Chapter: Get Marked
XXXXX
There must have been some lax security in that hospital because I hadn't been woken up to hysterical yelling and angry stares that much in my life. That time, it was just one boy with shaggy blond hair tied back with a red bandana. He was too close to obese to be healthy yet still insisted on wearing a much too tight muscle shirt that showed every roll of his love handles. The bastard was lording over my profoundly angry roommate with a hungry look in his eyes.
Admittedly, I appreciated the female form as well but I tried not to ogle too badly. I failed a lot but dammit I tried! He just pissed me off.
"Now you'll finally be mine, Ruri. And you've become a fire type too, excellent," he said.
Of course, it was very possible the deep animal part of me wanted to claim what was supposedly mine and rip this fat bastard apart for intruding on my woman.
She grimaced and bounced into a crouching position severely abusing her bed. "Brendan! Get away from Ruri!"
I decided to put that aside. There was no time to contemplate my inner Neanderthal. Piggy was taken aback by her outburst and then, finally, saw me. His aghast expression quickly refined itself into a glare. I forewent all masks of civility and stared back at him with a blank expression.
"You!" he accused with pointed finger. I threw the covers off and stood up; I was a lot taller than him. A lot. He mashed his finger against his palm. "You stole her! Ruri was to be mine!"
Of course, it was easier to insult him because he was lording over something I had already claimed. Wow, 'claimed;' I really was a Neanderthal. I kept my face blank, not betraying my thoughts.
Ruri glared at him. I narrowed my eyes feeling much more secure in my hatred. It felt good to have her support in the matter.
"Stole?" I asked quietly.
"She was promised to me by Madam Lane!" he said.
Perhaps a little more civility and patience was due. "Madam Lane?"
"The woman who you chased out of here!" he said.
Ruri glanced at me surprised but she returned to glaring at him just as quickly. I had scored some points with her.
"You will pay for violating my property!" Piggy accused.
Property? At that point, I had to at least make him shit himself. It was tempting just for the brownie points I would garner with Ruri for it. If he hadn't been such a dick, I'd have thanked him for showing up. I smiled and induced a wild look into my expression.
"By you, little man?" I asked, fighting a dark chuckle. Half the fight was intimidation and that was the part I had a good grasp of. Mike Tyson be damned. My face was a mix of crazed lunatic and blood knight. Cackling maniacally, I advanced on him. "I'll break you little boy."
I succeeded and Piggy backed away a lot faster than I stalked towards him. Eyes wide, he fumbled at his belt and managed to throw a pokéball between us.
Out of the red light came a girl about Piggy's height. Her head was down, covering her face in the shadows of her vine like dreads and massive earthy red petals. She was extremely pear shaped; above her waist she was pre-pubescent but she had the hips, butt and thighs of a much older, curvier, woman. It was so acute as to be inhuman. The only part of her I couldn't see, given her state of undress, was her face and that was only due to the petals she had as hair.
I stopped my advance on Piggy. He seemed much more confident now.
"Get him! Leech!" he ordered.
From under the petals, her dreads pierced the floor of the hospital. A vein swam through the tiles and emerged quicker than I could react, throwing ceramic and dust into the air. I stepped back, too late, and was caught. My left leg hung in limbo. The vine jerked and I hit my ass. Pins and needles began crawling up the limb while the tendril closed tighter around my ankle.
Piggy laughed in victory. "Not so tough now little man, Ruri is mine!"
She chose that moment to fly off her bed and slice the root with her claws. Leaning on the dull dresser, I scrambled to my feet and joined her and Piggy in a face off. He looked livid at the prospect that she had actually saving me. Piggy and I locked eyes, none of us were concentrating on the screaming girl who was cradling her hair/roots in pain between us. He was furious and my obvious smirk at Ruri curled his lips into a snarl.
The ground chose that moment to erupt again. Chains snaked up our bodies forcing us into a sieza position with our arms torqued into pretzels. The unsettlingly warm metal coiled around our necks and yanked, forcing all of us to repent towards the ceiling for our sins.
"Mr. Iscariot, this is the second time I've had to come up to this room in two days." The Doctor came around the corner with his hands stuffed into his billowing white coat. His eyes darted around the room, subtly looking at the cracked floor and all of us. The scantily clad woman appeared around the door, sans top, and holding a pack of chains like dog leashes. Despite her lazy grin she was apparently very excited to be choking us. I would've stared but The Doctor scared the hell out of me. Unfortunately, she noticed my eyes appreciating her and smiled deviously. The chains pulled tighter, crushing my windpipe and compressing my spine into a hard C. The Doctor walked between us, towering over Piggy with a hard expression. "Initiating an attack on a fellow human with a pokégirl is illegal, initiating a battle in a hospital is illegal, and initiating a Tamer's duel unprovoked is illegal. You have managed to break three laws in a single action. Angie!"
The vague shapes of two nurse joys and the armored-woman from before appeared on demand. The Doctor swept his arm forward. "Heal this Oddtits then escort her and her tamer to the security station."
Ok, now that was mean. He didn't need to insult the poor girl to her face. No one else reacted to the insult. I tilted my head in confusion. Was that what kind of Pokégirl she was? An 'oddtits?' That was fucked up! No wonder she kept her head down.
The chains receded on Piggy and the petal girl; I couldn't actually make myself call her 'oddtits.' They didn't get long to appreciate their freedom however. Piggy choked on Angie's hand and the girl cried in pain as the armored woman dragged them away. She showed absolutely no mercy and yanked them out despite their spirited kicking and screaming.
He turned to us. "I, for one, am glad that you are leaving."
The chains came off us as well. I bounced up like a spring as soon as they unraveled from my neck. The world was fuzzy and dull while I recovered. The Doctor and Chains left the room without a word.
Professor Wank chose that moment to step through the doorway. His head shined under the lights and a wide smile split his mustache. He ignored The Doctor and blithely danced around the holes in the floor so he could focus on us with terrifying intensity. He bent down to Ruri's face getting close enough that his mustache almost touched her nose.
"A Charamanda, hmmm. Wiz black hair too, most unuzual. A zrezhold girl?" he asked.
She nodded, leaning back from Wank's intent gaze and crinkling her nose.
The Professor returned to his full height to address me. "Well you've only juzt come to ze world and you're already taming pokégirlz. You are off to a wonderouz ztart Mizter Izcariot."
I looked away from his beaming smile, trying not to just plain deck him. "I don't suppose you'll apologize for kicking me in the face?"
"No," he said.
It figured, Wank wasn't seem the type to apologize for anything. Then a thought hit me. "Speaking of that Professor, when can I go home?"
More of his beaming smile followed. "Never."
"What do you mean 'never'?" I was barely able to grind out the question but my struggle went ignored. There was something extra creepy about a man who could destroy hopes and dreams while smiling.
