Pokegirl Origins - Sinnoh Chapter 23 - To Prove Ourselves, a pokémon fanfic

Nicholas made sure to delay a bit so that he didn't have to spend any more time than was necessary in front of the cameras surrounding Sunyshore Gym, but even still he found himself swept up in a sudden wave of energy from the city as a whole. Apparently Flint hadn't been able to keep his mouth shut because he saw hundreds of people taking to the streets while he made his way to the gym.

The news reporters hadn't missed out either. When Nicholas got close he saw a number of them notice who was approaching and begin shouting, the road he was walking alone quickly filling with flashing lights and clamoring bodies.

"Champion Topolski! Champion Topolski! Is it true Leader Volkner is on his way here now to face you?"

Nicholas glanced at the questioner. "I don't know."

"But people are all saying it! That your arrival has roused Volkner from his stupor!" another reporter cried. "Is that not true?"

"I am not Leader Volkner," Nicholas replied. "I do not know what his plans are or where he is. I am here to challenge the Sunyshore Gym." He stopped in front of the doors and gazed up at the building. "Whether I am met by Leader Volkner or the true gym leader of Sunyshore remains to be seen."

He fended off a few more questions before feeling something in the air.

Scattered yells of surprise came from the reporters when their lights flickered, a low electrical drone beginning to be heard behind the constant talking. Cameras whirled, eyes straining as they picked over the empty roads. Well, not empty, but the crowds that approached didn't seem like anything special.

"THERE!"

Nicholas turned alongside the rest at a shout. The droning noise had grown louder and as he watched sparks shot into the air near the edge of the cliff the gym was on, black tendrils appearing moments later before a massive hand covered in yellow and black fur grabbed the ledge. The reporters scrambled away as a hulking horned pokegirl pulled herself up, the tendrils snaking from her body spitting and hissing with electricity. She took a few steps forwards before stopping and kneeling and gasps echoed when Volkner appeared from where he'd been clinging to her back.

Nicholas' mouth firmed. This wasn't just an entrance Volkner was making for the benefit of the media. The man that walked towards him felt nothing like the one he'd seen at the lighthouse.

Volkner stopped in front of Nicholas and his eyes moved past to his gym. "It's been a long time since I've had a battle that thrilled me. Since a challenger has managed to interest me." He sighed. "Well, I guess we'd better get this over with. Come on."

Nicholas followed Volkner inside, stalling in the darkened lobby until Volkner's pokegirl stepped forwards, her tendrils jamming into a number of sockets along the walls. Electricity arced between the horns on her head and suddenly the entire gym blazed with light – creaking and groaning could be heard as vast fields of mechanical gears slowly came to life and began picking up speed until somewhere deep in the gym a generator roared. Once the gym was functioning normally Volkner's pokegirl pulled her tendrils from the wall.

"You asked for this," Volkner said as he walked out towards the far side of a battle arena Nicholas could see among the churning gears. "People say I'm the top gym leader in Sinnoh. I'm going to unleash everything in my arsenal on you."

Nicholas glanced at the pokegirl Volkner had arrived on. An Electivire, Kalmiya told him. With what she'd demonstrated he had no doubt she was the one on record as Volkner's Alpha. "That's good, because I'm not going to be holding anything back."

Volkner's Electivire had reached the edge of the arena and she tensed, the thick fur covering her entire body and head hiding her muscles from view. But when she leapt, sailing halfway across the arena before landing hard enough to shake the building it was obvious what kind of body lay underneath all that fur.

"This will be a four on four. No substitutions battle," Volkner called. "I figure I should at least give you even odds."

"No substitutions." Nicholas eyed the Electivire. She didn't seem to be going anywhere. "Where's the strategy in that?"

"Don't choose poorly."

Nicholas scowled and brought his hand to his belt. All around the arena people were streaming in, finding seats in the stands as the barriers went up. There was no other choice. If Volkner was leading with his Alpha then he would do the same.

Zisela materialized and Nicholas swore he saw the Electivire grin somewhere underneath her shaggy fur. "Zisela! End this quickly, let's go!"

"Raimei, don't let her take you down first."

Zisela bristled when Nicholas' presence warned her of what was standing in front of them. She shifted her feet, toes flexing to send subtle vibrations into the floor, sounding out the battle arena. She barely felt anything return to her. It only made sense for a gym based around the Electric-type to find ways to dampen the power of any Ground-types that came to fight.

In that case she'd soften up her opponent first. For a moment Zisela's eyes tinted red, but then a quiet reproach made her pause. Nicholas had repeatedly taken her aside over their trip from Pastoria, never reprimanding her, but continuously repeating the same thing. How her 'dragon' so often took control. But why shouldn't it, she had asked. His answer was what chased the blood rage from her now.

Because she… and he… were above any simple 'dragon'. Not when they were together.

Volkner had called for the battle to start at some point but Zisela wasn't listening. Whether or not she'd been 'allowed' to attack made little difference as the Garchomp's muscles rippled, arms drawing back as Zisela thrust her head forward and bellowed an earth-shattering roar. Reimei slammed her feet against the floor, planting herself with her tendrils whipping around to curve past her body and point, tips spitting with power, at her opponent. An errant bolt of lightning seared through the air and played down Zisela's body but it had absolutely no effect as the Garchomp charged forwards. Instead of within her eyes power surged down her arms, wrapping them in light blue energy as bursts of magenta began popping from her claws.

Reimei was driven back when Zisela struck, each of the Garchomp's strikes sinking into the Electivire's fur and ripping chunks free as they finished. The halo of electricity that constantly flickered around the Electivire sparked as it arced between her drifting hairs, sending flickering shadows across both pokegirls, but Zisela's strikes weren't doing much more than bleed her opponent. She'd made two more swipes when Reimei decided to stop humoring this annoying gnat.

