Ch 02

Even though Martin had held Sally's hand while he lead her away to find the people he needed to see in order to make his ownership of her official he decided to let her hand go as they walked a little from where he had found her. He found he enjoyed walking while she was beside him without feeling like he was dragging her along. This might have been a bit irrational of him because Sally didn't seem to have any reservations about following him where ever he might go, but Martin couldn't help but feel a bit improper about making contact with her while she wasn't technically his. As they walked along he noticed the announcer off to the side of the large tent, chatting with a nursejoy that he didn't recognize.

"Hello, sir? I've already picked out my pokegirl and I wanted to go about the business of making her mine." Martin said, feeling a bit awkward about interrupting the man's conversation but wanting to get his business done as quickly as possible."

"Oh? You chose pretty fast, the others haven't come back yet." The announcer’s voice didn't have any hint of either approval for being decisive or disapproval for being reckless for his quick choice in his voice, so Martin felt safe believing that the mention of his quickness in choosing his pokegirl was not a judgment on him, but rather just an observation of fact. His voice did show some surprise, along with his face, when he noticed the pokegirl he had ended up choosing. "Sally? This is a bit of a surprise."

Sally didn't respond to that statement at first, but when Martin gave her an inquiring glance she provided an answer to the unvoiced request for information. "This man is under the mistaken impression that I hide myself from prospective buyers. In truth I am simply a quiet individual, and I am often overlooked. Regardless, those that do notice me don't choose to purchase me, for reasons that the nursejoy will explain."

"The "nursejoy" is named Daphne, for the record." Said, ahem, Daphne, rather pointedly. "Yes, Sally has suffered a rather unfortunate fate. An explanation of this fate fits into a warning that we must give you so you might fully understand the deal you are making here. Sally has a medical condition that hampers her endurance. Now, she should be able to live a just as long a life as she would have if she was born without her condition, but she will never be as high quality a battler as she could have been."

Martin had been worried where Daphne had been going with her description of Sally, but in the end it didn't seem so horrible. In fact it didn't really do much to explain why such a treasure was not picked up by someone else long before now. "I don't understand, she's a domestic pokegirl so surely she must have picked up plenty of useful skills. Why hasn't she been picked up as a pet by now? Even if she's not an effective dedicated battler her fighting skills would at least make her a decent security system."

Daphne shrugged. "It is a bit of bad luck that nobody picked her up, but it's not so very odd. Despite her stunted battle ability her price is still a bit higher then what some would want to pay, so pet owners probably see it as more economically feasible to purchase cheaper pokegirls."

"Hmm, while it's their loss, I suppose. And more importantly it's my gain." Martin said with a smirk.

The announcer smoothly slipped his way back into the conversation. "So, Mr. Blue, you are still interested in the ninjanezumi Sally, despite her flaws?" Daphne gave Mr. Announcer a covert dirty look at that description, but didn't vocalize her disapproval of his terminology.

Martin waved his hands dismissively at Mr. Announcer. "Of course I still want her. I don't require her for battle so her inability to fight for long stretches at a time is of no concern to me, and the fact that she can fight at all merely adds to her value."

Mr. Announcer gave Martin a particularly smarmy grin and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Excellent, most excellent. Just give your license to Daphne here and she'll take Sally off to get an ident-chip. Part of your prize was having your pokegirl fitted with the latest in anti-capture technology. Sally will be yours for life, so never fear."

Martin tried to hide a grimace at Mr. Announcer's unexpected touching of his person. "Um, that's good to know. I'll see you when you get back, Sally." Martin said as Sally was lead away.

Mr. Announcer quickly cleared his through at that use of Sally's name. "Sir, just a reminder, but you should feel free to name your pokegirl whatever you please."

Martin motioned for Sally to continue going as she paused to hear his response to this statement by Mr. Announcer. "No, I think Sally will serve her just fine. I like the name." Daphne grinned at that and made a note of it for when she entered Sally and Martin's information into the league records. Sally seemed relived.

