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File Name: Ghost in the Machine (Part 1)

Owner: Pokégirl

File Location: www.patreon.com/SomeonesPC

File Type: Story:Adult:F/M: Human x ???

Caption Text: Support us on Patreon for special art, stories, and more!

Details: Brought to you by "LigerHorse" with the Luxury Tier request of "Female Trainer x "Male" Rotom possessing a mecha-pokemon (your choice, is the same size as the pokemon it is based on)" and by DarkViolet for helping to get the creative juices flowing

Ro peered up at the thick, floating clouds through the new "skylight" a very large and very dead branch had decided to give his roof. In all fairness, it wasn't such a bad place for a skylight to go. However, the opening was rather larger than he would have liked and open to the elements that were already causing age and decay to spread along the Rotom's home. The once pristine white paint along the outside was now tinted green, for example, and snow and rain dripped through the pale red roof onto the moss-patched floor. The railings for both the first and second floor porches were slowly becoming more powder than wood, the flooring uneven if not broken, making them more of a "falling down" than a wrap around.

Descending, almost touching the branch now making its home in his home, Ro tried to ignore the flaking paint of the once grand hall and the possibly cracked tiles from the limb and roof fragments so as to focus on the larger issue of the branch.

With a soft buzz, Ro tipped his head to the right, drifting in the same direction, circling the branch before coming to a stop.

[Electro Ball... or perhaps Shock Wave?] he wondered, before giving a shake of his head.

Certainly, either move would have the power to render the branch into splinters but then that would leave the Rotom with many pieces instead of one big one to clean. Considering he couldn't even move the one piece by himself, there would be no way for him to try and pick up what would likely be many, many fragments.

Allowing himself to give a brief flash of annoyance, the electricity causing the nearby bulbs to temporarily brown before going black again, Ro wondered if he might be able to convince a Rattata or other forest Pokemon to help him. It hadn't worked well for him in the past, most Pokemon appearing scared of him; at least, that's what he'd gathered by their running and shouting "Ghost!" then never coming back. Still, there might be one or two nearby...

A change in the air made him pause, pulling his external current so tightly to himself that even the near inaudible buzzing fell silent.

He couldn't quite make out what it was, only that something was making its way towards his home. That whispered warning had Ro zipping up towards the high chandelier, taking refuge behind the tinted crystals. While a thin, amber film masked their shine, each piece of glass was accounted for, making it a decent hiding place so long as Ro slipped into the realm of the unseen and didn't move or make a sound.

The feeling was growing stronger, as though whatever it was had crossed the yard and now was standing just outside the double doors. Peering past one of the larger crystals, Ro remained otherwise hidden, listening and watching.

The right door of the great hall creaked, the wood unopened for so long that it protested having to do so while its matching half remained shut.

"Are you sure this is the place?" a voice asked, coughing just after speaking. "It doesn't look like anyone's been here for a long time."

The presence pulsed and a soft rumble had the voice sighing.

"Of course, almighty one," the tone was such that Ro didn't think they were being sincere. "It's not like you've ever been wrong."

Ro heard a "click" before a bright light, like the white glow of the moon amplified and concentrated into a solitary beam, illuminated a path from the door to the inside of his home.

There were more rumbles and a sense that they were words, not just noises. Ro figured whatever it was had to be speaking too softly for him to properly hear.

"Not everyone has excellent vision like you," the voice said, the beam of light momentarily stopping on the fallen branch before skimming across the floor back towards the entrance. "Or impressive reflexes to save their furry ass if they fall through a hole in the floor."

The rumbling was muffled this time as the door pushed further open, again objecting sullenly with a whine of its hinges. Poking his head a little further past the crystal, Ro was able to make out the form of a bipedal creature entering his home. It had a mane of brown, curled lightly to frame its face, that he could just make out from the ambient lighting of the beam it held within its hand. A teal top of some kind and a darker blue something ran from its waist down its legs. It held a yellow object in its hands that seemed to be the source of the white light. Ro almost missed the subtle hum of electric energy from it, its presence so easily dwarfed by the larger source just outside the door.

"I know it's daylight, Azad, but it's dark inside!" they snapped, the yellow object waving in its hand as they spoke, the beam of light swinging haphazardly in response and catching the crystals of the chandelier.

Giving a startled cry, Ro zipped away in a panic. Momentarily blinded, he heard a shout just before hitting something solid that sent him bouncing back.

Stunned, Ro tried turning his head, blinking, unsure what he would have hit that would have prevented him from simply passing through.

Making another attempt at darting away, he found that the original obstruction had either moved or there was a second one. Either way, it kept him from escaping.

"Azad!" the voice hissed. "You're freaking them out!"

[Maybe they should stop trying to run.]

There was power, pulsing behind the rumbling words. Ro could feel the current sparking outward, even without being able to clearly see who was speaking. Not inclined to knock himself out in a futile attempt to flee, Ro waited, remaining still until he could escape.

"Maybe we should go?" the voice said, not really in a whisper but softer in tone. "This is basically the opposite of a good first impression."

[We made an impression,] the deeper voice growled. [That is sufficient enough.]

A light huff made Ro tilt his head, his vision becoming slightly clearer. The beam the bipedal creature had was, thankfully, pointed towards the ground instead of directly at him. Thin sheets, similar to glass but with a blue shimmer, surrounded him on all sides. Tapping the nearest side with his bolt, the material sparkled brighter where he touched, remaining solid and not allowing him to pass. He must have become visible when the light blinded him as he could just make out his blurred form in the barrier's reflection.

Looking beyond his own image, Ro was able to confirm that the biped was, in fact, a human, rather than a Pokemon. Beside her (Ro thought it was a "her" given the swollen mammaries on the chest) was a quadrupedal creature. He thought it was solely black, at first, until it stepped closer, blue coming into view. With gleaming golden eyes and the heavy feel of electricity pressing down on Ro like a coming storm, the Rotom knew this Pokemon could only be a Luxray. With such a thick, long mane, it had to be a male one, at that.

"Maybe you should let them go, now?" the human said, the light remaining in the same spot as she folded her arms, frowning at the Luxray.

[If I did, I doubt we'd see them again,] the Luxray growled, taking another step forward, his claws clicking against the tile.

[What are you going to do?] Ro asked, sliding back until he was pressed against the furthest panel. [Catch me?!]

The Luxray's eyes widened, the glow bright enough Ro had to tilt his head away from it.

"See, Azad?" The human shook her head, making her mane sway slightly. Turning her attention from the Luxray to him, Ro bunched himself tighter against the wall.

As if understanding she was making him nervous, the human averted her gaze, no longer staring directly at him. "We're not looking to catch you, though we were hoping to find a Rotom."

That didn't make sense to Ro. [Humans use their Pokemon to catch other Pokemon,] he said, speaking slowly, not sure where these two had missed out on basic Pokemon 101.

"Some do," the human answered, giving a slight nod, still not turning her head to look directly at him. "But, for starters, Azad here isn't my Pokemon."

A jolt went through Ro as he looked from her to the Luxray, the feline now sitting just before his shimmering cage, flicking his tail.

[I'm a free Pokemon,] Azad confirmed, cocking his head and causing the earring on his right ear to shine. [One looking for other Pokemon to help in a project I'm working on.]

[A project?] Ro narrowed his eyes, wondering if it had something to do with the Rockets he'd heard about the few times he'd used his electricity to turn on the radio.

Azad slowly inclined his head. [Yes. Specifically, a project that only a Rotom can assist with.]

[Why's that?] Ro asked, zipping up inside his prison, almost hitting his head before remembering to stop. [Because you need help to capture and steal other Pokemon?!]

[Steal other...?] Azad repeated, sounding confused. [Why would I want to steal Pokemon?]

"Maybe because you have them trapped in a Light Screen box?" the human asked, trailing off her question with a pointed hum. "So they have no reason to think you wouldn't be above abducting others?"

The pressure in the air built, making something in Ro's middle clench as Azad gave a slight hiss.

[We went over this, Alex. If I let them out, they'll run away.]

"Oh, yeah," she said, drawing out the last word. "Because I would totally listen to whatever anyone holding me hostage would say."

With a growl as deep as thunder, Azad turned from Ro to face Alex. While the Rotom pushed as far back as he could get from the Luxray, Alex merely canted her head and lifted a brow. When Azad flashed his mane at her, she only gave a yawn, using her free hand to partially cover her mouth before giving a "go on with it then" motion.

The light within his mane faded, leaving it black once again. The rumble began to grow quieter, as if the storm was passing without unleashing itself on the land. While his fur was raised along his hackles, it smoothed as Azad stalked away from Alex and back towards Ro.

[I... apologize,] the Luxray ground out, as if the words pained him somehow. [I was afraid you would leave before we could speak and it made me act... very human.] The barriers around Ro shimmered, starting at the top and cascading down, leaving him to float under his own power or fall. [I hope you might allow me a moment to speak with you.]

Ro hovered, swaying indecisively. While he hadn't appreciated being caged, he had to admit this was the most excitement he'd had in years and there was no guarantee they'd come back if they left today.

[Alright,] he said, waving a bolt sternly at them. [But no more trapping!]

Azad inclined his head deeply, letting it rest solemnly for a moment before lifting it, gazing at Ro. Unlike the human, Azad didn't avert his gaze, forcing Ro to do so.

[So, what's this project?] he asked, glancing at the side, as if the old picture of a Slowking in a gold crown and regal attire was the most interesting thing in the world at the moment. [And why a Rotom?]

[To start with,] the Luxray said, his voice deep but no longer rumbling. [Rotom possess a special ability that allows them to merge with certain human made devices.]

Ro gave a simple bob, acknowledging that to be true. He didn't have many devices in his home that would allow him to do so but once, when the grass was in desperate need of cutting, he'd found out how to "push" his mower from within, becoming one with the machine. Since then, he'd tried some other devices with mixed results. At best, he became one with them and, at worst, he fried their internal mechanics beyond repair.

[We have an engineer at Clarity Envisioned, my company, who thinks she may have isolated the required part that allows a Rotom to merge with certain technology and is looking for a partner Pokemon to advance her research with.]

[So you want a Pokemon to experiment on!] Ro quickly said, filling in the blanks and zipping upward, attempting to get out of reach of any attack Azad could launch.

"No." That firm word made Ro pause, hovering halfway in the air, still contemplating darting through the ceiling. "We're looking for a Pokemon who can help Merah by piloting the new technology she's creating."

[Piloting?] Ro drifted down a little, intrigued by the way Alex was now frantically digging into a bag she had hanging off her shoulder. He was still far enough away and alert enough to avoid a Pokeball so he waited while she pulled out some slips of paper.

