Ash's Adventure: Girls' Hunter Edition!

by SedaCassie

In a world where PokeGirls are caught alongside Pokemon, and where collecting harems is just sort of the thing to do, young Ash Ketchum begins his journey in...complicated fashion. Now faced with new challenges and triumphs, he adventures forth to finally prove his worth, making many new friends along the way. Many, many lovely friends. Look, it's a PokeGirl harem story.

26. Touching Base at the Base!

Touching Base at the Base!

The battered, weatherworn, and yet lovingly maintained and reliable old jeep came to a stop. The place it had been driven to was a dusty clearing that sat on the foothills of Mt. Moon, sandwiched in-between the mountain's slope and the surrounding forest. Given its size and lack of vegetation, it was a popular spot for campers, festivals, and battling trainers.

Not today, though.

Brock Harrison looked out through his jeep's windshield up at the looming mountain and grimaced. Mt. Moon was not volcanic, despite certain theories concerned its cratered peak and the lake contained within. However, it looked as if it had erupted regardless, just not out of the top. Several cracks and fissures now marred the mountain's base, from which billowed smoke. Something had exploded deep inside the mountain, something big.

Sighing, Brock put the jeep in park and got out.

The clearing was teeming with people, and none of them for recreation. Police, rescue workers, doctors, rangers, and a few trusted trainers worked to help care for a gaggle of campers, hikers, traveling trainers, and other innocent people that had been endangered by the explosion. A few pavilions and tents had been set up for shelter, under which scared people were being fed, bandaged up, and comforted. Further down the way, with a safe distance kept between them and the innocents, another pavilion had been set up, beneath which more people that had been rescued from the mountain were gathered. However, these people were closely watched by police and trainers, and they were all wearing black.

Grimacing, Brock headed to the first set of shelters, looking for someone in charge.

"Brock! Brock Harrison, over here!"

It was Officer Jenny of the PCPD. Relieved, Brock nodded and headed over to her.

"Brock, thank you for coming," Officer Jenny said, shaking the Gym Leader's hand.

"How could I not?" Brock said.

Officer Jenny made a face. "It's pretty bad, Brock. At about-"

Brock held up a hand, silencing her. "I'm sorry, Jenny, I know you have a lot to tell me, but first I need to see to the wellbeing of my girls."

Officer Jenny wasn't offended in the slightest. "Of course. Right this way."

She led Brock through the crowd, heading toward one pavilion in particular. Despite most of his focus being on trying to spot Roxanne and Olivia, he couldn't help but remark, "This is a lot of people."

Her face grim, Officer Jenny nodded. "We've been sweeping the area for civilians and survivors. Anyone we find, we send here to get checked out. More pour in every hour, and we fear there might be even more still in the mountain."

A chill trickled down Brock's back. "You make it sound like a warzone."

Officer Jenny hesitated, and then said, "To tell the truth, Brock, that's what we're starting to suspect this might be."

Brock did not like the sound of that at all. If an actual war had broken out within Mt. Moon, then it didn't take much to guess at who the combatants probably were.

There had been whispers of Team Rocket's supposed activities within the bowels of Mt. Moon for months, and with relations with the local Pokemon as frail as they were, it shouldn't come as a surprise that violence would have broken out. A source of horror, worry, and dread, yes, but not surprise.

However, all of that was going to have to wait, as Brock had spotted his girls.

Roxanne and Olivia were alive and in one piece, thank the Guardian Trinity. They looked exhausted and beat up, both of them naked and covered with dust and bruises, but at least they were alive. They were sitting slumped over with emergency blankets draped over their shoulders, each nursing a mug of something hot.

Upon seeing them, Brock broke out into a run, circling around Officer Jenny and sprinting over to the pavilion. His girls must have sensed him coming, as they both looked up in perfect synchronization and, upon spotting him, immediately tossed their blankets and mugs aside and charged to meet him.

Now, Brock was a big man. Also strong. Also steady on his feet. But even an average PokeGirl could knock the wind out of him, and the girls that he had trained were anything but average. Plus, Roxanne and Olivia had both been through a harrowing experience and were no doubt desperately missing their trainer, which would make anyone forget to hold back their strength and enthusiasm.

Brock was knocked fully off of his feet, bowled over by two massively powerful and excited women and slammed back into the dirt so hard that it made him see spots.

He didn't care.

"Brock!" Roxanne cried as she wrapped her limbs around him. "You're here!" Olivia didn't even bother with such silly things like words, preferring to cover his face and neck with kisses.

Being knocked on his ass like that hurt, as did how tightly Roxanne was clinging to him, but Brock's tolerance for pain was exceptionally high, especially when his loved ones were involved. "I'm so glad you're okay," he got out. You could barely even hear the strain in his voice.

"You came to get us!" Olivia said as the three of them sat up.

"Of course…I did," Brock told her. He leaned forward to give Olivia a soft kiss on the lips, while his hand lightly caressed her breast. She sighed happily into his mouth, and there was a brief flicker of tongue, before he parted to kiss Roxanne as well, his other hand firmly cupping the cheek of her ass.

"Missed you," Roxanne murmured as they parted.

"The same. Now, let me take a look at you."

The two dusty PokeGirls sat patiently as Brock gave them a brief, but thorough inspection. "Well, you two obviously have been through some battles. Are you okay?"

Olivia's face fell, while Roxanne's mouth thinned out into a straight line. "We're…fine. No major injuries, and these people did a good job with the ones we had."

"Okay," he said, his voice patient yet firm. "But that's not what I asked."

Roxanne sighed. "It's been…a hell of a couple days."

"From basically the beginning," Olivia confirmed.

Brock swallowed. "The kids?"

"Alive and well," Roxanne said. "Or they were, the last time we saw them. They managed to get out right before the whole mountain came down. We weren't so fast."

Well, there was that at least, though obviously having the three of them here instead of off in the wilds by themselves was infinitely preferable. "And the Rockets?"

The two PokeGirls exchanged a look. Then they both turned to stare over to prison pavilion, where all the captured Rocket agents were gathered. "Brock, have we got a story to tell you," Olivia said. "Though just a word of warning: you're not going to like any of it."

Steeling himself for the worst, Brock sat back and listened.

…

For the third day in a row, Ash found himself waking up to the softness and warmth of bare skin against his own.

And for the first time, he also found himself waking up with a mouthful of hair.

Ash's head jerked back, as he involuntarily coughed and tried to spit it out. His face twisting into a grimace, he reached up to try to peel the clump of wet strands off of his tongue. Ugh, how had that happened?

And then that bundle of softness and warmth shook slightly in quiet laughter. "Sorry about that, champ," May told him from over her shoulder. "It takes some getting used to." And then she yawned, pulling her arms out from under the unzipped sleeping bag that they were using as a blanket to stretch out her bunched-up muscles. Her body curved back against Ash as she did, for which he was thankful.

As May stretched herself out with a satisfied hum, Ash found himself struck with an odd sense of déjà vu. His mind harkened back several days, to the last time he and May had woken up like this, with him holding her from behind like he was now. That time, they still had their clothes on, but somehow his dick had found its way out of the front slit of his boxers to sandwich itself in-between her buttocks.

As it turned out, history had repeated itself, only now more fully. Despite how thoroughly he had been wrung dry the previous day, Ash's recently awakened penis was now fully erect and throbbing to an almost painful degree, and without clothing to act as a barrier, it now sat squeezed in-between May's shapely rear cheeks.

And May took notice. "Oh, hey now," she said, lifting up the sleeping bag and twisting her torso around to take a peek. "Isn't this familiar? Feels like you're back in the game."

Though he could feel a light blush prickling at his cheeks, Ash still allowed himself a small smile. He felt good. Actually, he felt really good. "Yeah, I guess I am," he said.

And then he reached over to take a nice big handful of one of her breasts.

"Oh, hello," May exclaimed, her voice a mixture of surprise and delight. "Look who's all confident now!" She laid her hand on top of his and began rotating her hips back against his groin, grinding her rear against his aching erection.

Confident or not, Ash still didn't have a whole lot in the way of experience, so these powerful new sensations were all so overwhelming.

"May," he gasped as the twitching in his cock reached a crescendo. "I-I can't-"

He couldn't. Semen squirted out to splatter all over May's back, with a few drops hitting him on his belly and lower chest.

May paused. Then she glanced back, one eyebrow askew.

His cheeks burning in chagrin, Ash shrank back. "S-Sorry," he muttered. "I couldn't help it."

May laughed. "Ash, relax! It's perfectly natural! Besides, even a seasoned veteran would pop off when pressed up to an ass of this quality!" She reached back to give her bottom a smack in emphasis.

"Yeah, but..." Ash sighed. "You two have all this experience. I'm your trainer, but I'm just so, you know, far behind."

Rolling her eyes, May shimmied around in Ash's arms to face him. "Oh, stop beating yourself up. You've already done more than like ninety-nine point nine percent of boys your age, and by the end of the year, you'll be as much a Pussy Master as you'll be a Pokemon Master. You'll build up stamina along with your skills, and by the time everything's said and done, you'll be a sex god."

A sex god? Him? Ash truly doubted it. The one girlfriend he had ever had ended up leaving him for his best friend, and said best friend had an entire harem of girls at his beck and call. How was Ash supposed to compete with that?

"You're probably expecting a little too much from me," he said.

"Nonsense. I know a stud when I see one. Now, c'mere," May murmured as she moved in. "I want my good morning kiss."

Ash was only too happy to oblige.

Though he was still a novice, Ash felt that he really was getting the hang of kissing, especially with all of the practice he had been getting. And he was starting to get a hold on the differences in how his two girls liked to be kissed.

Kissing Misty felt a lot like a dance, an experience that she enjoyed sharing with her partner. She liked having her energy matched, and would respond in kind. May, however, was a lot different. She was aggressive from the start, her lips and tongue working to force a response from whoever she was with. But once she got it, she surrendered to her partner, letting them take the lead. It was like she was testing them to see if they were worthy of taking ownership of her lips. And now that he understood that, Ash pushed into the kiss as hard as he could, warding off her attempts to take dominance and retaliating with his own.

Though May was strong enough and experienced enough to utterly steamroll him if she wanted to, once she felt that resistance she just melted in his arms, giving up control and letting him have his way with her. Granted, he was still spent, and he was still tired, so he didn't do much except kiss her a bit more, but a precedent was still established.

When they were done, their lips parted but not their bodies. They just lay there, arms wrapped around each other with each other's taste still on their tongues.

"By the way," May said. "Thanks for last night."

"Huh?"

May sighed. "You know, when I was freaking out over Roxanne and Olivia. Thanks for helping me put my head on straight. I needed that."

"Oh!" Ash's brow rose. "Well, of course. Any time."

A small, troubled frown poked its way across May's features. "Do you really think they're okay, though? I mean, yeah, they probably are, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But even so, I still kind of feel rotten about just leaving them there."

"They're fine," Ash reassured her. "I'm sure of it. By now they've probably dug themselves out and are on their way back to Brock."

"I know, but I still feel lousy about it. Which is, um, weird. Not really used to feeling that way about grown-ups."

Ash tilted his head. "You really don't like grown-ups, do you?"

Letting out an exasperated groan, May let herself flop back onto the sleeping bag. "Nope. Most of the ones I've known sucked, and the ones who didn't suck still wanted nothing more than to tell me what to do. Bunch of nosy, bossy jerks"

"Well, not all of them are bad," Ash said, his mind going to his mother, Professor Oak, and now Brock.

May snorted. "Yeah. Sure. Give it time." Then, before Ash could respond, she said, "But I liked those two. I hope they're out by now."

"I'm sure they are," Ash said, easing himself down so that he was reclining next to her. "And I'm sure they're not mad at you. Probably just as worried about you as you are of them."

"Yeah," May said after a beat. "Wouldn't that be something?" Then she turned to look at Ash, one eyebrow askew. "So, now that you and Misty already squeezed my dark, shameful secret out of me, what's the part you're not telling me?"

Ash started. "What? N-Nothing!" he sputtered, and unconvincingly at that. "We already told you everything!"

May sighed. "Ash, I'm not an idiot, okay? I noticed you were leaving stuff out, just like you noticed that I was leaving stuff out. I didn't say anything at the time, but c'mon. Don't treat me like I'm stupid."

A beat, and then Ash sighed. "Okay. Sorry. It's just…Um…"

Jessie's scream echoed through the cavern even after the crevice had swallowed her up.

"I…did something…"

Seeing the stricken look on his face, May sat up a bit. "Ash, what happened? Are you okay?"

Ash grimaced. No. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to think about her. Besides, his throat was now so tight that he couldn't-

May passed something cool and hard into his hand. A canteen. Nodding gratefully, he unscrewed the cap and swallowed down several gulps.

"Thanks," he sighed.

May pushed herself up and sat Indian-style, her legs crossed in front of her. "Okay. 'Fess up. What happened?"

Wiping his eyes, Ash sat back as well. "I think I killed someone."

A pause went by, and then May said, "On purpose?"

"No! I mean, yes? Sort of?" Ash swallowed. "I mean, I l-let someone die. I didn't want to, but Misty would've slipped out of my hands if I didn't, and I didn't have time to-"

"Ash, Ash, slow down!" May placed a hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy, deep breaths, okay?"

Nodding, Ash struggled to bring his turbulent emotions back under control. It was not easy.

When he felt that he was able, he said, "Um, okay. D-Do you know about Jessie?"

There was a pause, and then May's eyes widened. "Oh, right! Those Rocket idiots were going on about her. Was she one of those…"

"Yeah," Ash confirmed, his throat now weirdly dry. He took another quick drink from the canteen. "She was the one with the weird purple hair. You know, the one that stuck out in back like a horn or a fin or something?"

"Hard to forget," May said. "I'm guessing that you caught her."

Ash grimaced. "It was an accident. She ambushed us in the alley. I threw one of those human balls at her, but I didn't mean to! I thought it was one of Misty's pokeballs, but it wasn't, and she was caught, and…and…"

"You kept her."

"Yeah," Ash sighed. "And, um, sort of…forgot about her. Up until her friends showed up on the bridge."

With some hesitating, some stuttering, and a lot of stumbling over his words, Ash told May the full story, about how Jessie had been accidentally released from her human ball, about the violent encounters he and Misty ended up having with her, about how her escape from the Pokemon sanctuary had nearly gotten the two of them killed, and finally about that last deadly encounter with her right before the mountain went down.

"I tried to save her," Ash said. "I swear, I did! B-But they were both slipping from my hands. I had to make a choice, so of course I chose Misty! But I had to let go of Jessie. She begged me not to do it! She begged me for help! But I let her go, and watched her slide into that hole. She screamed the whole way! And then…" Ash felt his throat close up, so much that he could barely get the last few words out. "…and then she stopped."

Ash could say no more. Shame had silenced him. It didn't matter how he tried to justify it, how much he told himself that he had no choice, the fact of the matter was that because of his stupidity, a woman had died. His woman. No matter the circumstances surrounding her capture, Jessie had still been his PokeGirl, and he had let her die.

There was no greater shame than that.

Then May said, "I don't get it."

Ash jerked. "What? You don't get what?"

"Why you're so upset. I mean, she was a Rocket. And of course you had to save Misty. It's not like you had any choice."

Ash gritted his teeth. "That's not the point. She wouldn't even have been there if I hadn't been an idiot and forgotten to give her to the police. I messed up, and she died!"

May blinked owlishly. "Ash. She was a Rocket. They're pretty bad people! Heck, I tried to kill several when I was stuck in that horrible place! It's what they deserve!"

"Oh, forget it," Ash growled as he angrily turned away. "You wouldn't understand."

Though he supposed that it would help if he fully understood. Jessie had objectively been a horrible person who had likely hurt a lot of people. The world was probably a better place without her.

And yet, Ash couldn't shake the image of her terrified face as she slid out of sight, nor the sound of her screams.

Then May said, "Um, I guess I'm kind of bad at this. Sorry. And…I'm sorry that it's got you upset."

Ash sighed. Well, that was about as good as he was going to get, he supposed. "S'kay," he muttered. "Not your fault."

Another awkward pause, and then May said, "I guess you're just a better person than me. I don't know. All those Rockets were so cruel and, well, evil, and I came really close to killing a few of them. But you feel bad over not being able to save one."

"It's…not that I think she was a good person," Ash said as he turned back toward her. "It's that she was only there because of me. I screwed up, and someone died."

"Well, for what it's worth, I'd say that means you're going to be an amazing trainer," May said. "And if Misty had to be caught by somebody, then I'm glad it was you."

Despite his misery, Ash was still grateful for the praise.

Then May hugged him. Ash hesitated, and then hugged her back. She was warm.

"Okay, back on the same page," May said, giving Ash's back a pat. "Now, let's see what Misty's got cooking for breakfast."

…

The news Brock got from his PokeGirls was far worst than he could have ever imagined.

Team Rocket, carrying out a massive strip-mining operation right under his nose. Hundreds of moon stones pilfered, who knows how many Pokemon poached, and so many of their natural habitats defiled and despoiled.

