Three years later
The headquarters of the Indigo military, located in a secret location in North Indigo. The upper echelons of the military had assembled for a formal meeting with league official. Generally an officer retiring wasn't a big deal, but this was different. There were plenty of officers out there, many with more experience, and even more than that who were anti-pokégirl rights. But few had the success rate Marco Readman had. The only reason he was given the chance he got was because of its high probability of failure. The general thought process being why teach them anything at all, all they need to know how to do is fuck, fight, and follow orders.
The biggest problem they were going to have is that they actually needed him. Well maybe not him, but the forces he commanded. Most military pokégirls were trained to follow the orders of any military human or higher ranking pokégirl, but not the Avalanche. Their ranks were par with humans and they only took action after approval from Lieutenant Colonel Readman. The fact that for more or less normal breeds they were all turning out to be simply superior helped too. The reality though was more that their training had its intended effect.
In a normal harem all the pokégirls involved see each other as harem sisters. That simply wasn’t the case with the Avalanche. Marco wasn’t the only one to have a say in who joined the unit, everyone had to vote and it pass unanimously. That was another strange side effect to his not taming any of them. Each and every girl had her own opinions and she was more than free to express them, it also meant that they wouldn’t just agree with him because they were bonded. So there was never any jealously that he will like the new girl more, and if she was getting more attention that wasn’t exactly a good thing. As the saying went, the nail that sticks out gets the hammer, and the hammer’s name was Kelly.
"I don't think we have many options, we have to find a way to procure the Avalanche from Readman." The older gentleman with a graying beard spoke and took a long drag from his cigar.
A soft but older female voice came from the other side of the room. "That may be, but how are we going to do that? They are all his pokégirls. He won’t just give them up."
"Technically they are the property of the Indigo Military, at least until he is released from duty. But even then they won't be very compliant to being in a new squad." Yet another male voice came from the round table.
A large puff of smoke came out with the older man’s reply. “Their compliance isn't necessary just their skills. I don't need them to like it I just need them to do the job."
"If that's the case sir, why not just procure the girls then have them L-Fived? That would solve the problem." A much younger male voice came from the corner behind the old man.
"You're a fool," Scoffed the female. "If you were my subordinate I would send you out to be beaten. It would be like having strength blood gifted, mentally challenged, adult. All that power, but not enough sense to use it. The thing makes his girls so valuable is the skills that they possess. You vaporize their minds and they become just another pokégirl. You have the files, read them."
The young man flipped through the file in front of him. "Let's see then... Infiltration specialist... Combat arms... He doesn't tame them...? No conditioning in the pokéballs and completely free willed? I thought the regulations stated you had to use condition cycle balls."
"He was given special permission from the start to use unconditioned balls as long as he paid for them personally. The idea was that he could never afford the funding for the project to be successful. That changed with the Team Rocket incident, after that he was allocated funds to see how far he could take the unit." The second male stated.
"That sounds like an 'in' right there. If military funds were used for the project then they are military property to begin with. He has no claim to any of them." The young man in the corner smiled and leaned back in his chair.
"You’re wrong again Johnson. You are aware that feral pokégirls and menace pokégirls captured by soldiers out in the field can be sold to the league. Said soldier only gets 70% of that sale, but can keep the ones they want as long as they don't go over limit, barring storage rights." She waited for him to nod then continued after taking a drink of water. "The ones he kept make up the Avalanche, for the ones sold he only received 30% payment. The rest was sent to fund his operational cost."
"Well then Miss. Baswell, that means we get what? Eight out of fourteen pokégirls, since he can't keep them all legally. I would say that's a lot better than nothing." The second man spoke again. "Their having free will is a problem though. For the life of me I can't understand how he keeps control of them. They obey the Alpha, the Betas, and him only. One girl was transferred out once. Her effectiveness went down rapidly, so rapidly that she was sent back to his unit. You couldn't fake the way she was acting. It was like she was missing part of her brain." Behind him his Ladyien tapped his shoulder. "Yes, you may speak."