[I told you not to bring those,] Azad growled, reaching to swipe at the pages. Alex only pulled them out of his range. [They're highly classified!]

"Who're they going to tell?" Alex asked, giving a toss of her head. "Your competitors? Here? In the middle of nowhere?"

Azad's growl only deepened, the heavy pressure building up again.

Rolling her eyes, Alex reached her hand upward, offering the pages to Ro.

Keeping an eye on Azad, Ro used Trick to teleport the pages from Alex to himself, the pages light enough he could use his static to hover them and take a look. If the human was surprised, she gave no indicator of such. Her only expression was a smug smile sent Azad's way.

Drifting up a bit higher, wanting to be safely out of range as he looked over the pages, Ro had to admit he didn't quite get what he was looking at. There were numbers and letters, some of which formed words he knew but, coupled with other words like "hydraulic" and "elongation," he just didn't get what he was reading. Flipping that page to the back, the next page had pictures of appliances. One looked similar to the mower he used while another looked close but not exact to the fridge and fan he'd fried with his testing. There were a few others, too, like an oven and a washing machine, along with other devices he didn't recognize. From what the arrows pointed to, it looked like they all contained a unique motor and/or chip.

Going to the last page, Ro found himself even more confused. It looked like a drawing of a Pokemon but there were notes scribbled on the page and segments of the Pokemon were drawn apart from it, broken down into what looked like mechanical pieces.

[You're... building a Pokemon?] he finally asked.

"Not entirely," Alex answered, reaching a hand out. Using Trick once more, Ro had the pages back to her. "This one," she gestured to Azad, "isn't interested in playing Arceus just yet." Ro thought he heard her mutter something like "thankfully" but Azad's snarl might have distorted it. "It's no more living than a fridge or a stove. More accurately, it's like a car."

[I've seen those!] Ro said, zipping downward to be at head height with Alex. [There's a book here that shows some old ones and new ones and talks about how they work! I've seen them, too, on the television... when it was working.]

Alex smiled and, this time, Ro found he didn't mind so much when she looked at him.

"So, you know how humans ride in them? Direct which way they go and all that?"

Ro bobbed his head.

"What Merah's designing is sort of like that, but with a Pokemon shape." Alex tapped the last page Ro'd been looking at. "And with a Rotom as a pilot."

For a moment, Ro's mind was filled with the idea of becoming one with a car, as he had the mower, or the Pokemon on the page. However, caution made his excitement wane.

[Why would you do this, though?] he asked, waving a bolt at the page, careful not to touch it or Alex. [What purpose would a mechanical Pokemon have?]

"What purpose wouldn't it have?" she asked, grinning at him. "Just think! They could be used for demonstrations at schools, safe and educational playmates for children who might not have a Pokemon in their own home, for those with allergies to dander or pollen, or as a way to see a rare Pokemon in person, so to speak. They could even be used to allow trainers to spar and hone their skills!"

Ro frowned a little. [But, it wouldn't be the Pokemon. It would just be a Rotom playing dress up.]

Alex gave a nod, slipping the pages back into her bag. "In a way, yes. But there are other opportunities. For Clarity Envisioned, for example, our main priority was designing a way to observe Pokemon in their natural habitat, learn more about them and their needs while being as minimally invasive as possible." Closing her bag and giving it a pat, she went on. "Rather than a person or persons going into their habitat and disrupting things, a mechanical Pokemon could place cameras, heat sensors, and do other observations while reporting back to the lab."

[Why the observation?] he asked, uncertain about essentially spying on other Pokemon.

"There's still a lot that humans don't know about Pokemon," Alex said, holding up a finger. "Like, why are Nidoqueens unable to have offspring but Nidoran and Nidorina can, for example? Is that the same for those in the wild or is it because they're with humans?" She held up a second finger. "How is it that such vastly different species of Pokemon can have offspring when they're so anatomically different?" Alex flung her hands up. "Let's face it, a Skitty and a Wailord shouldn't be able to breed and yet?!" She gave a flustered puff before shaking her head. "And that's not counting all the Pokemon out there, undiscovered."

Ro supposed those were very important things but, admittedly, they mattered very little to him, especially if they expected him to sit and spy on mating Pokemon. Just the thought made his electricity spark irregularly!

[I really don't know that I'd be the right Rotom for the job,] he said slowly, keeping his eyes on Azad as well as Alex's bag, knowing that his declining could mean they'd choose to battle and capture him after all.

[I'm sure you could be,] Azad said, turning his head towards the intrusive branch. [For the right price.]

[Price?] Ro repeated, the conversation making him feel very much like a Chatot, parroting words back at them.

Azad gave a very slight inclination of his head. [You would remain as you are now, a free Pokemon. As such, we would compensate you for your time and efforts.]

A lightbulb went off over Ro's head, brightening the chandelier and the room as he realized what that meant.

[I could get my home fixed!] Ro waved his bolts, spiraling up into the air before stopping mid-spin. [Couldn't I?]

[This old chateau?] Azad lifted a paw, giving it a shake or two, as if to rid himself of the dust clinging to it. [Certainly. Though, it may take some time.]

Azad's words caused the light to dim to a sputtering brown. While time meant little to Ro himself, the longer it took the worse off his home would be and the harder it would be to repair it.

[How much time?] Ro asked, glancing up at the hole in his roof that certainly couldn't wait to be fixed.

"Perhaps we can work out an arrangement?" Alex said, cutting off whatever Azad had been about to say.

[Oh?] Ro floated a little closer.

"Why don't you come with us for a day to Clarity Envisioned, meet our engineering team and see what they've done so far?" Alex tapped a finger against her cheek. "I suspect your roof will probably need more than a day trip's worth to be fully repaired but we could at least get this branch out, get the hole covered, and see about some pricing options for you."

[Really?!] Ro asked, giving a pleased laugh. [That would be a big help!]

[We could just move this branch now,] Azad said, moving closer to the fallen limb.

"Speak for yourself, boss," Alex said, giving a passively decent Luxray growl of her own.

[You are the one who offered to help,] Azad said, causing Ro to blink as he noticed the corners of the Luxray's lips twitching in what might have been a smile, though his tone didn't change.

"I don't have a chainsaw, gloves, or any other tools besides my bare hands so, thank you, but no."

[It'd be such a goodwill gesture, though, Alex.] Azad's tone seemed to indicate he was throwing the phrase back at her, having heard it one too many times. [Don't you like those?]

Alex rubbed her left temple, muttering something softly that sounded like "murdering your boss in front of a witness is a bad idea." Ro figured he had to have misheard it or it was a joke of some kind because the Luxray gave a loud laugh that almost startled him out of the air.

"You can move it, then, Azad." Alex said, pointing a finger at him. "But don't you dare drag it against those tiles. If I've learned one thing from binging repair shows with Kelly it's that these tiles," her finger moved from pointing to him to making a broad sweeping motion over the floor. "Are going to be a female Arcanine to replace if you damage them."

Azad paused in his assessment of the branch to look over at her.

[Female Arcanine?] he asked, sounding bemused.

Alex tossed her hands up. "I'm on the clock and I don't want another lecture from HR about swearing during work hours, okay?!"

Azad smirked while Ro puzzled over that. He started to ask more about it but stopped as he felt an odd energy gathering. Unlike the light popping and humming buzz of his own energy, this felt heavy and almost smothering. Before he could ask what it was or what Azad was planning, the energy formed around Azad's mouth. Snapping his head forward, the energy rushed forth, taking the shape of pale pink fangs. The teeth sank into the wood but, rather than snap the limb or vanish, they remained solidly in place.

The pink energy around his mouth was more of a faint mist now, trickling towards the formed fangs before vanishing midway. Not taking his golden eyes off the limb, Azad turned his head and the branch turned the same way. Taking a step towards the door, Azad guided the large limb to it. Glancing over his shoulder, Alex appeared to have gotten the idea and opened the second of the two entry doors, this one screeching even louder than the first. Stepping through, backwards, Azad was just able to tip his head at the right angle so that the branch could make its way through without damaging the frame.

Past the porch, down the steps, Azad gave a quick twist with his head, his body flowing with it. His mouth opened and the pink fangs vanished mid-motion, the branch crashing into the underbrush of the forest trees nearby.

[There,] he said, giving a slight huff through his nose. [One branch, removed. How's that for a goodwill gesture?] he asked, curling a lip in what could be a snarl or a grin as Alex walked onto the porch, attempting to shut the door behind her and having to struggle to get it back into place.

Rather than answer him, Alex gave a skyward glance and muttered what could have been a curse or a prayer before shaking her head and offering Ro a smile.

"Well?" she asked. "Are you ready to go now?"

Pulling back from the doorframe, suddenly feeling uncertain about leaving his home, Ro glanced back, half considering zipping inside and hiding. The sunlight streaming down the wide hole in his roof and the remaining fragments of roof tiles and bark made him steady himself. With a nod, deciding to trust in the words of these two for the time being, Ro forced himself to turn and go through the door.

=*=*=*=

Alex and Azad had actually arrived at his home in a blue car, the words "Clarity Envisioned" written along the side. After phasing through the door made the lights flash and the alarm go off, Alex asked that if Ro needed anything to just let her know and to, "please, not touch anything" while she was driving.

Resting on the cloth seats, thankfully, had no adverse reaction to their vehicle but left Ro wondering how the mechanical Pokemon they were working on would react. Would it break just by touching it? Thankfully, Alex's questions about what he was looking to do in terms of fixing his house kept Ro's mind mostly occupied, and kept him from asking her to roll down the window so he could jump out and zip back home. Azad was mostly quiet during the trip, only offering soft grumbles of input here and there from the front passenger seat.

The drive was shorter than Ro had expected, though it might have just been because of the excitement of the conversation and the thoughts of getting his home fixed. When the car stopped, Ro realized they were partially under the building. Columns jutted upward, holding a portion of the building above them while the sides remained mostly unenclosed. He almost forgot himself and was going to phase through the door when Alex opened it, allowing him to pass unhindered.

"While we're here, it'd probably be best if you let me get most of the doors," she said, her tone light as she shut the door behind him.

With a bob of his head, trying to keep that in mind, Ro let Alex lead the way. A badge pulled from her purse and pressed against a pad at the door made a beep as a red light clicked off and a green light clicked on. Holding the door open, Alex motioned for Ro to go first, Azad following after.

The room they went in reminded Ro of his grand hall, though significantly less grand. There was a large pair of metallic doors directly in front of them and two smaller doors to the right and left. Each of them had a matching pad like the outside door. The paint, while clean, was a rather commonplace cream and the only decorations were a set of potted plants on either side of the door they'd just come in.