"Unforzunately, your trip zeems to have deztroyed my devize. Alzo, you now owe me a lot of creditz young man," he said wagging his finger.
"I owe you creditz! For what?" I asked.
At that moment, I just wanted to clean that yellow grin from his face with a sledgehammer. Wank continued, oblivious to or perhaps ignoring me. "My mazhine of courze, you broke it and now I'll need your help to build a far more permanent one."
"How ze 'ell am I zupposed to do that?" I mocked. "I have no idea where I am! I don't have a way to get a job. I don't have a work history here! Or a history period!"
"What are you talking about Wezton? You already have your firzt harem member, you're practically a tamer!" Wank smiled and pointed to Ruri. "My boy, that'z your applicazion!"
Ruri had been staring at me in stunned silence for a while. The gears were turning behind her wide blue eyes. She was already filling in the gaps about why I didn't know what taming shock was. I could only spare a glance, being more focused on Wank, but I was impressed by her reaction.
"What? How the hell did I apply to be a tamer?" I asked.
Did I mention I really wanted to smack that smile off of him? The situation only got more inciting. "By getting a pokégirl already. If you don't become a Tamer zoon then zhe'll be taken and put up az a ztarter."
That got her attention and shocked her enough that she pinned my arms and screamed in my face. "No! Boy can't do that to Ruri!"
She made a cross motion with her arms, frantic and demanding in her attempts to get her point across. I leaned out of her grip. "How long is this gonna last?"
Wank shrugged and responded obliviously casual. "Zree hourz to zree weekz iz uzually ze bell curve."
"Three weeks?" We both looked exasperated at the mere thought.
Wank made a maybe sign with his hand. "Two to four dayz iz ze boundariez of ze ztandard deviazion."
Remember how I was saying I didn't understand statistics? Prime example. "So three days?"
"Give or take." He shook his head while he said it, blowing off my stupidity.
I deflated and glanced at Ruri who still looked alarmed at being selected to be a starter and not being able to speak for three weeks. She was no longer scheming reduced to imagining the worst case scenario. Her eyes moved through varying degrees of depression.
"So what do I do?" I asked.
XXX
After getting an extra set of sweats for Ruri, a concept everyone thought to be quaint if not distasteful, I retrieved my own clothes. My black shirt and green cargo shorts were handed back to me in a brown paper bag on top of my sneakers. They had been cleaned and had a nice lavender scent. After that was complete Ruri, Wank and I walked out of the hospital and into the aroma of sea water. It was a quiet and suffocating walk through the early morning glow. As Wank danced ahead, obnoxiously cheery in the early hour, the rest of the town was just coming alive. A space hung between Ruri and I, we matched pace but never made eye-contact or spoke.
Two things dominated Littleroot: the Hospital and the water. The Hospital was the centerpiece: nothing even approached its height and all of the buildings spread out like roots from it. They wrapped around the water's edge with two white piers stretching into the cove. In the early morning, the white buildings and clear water were the orange of the sun. Over the water, a lighthouse fought against trees to dominate the cape and guide a small cargo ship out to sea.
I yawned and numbly followed Wank. Eventually, we came to a tumor on the aesthetic of Littleroot.
Exiled to the edge of town was a brick building with wide glass doors. It looked like a grade school. Wank marched right in without any hesitation. There was no fanfare to the lobby as we barreled through; grimy chairs and dusty magazines gave it a haunted doctor's office feel. He threw open the next door unveiling a blinding and bleached white hallway. The lobby was just a front for a much more professional and expensive looking complex. I let Ruri through first and got a scrutinizing stare from her for my trouble.
Wank's office was marked by a simple brass nameplate that read 'Poképrofessor.' The only furniture was on the far side of the room with three diplomas hovering over it like a cloud of gnats. It created an obnoxiously long walk to the only seating in the room.
I gave the only guest seat to Ruri which induced Wank into snickering. Neither of us were as amused. His mustache settled on his lip as if he was ready to tell an extremely funny joke and couldn't keep from laughing.
"Well Wezton Izcariot, it'z time for you to ztart working off your debt." He sniggered. I glared at him but he didn't change his tone. "Now don't be like that Wezton, you broke my devize now you have to pay for it. Alzo it'z the only way you can go home."
Ruri looked up at me and then at Wank as if we were crazy. Seeing the nameplate must have convinced her that we weren't two head cases though because she wasn't as insulting.
The twinkle in his eyes died when he addressed her. "Don't be like zat we already discuzzed ziz in front of you, you zimply ignored it."
She glared but backed down into looking away from us, rediscovered anger clearly ready to foam over.
I rolled my finger several times to get the meeting going. "I take it you want me to become a tamer to pay off my debts?"
Wank chuckled and steepled his hands in front of his face. "I want you to become league champion."
He had finally cracked his joke and only his fingers hid his devious grin.
"League champion?" I asked in an even tone.
It would be better than statistics. Truth be told, he didn't need to push me very hard. Not even his little smirk irked me enough to turn him down. On one hand, my situation was either a dream that I would eventually wake up from. On the other, I was stuck there and Wanc was holding something above my head. In that case, it was a debt and I needed to take of that first and foremost. I had nothing to lose and the itch to just walk off into the woods and subsist on wanderlust had called to me for a long time. I had always pined for the dark ages when people could just wander off their farm and join a crusade. Modern Life was limiting like that, too much focus on money. You'd be a bum if you just threw it all away and walked the Earth. In the middle ages though, you could become a rich man if you happened to be born in time for a crusade. Yeah, a pokémon journey sounded like a nice dream.
Excuse me, pokégirl; much more sex. I stifled a laugh, it was just too weird for me when I really thought about continuing on.
Wank didn't leave his pose. "Yez, with ze prize money I'll have plenty of fundz for my rezearch and it'll pay off your ztarting loan from me."
I switched my posture around and leaned heavily on my left arm. A starting loan? It was starting to sound suspiciously like a horrible scam where I bought chocolate and the bags for the chocolate and bags for the bags for the chocolate. "So I take it you'll make me a Tamer now."
"Zo do you know what a Tamer iz?" He asked with an expectant smirk.
"I read some books." I shrugged. Ruri huffed and Wank positively beamed.
"Vunderbar." He reached into his desk for a completed test sheet with my name on it. He'd been planning this obviously. It made me wonder what he'd do if I had refused. "Follow me Wezton, we have to get your lizenze."
He practically pushed us the entire long walk out of his office. We barreled past several male assistants who stared after his impressive billowing white coat. The looks of shocked adoration, like people meeting a rock star, really made me wonder about just who Wank was. He seemed like a creep, he just gave off that vibe. Those halls had been abandoned not five minutes before but suddenly the place was abuzz with adoration for him. It was suspicious. I wondered if he kept them locked away in the bowels of the office until Wank needed to seem more impressive.
