Dark Path

{… And what do you mean by 'Not the one we think she is'?} Aurora demanded.

"Well…" started Max, still hesitant.

He knew that now was the time, to tell the truth, but surely he didn't want them to be unnecessarily scared of Scarlet. Well, after what she did, maybe they already had a reason.

{Come on, spill the beans,} Aurora ordered impatiently.

"When I say that she's not the one you think she is, I meant to say that there is quite a huge part of darkness inside Scarlet."

{Darkness?} repeated May.

"You all know how sweet she can be when she wants, but unfortunately, she can be very possessive… and jealous apparently."

{That's a whole new level of jealousy, she almost killed you,} commented Aurora.

{It's not…} started Bonny before Max stopped her.

"Long story short, she may be a bit ment… emotionally unstable."

{How 'unstable' are we talking?} inquired Aurora.

"…Unstable... like leaving no survivors if someone or a group like the Gardevoir's one hurt me."

{No survivors? You mean…} queried Aurora with her eyes getting wider.

"… Yeah."

For a moment, Aurora only stared at Max as anger was starting to rise.

{And you didn't think it was a good idea to tell us about that sooner?} loudly blurted Aurora.

"I… thought about it, but…"

{BUT WHAT? How long were you planning on letting us stay near a murderer?}

{M-murderer?} repeated Dusk, not quite knowing the definition of the word.

{… It means that Scarlet isn't afraid to kill. Isn't that right, master?} implied May, not looking pleased at all.

Not responding, Max only looked at the ground in shame.

{Leave him alone would you. Master only wanted to do what he thought was best for us and not worry us for nothing,} defended Bonny.

{For nothing?} growled Aurora. {She almost killed her own master goddammit! So what do you think she could do to us?}

{She kills only if necessary, and mostly humans,} argued Bonny.

{… Wait… were you… already aware of this?} asked Aurora, glaring at Bonny.

{… Maybe.} replied Bonny with a less provocative tone.

{… I can't believe this. Not only did he put our lives at risk, but you also decided to stay silent about it too? And here I thought that I could at least count on feminine solidarity,} retorted Aurora, discouraged.

{I didn't ask you anything,} rejoined Bonny.

"Forget it, Bonny, she's right. We lied and hid the truth from them, so they have the right to be angry."

{Master…}

{Just when I was starting to think that you weren't that bad after all.} angrily stated Aurora before leaving them.

"Aurora, wait!"

{Sorry master, but I more or less agree with Aurora this time,} admitted May, quite mad. {It's something you shouldn't have hidden from us.}

"May…"

{I'm starting to wonder if Aurora was right about not trusting humanity.} she added before leaving as well in a different way.

Unable to stop her, Max then looked at Dusk.

"Please Dusk, tell me you understand why I did this."

{… I'm… sorry master.} sadly replied Dusk before walking away from him.

'sigh' "Great." muttered Max before letting himself fall on the ground on his back, powerless.

{Looks like we are in 'it' neck deep.} told Bonny, sitting next to him.

"No shit. Scarlet is gone who knows where, and the others hate me. I can hardly see how this could get any worse."

{Well…}

"That was a rhetorical question."

{Oh, Sorry.} apologized Bonny, starting to feel bad.

"… No, I am," said Max, petting Bonny after seeing her looking down.

{Except for Aurora, I really thought they would take it better than that.}

"It's not your fault Bonny, it was meant to happen sooner or later. I should have nipped it in the bud sooner."

{I'm… sure they will forgive you… somehow,} tried to reassure Bonny.

"Thanks, Bonny, for those overly confident words." sarcastically replied Max.

{… I can understand them though. If I were at their place, maybe I would have reacted the same way.}

"Not my smart lopunny?!"

{It's something pretty big we hid from them, master. I was quite lucky to learn it from Scarlet herself. Otherwise, surely I would be mad too. We should have told them sooner.}

"How? 'Hi girls, this is Scarlet, a pokemon that will rip your head off or skin you alive if you either upset me or her, so feel free to join'," he sarcastically told her.

{… Well, said like that…}

"Because you know a better way?"

{… Not… really,} admitted Bonny, looking away.

"That's why I didn't want to tell them. Scarlet is… was controlling herself pretty well, so I didn't see any point in telling them about her… dark side."

{… I guess that's the problem when you're frequenting someone like her.}

"Please, don't speak about her like she was some sort of animal. She has feelings and emotions too… that she doesn't always control, that's all."

{I kind of agree with Aurora too. If she almost killed you, what do you think she could do to pokemon that she doesn't love as much as you?}

Not knowing what to answer, Max only stared at the grey sky.

{… It's entirely my fault. If I were dead like all the others, none of this would have happened to you,} Jade shared as she was sitting at the same place as before and was looking quite pitiful.

Having forgotten about her, Max then sat up to look towards her.

"It's not about you Jade. If it was someone else or another gardevoir, I would have helped him or her. You don't have to feel responsible for this. In fact, I guess you defused a bomb that was slowly getting bigger and bigger."

{… Still, it's not like my life was worth it anyway,} bemoaned Jade, looking at the ground.

"And why is that? Why should your life be valued less than any other? To me, nice people deserve it more than the evil ones."

{… I'm… neither good nor bad… just… worthless,} replied Jade, sounding devastated.

After both he and Bonny looked at each other, Max stood up and sat next to her with Bonny doing the same.

"Why don't you tell me a bit more about yourself, to see if it's really the case."

{You have enough trouble because of me. You shouldn't waste your time with me,} she told, trying to ignore him.

"Not wanting to argue, but for now, I need my team members to calm down a bit, so I don't really have much to do right now."

For a moment, Jade looked at Max with sad eyes.

{… Why do you want to help me so much?}

{That's just how he is. Sorry, but master made up his mind to help you, so you better let him do it because he won't stop bothering you until he gets his way,} informed Bonny, resting her head and back against the tree before closing her eyes.

{I… don't get it.}

"… What?" questioned Max, a bit confused.

{I… didn't know that 'nice' humans or pokemon whatsoever… existed.}

"How could you think that? You never… met one?"

{… Not really,} answered Jade, resting her chin on her hands.

"… Well, if that's the case, I can understand how weird it could be for you right now."

