Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. This work includes artistic depictions of underage, incestuous, and Pokémon x human relationships. GKEA SINNOH SAGA has potentially traumatizing plotlines including rape, abuse, sex trafficking, grooming, and even death. While at its core a love story, drama, and adventure, there are dark parts. Additionally, I don't condone anything degenerative that I write.
Reader discretion is advised.
Any similarities to people in real life is purely coincidental, no real humans were hurt/involved in the creation of this story.
Avery's Pokemon
1. Evangeline/Eva
Gender: Female
Nature: Rash
2. Lady
Gender: Female
Nature: Modest
3. Chastity
Gender: Female
Nature: Adamant
4. Dusty
Gender: Male
Nature: Hardy
5. Sprite
Gender: Female
Nature: Quirky
6. Name: ?
Gender: Female
Nature: ?
Chapter: The Tipping Point
Roark of Oreburgh asked many questions; some of them I also wondered about, like how long I'd had these abilities within myself, and what the limits of my powers were. Most of the metaphysical-related questions I couldn't possibly answer, and for some reason spilling the details the Fair Lady shared with me felt like an absolute no-go. That beautiful, golden medicham had trusted me, and took me on as a student of her own accord, meanwhile he was the very bastard who'd drilled through her underground haven in the first place. I've still not entirely forgiven him for his naive recklessness, maybe that was why the guy annoyed me so much, and the fact was the bulk of Roark's questions were incredibly simple-minded, even childish; could I teleport, could I throw humans, Pokemon, or objects far distances? Could I- this, that, this, that? On and on the stream of inquiry continued; it started to feel like the world's worst job interview.
Roark's personality was vaguely reminiscent of Hardy the Hiker's, that old mountain man, but a worse version; it made sense considering they were relatives. I wanted to mention him, but under Roark's wave of questions I could barely find the time to insert a word edgewise beside a vague "yeah", "no", or "uhh sure buddy". Roark the Dork was an exceptionally apt nickname, and I wondered how CJ Mixter had managed to stomach a full conversation with this guy. Of course, I was well-aware my shitty mood was, in part, because of Lady intentionally icing me out, and my tiredness. I wanted to crash my head on a pillow, close my eyes, and hold my sweet, warm Pokemon as I slept above ground where I belonged, but I'd gotten myself into a situation where socializing was mandatory for at least a little while longer.
After about ten minutes of his constant monologuing I adapted, or rather, I surrendered. While the rock-type gym leader went on and on, it gave me the chance to skim my eyes over the expanse of the Iron Joint. Now that I was really looking at it, the interior design of the club was vaguely reminiscent of a cavern, all the surfaces made out of sturdy, solid stone, the walls of something similar, although the brilliant lights cast aside any sense of it being earthy. The last place full of so many Pokemon and humans was an entirely different kind of establishment, although the music wasn't that much different. There were bathrooms in the far back left, lit up by a crimson light, leading down a dark hallway, and I noticed various people were heading upstairs and down, so it wasn't even a single-story place.
Roark's words tapered off, his expression twisting oddly as he noticed my gaze, "Ah, there's a residential area upstairs."
"And below?"
He winked, "Once we finish up business, we'll go see the dancers, don't you worry!"
"Ah," I nodded, "so they're downstairs."
Across the table, Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Roark sure loves his girls."
The redhead burst into laughter, "Gah! Hold it! D-Don't make me sound like some kind of pervert, yeesh! Listen, it took a lot to break the people around here out of their totally traditional mindset. Forget dancers, I had to fight to close after midnight! Business around here used to close around 10 except for the Pokemart and Pokecenter."
"Tradition is good sometimes, but I have to say this place has really come about," Roxanne beamed, "I'm proud of you for carrying through with it."
The redhead tucked some of his hair behind his ear, his disposition bashful, "Thanks, Rox… E-Ehm, but, back to the dancers… it's interesting… Actually, a lot of them are from Jubilife. When we started opening up new places all kinds of people started moving over, looking for jobs, checking out the place. Many of them stayed. We'll head down there later."
I didn't give a shit about dancers. Quite honestly, no strip show or amount of booty-shaking could surpass what I'd already witnessed in my lifetime, and that was just recently. Sad to say, but I was going to disappoint the guy. In fact, I decided to show my disinterest by just shrugging and letting my gaze wander away. I could see Chastity and Eva socializing with some group of women and their mon a fair distance off in private-ish area with lots of couches in a square and a big gametable set up at the center. Perhaps Roxanne was right; my Pokemon were relatively safe here and that meant as long as I had their back, Eva, Lady, and Chastity could do whatever the hell they wanted.
