'How to seduce your trainer for dummies, Vol. III'

The Zoroark's grin widened as she eyed the title of the book in her hands. It was an almanac published by the eminent Professor Lovelace, who some deemed a lunatic but was clearly on to something.

Like, sure, let's send our adolescents alone on a grand adventure away from civilization. Then give them loyal creatures with superpowers of their choosing, ones with which they will inevitably establish tight bonds that will only strengthen over time. Sure, right at about that age were they might think of experimenting on one another out of perfectly innocent curiosity. And then act surprised when like half of all trainers lose their virginity to their pokémon.

What? Was she supposed to not fall for her trainer? To just sit there as he pampered her, helped her grow, encouraged her and made her feel like the most important girl in the world, and then somehow not develop a crush on him? Well, she was catching feelings for her trainer like a rookie would catch an asleep, weakened Pidgey. God. Zozo came up with the weirdest metaphors.

Zozo and her trainer were at that age where they were expected to be exploring and messing around with each other's bodies, first moved by natural curiosity before advancing into unabashed desire. They were a little older than that, in fact! The Zoroark kept in contact with many fellow starter pokémon belonging to other people — those of rivals they had met in their travels, or the other lab pokémon that were given to other trainers — and all of them that were of age, even those younger than her, were bedding their trainers daily! And meanwhile she hadn't even managed to get her trainer to cop a feel!

Her starter friends always spoke so gushingly about it, about how good and intimate the act felt, and about how much their relationships had improved with their trainers since it had become a part of their routines. They all swore it made them feel more connected than ever. Their trainers would pay more attention to them than usual, act warmer, train them better, and in general achieve better results in and out of combat. Zozo wanted that too! She had always gotten along with her trainer just fine, but she wanted to enjoy that kind of deeply intimate, passionate and romantic bond too!

She couldn't believe that even that Lucario bitch of Lulu, their rival's starter, had managed to get intimate with her own trainer before her. Ugh! That Lucario was always so firm and proper and snobby, and even she was boning her human! And she was always rubbing it in her face just how much she and the human enjoyed it and how deep their bond had become because of it! Well, joke's on her, because next time they met neither of them would be a virgin anymore!

Zozo held back a sigh, shaking the weighty book in her hand. It sure had a lot of pages. She still wasn't sure how she had managed to convince her trainer to buy her this book written in a language understood only by pokémon. She had told him it was some kind of battle manual or some such nonsense. She hoped it would contain the kind of advice she needed to finally get cozy and personal with her trainer.

Aaah. A charming smile crossed her face as she thought of her trainer. She loved her human so damn much. He was always so attentive with her, and had never given up on her even though the Zoroark wasn't exactly the strongest of pokémon early on. She lost far too many of her first few battles, but the trainer never blamed her and instead they worked together towards improving and achieving victory the next time. And although she had never managed to defeat her rival Lulu in fair combat, her trainer always praised her for a battle well fought regardless. Zozo had always been a bit of a wimp as a kid, but her trainer had managed to shape her up into quite the decent fighter and she would always be thankful for it.

Zozo and her trainer had been together for a few years now, and they had somehow managed to earn four of 'em badges! She had always been very fond of him, but it was only in the most recent year that she had grown mature enough to begin to consider that perhaps she was developing feelings for her human that went far beyond friendship. Although she initially felt ashamed of her self-serving affection, once she realized that most of her friends were in a similar situation she felt emboldened to face herself and accept her emotions. Yes, she loved her trainer! What about it?

But mature or not, a tiny quadruped Zorua was perhaps not the most attractive of prospect partners for a human. Well, perhaps some were into that, but her trainer had never shown her that kind of attention at least. And so she bid her time, knowing that one day she would eclipse humanity by becoming bipedal in five seconds of evolution instead of in millions of years — and lo and behold, barely a month ago she finally evolved into a Zoroark!

Zozo loved her new body. Well, not at first. It took her some time getting used to walking upright on only two hind legs, and her face met the floor a little too often for her tastes at first. But once she got used to walking and running without tripping she began to appreciate all the advantages and conveniences of her new body. Her new clawed hands were very practical — she could grab and hold stuff now! — and she had grown in size from her tiny Zorua body until she was only barely shorter than her human, perhaps being a tad taller than the average human female.

