Chapter 21: Confessions

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, I do own Hotaru, Darnel, Ashley and Queen Venomica.

It actually took Hotaru two days to completely recover from her injuries that she had suffered from her battle deep inside NCIS. However even when she seemed to be better both Ducky and even Hotaru's mother wanted Hotaru out of school for an entire week, just to be on the safe side, that and to make sure Hotaru was indeed one hundred percent healthy. No point in her going to school weakened especially when both parents knew of the dangerous enemy Hotaru had to fight against. If the enemy saw her even halfway healthy they'd still make their daughter's life miserable if she had to fight them. Ashley and Darnel made sure to drop of school work for Hotaru every night. Ashley would stay the longest though checking in on Hotaru's condition. One night in partcular, Ashley stayed over at Hotaru's house to keep her company.

"Thanks Ashley" Hotaru told her friend.

"You're welcome Hotaru" Ashley replied "Feeling better?"

"Honestly yes, I could've went to school Wednesday, but mommy wouldn't let me agreeing with Ducky that she wanted me to be at full strength" Hotaru sighed out.

Ashley giggled a bit feeling Hotaru's hair "Hotaru...She's just watching out for you as she's supposed to do."

"I know..." Hotaru breathed out "Honestly I'm just glad Cipher didn't attack while I was shall we put it out of commission."

Ashley agreed "Indeed."

For some odd reason, Ashley found herself holding onto Hotaru's hand causing Hotaru to blush bright red "Ashley?"

Ashley blushes too releasing Hotaru's hand "Sorry! I don't know why I did that."

Hotaru found herself smiling "Ashley...Don't be embarrassed, I liked it."

Ashley blushes "Hotaru..."

"Yes?"

Ashley closes her eyes as she asks Hotaru "Want to, well go out with me to the mall?"

Hotaru smiled "Sure thing. Tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Ashley said.

She gets up to leave and to check on Loveria whom was still petrified. Once she leaves, Hotaru's mother entered Hotaru's room "Planning onto go out with her tomorrow sweetie?"

"Yes, mom! I feel completely better!"

"You look better too" her mother told her checking Hotaru out for any sort of injuries.

"So may I go with Ashley to the mall tomorrow?"

"I see what not sweetie"

"Thanks mom!

Hotaru's mother giggled patting her daughter's back "Have fun with her sweetie and if you need to spend the night with her you have my permission."

Hotaru hugged her mother getting up "Thank you mom!"

With this Hotaru spent the rest of the evening doing her school work and getting ready for her girls only date with Ashley. Meanwhile at Ashley's house, Ashley blushes red her heart was pumping oddly with joy but the blond wasn't sure why. Was she really having feelings for Hotaru? As she's sitting down trying to figure this out she couldn't help but want Hotaru in her life, sure the two were friends but she wanted much, much more. She blushes red sitting on her couch sitting and hoping that by the end of the day tomorrow with her date with Hotaru, that Hotaru could return the favor and she had a plan. She'd make romantic dinner for the two and this time a dinner that didn't involve Hotaru as the main course after all why would the two girls be going to the mall wihtout getting anything. After thinking it through Ashley nodded making up her mind, she was gonna confess her feelings to Hotaru, hoping Hotaru wasn't raised to be straight but she wouldn't know until after she confessed.

Intro- Latias's voice- Three years ago, my brother Latios and I made our escape from Cipher taking the Rototrix with us. For three years we had avoided being captured and turned into Shadow Pokemon as well as keeping the Rototrix safe from Cipher whom were making plans to use it for their own evil needs. Three years later, Cipher has remerged selling Shadow Pokemon to Earth in a bid to take over the universe. Luckily my brother and I managed to save a girl in need and gave her the Rototrix a device that transforms the wielder into a Pokegirl or Pokeboy of 14 different types of Pokemon. Now she has the difficult task in not defeating Cipher but purifying all of the Shadow Pokemon. Hotaru certainly has a difficult task to do but she's the only chance two worlds have and I have a feeling, Hotarumon 14 is going to stop Cipher's plans once and for all.