Ro was in the process of determining if the large jade leaves were real or fake when Alex pressed her badge to the pad by the larger set of doors. There was a whirring sound, a light along the top of the door counting down until it stopped at "L," which Ro thought odd because "L" wasn't a number. The twin doors pulled open on either side, exposing an even smaller room with mirrors on the upper half and the ceiling; an odd decorating choice Ro wasn't sure he'd have gone with for such a small space.

"Please," Alex stressed. "Do not touch anything inside the elevator." As she put her hand against the side of the doorframe, she glanced towards the door on the right that had a placard next to it showing what looked to be stairs. "In fact, maybe we should just..."

Azad brushed by her, his coat causing small sparks as it touched the covering on her legs.

[It'll be fine,] he said, turning fully once inside the elevator and sitting. [Come on.]

"So help me, Azad, if we plummet to our deaths, I'm going to haunt you," Alex hissed, her voice low enough Ro wasn't sure he was meant to hear it.

Azad gave a lazy flick of his tail. [It's two stories,] he said, sounding bored. [If we plummet, nothing will happen.]

"Nothing will happen to you because you're a dam-" Alex gave a sudden cough. "Darn cat and will land on your feet!"

Azad's eyes glowed at Alex's near slip, his tail languidly moving from side to side, seeming pleased for reasons Ro couldn't fathom. When Alex waved a hand, Ro took it to mean he should get in after all. Floating to the opposite corner of the elevator, Ro watched as Alex pressed a button on the wall by the doors. The button had the letter "B" and number "2", which he still found an odd way to count, and lit up after she pushed it.

The doors closed and the whirring sound started up again. Ro jumped when the small room did, his eyes growing wider as a panel above the door changed from "L" to "B1" as the elevator moved, then from "B1" to "B2." Shuddering to a stop, the elevator seemed to debate letting them off again before reluctantly spreading open its doors.

Stepping out first, pressing a hand again to the inside of the doorframe, she gave a slight motion with her hand, ushering them off.

Ro floated just behind Azad, turning his head to look around. The space they were in was significantly larger than the not-so-grand hall of the building and the elevator. In fact, if you took those two combined and multiplied them twenty times over Ro still thought it'd fall short, given he couldn't even properly see the end of the room from where he was.

The ceiling had exposed beams; intentional, Ro realized, as the area above the silver beams was painted white and the wires, while also uncovered, were neatly against the beams instead of haphazardly strung about. Long, rectangular lights hung evenly spaced over several wheeled half-table, half-workbench looking hybrids. Equally spread out were thick cables that ended in socket boxes, dangling down from the ceiling like a tempting fruit.

As they walked on, Ro saw several odd looking machines that he had no names for. Like the beams above, they had silver frames and were box-like but unsealed. One was as large as two of the tables they'd passed put together, with orange and blue wires within it and a sort of dark grey rubber with orange wires in it that reached out and curled in like a Skorupi tail. Another, smaller but taller one had cables attached to an arm of some kind. There were a few tables set against the far wall, miscellaneous parts and oddities sprinkled atop them, with shelves holding containers and bins above.

A sharp growl made Ro jerk. He'd nearly floated into Alex, having not realized she'd stopped. As he was now rudely hovering over Azad, Ro skirted to the side, watching as Alex lifted her hand to rap on the door in front of them. He found it odd that the wall they were in front of was made of thick cement blocks, rough in appearance despite being painted to match the smoother outer walls, and that it stretched up all the way to the ceiling.

With the rest of the space so open, why was this part closed off?

Alex muttered something that Ro didn't catch and knocked harder on the door, going twice as long as the first one. This door had a pad like the others but she didn't attempt to use her badge here, which Ro thought equally curious.

[Alex doesn't have clearance here,] Azad said, apparently having caught Ro staring at the pad. [Not many do, except for those who Merah approves.] He made a soft noise that might have been a laugh or sigh of exasperation. [One of the conditions of her coming to work here.]

What conditions would Ro have, if he decided to accept their job offer? He didn't fully understand the worth of the human money, but once he had an idea of how much his house would cost in their currency, surely he could come up with something fair.

Alex's next bang left her shaking her hand, mouthing the word "ow" repeatedly. When the door flew open, a human shorter than Alex stood there, blocking entry to the room. Their coverings were different from Alex's. The leg ones were black instead of blue, even though the material looked similar, if not the same. The top half of what they were wearing was gray with the words "Science: It's like Magic but Real" on it. The top piece was much looser than Alex's, tucked into the waist area of the lower covering. Given the looseness of the material, Ro couldn't properly gauge the size of the mammaries to figure if they were female or male but he assumed male, as the size appeared to be much smaller than Alex's. His mane was the shiny color of exposed electrical wires, like the kind Ro very much needed to fix before trying any electricity in the second bedroom, cut short and swept towards the left of his head.

"I'm in the middle of something," he said, his voice raspy, as if he'd not had water to drink for some time. "Can this wait?"

Rather than answer, Alex motioned off to the side towards Ro.

Half lifting his eyes from Alex's face, just barely turning his head, Ro almost phased into hiding when the human's tired gaze suddenly became sharp and focused on him.

"A Rotom," he whispered, staggering out from the room, letting the door shut behind him as Alex moved aside. "You found one?" He gave a dry laugh that was close to a wheeze. "Stupid question, of course you did."

Ro barely managed to stay still, tucking his chin and turning his head to the side, avoiding the male human's gaze while still trying to keep him in his peripheral, wanting to know if he needed to dart away suddenly.

"Ro is here visiting," Alex said. "To see if they'd like to work here."

A small frown formed on the male's lips. "They're not employed here yet?" His attention finally dragged away from Ro and back to Alex, his shoulders sagging as he did so.

[No, not yet.] Azad said, giving a soft growl. [Though Alex did explain some of what we're working on and how he might play a part in it.]

"That wasn't a good idea," he said, the frown cutting more deeply on his face.

"Who're they going to tell?" Alex's said, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Plus, it made them interested enough to come and see for themselves."

The two humans locked their gazes, stances stiff. Ro wondered for a moment if the two might suddenly leap at each other, battling for dominance, when the male averted his gaze for the briefest moment back towards Ro.

"No risk, no reward," he said finally, the groves on his face smoothing out though the frown was still lingering.

"Why don't you go and give Ro an idea of what they'd be doing, if they were working here?" Alex encouraged, gesturing towards the sealed off room. "That way, they can think about things while I do some research for them."

"Research?" The male's tone brightened.

"Nothing so fun as science, I'm afraid," Alex said, her smile adding a tone of mirth to her words. "Just a bit of odds and ends to see what might be a fair compromise for our friend, here."

The male gave an absent bob of his head, his gaze flicking again to Ro before back to Alex.

"Whatever your findings are, for compensation, triple it," he said, his voice firm.

Alex closed her eyes, taking her time opening them. When she did, she spoke in a tight voice. "We don't even know what a fair rate would be, yet."

"And, whatever it is, triple it," he repeated, once more meeting her gaze. "We need them."

Ro wavered, moving a little closer while making sure not to hover over Azad. He was still fuzzy on the value of human currency but did know that one apple suddenly becoming three would be a lot of apples. That this human would think him worth so much, without even seeing what he was capable of, made a small part of his fears loosen and he brightened.

Whoops, a little too much given the way Azad and the humans were suddenly wincing and turning their heads away from him, the two humans breaking off their staring contest as they did so.

[I don't have anyone I'd tell about your science things,] Ro offered, figuring Alex and Azad knew as much from seeing the state of his home. [Even if I did, I wouldn't say anything.]

The male squinted at him, making Ro wonder if he was still shining too brightly, before muttering, "Well, Pokemon are known to be far more truthful than humans." He folded his arms, lightly rapping his fingers just above his elbow, several furrows appearing above his brow. "I suppose there's little harm in it."

Ro clapped his bolts together. [Thank you, sir! You won't regret it!]

The humans startled, as if they'd been stung. Confused, Ro looked down at his bolts but didn't think he'd released any static just then. Glancing towards Azad, wanting to make sure he hadn't accidentally shocked anyone and figuring the Luxray would know best, Alex made a soft sound that had Ro turning towards her.

"Ah, Ro..." Alex's eyes darted towards the other human, who was oddly still and silent. "I should have introduced you properly. This is Merah."

Ro tilted his head, momentarily lost.

[Merah is a female,] Azad said, keeping his voice soft enough the humans couldn't hear him.

[O-oh! Oh!] Ro turned quickly from Azad to Alex to Merah to Azad then back to Merah again, flailing his bolts in the air. [I'm so sorry! Very sorry!]

He zipped as close as he dared towards Merah, wanting to make sure she could see he was being earnest with his apology while still making sure he avoided accidently zapping her.

[I'm not very good at identifying genders, you see, especially for humans!] He could feel his plasma heating in embarrassment. [Pokemon usually have different fur colors or variations in their body mass that I can use to identify their genders, like Azad's longer mane, but humans, regardless of their gender, seem to have different fur types, lengths, body types, and, well-] Ro cut himself off, realizing he was starting to sound panicked and he drifted closer to the floor, fiddling with his bolts. [It makes it very hard to tell.]

Merah's fingers no longer tapped against her elbow, instead gripping it tightly enough that Ro was far more concerned over her hurting herself, given humans were notoriously weaker than the majority of Pokemon.

Lifting his gaze from her arm to her brass patina eyes, eyes that were avoiding looking at him, Ro spoke slowly and with the utmost scenarity he could, [I am really and truly sorry, Merah, for my mistake. I hope you can forgive me.]

Her body seemed to grow even stiffer for a moment before she released a breath and her shoulders relaxed, her eyes blinking once before moving to look at him.

"Rotom are genderless, is that right?" she asked, her arms gradually unfolding.

[I guess?] Ro felt his brow wrinkle, uncertain where she was going with this. [I go into things, like a plug, so I always thought I was male.] Deciding to consult another male, he turned to Azad. [Isn't that how it works? If I was a socket, things would be getting plugged into me and then I'd be female.]

The Luxray snorted, the noise sounding as though it'd been ripped unexpectedly out of him. He began to grin, opening his mouth to say something before a sudden sharp glare from Alex made him pause.

"Don't you dare!" she said, pointing a finger at him.

Azad's mouth opened wider and Alex's glare sharpened.

"Not. One. Word. Azad."

Azad closed his mouth but kept grinning to himself, as though he'd caught an Oricorio or something.

