The best thing about Jack is that he knows when to shut up and not ask questions.

Despite the events of the first night at Jack's, which my best friend is thankfully completely unaware of, I still stayed over for a few days at his insistence. After what happened between Lucia and I, I tried my best to convince Jack to cut our hangout short so I could go home and put some space between myself and the Poképhilia subject, but Jack was stubborn about it. He wanted me to stay, but even looking at Lucia was overwhelming for me, not to mention talking to her. Every time I saw Lucia's face it was a bright and vivid reminder of the single best night of my life, and it triggered the strangest flight or fight instinct inside of me. Because of that, the moments between myself and his sisters - especially Lucia- were painfully awkward.

And Lucia herself was super soft on me. Her insults were half-assed, and everyone around us knew it, but no one really knew why. That's why I'm glad Jack didn't ask. Because if he asked, I honestly would have spilled my guts about...well, everything. The days passed by pretty slowly. We spent most of our time playing games and reading up on Pokémon. I was happy to find out he had no plans to go on a journey right away, either. Maybe he was staying behind because I couldn't go, or maybe he really didn't want to go. Either way, I appreciated it.

The entire time I was there my boss was blowing up my Pokétch with messages and calls. Most of her voicemails contained threats like "I'll fire you", "I'll beat your ass, kid!" or "I'll visit your house and talk to your mother about your irresponsible behavior". The list went on. When I finally answered she said only two words: "You're fired!" and hung up. That was it. I figured I'd have to beg for my job back after walking out the way I did, but I was really gonna have to put some effort into it this time.

I sighed. The amount of menial labor I'd be subjected to...the mere idea was horrifying.

The second day I was there, Jack got his test results. I don't know how, but the idiot managed to ace the test. And on the fourth day, Jack finally got the letter signifying the start of our new lives. Every test had been graded and it was finally time to get our first Pokémon. I was practically shaking with excitement. I had complained about getting a Bidoof or a Starly, but honestly, I still would have been grateful with those Pokémon.

Jack's mom, Linda, was enthused about the whole thing when we told her. She was an interesting woman. She tended to be extremely perverted, thankfully not towards me, and was the perfect example of a bored housewife with way too much money. She had surprisingly nice, perky breasts (N-not that I was really looking...) and bleached, bottle-blond hair. Her clothes were always super pink and what she considered fashionable. In my opinion, Linda was trying too hard to be trendy. Maybe certain guys were interested in a woman like that but milf wasn't really my thing.

"Oh, my little Jacky wacky! You're finally graduating and getting a Pokémon! This is such exciting news! A brand-new member of the family!"

"I'm proud too but...I really have to wonder what finally gave you that missing spark of motivation." Jack's dad, Vincent, shook his head and smiled. "I suppose it's a miracle..."

Usually, Vincent was a bit of a pushover. It'd be obvious to an outsider, even one who'd just met the couple, that Linda was the pants in the relationship. There were a lot of rumors around town that Linda was sleeping around, and that Vincent not only knew about the cheating but actively encouraged it. It was a bit hard for me to believe, but after finding out both my best friend and his sisters were all engaged in Poképhilia or wanted to be, I really don't know if I can trust my judgement.

Jack was such an idiot, I expected him to just come out and say "I wanna fuck a Pokémon." Instead he said something equally ridiculous. "I couldn't let Avery get ahead of me, obviously. There was no way he was going to fail, so neither was I."

Linda clapped her hands, nodding enthusiastically. "Oh my! You're rivals, aren't you?"

I glanced at Jack, who just grinned and winked at me. "You know it mom," he chuckled. "Anyways, we're gonna head out. Gonna eat breakfast at Dim Lights, then head to school and get our Pokémon."

Linda giggled. "Begging for your job back, Avery? Apparently, your boss called your mother and complained quite a bit about you walking out right in the middle of a shift."

I sighed. I always forgot that Linda was best friends with my mom. I wondered if my mom had to deal with the same shit I did with Jack. "I'm not surprised, but there was a reason. I needed to study for my test and she wanted me to work that that week. My education came first this time."

Linda laughed again, hiding her mouth with her hand. "So sassy! I've told you, Avery. Probably a million times. If you ever need a better job, I can get you one! There's no need to work at an anti-Pokémon establishment, anyways!"

Before I could, Vincent interrupted. "Honey... Dim Lights is not anti-Pokémon. The owner just doesn't want Pokémon on the premises. It's her restaurant, it's her rules. You really need to understand that. Avery would never work for someone who hates Pokémon." Vincent pushed his glasses up the brim of his nose, smiling at me. I was relieved. His words were untrue. Margaret was fiercely anti-Pokémon and believed they were too dangerous to be friends, but she paid her employee's a crap ton, so I didn't care too much. I wasn't going to tell Linda that, though.

