The Aura with You

Swole-POV:

I know I just saw a Braviary carry off a Magikarp but something about this place seems so peaceful.

Is it some kind of magic?

"It's the same feeling as Lake Verity."

I can feel Buneary nodding her head along in agreement.

But Dawn looks at me in confusion. "What do you mean? What was it like at Lake Verity?"

"Don't you feel... safe? The wilderness around Twinleaf Town was like hell. But the moment I stepped close enough to Lake Verity, it was like a sense of calmness took over me. Like nothing there would hurt me... This feels the same."

Dawn steps closer to me and Lucario, as if seeking refuge. "I do feel that too... Can we trust that?"

... "Well, I was never attacked at the lake."

"Hum. I believe you are right. The pokemon here feel calm and unafraid. They don't fear each other. At the very least, they are not going to attack you out of malice." Lucario currently has the dongles of her head extended and has her eyes closed. "Unless you are an easy snack, they won't touch you."

In other words: Don't be a Magikarp.

"It's safe... So... Can we set up camp here? My leg is killing me."

"No." Lucario denies Dawn the rest she begs to get. "We are too close to the traveling-routes of the pokemon. Let's set up outside of this jungle area."

She points out a less overgrown spot far in the distance.

We will need to travel through the jungle for that. Treacherous terrain, even if the pokemon are friendly.

"Do you want me to carry you?" My own legs are still pretty fit. All the working out is really starting to show results.

And if I carry Dawn all the way there, I won't need to work out legs today! I hate leg day.

"You will!? Alright! Thanks! Buneary, Salandit, move a little."

The pokemon both complain but let Dawn remove my backpack, wrap her arms around my neck and become my backpack.

... Oof! I might have bitten off more than I could chew. Holy shit, Dawn is-- Nope. Not even gonna think that. Holy shit, this is going to be difficult.

"Onwards, my mighty Mudsdale! Giddy-up!"

... Maybe I should drop her after all?

"Nooooo! Don't drop me! I'll be quiet."

And thus, with heavy steps I make my way down the slope, into the jungle and beyond.

"Human, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did. And my name is Swole. Not 'human'." Lucario blinks and Dawn groans in pain.

Damn! I'm on a roll with jokes today!

"... Can I ask another one?"

Dawn is already writhing in pain on my back.

She knows what's coming next.

I know what's coming next.

"You just did, again. AND, before you skin me alive, you can just ask me questions. Why would you even need permission to do that?"

She grumbles something in response that I could not understand. She seems a little embarrassed too.

"Human, this action you are doing with Dawn; Does that mean she is in your 'harem'?"

What? First of all, why am I just 'human' and Dawn is 'Dawn'!?

Second, "What do you mean by harem? I think your meaning of the word is not the same I know of."

"A harem is multiple females, sharing a single mate."

Huh. So we do have the same definition of that word.

"Sala! Salandit."

"No, what you are talking about is being a parasite. Eating your mates, making them do your tasks and giving them nothing back is not the normal way. Your mom is a parasite."

Huh!? Yo, what the hell did Salandit tell Lucario?

"Ssssa-sal!"

"Bune-Bune!"

I feel the weight on top of me shift, as if Buneary and Salandit are in a stare-off.

"Hey, stop fighting you two. As for 'my harem'... I didn't even know this was an option! Haha, hey Dawn, you wanna join my harem?"

"Haha, shut up." She smacks me over the back of the head. "And no, harems aren't an option. There is no girl in the world who would accept that... Well, maybe Zoey would."

... Dude. Zoey totally would! 

I need to play my cards right with her.

I could make every man's dream a reality for myself.

"Stop mumbling about your creepy, wet dreams." She delivers another light slap to the back of my head.

"Hehe, sorry... But... in the tapestry of life, dreams are the threads that weave our destiny. They're the compass guiding us through the vast expanse of possibilities. Each dream is a promise whispered by the universe, a beckoning call to strive, to reach beyond our limits. It is my duty to embrace my dreams with the tenacity of the rising sun. To let them be the fuel for my journey, the fire that propels me forward. Because what are we? Without our dreams?"

I spout some random bullshit about dreams.

"Pfft! Hahaha, shut up, you dork. Well, good luck on your harem dreams, you're gonna need it."

We continue walking slowly through the harsh jungle for a while.

The trees are growing really densely and vines are blocking almost every path.

The worst parts are when I have to duck under something and Dawn hits me for getting branches in her face.

"Are you even able to afford multiple wives?" Eventually Akari picks up the previous topic again and Dawn attacks her with a seething glare. "What? It is only natural for wealthy men to have concubines."

Huh... My family is rich and I will have free access to the money sooner or later. And once I am the champion, I will have even more cash flow. 

I definitely could afford it.

"Maybe it was natural 300 years ago." Dawn argues against Akari. "But now a man has just 1 wife. So stop fueling his delusions."

"Well... What are wealthy men doing now with all their money?"

"They invest into their businesses." - "They cheat on their wives." Dawn and I answer at the same time.

"Oi! Don't you dare cheat on m-- your future wife." I receive yet another slap on the back of the head.

"I see. So the women of today are simply in denial. Would it not be better for everyone involved, to simply be honest?"