The blasting, bass-thumping music combined with the chorus of voices all around, drowning away most of my thoughts on anything. I sipped at my salty, spicy beverage, the liquor burning my throat, and wondered if my mons were having fun. Seemed like they all were. Even from here, I could see Eva utterly concentrating on the games in question, but Chastity was socializing on her own. Why she'd dragged Eva off I had no clue, because she was seemingly invested in a steamy conversation with the Lopunny by her side, leaning into the second-stage's side and chattering visibly. My head ached in warning as I curiously extended myself, trying to wander into the little bunny's mind and find out exactly what Chastity was up to, but as I did I found my concentration slipping, constantly tugged away by Roark. Either that, or Lady's conversation with Roxanne. The constant music, conversation, my jealousy, the alcohol; made my efforts pointless, so I just sighed and looked away, focusing on Roark again.
"So, can you see the future?" He asked. "Like… a fortune-teller?"
"No. Well… I-I don't know Roark," I repeated for what felt like the millionth time, "I won't say it's impossible, but like I said, this is all new to me." For a brainiac, he sure was as dense as a rock, many of my words didn't seem to stick in his red-haired brain. Then again, his face was sweaty, and as red as his hair; he clearly wasn't taking his liquor particularly well.
"R-Really? Ugh… y-you're killing me… at this point I feel like I should just ask 'what can you do?'!"
Roxanne shot a dirty look his way, "Well, why not ask that question? Maybe it'll save us all some time." The schoolteacher had grown a bit icy toward me since I'd cast her foot off my crotch, but she offered me a weak, sympathetic smile now. Apparently she was tired of his mouth too. Perhaps this aspect of Roark's nerdy personality was why they were just friends.
Roark halted, interrupting his next blurb of word vomit. "I-I guess I could just let you explain what you're capable of," He bowed slightly in polite apology. "Sorry! I-I maybe got a bit too enthused…"
"It's alright. Just tone it down a little bit, okay? It's getting overwhelming. I don't mind talking about this for a little while longer, but like I said… I don't really know enough about it myself, and we've only just met." He offered another apology; I nodded, shrugged, and set my gaze on Lady. She caught my glance, pouted, and forced her eyes off me.
I told him a little bit about what I could do, and then fell silent. After my food arrived, I stifled all thoughts of complaining and scampering home. I stuffed my face like an absolute animal. I wasn't the only one who got food. So did Roxanne and Roark. I'd only ordered a double–stack sandwich with a salad for myself and a few things off the menu for the mons, but these two had gone all out; they seemed to get mountains of stuff: meats, fruits, vegetables of all kind, cooked in a dozen ways, simmered, staked, seared, raw fish strewn out here and there, everything coated with sauces and spices. The table was layered with it, so much so that people began to wander over, particularly an incredibly hairy, gray-haired guy and a skinny younger guy with a buzzcut.
"This for sharing, Boss?" The bald boy asked, and Roark nodded enthusiastically, standing up.
"Of course, Pietr, always! What's mine is yours!"
Baldy/Pietr grinned, and he and his Geodude shuffled close to the table, snatching a few dumplings and other appetizers off the trays. Well, that was nice of Roark. I got a little grossed out looking at all their dirty fingers, and watched as not just the pair of newcomers, but a bunch of other workers wandered over at the sight and smell of all the food, most drunk as can be, a few still coherent and able to walk straight.
Roark threw a sweaty arm around my neck in an awkward display of drunken affection. "I'm going to pay for everything tonight, drinks, food… even dancers." He whispered in my ear with a grin and a wiggle of his eyebrows. Not the first time a ginger tried to get me to sell my soul, Roark was trying to convince me with his wallet what his mouth could not. To go down there with him, to use my psychic abilities to allow him to explore the recesses of the earth, all very convenient… for him. The Iron Joint, all the delicious food and drinks that he was paying for, couldn't convince me of shit. All things considered though, the Iron Joint wasn't that bad. The music was tasteful, impactful, and energetic, and there was no one drunk enough that they were making a fool out of themselves outside of dancing like idiots. The vivid array of lights, contrasting with the darker, more private portions of the building where various couples made out in the shadows, reminded me of my old workplace, Dim Lights. I'd gotten so used to seeing humans and Pokemon fucking brazenly that the sight of humans macking threw me off. Oddly enough, as did seeing all the human staffers hustling around, no Pokemon to assist them. It was unusual not to work with your mons in Sinnoh, but especially so in the fast-paced serving industry. Aside from the more risqué stuff, looking around it was impossible not to notice an almost familial atmosphere. It gave me a warm feeling seeing all these sweaty, dirty men and women and their mons devouring the feast Roark had laid out.
