Pikachu, Flaaffy, and Floragato sat with Salandit in his home, the four of them huddled up together on the couch and watching the Rodent Relay Race being aired on television from their town’s own arena. Pikachu had been invited for free as a sponsor for the arena’s events but he humbly declined, simply stating that he had important family matters to attend to. Said family matters being his presence with one of his best friends who really needed them all right now. Pikachu had taken the time to get Flaaffy and Floragato caught up on the situation with Salandit’s sudden mental and emotional breakdown and the both of them were all too happy to give up and reschedule any plans for the next few days to take care of Salandit and help him through his traumatic distress.

“The bitter honey pasta curry is almost finished, dears. I’ll have plates and drinks ready for everyone in a few minutes.” Pikachu and company weren’t the only ones who had taken their days off to be with Salandit. Even his mom had taken off the next few days from running her business to be there for her son. When Pikachu and Salandit had gotten home yesterday, Salandit called his mom and could still barely get the words out through his crying. Although it wouldn’t be needed as his mom was practically out the door and speeding home the moment he heard him sniveling over the phone. It seemed that Salandit crying wasn’t only a complete oddity to Pikachu but to his mother as well.

Although he was still feeling quite down, Salandit felt very warm and safe having all of the most important Pokemon in his life around. The dearest friends he could ask for and a mother who loves him above any and all else in the whole world. He knew that despite being a co-owner of Salazzle Steams and being able to set her own hours if she pleased, just getting up and leaving the workplace like that, let alone taking the next three days off, wasn’t an easy thing to do and could have serious consequences if her absence isn’t taken into account and managed properly. Fortunately, as a co-owner, she had her best friend, Floragato’s mom Meowscarada, take care of the business and their workers. She was immediately understanding after she’d called when she noticed Salazzle was gone and told her to take as long as she needed to be with Salandit.

Despite Salazzle’s presence there, Pikachu was surprisingly calm. Perhaps it was with how lost in thought he appeared. After Salandit had told him about their history, it became very perplexing to the electric mouse why Salazzle would run a business in the sex industry. After everything she’d been through with her former trainer, Pikachu figured she’d probably be completely repelled and traumatized by sex. Maybe she’d gotten therapy to help her or maybe it’s just in her species blood? He didn’t know and it felt very rude and invasive to ask but he was just too curious. After all, once this month is over, there was entirely a chance the two of them could end up in a bedroom together, a thought he figured would’ve been super glued into his mind being in the same house as her but no, sex was far off the mind and his curiosities were at an all time high.

He decided to get up from the couch and head into the kitchen early. Maybe he should just ask. It felt like the right time, with it fresh on his mind and their taking care of Salandit, maybe it would help to know more of the story from Salazzle herself since she was the one to have endured the abuse. “Oh, Pikachu darling, the food won’t be ready for a little bit longer.” Salazzle had taken notice of Pikachu sat at the dinner table, though it seemed he wasn’t even paying her any mind, still pondering over things. “Something on your mind, hmm?” The voluptuously slender goddess leaned over the table in front of the mouse, the all too sultry Salazzle’s massive tits hanging right in front of Pikachu’s face with the beautiful woman wearing nothing but an apron. It seemed that sex appeal was a permanent part of her person and came to her so naturally that Pikachu couldn’t see an ounce of flirtatious attitude in her concerned expression despite all the cleavage just a foot away from him. That sure brought him back, face going red and suddenly realizing just how close he was to one of the two women of his dreams.

“E-err… I-I uhh, um n-no… I mean… I m-mean uhmm..” Immediately, Pikachu was at a loss for words and incapable of looking away from her massive tits hugged against the taller woman’s apron and spilled like soft water balloons on the table. He quickly shook his head to clear his mind of the rapidly approaching sexual thoughts, he had something important to ask her, dang it! “S-sorry, ma’am… I-I wanted to ask you about… well, Salandit told me about… what happened and all…”

“You want to know more about our time before we were brought here?” She asked casually as if bringing up the past didn’t bother her at all. Pikachu simply nodded. “Well dear, it’s not at all a fond memory or time of my life, but if you’re wondering, it doesn’t bother me anymore. It [I]was[/I] a long healing process for me—for us both—but I’ve made it through and have accepted that what happened can’t be reversed by normal means. And even if I could, even if Dialga Himself offered me a chance to change history, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“You… wouldn’t?” Pikachu was a bit surprised to hear that. He’d figured that most Pokemon would kill for a chance to change history like that, to be able to clear their mind, body, and soul of that history, to practically have something so scarring be completely wiped from their memory and life experience.

“Not a thing.” Salazzle continued with a small smile. “It’s a hard thing to cope with, dear. Traumatic experiences. No matter the severity, trauma is trauma and it should be respected and considered. It could be as haunting as watching someone important to you die in your hands or it could sound as silly sounding as jello, popsicles, and soup broth. Everyone has their own experiences and history behind why and how they are who they are today, and all of those experiences are equally valid. We all have our own coping mechanisms and recover at our own paces.

