longer with us.} Scarlet assured softly.

Again, a heavy silence settled, soon broken by Sally's sobs.

{That's… That's not fair. She was so nice.} She bemoaned.

"Yes, she was."

{And me, speaking of love as if nothing happened. I'm such an idiot.} She said, frustrated.

"You couldn't have known, Sally. It's been a little while since then, so we're slowly getting used to it. Even just thinking about her hurts so much."

{I'm…*sob* I'm so sorry. Maybe if I had shown up-}

"No, Sally. No one is allowed to go there. We're sick and tired of asking ourselves 'what if'. Things are the way they are and we can't do jack shit about it. No need to contaminate everyone with remorse. Neither me, you nor Scarlet could have foreseen that."

Since she was facing her, Scarlet could see the disarray and pain in Sally's face. The scene had become one of those rare instances where she felt sorry for someone.

{...I think I'll leave you two alone for now.} Scarlet said, standing up.

"Thanks a lot for your help, Scarlet."

{Anytime.} She replied with a smile before disappearing.

"*Sigh* Sorry, Sally. I take it that it wasn't the welcoming speech you were hoping for."

{No. It's… *Sob* It's okay. I just wish that I could have said goodbye to her properly.}

"Her grave is not too far from here, I could ask Scarlet if she's willing to take you there."

{I… *Sob* ...would like that.}

"Alright. I'll ask her later. Now, how about we talk about something a little more positive. How was your trip from Togetheart to here?"

{I don't know about 'positive'… but it was quite something.}

"Good. I like stories. I'm listening."

{Well, it goes like this…}

For the next half an hour, Sally narrated her misadventures and encounters during her journey.

{...I tried my best to escape, but despite their bulky appearance, ursaring run pretty fast.}

"Well, you did steal his lunch, so…"

{I told you, I didn't know it belonged to him. I tried to tell him, but…}

"Ah! Good luck trying to reason with an angry ursaring. It's like they turn their brain off and rely on pure instinct."

{Well, the good news was I managed to hide from him and escape.}

"I hope you learned something from that at least."

{Yeah. Don't eat food that you didn't gather yourself.}

"Good, I say that because it would be terrible if something ever happened to you," Max said, petting her wet head.

Hearing how much he cared for her, Sally got all shy and flustered, barely able to contain her excitement.

{S-Same for you.} She mumbled, but loud enough for Max to hear it. {...S-Say… M-Max…}

"Hmm?"

{Is it possible that a-after the bath, we could… y-you know…}

"Oh, um. I'm very flattered and it pains me to say this to a pretty girl such as yourself, but I'm not feeling very touchy lately. Heck, not too long ago, I even rejected one of those houndooms you just met."

{Oh. O-Okay. I understand.} Sally quickly replied, as if she had made a mistake.

"I've got a lot on my mind as of late, so…"

{No, it's okay. You don't have to explain yourself.}

"Plus, even if I try to force myself into the mood, it would probably be bad."

{C-Come on now. How could m-mating with you possibly be bad?}

"For a number of reasons, not actually feeling any pleasure being one."

{I understand. I should've known that was the case. Stupid Sally, stupid.} She accused while lightly hitting her own head with her cute little paws.

"Whoa, calm down, there," Max said, grabbing her arm to stop her.

{S-Sorry. Again, despite trying my best…}

"It's okay, Sally. I'm not mad at you for anything."

{...}

"Anyway, you're free to stay as long as you need. I'll go tell Helene about your arrival."

{Who is that?}

"One of the owners of this mansion. You'll see, she's a nice lady."

{Okay. I… hope I won't be a bother.}

"How can you? Well, besides playing soccer indoors."

{That won't be happening. I left my last soccer ball back at Togetheart.}

"If you promise to only play outside, surely Helene can get you a new one."

{I will, don't worry. For us, cinderace, Soccer is pretty much in our blood, but even then, I'm not that good.}

"You're still passionate about it, at least. That's what matters, right?"

{...I guess.} Sally replied, not convinced.

Still feeling a bit down, Sally had failed to notice where Max's fingers were now rubbing. He was done with her hips and had moved on to her thighs. Despite herself, the touch was turning her on slowly.

(Calm down, Sally! Calm down.) She told herself with closed eyes. (I have to respect that he doesn't want to. But… his touches feel so… Agh! Get a hold of yourself, Sally!)

Trying her best, Sally managed to calm herself down when Max moved on to a different part of her body.

(Phew. That was close.) She thought in relief.

For a minute, none spoke until Sally was fully calm.

{...I'm sure that you must have a lot on your mind after something like that.}

"Yes, but to be honest… it's not only that."

{What else happened? *Gasp* Oh my god… did someone else die too?} Sally asked, looking at Max with a very concerned expression.

"Nothing like that, I assure you. However, a few things occurred here and there and… I'm sorry. It's so complicated, you wouldn't understand."

{...I… yeah, probably.}

With her ears dropping down again, Max quickly realized how hurtful that comment must have been with the way he phrased it.

"I didn't mean like that, Sally. I'm sorry. You're very smart, but what I meant is that it might be too boring."

{When it's about you, nothing's boring, especially when it's about what makes you sad.}

"...Hehe. Aren't you just the cutest little fire bunny ever." He praised with a smile, petting her. "See? That's how messy my head is. I can't even express myself properly."

{It's okay, Max. You still express yourself better than me.} Sally replied, all cheered up.

"...The truth is… that I've been questioning myself a lot lately."

{About what? Maybe I can help answer.} She kindly proposed.

"Haha." Max laughed lightly at Sally's cute simple mind. "I don't know, Sally, the ones I have aren't easy to solve."

{We won't know unless we try.}

"Hehe, true. Lately, I've been asking myself what I should do with my life. Since I gave up the idea of becoming a trainer, I'm kind of stuck with no ambition."

{You… don't want to be a pokemon trainer anymore?} Sally repeated, not sure if she heard right.

"Kind of."

{But… you told me you really wanted to be one.}

"I know, but wanting to do something and having the skills to do it right are two different things. I simply don't have what it takes to be a good trainer."

{How can you say that? Bonny and the others were overfilled with joy being with you.}

"That's not the point. I'm still with them, I just put a stop to something that was constantly exposing them to danger."

{No, that is not the point. Surely being all together is what matters most.}

"That just takes us back to square one. Yes, we are together, but is being where we are now really that important?"

{I... guess not, but…}

"I'm sorry, Sally. It's for the best." Max apologized before a silence settled.