{It is. I don't even know what to think about this. Is this even real?}

"I think so. Should I pinch you to see if you're dreaming?" joked Max.

{I'd… rather not,} replied Jade, not really wanting him to touch her.

"Then how about you tell us a bit more about that nasty group of gardevoirs and gallades you were with?"

{… There's not much more to say besides that almost all of them are savage or heartless.}

"I see. I'm guessing you aren't one of them."

{… Yes, but there was also another gardevoir that was like me.}

"What happened to her?"

{… They killed her when she tried to leave the group.}

"Oh, shit. Sorry for that."

{It may sound weird, but Qsalyla hasn't always been the gardevoir we know today. I don't know what really happened to her, but a bit after I joined her, she started to act the way she does now. After that, every time I or another did something wrong or disobeyed her, she would hurt us in every possible way.}

"I see."

{But since she more or less saved me, I never found the courage to leave, even though I thought about it a few times.}

"I'm guessing what she had in store for those who attempted didn't help."

{Not really.}

"… I'm very sorry to hear that," apologized Max before touching her shoulder, making her flinch. "Are you okay?" he added, finding her behavior quite odd.

{… Not really,} she answered before gently pushing his handoff. {Since I never experienced anything else but physical pain, I don't like being touched.}

"Oh. Sorry then."

{… But even though I didn't have a choice, it doesn't excuse me from participating, even passively, in Qsalyla's actions.}

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Jade. I guess you only did what you think was right in order to survive," reassured Max.

{Master is right, we can't blame you for trying to stay alive,} reassured Bonny as well.

{… Was it worth it? If you knew what kind of atrocities Qsalyla committed…}

"Yeah, and I'm not sure I want to know either. Nevertheless, we're not here to judge you or anything. I recognize a good pokemon when I see one, and I think you deserve better than the life that has been given to you until now."

After looking at Max for a moment, Jade then once again looked at the ground, not feeling better.

{… If you don't mind, I would like to be alone in that human thing.}

"Sure thing Jade," replied Max, taking out her pokeball. "Just remember that we're not your enemies."

After putting Jade in her pokeball, Max shrunk it and put it back on his belt.

{You know, you're quite good at attracting pokemon with problems,} commented Bonny.

"Do you include yourself?" jested Max.

{Well, I did have trouble with my mega evolution.}

"And you're also an insatiable nymphomaniac."

{In what way is that a problem?} replied Bonny, looking lewdly at him with one eye.

"Pfff, you sometimes," chuckled Max, smiling a bit.

{Same old me, hihi.}

"Unfortunately," quipped Max before looking at the sky. "… Maybe I should go check if I can find Scarlet," he added before standing up.

{You sure it's safe? She seemed…really mad at you.}

"I know her. She's probably realizing now what she has done and feeling heavily guilty about it. She's just too proud to come and apologize."

{Should I accompany you?}

"I don't think it will be necessary. Besides, if we both look for her, she would probably think that we're hunting her down or something. I'm sure she will be more prone to cooperate if I'm alone."

{… If you think so. But if something happens, just yell and I'll come as fast as possible.}

"Sure thing Bonny," replied Max, petting her head.

After that, Max then left into the woods. Since he didn't know in which direction she could be, he didn't have a choice but to take a random direction in hopes of stumbling across her. However, after a little while, she was still unfindable. Half an hour of searching had passed with Max still unable to find any trace of her.

"Damn, Scarlet, where are you?" muttered Max.

[… Don't bother, you won't find me,] finally said Scarlet into his mind.

"Scarlet?! Where are you?" exclaimed Max, looking around him without seeing her.

[…]

"… Look, we need to talk."

[There's nothing to talk about,] retorted Scarlet, sounding quite emotionless.

"Yes, there is. I know how you feel right now, but I just want to tell you that I don't have a grudge or anything against you, so please, come out so we can sort things out."

[… Sorry, but you won't see me any time soon.]

"What? Why?"

[It's better that way.]

"No it's not!" loudly replied Max. "I don't want you to go away."

[…]

"Please Scarlet, don't abandon me. Not you too," wailed Max, feeling sadness growing inside him.

[… I'm not abandoning you. I just need time to work on myself. Right now, I don't deserve being at your side.]

"What does that mean?"

[Sorry master, but you will have to continue your travel without me for a little while. I'll come back to you when I feel that you're safe with me. Goodbye, master.]

"Wait, Scarlet! We can work on that together. We're a team, remember?" replied Max without receiving any answer anymore. "...Scarlet?"

Waiting a moment for a word, Scarlet's voice was now dead.

"…Goddammit," angrily muttered Max.

The only thing that was preventing his sadness to take over was that she said that she didn't abandon him and will come back a little bit later.

[… But one last thing Max…] she said as Max was turning around.

"What?"

[… Get rid of that gardevoir. I don't want to see her in the team, even less near you,] she demanded.

"I can't do that! She's all alone and vulnerable. We can't just let her die in here."

[I said get rid of her,] she retorted a bit more aggressively.

Max wanted to argue, but he rarely sees her that aggressive towards him, so he knew that he couldn't convince her otherwise.

"Can I… at least keep her until we find a trainer that can protect her?" proposed Max.

[…Fine,] Concealed Scarlet. [The second you see a trainer that is not completely clueless, you throw her at him, you hear me?]

"If I judge that the trainer can indeed help her, then okay."

[Good. I'll watch over you so you can keep that promise.]

"Only for that?"

[…Of course not,] she replied with a softer voice.

"What are the other reasons then?"

For a couple of seconds, Max waited for a response that never came.

"You still there?" asked Max, but to no avail.

Sighing heavily, Max then rubbed his face in desperation while his mood was at its lowest.

{…Sorry, that things aren't going well for you, human,} said a pokemon behind Max.

Turning around, Max saw the zoroark lying on a high branch.

"No need to be," replied Max, looking away. "I've been through worse."

{I learned from humans that always acting tough all the time isn't very healthy.}

"Whatever." retorted Max, crossing his arms.

{… I saw what happened with your gardevoir.}

"Really? I didn't see you anywhere."

{Eh, you will never see me unless I want you to, human,} almost bragged the zoroark.

