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

Evangeline/Eva (Umbreon)
Gender: Female
Nature: Rash Lady (Kirlia)
Gender: Female
Nature: Modest Chastity (Buneary)
Gender: Female
Nature: Adamant Dusty (Furfrou)
Gender: Male
Nature: Hardy Sprite (Surskit)
Gender: Female
Nature: Quirky ? (Zoroark?)
Gender: Female
Nature: ?

Chapter: A Welcome Warmth

Shower completed, I let everyone out of their pokeballs. At least I attempted to. With Dusty and Sprite it was easy, the normal and water types were delighted to be freed. Chastity eventually dragged herself out of the bathroom after me, glowering in my direction as she waddled over to the loveseat. I was sitting in the armchair near the cheap TV, finishing the club sandwich I'd ordered earlier.

Dusty noticed Chastity's sour mood immediately. He whined in sympathy, murmured softly to her, and when that got no reaction the untamed, spiky-furred dog nuzzled close, nosing her fluffy ears and pressing his muscular bulk along her smaller frame. "Frou! Fur fur fur!" He wouldn't accept her being grumpy, was excited just to be around her, and wanted to hear all about the night.

"... B-Buneary." Chastity scowled at his eagerness, but after a few minutes of hyper-fixated persistence on Dusty's part, she finally softened up. She'd probably never admit to being grateful for his affection, but I noticed the subtle transformation in her body language, the way she shifted slightly, pressing her warmth softly into him. She was sharing the space on the loveseat instead of icing him out like she and Lady usually did. Said psychic-type was sitting by herself across the room, near the only window. Lady was pointedly choosing not to socialize with everyone else, but she kept peeking glances in the bunny's and my direction, an unreadable expression on her face. Lady's bad mood showed no sign of going away, and I wasn't ready for a one-on-one with her yet.

Dusty let out a deep sound of satisfaction as he curled up behind Chastity, wrapping himself around her partially, his tail wagging. She gave him a dirty look, shifted slightly, but didn't object to his cuddling. Observing him, I couldn't help but smile a little. The warmth in the canine's expression when he looked upon his fellow normal-type said it all; anyone could see that Dusty was into Chastity. It wasn't just his current behavior, he'd chased her down in Vanessa's gardens, and neither would likely ever forget it. I could only imagine how he felt right now; after all, Chastity had been wet for me only three or so minutes ago. Soaking wet. Probably still was. The way she glared and pouted at me, shifting her little bum into the seat cushion, certainly gave me that impression, and yet she could do nothing to get what she wanted(if it was me).

Dusty wanted her bad, his big eyes shining like dark, wet pools. Knowing that didn't bother me. If anything, I pitied him, and wondered if Chastity would ever consider having that sort of relationship with him after what he'd done. Pathetically, I could say that I had an experience similar to the dog mon. I'd also tried to force myself onto a girl I desired, and I had a feeling that if we talked man-to-mon we'd both recognize there was no excuse for it, and that we definitely don't deserve the attention of the would-be rape victim in question. Yet, Darkrai had seen deep into me, revealing an undeniable truth; I still worried about Mabel in the back of my mind, the same way I always thought about Juliet, Lady, Eva, all of them.

I wondered what "loyalty" would look like with a mon like Chastity anyways. The bunny wasn't used to getting rejected, seemed to adore sex, and being worshiped and pampered even more. She was, remarkably, a lot like Juliet Harmon. Chastity, like my human girlfriend, determined her own self-worth and wanted everyone around her to understand it to the point it could grow insufferable, and often did. Like with Juliet, it was probably an act, hiding a very scared, vulnerable girl who'd been tread on too many times in her short lifetime; I'm not an idiot, I don't need to look into Chastity's head to understand what her life had probably been like before me. The guy who sold her to me claimed she was a virgin buneary, and I had no reason to believe that was true, although I didn't care either way and would never confront her. Vanessa purchased Chastity with a snap of her fingers, expressly for the purpose of me having sex with and filming the act for her own carnal delights.

