89 Rebirth (1/4)

The creak of the consultor room door called her attention to the goth-looking pokemon. The gothitelle rested comfortably in her seat, opened her notebook, and with a smile she asked:

{𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞?}

~Bonny's POV~

The lopunny shrugged. {I don't know. You tell me.}

{Did Max recommend you to come here?}

{He… kind of did. But I still don't get what a psychologist can do.}

{That's what we're going to look at. How about you tell me more about yourself?}

~Dusk's POV~

{Well… Max did tell me about you, and I thought that if you can help him, you can help me too.}

{I'll certainly do my best for that.}

~Aurora's POV~

{I'll be honest, I don't like relying too much on people I don't know well. The only ones I trust fully are my friends and Max.}

{I can understand that. It's not easy for anyone to trust others, especially since there are those who abuse that trust.}

{You tell me. There were too many times where I trusted the wrong pokemon or human and paid the price for it.}

{Care to tell me more about what happened?}

~May's POV~

{I… when I came to, that was when I realized I did something horrible to those gardevoirs. Yeah, they tried to kill us, but I couldn't control my mega-form, and…} The mawile said before starting to cry.

{It's okay, Miss May. You're with a licensed professional who you can trust right now.}

{I'm…*Sniff* I'm sorry. I didn't have it easy these past few years.}

{I don't doubt it. Slowly opening yourself and sharing your experiences with me is the first step in easing your burden.}

~Luna's POV~

{I didn't really come here on my own. Our little pup insisted on the fact that it could help me.}

{Do you agree with him?}

{I may not look like it, but… I like being at ease. I've pretty much made peace with my past trauma, but our little pup claimed that it could be improved, so I trust him on that. I don't particularly feel sad or depressed, but he seems to have taken my tragic past to heart. It's… actually kind of relieving.}

~Scarlet's POV~

{Don't patronize me, lady. No one brought me here. I'm here only because I feel like it.} Scarlet defiantly said.

{Of course. And we'll go in any direction you wish to go.}

{Tch. I can't believe I'm doing this, as if I needed it. You can bet your ass that I'll remember this, Max.}

{𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫?}

~Bonny's POV~

{If we excluded being trapped in an elevator, it would be… master ditching me on the side of the road after realizing how useless I am.}

{Have you always felt this way?}

{Well… ever since I met him, I've always tried my best to convince him otherwise, but…}

~Dusk's POV~

{My biggest fear would be… that we would lose someone close to us again. Jade's death was so painful… it still is, actually. I don't think I can take another loss like that, especially if it's Scarlet, May, or even master.}

{I understand. Losing a friend is very painful, and believe me when I say that you're not the first to suffer such a loss.}

~Aurora's POV~

{I'm not really afraid of anything, but… I guess my biggest fear would be being abandoned by everyone again.}

{You mean, by the friends you have right now?}

{...Yeah.}

~May's POV~

{My biggest fear? I would say… It's a tie between being treated as an object like how my old trainer did to me, and facing another pokemon like Qsalyla.}

~Luna's POV~

{Hmm… that's a good question.} She fidgets in her seat while holding one arm. {The one thing I could think of would be to be emotionally invested in someone, only to have them taken from you.}

{Like with what happened to your mate and son.}

Luna sighed to herself. {You could say that. I think I still haven't forgiven myself and those humans completely.}

~Scarlet's POV~

{Heh. Really? Me? Afraid? I'm not scared of anything. I'm the one that inspires fear here. Qsalyla, Mad-Ji, hell even Darkrai's got nothing on me. }

{𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐥𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?}

~Bonny's POV~

{It would be… finally mastering my mega-form and winning a few battles for master.}

{As you told me, it wasn't easy at first.}

{Oh, not at all. I know we just moved on, but you could add losing control again to my list of fears.}

{That's perfectly fine.}

~Dusk's POV~

{Being chosen by master back at the lab I was raised in. I know I didn't do much, but if he chose me over Treecko and Totodile…}

{It must be because you deserved it somehow.}

{Yeah. That's what I like to think.}

~Aurora's POV~

{Finally being able to mega-evolve. Of course, master played a major role in it, but still.}

~May's POV~

{I don't know if it's considered an accomplishment, but being rescued from my old trainer was the best thing that ever happened to me. It made me able to meet my new master and discover that there are nice and caring trainers in this world.}

{In that case, making the decision to stay with Max instead would classify as an accomplishment.}

{Yeah. Let's go with that.}

~Luna's POV~

{I'm not one who has anything to strive for, really. I just adapt to the situation and go with the flow. I care more about the journey than the destination, and not knowing where I'll end up makes it more fun.}

~Scarlet's POV~

{Bwhaha! Is that even a question? My biggest accomplishment? Killing everyone that wanted me dead and live to tell the tale, that's my accomplishment. Life wanted to torture me and use me as its plaything from the moment I was born, but I showed it that I'm not the type of pokemon to have my fate chosen for me. I make my own choices, even if it means piling corpses behind me.}

{𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰?}

~Bonny's POV~

{Master is reconsidering a career as a trainer. I don't know what I can do, but I will do my best to make him the best there ever was.}

~Dusk's POV~

{Master's oldest dream was to become a world-class pokemon trainer, so I'm gonna do my best to help him and the others achieve that.}

~Aurora's POV~

{Bringing Max and all of us to the top of the world. Just being a good trainer is fine for him, but not me. I'm gonna carry him and the team to victory.}

~May's POV~

{To train as hard as I can to be a strong asset for the team so master can be the best trainer in the world.}

~Luna's POV~

{I would say… staying with our little pup to see him become a world champion.}

~Scarlet's POV~

{The same as it always has been since I met Max: taking care of him and working my ass off to make his desires and ambitions become reality. And let me tell you a little something, Miss Phanny… Nothing and I mean nothing, will stop me from paving his way to success, even if it kills me. My future is with him, and it always will be no matter what. If people aren't happy with that, you can guarantee that I'll gladly shatter their heads into pieces.}

~One year and seven months later~

*Tweet* *Tweet*

The loud tweets and chirps emanating from outside his window were slowly waking Max up. With the sun's rays waking him up, even more, he slightly moved before slowly opening his eyes. After a quick stretch, he sat up and took a few seconds to fully wake up before moving to his bed's edge. For the last year and a half, Max had been in constant training with the military gardevoir Mad-Ji who was residing at the Spencers' mansion and had built up a very fit and muscular body as a result. His muscles weren't that hypertrophic, but he had surely gained at least thirty pounds of it. Unfortunately, training with a crazy pokemon such as Mad-Ji had its drawbacks. Alongside getting more in shape, Mad-Ji's training methods had left a couple of scars on his body, some residing all over his body, while the rest were on his arms and hands. This was due to Mad-Ji's rule of not allowing Scarlet to heal Max in between sessions, applying a literal and somewhat extreme sense to the phrase "no pain, no gain." Luckily, his face was spared. His hair had grown quite a lot as well as his beard, which he planned to take care of soon.

After a yawn, he stood up, put on a pair of pants, and left the room shirtless. As he stepped out, he was passed by none other than the head butler of the mansion, Mike.

"Good morning, Max. I trust you slept well last night?"

"Like a freaking log," Max replied with a smile.

"Glad to hear. Dusk insisted on making your breakfast this morning, so she should be in the kitchen."

"Thanks for the heads up."

