บท 50: Man's many Facets

**Narrator-POV:**

It is early afternoon in Oreburgh City.

An arrogant young man can be seen strutting forward without a care in the world. A Buneary on his shoulder, two pokemon on each of his sides. Together, they are closing in on the mineshaft, where many fresh trainers have their dreams crushed under many tons of rock.

There is no fear in the eyes of the neatly dressed man. A Rotom drone captures nothing but confidence as he steps into the elevator leading down to the city's gym.

A dingy-looking thing. Steel wire mesh for walls and a floor covered in rock dust. He presses the button to go down. Layers of soil move past his vision. Hundreds of meters down, the cabin keeps accelerating. The sounds of the antiquated winches releasing the cables of the cabin are slowly being replaced by strikes of pickaxes.

A few meters before smashing into the ground, the cabin bleeds off some speed and comes to a halt with a well-calculated, solid smack into the bedrock. It rattles its passengers but keeps them safe.

Another Rotom drone captures the man emerging. Purposeful steps lead him through a rocky and uneven tunnel deep underground. A former vein of iron. Excavated hundreds of years ago. One direction leads to a branch of the current mines, the other to the underground gym.

A sign that the Rotom drone avoids looking at shows which direction one must walk.

The tunnel is supported by wooden beams. Old oil lamps illuminate the tunnel; Gym assistants refill them each morning to add to the tunnel's aesthetics.

One assistant, dressed like a miner, packed with muscles, covered in soot, and using his pickaxe to hammer against a wall; He notices the approaching challenger and steps in his way. With a sneaky move of his arm, he ensures that his pokeballs are clearly visible against his bright orange pants and white tank top.

He slams the pick into the wall, where it sticks, before turning to face the challenger and crossing his arms.

He snorts up air through his nostrils. "Boy." He mumbles in a gravelly voice before spitting a lump of dipping tobacco on the ground. "You lost?"

The challenger sees the bright red pokeballs. "Roark. I'm here to crush him to gravel."

The miner flexes his bicep and points his thumb behind him. "That way."

But the tunnel is not wide enough. When the men come face-to-face, one must turn aside.

A snort echoes through the tunnel. The miner expands his chest as much as he can, but his opponent looks much more intimidating from up close than he expected.

A four-fingered hand, clenched to a fist. A scar, just barely visible past the rolled-up shirt sleeve. A steel-sure gaze, boring into his enemy. A growling pokemon on his shoulder. And from the darkness of the ceiling, a threatening ember, lighting up the maw of another pokemon.

The miner relents and lets the man pass. He presses himself against the wall to make room for the wide-framed man.

Distance grows between them, and the miner's muttered words are heard by none. "Holy crap. No way that kid is 14."

...

Swole Solo enters a massive atrium. The gym's arena fills the center of the hall. Instead of the usual skylight or access to the open air, stalactites reach down from the ceiling. More oil lamps, attached to the stalactites, flood the cold chamber with warm light.

Across the arena is the gym's secretary desk. Currently empty, a service bell stands ready to alert the staff.

As he walks to reach the bell, he takes in the room's other features. A service elevator shaft, a path leading to the changing rooms, and rows of bleachers that have been excavated out of the solid rock walls. Massive boulders have been placed inside the arena as obstacles.

His feet fall silently against the sandy soil.

Nestled into the rock is a room, with a desk walling off the booth from the arena. The desk is still attached to the bedrock and has been carved out carefully. The smooth granite protects the secretary's undergarments from flashing and shields her from errand attacks during battles, should she decide to remain in her booth during a battle.

The challenger inspects the contents of the desk closely. Paperwork. A ballpoint pen, not retracted. A computer's monitor, whose light reflects off the wall back to him. Someone was using this workstation just moments ago.

He hits the service bell. Its ring echoes a few times in the cavernous arena.

Nothing happens.

His fingers tap the desk rhythmically. His patience seemingly runs thin.

'It's a test.' He believes. 'They are trying to mess with me. To break my character.'

His eyes blink at the bell once more.

Should he hit it again? It would make him appear impatient. And it would force him to continue playing their game.

