We're moving ahead into the summer, which means I expect readership to taper off as people go do summery things. If you are still reading, I greatly appreciate it! Here, we have a short (and hopefully sweet) little bonus. The next proper chapter will be posted ahead of its usual weekend update, because I will be travelling.

Content advisory: chapter contains some adult themes, but nothing is described in detail.

Bonus: Father & Son

~Aeon Observatory~

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Incineroar pushed his large, striped, wooden chair away from the small, circular table at the back of his office. He stood up and walked across the carpet, passing a hand-stitched quilt hanging up on the wall, baring the guild's insignia. Next to it sat a pair of fluffy black cushions, which matched up with the office's red carpet to resemble Incineroar's color scheme.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

He reached the office door just as the second set of knocks finished and swung the door open. Incineroar smiled at the Absol standing in front of the door with his gaze fixed on the ground. "Hiya, Gallian. What can I do you for, son?"

"You, um, asked to see me… Guildmaster," Gallian muttered, stealing nervous glances back at the assembly room.

"Oh-ho, right," Incineroar said, chuckling. "It wasn't anything urgent, kiddo. Just, y'know, wanted to check in on your first week here, that's all."

Gallian winced. "Ah… gotcha…" he whispered.

"Something bugging you, Gallian?" Incineroar wondered. He stepped to the side. "We can always talk in private, if you'd prefer."

"I don't want any special treatment, Guildmaster," Gallian said.

"Ha ha! There's nothing out of the ordinary about this, son," Incineroar said, giving Gallian a thumbs up. "I check on all my new recruits as they're settling in. And you're no different."

Gallian's expression brightened a bit. "O-Oh… uh… okay. In that case…" His voice trailed off and he walked into Incineroar's office. "… I guess privacy is better." Gallian stopped in the middle of the office and looked around. His attention fell on a shelf opposite Incineroar's quilt. It was lined with an assortment of different knickknacks. Gallian was particularly drawn to a porcelain Cresselia figurine, some wind chimes carved out of bamboo, and a pair of custom-sculpted clay bracelets.

"Geez, Guildmaster…"

"Come on now, kiddo. When we're alone like this, you can drop the formalities. 'Dad' will do just fine," Incineroar said, approaching one of the cushions on the floor. He sat down and patted the open cushion with his paw.

Gallian crept up to the free cushion and hesitantly sat on it. "R-Right… sorry, Dad." He looked back toward the shelf. "You, um, have a lot of stuff."

Incineroar grinned broadly. "Ah, noticed my little collection, did ya? I'm awfully proud of it!"

"A collection?" Gallian said, blinking in confusion.

"You bet! I've gotten a souvenir from every community I've visited, including the ones overseas," Incineroar said, winking at Gallian. "Like that Cresselia figurine. It was a gift from Team Poképals over at the Wigglytuff Guild."

"Wait, they gave that to you? Why didn't you ever tell us? Do you have any idea how floored Tessa would be? You know how much she idolizes them," Gallian said.

"Aha ha… that's a pretty good point," Incineroar said, scratching the back of his head. "To be honest, I wanted to keep it a bit of a surprise."

"Why's that?" Gallian asked.

"I was thinking of giving it to Tessa as a gift… y'know, for when she joins the guild," Incineroar said. "A little something to get her jazzed about exploring." He winked at Gallian again. "Can I trust you to keep it a secret?"

Gallian frowned. "Well… I guess so. I don't really like keeping things from Tessa, but I suppose it's okay in this instance. You'll make sure to let me see her reaction, right?"

"Of course!" Incineroar said. "Granted, it may still be a few years until Tessa feels she's ready to join us. I don't want to push her into doing this, even if she says she wants to."

"Yeah, I agree," Gallian said. "Just so you know, if she does join, I want to help her out as much as I can. I don't plan to get veteran status anytime soon."

Incineroar raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Well… I think that I'd be most helpful to Tessa as an apprentice. That way, we could room together at the start," Gallian said.

"You don't have to do that, Gallian," Incineroar said. "I could always make some tweaks to the rooming rules."

Gallian shook his head. "I don't want you treating me special because you're my dad," he said. "It's more important that I earn my keep here… the old-fashioned way."

