Rebirth (4/4)

It took Max and Scarlet almost an hour to get breakfast ready. As soon as they had everything set, Scarlet carried most of the plates and moved them to the dining room, where everyone was already waiting.

{About time.} Aurora said impatiently.

"Sorry about that. We had to make sure it was extra tasty, so it took a bit longer than we hoped."

{Does that "extra time" include tenderizing Scarlet and Dusk's meat?} Bonny asked with a grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Max feigned ignorance, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Bonny's smile grew bigger. {Please, I'm sure that the entire mansion heard you three moan your souls out.}

{You'll all have your time with him later, so no need to be jealous.} Scarlet nagged her a little while serving her plate.

{Ha! Me, jealous? You wish.}

{What exactly did you do there? I felt your auras vibrate from across the hallway.} Aurora wondered out loud.

"We… tenderized the meat. A lot." Max lied.

{What kind of meat? There was none in the fridge, last I checked.} Bonny pointed out while munching on a bite.

"Exactly. We tenderized it so much that it just disappeared." Max lied again, mostly wanting to mess with them now.

{Is tenderizing meat that fun?} Sally asked Max. {You three were shouting things like 'yes,' 'harder' and 'more'.}

Upon hearing her, Bonny and the other girls couldn't help but giggle at the cinderace's innocence, making Sally look at them interrogatively.

{Did I say something funny?}

{Very much so.} Bonny confirmed. {Let me give you a hint, Sally. What do you think is happening when one sexy male and two attractive females are in the same room and you hear words like that?}

{Hmm…} Sally thought. {Ohhh, I get it!} She exclaimed, lightly tapping one paw with one fist. {Meat tenderizing was just a pretext for having sex.}

The girls then laughed even harder.

{Well, now I'm not happy.} The cinderace said, crossing her arms. {Why wasn't I invited? I want to mate with master, too.} She pouted.

{We already talked about this, Sally. You have to wait for your turn and get with him the next chance you get.} Scarlet reminded her.

{Yeah, but… I never know when the moment is right.} Sally admitted her ears down.

{Here's a tip, Sally. If master is behaving like some sort of poke-abuser, you can safely assume that the moment is right.} Aurora shared with her.

"Stop teasing her, guys." Max intervened. "She's not as overly aware as most of you. Let her go at her own pace."

{I wasn't. I was legitimately trying to help her.} Aurora retorted.

{Anyway, I'm sure she doesn't mind a little friendly hazing every now and then.} Bonny said.

{She'll have to get used to it eventually like the rest of us.} Scarlet followed.

"*Sigh* Sorry about that, Sally." Max apologized. "I don't think you joined the right group. No one is mentally stable here, myself included."

{Good job, master. I'm sure you scared her now.} May scolded.

"What? Am I wrong? If so, then who is stable?"

{Me. I'm the sanest pokemon around here.} Scarlet jested.

"Yeah, and I'm the most stuck up, celibate person ever," Max replied, with everyone protesting.

{...Hehe. Don't worry Max, I don't mind.} Sally said, shutting everyone up. {I like everyone here and…} She continued while starting to play with her paws embarrassingly. {...I don't mind how you guys are because I… finally have a group of friends who… all accepted me for... who I am.}

"Aww… Sally…" Max said, touched by her tender sincerity.

{Don't sweat it, Sally…} Bonny engaged while lightly punching her shoulder. {You have a whole bunch of crazy pokémon backing you up. You're with us now and we won't let anyone hurt you or even allow anything to happen to you.} She said with seriousness.

{Well said.} Luna approved.

{Hihi…} Sally giggled, even more embarrassed.

"You didn't join the right group if you wanted everything to be quiet or peaceful, but if you wanted to be part of a sturdy family, then you're in the right place. It won't be easy to tolerate us at first, but you can be sure that we'll always be there for you." Max firmly affirmed.

{Master is also a magnet for trouble, so you won't be bored with us and you'll have your bundle of thrills as well.} Scarlet said.