Commercial Break

Back to show

The next morning came, Ashley gets up and showers having the feeling Hotaru was doing the same. She blushes red imaging Hotaru in front of her and soon she'd have the full day with her. Ashley blushes wanting to feel Hotaru's hair and lovely skin. She looks in front of herself as she's showering "Slow yourself down Ashley. Don't think of that just yet. Focus on being with her for now. Don't rush into things too fast."

She focuses on her shower then dries off before dressing in her usual clothes. She grabbed some money, put on her boots then after locking her door headed out. On her end Hotaru was outside her house letting the Sun's rays sook into her skin which felt good after a week of nothing but being indoors. While she waited for Ashley to arrive, she checks her Rototrix to check her Pokemon forms. All forms seemed to be one hundred percent healthy which was good.

"So far so good" Hotaru told herself, she then pauses and looks around her yard, after week of recovery, she had gained the knowledge to always look over your shoulder every now and then. She wanted to be ready and not get caught off guard, her encounter one week ago nearly ended up costing her, her life.

She heard footsteps coming forward and looked ahead of herself to see Darnel coming to visit her. Once he saw her he waved to her "Morning Hotaru! Glad to see you're better!"

"Thanks man!" Hotaru told him "I feel good too, I should've went to school on Wednesday but my mother wouldn't let me."

"I'm sure she was looking out for you Hotaru, you were in bad shape even after that battle ended, but I'm just glad you're at full strength."

"Yeah...I'm sure she was watching over me like a mother should, but still I should've went."

"No sense in rushing your recovery Hotaru" Darnel admitted.

Hotaru sighs "That's true too."

The two heard Ashley coming and Hotaru smiled "Morning Ashley!"

"Morning Hotaru" Ashley replied back as she walked closer "Are you ready to go to the mall with me?"

"You bet!" Hotaru told her friend with her backpack on her back.

Darnel turned to go "Have fun ladies, I have practice to get to."

"Will do!" Hotaru said.

"If we run into Cipher we'll tell you about it tomorrow!" Ashley promised.

"Alright then!" Darnel said walking off.

Once he was gone, Ashley turned to Hotaru "Ready?"

"Oh, I am!" Hotaru said.

The two girls walked to the mall going to enjoy their time together.

At Cipher's Headquarters, Erdos was still plotting his next attack. He knew at this point he was out of time. Still it was needed because Cipher's numbers were low after their failure to kill her inside NCIS. Besides Queen Venomica hadn't fully recovered from the ice bomb Gibbs and his team set up. Erdos was looking at his Shadow Garchomp and Shadow Toxicrok. Even though Cipher was still recovering, he had Miror B and his cronies spying on their foe...Very carefully. Miror B returned "Hotaru is at full strength now Erdos."

"As she should be at this time" Erdos growls in anger, they had Hotaru at where she was certainly near death's door but yet they failed in the very end.

"Shall we surprise attack her?" Miror B asked "She's going with her blond friend to the mall!"

"We need to stay low a bit longer. But...I do need someone to spy on those girls" Erdos said smirking "For if my hunch is right, perhaps then we can use that to our advantage. But stay in the shadows."

Miror B nods "Right."

Erdos was playing safe for now, no need to rush into battle without a plan. Plus no need to rush into things, lay low for a while then go after Hotaru when she least expect it. Cipher was going to try this new move, lay low, get information from their spies, then plan. If there was something Cipher could do that their foe Hotaru couldn't, it was get intel on their target. Erdos and Cipher had the resources to do this and they were going to.

Queen Venominca voiced her displeausre by hissing in hatred of this move but deep inside she knew this was the right plan. Right now their forces were hurting to recover.

"You've essscccappped me Hotarumon 14...You're one lucky prey girl to have lasssted that long...In the end you'll be in my ssstomaccch and will be a worthy...Prize."

Suddenly a Cipher Soldier arrived "Erdos, Queen Venomica!"

The two turned "What?!"

"A Shadow Pokemon has went berzerk and escaped!"