"I know the girl you speak of sir. When I would see her in the mess hall she was quite mopey. She would always talk about how she missed her family. When given free time she would always go and visit the Lieutenant Colonel and the others. Eventually his petition went through and she was returned to the unit." She placed her hands behind her back and smiled.
"And what are your thoughts on that?"
"Given enough time you can break a bond like that. I think the sentiment is nice though, I would do the same for you. I'm your right hand and if asked I would give you my right arm.”
"That's good to hear, both parts."
“Ahem, this is easy enough to take care of. Assuming he doesn’t have intimate knowledge of the laws involving this process we should be about to get the eight girls from him with no problems. We will just have an impromptu meeting near the end of his career and explain that his girls will be given a new home in another unit since he can’t keep them all. After all…” The older gentleman took another drag from his cigar and left out a large puff of smoke. “He’s a soldier not a lawyer. Meeting adjourned.”
As the room cleared two pokégirls were the last to exit, the Ladyien and an OfficerJenny who was there as a guard. The Jenny locked the chamber door behind her and turned to face the Ladyien. “I do hope Lieutenant Colonel Readman is on his toes when that day comes.”
“I agree with you on that. As much as I would like to fulfill my master’s wishes, I hope this doesn’t work out in their favor.”
“Well since you feel that way, I think a special call is in order.”
____
Marco didn’t know exactly what the meeting was supposed to be about, but given the timing and the unfriendly looks he was getting from some of the officers he didn’t get along with, it was best to be ready for anything. It was 1055 and the meeting was set to start promptly at 1100, worst was the fact that he had to appear in his dress blues. Kelly stood by his side and gave him a once over, straightening meddles and ribbons as she came to them, it almost frightened her at how blasé he was being. As his alpha she was allowed to be there as well, but was happily caught off guard when he presented the entire squad with a set of tailored blues as well. Thankfully she noticed he had followed her suggestion and kept his Betas on him as well.
“Well despite the odds, you actually look presentable. Most carry an air of ‘I don’t give a fuck’ during their last days from what I’ve seen.” Kelly straightened her jacket and skirt then checked her shoes before facing the large double doors.
“You’re right, but I’m not out yet and until midnight tomorrow evening they can still make my life hell.” He removed her cover and handed it to her. “You’re not nervous are you?”
“These are Generals we are dealing with here, ones that don’t care much for you at that. I’m just on my toes…” She quickly stopped talking as the doors opened up in front of her.
“Sir, Ma'am, the Generals will see you now. Please walk this way.” Julia, the OfficerJenny MP was apparently standing guard for the generals today. Marco quickly noted the smile she gave him and returned it as in turn.
Once inside the doors closed behind them, the room seemed to resemble a court room and the two of them suddenly had a feeling of dread. At a table on the opposite end of the room sat the three generals Marco would be dealing with, and directly behind them were their pokégirl guards. Marco immediately recognized the generals, on the left was Brigadier General Napier backed up by his Ladyien. On the right was Brigadier General Stevenson and her Foxx, taking the center chair was Major General Barnes and his personal OfficerJenny. In a chair on the right side of the room was Lorain Baswell, Military lawyer, he’d met her on a few occasions and found her to be a good person… for a lawyer. Marco felt like a stone hit the pit of his stomach, excluding Stevenson the other two generals were very high on the list of people he didn’t want to deal with. They were both fairly crooked men in Marco’s eyes, sure they were loyal to Indigo through and through but they had made plays before to try and acquire his girls. The fact that all four of them were in the same division was the stone wall that kept his girls from being moved. Since Barnes could simply command Marco to do the jobs he needed done he never made a huge deal about not being able to get any of Avalanche for his personal detail. Now that Marco was leaving, it was the perfect time to take the entire unit from under him.
“You two may be seated… Lieutenant Colonel Marco Readman, it has come to our attention that you will be leaving the service of the Indigo Military soon. As is such we would like to get your recommendations on where you would like the eight girls you’re leaving behind to be sent.” General Barns open the discussion as bluntly as possible with the hopes of throwing Marco off his game.