"I suppose," Linda sighed. At some point during our conversation, Jack's sisters arrived home. They were clutching shopping bags in their hands and chattering audibly as they entered the first floor of the apartment.

Marissa gasped when she saw the letter in Linda's hand. "Oh my gosh! Is it finally happening? Avery's very first Pokémon?! Ooooh, this is so exciting!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Avery's first Pokémon. Who cares about me, right?" Kiana gave him a big hug.

"I care! We're just surprised your little boyfriend passed considering he's a bit of a dumbass." I chose not to engage in this conversation. The opposite.

"Time to go, Jack."

My redheaded pal nodded quickly. "Yep!"

We basically dashed toward the doorway. Marissa, quick as can be, blocked our path with her body. She dramatically dropped all her bags and extended her arms out. She had a strangely adorable pout on her face. She seriously had no right looking so cute with all that makeup and those big bows...My heart raced when I looked at her glossy, soft mouth.

A random thought roamed into my head. Did she have sex with her Sylveon the same way Lucia did with Dusk and Nyxxa? Before I could properly consider that or get too excited, I shook the thoughts away and focused on the fact that Marissa was being a big nuisance right now.

"Marissa... why are you blocking the way?" I questioned, shaking my head and sighing. I already knew the answer was going to be ridiculous, so I don't even know why I bothered asking.

Marissa pouted and grabbed both my hands. Her own were soft to the touch. "Why are you leaving so early? The ceremony is not for a while...You could spend time with me...oh! I could walk you to school!" Shivering with dread at the thought, I pulled my hand away.

"Gonna pass..."

Marissa pouted again, but this time she wrapped my arm up with her ridiculous chest. Her big, beautiful eyes stared up at me. "C'mon...just a little bit...I just wanna catch up! See how you've been, see how you've grown..." She giggled creepily when she said that last part. I tried to pull my arm away, but she had a pretty firm grip. Usually, at this point, Vincent or Jack would speak up but I was shocked when it wasn't either of them who spoke first. It was Lucia.

"Leave Avery alone. Seriously, Marissa, you need to stop with this stuff. What are you going to do when Avery starts dating someone for real?"

I think we were all a bit shocked by that. Marissa especially looked shaken up. Her lips were quivering, and her eyes were wide as saucers. And she let me go. When her neon-blue eyes met mine, I felt a bit guilty. I'd never seen Marissa look so genuinely sad before. The atmosphere was tense, it was extremely uncomfortable. Clearly, Marissa wasn't used to being scolded by her sisters.

"Sorry, Avery," Marissa mumbled.

I avoided her gaze. "Y-yeah. It's fine." It really wasn't.

"Well here's an idea!" Linda spoke up, smiling brightly. "Why don't you bring Marissa with you to Dim Lights? She can enjoy some quality time with you before she and the twins head out again, and you can ask her for advice about Pokémon and such."

Every part of me wanted to say no. But shocking me again, it was Marissa who spoke up. "No. That's okay...I just wanted to give Avery something before he left." Give me something? I prayed it wasn't anything sexual or creepy. Was this "gift" the reason she wanted me in her room? Marissa turned to me; her hands clasped behind her back. "Can you wait a sec for me to go and grab it?"

Lucia spoke up again. "Marissa, the kid wants to go get his first Pokémon and eat breakfast with his best friend. Come on..."

Marissa's eyes met mine. For once, there wasn't that creepy affection there. There was simple admiration. "Please, Avery," she begged softly. Who was I to refuse her when for once she was being polite? I smiled, nodding.

"Yeah, we can wait, Right, Jack?" Jack wasn't even paying attention! The fool was playing on his Pokétch, grinning like an idiot. "That's a yes from Jackass, we'll wait at the front door."

Marissa beamed. "Awesome! I'll be right back." Without another word, the 5,1 big-breasted girl dashed away. I lightly shoved Jack and nodded toward the front door.

"C'mon." We said our goodbyes to the people present. Linda gave Jack a big, smooshy kiss. Lucia handed me her Pokétch number.

"You ever need me you can call me with that number." Kiana stared at her, wide-eyed. The dark-haired twin shrugged.

"Your numbers on it too. The kid's a new trainer, Kia, might as well give him some powerful contacts in case he gets into trouble." I don't think Lucia realized how much I appreciate this gesture. I don't know many trainers. My mom was never the biggest fan of Pokémon and had no interest in owning one, and Static spent the majority of his time with my sister. The only experience I had with Pokémon were the ones used to practice as school, which I had limited contact with. I stared at the scrap of paper in my hand, smiling slightly.

It actually did have both Kiana and Lucia's number, as well as Marissa's. I folded it and slid it into my pocket. "Thanks, Luc."

