Science and religion 7
On my hard drive for so long.... I don't know what it is, but something just warms me up this morn- that's right... a warm grin tugs on my lips as I tighten my arms around Sumieri's neck, lying under the covers close beside me. I feel her furry chest heaving up and down against me, each in time with mine curiously. On her lush, soft neck, I feel the pulse of her heart, each beat perfectly synchronised with mine. My smile just keeps growing and growing. These months I've had her, these months I've thought she didn't like me... it's worth it now. All those months of confusion, and she not only likes me, she loves me... and I love her... somehow, I've come to love her. "Good morning Ben." She purrs, shuffling across a bit so her back presses into me even closer. "It's so nice to sleep with you..." She adds, neck leaning back into my stroking hand with a smile. She's smiling, and it's the most wonderful sight to see her do so. "Good morning Sumieri." My voice is distorted by a long yawn. I lean closer to her and kiss the back of her neck, teasing her just under the chin with my fingernails, receiving a stronger purr of content. Sumieri content- something I could never have imagined until now. And it's just so wonderful. She positively radiates with health and warmth, even as he lush coat feels like a gentle stream as it rubs on my skin. "Your fur feels wonderful." I murmur dreamily. "Thank you." She giggles. Se doesn't just laugh, she giggles. The sound feels like a light shower of warmth pattering on my ears, like an easing waterfall tinkling down all over me, water warm and cool in the way only she manages. So this is what she's like when she's comfortable... I think with a great smile. I like her in comfortable mode. And comfortable she is. Very. "Come on, let's get up. I'm feeling hungry." Sumieri leaps from by mattress as I throw my covers back. She has about as much energy as I have, which is a lot for the morning. She turns as soon as she is out. "Ben...? She backs up a bit, smile disappearing. "What's wrong?" I spin around. That's my first clear sentence of the day, and it shocks me. "What the?" I freeze, unsure of what's going wrong. "Mmmm... Ben?" Amy sits upright in her bed, rubbing her eyes. "What's going o- DEV!" She screams as soon as she catches sight of me. Dev's up in a second, springing free of his blankets and eyes focussed on me, wide with shock. He dives for me with a shout, fist drawn back and sprinting. The initial fear of a crazed Lucario charging at me deserts quickly, and my reflexes kick in. I don't know how it happens, but as fast as Dev's swing is, I'm just not there for it to connect with. I make a sidestep, but my body just moves faster than my mind anticipates, and I simply glide aside of his swing. As his second comes, I'm already a step away, and his swing falls short. Then his kick,
swinging around at me in a round house- I just see where it's coming from, I see where it's going to go, and I just move, leaping clear into the air and tucking my legs in, clearing his leg in my jump. Sumieri's in action a moment after, slamming into Dev side-on and tackling him to the ground. "Get off-" "You're lucky you did not hit Ben." Sumieri cuts it with a sharp growl, silencing him. "Consider yourself lucky you are alive still." "Lux!" Barks Cheri as she jumps from the foot of my bed. Fortunately she seems unfazed by Sumieri's presence in "our bed" as she seems to think of it as. Dev's head spins to face me as Jason pulls himself upright, much more calmly than anyone else. "Ben...?" "Ben?" Amy demands shakily. "Whoa." Jason remarks in lower less-scary mode. "What are you?" Amy's voice is still shaking as I look down, not understanding what's going on. My clothes are baggy on me... they never were. "THAT is Ben?" Dev demands as Sumieri releases him. He stands quickly and approaches me as I give myself a startled inspection. "Dude! You're hot!" "What?" I snap at him, shocked, confused, and... well, a little disturbed. "You're beautiful..." Amy's eyes are wide, staring at me. "Lux." I feel Cheri rub against my right leg, tail wrapping around it and holding me tight in her grip. "Ben." I look down as Sumieri nudges into my leg. "You have changed." "Changed?" "I like your hair." Jason comments with a smile, not seeing the serious side of this conversation. "My-" That's what's been bothering me. Reaching up and placing my hands on my head, it feels all wrong. I trail my hands down the back of my head, following my hair... and following it... and following it... I spin my arms around and put them behind my back, and freeze. My hair stops eventually... at my waist. "WHAT THE FUCK?!?" "You look like a chick!" "YOU look like a chick!" I throw back in the confusion, feeling all down my very different hair. "MIRROR!" I shoot across the room towards the bathroom, moving surprisingly quickly as I go. As the others follow me, I shoot around the counter- and I almost trip over as I see myself. That's not me... I'm just... someone else. Everything is different. My facial structure, my eyes, my hair, even my height. My eyes, once emerald green are just... I can't even tell. It's like a shade of blue- but it's so empty of colour, like a pale silvery blue, icy. My cheeks, my chin, it's all so... I can't even explain it. But the most awe-inspiring thing, the biggest thing, is my hair. It's long. REALLY long, going all the way down to my waist behind me- and the colour... it doesn't have a colour. It's like a reflection, every angle seems different. Purples, blues, blacks, greens, oranges and
reds, whites... "Aurora..." Is the sole word that escapes my lips. "Elf." Dev, who has clearly been reading too many fantasy stories, offers. It's actually a pretty straight forwards description. Elf. I look like a freakin' elf! "What's going on...?" Amy asks quietly over Dev's shoulder, lining up outside the door for a look at me. I hear Sumieri sigh as she slides through the door, past Amy. "I think I owe you an explanation..." She whines off a little at the end. The way she looks up at me, I know she has played a part in this. "Amy, Dev, leave us be." I say calmly. The two need no further encouragement, disappearing quickly and closing the door behind. "I'm not mad." I say at length, sitting on the toilet with a sigh. "Whatever you did, I'm sure you had your reasons." "I need to explain this, either way." She sits in front of me, looking down at the tiled floor, hypnotised by the reflection for a second in thought. "Can you take you shirt off?" I don't really see the point, but I comply on the off-chance that it may be relevant. I realise what she's talking about. "Do you remember that first night we had?" She asks as we both stare at where her old bite mark used to be on my shoulder. It's different. No more four marks, but a tattoo in black ink. First what appears to be a shield, behind it is a sword. Specifically, my rapier, tattooed on my shoulder. "I was young... I was foolish... I was afraid..." She confesses, looking