77 Reconsiderations

For a little while, Max and Jade just walked down the streets, a heavy silence settling between them.

"I'm sorry, Jade," Max finally engaged.

Not responding, Jade kept moving forward, looking quite morose.

"You must be furious and probably even hate me right now. I don't even deserve your forgiveness. It's just…"

Quickly, Max ran out of words to say for a moment.

"I'm still trying to convince Scarlet to let you stay. Maybe after a wh-''

{Don't bother with that. It would be best if I just go away.}

"Don't say that, Jade. You were making progress as a real fighter. I…"

Max then realized that not a word would make her feel better after that.

"So you really want to leave?"

{Why does it matter? I'm still expendable in the end.}

"Not in my eyes."

{You would be mistaken.}

"And why is that?"

Then, Jade stopped, grabbed her own shoulders, and started shivering.

{Please. Let me go back to my pokeball.}

Her voice sounded like she was terrified. She appeared to be in a state of shock. Max began to worry about her, but from what she heard from earlier, maybe it was best for her to be left alone.

"...Alright."

Pulling out her pokeball, Max returned her right after her shaking got worse.

"I'm so sorry, Jade." He mumbled while pressing the pokeball on his forehead. "I'll try my best to set things right."

Shrinking her pokeball, he put it on his belt before resuming his walk towards the arcade. It took him quite a while to arrive as it was getting late. He wasn't really in the mood for games but tried his best to do a fake smile as he entered. For the girls. It took him a short moment to spot them around a table in the snack zone.

"Tired already?" Max told them with a convincing fake enthusiasm, making them notice him.

{No. We were just worried about you.} Aurora answered.

"You didn't have to wait for me. I just went for a-"

{Luna told us what happened.}

"...Oh," Max said, looking at the zoroark.

{I'm sorry. You know I can't lie.} Luna justified.

"It's okay. I didn't want you to lie either." He said, sitting with them. "I just didn't want to ruin the night for you girls."

{We at least managed to enjoy most of the evening.} Dusk reassured.

{It's getting late anyway, so she has a point.} Aurora confirmed.

"True, even though arcades close very late."

For a brief moment, no one spoke.

{So? What's happening now?} Bonny questioned.

"I don't know. Same as usual I suppose. We go to bed and tomorrow we go grab May's mega stone before resuming our travel."

Before letting anyone speak, he turned towards the mawile.

"And I don't want to hear you say that it's not the time. I promised to help you with your mega stone and I will."

{I wasn't about to say anything.} The small pokemon protested, almost offended.

"Oh. Okay."

{Impatient much?} Aurora said, almost scolding him.

"No. It's just…" He replied before heavily sighing. "I'm sorry, May. Things got quite out of hand." He added before dropping his head on the table.

The girls then all looked at each other, uncomfortable with the situation.

{Maybe it's best if we just go to sleep.} Aurora suggested.

"I guess you're right. Let's go then," Max said, standing up. "Unless someone still wanted to stay a little longer." He added, to which no one replied.

Quite demoralized, Max and his companions exited the building and headed towards the metro station.

{We're not going to wait for Scarlet?} Dusk inquired.

"No," Max coldly replied, making Luna inaudibly sigh.

Later on, they were inside the metro in the direction of their hotel. The atmosphere was quite tense with the girls sensing Max's frustration the entire way there. With the girls barely talking between themselves, they arrived at the hotel and directly headed to their room.

"I'm gonna take a shower," Max announced as soon as he got in.

Obviously, no one felt like following him.

{The days ahead don't look so good.} Aurora commented when she heard the shower turned on.

{I've rarely seen him that angry.} Bonny pointed out. {He and Scarlet must have gone all out this time.}

{Unfortunately, Jade seemed to have become the source of their discord.} Luna stated.

{Poor Jade.} Dusk expressed. {Just when she was getting accustomed to us.}

{Tsk. Why are we even letting this happen?} Aurora said, annoyed.

{Well…} Bonny started.

{I mean, yeah, Scarlet has been a huge help for us and I'm sure that most of us are thankful to her. However, shouldn't this be one of those moments where we stand against her?}

{Are you serious?!} Bonny exclaimed, with a raised eyebrow. {This is Scarlet we're talking about.}

{I know, and despite how much I really appreciate her, we can't just let her do as she pleases like this. If it wasn't for us and Max, she would probably have killed Jade on the spot.}

{That's true, but…}

{She's smart. I'm sure we can knock some sense into her.}

{She is, but I doubt we can do anything about it this time.} Luna pointed out.

{How can you be so sure?} Aurora inquired.

{First of all, we all know how she is towards her species. Second, even though I don't really agree with it myself, they both had come to an agreement together. Max must have known what he had gotten himself into.}

{...It pains me to say this, but she's right.} Bonny said. {And in a sense, we all agreed to that as well.}

Understanding that she was right, Aurora didn't argue and growled lightly.

{So that's it? We're just gonna let things be the way that they are?} The lucario added, followed by another silence.

{It's not that bad, Aurora. At least Scarlet agreed on letting Max take the time to find a suitable trainer. Knowing him, he will go with the most caring one he could find.}

{And hand her over like she's somebody's property?}

{...Well, in a way, we all-} Bonny started

{Let me stop you right there. As far as I'm concerned, I'm here because I want to be. I love Max, but I'm not one of his personal belongings. None of us are.}

{Personally, I don't mind being property to someone who dares to want me.} The lopunny argued.

{Feel free to think that way, then.}

{Come on, guys. Now is not the time to bicker amongst ourselves.} May interrupted.

Aurora then sighed.

{You're right. It's just this whole situation that has gotten me on edge.}

{I believe the same could be said for all of us.} Luna said. {But unfortunately, this is something between Max and Scarlet. Only they can resolve this conflict.}

{Can't we do something about it? Anything at all?} Aurora wondered out loud.

{Just a free little life tip, I was taught to mind my own business as much as possible. It could save your life one day.}

{I really wish Jade could stay with us.} Dusk said.

{Me too.} May agreed.

{I guess the only thing we can do is to try to change Scarlet's mind.} Aurora proposed.

{Good luck with that. You're the only one who can rival her stubbornness.} Bonny stated.

{Says you.}

In the bathroom, Max stayed in the shower longer than usual before stepping out with the girls chilling all across the room wearing only a towel around his waist.

{About time. I was about to go check if you were still alive.} Aurora said upon noticing him.

"Sorry, but I really needed to cool down a little bit."

{I have the feeling that was just an excuse to see him naked.} Bonny jested.

{Of course not. It would have just been a bonus.} Aurora replied, making the girls laugh lightly.

However, Max didn't laugh much and dropped himself on the bed on his back.

{Are you sad, master?} May asked, gently jumping on his sides.

Max then looked at her before a faint smile appeared on his face.

"How can I be sad with cuties like you keeping me company?" He said, petting the mawile, who almost purred in glee.

{You seemed rather angry since we came back.} Bonny constated, sitting on the bottom of the bed.

"Well, I was very disappointed that you couldn't enjoy the night as much as I wished…"

{That's a bit of an understatement.} Aurora commented, sitting next to Bonny.

{Being with you is how we always enjoy our nights.} May shared.

"As if I was the ultimate source of pleasure."

{Well…} Aurora started, looking at Bonny, who did the same.

"Okay, no need to finish that sentence. I get it."

{I was just joking.}

{What they meant is that no day or night can be ruined as long as you're with us.} Luna clarified.

"Still…"

{Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're mostly upset because you couldn't enjoy that arcade as much as you wish.} Bonny suspected a tiny grin.

"What? That's ridiculous. Sure, it was a nice place, but…"

{Ah, I think you exposed him.} May said before giggling.

"Not at all."

{He's lying.} Bonny accused.

"What? No, I'm not."

{How can you tell?} Aurora asked Bonny.

{Master's nostrils have the tendency to move a bit when he lies.} The lopunny explained, gently tapping her nose.

{Really now? Good to know.} Aurora acknowledged, looking back at Max with a raised eyebrow.

"Pff. Whatever. My days also can't be ruined, as long as you're here."

{That, I easily believe you.} Aurora said, looking back at Bonny, who smiled back.

Max then sighed loudly.

"I'm sorry, girls. Right now, I just want this day to be over." He said while getting under the sheets.

{Is there… anything we can do for you?} Dusk proposed.

"That's very sweet of you, but no. Thanks anyway."

The girls then all looked at each other.

{Alright. Good night then.} Aurora wished.

"Yeah. Good night."

At that, Dusk and May joined him under the sheets, but Bonny and Aurora left the bed as they weren't tired yet.

{Well, I guess it's time for my evening walk.} Luna said softly as not to disturb Max.

{Can I join?} Bonny asked.

{Sure thing.} The zoroark agreed.

{I'll come along too.} Aurora said.

With Luna nodding, the three of them headed towards the door.

"Be careful out there," Max said.

{We will. Thanks.} Bonny replied before she closed the door.

Bonny then let out a loud sigh while holding the doorknob.

