103 Big Ol' Switcharoo

{*Inhale* *Exhale* Ahh! It's nice walking together, just the two of us. It's so relaxing and soothing.} Scarlet shared, who was casually walking through the woods with Max beside her, the couple holding hands.

Max could only nod in agreement. "Yeah. Something about walking and thinking about nothing really calms our moods."

For a brief moment, Scarlet spaced out a little. {I don't know how to exactly convey this in words, but… when I'm walking like this, holding your palm, I feel safe and protected. As if nothing in this world can get to me.}

"Really? I should be the one saying that" Max chuckled.

{Maybe, but the feeling is real and very present.}

"Then I guess it's a good thing."

{It is, especially if it's me who's actually protecting you.}

"Yeah. You never know when a pokémon or pack of animals want to mess with the first thing they see."

{That, or a horny bunny might just find themselves constantly glued to you.}

"Let me guess; You're talking about Bonny?"

{Wow, master. How did you guess?} Scarlet mocked playfully.

"It was very hard," Max replied sarcastically with a smile. "I'm telling you, ever since I helped her live one of her little fantasies two days ago at that ditto barn, she became oddly clingy."

{The last part almost sounds like the start of a musical number.} Scarlet pointed out, amused.

"Haha, true. Anyway, I love her very much and I don't mind having her on me. Like the other girls who have fur, she's like a big fluffy plushy."

{But she's starting to monopolize you.} The gardevoir stated.

"Compared to how she usually is, maybe just a little."

{More than a little. She pretty much stayed on you the entire day yesterday. The only time she wasn't was when you went to the bathroom or spent time with the others. And even then, she tried a few times to include herself.}

"Well, she can be very love-dependent at times, so…"

{And I don't blame her for that. But just like Sally, she needs to learn to share a little.}

"I agree that Bonny should know better, but I'm Sally's first love, friend, male figure… basically her first 'everything', if you think about it. So of course she can be a bit clueless when it comes to relationships."

{I don't see the point of mentioning that, but okay.}

"I just think it's a bit uncalled for to bring her into it."

{I was only using her as an example, geez.} Scarlet justified, slightly annoyed.

"...Okay then."

{You know, the same could be said about you. You can be way too protective sometimes.}

"How so? And even if it's the case, what's wrong with that?"

{You're less talkable when you are.}

"Oh. Sorry if my affection bothered you."

{That's not what I meant. *sigh* Nevermind, just forget it already.} Scarlet said before withdrawing her hand from Max's.

"Charming," Max retorted, now mildly upset.

{I just wanted to say that she should know her place.} The gardevoir mentioned, sounding a bit angry.

"Come on, now. She's not your underling. She has the right to-"

{I'm your mate, not them. I find myself very magnanimous and lenient by allowing them to have their way with you. I could always just say 'no' from now on.}

"Don't you always tell me that you don't mind it when they do?"

{I did, so long as everyone acknowledged that I'm the alpha here. That I always have first say when it comes to this sort of thing.}

"And here we go again with that power trip of yours."

{You know what? Fuck. You. Asshole.}

"Real mature, Scarlet. We can't even talk about anything like this without turning it into an argument."

{Sure, go ahead. Tag me as the culprit, like you always do.} Scarlet said angrily with crossed arms.

"*sigh* And here I am, thinking we could have a peaceful walk for once."

{Maybe you should have thought of that before getting into such a sensitive topic.}

"Alright, that's it. I'm just gonna shut up and try to enjoy our walk from now on. That way, I won't give you ammo anymore."

{Pfft. Whatever.}

For the next few minutes, the two continued their walk in silence, the atmosphere growing thicker by the second. To no one's surprise, neither of them apologized since they both thought that the other was the problem.

"...Despite what you may think, I actually do enjoy our walk," Max shared coldly.

{Yeah… Me too.} She responded in the same tone.

Then, after a couple more steps, they discovered something really interesting. In a very large clearing, there was a huge pond that could almost be mistaken for a tiny lake, as its water was a bright cyan color sparkling in the moonlight. A few bug and fairy-type pokémon could also be seen flying near and above it without a care in the world.

"Whoa!" Max exclaimed, amazed and bewitched by the scenery. "Where did we end up?"

{I don't know, but this place doesn't seem to be stained by any human presence, if at all.}

"So you're saying I'm not welcome here?"

{That's not what I said.} Scarlet replied, still a bit annoyed from earlier. {If that were true, they'd probably chase you out of here now.}

"Always know what to say to look smart, huh?"

{At least I am.}

"Ah, the famous Scarlet superiority complex. How enticing," Max retorted.

{It's not complex if it's true.}

"That's Scarlet right there. We discover something amazing, and she doesn't even try to enjoy it. She prefers nagging others about how much better she is."

{I'm sorry, I prefer nagging others? You're the one who doesn't know where to stop.} She replied angrily.

"While you can say and do whatever you want because we don't question the almighty Scarlet," Max retorted.

{Don't push your luck, you dick.}

Then, as they were fighting, they got interrupted by strange noises coming from the lake. Turning their heads, they saw a small blue pokemon materialize from the water.

"What the…" Max commented. "What pokémon is that?"

{Manaphy.} Scarlet answered.

"You know him, or her?"

{I read about him. He's a little pest that likes to mess with humans and pokémon whenever he feels like it.}

"Really? Are you sure about that? He looks kinda cute."

As soon as the seafaring pokémon locked eyes with them, he floated near them and began to dance, twirl, and giggle around them.

"What does he want?"

{I don't know, but stay close to me.} The gardevoir while preparing a Shadow Ball.

{Why so angry, you two? You guys are partners… Partners shouldn't fight each other like that.} the impish creature, seeping an aura of power, said.

{Get lost! Nobody asked you to butt into our business!} Scarlet growled loudly before tossing her Shadow Ball but missed.

{Yet whenever I see others not getting along…} he replied, closing his eyes and dawning a more serious tone of voice. {Then it becomes my business.}

Then, after spinning around them for a short moment, the manaphy stopped in front of them and opened his eyes to stare at them. As Scarlet was preparing another attack, the manaphy split the ribbon-like appendix on his head into two and aimed it at them.

"Uh, Scarlet? Get us out of here!" Max urged.

{I know!} Scarlet announced before touching Max with both of her hands. {Just let me-}

Before she could channel the energy for her move, both she and Max got shot by an incredibly fast beam of light through their chests, one of which even Scarlet couldn't defend against. For the next few seconds, they felt their hearts getting rapidly hotter until the sensation suddenly stopped. Scarlet immediately got incredibly dizzy and her consciousness quickly faded away, Max doing the same right afterward.

{I'm sorry for doing this, friends. But this is the only way you'll learn.} the manaphy said as his voice faded away.

The next day…

{…*Groans* My head…}

Slowly the red gardevoir opened her eyes with a mild headache.

{What… happened?}

She realized that she was back on the bed inside the module, and judging by the ambient light, she guessed that it was morning. She brought a hand to her face in hopes of alleviating her headache, before suddenly stopping to look at it. Before she could say anything, she heard noises next to her and saw Max doing the same.

"Ugh… Why don't I remember last night?" He asked groggily.

Now that they were awake, the pair took a moment to look at each other. After another moment of processing, both of their eyes widened in shock as they quickly sat up. They immediately knew something wasn't right.

~POVC~

{Seriously, how long are they gonna make us wait?} Bonny expressed, who was practicing her balance while standing on just one arm near the module. {I'm still a bit confused at how they got inside the module and in bed without us noticing.}

{I don't know. Maybe they were just too eager to go for a rough sex session and were just that exhausted.} Aurora theorized, who was resting against a tree near the lopunny.

{Please, Aurora. This is Scarlet we're talking about, the second most lustful female around after me. I can understand master, but she would need at least three rough sex sessions for her to be that fatigued.}

{Heh, at least you're honest about it.} The lucario replied, looking at the other girls, who were all around a powered-off firelamp.

