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Poképhilia Story

Love Has no Bounds

The Star Spangled Lucario

Independence Day 2023

By J.C. Solis

The fourth of July was on the horizon, and so too were the many barbeques and outings that both family and friends were sure to have. There was even the hope of seeing a fireworks show or perhaps even getting to see a parade as the celebrations were to carry on. It was indeed a fantastic time for the area around Lakeshire Town, with the hope being that everyone would get to have an excellent time eating BBQ meat and veggies while spending time with their favorite pokémon.

But after the events of Memorial Day, where a top-ranking general of the Daegar Military was attacked by the goons of Team Shroud, the police force and the local law enforcement were on high alert for any signs of trouble and chaos. There was even a slight military presence in Lakeshire Town now, with people feeling a little uneasy over the appearance of heavily armed men in body armor who were walking around with Attack Pokémon next to them.

For the most part, this was just a new fact of life that the people of Lakeshire Town had to contend with. Their lives were now dictated by the powers at play, their lives in the hands of soldiers, police officers, and their pokémon as the hunt for Team Shroud continued. But one thing that made things very clear was that the attack on the Daegar general seemed to be the last straw for some people. Some people viewed the Team as traitors to the nation, seeing as how they not only went for Pastor Solis and Mayor Campbell but also a true Daegar Patriot like General Powers. But some saw this as a rallying cry, causing them to protest even more for the sake of getting rid of Poképhilia and purging society of these people who were working against the will of Arceus to keep humans and their pokémon separate from one another.

This rally behind the different causes would only result in further conflict, and the severity of such battles would take the fold with Lakeshire Town being the heart of violence and protest. People were either for or against Poképhilia. There was no middle ground. And whoever side someone backed up would make them an easy target for the opposite side to come after and badger for being on the opposite end of the spectrum.

But one thing was clear from the beginning: many more people supported Poképhilia than they were against it. The ratio was perhaps four to one, with even more conservative people seeing that the taboo was not as bad as some others made it out to be. Poképhiles were not bad people. They were, in some cases, even better people than those around them. They honestly weren't any different from anyone else. The only difference between them was a romantic and perhaps sexual interest in a nonhuman creature that many people chose to use merely as pawns for their own purposes. But with Poképhilia came the breaking of this norm. Not only are pokémon being treated as equals, but they are also being adored and cherished in ways never thought possible before.

It was this caveat that opened the eyes of many conservatives and former Anti-Poképhilia crusaders alike. They saw the real side of this revolution, and it was indeed a revolution that was bound to shake the very fabric of Daegar society - if not the whole world.

For now, the people of little Lakeshire Town remain tense about what the future would bring. There was no telling how far the violence was going to escalate, and who among the citizens would end up getting hurt. It was a War of Attrition between the two sides. And thankfully for the people who valued peace and justice, the Poképhiles were winning. But this only meant that the violence would continue to mount as the tension grew even more.

But one thing that the people of Daegar enjoyed more than anything was the 4th of July, otherwise known as Independence Day. It was a holiday celebrated when the newly formed Daegar Region separated itself from the Galar Region and formed its own government, as well as going to War with the mighty Galar Empire with the help of the Kalos Region. It was a day that many people in Daegar celebrated, and it was a time of much joy and fun, of fireworks and grilling outdoors, and of deeper connections between family and friends.

For Kiara Strideworth and her Lucario Pokémon partner, Lance, this meant a time to be able to kick back and relax from the grueling days that had worn them out.

Being a sous chef at a fancy restaurant was difficult work. But Kiara wore the moniker of Sous Chef - or "Under Chef", if being literal - with pride. She tackled every dish that was assigned to her with diligence, and she made sure to keep her underlings in line as she and the head chef planned with making the dishes that required that delicate touch. She was a force to be reckoned with, making all sorts of dishes made with different kinds of meats, cheeses, vegetables, spices, and oils, all while cooking them in certain ways to truly bring out the flavor from the ingredients.

It was a difficult job, but one that was both satisfying and profitable. The Shire Lake Bordeaux Eatery was the finest restaurant for miles around, and many people traveled from all over to get a taste of how delicious the food was. Being a five-star restaurant - up from four stars from the previous year, which was celebrated with a huge party - meant that the entire place had a reputation to uphold for being of good quality. And Kiara was there to run a tight ship among her underlings while also following the directives of her boss: the head chef and restaurant owner himself, Alphonse Giuliano - or Chef Al, as everyone in the kitchen and the town called him.

Chef Al was strict and harsh in the kitchen, especially with his lower-level chefs. But outside of the restaurant, he was known for being a generous and down-to-earth man. He enjoyed life one dish at a time, and he was oftentimes responsible for the food for big events that the local government of Lakeshire Town tended to host. But he wore the moniker of Master Chef with pride, and he was proficient with many styles and managed to bring out the flavor of whatever ingredient he used - even if the ingredients didn't have much potential for being flavorful. He truly was a master at the kitchen, and he hoped to try to feed the world with tasty dishes and unique experiences.