And to top it off, all of it led by his estranged cousin.

Throughout the years, Brock had tried not to blame himself for what had happened with Cliff. Cliff was a grown man, and thus responsible for his own actions. Brock had made every effort to bury the hatchet and bridge the gap between them, but in the end, Cliff's greed and resentment had consumed him. The day he had left had been sad, yes, but not really a surprise.

However, for as many issues as Cliff had, for all the trouble he had caused, Brock had never once entertained the thought that he would outright betray the family and join Team Rocket. Ivy? Sure. That woman was poison. But not Cliff. Not a Harrison.

Perhaps that was a sign of Brock's naiveté.

He had to know more. He had to know why Cliff had done it. Fortunately, he was not currently lacking for sources.

There were close to a couple dozen men and women wearing the distinctive black uniforms adorned with red Rs favored by agents of the nefarious crime syndicate Team Rocket kneeling beneath the isolated pavilion. All of them were handcuffed and gagged, though that didn't stop them from shooting some truly hateful looks over at the police officers that were standing guard over them.

Seven more women were kept away from even those, their uniforms showing considerably more skin than the others. Rocket PokeGirls. Brock knew that some female Team Rocket Grunts would willingly allow themselves to be caught in order to gain the power of a PokeGirl. He also knew that not every PokeGirl who wore a Rocket R did so willingly.

"Was this all of them?" he asked his PokeGirls.

"Honestly, Brock, we don't have a clue," Olivia said. "Most of their base was already evacuated by the time we got loose. But given how big it was, probably not."

"Several helicopters were seen leaving Mt. Moon right after the explosion," Officer Jenny supplied. "Two of them got hit by debris and were forced into emergency landings. We managed to catch a few of those aboard and have them here, along with several others we caught fleeing on foot. It's a safe bet that whatever happened down there, they weren't expecting it."

"Still, they did see it coming," Brock mused. "At least long enough to pull out." Then something occurred to him. Wincing, he shot a glance over to Olivia. "Yes, caught it as soon as I said it. No need to point it out."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Olivia said.

"No, but you were thinking it."

"Sure, but I wasn't going to say it."

Shaking his head, Brock headed for the pavilion.

He scanned the faces of the Rockets. Some stared downward without expression, others returned his gaze with defiant glowers, a few sneered and looked away.

Then he caught sight of one in particular, a young man with mussy orange hair and several freckles. This one seemed more on edge than the others, his handcuffed hands fidgeting behind his back as his head twitched this way and that. He was shaking, his breath coming out in short pants behind his gag.

Brock nodded toward him. "That one," he murmured to Officer Jenny.

"Clark Shuemaker?"

Roxanne frowned. "You got his name? I didn't know Rockets carried ID's."

"They don't. Kid told me himself. He was half-dazed when we found him, babbling on and on about exploding mountains and Pokemon trying to eat him. Unfortunately, he came to his senses before we could get more out of him and clammed right up."

"Huh," Brock said. "Okay. He'll do."

Officer Jenny handed Brock a plastic water bottle. Taking a quick drink, he walked over to where a couple of fold-out chairs had been set up, both of them facing one another. Then, with Olivia and Roxanne taking position on either side of him, he sat down in one of them and waited.

A couple officers went to work, grabbing poor Clark by the armpits and hoisting him up. The kid's eyes widened in panic, and he tried to pull back out of instinct, but of course it did him little good.

Grunt Clark was then hauled along to where Brock was sitting. When he saw who he was being taken to, the fear in Clark's eyes only grew. Good. At least Brock's reputation was intact.

The two officers plopped Clark down in the other chair, and one reached over to pull his gag out. He immediately started coughing.

Brock leaned forward. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.

The kid nervously licked his lips. "Y-Yeah," he said. "You're, um, you're the Pewter City Gym Leader. B-Brock. Harrison."

Brock nodded. "That's right. I'm also the guy who drove your people out of Pewter City a few years ago. Did you know about that?"

The kid gave a tiny nod of his head.

"Good," Brock said. "Well, glad to see that you're reasonably well-informed. You're Clark, right? Clark Shuemaker?"

Clark winced, but he nodded.

"Where you from, Clark?"

Clark's face twitched. "Fuchsia. Fuchsia City."

That was interesting. By all accounts, Fuchsia City was one of the few territories in Kanto under the control of criminals other than the Rockets. Down there, the local cartel was one of the few who had been able to successfully hold off Team Rocket from encroaching on their territory. Odd that a Rocket Grunt would come from there.

"You're a bit far from home, aren't you, Clark?" Brock remarked.

"I'm from Fuchsia City," Clark said. "That don't make it home."

"Fair enough," Brock conceded. He picked up the water bottle and offered it to the boy. "You thirsty, son?"

Clark glowered.

Brock sighed. "Come on, it's a warm day, you've been kneeling around in the dirt ever since they found you. Look, it's fine, see?" He untwisted the cap and took a quick swallow. "No drugs or anything. I promise."

The kid stared longingly at the water bottle. His tongue flickered out, running over his dry lips, but in the end he shook his head. "Keep your Good Cop/Bad Cop bull. I'm not talking."

"Really?" Brock raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"I'm no traitor."

Brock's gaze flitted over to where the other Grunts were kneeling before returning to Clark. "It seems to me that your loyalty only runs one way. Team Rocket abandoned you."

"No, they didn't!" Clark protested. "We got knocked off course! It's not his fault!"

Brock's stomach tightened. He had a very good idea as to who was being referred to. "His?" Brock said, playing dumb.

Unfortunately, that proved to be a mistake, as Clark realized his slip and shut up. Clamping his jaws shut, he angrily turned away.

Brock frowned. As a father, older brother, and uncle, he was not unaccustomed to drawing sensitive information out from those younger than him, but the kids in his family at least liked and respected him already. This was a different sort of earth to break.

Then Roxanne, who had been standing silently behind him, laid a hand on his shoulder. "Forget it, Brock," she said, her voice dripping with scorn. "It's pointless. This poor sap doesn't even know that he's been thrown away."

That hit home. "Shut up, whore!" Clark snapped at her. "You don't know nothing about nothing!"

Realizing what was going on, Brock sat back to let Roxanne lead things. Sure, he had dealt with kids who didn't want to talk to him before, but Roxanne had worked as a substitute teacher. She knew how to deal with those who not only wanted to keep information from her but also actively held her in contempt.

"Do I?" Roxanne continued. She gestured to the angry young man. "Look at you. Look at your companions. Handcuffed. Kneeling in the dirt. Doesn't sound like your loyalty was rewarded."

"Go choke on a cock," Clark snarled.

Roxanne was unperturbed. "Like you're choking on your cowardly leader's?" Brock repressed a smile. Roxanne was good. Getting the kid to voluntarily give up information about Cliff and their operations would be tricky, but by forcing him to defend someone that he obviously held in high regard, she was making it all the more likely that the information that they wanted would slip out.

Sure enough, her mocking words seemed to have lit a fire inside of Clark. "He's not a coward!" he cried. "He's the bravest man I've ever known! He's the one who told me to save myself while he stayed behind, and he only let the Grunts who didn't abandon their teams to leave first!"

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Probably stayed behind to grab all the loot for himself. Right until it blew up in his face."

"You don't know jack!" Clark shot back. "Administrator Cliff is loyal to Team Rocket through and through!"

The tightness in Brock's stomach only grew stronger. So. It was true.

Unfortunately, Clark seemed to realize that Roxanne had suckered him into letting critical information. His eyes went wide, and he clamped his mouth shut and turned away.

However, Roxanne was not about to let him shut her out so easily. "Seriously?" she said with a dismissive sneer. "Cliff? That loser?"

"He's not a loser!" Clark cried, his voice cracking on that last word. "He's a hundred times the man you are! Your stupid family should've let him be Gym Leader like he wanted."

Brock's heart sank. Though he hadn't doubted his PokeGirls' report, it was one thing to hear of his cousin's betrayal secondhand. It was another to have it directly confirmed.

However, Clark wasn't done. "You'll see! You'll all see! You think this'll stop us? You can't stop us; we've already won! You're all doomed! Doomed! Team Rocket will unite the world and bring order, and all you fools will be crushed underfoot like the worthless parasites that you are!"

Now Brock was growing concerned. On the one hand, the kid was talking, and the more he ranted the more likely it was that something of use would slip out. On the other hand, he also seemed on the verge of doing something violent.

"Oh, please," Roxanne said with a roll of her eyes. "You Rockets couldn't even manage to take over a street corner convenience store. And Cliff doesn't have the credentials to work for one, much less the brain power."

That proved to be Clark's tipping point. "FUCK YOU!" he roared as he lunged from his seat. Unfortunately for him, he was still handcuffed to the chair, and found his momentum swiftly aborted before he could even clear the ground. He landed in a painful heap, and before he could figure out what was going on, the police officers were already yanking him off the ground to shove his gag back into place.

"Well, that could have gone better," Olivia remarked as Clark was uncuffed from the chair and led struggling and seething away.

"It could have, but we did confirm a few important details," Brock noted. "A start is a start. Good work, Roxanne."

"Thanks, I guess. Though how in the hell did Cliff of all people inspire that kind of loyalty?"

Brock's mouth thinned out. "I don't know. Clearly, he's changed since he left."

"Yeah, but into what?"

With a grunt, Brock stood up. "That is what I hope to find out."

…

It was a little past nine-thirty in the morning when Ash and May emerged from the tent, and by the Guardian Trio, it was a beautiful day!

The sun was shining bright to the east, lighting the direction their path would take them. It was warm, but pleasantly so, with a gentle breeze rustling the grass. A small family of Psyducks were making slow, clumsy circles in the lake, occasionally dunking their large heads into the cool water, no doubt trying to ease their headaches. All around was the chirping of Pidgeys.

As for Ash, he felt so much better than he had the day before. Still totally pooped, but a good night's rest had done him a lot of good.

As did what was waiting for the two of them.

The campfire was crackling again, with the cooking pot again in use. And contently stirring its contents while humming a happy song was Misty. She was standing with her lovely, naked back to the pair, tanned honey-brown with a light dusting of freckles around the shoulder blades. However, she was considerably more dressed than Ash and May, in that she had donned a simple white apron, its string tied right over her cute little back dimples.

She must have heard them approach, as she looked over her shoulder to favor them with a sunny smile. "Good morning, you two!" she sang, waving her spoon at them. "Sleep good?"

"Amazing," May sighed as she headed right for her. "And can I just say that you rock the whole naked apron thing?"

"Of course I do. Now, c'mere." Misty reached down to possessively grip May by the butt and bring her into a good morning kiss.

Ash's smile perked up. His morning just seemed determined to keep getting better and better.

Releasing May, Misty reached toward Ash as well. "And there's my guy!"

Ash stepped forward, expecting to feel Misty's hand on his rear as well. But to his surprise, she instead wrapped it around his dangling cock and gently tugged him into his own kiss.

Ash was still kind of spent, to the point where even watching Misty and May kiss hadn't gotten more than a few interested twitches out of him, but now he felt his cock swell with strength and vigor, filling Misty's grip.

"There we go," Misty murmured as they parted. "Let me guess: May drained you first thing when you woke up?"

Oh, her hand felt so good. Ash managed a small nod.

"Well, to tell the truth, it ended a little quicker than I wanted," May complained. "Ended up splooging all over my back."

Ash shot her a dirty look. "Hey, I'm new at this, okay?"

"Well, we'll just have to build up your stamina," Misty said. She gave his stiff rod one last affectionate squeeze before returning to her pot.

Breakfast turned out to be instant oatmeal and the last of their dried fruit again. Plain, but none of them cared, and they wolfed it down regardless.

May finished up first. "Oh, and by the way, I know about Jessie now," she told Misty.

Ash winced. Oh, crap.

Misty stiffened. "I…what?"

"I know about Jessie. I figured you guys were hiding something from me, so I asked Ash."

"I-" Ash buried his face in his hand.

Shaken, Misty said, "May, believe me, it's not like we wanted to hide it from you. B-But, you know, it was such as-"

"Hey. Relax." May laid a hand on Misty's trembling knee. "I get it, okay? I had my thing I didn't want to talk about, you guys had your thing, but now we both know each other's things. We're good."

A few quiet moments passed, and then Misty resumed eating. A second later they all did.

"Are you okay?" May said at last.

Misty shivered. "I'm okay. It wasn't-Well, we beat her and got away." She shot a look to Ash, who grimaced and looked away.

"Ah," May said. "Change the subject. Got it."

The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence.

"So," Misty said as they were finishing up. "We're all okay and back together. What should we do today?" Ash sighed, thankful for the new direction.

May's hand shot into the air. "Hey, can I just take this time to say can we please just take a day? Because yesterday's nap and a full night of sleep was nice, sure, but we're all too pooped to do anything."

Ash frowned. May's idea left him feeling a little conflicted. On the one hand, she was right. They were all exhausted. But on the other hand, after everything that had happened, spending a whole day doing nothing seemed like a waste.

Misty must have caught the look on his face, as she then said, "She's got a point, Ash. You won't do yourself any good pushing yourself to exhaustion. Being a Pokemon trainer means a lot of hard work, but it also means knowing when it's time to take a break.

"Huh?" Ash blinked. "Wait, why are you convincing me? Isn't it your call?"

Misty sighed. "Oh, Ash..." she groaned.

May gave Ash as reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Champ, I know we're all getting used to how things work now, and I know Misty is the one with the experience and the fancy titles, but let's not forget who is whose property here. You're the boss, remember?"

Oh. Right.

"Okay, fine," Ash said at last. "We all need a break."

"Oh, Jirachi be praised," May sighed. Setting her bowl aside, she extended her arms over her head and stretched. "I need this; I really do."

"Don't get too comfortable," Misty said, motioning toward her with her spoon. "We still have lots to do today."

"Huh?" May was aghast. "Oh, come on! Like what?"

"Like getting more supplies, for one! Most of our food was in my pack, and who knows where that is?"

"On the bridge, where you left it!"

Ash frowned. "Why would it still be there? Wouldn't someone have picked it up by now?"

"And taken it where?" May snorted. "Maybe we should check the lost and found."

"Lost and...Is there one?"

In answer, May swung her arm out at the wilderness around them. "You see one around here?"

"Well, there's at least a ranger's station," Misty said. "Probably."

"Huh?"

Misty also gestured toward their surroundings. "I took a look around while you two were sleeping. Turns out, we're not actually at the bottom of the mountain. This is actually an outcropping part of the way down."

"We're not?" May said in dismay. "I thought we were done with all of this mountain crap!"

"We're done with the underground part, and-Hey, stop giving me that look!" Misty snapped at the visibly disappointed Ash. "We aren't back into those caves, and that's final!"

"I thought I was in charge!" Ash shot back.

"Ash!"

"Fine, fine," Ash grumbled as he raised his hands. "You can be the one to explain to Nidoran why we didn't find any moon stones."

Sighing, Misty turned her attention back to the subject at hand. "My point is, we may be close to the public trails. If we can find one, we can find a ranger's station. Heck, we might even find a community center, or even a PokeCenter! And if we do that, we might be able to get more supplies, call for help-"

"Yeah, I know I'm basically both of your bitch here," May said flatly. "But I'm going to go ahead and veto that last one. Let's face it: we can't really trust anyone around here."

"Watch your language," Misty admonished. Then her face softened. "But dang it, you're right. The last time the police showed up, it was all Rockets."

"We could at least figure out what happened to your bag," Ash suggested. "I mean, if there's a PokeCenter, then not everyone working there can be Team Rocket, if any."

"I guess it's a good place to start," Misty said dubiously.

Ash nodded. "And even if we do take it easy, I still have lots to do myself. Now that I've got three Pokemon, training is even more important than ever before!"

May scowled. "You both really need to learn what 'take a day' means. Come on!"

Smirking, Misty reached over to give one of May's nipples a tweak. "Oh, relax. You know we'll find plenty of time for you."

Sulking, May folded her arms. "Not enough," she muttered.

Misty and Ash exchanged a small look, and an understanding passed between them. Misty nodded once, and got up to walk over to May's other side.

"Huh?" May said in confusion as Misty sat down next to her. "What are-"

Ash leaned in, one hand going in to cover her breast, the other looping around her waist, while he pressed his lips to the side of her neck. Misty moved in as well, though she was more direct, swinging her leg around to straddle May's thigh. Now facing her PokeGirl, she pressed herself in, capturing May's surprised but not at all displeased mouth with her own, while sliding her hand in-between May's legs to trail over the fiery preteen's sex.

May melted immediately beneath their ministrations, surrendering herself as Ash continued to kiss and caress her body while the force of Misty's kiss bent her back little by little. Her hips shook beneath the tender touches Misty was giving to her pussy, her delight manifesting in small whimpers.