{Are you holding up alright?} Aurora asked.

{...Yes.} The lopunny answered a few seconds later. {Why wouldn't I be?} She added before starting to walk.

{You kind of had it rough these past few days.} Aurora explained, following alongside Luna.

{So? We've all had those moments in our lives and survived.}

{Yeah, but…}

{I'm not planning on doing anything stupid if it's what you were wondering.}

{What? No. I know that you're better than that.}

{Then what is it?} Bonny asked rather firmly.

{Well…}

{It's starting to get on my nerves that I am treated like a baby pokemon. I'm fine, got it?}

{I'm not treating you like a baby. I'm just really worried about you and I don't like seeing one of my friends in pain.}

{Hmpf. Whatever.}

Silence settled until they were outside.

{Sorry. I shouldn't have doubted your aptitude to face things like that.} Aurora apologized.

{*Sigh* I'm sorry too. I know you all mean well and want to be there for me, but there's not much any of you can do.}

{Can't really blame us for trying, right?}

{Yeah, but unless one of you can magically change my typing, it will suffice if you just be there and act casual.}

{You know there is no shame in being a normal-type. You're strong regardless of that.}

{Eh, says the girl who's a fighting/steel-type.}

Aurora wanted to insist on telling her that she shouldn't be hateful towards her type, but unfortunately, she had a point. She couldn't possibly understand what she was feeling since she wasn't a normal-type.

{Okay, Bonny. You can count on us for anything.}

{That's all I need. Thanks.}

For the next hour, the three of them wandered in the streets while talking about whatever came to mind. The next morning, Max was the first one to wake up. Standing up from the bed and walking to the bathroom, Max saw Dusk, May, and Bonny sleeping on the bed. He also walked next to the couch, where he saw Aurora in a semi-sitting position and Scarlet laying on the rest of the couch with her legs touching the lucario, both fast asleep. He stared at the gardevoir a few seconds before going on with his morning business. When done, he went back to the bed and sat down. Grabbing his pants from the ground, he went to take Jade's pokeball before dropping them. For a moment, he just sat there, staring at the pokeball. He then felt movement behind him and saw that Bonny rolled on her side, facing him.

{You're… already up?} She weakly said with her eyes still half-opened.

"Yeah, I didn't really sleep well last night." He said, staring back at the pokeball.

{I figured. You tossed and turned quite a lot.}

"Sorry about that."

{It's okay, master.}

Turning to look at her again, he couldn't help to be mesmerized by how cute she was in the morning, looking at him with her beautiful eyes and sleepy face. Smiling, he laid next to her and caressed her cheek.

"You're so beautiful."

{I know. You say it almost every day.}

"Can't help it. I've had the privilege to have the prettiest lopunny ever with me."

Bonny replied with a half skeptical face.

"Maybe someday I'll be able to convince you that you're much more than what you think. You're pretty, kind, reliable, strong, you have a sexy body that you know how to use very well, you're a bit stubborn at times… I could keep going for a really long time."

Bonny didn't answer but looked away.

"But what matters most is that I love you just the way you are."

{...A normal-type?}

Max then smiled with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

"Yes. A normal-type. The type that has a lot of potentials but is very underestimated, even by the pokemon itself."

{I… guess you're right.} She replied, looking away again.

"That's my girl." He said before kissing her.

{Hehe. You still haven't lost your touch with the ladies.}

"If it allows me to finally see you smile like you are now, I have to be. I can't afford to show any sign of weakness. You girls need me as much as I need you. That's what being a team means."

{That seems like a lot on your shoulders.}

"Don't worry. With how many times you kick my ass, they got pretty strong."

{Don't exaggerate.} She said, slightly pushing him. {We mostly make you eat dust at worst, that's all.}

"Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying."

{Nope. It's all in the way of how you say it.}

"Oh really? How about I say things like that, then?" He said while crawling on top of her.

Under him, Bonny was looking defenseless while staring at his eyes.

"I'd do anything for you girls. You are all my only reason to live. If it wasn't for you…"

{Don't say it. You know I hate it when you talk like that.}

"I know. Sorry. I guess I just like to remind you from time to time."

{We got it the first time, no need to say it again.}

"Yeah. I'll try my best to work on that. Meanwhile…"

With a grin, Max leaned forward and gently kissed her neck a few times before taking a small whiff of her fur scent.

"You smell so good." He commented before kissing her some more.

{What… are you doing?} She asked, slowly getting aroused.

"Showing you how important you are to me. What else?" He replied, now moving to her chest.

{W-Wait. We can't do that here and now.} She stated softly.

"Why not?"

{Because we're gonna wake the others, and putting on a show isn't my thing. I mean, I don't hate it, but...}

"Then everything will be fine as long as we stay quiet." He told her while moving to her abdomen.

{What? How do you expect me to do that?}

"I don't know, figure it out."

{But, you didn't really- ah!} Bonny started before weakly moaning when she felt his lips on her womanhood.

As soon as Max began to give a couple of kisses, her arousal had already reached the point of no return with her breathing getting faster alongside her heartbeat. After a moment, she had to put her paws on her mouth to keep herself silent when the human's tongue touched her most sensitive zone. He then worked on her clitoris for a short moment, making the lopunny wet rather quickly, which made him be a bit more aggressive on her. With muffled moans, Bonny's body was slowly losing control with her legs kicking the air a few times, but was mostly contracted and slowly moved around. As soon as her clitoris was inflated enough, Max added some sucking to go with the licking. She just loved it when he did that, and with a good grasp on her thighs, Max went up a notch again. It didn't take Bonny a full minute before feeling an orgasm coming up.

{Don't stop…} She almost whispered.

Then, she reached her climax. With a slightly arched back and her claws sinking into the mattress, Bonny was in heaven for nearly twenty seconds. Once finished, her body went all limp.

"Feeling better?" He asked with a grin, all while crawling back over her.

Slightly panting, Bonny stared at him with pleased eyes.

{...You already know the answer to that.}

"Perhaps, but I love hearing you say it."

{Eh, I think this time I won't, just for the fun of disobeying you.} She replied with a smug.

"Ah. Fair enough."

{But… thanks. It was really good.}

"No problem. I like doing that, anyway." Max pointed out while leaving the bed to start dressing up.

{So, first thing first, should we go get May her mega stone?} She asked, sitting on the bed.

"Yep. And as soon as we have it, we'll continue our journey."

Bonny's joy then suddenly began to slightly fade.

{I hope I'll be able to be of any help without a mega stone.}

Every time she mentioned her mega stone, she would grab the stone receptacle of her scarf and look at it, almost in sorrow.

"I'm sure you will. You were useful even before we got you the lopunnite."

{...True, but we didn't really encounter any threat that I was powerless against until now.}

"Good thing too, because back then, you weren't as strong as you are now."

{Not sure if I should see that as a compliment or…}

"Shit. Sorry, I tried to encourage you, but I think I messed up my words."

{You're so lucky that I'm not that susceptible to that clumsiness of yours.}

"Yeah."

Attaching his belt, Max was now ready.

"Time to wake the girls up. You take those two and I'll take the other two."

{Other two? Wasn't it just Aurora on the couch?} She asked, a bit confused.

"Yeah, her and Scarlet."

{Ah. She must have come in while we were sleeping.}

"Probably."

With Max getting to the couch, Bonny turned to wake Dusk and May.

"Wakey wakey, girls." He said, dropping his forearms on the back of the couch.

{...Huh? Did you say something?} Aurora asked with her eyes half-opened.

"Yep. I said it's time to get up."

{Alright.} She replied while slowly sitting up.

Scarlet, however, didn't wake up.

"Scarlet. Wake up." He said a bit louder.

Again, she kept her eyes shut while weakly snoring.

"Scarlet?" He said again, poking her chest.

{...What?} The gardevoir said, sounding quite annoyed after finally opening her tired eyes.

"It's morning."

Loudly sighing, Scarlet didn't say anything and sat up in a way that implied she was in a bad mood.

"You okay?"

{Yeah, yeah. Just mind your own business, alright?}

After briefly rubbing her face, she stood up and walked inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"This is gonna be one of those days, huh?" Max commented.

{Oh boy. I think I'll be staying in my pokeball for today.} Aurora expressed.

"I wish I could have one for myself," Max said, going back to the bed, where Dusk and May were stretching and yawning while sitting up. "Well, I believe Luna will join us a bit later, so all that's missing is Jade."

Max then grabbed her pokeball and went to release her. However, the pokeball didn't open.

"Jade?" Max said, pointing the pokeball towards an empty space of the room, but with nothing happening. "That's strange." He remarked, looking at the pokeball.

{Is it broken?} Bonny inquired.

"I don't think so."

{Maybe you're doing it wrong.} May guessed.

"I doubt it. I do it as I've always done it. I'll try again. Come on out, Jade."

Once more, Max pointed the pokeball forwards, but unfortunately, nothing happened.