As Daphne and Sally were gone to do the procedure necessary to insert the ident-chip into her and file the last bit of information about her that needed to be filed Martin was left alone with Mr. Announcer. Luckily it was at that time that the other two champions came back. The out of towner, who looked like a kind if not particularly bright young man, was carting a literally bouncing bunnygirl with him. To Martin's surprised pleasure it was the same cheeky bunnygirl who had waved at him. He'd liked the way she'd stood out and hoped that the man she was with would treat her well. The other man, who was from Horse Rear and whose identity Martin wasn't entirely certain of, was accompanied by a nude, blond haired woman whose incredible hair had to mark her as a Godiva. Martin figured she'd fit in well in a town filled with ponytaur pokegirls. The two other champions served as a nice distraction that allowed Martin to not have to talk to Mr. Announcer while he waited for his Sally to return.


Sally returned soon enough, and Daphne prepared to take the other champions to have their pokegirls chipped; only pausing to speak with Martin. "Martin, everything is set up all nice and proper. Sally is yours. If you want to check or alter the league records concerning you and Sally just use the terminal in the local pokecenter. She will not require taming for around a week, but it would be a good idea to take care of that soon. Here is your pokeball for Sally. Good luck, she's a bit difficult at times but she's a good girl."

Martin gave Daphne a genuine grin. "Thank you, really. I hope we're a good fit." Martin then turned to tell Sally it was time to leave, only to find the Ninjanezumi staring at him with an extraordinarily serious expression. "What is it, Sally?"

"This is an important moment, and I felt that as I come into your possession that a proper respect should be paid to both the moment, and to you." This seemed to be something she had planned, perhaps for when whoever finally became her owner appeared.

Martin briefly considered, and then gave a nod. "Proceed, Sally."

Sally knelt on the ground, one hand on her knee and the other one on her blade, with her head bowed to Martin. "I enter into the service of Lord Martin Blue." Her head shot up and her eyes locked onto Martin's. "I shall live and die by your command, my lord." There was no trace of irony in her statements, she said everything dead serious. She proceeded to gracefully stand straight, and it took a stunned Martin some time to realize her lack of action was due to her waiting for orders.

Martin felt the hint of a grin tugging at his mouth. He could certainly get used to being referred to as a lord, though he was sure that others would make fun of the self proclaimed title. 'Bah! Lords care not what others might think of their use of their titles' he thought, while he allowed himself to break out into a full grin.

"I commend your sense of duty, Sally, but I can assure you that there will be very little dying involved in your service to me. We will, however, have a lot of living to do. Come! Let's meet with my friends, I wish to introduce you to them."

---

Martin had pocketed his pokeball and was walking amongst the crowd with Sally. He had considered having her enter her pokeball to avoid having her have to walk around, but she had quickly assured him that such measures would not be necessary to insure her health. Martin was relieved by this, because he wanted to show her off to everyone. He received his wish when everyone had gathered around him to congratulate him on his acquisition and to get a look at her. Luckily just when that was getting to grow old the pokegirl auction had started, drawing everyone’s attention away from Martin and his pokegirl, allowing him to get some time to talk to his friends Tom and Bell.

"Ah, Martin, I see you have come to see the inherent superiority of mouse-types." Tom said as he appraised Sally. "What's the name of this lady, if I may ask?"

"Her name is Sally. Also, I wouldn't say I think mouse-types are inherently superior as pokegirls go, there was just something about this one that struck my fancy." Martin gestured to Tom as he introduced him to Sally. "Sally, this is Tom, my landlord and my oldest friend in this settlement. I live above his cafe. The lovely mousewife next to him is his pet, Bell. Whatever protections you have decided to extend to me please extend to them as well."

Sally nodded at this, but her acknowledgement of Martin's command was interrupted by a hug by an over excited Bell. "Oh, Martin don't be so serious. This adorable little girl shouldn't have to worry about such dangerous things." Bell released Sally and gave her a luminescent grin. "It's so good to see that Martin chose a mouse-type. I just know we'll be the best of friends. Just think of me as your big sis!"

Martin gave a short laugh at Bell's statements, and then felt the need to explain himself when she looked at him with a small frown on her face. "Sorry, Bell, but "adorable little girl"? "Big sis"? Now I'll grant you Sally is beautiful but I wouldn't call her a little girl, especially considering she's taller then you. For similar reasons don't you think the title of "older sis" might be more appropriate then "big sis"?"