She didn't know much about courting but at the very least she knew that being pretty should be a boon, so she always kept good care of her physical appearance, far more than when she was a Zorua. Her velvety black fur was always kept tidy and brushed — sometimes with her trainer's help — and although washing her voluminous red mane was a bit of chore, she absolutely adored it and was very proud of it. Evolution had gifted Zozo with a more-than-adequately fit and shapely body that had managed to turn quite a few heads, and she was also rather proud of the decently-sized breasts she had developed. They were even a bit bigger than Lulu's! Eat your heart out, Lucario!

So if she had become such a bombshell of a lady, then why in the world had her trainer failed to notice her? It's like he still thought she was a little Zorua! While not demure, Zozo didn't exactly excel when it came to assertiveness so her initial plan was to just be pretty, keep good care of her image, and be very sweet and very touchy-feely towards her human in hopes that at some point he would become too horny to hold back and would take her there and now. Oh, how would she love that. Oh, how many times she fantasized about exactly that scenario. This is apparently what had happened to Lulu. That lucky bitch!

Unfortunately for Zozo, she was a tad too insecure and her trainer was a tad too dense, which made for a terrible combination. But this book in her hands — it should hold the key to solving all her problems! It should teach her exactly what to do to gain her human's affections! The book had been personally recommended by dear Adelaide, and the wise and old Delphox was far more learned in these matters than any of them.

Now she just needed to study the book and apply its advice, and before she knew it she would be making out with her darling trainer as she enjoyed both his affectionate embrace and his hardened dick!

Because he couldn't possibly be that dense, right…?

A moment of peace. After camping outdoors in some random grassland Zozo's trainer had left to gather firewood, leaving the Zoroark to hold the fort. Perhaps this was a good time to begin reading!

'In truth, my ambitious reader, most pokémon need not do much to gain their master's affections. Once an aspiring student passes the league's admission test and acquires a trainer license, the trainer then receives a psychological evaluation in order to figure out the handful of pokémon species that better align with their personalities, needs, tastes and other idiosyncrasies. This information is then sent to the laboratory of the appropriate professor for them to prepare a small selection of compatible pokémon for the trainer to choose from.'

'As such, if you my dear reader were given to your trainer in a laboratory setting as part of the league's program, this guarantees that your species personally appeals to your beloved trainer both emotionally and aesthetically. Thus, for most pokémon there will be a mere two steps to follow: to awaken your trainer's passions, and to make it clear that you are available. More succinctly: make them want to mate with you, then make it clear you are willing to. For most of you, simply being direct and honest about it will do the trick.'

Honestly… yeah, why hadn't she tried this? Just outright telling him how she feels. It sounded super embarrassing, but it couldn't be more straightforward. And awkward as it was, it would at least allow her to gauge how he felt about her.

Hold on. She needed to rehearse this in her mind. She couldn't go without a plan. Her trainer would return soon with the firewood, then what?

She snapped her fingers. "Hey, nice firewood. Do you want me to fire your wood too?" She brought her hand to her temples, frantically looking everywhere around her to make sure no one had heard her. Thank freaking goodness, she was alone. Okay, no cringey pick-up lines. Only honesty.

Zozo took in an unnecessarily long breath, then released it. She closed her eyes for a moment to focus, then opened them to find her beloved trainer sitting across her. A gasp escaped her mouth, even though she was perfectly aware it was an illusion. Like, an illusion she was creating. And it still managed to surprise her. Her powers as an illusionist had grown immensely since she had evolved. But hey, weird as this was, it was great practice.

"Um." She began to speak and she had already run out of words. And that wasn't even her real trainer in front of her. Goddammit, she got too nervous too easily. "River, honey, could we speak for a moment?" she asked in the sweetest tone she could muster, clasping her hands together.

Some pokémon could learn to speak after years and years of practice. Not Zozo. She was too lazy for that. She simply used illusions to deceive ears into thinking they were detecting a voice. The illusory voice she liked to project began as a direct copy of the voice of some random red-haired anchorwoman see saw on TV once, but had since morphed into a unique vocalization that was distinctive of her. She had modified her pitch and timbre slightly over the years, trying to figure out the kind of voice that her trainer would find more appealing. Her current voice was youthful yet mature, both graceful and gentle, although it had a distinct mischievous streak to it.

Zozo waited for a moment for the trainer to answer. Then she smacked her own head, feeling silly. Illusions don't speak on their own unless she wills them too. She could make the mirage in front of her speak with her trainer's voice, but Zozo would ultimately be the one picking the words.

"My dearest Zozo," the fake River began, and that short sentence was enough to make Zozo yelp. She was not used to this. "Tell me, what ails you?"

