[center][B]Rodent Powered: Stories in Skitterora[/B]
Story II – Makoto Yuriya: Helping Hand[/center]

[I]“I only want the best for those I know and love. I try my best to be the best, to do the best… but my fears and worries hold me back. They cripple me. I don’t want to be afraid. I don’t want to turn away when it matters the most. I want to be there next to them, be at the front, to face conflict head on. If I’m going to give my support where it’s needed, I need to be strong. I need to be brave. I need to help myself so I can help the world. But where do I start? How do I start?

“How do you help someone who doesn’t know what help they need?”[/I]

Makoto sighed, placing her diary in her private storage chest and locking it back up. She looked up at the photo framed on her bedroom wall, the only memento she had of her parents. A picture of her as a newly hatched Frosquirrel, an ice-type Pachirisu of sorts, cuddled happily by her mother and father, a Frosquirrel and Pachirisu respectively. She never got to know anything about them as her adoptive mother told her she was found all alone just on the outskirts of her hometown and current living space, Pulse Village. She never was told what happened to her parents. It wasn’t even known if they were alive or not.

It bothered her occasionally, always wondering who her parents were, where they were. Or if they even remembered her…

“Makoto?” The Frosquirrel’s icy blue, diamond shaped ear twitched from hearing her name called from downstairs. “Could you come downstairs for a moment, please? I would like to show you something.”

“Coming, mom!” She responded, her soft, gentle voice echoing down the hallway as she left her room to meet up with her caretaker who happened to be the village leader. Makoto sat herself on the living room love seat, looking over to the snow white Raichu-like Pokemon standing over the dresser on the other side of the room. Her rounded, snowball ears wagged idly while her lengthy, frozen tail swished back and forth, light sparkles of electricity crackling at the pointed tip of the icicle tail. Turning around, her ocean blue eyes looked forward with a warm smile, a pink tote bag held in her frost-yellow paws.

“Do you remember the dream you used to tell me about when you were but a little girl?” The frosty Raichu asked, walking up to her adoptive daughter.

“Mhmm. I never forgot that dream. The one of the Crystal Hamster and its shining rainbow of colors whenever light would pierce its body. It stood on a rainbow unlike any other in the midnight sky, illuminating the entire land. Then it spoke to me… ‘When you are at your most desperate, my light will shine and you will prove worthy of a wish.’” The Raichu nodded, giving Makoto a gentle pat on the head.

“That’s right, dear. Ever since you told me about that dream, I knew that the tale of the Polar Rainbow was no mere folklore. It was a story of fate meant for those who need its power most. And they have reached out to you. You have been called by the Crystal Hamster, Makoto.”

“B-But it was just a dream, mom. I mean, everyone dreams about all sorts of stuff, plus you’ve told me that story lots of times, it would only make sense I have a dream about it eventually, right?” Makoto shook her head, wondering where her mother was going with this.

“Perhaps, but those words could have meaning. And though this is all chance on a mere legend, many stories in history begin on a chance. Acting on a whim. And I believe your story will be one of the same.” She handed the bag to the young squirrel who looked over, somewhat confused. “I made this myself. It’s a Treasure Bag, please take it with you. I wish to ask a favor of you, Makoto.” The icy Raichu paused for a moment before taking a deep breath. “I think this may be obvious, but I want you to find the Polar Rainbow and find the Crystal Hamster. Many may not believe it but there are Legendary Pokemon in this world with powers we can only imagine in tales and stories. At your most desperate, one wish may be all you need to find what it is you seek most in life.

“Tell me, dear. What is it you wish for more than anything?” Makoto looked up at her mother with uncertainty. What was going on? Where did this all come from? Was she about to get kicked out? And what was this about a wish? What did she want most? She never had something like this come up before.

“I guess… I really like helping others. I dunno, maybe some way to help even more?”

“No.” The Raichu shook her head. “This is not what you desire most. This is but a short term goal, a desire based on your interests and personality. And this is something you can accomplish naturally.”

“Th-then I dunno..! This is going too fast, mommy, I can’t think of anything..!” Makoto covered her face with her ears, tail coiling around herself trying to hide away. The Raichu caressed her tenderly to reassure the nervous squirrel.

“It’s OK, dear. It was, in fact, a trick question. A wish made from the deepest desires of your heart is one you cannot know. It will only come when the time reveals itself.”

“Why are you telling me all this..?” Makoto peeked up at the Raichu from behind her ears.

“I’m telling you this because I believe the time has finally come that you set out on your first grand adventure.” She sat down beside the Frosquirrel, wrapping an arm around her. “I have taken care of and sheltered you for all 18 years of your life. But I know there are many questions you must have that I would not be able to answer. I know you still think about them.” The Frosquirrel’s ears perked up, her attention grabbed immediately by the Raichu.

“Wh-what are you saying?”

“The only way to find answers is to look for them.” Makoto looked up at her adoptive mother. It was a terrifying thought, to be out in this large world all on her own with no idea where to go or what to do, having only a dream as any kind of a lead to… anything, really. But she had a point. There were a lot of questions constantly on Makoto’s mind. And the biggest one of all, she wanted—no she [I]needed[/I] to know.

“...Okay. I… I’ll do it, mom.” Makoto bit her lip, completely nerve wracked but certain this was the best course of action. “I-I’ll be back, though. I… I promise, I’ll be back.”

“That’s my girl.” The Raichu smiled, hugging her close. “This is a huge decision you’re making but I want you to know that you can come home at any time for any reason. I will always be here for you, dear.”

“I know, mommy. Thank you for pushing this on me. I...w-well, I don’t think I’d ever be able to do something like this on my own. It’s… it scares me too much to even think of leaving the village.”

“You’re going to be fine, pumpkin. Just know that if you ever lose your way, [B]look deep within yourself and perhaps the answers will come to you.[/B] And if I may suggest, I would recommend checking around the village a little, maybe gather a few more traveling supplies like some food and goods. Or go see your friends and tell them about your plans. [B]You never know who may be willing to help you.[/B]” Makoto nodded and shared one more hug with her mother before getting off of the sofa with the tote bag thrown over her shoulder. Her attention turned towards the door and she began to tremble as she slowly stepped towards it. Every step felt like she was walking on hot coal, wanting nothing more than to jump off and give up immediately, but she had to go through with this. She wanted to find out about her parents, she wanted to get over her fears and anxiety.

And exploring the world did sound really interesting to her.

Another step and then another, the doorway getting closer and closer until she finally stood in front of it. It felt like it took minutes just to get here, fighting with herself whether to go forward or fall back. Her trembling paw reached forward to grab the door handle, swallowing a knot in her throat as she looked down at the knob rattling in her hold. She looked back at her mother who smiled at her and nodded before looking forward, hearing the click of the knob being turned before pulling it open and looking out into the village.

[I]I don’t want to be afraid. I don’t want to turn away when it matters the most.[/I]

Taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh, Makoto gave her mother one last wave goodbye before she finally stepped outside and let the door close behind her. “No turning back… no turning back… N-no turning back… Only moving forward. I… [B]I don’t know where to start...[/B]”

[I]-> You should go around town and let everyone know what's going on, maybe they can offer something to help[/I]

“H-Huh??” Makoto’s heart skipped a beat. Did she just hear that correctly? Did she just… hear that? She could have sworn she just heard someone tell her something. But she didn’t see anyone around her. Maybe she was just hearing things… but then again, the suggestion was kind of a good idea so maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing, yeah? If she was going to leave town and go on some big adventure, she should probably better supply herself or go see her few friends and let them know so they won’t worry about her when they don’t see her around for a while. “I-I… OK… yeah, start in town. Maybe ask around about the tale even. I could probably get some leads on how to even find a rainbow that nobody has even actually seen before...” Stepping off the porch of her home, she walked out onto the cool dirt road to head into the shopping district of her little hometown. It was a very short walk of only about two minutes—the shopping district was visible from her house—but it felt like it took forever with so much on her mind. She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this! It wasn’t the fact she was going into town alone as she did that very often. No, what had her so rattled up was knowing that she wouldn’t be returning home after this as she normally would. She would instead be leaving town and traveling the vast snowy tundra of the Proton Continent in search of this Polar Rainbow or her parents or… hell, something. But first, she figured she’d stop by the Ice Berry Shop to pick up a few berries to take with her in case she gets hungry or needs a quick healing pick me up.

Makoto stood outside the wood building, a small establishment owned by one of her friends’ parents. Looking through the front display window, she noticed her friend and his father were inside running the shop today.

“Makoto!” The young Dedenne ran up to her and gave her a hug. “What brings you here this morning? Doing grocery shopping again?”

“Umm...n-not really. I-I...” Makoto began to freeze up. She didn’t know why she was having trouble just saying it but she didn’t like it. Maybe it was the fear that her friend would be upset? Or maybe he’d be mad at her for leaving?

“Got something on your mind? You don’t gotta be afraid, you can tell me.” The Dedenne reassured with a patient smile. Makoto took a deep breath and shook her head to clear her mind of all the concerns. [I]Just say what you gotta say… Juniper! I’m going on an adventure and I want your finest berries! Yeah… yeah that’ll work. Just gotta say that…[/I]

“JunipercanIhaveaberryImgoingoutandIwantaberryplease.”

“...Oooookay..?” Juniper looked at the sweating, frantic Frosquirrel like she was losing it. Though, to be fair, she kinda was losing it. “Makoto, are you sure you’re OK?”

“YES!” She shouted, eyes widen staring down at the chubby little gerbil. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed. “I-I’m sorry… I… I-I wanna tell you b-but...but what if you get mad at me..?”

“Oh Makoto...” Juniper wrapped his tail around the anxious squirrel and gave her an affectionate nuzzle. “You know I wouldn’t get mad at you. Just take it easy, take a deep breath, and tell me nice and slowly what it is you need to say, okay? [I]No worries, no hurries.[/I]” He smiled at his friend, rubbing her back gently. The squirrel nodded and sighed, trying to clear her thoughts again.

“Okay… h-here goes… Juniper, I’m...going… g-going out...o-out of the, uhh..the town… I-I’m gonna go on an adventure...and I wanted to buy some… some berries to take...” The trembling Frosquirrel bit her lip, whimpering a little as her nerves were driving her wild.

“Is that it? Well I’m glad you came here, we got a fresh batch of berries imported earlier this morning and they were just frozen to preserve ‘em. Why don’tcha have a look at what we got and take whatever you need? It’s on the house~” A huge wave of relief washed over the Frosquirrel hearing her friend’s positive response and even offering free berries for her to take with her. That wasn’t so bad! And everything worked out for her so why was she so afraid to trust in her friend?

“Th-thank you… I would like that a lot..!” She smiled softly as she was guided behind the counter where she was greeted by the Dedenne’s father with a smile and a wave.

“I heard everything. It’s really brave of you to make this change in your life. Even for the most seasoned explorers and excited travelers, leaving home is one of the hardest decisions to make. SO! Why don’t you take a look around and pick out what you’d like?” The larger, older Dedenne opened up a cooler which contained a neatly organized assortment of berries. There were all kinds of berries in there, Chesto, Pecha, Rawst, Aspear, Oran, and Sitrus berries for healing purposes as well as cooking berries like Razz, Nanab, Wepear, Magost, and Rabuta Berries. “Take anything and as many here as you need. These are the new arrivals but we’ve got tons in the back~”

“I-I can really have as much as I want out of here..” Makoto was amazed at such a generous offer. She didn’t even know if her Treasure Bag would be able to fit all of these!

“But of course, dear! You’ve always be a great help to me and my family, offering your paw to work around the shop from time to time and all for free at that. You deserve more than a few berries!” Makoto blushed a little from the recognition then reached in to pick out a few Orans, a couple Sitrus, and one of each of the status curing berries as well as a Rabuta in case she wanted to do some cooking later.

“I-I like Rabuta berries… the strong bitter flavor tastes really nice with a spicy Blast Seed a-and an Apple for a little sweetener… Th-thank you so much, Mr. Cross.” Makoto gave a respectful bow to the pair of Dedenne.

“It’s our treat, Makoto~ Now, if I may pry a little, [B]would it be OK to ask where you’re heading to?[/B]”

[I]-> You’re going to find the crystal hamster, but you don’t know where to really go.[/I]

“I-I… have you ever heard the story about the Polar Rainbow..?”

“A family favorite, in fact.” The older Dedenne replied. “What about it?”

“Umm… I uhh...I-I maybe...might be… m-maybe… going to find the Crystal Hamster in that story… I-I wanna get my wish granted. I dunno what my wish is but… but I think I’ll know it when the time comes.” Makoto explained herself albeit with nervous stutters but she got her point across.

“Is that so? Well, count yourself extra lucky you came here~ I happen to know more about the story!” The father let out a hearty laugh and pat the Frosquirrel on her back.

“Y-You do?”

“You do?!”

“I do!” The large Dedenne laughed even harder, his booming fatherly voice sounding out through the entire shop. “Hohoho! You see, that ‘folklore’ ain’t as much a folklore as you think. It’s most certainly a real tale! The Legendary Crystal Hamster is indeed real. Though nobody has ever seen him, they say that our world was gifted with the beauty of the northern lights because of him. Supposedly, at the highest peaks of Polaris Mountain is where the northern lights is best marveled. I’ve heard that it feels as if you are a part of the lights themselves there. It’s speculated that the Crystal Hamster lives somewhere hidden at the top of the mountain. But getting there is far from any easy feat. It is a treacherous and very lengthy travel.”

“P-Please tell me more, I would like to know more..!” Mr. Cross chuckled, patting the Frosquirrel’s back.

“Ahh, certainly, my dear. You see, if you want to climb Polaris Mountain, first, you have to pass Polaris Hill. That in itself is quite the travel, not just to make it to Polaris Mountain, but from here to the Hill alone could take days of travel if you aren’t experienced. Polaris Hill is on the far west side of the continent, you would have to travel across the entirety of Polarity Field onto Load Cabins before you can reach the Hill. I would greatly suggest making stops at Crystal City and Load Cabins on the way to take breaks and restock. It’s a very long journey ahead of you, dear. Plan wisely and travel safely.”

“Y..Y-Yes, sir… I...” Makoto gulped. Treacherous and dangerous? Traveling all the way to the other side of the continent? She would be so far away from home! Her heart rate sky rocketed and her breathing started getting a little frantic. Was she really about to do this? Was she cut out for doing something this crazy? What would she do if she wanted to go home? She would have to travel all the way back across the continent to get home! But what if she got hurt and couldn’t walk? Or what if she got lost? What would she do then? “...I-I’ll be OK...[I]No worries, no hurries...[/I]”

“There you go. Ah! I’ve got one more thing for you. This should come in handy with getting around. Wait right here!” The Dedenne went into the back room for a moment where the two could hear him rummaging around a bit before returning with a rolled up paper in his paws. “Take this with you. It’s a Wonder Map. I’ve got a few spares so this one is yours. It’s a very useful traveler’s item infused with properties from Mystery Dungeons that give it the magical ability to mark and track locations in real time.” He handed the map to the Frosquirrel who accepted it and placed it in her bag. “This one is a new map so it hasn’t had any locations uncovered. As you travel, more locations will be revealed. It also has a real time marker for the current holder and owner of the map so you’ll always know just where you are in the world.”

“Thank you… th-thank you so much, Mr. Cross..! Now I won’t get lost out there… this will help me out a ton..!” The Frosquirrel gave the two Dedenne a big hug. “Ah! I-I should probably get going, m-maybe if I’m lucky, I could probably make it to Crystal City before nightfall. I remember seeing my mom’s map sometimes, i-it’s not super far, just pass the gulf near the continent’s center. Th-thanks again, Mr. Cross, Juniper! I-I… I’ll be back, I promise! When I come home, I’m gonna be a lot braver..!”

“You’re going to do fantastic, Makoto!” Juniper cheered for his friend with a big smile. “Oh! You should stock by Fuzzy Fits first! Even for ice-types, it can get super cold out there, you might like a bit of warm wear to take with you just in case!”

“O-Okay! See you later, Juniper..!” Makoto finally left the sh1stop, clutching her tote bag and sighing deeply. [I]Okay… I’m doing okay, I’m doing… good… I have food and a map… I could leave now but [/I][B][I]maybe I could buy some warmer clothes first..?[/I][/B]

[I]-> Buy warmer clothes first

[/I]“Wh-who said that?? Who’s there? Who are you!?” Makoto looked around frantically. That was the third time now, strange voices in her head speaking to her. Who are they? Where are they? [I]What[/I] are they?! And why were they telling her what to do? Giving her advice like this? “Wh-Whoever’s messing with me b-b-better s-stop or… or I’ll… I-I’ll do something r-really… s-scary..!” She trembled violently, fear immediately overwhelming her. Someone was messing with her. Someone is trying to get her. Someone’s stalking her! She was still very close to home, she could turn and run right now, give it all up, go back to her adoptive mother. She’ll protect her from these scary voices torturing her, right?

They were… torturing her, weren’t they? Maybe… not really? It wasn’t like they were teasing her or yelling at her or anything. If anything, they were giving her genuine advice and suggestions, guiding her along as if they were there to help her. Maybe she was thinking too deep into this… “I-I… umm… M-Mr. Voice? Y-You said buy warmer clothes..? I guess you haven’t led me astray so far s-so if you say I should then...” Her attention turned towards the nearby clothing shop which appeared to be having a sale on turtlenecks and booties. “...I suppose I should… I-I’ve got some money saved up from a few months worth of allowances s-so I can spare a few coins.” Shaking off the nerves, she began towards the store, taking a peek at some of the turtlenecks on display in the window. There were three on display placed on the mannequins, a white sweater with a red heart in the center, a baby blue sweater with ocean blue striped sleeves, and a cream sweater with a small heart-shape cut out in the chest area. That sweater in particular was placed on a well-endowed female mannequin to accent the appeal of the keyhole in the chest.
[I]
[/I]Looking at that third sweater, Makoto took a moment to look down at herself, blushing a little as she hefted up her soft C-cup chest and began to wonder what the keyhole sweater would look like on her. [I]I-I guess I’m not the most endowed girl around but… I wonder if anyone would think I look… s...e-eheheh… y-y’know… w-wantable… But the white one is really cute too… I like the heart on it. The blue one is nice also, the stripes are kind of cool… Uhh… I should probably go inside and actually shop.[/I] She brought herself out of her thoughts to enter the store where she’d be immediately greeted by a Cinccino whose typical white fur was black instead. She also noted their deep, neon purple eye shadow and the tips of their ears highlighted with matching purple fur dye. They also had two white button piercings on their left ear.
[I]
[/I]“Welcome to Fuzzy Fits! Where the only colds you’ll catch here are the cold looks of your haters as you dress down hot and stylish~ Oh! Makoto darling, hello~!”
[I]
[/I]“H-Hi, Carmen, umm… I saw you were having a sale on turtlenecks a-and I..--”
[I]
[/I]“Are you interested in buying one of them, sweetheart? Let me tell you, I think you of all the gal pals I have would look absolutely [I]stunning[/I] [I]adorbs[/I] in a turtleneck!” The flamboyant Cinccino draped an arm over Makoto’s shoulder, the other making a sweeping motion across the store as if presenting its glory to the Frosquirrel. “The sale is going on for a week, but the turtlenecks on sale cycle out each day. Only the ones on display are eligible. [B]Didja wanna try ‘em out? Check ‘em out? Buy ‘em out?[/B] We got dressing rooms for your privacy pleasure, darling~”
[I]
-> Gain some confidence! Keyhole sweater!

[/I]“Keyhole sweater..?”
[I]
[/I]“Ooo, darling I didn’t think you had it in you to pick something so [I]risque~[/I] But I guess we all come out of our shells and find our courage sooner or later~” The Cinccino giggled and smirked, patting Makoto’s back.
[I]
[/I]“Huh!? W-wait—no—I-I mean—hold on!”
[I]
[/I]“Now now, no takesies backsies now, sugar~ I heard you loud and clear and soon you’ll be shouting out loud and clear to the world: ‘Look at me! Makoto Yuriya, the bravest Frosquirrel you’ve ever seen!’”
[I]
[/I]“I-I don’t think I’d go that far!--”
[I]
[/I]“Let’s get you dressed up, baby cakes, I can’t wait to see how good you’ll look~!”
[I]
[/I]“Th-this is a big misunderstanding—I-I don’t—I’m not—that’s not—c-can we talk about this?!” Makoto flailed as she was dragged against her will into one of the changing rooms.
[I]
[/I]“No time to talk the talk, darling.” The Cinccino quickly but carefully pulled Makoto out of her white long sleeve top and pulled over the sweater. “There’s only time to [I]walk the walk~[/I] Ooohh my good golly goodness, look at you~!”
[I]
[/I]“WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!” Makoto screeched before being turned to face the mirror. She looked over herself for a moment, cheeks flushing deep red when her eyes turned to her chest. The sweater fit her quite snug, the perfect size for her. And it showed off her chest pretty well. Nothing overwhelmingly sexy but…
[I]
[/I]“Darling, you’ve got sex appeal~ The boys would pay big for a night with a fresh, 18 year-old sweetheart like you~” The Cinccino teased, only causing Makoto to blush that much more.
[I]
[/I]“D-DON’T SAY THAT!!” She covered her steaming, blushing face and squirmed. All of these compliments were going to drive her crazy, they were so excessive, so [I]lewd!

[/I]“Oh sugar, you can’t fight the truth. You’re lookin’ like the next million coin queen, lemme tell you that! You know how to pick ‘em~”
[I]
[/I]“I-I… am I… a-am I really that… g-good looking..?” She peeked through the sleeves of the turtleneck to look herself over again in the mirror. [I]Be confident… be brave… I’m… good looking. I-I’m... attractive.[/I] She decided she’d try and do a little spin to get a better feel for the top as well as show herself off a little to Carmen.
[I]
[/I]“Yes, yes, and [I]yes~![/I] You’re certainly fab, dear! Color me surprised you went with a pick like this but you’re killing it! You must be feeling hella proud of yourself too! Rightfully so~!” The Cinccino clapped and cheered with a girly giggle. “Soooo? What do you think, Makoto deary? [B]Like the new look you’re rocking?[/B] If you’re cool with it, I can get you rung up and checked out in seconds~”
[I]
-> Maybe there's no harm in it, but you're going into dangerous, wild, and COLD lands. Something more practical would be best.

[/I]Makoto shivered. She still couldn’t get over the fact that these random voices would suddenly speak out to her in her head. Was it actually in her head, though? Was she the only one hearing them? Carmen didn’t seem to respond in the slightest to it. But then again… [I]It’s Carmen… [/I]The voices had a good point, though. Although the sweater looked nice, felt comfortable, and it was a really daring choice for someone like her, it was a good reminder that she would be traveling to the far north of an already northern land where the harsh cold would only get colder.
[I]
[/I]“Umm...I-I do like it but… I should dress more… y-you know… better for the cold…”
[I]
[/I]“The cold? But this is one of the warmer spots of the continent. Plus, it’s the warm season so it won’t get too frosty for a while here.” Carmen tilted their head with curiosity. “What plans do you got up your sleeve, Makoto?” The Frosquirrel tensed up as she was now being questioned. She gulped, biting her lip as she tried to find her voice again. [I]Just say it, just say it, just say it. I-It’s OK… he won’t get mad… h-he won’t get mad…

[/I]“I...I’m g-going to Polaris Mountain f-for something… could I… umm… could I have the white one..?”
[I]
[/I]“The heart sweater? Of course, sugar~ I can ring you up right now unless you’d like to try it on too?”
[I]
[/I]“N-No thanks! I… I trust you t-to get me the right size...” [I]I just wanna get outta here before I get dragged around again…[/I]The Cinccino nodded, getting Makoto undressed and back into her shirt before leading her out to the front counter.
[I]
[/I]“You wait right here, doll. I’ll get the sweater for you.” Carmen patted her head before going into the winter wear aisle and returning with one of the heart sweaters in tow. “Here you are, darling~ This will ring up to 750 Poke, is this to your liking?”
[I]
[/I]“Wow, th-that’s really cheap… what’s the discount on it?” Makoto handed over the coins from her bag, taking the sweater and looking it over.
[I]
[/I]“70% discount, deary~ I like to make my goods affordable with a profit. These are sturdy, well made clothes and they don’t cost much to make in masses, hm hm~” Carmen chuckled with a playful purr. “Anyway, always a pleasure to do business with you, Makoto, dear! Happy travels~!”
[I]
[/I]“Th-thank you, Carmen… I’ll try my best..!” She waved the shopkeeper goodbye and scurried her way out, huffing and panting in a mild panic. [I]He’s going to be the death of me, he’s just so… so chipper and out there…[/I] Makoto decided to store the sweater away in her Treasure Bag for the time being since she didn’t need to put it on for now. “This was a good purchase… even if I don’t use it, i-it’s kinda cute… Thanks, Mr. Voice… Umm… I guess there isn’t much else here that would be practical for traveling… Though I could probably pay a quick visit to the Frosty Emporium, maybe get one last Icy Slush before I leave? I don’t know if Crystal City or Load Cabins have a Frosty Emporium like we do, they have my favorite treats… b-but maybe I should just hit the road and start traveling! It’s still morning but [B]maybe I should get in as much travel time as I can..?[/B]”
[I]
-> Better choice, go back to our momma and give em one last hug before setting off, we don't want her missing us.[/I]

“I… I guess I should do that. I-I mean I am going to be gone for a while and maybe mommy would wanna see me one more time before I leave the town. But… but what if I go home and I don’t wanna leave..? What if I get afraid of going back out knowing I won’t be coming back for good this time? I-I don’t wanna make mommy sad thinking I’m coming back home just to leave her again… b-but maybe… b-but I… I-I mean I could… but maybe I shouldn’t...” Makoto bit her lip, looking down at the bag draped over her shoulder and clutching it with a whimper. She sniffled, holding the bag tightly as a single tear dropped onto it before she wiped her cheek with a paw, shaking her head and taking a deep breath.

“No worries… n-no hurries...” She repeated those words to herself. They seemed to really help calm her down—reassuring words that this was her adventure and only she had the power to control its time and pace. All of her friends would be waiting for her return and happily welcome her home no matter how long it took her to do so. “No worries...” She bit her lip, loosening her grip on the bag and taking another deep breath. “No… N-no hurries...” She gulped, nerves starting to overwhelm her again. Before she knew it, she was standing outside her home, staring at the door. How did she get here so fast? How did she get here at all?! Was she walking? How did she not realize she was walking? Was she so caught up in her thoughts that her body subconsciously moved towards its own desired destination? Her mind was on leaving but it seems her body had other plans. Her heart was pounding in her chest, a trembling paw slowly approaching the door, ready to knock. She figured if she was here she may as well do it now, right?

[I]Knock knock knock…

[/I]Makoto took one more deep breath to calm herself. She repeated the words over and over in her head, [I]no worries, no hurries, no worries, no hurries, no worries… no…

[/I]“Makoto? What are you doing back home, dear?” That gentle voice, the soothing sound of her adoptive mother broke the Frosquirrel’s nerves away and it all melted into a calm sea. She exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and jumped into her mother’s arms with a soft cry.
[I]
[/I]“M-Mommy...” She sniffled, clinging to the icy Raichu, nuzzling into her clothed bosom lovingly. She looked up at the older woman with big, glistening eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks as she felt her caretaker’s soft paws brush and caress her back, a gentle shushing and soft licks to her forehead helping to further calm and soothe the young girl.
[I]
[/I]“There there, my sweetie… it’s OK. Mommy is here for you. Mommy will always be here for you.” She spoke softly into the squirrel’s twitching diamond ear, embracing the quivering squirrel tenderly. “It’s OK if you don’t want to leave. I understand that it is a huge ordeal to make such a leap, such a change in your life.”
[I]
[/I]“N-No… I want to go, I-I feel like I have to… b-but... I-I wanted to say goodbye one more time before leaving. I wanted to see you last…” She sniffled, the Raichu wiping away her daughter’s tears and giving her a warm, patient smile.
[I]
[/I]“Oh, my little princess… I’ve raised you so well.” She purred quietly, hugging the Frosquirrel closer and giving her another soft kiss on the forehead. “You’re going to do fantastic out there. This adventure is just what you need, you’re going to be great, do great, and become a very brave, strong young lady. And when you come home, mommy will be waiting to welcome you with open arms. And perhaps a big ol’ party as well~” Makoto giggled faintly at the thought of having a welcome home party. Her mom and all of her friends there to welcome her with as much enthusiasm as ever. It helped make her feel a lot better hearing it from someone so close to her that she would be missed. That they’d wait for her return.
[I]
[/I]“I’m gonna miss you, mommy...” She whimpered a little as she tried to cheer herself up. The Raichu scratched behind her ears softly, giving her a gentle, reassuring nuzzle to the nose.
[I]
[/I]“I’ll miss you too, pumpkin. Mommy will be waiting for you to come back, and don’t be afraid to come home at any time no matter where you are. You’re always welcomed here.” Makoto smiled a bit, her tail wagging a little as she let off a deep sigh and finally broke from the hug reluctantly.
[I]
[/I]“A-Alright… the sun is getting high, it’s going to be noon soon so I… better start going. Th-thank you, mommy. For everything. I’ll make sure I bring you and everyone lots of souvenirs too..!”
[I]
[/I]“That sounds delightful. And when you come back, we’ll love to hear all of the stories you’ll have to tell of your travels!” The Raichu smiled at her daughter and pat her head gently. “OH! Before you leave, mommy has one last gift for you! Wait here.” She ran back into the house, leaving Makoto at the entrance to wonder what else could the icy chu possibly have. Returning but a minute later, Makoto’s face would flush blood red as she realized what the little box in her mother’s paws was.
[I]
[/I]“[B]MOMMY?![/B]” The Frosquirrel was ready to die of embarrassment on the spot and nobody was around to see this but the two of them.
[I]
[/I]“Now princess, if you’re going to be out on long travels without your mommy to take care of you, the least you can do is ensure me that you’ll be responsible and use protection.”
[I]
[/I]“Th-That kind of stuff was the last thing on my mind!”
[I]
[/I]“But it’s still something to consider~” She placed the box of condoms in Makoto’s Treasure Bag and pat her head again. “Now, you’d best be on your way. The travel is likely to be a very long one so you’ll want to have as much of the day left to do so. It can be terribly dangerous to walk Polarity Field in the night if you are inexperienced. Even as an ice-type, the harsh, cruel cold blizzards will blow all of your tracks away. Even with a map, you could find yourself lost in the vast, open tundra. Save for the trees, it all looks the same.”
[I]
[/I]“Y-Yes, mommy… thank you again for everything. I-I’ll see you soon..!” She gave the Raichu one more hug before she finally turned to leave, going into a sprint to get out of town as quick as possible to begin her journey. [I]No worries, no hurries… This is my adventure. A-And I’m… not alone. I’m not alone. Mr. Voice will help me…Mr. Voice is… [/I][B][I]a friend…[/I][/B][I]

-> Though you can't see us, just know, we are shaped like a friend :)
[/I]
It was even more reassuring to Makoto to know that the strange and unfamiliar voices in her head were at least friendly and did not appear to have malicious intentions. As far as she could tell, at least, and that was all that really mattered to her right now. Having someone to keep her company in her long and lonely journey, even if not a physical being, was better than truly being alone. And as she reached the western outskirts of town she could see the soft, cool grass quickly being covered and consumed by layers of snow the farther out she looked into the wide expanse of white, winter nothingness.
[I]
[/I]She gulped, the nerves starting to come back to her before she took a deep breath and repeated those soothing words. [I]No worries, no hurries…[/I] She took her first steps forward, feeling as if she were walking through tar, her body suddenly so heavy as if trying to hold herself back from making the plunge pass the point of no return. When her feet finally touched the soft snow with an audible crunch from her foot pressing into the grouped bunch of soft, frozen water particles, she felt an exhilarating sensation overcome her as her body was taken by a sudden refreshing feeling.

It had been such a long time since she’d last gotten to feel snow on her body. Despite living on the frozen continent, Pulse Village was the only establishment on the main land of the Proton Continent that was just far enough east that the tropical heat kept the town just warm enough to prevent frequent snowing. So when she finally stepped into the snow, it was about the equivalent of the average Pokemon taking a dip in a relaxing hot spring.

It felt wonderful! And it really helped Makoto’s enthusiasm pick up about going on this adventure. A boost she really needed as she felt a lot better in the moment with walking out into the open land that expanded across the continent known as Polarity Field. As she looked down at her map, she would notice a grid space that her marker was placed into upon it as well as an indicator stating her being in the first sector. Such knowledge was never taught to her and thus when it happened to her, she realized that this really would be the point of no return as she found herself unable to go backwards. In fact, as she turned around, the lively little village she called her home, that was just behind her mere steps away, was nowhere to be found. At that point, it all dawned on her what had just happened.

Polarity Field wasn’t just a large open land. It was a Mystery Dungeon.

An intense wave of nerves and anxiety immediately crashed over Makoto as she had never been in a Mystery Dungeon before. She was completely lacking in experience with them! Of course, she had knowledge of their existence and bits on how they function, knowledge courtesy of her mother, but she’d never been in one before! Learning and performing were two very different acts!
[I]
Noworriesnohurriesnoworriesnohurriesnoworriesnohurries..![/I] No amount of repeating the phrase would calm her nerves and she’d quickly find herself frozen in place and hyperventilating as her anxiety turned into fear which then turned into panic. Her tail coiled around herself protectively as she clutched her bag and dug into it frantically as if trying to find something that would calm her down. Recklessly tossing away an Oran Berry and her only Pecha Berry, her panic was settling in worse as she began to go into a violent tremble before her paw grabbed hold of something firm and hard, tugging it out to find a red collar with a bell on the front and a note attached.

Makoto didn’t remember seeing any collars so she wasn’t sure how it got in there, but in her current state of mind, she didn’t nor couldn’t bother to think on it. Without even reading the note, she latched the collar around her neck, hoping it would do something, anything to calm her intensifying panic attack. The bell began to glow and a melodic chime rung from it as a familiar song played in her head while a white aura surrounded the immediate area. Makoto’s entire body locked up again, but this time her muscles relaxed and her nerves calmed drastically, the panic leaving and her mind and body being soothed by the bell’s echoing tune.

Letting out a big sigh of relief, the Frosquirrel instantly felt so much better, her jitters gone and her tail uncoiled itself from her midsection. Picking up the berries from the ground, she put them back in her bag and grabbed the note as well, looking it over.
[I]
Makoto, I know this quest is going to be a great challenge to you and there may be times where you feel that you can’t do it or you won’t be able to go on. So I included another gift to you within this bag. If you ever feel as if you’re going into a panic or your anxiety is too high, this collar should help to keep you relaxed and calm all of your worries. The bell tolls with a song that brings warmth to the heart to relax the body of its wearer.

I know you can do it. Love, Mommy Lorelei.
[/I]
Makoto clutched the note with a soft smile, wiping away a tear. “Even now, mommy is still looking after me...” Her tail wrapped around herself and she hugged it tight. “Thank you, mommy… I’m gonna do my best from here on. I can’t be afraid… I gotta be strong, I gotta be brave… i-it’s just a Mystery Dungeon… mommy told me about them, there’s no danger in a Mystery Dungeon… I-I can do this...” She steeled herself, regaining the courage to carry on and she finally began walking ahead, keeping eyes on her surroundings for any signs of life or movement.
[I]
[/I]It all looked the same to her, no matter how far she walked, even as she looked at the map that seemed to tell her where she was, it was just a single marker on a huge square grid and nothing else. [I]Some map this is…[/I] She sighed. She couldn’t be lost, though, she had been walking straight the whole time so if she just turned around, she’d be able to get back to the start, right? Not that that would do her any good but it was reassuring to know. Though, when she switched maps from the dungeon to the world map, something didn’t seem right to her. Apparently, just west of Pulse Village was a landmark known as Icicle Forest. But how did she get to Polarity Field before the forest if the forest was closer to town? Perhaps Icicle Forest was somewhere inside Polarity Field and it just looked a bit odd when in map form. Maps aren’t really a one-to-one translation of land and space anyway...
[I]
[/I]“If I just keep walking straight, I’ll get somewhere eventually, yeah..? Maybe I missed that forest place but Crystal City isn’t very far either...” Makoto looked down at the dungeon map tab again and stopped in her tracks when she noticed a new marker. A red marker. While her marker was white, she didn’t know what red meant. She wasn’t educated in what keys and colors meant on the Wonder Map but, lucky for her, there was a key legend on the side. And unlucky for her, the legend didn’t say good things about red markers.

Red markers indicate wild Pokemon. And wild Pokemon in Mystery Dungeons are usually mean and violent.
[I]
[/I]The marker was closing in on her and she was freezing up again, the nerves starting to come back to her quickly. [I]S-Something’s coming for me..! Wh-what do I do? [/I][B][I]What do I do?![/I][/B][I]

-> Climb a tree and hide
[/I]
In theory, the idea was good. Hiding away to at least see what she’s up against, but there was one problem to that request…
[I]
Tree? Wh-what tree? Where tree?![/I] Makoto looked left and right frantically in search of a tree but there wasn’t one in sight. Only the wide open land blanketed by white snow. There wasn’t anywhere for her to hide and if she tried to dig into the snow, the fat lump would still give away her presence. As she started panicking again, the collar’s bell would chime that familiar tune and the white aura would again consume the area with its relaxing effect. Her worries were gone in an instant and as she looked forward, she’d notice an odd, tiny hill of snow right in front of her that definitely wasn’t there before. Not to mention the fact it was moving?
[I]
[/I]“Wh...wha..?” The Frosquirrel looked down at her map and bit her lip when she saw the red marker was right in front of her own. Realization hit her that this weird lump of snow, or at least whatever was under it, was the wild Pokemon that was coming straight at her. And now it was just sitting there in complete silence. “Uhh… h-hello..?”
[I]
[/I]“...” No response.
[I]
[/I]“Is anyone… under there?” Curiously, she placed a paw on the snow and pressed into it lightly. Slowly, she’d apply more and more pressure to it, making the little hill depress in the center gradually until she’d hear a loud squeak and the hill would shift around wildly. “Wah!” She quickly drew her paw back and jumped away from the rattling pile of snow, looking at it with extremely attentive wide eyes and clinging to her tail for comfort. “Wh-what are you..?!”

The hill squeaked again and it started slowly moving towards her. Makoto stood still in fear watching the pile of snow approach her once more but much slower this time before it simply bumped against her. “Excuse you.” The hill suddenly spoke.
[I]
[/I]“Wha… y-you spoke?” Makoto was baffled at what was going on. Did that pile of snow just talk to her? Or was there actually something or someone under it?
[I]
[/I]“Of course I spoke!” It grunted and huffed, pulling up the snow pile only for Makoto to realize that it wasn’t snow but instead a camouflage of snow-like white fur covering an albino chinchilla Pokemon with big ruby red eyes giving her a stern expression. “Why would I not be able to speak, girl?”
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m sorry, I.. I-I mean my map—I-I mean you...I-I...” Makoto completely stumbled over herself as she went from anxiety induced to crumbling under shyness in the presence of another Pokemon.
[I]
[/I]“I-I-you-I—what’s up with you, girl? Can’t talk? I ain’t gonna hurtcha so relax and take it slow! Use ‘em words nice and easy.” The chinchilla completely uncovered themselves and the lump of snow shifted and formed itself into a long and fat tail which whipped around to grab hold of Makoto’s giving it a friendly shake. “What’s a girly like you doing in a place like this? You not lookin’ like some seasoned veteran explorer or whateva those teamie guys call ‘emselves.” He took a whiff of Makoto’s scent and shook his head. “Don’t smell it neither. Smellin’ all fresh and groomed. You a newbie to this ‘venturin’ thang, girl?” Makoto’s voice was caught in her throat, unable to respond to the rash and rowdy rodent, only giving him a nod.
[I]
[/I]“Shy type too, eh? You ain’t gotta worry ya li’l head, I’m a nice guy. I just got tongue on me, s’all. A way o’ them words, ya feelin’ me? Don’t think I’m all rude and threatenin’ and shit ‘cus my tongue sharp. ‘Cus I’ll show ya some rude happenin’ if ya want it!” The Frosquirrel quickly shook her head, holding her paws up nervously. “Good. So! When ya find that voice o’ ya’s, wanna tell me what brings ya out here? I’m bein’ pretty nosy but a green thumb like you could use some experienced help if ya ain’t tryna get lost in this wide open world o’ snow. [B]Hey, how’s ‘bout if ya tell me your tale, I’ll tell ya mine?[/B] Eye for an eye, we both get a li’l knowledge outta this, yeah girly?”
[I]
-> Oblige him. Maybe he will even help you if you tell him your story.
[/I]
Makoto was a very honest girl, if a bit on the naive side, and though she probably shouldn’t just trust this random chinchilla, especially a wild Pokemon no less, she didn’t have much other choice. He may say he’s harmless but the likelihood he actually had zero battling skills was very low and she probably wouldn’t fair well at all in a fight against him.

Calming herself with deep breaths, she began telling off about the Crystal Hamster’s tale and her quest to find them and have her wish granted. Though it likely sounded ridiculous to try and find something told only in stories and legends, the chinchilla appeared to be genuinely interested in what she had to say.
[I]
[/I]“Mhm, uh huh. So ya tryna be brave, eh?” Makoto nodded to the white furred rodent. “I gotcha I gotcha. Mad respect for ya, girly. Just you bein’ here, you oughta pat yaself on the back ‘cus that’s some brave shit on its own. Crystal City’s a good place to go first, too. For a newbie, you got some brains and talent for plannin’ and travelin’. But hey, deal’s a deal. Told me yer stuff so here’s mine. So there’s this uhh… lovely dame back in Crystal City I know who I maybe got the hots for. She’s a real darlin’, I tell ya. A Cinccino with the most beautiful golden fur I ever did see and a smile that’ll melt hearts~ Her and me go way back but lately I kinda been seein’ her in new light and whenever I’m close’ta her… heh, my heart be thumpin’ wild and I get all stutterin’ kinda like you. She’s sweet as a doll and I been wantin’ to express myself and tell ‘er I’m catchin’ feelings but I feel like she worthy of more than just a dumb confession! I wanna get her a gift and I know just what I wanna get but it’s in the Icicle Forest and I ain’t to fond o’ that place. ‘least not goin’ there myself.”
[I]
[/I]“Y-Yeah..?” Makoto listened intently to the chinchilla’s heartfelt woes.
[I]
[/I]“Yup. So I gots another proposal for ya. This time more of a scratch my back and I'mma scratch yours, y’know? So ya wanna find that hamster up in Polaris Mountain but ain’t no way a green thumb like you gonna do it alone, girl. [B]So how’s ‘bout you help me out with my thing and I’ll help with yours?[/B] I’ll go with ya wherever ya need like a teamie. Mystery Dungeons be easier with partners plus keepin’ each other company can throw out the loneliness out here.” The chinchilla had a good point there. If she had someone to travel with her, that would be of great help to her. Especially since her fighting skills weren’t the best and she really had no idea where she was going outside of the Wonder Map giving directions. Someone with actual field experience would be a good idea but should she just take the offer from anyone like that?
[I]
-> Wait wait wait, make him elaborate what he needs help with.

[/I]“W-wait… what exactly do you need help with..? You just said… you don’t like Icicle Forest, wh...what does this have to do with me..?” Makoto wasn’t sure what exactly she was going to get herself into here. The chinchilla’s explanation was a bit on the vague side, she wanted to know more before agreeing to anything.
[I]
[/I]“Ah man… see, deep in the forest is another, smaller dungeon called Icicle Cave. There’s a biiig underground dungeon in the largest icicle found deepest in the forest. In that cave is bunches o’ beautiful ice crystals of all kinds’a colors. They’re hard as gemstones so they make great gifts and… well I wanna snag some and get ‘em cut up and make a ring outta ‘em...” He looked away with a huff, his cheeks glowing red. “So, ya gonna help me out or not? I ain’t gonna force ya but my offer still stands, girl. You help me get some crystals and I help ya get some crystals. Yours just happen to be a hamster.”
[I]
[/I]“I-I uhh… well… umm...” Makoto had to think it over again. With a bit more detail, it was coming together better for her. It sounded simple enough, go in a dungeon, help get to the end of it, get some crystals, get out and she has a partner to travel with her. Not to mention, if this chinchilla was telling the truth about this Icicle Cave, those ice crystals would be a perfect souvenir for her mom! [I]Maybe I should… but… but what if he’s not being honest..? [/I][B][I]Should I do it, Mr. Voice..?[/I][/B][I]

-> We can. It's clear he's just trying to make the perfect ring for his girlfriend. What isn’t clear, though, is his name.

[/I]“Well… I don’t see why not, I-I could get a souvenir too for my mommy there…”
[I]
[/I]“Great! Then startin’ here from now, you and I are travelin’ partners~ Pleasure to be on board with ya, girly.” The chinchilla grabbed Makoto’s tail with his own again, giving it a more formal shake this time.
[I]
[/I]“W-wait! I...b-before I go with you anywhere, I-I wanna… what’s your name..?”
[I]
[/I]“Eh? OH! Pfft, ain’t I a dumbass. All this time and I ain’t never told ya my name. Evengarde is my name but just call me Eve. I ain’t a fan of my real name so don’t go shoutin’ it out ‘round other peeps, a’ight? Don’t wanna get any kinda looks from ‘em, girly. And speakin’ o’ names, the heck is yours, ‘uh? I ain’t tryna be disrespectin’ a new friend by callin’ ya ‘girly’ constantly, girly.”
[I]
[/I]“B-but you just did...n-never mind. I’m Makoto… i-it’s… nice to formerly meet you. But… I have another question… uhh...” Makoto looked down at her dungeon map. The once red dot that stands in front of her was now turned yellow. Checking the legend, yellow means teammate. For good measure she checked hers; white means leader. “O-on my map, before your marker turned yellow, umm… i-it was red and red means...w-well… wild Pokemon… but… wild Pokemon don’t talk civil tongue like you and I do…”
[I]
[/I]“Guess it’s just followin’ my wild and rowdy nature, heh. But that is some weird shit. Ya sure red mean wild? Or maybe ‘wild’ mean somethin’ different like an enemy Pokemon.”
[I]
[/I]“I-If that were the case...i-it should just say enemy instead...” Makoto huffed a little, rolling up her map and putting it away for now. “I-I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. S-speaking of Pokemon, I’ve also never seen your species before… you’re new to me, Mr. Eve...”
[I]
[/I]“Mister? Girl, you ain’t gotta be formal wit’ me, I ain’t no boss or nothin’. If anything, you the boss ‘round here. I might lead the way knowin’ my way around these parts but you the leader and your instruction is my law. Anyway, I’m whatcha call a Chillaflage. We’re albino white chinchillas who use camouflage cover as both offensive and defensive tactics. My special ability, Adaptation, lets me be immune to all weather effects and my stats can’t get weakened either. Our tails are extremely adaptive to our abilities too; their color and formation change dependin’ on the weather and environment to create the perfect camouflage that we hide under. And if we use it as our signature move, Camo Cover, we get an extra effect dependin’ on the weather. S’pretty sick, ain’t I~?” The Chillaflage smirked, poking out his chest with smug pride.
[I]
[/I]“Y...yeah…” Makoto shook her head and sighed. Well, this guy was a bit of a piece of work but hey… at least he had good intentions and meant well, yeah? With a new ally by her side, the Chillaflage would take the lead and help show the way through the large tundra. Despite everything looking the same, Eve appeared to know just where to go, walking with confidence and only making turns when he deemed necessary.
[I]
[/I]“H-hey… trees!” Eventually, as the time passed, a forest of trees would finally show up in the distance with towers of icicles scattered among them. “There’s finally something that looks different around here!”
[I]
[/I]“Yep, we’re almost there, that there’s Icicle Forest. Frosty and icy and home to lotsa ice-types and fluffy Pokemon that can handle the cold. I ain’t one too kind ‘bout goin’ in that place. The Pokemon don’t like gettin’ outsiders so they’ll likely throw up a fuss seein’ us. We stay close, we should be good.” The pair stood outside the entrance to the forest. Knowing it was a Mystery Dungeon as well, Makoto could only assume that once they step into the sea of trees, the great snowy expanse behind them would suddenly disappear just as Pulse Village did when she first got here.
[I]
[/I]“This is prolly gonna be some dangerous shit but ain’t nothin’ life threatening ‘bout Mystery Dungeons. But I should still ask ya one last time, [B]you sure ya wanna do this?[/B] I appreciate the help but, again, I ain’t gonna force ya to do nothin’.”
[I]
-> We will help. Considering this place has [/I][B][I]rainbow crystals[/I][/B][I], it might contain clues for the hamster we're after.[/I]

It never occurred to Makoto but the voices had a point! Crystals of all kinds of colors? There was a chance that there could be some sort of hint or lead to finding the Crystal Hamster in there! With that thought, there’s no way she could not go in there! “Y-Yeah… yeah, I wanna go..!”

“A’ight then, let’s get goin’. Just stay close, I gotcha back, Maks.”

“Maks..?”

“Yep! I’mma call ya Maks. That cool with ya, yeah?”

“I-I...well err..--”

“Sick! C’mon!” Eve’s tail wrapped around Makoto’s to ensure they wouldn’t be separated and he continued to lead the way forward. Into the forest they went and as the Frosquirrel looked back, she gulped as, just as expected, Polarity Field was nowhere in sight. [I]No worries… no hurries… this is fine… I’m fine…[/I] Makoto bit her lip, looking around frantically at all the trees and walls of the dungeon. [I]As long as I’m with Eve, I’ll be safe…[/I]

“Hey, you cool there, Maks?” Eve looked back at his partner who was currently trembling and clutching his tail with her paws. “You’re kinda suffocatin’ my goods back there.”

“S-Sorry! I’m...I’m nervous, I-I’m sorry..!” She whimpered, her grip on the male’s tail only tightening. “I-I’m in a strange, unfamiliar place a-and it’s a Mystery Dungeon and...a-and I’m… and I’m scared..!” Eve sighed and shook his head.

“It’s aight, girl. You’re worryin’ too much. Ya gonna be alright, you’re in good paws.” Eve pulled the squirrel closer to him, smothering her in his large and fluffy tail. “Just stick to me, don’t let go o’ this tail, ‘k?”

“Yeah...y-yeahokaysoundsgoodthatsgoodstayclosetailgoodokaygood...”

“What am I gettin’ myself into...” Eve huffed but he had to be patient. While he didn’t know much about the Frosquirrel, he knew she was undergoing a lot of changes and some huge ordeals… to her at least. This was extremely nerve wrecking for the poor young girl and even if he didn’t show it, he had to admit he was really proud of her that she was even going this far with her anxiety constantly trying to hold her back. “Look, Maks, I know ya real nervous and everything ‘round here’s all new to ya but I’mma need you to trust me, yeah? Trust me to keep ya safe. I’m a chinchilla of my word and I ain’t gonna letcha get hurt.”

“Umm...O-Okay… I trust you...I-I’m sorry… I’ll try better...” Makoto whimpered into the chinchilla’s fluffy tail.

“Oi, you ain’t gotta apologize for bein’ scared. Shit’s natural, yeah? I just wantcha to try and be brave, do ya best. But never feel ashamed if ya fail. Ya can’t succeed if ya don’t fail a li’l, Maks.” Eve gave her a reassuring pat on the head and a thumbs up. “It’ll take ya time. But that’s why ya gonna have me to watch over ya, bud! Though… I oughta ask ya somethin’ b’fore it comes up and it’s too late.”

“Yeah..? Wh-what is it..?” Makoto’s tail twitched lightly, continuing to cling to Eve’s own.

“[B]What wouldja say is ya skills in battlin’?[/B]”

[I]-> Does flailing count?
[/I]
Never once in her life had Makoto been in a fight before, playing or not. She had absolutely no experience when it came to combat and was never taught either. “...Does flailing count..?”