Then Misty leaned her back too far, and she lost her balance, falling backward off of the log to land in the grass, her legs still thrown over the log's curve. Expecting this, Misty followed her down, laying her body on top of May's as she continued to favor her with sweet kisses and probing fingers. Ash slid off of the log as well, laying down on his belly next to the girls while letting his fingers grope at both of them, squeezing May's breast and grabbing at Misty's butt.

Misty moved away from May's mouth, letting Ash take her place while she ran her tongue down the sides of May's neck.

Ash considered kissing her, but then a thought occurred to him. Perhaps her mouth could be put to better use.

Kneeling down next to her face, Ash gripped his stiffening cock and brought it close to her lips. Though May was eagerly losing herself to bliss, she understood immediately what he wanted, and lunged her head at him, wrapping her mouth around his shaft.

Ash sighed in happiness as May's soft mouth and wet tongue closed around his engorged penis. He gently, yet firmly, took her face in his hands to guide her back and forth. And May was only too eager to comply, suckling on him in a desperate frenzy, the warmth of the inside of her mouth coaxing out the blissful warmth deep inside of Ash's loins.

His eyelids fluttered, but he resisted the urge to let them close. Instead, he forced himself to focus on the naked young girls writhing beneath him. Misty had pushed herself up on her palms just enough to shove one leg in-between May's thighs, letting her friend grind her moistening pussy down against Misty's knee while she continued to play with her fleshy lower lips. With her other hand, she threaded her fingers through May's hair before laying her palm flat on the back of the other girl's head, helping Ash guide her.

"May," Ash panted. "Not gonna…I'm almost!"

At least when Ash came this time it was inside of one of May's holes instead of all over her back. Groaning, he thrust his cock deep into her mouth one last time as his orgasm filled her mouth. May's eyes rolled back, and she made a sound not unlike the singing of a teakettle as her lips released him and she fell back, his seed still seeping out of one edge of her mouth.

"Tastes good, doesn't it?" Misty said, giving her a small kiss that helped clean it up. "Now, it's your turn!" The hand that had been gently stroking May's pussy suddenly went on the offensive, aggressively shoving two fingers deep inside of May and twisting. Though he was still cooling off, Ash was still very appreciative of the lurid display.

"Oh man," May groaned as orgasmic tremors swept up through her body. "I...Yeah, okay, fine. You made your point."

Smirking, Misty sat down on her knees next to the panting May while Ash sat up on the other side of their PokeGirl. Though he hadn't done much physically, he was breathing heavily as well, with that last bout having taken more out of him than he had expected.

"So, are we not going to be selfish about how much attention we get?" Misty said as she tenderly stroked May's cheek.

May sighed. "Oh, fine. Go do your trainer thing. I'll just find myself a smooth rock or something."

"We have got to get you some toys," Misty muttered. "But of course, all mine were in my pack, and…Ash?"

Ash's eyes were starting to droop. A wave of fatigue washed over him, and he began to sway back and forth.

"Ash!" Misty gave him a hard flick to the forehead.

Jolting back to wakefulness, Ash violently shook his head, hoping to banish the sudden bout of sleepiness. "I'm good, I'm good! I just…got really sleepy all of a sudden."

"Oh, darn it, still?" Misty groused as she rose up. "Okay, give me a moment. I think we still have some BoosterAde packets."

As she headed for Ash's pack, May sat up next to the drowsy trainer. "You good, champ?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash yawned. "I'm not going to pass out again, so don't worry."

May shook her head and tsked. "See? Told you to take it easy. You definitely need a break instead of wearing yourself down."

Ash shot her a glare. "The reason I keep getting all sleepy is because of all the sexy stuff we keep doing, which is mostly your fault!"

"Hey, don't look at me. You guys started this one. This is on you."

With a sigh, Ash conceded the point.

Misty returned with a canteen. "Okay, trainer mine. Let's get you hydrated."

As promised, the water had BoosterAde mixed in, a sweet compound loaded with electrolytes and sugars. It was meant to help trainers keep up with their PokeGirls without wringing themselves dry.

"Though if you're still tired, you could just take a nap," May suggested. Grinning fetchingly, she spread her arms. "C'mon, I'll be your pillow!"

Misty gave the back of May's head a quick swat. "Stop it. You already popped him off twice. Let him get his strength back."

Though Ash was very tempted to take May up on her offer, the girls weren't his only companions. He had a few others that he needed to touch base with.

"Maybe later," he said, with a twinge of regret. With a grunt, he pushed himself to his feet. "C'mon, we need to bring the guys out."

…

The more that Brock learned about what had happened within Mt. Moon, the less he liked it. He had known that Team Rocket would likely covet the treasures hidden there, but he had never anticipated such a highly organized and secretive operation to strip the mountain bare, much less that it would involve his estranged cousin. But the more he thought about it, the more disturbing amount of sense it made.

Cliff. Damn. How did it go so wrong?

In the meantime, there was another mystery to be unraveled, one that he wasn't sure belonged to the scientific field or the mystical one.

Fortunately, there was someone on hand that was an expert in at least one of those.

He left the dusty clearing, moving away from the tents and the crowds, and headed out into the forest.

Even here, the crisis response teams were busy. Every now and then he'd come across rangers escorting scared civilians toward the headquarters, police officers bringing in another surly Rocket Grunt, or even the occasional hazmat crew.

It was that last group that drew his attention. They were clad in bulky, full-body outfits of orange rubber and were bearing insulated bags and mechanical scoopers. Apparently, some odd material had been showing up in the forest.

Frowning, Brock pressed on. Officer Jenny had said that the person he was looking for could be found not far from the base camp.

Then, as he circled around yet another tree, Brock found what he was looking for. Despite the direness of the situation, Brock still felt a smile form when he saw the man crouching at the foot of a tree, running his hand through the forest mulch.

The man was elderly, nearing the tail end of his sixth decade, with a fully shaven head laden with liver spots, a small salt-and-pepper mustache, and leathery skin browned from a lifetime spent in the glaring light of the sun. He didn't seem to be anyone important, clad in a button-down shirt patterned with orange flowers, khaki shorts, leather sandals, and thick sunglasses that were pushed high up on his brow, revealing a pair of piercing blue eyes. With one hand he held the shaft of a walking stick that seemed to be made from the vertebrae of a long-extinct creature, topped with a silver handle, on which was placed a wide-brimmed straw hat encircled by a white band adorned with a colorful feather. With his other hand he was brushing aside the rotten leaves and other debris that coated the forest floor.

The old man must have heard Brock approach, as he raised his head and turned it toward the younger man. Seeing Brock, his withered features broke into a wide grin that made him seem at least a decade younger than he actually was.

"Well, lookie who finally decided to show!" the old man said as straightened to his feet with an ease that contrasted with his years. "'What happened, boy? Get lost?"

"Actually, I caught a whiff of what smelled like old leather covered in baby oil, and it was so rancid that I almost went home," Brock retorted. He held out his hand, and the old man happily clasped it with his own, his grip almost a match for Brock's own.

With a laugh, the old man pulled Brock into a tight hug. "Well, glad you decided to stop being such a damned pussy and help an old man out!" he said, thumping Brock on the back.

Of all of the Gym Leaders in the Kanto Region, Dr. Blaine by far wore the most hats, which was fitting, as he seemed to have a different straw hat every time Brock saw him. Revolutionary evolutionary biologist, gentleman adventurer, renowned archeologist, talented saxophone player (see him every Friday and Saturday night at the Cinnabar Tropicana Lounge!), and world-famous lover of fine wine and even finer women, and that was on top of serving as Kanto's fire-type Gym Leader, which he did from his gym which sat upon the slopes of an active volcano. It spoke to his many accomplishments that he considered having mentored the Indigo League Champion Lance to be nothing more than a simple friendship that had turned out pretty good. Brock, who was no slouch himself when it came to both physical and scholarly pursuits, would count himself lucky if he managed to achieve half of what Dr. Blaine had done in his long and full life.

"Well, someone had to," Brock said as they parted. "What if you fell and broke your hip?"

"Ha! Trust me, boy. These bones may be old, but they're tougher than steel. I ever tell you about that one time I lost my balance repainting my gym? Fell three stories and-"

"And you landed on your Rhydon's head," Brock finished for him. "Was a nice, soft landing for you, but the poor boy had a migraine for days. I know."

"Then you should know better than to ask stupid questions. Now, riddle me this: from above I was dropped, and from below I was thrown. To some I grow life, to others I am little more than stone. What am I?"

It was one of Dr. Blaine's easier riddles, but that was probably the point. "Moon stone," Brock answered. "What we know about them suggests that they originated from the asteroid that made Mt. Moon, and their evolutionary properties only affect a few species of Pokemon."

"Very good!" Dr. Blaine cackled. "No doubt what those Rocket bastards were after."

"That seems logical," Brock said with a nod. "But what are you getting at?"

In answer, Dr. Blaine reached down into the mulch and extract a small chunk of crystal, about the size of an acorn. It was of a pale pink color.

Brock frowned. "Hang on, that's a piece of moon stone, all right. But it looks…"

"Depleted," Dr. Blaine finished for him. "Been finding bits of this all over the place. All of them drained of energy."

A cold, sour feeling began to churn in Brock's stomach. An evolutionary stone drained of its power usually meant that it had been used to evolve a Pokemon. "Are you telling me that Team Rocket mass-evolved a bunch of Pokemon?"

"That was my first guess, but upon thinking about it for, oh, about half-a-second, I'm gonna say no." He tossed the dead moon stone over to Brock. "Take a look at this thing. Tell me what you see."

Curious, Brock turned the small chunk of crystal around in his hands. He had handled evolutionary stones plenty of times in the past, both before and after use, and now that Dr. Blaine had pointed it out, there was something off about this one.

"It's burnt," Brock observed. "What's more, it's shot through with micro-fractures. Might even be a bit of warping in the crystalline structure."

"Exactamundo," Dr. Blaine grunted as he straightened up and wiped his palms off on his shorts. "This thing wasn't used. It exploded."

That made sense. If Team Rocket had been stockpiling moon stone and their base exploded, their stolen treasure would have likely overloaded, making the explosion even bigger. That is, if the overload wasn't the source to begin with. Either way, it all came out the same.

"Is that how it got here?" Brock asked, looking up at the towering visage of the mountain. Smoke still rose from where the explosion had escaped. "Launched into the sky and came plummeting down?"

"Yeah, you'd think. Except the angle's all wrong, the distance don't make a lick of sense, and that can't explain this."

Dr. Blaine pointed at a nearby tree trunk. Frowning, Brock knelt down to take a closer look.

"Is that…does it have little chunks of moon stone embedded in the trunk?"

"Sure does," Dr. Blaine confirmed. "And so does that one and so does that one. All the trees around here do. All around their trunks."

The furrows of Brock's brow dug in deeper. He looked up at the forest canopy. "Okay, we've got bits of exploded moon stone along the foot of the mountain. Pieces of them got stuck in the trunks of nearby trees, but they couldn't have simply fallen here. If they fully surround the trunks, then there's no chance they could have simply been blasted into the tree."

"A paraplegic Zubat could see that," Blaine grunted. "What else?"

"The trunks," Brock said. Around each embedded moon stone the bark was cracked and warped, as well as a little scorched. However, that was all it was. "The wood is splintered, but not from a high-velocity impact. It's almost as if these got shoved in there instead of launched."

"Obviously. What else?"

Brock looked back up to the sky. "And the canopy is whole. Undamaged. If burning crystals really did fall from above, there would be evidence of their passing."

"Precisely," Blaine stated. He jabbed at one tree with the butte of his cane. "But then, how did these get here? How did a bunch of exploding moon stone end up all the way out here?"

His frown deepening, Brock rubbed his chin as he thought. Of all the evolutionary crystals, moon stone was one of the strangest and most unpredictable. Not being a terrestrial mineral meant that it often displayed unique properties that frankly defied all expectations, and experiments performed on the mineral had yielded many surprising results.

It was those experiments that Brock thought back to. Given that he was the Gym Leader closest with the Pokemon of Mt. Moon, that meant that any moon stone removed for scientific research had to go through him first, which also meant that he was kept up-to-date on that research itself, especially since most of it was done in his city's museum. And he now recalled one particular experiment that had caused quite a bit of hubbub, when a chunk of raw moon stone was slowly fed fairy energy until it overloaded and-

"Teleported?" Brock said. "These things teleported out here?"

"And the light dawns!" Dr. Blaine cackled. "Took you long enough to get there, even with me doing the leading!"

Teleportation as a concept was nothing new. Certain Pokemon naturally possessed the ability, though only ghost-typed PokeGirls have been known to possess it, and deliberately creating ghost-types was very illegal, on account of the whole "murder" thing. Matter transmission technology did exist, and was connected to the matter transmission that made capture balls possible and also allowed trainers to carry large amounts of supplies in simple backpacks. However, the teleportation of a living being through technology was still in its early infancy, and hadn't been tested on people just yet. Its success with things like rocks was also unstable at best. And Brock had never heard of inanimate objects suddenly teleporting themselves in nature.

"Incredible," Brock whispered. "To think it could happen naturally, and on such a large scale…"

"Yeah, the journals will be very interesting for a time," Dr. Blaine noted. "But we can leave that to the lab rats."

"Says the biggest, oldest rat of them all," Brock pointed out.

Dr. Blaine grinned. "Rata-tat-tat," he said. "But we need to focus on the here and now. We now for certain that moon stone exposed to immense stress goes kablooie through the fabric of space and time, and brings a whole lotta junk with it. And from what we've gathered, Team Rocket had loads of this stuff in storage."

Brock caught on. "Which means if any of the moon stone that they had stockpiled teleported out here as well, then there's no telling what they might have brought along for the ride."

…

Light coalesced in the grass, taking form and gaining color. Nidoran appeared.

The poisonous young warrior looked around in confusion, no doubt wondering how they had gone from fighting a crazed Team Rocket PokeGirl in an ancient ruin to being out in a grassy field in broad daylight.

"Hey, buddy!" Ash said, kneeling down in front of him. "We made it!"

Nidoran's eyes widened. Then, with a happy cry, he ran circles around his trainer, hopping in victory while cheering.

"Nido! Nido! Nido!"

"Yeah, it's over!" Ash said, giving the little guy a healthy scratch behind the ears. "And we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you."

Chittering happily, Nidoran nuzzled his master's palm, careful not to prick the skin with any of his spines. Then he looked around and gave an inquisitive, "Nidoni?"

Ash sighed. "Uh, she's...she's gone. Fell into a hole. She won't bother us anymore."

Sensing his master's ambivalence, Nidoran merely nodded and said in a solemn tone, "Nidoran."

"I'm okay. Everyone is." Then Ash brightened. "And guess who we found!"

He turned, letting Nidoran get a look at the two PokeGirls standing behind him.

Nidoran bobbed his head in happy greeting toward Misty, who smiled and waved in return. But then he caught sight of May.

"Ni!" he cried as he rushed in to greet her.

"Wow, he's really happy to see her," Misty noted.

"May's the one that beat him so I could catch him," Ash pointed out. "I think he respects that."

"Hey, look who it is!" May said, kneeling down as Nidoran stood up on his hind legs and pawed at her shin. Taking both of his forepaws in her hands, she said, "Heard you've been kicking ass and taking names. Good job!"

Nidoran beamed. "Nido-Ni!" he chittered.

But then he paused, and settled back down on all fours. He looked first up at May, then at Misty, and then over to Ash. His face fell, and he sighed.

"Huh?" May said, tilting her head to one side. "What's up?"

Ash had to chew on the inside of his mouth to keep from snickering. "Uh, when me and Misty were, um, doing our thing, he kind of found it annoying. So he probably noticed that we're all kind of naked here and figured..."

"Dori," Nidoran groused.

May burst out laughing. "Oh, is that it? Sorry, Tough Guy, but that's kind of what we're all about now."

"Among other things," Misty corrected.

"But it's still important!" May stood and sashayed over to where Ash and Misty were standing, one hand on her hip as her rear swayed cheerfully from side to side. Spinning on her heel, she looped an arm around both of her friends' waists and drew them in close. "Gonna have to get used to our debaucherous ways."

Nidoran let out a long groan.

"It won't be that bad," Ash promised him. "May's just messing with you."

"Hey, I'm being serious, here! Also, yeah, I'm messing with him. I can do both."

Snorting in annoyance, Nidoran rolled his eyes in a very humanlike manner.

Then he paused.

"Nidoran?" Ash said.

And then he looked up at the mountain and sighed.

"Nidoran, what's wrong?"

In answer, Nidoran glanced over to him and then back to Mt. Moon. He pawed at the ground before settling down, a morose look on his face.

Ash got it then. "This is about how we didn't find any moon stones, isn't it?" he said.

Another sigh. Nidoran nodded.

Letting out a sigh of his own, Ash knelt down next to him and gently scratched him behind his ears. "Nidoran, I'm sorry we couldn't find any. I know you really want to grow up soon; I get it. I promise I did try, but I bet you anything that most of the moon stones got stolen by Team Rocket."

In answer, Nidoran shot him a glower and chittered at him in annoyance. "Ni-do-lech!"