{Well, why would I-}

{"AAHHH!"}

Surprised by the sudden scream coming from inside the module, Bonny fell to the ground while the girls rushed inside the module.

"Why do you look like that?!" Max exclaimed, who was standing next to the bed, seemingly in panic.

{I don't know! Why do you look like that?!} Scarlet said, standing as well in front of him.

{What's going on!?} Bonny demanded after they all gathered at the door frame, everyone looking very worried but relieved that they were physically fine.

"Oh my god, this isn't happening! This is not happening!" Max said, holding his head in distress and confusion. "Why does my head feel so different?!"

{W-Where did my figure go, and why can I suddenly speak pokéspeech on instinct?! I'm losing my mind, man.} Scarlet asked, frantically touching her body.

{Guys!} Aurora called out loudly to get their attention, which worked as they both looked at them. {Explanations, anyone?!}

Max and Scarlet then exchanged glances.

{You don't think…?}

"What else could it be?"

{W-What else could what be?} May asked nervously.

"{...We switched bodies.}" Both answered as they turned towards the group.

A confused silence settled in as the girls processed what they just said.

{...You… say what now?}

{I don't know either, okay? I'm Max and she… he… Err- That's Scarlet over there.} The gardevoir explained before pointing at the human.

{If this is a joke, please cut it out.} Dusk said, feeling a bit anxious about the situation.

"Does it look like we're joking, Dusk?! For fuck's sake! Why does this shit always happen to us?!"

{Well, I think we can confirm that Scarlet is indeed inside Max's body.} Luna commented rather calmly.

{Yup, only Scarlet would ever curse that much.} Aurora said with crossed arms.

"Oh piss off, both of you!"

{Oh my god, this feels so weird.} Max stated, looking at his three-fingered hands.

{Alright, then. Can you two try to calm down a little so we can analyze the situation better?} Luna intervened, getting between the two of them.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who got ripped away from your own body."

{If no one is hurt or in a life-threatening situation, then there's no need to panic. Just take deep breaths and try to relax.}

"...Un-fucking-believable…" Scarlet cursed before trying to do as told.

{Is that… really you, master?} Sally asked, who got near the red gardevoir alongside May.

{Yeah. I… I think so.} Max replied, who was trying to calm down.

{How do you guys feel?} Bonny asked, who got near Max's body with Aurora.

"Besides having a massive headache and being confused as fuck… not… that bad, actually," Scarlet answered, looking at his human hands. "Holy shit, this is weird!" She said while moving her fingers around, having difficulty moving her middle and last finger. "I never really noticed how weird five fingers actually felt."

{Same here.} Max agreed, moving his fingers around as well. {Though I guess it's a bit easier for me since I went from five fingers to three.}

{Alright, now that everyone has come back to their senses, I would like to understand what is happening here.} Dusk urged a little.

{*Sigh* I wish I could answer that, Dusk. We're just as lost as you are.} Max answered.

{Come on, now. As strange as it seems, people don't switch bodies out of the blue like this.} Aurora pointed out.

"Apparently, they do," Scarlet said.

{Then let's try to figure it out ourselves.} Bonny pondered out loud. {Until last night, you guys were doing fine.}

{Yeah. You were in your respective bodies before you went for your walk.} May stated.

{So it means something happened between when you left and this morning.} Luna affirmed.

{I think I'm following so far…} Max commented.

{Tell us exactly what you two did last night.} Aurora requested.

"Well…" Scarlet began explaining. "Master and I were arguing about something when we came across a clearing, and then…"

{...Then what?} Aurora urged a little.

"Then… nothing. We were arguing, we decided to stop talking to each other, then… That was it. One moment we were walking in the woods, the next we awoke on our bed."

{That doesn't really help much.} Bonny commented.

{It does, actually.} Luna corrected. {It confirms that something really did happen last night. We just have to figure out what.}

"How? We don't remember a damn thing."

{Maybe… Dusk could help by looking into your minds.} Sally proposed.

"Well…" Scarlet replied, looking at her own body.

{It's worth a try.} Max said. {What do you think?} He asked the delphox.

{I guess I could try, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do much. I'm not as strong as Scarlet.}

"But you are a psychic-type, Dusk. It may be your secondary typing, but we won't know unless you try," Scarlet encouraged her.

{...A-Alright. I'll try.}

{You can start with me.} Max proposed.

With a nod, Dusk went near him and put a hand on the gardevoir's head before focusing, only to remove it immediately after.

{Oh my…} Dusk expressed, looking surprised.

{What is it?} Max questioned.

{It's… a mess in there. Both your mind and Scarlet's brain are intertwining into amalgams of blurry images.}

{Well, that sucks.}

"Try me, then," Scarlet requested.

{I doubt it'll be much different.} Aurora pointed out.

"At this point, I'll take whatever I get."

Dusk then did the same with Scarlet and touched Max's forehead before removing it.

{...Same thing. I'd say it's even worse.}

"Dammit. I shouldn't be surprised, though. No way Max's brain can handle my magnificent mind," Scarlet boasted.

{No one asked, Miss I'm-better-than-anyone-else.} Max retorted annoyingly.

"Who cares?" Scarlet spat back, angrily crossing her arms.

{Guys, guys… I don't think now is the time for trivial bickering.} Aurora intervened.

"Not my fault. He has been acting like a spoiled teenager since yesterday."

{Why wouldn't I be when you're interacting with someone who loves to make others feel inferior to her?}

{Guys! What did I just say?!} The lucario interrupted them more assertively.

"Who said you could boss me around?" Scarlet demanded, annoyed by her.

{I'm not. I'm just trying to keep everyone level-headed here.}

"Then you could start by minding your own business."

{Chill out, Scarlet.} Bonny said. {I know you're confused and maybe a bit scared, but there's no need to take it out on everybody here.}

"I'm scared of nothing, alright?!" Scarlet angrily corrected. "I dare anyone to tell me otherwise."

Instinctively, she wanted to use Fire Punch but wasn't able to since Max's body couldn't do such a thing.

"...Are you fucking kidding me?!" She growled, looking at her plain fist that wasn't producing anything. "I can't even use a move in this pile of flesh?!"

{Max? I mean… Scarlet?} Bonny called her out.

With an angry look, she glared at Bonny.

{Seriously, please calm down? You're scaring Sally.} The lopunny mentioned.

Looking behind her, Scarlet saw the cinderace half-hidden behind Luna, who was wearing a disapproving expression.

"... I see where this is going. I'm the bad guy here, I'm the mean bitch nobody likes. As always, I'm the fucking outcast of this group." She angrily expressed before heading outside.

{We-}

"DON'T… talk to me! Don't follow me! Just leave. Me. Alone." She added before storming out the door.

Sighing, Max sat on the bed while rubbing his forehead.

{As infuriating as she can be, it's actually a little sad how easily angry and anxious she gets when she's not in control.} He commented.

{She's always had trouble with those emotions.} Dusk shared.

{Yeah. But the good thing is that she's smart and adapts pretty quickly, so we'll just leave her alone for a bit.}

{I know she has a hard time with new, unknown, and sudden events, but even then, she doesn't usually get angry that fast.} Luna stated.

{True.} Aurora approved. {And my guess would be that it was because they were fighting before this mysterious event.}

{Well, for us it felt like it was a couple of minutes ago, so…} Max said.

{Say, I was wondering… Scarlet not being able to use her powers made sense, but what about you?} Bonny asked.

{You mean being able to use Scarlet's powers myself?} Max said, with Bonny nodding as a response. {I don't know, can I?}

{Give it a try.} May requested, who had joined him on the bed.

{Alright.}

Max then curled Scarlet's right hand into a fist and focused on trying to use Fire Punch. He focused intensely for a short moment before giving up.

{Looks like I can't use them either.}

{Try something easier, like telekinesis.} Dusk suggested.

With a nod, Max turned his attention to a shirt that was lying on the ground. He stared at it and tried to imagine it floating with a raised hand. Unfortunately, the result was the same as his previous attempt.