But Al was not so secretive with his recipes. He shared his recipes in his own published cookbook or even shared some of his recipes and deep-guarded cooking tips online. Some people criticized him for this, seeing as how he was practically giving away his life's work. Yet Al was never one to keep such things to himself. He wanted everyone to learn how to cook delicious foods, and if they couldn't afford or didn't have the time to eat at his restaurant, then at the very least he'd give the people the chance to try to cook some of his dishes by themselves in the comfort of his home. And many people came to respect him for this reason, seeing him as a man - or rather, chef - of the people.

"If I could only feed the world with peanut butter sandwiches, then I want them to be the best damn peanut butter sandwiches the world would have ever eaten." So the famous chef has been quoted saying many times with passion.

Kiara looked up to Alphonse with inspiration, seeing a man who went beyond his calling and sacrificed himself for the cause. The man couldn't stay at his home for long, for he would always find his way back to the kitchen. Even his late wife often found it difficult to keep him calm, even down to her dying breath from cancer. Misses Patricia Giuliano was just as passionate in the kitchen as he husband and was even responsible for the management of the restaurant. But her death from cancer caused the man to lose his way for quite a while. It was only when she left him her Lilligant Pokémon partner that he began to find peace again.

And that peace sometimes came in the form of a taboo, for in secret Chef Al was a Poképhile. And he often found solace in the Lilligant named Claire.

Chef Al was not sexual with his Lilligant Pokémon partner - he respected her wife way too much to have relations with the pokémon she left him with. But Claire was a big reason how Alphonse was able to cope with the loss of his wife. He did have three children with Patricia, but they had all moved on with their lives, and neither of them wanted to take up the mantle of being a chef. None of them even wanted to inherit the restaurant, and so this left Al in a predicament as to who would be his successor.

Kiara had hopes of being that successor, though there were many more among the staff who had hopes of running the restaurant. It was no surprise that some workers looked at Kiara with envy as a result of her position and dedication. But so far nobody dared to challenge her for fear of being put in their place. Kiara was a terrific chef, with cooking skills that came close to Al's. But in the end, she hoped that if she were to inherit the restaurant, then it would be through her skill as a chef and her determination to cook delicious meals that would help her win the title of head chef - something that her rivals seemed to forget quite often in achieving.

But with Independence Day on the horizon, Kiara was wondering what she could do on her day off. The restaurant was going to be closed as a result of the holiday, and that would mean she'd get to spend some time with family and friends. She had hopes of helping grill meister Jason cook for the holiday, and yet for some reason, her profound cooking knowledge went down the drain whenever she used a propane or charcoal grill. It was almost as though she was intimidated by using this different cooking device and was unable to transfer her skills from the kitchen stove to the outdoor grill. This was something she wasn't all too proud of. Chef Al was an excellent Grill meister, and he easily transferred his skills from the kitchen to the barbeque. But Kiara couldn't seem to do that.

And yet this wasn't going to stop her from trying. She wouldn't have it known that the sous chef of the Shire Lake Bordeaux Eatery was unable to cook in the barbeque as well as in the kitchen.

With eleven o'clock at night arriving, it was now officially quitting time. The restaurant was open from three to eleven, and it was now time to head home and rest for the following evening. Kiara went to her locker and put away her clothes, hoping to enjoy her time with Lance, along with Galar roommates Rose and Dante the Inteleon.

But as Kiara put on her usual punk-rock attire, a familiar voice appeared behind her.

"Well, well, it seems like you've been giving it your all today, Kiara," said a female voice behind her. "It's almost like you're trying too hard."

Kiara turned to meet a tall woman with long blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her face was that of a serpent as she gave the sous chef a venomous smile.

"Today was a good day, Cassie," replied Kiara, not trying to allow herself to be goaded by her bitter rival and subordinate. "I hope you had fun in the kitchen. Oh wait, with your attitude, it's almost impossible to have fun here."

"Well, at least I'm not such a suck-up to Chef Al," replied Cassie. "And it's Cassandra. Only close friends and Chef Al can call me that name. But you can only address me by my full name."

"Sure thing, Cassie. Whatever you say," said Kiara unamused.

Cassandra was fuming at the nonchalance of her rival.

"Mark my words, Kiara, I will one day be the Sous Chef, and you will have to address me as the runner-up for the owner of this place. And once I am the owner, I'll make sure you'll never get higher than a busgirl. Or perhaps janitor?"