"Swole. Stop listening in. This will just give you weird ideas." Dawn says before putting her hands over my ears.

I can still hear them talk about the logistics of harems and their feasibility in the modern world... But I'm too busy thinking about how I could do it.

Zoey would totally agree. And we kinda are in a long distance relationship already. I definitely have to verify that with her once I have internet again.

Then there is Akari... From what she said, I might have a real chance with her simply because I have money.

... Huh. That doesn't really feel good.

I don't think I like being reduced to a money-bag.

But we are friends already. And what are girl- and boyfriends if not companionship with mutual attraction.

Akari is very attractive. Same as Dawn, they are practically the same person by looks after all.

So, all that's left is to become attractive. Beyond the attraction that money provides.

And then my dream will come--... Wait... What the actual fuck am I actually doing here?

My dream is to become the Platinum Champion. 

Not to have a harem.

As nice as a harem is, I can't lose sight of what I'm really after.

I can take care of all that women-business later. For now, I need to stay focused on becoming the best pokemon trainer in Sinnoh.

I don't even have my first gym badge yet!

I can't waste my time on girls right now!

Canalave City is just a little more than 100km away from here.

I didn't manage to get a water pokemon but I have a fire type and Buneary's fighting moves. 

And usually, the first gym is supposed to be easy, so even with just 2 pokemon, I should win if I just train hard enough!

The only girl I should be courting right now, is Lucario... For the team, of course!

She is walking with a noticeable distance beside our group. It's as if she clearly does not think of herself as part of the group.

The morally right thing to do, is to help console her, build her back up and let her make her own decisions... The selfish thing would be to manipulate her into joining my team.

From what I have seen her do, she might be stronger than even Cynthia's Lucario, since she doesn't even need her eyes to fight.

With her on the team, the journey would be smooth sailing... Well... as smooth as THIS right here can be. 

Why the fuck is a piece of Kanto in Sinnoh now?-- Never mind. The universe is fucked, who cares.

But I need to make a decision about Lucario. I don't want to be an asshole. But I don't want to lose her either.

The obvious compromise is to help her and manipulate her at the same time. It still feels bad, but if I really want to make my dream come true, I will need to make some sacrifices.

Yes... This is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Fuck morality. As long as I don't end up like my father, I will do everything from now on to achieve my dream.

The dream of becoming the mother fucking CHAMPION!

Hype! Hype! Hype!

"Fffuck yea! From now on, I will focus on my dream!"

The world will need to watch out! The next pokemon champion is coming!

"Idiot." Dawn sighs out and buries her face in my hair out of cringe, I assume.

"Bun. Buneary." 

"Yes. I see." Lucario answers Buneary. "Humans really are insidious in their mating strategy. The female does not even know she has long been ensnared by the male."

"H-hey! I have not been 'ensnared', thank you very much. Buneary, what kind of stuff are you telling her? Get your mind out of the gutter."

"I have started to notice it too. Buneary might be a little bit of a pervert.-- Ouch. Buneary, we need to stay focused on training from now on. No more perverted stuff from you.-- Ouch."

"Bunnie!"

I can feel and hear Salandit shaking in laughter until she laughs so much that she falls off my shoulder and has to climb back on.

---

We had to hike for another hour along the snaking river, through the jungle and then through the adjacent forest.

By the time we arrived on the agreed upon clearing, Lucario had already scouted an even safer spot for rest and we had to move even further.

Apparently, the closer we are to the lake, the calmer the pokemon are. This even goes so far that the pokemon swimming on the surface are practically docile, according to Lucario. But the ones closer to the bottom of the lake are aggressive again.

If I had to take a guess, I would say it's because of the massive crystal that grows at the top of the cave. It's placed at the center of the tree, directly over the center of the lake and is almost as bright as the sun.

It just has to be magical.

As we get closer to the ideal camping spot, the pokemon do get noticeably more docile.

Here, at the shore of the lake, it's almost exactly like the immediate surroundings of Twinleaf Town.

A real paradise. Beautifly, Cutiefly and Butterfree are everywhere around the lake-shore and collect nectar.

A few pokemon greet us with happy smiles and a Swablu lands on Dawn's head, only to fly off again when asked if she wants to join her team.

I don't think the pokemon around here are interested in battle at all... But I think I will still try my luck with fishing tomorrow. The mentality of the pokemon here might be wrong, but my trainer-senses are telling me that they are all a lot stronger than the ones back home.

And I still need a water pokemon.

"Finally!" Groans out Dawn in exhaustion as Lucario motions for us to stop because we reached the best camping spot which Lucario could find for us.

"Don't act so exhausted. Huff. You haven't moved for the past hour. Huff."

"I can still be exhausted." She hops off my back and brushes her hair out with her hands. "Today was an exhausting day."

That's true.

I got Salandit, found Lucario in a literal magical staff, got chased by the biggest fucking Regirock ever, we made like twice the usual daily distance and I had to carry Dawn for an hour.

Way too much happened today.

And my legs are beat.

"At least we don't need to set up camp. Sleeping bags will be enough. The temperature in here is nice and I don't think it can rain."