When Alex clamped her mouth shut, refusing to explain further, Ro looked to Merah. She had her eyes closed, leaving Ro to wonder if he'd said something wrong or misunderstood something, before realizing that her lips, while pinched, were unable to hide her smile. Opening her eyes, she gave a slight shake of her head.

"I suppose, given your reasoning for choosing your own gender, it's not hard to imagine that you might make a mistake gauging someone else's," she said, not laughing outright despite the humor woven along her words.

[Well, it made sense to me,] Ro muttered, feeling as if he was missing a joke of some kind.

"It does," Merah agreed easily enough, moving her hand into her pocket to pull out her badge. "It's even scientific, in a way."

Ro perked up at that, knowing his logic hadn't been flawed.

Touching her badge to the pad by the door, the light flipped to green and the lock unlatched.

"Why don't you come in, Ro, and I'll show you some of what I've been working on?" Merah pushed open the door, holding it open for him.

"Yes," Alex said, her words a little clipped. "Why don't you do that while Azad and I go research that information for you."

Ro would have been worried if Alex had spoken his name like that but Azad only gave a smug smile, his tail curling in the air.

[Oh, okay then,] Ro said, a little unsure about leaving the two behind.

Alex's expression lightened as she smiled at him. "Don't worry, we'll come back for you at the end of the day and take you home, okay?"

Ro gave a bob, feeling a bit better, before floating into the room.

Like the outer area, the ceiling was exposed. There were four large tables with wooden tops and metal legs, two empty while another had a blue mat on it with various bags filled with metallic looking pieces and the last had a cloth covering almost all of it. The farthest table, with the cloth, was surrounded by a 90 degree angle of cabinets, the tops of the counter space having many smaller boxes with drawers that he assumed had more bits and pieces in them. Two smaller desks were against a set of large metal cabinets, behind which he could just make out another desk with a hutch and more desk space beyond that with cabinets over it. A white board was on the wall with markings of green, red, and blue scribbled over it.

Shutting the door behind her, Merah waited, giving him a chance to look things over, before walking towards the farthest table.

"The other two who work here are at a robotics seminar," she said, "so it'll just be you, me, and Sparkles."

[Sparkles?] Ro asked, not seeing anyone else in the room.

Taking a corner of the cloth in hand, Merah yanked the material up and over, a sudden shine catching his eye.

There, on the table, far more detailed than the drawings Alex had shown to him, was an insectoid Pokemon. If not for their talk and the eerily still way it held itself, Ro might have thought it a living Pokemon.

Circling it, making sure he was out of range of touching it, Ro tried to match what he'd seen on paper with the model he was seeing now.

[The antennae actually work to send and receive radio waves, is that right?] he asked, looking at the antennae sticking out of the head.

"Pretty clever, huh?" Merah said, her smile wide. "Antennae that work as antennas."

[The wings,] Ro said, looking at how thin and fine they were. [They absorb sunlight and convert it to energy?]

Merah nodded. "Yup! Solar power." She gave a little frown. "It did mean we couldn't make the wings as translucent as a living Frosmoth's but it's the biggest surface area and made the most sense, designwise."

Ro could see how the legs worked, splayed out as they were. Rather than one piece, they were made up of two with the ligaments between them acting as a joint that would most likely flex with an electric current. The body itself was a shiny white color, its abdomen having clear lines defining each segment that made up the larger piece. He knew, from reading, that the "crystal" in the forehead was actually a camera and the eyes a visual display screen for its Rotom pilot. The vast majority of the design made perfect sense to Ro except...

[Why is it fluffy?] he asked, pointing to thick looking fur around the neck.

"That, good sir, is the most important part!" Merah reached a hand forward, sinking her fingers into the scruff. "Frosmoth all have a thick muff of fur around their neck which is super soft and fluffy."

Ro nodded his head, following along.

"So Sparkles needed to have an equally super soft and fluffy scruf!"

Ro waited but Merah didn't add anything else, just ruffling her fingers through the fur.

[That's it?] he asked, feeling like there ought to be more.

"Well, that, and it hides the exhaust," Merah shrugged. "But the fluffiness is really the most important thing."

Ro wasn't entirely sold on the fluffiness factor but could see how hiding the exhaust was important, if you wanted it to look like a real Pokemon. Finally pulling her hand away, Merah bent down, retrieving a thin casing from under the table. Ro watched as she opened the rectangular device, revealing a screen on the upper side and a series of keys on the lower. Ro suspected this might be a computer, just different from the kind he remembered seeing on the television. Using a wire that was already plugged into the computer, Merah tipped Sparkles' head up and squeezed its cheeks in, causing the mouth to pop open. Pulling a cover open inside the roof of the mouth, she connected the wire in place before turning on the device with a press of a button.

Hovering, Ro floated just behind her shoulder, wanting to see what she was doing but not wanting to be so rude as to directly hover over her. Merah clicked on several things and so many letters, numbers, and symbols flowed across the screen that Ro couldn't even try to make sense of it.

A movement made him look up from the screen. Sparkles' eyes were glowing, emitting light instead of just reflecting it. The wings lifted from their half open position, stretching fully up then gradually down. The right antenna bobbed, then the left. The legs gave a wiggle, one at a time, before pushing Sparkles up into a standing position. After that, its eyes dimmed.

"That's the most I can do without a Rotom," Merah said, turning away from Sparkles to look at him. "This is why I need you."

[It seemed like it was working okay,] Ro said, not sure what he was missing.

"That's just a diagnostic run, to make sure things are working," Merah sighed, running a hand through her hair. As short as it was, the majority of it fell back into place. "Sparkles can be piloted, limitedly, through a computer program with a human on the other end but it's not the same." Her fingers lightly tapped against the table. "There's a lag between responses, for one, and the movements are more jerky, less refined." She frowned in Sparkles' direction. "It just doesn't look right. And, if it doesn't look right to me," she pointed to herself before waving her hand. "Then how would it look to another Pokemon?"

Ro had to admit, if a human could pick up on something wrong, a Pokemon (with the exception of perhaps a Slowpoke) most definitely could.

[What is it you'd want me to do?] he asked, knowing a little from his talk with Alex and Azad but not entirely sure.

"For now?" Merah put her fingers over the keyboard, typing so quickly that Ro couldn't make out the exact keys she typed, only that they were letters. "I want to make sure that the motor and electrical system I installed are substantial enough to house a Rotom and their plasma." She gave a huff before muttering. "All I need is for Sparkles to suddenly turn orange."

[Are you sure I wouldn't damage it?] Ro asked, floating closer. He peered into Sparkles' blue eyes; his own discolored reflection staring back at him.

"I took into account the standard amount of electricity housed within a Rotom's body and multiplied it, extensively, for the housing, motor, and wires," Merah said, looking up from her screen. "If you do, it'd be something I did wrong, not you."

[Did you want me to-] Ro cut off, the answer evident from the way Merah's eyes lit up and a smile spread, easing away several lines of tension along her face.

"I'd really appreciate it," she said, a note of desperation in her words. "You don't know how long I've been looking for a partner to help me with this."

Ro rubbed his bolts together, turning to hide the sudden flicker of energy he felt forming around his face. Partner sounded much better than "scary ghost." Giving a light clap of his bolts, a few sparks forming then vanishing, he readied himself by moving to hover directly over Sparkles.

Examining the Frosmoth and seeing no identifiable point of entry, Ro finally just decided to enter it like he would his mower. Leaping upward, he arched down, phasing at the same time he entered Sparkles.

For a moment, it was similar to entering his mower. There was the usual bit of resistance, just enough to let him know he'd crossed the barrier from "outside Sparkles" to "inside Sparkles." Then, an odd sensation not unlike pouring water from a pitcher. His awareness spread outward, a growing puddle that stretched thinner and thinner until his consciousness touched upon what he assumed was the motor Merah had mentioned. Like a sponge, he was absorbed into the housing, becoming one with Sparkles.

That was where the similarities ended.

When he was a mower, he couldn't feel, per se, when a rock chipped his blade, though he might feel the vibrations of it doing so. There was no pain if his wheel was punctured by a nail, nor if he scraped too close to the stones that marked the now desolate flowerbeds. There was, at best, an acknowledgement that something had happened and that was it.

As Sparkles, Ro could feel the weight of his own wings where they attached to his shoulders as well as each of his six legs and his antennae. A moment later, just as the sensory overload of all those limbs was about to send him into a panic, his vision suddenly "clicked" on, blue like a summer's sky forming in front of him, tinting the entire room. Without meaning to, he blinked, his vision temporarily gone until his eyes opened again. Then, intentionally, he closed the left eyelid, opened it, then closed the right one, and opened it.

Something entered the right side of his vision and he turned but whatever it was turned with him. Puzzled, he moved his head back only for it to still follow him.

"You might be seeing the startup script or the status script."

Ro's wings flapped, startled, as Merah's words reverberated inside his head.

"Try not to move so much," she said, her tone calm enough that Ro listened. "I'd really rather you not fly off the table and take my laptop with you."

Ro tried to say something but, while Sparkles' mouth moved, no sound came out. At that, Merah frowned.

"Hang on just a moment, Ro," she said, holding up her hand before using both to type a series of keys in the laptop.

While Ro waited, he tried moving his eyes down and to the right, without moving his head. He had much better success, this time, and was able to read a few lines like "Vision: On," "Temp: Ideal," and, as he was watching, "Speaker: Off" changed to "Speaker: On."

"I'm going to leave the wire in for now, to monitor things, so when you talk try not to shut your mouth all the way, okay?"

[Okay.] Ro felt his antennae lift, hearing his own voice coming out of Sparkles.

From the slight vibrations his eyelashes picked up (a sensor of some kind?) he felt like it originated from within Sparkles' mouth. While the jaw moved, it was more of a muscle reflex on Ro's part than an actual need, given Sparkles' lack of vocal cords and lungs. Intrigued by this, Ro tried moving the mouth without speaking then tried speaking without moving the mouth. He'd almost gotten a hold of the latter when Merah interrupted.

"It looks like the audio is working okay, since you're able to speak and hear me," Ro gave a slight nod of his head, mindful of the wire. "You should be able to run some of Sparkles' programming, like flight, but that will be for another day."

[I can fly?] Ro asked, Sparkles' wings lifting as if to do just that before Ro forcefully lowered them.

"In theory," Merah said, drawing a breath before letting it leave as a sigh. "It's one of the things we couldn't test without a Rotom... While I can make the program to tell the wings how to beat in sync and move, Sparkles alone is too heavy to move in the air."

Ro tilted his head, a little surprised by the smooth motion, having expected something maybe a bit more jerky or limited.