“But truth be told, if it weren’t for her, I would probably still be a complete wreck.” Salazzle let out a small sigh and smiled wider, her cheeks taking on a slight rosy tint. “Ahh… Meowscarada, my nearest, my dearest, a wondrous darling… and the love of my life.” Pikachu’s eyes widened. Love of her life? Meowscarada and Salazzle—Floragato and Salandit’s mothers are—

“D-dating??” Pikachu accidentally thought aloud.

“Yes we are~ Meowscarada is my dearest, best, and most important friend in my entire life.” Salazzle blushed even brighter, gently caressing her earring, a shimmering scarlet ruby placed snugly inside the hallowed a silver socket. “When we first arrived in this world, we were lost, afraid, and so very hurt and scarred…physically and emotionally alike. Our first couple days, we wandered and searched, desperate to find a place to stay, a shelter, anything. It was when Meowscarada found us and took us in, no questions asked. At the time, she was working at a homeless shelter as an entertainer, providing magic and talent shows to pass the time for homeless Pokemon with nothing else to do. She was an absolute darling at the time, but unfortunately, she wasn’t able to accommodate us living with her so we stayed there at the shelter, but she’d started doing overtime just to take care of us personally. She and I had long talks through the night, sometimes going until the sun rose the next day. She always listened, offered such wonderful advice, and would even just be an anchor for me, someone felt safe around. I tried staying strong in front of dear Salandit, I didn’t want him to see all of the cracks in my shell, the pain I was still going through mentally and emotionally from his father so I’d always be strong for him, smiles and positivity, helping him grow up to be strong and healthy, to have confidence in himself and to remind him that he was a good Pokemon. But when he slept at night and it was just Meowscarada and myself… I cried. I cried so much. My heart ached so much from the betrayal I felt. My former trainer, he… wasn’t a very nice person. But when he was younger, before he had to quit his former and become an average day to day office worker, he was much nicer. To me at least. His intentions as a trainer weren’t great at all but his care for me, you and Salandit would never believe he’d used to tell me he loves me, spoil me with presents from his dirty money. He even gave me a name, a name I don’t use anymore but one I will always remember and cherish as a part of his better self. I suppose that’s the risk you live when captured by a Team Rocket member.

“Meowscarada and I were tightly knit for as long as I can remember. It was like a fairy tale, she was my Prince Charming in my most desperate time, a broken mother desperate to take care of her son, forced away from an abusive home into a whole new world where we knew nothing and no one. If it weren’t for her kindness, her patience and generosity… I don’t know if being brought here would have been better. Truth be told, at least we’d have a roof under our heads and someone providing us food and shelter despite the abuse but here… well my wild instinct is quite weak having been trainer owned for as long as I was and Salandit being a former human—first of all, can I mention… when you know how human birthing works, it’s [I]very[/I] odd to see one [I]hatch?[/I] Sorry dear, a little off track.

“I guess… I’ve about covered most of what you probably want to know so far. Hmm… ah! My business, you must be very curious why I’d work in the sex industry after all of the rape and abuse, right?” Pikachu, silent as ever but eyes all on her, nodded swiftly. “Hm hmm, so cute you are~ But yes, that must be quite odd to think about, a domestic abuse survivor working in an industry that should remind her day after day of what happened years ago. Well, it’s for two reasons, maybe three really. Firstly, despite what happens to me, I [I]am[/I] a Salazzle. A life of sex is all too natural for my kind, it’s near unavoidable.

“Second, as a survivor, I know what it feels like to be hurt, abused, taken against my will, mated with no consideration for my feelings or pleasure. To know that there are so many ‘mon out there, men and women alike, cisgenders and transgenders, nonbinaries and genderfluids, all of the sexes and genders in this industry that face the risk of experiencing what I have at any moment… to be paired with that one Pokemon who will take advantage of your job to use and abuse you with the excuse that you’re a sex worker or that they paid for your body so they should get to do what they want, no questions asked… it’s a terrible fear that they all have to accept when working as prostitutes or actors and actresses in films or anything sex involved. Fans obsessed with wanting a chance at laying with you, stalkers that want you, parasocials that feel like you belong to them, rapists that…  well, rape. To provide a service for all sexes and genders a safe space where you as the worker have the right to speak up to or against any client that you may feel uncomfortable with or may try to do you wrong. A business that doesn’t punish their workers for wanting to be treated as equals. A place where you can be paid to offer your body for others’ relief and pleasure while being ensured that you too will be provided the pleasure you also deserve. That was my dream. To save others from experiencing what I had to.

“Meowscarada, she was touched by my aspirations and desire to provide safety in sex. But she knew that something like that, it would take me years to achieve starting fresh in this world. Even as a Salazzle, a Pokemon symbol of sex itself, if nobody knows who I am, they’d see me as nothing more than a whore trying to start a harem. So she took her popularity, her status in town and decided to help me kick start my dream. She was only supposed to help the business take off—Salazzle Steams was the beginning. A small, humble little strip club that got noticed with rumors of Meowscarada being one of its performers. I’m not sure where the people got that rumor from as she was never supposed to be one but… I guess Meowmeow herself got someone to spread that rumor but it did wonders for business. Pokemon showed up every night hoping to see Meowscarada in all of her beauty. Despite it never happening for days, weeks, even months, people kept coming, hoping they would see her. They enjoyed the service, the business, the women we had. But I suppose Meowscarada realized that if she never makes an appearance, the rumors might die out, people might lose interest and the business would start to fail.