Behind door number one was an examination table. It was like any Doctor's office only without the Viagra posters on the wall. Wank pushed us in. Ruri sat in the single plastic chair with a sour expression on her face. Her tail was coiled around her forcing her to sit closer on the edge of the seat. I took the examination bed and watched her shuffle several times to find the right way to sit. She settled on slumping into the chair so that her new appendage wouldn't be crushed under her. She crossed her arms in a petulant manner and didn't look at either of us. Wank then took my blood pressure, weight, height, etc. until the application was completed.
He pushed us out again, shoving the metal clipboard at an expecting assistant. More hallways passed in a blur. They all had the same navy blue carpet and white walls; barely wide enough for Ruri to walk beside me. It didn't help that my only guide was Wank's coat that stretched to stroke both walls. Men gladly tried to disappear into the white paint just to let us pass. His coat would still grope their legs but they would apologize instantly. Only a few of the white clad figures were female and they did their best to stay just around the corner of Wank, fading from sight when I tried to spot them.
Finally, I sat down in a strange room with only two sterile white chairs sticking up out of the floor. They were barely three feet apart facing each other in the center of an equally white void. I tried to study the edges of the room; but there were none. The room was an egg, even the chairs were molded into the floor with rounded edges. A pokégirl stood there smiling at us with a stepford wife's grin. She had a smallish body that didn't fit her impressive bust at all. A purple lace bra was peeking up from her far too open white blouse and just below her blond hair, two yellow antennae twitched on her forehead.
"Please take a seat Mr. Iscariot, Miss Ruri please stay near the door." We obeyed and she took the seat across from me, careful to flatten her black pencil skirt. The door zipped shut, repairing the shape of the room. Ruri crossed her arms and glared at us, looking exceptionally out of place. Focusing on the pokégirl, I fought the urge to look at the flash of purple. Then the air changed. A haze I couldn't quite see formed between us, a sound I could barely hear fluttered between my ears.
"You have an impressive mental resistance." she pursed her lips into a devious grin. "For a pureblood."
"Um, thank you." Pureblood? That means the distinction between humans and pokégirl descendants must have been-
"Quite large, yes." The girl finished my thought aloud. Her stare was unblinkingly.
I wondered if she was actually digging deep or just skimming surface thoughts. Because if she was, then I could just simply think up something obscene. Something like: a woman bent over her large breasts heaving with every movement as the weights pulled them down. A ball gag in her mouth to ensure the extra humiliation of drooling all over the ground. A whip cracked.
I studied the pokégirls face, nothing. Well, what if the woman in the picture was suddenly orange with a pair of yellow antennae poking out of her forehead; her ripped blouse hanging open and her black pencil skirt humming with a vibrating in her ass and pussy.
"Thank you for co-operating and those images." the woman paused and gave me sly smirk that screamed 'I've-got-you-now.' "I'll have to tell Professor that you lied though."
That stopped my train of thought.
"About what?" I tried to play it off casually, more out of habit then any actual attempt to hide from her. Clearly, she had a lot more information and power than I could combat.
"Your name, Sean Westland, you lied. Though since you like Iscariot so much you might convince him to let you keep it," she said.
I felt violated that she was able to look through me like that. So that was what it was like being interrogated by a real psychic. Shit, I had barely felt anything happen.
She smiled at me. "Most don't even feel that."
I had to test how well she could control the mental probing. I swung a chainsaw from around the chair. The metal teeth met her flesh before she could move. A small nick of her skin appeared then the next tooth dug deeper and deeper. Each vein and artery sprayed more blood as the metal cut through it. Her nerves sent fire to her brain when the chains severed them. Her mouth barely parted before the first shrill scream of agony erupted through her teeth. My own laughter joined in.
I smiled sweetly. Communicating with my thoughts, I told her to stay out of my head. It was full of bad things. She stopped and brought her hand up to her throat. My smile deepened and she ripped her hand back down into her lap. Don't fuck around in my head, I threatened.
"Or what?" her lips didn't move.
I've never acted on my more extreme instincts but I'd enjoy it more than you.
"And last night?" she tilted her head and continued to communicate telepathically.
I rolled my jaw. A mistake, I lost control. That's not me.
"But you liked it."
I'm not like that. One moment does not define my entire personality.
"But you like the idea of owning a slave. Look how easily you have accepted it. You like the idea of dominating another person, hurting them, taking control of them against their will. Especially against their will. Even if it's just a pokégirl, the idea excites you.
Even just a pokégirl? You see yourself as lesser.
"No. Pokégirl's are simply different from humans. You are changing the subject."
If you are going to make such an obvious mistake don't try to hide it. We broadcast our thoughts in how we say things. Tone, pauses, facial movements. And you said 'Even if it's just a pokégirl.' You think that pokégirls are inferior.
We stared at each other without a word telepathically or physically.
"You enjoy this as well. Dominating others by making yourself seem smarter? Is that really any different from choking them?"
Yes, I don't act on my violent impulses and this is how society functions without resorting to violence. Also, I refuse to be criticized by a woman who invades people thoughts. I try to understand people the old-fashioned way, see things from their perspective. I know that they don't like pain and I don't inflict it on them. How much do you abuse your gift instead of simply talking to people?
"But you dream about it. You get excited by horrible things. Pain, shame, tears; you like them as much as you like sex. Perhaps even more."
I don't act on it. My self-control means I'm not that type of person. Unlike you, my force of will isn't on a timer.
She smiled. "Now you're thinking like a Tamer."
I growled and got out of the chair.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Westland," she said out loud then giggled. "I think you'll be happy with this one Ruri, he's not like some men of this world. No matter how much he'd prefer to be. Also, good job on popping his cherry."
My cheeks burned but I refused to look back at her. Her amused laugh and Ruri's cocky stare chased me out of the room. Wank was ready to ambush me as soon as I punched the button to open the door. He shot looks between the two of us. My face felt like it was on fire and I refused to look at Ruri but I was sure she was smirking at me. He didn't push the question and charged further down the hall.
We were left in a cramped room that was completely dominated by a massive wooden table. I took a seat opposite of Ruri and my chair actually bumped against the wall. An awkward silence fell between us. Ruri kept staring at me much too cocky then I liked, but she probably didn't want to flaunt her lack of grammatical skills. So we simply sat in the room while I ruminated on that psychic.
It was a slip-up. I glanced at Ruri's neck from the corner of my eyes. There wasn't a single bruise, they had healed her as well that night. Before she could look back from the walls, I turned to stare at them as well. I had never lost control like that. It wouldn't happen again, I promised myself.
The time dragged on without a word. It was a hard twenty minutes before Wank slammed the door into the wall. He was smiling but only to keep his anger down.
"You lied." He chuckled and pointed at me accusingly. "I don't like being lied to."