I bowed slightly, then finally Jack and I headed to the door. We waited for Marissa as promised, and a few minutes later I heard the sound of footsteps. Marissa was breathing heavily, her amazing chest heaving as she came toward me with a beautiful case. It had cute stickers covering it and was made from some lightweight silver metal. Jack stared at it in surprise.

"The heck is that?" He asked and reached for it.

Marissa gave Jack a dirty look, then smiled at me, handing me the case. "Open it up, Avery!"

I wasn't the type of person who enjoyed surprises in general. Opening presents in front of others had always been something that made me mildly uncomfortable, but when Marissa turned her adorable, puppy-dog eyes on me I had no choice. I forced a smile and nodded. "A-alright." I flipped it open. My eyes widened.

Five beautiful Pokéballs lay within. They had a variety of different designs, but all of them were heart themed. And more than that, there was another little case inside. I recognized this one. A case for badges... "Thank you, Marissa..." Smiling, Marissa leaned really close. For a moment I got scared, thinking she was going to kiss me, but she just leaned close and whispered in my ear, "I have one more surprise for you...not here. You'll know when."

The naughty look on her face when she said that was both frightening and exciting.

I gazed into the case with a smile. This meant a lot. Just as much as the numbers, actually. I'd learned a lot in the past few days. Lucia didn't hate me, and Marissa wasn't completely crazy all the time..."Seriously...T-thank you so much, Marissa." I couldn't hold back a smile.

"Hey, is there nothing for me?" Jack blurted. The room was filled with an awkward silence. For a moment, Marissa seemed like she didn't know what to say. I could tell from Jack's slightly aggravated expression that he was at least a little bit bothered by this. I understood why it bothered him. Zoey pulled the same shit with me. Her mildly obsessive admiration for Jack made me jealous sometimes. I wanted to be the one she respected. Maybe that's just what it's like being a sibling.

Marissa smiled at Jack and reached up, pinching his cheeks until he squirmed and tried to get away. "I have a present for you too, Jacky! Yours will be waiting for you at home tonight. A whole celebration party just for you." The slender woman reached out and wrapped Jack up in a big hug. "I wouldn't neglect you."

Jack was satisfied with that. "Awesome. Now that that's settled, let's go, Avery!"

The entire time we were walking to Dim Lights. I was gazing at the Pokéballs. They were obviously designed just for me. When I looked closely, I could see the name Avery Higgs carved at the bottom. It was a shame Marissa was so crazy. She was so cute, and kind of sweet.

Oh well.

Dim Lights ended up being a bust. We were halfway done with our meal when my manager caught wind that I was there and essentially chased us out. We grabbed our food and made a run for it. Jack and I were munching on our meals as we walked toward the school.

"Well... that was interesting," I chuckled.

Jack laughed too. "Yes, yes it was. Hey, by the way...I wanted to talk to you about something." The serious look on Jack's face scared me. I swallowed. Did he somehow find out about Lucia and me? Was he pissed? I opened my mouth to apologize, but he spoke first. "You're still my friend, right?""

That was the complete opposite of what I expected him to say. "Yes. Of course! Why the heck wouldn't I be?

Jack shrugged. "Well. I thought about it and I realize how creepy and disturbed I may seem to you. Wanting to fuck Pokémon. Usually, your opinion means nothing to me, cause I know you'll always be my friend but...this time...Am I going too far? Sometimes I don't know, and I think I might be biased. The girl I like, and my sisters, are all involved in it. But maybe that doesn't make it right..."

I'd already thought about his question. I'd run it through my head a million times, laying in the dark of his room with a throbbing erection. Maybe it was wrong. Maybe society hated it, most of the time. But after seeing Dusk and Lucia, I didn't hate it. They loved each other. I'm not sure I "liked" it either, but my body certainly did. Jack was a horny little Politoed, but in this case, so was I.

"Nah. You're fine," I smiled, patting Jack on the back. "Don't worry about me. I'm not judging you. I'm...lowkey into it myself - don't give me that smug look Jackoff- so...yeah, you're good. If you go too far, I'll beat your ass. How's that sound?"

Jack grinned and gave me a thumbs up. "Sounds good to me."

"Hey, Four-eyes!" A familiar voice said randomly. A chilling sense of dread shot through me. Not this bitch...

Jack immediately stood stock straight. "H-hey Juliet!"

The slender, ebony-haired girl gave him a nasty look. Juliet was wearing a stylish, but clearly warm, winter jacket and a long-checkered skirt with leggings. "Quiet, Jackass. In fact..." Juliet grabbed my wrist, glared at Jack, and pulled me aside.

I stumbled. "H-hey! What the heck are you doing?!"

"Stop acting like a baby, this is serious." Juliet's expression was very cold. "Listen. I...need to talk to you about something important." She avoided my eyes like something was seriously bothering her. Why was she talking to me about it? I didn't care about her issues.