away from me in shame. "What are you talking about?" I lean forwards, placing one pale, slender hand on her cheek and stroking it softly. "I was scared on that night. After the Dragonite." She explains. I can tell by the way she speaks this is a little speech she has practiced before for the right time. "You kept me safe. You promised to keep me safe, to look after me... those are what my mother told me to look for in a mate." "Wait..." "I was confused that night..." She continued painfully, engulfed in guilt by this point. "When I bit you... I made you my mate." I sit back slowly, dragging my middle finger along her lips, and off at the tip of her muzzle. "I see." I murmur, looking down to the mark on my shoulder. "And let me guess- that kiss sealed the deal?" "It did." She nods. "Through that bonding, you were transformed while you slept. Into what you are- the body of the sea." "The body of the sea?" I repeat dumbly. "Yes. The body of the sea. Smooth, rolling, regal and beautiful. Flowing and graceful, gentle yet harsh... that's you..." She drops her head even further, averting her eyes much more as she tries to find a way to say something particularly difficult. "I don't know how to tell you this, Ben," She looks up to meet me with an apologetic expression. "but you're a god." That sentence clearly doesn't have the impact on me
Sumieri expects. "Oh... cool." "What?" Her face drops to a shocked stare. "I'm not angry." I tell her, leaning forwards again and taking her muzzle in my hands. "I'm shocked, definitely. I'm in a whole new body, but... it's just new to me. Nothing to be angry about." "But... the bite." "It looks cool." I shrug, raising a light-hearted grin to ease her guilt as much as I can. "Look, I'm honoured if anything. You, the mistress of the sea, you chose me to be your mate. I'm honoured. Really." "But your body-" "I'll get used to it." I shrug, scratching under her chin to relax her a little. "Plus, I've lost weight." I finally find a sensitive spot under her chin. I can tell- her eyes half-shut suddenly and she leans back a little to allow me better access to that spot. "Mmm... that feels good..." She grins a little, purring. Note to self: Sumieri purrs. Keep it up. "I could get used to this..." "I feel the same way." I reply with a warm feeling growing from our contact. We sit together for a few more minutes, just touching like that. I bask in that warm feeling I get from touching her. It's like we're connecting. I don't know how, but we're connecting. Then again, we must be connecting if Sumieri managed to transform me. Five minutes later we stroll out of the bathroom together. Sitting at a glossy plastic desk, Dev places a book he was reading on the surface, turning his head a fraction to spot us out of the corner of his eyes. He quickly slaps a paw on the desk as his chair tilts back on the hindmost legs, fixing his balance. Amy and Jason are both sitting on Jason's bed a metre away. Amy lifts her head to see me once again, running her eyes across me and then Sumieri as we enter; just to be sure we're real. All I get from Jason is a surprisingly cheery smile as he sees me over his shoulder. Cheri lazily opens one eye from my bed, and her tail twitches with a faint smile. Let's kick things off. I think, brightening the room somewhat with an enthusiastic grin. "Gym battle day!"* "Dev! Aura sphere!" "Cheri! Thunderbolt!" With a crack and a hum, our attacks collide; Cheri's thunderbolt splitting Dev's aura sphere down the centre and dissipating it, but at the same time her bolt fizzles out with the impact. "Uh-uh-uh..." Amy tuts, enjoying her temporary "higher position" over me. "You can't affect Brock's Pokémon with lightning. No lightning attacks." "Whatever." I grunt. She doesn't hear, positioned at the other end of our battlefield. It's just makeshift: a 6x10 rectangle carved into the clay and dust by the heel of Jason's boot. Jason who stands idle at the midway mark, watching on silently without any movement. He just watches through his shades. "Aura sphere!" "Dodge!" "Lux-lux..." Cheri mutters
with that biting "no-shit" tone she loves so much. She springs aside with remarkable dexterity, just a second before Dev's attack explodes against the ground and whips up a little nimbus of dust. "Alright Cheri! Just like we practiced, okay?" "Luxio!" She cries, nodding as she sets her focus on Dev ahead of her. "Let's see how good Cheri is." Amy taunts. "Dev, don't let her hit you." "Iron tail!" "Out of there, Dev!" Dev stands ground with intense focus on Cheri, crouching a little as the smaller Pokémon dashes at him, tail aglow and glazed in a brilliant sheath of silver. The first swing goes wide in an arc as Cheri spins, missing Dev by half a foot as he steps back quickly. Cheri cries in frustration and goes in again, this time flipping overhead and bringing her tail smashing down, but Dev's aside too quickly, grinning cockily. "Try again." He taunts, motioning for Cheri to "bring it on". Gritting her teeth and shaking angrily, she does just that. Dev pauses for a moment of confusion as Cheri's tail dies down- only for her body to explode in a burst of lightning, arcing right to him. He stumbles backwards as the shock hits him square in the stomach, and before he can regain his wits, Cheri has already swung an unfriendly iron tail into his shin. "Car!" He gasps as pain explodes in his lower leg, falling to one knee- only for Cheri's tail to make a return trip and smack him across the cheek, throwing him down onto the dusty path. "You can't use lightning moves!" Cheri grins madly as Amy almost screams at me, fists balled, tight and pale. "Brock's Pokémon aren't affected!" "Brock's Pokémon also aren't as fast as a Lucario." I remind her sharply. I find myself quickly growing used to my new voice. It's nice, and I don't have any shame in admitting that. I have a beautiful voice. "I'll use whatever tactics are at my disposal." "You're impossible!" She shouts across the field, much like a ten-year-old having a fit. I look to Jason as he makes a brief grunt at this, watching Amy as she storms off towards town- presumably to have a cry in our room. "Shari always used to say that to me." He smiles a little, still watching her. I approach him casually, hands in pockets. "Shari? That girl you were looking for in the forest?" "That's the one." He finally turns to me, arms still crossed. "She'll be alright though. She's tough." "Are you ever going to tell us who she is?" I make sure to use "us" as I feel Cheri brush against my leg. "She was a friend of mine." He says simply as Dev skulks over, throwing Cheri a dirty look as he goes. "A friend?" I nod slowly. "A female friend, huh? Just a friend?" "Just a friend." Jason nods calmly. "Look- we slept together once. Once. We got hammered, we did things we regret. It meant