With a nod, Mike left to attend to his duties. Before he could move, a maid also went in the same direction as Mike, who just so happened to be Rika, the youngest maid who developed a crush on him in his early time at the mansion. Nowadays she avoided Max because, unfortunately, his sexual preference for pokemon managed to leak and the news spread like a wildfire. Aside from Aristide, Helene's husband who didn't approve of pokephilia in his household, no one really minded. Helene, on the other hand, didn't care at all and even convinced Aristide that something so trivial and insignificant wasn't worth judging someone over. He then got used to it after agreeing that it won't change anything in his life. Then, you have Rika. Since she had a crush on Max for a while, she was understandably upset when she found out that he preferred pokemon over her. Ever since then, she had been mostly ignoring Max, not even taking the time to say hi whenever he walked by. Of course, he didn't mind that in the slightest, so he never complained and simply let her do what she wished. Back to Max, he headed toward the nearest bathroom to do his morning business. As he was finishing up, he had just exited before feeling a three-fingered hand grasping and applying a little pressure to his throat from behind.

{You let your guard down, master. You would be dead right now.}

"Give me a break. I just woke up."

{*Hmpf* Do you really think the enemy will wait for you to finish watering the plants before taking your life?}

"*Sigh* Alright, you win." Max conceded.

{Good.}

Max then felt the hand releasing him and turned to face his aggressor, Scarlet. She hadn't changed much over the past year and a half, besides building a slightly bigger physique due to her intense training from Mad-Ji. She was now standing in front of Max with her hands behind her back, staring at him with passionate and love-filled eyes.

"Good morning to you too," Max said, leaning forward for a kiss, which she enthusiastically returned.

{...Good morning, you sexy master.} She almost whispered.

"I'm terribly sorry for wanting to sleep alone last night."

{It's alright, Master. In fact, it was a smart decision as we all needed to rest properly for today, but it's not just that…} She replied before caressing Max's abs with her two hands. {Ever since you got this ripped, I just can't resist you. When I lay with you in bed, I'm like a starving beast every time you embrace me. I don't think I would have let you sleep.}

"For a pokemon who claims to have such strong willpower, you have a hard time controlling your desires."

{Who said I wanted to control them?} She said with a grin and lustful eyes.

"Haha, you got me."

{Hmm… It's too bad you have to save your energy for today, otherwise, I would have already dragged you back to bed and raped you relentlessly, whether you'd wanted to or not.} She said with starving eyes.

"Why on earth wouldn't I like that? The sexiest gardevoir on the planet wanting a piece of me? Come on, Scarlet, get real." Max jested.

{Yeah yeah…} She replied, mostly ignoring him. {Though, maybe we can do something small, like…} She considered while slowly tracing her hands towards his manhood.

*Knock* *Knock*

Just before she could reach it, someone interrupted them.

{Are you two done in there? Some people need to use it already.}

Behind the door was Aurora, Max's loyal lucario needing a bit of relief.

{*Sigh* Way to ruin the moment, Aurora.} Scarlet complained.

{You two can do whatever you want, I don't care. Just wait until after I've done my business.}

{Then get in already. No one minds seeing you peeing.}

Sighing in desperation, the lucario opened the door and closed it behind before sitting on the toilet. Besides having slightly more muscle than before, she hadn't changed much either.

{You two can be such a pain sometimes.} Aurora commented before starting to do her thing.

{I just wanted to see if Master could react in time if someone wanted to murder him.} Scarlet justified.

{Why did you do it in the freaking bathroom, of all places?}

{Because it's where humans are the most vulnerable.}

"Eh, not me. I could beat anyone even while doing a number two." Max boasted.

{Ugh. You're gross.} Aurora complained while Scarlet giggled.

{Well, see you later, master. You better enjoy what Dusk is cooking for you.} The gardevoir said.

"I will. I don't even doubt it."

With a smile, Scarlet teleported away.

"Sorry about that." Max apologized, turning to face Aurora.

{Don't worry about it. I can tolerate it since it's you.} The lucario assured before flushing.

"Yeah. In your defense, not many can handle having an audience while on the throne."

{It shouldn't bother me too much as a pokemon.} She said, starting to wash her paws. {We're always naked and do stuff like that all the time out in the open.}

"Maybe because you've always been used to having privacy for that."

{It would make sense, actually.}

"Well, anyway. Good morning, even if it's a little late."

{Same.} Aurora replied, drying her paws with a towel. {So? Today's the big day, huh?}

"Yes. Today, we'll see the results of our hard labor."

{*Sigh* We really went through hell in the past year.}

"Yeah, we did." Max agreed, looking at his scarred hands. "At least the only scar you got is on your ear."

{Yeah…} Aurora replied, touching her left ear, where a small cut was only noticeable if mentioned.

"Me, on the other hand…"

{She did keep her promise and left your pretty face untouched.}

"Almost at the expense of my arms. The more I trained with her, the less forgiving she became."

{As if she ever was forgiving, to begin with.}

"Hey, I'm just a human. She went soft on me compared to you, otherwise, I would've died on the first day."

{Fair enough.}

"Dusk is about to get breakfast ready, so I'm gonna check on how she's doing."

{Alright. She's become one hell of a cook, to say the least.}

"Yeah. I'm so proud of her." Max said, both leaving the bathroom.

{Do you think your dishes match hers?}

"I don't have her powers and abilities, so she will always be ahead of me."

{I don't know, you do make a mean batch of chili.}

"Haha. Thanks. See you there, then."

{Yep.} Aurora said before both went in the opposite directions.

On his way to the kitchen, Max greeted the few maids that he passed, getting to know them all over time. When he finally reached the kitchen, he saw Dusk working on something over an oven. Smiling, Max rested his elbow on the counter behind her and stared at her voluptuous figure as she hummed and waved her tail around.

{Good morning, my beautiful vixen.} He wished.

Stopping, Dusk turned her head and looked at Max with her beautiful delphox eyes.

{Good morning, master.} She returned the greeting with a warm smile. {Just be a little more patient, breakfast will be ready in a moment.}

"I figured. But, I'm actually here for a different kind of breakfast." He said while eyeing her sexy form up and down.

{Oh, hihi. Silly master.} Dusk giggled. {I'm not on the menu.}

"You should be."

Smiling even wider, Dusk left her cooking while using her psychic abilities to make the spoon mixing on its own whatever she was doing and faced Max, resting her elbows the same way.

{Really now?} She asked, staring into his eyes.

"Yup. Fox meat is all the rage these days. I could eat that for weeks." He said with a grin.

{Hihi. You're embarrassing me, master.}

"Hehe. I'm very glad that you didn't change after evolving, Dusk."

{Well, I'm still the introverted pokemon you know and love, but I did improve when it comes to fighting.}

"Yeah. Nowadays, you don't mind a quick battle or two."

{That would be an overstatement. I still prefer not to, but I'm more willing to engage in a fight if needed.}

"It's not that much of a bad thing. With the power you gained with Mad-Ji, it would be a waste."

{I'm only doing it so nothing bad happens to you. Sometimes, you have to get your hands dirty.}

"Yeah, and god knows how I like it dirty."

{Master, please. I'll wash your mouth out with soap if you keep that up.} Dusk playfully scolded.

"It's true, though. That voluptuous figure doesn't lie and neither do I."