Bell gave a wave of her hand as if to shoo away Martin's comments. "Oh, shush. Everyone knows the title of big sis isn't about actual size. She just needs to know that she can rely on me, as an experienced pokegirl who has lived with her owner for many years. Happy years. Right Tommy?"

Tom nodded in agreement with Bell. "Sally really couldn't have a better pokegirl to help her become acclimated to life as a pet. It'll be good for Bell, too. Pokegirls are naturally group oriented, and I think Bell has been missing having another pokegirl in her life. She wouldn't want to share me with another pet that I would own, of course, but you having a pet and living right by us take care of that." Tom put his hands together in appeal. "I know that you both might not particularly care for it, but please at least humor Bell. I'm sure it'll be beneficial to everyone."

Martin gave a small nod to Sally, an indication that she might deal with this situation as she saw fit. Sally seemed to comprehend his intent, and paused before giving her response to Bell. "...Big sis Bell. It would be my honor to receive whatever guidance you might deem me worthy of receiving on my path to becoming the best pet I can possibly be to my lord."

Sally had barely finished her sentence before being engulfed in another hug from Bell. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret this one bit, you'll see!" She calmed down a bit and released Sally, but she still had a lot of excitement in her voice as she continued. "We'll have so much fun; we can go shopping for new outfits for you. Well, um, we will when Martin gets a bit more financial stable, I guess. Oh! I know! Tomorrow I'll make you both pancakes. Martin, you can consider it a bonus for your help today, as well as a celebration for you and Sally starting your life together."

Martin thought this was a good note to leave on, so he softly took Sally's hand before making his goodbyes to Tom and Bell. "Sounds great, Bell, we'll pop over first thing tomorrow morning. If you both will excuse us, I wanted to take Sally home, to get to know her a bit better."

Tom waved them of with a grin. "You two kids have fun; we're going to have to stay here until pretty late. I'll see you tomorrow, then." Bell handed Martin a container filled with some of the food that had been served at the exposition that he had forgotten to sample, which he gladly took before he left.

Tom and Bell happily watched as Martin and Sally walked off. Bell then got a slightly confused look on her face as she turned to look at Tom. "...My lord?"

---

The path back home was deserted, most of the people who might be traveling it likely sticking to the party happening back at the exposition grounds until much later in the night then Martin had chosen to go home. It gave Martin further chance to walk with Sally in companionable silence. It was soothing.

Eventually he did choose to start a conversation with Sally, and the first topic he brought up was something he had been wondering about in the back of his mind since when he first saw it happen. "Sally, why did you let Bell hug you? Surely you could have avoided it."

"Hmm. Are you operating under the hypothesis that I do not normally welcome hugs? Perceptive of you. The answer to your question is while I am not a great fan of hugs I don't particularly dislike them, so operating under your orders to protect Tom and Bell as I would you I decided that allowing Bell to hug me and not damaging her feelings was the only course of action I could take. The alternative would be to escape her planned hug which would require my taking measures that Bell could only take as insulting. Myself being placed in a situation I found uncomfortable for a moment was preferable to damaging Bell and going against your orders." She glanced at Martin from the corner of her eyes. "Were my actions satisfactory? Please correct any of my actions that go against your wishes, so that I might better be able to serve you."

Martin considered her words. "Your actions were satisfactory. However, know that if you find something I ask you to do sufficiently unpleasant you should inform me about it. There is a chance I might still require you to do the task you find unpleasant anyways, but it would be useful for me to know what you dislike doing. On a related note, inform me about the problem you have with battling. It is unlikely you will ever need to battle during your service to me, but I feel I should know your capabilities and limitations."

Sally frowned slightly. "When I operate under what people would consider baseline human athletic performance I'm fine and can go as long as any human, but my enhanced speed and agility is highly limited in the time I can use them. I get... winded easily."

"Has this been a sore point for you?", Martin asked, noticing the frown lingering.

"Yes." No further information on that subject seemed to be forthcoming.

"But that just tells me of your weakness, what about your strengths?" Martin asked, changing the subject.