That didn't make him any less annoying though.
"Come on, Avery! Please, I'm begging you! You and me, taking on the underground world! I'm thinking we could even speed up the process, I can get you a rider's permit, get you drilling yourself. It's surprisingly cool… loud though. Half the time I think I'm going deaf." The rock-type gym leader rubbed at his ears, his expression sour. I was wishing I was deaf at the moment.
While riding a massive drill like the one I'd seen plunge through the underground sounded badass I'd already made my decision about this about three Roark monologues ago; I'd made it clear to the pushy nerd, even if revealing the truth of our past was the most majestic, heroic, exciting achievement possible for humanity, I had no interest in going back to the underground yet. Wherever my destiny lay, it was away from those dusty old chambers; exploring the underground was an adventure for another guy, someone who liked disturbing old bones.
I ignored him, just continued to shove hot food in my mouth. "Lady, you need to have some of this," I said, wiping some sauce off my lips with the back of my hand and sliding a bowl of thick berry curry in her direction; the slight spice made my entire mouth tingle in the most delightful way, and I watched with a grin as my Kirlia glanced away from Roxanne, peering curiously at what I offered. She hopped up on the table.
"Is that Cheri Curry? Could I have some too?" Roxanne asked, sounding delighted.
"Mhm," I mumbled, stuffing another mouthful in, and Roxanne nodded in delight and grabbed two of the spoons available. She handed one to Lady, who peered at it curiously, and then leaned over the table for a spoonful. I tried not to look, but when she moved like that it put Roxanne's cleavage dangerously on display, and my face burned. I averted my gaze, trying to pretend it was the spicy soup making me excited. Of course, Lady noticed.
She met my eyes, and with a subtle motion of her head, her crimson orbs began to glow; it all happened in seconds. As Roxanne leaned over the table, the fabric on her shirt suddenly ripped down the middle, as if the material had been put to its absolute limit; Roxanne screamed as she was suddenly almost entirely naked above the waist, no bra to be found. Unfortunately, she was stuffed into the booth, and around the edge of our table and booths there was a massive swarm of hungry people. Aka, the whole world and their mother saw. Roark's jaw dropped and he went completely silent for once, as did I; but not in excitement like most of the dudes here, I was horrified. Lady had done that to torment Roxanne out of jealousy…
Proving my thoughts correct, she glanced at Roxanne with a slight, subtle smirk, then peered directly into my eyes, clearly very pleased with herself. The message was clear; I'd put my feelings on display so brazenly, so surely Rox's humiliation was a fair punishment. Fists clenched, I tried to work my mind around this, but I had no idea what to say. Did I yell at her, call her out and demand she apologize to Roxanne(who probably had no idea why she'd had such a catastrophic wardrobe failure) But then, surely they'd all wonder why my Pokemon had done such a thing.
I stood up, ripping my leather jacket off immediately. "H-here!" But it was too late.
"Now I see why you're so into her, boss!" Pietr grunted as he leered at Roxanne's chest, his teeth shining as bright as his shiny, cue ball head. For a young guy, he seemed very geezer-ly at that moment. Roxanne flinched, hid her big breasts behind her arms, but that only seemed to shift them into a more appealing state, her pretty pink nipples half-visible behind the pale columns of her arms. I knew I wasn't a sadist for sure now, I felt so terrible seeing her teary-eyed, and Roark was just standing there like a water mon washed onto shore.
"So you're the type of woman to go bra-less, huh?" An old fat man asked, stroking his beard, "I never would've guessed."
I heard someone mumble, "G-Goodness gracious, I've never seen such a nice pair! My wife's going to kill me…"
I'd made a decision about it.
"Lady…" I said slowly, coldly, my voice low enough that only Roxanne, Roark, and my Kirlia could hear, "apologize. Or we're leaving right now."
Roxanne slowly glanced between Lady and I, her mind clearly making sense of what had just happened. It seemed something clicked as she gazed at my extended, dark brown jacket, and took note of my tone, the intense fire seeming to simmer between Lady as she glowered at me, her chin slowly lifting in her usual defiance.