{Hihi. At least you're being honest. Speaking of dirty, I have a surprise for you.}

"You do? Is it another… surprise treat?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow, hoping that it was what he was thinking.

{Sorry, but not this time. However, I'm sure you'll like it nonetheless. Come over here.}

Moving around the counter, Max could now have a good view of her body.

{Ta-da!}

Delphoxes were recognized by the long fur all around their hips, forming a robe to hide their legs. However, Dusk somehow managed to rearrange it so half of it was gone from the front, only leaving a portion of it in place to hide her privates. Now her legs were half exposed, looking like she was wearing a very long loincloth.

"Wow. That's hot! How did you do that?"

{I burnt off the unwanted fur.}

"...Simple as that?"

{Yup. I burnt the root of it so it doesn't regrow.}

"Really? Did it hurt?"

{Just a little. It was so quick that I barely had the time to feel it.}

"I… it's sexy as hell, but I hope you didn't do that just for me."

{Well, mostly, yes. Why? Should I not have done that?}

"No no. I didn't mean that but what if you changed your mind later on?"

{I highly doubt that I will. We both like it and it actually makes my nether regions breathe a little easier. Anyway, I plan to always stay with you, so…} She said, slowly walking closer to him. {Unless you get tired of me one day, I don't mind keeping this change forever.} She pointed out while putting her hands on his chest, looking at Max with puppy eyes.

"Ha. 'Get tired of me' she says…" He replied, grabbing her hips. "As if I'll allow you to leave me."

{Hihi. If it was out of context, it could sound very inappropriate.} She stated, coiling her arms around his neck.

"True, but it doesn't change the fact that I want to keep you for myself forever." He said, starting to slightly move side to side together.

{*Sigh* Ah, master. Your romanticism never ceases to amaze me.}

"Gotta stay fresh."

{Hmm, you sure do. Well, as much as I enjoy being this close to you, I better get back to my breakfast before it burns.}

"Alright."

After a slow but passionate kiss, Dusk left Max and resumed the preparation.

"Whatever it is, I can't wait to taste it. You cook so well."

{You're not half bad yourself.} She mentioned while mixing some ingredients.

"But I'm not at your level. Delphoxes make the best cooks for a reason."

{Blacksmithing too. I think you told me about that one time.}

"True. Your abilities to manipulate matter and temperature simultaneously allow you to mold incandescent metal with constant temperature, preserving the toughness of the material and shaping it the way you want. All of that without even touching it."

{Each pokemon has its unique set of abilities.}

"Some are more useful than others."

{You would be surprised.}

"Haha. Alright, I'll let you have that one. Well, see you later, then."

{Bye-bye.} Dusk wished before Max left the kitchen.

Deciding that he wanted to ponder a little, Max went over his favorite location of the mansion; the second-floor balcony. Once there, he rested his elbows on the fence and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

"Ah… What a lovely morning." He mumbled, looking over the horizon.

We are now in the early stages of spring with the last layer of snow from the previous winter had disappeared only a couple of days ago. The weather was getting significantly warmer, despite the nights still being rather cold. Max simply loved being outside and smelling the scent of the incoming season. The scenery before him was now a very familiar sight, as he had received a rather spartiate training from Mad-Ji. She had been so merciless that there was probably not a single square meter that he hadn't been thrown over.

It has been roughly nineteen months since they first arrived here. It is now the first of May and Theodore, the fire-type gym leader, was back in business due to him closing for the winter each year. His team, alongside himself, trained without any break beside the weekends, as even Mad-Ji said that overtraining is never good. She made sure they went beyond their limits during the weekdays, but only left them the weekends to recover, which they mostly used to sleep, leaving very little time for them to spend quality time together. Everyone had it hard, especially Max as he wasn't seeing the girls as much as he would, but he managed to find a way to arrange some time with them. Luckily for him, Mad-Ji was kind enough to leave them at least one entire week for the girls to rest so they could fight the gym leader at their full potential. The girls usually spent their weekends sleeping until noon, and today was no different but it strangely wasn't the case for Scarlet and Dusk. Max figured that Aurora probably headed back to bed after seeing her and that they wanted to prepare him something for the upcoming gym battle. He didn't know what, but he decided to leave it at that, as they're old enough to make their own decisions. As he was getting a little nostalgic, Vicky jumped on the fence and sat on it next to Max, a habit she developed just to annoy him.

{Awake already? Are you that eager to get your ass kicked?} She engaged with her usual arrogant tone.

"Not this time, Vicky. Today, we'll win that badge and resume where we left off."

{*Hpmf* I won't wish you good luck since I already know that you'll come back with your tail between your legs.}

"What would you want with the tail between my legs?" Max asked with a grin.

{What? N-Nothing, you disgusting pig.} She retorted aggressively, looking away with a slight blush.

"Haha." Max slightly laughed.

Another thing, through time and patience, Max and Vicky managed to form something similar to a love/hate kind of relationship (Max being the love, Vicky being the hate), with Max getting used to reading between her lines.

{Just because you stick your dick in the first hole you see you think you can have your way with me? You better think twice, you stupid twat.}

"Why so angry, Vicky? I used to know someone like you but changed after she gave me a chance. Now, I mean the world to her."

{Her standards must be painfully low, then.}

"Haha, I don't know, but they definitely aren't as high as yours, apparently." He replied, softly caressing her head.

{G-Get your filthy peasant hands off me.} She growled, hitting his arms to push them away.

"*Sigh* If only I could put a smile on that cute face of yours."

{Drop dead first, then maybe I will.} She replied, crossing her arms.

"You know, you're not really helping the reputation of dark-type pokemon with that attitude."

{HA! The amount of fucks I give about that are equal to the number of brain cells you have, which is zero.}

"Haha. That was a good comeback, actually."

{F-Fuck off already.} She told him, looking away.

"Come on, Vicky. Why are you fighting it so much? I know that my hormones are affecting you as much as any other female pokemon."

One day, Max was aggressively approached by a female skuntank when he was wandering late in Oxgard near a back alley. As per usual, Scarlet intervened and scared off the aggressor before she could have her way with him. Growing tired of the constant harassment, he decided to mention that to Phanny during one of his appointments.

~Seventeen months ago~

{...Do you think it could help to try a different approach next time?} Phanny suggested after hearing the story of Max having argued severely with one of his pokemon.

"Maybe… but she wasn't very considerate."

{I admit that it wasn't, indeed, but it's in your power to go see her afterward and talk this over.}

"I… Maybe. I will try, next time."

{Good. You've progressed quite a lot, recently. That's a good sign.}

"I don't know. I feel like it's not that easy."

{It never is for anyone.}

"Hm. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something else."

{I'm all ears.}

"It's… very embarrassing though."

{Take your time. It's just you and me.}

"*Sigh* A few days ago, I was walking down the streets here in Oxgard, and… a skuntank got… rather aggressive with me…"

{It attacked you?}

"Well… not exactly. It was a female by the way."

{Oh, you received the eye.}

"More or less. The thing is, I'm often approached by all kinds of female pokemon. I don't know why, but they seem to always want their way with me, whether it's willingly or not. I… don't mind when they ask nicely and it's a pokemon I… actually want to do it with…" He explained with Phanny looking intently at him. "I'm sorry. I must sound like a sex-obsessed douchebag that only thinks with his dick."