Zisela was resetting, her lips pulled away from her fangs as she continued her furious roar, when she saw it. Reimei's hand, drawing back into her fur as the Electivire made a fist. The fur on her wrist beginning to stiffen… to freeze.

Zisela leapt back, flinging her foot in the air as a desperate parting shot that threatened Reimei's face but the Electivire just surged straight through. Zisela was off balance now, unable to take any space, forced to watch as Reimei's fist reemerged from the Electivire's frozen fur glowing an icy blue. Her roar twisted into an impotent scream as the ice punch sank into her stomach and for the second time in as many weeks she was forced to feel as her greatest weakness was beaten into her by a pokegirl who had no business wielding it against a dragon.

Zisela hit the ground hard. Her body tumbled without any attempt at control from the Garchomp and it sent her slamming into the arena walls, the force of her impact sending waves of light shooting across the barrier as it worked to resist the blow. Volkner was gazing on dispassionately while Reimei charged towards her downed opponent. Nicholas hadn't recalled her yet, and this tamer and his pokegirl were not stupid enough to give any potential time for recovery.

"Tell me, does this look about the right color?"

Nicholas jerked to the side when he noticed someone else standing with him in the tamer's area. "Who the-" his eyes picked down the figure's multicolored hair and his mouth thinned. "Kumu."

"I asked if this looked about right," Kumu repeated, holding up an object for him to inspect. Despite himself Nicholas took his eyes off the arena for a moment, and stared. Kumu was holding a deep ebony stone that seemed to be breaking apart, explosions of orange and red pushing to the surface. He recognized the appearance.

"I'm in the middle of something right now," Nicholas retorted, forcing his gaze back to the arena. Zisela was still down and Reimei had almost reached her. "The hell are you doing here, anyways? How do you expect reality to rationalize this?"

"Why do you believe any but you can perceive me at all?" Kumu asked in reply. "I'm just here because it's the best seat in the house." She smiled slightly. "So answer me, Nicholas. Does it look about right to you?"

Nicholas was getting ready to snap at her when he felt what was roiling through the arena. What he realized Kumu had been trying to draw his attention to. As he cast back out, pumping power towards his Alpha, he saw how their invisible bond ran hot. For an instant, his own lips drew back, almost seeming to flash snarling fangs before the illusion broke. He was roaring for her, and Zisela answered.

"THAT WAS WEAKER THAN THE RABBIT'S!" Nicholas screamed, voicing the words that filled Zisela's sudden wordless howl. The Garchomp threw herself to her feet in Reimei's face and before the Electivire could ready a punch she torqued her entire body and brought her claws slamming down into the arena floor.

The sheer amount of fury that Zisela blasted into her attack shattered the ground, sending hairline fractures radiating from the impact points in a massive spiderweb. But the floor breaking was only a side effect. The primary effect was much more violent.

Reimei was thrown from her feet, the Electivire finally vocalizing for the very first time as she screamed in rage. An earthquake shook the gym, sparks cascading when some of the gears slipped and ground against the others. Reimei was falling, falling towards the shattered ground when she felt it rise to meet her and her scream broke into a strangled gurgle when her spine snapped and shoved through the back of her lungs.

The Electivire's body crunched the broken pieces of the arena floor back into place when she finally hit, and Volkner recalled her without saying a word. Chia materialized and gone was the Raichu Nicholas had seen worrying for her master – there was only the bestial pokegirl that had first gone to attack him at the top of the tower. Before he or Zisela could even really form a strategy she'd blurred over the ground and slammed her glowing tail into the side of the Garchomp's head, downing her instantly.

Nicholas recalled Zisela and glanced up to check on Volkner. The man still stood without a smile and Nicholas' finger tightened on Zisela's pokeball. So this was still nothing special to him, was that it? Fine. Then how about a taste of his own element.

Kumu had vanished again, or at least she seemed to have, as Nicholas released Sammy onto the field. There was a low pop when the Rotom shifted to her battle form and then Chia was attacking again. Sammy blocked, hissing when the Raichu's tail carved through her body but easily regenerating the damaged bits of her form. Despite her softer body the Raichu's strikes did far less than against the material Garchomp who'd come before her.

"Do it, Sammy," Nicholas whispered.

Sammy took an outburst of lightning head on and threw out her arms, squealing happily as the bits of metal within her once again flung from her body and began buzzing around her like angry bees. She was shifting, her chaotic eyes turning to Chia, when she noticed the Raichu grinning right back.

Sammy's cloud was blasted apart when Chia's cheeks spat multicolored light and the Raichu blasted the Rotom with a rainbow beam. Nicholas gasped when he felt Sammy's pain even as the Rotom herself was shredded by an attack that was seemingly as chaotic as this special form of hers. She quickly drew her metal back into her body before a second beam could hit and back in her ghostly shell the rainbow light seemed to scatter and dissipate before it could do any real damage, much to her relief. Still, taking one while she was vulnerable had left Sammy heavily drained and she was looking pretty injured.

Nicholas snapped his fingers. The Electivire had had an Ice-type attack for Ground-types. That must have been some kind of attack for Grass-types. Two types Electric-types were weak against. Volkner wasn't messing around. They couldn't be relying on natural pokegirl resistances to win. "Sammy-"

The Rotom wasn't listening. She was staring at Chia as the void behind her eyes began to swell. "You…" she whispered, hissed, Sammy's face contorting as she struggled to hold back her rage. Wisps of nothing twisted down her cheeks like tears before Sammy screeched, plunging her hands into her own body, short-circuiting the void between her electric skeleton and her plasma, and beginning to glow.