{...I believed in you…}

"Sally…"

{You were so set on becoming a great pokemon trainer someday. Not the best in the world, sure, but you would have been happy with just being a really good one. I actually believed that you could succeed.}

"...I did convince myself that I could, back then. But as you can guess, that was before reality slapped me across the face with the death of a pokemon that I was supposed to take care of."

At that, Sally didn't have another argument, as Max's last statement was rather compelling.

{How could you just give up? You're such a good human.}

"I get that a lot. But unfortunately, being so nice just isn't good enough. That's why I'm training with Mad-Ji, to at least be less of a dead weight. And even with that, Mad-Ji made me understand that I am nothing but a lost cause."

{Who is Mad-Ji?}

"A mean but strong military gardevoir who is temporarily living here. She agreed to train all of us, but only because it can make her task of protecting this household easier."

{I… see. But… Why would you be a lost cause? For a human, you're pretty strong.}

"But I'm still a human, Sally. It's impossible for me to achieve the same level of strength as a pokemon. For the rest of my life, I'm condemned to be protected by stronger beings against even stronger beings. It's like being in a pack of animals, and I'm the weak link slowing everyone down because I can't do anything on my own."

{You know that's not true. You are strong.}

"Really? So you're saying that I could beat you in a real fight?"

{Why would you want to fight me for real?}

"That's not important. I'm just asking if-"

{Yes, it is important.} Sally cut. {Why do you care so much about power and strength? You can do much more than just that. I saw how nice and skillful you could be at times when we were back at Togetheart.}

"So what? You're saying that you would rather be with someone that is 'too kind' instead of someone strong who can actually back you up when you're in trouble?"

{Yes! Of course, I would!} Sally replied, looking at Max as if he just said the stupidest thing ever. {Why would you think otherwise?}

"I…"

{And I can count on you if I'm in trouble. Would you help me if I was?}

"If I could, then yes."

{See? That's an easy question.}

"Even if my reliability is limited to me just being a human?"

{Of course. I know humans have limits, but we pokemon can't have it all either, you know?}

"...You don't see us as… inferior beings?"

{No.} Sally simply answered without hesitation.

"I…"

{You may not be as strong as pokemon are, but you're good with so many other things. Take me for example…} She proudly said with one raised finger. {I know I'm not as smart as many others, but I've learned to accept it and go with what I'm actually good at.}

"You did?"

{Well, it wasn't always the case, but… you kind of helped me understand that.} She replied a bit shyly.

"I-I did?"

{Y-Yes. You made me realize that I'm pretty good at making you laugh and… pleasing a human male, I guess.} She said, blushing.

"...Ah. You're a riot, sometimes."

{What? I'm just being honest. I still wish I was smarter, but since I am what I am, I have to figure out what else I can do to help others.}

Suddenly, realization hit Max like a lightning bolt.

"...Wow. I'm gonna be honest, I've never been so wrong in my entire life as I've been during these past few months."

{How so?}

Instead of an answer, Sally felt herself being tightly hugged from behind.

{Is… s-something w-wrong?} She asked a bit nervously.

"Nothing's wrong, Sally. You've just helped me open my eyes is all."

{I… I did?} She asked, now slightly confused.

"Being highly intelligent isn't that great, you know. Sometimes, you spend so much time on complex stuff that you forget all about the basics. Something that someone like you would never forget. Thanks, Sally."

{I… O-Okay. It's… you're welcome… I guess, hehe.} Sally replied, not sure of what to say or how to react.

The hug lasted almost for a minute, with what Sally quickly got used to and even got a little bit sad when Max broke the hug.

"You say you're not smart, but look at me. The dumbest human you've ever met." Max said, rubbing his eyes.

{It's not true.} Sally contested, turning to face him. {You're smart. I've once heard about how smart people have it the hardest, as their intellect is used against them sometimes.}

"That would be correct. However, I personally think that those stuck in that middle ground have it the worst. Too smart for one side, and too dumb for the other."

{Then I guess those are the ones that are really great with their hands.}

With Max raising an eyebrow, Sally realized the innuendo she just made.

{S-Sorry. I didn't mean it that way.} She said, looking away.

"Haha. Sex jokes are the best, right?"

{Hehe. Yeah.} Sally confirmed before both of them laughed lightly together.

"...Well, you should be all cleaned up now."

{I guess. I've been here for a while now.} She said, standing up.

At the sight of Sally's wet fur molding into her fit body, Max blushed slightly before turning around to grab a towel. Turning back to her, Sally was already dripping on the carpet next to the bathtub.

"Here you go," Max said, handing it over without looking at her much.

{Thanks.} She replied while grabbing it, not noticing his perversion.

Amusingly, Sally had trouble drying herself up with the towel, as she was constantly dropping it.

{Ghra. Stupid towel.} Sally silently cursed.

With a smile, Max went over to help her.

"Need a hand?" He said, grabbing the towel on the ground before the cinderace.

{Y-Yeah. T-Thanks.}

Again, as soon as Max began rubbing her with the towel, she started to get turned on, but to a lesser extent. The thought of knowing that it was him touching her was enough to set her heart ablaze. Now on his knees, Max began rubbing her legs. Then, as he was patting between her inner thighs, the towel brushed higher and grabbed something sticky along the way. Noticing the small strand, Max looked at Sally with a raised eyebrow.

{S-Sorry. Y-You didn't see anything.} She stammered while hiding her privates with her small paws.

"It's been a long time since last time, huh?" He said, resuming but lower.

{Well… since you left, actually.}

"You didn't get frisky with anyone else?"

{No.}

"Not even on your own?"

{...Maybe… just once.}

"Damn. I'm sorry to hear that."

{It's not the same when it's not you. And since I couldn't think of anyone else besides you…}

"I… see."

{But don't worry, it's fine. I know you have a lot on your mind, so just ignore that.}

"Kinda hard to do so. You're pretty much in pain because of me."

{It's alright, I'll manage.}

"Now that I think about it, some of the girls might be in the same situation as you. Mad-Ji was right: I am selfish. She was right about everything, actually."

{I'm sure that they understand.}

"Well, in any case, I doubt that they are moodier than me. Jade's death pretty much broke all of us in one way or another. I doubt sex is their top priority right now." Max said, standing up now that he was done with Sally.

{That would be understandable.}

"...Well then…" Max started, looking at Sally after tossing the towel in a nearby basket. "Aren't you just the cutest cinderace now."

Besides her fur being slightly puffier, Sally was now back to her usual clean self, her red and white fur sparkling once more.

{Thanks, Max. It's been a while since I was this clean.} She said after a quick inspection of herself.

"Glad to have been of some kind of assistance. So, I guess that after announcing your arrival to Helene, I should probably give you a tour of the place."