Eve looked over at her almost in disbelief before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Y’know what?… Yah. Yeah, anything is better than nothin’. If ya know how to give somebody a slap then ya know how to fight. And that’s good enough for me! Buuut for your sake, if we can avoid fights and conflicts then we’ll do that. That good with ya, Maks?” She simply nodded, kneading at the large, fluffy tail that was now her current comfort source. Walking through the trees and along the paths, the couple had a safe and quiet start without interruptions. Going floor after floor picking up bits of goods along the way such as some spare money, a couple Blast Seeds, and a Warp Seed. Four floors in and things were looking good so far. Makoto was feeling pretty good with the lack of confrontations and battle but she still clung to Eve’s tail regardless. She wasn’t going to even chance getting separated from the Chillaflage.
[I]
[/I]“Maks, look sharp! We ain’t alone this time ‘round. Check it up ahead.” Eve pointed to the upcoming room at the end of the wooded hallway they were walking down. Inside, she could see a Bibarel flopped on their belly and snoozing away. “Lucky us, the big guy’s sleepin’ but if we get too close or make too much noise, we might wake ‘em up. A cranky Bibarel ain’t a happy Bibarel, lemme tell ya that one.”
[I]
[/I]“S-s-so we...k-keepquietdontmakenoise… g-got it...” Makoto’s voice seemed to shrink as she talked until she went completely silent. The pair stood at the end of the hallway, looking down at the sleeping Bibarel snoring away quite loudly.
[I]
[/I]“Yikes. Guy’s not just out like a light, he’s keepin’ his guard up with those Z’s. Bastard’s puttin’ up a Snore, gettin’ around this ain’t gonna be fun. ‘K, Maks, we’re gonna have to time our run. When the fat punk’s done snorin’ out a fat one, we make a break for it, aight? No time worryin’ ‘bout if we wake ‘em ‘cus if those snoozes hit us we’ll have other problems. So stick to me and wait for my signal.” The Frosquirrel gulped but nodded, pressing up against Eve from the side and choking his tail in her tight grasp. “Good. Now, on three… one…” The chinchilla’s eyes were fixated on the Bibarel as he took in a deep breath. “Two… …” The Bibarel then let out a loud Snore, the burst damage causing a visible distortion in the very air around them. “Three!” Between snores, Eve would make his sprint with Makoto in tow, passing the Bibarel and making it across the room and into the next corridor.
[I]
[/I]“Wow...wh-whoa, that was… what a rush..!” Makoto huffed, looking back at the still sleeping beaver. “We did it… we did it! We actually got passed that big guy without getting in trouble!”
[I]
[/I]“Heh, we sure did. Ya got feet on ya, girl. You run a lot?” Makoto blushed a bit from the compliment, her tail wagging some, causing Eve’s own to wag a bit.
[I]
[/I]“I-I used to go on jogs a lot...” She looked down, scratching the back of her head.
[I]
[/I]“S’that so? Well them jogs comin’ in handy, think I can rely on ya for some fast feet.” Eve chuckled, patting his partner’s back. “Now c’mon, I see the stairs, let’s keep goin’.” The couple resumed their travel on to the fifth floor of the forest dungeon when they would be hit by a hail floor.
[I]
[/I]“It’s hailing?” Makoto looked up at the dungeon ceiling which replicated a dark, cloudy sky pouring hail down onto the dungeon floor. 
[I]
[/I]“Yep, some dungeons have floors with natural weather effects in ‘em. In this case, it’s hailin’ and it ain’t gonna stop. This also prevents weather changin’ moves and effects from working. However weather changing abilities can still alter the weather like Drought ‘n Air Lock. Since it’s hailin’, the hail will pelt our bodies with its sharp and rough crystals and deal gradual damage over time. But ice-types like you are unharmed. In fact, some ice-types got certain abilities that benefit off hail. [B]What’s yer ability, Maks?[/B] I done heard you Frosquirrels got two of ‘em and a special hidden ability. [B]Ice Body[/B] heals ya in bits over time instead of hurtin’ ya in hail. Or ya might have [B]Snow Cloak[/B] which helps conceal ya in the hail to make ya harder to hit. Or ya might have that hidden ability [B]Refrigerate[/B] that turns ya normal-type attacks into ice-type.

[I]-> Being a good girl for your mommy~ A-And Refrigerate.

[/I]“I [I]am[/I] a good girl...”
[I]
[/I]“Eh? Wassat about?” Eve tilted his head, tail twitching a bit. “Yeah sure, ya damn cute but bein’ a good girl ain’t an ability, Maks. That’s bein’ obedient and I don’t think you the kinda [I]good girl[/I] I fucked with in my day.”
[I]
[/I]“Wh-what does that mean?” Makoto huffed, clutching his tail with her own. “What difference does...does it make, I mean..?”
[I]
[/I]“Don’t worry ‘bout it. I don’t wanna soil ya precious, pure li’l heart with mature, adult talk.”
[I]
[/I]“Wh—h-hey..! I’m an adult..! M-my birthday just passed last week, I’m 18!”
[I]
[/I]“Well congratulations! I still ain’t gonna crack. Keep ya purity, it’s cute. When the time comes ya become an adult in [I]that[/I] way, ya gonna wanna it to be special. Mayhaps not with ‘the one for you’, could end up just bein’ with a real good friend who cares deeply for ya. I’m sure ya at last know what I mean by that.” The Frosquirrel’s cheeks flushed red and she looked down, squeezing her tail again.
[I]
[/I]“I...y-yeah, I know a-at least that… someone special… I-I don’t have anyone like that in my life… j-just a few friends and my mommy back home...”
[I]
[/I]“Ain’t that cute. Look, sugar sprinkles, I ain’t tryna be rude or nothin’ but I think I asked ya a question and right now, it’s kinda important.” Eve looked back at his partner with impatient eyes, tapping his wrist with a finger to emphasize time wasted. “We got time for sharin’ stories later but right now we’re dungeon crawlin’ and I gotta know that ability you got and some moves or somethin’ ‘cus there’s a group o’ Minccino up ahead and they got eyes on us!”
[I]
[/I]“H-Huh?! Ah, c-can’t we go the other way?? I-I don’t wanna fight..!”
[I]
[/I]“There ain’t no other way, we started in a dead end!”
[I]
[/I]“Th-then...thenthenwecould—then we could...w-we could let the hail get them..!”
[I]
[/I]“You think I’m tryna wait like an hour for some Minccino to get beat up by falling ice shards??”
[I]
[/I]“W-Well maybe I would!”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah and I could too but that ain’t how us Chillaflage use our abilities, Maks! We don’t wait out a fight, we wait for the perfect moment to [B]STRIKE![/B]” With patience heavily tested, the battle ready Chillaflage plunged into the room ahead where four Minccino awaited, swiping his tail at the group and sending a large sphere of crystalline ice at them which then exploded into a cloud of ice shards on contact with the ground to spread the attack. With her tail unlatched from Eve’s, Makoto would find herself quickly falling into a panic as she struggled between rushing up to latch back onto the fighting chinchilla and staying back to not engage or be targeted by the now angry wild Minccino.

Her breathing began to pick up, irregular panting and gasping coming from the nerve wracked Frosquirrel. The room around her seemed to start spinning as she felt dizzy and her anxiety began to overwhelm her, sending her into another hyperventilating fit.
[I]
[/I]“MAKS!” Eve called out, looking back at the panicking squirrel clinging to the wall of the corridor. “What’s goin’ on over there, what’s wrong withcha?!” She looked up at the Chillaflage who was currently shoving his paw in one of the Minccino’s faces while his tail held a second one back and a foot to a third, the fourth of the group currently knocked over and dazed. Makoto tried to say something, form words, but her voice was completely lost in her panic. Instead, she could only keep gasping for air, a violently shaking paw reaching to clutch the bell on her collar as it began to rattle and send out its soothing chime, that familiar white aura washing over her that absorbed all of her fears and anxiety, calming the squirrel in an instant. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, regaining her composure and making the decision to join Eve in his battle.
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m… here.” Her voice was softer and than usual, almost a whisper as if she was afraid to speak to the chinchilla. “I-I’m sorry...”
[I]
[/I]“Why ya apologizin’? Just help me out with these twits, yeah? Show me some of those battle skills ya got, give ‘em a whack with that tail or somethin’!” Eve made an example of the Minccino held by his tail, giving them a quick and firm swipe across the face sending the normal-type tumbling over and falling to the ground with a thud. “Just swing that tail and slam ‘em hard! Don’t be afraid o’ hurtin’ someone that’s tryna hurt you, aight?”
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m not scared… I’m...I’m...not...n-not scared not scared.. j-just swing… just… s-swing..!” Makoto bit her lip and turned away, closing her eyes with a loud cry and swishing her tail about wildly. Though she couldn’t see anything, she heard several swats and slaps as her tail flew about aimlessly.
[I]
[/I]“Maks, STOP!” Her eyes widened and her body went stiff in a heartbeat from being yelled at. Her tail immediately coiled around her body and she clung to it, gripping it tight and turning back to address the situation. Three of the Minccino were currently very dazed but Eve was also curled up and covering himself with his large tail, a few bruises covering his cheeks. “Good grief! Ya got some slaps in that tail but next time, try lookin’ where ya slappin’, huh??”
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m so sorry..! I’m sorry p-please don’t be mad..!” She cried, tears welling up in her eyes as she jumped onto the Chillaflage. “I have berries, I’m sorry I-I’m sorry!”
[I]
[/I]“Hey hey hey! Chill the waterworks, it’s cool!” He gently pushed her off and sat up, his tail grabbing onto hers again. Makoto clung onto his tail the moment they made contact, clutching it with no intent on letting go any time soon. “Ya fucked my face like a rabid Raichu but I ain’t dead or nothin’, plus ya got a couple of them Minccino pretty good. Guess I wouldn’t say ya really beat ‘em up so much as you can really get a guy dazed and dizzy with them slaps.” Makoto sniffled, her paws rubbing on Eve’s tail to comfort herself. He sighed and reached forward, wiping away her tears. “Oi, I thought I told ya to knock it off with the waterworks. Cryin’ doesn’t suit that cute face of yours.”
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m sorry...” She apologized again, sniffling and shaking her head to clear her mind.
[I]
[/I]“Yer fine, it’s cool, gal. ‘sides, uhh… actually, I’m feelin’ kinda brand new.” He took a quick look over himself and touched his cheeks. He hadn’t realized it but the bruises were suddenly gone. “Eh? What up with that? Did you do that?”
[I]
[/I]“Huh? D-Do what..?” Taking another look at the chinchilla, Makoto would realize that the small bruise marks on Eve’s cheeks were gone just as he’d said. She’d look down at her tail and yelp, noticing it was glowing a soft pink and Eve’s tail was absorbing the glow. “Wha—wh-what’s happening t-to my tail??”
[I]
[/I]“Looks like some sorta move or somethin’ if ya ask me. We’ll talk about this later, those Minccino ain’t finished off yet. Don’t suppose I could have my tail back, huh?” Makoto whined and clung harder onto it.
[I]
[/I]“D-Don’t leave me...” She whimpered, looking up at the Chillaflage with big, glistening eyes. He sighed and shook his head before patting her gently.
[I]
[/I]“Oh alright. I ain’t gonna leave ya, but if you ain’t gonna gimme my tail, I’mma need ya to follow my lead, aight? Since I can’t use my tail, I’m gonna have do this streets style and start throwin’ paws.”
[I]
[/I]“Y-You don’t know any moves that doesn’t use your tail..?”
[I]
[/I]“Nope! But who need moves when I can do it like a back alley brawl? Paws up, fuck boys!” Carrying Makoto with his tail, Eve lunged at the Minccino group, paws flying and punching away. Fists made contact with stomachs and jaws alike, the chinchilla enduring the barrage of tail based attacks thrown at him from his fellow chinchillas but he’d make do as his wounds were slowly being repaired as he fought. He didn’t know how it was happening, but he wasn’t about to question the support.

Occasionally, when he wasn’t feeling a healing sensation coursing through his body, Eve would instead feel empowered as if he was being given a damage boost, strengthening the force of his normal attacks on the Minccino. Between the healing and damage boosts, he felt borderline invincible in a way!

In mere moments, the four Minccino were down and out, taken care of. “That oughta do the trick.” Eve dusted off his paws of his dirty work before dragging Makoto along pass the room. “Okay, Maks. Now that we’re in the clear, I wanna hear some answers.”
[I]
[/I]“A-A-Answers..?”
[I]
[/I]“Yah, like the first one I asked, what’s your dang ability?? And secondly, what kinda moves you know? ‘cus you know somethin’, I felt healing and power in me and it ain’t come outta nowhere. So start talkin’!”
[I]
[/I]“O-Okay..! I… w-well I do know some moves… l-like Floral Healing and H-Helping Hand...” The Frosquirrel hid herself behind the bushels of tails.
[I]
[/I]“That explains where the heals ‘n damage came from.”
[I]
[/I]“Umm...and I-I have Refrigerate ability… i-it… helps with my Tail Slap b-but I don’t really use it much; i-it’s not really strong...”
[I]
[/I]“I noticed. Look, it’s fine that you ain’t the toughest squirrel on the block. Strength ain’t everything in a fight. Ya do a much better job dazin’ the enemy than harming them which is a good benefit on us. But battling clearly ain’t where you thrive. With moves like you got and whatcha done back there, yer better playin’ support than offense. Between keepin’ me healed up and givin’ me a damage boost, you ‘n I are gonna go far, Maks.” He pat her on the head to reassure the squirrel. “And don’tcha worry, I’ll keep ya safe. Just keep your distance while I do the fightin’. S’long as our tails are connected, you can gimme your support and don’t have to do any battling.”
[I]
[/I]“I...I-I like the sound of that… yeah… y-yeah! I [I]do[/I] like the sound of that..!”
[I]
[/I]“There’s that upbeat charm. Ya pretty cute when you’re full of confidence like that~” Eve chuckled, smiling at his partner. “Now let’s keep on, we’re makin’ good progress!”
[I]
[/I]The couple were going fast through Icicle Forest, crossing trees and towering spears and mountains of pure ice. Floor after floor, they passed along, beating down any wild Pokemon with ease using their support strategy until they’d make it to a large, open clearing with a giant frozen mountain looming overhead. At the base of that mountain was a single opening that led inside. “This is it. We made it to the end of the forest and Icicle Cave’s waitin’ right here. The underground path is what we’ll be takin’. Much shorter than the mountain path, too. About the same length as the forest dungeon.” Eve took a moment to look back at his squirrel partner who was idly stroking his tail for comfort. “I know I’ve asked ya this plenty already, but there is really the last time I can. [B]Ya absolutely sure ya wanna go in there?[/B] It’s gonna be more inhabited than the forest for sure. Plus side for you, since you’s ice-type, most the Pokemon in there can’t hurt you much also bein’ ice-type. But that don’t make it any less dangerous.”
[I]
-> Yes. We want to grow and going forward is the key!

[/I]“Yeah… I wanna go, i-if I keep running away, I’ll never overcome my fears...” Makoto bit her lip, looking into the cave entrance with uncertainty. Her hold on Eve’s tail tightened as they slowly approached the mouth of the cave.
[I]
[/I]“Aight then, just remember to stay close and eyes open. If ya see anything move, gimme a signal and I’ll take care of it.” Makoto nodded, gulping and biting her lip, the pair entering the cave, one ready for anything and the other running on nerves and adrenaline. While the ground was soft and snowy, all around them was nothing but ice. The walls, the ceiling, pure, solid ice. And like any other dungeon, there were rooms and corridors laid out like parts to a grid.

Fortunately, their start was an easy one, no enemies in their first room but Makoto did pick up an Aspear Berry lying on the floor.
[I]
[/I]“Yeesh, this place ain’t nothin’ but a giant snowflake. How can y’all ice-types stand this stuff?”
[I]
[/I]“W-well… we’re ice-types...s-so...”
[I]
[/I]“Okay, that was a rhetorical, shut.” Eve huffed, pulling Makoto closer and pressing up against their bushy tails. “Even with all this fur, I’m still feelin’ some shivers. C’mere, you’re warm.”
[I]
[/I]“H-huh?!” The Frosquirrel’s cheeks flushed red as she was tugged against her partner, feeling him nuzzling and smothering himself into her tail. “Wh-wh-what are you d-doing??”
[I]
[/I]“Gettin’ warm! It’s a literal freezer in here and I’m a li’l cold! I usually stay warm usin’ my tail, but that currently ain’t an answer since it practically belongs to you now. So in return, you gonna warm me up! Now let’s keep walking!” He practically tugged Makoto along paths and corridors, keeping close to their twirled tails for warmth. The first floor was a breeze, like a walk in the park with there being no encounters with other Pokemon. It also helped that it was a fairly small floor meant for choosing between taking the mountain path or the underground path.

Unfortunate for them, upon entering the first basement floor, they were immediately met with an ice blue Rattata with deep black eyes and its buck teeth were like icicles. It’s tail was white and like snow in texture, ruffled up and swaying back and forth as it growled menacingly at the pair.
[I]
[/I]“Wh-what is that thing?!” Makoto tensed up, backing away from the hissing rat. “E-Eve??”
[I]
[/I]“Relax, relax. It’s just a Flakttata. Ain’t nothin’ but a dumb li’l icy Rattata. I’ll clean this thing up in seconds, just keep me up and kickin’.” Eve smirked, cracking his knuckles and approaching the angry rat. Its tail stiffened up and it lunged at the Chillaflage with impressive speed, tackling him down. “What the--?!” He yelped as the icy rodent went for a swarm of slashes, its tail swishing and waving back and forth while attacking Eve. He blocked his face from the attacks, unable to do much else with his lack of tail access due to it being tied with Makoto’s. “Maks, get this guy off me!”
[I]
[/I]“H-huh? Me..?? B-bu...but but...wh-what do I do?!”
[I]
[/I]“Smack ‘em! Kick ‘em! Punch ‘em! Fuck, do anything!” The Flakttata looked up at the trembling squirrel and hissed sharply at her, extending it claws menacingly before returning to slashing away at the chinchilla pinned under it. Makoto whimpered, her legs feeling like lead finding it hard to move but she had to do something! She had to help, her healing could only do so much and this Flakttata wasn’t letting up in the slightest!
[I]
Be brave… be strong… be brave..![/I] Makoto let out a sloppy war cry and ran at the rat, tackling him and managing to knock him off of her though she also ended up falling over too. Taking the opportunity, Eve quickly jumped up and pounced on the dazed rat, pinning him down now.
[I]
[/I]“Aha! Gotcha now, fuckboy!” He threw a punch right at the Flakttata’s nose followed by another, swarming the wild Pokemon’s face with a barrage of punches until the rat was no longer moving. “Good grief, feisty little bastard, eh? Good work back there, ya really pulled through for me gettin’ that guy offa me, Maks.” He pat his partner on the head with added scratches behind the ear. Makoto blushed, her tail wagging as she couldn’t resist a happy purr from the male’s gesture. “Knew I could count on ya as a partner~”
[I]
[/I]“I-I just… I d-didn’t want you getting all hurt, that’s all… y-your words made me move...” She looked away shyly, squeezing the Chillaflage’s tail. “C-can we keep going..?”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah yeah, let’s keep at it.” Stepping over the unconscious rat, they pressed onward into the icy underground cavern. Eve’s damages were quickly patched up thanks to locking tails with Makoto, her healing abilities getting him good as new in no time.

Icicle Cave was a very peculiar and somewhat ominous place to be, the sheer cold of the place leaving the looming sound of an ever present wind lingering in the air. The plus side of such a frosty location was that the air, while very cold, felt incredibly refreshing on the lungs with each intake. It helped keep Eve invigorated, wide awake, and alert and it helped make Makoto feel better than good. She felt truly alive in a place like this! All the cold around her being absorbed into her fluffy body, it just felt so good; she felt so alive here!
[I]
[/I]“I-I really like this place...” Makoto spoke softly, her breath puffing out in very visible clouds of heat that dissipated in the frosty air. “It feels so lovely on my fur and skin… i-it makes me feel really… energetic..! Hehe…~”
[I]
[/I]“What are you laughin’ at?” Eve looked back at the squirrel who was starting to get a bit giddy, paws combing through the Chillaflage’s giant tail. “This place is like hell frozen over, it’s so cold! At least the air feels good to breathe in here but that hardly makes up for this temperature…”
[I]
[/I]“If we keep moving a lot, that should help you warm up. Lots of movement, lots of walking and running~” Makoto giggled, doing a little twirl and hugging their conjoined tails. “I almost feel like there isn’t a care in the world~!”
[I]
[/I]“Well look who’s all up and happy. You’re really enjoying yourself, huh? At least one of us are.” Eve chuckled. He couldn’t hold a sour attitude when Makoto was so happy like this. In fact, he couldn’t help but smile, it was almost contagious. “We’re makin’ good progress. Comin’ along pretty fine, if we keep this up, we should be at the pit in no time.”
[I]
[/I]“Then I can get mommy a really pretty, shiny crystal! And she’ll be so happy and I’ll be happy~!”
[I]
[/I]“A happy squirrel is a good squirrel.” Eve pat the girl’s head as they made it to the next set of stairs. Progress came along well, six floors deep and they were going strong. They’d come across another couple wild Pokemon but with an energized Makoto to keep her mind off of her anxiety, she was supplying more than enough support to her partner for him to beat down their obstacles. As they came to a massive, open room, Eve had to hope his ally would maintain her current positive disposition as he looked around at the several wild Pokemon all with eyes on them. A Pikachu looked their way, white fur with yellow cheek pouches, large snowball ears, and an extra coat of orange fur on their midsection that looked like a jacket of sorts adorned the ice-type electric mouse. And there were three of them at that! There was also another Flakttata and even another Frosquirrel!

And at the other end of the room, guarded by the horde, was the stairs.
[I]
[/I]“Five of them… five-on-two. Maks, we might have a problem.” Eve observed, looking over the horde of icy Pokemon. “I might need you to fight with me on this one, Maks. I don’t like askin’ this of ya but [B]think you can hold yer own against one or two of these runts?[/B]”
[I]
-> "If I beat up at least one, will you stop calling me Maks?"

[/I]“Yeah.. yeah! If I beat up one of those guys, can you stop calling me Maks? My name is Makoto!”
[I]
[/I]“Nope! That ain’t me, Maks. But I’ll give ya another scratch behind the ears. I saw how much ya loved that.” Eve smirked, lifting a paw towards the squirrel.
[I]
[/I]“Y-you don’t know me! Shut up!… D-dummy...” Makoto blushed again, huffing and pouting before unraveling her tail from his. “J-just don’t get hurt..! I can’t heal you unless we’re touching.”
[I]
[/I]“No promises!” Being uncoiled, he jumped right into action, aimed at the trio of icy Pikachu. “Get the squirrel!”
[I]
[/I]“Wha? N-nuh-uh, I-I can’t do that!” She looked over to see the other Frosquirrel slowly approaching her with its tail ruffled up and flicking to and fro as a means of intimidation. All of a sudden, realization came pouring down on her and all of her peppiness broken apart as the overwhelming feeling of anxiety came crashing upon her. “H..hey now, w-we don’t gotta fight… w-we’re the same species, we should get along..! F-f-friends a-and stuff..!” She backed away slowly from the squirrel who hissed at her as it grew closer and closer. She tensed up when she bumped into something behind her, her fur standing on end when paws wrapped around her waist and pulled her against them, trapping her. She looked back and her face when pale when she saw the Flakttata with a devious smirk and felt its paws start rubbing her belly in a very uncomfortable manner.
[I]
[/I]“C-c-can I h-help you, m-mister rat..? P-please don’t...please d-d-don’t...don’t...d-don’t do...don’t...” She was losing her voice, an extreme panic settling in as the Flakttata growled into her ear and his rubbing paws began going lower on her body. Her eyes widened when she felt his claws start digging into her inner thighs and forcing her legs to spread. “N-n-no...n-no thank you, m-mister rat.. d-don’t do that..!” She shook and her heart rate began rapidly increasing, her attention returning to the Frosquirrel dipping its nose between her legs and letting out a more sensual growl. “A-away from there, m-mister squirrel..! Th-that’s not a place t-to sniff..!” She shook and started flailing in the Flakttata’s grasp with a yelp when she felt his nose bump up against her crotch. All of her fear turned into a mixture of panic and anger when it finally settled in that her fear of their intentions were made clear to her and her tail ruffled up and immediately grabbed the Flakttata by the neck.
[I]
[/I]“NUH-UH!!” She went into an instant struggle, kicking the Frosquirrel flat between the eyes and her tail acted on its own, a primal instinct overcoming her as her tail made one swift movement and she heard a very audible [B]snap[/B] behind her. The Flakttata’s grip immediately loosened as it fell over with a broken neck, unconscious before it hit the ground. The wild Frosquirrel growled deeply shaking away its dazed state from the kick to the face it had endured.

Fight or flight had kicked in and, in her primal state, with her now freed from the immediate threat, all of the fear rattling her body took over and she made a mad sprint towards Eve who currently had a couple of the snowy Pikachu holding him down and biting all over his body. Though, as she approached the struggling male, what she heard from him wasn’t grunts or moans of pain, but instead he was having a laughing fit?
[I]
[/I]“EVE?!” She screamed his name, having lost control of her voice, her entire body violently and uncontrollably shaking. She’d never felt so afraid in her life, her heart pounding in her chest faster than could ever be considered healthy. She was high on an overdose of adrenaline and felt like she could kill over of a heart attack. This was the worst rush of her life.
[I]
[/I]“M-Maks! Get ‘em—hohoho hahaaahh f-fuckin’ knock it off—g-get these assholes offa me! They’re—gaahaha—they’re fuckin’ nibblin’ me!” Makoto didn’t even think twice, her mind was completely feral. Her friend was in trouble and made a request, she was going to deliver. Her tail swung at the pair of Pikachu, swiping them off of the Chillaflage and putting them in a daze as her Tail Slap did. In his lingering giggle fit, Makoto’s instincts deemed her ally not in condition to resume fighting. She grabbed him with her tail and made a very sloppy sprint to the stairs.

Practically falling down to the next floor, the Frosquirrel collapsed on the spot, her body completely shutting down as the adrenaline rush lingered within her. The feeling was awful, it was agonizing, a mental and emotional pain worse than any physical pain. Her mind was still racing miles per second, her heart rate not calming one bit. In her current state, she couldn’t even think to ring her bell to calm her senses, slowly letting herself succumb to the raw panic assaulting her from the body straight into her heart.
[I]
[/I]“Maks??” Eve looked over at the spasmodic squirrel. Her body was twitching, spasming, almost in a seizure of sorts. “Makoto?!” He grabbed hold of her, pinning her to the ground and grabbing her tail with his. “What’s up with ya?! Calm down! Chill, easy! I’m with ya, we’re safe now!” Eve could feel panic starting to set into him as well. He had no idea Makoto’s anxiety could get this bad. He didn’t know what happened back there but whatever it was, it did a severe number on this poor girl and he had no clue what to do to help! His eyes then settled on her collar, more specifically the bell attacked to it. “That bell…  I hope that’s what I think it is.” Acting fast, he grabbed the bell and gave it a ring. The soothing chime of a familiar tune rung into their ears as the white aura filled the immediate area. Right away, Eve could feel the intense spasms in Makoto’s body quickly calming and her breathing grew normal. He placed a paw to her chest and was terrified to feel how rapidly her heart was beating before it calmed to a much more normal pace as well.
[I]
[/I]“Maks—M-Makoto, you alright?? Wh-what the hell happened, you good, girl??” Eve didn’t know why he felt this way. So scared, so horrified, so concerned for this Frosquirrel’s well-being. Maybe it was just that he liked having company out on the field like this. Or maybe he just really felt for this poor girl, being so afraid, plagued by anxiety and just wanting to better herself, to get over it. And here she was, almost literally dying to the very thing she wanted to fight off.

Mystery Dungeons may have mysterious properties that prevent death from physical altercations, but mental and emotional illnesses were a very different ordeal.

When Makoto let out a long, deep breath, Eve felt a huge weight lifted off of his shoulder. “Maks..? You… you OK?” Her eyes were still closed and she wasn’t moving but he could feel her breathing so he knew she was alive. Her paws would reach out and tug the male down into a powerful hug, her tail wrapping firmly around his as she clung desperately to the Chillaflage. Eve’s eyes widened from the sudden embrace but he’d return the hug, holding her tight. He could hear her sniffles as his chest grew damp, a paw tenderly patting her back, shushing her gently and letting her cry on him. “It’s OK. It’s all good now, let it out. I never shoulda even proposed somethin’ like this. Fightin’ ain’t your thing.”
[I]
[/I]“N...n-no, I’m… I’ll be fine...” She started to tremble again, her hold on him tightening. “I-I gotta stay strong...th..this is something...s-something that can happen… a-and I gotta be strong t-to fight it...”
[I]
[/I]“M..Maks… I-I mean--”
[I]
[/I]“I-it’s okay if you call me Maks… I-I know… it’s not your style. I-I wanna keep going...” She sniffled, letting go of her partner, though her tail remained firmly clenched onto his.
[I]
[/I]“Are you… ahh, of course you’re sure. I don’t gotta keep askin’ like yer some kid.” Eve got up, helping the Frosquirrel off the ground and pulling her into another hug with him. “But this time, we stay together always. I ain’t lettin’ ya go.” He whispered gently into her ear and gave her a relaxing scratch behind the ears. “That’s a promise this time.”
[I]
No worries… no hurries… [/I]Makoto let out a deep sigh and nodded to her partner. “Y...yeah… Okay… together...” She grabbed onto their tails, returning to squeezing them for comfort while they were back on track through the dungeon. She kept as close as possible to her ally without impeding too much on his personal space, though Eve didn’t mind her being close. For one thing, it was still cold as sub-zero in that cave so getting to have not just his tail but hers close too? Very welcome warmth.

Eve would decide to attempt to avoid as many encounter as possible, only taking on the absolutely mandatory battles along the way. And with any fight they engaged in, he ensured Makoto would have to do absolutely no fighting of her own. While it was a bit extra work to keep his eyes on her, they made due and her healing and damage boosts helped a lot with that.
[I]
[/I]“We’re almost there, I’m sure of it. Maks, mind checking the map?” Makoto reached into her bag to pull out her Wonder Map. Unraveling it, she opened the dungeon map tab for them to look over. “15[SUP]th[/SUP] basement floor. Says this dungeon is a Size 3 so it can’t be any longer than 20 floors deep. Just as I thought, we’re almost there now. Just a little more to go. [B]How ya feelin’, Maks? Are you alright back here?[/B]”
[I]
-> Just a bit shook up… that Flakttata… he was going to… he was doing such weird things!

[/I]“I-I’m OK… just… th-that Flakttata was… they were trying to do...d-do [I]that[/I] to me...” Makoto bit her lip and closed her legs, squeezing Eve’s tail harder. Eve turned back to face her with a look of shock on his face.
[I]
[/I]“You don’t mean...” Makoto whimpered and nodded slowly, pointing down between her legs. “Oh… o-oh, I… shit…” It was really starting to make sense to him why she was as shaken up as she was.  “That’s… that’s something that you’ll unfortunately be gettin’ used to in time. Wild Pokemon have needs that they’re much more willing to… force upon others. But I’m really proud of ya to have endured somethin’ so traumatic, it must have been truly terrifying.” Makoto blushed a little from the compliment, squeezing his tail and stroking it tenderly.
[I]
[/I]“You’ll keep me safe..?” She looked up at him with big, glimmering turquoise eyes, clinging to the chinchilla’s tail. Eve couldn’t help blushing a little seeing Makoto in such an adorable light. But she was putting true trust in him to take care of her and protect her as she tries to better herself and he was going to see to it.
[I]
[/I]“Yeah. I gotcha. The whole way, I’ll protect ya.” He pulls her into another gentle hug with an added, tender kiss on her forehead. “I’m a chinchilla of my word.” Makoto smiled softly, her tail wagging a little. Already, she felt safer in Eve’s arms with his reassured promise. Continuing on, they went together, tails entwined and paw in paw, Eve wanting to be certain that his partner really was feeling well. They arrived at the stairs for that floor, traveling down to arrive at a large, open room covered all around in crystals of all sorts of colors.
[I]
[/I]“Wooow...wha...th-this is…”
[I]
[/I]“Icicle Clearing. It’s the end of the dungeon. We made it to the bottom of the cave!” Eve looked around, marveling at the beauty of the crystals glowing and shining all the colors of the rainbow.
[I]
[/I]“I-it’s so beautiful...” Makoto’s eyes sparkled with wonder. Never had she seen anywhere so beautiful before in her life. “I never would have thought… the world could be so pretty...”
[I]
[/I]“If you didn’t see it for yourself?” Eve finished, looking down at her with a smile. She nodded, blushing faintly and pressing against the Chillaflage’s side. He draped a paw over her shoulder, letting her lean against him and take in the sight for a while longer. “When you’ve finished admirin’ the view, let’s nab some o’ these crystals and get outta here.”
[I]
[/I]“Yeeah… just a little longer...” Makoto’s tail couldn’t stop wagging. She didn’t know what it was about this place but it made her really happy to be there, all the sparkling, shiny colors and glistening rainbows. “I wanna… I wanna get a big crystal for my mommy...”
[I]
[/I]“[B]Ya ready to nab some of these crystals, Maks?[/B] These things can really get stuck so hopin’ it ain’t too hard to pull out.”
[I]
-> Is this area safe?

[/I]“Umm...i-is this area safe? It’s really pretty but...what if something’s hiding in here..?” As lovely as it was to be here, it was something that hadn’t come by Makoto’s mind. She had to thank those voices for making that suggestion or they could have possibly walked right into a trap.
[I]
[/I]“Hmm… usually these spots are safe. But can never be too sure. Good eye, Maks.” Eve complimented, deciding to a more proper scan of the area for anything that could be out of place or abnormal. Though he wasn’t entirely sure what exactly to be looking for, he’d probably know it if he sees it. “Place looks pretty clear so far. Nothin’ out of the ordinary for a place like this, I’d say. Might be safe but keep ya guard up and stay close. We’ll pick crystals together. Let’s get a big’un for you first, yeah?”

“O-oh but… i-is that OK? I-I mean…. We came here for you, shouldn’t...shouldn’t we get yours first..?” Eve shook his head and gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

“Eeeeh, ain’t gotta worry ‘bout me. I insist, ya helped a ton gettin’ me here. ‘Sides, ladies first and all that.” Makoto blushed a little and nodded, figuring they wouldn’t get far going back and forth about this. Looking around the open room again, she noticed a lot of large crystals but they were much too big to take home! Perhaps too big to even uproot from the ground and certainly too sturdy to break. She had to find a sizable one that could fit in her paws, something pretty big but not huge…

“Th-that one..!” She pointed to a pile of crystal stalactites, several of the smaller ones in the bunch appearing to be loose and merely connected to the larger stones. More specifically, she noticed within the pile was one crystal with a very special shine to it, sparkling more brilliantly than the rest, its colors deep and vibrant in the light of the cave. Once you get your eyes on it, it stood out like a sore thumb. “Those small ones...they’re connected to the big crystal, m-maybe if we could get up there and give it a good whack...”

“Ahh, I see whatcha gettin’ at. Yeah, I think that’d work. Just the problem of [I]getting[/I] up there, as ya said. Ceiling’s kiiiinda high, Maks. Jumpin’ won’t get us anywhere close.” 

“Y-Yeah… maybe I should just look for another… s-sorry...”

“No no, ya seem set on that one. Ya never give up on a li’l obstacle. This is where strategic and critical thinkin’ comes into play! Adventurin’ ain’t just about the travel, ya gonna have to make some decisions and plannin’ and now’s your chance to try it out all on ya own! So, whaddaya say, Maks? [B]Come up with a plan to get that crystal down![/B]”

[I]-> How good is your throwing arm, Eve?

[/I]“H-how...good is your throwing arm..?” Makoto looked over at the Chillaflage and gulped. It was a wild thought but… she didn’t exactly have one of her own and it sounded like a fairly decent idea too. But what would come next after that? Should she grab onto the crystal? Or perhaps attack it? But she wasn’t really strong, she couldn’t imagine being able to break it off unless…
[I]
[/I]“Arm? Not so much, kinda stubby. However...” Catching onto the Frosquirrel’s plan, Eve scooped her up into his large tail and shaped it into a catapult, getting down into position on all fours and winding back his tail. “...this baby can launch a squirrel like you a good ways. So I hope that plan’s thought out ‘cus the launcher’s ready!”
[I]
[/I]“W-w-wait I don’t think—E-Eve wait, I--!” Makoto’s eyes widened as Eve began spinning to build up speed before his tail launched her to the ceiling at an impressive and very alarming rate. She screeched from the sheer force of her body being flung up into the air, the ceiling getting closer and closer to her with each passing second. She had a dozen thoughts running through her mind on what to do next but there was really only one thing that seemed like it would work.
[I]
I hope this doesn’t kill me..![/I] She braced herself and curled up into a ball, concealing most of her body within her tail, essentially making herself into a giant, speeding bullet. With a loud crash on impact and the sound of shattering gems, many crystals broke apart and fell to the ground below with Makoto in their wake. Still wrapped up in her tail, she fell to the ground with a light thump, crystal shards of various shapes and sizes lying all around her.
[I]
[/I]“Maks? You OK?!” The ball of icy blue fur vibrated lightly before unraveling, the Frosquirrel flopping out onto her back with a groan.
[I]
[/I]“Ididiiiit… Ooowwww...”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah ya did somethin’ a’ight! Ya gonna give yourself a damn concussion doin’ shit like that!”
[I]
[/I]“But it woorrrked...” She reached out to grab hold of the glimmering crystal, pulling it close to her and clutching it in her hold. 
[I]
[/I]“Well congratulations! I guess ya did think it through; ya made a plan, made a decision, and it worked out. Ya got whatcha wanted and I can def nab some o’ these for myself. Killin’ two birds with one stone.” He scooped up a few crystals for himself and helped Makoto up. “C’mon, we got out stuff so let’s get outta here. Storing them all away in her back, they left from where they’d came in, the Mystery Dungeon doing its magical properties and sending them directly to the entrance of Icicle Forest.
[I]
[/I]“Wha..where..?”
[I]
[/I]“We’re back at the dungeon entrance and in the field again.” Eve responded to his dumbfounded partner. “Leavin’ a dungeon like this is very much easy. Once ya make it to the end, leaving the dungeon is just a matter of… leavin’ the dungeon! So now we can head on to Crystal City, I know a guy there that can carve these crystals good for us. I can get my ring and if ya wanna shape out that crystal o’ yours, I can getcha a discount with him too. [B]How ‘bout we get goin’ to Crystal City, huh? Or ya got anywhere else you wanna go first?[/B]”
[I]
-> Crystal City sounds good you could use a bit of rest from the adventuring

[/I]“I-I don’t have anywhere else yet… we can—errm..sh-should stop there before going on more. I-it looks like it’s starting to get late...”
[I]
[/I]“Hmm...” Eve looked up at the sky and sure enough it was almost nighttime, the orange and pink sunset sky being overcome by the blacks, deep blues, and cloudy yellows of the snowy night sky. “Shit, ya right. C’mon, grab my tail. I’ll take ya there, I know the way.” Eve’s tail wrapped around Makoto’s and she clung onto it right away, sticking close to her partner who led her through the howling blizzard. “These fields get hella frosty at night when the cold front pours in! Blizzard picks up somethin’ fierce—sometimes it gets hard to see just a few feet in front of ya so don’t let go!”
[I]
[/I]“I-I don’t plan on it!” The roaring winds made it hard for them to hear each other despite being practically right next to one another. Trudging through the snow was a bit of a struggle with how quickly it would pile up from the blizzard but they’d manage. Makoto especially, the snow just felt wonderful covering her body, refreshing her mind and making her feel very lively. Though she noticed that Eve’s tail had oddly changed and was practically covering them with an igloo-like shape.
[I]
[/I]“Your taaaail..~” She brushed and stroked it, combing through the igloo of fur. “It changed! It’s like a house!”
[I]
[/I]“Somebody’s getting giddy in the snow again.” Eve chuckled from the Frosquirrel’s rubbing paws. “Yep, my tail also adapts to act as a form of cover depending on the weather. It helps keep me warm in extreme cold like this.”
[I]
[/I]“Are you cold, Eveeee?”
[I]
[/I]“A li’l—wait didja just call me an Eevee?”
[I]
[/I]“Whaaat? Nooooo~” Makoto giggled, brushing the Chillaflage’s tail idly.
[I]
[/I]“...Weeeeell, to answer the question, yeah, I’m kinda cold. Blizzard’s just really comin’ down hot on us.” Eve shivered, pulling his tail, and Makoto, closer to him. “Usually, I use my tail to cover myself from the snow but I can’t really go hidin’ under it since I gotcha clingin’ to it.”
[I]
[/I]“Awww, I’m sorry… but I can help!” Makoto reached into her bag and pulled out her white Heart Stamp Sweater. “Put this on! It’ll help you stay warm~” Eve looked down at the sweater and let out a groan.
[I]
[/I]“Aww man, seriously? That’s all ya got?”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah! What’s wrong with it? Too girly?”
[I]
[/I]“Wh—nah! No! Pfft, the hell makes ya think that! Nuh-uh! It’s just… the heart? Really?”
[I]
[/I]“What’s wrong with hearts? It’s cute!”
[I]
[/I]“Nothing! I-I mean… I ain’t tryna have people think I’m some sorta softy or somethin’ like that!”
[I]
[/I]“But you aaare soft! Your fur’s so snugly~!” Makoto giggled, nuzzling into the chinchilla’s large tail. Eve sighed and snatched the sweater up, putting it on with a huff. “Awwww, see? You look adorable~! You can barely see the sweater, there’s just a biiiig heart on your chest!”
[I]
[/I]“I hate this… The sooner we get to Crystal City, the sooner I can take this off.” Eve groaned, trying to return his focus to the objective ahead. Makoto had to wonder how Eve just knew his way around the fields when everything looked the same. Maybe there was some sort of instinct or internal compass that the Chillaflage had. Or maybe he was just so accustomed to walking the fields that he just memories a bunch of it. But how could he memorize anything when it all looked the same!
[I]
[/I]“Oh! Is that it? Are we there?” Makoto noticed an establishment of buildings in the fog of the blizzard ahead of them.
[I]
[/I]“Yep, Crystal City’s right ahead. Now can I take off this sweater?”
[I]
[/I]“Nuh-uh! You’ll get cold! Let’s go in town!” Makoto tugged on the chinchilla, taking the lead now and rushing forward, almost dragging her partner through the piling snow. Once they arrived at the outskirts of town, the piles of snow died down to a much more tolerable height where they didn’t have to practically jump to get along. “Huh, the snow cuts down once we get in the city.”
[I]
[/I]“They make sure the snow storms don’t get outta hand ‘round here by usin’ heat from the underground that transfer to the surface through vents.” Eve explained, showing off some of the green ventilators protruding from out of the ground near them.
[I]
[/I]“Ooohh. Guess that explains why it’s kinda cozy here, I can feel the warmth~ Okaaaay, you can take off the sweater.” Quickly, he’d remove it and give it back to Makoto, stuffing it in her Treasure Bag. With them out of the blizzard, the chinchilla’s igloo tail returned to its standard, large and fluffy shape.
[I]
[/I]“Well, guess I can say welcome to Crystal City now. [B]So what’s on the agenda withcha, Maks? I ain’t leavin’ yer side so where ya wanna go?[/B] There’s the smith who can cut our gems or we could take a tour ‘round the town. We could also stop by my spot too if ya wanna. Not sure why, though, there ain’t really nothin’ at my home for ya but y’know.”
[I]
-> "Well I never been to the city, what is there to do?"

[/I]“Yeah… uhh… what they said!” Eve looked over at her, head tilted in confusion.
[I]
[/I]“What who said?”
[I]
[/I]“...AH! I-I mean—eheheh—uhhh what I mean is I’ve never been here s-so could you tell me what’s here? What there is to do, I mean!”
[I]
[/I]“Heh, yer an interestin’ one, y’know Maks? Well, town’s not a huge spot but there’s some pretty snazzy hotspots I think ya’d like, eh? Snow Rink Spring’s an open bathhouse in the outside cold. The mix of a cold breeze and the soothing heat of a Lum Spring is a very refreshing experience that really purifies the mind. Lum Berries are infused in the steaming water of the hot spring that helps with curin’ and healin’ basic ailments and illnesses.
[I]
[/I]“If ya feelin’ hungry or thirsty, we got a sweet spot for meals ‘n drinks. The Seed Bar specializes in blending seeds for ingredients to make various juices and meals. It’s a delight if ya ain’t tried seeded treats~
[I]
[/I]“There’s a battlefield in town too for those who want to hone their skills in combat. There ain’t much to say ‘bout it outside o’ that. Just… sometimes you got a score to settle. Sometimes ya wanna do a friendly spar. Sometimes ya need some lessons. There’s a lotta reasons to wanna fight and a battlefield and a fair rule set helps to make it fair and proper to let it out.
[I]
[/I]“Now what if ya wanna have a li’l fight but somethin’ more lighthearted? Snowball Park’s the place to go if ya wanna have a bit of a snowball fight! Scoop up some snow and toss ‘em at each other!
[I]
[/I]“Lastly, there’s the Cozy Nights Inn. It’s the typical warm, fuzzy li’l cabin home you can pay for a night in. But there’s a reason cold places like these got inns like this, it’s hella comfy! Well… also there’s my house. But who cares! It’s just a li’l hut that I sleep in. I’m not there often ‘cus I got other things to do. Anyway! Aside from my buddy who can cut and shape our crystals, those are all the hotspots in town. Whenever ya ready we can go see him then I’d like to pay a li’l visit to my buddy if that’s a’ight with ya. Until then, whatcha wanna do first? [B]Or rather where ya wanna check out?[/B]”
[I]
-> Go for a drink at the bar, maybe a spa later on. Maybe even spend the week here!

[/I]The voices had an interesting assortment of ideas going on but really? A whole week? That’s so much time! But then again… [I]no worries, no hurries. This is [/I][B][I]my[/I][/B][I] adventure after all. And Eve makes this place sound really cool. It wouldn’t hurt to at least spend a few days here, right?

[/I]“Umm… I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since I left home. Can you show me that Seed Bar place?” Still a bit high on good vibes from the lingering cold of the outside, Makoto was still feeling pretty upbeat and even a touch giddy, her nervous and anxiety far in the back of her mind. She felt confident in her decision, she also felt thirsty.
[I]
[/I]“Y’know what? That’s a good idea. I’m kinda runnin’ on E myself in the gut. Could use a snack to dig in on. Heh.” Eve looked over at the Frosquirrel and gave her a playful nudge before grabbing her tail and walking along with her.
[I]
[/I]“Huh? What? Why did you look at me like that?” She tilted her head, her tail swishing a little while holding tightly onto the male’s. He chuckled and rubbed her back reassuringly.
[I]
[/I]“Don’t worry ‘bout it. A bit o’ adult humor. You’ll understand when you’re… … y’know what just don’t worry ‘bout it.” He shook his head, waving his paw dismissively trying to change the topic. “So, the Seed Bar, eh! Think ya gonna like it, really nice li’l establishment. In fact, most everything here’s just a small, local spot. Kinda dangerous to build big when ya practically livin’ in the middle o’ nonstop blizzards and snow storms and all ya got is wood ‘n some bricks. Like most the stuff ‘round here, it’s a bit compact but hella cozy. Y’ever hear a place called Circhester Town?”
[I]
[/I]“C-Circhester?”
[I]
[/I]“A’ight, that’s a no. Don’t worry ‘bout it. Cozy spot in the icy mountains. Been readin’ up on some interestin’ spots in one of the other planets in our solar system. I like doin’ a bit o’ readin’ whenever I got some down time. Probably don’t seem like the kinda thing a guy like me would do though, huh?”
[I]
[/I]“I-I mean… I… I dunno? I-if you like reading that’s fine..! Why would that not be something you like to do?” Makoto didn’t really understand what Eve was trying to get at. She wasn’t very well versed in knowledge involving stereotypes and the like.
[I]
[/I]“Never mind… We’re here, l-let’s just go inside!” He dragged the Frosquirrel into the little bar and the two of them were immediately hit with a soothing warmth that washed over their bodies. Eve let out a deep sigh of relief, his fur quickly warming up in the building with the smell of freshly cooked and grilled meats in the air and the more sweet aroma of various blending drinks.

Unfortunately, while Eve basked happily in the warmth, the loss of the cold meant the loss of Makoto’s happy nature and she instantly succumbed to her nerves again, going into a slight shiver and clinging aggressively to Eve’s tail, stroking along its length.
[I]
[/I]“Ah, shit right, the heat. Uhh… okay, just stick with me and I’ll do all the talkin’, a’ight Maks?” She simply nodded with a slight whimper, the two taking up a spot at the bar up front. Looking around, Makoto could see that there was a little bit of business going on. The lounging area was, as Eve said, a compact little spot. There were only two booths on either side from the entrance and the bar looked to only be able to seat up to five Pokemon at once. While each booth had at least one Pokemon in it, what she also noticed was that there was one other Pokemon sat at the bar on the other end from them, a Greedent who looked borderline passed out, head slumped down on the counter with 11 shot glasses surrounding the blackout drunk fat squirrel.
[I]
[/I]“Yeesh, didn’t I tell y’all to put a drinkin’ cap on Shot Put here?” Eve shook his head at the bartender in front of him.
[I]
[/I]“Guy had a rough day and it was either 11 shots or my kitchen. His words.” The rat spoke calmly as if completely unfazed. “Not my kitchen. What about you, huh? This the second chick you’re coming in my bar with, you a swinger or somethin’, my guy?”
[I]
[/I]“Wh—i-it ain’t like that, shut yo ass ‘for I shut it for ya!” The rat merely smirked and licked his lips, leaning over the counter with his hefty, plump ass raised behind him, tail swishing playfully.
[I]
[/I]“Baby cakes, you can do more than shut this ass any day~”
[I]
[/I]“Dammit Collie, q-quit bein’ gay as fuck for one second, dude! She’s innocent and we ain’t dates! I’m just helpin’ out with somethin’ and she’s good company!” Eve’s cheeks were flushed red as he shoved the promiscuous rodent out of his face. The rat chuckled playfully, large flippers patting down his powder-white fur onto his cream-yellow underbelly. His tentacle-like tail sashayed to and fro playfully much like his huge fin-like ears did, quite reminiscent of the Vaporeon species.
[I]
[/I]“Heh, sugar you know this gay train don’t slow down for no one~ Buuuut, I’ll behave just a little for this adorable sweetheart friend of yours~” He smiled at the shy squirrel trying to hide behind Eve’s tail. He set down the glass he was idly wiping and reached into his white apron to pull out a small notepad. “So! What can I get you two today, hmm?”
[I]
[/I]“Gimme a steamed Malasada juiced with a Decoy Seed.”
[I]
[/I]“Oooo, the Steamy Special~? What’s the occasion, sweet cheeks?” The flamboyant rat giggled, writing down the Chillaflage’s order. Eve growled, grabbing him by the apron and whispering into his ear.
[I]
[/I]“You’ll see when I’m done eating, [I]fat ass.[/I] Now keep that mouth shut ‘round Maks there and I’ll make it double worth your while.” The cheesy rat’s cheeks flushed a deep red and he let out a sultry growl.
[I]
[/I]“Oooh darling, threaten me with a good time~ Alright then, You ain’t gotta worry. I’ll be nice with my innuendos around her. But you better not be nice in my kitchen tonight~” Eve let go of the rat with a huff, his own cheeks a deep shade of red as he smirked at his horny friend. “And what about you, darling? I’ve not seen you around before so how about I go down the simple menu and we can start there~? We’ve goooooot… [B]Steam Grilled Burgers, Buttered Potatoes, Flavored Curries, Flavored Ramen, Steamed Malasadas, Mushroom Salad, aaaand Scrambled Creamy Eggs~[/B]”
[I]
-> Get the scrambled [/I][B][I]CREAMY[/I][/B][I] egg

[/I]“Uhmm...s-scrambled...creamy egg..? That sounds yummy… c-can I also have a drink..?”
[I]
[/I]“Oh you sure can, deary~ But before we get there, I’d like to ask what kind of seed you’d like mixed with your eggs? If you don’t have a preference, Plain Seeds are very mild in all flavors, adding just a nice little extra punch of taste! I would recommend a mix of Blast Seed with those eggs to add a spicy punch to its salty-sweetness. A delightful flash of flavors that’ll leave your taste buds singiiiiing~!”
[I]
[/I]“W-well I’ll try the recommended...i-it won’t be too hot, will it..? Too much heat makes me… uncomfortable...” Makoto clung harder onto the chinchilla’s tail with a little whimper, her own tail swishing and twitching, ruffling up nervously.
[I]
[/I]“Ohhh darling, you are unbelievably [I]adooorrrbs![/I] I’ll write down a note to only use half the seed and just for you, I’ll throw in a free Leppa Rawst Iced Smoothie~ A little bitter, a lot savory~ You two get comfy and I’ll be back with your orders in time!” Tearing the order out of his notepad, the cheesy white rat went into the kitchen behind the bar to give to the chefs.
[I]
[/I]“Umm… E-Eve, who...errm a-and… what is he..? I’ve never seen that Pokemon before...”
[I]
[/I]“Eh, y’mean Collie? He’s a Briechee, species name comes from their appearance like brie cheese. Evolved from a Fondew, it’s a very versatile species bein’ able to evolve into four different Pokemon, of course Briechee bein’ one of those four. He’s a bit of a loud one and super social but he’s a friendly guy with a good heart. Gay as all fuck too, that one.”
[I]
[/I]“G-gay? Like… l-like he likes other boys..?”
[I]
[/I]“Yep, homosexual, that’s the other term for fellas with those kinda preferences.”
[I]
[/I]“Y-You’re not gay, right..? Because you mentioned a girl...are you bisexual..?” Makoto blushed a little, feeling especially embarrassed about asking something so simple yet rather personal. Eve chuckled but nodded, patting her back.
[I]
[/I]“Yep, I like ‘em both. Hell I like ‘em all! Guys, gals, trans, whatever ya gender it don’t bother me. S’long as ya good in heart, yeah? What about you? Do you know your sexuality? [B]Ever thought about what [I]you[/I] like?[/B]” Makoto never thought about it before but she had no idea what her own sexuality really was. This was never something that came up or was really taught to her. Granted she knew about sex and all that, her mother taught her those basics but she never had an encounter in which she had to ponder about whether she liked males, females, or any others. What was her sexuality? Did she like boys? Maybe she liked girls? But what about trans friends? Or even intersex? Or what if she had no real preferences? [B]What was Makoto’s sexual preference?[/B]
[I]
-> Yes. Discover and learn about yourself.