Incineroar smiled. "I think we're gonna make a heck of an explorer out of you, son," he proclaimed. Gallian's face reddened at this. Silence fell over the duo. "Hmm… right. I suppose that's enough friendly chit-chat." He sat up straight on his cushion. "What's on your mind son? Anything I can do to help?"

Gallian pawed at the corner of his cushion. "I'm… um… I don't really know, Dad."

Incineroar rubbed his chin. "Sounds like this is pretty serious." He adjusted his positioning so he was sitting cross-legged on his cushion. "Let's see if I can tease out what the problem is. How did your first few assignments go?"

"Fine, I guess," Gallian muttered.

"That's what I thought," Incineroar said. "I didn't see anything out of the ordinary in the paperwork Braviary gave me. And I trust Vaporeon's done a good job introducing you to everything?"

Gallian stiffened, biting his lower lip. "Yuh-yeah! He's been great," he squeaked, voice cracking. Gallian realized this happened and sank down against his cushion, burying his head in the soft fabric.

Concern spread across Incineroar's face. "Did something happen between you and Vaporeon, son?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Hold on… I didn't mean to sound so forceful there. What I should've asked was, 'Are you sure?' Because I'm here if you need me. You know that, right?"

Gallian nodded. "It's… really not what you think, Dad," he whispered. "Vaporeon's fine. The problem is me."

Incineroar's face scrunched up in confusion. "I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that, son."

"I… well… um…" Gallian stuttered. After stumbling to try and form up a sentence, he swiped at his cushion's edge in frustration. "I just can't stay focused around him, Dad! He's just… those sparkling scales… and that glitter on his crest… and his soft blue eyes… I just… uuuuurgh!" He buried his face in his cushion and shook it. "I'm sorry, Dad. I bet I sound like such an idiot…"

Incineroar took in Gallian's words, nodding slowly. "I see," he said. "Y'know, that's quite the bold claim. What would make you think you're sounding like an idiot?"

"Listen to me! I just said I think I like Vaporeon. Whenever I'm around him, I just can't stop thinking about him. He looks so good… it's hypnotizing! And… and that's a problem, isn't it?" Gallian picked his head up from the pillow, a frown on his face. "I'm a guy. Vaporeon's a guy. I'm not supposed to like him that way… right?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Incineroar asked.

"W-Well… all the couples I know are one guy and one girl. There's you and Mom… Primarina and Serperior… and Sylveon's mate was a guy too, right?" Gallian said. He shook his head. "I was hoping that maybe something was wrong… like I was sick. But Comfey checked me out and said everything was fine."

"Gallian…" Incineroar said.

"I don't want another reason for people to look at me funny," Gallian said. "I already get enough nervous looks just for being an Absol. But an Absol that isn't attracted to girls? That just screams 'messed up.' I mean… for all I know… this could all be from my egg getting abandoned in the snow. What if my head's all screwed up from the cold?"

Incineroar leaned over and draped an arm over Gallian, who flinched at the gesture. "Shhhhh… it's okay, kiddo. You're beating yourself up for no good reason," he said. "Gallian, I want you to look at me." He put his free hand under his son's chin and hoisted his head up so they were making eye contact. "There is nothing… I repeat… nothing wrong with being attracted to the same gender."

Gallian blinked in confusion. "I don't understand. Don't you need two Pokémon who are opposite genders to make an egg?"

"Not at all," Incineroar said. He pulled his hand back from Gallian's chin and proceeded to rub his son's back. "All this means… is that you're growing up."

"I thought I was finished growing," Gallian said.

"Maybe physically, yeah, but not emotionally," Incineroar elaborated. "You're making the transition from kid to mature adult. Those feelings of attraction? They're a natural part of that process. Let me ask you something: do you really love Vaporeon? Like… from the bottom of your heart?"

Gallian's tensed. "Um… maybe?"

"Well, what is it you like most about him?"

"His… uh… his looks," Gallian said, face growing hot.

Incineroar nodded. "Uh-huh. And is that it?"

Gallian's brow furrowed. "Now that you mention it… I guess so."

"Then it sounds to me like you've got yourself a crush," Incineroar said, offering up a reassuring grin. "And that's nothing to be ashamed of. Crushes are a normal part of growing up. Plenty of Pokémon have them."

"E-Even if the Pokémon's the same gender as you?" Gallian wondered.