[How does a Rotom make a difference?] he asked, lifting Sparkles' right, front most foot. This one, he found, had a sort of heart shaped paw on the end. A "hand," maybe, since the other two legs on the right side had more pointed endings.

"Because of your plasma," Merah answered, sounding as if she was surprised he didn't know that. "When you possess an object with a specialized motor in it, not only can you pilot it but you can extend your plasma around it to make it fly."

[I never tried flying as a mower,] he admitted. [I'm not sure I'd be very good at it with Sparkles.]

Merah smiled from over the computer screen. "Well, that's a ways off. I expect it should be fairly similar to how you normally move around just, well, with a costume on."

[So the flying program...] he trailed off, experimenting with opening and closing his right mit. [Is so that it looks more realistic?]

"Lifelike," she said, nodding. "It'd be kind of odd to see a Frosmoth flying without moving its wings, right?"

Ro laughed at the idea of Frosmoth zipping through the air without flapping its wings, thinking it might be fun to try once, to see the expressions on people and Pokemon's faces.

He almost missed the small smile Merah made, as if she was imagining the same thing, before she turned back to the laptop, typing something on it.

[Is there anything else I should do?] he asked.

"No," Merah answered, sounding a little distracted as her fingers paused, her eyes scanning whatever was on the screen. "You're doing great."

Ro felt a little odd, just standing there doing nothing, but he figured Merah knew what she wanted and wouldn't question it again. While she remained engrossed in whatever the screen was showing her, Ro tried tilting his head again. Once more, the smoothness of the motion surprised him. While the mower really only had a blade and wheels that moved, they were something Ro didn't really control outside of "go" and "stop". Sparkles had many more parts that could move and, Ro confirmed with an antenna, move faster or slower, depending on what he wanted them to do. How he'd control them all in a way that looked "lifelike" was a bit beyond him.

"That's weird," Merah muttered, standing up and walking around to stand beside Sparkles. "It looks like some of the sensors might not be responding correctly." Before Ro could warn her not to touch him, to keep herself from getting shocked, Merah was brushing her fingers against Sparkles' abdomen. "Does that register?"

The sudden sensation made him jerk, Sparkles' wings snapping up and closed, a futile attempt to jerk away.

"Oh, shit." Merah yanked her hand back. "That didn't hurt or something, did it? It wasn't supposed to."

[N-no,] Ro said, turning Sparkles' head to try and get a better look at what Merah was doing, more concerned that she'd been hurt, but not really able to with the wire in his mouth. [I just... wasn't expecting it.]

"Oh, thank Arceus," Merah said, releasing the words with a long sigh.

[Why could I feel that?] Ro asked, wings twitching. [It's not like that when I'm a mower.]

Merah moved around the table so Ro could see her while she talked, without having to turn his neck so far. "We designed Sparkles with sensors, like a simplified nervous system. Basically, the system runs throughout the body and processes input from, well, touch. So if, for example, you're flying too low and a wing brushes a tree you know not to go lower."

[Is it going to hurt?] Ro asked, lowering his wings slightly as the shock passed.

Merah frowned, creases appearing along her brow. The longer she stayed silent, the more Ro began to worry.

"That's... complicated to answer," she said finally, her frown still pulling at the corners of her lips as she spoke. "It may, at one point."

[Why would you make it hurt?!] Ro almost wailed, very much wanting to abandon Sparkles at that admission.

"Well," Merah said, holding up her index finger. "For one thing, pain and pleasure are two sides of the same coin."

Ro remained silent, confused by the relevance of that.

She held up a second finger. "Two, if you recall my example with flying and the trees, if your wing brushed the treetops, it might feel good, if it was just the leaves or such, right? If it wasn't too hard or something."

Ro was still a bit confused but could at least see the logic in that so he gave a slight nod, still mindful of the wire in his mouth.

"Okay, but, what if," Merah said, using both hands to gesture while speaking. "Instead of lightly brushing the treetops you actually hit it really hard? Hard enough to damage the wing? BUT," she said, holding up a finger again, "it felt the same as if you had only brushed the treetops because there was no distinguishing factor between what felt good and what would hurt. Or, if there was no sensor and you didn't feel anything and kept trying to fly lower because you hadn't realized?"

[Couldn't you just make the status script say that without making me feel that?!] Ro asked, still not liking the idea.

Merah was shaking her head. "I thought of that," she said, "there's a problem."

[What?] Ro asked, certain that no problem could be insurmountable enough to warrant feeling any measure of pain.

Merah's lips pinched before she looked thoughtful and gave a nod. "Alright, let's experiment."

Ro jerked back, uncaring of the wire in his mouth this time. [It's not going to hurt, is it?]

"No," Merah said firmly before wavering. "Well, not so long as all the sensors are working as they should, which they should be because I tested them all but, again, there's only so much we can test without you."

That left Ro less than enthused but nothing had hurt so far so he was willing to try her suggestion.

"Just a second," she said, moving over to the cabinets and squatting down.

When she stood up, she had a blue feather duster in her hand. With a quick motion, she plucked a feather from it, discarding the duster and moving back towards him.

"We'll do this." She waited, as if expecting him to understand, before explaining further. "I'll just use this feather. We can test with the sensors on and with the sensors off. We can turn off Sparkles' vision during the test so you can't say where you feel it by seeing what I'm doing and we can test the reaction times."

While Ro didn't like the idea of being in the dark, he had to admit that it seemed like a straightforward test and a feather was a lot better than a needle or stick or something. Still, he cast a dubious look at Merah and the feather.

"If you don't feel comfortable, at any time, we'll stop," Merah said, her tone soft but firm. "All you have to do is say the word."

[What word?] Ro asked, wondering if there was some secret word he was unaware of.

Merah gave a light cough, the curve of her lips making Ro think she might have been covering a laugh but he couldn't figure out what the joke was.

"Well, usually 'no' or 'stop' but you could use something like 'artichoke' or 'snowdrop,' if you wanted, too," she offered, sliding around the table to be back at the front where the computer was.

[Snowdrop,] Ro repeated, not quite sure what that was but liking the sound of it.

Merah made a small sound of agreement. "You say that and I'll stop what I'm doing immediately, okay?" She held the feather up. "This is the only thing I'll be using, nothing else."

[Okay,] he agreed, raising up one of Sparkles' mitts to point as best he could at her. [But you promise to stop if I say 'snowdrop'.]

Merah's pale patina eyes, a more vivid green from the blue pigment of Sparkles' tinted display, met his as she crouched down to be level with his head.

"I promise, Ro," she said, keeping her focus solely on him. "I will stop the moment you tell me to and even sooner, if I think something's wrong."

At his nod she waited, as if assessing that he really did mean it was okay, before giving a slight nod of her own.

"I think the best way to measure the speed of your response with the sensors versus the program's feedback with the sensors is by having you raise your hand."

Ro didn't understand how it would do anything but helpfully raised his right mitt.

"Exactly that," she said, a smile forming around her words. "So, when you feel the feather, I'd like you to raise your hand."

Ro put his hand back down, giving a slight nod.

"And," she said, "when you see the script saying a sensor activated, you'll also raise your hand."

[Okay,] Ro agreed, a little unsure how that would help.

"I'll keep a record of how long it takes for you to respond," she said, glancing up before going back to the screen, the sound of the keys being struck following. "For the test, I am going to lock the wings and legs in place, if that's okay? I don't want you to flail and hurt yourself."

[I'll still be able to use my arms?]

"Yes," Merah confirmed, striking a few more keys before stopping.

[And the audio will still work?]

"Yup, not going to do a thing to the audio," Merah said, standing up and back. From the way her arm moved and the sound of rolling wheels, Ro thought she was opening a drawer just under the table. "Nor the head, so if you do say something and think it's not working you can move your head or arms."

The rolling wheel sound and a small thud made Ro think she'd closed the drawer, a pad of paper and a pen now in her hand.

"I'm going to turn off the external vision, which means you won't see outside of Sparkles but you will see the status information via the internal vision," she said, though she made no move towards the computer just yet. "Are you ready or would you like a break?"

Ro thought about that then gave a slight shake of his head. [I don't need a break, I'm ready.]

"Do you have any other questions, before we start?"

Ro considered.

[I don't think so,] he finally replied.

Merah gave a slight nod, moving towards the computer finally. She didn't sit this time, just hovered over it.

"And your word for me to stop?" she asked, her gaze locking with his.

[Snowdrop!] he replied, glad to have an answer for her.

Merah's smile was deep enough that dimples formed on her cheeks, the small indents fascinating Ro even after he heard her say "Here we go!" and the blue vision clicked out into nearly complete blackness.

Again, there was a swirl of panic before Ro realized there wasn't entire blackness. At the lower right, words formed and vanished, repeating in a loop after so long.

"Doing okay, Ro?" Merah's soft voice asked, causing his left antenna to swivel in her direction.

[Yes.]

"Okay," she said, the sound of a page of paper turning followed by the scritching of a pen. "I'm going to start now. Test one."

Ro heard Merah moving, the sound of her clothes just loud enough that he could sense about where she was. Even still, it was startling when he felt something--the feather--stroking along the edge of his left wing.

His right arm flew up, Merah making a small sound of acknowledgement before the pen moved again on the page and Ro lowered his mitt.

"Alright," Merah said, moving again. There was a click of a computer key before she moved again. "Test two."

Fully expecting that the sensor would be off this time, Ro internally jumped when he felt the feather brush the upper part of his right wing.

Mitt shooting upward, he stammered out, [Weren't you going to turn off the sensors?]

Merah made a soft hum as she wrote in her notepad again. "Well, the problem with that is you'd be expecting it, if I went back and forth between the two." There were sounds of her moving back to the laptop and another key click. "Unfortunately, I have to manually turn the system on and off so I'll have to vary when I actually hit the key or not, so as to have your responses as unbiased as possible."

Ro lowered his mitt, his antennae swiveling as they followed Merah's movements behind him. He was a little less surprised when the feather brushed against his left back leg; though, if not for the limbs being locked, he would have jerked it away to escape the whisper of touch that went from his foot along the actual leg.

Having barely realized he'd raised his mitt, Ro lowered it when he heard Merah moving back to the computer and the key clicked.

"Still doing okay?" she asked, her voice moving and stopping at his left side.

[Yes,] he answered, bracing for another tickle of sensation.

When nothing happened, he found himself puzzled. Given how the last three went, he should have felt something by now. With his "eyes closed", so to speak, Ro focused on the wording on the lower right and saw that some of it had changed to say "Sensor Active: #4530".

[Oh, sorry!] he said, raising his mitt in realization. [I didn't notice that it'd changed.]

