FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Café Plaisir: October's Jaunt part 11; Friendship By October.

It was time for Morning Briefing, once again.

October strode into the Main Bar late, the remaining inertia of a brisk dash bleeding off in a slight stumble as the Ninetales suppressed a yawn and snapped an apologetic look off at Pouncer at the same time.

The stern Grovyle, mid-speech, looked back at him without much irritation in his eyes and nodded, continuing to speak uninterrupted, "...we're very glad that the new conditioner has resulted in almost no complaints about itchy sheets, but Clarice has deemed it too expensive, so-"

As the Unfezant reacted with groans, Pouncer continued on, ignoring their stirring protests.

Instantly tuning out from the boring reports of menial, preparatory maintenance that was the Morning Shift's main task, October frowned. That had been unusually lenient of the Morning Shift Supervisor... usually he got a telling off, if not a Morning-Shift Scale shaming!

It was somehow unsatisfactory, as if he'd been looking forwards to the interaction, expecting it, only to be denied. Of course, his lateness was now such a regular feature that perhaps it was simply no longer comment-worthy. That was depressing. Causing such a disruption to morning briefing was usually one of the perks of turning up late...

With Pouncer still droning in the background, moving on to the topic of toilet cleaning, October's eyes began to drift along with his mind.

He was sat in his usual spot in the circle, but it seemed a bit barer than usual. Normally, he sat between Colin and Chai, with Chai generally making a point of sitting a bit closer.

Chai was there, but Chai was sat several meters away, closer to the horde of Cleaning Mice than he was to October, his eyes at the floor and no-where near the Ninetales, as if refusing to engage the Ninetales. That Umbreon also looked miserable.

If that wasn't bad enough, if October were to look in the other direction, there was no Colin at all. That was a mite alarming... Colin did not miss morning briefing. It had been worrying enough that he hadn't woken October up, today...

October sighed and hung his head. Well, this wasn't very good. It was like the worries that had kept him up last night were right, after all...

His place here was starting to feel less and less fit for him... Like the place he'd found for himself was just a temporary realignment, some budging around of stuff that had occurred whilst the ill-fitting part was wedged in... and now it was starting to force him out again.

That conflict continued to rage within him, growing more bitter and protracted by the moment. October had always tended to make impulse decisions, partly perhaps because he couldn't stand it when the right course of action wasn't clear and he could never make his mind up between two equally good (or bad) alternatives.

He had been getting used to this place, he was sure. He had been starting to do better, so he had thought. It had become comfortable enough that he had passed up his next plot hook and remained... but perhaps only to outstay his welcome. Well, he wasn't the sort to outstay a welcome and he had already considered that he had been here too long and that the adventures of the multiverse still beckoned...

Yet he didn't want to leave, just didn't want to, on a gut level. He often listened to his gut over his head but now...

"...Alright, you know what you all have to do," said Pouncer, "Now get to it, Morning Shift!"

October didn't look up, barely heard the dismissal. Lost in thought, he remained sat as he was as the other Pokemon present began to file out, many passing right by him.

"October," said Pouncer, "I'd like to see you, please."

October's ears pricked up, then he frowned. A personal conversation? That couldn't be good. It never was. Sighing again, he stood up and approached the Grovyle, still looking distractedly to one side, missing Pouncer's concerned look. By the time he looked around, the Grass Type was frowning.

"October," said Pouncer, firmly, "I have some concerns about you..."

October rolled his eyes and looked away. Mister Pouncer always had concerns.

"On the one hand," Pouncer went on, "You're getting better and better at your job. Customer complaints are down, breakages... well, you haven't spilled as much coffee." He paused, took a breath and looked the Ninetales in the eyes, "Aside from the negatives, your performance has been surprising. In fact, for Floor Staff, you've been getting a surprising amount of Customers, recently... in fact Firenze tells me you stepped up and took two on the busy night before last, when you weren't even on shift!"

"Oh..!" said October, with a half-spirited chuckle, "Well... thankyou..." he said without too much enthusiasm. As fun as it had been, that night had been somewhat embarrassing, for him... Which was seemingly ever the way with alcohol around Eeveelutions... Except this time it had also been painful. Perhaps not his finest moment.

"I told you that a Ninetales could do better," said Pouncer, "and you have, October."

October smiled, but not as much as he wanted to... and that was bugging him. In many respects, he had worked hard for this praise, earned it...

...but under the circumstances, it was hard to smile. Somehow, those words felt hollow and he felt bad for that, because he was sure that Pouncer meant them.

On the other hand, he knew a 'however' was coming and he was braced for it...

"However..." said Pouncer, frowning harder as October groaned, "...I also have some growing concerns."

"I imagine you do, yes..." said October, softly, "after all, nothing ever goes quite right for me here, does it..?"

Pouncer frowned, "October, I hope that's not a defeatist attitude. I thought we'd spoken about that..."

October shook his head, "Mister Pouncer, by this point it's practically an objective measure..."

"Oh, is it..?" said the Grovyle, frowning sharply, apparently disliking his tone, "Everything you do ends in disaster, does it? Every task, every endeavour, every... bathroom visit..?"

October didn't look at him. If he knew what could come out the other end of a creature whose metabolism was partly based on combustion, he wouldn't have joked about that.

Pouncer shook his head, "Defeatism leads a Pokemon to defeat!" he declared, "If you think you have no chance of meeting a challenge, you will not!"

October sighed, somewhat aggressively, "I knoooow, I know," he said unhappily, "I've tried, you know I've tried..."

"Yes," said Pouncer, "...and we've gone from coffee spills to burning breakfast carts. From a near altercation with Eclipse to an actual shoot-out on Café grounds... From disagreeing with me to an actual conflict with the head of HR which caused a fair amount of damage!"

"...None of... not all of that is my fault," grumbled October.

"Given, but some of it is," said Pouncer, "One way or another. You know this. What makes it worse is that you came to me over NONE of it. Almost always, I hear of, 'What October has done, today,' second hand!"

October looked way.

"Are you getting better or are your mistakes merely getting worse..?" said Pouncer.

October looked back at him, sharply, "You asked me to try harder. Perhaps that's just the inevitable results."

"I hope not," said Pouncer, taking a step closer and frowning at him, "Because I've had high hopes for you, October and now..."

October suddenly snarled, his frustrations upwelling, "...and now it seems like chaos follows my every step? Well, perhaps it does! Perhaps it always has!"

"October-" began Pouncer.

"No!" said October, cutting him off, "What do you even want from me..? I didn't come here by choice, I apparently failed everything I tried and apparently trying only makes things worse..!"

"October..!" said Pouncer, sharply, "Do NOT interrupt me!" he glowered at the unmoved Ninetales before going on, "As I said before, you ARE improving! I don't want you to stop trying, I want you to use a bit more sense!" He put his clawed hands on his hips, "Every week there are new embarrassments for the Morning Shift. Something is burning, someone is upset, you've started a fight with someone or disappeared for an entire day!"

October looked away, grumbling.

"I can understand unfamiliarity," said Pouncer, the Grovyle sighing and folding his arms, "but you've been here for a month. By now, you should know what to do and what not to do. One thing you should be doing is TELLING ME when there's a problem so I can do MY job! Believe it or not, I'd like to help you get things right, but you're still treating me like the opposition," he gestured towards the Ninetales, his arms wide, "Have I truly been so bad to you..?"

October frowned, looked at the Grovyle, "No..." he said quietly. That wasn't the point.

"Then October," said Pouncer, sounding as hurt as angry, "why won't you let me help you..?"

October exhaled slowly through his nostrils and looked at the Grovyle, wondering how best to put this, "I should be quite capable of helping myself, Pouncer..." he said quietly.

The Grovyle frowned at him, "You don't have to handle everything yourself, October, that's why we work as a team! Interdependence, October, it makes the world go around!"

"...I've never been big on..." October frowned, "...What makes the world go around... in general..."

"Perhaps you need to better learn the benefits," said Pouncer, "For example; Did it not occur to you that I might have been able to help you after Clarice placed the notice upon you? Had you come to me, none of the members of staff would have dared assault you around a Supervisor!"

October frowned, sharply. Oh, that's exactly what he needed more of from that day, the idea of even more humiliation. As if he, October, adventurer, Ninetales, should need to go crawling... His anger rose, a tangible thing, a heat in his chest.

Waiting for a reply, Pouncer paused a while before going on, "October, you are not alone here. You should know that, I know you've managed to make some friends-"

"Tch-" the noise emerged from October's throat as a snarl twitched its way onto his muzzle. Shimmering heat escaped his maw.

Pouncer looked at him, oddly, "October..?" he asked.

October's voice was low and slow, "I'm sorry," he said, carefully, "I've got to go..."

Pouncer looked at the Ninetales with rising concern and now not just as a Supervisor trying to help a promising, but misguided new Employee, but as a Grass Type, confronted by a dangerous beast.

Right now, sitting with obvious tension in his body, October was a large crimson mass of long, twitching limbs and restless energy. His eyes were similarly alight, but sharp, focussing intently upon whatever they set upon.

On some instinctive level, the training of which Pouncer could trace back to his former life, (long before he'd come to Plaisir,) the Grovyle was registering danger. October had a habit of setting that sense off.

October looked at him directly in the eyes again and Pouncer had to fight that instinct to hold his expression and manner.

"Can I go..?" said October again, in that strange, slow voice.

Pouncer closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Very well," he said quietly, but firmly, "but think on what I've said-"

October was walking, striding forcefully away, not towards the Main Bar and work, but towards the lobby and outside, apparently having granted himself a smoking break.

Pouncer shook his head. So much work left to do with that one. Arceus could scarcely have granted him a more difficult task.

Arceus must have a lot of faith in him, Pouncer considered, to give him such responsibility...

* * *

Neon yawned sleepily. If there was one good thing about Afternoon Shifts it was definitely getting up after noon. Still, when you finished work at ten the temptation was to stay up burning the midnight oil. On the nights she didn't wear herself out (in turn, on the nights she didn't keep herself up some other way,) at Dark Pulse, Neon had a powerful gaming addiction to feed.

With her quick reflexes, the Jolteon never let her quadrupedal anatomy stop her from challenging the heights of the competitive online gaming realms, night after night, losing herself in tests of speed and wit, surging and twitching through the night into a digital nirvana.

Either way, she tended to kinda lose track of time and getting up at noon often wasn't enough. She'd initially blamed the lack of visible sky - both Dark Pulse and her room were underground - but in truth, time just plain flew when you were having fun and Neon liked having fun!

Generally, anyway. Last night hadn't been much fun, she'd been off her game, off-kilter, missing things she shouldn't have, failing challenges she knew she was up to, getting more and more frustrated until more than one controller had hit the hard concrete wall and exploded in a shower of smoke and sparks, blasted to bits and tossed by an angry Jolteon full of angry volts.

Normally, Neon didn't go through too many controllers that way, so it was extra annoying. They'd be expensive to replace, for one thing and whilst she had spares, only having one controller for something sucked if you had company over.

Which was admittedly part of the problem, which had stopped her from settling on one game too long and really get into it. October had tended to use the spares when he visited and using those controllers reminded her of the Ninetales, as something carrying the scent of someone generally couldn't fail to for someone with a feral's sense of smell.

October, that damn Ninetales was finding more and more ways to piss her off, seemingly. What an ass. To think he'd argue that he needed the damn bath! He'd left a lingering, overpowering musk of Fox and Tobacco all over everything.

Well, he actually hadn't argued that he'd needed the bath. Apparently that wasn't the point. What the hell was the point, then..? Neon shook her head, irritation rising within her again. She came back to her former conclusion; Ass.

He sure was stubborn enough... Damn shame, too, because he could be a lot of fun. An infrequent visitor to Neon's world who was fun to mock a lack of sleep with out at Dark Pulse ...or back in her room... In fact, sometimes he was especially fun to have 'in.'

Heck, one time she had him 'in' right out here, in front of the staff showers. It said something about Plaisir that folk had only come out of their rooms to shout encouragement at them as they'd rutted in plain view! Neon taking quickly to the surprise sex as perhaps only a hasty Jolt could, they'd made a good show of it, too and finished spectacularly, even getting some applause...

Then he had stood up and pulled her along upstairs, practically dragging the smaller Jolteon by his knot. ASS. Then he'd gotten her breakfast in the Main Bar, she'd no idea it got so quiet in the mornings. It was like they had the place to themselves. Until Chai had shown up and she'd ended up having to zap the pair of them when they got to be too much. (Ahh, feral guys... Gotta love 'em, gotta keep 'em in check...) Hadn't been a bad morning, at all...

By comparison, this morning definitely sucked.

Well, thought Neon, as she headed into the staff shower block again, excepting that one time, at least this was generally about as far from October as you could get around here.

From the sounds of things, someone was already busy in there. Showers were roaring, water was splashing to the tiled floor. Of course it was too much to hope to have the place to herself. One of the downsides of living in a Cafe-resort with shared facilities...

She crept around to the corner quietly, wanting to see who she might have to share with before joining them. She poked her head around the corner.

She was surprised by what she saw. Eclipse..! That big, foul-mouthed, mean-looking bastard of a Mightyena, who Neon had, as a rule, avoided... Standing over a Glameow, a relatively small, insignificant looking Normal type feline who Eclipse was washing roughly, rubbing shampoo almost violently into the smaller Pokemon's grey fur with his paws.

There was a certain wrongness with the scene that caught Neon, immediately. Not with Eclipse, who was wearing a cruel look, a looming, 'not quite a smile,' like you'd ever expect outta him, but with the Glameow.

Neon didn't know his name, but she was sure she saw the misery on his empty, staring eyes, looking a thousand miles past the tiles in front of him whilst the Mightyena's paws shook him about and the suds and streamers of water fell out of his fur, unnoticed. That feline Pokemon's long, curly, distinctive tail lay limply in the water, curled up below his body, looking dead and defeated.

She thought... with a cold knot suddenly appearing in her belly and a tightening in her guts, an awful remembrance that almost took her right back... She thought she recognised that look in the Glameow's eyes...

Neon's claws started to scrape the tiles beneath her paws. The roar of the showers now sounding ominous and strange, like pouring rain in a storm. Like something awful.

She stared, silently, battling against those old inner demons, for a while, like she was locked in a trance.

It broke when Eclipse moved back, chuckling, "Looks like I forgot your conditioner, Pussy-Boy. That won't do, will it..? About the only thing folk notice about you is that you're well groomed."

'Pussy-Boy,' whose name Neon didn't know, turned his head limply around to look at the Mightyena, his eyes briefly going from plates to points before he dropped his gaze down to the floor.

"I'll go get it for you," said Eclipse, now smiling, though there was nothing reassuring about that cold, slow smile, "You just stay right there..." he said it almost sarcastically, like he knew the cat wouldn't dare move...

When Eclipse started to turn, Neon's quick reflexes alone saved her from being spotted as she jumped back with a soft gasp. If she was seeing what she thought she was seeing...

Quickly, she backed up, wanting to get out of sight before Eclipse saw her. There wasn't really anywhere to go, so she pressed herself up against the corner, pulling herself up onto her hindlegs and pressing her back against the wall. It wasn't comfortable, but if she could just keep outside the bridge of his vision...

With an ominous slowness, Eclipse appeared in the corner of her vision like a great, ominous shape. She almost didn't want to look. Taller and more massive than the Jolteon by far, he lived up to his name, seeming to darken the room around him.

He strode past with heavy, seemingly loud paw-steps showing no sign that he knew she was there. Neon's heart grew unaccountable tight in her chest. She told herself to calm down, be sensible, her suspicions could be wrong, she could just be acting foolishly... she could laugh it off if he saw her... but the dread remained.

Even after Eclipse slowly paced out of the shower block and out of view, that sense lingered. Lingered long enough to have her slumped back against the wall, unmoving, for a little while.

All of a sudden she remembered to breathe and sagged down with relief. That was way more ominous-feeling than it ought to have been... She waited a few more seconds before falling back onto all fours. She reckoned she ought to get ahold of herself.

Even if she was kinda actually sneakin' around. It took a second to shake the odd fear off and start moving again... One long, slow step followed by quicker ones as she slunk back around to the shower room. Lit starkly from above, the scene around the Glameow seemed even more pathetic. He had sat down and he was just staring ahead, his eyes wide and sad. He could have been crying, thought Neon, though you'd never tell in here.

She approached slowly, walking into the streams herself. Her fur was wetted, but other than a quick shrug, she didn't react much, just got herself closer to the small feline. He didn't seem to notice her.

"Hey..." said Neon softly.

The cat seemed to jump and twist upon himself, in that way that cats could, then suddenly started making some seemingly impulsive, slow and lazy efforts at washing himself.

Neon frowned, "...Are you alright..?" she asked. This close up, he looked even worse. You could see the strain in his eyes, the look of a night even more sleepless than her own. He had definitely been crying.

He wouldn't look at her, "I'm sorry, what..?" said the Glameow, in a soft, almost inaudible voice.

"Are you alright..?" asked Neon, again, "...You look like hell..."

He still wouldn't look at her and for a while, he wouldn't speak, there was just the pouring of the water... "I'm sorry, I don't know you," said the slight grey, downcast cat, "Could you please leave me alone..?"

Neon frowned harder. "Not sure that I can, pal," she said, keeping an even tone, "Not with that there look in your eyes..."

Silence. Water. Slowly, the Glameow looked up at her. Those big, feline eyes of his... big and wide and glassy... it was like looking into two deep, rippling pools of sadness...

Neon's frown grew as she became a little surer of what she was looking at.

"I'm sorry..." started the cat, again...

"The shower might hide the tears," said Neon, "but you can't hide your cryin' on the inside..."

The Glameow looked away, hiding his face.

"Dammit..." hissed Neon, "I'm sorry, I don't know your name..."

She couldn't see his face, but she could see from the tensing of the muscles on his head that he was wincing. What was he thinking..?

Neon could be a pushy girl, she knew it, but she reckoned this was one time she had to push. If she was right, she knew she had to. "You look like someone who's been made into a piece of meat, Glameow... someone doubtin' every decision they made in life for where it took 'em and hatin' their own damn existence..."

He looked back around at her, his eyes strange, slightly crazed, like a nerve had been struck and some desperate, conflicting thoughts were taking place.

Neon got even surer. Damn. "Damn," she said aloud, then advanced a little closer, causing the grey cat to shrink back a little. "...Dammit, what's going on..?" she hissed at him, "What's he doing to you?"

"Nothing he didn't deserve," said a deep and growling voice, suddenly rumbling from behind her.

Neon span around, her mouth and eyes wide with shock. For such a big, imposing presence, Eclipse could seemingly appear suddenly when he wanted to, like a nightmare given form.

"Nothing he didn't really want," said Eclipse, staring down at her with sharp, cold eyes.

The Glameow mewled piteously, like an oversized kitten having a nightmare and pushed himself, back-first, against the tiled wall.

Neon found herself edging back, glancing between the cat and the big scary fucking Pokemon in front of her...

Eclipse smiled at her and it was about the most chilling thing, "...and you;" he said softly, "What do you want..?"

Neon's first, quick thoughts were along the lines of, 'no, ohArceusno, this can't be-' and a rising, blind panic, but then, Neon twitched. She reacted. She got her shit under control like she did between tenths of a second when she was gaming or dancing. Frowning harshly, she made herself angry. Her electrical powers rose within herself, sharply and she crackled slightly as she shocked herself. Pain, pain she could control, which she used to focus herself.

The Jolteon looked up at the massive, overgrown Mightyena, towering around a foot above her in height and she snarled, angrily, "I wanna know what's going on, here..!" she said it loudly and accusatorily, looking the big Dark type right in the eyes.

"Do you..?" said Eclipse, suddenly smiling, almost pleasantly, "That's what you think, huh..?"

Ice water was trying to creep its way back into Neon's guts, but she held it back, looked over that smile and held the Mightyena's hard and terrible gaze, "That," she snarled, "is what I reckon. Based on what I'm seeing right here..."

"What's going on here is just a bit of fun," said Eclipse, pleasantly, yet darkly, a weight of threat in his low voice, "What's going on here is between me and Pussy-Boy, here..." then he leant down, putting his face closer to that of the Jolteon's looming over the smaller Pokemon with a slight snarl on his broad, powerful muzzle showing his sharp, powerful teeth, "What's going on here, is none of your business."