“Whew, you had me worried; I thought I was about to be Court Marshaled or something.” Marco let out a sigh of relief, in reality it was preparation for what he was going to do next. To the chair on his right Kelly was getting even more nervous. She had known him for such a long time; would he really just abandon them? Nope. “I do regret to inform you that I don’t intend to just leave anyone from Avalanche behind, and it would be ten not eight. We had some new additions.”
No, it just couldn’t be that easy. “You do understand that even if you were to take the maximum six pokégirls, there would still be eight left. That is a lot of girls for you to try and rotate in and out of storage, and for tamings, and really just a lot to handle.” Baswell stated and looked over to Kelly.
Before Marco could reply Napier raised his hand to silence him. “On top of that they are military pokégirls. They are the property of the Indigo Military…”
“Ten not eight, and the fact that I caught and trained said pokégirls means nothing? I am well aware that government officials are allowed to keep their personal harems as their personal security detail. Seeing as how I ‘own’ these pokégirls, since I captured them, I don’t think anyone has any say in what happens to them but me... and them.”
“Mind yourself Readman. We are not asking you to just give them away; you would be well compensated for each girl individually. Ten very well trained military class pokégirls, we could offer you way more than what anyone else could.” This was from Stevenson; she could feel the tension in the room just ratchet up and desperately wanted to keep everyone calm.
“You can’t set a price high enough to make me sell a single one of them. You are out of luck in that department.” Under the table he gave Kelly a soft pat on the thigh.
“Okay, look… at the end of the day you can’t legally keep all of your girls. Sooner or later the ones in storage will become free game, and then the property of the Indigo Military. You could at the very least make this easier and still get paid for them.” Major General Barns commanded, having finally had enough.
“I can’t really be sure for myself whether or not I can keep them. But with your assistance I would like to find out, right now. If it is true that I really can’t keep them all I will personally make the necessary arrangement to make sure they are taken care of.” Marco looked directly at Barns.
“Very well, as long as it puts an end to this, what do you need?” General Barns was actually quite curious as to what he had planned.
“I need to borrow your OfficerJenny for a brief moment.” Marco in reality knew the laws quite well, but in order to make things work he would need a little help. Barns nodded and the OfficerJenny came from around the large table to stand in front of Marco’s Table. “And you First Sargent Julia, I will need your assistance as well.” She looked around the room and then nervously pointed to herself. With a smile and a nod Marco confirmed that yes he did mean her. Julia took her place right next to the other OfficerJenny and gave a salute. “At ease, now we need one more person and we can get down to the bottom of the matter.” Pulling a pokéball from the back of his belt in a red flash of light Henrietta appeared in her blues and stretched.
"So how did the… meeting… My apologies Sir.” Henrietta snapped a hasty salute then turned and greeted the Generals in the same manor then turned back to Marco.
He could feel a shiver run up his spine with the glare she gave him. “Please stand between the two officers and face me.” He waited for her to comply then continued. “Please state your name, rank, position, and breed for the record.”
“Sir, I am Master Sergeant Henrietta, Beta of Echo team of the Avalanche Unit, Breed CalamityJane.”
“Well done. Now I have before me two OfficerJenny and one CalamityJane. One officer is the personal guard of General Barnes, one is stationed to this base, and a CalamityJane from Avalanche.” Marco took a deep breath and looked over to the three generals; they all acknowledge the girls and he continued. “Ladies, I am no lawyer as you know. So please tell me when I am in violation of being over limit for my pokégirls when I retire from the Indigo Military.” Marco could see the expressions on each of their faces clearly, and it was exactly what he expected to see. Barnes’s girl looked absolutely frustrated, Julia didn’t seem swayed one way or another, and Henrietta had a quite smug and proud look on her face.
“As it stands, Rule 11.a. A Tamer is allowed to keep eight pokégirls on-hand: six combatants and two non-coms. If they catch any more past this amount, the pokégirls must be kept in storage. If the Tamer has not passed the Storage Test or received five Gym Badges, then the pokégirls above the limit must be given up at a Pokécenter for Indigo League use and distribution. Tamers that simply release the pokégirl into the wild and are later discovered to have done such will be fined according to the kind of pokégirl that was released.” They paused then continued at the exact same time.