"Must have been fun to watch," Sarcastically said Max.

{Not really. But if you are wondering why I didn't intervene, it's because you didn't want anyone to, am I right?}

"I'm guessing you saw me tell the others not to get near."

{Yes, but I knew it way before you told them.}

"Really?"

{I have pretty good instincts, human. When coupled with my feminine intuition, nothing can escape my keen eyes.}

"Good to know," replied Max, not feeling really talkative.

{… But I can understand that you don't feel very social at the moment,} Said the zoroark before standing up and turning around to leave.

"Wait!" interrupted Max.

{Hmm?}

"I… If you really want to join me… I don't mind."

{This can wait until you're in a better situation,} proposed the zoroark, crossing her arms.

"Actually, I could take any friendly behavior right now. Besides Bonny, I feel that everyone is hostile towards me at the moment."

{Well, you did hide a rather dark secret.}

"I know. I don't need to be reminded about that every five minutes."

{… All right.}

"But… can I ask why you want to join me? I mean, you saw yourself that I'm not that good of a trainer."

{Well… it's not really to be your living weapon that I want to join you, but more rather… for your protection.}

"Protection? With my current team, I think I'm pretty good with that."

{Are you sure? Didn't you just say that almost your entire team is hostile towards you right now? And I'm not even talking about that unstable gardevoir.}

"Please, don't talk like that about her."

{Sorry, but I'm just pointing out facts.}

"Still."

{Then see me more as a 'Strength balance' in your team.}

"Strength balance?" repeated Max.

{It's hard not to notice that your gardevoir is the strongest pokemon of your team, so if something like what just happened happens again, who would stop her? What if the next time you can't bring her back?}

"She said she will work on that."

{No matter how much time she tries to hide her true nature, there's always a chance that it will resurface.}

"…"

{If you love her, I'm sure it's because she has good sides and that she's not that evil. However, your safety is always at risk.}

"And why do you care so much about my well-being? It's not like we know each other."

After grinning, the zoroark jumped from the tree to land in front of him, towering over him again with her impressive and bulky stature.

{… I have to admit… } She said while starting to walk around him. {You did impress me quite a lot back in that forest when we first met. That courage of yours… it's something that really forces respect, even by pokemon standards.}

"So?"

{So it means that I took a liking to you,} She told from behind him while putting a paw over one of his shoulders and her head over the other one.

"… A liking?" repeated Max, raising an eyebrow.

{Haha, not that way, I reassure you.} she assured before walking in front of him. {But maybe… it's something worth being curious about.} she continued while eyeing him with a claw on the side of her maw with a small grin.

"I'm not the kind that does that sort of thing the first night," half-joked Max.

{Haha, I'm just kidding young one, I'm not into humans. Even though almost all zoroark males are smaller than me, they still have more… presence than you, to say it nicely.}

"… Thanks for your honesty," said Max, rolling his eyes.

{Isn't honesty the root of all relationships? If we're destined to be together, you should at least know what kind of pokemon I am.} She clarified, putting her paws on her hips.

"I suppose."

{Then there you have it. I want to come with you because, to me, you're a human worth being protected.}

"From my own lover?"

{As I said, see this more as power balance. Now that I witnessed what she's capable of, I don't especially like the thought of leaving a pup like you unprotected if something goes wrong again.}

"And what if 'you' become out of control?"

{Please, I may be a lady, but it would take something really, really intense to make me lose my cool. But if it can reassure you, there is that lucario that is a fighting type that can protect you from me if anything.}

"… True. Bonny also becomes a fighting type when mega evolving."

{Looks like you have a perfect balance here then. I can protect you from your gardevoir, your lopunny and lucario can protect you from me, and your gardevoir can protect you from those two.}

"… Well, if it wasn't making Scarlet sound like a monster, it would be a pretty good point there."

{Hope you don't plan on denying what she did.}

"Of course not. She just… life hasn't been easy on her, so it's quite understandable."

{So it does to everyone else. I also have been through will-breaking things in my life, but you don't see me getting at everyone's throat for that. This world isn't colorful and nice like your human movies.}

"I'm sure you're not white as snow yourself."

{Never said otherwise. I've done things similar to what your gardevoir did and other things that I'm not really proud of. I have to tell you that if I know how much it takes to make me lose control, it's because it already happened.}

"What happened?"

{Sorry, but it's not something I like to share. Not on the first night that is.} denied the zoroark with a small grin while copying him.

"… Okay."

{But I can assure you that you risk nothing with me.}

"If you say so."

{I also want to join you because it looks like you have a certain… predominance for attracting trouble.}

"How so?"

{Remember the place where humans cut wood?}

"The lumberjack outpost, yes. They were quite mean at first, but they were nice enough to invite us to dinner."

{I see.}

"However, we couldn't thank them properly as they were all drunk dead when we woke up, which was kind of odd."

{A 'thank you' wouldn't have been a good choice of words.}

"Why?"

{Because before I took care of them, they were planning on mugging you as well as taking your pokemon to sell them in your sleep.}

"… What!?" exclaimed Max, shocked. "How can you be so sure?"

{Silly human, I heard them.}

"How?"

{Oh, right. You probably didn't notice me since I had changed into one of them.}

"Huh? You were one of them?"

{To me, they were looking suspicious, so I 'infiltrated' them to know more about their intentions. They were not the brightest humans I've met since they didn't even notice that I wasn't one of them.}

"They weren't smart-looking indeed. Wait, so seeing all of them unconscious was… your doing?"

{They were just humans, so no big deal.}

"And the pokemon?"

{Got them by surprise. Not the brightest either.}

"I… see. Thanks, I guess."

{No problem. I don't really appreciate humans like them.}

"So you have followed us since we first met?"

{Pretty much, yes.}

"I don't know if I should be glad or creeped out by the fact I was stalked, but without you, I probably wouldn't be alive anymore, so I'll go with the first one."

{Happy to hear,} She told with a smile.

"You're quite good at this though. None of us ever saw or heard you."

{Well, not wanting to brag about it, but I may have some hunting and tracking skills, so no big deal. In fact, you were one of the easiest prey that I ever tracked.}

"It sure is easy when you walk in plain sight on a trail."