"Oh. Right. Him." Ash winced. "Uh, look: we were already in hot water with him when we first showed up, especially since humans were stealing all of the moon stones already, so asking for one could have gotten them really mad at us. They might have eaten us. And after that business with Jessie, you know that wasn't happening!"

Frowning, May leaned toward Misty and murmured, "Wait, who is he talking about again?"

"Ambihilech," Misty muttered back. "You know, that talking Onix made out of moon stones that we told you about?"

"Oh. Oh, right. That guy. Can I just say how totally unfair it is that you guys got to meet like actual Pokemon gods while I got stuck fighting a bunch of loser thugs?"

Ash ignored them. "Our names are pretty much mud with those guys now. If we show up again, they'd probably kill us on sight."

Though he still looked disgruntled, Nidoran did at least seem to accept this explanation. Snorting, he sat down in the grass and stared moodily up at the mountain.

"Look, just because we didn't have any luck doesn't mean it's over," Ash told him. "There's plenty of trainers out there with Nidokings and Nidoqueens and Wigglytuffs and even Clefables who probably didn't find moon stones in Mt. Moon. So you know there's other ways to get one! And I promise you that we'll find you a moon stone before the tournament. You'll be a full King before too long!" Smiling in encouragement, Ash reached down to give the sulky Pokemon's chin a light poke. "So chin up! By the time that happens, you'll be the toughest Nidorino around, which'll make you an absolute monster of a Nidoking!"

"He's right, you know," Misty put in. She squatted down next to Ash. "There's plenty of moon stones in circulation. And it really is better to spend some time in your second stage before going for the full evolution. Doing it too quickly will just make you a weaker King in the end."

Nidoran looked at him them both. "Ni?"

"Of course we promise!" Ash said. "Before we're done, you're going to be unstoppable!"

It seemed that Ash's pep talk had worked its magic, as Nidoran began hopping around in excitement while squeaking, "Ni! Ni! Ni!"

Laughing, Ash straightened up. "All right, buddy. We'll have to work hard, but I know you're up for it."

Nidoran nodded. Then he stood up on his hind legs, forepaws held tightly to his chest. He almost looked like a soldier standing at attention. "Nido-Ni!" he declared.

"You really do have a knack for this," Misty told Ash as he recalled Nidoran into his pokeball. "I mean, most junior trainers can barely get a Ratata to listen to them, and here you are having entire conversations."

Ash shrugged. "Some of my friends growing up had a hard time communicating, so I guess I just learned how to read people. It's not that hard if you're willing to be patient and look out for the little details." Then his face fell. "I just hope I'm as good as you say, because next up is Tangela."

…

"Well, there he is!" Dr. Blaine called over the sound of the wind. He was perched at the front of his Charizard's neck, holding onto the great fire lizard's horns as if they were reins, with Brock riding behind him closer to the shoulders. All in all, it wasn't the most comfortable way to travel, nor was it the safest, but time was of the essence.

Thus far, Brock's journey to Mt. Moon had been both productive and troubling. On the plus side, he had safely reunited with his PokeGirls, learned valuable information concerning Team Rocket's operations and leadership, and helped identify what might actually be a major scientific breakthrough.

On the more negative side, the children that he had sent Roxanne and Olivia to save were still missing and in danger, Team Rocket's operations were turning out to be far more extensive than anyone could have imagined, and Cliff…

Well. That was its own thing.

In the meantime, there was yet another major concern that he had to see to so long as he was at the mountain, as did Dr. Blaine. As such, after reporting their findings concerning the moon stones to the authorities (to many incredulous looks), Dr. Blaine had brought out his Charizard to bear the two Gym Leaders to meet with one last member of their party.

They found him standing at the old, abandoned entrance to the SilphCo mine shaft. He was a couple years older than Brock, dressed in a blue tunic fringed in orange, loose blue pants, and black boots. A high-collared cape sat around his shoulders, fastened by a pair of silver chains. His pinkish-orange hair sat stood up in sharp spikes, and his piercing emerald eyes seemed drawn into a perpetual frown.

The Champion of any given league was a unique position. Though they were only required to battle once every year against whoever won that year's tournament, as the region's top trainer they had a plethora of different responsibilities to keep them busy in the meantime, from challenging those who would threaten the region to settling violent disputes to acting as an ambassador to the wild Pokemon should one be needed.

In short, the League Champion also acted as the region's protector. There were always those looking to exploit people and Pokemon, and it was the Champion's job to ensure that their designs failed.

Despite his youth, Lance Guenevere had been Champion for almost seven years now. His story was famous, a true rags to riches tale, going from a common street thief to perhaps the most powerful man in the region. And it couldn't be said that it wasn't deserved. Lance was, to date, the only person to ever win back-to-back tournaments, just barely coming up short in unseating the previous Champion his first attempt and finally succeeding in his second. Hero to thousands, role model to children everywhere, Lance's skill as a trainer was unmatched, as was his dedication to keeping safe the region that had given him a second chance.

However, Brock knew that there was far more to Lance than being the famed Dragon Tamer whose likeness adorned many a poster. The rising threat of Team Rocket and their increased aggressiveness weighed more heavily on Lance's mind than anyone else, and Brock knew that he took recent failures very hard, something that the situation at the mountain was probably not going to help.

Lance barely glanced at the pair as they disembarked. The young man's face was tense, drawn, as if he had already received bad news and was anticipating more. Which, Brock was sorry to admit, was likely true.

"Brock," Lance said by way of greeting, giving a small, yet still friendly, nod of his head. He held out his fist, and Brock lightly tapped it with his own. "Good to see you."

"Same," Brock said. "Despite the circumstances."

Lance nodded again. Then he looked to Dr. Blaine, who was in the process of recalling his Charizard. "Doctor," he said, this time inclining his head deeper and using a more respectful tone.

Dr. Blaine grinned. "Hey, kiddo. Hope we didn't keep you waiting."

"As of yet, no. I've already heard from Ambihilech. He's sending someone to escort us."

Brock's shoulders tensed. "Well, at least he's willing to talk," he said.

"He is at least polite. But, um…" Lance winced. "I get the impression that he's…pissed."

Harumphing, Dr. Blaine planted his cane into the ground in front of him with both hands resting on the head. "Can't say I'm surprised. A bunch of meatbags come and take your shit and fuck up your home, you'd be pissed at the rest of them, too."

"True. I had…hoped to find him in a more agreeable mood, but it seems to be not the case." Lance slowly exhaled. "We'll accept the consequences and do what we can to make restitution. Their anger is justified."

"Agreed," Brock said. "The rest of the League won't be happy, though."

"Then the rest of the League can buck up and help root out the rest of Team Rocket so we can send Ambihilech Giovanni's head on a platter. Until then, we hold no cards."

The three of them fell silent, each mulling over the severity of the situation. The truce with the mountain's Pokemon and their enigmatic protector had always been fragile, and now it had been dashed completely. What was worse, they had only themselves to blame. They had been lax in holding up their end, and now they had to pay the price.

"Brock, what news of Misty?" Lance said at last.

Brock winced. Speaking of letting people down…

"Alive and free, as far as I know."

"As far as you know?"

"I sent two of my PokeGirls after her and her friends immediately. They found them, but Team Rocket attacked at roughly the same time. Chaos ensued, and my girls were separated from the kids by the mountain's collapse. But apparently the kids did make it out of the mountain together. What happened after, I can't tell you."

Lance's jaw tightened. "That's not good enough, Brock. Every second she's out there, she's in danger."

"I know. We'll find her."

"Soon. Something's happening in Cerulean. My sources are basically shut out, and-"

"Later," Dr. Blaine growled.

It was evident why. Several hulking figures were emerging from the tunnel. It was clear that the Guardian of Mt. Moon was taking their presence seriously, as Brock counted two Nidokings, a Nidoqueen, three Golems, and an Onix. Among them were three large-clawed Sandslashes.

Brock, who knew a thing or two about Mt. Moon's Pokemon community, understood immediately. The big ones were there to ward off any angry local Pokemon that might want to try something. And the Sandslashes were there in case the three humans might want to try something. Brock had no doubt that they had orders to disembowel him and his companions at the slightest sign of trouble.

The lead Golem glowered at the three humans with its small, beady eyes. Then it gestured for them to follow.

"Well, boys, that's as clear an invitation as you can want," Dr. Blaine remarked. If he was at all ruffled by the show of force, then he didn't show it. "Shall we?"

…

Ash stood in the open field, Misty and May huddled behind him. In his hand was Tangela's pokeball, which he was nervously rolling around between his fingers.

On the whole, Ash did not regret his refusal to give Tangela up. Tangela was his. He had been the one to catch her, which made her his responsibility. He knew what it was like to be abandoned by those close to him, and he would rather surrender his trainer's license rather than do that to anyone else, be they human or Pokemon.

But that did not mean that he was closing his eyes to how unstable she was, or how dangerous. And the last thing she had been doing before being recalled into her pokeball was inflicting a great amount of violence on a human being.

This was going to be risky.

Ash took a deep breath to steady himself. Risky or not, it had to be done. Then, when he felt that his nerves were steady, he clicked the pokeball, expanding it to fill his palm.

Well, here goes.

"Ready?" Ash said. The other two nodded, so he tossed the next pokeball into the grass.

It opened, and the escaping energy took the shape of his most powerful, and yet most unstable Pokemon.

Sure enough, Tangela was still in fight-mode. "TAN!" she screamed, lashing out with her vines at where Jessie had been before Ash had recalled the enraged shrub away. When she found herself not in a dark cave pummeling an evil woman, but instead out in a grassy field in open sunlight, she paused in confusion.

"Tan?" she said, looking around. Then she saw Ash, and her eyes regained focus.

"Tangela, it's me," Ash said, trying not to let his nervousness show. "You recognize me, right?"

Thankfully, Tangela's anger seemed to be seeping away, to be replaced with bewilderment. "Tannatan?" she inquired.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's over," Ash said as he slowly approached. "You beat her! We won!"

Tangela had no eyebrows to speak of, but the way her vines lifted over her right eye still gave the impression of one being raised in an inquisitive manner. "Gell?"

"Well, we escaped! We're out! And it's all thanks to you!" Ash extended a hand, though he paused before actually touching the mass of greenish-blue vines.

Fortunately, the fight seemed to have gone out of Tangela. "Tanny!" she chortled, extending a pair of vines to wrap very gently around Ash's hand. Relieved, he brought it down to give her an affection rub.

"Thank you," he said as he knelt down next to her. "We couldn't have done it without you."

Tangela beamed at the praise. But then she caught sight of the two PokeGirls standing a bit of distance away from her and her trainer, and she froze.

"Don't worry!" Ash quickly told her. "It's okay!" He gestured toward the wary Misty and May. "We're all together again!"

Though she didn't freak out like in times past, Tangela still looked dubious. She glanced from Ash to the girls and back to Ash. "Gela?" she gurgled.

Steeling herself, Misty slowly stepped forward. Tangela stiffened, but didn't run, and didn't attack. She watched as the PokeGirl approached, tensing up in case she was attacked.

But Misty's intentions were anything but hostile. "Hey," she said softly as she knelt down in front of the unstable Pokemon. "Ash is right. You saved us. Thanks." She extended her hand, in which was a pile of powdered pokebrick. "Um, I know things have been weird between us, but none of it was your fault, and I do owe you one. So, friends?"

Tangela stiffened in surprise at the offer of friendship. She glanced over to her trainer, who nodded. Though she still seemed unsure, she extended another vine and carefully accepted the offering.

"Woohoo!" May cheered. She began to job over to join them. "Friendship ending unlocked! Yeah, we're-"

"May!" both Ash and Misty snapped. "Slowly!"

"What?" Then May saw Tangela had gone stiff again. "Oh! Sorry. Didn't mean to spook you."

Clearing her throat, May took the rest of the way more carefully. "Hey, we're cool," she said. "You're a valued part of the team, and we owe you a lot." She extended her own hand. "So, can we be friends, too?"

Though she didn't have much of a face, Tangela honestly looked overwhelmed by the outpouring display of support and acceptance from those that she had hurt. "Tan..." she said, her voice getting choked up. Her large eyes were misting with tears.

Suddenly, she lunged forward to wrap her vines around all three children and yanked them into a tight embrace. "Tan! Tan!" she cried happily.

Misty grimaced, but kept her reflexes under control. "Yeah, we're all one big happy family," she groaned. Man, that thing was strong.

"Tangela," Ash wheezed. "Please. Ease. Up."

Tangela froze. Then she quickly released the three grimacing children.

"Tan! Tan!" she gibbered, twisting her vines up in distress.

"It's okay!" Ash was quick to say, though he couldn't help but wince as he straightened up. "We're fine, I promise!"

"Tangel?" Tangela said, tilting her head/body in askance. She didn't seem sure if she believed him.

Fortunately, May was there to help. "Don't worry," she said, hunching over with her hands on her knees. "It takes more than a tight hug to hurt us." She smiled, and flashed a thumb's up. "We're just glad you're okay."

Relieved, Tangela nodded. "Tanny," she said, her tone apologetic.

"I've got to admit, Ash," Misty remarked as Ash recalled Tangela. "I had my doubts about her, but you've really helped her come along."

"Thanks," Ash said, and meant it. "I'm just glad she trusts me. After everything that's been done to her, I wouldn't blame her for hating every human that she sees."

"Well, that's two," May remarked, entwining her fingers over her head and stretching. "Now, I think you have someone to introduce me to?"

Ash rubbed his back with a wince, but he nodded. "Okay," he said. "But we'd better get in the tent. I don't think he'll like the sunlight."

…

Down and down Brock and his companions were led, following their Pokemon escort. They moved out of the reach of the sunlight very quickly, and soon were walking along in utter darkness, having to rely on their guides' growling and occasional prodding to know where to put their feet.

Brock couldn't say he was at ease with the whole arrangement. The Pokemon of the mountain were intelligent and had a sense of honor, and he had enjoyed a cordial relationship with them for many years. However, they were still wild animals, and had a very good reason to be angry. If this turned out to be a trap intended to end the life of three prominent humans by way of recompense, then there would be little any of them could about it.

However, if they were to have even the slightest chance of making amends with the Pokemon of Mt. Moon, then they had to take it. He could only pray that Ambihilech was in a somewhat reasonable mood.

Then, as they turned a corner, pale light again shone upon them. Brock winced, as even his especially narrow eyelids weren't enough to protect his dilated pupils from the sudden brightness.

The brightness turned out to be their host. Rearing up above them was a monstrous serpent, made from living crystal. He shone with celestial power, the same power that had driven Team Rocket from the mountain, and his gemstone eyes glittered with a sharp intelligence and burned with barely constrained fury.

Ambihilech.

The lead Golem stomped its way to stand before the majestic creature. It inclined its head and gestured toward the three humans while growling from deep in its throat. Ambihilech regarded his stony friend and nodded his massive head once.

The three humans' guides left, disappearing into the shadows.

With them gone, Ambihilech turned his full gaze upon Brock, Lance, and Dr. Blaine. Though he did not speak, his displeasure was evident. Brock was not a man to scare easily, nor did he often sweat, but he had to admit, despite how cold the cavern was, he felt a prickling around the collar.

The three of them exchanged brief look, and then Lance steadied himself. He stepped forward and knelt down, his head bowed low. Brock followed suit, following by Dr. Blaine. None of them were the type to kneel, but they all knew whose house it was.

Lance began to speak. "Mighty Ambihilech, we-"

"Silence."

The voice was massive, filling their heads with its psychic presence. Brock winced. It didn't hurt, per se, and it wasn't exactly loud, but it was certainly intrusive, as befitting a being of Ambihilech's stature.

Out of the shadows hobbled an old Hypno that Brock recognized as Malakai, assisted by a moon stone-adorned staff, as usual the one responsible for conveying Ambihilech's thoughts to their heads. There was a sizeable bruise on his head, speaking to the conflict of the previous day.

"Lance Guenevere," Ambihilech said. "Brock Harrison. Chester Blaine. Though your brief lifespans make you but pups to me, I have still come to know each of you, and judged you to be men of honor. I have been given reason to respect you, and it is in acknowledgement of that respect that you have been allowed to come down here alive. But understand, this is not a negotiation. This is not a diplomatic meeting. I will convey to you three what will be, and you will be responsible for informing the rest of your kind. No more, no less." Then the huge, crystalline serpent heaved out a low, rumbling sigh. "Also, get up."

Brock winced. Well, not every gesture of respect was going to be appreciated.

The three humans stood to their feet, with Lance helping the elderly Dr. Blaine stand, as his knees weren't what they used to be. Then they stood and waited.

Ambihilech turned his gaze from one to the next, letting each of them feel his disappointment. "Long ago, before any of you were the men that you are today, before most of you were born, your kind violated the sacred pact put in place by your ancestors. Trust was lost, and were it not for your predecessors rising up to uphold that pact and drive off the violators, that would have been the end of your people's access to the mountain. Since then, peace has been maintained, but with conditions."