"I guess Roark is too afraid to show himself." He simply turns to leave before walking off.

Thoughts swirled in his mind. Panic begins to form in the pit of his stomach. Is he making a mistake? Was it not a test after all? Should he just have waited some more?

**Ding**

The door of the service elevator suddenly opens with the sound of a bell.

Out marches a young adult. Roughly 25 years of age, wearing gray trousers, a red hardhat helmet, and a black tank top shirt. His glasses, young face, and red eyes and hair clash with his otherwise rugged and tough look.

He tosses his pickaxe aside. The heavy equipment throws up a small cloud of dust when it impacts the ground. And then he marches up to face off against his challenger.

Face-to-face, the two men stare each other down.

Their eyes measure each other. His eyes remain on the scar on Swole's muscled arm, his missing finger, his wide shoulders that carry a snarling Buneary...

Swole counts the 12 pokeballs on Roark's multiple belts. His eyes track a bead of sweat running down Roark's dusty face. But he sees nothing but calm and his red eyes. Roark is clearly calm and collected. It is not the sweat of a scared man, only the sweat of a worker fresh out of the mines.

"Too afraid to show myself, huh." Roark states with the confidence of a mountain. "No. I don't think I need to be afraid of you."

No response.

"Those are the pokemon?"

Swole just nods.

"2 days from now. I, personally, will be your opponent."

"Looking forward to it."

Roark nods, and Swole picks up the unspoken invitation to leave.

Silent footfalls signal his departure.

After a short while, a woman stands up from behind the secretary's desk. She wears a black leather jacket, a dark skirt, black pantyhose and silver chains for jewelry. Her hair is blonde, wild and voluminous.

"That. Was. So. Cool! I can make an amazing ad out of that!"

Her favorite genre of music is rock and roll.

---

**Swole-POV:**

Oh. My. Arceus.

That was sick! So cool! I can't believe I didn't screw anything up!

"Come on, Riolu! You can do it!"

I still feel so pumped!

As soon as I left the gym, I started running to the nearest park to train. People were staring, but I didn't care. I pretended to be cool long enough!

A tiny Aura Sphere exits from between Riolu's paws, travels across the makeshift arena... It chips off a piece of bark from our target tree.

It didn't flicker or fade on the way. It was completely stable the whole way.

She looks at me with a stare that I can't place. "You did it!" A somewhat self-deprecatory smile appears on her lips.

~"Yay... But I should be so much stronger. I used to be."

"Well, yeah. I remember that. Almost took my head off back then. Haha--" She doesn't seem to find it funny. "I mean, the only thing that matters is that you're back with me. And sooner or later, you're going to be even more powerful than you used to be!"

She nods with a tiny bit more determination and returns to her Aura Sphere training, giving me time to look at the others once more.

I expected Dawn and Zoey to be around, but they are apparently somewhere else.

Buneary is as motivated as I am. Maybe even more. She's really giving it her all with every move.

Meanwhile, Salandit... "What are you doing?"

She's just sitting there. Staring. ~"I think I could take her on." She glares at Buneary.

"Who? Riolu? Yeah, sure."

Her glare shifts to me, and she spots my grin.

~"Hiss. Hiss. Very funny. I mean, I could beat up the rabbit."

An overpowered Jump Kick creates a crater in the loose sand of the trainer-park.

"... Are you sure about that?"

~"You don't believe in me, masster?" Her slit eyes look at me in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter whether I believe in you or not. You're both my precious pokemon. Why would you even want to fight?"

~"I don't want to fight her. Just ssaying, I could. Do you think I should fight her?"

"... What? No? We can't really afford to risk battle injuries two days before our battle against Roark--"

Oh sweet Arceus! How did that happen?! I need to fight the gym leader!?

"Absolutely no injuries are allowed. Is that clear? Maybe we can do a sparring match later, but I need to focus on Riolu's training for now. Her moves need to become usable in battle. Buneary needs to be working on Dizzy Punch and Charm. You still need to finish learning Toxic in two days! So much to do!"