{Nope.}

{Why, though?} Bonny wondered. {It's not like you don't have the body and power to be able to do it.}

{If only it was that simple.} Max said with a huff.

{If I may, master…} Dusk started. {I have a hypothesis. Scarlet can't use her powers or moves because Max's human body doesn't hold any of the necessary energy and organs to harness them. Scarlet's body does, but since Max never used that kind of power in his life, his mind doesn't know what to use or activate in Scarlet's system to trigger anything.}

{Oh. Kind of like you trying to move a muscle you never used in your life.} Max guessed.

{More or less. Since you were born with that muscle, you would eventually make it move. For Scarlet's abilities, it's more complex as your mind simply doesn't know what to do. It's kind of like trying to explain color to someone who's blind.}

{So as long as Max is in Scarlet's body, we lose her strength?} Bonny concluded.

{Well, if given enough time and practice, maybe his mind could eventually find its way. However, it could take years of hard work. If it's even possible, that is.}

{Tch, great. As if keeping up with you girls as a human wasn't hard enough, then you tell me it's just as hard, if not harder, now that I'm a pokémon.} Max complained. {I mean I'll admit, I actually love being in Scarlet's body, but not literally.} He added, making Sally muffle a chuckle. {We need to find out what happened so we can get things back to normal again.}

{How? We don't have any kind of clues or leads whatsoever.} Bonny replied.

{Well, we know it happened in the forest.} Sally mentioned. {That's gotta count for something … right?}

{It's better than nothing, I guess, but this forest is pretty vast. We could be searching forever, especially if we don't know what we're looking for.} Aurora remarked. {...But in the end, we don't have much of a choice.}

{Scarlet said that they were near a clearing when they were arguing, so that's clue number one.} May pointed out.

{Then the best course of action we should take is to divide into groups and look around.} Luna suggested.

{Sounds good to me.} Aurora conceded. {Now the question is who's gonna go with who?}

{One of us should stay here for Max and Scarlet's protection. Both are rather defenseless now that they've switched bodies.}

{Tsk. Just when I thought I couldn't be any more of a burden.} Max complained.

{This time around, you're not really at fault.} Aurora pointed out.

{She's right.} Dusk agreed. {No one could've seen this coming. I mean, how could they?}

{...I guess.} Max conceded, not feeling better, however.

{I could stay with them.} The delphox proposed.

{Maybe you should help us look instead.} Aurora refused. {Aside from some sort of clearing, we're kind of in the dark on this one, and since Scarlet's ran off, we could use a psychic-type right about now.}

{As well as a pokemon with aura powers.} Bonny remarked.

{So you two should be on different teams.} Luna said.

{I'll look after them.} May said. {I've got tiny legs, I'll only slow you down.}

{Are you sure?} Aurora asked.

{Yeah, don't worry. I'll be more useful here.}

{...If you say so.}

{Unless you think I'm not strong enough.} May said, glaring at Aurora with crossed arms.

{May, you know all too well that no one thinks that.} Max reassured her. {You're a good example that size doesn't matter and you're not to be taken lightly.}

{Hehe. Exactly! You know what they say, "Mighty oaks grow from little acorns".} The mawile approved with an inflated chest.

{Aww. Aren't you just the cutest, sweetest thing! Come here.} Max expressed before taking May in his arms and strongly hugging her.

Even though they knew it was Max, seeing Scarlet being overly affectionate and nuzzling the mawile was weird and a little awkward for them. Despite liking the attention of her master, even May was a bit uncomfortable, which Max realized after a short moment of silence.

{...Hem… Sorry.} Max apologized while setting her down.

{No, it's… okay.} May reassured, a bit embarrassed.

{Too weird, huh?}

{Well…} Dusk started.

{Maybe… just a little.} Bonny admitted.

{I guess I'll have to be careful. You guys know that it's me, but I don't really look or sound like myself, do I?} Max added, looking at Scarlet's hands.

{*Ahem* We should get going.} Luna said. {The sooner we leave, the sooner we can fix this situation.}

{You're right. Let's not waste any more time.} Aurora approved. {You want to come with me, Sally?}

{Me?} Sally inquired, a bit surprised. {Well, I personally don't mind, but…}

{You two are rarely together, so this could be a chance for you two to bond a little.} Bonny encouraged her before nudging her with an elbow.

{I… guess…} Sally conceded shyly.

{Looks like it's gonna be just the two of us, then.} The lopunny mentioned while looking at Dusk.

{This could be fun. It has been a while since the last time we spent time together.} The delphox stated.

{And I guess you'll go on your own?} Aurora asked Luna.

{I'm more efficient that way, so yes.}

{If you're going alone Luna, please be careful. If a creature or pokemon caused this, it's not to be taken lightly.} Max advised the zoroark.

{Don't worry, little pup. I've learned from my past mistakes and I won't lower my guard again.}

{...Great.}

{Let's all pick a different direction and get back here around noon to report in.}

With everyone agreeing, they all left outside in three groups, leaving Max all alone with May inside the module.

{...Well, I suppose it's a good thing I didn't kiss you.} Max engaged the mawile.

{Yeah. I really like Scarlet, but I prefer master's lips touching me.}

{It's understandable. Though, Scarlet's lips are really soft.} Max commented, touching his lips with one finger. {Oh, and slightly more sensitive than I imagine. Now I know why she loves kissing so much.}

{You can feel every part of her?} May questioned, curious.

{I think so. Although, being turned into a pokémon is still pretty weird.}

{Weirder than you being turned into a girl?} The mawile asked with her hands on her tiny hips.

{Ha! Touché. Well, now that I think about it…} Max started, grabbing a bit of his hair to look at it. {I've always wondered how it is to be a pokemon. It's so different, but strangely very familiar as well. As if a pokemon's body wasn't so different from a human's.}

{You and Scarlet are both bipedal, so it makes sense. I doubt it would have been the same if you switched bodies with a quadruped.}

{Very good point.} Max praised her.

While looking down, something on Scarlet's body caught his attention; her crest.

{Damn!} Max exclaimed, staring at it. {Looking at it like this feels like I've been stabbed by a giant knife. It's kind of trippy. I wonder…}

May curiously stared at Max and wondered what he had in mind right now. She then saw him touch Scarlet's crest.

{Oof! Shit!} Max exclaimed, feeling a strong and almost painful wave of pleasure pass through his body. {So that's what she feels whenever I do that. How can she tolerate such an intense yet pleasurable stimulus?}

{Um… master?}

{Hm?} Max hummed, looking at her.

{I know you're kind of having fun discovering and messing with Scarlet's body, but have you forgotten that she's out there, alone and angry, probably waiting for you to comfort her?}

{Oh! No, I haven't. I just… got carried away… You're right. We should go look for her immediately.} Max announced, standing up. {We just… need to know where she went.}

{I'm sure she's still in the area.} May affirmed. {Now that she's "human," she couldn't have gotten far.} She said before walking towards the bedroom's entrance.

She walked past the door frame before stopping to look behind and saw Max having a bit of trouble walking.

{You okay?}

{Not… really. How am I supposed to have balance without any freaking feet!} Max replied, looking like someone who was trying ice skates for the first time.

{If Scarlet can do it…}

{You know what I- w-whoa!} Max retorted before preventing himself from falling by holding his balance with the wall.

(*sigh* It's gonna be a long day.) May internally complained.

~POVC~

Not very far from the module, Scarlet was sitting over a small cliff she came across as she was venting while walking with Max's body. Unlike him, she got used to his body rather quickly but was still pretty pissed that she can't use any of her abilities, among other things. Glancing over the modest horizon, Scarlet was grumbling, grunting, and loudly sighing in anger.

"That's so stupid. They always gang up on me to make me look like I'm the bad guy. Always complaining or blaming me as soon as something isn't right. *spit* Assholes, all of them."

She kept cursing and swearing for a moment until she began lacking inspiration.