"Hah! I'd rather quit than be forced to work for a snake like you," snapped Kiara. "And by the way, I AM the current sous chef of the restaurant. You are my subordinate for now, and I demand respect. I have the power to fire you right now if I want. But I know that Chef Al thinks you're a runner-up for being the owner as well. You cook decently, so at least that's helping you," said Kiara, half complimenting her rival and half dissing her. "Just don't piss me off enough, otherwise you're going to need more than Al to protect you."

Kiara grabbed her goods as she and Lance left the restaurant through the side door. It was a tense moment with her rival: Cassandra von Reichert. As noted, Cassie was a bitter enemy of Kiara. Though her cooking skills were almost a match for Kiara's, the subordinate had an attitude that was far from the humble and gentle attitude of the sous chef. In all honesty, this reason was why Chef Al wasn't keen on making Cassandra the sous chef, since he wanted his successor to be as friendly and generous as he was. But at the same time, if Cassie could prove herself as a top-notch chef, then he'd have no choice but to select her to run the place.

Lance walked next to Kiara as the two went to their car, the Lucario not all too happy at what he had witnessed.

"That woman could use a dose of humility," noted Lance. "I hope she doesn't come near you to attack. I won't hesitate to backhand her to the ground if she were to get aggressive."

"There's no need for that, Lance," noted Kiara. "She's a bitch, of course, but at the same time, she wouldn't dare lift a finger on me. Besides, I know how to fight too, you know, and I can backhand her to the ground about as good as you do."

"Preferably since I might unintentionally break a bone while doing so," threatened Lance.

The two climbed inside Kiara's car, this one being a different one than her old Alfa Romeo. That old car was ruined during the riot that happened the previous year when the Shire Lake Eatery was vandalized, and so she had to go to the market for a new ride. She was now the proud owner of a BMW M5, an incredibly expensive though incredibly sporty car that had both power and agility in one package.

It was already getting late for the poor woman and her pokémon as the two sped off down the road. There was a lot of planning when it came to the 4th of July, and so she and her friends needed to make sure that everything was set for a happy holiday.

So the two Poképhiles could think of as they sped off down the road...

It was now the big day, and the fireworks were already exploding into the air. It was a time of much revelry and joy, with perhaps a bit too much caffeine or alcohol in the mix as people held barbeques in backyards and loads of food was grilled. The air was chock full of the scent of charcoal and barbeque cookouts, and it was enough to bring hunger to anyone. And those who were manning the charcoal or propane grills were sure to ask for at least a kiss from a lady or a beer from a dude as thanks for cooking such delicious food for them all.

Kiara was manning the grill with her friend Jason Kitchener, the grill meister already teaching the Sous Chef the similarities between cooking at a grill and cooking in a kitchen. By all accounts, Kiara should be able to cook just fine with the propane grill that was in front of her and Jason. There wasn't much of a difference between this and a stovetop. But for some reason, the poor Sous Chef just could not make the connection. And it was here that she tended to falter when it came to grilling meat and veggies.

"Come on, Kiara, it's ain't that hard," noted Jason with a tad of frustration. "I mean, come on, pal, a chef like you oughta out-grill my ass without a problem. I mean, it's ain't Pokéball engineering or stuff like that."

At this, Kiara began to look down at the ground, a dejected look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Jason. I just can't do it," she said as she then turned to her side of the barbeque grill. There, on the burning coals, were asparagus stalks that were perhaps left on too long and burnt to char. And she didn't have that many items cooking on the grill, so it would be unlikely for even an amateur to mess it up, let alone someone as skilled in the kitchen as her. "I'm trying with all that I have. But... but I just get so nervous."

Jason scratched his head, wondering what it could have been that had affected his friend so badly.

"Some bastard decided to treat you wrong when you tried to grill before?" wondered Jason. "There's gotta be a reason why the grill makes you feel uncomfortable."

The memory came flooding back. And it was something that was a near-constant reminder to the punk rocker sous chef whenever she'd be in front of a grill.

"You just ruined my steaks!" cried out the voice. "Do you think this is funny?! I paid a lot for these steaks, only for you to ruin them like this!"

The memory was something that hounded poor Kiara. Though she didn't want to admit it, there was indeed a reason why she felt the way that she did. And it seemed, just like Jason figured, that a past trauma was involved for her to be hurt.

"You want to learn to grill, then? A squirt like you who burnt steaks this bad will never be good at the grill. You'll always fail at the grill, and you got yourself to blame."

A tear dripped down Kiara's face.

"Mister Masters," whispered Kiara as the name came out of her lips. "I'm sorry."

But perhaps her whispering was not quite as quiet enough.

"Mister Masters?" wondered Jason. "Wasn't that your old teacher from school?"

At this, Kiara recoiled, realizing that she had spoken out loud.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean..." The poor lady was flustered beyond a doubt. "I just don't want him to be upset with me anymore. I tried... I tried to be better. But Mister Masters would always look down on me, saying that I would never be good enough..."