Here Ambihilech fixed his gaze upon Lance. It made sense. As the Indigo League Champion, he was nominally the face of the League and, though not precisely its official leader, still the one everyone looked to in a time of crisis.

Unfortunately, that also made him the man who shouldered the majority of the blame when things went wrong. And by all the stars in Arceus's eyes, things had gone very wrong.

And Lance knew it, too. He did not avert his gaze, but the tightness of his jaw and the moisture beading on his forehead spoke to how very small the famed Dragon Tamer must have been feeling under the gaze of the Guardian of Mt. Moon.

"Those conditions were violated. Desecrated. My home was raped and pillage, my people harmed beyond reckoning. By your kind."

Dr. Blaine cleared his throat. "Well, now, to be fair-"

Ambihilech spared him the briefest of glance. "Be quiet, old man. I know they were criminals and your enemy. But your negligence in dealing with them allowed for this defilement to happen. It may not have been your doing, but it is your responsibility."

"Fair enough," Dr. Blaine grunted.

Ambihilech turned his attention back to Lance. "You will have three days."

Lance frowned. "Ambihilech, I am sorry, but I don't fully understand. Three days to do what?"

"To leave. Abandon the mountain, inside and out. All of humanity must leave. Those who remain will be considered fair game. Those who trespass after will not return. All that is left behind will be considered forfeit."

Brock grimaced. This was exactly what they all had feared. Before setting out, Brock had spoken briefly with Lance on the phone, during which this very scenario had been raised as a likely, if not disheartening, possibility.

Still, three days was quite the courtesy. Brock had honestly half-expected for everyone to be chased out right then and there.

"Ambihilech, if I may," he said. "What of the surrounding forests?"

Ambihilech turned toward him. "Our arboreal cousins mind their own affairs, as we do ours. However, they are less than pleased with all that has transpired. I would recommend evacuating the forest as well. We wouldn't want any hapless traveler to fall victim to a misunderstanding."

Brock and Lance exchanged a look. Then Lance said, "We understand. But to clarify further, what of the highway?"

"Your road passes through our territory, and was allowed to do so only by our grace. That grace is all but spent. You will find other means of traversing between your two settlements. And I would personally caution against any alternative that involves any sort of deforestation."

Brock's hands squeezed into fists. Shit! Losing the route between Pewter and Cerulean was going to have dire consequences on Kanto's, well, pretty much everything! The economy of both would suffer greatly, trainer routes would be heavily disrupted, people with ties to both cities would find their lives upturned, and necessary supplies and emergency services were now put in dire straits!

But worst of all, that meant that Pewter City now only directly connected to Viridian City, while Cerulean still had the support of Vermillion, Saffron was far too close. Separating two free cities from one another would only lay them open to another Team Rocket power play.

Judging by the crestfallen looks on their faces, it was clear that Brock's two companions were thinking the same thing. Penance was expected and accepted, but this was putting innocent people in danger.

"Now, hold on," Dr. Blaine said. Ambihilech immediately turned his glower toward him. "Hey! Before you cut me off, let me say my piece! Now, I know you're all angry with us, and have every right to be. But we have reason to believe that those damned Rockets, the same that did this to you, are planning something nefarious in Cerulean. Cutting them off from Pewter only leaves them open to whatever dastardly scheme those villains are cooking up."

"As I said, what they do and how they are dealt with outside of these caverns is your responsibility," Ambihilech growled, his deep, gravely "voice" bleeding patience.

"It may not be for long," Lance said. "I know we let you down, but please understand that part of the reason we were unaware of their machinations in this mountain was because the war against Team Rocket is becoming a battle on all fronts. Pewter City only barely just staved off a frontal assault not too long ago, and as the doctor said, we have reason to believe that they have immediate designs on Cerulean. If both those cities fall to their control, then Mt. Moon will be surrounded by Rockets on both sides!"

"If they try, they will find our vengeance waiting for them," Ambihilech said. "They only managed to gain a foothold through subterfuge, exploiting the pact to sneak their people in and establish a stronghold. They will not be able to do it a second time."

"If they take both cities, then they won't need to sneak in!" Dr. Blaine snapped. "They can just roll in and take what they want!"

"Let them try. The mountain is a fortress, and our teeth are sharp and our claws are long."

"Theirs are longer and sharper," Lance retorted. "Ambihilech, please understand, the Rocket force that you drove from here was, in comparison to their full might, a small operation, and battling them cost you dearly. Their power, influence, and resources grow by the day. Dr. Blaine is right. If they take Pewter and Cerulean, then they won't need to act discretely and from the shadows. They will bring their full might down upon you, and this mountain will become less of a fortress and more of a trap!"

Silence.

Ambihilech looked down at Malakai, whom Brock knew to be held in high esteem by the unique Onix. The elderly psychic-type let out a grunting sigh. Placing a hand on his hip, he looked back up at Ambihilech. Brock could tell that the two were having a telepathic conversation, one that the humans were shut out from. He could only pray that Malakai was pleading their case to Ambihilech, else they were truly in deep shit.

"Your logic is sound," Ambihilech said at last. "However, trust lost can not be easily regained, and humanity has lost the trust of the mountain. Our decision will stand for the time being. All humans must leave the mountain, and your road will cease operation. However, I shall discuss the situation with the elders. That is all I can promise you."

"That is all we ask," Lance said with a respectful inclination of his head.

"Then there is nothing further for us here," Ambihilech said. "You will be escorted back to the outside. From there, I suggest that you spread the word."

That was as clear a dismissal as can be, but Brock wasn't ready to leave. This was his only chance to get some answers, and he wasn't going to let it slip.

"Ambihilech, wait," he said, stepping forward. "I have one last question."

The Guardian of Mt. Moon glowered down at him. "My patience is stretched thin, human. Make it quick."

"We…We heard of a Team Rocket leader, the one who commanded the ones who violated your home, a man named Cliff. However, nobody seems to know what happened to him. Did he escape?"

Ambihilech tilted his enormous head in a very humanlike manner. Brock could practically see him silently puzzling over what Brock truly wanted to know.

Why? Ambihilech was no doubt wondering. Why would this human care?

"I lured him to their stolen stockpile of moon stone," Ambihilech said at last. "And then I destroyed it. He was likely vaporized in the explosion."

Brock's throat tightened, but he kept his calm and nodded.

Dr. Blaine, however, had picked up on something else. "I'm sorry, likely?"

The coils of the unique Onix shifted in a manner akin to a shrug. "He was consumed in a blast of heat, and there was no body afterward. Humans are not attuned to moon stone energy, nor are they capable of sudden evolution, especially not your males, so I see no reason to assume that he would have survived."

Dr. Blaine and Brock exchanged a look. Dr. Blaine then said, "We…found several chunks of depleted moon stone outside of the mountain. It didn't look as if it was blown there from the explosion."

"Yes, the explosion caused an abundant amount of the Holy Star's power to be absorbed by several raw veins, which in turn ignited as well. No doubt the sudden release of energy caused them to warp through reality." Ambihilech frowned down at them. "You did not know this? Your people have taken fragments from the mountain for centuries. Did you not study them?"

"We have," Dr. Blaine said. "However, I don't think it ever occurred to try to replicate the conditions of an exploding mountain within a controlled environment."

"How odd. And here I assumed that upon receiving something precious, your first inclination was to find all the ways in which it could break."

Dr. Blaine winced. "Well, that was nasty," he muttered. "Not wrong, but nasty."

Seeing that things were wandering off-track, Brock said, "I ask because I was wondering if it were possible that if so many moon stones, ah, shifted, might something nearby have shifted with them? Like, say, a person?"

Ambihilech stared down at him. Then he coils began trembling, the sharp-edged faces of his moon stone body grinding against the ground. From deep within his throat came a low, rumbling sound.

He was laughing, Brock realized. The crystal Onix of legend was laughing at him.

"A person," Ambihilech repeated, the anger in his mental voice now displaced by disbelief and even a little amusement. "Well, yes, I suppose it might be possible with one of the lesser eruptions. And if the human were one of your Blessed Mates, and a particularly powerful one at that. But even then, if by some miracle she did survive the shift, it would only be with great injury. And last I checked, only your females could become Blessed Mates. Is that correct?"

"As far as we know," Dr. Blaine answered. "Though, you know, there is some debate about that. Supposedly, there was an ancient Sinnoh civilization that could-"

"Yes, it's true," Lance said, hastily preventing the good doctor from launching into one of his rambling lectures.

"My experience with humans and their sexual differences is admittedly limited. However, I am quite confident in stating that Cliff was male. So, no, I do not believe he was anyone's Blessed Mate, and even if he was, not even a Blessed Mate could survive being at the epicenter of the power that I unleashed. If it was your hope to question him, then I'm afraid you'll find putting him together to be a challenge, even with your technology."

So. Cliff was dead. Brock had no idea how to process that. First he had learned that his cousin was a criminal and a traitor, and now he had learned of his death.

Ambihilech tilted his head. "Have you any other questions with which to waste my time?" he said. "We have only begun to rebuild, and my people need me."

"No," Lance said before anyone could come up with anything. He shot a quick look of warning to Dr. Blaine, the most likely among them to have another query or two. Catching this, Dr. Blaine sighed, but lifted his hands in acquiesce.

"Then leave. I have work to do, and so do you." Before departing, Ambihilech the time to look each man in the eye one last time. "Three days, humans. You have three days."

…

"How exactly would your new Zubat even know how bright it is?" May said as the three of them kneeled together inside of Ash's tent. "They don't have eyes!"

"No, but they do have really sensitive nerves at the ends of their hairs," Ash said as he rolled Zubat's pokeball around in his palm. "They can sense light, and it sort of makes a kind of picture in their heads to let them know where the light is coming from. But if there's too much of it, like from the sun, it makes them confused and uncomfortable."

"Huh." May scratched her head. "Zubats are weird, man."

"Yeah," Misty groused. "And their bites hurt."

"All right, chill," Ash told them. "I'm bringing him out."

He clicked the pokeball's button, expanding it in his palm. A moment later, the top had popped open, and Zubat materialized on his shoulder.

As he was a recent catch, the sudden changes in location that must come from popping in and out of a pokeball were probably very disorienting to Zubat. Sure enough, he was still a frantic mess, fluttering his wings in agitation and squeaking loudly.

"Easy! Easy!" Ash said. "It's just us!" He held up half a pokebrick. "Calm down; we're all okay."

Zubat's ears twitched. He turned his way this way and that, as if looking around.

A moment later he had snatched up the pokebrick and held it with the tiny claws at the tips of his wings as he gnawed it to powder. When it had all been gobbled up, he squeaked a question.

Ash sighed. "Yeah, we're out, and we're safe. Um, we're inside my tent right now. That's...kind of like a temporary shelter that humans take with them. But we're okay! I'm here, and Misty's here!"

"Hey," Misty said, waving.

"And May! You know, our missing friend we told you about? Well, we found her-"

May lifted her fist to her mouth and loudly cleared her throat. "Ahem!"

"She found us!" Ash amended. He gestured toward the fiery PokeGirl. "And she got us out of there before we got crushed! So, um, Zubat? Meet May!"

May smiled. "Hey there, Handsome! I've heard a lot about you!"

As Ash had instructed, she held her hand out toward the small creature, one finger crooked. Ash had told her that Zubat would want to give her finger a nibble, but if she didn't make any sudden moves, he wouldn't bite.

Sure enough, Zubat tilted his head to one side, as if thinking things over. Then he cautiously leaned in to close his wide mouth over May's finger. Misty tensed up, but though the tips of his fangs scraped over her skin, they didn't pierce through.

Zubat withdrew, one ear raised and the other lowered. He turned to Ash and chittered a question, brushing his wingtips down his front.

Ash sighed. "Yeah, we're all naked again. It's a long story."

"A long and sexy story," May said with a sly smile while Misty groaned. "We've had a lot of catching up to do."

Zubat turned his sightless face to her.

And then he let out a very familiar-sounding whistle.

May's jaw dropped. "Holy crap, did he just-"

"Yup. That was a wolf whistle," Misty sighed. "Ash's new Pokemon is kind of a lech."

May burst out laughing. "Ash, you didn't tell me you caught someone with such cultured taste! My main, flappy man! Put it there!" She held up her forearm in front of Zubat, who immediately understood and happily clapped his wing against it in perverted solidarity.

"Great. Just great," Misty groused as Zubat fluttered over to May's shoulder and started chittering excitedly at her. "Now there's two of them. Tell me we're not sleeping with him, too."

"Well, don't look at me," Ash said with a shrug. "You trained her."

…

Down in the base camp, Officer Natalie Jenny was growing worried.

Of course, she had every reason to be, given the current circumstances. A massive Team Rocket operation to poach and pilfer Mt. Moon? A huge explosion that had collapsed part of the mountain? Dozens of innocent people caught in the middle, many of whom were probably still trapped, if not dead? It was enough to worry anybody! If she weren't worried, then her mental faculties would be highly suspect!

Still, she just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else at play here, like all of this was some kind of preamble, and the main event was still to come.

Still, she had a job to do, and she was going to do it. Keep checking up on the prisoners. Make sure any new Rockets that were found and capture were properly restrained and registered. Keep track of any new survivors trickling in. And pray that wherever Brock was right now, he was finding some

As Officer Jenny walked past the medic's tent, she came across a familiar face. Her town's Nurse Joy was there, kneeling next to a crying little boy. She was speaking to the distraught child in calm, soothing tones while binding a splint to his arm. Officer Jenny's mouth thinned out. No doubt the kid had been hurt in the explosion, poor guy.

Once the kid's arm had been properly set, Nurse Joy smiled, ruffled his hair, and stood up. She turned away from him, and her smile wavered, the mask slipping briefly to reveal how tired she was, and she yawned. Officer Jenny knew exactly how she felt.

Screw it. Things were, for the moment, mostly under control, Officer Jenny needed someone to talk to, and they both needed a break. She headed over to the exhausted nurse.

Seeing her, Nurse Joy greeted her with a nod. "Oh, hey, Jenny," she said, and then yawned again.

Interacting with people outside of their respective families was always interesting. To everyone else, Officer Jenny was Officer Jenny, despite there being dozens of Officer Jennys all over the world. To other Officer Jennys, she was Natalie. And to her city's resident Nurse Joy and a few select other personal friends, whom she knew well enough to dispense with titles but no enough to go by first names, she was just Jenny, and vice versa. It was just how things were.

"Hey yourself," Officer Jenny said. "Kind of surprised to see you here. This work is a little outside of your wheelhouse, isn't it?"

Nurse Joy frowned, but then she glanced over to the tent and sighed. "What, the splinting? I've had my fair share of medic training. Besides, treating Pokemon and PokeGirls is easy. A few potions, a dip in the Healing Machine, and they're good to go."

"Right," Officer Jenny nodded. "But people are hard, and need all the help they can get."

Nurse Joy paused, and then shot Officer Jenny a slightly admonishing look. "Phrasing, Jenny."

Officer Jenny frowned. What? What was wrong with what she had…Oh.

"Ah. Right," she said with a wince. "PokeGirls are people, too."

"A good thing to remember," Nurse Joy said. "Besides, Pokemon may not be human, but many of them are still sentient in their own way."

"Point taken," Officer Jenny conceded. "But anyway, you look as pooped as I am. You wanna grab a coffee?"

Nurse Joy hesitated. She shot another glance over to the throng of injured people being seen to by the other medics. "I really shouldn't. There's just so much word to do, so many people need help…"

"And you won't be able to help them if you're nodding off on your feet," Officer Jenny countered. "So, as ranking law enforcement officer in charge of this rescue operation, I order you to see to your body's needs and take a break with me."

"Well, all right," Nurse Joy said at last. She sounded very relieved to have the choice taken out of her hands. "Far be it from me to disobey a direct order."

The two headed over to the refreshments tent set aside for the relief workers. Once there, Officer Jenny poured herself a cup of burnt-smelling coffee and grabbed a few packets of sweetener, while Nurse Joy helped herself to a Styrofoam cup of hot water and dropped in a bag of mint tea. From there, they looked for a place to sit. Several fold-out tables had been set up. Most of the seats were taken, but there was room for the two of them at the end of one. The two women sat down across from one another.

Officer Jenny tore open her packets of sweetener and dumped them into her coffee. "You know, I have to say, I was worried about Team Rocket being up to their old tricks after the museum was robbed, but I never expected anything like this.

Nurse Joy idly stirred her tea. "I don't think they were either. Is it true they were driven out by a Pokemon army?"

"Seems like it." Officer Jenny nodded. She brought her coffee to her mouth and took a sip. Ugh. Terrible. But honestly not that much worse than the station's coffee. "Makes me glad I never became a trainer. Piss them off enough, and they will wreck your shit."

"Don't I know it. Sometimes trainers come in that are in worst shape than then their Pokemon." She took a sip of tea and apparently found it as unsatisfactory as Jenny found her coffee. Still, that didn't stop her from continuing to sip. "Still, you weren't wrong earlier. Normal humans really do need more care than Pokemon or PokeGirls. Honestly, I'm glad I just have to handle this and not those criminals."