“12.a. A Tamer cannot keep a pokégirl in Storage for more than a month. Once the Time-Marker on the girl reaches its limit, the pokégirl will be claimed due to neglectful storage practices and become property of the Indigo League. If they’re not sold within another month’s time, Common and Uncommon girls will be turned over for poképower use across League cities while pokégirls Rare and up are turned over to the Hunter’s Guild. Taking a pokégirl out for at least an afternoon will reset the Time-Marker.
12.b. Active journeying Tamers may apply for extended storage time upwards of two months.” All three of them spoke in unison, with similar inflections and pronunciation.
Marco reached behind his back and produced his pokédex. “And for the record please state what you see on this pokédex.”
“Marco Readman, tamer/tradesman/hunter, Security Clearance; classified, meaning his clearance is classified not that he has Classified Security Clearance. This means that you have yet to specify a job but have already passed the test. Storage application approved.” The three spoke in unison again.
“I’ve heard more than enough! You come here! You back to your post! Readman, return her to her pokéball.” The two OfficerJennies returned to their previous positions but Henrietta was not returned. General Barnes was furious.
“For what reason should I return her to her pokéball? She did as I asked without any coercion, all of them were following my orders that were approved by you. So I have no idea why you are so upset.”
“Return her or so help me I WILL have you court marshaled. ”
“On what grounds? The only reason you’re pissed off is because I knocked a hole into your plan. You attempt to have me court marshaled and I will appeal and I WILL win. Why, because this is unjustified reprisal.”
Stevenson was out of her chair and urging the both of them to calm down. “Lieutenant Colonel Readman please take a seat, Major General Barns… perhaps you should reconsider your approach.”
“Reconsider? My ass, this insubordinate upstart thinks he’s going to tell me what’s right and what’s wrong. I’ve just tolerated you all these years and was happy to hear that you were getting out. Now it is my personal duty and pleasure, to make sure that YOU, Lieutenant Colonel, never get to…”
Before Barnes could finish his statement the large double doors flew open. Standing in the archway was a very large, man he seemed to be upwards in year but it was quickly masked by the strong presence he carried with him. His uniform neatly pressed and well-kept beard didn’t underman the eyes of a man in charge. Behind him walked his personal guard, a Dire Wolf, a full embodiment of power and beauty. She carried herself with the same poise and strength her master carried, the length of the blond braided ponytail was almost unimaginable and even harder to fathom was the length if it was let free.
Julia’s voice caught in her throat as she tried her best to remember what she was supposed to be doing. ‘That’s right, announce him stupid’ “Now entering, Four Star General Leo Butcher.” Everyone in the room stood and saluted. The Generals Barns and Napier were speechless; this was a worst case scenario if there ever was one.
“General Butcher Sir, what can we do for you today?” Barns did his best to regain his composure, now Marco potentially had an ace up his sleeve. General Butcher’s niece was the hostage in the operation against Team Rocket and he had expressly mentioned how grateful he was to Readman and Chesra.
“I received a call saying that Lieutenant Colonel Readman here was getting ready to leave the service of the military. Before you can leave though, I have a job offer for you to …” Butcher spoke in a jolly tone but there was this hidden tone of annoyance with it. The true intentions of this meeting where already known to him and he hid his irritation well.
“Sir, we are just wrapping up our meeting with the Lieutenant Colonel, if you just give us a few more…”
“Quiet you useless fool! My general was talking, mind your place and be silent until he is done.” The Dire Wolf bellowed from behind her general and locked her eyes on his OfficerJenny. There wouldn’t be much to worry about from her, sure there were no windows in the chamber but her body could be used to make a convenient opening in a pinch. “My apologies sir, as you were saying.”
“Thank you Hiyori. To put things bluntly, this meeting is over. Readman, I’d like to ouhf…” He was cut short when he was knocked aside by a teenage girl and a Peekabu. Hiyori looked on helplessly, it was especially unnerving to have teens around.