nothing." Dev and I look to each other quickly, shrugging, then back to Jason for him to continue. "She drove me around, she patched up my injuries... she used to be a ranger." "What happened?" Jason ignores me for a second, turning north and walking. "Come on." He calls back, focussed on something ahead. Dev and I catch up behind quickly. It's ridiculous how much I weight now... running takes no toll on me at all. I'm light, I'm strong, I'm really getting used to this new body. Sure I have concerns, but I'll sort them out later. "Shari's dad was a military guy." Jason began. "Brought her up the same way. At the age of fourteen he had her packing heat. Pistol at her side everywhere she went. She was one for tactics- her dad drilled that into her, but she preferred a bullet to solve a situation." "Oh..." I realise, an image forming in my mind of this girl. "Itchy-" "Trigger finger. Yes." Jason nods. "Rangers don't take kindly to people shooting Pokémon, even when they're dangerous." "I see..." "So, she joined the Front." I stop. It takes a moment to register with me, "the Front", but after a second of racking my brain, I recall it. "You're a terrorist..." I realise, stepping back as he keeps walking. Dev stops beside me, looking quite confused. The Front. I saw it on TV. "You're with the Front, you're a terrorist." "Technically, no." He stops and looks at me over his shoulder, no hint of expression under his shades. "Terrorists intentionally use fear for political gain. I just... scare people sometimes." "Sometimes?" Asks Dev, slightly less concerned than me clearly. "Terrorist is just a label." Jason explains. "I kill Pokémon who are evil. The media, the government, they all refuse to believe the Pokémon we kill are evil, people get scared- the only way the government can explain is to call us terrorists." "He doesn't seem like a terrorist..." I look at Dev now, curious of how he's suddenly on Jason's side. "Doesn't "seem" like a terrorist?" I'm curious as to Dev's opinion on things. After all, he has the aura. "He isn't lying about shadow Pokémon. They're evil, we both saw that. Killing evil Pokémon is hardly terrorism." "That's not really the issue..." I turn my attention back to Jason. "Terrorist or not, you're still labelled as a terrorist. I may not be a terrorist, but if I'm caught hanging with you, that's going to make me a terrorist too, in the eyes of the public." "So you're afraid?" "I'm sorry?" Jason's lips curl a little into a mocking smile. "You're afraid of being chased by the police and all else? You're afraid of being labelled as a terrorist? Fuck, that's weak." "Yeah." Dev nods reluctantly. "C'mon Ben, live a little. We get to be terrorists!
Exciting..." "Dev, it's moments like these I question your sanity..." I tut, looking between the two with weakening resolve. My "Duh, terrorism. RUN AWAY!" idea is slowly fading back, and there's something coming forwards whispering "adventure, adventure, adventure" then there's another, "Kick-ass renegade Pokémon slayer!" it's screaming at me. My sense of adventure wins. Again, common sense is vanquished by stupid, impulsive excitement of the teenage mind. "Fine then." Dev grins and raises a high five to Jason in triumph. Unexpectedly, Jason accepts his offer, and slaps his with a loud clap and a grin that rivals Dev's. "This is gonna be sweet." Jason chuckles a little, looking back to me now. "Hey, we can have codenames!" "Sweet!" Dev and Jason high five again. I just stand staring, rattled by the whole thing. "Hey' I'll be "the splinter."" "Don't be an idiot." Jason grunts, his arms suddenly crossed ,shocking Dev and rooting him still with surprise. "You're three, got it?" he turns to me. "Two?" I suggest rather awkwardly. He turns away and looks for the direction Amy has gone. "Four. I'm one." "Why do you get one?" Dev huffs, arms crossed. They quickly unfold and he steps back as Jason makes a move, but he's too slow. "Just because." He states, then speaking in his monotonous, level voice: "I'll put it this way- if anybody doesn't like it, we can fight about it, and I'll be the only "one" left. Get it?" Dev bites his lip and nods stiffly, feeling nervous under Jason's stare. He's way taller than Dev, which works in Jason's favour. He's a tall guy, wears a lot of black- he's just intimidating. Then there's aura. It's taken me a while to recognise it, but every time he changes into "scary mode" his aura changes. Apparently we can all feel aura to some extent- I can feel Jason change even when I can't see him. It's like a heavy feeling beating down on me. "Ben," he turns to me, face pale and empty of emotion. "You're as ready as you can be. We're going." With that decision, without a reply, he turns away and walks back towards Pewter. "You're playing with fire." I warn Dev as we converge behind Jason, keeping at a distance. His walk is creepy, every step he moves exactly the same. His arms move the same way, his feet land the exact same distance apart each step, it's repetitive and perfect. "I know." He sighs. "Last night he threatened to rip my throat out if I took too long having a shower... I think he was serious, and I jumped out right away without drying off." "Whoa. Overreaction much."/3rd/ Little attention was paid to Jason upon entering Pewter again. People would glance at him, then away quickly. Ben was not quite so luck; it seemed to him as if every pair of eyes around was
staring at him. Occasional whispers of "is that a guy?" really didn't ease him. It had been early he woke, and few were about when he left. Now was midday, the sun was high and undisturbed in the flawless ky, and everybody took the opportunity to roam the streets aimlessly. Jason led on, occasionally pulling over a passer-by with: "Gym. Where is it?" All he received was a shaking finger pointing aimlessly in the general direction of the gym. He would then nod, and go in that direction, then find another victim to terrorise. After feeling they had roamed the entire town for an hour, Jason's scare tactics finally paid off. A certain "gangster" type in an alleyway surrounded by his crew or posse or whatever, seemed to take offense at Jason's demeanour. Clearly boosted in confidence, the guy barely made out "Who the f-" Before Jason sent a crushing kick into his stomach, blowing him clear through his buddies and knocking them all over. Before the others were on their feet, Jason had hoisted one off the ground and thrown him at the wall, knocking him out. The next tried for a weapon, but Jason disarmed him with the calm and routine of a man filling a cup with water, slapping the weapon aside and breaking his arm in three places before gently pushing him aside and heading for the first man. "Gym. Where is it?" Getting a terrified babble of directions finally, Jason led the way, leaving a broken arm, a fractured skull and four broken ribs in his wake. "You had to break his arm?" Ben finally sighed as he caught up a little, quickening his steps to draw level. He had been trailing behind Jason for a while, and had now worked up the nerve to walk alongside. "It was fun. So yes." "You are strange." "No." Jason shook his head a little, recalling the directions he had been given by the man before he passed out. "Violence is satisfying. I satisfied myself. What's so strange about that?" "You could have asked nicely." "I also could have broken his arm- and I did. It was my decision and I made it." Ben gave up and hung back a little for Dev to catch up. "This is going to be fun..." He remarked dryly, eyes on Jason's back. "He's actually pretty nice when he's not a psycho." Ben glanced at him with a curious murmur, and then looked back at their leader. "But he's actually pretty psycho when he's not nice." "It's still good to have him around." Ben nodded slowly, suddenly preoccupied by a dawning realisation. "You're awfully defensive of Jason, aren't you?" "She's a nice at heart." Dev shrugged, looking at something at the side of the street, away from Ben. They both realised what was said at the same time. "Fuck..." "She?" Ben smirked. "She's nice at heart?" "It's his other one, okay?" Dev huffed,