Sally lost her frown, and grew a bit livelier as she was offered a chance to speak of her strengths. "I am well versed in the arts of infiltration and espionage. Such services may seem unnecessary for a civilian, but I can use the same skills to make your life easier in many ways. Knowledge is power, after all."

"Indeed, it is." Martin was already formulating plans about using Sally as a scout for job hunting. That by itself would eliminate half of his daily life's annoyances. "Go on. We can consider this an informal brainstorming session for how you may best serve me."

Sally nodded and continued recitation of her pool of skills. "I am an expert in the use of knives, and other bladed weapons. Although my skills do focus on quick elimination of threats, through either lethal or debilitating means, leaving my skills in prolonged melee weakened."

Martin interjected again, to gain some information that he was interested in. "Interesting. Can I see your knife? I wanted to examine your weapon of choice."

"Of course." Sally swiftly unsheathed her knife, giving the blade an unnecessary twirl as she displayed it to Martin. Martin suspected she produced it in such a fancy way because she was showing off a bit. "It's an unimpressive weapon, but it's serviceable. Ninjanezumi feel most comfortable when they hold a weapon, so this blade was granted to me from military surplus. It holds a certain amount of sentimental value."

Martin inspected the knife, and gave a nod when he was done. He wasn't that knowledgeable about such things, he just wanted to see Sally's preferred weapon. "Looks well cared for. Continue from where you left off."

Sally sheathed her knife. "I am not specifically trained in keeping a household in shape, but I do know how to prepare some simple meals. Cleaning comes naturally to me, though you will need to instruct me on the particulars of how you like things set up at your home. I suspect Bell can aid me in furthering my skills in a domestic capacity."

Martin looked pleased at the cooking mention. "Simple meals are fine, I am a simple man. As for the cleaning, well, I don't have many possessions but I am pretty particular about what goes where. It's good of you to bring that up, because I will want to go over that with you."

Sally nodded at this, but paused. She seemed to be thinking about what else to tell her owner. Martin helped her out by asking a question. "What about your education? How far does it extend?"

"Basic literacy and financial math." Sally's response was quick, though there was a short pause before she continued, offering a bit of further information. "My parents were lenient when it came to letting me read for recreation, so I'm not just functionally literate."

"So you like to read? Hmm. Well, I'm sorry to say I don't own very many books. That might be something else I might consider purchasing more of, now that I'll be living with you. What genres interest you?"

Sally seemed a bit embarrassed at this question. "As a child I was interested in adventure stories, the kind that featured heroism and honor. I also enjoyed mystery novels. However, don't go to any trouble to buy books for my sake, my lord. I merely mentioned it to provide context for my self perception of having above average reading comprehension skills."

"Don't worry about it, Sally. As a kid I was a bit of a reader, too, and you mentioning it just made me realize that I've stopped the hobby and might want to pick it back up. I just thought that if I might buy some books I should see if I could buy some you might find interesting as well."

Sally accepted this explanation easily. "Very sensible of you. Don't feel constrained by what I enjoy reading when you make your reading choices though, my lord. Even if I'm not especially interested in something you have purchased it would still be something to pass the time when I'm not in service to you and you allow me time to do with as I please. Perhaps I might even find something interesting reading one of your books that I might not have chosen myself. Maybe even something I might look back on as my favorite book, in years to come."

"An interesting thought, Sally. Although a nice adventure novel sounds good, and a mystery sounds interesting." Martin gave a rock that was laying by the side of the road a kick, absent mindedly. "Not that wondering about luxuries like books will do us much good, considering..."

Sally tracked the trajectory of the rock that was kicked, watching it as it hit a tree. Martin guessed she was pretty good at multitasking, because he didn't get the feeling that she wasn't paying attention to him.

"Sally, I think I should be honest with you. I'm not in the most financially stable of situations. Hell, when I was first offered the chance to compete to get a pokegirl, after the excitement that I even had the opportunity to get one wore off at least; my first thought had been if it was a prudent choice to get one. I felt like the answer was "probably not" but I decided to go through with it anyways. You are much more useful then the kind of pokegirl I thought I might get, but it still might be resource scarce living with me for awhile yet. Just thought you should know."