“Mr. Readman, it’s so good to see you again. I wanted to thank you again for all those years ago. Teá wants to thank you too.” The perky teen ran up and gave him a big hug. To his credit he actually did remember the girl, she was much shorter then. After the battle with Team Rocket Chesra had rushed the two of them out of the warehouse and to the safety of the closes police station, Marco caught up later and made the discovery that would change his military career forever.
"Yes, it is good to see you doing well. Teá, I remember when you were just a kit. I'm afraid we'll have to catch up later though, I must see what your uncle the General would ask of me."
"Ah children; Marisa, Teá, please go and wait in the cafeteria. Readman, I need to see you immediately, I have a proposal that I'm hoping you will consider before you leave. This way please."
"Sir, we still have business to conclude." By this time Barns had left his chair and come to stand in front of the General. "We are currently trying to come up with a solution for what to do about the Avalanche unit when Readman retires."
"I know what you're trying to do and I am not amused. But much like my discussion with the Lieutenant Colonel it will be discussed later and in private. That is of course unless you want it to happen right now. You have been at this base for quite some time, I’m sure you would like another post.” The General stepped in closer, the look in his eyes made it clear that whatever discussion was going to take place between them would not be pleasant. Silence was the response he got and the only one he was looking for. “Good, Readman please follow me, and if you don’t mind I would like to have this meeting in private.”
Marco detached his last two pokéballs from his belt and handed them over to Kelly then gave Henrietta her own. “I’m going with the General, once you get back to the office release them. Brief the others and I’ll see you all at the ceremony tonight.” Kelly and Henrietta both gave a hesitant look then gave a stern salute and left.
____
The next day, in the office of an unknown Indigo League official, located in a secret location... in North Indigo.
"Steven Barns good evening, give me the good news; tell me what pokégirls you acquired from Readman." The older gentleman asked as he lit his cigar and reclined in his chair.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Barns's face as he took a seat. It was bad enough getting reamed for trying to take the girls of Avalanche from Marco. Now he had to explain to this underhanded official that things didn't go well. "Um, we couldn't get them. Before we could finish, General Butcher showed up and ended the meeting. Even if he hadn't, Readman was already prepared to take each of them with him."
"So, what you're telling me is that you got nothing. I stacked the deck in your favor and you lost. Damn it!" He was furious now, sitting up and taking a drink of whisky. "The fact that he was breaking league rules by having them educated. Hell, one of his Betas was in a criminal team and never got a conditioning cycle. None of this came up?"
"The hearing was interrupted before we ever got to that. I got my ass handed to me by Butcher for even attempting what I did! I will be fuckin lucky if I don't get sent to remote Indigo."
"Watch your tone Steven; I am not in the mood. I'm starting to think it would be easier to just let him become a tamer, hit him with some trumped up charges and have all his pokégirls confiscated."
"I doubt that would work. His Calamityjane knows the laws just as well as any Officerjenny. She won't let him do something that reckless." Barns Officerjenny had stood silently the whole time but finally spoke.
"Dear you're right, please leave the room now, you don't need to hear the rest." With a disappointed look she walked out closing the door behind her. She knew whatever was going to be said would be very illegal, not that it mattered. There was no one for her to tell anyway. "I think our next course of action should be to wait till he's started his journey, then arrange his death. Tamers get killed by ferals all the time."
"That sounds like a plan to me. He dies, his storage pokégirls go over limit and then we buy them, sounds like a good plan." The man leaned back again, his sense of superiority inflating.
"Sweet Sukebe you both are idiots." The feminine voice full of sarcasm made its self-known. From the shadows the black haired Sarama walked in, picked up the gentleman’s glass, and froze it chilling the liquid inside.
“Why thank you Minerva. I’ll excuse what you just said if you can explain where we went wrong. Otherwise you had better hope I just stop at a taming cycle.”
“Gladly sir, if I understand you two correctly. Your plan is to attack and kill Marco Readman, a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the Indigo Military who will have a harem comprised of former military pokégirls.” She stopped and poured herself a glass of whisky. “Now you’re going to do this in the wilderness and make it look like a feral did it? Just be sure to tell me who you’re sending, I’ll have the elf start on the coffins… because there will be blood.”