"How am I the trouble-magnet?" Max disagreed.

{Am I wrong? If so, name one time where it wasn't your fault we almost died.} She jested, mimicking his previous statement, making the group laugh.

They all tried to reassure Sally that she didn't make any mistake joining them, but what they don't know is that she never regretted that decision for a single moment. Sure, everyone was eccentric and laid back most of the time, but she knew that she could count on them to always be there for her. She had finally found a family and a place to call home.

{Are you alright, Sally?} Luna asked, noticing her spacing out while the others were explaining why Max was mostly the problem.

{Y-Yeah, I'm okay.} The cinderace replied, wiping a tear that fell down her cheek. {I'm just… so happy that you guys and master took me in. I still feel a bit bad about taking… Jade's place, but…} She shared, her ears dropping.

{We're over our grief, Sally. Besides, Max would've had to fill in that empty spot sooner or later. I know you may think that it's a lack of respect, but it's not. If anyone can take her place, it's you, because we trust you and you're someone who deserves it.}

{...R-Right. Thanks.} She said, lightening up.

Later, as they were almost done eating while talking or arguing, Helene entered the dining room.

"There you are. I was hoping that you at least ate before taking your leave." She said.

"Sorry for missing breakfast." Max apologized.

"Oh, don't be trifled for a moment. We figured that you would wake up late and cook yourselves a little something."

"Heh, you almost don't know us at all." Max jested.

"Let's say I've had the time to get used to you all in the year and a half you've been here," Helene assured him with a smile. "*sigh* It's going to be very quiet around here after your departure." She said, sounding a bit melancholic.

"...I wish we could stay…"

"But you all have a goal and a dream to achieve. You won't do much of that if you stay here."

"I know…" Max conceded, dropping his head.

Helene could feel his sadness, despite feeling sad as well, but knew how to help with that.

"Mike has got your luggage ready in the main hall."

"Thanks. As soon as we're done, we'll wash the dishes and get it."

"Forget the dishes, you can leave them where they are now. Just come whenever you're done. I have one surprise for you in the main hall."

"Another surprise?" Max repeated.

With a smile, Helene didn't reply and left.

"Does anyone know what she's talking about?" He asked the group, to which they all replied no.

{Not this time. Maybe it's a new pair of shoes.} Aurora guessed.

"I wouldn't mind that. Mine are quite worn out from all the traveling and training."

{Maybe it's a new car.} Scarlet said, joining the guessing game.

"That, I doubt it. And even if it was the case, I would have to refuse."

{Because we will lose the thrill of traveling by foot?} Luna theorized.

"That, and I don't have a driving license," Max confirmed.

{Ugh, now I want to see what it is. Come on guys, let's finish up quickly so we can go.} Scarlet urged.

"Actually, scratch that last statement. I don't want to see anyone choking on their food because someone has issues being patient." Max said, staring at the red gardevoir.

{Rha! You're no fun.} She growled impatiently.

Even though they have been asked to ignore Scarlet's request, they still ate at a faster rate nonetheless, as they were also eager to see what the surprise was all about. Once they were done, Max insisted on at least bringing the dishes in the kitchen, which he did with the help of Scarlet and Dusk. After that was taken care of, the three of them joined the rest of the group outside the dining room.

"At least we were able to enjoy the food one last time," Max said while exiting the dining room.

{We'll make more dishes just like that another time. Come on.} Scarlet urged while pulling Max.

Scarlet's behavior made Max chuckle a little. He hasn't seen her so eager for a surprise for a long time. Maybe she has become addicted to Helene's gifts after receiving her mega stone from her and was super hyped to see what was next. After all, despite her appearance and her attitude, she didn't hate being the center of attention. With Max pulling a little to slow Scarlet down, they reached the main hall, where they saw Helene, Dimitri, and Mike standing next to a rather large box.

Max engaged the teen with a smile. "Ah, hey there Dimitri. Came back from another of your 'trainer expeditions'?"