[/I]“I...umm...y-yeah. I d-don’t really have any preferences… I-I like everything..? O-or I mean… I’d be willing to try… [I]doing it[/I] with anyone...” Makoto’s face was as red as could be from cheek to cheek, squirming a little and clinging more onto the chinchilla’s tail.
[I]
[/I]“Hmm. Guess that makes sense. Wasn’t really askin’ for much of a reason other than it just came up and I was curious, y’know? Seems like it’s something ya should really discover about yaself someday. Ain’t nothing ya gotta rush, of course. You’ll find the right one someday. The guy or gal that you can feel safe experimentin’ with in [I]that[/I] way.” He scratched behind Makoto’s ears, enjoying her little purrs and foot thumping against the stool she sat on.
[I]
[/I]“Heeeeere comes your meeeeals~!” Collie came out from the kitchen, carrying two plates with his flippers and a drink held by his tail, placing their dinner down at the counter for them. “You two have enjoy the grub, I’ll be in the back helping out the chefs. One of our boys are out sick today so we’re sliiiightly understaffed. You know where to find me to pay your bill, Eve baby~” The Briechee winked at the chinchilla before turning tail and returning to the kitchen, being sure to really sway his wide hips and make his plump ass jiggle enticingly for the male.
[I]
[/I]“I swear I'mma fuck that bitch stupid if he keeps this up...” Eve grumbled, blushing mad and huffing with sexual frustration.
[I]
[/I]“What was that, Eve..?”
[I]
[/I]“N-nothin’! Don’t worry ‘bout it! Just a li’l bit of self ramblin’, s’all. Let’s have a bite, shall we?” Makoto nodded in agreement, looking at her plate in front of her. Fresh scrambled eggs glistening with a sweet aroma and a hint of spice behind it. It smelled delightful! And the taste didn’t disappoint at all, the flavor was as delicious as the scent!
[I]
[/I]“Oh..o-oh my...th-this is really good..!” Makoto blushed happily, taking another bite of her food. She ate delicately with class and mannerisms, looking over to see that Eve was quite the same in his manners of consuming his Malasada in slices.
[I]
[/I]“Sounds like you really like eggs huh, Maks?” Eve chuckles, smiling at her, watching the Frosquirrel coming out to enjoy her meal. She nodded, her tail wagging happily, occasionally brushing against the chinchilla’s own while she downed her dinner.
[I]
[/I]“It’s really good..! Mr. Collie was right, the Blast Seed adds lots of flavor and it makes my mouth really happy!” She swallowed down the eggs in her mouth before trying iced smoothie next. Her tail only wagged faster as she drank the berry blend down, practically moaning her enjoyment out. “Mmmhh~ That Mr. Collie has really good chefs..!”
[I]
[/I]“Collie’s a damn good cook himself too. He’s actually head chef, he just doesn’t do much o’ the cookin’ himself since he’s also the owner of this bar so he runs the front. But lemme tell ya when he gets on the cookin’ line, shit comes out godlike. Might have to give him a li’l more than just a tip tonight. Seein’ that big smile on ya face’ll make it worth dealin’ with him.”
[I]
[/I]“Dealing with him..? Wh-what do you mean by that..? D-do you owe him something..?”
[I]
[/I]“I know I been sayin’ this… well a lot but don’t worry ‘bout it, Maks. I mean… maybe I shouldn’t treat ya like ya can’t handle it but [B]I’m not sure if ya really wanna now what he and I are gonna do after I pay him.[/B]”
[I]
-> You want to know the surprise!

[/I] "Um...I...I guess? Is it a surprise, though?" Makoto couldn’t help but be curious about what Collie and Eve were going to do. It sounded as though it was going to be something bad or really interesting since he was trying to keep it a secret and she wanted to know! She just hoped it wouldn’t be something she’d end up regretting.
[I]
[/I]“It ain’t no surprise but if ya insist, I s’pose ya gotta learn sooner or later about this world and how [I]active[/I] its people can be. See, Collie and I are pretty good pals too. Though he likes expressin’ friendship in a much more… intimate way. I don’t come here too often but whenever I do, let’s just say I got a backstage pass to the kitchen after hours when it’s just me and him and nobody can hear his screams.” Makoto’s eyes widened. She may have been an innocent little squirrel but she was far from clueless. The hints and intentions were all too clear to her and her face flushed red from cheek to cheek once again.
[I]
[/I]“Y-You’re gonna...y-you and him? Doing [I]it??[/I]” Eve simply nodded and chuckled at the heavily flustered Frosquirrel. “Y-you’re—th-that’s—I mean—so naughty..!”
[I]
[/I]“Shhh! Not so loud now!” He blushed a bit and muffled the exclaiming squirrel. “I can’t help myself, man. Guy just teases and presses my buttons, I do it outta frustration! That and… well he gotta damn fat ass and ya really oughta see the way it bounce on me.”
[I]
[/I]“I-I… I don’t think I wanna..! But… m-maybe I should… I guess I can’t hide from it forever...e-especially since I’m gonna travel the continent and stuff… I should at least… I should a-at least see how it’s done..?” Eve smiled, both of them blushing as he pat her back.
[I]
[/I]“Why don’tcha come back with me after Collie closes up shop, huh? You ain’t gotta participate but I think it would be a good idea if ya came and watched. You wanna discover yaself but first ya really oughta see how sex works. I’ll just say ahead o’ time, the sex you’ll see between us is gonna be some real rough buddy on buddy plowin’. None of the ‘I love you’ mushy stuff.” Makoto bit her lip. This was such a naughty conversation, so dirty, so lewd and impure! But… but it wasn’t bad, right? It’s just a way of life, people have sex..! Friends have sex, her mother taught her about this. There’s all sorts of ways and reasons to have sex and eventually she would probably do it too. It may not be her mom giving her a demonstration but at least it’s still someone she knows and can trust. And that Briechee fellow seemed really nice too, if not a bit too over the top with his outgoing nature. But from what she’d been taught, Collie probably wouldn’t try to make any advances on her since he was homosexual so he wouldn’t be sexually interested in a female.
[I]
[/I]Despite her nervousness, she felt… safe about this decision. [I]I-I can do this… I don’t… need Mr. Voice… I c-can make the right decision…

[/I]“I...w-wanna come and see...”
[I]
[/I]“Atta girl.” Eve gently pulled his partner closer, giving her a light hug and whispering gently to her. “If you ever get too nervous or don’t wanna watch anymore… [B]the safe word is vanilla[/B]. I’ll stop what I’m doing and get you out of there in a heartbeat, OK?” She nodded, looking up at the chinchilla embracing her gently. “Goodness knows you’ll be doin’ me a favor too...”
[I]
[/I]“Wh-what was that last part..?”
[I]
[/I]“Nothin’, nothin’ at all d-don’tcha worry ‘bout it! Heh, say, since we’re done eatin’ here, [B]ya wanna maybe check out some other places? Or wanna just hang here a li’l more or maybe ‘til Collie closes up?[/B] Place is only gonna be open for maybe another half hour.”
[I]
[/I]-> You just wanna watch so stick around
[I]
[/I]“I-I think… umm other places can probably wait until tomorrow..? They might be closing too s-so we could just stay here.”
[I]
[/I]“Huh. Y’know, good point there. If Collie’s closin’ up soon, the others are too. Guess I wasn’t thinkin’ cus I really oughta know that. Guess we’ll just chill out here ‘til everyone’s gone then we’ll hit up the kitchen with Collie.” Makoto nodded in agreement, gulping as she felt her nerves slowly growing. She was really about to see sex happening in person! She’d never seen anyone have sex before, not on videos or images either. This would be her first time experiencing someone doing the do and she was both very anxious and very excited!
[I]
I can’t believe I’m about to watch adult stuff..! I-I wonder if it’s as fun as mommy said it is… I guess I’ll get to see when Eve does it.
[/I]
The two had decided on waiting out the time until everyone had left and Collie closed his doors for the night. With the lights dimmed, it was just the three of them left in the bar and, since Eve had told the plan to the Briechee, he was fast to go back on his flirtatious act with the Chillaflage.
[I]
[/I]“Darling, I should also add for you that what we have is merely a sexual friendship~ This is far from a means of finding a lover but rather a way of grabbing a friend with benefits. And benefits this stud most certainly give me~” Collie let out a sultry purr, leaning over the bar and nuzzling up against his friend, that plump behind of his raised and swaying. “Mmhh, I just might not be able to wait until the kitchen, Evie baby, I might need ya behind this counter right here and [I]now~[/I]”
[I]
[/I]“F-for fuck’s sake, a li’l bit o’ patience, dude!” Eve couldn’t hide the blush across his cheeks as he tried to push the horny rat away from him but he also couldn’t deny his own growing arousal the more that needy, girly chubby rat anxiously craved him. He loved fucking Collie, he was a great source of venting out his sexual frustrations and just overall a damn good lay. That juicy ass was a gift.
[I]
[/I]“I been waiting all day, I’ve been patient enough! Come ‘round here and give my cheeks some sugar~!” He gave himself a smack on the ass with a very wanting moan, Eve watching the wobble of that plump mound of flesh from the impact. His dick swelled out of his sheath with hunger for that behind, throbbing up to its full 7 inch length. Makoto bit her lip, watching the entire spectacle before her. They were just so casual about it! It was as if this were just another everyday activity between the two, like there was nothing unique or special about it!

Though that was probably the case considering this was far from the first time the two males would be fucking.

She was so flustered, so embarrassed. Her face was burning hot, completely red to the point she thought steam was puffing out of her ears! So lewd, so naughty! And yet she couldn’t look away… Growing impatient with the rat, Eve had tugged the Briechee onto the counter with a loud growl and turned him around so that big, fat ass was in his face, spreading those mountainous mounds of fuckable flesh and going straight for the attack with his tongue.
[I]
[/I]“Oooohhh [I]golly~![/I]” Collie let out a loud moan of approval when Eve’s tongue assaulted his rim, dragging and lapping repeatedly across that anxious, needy pucker.
[I]
[/I]“Th-this is happening… this is happening...” Makoto kept repeating to herself, red as a Tamato Berry and occasionally covering her eyes. She just couldn’t stop feeling so embarrassed to just be here! Her heart was pounding out of her chest, sweat trailing down her forehead. Was it getting hotter in here?
[I]
[/I]“M-Maaaaks~” Her ear twitched and eyes widened, looking over to see Collie smiling at her with a big blush of his own. “Y-you’re so shyyyy~ Are you sure—mmmhh—are you s-sure you’re OK watching thiiis~?” She was really surprised to see Collie showing just as much concern for her well-being as Eve was. And in the middle of his butt being attacked by Eve’s tongue, maybe he really was as nice as the chinchilla was saying. Though the question did get her thinking, was she really OK with this? Was she really ready for this? She wasn’t even the one having sex and yet she felt like the most nerve wracked, fearful one in here! Swallowing a knot in her throat, she struggled to make words, listening to the Briechee’s moans and seeing him wiggle his butt at Eve eating him out. She had to be brave, she had to see through this. She had to learn about the world and its ways. She couldn’t hide from this forever! But… maybe she could continue hiding just a bit longer…
[I]
N-no… I gotta… I-I gotta be brave… I w-wanna learn..! No worries… n-no hurries… i-it’ll be OK… I’m just watching… I’m j-just watching…

[/I]“Y...y-y-y...ye...sss…” Makoto bit her lip. She was struggling to say anything and her anxiety was quickly rising. Her jittery paw reached for the collar, giving the bell a gentle ring and letting its soothing aura consume her, washing away her fears and worries with a deep sigh. “Aahhh… y-yes… I’m… I’m OK…”

Pulling his face from between the rat’s juicy cheeks, Eve jumped up onto the counter and mounted his friend, giving the pudgy rodent’s bubble butt a firm spank before plopping his erection on those bountiful cheeks, grinding firmly upon that ass. “Don’t worry yaself, Maks. It may look rough and wild but rest assure ya we’re both feeling real good. It’s an amazin’ feeling and you’re gonna see just how much this punk loves havin’ sex!” Prodding and grinding the Briechee’s entrance, he pressed the tip of his leaking dick at the submissive male’s moistened, lubricated rim and gave a firm slam forward, burying himself tip to base in the heated confines of that fat, hot fire-type ass. Collie threw his head up with a cry of pure bliss as his back end was invaded by thick, vein covered chinchilla meat, clenching firm upon that intrusive dick throbbing strong in his wanton hole.
[I]
[/I]“MMMHH~! This is… i-indeed a very—mmaaaah—[I]intense[/I] experience and I [I]loooove[/I] every second~!” His pleasured cries were more than enough to reassure to Makoto that Collie wasn’t experiencing any pain. But it did make her blush even more to the point of losing a little blood through her nose. It was all just happening so fast but it had to happen sooner or later! Especially after what that wild Flakttata was going to do to her, she needed to know… what it looked like, how to fight against it… how to… [I]h-how it.. f-feels…

[/I]“Jeez, ya ever fuck with anyone but me, Collie? Ya tight as hell!” Eve grunted, deep thrusts slamming the bubble butt male as he cried in bliss, his own erection brushing against his soft belly and the smooth counter top.
[I]
[/I]“Mmmhh y-you know you’re my number one, Evie baby~! You rock this ass like nobody ever could!” He mewled cutely, looking back at the male pummeling his booty. His flustered face then looked over to notice Makoto was staring dead on with a running nosebleed. “Mmmhh m-my oh my, deary, y-you’ve sprung a leak! Nab..nnnmmmhh! Nab s-some tissues there o-on the table to clean your nose—aahn~!” Her ear merely twitched, too enamored with the sight before her to respond or react, hyperfixated on watching Eve pound the other male’s big butt. She couldn’t look away, she couldn’t respond. It was so… intriguing. And yet it terrified her… how could this feel good? That looked so violent! Eve was really pounding that butt! He was going wild on it, and those sounds! Goodness, the sound of those claps, the whaps, the smacks! How was he moaning so much to it!? Did it really feel that good to have sex??
[I]
W-Would… would I sound like that if… i-if Eve did that to me..?

[/I]She shook her head. What kind of question was that? Did she seriously just ask herself something so naughty? But… she was curious! Terrified but curious! She trusted Eve and if both of them said they were feeling good then that had to be true, right? They wouldn’t just lie for her sake, would they? Plus Eve had a girl he was interested in already; that Cinccino girl he mentioned before, didn’t he have feelings for her or something? Why would Eve ever want to do this with her when he already has another girl he’s seeing? [I]I-I’m just thinking silly b-because of them doing it…

[/I]“Maks, h-how are ya feelin’ over there?” Eve called out between grunts and growls. Hearing her partners voice finally brought her out of her trance, her tail twitching some as it wrapped around her. Despite his attention on her, Eve’s hips didn’t let up on their assault, the rhythmic clap and smack of rough sex echoing out through the bar along with Collie’s slutty cries and heated moans. “Mhhgh! Y-You a’ight over there, Maks? Rrhh th-the way Collie’s milkin’ me, this ain’t gonna last much longer..! [B]Y-Ya wanna see what it looks like for a guy to cum inside his partner?[/B] Nnnggh! [B]O-or want me to pull out a-and see what it looks like when a guy has an orgasm?[/B]”
[I]
-> Cumming outside would be a better first thing to see.

[/I]“Umm… I-I think pulling out… s-so I could see how it… d-does it, you know..? How it looks when a guy...c...s-sprays...” The Frosquirrel squeezed her tail, blushing like crazy. She almost said the word, that lewd ‘C’ word! So… so scandalous! But at least Eve seemed to understand what she was trying to see as he’d began to pull out of that plump Briechee butt, his cock throbbing and pulsing as he began grinding and hotdogging the male’s big behind instead. Deep grunts and groans could be heard from the Chillaflage as orgasm closed in on him, grunting audibly until he finally felt climax racing up his length.
[I]
[/I]“G-Get a good look, Maks.. I’m cummin’!” Eve threw his head back, grasping his dick and stroking off the rest of the way. Makoto, completely flushed red, leaned forward a bit to try and get a little better look at the male stroking himself and watching with wide eyes as climax erupted from the twitching length between his legs. She watched as rope after rope of gooey, sticky white stuff shot out of his dick and painted Collie’s back and fat ass. She could only assume that the white fluid pumping from Eve’s dick was what was called ‘cum’ as she was taught by her mom and as Eve had just referred to it.
[I]
[/I]“W...wow...” She was once again enamored watching her partner blow his load, constant strings of cum coating the submissive, chubby rat’s big butt. The way it twitched and throbbed… the pulsing veins… and that white fluid… [I]Mommy said it tastes different...with each male… b-but… can it really taste good..? C-coming from a place like that..? A place...wh-where boys pee from?

[/I]“Hooooohh boy… been holding that one back for a hot minute...” Eve let out a pleasured sigh of satisfaction, giving Collie’s fat ass one last spank before jumping off the bar table, his cock softening back into his sheath. “Eh heh… sorry ya had to see that, Maks. But uhh… you doing OK? I know ya say ya wanted to go through this but I also know that was a pretty damn big decision ya made too. Just wanna be really sure you’re fine. Uhh...” He noticed the Frosquirrel hadn’t once cleaned up her nosebleed, drops of her now staining her white shirt. “Ahh jeez. C’mere.” He grabbed a tissue off the table and gently dabbed it on her muzzle, cleaning up the mess on her. “[B]Jeez, you sure you’re doin’ good, Maks?[/B] I know I’m askin’ a lot but I just wanna make sure, yeah?”
[I]
-> You’re fine. But it was really embarrassing.

[/I]“I guess?...I-I'm just really embarrassed th-that I… I just watched that happen...” Makoto looked away while Eve wrapped his arms around her, gently patting her head.

“I can imagine. You been flushed hella red this whole time. C’mon, I’mma getcha outta here, let’s get a room at the inn.” Eve coiled his tail with Makoto’s, letting her squeeze onto it as he walks them out together. “Thanks for the meal tonight, Collie. Really appreciate it.”

“Mmmnnnoooo problem, baby~ Y’all be safe and stay pretty~” The cheesy Briechee waved off his patrons with a giggle, enjoying the leaking seed spilling out of his ass as well as the mess of gooey white he made on the counter top from his own orgasm. He’ll have to have that properly cleaned up before opening tomorrow.

“E-Eve… umm...” Makoto blushed a little, clinging harder onto his tail.

“Yeah, Maks? What’s up?”

“Umm… I-I mean… wh-what I wanna say is… err...” She bit her lip, trying to shake off her nerves. She was still quite flustered and all embarrassed and rattled from just watching her friend go to town on someone. It was so fascinating, it looked really fun, and it looked like they both enjoyed it a ton. She was curious but still terrified of the thought of doing it herself. She was a cute and gentle little squirrel, there’s no way she would enjoy someone being so rough to her like that! Right?

“Take your time, Maks. Now, nice and slowly just say what ya feelin’.” Eve reassured the nervous squirrel with a patient smile. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh, feeling herself calming a bit from it.

“Haah… what I wanted to ask… i-is… w-well why get a room… a-at the inn, I mean… wh-why...” She gulped and inhaled deeply again before just letting it out, “Whygetaroomattheinnwhenwecanstayinyourhouse??” She buried her face into the chinchilla's tail with a whine, her face flushing deep red.

“Oh! Well I mean ya got a pretty good point there now that ya mention it. Guess it slipped my mind we don’t gotta pay up coin for an inn room when I could just take ya home with me.” The Chillaflage chuckled, stroking Makoto’s back gently. “Guess I was all caught up in showin’ ya ‘round the place and all the hot spots that I forgot about us staying free nights back home. Well if ya rather hit up my place for the night, I got some pretty comfy hay beds there we can sleep on. The inn’s got actual beds though, real soft! Slept on ‘em once myself. [B]Ya sure you’d rather check my li’l dump out instead of the inn, Maks?[/B]”

[I]-> Let’s stay at Eve’s as the extra poke may serve useful in case we need to go shopping

[/I]“Y-Yeah… I wanna stay at your house… we can save the money f-for something else...” Makoto’s tail twitched slightly. She liked the idea the voices had, there might be a really neat shopping store here that she could check out, maybe get some more souvenirs. It would be nice to bring back something for her friends too, she was certain they would really appreciate that.
[I]
[/I]“A’ight then. Another good point there though it ain’t a very expensive place, every bit we can save is bit worth savin’. C’mon, my home ain’t far from here, it’s just around the corner and a short walk down the road.” Eve continued leading the way with Makoto following beside him, tail in tail. Turning the corner from the Seed Bar, they could see a small wooden hut with a large straw roof covering stationed at the end of the road.
[I]
[/I]“Welp, this is my place. Like I said, ain’t nothin’ to write home about.” Eve introduced, motioning for Makoto to enter first. “I guess make yaself at home, get comfy. We’ll hit the hay then I can show ya ‘round the rest o’ town in the morning.” Makoto entered the little hut and immediately she had to agree with the chinchilla. The place really wasn’t anything to write home about. It was a small, single room living space with two hay beds at the back, a side table with a bowl of berries, an assortment of little Plusle and Minun soldier toys, and what caught her eye the most, a Light Ball. She wondered why he had one when it did nothing for him since he wasn’t a Pikachu.

Above the table was a couple of mounted photos, one being of Eve with the golden furred Cinccino he mentioned before and the other of him posing with a green cheeked Pikachu in a white coat. Aside from that table and the hay beds, there wasn’t much else to the place save for the beige carpeting covering most of the floor.
[I]
[/I]“Home sweet home. I don’t bother makin’ the place all fancy and presentable since I ain’t here too often. Most part, it’s just a place to lay my head ‘n sleep at night. But I got a second beddin’ for situations like this.”
[I]
[/I]“It’s perfect...” Makoto couldn’t stop wagging her tail. Sure, it wasn’t fancy or luxurious or anything but it was cozy, warm, and comfy. And though she never did vibe well with warm settings, it still brought out that fuzzy feeling of home in her that she happily welcomed. It was a place worthy of calling a home and that made her happy. She knew she’d sleep well tonight.
[I]
[/I]“Huh… guess I wasn’t expectin’ ya to react so… positively?” Eve chuckled a bit, scratching the back of his head. “Well, I s’pose not everyone need the fanciest livin’ spaces to be satisfied! Get settled in, pick either of the hay stacks ya like, s’long as we’re together, my home is your home, Maks.” The Frosquirrel blushed a little from that. She smiled at the chinchilla offering hospitality to her and she gave him a thankful nuzzle on the cheek before throwing herself onto the right hay stack.
[I]
[/I]“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me, Eve… I-I really do appreciate it a lot...”
[I]
[/I]“Hey hey, ya make it sound like I’m done my job~” Eve flopped onto the left bed, looking over at his partner. “We’re far from done but hey! Ya ain’t gotta thank me, I’m just doin’ what’s right and helpin’ out a green thumb to make it in this wide world. When we’re done here, I’mma make certain you’re ready to become a seasoned explorer~ Even if ya decide to just head back home, I’ll have ya ready to answer the call to adventure whenever it beckons ya.” Eve sprawled out in his hay, closing his eyes and letting out a satisfied sigh. “I’d say today was pretty damn good.”
[I]
[/I]“A-and tomorrow will be even better...” Makoto finished, curling up in the hay and covering herself with her large, soft tail.
[I]
[/I]“By the way, Maks… we still got a few places to check out, yeah? Snow Rink Spring, Snowball Park, the battlefield, and my buddy who’ll shape up our crystals. [B]Where do ya wanna go first tomorrow?[/B] I’m down for anything, this is your tour and your adventure so you’re captain o’ this ship.”

[I]-> Snowball Park. We could have quite a ball there.

[/I]“Could we go to the park..? I-I wanna play in the snow a little...”
[I]
[/I]“Heh, definitely. I think that’d be really healthy for ya, too. We’ll go the Snowball Park first thing in the mornin’. Have a li’l fun there with some snowball fights.” Eve let out a big yawn, pulling a bit of hay out of the stack and dropping it on himself. “Welp… goodnight, Maks. Sweet dreams to ya.”
[I]
[/I]“N-Night, Eve...”

The night passed quickly and the sun began its ascent into the sky, beginning a new morning over Crystal City. Makoto was up bright and early, doing routine stretches to get ready for the long day ahead of her. Looking over, she noticed Eve was much slower about getting out of bed, slumping down from the hay stack with a groan and stretching a bit sloppily.
[I]
[/I]“A-are you OK, Eve..?” She asked, a bit worried for the bed head chinchilla.
[I]
[/I]“Yeah… early mornings ain’t my forte. But I gotta get up and do business...” His tail twitched, ruffling up even fluffier before he began combing it back down.
[I]
[/I]“W-We can wait a little more i-if you wanna sleep longer..?”
[I]
[/I]“Nah, I get up ‘round this time normally anyway. Just never get used to it regardless… wakin’ up’s hard work for me.” He began grooming himself, lapping and patting down his fur to make himself look more presentable. “There we are. C’mon, ya ready to hit up the park? It’s bright ‘n early so we could still catch the kids while they’re there and play with ‘em. Precious li’l fellas the lot of ‘em are, they love havin’ snowball fights. I think you’d like ‘em too.”
[I]
[/I]“Y-Yeah, I-I love kids...” Makoto smiled softly. The energetic, hyperactive nature of most children often brought a smile to the Frosquirrel’s face. Seeing youth so happy and playful made her feel like maybe one day she could be as social and happy as they are. She was still young and full of youth herself; despite being an adult, 18 was still a teenager.
[I]
[/I]“Then let’s hop to it! The mornin’ ain’t gonna get younger!” Grabbing tails with his partner, Eve led the way out, grabbing a pair of Sitrus Berries along the way for the two of them to have as a quick, filling breakfast as well as to help energize them for the day. The couple were back down the road and made a turn right at the intersection, walking the opposite direction from the Seed Bar. Going down then open road, Makoto would notice that the left side would lead out into the open snowy field while the right was lined up with small market booths, most of them empty as their owners were either currently still sleeping away the early morning or were off doing something else at the time. She would keep this spot in mind, curious about coming back sometime to see what goods they sold.

At the end of the road, they walked off into the snowy field which was fenced off from the open wilds by bricked snow and ice. Inside, they’d see that there were already snowballs flying to and fro and they could hear the giggling of several children playing about.
[I]
[/I]“Looks like the kids are really are war in there today!” Eve pointed out the constant snow being fling about as well as the various walls and mini forts made out of snow with various Pokemon about. “[B]You wanna join ‘em in the games, Maks? Or would ya prefer to wait it out ‘til they’re done so we can have the place alone?[/B]”
[I]
-> Take no prisoners
[/I]
With her exposure to the snow and cold, Makoto was slowly beginning to feel a bit more on the lively side again. And with that slow rise in mood and energy came memories of her days as a young kid herself throwing snowballs with her friends. And on top of that all came the fire within her that would ignite a former two-time competitive Little Cup Snowball Warrior champion.
[I]
[/I]“M-Maks..?” Eve noticed the fire in the Frosquirrel’s eyes, her nostrils flaring as she stepped up to the park, scanning her surroundings. The snow were in bunches of lumps and little hills strewn all about. Kids were hiding behind little forts, occasionally peeking out to toss a snowball or two—they looked to be in their teens as well for the most part, no younger than 12 and no older than 16. Their giggles and laughter at the lighthearted fun only fueled that fire within Makoto as she let out a battle cry and jumped into the field for cover, swiftly scooping up piles of snow with her tail and forming a mini fortress of her own.
[I]
[/I]“He’s exposed! Open fire!” A Chuflake called out before assaulting the Chillaflage with a barrage of snowballs.
[I]
[/I]“Get over here! We’re at war!” Makoto shouted at Eve who quickly ran by with several snowballs being launched at him from all directions.
[I]
[/I]“Maks, what the hell’s gotten into you?!” Eve watched as his partner swiftly patted down snow into ammunition, piling up her snowballs for the battle. “
[I]
[/I]“I love snowball fights! I used to do them a lot as a kid in school during recess during the month of Water when the snow would reach out over my home. I was the best at it winning the village Little Cup snowball fight league twice! It’s the only kinda fighting I was ever good at~ FIRE IN THE HOLE!” She peeked out over her cover and launched two snowballs at once with her tail aimed for a Snopeko, one arcing high while the other went straight and swift. While they dodged the quick shot, they were left exposed to the lob shot that landed right on their head with a little splat.
[I]
[/I]“Ack! I’m hit!” The Snopeko cried, playfully collapsing back into their hideout.  “Backup! I need backup!” As the Snopeko went down, a Chuflake showed up in their place, a snowball in each paw.
[I]
[/I]“Eat snow, punk!” They tossed one straight for the Frosquirrel who used her tail to block it easily.
[I]
[/I]“Ha! Try again, goofba--!” In her gloating, she was cut off by the second snowball splatting her right in the face. Makoto fell back with a thud in the snow, looking over at Eve. “...I’m down! You gotta… [I]cough cough…[/I] avenge me, soldier...”
[I]
[/I]“Maks, what the hell...”
[I]
[/I]“AVENGE ME!”
[I]
[/I]“A’ight! A’ight! I’ll play along!” Eve shook his head, scooping up a few of Makoto’s snowballs. “You’re a real dork, hope ya know that.” Taking a moment to scan the area from their cover, the Chillaflage would notice a Minccino from the other fort had their attention on the Chuflake and Snopeko, aiming the first snowball for them.
[I]
[/I]“Eyes on your enemies, kid!” He’d call out while launching the little orb of snowy death at the normal-type.
[I]
[/I]“EEP! M-my ear! You butt!” The snowball landed right in the Minccino’s ear, splattering in it and making him fall over back into his fort trying to bat it out.
[I]
[/I]“Holy—wow that was actually kind sick. Clean shot.” Eve was a bit impressed that he not just hit the Minccino but the snowball got into his ear at that, a much smaller target than that of the entire Pokemon.
[I]
[/I]“Eyes on your enemies, Eve~!” His ear twitched when he heard his own words used against him, turning his attention to the other fort just in time to take a face full of snowball from the Snopeko. “Ha ha! Score~!”
[I]
[/I]“Oogh! Cheap shot, you!”
[I]
[/I]“Soldier, retreat! You’re hurt!” Makoto tugged Eve back behind the fort, wiping the snow off of his face. “They got you good, can you still fight?”
[I]
[/I]“Uhh… yah. Yeah, I’m good… sir?” Eve put up a little solute, trying to follow the little roleplay in their snowball war.
[I]
[/I]“That’s what I like to hear! You stay here, I’ll go out on the attack. If I give the signal, come up for backup!” Makoto grabbed a pile of snowballs and readied for her all-out attack.
[I]
[/I]“[I]Get ready for a flurry![/I]” She let out her battle cry and the snowballs went flying one after another from her, the other Pokemon going into their own barrages to try and keep up. Snow went flying all over the place to the point that most of it weren’t even snowballs anymore. By the time they came down from the mass assault, everyone was covered in splotches of snow and their fortresses were all beaten and battered down to slushy rubble. The kids all giggled and laughed at each other, wiping and shaking themselves off of the snow while Makoto flopped over beside her partner who merely looked at her in disbelief.
[I]
[/I]“Makoto. What was [I]that?[/I]”
[I]
[/I]“Fun~!” She giggled, wrapping her tail around his midsection and rubbing on his tummy.
[I]
[/I]“Well… at least you’re enjoying yourself so I can’t complain. And the kids look like they had a blast too. Though looks like they’re gettin’ picked up for class now.” Eve sat down beside the Frosquirrel, patting her head. “[B]Guess we oughta wrap up and get goin’ too, yeah? Unless you got anything else in mind you wanna do here in the park?[/B]”
[I]
-> Three letters: S, P, and A

[/I]“Spaaaaaa.” Makoto’s tail squeezed at Eve’s midsection while she stood, helping the chinchilla up with her. “Can we go to that Snow Rink Spring place? What’s it like? I wanna know how it works… snow rinks are those places you ice skate at but you can’t ice skate in a hot spring!… Can you?”
[I]
[/I]“Oh don’t you worry, it’ll all make sense when we get there.” Eve chuckled and took Makoto’s paw in his, walking with the peppy squirrel out of the park and back onto the main road. It was thankfully a rather short walk as the shopping district was very close to Snowball Park. The shopping district itself was a considerable size with more of those little market booths but now they were lined up along with various buildings all one story tall. From clothing stores to food booths and toy shops, it was a lively little spot with Pokemon all around coming and going. Their destination was the snow white wooden building with a giant ice cube sculpture atop of it marked ‘Snow Rink Spring’.
[I]
[/I]“Welcome to Snow Rink Spring. Good morning to you, Sire. Two today, it seems?” At the front desk was a Pokemon that had looks reminiscent of a Watchog but with light gray and white fur opposed to the usual brown with tan undertones. Where Watchog had yellow stripes of fur were missing on the Pokemon, instead replaced with a single brown stripe down their back onto the base of their tail. They had large buck teeth and wore large round black glasses, and a black dress gown with white apron over the front.
[I]
[/I]“Winona I thought I told ya not to call me ‘Sire’.” Eve growled, dropping a pile of coins on the desk in front of her. “And yeah, payin’ for two.”
[I]
[/I]“My apologies, Mister Cossach--”
[I]
[/I]“THE NAME. IS EVE.” He grabbed her by the collar, pulling her toward him and growling at her. “C’mon, girl. How much trainin’ do it take to get that into ya skull? Ya know I [B]hate[/B] that name!”
[I]
[/I]“S-Sorry, sire—I-I mean, M-Mister Eve..! P-Please forgive me...” The snowy Watchog whimpered, her bottom lip quivering and a sweat running down her cheek. Eve sighed, giving her a gentle kiss to the lips and letting her go.
[I]
[/I]“Ah fuck it, I can’t stay mad atcha. Yer just a sweet Slushog doin’ ya best and I oughta be proud of it.” He gently pat Winona’s head, getting a soft purr from her. “Maks here is new to town so I’m showin’ her ‘round the parts. I threw in some extra for ya so we can check both spots if that’s cool withcha.”
[I]
[/I]“Of course, Mast—M-Mister Eve! There is no problem. Please enjoy your stay.” She took a bow and Eve bowed back before grabbing tails with Makoto and walking pass the booth into the main spa area. Makoto was rather baffled at what she’d just heard and seen. Who was that Slushog girl? Why did Eve get so uppity like that at her about a name? [B]Did they have some sort of history together?[/B]
[I]
[/I]“Yo Maks, check it~” Eve brought the Frosquirrel out of her train of thought and she looked out into the open room. What a spectacle it was; an open ice rink track circling the center where a steaming hot spring resided separated by a short walkway of lush, soft grass. How did this even work? The ice looked completely solid and unharmed by the literal steaming heat radiating from the water in the middle. A few Pokemon were relaxing in the springs while some others were taking laps around the rink and doing occasional little tricks or stunts on the ice. “Ain’t it amazin’? One moment you can skate the ice and the next ya chillin’ hot in the springs~ The ice stays pure thanks to bein’ carved outta Never Melt Ice which stays true to its name. No amount o’ heat can melt this rink~ [B]Why don’tcha give it a try, eh? Maybe a li’l skatin’ or take a dip![/B]”
[I]
-> Let’s skate with “Mister Eve”

[/I]Makoto giggled and looked up at the Chillaflage with playful eyes. “I wanna try skating, [I]Mister Eve~[/I]” Eve’s cheeks flushed red and he growled at the Frosquirrel making fun of him.
[I]
[/I]“Ugh, don’t start that now. Not you too. I don’t like people bein’ formal with me!”
[I]
[/I]“Why not, [I]Mister Eve?[/I]” Makoto continued to pry and poke at her partner, still giddy from being exposed to the icy cold snow earlier. Eve huffed and groaned, keeping his patience with the girl.
[I]
[/I]“It just ain’t my thing, okay? Now cut that out!” He pulled Makoto onto the rink with him, holding paws and gazing into her eyes. “You ever ice skate before?”
[I]
[/I]“Not really. I used to slide around on ice a bit as a kid but I’d always fall on my butt so I’m not that good at it.”
[I]
[/I]“Then hold onto me and I’ll lead the way, ‘kay?” She nodded, her tail clinging tighter to the male’s and he’d start out skating slow, keeping a proper hold on Makoto to help her keep her balance. “Just find your center and keep to it as we go. If you start losing your balance, just grab onto me and I keep you steady.” Makoto nodded, still a bit giggly as they went simple, merely doing laps around the rink to help the squirrel get used to ice skating. Three laps in, Makoto was starting to feel a bit gutsy in her abilities and would decide to break away from Eve, starting to skate a bit on her own. Though she was visibly on the wobbly side, she’d manage to keep herself standing and made it a full lap around all on her own.
[I]
[/I]“I-I did it! I did it, a whole lap by myself! Eve, did you see me?? E-Eve, can you catch meee?!” She slid up to the Chillaflage, suddenly realizing that with all of her learning how to ice skate, she forgot to learn how to stop herself. Eve, with open arms, caught the Frosquirrel easily, being pushed back a little but managing to keep them both standing.
[I]
[/I]“Heh, I saw ya, yep. That was a damn good job, Maks~” He pat her on the head, congratulating the squirrel for doing a full lap around the rink without falling. “A li’l on wobbly side but ya didn’t fall and that’s what really matters. Keep that up and you might start pickin’ up on the schmovement~”
[I]
[/I]“You think I got what it takes to schmove around the rink?” She looked up at her partner with starry eyes. Ice skating was really fun! She would absolutely love to do it more if she could and being able to skate around swiftly, maybe even do some jumps and spins?
[I]
[/I]“W-Well sure, I mean once you get used to skating the next step is to try going faster, right? I’d say when ya do three laps straight without any wobblin’ or fallin’ then you’d have mastered the basics of ice skatin’. Think you can handle that?”
[I]
[/I]“I can do it!” With her nostrils flaring with determination, she went back at the track, skating around it and gradually picking up her speed as she felt more comfortable with her abilities. As for Eve, he decided to take a dip in the springs while spectating the Frosquirrel going about the rink along with the other Pokemon.

Makoto was feeling really good about herself, she’d managed two laps so far without wobbling even a little! Although she was still going somewhat of a moderate pace, she was at least pass the take it slow phase and she was doing great, learning fast! “I’m gonna do it… I’m gonna do it!” She successfully rounded the second turn and skid her way through her final lap. “I did iiiit~!” She cheered, throwing her paws up happily. “And I still don’t know how to stoooop!”
[I]
[/I]“Just jump into the grass!” Eve called out to the now panicking Frosquirrel. She did as told and turned for the grass, jumping straight for it. Her landing was anything but graceful, however, due to her maintaining momentum causing her to tumble over herself and go rolling into the water with a splash. “Maks?!” He swam over to the squirrel and pulled her up from under the steamy water. “You alright? That was some roll.”
[I]
[/I]“I diiiid iiiiit..~” She threw a paw up again before slumping in Eve’s hold.
[I]
[/I]“Heh, ya sure did. C’mere and relax with me a li’l bit. Skating for too long can start messin’ with ya back from the constant leaning forward. [B]Take a break for a while, Maks.[/B]”
[I]
-> Blush a bit before hugging Eve and enjoy the hot spring with him
[/I]
Makoto did, in fact, blushed a little at the request of the voices to hug Eve. But she’d done it several times before now so why not? She did just that, paws wrapping around her friend and giving him a big squeezing hug! “Let’s enjoy the hot spring together~” She purred happily, her tail wagging a little while she even added in a little playful nuzzle at the male’s chest. Eve couldn’t stop the red glowing across his cheeks from the sudden affectionate gesture from the Frosquirrel but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like it.
[I]
[/I]“Eh heh, w-well sure! Just uhh… we’re in public, y’know..?” Makoto nodded, still hugging the chinchilla. It would only be a matter of time until her open giddy nature would be sealed up again from the heat but having had as much fun as she has already with the Chillaflage, she felt like there wasn’t a care in the world. [I]No worries, no hurries.
[/I]
Leaning back against the edge of the springs, Eve watched as Pokemon came and went between ice skating or taking a break in the relaxing hot waters, idly caressing and combing down Makoto’s back as she remained snuggled up to him, though she now had clung to his tail as her nerves came crashing back down onto her now that the heat had settled into her body. Feeling the jittery squirrel, Eve looked down to see those nervous eyes and that soft, adoring smile of hers staring right back and his blush only darkened more.
[I]
[/I]“Whatcha lookin’ at, Maks?” He half asked, half ordered, embracing her a little tighter. “You doin’ good?”
[I]
[/I]“Y-Yeah… just comfy...” She laid her head on his chest again, purring quietly while listening to the Chillaflage’s heartbeat, her own cheeks permanently stained with a light blush.
[I]
[/I]“Heh, we can enjoy the heat for a nice while before goin’ off anywhere else, that good withcha?” He felt her head shifting as a nod, not bothering to speak and choosing to enjoy their peaceful togetherness, watching the more skilled skaters whisking along the rink at much faster speeds with their spin tricks and jumps included.
[I]
[/I]“Eve, was I really good skating..?”
[I]
[/I]“Hm?” He looked down at Makoto again, those soft aquamarine eyes of hers gazing back at his ruby reds. “Whatcha mean by that?”
[I]
[/I]“Those skaters...they’re really good… fast a-and doing cool stunts… b-but all I could do was just skate… were you being honest about me being good..?”
[I]
[/I]“Of course I was. Ya ain’t gotta be a master to be good. Ya learned fast and did three laps straight without stumbling even a little. You were fantastic.” He reassured the Frosquirrel, adding in a soft kiss on her forehead. Her eyes glistened a little, squeezing the chinchilla and squeezing him happily. “Oof! Tight grip, h-heh...”
[I]
[/I]“Thanks for always helping me… I-I know I’m probably a pawful at times but--”
[I]
[/I]“Nah, ya thinkin’ too much into it. You ain’t no problem at all, Maks. Yer company’s always welcome with me. I’d say we make a damn good team.” Makoto nodded in agreement and the two shared another smile. “Say, feeling up for anything else, [B]Maks? Anything else here you’d like to do before we head on to the next spot?[/B]”
[I]
[/I]-> Talk about what’s gonna happen with adventuring while hugging more. You’re still a bit shaken up about those wilds…

It was something that Makoto didn’t like thinking back on but if that was something she would have to deal with regularly from wild Pokemon, it’s something she would have to learn to embrace in order to learn to defend herself against the more primal urges of the ferals. She wasn’t a good fighter but she didn’t want to be completely helpless and defenseless should she ever end up separated from Eve again. And she also didn’t want to rely solely on him to do everything for her. This was her adventure so it was only right that she pulls her own weight sometimes too, right?

The more she exposed herself to the wide open world, the more sex was going to become a part of her life. She needed the power necessary to control her own sex life.
[I]
[/I]“E-Eve..?” Makoto felt the nerves starting to get to her. She hated going back on this topic, it both scared her and made her feel extremely embarrassed to talk about it as if it were some sort of taboo. The chinchilla looked down at her, raising a brow and patting her head. “Umm… c-can we uhh… I w-wanna talk about… w-well… wh-what I wanna say..a-ask is...”
[I]
[/I]“Mhmm? Take it slow, Maks.” He spoke softly to her, showing his understanding and patience to help her calm down. She took a deep breath and sighed, trying to calm her nerves.
[I]
[/I]“What...wh-what is it like… adventuring as much a-as you do..? Being out there...i-in the wild… with Pokemon who would… wh-who’d do what you did…w-with Mr. Collie… b-but they would do it forcefully..?” Eve’s ear twitched and he knew what she was getting at. He pulled her closer and caressed her tenderly; this wasn’t a topic meant to be talked about in public.
[I]
[/I]“Oh Maks, baby… c’mere, how ‘bout we get outta here first, yeah? This ain’t really the place for talkin’ bout stuff like this. Let’s head back home.” Blushing deeply, she nodded and clung tightly to him, the Chillaflage practically carrying Makoto in his arms as they left the springs. He bid a quick thank you and farewell to the Slushog at the front desk and made the quick walk back home, keeping Makoto held close to him the whole way. “Now...” Entering the house, he settled down onto the hay stack with Makoto on his lap, paws holding onto her by the hips. “You wanted to know about the adventurer’s life, yeah? And more specifically, dealin’ with wild Pokemon and some… [I]desires[/I] of theirs.” She gulped and nodded slowly, biting her lip. Eve began slowly combing and brushing along the squirrel’s back to help keep her calm while he began giving her a bit of guidance.
[I]
[/I]“It sounds dangerous at first when you just think o’ the messes and shit like that that can happen, but trust me when I say it’s a grand life to live. Seein’ the world and all it has to offer, makin’ a buncha friends, starting a team. The adventurer’s life writes itself, literal lifetimes worth of stories to tell. But of course, as you wanna know, no life is perfect and such a life doesn’t end in success for everyone that takes this path. Some retire early from various circumstances. Others… ain’t lucky enough to just retire.
[I]
[/I]“Wild Pokemon and ferals alike can be the great make or break for many travelers. While many are docile or merciful, some are ruthless, cold hearted, and even act only on predatory instinct. And with wild instinct comes urges and desires that are not influenced by a moral compass or by rules and laws instated to prevent chaos and disorder. When a wild or feral Pokemon experiences more sexual needs, they will act upon those urges with the intention of finding a mate to relieve themselves with. Be it males performing courting and mating rituals to woo and impress a female, females presenting themselves to males, or even similar acts in a homosexual preferred encounter, when a wild Pokemon wants, they will do what it takes to receive so long as they have the power to keep going.
[I]
[/I]“And, unfortunately, that does include forcing themselves upon others.” He took a moment to glance down at Makoto who was listening intently, though he could see that mentioning force had a noticeable effect when she winced a little and her hold on him tightened. “See… wilds and ferals don’t often force themselves on each other as their shared primal desire makes them much more willing to consent to the need for sex or be manipulated by the scents that call for such desires. Wilds and ferals are also much more prone to goin’ at it rough and enjoyin’ it that way, they don’t really got the sense of love and compassion quite like us civil Pokemon do so when they mate, it’s rarely out of an emotional attachment as it is the urges and seasons tellin’ ‘em it’s time to do that business.
[I]
[/I]“Us civilized Pokemon are like treats to ‘em when it comes to sex. Because we have such different reactions to sex compared to wild Pokemon, they practically feed off of it like it’s some sorta extra pleasure to ‘em. That’s why most stories o’ wilds and ferals doin’… well… forcin’ themselves on someone is a civilized Pokemon bein’ the victim. It also doesn’t help that we are technically intrudin’ on their territory so it’s also a means o’ assertin’ dominance or punishin’ for invading their living space and all that. Long story short, there’s many more reasons for wilds and ferals to force themselves on us than each other.” Makoto was trembling by this point, though it wasn’t from nerves, instead being terrified of the thoughts going through her head. What if she couldn’t defend herself? What if she were all alone and a bunch of them showed up to use her body? What would she do? How would she escape? Would they just keep forcing themselves on her? Just thinking of it made her feel so dirty, so unclean and violated…
[I]
[/I]“If ya don’t got the strength to fight off the wilds, there’s lots o’ other ways of defendin’ yaself. Adventurer’s like us can use all sortsa items and goods like orbs and seeds that can make us stronger or faster or even warp us away. Maybe physical fightin’ ain’t a specialty but that don’t mean you’re shit outta luck. If ya got throwin’ items like Sticks, Gravelerocks, or Iron Thorns, you can still fight off enemies while keepin’ ya distance from ‘em too. I think it’d be good we look into maybe a bit o’ throw trainin’ so ya still got some way o’ protectin’ yourself in case somethin’ ever happens to me, ya agree with that?” Makoto simply nodded, her trembling paw grabbing hold of the Soothe Bell collar and giving it a light ring, letting its soothing aura consume her body and relax her mind, clearing the vile, negative thoughts away.
[I]
[/I]“Haah… y..yeah, I think.. I think I wanna do that...”
[I]
[/I]“Good. There’s a few booths that sell throwin’ weapons so we can buy some when we head back out. [B]Didja wanna ask about anything else before we leave out?[/B]”
[I]
-> More exposition? Are adventurers basically parties on their own or are there dedicated places for group gatherings?
[/I]
Again would Makoto agree with the question bestowed upon her by the voices that guide her. All of this talk about adventuring, it was far from likely that every adventurer out there were just solo acts or one-time group ups. There had to be teams and the like, people who travel together regularly, seeing the world and its Mystery Dungeons. Or maybe they could use their conjoined abilities to do good things like helping people! If that were true, she would be very interested in doing that, helping the world one job at a time! But…
[I]
[/I]“Is there a place for something like that..? For… adventurers and groups to gather… they’re not.. just lone parties, are they..?” She had more spoken to herself than asked it but Eve took the initiative regardless.
[I]
[/I]“Oh yeah, what you’re thinkin’ of are called Guilds. They exist in several places ‘round the world; these Guilds are places where Pokemon with a sense and thrill for adventure go when they ain’t quite sure how to go ‘bout adventurin’. They also go there when they wanna form an official team that can receive frequent work that can payout quite handsomely dependin’ on the task and its difficulty. Been to one once before myself, not as an apprentice but as a visitor. Lemme tell ya, the Guild culture is somethin’ damn amazin’. Tight knit like families. Everyone always lookin’ out for each other, healthy rivalries bein’ formed to encourage each other to work harder and always strive to improve and get stronger as not just a team but as a community.
[I]
[/I]“Unfortunately, ya can’t really say that ‘bout all Guilds. Thing is, sometimes a Guild may start fallin’ under if they don’t get enough business or a sufficient amount of members putting in work and bringing income to keep the place up ‘n runnin’. Guilds get made on occasion but only the lucky ones stay up and goin’. Others gotta file for a shutdown ‘cus there ain’t enough business and it becomes too expensive to upkeep. Cases like that, people get disbanded though sometimes some o’ the teams try ‘n keep together even if they ain’t no longer official. Teams can exist without bein’ made official by a Guild but it ain’t quite the same. It’s not illegal but ya get a lot more recommendation and streamlined work as a recognized team be it from a Guild or a write-in letter to the Active Adventurer’s Association—Triple A for short. Those guys are the highest order when it comes to all the adventurin’ stuff; overseers of all the Guilds in the entire world.
[I]
[/I]“Point is, if ya ever curious about wanting to become a better adventurer through proper and vigorous training and education, ya gonna wanna read up on some Guilds. They come in many different sizes from small places like the Lily Pad Guild to the world’s only Expedition Society, The Hero’s Guild in Circuit Plaza. Though for most that are completely new to adventurin’ such as yourself, ya’d probably be better off goin’ for the newcoming Guilds. There’s occasional small talk on those newer, up-and-coming Guilds like The Desert Bus and Il’amante Retreat. The life of an adventurer is the life to live in this world. It’s as if the world itself were made for us to explore its every nook and cranny. With the power of Mystery Dungeons, adventure almost never gets old nor goes stale. Even visiting the same dungeon one hundred times over will almost never yield similar results with the only big repetitive factor being the dungeon’s environment, and the Pokemon that inhabit it.
[I]
[/I]“[B]If you stick to this dream, you’ll be in for a life of thrills and excitement.[/B] Many stories to tell to your children and your children’s children and maybe even their children! We Pokemon live long lives, as you know.”
[I]
-> Make some introspection, why did you go on this trip in the first place Makoto?[/I]

Makoto’s ear twitched lightly. She thought back on why she was on this trip, what her current goal was. While it wasn’t lost on her, she had let herself get a little distracted, but could she really be at fault? She’d never left Pulse Village before in her life! All of this was so new to her, visiting a whole new town, making new friends, experiencing feelings and excitement she never would at home…

But maybe she was allowing herself to get too carried away with being a tourist rather than a traveler…

“Umm… c-can we… go to your friend next..? All of that guilding stuff, i-it sounds nice… I’ll keep it in mind, but I… I should stay on track with my real goals… why I’m here.”