{Maybe she doesn't want to come out.} Aurora said, lying against the couch's back while Max was staring at the pokeball in confusion.

"Pokemon can do that?"

{Looks like it. Personally, I don't know since I never tried myself.}

"..."

{From what she learned yesterday, it makes sense.} Dusk said, looking a bit sad.

"But she's gonna miss breakfast."

{It sucks, but there's not much you can do about it.} Aurora pointed out.

"Well…"

{You can't really force her out if she doesn't want to.} Bonny said.

Heavily sighing in annoyance, Max put the pokeball on his belt. At the same moment, the bathroom door opened.

{The bathroom is free.} Scarlet informed.

{Nice.} Aurora said, standing up.

After passing by the lucario, Scarlet dropped herself on the couch, her head held by one hand. Everyone could sense her irritability, even without any kind of psychic power. However, the thing that no one could sense was Max's slight animosity towards her. Not enough to say he was angry at her, but just seeing her was upsetting him. For a moment, everyone went to the bathroom one by one until everyone was ready, with Scarlet still on the couch.

"We're leaving," Max announced, heading towards the room's door.

{*sigh* Coming.}

Since she took a moment to fully wake up, her mood seemed to have improved slightly. Max was mostly silent after walking inside the hotel's restaurant, to which Dusk asked him if he was okay, him replying yes. However, he couldn't hide the truth from Scarlet, knowing far too well that he was upset at her. Being upset herself, she ignored that. Everyone asked to get back in their pokeball before departing, leaving Max alone with Scarlet and Luna, who joined shortly after. All the way through the metro and inside the station, tension seemed to have been created between Max and his red gardevoir.

[So? How long do you plan on keeping up that juvenile attitude?] Scarlet asked with crossed arms, the three of them sitting on the train, waiting for it to depart.

(I don't know. As long as you'll keep up yours I guess.)

[Excuse me? I'm the one at fault now?] Scarlet asked, now getting more upset.

(Well, I would like to be the adult here and say that it wasn't entirely your fault, but…)

[But? Go on. I'm listening.]

(Well, I'm not the one that likes to pick on others.)

[Wow. Just, wow. And here I thought that maybe you had gotten smarter. Am I really that much of an asshole to you?]

(Don't put words in my mouth, alright?)

[Then instead of holding them in, how about you spit them out on your own?]

(Fine. You asked for it. You're not an asshole, but you sure can act like a bitch sometimes.)

[...What?!] Scarlet exclaimed, glaring at him.

(That doesn't mean you are one, so no need to make a scene.)

[...You know what, just fuck you, and in a bad way. After everything, I've done for you… I didn't expect you to be grateful and say thanks, much less spit on me.]

(You're being over-dramatic again.)

[If I didn't know any better, and if I didn't want to do things for someone as ungrateful as you, I would show you over-dramatic.]

(Save it for later.)

Anger began to rise inside the gardevoir. She would never hurt him just for the purpose of it or to let off some steam onto him, but was carefully considering what hurtful words she could say to him.

[We better stop here because things might get out of control.] The gardevoir suggested.

(Agreed.)

A few seconds then passed.

[I can't believe it. All because of that bitch.]

(Yeah. A bitch that didn't do a single thing to you besides try to be friendly.)

[I don't need friends.]

(With an attitude like that, it's no wonder why you have so little.)

[For fuck's sake. If that's how you treat your girlfriends, it's no wonder why you got dumped by them.]

She did it. She succeeded at striking hard where it hurts him most. She then realized and sensed how much she had hurt him shortly after.

[I'm… sorry. I didn't mean it.] She apologized. [The words just came right out.]

(No need to apologize, you're right. If fate decides that I should be alone all my life, it's probably because I deserved it.)

Being one of those rare times, Scarlet felt remorse and regretted what she said. She then felt the sadness he managed to contain.

[I'm sorry.] She apologized again.

Sadly, she felt bad and powerless as nothing she would say could undo what has been done all the way to the house of the old man, where Max left the unrefined mawilite. Luna noticed the small distance between them but knew that it was none of her business, even though she didn't appreciate seeing them like this.

*Knock* *Knock*

"Ah, welcome back." The old man greeted beyond the opened door.

"Hi. I hope we're not interrupting anything."

"Not at all." The old man replied, walking away.

Following, Max and his three pokemon did as yesterday and sat at the offered kitchen seats.

"I stayed up a little late last night, but I managed to make it in a record time." The old man said, preparing tea again.

"I guess it wasn't much trouble, then."

"A little bit at first, but I quickly reawakened my skillful hands."

"I see."

"I'll go get it."

After only Max was served since the other two refused, the old man went to his workshop in his basement before coming back a minute later.

"Look at this beauty!" He exclaimed while showing him a small but shinier refined mawilite.

"Wow!" Max exclaimed too, taking the stone. "It's gorgeous."

"Isn't it?"

Shortly after grabbing the stone, Max's smile faded a little.

"Is there anything wrong?" The old man asked, noticing that.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry. I just… had a bad memory."

"With the stone, or...?"

"Kind of. I have another pokemon that was able to mega-evolve, my lopunny to be precise, but her stone got shattered recently, which really saddened her."

"...I see. Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

Turning back, the old man walked back to wherever he was before and returned a minute later.

"It may have seen better days, but from what I heard, you could have some use for it."

On one hand, the old man presented a lopunnite. It was less shiny and looked a bit worn by time, but it was a lopunnite nonetheless.

"Holy crap!" Max exclaimed with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Of course. Is there a problem?"

"No. Not at all. It's just…"

Max hesitated a few seconds before proceeding.

"...Not only has she been sad, but her self-confidence got pretty crushed at the same time and she got even a little depressed."

"Oh my. I'm sorry to hear that." The old man sympathized.

"However, I doubt I can afford it, so I guess I will only be taking the mawilite for now. I'll probably find another one later on." Max said, a bit demoralized.

The old man then examined Max. He then noticed how sad and worried he was for his pokemon.

"...You know what, just take the lopunnite as well." He said, giving him the stone.

"S-Seriously?"

"Why not? Your lopunny seems to really need it. Hell, I should be the one paying you, as you allowed me to refine a mega stone once more. Probably the last one before I leave this world."

"Come on, you're still young."

"Hahaha. As if."

"But… I don't know what to say." Max said while looking at the stones, touched by the act.

"Just say that you will bring a smile to your lopunny and it will be enough."

"I will, and every other day after."

"Great."

"But out of curiosity, how come you had a lopunnite laying around?"

"Ah, that's a rather old story. Someone came here one day for refining, just like you. He gave me the piece of rock but never came back to pick it up. I kept it just in case someone like you were to need it."

"The reliability of some, am I right?" Max commented, making the old man laugh. "I can't believe it. You made a big difference today."

"That's why I liked this job, young one."

"Thank you. A thousand times, thank you. She will be so happy."

"I'm counting on it. Now, not that I want to be rude and throw you out, but I believe that you're a traveling trainer, right? So you might want to get back on the road again."

"Yeah, but I want to at least give you something in return," Max said, standing up to search in his pocket.

"Please, don't be insulting. It was my pleasure doing that and a pokemon's smile is probably the best reward you can have."

"On that, we agree."

"Then what are you waiting for? Go on, now. Scram."

"Eh. Thank you again. I really, really appreciate it."

With the old man raising a hand as a goodbye, Max headed outside.

"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces." He expressed.

Except for Jade, Max released the rest of his team.

"Guess what I got, May."

{*Gasp* My mega stone!} The mawile exclaimed with energy.

"Bullseye!" He replied, showing her the refined mawilite after kneeling.

{Whoa… it's so pretty!} She said with stars in her eyes.

"Freshly made. Let's see how it looks on you."

With May slightly bowing her head, Max worked on her maw's scrunchies and snapped the stone into the socket.

{How do I look?} She questioned, posing a bit.

"Gorgeous and badass."

{Hihi.} She giggled with an oversized smile. {Thanks a lot, master.}

{We officially now have another mega evolver.} Aurora stated, happy for May.

{Which brings us to-} Dusk started before being interrupted by Bonny.

{Two.}

For a split second, Max felt bad for her but quickly smiled.

"Bonny, I also have a little surprise for you," Max announced, standing in front of the lopunny.

{Really? What is it?} She asked, less enthusiastic than the mawile.

Max then briefly grinned.

"Close your eyes." He told her.

Looking at him in confusion for a second, Bonny complied.

"Now open your paws for me."

Again, she did as told and showed her paws to him.

"It might not be like your mega stone, but I hope you'll like it."

{I love every gift you give me, master.}

A second later, she felt something a bit cold in her paws.

"You can open your eyes now."

Immediately after opening her eyes, she looked at what she was holding. Suddenly, her eyes went as wide as they could.

{W-What?! N-No way. Is… that…} She slightly stammered.

"A lopunnite. It may be a bit old and not as shiny as the original, but I thought you might like it nonetheless."

For a short moment, her gaze switched from the stone and Max a few times, hardly believing what she was holding.