Jason nodded his head, realizing where the trauma had been all along. It seemed that Kiara couldn't let go of her past when she was bullied by a Home Ed teacher from high school by the name of Langston Masters. The man was harsh with the poor lass at the time, and he tended to inspire fear and intimidation rather than support and caring - so much so that he was even fired from the school for what some students considered to be "Unnecessary Harassment." But Mister Masters was unapologetic with his rhetoric, saying "Kids need to toughen up or else."

But the Unova man was far from being unsupportive of his friend. Seeing the fear and tension that his friend had, Jason put an arm on her shoulder and looked at her warmly.

"Kiara, pal, you need to let that go," said Jason. "That rat bastard shouldn't make you feel uncomfortable around a grill no more. I know for a fact that you can grill well, and if anyone says otherwise then they can suck it."

A voice then spoke behind them.

"Jason is right, Kiara," said Lance as he approached her. "There's no need to doubt your abilities anymore. If you truly are bad at the grill, then you can start by learning. But if you aren't then you need to let the past be and return to the present and your current skills. I know that you can do it."

Kiara looked at her pokémon partner and her fellow cook with a dejected face. She didn't know who to believe anymore. She was so lost between the words of both her former teacher and those of her friends. Maybe she was good at the grill, perhaps having just as much talent as in the kitchen. But her heart didn't know where it lay.

"I'm sorry, guys, but I can't," she said as she turned around to sit down on a chair with a dejected face. It seemed that Kiara accepted defeat, her insecurity getting the better of her.

Rose and Dante were not far off, having heard the full conversation that was taking hold, and Lance soon joined them in forming a plan. They knew what to do, and so they quietly went out of the backyard party on the pretext of buying more snacks for the friends gathered there. But as to where they were going remained a secret.

All the while, Kiara's mood was a big contributor to the party being a bit of a downer. All of the Poképhile friends - from Saria, Justin, Fran, Sarah, and even Natasha - did their best to console her. But the poor lass was unable to recover from the deep depression she was in. For the next hour, all while Jason was alone cooking for his friends, Kiara mostly sipped from a bottle of ale as she looked at the floor with a dejected look. There seemed to be no end to her sadness, and nothing was able to motivate her to return to the grill to help Jason.

With Lance no longer by her side, Kiara couldn't remove the ill feelings in her heart. It was only when Jason was almost done grilling all the meat and vegetables that he urged her to return to the grill.

"Come on, Kiara pal, this ain't like you," urged Jason. "I got a few steaks left. Just help me with these last bits, no?"

Kiara just looked at Jason with the same defeated look.

Maybe she wasn't as good as others made her out to be. Deep down, Kiara had always been insecure about her abilities. Yes, she was much more confident and capable than she ever was before. She could cook delicious meals without too much effort and make her friends and patrons happy with her meals. But her rival Cassandra was not far off from skill, and soon one day she might surpass the sous chef. Kiara just could not let go of how insecure she was feeling. When she was much younger she suffered from low self-esteem and confidence, something which she worked desperately to try and raise.

But though the kitchen was something that she excelled at, getting in front of a grill reminded her of the cold words of Mister Masters and all the derogative words he gave her.

"I'm sorry, Jason, but I can't," was her only reply.

"Suit yourself, bud. But just know that your boss, Chef Al, wouldn't like to see you like this. That bud knows his way around a grill, and I think he'd be a big help if he were here."

"Well, my boss isn't here," refuted Kiara. "And I don't want him to see me like this."

It was then that a familiar voice could be heard.

"Hey, Kiara, what's the matter with you?" said a man with a heavy Italian and New York accent. "I didn't hire a quitter for my restaurant, did I?"

Kiara's face burned bright red as she heard the words of the man who was standing by the entrance of the backyard gate. She turned to see none other than Chef Al standing there with Rose and Dante. The man looked at her with a warm smile, and as he walked towards her his warmth continued to grow even more.

"Boss?!" shrieked the sous chef. "What are you doing here?"

"Here to bust that depression you got in your head," noted the chef. "You're going pazza (crazy) on me. Is it true that you don't like to cook on a grill?"

Kiara only nodded her head, the tears about to drip down her face.

"I'm sorry, boss. I just... I..."

"Now, now, don't you get the waterworks bursting. I'm here to help you, Bambina," Al tried to calm down. He then walked towards Jason and said. "This looks nice, bambino. I taught you well, Jason. Damn good work, as always." Al revealed the truth of where the grill meister learned how to cook. "You still got some cibo (food) there for me to work with, no Jason?"

"Definitely, boss," replied Jason. "I was actually saving these pieces for Kiara to cook with."

"Buono (Good), now go get me a beer, no? I don't normally drink on the job, but I'mma going to teach Kiara here the secrets to cooking on a grill."

Kiara turned around to look at her friends. Everyone and their Pokémon looked back at her with support. She had no excuse to not stand up and get to work.

