05

Chapter 5

 

Echo stumbled a step as she finished materializing. She quickly looked around. The first thing she noticed was an older looking NurseJoy holding her pokeball, the next was that her tamer was nowhere in sight, not that she had expected him to be but still it would have been reassuring. She hadn’t exactly been a fan of the plan to send a girl to the Ruby league via transporter so they could set up the teleport beacons but had finally volunteered with some reluctance because as she was going to have to get transported someplace to evolve, she might as well kill two birds with one stone. She smiled as she looked down at her now empty hand and caught sight of the new silver lines on her skin that sort of resembled glittery metallic tattoos at least if you had tattooed them in a circuit pattern over every inch of bare skin she could see.  She traced one of the lines with her other hand. She smiled slightly, thankful that her skin didn’t really feel any different. She would have to look in a mirror at some point but first down to business. “Ah, can I have my ball back please?” She smiled as the Nursejoy handed her pokeball over. She really didn’t like someone other than her master touching it. It gave her the creeps. She pulled out her new cell phone, “I don’t suppose there is some place private I could make a call? I want to call my tamer and let him know I got here safely.” 

 

The NurseJoy smiled, “I’m sure he’ll be relieved to hear your voice, though I did notify the center that the transfer was complete, it’s just not the same. We aren’t very busy so you can use one of the spare taming rooms.”

 

Echo smiled as she followed the NurseJoy to one of the empty rooms, “Thanks.” As soon as the Nursejoy left she pulled three rune covered crystals out of her pocket. She quickly but carefully arranged the teleport beacons in a large triangle shape that took up most of the free floor space. “Unus, duo, tres tria.” She was relieved as the crystals lit up one after another just like Gabrielle had said they would. She flipped the magic cell phone open and frowned at the menu as a list pulled itself from the phone and hovered in her mind. “Oh, that’s going to be fun.” She grinned as she told the computer to dial Gabrielle’s number. “Hey, got the stones working.”

 

“So no problems?”

 

“Nah, going to have to get used to this whole computer interface ability but that’s half the fun.”

 

“Alright, be there soon.”

 

Echo flipped the phone closed as five tightly packed figures appeared inside the triangle.

 

Leo grinned as she stepped out of the triangle, “Hey we made it in one piece.”

 

Gabrielle huffed, “What you expected things to go badly with Rose and I working together? Honestly.”

 

William ignored the snipping as he gazed at Echo’s new silver lines and silver streaked hair. “You’re gorgeous.”

 

Echo smiled, “Thank you.”

 

Lily shook her head, “We should get registered and leave these two to see how far the lines go.”

 

Gabrielle snickered as she picked up her teleport beacons. “Sounds like a plan.”

 

~

 

Gabrielle sighed, she sometimes wished that foresight was on her list of magical abilities, sadly it wasn’t which was how she found herself at the end of their mandatory twenty four hours health lock in listening to a lecture about what she could or couldn’t do as a pet owner. It hadn’t occurred to her to check the age limit on tamers before teleporting here. If she had then she would have realized that she was too young to be a tamer in this gods forsaken land. She sighed, at least on the upside it meant that she was immune to being challenged. Downside was that she couldn’t wander around the wilderness and catch pokegirls.

 

Leo tried to keep a smirk off his face as the NurseJoy explained the conditions his sister had to live with as long as she was in the Ruby league. Personally he just wanted to get things over with, get the Bramage that would make the T2 printing machine they had acquired from Team Death a few years ago actually pay off. Sadly for it to work in any really profitable way they needed a way to have a great variety of different techs on hand, thus the Bramage. Which was why they were even bothering with this league. He turned and looked at Lily, “I’m going to get one of the girls to fly me up to the mountain and see if Sarah’s locator sticks she enchanted to find various types of pokegirls work as well as we hope. 

 

Lily nodded and whispered so as to not actually be overheard by the NurseJoy who was still busy lecturing Gabrielle on the dangers of being a tamer, “I’ll come with you, anything to get away from Miss grumpy pants.”

 

~

 

Mia was not having a good day, not only was Ember at home hurt possibly dieing but she was stuck walking back from her trading mission alone and more empty handed than she would have liked. The local Huns hadn’t had much to trade in the way of healing items, just a couple of potions. Still it had been better than nothing so she had traded the candy Sin made for the few healing supplies they would part with. She just hoped the potions helped enough so that she could get Ember to a healer before she died or lost her legs. She rubbed her hands as the bitter cold seeped in past her gloves and robbed her fingers of warmth. She would like nothing better than to leave this icy hellish part of the world but she wasn’t going to abandon her friends, nor could she figure out how to leave without crossing through human lands and thus becoming a slave. She pushed her bitterness away as she thought about the day two years ago when she had lost half her harem because they refused to stick around a mere pokegirl. It didn’t matter that she had taken care of them and cared for them for months, no the simple matter for the ones that left was that she was just like them now and not worth following any more.  They had ran off to get a real tamer, the only two that stayed were her Vesta and her Candy Catgirl. She looked around nervously as she made her way back to her home, it would have helped if she had changed into something powerful instead of something as weak as she was but at least it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Mia pulled herself back to attention as a feral furred girl of some type jumped out at her.