~"Sssparring match? Huh?" Is that all she heard?! ~"... Yeah, I'd win against the rabbit. I'm sure."

~"Are you talking about me, lizard?!"

~"Any other ssshitty rabbits around?!"

Growling and snarling rip me out of my moment of panic.

"Woah, woah! Stop that. Where does all that anger even come from?"

Buneary has completely stopped training and shifted all her focus to Salandit. ~"She's trying to steal my spot!"

~"Trying? Hiss! Don't make me laugh! I've taken it a long time ago! All that'ss left is to sssolidify my position."

They square up for a fight. What the hell is even going on?!

Salandit instigated this. But Buneary seemed like she had been on a hair trigger for a while. At the bath, now. Why are they doing this?

Are they fighting for dominance or something? I remember reading about that before.

~"You think you can fight me?! Let's go!"

Buneary is ready to pounce, her ears pulled in, muscles tensed.

~"Of coursse, I think that. Our trainer thinks sso too. Or else he wouldn't have given me the better reward. And the human in the tunnel was more afraid of me than you too."

What reward?

Salandit's stance is somewhat calm, but still threatening. She exudes confidence. Her tail burns with flames. Some smoke wafts out of her snout and nostrils.

Suddenly, Buneary uses Quick Attack.

Salandit startles, yet she still tries to counter with something.

I simply pull her out of Buneary's path and she rushes past us like a bullet.

Salandit, still within my grasp, turns her head and sends Will-O-Wisp after her.

The orbs slowly home in on Buneary's back.

I change my grip on Salandit to hold her by the scruff of her neck, and use my free hand to press the button on Buneary's pokeball. She returns, but immediately breaks out again. The skirmish is paused. Buneary looks up at me. Defiantly.

"Don't know what caused this. But I'm drawing the line. Your shenanigans will have to wait until after the gym battle."

It just had to happen right now.

~"But she started it!"

"And I'm ending it! We're going to be in our best shape for the match. Now, go back to training. You too, Salandit. I haven't seen you give it your best today."

They pout and sulk. They still return to their assigned tasks. This time, Salandit actually does something productive too. She actually starts to practice and doesn't just glare at Buneary.

Good grief.

A sparring match? Pfft. I can throw that idea out the window. I can't let them fight against each other in that condition. They look like they want to send each other to the pokemon center.

They could hurt each other too badly. A no-go right before the gym battle.

At least I'm pretty sure that I know what's going on between them.

After all, it's a common enough problem for trainers: A display of dominance.

Dad's books told me all about it. Why it happens. How to fix it. I even learned how to survive one in the worst-case scenario.

I know all I need to know about this subject, but verifying doesn't hurt. So I pull out my poketch phone.

Poke-Web: "how to handle hierarchy conflicts as a trainer?"

And would you look at that? The results aren't censored! What a wonderful start.

"Pokemon will fight for dominance when the hierarchy isn't clear to them."

Duh.

"Usually, the order in which they join a team becomes the hierarchy."

Obviously. It's because the newer pokemon loses in battle before being captured. This makes it clear who is stronger and who is weaker.

But we've had a battle when I captured her, so I don't understand why Salandit is causing trouble now.

"This can have many causes: Gaining a pokemon through trade usually means it needs to find its place first. Sometimes, a weak trainer does not command enough authority to keep the pokemon from rebelling."

Weak... trainer... That can't be me. Next.

"Other times, an evolution causes a shift in dominance." This is not the case. "Even a chain of success can become an excuse for pokemon to challenge the status quo. It is not unheard of: Trainers blitz through the gym challenge only to have their pokemon rebel against them."

Is that it? Overconfidence? But we only have a single badge!

If that's everything it takes to throw everything into disarray, then how did Cynthia manage it?

"If the pokemon rebel against each other, it is best to let them fight. In most cases, the conflict will end after a single battle to KO. But sometimes, especially when the battle ends without a clear winner, the conflict can drag on. In those cases, it becomes the trainer's responsibility to choose sides and pick a leader."

After reading this, Buneary's words during the bath stick out vividly in my memory.

*"How come I'm the last to get my turn?"*

... Shit.