I sighed. "What do you want from me, Juliet? I'm not your boyfriend, so don't tell me about your problems?"

"You're lucky I don't slap you for that comment, Higgs. Don't be an idiot. If this was about me why would I go to you?" That got my attention. Juliet bit her plump bottom lip. She didn't say anything for a long time, so I turned to walk away. Before I could, Juliet grabbed my wrist. Tightly this time. "It's about your sister..."

My entire body went cold. I tore my hand away and crossed my arms. "What about my sister, Juliet?"

"Just… keep a close eye on her, okay? My friends are over there so I need to go but I'll catch you later." And without another word, the bitch walked away

"Wait a fucking second! Don't just bring up Zoey and walk away! What are you talking about 'keep an eye on your sister'? Is something going on!?" But the rich little snob just ignored me! I was tempted to grab her and start demanding answers, but Jack nudged me and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I don't know what she said to you but don't let her get a rise out of you, man. I've known Juliet for a long time, and she can get real mean. I'm sure it's nothing. Don't let her ruin our big day." What the fuck was wrong with her? Bringing up my sister like that... Juliet had some serious issues. It almost sounded like a threat. Jack was right though. I couldn't let it bother me. Today was the day I finally got a Pokémon. Juliet wasn't going to ruin that.

I nodded. "Alright, let's go inside."

Mabel was there early as well. We were all gathered in the yard at the back of our school where breaks were usually held. Our principal, Mr. Netters, was there along with Ms. Marcel and a few other teachers I didn't recognize from other graduating classes. Quite a few parents were also in the yard. Mabel's were one of them. Speaking of which, Mabel was wearing a pretty dress and a winter coat with a scarf snuggly tucked around her throat. She caught my glance and walked up to me.

'Man, she's so cute...'

"Hey, Avery," Mabel greeted, smiling sweetly. "I missed you!"

I swallowed, nervous. "Haha, really? It's only been a few days." Mabel frowned, and Jack gave me the nastiest look I'd ever seen. I guess I really did fuck that up... "Not that I didn't miss you too. In fact, you were in my thoughts quite a bit." Sudden guilt flowed into me. That statement was true, but not in the way she thought. Mabel was in my thoughts, yes, but in them she was usually bent over a surface or pushed down by a Zangoose that was mounting her from behind. My mouth started to water, and my pants got a bit tighter at the thought. I was thankful they were baggy, otherwise, this might've gotten awkward. Mabel smiled at my words, wetting her lips.

"Oh...So, Avery." She gave Jack a pointed look that clearly said, 'Go away, please.' Sighing heavily, the ginger walked away. "I was thinking...would you want to go on your uh... journey..." Mabel turned bright red, "w-with me?!" She practically yelled the last part, like she'd finally gotten it out of her system.

I had to replay her words in my head before I fully understood them. Go on my Pokémon journey with her? Just the two of us, on the road? Going who knows where? Immediately fantasies flooded my brain. But I couldn't afford it, and even if I could it'd be way too tempting. Mabel was underage, I had to remember that! I rubbed the back of my head. "Sorry, Mabs. Can't afford it...I thought you didn't like battling, anyhow."

Mabel frowned. "Oh...I'm sorry. And I do dislike battling. I just wanted to...never mind, it's stupid." She scratched her freckled cheek. "S-sorry." And with that, she fled. Once she was gone, Jack wandered back over.

"What was that about?"

"She apparently wants me to go on a journey with her. Like, our Pokémon journey. Together." Jack's eyes widened.

"You've wanted to stick your dick in Mabel for how fucking long and you sent her away looking that disappointed?! The fuck's wrong with you man?"

I gave him a dirty look. "We just talked about how I don't have the money for it. Not to mention I'm an adult and she is not. I know you don't care about that, you dirty lech, but I do." Jack grinned. "Anyways, even if I was younger, I still wouldn't have the money and as you saw Dim Lights is not gonna hire me again..."

Juliet decided now was apparently the time to butt into our conversation. I don't know how long she was listening in, and it honestly bothered me that she was sticking her nose into my business. "We're looking to hire new staff at my house. You worked at a restaurant so...that probably means you're good at cooking. What do you say?"

I glared at her. "First you threaten my sister, then you butt-"

"Threaten!?" Juliet sounded horrified. "I did no such thing! I was telling you to take care of your sister because-" She broke off abruptly, averting her eyes once again. Why wouldn't she look me in the eyes about this?

I clenched my fist. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll give you my Pokétch contact, okay? I'll talk to you about it another time. For now, just trust me. I'm not threatening your brat of a sister!" She locked eyes with me now and held them. I didn't know what to say or do. Part of me wanted to sprint home now and make sure Zoey was okay, but a bigger part of me trusted Juliet. She was mean, and a cunt, but she wasn't the type to bully girls. She was the type to be a total bitch to every guy under the sun, but she was super friendly with other females and she had no reason to target Zoey. So, I decided to take her word for it.