Nicholas covered his face when Sammy exploded. By creating the short every bit of her electric power was surging down her arms and igniting her plasma, literally in fact as the thin 'filaments' that defined her arms glowed hotter and hotter until they burst into flame. The sudden ignition warped Sammy's body, bringing her from the plain human shape to a squatter and much more swollen form within which burned an electric blaze. Armless, until the exploding flames slammed particles of Sammy's metal against the exterior of her body and the fragments were blasted free, tearing gaps in the plasma that burning spectral energy began to leak through to create twisting, almost smoky tendrils, each with a few silvery points just like Sammy had once created to cover her fingers.

She must have picked this one up from Zisela and Sohn, Nicholas thought as Sammy's smoky limbs intertwined, flames blossoming between the 'fingertips' and roaring towards the suddenly petrified Chia.

When the flames blew away the Raichu was in horrible shape. But she still stood, and in stark comparison Sammy's rage-fueled flames had left the Rotom barely able to remain standing. She tried to muster up a thunderbolt but the weak attempt only seemed to revitalize Chia's own electricity, which tore through Sammy and triggered an explosion that tore the Rotom's body apart.

Nicholas recalled her before Sammy's ectoplasm could burn any more. She was just full of surprises. What else had she learned how to do with her own power?

Maybe he'd ask after this battle, but more likely he'd just wait and see. His hand hovered over Sohn's pokeball, but he shook his head and moved to grasp Quinn's instead. Sammy had shown off flames, so Volkner would be thinking of counters to them. It was better to switch it up.

The Gallade appeared and took in her charred and shivering opponent. She nodded. "Bet those burns hurt." She set her stance, raising her arms so her blades were both pointing forwards. "I'll cool you off."

Chia apparently had been trying to lure Quinn in because when the Gallade suddenly whipped her blades forwards, bisecting the hot and steamy air within the arena Chia's tail stood straight up to reveal it glowing with the same attack that had taken out Zisela. The Raichu screamed and scampered forwards, but her injuries slowed her long enough for Quinn to finish what she was doing and before she could strike the Gallade slashed her arms through the clouds of water vapor she'd created to send blades of it slicing into Chia's body. The Raichu managed to weather the first but when the second water blade opened a gash all the way from her chin to her hip her eyes rolled back and she collapsed, sliding face first to lie, unmoving, at Quinn's feet.

Nicholas' eyebrows rose. Now that was new. Was this it? Was this battle the moment Quinn would be allowed to show him how she had grown alongside Sammy and Zisela?

He almost didn't want to reach to her like he had the others. If he connected their minds with aura there would be no secrets between them. He would know what Quinn was waiting to unleash, as Volkner recalled his pokegirl and the slightest hint of something flickered across his face. No. No, he would resist. But he would speak. "Quinn. Your Alpha is unconscious. She's no longer here to tell you to hold back."

He heard Quinn's satisfaction when she replied. "My Master would never order such a thing. Because to him, I am beautiful." Her arms lifted in front of her face as a smaller pokegirl with crazily spiked yellow hair appeared on the field. "You wish to see, Nicholas? What this body can truly do?"

Nicholas grinned at her back. "Yes, Quinn. Show me how you are a pokegirl, how you are so much more than the sexual object others would have you be!"

Quinn's eyes flashed and she screamed, some part of it with joy, most of it simply as an outlet for the energy that had suddenly burst from deep within the Gallade's massive chest. As she screamed her muscles flexed and then the bindings squeezing her breasts, pulled as tightly as Quinn could manage, abruptly burst, letting her flesh swing free unfettered as the rising energy cloaking the Gallade vaporized the fluttering cloth and began to shine from her blades.

However the newest opponent, a Jolteon, was not just sitting around and letting Quinn do her thing. She was even faster than Chia had been and her attacks sunk into Quinn's flesh as the Jolteon sprinted past, her spiky hair flinging at high speed to create missiles that speared every inch of exposed skin Quinn had – which, considering almost half of Quinn's front was taken up by her breasts, meant they were each peppered with holes.

…Which also meant Quinn's vital areas were completely protected. A fact not lost on the Gallade while she pursued her slippery opponent, as Nicholas felt more than heard her snickering laughter at how the things she detested so much had so often come to protect her from opponents' cowardly ranged attacks. Natural body armor.

The Jolteon squealed in pain when Quinn managed to catch one of her legs with a blade and the girl tumbled, catching herself and scampering away before the Gallade could press her advantage. Even the lightning she fired seemed to be absorbed by the insulating fat spilling from Quinn's chest and Nicholas saw the agile pokegirl quickly growing frustrated at how little her attacks were doing to the Gallade. Until something in her expression snapped.

Quinn was charging forwards as the Jolteon planted her feet. Electricity sparked across her skin, zipping into her eyes as the girl slowly looked up, her lips drawn back, and dropped her jaw to unleash a roiling beam of incredible power.

Not even electricity, but raw power. Everything this Jolteon could bring to bear slammed into Quinn. It consumed her entirely, swallowed the Gallade in white light, until Nicholas saw a red flash.

Quinn's blade bisected the beam as she burst back into view, stumbling slightly to show that the attack had certainly taken its toll, but still fully ambulatory as she closed in on a suddenly immobile Jolteon. Having given so much to attack the girl could only weakly defend as Quinn got in close, too close, her blades biting into the Jolteon's flesh before Quinn seemed to decide they were unnecessary and drew back, curling her fingers into fists and slamming them into the Jolteon's face and neck. The girl choked, scrabbling weakly at her assailant but Quinn didn't relent, slamming blow after blow into the frail Electric-type until her own knuckles split and bled, returning the Jolteon's all with all the strength of her own body. To similar effect, as Volkner recalled his Jolteon and for the first time shifted his stance. Her block, as she raised it in the face of a new pokegirl, was barely formed. Easy to exploit, and exploit it this new opponent did, brushing Quinn's bloodied hands aside before sinking her teeth into Quinn's shoulder and biting down until the arm went completely limp – and Quinn's gurgling screams petered out.