confronting Ben with a stern glare. "His other personality's a female, what's so weird about that?" "Oh... my... god..." "Don't say-" "Ah, I see." Ben grinned wider as Dev facepalmed. "That's not cool." "I see I see I see..." Ben repeated Dev's words tauntingly, dizzy with wonderful irony and glee at Dev's situation. "It's not like that!" "You like him." "I don't." "Do so." Ben sniggered a little, shaking his head with a blissful hum. "Here's you so sceptical about me being gay when you're-" "Don't even say it." Ben's next happy glance at Dev was stopped by something. Dev's eyes were on the ground, narrowed. Not harshly, but softly narrowed. "Dev... are you okay...?" Ben asked stupidly, feeling a sinking weight of guilt on him now. "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. If you're gay that's cool, it's fine, I didn't mean-" "It's not that..." He sighed a long sigh, head drooping further. "I'm sorry man..." Ben placed a hand on Dev's shoulder, drawing Dev's eyes off the ground and onto him. "I didn't think that through." "No, it's fine." He sighed, looking where they were heading and trying to recompose himself with a few deep breathes. "I'm bisexual. I like somebody for who they are, whatever gender- but... I was just reminded of something." "Want to talk about it?" "Someday..." Dev sighed. "I don't feel up to it today. It's personal." "All right." Ben patted his shoulder a few times, and then let his arm fall back to his side. "There." Came Jason's voice as he disappeared from sight. Ben made a few quick steps ahead and around the corner after Jason, quickly followed by Dev. There was the gym at the end of the road, right at the end. The street split off left and right upon reaching the front steps which ascended like those to a giant temple, spectacularly enclosed by cauldrons of fire flickering up along the sides. The Gym itself was like some kind of mine entrance. The front of the building was square and plain, shelled in silver-blue steel gleaming in perfect square tiles across the front. After that though, the building disappeared into a cliff face behind. It just sunk into it, and disappeared there. "A gym at the bottom of a cliff. Of course." Ben shook his head a little as he neared it, craning his head back to follow the top of the cliff which seemed to overhang unsettlingly, looking like it could just drop on him at any second. The following three trudged up the steps quickly- they had to to keep up with Jason's impatient pace. Well, Dev trudged. Ben seemed to just float up, steps silent and light as a feather as he dashed after Cheri. Cheri seemed to be handling the steps easily, fired up and hyperventilating in
anticipation. She trotted on the spot ahead as Ben reached the top of the steps, surprisingly fresh still. The building inside seemed to be exactly the same as outside. The walls the same shining sheet metal enclosing the four inside a giant, bleak cubicle of metal but with a sandy, gritty floor floor. Ben sidles around a rock pillar as he made his way towards the end of the room. They were everywhere, towering from the ground to the roof. Then, he was the end of the room/Ben/ "That's Brock?" I freeze on the spot as is tare in disbelief at the sight before me. I'm at a distance still, but it's unmistakable what I see. At the end of the room he finally notices me as I approach. Placing hands on either armrest of his huge golden throne, the outrageous gym leader lifts himself from his seat. His huge, garish fluffy purple robe falls around his ankles as he takes a few steps forwards, cocking his head beneath his ridiculously showy fedora wrapped by a golden bow. As he steps down the steps to his pedestal, he jingles, solid gold jewellery clanging and rattling together against his breast, fastened around his neck at different heights. "Damn, bitch!" Escapes his awestruck face, darker lips on a darker face set in a look of shock and awe at my approach. Behind him a trio of scantily clad women with ludicrously glossy hair peek around the edge of his huge coat, sharing stunned whispers as every pair of eyes land on me. I do my best to ignore it, and meet the... the... interesting gym leader. His legs buckle, and he falls to one knee. Before I realise what's going on, he's already holding one of my hands close to his mouth, and kissing my fingers, bowing his head. "My lady..." He breathes huskily, looking up to me under the brim of his purple headwear with eyes heavy of awe and lips dry of sound. "Never have I beheld-" "I'm... a dude." "Motherfucker!" He leaps backwards off the ground away from me. His face is contorted disgustedly, glaring at me and shivering. "What the fuck? What the fuck are you trying to do asshole?" "What?" I shout back, scaring back the women at the end of the room. "Asshole, you're the one who came onto me!" "How was I supposed to know you're a guy?" He shrugs innocently, regaining himself a little, but still defensive. "You cou-" "Shut up." Jason points at me with a snarl. "And you," he spins to Brock. "He's here for a damn battle, so give him a damn battle." Brock mouths something I don't catch to Jason, and turns back to me with a grunt, looking me up and down one last time, inspecting me again. He seems to still have doubts. "Yeah whatever." He grumbles and makes a heavy beeline for a marked rectangle at his end of the field. "You're position's at the other end... bugger off." "What the fuck is that guy's-" "Ben." Jason