I leaned back in my chair and wrapped my knuckles on the table rhythmically. A cocky smirk slithered onto my face. The trick was to act as calm as possible, like what they were saying wouldn't affect you whatsoever. It was a trick I learned from watching cop-shows. There was always a mobster that would do it and they were always presented as a greater kind of criminal. I liked that. He took it in stride and opened his manila covered file that was presumably on me. His voice was low and clinical. "Pazological liar, introverted, amoral, zociopazic, Zadiztic tendenziez? You are an interezting fellow, Mr. Weztland."
"But you told me Izcariot!" He slammed the table, eyes wide with fury. The anger vanished just as quickly, he made a dismissive motion immediately after. I rolled my eyes, fucking Hollywood bipolar. Wank didn't care. "Accurate. A traitor'z name if zere ever waz one, at leazt to your people."
I wrapped my knuckles again rolling an imaginary bit of clay between my fingers. I think I liked this new hostile Wank better, he felt more real. He held up the file. "But loyal, ztrong willed, ztrong zense of zelf, an above average intelligenze, zome moderate tactical abilitiez, ztrong imaginazion and at least a little forezight. You're cauzious but you are prone to actz of raz ztupidity."
"Caveat lector," I said.
Wank laughed mockingly, pointing at me like I had just made an irritatingly funny joke. His expression mutated into rage and he slammed the files on the table locking horns with me and breathing heavily. "Karina azzurez me you'll re-pay me if I give you a chanze zough. Zhe highly recommendz you, zough her motivez are zuzpect az a pokégirl. You'd naturally be more liberal zen we uzually tolerate in the league az well."
We stared at each other in silence. I had never been accused of being liberal. Wank scrunched his eyebrows. "What the fuck was 'Kavait Lecter?'"
"Don't believe everything you read," I supplied quietly.
Wank stretched his lips over his yellowing teeth mockingly.
"Congrazulazionz Mister Izcariot, welcome to Hoenn League," he said, savoring the word 'Izcariot.'
My mind screeched to a halt. Wait Hoenn? Wasn't that Ruby and Sapphire? I hadn't actually bought any of those. I tried to summon up all my knowledge on the story. All I remembered was some red dinosaur and blue whale fish thing.
Wank closed the file and dismissed his little manic act with a deep sigh. "Follow me."
Ruri glanced between us freaking out and silently asking if that had all really just happened. Wank immediately swooped out without waiting for us to escape our cramped chairs. He charged back to his office with Ruri and me on his heels. That time there were two chairs. He was blasting away at his personal computer before we closed the door. He ignored both of us and I still refused to meet Ruri's eyes; so we all sat in silence. Again. Eventually, he retrieved what appeared to be a red smart phone from the bowels of his desk and connected it to the computer with a cable. We had to sit there, impatiently, for another five minutes before Wank punched the keyboard one last time.
"Okay Izcariot." He took a lot pleasure in the name. "I've cleared you for a ztorage license, as well as a tamer'z license. Which is razer lucky on your part az it'z uzually a much more ztringent tezt."
I looked over at Ruri, whose shocked expression confirmed it.
"Now here are your pokéballz, pluz one for you to regizter to the Charamanda. Taming for Dummies will fill in any gapz you mozt likely have in your educazion," Wank sneered pompously when he said education. It was amazing that 'for dummies' books could retain their style across a couple hundred years. It even had that same bookstore freshness. I spotted a blurb as I flipped the pages: Reminder: catching a pokegirl with the pokeball does not form an alpha bond with her. Finally, Wank placed his hands on the table and looked me square in the eyes. "Congrazulazionz Mizter Zean Wezton Izcariot."
XXX
Wank had been so nice as to buy me more clothes. Specifically, exact copies of my shirt, shorts, boxers and socks. Right down to the washing instructions on the collar. Why and how he ordered that exact same clothing I didn't know or ask. I had found my new uniform. Buying new ones was out of the question, the starting funds for a Tamer were exactly 10,000 SLC. That sounded like a lot until you realized that a soda from a vending machine cost 165 SLC. I had about a hundred dollars to my name, 9835 SLC to be exact.
So there I was, sitting outside Wank's lab tapping on the pokédex's touch screen with a 'Koka-Kola' bottle in my hand. It only looked like one of the new smartphones with a sliding QWERTY keyboard but that was purely cosmetic. Its main function was a pokédex but it had numerous, I guess they could be called apps. Amusingly, the home screen was a stylized pokémon start menu with a clock and signal strength header. 'Pokédex' was at the top, then 'harem' which was apparently my team, 'Items' that I had scanned - it acted as an inventory sheet really - 'Info' on me a phone app, a map app and a calculator were all rolled into 'applications' plus some more things I didn't read down enough to see. Then finally an 'options' button at the bottom.
The top of the pokédex had a button to turn off the screen. The single button on the side rewarded me with a totally white screen with 'PROCESSING…' in the center.
After a second it beeped, 'NO SUBJECT DETECTED'
I readjusted the bag that Wank had given me and studied the cove. The day was just starting to brighten, erasing the orange glow and slipping Littleroot under the glare of the sun. I admit staring at the hill across the water and the few houses poking out of the trees while the rest of Littleroot stood proud was exceptionally peaceful.
Wank had given me the choice of a regular backpack, a single sling bag or a messenger bag. He ignored my sarcastic comment about camping gear and re-iterated his point. Turned out, he was just holding in an insult at my inexperience. I chose the sling bag and was pleasantly surprised to learn that it 1) was light and 2) actually contained hammerspace. He had opened the Items menu right in front of me, proceeded to select out a 'tent' and pulled out a bag larger than the backpack itself. Convenient. Especially when it went right back in and the bag didn't even bulge.
I refocused on the pokédex to check my own information first. My picture was on the left with all my information to the right, like an electronic vehicle license. At the top was my new name. When I had picked Iscariot, it was on a whim. An internet debate had somehow led to the question of whether or not Judas was just evil or if he knew and had been a necessary evil. Personally, I liked the idea that Judas did what he had to do. However, I couldn't have imagined that it would become my new name. But there it was in front of me, right next to my face.
Iscariot, Sean
Age: 18
Residence: Littleroot Town, Hoenn
Status: Active
Rank: 1
Record: 0-0-0
Blood Gifts/Curses: [Classified]
Licenses: Tamer, Storage
Active Harem:
Charamanda level: 5 Nickname: Ruri
Nickname? Did pokégirl's not get to have real names? That seemed kind of excessive, but it made a certain kind of sense. People, or at least the people who wrote textbooks, didn't seem to like the idea that pokégirls could have any rights. I clicked on 'Charamanda.' The screen changed immediately in an impressive show of processing power.