{Damn. That's pretty cool.} Aurora commented.

{It's great, isn't it Bonny?} Dusk expressed happily.

{I…}

Instead of finishing her sentence, Bonny jumped into Max's arms, hugging him as strong as she could without breaking him.

{Thank you, master! Thank you so much!} She said, getting slightly emotional.

"Anything for you, Bonny."

She hugged him for a short moment before breaking it.

{Now I'm all embarrassed.} She shyly said, whipping a few tears from her eyes.

{Bonny is back.} May said enthusiastically.

"Not yet. She still has to put it on her pretty scarf. May I?"

{Y-Yeah. Of course.} Bonny replied, giving him back the stone.

Gently, Max did the same as May with Bonny and snapped her new mega stone into her scarf's socket.

{You're really just the best, master.} She added, looking at the lopunnite.

"Thanks."

{How did you manage to get it, though?} Aurora asked.

"The old man had a spare."

{It must have cost quite a bit.} Bonny guessed.

"Less than you think," Max answered with a grin. "He gave it to me as a gift."

{Oh my god. I wish I could have thanked him properly.}

"He said that as long as you smile, he's been paid."

Bonny then heartily smiled.

"There we go," Max said, petting her.

He then leaned towards one of her ears and whispered something.

{Hehe. You bet I will and I won't go easy on you this time.} She said with a grin.

"I'm counting on it." He said, petting her some more. "Well, I believe we don't need to stay here any longer."

{Oxgard?} Aurora said.

"Yup. Onward for the fifth badge. Been a while since the last one."

{The team trained quite a lot for that.} Scarlet pointed out.

"Yep, and I couldn't be more proud of you. Everyone's ready?"

{I think we are.} Luna replied, with no one saying otherwise.

"Great. Let's go then."

Before going, Max recalled the group into their pokeballs by their demand, leaving Max and Scarlet alone together. To get close to the city's edge faster, they had to take the metro one last time. On their way to the train, Max and Scarlet didn't talk much until they were inside.

[...I wish I could undo what I said earlier.] Scarlet engaged as soon as the door closed.

(Unfortunately, you can't. You could still brainwash me if you really want to though.)

Scarlet then guessed that he was still mad and didn't add anything, not wanting to start a dispute again. Max then looked at her.

(...But I know how you are when you're angry. You mostly don't think about what you say because you just want to blow some steam off. I got used to it, so I'll forgive you eventually.)

Scarlet's emotions were slightly overwhelming her. So far, it was the worst remorse she ever experienced.

[I… don't like it when we quarrel like that.] Scarlet admitted.

Looking at her once more, he saw her looking at the ground and rubbing her hands more than necessary. He felt bad for her, as she rarely shows any trace of emotions. What was even rarer, is how honest she was with her deep feelings and sharing them with him. Max could feel how fragile she was feeling right now. He couldn't help but grin a little at how much she was trusting him.

(You seem to really regret it, so there is no need to stay mad.) Max reassured, grabbing one of her hands.

She briefly looked at him.

[I… promise that I'll try to tolerate her a bit more. And…]

(Jade?)

[Yes. You can even let her stay a little bit longer.]

Max got quite flabbergasted at her words. He knows how many compromises she can make just to make him happy, but that…

(That's… quite… really?)

[I'll probably have to bite myself to the bone to endure it, but yeah. I will.]

(Please, don't go that far. Look, I never intended to double-cross you with our agreement. I mostly wanted her to spend time with us, and you with her at the same time, hoping that you could see that not all gardevoir are like those you encountered. After that, I would have wanted to come to another agreement if that meant we could let her stay. If it was a no, then it would have been a no. The only thing that I didn't agree with is how you treated her. You're smart Scarlet, and not blind as far as I know. She's a nice girl.)

[*sigh* Hate and resentment don't go away that easily, especially for me. I admit that I may have treated her unfairly, but it's the best I could do instead of… well, I did my best, but failed apparently.]

(You can't fail at doing your best. I should have known that maybe it was too much for you. In your current state, I mean.)

[...It just proves that I'm not as strong as you think.]

(Is having flaws equivalent to having a weakness to you?)

[...]

(That silence tells me a lot.)

[In this world, only the strongest thrive and survive. I always told myself that I can't afford to have any sort of weakness. Little did I know, I had many, but chose to ignore them and turn a blind eye.]

(That's why I'm here with you, to lift you up when you fall and to compensate with your said weaknesses.)

[...It's hard, master.] She said, sounding sad and scared. [I don't want us to ever get separated, but… I don't know if you will be able to endure me that long.]

(Well, all I can say now is that I'm really proud of you.)

[For what?]

(For sharing your true feelings and revealing that much of your true self to me. It takes a lot of courage to do that.)

Not replying, Scarlet kept looking at the ground in silence.

(And I'll endure you as long as you do the same.)

[Eh, you're not that hard to handle.] She said with a smile, now looking at him.

[Tell that to the other humans I've met.]

(Those are just worthless insects. You're a thousand times more valuable than any of them.)

[That's quite a lot of value.]

(And yet, I reduced the number just to be more credible.)

[Haha. Oh, you.] Max chuckled, stroking her hair.

Upon feeling his touch, she dropped her head on his shoulders.

[I'm sorry if I make it obvious, I just really wanted to do that.]

(Don't worry. We mostly just look like a trainer and his pokemon with a strong bond together, that's all.)

[Great.] She said, closing her eyes.

The day went as follows: They arrived at their destination and left the underground as well as the city. Now back in the wilderness, both walked through plains for the entire day until nightfall. They walked a little while off-road to find a peaceful spot to spend the night. The group was now around a just ignited campfire with Scarlet away, hunting or foraging.

{Do you think Jade will come out now?} Dusk asked, worried.

"I don't know. She still didn't want to come out at noon today."

{It's worth another try. She must be hungry.} Bonny said.

"Yeah. Let's cross our fingers, then." He said, grabbing Jade's pokeball after standing up. "Dinner time, Jade."

They waited a short moment, and just when they were about to think it was no use, the pokeball opened and released her. Once she materialized, she had a blank gaze, almost looking absentminded.

"How are you doing, Jade?"

Not answering, she only looked away while grabbing one of her arms.

"We're about to eat, so I thought you were hungry, and maybe you would want to join us."

{...Not really.} She replied, sounding morose.

"You need to eat, Jade. If you want, you can go back inside your pokeball right after."

{...Okay.}

"Great. So-"

{I'll go get my food on my own.} Jade cut before leaving the camp.

When out of sight, Max sighed and sat back.

{At least she's gonna eat.} Dusk reassured.

"If she really does."

{Do you want me to keep an eye on her?} Aurora suggested.

"Let's try to not invade her personal space if possible."

{*sigh* I wish we could do something for her.} May shared.

"We could… but it's too late for that. It's my fault. I've waited too long before telling her."

{Would it have changed anything?} Aurora inquired.

"At least she would have known what to expect and not have gotten that invested in us. Maybe. Now, she must hate us as we kind of acted like the group she was in."

{Whoa now, master. It's a bit harsh to compare us to those bloodthirsty monsters.} Bonny remarked.

"Perhaps, but the point still stands. We made her think that she was in a new family, but…"

The group then remained silent.

"Scarlet and I talked a bit in the metro today. She recognized that she had been way too harsh on her and agreed on letting her stay a bit longer. Maybe we can use that time to make her forgive us."

{It won't be an easy task. She looked completely demoralized.} Bonny pointed out.

"I know. I didn't have any occasion until now, so maybe I can exchange a few words with her."

{What could you possibly say that could appease her?} Luna questioned.

"I don't know." Max forfeited, rubbing his face. "If only I could go back in time."

{Personally, I think it's worth a try.} Dusk said. {At worst, she just won't want to talk.}

{I guess you're not entirely wrong.} Aurora replied.

"I'll see to it later on. The moment she feels safe, I can more or less rest in peace. Well, maybe not in peace, but at the very least relax."

Shortly after, Scarlet arrived with dinner. After a good meal, they thought that playing some games could change the atmosphere a little. In that lapse of time, every worry seemed to have temporarily vanished. They were now playing a very simple card game.

{It's your turn, master.} Scarlet said.

"I know. I just need to think for a moment."

{You've been thinking for almost five minutes now.}

"I just don't want to lose yet."

{With what you have, you shouldn't struggle that much.}

"What? Are you cheating?"

{Of course not. Not my fault if you can't hide your hand very well.}

Then, as Max was looking at her with narrowed eyes, Jade finally appeared from the woods.

"Welcome back, Ja-"

While speaking, Max noticed that the side of her face was red and slightly inflated.

"What happened?" Max asked, standing up to go check on her.

{It's… nothing. I just tripped.} She answered.

"Tripped? Aren't gardevoir able to float? How did you manage to do that?" He said, inspecting her

{I… wasn't floating.} She coldly justified, moving her head away.

Max then began to suspect the veracity of her statement. Anyway, even if she was lying, it wasn't really his business.