"...I just don't get it. Why does shit like this always happen to me?" She said as she loudly sighed again before rubbing her hair and staring at her human hands.

"What did I do to deserve this?"

Realizing now that she still couldn't move her middle finger and pinky at will, she tried her luck in moving them again, but to no avail. She was able to feel them, which she found very strange and almost grossed out, but couldn't move them. Little by little, she began moving the others.

"How the fuck does he move ten fingers at once? Human bodies are weird as fuck."

Then, as she was trying very hard to move them, she heard noises from behind her and turned to look at who was approaching her. She spotted Max in her body who joined her, holding himself against a tree.

{...Hi.} Max greeted her.

Scarlet stared at him for a short moment before looking in front of her again without saying a word. Sighing softly, Max left the tree and walked toward her. Despite getting used to her body already, his balance wasn't there quite yet, and almost fell towards the cliff. In a swift motion, Scarlet put a hand on her own chest and stopped him.

{Phew! Thanks.} Max said gratefully.

"...just don't break my body, alright?" She demanded coldly.

{Sure. Sorry.}

After Scarlet removed her hand, Max sat next to her.

{What a day, huh?} Max engaged without receiving any answer. {...The girls went out on a search for some clues as to what could've been the cause of this mess.}

"...Cool." Scarlet simply answered, disinterested.

{And… How long do you plan on pouting in the corner by yourself?}

"As long as I want."

{Come on, Scarlet. Now you're just being a bit puerile.}

"Tss. There you go again, saying that I'm the problem again. Why am I not surprised? It'd take a miracle for you to be at fault for once."

{*sigh* I wouldn't say that you're the problem, but you definitely don't want to be the solution right now.}

"Well, that's what being a mean bitch means, so…"

{Can you stop being pessimistic for just a minute, please?} Max requested assertively.

"We'll see."

{Why you…}

Max was about to get angry himself but managed to suppress his emotions.

{...Look, I'm sorry, okay? I know you have trouble managing yourself in stressful situations. I forgot that's just how you are, so it's my fault.} Max explained, making Scarlet huff. {So feel free to talk whenever you're ready.}

For a moment, no one spoke while glancing at the horizon.

"...I guess that in the end, I'm the one who must always be treated delicately. No matter how much or how little, I can't handle a situation that bothers me to save my life."

{I know you don't mean to sound lash out at times, but in reality, you kinda have more reasons than anyone else here to be angry. You've always had trouble managing your feelings, and nobody's ever considered them until you met us.}

"And yet, I take it out on everyone here for everything that's happened to me. Maybe I am a lost cause after all."

{No, you're not. Why do you think that?}

"Because no matter how hard I try, my blood boils every time I get the least bit upset and everyone else pays the price. None of you deserve that."

{So, you're not mad because of what we said before we blacked out or even at our current situation. You're upset because you believe you're still unable to manage your anger issues. Am I right?}

Max then saw his own face getting a bit emotional, with a tear escaping his eyes.

"It's just so hard…" Scarlet bemoaned softly. "Every time I get angry, it's like someone else takes control and burns me from the inside out. I guess I really can't hide from what I really am after all; a short-tempered monster. You must think living with me is like some sort of nightmare."

{Well… To say that getting over this issue is easy would be bullshit. But I can assure you that living with you was never a nightmare, Scarlet.}

"You say that now, but if this keeps up, you're gonna be fed up with my problems and leave me. *sniff* I wouldn't blame you, though. Our relationship is already starting to fall apart."

{I'll admit, if you made zero progress after the last couple of years, then maybe I would've thought that you weren't making any effort whatsoever. But that will never happen.}

"How can you be so sure? I haven't made any progress. I'm no better than when I started taking those stupid therapy sessions," Scarlet asked, rubbing her watery eyes.

{But you are better, that's what you don't understand.}

"Is that what I proved recently?"

{As a matter of fact, yes.} Max confirmed.

"...No. You're just saying that…" Scarlet replied, not believing him.

{Come on, Scarlet. You know better, I know it. After all, that research and reading you did, don't tell me that you actually thought progress would lead to perfection after a week or so. True progress, real improvement is about praising ourselves for taking those small steps to achieve something greater. Yes, it's hard and tedious to work on yourself. Believe me, I know. Imagine this for a second; going from being angry all the time to not being angry for a few hours over the course of a month. That's progress.}

"That's a good representation of me, being bearable for only a few hours throughout the entire month."

{You know… I used to know a Scarlet that wasn't able to do that at one point.}

Not replying, Scarlet looked at Max from the corner of one eye before looking forward again.

"...It's still not a lot."

{Weren't you the one that harassed me for 'jumping the gun too quickly'?}

"...I don't remember that." Scarlet lied poorly.

{Ah, that's where you're wrong! I don't need to be able to read your mind to see through that awful lie.} Max reported, a bit amused. {You know all too well what I'm talking about. You don't want me telling you to listen to your own advice, is that it?}

"There's a difference between ambition and viability."

{You wish there was a difference.}

At Scarlet's silence, Max grabbed one of her hands.

{Scarlet, everybody makes mistakes, and that's okay. I'll always be here to help you learn from yours so you don't repeat them.}

Scarlet then let out a loud sigh.

"...You're such a kind, loving idiot." She affirmed before dropping her head on Max's shoulder. "That's why I love you so much and why I'll never get enough of you."

{Glad to hear.} Max replied, stroking his own hair. {It's okay, May. You can come out now.}

After removing her head, Scarlet looked behind her and saw May joining them.

"What are you doing here?"

{She's gonna be our little guardian until the girls get back since we are kinda useless in our current state.} Max explained, petting the mawile.

"...I see," Scarlet said, a bit down. "If I knew that I would become a burden one day…"

Understanding her feelings, Max kept petting May until something came into his mind.

{Do you want to sit on me?} Max proposed to the mawile.

{Hem… I… guess.} May accepted, but sounded quite uncomfortable.

{No, I meant do you want to sit on me?} Max clarified. {As in, on my human body?}

{Ohhh… That please!} May replied eagerly.

{Scarlet? Mind if May sits on you?}

"Huh? Why?" Scarlet inquired, a bit surprised by the suggestion.

{She wants some hugs and cuddles, but she prefers it when it's me, and since you have my body…}

{I don't want to be a bother if you don't want to.} May told them.

Scarlet considered the proportion, then looked at Max again.

{Please?} Max begged softly.

"*sigh* Alright." She complied.

{Are you… sure it's fine with you, Scarlet?} The mawile asked hesitantly.

{Of course, it's fine. Come on, don't be shy.} Max encouraged her by gently pushing her toward Scarlet.

With a hesitant step in her walk, May approached Scarlet before jumping up and sitting on her crossed legs. She then immediately relaxed and felt reassured at the scent and warmth she's used to.

{How is it?}

{...Great.} May replied with closed eyes.

{Good. Now all she needs is some petting.} Max pointed out while looking at Scarlet.

Rolling her eyes, she put one hand on May's head and began to caress it.

{Ahh… master's hand…} May expressed.

{How does it feel to pet a little cutie-pie like May?}

"It's… alright."

Despite being in different bodies, the bond between Max and Scarlet was still very present and strong, allowing them to feel that petting May was decently soothing for her.

"*sigh* I hope we fix this situation soon. If anything happens, I won't be able to properly protect you."

{My body has been trained well by a psychotic, war-torn gardevoir, so you're not completely harmless.}

"You're strong for a human, that's a fact, but… it won't be enough."

{...If only I could borrow and use your powers…}

"As I thought, you can't use them. It's not something that a human mind can comprehend so easily."

At that, Max looked at Scarlet with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't mean it in a mocking way, I was only stating a real fact that we are witnessing at this very moment."

{Yeah, the fact that you're actually smarter and better than me.}

"That's not true, master. Smarter, maybe, but I'm not better than you. You do things that I can't. So what if you can't keep up with a pokémon's level of power? I love you, master. Not for what you have in your head or how much muscle you got, but for what you have in here." Scarlet explained while pointing at her chest. "Even if the difference in intelligence was greater, it still wouldn't change my feelings for you."