Officer Jenny sighed. "Well, fortunately we don't have to do much beyond keeping them contained until the van shows up. Brock's the one handling the interrogations."

The mention of their Gym Leader's name caused Nurse Joy's mouth to thin out in worry. Officer Jenny knew how she felt. Both of them had known Brock for years, since before he had assumed his current title, in fact. And while it was his job to protect them, they both couldn't help but feel a little protective of him.

"I hope he's all right," Nurse Joy said, glancing over to the forest. "I know, I should have more faith in him. He only singlehandedly drove Team Rocket out of Pewter City, but…"

Officer Jenny lifted her fist to her mouth and coughed. "Ahem."

"Ah." Nurse Joy's eyes sparkled in a teasing manner. "My apologies. You, of course, helped a little."

"A bit more than 'a little,'" Officer Jenny groused. She drank some more coffee and suppressed a shudder. Good Lord, the caffeine better be worth it.

Nurse Joy nodded, conceding the point. "A lot, then. But he was spearheading the whole thing. Which is kind of funny, if you think about it. I keep looking back and remembering him when he was a teenager." A slow, nostalgic smile began to perk up the edges of the nurse's mouth. "Just a little lovestruck puppy, ready to go down on one knee and propose whenever he'd so much as pass us in the street."

The memory also got a smile out of Officer Jenny as well. "Well, finding a beautiful wife and claiming a harem will help calm you down. Honestly, after seeing how well he treats his PokeGirls, I'm almost tempted to let him catch me."

Nurse Joy laughed. "I'm sure the sixteen-year-old Brock would be thrilled by the prospect. Still, he did grow up into a fine young man, didn't he?"

"He definitely did," Officer Jenny said with a slow nod. "Though I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't worried as well. I mean, don't get me wrong, I fought side-by-side with Brock, so I know full well what he can do. But the last time was so close."

Nurse Joy frowned. "I know. I talked with my cousin Alexa this morning. You know, the Nurse Joy down in Viridian? You know how her PokeCenter was attacked by Team Rocket a few days ago? She's still so shaken up. And that was just two Grunts! Just two!"

That got a frown out of Officer Jenny as well, though for different reasons. Nobody could really prove it, but it had been rumored for years that Team Rocket exerted a considerable amount of control over Viridian City's comings and goings. But if that were the case, then why would they attack their own PokeCenter?

"Yeah," Officer Jenny said at last. "That was odd, wasn't-"

Then she abruptly straightened up, all of her senses alert. Something was happening. There was some kind of commotion over by the communications tent, where they had the radio set up. People were speaking loudly. People were yelling. Something had happened.

A moment later, every police officer, rescue worker, medic, ranger, member of the cleanup crew, and so on had their pagers and Walkie-Talkies go off.

…

After the introductions had been completed, Zubat went back into his pokeball for the time being, and Ash got dressed and headed out into the field to catch up on some training for Nidoran and Tangela. Opting to stay naked, Misty and May came along to watch.

"You know, I've got say, he really is coming along," May observed as the two of them sat down in the grass. Down below, Ash looked to be teaching his two Pokemon some kind of double-team maneuver, which seemed to consist of Nidoran charging at Tangela, Tangela using his momentum as she seized him up in one of her vines, and hurling him horn-first at a hypothetical opponent. It was definitely a neat little trick, one that could come in handy in a pinch, but Tangela was having difficulty getting the timing right.

"I know, right?" Misty agreed. "Seems like just yesterday he was lobbing human balls at Spearows thinking that they were Pidgeys. Now look at him."

May's eyes glimmered. "Oh, I have been. You know, you got real lucky that he caught you."

Misty made a face. "Yeah, I don't know about that."

"C'mon, if you had to have been caught, our boy was the best choice."

"I'm not taking a dig at Ash. It's just…this whole PokeGirl thing wasn't what I planned, and I'm still trying to figure it out."

A few moments passed, and then May said, "I thought you changed your mind."

"I did! Don't worry; I'm going through with this. I just, you know, figured…" Misty sighed. "I don't know. It just feels like every day I wake up and feel the opposite. One day I hate it, one day I love it, then maybe it's not what I wanted but still for the best, the next…it's weird and it's confusing."

May shot her a look.

"What?"

Shaking her head, May then reached over to gather up Misty in her arms and pulled her into her lap. "Okay, let's work this out. Is it because you're not the boss anymore?" May said as she entwined her hands around Misty's waist and rested her chin on the younger girl's shoulder. "Because you know he still looks up to you."

Sighing, Misty allowed herself to relax back into May's warm embrace. "I know, I know. Like I said, I'm just trying to work this out."

May moved her head in to nuzzle Misty's cheek. "So, it's like what you said the other day," she said. "You still don't like feeling this way." She let her hand slide up and down Misty's belly, caressing the shallow bumps of her abs. "All the horny, giving up control, that sort of thing."

Misty couldn't repress a shiver, for more than one reason. "No. No, it's more that I think I like it too much. And I don't know if I like that I like it."

"Oh?"

All of Misty's thoughts and emotions lately had been so strong and yet so confusing, and putting them into words was much harder than she thought it would be, which definitely wasn't helped by the interesting way May's hands were traveling over her body. "Look, when we were down in those caves, there were all these times where I had to let Ash take charge. When we were attacked by Zubats or-or other times. And…" She sighed. "Okay, don't laugh."

May was now taking her time exploring the silky-smooth skin of Misty's thighs. "I won't," she promised.

"You would if I didn't tell you not to," Misty retorted. She sighed. "But there was this one time, right after our fight with the Zubats, and I had gotten myself so worked up and horny that it was driving me insane."

The curve of May's jaw dipped into Misty's shoulder as she nodded. "Been there."

"I'm sure you have," Misty muttered. Now May's fingertips were creeping in closer to her groin. "But I figured I could just take care of it myself. So I went off by myself for a little private time."

Giggling, May spread her index and middle finger and let them slide down, squeezing the bulging lips of Misty's labia between them. "Okay, if you could be a little more specific with your details here, I'd really appreciate it."

Misty swatted her hand away. "No. My point is, no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't work. I couldn't get myself to calm down!"

Undeterred, May turned her attention to Misty's nipples. "So you went to Ash?" she said, squeezing, pinching, and rolling the two pink nubs around with both hands.

Misty let her. "No, Ash ordered me to go to him! I told him that I could handle it myself, and when that didn't work, he just up and made me! And I had to obey!"

May's hands paused. "Uh…"

Letting out a sigh, Misty tilted her head enough to shoot May a sidelong glance. "Okay, be honest: how many smart-aleck remarks did you just have to filter out to keep from being insensitive?"

"A lot…" May admitted.

Rolling her eyes, Misty relaxed back into May's arms and continued. "Okay, I know. But here's the thing: I liked it! I got mad and frustrated at first, but when I gave in, it just felt so good."

"Huh."

"And later on, he and I got into this fight over…over him being an idiot, and giving me dumb commands that I had no choice but to obey. But we got that squared out, and he started giving me good commands, about what he wanted me to do and how to please him, and oh my God it felt so good. But when it wore off, I just felt so…dirty. Ashamed of myself."

May scowled. "Y'know, you're coming really close to hurting my feelings," she said, pulling back.

Mentally kicking herself for her insensitivity, Misty quickly amended, "Ugh. I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that. It's just…me, okay? After all the work I put into not having to listen to what a bunch of idiots tell me what to do, suddenly I like it!"

"Well, you know. That's just-"

"PokeGirl hormones! Yes! I know! And that's the point! I don't get a say in it! It just happens, and I don't get a say!"

Now more frustrated than horny, Misty got up out of May's lap so she could start pacing back and forth, just to have her legs moving while she vented.

"I keep telling myself that it's fine, that I like feeling like this. And I do! It always feels amazing! But can't I feel good about something that's, you know, me? It's like someone messed with my programming and uploaded this whole new part of me that's not supposed to be there, that just up and takes over, and I just have to go along for the ride! It's…It's weird! It's weird, and I like it, but I don't like that I like it!" Squeezing her hands into fists, Misty stamped the ground in annoyance. "Ugh! It's like my whole life is one big contradiction!"

"Wow," May said, staring up at her. "This has got you really screwed up."

Taking a deep breath, Misty placed her hands on her hips and slowly breathed out, trying to exhale her frustration. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

Shaking her head, she sat down next to May. She drew her knees up to her chest and leaned over to rest her head against May's shoulder. "I don't know. When it's like the three of us fooling around, then it's fine. It just gets weird when he, you know, controls me like that."

Nodding, May brought her hand up to gently stroke the back of Misty's hair. "Right. Because you don't like losing control. Or, actually, you like it too much."

Misty sighed. "Which is what I literally just said, but right."

"Hmmm. Hey, Misty? Can I suggest something? But you can't get mad."

Frowning in suspicion, Misty turned her head just enough to give May the side-eye. "You know, every time someone says that, they're usually about to say the most infuriating thing imaginable."

"Just hear me out. What if the reason you like it so much isn't just because of PokeGirl hormones?"

"And you've already lost me," Misty growled. "Of course it's because of PokeGirl hormones! PokeGirls submit to their masters! It's literally built into their DNA!"

"Our DNA," May corrected. "And true, it is. But what I'm saying is, what if that isn't the only reason?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe…Maybe this isn't something new. Maybe it's something you always had, but never realized until now. Maybe the reason you like it so much isn't just because you're programmed to, but because it's something you always wanted and never knew it?"

Misty's first instinct was to scoff at the very suggestion? Her? Always wanted to submit herself to someone else? To let herself be dominated? The very idea of preposterous. Her entire life had been about pushing back against those who wanted her to submit.

But then she remembered something that had happened the last time she and Ash had had sex, something he had done after she had already come down and was awash in shame for having let herself go.

"Um, can I confess something to you?" Misty said. Before May could respond, she was quick to add, "But you have to promise not to laugh! And never, ever tell anyone!"

May stared. "Does Ash know?"

"Yes," Misty sighed.

"Then who the heck am I going to tell? You two are literally my entire social circle!"

"May…"

May held up her hand. "I promise that the secrets you are about to entrust me with shall never leave my lips."

"And you won't laugh!" Misty reminded her.

"Okay, I'll try to quell what's probably going to be a natural reaction to a deeply embarrassing secret. So tell me already!"

That would have to do. Misty hesitated, and then said, "Well, yesterday me and Ash had just gotten done having sex, and we were cuddling when I started to feel so…so rotten. I was just disgusted with myself."

Her brow knitting into a frown, May cocked her head.

"But then Ash, the clueless genius that he is, well, he starts stroking my hair."

"Like how I am now?" May inquired.

"Sort of, but with him it was more like…ugh, like he was petting me?" Misty closed her eyes with a sigh. "And then he called me a good girl."

"Er…what?"

Misty took a deep breath. "I said, he called me a good girl, and I swear that stupid, cheesy line woke something up inside of me, because I just started bawling! I was having a total breakdown in his arms, had no idea why, I just knew I wanted him to keep petting me and praising me." Here Misty made a point to shoot May a furious glower of warning. "And I better not hear any giggling! You promised!"

May mimed a zipping of her lips.

"So, maybe you're right," Misty muttered. "I don't know. I just know that it felt, well, it felt like I always wanted to hear someone call me that, and just never knew it."

"Huh," May said after several seconds had gone by. "Um, do you want me to-"

Misty winced. "Please don't. It would be so weird coming from you."

"Agreed," May said with a shiver. "Um, Misty? Just…throwing this out there. You know how becoming a PokeGirl has always been my dream, and even before you caught me I had all these books and videos on it? So, it's like the one thing I know a ton about?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well, we can argue about hormones and instincts all day, but at the end of the day, Ash is still your trainer. Sure, he's still a rookie and a total dork, but he does own you, just like you own me." Here May frowned. "And…like he owns me as well, I guess. Second-degree ownership?"

"It still counts," Misty said with a shrug.

"Sure. But my point is, him catching you might've been a total fluke, but he does own you, which does kind of make him an authority figure to you. And let's face it: all the authority figures in your life have kind of sucked. Your mom and dad bailed on you, your older sisters treat you like garbage, the other Gym Leaders just up and left you to fend for yourself, and all the grown-ups in the world never gave you an ounce of respect, no matter what you've accomplished. Am I right?"

"Thanks for the reminder," Misty growled. "What's your point?"

"My point is that everyone who was supposed to be there for you just wasn't. But Ash, reigning dork supreme that he is, who has literally no business being your trainer, is also the only one who's ever actually cared for and respected you like you deserve. And after everything he's put himself through for you, maybe the reason hearing that from him meant so much is because he's literally the only person who it would mean something coming from?" May shrugged. "You've got to admit: that knucklehead's stuck his neck out for you way more than everyone else ever has except for me, and you own me, so the dynamic's different."

Feeling a little troubled, Misty sat back, mentally chewing on her friend's words. Her relationship with Ash was just so weird. Kids Ash's age just weren't supposed to have PokeGirls, much less one on Misty's level. Their levels of experience were so laughably mismatched that she should have been the one catching him!

But catch her he had, and despite how lopsided things were between them, Ash had surprised her time and time again with what he had been able to accomplish. His raw talent was undeniable, as was his instinctive bond that he formed with his Pokemon. He had tackled challenges far above even the most seasoned of veterans and came out ahead. And despite how infuriating his stubborn determination to do things his way could be, she could not deny that he had an uncanny knack for pulling off the unlikely. The boy had skills, drive, and ambition, all the signs of a star trainer in the making.

But even beyond that, May was right. Despite only knowing each other for, what, a couple weeks? Maybe even a little less (God, had it really been so short a time?), Ash had also shown her far more kindness than literally everyone else in Misty's life, save for May. And May had been her friend for years. Ash had put himself in danger time and time again for her. He probably the single most steadfastly loyal person Misty had ever met. Maybe that was why hearing those words from him meant so much. Because boneheaded rookie he might be, he had more than earned that right.

"I…I guess you have a point," Misty admitted.

"Oh?" Out came the expected smirk. "Really? Do tell!"

Rolling her eyes, Misty gave May a shove. "Don't push it. You gave me something to think about, okay? Don't make it more than it is."

"It's already pretty important anyway," May said smugly. "Just…try not to overthink things. Sometimes it's okay to let yourself enjoy getting a hug and being called a good girl." Then her hand snapped out to roughly ruffle Misty's hair. "Because you are! Who's a good girl? You're a good girl! Yes, you-Ow!" May abruptly yanked her hand away and shook it hard to work out the pain from the sudden static shock she had been given.

"Don't whine," Misty told her. "You were asking for it."

Wincing, May stuck her fingers into her mouth and started sucking. "Man, it was so much easier to mess with you before you could do that."

Misty couldn't help but smile. May was right, annoying as she was about it. Maybe being a PokeGirl wasn't so bad. And heck, maybe even being an electric-type wasn't so bad, either. At least she could get May to stop being so irritating with a quick shock.

The two settled back down to watch their trainer do his training, though Misty's eyes soon traveled upward to watch the clouds in the sky. May had given her a lot to think about.

For a while, neither of them spoke. May leaned in to lay her head on Misty's shoulder, and her hand found Misty's, giving it a warm squeeze.

And then May cleared her throat.

"You know, I've been thinking about that thing about Jessie…" May began.

Misty couldn't help but wince. "May, again, I'm sorry, we didn't mean to cut you out of the loop-"

"Well, I mean, you kinda did, but I'm not mad," May reassured her. "I didn't want to talk about Roxanne and Olivia, remember? But, um, I still I might have screwed up. He was really upset about it, and…I don't think I was as nice about it as I should have been."

Misty frowned. "How so?"

There was a pause, and then May said, "Well, er, I may not have been as sympathetic as I should've been. I mean, he's obviously upset about it, but I just didn't get it."

"Right," Misty nodded. "Because she was Team Rocket."

"Yeah," May sighed. "That."

Misty shook her head. "Trust me, I've been trying to untangle that whole business myself. I mean, I get it; I wouldn't want to kill anyone either, no matter who they were…"

"Not me," May said in a flat tone. "All should burn, I say."

Misty winced. "Well, I get that as well, but let's just say we all split the difference. You're okay with roasting bad guys, I'm not, but I'm not sad that she's gone." She continued to watch as Ash knelt down next to Tangela. He had taken one of her vines in his hands, and seemed to be demonstrating how to grab up Nidoran with one smooth movement without accidentally pricking herself on the little poison-type's many spines. "But I've been giving that whole thing a lot of thought, and I think I know why Ash felt so bad."

A beat passed, and then May's eyes widened. "Ooooh. This is like the thing with Tangela, isn't it?"

"Exactly," Misty said with a nod. "Guy catches something, he feels personally responsible for it. Or, her. You know."

Grinning wide, May lightly socked Misty in the shoulder. "Well, it's like I said: good thing you were caught by him and not someone else. Like Gary."