This is my fault, isn't it? Buneary is undoubtedly my team's leader. My ace. She is the strongest, most diligent and has been on it for the longest.

I have been neglecting her. The girls have turned into a consistent, but enjoyable, source of distraction. As a trainer, I will need to step up my game. I can't half-ass this.

The rest of the web search talks about the case where a trainer loses authority over their pokemon and they rebel.

"To win authority back as a trainer, ask your other pokemon for help." Nothing else is important in this situation.

I turn off my phone and look around at my pokemon once more.

Riolu is doing her best with her moves. Her Vacuum Wave looks rather powerful. Aura Sphere might not be ready for the gym battle in time, but we can still use this instead.

Salandit took my advice and is using Incinerate at full throttle to burn through her pool of fire type energy. At this rate, it's just a matter of time until she learns Flamethrower... Or perhaps Burning Jealousy? That seems to be more her style.

And then Buneary. As she prepares Dizzy Punch, I approach her from behind. We're close to having the move as a viable option. Play Rough as well. She is close to being able to use Play Rough, I can feel it. But progress on Dizzy Punch is much faster.

Her ears twitch.

Another reason why they can't afford to waste their time on a pointless battle right now. We need all the time we can scrunch up to reach their next level of proficiency.

She pauses for a moment after a particularly nasty combo of Dizzy Punch, into Double Hit, into Pound. Difficult to hit because Dizzy Punch takes too long, but devastating if it connects.

I take the opportunity to swiftly pick her up. She pretends to be surprised. Cute.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

She nuzzles against my neck. ~"Fine."

"Are you sure? You're not going to attack Salandit when I'm not looking?"

~"Of course not. Unless she challenges me again."

Did she even do that? Challenge her? They were just calling each other names like usual.

"Good. Let's practice Low Sweep together later. For now, I still need to ensure Salandit behaves."

"Bun bun." She lets out an adorable-sounding laugh in her pokemon-speak as I give her forehead a little kiss before putting her back to the ground. She continues her training.

Salandit has been watching us. When I approach, she quickly pretends to be training.

"You're not as sneaky as you think you are." The flame she had hastily summoned sputters and fails.

~"M-masster... I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"Of course not." I pick her up, and her claws immediately take hold of me. "So long as you don't start another fight before the gym battle."

~"Alright."

She agrees, just like that. "Just like that?"

All my anxiety was for nothing.

~"Of coursse. Thiss meanss a lot to you, sso I want to win ass well."

"Awe, that's so precious. Let's do our best to win the second badge."

~"Hiss. And then I will claim my sspot as the besst."

"Heh, sure. You can try that then."

~"And then I will claim you."

"Heh, sure-- Wait. What?"

"Hiss hiss hiss." She laughs out loud before giving me a short peck on the cheek, then scurrying out of my hold and back to her training.

I can only shake my head at her antics, but I can't get rid of the grin on my face. Arceus, I love them all so much. Nothing beats being a pokemon trainer.

Anyway, let's get back to training!

---

"Fffuck!" It's hours later. I quickly pick up Riolu. "Buneary, Salandit! Hurry up!"

The startled pokemon stumble towards me. They are exhausted and don't know what's going on. Just like me, until a few seconds ago. "We need to go to work!"

I can't believe I forgot it! First day at work, and I'm already too late!

I know where the guy is supposed to live, so I pick up the pace and start jogging. Salandit complains about having to run, but that's just more training for her.

~"Daddy, you don't need to carry me." Riolu looks a little ashamed to be the only one who isn't running.

I was just about to disagree. Her body is still so young, and I don't want to overwork her. But I need to be more careful about treating my pokemon with favors. If I make Buneary run, then the others must run too.

"Alright. But I know we overdid today's training. So if you run out of stamina, just tell me." I give her a little kiss, put her on the ground, and then we all jog down the sparsely traveled street.

A few people greet us on our way, and I greet them back with a nod and a small wave of my hand. I assume the change in reaction is due to the fact that I look less like a giddy, well-dressed, overgrown child and more like a trainer hard at work with his pokemon.