"I guess I got no choice," replied Kiara.

She stood up and went for the grill along with Chef Alphonse, who looked at her with a warmth that he didn't always display to his subordinates. But this was a special case. This was the case of a woman who didn't believe in herself, and he was not about to let such wonderful talent go to waste.

The two began seasoning some of the steaks that were still in the meat container, all before spreading the steaks onto the grill. The sound and smell of sizzling meat filled the air, and Al told her when and how to flip the steaks over. He also instructed her on how to turn the kabobs and the vegetables that were also grilling, all while making sure to keep a close eye on how tender the meat was becoming and all the juices that were oozing out of it.

"Buono, it's all coming together nicely, Kiara." Al was impressed, but not surprised. Kiara was his star worker, after all. "But tell me now, ragazza (girl), why don't you like to cook on the grill? I have never met a chef as good as you lose the will to cook outdoors."

Kiara explained everything that had happened in her past, and Alphonse knew the whole story.

"Bastardos (bastards) like that man deserves a good beating, telling young children that they're not good enough. But you are good, Kiara. I see it every time you cook in the restaurant. The passion is alive in your eyes, and I see it come out with every delicious dish you make. Don't listen to idioti (idiots) like Masters and instead focus on your craft. No man or woman starts good, and it's time and dedication to the craft in getting better. Are you willing to dedicate your time to grilling?"

Kiara looked at Alphonse with an increasingly jovial face. Her boss and mentor elevated her spirits, and she knew that she couldn't allow the past to keep haunting her. She could see just how good Jason was at grilling, and he learned his skill as a grill meister from Chef Al. He was calm and dedicated to his craft, and he didn't become flustered whenever he began to grill. It seemed more and more to her that she too could also cook on the grill as well - all while Al kept a close eye on her to see that the food was prepared with that extra adept touch.

When all was said and done, Kiara looked at the food that she had just finished cooking on the grill. And what she saw amazed her. She cooked the steak to near perfection - even better looking than Jason's handiwork. And when Chef Al tucked into the piece, being the judge of her hard work, he smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Buono, Kiara. Very good," replied the chef as he gave his seal of approval.

Jason took a bite of another steak that Kiara had prepared, and on his first bite, his eyes went bug-eyed at just exactly what he was tasting.

"Mother of Arceus, this stuff rocks!" cheered Jason. "It's juicy, soft, tender, and that flavor kicks ass! You did great, Kiara!"

The lady herself could only smile as she accepted the praise of her boss and friends. It seemed that she had a knack for cooking on a grill after all.

"Thanks, everyone. I'm glad that I can finally cook on a grill." Though she accepted the praise, there was one thing on her mind. "How'd you get here though, Boss? How'd you know to show up at the right time, to see me struggling and being depressed?"

"Your friends, Kiara," said Al as he pointed to Rosemary, Dante, and Lance. "They told me you were struggling, and so they came looking for me. Normally I'm pretty busy with preparations for the restaurant, but when I heard you were in trouble I dropped everything to come and help you."

Kiara turned to Rose, Dante, and Lance - all three of them looking at her cheerily.

"Kiara, I couldn't stand to see you suffer," admitted Lance. "As your partner, I needed to bring your spirits back up."

"And we decided to tag along as well," admitted Rose. "We don't like seeing you down in the dumps like this."

"And bugger that man who got you so down all those years ago," added Dante finally. "You excel at cooking and let no one tell you otherwise."

Kiara looked at her friends and smiled, happy to see everyone being so supportive of her.

It was then that the first of the fireworks began to blow up in the sky. Though an ordinance had been put in place recently to ban fireworks on account of the recent attack by Team Shroud, the people were far from willing to cooperate, and so were sending fireworks and rockets and mortars shooting up into the air to explode in dazzling colors and booming explosions. This was a time to be merry despite previous events having taken hold and the friends were willing to share a bottle of beer to make merry.

Kiara was just happy to have finally shed this feeling of self-doubt that she had been carrying with her for so long. It was indeed fun to finally come out of her shell when it came time to use a grill rather than a stovetop. And she even proved to surpass not only Chef Al's expectations but also the skill of grill meister Jason. She once again proved to be a force to be reckoned with when it came to cooking food, and she had her friends and her boss to thank for finally being able to come out of her shell.

The friends and the head chef spent the rest of the evening eating, drinking, and sending fireworks into the air that they had brought with them. Being extra careful not to cause an incident, the friends safely sent the fireworks flying into the air and off into the sky, exploding in various colors and shapes as everyone was taking in the sights. Today was the birthday of the Daegar Region, and so everyone wanted to celebrate their time and place within this wonderful nation.