Misty shuddered at the thought. "Not a hard bar to clear. But even so, you're right. It could have been a lot worse."

May made a small humming sound of agreement. Then she turned her face toward Misty, a very familiar and very troublesome canine-baring grin slashing its way across her features. "So. Your first time. What was it like?"

"Oh, for crying out loud…" Misty groaned.

May seized both of her hands in her own. "Come oooonnnnn!" she pleaded, shifting around to kneel in front of Misty. "Tell me!"

"May!" Misty snapped, yanking her hands away.

May rolled her eyes. "Well, supposedly you two have been going at it like Lopunnies since the other night, something our champ was really proud of! So 'fess up! I want details."

Misty groaned. "Why do you need details for?" she said. "You got the same dick yesterday. You already know what it's like!"

"Yeah, but I've been trying to get you two to do the nasty for days!" May leaned in way too close, so that her cheek was pressing against Misty's. "I wanna know what it was like for you!"

Glowering at the smirking face now squishing against her own, Misty shoved her irritatingly pushy friend away. "Look, it was good. It was fun."

"Oh, come on, Misty!" May whined. "We've literally been caught giving each other head in a janitor's closet! Why you getting all prudish with me now?"

Misty sighed. "Look, it was…"

The ghost of Ash's hands as they gripped her trembling body swept over her. The feel of his lips. The firmness of his touch. How he would command and control her. How eager she became to please. How much that instinctive submission scared her.

And yet, there was also how loved he made her feel. How naked the desire in how he looked at her, how he touched her, how he held her. The completion she felt when their two fleshes joined together, when he filled her up with his warm love. All her life, she had been told how ugly and undesirable she was by her sisters. She had been taunted and mocked by her challengers, only for them to turn around and make the grossest and most lurid comments about her body, ones that made her feel disgusting whenever she looked at herself in the mirror.

Ash didn't make her feel that way. Ash made her feel wanted. Ash made her feel beautiful.

"…it was, um…" Misty slowly exhaled. "Incredible. Scary. Confusing. But incredible."

"I bet," May said, her brow raising in appreciation. "How many times did you do it?"

"Um…" Misty struggled to remember. "Well, there was that first time a couple nights ago. Then again, first thing in the morning. Then again, i-in the tunnels. And a couple times in the hot spring, before those Nidos showed up and chased us out. And, um, again in that Pokemon sanctuary's storage room. So…six, I guess?"

"Hot. Damn!" May exclaimed. She clasped her hands in front of her face in delight. "That's-"

"Wait, we also sixty-nined a couple hours before we, you know, did it for the first time. Does that count?"

May choked. "Wait, you did? Man, you guys really hit the ground running, didn't you?" She thought for a bit. "Uh, normally I'd say no, it doesn't really count, but with you two? I'll go ahead and give it to you. Like he's given it to you. Repeatedly."

Misty sighed. "Okay, fine. Then it was seven."

"Seven it is. No wonder he collapsed."

"Yeah. We, uh, really made up for lost time."

May's head bobbed up and down. "I'll say you did. Hey, I'm getting me some of that boy's tongue, too. It's only fair."

"Go for it," Misty sighed. "It's all yours."

"No, it's not, but I take your meaning."

And then May's grin widened in a manner that Misty knew all too well, which made her nervous.

"Okay, what pervy scheme are you cooking up?" she demanded.

"Well, I was just thinking, since recalling specific details has got you all worked up, and I really want specific details, maybe you could, you know, give me a live demonstration?" May shot a glance over to Ash, who was still blissfully unaware of what his PokeGirls were discussing as he trained and played with his Pokemon, and waggled her eyebrows.

"Really?" Misty said in exasperation. "Haven't we worn that boy down enough?"

"He can say no. Nothing lost by asking." Turning to Ash, May raised her voice and called out, "Hey, champ!"

Ash's head jerked up in surprise. He frowned, recalled his Pokemon, and then jogged over to his two nude companions.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing!" May said, cheerfully tucking her legs in and gripping her ankles. "But I wanted to see you bang Misty."

Her cheeks burning, Misty buried her face in her palm.

Ash choked. "Wait, really?"

"Um, yes? Look, all the attention you guys have given me since we got back together has been amazing! But I've been trying to get you two to go at it since day one, okay? And when it finally happened, I miss the whole thing!" May stuck her hands out toward the blushing Misty like a game show host presenting the grand prize. "So, please yank out your little man and shove it into Kanto's best coochie and let me watch? Please?"

"May, I swear to Arceus…" Misty muttered into her hand.

"Hey, if the big, golden horse in the sky had a problem with this, then I think we would've heard something about it by now!" May stared up at Ash, big blue eyes pleading. "Pleeeaaaasssseee, Ash? I wanna see you screw her!"

It was actually kind of endearing seeing how flustered Ash had gotten. Despite everything they had all done together, despite him and Misty teaming up to put May in her place not too long ago, the simple prospect of having sex with the girl that he had been having lots of sex with lately was now giving him a sudden case of nerves.

Then again, it wasn't as if Misty were anyone to fling thunderbolts, given how she was reacting.

Shooting the blushing PokeGirl a dubious look, Ash said, "Misty? Are you…okay with this?"

Misty couldn't help but giggle a little. She was his PokeGirl, his property, his sex slave, and he was still asking permission.

"Oh, right," Ash said, a sheepish smile now on his face. "You like it when I...Okay." He reached down to undo his belt buckle. "Lean back, then."

"Yyyeeesss!" May hissed, pumping her fist.

Skin flushed and heart pounding, Misty did as she was bid, leaning back on her forearms and stretching out her legs to present her young, lithe body to her master. There it was. That deeply nested, almost primal joy and satisfaction that came from submitting herself to him, the one that felt so wonderful when she was releasing herself to the insistent urges but also so wrong when she finally regained her senses.

She could feel some of that disgust welling up within her even now, that deep-seated revulsion at having to take orders from anyone. She was a Gym Leader, for crying out loud! Why was she so happy to just give in to some one-badge rookie?

Because he's more than that. He's more than a scrub. He's even more than your trainer. He's Ash, who's always respected you, always supported you, and has more than proven his skill by now. He let someone die for you, someone who he felt responsible for. What more could you ask from him?

To this, Misty had no argument, nor did she want one. She opened her legs wide, offering herself to her trainer.

…

Owing to the intimidating presence of their escorts, Brock and his companions did not speak the whole trip out of the tunnels of Mt. Moon. The trek was long, dark, and nerve-wracking.

However, even if any of the local Pokemon felt compelled to take their repayment in blood, at the very least they respected Ambihilech enough to not violate his promise of safe passage. No one made a move to threaten the humans.

Finally, sunlight illuminated the stony passages, and the three humans were standing at the mouth of the tunnel, blinking away the harshness of the light. Behind them, their escorts retreated back into the darkness, leaving them alone.

"Well," Dr. Blaine remarked as he put his sunglasses back on. "That could've gone…worse, I suppose. But also much better."

Lance's mouth had thinned out into a knife's slash. "He wasn't wrong, though. We did let him down. We let them all down."

"Only so much we can do, kid," Dr. Blaine said, laying a hand on Lance's shoulder. "Team Rocket is what it is. It ain't like we haven't been trying out best."

"Our best isn't good enough," Lance said. "We've been complacent, reacting only to mundane criminality. Obviously, their aims are far more ambitious." He looked over to Brock. "Brock, I have to ask, but your questions regarding Team Rocket's leader…"

Brock grimaced. "Ah, yes. Cliff. Well, as it turns out, he was my cousin."

Dr. Blaine choked. "Say what? Your cousin? Boy, why in the hell didn't you something earlier? If your goddanged cousin is part of Team Rocket-"

"I didn't find out until earlier today!" Brock snapped. "I haven't even spoken to him for years! We had a bad falling out, and he went off on his own. I had no idea he had even joined Team Rocket, but not only do I find out that a member of my family is a traitor who probably was behind that attack on my city a few years ago, and now I learn that he's dead as well. So, I'm sorry I didn't say anything, but it's been a lot to process, okay?"

The old man winced then, his expression softening. "Ah, ahem. I see. Sorry about that, kid."

"It's fine," Brock groused. "It's fine. It's not you I'm…Ah, damn it." Shaking his head, he put his hands on his hips and sighed. "Cliff, man. Where the hell did you go so wrong?"

Lance and Dr. Blaine exchanged a look. Then Lance said in a soft tone, "Don't beat yourself up. It's not your fault."

"I know. But even so. I didn't really like the guy, but he was still family."

Dr. Blaine frowned. "Is there anything you can tell us, though? Something that'll give us any sort of insight to what makes him tick?"

"I wish I did," Brock said with a bitter chuckle. "The Cliff I knew was surly, resentful, and entitled. The one I've been hearing about is, well, different. It's clear that he's been through some kind of transformation, but how and into what, I don't know." Then Brock slowly exhaled, releasing air in a long hiss through clenched teeth. He pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through the dark spikes of his hair. "Besides, if what Ambihilech said is true, then he's probably not even alive, anymore. That…well, that's going to take some processing."

The sharp lines of Lance's face softened a bit. "I'm…I'm sorry, Brock."

Brock gave a small half-shrug. "Yeah. Me too." He sighed. "But regrets aren't going to help us now. We have a hard task in front of us, and a limited time to accomplish it."

"Right," Lance said with a nod. He started ticking off points on his fingers. "The mountain needs to be evacuated, the League needs to be told, both Cerulean and Pewter need to prepare, and Misty still needs to be found."

Dr. Blaine folded his arms. "And that's not even getting into whatever the hell is going on in Cerulean."

"We should contact the Lieutenant," Brock said. "His city is the closest to Cerulean. If anyone can help defend it in case of an attack, it'd be him."

"Good idea," Lance said. "But we're still going to need more help. Bruno. Does anyone know where he is?"

"Training on Mt. Silver," Dr. Blaine supplied. "Which means you know he's off the grid."

"Damn," Lance muttered. "Okay, Lorelei?"

"Seafoam," Brock told him. "So, the same as Bruno."

"The timing of all this is starting to become very suspect," Lance sighed. "Okay, Erica?"

Dr. Blaine frowned. "Erica? Didn't we agree we're keeping her at arm's distance until we can figure out what the hell is going on in her city?"

Brock said nothing, but he did shoot a glance over to Lance's face. Sure enough, there was a distinct tightening of Lance's sharp features. "Erica is not a traitor," he said in a low, dangerous tone.

Dr. Blaine folded his arms. "Would've once said the same thing about Sabrina. Look what happened."

Brock couldn't help but grimace. Lance was a lot of things, most of them good. It was what made him such an effective Champion, after all. However, he also had a reputation for being a bit of a hothead, as befitting his chosen Pokemon typing. And Dr. Blaine was now pushing some very sensitive buttons. Granted, Dr. Blaine was probably the only person in the world able to say those things and get away with it, but that didn't mean that Brock felt that it was a good idea.

Sure enough, the way that the young Champion was now staring at his older mentor spoke to an internal struggle to keep from lashing out. It was clear that Lance was trying very hard to remain calm, and that keeping his fists from clenching was a battle in itself.

"Sabrina was overrun," Lance said, speaking slowly and clearly enunciating every syllable. "We failed to protect her as well. That doesn't mean she was complicit."

"Sure," Dr. Blaine said. If he was at all concerned with the fury building up within his younger protégé, then it wasn't showing. "Hostile takeover of an entire city, against a Gym Leader who can read minds and control people's bodies, and they just left her in charge afterward. Since then, radio silence. No call for help, no attempt to escape, just business as usual. Nope, nothing suspicious about that at all."

Now the veins in Lance's wrists were starting to show. Seeing things were about to devolve, Brock quickly stepped in.

"Lt. Surge is the logical first step," he said, moving to draw the two men's rapidly heating attention off of one another and placing it upon himself. "Eccentric as he is, he is the most loyal man I know, and feels as strongly as I do about protecting children. Besides, his information network is unmatched. If anyone can root out exactly what happened to usurp control of Misty's gym, then it'd be him."

Lance slowly exhaled, the anger converting to focus. Nodding his gratitude, he said, "Agreed. We'll call him as soon as we get back to base camp."

Dr. Blaine then cleared his throat. "Also, just because some of our, ah, colleagues' loyalties are in question, that don't mean that they can't be of use. Koga, for example."

Both of Dr. Blaine's younger companions turned to stare at him in disbelief. "Koga?" Lance repeated. "Koga? You just said that you don't trust Erica, but now you want to go to Koga for help?"

Dr. Blaine smirked. "I trust that slime about as far as I can throw Ambihilech. That doesn't mean he don't have his uses. Say what you will about his…family business, but he hates the Rockets as much as we do, so you know he'd love to smear some egg on Giovanni's face. Besides, he at least keeps his business confined to his territory. Can't say the same about the Rockets."

Lance frowned, clearly unhappy with the prospect of allying with someone of Koga's reputation and hating himself for now considering it.

"It's…something to consider," he said at last. "Though I've noticed one name in particular that no one has mentioned. What of Rochester?"

Both Brock and Dr. Blaine made a face at that. "That guy's even more ambiguous than Erica or Sabrina," Dr. Blaine said. "Sure, Viridian City's takeover wasn't as blatant as Saffron, but that's because it didn't need to be. We all know they own that town. But we don't know a damned thing about him. He never shows up for a committee or a summit, never goes out of his way to communicate with any one of us, only shows up to run his gym at the most randomly bizarre times. He's an enigma, not an ally."

"I have to agree," Brock said. "I've never even met the guy in person, and his city is directly south of mine. Even if we could trust him, and that's a big if, does anyone here even know how to reach him?"

"No," Lance said at last. "You're right. He's too much of an unknown. All right, so first order of business…"

His voice trailed off. An insistent beeping had just gone off in his pocket.

And on Brock's belt.

And in Dr. Blaine's pocket as well.

All three of their pagers had gone off at once. That was never a good sign.

Dread filling his heart, all three of them pulled out their pagers and checked the brief message. As soon as he did, Brock found that dread justified.

ROCKETS ATK. PEWTER. HURRY!

"Oh, what the hell?" Dr. Blaine growled. "What is this? A feint? A distraction?"

"Probably, or maybe Cerulean is the distraction," Lance responded. "Either way, we can't ignore it. Doctor, you handle the evacuations. No matter what is going on with the Rockets, we still need to clear the mountain and forest. I'll handle the search for Misty and try to find her before anyone else does."

"Got it," Dr. Blaine said with a nod. Pocketing his beeper, he pulled out a pokeball and brought out his Charizard.

Lance nodded his thanks. Then he turned to Brock. "Brock?" he said. "Hey, Brock?"

Brock, who was still staring at his beeper, jumped a little. "Oh, what? What?"

Placing a hand on Brock's shoulder, Lance locked eyes with him. "Go home," he said. "Your family needs you."

…

To Ash, Misty was beautiful.

There were those who wouldn't agree. After all, she, like him, was still a child, years away from the womanly curves that puberty might bring. And even then, her tomboyish nature shone through. From her unruly, carrot-orange hair that often wasn't done in anything more flattering than a quick ponytail, to her dress sense that never got much more feminine than showing a bit of belly or legs, to the boyish way her prepubescent body had toned out. She wasn't unattractive by any means, but dress her in a boy's clothes and few would ever suspect that she had anything other than a cock in her pants.

Especially now, after a long and arduous trek naked through Mt. Moon. Yes, she had cleaned up and had her wounds healed, but her hair was now wild and unkempt, and her freckled face completely devoid of anything resembling makeup. And if anything, her nakedness felt more practical than alluring.

But all of that only made her even more attractive to Ash. He loved how rough around the edges she was; he loved how her lean muscles showed whenever she moved; he loved how cute her freckles were; and he really, really loved her butt. But most of all, he loved how much fire she had, how much passion. Yes, her temper could get…aggravating, but in a weird way, he loved that about her as well. It showed that she had spunk, that she was sticking with him because she wanted to.

And now all of her natural beauty was laid bare before him, tanned skin flushed and glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, cheeks red and hazy emerald eyes gazing hungrily up at him. Her smooth chest slowly rose and fell with every trembling breath, and between her parted legs, two rosy lips were beginning to moisten with anticipation.

She wanted him, just as he wanted her.

Part of Ash was pointing out that this probably wasn't a good idea, that despite all of them agreeing to take it easy on his young, inexperienced body, he had cum twice already in a very short time, and that had nearly knocked him out.

But dang it, if they were going to take a break, a real break, then banging Misty followed by napping with the girls sounded like a fantastic idea. He had already touched base with his Pokemon. It was time to have some fun.

Kicking off his shoes, Ash knelt down between her parted legs. Hands shaking with excitement, he fumbled around with his belt, clumsy fingers struggling until he managed to undo the buckle.

Then he felt a pair of strong, slender arms encircle his waist from behind.

"Huh?" he said, looking over his shoulder.

May was there, standing behind him and leaning against his back. She had reached around him on both sides and began to unbutton his pants.