{Really?}

"Of course. If not, I would be a stupid masochist for staying."

{Haha. Maybe you already are.}

"Who knows, actually," Scarlet said, smiling a little for the first time since they switched bodies.

~POVC~

Meanwhile, in the forest, Aurora and Sally are searching everywhere they can for the possible cause of what happened to Max and Scarlet. While Aurora was walking and looking around at a confident pace, Sally was tailing her, looking very worried and inattentive, at the limit of being anxious. Aurora then suddenly stopped, causing Sally to bump into her.

{You okay back there?} Aurora asked.

{Y-Yeah. Don't stop for me. Let's keep looking.}

Aurora just stared at her, obviously not buying her lie.

{...What?}

{Did anyone ever tell you that you're a bad liar?} Aurora accused with a tiny smile.

{I… I don't… I'm not…} The cinderace denied, looking away.

{Uh-huh.}

It took Sally a few seconds to reconsider.

{It's just… I'm very worried. What if they're stuck like that forever? What if we can't switch them back?}

{Not very optimistic, are you?}

{...I'm sorry.} Sally apologized, looking a bit ashamed.

{It's okay. I get that you're worried about them, I am too. But we'll find a way, you'll see.}

{...Alright. Okay, I… I believe you.}

{Well, I say that as we currently have no idea what to do other than look around. We're stumbling around in the dark.} Aurora commented while looking around.

She then saw that her words worried Sally again.

{But that doesn't mean we should give up all hope, or at all for that matter. When there's a will, there's a way. Keep your eyes peeled, there's bound to be something.} The lucario reassured before resuming her walk, Sally doing the same behind her.

{*sigh* I hope everyone else is having better luck than we are.} Sally mumbled nervously.

~POVC~

A bit further away from them, Luna was jumping from tree to tree with extra awareness to spot anything suspicious or out of place, dodging some bug-type pokémon as she moved along. She eventually caught a whiff of Max and Scarlet's scent and followed their trail. As she was doing that, she came across their footprints along the way, now having an idea as to where to go next. She pursued the tracks for a while until she arrived at a large pond.

(*sniff sniff*...Their tracks stop here. How can that be?) She thought while examining her surroundings. (It's like they just vanished from thin air.)

Luna rubbed her mane with confusion and annoyance.

(This whole situation is strange. What could've possibly happened here? How can I track down what just isn't there?)

Luna then approached and inspected the pond, as if she was hoping to find something in the water. Unfortunately, all she could see was her own reflection staring back at her.

(...I can't give up, he's counting on me.) She kept thinking while looking at her reflection. (I can't let him down like this, and I won't be powerless like the last time I-) She suddenly stopped her rambling before shaking her head, as well as any bad thought that came to mind. (I… *sigh* Max mentioned a clearing… Surely there's another around here somewhere.)

Then, Luna left the pond to look for other clues elsewhere. Fast forward a few hours, it was almost noon and the girls had been out searching before deciding to stop their search and return to the campsite for a break. The first ones to come back were Bonny and Dusk.

{*sigh* Well, that was a flop. We didn't find anything.} Bonny complained when they appeared at the campsite. {Zero clues, no leads, nothing. Nada. Zilch.}

{It's okay, Bonny.} Dusk reassured her. {We'll try again after dinner, in a different direction.}

{If only we could've at least found something that even resembles a hint or clue.}

{Maybe when Max or Scarlet recover their memories.}

{The sooner they do, the better. Speaking of, where are they?}

{...Inside.} Dusk answered, immediately sensing them inside the module.

{Alright. Let's announce the good news.} Bonny said before heading towards it.

{They know we have nothing to work with, so I don't think they expect an immediate answer after a few-hour search.}

{True… I guess.}

With the door automatically opening, Bonny and Dusk saw Max, Scarlet, and May sitting at the table, with Max and Scarlet facing each other.

{Come on, Scarlet. Focus. I know you can do it.} Max encouraged the gardevoir.

"Dammit! My brain just cannot comprehend the concept of having more than three fingers," Scarlet complained while intensely staring at her human hands, dropped on the table.

{Just picture them already moving.}

Then, before she could start focusing, they noticed the two pokémon who just entered.

{Hi, girls. Any luck?}

{Unfortunately, no.} Dusk answered, while Bonny leaned her back against a counter with her crossed arms, looking a bit upset.

{I see. Sadly, I can't say that I'm surprised. Sorry that we couldn't help you more than that.}

{I was thinking about it on our way back here, but maybe one or both of you should come with us. If you took the same path you took yesterday, you might be able to remember what happened.} Bonny proposed.

{I guess so. Scarlet would be able to go.}

"Why just me?" Scarlet asked while focusing on trying to move her middle finger and pinky.

{I wish I could come, but you saw how bad I am at walking with your footless legs.}

"Aw, come on Max. It's not that hard to do."

{Says the girl who's been struggling the past hour just to move two fingers.} Max retorted, making Scarlet stick her tongue out at him. {Eh. I prefer when it's your tongue. It's way more enticing.

Instantly, Scarlet's face changed from annoyed to intrigued and lightly seduced.

"You know, I could just hold you by one hand."

{I don't mind, however, it's not just about balance, but keeping my, hem… your legs straight as well. I still miss having soles while walking.}

{Someone else could help Scarlet hold you.} Dusk mentioned.

{Huh? You mean like, someone holding both of my hands?} Max asked, to which Dusk answered with a nod. {What is this? A guide called 'How to Baby Your Trainer 101'?}

"Stop crying and just admit that you're just too lazy to walk an entire afternoon already," Scarlet nagged playfully.

{Ha. With a body as strong as yours, hardly.}

{I think I know why you wanna stay here.} Bonny suspected with a tiny smug.

{What are you talking about? It's not that I don't want to come, it's just that-}

"I'm listening." Scarlet interrupted, looking at Bonny, intrigued.

{Think about it. He's trapped in your body, and if you came along with us, it'd be just him, alone. What else would he do?}

For a second, Scarlet thought of what Bonny could mean by that, only to quickly realize it.

"No. You wouldn't dare!" Scarlet blurted, looking at Max with accusing eyes.

{What?}

"I can't believe it. You want to take advantage of my body, don't you?" She said with narrowed eyes.

{What the… The fuck are you talking about?}

"And I thought you were better than that," The human complained, looking extremely offended. "I should've known you'd do something like that sooner or later."

{I…} Max began as he turned to Bonny and Dusk, with the lopunny giggling and the delphox looking a bit discouraged. {I don't even… Wait a minute… How do I know you didn't touch my body that way? You already have, haven't you?! Admit it!} Max retorted, pointing accusingly at Scarlet.

"Me? Please," Scarlet replied, rolling her eyes. "I can play with your dick anytime I wanted before this mess, so why would I do such a thing now?"

{I don't know, maybe you wanted to know what it felt like to have a real penis so you could do whatever you want without holding back.}

"Unbelievable. That's low, even for you." Scarlet replied, crossing her arms. "As if…"

{I don't know…} Bonny intervened. {You're pretty much the kind of gal to do something like that as well.}

"What?" Scarlet exclaimed, slightly red. "I'm not. I would never…"

She then noticed that everyone was staring suspiciously at her.

"*Ahem* Can we change the subject, please?" She requested, oddly looking a bit embarrassed.

{*sigh* Anyway, it's almost noon, so we'll talk about this after dinnertime.} Dusk informed.

{Oh, I almost forgot about lunch.} Max said, about to stand up.

{It's okay, master. I can take care of it.} The delphox affirmed while pressing a hand on one of his shoulders to prevent him from standing.

{I know, but-}

{You're not used to this body, master, so take it easy until you're able to at least walk in it.}

{Yeah, but…}

{I won't burn out making all of that food by myself alone once or twice. I don't mind it, honest.} She assured him with a warm smile.

