10

It was 2:34 AM by the time Vikram was awakened his growling stomach. Moonlight provided the only illumination to the room as he fumbled for the pokedex at his bedside, staring at the green numbers glaring back at him with a sense of mixed surprise and annoyance. It was the middle of the night, and he hadn't even eaten!

 

Sliding off of the bed, he slipped out into the hallway, wiping the sleep from his eyes as he sauntered over to a vending machine near the end of the hall and grabbed a pair of mediocre sandwiches and a large cup of black coffee. He sat down in the small lounge to eat and to think. As much as I hate mornings, I might as well make use of this opportunity. I could probably get some early morning training in before we set out.

 

Finishing off his coffee, the caffeine helping to wash the sleep from his system, he trekked down the hall. Thankfully, he passed no one else but the Joy on duty along the way, who greeted him with an embarrassed wave, and slipped back into his room without incident. Taking a quick shower, hoping that the warm water would relieve some of his stress, Vikram was just drying out his hair when he noticed that he wasn't alone in the darkness of the room.

 

Lynn lay sprawled out on the bed, still snoozing, her body backlit by the soft moonlight. Somehow, he hadn't noticed her when he had gotten up – although with the huge beds pokecenters typically provided (easily enough to hold 4-5 people comfortably), there was certainly plenty of space for two people to sleep and not bump into each other.

 

He smiled wistfully. Lynn's been working so hard lately...she's got a long way to go, but she's come a long way since we set out. He sat down on the bed, and ran a hand through Lynn's hair, smiling. “That's my girl.” He said softly.

 

I should go get some exercise. Vikram sat up, picked up Lynn's ball, and paused, before setting it down on the desk, unwilling to disturb her sleep. Instead, he wrote down a quick note, before picking out a fresh set of clothes and packing up his dirty ones. He would go run Zhao and Sayla through a healing cycle, and then catch what little training time he could before the dawn. Lynn could get some rest.

 

As the door to the room closed, Lynn, not quite as asleep as Vikram had thought, opened her eyes and looked towards the door, a complicated expression on her face. Quietly, she mouthed the words which Vikram had spoken to her, her face quietly burning.

 

My girl. Lynn thought to herself. She blushed and smiled, snuggling on the blankets. He called me 'my girl'! A small giggle ran through her, a remnant of more innocent days, of more innocent dreams. Even though Lynn was sure that Vikram did not mean it in the way Lynn wished, right now, she didn't care.

 

 

 

 

Lynn looked at the letter, and sat down. A few tears ran down her cheek as she hung her head in her hands.

 

No. I do care. I care too much.

 

 

 

* * *

 

In the blank emptiness of her pokeball, Sayla mulled. She hated pokeballs. Not because they were uncomfortable, but because they were so goddamn boring. She could feel nothing, hear nothing, see nothing, indeed, had no sense that she even lived other than the fact that she could still think. She had a rough sense of time passing, but when every second was like every other, it was easy to lose track.

 

Though there was perhaps a benefit to the boredom, Sayla thought wryly. As long as long as she was in her ball, the geas was inactive and thus she could, blissfully, rest without it's maddening mental pressure.

 

Although this time, Sayla was not much in the mood for resting. Too much was suddenly happening around her. A failed attempt at freedom, evolution into a body she still had much to get used to, and finding a master, possibly a worthy one, that actually was interested in freeing her from the geas!

 

She would have worn a grin a mile wide on her face if she could.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden transition from darkness to reality as she was released from the pokeball. A quick glance at the area around her showed that she was outside the city, in a small clearing obviously worn from many battles. The half moon overhead, and the lights of the city in the distance provided the only illumination, although to the Dark Lady's eyes it seemed nearly as bright as day. Nighttime?

 

Both Vikram and the tan-skinned girl from before stood in front of her. “Good evening, Master Vikram.” Sayla, still in her smaller form, bowed to her new master politely. In the back of her mind, she noted the Boobisaur's absence curiously.

 

Vikram nodded, but didn't return the greeting. “We're setting out traveling again today, so before that, we're all going to get some early training in. Zhao is going to be doing a light workout, while we work on your attacks and get used to your new form.”

 

“Gotcha.” Sayla reached back, mentally, to the little trigger in her mind that controlled her size, and flipped it, her form growing, reverting to her more shapely and alluring adult form, her clothes shifting along the process.