"I-I wanted to talk about something important with you. Um, if you have the time." She lowered her head, having trouble holding the gaze of a stupid illusion. She feared she would get even more nervous if her real trainer was the one before her.

"I always have time for the most beautiful pokémon in the world." Hearing his voice uttering those words made her shake her head violently, her cheeks turning a shade closer to that of her mane. He would not say that! Okay, let's try again. "Yes, Zozo, what is it?"

She began to fidget, still incapable of staring up to him. "Um, w-we've been together for years and… how to put this? I appreciate you a lot, honey. You are the most important person to me."

Suddenly, the illusory figure moved towards her, making her shrink away. She had only been a Zoroark for a few months, so she sometimes lost control of her own illusions. Or, more specifically, sometimes the subconscious part of her brain would override her ration and would begin to show her what she wanted to see. The false River placed his rugged hands on Zozo's. They were so firm and manly! She was getting very good at emulating tactile sensations. "And you are the most important person to me, Zozo."

He was too close! Too close! She dodged his eyes, forgetting for a brief moment that she was simply speaking to a shadow. "W-What I mean to say is, um…" C'mon. Just say it. It's only a dumb illusion, just say it. "I love you, honey!" Oh, that had been easier than she thought. Just a few short words.

"Y-You…?" The shadow released her hands for a moment, turning his head to the side. "Ah! This is truly regrettable…"

Zozo gulped after a few tries, then let out a sad chuckle as she lowered her head further. "N-No, I understand. I am a pokémon and you are a human, so surely that —"

"You misunderstand!" Again his warm hands were felt on hers, and her heart skipped a beat as she dared to look into his eyes for the first time. "Zozo, what I meant is that it is truly regrettable… that I had not noticed your feelings until now. How have I been so blind not to see?" River's gentle hand found its way to her cheek, and her whole body shivered with joy. "And how have I been so foolish not to realize that my own heart beats to the rhythm of the blinking of your eyes…"

"I… have no idea what that means, but that's cute!" Feeling daring, Zozo mimicked him by placing her own paw on the human's cheek. "Then, does that mean…?"

"Yes, Zozo. I love you too. With all of my soul."

"Honey…"

He leaned his head in, closing his eyes. I-It was happening! Oh my god, she was so not ready for this! Was she supposed to close her eyes too? She felt her eyelids fall and stood still, not moving a muscle until she felt a soft sensation press against her lips. He was kissing her! His lips felt… uh… well, she was the one in control of the illusion, so how did she want them to feel? Soft and sensitive, perhaps? She had never kissed before, so she could only guess how a real kiss would feel.

She felt his tongue boldly trying to slip into her mouth, and although initially hesitant she soon decided to accept the guest in. The human tongue earnestly explored the insides of her mouth, making her coo in delight. This felt so lovely! Zozo felt a gentle hand stroking her long mane, sending a wave of warmth through her entire body, while the human's other hand pushed her closer to him.

Wanting to reciprocate, Zozo caressed his strong chest with her hands, careful not to hurt him with her large claws, and then daringly thrust herself into his face. Her tongue began to battle his tongue, engrossed in a fierce dance as they traded copious amounts of saliva as the Zoroark purred in the softest of voices. Only after they broke the kiss did she open her eyes, a thick trail of saliva still joining their parted lips. They remained in silence for a few seconds, her dreaming teal eyes staring longingly into his.

Zozo clapped her hands and the phantom of a human before her vanished into the ether. Damn, her illusions had gotten a little too real for her since she had evolved. She used to only be able to deceive sight and hearing, but she could now also simulate smells and tactile sensations. Saliva clung from her panting tongue as abundant drool spilled from her open mouth, dripping onto the fluffy ruff of black fur that enticingly covered her heaving breasts. She had gotten this worked up, and all she had technically done was kiss the empty air as she fantasized about her trainer. She needed a moment to calm herself down as she cleaned her messy mouth and chest.

Zozo covered her face with her paws even though there was no one around to see. "Aaaah! That was too embarrassing! But that felt so nice… Is that how it is going to go?"

Her ears twitched once, twice, and she sat upright in an elegant pose. Her trainer was coming! The real one, not an illusion! Thankfully Zozo had some very large fluffy ears and was super paranoid, so she could hear anyone approaching from a mile away. She otherwise wouldn't dare partake in these kind shenanigans with her illusions, if there was even the slightest chance she would be discovered. Now that would be embarrassing! Back when she was a Zorua she had occasionally been caught in the act when she was doing… less than wholesome stuff with her illusions, so she was a lot more careful now.