A whole lot of Neon's instincts were telling her to back off and run away, but the way things were going, she didn't think she could. Over all the instinctive terror, rational, but fast becoming irrational anger was rising, she snarled harder, "Well, maybe I'm makin' it my business!" she spat in his face.

"Really..?" said Eclipse, snarling back, far more fearsomely and then taking a step forward. Neon stepped back, instinctively and then Eclipse kept pushing, moving slowly forwards, edging her back, "Are you sure that's a good idea, girl..? I think you've got some fool notion in your head that's cloudin' your judgement, here..."

Neon grimaced, "Back off," she warned, summoning her power, her fur beginning to crackle and hiss in the ongoing drench of the showers.

"...and I'm thinking;" continued Eclipse, ignoring her and the dangerous, fuzzy snapping noises and continuing to push her back through the streams, "You wanna be real sure," he growled as she growled at him and he just kept on coming, "That you wanna get involved in MY business..." The distance closed and close until he was just inches from her...

Her anger peaking and brightly flickering, Neon cut loose. There was a snap at first as as electrical aura quickly cut a path through the atmosphere, following her will and aim. It was quickly followed by a loud BANG as the weight of her attack flooded through the channel in the air.

The room lit up, droplets of water hissed into vapor and water drew random streaks of crackling yellow light away, but the core of the bolt was true and slammed into Eclipse's torso, instantly blackening a tight portion of his chest fur.

Then it was over. It happened real fast, blink and you'd miss it, unless you were as fast as a Jolteon knocking back another pushy male...

"...but if you're sure," growled Eclipse, as Neon's eyes widened - why wasn't he flying into the back wall!? - Eclipse's eyes narrowed, "then I guess I'll just have to oblige..."

Still pressed against the wall, the Glameow cried out in terror and hid his face beneath his paws.

"What the..." began Neon, horrified, "How the fuck are you still up-"

Eclipse frowned and suddenly shoved her. His forepaw landed heavily on her chest in a blurring movement and a second later, Neon registered that she was in mid-air, with not a gulp of breath left in her body.

She had barely began to gasp and feel the immense pain in her chest when the back wall of the shower block knocked that breath out of her, too. She fell to the hard, tiled floor with a wet slap, her yellow fur flattening out around her in the ongoing deluge of the showers.

Stunned, she lay there for several seconds before thought and feeling returned... Ow.

Just starting to realise how hard he'd hit her, Neon struggled to raise her head and get it out of the puddles on the floor. She wheezed for breath and struggled to get the air to even start to do anything else.

She stared up in horror as Eclipse loomed down at her, smiling, horribly.

"Since you're sure you're sure and all," growled the Mightyena, his eyes showing an awful, growing hunger, "Alright, let's play, you dumb cunt..."

"Nn..." growled Neon, forcing her aching body to put her legs under herself and struggle to shakily push her body off the wet floor. She was barely able to get up a few inches before she was trembling in pain, the muscles on her chest feel bruised right through to the bone. At the same time, she was fighting past short breath and ebbing energies to try and summon all the electricity she could...

Whatever good it would do. She realised now, why the sort of shock that would put most Pokemon on their ass seemingly hadn't done more than hurt Eclipse's feelings. Eclipse was strong, perhaps Battle-Trained and Battle-Bred strong... A an actual 'roid-asaurus of a Pokemon... and for an average or even above-average Pokemon, piercing the defense of Eclipse's aura would be no easy feat...

"No..!" she eventually managed to growl out, gasping for breath, trying to overcome the pain and terror that wanted her to lie down and hope the bad Mightyena went away. She knew he wouldn't. She wished her fur wasn't so damp or she might have tried using some aggressive Pin Missile acupuncture...

Suddenly a heavy forepaw pushed her face down into a deep puddle.

"Too late for no," said Eclipse, darkly.

Neon groaned and sputtered, tried to struggle out from under him, but it was like the point of a big rock was perched on her back... Gasping and spitting the shallow water running into her muzzle, Neon crackled with impotent electricity.

Calm down, calm down, she told herself. You're not gonna let this fucker do whatever he's gonna do. Alright, he's too strong for you, but you're still the one with the lightning... stop wasting it... calm down...

The crackling stopped. Neon stopped struggling. Breathing through her nose, she swallowed the water in her muzzle and stopped sputtering...

"What," said Eclipse, "Giving up already..?" he said it suspiciously.

Neon looked up at him, hatefully.

"Or are you just playing for time, hoping a bigger jolt's gonna put me off, hmmm..?"

Neon's gaze narrowed, but with water lapping her muzzle, she was literally in no position to back-answer.

"Thing about that is, Jolteon," said Eclipse, growling, "electricity makes muscles contract. So I only gotta do one thing and then I can do pretty much anything I want to you..."

'Oh yeah?' thought Neon, 'get me out of this puddle and I'll tell ya what I think of that!'

Eclipse suddenly grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and lifted her out of the puddle, effortlessly. Neon was too surprised to mouth off.

Then she suddenly had teeth around her neck... Neon's eyes bulged, she wanted to scream out in instinctive terror as she found a maw big enough to wrap her entire neck in massive teeth doing exactly that. The paw on her scruff came away and suddenly Neon was only supported by two things; The wet fur of her head and upper back on the wall tiles and those TEETH.

Gagging and struggling, Neon started to thrash, but movements made the points of those teeth ride against her flesh, teasing, twisting their way through fur, into skin, poking it, many sharp points of pain trying to push their way through to flesh!

A strangled cry of anger rattled out of her constricted throat! No! No! This wasn't happening! She wouldn't let it! She furiously began to charge herself! Her fur began to crackle continuously.

Eclipse's jaw twitched with the current. He chuckled. Of course, he thought he had her now. That's what he thought...

Neon winced in advance and pressed the back of her skull into the tiles. By the painful point of contact, she levered herself up, painfully scraping on those teeth, until she'd released just enough pressure to gasp, "Fuck you..!"

Eclipse chuckled. Deep vibrations rumbled through her throat, right through her body.

Neon's face twisted in the effort of keeping herself up by her neck alone, but it was just enough for her to squawk the words out of a compressed throat, "I'll kill us both! I mean it!"

...and she did. She would do it. Neon's electricity amped up and up... the noise and light of the crackling arcs across her body both grew rapidly... Everything she had. Right down his throat. Knowing what it would mean for her own.

Eclipse's eyes narrowed, looking her right in the one eye of hers she could twist enough to look at him with...

'No matter what,' she started to tell herself... 'Never again. Never. No matter what...'

Meters away, still in the same spot, the Glameow wailed softly at the bad dream that wouldn't go away, not even looking in their direction.

'...I can't...'

"HEY!!!" the voice bellowed out, cutting over the showers and booming in the small, tiled room, "DICK!!! GET OFF OF HER!"

Neon's eyes couldn't have been wider or more surprised if Arceus themself had turned up, looking around to see October standing in the shower block!

Well back from water of the showers, however, the Ninetales was glowering, his eyes looking damn near aflame in the relative gloom of the room...

He was dressed for work; A frilly black apron hanging over his chest and a big, silver tray strapped to his back. All over which and all over the Ninetales' back, appeared to be the remnants of spilled coffee...

Eclipse chuckled darkly and took his teeth away from Neons neck. Before she could speak or even slide to the floor, however, it was replaced by a heavy grey foreleg that was almost completely choking off the supply of air as it pinned her against the wall.

"Funny, never thought I'd see you in here, Ninetales," growled Eclipse, sounding almost cheerful, "thought you were allergic to being anything other than the dirty little bitch you really are..."

"I've faced fiercer things than water," growled October, back at him, the Ninetales posturing, his nine, long, black-tipped tails flaring out in a fan, behind him, "...or you, Eclipse..!"

"...Have you..?" said Eclipse, "Good for you, then," he said smiling, "I guess this time you won't be running, then."

October scowled at him.

Eclipse smirked, "That's what I thought..." he cocked his head slightly and chuckled mockingly at the Fox, "Becoming Firenze's lapdog might have gotten you over your fear of water, Ninetales, but it would take a whole new you to get over your fear of me..." He rose his muzzle then, looking down it at October, "Why don't you run along, then..?"

October snarled at him, the green fires in his eyes burning brighter, but his posture was lowering... until he suddenly smirked back at Eclipse, "What, you think the shadow of Firenze looms behind me just because you've heard... something..?" he gave the Mightyena a very smarmy look, "Just how afraid of Ninetales are you, Eclipse..? Perhaps, deep down, you just consider us your betters..."

"Ninetales," growled Eclipse, "You'd better just run along whilst I'm feelin' charitable..." he rumbled ominously.

"I will!" said October, suddenly sounding cheerful and raising his chin, cockily, "...and you're going to chase me." He lowered his muzzle and narrowed his eyes at the Mightyena, who stared back, intently, Neon noticed, his eyes locked upon October's...

"I am..?" growled Eclipse, his voice low.

"Oh yes," said October, a smile growing, "Because whatever she's done to upset you, I'm the one who defies you." He arrogantly broke eye contact and practically pranced a few steps around, looking about to leave in a theatrical manner, "I'm the one who's mocked you since the moment I set eyes on your stupid block head and refused to take any of your shit... and I made sure everyone knew it, too. That I'm not afraid of you and perhaps you're not as scary as you pretend to be. They may call me a fool, but I..." he grinned, "I make a fool of YOU, Eclipse."

Eclipse was silent, quietly listening, so it seemed, but visibly bristling, his anger rising as the pressure increased on Neon's throat...

October turned around all the way and looked over his shoulder, hooding his eyes at Eclipse whilst he kept his tails raised, framing his hindquarters and the tiny, tight-looking black pucker his tails usually hid, looking not far from virginal. "You're going to chase me," said October, "Because I defy you... and as long as I defy you, you can't help but chase me, on the chance that THIS time, you might actually manage to catch me!"

October started walking off, at a seemingly casual pace, "...Because as long as I'm not beneath you, I'm above you, you miserable, despicable hound! I mock you..!"

Eclipse remained silent, just for a moment. He cast a long, cold look at Neon who glared right back at him...

Then he threw her onto the floor and turned to run after October. Neon landed heavily, her breath knocked out of her again...

By the time she looked up, Eclipse was gone.

She raised her eyes towards the Glameow.

Shaking his head at her, as if knowing what she was trying to ask before she even managed to fill her lungs with air, the Glameow ran out of the shower room, leaving her alone...

'DAMMIT!' thought Neon, as loudly as she could, then flopped back into the water with a splat, rubbing at her neck with her forepaws...

* * *

October's paws pounded beneath him at a high gallop, he was bushes and other low obstacles flowing under him in his flight as he left the gardened areas outside of Plaisir and burst out into the forest...

Behind him, the steady thunder of Eclipse's pursuit was all too close for his ears. Apparently a good weight of moisture wasn't doing much to slow him down, either. If anything, the Mightyena seemed a bit faster than usual. Almost as though anger gave a Dark type strength...

October tried not to wince at the thought of it, nor to think too much on how the silver tray strapped to his back, with constricting bands around his ribcage, was slowing him down...

Though as he took a turn down a bank to help keep up speed and found the damn thing trying to act like a bad parachute and slow him down, it was hard not to. It was not a good impediment for a Fox...

This wasn't how this usually went. Normally, October's vulpine senses gave him a good hundred-to-three hundred meter head start. Normally, reaching the Café was reaching safety and he'd have the full run of his stamina to keep ahead of Eclipse by sprinting in bursts... and yes, normally he wasn't wearing a damn serving tray!

Of course normally he wouldn't have come across this right near the end of his shift because for once in his life, he'd planned on washing the coffee spill off of himself...

It just so happened that this time he'd been leading Eclipse away from the Café from almost no lead at all. He'd had to sprint just to keep the Mightyena from his heels, loping away from the Café like a crimson bolt.

Already, pain was starting to gnaw at October's back, on his straining shoulders and hindquarters. Meanwhile, Eclipse's pursuit was utterly relentless.

October knew that he was in trouble... He frowned... and kept on running.

Perhaps he could do a circuit, loop right around and re-enter through the front door? Pissed off as he was, Eclipse probably wouldn't want to risk a confrontation in the Main Bar again...

He thought of the likely course such a circuit would have to take...

Given the ache in his shoulders already, it seemed unlikely... but he would have to try! He was getting to know these woods well after all these chases and he would have to use every trick he knew if he was to have any chance of staying ahead..!

Nature lay on his back, looking up through the trees, a frown creasing his pretty face.

It was a nice morning, nice and quiet, the summer's warmth beating on through the shade, inviting him to take a nice rest out where nature itself made him feel welcome to do so..

He was uncomfortable, though and he couldn't rest. He kept having to shift... he couldn't quite relax.

Shifting his posture again, Nature put his arms behind his head and tried to get comfortable, that way.

Nope. No way he sat or lay seemed right.

Though it was probably all of the distracted thoughts and feelings that kept floating up.

An itch on his head, the image of a Glameow, running. A shake in his chest, the sight of Eclipse's aura, running that Glameow down. An twitch at his sides, the feeling of being knocked to the ground by a large, fluffy fox... A little clamp in his guts, an inexplicably angry look on an Umbreon's face...

Yeah, there were a lot of things bugging him and not a lot of answers to go with any of them.

The more he thought on the little he did know or had seen, the more disturbed and twitchy he got. Vermont had seemed really terrified, genuinely desperate to get away... Eclipse had been excitingly terrifying... exhilaratingly so, but... brutal... Nature wondered what it would be like to be taken down like that... and he couldn't help but think back to the times when October, even if by apparently honest accident or confusion, had taken him down like that, trapping him under a big, hot, feral form, only to apologise and run away... Eclipse, hot in pursuit... but never quite catching him. Just like he'd never quite caught what the Umbreon was trying to say, but he had a look in his eyes, hateful, like when Eclipse looked at October... but behind that... when you looked past the anger... didn't the Umbreon seem kind of... hurt?

Too many questions! Nature sighed and moved his arms to cross over his chest, letting his head lie on the ground.

This was getting to be too much. If it was getting to the point where he just couldn't relax, anymore, he was just going to have to get some answers. There was no more putting it off, he was going to have to come up with a better idea or... maybe even some kind of plan!

Of course, the smart thing to do would just be to ask them directly, but so far, that hadn't gotten him anywhere... Eclipse had been evasive, October had evaded him and Chai had outright brushed him off.

So... It seemed like anything he'd have to do in order to get any further with this might have to be sneaky. October, Eclipse, Chai, Vermont... all the Pokemon he knew to be involved in this seemed like sneaky types. Maybe he had to think more like them...

Nature blinked. Not that he had any idea of how to go about that! He had maybe lured a Pokemon or two out to have some fun with Kusa, out in the woods, but that was all just in the name of fun... and it usually wasn't too hard to get a male Pokemon to follow him, anyways...

This was different though... or was it..? Sometimes it seemed like October had some kind of homing beacon on him, given the way they had ran into each other, last time. Maybe the trick was not to be looking for him, then he would just show up, at the worst possible times...

Nature blinked again and smiled. As if things could ever be that convenient. Still, maybe he ought to keep his eyes open, in case a chance presented itself... He did know how to be alluring. Seduction at Plaisir was a practised art, one of the ones the young Lucario had picked up quickly.

October had seemed kind of interested in him as well, the few times that they'd met. There hadn't been any kind of follow up on that, he had barely even seen the Ninetales since, but there were only a few ways of interpreting a filling sheath pressed up against you... Maybe it wasn't such a stupid idea, after all... and if it lead to stuff, well...

His mind flashed briefly back to the Umbreon's warning that, "He's not your kind of Pokemon." Nature thought about that, but he didn't know what the Umbreon meant... and he was doing this for answers, he was doing this to find out what kind of Pokemon they all were... and October, by all accounts outspoken October, with a tongue suitably loosened, seemed like a promising way to do just that.

Feeling like he had something like a plan, Nature smiled. He lay back a bit more comfortably than before. Maybe he'd find out a bunch of Pokemon he lived in the same building as were some scary Mon... maybe he'd find out that awful things were happening right around them, just outside of everyone's notice... maybe he'd find an exciting new source of fun... but whatever happened, at least he'd find out!

Relaxing at last, Nature cleared it all from his mind and went into the meditative trance that had been denied him by an active mind. Slowly, surely, he cut away the outside world and concentrated on the perceptions from within.

Surely, on the edges of his perceptions at first, the world of aurasight opened up to him. The ability to see the life forces in the world around him, where every tree was a living, flowing green thing, animate with life, where one could see every bug, every bird as one's perceptions expanded and gradually come to see the flowing life forces of the whole that made Nature feel glad to be alive and part of a living world...

Peace, tranquility at last.

FIREBALL.

Nature almost blinked right back to regular consciousness at the surprise of it.

Blinding rainbow light entered the edge of his perceptions and it took a moment to adjust to the fury of the energetic presence compared to its passive surroundings.

A roiling mass of multicoloured flame... no, the shape of a Fox and a fireball... no, a mass of tails! Each of which was different in hue and colours, the whole mess looking like an animate painting by one of those artists who'd had too many funny berries... was...

Pounding away from a thunderstorm. A great, dark presence that threw the fireball into even greater contrast, making it seem blinding again, by the darkness of the stormcloud behind it...

Nature blinked for real and sat up suddenly. It couldn't be... not when he was just thinking about it. They were whole hours early! Wasn't October's shift still on..?

There was just no mistaking those auras, though.

Maybe he didn't need any kind of plan. Maybe he didn't even need to be sneaky. Maybe he could get some answers right now!

Breathing deeper now as he ran at a more loping pace, October had a horrible feeling like he was fucked. He didn't have much more sprinting left in him. He could still run, yes, but on a stamina-based run... against Eclipse...

He was definitely in trouble. He was going to have to consider his options carefully, including those that might render him a poor sport or break his own personal rules... It might be better to teleport in the end, than to let Eclipse catch him, even if it was technically another loss he'd have the pleasure of frustrating him, again. Just frustrating Eclipse always cheered him up enough to forget that.

He frowned. Eclipse hadn't caught him yet, anyways! He hadn't lost! Eclipse was still a good fifty meters, behind...! ...or less, now... Grimacing, he turned suddenly and leapt over a few high obstacles, certain that he was a better jumper, at least...

...and landing onwards, onto even heavier, more tired paws, running down a forest bank, through shady woods, taunting him with their useless potential for stealth against an opponent so close and damned dogged...

Still, at least the pain from the straps around his midsection was going numb. That was something. He could pick up the pace, a bit!

Then again, maybe the forest did offer some possibilities. His nine long tails could tuck in quite nicely when he told them to and he could probably fit through thinner gaps when he did that... He'd probably get a coat full of leaves, but weighed against the alternative...

October headed for the thickest knot of forest and charged, picking up speed, the forest rushing below him, his posture low...

His eyes caught on movement, something leaping between trees ahead... and down... in front of him! A biped-Lucar-NATURE! October realised rapidly... Nature... holding his arms out and ahead, palms raised as if for him to stop!

As if he had time to do anything else, he didn't even have the room to turn!

Planting his forelegs, October had to skid!

For a moment, Nature thought he was about to end up like a crash-mat again, but slewing and turning and skidding to a stop, October halted just meters in front of him.

Nature was smiling, they did this almost every other day and it never came to anything. Well, today it was going to get him some answers!

"I want to talk to you both!" said Nature, loudly. In his head, that is, in his plan, that was. Both of these charging feral Pokemon would stop and explain all of his confusion away or he wouldn't let them back at their game.

Back in reality, the tumbling October struck him in the chest, knocking Nature right off of his feet and the air right out of his lungs. He tumbled, dizzyingly, but he lucked out and landed flat on his shins and stopped. The Steel-Type reinforcement of his bones took the shocks handily and Nature was able to jump back onto his feet without too much soreness.

In front of him, October was rising with a groan, then instantly bunching up as if to jump, looking away from nature...

At a sudden spot of swirling darkness and blacklight that was appearing in front of the stationary, poised Eclipse's open maw... a swirling pool of darkness that was whipping and roaring with what looked like dangerous energies... more and more of them, over-powering the attack...