While every other man in that damn mansion had slobbered after Chastity and the other bunearies, wanting to purchase and use them for obvious reasons I had absolutely zero interest, not just because I didn't have the cash for her. The idea of buying a mon on some kind of underground black market could only ever have bad implications for the mons involved. That was what Chastity didn't understand, and would have to if our relationship was going to work. I cared about her well-being, her sense of self; she wasn't just a hole, and I'm not a sex toy- I wasn't going to treat our situation that way even if she wanted me to. If Chastity did end up liking Dusty back, not an impossibility, I wondered how I'd feel. It was something I needed to think about, because the idea of Eva seeing someone else - male, female, Pokemon, or otherwise, chilled me to the marrow.

Maybe Dusty would end up falling for Chastity, the same way I fell for the girls in my life. For his sake, I could only hope he stayed far away from that dangerous feeling. I didn't let myself worry about it too much, our talk tomorrow would make things much more clear for all of us.

Despite my mild dislike for Roark, I still appreciated how much food he'd bought. I'd taken a lot home with me for the mons, and it was all laid out on the low, long table in the motel room near the loveseat. Chastity and Dusty had already eaten their fill. The only one going hard on it still was Eva. Like me earlier, she seemed to be starved; I'd made sure to bring some of the cheri curry and her face was absolutely smeared with it. After having her fill of that, she swapped to the salad, berries, and grilled veggies I'd nabbed. I couldn't stand how cute she was as she went bowl to bowl, plate to plate, trying anything and everything.

Beyond the sight, the sounds she made were incredibly ridiculous. The little glutton… her cheeks were literally puffed out from the amount of food she had stuffed in her mouth, moaning in delight, some of it spilling down her chin.

Her psychic-type sister was staring at her in absolute disgust, eating far more primly in comparison. Lady wasn't being rebellious to the extent that she was refusing to eat, she had a small handful of berries that she slowly picked at.

Suddenly, Eva slowed down, her head snapping over, noticing Lady's stare. "Umbree! Umbreon!" She said around a mouthful of food, beckoning with her head toward her personal buffet. Chastity snorted, observing this with a roll of her eyes, while Lady just ignored her, pointedly looking away from the eeveelution.

I wanted her near us too, wanted her to try new foods, but I wasn't going to force her. Eva just sighed and went back to eating on her own.

Sprite was curled up on my shoulder. I'd ordered a juice pouch for her earlier which she now happily sipped at, the liquid was full of lots of nutrients for water-types, at least that's what the menu had claimed. She was sucking the moisture in through the mandible at the top of her head. The slurping noises she was making were kind of lewd, but I blamed Chastity's teasing for that. My mind wandered… I couldn't help but wonder how it was that I was going to dick her down at Vanessa's, a fate I had avoided, but as usual, I forced that question in the back of my mind.

Sprite was very interested in what I'd put on the TV, some movie about a group of teens and their mons trapped on a prison island. There wasn't much of a plot outside of giant mutated water-types wanting to eat humans; there was a lot of emphasis on the water-effects of the Pokemon actors, great crashing displays with lots of fake blood. Pretty gory flick. For special effects in movies, there was a lot that could be done digitally, and even more with coordinator pokemon: those special-minded mons that created vivid art with their inherent powers. Sprite made adorable, excited noises everytime the main character's lileep fought against the evil mons, using its vines to entrap and protect its trainer, the displays often surreally beautiful.

The bug didn't like battling, but when I looked over and saw her face, black eyes huge and shining with admiration even for the water-type villains, I wondered if she'd want to do something like that too. She'd been an actress before, kind of, I wondered how she'd feel about getting the chance to do it again - no fucking required this time. Then again, a pokepornstar was way different than being in a tv show or something.

She occasionally chittered to the others, but for the most part Sprite just seemed to want to be near me. Her warm presence on my shoulder made it impossible to be in the bad mood I had been in before I'd hopped into the shower. Odd to say the little bug made me feel safe.