City block by city block, the houses quickly become more expensive-looking. The garden's sizes grow exponentially the closer we get to the edge of the city.

The rough terrain in the area has an impact on local garden designs. While Twinleaf Town or Floaroma Town were teeming with plants, the outer edges of Oreburgh City seem more like a cold, arid climate.

Grass only grows in spots. Vegetation covers not a single lawn entirely. Conifers dominate the tree variety. A few hardy cacti grow in some places. And instead of the grass pokemon I saw in Floaroma: Geodude, Roggenrola and Dwebble are everywhere.

Even a Rockruff can be seen digging through the gravel in a front yard. Trying to get to the tastiest rocks, I presume.

As I jog some more, I notice Mount Coronet looming in the distance. The most dangerous place in Sinnoh. Oreburgh City is the nearest to it; Even closer is the trainer neighborhood I'm entering. People who live here don't fear the wild pokemon roaming in from the mountains every once in a while.

Also, the difference in wealth is obvious.

From the flats, apartments and penthouses in the inner city to the regular suburban houses at the city's edge to the actual mansions here. The mansion I am aiming for is a red brick structure, complete with a castle tower, but with the same sheet metal roofs as all the other buildings.

Just like the homes in Twinleaf Town, fences aren't necessary. Nobody is insane enough to break into the house of a pokemon trainer.

I walk the path to the front door, climb a few stairs and ring the doorbell. An intricate melody rings out, loud enough to wake up a nearby Gourgeist. The ghostly, pumpkin-like pokemon uses her vines to rub at her eyes before floating through the mansion's wall.

I thought she was just a plant before she started moving.

After a while, the intercom, which is mounted over the doorbell, piped up. "Hello?"

"Hello, I'm Swole. I'm here for the quest."

"... Quest?"

"Uhm, the job. Feed your pokemon."

"Ah! Why didn't you say so in the first place?" He grumbles something. "Lurantis, can you go and open the door for me?"

Another couple of moments pass in silence before the door opens. An ancient pokemon struggles to interact with the doorknob with her massive claws. The praying mantis-like pokemon then bows before us, making way for us to enter.

I take off my shoes at the entrance and follow the pokemon deeper inside. This man, Mr Gump, I believe, has his own shrine for his gym badges in the entryway, just like dad. Except his badges are only from the platinum league. Only a single year has all eight badges. It was seemingly the final year that he tried to become the champion.

Lurantis leads me past a few rooms, all of them with open doors and various knick-knacks inside. And then she heads into what looks like it used to be an actual ballroom. Chandelier, expensive-looking tapestry, and all that. Now, it contains a bed and a home cinema system. Mr Gump, my employer, sits in a wheelchair and watches the news on the gigantic TV screen. Gourgeist rests on his lap.

"That's the evening news." He points out in a slow and unsteady voice. "Nurse Joy told me you'd be here 2 hours earlier."

"I'm sorry, sir. I lost track of time while training."

This marks the first time he glances away from the screen and looks in my direction instead. His face is as wrinkly as it can be and he wears a large, thick pair of glasses.

He eyes my pokemon up and down. Carefully judging them. "I see." And then his eyes switch to me. "I know a great guy in the city to get your outfit cleaned."

My dress shirt has pit stains, and my nice pants are dirty from a bunch of faceplants I made during Buneary's Low Sweep training.

"I would appreciate it a lot. I don't know what came over me when I decided to train in my good outfit."

"Here." He has a business card ready in his wallet. "You're here to get the gym badge, aren't you?" He nods sagely, as if it was difficult to guess. "I still remember being excited for my battles. Your first try?"

I nod. I assume he means my first year, trying to become champion.

"Let me tell you something: These memories you're making now... They are going to stay for the rest of your life."

I'm afraid of that.

"You shouldn't be wasting your time doing odd jobs for an old-timer like me. You should be out there fighting and having fun."

Fun costs money. "I'm having plenty of fun. Don't worry about it, sir."

"Money problems, eh?"

"H-how did you know?" Did I actually mutter? Or did he read my mind!?

"Why doesn't your father pitch in?"

"My father?"