During his stay with the Spencers, Max and Dimitri had gotten closer and developed a friendship thanks to their mutual interest in Pokémon. It turns out that the heir of the family had been sneaking out to the woods for a while now to search for wild Pokémon, and continued to do so after Max saved him. Seeing Max training with his Pokémon inspired Dimitri, even more, to get his own Pokémon, much to Helene's dismay. He was adamant that he wanted a Pokémon of his own as soon as possible, but Helene managed to convince him that if he wanted to become a Trainer by his 18th birthday, he would use the time he had to study and prepare himself first. It had been five months since Dimitri started attending a special Trainer's Academy to learn the basics of training and raising Pokémon. Despite this, he would return to the woods every now and then to meet new species, granted that he was accompanied by Luna as his bodyguard, and Max in his free time.

The boy giggled. "Aw, c'mon, you know I don't do that anymore." His smile faded as he rubbed the back of his head, eyes staring at the floor. "So… I guess you're going for good? I'm gonna miss you, bro."

"Yeah, the time has come for me to leave. But don't be so down, soon it will be your turn and we'll meet again on the road someday."

"You betcha I will. So you better not get lazy, because I'm coming for you by the time I get on the road!" The boy said as he struck a pose, trying to act cool like the top trainers from the TV.

"Looking forward to it." Max then averted his sight to the large box again. "Say, what is in the box?"

"A gift for you and your Pokémon," Helene answered with a smile.

"Damn, you outdid yourself, Helene, this is the biggest gift I ever got in my life! Whatever it is, I wonder if it will fit in my backpack."

"Wait until you see what it is first."

"Fair enough. Alright, let's see…" Max mumbled while starting to open the box.

"We received it a little while ago. The box was Mike's idea." Helene mentioned.

"Really? You shouldn't have…"

Upon opening, Max wasn't sure of what he was seeing. With an interrogative expression, Max grabbed the thing and lifted it. The thing was rather heavy and was looking like a backpack of some sort because of the two straps, but was looking more like an astronaut oxygen tank or something similar to that. Even though it was huge, it still looked wearable with the padding and curves on the straps.

"...Kind of a dumb question, but what exactly am I looking at?" Max asked, with the girls not understanding better.

"Oh, I should've guessed you didn't know what it was. It came out very recently." Helene said, looking a bit sorry. "Then, let me present to you the Compressed Portable Exo Home or C.P.E.H. for short."

"...Okay," Max replied, still clueless.

"If you still don't understand, it's basically a backpack that you can change into a miniature home."

"Huh?" Max said, dumbfounded. "So, it's a portable house?"

"Not a real house, obviously, but something similar to a motorhome or trailer. You see, the C.P.E.H uses the same technology as the pokeball and is made of an extensible alloy. Just like a pokeball, it can expand in size and reduce anything contained inside to a subatomic level." Helene explained.

"Wait a minute! Hearing you talk about it, I think I've read something about this a while ago. Before my journey even. Was it really… yes! I remember now! Holy fuck! Did you really buy this?" Max exclaimed.

{Care to explain a little?} Scarlet asked.

"Well, this thing is basically a portable house. Even though it can't contain any living thing, it can contain a lot of inanimate objects. Think of it as carrying a huge shed in a machine that works like a pokéball. It also has a lot of functions." Max enthusiastically explained.

"It does. Inside, you have a small kitchen, a decent amount of space for storage, internal and external lights, a small bathroom that can switch between a restroom and shower, and a side compartment for sleeping that can contain up to ten sleepers." Helene enumerated.

"That's awesome!" Max exclaimed, not believing his luck.

{That's… insane, actually.} Scarlet commented, impressed, as well as the others.

{Oh my! It has it all.} Dusk followed.

{That's so cool!} Sally exclaimed with shiny eyes as the others were being bewitched by the thing.

"The only flaw C.P.E.H has is that it doesn't have an infinite source of electricity and water, but I'm sure you'll figure something out," Helene mentioned.

"What do you mean?"