{That would be nice, but…}

"But what?"

{I…} She started shyly. {I don't know if I should stay.}

"Why not?"

{I… kind of didn't arrive at a good time. You have better things to worry about and… since you don't want to be a trainer anymore, you don't really need me.}

"What are you talking about? We can't kick you out now that you've left your home. We gotta welcome you into ours, which will be this place for the moment."

{But… I kinda arrived like a hair on soup…}

"So? If it's one of your hairs, I wouldn't mind."

{...I don't know.} She said, grabbing one of her arms. {I don't feel very comfortable embedding myself into all this. I feel like it's none of my business.}

"Well, if you ask me, maybe someone like you is just what we need here."

{What? How so?}

"You have this strange ability to make everyone around you smile. If you're here, you could be a big boost of morale for the girls."

{I… you think so?}

"Hundred percent."

{Well…} Sally replied, looking away. {I… don't really have anywhere else to go, so…}

"What about Togetheart? They wouldn't take you in if you went back?"

{I don't know. Maybe, but the place where I was living would likely have been cleared out. Going back would mean spending time finding a new place to sleep.}

"Good point. You really jumped the gun on this one, didn't you? You must have really, really wanted to be with us."

{I still do! That's why I risked being homeless afterward. You guys were so worth the risk.}

"Eh. The least we can say is that you love me for real."

{I do! You were my first ever boyfriend, and still are! Some say that love is the strongest force in the universe, but also the most unstable.}

"Yeah. It doesn't happen often that the first relationship lasts forever."

{I don't know about the relationship itself, but my love for you will stay forever, no matter what happens.}

"Even if I suddenly become the meanest human ever?"

{That will never happen, but even then, yeah.}

For a moment, Max stared at Sally before chuckling.

"I gotta say, you sure are something, Sally," Max said, sitting on the ground with his back resting against the bathroom sink furniture.

{Why? Because I trust you?} Sally asked, doing the same next to him.

"Partly, yes."

{I wonder why. It's not that difficult.}

"For most people, it is."

Neither spoke for about a minute, with Max staring at the wall and Sally at the ground, occasionally looking at him.

"So what do you think I should do?"

{About what?}

"About me. I'm a complete mess and I'm totally lost. I asked Mad-Ji to train me, in hopes of being somewhat of a guardian for the girls, but now I realize how stupid it was. You say I should give up on that and everyone else says that I should go along with whatever I can do best, but I don't know what that is. For the longest time, I thought training to get stronger was the only thing I was really good at. I still mostly think that, but since the motivation for why I want to is ridiculous, I don't know what to do."

{Well… you could still try to keep training. For yourself.}

"Ah. Mad-Ji would agree with you because that's what she said earlier. Can you believe it? I don't even know Bonny's favorite color."

{It's green. She told me once.}

"See? And what about you? You love me and all, but I don't know much about you, either."

{Well, you never asked.}

"Exactly my point. In the end, I just care about myself."

{...We are together now, aren't we? Why don't we start now? I'll go first, my favorite color is purple.}

"Isn't it a bit too late?"

{It's never too late to learn new things about the people you love.} Sally assured him with a smile.

"Seriously? After all that time we spent together, you don't mind that I've waited until now to get to know you better?"

{Well… to me, knowing my favorite color won't change what's between us, so…}

"That's not really the point. Getting to know others and taking interest in their passions or whatever are the building blocks of all relationships. How can I expect to please you if I know nothing about you?"

{It… would be hard, I guess.} Sally conceded, not smiling anymore.

"Do you understand, now?"

{Well... just ask me, then. As far as I know, I didn't ask much about you either.}

"Well… I told you about me a few times…"

{I meant things that I didn't ask. Tell you what, before leaving, how about we spend a little time together and get to know each other better?}

"Right now? In the bathroom?"

{Why not? There is no distinct time or place needed to ask each other questions, right?}

"I… suppose."

{I'll start off. What's your favorite color?} Sally started enthusiastically.

"*Sigh* I would say black, but everyone is busting my balls by telling me that it's not a color, so I'll go with garnet."

{That's cool. Your turn.}

"Well, I already know yours now, so I guess I'll go with this; what is the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?"

{The most… Why would you want to know that?} Sally asked, embarrassed.

"To know you. I'll tell you mine afterward."

{Oh god. What have I got myself into?} The cinderace complained, hiding her face.

"Come on. What you say stays between us."

{No. It's way too embarrassing.}

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad."

{Yes, it is.}

"Fine. Something else then. Oh, I got it. From all the pokemon you know so far, which do you think is the coolest?"

{The coolest pokemon? Well… it's a bit embarrassing, but…}

"Go ahead. I won't judge."

{Well… you know… the one that looks like a cat and walks on two legs, red and black?}

"Hmm…" Max pondered. "Is it fire-type?"

{I think so. They have a belt made of fire on their waist, so…}

"Oh, Incineroar. The wrestling fire cat pokemon."

{Yeah, I think that's it.}

"You like them?"

{Well… they're tall and look powerful, but the way they fight is so cool.}

"I feel you there. I like them as well. They can be brutal as they are docile, depending on the situation. The way they fight is spectacular, I'll give you that."

{I wish I could be that strong.}

"Well, if you were to follow the same training as the girls, you could reach that level of power."

{Y-You think?}

"With how hard they train, it's very possible. And who knows, if we ever meet one, maybe they'll be attracted to you." Max teased with a gentle elbow hit.

{D-Don't be ridiculous!} Sally protested, looking away with a blush. {No way that's ever gonna happen.}

She then looked in front of her, more composed.

{Beside, it's you who I love. The only one who was willing to show love to me that no one else would. No one deserves me better than you.}

"Oh, that's a pretty bold statement there. I like that." Max praised, petting her. "But you know that… I, myself, am not that… loyal… so…"

{You're not?} She asked, looking at him confusingly.

"Well, technically, I am, but… I guess the word would be polyamorous. So it wouldn't be fair for you to only go with me while I don't let you go with anyone else."

{And if that's what I want?}

"Then… It's your choice, I guess. Just remember that you wouldn't be shackled to me, so feel free to do whatever you want."

{Really?}

"Yes. Especially if it's your own species. I can't go against nature, can I?"

{Why are you saying it like that, then?}

"What do you mean?"

{By your tone, it's like you wouldn't like that at all.}

"Well… I can't say it would fill me to the brim with joy, but I wouldn't get mad either. That would be hypocritical of me, right?"

Sally then inspected his face while he was speaking. His face wasn't really matching his words, but she didn't want to falsely accuse him of something she wasn't sure of.