"If it somehow rains, I'm blaming you... But yes, it will be nice to sleep with a lakeside view." Dawn plops down on her ass and watches the scenery.

It is really nice.

The water is crystal clear, the actual crystal above us is very impressive and the pokemon variety is unbelievable.

"Do you guys think a pokemon who doesn't want to battle can learn to enjoy it at some point?" I ask as I plop my own ass down and Buneary and Salandit get comfortable on top of me too.

I wonder if I could just capture a water type here and use it for the gyms. 

Pokeballs do give the option to forcefully take a pokemon with me, after all.

A pokemon can break out of the pokeball on their own but those who do, could be kept in line by Buneary and maybe Salandit too. She seems pretty reliable.

Akari shakes her head after some thinking. "I believe pokemon who enjoy fighting are in the minority. Most do it for survival and only a few have the drive to become the best. Just like humans."

Huh. That's a good point.

While most people want to be trainers, few want to be the best.

That's why pokemon coordinators are so popular. There is just 1 pokemon champion but many top coordinators.

"Lucario, do you enjoy battling?"

"Yes, human. I do. But I don't want to join your harem."

"We're a team. Not a harem."

She just gives me a raised eyebrow and points at my pokemon on my lap as if that was some kind of argument. Then she picks out a rock, some distance away, and sits down to meditate.

Might as well do the same.

Well, not meditating. That's gay. But just sitting and enjoying the scenery.

...

It's nice.

...

... Alright. I'm bored now.

And I didn't do the whole hype-thing for no reason. I need to pull myself together and start training again.

And all good training starts with a plan.

First, Buneary.

Let's go over her moves first.

Splash, Defense Curl, Baby-Doll Eyes, Sweet Kiss, Pound, Quick Attack, Flail, Double Kick and Double Hit are all already on a really good level of mastery. 

So I can cross them out of her training plan.

After You is still in the testing phase.

Jump Kick is at a decent level but we have to get quicker with it. It happens way too often that Buneary can't fully charge the attack and gets overpowered.

So, Jump Kick gets on the list for the fighting type.

Then we have the dark type move: Fling. 

Already almost usable in battle because most of the power actually comes from the environment. A little more training and she can do some real, ranged damage with it.

Draining Kiss is useless because Buneary has absolutely no talent for special attacks. We might as well ignore it and focus more on physical moves.

Charm is close to proficiency too. It works every time now, but still takes too long to use in the middle of battle.

Maybe if the opponent still needs to travel to us, then we could use it, but as it is now; Baby-Doll Eyes is still better. Therefore, Charm gets on the training list for the fairy type.

I note down Play Rough right next to Charm. The move is still a work-in-progress. 

We still haven't had any success with Play Rough but that's because it costs nearly twice as much as Draining Kiss does. According to professor Kukui's attack power model, Draining Kiss has a base power of 50, compared to Play Rough's 90.

With this I have her fighting, fairy and dark type pools covered.

This only leaves her normal type. Her most important type because of the 'same type attack bonus', or 'STAB', that pokemon have.

The options that I wrote down in my research are: Fake Out, 40 type energy. Dizzy Punch, 70TE. Facade, 70TE. Giga Impact with a whooping 150TE and finally Last Resort and Return with unknown strength.

Fake Out, a very gimmicky attack which could replace Quick Attack as the gap-closer.

Dizzy Punch is pretty strong and can confuse the opponent. It would be better than Sweet Kiss because having to kiss your opponent in the middle of battle is just so clunky. 

Punching them into confusion would be a lot better.

Facade gets stronger if Buneary is poisoned, burnt or paralyzed. But she can't become paralyzed. So I'm crossing that move off the list. Maybe we can train it one day, when we have nothing else left.

Giga Impact... Not gonna lie, it would be funny seeing a tiny Buneary use that power-move. But it's just not realistic any time soon.

Last Resort and Return are both no-goes for targeted training. 

For Last Resort, she would need to be almost knocked out while training and Return simply can't be trained. A pokemon just learns it on their own when it likes their trainer enough.

That means only Fake Out and Dizzy Punch are viable options for now.

"Hey Salandit?" I ask my newest pokemon, who just happens to know Fake Out. "Can you use Fake Out against that tree over there? And Buneary, you try to use Quick Attack against it at the same time?"

The books said that Fake Out is faster than Quick Attack but I want to know by how much.

Buneary nods but Salandit shakes her head.

"Do you need a proper target for the move?"

"Sa." This gets a nod and I can only think of one good target nearby.

"Hey Dawn, can I borrow Piplup for an experiment? I want to know how much faster Fake Out is compared to Quick Attack."

"What!? No? You can't just use my pokemon as target practice."

... Not target practice. Science.

"Piplup! Piplup!"

"Huh? You don't mind it? ... Well, I guess you have been helping me a lot recently... Alright. But don't be too hard on him, alright?"

"Sure."

With Buneary and Salandit by my side, I back up a little until we are as far from Piplup as we would be in a match.

"Now, I need you both to try and be as fast as you can be, without preparing yourselves first. Buneary, you need to use Quick Attack and then Pound into the ground right next to Piplup. And Salandit, you use Fake Out against Piplup and then Scratch against the ground. Got it?"