As Nicholas recalled her he could see how misshapen Quinn's shoulder had become. This new pokegirl had crushed the Gallade's bones with her jaws. A terrifying feat from a pokegirl who didn't seem to be built for that kind of a bite.

He scrutinized her as his hand moved to Sohn's pokeball. This new girl was grinning, short messy black hair framing her golden eyes and a pair of round cat-like ears sitting atop her head. Her entire body was covered, not quite in fur, but in thick blue body hair that was then broken up by actual patches of black fur as black as her hair, running down her arms from where it covered her shoulders and also covering her legs. A mane of this fur, or maybe it was a continuation of her hair, he didn't know, cascaded from her shoulders down her back… almost to the base of a thin, whip-like tail tipped in a yellow star. He knew this pokegirl. The server at the maid café he'd met Quinn. This would be an evolved form – a Luxray.

As the girl raised her arms to preen he picked out the sparking yellow bands covering her arms. Indicators of her electric power. Well then. This was Volkner's fourth and final pokegirl. Sohn was his. Both, apparently, were close combatants. Which would be victorious? Fire, or electricity?

As Sohn appeared the Luxray laughed out loud, standing relaxed as she continued running her fingers through her hair. "Sup, cutey?" she called. "Though, you're kinda plain…" her eyes lit up when Sohn's tail flicked out and the Infernape burst alight. "Now that's much better. You look so much sexier like that."

"As opposed… to what. You?" Sohn shot back, obviously a bit confused at hearing so many compliments from her opponent. "Sweet talk won't stop me from smacking you."

"HA! Babe, you can hit me as hard as you like." The Luxray lowered one hand, curling her finger with a jaunty grin. "No matter how much of a badass you are, it won't be enough to break my swagger."

"We'll fucking see about that," Sohn hissed, screeching her challenge and blitzing forwards faster than Nicholas had ever seen her move.

Her fist caught the Luxray right on the cheek and the other girl flipped, dropping to all fours to catch herself and yowling a response as she ran back into the fray. Sohn swung again but this time her opponent was ready and Sohn howled in pain when her fist missed entirely just to crunch against the floor. Before she could recover the Luxray was biting down on her other arm and Sohn's face went white when she felt the bone begin to splinter. A flaming knee forced the Luxray to let go but when Sohn stumbled away she was nursing two deadened arms.

"I told you-" The Luxray gagged, turning and spitting blood to clear her mouth before turning back to sneer at Sohn. "You could be Master Flint's Chen and still not be able to hurt me."

Sohn's teeth were beginning to clench in anger when suddenly she blinked. Again. Slowly her eyes lost the crazed look she'd been growing and her less injured arm rose to point at the Luxray. "You were trying to get in my head."

Annoyance flashed across the Luxray's face. "Try and hit me again, bitch."

"Oh, I will," Sohn whispered, taking another step back as her flames began to dance across her body. "Stand right there and wait."

The Luxray didn't. She charged forwards, intent on ending this quickly now that her tricks had been seen through. Sohn stood still, and Nicholas gasped when he felt her reach out to him.

It wasn't aura, it never could be, but he clearly felt as Sohn focused her entire being on the man standing behind her. Focused down to one single thought, as the Luxray slammed into her, teeth glowing, fists powdering her nose. Condensed all down into one, brilliant, white-hot ember. An ember he stoked with his energy, opening his mouth to roar as the Luxray moved to survey her work and Sohn's eyes snapped open, each lost in a sea of flame. She blazed brightly as the Luxray retreated, intending on dodging and coming back to finish the Infernape off, but she would never get the chance. Just as he had witnessed Elaine doing in the past Sohn had withstood the Luxray's blows, and now she was ready to return the favor – though unlike Elaine, this Fire-type was done letting her fists or feet do the talking.

Volkner stiffened as he watched Sohn erupt. The flames rolled across the arena, chasing his Luxray as she dodged and leapt in a vain attempt at avoiding the inferno that sought her. This amount of power… He knew an Infernape was most dangerous right before she fainted, but to withstand and return this much… To so completely overpower his trump card… A long forgotten feeling rose as he watched his Luxray finally have nowhere else to go, the lion pokegirl screeching as the fire washed over her and drowned her in the blazing hellscape. And above it all, as electric thrills shot through him, the Infernape stood, her tamer behind her – a man and his undeniably noble, regal pokegirl, unflinching, confident, and above all, secure in their lust, their desire for victory. He had no choice but recall his Luxray, as even if she hadn't taken Sohn's punch earlier she could never have stood up to what now seared the arena. He… had lost.

Nicholas blinked when he heard the low sound. Volkner was laughing. "Hehehe…. Hahahah!" The gym leader slammed his hand against the barrier, eyes sparkling as he grinned at Nicholas and Sohn. "That was the most fun I've had in a battle since… Hell, I don't even know when! You've got me beat, Champion Topolski! That was a very good battle!" As Sohn's flames died down and Nicholas recalled her before the wavering Infernape could collapse Volkner just about ran to his side and threw an arm around his shoulders. "You're something completely else, Topolski! Your Infernape had Nala completely overwhelmed! I don't think anyone could say you didn't earn this now!"

Nicholas felt Volkner pressing a badge into his palm and he clasped the man's hand before he could pull back. "Earned it or not, I fought for it. That's all I ever wanted." He smiled slightly, squeezing Volkner's hand, before letting go and letting his eyes move to the stands. He could see Flint and the Proprietor standing among the cheering crowds and he nodded in their direction. "There's a few friends of yours here to celebrate your battle with you, Leader Volkner." He brought his attention back to the grinning man. "I think Sunyshore is lucky to have a defender like you."

Volkner's smile firmed and he shook Nicholas' hand one last time before stepping away. "It's lucky a tamer like you happened along. Promise we'll do this again."