{Not at all. As long as everyone consents, you're free to experiment and determine what stimulates you. Life is meant to be enjoyed to its fullest.}

"I… okay, but…"

{Though, when it comes to rape, that's another issue entirely.}

"I just want to understand why."

{Well, from my perspective, it's easy to know why.}

"Really?"

{The culprit in this story would be your hormones.}

"My what now?"

{Don't be afraid, to be honest with me. Do you mate with your pokemon, as well as pokemon in the wild, on a regular basis?}

"As of late, I would say no, but before Jade died, yes. Did I… catch something?"

{Oh no, don't worry. Luckily, DNA isn't something that humans and pokemon can share, so you can't catch STDs with a pokemon.}

"Well, now that you mention it, I never did pay attention to that."

{Anyway, you're most likely immune to that, but something not much better can be developed.}

"What would that be?"

{Hormones.}

"I… don't follow."

{Having sex with a pokemon without protection, given that they're not a poison-type, is pretty much risk-free. However, practicing that activity on a regular basis makes humans create a special kind of hormone that only forms with pokephilia. The hormones aren't exactly dangerous, as they do nothing to harm your immune or reproductive system. But, since it drives the pokemon of the opposite gender to a state of arousal, it can indeed lead you into sticky situations, from simple insistence to actually rape. As a male human, the aftermath isn't as serious as a female human.}

"I… see."

{Even though I'm almost certain of that, it wouldn't hurt to perform a blood test to confirm it. I could do one right now if you want.}

"Right now?" Max said, making Phanny nod. "Okay…"

{Give me your hand.} She asked, with what Max did as told. {I'm sorry, but this may sting a little.}

"It's okay. I'm used to pain."

Using her powers, Phanny opened a small cut on one of Max's fingers and gently drew blood from it. As the blood was being formed into a tiny sphere over Phanny's hand, she used a light Healing Pulse to quickly close the wound.

{Let's see here…}

With her eyes glowing brighter, the ball of blood changed color and began to ripple, being decomposed into many different forms. Max didn't know what she was doing, but she was surely making the small sphere of his blood quite spastic and unstable.

{Hmm… I see…}

After a moment, the sphere stopped moving and disintegrated into thin air.

{This confirms my suspicions. Apart from a slight lack of iron in your blood, you have a very strong amount of pokemon pheromones, also known as Pokerus. No wonder why you're constantly solicited.}

"And this pokerus… it's something that my body creates because I have sex with pokemon?"

{Not on its own, naturally. For that to actually happen, there must be a constant share of corporal fluids between a human and a pokemon. A mixture of the two inside your body is the cause.}

"I see. Wait, would that mean that it works the other way around too? Will other guys try to get their hands on my girls?"

{Very unlikely. The same happens in a pokemon's body but to a much smaller extent. Pokemon hormones and pheromones easily overcome that of a human's, which is why they become more desirable to pokemon than their human counterparts.}

"Okay. So basically, there must already be some attraction to do it in the first place, right?"

{That is correct. Like humans, pokemon will present their sexual need and desire towards someone they love, regardless of their species.}

"I see. So in short, more pokemon will want a piece of me because I've already had sex with some?"

{If you vulgarize it, yes.}

"Hm."

{But if it really troubles you, I can prescribe you some medication to slowly neutralize those hormones.}

"W-Wait, really?"

{Yes. With the medication, any undesired female pokemon will be more likely to leave you alone as they won't feel any sexual desire towards you.}

"That… could help, indeed. But…"

{Unless you don't want that.}

"I…"

The idea sure was interesting. No more random rape here and there. However…

"...I take it that the meds would also apply to my girls as well."

{Unfortunately yes, to a certain extent. Though, since they are madly in love with you, their intellectual desire to mate with you will still be intact but would have a less responsive body reaction.}

"Which means?"

{A small chance of having lubrication difficulties and even being unable to orgasm anymore.}

"...Shit."

Max liked the idea of being left alone by female pokemon he wasn't attracted to, but the idea of preventing his girls from satisfying their sexual needs, not so much.

{But the ball is in your court. The choice is yours.}

"I… I don't know. I love my girls so much, so…"

{I understand. If you prefer to keep things the way they are, you'll have to find another way to deal with insistent pokemon.}

"I know. I don't want to take that for granted, but I believe that they'd rather constantly protect me from those looking to take advantage of me than not being able to be intimate with me."

{I think you know them more than me.} Phanny said with a smile.

~Present day~

{*Hmpf* It may work on lesser beings like your pokemon servants, but a refined pokemon as myself is way over that.} Vicky replied with a very haughty tone.

"Really, now? That sucks." Max nonchalantly replied.

{Just go empty yourself in the first one you see and shut up.}

"Will do, thanks for the advice."

{Seriously…}

"Anyway, thanks for your encouragement. I promise you that I'll win and bring back the fire badge."

{Ha! As if.}

"Haha. Well, it was nice seeing you. Breakfast should be ready soon. Take care now." Max wished, petting her again.

Vicky tried to scratch him with her claws but missed as he stopped just in time.

{Grra! I hate him! Who does he think he is?!} She complained while Max was getting inside.

On his way back to the kitchen, Max guessed that the girls were probably still sleeping, and decided that they would be happy to be awakened for breakfast. He then headed towards the girls room and quietly entered. Since they were only females here, the room was filled with the smell of their pheromones, slightly spinning Max's head every time he got in. The closest was Aurora, who was back under the sheets and asleep.

"Aurora? Sorry to make you wake up again, but breakfast is about to be ready." He whispered in her ear.

{Hmm… Five more minutes} She moaned, getting on her back and stretched arms.

With her eyes half-opened and looking too vulnerable, Max's carnivorous side took over a little and he assaulted her neck with rough kisses.

{Ahh! Okay, okay. I'm up.} Aurora complained, trying to defend herself.

"Sorry. You just looked way too appetizing."

{Save room for breakfast if it's almost ready.}

"Who said I couldn't have a little appetizer?"

{Already horny this early in the morning… Does the word 'moderation' mean anything to you?}

"Nope." Max retorted with a grin.

{*Sigh* Fine. You can have a little sample, then.}

"Thanks," Max said before going for a kiss that lasted for almost half a minute.

{I will admit that it does open up an appetite.} Aurora admitted with a warm smile.

"Doesn't it?"

After another quick kiss on her snout, Max left and let her slowly get up. The next one was Bonny, who had only her legs under a blanket and her oversized ears dropping beside the bed. Putting only one knee on the bed, Max got over her and gently shook her.

"Wakey wakey, world's sexiest lopunny." Max softly said.

Very lowly moaning, she turned around in her sleep and coiled her arms around Max's neck.

"It's morning, precious-"

While speaking, Bonny used a burst of strength while still sleeping and pulled him all the way over her on the bed, strongly coiling her arms and legs around his waist.

{Hnn… master…} She sleep-talked while slightly drooling.

"Not again… Bonny? Wake up before you crush me."

{...After… mating…}

"Damnit… Alright. You asked for it."

With his hands still free, he used one and grabbed her rear.

{Ahh…} Bonny softly moaned.

He then tried to squeeze her a couple of times to wake her up, but it didn't seem to work.

"Alright, sexual problems require sexual solutions."

Next, Max traced his hand and went to the side, now touching her privates. He then gently began to rub it with one finger.

{Ahh… yes… more…}

"Seriously?" He complained, stopping.

Quickly, Bonny opened her eyes.