“Right! Right, right, you right. We gettin’ a li’l too distracted here, ain’t like ya movin’ to this place.” Eve chuckled patting the squirrel’s back reassuringly. “I think we done enough tourin’ around and showing the place, let’s get out there and I’ll show ya that friend o’ mine. She’s a bit of a piece o’ work, lemme tell ya; real excitable when it comes to her hobbies. You probably already seen her in my photos, the green cheeked Pikachu, yeah?” Makoto simply nodded, looking up at her partner. “Good! That’s who we’re goin’ to see. She’s the perfect ‘mon for shapin’ our crystals. Using her mastery with alchemy and science stuff, she can real easily reshape and form these crystals without risk of them bein’ broken or coming out poorly.”

“A-Alchemy..?” Makoto repeated, head tilted with curiosity. “What’s that?”

“Alchemy’s uhh… it’s like… well it’s a lot like science or somethin’ but like… older? Kinda more tribal or whatever. It’s kinda like brewery with potions and reforming material and matter into other materials and matter? I think? I dunno much on it but like it’s super neat, seen her do some potion makin’. Most of the time, the stuff she make is really… [I]really[/I] horny. But that’s her.”

“Wha--”

“Don’t worry about the horny part. She’s a good gal, she’s just had a… different upbringing with her studies. She says it ain’t an addiction but I ain’t so sure I agree with her on that. Anyway, enough talkin’ ‘bout her, let’s go see her!” Grabbing her tail, Eve helped the Frosquirrel up and the two of them made their way out of the little hut to go meet up with the Chillaflage’s friend. Makoto was a little nervous, as she normally was when it came to meeting new people, but she had trust in Eve’s word that this Pikachu was good at heart. Plus, she’d get to have her crystal shaped specially for her mom.

[B][I]I wonder what shape I should get for mommy… what would she like? A heart? Maybe a lightning bolt… Oh! Maybe shape it like her! Or me..? But what if… maybe a star? Hmm...[/I][/B]

[I]-> A Heart! Nothing better to show your love!

A heart… it’s the most obvious one… b-but that’s probably the best one… a heart for my mommy to show her that I love her lots and lots![/I] “A heart!” She exclaimed happily. Eve jumped, looking over at her.
[I]
[/I]“Huh?? What about a heart?”
[I]
[/I]“Oh...d-did I say that out loud? I-I was just… thinking to myself about what shape I’d get...” Makoto blushed a bit, looking away. “I’m thinking of getting a heart shape… I’m gonna give it to my mommy s-so she knows that I love her lots and lots...”
[I]
[/I]“Aww, ain’t that precious~” Eve teased, his tail squeezing the squirrel’s. “Going for the classic heart shape, eh? I respect it, but hey… don’t let me change ya mind or nothin’ but do ya think maybe there’s other shapes you could go with?”
[I]
[/I]“Huh..? What do you mean by that?”
[I]
[/I]“What I’m tryna say is ya mom definitely already knows ya love her very much and while the heart shape is always a super kind gesture and reassurin’ to that, maybe there’s somethin’ else you could go with for her? Like a sculpture of yourself! Or one of her. Somethin’ super appealin’. Just a suggestion, of course, if ya prefer the heart then I still say go for it. No matter the shape ya make, the gift itself is what matters most.”
[I]
[/I]“Y-yeah… I thought of that too… but I think a heart is really nice… m-maybe I’ll even have it shaped with little holes drilled if she wants to make a necklace of it too.” Makoto reached into her bag to pull out the crystal she had collected, looking over it again. Walking along the road, the crystal sparkled beautifully, shining endlessly of the colors of the rainbow and much more. It was truly a spectacle unlike any other, none of the other crystals in that cave shone with nearly as much luster and color as this one. Not to mention it felt so warm in her paws. Almost as if it were alive…
[I]
[/I]“Maks? Hello?”
[I]
[/I]“H-huh?!” She yelped, looking up from the crystal, stuffing it back into the bag and turning her attention to Eve. “Y-yes..?”
[I]
[/I]“We’re here. You doing alright, Maks?”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah! Y-yeah I was just looking at the crystal again… it’s… it’s so… unique?”
[I]
[/I]“Guess you could say that, yeah. Ain’t seen one quite like it myself. But let’s get that thing shaped up, yeah?” Makoto nodded and gulped, clinging onto her partner’s tail as he went up to knock on the door, giving it three raps. The two waited patiently, one much more nervous than the other. Eve could feel the trembles coursing through his tail and looked back at the shaky Frosquirrel, giving her a soft pat on the head to help her calm down. “If you’re really nervous about meeting her, you can just stay close to me, a’ight?” Makoto looked up at Eve, blushing a little and nodded, squeezing on his tail with her paws.
[I]
[/I]“Hmm? Eve? Howdy, good afternoon~!” The door shot open and the green cheeked Pikachu from the photo greeted the pair at the entrance. She smiled at the Chillaflage, offering a hug and a kiss to his cheek. “It’s been a little while since you’ve come for a visit—about a week to be exact. Oh? And you brought a friend? Who’s your partner there?”
[I]
[/I]“Heh, good afternoon, Masoka. This is my new pal and partner Makoto. She’s a lot on the shy and nervous side so she just needs some time and space to open up on her own.”
[I]
[/I]“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Makoto~ Don’t mind me, you take all the time you need to get comfortable, OK? But please come inside and make yourselves at home! I’m taking a day off from my work so I’m all available~” Welcoming the pair in, Eve made sure the Frosquirrel stayed close to her, entering the Pikachu’s home together.

Masoka’s house looked like that of a house made lab, marble white walls and ceiling with soft teal carpet flooring. A long table aligned the entirety of the right wall with various vials and bottles on it, most empty but a few of them having strange, colored liquids inside of them. Next to the table on the north wall from the entrance was a cauldron that appeared to be empty at the moment. The left wall had another table of the same type though with several cabinets above it. Though it appeared at first glance that Masoka lived alone, several chairs also aligned those two tables. Probably for guests to have a place to sit other than the floor, Makoto had to imagine. There was also a door on the other end but was currently closed, leaving its contents a mystery to the Frosquirrel.
[I]
[/I]“Wow...” Makoto admired what the Pikachu did with her home. There weren’t any scientists or alchemists at Pulse Village which would explain why she didn’t know what they were. But she liked the atmosphere of this sciency stuff. “This place is nice...” She spoke more to herself than as a compliment to the chu.
[I]
[/I]“Aww, why thank you~ I try my best to keep the place at least somewhat presentable, but it can get messy quite often.” The Pikachu giggled to herself. Surely enough, on second glance, there were a lot of papers and some clipboards scattered around the tables, even a few sheets having fallen on the ground at the left table. “It’s a bit hard to keep track of everything. Fortunately, Pawn does good work as my assistant.”
[I]
[/I]“Speakin’ of, where is that li’l rascal of a Colbold at? He not in today?” Eve asked, having noticed the distinct lack of an icy white kobold mouse with golden horned ears, blue cheeks, and matching blue fur stripe traveling down the entirety of its back and lengthy tail.
[I]
[/I]“Nope, since I’m taking the day off, I told him to as well so he didn’t come in today. But less about me, what brings you here today, Eve~? Anything I can help you with?” Masoka smiled, her tail swishing to and fro behind her while she leaned her side to the table.
[I]
[/I]“Actually there is. Y’see, Maks and I would like to ask ya a favor.” The Chillaflage reached into Makoto’s bag, pulling out the pair of crystals they had gathered. “Ya mind givin’ these a good shaping up? Figured you’d be able to do it no problem with yer alchemy magic and whatnot.”
[I]
[/I]“Hmm...” The Pikachu took a moment to look over the crystals, examining each of them. “Well if this one isn’t the most beautiful crystal I’ve seen in a long time! What an incredible shine and glimmer! And the colors… this couldn’t be...”
[I]
[/I]“Eh? Wassat? Couldn’t be what?” Eve repeated, looking down at the shining crystal.
[I]
[/I]“It’s… it’s nothing. I might just be imagining things. But I would love to shape these crystals! And if you don’t mind, I’d like to study this rainbow crystal a little. I want to make sure my hypothesis is correct before throwing out assumptions.”
[I]
[/I]“Well that ain’t up to me, really. That gem belongs to Maks here. You’ll have to ask her on that.” Makoto meeped and clung tighter to her partner’s tail. Makoto smiled patiently at the trembling squirrel, holding up the crystal she had gotten.
[I]
[/I]“Makoto, dear, [B]would it be alright if I studied this gem a little?[/B] I won’t do anything to it, I just want to put it under a microscope and a few tests before I shape it up for you.”
[I]
-> Yeah. I'm curious of what it is myself.

[/I]“I-If you see something… c-can I know too..?” Makoto bit her lip. How could she ask something so selfish! But… it was her crystal so it was her right to know too, right? Plus, if this Pikachu saw something interesting in the crystal then what better Pokemon to observe it than a scientist? That’s something they do, right? Look at stuff?
[I]
[/I]“Of course, deary! If I discover anything about this here crystal you two will be the first and only ones to know. If you don’t mind waiting out here, I’ll be right back in a short bit!” Crystals in hand, Masoka made her way to the door leading to her back room.
[I]
[/I]“Oh! Since yer headin’ in the back, may as well tell ya the shapes we want. You can do ‘em up after ya done researchin’, yeah? If you could do mine up in a spherical pattern mounted on a ring base—I’ll pay ya extra for the ring by the way—and Maks wants hers heart shaped.”
[I]
[/I]“Can do! Be back in a bit, you two~” She slipped into the dark room and closed the door behind her, leaving Makoto and Eve alone in the main room of the Pikachu’s home.
[I]
[/I]“Eve..? Umm… I wanted to ask you something..”
[I]
[/I]“What’s up, Maks?” Eve smiled at the Frosquirrel.
[I]
[/I]“Ermm… the ring… th-that you’re getting made, is that… a-are you gonna… propose to your friend..?” She blushed hotly. Makoto did like the idea and concepts of love and romance. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside at the thought of having someone that would sweep her away with their love and affections one day. But she wasn’t in any rush to find a lover. As her mother always taught her: [I]You can never find love. But love will always find you.

[/I]“Well...” Now it was Eve’s turn to blush and quite the deep red shade at that. “That’s… sorta my intention? But I dunno, man… I got those vibes for her but at the same time I’m feelin’ like maybe it ain’t right, y’know? Like I love her but… it ain’t like we’re even datin’! I kinda been thinkin’ on it this whole time, just keeping it to myself ‘n all but y’know. I still want the ring regardless but I’m kinda… conflicted.”
[I]
[/I]“Conflicted..? With what..?”
[I]
[/I]“With if this is the right idea or not.” Eve sighed, turning away for a moment. He went silent for a little while before turning back to the Frosquirrel. “This is probably all new to you and whatnot but I guess maybe just ventin’ it out a li’l will help me feel better. Like I said, I got feelings for her and I love her but we aren’t datin’ either. I know she loves me back, we share the feelin’ but is our love the kinda one that should go that far? Sometimes ya have those romances where ya go the next level and become mates or even marry. But sometimes ya get that same feelin’ for each other but like… goin’ the extra step with it doesn’t feel right, yeah? Like the kinda romance that blossoms by stayin’ just friends. I’m feelin’ maybe she and I should just stay friends, y’know? Like if I made this proposal it would… it’d ruin everything between us.
[I]
[/I]“Sorry, Maks. I know you ain’t the person I should be ventin’ these feelings to, especially when I’m lookin’ for advice on the matter too but I just kinda wanted to get it out there since I’m about to get the ring ‘n all.” Makoto nodded, having listened on intently to her partner. It did sound like quite the predicament indeed but her lack of experience made her almost clueless on how she should respond to the matter. It sounded really conflicting, like it was quite the heavy weight pushing down on Eve mentally and maybe even emotionally.
[I]
[/I]“Umm.. I-I guess… if you really look deep into yourself… a-and ask the question to yourself from your heart..? I-if you… if you can’t respond right away… maybe the best answer is not to do it..?” Eve’s eyes shot open. He hadn’t thought of it that way. It was an interesting outlook on a situation that Makoto had little knowledge on and yet it kind of made sense to the chinchilla. If he could ask himself if this was really the way to go… if he could ask it from the bottom of his heart with all of his feeling put into it and not have a quick and determined answer then maybe it was for the best to act on that doubt instead and not make the proposal.
[I]
[/I]“I ain’t ever thought of it like that… But maybe yer right there, Maks. But at the same time, just as I’m afraid of ruinin’ things, what if it does make it better? What if she says yes?”
[I]
[/I]“Th-then… then… I-I don’t know..?? G-good..?” Makoto was struggling to keep up with really understanding now. But maybe if she put a different scenario into mind that she did understand… “Ermm.. a-ah! If… well if that’s it then… think about the value of losing versus gaining… is the chance of getting more worth the risk of losing what you have now? My mommy used to teach me about risks and rewards… sh-she had a gambling class for me at one point while teaching me stuff, it was… there was a lot of dice involved? She also says gambling is bad if you can’t control your impulses.”
[I]
[/I]“Wha… n-never mind the gambling part. But that’s a good point too. And I don’t wanna lose the friendship I built with her. But there’s also the problem of this not being a static set of rewards or losses. This is a Pokemon we’re talking about. A livin’ being with thoughts, emotions, feelings, and sentience. All of this, no matter how we put it, is all just gonna be assumptions. But… [B]maybe it’s for the best I don’t give her this ring, huh?[/B] I think stayin’ friends might be better for us.”
[I]
-> Maybe just ask them out first? Better to take it slowly.

[/I]“M-maybe taking it slow first… you should ask her out...l-like on a date before marriage, right?” Makoto suggested. From what Lorelei taught her, it was common to date or court those you have romantic interest in before moving on to mateship or marriage. She referred to it one way as calling one another ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’.
[I]
[/I]“That’s a good thought. Maybe I oughta ask her out as an actual couple first. Yeah, that makes sense! Maks, ya got a lot more knowledge on ya than you get yerself credit for! I ain’t super smart with the mushy gushy romance thing so it was really good havin’ a second opinion and some help on the topic. Thanks a million, Maks.” Makoto’s cheeks flushed red when Eve pulled her in for a gentle hug.
[I]
[/I]“I-i-it’s n-nothi--”
[I]
[/I]“I’m BACK!” Makoto’s eyes widened and she quickly shoved Eve off, her entire face steaming up red as she practically consumed herself in both of their tails. “Have I got something to tell you two! Uhh, what’s going on here?” Masoka had come storming out of her backroom with the two crystals in her paws. “Never mind that. Take a look at this!” She laid out the crystals on the table in front of them. Strangely enough, while Eve’s crystal had been shaped out as he requested and placed onto a silver base, Makoto’s crystal hadn’t been tampered with at all. “Makoto, you really found yourself a treasure and a half here! This crystal of yours, it’s far from ordinary!”
[I]
[/I]“H-huh..?” She poked her head out from the tails, still red with embarrassment. “I-it’s not heart shaped...”
[I]
[/I]“And that’s completely related to what I’ve got to share with you two! See, this isn’t just your average, everyday crystal, not one bit! After observing and examining it, I came to the conclusion that this crystal is a piece of the Opalustrus. [I]This crystal is alive![/I]”
[I]
[/I]“Wh-what??”
[I]
[/I]“Excuse you? Alive?!”
[I]
[/I]“Indeed. Opalustrus is known as the Rainbow Pokemon. It’s a beautiful Pokemon made of pure white gemstone that shines beautifully of the rainbow when exposed to light. To be exact, this crystal is the Opalustrus’ heart. Without it, the Pokemon itself loses all of its colors and luster.”
[I]
[/I]“I-I have a legendary Pokemon’s heart..?” Makoto looked back at the glimmering crystal lying on the table.
[I]
[/I]“Indeed you do. This is also why I wasn’t able to reshape it. My curiosities were proven correct though, this crystal is a part of a legendary Pokemon spoken of only in folktales and dreams! But… how on earth did you two get your paws on something like this?”
[I]
[/I]“It was just chillin’ in the deep end of Icicle Cave stuck to a buncha other crystals.”
[I]
[/I]“Really? Something like this… I suppose I’ll never know [I]how[/I] it got there but if you possess then that must mean the Pokemon is real. You two! You have to find that Pokemon. Not only will you be making a groundbreaking discovery of a lifetime but they must be looking for this piece of themselves!”
[I]
[/I]“I mean that’s cool and all but we’re kinda already on a quest of our own, yeah?” Eve spoke up, throwing his paws up in disagreement. “They’ll just have to wait ‘til I’m done helpin’ out Maks and gettin’ her up Polaris Mountain.”
[I]
[/I]“Perfect! Because that’s where Opalustrus is rumored to live. The peaks Polaris Mountain contain a mysterious, magical power. It’s believed that a Pokemon living atop the mountain calls forth the northern lights when midnight passes, standing atop--”
[I]
[/I]“A rainbow unlike any other...”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah, that’s it! Wait, Makoto how did you know that?” Makoto’s eyes lit up. It couldn’t be, could it? But everything lined up, it all made sense. That means…
[I]
[/I]“Opalustrus… is the Crystal Hamster! E-Eve, that’s who I’m looking for… a-and I have their heart… I have the hamster’s heart!”
[I]
[/I]“You’re looking for the Crystal Hamster?” Masoka asked, her tail lifting up with intrigue. Makoto nodded, her tail swishing frantically with excitement. “Well if this doesn’t all line up perfectly I don’t know what does~ Looks like adventure is calling out to you, Makoto. There’s no turning back now, you have to return the heart to the top of Polaris Mountain.”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah, I gotta...w-wait… wait what?”
[I]
[/I]“You heard her, Maks.” Eve placed a paw on her shoulder. “This adventure of yours is official full steam ahead. After we leave here, you and I area off to Load Cabins next. It’s just sound of Polaris Hill so it’s the perfect pit stop point for us. [B]Ya ready to really get this party started?[/B]”
[I]
-> Get supplies and let’s REVIVE A LEGENDARY!

[/I]“I’m…” Makoto bit her lip, shaking her head and steeling herself. Now was the time that she would truly be tested. Once they left this town, they would be one step closer to Polaris Hill. Load Cabins was the was third and final civilized establishment on the main land of the Polar Continent. And that meant their final resting point where they would be surrounded by fellow civilized life. She possessed an invaluable treasure that had to be returned and only she could do it. Though, of course, she wouldn’t be doing it alone. “I’m ready.”
[I]
[/I]“That’s what I like to hear, Maks~” Eve smiled, wrapping his tail around the Frosquirrel’s. “Masoka, we’re heading off. We might be a few days or even a few weeks, there’s no telling how long we’ll be gone but we’ll certainly be back. Tell Pawn I said hello when he comes back in!”
[I]
[/I]“Sure can! You two be safe out there, Polaris Hill isn’t any joke!” Masoka waved the pair off as they headed for the front door.
[I]
[/I]“Umm… b-before we leave uhh.. Ms. Masoka d-do you wanna… do you wanna come with us?” Makoto blushed a little while making the proposal to the Pikachu she had just met. She figured it was only right to offer the Pikachu a position on their little team. If it weren’t for her, they’d have no idea what that crystal was or just how important it was for that matter.
[I]
[/I]“Go with? Are you—I mean is that really OK? I wouldn’t want to overstep boundaries or get in the way of anything.”
[I]
[/I]“Get in the way? Nonsense, girl! You’re a field expert, plus I bet ya’d absolutely love to get to gather data on a real life Opalustrus. C’mon, whaddaya say, huh?” Eve reinforced the idea. He did like the idea of having a familiar face traveling with them, someone he could count on to fight alongside him and help protect Makoto.
[I]
[/I]“Weeell… if you two insist on it so much… sure, what the heck! It sounds like a ton of fun too!” She smiled, jumping for joy. With Masoka jumping up and down, Makoto couldn’t help but finally notice just how well endowed the Pikachu was, her large chest jiggling almost hypnotically. S[I]he has a really nice size.[/I] “I’ll do my best to play my part in this journey of yours. I’m not the most physically capable fighter out there but I have reliable ranged and special attacks. Plus my alchemy skills can come in handy with brewing various potions for our benefit or even using it for cooking with berries and seeds~”
[I]
[/I]“W-welcome aboard… Ms. Masoka...” Makoto smiled, trying to show a little more enthusiast and crawl out of her shell of shyness. It was a struggle but she was doing the best she could and Eve certainly acknowledge it, giving her a soft scratch behind the ears.
[I]
[/I]“You’re doing great, Maks. You’re slowly workin’ your way outta that shell o’ yours.” He smiled, proud of the progress she was making.
[I]
[/I]“I-I guess your charisma is starting to rub off on me..~” Makoto giggled a little, her tail wagging happily while enjoying the ear scratches.
[I]
[/I]“Heh, ain’t you a cute jokester~ C’mon, let’s get goin’, gals.”
[I]
[/I]“Ah! Let me just write up a note to leave on the door for Pawn to let him know I’ll be gone for a while. I think he’ll enjoy having an extended, paid vacation~” Grabbing a sticky note from her pad, she wrote up a quick note and pinned it to the front door. “That oughta do it. So let’s get going, shall we?”
[I]
[/I]“Right! Maks, anything else you wanna do before we leave? Just makin’ sure yer absolutely certain you’re ready to leave town.” Makoto stopped and thought it over for a moment. The voices did also suggest stocking up before leaving but she was already pretty well equipped. Plenty of berries and she still had the Blast Seeds and Warp Seed from earlier.
[I]
[/I]“Are there any equipment shops..? Like… d-do adventurers wear any kind of gear or armor o-or something?”
[I]
[/I]“Armor? Not so much, that’s an optional part. Gear, however, we do a lotta that part. C’mon, one of those booths happen to be an equips shop, we can do a li’l browsin’ of their wares today. Maybe they’ll have something we can swipe up off their paws for a good price.” Makoto nodded in agreement, the trio making the quick walk back to the shopping district of town. By now early into the afternoon, the shopping center was much more active and almost all of the stores were open and active. Eve led the group to a little booth with a big pink ribbon on top of it and a label marked[I] Foods 4 Goods[/I]. At the booth was an Emolga sleeping away with a sign placed next to them.
[I]
[/I]“[I]Hello, I’m Mocha. I don’t need money but I love food! Please leave one berry for one piece of gear. Only up to two per customer, thank you![/I] Huh, looks like he’s sleepin’ again. Ah well. Look around and see if there’s anything ya’d like to get, Maks.”
[I]
[/I]“O-oh right, umm… l-lemme see...” She looked at the assortment of scarves, glasses, and ribbons aligning the walls of the booth and reading the labels on them. “[B]Lucky Ribbon.. Heal Ribbon...Trap Scarf, Defense Scarf.. umm… Goggle Specs… [/B]err… I dunno what any of these do b-but they’re interesting.. [B]I wonder which one or two I should get..?[/B]”
[I]
-> Lucky and Heal Ribbons

[/I]Makoto’s ear twitched lightly. It seemed the voices had their preferences set for her. She trusted that they knew what effects these items had and decided she’d go with it, pulling out one of her two Aspear Berries and her Rabuta Berry, placing them on the table. [I]I’ll miss your yummy flavor Rabuta Berry… but you don’t have any healthy battle effects.[/I] Setting those two berries on the booth, she’d pick up the labeled Heal and Lucky Ribbons, looking them over. She liked the look of the Heal Ribbon, the aquamarine blue matched her eyes and the golden, three ring gem holding the ribbon together went well with her white and blue fur color.
[I]
[/I]“I wanna wear this one...” She pinned the ribbon to the base of her left ear. Looking at the purple and yellow ribbon, she held it up toward Eve and Masoka. “Umm.. wh-which one of you want this one?”
[I]
[/I]“Masoka? Ya want it?”
[I]
[/I]“Oh, no thank you, I’ll be fine. You take it, Eve dear~”
[I]
[/I]“Ya sure? I’ll take it if you mean it.” Masoka nodded, gently pushing the ribbon in the Chillaflage’s direction. “A’ight then. It’s mine.” He accepted the ribbon, tying it around his right forearm. “Nice, we got our gear, y’all ready to hit the field?” Both girls nodded, Makoto’s tail grabbing onto Eve’s and keeping close to the chinchilla. “Great! The afternoon’s still young so if we go quick, we should make it to Load Cabins by night.”

The team were out of town and into Polarity Field again with Eve taking lead once more. His experience would continue to prove very helpful to Makoto as he walked the vast sea of snowy white with all of the determination and confidence of a seasoned veteran explorer. It did help a lot that the path they were taking this time was more than just the constant snowy field; the route to Load Cabins had plenty of trees and forests as well as occasional icy hills. It was a breath of fresh air to finally be able to tell one thing from another rather than it all looking the same. There was also the fortune of wild Pokemon here in the field being mostly docile, not minding their passing as long as they weren’t bothered.
[I]
[/I]“It’s a little more of a trek, Cabins being farther away from Crystal City than the walk from there to Pulse Village and all but there’s much better scenery for sure.” Eve commented, looking out into the sea of trees below from their current hilltop.
[I]
[/I]“And by that you mean there’s scenery at all.” Masoka added as a joke with a snicker.
[I]
[/I]“I mean! You ain’t wrong!” Eve snorted, sharing a little laugh with the Pikachu. “C’mon, once we pass that forest down the hill, we’ll be on the final stretch. The sun is setting so the blizzard’s gonna be blowin’ in soon. We best hurry up.” Eve lead the team down the hill, picking up the pace and making sure to keep his tail locked with Makoto’s. Masoka took up the rear, following slightly behind the two and keeping her eyes out for any wild Pokemon who may try to sneak up on them and cause any mischief. The walk through the forest was a straight shot with no problems, passing into the clearing and spotting the sizable village ahead.
[I]
[/I]“And there it is, Load Cabins! Coziest snow point town in all of Skitterora. At least that’s how they advertise themselves.” The girls looked out into the town, admiring the village built so bulked and close together. All of the buildings were made of wood, straw, and bricks, tight packed together to make a compact and cozy little civilization. Smoke puffed from several of the buildings’ chimneys with lights visible through many a window.
[I]
[/I]“This place looks cute~” Masoka spoke up, the three of them making their first step into the village. “Everything’s really tightly knit together. Doesn’t look like there’s any kinds of shops, though. They all look like houses save for the one large building there that looks like it’s made of ice.” She pointed at the large glacier-like building in the center of the village with a few Pokemon coming and going.
[I]
[/I]“Looks like the Glacier Guild. This place brings in a surprisin’ amount of business for bein’ in such a secluded little compact village. Guilds usually have a small side space that passing travelers like us can sleep for the night. [B]We could head in and check the place out or see if any of the villagers here wouldn’t mind lettin’ some roamin’ rats kick it for the night.[/B]”
[I]
-> Maybe the Guildmates can help you prepare a bit while you stay there for the night. Go there, a bit of professional advice can go a long way!
[/I]
The voices had given a very good point to the Frosquirrel. With all of the tales of Guilds and adventurers that Eve had told her about, surely they would be quite hospitable towards them and maybe even offer a few adventuring pointers and tips to help Makoto with learning to become a better explorer herself. Or maybe they would just have some interesting stories from their adventures that they would be willing to share.
[I]
[/I]“Let’s go in the guild… maybe they’ll have some stories a-and maybe even some advice or something..?” Makoto suggested, looking up at the tall, icy building.
[I]
[/I]“That sounds like a good idea to me.” Masoka agreed to the suggestion.
[I]
[/I]“Yeah, I got no objections to that. Let’s check the place out.” The group walked ahead to the front of town, standing before the entrance to the Guild. Standing at the entrance were a pair of frosted Cinccino, their usual white, lush fur that covers their head and neck instead like chilled icicles over their blue bodies.
[I]
[/I]“Travelers! Your faces are new here, please state your names, teams or affiliations, and purpose for entering!” One of the guards spoke up, his voice holding a booming sense of authority. Eve stepped forward, taking lead for the Frosquirrel.
[I]
[/I]“Eve, Masoka, and Makoto. Team… uhh… well we ain’t got any associates or a team name. We’re just pals travelin’ together and lookin’ for a spot to rest for the night. Ya Guild got any rooms we can crash ‘til tomorrow? I got money if we gotta pay up for it.” Eve held up a small bag full of coins, jingling it a little.
[I]
[/I]“We do not charge travelers for a night’s stay. We only ask that you please keep the living space clean and take any and all messes with you when leaving. You may enter.” The two guards stepped aside and welcomed the team in. “If you three are interested, you may even request a meeting with our Guildmaster. Our guild is rather small so she’s currently accepting new members if you would like to consider joining and working with us.”
[I]
[/I]“We’ll keep note of that, thank you, cuties~” Masoka winked at the two guards and hefted up her large chest with a playful swish of her tail, easily winning the staring eyes of two flustered and attracted Arctichilla guards.
[I]
[/I]Passing through the entrance to the guild would lead the group onto the main hall, an open room with hay seats on either side with doorways that led into rooms labeled [I]Cafeteria[/I] on the left and [I]Guild Dorms[/I] on the right. At the front end was a lobby desk with bulletin boards on either side that had an assortment of letters and papers pinned up on both. [I]Community Bulletin[/I] and [I]Rescue Board[/I] was written on the boards, perhaps classifying what kinds of jobs each board would cover.
[I]
[/I]“Good evening, newcomers.” A Bibarel bowed, greeting the trio and pushing up their glasses. “Welcome to the Glacier Guild, I’m Auburn and it’s nice to meet you. How can I help you today?”
[I]
[/I]“Good evening, dear~” Masoka decided to take up lead this time, leaning over the counter and eyeing down the busty Bibarel woman. “See, my friends here and I need a place to stay for the night before we do some traveling to Polaris Hill. You wouldn’t happen to have a room or two we can stay in, hmm~?” She let out a playful growl, her plump backside swaying while her gaze met the Bibarel’s. Auburn couldn’t help but blush, the water-type unable to look away from the flirting Pikachu.
[I]
[/I]“A-ah well… I suppose I do have one open room… th-though there are only two beds in it, ma’am one of you will have to share a bed.”
[I]
[/I]“Oh don’t worry, darling~” Masoka smirked, leaning further forward, showing off plenty of cleavage to the now sweating Bibarel. “I don’t mind sharing a bed… if you don’t plan on sleeping tonight~” The Bibarel gulped, biting her lip and pulling on her collar. Gosh, did it suddenly get hot in here or what?
[I]
[/I]“I...w-well… oh dear, I-I’ve never had someone flirt with me like this before… wh-what do I say..? Y-yes, ma’am..?” She gulped, the Bibarel could feel herself getting quite aroused at the idea of spending a night with this frisky Pikachu. Perhaps she could get a nice feel of those large breasts or have that fat ass sat on her face… maybe pinned and eaten out by the horny Pikachu or even grind their sexes together… just the thought of what this frisky gal could and probably would do to her had the Bibarel awfully wet.
[I]
[/I]“There’s a first time for everything, Auburn~”
[I]
[/I]“W-Well...room 7 i-is available… please enjoy your stay, w-we have complimentary breakfast arrangements in the morning f-for guildmates and guests alike...p-perhaps stay the morning and enjoy the guild, see if you may be interested i-in becoming one of us.”
[I]
[/I]“I appreciate the offer, darling. But I’ll have to personally decline. When I’m done my adventure here, I’ve got an assistant waiting for my return home. However...” She lifted the Bibarel’s chin, their lips mere inches apart as she whispered sensually to her. “The only assistance needed tonight is my taking your virginity~”
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m not...I-I...h-how did you know I was...”
[I]
[/I]“It’s written all over your pretty face~”
[I]
[/I]“This is so fuckin’--get a room, you two!” Eve rolled his eyes. He knew it was only a matter of time until that horny Pikachu would start flirting with others. This is what he signed up for letting Masoka tag along.
[I]
[/I]“That’s what I’m trying to do, silly~” Masoka retorted, planting a quick kiss on the Bibarel’s lips.
[I]
[/I]“R-room 10...i-is my room...” Was all Auburn could say after the teasing kiss, her face burning up red and ears emitting steam.
[I]
[/I]“Hm hm, then expect plus one tonight. You may not take money, but I still got a tip for you~” Letting the Bibarel go, she took her two partners by the paws and left for their temporary bedroom. Passing by the six dorms leading to room 7, she would take note of the rather small roster the guild had to offer. Of the six rooms, it appeared two of them were unoccupied with the four that were having two Pokemon in each save for room 5 which only had one.
[I]
[/I]“Eleven Pokemon.”
[I]
[/I]“Eleven?” Eve repeated, looking over at the Pikachu.
[I]
[/I]“The guards, receptionist, and Guildmaster included, I counted eleven Pokemon here in the guild so far. Those guards weren’t kidding that this was a small running business.”
[I]
[/I]“Guess so. Load Cabins is pretty far off from the other established civilizations though they do have a ship and dockin’ port like Crystal City does bein’ a coastal town.”
[I]
[/I]“Maybe we should stick around for a while tomorrow, huh? See how the guild is run, check out the guildmates, maybe even meet the Guildmaster.” Masoka suggested, staying at the doorway while Eve and Makoto took up the hay beds.
[I]
[/I]“For someone who ain’t stickin’ around here, you sound pretty interested.”
[I]
[/I]“It’s not for me, silly. It’s for Makoto. And maybe you, too.” She pointed to the Frosquirrel who was idly batting at her tail. “While she doesn’t have to stay or make any decisions now, maybe if she sees what the Guild life is like, she may develop an interest and might want to come back to apply one day. And maybe you could join her, most Guilds don’t often accept solo applications from what I’ve been told by my son. Point is, becoming a Guild apprentice and going on to be an adventurer could be a wonderful opportunity for Makoto to open herself up to the world and get pass her shyness. My boy also tells me that the Guild life is something amazing, the friends and allies you make on top of considerable pay for a fun job.”

“Wait wait, hold all that. Did you say son?” Eve looked at the green cheeked Pikachu like she was crazy. “You have a son? You’re a MILF??”

“O-oh, now I wouldn’t go using terms like that in front of Makoto~” The Pikachu smirked, giving Eve bedroom eyes and a little sway of her chest. “But I am a mother with a lovely, handsome son~ Jack is his name.”

“A’ight, we’ll have a talk about that one later. But for now, we’re gonna get some sleep. I already know what you’re doin’ tonight so don’t be too sleepy in the morning, ‘kay?”

“No promises~!” She giggled, waving the two off before leaving the room. Makoto looked over at Eve who pushed his hay bed closer to hers.

“Wh-what are you doing, Eve?” She blushed a bit when their beds touched.

“Figured it’s more comfy just puttin’ it all together, yeah? More space and such. Also warmer sleepin’ closer. That’s not a problem, is it?”

“O-oh, no! N-not at all..! Just… j-just wondering...” She looked away, her tail flicking a bit when the chinchilla flopped back into his, or rather their bed.

“So Maks, about what Masoka said. Is that somethin’ you’d be interested in considering one day?”

“Huh? Y-you mean like… joining this Guild? Or… I guess… joining a Guild in general.”

“Yeah, that. It ain’t something you really gotta worry ‘bout right now, of course. We already got our paws full o’ work. But maybe sometime in the future, [B]ya think you’d consider possibly pickin’ up the Guild life?[/B]”

[I]-> That one guild sounded pretty exotic... the... illi..mante...something... retreat?...what was it called?

[/I]“Il’amante Retreat..?” Makoto spoke aloud in response to the voices in her head.
[I]
[/I]“Huh? That’s a new one, very new, in fact. I heard that guild started construction and it’s just about finished. If I had to guess, they’ll probably be up and running in the next week or two.” Eve responded, looking over at the Frosquirrel.
[I]
[/I]“A-ah! D..did I say that out loud? I-I was… I was just thinking to myself...” Makoto blushed. She really had to be more careful with responding to those voices. What would Eve think of her if she told her she was hearing people giving her advice and suggestions? He’d probably think she was absolutely bonkers insane or something.
[I]
[/I]“Well regardless, was there something on your mind about that Guild, Maks?”
[I]
[/I]“Umm… I guess… you said Il’amante was a new Guild, right..? Are those easier for no experience newcomers like me to join..?”
[I]
[/I]“Hey hey, don’t put yaself down like that. You got experience.” Eve gave Makoto a soft rub on her belly, getting a little giggle out of her. “Sure, ya don’t got lots on ya but we traveled Icicle Forest together and ya contributed. You’re a damn good support givin’ out heals and those damage boosts o’ yours really do the trick. Next thing I know ya gonna be flyin’ around healin’ all ya teammates at once.”
[I]
[/I]“I-I don’t have wings..?”
[I]
[/I]“Of course you don’t. I was jokin’, don’t worry. Anyway, I think a new Guild would likely be ya best bet, yeah. A play like Il’amante Retreat would probably accept ya with open arms. Bein’ new, they’d cater much more to those having their first steps into the adventurin’ life. It also helps ‘em out ‘cus bein’ new means needing a fresh start on gatherin’ business. But, uhh...”
[I]
[/I]“B-but..? Is there some sort of catch..?”
[I]
[/I]“Not really a catch. More of a… decision. Like a huge decision for you.” Eve took a deep breath. He knew this probably wasn’t gonna be the best thing for Makoto to hear but he had to say it with no sugar coating. “See, while that’s likely the best chance at a guaranteed Guild membership for ya…Il’amante Retreat is on the other side of the world.”
[I]
[/I]“Wh...o-other...WHAT?”
[I]
[/I]“Yeeeeah, it’s in the Electron Continent waaay down south. You’d have to literally cross the world to get there. And it’d have to be a permanent move.”
[I]
[/I]“...O-OK.” Eve’s eyes widened at the surprisingly positive response.
[I]
[/I]“Excuse me?”
[I]
[/I]“I-I said OK… I mean… wh-what I mean is, I… I can’t be a mommy’s girl all my life… a-and I can’t just let myself be sheltered forever… I-I’ve been enjoying this and… and seeing the world does sound really exciting. Umm… b-but I just… I don’t know if I’d be able to do it alone, though. E-Eve if… if I did go work at Il’amante, would you… p-please go with me..?” Eve’s heart skipped a beat. His cheeks flushed red for a moment. This was far from the first sort of request Makoto had asked of him but something about this one hit different. Knowing that he was a major source of Makoto’s strength and bravery, knowing that she trusted him so deeply already…
[I]
[/I]“Yeah...” He spoke softly, looking straight into the Frosquirrel’s eyes with a smile. “I’d go anywhere to help ya, Maks. We’re a team.” He gave her a pat on the head and coiled his tail around hers.
[I]
[/I]“I-I know… maybe you were expecting me to disagree immediately… b-but like I said… I love my mommy with all my heart b-but I don’t wanna cling to her forever… I wanna be able to explore… see the world a-and make her proud. And I’ll never be able to achieve my own goals if I just… keep hiding away at home… I wanna help people as much as I can a-and if I work in a Guild and do lots of jobs...”
[I]
[/I]“We could be a Rescue Team and save Pokemon in danger.” Eve suggested, getting a big smile from the squirrel.
[I]
[/I]“Y-yeah.. we could be a Rescue Team!……...What’s a Rescue Team?”
[I]
[/I]“One of the many different types of teams that you can classify as. Rescue Teams specialize in what their name implies; they rescue Pokemon! Missing Pokemon, injured Pokemon, even more dangerous tasks like kidnapped Pokemon. If they need a rescue, they can count on a Rescue Team to find ‘em. [B]What do you think of that Maks?[/B]”
[I]
-> They are a great group that helps so many. Inspiring really.[/I]

“I think… a Rescue Team sounds really neat… getting to see the world, helping people… all around the world… wow...” Makoto’s imagination went wild with childish wonder at the thought of just how many souls she could save. Though this world was quite at peace, it didn’t mean there was no trouble, no danger, and especially no crime. Crime was certainly still everywhere and with the ever growing population of adventurous Pokemon taking off on their journeys to become adventurers, guild members, and teammates alike, there were sure to be plenty who may find themselves in bad situations and in need of someone’s help.

“I want to be that someone...” Makoto looked up at Eve, her eyes sparkling with that youthful excitement again. “I want to be the one… the one that brings a smile to the faces of those in need..! E-Eve, I want to be on a Rescue Team one day!”

“That’s the spirit, now ya talkin’, Maks~” Eve chuckled, patting her head with a smile. “Just a few days out and yer already gettin’ the hang o’ becomin’ an adventurer. Mayhaps we can take up that offer of stayin’ around for the mornin’, yeah? A free breakfast and ya get to check out some guild life, see the general gist of how things work in a place like this. Maybe ask ‘round with some o’ the guildmates for some stories and such. Might be a lotta inspiration for an aspirin’ traveler like you.” Makoto nodded with a small blush, smiling at the chinchilla and giving his tail a light squeeze. “Let’s get some rest, though. Wanna be fast asleep before I have to listen to Masoka and her new [I]friend[/I] down the hall.” The Frosquirrel’s cheeks flushed a bit, knowing exactly what the Chillaflage meant by that. She let out a big yawn and closed her eyes, curling up around her tail.

“Mhmm… goodnight, Eve.” She purred quietly, her tail flicking a bit before calming down with the Frosquirrel getting to sleep.

“Sweet dreams, Maks. See ya in the mornin’.”

The sun began its ascent into the air, rising over the snowy continent and shining its brilliant morning rays upon the townsfolk of Load Cabins. It was rather early at that, the wall clock on the wall atop the entrance to the room reading just minutes before 7AM when…

“RIIIIISE AND GRIIIIND, EXPLORERS!” A booming loud voice came practically roaring down the halls, exploding out into each and every room. The voice came and went getting louder and less louder as the owner to said voice walked back and forth along the dorm hallway.

“M-my ears...” Makoto whimpered, her head absolutely spinning.

“Who in every fuckin’ world...” Eve groaned, vision dancing all around the room in a complete daze. “Ain’t nobody’s voice that loud...”

“IT’S 7AM! UP AND AT ‘EM FOR THE MORNING BRIEFING!”

“I’m gonna go deaf...”

“I’ll kill ‘em...”

“LET’S GOOOOO GLACIER GUILD!” The two were up soon enough, groaning and trying to clear the ringing out of their ears, slumping out of bed and filing out into the hall with the other, much more enthusiastic Pokemon of the guild who must have been very used to this morning wake up call.

“Minus one to guild life...” Makoto commented to her partner. If this was an expectation every morning, that would certainly be one downside to the poor squirrel. Alarms were one thing but a whole nuclear alert system booming down the halls? That’s just outrageous. The duo soon lined up in the main lobby where they noticed all of the other guild members positioned in two rows, having idle morning chatter among each other. Eve and Makoto stood off to the side with Masoka soon joining up with them as her Bibarel roommate would take position with the rest of the guild, the Pikachu stealing one last pat to the other female’s ass along the way.

“You two look like you woke up from your graves. Did you get enough sleep?” The peppy and wide awake Pikachu was a stark contrast to the exhausted, fur ruffled chinchilla and squirrel.

“We did. But being woken up by a nationwide Armageddon alert system isn’t going to make waking up easier.” Eve grumbled, watching as the Guildmaster arrived before them. An icy blue Morpeko with the usual black left side of fur in their peculiar pattern, likely an ice and dark-type.

“Is that a Snopeko?” Masoka pointed out the hamster addressing their guildmates with a big smile on their face. “Oh my gosh, they’re so cute~!”

“Pipe down, Masoka! Don’t interrupt them, we’re guests!” Eve covered the Pikachu’s squealing mouth, listening to their morning chant.

[B]We’re the Glacier Guild and we all fight nice!
If the enemy runs then they’ll pay the price!
Freeze ‘em all up and put ‘em on ice!
Spin their heads around and make ‘em think twice!
Go Glaciers Go!

[/B]“Everyone to work and have a great morning!”
[B]
[/B]“YES, SIR!” The guildmates cheered before they all dispersed, the Snopeko looking their way with a smile.
[B]
[/B]“Ah, you three must be our morning guests, hello! Auburn mentioned you all to me before turning in for the night. Good morning! I’m the Guildmaster here, my name is Ashe, it’s a pleasure meeting you three.”
[B]
[/B]“Mornin’, uhh… sir?” Eve shook paws with the Snopeko. “A pleasure to meet you as well. We ain’t stayin’ long but we appreciate the hospitality. In fact, this is great experience for my buddy Maks here.” He pointed to the Frosquirrel who quickly threw her tail up over herself. “She’s thinkin’ of becomin’ an explorer, maybe even joining a Guild so this is a good chance for her to see the Guild life.”
[B]
[/B]“Oh, that is lovely to hear! It’s always wonderful seeing newcomers to the scene! Do feel free to stay as long as you wish, however. There is plenty of room in our Guild for guests. If I may ask, [B]what brings you three around these parts?[/B]”
[B]
[/B][I]-> You are going to find the Crystal Hamster and require their finest recruits to aid us.

[/I]“I-I… I’m going to find th...the Crystal Hamster...” Makoto bit her lip, taking a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. “I’m going to find the Crystal Hamster… a-and I’d like your f-finest recruits..t-to help us...” The Snopeko smiled at the ambitious Frosquirrel with a soft chuckle.
[I]
[/I]“Hm hm, my you certainly do have a natural talent for exploration with a request like that. But my finest recruits, you say? My recruits may be too strong for you, traveler~ Though our guild is small, we are quite experienced. It would do little good to your development as a new adventurer to have a veteran such as my guildmates accompany you. I hope you understand.”
[I]
[/I]“B-but everyone makes Polaris Mountain sound really scary...a-and… I don’t know i-if… I don’t know if we can do it...” Makoto looked over at Eve who merely shrugged and pat her head.
[I]
[/I]“Then look at this quest as a test. A test of companionship and partnership. Through trials and hardships, your team synergy will be tested and should you succeed, you will only become stronger together. You must have faith in your allies and friends to pull through together or die trying.” Ashe looked away for a moment, doing a double take. “...Okay, maybe not die. You don’t really die in dungeons… pull through together or [I]faint[/I] trying. And then you try again and again until you finally break those barriers. Besides, my guildmates are currently unavailable with their own work and jobs to be done.”
[I]
[/I]“We gotcha, we gotcha. Don’t worry ‘bout it.” Eve reassured the Guildmaster, waving a paw at him. “Maks can get a li’l nervous at times, she’s a shy one and still got lots to learn. Guess the little bit o’ extra paws could help us go a long ways but if nobody’s available, that’s just the way it is.”
[I]
[/I]“Thank you for understanding. Please, I hope you will stay around for a little, at least enjoy breakfast with us before you go! Our Guild Chef is making honey Lum waffles with eggs sunny side up sprinkled Red Apricorn spice. A good breakfast will keep your energy high through the day.”
[I]
[/I]“That sounds amazing~” Masoka spoke up, her belly grumbling at the thought of breakfast. “I think I speak for us all saying we’ll stick around a little while. Right, you two?”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah, yeah. That food do sound kinda bangin’.” Eve agreed with a nod. Makoto simply nodded as well, squeezing at her tail.
[I]
[/I]“Fantastic! Please follow me to the cafeteria then~” The Snopeko smiled, leading them into the left room where they’d noticed most of the guildmates entering when they were dismissed earlier. Inside the cafeteria was a decently sized space with two long tables placed side by side. Some of the guildmates sat together at one of the tables while the rest sat at the other, plenty of seats leftover on both sides. The chef could be seen through an open window in the back of the room finishing up cooking the meals, the fresh scent of a delicious breakfast filling the room and enticing the many stomachs awaiting their chances to enjoy those waffles and eggs.
[I]
[/I]“This is a really cozy little place, I’ll say.” Masoka complimented, looking around the room from the grassy green carpeting to the icy blue and white colored walls and ceiling. They decided to take their seats next to a white Togedemaru with an icy igloo-like pattern someone reminiscent of an Alolan Sandshrew.
[I]
[/I]“Hi!” They looked over at the Frosquirrel sat on their right, greeting her with their high pitched, squeaky voice. “I haven’t seen you around before, are you new here? It’s always nice to meet new Pokemon! I’m Izzy Nomori~”
[I]
[/I]“H...hello...” Makoto squirmed a little, the extra peppy Marugloo being a bit unnerving to the shy girl.
[I]
[/I]“Ooo, you’re the shy type, huh? That’s OK, I toootally get it~ I know a really cute boy who’s pretty shy too, he’s a nice and adorable Skwovet who came here once. Though he also couldn’t talk for some reason, I didn’t really get it but I didn’t question it, guess it’s just a way some Pokemon are different from each other.” Makoto was sweating at this point. This porcupine thing was talking a mile a minute and she was going to drive her crazy.
[I]
[/I]“Izzy, are you bothering the new girl?” Sitting on the other side of the table from them was a pair of rabbit-like Pokemon. A Plusle and Minun, white like snow with one having green, leafy ears and ruby red eyes and the other with autumn gold leafy ears and sapphire blue eyes.
[I]
[/I]“Can’t you see how uncomfortable she is with you running off at the mouth, girl? You’re going a bit too fast for her.” The other spoke up after, shaking their head at the Marugloo.
[I]
[/I]“I-It’s OK… I-I’m just listening...” Makoto squeaked out, clinging onto her tail looking over at the pair of bunny mice. “Umm… I-I’m Makoto… I’m j-just a guest, I’m n-not a new member...”
[I]
[/I]“Guildmate or guest,” “You’re still our company and our responsibility,” “As long as you’re here.” The two snow bunny mice Pokemon were like twins, continuing and finishing one another’s sentences as if they could reach each other’s minds.
[I]
[/I]“So enjoy your stay while you’re here!”
[I]
[/I]“And feel free to ask us anything you’d like to know~”
[I]
[/I]“Alright, what is up with you two talkin’ like that?” Eve chimed in, looking over at the snowy Pokemon.
[I]
[/I]“Us?” “What about us?”
[I]
[/I]“That! Exactly that, the whole finishin’ each other’s sentences. Y’all like one mind or somethin’? It’s kinda freaky.” The two looked at each other then burst out into howling laughter together.
[I]
[/I]“Ohh you’re a laugh~!” “That’s not it at all~!” “Maybe it’d help if we,” “Introduced ourselves properly~!”
[I]
[/I]“At this rate I’d rather they not...” Eve mumbled under his breath.
[I]
[/I]“I’m Carly Belle~”
[I]
[/I]“And I’m Marley Belle~” The two looked at each other then back at the Chillaflage with a bit of a sultry smile.
[I]
[/I]“[I]We’re twins~[/I]”
[I]
[/I]“Good… to know...” Eve groaned, looking over at Masoka who was currently chatting it up with Auburn.
[I]
[/I]“T-twins… twins are cool...” Makoto’s eyes sparkled with that child-like wonder again as she looked at the two long eared mice.
[I]
[/I]“Sure are~” “Especially when you’re,” “As close as Carly and me~!” The two girls giggled, bumping hips together.
[I]
[/I]“S-sometimes I wish I had siblings...”
[I]
[/I]“You’re an only child?” “Do you get lonely sometimes?” “I couldn’t imagine not having Carly.” “Life without Marley? Like, nightmare!”
[I]
[/I]“These two are always together. Always always always together! You almost never ever seen them separated no matter what!” Izzy spoke up, throwing herself back into the conversation. “It’s suuuuper cool but also kinda scary, like how do they do that? How are they always together, I mean surely they must have different interests and hobbies right?”
[I]
[/I]“Nah.” “Nope.” “We share, like, everything together.” “It’s totally true~ We’re, like, a perfect match.” “We’d even share a boyfriend if we had one.” “Or girlfriend~” “We don’t discriminate.”
[I]
[/I]“That poor soul.” Eve mumbled, looking up and watching as breakfast was being passed out at the tables. “Oh thank goodness breakfast is bein’ served now. [B]Maks, how ya holdin’ up around these… interestin’ cases?[/B]”
[I]
-> Do those twins... Do they do what you did with Collie, Eve? They seemed really close…
[/I]
Makoto’s cheeks flushed red at the suggestion given by the voices. That was such a naughty thought! Lewd idea! But… again, she had to remember that sexual instincts are strong within many of them. As rodents, they are naturally a rather sexually active bunch of species and such thoughts would be very normal for many to have no matter how lewd they were. But was she really going to ask that kind of thing to Eve? Or even ask those twins something so personal?