{...Okay. Well, moving on, what's your favorite pokemon?} She asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm… I have two, actually. In terms of coolness, I would go with ferrothorn and golurk. I also like chesnaughts a lot, too. But my go-to choice would be golurk."

{I know about chesnaught, but never heard of the other two.}

"Well, the first one is like an epic mix of a plant, urchin, and a cannonball. The second one is a big ghost golem, who is known to lose control of themselves if their seals are removed, which is actually pretty strange. Despite their metallic appearance, their typing is ghost and ground. I'll show you their pokedex entry someday."

{That would be cool. What else do you want to know about me?

"Well, let's see…" Max pondered.

For almost an hour, both of them conversed with each other without end, getting to know each other.

{No way, you actually did that?} Sally exclaimed.

"I'm not proud of it, I can assure you that. But what's done is done. I can't really go back in time."

{It's… well, it's kinda cool, in a sense. I wish I could be that brave.}

"Not sure you want that. My 'bravery' gets me into trouble sometimes."

{Yeah. For me, it's only being clumsy.}

"Clumsiness is quite cute, actually. Well then…" Max said, standing up. "It's getting kind of late. I hope we didn't miss dinner."

{I'm sorry if we did because of me.}

"Don't worry. If anything, I could try to cook a little something for you."

{That… would be nice. I'm sure it would taste wonderful, just because it's made by you.} She said with a warm smile.

"Heh. You sure are the honest type." Max said while getting to the door, opening and holding it for Sally.

{Why would I lie? I'm sure your food is amazing.}

"...My food…" Max mumbled after Sally passed.

Conveniently, Helene happened to pass in the hallway they were in.

"Oh, Max. I was just looking for you." She said when she noticed him.

"Sorry. I kind of lost track of time talking with Sally. By the way, she's-"

"A new arrival and friend of yours, I already know."

"How?"

"Scarlet told me."

"Huh, figures. How nice of her."

"I just wanted to tell you that there are some leftovers in the fridge in case you were hungry."

"We missed dinner? Crap."

{Sorry, Max.} Sally apologized with her ears down.

"Don't be. It was worth it." He assured, rubbing her head affectionately, cheering her up. "Do you mind if she stays?"

"Not at all. Though, I don't have any more spare beds. We'll have to shop for one tomorrow."

"It's okay. I'm sure she won't mind sleeping with me tonight." He said, looking at the cinderace, who shook her head fervently.

"Good. If we don't see each other this evening, I wish you a good night."

"Yeah. Same, Helene."

With a warm smile, she left them.

"Well, let's go get you something to eat."

{Don't forget about yourself!}

"I won't." He said before heading towards the kitchen.

Quickly, they were joined by Scarlet.

{How did it go? From how you feel, it went smoothly.} She asked.

"Pretty much, yeah. Sally…" Max started, looking at the cinderace, who did the same. "Helped me open my eyes about a few things."

{...That's nice.} Scarlet replied, sounding ever so slightly upset.

"What is it, love?"

{Oh, nothing really. I just wished that what I said the other day could have helped you do the same.}

"It did, Scarlet. You've been a massive help to me since we first met, actually. What's the problem with letting someone else take over from time to time?"

{Nothing, I guess.} She said, not sounding a lot happier.

Max then looked at Sally once again, who was looking a bit guilty.

"Don't worry, Sally. That's just Scarlet being Scarlet. She's way too overprotective and wishes to be my guardian angel that shields me from everything."

{Shut up.} Scarlet told him, causing Sally to giggle a bit.

"But we can't hate her for that." He said, gently brushing a finger across her closest arm. "Both as a pokemon companion and a mate, she's over the top."

Max then placed his hand next to his mouth and whispered loudly to Sally.

"I'll tell you a secret, I really hit the jackpot with her. There is no gardevoir in the world that could be more perfect than her."

{I heard that.} The red gardevoir said, crossed arms and madly blushing, making Sally giggle even more.

"Anyway, how are the others doing?"

{They're fine, but today's training really drained them up. They went straight to bed after dinner.}

"What about you? How are you holding up?"

{Tired as well, but I'm more used to exhaustion than them apparently. I'll probably go to bed when you do as well.}

"After a quick bite, I'll probably have a quick shower before crashing. That reminds me; I don't think you guys need me to train with Mad-Ji anymore."

{Why's that?}

"Remember what she told us? She agreed to train all of you if I participate as well. However, later this evening, she told me that it was just another test. To see how I deal with unfairness."

{...Okay.}

"So from now on, I won't have to train with you and she will personally train me in the evening after you guys. So in short, you guys aren't tied to the deal anymore."

{I see.}

"You did that only because you wanted her to leave me alone, right?"

{... Something like that.}

"Something on your mind?" Max asked, noticing her lack of enthusiasm.

Scarlet then stopped, with what the other two followed.

{At first, I did want her to stop, but…}

While speaking, Scarlet grabbed one of her arms and grasped it very tightly, as if she was containing a big amount of anger.

"Scarlet?"

{...I have to face it. I'm not strong enough, physically and mentally. If I can't handle seeing you so much as stub your toe without overreacting, how can I even protect you or the others properly? Mad-Ji was right; I am a disgrace.}

"No, Scarlet, you're not," Max assured, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You're one of the strongest pokemon I've ever met."

{Yet, it's not enough.} She retorted a bit aggressively. {I got caught by Qsalyla and Mad-Ji played with me and treated me like some sort of toy. It pains me a lot to say this… but… if I want to get strong, I have to train under Mad-Ji. As it stands, she's the only one who can make me strong enough to properly keep you and everyone safe.}

"Scarlet…"

{So yeah, that's that.} She concluded, looking away.

Sighing, Max pulled her into a hug.

"That's why I wanted to get stronger as well. I wanted to be less of a burden to you girls so you would worry less about that kind of stuff."

{You're not a burden, Max. I… fell in love with you knowing all too well how fragile a human can be. I would stress less about your safety if you were able to look after yourself, but… no one is ever immune to danger. It is a pokemon's duty to keep their trainer safe and alive, after all.}

"Now, hold on. You're much more than just bodyguards, you know." Max pointed out.

{I know, but it doesn't change much, now does it? Humans survive with their intellect, tools, and technology while we do with our natural strength and abilities. When a human challenges us to battle without anything that is supposed to keep him alive, they're at our mercy. That's why we are here. To keep those like you, worthy of being protected, alive.}

"...You know, I don't know if I should be impressed or scared by your ability to hide what's bugging you."