"...Okay." Juliet seemed relieved that I calmed down. She opened up her Pokétch and I followed suit. I registered her number in it and shot Zoey a quick

[Hey, how are you?] message.

Jack pat me on the shoulder, trying to relax me, and we both settled down on a bench and waited for the fun to start. Sometime later, the principal stood at the podium set up in the yard and smiled at all of us. He gestured with his hand, and two huge men came out carrying a rack lined with Pokéballs that had name tags

"Welcome, students and family, to the Hearthome Coordinator Trainer's School graduation ceremony! How is everybody doing today?" At this point, every graduating student was here along with a lot of family members and friends, so the cheers he received in response were ear-piercing. Principal Netters then went into a long speech about responsibility, love, and respect for Pokémon. Aka stuff we already know. This part went on for a fairly long time. Basic morals parroted at us. I was practically falling asleep...

"A lot of bright students with positive, successful futures in coordinating are here! So, in honor of that, I'd like to welcome...Fantina! The heart and soul of Hearthome City!" I was immediately fully awake, eyes wide.

Fantina!? Like, the real Fantina!? I couldn't believe it, but then she actually walked out into the yard. She was an amazing sight to behold. Giant, extravagant purple dress, intricately put up hair and proud demeanor. Her belt was lined with Pokéballs and she waved at us as she arrived, smiling brightly. My heart raced in my chest. Even Jack seemed shocked. He clearly wasn't expecting this, either. Principal Nettles grinned when he saw all our faces.

"Hello, hello~!" Fantina greeted, smiling brightly. "Zis is a big day for you! It is such an honor to be here, even if it is just for a little... Truly, it iz amazing. The future of the coordinator generation is clear to me now, looking at all of your bright and youthful faces...Oui, all of you have so much potential..." I wonder if she meant those words at all. I'd always considered Fantina to be an honest, wholesome celebrity but then I'd seen her fucking a damn Drifblim...

I swallowed hard. I really wish I didn't think of that cause now her words were starting to fade out. The entire time she was talking, my mind became more and more hyper-focused on that image Jack sent me. The strangeness of it, the truth of it. Drifblim's large, strange, and purple cock thrust up so deep inside Fantina; it was so big that she could only fit half of it. I tried to focus on anything else, but there was nothing to really distract me.

I don't even remember her leaving. I was knocked out of my reverie by Jack shouldering me. He was speechless, mouth agape, just like me. I lowered my voice, "All I could think about was-"

"Yeah. I know...me too," he murmured back, eyes wide. "But hey...at least the actual ceremonies starting now. Man, you're lucky. Your pants will probably hide your boner but..." I glanced at his crotch.

"Yikes. Jack you have a-"

"Yes, I know. An erection while I'm wearing skinny jeans. I'm not even gonna bother trying to hide it." He shrugged. "And I don't know when I'll be called so...can't exactly go and take care of it. Might as well humiliate myself on the last day, why not? My parents aren't here." He shrugged. I mean, he was right. There was no real harm, he wasn't even going to see these people anymore.

Principal Netters smiled at all of us. "Now that that exciting moment is over, it's time! As is traditional, every trainer comes up when their name is announced. They grab their Pokéball - it has your nametag on it- and you return to your seats. Whether you let out your Pokémon now or later is your choice, but I will say, the moment is more special when you're on your own."

Jack leaned toward me. "Don't let out yours. I know you want to, but you have a..." He thought about how to word it, "special Pokémon. I want you to be by yourself when you see it, you'll be shook."

The ceremony began. Student after student went up. Some let out their Pokémon, revealing all kinds of Pokémon like Starly, Gible, and more. The richer the student the better the Pokémon, essentially. When it finally came to my turn, I almost tripped over myself walking up to the podium. I searched for my Pokéball and found it fairly easily. Avery Higgs. I grabbed the Pokéball, my heart racing. The urge to open it was nearly impossible to resist. I was paralyzed for a moment, just staring at the Pokéball. Then I remembered I was supposed to say something while I was up here. I smiled and bowed my head.

"Thank you, Ms. Marcel. And thank you Mr. Netters, for creating this school and giving me the opportunity to graduate while other schools make it much harder."

Ms. Marcel smiled at me. "You are very welcome, Mister Higgs. You're a great student and a hard worker. You'll be a wonderful trainer, coordinator- whatever you want to be. If you ever need anything I'm here."

I don't know Principal Nettles much ,so he just gave me a nod and a handshake, and then I was sitting down again. I stared at the Pokéball in my hands, unable to think about anything else. My hands were trembling. What did Jack arrange to have put inside? I would be grateful for anything, but my heart was racing at the possibilities. I didn't usually like surprises but for once, I was extremely excited about one.