{Good point, but even if you were in the forest, it would have been child's play for me.}

"That easy?"

{Yes. You're not careful with your surroundings and you leave a lot of tracks. And once memorized, your strong scent is pretty easy to follow as well.}

"I'll… keep that in mind, thanks," thanked Max, a bit reluctantly.

{To be fair, a zoroark is specialized in illusion, so we're kind of the best on that matter. We can track anything without being spotted.}

"It doesn't change the fact that I'm really easy to track down."

{Don't feel bad about that either. Unless they have some hunting skills themselves, humans are the easiest prey to track.}

"I feel better already, thanks," quipped Max.

{No problem.} She replied with a smile even though she knew he wasn't sincere. {Well, now that everything is explained…}

"Before you leave and since you have officially joined us, I guess a name could be nice. Unless you already have one that is."

{I indeed have one.}

"Mind telling me?"

{Ludpazilis, but feel free to give me a nickname like every trainer does.}

"You really don't mind?"

{Of course not. That way, it will be like we're a couple that gives each other a cute nickname.} teased the zoroark with a slightly seductive grin.

"You seem rather… comfortable with me being-"

{A pokephiliac? Please human, with the number of people I meet, it doesn't surprise me anymore.}

"I'm guessing I'm obvious about it?"

{More or less. The thing that really gets me thinking that is your scent.}

"Again with my scent? Is it that special?"

{For a human, yes. Throughout my life, I've met a lot of human and pokemon males, but those two had distinct scents. Yours turns out to be more of a male pokemon scent.}

"Male pokemon scent? How is that possible?" expressed Max, slightly shocked.

{That, however, is something I can hardly answer. My first guess would be that it has a link with you mating with pokemon, but I can be wrong. Either way, that could explain how you ended up with a female-only team and how easily they get on you.}

"Well, firstly, I pretty much met all of my team randomly, which only happens to be females. And secondly, 'getting on me' is more of a love thing than just my scent."

{Pokemon are also able to love, you know.}

"I'm aware of that, thanks."

{But how do you explain how comfortable they are by mating with a human? I'm sure you already know how easy going a pokemon is, but it's still a transspecies relationship that most pokemon just find…wrong. Having a male pokemon scent pretty much gets rid of that sensation.}

"… Really?"

{Well, it's more of a hypothesis than anything else, but it would make sense.}

"… I guess," conceded Max, wondering if his team would still love him without that scent thing.

{So, did you think about a nickname?}

"Oh, yeah, right. So… Ludpazilis," mumbled Max. "How about… Lupa?"

{A bit weird.}

"True," agreed Max, thinking for a moment. "Oh, I got it."

{I'm listening.}

"How does 'Luna' sound to you?"

{Luna, huh?} repeated the zoroark, visualizing herself with the name. {… Yeah, I like it.}

"Then Luna, welcome to the team," greeted Max with a not-so-hyped tone.

{You don't seem that enthusiastic about it, however,} joked Luna.

"Sorry. I'm very glad to have another companion with me, I really am, but you know, with my team angry at me and Scarlet gone and all."

{That's understandable.}

"Anyway, I believe that I'll use my last pokeball on you then."

{We can do it later. I think you have more important matters at hand right now.}

"… I suppose."

{You can 'capture' me when everything is settled.}

"Okay."

{After all, you did capture my heart, so why not the rest?} She said, a bit seductively.

"What?"

{See ya.} Luna replied before quickly disappearing into the woods.

"Oh boy. Looks like she won't be a restful one either." He mumbled before leaving the area.

As Max was walking through the forest, he was slowly getting in a bad mood as he was rethinking his situation.

{… I see that you didn't retrieve her,} noticed Bonny when Max was back at where she was earlier.

"No, and it's not about to change anytime soon," informed Max, heavily falling into a sitting position next to her.

{Why?}

"… I didn't see her but she talked to me."

{What did she say?}

"… That we won't see her for a while as she wants to stay away from us."

{… What? Are you serious?} Exclaimed Bonny, shocked.

"I wish I wasn't."

{… Well fuck,} cursed Bonny, dropping her head against the tree. {It indeed can't get any worse.}

"She said that she will be back as soon as she's ready to do so."

{Oh, that's quite the relief then,} Bonny replied, feeling slightly better.

"Still… I don't even know how long she will be gone," Max bemoaned while resting his head on his knees.

{She sure went overboard and will probably take as much time as she needs, but I'm sure she will try to do her best so you two can be together again.}

"… I hope. But for now, I think I should go see the others and apologize."

As Max wanted to stand, Bonny stopped him by forcing him to sit again.

{I don't think it's a good idea master.}

"Why?"

{Right now, they're all mad at you, so pursuing them will only make things worse.}

"What should I do then? Leaving things like this and do nothing?"

{Exactly.}

"You can't be serious."

{I am. Just let them calm down a bit. As soon as they have a clear mind again, they will realize that it was rather stupid to act this way and will eventually come back by themselves.}

"How can you be so sure?"

{Because they love you master. Love can't be erased in an instant, so if they truly love you, they will forgive you and come back. They just need to let out their anger for a while.}

"If you say so," retorted Max, not really wanting to go along with that idea.

{For now, you should relax a bit,} proposed Bonny before resting her head against his shoulder.

"… Maybe." He agreed, petting the lopunny's head. "You sure know a lot about that stuff."

{That dojo episode taught me a lot of things about personal feelings and emotions. I had to control them myself, remember?}

"Yeah, and like the awesome lopunny you are, you managed to get through it," praised Max with a tiny smile.

{I know I am, you don't have to tell me,} boasted Bonny, rubbing his chest lightly with a paw.

However, her rubs began to get more pronounced and were slowly going down.

"… Sorry Bonny," denied Max, stopping her arm. "But I'm not really in the mood right now."

{N-no, I am. I thought that maybe it could cheer you up, but I guess when you don't feel like doing it…}

"Yeah, sorry. Maybe another time."

{Sure thing master. It wouldn't be the same, or as much fun if you didn't enjoy it yourself anyway,} conceded Bonny, moving her head away from him.

"I guess," replied Max, wrapping one arm around her to pull her into a hug.