No, thought Nature, staring in horror at the Shadow Ball, he wouldn't actually use that... would he?

October glanced between the Mightyena and Nature, "Wait..! Nature's here!" he shouted...

Nature's eyes briefly met the Ninetales and saw the real terror, there. No mistaking it. Real fear and... conflict... and he was ready to jump and he hadn't... Oh.

Nature realised he should probably get out of the way, on a conscious level...

...but his body, caught up in staring, horrified at that swirling sphere of energy, just wouldn't move.

October's eyes found his again... and widened, softening noticeably, looking like he had realised something. Probably that Nature was frozen.

It happening in split seconds. Funny, having the time to think all of that but still not being able to do anything about it, he would reflect, later. The mind and body does funny things under stress...

"Yeah! He is..!" declared Eclipse, triumphantly... and fired. The ball rushed at them, seeing to pick up speed as it went, from its own odd, rolling inertia, picking up a plume of dust and leaves as it trailed a rolling pressure wave behind it...

October bunched up, looking as if he would still jump... then stopped... began to shield himself...

By then, the Shadow Ball had already hit, swallowing up the Ninetales flank and right hindleg, seeming to explode with rippling arcs of darklight energy spinning and spilling over his body, furrowing the fur in all directions, ripping right through into flesh, pulling blood right out into the air in in their wake and seeming to literally tear the Ninetales apart from the point of impact.

October was launched again, thrown by the force of the attack, an agonised yowl coming from his maw that was not of any thinking, conscious beast.

Nature didn't even feel the fall. He felt the very hot, wet blood hit his face. Saw the many bleeding wounds around October's flank... then he saw the jutting points of white sticking out from October's twisted leg-

Nature twisted and began to throw up.

He couldn't hear himself do it for October's screeching, rattling feral shriek. He struggled to get out from under the writhing Ninetales, away from the horror...

Double so when October erupted with flames, apparently blasting blindly, in agony, washing big blasts of dangerous fire in wide arcs...

Twisting and crawling, Nature struggled his way free, made it one meter and dropped, to continue heaving. October continued to erupt, behind him.

The flames and the screaming stopped, replaced by an odd noise of high, fast breathing.

"Well, well," growled Eclipse, before chuckling softly, "Not bad, boy..."

Twisting and putting a hand on his stomach as he did, Nature looked at the Mightyena in wide-eyed horror.

Eclipse, slowly approaching from the front, was smiling as if his favourite song was playing on the radio.

"You hurt him..." gasped Nature...

"I did," said Eclipse, with a grin, "but that's kinda down to you, though, isn't it..?"

Nature gulped, blinking, staring in horror.

"Slippery Fox, never woulda hit him," said Eclipse, grinning, "Unless he was inclined for it to hit him... seems to have done a real nice job on him..." he said it whilst looking Nature right in the eyes, a curious look in his own... what... was he thinking..?

Was Eclipse thinking that he had set things up like this on purpose!?

Somehow, Nature found himself surging to his feet, fright and even a little outrage giving him strength...

Eclipse continued to stare him in the eyes as Nature stumbled and struggled for balance, his heart now beating at a thousand miles an hour...

"Don't you like the sight of your handiwork..?" asked Eclipse, a dark smile upon his face. He nodded at the groaning October, who Nature glanced over his shoulder to see was holding his own muzzle down to suppress a scream, his body still jerking reflexively, as if it could get away from the injury... that injury...

Nature nearly pitched over and heaved again, but he turned away, then fought to keep his now watering eyes on the Mightyena's. "No..!" he tried to shout, but it came out as a weak cry...

"Well you'd better run along, then," said Eclipse, firmly, his eyes going cold.

Nature paused, staring.

Then Eclipse smiled, his voice softening, "You'd better go and get him help, huh? Since you can't even stand the sight of your own mess..?" Then his voice took on something like a concerned tone, "Don't worry... I'll look after him while you go do that."

Nature blinked away tears that were seeming to come from no-where.

Eclipse, getting closer, said, "What are you waiting for, go on..!" more urgently.

His limbs going numb with fear... Nature shook his head.

Eclipse stared at him, "You should get going..."

Nature shook his head again, though the motions made the world sway. His head felt like it was getting light... He felt like he was going to faint!

Gritting his teeth, the Lucario fought to stay conscious, to ignore the sudden, horrible, sinking feeling in his guts, but instead following some impulse and certainly no kind of plan.

Nature stood there, by chance already between October and Eclipse... and slowly raised his paws, palms pointed at the Mightyena. "No..." he said softly, "Leave him alone."

"Not happening..." said Eclipse, suddenly sounding firm, "You go get him help or you might just find yourself lyin' next to him, boy..."

Nature shook his head again, "I'm not letting you past..."

Eclipse's eyes became sharper, "You think you could stop me even if you wanted to..?"

"It doesn't matter," said Nature, "I'm not letting you..."

"You really gonna fight me, boy..?" snarled the Mightyena.

"I hate fighting..." said Nature, softly, "I won't fight you." His eyes locked on the Mightyena's, "but I'm still not going to let you."

Eclipse growled, impatiently, "Get out of the damn way!" and began moving forwards.

At that moment, something soft and fluffy curled around Nature's ankle.

Weakly, from behind, he heard October groan something like, "-daymorningrapehen-"

...and suddenly the whole world was distorting itself around him, like it was folding itself inside out...

...and Nature did faint.

* * *

Still dripping wet, shower water noisily patting on the Admin-section carpet, Neon knocked on the door again, frowning.

Maybe she just wasn't paying attention... she had to be in, surely that damned six-tailler wouldn't be out NOW of all times?

She knocked again, more out of frustration and impatient than any hope that the lighter side of HR was actually in, today.

The plaque on this door, right at the back of Admin, read 'Coco' and lead to the pleasant office of the Vulpix who handled a lot of Plaisir's recruitment. She was helpful, pleasant and almost never in when you wanted her. She was a direct contrast in those respects to Plaisir's OTHER HR Manager who handled accounting.

Back down the corridor, another, seemingly darker door beckoned. Right back from any windows, you could still actually see the beading condensation on the wood in the duller light from here...

In desperation, Neon tried knocking on Coco's door one more time...

Waiting a few more seconds, but knowing it was futile, Neon cursed, "Dammit!" and accepted that Coco was probably out, doing her job recruiting fresh meat for the Cafe's generally rapid turnover.

She was kept busy, that one. Most Pokemon couldn't handle the Plaisir lifestyle long term and so Plaisir always looking for those few that fit, building up their not-so-little family... Coco was always out, doing that, looking for those few.

Whilst the free room and board made it look easy on the surface, it took a certain appetite to work here, as well as a good amount of character. Coco'd once told her that the average span of employment here at Plaisir was just two weeks, but that she actually helped a lot them move on, since helping Pokemon move upwards and onwards in society was part of what they were all about, here, so she pointed them in the right direction, wished them luck and went looking for their replacements.

Neon frowned. They sure went through a lot of Pokemon here, a dizzying amount of 'em. It was amazing that any of the senior staff here managed to keep track of any of 'em. It unfortunately also made it less surprising that a few, probably more than one, had fallen through some cracks and found themselves somewhere awful, like 'Pussy Boy...'

...and they'd be forgotten. Not because no-one cared, just because no-one noticed. Just because no-one saw what was happening to them...

Still frowning, still dripping wet, Neon resolved herself and walked down the corridor.

Well, she'd seen him. She knew about him... and she was inclined to try and help him, whether he'd asked her to or not...

Neon was no busybody... and Neon was no snitch... but Neon knew the look she'd seen on the Glameow's eyes. Neon knew it all too well... she'd seen it in the mirror.

That look... She'd go to the Lord of the Underworld if she'd thought it would help.

Neon walked right up to Clarice's door and knocked.

* * *

When Nature woke, it was to confusing sensations. There was a set of soft, rhythmic vibrations and strange, pulsing emanations he could feel running through his body from the floor. Strange, soft sounds whoomed and whooshed around him and even through closed eyes, he could tell there were moving lights.

...and he heard the pained groaning.

Nature opened his eyes and saw a confusing sight... Swirling lights, great orbiting orbs, shining discs of brass, energy patterns and strange, fractal backgrounds that got more complex the longer you stared at them... all rolling around, seemingly unsupported.

It would have looked completely magical if not for the snail-trail of blood leading across the transparent floor to a same-coloured Ninetales, crawling along in a sprawled pile, not looking entirely unlike a pool of blood, himself.

Nature sat up and looked around. Where was he..?

He ducked as a series of floating lights in a circular sequence flew past him.

What was any of this stuff..? None of it looked real, none of it made any sense!

A bang brought him back to reality. October had made it to some kind of chest and thrown open the lid. Nature blinked and looked at him as he heavily pushed himself up and looked inside, then groaned.

"Uuuoohh..!" groaned the Ninetales, "Knew I'd forgotten to do something..! Fuck!"

The Ninetales plunged his head into the chest and rummaged around clinking what sounded like a lot of empty glass bottles around until eventually pulling out one oddly shaped flask, looking kind of like the chemistry flasks from school, with a tiny amount of red fluid in the bottom.

Hauling it back, the Ninetales stared at it with wide, pain-dazed eyes and groaned again, "Ooooh, fucking screw-cap!" and tried to open the bottle with his paws, "Fuck screw caps!" his paws were slipping, "...and fuck me for screwing it too tight..! Nnngh...!"

Nature stood up, slowly and shakily. He tried not to look at the weirdness all around him. Someone seemed to need his help.

The Ninetales appeared to be just about to try biting through the glass of the bottle when Nature approached, saying, "Ummm... can I help with that..?"

October looked around at him with dazed, slightly vacant eyes, then waited a few seconds before nodding. He held up the bottle.

Nature, whose bigger paws were just a little better arranged for bipedal tasks like this one, took the bottle and with a little struggle, opened the top. He passed it back down.

October took and drank the bottle quickly.

Nature stepped back, wondering what was in the bottle. Could it help..?

He dared himself, then, to look down at October's injury again. Curiosity lead his eyes to the ghastly wound. Some of the bleeding had stopped, but far from all of it... but it looked... better... somehow...

Nature blinked. Had he imagined it worse than it was..? He recalled October's leg bone sticking out from where Eclipse's Shadow ball had smashed right through it... but the leg, whilst clearly mutilated, seemed straight. There was no bone visible. Had he imagined that..?

Though as he watched, the injury seemed to begin to magically heal itself, wounds starting to close up before his very, widening eyes...

"Gah..! Not enough..!" gasped October, "Fuck..!"

Blinking at what he had just seen, Nature stepped back, "Was that... did that..."

October looked at him oddly.

Nature met the Ninetales' gaze, "How fast do you heal..?" ...Was he a monster..?

The Ninetales smiled, "My bones heal very quickly, due to my nature. Unfortunately..." he sighed, looking at the bloody mess of his flank and hindleg, "the rest of me heals normally. What you saw there was all potion effect."

Nature blinked, "Potion effect..?"

"As in healing potion," said October, in a softening voice, "Which I normally keep a better ready stock of..." Then the Ninetales began to slump down, again.

"Healing potion..." repeated Nature, staring in bewilderment, "Like a... Pokemon potion..?"

"Sort of," said October, at a groan, "Except actually magical. Also, insufficient..." He twisted around again, as if he were about to try standing up.

"Umm..." said Nature, as October pushed up, "You probably shouldn't try to-"

"AAAAARGH..!" the Ninetales screamed, letting out a little blast of fire at the end. Then he slumped.

"Put weight on that leg..." finished Nature, staring at horror.

Oddly, October began to chuckle.

Nature continued to stare in horror.

"Oh, don't look so worried," said October, "I just don't have much pain tolerance. Believe it or not, I've crawled down to the potion room and infirmary in FAR worse states than this... At least the leg is still attached!"

Staring silently, feeling completely overwhelmed as all of this, along with all that had just happened, Nature felt a little like he was going to faint, again, "Potion room..?" he echoed, not really quite awake.

"Oh yes," said October, himself sounding dazed by pain, "I mean, I could go and visit Yuri or someone, but I don't like to worry my friends... it's better they think I always dodge..." he chuckled, oddly, "...and I still haven't found a Pokemon Centre in any world that fails to raise a fuss about a talking crimson Ninetales, assuming they're even willing to help a Pokemon without a Ball-and-Pain in charge of them... or in your world, money..."

"Ahuh..." said a blinking, stunned Nature, barely hearing what the Ninetales was saying.

"Anyways!" said October, "Like to chat, but losing blood! Must hurry!" Then he twisted and began pushing himself towards what appeared to be a portal to an ordinary stone staircase...

"Ummm..." Nature finally managed to speak and vocalise a question, "Where am I..?"

October paused and smirked at him, "This is the Tower of Tragedy. Welcome to my home."

* * *

The door opened with a bang and Eclipse swaggered back inside with a heavy pace. Advancing inside, the Mightyena kicked the door shut just as hard.

A loud, muffled whining sound could be heard...

"Arceus, fuck..!" said Dextus, turning to frown at his brother, "You really gotta do that, bro..? You're upsettin' the cat!"

Eclipse scowled at his mouthy younger sibling, then cast a curious glance over at the bed. Sinister was sat with her back against the wall, with the bedraggled, thin grey shape of a wet Glameow slumped across her, held between her forelegs in a reassuring hug, shushing him.

"Huh," said Eclipse, his scowl lessening, "He came back, huh..?"

"Of course he did," said Sin, softly, "We're his family, right..?"

"Yeah," said Dextus, frowning, "Running back and scratching on the door like his ass was on fire. What the fuck happened out there? I thought you were just taking him for a shower?"

Eclipse growled softly, snarling as he spoke, "Did... then one of the Ninetales' dumb Eevee bitches comes and starts yappin' at me... followed by the Ninetales himself..."

"What..?" said Dextus, "October... and... who..?"

"Neon. Jolteon. I know where she lives, Ninetales visits there," growled Eclipse, looking ominously thoughtful and unconsciously twitching his nose...

"So..?" prompted Dextus, "What happened..?"

"Put 'em in their place," said Eclipse, a slight smile forming, "Gave 'em a few... marks..." the smile grew into a grin, "To think on... Until I can give 'em a proper talkin' to..."

The younger male screwed his face up, unhappily, "...You were fighting..? In the Staff Showers!?"

"Weren't a fight," said Eclipse, "Just shoved the dumb bitch around some to close her fool mouth. The Ninetales and me took it outside..." then he grinned again, "He got a sharper tellin'. He'll be walkin' funny, from now on..."

Sinister looked up, suddenly, "You got to October..?" she asked, looking surprised.

"Winged 'im," said Eclipse, with a frown, "Pulled his damn vanishing act, again..."

Dextus groaned and sat back, heavily, covering his head with a forepaw.

"I'll get him though..." snarled Eclipse, "Now he can't run, I'd like to see him try that trick when I'm already on top of him..."

"Bro... this has got to stop," said Dextus, suddenly, "This is getting out of control..."

Eclipse glared at him, suddenly, his eyes locking on the smaller Mightyena's.

To his credit, Dextus held that gaze for around a second... two seconds... A new record. Then he cast his eyes down. That battle of wills was never any contest. Never, not since that day, years ago... and a conversation that had started with, "Boo."

Eclipse advanced anyway, growling softly as he pressed his dominance on his brother, "...What's gotta be's gotta be, Dextus... and it ain't just the feud you and your dumb-ass sister there started!"

Sin and Dex both cowered back a bit, full-well knowing their own complicity in starting all of this...

Eclipse continued, "The Ninetales and that Jolteon... they're filth, creepin' in here, gettin' up to Dark itself knows what, probably doin' drugs... they're the bad element, Dextus and you know I'm the one to deal with 'em, right..?"

There was a pause. Eclipse prompted again, firmer, "Right?"

"Right..." said Dextus, "I know, I know, you're only really bad to them who're worse, bro, like always... and we support you, we're family, but... this is too much, too public, people are gonna notice..."

"No-one noticed," said Eclipse, "Noisy place, then out in the woods. No-one around. I know my business, Dex..."

Sinister sighed, still stroking the whimpering, crying Vermont, "Any chance they'll go to management..?" she asked, softly.

Eclipse laughed, once, "Ha! Scum like that don't go to management. Generally got too much they're hidin' on their own account. No, this is between me and them..."

Dextus sighed, "You're sure about that, bro..? Because I dunno... this feels like..." Dextus paused, not wanting to say like it sounded like Eclipse was getting sloppy, "...what if they do, is what I'm asking..?"

Eclipse chuckled, softly, then stared at his brother, firmly, "What if they do..? The word of one or two malcontents... when I've got three witnesses backing up my side of the story," he grinned, "huh..?"

Dextus nodded slowly, looking down, muttering, "Right..."

* * *

After she'd knocked, the door to Clarice's office had opened, seemingly on its own, the remnants of a ghostly-sounding gust of wind dying off. "Come in," said a disinterested, gravelly voice.

Neon went inside, immediately shivering as she advanced into the arctic climate of Clarice's extremely-air-conditioned office. She already felt seriously cold... This was not the place to be when you had wet fur... but this couldn't wait.

"Neon Staccato..." said Clarice, without looking up from her computer.

Lit by the light from the doorway, the over-large, somewhat pudgy Glaceon looked more like some ancient gargoyle than a living creature, seeming motionless as she typed upon her ancient, primitive PC. With the light from the door, her eyes were invisible behind her thick, cyan-rimmed glasses hidden by the glare.

"Ummm, yeah," said Neon, trying to ignore the cold, "Hey, uhh, Clarice, I need to talk to ya about somethin'!"

"Close the door," said the Glaceon, flatly.

"Huh..?" said Neon, confusedly.

"Close the door," repeated Clarice, "You're letting in the disgusting warmth."

Raising an eyebrow high, but not wanting to argue the point, Neon closed and turned the door. The southern weather was bad warm, a lot of the time, especially for an Ice Type, she guessed, but there was no need to be rude...

"What do you want..?" asked Clarice, bluntly, still not looking at her and continuing to type on her ancient, clackety keyboard.

Neon paused a while, soothing down her own feelings of offense at Clarice's lack of manner or ceremony. "Ummm, well," said Neon, "I'm here to register a complaint!" she twisted her face in confusion, "I guess... or a... concern..?"

Clarice still didn't look at her. With the door closed, the only light came from her computer screen, plunging the room into gloom. In the bluish light, the Glaceon somehow looked even more stoney and forbidding. Part of the room. Her face didn't even budge. Only her cold, dark blue, overmagnified eyes, reading from the computer screen, seemed to move. She looked like a Sentinel Statue from some Dungeon Crawler game, thought Neon...

"I don't do concerns," said Clarice, her voice unchanging, "I deal with hard matters, here. If you've got a complaint, see the back corner receptacle."

Neon glanced over at the back corner and saw the waste paper bin. She frowned, "Uhhh... hey, Clarice..." she started.

Clarice acknowledged the inquiry with a grunt and continued to work.

"I realise you've got some stoney, hard-core bitch image to maintain here and all," began Neon.

Clarice looked at her then... eyes moving to regard her alone... white pupils fixing on her sharply... and it was chilling.

Almost stopped her from speaking, but Neon went on, "...and maybe you and I never talk outside of work and you always see me when I'm in trouble and all and maybe you think I don't take things serious-"

"You don't," growled Clarice, monotonously, "I've got your record right here and there's little evidence that you take this job seriously, Miss Staccato. Lateness... Rudeness... A lot of Sickness days... Unreliable would be saying the least of it..."

Neon frowned, "Umm... what..?" Her indignant rose, "Hey! I work hard, here..!"

"Not much evidence of that on my system," said Clarice, "You're in the black, Miss Staccato, but you haven't exactly made a huge asset of yourself."

"Is that right..?" said Neon, her ire rising... at least until she shivered. It was far too cold in here! With wet fur, she was freezing! She cut off her own protests before they began and tried to get back on track, "Look; I'm not here about me..! I'm here to let you know that someone on our staff, a well known asshole, may just also be a rapist!"

Neon was expecting a reaction out of them. What she got surprised her.

Clarice turned back to her computer with a disgruntled growl. Continued typing.

Neon, somewhat surprised, began, "I said-!"

"I heard you," said Clarice, "I also heard about your argument with October. Rough intercourse doesn't suddenly become rape just because you don't like someone anymore, Miss Staccato..."