{...Alright.} Max replied, revising himself.

{Good boy.} She teased playfully while petting him before getting in front of the counters.

"Good girl. That's what she is now, right?" Scarlet nagged a little with a smug smile, making Bonny chuckle.

{Hey, hey "Max". I got your "good girl" right here.} Max said while flipping her the bird.

"Haha. What exactly are you showing me, 'Scarlet'. Your index finger?" She retorted with an arrogant smile, making Bonny laugh harder.

{…Fuck. You.} Max retorted.

"Eh. Jokes on you, I'm the one who can fuck others now."

{Go fuck yourself, then.}

"You wish."

{Hahahaha! You guys are hilarious, sometimes.} Bonny exclaimed while taking a few breaths in between.

As this was happening, Aurora and Sally were the next to enter the module.

{Any luck on your search?} Max asked them.

{Nope.} Aurora answered, sitting next to Max's body.

"Tsk. Bummer," Scarlet complained.

{What are we gonna do now?} The cinderace asked.

"Continue the search later this afternoon, but with both of us as well."

{Luna isn't here?}

{She should be here in a moment.} Max answered.

{Maybe she found something.} Bonny guessed.

{I doubt it, but you never know.}

Roughly a minute later, the door opened one more time, with Luna entering.

{Ah. There she is.} Aurora said.

"Please tell me you have some good news for us?" Scarlet questioned.

{I don't know.} The zoroark replied, resting a shoulder against the wall. {Aside from your tracks ending at a large pond, it wasn't out of the ordinary.}

{...A pond?} Max repeated before both he and Scarlet exchanged confused glances.

"I… feel like I should remember something about that, but…" Scarlet shared, before slumping in her seat. "Nevermind. I got nothing."

{Is it worth investigating?} Dusk asked while cooking dinner.

{I'm not sure. It could be the only lead we have, but it could also be a complete waste of time.} Luna admitted.

{We'll take anything we can get.} Max said. {Better than not doing anything and expecting that it's gonna be miraculously fixed by tomorrow.}

"We know where to go, then," Scarlet said before standing up.

{Oh no you don't! Nobody is leaving without a proper meal, is that clear?} Dusk scolded.

"It can wait. Just taking a quick look shouldn't take long."

{And lunch would take even less. Just be patient, please.}

Unsure, Scarlet looked at Max.

{It'd be best if we do what she says.} Max tried to convince her.

"But…"

{Whatever we're looking for, I doubt it'll just disappear in a couple of minutes. Our health, however…}

"...*sigh* Fine." Scarlet conceded, letting herself drop on the soft bench a bit hard with crossed arms, as to express her discontentment.

{Careful. My ass is heavier than it looks.}

"I know. I've been carrying it all day."

{Ehe. You and your legendary patience.} Max commented with a smile.

"The more we wait, the more likely that whatever did this to us gets away."

{We don't know that.} Max affirmed, siding with Dusk. {Did the lake seem a bit odd to you, Luna? Anything that seemed weird or out of place?}

{Not particularly. It looked like any other normal pond I've seen.}

{See? As far as we know, you could be in a rush over nothing.}

"Alright, I get it already." She retorted, displeased.

{We really need to work on your patience.}

"You think I haven't been working on that enough?!" Scarlet replied a bit aggressively.

With Max sighing, the group waited for Dusk to be done and eventually filled their stomachs with a nice meal. Today's lunch special was a pasta rice curry with a hint of spiciness, as well as a side of fresh berries from the forest. After being given their respective plates, everybody had begun to dig into their dish. Max and Scarlet, on the other hand…

"I'll say it again… What did I do to deserve this humiliation?" Scarlet complained.

Seeing as they both had difficulty handling silverware in their new bodies, they had to have someone hand feed it to them like babies. Bonny offered to hand-feed Scarlet, while Luna did the same to Max.

{Quit complaining, Scarlet. You're lucky that I even offered to do this for you. Now open wide…} Bonny said, bringing another spoonful of curry to Scarlet's mouth while the gardevoir reluctantly ate it.

{I'm actually kinda with Scarlet on this, I don't know how I should feel right now.} Max replied as Luna fed him.

{You shouldn't talk with your mouth full, little pup.} Luna said as she readied another spoonful. {I for one, actually enjoy this.}

{*gulp* Spoon-feeding me like a child? What's so enjoyable about it?}

{You really don't know?}

{Uh, no. I don't.}

{What a shame…}

"Ugh! Do you have to wipe my face, too?!" Scarlet shouted as Bonny did just that.

{Yes, I do. You smudged some curry on your chin, now hold still!} Bonny replied with Scarlet trying to resist.

{Okay, I know we're supposed to find a way to switch them back as soon as possible, but is it wrong that I'm kind of loving this?} May whispered to Aurora.

{It's… amusing, I'll admit, but it's still so weird.} Aurora answered, eating her curry.

{How would you feel if you switched bodies with someone, May?} Dusk asked.

{Honestly, it depends on who I actually switch with. I'd be a little freaked out, but more than anything, I'd be kind of happy that I'd be much taller than my mega-form.}

{I'm not sure if I even want that.} Sally added, taking another bite of curry. {I prefer staying in my own body.}

{Fair enough. And don't forget, we won't have any of Scarlet's strength so long as Max is in her body. So the sooner we figure this mess out, the better.}

{Yeah, you're right.} May replied, looking at the scene before them.

After some difficulty, the group managed to finish up their lunch before leaving the module and following Luna through the forest, with Scarlet helping Max walk with his footless legs.

{So far, I remember having passed here.} Max commented as they walked along.

"Me too, but the deeper we get, the less I remember."

{Now that you mention it, same here. This is weird.}

{Maybe it means we're on the right path.} Sally guessed.

{Surely.}

A little while later, they finally reached the pond Luna mentioned.

{This is the last place you two seemed to have been before "vanishing." Do you remember anything at all?} Luna explained, near the water.

{Hmm…}

Joining her, Max knelt near the pond's edge and looked at Scarlet's reflection.

{...It's…} Max started before gently moving the water around. {...I can't put my finger on it.}

"For once in my life, I can say that I'm completely clueless and lost." Scarlet admitted while kneeling next to him.

{And there doesn't seem to be anything else around.} Aurora informed, looking around. {This is just a plain tiny lake with a few bug-types flying around.}

{Maybe… whatever occurred here happened after you came here.} Bonny theorized.

{Perhaps, but it still doesn't explain how their tracks mysteriously disappeared.} Luna pointed out.

{Yeah, but…}

{There… doesn't seem to be anything here…} May commented.

{What if… we got attacked and something or someone carried us someplace?}

"And that 'someplace' being the inside of the module?" Scarlet remarked.

{…So that's a no-go on the hostile attack, then.}

"Yeah. No way someone with ill intentions would take the time to carry us home after attacking us."

{There's gotta be something, then. This pond is the only lead we have so far.}

{That's the thing, the only lead we have so far. Maybe we'll find another clue elsewhere.} Aurora mentioned.

{What do we do about this place, then?} Bonny inquired.

{There's nothing here, so we'll put it to the side for now and keep looking.} Max instructed while standing up.

{I'm sorry, everyone. This pond was a waste of time after all.} Luna commented, skillfully keeping a neutral face and tone.

{Not at all, Luna.} Max reassured her. {We at least have a starting point now. Our best chance would be to look around this lake. You did well, Luna.} He praised her.

{Thank you.} She replied, discreetly smiling.

For the rest of the day until nightfall, they searched the surrounding area for any clues or leads. Unfortunately, it was a complete failure and they decided to call it a day. They even asked some of the surrounding bug-types if they saw anything, but they either claimed that they saw nothing or just buzzed in confusion. Now, everyone was around the fire lamp under a darkening sky looking quite disappointed with themselves, especially Scarlet. She was very irritated and mad from not making any progress at all, nobody else saying a word as they all feared the worst.