"We should put something cold on it."

{Don't need to, I'm fine.}

"Well, it will just take a few minutes and-"

{I said I'm fine.} She retorted with a stronger voice.

The others were speechless and didn't know how to react. Scarlet immediately felt her blood boiling, but instead bit her lips and clenched her fists as she promised to be more tolerant with her.

"...Alright."

{P-Please put me back in that ball.} She said, sounding a bit sad and scared.

"...Okay." Max complied.

As Max was recalling her, Aurora noticed Luna's interrogative face.

{Something on your mind?} She softly asked the dark-type pokemon.

{I don't know. I know that the news of her status with us was hard to deal with, but…}

{What do you mean?}

{...Nevermind. Maybe it's my predatory instincts tricking me.}

{I've rarely seen your instinct misleading you.}

{It rarely happens, indeed.}

"I'll stop here for tonight, girls," Max announced after putting Jade's pokeball on his belt, not in the mood for games anymore.

With the others acknowledging, Max retired in the tent and laid down. Shortly after, he was followed by Bonny, who entered as well.

{Not feeling well?}

"Not really," Max replied with his hands behind his head.

{*Sigh* Sometimes, I wonder how you keep going.} She said, lying next to him. {With all the non-stop trouble we bring you.}

"I would lie if I say that it's easy to deal with every single day."

{Still. You've had a couple of occasions where you could have gone insane.}

"Do I look that weak to you?" He asked with a grin.

{Haha, not really.}

"Anyway, if it was too hard, I would have only me to blame. I'm the one who embarked on a journey and I'm the one who chose to have crazy yet attractive girls accompany me. I admit that it's a bit more complicated than I expected, but nothing I couldn't adapt to."

{Yeah. We sure don't make it easy for you.}

"Meh," Max replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It could be worse. It could be the same situation, but not having the benefits with it."

{Phfahahaa!} Bonny heartily laughed.

"What?"

{Oh my god. You're such an honest pervert.}

She took a moment to calm herself.

{That's one thing I love about you. You're not afraid to show who you really are. It makes you so trustworthy.}

"Well, at first, I wasn't that honest with who I am."

{You didn't try to pretend to be someone else, you just didn't tell us what you have really been asking for.}

"Eh. Now you're gonna say that there's a difference between lying and just not telling the truth?"

{Will I be wrong?}

"...No. Not really."

{All that aside, there is one more thing I love about you…} She said, gently tracing one claw over his chest.

"My body?"

{Well, I mean, yes, but not just that. I'm talking about the way you are with us. Such patience. Such devotion. Such… passion.} She enumerated with lewd eyes.

"With an over-the-top girl like you, it's mostly natural."

Smiling, Bonny moved over him with her belly pressing against his and her eyes three inches away from his.

{You always talk about my eyes that you go crazy for, but we never talked about how beautiful yours are as well.}

"You did. A few times, actually."

{Not enough to my taste.} She seductively said before going for a kiss that lasted a few seconds. {You wanna know how I feel?}

"Horny?"

{Indeed, but I also feel wild.}

"Wild?"

{Yes. The tent is nice and all, but now, I want to be in the open and feel the air on me.}

"I didn't know you had a tendency to be an exhibitionist."

{Not really, but a pokemon is an outdoor creature.}

"Ah. You know what they say: You can take a girl away from the wilderness, but her wild side will always be a part of her."

"Exactly." She confirmed, kissing him one more time.

When she broke it, she stood up, helped Max to stand, and exited the tent to go further in the woods while pulling him by the hand.

{Don't break him.} Aurora said.

{No promises.} Bonny replied nonchalantly.

A couple of meters later, Bonny decided it was far enough.

{Well master, I think it's time to give you a proper thank you.} She said with her arms behind her back.

"Normally, the words thank you are enough, but…"

{But sex is better.}

"Quite, yes."

{Well? What are you waiting for?} She asked in a very cute manner.

Smiling, Max touched his keystone and made Bonny mega evolve.

{Hell yeah! It feels so good to be back.} She exclaimed, briefly inspecting her body.

"Indeed." Max agreed, eyeing her.

{...Come here.} She ordered, motioning him to come closer with one finger and a predatory face.

Grinning, Max obliged. When at paws reach, Bonny grabbed his belt and pulled him abruptly.

{You better have some energy in store, 'cause I'm about to suck you dry.} She defiantly warned.

"Oh, will you now?"

{Now sit down there.} She commanded, forcing him to sit where she was standing.

"Before you start, I…" Max said, hesitating.

{...You what? You can tell me.}

"...I would like to feel your body a bit."

Bonny then grinned.

{Sure thing. Just make sure you touch everything.} She told him, sitting on his lap.

Immediately, Max stared at her athletic body. Now having her only a few inches away from him, he pressed his hands on her and went to rub whatever was in reach. Her sides, chest, abs, buttocks… Everything about her was turning him on. Then, he shoved his face into her fur, kissing as far as he could for her to feel it.

{Master…} Bonny lowly moaned. {You're quite beastly tonight. What gives? I'm supposed to be the ravenous one here.}

"Sorry, but… your body is way too enticing. I can't help it."

Bonny then grinned once more.

{Then please yourself as much as you want.} She said, coiling her arms around his neck and pushing her body harder on him.

With her master kissing and fondling her vigorously, her own horniness was getting stronger and was quickly becoming wet. Her lust was starting to slowly cloud her mind and didn't notice that she was almost humping him while he was rubbing himself against her.

{Alright! That's enough!} She exclaimed, quickly moving away from him to free his rock-hard shaft.

She did a very aggressive and brief suck before pressing his tip against her slit.

{Aahhh!} Bonny loudly moaned as soon as she impaled herself all the way in.

A second later, she proceeded to move up and down with vigor.

{Oh my god! Why does it feel so good?!}

Quickly, she accelerated her pace and came in less than a minute.

"It's now obvious that you went a week without doing it."

{I… wasn't aware... of how in need I was. Again.}

Not even resting for a split second, Bonny went back at it one more time. This time, she slowed her pace a little bit to at least enjoy it a minimum.

{Yes! Your dick feels so good in me! It fills me up so much! Pierce me with it!} She lustfully exclaimed.

Tired of being the passive one already, Max grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. He then went behind her, raised her rear, shoved his meat inside, and began to fuck her hard. Without protesting, Bonny held her rear up and let him use her as he pleased. With her tongue slightly hanging out and her eyes in the back of her skull, she felt another orgasm coming up.

{Smash me, master! Ravage me!}

With her second orgasm hitting her, she sank her claws into the dirt and uncontrollably contracted her entire body. A couple of seconds later, her orgasm was finished, but she wasn't herself.

{Again!} She said, making Max continue.

He kept plowing her for a few minutes before both were about to cum. Now his turn to orgasm, Max grasped her hips tightly and pushed in harder for the time it lasted. Feeling his dick inflating due to his orgasm and his strong grasp, it triggered her third.

{*Pant* *Pant* That's... a good start.} Bonny commented.

"Not satisfied yet?"

{Oh no. This is just the beginning.}

"Hmpf. I'll try to keep up."

{Don't worry. Even if you pass out, I'm gonna keep going until I'm satisfied.}

"Please, do try to stop before killing me then."

{You should survive, but maybe not without a few broken bones.}

"That's what I wanted to hear to turn me on even more," Max replied sarcastically.

{Enough talk! More mating!}

"Sure. Care to switch positions?"

{I don't give a damn, as long as you impale me hard.}

"Alright," Max replied with a chuckle. "Stand up, then."

Doing as requested, Bonny stood up and stared at Max like a starving beast, ready to tear him into pieces.

"Paws on the tree," Max instructed, with what Bonny quickly obeyed.

Max then grabbed one leg and pulled it up in the air. He knew how flexible she was, especially her legs, and dropped it on his shoulder, showing a nice view of her spread legs. With a good grip on her thigh, Max continued to mate with his mega lopunny.

{Ahh… Shit!} She moaned, overwhelmed by the pleasure that position was granting her. {You're… right on the spot!}

That position was a good one to see Bonny dripping juice on the ground, constantly getting more and more aroused. Again, it didn't take long for Bonny to feel another orgasm building up.

{No way… I'm gonna be… the weak one here. Take this!}

As much as she could, Bonny got herself as tight as possible so as to make things harder for Max. She succeeded as Max began to slowly moan, but unfortunately, it backfired and made her cum earlier. However, that managed to give her multiple orgasms at once, making her almost scream ecstatically.

"Damn. That was a strong one." Max commented, rarely seeing her that pleased.

{I had *pant* more than one.} She said while panting. {I… my vision… is starting… to get blurry.}

"Do you want to stop?"

{Heck no. I crave… more.} She firmly said.

However, her tone didn't match her weakening body. She had more trouble standing and her legs were slightly shaky.

"Alright, but only if we switch position."

{Whatever.}

Next, Max helped her to drop on her back, where she let out a satisfied sigh.