"The electrical generator can last up to twelve hours if you're using it responsibly, but it needs to be recharged afterward. The best thing would be to have an electric-type pokemon with you."

["Don't worry about that. I know a few electric-type moves."] Scarlet assured her.

"Problem solved, then. The water is less of a hassle, as you only need to refill the tank once it's empty."

{That will be a bit more complicated.} Aurora said. {We don't have any water-type pokemon with us or know any water-type moves ourselves.}

"That's true." Max conceded, wondering what they could do.

{No need to overthink it. We just have to do what we always did and settle near a water source.} Scarlet suggested.

"Good thinking. Which reminds me, how much can the tank hold?"

"Two hundred gallons."

"Sheesh. No way I'll be able to carry that."

{I can.} Bonny proposed. {And with one paw, easily.} She boasted a little.

"Great. That's both problems solved right there." Max said, looking back at Helene.

"There's also a built-in fridge and freezer, as well." She added

{That! Will be very useful.} Scarlet said, pointing at Helene.

"You're telling me. Now all you have to do is to gather a lot more food at once and we'll be set for a while."

{I could even kill bigger animals for more meat.}

{We can add variety to our meals.} Dusk mentioned.

{Yeah. We had to stick with small animals so as to not waste the meat. Now we can get a huge chunk of meat and a pile of berries all at once.}

"Oh my god, I'm so hyped right now!" Max exclaimed, getting overly excited.

"I figured that you wouldn't say no to some quality of life equipment in the wilderness."

"Of course not! That means bedtime will be cozier for the girls."

{And for you as well.} Scarlet mentioned to Max.

"Well, besides heat and air conditioning, I think I covered everything," Helene concluded, trying to remember if she forgot anything. "If I skip something, you will see it for yourself."

"That's… I don't know what to say besides… wow." Max said, filled with joy.

"Do you want to try it on?" Mike suggested.

"Oh, yeah, definitely." Max agreed before grabbing the thing.

Passing his arms through the straps, Max did his best to make it comfortable.

"Well… How does it feel?" Helene asked.

"It's not the most comfortable thing to carry, but it's lighter than I expected. I think I could carry it all day long. As for the weight… good thing, I trained hard this past year."

"There is a belt here, to make it easier to carry," Helene said, pointing at his lower part.

Lowering his eyes, Max saw a convenient belt hanging from the pack. He then pulled and attached it to the other side.

"If you're wondering about how to reduce its weight, technology unfortunately still has limits. It's the best we can do with what there is inside. Though it works similarly to a pokeball, the technology is quite unique and works very differently."

"I see. Oh, this does make it a little bit easier." Max said, adjusting the belt.

"You look like a fine explorer ready for an adventure with that," Mike said.

"I bet I do." Max agreed with a wide smile.

"All of your belongings are already packed inside. Your backpack, tent, etcetera." Helene mentioned.

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll ever use my old backpack anymore."

{You should keep it. You never know.} Luna pointed out.

"Good point. Anyway, I guess there's no use in asking how much it cost you." Max asked Helene.

"It's rude to ask for the price of a gift," Helene replied playfully.

"Heh, no need to. I have a wild guess that it must have cost a fortune."

"Nothing's too expensive for you, Max my dear. I hope you'll enjoy everything about it."

"I already do. There is no way I could thank you enough for this or everything for that matter."

"Just one "thank you" is enough," Helene told him.

"Alright. Thank you, with all my heart."

"You're very welcome."

For a short moment, Max didn't know what to say anymore, so he just stood there.

"Well… I guess we are now in... the moment." Max said a bit awkwardly.

"...Looks like it." Helene agreed.

Both of them then looked at each other, traces of sadness filling their eyes. Helene then went near him and went for a hug.

"I'm proud of you…"my boy"..." Helene praised him.

"Thanks, Helene. I couldn't have gotten here without you."

They hugged for quite a moment before they separated.

"Well…" Helene started, wiping a tear away. "Mike's gonna drive you to the edge of the city so you can finally return to your journey again."