My attention was finally stolen by the sound of Mabel being called to the front. She was so cute, smiling so brightly. My heart ached at the sight of her. I wanted to go on my journey with her. I'd like nothing more...if only I wasn't dirt poor and way older. I clenched my fists, shaking my head. Mabel, unlike most of the students who wanted to save their special moment for privacy, let out her Pokémon.

A fluffy, orange and black Pokémon appeared. It was familiar to me. A Growlithe. Upon catching sight of its new trainer, the canine Pokémon began to bark and hop around enthusiastically. Mabel managed to catch it her arms and pulled it into a snug, warm embrace. It was amazingly wholesome...So, of course, Jack just had to go and ruin it.

"Oh fuck, just picture that thing knotting her," he whispered softly. His breathing was slightly heavy. "I sure hope it's a boy."

"First of all. Can you not talk about Mabel like that?"

Jack grinned at me. "Make a move on her and I'll stop."

"Whatever! Secondly, she hates that stuff. Have some respect and don't be nasty. Thirdly, what the hell is knotting?"

Jack shook his head. "Oh, to be young and innocent again." I glared.

"You're the same age as me, Jackoff."

As if on cue, Jack's name was announced. He gave me a peace sign and wandered up front. I shook my head with a slight grin when there were quite a few audible gasps. Many people were wondering what was in his pants...what an idiot. Jack received his Pokeball from the stand and waved at the crowd.

"I'd like to thank you all for supporting me. I've failed countless times, both in this school and in others and I'd like to thank Ms. Marcel for having faith and never giving up on me." Our teacher scoffed. Actually, she had. I chuckled. "That's all. Have a good one!" He came back with a stupidly big grin on his face, staring at his Pokéball with delight. It was a standard Pokéball, but he was looking at it like it was a Masterball that had a legendary Pokémon inside or something.

"Hey, dude, wanna get the hell out of here?" Jack asked.

"Before everyone is done?" I raised an eyebrow. "Seems kinda rude."

Jack gave me a dirty look. "There are twelve more to go. I don't wanna sit through that shit. Come on man, let's get outta here!"

I didn't really want to be there either, so I just shrugged. I was about to be out the door when I heard my name being called. "Wait! Avery!"

I turned around to greet Mabel, who was still holding her ridiculously cute and goofy Growlithe.

"H-Hey Mabs," I swallowed. "What's up?"

"I want your Pokétch info." She hid her face in her Growlithe's fluffy mane as she mumbled that. I blinked.

"Really?"

Jack glanced back and forth between us. "Wait... you haven't shared it already?"

Mabel shot him a relatively dirty look. "If I had Avery's number I'd never focus on school." Jack blinked.

"So honest..."

Mabel looked away, blushing. "Anyways, Avery. Please?"

Did she expect me to say no? There was no way in hell I was gonna refuse her. "Sure. Gonna have to put your Growlithe down and open up your Pokétch though." Mabel buried her face in Growlithe's pelt and exhaled heavily. But she did set him down. The dog Pokémon nuzzled up against her legs and lapped at her skin. She tapped her Pokétch, and we exchanged details.

"I'm going to be in Hearthome for quite a while. Mom needs help with the shop, etcetera. So, if you somehow make enough money to come with me Avery...please consider it."

I chuckled. "Y-yeah you got it! Thanks Mabel..."

She tucked her curls behind her ear. "Mhm. Bye. I'm going to watch the rest of the ceremony. Have a good one, Avery."

And that was that.

Jack dropped me off at home, waving goodbye. We both were in a rush to get home, so I appreciated him coming with me. I didn't bother saying hi to my mom, or Zoey for that matter although I was still worried about her. For once I just had to skip the pleasantries. I slammed the door shut behind me, practically bouncing up and down, rolling around on the bed like a kid. I knew I'd be excited, but I didn't know I'd be this excited!

After a while, I calmed down. My new lifelong companion awaited me in this Pokéball. I gazed at it with a huge smile, lowered my hand, clicked the button on the front, and lightly tossed it onto the bed. My heart threatened to rip from my chest. With a flash of brilliant light, one of the most adorable Pokémon I'd ever seen appeared. I knew what it was immediately.

An Eevee. Except it had an adorable, curly little tuft on its head. It seemed extremely confused and stared up at me with huge, adorable eyes. "Eevee?" It looked around itself. It appeared to be frightened.

"No need to be afraid," I smiled, leaning down. "I'm not going to hurt you." I reached out my hand, but instead of coming towards me, the little Eevee darted away.

"E-Eev!" It burrowed itself under my blankets and beneath my pillow, clearly hiding from me. A part of me was sad that it was scared, but a much bigger part of me was overwhelmed by the cuteness of this situation.