The merriment would carry on into the night, with everyone having a good time and stuffing their bellies with delicious food. But though the friends wanted to stay longer and drink even more, the following day was going to be a workday, so that meant that getting a hangover was out of the question. The friends could only stay at Kiara's house for so long, though before leaving everyone pitched in with cleaning up their mess and putting trash in the refuse bin.

And with that, the friends all gave their adieu, leaving behind the two roommates, their pokémon, and Chef Al.

"You're cooking is fantastic, Kiara," admitted Alphonse. "I look forward to seeing how you cook tomorrow at work. If you keep it up, I might hire you for the upcoming Lakeshire Food Festival."

"I'd be honored, Boss," replied Kiara. "I hope you have a wonderful rest of the night. Would you like some food to take with you?"

"No need. I'm full for the rest of the week. But I'll be sure to arrive on time to work tomorrow." He then nodded at Rose, Dante, and Lance. "And thank you three for letting me know of my star chef's problem. I hope that you keep providing her with some comfort now that she no longer fears the grill."

"We'll take care of it, mate," replied Dante.

"Count on it," added Rose.

"And I'll be sure to keep Kiara company in case she falters due to self-esteem again," noted Lance. "I won't be leaving my partner alone."

And with that, Chef Al left the house, leaving the roommates to reminisce on what had happened that day. The fireworks were still booming, but the ambiance was wonderful. And though Rose and Dante would stay in the living room to watch some late-night movies, Kiara and Lance went for the bedroom - where Kiara would be sure to give Lance a gift for him helping her get out of her funk.

"Thank you so much for bringing me out of my funk, Lance," said Kiara as she and Lance sat on the bed. "If you and the others hadn't brought Boss Al, then I don't know if I'd ever get over my fear of the grill. I would've continued being a downer at the party."

"No worries, Kiara," replied Lance. "I just wanted you to be happy. I hate seeing you like this, feeling like you're incompetent and unworthy. You're an excellent cook, and I think you do a wonderful job making food. I hope that this passion keeps up. Keep doing excellent work, and your boss with leave the restaurant for you to inherit."

At this, Kiara scoffed. "I don't need his restaurant. If he's serious about giving it to me, then I guess I'll have to accept. But I don't cook for the sake of being famous or for pride." She then stood up and went for the window, seeing the fireworks blow up as the city was in the midst of the Independence Day celebrations. "I cook to make people happy. I cook so that they enjoy what a quality meal is like. I don't care if my only ingredients are peanut butter and jelly. I want my customers to enjoy their meal, no matter what they are served."

Lance chuckled a little, seeing her conviction and her honor.

"Just like your boss, eh?" he teased. "It seems you've been destined to feed the people."

There was nothing else to it. Kiara was a chef of the people, and she would be sure to give her customers as much of a fun eating experience as possible. She wanted to make others happy through food, and that in turn would make her happy. Chef Alphonse Giuliano's mantra was heavily engrained into her mind, and she wanted to pursue the goal of feeding everyone in the world. The punk rock-wearing young woman was a humanitarian at heart.

But now that the two were finished discussing in reminiscence, the only thing that mattered next was something a bit gratuitous and yet well-loved. And it was clear what that certain activity was when Kiara began to undress and slowly remove her clothes. She undid her bra, and the bouncy breasts of the young lady were plain for her Lucario lover to see. Her natural beauty, her tan skin, and her fit frame were evidence of a lady who was a prize for any man to have.

But in this case, the man turned out to be a male Lucario.

Kiara sat on her bed as he lifted her feet, coaxing Lance to do his thing. It hadn't been too long since the two discovered that they had a foot fetish, and it wasn't something that the two wanted their friends to discover for fear of teasing. And yet Lance showed no shame as he kneeled and grabbed Kiara's right foot. He put his snout to the young woman's foot, smelling it and getting in the slightly musky scent. Kiara always kept her feet clean, and he was thankful for that so that he could pursue this activity freely without coming across any nasty surprises.

Lance sniffed her foot, grabbing it with his pawed hands and placing his wet nose all over the foot and its wonderful aroma. Sticking out his tongue, he began to lick it, inciting Kiara to giggle as she felt the soft and wet tongue lap at the bottom of her foot. It was something that she didn't know her pokémon would be fascinated with but was more than willing to let him indulge in worshiping them. And he was definitely enjoying both the smell and taste of her foot as he carried on in worship.

She then lifted her left foot so that he could have another lovely body part to worship. Lance diligently licked this one as well, using his hands to play, pinch, and tug on her toes like little playthings. And he would continue to worship these delicious, slightly musky feet to his heart's content. He didn't expect himself to get as engrossed in this fetish as he previously thought. But his effort to worship his partner's feet was evident as he kept alternating between left and right, licking her foot soles and playing around with her toes.