She was kind of curious how two girls did it, though. She’d never seen lesbian sex before and gay sex appeared very similar to straight sex for the most part. But between two Pokemon with female anatomy, the lack of a penis made her wonder how sex would work without the ability to penetrate.
[I]
[/I]“E-Eve, do you… do you think, umm...” Makoto whispered to the Chillaflage, blushing like mad trying to get her question out.
[I]
[/I]“Yeah, Maks? What’s up?”
[I]
[/I]“Do you… th-think that… C-Carly and Marley...m-maybe does that thing...y-you did w-with Mr. Collie..? You know… th-the sex..?” By now, Makoto was completely red from cheek to cheek and huffing a little, feeling all flustered managing to ask something so naughty. Eve merely snorted, covering his mouth to stop himself from bursting out into laughter at Makoto of all Pokemon asking such a question. It was hilarious to think of these two bratty-like girls fucking each other. And then it became a very arousing thought to the chinchilla.
[I]
[/I]“Errm… I mean, they probably do? If they really don’t ever split up like the igloo said then I’m sure they even fuck together too. What made ya think o’ that, though? Curious?” Makoto simply nodded and couldn’t help but giggle just a little.
[I]
[/I]“Y-yeah… I’ve never seen two girls d-do it before… how do they penetrate..? I-I mean like.. how would two girls pleasure each other?”
[I]
[/I]“Plenty ways. Sex comes in lots o’ forms other than just put penis in hole ‘n thrust. Oral sex uses ya mouth and tongue. On boys, ya suck their cocks and with girls you can lick ‘em or push your tongue in ‘em. Doin’ it to a vagina is called cunnilingus. You can also do it to the butt with ya tongue, that one often called rimmin’ or a rimjob. There’s also ya fingers, toys like dildos ‘n strap-ons that are just fake penises and whatnot—a’ight timeout, why are we having this conversation at the breakfast table?”
[I]
[/I]“I dunno but keep going, it’s really naughty~” Izzy whispered back to them, giggling and blushing quite red herself. Considering the Marugloo was sitting between the two of them…
[I]
[/I]“Stop listening to our whispers, igloo.” Eve gave the icy porcupine girl a nudge.
[I]
[/I]“Oh it’s fine, I won’t tell them you’re talking about them. In fact, I’ve seen them do the do together before. They do it often actually. Those girls have two moods to them; horny and not horny. When they’re not horny, they’re all snooty and bratty but they’re good girls. And when they are horny, the flirt game is on. If they set their eyes on someone, that person [I]will[/I] be fucked eventually. They always get what they want.”
[I]
[/I]“Couple of spoiled rotten brats. Kinda hot but you ain’t hear that from me.” Eve hissed at the Marugloo and Frosquirrel, Izzy giggling at Eve’s taste in girls. “That’s just one of my preferences, buzz off. I like other types too.”
[I]
[/I]“Tell us what other types of girls get your cogs turning~”
[I]
[/I]“Why in every hell would I ever do that??”
[I]
[/I]“I’m curious~ And I’m sure Makoto would loooove to know too~” The Frosquirrel’s entire face went red and she quickly threw her tail up, hiding behind it.
[I]
[/I]“No deal. Off the topic.” Eve huffed, looking over at Makoto for a moment before turning his attention back to the igloo Pokemon.
[I]
[/I]“What in the world” “Are you three whispering about?” “You’d better not, like, be talking about us!” “Yah. Like, if you got something to say,” “Say it to our faces!” The snowy mice huffed, pouting together at the trio.
[I]
[/I]“Nothin’, ain’t nothin’ to worry ya sassy heads about!” Eve retorted, rolling his eyes. “Breakfast is here anyway, let’s eat so we can get outta here before these girls give me a migraine.” The Chillaflage dug into his waffles, practically stuffing his face to avoid any more conversation. Makoto followed suit, though much more delicate and actually showing some manners at least, taking her time to enjoy the breakfast meal. The punch of many different flavors was welcoming to Makoto though she really enjoyed the mild spiciness that the sprinkled Red Apricorn flakes gave to the eggs.

The rest of the morning breakfast passed with little of significance to make note of, only the resuming idle chatter around the guild as everyone finished up their meals, plates piled in the center of both tables with many thanks going out to the chef who’d taken the plates to the kitchen for cleaning. Makoto and Eve made note of a Chuflake following behind the chef shortly after with swaying hips, the Chillaflage smirking knowing the chef was about to get an extra special ‘thank you’ as everyone else filed out of the room back into the lobby. Several Pokemon took to the bulletin boards to look over the job listings for their daily work. Makoto, Eve, and Masoka met up at the front entrance, looking over the Frosquirrel’s Wonder Map.
[I]
[/I]“So south o’ here is Twinkle Forest and on the west end of town is the shipyard and ports. When we leave here, we gotta go north, that’ll take us up to Polaris Hill. From there, we just gotta clear the hill to make it to Polaris Mountain and we’ll be just one step away from returnin’ this heart to the Opalustrus.”
[I]
[/I]“Sounds simple enough.” Masoka nodded on the plan, Makoto rolling up the map and storing it back into her bag. The three of them checked the clock stationed above the receptionist’s booth. It was currently 11:50 “So we’re headed north. By the looks of it, if things go well, we could make it up Polaris Hill by evening if not sooner.”
[I]
[/I]“Yep. High noon is upon us so we’ll have the whole afternoon for travel. What say you, Maks? [B]Are you ready to go? Or do you want to stay here at the guild another day before we leave?[/B]”
[I]
-> We've barely met anyone, even though they all seem so nice! It would be rude to just run off like that, right...? Another day would be fine, even with the alarm-ageddon.

[/I]“Umm… could we stay for another day..? I wouldn’t mind.. I-I mean the Pokemon here are nice… a-and it’s my first time here, I’d like to see a bit more of this cozy little place… s-sorry...” Makoto clung to her tail with a little whimper, hoping she wasn’t being an inconvenience to her partners.
[I]
[/I]“Hey, whatcha apologizin’ for? Ain’t nothing wrong with that, Maks. If ya wanna stick around here longer, that’s fine with me. B’sides, like I said,” He gave her a reassuring pat on the back and a smile. “This is your adventure. Not all leaders lead the way.” The Frosquirrel’s tail twitched a little and she smiled at Eve, giving him a little hug.
[I]
[/I]“Yay..! Thank you, Eve… umm… I-I wanna look around town a little.”
[I]
[/I]“Oh! I picked up a flier from Auburn about the town and its hot spots. There’s not a lot here but maybe something will still pique your interests.” Masoka opened the little pamphlet and began reading out the to-go spots. “The biggest spot to see in Load Cabins is the Glacier Guild. Though staff and membership is small, their community is tightly knit and welcoming. Comprised of a small team of seasoned explorers, they’ve trained their apprentices up to veteran level adventurers. Next is the Shipyard on the west coast shoreline. Ships come and go carrying cargo and imports to and from the village. It’s the easiest way for international outsiders to make it into town. Apparently the Shipyard is where they hold most of the festivities for the holidays.
[I]
[/I]“And then there’s the Imports Market. Most of the goods sold in Load Cabins are imports from other cities and towns. Since Load Cabins is the coldest of the three civilized establishments on the Proton Continent, successfully growing crops is very hard so they get most of their berries and food imported. The only spot that manages to grow food here is the Solar Greenhouse. It’s a greenhouse with solar panels installed on the roof that absorbs sunlight and transfers its heat into the garden, keeping the soil warm and soft as well as feeding the plants the necessary sunlight for healthy development.
[I]
[/I]“All of those imported goods transferred from the Shipyard then go between stocking the Guild or sent to the Imports Market where merchants will sell the goods as well as have portions of the food sent to the greenhouse for additional harvesting. The last notable place would be the Marshmallow Pit. It’s a little campfire site where residents will often get together around a lit campfire roasting marshmallows and telling various sorts of stories from fantasies to tales about their lives to scary stories. Seems like the Marshmallow Pit and sharing stories around is a big part of the cozy Load Cabins culture according to the flier.”
[I]
[/I]“Maybe we could hit up that spot later with some of the residents and listen to those stories o’ theirs, huh?” Eve proposed to the group. “I do enjoy a good story from time to time. Got a few I could tell myself, in fact.”
[I]
[/I]“I-I like books and stories.” Makoto smiled, her tail wagging a little. “I-I don’t have any stories to tell of my own...b-but I love listening to them.”
[I]
[/I]“Sounds like we can check out the Marshmallow Pit later. The pamphlet says the fire is only lit during the night so there’s not much reason to go right now.”
[I]
[/I]“Then sounds like there’s the shipyard, market, and greenhouse.” Eve looked over to the Frosquirrel. “We got plenty of time to see it all but [B]what do ya wanna check out first?[/B]”
[I]
-> Go to the Imports Market to see if you can find some items not native to here.

[/I]“Let’s… check out the market… m-maybe they have interesting stuff not native to our land.” Makoto suggested somewhat sheepishly.
[I]
[/I]“Huh, that ain’t a bad idea actually.” Eve agreed with a nod. “Yeah, if it’s a buncha imports from outside the continent then who knows what we’ll find. Hell, we might even strike lucky and find a TR or two.”
[I]
[/I]“I like the sound of that~ I’ve never seen a TR or a TM in person before, let’s take the chance!” Masoka was also on board with visiting the market. Coming to agreement with each other, the team left the guild to look around the little village. With everything so close together in a big circular layout, it was mostly a matter of which of these house looking buildings was the Imports Market.
[I]
[/I]“Well, think it’s safe to say the glass house with solar panels ain’t it.” Eve pointed out the glass building with green brick support beams in its structure and the obvious garden of berries inside. “Other than that, most these cabins look quite the same.”
[I]
[/I]“Oh, there’s the sign.” Makoto took note of the building beside the greenhouse with an unlit neon sign on the front marked ‘Imports Market’. “Guess the hot spots are all meant for night browsing. I wonder if they’re open right now then?”
[I]
[/I]“Only one way to find out. C’mon, let’s check it out.” Eve led the way, the girls following close behind and entering the little home. As expected which everything else, the little cabin was a warm and cozy spot with all sorts of items and goodies strewn about the walls and on counters and shelves. “Wow… this place is packed.”
[I]
[/I]“Items all over the place.” Masoka added.
[I]
[/I]“I’ve never seen so much stuff in one room...” Makoto looked around in awe at all the items. Berries and seeds, orbs and consumables, scarves, glasses, ribbons, even bracelets, bandannas, and headbands!
[I]
[/I]“Good afternoon, travelers~!” A voice chimed out from the back room before an Azumarill came out and behind the counter. “Welcome to my humble little home and Imports Market! You all must be passing by, I’ve not seen your faces around before.”
[I]
[/I]“We’re just here for a day or two, yeah. Heard about this place on the flier and wanted to check it and see just whatcha get in here.” Eve spoke up for the team, leaning over the counter. “Turns out, the answer to that question is simply yes.”
[I]
[/I]“Yes indeed~ We get all sorts of goods, pretty much get it all! If I were to list it all out, we’d be here for some time. Take a look around and if you see anything that catches your eye, just give me the word!” They nodded and began eyeing the goods hanging around the shop.
[I]
[/I]“Man, they’ve got so much here it’s hard to keep track.” Eve rummaged about the scarves and other body wear. “There’s so much here I dunno if I can even pick.”
[I]
[/I]“I’ve got my eyes on these Blue Apricorns and Iron Thorns here. I could make a very good item out of these Apricorns for myself~” Masoka scooped up five of the Apricorns as well as one of the Iron Thorns, placing them on the counter in front of the Azumarill.
[I]
[/I]“Hmm… Escape Orbs. Guess I’ll nab a few o’ these.” Eve swiped up three orbs, adding them to the little pile of items on the counter. “Makoto you find anything you want?”
[I]
[/I]“U-umm… uhh m-maybe..?” Makoto pulled out a white staff with sparkling golden wings and a ruby red orb with a glowing, glimmering shine to it. “What is this..? It looks really neat.”
[I]
[/I]“Ah, that there is a Nursery Staff.” The Azumarill clerk spoke up, explaining the tool. “It’s a staff made for travelers and Pokemon who specialize in the support role of a team. The staff channels healing properties from items and moves to make them more potent, meaning better healing and faster regeneration.”
[I]
[/I]“Damn, that’d be perfect for you, Maks. Oh...” Eve took a look at the price tag and grit his teeth. “But it’s far from cheap… yikes… 7500P.”
[I]
[/I]“I-If we can’t afford it I can put it back...”
[I]
[/I]“No no, I gotcha! That’s… most of my travel money that I’ve got left but I mean [B]if you wanna buy it then we can ring it up.[/B]”
[I]
-> Maybe we can help repay them after the adventure, do some work to help out? It would be real nice to have this!
[/I]
Makoto really wanted that staff, it would help a lot with her supportive style of battle. Providing even faster healing to her teammates could really be a big deal or even make or break certain situations! But that price tag… she checked her own wallet section of her Treasure Bag and saw that her coins only counted up to 900P. The idea of repaying the merchant after their adventure was one to consider, but how was she going to do that? Would the Azumarill even let his item be loaned out? It wasn’t like she would still be in the same town while using it let alone coming back after they were finished. She also just didn’t want that kind of debt looming over her while trying to focus in a Mystery Dungeon. “I-I’ll put it back...”
[I]
[/I]“Whoawhoawhoaheywhoa HEY!… Whoa.” Eve snatched the staff from the Frosquirrel and put it on the counter, pulling out 7500P of coins as well. “When I said I gotcha I mean [I]I gotcha.[/I]”
[I]
[/I]“E-Eve but...”
[I]
[/I]“Nuh-uh, Maks. If Masoka and I can buy somethin’, you ain’t leavin’ empty paw.”
[I]
[/I]“I-I could just get something cheaper...”
[I]
[/I]“Is this whatcha wanna buy?”
[I]
[/I]“B-but...”
[I]
[/I]“[B]Is this whatcha wanna buy?[/B]”
[I]
[/I]“E-Eve...”
[I]
[/I]“Is this.”
[I]
[/I]“But it’s so--”
[I]
[/I]“What you.”
[I]
[/I]“E-Eve please...”
[I]
[/I]“Want to.”
[I]
[/I]“Eve..!”
[I]
[/I]“Buy?”
[I]
[/I]“YES!” Makoto hissed aloud at the Chillaflage before pouting and wrapping herself up in her own tail.
[I]
[/I]“We’ll be taking these to go.” Masoka added the rest of the coin for the items before collecting her Apricorns and Iron Thorn. Eve scooped up the Escape Orbs, placing them in the Treasure Bag and dragging out a still pouty Makoto.
[I]
[/I]“Why did you do that..?” Makoto whimpered, feeling guilty about the Chillaflage spending almost all of his money on her. “I-I said it was fine...”
[I]
[/I]“’Cus ya wanted it.” Eve replied, handing the staff over to her.
[I]
[/I]“B-but now you’re broke..! How am I supposed to repay you for all that… I-I don’t have a job...” Eve shook his head and pulled Makoto into a gentle hug, giving her a reassuring scratch behind the ears.
[I]
[/I]“When did I ever say ya gotta repay me, Maks? I bought that for ya ‘cus yer worth it. It’s somethin’ ya want and somethin’ that’ll benefit us all. Yer worryin’ too much, ya don’t own me nothin’, a’ight? But uhh… sorry I kinda forced that on ya. Prolly not my best way of gettin’ a pal a gift.”
[I]
[/I]“G-gift..?”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah! It’s a gift. Plus ya deserve to have nice things. B’sides, I can make that money up easy enough in time, especially if we keep hittin’ up dungeons, money’s just layin’ around all the time in ‘em.”
[I]
[/I]“W...well… w-well I...” Makoto clung harder to the Chillaflage and hugged him tightly, sniffling a little. “Th-thank you, Eve...”
[I]
[/I]“Hey hey, don’t cry. I hate to see ya tearin’ up like that.” Eve chuckled and couldn’t help but blush a little, patting her head again. “Heh, you’ll get used to those kinds o’ kind gestures in time, Maks. C’mon, wanna check out some other spots since it’s still quite early in the afternoon? There’s still lotsa time before the Marshmallow Pit lights the campfire. [B]We could check the other hot spots or just visit some o’ the regular homes ‘round here. Head back to the Guild and relax awhile or somethin’.[/B]”
[I]
-> To the greenhouse! Some lovely floral scents might calm any nerves about tomorrow!
[/I]
Makoto did like the sound of that. The greenhouse full of growing berries and flowers, perhaps there could be some delightful, soothing scents and aromas there to calm the mind, especially knowing what’s coming up soon. “Can we see inside the greenhouse..?”
[I]
[/I]“Hm? Sure, if they’ll let us in. Let’s check it out.” Makoto coiled her tail around Eve’s, staying close to the chinchilla while they went to pay a visit to the glass building. Inside almost camouflaged by the plentiful greenery was an Emolga with sea green back fur and a tan-yellow front, and a palm tree shaped tail. They also lacked the flying membrane that regular Emolga had. They were holding a watering can, sprinkling the various plants before they noticed the team at the door.
[I]
[/I]“Oh! Golly oh dear, I’m so sorry!” They rushed over to the door, clumsily dropping the watering can with a yelp and tripping over it, toppling down and slamming their face to the grassy floor. “Oww...” The Palmolga groaned, rubbing their now red nose while opening the door. “I’m sorry, so sorry, I didn’t notice you there, please forgive my rudeness!”
[I]
[/I]“Forget about that, are you alright? Your face kinda got really intimate with the floor there.” Masoka pointed out, picking up the can having spilled most of its water out onto the ground.
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m fine… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you..! Oh dear, this happens often, so embarrassing...”
[I]
[/I]“You uhh… don’t gotta apologize for fallin’ on your face?” Eve reassured, somewhat confused by this overly apologetic grass squirrel.
[I]
[/I]“A-Ah! I’m doing it again, I’m sorry—I-I mean no—I mean! Gah! I’m a wreck..! Wh-why are you here—what I mean is h-how may I help you? You’re new here...” The squirrel completely stumbled over their words, their voice somewhat nasaly and noticeably nerdy. Makoto looked around the room, noticing a pair of large, taped up circular glasses sitting on a table next to a few pots and another watering can.
[I]
[/I]“Guess you could call us tourists if ya wanna get technical ‘bout it. But yeah, we’re just passin’ by while on a li’l quest and wanted to check out the hot spots in town so now we’re here. Guessin’ you do the tendin’ to the garden work? Couldn’t imagine most grass-types goin’ and livin’ in an icy place like this willingly without somethin’ to feel at home like this.” Eve glanced about the garden, looking at the various berries growing on the little trees and bushes.
[I]
[/I]“Y-Yeah, I moved here as a part of Load Cabins’ greenhouse project. Before I came here, all of their goods were imported with no native grown food at all but when they decided to construct a greenhouse, they realized they didn’t have anyone knowledgeable with gardening and harvesting so I volunteered to take the job… e-eheh heh heh heh… I-I really love farming so I was quick on the application before I even realized where they were sending me...”
[I]
[/I]“Wouldn’t that info be on the application?” Masoka questioned, wondering if there was some vital information that may have been intentionally left out for applicants and volunteers.
[I]
[/I]“Yeeeah but uhhh… I maaaybe probably sorta mighta may haaave… applied without even reading… it..? B-but that’s fine! I like living here. Even though it’s so cold and icy outside of town, this place is so cozy and warm and they have really nice traditions. I love listening to the campfire stories… b-b-but the scary stories...” They shivered and shook their head. “I don’t like scary stories… I scare too easily...”
[I]
[/I]“Noted. So is this what you do most days? Watering and tending to the plants and such?” Eve asked with a raised brow.
[I]
[/I]“Oh yes, I take really good care of all of my babies here! The townsfolk really appreciate my work too, I’ve never gotten so many compliments before, eh heh heh..! Back where I used to live, people usually just called me names like ‘plant nerd’ or ‘grass geek’ because I would lay around the plants enjoying the refreshing sunlight~ But everyone here is so nice, they thank me and give me encouraging words. Sometimes I even get gifts..!” The Palmolga raised their paws, putting attention to the large brown gloves they were wearing. A gray strap tied the gloves to the Palmolga’s paws so they wouldn’t slip off. “A really nice Aisuzarill from the Glacier Guild gave me these to wear while I do my gardening so my paws don’t get too dirty. I-I even heard her tell her friends she thought I was cute… dueehehehee~ A cute girl thinks I’m cute~” The Palmolga let out a dorky giggle, cheeks flushing red and tail wagging happily.
[I]
[/I]“Awwww, Eve aren’t they just adorable~?” Masoka squealed, seeing quite a bit of herself in the nerdy grass-type.
[I]
[/I]“Huh? Uhh yeah? Sure? I guess? They’re kinda nerdy if you ask me. It’s… yeah fine alright, it’s endearin’ to see someone so giddy and passionate ‘bout their interests or somethin’. I still ain’t good with a lotta o’ that mushy gushy adorable stuff.” Eve huffed, brushing off the Pikachu.
[I]
[/I]“Ah! E-enough about me! I’m rambling, gah! S-sorry—I mean! Uhh..t-tell me about you! Or...something? Was there something you’d like from here? The berries here are usually to be given out to the Guild or to merchants for selling but I can sell some of the berries here myself fresh from the vines!”
[I]
[/I]“Umm...a-actually I uhh.. j-just wanted to… smell… flowers..?” Makoto flushed a little. “I-I mean like! Like, do you have any… stuff that has relaxing scents?”
[I]
[/I]“Guh?… OH! What you’re looking for are incenses! I have a few, I have a few!” The Palmolga scurried over towards the dresser, their foot getting caught by a vine causing them to take a stumble into the dresser, one of the pots falling over and crashing on their head. “Gah! O-oh gosh, I just fixed this one… a-ah! The incenses!” Without skipping a beat, they opened the dresser and pulled out three different little bud shaped stands, not even caring that a bunch of dirt and soil was spilling all over their body from the broken flower pot on their head.
[I]
[/I]“Here we are! I have a Sea Incense, a Rose Incense, and a Full Incense. These let out scents that can really soothe your mind but they can also have special effects like boosting grass-type power or slowing your movement. I can’t give them out for free but I sell them fairly cheap! 1000P each, [B]would you like to buy one?[/B]”
[I]
-> You just had your friend spend 7500 on a staff, another grand is quite a bit. Might wanna skip on this.[/I]

“U-uhhh I uhhhh..n-no thanks..? Umm… i-is it OK if you could leave one out… j-just like a sort of sample?” While it wasn’t all too expensive, she was 100P short and Eve just bought her that expensive staff and didn’t want him putting out any more money on her. Plus, she didn’t really need to buy one anyway, she had her Soothe Bell Collar as a long term stress reliever.

“O-oh yaya I can do that, yeah uh-huh!” The leafy Emolga put away the Rose and Full Incense, leaving out only the Sea Incense, letting its relaxing scent slowly fill the air. “Why don’t you have a seat here? Relax for a little while and enjoy the more humid climate here in my greenhouse? It can be pretty therapeutic for some Pokemon.” Makoto took the seat beside the table that was offered to her, laying her head on the desk and letting the calming scent of the fresh coastal air, sunny beaches, and the vast salty sea fill her nostrils, the squirrel’s tail twitching a little with glee.

“So, ya said you’re a volunteer for this project thing, right?” Eve spoke up, looking over at the squirrel who was putting their glasses back on. “That means ya not from ‘round these parts, yeah? Where ya come from?”

“Ah! M-me? Golly umm, well gosh… I actually come from really far away. I used to live in my hometown on the Hertz Continent to the far east. Vars City is the place. It’s just north of a big marshland swamp and a Mystery Dungeon full of swampy grass and water-types. Vars City is… I guess not the best place to be? It’s not a bad place by any means! Just the local dungeons flanking its north and south kindaaaa… they get lots of wild Pokemon from the dungeons showing up and causing a lot of trouble.”

“Sounds like that town could use a Dungeon Preservation team to take care of that wild Pokemon issue plaguing the city.” Masoka added in. “A Dungeon Preservation team would make certain the wild Pokemon have proper crowd control in issues like this. They also ensure their habitats within Mystery Dungeons are well kept and maintained to ensure the wild Pokemon are happy with their living conditions.”

“Ooohh we don’t have one of those.” The Palmolga stated rather bluntly. “But! Rat Town has the Lily Pad Guild and they’re south of us set dead in the middle of the swamp! Though… the problem with that is the town is split in two separate segments and sorta been in a big spat with each other for years now. The Guild barely gets to do much work outside of town because they’ve been stuck struggling with trying to get the town back together.”

“That don’t sound good.” Eve commented, shaking his head. “Never been to the Hertz Continent myself. Maybe one day I’ll check out the spots.”

“Oh it’s a really nice continent, I’ll say! I haven’t seen it all myself but I’ve seen maps, it’s quite the diverse land! With hilly fields in its center dispersing into swampy forests to the south and when you go north, the hills flatten out a little but the heat turns waaay up because of the northern volcano! For the most part, the Hertz Continent is a pretty hot and humid one almost through all of the Cycle of Seasons.”

“All Cycle long? Hmm...” Eve looked over at Makoto who was idly batting at the incense smoke in the air. “Hey Maks, if we end up takin’ up on that idea of joinin’ a Guild and whatnot, [B]what do ya say to maybe visitin’ the Hertz Continent sometime?[/B] Probably not the best place for ya bein’ hot ‘n humid but… y’know.”

[I]-> Maybe after you deliver the Crystal Heart.

[/I]“Umm… I-I guess? But after… what we’re doing now..” Makoto looked down at her Treasure Bag then back up at the Chillaflage.
[I]
[/I]“Of course, Maks. We’ve got a mission to finish here before anything else. Speakin’ of travel and whatnot, we oughta check out the shipyard soon, huh? I’d like to stop back by the Guild before they light the campfire if that’s alright with you.”
[I]
[/I]“M-mhmm… I wanna go back too.” Makoto smiled softly, getting up from the chair. “Wanna go now..?”
[I]
[/I]“Ah, are you all leaving now?” The Palmolga looked over at the pair, having returned to watering the plants. They came over to the trio, placing the can on the table and putting away his Sea Incense back in the dresser with the other. “Please take care and be safe. Thank you for your company, I don’t often get many who stay around for a while!”
[I]
[/I]“And thank you for having us, uhh… plaaaant...” It had suddenly dawned on Masoka that not one of them ever caught the Palmolga’s name.
[I]
[/I]“I-It’s Russell. Russell O’Deli. It’s been a pleasure to meet you all!” The grassy squirrel waved to the bunch, pushing up their glasses with a smile. “Please feel free to visit again any time!”
[I]
[/I]“Take care, Russell, it was nice meeting you too~” Masoka waved back to the Palmolga as they left out to return to the Guild for now. Standing at the entrance, Makoto pulled the Wonder Map out for them to review, looking over which direction to go to reach the shipyard.
[I]
[/I]“It’s on the far east side of town, right?” Masoka pointed at the anchor marking on the continent’s shoreline.
[I]
[/I]“Yep, so we go eastbound to get to the shipyard and we can check the place out there.” Eve looked up at the sky, a bit surprised to see the sun rather low in the sky, the subtle yellows and pinks of evening slowly approaching. “Yeesh, sundown’s comin’ already? How long did we spend in that greenhouse? It ain’t feel like it was that long.”
[I]
[/I]“We won’t be long, we’re just going to have a look see at the shipyard then come back, right? It’s not a holiday so there shouldn’t be anything going on there other than maybe some ships coming and going. C’mon, the quicker we go the quicker we can get back.” Masoka took the other two by the paws, her now being the one to lead the way. She made the quick trudge east to the edge of town where a downhill walk along the beaten snow road overlooked the entire shipyard. Large metal crates laid around in piles and rows while various ships lay dormant on the coast awaiting usage. As was expected, since there were no holidays or special occasions happening, the shipyard was currently quite inactive with not much else to see at the moment.
[I]
[/I]“There it is! The shipyard. Always did like these kinds of scenes and environments.” Masoka took a deep breath, letting out a big sigh. “Mmhh yeeeeah and there’s that delightful smell of… shipyards.”
[I]
[/I]“Shipyards? That’s how ya describe the smell?” Eve snorted. “Shipyard.”
[I]
[/I]“Shipyard.” Masoka repeated with a nod. “By the looks of it, activity’s currently low so there’s not much else to see, it seems.”
[I]
[/I]“So… we can head back?” Makoto looked up at the Pikachu who turned and nodded at her.
[I]
[/I]“If you’re ready to, Makoto. [B]But if you’d rather get a closer look anyway, we can still head down there, maybe see if anyone’s around and introduce ourselves even.[/B]”
[I]
-> Let’s take a closer look at least to take in the sights of the ships.

[/I]“Umm… I think a closer look sounds nice… I wanna see the ships better.” Makoto’s tail wagged a little when Masoka began taking them down the hill towards the shipyard. It wasn’t a long walk, only about a minute downward before they arrived where they’d notice a couple of Chuborg lounging around near the ships at the piers. The pair of copper colored, robotic Pikachu-like mice seemed to be communicating with each other through means of their eyes flashing at one another like some sort of Morse code or related means.
[I]
[/I]“Huh, looks like there’s some Pokemon here. A couple of Chuborg, I wonder if they’re working right now? Hey, excuse me, hello there!” Masoka called out to the couple of robot Pokemon, their eyes turning on and looking over at the trio approaching them.
[I]
[/I]“Good evening. How may I. Help you. Friends? I am Alpha CX.”
[I]
[/I]“I am Theta DR. A pleasure, travelers.” The two Chuborg waved back at the team. They were distinguishable from each other by the eyes and markings. Alpha had the standard yellow headlight eyes of a Chuborg and the mark ‘C’ on its left arm and ‘X’ on its right. Theta had the marking ‘DR’ in the same respective positions as Alpha but its headlight eyes were white instead of yellow.
[I]
[/I]“We’re just lookin’ ‘round, checkin’ out the place. Saw you two here and figured perhaps you could tell us a li’l bit about this shipyard, eh?” Eve replied to the pair of bots, looking around the place. The shipyard definitely held a peculiar aura to it compared to the rest of town. The air smelled of the sea and ships as well as a touch of construction. The sky had that cloudy look to it as if the weather would change between clear and rain at any moment, or probably snow in this case.
[I]
[/I]“This shipyard is used. For importing goods to and from. Load Cabins.” Alpha inquired, pointing to the pier where a few cargo ships were half loaded with crates. “Affiliates ship foods and wares. We ship money and Never-Melt Ice. Twinkle Forest holds large veins of Never-Melt Ice. Very reliable source for trade. Excavators enter to extract in small chunks.”
[I]
[/I]“We do not extract large chunks. Never-Melt Ice regrows slow. Must not over consume.” Theta added, pulling out a small chunk of said material. “Never-Melt Ice strengthens ice-type Pokemon. But also great for many sources. Ice sculpting is a popular choice.”
[I]
[/I]“I guess that explains what the exchanges are. Couldn’t imagine you get all that stuff for free.” Masoka mentioned, leaning against a loaded crate.
[I]
[/I]“Indeed. Never-Melt Ice is very useful. Very popular in many hobbies. And activities. Proton Continent is the easiest source. We exchange money and Never-Melt Ice. We receive additional food and wares. Greenhouse project helps feed the community.” Alpha and Theta looked at each other, eyes flashing a bit before turning back to the group. “We do not require food for survival. Eating is a luxury. Not a requirement.”
[I]
[/I]“Uh huh.” Eve looked off to the side. “You two the only ones on duty right now?”
[I]
[/I]“Indeed. Slow day, little activity.” Theta replied with a slow nod.
[I]
[/I]“We are here mainly on maintenance. Ensuring all functions well. A few shipments required. We have already sent them out. Now we await arrival of imports.” Alpha finished, pulling out a communication badge.
[I]
[/I]“[I]Alpha CX. Theta DR. This is Sigma UI. Delivery is approaching. Ship is preparing to dock.[/I]” The voice spoke over the communicator to the two Chuborg.
[I]
[/I]“Alpha CX. Understood, captain. Pier is clear for docking. Apologies. Must request your leave, our work is soon to resume.”
[I]
[/I]“Right right, back to work. We’ll be on our way. Y’all ready?” Eve pat the girls’ backs, the group turning to make their way back up the hill to town. On the way, they’d notice the sun was setting more and more, the sky having gone into its full oranges, yellows, and pinks. “The campfire oughta be starting sometime soon once night comes. There ain’t really much else left to do it seems unless we wanna invade somebody’s home. [B]Back to the Guild for now then?[/B]”
[I]
-> Aren’t you curious about the ship cargo and those Chubots? What kind of genitals do they have? What sort of imports are they getting?

[/I]The voices were at it again with the more lewd and naughty thoughts and suggestions! Makoto blushed a little, they made it sound like they were importing sex slaves or something that those Chuborg could have ‘fun’ with. But… as the topic comes up every once in a while, it piques her curiosities and she can’t help but wonder… if Chuborg are robots, do they have genitals? Do they do that? How do they breed and reproduce? Robots… don’t get pregnant, do they? Or rather [I]can[/I] they?
[I]
[/I]“Umm.. Eve?” The chinchilla looked over, immediately taking note of Makoto’s flushed red cheeks. “Those Chuborg… umm… do they… or I guess [I]can[/I] they do… th-that..?”
[I]
[/I]“Oh yeah, they have their ways of doing so. Installation. By technicality, all Chuborg are genderless but also any gender. By attaching and installing genitals to their body, their insides rewire and reprogram themselves to take on the appropriate reproductive system of the attached genitals. And when they detach ‘em, their insides rewire back to its natural state. Attached genitals or not, though, the ass is always active, they always got a tailhole for anal.” Eve explained to the blushing squirrel.
[I]
[/I]“Oh… I-I see...” Her face was burning up red with embarrassment. “That’s… that’s weird…”
[I]
[/I]“It’s… just different is all. I mean if it works for ‘em then it works, yeah? We Pokemon are a mysterious race.” Eve chuckled, giving the girl a pat on the back.
[I]
[/I]“Umm.. I-I also kinda… maybe wanted to go back? I sorta wanna know what imports they’re getting...a-and stuff...”
[I]
[/I]“Eh? Well it’s just the food and items and whatnot, ain’t it?” Eve’s eyes widened before his lips curled upward in a smirk. “Ya don’t think they’re hidin’ somethin’, do ya~? Somethin’ they don’t want us outsiders knowing ‘bout, eh? Like some sorta secret import of some gals for them to use for relievin’ themselves or some illegal substances.”
[I]
[/I]“I-I didn’t say that..! I’m just… curious to see what they get a-and stuff… i-if they like… get to keep any of it for themselves, how they unload it and stuff… I wanna see how they do their job..” Makoto corrected the chinchilla and his wild imagination but now she couldn’t stop herself from wondering if there was just that small possibility of there being some sort of underground illegal ring happening or if they did have someone come along with the cargo for the workers to do… [I]those[/I] kinds of things to. It had the Frosquirrel flushing red again and covering her face with her tail.
[I]
[/I]“Heh, whaddaya say, Masoka? Wanna do some eavesdroppin’?” Eve proposed to the Pikachu, both of them smirking at each other knowingly as if this question even had any other answer to it.
[I]
[/I]“Eavesdropping is in my self employed job description~” Both Pikachu and Chillaflage grabbed Makoto by the paws, practically dragging her along with them as they returned back down the hill, though now taking the off road path and hiding along the trees. They made it back to the shipyard in record time and just in time too as they saw one of the Chuborg unloading the cargo with an unfamiliar Raibot carrying some cargo with it.
[I]
[/I]“That Raibot is probably the Sigma UI guy from the communicator. It was probably the one driving the ship.” Eve whispered to his allies, the three of them continuing to spectate the two.
[I]
[/I]“But one of the Chuborg are missing. Where’d they go? Are they on the ship?” Masoka questioned, taking note of there still only being two Pokemon there rather than three now.
[I]
[/I]“Theta DR. We have some bad cargo.” Their ears twitched as a voice spoke up from the distance. Appearing from behind one of the larger stacks was the second Chuborg carrying a small collection of what looked like squashed berries. “Some material is damaged. Shall we dispose it?”
[I]
[/I]“Put into the damaged foods bin, Alpha CX. We will crush them later. After work smoothies. A treat.” Theta replied, the other Chuborg giving a nod and walking off of the ship with the pile of ruined berries in paw.
[I]
[/I]“You two are making quick work of these imports. Work will be finished quick at this rate. Those smoothies will be a delight.” Sigma pat its partner’s back, getting a robotic tail wag from the mechanical Pikachu. “Let us finish unloading. Work will be complete then. We shall clock out and feast.”
[I]
[/I]“See? They’re just working… n-nothing crazy or scandalous..” Makoto commented, watching the three resume their jobs until all of the crates were unloaded and the Raibot collected the bin full of damaged berries. Eve groaned and let out a sigh, slumping against the tree.
[I]
[/I]“Man, I was hopin’ for somethin’ exciting like a secret prostitution or unauthorized theft but they’re just doin’ their job. Guess I should’ve expected as much, Chuborg and Raibot are very obedient Pokemon when it comes to doin’ a job as instructed. [B]A’ight, back to the Guild for real this time?[/B]”
[I]
-> T O U C H.

[/I]Makoto tilted her head in confusion. What a peculiar request, a single word spoken with such a sense of foreboding authority as if compelling her to do it. But what exactly was it she was requested to do? Touch? What was there to be touched? Well, plenty of course but what exactly did the voices want? What did it mean? Touch who? Touch [I]what?[/I] Someone or something was to be touched and if the voices demanded it, she would do so. That’s how it worked, right? But did she [I]have[/I] to listen to the voices? It wasn’t as if they controlled her or her life. They were merely, or presumably, omnipotent beings of the higher ups sent as guardians who guide her through the changes in her life.

Or maybe they were just there to mess with her. But that couldn’t be right, they’d done so much good for her thus far. It was just a… more interesting, not-so-direct request that really had her wondering.
[I]
[/I]“Whaaauuhhh...” Makoto had a little bit of a brain fart off of that one before shaking her head clear of the thoughts. Looking over at Eve, she decided that she would answer the call of the voices by putting her paw on his face.
[I]
[/I]“...Maks.”
[I]
[/I]“...Yes?”
[I]
[/I]“...What are you doing?”
[I]
[/I]“...Touch.”
[I]
[/I]“...Cool. You uhh… you done?”
[I]
[/I]“Yes..?” She let go of the chinchilla, looking at him before clinging onto his tail. “C-can we go to the Guild now?”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah, let’s.” Eve looked over at Masoka who simply shrugged before they returned up the hill the second time now. As they made it back into the town, they’d notice a glowing red and orange light as they were rounding the corner as well as a bit of chatter. Turning the corner, they’d see a big campfire with a few Pokemon setting up around it and several unopened packs of marshmallows laying around. “Hey, the fire’s startin’!”
[I]
[/I]“Oh, looks like we’re just in time, early even. Let’s get some seats, shall we~?” Masoka suggested, the three scurrying on into the center of town where the big campfire pit was, settling down in one of the larger hay piles together. Slowly, more Pokemon gathered around, taking seats at the campfire and chatting among each other with a few of them even greeting the trio and welcoming them to the town.
[I]
[/I]“Looks like things are starting to get settled in. A pretty decent audience for a little village, I’d say.” Masoka mentioned to her friends, the three of them admiring the sizable crowd of about 15 Pokemon including themselves. They even noticed a couple familiar faces there in the form of the Azumarill store clerk and the Belle twins. “Huh, didn’t take Carly and Marley as the types who’d be into story telling.”
[I]
[/I]“Guess ya learn somethin’ new every day about people, huh?” Eve chuckled, watching the two snowy mice girls chatting together. “Say, since we’re here now before everything starts, Masoka ya got any stories ya gonna tell?”
[I]
[/I]“Me? Well, I guess it depends on what the theme is. If it’s scary stuff, I don’t have any scary tales. What about you, Eve?”
[I]
[/I]“I got adventurin’ stories but ain’t nothin’ scary here either. [B]You, Maks? You got any kinda stories to tell?[/B]”

[I]-> Tell them the story about how your mother almost caught you out pass bedtime in the Door to Darkness.[/I]

Makoto didn’t really have much in the way of an interesting childhood in terms of wild and wacky stories to tell. She was a very well mannered and well behaved girl; probably the most ‘scandalous’ of things she could share about her childhood would be getting caught out pass her curfew. Although, there was also a cartoon that she liked to watch as a kid as well. It was a bit of a wild one and, looking back, following the plot and story of it was something of an impossibility with all of the inclusions, story beats, possible contradictions, and unexplained bits. But as a show directed to the young demographic, did all of that really matter when the kids likely wouldn’t even bother nor care to actually follow the story?

It didn’t matter much to Makoto. She just liked how flashy and funny it was.

Perhaps she couldn’t tell any stories about her life, but maybe she could share a fun fictional story for the entertainment.

“I-I might have one...” She gulped, squeezing her tail lightly. “B-but it isn’t a true story.”

“I’m sure that’ll be fine. Not all stories have to be true stories to be good. The mind is a vast realm for the imagination.” Masoka reassured the squirrel with a smile. “Just relax, OK? Looks like it’s about to start.” By time things began to settle down, there were a total 15 Pokemon around the campfire, this including the trio. The twins, Carly and Marley, were sat opposite of them from the campfire, the two girls waving at the three, more specifically waving at Eve.

“Ahe-hem! Good evening, friends, family, and residents alike! Welcome to another delightful night at the Marshmallow Pit!” Another familiar face in the form of the Guildmaster Snopeko stood in front of the campfire, holding a marshmallow on a stick as he addressed the town’s participants. “As you may have noticed, today we have a few new guests joining us for tonight’s festivities! I hope you all will give your warmest welcomes to our new friends~” The townsfolk offered greetings and little applause to the group of three, Masoka waving to the bunch while Makoto hid in her tail.

“Tonight, we’re going to have free verse storytelling meaning anything goes! Scary stories, true stories, fantasies, adventures, love and romance, even the juicy, spicy bedroom stories are allowed here~ If it’s something you can tell then the campfire is all yours! Since we have a few newcomers here, I’ll explain the one rule that we have. To tell your story, you must place your marshmallow upon the campfire. Your marshmallow cannot be raised and eaten until your story is complete, however!… Should your marshmallow melt off of your stick before you end your story, you must forfeit the campfire and we move on to the next tale. That rule is put in place to ensure nobody is at the fire for too long.

“So! Who would like to have the story stick first?” Ashe raised a marshmallow on a stick, looking around at the audience.

“Oh oh! I have one, i-if I may..!” All eyes turned toward a familiar Palmolga with big glasses on, the cute and dorky male taking his step up towards the center of the pit though not without a bit of stumbling, one wrong step digging too deep into the snow and sending the grassy squirrel tumbling over one of the grounded logs used as seats. “I’m OK!” He collected himself quickly, pushing up his glasses upon his snout and taking the offered stick, hovering the marshmallow over the gentle flame.

“This is a story spoken of around my hometown. I-It’s actually more of a legend or myth than a story, eh heh heh… b-but it might even be real! It’s the story of a Pokemon cursed and misunderstood, a Pokemon of darkness and sadness. This is the story of Cursed Pichu, Dreadmaus.” Eyes widened and bits of chatter began to commence around the campfire.

“Dreadmaus?”

“The legendary Pokemon?”

“I thought it was merely folklore. It doesn’t really exist, does it?”

“Now now, all, let’s settle down and hear out Russell’s tale. This should prove to be an interesting listen~” Ashe spoke out, giving the Palmolga the floor again.

“Thank you, sir. Now, how does it start..? Ah, right! See...”

[I]Many cycles ago was there a dark forest that surrounded the northwestern coast of Rat Town. Shrouded in a deep fog was a dense forest of overgrown trees and bushes alike within the middle of a thick marshland. Back then, many would speculate that the forest itself was a Mystery Dungeon due to its… peculiar properties but none were too certain as no one were brave nor foolish enough to dare step foot deep into the forest.

At least, that’s what everyone told each other.

See, there was Pokemon who was ever so curious about the forest and what lies within. Some say that the forest itself is a cover up for a grand treasure, its ominous aura merely a ploy to prevent anyone from attempting to find that treasure. But whether true or false, it seemed to do the job… almost. That single Pokemon, a young Pichu said to be somewhere between 12 and 14 years-old, was ordered by her mother to stay far away from the dark forest. But a young girl so adventurous and curious simply couldn’t heed to such words with all of the theories and speculation going around about what may lie beyond that fog. She had to know!

One night, the young Pichu looked out from the window of her bedroom to notice that not only was the distant forest still shrouded in its usual fog, but the entire city had been blanketed! She figured tonight would be the night that she could sneak to the forest, easily hidden from view by the cover of the fog. She’d waited until her mother turned in for the night and would take action! She moved swiftly and silently like a Greninja, slithering through the moist marsh of the town like a Seviper. In minutes, she would arrive at the forest where the fog would only become thicker. She could barely see in front of her as she entered what was deemed forbidden…

As the minutes passed, she had to wonder where she was, where she was going, but she couldn’t be lost, right? She’d simply been walking in a straight path the entire time save for the occasional walk around a bush or tree. Surely she couldn’t have been thrown off path that easily and even if she were, she could simply keep walking straight and eventually leave the forest, right?

With uncertainty slowly welling up within the small girl, she would begin to mark trees using her Thundershock attack, leaving a char in the wood as a landmark. Then, she’d simply have to hope not to encounter that charred tree marking and she would be certain that she was continuing to make progress of going deeper or leaving the woods.

That thought would leave quickly as a dreadful revelation came upon her.

Though she had only marked the one tree, she found herself staring with terror upon an all too familiar char mark. But how could that have happened? She had been walking straight the entire time! At least… that’s what she thought she had been doing.

The fear set in quick, she began to panic, her heart racing as intrusive, negative thoughts began to fill her mind. Will she ever get out? Is she lost forever? Will she ever see her mother again? Why didn’t she listen to her in the first place? In a mindless panic, the Pichu went off in a blind sprint through the thick fog. No longer did she care about finding this supposed treasure or exploring this forbidden place. She got what she wanted, she now knew why it was deemed forbidden, now she just wanted out!

In her blind run, the Pichu would soon lose her footing as the ground was swept up from under her. Or rather, the poor girl had run herself right into a lake, falling into the water with a splash. But this water felt… odd. It wasn’t the usual gunky, mucky marsh water she had been used to living in the swampy lands of Rat Town. No, this water felt… pure. Fresh and untouched. Opening her eyes, she would look out in awe as shes marveled in a spectacle unlike any she had ever seen.

The entire lake glowed and sparkled beautifully of purity. The surrounding land was illuminated by the deep blue glow of the crystal clear lake. The young Pichu couldn’t help but take a big drink from the lake, letting out a loud and refreshed sigh as she felt an overwhelmingly soothing sensation come over her body.

This lake was amazing! It was as if it was some sort of source of magical purity and healing! It made all of her worries and concerns disappear and it cleared her mind; she even felt as if she knew exactly where to go to escape this awful forest. She looked back into the sparkling lake; she could even see to the very bottom of it! But that wasn’t quite what the Pichu was looking at. Staring back at her was her own reflection. The Pichu bore a look of terror that one would be confused of at first glance. But as she looked on in dread, it would quickly become apparent why.

Her reflection was smiling back at her with glowing eyes of pure bloodlust red.

Her heart sank into her gut! She let out a blood-curdling scream and jumped out of the water, her mind immediately fogging up once more as panic consumed her, the Pichu once more running in a blind sprint! She didn’t understand what was happening to her, why did her reflection look like that? Why couldn’t she think straight? Her head was spinning and aching miserably, she felt ready to collapse!

By some divine luck, she’d managed to sprint right out of the forest and back into town where she’d rush straight for home. Without a second thought, she had burst through the door screaming for her mother! “MOMMY! MOMMY!!” She would screech as she ran for her mom’s bedroom. Tears ran down her cheeks as the pain in her head grew stronger with each passing second.

“Darling, what’s wrong?! Are you OK??” The mother’s voice was full of concern. She had no idea what was happening, was there a fire? An intruder? Why was her daughter screaming like that? When she opened the door to her bedroom, she would let out a scream of her own as the little Pichu she expected to see was instead a looming wererat of the deepest, darkest black from head to toe save for its crooked razor incisors and blood red eyes glowing with an ever present menacing aura as if with intent to kill anyone it sees.

“Mommy?!” The Pichu watched in horror as her mother would suddenly lash out and attack her! She jumped back with a yelp as the attacks didn’t let up, swiping claws attempting to assault the poor young girl as her mother screeched obscenities at her and cried for help.

“Out, monster! HELP! There’s a beast invading my home!” Not knowing what else to do, with the painful ringing in her head and her mind as hazy as the fog surrounding town, the Pichu simply turned tail and ran from her own mother, fleeing the entire town as their neighbors had come from their homes after hearing the commotion, all of which looked on in horror at the towering pitch black rodent before them.

She didn’t know why this was happening, why did her mother just attack her like that? Why did her own mother call her a beast? She’s just a little Pichu! Without realizing it, the young girl had returned to the forest and somehow stood before the crystal lake once more. Her vision was blurry with the tears that stung her cheeks, falling to her knees and looking into the water. What starred back at her was merely herself now. A Pichu with glistening, watery and a broken heart. Yet its eyes remained that same glowing bloody red color. But she had brown eyes, why did her reflection look like that? What was happening to her?

Unfortunately, no one could say. And to this day no one knows whatever happened to that Pichu for the legends say that any who saw her saw not a young Pichu but instead a towering, crooked rat of pure black with those glowing red eyes striking dread into the hearts of all who saw them. Though the Pichu saw only herself as she was, everyone else could see her only as the mythical rat as dark as the blackest voids.

She had become the legendary Dreadmaus.
[/I]
Russell pulled his marshmallow from the fire, the poor thing almost completely black all around. “Aww jeez… I burnt it! Golly, well I guess that’s what I get.” Without hesitation, the Palmolga stuffed the entire marshmallow into his mouth and put the stick into the ‘Story Ended’ bin beside the Snopeko before returning to his seat.
[I]
[/I]“Well… that was a very interesting story, Russell. Thank you for sharing~ Looks like we’re off to a pretty big start tonight! Who would like to come up next with their own story?”
[I]
[/I]“Me! Me! Lemme tell one!” A somewhat chubby, white Azumarill with a frosted-blue colored bottom half raised her paw, icy, crystallized ball tail wagging as she came up to take her stick next. “Okay okay~ This is an old story about a Scorchu who’d found his best treasure.”
[I]
Many cycles before was there a Scorchu with a great passion for adventure and exploration. He was on a trail to find a grand treasure very valuable to fire-types such as himself. He had gotten word of the Magma Belt, a very rare and valuable treasure that is part of the Clothing of Elements set, residing atop Grid Volcano to the far east of our very continent. Through the dungeon alone was it a daunting task with the many fire-types out for his head. Grid Volcano housed many violent and aggressive wild Pokemon who would do anything to defend their territory from any form of intruders.

Though many attempts it took to scale the active mountain, the Scorchu soon arrived at its peak, overlooking the mouth of the volcano and the entire island itself. He could even see the land of Discharge Island in the distance! To some, the view before them would be the greatest treasure of their trek up the mountain.

But he didn’t come for the sights. He came for treasure!

The Scorchu looked to and fro, back and forth in search of what he sought out for but with no results. Perhaps it was merely rumors or even a complete lie and he was gullible enough to believe anything he was told… And just as he was about to leave empty pawed, the very ground beneath him rumbled with an infuriated roar passing through his entire body! Was the volcano about to erupt?? What was happening?!

Then, the ground itself began to shift and move, rocks, stones, clay, it all came together into the form of a creature! A beast seen never before by anyone’s eyes… it was one-of-a-kind for sure!

“Who dares invade my home in search of treasure belonging not to them?!” Its booming voice roared over the entire mountaintop, shaking the Scorchu’s frame with its sheer authority. He attempted to stand his ground as the beast of stone took on the appearance of an angry beaver! It was a tail of pure fire with a soft body of clay, large fists of stone and sharp incisors of reinforced steel. “I am the Casterradae, legendary guardian of Grid Volcano! What fool dares to trespass upon my turf in search of my treasure?!”

Nerves began to overtake the Scorchu as he knew there was no way he could take on a beast like this. And did it call itself legendary? It couldn’t have been a legendary Pokemon, could it? What sort of idiot would dare challenge a legendary to battle? It was beginning to look as though he wasn’t going to obtain that belt. He had to calm down this beastly beaver and quickly before he’d be back at the bottom of the mountain with a fresh set of bruises!