CHARAMANDA, the Fiery Lizard-esque Pokégirl
Type: Animorphic
Element: Fire
Frequency: Uncommon to Rare
Diet: Omnivore, prefers meat and cooked fish
Role: frontline soldiers
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Bug, Ice, Plant, Steel
Weak Vs: Ground, Rock, Water
Attacks: Ember, Fire Spin, Fireball, Flamethrower, Tail Whip, Bite, Scratch, Fury Swipes
Enhancements: Fire powers, Endurance, claws
Evolves: Charmela (normal)
Evolves From: None
The first elemental Pokégirl to make her appearance during Sukebe's War was the Charamanda and her more powerful evolutions. Using her fire attacks to attack the human forces, they decimated regiments of human soldiers and melted through tank armor to great effect. It was only when Sukebe's Charamandas attempted to infiltrate cities on their own that they found themselves overpowered by local fire departments and their fire hoses that held the lines against them. Eventually, when Sukebe learned to utilize other elemental types with the Charamanda forces, not even those defenders managed to hold the lines at all. After the war, these Pokégirls were hunted but many survived both the war and the Pokégirl hunts in the years that followed. These were also the first Fire-types that Researchers after the war obtained data on.
These days, these Pokégirls are known to be one of the most stable and easily tamed fire-types throughout the world. They don't need any special precautions before a taming, unlike their evolutions. They are reptilian, having scales rather than skin like a human, which is rather sensitive to temperature drops and water. Their scales are normally a deep red in coloration, though their front is often an orange color or at least a lighter red around their stomach, chest, and breasts. These Pokégirls also have a tail that is as long as they are tall that is not prehensile. Charamanda stand at about five feet tall, though some are a bit taller as well. Their tail actually has a fire that emits from it, which allows the Charamanda to heat up her surroundings easily. This flame may not be present in domestic Charamandas, however, although it can be dispelled with magic. Dousing this flame otherwise can harm a Charamanda that does possess this flame.
More affectionate than her evolutions, and perhaps moreso than any other fire type other than the Spitfire or the FireCat, the Charamanda enjoys cuddling with a trusted tamer almost as much as receiving a taming. This Pokégirl has a low pleasure threshold, which grows as she evolves. They are very careful with their tamers, not wanting to burn them, but ferals are known to go all out against any that enter their supposed territory, Pokégirl and tamer alike. These Pokégirls are often provided to new tamers as often as a Growlie is, simply because of their loyalty and abilities that are rather well suited towards traveling. Feral Charamanda don't normally have hair, but domestics usually do thanks to their origins with having a human father.
In battles, Charamandas are well suited for both ranged and close-combat. Their teeth are suited to tearing, ripping, and piercing- perfect for their Bite attacks. Although her tail isn't prehensile, it is strong and thick, and suitable for her tail whip attack. And their ability with fire allows for a variety of fire attacks to be available at most any range of battle. The Charamanda has claws on her hands and feet, allowing her to utilize them well in close quarters as well. In sex battles, their low pleasure threshold is an obvious liability. Their evolved forms are much more suited for such battles, however.
All this information was accompanied by a picture of a bald woman that looked like a much better fed Ruri. That was all very useful but it wasn't what I meant. I pressed the back button at the top of the screen and was once again at my own information. This time I clicked on 'Ruri.' She didn't get a mugshot only a rough, fully-green, diagram of her body.
Nickname: Ruri
Species: Charamanda
Level: 5
Type: Fire
Moves: Scratch, Tail whip
Enhancements: Threshold, Fire Powers, Endurance, Claws
Status effects: None
Health: Perfect
Speaking of Ruri, I had 'captured' her officially at the behest of Wank. It was so that the ball would be coded to her and to my Pokédex. The whole system apparently required a sort of bluetooth connection from the pokédex to the pokébelt to the pokéball. I was actually covered in electronics that were all connected to the handheld device in my hand. The pokéballs were cool; they shrunk, via no apparent reason, and clipped onto the belt that had slots for seven pokéballs, the extra being in case you wanted to catch something. Wank had given me an 'orthodox,' which meant the six were on my right side with the extra slot on my left.
I was in no hurry to run off into the woods until tomorrow morning. It was mid-day, I was completely unfamiliar with the actual distance and all of my acquired advice on camping told me never to try it in the dark.
I leaned back on the old brick and thought about what I would need for my 'team.' Standard pokémon rules applied of course, a nice type spread was a must. I couldn't just brute force my way with a single pokémon and some HM slaves. It would be more like DS wireless then battling the A.I. but it wasn't a pokémon game either. Real time and real(er) conditions opened a lot of doors. What if I could balance in a healer? Did anything even have a combat worthy heal in this world? I opened my pokédex and initiated the search function. 'H-e-a-l-e-r'
At the top of the list was the magic word.
NURSEJOY, the Nursing Pokégirl
Type: Very Near Human
Element: Normal
Frequency: Uncommon, usually found at hospitals and Pokégirl healing centers, has never been found in the wild
Diet: any human style diet, with the preference of vegetables
Role: nursing
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Ghost
Weak Vs: Fighting
Attacks: Great Shell Shield, Heal, Esuna, Love 'N' Affection, Regeneration Tears, Strike, Yell, Hypnotize
Enhancements: Innate Knowledge (Human/Pokegirl anatomy), Affinity (Magic), Intuitive Aptitude (Healing magic, Healing), Enhanced Strength (x2), Enhanced Agility (x2), Enhanced Memory, Reduced Feral, Aura of Calm, Deathsight
Evolves: Night Nurse (battle stress)
Evolves From: None
The breed stands on average between 1.52 to 1.68 meters tall with outliers as far as 15cm taller or shorter. Due to all three of the base individuals used having the same color of hair, most Nurse Joy have hair in some shade of pink with white or red being outliers. Rarely, the breed will have human standard colors or odd colors of hair. Eye color ranges within human norms, with blues and greens being the most common though it is not unknown for individuals to have pink colored irises. Most have above average or at least proportional bust lines, though body types are similar to those of humans.
Compassionate, Helpful, and Kind are the three most common personality traits attributed to Nurse Joy. A majority of individuals have wonderful bedside manners, capable of putting nervous patients at ease. For rowdy patients, the breed's Yell and Hypnotize abilities can be coupled with their Aura of Calm to diffuse situations.
NurseJoys are typically non-violent, though they can hold their own against weaker pokegirls if pressed. Most individuals are never put into the battlefield, as their skills in healing are not something to be risked in a battle. Many individuals would much rather use their strength to pick up or turn bedridden patients or their agility to help nimbly suture a wound than dodge attacks or try to punch a foe.
NurseJoy have no common majority when it comes to taming preferences, though a significant minority have a preference for sexual role play. The breed is also affected strangely by cannabis in that it acts like an aphrodisiac. While unable to become intoxicated from the drug, NurseJoys instead become incredibly aroused. Due to this, many Leagues have no smoking policies within pokecenters and hospitals, partly to keep their employed healer pokegirls from being supremely distracted while on duty.