"Ben Solo. I figured it from your application. Ain't a lot of Solos running around, eh?"

"You knew him?"

"Aye. Quit a year after he started. No causation, mind you. Your father was a great guy. Good bloke." Must have been a different Ben Swole. "Drank me under the table a few times! Hahaha!"

His laughter turns into a coughing fit.

"Ahem. It was actually Rowan who pulled the blindfold off my face. There was going to be no way I'd defeat him. Eh, push me into the kitchen, will ya? That way we can talk while you cook. Don't want to waste too much of yer time, lad."

"Sure." It's what I expected from the job description. Cooking and listening to a fossil. "What pokemon will I be cooking for?"

"Just Lurantis and Gourgeist... Nobody else is left."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't be, lad." He says but I can hear that fresh tears clog up his nose and affect his speech. "They had a lovely life. Just a shame we can't battle anymore, eh, Lurantis?"

"... Lura..."

The old pokemon might die from exhaustion alone, but from her expression, I can tell she misses it.

I push the wheelchair to the table and then look through the pantry for stuff to cook with. It's fully stocked with everything I could want.

"Any preferences?"

"Lurantis likes it spicy and meaty, and Gourgeist will take anything you cook." The pokemon lets out a laugh before continuing to pretend to sleep.

"Hmm. Buneary here has the same preferences. Steak and eggs with Tamato Berry sauce and a large serving of assorted salad with nuts and honey dressing. Does that sound agreeable?"

"I'll just take half a portion. Can't eat that much anymore. What about you, girls? Sounds good?"

"Lura!" - "Gourgeist."

"Feel free to use my kitchen to feed your pokemon as well. Ya'll look like yer starving."

Dawn didn't deliver food today. So we had hunger for dinner.

"Thank you."

My hands move with well-practiced ease for the recipe I have done to death already. A week in a row for Buneary's gym reward. Just need to remember to double up the salad portions for his grass pokemon.

"Say, lad, how's the adventure going? I heard some of the news..."

"Overall, it's still pretty nice. Most of the time, I'm having fun with my pokemon." - "Hmm." - "But the whole end of the world thing kinda su-- It's not nice."

"Hmm... You shouldn't worry about it. Let the old folks figure it out. Well, not old like me. I'm ancient. But like your father. I would help if I could, but I can't... And you shouldn't need to. You just have fun, alright?"

"I would, if I could," He chuckles. "But the trouble keeps coming for me."

"Ha, ain't that the truth? I heard about it in the news. Trouble always finds you on your adventures... Can't say I had any troubles quite like that back in my days, but as long as you keep on going, things will work out alright."

He somehow manages to catch my attention and peers deep into my eyes after I turn to look at him. "One day you will look back on this time. Old and wrinkly, like me. And you will only remember how you and your pokemon succeeded despite all opposition."

I doubt it. The things that happened will haunt me forever. "You regret nothing? Nothing at all?"

"My only regret was giving up too early." He says, while petting Gourgeist. "I thought for sure I ran ahead as far as I could... But why did I care so much about where I ended up? The journey is important, not the goal itself."

"I guess..." Not really. I will be the champion. It's all that truly matters in the end.

"No guessin' about it. I'm right, and you know it."

I can't help but chuckle. His grin looks ridiculous, with his face covered in wrinkles.

"Why don't you tell me a little about your adventure, eh? Steak's gonna take a while to simmer anyway."

And so I do.

---

Somehow, I ended up learning all about Mr Gump's first year as a pokemon trainer. I talked about my adventure, but somehow he turned it around and I ended up listening more than speaking.

We didn't even talk for a long time, just until we finished eating before he practically kicked me out, saying I shouldn't waste my time with an old man and do stuff with my friends instead.

Yet, despite the short time, I can recite it all by memory now. His starter pokemon - Bellsprout. The number of badges he got on his first try - three, which was more than enough to break even and start building up his business. The routes he took, the terrible weather on certain days...

Anyway, I've been standing in front of Dawn's room like a creep for long enough. The weird noises coming from inside are weird - duh. Some kind of constant splashing? And exhausted breathing? Is she doing alright?