"That's okay," Merah said, her tones soothing enough that Ro believed her. "That's part of why we're testing this. Not to mention," she said, a playfulness in her voice. "It's your first day being Sparkles, after all. Even humans need to test and study to drive cars and planes and what not. Sparkles is waaaay more complex than all that!"

Merah sounded pleased at that, rather than disappointed. Lowering his mitt yet again, Ro kept "an eye" on the internal screen and raised his mitt faster when it changed to "Sensor Active: #2034".

"Good job!" Merah said, writing the results once more.

[Just out of curiosity,] Ro asked, putting his mitt back down. [How many sensors are there?]

Merah held still, a sound making him think she was tapping her pen on the notepad.

"That's a really good question," she said, almost mumbling it to herself. Louder, she answered, "I'm actually not sure the exact number."

Ro turned his head, Sparkles' head turning in response.

[How do I know which sensor is active, if I can't feel it?]

"They're numbered," Merah answered but spoke slowly, as if uncertain. "But... well, shoot." It sounded like Merah set down the pad and pen down. "How would you know which sensor number is which part of Sparkles' body?"

Ro hesitated, not sure if he was supposed to answer or not. [I... wouldn't?]

He was worried that was the wrong answer or that Merah was upset, from the stillness and silence, when her sharp bark of a laugh made him relax.

"See?!" she said, even though, no, Ro couldn't see. "This is why I need you! I didn't even consider that!"

Ro felt his plasma circulating faster, through Sparkles' wiring, a tightness coiling around his middle as he fought to keep from zipping out to expend the sudden rush of energy he had. The text blinked and changed, a low hum coming from Sparkles' as the wording scrolling read: "Exhaust: On" and, within a few moments, Ro felt the urge to dart out receding, his plasma cooling as the heat was pushed out and the status changed back to "Off".

"It would be ridiculous to have you memorize each sensor number and corresponding location," Merah went on, giving a groan and ruffling what he thought was her hair, from the sound. "That would definitely make things slower than the sensory input and means it's pointless to try and test which is faster, your own senses or the computer's, if you don't know which areas are being touched."

[It does?] he asked, a little uncertain.

"Yeah," Merah answered, the sliding of wheels and creak of the chair placing her back at the computer before she even began pushing keys. "I mean, if your wing got stuck on something and all you got was 'Sensor Active' and a number, how would you know it was your wing and not a leg or something?"

[I wouldn't,] Ro said, a bit more confident in his answer.

Ro didn't hear anything for a moment and thought maybe Merah had nodded before remembering he couldn't see.

"Exactly!" There was a clapping sound, before a flurry of keystrokes thundered through the air. "So I'll need to make something with our software department for the internal visual display, like a little Frosmoth silhouette that highlights with which area is being touched, so you'd know." Her voice dropped, as if she was talking more to herself then to him. "Maybe an overhead view? And a side view? Two side views?"

Her words trailed off, the keys still clacking despite the absence of her voice. When they, too, fell silent, Ro lifted Sparkles' head.

"Well," Merah said, giving a loud sigh. "Since that's a no go for now, would it be okay to just work on testing the sensors themselves? I'm still getting odd readings about some areas and I'd like to make sure they're working correctly."

Ro nodded, the antennae bobbing with the motion.

"Okay," Merah said, the chair wheels rattling over the floor as she pushed it back. From the sound of the chair, she'd stood again. "I'm going to leave all the sensors on this time." She made a series of hums, ending on a longer one before speaking again. "Instead of raising your hand when you feel something, could you raise it if you don't feel anything or if something feels different?"

[Different how?] Ro asked, since all the sensations felt weird to him.

There was a tapping sound, Merah's foot, maybe. It wasn't a rushed noise, more like a thoughtful one.

"I'm really not sure," she finally admitted. "I suppose if it goes from feeling one way to suddenly the opposite, that would be a good one to let me know about. Or maybe if it's a steady sensation and suddenly it feels stronger or weaker?"

[Okay,] Ro said, trying to sound confident while mainly hoping he'd be able to recognize what she was asking, if it happened.

"For this one, would it be okay to use my hands?" Merah asked, sounding almost as unsure as Ro felt. "I'm worried some of the sensors might not pick up the feather, like where the fur is thicker."

Ro thought about that before giving a nod. Really, he couldn't see how her fingers would be so different from the feather.

"Thanks, Ro," she said, voice soft but happy. It made Ro wiggle inside, feeling warm and pleased with himself, even if he didn't understand why.

"I'm going to start now," she said, drawing his focus back to her. "I'm going to start with the right wing."

Ro was going to ask why not turn the external vision on, if she was going to tell him where she was touching anyway, when a light touch along the outer edge of his wing made the thought drift away like a lone snowflake.

The feather, a mere brush of sensation, was laughably different to Merah's steady pressure. This touch didn't make Ro want to squirm away. Starting from the far top edge and working her way along the arch of the wing, inward towards his body, Ro could feel the spots of warmth that made up her fingers. He thought it might be three but they flowed so evenly it was hard to say.

When Merah reached a particular spot, her fingers moved back and forth, stroking the same outer edge before moving slightly inward, towards the bottom lining of the wing. This part, Ro vaguely remembered, wasn't made with solar material. He couldn't think what it was made of, though, especially not when her fingers traced along the underside.

The sensation was shivery, but more intense than the feather had been. He found himself tensing, trying to anticipate where her fingers would go, and failing when they took a sudden turn or dip. Merah was making soft sounds, a mix of hums and sighs, more fingers added until he was sure her whole hand was on the underside of his wing.

"Still okay?" she asked.

[Y-yes,] Ro barely got out, so fixated on the stroking sensation of her hand, moving in a broad wave right and left along his wing.

When she reached the edge, something sparked and he gasped, yanking back. Unfortunately, with Sparkles' wings and legs locked, it was more of his head and arms jerking back and his abdomen flexing.

The touch instantly vanished and Ro was left mentally adrift.

"Did it hurt?" Merah's voice asked, reaching out to him and allowing him to hold on. "Do you want to stop?"

[No,] he said, trying to relax as he shook his head; Sparkles' head. [It didn't hurt... there was just a lot of sensation, when you touched it.]

"That makes sense," Merah said, after a moment. "I put more sensors along the bottom edges of the wings, thinking they'd be more likely to get caught on something." He felt the warmth of her hand suddenly along the top of his right wing and his arms twitched, again reacting in what capacity he could for surprise. "I can leave that area alone, if you want?"

Her hand moved in a slow stroke, from where it connected at his body down towards the outer curve. When she lifted it, she moved back to repeat the motion.

[I'll be fine,] he said. [It... was just a lot stronger than I was expecting. Like, a lot of lights turning on at once.]

There was a soft laugh, one that made him feel good instead of ashamed for the example. Her hand kept repeating the same motion a few more times before drifting down, moving from the top of the arch of the wing and towards the thinner bottom.

This time, Ro was anticipating and bracing for the sudden shock of sensation, certain he wouldn't be caught unaware. Either he was mistaken or the way Merah's hand spread open, lifting so that Ro felt each of her fingers and her thumb, was different enough it made the spark stronger. Trying to hold himself together, Ro felt his plasma pulsing through Sparkles' wiring, as steady as a heartbeat. She was whispering words, either asking if he was okay or reassuring him he was, before her fingers ghosted along the upper edge of the wing while her thumb stroked along the bottom.

The overload of sensation was enough to make the exhaust kick on again but, from the heat he was feeling, Ro doubted it'd be able to cool him off as easily as it had the last time.

"I'm going to try the left wing," Merah said, her voice still soft. "The right one seems to be working fine."

[Y-yes,] Ro agreed, sighing internally, thankful for the short reprieve of touch while Merah moved to the other side of the table.

It was short lived, however, when she started this time at the bottom of the wing.

Ro twisted and squirmed within Sparkles' core, the touch of Merah's fingers almost too much as she traced the thin bottom of the wing, toying between the upper layer and the bottom. He lifted Sparkles' head, the antennae flattening back as the mouth opened uselessly, the exhausts already doing their best to cool him.

"This section here feels a little off," Merah said, her thumb rubbing over the outer edge of the wing. "How does it feel to you?"

[A... a little muted,] Ro admitted, getting the sense of where she was touching but not as strongly as the others.

"I'm going to squeeze a little harder, give it a pinch. " she said, clarifying. "Let me know how it feels?"

She waited just long enough for Ro to give an acknowledgement before pressing her thumb and finger together over the wing, the sensation sharper than the others. With a gasp, Ro raised his mitt, waving it in the air for her attention.

[That-] he cut off, not really sure now, as the feeling faded with her removing the pressure, if it'd hurt or not. [Felt stronger,] he finally said, not quite certain that was a clear enough answer for her.

"I'll make sure to check that spot later," Merah said, maybe disappointed or annoyed, Ro wasn't quite sure. "It might be that the sensor needs replacing."

Ro offered a sound of condolence, lowering his mitt and relaxing up until Merah's hand was back on his wing. While her hands glided over and under the wing, moving in sync with each other, he allowed himself to be lulled by her touch and by the soft sounds she made. Even though he couldn't see, the little "tsks" or "hmms" she made reassured him, as did the gentle strokes of her hands. When she lifted them, it took him a moment to come out of the peaceful fog his mind was in.

"I'm going to try the abdomen now," she said, the warmth of her hands hovering along his shell until he gave a soft sigh of understanding.

His sigh became a drawn out hiss, the gentle heat of her fingers becoming searing on contact. While not entirely painful, there was something sharp about the heat.

Her fingers flinched at his hiss, pulling away, as if fearful to touch.

[It didn't hurt,] he said, answering before she could ask. [It was just hotter than my wings.]

"Hotter?" Merah murmured, sounding perplexed. "The sensors shouldn't be able to pick up hot or cold. Not those ones, anyway."

Ro made an indifferent sound, more concerned with the fact that her fingers were still not touching him. Thankfully, unlike his wings, his abdomen was able to move and he was able to arch it up into her hands.

She might have laughed but Ro wasn't sure over the sound of his sigh, her fingers once more tracing along his abdomen. When she spread her hands out, he closed his eyes, no longer seeing the scrolling letters as the darkness held him almost as dearly as Merah's hands caressed him. The heat of her hands made him want to roll over so she could stroke the middle of his chest and lower abdomen, but, thankfully, with his legs locked he couldn't do that and potentially damage his wings. Instead, all he could do was just remain where he was, his abdomen unconsciously flexing in her hands as she moved them, cocooned in a heat the exhaust fans had yet to diminish.

"Going okay so far?" she asked, making Ro realize he hadn't said anything since she'd started.