Nicholas nodded. "I can't promise when, but I promise we will."

"Good enough." Volkner chuckled. "I suppose I still have a spark left in me to pass on as Gym Leader. I'll make sure it stays alive, Topolski. It'll be here waiting for when you return."

POKEDEX UPDATED

Tamer: Nicholas Topolski

Badges:

Mine Badge

Forest Badge

Coal Badge

Relic Badge

Cobble Badge

Fen Badge

Beacon Badge

Harem:

Zisela, Garchomp (Alpha) – Level 50

Sohn, Infernape – Level 50

Sammy, Rotom – Level 50

Quinn, Gallade – Level 49

Miruko, Lopunny – Level 65

Non-Com Harem:

Kalmiya, Porygon-Z – Level 30

Nicholas held a slight smile as he trudged through the pre-dawn streets. The entire city was alive today. Its gym leader had returned.

He was approaching the docks when he heard a call and turned to see Jasmine waving from a closed café's pavilion.

"Oh. Well good morning, Leader Jasmine," Nicholas said, walking over to greet her. "Or should I be calling you that? What are you doing up this early?"

Jasmine giggled and plopped her elbows on the table to support her head while she talked. "I'm up this early to see you off, Champion. You had a great battle yesterday."

"Well thank you for the compliment," Nicholas replied. He raised an eyebrow when the woman winked. "What was that for?"

"Dunno. Felt like giving you one." Jasmine lifted her chin from her hands. "Leader Jasmine. I think that still fits me. Seeing you and Volkner yesterday – it made me realize I've got my own gym to watch over. I hadn't been sure yet what this Sinnoh vacation meant to me but now I think I do. I want to make my family proud."

Nicholas smiled and reached over to clasp her hand. "The kindness you demonstrated to me all those years ago when I had a scared Scyther and restless Croconaw – Jasmine, you were already a gym leader then to make your family proud. I know Olivine is in good hands with you watching over her."

The woman clearly was fighting a deep blush but she managed long enough to squeak out a reply. "Th-Thank you, Champion. You'll have to come back for that battle someday."

Nicholas chuckled and let go of her, taking a step back to give the flustered woman a two-fingered salute. "It's a date."

He had to keep from laughing out loud when he turned away right as Jasmine's blush made itself known. She was cute, but he was taken. There was only one human woman for him.

He made it to the docks before the first rays broke over the horizon and soon enough he was lounging on the deck of the ferry, doing his best to keep a low profile but still drawing attention from the other morning travelers. Couldn't be helped. Even if he'd somehow chartered a boat or otherwise made it onto this one unseen there was only one place the big bad Nicholas Topolski could be going next. Snowpoint. The final gym badge in Sinnoh.

On the plus side he didn't see any actual cameras around him, just phones and pokedexes sneaking shots. That was fine.

The sun was rising behind the ferry when Nicholas next stirred. It seemed most everyone on the boat who'd wanted a picture had gotten one because when he sat up he didn't see anybody looking in his direction. He had time, then.

Miruko materialized and had to catch herself when the boat jumped beneath her feet. "What- Nicholas? I wasn't expecting you to have any of us out for the trip."

"Maybe not, but with you and I it's something of a tradition," Nicholas chuckled. "Us and boats."

Miruko slowly smiled and walked over to stand behind his chair, Nicholas humming when she draped her arms over his shoulders and began nuzzling his cheek. "That's odd, because I don't remember ever being on a boat with my Master."

"Heh. Then I guess I have no idea how much you hate when salt gets in your fur." Miruko yelped when he got up, snagging her arms before she could pull back and dragging the lightly protesting Lopunny to the railing. "Don't think you're going to run off on me this time, Miruko. Last time you came to question me. This time I intend to question you."

Miruko leaned on the railing next to him when he let go of her, completely unfazed by the salty sea spray that had begun misting on her fur. "I had a feeling you were pulling a reversal. What did you want to talk about?"

Nicholas leaned out beside her and moved his eyes to the islands drifting past. "You." He waited a few moments before glancing at the Lopunny. "I wanted to make sure you weren't regretting your retirement."

Miruko glanced at him before similarly turning to look out at the waves. "I don't see why I would."

"Looker's out there somewhere. His new burgeoning unit is now missing an exemplary enforcer."

"It would have lost her at some point. She really wasn't cut out for subterfuge, after all. She got too close to her handlers." Miruko's lips twitched into a smile. "You were my first human partner, you know. In fifty years all the taming I'd ever received was from the agents whose jobs were to keep us all functioning at full strength. Taming to them was nothing but a job. There was no pleasure in it." Her smile grew wistful. "Nothing like what I tried not to admit was there that first day your thick cock filled me."

Nicholas began to laugh at the casual vulgarity of Miruko's statement. "I'll say one thing, Miruko. During the moments you were most vulnerable that night, the night you evolved, there may have been some doubt in me as to who the pokegirl I'd just allowed into my harem truly was. Hearing you today, watching you the last few weeks? I… am in love with who she is."

He felt her slide in and turned his head to meet her hungry lips when she reached for him. They kissed, Nicholas' hand sliding under the sports bra he'd bought for her in Sunyshore to replace the old, much too small clothing she'd discarded after her evolution, before he felt the Lopunny break off the kiss and pull away enough so that his hand fell free. "Looker's out there somewhere," Miruko whispered, glancing out at the islands and back to Nicholas with an intense longing, "probably right there, somewhere on the Battle Frontier, and I don't care."

Nicholas grinned and grabbed her, crushing his mouth to hers. They remained there for a few minutes before both separated, breathing heavily, and slowly returned to the railing without taking their eyes off one another.

"…What were we talking about?" Nicholas panted.

Miruko flashed her teeth in a grin. "Something about my retirement, how much you love me, how sexy I am…?"