~"You sshould check on her. Sshe might need help." Salandit kindly suggests before I give the door a knock, twisting the knob, opening the door; Dawn forgot to lock her door.

Salandit is correct. After all, if Dawn needs help, I should be helping her, so I didn't wait for a response before I enter.

"S-Swole?"

"Dawn? Are you sick? You're lying in bed already. You seem to have a fever, your face is so red." I move closer to her bed. She's sweating underneath the heavy blanket. "Do you need help?"

"Help?-- No! Ah, I mean, I'm fiiine, really!" She tries to wave me away, sees her sweaty hand, and quickly pulls it back under the blanket.

She's so quirky sometimes.

"In that case, let me just give you a goodnight kiss before I head off again." Her fever grows hotter and her face takes on a more intense hue. Her lips feel like they are burning up. "Are you sure you don't have a fever? You're burning up, Dawn."

I place the back of my hand against her forehead. "Hiiep! Nonono, I'm fine. Now leave!"

Her pokemon are all inside their pokeballs.

"If you're sure that you're fine..." My hand lingers until she nods. I give her another kiss before turning to leave.

"Thank Arceus, he is so oblivious..." I can hear her thoughts with aura. Even without that power, her sigh of relief is unmistakable.

It's obvious what she has been doing.

"Have fun, Miss Shlicky." The door shuts. I wait for a few moments until I can hear her scream into her pillow in embarrassed frustration.

~"Good job!" Salandit praises me.

~"Well done." Riolu follows up. Salandit is clearly a negative influence on all of us.

"Let's check on Zoey next."

Her door is directly opposite to Dawn's. This time, I don't even knock. The first thing I see inside the room is Zoey quickly hiding something on her lap with a pillow.

"Heyyy, watcha' doing?" She asks suspiciously. What was she doing, sitting at the edge of her bed like that? I know women have special toys for the kind of activity she could have been doing right now.

I want to rip away her pillow and catch her in the act as well.

"Just saying goodnight..." Slowly, I sneak up. Her gaze drifts to my eyes, losing herself. Becoming distracted. "... To my beautiful girlfriend."

She leans back slightly, almost afraid, but my other hand prevents her from escaping. I hold her shoulders, pull her closer and place a gentle kiss on her lips. With the other hand, I sneakily remove the pillow and see--

"... Cool prosthetic..." That's what the girls were doing the whole day? Getting a prosthetic for Zoey's stump? "Sorry for prying. I thought you were masturbating."

The face that looked like someone kicked a puppy changed and grew a slight smile. "And that would have been better?"

"Much better."

"Hah!" She boxes my shoulder, but the shake causes her prosthetic to falls off. "Darn."

"I got it."

"I can still move on mah own, ya know?"

"And I would have done it either way."

It's a simple, wooden fake arm. No joints or technology. Just an dummy.

"Let me help you put it on, alright?"

Her hesitation speaks volumes.

"Sigh. Alright."

She holds out her stump for me. A layer of tight fabric binds it. The prosthetic's opening snugly fits over it. Its shape is an identical copy of her other arm, just mirrored. The skin color is slightly off. However, it's only noticeable where her biological parts transition to the painted wood.

"The doc said I can't have a proper, mechanical arm just yet. The bone is cut off too cleanly. He wants to wait and see how it grows before adding the interfaces for my muscles."

"You're planning to get a mechanical arm? That's pretty cool, actually. A cyborg girlfriend."

Her face takes on a strained smile, but it falls apart as quickly as she put it on.

"Who are ya kidding? I'm a one-armed freak." Slowly, tears collect in her eyes. "A cripple! Hideous! A loser who everyone needs to do everything for! *Oh Zoey, don't worry about the price; I can buy it for you*! And yer not much better!"

Tears stream down her face. She stabs her prosthetic against my chest as I sit down beside her and hold her close.

"Stop! Helping! Me!" She accentuates each word with another stab before breaking into sobs.

But I don't listen. Mom said to never listen to a woman's advice on how to treat her.

I do the opposite and hold her tighter. And after it began to wobble and threaten to fall off, I kept her prosthetic in place.