 

Leo was less than amused, the warmth charms barely did enough despite him being clothed in winter gear and clinging to Tiffany and Lily for warmth as they flew. He had almost given up on the damn locator sticks working when they suddenly twitched in his hand and pointed up. He had a brief second to blink before a bundled up pokegirl with a tail crashed into them. 

 

Tiffany managed to partially catch the girl and land on the snow drift. “You okay?”

 

Mia winced, “Not really. Watch out for the feral.”

 

Tiffany frowned as a feral cat type jumped down to land twenty feet away. She stepped in front of Jenny and the new girl, waving her hands at the mountain cat girl, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Shoo, go away. Get lost.”

 

Lily reached down and released Jenny, “Check her over please.”

 

Jenny raised her hands and let her healing magic flow into Mia helping with the girl’s wound from where the mountain cat had hit her earlier. 

 

Leo pulled his wand out and tossed a few stunners at the mountain cat girl. He frowned as his stunners bounced of it’s armored skin, “Yeah not helping.” He pulled Laura’s pokeball off his belt and released her. “Subdue the cat please.”

 

Laura shivered at the cold, she would just have to end things fast as she wasn’t exactly dressed for the cold. She leaped toward the cat girl.

 

Mia watched the new girl slip past the cat girl’s defenses and score a few hits before the cat girl collapsed.

 

Leo not one to pass up good fortune tossed a pokeball at the now unconscious cat girl. 

 

Laura picked up the ball after it stopped twitching, “That was way too easy, she must have been pretty desperate for food to attack, ah what’s your name?”

 

“I’m Mia,” She glanced at Jenny’s pink hair. She had been considering lying and saying she didn’t need any help but two potions weren’t really enough to fix Ember’s broken legs and a NurseJoy could. Not to mention with how well they took out the mountain cat that if they decided to be mean there was nothing she could do about it. “If you aren’t too busy, I’ve got a friend with broken legs. Can you help?” 

 

Jenny nodded, “Of course we can.” She blinked then looked over at Lily, “Ah, right?”

 

Lily chuckled, “Yeah, let’s get going.”

 

Mia gulped, she hoped she wasn’t making a large mistake, “I’ll show you.”

 

~

 

Sin was busy baking in her small oven when Mia shouted from outside, “I’ve got help, let me in.” She looked over at where Ember was laying by the fire place. The naked fire mouse girl was sweating and slightly feverish, not to mention unconscious. They had had to move her to the sand near the fireplace yesterday when the pain had gotten so bad she lost control of her fire and almost set the bed on fire. As it was they had had to throw out two blankets that were charred beyond use.  She summoned her gumball gun then went over to the steel door and opened it. “She’s worse Mia.”

 

Mia nodded before stepping through the door then out of the way so her guests could get in.

 

Leo eyed the narrow crack in the rock warily, he could understand how people wouldn’t spot the entrance, hell he would have missed it unless he had happened to look just right. He and his girl’s were happy to get out of the wind and cold and into a toasty room.

 

Lily smiled as she slipped through the gap more easily than her large older brother. She looked around the small cave that had been converted into a home. There was a sink, a small oven as well as a table and some mismatched chairs. She figured there were some other rooms further into the cave as well but they were curtained off by a blanket. 

 

Jenny looked at the cat girl with the gumball gun before raising her hands while giggling, “I surrender, I don’t suppose I can look at your friend?”

 

Sin nodded and dismissed the gun, after all it wasn’t like it would be much help.

 

Leo smiled as he looked around, “Nice place you have here.”

 

Mia sighed, “It’s the best we could do. I know it’s not much.”

 

Lily smiled as she looked around, “It’s nice, don’t let him bother you.”

 

Mia glanced toward Ember, “Is she going to be alright?”

 

Tiffany smiled, “Of course she is, Jenny will fix her right up.”

 

Sin nodded absently, “So I suppose you are feral hunting?”

 

Leo nodded, “Yeah, we were looking for a Brintini that might want to evolve into a Bramage. Weren’t having much luck with it so far.”

 

Mia’s tail twitched, “Ah well what did you need a Bramage for?”

 

He smiled, “We need someone to help start a business, not to mention eventual plans for producing a better quality of pokegirl. I don’t suppose you know any Brintini that might be willing to evolve and have a nice job with decent pay?”

 

Mia blinked, ‘Money? You would pay?”

 

He nodded, “Hey you do the job you should see some reward out of it.”

 

Sin chuckled, “It would be odd to see you without a tail again. So do you have a job for a Candy cat? I make really good candy.”

 

Lily looked the girl over, she was a fairly good looking girl probably a couple of years older than she was, mostly human with cute green cat ears and a purple tail that liked to swish around. “I don’t suppose you have a sample of your cooking to taste test?”