"Heh…" Incineroar rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I guess it's about time the two of us had 'the talk.' I mean, your grandpa gave it to me not long after I had joined the guild, so it only seems right. Especially with what you've told me."

"What do you mean?"

Incineroar scooted his pillow across the carpet so he was facing Gallian. "I'm talking about love and mating." He paused until he saw a degree of understanding in Gallian's eyes. "See… what sets 'mons like you and me apart from mechanical 'mons like Metagross and Magearna is our ability to form a loving bond with someone we care deeply about and express that love through an intimate relationship."

Gallian pursed his lips. "Is that like the time I walked into your room and saw you in your bed, lying on top of Mo–"

Incineroar's face flushed and he threw a paw up over Gallian's muzzle. "Aha ha… ha… I guess you know a bit more about this than I thought." He took his paw off Gallian's snout and sat back. "Huh… guess your Mom's aura sense isn't always on if you could sneak in on us like that."

"Um… did I do something wrong?" Gallian asked.

"Err… it's in the past, son," Incineroar said, laughing awkwardly. "The point I was trying to make is that, now that you're getting older, you're going to start finding that you may have feelings about other Pokémon around you… regardless of what their gender is." He put a paw on Gallian's shoulder. "You see… when it coves to love… every 'mon has some degree of attraction for both guys and girls. Which one a 'mon prefers… well, it depends on a bunch of different things."

Gallian blinked slowly, taking his dad's explanation in. "So… there isn't anything wrong with me if I… um… like other guys?"

"Not in the slightest," Incineroar said.

"Then how come I've never seen any couples made up of two guys?" Gallian asked.

Incineroar rubbed his chin. "It's just a matter of you having not traveled around enough. Give it some time while you're in the guild. Heck… I'm pretty sure I know some mates who are the same gender. I've got a lot of acquaintances… it can be hard to keep track of them all sometimes."

Gallian's brow furrowed. "Mates," he repeated. "That's what you and Mom are, right? Is that different from love?"

"Oh… I forgot to explain that, didn't I?" Incineroar said, chuckling. "See, 'mate' is actually just slang. It's shorthand for 'soulmate.'" Gallian parroted the word at him. "Basically… when two Pokémon are convinced they want to spend the rest of their lives with each other… they mate with one another." Incineroar paused. "That's… um… what you saw your mother and I doing that one time."

"The–"

"Yes, yes, there's no need to say it out loud," Incineroar said, looking a bit flustered. "The point is… the act of mating binds two Pokémon together physically and spiritually. Breaking that bond is something..." His expression grew serious. "... it's something our society frowns on. It should only ever happen under extenuating circumstances."

Panic washed over Gallian's face. "W… what do you mean by that?"

"Well, I've read reports of Pokémon getting exiled from their villages for violating the sacred soulmate bond," Incineroar said.

Gallian's gaze fell to the floor. "And… and you're absolutely, positively sure I can have a mate who's a guy?"

Incineroar nodded.

"What about having an egg? How would that work?" Gallian asked.

"Eggs are made when two Pokémon combine their spiritual energy. Many of them choose to do that while mating, sure. Doesn't change the fact that, yes, you can have an egg if your mate's the same gender," Incineroar said. "Trust me. Your grandpa told all of this stuff to me back when I was a Torracat. I don't think he'd steer me wrong."

"Okay," Gallian whispered, taking a deep breath. "Okay. I… yeah. That… that sounds okay."

"Sounds to me like there's still something bothering you," Incineroar said.

"It's just… how am I supposed to know?" Gallian said, looking up at his dad. "Like, when will I know I really love another guy… versus just liking the way he looks?"

Incineroar rubbed his chin. "That's a bit more complicated, son. It depends a lot on what's going through your head. Even if I was a psychic, I doubt I could give you a straight answer."

Gallian frowned. "Well, what about you? How did you know that Mom was, y'know, the one for you?"

"I thought I already told you that story," Incineroar said.

"Could you just give me the main points?" Gallian asked, smiling meekly.

Incineroar playfully nudged Gallian in the side. "I suppose I can. Let me think for a second here." He shut his eyes and rested his head on his hand. "At first… I felt bad for your mom. I didn't think it was fair what was happening to her with the scavengers. But once we got her out of that situation and into the guild… I just noticed little things. Her smile… the way she looked at me… how she could make me laugh. But it grew from there. Seeing her out in the field... genuinely dedicated to helping others... it just made my heart flutter. The joy she expressed when other Pokémon thanked her always brought a smile to my face."