After she returned the hug by wrapping her arms around his waist, they cuddled in that position for a while until Bonny had fallen asleep due to the comfortability of her master and the very relaxing breathing movement Max's chest was doing. Soon enough, Max was conquered by Bonny's cuteness and couldn't help but pet her head for a moment, making her moan softly and in glee in her sleep.

(At least she's still here,) thought Max, glad that he still have one companion with him.

A couple of minutes later, the sky was getting darker.

"Well, I suppose it's almost sleeping time, and…" mumbled Max while looking towards the remains of his tent. "Oh, right. No more tent now. Looks like it will be outside sleeping for a little while," he continued, discouraged.

{Don't worry master, I'll make sure to keep you warm,} Softly reassured Bonny.

"Oh, did I wake you up?"

{Don't worry, I have been a little while now. I just wanted to enjoy this moment a bit more,} she told after raising her head to look at him.

"Eh, can't blame you," claimed Max, briefly scratching her under the chin. "How do you think the others are doing?"

{They're all big girls, they can take care of themselves.}

"No doubt about it, but it looks like they're still mad at me."

{I believe that a lonely night will make them remember how much you mean to them. I'm sure they will come back tomorrow.}

"… I hope. I'm just worried about Aurora. It took quite a lot for us to get this far, but now everything is wasted."

{Despite being… well, herself, I'm sure she's still a smart lucario, so surely she will also understand your actions… eventually.}

"Thanks," thanked Max, half thinking it.

{Sorry master, but in all honesty, I don't know about her. We mustn't forget that she has trust issues and surely what just happened won't help.}

"True. In any case, I deserve it. I wish I could say that I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart, but I'm not even sure she will let me have that opportunity."

{… Only her?} Asked bonny, raising an eyebrow.

"No, to everyone as well. I just wanted for all of us to be friendly and in harmony, but I guess life actually isn't about rainbows and colorful things."

{I'm sure that if they get how sincere you are, they won't be mad at you for too long.}

"Let's hope it's the case," told Max, rubbing Bonny's belly again.

{Anyway…} started Bonny before standing up to sit on Max's lap with her back facing him, using herself as a cover for him. {You should focus on trying to get some rest now.} she continued while grabbing Max's arms to wrap them around her body.

With the help of her big ears, Bonny was almost covering his entire body, using herself as a fluffy sheet.

"… I suppose. For now, being worried won't do much."

{Atta boy master.}

"… Thanks, Bonny. Like always, I can count on you," complimented Max while tightening the hug.

{Like always,} She replied before resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes.

"Hey," Softly called Max.

With Bonny raising her head, Max pulled it towards him before giving her a kiss, which she gladly returned.

"… A good girl deserves a good reward, don't you think?" expressed Max with a smile after breaking it.

{Then I'll try to be the best girl ever,} She responded before nuzzling him.

"Hehe, I'm convinced that I won't be disappointed."

After Bonny giggled a bit, both of them closed their eyes until they fell asleep. The day after, Max opened his eyes to see that Bonny was still on him but facing him in a hug with her face buried in his neck.

"Enjoying yourself here?" softly said Max after a moment.

{… Nhgnn…} grumbled Bonny, slightly being stirred up from her slumber.

"It's time to get up pretty girl."

{…Hmnng. Just… a little bit… more,} She sleepily muttered, slightly moving.

"I also love being with you Bonny, but we can't stay here forever."

Not responding as well as not moving, Bonny tried to go to sleep once again.

"Alright, you asked for it."

Slowly, Max then moved a hand behind her and lightly pulled Bonny's tail.

{Ghha!} Exclaimed Bonny, abruptly waking up while raising her head to stare at Max. "… Fine, mister party pooper," groaned Bonny before sighing.

"Don't be like that, every good thing must come to an end," He told before gently tapping her butt cheek.

{Yeah yeah, I know the speech,} She retorted before moving away from him.

"Come on now, are you not hungry? As for me, I really am," shared Max, standing up.

{… A bit I guess,} replied Bonny, stretching before standing up as well.

"Then looks like we're gonna go and get it."

{I can go get it for you if you want master.}

"Thanks, Bonny, but I would like to do it myself. I was letting Scarlet do it because I can't really get meat myself, but berries, fruits, and vegetables are things that I can get all by myself."

{If it's your wish master,} She conceded, shrouding her shoulders.

"Also, it's something we can do together."

{… Good point,} agreed Bonny, smiling a bit.

Then, both of them went into the forest to get food. To prevent wasting time, they both were eating them in place as soon as they found them.

"Uhmpf… I'm stuffed," Max said after a little while.

{Me too.}

"Hope you are. You ate almost twice as much as me."

{Pokemon have a big appetite for almost everything,} replied Bonny with a hint of lewdness in her words.

"Looks like it," answered back Max, not even looking fazed. "I think we should get back to our spot and wait for the others."

{I suppose,} agreed Bonny, sounding a bit disappointed.

A few minutes later, they were back at their resting zone and waited for his team to eventually come back.

"… How long do you think they will stay mad at me?" asked Max as they were sitting under a tree.

{Honestly, I'm not sure. I guess it depends, but surely Aurora will take the longest,} affirmed Bonny while having her head resting on Max's lap.

"Maybe she won't ever come back."

{Well, personally I think the chances are pretty slim, but it's possible.}

"I don't even know what I will tell them."

{Just talk with your heart and everything will be fine… I think.}

"Hehe, really encouraging like usual," jested Max, half-joking while rubbing her belly.

{Sorry master, but I'm not that much of an expert in it comes to relationships.}

"Like pretty much everyone else. Except for Scarlet, no one really knows what's happening inside the head of someone else."

{Eh, life would be easier if we could.}

"Maybe."

Then, a few minutes later, Max saw Dusk and May coming out from the forest. At first, they were still looking angry, but also guilty.

"Hi girls." Gently greeted Max.

Not responding, they both looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Max with almost sad eyes.

"Are you okay girls?" inquired Max, not sure what to say.

{… Well…} Started May, {Dusk and I talked for a while, and… decided that maybe we overreacted a bit.}

"Not that much if you ask me. You have all the rights of the world to be mad at me," corrected Max.