Her crimson eyes glowed vaguely. "Kirl."
Didn't need to be a Pokemon to understand that.
"I'm not asking."
"Kirlia." She said, even cooler, calmer, and at that moment I think both our tempers spiked to a level never seen before.
"Hey Rox, you're single right, how bout I buy you a-"
I spun and lunged across the booth, grabbing the bald guy by the shirt.
"Avery, do-"
I heard someone shout, something shouted, but I couldn't give a shit.
"Shut the hell up you perv," I snarled, and my fist was slamming into Baldy's nice white teeth with more force than was warranted. He wailed in pain, and being a smaller guy, he fell on his ass in a heap, clutching his face. He glared at me, and moved to get up, and I scowled so coldly he froze in place. "I'm tired of people being a bunch of sickos. You want to leer at a girl in a bad situation, how about I knock your teeth out instead?"
Frightened, Pietr stared back at me, trembling. His Geodude stared at him, waiting for an order, but the bald boy didn't say a word, he just grabbed his mon and scampered away; rapidly, the happy crowd around us melted away, many people muttering, staring at me like I was some kind of freak; of course, not everyone left; a few lingered, but after a glower from me even they wandered off leaving Roxanne, Roark, Lady, and I alone… Eva and Chastity had noticed the commotion, but when they saw the commotion die down they went back to what they were doing.
My heart was still racing, my mood black as night, as I returned to my seat and finished off my drink. What just happened, such an explosion of violence, was entirely new to me- but for a moment, when I'd seen that kid's sick little face staring at Roxanne, when I'd heard his voice, I'd seen Jackson Wainwright– saw Stu, Vanessa, saw all those bastards combined, and I couldn't take it…
A flicker of guilt fluttered through me… I was doing my best to fade away, acting like I didn't know my companions were all staring at me, waiting for an explanation for what had just happened.
"Listen," I finally managed, "just… I'm tired, alright? Lady. Apologize to Roxanne."
Roxanne was in my coat now; when I glanced over, I expected to get some serious looks of judgment, but that wasn't it at all. She was staring at me in open appreciation, smiling slightly, a certain warmth in her eyes that made me shiver. She cocked her head slightly when she caught my gaze, and I wondered what she was thinking about me… it seemed like pleasant things.
My Kirlia finally obeyed. She rolled her eyes as she uttered a short, sharp, "Kirlia kirl," and then, without another word, hopped up and off the seat, wandering over to where Eva and Chastity were. Was this her most disrespectful behavior yet? Probably, and yet there was nothing I could do about it. Every instinct in me screamed to follow after her, to do something, but words would never get me anywhere with her…
And at the end of the day I couldn't blame her for being angry. She could tell what I was incapable of hiding. I was incredibly into Roxanne, always had been. Her shedding Roxanne's top with her powers wasn't much different than me punching some stranger's lights out. It was both of us thinking we were entitled to do what we wanted; Lady knew I was a hypocrite, so I was paralyzed, unable to properly discipline her, if that was even what she really needed… vaguely, I agreed with the old saying that alcohol made everything worse.
"So… why was she being forced to apologize? What in the world did I miss?" Roark asked, his voice squeaking.
I sighed. "Roark, no offense… but you couldn't pay me a billion poke to work with you or your stupid drilling company, okay? I'm not interested. I couldn't possibly be less interested. I'm going home." I got up, packed up some of the food we had, and walked toward my team. I was done with this place, we all were.
(Eva 3RD Person POV)
Elements was nothing like Pokemon battling. It was way, way more frustrating.
"Sorry, kiddo, you're done again," The human woman smirked, "it's a good thing we're not playing for cash."
She had to be wrong! Eva was sure about the placement of her ev's this time. She was sure that she'd picked the right ones, she couldn't be that bad at this! She leaned forward, ears flicking, bright red eyes narrowed… and waited. Slowly, Tati reached forward, and gripping the token between two fingers, the human flipped her defense piece over… revealing the critical enemy of her own Flareon piece on the offense, the water-type Vaporeon. Eva's heart broke. She didn't even have time to feel defeated though, suddenly she heard a commotion, people yelling, and in particular-
"Avery?! What is that idiot doing?" She heard Chastity mutter, and glanced over just in time to see her tall, dark-haired trainer holding a smaller man by the shirt, his posture exceptionally aggressive. He seemed to reek of ill intentions, anger. Whatever the man had done to her trainer, he was handling it. Eva couldn't help but smile as she watched him deck the guy, sending him on his ass. Just like in the underground, Avery seemed to know how to throw a punch, she loved that about him.