“Please pardon me, O great Casterradae! I came not for a fight but out of curiosity! I was told of treasure here but uninformed of your mighty presence!”

The Casterradae looked over the flaming orange Pikachu creature, his ears pointed and curved inward like devil’s horns, eyes of pure black and sparkling with that youthful passion for exploration, and tail loose, swishing like the flowing fire it was. The Casterradae did find interest in the Pokemon, especially in their shared trait of having a flamed tail. Perhaps this would be the one…

“Your intentions appear honest and pure.” The stone Pokemon spoke, its tone having become gentler. “Perhaps I may allow your presence.” The Scorchu’s eyes lit up with hope. Maybe he could still obtain the Magma Belt at this rate!

“Thank you for your hospitality, great one!” The Scorchu took his bow before the Pokemon. As time passed, from minutes to hours, the two quickly became acquainted with one another. It would turn out that a flamed tail was not all they shared in traits. The Scorchu was always a loner as he traveled by himself whereas the Casterradae, too, was a loner in that all who visit were either scared away by his presence or were merely interested only in his treasure. Though the Scorchu admittedly was no better than any other who came seeking the Magma Belt, he’d soon find interest in the beaver itself and quickly was their loneliness cured as night fell and the two then rest together embraced happily.

It was the first night in which either had ever slept in the arms of another. It seemed the Scorchu did succumb to what he deemed the silly cliché of ‘the true treasure’ as he would quickly forget the Magma Belt in exchange for a new happiness granted to him in the form of a legendary friend and, eventually, a life partner.

[/I]“The eeeend!” The Aisuzarill raised her marshmallow and began to nibble away at it, carrying the stick with her back to her seat. “I hope you enjoyed my story~!”
[I]
[/I]“A fine one, indeed~” Ashe gave a little applaud to the Aisuzarill who giggled from the praise. “Seems we’re getting quite a bit of folklore stories tonight. Shall we have our next teller come up to the fire?”
[I]
[/I]“I’ll go next.” Up to the campfire came a gopher Pokemon with light gray fur, a frigid ice-purple nose, white underbelly, and a purple streak running up their tail from base to tip. They also had massive, bushy cyan eyebrows that looked like they could scoop up snow with ease.
[I]
[/I]“The marshmallow is yours, Jorgon~ I suppose I know what to expect from a story told by you, eh~?” Ashe smirked, giving the big, well-built Snobrow a nudge.
[I]
[/I]“Hm. You know me too well, Ashe. If it’s a break you want from folklore shit then buckle up for a wild ride of many males.”
[I]
This a story of truth. This is [/I][B][I]my[/I][/B][I] story. The story of my first true encounter in the wild. As many explorers will know, it is near unheard of for an explorer to see the world without seeing the many crotches of wild Pokemon or their own allies. It is a vast world of lust and desire and when a Pokemon is ready to fuck, they will make it known.

Such was my experience in the North Pole Sea. Despite being the only civilized Pokemon living within a Mystery Dungeon, my connection to the wild was one unbreakable. I am but one of the few civilized Pokemon in the world that can understand feral tongue and we were all a closely knit community within the dungeon. Of course, being closely knit meant being exposed frequently to one another’s urges and needs. While I had seen many romps and hips thrown into one another, I myself had never indulged in the need to fuck.

That changed quickly when I’d stepped foot into the wrong room and down came a monster house of six Pokemon. All male. All hung. All horny.

Let me tell you now, no matter how close you may connect with a feral, when arousal takes over the mind of a wild Pokemon, all friendships and connections are off. The mind is fogged with the urge, the hunger, the desire for relief and release. Their eyes laid upon me, they didn’t see a friend. They saw an invasive civil who needed to be taught a lesson. They saw me as they would any other civilized Pokemon and their arousal only spiked more at the thought of taking a Pokemon with such unique purity.

Six pairs of eyes looked over my body and all they saw was a fuckable victim.

There was no escaping when their paws took hold of me. I could only writhe and squirm as they felt me over up and down, kneading into my hips, cupping my pecks, pinching at my nipples, nibbles at my neck, growls into my ear. I was bent forward onto all fours, submitting to the pleasure of their wanton paws molesting my muscular frame. I could only growl and moan as I, myself, began to feel quite feral with the arousing desire to pleasure and be pleasured. I’d soon joined them as I’d grown erect as well, as hung as the rest of them while my ass was groped, kneaded into by two of those horny animals, tongues lashing out at my puckered rim, earning heated moans from me only to be muffled by the pulsing, musky girth of yet another of those six beasts.

My tongue danced his flesh, tasting every raunchy flavor that coated that feral dick. It was fucking intoxicating… the taste itself made my mind hazy, it broke me quickly and I could only succumb entirely to their desire and my lust. My tongue swirled him while I engulfed every inch without trouble, ass raised high as one of those two beasts slid beneath me and I would soon feel the warmth of a soft tongue swirl my own erection. My moans danced about the dick in my mouth as I bobbed back and forth upon the 10 massive inches that demanded my attention. And soon, I’d feel the prodding of another monster ready to invade my saliva lubricated hole as his own 10 inches would drive forth into the snug depths of a virgin. Despite it being my first time, I was no stranger to anal stimulation. Many toys of many sizes had I thrown into my ass on various occasions. I was thoroughly trained for this moment, I just didn’t know it would be a moment so vast among six different males.

But it was a fucking dream come true that I’d never change. I felt every damn inch, every bulging vein dug into my tender walls. I shook as I was deep throated at that very moment by the male beneath me. I will never be ashamed to admit that the raw pleasure of a fat dick in both ends of my body and a warm throat swallowing around my cock set me off so quickly, barely seconds into the real sex and I was pumping ribbons of rich cum into that snug throat milking me like a young child nursing on their mother.

Me cumming didn’t make them lighten up one bit, though. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. That warm mouth continued bobbing and sucking, my dick pulsed with sensitivity but it felt so fucking good I didn’t dare tell him stop. Not like I could with a dick in my mouth that I was nursing on just as feverishly. And with another pistoning upon my fat ass from behind, I could only moan out like the whore I was to these horny ferals. And with the other three standing around jerking off, I knew it was only a matter of time until one would nut in my ass and the other in my throat only for two of those three to take their places.

My fat ass bounced and jiggled with each impact, the loud, resounding [/I][B][I]WHAP[/I][/B][I] and [/I][B][I]PLAP[/I][/B][I] of the feral rutting my juicy, muscular behind only adding to the appeal of our raunchy gay sex. I was hooked and begged for more in the form of muffled moans and sloppy dick slurping. Their growls said it all, too. They fucking loved my body and I loved their fat cocks.

The roars rumbling around me soon went off as orgasms were shot into my gut from both ends. Hilted by the two ferals, their musky crotches ground upon my face and fat ass alike as I felt every throb dumping their spunk into my gullet and ass alike, clenched snug upon them to milk out as much as I could from both of those cocks. I was the hungriest motherfucker they ever did say that day and I, too, was far from done. As they pulled out, the male beneath me left my dick to crawl below me more, positioning himself at my now gaped hole while another got behind me, two dicks prodding before I was double penetrated! And as I let out that whorish cry of pure bliss, my mouth was occupied by another dick.

Ribbons shot from my cock once more, this time painting the front and face of the male under me while he pistoned into me in rhythm with the feral mounting me doggystyle. As one slammed in, the other pulled out, their fat cocks stretching me so wide while frotting one another. Soon, the last remaining male joined the other up front and I was double penetrated from both ends. Two dicks rut my throat while two ravaged my ass, my eyes rolled up and I swear I was nutting every other minute.

Those fucking ferals had me long gone, I’d completely lost track of time. All I could think of was wanting to be fucked, used, abused, bred, ravaged. From the spitroasting double penetration to bouncing on two dicks at once to getting my dick tongue bathed by all six of them, we fucked all day long in every position we could think of.

[/I]“I’ll never forget my first and best time of my life. Those six bastards knew how to treat a faggot like me.” The muscular Snobrow engulfed the entire marshmallow in one gulp before throwing the stick into the bin and returning to his seat. All around him could he smell the rich scent of many aroused Pokemon and many erections did he also spot. He decided returning to his seat wouldn’t be satisfactory for him and decided instead to plop his plump, toned ass down onto the lap of a familiar Palmolga.
[I]
[/I]“O-ohh golly me!” Russell moaned aloud as his swollen cock was suddenly swallowed up into the snug, heated depths of the ice-type gopher.
[I]
[/I]“Seats don’t talk, nerd.” Jorgon turned to face the Palmolga, silencing him with a deep, steamy make out session. The Palmolga’s glasses fogged up completely as he was suddenly being invaded by this strong and attractive power bottom and in front of almost the entire town at that! It felt incredible, the expertise in the larger male’s clenches and convulsions around the grass-type’s cock.

The only problem was that Russell was straight! But… this felt so good, to be milked like this, squeezed so snugly… b-but he was straight..! But he didn’t want it to stop… but…
[I]
[/I]“M-Maybe this isn’t s-so bad...g-goohhh my—mmhh!”
[I]
[/I]“I said seats don’t talk, punk.” The blushing Snobrow growled as he once more locked lips with Russell who slowly succumbed to the pleasure and returned the sudden raunchy affection.
[I]
[/I]“W-Well… since Jorgon’s got things going in a much more… heated direction, how’s about we move on to the next story? Perhaps that’ll help us cool down some.”
[I]
[/I]“We, like, have a story.” Carly stood up, taking the stick from Ashe.
[I]
[/I]“We do?” Marley tilted her head in bewilderment.
[I]
[/I]“Uhh, [I]yah[/I], Marley. We, like, totes do.” “Ohhhh, we so totally do!”
[I]
[/I]“Oh boy...” Eve shook his head with a sigh.
[I]
[/I]“This one is, like...” “A story that is so literally out of this world!”
[I]
So it starts off in our neighboring planet. Like, the Explorer’s World or whatever. Yah, there’s this cute Smeargle and his totally rowdy Typhlosion friend who, like, got into a big wager about who could knock up the most girls in a set amount of time. It’s, like, such a horny thing to do but they agreed on it and whoever loses would end up being, like… the winner’s plaything or something.

Anyway, with the bet on, the both of them were quick to act, the Typhlosion deciding to hit up a pub since it’d be especially easy to get your rocks off on a gal who’s drunk. He wasn’t even being subtle about it either! He went right up to a Floatzel and just asked her flat out if she wanna help him win a bet. She didn’t even ask what it was, she just agreed!

He took her right there, drinks in paw, pulling on his lap and grinding up on her. His cock was a fat one, too. Thick and lengthy, plunging deep inside that juicy Floatzel pussy. She shook and quaked, drunken moans, like… ringing out loud while she bounced on him. She didn’t care what was happening, it just felt good and she wanted more~ He pistoned into her bounces, rutting and filling her with cock, clenching wet walls milking him endlessly while she came on his dick over and over. Yah, like, some drunk girls just cum so easy, it feels sooooo good~ So he tugged her down with a howl and dumped his cum deep in her, filled her to the brim! She milked it all out too, purring and going in for a drunken make out session while getting bred~ And that was his first tick!

Meanwhile, the cute Smeargle decided he’d hit up a good friend of his. Yah, like… reeeal good friend. Like practically lovers~ He was just as straightforward about it, too! Just asked her to help with a bet and before she could even realize what she was agreeing to, he had, like, thrown his cute blue cheeked Emolga friend to the floor and buried his fat, knotted doggy cock in her! She was squealing and moaning and screaming out getting pistoned furiously right off the bat! Like, this Smeargle was not only cute, he was waaay good in bed~ He plowed her silly, fucked her hard, bred her deep, her pussy was being ravaged by this horny beast of a Smeargle! He, like, made her cum so many times… she wasn’t even drunk either like that Floatzel. She was begging by time he was finishing, hilting all but the knot and pumping her with an overflowing amount of cum! He was, like… super potent~ That Smeargle had her flooding and he was stiiiill cumming in her! Like, what gives?! Save some of that cum for the rest!

Moving on, the two decided another easy means of breeding would be doing guild work. The Typhlosion had a rescue job for a Leafeon in danger. It was, like, soooo easy to save her, too. But the reward she put out for it wasn’t gonna cut it. Yah, like, he didn’t need any Lum Berries or whatever. So he pushed her up on the wall and buried himself inside her pussy! It wasn’t like she could stop him. He was, like, way too strong for her. Plus he had type advantage. Of course, she wasn’t gonna stop him with the way she shook and moaned and the way his cock hit all the right spots. He was pounding her deep, every thrust brushing her g-spot, every hilt tickling her clit. She was totally drooling on herself from how good it felt to get taken advantage of by this stranger. She was, like, milking him hard~ She squealed when she felt him hilt her and start lighting up her insides with his cum. Yah, his cum was sooo steamy inside her! Being a grass-type didn’t help, but it also felt sooo good for her. She completely stopped even processing the fact she was being impregnated by this total stranger!

And just like him, the Smeargle was on the same boat! A super cutie Rattata girl was, like, in desperate need of an escort to help her through a dungeon. But she was sooo poor and couldn’t afford it. Nobody would hear her out! Until the cute Smeargle came along and he, like, offered his assistance despite her having no money. Oh but he was gonna get paid for sure. Cock in his paw, he made the proposal and she couldn’t refuse it. Like, she already accepted his help despite knowing she couldn’t pay him so she, like, owed him. Plus that blush on her face said it all, she soooo wanted it. And she took it like a champ! Back against the wall, one leg up, he pumped her succulent, tight pussy deeply! Every thrust felt incredible to them both, her walls rippling, ravaged and stretched by his size! He didn’t let up one bit, going 0 to 100 from start to finish, her walls clamped, juices splashing that knotted Smeargle dick as he hilted her, grinding roughly on her hips and ass. Again he, like, kept the knot out ‘cus he had more holes to fill. Yah, he totally pumped her up without the knot and he’s soooo virile! He had her pussy drooling cum just like the Emolga and he was still cumming! Mmmh I wish I could meet him, Carly~ Like, me too, Marley~

Next, the Smeargle sought out another friend and decided to play some card games with him as they usually did together. Yah, except this time losing would have ‘consequences’. Oh yeah, Marley, he like, totally beat his Pikachu friend easily and forced him to drink up the gender swapping potion! [/I][B][I]He[/I][/B][I] was quickly made into a [/I][B][I]she[/I][/B][I], but this was, like, totally common for the Pikachu. Needless to say, though she resisted a little, she couldn’t deny being pinned missionary and pummeled at by that big, veiny dog cock felt amazing~ Yah, she was moaning so loud when he grabbed her breast and kneaded at it while pistoning her full of cock. She was writhing under him while he bred her, no matter how much she kept begging him to pull out, her legs were wrapped around his waist and her pussy was sucking on his cock trying to, like, tug that Smeargle knot in~ He knew what her body wanted and he gave it to her, ribbons and ribbons of it~

The Typhlosion had decided to go looking for a spar off with a Raboot chick and thought he could easily top her being she wasn’t even fully evolved. Yah, big mistake for him. She had him in a submission hold pinned on his front and legs raised waaay up. She fucked herself on his cock something fierce, some freaky reverse cowgirl position except the Typhlosion wasn’t belly up. Nope, he was totes belly down. I wonder if it hurt… Probably did, Carly. But having such a tight bunny pussy to squeeze away around your every inch probably helped endure a lot of that pain. You think he came as hard as he did because of the pain~? Ooohh what if that Typhlosion has a secret masochism kink? Maybe, Marley~ But we’ll never know. He, like, got fucked up and fucked silly by that Raboot girl. Yah, but at least she let him cum inside and get her pregnant. So that’s another point!

The Typhlosion definitely wasn’t having a good streak of choosing the right girl, though. Yah, he went from a powerhouse Raboot to a wanted criminal! What an absolute dolt. Was he really gonna, like, bribe a crook with not being turned into the authorities in exchange for sex? I think he was, Marles, because that’s exactly what he got. Except he was far from the top in this situation. Yah, he was totes pinned under that little Weavile. Apparently this Weavile was a world class thief or something. Her name was Lady Weavile or whatever. Anyway, she pinned him down and slammed herself on his dick, riding like a maniac. Except she was digging deep into his flesh with those razor sharp claws of hers. Ohh yeeeah, that Typhlosion toootally has a masochism fetish or something, he was like crying and bleeding and everything, but you should have seen how wild his cock was throbbing as he filled her pussy. She was leaking like crazy all around his cock, that’s for sure~ Though, what was so odd was the way the Weavile’s body seemed to transform as she made her escape? Not that he saw, the Typhlosion was out cold after that intense fuck.

The Smeargle had much better luck though. He bagged a super cutie Nidorina who was in heat and she’d heard the Smeargle was, like, her best bet at helping out with that. She felt reeeally good bouncing on his lap when she got into his arms, too. Her walls were so silky and tight milking his cock as he thrust up into her. Yah, like, she was moaning so cutely too, he had her squirming from how good it felt. The Smeargle was trying to be secretive about it, I dunno why. Yah, did they not wanna be seen? Maybe they were in public! Oh yeeeah, they were totes in public. She was shuddering from how good it felt, though. Moaning and panting, completely failing to keep quiet. She was such a problem. Yah, especially when she slammed down too hard and his knot popped into her pussy. Ooohh, right Marles~ The way she moaned out loud when his knot sank into her pussy, she came soooo hard on the spot. She completely fell over out of his arms and he grabbed her legs while his cum fed into her fertile womb. Oohh she was trembling and blushing like crazy~ Yah, they even got caught and she was sooo embarrassed. So much for being discreet, right Carls~?

The Typhlosion had manged to bag himself one more gal after some recovery, though. He found a cute pink striped Zangoose in a hoodie top to seal the deal with his bet. Yah, he just laid back against a tree with spread legs and let her take control reverse cowgirl style. I bet he enjoyed the view too, Marley. She had, like, such a fat ass bouncing and jiggling while she rode his cock. Yah, but she was going so quick with it, too. Like, really riding that Typhlosion dick and squeezing him real good. She was busy and he just came up and interrupted her! She had some rent to take care of so she had to be quick~ But it felt good either way and he gave her a real good, swollen belly’s worth of cum that’s for sure. Her pussy was leaking with his seed while he kept pumping and feeding her pussy, he really wanted to make sure he added a cross to those four tallies of his~

Well, the Typhlosion totes came out on top with that one! That last lay got him a 5 to 4 lead and he was the winner of the bet! Almost, Marley. See, there’s just one problem with the results, though. Ohh? What problem, Carly? Yah, he totes laid those five girls. But that’s just what he thought. The Smeargle made certain that every girl he laid had a special mark to them. Ohh yeeeah, every girl that the Smeargle fucked hard a heart shaped rainbow paint mark on them. Exactly~ And every girl the Typhlosion laid except two of them were marked at the time. The Floatzel, Leafeon, and Raboot were all marked which means… The Smeargle got those girls pregnant first! Wait, what about the Weavile? If she wasn’t marked but he had sex with her but she’s marked now… The Weavile had no idea who the Typhlosion was the Weavile that he had sex with was a Zoroark in disguise! Ooohh, sneaky girl stealing a lay! Wait then what about the Zangoose, Carly? The Zangoose was his second point. So instead of getting 5 points, the Typhlosion, like, only got 2 and the Smeargle got 7 meaning the Typhlosion didn’t actually win. In a state of realization and panic, the Typhlosion tried to head for the hills to get out of the bet! But the girls weren’t having any of that. Yah, like, he was grabbed by the Leafeon’s Vine Whip and pinned down while they forced him to take the drink. And the Smeargle took his prize right in front of all the pregnant girls~

He held the now gal ‘phlosion on her back and he buried his cock inside of her in a mating press! He fucked that steamy Typhlosion pussy with reckless abandon, plunging repeatedly into the snug depths of that rippling tunnel. She was, like, crying out in agony from how much she hated the intense pleasure. Yah, poor Typhlosion couldn’t stand one second of it because of how goooood it felt~ She was quaking and squirming, moaning so loud and pleading for mercy. But there was nothing she could do, she, like, totes agreed to this bet. Yah, maybe if she opened her eyes more instead of just opening girls’ legs, she wouldn’t be having her legs open and her pussy plowed~ But that’s her fault and now she’s going to join the Smeargle’s harem of swollen bellies! Ohh yeah, he totes tied her too, tip right through the cervix and pumping straight into her womb. He had her pregnant in the first shot but he was far from done. Those heavy balls churned and his seed showered her insides heavily! That creampie when he pulled out… totes delish~ She was soooo pregnant. Ohh but he was far from done with her~ The Typhlosion got extra special treatment. She took it over and over, many sessions of sex with the Smeargle all through her pregnancy. Yah, she was such a mess, she broke quickly getting her pussy fucked so often but she was always so shy and embarrassed about it. Going from a cocky Typhlosion hung with a gift to a belly swollen slut and sex slave to the one you thought you could beat easy? What a way for your life to change.[/I]

“Whatever, she’ll get used to it. I’d pay for a life like that, Marley.”

“Ohh I’d so totally kill for a cute boy to make me his breeding thing, Carly~”

“Wait, weren’t we telling a story or something?” “That was a story? I thought that actually happened...” “Ugh, it DID happen, Marley! But true stories are still stories!” “Oh yeeeah…” The girls pulled the completely charred marshmallow out of the fire and threw it away, dropping the stick in the bin and returning to their seats without a care in the world. At this point, most of the Marshmallow Pit had turned into a mess of moans as many Pokemon had given in to lust and were either masturbating or having some form of sex with one another. Eve, Masoka, Makoto, Ashe, and the Belle twins were the only ones who hadn’t succumb to lust with Makoto’s face as red as can be.

“Well. I suppose, uhh… that’ll conclude the Marshmallow Pit for tonight seeing everyone has become… occupied. Err… so sorry you three have to witness this… spectacle. Shall we return to the Guild?”

“Well, we never got to tell a story but I s’pose that’s a’ight.” Eve commented, getting up from his seat and scooping up Makoto into his arms.

“Yeah, honestly I just enjoyed getting to listen to everyone else.” Masoka added, joining her teammates with returning to the Guild with Ashe and the twins.

“Ashe!” “Did we, like, do good?” “Yah, our story was good, right?”

“Yeah yeah, oh yeah it was a good story for sure! Might’ve been a bit too good but a story is a story. Where did that one even come from? You girls are a horny lot when you want to be but I didn’t think you could be [B]that[/B] horny.” Ashe was still astonished to have heard such a steamy tale from the twins of all Pokemon.

“We ready a lot of books when we have time.” “Yah, lots of stories of all kinds.” “The steamy, horny ones are always the juiciest tales, though.”

“Right… well you two oughta participate more often. Especially for the steamier story nights if that’s what you two have to offer.” The twins looked at each other before turning their attention back to their Guildmaster and responding in unison.

“We’ll think about it.” They then turned tail and walked off towards the cafeteria.

“As for you three, you’re free to stay the night here in the same rooms as before if you’d like. Also please join us for dinner if you may. [B]I assume you’ll likely be taking your leave tomorrow, back on your journey to Polaris Mountain, yeah?[/B]”

[I]-> Yes, the crystal hamster’s heart won’t deliver itself.
[/I]
Makoto simply nodded, knowing they likely shouldn’t spend too much time in one place with their current mission at paw. Though Load Cabins certainly was a very welcoming, cozy little village with a tightly knit community and the Guild life seemed just as close and lively on its own. She contemplated maybe coming to pay this little town a visit again someday. And maybe joining a Guild would be really exciting and help her to get pass her shyness and severe social and mental anxieties.
[I]
[/I]“Yeah, we oughta get headin’ off tomorrow. Place been real good to us but we can’t really stay since we got a quest to finish.” Eve spoke up for Makoto, seeing her trying to make words for the Guildmaster but coming up short. He pat her back with a reassuring smile, the Frosquirrel’s tail grabbing onto his and clinging almost aggressively on it.
[I]
[/I]“Right, right! Well, I wish you three the best of luck and we would love to have you back here! You three are welcome to our little Guild family any time~” The Snopeko beamed happily at his guests. “Please, do come to the cafeteria and have dinner with us! One more meal before your morning departure, we’d be happy to have you!”
[I]
[/I]“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Dinner sounds lovely~” Masoka commented with a smile and nod, the two agreeing with the Pikachu and deciding to join the guild again. Taking up the seats they had last time, Eve had the wondrous inconvenience of being sat right across from the Belle twins and having to endure their continued flirtatious attitude towards him. Though he would admit they were pretty hot, he had very little sexual interest in them. If anything, he thought it was kind of amusing to watch and listen to them but also that it may have felt a little rude to feel as if he was stringing them along with the idea that they may have a chance in bed with him? Eh, he didn’t care that much.

Aside from watching the girls, dinner went by uneventful and the team were in their bedroom, Masoka again bunking in Auburn’s bed where there would more than likely be another night of not much sleeping for either of the girls. “It’s been a good time hangin’ out here for a couple days but we’re back on track startin’ tomorrow, Maks.”
[I]
[/I]“Y-Yeah… I’m a little...a-a little...” Makoto bit her lip with a little whimper, her tail coiling around herself.
[I]
[/I]“A little?” Eve repeated, looking over at his partner.
[I]
[/I]“...s-scared...” She squeaked in a whisper, barely heard by the Chillaflage. Eve wrapped his arms gently around her and pulled the Frosquirrel close to him, giving her soft head pats and scratches behind her ears.
[I]
[/I]“Hey hey, it’s OK to be scared. You’re entering unknown territory and all you’ve heard of it is the dangers that await. What ya feelin’ is perfectly natural. But ya ain’t alone. Masoka and I will be there with you, we’ll keep ya safe and this time I ain’t gonna leave ya behind.” Makoto looked up at the chinchilla with a soft blush. “We’re in this together, Maks. I promise.”
[I]
[/I]“O...Okay..” She smiled, feeling a little better with Eve’s reassurance. She nestled up against the fluffy albino chinchilla with a soft purr, closing her eyes and easily succumbing to her tiredness. Eve chuckled softly, combing down Makoto’s back gently while she slept.
[I]
[/I]“Sweet dreams, Maks. It’s gonna be a long day tomorrow, that’s for sure.”

The sun began its ascent into the sky as morning slowly made itself present upon the northern continent. “RIIIIISE AND GRIIIIND, EXPLORERS!” And just like that, the peace of the morning was destroyed as that same booming voice came waking the Guild’s residents. “7AM! YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS! IT’S WAKE UP TIME!!”

Makoto and Eve groaned, their ears ringing as that voice called out like an alarm back and forth, up and down the hall. No matter how many time they heard it, this would probably not be something they’d ever get used to. Makoto wondered if all Guilds had this kind of wake up call. Frightening thought.
[I]
[/I]“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for breakfast?” Ashe, Auburn, and the Belle twins were at the Guild’s entrance with the trio seeing them off.
[I]
[/I]“Sorry, we need as much of the morning as we can get to start our travels up Polaris Hill.” Masoka responded, giving them a bow. “We really appreciate your hospitality, though. It’s been a nice time getting to see the city~”
[I]
[/I]“We’re, like...” “Totally gonna miss you guys.” “Yah, it’s been so long since we’ve had, like, fresh faces around here.” The Belle twins commented, though they were speaking especially so to Eve.
[I]
[/I]“You three are always welcome to come back any time.” Auburn smiled, her tail wagging a little as she looked at Masoka and blushed heavily. “I-I hope to see you again soon~”
[I]
[/I]“Ugghh… Aaaashe!” “Can’t we, like, go with them or something?” “It’d be, like, sooo fun!” The Belle twins whined to their Guildmaster, the two of them seeming not quite ready to say goodbye yet.
[I]
[/I]“Girls, don’t you two have jobs to do? You can’t just leave the town so abruptly like this.”
[I]
[/I]“It’s already done!” “Yah, like, nothing happens around town! Everyone’s fine!” “They sooo don’t need a Community Service team right now.” “We wanna go exploring with Eve and his friends!” Ashe sighed and shook his head but gave a smile to the two.
[I]
[/I]“Oh alright. I suppose you two have been quite exceptional with your work.”
[I]
[/I]“Yaaaay~!” “Like, woooo!”
[I]
[/I]“BUT! It’s not up to me to decide if you go or not. These three are their own team so it’s their decision. Specifically the team’s leader.”
[I]
[/I]Eve looked over at his partner, giving Makoto a soft pat on the back. “Well, Maks? It’s your choice now. [B]You want the Belle twins to tag along with us?[/B]”
[I]
-> The more the merrier!
[/I]
The voices had a good point there that Makoto agreed wholeheartedly on. Though the girls would be quite… snooty and bratty, they were good Pokemon who meant and did well. While she didn’t know what kind of capabilities they have in battle, there was strength in numbers and just having them around would make her feel a lot safer overall. “Y-yeah… I’d like them to come with us.”
[I]
[/I]“Aaaaaa~!” “Eeeee~!” The two girls squeezed Makoto in a big hug. “We’re, like, so gonna show you our stuff!” “You’re gonna, like, love having us with you~!” The two girls’ tails wagged, both nuzzling on Makoto as they spoke together. “We’re so the life of the party~!”
[I]
[/I]“Hey now, easy you two.” Eve pulled the overly ecstatic gals off of the Frosquirrel. “She’s a shy one. Now I’m sure y’all know what ya doin’ and got ya own synergy thing goin’ on but my only order for you two is to stay close to Maks. Keep her safe.”
[I]
[/I]“Don’t you worry one bit.” “We’re pros at protection, right Marley~?” “We are? I thought we never used protection.” “Not THAT kind of protection, Marley!”
[I]
[/I]“Alright, I get the message. Let’s just get goin’ while the morning is still young.” Eve rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Thanks again for keeping us, Ashe. We’ll be sure to bring back Carly and Marley in one peace.”
[I]
[/I]“You girls take care of yourselves and behave! As long as you’re with them, you listen to their orders, y’hear!” Ashe waved goodbye to the team as they made their way out of the Guild and left north from town back to the hilly forest.
[I]
[/I]“These hills are a safe spot for us civilized Pokemon.” Carly commented during their walk. “Yah, like, this section of the continent isn’t a part of Polarity Field, so it’s not a Mystery Dungeon.” “That’s right, Marley, that means there’s no wild Pokemon around here.” “Yah, Carly, so we’re totes don’t have anything to worry about until we get to Polaris Hill.”
[I]
[/I]“Have you two been up this way before?” Eve looked back at the couple of snowy rabbit-like mice girls.
[I]
[/I]“We’ve been here a couple times.” “Polaris Hill, yah. But, like, we’ve never been to Polaris Mountain before.” “Never had a reason to go there.” “Hope we’re not disappointing you or anything.”
[I]
[/I]“No no, was just a question. All things considered, not a lot of Pokemon go to Polaris Mountain, let alone can make it there having to get through Polaris Hill first. It’s a bit of a lengthy dungeon itself that goes right into the mountain so it’s quite imposing on any unprepared explorers. Fortunately, we are very prepared on top of being a team of five so this shouldn’t be much of a problem for us.”
[I]
[/I]“That’s the spirit, Eve~” “You’re soooo smart, Eve. We’re, like, so lucky we’re partnered up with you~” The girls locked arms with the Chillaflage who groaned to himself. Fortunately for him, it wasn’t the longest walk getting to the entrance of Polaris Hill, though it was still enduring 20 minutes of swooning and flirting from the twins. “Oh my lord, we’re finally here. With plenty of morning to spare. If we’re quick through here, we could be on the mountain by mid-afternoon.
[I]
[/I]“This is it, huh? We’re approaching the final stretch, Makoto.” Masoka looked over at the Frosquirrel, addressing her. “Once we make it up the mountain, you can return the heart. And as the story goes, meeting the Crystal Hamster grants you one wish of your deepest desire. [B]How are you feeling knowing our adventure is coming to its conclusion?[/B]”
[I]
-> Thank Eve and give him and Makoto a hug.
[/I]
Makoto had come such a long way in the several days since her departure from Pulse Village and she knew there would have been no way she’d have gotten this far if it weren’t for her meeting Eve. He’d been her support and her anchor ever since they’d began traveling together. She really owed a lot to the Chillaflage when he really had no reason to do all of this for her. Masoka had proven herself good company since she’d joined them as well, often filling in where she fell short as well when it came to social interactions. Though she’d only known Masoka for about a couple days, she still felt in debt to her assistance as well. She’d decided to embrace both of them in a surprisingly tight hug.
[I]
[/I]“Thank you for helping me...” Masoka smiled and pat the squirrel’s head gently. Eve blushed hotly, returning the affection and hugging her back.
[I]
[/I]“Hey, don’t go gettin’ all sappy on me now. We ain’t done yet.” Eve chuckled, rubbing the Frosquirrel’s back. “Ya make it sound like we’re gonna break up after this. Well I mean Masoka might, she’s got a job ‘n all but--”
[I]
[/I]“Nuts to that, being on the field like this is way more fun for my research! I’m going where you’re going~”
[I]
[/I]“Welp, that’s settled. We’re a team~ No break ups here, we’re all in together. Now let’s get up this hill.” The team all gave their cheers and made a last minute check on their items and inventory before entering the dungeon. At this point, this would likely be the point of no return for their adventure.
[I]
[/I]“Wow...” Makoto looked around in awe at the Mystery Dungeon before her. Polaris Hill was a beautiful dungeon of twinkling snowy walls adorned with glowing crystals of many colors. The dungeon lacked a ceiling, allowing them to see the white morning sky above. The ground was covered in a thin coating of snow over the otherwise soft grass. The immediate room they’ve begun in has exits on the north and west walls. “This place is beautiful...”
[I]
[/I]“Yah, I could go for a bedroom like this.” “I knooow, it’s like, so pretty~” “We’re not here to sight see though, Marley.” “I know, Carly. But we should totally take a souvenir home with us!” “Oh my gosh, we totes should, Marley~”
[I]
[/I]“I’m getting a bit of deja vu here...” Eve snorted, watching the girls marvel at the sights before them. “C’mon, we’ve got a dungeon to travel. Maks, which way first?” Makoto jumped lightly, looking over at Eve before turning her attention back to the two exits.
[I]
[/I]“Umm...u-uhh… w-west...” Her tail clung onto Eve’s as he walked forward, following close behind the chinchilla with the twins and Masoka behind her. The corridor was a straight shot to the next room where a pile of Poke and a seed lay on the ground, the room consisting of a north and east exit from their position.
[I]
[/I]“Good pick, Maks. No enemies here and there’s a free seed and some money for us.” Eve walked in, collecting the Poke while Makoto picked up the seed. “Oh that’s a nice find, a Sleep Seed. That’ll come in handy for sure. Eating one of those raw will put ya right to sleep, any bothersome foes in here, we’ll pop that in their gullet.”
[I]
[/I]“It just puts you right to sleep..?”
[I]
[/I]“Yep, a very potent item, there’s no fightin’ it unless ya got the status or ability to prevent it like Insomnia.” Eve explained to his partner, storing the item away in the Treasure Bag for later. “Let’s keep it up, this is just the start.”
[I]
[/I]“U-umm...y-you can pick the ways to go, Eve… s-since you’ll be up front..” Makoto suggested, her tail’s grip on his tightening a bit.
[I]
[/I]“You sure, Maks?” She nodded, trusting the Chillaflage to make good decisions for the team. “Well, a’ight then. I’ll lead the way, just keep close, alright? You girls watching our flanks?”
[I]
[/I]“These eyes are so peeled.” “There’s no way anything will get pass us.”
[I]
[/I]“I think they’ve got it.” Masoka chuckled, watching the Snowraby and Snowbuni monitoring every direction.
[I]
[/I]“Well… good. Keep that up.” Eve carried on, taking the north path and continuing ahead through the next corridor. Aside from a right turn at the end of the hall, it was another straight shot with no interruptions or forks in the road onto the next room. This room was larger in size but fortunately for them, the stairs were on their side of the room, just a short walk left from their entrance. A Snowpi watched them from the center of the room, its ear twitching as it growled at them.
[I]
[/I]“Ignore it, we’re closer to the stairs, let’s just get to the next floor.” Eve instructed, easily doing just that with his team. The lot of them made it to the staircase to the next floor before the Snowpi could even get close to them, safely arriving at the second floor where they were in the middle of the room with another Snowpi present. This time, the snowy Pichu Pokemon wasn’t alone as they were partnered with a Chuflake, the two of them watching the group intently, appearing on alert but much less aggressive than the last wild Pokemon.
[I]
[/I]“If we don’t bother them, they won’t bother us.” “We should, like, take the farthest exit away from them, and they should leave us be.” “Yah, but these eyes are watching anyway.”
[I]
[/I]“Good idea, you girls keep eyes on them, if they try to attack, you go in while Masoka and I will stay close to Maks.” Eve set the orders, everyone agreeing and keeping close, walking slowly for the south exit. Fortunately, the two electric ice-types didn’t react and they were able to leave the room with no trouble, down the narrow hall to the next, a much smaller space with another pile of Poke for them to collect. From there, Eve led them down the west path that broke into a fork in the hallway which he kept straight to the next room. This would repeat until they made another clean shot to the next floor.

The travel went well so far, perhaps their being a group of five made them much more imposing to the wild Pokemon and thus made most of them steer clear of the team not wanting to try their luck at fighting an impossible battle. Making it 5 floors in quite quickly, they were surprised to see how well progress went for the most part. Of course, Carly and Marley remained on full alert. As veteran explorers, they knew it was only a matter of time until their smooth sailing would hit a some bumps. And bumps they hit as their step into the next room would be a big mistake.
[I]
[/I]“Monster house!” “Like, at arms! We’re under attack!” The twins jumped forth to take the front position as 2 Snowpi, 2 Chuflake, an Azumarill, Marill, and Flakttata all dropped from above. With them being at a numbers disadvantage now, the wild Pokemon were more than ready to cause a ruckus, their growls and piercing gazes attempting to intimidate the travelers who refused to back down. At least most of them didn’t.

Eve noticed a sudden intense trembling in his tail and looked back to see Makoto wide eyed with dilated, trembling pupils and her body quivered profusely. To any regular Pokemon, they’d just chalk it up to being confronted with the inevitability of a fight breaking out, but he knew better; he’d been around her long enough. This wasn’t normal, this was more than just nervousness. There was something wrong here.
[I]
[/I]“Maks, I’m here. [B]Talk to me, something’s eatin’ atcha, what’s up?[/B]”
[I]
-> Pull yourself together, you're not alone here, keep them healed and you'll be fine.

[/I]Makoto bit her lip. She had to keep it together, she could get through this. That Flakttata isn’t the same one as before. It’s a different Pokemon with different interests and desires and a different life. But it’s still a wild Pokemon… and wild Pokemon have urges and desires… they have [I]needs…[/I] what if it happened again? What if they can’t beat these Pokemon and they take advantage of them? But… there were more of them now, it wasn’t just her and Eve. Masoka, Carly, Marley, they’d help too. Carly and Marley looked more than ready, having jumped to the front of the line. She didn’t have to fight, she just has to support her teammates, keep them healthy and strong and they’d fight for her.
[I]
[/I]“It’ll be OK.” Her ears twitched and she fell out of her fearful trance, looking over at the Chillaflage. His tail gripped hers gently and he gave her a light nod. “Nobody is going to hurt you for as long as I’m with you. Stay close, OK?” She bit her lip, nodding slowly, wiping away a tear and calming herself with a deep breath.
[I]
[/I]“I-I can do this...we can do this...” She gulped, her tail quivering a bit still.
[I]
[/I]“Carly, Marley, you take the lead. Masoka, back them up. I’ll run the back line. Play around each other’s advantages.”
[I]
[/I]“Back them up? I’ve got this.” Masoka smirked, clutching a potion bottle in both paws. “Alright, girls. Show me what you two can do~”
[I]
[/I]“With pleasure~” “These guys are toast~” Carly and Marley grabbed paws and a magnetic field began to pulse around them, electricity crackling in the air as their bodies began to glow, their ears spinning rapidly with electricity surging between them before their bodies were encased in a brilliant sheen, Carly glowing a deep silver while Marley shined a bright gold. “Plus and Minus makes us stronger.” “Then we power up with Gear Up and Magnetic Flux.” “It gets us, like, super unstoppable.” “So we go in with our power and it’s over before you know it~!” The two took aim at the pair of Snowpi, Carly’s silver glow taking on a deep blue tint while Marley’s golden glow took on a sea green tint. An icy array of colors shot from Carly as she unleashed a powered Aurora Beam and Marley followed suit with an orb of glowing deep green grassy energy, the Energy Ball and Aurora Beam attacks colliding with the pair of Snowpi, the additional explosion from their combined attack easily rendering the two wild Pokemon defeated on the spot.

Masoka followed suit, tossing her potion containing a purple gassy substance at the Azumarill, the bottle breaking on impact and sending the purple fumes into the air around the Azumarill before quickly dissipating, leaving the water mouse poisoned. “My own way of using Poison Powder~ My Splash Potions are quite potent.” Following up on the poison, Masoka launched the other bottle at the Flakttata, the yellow, electrically charged gas being released and making quick work of the rat, causing instant paralysis.
[I]
[/I]“Just like that, not only is the score, like, even.” “We totes have the advantage with Masoka’s Splash Potions.” “We’ll take down those Chuflake.” “And you get the Flakttata.” “Let’s also, like, stall out that Azumarill.” “Yah, the poison’s gonna take them out slowly.” “It’d be soooo funny to watch them try to stop us while their health slowly dissolves.”
[I]
[/I]“That’s… kinda fucked up. I like it.” Eve smirked as the girls were already on the offensive against the two Chuflake who attempted to put up a fight against the girls, managing to avoid some attacks and retaliate with their own. The girls kept their distance, being entirely ranged battlers, ensuring the two couldn’t get close as they fired off their own sets of ranged attacks towards the snowy mice. Carly and Marley proved much too strong for the two Chuflake as they were easily overpowered by the pair strengthened by their abilities, stat boosts, and overall sisterly synergy.

Masoka put focus on the Marill with the Azumarill being poisoned and the Flakttata paralyzed, playing the patient game trying to get up close to the round shaped mouse. She jumped over its attacks as it lashed out with Water Gun and Hydro Pump alike, closing the gap and taking a swipe at the water-type with her tail, managing a slap at its cheek. While the damage wasn’t great, it was enough to cause the mouse to stagger a bit, giving her the opportunity for a second strike. This time, she went for a tail sweep, knocking the Marill off of its feet and following up with a kick, effectively punting the Pokemon into a wall with a loud thud. “Score!”

Eve kept his eyes on the remaining two who were poisoned and paralyzed alike, watching intently to make sure they didn’t try anything behind the girls’ backs. The Azumarill tried charging up an attack despite the poison gradually weakening it, its fist encasing in ice as it attempted to strike Masoka from behind. “Not on my watch. Maks, on me!” The Chillaflage made his move lunging towards the Azumarill with Makoto following close behind, her tail glowing and granting the chinchilla a boost in strength. “Quick! Tail to my paw!” Unraveling his tail from Makoto’s, Eve would swiftly replace it with his paw, holding onto the squirrel’s tail firm while his tail wind up and struck down to collide with the Azumarill’s punch. He hissed sharply as the freezing cold attack stung his tail, the lack of using a move making Eve’s attack considerably weaker than the Ice Punch but more than enough to prevent the flank from behind.

He shook the attack off easily, stepping back and slamming his tail into the ground, channeling power into himself from the earth before he unleashed a wicked beam of pure ice energy onto the Azumarill from his mouth. The Azumarill responded with a Hydro Pump, the attacks clashing in a struggle with Eve easily overpowering thanks to Makoto’s damage boosting. The Azumarill would let out a scream as it was encased in ice, frozen and poisoned, left to succumb to its ailments. “Eeeeasy win.”

Masoka turned her attention now to the Flakttata, the last remaining of the Pokemon who was still stuck in place. She smirked, licking her lips as she slowly approached the paralyzed Pokemon. “Let this be a message to you and your friends.” She shoved the icy rat onto its back, pinning it beneath her before her lips locked firmly upon theirs. The Flakttata’s eyes widened and it shuddered from feeling its energy slowly being drained by the Pikachu’s kiss. Masoka’s tongue forced its way into the Flakttata’s maw, wrestling its own as she sucked the remains of its energy out, absorbing health back into herself through the kiss before finally breaking away, leaving the rat paralyzed and on the brink of unconsciousness. “Don’t fuck with my squad~”
[I]
[/I]“That was, like...” “The raunchiest Draining Kiss I’ve ever seen.” “Yah. We thought you were gonna fuck it.” “That would’ve been hot.”
[I]
[/I]“Oh absolutely not~ This freak [I]wishes[/I] I’d fuck it. Besides, we’ve got a mountain to scale.” Masoka chuckled, returning to her teammates. “Shall we get going?”
[I]
[/I]“We shall, yeah we shall.” Eve coiled his tail around Makoto’s and took the lead again. The team continued back along their journey through the dungeon, onto the next floor. Their travel was a calm one with only the occasional wild encounter which Carly and Marley made quick work of. Makoto was glad she decided to bring them along, their combined strength was truly admirable. Using their strength, the team scaled further and further up Polaris Hill easily, from the 6[SUP]th[/SUP] floor to the 8[SUP]th[/SUP] and onto the 10[SUP]th[/SUP], collecting and fighting the whole way up. Makoto had noticed that reaching the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] floor, the stone began to cover the snowy walls as they came closer and closer to the mountain dungeon.
[I]
[/I]“We’re coming along well, I’d say. Little struggles and issues thus far. We’re 10 floors deep and it looks like things are starting to change around us. We can’t be much further from the end of the dungeon.” Masoka commented. Eve nodded, looking back at Makoto.
[I]
[/I]“We’re getting closer, Maks. [B]Are you alright? Not gettin’ nervous are ya?[/B]”
[I]
-> It’s OK to be nervous. Just stay frosty, you’ll be fine.

[/I]“A..A little bit… I… what if I say something wrong..?” Eve placed a paw on her back, giving her a gentle pat.
[I]
[/I]“Hey, don’t worry yaself much ‘bout it. When the time comes, I’m sure ya gonna know just what needs to be said and done. There’s still plenty of time until we reach the top of the mountain so try not to think too much ‘bout it, ‘k?” Makoto smiled softly, thankful for the chinchilla’s continued support and reassurance.
[I]
[/I]“Y-Yeah… It’ll be OK… I’ll be OK… I’ll have you all with me, right..?” Eve nodded, patting the squirrel’s head gently.
[I]
[/I]“Always by your side, Maks. Let’s keep at it, we’re coming along well.” They continued on down the corridors and hallways, from one to the next from floor to floor. Soon enough, they were 15 floors into Polaris Hill and still going strong. The floor was an open room at the base of a mountain surrounded by snowy gray rocks and crystals. At the end of the room was what looked like an entrance of some sort. They were now inside of an enclosed space, the sky no longer visible from above, instead being a ceiling of stone and rocks.
[I]
[/I]“Are we..?”
[I]
[/I]“Is this?”
[I]
[/I]“It totally is.” “Yeeaah this is totally Polaris Mountain’s entrance.” “Then we, like, made it to the top of the hill, Carly!” “Oh yah, we totes did, Marley~”
[I]
[/I]“This is it, girls. Polaris Mountain is right there. The final stretch, it’s gonna get a lot tougher from here on. Everyone ready to make the climb?”
[I]
[/I]“Let’s take a little break first, yeah Eve?” Masoka suggested, plopping down against the wall. “Maybe have a little lunch to get some energy back.”
[I]
[/I]“Hmm.. yeah, good point. Only I ain’t pack any lunch so I gots nothin’.”
[I]
[/I]“Oh don’t worry.” “We totally thought ahead.” The girls pulled out a pair of boxes from their Treasure Bag as well as a blanket, laying it out and placing the boxes on it before opening it. “We brought lunches for everyone~”
[I]
[/I]“Damn.” Eve was caught off guard and surprised to see the girls so prepared. The two lunch boxes contained Razz, Bluk, Nanab, Wepear, and Pinap Berries as well as Apples, Malasadas, and sandwiches with Fresh Meat and Salad Mix. There were a few bottles of Fresh Water and a couple canisters of Moomoo Milk. “You girls never cease to impress me, huh?”
[I]
[/I]“Oh Eve~ We’re just making sure we’re all satisfied.” “Yah, like, long travels like this will need a lunch break~” “So we made these last night, totally with the hope that we could go with you guys.” “And lucky us, we’re here right now~!”
[I]
[/I]“Well, ain’t I glad ya came with us. You girls are practically lifesavers.” Eve complimented the girls as the group all gathered around the lunch boxes.
[I]
[/I]“You don’t have to thank us, Eve~” “Yah, but like, if you really wanted to, you should come see our room in the Guild~” “We’d make it so worth your while, right Marley~?” “Totally, Carly~”
[I]
[/I]“I… will consider that.” Eve rolled his eyes with a faint blush. These girls were slowly getting to him. Their brattiness was beginning to look more and more sexually appealing to him. Not to mention how persistent yet useful they were, they were beginning to really earn that ‘reward’ they so clearly wanted from between his legs. “Anyway, I can’t imagine we’d all be gettin’ a wish outta this ‘n all. The Crystal Hamster grants wishes only for those truly in need of it from the deepest depths of their heart. I can’t imagine any of you three need a wish. Y’all are livin’ life good.”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah, I’m living lavish~” Masoka chuckled, taking a bite out of Bluk Berry.
[I]
[/I]“We don’t need a wish.” “Our life is perfect~”
[I]
[/I]“Welp, that sounds about right. Then it’s just you, Maks. I s’pose this question probably wouldn’t go too far all things considered, but in the off chance that you yaself have to make the wish, [B]what wish do you hold that you feel you desire most?[/B]”
[I]
-> To be able to heal anyone, no matter how grave or unconventional their condition.
[/I]
Makoto had come on this quest with the desire to help those around her, including herself. She wanted to use her abilities and talents for the benefit of others and since her journey had begun, she’d learned plenty about herself that she hadn’t known before. Her ability to heal others had proven to be a great asset to her team. To be able to provide that healing to the world, to expand upon her abilities…
[I]
[/I]“If I could be a better healer… to bring good health to the world… I want to help those in need… I-I want to be useful...”
[I]
[/I]“Aww~” “What a sweetie~” “She’s, like, beyond precious, Marley.” “Suuuuper adorbs, Carly~”
[I]
[/I]“Maks, you already [I]are[/I] useful. You’ve always been. Your company, your support. Lemme tell ya, these past few days with ya have been somethin’ of a delight. You’re absolutely full of potential to become an incredible healer, probably even world class. It’s almost a shame that this adventure’s almost over.”
[I]
[/I]“B-but every ending...means a new beginning..?” Makoto looked up at the Chillaflage. Eve smiled and nodded at the squirrel.
[I]
[/I]“Yep. After this, we’ll see ya back home and you can introduce us to ya mom and then you can be the one showin’ us around.” Eve chuckled, patting the squirrel’s head gently. “We can have a li’l break and if ya still up for it, we’ll even check out a Guild or two, we could sign up for one and become part of somethin’ even bigger.”
[I]
[/I]“I...I-I’d like that… y-yeah… I’d like that..!” Makoto beamed at the Chillaflage, her tail wagging happily.
[I]
[/I]“You two should totally consider the Glacier Guild~” “Yeeeah, you were already there and, like, we’re there too~!” “Yah, it’s like, the perfect idea.”
[I]
[/I]“Umm...I-I do like it there...b-but I don’t want to decide too fast… s-sorry...” Makoto clung to her tail, squeezing it gently.
[I]
[/I]“No problem~” “Yah, it’s not something you should decide quickly.” “Totally. You should come with us but, like, if you prefer a different Guild, you should consider that too.” “Yah, who knows, maybe we’ll come with you too~”
[I]
[/I]“Wh—huh—wait hol’ up, it don’t work like that. Ya can’t just go ‘n leave a Guild like it ain’t nothin’ and go elsewhere. Can ya?” Eve was skeptical about the twins’ decision to just suddenly leave their Guild. Surely one couldn’t just do that, could they? There had to at least be some sort of process for leaving a Guild, they couldn’t just go AWOL and that’s it.
[I]
[/I]“Of course not.” “We’d put in our application for dismissal.” “We’d no longer be affiliated with Glacier Guild.” “But we’re tired of being there anyway.” “Yah, being a Community Service team there there is sooooo boring.” “Nothing ever happens.” “We’re ready for something different.” “We wanna put our skills to good use.” “Yah, this is so much more fun than most of our work at Glacier Guild.”
[I]
[/I]“Huh. Guess that’s… true. Well, if you girls wanna come with us I’m sure it would be fine with Maks.” Eve commented, biting into one of the sandwiches.
[I]
[/I]“Y-yeah, I don’t mind… i-it’s nice company...” Makoto nibbled on one of the apples idly, looking towards the twins.
[I]
[/I]“Yay~!” “It’s gonna be soooo fun getting to finally do something with ourselves, Carly!” “You bet, Marley~ We’re going to, like, rebrand as a new team.” “We could be a Rescue Team saving those in need~!” “Or Bounty Hunters making even more money by catching criminals~” “Ooo, that sounds so fun, Carly~” “It sure does, Marley~”
[I]
[/I]“Okay… that’s… yeah.” Eve looked over at Masoka and shook his head. “Those two are definitely a lively couple o’ gals, that’s f’sure.”
[I]
[/I]“They’re fun to watch~” She giggled, nudging the Chillaflage. The group finished up their lunches, giving thanks to the twins while they put the boxes and empty bottles back into their Treasure Bag. Wrapping up their break, the team stood before the entrance to Polaris Mountain, feeling a looming sensation of dread over them. None of them had ever entered Polaris Mountain before so they had only word of mouth to go off of about how imposing this dungeon was.
[I]
[/I]“Here we are… Polaris Mountain. It’s been a long way coming, especially for you two, Makoto and Eve.” Masoka looked back at the team, the twins currently admiring all of the gems and crystals adorning the walls of the mountain. “Our quest is coming to its end. Once we enter this dungeon, the is truly no turning back. I think it’s appropriate one of us asks once more time, [B]are we truly ready to take our final plunge?[/B]”
[I]
-> You’ve come so far, turning back would be a waste. Check your equipment then march onward![/I]

Standing at the foot of the mountain, pass the daunting hill that gatekeeps its entrance, Makoto couldn’t feel more certain that now was the time. This was it. The final stretch, only one dungeon away from completing what she set out to accomplish. Admittedly, she was very nervous about this. She was going to meet a legendary Pokemon, mythical even! And, despite possessing the heart of its very being, she still hadn’t any idea whether the Pokemon was real or not. Was it friendly? Docile? Malicious? Big or small? Gentle or aggressive? She knew nothing of the Crystal Hamster, the Opalustrus, would it be happy to receive its heart? What if it acted on violence thinking she’d stolen it?