{We still are… but I think it's a bit unfair to treat Scarlet or you like this since… well, she kind of always tried to be nice to us.}

Max could see that she was indeed still angry at him and having a hard time apologizing.

"… Thanks May and Dusk. I would have understood if you wanted to leave, but I'm very happy that not only are you staying but that you have also forgiven me," warmly expressed Max.

{I'm not totally forgiving you, but we can't just leave like that. Despite that, I still love you master.}

"I do too."

{But that was very, very cheap of you to keep that to yourself.} scolded May, still upset

"I know. I just wanted a harmonized team with each member not afraid or suspicious towards another one."

{I guess that sometimes wanting to do too well can end up doing the opposite,} told Bonny.

"Thanks for your support," Sarcastically replied Max.

{Sorry, but I'm pretty much on May and Dusk's side this time, even though I have my part of responsibility since I didn't say anything myself. I think I pretty much wanted the same thing as master, but now I realize that maybe it wasn't the best thing to do,} confessed Bonny with a guilty tone.

"…"

{But that doesn't mean you deserve to be hated for that.}

"… Yeah."

{But what we do deserve is explanations,} almost ordered May, crossing her arms.

"I guess."

{So tell us; who is Scarlet and why did she react like this?}

"… You sure you want to hear that? Her story isn't… very pleasant."

{Yes,} fervently responded May.

A bit hesitant due to wondering if it was a good idea to share Scarlet's traumatizing past with them, Max finally ended up believing that there was no other option.

"… All right. Maybe you want to sit since it will take a moment."

After they all nodded, May and Dusk sat in front of him and got ready to listen. For the next hour, Max told Scarlet's story from what she had shown to him while trying to avoid the gory scenes as much as possible by quickly going over it. When he was done, May and Dusk were looking at Max with almost shocked eyes.

{I… I… see,} stammered May, hardly able to speak.

{That was so horrible!} exclaimed Dusk, with weary eyes. {She has been through such horrible things. Poor Scarlet,} she added before rubbing her watery eyes.

"Now you understand why she hates humans and even her own species," Said Max, relieved that he was finally done with the story. "I hope I will never have to tell that story again."

{I… knew that humans could do horrible things, but something like this…} commented May, sounding sad and angry at the same time.

"Please May, don't judge humanity for what a few did."

{… I'm sorry master, but what those humans did was unforgivable. I kind of half think that those humans deserved their fate.}

"May!" exclaimed Max, almost shocked by her words. "Please, don't think like that."

{Because you think they don't?}

"… What I think or believe doesn't matter. I just don't want my precious and lovely mawile to be hateful towards humans."

{Don't worry master, I still love you the same and I know you're not like them. I also won't hate all humans for no reason, but you can be sure that I'll be extra careful around them from now on. If some can do it, what's preventing others from doing the same?}

{She has a good point master,} agreed Bonny. {Since she also showed me her past, I highly mistrust humans since then.}

{And so do I. After that, we can hardly trust humans anymore,} agreed May.

"… I'm sorry it had to come to that," apologized Max, a bit down.

{Like I said master…} started May before sitting between his legs with Dusk sitting on the opposite side of Bonny. {It doesn't change anything between us. You… may have had a reason to hide it from us, but at the same time, not really.}

"If I were to tell you about her and how she is, would you still have joined me?"

Not sure about what to answer, May stayed silent.

{I… think I would have been too afraid.} Said Dusk.

{Only for that matter, I agree with master's choice on keeping it to himself when we all meet. Our fear for her would have prevented us from meeting the best human in the world,} told Bonny before going for a light hug.

"Don't exaggerate," replied Max, blushing a bit.

{Rest assure, I'm not. From what I've seen, this world is rather dark master, so having light like you in it makes it more bearable. You can be sure I'll hold onto that light for the rest of my life.} explained Bonny, tightening her hug.

{It's… quite weird to say… but if hiding the truth made us able to be together, then I'm happy you did,} admitted May while turning around to hug him too.

{I'm with them, master. You made my life way more enjoyable, so being mad over a little lie is rather silly.} told Dusk, hugging him as well.

"… Girls..." said Max, almost dropping a joyful tear. "… I just wish Aurora could be here with us too."

{… Who said I wasn't?} Said a female lucario's voice.

With all of them turning their head, they saw Aurora appearing from behind a tree.

"Aurora? Since when have you been there?"

{From the very start,} she told before crossing her arms and leaning against the tree.

"… So you heard-"

{Every bit of your story, yes. Even though it doesn't justify the way she acted, I must admit that I don't know a lot of humans or pokemon whatsoever that would have kept their sanity after a rather tragic course of life like hers. I'm even surprised that she still thinks straight.}

"… Yeah, Scarlet must have one hell of a strong mind and willpower."

{However, I'm not sure I want to travel with a mentally broken pokemon.} expressed Aurora a bit coldly.

"She's not broken," defended Max.

{… Maybe not yet, but who knows when it could be the case,} told a now pretty much familiar voice.

Raising their heads, all of them saw Luna resting on a high branch of a nearby tree.

{It could happen anytime in any given situation that doesn't make her happy, or if she just feels anger or jealousy.}

"… She said she would work on that, so all we can do is hope that she will get better."

{A mind is not like a body. Physical wounds can easily heal with proper treatments, but psychological ones can sometimes never heal at all,} Luna explained.

Not knowing what to answer, Max only stared blankly at the sky.

{We all know that you love her and you won't give up on her, but you should be ready to live a rather dangerous life from now on.}

{Sorry to interrupt your magnificent speech, but who are you?} asked Aurora quite rudely.

"Oh, sorry girls, but I forgot to introduce you to Luna, our new companion," presented Max.

{Oh, you don't recognize me?} said Luna to Aurora with a grin.

Looking at her suspiciously, Aurora took a good whiff of her smell.

{Wait, you're that zoroark I fought a couple of days ago.}

{Thanks for remembering me,} She thanked, still smiling.

{I object!} fervently protested Aurora.

{For what?} asked Luna.

{For your entry in the team.}

"Why?" inquired Max.

{I don't trust her.}

"Relax Aurora, the attack was just a misunderstanding."

{Misunderstanding? She almost killed you,} aggressively replied Aurora.