Upon going feral, a NurseJoy become skittish, shy pokegirls. They tend to hide or run first, which is coupled with an inability to keep track of time or focus. Ferals outside of cities tend to be thin and are commonly picked off before any evolve. Within cities, they pose no threat to humans, though will make a nuisance of themselves by raiding garbage cans or sneaking into areas for food and shelter. Catching a NurseJoy is as simple as properly pinning one down, as they can't put up much of a resistance. Use of cannabis is also a quick capture method, as then the feral will be more than willing to tame.
Threshold into a NurseJoy tends to be a very fast affair, allergy or common cold-like symptoms or intestinal distress are usually the only signs before the hair begins to change color. Eye color change is a fifty-fifty chance. Within three days, the new NurseJoy is ready to be placed with a tamer or sold to the League.
Looks like I had found a new objective. I closed the pokédex and plotted my new course. The center of Littleroot.
XXX
Stepping into the Hospital, I was confronted by the tapping foot of The Doctor immediately and the temperature dropped ten degrees. An empty waiting room stretched to my left, ER bays lined the wall to my right and a freckled nurse joy manned a station in front of me. The Doctor must have been waiting for something to happen. Spotting his massive boot, I froze, intent on trying again somewhere else. He didn't even need to look up from his charts. "Come to destroy more of my hospital, Mr. Iscariot?"
I glanced around questioningly. There wasn't a mirror or camera anywhere so how the hell had he seen me? My confused expression amused the joy behind the desk to no end.
"No, I, I haven't." I smiled awkwardly and looked up at the ceiling. There was an urge to rub the back of my neck but I contained myself.
He snapped his charts shut and turned around. "Then why?"
Suddenly, this seemed to be a really stupid idea. I pushed myself to say it anyway. "I would like to request a-"
"You want one of my nurses?"
If you could have seen the look on his face you would have lost the ability to speak too. It was a cross between an angry pitbull and the grim reaper. I really didn't want to respond to that hiss. The scared look on the attending nurse's face told me that I shouldn't. I searched the walls and avoided his gaze.
He spoke for me. "Mr. Iscariot, I think you need to come with me."
You didn't disobey that tone even though it was probably leading you to your death. I followed him up five flights of stairs. He didn't say a single word to me the entire time. We stopped at the top floor, only the roof access was further up. The floor was a grey cubicle farm cast in a pink glow. He led me past closed offices and unmanned stations until we came to a lobby with a secretary and a few plush chairs. Without a word, she pushed the doors open and let us through, deliberately avoiding looking me in the eyes. It was if I was about to be executed.
The room was huge with a massive rounded window that took up the entire wall and showed off all of the sparkling port. A single, small desk and a high back chair were the only pieces of furniture. The glare of the sun blinded me as my eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden flash of natural light. All I could make out was a chair.
"Sir, this," The Doctor made a displeased grunt. "Tamer has requested one of our nurse joys."
He settled into a loose parade rest. The chill of the room hit me hard, it was even colder than the rest of the building to offset the heat of the window but it also made standing in this man's presence uncomfortable. Whoever he was, he had a cruel laugh. Of course, when the chair swung back I expected a cat, maybe; but seeing as this was a perverted twisting of pokémon I should have foreseen that he'd have a woman with cat ears bobbing her head up and down on his crotch. It actually took my mind a few moments to process what I was seeing. The Doctor didn't seem to be disturbed though and stared him down unperturbed. This was clearly his superior and I decided to follow his example. The Boss didn't even ask the lady to quit blowing him; he just leaned back and stared me down.
And it felt just so awkward.
"So you want one of our nurse joys for your harem?" he asked in a voice that made it hard not to imagine Mr. Monopoly twirling his mustache. I glanced at The Doctor, who stared forward refusing to look at me, and then focused solely on the Gentleman's face. I refused to look lower even as the flashes of white peeked above the desk.
"Yes, if I have an actual healer on hand my journey will progress much faster," I said. It took a surprisingly amount of willpower to say that statement while he was having sex in front of me. I thought I could just be just cold about it and drown it out but I couldn't. Nothing gnawed at my attention like the flashes of white bobbing down and up underneath his wooden desk.
"You are aware that nurse joys are generally not very effective in combat. Also Hoenn league doesn't have such nonsense as a non-combat harem member so she'll count towards the six you can have on hand." He asked, completely straight faced and ignorant of my discomfort. It was a very surreal moment.
I nodded, not having even thought of a non-combat member. "I'm not asking for another fighter but nothing is more valuable than someone who can patch you up on the fly."
The Gentleman smiled in, what I assumed was, agreement; might have just been getting a blowjob.
"You understand; one second," he said and held up his fingers to shush me like a querulous child before sending them below his desk.
Guck, guck, guck. The strange sound that only comes from a blowjob happening at porno level tempo and strength wafted through the room. Even the Doctor shifted his stance and looked at the walls. I looked away, desperate to cleanse those images out of my head. He grunted out an orgasm that sounded like it might've killed him. Murmuring followed and finally the sound of a zipper finished off the disturbing mental images. When I looked back, the woman was sitting on his lap. She looked content too, purring into his shoulder and licking her lips like a cat that had finished her milk.
Didn't want that thought.
"Well, we do have one joy who wants more experience before settling down," he immediately resumed speaking as if that episode hadn't happened. He looked at The Doctor pointedly then adjusted himself. "It's rather convenient this new tamer showed up just a week after she declared her intent."
It was difficult to have a serious conversation while one of the parties had a naked woman snuggling him but they pulled it off surprisingly well.
"I'll leave it to you to decide. Good luck young man." Then he started massaging the woman's breasts. "You both can leave now."
The Doctor and I left calmly even as the woman started moaning and purring over our shoulders. It would have been easier to stroll away from an explosion.
XXX
The Doctor led me up to the roof of the hospital. Littleroot was surrounded by a forest only held back by a wall that I hadn't seen before. Wank's office was opposite of a hill full of nice looking homes. It was a beautiful town. He and I stared off into the harbor for a few seconds before he rounded to face me. "I'm going to give you some tests to see if you'll be worthy for one of our nurses."
I nodded. "Sounds fair, what are the tests."
Then his fist slammed into my face.
I was on the ground before I could even form my next thought. He stepped over me and started to take off his coat. A red snot bubble wheezed out of my nose when I tried to breath. He paid me no heed as he draped his coat over the railing. I scrambled to my feet, wiped the blood off my face and shook the pain out of my head. He still had his back turned, that was my chance. I charged at him, intent on grabbing him in a lock from behind. I got just in range to lunge when he suddenly twisted his hips.