interrupts me motionlessly, watching Brock head away. "For the love of Arceus, shut up and get to your end of the field." I fix him a stare for a few more seconds as he watches Brock. "Asshole." I turn and make my way back to my end of the field. Cheri leaps out from behind me and scarpers in a quick circle around my feet, getting a humoured grin out of me. She's getting pumped still. "Ready Cheri?" I crouch in my rectangle and place a hand of her head, ruffling her fur a little. "Lux-lux!" She chirps up, smiling and nodding energetically. "This is rock-type, remember?" She nods, face upturning into a grave stare now. She knows this is going to be serious. "Iron tail all the way, got it?" "Lux!" She slaps one paw to the side of her head like a little salute, then spins around and walks out into the sandy field. Jason passes her silently and comes to my side, standing on the opposite side to Dev. "All right then, let's get this shit over quick." Brock calls from his end. Big field much. "I've got some ladies in need of attention, so if you can just let your little friend go down easy then I'd appreciate that.." I barely make a sound of rebuttal as he clears his throat loudly, looking down momentarily as if remembering something, then looking back up. "I am Brock, the rock type gym leader!" His fist flies out, clenched and outstretched in front of him in some pose of "supreme spirit" or some crap like that. "My Pokémon are rock solid, and it's going to take a lot to crack th-" He drawls off into an irritated moan. "No, I'm skipping the shit this time." He decides. "Look here's the low-down. I can only fight with as many Pokémon as you use. Have you one, two or more, I use the same amount, kapeesh?" "Whatever." I shrug, rolling Cheri's ball in my fingers boredly. "Just go, man." He nods and takes a ball from his belt, weighing it in his hands, then throws it in a great overarm arc. "Steelix!" "What?" He doesn't even need to answer that. My answer's pretty clear as the capsule bursts open, and light floods the room with the growth of a huge, long shape. "STEELIX!" The massive roar rattles my ears and I clamp my hands over them to avoid any further damage. "What gives?" I demand as I look the huge Pokémon up and down in awe. Cheri looks like she's about to crap herself... "You're a rock leader!" "Steelix is rock type." He grins smugly at my horror, crossing his arms. I'm too shocked to correct him that Steelix is in fact ground/steel type, not rock. "Fuck." "Iron tail!" The Steelix doesn't even make contact. It swings it's massive tail seemingly at the air from over ten metres distance, confusing Cheri even more as it is. Why? But it's all too clear very quickly. The iron tail crashes into one rock pillar with full-force. The rock pillar shatters at the top, but at the bottom
where the attack hits, the rock explodes forwards with the impact. "Cheri!" My warning comes too late. Simple as that, she's out. The boulder rockets through the air and straight into her as she makes a doomed attempt to escape, but it catches her. "Lux!" She squeals as her tiny body is swatted aside by the boulder. The boulder crashes into the wall and explodes just as Cheri's limp, bruised body hits the sand and bounces with one last squeak of pain. "Cheri!" Jason stands back watching as I rush forwards into the battle zone. I dive as I reach her, skidding through the sand to stop beside her. "Cheri..." I place one hand on her cheek as she mewls weakly, painfully opening one eye to see me. "Lux..." She sniffs a little, and I notice a little tear. "No..." I gently lift her off the ground and into my arms, stroking her belly. "It's not your fault. We didn't train enough." "Lux-luxio..." She whines, looking away from me. "We'll beat him next time." I tell her, turning her head to look up at me. "We'll train together, train harder, and next time we'll kick ass. You'll see." "Whatever." I throw my gaze up to meet Brocks. Behind his Pokémon, he smirks cruelly, sitting back in his throne at the end of the room. "You're just weak. That's it." "Oh- you didn't..." "Luxio are weak, kid. You need something better." "You did not just say that..." I mutter darkly. I place carefully Cheri at the side of my rectangle. "You did not just say that..." I take Sumieri's ball from my belt and hold it outstretched. "Oh, boy. There's another one." He sighs, wiping his brow with irritation. "Look, I've got things to do and they're better than sitting around here wiping out every Pokémon you have, so hows about we just settle this next fight? Whoever wins is victor. Double points or something." A sardonic grin creeps across my face. "Suits me." That moment stretches forever. That moment where things are reversed. Time slows as my grip on Sumieri's ball loosens, and I let it fall. A stray beam of light from the roof lighting catches it, shining in a red tint into my eye as the halves split along the separation. In that moment, Brock's face is smug curiosity. It's a look of mocking cockiness, and I've just about had it after that remark about Cheri. I can feel it as her ball bursts open. Her form flashes red and bright in the corner of my eye, but I feel her presence as she re-emerges into our world. I feel something wrap around me- as if her presence releases some kind of aura and coils around my body and hers, binding us. At the back of my mind I feel her heartbeat pulse alongside mine, perfectly synchronised and slow, like waves lapping up the shore and receding, only for another to wash over top. An inexplicable calm is shared between us, isolated in our ensemble solitude from the rest of the
shocked world around us as my secret is known. Brock's jaw drops, it really drops on hinges as Sumieri's very sight strikes him silent in awe. His Pokémon stands as tall and immobile as the stone columns reaching from the sand to the ceiling around. "Witness." I say, my voice carrying in an ominous wind passing through our hair and manes, blowing them a little as both our eyes hold Brock still. "Witness." Sumieri repeats, stepping forwards and opening her mouth wide. There's that rush again as wind whistles between her fangs, cumulating into a surging ball of pure, untainted energy, then flushing with water and churning. I feel the wind rush from behind as she fires, the very air around us pushing forwards like that first time. The Steelix never had a chance, and we all knew it. Being ground/steel type, it's over before it has even started. Like a brilliant firework of azure, her water pulse explodes in a giant rain of crystalline sparks and droplets. The shockwave whips past our hair with a hollow bang, a wind frigid to the touch caressing my face on passing. It can feel me. The wind knows me. The brief emptiness of noise is shattered as the Steelix crashes to the ground. Its last groan of pain barely makes it out as segment-by-segment its body pounds against the sand and it lies there still. "Double or nothing. Asshole." I stride towards him, Sumieri follows at my side. I step up onto the Steelix's head and walk along its unconscious body with impeccable balance towards the gym leader who's now on his knees and blubbering like a baby. He looks down for a moment, and reaches into his huge gown to retrieve a little shiny badge in the shape of an octagon. It glints dimly as his trembling hand holds it out to me. "Thanks." I snatch the thing and drop it into my pocket as I head away without another word. Leave him wallowing in his shame and awe. "Wait..." I stop. Sumieri stops behind me and turns around, but I stare straight. "Two million." "What?" I turn slowly, feeling my fists clench at my side as he comes into sight. "Two million dollars. I'll give you two million dollars for her." He offers again as he stands up shakily, nodding to Sumieri. THIS guy wants to buy her off me? He thinks he can just switch everything and BUY her off me? "Say no." Dev tells me quickly as he approaches from behind me. "He's a pervert. He's attracted to her." "YOU-!" I make it a metre towards Brock with a fist raised before something catches my wrist. I yell as my arm is wrenched behind my back, and suddenly held there, hot breaths on my neck. "I'm not letting you fuck up now and kill this stupid prick." Jason mutters in warning, tightening his grip on the arm pinned behind my back. I look down quickly as a chain suddenly wraps around my stomach, and he takes it back behind my back. "However..." I feel his