“I never asked her to do any of that. She did it all on her own, putting her name out there just for me. Just to boost [I]my[/I] popularity by associating me with her. She never shared any of that with me until the night it finally happened. Like a Mew under a truck, during one of our Sex Sells Saturday events—a special event my workers and I agreed on where one lucky patron would get to have sex with that day’s worker after hours—Clefable was supposed to run that night’s performance. But when the curtains unveiled, I was as shocked as the rest of them. But when I heard those roars and cheers the screams from the entire house as she stepped forward and took the pole in her hands… nothing but a skimpy bra and thigh highs attached to a g-string.. I fell in love with Meowscarada that night.

“It wasn’t just her body, no matter how perfect she looks. It was the fact that she was willing to go so far with her own body just for me. To put herself out there, fully knowing she would be obligated to have sex with a complete stranger all for the sake of making me—making [I]us[/I] famous. I couldn’t imagine anyone in any world willing to go that far for someone like me. That was the same night she told me she’d never felt more alive. That the Pokemon she ended up with, a very modest but very endowed fresh out of high school, ripe and 18 Mudbray boy as she put it, had absolutely rocked her world and shown her just how good sex can be in a controlled environment, she seemed to fall in love with the idea of my business as well. But that wasn’t all she fell in love with. Her feelings were mutual towards me. I was surprised when she said it, she’d provided so much for me but I was unable to do the same for her, being homeless before then. But… she was the one who sealed the deal that night, she was the one who confessed her feelings first. She was the one who initiated our first kiss…

“It was hard for her at first, leaving her work behind at that homeless shelter. So many kind Pokemon there who cared about her. But with her own rising fame, she didn’t leave them empty handed. Such a generous, wonderful woman she is… a million. All out of her pocket. A million Poké donation to the shelter. She left on good terms and even to this day, she occasionally volunteers there when she has the time. But when she moved on to bigger things, as our relationship started, so too did our co-ownership of the enhanced and improved Salazzle Steams & Wet Dreams. She took her abilities as a magician and illusionist to perform incredible stage shows of sultry delights, illusions and fantasies playing out right before her audience’s eyes, their wildest desires feeling so real, as if the bodies they touched and fucked were as physical as we are. She was a sex natural, better than myself if I’m being honest. She and I were a perfect couple as both girlfriends and businesswomen. Word kept getting out and soon our status as town celebrities became regional… then worldwide.

“Now we’re considered prestigious, one of the top sex industries in the world. But unfortunately, with sex professionals of all bodies, shapes, sizes, and genders so coveted by Pokemon worldwide, we’ve had to close our doors from the public and become much more exclusive for their safety and well-being while within our walls. There are many Pokemon with needs and desires out there who just need a good lay to get it out of their system. And there are many Pokemon so obsessive about that desire… they will happily bring harm to others or even hurt the one they lust for just to have them. So we now run a very exclusive and strict membership program that only the most trusted of trusted Pokemon are allowed to use. Of course, it’s not just a rich business catering to the rich, we’ve plenty of Pokemon of many statuses with a membership. Trust is earned, not bought; if anything, our list of more posh and rich members is quite small. Unearned riches bring out a lot of entitlement that we sniff out before they can even get through the front door.

“Ah! Dear me, I’ve been rambling your head off though! I’ve gone off track again, so much more than I’m sure you were willing to listen to. So sorry, darling.” Salazzle gave Pikachu a soft kiss on the cheek. “But I do thank you for listening to my story. Salandit… he’s a wonderful angel that I wouldn’t give up for the world. If there’s anything I’m grateful for of my experience with my former trainer, it’s that all of the abuse I had to endure resulted in the best Pokemon in my entire life. Salandit my dear son is my everything and I would relive all of the rape and abuse necessary if it meant having him in my life.” Salazzle pat Pikachu on the head gently, taking a moment to walk over to her stove and cookers that had turned themselves off automatically once finished.

“Pikachu, dear. When you find that someone who will give it all up just for you, to turn your whole life around for the better out of sheer kindness and love for you, you’ll truly know when you’ve found the Pokemon you’ll live the rest of your days with.” Pikachu looked down at the table for a moment, then out into the living room where his friends were. Salandit was looking a lot better, enough so to appear quite engaged in the race on TV. Floragato was on his phone, probably browsing the web or something though he’d occasionally steal long, very fixated glances at the TV himself, clearly invested as well. And there was Flaaffy, probably the most hyped of the three standing from his spot on the couch with balled fists and cheering for his favorite race team, the Alola Rolla Rattatas. Pikachu found himself staring at Flaaffy, not really eyeballing any particular parts of him but just looking… admiring him… all of him.

“Yeah…” He finally responded to Salazzle, though was more talking to himself. “...yeah, I think I know someone like that...”