 

“First off, you're a spellcaster, and were one before the evolution even started, so give me an overview of what spells you know, to the best of your ability.” Vikram pulled out his 'dex and a notebook and sat down to take notes.

 

Sayla nodded. “Let's see...flame strike, thunder axe, a spell for repair work -”

 

“Repair work?”

 

“Well, I can't go around all the time with my clothes ripped and torn like this.” Sayla replied, before turning to Vikram with a smile. “Unless you're the type that likes his girls that way?” She posed sultrily in front of him.

 

“Don't bother.” Vikram chuckled. “You're not going to be seducing me into a taming so easily.”

 

“Oooh, drat.” Sayla snapped her fingers. ”I guess it'll wait till later to find out, then.” She winked and Vikram blushed, but his expression remained blank. “Anyway, yeah. I can repair and mend small things and clothing. Not really any good with electronics, although as you know -” She tapped her collar again and gave a knowing grin, “I'm good at breaking them.”

 

The two went on for a few minutes, as Sayla gave Vikram notes on all of the abilities she could recall.

 

“Hmmm,” Vikram thought aloud when the information was done. “You definitely seem to have a close-combat bent. Strange, but I think we can work with that. You're tough enough for it, much more so now than before, although you will have to learn ranged combat tactics to avoid close-combat against actual fighting-types whenever possible. You are still weak against their energies. Anything special from T2s?” Sayla shook her head. “Alright, then.”

 

“This may be a silly question, but can you read?” Sayla blinked at the unexpected question. “I...uh...a little.”

 

An eyebrow was raised. “'A little'? How little?”

 

“I know the letters of the alphabet...I think.” She frowned. “I don't remember when I learned them, though. It wasn't from a training machine or anything, I know that...”

 

“You know how to cast complicated spells and yet can't read...? Well, we'll see about teaching you how to read properly later. Perhaps Lynn can teach you.”

 

“Lynn?”

 

“Oh, right. You weren't introduced. Lynn is my Boobisaur, and Zhao is the Amazonkapoeraa. I've only been a tamer a short while, so those are the only two – well, other than you, now – that I have. Lynn likes to read, so I'm sure she'd be happy to teach you.”

 

Sayla froze for a second, unsure of how to respond. “Yes, master, but...please forgive me, but why would you teach me something like knowing how to read?” Sayla asked, curiously. “A pokegirl's job is to defeat her master's enemies and to keep him company in bed, isn't it?” Naturally, Sayla didn't think herself quite THAT low, but now was the time to test the waters and see just what made her new master 'tick'.

 

Vikram stared up at the Dark Lady with a serious expression. “No. As long as you are in my harem, your job is to excel at serving me in any manner can, even, and including, skills whose potential is not realized in combat. Besides. You would not be so stupid to fight someone over a pit of acid if you could help it, would you?”

 

“Obviously not.”

 

“If you can't read, and your opponents can, you can easily be tricked or forced into a situation that could have been avoided had you been able to read the warnings. You would not close your eyes when attempting to read your opponent's moves in combat, and thus you shall not go without knowing how to read. Do you understand?” Although, Vikram thought wryly, I can make it look like I can read their moves with my eyes closed.

 

The Dark Lady was quiet for a while. “Yes, Master.” Inwardly, she grinned. Score.

 

Vikram nodded. “I have no problem with Pokegirls that wish to be powerful. Follow me, and I will shape you into one of the best, I assure you. I only have a problem with them if they are so closed-minded as to think that brute power is the only kind of power worth wielding.”

 

“Oh, I do not doubt that, Master.” Sayla smirked. “If you truly are as new to being a tamer as you claim, you and your girls must be quite talented to have taken me down.”

 

“Confident, aren't you?” He tapped his 'dex once more. “Alright, the last technique we'll be practicing tonight. Teleport.” Vikram eyed the Dark Lady closely, knowing that this would be one of the first true key tests of his new girl's loyalty. He focused quietly, letting his vision sink into the future, preparing to 'ball the girl the second before she tried to teleport and escape.

 

There was a long silence before Sayla replied, which all but confirmed Vikram's suspicions of the girl's personal knowledge. “'Teleport?'”