"Sa!" - "Bun!" They both confirm before glaring at each other.

"Piplup! Can you try to use Bubble after being hit by Salandit?" I shout my question to the practice dummy.

"Piplup!"

"Alright. On three... One, two, three!"

Buneary starts sprinting across the field while Salandit starts glowing with a soft white shimmer.

Just as Buneary reaches the halfway point to Piplup, Salandit suddenly zooms with incredible speed over to Piplup and smacks into him with a clawed fist.

Salandit was more or less a whole second faster.

Once Buneary reaches the goal, she changes into Pound and hits the ground with it almost instantly. A few moments later, Salandit lands a Scratch on the ground too.

"Piplup! Piplup!"

"You need to try again!" Dawn shouts after Piplup complains about being unable to use Bubble. It confirms what I read on the move.

Fake Out blocks counter attacks.

Only now, after around 3 seconds, was Piplup able to use Bubble.

How busted is that?

With Buneary, she could have used Jump Kick in the time it takes the opponent to make the next move!

That's brilliant!

"Thanks a lot, buddy. You're great!" The little fella beams at the praise and returns to his trainer with a happy expression.

And with that: Buneary's last type is planned out.

In summary, she needs to train Fling, Charm, Jump Kick and Fake Out.

"Good job you two. Buneary, I got your workout planned out. How about you start with Fling while I think about Salandit's training?"

The lizard in question rushes to sit on my lap the moment Buneary walks off with her order. 

How cute.

Buneary walks off to fling random rocks into the lake.

That reminds me of Lucas. ... Damn. 

He and Barry used to do this all the fucking time when we were bored.

I used to too, before I started bringing over my study-books to the hangouts to fight against the boredom.

Fuck man. He's really gone. That sucks.

Salandit will need to... "How about you just train your Poison Gas and Will-O-Wisp for now?"

Those thoughts really took the wind out of my sails.

Salandit sneaks off. She seems a little disappointed over our planning being over already... 

But she sneaks up to Buneary to startle her, which seems to improve her mood, before doing her own training.

Now I'm alone with my thoughts.

... I should go train too.

---

...

...

...

"Twenty five."

Huff. That's enough for this set. No need to overdo it in the wilderness.

I can't believe how easily I can do 25 push-ups already. Feels like it was just a few weeks ago that I could barely even do one, with my spindle thin arms-- Uhhhh. Right. It was a few weeks ago.

I'm also starting to get too hot.

Can't believe I would ever complain about it being too warm, but I'm pulling off my T-shirt.

I'm sweating like a pig in this thing.

But my arms are pretty thick right now. I got a good pump. Might as well take a picture for Zoey.

Snap

Perfect.

A selfie with my toned, sweaty body in front and center and the lake and the crystal light in the background.

My sweaty hair looks especially wild as it sticks to my neck and my 6 pack abs are really pronounced in the picture.

Zoey will like it.

Might as well do some more pictures of this location before I resume with the next set of training.

...

"One--"

"Human. I can't help but wonder about what you are doing."

Lucario interrupts me before I could even finish my first push-up. I didn't even notice her sneaking up on me.

"It's called training. I use my muscles in order to make them stronger."

"... Huh. Does that work? Aaron only ever trained his aura."

"I would say the results speak for themselves. I could barely do one of these before I started it. And what exactly is aura? And how do I train it?"

She makes a sweeping motion around herself. "Aura is the life energy of everything. The world favors you if you are attuned to it and if you have control over aura, you can use it to improve your body and communicate with living things easily. Like I do."

She rattles off a speech that seems practiced. Or memorized perhaps.

... "Like you do? What do you-- Right! I can still understand you perfectly. It's so weird that I haven't missed the meaning of your speech a single time!"

"It's all thanks to aura." She explains smugly.

Well, looks like I finally found a way to talk with Buneary.

I just need to master aura.

"How do I use it?"

"You..." She looks around as if trying to find the right words. "Well... if you have it unlocked, you... you just use it. It's really hard to explain-- Oh, don't look at me like that. YOU try to explain how you can see with your eyes!"

She's got a point.

"Of course I have a point."

... Damn my mumbling. And Dawn said it's consistently getting worse since my trip to Lake Verity. How do I fix that?

Anyway, she said 'once it's unlocked'. "How do I unlock aura?"

"There are two ways that I know of. One takes time and just happens at some point for some people. The other, I have seen Aaron do a few times. I could inject my aura into you to help you unlock it."

That sounds intrusive. Is it dangerous? 

... But I want to talk with Buneary sooner, rather than later.

"Can you do that for me?"

"... Sigh. Alright. Sit down, human. And turn your back to me."

I do as she instructed and she seats herself behind me in a meditative pose.

Then she puts her paw on my bare back.

Her paw feels cold and harsh. Calloused and almost metallic.

Then, suddenly, I feel warmth rush into my back and it quickly envelops my whole body.

The moment it reaches my-- the human's-- Swole's head it feels as if my thoughts have merged with her/him.

My paw touches a burning hot surface and I almost want to pull back. But there is no pain. Only... it just feels nice.

I have felt so cold and so alone for so long.