Sally took this confession in stride. "I had been expecting to be, and on some occasions have been, living with a traveling tamer. You at least have a domicile and a source of income. With me at your command your fortunes can only improve. I expect no great difficulty so rest easy, my lord. Anyways, Bell alluded to your financial difficulties when I was introduced with her so it's not like it's a big surprise."

"Ah. I suppose she did." Martin saw his small apartment on top of Tom's Cafe a bit further ahead. "Well, we're home. We can continue when we get inside. Perhaps we'll stop to eat a bit."

---

Martin and Sally sat on the ground across from each other with a small table between them. They were in the living room of his apartment, the kitchen being a bit too small to eat in, and they were sitting on the ground because Martin didn't have that much furniture. There was a small couch, but that was it for things to sit on in the living room. Martin felt that they could have eaten on the couch, but he wanted to face Sally as they ate their meal together. Martin had helped himself to a nice thick stew that he assumed that Bell had prepared, while Sally ate a simple rice dish. The portions she had picked up had been noticeably smaller then Martin's own, and Martin worried a bit about that. She might just be full from a previous meal or she might not normally eat that much compared to a human, but Martin worried that she might have been eating less because she was worried about his financial status. He wondered how to formulate a question about it but Sally answered his question before he had a chance to ask it.

"I've always been a bit of a light eater. Don't let it concern you." Sally ate in a well mannered and graceful way, but she ate quickly as well. She seemed to be one of those individuals that didn't relish meals, but just saw them as times to fuel their bodies. This matched Martin's attitude, so it didn't seem meal times would be lengthy affairs for them.

"Ah, I spend a large amount of my time worrying about getting enough to eat. It's a hard habit to break." Martin explained.

Sally had finished her meal, as had Martin. She gestured to his bowl, and he indicated he was done with it. Sally began cleaning up the mess left after the meal. "I believe we may be like minded in our capacity for worry, my lord. My past comrades had made note of my preoccupation with the future." Sally said as she cleaned.

Martin was putting away the table, folding it and slipping it under the couch. "Well, I think that's a useful trait. If you think about the future you can plan for it." Further conversation was paused as Sally went into the kitchen to wash the dishes for tomorrow, while Martin relaxed in the living room on the couch after his hard days work. When Sally came back into the living room a few minutes later after the dishes were washed Martin got up from his relaxed laying down position and made room for her next to him. She sat close to him, with her arm touching his side. Her knees were arranged so they were pointing in his direction and her tail, while directed to the other side of Sally's body away from Martin, was looping back over Sally's lap and brushing against Martin's leg. From outside appearances Sally was sitting in a mostly relaxed upright position, but she was leaning very subtly on Martin's arm allowing him to feel the pleasing warmth of her body.

Martin had suspicions about Sally's motivations, but a pretty girl leaning on you was pretty much heaven in his eyes so he was having fun letting the situation continue. He spent a few minutes just enjoying the sensation of her closeness, before he decided to make some conversation. "Not that I'm complaining, but you seem awfully comfortable. I thought there might be a bit of awkwardness as a pokegirl and her new owner got settled with each other."

Sally tried for a polite, pleasant expressionlessness, but already Martin had an eye for seeing through her and seeing that she was a bit upset at his suspicions. "There have been times in the past when I was awkward at first with my owner, times when I was at ease, and times when my reactions to my owner were unimportant considering my owner had exactly what role I was to fill in mind so I had no chance to have personal feelings about the matter. My life is often a solitary one, so at the moment I was merely enjoying sitting with you. Are you displeased?"

Martin considered for a moment. "No, I'm pleased actually. I suppose I just wasn't expecting to feel as comfortable as I do so quickly. It's a pleasant surprise."

Sally nodded in understanding. "I see. Were you at all worried that I might have been attempting to manipulate you sexually, in an attempt to cultivate control in our developing relationship? If so I can assure you I am your servant in all things."

Martin shook his head at her suggestion of his worries. "No, that hadn't crossed my mind. I actually only thought you might have been using a bit of seduction in order to get yourself a taming."