{Aww, why did you stop?} She softly asked.

"Ah, fuck you, Bonny. You were faking sleeping, didn't you?"

{I don't know what you're talking about.} She replied, pulling him into a stronger hug.

"Careful with that strength of yours, Bonny."

{Don't worry. I know when to stop just before I split you in half.}

"Thanks for the gruesome image."

{Hihi. Sorry.}

"Can I go now?"

{Hmm… not yet.}

Loosening her grasp, Bonny pulled his face closer into a kiss. Upon returning it, Max wasn't expecting a fierce make-out as he was struggling to keep up. Bonny kept assaulting him with her lips for only a minute before stopping.

"Breakfast is about to be served, so you might wanna get up."

{Are you on the menu?}

"Bonny. You know I'm a plate best served for lunch or dinner."

{I don't care. I could eat you anytime, anywhere.}

"Says the supposedly vegetarian creature," Max said, finally able to get free.

{You're the only one I'm carnivorous for.} Bonny mentioned while lying on her sides to face Max, who was now going over to May's bed.

"You don't say." He said, sitting on the mawile's bed to shake her gently. "Morning, Sweetie."

With a yawn, May stretched a little and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

{Good morning… master.}

"Sleep well?" He asked, petting her.

{Better and better. I'm slowly recovering the energy we lost during that never-ending training with Mad-Ji.}

{I feel you.} Bonny said, rolling back to her back. {We used so much energy that it takes forever to regain it.}

"Just give yourselves time, girls. After winning today's badge, you can spend the rest of the week resting as much as you want."

{Let's try not to relax too much.} Aurora mentioned, doing very light exercises to wake her up and limber up her joints. {Or else we might end up going back to our lazy selves.}

{True.} Bonny agreed, sitting up. {We gained so much power lately, it would be a real shame if we were to lose it.}

"Luckily for you girls, inactivity doesn't affect you as much as us humans," Max stated. "We humans grow weak very quickly from doing nothing, but for you, it takes a very long time. To lose what you gained lately, you must at least be couch potatoes for another twenty or thirty years."

{Huh, interesting. Like Scarlet would say, pokemon are the superior race.} Bonny expressed.

"You think you're better than me just because you have a nice bubble ass?" Max jested, with May hugging him.

{Of course.} Bonny replied nonchalantly. {And we all know that you venerate my bubble butt.}

"I do. It's the kind of ass that you want to cockslap all night long."

{Don't give me any ideas, master, or else you might end up on my plate, whether you like it or not.} She replied with lustful eyes.

"Haha. My bad. It's not smart to ignite a flame close to someone as volatile as you."

{Yeah. You know I burst into flames very easily.}

"We might thank your rabbit genes for that, as they only live for reproduction."

{Sorry, but that doesn't apply to me. I also need to eat and sleep to get the energy to mate.}

"Oh, sorry m'lady. Forgive my ignorance."

{Let's see what you can do later to decide if you can be forgiven or not.}

"How about we head to the dining room first?"

{It's a start.}

"Well, go on. Let me get dressed and I'll join you later." Max said, dropping May on the ground.

Together, the three pokemon left the room and headed towards the dining room, with Max looking after them. Once he was alone, Max took a few seconds to appreciate the moment and stood up to approach his dresser. Max then put on one of his favorite sets of clothes, as he was thinking about flashing a little after his win. Now fully dressed, he closed the drawers and looked atop the dresser, where Jade's old necklace was resting. He made sure that he saw it every day, to never forget for whom he was doing all this. He then grabbed it and stared at it for a moment.

"Today's the day, Jade." He mumbled. "I'll kick that gym leader's ass and continue where we left off a year and a half ago. I won't let you down."

He then held it close to his heart for a few seconds before hooking and fastening it around his neck. As he was looking at himself through the standing mirror next to the dresser, Scarlet appeared and hugged him from behind, resting her head next to his.

{It suits you very well.} She complimented.

"It doesn't really enhance my masculinity, does it?"

{Who fucking cares? I dare anyone to try and disrespect you and the meaning of that necklace. They won't live to see another dawn.}

"Haha, thanks, Scarlet." He replied, caressing her cheek. "I'm very glad that you approve of this."

{I always told you; aside from intentionally doing bad things to me or the other girls, I'll always go with what you want.}

"And not getting intimate with another human or gardevoir too."

{Another gardevoir, yes. But, I gave it some thought, and I've decided that I couldn't really get mad at you for wanting to hook up with your own species.}

"Really now?"

{It's only natural, master. Plus, if you ever want kids, you'll kind of have to. We pokemon can't give you a child.}

"First, it could be the same for you, and secondly, having sex with another human isn't necessary. I can always give my sperm to someone for artificial insemination and have them become a surrogate mother. That way, I can have a kid without actually touching someone else."

{I know, but you know how I feel about that. To me, it's not the same as doing it for real.}

"Ah, right. I forgot pokemon have weird quirks sometimes."

{What do you mean? You have weird quirks too.}

"Didn't pretend otherwise. Besides, kids aren't a part of my future plans, so…"

{Same for me. Anyway, let's not talk about that. We'll only end up arguing again.}

"You're right, and upsetting an overpowered creature is anti-productive."

{Eh. I couldn't kill you as easily as before now.}

"You would struggle to finish me off?"

{Oh no. You're still very easy to kill, just not as easily as before.}

"That's an improvement." Max sarcastically jested.

{From a pokemon's perspective, it is.}

"Hm. I just don't want something like that happening again." He shared, grabbing his necklace between his fingers.

{It won't. That's why we all trained so hard in the past year and a half.}

"I really am proud of all of you. You've grown so much."

{And we still will. Just because Mad-Ji won't be there to hold our hands anymore, doesn't mean that we won't get even stronger. If we want to turn you into a world champion, we still have a lot of work to do.}

"A world champion… I still think that you're looking slightly too far."

{You wouldn't want that?}

"Well… being a regional champion would suffice…"

{No way. If you want to be a pokemon trainer, you might as well be the very best, no?}

"True… Do you really think we can? You girls saw how much stronger participants are on the world's stage. They even reserve a special island for all those fights due to them being way too destructive."

{Are you doubting us?}

"I'm not. If we put our minds to it, we could probably make it to Worlds. I'm just wondering how you don't manage to doubt yourselves. If I were a pokemon, I would be stressing out about how the hell I can get there, much less win the whole thing."

{I'm terribly sorry to say this, master, but it's kind of your job to find a way to get us there. We fight and take the hits while you focus on the strategies and procedures. The title of 'pokemon trainer' should mean a lot after a while.}

"*Sigh* You're right. I shouldn't worry about that right now. We still have a long way to go before we even start thinking about that."

{Exactly.}

"Well, time for breakfast then," Max announced before both headed towards the dining room. "By the way, I haven't seen Sally this morning. Where is she?"

{She had an appointment at the pokemon center this morning, remember?}

"Ah, right. Now I remember. I hope her ankle will get better. She looked devastated when she twisted it."

{Tell me about it. She was so scared of not being able to kick a ball ever again. She can be very excessive with her emotions sometimes.}

"That's what makes her so cute."

{You just say that because when she wants you, she's almost hungrier than me and Bonny combined.}

"She was telling me about that the other day. When she's happy, she's ecstatic. When she's scared, she's terrified, and-"

{When she's horny, she is horny.} Scarlet cut. {I saw it miles away.}

"Well, she's a rabbit pokemon like Bonny, so no surprises there with her libido. But regardless, don't you just love that about her?"