Lucas/Aaron is gone. But I'm not alone anymore.

I don't want this to end. 

Let's just stay a little longer.

...

...

"Woah! My-- Your thoughts... What the hell just happened?"

"I felt your thoughts."

"Me too..."

"I-- I think this happened because I wasn't focused enough. I should have made sure not to send you any of my personal aura..."

That can happen!? "Did I just steal an important part of you? Can I give it back? I'm so sorry this happened!"

"Huh? Oh no, don't worry, Swole. Aura doesn't work like that. I still have everything, but you... you have a copy of a part of me. I would apologize... but I'm likely an improvement. Haha."

"Oh no. Does this mean I am stuck with all of your angst and issues now?"

"Ha. Ha. And I am stuck with your bad humor."

"Hahaha, good one."

And Lucario laughs as well.

Wait, was this the first time she actually laughed since she got out of the staff?

And it was because she laughed at her own joke... She really is stuck with my bad humor!

"Anyway, I unlocked your aura for you, now you can use it. Right? Just... close your eyes and your ears too... All that's left would be touch and your aura sense."

That's a good idea.

I'm still seated and just close my eyes and try not to listen to anything.

It feels terrible.

When I go to sleep, I always have Buneary sleeping on my chest. Her constant touch feels nice.

"Just let your mind drift." Lucario places her paw on my shoulder.

But Buneary is so far away, right now.

She is all the way over there, still training and wait a fucking second. My eyes are still closed but I can feel exactly where she is.

And the lighter feeling beside her, that must be Salandit.

Then right behind me, I can feel Lucario. A tiny connection exists between us.

"Do you feel it?"

"Yes... This is amazing."

I can feel another connection going out to Buneary. And a much weaker one going to Salandit.

Is that the so-called 'bond' between a trainer and their pokemon? Is Lucario my pokemon now? Did I cheat the system?

Holy shit. This is awesome!

While Buneary and Salandit are too far away to make out any details, Lucario is completely clear to me. It's like I have eyes in the back of my head.

I can tell exactly where Lucario is. How her legs are folded and-- And is that what she feels right now? Pride and happiness.

Looks like this is a good distraction for her too.

"You're learning it quickly. Good job. Now you just need to continue doing this and it will train your aura."

Lucario is amazing. I will have to thank her properly for doing this for me.

"No problem, Swole."

I guess I mumbled again.

I can feel she is walking away from me now.

The further she gets away from me, the fewer details I can make out.

Lucario is interacting with Dawn and Akari.

It's like their blobs of aura are ... communicating with each other. Mostly it's just Lucario though. Her aura is stretching and moving like an Octillery trying to grab stuff whenever I hear her saying something.

I think they are all seated on the ground.

Is Lucario unlocking their aura too?

Wait! Are they naked?!

My head turns around and I snap open my eyes.

...

Woah.

...

I struck gold.

...

Dawn has pulled her sweater off and is sitting there with her bra exposed. Lucario's paw is placed on her back.

The bra is pink and frilly. It's a perfect match for her.

I'm burning that into my mind.

...

But Akari is even better.

The top part of her Kimono is parted and pulled down. And she doesn't wear underwear. 

She has cute C cup breasts with just a hint of perkiness.

Her nipples are bright pink and her skin is flawlessly white.

They are... beautiful. So very, very beautiful.

But I think they saw me. 

All of them start blushing profusely at the same time when Dawn's eyes lock into mine like a Deerling staring into headlights.

I should look away.

... But one more look won't hurt anybody.

This is the first time I have seen nude nipples since mom stopped bathing with me when I was a small child. Not that I remember any of that. But she tells me from time to time that we used to do that.

And they are awesome.

Supposedly, on the adult internet, I can see more of them but it's all age restricted and monitored by Porygon 2. 18+ only. Damn age restrictions. For some reason the league takes this super seriously.

Anyway, nipples are nice. 

One more look, before Lucario finishes her task.

Dawn's bra is pretty cute too. And I can't help but imagine that her breasts look just like Akari's underneath the bra.

They might be identical, except maybe Dawn's are a bit more tanned? 

Maybe they have tan-lines?

"Buneary! Kick your trainer in his shin!" 

Lucario finished unlocking their aura and Buneary and Salandit are coming back to me.

Dawn seems pretty pissed about me ogling her.

Buneary seems to assess the situation before coming to a resolution. 

...

Anyway, the reward I gained is worth a little pain in the shin.

---

After I ignored the pain away, like always, I fed Buneary and Salandit a Leppa Berry and we all went back to training.

With the new meditation method, I am able to continue working out even if my body is broken.

I feel around the campsite. The further away something is, the weaker the sense gets.

I can sense the individual grass blades close to me, but if I focus away from me, people and pokemon are all I can notice. And that's limited to the campsite.

I know there are pokemon all around us but I can only feel Buneary, Salandit and some dim blobs that must be Piplup, Quilava, Zorua and the egg that Akari carries around.

Dawn's and Akari's blobs are a bit brighter and then Lucario is like a bright flashlight.

I continue meditating for who knows how long and my mind starts drifting off. My aura sense starts flickering and distorting until I can't even feel Buneary anymore. 