"We should go check on him," Eva replied, "I'm done with this game anyways…"
"You just suck at it," Chastity grinned, "but whatever, go suck up to daddy Avery if you want, I'm going to stay here with Scraps."
Scraps was the Lopunny Chastity had grown fond of.
"I'm not sucking up!" Eva sighed, "But fine, I guess... You stay here. I'll go check on him."
"Mm. Pointless. Seems they're coming over here anyways." The humans were resetting the board, Scraps vaguely listening in on their conversation. Eva hopped off the seat before Tatiana could offer her another round, and she met Lady half-way, trotting over to her friend.
"Are you okay? What happened? Why did Avery-"
Lady turned an angry gaze her way. "He's weak-minded and I'm tired of it!" she snapped, "Get out of my face." Eva gaped, didn't say another word as the psychic-type stomped toward Chastity, climbing up and sitting next to her. Evangeline glanced over and saw that Avery was now getting up and heading over to them as well. He didn't look happy, not one bit. The mood of the night had turned entirely sour.
Eva jumped when she was suddenly nudged; it was Tatiana, the human with the pink-dyed tips, her game opponent. "Hey… I can see that you guys are about to head out. I want you to have this." She nudged a suitcase over. "It's an Elements board, and a few pieces of old clothes I had in my coordinator bag for the buneary. I want your trainer to have them."
Eva glanced at the slim black case, then back at the pretty female human. "Umbree?"
"I mean it, all yours."
At about that time, Avery arrived. She expected him to be in a nightmarish mood, but surprisingly, her trainer forced a smile. "I'm exhausted, I'd like to head to bed. Can we call it, guys?"
The umbreon was pretty drained herself, but when she opened her mouth to eagerly agree she wasn't surprised when Chastity sat forward and yelled. "Bun bun!" She was totally opposed to the idea. She grabbed one of Scrap's arms, and rubbed her furry little brown chest up and down it, teasing her ears along the bigger male. The Lopunny preened, clearly pleased to be touched in such a way.
Shockingly, Avery just smiled.
"Sure. You can stay here with them for as long as you'd like, Chastity. In fact, you don't have to come at all." They'd never heard their human take a tone like that. Eva shivered, cold to her core. The buneary faltered, her expression shifting. There was something odd about their trainer's pleasant tone, they all felt it. Lady narrowed her eyes. Eva trotted over and nuzzled up against his legs. She could feel his tension in his body. She rubbed herself along him, eager to ease all his troubles away; hoped he found her soft fur soothing, but much to her surprise, he didn't even look at her.
There seemed to be no energy left in Avery Higgs as he said, "I'm leaving. Come with me or don't. I'm your trainer. It's that simple."
Then he walked off… and of course, they all followed. Eva scowled when she heard Chastity giggle and whisper, "See, Lady, all you have to do is push him a little more… we'll have him soon. Did you see his face when I put my paw on Scrap's thigh?"
(Avery POV)
Roxanne caught me at the entrance. She pulled me away from my Pokemon, holding me by the arm.
"Please don't bother. I'm not interested in any drilling shit, okay? I just want to go to bed."
The brunette pouted, and she shifted closer, wrapping both her arms around my waist, "Come now, I'm not coming to you about that. Roark got the message."
"Did he?" When I glanced into the entrance of the Iron Joint I could see the redhead peering out at us eagerly, as if waiting for me to walk back in. But I was done for the night. Truly.
"Um… A-are you going to come to battle Roark tomorrow?"
"I was planning on it," I admitted, "But I don't know now. I don't know anything."
Like why she was hugging me right now, or why I was allowing it. I pulled away.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Avery. I hope you come… Roark will be really sad if you don't. So will I." She placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth, then waved. "I'm going to head back inside before he gets lonely. Goodnight!"
I didn't say another word as she walked off in her heels, wearing my jacket. I just shrugged, and then turned back to my team. As I expected, all three of my Pokemon were glowering at me, not at all happy with what they'd just been forced to witness.
"Listen. We'll have a nice, long talk about this tomorrow… for now… I need to fucking sleep."
Surprisingly, they all groaned in agreement, even Chastity, who clutched a little suitcase with glee.