{We haven't known each other for a very long time now. I love you more than anything, but I still haven't completely adapted yet. 'Old habits die hard,' as you humans say. I'm not really doing this on purpose.}

"It's okay, Scarlet. It's the same for me."

{With that being said, I just wanted to say that I'll probably keep training with Mad-Ji. I hate her, but she's stronger than me. If bowing to someone ensures your safety and well-being, then so be it.}

Scarlet's devotion to him never ceased to impress Max. Every time he thought he knew everything about her, something new showed up to prove him wrong. She was so willing to give up her own self-worth for his sake that it was almost scary. Whether you're on her good or bad side, saying that she was extreme cuts both ways.

"Are you sure about this? I know how much you hate your own species and even more so being dominated by one of them."

{Yes, I'm sure.} Scarlet sincerely answered.

Both of them then stared at each other for a moment, eye to eye.

"*Sigh* It's not like I could stop you anyway," Max said, resuming his walk towards the kitchen.

{I've already made up my mind, so no.}

{I'll do my best too.} Sally agreed.

"Seriously, what the hell did I do to deserve friends like you?"

{Being yourself. Even if you're more of a mix between a nice guy and a jerk.} Scarlet said.

"Phafaha!" Max laughed. "Not even trying to embellish reality a little."

{You know me, master. I hate lying.}

"Like a lot of us. Am I really such a jerk, though?"

{Sometimes, yes. But luckily for you, it's more or less despite yourself, so it's not that bad. What you do for us compensates largely for that.}

"Yeah. I'm sorry for all those times I was, then."

{You should also apologize in advance, too.} Scarlet nagged a little.

"Now you're just being a bully." Max jested.

{Maybe.} She replied nonchalantly.

"Jeez, you're such an asshole." Max accused, gently slapping Scarlet's modest butt.

{Don't try to set me ablaze, or else you won't be getting any sleep tonight.} She threatened with lustful eyes.

"Haha. You're crazy enough to make that happen."

{Trust me, I can always be a little bit more.}

"I know." Max retorted with a smile.

Shortly, they finally arrived at the kitchen, where Max immediately went towards the fridge with Sally. Behind, Scarlet rested her elbows on the nearest counter and held her head with one hand, staring at them.

{They had pasta for everyone to enjoy.} Scarlet informed.

"Nice. This must be it." He said, taking out a huge black pot to put it on the counter.

"Smells nice," Max commented after opening the cover.

The pasta was a mixture of spaghetti with a creamy pinkish sauce all over it and topped with a few other edibles he didn't know about. After serving two portions and blasting them in the microwave, both Max and Sally dug in.

"Hmm! That's very nice." Max commented after one bite.

{It is!} Sally agreed.

{If someone in the group knew how to cook, you could eat things like that every day, even in the wilderness.} Scarlet mentioned.

"Isn't Dusk still learning how to do that?"

{She is, but she still has a long way to go before reaching that level.}

"I see that everyone is doing their part."

{They're all trying to find their place in this life I guess. Now that you don't want to be a trainer anymore, they are a bit lost.}

With a low sigh, Max took one bite and laid his back on the nearest counter, going thoughtful.

{...What's wrong?} Scarlet asked.

"Ever since I made that announcement, I've been second-guessing everything I've ever done, but…"

Scarlet noticed that he seemed to struggle to speak his mind but respectfully waited for him to do it on his own.

"Maybe… I should be the one doing all this stuff."

{What stuff?} Scarlet repeated, a bit confused.

"You know. Cooking, grooming, and such. I…"

Max then rubbed his face before keeping one hand over his face.

"I can't be a 'muscle' asset to the team, but maybe I can be everything else."

{I'm… not sure I follow.}

"I'm… rethinking about that trainer stuff. Maybe… it was too much of a precipitous decision to give up."

{You're… serious?} Scarlet inquired, raising her head from her hands.

"Kind of. Just look at all of you. I don't mean this to be rude or disrespectful, but everyone's been a complete mess lately."

{At least.} Scarlet commented, rolling her eyes.

"I meant to say that because of me, you girls don't have anything to strive for anymore. They mostly stuck with me for the thrills of battling, but now that I've stopped being a trainer, they don't have much to do anymore. A pokemon's life is rather simple; either they stay in the wilderness and live with their kind before starting a family, or they go with a trainer and become battle champions."

{What makes you say that?} Scarlet asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No offense, but I personally don't see you working in an office for an insurance company or Bonny as a saleswoman. There might be some jobs for everyone in the workforce like construction or in a factory, but that's pretty much it. I don't like seeing them like that and I want to give them something they can enjoy doing. Maybe Dusk can be a chef if she wanted to, but there's no way I'm letting her work as a personal furnace."

{Okay… That makes sense. So you basically want to get back into the swing of things, just like that?} The gardevoir questioned with crossed arms.

"No, not right away. This time, I'm gonna make sure I'm properly prepared. I don't know how much time it would take, but I want to offer you girls the best I can do. And for that, there are some skills and knowledge I need to gather before doing so."

{What kind of skills are you gonna work on?}

"Everything."

{Say that again?} Scarlet asked, not sure if she heard well.

"Everything I can hope for. Cooking, battle theory, absolute knowledge about all of you and even all the pokemon…" Max enumerated with his fingers. "Hell, I think I'll take lessons from a professional masseuse for when you girls are exhausted or all cramped up."

{Whoa, whoa! Slow down!} Scarlet interrupted him. {Aren't you thinking a little too far, right now?}

"What? You don't believe in me?"

{No. That's not it at all. I'm only wondering if you know what you're getting yourself into. All of that you're looking to achieve would take years.}

"I know, and I'm willing to do what it takes, even if it means starting over again at thirty or forty years old."

{Seriously? It's not that I'll mind much since I'll just go with the flow as long as I'm with you, but what about the others? Sure they're loyal, but not even they are willing to wait that long.}

"I… you may have a point."

{But what do I know? Maybe they are. The best thing to do would be to ask them directly.}

"Indeed, but… then let's try to set a deadline, then."

{A deadline?} Scarlet repeated.

"It's when you-"

{I know what it is.} Scarlet cut. {But why? You're not seriously thinking about condensing years of know-how in a couple of months, do you?}

"Why not?"

{Are you crazy? You're gonna die of exhaustion way before you achieve that.}

"Nice to see how much you believe in me."

{It doesn't have anything to do with that. I'm not sure you understand what it really implies.}

"I do. I just have to work extra hard, like you did when reading all those books."

{Come on, Max, this is insane. Yes, it may be possible and even easy for a psychic-type like me, but a human…}

"Just like you, I already made my decision anyway."