There was only one person missing from the scene, my mysterious "zoroark." My tag-along ghost-type refused to show herself. When I'd pressed the button on the pokeball, it merely clicked uselessly, the ball admitting a vague, mute sound, staying rebelliously closed. I just wanted to welcome her to the crew, let her get a feeling for the world, but it appeared she had no interest. I didn't push it, just stuffed her right back on the belt, and there she sat still, hanging from a hook on the wall near the door.

Did she have an interest in coming out of the ball at all? Apparently not. I wondered vaguely what it was like for her in there, and gave up on the thought. It wasn't clear what Pokemon experienced while in the ball, and there were plenty of scientists with differing opinions and no agreed consensus. Much of the early development of pokeballs was wrapped in mystery, some research/paperwork straight up lost to time along with the genius minds that formulated them, making some older science seem like magic to modern minds. What we knew was pretty straightforward. Pokeballs offered a safe habitat to the mons they held, preserving the current energy state of the mon within, and in certain cases even enhancing their mood and physical states such as with heal balls or luxury balls. For some Pokemon, dwelling in a pokeball was the worst of fates and they wished to be outside at all times, but for many other mons it was a safe space, a place of comfort that only they could dwell in much like a human's bedroom. I'd assumed that for an ancient ghost it would feel like a prison, but the female from the underground hadn't displayed herself outside of it even once… so maybe the underground, that burial chamber, had been the real prison after all.

A shiver ran through me. I'd freed her… and her mindset was entirely independent. I wondered if friendship with the zoroark would ever be a possibility, especially considering what I'd witnessed on those underground walls, an entire history unknown to me. She didn't seem to remember everything, but that might not always be the case. If I was a Pokemon and saw the events in those paintings, I'd definitely struggle to like humans - I'm a human, and I already struggle to do that.

On screen, a gigantic red gyarados leapt through the air, devouring an entire fleet of rescue ships sent to rescue the trainers on the island, who had no choice but to watch this grisly slaughter in horror, a rainstorm splattering their outfits and hair to their faces. I watched the actors scramble back indoors, narrowly avoiding becoming the gyarados's next meal, and couldn't help but smile wryly. Even I knew the legendary pokemon actor Cascade the red gyarados , who belonged to the former champion of Johto. That girl, Lyra, had gone on to become an international trainer, fighting for pokemon rights much in the same way Dawn had, now that I was thinking about it. In Johto, it still wasn't legal for a pokemon to earn wages for itself, they couldn't have a bank account because they were property and there were many more legal specifications that restricted it, so Lyra had taken Cascade and her mons elsewhere. I'd almost forgotten about that.

Sinnoh was a little more lenient, but Alola… Alola was the land of free Pokemon, where Lyra had gone, and where my sister was now. I glanced at my Poketch. Since reconnecting to the network, I'd hoped I'd get a message from Zoey, but my inbox was blank.

At some point while I was watching the film, everybody had gotten pretty comfortable. Chastity and Dusty were curled up against each other, Dusty snoozing softly while Chastity watched the tv. Eva had trotted over to Lady at some point, and the two were staring out the window, talking softly. Lady was stiff, her arms curled around her legs, but she wasn't yelling at the umbreon or telling her to go away, so that was a good sign. Lady's body language… her frame tilted slightly away from Eva, who pressed her dark-pelted side against Lady, made it clear just how unhappy she still was.

"I'm gonna be right back," I called out, grasping Sprite's warm body and gently pressing her down on the loveseat near Chastity's foot. The water-type made a curious sound, her head antennae drooping sadly, big eyes shining. I patted her on the head. "I promise."

I wanted to call Zoey, and for my own sake, I wanted a bit of privacy. As I walked to the hotel room's door, however, I heard a familiar-

"Kirl." Sharply spoken. I spun, met Lady's burning red gaze.

"You can come with me," I nodded, "I don't mind."

She seemed surprised.