[Yes,] he answered, going still as her hands traced down the sides of his abdomen, almost brushing the underside of it.

"I'll have to test the underside with you at a later point," she said, sounding apologetic. "My arms are only so long and I'd rather not try to stand on my tip toes or lay on the table with my arms stretched out, just to reach the entirety of your belly."

While that made sense, Ro couldn't help but feel disappointed, especially as her hands pulled away.

"We can test the legs next," she said, the sound of her clothes making him twitch as she was now at his right side instead of behind him. "The back one, first."

Even though she said that, her fingers didn't quite start where he thought they would. He thought she'd start from the end tip and work her way to his body when, instead, her fingers stroked along where his legs attached to his abdomen.

"Next time," she murmured, "we'll have to leave your legs unlocked, so you can try moving them. This time, I'll move them for you."

Ro didn't understand what she meant until he felt her fingers flow from his abdomen down along the sides of his leg. Rather than a loose touch, her fingers wrapped around his leg, one hand remaining on the upper half of his leg, the other resting below the joint on the lower half. Very gradually, she flexed the joint, helping extend the lower half of his leg up and outward.

"This part might be a little sensitive," she said, just before her fingers brushed along the back of the joint, sending a tremble along Ro's body and making his plasma move even quicker.

[J-just a little,] he said, certain if his legs were unlocked he'd have jerked away, the barest brush of her fingers there oddly overwhelming.

"Mm, I thought so," she said, her fingers still grazing the area, touching it as lightly as the feather. "The ligaments, while strong, are more flexible than the exoskeleton. You'll have to be careful not to overextend them either, though you should get a warning before that point."

Ro wondered if they might snap if he over extended them, imagining them to only have so much give, when Merah lifted his leg higher and out further. For a moment, a cold chill ran along his spine, somewhat cooling his plasma, and his eyes opened to watch the internal display, thinking she might be about to show him what would happen if he overextended the limb. However, it never got to a point of pain. If anything, the gentle pressure she applied while stretching his leg out felt oddly pleasant. Maybe not so much as her stroking along his wings but, when she bent and extended it again, it did have its own sort of appeal.

"Still doing okay?" Merah asked, after bending his leg back into position.

[Yes,] he answered, momentarily disappointed he lacked the ability to lift his next leg for her. It'd have been a nice way to help.

"Okay," she said, her fingers touching his next leg in much the same way they had the first. "Let me know if you need a break or..." She trailed off. "Food?" Her touch grew almost as hesitant as her words. "Do you eat food? Or need water?"

[I've never needed to,] Ro said, trying to speak clearly as she stretched out his leg, the pleasant pulling sensation making it hard to do so. [I, uuuuh, I wouldn't mind trying it thoooough, I guess.]

"Is there anything you'd like to try, in particular?" she asked, bending and stretching his leg once more, causing his thoughts to short. It wasn't until she'd already finished putting his right leg back, walked around, and nearly finished the left side that he'd realized he hadn't answered.

[When the television worked, there was this thing called "family dinner",] he said, trying to recall exactly what the half screen of static had shown as her hands enveloped his leg, giving a squeeze. [There were a lot of different dishes on the table and it looked pretty good, from what I could see.]

Merah was oddly quiet and Ro wondered if she'd never seen a family dinner and didn't know what he was talking about.

He was going to ask her when she repositioned his last leg, saying softly, "I'm going to work on your right arm now."

[Okay,] he said, a little confused by the hushed tone of her voice.

Lifting his arm for her, mindful to go slowly and only so high since he only had a vague notion of where she was standing, he mulled that over. Or, at least, tried to. When her hands took his, giving his mitt a squeeze, Ro couldn't think coherently over the flood of warmth that raced down his arm. Her thumbs, he thought, moved in circles along the inside of his mitts while the rest of her hand cupped the outside.

"The hands are more sensitive here, for when you need to pick things up, so that you can gauge the right pressure," she said, her voice still off.

Rather than the thoughtful yet soft way she'd spoken to him about what she was doing, it was subdued. Though he couldn't see, he thought it sounded, well, colorless.

Lifeless, he suddenly realized.

Something about that didn't feel right to Ro and, before she could fully move her hands, as he could feel she was tensing to do, he squeezed his mitt, holding her thumbs as best he could. While he couldn't do much more than offer a light pressure, given the shape of his mitts, he hoped it would relay his concerns to her.

Merah drew a breath, the exhale of which he could feel teasing along his eyelashes. Her thumbs gave an answering squeeze before she gave a gentle tug and he allowed her to continue sliding her fingers down his arm.

"With the fluff covering your arms, I'm not sure if it'll be more or less sensitive than the rest," she said, helping him relax when he realized her voice sounded steadier. "How does it feel?"

As her fingers slipped past his mitts and into the fluff lining his arms, the feeling of her heat was muted, blocked out by the thick fur. At least, that's what his initial impression was until her fingers sank deeper in. While the heat was less defined, he could still make out the pressure of her fingers as they slid through, working their way towards his body.

She stopped just short of his scruff, her fingers sliding back down his arm.

[Hard to say,] he finally answered. [About the same, when you're touching past the fur, I think.]

"That's great," she said, the smile clear in her voice, easing the slender bit of unease Ro still had. "Better than I'd hoped!"

When her hand gave his a squeeze, Ro felt an odd flutter, one that had nothing to do with the wings on his back.

"Next one," she said, her fingers slipping free.

Putting his right arm down, Ro lifted his left, accidently bumping her hands when he mis-gauged where hers were.

[Sorry,] he said, at the same time she did.

Merah made a little sound of amusement before taking his mitt in her hands again, her thumbs stroking what felt like circles along the insides of his hand. Ro once more closed his eyes, the loop of words once more vanishing as he basked in the feel of her hands moving along his arm.

"I hate to jinx it," she said, while her fingers stroked their way back to his mitt. "But this is going really well so far."

Considering he hadn't felt any intense jolts of pain, Ro was inclined to agree with her.

"I'm going to move on to the head and the antennae next," she said, giving his mitt another squeeze before letting go. "If you can, try to keep your head and mouth still, like you've been doing, so we don't pull the cable out, okay?"

Ro gave the briefest of nods before holding himself still. Not even a moment later, he almost jerked and snapped his mouth shut, the feel of her fingers along the jawline surprising him.

"Is it okay?" she asked, her fingers stroking just under his eyes.

[Y-yeah,] he said, giving a shaky laugh. [Just took me by surprise.]

She gave another hum, her warm touch working from both sides of his jawline down to his chin and back, moving to cradle his head in her hands. From there, she spread her fingers out, dragging them along the top of his head towards her before curving around the base of his antennae.

"This might be a bit strong, like the bottom of the wings," she said. "Basically, for the same reason. They'd be the easiest to get caught on something."

Rather than wrapping her hand around the antennae, Ro felt Merah's fingers lightly skim them, the sensation not unlike that which he'd felt around the leg joints. This time, without his antennae locked in place, they swivelled, dancing away from Merah's touch.

"Did it hurt?" she asked, sounding confused.

[No,] he said, forcing his antennae forward and back towards her hands.

When her palm stroked along the edges of his antennae, her fingers stroking the backside while her thumb grazed the front, the urge to twist away subsided. For some reason, having her touch a wider area of his antennae made the sensitivity not so high; as if it were spread out instead of so intensely focused.

This time, Ro dipped his head, lowering his antennae towards her so that she could reach them better, hoping to entice her into continuing. At her chuckle, it seemed she didn't mind and her hands worked along the opposite side, moving from his head towards the tips.

Once at the highest peak, Merah teased the edges with her thumb and index, an intense sensation racing through him, so strong it was confusing as to if it was painful or pleasurable; his plasma pulsing and heating regardless. Thankfully, it was brief enough he didn't have to raise his hand though it did leave him mystified as to which it was. However, he had to admit, he could now better understand Merah's words of pain and pleasure and the fine line that divided them.

"I'm going to test the most important part next," she said, her words barely registering.

He made a soft sound of protest as her hands pulled away, though the heat of them remained like phantoms, still teasing over his body. Just as he was about to ask her what part she'd be testing next, he almost went dizzy with awareness as her hands sank into his scruff, an array of sensors triggering at once. While it was implausible to imagine that each hair had a sensor, somehow, he could feel her fingers raking through his fluff. In that moment, he would have sworn he could feel her nails dragging through, scrapping past the scruff and against his shell.

"I think it's even better now," she said, her fingers spreading and retracting, working their way deep into his fur. "It's so soft and warm from the exhaust."

She went up, first, one hand on either side of him, stroking through his fur and making his plasma heat. Then, she made her way down, triggering a whole new section of sensors until she was directly under his head. Fingers wide, she ran them from his chest along his sides and to his back, giving a satisfied sigh as she did so.

When her fingers dug in, catching his fluff and tugging, Ro felt his plasma race. The exhaust was unable to cool it, the energy coursing through his entire body, seeking some form of escape. Ro started to feel an edge of panic, certain he was going to overheat, when something along the bottom of his abdomen parted, making a pathway for the heat to funnel out and escape.

"Hmm, that's not supposed to happen."

[What?] Ro asked, not really hearing her the first time.

"The ovipositor seems to have deployed," she said, her fingers slipping out of his fluff. "The sensors in the scruff shouldn't have caused it to pop out like that."

[No?] he asked, too relieved over his plasma having new pathways to travel and cool to bother asking what an "ovipositor" was.

"Well, I guess we can test it while it's out," she said, still sounding perplexed. "I'll have to look into what happened later..."

Ro just gave a murmur, still not following and only half listening, coasting along the residual pleasure of having his fluff tugged and wondering if he might convince her to do it again.

"I used a finer filament within the ovipositor," she said, her voice moving from near his head towards his lower body. "It should be strong enough to flex and help squeeze the camera pods and gel out but I don't know how the sensitivity will feel, compared to the other areas."

Ro made another sound to indicate he was listening when the heat of her hands enveloped the lower half of the pathway his plasma had found, only the thinnest of barriers keeping her from directly touching him.

"The outer casing seems to be holding well," she said, a light hum after her words as she gave a loose tug, stretching what he guessed was the ovipositor before letting it slide back. "The elasticity is about what I'd hoped for... the gel seems to be secreting, a little thicker than it probably should..."

Her hands slipped away, leaving Ro to miss the feel of her touch. There was a shuffling then a small shake that made him think the table had been bumped before the feeling of her hands was once more on him.

"And I said I wasn't going to be half laying on the table," he heard her grumble, feeling her hands adjusting, moving higher now than they had been.