I realized I was doomed; just too late to do anything about it.
My last view was The Doctor, in perfect form, pulling his foot back as I went careening to my left. Okay, fuck what I said about Ruri's punch, that man hit like a Mac truck. I tripped over my own awkward recovery and then hit the railing of the edge. Pain spiked up my spine and I was bounced off before I could get a grip. My head hit the concrete like a basketball. Concussed, I rolled over to look at the sky and at least get a warning about his next attack. I couldn't breathe, maybe even had broken ribs.
He lorded over me and, for a second, I seriously thought he was going to taunt me like a pro-wrestler. I was spared this embarrassment luckily.
"Rash and pathetic," was the granite faced response I got.
I chose that moment to strike, dead-legging him. He didn't suspect that and collapsed next to me, still stunned, I was also able to curl my legs up and give him my own kick in the head. I didn't have that much strength though, all I accomplished was knocking him off his hands. Of course, then my chest started screaming at me with every shaky attempt at breathing. I had broken a few ribs. All I could manage were quick gasps to minimize the pain but it started getting hard to think clearly. I stared up at the sky silently. The muscles in my neck failed me and my vision closed in on itself. Barely audible through my haze, the sound of pokéball opening registered.
"Damn, you really hurt this kid," said a female voice.
Suddenly, my ribs started to feel better and breathing became easier. I lifted my head and saw a haze of black hair and white pupils glaring at me against pure black eyes. I whacked my head on the stone by accident and stared at the clouds. And then, finally, all the pain just faded under a blanket of numbness.
"He's good now," a female said.
The Doctor appeared over me with a dull look in his eyes. "Good job, you pass the first test."
"Oh goodie," I pushed out. I wasn't sure how I passed; I suspected that it had to do with my willingness to push past the pain. I was still a little dazed so his offered hand went unanswered for a few blinks. He yanked me up with enough force that I got some air. An intense sense of vertigo engulfed me and I stumbled to get my balance back. I only had to keep my eyes screwed shut for about thirty seconds before the black spots started fading. He left me to my devices for a good minute which gave him time to talk to the black haired nurse.
Finally, he cleared his throat. "Test two."
I brought my hands up in a hasty block and got the fuck away from him. He responded with a flat expression and threw out another pokéball. I lowered my arms and eyed the new woman. Sandy blond waves fell down her shoulders and blue eyes blinked innocently. In contrast to her good looks, she was dressed simply but not even the baggy sweater could hide the fact that she had a bust worthy of its own mailing address. I brought up my pokédex and clicked it on.
'PROCESSING…' flashed across the screen.
Nickname: Jacklyn
Registered: Jack Frederick
Breed: DAMSEL, the Invincible Dainty Pokégirl
Level: 75
Type: Very Near Human
Element: Normal/Magic
Strong Vs: Ghost
Weak Vs: …Technically Fighting, but in practice, nothing.
Attacks: Sing, Cheer, Cry, Dodge, Once More, Helping Touch, Cure, Cura, Overwhelming Attraction
Enhancements: Enhanced Endurance (x6), Enhanced Durability (x60), Advanced Regeneration, Pheromone release
I stared hard at the seventy-five part. 75? He wanted me to fight a 75 with a level 5? I glanced up at the woman again who simply looked at me curiously then back at the Doctor. He nodded at her and she smiled back affectionately. A level 10 could duel a level 80 in WoW and win. If he had an hour or a week and the 80 didn't fight back. I reached for Ruri's pokéball and brought her out. I guessed this was a test of tactics and cojones.
The first thing she did was yawn and stretch. She looked at the three people standing in front of us and finally, she looked back at me with a hard determined stare. Actually, she looked a little eager.
"Use Scratch," I ordered. Might as well get it over with.
Ruri charged straight at the brunette, dragging her claws for theatrical effect. The 'damsel's' face descended into outright panic and she twisted around to plead with the Doctor. He looked at his newest pokégirl and smiled.
"Just relax Jackie. It's just like we used to do," he said.
Her stare returned to Ruri's charge and she simply allowed herself to be raked across the stomach with the attack. She stumbled back like a zombie, not even bothering to clutch at her wound. Then, she righted herself with a hollow gaze. Ruri hopped back and stared down her opponent, studying the rapidly disappearing wounds. She rounded on me, nonplussed and angry.
"Apparently she's a Damsel," I admitted. Honestly, I didn't want to mention the fact that she was also about seventy levels higher than her as well. Ruri gave me an expression that perfectly said: 'No shit.'
"Scratch, again," I said rubbing some of the hair on my chin. It helped me think. She looked at me like I was stupid. "Now!"
With a dirty look and a shrug she charged back in, this time without the showboating. 'Jackie' stumbled under the swipe across her stomach.
"Keep up the assault," I ordered.
Ruri exploded into a furry, desperately trying to make a more permanent mark. Even I could see that her stamina was wavering after a solid ten seconds of merciless attacking. The damsel barely responded, she just lulled forward slightly; not pulling her arms up or anything. She was in a happy place that didn't require her body.
"Stop. Retreat."
He eyed me, his lips cut into a thin line. Apparently, that was equivalent to a smirk when your face was made of granite. As his girl stood back up, her tattered top was only loosely covering anything (nothing) but she showed no sign of actual injuries. There wasn't even any blood on her, the last slash across her stomach had already healed. Her skin was a little pink but that was disappearing too, like she had been lightly scratched by nails not Ruri's talons. So she really was practically invincible. If her skin was so resilient then her bones were probably wolverine-grade.
She continued to lull absentmindedly, a blank look on her face. The Doctor looked on coolly with the black haired woman simply leaning on the railing and watching the harbor below. I wondered what it would be like to stab Jackie? Would she still simply lull there like a training dummy? Logically, healing that many times would mean that she would develop some sort of cancer but she didn't have any obvious tumors or growths. I could see everything, and I mean everything, and she didn't have a bit of flawed skin. Could her upper layer of skin be different from the subsequent ones? A fleshy exterior to a more resilient dermis? Yeah, I really wanted to stab her, just to see the limits of that healing factor.
Ruri walked back to me demanding an answer or some kind of response. Back in the day of full armor had made swords mostly useless and fights would descend into grappling on the ground. Yeah, that might work. I bit my thumb and motioned Ruri over.
I leaned down and whispered my next trick into her ear. She beamed at my cleverness. I held up a finger and pointed dramatically. "Go."
She charged again at the slate faced girl. Instead of going for an attack, she grabbed her arm and ran past, forcing it into a wing. She then turned and slammed the damsel to the ground. With a cocky grin, she sat down on her newest conquest. The woman didn't even respond; still out of her body. Any good referee would've called this one a win. She bathed in the victory and gave me an impressed smile.
The Doctor acknowledged that there was no contest.