It really pissed Barnes off when pokégirls were able to poke holes in human plans. “Well, what would you do in our position?”
She chuckled as she moved seductively around till she was behind the gentleman. “It’s a good thing you are attractive, otherwise this would never work.” She ducked and moved away as he swung to hit her. “Men are so short sighted, sure I love violence just at much if not more than anyone else, but sometimes there are easier and more satisfying ways to do things.”
“Spit it out Minerva, what are you suggesting?” The gentleman let out an irritated puff of smoke.
“If attacking with force would cause a problem attack the mind. Send Evelyn to erase his memory, then bend him to your will. Imagine the distress of his harem when he happily discards them for a balloon.” She giggled and Barns shook his head in disgust.
“I knew there was a reason I kept you around. I like that plan much better than what Barns had come up with. What do you need to make it work, aside from Evelyn?”
“Just time, give me a few months and this should work out.”
“You have two, there had better be some kind of progress by then or… well yeah.” With a touch he melted the glass she had just frozen. “Now go.” She smiled and skipped out of the door. From the shadows another figure appeared. “Yes Delilah?”
“Even a great plan can be put to waste if a fool is running it.”
The gentleman smirked and looked over to Barns. “Yeah, tell me about it. What do you suggest?”
“Allow me to tail her, if and or when things go wrong I will clean up. I can’t guarantee the death of Readman, but none of this will come back to haunt you. Does that suit you sir?”
“Do what you need and take who you must. If she fails I don’t want to see her again. But bring Evelyn back if it won’t be too much of an issue.”
“Yes sir.” She nodded and walked out the door.
“I like that one a lot more. Right to the point.”
“I know, now if only I could tame her. I’m not sure why she is loyal to me but I won’t complain.” He poured two more glasses and slid one to Barnes. “Here’s to well laid plans and better laid pokégirls.”
____
"You aren't worthy to shine the Lieutenants boots let alone be a part of Avalanche! Get out of my sight!" Henrietta was making a point to break the timid nature of the Gloomy and turn her into a force to be reckoned with. As one of the new members she still had a long way to go, hopefully she would snap back one day and some progress would be made.
"Give her a break. You’re just upset about being left out of the meeting between Master and General Butcher." Chesra normally kept to herself but had become close to the other betas over the years.
"You know he hates it when you call him that. Besides you weren't there, I didn't like him going off with that prissy wolf in toe any more than she did." Kelly took a seat next to Chesra and handed her a bottle of water.
"I suppose your right, but we're all a little on edge. Today is his last day, then who knows what's going to happen to us."
"You out of all of us have the least to worry about. You were his first girl and you're part of the reason we're together at all. No matter what, you'll be taken care of." Mina chimed in; she really was worried about her future prospects. If it weren't for him she would have been dead long ago.
"Don't forget, much like everyone else, he’s yet to tame me. I'm just as expendable as the rest of you are." Chesra retorted.
Kelly slammed her hand down on the table. "Have you bickering fools forgotten already. The only reason we won't be sent to other units or made the personal playthings of high ranking officers is because he wouldn't allow it." It really did irritate her that the others had so little faith in him.
"It sounds like you’re looking for a fight Kel, it's not like 'big brother' would leave you behind." Alpha or not Mina loved to push Kelly's buttons. Even if it had gotten her beaten up on more than one occasion.
"I remember the last time you pissed her off like that. Didn't she choke you half to death with your own sash?" Teased Chesra.
"That's enough of that you two. Kel just let it go for now, he should be here soon." Henrietta did her best to defuse the situation. The only thing guaranteed to piss off Kelly more than being teased about her height and underage appearance was when someone was stupid enough to bring her pseudo relationship with Marco up.
Kelly sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Your right... but we will fight about this later." Just as she finished the back door to the Betas office opened and Marco stepped in carrying two large boxes.
"Morning everyone. Kelly, assemble the teams in the Ops Con room. But give me ten to set everything up."
"As you command sir."