"Are you still with me?" Max asked, on all four above her.

{Huh? Y-Yeah yeah. Don't… It's been a while since... I felt this good. It's… almost mind-numbing.}

"Yeah. I already told you that it's not healthy for you to not have sex for more than a few days."

{I… know.}

"You never change, will you?" Max chuckled.

Before starting, Max eyed the bunny pokemon one more time. He traced one hand over her chest and belly, feeling as much as he could. He then went over her left legs and caressed her black and brown thigh before finishing with a small squeeze of her muscles.

{Hmm!} Bonny moaned. {My strength is coming back, thanks to you.}

"Great. Just as planned." He said with a grin.

Suddenly, Bonny grabbed his face and forced him into a voracious kiss. Crossing her legs around him, she was almost eating the inside of Max's mouth while trying to suffocate him with her tongue.

{Fuck me!} She ordered aggressively.

"Alright. You asked for it."

In one go, Max shoved his penis as far as he could, smashing her womb.

{Ahhh…}

Max then immediately went to work, going slightly rough on her as she seemed to have wanted. The pleasure and heat were so intense that her eyes couldn't see straight and her tongue hanging out, drooling and uncontrollably moaning ecstatically with accelerated breathing. Gradually, her moans became louder, making Max wonder if her voice could reach the camp. He didn't think of it too much as he could feel his second orgasm approaching. Doubling his efforts, Max went wild with Bonny taking it like a mad pokemon.

"Oh, shit…" Max said while feeling a powerful orgasm.

Feeling his shaft inflating before discharging inside, the lopunny reached her climax as well, ending the love-making session with the strongest orgasm of the night.

"Oof! That was a strong one." Max shared, dropping herself on Bonny.

{Same here… but can you… move? I can't… breathe properly.}

"Oh, sorry." He apologized while rolling next to her.

{Normally… I can deal… with your weight… but I hardly can when… I'm out of breath.}

"It's okay."

{But damn. What a night.}

"You tell me. You don't get that aggressive very often, even in your mega form."

{I could say the same… for you. Normally, you prefer the female… being the one that… almost rapes you.}

"Well, let's say that you're not the only one that is happy to see your mega form again."

{Eh. Such a naughty and... perverted master. I couldn't ask for anything better. I really got lucky when... destiny decided to make you my trainer.}

"Come on. You could have gotten a sexier and nicer trainer. Maybe a rich one that could spoil you every day."

{I don't care about that, nor do I want to. You're simply the most perfect trainer for me.}

"Haha. Alright. I'll let you have it this time."

Bonny then sat up.

{Why can't you just believe us when we tell you how perfect you are?} She asked, slightly annoyed.

"I do believe you. I mean, I believe that you really think that, but…"

{Why is there always a 'but' with you?} She replied, moving over him. {You. Are. A. Over-the-top. Trainer.} She assured with her paws on his cheeks. {I'm curious how many trainers can actually boast about being able to make his pokemon cum ten times.}

"Ten times?"

{Well, almost ten. But still. Why are you still doubting about being such a good master?}

Unable to answer, Max looked away.

{Don't you go look away from me.} She said, moving his head to force him to look at her. {Answer me. Why are you treating yourself like shit when you're the exact opposite? Seriously master, you should start to recognize how great you are more often.}

"...I don't know. Maybe I prefer being modest than a boasting bastard."

{There's a gray area, you know. Sure, seeing you boasting all the time would get annoying indeed, but at least you would see yourself as what you really are.}

"..."

{But you know what, master?} She said, caressing his cheek.

"Hm?"

{I've seen some progress. You still have work to do, but at least you're going in the right direction.}

"Eh. If that's the case, I guess I just needed someone to believe in me. It's all thanks to you."

{There's half of that where we matter, I admit. But the other half is up to you.} She affirmed, bopping his nose.

"Like everything, I'll try my best."

{Meh. It's a start, I suppose.} Bonny added, shrugging her shoulders.

"Anyway, how can I be convinced otherwise with a sexy body like that?" He asked with a grin, rubbing her sides.

{Haha. On that, we agree.}

With Bonny moving out of the way and reverting to her normal form, they both headed back to the camp. As they were getting near, they heard some of the girls laughing.

"Looks like they are having fun without us." Max jested.

{We kind of did too, actually.}

Reaching the camp, Max noticed an unexpected guest with them; a gesticulating around, making the girls laugh.

"Hi, girls. I see you've all made a new friend."

{Hey, master.} May greeted him. {Yeah. He's a funny guy.}

"So, who is this?" Max asked Scarlet, sitting next to her.

{I don't know. He just showed up and started clowning around.} Scarlet explained, being the only one not laughing that much.

"Oh."

As Max looked at him, he bowed in a chivalrous way. He wasn't saying a single word, so Max guessed it was how he presented himself.

"Nice to meet you too." Max greeted with a hand motion. "What's going on?"

{He imitates stuff and we have to guess what.} Aurora explained.

"Oh, a game of charades. Haven't played that in a while. This should be fun."

The then got thinking for a short moment before raising a finger in the air. He started by rubbing his head with his hair oddly moving downward on its own as if something invisible was pulling them down.

{You're showering.} Dusk guessed.

They then pointed at her, meaning she got it right. He then leaned backward, put his arms behind his head and one leg over the other one, looking relaxed on an invisible chair.

"You're on vacation," Max answered, which he confirmed.

{These are too easy.} Scarlet commented, looking not that amused.

The wild pokemon then sat on an invisible chair, moved one leg over the other again with crossed arms, and looking exaggeratedly grumpy.

{That's Scarlet!} May guessed, with that the confirmed, making the group laugh.

Scarlet, however, only rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh. After that, they kept playing and having fun with them until the girls and himself were growing tired. He imitated someone sleeping before waving goodbye and left. The girls then all went to bed except for Luna, with Max and Scarlet alone around the fire.

[So? How is she?] Scarlet engaged.

[Bonny? Well, I'd say she's doing better.]

[A good mating session sure pumps up a mood.]

[Normally, I would agree, but I'm a little scared that she did it mostly to feel better about herself.]

[That's mean. Bonny knows better than that.]

[Yeah. You're right. I don't know why I was thinking that.]

[I admit that she might have looked for a little bit of comfort, but in the end, I'm sure she did it because she really wanted both of you to be pleased.]

[I guess so too. All she needs to do is eventually forget about that depressing episode.]

[I'm afraid it won't be that simple. That event will probably haunt her for a long time.]

[That doesn't sound very encouraging.]

[I don't want to make you worry, but I'm just being realistic. However, what she can do is to learn to accept it, live with it, and learn from it.]

[I believe that too, but it won't be that easy either.]

[Unfortunately, no.]

[Goddamnit. Life sometimes just sucks big time.] Max complained, a bit upset.

[But personally, I think what she really needs the most is a small dose of self-confidence. From the day we met her, I noticed that it wasn't one of her strengths.]

[That's… quite depressing, actually. You mean that everything she has done until now is to somehow get approved?]

[Not necessarily, but I'm afraid that all those speeches about how she's hot and how much she loves mating with you were probably a cover. It's quite unlikely since she seems to sincerely enjoy having sex with you. However, I've rarely ever seen a pokemon despising their own type that much.]

[I must admit, me neither. Sadly, it is true that normal types aren't very combat-oriented, but they have so much potential, and so does Bonny. I believe in her and I'm sure that if she really works hard, she could become a great fighter. Ever noticed how strong she is? I never saw her unable to lift anything larger and heavier than her, like those logs she gathered for us to sit on every time we camp… she carried them quite easily.]

[Now that you mention it, I don't remember seeing her having trouble with that indeed. Though, I didn't really see that much power when we spar and train together. I mean, she hits hard, but not as much as a machamp, you know?]

[Hm. Either her body works differently with different tasks, or she's holding back when fighting or training.]

[She would purposely make herself weaker and risk a defeat? That's not very like her.]

[Exactly, and that's why I think she doesn't do that consciously.]

[Why would her subconscious do that?]

[Because she has poor self-esteem.]

[That… makes sense actually. That would explain a couple of things.]

[It's more of a theory than a fact, but even if that's the case, what could we possibly do? It's not like we can buy a confidence pill in stores.]

[Maybe we could.]

Max then looked at Scarlet with a raised eyebrow.

[I'm kidding.]

Next, he held his head while looking at the ground.

[Don't be like that, master. I'm sure that if we keep telling her that she's the best, maybe she will start believing it.]

[...Maybe.] Max replied, looking at the fire. [I admit that I don't say that to her that often. Maybe I should also tell her how pretty she is a bit more.]

[I think that she believes that enough.]

[Haha, true, but she is very pretty.]

[For a female lopunny, she is, indeed.]

With another chuckle, Max stared at the fire some more.

"Well, I wish I could spend more time with you, but my eyes are getting heavy," Max announced while standing up.

[Okay. I'll stay here a little bit longer. I'll join you soon.]

"Alright. Later then."