He stared at Ruri and then at me. "I concede, you passed."
I nodded at her. "Let her go."
Ruri's smile got worse.
She grabbed the woman's hair and wrenched her neck at an awkward angle. The damsel's head met the ground with a crunch. Only then did Ruri let her arm go and strut over to me with her hands behind her back, goose-stepping childishly. It was a petty act.
Jackie lifted her head, blood gushing out of her nose. The Doctor was drilling holes into Ruri's head. She returned to my side oblivious to, what I could see as, our impending doom. He helped Jackie up and petted her head with a kindness that I couldn't help but admire. To be able to switch from granite faced trainer to gentle, I guess they were lovers from the way he was whispering something to her, was inspiring. He was gently looking into her eyes giving a reassuring smile as she looked sheepishly embarrassed. I felt a small smile crawl onto my face.
I directed it at Ruri; she returned it with a new look of respect in her deep blue eyes. Still, I glanced at the Doctor and his girl. Perhaps it was hypocritical but what Ruri had done was excessive. That was just cruel and pointless. She dug her chin into my chest and smirked. It felt like she was daring me to kiss her. I wrapped my arms around her haphazardly but didn't go any further. It was quite the switch from even an hour ago. Just how strong was this pokégirl taming stuff?
We barely knew each other but it felt nice to be nuzzled into.
The Doctor cleared his throat and took our attention from each other. He motioned for us to follow him and his raven haired pokégirl. The damsel had apparently been recalled, I kept Ruri close just in case he tried to initiate the third test like he had the first. We ended up going down three stories and through a typical hospital floor. He was moving at a brisk pace and I was too nervous to stare into the passing rooms. I did take note of the small army of maids, - in outfits that would've fit in an anime - the even larger army of pink haired nurses, - each looking almost identical - and other strange looking, vaguely female, figures. Males were a rarity. Eventually, we stopped outside an office door.
"Final test, go introduce yourself." With that, the Doctor marched off with accusing stares from his raven haired girl following him all the way. Ruri stopped me when I tried to open the door by grabbing my wrist.
"Oh sorry, I decided to try and get a nurse joy so when can have a healer on the road. Plus, everyone needs a good normal type to fall back on," I said.
That sated her and she let go of my hand. The office was nice, nothing compared to Wank's but much more cramped. Whoever owned it favored light wood and silver. Family pictures dotted the room - full of The Doctor and a lot of other women - and a few diplomas were on the walls. The only person in the office was at the desk typing on a computer facing away from the door. Her pink hair was up in a loose bun that was held in place by two of those chopstick things. She wasn't wearing the fetish gear of every other nurse joy I had encountered. Instead, she was wearing the much more normal green scrubs. Strange, but it probably had something to do with being younger. I knocked on the door frame; brown, almost red, eyes whirled around to greet me with two loose strands of hair adding to the effect. They were befuddling and I lost the ability to speak for a moment.
"Hi, can I-" Her caring smile faded. "Are you aware that you have blood on your shirt?"
I checked and I did in fact have blood stains on my shirt but they didn't show well on the black fabric. Must've been from my nose; I rubbed the back of my head. "I do now; actually I'm here to recruit a nurse joy for my, uh, team."
Yes, harem was the correct term but it wasn't historically accurate, harems were all about politics and power. Actually no, harem was appropriate but I didn't want to say it. It implied all sorts of things that I didn't want to be associated with. The girl leaned back in the chair and studied me then Ruri.
Ruri was staring down at the stains. I couldn't see her face but she reached out a curious hand and poked my healed ribs. I jerked away at the contact because I was ticklish and it was distracting me from the task at hand. Not that it would be a hard sale, she apparently wanted to leave. "Stop."
Ruri backed up and smirked at the nurse, who looked amused at our antics.
"So why do you need a harem?" she asked.
"Well, I'm an interesting case, I've managed to accrue a bit of debt and to work it off I have to, at least, become the league champion."
"That's was my Dad's dream, he almost became champion too. He actually fought Steven." She leaned back in the chair confidently.
I glanced at Ruri, she looked impressed. I smiled at the nurse and did my best to raise her confidence. "Well now I'm going to have to complete that dream."
The nurse joy rose out of her chair and analyzed me as much as I analyzed her. She was shorter than me, taller than Ruri but still nowhere near my height. Muscled, but not steroid muscled, she moved like a martial artist. She still had a little baby fat on her jawline that gave her a more youthful look and it was framed by two loose pink strands that complimented her red eyes. In the shadows, they looked deep brown but when the light hit them, they exploded like firecrackers into red. If Ruri was a natural model, this nurse was the athlete who lifted weights to stay ahead.
More exceptionally pretty woman checking me out, it was addicting.
"So what attacks do you know?" I asked curtly.
Her eyes never left mine as she listed them off. "Dodge, Tackle, Heal, Cure, Revive, Esuna, and Yell."
I only had the vague idea about some of those attacks so I fell back on the old standby. "So what level are you?"
The joy stopped analyzing me and looked away embarrassed. "7."
"Threshold?" I asked.
"Pokékit." She challenged me, daring me to say anything. I shrugged. If her relaxed shoulders were a good indicator, I dismissed her fears that I would hold something above her for that. She pressed her chest against my stomach. Those scrubs really hid her figure but she was more endowed then I had thought. Her smile dared me to do something. What a fucking tease.
"I'll join your harem." she shoved a lone finger in my face. "On one condition."
Well that was simple. I smiled back, accepting her challenge. "Name it."
"The Doctor here won't let me leave," She collapsed into the seat, rolling away. "You'll have to convince him."
I smirked. "I'm pretty sure I already did that. What's your name by the way?"
"It's Savanah with two N's. (Savannah.) But don't spell it with an 'h'. (Savanna.) Also what do you mean you already did?" she asked.
I jerked my thumb at the door and opened it. I let Ruri through despite her amused expression and then dramatically motioned Savanna to follow her. She sized me up before stepping through the door. The three of us came face to face with the Doctor, the black haired nurse, and Chains, who was the most amused to see me again.
I stepped in front of Ruri and Savanna. "She's agreed; do I pass?"
He stepped right in my face and stared down from what might have been a half of a foot difference in height. As I stared up at his crooked nose, he contemplated attacking me again.
"Yes you do, Mr. Iscariot." he shot out a hand between us. Immediately, my knuckles were being juggled in his vice grip. "Take care of her."
'Or else' hung in the air. He stepped back but didn't release me and let me get a look at the black haired nurse. She had armored herself, narrowed her terrifying eyes and was displaying claw like extensions on her gauntlet. They were aimed at me with white pupils glaring from behind a metal mask that hid most of her face.
"Dad! Your letting me leave?" I whipped my head to look at Savanna. Then back at the Doctor and the armored woman.
Oh shit.
XXXXX