Once we were in our hotel room, I set out the food for everyone. While they ate, I stripped and took a shower. I needed it, bad. My thoughts raced round and round my head as the hot water pounded into my skin. It felt amazing, like all my filthy thoughts, actions were being washed away. I couldn't believe I'd punched a guy like that, that Roark seemed to want my power so bad he didn't even kick me out for it, that Lady had ripped a human's top off purely out of vindictive jealousy. Everything was my fault, and I felt a dark, familiar tug at the edge of my mind. I wanted to abuse myself mentally. I wanted to lash myself emotionally, and not just for this. For everything.
Everything I'd left behind, everything I was avoiding.
I was still in the shower when the bathroom door pushed open.
"Hey! Who is that?" I called, and in trotted Chastity. I glared at her through the semi-translucent shower curtains, foggy with steam. "What do you want?" My tone was bitter. Chastity tried to make me jealous earlier. I wouldn't soon forget the way she practically humped that big-dicked, leather-clad Lopunny. I didn't give a shit; if that was what she wanted, so be it, but I wasn't going to let her get a reaction out of me; she wasn't Vanessa, she wasn't some supreme seductress…and yet I didn't tell her to get out. Chastity smirked and closed the door shut behind her, hopping toward the shower. I didn't complain when she pushed the curtain open, climbing carefully over the porcelain slab. That was dangerous.
"Careful!" I snapped, then reluctantly lowered myself when she peered at me with big shining eyes. Her little pufftail wagged eagerly, and she held up her arms, clearly wanting up and into the shower. I couldn't find it in me to deny her, even though I wanted to tell her to get out of my face, my mind still focusing on the images in the back of my head of her all over that male mon. Chastity sighed pleasantly when I held her in my arms, and for a moment, I forgot all about my bad mood. Soaked like this, Chastity looked beyond adorable, her cinnamon brown fur and fluff clinging to her delicate little frame.
Why did she have to tease me? The way she'd smirked at me, glanced my way after rubbing herself up on him, it felt no different than watching Lady play with that brush. Yet, with my own behavior, I had no right to feel this way, again I was nothing but a hypocrite. Our conversation tomorrow loomed, huge and haunting, and I had a feeling none of us were going to like it.
"Bunearrry~" Chastity cooed, clearly comfortable nestled in the crook of my elbow as she was. She didn't do any of her cleaning herself, I didn't hesitate to do it all for her. Maybe she'd listen to me more if I didn't spoil her, I considered that, yet here I was. The warm water splashed over her and she moaned with visible relief, shaking herself and her tiny, fluffy bum up against me. The hot blast of the shower poured over us as I continued to lather the conditioner through her fur. When I rubbed her body like that, she moaned low and hungry, and I knew then and there that she was getting turned on getting spoiled and showered by me.
It felt good to just forget all the drama we'd been drenched in minutes before. I hated being around humans…
Chastity rubbed her paws on my belly, shifted impatiently. "Bun…" She murmured softly, licking her lips, peering up at me; her cocoa eyes were like huge black suns, full of eagerness. She stared brazenly at my crotch. It was clear what she wanted. I pressed the long length of my dick against her bum, and let the tip rest between her thighs, against her little entrance. She was red-hot down there, dripping, not just the shower water.
If she was going to tease me, it was only fair if I did the same. I turned the shower off, exhaling slowly. "That was nice." As I set her outside, Chastity stared at me expectantly, big brown eyes dark with lust. She obviously didn't believe I was about to just skip the opportunity to fuck her, and yet… "What? You're all clean, so am I. Goodnight. Make sure you dry off."
I smiled at her, wrapped myself in a towel, and walked out of the bathroom.
(Jack 3rd Person POV)
"Jacky-boy, c'mere. You don't mind if I call you that, right?"
"Of course I don't." Jackson Wainwright grinned, sauntering over, "You can call me whatever you want, big man. What's up?" The tall ginger-haired boy sat down where Stu patted the massive couch beside him. Princess, his silver-pelted Eevee, dipped off Jack's shoulder, hopping into her trainer's warm lap and trailing her tail back and forth along his arm as she curled up there. The redhead smiled as he swept his hand along her back, head turned part way toward his self-proclaimed mentor - one Stu Lastar; the boy's expression was neutral, his lips curled slightly upward at the corners in a perpetual smirk.