She stopped stabbing but continues sobbing. Her tears flow freely. I rubbed her shoulder and thigh.

I don't know what to say. My mind is blank.

"We crips stick together." Nooo! That's still a terrible thing to say!

At least her tears stopped.

"Please don't be too angry. It slipped out. I didn't want to say that!"

"But it looks cool on you!" She holds up my hand and shakes it in front of my face to prove a point. "I'm a girl. It doesn't work like that for us... Our purpose is to exist and be pretty. It's all we *need* to do, but I can't even do that anymore! I'm a cripple and my tits are small!"

"But I still love your tits."

She hits me again. A smile grows despite it. "Yer supposed to say, 'but I still love you'!" - "That too." - "*That toooo*." - "Heh."

I give her another kiss. This one was aimed at her cheek. "Stop worrying. Your missing arm doesn't make you any less of a person. And I really don't mind giving you a hand, you know? And you were flat when I fell in love with you. Nothing changed for me."

Her mouth slowly opened in shock and disbelief over the course of my little speech. Each statement shocked her a little more than the last.

I use the opportunity to attack her mouth with a kiss. My tongue immediately finds it's way inside and she struggles against me.

"Mhm-op-- You ass--mhm-- I'm serious!"

I pull her along with me and lay down on the bed. She's once again placed on my stomach, just like when she came back to life in the towers. I end the kiss.

"Hi, Serious. I'm Swole."

Her wet face, stained with tears and dirtied by ruined makeup, can't help but smile brightly as she suppresses her laughter.

"You know," I start whispering. "50 years from now, when we're all living happily as a huge, massive family, you won't remember any of the terrible stuff that happened. All that will remain are moments like this." I place another gentle kiss on her lips.

"No way."

I don't believe it either. But it's a sweet little lie to fall asleep with.

"Yes way. The older people, like my dad, Cyrus, Cynthia, Rowan and Mars; They will figure out how to save the world. And then we'll all grow old together. You'll get a nice new arm. One that will be even better than a biological one. It could even vibrate, if you want that."

"Hahaha!" I love seeing that bright smile on her face. "Why did'cha even think I was jilling when ya came in? Didn't ya see my pokemon out?"

The pokemon in question pile on the bed at the foot end. Except for Misdreavus who has been in Zoey's shadow the entire time.

"I caught Dawn doing it just before. My mind was on a set track."

"Ha! Really? That's hilarious!"

Her eyes sparkle with mirth. The corners of her lips rise up, and the tiniest wrinkles form on her face. Close up, I can see it all. It looks so pretty on her. It's a significant improvement over her usual makeup. It's far superior to the ruined mess she's currently wearing. I wipe some of it together with her drying tears using my fingers. In the process, she becomes a little bit prettier.

"Want to go to sleep like this?" I ask. She doesn't have a real choice, though. I'm stronger. And my pokemon took it as a sign to start cuddling up with us.

"I need to wipe off my makeup. Or else I get pimples."

"Just do it tomorrow."

"I can't just keep the makeup on all night."

"As opposed to all day?"

"What if I stain your shirt?"

"It's already dirty. I'm taking it to a cleaner tomorrow."

"I didn't want to say anything, but you kinda smell."

"Is that a complaint or a statement?"

She sniffs my neck a few times. "It smells... pleasant. Definitely a weird choice for a cologne." She sniffs again. "It's the same one you used while traveling... What is it called?"

"Sweat."

"..."

"It's good to know my girlfriend likes my smell."

"Iew!" She struggles to get up, but I keep holding her down. "Take a shower! That's so gross!"

"Nope. We're sleeping like this."

"... The light is still on--" Misdreavus shuts off the light, and her mischievous giggle fills the darkness.

"You were saying?"

"Darn it... I will just sneak out once you fall asleep."

"No, you won't." Despite her complaints, she barely tried to get away. And all that her slight resistance managed to do was make me pull her even closer.

"We'll see." She gives me a kiss. "Good night."

"Good night, love you."

"I love you too." She nestles her head against my chest and I close my eyes.