My eyes rip open, my head jerks up. Buneary is on her way back to me, with Salandit beside her.

I think I was about to fall asleep.

"Come here, Buneary. Let's get ready for bed." I say before trying to stand up.

.. Oof. My legs are jelly.

Woah, my whole body feels like jello. Today was a great day.

I have to really brace myself when Buneary jumps up my shoulder and I have to literally drag myself the way over to the sleeping bags after Salandit climbed on me too.

Narrator: By literally, he meant figuratively.

I'm too exhausted to wash up... But Buneary looks exhausted too... I think I will brush her before bed to help her relax.

So I open up the sleeping bag to sit down a bit more comfortably and pull out Buneary's grooming equipment from the backpack.

I pick up Buneary and put her on my lap.

Salandit watches intently and Buneary seems a little tense today. Her ears are twitching more than usual again. I thought she had already gotten used to brushing before.

And once again, she tries to hold back her purring when I start brushing over her back and neck.

Since she started to let me give her more skin-contact, I have managed to optimize the method to apply her fur-care oil.

I put the oil on my left hand, use the brush with my right hand and then alternate brushing and petting her for maximum efficiency.

She really likes that.

But once I turn her over to treat her stomach, she starts complaining again and wiggles away from me.

"Ssaa!"

"You want some petting too, Salandit?"

She nods eagerly.

"Hum... Too bad that I don't have any equipment for you. The brushes can't possibly be comfortable for you."

Her eyes widen in panic and she bumps my hand with her head.

"My hands will be enough?"

"Sa! Sa!" Her head nods desperately and I start by carefully petting her head.

Just in case I misinterpret her, I want to give her the option to simply pull back instead of biting me or doing something similarly drastic.

But her reaction tells me that my worries were out of place.

She moves her head eagerly into the touch and practically rubs her scaly head into my hand.

Her scales feel smooth, soft and really warm to my touch. Like hairless skin. Just slightly firmer and warmer.

Her clawed paws dig into my thighs as she reaches up with her head to get even closer to my hand. Even pushing Buneary away a bit, but she is adamant to stay on my lap for some reason.

That is so cute.

Her tongue keeps darting out and sometimes it seems like she is trying to lick my wrist with it. She makes soft hissing noises at the same time.

I move my other hand down and start petting her neck and back, while avoiding these weird appendages around her neck.

She seems to be able to move them on her own but they make her look like she wears a mask like a thief.

The red stripe on her back and tail starts to heat up a little and glow red.

That's another spot I try to avoid petting for now. Looks like it might start burning at any moment.

It seems like Salandit is bothered by my hesitance to pet her and rolls over onto her back. Presenting to me her stomach to pet.

... This... this is how a cute pokemon is supposed to behave.

My hand hesitates as it hovers over her stomach.

Am I misinterpreting it? Can I really touch her like that?

Buneary still hits me whenever I accidentally move my hand across her stomach when I'm not allowed to... But Salandit is just presenting herself to me.

... No. This is normal. 

This is how pokemon are supposed to behave.

Piplup, Quilava and Zorua all don't mind being petted by their trainers.

Buneary and I are the only outliers.

Not anymore. I lay my hand on Salandit's stomach. She doesn't bite me or punch me.

Instead, she looks at me. Expectantly. Her squinted eyes are as wide as her species allows it.

And I don't keep her waiting for too long. I run my hand up and down her stomach. From her neck, over her chest and tummy aaaand I stop my hand before it goes any lower.

Then I move my hand back up.

Her skin feels so human. I'm even surprised for a moment when I don't feel a navel, until I remember that all pokemon hatch from eggs and don't have belly buttons.

Well, they do; Their version of the umbilical cord is called a yolk stalk but its scar is so tiny that I can't feel it anywhere on her stomach.

Her tongue is hanging out lazily now and she is breathing a little more heavily now. Every breath lets out a small hiss in satisfaction.

Speaking of scars, I can't feel any of them either. But I can feel her heartbeat through her ribs.

Just like Buneary, she doesn't have enough fat... This means our rations are going to run out a bit sooner than expected.

I pet her some more and she's really enjoying it. She's wriggling around and hisses in pure bliss.

"Finally, a normal pokemon. See that Buneary? That's how a pokemon should respond to petting and skinship. You're always so stuck-up."

Buneary just laughs at my statement and I wag my tongue at her.

I pet her stomach and chest some more--

Wait, there is a scar after all.

It's a small circular scar on the left side of her chest. It's a small growth. Cancer? It seems to be really sensitive, Salandit squirms a lot whenever I brush over it.

And there is one on the other side as well. How did I not notice that earlier? 

"Saa. Saa."

It looks like it's equally painful for her and she starts swishing her tail now and squirming around. Her claws are also stretching out and she tries to grab at the air.

"I'm sorry, but I have to examine you carefully. This might be cancer." Potential cancer always needs thorough examination.

It feels... symmetrical. There doesn't appear to be a visual difference between them either. 

It's just these small, nubby things. If I squint my eyes enough, they... they almost look like nipples.

... I stop rubbing these spots.

My own face feels like it's burning up now. 