{You… ghaa. Stubborn as a Mudbray.}

"What?"

{It's impossible, Max, and you're not even aware of that. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see you so enthusiastic again, but I'm afraid you're going this way too quickly.}

"I… maybe," Max said, finally realizing how absurd it sounded. "How about between one and three years, then?"

{That's… more reasonable I guess.} Scarlet conceded.

"Then we finally reached an agreement."

{But it still means you'll have to spend most of your days studying or practicing or whatever else that finishes with 'ing'.}

"It will be for the best, Love. I promise that I'll set time aside for you as well."

{*Sigh* Bloody hell. I can't believe I'm about to go along with this.} She said, dropping her head on the counter. {You're gonna exert yourself into a coma, you know that?}

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but it's either that or crying over my future for the rest of my life."

{Can there just be a solid middle ground?} She asked, raising her head back.

"I'm afraid not." Max assured, making Scarlet sigh loudly again. "I'm just like you, Love. Either go big or go home."

{That's what scares me. If you're like me that much, you won't know when to stop.}

"Then I'm counting on you to keep me in line if I do."

Looking away, Scarlet heavily considered his proposition. Every little pro she could come up with had a con to match it, putting her into a big dilemma. It was not about stopping him, as she would never do that, but more about how she could live with it more easily.

{Honestly, when you move, you immediately kick it into high gear. Don't even take it slow at first.} She mentioned, with her hand behind her head, holding her hair.

"It's not like it hasn't happened plenty of times."

{A few times too much when it's about you if you ask me.}

"I know how I am, Scarlet, but… I'll say this once and for all: You girls have been and always will be my sole reason to live. I want what's best for you. If it means working my ass off for two or three years non-stop, I'll fucking do it. You girls deserve the best treatment and care, which I can only provide if I take the time to hone my skills to do so."

{God you're not making this easy.} Scarlet complained.

"Sorry, but that's how it must be. I love all of you to death, and you can guarantee that I'll treat you like princesses even when on the road. I want to make others jealous with how happy and comfortable you'll be with me."

{Okay, I get it. Can you shut up for a second now?} Scarlet inquired. {Can't even hear myself think anymore.}

"What is there to think about? Why should you always be the only one who pulls off the unthinkable? I have guts too, you know."

{That's not the point. It's just that I'm worried about you.}

"Why?"

{Because… I don't want you to push yourself too hard. You're still so young for a human, I don't want your life span to be reduced for our sake.}

"Don't exaggerate now."

{I'm not. I…}

For a moment, Scarlet didn't know what to say or how to react anymore.

"Look, I know you're worried sick about me and that I'm jumping the gun right now. I promise that I won't try to do the impossible."

{I… I know I shouldn't get like this. If it goes well, we'll continue our journey, but… part of me… doesn't want that.} She confessed, looking away in shame.

"I really appreciate the honesty, Scarlet, but why would you not want that?"

{Because not only will I not see much of you if you work all day long, but I was finally starting to see the bright side of staying in this cozy mansion. Here, I can rest easy, knowing that you are safe.}

Sighing softly, Max went to pull Scarlet into a hug.

"I consider myself very lucky to have such a protective and devoted pokemon like you with me."

{I just love you so much!} She said, tightly hugging him back.

"I know, and so do I. But Scarlet…" He said, breaking the hug and gently pushing her away. "You can't keep being so scared for my safety just so you can be by my side. You can't always watch over and shield me from any and all danger forever."

{I can still try.}

"Living in fear of death isn't actually living, Scarlet. I feel the same way. I can't even imagine the pain, sorrow, and agony I would be in if I ever lost you. I probably won't be able to recover from that trauma for the rest of my life. But you know what, Scarlet? I still try my best to have these kinds of moments with you despite that fear. Because if life tears us apart, I'll still have those memories of us to help me carry on in life. Memories I won't be able to create if I'm constantly scared to make more. See the paradox here?"

{But… you're so precious and exceptional. If I lose you, it might as well be the end of the world.} She said, starting to cry.

"I understand that perfectly. But, Scarlet… What I'm doing, it's to prevent that as much as possible. Learning how to defend myself against anything whilst acquiring a large amount of knowledge of this world should increase my chances at survival, right?"

{*sniff*… R-Right.} She admitted, wiping her tears away.

"Then that should allow you to live a little for yourself without constantly having to worry about me. I don't know if this applies to gardevoirs or if it's just a human thing, but you talked about your species' life span before, and if you keep this up, you're gonna end up with white hair way before me."

For a moment, Scarlet didn't speak and kept wiping her eyes of any tears. When she was finished, she held her arms together and stared blankly before her, nearby Max.

{...I supposed it's not that bad of an idea.} She finally conceded.

"Thank you, Scarlet."

{But I have only one condition.}

"Not overdoing it?"

{Exactly.}

"Sure thing, Scarlet. I want you to have the best of me, not my corpse."

{...Alright, then. I guess I'll keep hitting the books back at the library.}

"Sounds good. We're gonna be very smart bookworms." Max said with a smile.

{No way you'll surpass me in intellect.} Scarlet jested.

"Probably. Keep the brains and I'll be the brawn."

{Hmm… Nah, I'll stick with both. You just keep bringing the water.}

"How petty of you."

{Hehe.} Scarlet giggled.

"Glad we came to an agreement."

{I am curious though. How did you come up with something like that on the spot?}

"I didn't. I've been constantly thinking about this these past couple of days. I guess what happened was that you, the girls, Mad-Ji, Phanny, and surprisingly Vicky, helped me to realize how wrong I was and what I should do about it. Though, you two are the ones that helped me solve the last pieces of the puzzle."

{Hooray for us!} Sally cheered.

"Indeed." Max replied, caressing her head.

{I guess you finally managed to overcome your depression.}

"I'm still very affected by everything that's happened. I admit that my past resurging didn't help either. I'm still sad and angry, but you made me realize that if I want things to change, then I should start now and put in a little elbow grease. Every day, the remainder of me always being able to count on you shook and revitalized me a little. I can't say I'll start enjoying life yet, but… you definitely made me able to appreciate it again."

{Oh, master…} Scarlet said, hugging him again. {I hope that someday I'll make you love it. Thanks to you, I'll also appreciate life too, even if only a little. At least I'm very grateful for putting you in my path. To think that it all started because I was thirsty that day.}

"Haha! We both were. What are the chances that two different beings are thirsty at the same time?" He laughed, stroking her hair.

{Not that low, actually.}

"Nice going, Scarlet. You ruined the moment." Max jested.