"Come on," I knelt, extended my arm, and my kirlia walked to my side. Much to my surprise she walked ahead of me ignoring my arm entirely, her chin tilted proudly upward. I felt a rush of irritation, and then couldn't help but smile when I noticed her glance back, glaring at me. I was damned if I did, damned if I didn't. If I didn't offer my arm, she'd pout and be miserable, probably want to be in my arms. If I did, she'd act like she wasn't dying for my affection. I'd let her be a brat in front of all the others, that was her thing, the proud brat, but after the incident with Chastity, I couldn't help but see things more clearly…

We walked out of the room together, Lady ahead of me. I tapped through my contacts as we went through the hallway, the security guard at the front giving us a short nod as we walked out. It was cold outside. I didn't have my jacket thanks to Roxanne, but I didn't mind all that much. I sat down on the front steps of the establishment, kicked my feet out, and got ready to call.

That was when Lady finally submitted to her desires. She forced herself into my arms, my lap specifically, and pushed her pretty face into my chest, glaring up at me from under her green headcrest. Her tiny mouth, freckled face, appealed to me at that moment. I wanted to kiss her badly. I'd only felt her mouth once, and it'd been when she stole a kiss from me... Now, her lips looked irresistible.

So I decided I'd just do it. I tucked my hand under her chin, tilted her face toward me, and kissed her.

Lady's eyes shot wide, her body trembling in my arms. I held her close, her sweet warmth more than welcome in the cold night, and in an instant she had her slim limbs tossed up and around me. She kissed me desperately back, and I couldn't possibly feel regret when I felt the force with which her desire hit me. She reached into my mind, and I reached back, and I groaned when Lady shifted in my lap until the apex of her thighs rested against my crotch. As her tongue darted between my parted lips, she humped herself desperately into me, whimpering softly, hungrily, hips moving in harsh, rapid circles. 'Master… you taste so good…'

'I thought we weren't talking.'

'You just made me so angry… the way you looked at that human, when you don't even allow yourself to feel that way with me. It's disgraceful.'

I chuckled, and couldn't help but laugh even harder when she slapped my chest, scowling and muttering "Kirlia kirl!"

'I'm laughing because you're so cute.'

'Why are you kissing me, Master?! All of a sudden!' Cheeks stained lime, she was so cute I couldn't even deal with myself. More kisses… I gave in to the urge, loving the way her moans flowed between my lips.

'I was just thinking about how cute you are. How much I wanted to kiss you… So I did.'

'Master… I'll hate you forever if you play with my feelings…'

I was shocked to hear her suggest such a thing… but how could it look like anything else but that to her? I'd been on, off, on, off with my feelings, throwing her sureness in my feelings into question, because I was afraid of what it meant. Lady was… Lady was my baby. She was so incredibly special to me, because I'd failed to protect her, and never wanted to fail her again. Somehow, deep inside me, I always feared that if I let myself go beyond this… I'd be ruining her, violating her. But… "I love you, Lady. If I was a mon, I'd mate with you… I wouldn't be able to help myself. That's genuinely how I feel…"

The moon glistened pale and high above, stars a vivid canvas around it, and yet it was Lady's eyes that held my interest. For some reason, my little kirlia was crying, pulling herself out of my arms.

"What are you doing Lady? Why are you-"

'For some reason… it hurts when you say that to me… Master… you won't love me once I tell you the truth… tell you what I've done.'

I raised a brow. "There's nothing you could say that could possibly make me not love you, Lady." She stared back at me, silent as the night. Staring at the ground, her guilty aura filled me, she was a total mess. I knelt down, wiped her tears away. "Lady. I promise… I will never stop. Even if you wanted me to hate you, I couldn't. You piss me off so much because I care about you… if you were really such a pain in the ass I wouldn't want you around. It's because you're family, someone I care about, that I'd do anything for you. So… just tell me. Tell me everything you're holding back… tell me what's making you feel so guilty."

Likely, this was the source of the argument before we'd entered Coronet, what Chastity "knew" and Lady had been horrified at the idea of me finding out.

Big red eyes dripping, my kirlia slowly nodded. 'Master… I… I used your body to… to feel things. Without your permission… w-while you were sleeping. I-I'm sorry… I-I never meant to… hurt you. I… I just wanted to feel what everyone else was feeling.' Her thoughts were so unsure, unsteady, and that's how I knew she really, truly meant her apology… the reality of what she'd just confessed slowly hit me.