Nicholas grinned back and playfully punched her shoulder. "I hadn't gotten that far yet, you shameless bunny."

"'Yet'," Miruko leered.

"Yeah, yeah. Yet. Delaying your evolution fifty years just made you even better," Nicholas chuckled. "The way your fur's silvered-"

"My age had nothing to do with that. It was the full moon, rabbit moon, remember?" Miruko sniffed. She purpled when Nicholas burst out laughing. "WHAT!"

"Oh, I just knew that'd be what you'd say," Nicholas laughed. "That's one thing human women and pokegirls share. You hate it when you have to admit your own age."

Miruko slumped over the rail with a petulant huff. "I just don't see why it matters. I'm stronger with all my years of experience, so shut up stop talking about it."

Nicholas was still laughing as he finally took his eyes off Miruko and looked down at the water flashing past. "Unfortunately for you, you know how much I love teasing my pokegirls. I've found an easy target." He grinned when he felt Miruko punch his shoulder quite a bit harder than he'd punched hers and relished the tingling sensation that exploded down his arm as a sign that he was get-ting to herrrr…

He blinked, his smile slipping. There was movement on the hull of the ferry, just above the waterline, and a moment later he recognized what he was seeing. There was a pokegirl clinging to the ship and slowly inching her way out of the water.

"Hey, Miruko, look down there." The Lopunny ignored him at first until Nicholas insisted and she followed his arm, frowning after a moment to match Nicholas'. "I'm not seeing things, right?"

"No. That's a pokegirl. Are we under attack?"

"While underway?"

"Some pirates are known to target passenger vessels, but this close to shore…?"

Nicholas peered down at the moving form. "I'm pretty sure she's fully nude, but I can't be sure at this distance, and besides that doesn't really mean anything, right?"

"Probably not." Miruko reflexively reached for the base of her ear before slowly growing red when she realized her pistol was nowhere to be found. "I'll- Oh. Uh, never mind." She quickly dropped her hand when Nicholas glanced up quizzically. "Nothing."

"Er… Right. What even is she?" Nicholas turned back to the mysterious pokegirl. "I don't think I've ever seen a girl like this."

"Hold up your pokedex, Master." Kalmiya read the scans when Nicholas obliged and soon had identified the target. "Octillery. A deep sea pokegirl."

"Well then it fits that she's around here, I guess," Nicholas mused. "Probably not a pirate attacking the boat, all the tentacles I'm seeing means she's some kind of octopus pokegirl, yeah? I doubt she can swim very fast." He cocked his head. "Wait, then how'd she get attached to the boat…?"

"We slowed down past those reefs earlier, Master," Kalmiya pointed out. "While you were resting. It's very possible that she latched on then."

"Oh. Yeah, makes sense." Nicholas stroked his chin. "I wonder if she's trying to attack the ferry. No, she'd be actually attacking then… Exploring it? I'm going to assume a feral at this point." He glanced down again. The Octillery had barely made any progress up the side of the ferry. "We've been standing here talking about her for long enough that a pirate would notice she'd been spotted. What do we do about an inquisitive feral?"

"Well weren't you telling Leader Jasmine that you wanted a Water-type in your harem, Master?" Kalmiya beamed.

"Oh-ho." Nicholas took a look at the feral with new eyes. "That's very true, I did tell her that, though that was more a compliment for her Empoleon than anything. This one, though. Octillery. I'm only really seeing a human torso down there, am I right in thinking that everything below the waist are those tentacles she's using to cling to the ship?"

"That's correct, Master. Octillery are primarily aquatic pokegirls but they're known to 'walk' on their tentacles when they need to be on land."

"That's a pretty unique kind of body when it comes to my harem…" Nicholas mused. "And a Water-type, when I hadn't found one I liked yet in Sinnoh…"

His head was leaning over the side so he didn't see the pokeball trigger until Sammy was vaulting the railing beside him.

Nicholas jerked back in surprise when the Rotom leapt past and hovered a few feet from the ferry, her body already flashing to her battle form. "Whoah! Sammy, where'd you come from?" He blinked when he saw what she was doing. "Oh, getting ready to help catch this girl?"

Sammy turned back with a thunderous scowl. "No, Master. Reminding you that you already have a Water-type." Nicholas blinked, not understanding, as Sammy hissed, pushing her electricity through her slime and gathering the dissolved metal in the flow as it began swirling faster and faster around her stomach. With a wet pop her fingers sunk into her palms, creating tubed endings to her arms that she flung into the mist around the boat and began to concentrate, quickly filtering enough water that her body was so full of it her plasma glowed blue and her breasts swelled to match Cathy's. She'd triggered her transformation so quickly that Nicholas was barely able to remember that, yes, Sammy had already shown him she had the ability to take a watery form, when the Rotom drifted further away from the railing, turning to the Octillery and screaming, her stomach exploding open to let the water swirling within blast out and catch the feral right in the side. The Octillery screeched, immediately releasing her hold and letting Sammy's attack shoot her back under the waves.

Miruko was laughing as Sammy turned back to Nicholas with an accusatory glare. If her Grass-type form was a chaotic spunky tomboy, her Fire-type form a squat angry explosion, then this Water-type form was what he remembered – an extra thick fighter. Although, in this moment she was certainly much closer to the pissed-off spitfire he'd seen come out in Volkner's gym.

Nicholas barely shook his head and raised a hand to her. "You are absolutely correct, Sammy. I forgot to consider that I already have the best Water-type I could ever have right here." He smiled when her glare softened and one of her tubes wrapped around his fingers. "And just like every other body you take, Sammy, you are beautiful in this one."

He staggered back when the swollen Rotom threw herself forwards and her body deformed as it threatened to engulf him. "GOOD!"