"You can hide if you want," I murmured in a gentle voice. "Whatever you wanna do. I'm just gonna be on my Pokétch, right here, okay?"

At the sound of my voice, the Eevee poked its head out. Its eyes stared at where I was tapping my Pokétch. It seemed curious. I messaged Jack ["Thank you!] about a million times. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the tiny thing start to creep toward me. Was it slowly creeping up so it could see my Pokétch closer? Or maybe to cuddle me...my heart raced at the idea.

But it did neither. Instead, the tiny Eevee let out a strange hiss and leapt through the air straight at my face. "WOAH," I shouted, then winced in pain as the Pokémon's many claws dug straight into my face. They were like...tiny little hooks, and they were ripping me to shreds! "HEY, knock it off!" It viciously clawed at my face, tearing into it. I managed to eventually wrestle the little Eevee off, but instead of calming down, it leaped toward me but this time it went for my throat. I noticed it had a little fang. I honestly didn't know what to do! So, I did the only real thing I could! I ran.

I ripped open my bedroom door and slammed it shut behind me. I heard the sound of something small hitting the door full force and a loud, hissed "EVE!"

Zoey was in the hallway. Apparently, she'd heard my scream. "What in the world is going on?"

I turned to her, heart racing in my chest, eyes wide. "My Pokémon just tried to kill me!"

Zoey stared at me, then at the door. The sound of desperate scrabbling came from the other side. She glanced at Static. "Static, can you try to talk to that thing?" I expected her to laugh, but I think the cuts on my face were way too severe to be laughed about. I could feel the blood dripping down my skin. What even...

Static approached the door, tentative. His ears were down, his tail stiff. "S-Shinx?" He meowed.

Abrupt silence. All of us waited with bated breath and then I heard the sound of scampering feet. Then the door literally shook on its hinges. I had a rabid freaking Eevee!

"What the fuck," Zoey laughed now, but not at me. At the bizarreness of the situation. "I'm going to go get the medical kit, okay? Go to my room if you'd like, I'll bring it right up..." I nodded in appreciation.

"Thanks. I'll message Jack and see if he knows anything..."

A few minutes later I was sitting on the edge of Zoey's bed and in a call with Jack. He was holding another Eevee in his arms, but his was even more special than mine. It had silver fur. I'd never seen one in real life, but of course, I'd heard of shiny Pokémon. That was pretty amazing. I almost envied him. Ok, no, actually I did envy him. Cause I had a crazed Eevee that wanted to fucking kill me -even now I could hear slamming against my bedroom door because apparently, it had endless freaking stamina too- and he got a very docile, sweet Eevee that was nuzzling into him and was super okay with being held in his arms on the first day!

"It literally tried to kill me. As in, started with my face and then went for my throat. And no, it wasn't just frightened. It was freaking bloodthirsty."

Jack was laughing hysterically, petting his adorable shiny Eevee. "I mean I suppose it makes a little bit of sense..."

I threw my hands in the air. "HOW!? How does it make sense!?"

"Well. That Eevee was not bought or anything. It was bred." A feeling of dread developed in my gut. A memory flooded my brain. Words spoken by a certain someone earlier...

"I have one more surprise for you...not here. You'll know when."

"In fact, it's one of my sisters."

"...No, Jack..." Marissa...

"Yep. That Eevee is Candy's daughter. Jasper was the dad, actually." Candy was Marissa's equally insane, equally mean, Sylveon. That Pokemon was a nightmare from my childhood. It abused me, and Jack, endlessly. I can't even count the number of times Marissa had sicced it on me after I rejected her...

"I-I don't even know what to do. I'm literally afraid to open that door. It heard Static and sprinted across my room and full body slammed the door. That thing will probably kill everyone in this household if I let it out."

Jack scratched his jaw. "I mean. I'm sure that's an exaggeration."

Zoey walked in with the med kit. "No, Jack. The snarls and hisses coming from that thing. Terrifying..."

Jack's eyes widened. "Wait...seriously? Avery's not just being a little bitch?"

I pointed at my face. "Look at my damn face! I am bleeding literally all over it!"

Jack chuckled. "I don't know. I think that look suits you. Way less ugly now."

"Jack! This is a literal emergency...can't you...call Marissa or something?"

Jack shrugged. "Can't you? Pretty sure you have her info, now." I gave him a dirty look. "Look man...I love you, but I have stuff to do, okay? As much as I'd like to help you with your psychotic killer Eevee, I've got my own little Eevee to pamper and take care of. Oh yes I do, don't I?" He squished his Eevee's cheeks, playing with her ears. She purred happily. "I think I'll name her Princess..." He hung up without saying another word. So much for being my best friend.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Look at me, Avery?" I turned my face toward Zoey. She wordlessly began to patch my face up, dabbing up the blood and putting little band-aids on every wound. I winced, but she was gentle, so I didn't complain. "I'm sorry by the way. I won't be able to help you out either. My friends going to be picking me up soon."