"What?" I stared at her, incredulous. "What are you…" I blinked, and shaking my head, I stood up. "How? Explain…" I tried not to sound accusatory, but the idea of such a thing… Lady averted her gaze, and hurriedly, I bent back down, held her softly by the shoulders. "You're not in trouble, I just want to know."

Lady licked her lips, exhaling softly. 'I sat on your face, Master… I… I reached into your mind and I… I made you lick me down there.'

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. "W-What the- I… I don't even know…" I went silent, rubbing my face with my hand. "Shit, Lady… of all the things for you to confess it wasn't that."

'What did you think it would be?'

"I don't know, that you… that you liked killing humans a lot or something."

'I wouldn't say like.' Lady smiled innocently. 'Killing the people who hurt you was satisfying because I was protecting you….'

I nearly burst into laughter. That was somehow insidious and cute at the same time. Lady was utterly loyal to me. I wasn't mad, more shocked than anything… shocked that I'd treated Lady like I had when she'd been so eager for it she was willing to ride my sleeping face. That sounded, more than anything, extremely humiliating for her… I was a person that had always felt a kind of shame jerking off; I couldn't imagine doing it with someone who I loved while they were sleeping, especially if I felt like my feelings were unrequited or not being respected… In other words… "Lady…. Please. Don't ever do something like that without my permission."

'I-I promise I won't.'

And yet the guilty feeling I was getting from her didn't seem to dissipate. I narrowed my eyes. "What else aren't you telling me?"

Lady swallowed hard. '... Can I… Can I please tell you this part later? It's… it's confusing. I don't understand it yet myself, what it means.'

"What it means? You're scaring me." I sighed softly. "It'll get harder to tell me the more you hide it… are you sure that's what you want to do? I… I don't mind you keeping a secret, but it seems like you want to tell me. I won't hate you, I promise… like I said, and I'll prove it, I never could."

'... I-I'll tell you soon, Master. I promise… so please… kiss me again.'

Leaning forward, I did just that. Whatever resistance was left crumbled, my body catching fire as I got my first taste of true freedom. Hot bodies locked together, she felt so small and precious in my arms, a sacred bundle that I couldn't believe I hadn't held against me like this before. By her expression, my sweet little Kirlia couldn't believe it either, or that this was really happening. Both of us kept opening our eyes as our lips crushed together, staring at each other, and by the fear in the recesses of her gaze, I knew she was afraid that this was a dream, or that I'd pull back and forget myself again. I wouldn't go back now, I didn't want to. I traced a hand down one of Lady's slender arms, curled our fingers together.

"K-Kirl…" She whispered, face flushing with embarrassment. When I peered into her mind, I knew Lady felt the lovely shame of being looked upon by someone who wants to become one with you. It's a particular type of exciting, burning feeling, and I'd covered myself in front of Juliet when I'd first felt it, but Lady didn't hide herself away. Her beautiful, expressive face - ruby eyes like crimson gems of fire - stared boldly up at me, and much to my shock, she spread her thighs wide, bent her little knees slightly, and bashfully glanced downward in suggestion. "K-Kirlia…"

The way she was offering, presenting herself to me, was near irresistible. If we were inside, if we were in bed, I'd have surely taken the next step. Unable to help myself, I drowned her in kisses again. Where before I had shown self-restraint, I'd become the opposite. I tasted every inch of her body with my hands, the inside of her mouth with my tongue. Lady and I drowned each other in kisses. Her little lips, her tongue, traced a delicious pattern against mine and I did the same, our mouths created a unique, lovely dance. Every time I thought I wouldn't go back for more, I inhaled a sharp gust of oxygen, and then found my mouth on hers again. Her expression was to die for, I'd never forget it, no matter what - her emerald head-crest almost gave her the appearance of bangs at the moment, her big, ruby eyes shining shyly from beneath. I'd expected her to be like Juliet or Vanessa, and she was trying to be, but I could feel in her every touch a shiver beneath the skin - not just excitement.