"Alright…" Max acknowledged, trying his best not to crack in tears.

"Ready whenever you are," Mike said.

"...Let's go before I change my mind," Max told him.

Following Mike, Max and the girls went outside, as well as Helene and Dimitri, looking at them from the entrance.

"You can put your backpack in the trunk," Mike instructed while opening the door with the car remote.

With the girls waiting next to the car, Max removed his high-tech backpack and put it in the trunk. After closing it, he went towards the back door of the vehicle and rested a hand on it.

"Say hi to Mr. Spencer for me." He requested her.

"Will do. He sends his deepest apologies for not being here today." Helene mentioned.

"Don't fret it. Business before anything else. Anyway... goodbye, Helene. We had a blast."

"We certainly did," Helene confirmed, smiling.

Before another awkward silence could settle, Scarlet surprisingly walked back to Helene. For a short moment, they looked at each other before Scarlet looked away as she tried to find the right words.

[I…] She started.

Hesitating, Scarlet clenched her fists a few seconds before opening her arms and warmly hugged Helene, astonishing everyone.

[Thank you… Helene.] She softly said. [You saved Max and… all of us as well. You gave him something he had lost so long ago. I couldn't thank you enough.] She said, getting a bit emotional.

"It was my pleasure, my dear," Helene assured, lovingly hugging her back. "You all came so far on your own. All I did was give you a little push."

As Scarlet was thanking Helene, Max saw movement above him. He raised his eyes and saw a familiar gardevoir resting her arms against the second-floor balcony fences, smoking her weird cigarette, Mad-Ji. Next to her and visible through the fence, was Vicky.

[Huh. I thought you were already gone.] Max said into her brain channel with a pleasantly surprised face.

[...A foolish mistake, assuming that I wasn't here anymore.] She said after taking a puff. [Assumptions like that could cost you your life. I taught you better than that.]

[You're right, my bad. I guess I briefly forgot who you were.]

[Ha. You don't even know a small fraction of who I really am.]

[I don't doubt it. Since you're up there, I'll be able to thank you for your patience, your time, your effort... and for believing in me. You really changed my life.]

Mad-Ji then took another hit.

[Just try not to get killed like an idiot out there. If I even sense that my time with you was wasted, you'll see my true self and not live to tell the tale.] She replied with a neutral face, but with a faint expression of pride.

[I have at least seven reasons to stay alive.] Max proudly told her.

[Good for you. Keep your eyes open, never lower your guard, and maybe then, you could survive a couple more years.]

With Mad-Ji saying that Max has recalled one of his last days of training with her...

~Flashback~

… It was the end of the afternoon, and Max was sitting on a nearby bench watching the girls spar all together against Mad-Ji, with her not even breaking a sweat. Try as they might, no one could even touch her for the entire session as she was effortlessly dodging everything from Bonny and Aurora's quick strikes to Scarlet and Dusk's ranged attacks. As much as it pained him to admit it, Mad-Ji was just way too strong for them, which is putting it lightly considering she can beat them all to a pulp at any moment. After the sparring session had ended, she dismissed the girls as she usually would, and started walking towards Max to carry on with his training. Without even looking at him, she passes by and calls to him.

{Walk with me, Nemako...} She commanded aggressively.

Knowing better than to get on her bad side, he quickly followed suit without question. After a few minutes of walking in the woods, she stops and briefly looks at him with a blue glow in her eyes before teleporting away with him. The two then reappeared on a beach, with Max landing on his butt and Mad-Ji getting a little chuckle out of it.

"Agh. What the hell? You can warn me before doing something like that, you know..." Max said as he was getting up.

{Where's the fun in that? I enjoy seeing you in pain.}

"Tch. Bitch…" Max muttered under his breath.

{What was that, asswipe?!}

"No-Nothing!" Max lied while looking away.

{Nothing, huh? Seriously, I'm this close to ripping your tongue out, deep-frying it, and hand-feeding it to the houndooms. One more slip-up, and it's bye-bye to your speaking ability.}

"*Gulp* S-Sorry, M'am."