{Having a simple mind can have its benefits.}

"You know that I don't like it when you say it that way."

{I'm sorry, but we have to see things as they are. She's very sweet and eager to help, I'll give her that. However, she's… a bit behind when it comes to intellect. Just last week, I had to explain to her all afternoon why trees grow vertically instead of horizontally. And that was after I spent that same morning teaching her what those two words meant.}

"Ah… Okay, so she needs more time understanding and learning everything, but once she does, she pretty much never forgets."

{...I will admit that she does have a good memory. She doesn't understand the concept of hot water, but she remembers what I ate a few months ago. On that thought, I have no choice but to take her word for it as I don't remember myself.}

"Even better. She even remembers what boxer I was wearing every time she was taking them off of me."

{Lucky her. Me, I just remember the good times I have with what's under them.}

"I bet she does too."

{Sex talk aside, have you already planned the three lucky girls that will help you win this time?}

"I don't know about you, but now that I think about it, my choices are rather limited. Aurora, Bonny, and May are mostly all-around fighters, given that you and Luna don't battle by choice. I'm not sure about Dusk, though. Since she evolved, she's sort of in that gray area."

{Maybe she could fight this time since she's a fire-type herself.}

"I don't know. Sally could go as well since she trained with the others. However, our three warriors are eager to show the results of their training, ready to kick ass and take names."

{Bonny, Aurora, and May it is then.}

"Oh. Speaking of Luna, is she back with any news yet?"

{Not yet. She said she'd be back today, whether she finds something or not.}

"Maybe later in the day, then. I guess she won't be able to see my battle."

{I'm sure she thinks that you've already won.}

"Probably. I guess since she doesn't have a calendar on her, she may be a few days late."

{She has been out for weeks now. If she had found any clues, she would have been back already.}

"Tch. Qsalyla. That bitch is a gardevoir, so if she chained teleport, good luck finding one."

{If she did, it would be a good opportunity to catch her, as teleporting even a couple of times in a row is very demanding. Surely she'd had to rest for at least a week or two, especially with the beating I gave her before fleeing like the coward she is.}

"Remind me why we're tracking her again? Shouldn't we, I don't know, try to avoid her?"

{Because I want to know where she is. If she's out there alive, she will definitely wait for us to lower our guards and try to mess with us again. I do not want her to have that opportunity, so we must strike before she does.}

"So you asked Luna to track her down since she's a dark-type."

{Psychic-types can barely do anything against dark-types, so the best one for that job was someone who's undetectable by the former.}

"I get it, but she could be putting herself in danger again. She got ambushed last time."

{She made it clear that she won't make the same mistake twice. She was stressed and unfocused back then, but when she has a clear mind, she's practically untouchable.}

"True. I just hope nothing bad happens to her."

{Aww… you're so cute when you're worried about someone.} Scarlet teased.

"It's not funny. She's a part of my life too, you know. She has us now, and…"

{You love her, we know.} Scarlet finished, sounding a bit haughty. {She'll be fine. You worry too much for absolutely nothing.}

"Maybe. She is a big girl after all."

{And you like 'em big.} Scarlet said with a grin.

"Come on, now. Even you said that she was a sexy beast."

{I did? I don't remember.}

"Suure you don't," Max replied, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, I wonder what would be better; whether she finds clues or not."

{Let's wait for her to come back first and we'll worry about that another time.}

"You're right. For now, I'm starving for Dusk's meal."

Soon, both arrived at the dining room, with the girls already around the table.

"Where's Helene?" Max asked, sitting next to Aurora.

{She will be here in a moment.} The lucario answered. {She was talking with her husband on the phone.}

"Okay. And Mad-Ji? Has anyone seen her recently?"

{Not in the past week.} Bonny said, in front of him.

"I wonder if she's already gone."

{If she also thinks that you'll win, that would explain her departure, especially since we were planning to leave as soon as tomorrow.} Scarlet mentioned.

{She probably sees no reason to stay here.} May said.

"Right. With Aristide gone, I guess she held up her end of their deal."

{'Mission accomplished.'} Scarlet quoted a bit haughtily.

"I wish I could have at least said goodbye to her."

{She probably would have just punched you, as she surely thinks that goodbyes are for the weak.}

"Now you're just being mean. She may have a… difficult personality, but she hasn't lost her mind yet. No one is immune to isolation after spending so much time together."

{You think she actually managed to have feelings for us other than anger and contempt?} Bonny theorized.

"When you know who we're talking about, it sounds a little far-fetched, I admit. But I like to think that maybe just a little."

{Guess we'll never know.} Scarlet said with crossed arms.

Shortly after, Helene joined them.

"Good morning, everyone." She greeted everyone while taking her usual place.

"Good morning." Max greeted back, alongside the girls in their pokespeech.

"I hope you all slept well."

"I did and we are ready to wreck everything." Max confidently replied.

"Haha. Try to at least do it outside."

"We've all trained so hard. No way we're gonna lose this time."

[Technically, we didn't lose. He only stopped the match due to your inability to focus.] Scarlet said telepathically.

"Still counts as a loss."

"I'm sure you're gonna beat him on the first try," Helene assured.

"I'm sure too."

At almost the same moment, the door to the kitchen opened and Dusk appeared carrying one plate in her hands with a couple more floating around her, containing light red pancakes. While gently dropping the floating dishes before everyone, Dusk placed the one she was holding in front of Max. While doing so, she purposely tried to entice him by touching him as much as possible with her body.

{I hope you'll like it.} She whispered into his ear.

"Strawberry and nanab berry pancakes. Those are the best!" Max exclaimed happily

In the same motion as leaving, she caressed his arm and shoulder with one hand and a smile before sitting next to Bonny on the other side, staring at him with interested eyes.

{Geez, Dusk. Since you evolved, you've been acting like a stepmother badly wanting her son-in-law's dick.} Scarlet commented.

{A real milf.} Bonny agreed before digging in her meal.

{What? Is it so wrong to want to please the best trainer ever?} Dusk coaxed with her tail slightly waving.

Despite still being an introvert, Dusk was able to express herself a lot more than she used to, especially when surrounded by people other than the friends she fully trusted.

{Not at all. It's just that this scene could be a good premise for a porno flick.} Scarlet replied.

While munching on his favorite pancakes, Max sighed.

"I almost regret introducing you to that stuff."

{No you haven't. You just made us discover the internet after Bonny and I saw that one flick on late-night television.}

"That, I actually do regret."

{What's wrong, master? Don't try to deny that you watched some too.} Bonny said haughtily in a playful manner.

"I won't, but at least I didn't enjoy myself until my fingers broke," Max replied, making Scarlet chuckle, causing Bonny to almost spit out her food.

{They didn't break. It was just tendinitis.} Bonny replied, now embarrassed.

"Same thing," Max said, with now May and Aurora giggling on their side.

{Oh, come on! It wasn't my fault the next video would always be better than the last.}

"If you keep that up, you're gonna get lobotomized by technology like us humans and won't be able to live without it afterward."

{Personally, I'm done with watching porn.} Scarlet said. {I've now learned all there is to learn about human sexuality. I can't wait to try out new things with you.} She added, looking at Max.

"You don't say," Max replied, trying his best to look impassive.