____
The Operation Control room was quite impressive. The large circular table was actually one giant computer that kept a running list of rogue pokégirl sightings and criminal team related incidents. When orders came in, the computer would kick off a list of sightings and related incidents, then triangulate where possible next attacks would occur. On the wall behind the Lieutenant was a digital display of the registered members of Avalanche as well as unit structure and ranking. As members began to file in and take their assigned seats the first thing they noticed was that the board was flashing. Next was the watches and files placed in their assigned areas. Except for two spots, Chesra and Henrietta.
The mood was somber to say the least. Even though they may not always get along, they were all a team... and a family. For some the only real family they had ever known. Eyes were beginning to tear up as they looked around. It was clear who he had chosen to take with him, but why just those two?
"Good morning everyone, I assume you were all briefed before I got here." He looked around the room for nods of agreement, he found them... and a lot of watery eyes. "Good, first I would like to congratulate Nikki and Lily and welcome them as full members of Avalanche." He paused as the others began applause for the two new members. "Next order of business, there will be some structural changes to the unit..."
"Sir, I thought you were retiring and the unit would be disbanded?" Lily was new and hadn't yet learned the benefits of keeping her mouth shut. In this particular case though it was the same question everyone else had.
"That was the general idea; I would retire, disband the unit, and take you all with me. Because I'd be damned before I let you be unhappy with where you would end up." That statement brought a smile to all their faces and the low sound of sniffing could be heard. "There was a change of plans though. I know you all aren't completely happy with me and some of you are bonded to people here one way or another. With you all in mind, I made some deals and decisions that will hopefully make everyone happy. First and foremost, I am technically still in the Indigo Military. I'm going to be a tamer for a while and as I travel I'll also be taking care of trouble spots I come across."
"Aren't you a bit old to be a tamer?" Joked Nikki, a few chuckles came from around the room along with some hushes. The Sexslash, while new and also learning the ropes, had a great sense of humor and the veterans appreciated a good laugh when things were dull.
"Ouch, that Nursejoy said the same thing, moving on though. That means I'll be counting on you for support when I need it." Silence and nods received he went on. "Next, since I will be out in the field and in a great deal of danger at all times I’ve set up something special. With the help of General Butcher I have procure papers for all of you, if I end up KIA or at the end of my service, you'll all immediately be made free pokégirls. Part of the personal funds received from our various jobs, bounties, and sales were allocated to this specific cause, you earned it."
"Are you joking? You set this up just for us? This really is the most wonderful thing I have ever heard. Kelly did you know about this?” Mina sobbed softly into her sleeve and wiped her eyes, she wasn’t alone, and not a single dry eye was left at the table... well except Marco, but it always was hard to see through the tint of those glasses. Kelly shook her head no, and Mina was just barely able to keep from jumping across the table to hug the both of them. “None of this would be possible without the Alpha and Lieutenant in charge.”
“As I said, you all earned it. Speaking of which there are those structural changes I was talking about. First, Kelly you are being removed from the position of Alpha.” Dead silence, you couldn’t even hear a breath being taken in with that last announcement. As all eyes turned towards her, then slowly to him, he raised his hands to try and calm them. “Instead you are being promoted. Congratulations Major Kelly, Head of Avalanche.”
“I’m what? The head… you made me the head of the…” Was as far as Kelly got before she passed out and her head hit the table. Marco was starting to get a headache, it really was more than what he thought was going to happen.
“Okay… Keeping with that theme. Chesra and Henrietta will be removed from their positions as Betas. They will be accompanying me while I make my way around Indigo and parts unknown."
"Sir, isn't there a possibility you could lose them in a salvage battle?" A look of concern crossed Mina's face.
"I will be trying to avoid salvage battles when possible. In the grand scheme of things though, the idea of either of them losing to an up incoming tamer is unlikely. You all are the most exceptional group of pokégirls most have ever seen and everybody knows it. That's why the other officers want you for themselves."
"Always nice to be appreciated." Kelly groaned as she lifted her head back up from the table. "So what is with the watches?"