{I guess… we'll get back to our search tomorrow.} Max engaged.

"For what, exactly?" Scarlet demanded abruptly. "This entire day was a complete disaster. We spent all day, walking in circles like a group of idiots for nothing. We don't know what we're looking for, we don't know who's responsible, and as far as I know, the 'solution' to this mess could be right under our noses and we just missed it!"

{There's got to be something that could've caused this. You don't just switch bodies like that, it's not like Arceus himself wished for it.} Aurora stated.

"Maybe he did. Maybe he got tired of hearing us complaining and fighting all the time, so he thought this was the best way to shut us up. Or maybe he just wanted to fuck me over, again."

{You're not alone in this, Scarlet.} Max remarked. {Maybe you haven't noticed, but I'm in the same sinking boat as you.}

"Just a bonus to piss me off even more."

{C'mon Scarlet, be reasonable. I doubt he or she or it would waste their time and energy just to annoy you specifically.} Bonny stated.

"Then if you've got a better idea of what caused us to switch bodies and how to change us back, lopunny, then I'd love to hear it!"

{That's enough, Scarlet. Regardless of how it happened, jumping at everyone's throats won't help.} Luna demanded in a firm tone.

"Of course, it will. It will help me calm my nerves by giving me something to strangle," Scarlet affirmed fervently.

At that, all looked at Scarlet, a bit astonished by her last statement.

"*sigh* Fuck this, I'm out." She said, standing up. "I'm not dealing with this shit," She added before getting inside the module.

Right after Scarlet left, a heavier and thicker atmosphere settled in.

{I think that's her way of saying she doesn't want to make you put up with her bad mood.} Max said, as a way to apologize for her.

{It's okay. We're kind of used to it at this point.} Aurora mentioned.

{It's also a bit scarier seeing you so angry master, even though it's really Scarlet in there.} Sally pointed out, nervously hugging her legs.

{Don't get me wrong, she's making a massive effort to not let her emotions get the best of her. Believe me, it shows. It's just that… this whole dilemma is so major that we won't see a difference right away.}

{She's our friend, little pup.} Luna stated. {We'll deal with it as long as we need to.}

{She needs our support more than ever, and it's not like we haven't been doing so already.} Dusk pointed out.

{She's a really great pokémon when she's not angry.} Sally said.

{She still is even when she's angry, but I know what you mean.} Max told her. {You just don't escape such a traumatizing past without a few scars, let alone recover from it. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that.}

{...Kinda…} Bonny admitted, with everyone looking down.

{...But like I already told her, and this concerns you, girls, as well: we don't have to be perfect on day one. It takes time to better yourself. So long as you make progress, even if just a little, then you're well on your way to becoming a better person.}

Nobody spoke for a moment as they took Max's words to heart.

{...But… we are a team, right?} Sally said, catching everyone's attention. {We're supposed to support and be there for each other and… stuff… right?} She shyly shared.

{Of course, you're right, Sally.} Max approved. {When I look at this team, I don't just see pokémon, I see sisters in arms. I see individuals that can come together and make something greater than the sum of its parts. That means no one gets left behind. If one of us falls, we help them get back up. It may be hard sometimes, but every single one of you is worth the trouble.}

{Oh, we're trouble to you now, is that it?} Luna said, feigning being offended with a smile.

{You always have been.} Max confirmed with Scarlet's smiley arrogant face.

{It makes sense, actually.} Aurora said. {You attract danger and we're sticking around, so...}

{C'mon, it doesn't always turn out bad.}

For the next hour or so, Max casually talked with the girls while trying to crack some jokes here and there to try to lighten the mood. Everything eventually returned to normal, to which he left to check on Scarlet inside the module. He spotted her lying on the bed, hugging a pillow and looking genuinely depressed.

{How is it going?} Max softly called to her, sitting at the bottom of the bed.

Scarlet's response was to only shrug her shoulders.

{This sucks, but we'll get through this. After all, we've-}

"Been through worse. I know."

{Yes, we have.}

"…What will we do if…" Scarlet said after a moment of silence.

{...}

"...What if we stay like this forever?"

Max then took a deep breath.

{Honestly, I don't know. I certainly hope it's not permanent, but if it is… I… guess the only thing we could do is adapt and get used to it.}

"But… I don't want this to be permanent…" Scarlet bemoaned.

{Me neither, but-}

"I want to be back in my own body. I want you to keep looking at me like you always do. I want you to keep touching, desiring, and loving me. I want to keep having sex with you and…" She explained as tears flowed from her eyes. "If we stay like this, things will never be the same. And don't get me started on the others. I'm not into females and… I believe that neither are they."

{I understand, but… sex isn't everything in life.}

"But I like it!" Scarlet retorted. "And so do you. We'll still be able to hug and snuggle with each other, but it won't be the same. For both of us, it'll be like hugging someone else, and I don't want that. Maybe not sex, but affection is everything to me."

{You're… not entirely wrong…}

"If only I could remember what happened. I can't believe I'm so stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She expressed while slapping Max's forehead.

{Whoa, whoa, that's enough now, love.} Max intervened, stopping her. {First, don't break my head. Second, stop blaming yourself. I don't remember anything either, and I'm supposed to have a big brain at the moment.}

"I don't want to stay like this, master. I want to be a gardevoir again. I want things to go back to the way they were before," She said, crying even more.

{Just stay strong, Scarlet. We'll manage.} Max reassured, putting a hand on her shoulder. {I'm not ready to give up just yet.}

"*sob* ...I wish we could hug right now."

Max was unsure about what to do, but just like she would do anything for him, he's willing to do the same for her.

{We… still can, actually.}

"But… *sniff* Wouldn't that be too weird for you?"

{It will be weird, but that doesn't matter now. You need this, Scarlet. I'm your trainer, so as such, I have to make a few sacrifices myself. I'm supposed to take care of you, no matter what the cost may be. That's what a pokémon trainer means to me. Others may think it's about battles and having the strongest pokémon, but not me. You're not tools for battle, you're living, breathing creatures that need all the love and compassion they can get. And if hugging myself as a red gardevoir is what you need, I don't give a fuck how weird it is, I will do it.}

After hearing him, Scarlet began to calm down and was deeply touched by his words.

"*Sniff* Thank you so much, master. You're just the best human I could ask for," Scarlet said, smiling while wiping her tears away.

{I have to be if I want to give you the best life I can.}

With her turning, Max laid next to her and let her put her head against his chest, with Max coiling his arms around her.

"I'm sorry if I made you look weak," Scarlet apologized.

{Don't worry about that. No one other than the girls will see us like this, and I know they won't think less of us for it.}

"*sniff* Y-Yeah. T-They're good pokémon. I'm happy to… I appreciate their company."

{You're happy to what?}

"..."

{Come on, love. Finish your sentence.}

Before answering, Scarlet hugged Max tighter while trying to hide her face even more.

"I'm happy to have… them as… f-friends." She said very softly, almost inaudibly.

{...That's very heartwarming to hear. You may have anger issues, but you deserve friends like them. They'll help you grow so long as you help them.}

"...I'm…"

{Hm?}

"...I'm… sorry. For today and… last night. I managed to remember what we were fighting over before our blackout and… I am so sorry. I didn't mean what I said."

{It's okay, Scarlet. I got angry and said some things too, so I'm sorry as well.}

"...I just want to get over my stupid anger issues. Due to our very deep bond, our mood practically depends on the other. If I'm angry, you're angry. If you're sad, I'm sad… I guess our bond has its drawbacks, huh?"

{It can go the other way around. If I get angry because of you, and I manage to calm myself down, you'll get less angry.}

"...I don't know. You always have to do double the work since I can't calm myself down."

{We'll figure it out. Focus one thing at a time, yeah?}

"You're right. We have more important things to do, although I'm not sure what we can do from now on."

{Let's leave that for tomorrow.}

"...Alright."

For a short moment, the room went silent as the two just enjoyed each other's presence.