Neon's mouth fell open in horror, even if it wasn't the horror Clarice apparently expected as she turned her muzzle up at the Jolteon.

"You... fuckin'..." began Neon, aghast.

"Mind your language," grumbled Clarice.

"...Bitch!" said Neon, sharply, "That's not what I'm doin'..! I wouldn't pull shit like that! ...and you're a fuckin' bitch for even suggestin' that..!"

Clarice stared at her again, coldly, "So; What are you suggesting?"

Neon growled, trying to control her temper, "I'm not talkin' about October!" she shouted, her voice getting away from her, "or me! I'm talkin' about Eclipse!"

Clarice turned away, again, making a noise of disgust.

"Clarice..!" hissed Neon, "That son of a bitch ain't just talk and reputation! We've got a real, live monster on staff!"

Clarice seemingly ignored her.

Neon took a step closer, "Clarice, I'm not kidding around here, I've seen..." she screwed up her face, suddenly not knowing how quite to put this... "signs... that he's not kiddin' around. I saw him... with... someone..."

Clarice made a choked groan from her throat and looked at her, "Miss Staccato, Eclipse is rough. He's just a bit worse than the rest of you disgusting, lustful, hot-blooded creatures cavorting your way through the halls of this workplace, but there's a commercial appetite for him."

"Commercial.. appetite..?" repeated Neon.

"Yes," said Clarice, "We serve a wide range of disgusting tastes here at Plaisir and Eclipse is just part of our range. That seeing him at work disturbed you is immaterial, Miss Staccato. The fact is, he gets a lot of business here, especially at the Special Lounge. Does a lot more for this Cafe's bottom line than you ever have..."

"...This wasn't him at work..!" said Neon, "...and it doesn't matter how much money he makes, he's a damn rapist! A real one! Not a play one..!"

"Is he..?" said Clarice, "Have you got any evidence to back up your claim? Did you witness any conduct beyond the regulations of Plaisir or the law of the land..?"

Neon frowned, "I saw... the guy he was with. He was shaken up real bad, he had a look in his eyes like..." she paused.

"A look," said Clarice, flatly, "In his eyes..."

"I know what I'm talking about!" said Neon, sharply, "Eclipse! That Glameow! He's not just treatin' him rough, he's... fucking raping him! That Glameow looked like a broken Mon!"

"Like I said, disgusting tastes, that's not enough for me to act on," said Clarice, dismissively, "Is there anything else..?"

Neon scowled, "Well, he knocked me around and he attacked October..!"

"Rough-housing is yet another, disgusting, wasteful habit all you hot-blooded creatures seem to love," said Clarice, "If I started firing Pokemon staff for that..."

"...and you can't just dismiss me like this!" said Neon, "I know the look in his eyes! I know, I just know it's more than just some fetish stuff..! I know the damn difference!"

"You just know, huh..?" said Clarice, sneering, "I'll give that the weight it merits, Miss Staccato."

"I know what I'm talking about..." said Neon, losing steam... damn it was cold in here... She realised the water in her fur was starting to freeze... "I..."

Neon paused... to explain herself, she would have to explain the source of her intuition... the experience, that she kept so well buried... the horror she'd swore to put behind herself...

"Miss Staccato, my time is valuable," said Clarice, grumpily, "my time keeps this business afloat. I only deal in hard facts. If you have something concrete to contribute, I'll listen, but until such time, I have no further time for spurious complaints against one of this Cafe's top earners."

Neon paused... her head of steam dissolving into invisible vapour. She didn't want to tell her tale, not to Clarice, not now... not when it probably wouldn't make a difference, anyway... not with Clarice...

Wait... "Complaints..?" she echoed, "I'm not the first one to say something about Eclipse..?"

"Regular as clockwork," said Clarice, "Every few weeks someone says something. Never comes to anything, though. Yet to get someone to give me a single straight statement on the matter and I have tried," she frowned at Neon, "It's somewhat as if bitter, envious Pokemon and those already on the way out were attempting some petty revenge on the way against an admittedly disgusting individual I would personally glad to be rid of IF my personal feelings affected my judgements in any way." She turned back to her computer, scowling, "As I said, however, I only deal in cold, hard facts and the fact is; Eclipse is a valued member of this Cafe's staff. More than you, Miss Staccato."

"Well..." said Neon, quietly, looking away from the Glaceon, then down at the floor, "Fuck you, too..."

Dejected, shivering, chilled to the bone and literally starting to ice over, Neon turned to leave before she froze to death.

"Close the door on your way out."

* * *

"Look, ummm, you need help..!" said the Lucario, behind him.

Struggling on two forelegs and a knee, October chuckled, lightly, "Worse states," he repeated, unable to think of many more... words... right now.

Oh, this hurt. How this hurt. Somewhat as though a cluster bomb of bound kinetic waves made of Eclipse's hostile intentions made tangible by Pokemon Aura Power had exploded through his leg and over his body. There wasn't really much equivalent for that... AND IT REALLY FUCKING HURT.

Dammit! He knew Pokemon could sometimes take attacks like that as if they were freaking cartoons. He only had to think back to a particular, only lightly-browned Leafeon to know that...

That said, his own aura must have done something to protect him... The ground, where it had taken stray kinetic waves, had been more badly churned than he was. He remembered that... but he must have just been completely overwhelmed.

How weak must he be..? ...or how strong was Eclipse..?

Neither thought was pleasant.

Finally making the staircase, October turned, had an instant dizzy spell dipped his head and almost fell down the steps.

A pair of fine, but surprisingly strong paws caught him around the waist.

October's head came up, surprised. Oh yes, Nature was here...

His ears went back at once as he found himself held aloft, dangling over the next step... he realised at once, how suggestive this position had to look. Nature had grabbed him from behind and he couldn't help but glance over to see the Lucario directly behind him with his legs planted astride.

There was something kind of nice about it, with the way that he had been helped and all, instead of smacking his head and taking the tumble express down the staircase (which wouldn't have been the first time, but it would have hurt...) There was something reassuring about being held like this, like the power could go to someone else for once, like the times he'd been (protestingly) carried by Silver... It was nice to have some company here, to let someone in...

Wait, what in the name of pain-induced delirium was he thinking!? Was he thinking about Silver or Nature or taking it up the...

His eyes finally tracked up to meet Nature's face. The Lucario, looking down, wore a worried... and slightly embarrassed look.

Inspired by a distemperate flow of badly processed emotions, October coughed up a brief burst of flames.

Orange-highlighted eyes widening in fright, Nature let him go.

Falling forwards, October dizzily pedalled at ground that wasn't there and started to pitch forwards.

A second later, he was stopped again, his momentum carrying on forwards until his weight all jerked on the base of his fourth tail!

October yelped, high and loud..! Only to be cut over by an even higher and louder yelp of fright coming from behind him!

Nature, still holding his tail, toppled over, after him.

October grimaced and tried to flatten himself out, relative to the steps and took a nasty right-angled step-edge right in the gut!

The painful, bouncing slide, as the Lucario fell on him and they tumbled down the far-too-steep steps, went on for a few meters before October was able to make enough drag with his sprawled form to stop... painfully... with a step pressing into his ribs... and a Lucario fallen over his back.

Well. This was a reversal...

...Wait a minute; Was Nature actually prodding him? Oh come on, you had to be kidding! Yep. The reversal was complete with a chunky sheath pressed right down onto pinned hindquarters.

October looked around at the Lucario on his back, suddenly feeling sober and clear-eyed as he glared, eyebrow raised, at the smaller Pokemon. If he thought he was-

Nature, looking like a creature thrown under a spotlight on a stage before a live theatre audience with no idea what he was meant to be doing, however, did not look so threatening as might have justified October's first impulses on the matter...

There was a protracted eye-contact and the look in Nature's eyes briefly became odd, then he looked as though he'd just remembered something and released October's fourth tail, which had been bunched up in his paw against October's back.

There was a sense of relief. With all the other pain, October had barely noticed that one. Still... now his tail felt bruised! Ouch!

"What was that..?" asked Nature, suddenly, eyes alert.

"We fell," said October, twisting his face slightly...

"I felt what you felt," said Nature, "I could feel your leg..! ...and your tail..! ...and my hand on your tail! ...and...!"

"Urf..." groaned October, "Oh, that's fourth tail's thing. I have an empathy tail. It's Fairy Type. Tell no-one," he said that part firmly, "My nature doesn't have the patience for thousand year curses. My tails prefer instant justice. Just be glad you didn't pull fifth."

Nature blinked, "What would have happened if I'd pulled fifth..?"

October smirked, "Well, I hear Lucario don't react well to fire..."

Slowly and carefully, Nature began standing up, apparently taking particular care to avoid October's tails, which, being sprawled everywhere in all directions, was no easy feat...

Still smirking and getting a little of his good humour back, October wondered if he were somehow in any less pain for the act of sharing it. Seems like, somehow, he was... weird.

Well; Pokemon powers were definitely weird. That was probably part of why he was having so much fun being one. It did feel like there was more to this than the hundreds of forms he'd briefly assumed before...

He looked over his tails, which Nature was still trying to avoid, even though they were starting to move of their own accord, each twitching in its own way. There WAS more to this form. Each one of those bloody blood-coloured lengths of floof seemed to have a mind of its own and its own subset of his powers... He'd thought of them as aura co-processors, like field antenna and they seemed to react as part of his life-force, accordingly... and they had even sometimes interacted with him, but recently, they'd gone a step further actually SPOKEN to him, telling him to go easy on Chai... that was new... and they hadn't done it again. What even was that..? Was his subconscious involved, somehow..?

At the same time though; Each and every single bloody one of them felt as though it ought to come with an instruction manual. Some things he could do with the greatest of ease, just willing something to happen and letting the tail do the rest, whilst other things required bodily strains and senses of energy management and manipulation he was still very new to...

In short; He had no idea what he was doing... but there was nothing new about that. He had hit the ground running in a hundred different worlds...

Wasn't the first time he'd gotten smashed up in the process, either...

"Ummm," said Nature, stood up, "I don't really know what's going on, here, but let me help you up, properly..."

October sighed, "Please do, yes, thankyou," he said quietly.

Nature stepped around and started helping him to his feet, getting him properly oriented whilst he concentrated on not falling down the stairs.

"Umm, y'know, I'm not very strong for a Fighting Type," said Nature, softly, "but I could probably still carry you and it'd be faster..."

"Urf, permit me some dignity, please," said October, softly, "I'm still a Ninetales... apparently..." He managed to stand up, with Nature steadying him about the waist.

"Apparently..?" said Nature, quietly, as they began to slowly walk down the steps, "This home of yours doesn't seem built for a Ninetales..."

"Wasn't always a Ninetales," admitted October, feeling oddly honest as they descended through his home, "Lately I've just found I like it best. You see, I have one form, that I cannot choose, for every kind of world."

Nature looked at him oddly, "So... what ARE you..?"

"A Ninetales," said October with a smirk, "or nothing in particular. An accident. Random energies that copies a form to fit in. Before the first time someone found me, I was nothing at all, really."

"Huh..?" said Nature, "Nothing..? ...but where are you from..? What made you..?"

"Here," said October, "Some mess left by the Tower's previous occupant when they apparently exploded. Like I said, I was just energy and debris."

"Well..." said Nature, "Who were they..? Where IS this..?"

"No idea, they didn't leave any references to themselves," said October, "Just a lot of random junk. Which I've been adding to. If that's a tradition, I've been keeping to it, as you can see..."

He nodded to the right, towards an open doorway. Inside were racks and chests and drums and shelves. Stuffed upon them, in no particular order, were trinkets and toys, magical and technological, from the realms of sci-fi and fantasy, though all quite real. Hand Held Scanners sat next to Amulets of Invisibility. Personal Force Fields next to Enchanted Longswords. All souvenirs and mementos of a great many trips, but not interesting-yet-not-boringly-overpowered-enough to make his usual shortlist of stuff-it-was-probably-reasonable-to-take when he couldn't be bothered to procure such things on-site. Which of course, in a Pokemon world, included nothing, which he'd been fine with. He didn't like growing accustomed to abilities he could easily lose in the form of some type of trinket or other piece of encumbering junk he had to bother himself to keep track of and didn't necessarily work between the changing different magical and technological climates of different universes. Non-issues when those abilities were his own and inherent to his energised biology.

Nature stared in some confusion however, which was clearly turning to worry, upon his pretty and expressive face, "Are those weapons..?" he asked, with adorable trepidation.

October smirked, "Not all of them... and mostly boring... and not very helpful right now!"

"Right..." said Nature, "Ummm... you've got a lot of weapons..."

October shrugged, "I've had a lot of use for them..." he muttered, "...but only when needs must, of course! A true adventurer never resorts to violence when wit might suffice!"

"I don't like violence..." said Nature, very quietly.

"Reasonable," said October, "but I've found that... there are those that do. Sometimes violence can only be met with violence."

"I don't believe that," said Nature, "I think... if people just thought a bit more about their real feelings, they wouldn't fight..."

October chuckled, grimly, "Eclipse's real feelings exploded my leg, today..." he said darkly. Through the mechanics of Pokemon powers, it was quite literally true.

Nature almost stopped, looking away. You could just about see his face whiten under his blue fur...

October winced. It was easy to forget how sensitive the average sentient was to things he'd considered everyday.

Of course, October was slowly coming to realise that a life of adventure had, in many ways, poorly prepared him for everyday life...

"It shouldn't have come to that," said Nature, "That was my fault, messing up the balance, I'm sorry..."

"Oh, pish," said October, flippantly, "I think it's pretty obvious you didn't realise how serious Eclipse was..."

"No, I shouldn't have interfered," said Nature, "I'm sorry..."

"Well," said October, "Why did you..?"

Nature was briefly distracted as they passed another room. It was difficult to see inside, what with the ridiculous numbers of blinking LED lights and strange, spooling and winding contraptions that whirred and beeped like old computer parts.

"Just ignore that room," muttered October, "It's an asshole."

Nature blinked and stared uncomprehendingly at October.

"So..." said October, "Why on all the Earths did you jump in front of me like that..?"

Nature looked down, then at him, slowly, "I wanted to know..." he paused, "I wanted to know what you and him were up to... I wanted to know if you were playing some kind of game or if it was serious..."

October raised an eyebrow, "...and now you know it's quite serious, but... how in the world did you think it was a game..?"

"People do strange stuff in Plaisir," said Nature, "and... I thought maybe hunting games might be a thing... I'd heard you were into rough stuff, like Eclipse..." he reeled out his theory like it was a confession, "...and there's been a bunch of people saying how they've seen you fighting with that Umbreon before, y'know... fucking him... and... and you arranged that night, with those Tourist girls, with the big feral Pokemon chasing them through the woods... which I..." he looked down, "watched..."

Smirking at the Lucario's somewhat adorable innocence in the face of all he was surrounded by, October paused... paused for a while.

Nature looked at him for a worriedly.

October shook and then started laughing, quite loudly, until it caused him to put too much weight on the leg and yelped again, then he kept laughing as Nature looked at him, worriedly.

"Oh, I've got to say," said October, "That I actually rather like your idea! I actually would much, much," he chuckled darkly, wincing a bit at the freshened pain, "much rather that than to the reality. Frankly, a circle of males hunting through the woods and battling for feral dominance sounds like a lot of fun... that would really get the blood going..!"

Nature blushed, embarrassed by the unusual and inappropriately timed praise, "Well, that's just what I thought you were doing..."

"Really wish we were!" chuckled October.

"Well," said Nature, softly, "I thought it sounded kind of fun..."

October continued to chuckle, lower, "...and you wanted in, hmmm..?"

Nature blushed and looked away.

"Sounds like a grand plan to me," said October wearing a toothy grin, "Perhaps we should look into it. Sometime..."

Nature kept quiet, but he might have nodded, slightly.

They kept mostly quiet for the rest of the walk, past more rooms, laboratories and vaults and stranger chambers still, but it wasn't too far down to the potion room and the infirmary below that.

There was a lot of interesting things still to see and talk about, but both Pokemon, it was fair to say, had been quite given enough to think about...

* * *

Neon sighed, throwing the towel onto the bed and just ignoring it. Well, at least she wasn't wet and freezing, anymore. Not sure she could say the same for her room, though.

She didn't care, right now. Right now she was just trying to manage herself, trying to keep herself together.

That had sucked, alright... As if it wasn't bad enough she was fighting to keep some some pretty bitterly repressed memories and a whole bunch of emotional shit she thought she'd firmly put behind her and completely out-run... As if that whole crushing package of self-doubt and fear for her life and that whole crippling depression thing catching up to her wasn't quite enough...

Being told she didn't add up enough to substantiate against an unsubstantiated rapist was just gravy.

Groaning, she put her head in her paws. Dammit, this really sucked. This situation sucked. Clarice sucked. She sucked too, so she felt at that moment. She couldn't help but feel like she'd fucked this up, somehow. Had a little too much fun, a little too little responsibility, leaving herself in a position where she couldn't help...

Yeah, this sucked.

Groaning some more, the Jolteon sat in her quiet room, without having to turn on a single piece of electronic entertainment. Not one console, not one computer, not even some dance music to keep her beats going...

Neon just didn't have any twitch about her, right now. She was a static Jolteon.

Well, that sucked, too... and it wasn't her style, either, she thought with a frown. This wasn't how she did things. A long time ago in a worse state than this, she'd promised she could out-run any damn thing... as long as she kept moving, kept having fun, she could get out of trouble, keep out of depression.

Well, that had lead her from one mad frolic to another, something never really knowing where she was, never having enough to her name to have any of the things that she wanted. Until those movements lead her to Café Plaisir... where she'd found enough going on in one place to keep on moving and never have to leave. In just a few months, she'd damn near settled.

Though apparently failing to notice some pretty awful things around her.

She had to keep moving. She told herself. "You can't just sit here," she told herself again, "...fuck."

Well, she didn't wanna move anywhere. She didn't want any damn music, nor any damn games. She didn't want to go to Dark Pulse or dance the night away in any kind of trance state...

She didn't want to move any damn place at all.

Maybe she could use a drink, though...

Yeah, that'd do. Jumping off the bed, she decided to burn some of that employee scrip and get herself a drunk on. Better than no move at all, right..?

* * *

Chai and Colin sat on opposing corners of the same edge table, each staring ahead at the vacant seat beside the other, a picture of a pair of a Pokemon, unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of the Main Bar.

Drinks sat in front of them, barely touched. Chai had a strong beer, in a dark bottle, with a picture of an angry Houndoom on the label. Colin was drinking a horrific concoction of cream, vodka, sugar and cherry liqueur that was actually called Sylveon Milk.

They started sighing at the same time and looked at each other, Colin apologetically, Chai accusingly. Then they looked far away from each other. Chai into the shadows, Colin at the busier, happier tables.

Then they stared at their drinks. Sipped.

"Look," said Chai, suddenly, "I'm only sitting here because all the other tables are full."

Colin made an unhappy noise, "That might be true, but it's not very nice of you to say it, Chai. Even if we don't like each other very much we don't have any other company..."

"Tch," said Chai, "As if I need the company. Company's starting to piss me off."

"Oh, stop getting hostile, Chai," said Colin, unhappily, huffily, "I wish you would stop-" he paused and sighed, tiredly, "I don't get you, Chai, but I don't mind your company..."

Chai frowned, screwed up his face angrily, then turned back to his drink, sighing, "...Dammit, how much have I fucked up so that my only drinking company is a Fairy like you..?"

"A Fairy like me could drink you under the damn table," said Colin, suddenly, "Chai; Stop being such a filly."

Chai looked up and blinked, surprised.

"...Sorry..." said Colin, suddenly looking embarrassed, "I've had too much of this stuff..."

"Great," said Chai, staring at his bottle, "We're ending up a pair of drunks..."

"No, stop doing that, stop being pessimistic!" said Colin, insistently, "We're just having some drinks to feel better! We're having fun!"

"Fun..?" repeated Chai sarcastically.

Colin stared at him, oddly, "We're having fun..." he had an odd... fixation... like desperation, in his eyes.

"Fun..." repeated Chai, quietly, wondering for a moment if the Fairy might have snapped...

"Fun..." said Colin.

They looked back at their drinks.