{Aww, isn't that sweet to see a pokemon caring for its trainer,} warmly praised Luna.

{What the… n-no I'm not,} protested Aurora with a blush.

{Don't worry my pretty, I already explained to your master that I never really intended to kill any of you in the first place.} Said Luna while laying on her stomach on the branch.

{Yeah, like hell I'll swallow that,} skeptically retorted Aurora.

"She was just trying to defend her territory Aurora. But she did almost hit me with a rather lethal attack."

{Again, my sincere apologies for that. Like I already explained, I was so used to fighting pokemon that I barely reduce my strength.}

"Still. However, good thing that everything went well in the end."

{You also tried to kill me,} argued Aurora aggressively again.

{Well, with the power you output that night, I had to put in quite the effort to stay alive myself back there. But as I recall, you're the one that attacked first,} answered back Luna with a grin while resting her chin on one of her paws.

{What else was I supposed to do? You threatened him in front of me.}

{Well, for a pokemon that loves its master, I guess your reaction was legitimate.}

{S-stop with that, I don't love him,} fervently protested Aurora.

{You don't?} asked Luna with a skeptical expression.

{No. He's annoying and weak, why would I love him?}

{uh huh,} Hummed Luna with a rather wide grin.

"Please Luna, stop that. She hates being teased with that," intervened Max, not wanting an unnecessary fight.

{Sorry. I was persuaded that Miss Aurora was more honest with herself,} replied Luna, turning to lay on her back.

{S-shut up,} growled Aurora while Bonny and the others lowly giggled.

"Anyway, I'm sorry Aurora, but she already made up her mind on coming with us," informed Max.

{… Tsk, whatever. But don't come crying to me if she ever feels the need to attack you again.} angrily stated Aurora.

{Don't worry, I won't. I'm pretty much like you now as I only want his safety. However, I may attack him differently,} Seductively teased Luna while eyeing Max.

{Oh, does that mean that master has another girl to have fun with?} queried Bonny, grinning.

"I don't think so. Luna said that she's not really into humans, but I guess she likes teasing me about it nonetheless."

{Giving false hope is somehow amusing,} jested Luna with a mischievous grin.

"That's evil of you," joked Max.

{Everyone has a dark side in them, especially a dark type like me. But rest assured, I was only kidding. I just like to tease those I like.}

{Haha, looks like you two will get along very well master.} pointed out May, grinning as well while looking at him, making him roll his eyes.

{Well, I'm not buying it,} vociferated Aurora, making Luna face her again. {What could possibly drive you into wanting to protect him after you tried to slice him into pieces after he only took a step into your territory?}

{I have my own reasons,} responded Luna nonchalantly.

{Like what?}

{Personal reasons,} added Luna, still calm.

{Ah, you see? How can you trust a pokemon that keeps being secretive?}

{Mysteries can sometimes spice up someone's life a lot.}

{Mysteries? Eh, more like suspicious secrets.}

{I don't specifically have a grudge against you anymore Luna, but if you want to keep things to yourself, you leave me no choice but to keep an eye on you.} told Bonny to the zoroark.

{Suit yourself. Even though I don't like sharing a lot about myself, you will quickly learn that I'm in no way a threat to you or your master.}

{We'll see about that.}

"Aren't you a bit hard on her Bonny? She did save us back there against those gardevoirs and gallades."

{I know, but she's still a dark type.}

"… So?" retorted Max, not following.

{I'm guessing you don't know dark types reputation, right?} queried Aurora, still glaring at the zoroark that had made herself comfortable before closing her eyes.

"Reputation?"

{And you call yourself a trainer?} jeered Aurora, raising an eyebrow at Max.

"Hem…"

{What Aurora is trying to say is that you always have to be careful around a dark type,} intervened Bonny.

"Why?"

{Rare are the dark types that aren't evil, mean, or nasty. Even if you meet one that looks nice and kind, it's most of the time a trick to stab you in the back.}

"Really? Luna doesn't seem that bad to me."

{If her specialty is illusions, I can easily imagine how easy it must be for her to trick pokemon or humans. As far as we can tell, all she said or did can all be a trap,} stated Aurora.

"A trap for doing what? I'm sorry, but I hardly see a pokemon putting herself at risk as she did only to trick someone. She could have been seriously injured back there or worse, killed."

For a moment, all of them looked at each other.

{… It's hard for me to admit it, but master has a point,} conceded Bonny. {Risking her life only to trick someone is a bit excessive, even for a dark type.}

"I think so too," agreed Max, making Luna smile.

{However, we still don't know her true power. If that fight was an easy one for her, it still could be a trick.}

For a moment, Max looked at the napping zoroark while being a bit thoughtful.

"… Maybe," acknowledged Max, erasing Luna's smile. "However, I'm willing to take the risk," he added, making her smile again. "We can't judge someone just by rumors or reputation."

{Eh, keep going like that, and maybe I will reconsider the pokemon on human thing,} replied Luna seductively while looking at him with one eye.

"You all know now how humans can be. Assholes gave humans that reputation, but I'm sure you're all aware that I don't live up to that reputation."

{… True I guess,} complied Bonny, agreeing with his words. {But still, better safe than sorry.}

{Well, I suppose your behavior is quite legitimate as well since you love and care very much for him. Actually, I want you to be mistrustful towards others. That way, you're sure to keep him safe.} Pointed out Luna.

{I would give my life for him,} fervently affirmed Bonny.

{… Hmm, I like to hear that.}

"Bonny's right, if anything, they'll still be here for me."

{I hope it doesn't imply that you're using us as a meat shield for every one of your choices that can end up badly,} accused Aurora.

"Hell no! I don't want any of you dying on me, you all hear me?" fervently protested Max.

{Not planning on it master,} assured Bonny, hugging his arm.

{Yeah. If we're not there, who's gonna protect you afterward?} Added May.

"Hehe, true."

{Then you all better get strong and stay alive for him. Imagine his pain if anything happens to any of you,} pointed out Luna.

{If it means master's safety, then I'm not planning on going anywhere away from him,} asserted Dusk also quite fervently, making her determination surprising the others.

"Yeah, you all better not leave me, or else, I won't forgive you." clarified Max, hugging his three pokemon.