[Does this mean you'll be petting my belly?] he asked, finding himself oddly hopeful.

Her laugh made him feel like zipping around or flapping his wings, pleased that he'd somehow made her happy.

"Your legs are still pretty in the way," she said. "I can probably reach some of it, though."

One hand moved from his ovipositor, touching the part of his abdomen where it had emerged from and stroking around the area with a finger.

"We did good here," she said, tracing the opening. "No sharp edges to catch on and, even though I'm not sure why it popped out so suddenly, I'm glad to see it working."

Ro felt himself wiggling, his abdomen flexing as her finger circled around the opening, brushing the ovipositor in passing. The combination of both sets of sensors signalling made sparks appear behind his eyes. However, other than the words repeating on the internal vision, there were no literal sparks so he didn't think anything was actually short circuiting.

"Still doing okay?" Merah asked, her hand finally straying from the dangerously sensitive area and up along the lower half of his belly, presumably as far as she could reach.

[Yes,] he answered. [Though...] he hesitated before figuring it couldn't hurt to ask. [Why a phallus for putting cameras up?]

Ro couldn't hear Merah laughing but a quick draw of breath and the way her hands suddenly trembled made him think she was.

"It's not a phallus," she said, the mirth rich in her voice. "It's an ovipositor. And it would look more natural for a Frosmoth to lay eggs then to just grab them out of the fluff or from the back or something, right?"

Ro thought that over as both of Merah's hands moved to touch along the underside of his abdomen, tracing the grooves that made up the individual segments of it. It was so pleasantly distracting that it took Ro a few moments to realize something.

[Eggs?] he asked, certain he misheard that.

This time, he heard Merah's little chuckle as her hands moved from the center of his belly down back near the ovipositor.

"Sparkles," she said, a smile playing along her words. "Is a female, too."

Ro turned his head, before the taut wire in his mouth reminded him not to move so much.

[Wait, what?] He gave a very small shake of his head. [But Sparkles plugs into things, right? With the ovipositor?]

"Gender's a bit more complex than that," Merah said, one hand moving to the side of his abdomen and giving a light pat that was oddly soothing. "And an ovipositor is for laying eggs, not 'plugging into things.'"

Ro felt his electricity course through his body like a quick and violent shiver.

[D-does that mean I'm not a male?] he wondered, literally shocked at the possibility he'd mis-identified himself. [Wow... I really am bad at identifying genders.]

Merah's hand moved in small strokes along his side, moving down then circling back up and repeating. It felt even better than the pat had.

"If you identify as male, then you're male," she said. "If you identify as female, then you're female. Or you could feel like both or neither and that's okay, too."

[It's that simple?] he asked, thinking there had to be some catch involved.

"That simple, and that hard," she said, her tone becoming somewhat brittle towards the end.

[I think I'm going to stay as male for now,] Ro said, hoping to distract her from whatever was making her sound that way. [Since that's what I've been.]

"Alright, then, Mr. Ro," she said, using a teasing tone on his title as she gave his abdomen another light pat. "Why don't we finish up the testing so you can have a break then?"

Ro didn't think he needed a break, not really doing much other than standing there, but he figured Merah knew best.

[What else needs testing?] he asked, feeling as though Merah had touched just about every inch of his body, save for some parts of his belly.

"I'd like to see if the ovipositor is able to flex, to move the camera pods out," she said, her hand gliding along his belly and growing dangerously close to his sensitive opening. "We just have dummy pods in right now, basically plastic orbs the same shape and size as what the cameras will be, because it was easier than having to take the cameras out for charging all the time."

[O-oh,] Ro said, his voice breaking as her finger grazed where his opening and ovipositor met. [W-will that be a problem, in the wild?]

"No," she said, sounding a little distracted as more fingers slid to loosely circle around his ovipositor, gently lifting it. Nearly delirious from the sensory input, he thought he could feel her breath as she spoke. "Like your wings, the 'eggs' have a solar shell that helps supply power." Her other hand wrapped around him, a little lower than the first. "But that doesn't really do much good when there's no sun reaching them, you know?"

Ro made an incoherent noise that he hoped came off as an agreement as her hands gently pulled and slid down his ovipositor.

"We'll keep them charging until we're ready to use them," she went on, easing the tug while keeping her hands roughly in the same spot. "Then load them and replenish the gel at the same time."

Not wanting to appear as if he wasn't paying attention, Ro latched on to what part of the conversation he could, finding it increasingly hard to keep his thoughts in line as her touch dominated most of his attention.

[G-gel?] he just got out.

Merah gave a somewhat absent hum of confirmation, her hands gradually moving back down his ovipositor.

"It's sort of a multipurpose solution," she explained, working her way back up again, pausing for a moment to stroke what he thought was her thumb in small circles. "It helps the camera pods ease out of the ovipositor without getting stuck and acts as an adhesive to anything non-living, once it's secreted and exposed to open air."

Ro was going to ask how something like that was possible when Merah's hands gently tightened, causing the sensors she was touching to react all in one go and nearly overwhelm him with a tsunami of sensation. Dazed, he almost missed her giving a soft, questioning hum.

"I'm not seeing your ovipositor flexing, yet..." she murmured. "I wonder if the sensors are faulty?" Ro struggled to say something but couldn't form words in time before Merah asked, "Can you feel this?"

Merah's hands simultaneously squeezed and tugged, once more sending a crashing wave slamming into him, leaving him mentally swaying as he inadvertently flexed his abdomen forward, pushing his ovipositor into her snug grip.

"Hmm, that's an odd response," Merah muttered, loosening her hold on him. Ro was about to allow himself to sink into relief when her hands tightened once more, forcing his abdomen to buck yet again. "Still no flexing... more gel seems to be releasing, unless there's a leak?" Her silence indicated she was thinking about that before it was quickly dismissed. "No, we would have noticed that before now. Maybe we're on the right track and the egg is getting ready to release?" There was another thoughtful pause. "I suppose that's more likely..."

She still sounded doubtful but Ro could barely focus on anything outside the way her hands were alternating their grip between loose and snug, stroking up and down in a steady, rhythmic pace.

"Maybe by emulating the behavior it'll replicate on its own?" she said, still not sounding entirely certain or satisfied with that answer.

Ro was starting to feel the crashing waves of sensation heating, her continued administrations on his ovipositor only encouraging his abdomen to flex, attempting to move in sync with her motions but somehow managing to be a thrust too slow or a flex too late. He had the desperate urge to flap his wings, the plasma circling within urging him to do so, but with them locked in place he couldn't even make them wiggle. His antennae, meanwhile, were shaking as the swell inside him rose and ebbed with the motion of Merah's hands, building within him with no relief in sight.

"I just don't understand why it's not releasing," Merah mumbled. "Is it stuck? There's enough gel I could practically bathe in it..."

Ro felt the upper part of his body tremble, straining towards something he didn't fully understand. With his legs and wings locked, it was a futile effort that soon had him easing back into place despite the desperate urgings he felt.

When Merah's hands left him, he nearly bolted out of Sparkles' body. Trying to keep himself contained within the core, in spite of the crashing waves still lingering from her touch, he tried to focus on the sound of her to keep him somewhat tethered to sanity. He heard what sounded like her hands running over her clothes, her voice mumbling too softly over that for him to hear. She was moving again, from the way the fabric was moving, back towards his head.

"Maybe if I duplicate what caused the ovipositor to pop out to begin with..." he thought she said, before the feeling of hands sliding through his scruff sent everything shattering to pieces when the residual sensations collided with the new.

Ro felt his lower body jerk once more but, this time, it wasn't just the abdomen that jutted forward and moved. The ovipositor, as if remembering Merah's touch, flexed from the top to the bottom, as though following the path of her hands while it leapt and slapped his belly. Something loosened within him and squeezed its way into the ovipositor as Merah tugged on his fur, triggering that sharp but pleasurable feeling again. His ovipositor pulsed while his abdomen thrusted, another something loosening within him and entering his ovipositor as the first had. There was the oddest sensation of both having his ovipositor being squeezed while, at the same time, squeezing something within it.

"Theeeere we go," Merah said, sounding utterly satisfied as she tugged again. "You're doing great, Ro."

Ro felt his ovipositor slap his belly again, like some delighted little Rockruff's tail. There was a sort of squelching, sucking sound followed by a wet "plop" as Ro felt what he assumed to be the first egg slide out.

"Congratulations," Merah said, once more sounding like she was smiling. "You, sir, are the happy mother/father of a bouncing, baby pod."

[Ah,] Ro barely got out before Merah flexed her fingers in his fur. It was a subtler, softer sensation to the tug but still managed to make him pulse one more time, the second egg squeezing out to join the first.

"Look at that," she said, laughter making her voice dance. "Twins!"

As she moved to slide her fingers out of his fur, Ro tipped his head to the right, leaning his cheek into her hand as it was passing. Cupping his cheek, Merah's thumb rubbed lightly against his skin.

"Why don't I get this cleaned up and you have a break," she said, still sounding rather pleased. "I hear that giving birth is rather tiring, you know."

Ro didn't know but was fully willing to take her at her word, given that he felt like he'd been put through the spin cycle of a washing machine before being completely wrung out.

Slipping out of Sparkles' core took every last reserve of energy he had, his plasma almost unwilling to leave the Frosmoth's form. Once outside, he was nearly blinded by the reminder that the world wasn't in tints of blue nor pitch black with gray lettering.

Shielding his eyes with his bolt, Ro found himself floating just above Sparkles form, Merah just off to the side pulling out what looked to be blue paper towels from under the table.

"Can't do anything in a shop without shop towels," she said cheerfully, apparently taking his looking at her to be a question about them when, really, he was more interested in the translucent blue slime she appeared to be trying to wipe off her chest area with the towels.

Floating down and to the side, Ro found the same slime coating the table under Sparkles, some of Sparkles underbelly, and, somehow, some on the wall across from Sparkles. Two solid looking orbs resided in the goo under Sparkles, white under the blue tint of the slime.

"Good thing this stuff is non-toxic," Merah said, laughing to herself before tossing the used towels away. "We made a bit of a mess."

Ro felt his electricity spark, a soft heat flowing through him.

[Hey, Merah?] he said, watching as she started mopping up the goo under Sparkles with fresh towels, the rest of the roll still in her hands.

"Hmm?" she asked, glancing up and pausing a moment.

[I think you were right,] he said.

"I usually am," she said, allowing Ro to see the grin on her face he'd been hearing for so long in her voice. "But what about, in this instance?"

[The fluffiness,] he said, his plasma heating around his cheeks. [Really is the best part.]

To Be Continued in Part 2.

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