"Ah shit I can't-" Nicholas started to stammer before he lost his balance and crashed to the deck with a groan, unsure what part of Sammy's biology correlated to the soft jelly pressing down on him. Breasts, he hoped, and though he hadn't had a chance to yet he figured now was as good a time as any to have some fun with the Rotom in one of her alternate forms. Sammy squealed when Nicholas grabbed her and began to knead his fingers, rewarded for his efforts when a shower of clean fresh water burst from suddenly forming nipples as the Rotom tried to float away and the actual shape of her was revealed once again.

"OI! Let me have some of that," Miruko said quickly, trying to roll under the shower as Nicholas continued playing with Sammy's breasts while the Rotom bucked and squirmed above him. "Let me clean my fur!"

Nicholas laughed when Miruko managed to force her face under the stream only for Sammy to squeal and the flow to turn into a total blast of water that spun Miruko across the deck in a sputtering, undignified mess of limbs and ears. "MASTER-!"

Nicholas pulled her down and held her tight, or at least as tightly as he could as the Rotom deformed around his arms. "Come here, you. I know I wanted to talk to Miruko but you have secrets I want answered too. Like this. How often can you do these battle forms? Why don't you stay in that incredible ghost form more often, hm?"

"I-" Sammy shuddered when she felt Nicholas lift his hips and drag the stiffening lump in his pants down her slit. "Well, I… Um, I'm working on it?" she squeaked. "Besides Master you uh… You like the excited me, right? Right?"

"I never said I didn't. I just thought you would have preferred the form you chose for yourself," Nicholas murmured.

Sammy's struggles slowly ceased until she was just laying on top of him. "I do," Sammy whispered, "but I feel so… so much happier when I'm Sammy. When I battle, I'm me, but when I'm with you, Master, I want to be Sammy."

Nicholas chuckled and kissed her nose. "Fair enough. How often can you do things like this, then? I was under the impression Rotom could only transform when they're possessing an object."

"Not… often," Sammy eventually admitted. "It takes a lot to shift the stuff inside me to a new form, and I haven't figured out how to launch more than a few attacks before I have to rest, but my Alpha is helping me. I hope one day I can do it whenever you want me to, Master."

Nicholas nodded. "Getting stronger will help, of course." A smile tugged at his lips. "I wonder if treating you to even more proper metals will help too." He grinned when Sammy froze on top of him and didn't even have to look to know that she'd grown a hungry expression at the mention of more treats. "I'm willing to explore that possibility, Sammy. But right now? I need to apologize to my Water-type."

Miruko had rolled into a sitting position and leaned against a nearby wall as she watched Nicholas pop his shorts open. She was surprised to not feel any jealousy for the Rotom, then had to really wonder why she'd even consider being jealous before her wrinkled brow smoothed and she sighed happily. It was another piece of being a pokegirl, that's right. But she was not jealous of her harem sister having her time with their tamer, because he was one that would give it to them all. All she had to do was ask.

Miruko's slight smile went from happy to predatory as she imagined how much longer the ferry ride would be. Oh, there would be time enough to ask, she'd make sure of that.

There were only a few cameras waiting when the ferry docked in Snowpoint and Nicholas grinned when he saw the symbols decorating the reporters' jackets. It was a local welcoming committee, that was all. He'd successfully evaded any traveling news crews by slipping onto the ferry so quickly. That was perfect.

He adjusted the windbreaker he'd purchased in Sunyshore to protect from the light chill creeping down his neck. Though it wasn't winter quite yet, and the air was basically still, this far north it apparently remained cold enough for snowfall year-round except for during the very warmest days, and even those were rare enough that when they came they just turned the snow into driving sleet.

His feet crunched as he stepped from the meticulously cleared docks into the packed crust that coated the roads and immediately had to raise a hand to stall the two reporters that swarmed him. "Hello, hello. Are you from around here?"

Both reporters nodded but one managed to blurt out a response before his companion. "Yes sir! I'm Jason with Snowpoint Live, do you have time for a few questions…?"

"Only if you answer mine." Nicholas turned. "I've heard rumors of the temple here. I'd like to visit."

"The temple is-! Ah, I mean, it's not really open to… tourists," the other reporter cut in. "If you have a moment then can you please give me your thoughts on your recent battle with Leader Volkner-"

Nicholas shook his head, ignoring the second man. "I am pretty sure neither of you have the authority to bar me from the temple. Where is it?"

"Er…"

"I can just look at my map," Nicholas said in exasperation.

Jason seemed to rally much faster than his colleague and quickly stepped around Nicholas with a gesture. "It's to the north of the city, sir. Mary keep up!" He beckoned again as the other reporter fumbled over his words. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, why are you interested in it? I and all my viewers at home were under the impression you were here to challenge Leader Candice." He cocked an eyebrow. "The temple is a place Champion Cynthia has visited in the past. Are you perhaps trying to take more than just her title as our Champion?"

Nicholas smiled. He liked this reporter. Quick on his feet and able to pivot to the next potential story without fumbling like the other, who was still back at the docks and in a panicked discussion with his team. "I'm not looking to get into archaeology, if that's what you mean. There's just someone at the temple I think I want to meet."

The reporter glanced at his camera still with eyebrow raised and began rattling off something about history and theories surrounding the so-called 'elite' of the world leagues which Nicholas mainly ignored. He'd always portrayed himself to the media as a special tamer, so if the public wanted to start guessing closer to the truth he didn't really mind.

As they left the main roads and took to winding paths Nicholas expanded his awareness while answering the other questions Jason posed, these steering back towards the gym here and Nicholas' plans to challenge Cynthia. There was certainly something here, something ancient. Stories spoke of Snowpoint Temple being the grave of the world-shaper. He'd wanted to find that out for himself. If what he was feeling was any indication, the rumors were completely true.