"Which one?!" both Queen Venomica and Erdos asked.

"Shadow Totem Mimicru!"

Erdos was strangely quiet but only for a moment as his anger boiled "You...Lost...that Shadow...Totem Pokemon? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING OF LETTING IT OUT?!"

"SORRY SIR! IT JUST BURST OUT OF IT'S BALL AND KILLED TWO TO THREE CIPHER SOLDIERS BEFORE ESCAPING!"

"What's the problem of a sssShadow Pokemon essscccaping? Asss long asss we don't go after it, it's bound to go after Hotaru on it's own."

"True..." Erdos admitted "But it's a Totem Pokemon, a giant Pokemon of it's type. They are far stronger than the average Pokemon. Plus they can call other Pokemon to aide them in battle. If it gets to Hotarumon 14 she'll have a harsh battle ahead of her but I'd rather we not lose this Shadow Pokemon, especially when it's a Totem one. We need to get it back before it gets to Hotarumon 14 or spills into Manassas to do damage."

Erdos turned to Miror B "Change of plans. We got to do what we can to get that Totem Pokemon back but we need our eyes on Hotarumon 14. So...Miror B, while I need you and your spies to watch her so we can be informed on her, but also be on the look out for that escape Shadow Totem Pokemon and do what you can to get it back."

"On it!" Miror B said leaving.

Queen Venomica sighs "Ssso muccch for recccovering..."

Erdos agreed "Yes, but with luck our forces won't engage Hotarumon 14, just spy on her."

"True there" Queen Venomica said "With luccck we'll come up with a better plan for our actual attack for when our forcccesss recover."

"Indeed" Erdos admitted.

Hotaru and Ashley had taken a bus to the mall and the two girls were entering it. Ashley giggled happily to have Hotaru at her side. Hotaru just happy for two reasons, one that she was out of her house, and the second she was with Ashley. The two girls entered the mall looking for items to buy. That and the girls were having fun being together.

"Well, Hotaru" Ashley said to her friend "Which store do we go to first?"

Hotaru looked at the store "Uh, whereever you want to go first Ashley."

"I do need to get some groceries but that can wait" Ashley admitted to her.

Hotaru smiled "Well let's check out the clothing store then."

"That sounds good!"

The two girls headed into the clothing store having a good time checking out the clothes just browzing like all girls. Niether one of them were in the category as fashionable but they still were browzing new clothes. Once the two girls were finished browzing they headed to the grocery store where Hotaru worked to help Ashley get some groceries.

"You're getting some more food I see" Hotaru told her friend.

"I am because I want to have a good dinner with you" Ashley told her "And this time you aren't on the menu" Ashley explained.

Hotaru smiled "I'd love that."

Hotaru was helping Ashley get as much food as Ashley needed for the nice evening Ashley had planned for the two. They were about to exit when they heard screaming. Hearing the screams Hotaru rolled her eyes "Oh...What is it now?"

Ashley also sighed "Honestly...I was hoping for an entire day without any conflict. So much for piece and quiet..."

The two girls ran towards the sound of the screams and at first they didn't see anything at all, with the exception of three younger girls shivering.

"What's going on?" Hotaru asked them.

"Giant scarecrow..." one them said "It was outside a moment ago."

"Giant Scarecrow?" Ashley inquired.

The second girl nodded "I know it sounds silly to be scared by a scarecrow but, it was huge and actually living!"

Hotaru had a feeling what it was "Where was it?"

"In the parking lot! It seemed to be looking for someone or something!" The third girl said.

Hotaru was already out the door to check to see what scared these girls. She somehow knew that the girls would never lie to anyone just by how they acted. They had indeed saw something and Hotaru guessed it could've been a Shadow Pokemon. She ran out into the parking lot of the mall. Ashley was right behind her holding her bags and the two girls didn't see anything visible, except for Hotaru. She noticed an odd dark shadow on the ground as if something had been sitting there watching.

"What are you looking at Hotaru?" Ashley asked her.