With a quick kiss, Max headed inside the tent, where everyone was already softly snoring. Scarlet extinguished the fire and entered the tent a bit later than she said. When inside, she saw Bonny and Dusk hugging him on both sides. With a mix of amusement and annoyance, she laid down where there was still space and shut her eyes as well, falling asleep almost instantly. The next morning, she had awakened quite early as the sun hadn't even risen yet, but the sky was getting clearer.

{Again with those dreams.} She muttered, sitting up. {No point in staying here then.}

Briefly rubbing her face, Scarlet stood up and exited the tent, where she found out that rather thick fog was settled. Once out, she stretched a little with a small yawn, taking a deep breath of the cool and humid air.

{*Sigh* Might as well go get the others breakfast.} She said floating away in the woods. {The air is getting pretty cold for master. I hope he has something to cover himself up.}

She wandered in the woods in search of anything edible, or just potable.

{Oh. Master loves those.} She said while getting near a bush where red and purple berries were growing.

She began to gather some but stopped after a moment. She didn't know why, but she felt like she was being observed. She looked around to see if she could catch a pokemon or something staring at her but to no avail. Since it happened from time to time when she was alone in the woods, she didn't think it was worth the effort, but she intensified her awareness, in case she got surprised by another pokemon or simply a predator animal. After she gathered a couple of handfuls of berries, she made them float next to her and resumed her foraging. Then, the feeling of being watched got stronger.

{Who's there?!} She exclaimed, readying two Shadow Balls.

Oddly, the staring feeling faded away almost instantly.

{...Must have been a puma or something like that.} She guessed, canceling her attack as the threat seemed to have fled.

Until she got what she needed, she was pretty much at peace and was heading back to the camp. By the time she got there, the sun was now half raised and the fog was almost all gone. Now back at camp, she saw that Aurora was awake, doing Tai chi movements.

{Don't you miss sleeping until noon?}

{Not really, since I never slept until noon. Morning cleansing is a very healthy habit for your spirit and mind. You should try it more often.}

{I didn't really wake up to do some morning exercises, I just didn't sleep that well.}

{Oh. Sorry to hear that. How come?} Aurora asked while still moving.

Scarlet sighed while sitting on the slightly wet trunk.

{Bad dreams and memories resurfacing. Nightmares, for some.}

{I see. Since I started training my aura, I'm sensing more and more of how troubled your spirit is.}

{Thanks, but I'm already aware of that. You could have reached the same conclusion just by asking me.} She replied, arms crossed.

{I don't doubt it, but I'm just a bit worried that that darkness in your heart could slowly poison and corrupt you.}

{I'm already tainted, so it's a bit too late to worry about that.}

{Perhaps, but it's never too late to improve one's spirit.}

{I doubt it. Mine is beyond repair.}

{How can you be so sure?}

Unable to answer, Scarlet looked down.

{Is it because you can't, or because you don't want to?}

{Ah. That's some good philosophical shit right there.} Scarlet mocked. {If I could feel better about myself, why wouldn't I want that?}

{Maybe because you believe that you can't.}

{It's strange. You gave me the impression that you know me better than myself.}

{I wasn't implying that at all, but-}

{But what?} Scarlet cut, mildly annoyed.

{Have you ever tried at least?}

Scarlet then looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

{every day. Every day I contain myself not to kill or destroy everything that annoys me. Every day I try not to let my mind break and go insane. What do you think I have been doing when I needed some time to myself?}

{...}

Scarlet then took a deep breath to calm herself.

{I'm sorry. I didn't mean to invalidate your effort.} Aurora apologized, stopping.

{It's okay. I'm actually in a good mood this morning, so I'll go with that you're just worried about me.}

{Yeah. I just meant that I'm convinced that you're more capable than that.}

{Says you.}

Almost at the same time, Max popped out of the tent.

"Morning." Max greeted them.

{Good morning. You look like someone that slept well.} Scarlet stated with a grin.

"You could say that. I was a bit exhausted."

{Oh. Bonny didn't go easy on you then.}

"Eh. Let's not even talk about that." Max confirmed before going away for the morning business.

{Well, she kind of didn't do it for a while, so no surprise there.}

{Makes sense.} Aurora said, disinterested while returning to her slow movements.

{Still a bit jealous I see.}

{Tss. As if.} Aurora retorted.

{Uh huh.} The gardevoir replied, seeing through her lie. {You should work on that though. It's an ugly habit to have.}

{Because you never go through the same? Like, at all?}

{Do I look like someone who cares about who master fucks? As long as he's mine, loyal and obedient, he can do whatever the fuck he wants. Well, besides being mean to me of course.}

{And us.}

{Yeah, that too, but I supposed that you all can fend for yourselves. If he's becoming a jerk, a nice and well-placed shot in the balls always does the trick.}

{You're rather explicit when talking about how to hurt him.}

{Was I? Well, I get quite inspired when I talk about human suffering. But you're right, I shouldn't talk like that about master. He's so exceptional.}

{At least he cares for his friends, unlike some human I once knew.}

{If it wasn't from master, you wouldn't have been done with that. Decent humans are quite rare.}

{As we travel, maybe we'll encounter a few others.}

{I don't really care since I have master.}

Getting aware that the conversation wouldn't get further than that, Aurora remained silent and focused her attention on her movements. A moment later, Max was back.

{Breakfast is here.} The gardevoir announced to him.

"Alright. Let me have a few minutes to wake up the others."

{Alright.}

A couple of minutes later, Max exited the tent again, all dressed up and followed by the girls, one by one. They then spotted Scarlet with the berries around her and sat next to her, with the gardevoir distributing the food.

{You okay, Bonny?} She asked the lopunny when she sat after noticing that her walking was a bit off.

{Yeah. I think I must have pulled a muscle on my back thigh last night.}

{Come on, master. You could have been more gentle with her.} Scarlet jested.

"She's the one that acted like a ravenous beast. I had nothing to do with that."

{Well, you kind of made me cum a couple of times too quickly, so maybe a little bit.} Bonny sided with Scarlet before munching on a bite.

"Well… nevermind," Max gave up, not wanting to embarrass himself furthermore.

With the others giggling, they took the time to eat properly before starting to pack up the camp. When done, everyone was present and went in their pokeballs besides Dusk, who wanted to spend a bit of time with Max.

"So, Dusk. How's the training coming along?"

{Not bad. I'm very glad that Scarlet respects my limits.}

"Nice. Any plan on trying to learn something new?"

{Haha, funny you asked because we talked about that the last time we trained.}

"Oh. So what was the conclusion?"

{That I should see what move I wanna learn with you.}

"Great. We can work on that this evening."

{But I was a bit skeptical that I could even achieve it. I don't know if I'm strong enough.}

{Your special attack has increased a bit lately, so I don't see why not.} Scarlet assured her.

{R-Really?}

{Yeah. Even though you don't like to fight, you're still allowed to learn strong moves.}

{Oh. Well, I'll try my best, then.} Dusk replied, shyly playing with her fingers.

Max then thought about May.

"I hope May will be able to learn her new move eventually."

{She will, but it's pretty difficult, especially since she seems to have no special attack stats at all.} Scarlet explained.

"Hm. Not very encouraging."

{I'll get her there, master, don't worry. Just be a bit more patient. She won't be fighting in the next gym anyway, so it leaves her with a lot of time.}

"Yeah, you're right. I should never doubt any of you."

{Now you're starting to get it.} Scarlet said with a smile.

After they were done and resumed their travel, the rest of the day went as per usual and it is now in the settled camp.

"You girls know what I'm thinking?" Max said, sitting on one log.

{What will you blather about this time?} Scarlet jested, sitting in front of him.

"I was just thinking that with all the improvised camps we have made so far, we left a couple of ones behind for future trainers."

{We are just like that, a bunch of philanthropists.} She replied sarcastically.

"I wonder how we didn't find any other camps already made before us though. I mean, surely we're not the only ones on this planet that ever thought of that."

{Hmpf. The trivial things you think about sometimes.}

"Sorry for wanting to engage in conversation."

{Instead of that, I believe you have something to look up with Dusk.}

"Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to sit down for a moment."

{Come on, Scarlet, he's the one that walks all the time.} Dusk defended him. {We can let him rest a bit.}

{Alright. Ignore what I just said then.}

{Is it me, or are you a bit more sassy than usual?} Bonny suspected.

{Probably just you, because you don't even know what you're talking about.}

"Please girls, be merciful with her. She hasn't been sleeping well as of late."

{Ah, that explains a lot of things.} Bonny said.

{You don't have to tell the entire planet, though.} Scarlet retorted to Max.

"I don't plan to, just to those you're supposed to consider as your friends."

{Why-}

Scarlet then sighed.

{You're right. I'm sorry. I think I'm gonna go for a little walk. Matter of speech, obviously.} The gardevoir announced before standing to float away.

{Must be hard to be in her skin sometimes.} Bonny said.

"If it wasn't for us, I guess it would be difficult all the time. However, even if we're like a big family for her, she still needs her alone time every now and then."