"I fucked up worse," said Chai, suddenly, "I turned on him."

"I wasn't even there!" said Colin, "At least you were there! I'm never there for him!"

"Well, maybe you ARE worse off!" said Chai, smirking nastily, "because I'm fine on my own..!"

"He's not fine on his own!" said Colin, unhappily, "He needs us! October can't even get up on time on his own!"

"Well, we don't need him!" declared Chai, "Never needed him before..!"

Colin whined, suddenly looking all the more miserable, though his ribbons reached weakly at empty air ahead of him, "I just wanna hug him and tell him I'm sorry and that everything's okay and that... and that... I wanna..." the Sylveon sniffled.

"Hey," said Chai, frowning, "Don't you dare!"

A soft, gentle laugh drew both their attentions. "Oh dear, there appear to be some sour faces over here," it was a British accent, but not the usual one, instead, this belonged to the big, smiling feline face of Ceylon, the Luxray. "I say, the pair of you look like you're doing a double-act."

Chai looked away, poutily, then took a hefty and overly boisterous swig of his beer.

Colin made a sad, high whine and looked down.

"I'm not sure Moody and Miserable is much fun, though," said Ceylon, pleasantly, "You might want to switch it up a bit. Anyways; I've brought you some company... Since at least Misery loves company!" He chuckled a little.

Chai made a slight growl and drank more of his beer, "Sure," he said briefly, still not looking at the Luxray.

Colin smiled sadly and tried to laugh at the joke. With tears moistening his eyes, it was a very sad sight.

Ceylon looked over to one side and gestured for someone to approach, then smiled at them both, again, "We're quite busy, tonight," said Ceylon, "though not so busy that we can't serve some of our employees who very clearly need a drink!" he hastened to add, seeing the look in Colin's eyes. "That said, it's not the only reason I think it quite appropriate the three of you sit together."

The Jolteon appeared through the bustle and stared at the Umbreon and Sylveon. They exchanged looks.

"Quite appropriate, given the source of your combined troubles, I'm sure you'll agree," said Ceylon, with a smile, "I'm rather hoping the three of you might be able to figure something out together, but just in case, would you all mind sitting there a while longer until someone else joins you..?"

"Someone else..?" said Chai, with a frown.

"If it's October," said Neon, "You could save some trouble and NOT."

"I'm not talking about October," said the Luxray with a pleasant smile, "So I can leave you all a while, please?" His smile had a cat's insistence about it, "If you don't mind, of course..."

"No, not at all!" said Colin, with sincere honesty.

Neon looked at the open space next to Chai. The Umbreon scowled at her. Colin moved himself over after casting a frown at Chai and then patted the open space with his ribbons.

Neon, frowning, hopped up next to the Umbreon and frowned right back at him, saying nothing.

Chai made a noise at the back of his throat and looked away.

"Great," said Ceylon, "I can tell you're all getting along already. Hang on and we'll try and get this straightened out. I'll be right back, okay..?" He started walking off as he said it.

Before any of them could reply, the Luxray was off.

"Hello there!" said Colin, as cheerily as he could, waving with his ribbons, "I'm Colin!"

"Colin..?" said Neon, half-raising an eyebrow, "Just... Colin..?"

"Mmm-hmm..." said Colin, with a nod, "Remember it..!" then he sighed and dip his head, "Don't forget me..." his ribbons drooped with him.

"Wow," said Neon, "That's kinda... sad, you alright, Colin..?"

"Yes!" said Colin, assuming a presentation pose, "I'm a Masterson's Pokemon and Masterson's Eevees are always bright-eyed and bushy tailed..!" he said the declaration without much effort and almost tailed off as he finished, his ribbons falling again, "Unless they turn into Vaporeon, heh... heh..."

Neon raised her eyebrow a little higher and looked at the sullen Umbreon next to her, who frowned back, "So, you're not a Masterson's Pokemon, huh..?"

Chai spoke quietly, deadpan, "...No."

There was silence for a while, none of them spoke, just looked between each other.

"I can't believe he's not our friend, anymore," said Colin, sadly.

"He's just being an ass," said Neon, "Anyways-"

"Maybe because we were all asses to him..!" said Chai, speaking up, suddenly.

"I wasn't..!" said Colin, "I wasn't even there..." he said again.

"Aw, shut up..!" said Chai.

"Hey, hey, hey," said Neon, suddenly.

Colin whined, rearing his ribbons into the air, "Chai..! Stop being mean!"

Chai snarled back at the Sylveon, leaning over at him across the table, "What if I don't, huh..?"

"HEY!" said Neon, sharply, a crackle of electricity coming from her fur.

That shut them up. The two Eeveelutions stared worriedly at the female.

"October's alright," said Neon, "He's just bein' a little bitch with sore feelings. He'll get over them and he's still our damn friend," she said it plainly, "Just so happens we got bigger problems than him and so does he. Last I saw of him, he was getting Eclipse off my ass and chasing after his. Foxie's okay."

Colin gasped, covering his cheeks with his ribbons, "Eclipse is chasing after October!?"

Chai rolled his eyes, "October'll be fine. They do that all the time. He doesn't need us to outrun that asshole."

"Yeah, well," said Neon, "Here's the thing; I don't think Eclipse is all rep and I don't think he's a problem that we, meaning this whole damn Cafe, can ignore, any damn longer..."

Chai snorted, "You're just figuring that out..?" He shook his head, "Well, I've gotta give you credit; You're way ahead of the curve around here..."

"Chai..?" said Colin, confusedly, then he looked at Neon, "Eclipse? Rep? What are you talking about..?"

"He's a damn rapist," said Neon, "Picks on vulnerable Pokemon, near as I can guess. Takes 'em aside, tells 'em they're worthless and uses that battle-trained strength of his to do whatever he damn well likes to 'em..."

Chai smirked, nodded, then shook his head, still smirking, "Like, four different Pokemon, since I've been here. That's just what I spotted and I wasn't looking too close..." his smile fell a bit, "Thing is; I don't wanna fuck with them."

Suddenly Neon was twisting around in her seat to glare at him, "You KNEW about this!?"

Chai frowned back, "I've got some insight on Dark types... the worst kinds of Dark types, anyways. So yeah, I knew. Wondered how you were all so blind you didn't see it..."

"Why didn't you say something, you dumbass!?" said Neon, angrily, "Pokemon are suffering! Suffering like you wouldn't understand."

Chai frowned, "Wouldn't be so sure of that, Jolteon, like I said, I know Dark types... and I know Eclipse isn't someone you wanna mess with. Those four Pokemon are all long gone and Eclipse is still here. That tells you all you need to know."

"Well," said Neon, "Fuck that! I'm makin' some noise!"

"Then count me out of it," said Chai, frowning, "You don't wanna mess with the powerful, Jolteon, real dangerous folk don't play nice. Let me out of here..." he started struggling towards freedom.

Neon tried to hold him back, "Wait there, dammit! We were asked to wait and I'm not done with you!"

"You so are," said Chai, suddenly twisting unexpectedly and slipping by the side down under the table. He sprang out to freedom before Neon could react. 'Slippery little bastard,' she thought.

"Get back here," said Neon, "...or I'll Thunder Wave your ass!"

"Better not," said Chai, not looking back as he walked away, "Someone's watching."

A second later, a tall, golden form arrived, towering over them even sat as they were on chairs.

Firenze smiled down at them, "Hello there... I hear you're all having a spot of trouble. Perhaps you might take the time to talk to me about it..?"

* * *

Reality folded inside-out on itself once again, there was a dizzying feeling of movement without movement and before Nature knew it, it was all over and he was back outside in the cool Oklahoma evening air, taking a deep and welcome, familiar breath.

He staggered a little. October gave him a little smirk, "There we go, all done. You're home," he said, pleasantly.

"Thankyou," said Nature, politely, looking at the hale and healthy Ninetales again.

It was hard to believe October was standing up straight and smiling again, after what he had seen. The fact that he was showing not a mark, anywhere for all the... all that had happened to him... The fact that the Tower had disappeared and brought him back here... It made it all seem as if he had dreamed the whole thing.

He looked around at his surroundings. They were apparently on Plaisir's rooftop. It was a pleasant evening, with a still-warm draught blowing from the treetops... Was this real..?

"Ahhh, contextual frame shift," said October.

Confused, Nature looked around at the Ninetales, he was smirking.

"...You've been moved out of and back into your picture frame, as it were," said October, "You've got that look in your eyes. I'm always curious; How does it feel..?"

Nature stared at the Ninetales in confusion for a few seconds before answering, "Getting taken out of my... picture frame..?"

"Mmm," October nodded, "Lacking a natural frame of my own, I always find that look curious in others..."

Nature smiled at him, "It was... interesting. You're kind of wierd, October... it's like the more I know about you, the less I know what to make of you..."

October smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Looking at him a little longer, though, Nature added, "I don't think you lack your own frame, though. I think you carry yours with you. That's just the impression I get..."

"Huh," said October, cocking his head, "I'd rather considered myself the mysterious figure that appears in the background of paintings, but... that's an interesting observation... what makes you say that..?"

"I dunno," said the Lucario, honestly, "It's just the impression I get."

There was a scrape of claws on the roofing felt. They both looked over.

The Umbreon, Chai, was standing there looking surprised to see them.

"Ah!" started October cheerily, before quietening down, seeing the look on the smaller Pokemon's face, "Hello, Chai..."

Nature kept silent, seeing the look on the Umbreon's face change... and feeling, rather than seeing the changes in his aura... they were... unpleasant, painful, as shocked as he had been on seeing the injuries to October's leg, earlier... but they ran deeper.

Feeling instinctively like he had somehow done something wrong, Nature shrank back.

The Umbreon stared at them in silence for a brief but awful while, then spoke in a strained voice, "...Nature, you were with Nature..."

"Chai-" began October.

"SHUT UP!" yelled the Umbreon, sharply, "I don't want to hear it..! Just... fuck off, October..!"

"Chai-" started October again.

"Shut up! I'll talk to you later, maybe!" said the Umbreon, snarling angrily, his face a picture of anger, apart from the wet eyes, that was, "I don't even wanna see you, right now!"

"Chai," said October, firmly, "You're acting crazy, calm down..."

"OH!" screamed Chai, his voice breaking, at its limits, "SHUT THE FUCK UP, OCTOBER..! Walk away, RIGHT NOW or you'll NEVER see me again..!"

October took a step back, "Hang on now!"

"I fucking mean it!" screamed the nearly hysterical Umbreon, "Get the fuck out of here right now or I'm gonna fucking lose it," he snarled, looking more crazed than angry, "I can't see you right now!" He looked sharply away, screwing up his face.

"Alright..." said October, backing off, "I'm going... I need to talk to someone... just... talk to me, Chai, when you can... it's not what you thi-"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Chai, again.

October turned and departed, leaving timidly for the stairs, skittering off giving many concerned looks back over his shoulder which Chai all ignored, glaring as he was at the Lucario..

Nature, stood with his back to a ventilator stack like someone caught in the middle of a gunfight, briefly looked up at Chai and then started to slide to one side, as if to move after the Ninetales.

"NO!" screamed Chai at him, "YOU! STAY! I want a word with you..!"

Nature paused in fright, looking at the Umbreon worriedly, his heart pounding, with no idea what was going on. He was scarcely more terrified by all the blood, earlier...

Chai glared at him, the Umbreon's sharp red eyes fixed upon him even as they became moist at the corners, "You..." he growled, in a low tone, "You fucking asshole..."

Not used to such language being levelled at him, Nature's eyes were wide with shock. He had an awful feeling in his heart, though he didn't understand any of this.

"You've got every damn thing here," said Chai a pained and angry urgency dripping through his strained voice, "Every fucking thing has gone right for you. You've got so fucking much, did you really have to take him, too..?"

"Take... him..?" Nature repeated, confused.

"He's a horny fucking dumbass and I'm sick of his dense fucking head," said Chai, "but YOU. YOU!" He practically shrieked it, "You just fucking HAD to take the one thing I had going for me, didn't you, huh!?"

"Take..?" Nature repeated, softly. What was the Umbreon going on about..? Was this because he thought they'd had sex..?

"The ONE thing here, the ONLY Pokemon here that..." the Umbreon stumbled on his words.

Nature was feeling horrible, frightened and confused.

The Umbreon was acting like a jealous lover... and his aura was full of the signs, the Dark type rife with pain and fear and dark, deadly-feeling anger... but given that both he and October were working here, that seemed ridiculous...

Chai suddenly started advancing on him and Nature straightened up in fright.

"You got nothing to say for yourself, huh..?" snarled Chai, "You not gonna deny it or make some excuses..?"

Nature couldn't speak, though. Nature didn't know what to do or what to say, already pretty much fried by the events of the day, right now he just didn't understand what was going on...

"You not gonna say anything, HUH!?" shouted the angry Umbreon, seeming like something dark and terrifying well beyond his physical size...

"I... I..." started Nature, stuttering.

"Oh! Now we're getting somewhere!" shouted Chai, "This should be fucking great, let's hear it..!"

"I don't know what you want..!" shouted Nature, "Why are you so angry at me..? I don't know what's going on or what I've done wrong and I don't even know y-!" He was cut off by a look in the Umbreon's eyes.

Staring, his eyes wide, pupils tight, but not at him and not with anger...

Nature looked over his shoulder and slid away from the ventilators, unconsciously retreating.

Advancing with a wicked smile, Eclipse looked at them with eyes that were not smiling.

"Y'know," said Eclipse, casually, "Anyone with a damn nose can tell your little gang lurks around up here like a bunch of clucking Pidove. Any asshole, sufficiently inclined to find October or any of his little pals would just come up around here to some quiet spot and wait until..." he grinned, "Lo and behold;" his face fell, serious and grim, "Jackpot."

Chai suddenly burst into motion, sprinting quickly to get past the Mightyena and towards the stairwell, back downstairs.

Eclipse moved a little faster, with a suddenness and violence that shocked Nature to his core, as the big Mightyena lunged, caught the Umbreon in his forelegs and smashed him, by the head, into a ventilator stack. There was a loud BANG! and the metal dented!

Chai sagged in his grasp.

Eclipse chuckled pleasantly as Nature slunk back, in horror, edging away.

Continuing to chuckle, Eclipse let the Umbreon fall carelessly to the ground and turned to face Nature, putting a hindpaw on the side of the unconscious Umbreon's head as he did.

"Hello again, Nature," said Eclipse, his voice dripping with fake pleasantry and the great dark well of danger behind the thin facade, "October was looking a lot better than I left him. Got to say, I was surprised..."

Nature stumbled back... and in his fright, fell on his ass. He stared up at the Mightyena. "You... you..." he tried to speak.

"I'd ask you to tell me all about it, but I don't much care," said Eclipse, "I'm sure it's all to do with that damn magic tower he keeps runnin' off to." The Mightyena smiled again, "Well, if that's how he's gonna play, I'd better just make sure he's got reason to stick around, huh..?"

Nature continued to stare, wide-eyed.

Eclipse frowned at him, "You're gonna pick this up..." he said, rolling Chai's head with his hindpaw, pressing it against the floor, "and tell anyone who asks that he's had too much and you're puttin' him to bed. Folk trust you, they'll believe you... and you're gonna follow me..."

Then Nature frowned, "...Why would I do that..?"

"Because if you don't," said Eclipse, smiling, "You'll be leaving him alone with me..." and that smile became a grin, a real one... and it was a horrible sight to behold.

There wasn't a shred of doubt in Nature's mind from that grin that leaving the Umbreon to Eclipse's mercy would be very bad, indeed. Again in Nature's mind, hot, wet blood splashed upon his face... his mind briefly recalled gore and horror and guilt... and a grinning Mightyena's darkness-shrouded grin...

Eclipse chuckled.

* * *

"I see..." said Firenze, heavily, frowning, the big Fox looking off into space, a heavy thoughtfulness on his brow...

"Do you..?" said Neon, "because I don't think you really can appreciate-"

"I'm well aware of the potential gravity, here," said Firenze, softly, "Perhaps better than you realise."

"Well then," said Neon, "You know we'd better do something, then and FAST. We ought to be kickin' his door in and-"

"No," said Firenze, looking Neon directly in the eyes, "We'll do no such thing," he said, firmly.

Neon sat back, gasping only to snarl at the big Ninetales, "Aw, not you too! Let me guess, no evidence?"

"Quite right," said Firenze, "and before-"

"AWWWGH!" groaned Neon, putting her claws in her forehead.

"-before you go off shouting," continued Firenze, quietly, "I'm afraid it's only right that your suspicions alone aren't enough to justify a search. Have you any idea of the kind of rumours that fly around, here? Pokemon have rights, rights that were hard won and an accusation so serious must be backed by harder evidence than intuition!"

Neon frowned and spoke sharply, "He's givin' HARD EVIDENCE, to that cat... that..." she looked to Colin for confirmation, "Vermont; Right now! Bust in and there's half a chance you'll catch him in the act!"

"Half a chance is not enough to risk levelling false accusations," said Firenze, "Have you considered that, 'busting in,' as you put it would be quite illegal..? That by the laws of this land, any evidence gained in such a manner would become invalid as a result..?"

Neon frowned. No, no she had not considered that. "...Dammit..!" she swore.

"Miss Staccato," said Firenze, "If you would please try and keep the volume and language under control, I would appreciate it."

Frowning and leaning harder into her claws, Neon decided that this Ninetales wasn't nearly as much fun as Foxie...

"I can hardly believe this," said Colin, suddenly, "I mean, I always knew Eclipse was BAD. He's bad even for a Dark type! ...but something like this, going on here..?" he looked down at the pinkish, mixed-together remnants of his drink, "I don't WANT to believe it..."

"Well, yes Colin," said Firenze, "I very much know what you mean. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of believing or disbelieving until I have more to go on."

"You don't believe me!?" said Neon, protestingly.

"I didn't say that," said Firenze, patiently, "I said I don't have enough to go on."

"It's the same thing!" groaned Neon, "You're not gonna do shit!"

The big golden Fox did crease his brow, then, "It is very much not the same thing," he said softly, "and neither does it mean inaction. What it means is that one way or the other, I'm going to seek confirmation on this matter."

Neon looked up, "You are..?" she asked, in the tone of one who'd heard something unexpectedly hopeful.

"I must," said Firenze, quietly, "I've long had my suspicions about Eclipse. I've had to intervene more than once where he's concerned, he's always had a tendency to go too far... show a deeper Darkness than was appropriate for a place of leisure... but a bad attitude alone is immaterial. He's an otherwise hard worker. Up until now I've heard nothing about him actually crossing the line."

"Crossed the line..?" said Neon, "Blondie, he fucks the line in fronta its dead Momma's photograph!"

Both Colin and Firenze looked at Neon, Firenze with disgust, Colin in open-mouthed horror.

"That's horrible..!" cried Colin.

"Not as horrible as Eclipse!" declared Neon, looking as righteous as she felt.

"...Dubiously colourful imagery aside, of which I would appreciate hearing no more," grumbled Firenze, frowning, "At the very least I need a witness statement from someone who has actually seen or preferably, been involved in something illegal."

"Well, the only ones we know for sure who've seen something like that are Vermont... and Eclipse," said Neon, "and I don't think Eclipse is gonna tell us."

"Which simply means I have to speak to Vermont," said Firenze, "which shouldn't be too difficult to arrange. I can simply have him summoned for an HR meeting, tomorrow. I believe he's on the list due for such a meeting, anyway. When he's called in, I'll be there in Clarice's office to talk to him."

"It looked like Eclipse was keeping him on a tight leash," said Neon, "I wouldn't be too surprised if he didn't show..."

"If he doesn't appear," said Firenze, calmly, "I'll have reason to look for him more vigorously. Including acting on tip-offs like this one."

"Right..." said Neon, nodding, "Then we can bust into Eclipse's room..?"

"Well, if, after three days of confirmed absence, Eclipse or his siblings won't let us in..." started Firenze.

"AUGH! Three days?" spat Neon.

"That's the law," said Firenze, "The full weight of which will be brought to bear the moment we have confirmation of these allegations. Once we have evidence, we can call the Police and they'll take care of Eclipse."

Neon clawed at her head, again, "Blondie; You got a Ninetales' sense of time, alright! You got any idea what he could be doin' in that time..?"