The foot worship carried on for the following ten minutes, with Lance showing no signs of slowing down. He adored his trainer's feet as he kept licking away and making sure that he could get enough of that delicious taste and enticing scent. Kiara, meanwhile, just leaned back as her feet were given a good cleaning by the Lucario's tongue, happy to have her pokémon indulge himself with her. For sure she'd want even more than just her feet worshiped further along their session, but for now, she just let her pokémon suckle her toe, with Lance sucking on and even slightly nibbling at them to get the right feeling in his mouth.

Lance carried on the foot worship for another five minutes, sucking on Kiara's toes as he did his best to indulge in the bite-sized appendages with gusto. This was his reward for helping her trainer resolve her issues, and he was more than happy to receive it. Tasting these delicious morsels was more than enough of a reward for him, and as he continued suckling toes and licking the soles of his trainer's feet, his desire began to manifest on his crotch as his canine phallus began to become erect.

To say that Lance was turned on would be an understatement. The canine fighting type grew hornier with every suckle of his trainer's foot. He soon began to crave other things aside from the young lady's feet. And he would have more to tuck into as the night carried on.

With his foot craving satisfied, Lance then went for a more intimate spot of Kiara's body. And she began to moan in surprise at feeling a wet tongue lap at her labia and clitoris. Her pokémon had stopped worshiping her feet and was now getting busy with eating her out. His wet and warm tongue did its thing as he let loose a barrage of licks and suckles onto Kiara's opening, with Lance more than happy to indulge in Kiara's tender flesh and sweet-tasting pussy. His tongue would even stick right into her vaginal canal, getting a taste for her warm insides as she leaned back and moaned into her pokémon letting loose on and in her most sensitive region. And not wanting him to stop, she grabbed his head to pull him even deeper into her snatch and get him to lick her even harder.

Kiara hasn't been this turned on for a long while. She couldn't remember the last time she and Lance had cunnilingus this passionate. She couldn't remember much of anything since her mind was consumed by the pleasure of having her entrance licked clean and suckled on. A moan would escape her lips when Lance bit down on her - not enough to bleed, but certainly enough to incite her to react. But she didn't pull away from him when he commenced biting on her entrance and suckling her. Instead, Kiara pulled on him even harder, hoping that he could bite with just a bit more force as her mind was sent reeling from the intense pleasure that shot up her spine and into her brain. A shiver went through her entire body at feeling the bite, and she wanted her lover to keep going.

"Oh, fuck," she whispered. "Keep going, Lance. Bite me more."

And Lance would not disobey her. He kept biting even harder till the pain and pleasure proved to be overwhelming for Kiara. She could only moan and pant as the love bite and licks propelled her mind into further rapture. She was in a place where nothing else mattered. She no longer cared if she was good at cooking at the grill or not. She didn't care about her rival Cassandra and her goal to usurp the sous chef. Kiara only cared about being in the moment with her pokémon, and she would not stop her pokémon until she either fainted from pleasure overload or until her pokémon had had enough.

But eventually, Lance did pull away from her pussy, leaving the lass to catch her breath and recover. Kiara was panting hard, and her breath was hot. She wondered what her partner would do to her next, but deep in her mind she had an idea as to what his intentions were. And his throbbing and raging canine cock was a clear indication of that.

"Did you enjoy this so far, My Trainer?" asked Lance in his usual courteous voice.

"Definitely," replied Kiara in a dreamy voice. "Oh, Lance... please... fuck me..."

And Lance did not need further encouragement. He climbed on top of Kiara, with his raging canine cock ready to penetrate. He aligned his member with his trainer's entrance, hoping to give her exactly what she wanted. Being that he was a bit shorter than her, his mouth only reached up to her neck while still in range of penetrating her. But he found it much easier to access her breasts than her mouth.

Lance slowly began to push forwards, pushing his tip past her clit and entering her vaginal canal. His cock was hard and warm to the touch, as was Kiara's pussy. And the initial penetration caused a wave of pleasure to envelop her as she felt her lover bury his bone deeper and deeper into her. The feeling was always welcome, but this time especially, her body ached to be penetrated. And as Lance pushed further into her insides, pushing aside the vaginal walls as it made way for her cervix, she knew that this was bound to be a wonderful sex session. This was bound to be something great that she hadn't had in a while.

With Lance soon bumping his pointed cock up against Kiara's cervix, he then went to her breasts and began to suckle on them. Though she had no milk to give, the Lucario suckled on her like a newborn, all while he began to pull back and thrust in a steady rhythm. The pleasure began to well up inside of him slowly, feeling the warm and tight vaginal walls of his lover as she began to contract her pussy to provide even more of a tight squeeze on his cock. All of this was happening while he continued to suckle her tits with elevating passion, perhaps hoping there was indeed a drop of mother's milk inside of her bouncy breasts for him to drink.