“Maks?” Makoto jumped when she felt a paw press gently on her back. She looked over at Eve with a light sweat. “You OK? Ya seem especially nervous. Afraid of meetin’ the hamster?”

“A… y-yeah...” She bit her lip. She had to be honest, it wasn’t just a little bit of nerves. She was full on anxious about it. She could feel that anxiety slowly rising the more she thought about it. Then she felt his reassuring warmth in the form of a gentle hug.

“It’s gonna be OK. We’re all here to help ya. We’ll see through this to the end together.” He gave the squirrel a pat on the head with a smile.

“Yeah, when you’re ready,” “We’re, like, totally gonna scale this mountain together.” “No gal pals left behind~!”

“You’re the leader, Makoto. We proceed when you give the word.” Masoka pat the Frosquirrel’s back. Makoto blushed, she was happy to have made so many friends and teammates to help her along the way. She really did have to thank the lot of them, there was no way she’d ever make it remotely this far without their help. Her mother was going to be so proud of her when she got back and showed her all the cool friends she made and all the stuff she’s found.

“O-Okay.. I’m ready… I-I’m ready to go.” Makoto took a deep breath, letting out a big sigh and giving her Soothe Bell a light ring. “We can do this… we… [I]I[/I] can do this...” Clutching her Treasure Bag, she would be the one to make the first step forward this time, leading her team into the Mystery Dungeon ahead of them. Following close behind, her teammates of four joined the Frosquirrel as they made their way into the glimmering mountain of gems and crystals.

The ice white stone walls of the frosty mountain shined brilliantly in the artificial night lighting of Polaris Mountain, its many rainbows of assorted crystals jutting out of the walls helping illuminate the area in an array of colors. The ceiling was adorned with acicular stalactites that all looked ready to break off and fall at any moment. The air was crisp and fresh but with an almost ominous chill.

Makoto pulled the Wonder Map out from her bag and opened it, giving the dungeon a quick info review. “Polaris Mountain… i-it’s...” Her eyes bugged and she gulped, “...30 floors long… inhabited by few wild Pokemon due to the… dangerous living conditions of falling ice shards and trap tiles..?”

“So there’s not a lot of Pokemon living here.” “But traps aplenty, huh?” “Like, traps can’t be all that dangerous, can they?” “We’ve seen a fair few in our traveling and they’re totes not all that.”

“We’d best stay alert then, traps can’t be seen normally so be extra careful with your steps.” Masoka informed the group, looking around the area. “Looks like there’s a west and north path we can take. [B]Where should we start, Makoto?[/B]”

[I]-> Why not check em out first, being wary of your surroundings is better than being blind.
[/I]
Slowly, Makoto approached the northern path wanting to get a better look at it, see if she could take a glance down the corridor to see ahead. Along the way, her foot pressed down into the ground and a click sounded as a trap made itself visible. “Wh-what was that..?” A loud rumble could be heard before the entire ground began shaking violently beneath their feet. “Wh-what’s happening?!”
[I]
[/I]“E-earthquake??” “This is, like so n-not cooool!”
[I]
[/I]“Get to the exit! The stalactites are falling!” Eve made note of the many spiny shards of ice beginning to collapse from above, raining sharp, needle-like ice down upon them. Making a frantic sprint to the north path, they managed to make it through with minimal injuries, the twins having taken a few shanks into their backs and Masoka taking a needle to her left ass cheek
[I]
[/I]“Fuck! My ass!” Masoka screeched, tugging the icy needle from her back end and throwing it at the wall.
[I]
[/I]“Not now!” “Yah, we can totes fuck later!” “Like, I totally took a few to my back, Carly!” “Yah, same here, Marley!”
[I]
[/I]“Maks, you mind taking care of the girls real quick? Looks like they took some hits there.” Makoto nodded, letting Eve step pass so she could tend to her wounded partners. Starting with Masoka, she blushed hotly as her tail pressed upon the Pikachu’s plump ass, patching the damages with her Heal Pulse. Masoka moaned as the ache in her plush backside was quickly dissolved thanks to Makoto’s impeccable healing skill.
[I]
[/I]“Mmmnhh, thanks plenty, darling~” She gave her butt a little wiggle as the squirrel moved on to the twins next. Their backs pressed onto Makoto’s tail from either side, the Frosquirrel restoring their health one by one as well.
[I]
[/I]“Ahh that hits the spot~” “You’re a natural white mage, Makoto~” “Your support will make this dungeon a total cakewalk~”
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m just doing what I’m good for...” She blushed from all the compliments, her tail twitching a little with her finishing up healing the girls. “W-we should keep moving… I wanted to check the paths b-but I guess we’re stuck here now...”
[I]
[/I]“Then there’s only one way to go and that’s forward.” Eve took hold of Makoto by the paw, proceeding along down the corridor and keeping his partner close with the girls right behind them.
[I]
[/I]“This place is really pretty… all of the crystals shining and sparkling lights it up so nicely...” Makoto’s eyes sparkled with wonder, admiring the beauty of the dungeon. For a place so dangerous, it was easily yet another spectacle to behold for the icy squirrel. “It’s a shame this place is so… dangerous.. I would like to come here more...”
[I]
[/I]“You? Come here?” Eve was a bit surprised at such a bold statement from the shy squirrel. Maybe she was finally starting to break out of that shell of fears and anxieties. “Well, guess ya right, this is a dang nice lookin’ place. The crystals and darker lighting really makes this place atmospheric for adventurin’.”
[I]
[/I]“Or even something of a romantic date~” Masoka included with a smirk and a nudge towards the Chillaflage.
[I]
[/I]“The hell are you implyin’, girl?” Eve looked back at the snarky Pikachu.
[I]
[/I]“I’m just saying I know you’ve got your eyes on a girl and if you two were to go on an adventure date..~” Eve’s cheek flushed red and he huffed, trying to brush off the chu’s teases.
[I]
[/I]“B-buzz off, ya fuckin’ tease!”
[I]
[/I]“W-well.. maybe it’s not such a bad idea… m-minus the dangerous bits and all...” Makoto seemed to agree with Masoka on the concept of coming here for a date. “I-I mean… like if you find a nice...safe spot y-you could have a picnic… o-or even just one at the entrance l-like we did… it was… really nice...”
[I]
[/I]“Maks, not you too, don’t encourage her! She’s just bein’ a pervert!” Eve groaned, his cheeks only darkening as he heard the squirrel’s soft, cute giggles.  “Bah! Maybe I’ll consider it! But if it happens, one o’ ya are comin’ with as an out o’ sight wing man, got it?”
[I]
[/I]“Fine by me~” Masoka chuckled, patting the Chillaflage’s back. Makoto simply nodded, blushing a little herself.
[I]
[/I]“Date??” “Like, dates are super cool~” “Yah, they’re not our thing but they’re soooo cute~” “Totally, Carly, we’re not the types for relationships because we have each other, but we would totally take a cute boy on a date~” “Oh yah, Marley, especially if he’ll be our boy toy, we’d totally make it worth his while.” “So much more than just being a booty call for us~” “We’ve got all the money and all the booty to make a boy [I]very[/I] happy~” “Right Eeeeeve~?”
[I]
[/I]“I mean! You two are pretty hot, sure whatevs, b-but y’all ain’t helpin’!” Eve only blushed harder. He couldn’t believe he was surrounded by a bunch of cute and attractive girls and all four of them were teasing him right now! “Those two are [I]really[/I] askin’ for it...” He grumbled under his breath, Masoka smirking at the male.
[I]
[/I]“Only a matter of time until they get what they want outta you~ They sound like hate fucking is their favorite way to go too~”
[I]
[/I]“Don’t. Encourage this.” Eve growled lowly back at the Pikachu who simply licked her lips. Though unlikely, she certainly hoped those two would finally push him over the edge and she’d get to spectate the Chillaflage finally cracking under the twins’ nonstop flirting and fucking the two of them senseless. It was certainly inevitable at this point; not longer a matter of ‘if’ but rather a ‘when’.
[I]
[/I]“A-ah.. the stairs are there..!” Makoto pointed out the stairs to the next floor on the other side of the room they’d just entered.
[I]
[/I]“Let’s be wary here, if there were traps in the last room, there could be some in here too. Let’s think about this before just going ahea--”
[I]
[/I]“The faster we move the less it’s a concern!” Masoka made the jump forward, running straight for the stairs. She’d stepped on an invisible trap that revealed itself as a Chestnut Tile before the Pikachu was pinned in place by an unseen force and pelted with a rain shower of spiny and spiky chestnuts. “Ow! Fuck! Quit it! Alright alright, I’m sorry—yowch! Knock it off! What the heck—oww! Stupid chestnuts—ack!” The raining chestnuts finally subsided with a few clinging to the Pikachu’s pelted body. Peeling them off, she growled and tore one open, devouring it without a second thought and tossing the rest away. “Stupid chestnuts! What kind of trap was that?!”
[I]
[/I]“Chestnut trap.” “Those trap you and pelt you.” “They’re super annoying.” “Yah it doesn’t delete much health.” “But it totes hurts, right Marley?” “Totally Carly, I’ve stepped on one before. Major. Drag.”
[I]
[/I]“Good to know. Aw dammit, it tore my coat up too!” Masoka groaned with frustration, parts of her lab coat ripped and torn along the right thigh, left sleeve and belly section. “I didn’t bring an extras!”
[I]
[/I]“Is it really a problem if you’re naked?” Carly asked, looking over the Pikachu.
[I]
[/I]“Do you want my fat tits hanging out for all to see?”
[I]
[/I]“Yeah.” Everyone but Makoto responded, the squirrel simply blushing again.
[I]
[/I]“...Okay so maybe I asked for that one. But! I may be a bit of a contender for having a lot of sex, but I much prefer to be clothed, thank you! There’s a lot of appeal in a good outfit~”
[I]
[/I]“There’s a lot of appeal in those fat knockers of yours.” Eve snorted, attempting to get back at the mouse for teasing him earlier.
[I]
[/I]“Hush up! I’ll see you after this dungeon! Now up the stairs!” She huffed, reaching the staircase and proceeding forward with the team. “Only two floors in and we’re an absolute mess. So far so good!”
[I]
[/I]“Could be worse.” Eve agreed with a chuckle.
[I]
[/I]“Yah, we’re good.” “Totes good. [B]Makoto, you good?[/B]”
[I]
[/I]-> [I]Never thought you’d make so many interesting friends, huh?

[/I]“I-I’m managing… it’s just… I never thought I’d meet such… interesting Pokemon, l-let alone make friends with you all… i-it’s been really nice...”
[I]
[/I]“Aww, she thinks we’re interesting~” Masoka giggled, scratching behind the squirrel’s ears. “Well, darling, we’re happy we can add a little extra spice to your life! Friends will do that for you~”
[I]
[/I]“We’re taking this all the way~” “Yah, this friendship train has no stops!” Masoka’s tail wagged a little, the affections of her friends making her feel very welcomed and happy. With a little bit of pep in her step from her supportive allies and the cold air on her fur, she proceeded forward into the second floor with the others following behind her. For once, it was Makoto truly leading her team and it felt… right. Until she stepped on a Whirlwind Tile that sent her flying left right into the hallway. “Nyaah!”
[I]
[/I]“Maks?!”
[I]
[/I]“After that squirrel!” The four of them ran after Makoto, hurrying down the hallway where the squirrel lay face planted on the ground.
[I]
[/I]“Maks, are you alright?!”
[I]
[/I]“...who else wants to lead?” She groaned, getting up and shaking herself off. Eve let out a sigh of relief, helping her up.
[I]
[/I]“Jeez, ya almost gave me a heart attack, please be more careful!” Eve hugged the squirrel gently. “I’ll take the front if ya want, OK? This place is definitely hella trapped and we definitely can’t afford you gettin’ hurt as both our support and team leader.”
[I]
[/I]“Y-yeah that sounds about right… I-I should be more careful, s-sorry...” She nuzzled into the Chillaflage’s soft coat, her tail wrapping around his. Eve blushed a little, smiling at the affectionate squirrel and taking the front position of the party, walking ahead with Makoto right behind him and the other girls following close by. Into the next room they went and it was as empty and unassuming as the others.
[I]
[/I]“I don’t like the looks of these rooms, man. Knowin’ traps are all around the place, I hate seein’ nothin’ here. I’d rather see a Pokemon or two, some items, somethin’. Anything!” Eve scanned the room repeatedly trying to find a sign for anything, any traps, tricks, whatever could give them the upper paw. But it all looked the same, the walls, the ceiling, the ground, nothing changed except the shapes and sizes of the rooms they entered! “Guess we just gotta walk and pray for the best in this place. Stay close and on high alert.” Eve informed the girls before he walked ahead into the room. Slowly he took his steps, hoping that maybe he’d be able to catch himself should he feel his foot pressing lower into the ground than usual. Maybe if he could pick his foot up in time, the trap wouldn’t go off.

And that was the believe that immediately went out the window as his foot pressed down into a Gunk Tile which spouted a gush of a gooey, clingy orange substance all over his body. “Guh! Wh-what the fuck is this?! A Gunk Trap?! Fuckin—dammit all!” The frustrated chinchilla groaned out, his fur caught in the clingy mess of goo and gunk. Chunks or the strange orange substance made it hard for him to move around, his body slowed down severely by the inconveniencing mess.
[I]
[/I]“Wh-what is that stuff??” Makoto stepped back a bit from Eve, not wanting any of it to get on her fur. “Wh-why isn’t it coming off of Eve? I-is it contagious?”
[I]
[/I]“Relax.” “It’s not contagious and it’s not harmful.” “Yah, it’s just some sticky gunk from the trap.” “It’s not gonna come off unless you use a Cleanse Orb.” “Or we make it through the dungeon.” “Suuuuper inconveniencing, it’s so sticky it clings all over you.” “And it totally makes it hard to move around.” “Major bummer.”
[I]
[/I]“You tellin’ me I’m stuck like this ‘til we make it through the dungeon?!” Eve throw up a paw before it was immediately snapped back to his side by the gunk.
[I]
[/I]“That or we find a Cleanse Orb.” “Wait, Marley, we totes have a Cleanse Orb in our Treasure Bag.” “Oh my gosh, Carly, we totally do.” “But we should hold onto it.” “Yah, it wouldn’t be smart to use it so soon. We’re only, like, two floors in.”
[I]
[/I]“Ugh… this suuuucks. Whatever, it’s not that big a deal, I can live with this.” Eve groaned, every movement feeling like walking through tar and sludge. This was going to be a very long journey for the poor chinchilla. Things managed to keep pace, however, thanks to the quick thinking, and perhaps also the flirtatious desires, of Carly and Marley, taking Eve in their arms to help him keep up with the rest. Masoka took role as the front runner now, leading the team while the girls took up the back and Makoto stayed close with the Pikachu, tails locked and ready to support her at any given moment. Unfortunately for Eve, with the twins keeping a slight distance from the other girls, it allowed them to flirt endlessly with the chinchilla.
[I]
[/I]“So Eve~ If you and Masoka have any certain [I]plans[/I] after this,” “We’d totes like in on that~” “That’s if you think you’re man enough to handle three girls at once~” “Yah, especially a couple wild gals like us~” “Oh, we’re totes wild, we love a guy that rocks our world.” “And you look like you’d leave us brain scrambled~”
[I]
[/I]“You two volunteered to carry me just to make me horny, didn’t ya.”
[I]
[/I]“We’re not being subtle about it.” “Why be subtle about wanting to get fucked~?” “About time you just acknowledged our intentions, cutie~” Eve groaned. He really couldn’t deny it anymore, these girls wanted to get fucked. It was more than obvious and them outright saying it just made it an irresistible desire for the Chillaflage. He’s going to fuck their brains out one of these days. And that’s going to be the first of many ruts.
[I]
[/I]“A’ight, you two just wanna hear me say it, yeah? Ya just wanna hear me admit it?” The two of them nodded. “Fine! Ya girls want me so bad, yer on my fuck list and when we get outta this, I’mma show ya what I’m feelin’ when I got ya gooey and sticky!”
[I]
[/I]“Oohh, you like to pull out, do you~?” “Well, if you can muster the strength and willpower, we won’t stop you.” “But if you wanna blow inside,” “We always love a good creampie~”
[I]
[/I]“I hate this… I hate both of you. I’m gonna love every second of fuckin’ the two of ya until ya can’t see straight. This is the worst. [I]And it’s so fuckin’ hot.[/I]” These girls were both his worst nightmare and his kryptonite. Their snooty, posh ‘I always get what I want’ attitude was a personal favorite of his. And not necessarily in terms of what he loves or what he’s romantically attracted in. But sexually speaking, this was the kind of shit that made the blood rush to his loins, the urge to put girls like this in their place, to dominate them into total submission and humble them through aggressive, rough sex.

They didn’t deserve an ounce of his time in the bedroom but fuck if he didn’t wanna give it to them in the most violently passionate way.
[I]
[/I]“We’d better lay low on the flirting for a little, Marley~” “Oh definitely, Carly. Poor guy wants it so bad, just look at him~” The two girls giggled, Carly grasping at Eve’s erection, teasing his length with a few gropes and strokes along its thick size while Marley hefted up and fondled his loaded sac. “Mmmhh, I can already hear these plapping against my ass, Marley~” “Or smacking on my chin, Carly~”
[I]
[/I]“F-fuckin’ eyes on the damn mission, you two...” Eve bit his lip, unable to do much of anything against the girls jerking him off. And the whole time, their frisky antics went unheard and unnoticed by Masoka and Makoto who led the way. He could shout, flail, do literally anything to make this stop. But then would come the bad part about this… they’d stop. He enjoyed some teasing but from these two? It was the worst best pleasure he could enjoy and it was a conflicting bliss.
[I]
[/I]“Phew, so far so good. A few traps here and there but progress is looking pretty.” Masoka commented, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow.
[I]
[/I]“W-we’re making good work, Masoka...” Makoto smiled up at the Pikachu. “5 floors up already… a few traps but it’s going nice...”
[I]
[/I]“Yep, [B]I’d say we oughta take a short break, yeah?[/B] Recollect ourselves and reassess the plan and all again.”
[I]
-> You should take a short break.

[/I]“Y-yeah… that sounds good.” Makoto agreed, the two of them taking up seats in the empty room by the wall. “It’s been easygoing so far…”
[I]
[/I]“True to that, but we shouldn’t get too relaxed. At any moment, things could get chaotic. This mountain is dangerous for a reason.” Masoka informed, pointing up at the many spiny icicles right above them. “We’d better be careful too. Those look like they might fall at any moment on their own.”
[I]
[/I]“G-guess that’s why it’s just a short break...” Makoto looked around, suddenly noticing the lack of a certain three others. “H-hey, where’s Eve..?”
[I]
[/I]“We’re here.” “Yah, just in the corridor.” Like, don’t mind us~!” The girls called out to the two, their paws fondling at Eve’s balls, kneading into the heavy orbs while they peppered the Chillaflage’s face with teasing kisses. “Mhh hm hm, they feel so full~” “So ready to fill a hole or two~” “But we won’t make you cum yet.” “Oh no no, the right time is far from now~” “Totally, but the more riled up you are,” “The harder you’ll fuck~” “And when you do it,” “It’s gonna be,” “[B]The best fuck we’ll ever have~[/B]”
[I]
[/I]“Th-this is the fuckin’ worst...” Eve moaned, loving every second of it. It was agony being teased by this girls but dammit if they didn’t know how to press all his buttons so well. They must do this often to those they set their eyes on. His dick pulsed and throbbed, not seeming to have any intentions on going soft any time soon despite the girls now paying attention solely to his balls.
[I]
[/I]“We could totally ride you right here~” “Get a nice full filling of cum.” “But that wouldn’t be fun.” “Yah, staying quiet when it feels so good? Snoresville~” “We’ll just edge you during the whoooole break.” “You may not focus well,” “[B]But you sure will fuck us well~[/B]”
[I]
[/I]“Ugh...” Eve bit his lip, watching as their soft paws kept up working him, kneading his balls, fondling them, even occasionally combing along his inner thighs.
[I]
[/I]“Umm… Masoka..?” Makoto looked up at the Pikachu sat beside her. She was currently fiddling around with the tears in her coat.
[I]
[/I]“Hm? Yeah, Makoto, what’s up?”
[I]
[/I]“Umm… I was kind of wondering if… well i-if all of us could have a wish… what would you wish for? I-I mean like… what do you feel deep inside you..? What do you want the most? Or… need the most?”
[I]
[/I]“Well, as I said before, I’ve got quite the life. However… I suppose even good lives still have its emptiness.” Masoka looked away for a moment with a quiet sigh. “I suppose… as I’ve mentioned before, having a son and all means I’m a mother. And usually with every mother, there is a father. I have been married for a long time, for 22 of my 47-year old life. When I… ahem… back when I used to be a human, my husband was actually the first Pokemon I had ever received as a young girl of 12. We’d been together as partners and best friends ever since. From there, our friendship quickly grew into a strong, unbreakable romance as the years passed and in time, what we thought to be impossible proved possible and at 21-years old, we had a baby together, me a human and him a Pokemon.
[I]
[/I]“Skipping some of the foggier details that have sense been scattered by former amnesia, I had become a Pikachu one day like my partner and then lover not-yet husband, though our son was still human like I formerly was. My partner took good care of me when I was at my most vulnerable due to that aforementioned amnesia and unfamiliarity with having changed entire species. And in time, the same happened to my son, now we are all a family of Pikachu. But that’s besides the point! Getting back on track, my husband had left on a rescue mission one day to help a team of young travelers who were lost and injured but he never returned despite the team being successfully rescued. They said he was with them during the time of their transfer back to safety but he never showed up with them. Many search and rescue teams were sent out to find him but zero trace of his existence were ever found. My husband… he disappeared 2 years ago under mysterious and unknown circumstances. He’s been reported missing ever since… and I miss him dearly.”
[I]
[/I]“I guess you’d wish to have him back...” Makoto gently pat the Pikachu’s back. She nodded with a soft smile, wiping away a tear.
[I]
[/I]“I would give up everything to have him back...” Makoto seemed to understand Masoka’s feelings though she couldn’t quite fully grasp and relate to such an emotional impact as losing someone so near and dear to her. Makoto, being an orphan, knew what it felt like to lose a part of family, but she was a newborn when it happened and thus her memory of her parents was exclusively to photos and stories of them and her connection to them was only as strong as a desire to wish she could be with them wherever they are if they’re even alive. She decided to simply hug the Pikachu gently, wrapping her tail around Masoka and embracing her softly.
[I]
[/I]“Maybe you do need that wish.” She spoke softly to the lab mouse. “Your life is great… but even a successful life doesn’t have it all.”
[I]
[/I]“I suppose...” Masoka smiled, giving Makoto a squeeze. “Thanks, Makoto. Just for listening, it’s not something I like to mention often but… sometimes it helps a lot to let it out with how much I conceal and bottle up these internal feelings. I think I’m ready to keep going. [B]Are you good, Makoto?[/B]”
[I]
-> Let's check on Eve and the twins first. See if they're good to keep moving yet.

[/I]“W-we should see if Eve and the girls are ready too...”
[I]
[/I]“Right right, lemme check real quick.” Masoka got up from her spot, walking around Makoto and poking her head around the corner. “Hey! You three ready...” She stopped in her tracks, getting an eyeful of rock hard Chillaflage cock throbbing with precum trailing down its underside and the twins peppering his cheeks with kisses and rubbing on his trembling thighs. They looked over at the smirking Pikachu and simply nodded at her. “YEAH! They’re ready, Makoto!”
[I]
[/I]“H-huh? Uhh… o-okay then, let’s get back to it.” Masoka went over to help her up, offering her tail for the squirrel to connect to and leading her forward, making sure she didn’t look behind her at the three trailing them. The twins decided now would be a good time to call a truce on their teasing Eve so his erection would eventually go down as well as allowing him at least a little chance at focusing should they run into any Pokemon.
[I]
[/I]“You two…” Eve huffed and panted, almost 10 minutes straight of teasing leaving his mind hazy and foggy with lust and arousal. He saw those two in a blinding light of sexual rage, wanting to ravage them into oblivious, fuck them both into impregnated messes. There was no way he was going to focus on anything! In fact, if he got his paws on a wild Pokemon, they’d probably face the full force of his needy wrath!
[I]
[/I]“We’re soooo sorry we’ve been such a distraction~” “Yah, but you can totally take care of that later when you’re ungunked~” “We’ll accept fuuull responsibility for it.” “And we mean [I]full[/I]. Like our bellies will be~” The girls giggled, patting Eve on the head and continuing to admire his lengthy, vein kissed erection. They wanted nothing more than to put him down and ride him, fuck him, have sex with him right here and now, but they had a task to finish and a dungeon to explore. And they weren’t going to leave Makoto unprotected while Masoka led the team.

Especially considering the Pikachu had just stepped on a Monster tile that filled the air with a strange smelling mist.
[I]
[/I]“Uh oh.” Masoka gulped, knowing exactly what the Summon Trap does. In mere moments, 3 wild Pokemon appeared before them. Two brown stones shaped of a mouse head similar to a Pikachu were held up by a psychic force which formed the rest of its body using its pink colored energy. Between the two Cragglite was a shiny Watchog who looked very irritated to have been disturbed and summoned to this location. Their vicious growls rumbled in their throat as the three slowly approached Masoka.
[I]
[/I]“That’s trouble and a half.” “We’d better take position.” The twins set Eve down and moved up to either side of Makoto, protecting her sides while Masoka took the front.
[I]
[/I]“Alright, girls. We can take these guys on easy, yeah? A normal-type and two rock and psychic types, shouldn’t be a problem.”
[I]
[/I]“We’ll have to watch the rock-types.” “They have type advantage over us ice-types.” “But we’re totes stronger as long as we’re together.” “Yah, we’ll take them on and you get the Watchog.”
[I]
[/I]“Sounds like a plan. Makoto, are you ready?” Masoka pulled out a splash potion of Stun Spore, eyeing up the Watchog who stood before her. Makoto gulped but nodded, empowering the Pikachu with a damage boost. The Watchog acted first, its eyes swirling quickly and hypnotically with reds and mint greens, catching Makoto’s attention and preventing her from looking away. In moments, the Watchog had used its Confuse Ray to confuse the Frosquirrel, her mind scrambling with a million different thoughts, plans, and strategies making it nearly impossible for her to make up her mind on anything. Her grip on Masoka began loosening, swapping repeatedly between Heal Pulse and Helping Hand before it would start lashing out on its own, attacking anything nearby.
[I]
[/I]“Gah! S-Stay away...y-your plans are stupid! N-no he’s stupid! I like that...i-it’s bad! You’re bad! Waah!” She clutched her head, trying to regain her senses as they were running a mile a minute, one moment going in to tackle Masoka and the next swiping her tail at the Watchog who swiftly dodged each wild strike.
[I]
[/I]“Makoto, what’s gotten into you?!” Masoka tried to grab onto the flailing squirrel, her attention caught long enough for the wild Watchog to then hit successfully with Mean Look on Masoka. Immediately, the move took effect and Masoka could think only of fighting the wild Pokemon, forcing her to be incapable of attempting to flee or escape. “You think you’re hot shit, you giant rat?! I’ll show you what’s what!” With a growl, she held off Makoto long enough with one of her feet to toss her splash potion at the Watchog who retaliated by simply catching it with its tail and tossing it away, finding no use in risking using an unfamiliar object.
[I]
[/I]“Masoka, snap her out of it, this scumbag’s mine!” Eve stepped forward, though quite slowly due to the gunk keeping him from making any swift motions. Being at a heavy speed disadvantage, he’d have to use sheer strength to overpower this seemingly witty Watchog. That was going to prove very difficult as brawn often didn’t win over brain. [I]Perhaps psychological warfare is the way to go. But how do I throw off someone like him?[/I] Eve then looked down and remembered his raging erection with a faint blush. [I]Fuck… It’s worth a shot.

[/I]“Yo, hotshot!” The Watchog turned his attention towards the goo covered chinchilla. Eve licked his lips, giving the wild Pokemon a sultry wink and bucked his hips, flaunting his bobbing erection. “Why ya botherin’ those girls when ya got fresh, vulnerable meat right here to play with~? Don’tcha see me all gunked up and sticky? I can barely move in this mess, I’d be so easy to dominate to ya heart’s content~!” The Chillaflage turned to present himself to the other Pokemon, his hefty butt raised and swaying somewhat sloppily, balls hanging low and stiffy swinging to and fro. The Watchog’s cheeks flushed red and it couldn’t look away from the Chillaflage’s inviting, plush behind. It was quite the offer to take someone who could do next to nothing about it. But nobody would just back up another Pokemon by giving themselves away without having a backup plan, it was easily a trap.

But Eve’s ass was… very inviting. A nice plump butt like that would really jiggle something crazy being hammered at. He’d probably make such slutty moans too~ But it was all a trap! There was no way the Watchog would get laid that easily just because it was given to it. Especially not from civilized scum like them! With a sharp hiss, the Pokemon went from flustered to very annoyed as it was being played with sexually by the Chillaflage, something that wild Pokemon did not take kindly to at all. Seeing that the Pikachu was still occupied trying to stop the confused Frosquirrel and the two snowy mice were caught in combat with the Cragglite, there wasn’t anything to stop Watchog from attacking and that it did as it lunged forward for the male and assaulted with a Slam!
[I]
[/I]“F-FUCK!” Eve’s eyes shot open and he blushed like mad as he was successfully attacked by the Watchog. However, though he was slammed to the ground under its weight, it was the fat battering ram that had roused from between the Watchog’s legs slapping between his plush cheeks that really had him flustered. The male identified wild Pokemon growled into his ear as it held him down, continuing to grind and hotdog Eve’s back end while using its forth and final move to assert dominance, a Bite upon the Chillaflage’s neck. Eve tensed sharply, blushing red as a Tamato Berry from the sharp mix of pain and pleasure from the sharp fangs lightly penetrating his sensitive neck. He shook hard, hoping that somebody would stop this raunchy beast before that ‘plan’ of his ended up going way farther than he anticipated. He expected Masoka would have things under control by now or maybe the twins would take out the two Cragglite and knock out this Watchog or something, but it seems clear he severely underestimated the intelligence of these wild Pokemon as he looked over to see the two Cragglite were cornering the girls and Masoka was currently being chewed on by Makoto, left in a giggle fit from the ticklish nibbles all over her body.
[I]
[/I]“A-a’ight maybe we can talk about this before we do anything rational, yeah? I-it was just a fuckin’ trap to lure ya in and get fucked b-but the whole actually fuckin’ me part ain’t s’posed to happen, y’know?!” Eve gulped, a little frantic that he was about to be hammered by this Watchog. It wasn’t necessarily that he was a virgin or anything—Eve was a full switch and had been fucked before quite a few times. No, it was just the sheer embarrassment of having a wild Pokemon go down on him in front of a bunch of cute girls who happen to be his friends… and knowing that he was going to enjoy every second of it! Getting fucked by wild and feral Pokemon was a bit of a heavy closet fetish of Eve’s, something that wasn’t exactly looked down upon or deemed to be illegal as, wild or civil, they’re all Pokemon. But it was certainly something very strange and taboo that not many civil Pokemon engaged in.

He wasn’t about to be seen as some sort of freak to his friends!
[I]
[/I]“H-hey! Ya listenin’ to me ya fuckin’ giant rat?!” Eve tried struggling but between the Watchog’s weight and the gunk covering his body, he may as well have been in full bondage gear. He felt the heated breath of the now very horny and angry wild Pokemon upon his neck, as well as the slickness of his tapered tip kissing at his puckered tailhole, gulping and blushing all the more. “D-don’tchu fuckin’ dare, y-ya beast...”
[I]
[/I]“Rrrh...” The Watchog growled low before whispering huskily with a long, slow lick across that sensitive ear. “[B]No..~[/B]” His hips lunged forward and 8 inches of wild cock buried inside Eve’s fat ass, a loud, pleasure cry escaping the more than aroused Chillaflage’s maw, catching the attention of everyone else within the room.
[I]
[/I]“[I]MMMHFFUUCK~![/I]” He moaned aloud, the previous nonstop teasing from the twins leaving him much more than receptive to this intrusive rut. Without waiting nor warning, the Watchog was in a rut, wild as a wild Pokemon would do it, each feral thrust upon that plump butt leaving Eve’s rear jiggling just as the horny Watchog imagined. His body shook, moaning and crying out, his dick bouncing and flexing like mad, lost in a sea of ecstasy as he was ravaged so intensely by this horny beast. He cursed Carly and Marley under his breath, how was he supposed to even attempt to fake disliking this when they had teased him so heavily and left him more than horny for a fuck? Granted, he would have much preferred to be the one doing the fucking, this felt way too damn good to even bother complaining!

All fears of being seen as a freak for fucking wild Pokemon was thrown out the window. All Eve wanted was to ride out this incredible sensation.
[I]
[/I]“Th-that all ya fuckin’ got!? H-Harder!” He moaned sharply, eyes shut in bliss, his ass bouncing with every slam from behind. The Watchog’s weight was now very welcoming to the horny male, eyes rolling up, mouth agape, a much raunchier side being displayed by the overly aroused Chillaflage. His cock flexed hard with every slam into his prostate, audibly whapping against his belly and flinging strings of preseed across the floor beneath him. At this point, everyone had eyes on the action before them, Masoka watching with that same perverted smirk, Carly and Marley flushed red and loving what they’re seeing, and the two Cragglite just as embarrassed. The only one who had no idea what was going on was a still very confused Makoto who had simply fallen over at this point and couldn’t think nor see straight.

Lucky for Eve he wouldn’t have to explain this… wild side of his to the unaware Frosquirrel.
 
Watchog grunted and growled loudly, every thrust sending ripples of pleasure through his dick and into his body while each hilt and grind upon the Chillaflage’s prostate sent waves of ecstasy crashing through Eve, his cock only throbbing harder with each pulse, every throb, every thrust! “C’mon..y-ya gonna fuck this ass like an animal th-then ya gonna fuckin’ nut in it like an animal!” Eve was high on lust, far from thinking straight. It was like he was a whole new Pokemon. It was very reminiscent of that gay Briechee chef, Collie.
[I]
[/I]“Rrggrrh!” The Watchog grunted out, his dick pulsing heavily as his grip on the male tightened before he gave his last slams into that fat ass with a howl. Back arching and body numbing of all feeling but the raw pleasure violating every last nerve in his form, heavy ribbons of rich, hot cum shot into the Chillaflage’s backside, feeding deep into the gunked up chinchilla’s guts. Every rope of spunk fed inside that ass was accompanied by a buck of the Watchog’s hips as he shook in pure euphoria, squeezing at Eve’s hips while he felt those walls rippling intensely around him. The loud groan from his partner was all the Watchog needed to hear to know that the civilized male was making a white and clingy puddle on the ground below, every throb in Eve’s dick firing ropes of his own cum as well as clenching down upon the dick trying to knock him up like a bitch in heat. Both males huffed and panted, the Watchog slowly pulling out with his climax resolving after near half a minute of blissful release, giving Eve’s butt a hard spank and flopping over with a satisfied sigh. Eve panted heavily, his legs weak and mind numb, slowly coming down from that heavy lust driven state, though he was still quite horny with having been fucked silly and left agape with a twitching dick and a need to bury a second load inside a snug hole much like the one that just got shot into his.

But at least he’d be able to think a little more straight now with some of that lust out of his system.
[I]
[/I]“Go...” The Watchog huffed out at the Chillaflage, though where he heard speech, the girls heard merely a feral grunt of the Watchog’s own species name. “Satisfied.. Sire~”
[I]
[/I]“Yer fuckin’ dead later...” Eve growled, getting up on wobbly legs and dragging himself over to Masoka and Makoto, tugging an Oran Berry out of the Treasure Bag and consuming it. The berry helped him to regain feeling in his body as well as to restore any health he lost from the attacks prior to getting fucked out of his mind. He looked over at Masoka and growled lowly. “Don’t you say. A single fuckin’ word to her. Ya hear me.” He stared daggers at the Pikachu as if he would actually kill her.
[I]
[/I]“Secret’s safe with me, darling~” She giggled, patting the male on the head. “Don’t be ashamed, I know what the girls did to you. There was no avoiding the pleasure the moment he started~”
[I]
[/I]“You don’t think I’m weird for enjoyin’ it with a wild?”
[I]
[/I]“Why would I think that? What’s wrong with having sex with wild Pokemon? Let alone getting raped by them and all. Happens all the time to adventurers, in fact, it should be an expectation in this horny world. Anyway, I guess they’re not attacking us anymore so we can keep going?”
[I]
[/I]“Not yet.” He grabbed hold of Makoto, lifting her up into his arms. “Hey Maaaaks.” He looked the girl in her swirly eyes before he slapped her twice across the cheeks with his tail. “WAKE UP!”
[I]
[/I]“HUH?! Oww! E-Eve?!” Makoto yelped and whined, the slaps quickly snapping her out of her confusion. “Wh-what happened? Why did you hit me?”
[I]
[/I]“She’s better now. Ya got hit with a Confuse Ray. That shit’s potent, had ya swingin’ like an animal ‘n spountin’ nonsense.”
[I]
[/I]“D-did you have to slap me though..?” She whined, her tail clinging onto his, completely forgetting all about the Chillaflage’s current gunk issue.
[I]
[/I]“it worked, yeah? Now c’mon, let’s get goin’, I… ain’t tryna stay ‘round here.” He hoped she wouldn’t notice the puddle of cum on the ground as he practically shoved her out of the room with the others following. The stairs were found in a the room right after and they were moving on again.
[I]
[/I]“That was...” “A lot of something.”
[I]
[/I]“But we won’t speak of it.” Eve finished, looking back at the girls quite threatening. “[I]Right?[/I]”
[I]
[/I]“Y-Yeah yeah.” “Lips are, like, sealed.”
[I]
[/I]“Well, if those three are any sample of what the wild Pokemon here can do, then we know we shouldn’t underestimate anyone we encounter. You rarely run into wild Pokemon who not only have status moves but use them with such strategy.” Masoka commented, having taken note of the sheer dexterity that Watchog had. “[B]Makoto, how are you holding up?[/B] That Confuse Ray kinda really had you going coo coo back there.”
[I]
-> Try to go on, but you notice Eve is covered in a bit more goo than you remember.
[/I]
While Makoto was clinging onto and hugging Eve, as the voices had said, she did notice that there was some parts of his lower body that seemed a bit… gooier than she recalled. And it wasn’t exactly orange colored, either. It dribbled slowly from his inner thighs…

Her face flushed blood red as it didn’t take rocket science to realize what she was seeing. She would have said something but Eve seemed so adamant about not mentioning something… maybe this was it? Was he trying to keep something from her? They all seemed in on it except for her. Did something happen to Eve while she was confused? Maybe it was best she didn’t bother… it seemed like something really important to him… maybe even really embarrassing and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings or make him explain something he didn’t want to…
[I]
[/I]“Umm...y-yeah, I’m… I’m good, l-let’s keep forward.” She bit her lip, turning away from Eve quickly so he wouldn’t notice her deep red blush. It would be a dead giveaway that she’d seen something she shouldn’t have and there really was only one thing right now that could make her blush so deeply like that. She’d reattach to Masoka, taking up the front and choosing not to look back, allowing Eve the time to do any leftover cleaning up he needed.

The team passed by several more floors with time, trap after trap being set off with every room they entered. They were now 16 floors deep into the mountain with 14 left to go and they were a mess. All of their berries save for one Oran Berry had been consumed thus far and both the Warp Seed and Sleep Seed were made useless due to Sticky Traps triggered by Masoka whose Skill Glove was also made useless by the same traps. Makoto was looking to be the most exhausted and beaten of the bunch, her lack of self healing leaving her at the mercy of her wounds and injuries from the many different traps. They had only the one Oran left for healing and were trying to save it for when Makoto was truly at her wit’s end but perhaps now was the time to consider using it seeing her struggling to keep up, even starting to fall behind Eve who was still a mess of orange gunk.
[I]
[/I]“Maks, you really oughta take the Oran Berry, you look terrible.” Eve was beginning to get especially concerned with the Frosquirrel’s refusal to heal herself.
[I]
[/I]“I-I’m fine… I can keep going… we should save it… save it for when I really need it...” She huffed and panted, her legs feeling like jelly struggling to keep going. With each floor higher they went, the larger the dungeon’s maze became, taking longer and longer to find the stairs each time. It wasn’t much of an issue for the lot of them thanks to being kept healed up by Makoto, but she was far from in good condition to say the same. They got all the benefit of her support but not having a self healing move left her very vulnerable and very drained. Fortunately, she could at least continue to provide healing thanks to Carly and Marley’s supply of Max Elixirs but even that was beginning to run low with the girls having only two more left in their Treasure Bag.
[I]
[/I]“At least let us carry you.” “You look ready to topple over at any moment.” “Super not good for you.”
[I]
[/I]“I-it’s fine… it’s fine… r..really...” Makoto tried to pick herself up to show off in good health but she could barely keep herself standing straight before she hunched over again, her tail dragging sloppily behind her.
[I]
[/I]“Maks, please...” Eve reached into the Treasure Bag and pulled out the Oran Berry. “Eat it, you’re in awful condition and I can’t stand seein’ ya like this any longer. It’s no longer a request, Maks.”
[I]
[/I]“B-but...”
[I]
[/I]“Come on, dear. We may only be halfway there but you need to stay healthy yourself.” Masoka insisted, siding with Eve. “Please eat the Oran Berry.”
[I]
[/I]“But I...”
[I]
[/I]“We gotta agree with them.” “Yeeeah, you’re super slumped over and that’s not a good sign.”
[I]
[/I]“B-but...” Makoto looked around at the four of her teammates. They were all insistent on her eating the last Oran Berry now. But what if they get into a big battle again and she gets injured? They won’t have the berry then. It didn’t seem like any amount of complain would fix this issue, though. None of them would hear it from her nor back down from their decision. “O-okay...” She gave in, shaky paws grabbing the Oran Berry and bringing it up to her mouth. She bit into the berry’s flesh, bit by bit consuming the juicy berry until it was all gone. While it wasn’t enough for a full recovery, it did wonders in making her feel plenty better. Her condition immediately brightened up and she felt almost brand new. “O-oh… oh..!” Her tail picked up from the ground, swishing and wagging and she gave her teammates a small smile. “O-okay… I did need that… thanks, everyone...”
[I]
[/I]“See? We just have to take it easy. You especially, Maks. We can afford to take a little roughin’ up but you’re way too important. If we lose you, we all lose and it’s back to square one.” Eve pat her on the head. “Let’s keep it up, a’ight? You stay close and be extra wary of the traps.”
[I]
[/I]“Umm...” Masoka looked over at Eve nervously. “A-about that… wary of traps thing...” She pointed down to her foot which was currently stepping on a tile with a big red X on it. A red glow covered her body before fading away.
[I]
[/I]“Wh-what was that..?” Makoto asked with a gulp.
[I]
[/I]“Nothing big, don’t worry about it. It’s just a Seal Trap, it blocks use of one of your moves when you step on it. But it can only block one move at a time so stepping on it again won’t do anything until the move gets unsealed. As for how long it’s sealed...” Masoka stopped for a moment for dramatic tension. “...you can’t use your move… for the rest of the floor. Pretty trivial in a fairly empty dungeon like this.”
[I]
[/I]“Wh—th-that’s it..? You made it seem worse than that...”
[I]
[/I]“I know, but it many cases, that one lost move could be a dread. A total run killer, even. But right now?” She pointed to the staircase in front of them. “This means absolutely nothing.” She chuckled as they moved on to the next floor. Progression resumed with them passing room by room, continuing to activate as many traps as possible, it seems. They did, however, strike lucky by finding a Recovery Tile, a tile with a green plus on it. The decision was easy, letting Makoto step on the tile and receive full health and PP restoration with the tile being destroyed and rendered useless immediately after.
[I]
[/I]“Finally, a stroke of good fortune for us.” Masoka let out an exasperated sigh. After all the traps and tricks messing them up, it felt good to finally get something that benefits them. The lack of items and money in this dungeon really didn’t help at all either, meaning it really was a case of good preparation if adventurers wanted to make it the whole way to the peak.
[I]
[/I]“Good timin’, 20 floors up, we’re almost there. That pick me up oughta help us get the rest o’ the way through.” Eve added with a nod, turning his attention to the twins. “Ya think now would be a good time for that Cleanse Orb? I think we’ll be good only 10 floors off the end o’ the dungeon. Any more stickin’ and we’ll be all fixed up once we get out anyway.”
[I]
[/I]“Hmm. Good point.” “Yeeeah, now’s totes a good time for it. Okay, Marley, you got the orb?” “Sure do, Carly~” Marley pulled the Cleanse Orb out of water drop shaped orb with water and rain clouds shifting about within it. The team all got close as Marley broke the orb, activating its effect and showering all of them in a refreshing waterfall. All of the gunk cleared off of Eve’s body, allowing him full mobility again. Masoka’s Skill Glove also cleared up of the sticky green goo from the Sticky Traps, as did the Warp Seed and Sleep Seed.
[I]
[/I]“Hoooohhh my goodness [I]FINALLY[/I] I can move freely again!” Eve took this moment to immediately move and jump all around, tail swishing and swaying, arms flailing about. “I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to be mobile like this~”
[I]
[/I]“Now you can be of much better use in battle.” Masoka jabbed playfully.
[I]
[/I]“And we can move faster, let’s dust this damn dungeon already!” Grabbing hold of Makoto, Eve made a break for the corridor with a fearfully screeching Frosquirrel in his paws.
[I]
[/I]“Whoa, w-wait a sec, hold up!” Masoka was wide eyed at the Chillaflage’s immediate disregard for being any sort of careful or cautious. And before she could even try to chase after them, they were warped onto the next floor. “EVE! Don’t do that!”
[I]
[/I]“Relaaaax, I knew what I was doin’. [B]Right, Maks? There was never any danger back there![/B]”
[I]
-> Nothing back there? But there ARE Pokemon in this dungeon, and they might cut off your escape routes if you run in recklessly…

[/I]“Th-there’s still Pokemon in the dungeon… wh-what if we ran into them a-and our escape gets cut off o-or something..?” Makoto huffed, batting at the Chillaflage’s arm.
[I]
[/I]“Ow ow, h-hey alright alright I get it, I won’t go runnin’ off again! It was just the one time anyway.” Eve pat the squirrel on her head, getting her to calm down immediately. “We’re gettin’ closer by the step. I won’t go makin’ any more reckless actions like that again. Especially not with Maks in tow.”
[I]
[/I]“Good, ya big goofball. Let’s get to it.”
[I]
[/I]“Dibs on lead!” “I was about to say the same thing!” “Oh my gosh, Marley, let’s totes lead together.” “Like, yes Carly~! Totally!” The Snowraby and Snowbuni took lead this time, taking careful steps as the entered room after room. They seemed to be quite the naturals at stepping around to try and avoid unseeable traps as they certainly made great work in activating plenty less traps than Eve and Masoka during their time at the front. Though they still would step on the occasional trap, their swift actions would often allow them to make quick work of whatever issues would arise save for the one Chestnut Trap Carly stepped on. But that was quick patch work thanks to Makoto’s healing.

In time, they would finally make it to the mountain’s final floor, their resources drained save for the 3 Escape Orbs and 1 Blast Seed. Reaching the mountain’s peak would bring them back outside where they could see the many twinkling stars of the glimmering night sky. Crystals aligned the walls and ground of the mountaintop, the lineup of crystals shining ominously to create a walkway of dull purples, dying blues, and empty blacks that lead towards an archway with the mountain’s cliffside just past it. A hateful aura fills the air, leaving a sensation of unwelcome tension in its wake.
[I]
[/I]“This place...” Masoka began.
[I]
[/I]“It’s so...” Carly continued.
[I]
[/I]“Broken...” Makoto finished.
[I]
[/I]“Huh?” Everyone looked over at the Frosquirrel. Broken wasn’t exactly the word they thought of using to describe the mountaintop.
[I]
[/I]“It’s...not right… I’ve heard of shining rainbows, a night sky of glimmering colors… a beautiful marvel beyond words… but this… this place… this emptiness… this feeling of… [I]hate[/I]...” Something within her suddenly seemed to speak up. Something reached out to her and caused her to reach into her Treasure Bag and pull out the Crystal Heart. She shuddered when her paw clutched it. It was almost ice cold, its once shimmering colors having gone dull and gray.

The heart didn’t feel alive.
[I]
[/I]“This isn’t right…” Makoto didn’t know what was happening. She didn’t understand it at all. She had never been here before but something just told her it wasn’t right. None of this was right. “Why is it… i-it shouldn’t… are… were we too slow..? I-it… it can’t [I]die…[/I] can it..?”
[I]
[/I]“Dyin’ shouldn’t… be a concern...” Eve looked at the heart for a moment, his breathing having become somewhat irrational upon seeing the weakened heart. “Something ain’t… right here...”
[I]
[/I]“E-Eve..? Are you..--”
[I]
[/I]“Wait.” Masoka shushed the two of them. “Listen… do you hear that?” A low grumbling could be heard from within the walls of the mountain near the archway. Slowly, the bunch of them approached, the grumbles getting louder, soon being distinguished as deep, guttural growls. “What… is that..?”
[I]
[/I]“You...” A deep, airy voice seemed to emanate from the walls, its tone full of anguish and pain. Its growl rumbled once more as it took a deep, static-like breath. “You took it...” Pebbles and rubble on the ground began to rumble, the crystals adorning the walkway going pure black and illuminating the mountaintop… or rather consuming it in a shroud of darkness. The air grew dense of that looming sense of hatred. “You… [B]took it...[/B]”
[I]
[/I]“Wh-what..?” Makoto felt her anxiety skyrocketing immediately. Her breathing grew heavy, sweat racing down her forehead, her tail twitching. “M-Masoka..?” She looked back at her teammates and she bit her lip. They weren’t any better off. “Carly..?” The twins were panting, collapsed to their knees, seeming to struggle to breathe. “M-Marley..??” Masoka was trembling violently, a look of pure terror in her eyes, literally petrified with fear. “E..Eve..?” Her eyes widened, the Frosquirrel almost tearing up immediately. Though Carly, Marley, and Masoka appeared in such sudden, awful condition, Eve had completely passed out. It almost looked as if he wasn’t breathing.
[I]
[/I]“[B]You...[/B]” The voice growled sharply, the air becoming thicker. Makoto was starting to struggle to breathe. “[B]Stole it...[/B]” She fell to one knee, her tail draping around her trembling body. Her vision was slowly going blurry yet she didn’t feel as if she was going to pass out. What was happening to her? What was happening to [I]them?