{Sorry.} She said, breaking the hug. {My intellect sometimes plays against me.}

"Yeah. That's Professor Scarlet for you."

{So, what's the plan?}

"I don't know yet. I'll have to sleep on it and think about it in the morning. Since I won't have anything to do throughout the day, I'll start looking for the possibilities. Cooking and massaging is nice and all, but I'm confident that I can do more."

{Good luck with that, then. I'll try to think of some things on my end.}

"Awesome. Thanks, Scarlet."

{Don't mention it. *Yawn* Speaking of sleep, I think it's time for me to turn in for the night.}

"Yeah. I'm getting a bit tired myself."

{Since Sally will be sleeping with you, I'll leave you two alone.}

"Right. Thanks, Love."

{Don't stay up too long. You have a big day tomorrow, and you need your rest.}

"Indeed.

{See you tomorrow, then.}

"Yeah. Good night."

{You too.} She said with a smile before disappearing.

"Well, I guess the tour will wait until tomorrow along with telling the others you're back," Max said to Sally.

{That's alright. I'm a little bit tired too, so I don't mind only seeing the bedroom, hehe.}

With a smile, Max left the kitchen and led Sally to his bedroom. Once they were inside, Max closed and locked the door behind him.

{Whoa! It's so big here!} Sally exclaimed, impressed by the bedroom.

"Isn't it? I had that same face when I saw it for the first time."

{It's the complete opposite of my old room.}

"Yeah, I remember it. If you ask me, you made a good trade-off."

{I wonder how the bed is.}

"Go ahead and try it."

With a smile, Sally ran towards the bed and jumped on it.

{Oh my god! This is so comfy. It feels like I'm sleeping on a cloud.} She said, lying on her back with her four limbs all stretched out.

"Glad to hear," Max said while starting to undress.

Hearing him, Sally sat up on the bed and watched him, liking what she was seeing.

{Oh yeah. Gotta get comfortable first.}

Sally knew that he slept in his underwear. However, she started to get confused when he pulled them down as well.

{O-Oh. Y-You sleep naked now?} Sally asked, looking away.

"Well, not really."

Looking back at him to get a quick glance at his naked figure, she almost jumped when she saw him standing over her. Before she could even wonder what he was doing, he pushed her on her back and got on top of her.

{M-Max. W-What are you d-doing?} She asked, getting awfully nervous and embarrassed.

"I don't know. Do you want to guess?"

{I uhh… umm…} She stammered, looking away. {Y-you… I-I don't…}

"Here's a hint." He said before pressing his lips against hers.

She was taken so much by surprise that she forgot to return the kiss. Just as she was about to do so, Max broke it.

"So? Did you guess?"

{I'm… you…}

"Do you want me to give you another hint?"

Max was about to kiss her again, but Sally stopped him.

{You… don't have to do this. You've said it yourself that you're not feeling into it, so I don't want to take advantage of that.}

"Sally, come on. How could you possibly take advantage of me if I'm the one over you?"

{I… don't… know… but…}

"Then it's okay."

{But… you didn't want to earlier and… I want to respect that.} She said, playing with her fingers.

"Now I want you, Sally. You've helped me so much in the past few hours you were here that I just couldn't sleep without thanking you properly."

{But… I… didn't do much.}

"You did more than you think, Sally." He assured her before managing to kiss her again.


She tried pushing him away again, but his kisses were rapidly turning her on. It has been a while since the last time they've made out, so it's understandable for her to get aroused so easily. Unable to find the strength to protest anymore and with her heart racing, she instead embraced what was given to her and returned the kiss. Sally's kisses were as passionate as the last time, and while fully welcoming his tongue into her mouth, Max put a hand on one of her thighs and rubbed it, sending a wave of pleasure through her body. Every second of sensual interaction she had with him was making her wetter with each passing second. She was so turned on that she was starting to wonder if she had already orgasmed with just kisses and bare touches. A few moments of tongue-wrestling later, Max pulled away from her and broke the kiss.

"I know how sexually tense you are, so I'm gonna relieve you a little."

When she saw him getting lower on her, her heart rate went through the roof.

(Oh no! He's gonna go there!)

When down, Max gave Sally's privates a gentle kiss.

{Sh-Shoot…} She cursed with her body tensing from the pleasure.

He gave a few more before sticking his tongue out and giving her womanhood a delicate lick from bottom to top.

{Oh no…} Sally moaned, grasping the sheet under her.

Like before, he repeated these motions a few more times before going on the next step. He then eagerly assaulted the cinderace's clit with his tongue.

{No… no… not… that.}

To no one's surprise, it only took a few licks before Sally reached her first orgasm. It was so strong that she even squirted on Max's face a little. After ten seconds of everlasting pleasure, Sally finally relaxed her body, feeling slightly exhausted.

"Feeling better?" Max asked with a lustful smile, now back to her face.

{I… yeah… thanks. The need… was killing me.}

"Great. Ready when you are, then."

{I… yeah. Go ahead.} She allowed him.

With a thankful smug, Max aligned himself and gently pushed inside the cinderace.

{Aaah!} She moaned ecstatically.

"Are you that eager to let the others know you're here?" Max teased.

{No… but… it feels… so good. Your… penis… I've missed it so much.}

"Wow. Have I created another pervert?"

{No… I'm… not… a pervert.}

"Really? We'll see about that."

With a moderate pace, Max began to thrust back and forth on the overly excited cinderace. She quickly had to put her cute little paws over her mouth to muffle her moans, and even then, she was still pretty vocal and audible. Too absorbed by Sally's insanely tight vagina, he didn't even take notice of the noise and rammed her.

{Yes! Yes!} She moaned under her paws. {Don't stop!}

"Damn, Sally. You are such a pervert. Oh, fuck!"

{I'm… not…} She said before her eyes went behind her skull.

"Shit! It's been a long time and… your pussy feels way too good. So tight and hot! I… can't… hold on…"

With one final thrust, Max almost literally exploded inside the cinderace, resenting one of the best orgasms he ever had, strong and everlasting. With powerful thrusts and filling her almost to the brime, he made Sally cum again as well, also experiencing an intense orgasm. A moment later, both were done and Max dropped next to Sally.

"*Phew* Wow. That was intense." Max commented.

{Yes. The first time with you was one of the best moments of my life.}

"Really? Was I that good?" Max half jested.

{Yes. I really love mating with you. I enjoy it a lot more than doing it myself.}

"Hehe, same here. Beating my meat doesn't even compare to a vagina crushing and milking you dry. It's simply the best."

{So you like mine?}

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Of course, I do. You have a good mix of tightness and high temperature."