"Eventually, it got to a point where, every time I was around her, there was a tingle that would run down my spine. My heart would race and my palms would get all sweaty, too," Incineroar said. "And it didn't really have much to do with how your mother looked. It was just her thoughtful personality that ended up winning me over. I realized that, deep down, I could see myself making a life together with her."

He sighed. "Sorry, son. I'm not sure how helpful that was," Incineroar said. "I think, when it gets down to it, it's all about what your heart tells you." He reached out and tapped Gallian's sternum with a claw. "Listen to it… and I'm sure that you'll find the right guy."

Gallian slumped over. "That makes one of us," he said.

"C'mon, son. That sounds nothing like the Gallian I know," Incineroar said.

"I'm serious, Dad. What if… what if there isn't a guy out there for me," Gallian whispered. "I mean… I'm an Absol. No one's going to want to date me given the superstitions." He bowed his head solemnly. "Maybe… maybe there's a reason my egg was abandoned."

"Son, I want you to listen to me," Incineroar said, his voice growing stern. "You are a kind, sensitive Pokémon who wants nothing more than to help others. You're nothing like the stereotypes folks make about Absols." He scooched over and wrapped an arm around Gallian. "Any guy would be lucky to have you as his mate. And I'm not just saying that because I'm your dad. It's the truth."

Gallian sniffled. "You really mean that?"

"From the bottom of my heart," Incineroar said. "And I like to think I know a thing or two when it comes to relationships," he added, winking.

"Heh…" Gallian rubbed his head against his shoulder. "Thanks, Dad. I feel… a lot better now."

Incineroar leaned over and nuzzled Gallian's neck. "Don't mention it, kiddo. And you know that, if you ever want to talk, that you can drop by any time, right?"

Gallian nodded. "I do now." He paused. "Just... um... do me one little favor."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Um... could you please not tell Mom about any of this?" Gallian asked.

Incineroar frowned. "If that's really what you want, then my lips are sealed. Can I ask why, though?"

"It's just, well, from what I've seen so far... Mom is, like, a completely different Pokémon around the guild," Gallian whispered. "She seems really uptight and serious... it kind of scares me a bit."

"Oh... that!" Incineroar said, chuckling. "There's no need to worry about it. Your mom is a very headstrong Pokémon. When she gets focused on her work... she really gets focused. I can't fault her for the enthusiasm, really."

"R-Right..." Gallian squeaked. "But I've been getting nervous whenever I'm around her. I'm worried she might get upset if I tell her... y'know... that I want to date another guy."

Incineroar closed his eyes in pensive thought. "I can't think of any reason why your mom would get upset at that. But I can see that this is bugging you... so I won't say a word about this to her. Just understand that there's going to come a time when you'll have to tell her."

"I know," Gallian said, taking a deep breath. "I just want to wait for the right moment to do that. Maybe a time when we're back home and Mom isn't so focused on her work. I promise I'll tell her... just not right now."

"And you know I'm here to help if you need it, right?" Incineroar said.

"Yeah," Gallian whispered.

"Good. In that case…" Incineroar's voice trailed off as he got to his feet. "How about we grab some dinner and see what everyone else is up to?"

Gallian got up beside his dad. "Sounds good to me."

Quicky review replies:

Anon Omega: I see what you did there. Very punny.

SuperOmegaGuest: I'm still going with a main trio. But, realistically, the three of them need help if they're going to win. Expect their ranks to continue growing. Also, you have no idea if Espeon kept drinking after waking up or if she's just hungover. Which is intentional.

Veralix: I'm just incorporating Salazzle's Dex entries into her character, so don't lame me if it's very sultry. Blame the Rotom Dex. As for the gay pairing, it's a nod to shipping in the PMD games, which frequently ends up as a same-sex pairing due to the results of the personality quizzes.

Another guest: Absol/Zoroark is actually a pairing that shows up on Bulbapedia's giant compendium of shipping names. Together, they're DangerWolfShipping. Latias/Lugia is also listed there, under GuardianShipping. Yeah, I didn't know about this before a couple of weeks ago, so I was quite surprised.

Thanks again for the support, as always. Next time, for real: volcano climbing. Like mountain-climbing but twenty times deadlier!