{You better be you pathetic shrimp.}

"A-Anyway, where exactly are we?" Max stated as he looked around, not recognizing the beach they were at.

{We are currently on the East Rados coastline, on the other side of the region.} She nonchalantly replied.

"Oh. Wait...WHAT?! O-On the other side of the region?! I didn't know you could go that far! Why would you teleport us so far away?"

{First of all, I don't consider this "far." Second, I only needed the appropriate distance.}

"Needed for what?"

{God dammit, sometimes I'm convinced you are brain-damaged! *Sigh* Look, you and Doll-Face have formed a very strong bond with each other, and it's disgusting. So I needed enough distance between you two to be able to sever your mental connection.}

"Why would you want to do that?" Max asked.

Mad-Ji then just smiled sadistically.

{Simple. I just need to be alone with you so I can do something horrible to you without any kind of interference.}

"Something… w-what are you planning to do?" Max asked, slowly backing up in fear.

{You'll see.}

The gardevoir then materialized a knife and walked towards Max. Instantly, her aura changed into a more scary one, telling him that she was being serious. Then, in a swift motion, she got up close to Max, made him trip, and dropped her blade against his throat. Now over him, Mad-Ji pushed the blade harder.

{One little swipe, and it's over.} She said, sounding almost psychotic.

Despite that, Max managed to keep his cool and definitely kept looking at Mad-Ji. Then, Max noticed her shoulder briefly moving, indicating that she was about to pull through. However, Max felt nothing, besides the knife being pulled away.

{Not bad. You more or less resisted fear.}

After that, Mad-Ji moved away from him before staring at him with a look of superiority.

{Anyway. The real reason why I brought you here is that I could transfer my knowledge directly into your brain. However, unlike Doll-Face, I know exactly what I'm doing.}

"Heh, I almost died for that, but okay," Max said as he stood up, dusting his clothes.

{I swear, if you interrupt me one more time, I will sever your limbs and devour them in front of your worthless harem, understand?! My patience with you is running low enough as it is.}

Max said nothing as he nodded in fear of her actually going through with it.

{*Sigh* Look Nemako, I already told you that you will always be the weakest link with those human-fucking cocksuckers you call companions. So I finally figured out how to remove that disadvantage altogether! Tell me, do you know what's the difference between a soldier and a civilian?}

Max pondered for a bit before answering.

"Soldiers have anger issues?

Mad-Ji then punched Max in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to kneel on the ground.

{Wrong, smart ass! We train… A lot! Day in, and day out. We train so much that our bodies react autonomously at any given moment! But to even reach that point, it takes years, even decades of intense training, dedication, and discipline. And despite what you may think, I don't have the patience to train you for that long.

Max felt insulted by that comment as he struggled to get back up, trying to get air back in his lungs. Upon doing so, Mad-Ji then turned to face the sunset as she knelt down and picked up a nearby large hermit crab seashell.

{It's obvious that you don't see the world the way I do, Nemako. This round pile of dirt and water that we call earth is filled to the brim with demented idiots who think they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, with whomever they want to without consequence.} She said in an ominous tone as she crushed the shell in her hand, breaking it into tiny shards and making Max jump a little.

{They'll say that they care about you, that your service is appreciated, and that you'll be greatly rewarded once you've done your job. They'll treat you as one of their own, claiming that they'll always look out for you and ensure your well-being. But right after you've sacrificed so much for the "good of the world," the moment those assholes get what they want from you, they'll toss your ass to the curb and leave you for dead without a second thought. This isn't some fairy tale where you can achieve your dreams and live happily ever fucking after if you simply work hard enough. This is the real world, and if you show the slightest amount of weakness to anyone, they will take everything from you in an instant and move on to do the same to the next poor soul standing in line.}

"…"

{...That being said, I'm going to help you just this once by letting you take a shortcut because you wouldn't last a week in the real world without it.}

Max looked skeptical at this sudden offer. "...And how exactly are you going to do that?"