 

“That's right, all Dark Ladies have the ability to teleport, either to any place they can see or to any place they've previously been and can visualize.” Vikram grinned. “I take it you didn't know you could do that when you were trying to run off?”

 

Sayla's frustrated scream echoed in the heavens.

 

“I! AM! AN! IDIOOOOOOOOT!”

 

 

Sayla's shoulders slumped, and she shook her head. With a frustrated grunt, she kicked a small rock, shattering it into a cloud of pebbles and dust. Vikram chuckled. “Well, try not to feel too bad about it. Facing me, your defeat was inevitable.”

 

Sayla raised an eyebrow. “That's quite a statement, there.”

 

Vikram grinned. “Stick with me, and I'll prove it.”

 

Sayla looked at the tan-skinned man with an appraising eye, and then nodded.

 

“Well, then. Just try some short teleports, here in the clearing, and we'll work up from there. Make sure I can see you when you appear.”

 

“Yes, master!” The Dark Lady said with a grin. “...Uh, how am I supposed to teleport, anyway?”

 

Vikram shrugged. “How would I know? It's not like *I* can do it. I'm only human, after all. Just try picturing yourself moving to a different location, or something.”

 

Sayla stared at the ground in front of her for several minutes.

 

 

“Excellent.” Vikram nodded, approvingly. “Your assignment right now is to get as used to teleporting as you can in the time we have. Just don't over-do it, I'll still need you for later. Just focus on getting it down.”

 

Sayla grinned and nodded towards her new master. “Yes, sir!”

 

After a half-hour of awkward *pop*s throughout the field, Sayla, her body sweating from the exertion, decided to take a break. It was interesting, she had to admit. While her body didn't feel quite as nimble as before, it paid dividends in sheer magical force. If she had tried something like that before, she would probably have fainted dead on the spot by this point. As it was, she felt winded, but still with energy to spare. Absolutely incredible. I will definitely have to get used to this.

 

“Eh? Where'd he go?” Sayla looked around, suddenly realizing that in the process of her practicing her *poof*, her master had gone *poof*. And he says he can't teleport.

 

Looking around, she decided to look around and find where the tan-skinned girl of his had been training. Nodding to herself, she hovered up into the air, rising above the trees, until she could see both the girl and her master in another nearby clearing...

 

 

Floating down by them, she was just about to call out, when a small alarm went off on Vikram's watch and he turned up to meet her.

 

“Ah, Sayla. Excellent timing.” Vikram said. “It's about time for us to head back.”

 

“Er...alright...” She looked at him oddly. “You didn't strike me as the exercising type.”

 

“Well, you know. Can't change the world if you just sit around and let other people do all the work.” Vikram shrugged lightly. “Oh! I almost forgot. I suppose it's about time you two get formally introduced.” He lifted a hand towards Sayla. “Zhao, this is your new sister, Sayla. Sayla, this is Zhao, my Amazonkapoeraa.”

 

“Erm, uh...hi. Nice to meet you.” Sayla said, awkwardly holding out a hand. Zhao looked at Sayla quietly for a moment, unsure of how to react, before playfully tackling Sayla to the ground. Vikram fought down the urge to laugh. I sense a trend.

 

“Lil' big sis!”

 

“'Lil' big sis?'” Sayla echoed, completely unfazed by the impact of the fall. She looked at the shorter, tanned girl in confusion, who was happily snuggling against her. Apparently, Zhao wasn't the type to hold grudges long.

 

At that, Vikram's expression cracked and he smiled. “It's because you're both bigger AND smaller than she is.”

 

“Oh...Yes, I suppose I am.” Sayla suddenly jumped, as a hand slipped underneath her panties and began to fondle her. “A-Ah! Hey!”

 

“Not now, Zhao.” Vikram shook his head. The sun was rising, and he would have to meet up with the others before long. “Tonight, most definitely. Right now we have to go back to the 'center and pick up Lynn.”

 

There was a chorus of disappointed groans from both of the girls, but Zhao pulled herself away from the busty red-head – although not before giving her one final tweak. Sayla got up from the ground – and then suddenly froze, staring off towards the city, a strange look on her face.

 

“What is it, Sayla?”

* * *

“What is it, Rin?”