A memory from earlier in the day entered my mind. Juliet's words. "Hey...I wanted to ask you...are you alright?" I narrowed my eyes and stared at her. She seemed to sense I wasn't asking this question for no reason.

"Be more specific. I mean I did find out my brother, once again, violated my privacy and went into my room without my permission. Wasn't alright with that."

I rolled my eyes. "I meant in general! And keep your damn room clean and I won't come in." She dabbed my face super hard, making me wince and cry out. Her aggravation was obvious.

"Whatever's going on with me is none of your business, Avery." She snapped the med kit shut, tossed it on her bed, and walked away. She was brushing her fingers through her dyed blue and black hair, huffing. "See ya. Stay in my room if you'd like, I don't care. Though I'm sure you'd do it anyways.

For a while I just sat there, puzzled. What should I do?

I crept towards the door. As if sensing my presence, my Eevee began to viciously growl and slam itself even harder against the door. What the heck was wrong with it!? In truth, only one person knew. I had thought she was being kind to me, but she bred this little freak. Did she think I'd somehow like this? What kind of shitty surprise was this!? I opened up my Pokétch and dialed her number.

Marissa picked up almost instantly.

"Well well well, look who it is~"

"This fucking Eevee! Fix it!"

"Straight to business, huh? Alright. I can "fix" it, but I'm gonna need something in return." Her sing-song voice was disturbing me.

"Need something in return? Your rabid Eevee tore my face apart!"

"I'd like to feel bad but honestly Avery…I'm very, very mad at you. I gave you that Eevee because you really hurt my feelings, you know that?"

I stared at her, incredulous. "What in the world did I do to deserve this?"

Marissa huffed. "The other night I was sneaking into your room. My plan was to put a gag in your mouth and-"

"PLEASE. End there!"

"Okay, well. You weren't there." Oh… shit.

"I heard some noises coming from a certain someone's room. I cracked open the door to see-" Marissa feigned a horrified gasp. "My boyfriend getting his willy sucked by my whore of a sister. Totally not okay, and then she sassed me this morning on top of it...I knew I couldn't let that go unpunished. So, I made a call and had your sweet little Eevee swapped out for that one. You know my family basically owns that school, right?"

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. "And what, oh sweet "girlfriend" of mine, do you want in return?" I probably already knew.

"We have to go even farther than you and Luc did. Otherwise, it's not fa-" I hung up. There was no way in hell I was gonna prostitute myself off. This Eevee couldn't be that bad. I just had to figure out what she liked and calm her down. Food, or something. I checked downstairs. Weirdly, my mother wasn't home. I shrugged it off. It was better that way.

When I was younger, I played hockey. I grabbed some of that gear and slapped it on. I was surprised it still fit. What was important is that my face was covered... I crept back upstairs. Silence from my bedroom.

I moved my hand toward the handle. Very slowly, I turned the knob...

And the little furry bitch darted out, straight towards me. She saw that I was wearing protective gear this time and hissed, rearing her head back. I had a bad feeling...And I really wish I wasn't standing near the staircase now. Right as I thought that, I heard a familiar tinkling sound. I'd seen it used in countless competitions. The bitch was using Swift on me! Full force! Dozens of glittering stars shot towards me. They looked harmless yet hit with the impact of a truck.

I took quite a fall down the stairs, and when I looked up the adorable Eevee was staring down at me from the top of the staircase with a strangely sadistic smile on her face. I clutched my now very sore side and groaned. "You...freaking...bitch," I panted, "I'm gonna tame you and I'm gonna snuggle the hell out of you and you're gonna love me soooo much..." The Eevee took one step down the stairs and then began to sprint.

I let out a battle cry and ran like a little bitch into the bathroom. I desperately called Mabel and after a few long rings, she answered. "Mabel! Mabel!"

"Woah! Woah, what's going on, why are you yelling?!" Her words were accompanied by the sound of Eevee smashing her body into the door.

"My Eevee's trying to kill me! You're super good with Pokémon, can you ...come to my house and save me or something!?"

"Kill you?"

"I can't explain! Please just come!"

"O-Okay, I'm on the way!"

Mabel hung up. She'd been to my house before, but I messaged her my address just in case.

"H-Hey Eevee?" The banging stopped for just a moment. "Why don't we both calm down, okay? We can start over and I promise I won't be mad. We can cuddle, I can cook you poffins. We can watch a movie...what do you say?"

Silence. And then, the sound of something made out of glass being smashed onto the floor. Now my Eevee was destroying my furniture!? I was near tears. I made a vow, then and there.

Marissa. You crazy bitch. I will never, ever return your feelings in any capacity!