The massive, powerful man nodded in his direction, "Good answer. You know… I had my doubts about your intel, but I'm so glad - even though it's a shitshow- that it turned out to be true! You're a good lad!" Stu's watery eyes narrowed with delight as he smiled, crossing his pudgy, pale legs. He was wearing khaki capris, a ridiculously large belt keeping them up, a sweat-soaked dress shirt tucked into them. As always, his unsettling Magmar simmered in the room, thankfully on the opposite side of it, behind a layer of see-through thermal curtains. Jack had argued for hours about the necessity of heat relief, Stu only gave in when Jack agreed to be his personal "next in line." He'd signed a contract with relatively simple terms, and now he owned a big-ass empty house that he could deck out however he wished, given a few terms and conditions. One of them was of course his "tumor" as he'd taken to calling her, the psychic-bully, Mystica, though he'd learned to handle and appease her pretty easily, nothing compared to his big sisters, and their big boss "Zain Sloane."
"Give me a progress update, Jacky." The man clapped him on the back, his big hand hot and sticky with perspiration.
Jack nodded. "Well, that bitch you have running the operation above Mystica and I-"
"Enough! Let me give you advice, it'll serve you well in this… business. You never knew who is listening, never talk badly about your superiors. Now, tell me the rest."
When Jack was done with his report on the financials, Stu sighed heavily, wiping some of the sweat off his forehead. "Seems all is well, then. Mystica, could you be a dear and refill my water?"
"No, I'm busy. Get it yourself, you lazy fuck. Hey, muscles, did I tell you to stop massaging my feet?" Mystica was curled up on the second massive couch in the big room opposite the one Stu and Jack sat on, reading a paperback novel popular among underground readers. It was about a female lawyer, and the Lucario she represents who caught a case after killing his human. She wouldn't shut up about it to Jack. Truth be told, her incessant chatter drove away his darker thought patterns. They'd been partners for three days now. It was serving them both well… and the mansion they lived in? Well, it was way cooler than the fancy apartment he'd grown up in. He didn't just have his own room anymore, he had his own hallway. He didn't just have a couple grand to spend, he had a pale credit card to use in certain establishments and an unlimited budget. He'd wondered where Marissa got her Pokephilia flix. Well, his "little white card", which his own sister had as well apparently, was the answer. There were signs, subtle ones, but necessary, whether or not a Sinnoh establishment housed a "member" or not. Stu was teaching Jack all about that. They were everywhere, more every year. The more anxious, tired of the status quo people became, the more they looked to someone, something, some group or cause for a purpose. For salvation.
A human pet was crouched between Mystica's legs, a massive, handsome man with long, flowing gold hair and white teeth like from a commercial. A model-man, just Mystica's type. She hadn't taken to her former mistress's habit of forcing her "Servant's" to wear golden shorts, she'd gone one step further. Her "men" were not allowed to have any clothing at all, just a collar, removable only by the key she kept "in a place you'll never take it from me without me knowing."
"Oh come on, give the guy a break. Doesn't he rub those stinky things enough at home?"
"Stinky?! I-" When the woman caught his mischievous grin, she scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. "I thought I told you no bossing me around, especially when it comes to my boytoys."
"Boytoys… hmm."
Jack sighed. "Stu, I'm being serious. Take it from me - my mom is a tyrant. You can't let these girls control you." He whispered it, though of course Mystica somehow knew what he was saying anyway, glowering at him with eyes like brilliant crystals.
Even so, the fat man intervened, nodding in agreement with his pupil. "Mystica, I've said it already, you're in the supplementary position here. You're his second, that means you do whatever it is Jack wants you to do until he proves unworthy of the position," Stu retorted sharply. Mystica gave their mutual superior a sour look. Then she sighed, huffed, and apparently got so aggravated she didn't even have an interest in anyone outside of herself anymore, including her "boytoy."
Stu smiled at him in approval, and the man's words from the other day filtered into Jack's mind. 'Humans are a science. If I move a game piece in this way on the playing field, it will guarantee effects shift events in a certain way. You may not be able to calculate how, or where the direction will go - every failed team thus far will show that, but you must make a wave for a change to occur. Do you understand?'
Jack had called him "Daddy Stu" as a joke, but the fat man had taken it personally, and was treating him with even more friendliness than usual. Back in the innocent fanclubs days Stu had been a chill person to talk to, but was notorious for being a pussy hound. Jack had introduced him to Zoey's content, they had a special bond since, but that had transformed into something else entirely. The white card that Jack had Stu's personal insignia on it. That meant he was part of Stu's flock. If Jack ever ran into any problems, all he had to do was shut up, and point in his sweaty, stinking direction - in truth, exactly the type of man Jackson Wainwright needed.