{I'm glad to hear that.} She expressed.

Again, that kind of behavior made Max chuckle. Then, Sally sat up on her knees.

{Say, Max…}

"Hmm?"

{Do you think we… could… do it again?}

"Right now?"

{If you don't want to, it's fine. I'm satisfied anyway.}

"Sally… don't try to bullshit me. If you're asking for more, you're clearly not."

{I… didn't want to…}

"I'm okay with that, Sally. But, it's not really up to me to decide." He said, briefly looking at his soft penis.

{Oh, I know exactly what to do!} She assured him enthusiastically.

Rather quickly, Sally moved over Max's legs and stared at his manhood.

{I love doing this.}

Not wasting a second, she grabbed Max's dick and gave it a few licks before coiling her lips around it, gently and passionately sucking on it.

"Damn, Sally. You became so good at this." Max commented, immediately feeling aroused again.

Only looking at Max with prideful eyes, Sally kept giving Max a blowjob. With each second, she was getting slightly more aggressive and wanted to try to go further. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't able to reach the base yet due to body's her gag reflex, but it still didn't prevent her from trying anyway. She had just tried once again by pushing it as far as she could go before moving back up for air.

{*Gasp* Shoot. *Cough* I still can't do it.} She complained while pumping him.

"These sorts of things take time, Sally. Don't destroy your throat just to achieve that."

{But… I've heard that males like it when we swallow the entire thing.}

"And who told you that?"

At his question, Sally looked away shyly.

{Scarlet…} She mumbled.

"*Sigh* Why am I not surprised?" Max said, facepalming.

{I promise I'll be able to do it someday.}

"Don't push yourself. It's not like we're racing against time or anything."

{A-Anyway, I think this will be enough.} Sally mentioned, still pumping his rock hard member.

"Ready when you are."

With a smile, Sally clumsily got on her knees and moved her hips above Max's shaft. With Max grabbing it and keeping it straight, Sally aligned herself and shoved the tip in. She then slowly moved down with a depraved look on her face until the whole thing was in and pushing against her womb.

{Yes! I love this position.}

"What don't you like?"

{Nothing. Mating is simply the best thing ever.}

"I… don't have many arguments against that." Max conceded.

{...Oh god…} She moaned after she moved up and down slowly. {Your penis… is inside me… and it's just… the best!}

Max knew that right after the first time she did it with him, she got addicted to it pretty fast, but unlike last time, his libido seemed to have gone up a notch. It's like each time she had sex her hunger for more had only increased. Dropping her small paws on Max's chest, the cinderace started moving her hips into a more steady pace. Even though she wasn't going fast yet, the sounds of their wet crotches slamming against each other were quietly resonating across the room. As if she wasn't able to control herself anymore, she suddenly went faster.

{Hah! Yes! Yes! I'm being mated… by a human… and I love it… I don't… want this to stop. Deeper… my love. Go deeper! Pound me harder!}

Max couldn't help but to find her 'dirty talk' cute and a bit funny, as well as extremely arousing. Add the lustful and sex-hungry face with her moans to the mix and you get a human desperately wanting to cum inside a horny cinderace. He then grabbed onto her hips and vigorously pulled her up and down.

{Oh god… I feel it coming… I can't… stop it! Finish inside, Max!} She moaned before biting her lips in ecstasy.

Again, it didn't take her very long for her to hit her third orgasm, especially when Max was hitting the good spot. Contracting her internal muscles for all their worth, Sally crushed Max's dick whilst going even faster, milking him to another orgasm as well.


{*Pant* *Pant* Oh god… that was… too much…} She said before dropping herself on Max.

"Damn that was good… you doing okay, there?"

{I'm fine, don't worry… just… a bit dizzy. Oh god. It's like… I was being carried to heaven.}

"Yeah. An orgasm after a long time of not having a good one can be pretty devastating."

{I've been mostly… holding up… for when I met you again.}

"Really? You went chaste for the sake of being mated by me?"

{Why, yes. Was it… wrong?}

"Eh, not really, but… I guess it's a good thing we got back together then. I wouldn't have liked the idea of you not having fun because of that."

{It's… not that appealing when… it's not you.}

"What do you mean?"

{I… I like mating, but… I don't know. When I think about doing it with someone else, it doesn't feel as satisfying. I don't even feel anything down there.}

"I see."

{Like I already said; You're the first to love me for the way I am, so you're the only one allowed to do so.}

"Haha. Damn you're so cute, Sally." He said, rubbing the back of her head.

{Hihi. Say, Max…} She started while sitting up, still plugged in. {Have you decided what you're gonna do yet?}

Taking a deep breath, Max looked at the ceiling.

"...I think I'll give being a pokemon trainer another shot."

{Really? That's awesome!} She exclaimed joyfully.

"But this time, I'm gonna take the time to be a proper one who's well-prepared. I didn't really get the chance when I got kicked out of the family house."

{Your dad is so mean.} Sally commented with a pouting face.

"Yeah, he's an asshole. Not like you." Max praised, gently and briefly caressing her cheeks, making her blush. "It may take a while, but I can assure you that this time, I'll be ready. We'll be ready."

{I'll help you as much as I can.}

"Thanks, Sally. I really appreciate that."

With one final kiss goodnight, Sally dropped herself back down on Max again for a hug. With Max returning it, they hugged until both fell asleep, ready to turn the page to start the next chapter of their lives.


And here we are. The story had come to an end... for this part. For those who didn't catch it, there will be another time skip. Can't spoil how bit it will be, but bigger than the last one. So basically, I planned on breaking the story into two parts, this one being the first and completed. I still haven't decided yet if I'm gonna create a brand new story and labeling it 'The crimson gardevoir part 2', or continuing this one and keeping adding more and more chapters. Personally, I find the former more convenient and cleaner, (I have a mild OCD for ordered and symmetrical things), but I'll lose all followers and favorites, which wouldn't be convenient for you guys. Anyway, I still have two weeks to think about it, so keep an eye for that. Feel free to share your opinion as well. So, there's that. Anyway, here's the first chapter of the second part of the story.

docsgooglecom/document/d/1-zcBOEXrzODyZOY26fZAMEAsZ3KBZY2ut31iTzGkUms/edit

link for generous donation to help me make it through my overtime : wwwpay"palcom/cgi-bin/webscrcmd=_donations&business=TFHUKTDRVQYTW&"currency"_code=CAD&source=url

and here's the link for the discord for you fans : discordgg/74AjEpGX I'll be joining you around 7 pm (Eastern daylight time/GMT-4) for questions and such. See you there.