 

Yzak looked at his Droido coldly, with more than a little confusion. No sooner had he released the girl from her ball had the girl's eyes shot wide open and and snapped her head towards what was, as far as he could tell, a blank wall.

 

“She's there. I can FEEL her. I can't explain it, but she's there.”

 

* * *

Vikram tensed. “Who is there, Sayla? Is it the geas?”

 

“No, it's not her. This feeling...it's absolutely nothing like the geas...it's...”

 

Thousands of feet apart, the two girls snarled in unison, their respective masters only able to watch in helpless confusion.

 

“It's THAT bitch!”

“It's THAT bitch!”

 

* * *

 

An hour later, when Vikram arrived at the meeting ground, a cool chill gripped him as he saw a two very unfamiliar people standing by Yzak and Dearka. Those bastards. They didn't... To the right was a tall man, with a shock of red hair as bright as Sayla's and wore what looked to be some sort of very simple dark blue suit. A simple silver – or more likely steel – cross hung by a chain around his neck. A small briefcase and a single pokeball on his belt completed the ensemble. Next to the man was an equally tall, slender woman with short maroon hair and a matching bodysuit, the latter trimmed with thick white lines which cris-crossed occasionally over the tight-fitting suit. Slung over her shoulder was a great red spear, almost diabolic in appearance, and Vikram couldn't help but shudder, looking at it. Gritting his teeth, he walked up to the group and spoke.

 

“Dearka.” Vikram asked coldly. “Mind telling me who this is?”

 

Dearka looked sheepish, but nodded. “This guy here's asked to join us for protection on our journey to the next town. He's even offered to pay us 30000 rupees each for our services, and we're headed in the same direction, so it seemed like a reasonable offer. Up to you, of course.”

 

 

The man stepped forward and offered a handshake in greeting. “Pleased to meet you. My name is Ernst Brogan, of Blue League, and graduate of Vale University.”

 

Vale! The legendary magician's school! Now there was a name Vikram hadn't expected to hear. For a second, Vikram's sour mood was shoved aside, replaced with surprise, and then, a sense of understanding, as he looked again at that vicious – and no doubt enchanted - spear. “Pleased to meet you, Mr Brogan. Mind sharing why you're heading our way?”

 

“Coincidence, really. You see, there's a special festival going to be held there in a little under two weeks, and as a student of religion myself, well... Oh, I just couldn't fathom the thought of missing it! Unfortunately, my ride apparently mistook the destination and dropped me off here, and I have only one pokegirl for protection and not much time before the festival itself. That's why I was hoping to catch a group of tamers headed in the same direction to speed up the process. And, like I said, you'll be well paid, of course. What do you say?”

 

“I...err...well...” Vikram mumbled, obviously taken aback. While the strange man seemed off to him, and the timing was peculiar indeed, and he REALLY didn't like that spear, the man's surprisingly friendly response, even to him, was quite refreshing. “I...suppose I don't see any problem with it. Yzak?”

 

“Obviously I'm fine with it.” Yzak replied. “Or I would have kicked his ass out of here before you had even arrived.”

 

Vikram grimaced. “Fair enough.” He accepted Ernst's offered hand and gave a firm shake. “Are you prepared to leave then, Mr. Brogan?”

 

“Indeed. I have everything of mine right here.” He pointed to his briefcase and nodded. “I can set out immediately.”

 

“Alright, then.” Vikram pulled out Sayla's pokeball, and the others around him quickly followed suit,

 

“One moment. Vikram, There's something I'd like to confirm.” Yzak fumbled with his belt, removing a pokeball. “Can you release that Dark Lady of yours? Mr. Brogan, Dearka, would you please step back just in case?”

 

“Sure.” Vikram pulled out the pokeball, having a pretty good idea why.

 

Sayla appeared in the clearing, her clothes repaired and refreshed. A second later, the ebony-skinned Droido, now dressed in a sky blue yukata, was also released. Within the blink of an eye, the two's heads snapped towards each other, expressions of hate lining their face.

 

“YOUUU!” The Droido raged, taking a step forward, a stone blade extending from her arm.

 

The Dark Lady smirked. “Well, well. If it isn't little Miss Stonehenge. What's wrong? Got out of bed on the wrong side of the rock this morning?

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Simmer down! Back off, Sayla!” Vikram frowned. “Quit provoking her.”