grip release. I move to pull my arm around, but it's stuck there, coiled tightly by the chain tied to it. "-I'm curious... how much damage can you do with one arm?" I spin around with a shocked stare, but I'm only met by a sadistic grin on Jason's part. "Go. Hit him. Have fun." "Oh I will..." I smirk at the man, now trembling further at my leer. I make a first step towards him, tensing my free fist. "I will I will I will..."*/3rd/ "Good da-" Nurse Joy went silent as the weary troop tramped through her front doors, particularly grim looks shared all around. The Pokémon centre's bustling noise and atmosphere died on the spot, and every pair of eyes in the room fell on the newcomers. Jason's boots rapped heavily on the polished tile floor as he walked, making no effort to disguise his presence. Behind him came Ben, and beside him was Sumieri, both looking like anatomically altered twins the way they shared traits. Jason stopped in front of the counter and hauled Brock's beaten, bloody body onto the counter before nurse joy. It hit with a thump, occupying all the vacancy for noise throughout the entire room. "Fix him." He said. "Or don't. I don't care." He turned right and led the group towards the corridor leading away to their room, ignoring all the shocked stares at him, Ben, and most of all, Sumieri. "Thank you." She said at last, smiling a bit at Ben. "It feels good to be able to walk proud with you." "I know what you mean." He chuckled back as he played his fingers through her flowing mane, tousling and twisting it around his digits. "We can properly be together now." "Here comes the green aura..." The group heard off-hand on Dev's part as he looked around with a grin. "The green aura?" Ben shot back, scanning across the collective gazes set on him and Sumieri. "Jealousy." Dev grinned a little wider, amused by the sheer awe spread across the crowd. "...and a little bit of lust." Ben ignored that last part, for the sake of the poor, horny teenagers everywhere. He knew himself Sumieri was gorgeous, he really couldn't blame them... though, he still didn't regret bloodying the perverted gym leader. He was just a creep, and an asshole. He felt no regret, though he knew he would come to regret it eventually. Amy was already in their room as the rest of the team entered, sitting on her bed and staring at her hands. "How did it go?" She asked, seeming a little calmer than she was when she stormed off. "I had to bring out Sumieri." Ben placed a hand on Sumieri's shoulder as they walked in behind Jason. "I thought you were keeping low-key?" "It's more trouble than it's worth." He crouched and wrapped an arm around his Pokémon's torso with a smile. "And I want to be near her. I can't have her cramped up in a
pokéball." "Your choice." Amy shrugged, watching Dev as he followed in behind. Ben stood and stepped aside so he could move through the doorway, and he walked around Sumieri. "I haven't had a shower in ages, so give me a while to enjoy myself." Dev sniggered a bit. Ben ignored him and continued towards the end room's door. "Enjoy yourself, huh?" Dev asked privately. Getting no answer, he fell onto his bed with a bored sigh. He stare at his hands, like Amy was. Jason was the only one who watched on curiously as Sumieri followed Ben through the door, and Ben locked it behind them. "Interesting..." He commented to himself. Standing with his arms crossed, he leaned back beside the door and watched the other two for a moment. He was faintly aware of a warm trickle on his arm. A little blood stained the bandage on his right palm and left elbow where it rested. It was split from where he had created the chain to hold Ben back. He and Ben had discussed it briefly on the way back to the Pokémon centre. "Can one of you fix this up?" Amy and Dev lazily swung their heads to Jason. He held his right arm upright, palm towards the two. "I need it patched, and I can't do it myself." "Dev." Amy volunteered, to her Pokémon's surprise. She usually jumped on opportunities to show her medical skills, but she just seemed to be in a slump today. Dev reluctantly pulled himself from his seat as Jason headed to his own bed, and sat.* Ben swung the handle for the shower around to the hottest setting in preparation. As the jets drummed dully on the plastic tiles, he shrugged his baggy jacket off, and then pulled off his equally baggy singlet. It was all baggy now with his new size. "You don't have to follow me in here." He commented eventually. He was a little nervous of Sumieri's intentions, to be honest. She said it herself, she made him her mate. As in- she had the intention of mating with him. As in- sex. She wanted to have sex with him, and Ben wasn't sure on how he felt about that idea, however much he loved her. Sumieri sat behind him with a poker-face. "I don't have to, but I want to." "Why?" "Why else? To be with you." She made a few steps towards Ben just as he dropped the last of his underwear. He gritted his teeth to try and keep himself from blushing. Sumieri didn't seem to care he was naked- she just circled him rubbing against his legs as she went about it and coiling and uncoiling her tails from his legs. She made sure to give him a little space for his "man parts", drifting away a little, then returning to brush past him near the other thigh. Ben crouched as she neared the end of her second circle, and he placed his hands on either side of her muzzle. "Thanks for being with me." He reaffirmed, smiling with in inexplicable joy at her smile at him. Sumieri simply purred