"Here," she murmured, bringing her lips close to his ear. "Allow me."

Ash gulped. "Uh, you know, I can do that…"

The button came loose. May then pinched the flap of his fly between her forefinger and thumb while slowly drawing down the zipper with her other hand.

"…on my own, so you don't…"

A pair of thumbs pushed into the waistline of both his pants and his boxers on either side. And down they went, pushed downward to let his cock spring free.

"…have to…never mind. Goodbye, pants."

"And goodbye shirt!" May sang as she grabbed the hem of said shirt. "Arms' up!"

A moment later Ash had been fully divested of his clothing, and he felt May's strong fingers close around his throbbing member, sending shockwaves through his veins. "You've been putting in the minutes from what I hear," May said as she gently, yet firmly, ran her hand up and down the length of Ash's erection. "But nobody knows our girl's body better than me. So, get ready for some hands-on tutoring."

"I-" A particularly strong spasm sent a shiver through his whole body. "But if you…if you do, I probably won't be able to…"

"That's what the coaching is for! Boy's gotta learn, and I'm here to teach!"

Despite the haze of lust that had descended upon her, enough to Misty's spark had wormed its way up to the surface for her to scowl up at May in annoyance. "What am I, some kind of test dummy in a classroom?" she complained. "You're making it weird!"

"It's not weird if you don't let it be weird!" May moved in to plant a burning kiss on Ash's cheek. "Now, come on, champ. Show me what you got!"

Ash swallowed hard. Man, his cherry had been popped only two days ago, and already he was being asked to perform under pressure. What had he gotten himself into with these two?

Well, at least he wasn't being asked to do something unfamiliar. Ash reached down to grip Misty by the waist, letting his fingers sinking into her silky flesh. He let his eyes rove down her body, taking in the roundness of her nipples as they rose up and down on her undeveloped chest to the tautness of her toned stomach to how her glistening inner thighs lay open beneath him. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his hips back, ready to move in.

But then one of May's hands went to Ash's chest, not to grope him, but to hold him back.

"No, no, hold on there, buddy," May said as she drew him to a stop.

"Uh…what?" Ash said. "But I thought-"

"I do, and you will, but you're going too fast. You gotta work up to it, man!"

"Maaay," Misty whined. "What are you doing? This is starting to hurt!"

One of May's fingers playfully encircled Ash's right nipple. "Oh, I know, but someone really needs to learn how to treat a girl. Foreplay is important, after all!"

"I've had foreplay! You worked me up plenty!"

"But Ash didn't. And he's the one who needs to learn how to pace himself." May's hand withdrew to lightly swat Ash on the behind. "So, get to it, champ! Show her some TLC!"

Ash was confused. "TL…?"

May sighed. "Tender loving care! Touch her, kiss her, show her you love her! I want to see you make her melt!"

Melt? Oh. Okay. Ash could do that. Sure, his aching loins were screaming for release, and he wanted nothing more than to plunge himself deep into Misty and give her the relief that she craved, but May was right. If he was going to learn how to keep pace with these two, then there was a lot that he needed to practice.

"G-Got it," he managed to stammer out.

"Good man," May said with a reassuring pat on his shoulder. "And, hey, here's a little insider scoop for her." Ash felt her press herself against him, her pert little breasts squishing against his back while she brought her lips close to his ear to whisper in a low, sultry voice, "Misty is the sort to melt in your mouth, not in your hands."

"What?" Ash was trying to follow what he was being taught, he really was, but the feel of one naked girl behind him and the sight of another beneath him was playing havoc with his concentration.

"I mean, she likes it when her partners get a little nippy." Here May's teeth briefly closed around the lobe of Ash's ear. She didn't apply enough pressure to hurt, thank goodness, but he definitely felt it. "Like that."

"Oh, May…" Misty groaned in exasperation.

May shifted herself over to squat down next to Misty. "Okay, c'mon," she said as she took Ash by the hand and guided him down, laying him down over Misty and covering her like a blanket. They were now chest-to-chest, feeling every swell of each other's breath, every rapid beat of each other's heart. Ash's dick was now sandwiched snugly between his stomach and hers, making for a tight cocoon. He didn't dare move in fear that the sudden friction would cause him to release his seed all over their torsos.

Misty's blushing face was now so close, their noses practically touching, and he knew that his cheeks were as red as hers. "Uh, sorry about this," she said, rolling her eyes over to where May was hovering over them both. "May loves being a butt."

"It's okay." Ash's lips brushed sweetly over Misty's. "I don't mind." He moved in deep, kissing her around her cheeks and further back. He tried to close his teeth around her earlobe like May had showed him, but the angle was wrong, so he settled for nibbling on her neck.

"Oh, God," Misty moaned. Her body began to squirm beneath his, bringing him dangerously close to erupting. Precum was already starting to drool out from the tip. "That's…That's good."

Ash was only too happy to oblige. He began to work his way down, pushing himself up on his palms so he could scoot back. Soft kisses, brief licks, and tender nips dotted Misty's skin, until he had closed his teeth around one fat areola.

"There you go," he heard May purr. "Ash, you are a natural!"

Ash paused. Still keeping Misty's nipple clenched between his teeth, he lifted his head just enough to glance over to his instructor. May had laid herself down next to Misty and was watching the proceedings with eager interest. One of her legs was lifted, and her hand was busy stroking her dripping petals.

Catching his eye, May's pleased smile grew. "Oh, don't mind me," she said, taking one of her own nipples in her fingers and giving it a hard pinch. "By all means, continue."

Taking her eager masturbation as a sign of approval, Ash pressed his teeth a little harder against the nipple in his mouth, using Misty's low moans and sudden gasps to guide how hard he should bite. From there, he worked his way down, trailing his tongue over the smoothness of her belly, until he was staring down at her most precious place.

Misty's last name was Waterflower, and it certainly was appropriate, as moisture glistened over the inviting petals of her flower. Her mound was already on the large side, but now those soft, blushing lips were practically swollen against her thighs, while the little pearl of her clitoris had emerged fully from her clam.

Ash had tasted Misty once before, and now he wanted another bite. He crouched down, his hot breath sending shivers through Misty's thighs, and brought his mouth down to lap at her fountain. Immediately the sweet and sour taste of her nectar touched his tongue, and he pressed in, filling his mouth with her taste and his nostrils with her musky scent.

"Ash," Misty whimpered as he lapped away at her puffy labia. "Ash! I'm…that's…"

Moving up, Ash wrapped his lips around the little bead of her clit and gave it a suck.

"Oh my God!" Misty squealed. Her hips bucked, nearly throwing Ash off. "Ash. No more foreplay. Do it now. I need you inside of me right this second!"

"Well, you heard the lady," May said, patting Ash on the shoulder. "Time for the grand finale. Stick it in her."

Ash did not need any further encouragement. With Misty's warm arousal still coating his lips, he drew back and grabbed onto her legs, moving them apart to give him access.

"I, uh, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to last," he admitted.

Misty let out a very unladylike snort. "Ash," she murmured. "I'm about ready to pop off at any second here. You'll probably last longer than me. Go for it."

The pounding in Ash's head was starting to make him dizzy, but he couldn't back away now. With a brief nod, he carefully aligned the bulging tip of his engorged erection with the fleshy curtain of her dribbling sex. Misty hissed at the touch.

Ash felt almost feverish. He gulped down several mouthfuls of cool mountain air, trying to clear his head. Then he pushed himself forward.

As they had before, Misty's warm insides tightly embraced his shaft, welcoming him in and drawing him in deeper. A deep-throated groan rumbled its way out of Ash's chest as he slid himself forward, inch by inch.

Burning pleasure boiled through his blood, and it was all that he could do not to release himself right then and there. This is a training session, he told himself. And you're the one being trained! So, hold it in!

And then Misty inhaled sharply. He felt some strange vibrations down where they had joined together. Opening his eyes, he saw May sprawled over Misty's stomach, one hand still furiously working her own pussy, but the other was now pressing down on the little button of Misty's clitoris, rolling the little bead around.

Noticing him staring at her, May shot him a little knowing smile. "Just giving a bit of an assist," she said. "Carry on, my good-"

And then Misty screamed.

Her whole body twisted in ecstasy, hands frantically tearing at the grass, as her inner muscles clenched hard around Ash. Realizing what was happening, Ash now knew that the time for buildup was over, and he had to bring things to a finish.

One thrust. One small withdraw before shoving himself back in. That was all he had left in him, and all of that blissful agony was exploding out of him, shooting jet after jet into Misty's womb. Had she been of age and not a PokeGirl, then she surely would now be bearing Ash's child. As it was, he still filled her with burning passion, and that was enough.

"Or not!" May said with a laugh. "Guess you didn't need it!"

Ash might have responded, said something pithy in return, but he didn't have it in him. He was still riding out the aftershocks of a monumental orgasm, his whole body shuddering against Misty. Finally, the last bit of vigor had been pumped away, and he collapsed on top of her.

Neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved. They just lay there, basking in the afterglow, enjoying the shared warmth between them. Ash frankly could have just stayed there forever, laying heart-to-heart with his lover, his PokeGirl, his possession.

But he couldn't, not just yet. There was still one last thing he needed to do. Summoning every last iota of strength and will, he forced his arm to come up, sliding across the grass until he was cradling her head. Then, bringing his lips down close to her ear, he gave her lobe a quick nibble before whispering, "Good girl."

Misty stiffened with a cry, and her hips bucked. Though the stiffness was leaving him, Ash was still inside of her, and judging by the way her loosening walls had tightened once again, those simple words had brought her to overload one last time.

"Wow," he heard May said in amazement. "You were not kidding!"

"Shut up, May," Misty growled.

Shaking his head, Ash slowly drew himself back out of Misty. A foamy cocktail of his milky-white seed and her sweet nectar seeped out from her pussy lips. It was smeared all over the insides of her thighs, and dripped from the tip of his rapidly deflating cock.

"Hey, let me get some of that," May said. She dipped a finger in-between their cooling sexes and ran it around, smearing their juices all over the tip. Ash wondered if she was going to bring it to her lips, but instead, she brought it down to her own pussy. The tip of her finger disappeared into her lower lips.

"Oh, th-that's good," she sighed as she pressed the fruit of Ash and Misty's lovemaking into herself. "Just a little…Ah!" Her hips bucked once, twice, and she was done.

The three happy children all moved back from one another, all of them breathing heavily, and all of them feeling wonderful. "Okay, just going to say it," May said as she reclined on her side alongside the still hazy-eyed Misty. "But after finally getting to watch you two do what you shoulda done weeks ago, that was goddanged beautiful." She cocked her head. "Ash, you wouldn't happen to have another round in you by any chance, would you?"

Ash did not, in fact. He was done. He was wholly spent. It was all that he could do to remain sitting upright. Waves of fatigue crashed over him, listing him back and forth, and his eyelids just felt so heavy, everything was just so heavy…

And then strong, slender arms had a hold of him, drawing him down into the grass between the two PokeGirls. "That's it; it's naptime," May said. "We're taking a nap."

Ash wearily shook his head, though there was little actual resistance behind the gesture. "C-Can't. Still…have…" A cavernous yawn swallowed the rest of what he was going to say.

Misty moved in, bringing him into her arms. "Nothing. You brought your team up to speed and squeezed in a little training. You're exhausted. You're taking a nap."

Ash grunted. A nap did sound wonderful, and he felt so unbelievably comfortable in Misty's arms. But still…

"What about…uh…ranger…station?" he whispered. "Your…stuff…"

"After we've had a nap," May said as she pressed herself up against him from behind. Her arms wrapped around his chest and his belly in a tender embrace.

Yeah. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan. Just like getting some rest sounded like a good plan as well.

His eyes drooping closed, Ash let his own arms encircle Misty's bare body, gathering her up and holding her close. As he did, May moved in close to whisper into his ear, "Good boy."

…

Ash had fallen into a deep sleep almost immediately. And though Misty's well of stamina was far deeper, being brought to such an intense orgasm by her trainer had comforted her enough that soon she had dozed off as well, the two of them sleeping contently in one another's arms.

May, however, was not even drowsy. Her paltry little orgasm had not been nearly enough to tire her out in the slightest, and she had plenty left in the tank.

But that didn't mean that she wasn't a different kind of tired. After her ordeal through Mt. Moon, when she had pushed far beyond the brink and spent so long terrified that she would never see her friends again, it was still nice to be able to just lie still with her two younger lovers nestled in her arms and not have to worry about anything.

May smiled as she looked them over. They were just so danged adorable, with how they were instinctively clutching at each other in their sleep to how Misty was nuzzling Ash's neck and one of Ash's hands had unconsciously come up to cup the back of Misty's head. They just looked so serene together, so peaceful.

With a happy sigh, May drew her arms around them both. This. This is what she had wanted. No more silly hang-ups. No more stupid responsibilities and other grown-up nonsense getting in the way. The three of them openly enjoying one another and the time spent together, facing the adventure that lay before them. Misty's gym? Pah, who needed it? Ash's dumb friends? Well, she still wished that Yellow could've come along, but forget the rest of them. May's family? Don't even get her started on them. All she needed was these two, and for them to need each other, and for her to be needed by them. Nothing else mattered.

More than happy to enjoy the peace and comfort that came from having their cute little bodies snuggled against her own, May let her eyes close. Maybe in time she would doze off, maybe she wouldn't, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was this moment, and the love that she now felt.

And then a small, sly smile began to form. Though she really didn't need anything more than her two friends, there had been a time not too long ago when she would have said that Misty was all that she needed, and then Ash had come into their lives. And Kanto was a big place, and the year until the next tournament was a long time. Who was to say that new friends wouldn't be made along the way? Ash did have a certain magnetism to him. Maybe another cute little girl would join them along the way, someone May could mold and instruct as she had Yellow.

Yeah. Another cutie would be nice.

…

With a sharp gasp of pure agony, she woke up.

Where was she? She was…she was…trees. Grass. Pine needles. Chirping of birds. Chittering of insects. A forest. She was lying facedown in a forest.

Why was she in a forest? How had she gotten here? Where even was here?

Pain. Hurt. Everything hurt. Why did everything hurt? What had happened to her? She felt…she felt…burned. Flayed. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think!

What had happened to her? What had…

Who was she? Why couldn't she remember? All that was burned into her memory was a white flash, and before that, nothing. Nothing but a sense of fear, loss, and grief. The sense that he had been abandoned by someone close to her.

Ash. She had to find Ash. That was all that she knew. She did not know who Ash was or why she needed to find him; she just knew that he would…he would…

The pain again became too great, and she faded away into dark, feverish dreams, reality slipping from her mind as she sank back into a haze of pain and confusion. As she did, her eyes locked onto one thing.

It was a small, dull pink stone, lying in the grass mere inches from her face.

…

A/N: I swear to God, they're going to drain that poor boy dry. Like, by the time they get to Cerulean, he's going to be like DBZA Goku after Chi-Chi's 24/7 fuckfest. Boned. Dry.

Anyway, this chapter was actually supposed to be a lot longer, and include the trip down to the ranger's station and end with them making a certain discovery in the forest (do I even need to be coy about it?), but I realized that with the Brock cutaway gimmick I had going, I didn't have enough of them to extend through the whole trip without making up a bunch of filler scenes, and it was getting long already, so snippy snip. You get one more chapter of our trio getting some much-need RnR. Plus, a bunch of grown-up politics and shit that I'm sure won't be important later. At all. So, silver lining is that the next chapter is actually mostly written, but I again got other stuff I need to focus on, but will try to swing back around to it as soon as I can.

Moving on, we also meet a couple of familiar faces. Giving my own spin on these iconic characters that have already seen multiple incarnations and interpretations is certainly interesting. For Blaine, I figure he would sort of be like one of those protagonists from an old school adventure serial, the kind that Indiana Jones was meant to be a tribute toward. Like, the sort with a bunch of random skills and accomplishments who go on one adventure after another and have a new love interest every few episodes. So, he's an older Buckaroo Banzai, basically. He's a scientist! He's an archeologist! He's a Gym Leader! He also plays the saxophone for some reason! He probably has an eccentric chocolate factory somewhere and has the president of Kanto on speed dial!

For Lance, what with his new backstory of the street kid that made it big, and with Team Rocket now being a more sinister threat that has already taken over a city or two, I figure he would have a lot of anxieties and insecurities now in this interpretation. In a way, he's sort of the human Ambihilech, in that he personally feels responsible for the safety and wellbeing of everybody, sort of isolates himself as a result, and is feeling the pressure from a situation that is starting to devolve out of his control.

Well, we be rolling on, so I hope all my American PokePerverts had a drama-free Thanksgiving and everyone has a happy holiday, whichever one you celebrate. And if you don't celebrate anything, have a happy winter regardless. Rub one out for me.

Oh, don't give me that look. You're literally taking time out of your day to read pornography that I've committed way too much time and thought toward. We all know most of you are reading these chapters with one hand. It is way too late to complain about me making things weird.