[/I]“Who...” She looked down at the Crystal Heart. It had gone ice cold now and it no longer had a beat. It was as a black as the air around them. She could feel its vibrations with the voice’s every growl. The ominous darkness that consumed the mountaintop soon dissipated, though the lingering aura of suffering and agony persisted, leaving them all in terrible mental states. Makoto’s vision would slowly clear up and standing before her was a creature formed of pure black opal. Dying light sparkled weakly within its body with eyes of empty, life stealing white glaring down before her.

An empty hole in its chest matched that of the Crystal Heart.
[I]
[/I]“[B]You… why have you stolen… what is mine?![/B]”
[I]
-> You're not a thief! As soon as you knew what it was, you wanted to return it right away! You're a being who is pure of heart, Makoto!

[/I]“I’m...I’m...n-n-...I'm not...th...I’m n-not...” Makoto trembled violently, trying to get the words out. She wasn’t a thief, she hadn’t stolen anything! The voices were right, she had found this heart and although her original intention was to take it with her, when she found out what it truly was, her plans had changed immediately. And those plans brought her here to this mountaintop! Who was he to assume such things about her!

And yet, no matter how hard she tried, she just could not seem to form the words. Her anxiety had reached maximums unlike anything she’d felt before. She was going into a full on panic! Her trembling paw reached for the Soothe Bell to ring it but it remained silent, no chime, no bell… no matter how much she rung it, nothing happened. She turned back to her friends. Masoka quaking, tears racing down her cheeks, repeatedly chanting to herself of her emptiness and loneliness without her husband. Carly and Marley had been separated, pulled apart and writhing with misery and the need to be reunited. Eve remained motionless upon the ground…

Makoto’s heart rate was rapidly increasing to dangerous levels.
[I]
[/I]“[B]Thief… THIEF![/B]” The crystalline beast let loose a shrill roar that distorted the very air around it. Its earth shattering cry brought Makoto to her knees, dropping the crystal to the ground in front of her. She trembled and shook, tears dripping onto the crystal from her cheeks. Why couldn’t she talk? Why did she feel this way? Her pulse was banging like thunder in her ears, her entire body shivering. She was slowly losing control of her senses.
[I]
Is this… what it feels like… to die..?
[/I]
Makoto couldn’t do anything. Masoka was lost in her emotional turmoil. Carly and Marley were helpless and useless forced apart. She didn’t even know if Eve was still alive.

Makoto began to cry.
[I]
[/I]The beast grabbed the Crystal Heart, clutching it firmly, almost as if trying to break it. “[B]Mine...[/B]” She didn’t know why she couldn’t just respond. Makoto didn’t know why she tried to stop it, reaching out hopelessly to try and take the heart back. It was clear that the Crystal Heart belonged to it. This creature… it was the Crystal Hamster.

So why did this feel so wrong?
[I]
[/I]“It…i-it...not… yours...” With what dwindling strength she had left, Makoto used all of that remaining willpower to finally form a sentence, broken but understandable. The creature stopped itself as it was about to place the heart within its socket.
[I]
[/I]“Not mine..?” It looked down at her with a scowl of hatred. “Then… [B]whose is it?[/B]” The hamster grabbed Makoto and lifted her off the ground by her sweater. It glared right into her eyes with impatience, a look that spoke of violence and aggression. She shuddered harder; being so close to he hamster seemed to only make her feel more miserable, more agony. It was as if this beast of pure darkness was sucking the life and color out of her very being, absorbing it into an empty, endless void with only the faintest glimmers of light within.

Makoto had no idea what to do anymore.

The beast scoffed at the squirrel before tossing her away without care, Makoto’s body hitting the wall with a thud before crumbling to the ground in a heap. She trembled, groaning as she’d been tossed quite a distance, near the entrance they had come through to make it here. Her heart rate slowly calmed, her intense trembles easing. She’d began to regain control of her body, energy returning in bits, allowing her to at least stand again. She was perplexed at why she suddenly felt capable again, but it became quickly clear to her what had happened.

The Crystal Hamster was absorbing any and all nearby life and positive emotion. It would leave only pain and fear in its wake.

That explained why she’d felt such severe anxiety, why Masoka felt so lost and empty without her lover, Marley and Carly being separated. It robbed them of their happiness, their positivity, and left only their greatest pains and fears. But… what about Eve? Sure, a fear of death and such unknowns was common among many, but it didn’t make sense that someone would just… die…
[I]
I have to do something…[/I] Makoto bit her lip. She wasn’t a fighter, but… the beast wasn’t going to listen to her words. And she couldn’t let it keep the Crystal Heart. She couldn’t explain it but something told her it didn’t belong there. It didn’t belong with them. [I]That heart… I have to get the heart. [/I][B][I]I… I have to fight the Crystal Hamster…[/I][/B][I]

-> Breathe… be ready to take on what you have to. Your tail is an incredibly powerful tool when used right.[/I]

Her nerves were rattled, she was terrified, she didn’t want to do this. But Makoto hadn’t much other choice. She couldn’t back down—she simply refused to. She couldn’t leave her friends at the mercy of this menace nor let it have that heart. Though weak in strength, she would have to use what power she did possess and use it to the best of her abilities.

Her tail twitched, the voices rung out, they spoke few words but the wisdom it carried was all she needed. Her tail wasn’t just a source of support. It was a weapon. It was [I]her[/I] weapon.

“I’ve used my power to give and heal life...” She looked upon the glimmering darkness of the black opal Pokemon, balling her palm into a fist and gritting her teeth. “...And now I use my power to [B]take it back…[/B] Hey!” The hamster’s attention was caught by Makoto, looking over at her with a piercing gaze. She shuddered lightly as those pure white, empty eyes stared through her, but she wouldn’t let herself succumb again. With a growl, she steeled herself, fueled by a desire and a dream, and ran forward with little plan other than hit and don’t get hit. Eyes focused intently on the beast’s every move, she would close the gap between them, readying herself to dodge any blow it’d throw at her. It would do better to avoid an attack, or no attack at all, than attempt a blind strike and be counterattacked. She needed to keep her mind clear enough to think straight, she couldn’t afford to be blinded by rage or fear.

She only had one shot.

The hamster dropped the heart and took stance to defend itself as the Frosquirrel rapidly approached, the dying light of faint rainbows blinking within its body almost as if some sort of line of code commanding the creature to make its moves. Right before reaching the archway, Makoto would slam her tail into the ground to propel herself skyward, ascending great heights into the air above the Crystal Hamster.

[I]I’ve got one shot…[/I] Her gaze met with the hamster’s, looking over its form of pure black crystal. No weak spots could be pinpointed.
[I]
I’ve got one shot…[/I] No weaknesses meant no advantages. As she straightened out her body, she’d begin to descend from the twinkling night sky, quickly picking up bullet speeds and practically cutting through the very air.
[I]
I’ve got one shot…[/I] Her tail charged with energy, surged with power, a bright white glow consuming it as she wound up to make her one and only strike. She would have to go for pure force.
[I]
[/I]“[B]Make it count![/B]” The hamster would give her the single opportunity to prove herself. Standing with open arms, its body was on full display to strike where she deemed most ideal. This was it. It all aligned perfectly for her. With the phrase being repeated in her head, she knew now that this truly was where it’d all conclude.
[I]
[/I]With her only chance staring her dead in the eyes, she would wound about and bring her tail down, braced for impact with the hamster. Fire burning in her heart, she would let out one final war cry, “The heart! Is [B][I]MINE![/I][/B]” The blinding speed of her descent from above, her bullet shaped positioning, and all of the power infused within her tail, she would impact the Crystal Hamster…

And she would pierce straight through its empty heart in a clean cut. A crystal split in two from the center, its body separating with a blinding white light erupting from the pieces. The entire mountaintop would be, once again, consumed in a brilliant flash as a roaring hiss echoed into the heavens, its cry slowly dissipating in the wind as the light would fade, leaving behind now trace of the beast that was once there.
[I]
[/I]“Makoto...” She panted and huffed, her vision blurring, body numbing. She began to tremble, coming down from that anger high and breaking under the overwhelming anxiety she had once looked past. Her heart was pounding in her chest, pulse throbbing in her ears, her mind going blank as all of her senses began to cut off.
[I]
[/I]“Makoto..!” She tried to stand, tried to shake off this impending feeling of collapsing. Her body was beyond its limits but she wasn’t finished. The heart! She still had to get the heart! Slowly, her trembling arm reached out for it, stretching closer and closer as her body grew weaker by the second. With no strength length in her body, the Frosquirrel’s body finally gave in and shut down, her paw just managing to reach the heart. The dull and cold crystal began to quiver with her gentle touch, a faint light slowly shining in the void of black, rising in strengthen until the Crystal Heart regained its warmth and began a faint beating.
[I]
[/I]“MAKOTO!”

Makoto gasped sharply, her eyes shooting open as she rose up from the ground. Heart pounding, she looked around her surroundings, vision clearing. She laid in Masoka’s arms with Carly and Marley standing before her with concerned expressions turned to big smiles. “Makoto!” The girls cried and embraced the squirrel, patting her back and scratching behind her ears. “You’re, like, major awesome, girl~!”
[I]
[/I]“H-huh..?” She wiped her eyes to clear the remaining fogginess in her sight with a light groan. She was still atop Polaris Mountain, but the previous darkness that illuminated the land with an aura of hate no longer plagued the mountaintop. Instead, the lineup of crystals shone a bright and sparkling pathway of rainbows from the mountain’s entrance to the archway she currently lay under. Beautiful blankets of auroras danced in the sky just above with a full moon centered in its current passing.

Carly, Marley, and Masoka helped her up to her feet, the Frosquirrel still somewhat weak and exhausted after exerting herself through such an ordeal. Though it was over as quick as it had begun, those instances of pain and suffering felt like hours that would have otherwise never ended. But something still felt amiss to her. She looked down and noticed the Crystal Heart was nowhere to be found.
[I]
[/I]“Wh-where… where is it..?” She looked up at the girls, head tilted slightly. Carly and Marley giggled before they took hold of her paw and placed gently upon her own chest. What she felt among the soft fur of her body brought shock to her expression when there was a peculiar texture on her chest. Feeling around, it would become clear to her that what she felt was the surface of a crystal, though it wasn’t that it was on her body. It had become a [I]part[/I] of her body.

The Crystal Heart had become a part of Makoto’s being.
[I]
[/I]“Wha… i-it’s… inside me?”
[I]
[/I]“It’s more than inside you, Maks.” Makoto’s ear twitched, eyes widening. His voice came from behind her and another huge weight had just been lifted off of her. She had since noticed that Eve, too, was nowhere to be found upon waking up, and she was worried the worst may have actually come for him. But to hear his voice again, it brought a big smile to her face.
[I]
[/I]“E-Eve! You’re… y-you’re...” As she turned around to face the Chillaflage, she would gasp, stepping back in mild disbelief. The albino white fur of a red eyed chinchilla was nowhere to be found. Standing before her, instead, was the shimmering, glistening beauty of a hamster of pure white opal, crystalline body shining of the rainbow. Familiar red eyes stared at her with a gentle smile, an arm extending outward, their paw taking hold of hers.

[B]She noticed the Lucky Ribbon tied to their right forearm.
[I]
[/I][/B]“Maks… No. Makoto Yuriya. [B]I am truly proud of how far you’ve come.[/B]”
[B][I]
[/I][/B][I]-> I can’t believe Eve is the Crystal Hamster…
[/I][B][I]
[/I][/B]“E-Eve… you’re… I-I… I can’t believe it...” She was in awe, in surprise and shock alike. Her first ally, her first friend in her adventure, her quest that has brought her to the tops of mountains… “You’re.. the Crystal Hamster..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“That heart you wield.” His paw touched gently to the heart shaped crystal on Makoto’s chest. “The crystal you found in Icicle Cave, I knew the whole time it was there. Ya found it all by yaself, pickin’ it out among a crowd o’ crystals. And the moment you touched it, I knew it was you who needed me most of all. That heart. It is a part of me. But the heart belongs not with me, Maks. No, that heart is a link. A Soul Link that binds me to the one who needs me most. And you’ve proven worthy of someone I can trust not just with my power, but with my life.” Eve blushed faintly, smiling and giving her a gentle pat on the head. “We have become much more than friends now, Maks. You and I are now partners bound by heart. When I said I would be by your side always, I meant it truly. And with the heart becoming a part of you, I know that you too feel the same way.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Y-You… we’re… bound by heart?” Her paws rested on her crystalline chest, feeling the incredibly soothing warmth emanating from the heart. Like her own, it would beat with its own liveliness, a pace matched with her own.

It was Eve’s heartbeat.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“My life is in your paws, Maks. What you endured earlier was not a test, but a disturbance to my domain since my departure; a darkness having attempted to absorb life through my mythical power produced by the radiance of color. A monster like that consuming the power of a legendary Pokemon… who knows what that thing could’ve done. To rid of danger before it can be a threat, and all by yaself like that, Maks… your momma will be so proud to see ya come home an even more wonderful gal than when you’d first started this journey.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“My power is yours now, Maks. And with that power comes a wish. A wish only for you. A wish granted from your deepest desires.” Eve smiled, his paw caressing Makoto’s chest gently. The crystal began to shine with the colors of the rainbow, that same warm aura radiating visibly around her body in waves of color. Makoto could feel it, the energy coursing through her, bringing forth her deepest desires and wishes. But within her mind would be blank, emptiness void of any possibilities. There were no desires to be found.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Eh? A’ight, Maks, are ya messin’ with me? I’m tryna be all celestial and whatever, where’s the wish?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Wh-h-huh..? W-wait, wha..?” Makoto was a bit confused. What was happening? Was she supposed to say something? Does she make the wish? But if she recalled, she was told that a wish like this wasn’t something you knew, it was something that you found. It made itself clear when the time came. And the time was now! So where was it? Where was the desire? She always told herself that she wanted to be helpful, to be able to help others in need. To help herself, to become a better Pokemon for her and the world. That was a good wish, right? Was that not what she wanted most despite all the times she’d said it? “I-I don’t get it...” She was perplexed, something was supposed to happen and yet all this build up resulted in nothing. What gives?
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Maks...” Eve let go of the squirrel. “Perhaps I do know what’s up withcha.” She looked up at him, ear twitching lightly. “I can see right through ya. And it’s finally clear to me. And if I can see it, I know you can too.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I can see it..?” She didn’t really get what Eve meant. What was there to see? Did she have to look inside herself and dig up her own desires? But there was nothing there, even with the energy bringing forth what should be her wish, there was nothing on the mind! But… perhaps that was what Eve meant. Maybe that’s what she was meant to see. The fact that there was nothing to be seen… it started to make sense to her. Makoto had come a long way from being a shy, fearful, and anxious young girl with a desire to overcome the barriers that held her back. To pass her anxieties, her fears of the world around her, to become stronger and braver. All this time she wanted to help others in need and in her quest to make that dream come true, she’d already done so.

The person who needed the most help in her life was herself. And with a whole team of friends behind her, even in the midst of suffering from anxiety would Makoto feel safe and protected. Her wish was granted when she stepped atop this mountain.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]Eve smiled, giving Makoto a gentle hug with the girls joining in with them. “It’s all out ‘n done now, Maks. Everything has come together up to this point. And with us all by ya side, [B]what do ya say we get you home?[/B]”
[B][I]
[/I][/B][I]-> Your mom must be ultra worried about you. Bring your friends too!
[/I][B][I]
[/I][/B]“Y-Yeah… Yeah, I’m ready to go home… my mommy is waiting for me..!” Makoto’s tail wagged at the thought of finally returning home to her mom. And gosh did she have a lot to share, too! “A-ah! You all...w-will come with me, right?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Of course, darling~” Masoka smiled, patting the Frosquirrel’s back. “I’ll have to stop by my lab to let Pawn know that he’ll be on extended, indefinite vacation while I’m out on the field~”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“And we’re gonna have to stop back at Glacier Guild.” “Yah, we gotta, like, officially resign from the Guild.” “[B]Then we’re a freelance couple to go wherever we want~[/B]”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“O-okay. Umm...what about you, Eve..? Do you…h-have to stay here..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Normally, this is the part where I’d say yes and go through the whole sad song ‘n dance. But this ain’t no cartoon. I can go wherever I wanna go, however...” Eve’s light underwent a blinding flash of light, shifting and reshaping before the familiar appearance of the albino Chillaflage stood before the girls. “It would do us all a lotta good if I don’t go paradin’ around with that look. Plus, this species has really grown on me, I kinda like bein’ a Chillaflage in disguise. So let’s keep it that way, yeah? The world don’t need to know there’s an impostor among ‘em so, for all intents and purposes, and as you deserve to know my true identity in full... I, Prince Evengarde Coassach IV, legendary Crystal Hamster Opalustrus reborn from the blessings of the mythical Pokemon Ho-oh, am now merely Eve the Chillaflage. Let’s go home, guys.”

The return to Load Cabins was a very swift trip thanks to Carly and Marley’s team badges allowing their instant transportation back to the Guild’s entrance. The lot of them were welcomed happily by the Guildmaster who threw the two girls a private party for the five of them to enjoy. With it being late in the night, the team had decided they would spend the night in the Guild and would begin their walk back to Crystal City for Masoka to leave a new note for her assistant.

Enjoying one last breakfast with the Glacier Guild’s residents, Carly and Marley were dismissed from the Guild on good terms by the Guildmaster who offered all five of them open positions should they ever wish to come back and apply. With positive affiliation to a Guild, the team then left town early in the morning to get a head start crossing Polarity Field to make it back in town. While Masoka made a stop at her lab, Eve decided to pay a visit to his little hut with the other girls in tow, Carly and Marley having insisted on checking out Eve’s makeshift ‘normal’ home. Despite the Chillaflage’s insistence on it being nothing to marvel over, just as he did with Makoto on her first visit, the twins’ choice words for Eve’s home were more than a surprise to the chinchilla as they displayed genuine approval of the cozy little house. Though, they didn’t stay long as they were on the field again once Masoka had met up with them.

Finally, as mid-afternoon arrived, they could see Pulse Village in the distance, Makoto looking up with a smile and teary eyes knowing she was only minutes away from seeing her mother again. As they made the first step into the lush grass of the warmer little east coast village, Makoto’s tail wagged as she picked up on the many familiar scents of home. “Mommy… I’m here… I-I’m home… I’M HOME!!” She cried joyously and made a run straight for the housing district, the others trying to keep up with the sprinting squirrel as she made it to her front door in record time.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]It felt as if it had been forever since she’d seen this house. [I]Her[/I] house. She could just faintly hear the TV in the living room as she looked at the door anxiously. Nervousness began to overtake her and she didn’t know why. Maybe it was just the overwhelming emotion of finally being home again.

As her shaky paw approached the doorknob, she felt Eve’s gentle touch, his paw taking hers as he gave her a light nod. “You can do it, Maks.” She smiled back at him and took a deep breath. It had been a long time since the thought came to mind, but it was the phrase that she had been taught to help calm her down. A phrase taught to her by her own mother.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“[I]No worries… no hurries...[/I]” With a deep breath, she finally knocked on the door. Mere moments passed before it slowly opened and she came face to face with those deep ocean blue eyes.
[B]
[/B]“Makoto...” The Raicicle smiled big and opened her arms, Makoto jumping into her mother’s arms and crying happily as she embraced her tightly. “Welcome home, dear~”
[B]
[/B]“Mommy… I did it...” She sniffled, nuzzling into the Raicicle’s soft chest, looking up at her with glistening eyes of glee. “I met the Crystal Hamster...”
[B]
[/B]“I knew you could do it, dear. Mommy is so proud of you to have made it so far.” She rubbed along the Frosquirrel’s back gently, never wanting to end this loving embrace of mother and daughter. She smiled at the group of Pokemon behind Makoto. “Ah, these must be friends you’ve made along the way. I’m Lorelei, the village leader and dear Makoto here’s mother. Please, why don’t you all come inside. I’m making lunch, I would love to have you all to join me~”
[B]
[/B]“We’d be honored to join you, ma’am.” Masoka bowed respectfully before entering the house with the others following. Makoto and Lorelei joined them soon after with Makoto taking a seat with the others in the living room while the Raicicle returned to the back kitchen to resume cooking.
[B]
[/B]“You all must have gone through quite the journey, I’m sure there will be plenty for you all to share while we eat. [B]I would love to hear all about your adventure, Makoto, dear~[/B]”
[B]
[/B][I]-> You’ve got quite the story to tell! All the ups and downs and even where you belong in life.
[/I][B][I]
[/I][/B]“I-I have lots to tell, mommy..! I got to visit all kinds of places and all sorts of stuff happened!” Makoto set her Treasure Bag down on the table, the lone Blast Seed slipping out onto the table. Looking down at the seed, Makoto suddenly realized that she ended up forgetting to pick up a souvenir for her mom. “O-oh no...”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“What’s wrong, Makoto?” Masoka looked over at the Frosquirrel who started tearing up a little again.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I-I… I f-forgot to get something f-for mommy...” She whimpered and sniveled. “All I have is that seed…”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“A souvenir for mommy?” “Like, you me something like this?” Marley pulled out a glimmering crystal shard from their Treasure Bag carved and smoothed into a perfect orb, handing it to the squirrel. “We did a bit of collecting during the climb.” “We couldn’t help ourselves so we snagged a few.” “Take this one, it’d be perfect~”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I-I… really..? I can have it..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“We don’t need it for anything.” “Plus, you totes deserve it~”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Th-thank you… I really appreciate it so much..” Makoto accepted the crystal, looking at the orb with a smile. “Do you think she’ll like it..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Oh definitely, it’s gorgeous! There’s no way she won’t like it.” Masoka reassured with a nod. “Just give it to her and be confident. Maybe not now, though, since she’s cooking. Wouldn’t want to distract her.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“O-okay… after lunch, I’ll give it to her.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Speakin’ of, tomorrow, we oughta talk with ya and ya mom ‘bout the plans we had in mind, yeah?” Eve brought up, looking over at Makoto. “Y’know, the idea ‘bout travelin’ the world and maybe even joinin’ a Guild as a team together. It ain’t no rush at all, we got plenty o’ time but whatcha think on that idea? [B]Still interested in maybe joinin’ a Guild sometime, Maks?[/B]”
[B][I]
[/I][/B][I]-> Ponder about it more. You would looove to be together with Eve more~
[/I]
Makoto’s cheeks flushed red from the more teasing nature of the voices. What was that supposed to mean? Of course they’d be together a lot! They’ll be together forever! But why tease her about it? Was there some sort of second meaning or innuendo they were hinting at?
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I-I think it would be fun… getting to be together more a-and all..” She looked away for a moment, her tail wrapping around Eve’s idly. Eve chuckled lightly, patting her on the back.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I do like the sound o’ that~ Yer a lotta fun hangin’ around, Maks. Though ya sound like there’s a li’l somethin’ more on the mind.” Eve nudged her lightly, getting the squirrel to blush even harder.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“N-nothing! J..j-just… I like being around you… a-all of you, I-I mean..!” She was a complete flustered mess now. The voices really had her thoughts all scrambled up and it was getting her really embarrassed. Maybe it was also them being in such an intimate location to her, that being her home and all. It also just dawned on her that since they’ll be staying home with her, Makoto will more than likely have to show her room to Eve. Her bedroom… her most private and intimate place… showing it off to him…

Her face was completely red from cheek to cheek, practically steaming out the ears with embarrassment at the thought of Eve seeing her bedroom. For an 18-year old girl, Makoto still had some more… kiddie tastes in her décor style with plushies and dolls and cute baby blue colors. But he’d shown her his living space shamelessly so it was only right she did the same for him, right? He wouldn’t judge her for having a more childish bedroom, especially compared to his, right?
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Maks, you alright there? Ya blushin’ like mad, ya sure ain’t nothin’ on yer mind?” Eve’s paws grabbed hold of hers, his gentle gaze meeting her own. Makoto bit her lip, trying to look every which way but directly at him. [I]Come on, girl… you can fight a big scary hamster, this is nothing! I-it’s just a bedroom.. Eve wouldn’t make fun of you over a bedroom… you have to show it sooner or later, you’re no stranger to sleeping with him![/I] She shook her head, finally meeting the chinchilla’s gaze with her own.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I-I’m just… I...w-well my...b-bedroom is, umm...i-it’s not… th-the most… adult kind of room...” She squeaked, her voice getting softer and softer as she spoke until she was practically a whisper.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Maks, if ya worried I won’t like ya bedroom or somethin’, it ain’t a concern. I ain’t gonna make fun o’ ya over your choices and whatcha like. If anything, it’d be my honor to see ya most intimate places like that~”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I-I… y-you mean it..?” Eve nodded and pulled her into a gentle hug.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I’d never make fun o’ ya over somethin’ so special and intimate to ya. Besides, if we do join a Guild together, we’re more than likely gonna share a bedroom anyway. Consider this the next step in gettin’ comfy together.” He scratched behind her ears to reassure the Frosquirrel that it would all be OK. Makoto smiled softly, her tail squeezing his and nuzzling him gently.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“O-okay… b-but if you laugh, I’ll be really upset with you...”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I promise not to laugh nor judge ya for anythin’.” He smiled, putting a paw on his chest in a swear. “But that ain’t ‘til tonight anyway.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Thank you for waiting, everyone. Lunch is ready~” Lorelei announced to the group with a smile. “Steamed Sausage Curry with Fresh Salac Salad side. And a favorite of Makoto’s, momma’s homemade Icy Slush with Apricorn syrups~” Makoto’s tail wagged frantically at the mention of Icy Slush. She was the first at the table with child-like giddiness, pupils dilated with excitement to have that familiar home cooking again. The others joined around the table with them, all excited to try Lorelei’s food.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve had the ol’ fashioned home cooked meal.” Eve commented, admiring the plate of goodies and the glass of shaved ice. 7 different colored bottles of syrup—Spicy Red Pepper, Sour Yellow Lemon, Dry Blueberry, Bitter Lime Green, Sweetheart Pecha Pink, Salted Caramel White, and Savory Blackberry—were on the table in a syrup rack placed beside the spice rack. “This looks amazin’, Ms. Lorelei. Smells incredible, too.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Tastes as fantastic as it smells~!” “My tongue is, like, melting with happiness~” “And I thought the Guild’s food was tasty, Carly.” “But nothing beats divine home cooking, Marley~” “[B]It’s a ten outta ten~![/B]” The twins had taken their first bites and were beyond satisfied with the results of Lorelei’s cooking.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Mmh, wow! How long have you been into cooking, Lorelei? Your craftsmanship and presentation are both phenomenal~” Masoka complimented, moans of delight sounding as she indulged in her meal as well.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Oho, well I’m no natural, that’s for certain. I’ve been in the home cooking business for 27 years now, making meals since I was 15-years old~” Lorelei blushed a little from the compliments all around. “Makoto always loved my cooking, I’ve raised her on many different flavors to give her a wide range of tastes for her palate. Though she especially takes kindly to bitter tastes like those Rabuta Berries. The only thing I couldn’t really get her to eat was anything with too much of a dry flavor to it.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I’ve noticed the lack of any dry flavoring in your choice of ingredients here.” Masoka commented. “You have great attention to detail.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Ohh well aren’t you just a darling~ But now that we’re settled in, please I would love to hear what my darling Makoto has experienced in her adventure around the continent!”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“A-ah..y-yeah! Umm...” Makoto looked over at Eve. “W-will you help me with...some of the details a-and stuff..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Of course, I’ve gotcha back, Maks.” With Eve’s assistance, Makoto had began telling her story to her mother, starting from the very moment she had left the house. She did her best to recall all the details she could, including those moments before meeting up with Eve. Throughout the entirety of lunch, Makoto would tell her tale with the others helping in the bits and details as well as putting in little extras of their personal thoughts during each encounter. Of course, certain… [I]bits and parts[/I] were excluded in Makoto’s retelling, however, she felt it would be wrong to exclude all of it. She was raised to be a very honest girl and it was only fair that her mother should know that she’s experienced… well… [I]observed[/I] the experiences of having sex. More specifically, male on male sex.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“My oh my, Eve you sly dog you~” Lorelei chuckled, fanning herself with a blush. “Showing my Makoto the ropes here, are you?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“M-Mommyyy!” Makoto’s face flushed completely red and she hid herself in her tail with an embarrassed whine.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Oh sweetheart, it’s nothing to be embarrassed nor ashamed of. Sex is a very natural activity in this world, it’s perfectly fine to be curious of it, especially at your age. A fresh adult like you should embrace your curiosities.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“M-Mommy!” Makoto whined again, shrinking further into her tail. Lorelei chuckled at her daughter’s expense.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Hm hm, relax sweetheart~ In time, I’m sure you’ll get used to it. But you know...” She smirked, turning her attention to the Chillaflage, “As a mother, I feel it’s something I should ask you a more serious question. [B]Have you ever considered who you would want your first time to be with?[/B]  You don’t have to tell me exactly who but if you’ve had any thoughts or considerations about your first time experiencing sex, finding the right one to treat you well is very important. A first impression with sex is an extremely impactful and lasting one.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B][I]-> Kiss Eve, he is the one you want to have your first time with, plus a good way to show them your love.
[/I]
Makoto’s eyes shifted towards Eve and her face went all red again. It’s true that she has had many curiosities about sex and how it would feel, especially ever since having watched Eve do it. It looked like it was so fun and felt really good. She wanted to know what that felt like but she also felt that just having sex with anyone, especially for her first time, was not the way to go about experiencing it. She needed to find someone she could really trust, someone she cares a lot for and they care for her too. Someone who would be gentle and patient with her, willing to take it at her pace, willing to stop at any given moment should she be too uncomfortable or afraid to keep going.

Nobody but Eve came to her mind.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]He was the perfect partner for her. But at the same time, it was extremely embarrassing to her to even consider such a thing! He was gentle, kind, loving, caring, and always helped her in every way he could. But… she wouldn’t go as far as to say they were [I]that[/I] way with each other, right? Besides, he already had a crush on someone else, though that didn’t mean they couldn’t have sex, she couldn’t just go declaring romantic feelings for him.

Relationships don’t work like that, do they? Someone being in love with more than one Pokemon?

Regardless, lovers or not, she always felt that her and Eve were a lot more like tightly knit siblings. Though they did some things that were just a little more affectionate than what most siblings would do, at least as far as she knew, she always thought of him as a really lovely big brother and her the little sister.
[I]
Do family members have sex with each other?
[/I]
Makoto shook her head. Where did that thought come from?! What a naughty question to ask herself! But then again… it was all curiosity, no harm done, right? No! She was just trying to justify the idea of having sex with Eve! She was practically on the verge of calling him big brother but she was pretty certain if she did that, it’d be super awkward and he might think she was weird.

Especially now that she was starting to see him in a much more intimate light! But… maybe it would be even more intimate if the lights were off…
[B][I]
[/I][/B][I]S-stop that![/I] She blushed like mad when Eve’s gaze met hers. She couldn’t shy away from this. With the two of them sat right next to each other, there was nothing she could do but suffer at the paws of her own sexual curiosities about her and Eve. There wasn’t anything wrong with her wanting him as her first time, was there? It’s not like they were actual siblings, but would she be able to keep seeing him as a sort of big brother if they did it together? Where would their friendship go from there? Does it have to go anywhere? Sex doesn’t have to change anything so why did it feel like it would?
[B][I]
[/I][/B][I]A first time should be special… [/I]She bit her lip, unable to look away from Eve. It was as if everyone and everything around them melted away, leaving only the two of them in a white void, the only two in the world that mattered… [I]A first time should be sacred…[/I] Her face was burning up, her entire body felt hot. She could feel the tingling sensation down below, that curiosity growing within her loins. [I]A first time should be memorable… [/I]Her tail slowly lowered from her face, exposing her red cheeks to the Chillaflage who had begun to blush lightly as well. Her gentle, shy gaze and the hot blush told him everything. He knew what her response to Lorelei’s question was.
[B][I]
[/I][/B][I]A first time should be [/I][B][I]amazing…
[/I][/B]
Subconsciously, her body moved itself forward, leaning towards Eve. She hadn’t realized his face was getting closer as her thoughts continued to race rapidly of the many scenarios and questions of her and him. Before she realized it, she was kissing Eve and her blush only darkened all the more. It wasn’t like it was her first time ever giving the Chillaflage a smooch…

But it was the first time her lips had ever met his.

Quickly, she pulled away, her entire body red hot like a fire as she swelled with overwhelming embarrassment. She could just pass out and die right there as she looked around at all the smiling faces, including that of a blushing Eve. She had made it clear who she wanted her first to be, and not a word had to be spoken. Her heart was pounding in her chest, though this time it wasn’t a feeling of fear or anxiety. Despite the situation, what she felt was a sense of giddiness, a strange excitement. A sort of… confidence in herself, her decision. She hadn’t used words like she usually would to answer her questions. This time, she took action, even if her body had to do it own its own.

She was really proud of herself but dang it if this wasn’t the most embarrassing moment of her life!
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I think it’s the perfect choice.” Makoto’s ear twitched and her attention was finally pulled away from Eve. She looked over at the Raicicle who smiled with approval towards the two. “From what you’ve been through, I don’t think I could think of anyone more fit for being your first than he is. Eve, I think you’re a wonderful male and an incredible friend and reliable partner for Makoto. What do you say, dear? [B]Would you like to be Makoto’s first time?[/B]”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“But of course~ We’ve been through so much together, it would only be right if I show her an experience she will never forget.” Eve smiled at the flustered squirrel, giving her cheek a tender stroke.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Wonderful~ Girls! You’ll be sharing my bedroom tonight.” Lorelei announced to Masoka and the twins. “There’s plenty room for all four of us so there’s no need to worry about any accommodations.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Fine by me~”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Sounds cool.” “Like, totes cool~”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Splendid! Then you all have the day to yourselves, feel free to check out what our little village has to offer or take a tour around the house. I’ll take care of the clean up here.” The Raicicle collected the dishes and brought them to the sink with the rest of the cooking utensils. Masoka and the twins decided they’d check out the town’s local shops and stores while Eve stayed behind with Makoto. She was extremely nervous about everything right now, from being alone with him to knowing what they were going to finally do together tonight. It has been a very long time coming but her curiosities are mere hours away from being sated.

With nothing else to do, she decided now would be a good time to show Eve her bedroom.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“W-well… h-here it is...” She opened the door to her room, welcoming Eve in. It was just as she remembered it when she left, nothing changed save for her bed being made and cleaned.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Wow...” Eve looked around the fairly sized room. The walls and ceiling were a light blue with sky blue vertical stripe pattern. The floor was adorned with diamond dust blue colored carpeting. Makoto’s bed was positioned in the far right corner of the room; a white mattress covered by a white spread under an ice blue blanket with white laced ends. Three white pillows were on the back end of the bed against the wooden brown backboard connected to the wall. Atop those three pillows was a blue heart shaped pillow with the text “SLEEP WITH LOVE” on it. An assortment of plushies of various Pokemon were strewn about the floor with a few sitting on the desk stationed in left corner opposite of her bed. On her table was also a small box containing a popular building blocks kit for a building based on books on the Pokemon World, a neighboring planet, called a ‘Pokemon Center’. Hanging over the table was the photo of her as newborn in the arms of her parents. An officially signed poster of a Pokemon Contest Beauty Extraordinaire, Maribelle ‘Jubilee’ Lincoln the Pikachu Belle, hung over her bed, a prize Makoto had won in a write-in contest she entered as a kid with her mother’s permission.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“You have a lovely bedroom, Maks.” Eve complimented, looking about the squirrel’s private space.  “You were worried I’d think you were childish over this?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“W-well i-it’s just the plushies a-and building blocks set...”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Those are just things you enjoy, hobbies if ya will. Ain’t nothin’ wrong ‘bout likin’ that stuff, Maks.” Eve smiled at his partner, patting her head gently. “If anything, I like ‘em. Adds more character to ya place.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“A-ah… i-if you say so...” She blushed hotly, looking up at Eve. She was feeling extremely self-conscious about everything. It was only a matter of time until she’d be in her own bedroom with him… and when [I]that[/I] time comes, it won’t be a tour of her bedroom, but a tour of her body! She wanted to make sure she didn’t do anything wrong but she had no idea what she even had to do in the first place! Do people prepare for sex in some way? Is she supposed to do or say something sexy? Is she supposed to set the scene to get the mood going? The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she really didn’t know a dang thing about how this all worked despite having watched Eve do it with Collie. Those two were just doing it as friends seeking quick pleasure, but this! This was a much bigger deal! This was her virginity, her first time at it! It was going to be very special to her and probably to him too! So what was she supposed to do?!
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“M-Maks? You doin’ alright? You’re kinda shakin’ a lot.” Eve gently pulled Makoto into his arms, holding her close. She was blushing like crazy as her gaze met his. She didn’t know why she couldn’t look at him without blushing and losing her mind anymore. It’s just sex! It’s not that big a deal..! Or… maybe it was that big a deal. But why was she so endlessly flustered around Eve now? They’ve talked about sex before and all kinds of things like that! Was it because now it was [I]her[/I] who was going to get it? It was a much bigger deal, her being the one doing it rather than her watching someone else do it.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I-I...I’m s-s-sorry...” She bit her lip, unable to look him in the eye. “I-I’m nervous… I’m r-really nervous.. E-Eve...what do I do..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Huh? Whatcha mean, Maks?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Wh...h-how.. I mean...h-how do we...d-do I.. s-set up right...s-so you’ll d-do… do it with me..?” Her heartbeat was pounding in her chest. She couldn’t believe she was even asking stuff like this to him! But she needed to know, she needed to be assured that she’d do the right thing and he’d be happy. She wanted to make sure Eve would enjoy it, that Eve would have fun, that Eve would feel good.

Her eyes widened when Eve planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Maks. You don’t gotta do a single thing.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Wh...wha..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“You don’t gotta set up anything or do anything at all for us to have a good time. When the time comes for us to make love, I’ll help show you how to do it. [B]I’ll lead the way with your command.[/B] All you have to do is tell me how you feel. And at any moment, if you don’t feel comfortable or you need to stop for any reason, or even no reason at all...” He hugged her close to him, tenderly massaging along Makoto’s back to help soothe her of all of her worries. “...our safe word will be Cuddle Bug.”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“S..safe word..?” Makoto repeated, looking up at the chinchilla.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“The word to say if ya ever need to stop immediately. And if ya can’t remember it… just tell me you’re uncomfortable or ya wanna stop, OK? Don’t ever be afraid to want or need to stop. Trust is extremely important in sex and I wantcha to trust me that I will take care of you with all of the intention to make ya happy.” He smiled at her, blushing softly himself and leaning down to press his lips tenderly upon hers.

Makoto shuddered when Eve went in for that kiss. The time she had done it, it was completely subconscious and she barely realized what had happened. But this time, both of them were fully aware of the situation. As his lips pressed to hers, she felt an incredible warmth wash over her, a sensation she had never felt before. She felt butterflies dancing in her stomach, her chest pounding, her body seeming to melt into his embrace as she pressed back ever so softly into that hold, that kiss. Their lips had locked, and this time their kiss was one of love and passion.

Pulling away, their gazes met again, both blushing hotly, Eve smiling and Makoto panting slightly. She was feeling an extreme rush of emotions and thoughts, from giddy feelings of relief to excitement to sexual desire. That tingling in her loins had returned and this time, it burned like a fire that only Eve could put out. She had no idea what this feeling was and yet, at the same time, she knew exactly what it meant. Instinct told her everything she needed to know as she slowly walked Eve towards the bed.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“E..Eve..?” She spoke softly, almost a whisper as they now stood beside the bed.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Yeah, Maks..?” He leaned forward, slowly lowering Makoto onto the bed. She fell with a light ‘pomf’ as Eve climbed over her, both of their breathing getting fast as the moment grew more and more intimate. He had a hunch on what Makoto was going to ask but he wanted to hear it. This was her moment and he would act only when she said to act.

Makoto quivered, her voice caught in her throat as their eyes locked. She couldn’t look away, completely enamored by Eve’s gentle, captivating gaze. She wanted to say it, she wanted to feel it, she needed it… but in that very moment, the fear of finally sealing the deal made it hard to speak. She knew what she wanted, her body knew what it wanted, Eve knew what she wanted… so why couldn’t she just say it? Did it not feel right to her to ask? To beg even? This was her moment, her evening with him. He waited for her word, her request, her demand even. He didn’t move an inch despite his desire to show her an evening of unconditional love.

Maybe she wanted to hear him say it. Maybe she wanted his proposal, his final assurance that he wanted her as badly she she wanted him. So he gave it to her. His lips to hers once more, that kiss as soft and tender as the last. She shuddered with a moan so soft, her arms wrapping around his shoulders, trying to pull the Chillaflage closer to her. This time, she was ready and she kissed him back with a renewed fire, a passionate lust that ignited deep within her.

This kiss lasted much longer, yet despite their growing need for each other, it remained gentle. Slowly, Eve would part his lips and his tongue would press softly upon Makoto’s own lips for entry. Not quite sure how to follow up, she looked into herself and let instinct guide her, her lips soon parting and her own tongue greeting his. Their tongues would enter a slow dance, coiling and twirling one another with Eve leading the way, Makoto following him perfectly. Soft and sensual moans would escape the Frosquirrel’s muzzle into their kiss as every moment, every touch from the Chillaflage felt like ecstasy to her. Her body burned with an arousal she had never once experienced and it made her all the more sensitive to her partner’s advances and actions.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]Soon, their kiss would be broken again, thin strands of mixed saliva connecting those tongues before breaking apart, soft panting sounding from both partners while Eve gave the squirrel a sultry gaze. Finally, with his arousal at attention between his hind legs, and Makoto’s scent in the air around them, he would pop the question for her. “[B]Makoto… would you like to be my mate for the night?[/B]”
[B][I]
[/I][/B][I]-> No question. Accept his love, here and now.
[/I]
There was only one answer to this question. No other way it could go. No other way it should go. Slowly, she nodded her head to him, her soft smile saying it all. She needed him and she needed him now. Reaching a paw down, Eve would brush slowly across Makoto’s inner thigh, combing through the soft fur and watching her every reaction. She quivered from his tender touch, ticklish but in a pleasuring way. A sharp, cute gasp escaped her maw when she felt those digits meet with her soft, untouched labia, pure folds moist with preparation to be tainted, to be taken, to be claimed by a lover.

Slowly, his fingers grind against her sensitive flesh, watching as the Frosquirrel shook hard, the cutest, most submissive whimpering moans he’d ever heard escaping the innocent girl’s maw. She panted hotly, her sex dampening with each rub, every stroke and tease of those fingers at her. Thumb circling her clit, A finger would slowly penetrate her, going only but so deep as to avoid damaging her hymen, wanting to save the true penetration for claiming Makoto as his lover tonight. Her whimpers would soon become soft, audible moans as Eve fingered her, only the tip of his finger pushing in but grinding and plunging it repeatedly nonetheless all while his thumb continued to circle the female’s engorged clitoris. Her entire body writhed with raw pleasure, feelings unlike anything she thought possible invading her. And she loved every second of it. It was a pleasure so primal spurred on by love, Eve’s gaze never leaving hers. Their heartbeats matched, auras radiating a passionate pink with hearts dancing about the pair. This wasn’t just going to be an evening of mating and claiming virginity.

This was going to be the night their friendship would truly blossom.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]Removing his now soaked digit, Eve reached up to grasp his arousal, 7 inches of anxious and excited flesh awaiting to feel the untouched depths of a virgin’s vagina. Slowly, he’d shift his hips, lowering himself to prod at Makoto’s sex. She tensed up from the contact, the sensation pleasant but knowing what it meant still keeping her quite nervous. She didn’t want to stop him, though, but she was terrified of what was about to happen, what this all meant… what it might mean [I]after[/I] they’re done.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Hold me tight, Maks… the first thrust can sting a bit, OK? Tell me if it gets too much and I’ll pull out.” She nodded slowly, feeling even more nervous hearing that. She knew this was coming, she knew that breaking through the labia would more than likely hurt, but that didn’t mean she was any more prepared for it to finally happen. With a gulp, she held the chinchilla tight and braced herself for the impact. Starting slow, Eve would ease his way inside of the Frosquirrel, a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat from the sheer warmth of her slick tunnel. He’d only get about an inch in before meeting her hymen, tip pressed to the barrier. Gazing into her eyes, she’d give him another nod and he’d give a slightly strong shove forward and pop her cherry.

Her eyes widened then shut tight, a single tear rolling down her right cheek. A searing hot sting washed through her body rapidly, yet as swiftly as the burn hurt her, the descent from that pain was slow and lingering. She whimpered and whined but refused to make him pull out. She had to get through this, she had to endure it. It would feel good again afterwards. She just had to endure a little pain to experience a world of pleasure.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Are you OK, Maks?” Eve asked softly, panting a bit while he held his position hilted inside of her sex. He felt each ripple, the convulsion of her inexperienced walls confused with the intruder buried inside of her and stretching her. Slowly, her canal would start to adjust to accepting the male, wrapping more properly around his length and beginning to hug upon it, the ache of her cherry being popped finally subsiding.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Y..Yeah… p-please k-keep going...” She spoke shakily, blushing furiously while continuing to hug him tightly. He nodded and would start to ease out of her depths, pulling about half of his malehood from her slick pussy. Both would moan out to each other, Makoto’s entire body tingling intensely of this wonderful new sensation, enjoying every second and every tender thrust of Eve’s cock through her warmth. She mewled, squeaked, and whimpered submissively, hugging and cuddling the male who was currently making sweet love to her.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“M-Maks...you feel incredible...” Eve groaned into her ear sensually, giving the diamond shaped ear a soft nibble at its tip. The male’s shaft twitched lively, precum coating the moist walls of Makoto’s wanting tunnel. She whined cutely, clenching around the dick inside of her, wanting to pleasure Eve harder. His deep groans and heated moans fueled her with an unfamiliar but very welcomed desire, a feeling that told her she as doing something right and doing it [I]very[/I] right at that.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“D..don’t stop, p-please...” She squeaked into his ear, panting and gasping between her moans. Eve kept it up, tender and slow gliding back and forth through the Frosquirrel’s heat, every hilt into her body accompanied by her constrictions milking his cock and tugging at him whenever he’d pull out, as if trying to keep him balls deep. Makoto’s body was on fire and she’d never thought she’d love the feeling of being hot before. The heat used to always rattle her nerves and leave her vulnerable and anxious, but this heat… this was a brand new kind of heat to her and it only made her want more of it. It was ecstatic, it was thrilling, it felt amazing!
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“E..Eve… I… Eve s-something’s… I-I feel s-something..!” Makoto’s body shook hard, her walls convulsing sloppily, eyes shutting as her squeaks became adorable whines and pleasured cries. She clung desperately to the male, toes curling, her tail wrapping around his as her pussy violently milked the cock buried within her. Eve would moan out as he pulled back, his cock escaping from the Frosquirrel’s violently constricting tunnel as a splash of honey made a mess of his erection and the bed sheets beneath them. Makoto’s entire body writhed with pleasure that almost hurt to feel this good, tears rolling down her cheeks, claws digging into the Chillaflage’s back.

She had just experienced her first ever orgasm.

Her pussy throbbed with pleasure, drooling a mess of juices as she squirted hard, slowly coming down from that mind numbing pleasure high and going right back into that burning heat for more. Without missing a beat, Eve would glide his dick back into her wanton cavern, immediately swallowed up from the stinging cool outside air back into that molten furnace of silken flesh wrapping perfectly around his every inch. Makoto’s eyes rolled up and Eve shook hard as he kept a tender pace, not wanting to soil such a romantically arousing moment by going fast or rough on the adorable virgin.

This slow pacing was agonizingly blissful for Eve. He could feel every last nerve in his dick being heavily stimulated, a feeling that no amount of rough or fast sex could ever replicate. It was unbelievable the sensations this squirrel gave him. Despite all the experience he had, even he was feeling some brand new pleasures in this very moment with her.

Makoto was a lot more special to him than he first thought.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“M..Maks, I.. I feel it...” Eve gave the warning, his words breathy and airy between gasps. She felt it in his throbs, his twitching girth digging into her walls with every hump. The tremble of his paws holding upon her hips, shaky breaths batting her ear. He was so close and his thrusts weren’t going to stop any time soon. “M...Maks… I-I’m close… i-it’s coming...” She moaned into his ear, whimpering, grinding into his thrusts. Soon, he’d hilt into her sex altogether, letting his heavy throbs press and rub at her loosened cervix. Her womb was beginning to feel very receptive… She could tell he was mere moments away, those throbs so strong, so potent… All she had to do was say the words and he’d do it… [B]he’d break free and cum on her… or perhaps pull him in and cum inside her…
[I]
[/I][/B][I]-> Spray of passion, let him shower you in his Princely love~
[/I]
Leaning into him, Makoto let out a husky moan into his ear and plead for his release. “P-pull out, please… I-I’m not ready to go that far yet...” She panted hotly, her paws kneading along the male’s back and onto his shoulders. Nodding, Eve’s hips grind against hers a little more before he’d pull out of her with a blissful groan just as climax reached the male. His eyes shut tight, panting and grunting, grinding upon her sex while ropes of rich, thick seed coated her front, hosing her belly and breasts with a shower of his cum. He groaned cutely, making quite the impressive mess of Makoto’s body before finally coming down from his orgasmic high, panting heavily and blushing deep red looking over the many strings of cum coating his partner. She, too, was blushing red from cheek to cheek, panting and feeling the warmth of Eve’s love on her body, looking down at his twitching length as it began to slowly soften and retract back into his sheath, satisfied with its work.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“F...fuck… Makoto...” Eve panted heavily, leaning down and beginning to lap at her body slowly, scooping up the strings of gooey mess he’d made on her. She mewled and moaned softly, watching as her fur was cleaned rather sloppily of the Chillaflage’s delicious mess, a shaky paw scooping up a little bit of that creamy semen and somewhat hesitantly taking a taste of it. Eve’s cum was salty to the tongue with a noticeable touch of sweetness in the after taste. It was a very delectable flavor to her and she found herself scooping up another batch of his cream to indulge in while Eve continued to lick her up from the belly to her breasts, even latching onto a nipple to suckle gingerly upon her, earning himself some cute gasps and squeaks from the girl.

He’d soon come up and meet her lips for another soft and quick kiss, nuzzling noses with her and smiling as he caressed her form gently. She’d lay in his arms, letting the male comfort and cuddle her affectionately with plenty of aftercare. “You’re amazin’, Maks…” He spoke softly to her, a paw idly grooming the fur along her back. She purred quietly, snuggled up to him in their leftover mess of mixed love juices.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Y-you’re… r-really wonderful, Eve...” She nuzzled into his chest shyly, looking up at the Chillaflage. “I-I… u-umm I… E-Eve… I..y-you know..” He gently placed a finger on her lips to shush her, smiling reassuringly and planting a light kiss on her forehead.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“It’s OK, Maks.” He hugged her closer, purring softly and whispering those magic words into her ear, “[B]I love you, too...[/B]” Her tail squeezed his, locking them together while they shared another long and passionate kiss, eyes closed and basking in the pleasant afterglow of such a passionate and intimate moment with her near and dear partner and friend.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“E-Eve..? I’ve a-also been thinking about...wh-what we’re all gonna do together...”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Yeah? Have you made up your mind yet on it, Maks?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“M-mhmm… I umm...r-remember that one Guild you mentioned...the one with umm… the new one that was recently built..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Il’amante Retreat, yeah? That’s the Guild to the far south on the Electron Continent. Ohm Springs, I believe is the place.” Makoto nodded, gently nuzzling at the male.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Y-yeah… I-I wanna go there… it’s a brand new Guild..s-so that means it shouldn’t be a problem for us...t-to sign up as a team, right..?”
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“I like your idea. It’ll be a long travel gettin’ there but I think it’ll be a great experience of all of us gettin’ to see the world.” Eve smiled at the Frosquirrel’s affectionate gestures and scratched behind her ears. Makoto purred happily, yawning as she kneaded at Eve’s chest affectionately. Her tail wagged a little, squeezing at his as she realized the beginning a new goal, a dream that she now shared with not just a dear friend, but a whole team and a life partner.
[B][I]
[/I][/B]“Tomorrow… we’re gonna start a brand new adventure… [B]as the next up-and-coming Rescue Team~[/B]”