Lady was scared, and when I tasted her thoughts, I knew why. Many reasons. She was afraid that I'd abandon her, because she felt like I already had done that time and time again, and she was afraid of-

'Enough, Master - please… just touch me. Don't… don't try to look in me…' My beloved Kirlia clamped up, locked me out; it was understandable that she wanted this precious moment to exist as it was, without any mental interference or exploration on either of our part. I felt the same way. I put my hands more firmly on her body, buoying her here in reality. She smiled, her hot little tongue ran around the tip of mine, teased across my lips.

I stared directly into her eyes, and she shivered slightly, but steadily held my gaze. "I know you're scared, that makes sense. I probably would be too. I've been hot and cold with you, closing parts of myself off, because… I-I just didn't know what all this-" I gestured at our connected tan and pale, lime-green skin and sighed slowly, "meant, but if the underground taught me anything it's that… that everything I feel for you is precious. I almost lost you guys again, at least it felt like it at times… I could've died down in those depths, and I'd have only kissed you once, and not even by my own choice. So don't worry. I won't regret you, not this time. I'm sorry if I've been unfair. I love you, Lady."

She stared at me in shock; this was the honest confession the kirlia had been waiting for. She stared up at me, gaze shining, and I knew in that moment that she saw me in a way no other Pokemon likely ever would; I was her personal God, her other half, and she expected me to think the same way about her. I did. She was my little love goddess, my temptation, as much a part of me as sweet Evangeline.

Her little hands traveled up my abdomen, traced up and down my belly beneath my shirt. Her fingers were warm, and I didn't say a word of protest when she grabbed my hand and placed two of my fingers against her mouth. Crimson orbs showering me with affection, she eased my fingertips between her lips, sucking the digits gently. I groaned - the slight suction was enough to make my half-stiff dick fully engorged, a rush of dizziness hitting me; my desire was so intense I was dripping with sweat. Lady wasn't finished, as she ran her tongue up and down my fingers, teasing the silken, hot little muscle round and round, she grabbed my other hand, and lowered it down between her legs.

Suddenly I didn't care that we were outside the motel, that someone might walk by… Lady shuddered, and her delicious noises drove me crazy. She was mine… I was going to make her cum for me right now. She was glistening, lime-green pussy absolutely soaked, and I teased my free hand up and down the slick little slit, digging my fingers in, wiggling them between her sticky lips and getting my first real taste of her insides. Freckled face scrunched; Lady gasped as I pushed the tips an inch deep.

She sucked hard on the fingers still in her mouth, and I felt a mischievous flare, nudging them at the back of her throat, testing her oral skills for no other reason than I wanted to see the little brat's reaction. She didn't need any words, she opened her throat for me, took them as deep as she could. Did she practice with her mouth on the brush, same way she did with the bottom hole? Almost immediately, she began to cough and sputter, her gag reflex triggered - destroying that theory. But I didn't let up… I kept them back there, and while she strained for breath, I teased her little love button. It only took a little bit of massaging, touching… and combined with the pressure in her throat, it threw her over the edge. She loved whatever I did to her. As she came, shuddering, I immediately extracted my fingers. She went into a miniature coughing fit even as her body was wracked with orgasm. I hadn't gone easy on her. My dick was swollen in my pants, red-hot.

"S-Sorry, I was a bit rough on you there, huh? But… you came. I'll go easy next time."

'I can handle it! You just surprised me, Master. Let me prove it!' Lady glowered at me, face stained with embarrassment. She opened her mouth, waiting with a wanton look on her face and an adorable little "Aah!"

The way she was staring at my dick right now, I knew she wasn't talking about with my fingers… she wanted the real thing in her mouth. Fuck…

But of course, if that happened, there was no way I'd be talking to Zoey tonight, and that was a must. "Later, I gotta call my sister first. One orgasm is enough for now." I grinned, ignoring her pout and noises of disapproval. I had a feeling Lady wasn't going to be satisfied with just two, or even three.