{If you had paid attention, shit-head, you would've known that it's the same thing Doll-Face did to you to help you understand Poké-speech.}

"That's what you meant?! I went into a coma for two weeks because of that! Sorry, as tempting as it is, I will have to say no!" Max defied.

{I wasn't asking.}

"Wait a minute…AGHH!"

Max wasn't even able to finish his sentence, as Mad-Ji's eyes started to glow in a yellow-greenish hue. Max then suddenly felt the force of an 18-wheeler flooding his brain at such a rate that if it hadn't been for Mad-Ji's powers paralyzing him, he would have been dragged a dozen meters back. With his teeth clenched and his thoughts completely scrambled, he somehow managed to speak with great difficulty.

"... Aagghhh! It's…too …much… Please… stop…" Max begged.

{Stop being such a crybaby, I know very well how much you can take it and how deep I can go...} She said while forcefully performing the procedure.

They stayed like this for more than 45 minutes straight, with Max starting to leak blood from his eyes, ears, and nose due to severe brain stress. When Max's vision began to blur and darken and his hearing began to fade, he felt that he couldn't take it anymore and was going to faint at any moment. Suddenly, Mad-Ji terminated the connection, giving Max the impression that a freight train had run him over. With no strength left in his body, Max fell backward onto the floor and remained like that for a few minutes. After taking some time for his senses to slowly return, he was finally able to stand up again. Then, with a newfound fury in his eyes, he looked toward Mad-Ji and shouted.

"What… *pant* What did you do to me?!"

{I basically made your life so much easier. You're welcome by the way.}

Confused, Max then grasped his head as he still felt a sharp pain in his cranium.

"Wait...W-What do you mean?!"

{You see, I have implanted years of military training and war tactics inside your tiny little brain. That way, in the next few months, your body will react instinctively to any form of danger around you.} She explained.

Max pondered about this for a moment before looking at Mad-Ji again, who was now looking back towards the sun slowly descending upon the horizon.

{And now that that's done, you better pay close attention to your surroundings more often, Nemako. Because from now on, your body will try to warn you of any incoming danger and alert you of any threat! So if you feel like dodging to the left, don't think about it and just do it, because that will determine whether you live or die. Is that understood?}

"…Ma'am, yes, ma'am."

{Bullshit, I can't hear you. Sound off like you got a pair!} Mad-Ji demanded, turning back to get in his face.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Max repeated.

{...That's the best I can do for you, and don't let this go to your head, maggot. I'm not doing this because I care about you, far from it. I'm doing this because if you fail, it means that I failed, and I will not tolerate failure in any form, is that understood?}

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Max shouted.

{Now then, let's head back. There's nothing more to do here.} She said as she held out her palm and closed her eyes, signaling that she's about to teleport again.

"Wait, not even a kiss or a cuddle after you've gone so deep into me?"

Mad-Ji then suddenly grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up in the air, choking him.

{Shut your fucking mouth or I'll launch you into orbit with a single kick to that tiny little worm you call a penis!} Mad-Ji screamed.

Max could only gag as he struggles to break free from the gardevoir's grasp, slowly losing oxygen in his lungs.

{And if you so much as think of telling any of those cum-drinking sluts anything about what happened this past hour, I will find you, kill your whole team one by one and make you watch before crippling you for life! Is that understood?}

"Ma'am… Yes… Ma'am." Max gagged.

{I can't hear you!}

"Ma'am… Yes… Ma'am!"

Mad-Ji then decided that he had learned his lesson and released her grip on him, letting him fall to the ground gasping and coughing for air.

After spacing out for a while from his thoughts, Max snaps back to reality to thank Mad-Ji.

~Present~

[I'll definitely keep that in mind, thanks. Will… we see each other again someday?]

[Tch. I hope not.] Mad-Ji retorted before taking another puff again.

[Haha! I bet you don't. Take care, and say goodbye to Vicky for me please.]