 

Sin smiled brightly as she conjured the girl a fresh brownie, “Of course.”

 

Lily smiled as she munched on the brownie. “Okay she has my vote, I‘d take her.”

 

Leo chuckled, “Why didn’t I think of that.”

 

Mia chuckled lightly, “What about Ember?”

 

“Well if she wants to come with, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

 

Mia could hardly believe she was considering it but the feral attacks had gotten worse lately and with the winter approaching it was just going to get worse fending off the curious or dangerous ferals in the area. She was surprised they had done as well as they had the last two years but she wasn’t sure how much longer her group could survive. She knew that Sin and Ember would follow her lead but she wasn’t sure if she could ask them to stick out here the rest of their lives. It wasn’t really much of a life. Not to mention that Sin had dreams of being a professional cook, something which would never happen hidden away in a cave. “If you’re serious about the job and Ember’s alright with it… Can we take our stuff?”

 

Leo nodded, “I don’t see why not, though the stove and tables might be a bit hard to carry away.”

 

“Nah, I think I’ll leave them just incase some one else wants them. I have a few friends that could use the place.”

 

Jenny finished healing Ember, “Would have been easier if she had a pokeball to stick her in.”

 

Mia nodded, “If I hadn’t lost it in the attack where she broke her legs I would have. But it fell off the edge and I wasn’t going to risk climbing down to get it, not while she was hurt at least. So about that taming?”

 

Sin grinned as she bounced over to Lily, “Can I have her?”

 

Jenny nodded, “Sure, just play nice with her.”

 

Lily chuckled as she was pulled into one of the bedrooms. 

 

Leo chuckled, “She always that…?”

 

“Sugar high? Yeah she’s a Candy Cat. They pretty much run on sugar. So how do you want to do it?”

 

Leo chuckled, “Well how about a bed?”

 

Mia chuckled, “Just be gentle, please.”

 

Tiffany smiled, “You’re in good hands.”

 

Laura snickered as Leo was lead away, “Really good hands.”

 

Tiffany chuckled, she was just happy that the girls seemed nice and were willing to fight for what they believed in. “I think they’ll work.”

 

Jenny smiled, “We should be quiet so we can hear the fun.”

 

Laura chuckled, “You’re horrible.”

 

“What can I say, NurseJoy’s are all just kinky sex fiends, we just hide it better than you.”

 

“Oh please.”

 

~

 

Helen sat staring at the dark purple stone in front of her. She could just barely make out it’s flickering blue aura in dim light of the room. She had spent the day pouring over research data on the differences between her current form and the Mooncalf form. As far as she was concerned the upsides outweighed the downsides besides she was getting more than a little tired of the almost constant effort required to keep her breasts from swelling up like over inflated water balloons. Gabrielle had placed the stone there and left it up to her, knowing that the choice couldn’t be rushed. Helen sighed as she took off her everstone bracelet and reached out to grab the moonstone.

 

Gabrielle wasn’t all that happy being stuck in the pokecenter, she would have much rather been running around catching ferals or even better fighting demons but no she was sitting in the center helping Abby finish finding decent tamers to send all of the salvaged girls to. Honestly if she had had a smidgen less morals she would have just taken the highest offer and called it good. But she couldn’t do that, mostly because Abby would glare at her, which is why even after nearly twelve hours straight of looking through electronic paper work hell she was still reading through the last of the tamer bio pages and public records before confirming the trades.  “You know I’ll be happy when we finish.”

 

Helen peeked into the room with Gabrielle. “How’s it going?”

 

Gabrielle smiled up at her Mooncalf, the changes really were slight. Mostly they involved her breast size being slightly smaller which as far as Gabrielle was concerned was fine. “Almost done, I figure after this I’ll check to see how Morrigan is doing learning the sword attacks the bug girl has.”

 

Abby scrunched up her face, “I’m just hoping I don’t have to work with her.”

 

“Depending on how well Leo does with his mission you aren’t going to have to.”

 

Abby grinned, “I’m getting a case of the giggles just thinking about all of the techs we could learn from her. Just think of the power, or just the fun things. I’d love to be able to learn the Bug girl’s teleport trick with her weapons.”

 

Helen chuckled, “Would be something wouldn’t it. Think you can go check on her for me? Make sure the creepy bug girl isn‘t plotting anything horrible.”

 

Abby blinked but nodded and rushed out. “Will do.”

 

Gabrielle chuckled, Abby despite being seventeen still acted like a happy go lucky kid a lot of the time. “So what didn’t you want Abby to hear?”

 

She grinned, “Nothing, I was just hoping we could sneak in some one on one sex now that I have a new form to test out. I want to test out some rumors I’ve heard about psychic types.”

 

Gabrielle chuckled, “Well let’s see, give me a minute to finish these.” She quickly checked the highest bids on the girl’s list and upon finding that the tamer wasn’t too horrible confirmed the pick and closed her dex out. “Lead the way.”

 

Helen smiled before pulling Gabrielle into bed with her.