He was forced to come to a halt right as the trees opened up to reveal the ancient temple, standing but heavily damaged by centuries of wear. He had to stop because a pokegirl had appeared before him, almost seeming to grow from the snow. She was familiar to him and he held out his hand to the silent Glaceon. "May I speak to the guardians of this place?"

The girl studied him. She was clothed in a sleek white outfit that helped camouflage her blue skin against the white snow, the white broken up by a bluish-purple crest emblazoned over her chest. A stylized chakram that he didn't recognize, but knew did not belong to the modern city.

After a minute or so she turned, her tail flicking and a massive wall of ice sealing the entrance to the clearing to separate Nicholas from the other two with panicked yells from Jason and his camera pokegirl Mary. Nicholas stepped forwards when the Glaceon's tail flicked again in his direction and he trudged through the snow after her to the broken stone steps of the temple.

As the two got closer Nicholas saw someone step out of the massive entryway. The Glacecon stepped to the side and turned, setting her back to one of the pillars and sinking daintily to the ground while her eyes never left Nicholas.

"Hm." The older women who had appeared gazed at Nicholas. "Why have you brought a Celestica, Irida?" When the Glaceon just shrugged the women grunted. "Then I will ask you. What are you doing at Snowpoint, Celestica?"

Nicholas inclined his head. "I am Nicholas. I came because after recent events I wished to check on the eternal ones I knew."

The old woman watched him for a bit. "I have heard whispers of you. You are no Celestica."

Nicholas raised his head and held up a hand that soon was filled by a blue orb of power. "No. But I am a guardian of this world, and if Regigigas slumbers here I must see her for myself."

The human sighed and jerked her head. "Yes, I had heard that whispered as well. Come then, guardian. Irida, thank you." The Glaceon did the best curtsy she could manage in her seated position as the two humans vanished into the temple.

"She wasn't yours, then?" Nicholas asked as they passed various rooms with a small number of people and pokegirls milling about. Some meditating, many just going about their daily lives, all bearing the same crest. "I noticed the way you spoke to her," he explained when the woman glanced at him. "You are equals, and not in the same way as I treat my harem."

"Irida is the name of our founder," the woman explained as they delved deeper and deeper into the temple, the air around them beginning to freeze. "By legend, her eternal partner was a Glaceon. After her passing, it is said an Eevee belonging to one of the clan entered the temple and, when she emerged, she had evolved, leaving the service of her tamer, dedicating herself solely to the betterment of the clan, and acting as its guardian. She is the reincarnation of our founder, and throughout the ages no member of the Pearl clan has managed to tame a Glaceon of their own, though many take Eevee with the hope that one day they can witness the ascension of their partner. Thus Irida is the name granted to each Glaceon guardian of the clan."

Nicholas smiled to himself. "That is an excellent story. I have a Glaceon of my own who will appreciate it."

The women turned. "Oh?"

"She was once deigned to be a servant of the eternal phoenix, Ho-oh, but has since chosen to serve me instead. It will give her joy to know a far-off sister of hers holds a purpose as powerful as her own."

The woman was eyeing him with new interest. "Are you perhaps a long-lost member of our clan, guardian Nicholas?"

"Oh no. We're not doing that," Nicholas chuckled. "I know my heritage and it does not stem from here. Where does Regigigas rest?"

They weren't far and soon the two entered a vast chamber. As Nicholas moved forwards he could see carvings along the walls, patterns of dots and lines that each were unique from one another. He counted at least eight before turning his attention to the far end of the chamber. It was there that a massive statue stood, but after witnessing the Registeel under Iron Island, he knew better. Regigigas, the eternal titan. She was… smaller than he'd been expecting.

Nicholas reached the motionless legendary's feet and gazed up with a slight frown. She couldn't have been much more than ten feet tall. This was a pokegirl who moved entire continents? At the smallest he'd have expected her to be five times this size.

A memory came, easing his confusion. The figure in front of him was sealed away. Just as Groudon and Kyogre had been, just like the depleted shell of Rayquaza he'd found broken atop the Sky Pillar. After her resurrection Zinnia had taken her true form during her last flight as Rayquaza, her body stretching hundreds of feet and large enough that even her human features could have easily swallowed him whole. Regigigas, then, would be the same. She was sleeping, and powered down. As she should be.

He debated reaching for her with his aura but chased the thought away. Here was the ancient power he'd first felt, and here was where she belonged. He almost felt like a different person when he nodded at the intricate body before him. Gazed at the craggy structures giving the legendary golem a fragmented appearance – volcanic edges covering one arm, the shoulder seeming to sprout like vegetation, the other arm slender and smooth, her torso broken by deep chasms that mimicked the faults between the plates she moved. She was a representation of the planet, Regigigas was, and while some part of him wanted to wake her, to experience such a unique pokegirl, the rational part of him knew she had earned her slumber. Perhaps some other version of him would tame this incredible titan, but it would not be him.

He turned back to the woman with a smile. "All is well. Thank you for allowing me to see the triumph of your clan."

The woman bowed. "You honor us with your words, guardian."

"And you with yours," Nicholas replied, bowing his own head to her. "I have only just learned of my true purpose, and for my elder to recognize that I am fulfilling it brings me great pleasure."

The woman straightened with a smile. "Elder in body, perhaps, but our legends speak of many things, guardian Nicholas. Just as Irida returns to us, I would say another has as well. An ancient guardian who was a great friend to our clan." She bowed again. "It gladdens my heart to have been able to witness your return."

"Ah… Right," Nicholas managed. "Well, I think I… should probably do what I came here for in the first place."

"You seek to best Candice." The woman's lips twitched in an amused smile. "The ancient one sought to conquer in her own way as well."

Nicholas gave up. "Yes. Thank you again for your time."

The woman bowed one final time. "It was our pleasure, guardian."