and let her eyes fall shut into bliss as Ben's hands worked under her neck and through her mane with sudden, instinctive skill. His fingers surfaced from the sea of violet, and proceeded up the sides of her neck with minimalistic touch- rather a long, teasing skim just across the surface of her fur. Not quite touching her, but the way he went about it, she suddenly wanted nothing more in the world. "Please..." She gasped unexpectedly as Ben's fingers rolled under her chin, turning and tousling with the same minimal contact. "Please touch me..." She begged, desire for contact growing tenfold in that instance. "No..." Ben crooned close to her ear, shutting his own eyes. Their heads were still beside each other, ear-to-ear nearly as Ben's fingers made another run. He knew just where she was- every curve of skin and fur, every piece of her body, he knew it, and he could glide the surface of her fur without visual identification of her. That was how he knew her. "I will touch you when I'm ready..." He reversed his hands. Every finger played and stroked like it was playing a fine tune on a violin, and accordingly drew a long moan from her throat, heavy with longing and pleasure. However soft and lush her fur was, Sumieri felt it prickle at Ben's fingers stirring it. Every hair just bent a little under the sparse pressure with which he attended her, and with every second of pressure barely tingling on her, she grew more and more sensitive. Each next stroke would give her a stronger shudder of pleasure at the tickling, warm sensation of Ben's fingers, not quite touching her. Each time she seemed to fade out a little, kept alive by that tantalising ripple through her fur. She just wanted it more, and more, and more with every second, but she just couldn't move. Then she felt the warmth explode. Ben suddenly pressed his lips onto hers, and his arms wrapped around her neck. She had to fight for her legs as they threatened to buckle under the surge of pleasure bursting through her like a great tsunami, engulfing every sense and nerve for just one incredible moment of bliss. She melted into Ben's touch s the explosion resided into a rumbling flame, burning between them like some beacon of passion as they let their tongues freely caress. "Mmm..." Ben grinned softly as he pulled back, still holding one hand under his mate's chin and stroking it fondly. "The sea knows how to handle his mate." Sumieri grinned dizzily, still reeling a little from Ben's unexpected display of love. Ben smiled back and patted her back a couple of times, then opened the shower door behind him. He moved smoothly through the doorway, and into the jets. Sumieri followed similarly as he held the door open and shut it behind her. "This is our element..." Sumieri purred as she held her head high to feel the streams splash against her muzzle, prompting her smile. "It feels so... different..." A
dreamy response came from Ben as he did similar. He closed his eyes and let himself indulge fully in the feeling wrapping around him, like that first time he and Sumieri had kissed. As the water fell onto his head and shoulders, it embraced him. It knew him, it spoke to him wordlessly as it trailed warm and alive down his naked body, soaking him further than skin-deep. The water didn't just land on him; it washed clean his soul as the wave swept through him. Then he felt a surge of warmth and cool. The warming yet cool touch that only Sumieri was capable of giving him. She pressed him gently into the wall of the shower, standing on her hind legs with her forelegs on Ben's shoulders so she could kiss him again. Ben wrapped one arm around her neck, and in the other took her muzzle in a soft grip and stroked her. She replied, wrapping her two ribbon-like white tails around his ankles and leg, holding him however she could... "I never thought I'd find love..." Ben murmured as Sumieri retreated a little, giving him some time to speak. "I know it sounds dumb, but I thought I'd always be too busy for love... I never expected to find it from you..." "Well you have it. From me." Sumieri nodded slowly, still standing upright-ish on her hind legs. "I'll give you whatever you desire..." With that last offer, she buried her head against Ben's chest- and she closed her eyes with a sweet smile of content. "Whatever you desire..." "I offer the same to you, my love." Ben closed his arms around her neck, embracing in the pounding flow from above and the humid steam clinging to their bodies. They just stood there in the warmth, heads against each other with soft strokes and quiet whispers of content shared between...* "I suppose you've made a habit of having this done..." Dev commented as he lowered to his knees. In his hands he held a roll of gauze and bandages. "Yeah. I have." Jason shrugged. He sat on the bed before Dev, legs spread casually and hands clasped. The blood from one seeped into the other's bandages too. He finally got to work, and ripped up the bandage on his bloody palm. "Shari developed a habit of doing it for me." "Shari, huh? That girl you were looking for..." Dev watched curiously as the bandages trailed away, revealing sheened black and blue fur in place of skin. "I already told you about her, huh?" Jason smiled a little as he pulled the last scraps of the bandage away, revealing his whole furry arm. Black and blue twisted and swirled around randomly in some untraceable pattern. On the back on his hand, a small ridge of silver metal rose from his skin, glinting dangerously. "Nice fur." Dev commented in a trance. He quickly blushed with a smile of apology at Jason, but Jason laughed it off simply. "Hey- thanks." He held his arm out for Dev's inspection, now with the old bandage
removed. "You aren't so bad yourself." "Nah, I'm just plain." Dev defended as he unrolled the gauze and began. "Just a plain ol' Lucario." "There's no such thing as a "plain ol' Lucario". Don't say that about yourself. When it comes to us, we're never "plain ol' Lucarios". We all have our quirks and those special things that make us unique. You've got them too, those special things." Dev paused and looked back up in a moment of curiosity. Jason folded his shades in one hand and dropped them onto the mattress beside him. When his eyes opened, they sparkled with a weird shine Dev had never noticed before. A real, lovely sparkle- or so Dev thought secretly. "I know you're trying to make me feel better... so thanks." "Most Lucarios are real hard-cases." Jason continued as Dev resumed. "Always with the "mysterious aura warrior" thing. You... you're different. Better, I'd say. It's great." "It's just a personality difference." Dev was mumbling now. He moved a little closer and looked down as if he was focussing more, but he was actually trying to hide a huge blush warming his face. "Then your personality's great." Dev gritted his teeth as another, more intense wave of heat flushed his cheeks. "I can feel you blushing..." Dev froze as Jason's playful telepathic voice cooed to him distantly in a sing-song melody. "It's cute." "Are you... what are you doing?" Dev shook a little, resolve suddenly too weak to look Jason in the eyes. "I'm trying to flirt- but I've never been all too good at it." "Oh..." Jason sighed. His hand moved back quickly, out of Dev's reach as he tried to apply the bandages. "I'm sorry." He apologised, going a little red himself, and Dev felt it. "I'm just... I don't know." "I'm just..." Dev scratched the back of his neck and stood dizzily. "I'm not comfortable with Jason... he isn't going to like this, is he?" "He told me to." "What?" "I wasn't sure if I should make a move..." Jason scratched his own neck in a similarly awkward manner, making Dev feel just a little better. "I was unsure. Jason told me I should." "Why would he do that?" Dev demanded. He had thought Keiomi, as he had come to know the person before him- and Jason were bonded on some ultimate level or something- like totally in love. "I thought you two... had something." "We're the same." Jason sighed as he fell back onto his bed. "Loving yourself... it's just not the same. I need someone else... we need someone else." "Both of you?" "Whatever's left of Jason- it's alone." Jason sighed as he took a quick glance around the room. Amy had taken Cheri's ball to nurse joy, Ben was in the shower with his