Salandit just breathes heavily and looks up at me with her half-lidded eyes. With her tongue lolling out and with her hissing at a fast pace.

Those are nipples.

I just wanted to pet my pokemon. How did that happen?

Salandit are reptile-like, egg-laying pokemon. They have no business having nipples!

"Ahem." Lucario's voice interrupts us. My hands are still on her nipples. 

I feel like I got caught red-handed. 

Lucario is blushing a lot too. "Do you have to do it with us around?" She tries to look away from what is happening but seems to be unable to keep her eyes off us for too long.

"Do your mating rituals in private, please..."

... I think I'm just going to bed now. It was just skinship. Nothing more.

I clean up the mess we left around - that being Buneary's grooming equipment that I forgot to put away into the backpack.

Then I lie down and zip up the sleeping bag. It's going to be pretty hard to sleep in this cave.

It's starting to cool down now, since the sun already went down outside but it's still bright because of the massive glowing crystal above us.

Buneary lies down on top of the sleeping bag like usual but Salandit climbs through the opening of the sleeping bag on the other side of my chest.

"Oh. Is it too cold for you?"

She is a fire type lizard after all... Even if she does have nipples for some reason. But she must be more sensitive to the cold.

She turns around so her head pokes out of the opening, right below my head.

~"Yeeess?"

"Makes sense... Alright, you can stay."

"Bunnie!" Buneary complains. She still wears the heavy blush from before.

"Good grief. Alright, you can climb in too."

She hesitates but eventually gets inside too.

This is going to be so annoying now. It's bright. It's cramped. And I have 2 hot pokemon inside my sleeping bag-- I meant very warm! They are very warm!

They are cute, but not hot!

... But their smell is pleasant.

Buneary smells like hazelnut and caramel. The grooming oil just intensifies her natural aroma. And Salandit has a very complex smell which is a bit smokey, a bit like licorice and citrus-y and with a hint of strawberry.

It's like a candy store. 

And the smell is very relaxing for some reason. It reminds me a little of when mom's pokemon hit me with Aromatherapy.

It's nice enough to drift off to sleep with...

"I can't believe it. His pokemon are so much bolder than me..." I think I heard Dawn mumble something as my mind blanks out.

---

...

...

...

Cynthia is so fucking hot.

She is wearing a black and white 2-piece bikini. Her wavy curls are cascading down her toned body and she gently runs a finger along one of her iconic hair-dongles.

"What is a strapping young trainer like yourself doing here?" She asks as she slowly approaches me.

Her hips swaying from side to side and her eyes are traveling up and down my body.

"And you aren't even wearing anything. What a naughty trainer."

Oh shit! I'm naked!

"Naughty. Naughty." Her finger traces up my chest and she pokes my chin.

Then she traces her finger back down... All the way down.

"Hey! What are you thinking!? I only allow Dawn and Akari." Zoey appeared in my bedroom.

She only wears her black, lacy underwear with the red bows. Her hair is still wild after what we might have done earlier.

She steps in front of me. Her hand tracing over the tip of my dick and her mouth kissing my chin and licking my lips.

"Woah. I like it." I give her a kiss and grab a hold of her to press her closer.

Zoey is so fucking hot.

Her breath tingles on my skin and her back feels hot to the touch.

Her ruby red eyes are piercing into mine, blazing with desire and her fiery red hair is on fire.

... Huh? Her hair is on fire?

My eyes rip open.

... It was just a dream?

... Damn.

I'm still in my sleeping bag and Salandit's head is cradled into my neck.

My arms are wrapped around both her and around Buneary's backs.

Buneary is awake and glaring at me, so I let go of them.

What is-- Woah, what the hell? Something just brushed over my dick... I'm stuck with morning wood.

What was that? It just did it again.

I lift the sleeping bag a little to peer inside... Salandit is sleeping and her tail swishes around while she's asleep.

Oh Arceus, combined with the dream I just had, I'm about to have an accident here.

I don't want to wake Salandit up but I guess I have to.

I'm leaving the sleeping bag and try not to touch anything else with my stiffy. Salandit sleeps through it all, somehow.

"Uhhh... Buneary, stay here for a moment. I need to go to the toilet."

I take my backpack with me, ""for the toilet paper"" before hurrying to the bushes and pulling out the Pokemon Pals magazine, my phone with Zoey's nude and a roll of toilet paper for later.

I bite through my irrational panic and just finish the job quickly before returning to the camp.

But just as I head out of the bush, I stumble on something.

"Salandit? What are you doing here? You didn't see anything, right?"

~"... Nnnno?"

"No? Alright. Good. Not that there was anything to see. But if there was, then you shouldn't have seen it. Which you didn't."

"Salandit."

"What?"

"Salandit!" This time she points her claw at something in the direction of the bush I was hiding in.

Oh! A Time Flower!

Yes! The perfect distraction!

"Hey everyone! I found another Time Flower! You wanna check it out?" The camp is already wide awake so they don't mind me shouting to get their attention.

Everyone makes their way over and Akari arrives first. "Oh? Is that what you were doing in the bushes for so long, so early in the morning? Looking for Time Flowers?"

... Does she know? "Sure. I looked for Time Flowers. Salandit helped me out and we found one."