"Your ralts already evolved into a kirlia?!" That was the first thing Zoey said to me, peering into her screen with a huge grin. By her side, her girlfriend Alice peered at Lady and I. Lady took that time to shift in my lap, proudly displaying herself on camera, letting my sister see just how much she'd grown. Unintentionally, it stimulated me, and I bit back a groan. Was she doing this on purpose? I did my best to ignore her...

Zoey barely knew Lady, I don't recall them ever even meeting properly, and yet as always my Pokemon-obsessed sister wanted to know all about it. "What's your training regiment? I've been trying to evolve Static for a while. Sometimes I think he won't just to spite me."

I shrugged. "Maybe that's partially true, how much attention have you been giving him lately?"

"More than you've ever given me!" Zoey retorted sharply, and I winced.

"Okay fine, I won't chastise you, but for fuck's sake, at least say hi."

"Hi. There, happy?"

"Yeah, sure," I grinned, and we laughed together, "you look like you're all settled in in Alola."

"Yep! Mason's vacation house is… it's just plain amazing! Everything I've seen of Alola is awesome." Zoey thrust a fist up into the air, beaming. It'd been a long time since I saw her smile like that. I couldn't help but notice how cute she was dressed, so unlike her. Her pj sported many small images of different tiny mons, from cherubi to pichu to fennekin.

"Those new PJ's?"

My sister swept her half-blue bangs from her face, blushed, and nodded. "Mhm… there's all kinds of cute clothes here. Alice and I made new friends. I was worrying about money but… our friend's mom really just buys us everything, she's such a sweet woman."

"Making friends already? That's so unlike you." That was true. Other than Alice, Zoey was like me - notoriously bad at making friends that lasted.

"Well, things are different now. With Alice by my side… I think I can make friends with anyone, any mon or person… Beat just about anyone's ass too. I've been battling like crazy. People do it just for fun around here! It's… it's way better than Sinnoh." Suddenly, Zoey's happy expression melted away. "But… I wish you were here, Avery."

Far, far north on an island miles away, my little sister pouted at me, and my heart nearly melted. I'd been waiting a long time for honest affection from her, been starved for it actually… Zoey really did care about me, appreciate me, and how I worked for her all these years… I saw that in her gentle, pleading expression. She was asking me to be there with her, in a way. "I wish I could be there with you too."

"... Why can't you come?"

For a moment, I considered heading to Canalave, where the S.S Amber waited for me, and getting a boat to Alola instead. I imagined dropping any and all responsibilities, sizzling under the sun and having a blast with my sister in the land that many Pokemon probably wished they were born in, whether they knew it or not. In my lap, Lady fussed, and I imagined her swimming, the sand between her toes, playing games on the beach with Sprite and Eva…

Of course, Zoey brought me back to reality. "Well, don't answer. I know why you can't, what you have to do… Have you talked to Juliet at all? I've been trying to get a hold of her, but she hasn't even seen my messages." I winced hearing my girlfriend's name from my sister's lips. Mainly because I didn't want Zoey involved, not at all.

"Hey, don't message her, alright? She and I are in deep with some dangerous individuals-"

"You've heard from her, right? Will you try to, if not? I just… I don't know. I have a bad feeling. She told me she'd try to keep in touch."

Zoey was just fuckin' ignoring me! I scowled, about to scold her, when Lady suddenly stuck her face in the screen. "Kirlia kirl! Kirl kirl kirl! Kirlia!" Didn't need to be a pokemon to understand a tongue-lashing like that… and my kid sister didn't like it one bit. Her tan face became dark red with rage.

Zoey scowled. "How dare you tell me what to do! You little brat! I'll do whatever I want!"

"Kirlia kirl!" Lady put her hands on her hips, shaking her head.

"Oh, screw off, what are you, my mom?! Put my brother back on!"

"Suddenly not a big fan of my kirlia anymore," I grinned, "now Zoey, before we talk about Juliet, I'm being serious. I don't want you involved with-"

The younger Higgs girl merely raised a hand, cutting me off. "Avery! Don't bother. I'm already involved! I know more than you do, probably. I've got my own stake in this, so why don't you just answer my friggin' question?!"