{Personally, I think that there's always more to learn.} Bonny said.

{Really? Like what we found the other day?}

{...Except gross things like that.}

{Haha.}

"What are you talking about?"

{Trust me, the less you know, the better.} Scarlet assured him.

"Works for me."

{Are you not hungry, Dusk?} Aurora asked the delphox.

Too focused on staring at Max with a foolish smile, she jumped a little when she heard her name.

{Oh, right. Sorry. I was just daydreaming again, hehe.} She retorted before starting to eat herself.

"Say, Dusk; you still haven't gotten any headaches or migraines?"

{Not for an entire month. I think it's safe to assume that I'm fully used to my new form.} Dusk answered.

{Yeah, I remember when I first became a Kirlia. Psychic-types are very powerful, but the transition from one form to another is hard on our brains. We would have to get used to not only the physique but the sudden increase in power, which can be painful.} Scarlet explained.

{I got lucky. It didn't last very long.}

{It was quite impressive though, adapting to your new form so fast.}

"Pokemon evolution is always so sudden, it must be hard for a lot of them," Max stated.

{I would say it depends, but yes, it is for the majority of pokemon.} Scarlet agreed.

A few minutes later, the gang was joined by Sally, who entered the room while slightly limping. Unlike the others, instead of gaining more muscle, Sally had in fact gotten slimmer and even a little taller. She gained very little muscle but was slightly more defined, adding another layer of femininity to her already beautiful body.

"Sally!" Max exclaimed, happy to see her.

{Good morning, everyone.} She greeted them while heading towards Max, giving him a side hug. {I'm sorry for worrying you all.}

"It's not your fault, Sally. Accidents happen." Max reassured, rubbing her head.

Breaking the hug, she then went over to a seat, where a plate was already waiting for her.

{Talk about bad luck. It couldn't have happened at a worse time.} She complained.

{Why is that?} Bonny asked.

{Because today's the day you're gonna battle the gym leader. I wish I could have fought in at least one battle.}

{I feel bad for you, Sally, but keep in mind that sparring and fighting aren't the same.} Scarlet pointed out.

{I know, but I won't get better if I don't have my first one.}

{...I suppose. Don't worry though, we'll come across many other trainers when traveling, so opportunities won't be lacking.}

After that, they ate their meal while talking among themselves. Once they were done, Max wanted to help Dusk clean the table and the dishwashing, but she refused and took the entire stock in one go.

"Well, I guess this is it," Max said, warming up his shoulders. "Time to show Mr. Handsome what we are made of."

{He stands no chance.} Scarlet stated with a smile.

"Let's try not to underestimate him, either. He's still a gym leader and he probably trained his team as well."

{That's why we'll have to strike first.} Aurora affirmed.

"Haha, true. Well, let's go then."

"Before you go, Max..." Helene stopped them while standing up from her chair. "I have a little something for you. Consider it my parting gift to you."

"Really? What is it?"

"You'll see. Just wait here."

"...Okay," Max replied before Helene left the room. "Let's discuss strategy a little, then…"

A few minutes later, Helene was back with a well-wrapped present in her hands and setting it on the table.

"A gift? Wow, Helene, you shouldn't have." He said, grabbing the box to inspect it.

"Wait until you see what's inside." She said with a grin.

"It's been a while since I received a gift like this out of nowhere." He mentioned while working on the wrapping.

With a confident smile, he was done with the wrapping and opened the box underneath. Instantly, his smile disappeared and his eyes went as wide as they could.

"Oh. My. Freaking. God." He said slowly.

{What is it?} Scarlet asked, almost worried.

After briefly looking at her, Max dropped the box, with all the others feeling just as astonished as him. Inside the box were six pokeballs, laying on a beautiful silk tissue. But they weren't ordinary pokeballs. They probably worked the same, but each one had a unique design. The six pokeballs' designs were representing his six pokemon.

"Are these… custom pokeballs?!"

"They are, indeed."

"Holy shit! Custom jobs cost a fortune! It must have cost you a lot."

"Nothing's too good for you, my dear. You need and deserve them." Helene assured.

"I… can't believe it. They're awesome!" Max exclaimed with shiny eyes.

"I knew you would like them." She said with a warm smile.

"Like them?! I absolutely love them!" He replied while grabbing one.

The first one was representing May. The underside color was yellow and the top color black, but with additional six chrome teeth bumps around the opening, copying those on her giant maw.

{They're… beautiful.} Sally commented.

Max then stared at the pokeball and the other ones, a bit paralyzed by the thought.

"Well? Aren't you gonna capture your companions again?" Helene urged a little, noticing his trance.

"Y-Yeah, right. Sorry. I spaced out a moment. They are just… wow."

{I'll admit, they look really cool. Especially mine.} Aurora said.

"Indeed." Max agreed.

After looking at it for another moment, he finally managed to get through his emotions and turned to face May.

"But first, I need to do something."

Wanting to see as well, May had jumped on the table and sat on the edge. Max then got near her and bent slightly.

"I'm pretty sure that I already know the answer, but if I'm gonna capture you all again, I have to do it right. May? Would you like to go on an adventure with me?"

{Of course, master.} May answered with a warm smile. {I want to stay with you forever!}

"Very glad to hear. Well then…"

Max then gently tapped on the mawile with the pokeball, dematerializing and trapping her inside. After only shaking once, May was captured once again. Immediately, he released her in the same spot.

"Is it still nice inside?"

{Even better than my old one.} She said happily.

"Awesome."

Shrinking the ball, he put it in his pocket since he hadn't put on his pokeball belt, forgetting about it over time. He then moved back to the box and took out another one. The next one was beige at the bottom and brown at the top with an embossing of a lopunny's long and furry eyebrows on the brown side.

"I believe this is yours," Max said, turning towards Bonny.

{You don't say.} Bonny replied, rolling her eyes with a smile.

"Bonny? Do you wish to follow me on my journey across Rados?"

{More than anything else in the world.} She answered with passion.

Smiling as well, Max captured Bonny. Again, it only shook once and got captured. After releasing her, he put her pokeball as well in his pocket. The next one was black under and blue on top with black pattern color identical to a lucario's head and four dreadlock-like embossing in the back on the blue part. He then repeated the same procedure as the other one.

Max started. "Aurora…"

The lucario cut him off, having already made up her mind. {Yes, Max. I want you to be my trainer, and no one else.}

Smiling, he captured and released her before picking the next one. The pokeball was red underneath and white on top with an embossing of a golden trident-like crown. This one was obviously representing a cinderace, but Max suddenly became less enthusiastic.

"...Is there something wrong?" Helene asked.

"No. It's just… that I didn't think this through." He said, looking at Sally.

{Is… that one… for me?} Sally asked, a bit embarrassed.

"*Sigh* I'm sorry, Sally. Over time, I completely forgot about it, and… didn't really ask myself if you would… you know… join us."

Max's proposal was quite a shock for Sally.

{I… don't know. I would love to, but…}

{You don't want to join our crazy team?} Scarlet asked her.

{No, it's not that. It's just… I feel like I would be taking… Jade's place.} Sally admitted, feeling bad with paws behind her back and ears dropped.

Everyone immediately understood why she acted like this. Sighing again, Max got closer to Sally, who looked at him with morose eyes. Max looked at her and then at the pokeball.

"In a sense, you're right, but… Sally? I think I speak for everyone when I say that we would love to have you on our team."