"I told you," said Firenze, his voice firm and honest, "I'm well aware of the gravity of the situation as well as the potential repercussions. That is why this must be done properly. For all our sakes."

"Dammit!" shouted Neon, "Chai said he knew of at least four more Eclipse had done this to, but none of them are still around! If that little rat hadn't ran off-"

"Chai knows of other potential victims?" said Firenze raising an eyebrow, "I want to talk to him. As soon as possible, in fact."

"Yeah well, good luck with that!" snapped Neon, "He says he won't mess with Eclipse and that neither should we!"

"Well, you can tell him that this conversation is not optional and neither am I to be trifled with," said Firenze, frowning, "If there are other, previous vic- potential victims," he corrected himself, quickly, "then it's still possible they could be contacted."

"I'll tell him," said Colin, sounding surprisingly firm, "I'll bet I know where to find him..."

"Then do so," said Firenze, "The sooner, the better. We'll get to the bottom of this, mark my words..."

* * *

October approached the door carefully, raising a paw, but again, his headwind of boldness melted before a wall of terribly awkward feelings and he drew back, again... and resumed pacing in front of the door.

No, no, this was stupid, he thought, I don't have the time to give this any more time. No matter how bad I still feel...

Twisting his face in determination, October turned around and knocked on the door, three times, formally, rather than in his usual little pattern.

There was a short, painful wait, which seemed to linger as his pointed ears twitched, tracking the movement of the room's occupant as they moved towards the door...

Then the door opened, just a crack and she was there, lit from behind by dim candlelight alone, so it appeared. Standing up with perfect posture; Elegance.

The Mienshao frowned at the sight of him and remained silent.

"We need to talk..." said October, "Look, I'm sorry, but..." there was a brief delay as he forced himself to swallow his pride, "I need your help."

Elegance remained silent, staring at him.

"For what happened, with Rain Flower..." said October with a sigh, "I am truly sorry. Even if I don't fully understand-"

"You do not," said Elegance, sharply, cutting him off, "and I do not wish to speak of it." She moved to close the door.

"I can't-" said October, surging forward, "-OW!" he cried as his head was caught in the door, feeling like it might bash his jaw in.

Surprised, Elegance stepped back and he carried on, inside, stepping around and facing the surprised Mienshao with just a meter between them...

"I wish I could give this time to heal, I really wish I could," said October, meeting the Mienshao's eyes, firmly, "but I need help. Your help. More help than a few words now and then after Morning Briefing. I need your training..."

Elegance's eyes narrowed on him, but she made no response, apparently thoughtful or at least, curious.

October decided it best to fully explain himself, "I was just gravely injured by Eclipse. I was only able to escape because of Nature and my Tower and if not for both of those things and the aid of magical healing, there's a fair chance I could have bled to death," he hated recanting a tale of defeat, but he knew he could hold nothing back, here, "He's too strong for me. He's a battle-trained Pokemon... and I'm not."

Then Elegance spoke, "Don't you consider yourself a Warrior..?" she asked curtly.

"I'm an Adventurer," corrected October, "I fight when I have to... and I've fought creatures more powerful than myself many times, but this is different."

"It is..?" asked Elegance, questioningly, a curious look in her sharp, blue eyes...

"It is," said October, "In the past I could depend upon weapons or devices... my ability to improvise. Against Eclipse, however, I'm apparently powerless. His Shadow Ball nearly took my leg off at the knee." Behind him, it twitched, painfully, in memory...

"Interesting," said Elegance, suddenly speaking with a slightly more casual tone in her voice, having switched to Japanese without the universally and unconsciously comprehending October ever noticing, "and you come to me. Not to a Supervisor, nor to Police, as a Civilian would and should, but to a fellow employee."

"The teacher who has my trust and respect," said October, responding in kind, again, without noticing, "of course."

"Yet, why..?" asked Elegance, "Why not those others..?"

"Because I have to be strong enough to face him," said October, firmly, "Strong enough to stop him..." he frowned, "because someone has to be..."

Elegance half-smiled at him, softly, "This sounds like the rationale of a Warrior, to me," she said shaking her head, "You truly are an unusual one, Wandering Spirit..."

"Look, I deal in exceptional circumstances," said October, taking a deep breath before going on, "I'm coming to realise that. I skip straight to the interesting bits of a world and leave out all of the regular life, leaving me ill-equipped for peace." He chuckled and looked at her, sadly, "Well, I might understand the sensibilities around here even less well than yourself, Elegance, but the relationship between a monster and myself, I understand! I have to be able to beat him!"

Elegance's smile grew, almost imperceptibly, "Perhaps you are better aware than you realise..."

"If only through the badly-worn patience of others," said October, unhappily, "...and perhaps far too late," he said even more unhappily, "...but as I said, that's not why I'm here."

"Is it not..?" said Elegance, "After all, if you think yourself incapable of defeating Eclipse, why not simply retreat..?"

Thinking for a second, October closed his eyes and sighed, "Because I tried to protect a... friend, today..." if she still was a friend, he thought, "and all I could do was run... until I found that an innocent was stood behind me and I was no longer able to run."

"So..." said Elegance, "You must fight."

"Yes," said October, rolling his eyes and conceding her point, "To protect my friends... and other innocents. Because I'm not an innocent. I can't just run."

"Just so," said Elegance, curtly, smiling slightly, her blue eyes glinting in what remained of the evening light.

October frowned. Oh, but how she could express so little and come off so smugly... a Ninetales could learn a thing or two.

"I agree with your reasoning and your goals," said Elegance.

"You'll help..?" asked October, hopefully.

"No," said Elegance.

October's ears flattened and he frowned, "...You've got to be joking..."

"I do not," said Elegance, honestly and October realised it was true, sighing as she went on to explain, "I cannot teach one who has wronged me as you have wronged me. Not without a genuine apology."

"Which I have attempted to offer," said October, carefully...

"Yet without comprehension, your apology is meaningless, I cannot accept it," said Elegance.

"That's..." October frowned, "Somewhat ridiculous..."

"It is merely logical," said Elegance, frowning back, "So, that leads to a logical course of action."

"Refusal?" said October, his tails twitching unhappily.

"Explanation," said Elegance, in a correctional tone, "You must learn the truth of your actions. Only then can you truly understand."

October sighed, "...Very well, that does make sense," he nodded his head, respectfully, "So tell me; What did I do to you, truly..?"

Elegance then sighed, slowly through her nose, gently bowing her head and closing her eyes, thoughtfully, "The experience is too painful for me to recall and describe," she said softly, "So I will have to make preparations. Will you return in one hour..?"

"Alright..." said October, frowning, "If that's what's necessary."

"It is," said Elegance, "Please return on time."

"I will," October promised.

* * *

Eyes opened to pitch blackness. Chai groaned, in a shitload of pain. In fact, with the ringing, constricting waves making his skin feel too tight around his skull, he didn't think his head could BE in much more pain.

"Don't try to move too quickly," said a soft, yet oddly croaky voice, "You're hurt..."

"No shit..." grumbled Chai, trying to pull his heavy head up from the smell of an hard and grimy, unfamiliar floor... and it smelled bad. It smelled like piss and shit, in here. He didn't dare open his eyes for soreness right away.

Then recognition of the smell hit him; Mightyena, Eclipse, Sin and Dex and it started to come back to him and he started to guess where he might be.

Chai groaned again, louder and started to sit up.

"Don't-!" started the other, before coughing oddly.

Chai loudly by bashed his head on something metallic and groaned again, a long, protracted groan. The groan of the unhappy and unlucky. Well, apparently his head could be in more pain, after all.

"...There's not much space in here..." said the strange and strangled voice.

Against his better judgement, Chai opened his eyes. One of his eyes, anyways. The other was fine, but the constricting waves of pain on the side of his head made any movement there too sore. He couldn't see anything, anyway. It was pitch black.

"Fuck... where are we..?" Chai asked aloud, then the Umbreon decided to answer his own question. He lit his rings.

The scene was revealed in yellow. Walls of some bare, solid, dense composite wood just inches away. A bare concrete floor that looked to be mainly coated in mould. A bucket. The distinct shape of the underside of a sink was revealed...

...and a small, effeminate Lucario named Nature who quickly moved to shield his eyes from the sudden glare.

All of it coming back to him, Chai hissed, "Cck, fuck, he put us under the SINK?"

Still shielding his eyes, Nature nodded slightly.

"Eclipse said it's where we belong, with the filth," said Nature, still in that oddly hoarse voice, dropping it, with obvious pain, to just above a whisper, "said that this was where we were staying until he thought better of us."

"Fucker," muttered Chai, "Fuck! My fucking head!" he said, groaning and putting a paw to the side of his head... the pain was blinding at the slightest touch and he winced.

"Don't touch that..!" croaked Nature, urgently, "You were out for a while..."

Chai winced a few times with the throbbing of his pain, gritting his teeth before he could answer, "FFff.. Like... more than a few minutes..?"

"More than a few," said Nature, squeakily, trying and failing to unshield his eyes and manage the sudden change in light levels, "I think you need a doctor..." he coughed, again.

"Yeah, no shit..." said Chai, quietly, trying again to rub his head and wincing, "Fuck..!"

Nature remained quiet. So as Chai began to brood and reflect on his situation, which he was only now beginning to remember all of the particulars of, he remembered he was locked up with Nature.

"Fuck..!" Chai swore again.

Nature looked down at the floor, resting his elbows on his knees and hiding his face.

"So about the worst motherfucker in this place has me trapped under his fucking sink, great," muttered Chai, "and just to make it better, I'm trapped here with fucking Nature, of all fucking Pokemon..."

Nature shifted suddenly, suddenly folding his arms over his chest and looking away.

Chai made a noise at the back of his throat and looked away as well.

The two Pokemon were silent for a while.

Eventually, it was Nature who spoke, his voice still croaky, "...Why do you hate me so much..?"

Chai frowned, turned towards Nature, looked like he was about to speak, then turned away again, muttering, "...What's up with your voice, anyways..?"

Natured sighed and looked like was about to speak, then just said, "...Never mind..."

Chai stared at him for a while. Nature looked up, squinting to see past the blinding glare of the Umbreon's rings to see his red eyes. The Umbreon was scrutinising him, almost looking as though he could guess what Nature was remembering...

"You won't get away with this..." said Nature, as they'd first come into the room. He was still carrying the limp form of the Umbreon. He'd been frowning at it as he'd walked, thinking...

The next thing he'd known he'd gone pitching over, shoved around the waist. Desperately, he'd done his best to shield the Umbreon's head...

Only to get stood on so hard the breath went out of Nature's body with a loud, pained, "HURK-"

"Shut up, boy..." growled Eclipse, dangerously, leering down at him from a pinning position on his back. Struggling for air and twisting back, Nature could see how dangerously excited those dread eyes of his were... and his heart began to beat faster as he began to see the dread tendrils of the Mightyena's Dark aura, like a hungrily unfurling storm...

Eclipse leaned down, slowly, putting one of his eyes near the trembling Nature's, "Give me that..." he growled softly and then moved towards the Umbreon.

Gathering his resolve, Nature tried to roll Chai away or struggle, but he was pinned. So instead, he just tried to hold on to the helpless Pokemon. He was a Fighting Type, right? Maybe he could hold on... Eclipse couldn't do anything to Chai if he was in the way!

"No, you can't!" said Nature, softly, "He's hurt!"

More pressure went on Nature's back. The breath he'd managed to catch was forced out of him in more of a squeak than the groan he'd tried to make.

Teeth were pressed, dangerously, to the back of Nature's ear. A growl, a predatory rumbled that rattled in his skull as, "Don't ever tell me what I can't do, boy," was snarled by Eclipse...

Then he grabbed the Umbreon by the scruff of the neck by his teeth and started pulling at him.

Nature whimpered (or tried to, gasping,) and tried to hold on. He just had to hold on..!

...Eclipse was very strong, though. Chai started to slide immediately. Nature held on tighter, desperately, but Eclipse just chuckled through his teeth and started to pull harder.

Still holding on, Nature barely heard the Umbreon whine over Eclipse's growling laughter. Nature's eyes widened, he was having to hold on so tight it was hurting Chai!

Nature gasped and struggled, trying to communicate this to Eclipse... tried, struggled... and then realised. Realised from the sound of his laughter, from the lively look in the Mightyena's eyes, from the very feel of Eclipse's dark and foreboding aura... That Eclipse was quite happy to hurt Chai. That Eclipse was having fun hurting Chai and wouldn't mind at all if he got more hurt in the struggle.

Reluctantly and against his instincts, Nature let go.

Eclipse yanked the Umbreon free and held him up like a prize, still chuckling.

Standing up, he made no other notice of the still-floored Nature than to walk over him on his way to the bed.

"Wait..." said Nature, trying to speak before he'd even caught his breath again, "Stoppit... uhuhhh..." he groaned, "you can't-"

Eclipse turned his head and snarled at him again...

"He's hurt..!" gasped Nature, trying to struggle up onto his feet... but he felt weak and dizzy...

Eclipse looked right at him as he tossed Chai carelessly onto a mattress on the floor, "He's gonna get hurt a lot worse if you keep trying to tell ME what to do," growled the Mightyena, before turning to the sprawled Umbreon with a smile, "Besides, it's about the right way to treat this one..."

Nature tried to get up again... staggered, fell. He felt so weak...

Eclipse turned and smirked at Nature as the Lucario continued to struggle. He turned his hips, subtly, so that Nature, from his floored position, could easily see that the Mightyena was already aroused by proceedings. That huge, throbbing pink member, way out of proportion for the already oversized Mightyena was already hard. Probably had been before he'd even gotten in the room. Eclipse was just exploding with enthusiasm.

"Don't know why you're so worried," said Eclipse, with a cruel sneer, "Wakin' up with a bloody asshole's probably nothin' new for this one. Hell, I might even treat him better than the Ninetales does..."

Nature gasped and started to crawl forwards on his hands and knees, "Please... please don't..." he said, pleading in his tone...

Eclipse chuckled, looking away from him, seeming not to hear him, "...Then again, maybe not." Then he put a forepaw down on the Umbreon's head, apparently just to see if he could get a reaction ...and smiling toothily when the Umbreon whimpered.

Nature kept crawling closer... he was whimpering, himself, now.

"Gotta say," growled Eclipse, using his other forepaw to stroke down the Umbreon's slim body, apparently appraising it, "Been waiting a long damn time, for this one," he smiled at Nature, a conspiratorial look as if apparently he was sharing a secret, "Gotta say that Ninetales might not have driven me so damned crazy if he hadn't turned up here and muscled right in on my territory, wastin' no time in snatchin' up a 'mon that I had my eyes on, first..." Then Eclipse smiled down at the Umbreon, "Then again, maybe all that's gonna make this all the sweeter now we're here..."

Nature finally started to get close, but he was left with the small matter of what in the hell he was going to do. He couldn't stop Eclipse, that was painfully clear. The Mightyena could overpower him and didn't care if he had to do damage to get his way....

Eclipse repositioned, pulling up the Umbreon's hips with one paw, whilst he shifted his hips so that his massive member fell upon the Umbreon's lower back, sinking right into the fur by its heft, but being obscured not at all by that fur with its size.

There was an obscene difference in scale. Just resting on his back, Eclipse's cock was clearly too big for the Umbreon. Nature knew from experience that Eclipse's knot grew to be wider than he thought Chai's hips could possibly take... which wouldn't stop Eclipse... Who began to grind that member.

"Oh yeah," said Eclipse, growling, "Gonna have me some fun, here. Better yet, he'll be less mouthy if he wakes up sore, already," he ground his member extra-firmly as he said that, beading pre onto the unconscious Umbreon's back, "Won't dare to think he could take me, then... might even be better for him, long term..."

Nature made it over just as Eclipse pulled back and started to line up. "Eyup," said Eclipse, cheerfully, "Time to see if he wakes up!" That thick, heavy point aimed at Chai's relatively tiny looking hole...

With one paw, Nature covered that hole. With the other, he cupped Eclipse's knot and re-aimed that massive, throbbing cock. At his own, open mouth. He lapped forwards with his tongue, flicking the tip in the most pleasing and enticing manners he had yet learned...

Chuckling darkly, Eclipse shoved his hips forward, violently.

Nature squeaked in surprise as huge, throbbing cock rammed through his muzzle and right up to the back of his throat, going too fast and hard for him to prepare for, hurting instantly! His eyes bulged in pain and fright, but a heavy paw landed on the back of his head and shoved him on further before he could even gag or cough. No breathing, no resistance, just violation and pain.

Eclipse laughed, "Boy, you're a special kind of stupid. If you think you can take some of the fuck I have saved up for this little shit," he suddenly patted Nature on the ass, "You're braver than I thought... and dumber."

Nature closed his eyes, did his best not to think about it and tried to stick to what he was good at. He didn't know how to handle Eclipse, really, didn't know what to do about any of the rest, but Eclipse's lust... He was sure he could just about handle that. He'd managed it before, right..?

The paw on the back of Nature's neck pulled hard as Eclipse began to push forward.

Nature struggled slightly, but tried to force himself... and his throat... to relax...

No, this was nothing like the time in the Garden. Eclipse seemed bigger, in more ways than one... Nature would have gagged, if he physically could, around the obstruction!

Eclipse growled, lustfully, as he drove deeper...

He'd used Nature's throat just as he'd promised. He'd rammed that huge and bloodthirsty-feeling cock in harder and harder like a sledgehammer until Nature, ragdolled and gasping helplessly with the abuse, had thought his jaw might break off and that his throat might never be the same shape again. Eclipse had held him by the head and used him without a single care, Nature actually wondering if his voice would even sound the same, afterwards....

All the while though, Eclipse kept stroking Nature on the ass, roughly, digging his claws in, just to let him know this was just the start. Now and then, he'd also shoved Nature down onto Chai, just to remind him why he was doing it... and to make Nature protest at putting weight on the hurt Pokemon. Silently, of course, with struggling and hand gestures, because he couldn't even breathe with Eclipse's cock getting deeper and distending his throat...

It was all fun and games for Eclipse, who had taken his time, quite on purpose. Nature got dizzier and dizzier, weaker and weaker until his head began to nod and he began to dip into unconsciousness... painful, swirling, slowly-suffocated unconsciousness... and he was blacked out entirely when the Mightyena had finished.

Nature came to on his back, hacking and coughing, trying to clear his airways of thick, musky seed... and being dragged across the floor. To the sink.

Which brought them back to now.

Chai couldn't get certain Pokemon, like Colin... or Nature. Nice Pokemon. Not so well, anyways, it had been a long time since he'd been one of those.

Still, the old memory of a not-so-long evolved and no longer innocent Umbreon's face in a puddle told him what it looked like when one of them had seen the other side.

For the second time in his life, he had a pang of sympathy for the Lucario.

"...Well fuck," said Chai, slowly, expressing his sympathy as best he could, then he sighed, "...I guess it's my turn, soon, huh..?"

Nature looked at him oddly, "I'll do what I can..." he said it as though he were giving a promise.

"Hey," said Chai, "I've handled worse Dark types than him whilst you were still living with your loving parents. Don't worry about me..."

Nature frowned, suddenly and then looked down, practically pouting like Colin, only with a shred of real anger in the mix.

Anger. That interested Chai. He wondered if this one had some spine, hidden in there, somewhere, after all.

He wondered if he could get the Lucario to show some more of it. They were gonna need it to get through this, Chai was pretty sure of that. "Hey," said Chai, suddenly, "If you've got something to say, say it," he said, directly.

Nature shook his head.

Chai frowned, "Come on... you had somethin' on your lips, there..."

Nature shook his head again, then hid his face behind a paw.

Chai, feeling a little impatient on account of the pain, which was seeming to worsen as he got worked up, gritted his teeth, "Come on! Show me some balls!" he demanded thinly whilst he winced.

Nature folded his arms and tucked in his head a little tighter, shrinking smaller.

'Well, this won't do,' thought Chai. He was gonna have to dig deeper, "Fuck," said Chai, aloud, "I was hoping Nature'd grown into some awesome new Pokemon with all the love and success he's been having around here, wasn't expecting to find he's still the same old, snivelling Robin at heart..."