 

Yzak spoke up as well, annoyed. “Stand down, Rin. I've told you before I won't tolerate any of this behavior!”

 

The two turned to their masters, anguished frustration in their eyes. Vikram couldn't help but stare in astonishment at the perfect synchonization between the two.

 

“But master, it's her! She's right here!”

“But master, it's her! She's right here!”

 

The two's heads shot towards each other, as if spurred on by each other's words.

 

“Stop copying what I say, you bitch!”

“Stop copying what I say, you bitch!”

 

“I'm not the copycat, so shut the fuck up!”

“I'm not the copycat, so shut the fuck up!”

 

“WOULD YOU TWO SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

“WOULD YOU TWO SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

 

The last exchange, rather than being the two girls, was from Vikram and Yzak, who began dragging the two girls away from each other in a rare example of perfect solidarity between them.

 

“These two...” Yzak began, “...are odd.”

 

Vikram nodded. “Agreed.”

 

Off to the side, Dearka shook his head. “Sorry about that, Mr. Brogan. Those two girls have something of a history, or something.”

 

Ernst just laughed, as if entertained by the whole thing.

 

* * *

 

The next week and a half went by swiftly as they traveled, snapping up any pokegirls that happened to cross their path with little difficulty. Their first encounter with a feral had ended in a maroon flash – the flash of Bazette, who turned out, to Vikram's surprise, to have been a Herolee, a fact which forced Vikram to reevaluate their temporary companion. Arming a girl known for their blitzing speed and whirlwind kicks with a weapon was not something the average joe would consider. Then again, Vikram thought, there was no such thing as an 'average' Joe in Vale.

 

Brogan and Vikram did not talk too much during the journey – he was pleasant to be around, generally, if a little awkward, but far, far too quick to start talking about this shrine or that piece of artwork he'd seen in his travels. It might have been amusing, if Ernst had not apparently witnessed more pieces of artwork than the world held people. By the fourth day, Vikram was beginning to wonder if, indeed, Brogan's appearance had been merely a coincidence, and so, on the fifth day, Vikram approached Brogan with a question.

 

“You say you're from Vale,” Vikram asked over supper that night.

 

“Yes, indeed! Wonderful school, although strict, as I'd imagine all magic academies of any value would have to be. Why do you ask?”

 

“What do you know about dispelling enchantments?”

 

At this, Brogan's levity fell a little. “Hmm. This is not some random curio you're asking about, is it. I'm not particularly skilled at breaking enchantments, although I can handle most normal spells given enough time. What sort of enchantments are we talking about here?”

 

“The sort of enchantments that happen to be called a geas.”

 

Brogan nearly choked on his beverage, so complete was his surprise, causing him to spend a minute catching his breath. “A geas? Who the devil knows how to perform one of those nowadays?!” He shook his head. “If you, or someone you know, is cursed by one, I'm afraid you'll have to look to someone a *lot* more skilled than me. Self-reinforcing spells like a geas are in a similar category to enchanted weapons – very sturdy and unbelievably annoying to crack. Even most pokegirls don't have any clue how they work. My advice, if at all possible, would be to get whomever is afflicted by that geas as far away from you as possible. Anyone with a geas must have some powerful enemies.”

 

Vikram grit his teeth, but nodded. He hadn't expected Brogan to be able to remove the geas – that would have been way too convenient – but it was good to at least confirm his suspicions about the spell. “I see. Thank you very much.”

 

“Ah, boy.”

 

Vikram paused as Ernst called after him. “If I recall correctly, the White Lotus actually possesses a mage...” Brogan paused for a moment, an unmistakable note of derision leaking into his voice as he continued, as if he considered using the term a near blasphemy, “...academy...of it's own. While I doubt they could possibly match the expertise of Vale's masters, perhaps you should look into procuring help from them? Surely among the professors there you will find someone who can at least weaken the curse enough to eventually defeat it. That would be...the other option I can recommend.”

 

“Thank you. I may try that someday,” Vikram replied and walked off into the night.

 

* * *

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------

 

Lynn – Boobisaur

Zhao - Amazonkapaoeraa

Sayla – Chibi Dark Lady

 

Milliaria – Cameragirl <Alpha>

Traxia - Guntit

 

Shiho – Slicer <Alpha>

Izumi – Rack

Rin - Droido