"Zoey!"

"Big bro! Knock it off! I've dealt with them hands-on, too, I can take care of myself! I know that we're dealing with dangerous people, Juliet and I saw everything in Solaceon."

I didn't know how to respond to that. "I've not heard anything from Juliet… but I haven't tried to reach out."

"What?! Why not…? You are going to her, right?"

"Of course I am," I snapped, "but I'm not some fucking prince from a movie, Zoey. I'm not… I'm not sure what I'm walking into, I'm preparing myself."

"Preparing-" Zoey's body language tensed. "What are you talking about!? Where are you? You better be near Canalave! If I'd known you were just going to ditch that girl I'd have stayed with her myself!"

"I'm not fucking ditching her! Damn it Zoey! We were getting along, don't act like this…" My sister held her tongue, but her dark eyes, not hidden behind contacts like usual, held pure contempt for me.

"If you don't make it there in time I won't forgive you. I don't have anything else to say. You can call me again when you're on the way to Juliet, no sooner…" And then my little sister hung up on me. I stared at the phone, incredulous, glancing to Lady for support.

'She's right, Master.'

"About what?"

'It was written all over your face.'

"What was?! You and Zoey seem to have some funny ideas about me…"

'That you're ditching the girl. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this feeling I have that you don't want to go is not true… but one thing is clear to me, you have not begun to take the steps in her direction. I won't complain. One less love rival for me.'

Such coldness. I slumped.

My kirlia just smiled softly. 'I don't mean it unkindly, Master… but… when I was in the Pokemon center, there wasn't a thing they could do to keep you away from me. You became a slave, just for me… I'll never forget that… but now you sit here and tell yourself that you're not ready to help Juliet. Cowardly. You have six Pokemon now, Master. When will you be ready? What will happen that is so incredible, so profound, that suddenly you'll be able to change your fate? It's simple human folly. Arrogance…'

"You sound awfully sure of yourself."

'Eva and I have to face the same trials you know, and if it were up to me we would set out immediately. Not because I care about your human, but because the type of people who would fund a place like that house have her. That Vanessa woman… that creature that followed her around, Darkrai… how can you possibly prepare for monsters? What awaits us on that boat, Master… another unknown. Maybe it will be easy, maybe we'll destroy your enemies, but either way… you can't be prepared for it. Even you should know that. As I said… our team is better than it was, and we survived then. So why wait?"

When I'd first seen that Lady had evolved it'd been in the gardens at Vanessa's mansion; back then she spoke in my mind, taking in the sight of me and Chastity with a kind of mature, profound ease… unlike Eva who had completely fallen apart. Since then, I was sure it was a delusion because Lady had been even more insecure and immature than ever. Now, I had no doubt that I was, in part, the problem, the source of Lady's self-doubt and why she acted out. Right now, she was speaking to me with a cool maternalness I desperately craved, and didn't know I needed from her. In a way she was right. Both she and Zoey were, they saw right through me, knew I was adept at conflict avoidance.

"Brats…" I scowled, surrendering. "Maybe I am just avoiding it. If I beat Roark tomorrow… we'll head for Canalave. That'll be enough proof of readiness for me. But you better battle."

'If you… if you don't play with my feelings, I'll always fight for you, Master.'

Again… playing with her feelings. "Fair enough. There, now I've got a plan. Satisfied?"

'No.' Then Lady leaned up, and kissed me. Her soft, wet mouth was unforgettable. She, just like Eva, looked so perfect in the moonlight. Our tongues danced as my hands explored her frame, slowly but surely, but not too eagerly. I wasn't feeling her up, I was letting her feel the full strength, pressure, of my hands on her body, so she wouldn't have a doubt in her mind that I wanted to hold her and touch her. She offered me a shy, slow smile as she pulled away, a little string of saliva sticking to her lips. With her hand, she teased my crotch, still stiff as can be. I groaned, low and long, and resisted the urge to buck into her grip. Lady's eyes seemed to glow as she took in my needy reaction, and she stared at me like she was starved. 'Now I am.'e she was starved. 'Now I am.'