Nature looked up then, in surprise, "...How do you know my name..?" he asked softly.

Chai looked at the Lucario with his head tilted, analysing... 'No way,' he thought, 'he couldn't...' He started to twitch with irritation and after a while he paused and said, "You don't... do you..?"

Nature looked at him with confusion, "Don't what..?"

Chai frowned sharply, angrily, "You don't even remember me, do you..?" he said, accusingly.

"Should I..?" said Nature, for the first time frowning back at the Umbreon.

"Dammit! Fuck you!" hissed Chai, waving his paws in an angry gesture and not even regretting the waves of pain it sent through his head, "You were with me on the first day we both got here! We got interviewed together, you fuck!"

"You were..." Nature suddenly blushed, "First..?" He said it softly, sitting back, "That was... you..?" He blinked a few times,

He seriously hadn't remembered him. Chai's maw hung open, aghast, "Oh... seriously! Fuck, y-" he began slowly.

Nature looked up at him, quickly, "...but you were different, then!" he said as urgently as his strained voice would allow, "You were loud and perky and you didn't even talk the same!"

Chai frowned, sharply, then looked down, suddenly thoughtful. He was different, then..? Was he..? Maybe he was... he didn't think back to then, much. He'd just drawn his conclusions and ran with them, like usual. Like he always had.

He creased his brow, thinking back...

* * *

Springtime was wet, in these parts. Outside the skies were pouring their hearts out like there was no tomorrow, at the heels of a storm that would make it sound like the world WAS ending. For now, it was merely drumming the small, high windows.

He barely heard it though, over the sound of his own beating heart. The Umbreon paced around the room with his head held high, occasionally glancing up at the growing downpour with a casual disinterest and paying no attention at all to the small corner office's single other occupant.

'Cutter, you've finally made it, you've already got this, they've gotten you in, it's a formality,' thought the Umbreon, his smile beaming, he creased his brow for just a second, 'Wait, no, you don't need to be Cutter, anymore, you're leaving that behind.' Despite his usual bitter inclinations, his rising fortunes inspired a big attack of 'what-the-hell' in the Dark type, 'Maybe I could go back to calling myself Charlie...' the smile almost slipped, 'There's no-one looking for a Pokemon by that name, anymore... if there ever even were.'

He almost frowned, thinking that, but he laughed it off, just laughed aloud as he continued to pace from one side of the room to the other.

"Hmm..?" said the Lucario. It was the first sound he had made.

Charlie looked over at the young Fighting-Steel Type. He had to be about the same age as he was, but he didn't have the mileage. You could tell at a glance, from his huddled up posture, that he didn't know a damn thing about the world around him. Everything was new and scary, couldn't pick out a threat from an opportunity in all the noise.

Charlie remembered being like that, a long time ago. A short while ago, he'd have had the Lucario down for an easy mark, one way or another.

That was then, though. This was a new him, things didn't have to be like that, anymore. Things were different, now.

Having another attack of what-the-hell, he smiled at the Lucario, "Hey there," he said in a friendly manner, then he coughed. He'd started up like he was starting up a spiel. That was another thing he wasn't doing anymore. He could be honest with people. His face dropped, a little.

"Umm..." then Lucario looked down and away, shyly, "You laughed and..." he went quiet, frowning and staring at the floor, "I thought you might have something to say..."

"Something to say..?" said Charlie with a chuckle, "Nah, I'm just great... I'm excited!" he declared, "I finally made it, I'm in, somewhere good!"

The Lucario looked at him, "Ahuh," he said unsurely.

Charlie raised an eyebrow at him, "Ahuh..?" he repeated, "What, you're not excited to be here?"

"...No... well, yes, well... maybe," said the Lucario, with a painful slowness, not looking at him, clenching up his paws on his lap, worrying his thick thigh-fur, "I guess."

"You guess maybe..?" repeated Charlie, shaking with a snicker, "This is a sweet gig! Food, a roof over your head and all the tail you can catch! You ought to be excited!"

"Right..." said the Lucario, "It's great to be here..." and he shrank in on himself, holding his arms, ducking his head towards his rising knees, hiding away. Scared of the world.

Staring at the Lucario, Charlie found himself slightly irritated... but at the same time, he told himself to be more understanding. This wasn't just some mark. This was someone whom he could think of like he would have thought of them before he started calling them 'marks.'

So he let himself feel some sympathy. After all, much as he didn't like to think about it, but it wasn't like he didn't know what it was like to be a scared young Pokemon, away from home and not knowing shit, let alone what tomorrow might bring. He knew what that looked like. He knew what that felt like. So he let himself feel some sympathy, this time.

It was dangerous to do so, that sympathy almost robbed him of his good mood, but he looked, fixedly at the Lucario, "Hey," he said, staring until he had the Pokemon's eyes.

"You're alright, here," said Charlie, still staring.

The Lucario looked at him in confusion, frowned slightly, but kept his eyes. Charlie kept that gaze firmly, telling the Lucario that as little as he'd said, he'd meant it.

Eventually, the Lucario said, "Ummm... thanks," a little sarcastically, but he'd relaxed a bit.

Charlie smiled, "Don't worry about it, I know that 'lost,' look. Well, you've found yourself somewhere good, so you concentrate on making sure you stay here- huh, hey, what's your name?"

The Lucario looked at him again and paused a while, "Ummm... Robin," he said, eventually.

"Robin, right, I'm Charlie," said the Umbreon, who in turn paused a while, almost as if he expected the Lucario to call him out on a lie, then resumed when he realised how stupid that was, "Look, I'm guessing a lot and I hope you don't mind me prying like an asshole, but you look like someone who's ran away from something."

The Lucario stared again, frowning, "...How would you know something like that..?" he said.

"Just a guess," said Charlie, smiling sadly, "Based on once looking that sad, myself, my new friend. Well, I've got some good news for you; You look like you haven't been lost long and you took the right turn straight out of the door." His smile became brighter, "You're in the right damn place, so stick around!"

Robin stared at him a while longer, as if he couldn't make his mind up about the Umbreon, "You sound so sure..." he said.

Charlie smiled, "Take it from someone who took the wrong turns, pal."

"Ummm, wrong turns?" said Robin, "What do you mean?"

"You don't wanna know, trust me," said Charlie, "Just believe me, I've been some bad places. Bad places, not here. So relax, because you're not there," he said it vaguely, but he said it confidently, with his best 'sell,' despite himself and he smiled at the Lucario.

Apparently it was just infectious enough, because Robin smiled back at him.

"There we go, that's better," said Charlie, "You just keep smiling like that. You've gotta impress, here, after all!

"Ummm..." said Robin, "Thanks, then... I guess."

Charlie smirked, "...and quit with the 'umms' and 'I guesses!' It's not sexy. Show some man-power! You know you're applying to be a whore, right..?"

Suddenly the Lucario's face lit up beetroot, right through his fur and he looked down. It was kind of cute, Charlie had to admit.

"...Alright," said the Umbreon, "Maybe you could get away with quiet and seductive, but you still gotta be confident to be seductive."

Still beetroot, the Lucario's eyes were wide and staring, looking right through his own lap.

Staring a while longer, Charlie came to some conclusions. Conclusions he spouted out loud, "...Oh fuck, you're a virgin, aren't you..?"

The Lucario looked sharply away.

"Fuck," repeated Charlie, somewhat stunned, "you're like, legal and stuff! They still make Pokemon who wait until they're legal..?" he paused, "...and you came straight HERE?"

The Lucario's paws clenched at the fur on his thighs, whilst he ground his teeth, nervously. Charlie took this all as confirmation.

"Oh boy," said Charlie, "Shit, you're gonna have to work your ass off..."

The Lucario sighed and put his head in his paws, "Maybe this was a dumb idea..." he said quietly.

"Hey, stop," said Charlie, "Don't go there. You can make it. Most whores don't start with experience, anyhow, take it from me..."

The Lucario looked at him, questioningly.

"Seriously," said Charlie, then he paused, sighed quickly and looked the Lucario in the eyes, "That was how my first time happened," he said, "Blowjob for a warm can of beans from some homeless human," he said, being honest to a degree that it shocked him, honest to a degree that he'd almost forgotten was possible, but this was a new him, right? Still, his claws worried the carpet...

"You're kidding," said Robin, wide-eyed in horror and a bit of disgust.

"Nope," said Charlie, still looking the Lucario in his shocked eyes, "Tasted like surviving another night..." that was the short version, "...so I'm serious when I say you were lucky to have taken the right turn right out of the door. Robin," he said urgently, "seriously. Give it your best shot, here, because you don't wanna go out there without a plan. You can survive, but that's not easy... or safe," he added with a genuine shiver at the end. If he could only relate HOW unsafe it was... but he didn't want to scare the kid before his interview.

Kid... It felt like that, even though they were obviously both runaways of about equivalent age, only this one had apparently stayed on the straight and narrow until the last moment. Robin still had all the innocence which he had forsaken. Well, maybe they could both use a friend like the other, thought Charlie.

He was already worried he'd made things worse instead of better. Robin's thigh-fur was looking painfully bunched with the way he was gripping it, his eyes were wide and downcast, looking into space, but twitching with rapid thought.

The door opened slowly and pushed open a crack, just then.

Charlie looked up, expecting to see a human or something, he was left wondering for a few seconds before a moving little fan of cream-coloured tails caught on the bottom corner of his vision.

He looked down with some surprise, to see an odd, cream-coloured, chocolate-trimmed Vulpix walking in.

"Hey!" said Charlie, "Is the interviewer coming soon..?"

The Vulpix frowned at him, paused briefly, "...Sorry I'm late," she said firmly. Charlie recognised her voice from the phone...

'Whoops,' he thought, wincing. That wasn't a good impression. Not at all.

"Anyways..." said the Vulpix, taking her annoyed eyes away from him, "Both of you; Welcome to Café Plaisir! My name is Coco and I'm one of the HR Admins around here. I'll be interviewing you, today!"

Whilst it was true that Pokemon could work these days, it wasn't so common that you'd ever expect an unevolved female in a management role. Right or wrong, things by and large just weren't moving that quickly. It was an easy mistake to make, but it still looked like he'd underestimated and undermined her with his opening words. Fuck.

He was standing there dumbly, feeling like an idiot when he found her staring at him again. He realised then that he was standing in such a place as to block her from entering her own office.

"If you wouldn't mind taking a seat, please?" the Vulpix asked politely.

Charlie backpedalled quickly, right into the seat, knocking it loudly into the wall. He managed to jump up and sit on it at the second attempt.

Things didn't get any less disastrous as the interview progressed.

They'd started out with the basic stuff you could tell just by looking. Age, Sex, Species, Type, then some things Charlie had no idea about, like Allergies... and things he couldn't talk about...

"So, are you a people type of Pokemon..?" asked Coco.

"Sure..!" said Charlie, "I've worked with people loads of times!" ...and manipulated them with skill...

"Great!" said Coco, "Can you give me any examples..?"

'Fuck!' thought Chai, like he could tell these guys about running a con, "...No..." he said quickly.

"Ummm, I like making friends," said Robin, quietly.

Coco smiled at him, "Well, that's what we like to hear around here!"

It just got worse, too...

"So," said Coco, "What can you tell me about any relevant skills or experience you might have..?"

'Finally,' thought Charlie, 'here's my place to shine,' "Well," he said, piping up with a big, dirty smile, "It just so happened I got a lot of 'relevant experience' in back alleys and-"

"I'm sorry," said Coco, holding up a paw, "...but if you're going to tell me about illegal street prostitution, underage sex or anything similar, I can't accept that. In fact, legally, it would be best if you didn't mention it at all..."

Charlie paused, open-mouthed, for a while, "...Are you serious?"

"I'm sorry," said Coco, sounding genuinely apologetic, "but we're trying to run a clean business, here. Primarily a resort, not a brothel. That does not mean you're without experience, but it is best for everyone's safety and security that you don't tell us about it. I hope that's not going to be a problem..."

"No, no," said Charlie, quickly, "It's just... Shit; That's not leaving me with much, y'know..?"

"Hmmm," said Coco, "...Well, if you need to think about it, ANY legal skills or experience you might think is helpful, I'll ask Robin first, alright..?"

"Right..." said Charlie, "Umm... right..." He frowned. Just about every part of his skills and experience was illegal, one way or another...

"U-" Robin cut the 'umm' off, quickly, he'd been getting better with that through the interview, "I don't really have a lot of experience, I'm new to all of this... but I um... I uh..." he warmed in shade, again, his voice getting quieter, "I have looked at... pornography... and um... I'm willing to learn..."

'Oh, how adorably fucking innocent,' thought Charlie, with just a hint of bitterness...

"Well," said Coco, "Don't worry too much about that right now! If you end up doing that sort of thing you can learn on the job. Mainly, right now, I need to know if you can serve customers politely as a Floor Waiter. Do you have any experience cleaning or cooking? Do many house-chores..?"

"Oh..!" said Robin, looking sweetly embarrassed, "Well, I've done a lot of chores!"

"That's great," said Coco, with an encouraging chuckle, then she turned to Charlie, "So! How's about you, then? Thought of anything?"

Charlie frowned. Sure, he'd helped clean up after crimes and cook up schemes. He frowned harder, "Um... um..."

"In English, please, don't say, 'Umbreon,' said Coco.

Charlie looked up at her, sharply, "I wasn't-"

Coco was giving him a Foxish smile, the most personality she'd shown so far, "That was a joke, sorry. I was trying to break the tension, please, try and relax..!"

"...Right..." said Charlie, unamused, looking down with an unhappy sigh, "No relevant experience..."

Though at least he wasn't alone in his misery, by the end.

"So;" said Coco, "That just brings us down to a few essentials! First up is names, birthplace, social security, former workplaces and addresses! We'll try to rush through this..."

"Uhh... fuck," said Charlie, "What if I don't wanna say..?"

It was finally Coco's turn to say, "Ummm... well; As it happens the law still doesn't require a Pokemon to disclose that kind of stuff. I would really rather prefer it if you would, but strictly speaking..."

"Then I don't wanna say," said Charlie, firmly.

"Me either," said Robin.

"...Well..." said Coco, sounding unhappy, "You don't have to, but I've got to put something on the file.... but as it happens, a lot of Pokemon here go by aliases rather than their real name," she looked at the Lucario, "You know someone who works here, right?"

"Right," said Robin, "Um, I know Lewis..."

Coco smiled, "Well, here he goes by Ceylon. That's his Trade Name, it's kind of like a nickname. There are all kinds of nicknames folk use here; Prometheus, Shadow, Blue... can you think of anything like that..? Something you identify with..?"

"Hmmm..." said Robin, "I don't really know..." his head nodded into thoughtfulness...

"Cha-a-a-" started Charlie, then he stopped. He was going to say Charlie, but right now, he didn't feel like it, anymore. What did it matter? He wasn't going to get the job or if he did, it was only because it had been arranged... This wasn't, like he'd been hoping, the new him. Might as well give a fake name... what was that first one? Ceylon...?

"Chai..." said the Umbreon, quietly and flatly, "Just call me Chai."

"Chai, huh..?" said Coco, "Another tea name..? Want a bit longer to think about it..?"

"Fuck it, it'll do," said Charlie, quietly, looking away.

"Well," said Robin, looking up suddenly, "I kind of like the outdoors and that kind of stuff..."

After a short and annoyingly genial conversation that Charlie didn't listen to, they eventually decided that Robin would be called, 'Nature.'

"Alright," said Coco, with a big, beaming smile, "That part of the interview's all done. We're going to finish up with the practical test, if you wouldn't mind following me..?"

Hesitantly at first, they followed.. 'Nature' followed timidly, looking afraid of everything as they'd headed through strange corridors and past lounges towards the end of the building with the guest quarters. 'Chai' had followed slowly and unenthusiastically.

Robin was looking at every new thing with fear, but with curiosity, too. Charlie on the other hand, didn't take anything around him in. He was too busy thinking about how badly he'd been dicked over by life, yet again. He didn't want to look at the place, didn't want to think of what could have been...

He was feeling pretty dismal by the time Coco waved him into a small, but pleasant guest room. It had minimal furnishings, most prominently, a big and well-made bed.

Then Charlie smiled a bit. Practical test. Right.

This, he could do. The smile dared to grow. This, he ought to ace.

He looked across at Nature. Beetroot of face and as shrunken up as a bipedal Pokemon could be and still remain standing, he was literally shaking like a leaf.

"Hey," said Charlie, "Relax..." he said, though his voice was more strained than earlier, "You're still no-where bad..."

Coco smiled at the Umbreon, "That's right!" she said, cheerfully, "but that said, you're under no requirement to do this. We have plenty of non-custom roles here and we would want to assess you more fully, later, anyhow."

"I don't have to..?" said Robin, his voice quiet.

Charlie frowned, seriously? Seriously, his best chance to shine could die like that..?

"Not if you don't want to," said Coco, with a nod.

Charlie growled quietly. He couldn't quite help it. Why not..? Why shouldn't this go to shit like all the rest of it?

"I want to," said Robin, quietly.

Charlie perked up, surprised.

"If you're sure..." said Coco, carefully.

"I'm sure," said Robin, sounding more certain than Charlie had ever so far heard him.

"Alright!" said Coco, with a smile.

Robin smiled back at her, then paused, an amusingly worried, confused look on his face, "...What should I do..?"

Coco kept smiling, "Actually, I'd like to see what you both do unprompted; That'll give me a better idea on how you could fit in and how we might be able to direct any future training!"

"Right..." said Robin, "Right, umm..." he looked at Charlie.

Of course he did, thought Charlie. He knows I've got experience.

Charlie smiled, a wicked, predatory smile, his eyes hooding and seeming to become sharp and triangular. At once, he started walking sideways, around the Lucario at something between a strut and a stalk...

"Hmm.." said Coco, taking a notepad and pencil from one of her tails and starting to scrawl something down.

The Umbreon's eyes met the Lucario's. He saw the the uncertainty there... the anxiety... and the desire. The Umbreon's own eyes bore back into those wide eyes, communicating his own desire, his confidence and his growing sexual aggression...

Getting right into it, he gave the Lucario a toothy grin and little, rising growls. Oh, he knew what he was doing alright. You could say he had trained extensively with other dark types...

"Ahem, we'd prefer it if you didn't growl at customers, Chai," said Coco, speaking seriously, "That can frighten some."

"What... seriously!?" he had to snap.

"Very much so," Coco said with a nod, "that can constitute threatening behaviour and we don't tolerate that."

Charlie shot her a disbelieving look. No growling..? ...but that... That was sex! ...and the best sex was often frightening! Threats could be sexy!

He shook his head, but he knew at once that this was just a reality he was going to have to deal with. Yet... Even as he tried to resume, at once he felt muted... almost gagged. The subtle tones of growling could communicate a lot between Pokemon, more than words, he felt.

He'd just have to make do. He returned his attention to what he was doing, resuming his circle of the Lucario. Despite his distraction, Robin seemed almost hypnotised by his stalking approach, his eyes falling back into the Umbreon's readily, almost hungrily...

Encouraged by that at least, Charlie kept going. He circled until the Lucario hadn't turned to follow, then, whilst he was still turning his head, did a 'quick blindside,' slipping under the Lucario's vision and appearing behind him.

Robin was just jumping up, seeming confused when Charlie, having not only dominated the Lucario in their squaring off but fairly won this advance by the Fighting Type's lack of guile, took what he'd earned and shoved his muzzle right under the Lucario's tail.

Robin cried out, a high noise of a very girly pitch as Charlie's cold nose wriggled through his fluffy butt-furr and ridiculously full cheeks and found the Lucario's virginal pink pucker, sniffing at deeply, sampling the Lucario's unmuted personal scent... He didn't just look girly, he smelled it, too.

In fact, this Lucario had some ASSETS. Despite the prettily thin waist and limbs, the slight Lucario had one amazing ass back here, with cheeks Chai could bury his face in... The fact this canid was bipedal was a little odd, but big ass-cheeks were an oddity the Umbreon felt he could learn to enjoy. Growling rattlishly with desire, the Umbreon pushed further, pressing his nose deeper, and decided to have a lick.

Robin's girly pitch rose a stitch higher...

"Ahem, Chai!" said Coco, shouting over, "You didn't ask if you could do any of that..! Talk to your Customer, please!"