The blonde gave Jack a smile and seemed to sigh in relief. Jack flushed, looked away. Hard to meet the eyes of a man with a smile that bright.
"Well, anyways, back to business - what exactly is wrong with Zain?"
"She's basically never there when we need her to be, and when she is around, her head isn't." Jack had only been "administering" for a few days, and already he felt like he was ready to take the lead. Over the next few weeks, he'd have to show that. Even Mystica wasn't trifling with him much, it seemed she knew what he was capable of, what all Wainwrights were when they put their mind to it. "If she wants to not be there… you might as well let her go elsewhere. I've got this Stu, and if you don't believe me now, let me come back to you and make my case in like… three weeks. We don't need her. Right, Mystica?"
His partner could've been disagreeable, and as her fierce violet gaze flashed over, he knew she considered it… but working at Jack's side was far more appealing than working directly with Stu. Any woman could attest to that, so Jack grinned as she stuffed her annoyance with him back and shrugged. "I know you think I fucked up with Vanessa, but if that woman had let me have more control over that place before it burned down, I would've made you money, Stu. Jack's right. You should consider letting us take the lead…"
Stu sighed, beckoning this way and that, shaking his head, "Maybe, maybe, but the boy is new, Mystica! Even with all the wonderful information he's shared about this Vernon Jennings individual, the result was… sadly, pointless. Sure, he told me about the man, but he wasn't caught. As far as I know, the agent made it on board the S.S. Amber."
"But I told you about him. Without me, you'd never even know he was there," Jack pointed out, "plus, come on man… Zoey Higgs…"
Stu went silent at that, brooding. It was true that Jack's intel had limited use, but Stu's current fixation likely outshined that. The ginger hated to do it, but mentioning Zoey Higgs was the only thing he knew really made Stu wag his tongue. And besides, it was also the only way he could get information about the girl… it wasn't like he'd leave the girl alone if Jack never mentioned her again. If anything, Avery's involvement with Salvation had caused this. Because of his situation with Vanessa, Zoey had become a pawn for the higher-ups in Salvation. Stu had let him in on the details of his private operation. The Higgs name was one he hated; the chubby bastard wanted Zoey to join Team Salvation. Zoey, leaving for a fun adventure in Alola, was unknowingly pursued by people Stu sent after them… If Stu's plan was successful, Zoey would become a member of Team Salvation, and in no time would serve under the fat man, where he'd have revenge for his so-called sweetheart being murdered. Of course, Jack would rather die than let that happen, even as his own membership with the organization had become permanent, badge/membership credit card and everything. Zoey was smarter than that, had to be, but his intentions, his ability to know where Zoey was at all times, still made Stu a dangerous man, and his obsession equally so.
Stu reached a decision. "You're lucky I like you, boy! Fine. I'll play your game, give you a chance to really prove yourself. One month… I'm going to tell Zain to turn her attention elsewhere. If she gives you orders, you will still obey, but try your best with this circuit. You're right that Zain may be of limited use to me; if you two give me results, we will talk about what it means, Jack. You know what I mean by results… Money, people-"
"And porn. Yeah. I know. I helped my mom out at her parties all the time dude. I know how to make connections, and know how to get along with other rich people." Jack grinned. "Breathe easy, Stu. I know you're taking a risk, but I've got this."
At about that time there was a series of loud, urgent knocks on the door, and a voice yelled, "Stu sir! It's Talyn!"
"Come in," he called, and the door burst open. A white-clad grunt and an extremely curly-haired boy came rushing in, the boy clutched by the Salvation member by the back of his neck. 'Talyn' was a beautiful, white-haired girl with deep brown eyes. She was clad in the usual Salv gear, body-armor, winter camo, brutal looking gear, pokeballs lining her belt.
"Agent Talyn… what's this about?"
The cold-spoken woman shoved the curly-haired boy forward. "He claims he has information for you about Avery Higgs."
Stu's eyes widened, and he turned his attention to the boy more fiercely. As did Jack. What in the world did this curly-haired little kid have to do with his old best friend?
"Um… My name is Billy Benjamin. Because of Avery… I got seriously injured, and he didn't even care, he just left me behind, stole from my work… and because of that I got fired. He was supposed to be my friend… You guys are the ones who attacked him that night, right? I-I need help… I want revenge!"