Sally gave a small shrug of her shoulders, but there was a small smile on her face. She no longer seemed to be upset at his suspicions, understanding their nature. "Tamings are up to your judgment for when they should be dispensed. Though as your servant I should be honest with you in all things. It should be noted that I was deliberately keeping myself open to you as I made myself comfortable at your side. It was not my intention to force the issue, but I wanted it apparent that such expected things as my lord taming me would not be something with which I would be upset." As Sally was speaking she leaned more fully on Martin's body, turning herself so her chest was touching him directly. As she leaned her body her head was turned towards Martin, and she watched him and his reactions as she gazed up at him with a surprisingly plain expression.

Martin couldn't help but find her incredibly sexy. She might have meant to only let on that she was open to a taming, but he could see in her eyes that there definitely was desire there. However, there wasn't a need quite yet, so he thought to savor the anticipation a bit more before he tamed Sally. She shouldn't be uncomfortable yet. Still, her eyes that tried to be professional yet had hidden desire in them compelled him to lean over to give her a deep kiss, which she returned with quiet enthusiasm. "Hmm, let's wait a bit and get to know each other a little before we proceed with taming, ok?"

Sally seemed fine with that arrangement. Martin found it good to know that his pokegirl had passion and yet was not controlled by it. "It is as you wish, my lord." She continued to lean on Martin as they rested, but she was more companionable now rather then quietly displaying her sexual openness in order to assure her new owner that such things were fine with her.

---

In only a few short minutes Martin found his eyes growing heavy, and he decided it was time for bed. He got up and starting preparing for sleep, such activities being such a habit for him that he started without talking to Sally about what he was doing. Sally stood at attention, having gotten up after Martin had; waiting for instructions, and Martin had nearly left the living room before remembering that he had to arrange things with her too. "Oh, Sally. Come with me and wash up a bit before we go to bed."

Sally walked with him to the bathroom that was adjacent to his small room. "What are to be my sleeping arrangements, my lord?"

Martin had a quick response for that, he'd always had very specific arrangements in mind for when he finally got his own pokegirl. "You'll be sleeping with me, of course. The bed is small, but not too uncomfortable for two. You are to be my servant, but also my companion and it'll be comfortable to have someone to sleep next to."

Sally nodded, as she looked around the room and took notice of the small window that was the room’s only direct portal to the outside world. "So I shall provide warmth in the night and comfort to you as you sleep? A simple enough task, and pleasant as well. Such proximity will also be useful for protecting you."

Martin smiled at Sally's built in protectiveness, even though he doubted he'd need protection even in a semi wild settlement like Horse Rear. "I'll sleep well with you watching over me, Sally." Martin frowned as he tried to think of the logistics of fitting them both in the bathroom at the same time, and decided they'd have to take turns. "Sally, I need to brush my teeth and wash my face, I'm too tired for anything further, and so further cleaning will have to wait for tomorrow morning. Anyways, I'll have to go first then you can go after me to clean up yourself however much you feel you need to. I'll be in bed when you exit, and you can join me when you're done." Sally nodded to signal her understanding of these instructions as Martin entered the bathroom.

It didn't take him long to finish, and he was out and laying on his bed before long. Martin had put Sally's pokeball on one of his shelves, then he'd changed into pajama bottoms leaving his torso exposed because it was a bit warm and he had no means to cool his small apartment. Martin fiddled his toes a bit as he waited for Sally to finish up, but he didn't have to worry about growing impatient because Sally was very quick about cleaning herself up before going to bed. When she exited the bathroom she was carrying her tight, dull grey shirt and pants nicely folded up. She herself was completely naked and beautiful. She placed her outfit on one of Martin's depressingly empty shelving units, next to her pokeball in fact, and then did a graceful and slow twirl of her body displaying herself to her lord. Martin found his body responding to the display, but he firmly told himself that sleep was for now and other things could wait for later.

While putting her clothes away and displaying herself for her lord Sally had kept her eyes respectfully downcast, but as she turned to face Martin she again looked him in the face. "Shall we sleep?"

Martin smiled. "Yes, let's." He moved a bit aside as Sally lay beside him, then he gathered her up in his arms. "We have much to do tomorrow. Good night, Sally." He then closed his eyes and drifted off to sweet dreams.