Charlie pulled his muzzle back, frowning, "I did!" he protested, "I mean, like... weren't you watching..? We warmed up to that!" At least he was pretty sure they had. Lacking those guttural body noises, he felt a little more detached than usual. Literally like he was working deaf...

Coco stared at him, "It was like, the second or third thing you did! ...and I didn't hear you ask him anything at all!"

"What..?" said Charlie, "Ummm, this isn't generally a time for chit-chat..."

"Always maintain a dialogue with the Customer," said Coco, frowning at him.

"Well, how are you meant to get any foreplay done if you're not engaging with each other..?" asked Charlie, confused, "You know, on an animal level..?"

"Animal level..?" repeated Coco, "...and wait, this by you is foreplay..?"

"Well, yeah..." said Charlie, frowning at the Vulpix's incomprehensible incomprehension, "I've always done it like this..!"

"Pokemon aren't just animals Chai," said Coco, snootily, "We're a professional business, here. We don't go on like pre-liberation strays in a back-alley..."

Okay, THAT annoyed Charlie, enough to have him snarl slighty as he answered her, "...What the fuck makes you think strays are any different or better off, now, huh..? What idea do YOU have, Lady?" He pronounced 'lady' with a heavy emphasis.

Then Coco paused, straightened and took a literal step back, looking at the Umbreon with suspicion, "Look, I'm sorry if I offended you... I don't mean to offend Wild or Stray Pokemon..."

Looking away, Charlie cursed under his breath...

"However, our paying customers are generally not Wild or Stray," said Coco, "and most would prefer it if you can just be a little more civil."

"Civil..?" repeated Charlie, aghast.

"More like a gentleman," suggested Coco, making a smooth gesture with a forepaw, "instead of potentially frightening them off."

"...Have you ever had sex in your life, Lady..?" Charlie couldn't help but ask, aloud, incredulously, "Because it doesn't sound like you've ever had any FUN sex..!"

That was when he had the delight of seeing what it looked like when a Vulpix flushed with embarrassment and anger. The air above her instantly started to shimmer with heat and those deep brown eyes of hers started to take on an eerie light...

"Alright," said Coco, strained patience in her voice, "I'm going to be kind and forget that comment. Please proceed like a house-trained Pokemon, at the very least, if that's at all possible."

'Chai' glared at the Vulpix, wondering for a second if it would be worth it just to tell her what he thought of all of this... and her... so far.

No, it wasn't. Even if they only did lame, wimpy Pokemon who had lame, wimpy sex, here, this was still his best hope for the future. Damn, that was depressing.

"Fine," muttered the Umbreon, darkly before looking back at the Lucario.

Robin was standing where the Umbreon had left him, still wearing a look of surprise.

"Hey," said Charlie, drawing the Lucario's attention, "I was going to push you onto the bed, but I don't want to get in trouble for that... so..." he mustered his best smile for his 'new friend,' trying to encourage him, "Wanna play with each other's dicks, huh..?"

Robin stared at him, a long pause... Then the Lucario gave him a quick, but definite nod and they both headed for the bed.

'Nature' lay on his back, propped up on his elbows, his eyes still wide with uncertainty.

'Chai,' still stood up, seemed temporarily taller than the Lucario. A position he used to advantage, leaning down and smirking, moving slowly up until he was almost nose-to-nose.

His first impulse was to bite Nature somewhere easy, like the cheek, since he was a newbie, but Charlie figured that would probably upset the prissy Vulpix. Instead, he wracked his brains for something that might please her.

"Hey," said Charlie to the Lucario, "You're a pretty sexy 'Mon, you know..."

'Nature' reddened again. Glanced away like he thought the Umbreon might be lying.

"Hey!" said Charlie, more forcefully, "I'm serious. Just a little taste of that fine ass of yours and I'm already riled up. Look." He nodded downwards, drawing the Lucario's gaze down.

Those pretty eyes widened again, but not in fear or doubt. The Umbreon let himself smile. He was not built to scale. Even half-hard, his shiny shaft poking like black lipstick from his sheath, looked like it belong to a much bigger 'Mon. At least THAT was a trait the Vulpix couldn't bitch about...

From the looks of things, the Lucario didn't mind, either.

Charlie REALLY wished he'd just gone and shoved it in the Lucario's face, having more than a feeling that the Lucario might not have minded the kind of play the Umbreon was used to.

Still, getting eye-blown like this wasn't TOO lame by comparison.

"Ummm..." said the Lucario, softly, "May I..?"

"You may," said the Umbreon, with a smile.

Softly, gently, timidly at first, a pair of soft paws found Charlie's sheath, squeezed it appraisingly, stroked it, seeming to want to know every curve, every nook and cranny around his sheath... and as the Umbreon's cock grew, that interest only become more active. Soon enough, those paws were actively helping the growing cock free of its confines, apparently very curious to see more...

An impish impulse took the Umbreon. It was okay if he asked, right..? "Want a closer look..?" he asked, in a daring voice.

The Lucario hesitated, briefly, then nodded, eagerly.

Happy to oblige, the Umbreon strode up and cocked his leg to get it over the Lucario's head and tall ears. Then he pressed his junk down onto the Lucario's face.

"How's that..? Like that..?" he asked, with a cheeky grin.

"Mmm!" and a moan was the Lucario's only reply, followed by quick breathing that tickled Charlie's junk... Apparently he liked it a lot!

"Good," said Charlie, grinning, "Now let's see what we've got, here!"

He decided to look down and see how the Lucario was doing. Then he paused.

Oh, damn. Oh, seriously..? Oh, come on..!

The girly Lucario's distinctly un-girly canine cock was already out on his belly, having burst free of its sheath with all the enthusiasm that an over-excited virgin could offer. It was already showing swollen knobs and spitting pre like it was ready to go off... It had to be damn near nine inches and on the small Lucario, looked even bigger than it actually was. He was definitely bigger than Charlie, by a non-small margin.

'Ah well,' thought Charlie, he should have figured. No wonder the Lucario always had his hands folded in front...

Having a new friend with assets like this, front and back, wasn't all bad, after all...

So, plucking himself up, Charlie let his front end slink down and twisted to look at the Lucario, waiting until the Pokemon was able to take his eyes from extreme-close-up Poke-genitalia and meet his eyes in return.

"You've had a look, had a feel, wanna move on to taste..?" said Charlie, smiling, then moving a paw to start to stroke the Lucario's huge dick, pressing his pawpads unto the underside, just-like-so... "We'll make that mutual, hmm..?"

The Lucario gasped, his cock throbbed... "Yes..!" he gasped.

"Then let's have at this monster..." said Charlie, with all the enthusiasm he could muster, which was far from fake.

Resting his elbows on the Lucario, he lifted that shaft whilst lifting his own hips nice and high so that his cock dropped point-first onto the Lucario's muzzle... and then, waiting his moment, letting the Lucario get a grasp on his member and cautiously, hesitantly, open his muzzle to aim the Umbreon at it, Charlie went down first.

Opening his maw wide, the Umbreon took that healthy canine tip into his muzzle and just deep enough so that he could jam the end in his throat. His tongue swirled and lapped the underside and be began to suck at that end, where he had it sealed.

Robin moaned, behind him and took ten long seconds, entranced by the pleasure, before he tried to follow suit...

Charlie felt teeth scrape his shaft, he gasped! ...and the Lucario backed up a bit... Pausing, Charlie pulled back from the shaft, lines of saliva tracking with him, "Hey..." he said softly, "A Dark type like me you don't need to be too careful with. Just go for it, huh..?"

Robin met his eyes, sharing a moment of mutual excitement, then nodded. They both immediately went to work, lathering licks and trying textures and tastes with rubbing canine tongues as they appreciated over-large cocks with greedy, gagging throats. Moaning and straining to take each other's throbbing, musky lusts.

They gave Coco quite a show, bobbing and working and exploring each other's shafts. Charlie had experience and Robin, enthusiasm. Charlie had moves... and practise and whilst Robin was mainly copying him, Charlie was an easy tutor, being only too happy to demonstrate on such a mighty malehood and not minding at all if the Lucario messed up with his teeth.

Robin's big red stake of a cock was gradually hammered into the Umbreon's throat whilst the shiny, solid black cylinder of the Umbreon's lust slowly pulled a similar vanishing act.

Damn, but that Lucario had some raw talent, Charlie had to admit... Doing some things Charlie couldn't, he grasped the Umbreon's balls with his paws and cradled them like amazing, precious things... then those paws creeping to the Umbreon's growing, three-knobbed knot and squeezing...

Oh... that was gonna do it. Alright. Time to kick things up.

Using those agile, ferally-fast hips of his, the Umbreon picked up his pace, going down harder and quicker than before, challenging the Lucario to rip his throat open with that massive prick of his in return, but knowing he knew how to take it if he tried!

For not long after, it was with his his final trick that Charlie shoved his own head down hard, actually pushing his body up to come down at it on a high angle... and made that massive dick disappear! His maw, stretched over the Lucario's knot, began pulsing as Robin, his cry of pleasure muffled by long inches of Bre-meat, erupted almost directly into the Umbreon's stomach, the Lucario straining and moaning in pleasure, writhing beneath the dark, black solid lump of feral pleasure he was cumming into...

'Oh yeah, I'm good at this,' thought Charlie...

He had to give his understudy credit, though. Nature suddenly grabbed his knot with both paws and squeezed as he played his muzzle right down to the tip.

Unable to cry out, as solidly plugged as he was, Charlie just had to dig his claws into the bed and try not to wrench his body too violently as he was wracked with spasms of pleasure, his cock bursting into the Lucario's open muzzle. Robin had successfully arranged a very messy finish, as he pulled back and let the Umbreon's healthy spurts of seed decorate his pretty face, one flying strand at a time coming to lie across the Lucario's coy smile, so cute as it was, caught between pleasure and the embarrassment of feeling that pleasure...

Oh, he was good, too.

Charlie had to wait for his head to stop buzzing with pleasure before he could pull himself off of that cock with a wet, lewd noise followed by some heavy, happy panting... "Fuck... yes..." he gasped with his first breaths, "That was a great warm-up... Nature..."

Nature smiled at him, "Thanks, um, Charlie," he said with a smile... then paused, "Wait, warm-up..?"

Charlie grinned at him toothily, exuding his enthusiasm and still-brimming lust, "Bre's go all night, Nature... and I've heard Lucario's have the stamina for two at least, so it's time for the main event."

Looking almost overwhelmed, "Main event..?" repeated Nature, his eyes adorably wide.

"Hey, this is all just play until someone gets fucked in the ass," said Charlie, with a grin, "So let's make this serious..."

Nature looked at him, paused, hesitated, but not for long, "Okay..." he said, with a blush and a smile.

Charlie got up and moved around, turning one-eighty and then settling back on the Umbreon, pressing dick to bigger dick. He grinned. They were both still hard, the Lucario was even still throbbing... practically still cumming...

"Oh, I've got to try that thing..." said Charlie, smiling, "I mean, ordinarily for me, the new guy's on bottom, but in respect of your scale and how this place seems to work, it's probably better if I'm the one who's whimpering..."

"Whimpering..?" said Nature, eyes widening, "Umm... I thought if you did things properly, it doesn't have to hurt..."

"Nah," said Charlie, "It always hurts some. Sometimes more than others. The trick is finding a level you can enjoy..." he smirked, "Which sometimes, it can turn out, means you haven't gone high enough, yet..."

"Ummm..." said Nature, doubtfully.

Charlie grinned, "What's the matter, Nature-boy..?" he said teasingly, "Don't you wanna see what this Bre' looks like when you're in him?" He wiggled his hips, which he knew to be eye-catchingly slinky, pulling the Lucario against his shoulder so he could see his skinny Bre' ass... "In that..?"

"Ummm... sure..?" said Nature, "I guess..?"

"You guess..." smirked Charlie, "Grab my hips..."

Robin did that. Charlie expected him to steer those hips onto his cock, but he didn't. After a brief pause, he did it for him, going as far to press that tip against his hole for him... Then waited again.

He looked up at the Lucario... Nature's eyes were wide and uncertain.

"Don't you want to shove me on there and hear me cry out..?" suggested Charlie, teasingly, "I can take worse than you can give, I can promise you that..." then he paused, feeling that tip lift away, "Wait, are you actually going down..?"

"Umm... sorry..." said Nature, looking embarrassed and sounding apologetic, "I um... sorry..."

Charlie stared at him, frowning slightly then speaking with amused resignation, "You don't have a dominant bone in your body, do you..?"

"Umm... sorry," the Lucario repeated, averting his eyes, unhappily.

"Well..." said Charlie with a soft sigh, then quickly, a sharp smile, "I suppose I could put mine in there..." he suggested smoothly...

The pause was very short. "Ummm... yeah... maybe..." said Nature, tersely and quietly.

Coco suddenly piped up, "You don't have to, Nature," she said gently, "I've probably seen enough!"

Charlie looked him right in the eyes, "Do you want to..?" he asked straight.

"You don't have to answer him, either," said Coco firmly, "Chai; You're a bit too aggressive, especially with someone less experienced than yourself!"

"...but I want him to," said Nature, softly, so softly they almost didn't hear it, "I'm just nervous!"

"If you're nervous, you don't have to do it," said Coco, in a reassuring tone.

"I want to, though," said the Lucario... then he smiled at Charlie.

The Umbreon smiled back at him. Their eyes were locked, in mutual happiness and excitement.

So, quickly enough and with the notion that the Vulpix might have just been getting impatient tickling Charlie immensely, they set about it.

Despite his nerves, the Lucario was suddenly bounding into position like an enthusiastic puppy. The newly-named Nature got himself down on all fours. Looking nervously over his shoulder, his tail nervously shook and then flicked upwards. Oh, what a sight. That ass.

There was no holding back from that big, beautiful blue ass.

Charlie mounted him with all the enthusiasm a frisky feral could muster, almost knocking him over onto his front, but as Chai's thick, club-shaped and saliva-slicked member landed between those ample butt-cheeks, all protests died in the Lucario's throat, replaced by a happy moan.

"You like that feeling..?" asked Charlie, rubbing his chunky rod up and down between those cheeks, grinding that bouncy booty with pleasure.

"Uhuh," said Nature, with a nod.

"Gotta say I like it, too," said Charlie, grinning, his cock swelling up like it hadn't gone off in days... "I think 'Nature's' going to make a lot of people very happy with a beautiful ass like this..."

That made the Lucario blush beetroot again. Damn, he was cute.

Deciding to waste no further time, Charlie lined up, lifting up and angling his hips until his tip had found that pink, virginal hole.

Contact. Nature gasped...

"Last chance to back out," offered Charlie.

Nature shook his head, firmly.

Slicked by nothing more than saliva and pre, Charlie pushed in... That relatively blunt, disc-like head of his popped straight in with the pressure behind it.

Nature cried out in pain..! "AH-!"

"Stop..!" said Coco, "Dammit, you didn't do anything to prepare him! There's lubricant in the bedside cabinet!"

"Lube..?" repeated Charlie, "I've never used that stuff..! I do things natural!"

"Well," said Coco, "Use it now..!"

"I don't want him to pull out..!" said Nature, suddenly, sounding the most assertive he ever had, "I want him to go on, like he said, naturally..."

Charlie smirked the smirk of the victorious at the damned, prissy, pestering Vulpix.

"Alright..." said Coco, unhappily, "If you're sure..!"

Charlie decided to answer things for her, since he had just managed to squirt out some more pre. He pushed in further and the Lucario moaned, appreciatively, in as much pleasure as pain.

Oh, but he was good. Charlie was all the surer that 'Nature' would go far, here.

For all that Chai apparently seemed like a brute to Coco, he knew how to break someone in so that they'd like it... So he went slow, pushing in only as far as he thought the Lucario could take, rocking his hips more to that measure than to any timing or even his own pleasure and... Damn... Nature was tight... Oh, but it was good... Charlie knew right away he wouldn't last as long as he'd like as he humped, ever deeper, into those pleasant virgin territories, feeling his way ever deeper...

Gradually getting more space to 'move,' Charlie rocked in softly, getting more and more of himself inside, to the Lucario's growing gasps and then... the Umbreon angled his nimble hips a bit... knowing that his pointed tip, protruding at the bottom of his 'disc' would scrape the right bit just so...

Nature cried out in pleasure as his prostate was hit.

Charlie knew he had his number, right off. He didn't think the Lucario would take more of his dick, on his first time, but he reckoned he had it in, just enough.

Charlie started pumping the Lucario, at just the level he could take and no more or less, aiming for that magic spot, each time.

Nature cried out, again and again, in growing ecstasy, grabbing at the bedsheets and dragging them close about his face, his now-muffled cries of pleasure starting to become hysterical...

...but not nearly as much as when Chai suddenly tensed, dug his claws into his hips and started cumming, spurting his thick, plentiful Bre-seed right onto the Lucario's tenderised prostate!

Nature came loudly onto the bedsheets, crying out in pleasure as he made for a patter of thick, white rain.

Moaning, hips twitching, the two pleased Pokemon collapsed into a pile of panting limbs and huffing fur.

"That enough of a demonstration for you, Vulpix..?" asked Charlie confidently, unable to help himself.

Nature looked up at him with a smirk, with a look in his eyes like he'd just been reborn a new creature.

"Hey, you," said Chai, smiling.

"Hey," said Nature, smiling back.

"Let's stay friends, alright..?"

"Alright..."

* * *

It hadn't worked out that way, of course.

Nature, with his sterling performance, had been put straight onto the most busy and prosperous Afternoon Shift, where the most business was. He'd gotten the proper training seminars, practise sessions and gone through his week of partnered probation to become a full-fledged professional Floor Waiter in his own right. He'd made a good impression on all of his many Customers and made friends all over the Café, including the big names. By all accounts he'd swam, not sank and soon reached the height of Bedroom Waiter in almost record time, beaten out only by Firenze himself.

Meanwhile, Chai, who had failed to answer most of the questions as well as insulting the interviewer, had barely scraped through. He got a job, but only because it had quite likely been arranged for him (so he had previously heard it implied, at least) and he had been dumped on the Morning Shift, with the other reprobates and Pokemon already on their way out. They clearly hadn't expected him to last. He'd gotten no training but for that improvised by Pouncer. No partners who weren't fired in weeks or days. He'd gotten on disciplinary probation when he'd gotten frustrated and misbehaved, though.

He'd worked the dead dawn floor, morning after morning, paired up with a new Pokemon seemingly every week. One asshole Pokemon who intended to leave or whom they intended to have leave after another whilst his own turn to get booted out of the door always seemed just around the corner. A forced exit kept at bay at times by the stubborn optimism of Pouncer, alone, who now seemed to be the only member of the senior staff who gave a damn about him and wouldn't let him go as long as the Umbreon was willing to try... and try he had, but there were just no opportunities for advancement at Plaisir in the morning, just menial, demeaning toil usually reserved for malcontents.

Four gruelling months later, Chai was still there, apparently just forgotten, rotting away in the miserable, ill-fitting dawn where an Umbreon didn't belong, whilst Everybody-Loved-Nature's star had just kept on rising. About the only good thing that had happened to him, the only thing he'd ended up having going for him was big, red, smart, stupid, sexy and STANK of the cigarettes he was actually kind of like.

With the best of intentions, Chai and Nature would never have seen much of each other with the working patterns they had... but what had shocked Chai, was when weeks later, the Lucario had blanked him, as if he didn't even have time for him. Met his eyes, then walked right past, not even going anywhere, just headed out into the woods at a slow, unhurried pace, but still with no time for his supposed friend, Charlie, who had died, alone.

Not all at once, of course, a little bit at a time, that new him fell away until he was back to his old, sullen self. The one just after the real old him had died. Before something else had given him a new strength... No, he'd regressed right back before any kind of strength, to the bitter little Umbreon who had ran away from a home he wasn't welcome at, who had drifted from place to place, sheltering in doorways from the rain and resenting every luckier bastard of any species that he saw, all the while protesting how independent he was, slowly starving in the cold nights... really understanding though, all too well how close to fucked he was.

Just like right now.

'Funny,' thought Chai, looking at the silent Lucario, who stared back at him, neither knowing what to say. 'Kind of feels like I never left that damn office...'