"...Do you think… Could we stay like this for a little bit?

{Of course, we can.}

Max didn't notice until now, but now that he was a gardevoir, he could now feel something that he has never seen Scarlet express; Fear. For the first time since he knew her, she was genuinely scared. Afraid that her life could take a turn for the worst in more ways than one. Terrified that things will be forever changed, as everything that made her cling on to life would eventually disappear. Max tried to soothe her as best he could by comfortingly rubbing her head.

{We'll find a way, Scarlet. We always do.}

"...Y-You're right. We always do," she replied as she felt her anxiety melt away at Max's reassuring words. "Thanks for being here with me, master."

{Don't look at me. I just got placed on this earth without anyone asking.}

"Don't talk like that. You know that your existence is everything to me."

{Sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I was mostly joking.}

"...You better. No one gets to badmouth you, not even yourself."

{Haha. I know, I know.}

They then stayed like this for quite a while until exhaustion eventually kicked in and caused them to fall asleep an hour and a half later. They slept for a few hours until Scarlet suddenly began tossing and turning in her sleep while moaning in discomfort. This went on for a few moments until she started to sweat and breathe heavily, before opening her eyes to see an empty, black void surrounding her. She immediately realized that this was a dream, as she was back in her original body, and began hastily looking around for a way out, but started to panic when she couldn't see anything apart from endless darkness. That is, until she heard something… someone, giggling around her.

{Hihihihi…} Giggled a high-pitched voice.

{W-Who's there?! Where are you?! Show yourself, you little shit!}

{Hmm… Could've said it a little nicer, but okay!}

Suddenly, a small blue pokémon appeared right in front of her, causing the gardevoir to flinch back out of shock. After making an attempt to calm herself down, she got a good look at it; it was the manaphy from the lake, however, she didn't know that due to her memory being erased.

{W-Who are you?!} Scarlet asked aggressively. {You've got 5 seconds to explain yourself before-}

{Wow, is this how you treat every person you meet? Rude.} The manaphy interrupted, completely disregarding her threat. {It's a miracle that your trainer, or lover, or both, I don't judge, is even helping you recover from your past trauma in the first place. Not as much as I'd like given the time you two spent together…}

Scarlet's eyes widened in anger once the manaphy mentioned Max, causing her to growl at him.

{I swear… You hurt one hair on his head, and-}

{Calm down, I didn't do anything to- no wait… I did do something to him, and you, in fact.} He then floated towards her and whispered in her ear. {I'll give you a hint…}

The manaphy pointed the appendix on his head towards her and made it faintly glow a golden yellow. Suddenly, Scarlet was back at the pond and saw the memories of everything before her and Max's blackout playing out in front of her. She looked on in shock as the manaphy knocked them out, took them to a different part of the forest, got the module set up, placed them in bed, worked his body-switching magic, grabbed Max's pokéballs, let out his team, and swiftly flew away before anyone realized what happened The glow faded, and the dark void returned, causing Scarlet to look up at the mythical enraged.

{It was you?! You did this to us?!}

{Yup!} He happily replied.

{Change us back, now!} She demanded aggressively with a growl in her voice.

{Nope!}

{You mythical piece of-}

Before Scarlet could even attempt anything at him, the manaphy silenced her by enveloping her in the same golden aura he had earlier, growing fed up with her attitude. She struggled to break free, but was unable to move as she suddenly saw him look at her with serious eyes.

{Listen, gardevoir. I don't like to meddle with the affairs of others, but after sensing how tainted your aura and spirit were, I had no choice but to step in.}

Scarlet tried to talk back, only to find that she couldn't even do that as she was forced to listen to what he had to say.

{Look, I can't stay for long, and I won't be able to say everything that needs to be said, so I'll make this quick. I've seen couples butt heads with each other all the time, but you two are among the worst I've ever seen, and that's saying something. You may not be literally trying to kill each other, but you make things personal between yourselves when there is absolutely no reason for you to do so. Sure, your perception of others was tainted by how much your early life sucked from the start, the understatement of the century. But even that's not a valid excuse for your behavior… not anymore. The same goes for your trainer, he might be a much better person today, but he's far from where he needs to be.}

Scarlet could only glare at the manaphy before looking down in shame. She wanted so desperately to prove him wrong, but she couldn't deny that there was a grain of truth to his words.

{If you want to know why I switched your bodies, to begin with, then I suggest you two come clean with each other and work things out. Do that, and you might just convince me to change you back. However, if your relationship does end up falling apart, look in a mirror if you want someone to blame. There will come a time when everything you care about is stripped away from you in the blink of an eye… assuming of course, if you even care about anything else at all.}

Before Scarlet knew it, the manaphy disappeared along with the golden hue that was surrounding her. She then felt everything begin to "collapse" around, an obvious sign that she was beginning to wake up.

Back in the real world, Scarlet suddenly gasped awake from the dream she just had, taking deep breaths and grabbing a hold of her chest. Now realizing that she was back in Max's body, she quickly sat up and waited for it to come to its senses for a short moment. Once she was fully awake and back to reality, she noticed that everyone was on the bed asleep, except for Luna and Max. Doing her best not to wake the others up, she rushed outside to see where he could be but began to panic once more when she couldn't immediately find him like she used to. Fortunately, she sighed in relief when she spotted him not far from the turned-on firelamp, seemingly occupied with something as he was raising his hands and bringing them down to his waist. After finally calming down, she was now curious about what he was trying to do, however, she didn't have the time for that as he then stopped and jumped a little at the sound of the sliding door.

{Oh. Hem… Hi. What are you… doing up this late?} Max asked shyly.

"I should be asking you that question," Scarlet replied, walking near him.

{Well, I… couldn't sleep, so I went for a bit of a walk.

"A walk? While standing still?"

{I was taking a break.}

Scarlet then stared at Max with suspicion as she crossed her arms.

{It's… true…}

"Just because we switched bodies doesn't mean I can't sense when you're lying anymore. Our bond will stay very powerful, no matter what happens."

{Is that so?} Max replied, rubbing the back of his head.

Scarlet replied with unamused eyes.

{*sigh* Alright… It's true that I couldn't stay asleep for long since I woke up a moment ago. The thing is, I didn't want to waste time not doing anything, so I decided to try figuring out how I can activate and use your powers. In the event that we-}

"Alright, I believe you, but what were you trying to do with your arms raised in the air? Pulling the moon? And were you trying to launch yourself like a rocket by thrusting them down like that? No offense, but you should probably start with something easier."

{I…}

Scarlet immediately noticed that he was reluctant to answer, but waited until he was ready.

{…Promise me you won't laugh if I tell you?}

"Master, you know as well as I do that disrespecting you is my least favorite thing to do," Scarlet jested to put him at ease.

{Haha. You're such a tease sometimes. *Sigh* Well, I… kind of always envied your ability to float and fly around, so I… wanted to try… that.}

"...You attempted to fly with my powers?"

{...Pretty much, yeah. I was always curious about what it felt like. But as you can see, I'm still stuck on the ground.}

Scarlet then let out a small giggle that she muffled.

"You know, seeing your manliness all day long made me forget how cute you can be sometimes."

{…You're mocking me.} Max said in a deadpanned tone, a bit upset.

"But I'm not. Seeing you do things like that just makes me want to… Ghaa!" Scarlet growled before pinching Max's cheeks.

{Ouch!} Max complained, moving away.

"You're just sooo cute!"

{Remember, these are your cheeks that you're breaking.}

"I know, I know. I just couldn't help myself. *sigh* That's the Max I know and love. Not even a day has passed and you're already trying to adapt to your new body without considering the possibility that you'll get back to your old one. Always thinking about others before yourself."

{Well…} Max started, looking away. {The sooner I get into it…}

"Exactly," Scarlet said, looking at Max with a seductive smile.

{...Anyway, let's get back to you. What was your reason to be up so late?}

"Oh right, I almost forgot. I think I remember what happened to us."