"There was something that was here" Hotaru admitted to her "There's a dark circle implant on the ground here.

Ashley now notices it "What could've been here?"

Hotaru shrugged "Not sure...Guess we need to look over our shoulders when going back to your house."

Ashley nods "Right."

The two girls start walking back to Ashley's house when Hotaru felt as if she was being watched and looked over her shoulder. This type of feeling made her certian that whatever scared the three girls was most likely a ghost type Pokemon. She shouldn't let her guard down as she was going to allow this Shadow Pokemon to harm Ashley.

Once safe at Ashley's house, Hotaru inspects Loveria "How much longer will it take for us to reverse this?"

"Not sure" Ashley admitted "But I've been trying to reverse it still to no avail."

Hotaru sighs wishing she knew what happened to Loveria. Ever sense being rescued from Queen Venomica's clutches Cipher made it their top priority to remove her from the equation for some odd reason. Hotaru rubbed Loveria's arm saddened. This type of thing was heartbreaking to her, Loveria didn't deserve this.

Ashley was making pasta for the two. She looks around while making understanding how Hotaru felt "I'll do my best to reverse this but again so far I've found no solution."

Hotaru nods "Understood."

It was then that the girls felt uneasy as if something was watching them. Hotaru turned towards Ashley's front door "Feel that?"

Ashley's face looked pail nodding "If you're feeling that you're being watched...Yes, that's what I'm feeling."

She eyes the door "Whose out there?!"

Hotaru remained calm opening the door and froze for outside was the biggest scarecrow she'd ever seen. She immediately closed the door "It's that scarecrow!"

Ashley blinks walking to her door "Is it really that scary?"

She opened the door and gasped slamming it "YEP! THAT THING IS HUGE! I wonder what it is."

Hotaru debated if she should go out and battle it, she never fought against something that huge but her Rototrix was going off indicting it was a Shadow Pokemon "...Figures...It's a Shadow Pokemon..."

"Hotaru..." Ashley told her friend worried even holding on Hotaru's hands.

"Ashley?" Hotaru inquired.

Ashley blushes "Please be careful. Your last battle with Shadow Garchomp nearly killed you and got worse later on as Cipher came to finish you off. I don't want to see you get killed."

Hotaru looks deep into her friend's eyes "I must admit I am a bit afraid of taking it on but, at the same time I must face it to free it..." she pauses hearing Cipher soldiers approaching with Miror B annoucing "So there you are! You are to come with us back to the base we hadn't released you to do damage just yet!"

Ashley sighs "Nice to know Cipher was chasing it..."

Hotaru looks at her "I'm gonna face off against it."

Ashley smiled "Well alright."

"Just stay inside the house and make that lovely dinner for us" Hotaru told her friend.

Ashley smiled "Right...And Hotaru..."

Hotaru turned to her with Ashley requesting "Promise me you'll be careful. And I must confess to you...I love you so please return to me alive."

Hotaru blushes red not expecting Ashley to confess something like that but, Hotaru herself was happy she was confessed to by Ashley "Will do!...Just stay safe yourself."

Ashley smiled back nodding wanting to confess to Hotaru that she loved her but that could wait till they had piece in quiet. It was ovious that this Shadow Pokemon Hotaru was gonna fight against had escaped Cipher. Hotaru steps foot out of Ashley's house causing Miror B to frown eying the Shadow Pokemon "Of course you'd get her attention! The one we're trying to plot our next plan against."

"How could I not notice this?" Hotaru asked Miror B "Three girls saw it earlier at the mall freaking them out and now I know why."

She now studies the Shadow Pokemon "What is it?"

Her Rototrix answered "It's Mimikru! A Ghost and Fairy Type! Anyone that sees what's under those rags is said to lose their soul!"

Upon hearing that Mimikru was a Ghost Type, Hotaru thought on using Absol seeing it was good against Ghost Types but, upon hearing that it was also part Fairy Type caused her to hesitate, Absol was strong and good against Ghost Types but weak to Fairy Types. Maybe Absol wasn't the best solution. Now she could try to go Lucario whom could deal with Super-Effective damage to Fairy Types...However time was running out as Hotaru saw it advancing on her with Miror B calling to it "NO! DON'T ATTACK HER!"