{The pokefucker said he's sorry for not having the chance to fuck you.} She said to the sneasel.

{HH-uh? W-Well… go fuck yourself, then.} She yelled with a blush to Max before leaving.

Sighing with a smile, Max returned his attention back to Scarlet, already getting a feeling that Mad-Ji will transmit the real message later on to Vicky.

"...Just keep him safe," Helene said softly to Scarlet while breaking the hug.

[I will, no matter the cost.] Scarlet affirmed with conviction, rubbing her eyes.

"Good. I can rest at peace now." Helene concluded.

With a smile and wiping a tear, Scarlet joined the others and got inside after they all said goodbye. Once inside, Helene and Dimitri waved at them while Mike put the car in drive and headed towards the gates. With a heavy heart, Helene had just left Max's sight and was already a bit absent-minded. He then felt one of Scarlet's hands on his shoulder, and as he looked at her with a smile, he grabbed it and gently caressed it.

{I'm gonna miss this place.} Bonny said.

{Me too.} May agreed.

{We had such good times there.} Luna mentioned with crossed arms.

"Yeah." Max agreed, looking through the windows. "But it's time to go and create new memories." He added, making Scarlet smile.

The gates were already opening as they approached them so Mike could exit the premises without stopping. They kept going rather silently until they arrived at the edge of Oxgard with the city's welcome sign coming into view.

"I'm gonna drive you towards where the path to the next gym leader is," Mike informed them.

"Any info on him or her?" Max asked.

"Not much besides that they're located in Boon Town and they specialize in fighting-types."

{That would be interesting.} Aurora commented with a smile.

{You could say that again.} Bonny agreed, already getting hyped.

"Our best chance would be using psychic and fairy-type. That would leave May and Dusk being the fighters. You would be the perfect candidate, but…" Max said while looking at Scarlet.

{Why don't we head there first and plan for the fight then?} Scarlet told him.

"You're right. Let's at least get to BoonTown first."

Shortly after, Mike slowed down before stopping at the edge of the city, where a pathway was leading into the woods.

"Here we are," Mike announced, putting the car in park.

"Thanks again, Mike."

The group then exited the car and walked towards the path while Max grabbed his backpack from the trunk before joining them.

"Well… it's been a while…" Max said, looking at the pathway, leading to the unknown.

"I wish you good luck, Mister Max," Mike said, next to his driver's door.

"Thanks, Mike. For everything you've done for me and my team, you deserve a raise." Max praised.

"Haha. I'm already satisfied with my paycheck, but I appreciate the comment." Mike replied, slightly flustered.

"Hehe, I don't even doubt it. Well, I guess this is goodbye then, Mike. I hope everything goes well for all of you."

"I wish you the same, young man. Stay safe out there."

[He will don't worry.] Scarlet said, looking at Max highly in a playful manner.

"That's reassuring then," Mike replied, sounding relieved.

With a nod, Max turned and left with the girls, disappearing into the wilderness for the first time in over a year, not looking back ever again.

Back on the road, Mike was in his car and began driving back to the mansion, when he passed in front of a nearby parked black jeep.

*Ring* *Ring*

"What is it?"

"Good news, they finally left."

"...Excellent. From now on, I want you to keep a constant eye on them and be informed of their location as well as any changes whatsoever. There is no way we're letting such a specimen slip between our fingers."

"What do you want us to do?"

"Nothing besides keeping me informed of any development. If we're caught, it's game over, so I don't care how long it will take to wait for the perfect moment to strike. If we fail, consider ourselves dead."

"What kind of pokemon are we hunting, exactly?"

"You don't need to know, besides that she's a very dangerous gardevoir. She is more powerful than you know and has killed more humans than the two of you combined."

"Understood. I'll keep you updated."

"Good. We'll have only one shot at this, so don't screw this up."

With the interlocutor hanging, one of the two men in the vehicle closed his phone.

"So what's next?" Said the one on the passenger seat.

"We play the waiting game." Said the first, starting the engine.