new tag-along- they were alone. "We're both alone. We had Shari, but now she's gone." "Guts." Dev sighed too and dropped his hands onto his knees now that he had finished- being a fast worker. Amy had drilled all that medical crap into him for a while, and he knew his way around a roll of gauze. "So... Shari... she was a friend of yours?" "A friend to both of us." Jason replied as he gave his palm a once-over. "She stuck with me no matter what shit I dragged her through." Dev took a few seconds to let that register properly. Jason had shifted up a bit. "Jason?" He probed, just to be sure. "Yeah." He nodded. "Partly. Keiomi's back a little... she does like you." "Cool..." Dev gulped a bit, and Jason felt it. "There's no reason to be like that." He added without reassuring Dev all too much. "She likes you- therefore I can't kill you or I risk ending up with her upset... I don't want her upset." "All rig-" Dev was far too slow as Jason lunged forwards. Jason grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him clear off the ground as he stood. "But if you hurt her..." He warned with a hiss, his eyes empty of anything but sheer crimson hatred as they bored into Dev's "-if you break her heart... I'll rip yours out, and I'll feed it to a pack of wild Mightyena, and I'll enjoy it." "Yup. Got it." Dev nodded feverishly, managing as much of a smile as could be expected of him in such a situation. Jason's face dropped as soon as Dev's last word touched his ears. "Oh I'm sorry!" He released Dev- only to grip him in a vice-grip-death-hug immediately after. "I'm sorry... please, don't listen to him, he's just... Jason-y..." Jason leaned back a little, easing his grip. Shocked and confused as he was, Dev easily identified a look of great pain painting Jason's softer face. "The shifts are... awkward sometimes..." "Hopefully I'll grow on him..." "Yeah..." Jason agreed with a nod, still watching Dev's eyes from above. "Hopefully." "...not complaining or anything... but are you going to let me go?" "You aren't complaining?" Dev shook his head. "Then I'm not letting go!" Jason cried with outrageous cheer, hoisting Dev clear off the ground and tightening his grip. It seemed Jason really had no objections to Dev's chest spike pricking against his abs... none at all. "Okay... now you're... beginning to hurt me... aah..."2 hours later Ben was in nirvana, and he had been for the last few hours. Brock's comment about Cheri was losing its bite on him, and he had allowed himself to forget the memory as Cheri had snuggled into bed between him and Sumieri. Sumieri who was surprisingly tolerant of her presence, and seemed to hold no reluctance in allowing her to lie between them. Ben swore by
the look on Cheri's face as Sumieri nodded her approval that she was the happiest she had been in a long time- and she jumped between them with a huge, warm grin. Sumieri herself smiled a little as the smaller Pokémon made herself comfortable against her and Ben, one on either side. And yet there was something ben could not quite shake... despite all the warm of his blankets, Cheri and Sumieri, there was something cold... "Stay still... don't move." "Jas-" "Shh!" Jason silenced him hurriedly. Seeing as he was in his psycho phase, Ben obeyed without question. "Don't make a sound, pretend you're asleep... the door's opening soon, and two men are coming in. They're poachers." Ben's fists clenched a little, but he kept himself level with another deep breath to cool himself. Poachers. Here for Sumieri. HIS Sumieri. Not going to happen... He fought his instinct to dive out of bed as he heard the doorknob rattle just a little, but he knew Jason had a plan, wherever he was. Ben cautiously opened one eye as the men worked the lock from the outside, but he couldn't see anything in the dark. The doorknob ceased for a long moment, and then clicked open. A little light spilled into a thin gap as two men slipped through. The second nearly-shut the door behind him, cutting out as much light as possible. Ben's blood raced as the invisible figures stalked closer... he could feel the heat of their breathing on him. It leapt again as he heard a loud crack. He threw himself upright as a loud bang shook everybody from their slumber. There was a long, muffled scream of pain but it stopped short with another crack and a wet sound. "They're dead." "WH-" Dev was sharp enough to clap a hand over Amy's' mouth as she burst. "Quiet!" "They came for her." Ben couldn't tell what Jason was doing in the dark, but he felt a certain aura directed to his side where Sumieri stood motionless. "Poachers." "So you killed them? They're dead?" There was a soft thud. "They're dead." "MMMMF-MMMF-MMMMF!" Amy kicked against Dev, struggling to rip free of his paw, but he held Amy tight. "Amy, settle... calm down, okay?" Amy stopped her bucking with a long sigh of irritation, but nodded reluctantly. Dev released her, and took a step away as she recomposed. "What the heck is going on?" She whispered harshly, looking around for anybody in the emptiness surrounding her. Ben simply shrugged as he stared at the space where he knew two dead men to be. Sumieri followed his gaze, and between her and Ben- Cheri looked around with eyes aglow a golden light. Jason however, had noticed something else. "There are more people coming." "Poachers?" Ben's fists went white with fury as they tightened. "No. Policemen. Probably about your stint with
Brock." "Shit!" "Shit is right." Jason agreed grimly. His shaded eyes were fixed on the door, aura vision penetrating layer after layer through room after room to see the policemen wandering into the foyer area of the Pokémon centre. "Window!" Amy leapt towards the space where a faint square of light filtered onto the floor through a rectangular window. The others followed suit. "Dammit! There's a lock on it..." "Do you have the key?" Ben asked. "I thi-" Everybody save Jason cringed as an earth-shattering crash jarred their ears. Dust exploded into the air as Jason stepped back to observe his handiwork. A 2 metre hole was smashed out of the wall right beside the window, and the metal panel outside had been smashed away and was lying on the grass outside in the pale moonlight, bent and buckled from Jason's furious kick. "Keys are for idiots." "So are windows, evidently." Ben added as he followed Jason outside. "You know what they say- walls are made for smashing down." "Who says that exactly?" "Me." "You said" that's what they say". They. More than one." "I'm more than one person." "...fair enough. Let's go."