It ignored Miror B lunging at Hotaru not giving her time to figure things out. She was going to use Lucario but...The Totem Shadow Pokemon lunging at her caused her to briefly panic and once more select Raichu as she dodged the attack successfully. Without looking at her Rototrix she slapped it down. White light filled the air as she lost her clothes and hair. She gained Dark orange body fur with white belly fur, her hands and feet become dark brown, she gains Raichu's tail with the lightning bolt at the end of it's tail being a bit smaller due to her being a girl, she gains Raichu's yellow electric sacks on her cheeks, she gains Raichu's brown ears which are yellow in the inside, then on her back are two horizontal brown stripes. When the transformation ended Hotaru was "Raichu!"

Inside her house, Ashley was almost finished with the dinner she walked towards the door and peered outside to see her friend transform. She blushed red when Hotaru lost her clothes briefly to only be replaced by Raichu's fur. She wanted more of Hotaru she wanted to feel her sexy body. She watches the battle while keeping an eye on their dinner. She watches as Hotaru gets onto all fours checking herself out "Ah...I seriously messed up...Again?!"

She looks up at the Totem Shadow Pokemon and saw it gain a boost "WHAT THE?!"

The Rototrix comments out "That's no ordinary Mimikru! That's a Totem Mimikru! It gained an all Stat boost gain!"

Hotaru sweat drops nervously not liking that "That...Can't be good."

"And it gets worse! Didn't I mention that Mimikru hates Pikachu?"

Hotaru grunts "No! You just told me! But I'm a Raichu!"

She watches as the Totem Mimikru saw her and glared at her in hatred "I guess it doesn't matter if I'm a Raichu or not! It just hates my form in general!"

From underneath it's cloth she saw a dark shadow like claw coming at her and she jumped into the air backflipping safely out of the path "Shadow Claw I see..."

She prepared to battle the Shadow Totem Pokemon closing her eyes "This won't be an easy battle but I'll need to take it out, then enjoy my time with Ashley!"

She looks at the huge Totem Pokemon her cheeks glowing with electricity "And I'll retaliate with this!"

She unleashse her Thunderbolt at the Totem Pokemon which strikes it and she smirks "That should've done some damage!"

She then gasped in pain as a Shadow Claw from Totem Mimikru struck her in the chest sending her painfully onto the ground bleeding and to her horror it wasn't damaged and she gasped in surprise at this.

Commercial Break

Back to show

"What just happened?" Hotaru asked herself in surprise "My Thunderbolt attack should've done something!"

"Mimikru has the ability known as Disguise!" Hotaru's Rototrix answered "It protects the user from any damage for just one attack."

Hotaru then noticed the huge Pokemon calling for help "Nuts...This can't be good."

To her surprise another ghost Pokemon one that looked like a head and two hands appeared to aide it.

"Haunter!" The Rototrix said "A Ghost and Poison Type the first evolved form of Gastly!"

"Two against one?" Hotaru winced "I might have bitten off more than I could chew."

She wanted to get this over with and she had already been injured by Shadow Claw. She gets back onto her two feet.

Miror B tries to recall the Totem Shadow Pokemon but it had ignored them and attacked Hotaru harder mostly thanks to her being a Raichu. She avoided it's lunge but not before the Haunter it called to help it launched a Shadow Ball at her while she was in mid-air. She saw it coming at her but she used her tail to wrap around the Shadow Ball then she hurled it towards the Shadow Mimikru. The Shadow Mimikru used it's claw to shred the Shadow Ball.

Hotaru grits her teeth "Great! That would've done some damage!"

She landed on the ground and prepared to unleash a Thunderbolt but a Sucker Punch to the face caused her to lose her focus allowing the Shadow Mimikru to attack her with Play Rough dealing heavy damage to her.

"Hotaru..." Ashley prayed seeing this, things were going out of control for her friend whom was in major pain.