{But… you already have a fire-type, won't I be of much use?}

"Who cares? I've already got two steel-types and we're all fine with it. Besides, Dusk is a special-attack fire-type, so you could be our physical-attack fire type."

{I… probably, but…}

{Come on, Sally.} Bonny intervened with a paw on her shoulder. {You're more than welcome to join our team.}

{You have already proven yourself worthy.} Aurora added.

{And master really loves you as he does us.} Scarlet concluded.

{I…}

Unable to give an answer right away, Sally only looked at the ground

"I can give you some time to think about it if you want."

{Not wanting to try to influence you, but if you refuse, you would be passing up the chance of being with the best trainer in the world.} Bonny said.

"Or at least the next best thing." Max corrected modestly.

For a short moment, everyone waited for her answer.

"We'll let you think about it," Max said, turning to drop the pokeball on the table.

{I… I do want to go with you!} Sally finally decided.

Smiling, Max turned again.

"Are you sure?"

{I'm still uncomfortable about taking her place, but… I really want to come with you and… maybe… have the chance to call you master.} She shyly confessed.

"It's okay, Sally. Sadly, Jade isn't with us anymore, but you are, Sally. She would have probably wanted you to accept. I'm sure she will rest more peacefully, knowing that I'm back with seven protectors now."

{I'll… try my best to not slow you down.}

"Hehe, thanks, Sally. Very thoughtful of you." Max replied, petting her. "So, is that an official 'yes'?"

{Yes. I want to travel with you as long as possible, m-master.} She answered, stammering at the end a little.

"Hehe. Welcome aboard, Sally."

Tapping her with the pokeball, Max captured Sally for the first time, adding a cinderace to his roster. As soon as he released her, she dashed towards him giving him a hug.

{Thanks, master. I couldn't be happier…}

"Well, it won't prevent me from trying."

{Hihi…} Sally giggled, breaking the hug. {I'm so glad that you chose me as your sixth pokemon and… that I can go with you this time.} She added, wiping off a tiny tear.

"I'm glad too. And don't worry about Jade. After all, she's still with us in spirit." Max said, showing off his necklace.

{...True.} Sally agreed with a wide smile.

{Welcome to the team, Sally.} May wished.

{Hihi. I'll do my best.} She replied with a slightly inflated chest.

Now with her pokeball in his pocket, Max went on to the box once more. The last two remaining pokeballs were respectively a delphox and a zoroark. The first being dark red on the bottom and yellow on the top with an orange hairy ear embossed on it. The second, dark gray on the lower half and red on the upper half. However, almost the entirety of the upper half was embossed with smooth black hair strands, representing the spike-like hair in her red mane. A small detail then caught his eye, as the button to shrink the pokeball was the same color as a zoroark's jewelry at the end of their mane, making it the coolest in Max's eyes.

"I guess I'll save these two for later," Max said, grabbing the two remaining pokeballs.

{Dusk isn't far. You go 'catch' her while she's in the kitchen.} Scarlet pointed out.

"True. The only one that's left is Luna, then." Max said, putting Luna's future pokeball in his pocket. "...Thanks again, Helene. I owe you one big time." He expressed, looking at the lady.

"It's my pleasure." She replied with a warm smile.

Helene then stared at Max a little.

"...You have changed so much since you arrived here last year. You all have." Helene stated, looking at everyone.

"Eh, we were wrecks back then. Barely able to stand on our own two feet." Max said.

{We would barely call ourselves alive.} Scarlet mentioned.

"But now, you're a shining young man, ready to achieve his goal, no matter what."

"I have you, Phanny, Mad-Ji, and everyone here to thank for that. I couldn't have done it all alone."

"Everyone needs help from time to time, or at least once in their life. There is no shame in that."

"Yeah," Max said, a bit embarrassed. "Well, I think I'll go catch Dusk now." He told them before heading towards the kitchen.

{As for us, I suggest we prepare ourselves.} Aurora suggested.

{Definitely. We need to warm up beforehand. It's been too long since any of us had a proper fight.} Bonny mentioned, warming up her shoulders.

{Wow…} The girls barely heard from the kitchen.

{Mike said he'll drive us there, so we can wait until Max is back with Dusk.} Scarlet proposed.

{Alright.} Bonny acknowledged while she, Aurora, Sally, and May headed outside. {You coming?} she asked upon noticing Scarlet staying behind.

{Go on. I'll catch up in a moment.}

With Bonny nodding, the girls left the dining room, leaving Scarlet and Helene alone.

"Something you wanted to tell me?" Helene asked, seeing the gardevoir looking at her.

Grabbing one of her arms, Scarlet was looking a bit ashamed.

[Helene… I… I want to thank you.] She hesitantly said.

"Oh? For what exactly, my dear?"

[Everything. You've… done so much for Max. You've nourished him, gave him shelter, cared for him… you've even encouraged him. You're… like the mother, he didn't have.]

"Oh, Scarlet…" Helene expressed, touched by her sincerity.

[So, yeah. I wanted to thank you on the behalf of everyone. You really have changed his life for the better.]

"...You know, I mentioned this to him when we first met, he reminds me of my deceased son, Frederick, and… having Max around was like having him back. So I should thank you, for making him be like a son to me."

[That's…]

Getting slightly emotional, Scarlet turned to face the dining room.

[A-Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I… should… go join the others, now.] She said before teleporting away.

With Helene letting out an emotional sigh, Max exited the kitchen with Dusk behind him.

"They're gone already?" Max inquired, only seeing Helene.

"Yes. They're waiting for you in the main hall."

"Alright. Say, Helene, don't you want to come to see the battle?"

"Oh, dear. As much as I would like that, I have a bit too much to do here."

"Ah. Rich people's business, huh? Haha, just kidding."

"Well, you're not wrong." Helene retorted with a smile. "Anyway, I already know the outcome of the battle."

"Geez! You almost sound more optimistic than me, and I'm the one fighting." Max jested.

"Because I have complete faith in you. You trained so hard, so I can't imagine you losing."

"Hehe. We'll try not to cause too much collateral damage."

"Haha… That would be much appreciated." Helene laughed.

"Well, I guess this is it," Max said, getting uncomfortable while rubbing the back of his head.

"I can't wait for you to show me your badge."

"...I will, don't worry." He replied, back to smiling.

"Let's not waste any more time. Come along now." Helene said, leading Max and Dusk outside.

Now in the main hall, they saw the girls waiting for him with Mike.

"Alright, guys. Before we go, I need to-"

While speaking, Scarlet got in front of him and handed him his pokeball belt.

"You've thought of everything." Max praised her with loving eyes.

{A proper team needs a proper method of transport.}

"You got that right." Max agreed before putting on the belt.

He then put Sally and Dusk's pokeball in his belt.

"Alright. Like the tradition, I'll have to put you in your pokeballs before fighting the gym leader."

{No problem.} Bonny assured.

"Great. Next time you will be called, it will be in battle, so get ready." Max said before putting Bonny, Aurora, and May in their respective custom pokeball. "We're ready, Mike."

"Understood." Mike acknowledged with a nod.

"And Max?" She called out to Max, looking back to face her.

"About that favor, I've already got one; kick his ass into the curb." Helene wished while waving at them.

"Helene! Language. You're better than that." Max jested before leaving the mansion with Scarlet, Dusk, and Sally.