{I'm guessing she's doing that for us.} Aurora theorized.

{What do you mean?} May asked.

"Her not venting on us when she gets irritated, I'd say," Max concluded.

{Exactly.} Aurora confirmed.

{Well, the ratio of being nice and kind versus being a… well, not her true self, is pretty much in our favor, so it's not so bad.} Bonny pointed out.

"Even on her bad days, I can't stay mad at her, as I see Scarlet scared and in pain behind her words. She's not doing it on purpose, she just has a bit of trouble managing her emotions."

{Hihi. You talk like a real mate, little pup.} Luna praised with a smile.

"It's the least I can do, I mean, I love her. What kind of mate would I be if I wasn't there for her, even at her worst?"

{A pretty bad one.} Aurora answered.

"Thanks for your honesty."

{Hey, you asked.}

"Well, might as well be productive too," Max said, pulling out his pokedex.

Upon seeing that, Dusk went to sit next to him and browsed it to search for any eventual moves Dusk could learn.

{Up for some sparring?} Aurora asked Bonny.

{Sure. I should prepare for the upcoming battle against the…} The lopunny replied, stopping in the middle.

{The gym leader?} Aurora finished.

{Yeah…} Bonny confirmed, rubbing the back of her neck.

{Well, I agree. It would be a shame if you were to get softer in the meantime. Let's go.} The lucario pointed out before walking away.

Bonny still had a bit of trouble adapting to the new Aurora. She was happy about it, but it was also like she was a completely different pokemon.

{Can I come too? I want to help Bonny.} May asked.

{Sure thing.} Aurora agreed. {What about you? Still not wanting to show us what you are capable of?} She asked Luna.

{You know me. Showing off isn't really my specialty.}

{Alright. *Sigh* I wish someday that I can see how strong you really are.}

Looking at the three of them walking away, Luna did a small sigh of her own. Until dinner time, it was only Max and Dusk searching for a move and Luna watching over the camp in her corner. In those moments, Luna was often looking at Max. Even if she didn't exactly want it, the two of them getting closer had some unexpected benefits. It took her so much time to recover and accept what happened to her last family. Every time she stared at him from afar, a soothing yet painful feeling passed through her heart. She still wonders if she was lucky or not in life.

"That's the move you want? Are you sure?" Max asked Dusk after she picked a new move.

{Yes. Since I want to protect you more than actually fighting, it could be really useful.}

"Fair enough. Well, Protect it is, then." Max replied, putting his pokedex away. "You should go see Scarlet later on since she already knows that move."

{I will. Thanks, master.} The braixen expressed with a hug.

"No problem, Sweetie," Max replied, petting her.

Maybe an hour and a half later, Scarlet came back with dinner, which she prepared with Dusk as usual, who had become essential with her ever-improving cooking skills. While doing so, she talked about the new move she and Max found and asked for some tutoring, to which she immediately agreed, saying it was a great idea. When ready, they served everyone around the fire and Max hoped that Jade would come out. To his surprise, she instantly responded to the call and got released.

"It's dinner time, Jade. Hungry?"

Before answering, she briefly looked around.

{I… not really.}

The group then noticed how introverted she became lately, essentially reverting back to how she was on her first day with them. Understandingly, the group didn't bother her with that.

"Okay. Well, we'll give you a plate nonetheless, so feel free to eat it or not."

Not answering, she sat as far as possible without leaving the camp completely. As the others began to enjoy their meal, she got lost in her thoughts with her meal next to her. While looking at the fire, she seemed absent-minded, as if she was at war with herself. A few minutes later, she grabbed her belly in pain.

{You alright, Jade?} Dusk asked her friend, worried.

{...I just… feel a bit nauseous. I think I'm gonna… be on my own for a moment.}

Walking instead of floating, Jade left the group with her hands on her stomach.

"Where is she going?" Max asked upon seeing her.

{She wasn't feeling well, so she decided to go somewhere to have more space I suppose.} Dusk answered.

Guessing why Max then looked at the fire with a sigh. Scarlet felt his despair, adding to her own remorse. Maybe she could have at least waited after that night at that arcade had ended before telling her. She didn't take any pleasure in creating this situation and ruined everything for everyone but had to make the message clear. Unfortunately, it worked better than she anticipated.

{There's not much you can do about it.} Aurora said, sensing a disturbance in his aura.

"How about talking?"

{I believed you have already tried, right?} Bonny said.

"...Yeah."

{Poor Jade. She was so nice and getting used to having friends.} May added.

{What is done is done, and we, unfortunately, can't go back in time.} Luna pointed out.

"Yeah, but… it's quite unfair, though."

Having heard enough, Scarlet abruptly stood up without even finishing her meal and went inside the tent.

An awkward silence then settled for a moment.

"...I'm afraid things won't ever be the same with her. Maybe if I said that right at the start…"

{Maybe she wouldn't have opened her heart at all.} Luna stated.

"If it was to suffer at the end, was it worth it?"

{You think being in the darkness is better than to risk being hurt out of love?} Aurora mentioned.

Max looked at her.

{To be honest, I prefer the latter by far. I took a huge risk opening myself up to someone again. Luckily, it turned out well.}

"Yeah, but our relationship isn't based on lies."

{You didn't really lie to her, you just kept some information to yourself, that's all.} Bonny assured.

"How is that different?"

{The intention that was behind it.} Aurora answered.

Heavily sighing, Max stared at the fire again.

"What a shitty situation."

{At least we're all in it with you, master.} May reassured, looking at him with caring eyes.

Max then sighed more softly.

"Yeah. At least it's not complete shit." Max said, briefly petting her.

For the rest of the evening, the group tried to talk about various subjects to forget about the current one. Despite trying his best, Max grew off of that and eventually left for the tent as well. Then, followed by the others not very long after.

Roughly an hour later, Scarlet was on her back and staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. As she was thinking if she should stay or leave, Jade's voice resonated in her head.

[M-Miss S-Scarlet?]

[*Sigh* What?]

[I...n-need your help.]

[You what?]

With Jade not answering, Scarlet stood up, left the tent, and saw the light green gardevoir standing to the right, looking scared.

[You need my help? For what, exactly?]

[I… found something and… I-I was wondering if you could decide if it's d-dangerous or not.]

Scarlet then looked at her interrogatively, if not suspiciously.

[...Whatever it is, it sure seems to have scared the little skitty that you are.]

[Y-Yeah. A bit.] She admitted, looking away while grabbing one arm.

[*Sigh* Alright. I couldn't sleep anyway, so I might as well waste some useless free time.]

[T-This way.] Jade instructed before turning back.

Since she had nothing better to do, Scarlet decided that searching through woods or even a little fight could tire her enough to finally sleep. They were progressing into the woods for a few minutes before remembering the conversation earlier around the fire and feeling again slightly guilty. Since that episode, Scarlet felt like she had become some sort of black sheep, sensing the others getting slightly distant from her. Maybe they have a good reason, or maybe she was just imagining things, but the atmosphere seemed to have changed quite a bit. Maybe she has been too hard on her and didn't want to be the bad guy of the story. Not anymore a least.

{Look, Jade. I…} Scarlet engaged hesitantly. {I… still don't like you and your weak-willed attitude annoys me a lot, but…}

For a short moment, Scarlet fought over her pride.

{Maybe, I… wasn't being entirely nice and totally fair… to you.}

The red gardevoir words made Jade slow down a bit.

{I still don't want you to stay, but… I guess… I could tolerate you just a little longer.}

Jade then stopped completely.

{Maybe... until master has collected all his badges.}

Turning around, Jade heard and saw the sincerity in her voice and eyes.

{Scarlet…}

Jade was a bit lost for words. She was hardly believing what she just heard and took a moment to realize it.

{Scarlet, we should-}

At the same moment, two gallades popped out from nowhere and attacked Scarlet with their elbow blades. Taken by surprise, she was barely able to create a weak Protect that got destroyed by the two hits. They immediately attacked again, but Scarlet stopped the attacks with her bare hands.

{Surprised, huh? Surely you didn't expect me to be stronger than the two of you together.} Scarlet taunted with a grin.

However, their added strength was in fact better than Scarlet's, slowly pushing her down. She then stopped using her strength against one of them and released him, making him fall forward. She then quickly attacked the other one with a Fire Punch to the face. The impact was strong enough to make him fall backward in pain. She then chained with a quick Shadow Ball and was about to destroy the other one, but got instantly paralyzed by Psychokinesis.

{Pathetic. Do I really need to do everything on my own?}

{...That voice…} Scarlet mumbled with widened eyes.

Scarlet then got turned around by the psychic power and saw an incoming figure getting closer. When she saw it in detail, her eyes went even wider, rage instantly filling her body as she recognized the tall and dark green gardevoir before her.

{...Qsalyla…} Scarlet said between her teeth, with what the pokemon only smiled arrogantly. {What's the meaning of this?} She demanded Jade, who only looked away.