And finally, the reason why she woke up on the mornings appeared reflected on her teal eyes. In one arm the human held a number of tree branches used to make fire, while the other hand was raised in a welcoming fashion. "Hey, buddy! I'm back! Missed me much?"

"Y-Yes!" she answered without thinking. "I really missed you!"

"Haha! You dark-types are such jokesters!" River tapped at her shoulder in a friendly fashion, and then began to set the base for a small campfire. "So anything new, buddy?"

"Actually, yes!" She stood up suddenly and moved closer to him, making him murmur in confusion. "There's something important I need to tell you, honey."

River looked mildly concerned as he stared into her hesitant eyes. "Shoot then, girl."

Okay, just like you have practiced! Zozo knew that if she waited too long she would grow more and more flustered and would eventually chicken out, so she had to do this now! Arming herself with valor and thinking of the prize, she placed her hands on the human's shoulders as she steeled herself to speak those short, easy words. "I l-lo-lo…" Don't stop now. You got it. Don't stop now. "I love you, honey!" Nice! She didn't even stutter!

River's eyes went wide. Was that good news or bad news? Zozo had no idea and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. "But Zozo…" Oh no, she didn't like the sound of that 'but'. He placed one hand on her shoulder and another on her cheek, reminding her of the illusion from before and making the fur on her back stand on end. "C'mon now, Zozo. Did you really think I'm that slow? I already knew. I have known all this time."

"What?" Her heart was beating at a different rate. She couldn't tell if it was beating faster or slower, but she had hardly ever been this nervous in her life. "Y-You knew?" Now that she did not expect. She had been completely convinced that her trainer was completely unaware of her feelings. "And, um, what do you think about it, honey?"

"What do I think about it?" He leaned in even closer. So, so close. Their noses were nearly touching, and if she angled her head forward just a little their lips would for the first time meet. "Oh, you silly Zoroark. Of course I love you too, dummy."

Her eyes went as wide as they could possibly be as her lips shivered. Did she mishear? Oh, she probably misheard. Yeah, that was likely it. She didn't want to bolster any false hopes. Please, anything but false hopes.

River slapped her shoulder a little too strongly. Nothing that would hurt a pokémon. "Like, we've been together for years, Zozo! Of course you're my best friend! Of course I love you too, buddy! What's with all this all of a sudden now? What would make you think I no longer like you, you big doofus? Is it because you evolved? You look even cooler now, buddy! And even if you didn't I would still love you! We're gonna be together forever, you and I, as best buds!"

Well. She tried. She really did.

Some more words of encouragement were shared, and a strong hug was offered and gladly accepted. They hadn't hugged all that much since she had evolved, so she relished every second of it. She still did 'accidentally' claw at his back enough to leave a mark. Oops! It must be because she still cannot quite control her strength. Surely that must be the reason.

Later at night she was left alone, and she again picked up her book. So far, it had been completely useless.

'If heartfelt honesty fails to work, my ambitious reader, there are a number of possible explanations. Perhaps you are unlucky and your trainer belongs to an incompatible sexuality.'

Zozo shook her head, grunting. No, that wasn't the case. She had been with him for long enough to know that wasn't the case. Whenever he watched TV, pretty females would capture his attention — both humans and occasionally pokémon.

'Another possibility to consider is that perhaps you are not attractive enough and should work on your appearance. Some species are less fortunate than others.'

She looked down to her fluffy chest as she placed a hand on her wide hips. That wasn't it, either. It's not that she was too presumptuous or anything, but she was at least decently attractive, wasn't she? Her body was more than reasonably voluptuous. She had received quite a few invitations from fellow pokémon, some of which she had to reject rather violently. Maybe she needed to work on her temper a bit, but she didn't think physical attractiveness was the issue.

'If none of these proves to be the cause, then perhaps the worst has come to pass — and your trainer sees you as a friend. Quite ironically, having too strong of a bond with your human might actually become a handicap when it comes to consummating your relationship, as your trainer might be too attached to you to see you as a potential sexual partner. Alas, do not fret, my ambitious reader! For you have my word: if you follow my advice, then before this book is over you will have mated with the trainer that you so adore.'

If only, Professor Lovelace. If only.

But she was not one to give up easily, and she learned that one from her trainer.