Kiara couldn't believe what her pokémon was now doing to her. She didn't expect Lance to breastfeed off of her, though in truth she didn't hate it. On the contrary, she enjoyed having her erect nipples suckled and licked. In a way, there was a motherly feel to this. The feeling of her breasts being suckled despite her not giving any milk was endearing to her, almost as if she were nurturing her offspring. The feeling of having her pussy fucked and her nipples suckled sent her into a passionate heat that craved continued pleasure. She was in a state of wanting and lust, and she didn't want her partner to stop the sexual gratification he was giving her.

The two remained together for the next half an hour, with Lance providing steady though rough thrusts into her pussy while suckling her tits with fervor. When one tit started to feel raw, he'd switch to the fresh one that awaited him. And when that one was also raw, he switched to the one that had already recovered and resumed from there. The passion between the two lovers only continued to mount as the minutes began to tick on by, the room filling with the wet sounds of their juices mixing with their sex organs and the suckling of the lass' breasts.

This passion kept them going all the way to the half an hour mark, and by this point, Lance stopped suckling his trainer and began to focus primarily on thrusting his thick, meaty, canine cock as fast into his lover as he could. The two were at the end of their long and slow nursing session, and the two wanted to focus solely on sexual gratification.

"How are you holding on, Kiara?" asked Lance in a strained voice.

"Doing good, hun," replied Kiara in an equally strained voice. "Make me cum, Lance. And please put as much of your cum inside of me."

"With pleasure."

Lance thrust into Kiara with even more fervor, pushing hard against her cervix wall as the Lucario pounded with power and speed. Her poor pussy was getting a good rubbing, and the increased roughness added even more to the sensation that she was feeling. Both of their organs soon began to burn after a prolonged five minutes of intense bashing, with both Kiara and Lance about to reach the limits that their sex organs would allow. And already their pleasure-filled minds were stimulated to a point that they could hardly handle.

The passionate sex was at the very edge of climax, with spine-tingling waves of pleasure shooting up their backs and going into their poor rattled minds. And orgasm would prove to be the tipping point that would send both lovers to the brink of rapture.

Lance pushed his cock as hard as he could go, inserting the knot at the base of his cock into Kiara's pussy, with his tip painfully pushing past her cervix and penetrating straight into her womb. The knot began to expand, locking the two together for what remained of their session. And with that, their minds leaped off the cliff of pleasure and plunged into the abyss.

The two remained still as Lance's cock erupted with a torrent of cum, the potent genetic fluid squirting out of his tip and entering straight into the womb of Kiara, bathing her insides with deliciously warm sperm. Kiara's pussy, for its part, began to contract and pulsate as it milked her lover's cock with every drop that he could give her. As for their minds, it was safe to say that minds were blown away, with their thoughts becoming blank as they embraced the tsunami of pleasure that overloaded their senses. The Lucario and the young lady could only lay still, their organs connected to one another as cum continued to flow out of Lance's cock.

The knot at the base of the Lucario's penis prevented any of his sperm from gushing out, with pretty much all of it remaining inside of Kiara's reproductive system. All the while, Kiara's eggs were bathed in a bath of incompatible sperm cells, the two just not able to mix to impregnate her. But the sperm was still very much welcome inside of her, and as her thoughts started to become more lucid, the thing she desired was to make sure she could have as much of her lover's sperm inside of her for as long as possible. She wanted her insides to be full of cum, even as it sloshed around and bathed her deepest and most precious regions.

Lance and Kiara opened their eyes and looked at each other, with Lance laying down on top of her - though careful not to poke her with his chest spike. Thanks to the knot the two of them would be bound for some time. But the sheer pleasure the two of them felt made being connected well worth it.

"Had a good time, Lance honey?" asked Kiara coyly.

"Definitely," Lance replied back. "I just hope that I don't get you pregnant."

The thought of being a mother struck Kiara. Though she knew sperm would do nothing for her to conceive, the thought of being a mother didn't sound like a bad notion.

"Well, I doubt it. But, you know what? I'm happy to just have your cum inside of me. Your semen just feels so warm and gushy inside of me."

"Then I hope that you enjoy my sperms inside of you, then. Maybe next time I can pump more of my seed inside of you than today," replied Lance rather slyly.

The two embraced as the fireworks in the neighborhood began to explode with even more bombast. It was still nine o'clock at night, and that meant that people were still celebrating the holiday they care for most. For their part, Kiara and Lance remained attached to each other while they got to enjoy the loud and booming fireworks and their spectacles of crackling light. This was definitely one good way to end Independence Day. And it seemed that the future was bright inside the Strideworth household. The only question was if their roommates were also enjoying the light show or having some fun for themselves as well.

The only way to find out was to wake up tomorrow. And tomorrow would mean a return to work for Kiara in the evening. But she was overall happy to have gotten the chance to not only get rid of her fear of grilling but also have passionate sex with her pokémon.

For now, whatever the future held later on would remain to be seen...