The Shadow Mimikru was so enraged that it wanted to kill Hotaru for picking Raichu. It gave it's pinned foe an evil glare that told Hotaru it wanted nothing more than to kill her. Hotaru grunts and unleashed an electrical current around her body and she litterally shocked the Totem Mimikru. Hotaru gathered in energies into her tail turning it into what seemed to steel and she whacks it on Totem Mimikru's head. The Steel Type move smashed into Totem Mimikru's head dealing super-effective damage and sent the Totem off her. Hotaru gasped for breathe as she had been damaged. She was bleeding from her chest and an arm looked slightly detatched from her body as well as a leg was nearly broken. She was also looking at the Haunter. It unleashed it's Hypnosis attack at her trying to lure her to sleep. Hotaru manages to roll away unaffected by the Hypnosis. Angrily the Totem Shadow Pokemon ordered Haunter to unleash a Shadow Ball at Hotaru.

Hotaru wasn't expecting it but she managed t raise her Raichu tail snatching the Shadow Ball in mid-air. She could feel the fur on her tail getting singed with ghost energies, gruntting in pain, just as before she managed to time it right despite the pain she was in and throw the Shadow Ball in a way that it hit both Haunter and the Shadow Mimikru. Both Pokemon are defeated and knocked out.

Hotaru breathe in and out "Thank Goodness...I won that battle."

She walks towards the Shadow Mimikru raising up her Rototrix "Shadow Pokemon defeated...Awaiting purification."

"On it!" the Rototrix said beginning purification.

Miror B groaned forced to go back empty handed "Curses! This day didn't go our way! Next time Hotarumon 14 you'll lose...We have many other Shadow Totem Pokemon some much more stronger than Mimikru but we'll withdraw!"

Hotaru let them withdraw as the Rototrix purified the Shadow Pokemon "Totem Shadow Pokemon purified!"

"Good" Hotaru said returning back to normal and going back to Ashley.

"Hotaru!" Ashley said hugging her friend "That was incredible!"

"Thanks" Hotaru said as the two headed into Ashley's house for dinner.

During the dinner, Ashley had her lights off but she had set up candles. Hotaru was blushing as they ate but she felt herself looking at Ashley. Ashley looks at her "Hotaru?"

Hotaru asks her "Ashley, was what you told me before I went into battle the truth...You love me?"

Ashley blushes "I know being in love with the same gender is bad...But ever sense we met and the time we spent together I've grown towards you." she paues briefly but leans forward and kisses Hotaru's lips "So...Yes, it maybe a sin Hotaru but...I love you. I truly do."

Hotaru blushes red with Ashley sighing "But I don't know if you would return my feelings towards you being new and most likely will hope we could stay at being friends."

Hotaru was happy and she blushes as she returned Ashley's kiss with a kiss of her own "Ashley...You don't have to fear my rejection. I've fallen for you too. I love you."

Ashley smiled hugging Hotaru joyfully as they continued to have their dinner. After the dinner Ashley picks up Hotaru and took her to her bedroom and the two girls looked deep into each other's eyes and both kiss each other happily. Ashley removes Hotaru's clothes with Hotaru doing the same to her, with both girls naked the two girls begin to do their love making feet touching each other as well as rubbing each other's bodies. For the two this night was going to get steamy and special.

End of chapter

I know I might have blown the sex scene but I really just need to apply it is going to happen besides this fanfic is rated for T and I didn't want to change it to M. Besides I did get what I needed to get done which is to get Hotaru and Ashley into a couple. They will be a couple till the end of the fanfic and other fanfics I may have for Hotaru at least that's the plan. Hopefully this made up for the NCIS crossover. And sorry for the long wait for this, wasn't trying to take long but I needed some time away from this fanfic to see where I was getting towards. Anyway next chapter is Chapter 22: Lovers: Queen Venomica kidnaps Ashley alive to lure Hotaru into a Cipher trap, but will it end the way the Succubus Naga Queen imagines or will the love for the two lovers be too much for her?