{Rha, please,} growled Aurora, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"You want a hug too?" jokingly asked Max.

{No thanks, I'll pass this time, and every other time for the rest of my life,} She replied, looking away.

"Hehe, suit yourself. You don't know what you're missing," retorted Max, petting his team.

{Hmpf, I can easily live with that,} answered back Aurora with a faint blush, making the other giggles a bit.

{So? What's your plan, mister Max?} asked Luna, back to resting her eyes.

"Plan? For what?" wondered Max, leaving his team.

{Surely you're going somewhere or have a goal of some kind.}

"Yeah, I do. I'm not planning on being the best, but just doing my best at being a pokemon trainer. But I mostly just want is to have a great time with my companions, and if I can make them stronger along the way, it's a plus."

{… It's quite commendable.}

"Yeah well, I really like pokemon, so I guess spending time with them could be a good idea."

{It sure makes sense.}

"So yeah, that's pretty much it. Adventuring with my cute companions."

{Hmm, it lacks a bit of ambition if you ask me, but if it's your goal, then sure, it could be fun to be part of it.}

"… I know it may sound weird coming from a trainer, but thanks for coming with us."

{Whoa, slow down a bit. She's still the one that attacked us remember? And now you're thanking her?} complained Aurora.

"She apologized for it and she saved us, so why not? Besides, everyone except May and Dusk already tried to kill me now, so it's almost no big deal."

{Hmm, you sure don't value your own life very much,} surmised Aurora, crossing her arm in frustration.

"I do, but I value you girls more than mine."

{Hey now. I know that you would do anything for those you love, but don't go throwing your life away recklessly, okay?} warned Luna.

"I won't. I just…"

{I already understood that. Just make sure that it doesn't make you think that you can be careless.}

"… Why do you care so much about my safety anyway? I mean… we barely know each other."

For a short moment, Luna stayed silent.

{… I just don't want to see others die uselessly,} bemoaned slightly Luna.

At that, Max began to suspect that she might have a reason.

"… Is it something you already experienced?"

This time, as well as being silent, Luna glared at Max.

{… I think you have a road to take, don't you? So why don't you get back to that and resume your travel?} She said before standing up.

"What about you?"

{I'll follow you through the woods.}

"Not coming with us?"

{No thank you darling. I'm kind of the solitary type, so I like being alone most of the time. Also, I don't know your group very well and most of them don't trust me yet or just don't like me, so I choose to keep my distance. For now at least.}

"… Well, feel free to join whenever you want."

{Thanks.}

"But before you leave, maybe it will be a good time for you to have your own pokeball."

{Well, since that's how human do things, I suppose I can go along with that.}

"If you prefer to stay outside most or all the time, feel free to tell."

{Sure thing.}

"All right." finished Max while taking out his last pokeball.

When in his hand, Luna jumped down from the tree to land close to Max.

{I'm ready.} she told with crossed arms.

After Max nodded, he gently tapped Luna with the pokeball and made her disappear inside it. After the three shakes and the capture, Max let her out immediately after.

"How's the inside?" inquired Max when she was out.

{Dark and gloomy, just the way I like it.}

"Figures, for a dark type. Glad to have with us then."

{Me too. Let's see where this will get us.}

After a last smile, Luna then disappeared into the woods.

" All right," started Max after putting away Luna's pokeball. "If we want to arrive at Corsocoast someday, I believe it's time to continue our travel like Luna said."

{What about Scarlet?} asked Dusk, a bit concerned.

"… She said she wanted to be alone for a little while, so there is not much I can do about it. Technically Scarlet doesn't belong to me. She's free to do whatever she wants, even if it hurts a little," explained Max, sounding a bit sad.

{I… understand,} replied Dusk, feeling bad as well.

{Don't worry master, we're still here,} reassured May with her cute little face.

"… Hehe, yeah, I know," chuckled Max, kneeling to pet the mawile.

{We won't leave you master,} cheered Bonny.

"Thanks," replied Max, petting Bonny as well.

{Good thing she didn't say she would be gone for a long time, otherwise, we would have heard about it for a very long time,} commented Aurora, a bit annoyed.

{What's your problem? Can't you see that master loves her?} angrily rejoined Bonny.

{Yeah, and love hurts. Keep that in mind Max.} warned Aurora.

"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me."

{Why are you-} started Bonny before being interrupted by Max. {Master…}

"It's okay. I'm sure she didn't mean to be mean."

Glaring at the lucario a moment, Bonny finally gave up and looked away, huffing.

"All right, time to get you back to your pokeballs."

{Wait,} stopped Bonny. {Now that Scarlet isn't here, someone should stay out for your safety.}

"Good point."

{I vouch for staying with you,} proposed Bonny.

"Well, if no one else objects, then I agree," complied Max, looking at his team.

{W-well… Bonny sure is the best choice for your protection,} Shyly affirmed Dusk.

"You're all pretty strong Dusk."

{M-maybe…but I feel more reassured if it's Bonny that's beside you.}

"… All right." Said Max, not in the mood to insist too much. "What about you Aurora?"

{Do you really have to ask me that question?}

"Okay. Guess you're the one Bonny."

{Awesome,} happily chortled the lopunny.

{Master?} asked May at his feet.

"Yes sweety?"

{Can I stay with you?}

"Of course May. It's not like you're taking up lots of space. Anyway…" told Max while looking at the torn apart tent. "Looks like my backpack will be lighter."

{I hope you're not planning on leaving that there,} critiqued Aurora.

{I agree. You can't leave human garbage in the middle of the forest like this, master,} added Bonny.

"Hey, I paid quite the price for that 'garbage'."

{One more reason to keep it.}

"'Sigh' I suppose."

After Max put away his now unusable tent with the help of his team, he put Dusk and Aurora in their pokeball and May on top of his backpack.

"Good, now let's leave this place. Like Scarlet would have said, this place is already filled with bad memories."

{Yeah. I just hope she will be back soon,} told Bonny, a bit worried.

"Me too."

{She… may be different… but she's still our friend,} said May, a bit reluctantly.

"Yeah. Despite her anger, she has done a lot for us," stated Max, a bit sadly. "Let's go."

With that, all three of them left the zone and got back on the road once again.