"What? Salandit helped you?" Dawn, who arrived a little later, asks before switching to a mutter to herself. "... No way ... Am I really so far behind?" 

What? 

"Anyway. Let's check this out. Are you all awake enough to look out for all the details?"

They all nod and I reach down to touch the flower.

Just like the last one, this one too suddenly blooms and opens up.

A wave of light washes over us and we are once again witness to a scene of the past.

It is Aaron again. Except this time, he appears breathless and fatigued. 

He wears the same blue tunic and dark blue cape as before but now he is missing the staff that Lucario still carries with herself. His clothing is also torn in places and he appears to be bleeding from a few wounds.

He pulls off his hat and sits down on a tree log which has since then rotted away before letting out a deep sigh.

"It's not here." He lets out another deep sigh as his elbows land on his knees to support his body.

"I was sure the heart would be down here. I need to find it..."

He pushes himself back up on his shaky knees.

"I owe them a better future... I need to stop this war... Maybe I'm just in the wrong place? Maybe the heart of the tree can be found somewhere in the crown of the tree?"

He squares his shoulders and reaffirms his stance. A breeze drifts through the cave and ruffles his cloak.

He looks back over his shoulder. Somehow managing to look directly at Lucario.

"As I step into the unknown, may your paths be bathed in the light of new beginnings... Farewell, until the stars align once more... My queen--"

All of a sudden he vanishes. The vision comes to an abrupt end, and the flower closes. Never to share this memory ever again.

"Grrrr."

Buneary?

I look at her but her attention is fixed on Lucario.

Lucario?

Oh fuck. She's seething. If she flips out again, then the Regirock might come back.

"This... BETRAYER!" Her enraged scream startles a few bird pokemon from their perches in the surrounding trees. "I can't believe it! He turned his back on me! For this whore! She couldn't even keep the kingdom together without us!"

Her eyes narrow to pinpricks once again.

"I've sacrificed so much for her! For BOTH OF THEM!"

I cautiously place my hand on her shoulder.

Some inexplicable madness possesses me, an unexplainable compulsion urges me closer to her. Last time I tried hugging her, she almost took my head off but I-- There is this feeling, like I have nothing to fear from her.

I wrap my arms around her, redirecting her anger towards me

"You! YOU! ... You would abandon me too. I know it. Stop it, with the false pity." Despite her words, she accepts my embrace. 

She doesn't reciprocate it. She could easily break free. And shatter all of my bones in the process, but she doesn't.

"You humans are all the same!" - "Oof!"

She punched me in the stomach. Hard. I struggle to breathe now and I know I would collapse if I wasn't still holding onto Lucario.

"You will abandon your pokemon as soon as you don't need them anymore!"

"Cough. That's-- not-- true." I manage to choke out.

I know I'd never betray Buneary. Or leave any of my pokemon. The very thought disgusts me. I hold nothing but contempt towards people who send away their pokemon.

"I saw it in your heart! You just want me in your harem. Your 'team'! If you found someone better you would just cast me aside, too!"

"Of course I want you in my team! Who in their right mind wouldn't want you!? You're so incredibly strong! If you were in my team, I'd never let you go!"

Sniff "Yes you would."

"No, I wouldn't."

Sniff "Yes, you will."

I brush my hand over her head, past her head-ornaments, and tighten my hug with my other arm. 

The metal spike in her chest pokes me a little painfully.

"No, I won't. I swear it. I would never let you go."

She remains silent. Only a few sniffles escape her.

Her shaking and heaving gradually subside, replaced by a mixture of hurt and vulnerability. The forest around us, once disturbed by her outburst, returns to a hushed serenity as if nature itself holds its breath.

"You humans don't understand." She mutters, her voice softer, carrying the weight of her pain. "Loyalty is everything to us... You wouldn't understand."

She pushes me away and we separate from our hug.

"I don't need anyone." Lucario declares, wiping away a tear that streaks down her cheek. "I'm better off alone."

Betrayal echoes in her eyes. I can see the feeble attempts to build up a facade of toughness.

In that moment, I want nothing more than to tear that facade down and to help her for real. My cruel plan to manipulate her into staying doesn't matter anymore.

This might make me a simp but I won't fulfill my own dreams if it costs me the happiness of my friends... Yes, my friends are more important than my own selfishness. 

"Lucario, from now on, you are my friend. Whether you like it or not. And I will help you out. You got that?"

Lucario looks at me, her eyes still reflecting the agony in her soul. "Friends... are a weakness." She scoffs, but there's a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"No, Lucario. Friends are what makes life worthwhile. I won't abandon you. I will help you through this."

Without friendship and love, life would be bleak and I would end up like my dad.

She remains silent for a moment, contemplating my words. "Swole. You're a fool." She finally mutters. But there is a softness in her expression that wasn't there before.

"I may be a fool, but now I'm the fool you are stuck with." I reply with a smile. "Now, let's make some breakfast, alright?"

"Wash your hands first!" Akari complains and my face heats up in embarrassment. 

"No, Akari. He's barred from the kitchen today. We all know what he really was doing in the bushes." Dawn is even harsher.

... Arceus. Just smite me already.