"Ah yes, something special from R&D. The watch has a tracker and locator; it will allow for better unit coordination out in the field and make it easier to find me. On top of that there is an anti-capture chip installed. It works better than the collar, isn't as demeaning as the collar, and has been tested against the hacked master ball. These are to be worn out in the field so some idiot can't take you by surprise. I already synchronized them to your pokéballs so you can still enter them for healing when needed."
"Will we still be taking orders from command?" Mina asked as she slipped the watch onto her wrist.
"Yes. Aside from Kelly, I will also still be in the command position of the unit. We will both be getting the same information and we have the option of accepting or denying request as they come. Seeing as how I may not always be in an area or position to respond, Kelly will then have the final say." He looked to her with complete seriousness. "If the request is the least bit suspicious wait for my response. If you can't get a hold of me, contact General Butcher to get more details. Finally if you can't get either of us, refuse. Never put anyone in danger if you don't have to. Is. That. Clear?
She felt like his eyes were burning right through her. There had to be more to this than he was letting on but she wasn't going to press the issue right that moment. Her voice didn't seem to respond as she willed it so she settled for a single head nod.
"The final thing is not going to be pleasant in the least bit, which is why I saved it for last. The Genera has expressed concerns that Teá, his nieces Peekabu, isn't strong enough to protect her. I agreed to do him a personal favor and have her train with you. You will all have this week off and when you return it will be three full weeks of Ex Training."
Ex or Exhaustion training was harsh to put things lightly. Sixteen hours a day of brutal training. Everything from unarmed combat to running with weights on in neck deep muddy water, nothing was out of the question. Type didn't make a difference either, a fire type being forced to hold her breath underwater with the best of water pokégirls. A water type running for everything she's got in a frozen field courtesy of some very tired ice types overhead. Nothing was out of the question and Marco was always coming up with new ways to make things harder.
"I'll be getting my starter later today so she will be going through it too. As far as she'll know she's just going to be another military pokégirl. With that in mind don't take it easy on her..."
"You'll actually be taming her so I don't think you'll have a problem with that. We will make sure that she is worthy of your attention." Kelly snicker and the others nodded in agreement.
"I almost feel bad for her... Oh well." Mina faked a pitiful look that was underplayed by the vicious smile.
"Right, with that we are at an end to this meeting. Additional information is in the files I have provided. I would like to thank each of you and tell you how proud I am. Without your hard work none of this would have been possible. I just wish I could do more for you. Dismissed."
"I never thought I would see the day where I would be a free pokégirl; I think the others agree with me in that. The fact that you went out of your way to make this happen... free pokégirl or not, I shale forever be in your debt and at your service." Mina stood and bowed deeply showing her gratitude then rose with a stern salute. The others quickly followed suite then filed out of the room, leaving Kelly, Chesra, Henrietta, and Marco.
"I was actually starting to wonder if you had forgotten your promise to me or not. It's always refreshing to have a man that keeps his word."
"That explains her, but why me? You've never expressed any interest in... ya know... that, with me." Chesra blushed and turned her head away.
"Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve seen you without the armor on. If I acted on every fantasy that popped into my head when you all are around I would have died of exhaustion long ago... That includes you too missy." He reached down and ruffled Kelly’s hair as she hid her face in her hands.
Her blood red face turned and looked up at him. "Then before you're gone you had better make good on that."
Intense lust filled eyes gazed up into his and for a brief moment he felt the urge to run before she did something rash. Taking the road not traveled though he knelt down to her eye level and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Sure thing, but not now. I have a starter to get." With that he rose up and walked out before calling back down the hallway. "You two be sure to catch up before I leave."
Kelly just stood there for the moment, trying desperately to put things into their proper prospective. "Did he just agree to tame me?"
"That's what it looked like from where I was standing. But you’re going to have to wait just like the rest of us." Henrietta couldn't help but tease her. It's not every day she got to see Kelly caught off guard.
"Kelly, Kel... You okay?" Chesra shook the stunned girl lightly.
"No! I'm even more frustrated than before! Where did Mina run off to, I'm going to take this out on somebody and she was askin for it earlier!" Kelly stormed out of the room, Chesra and Henrietta just looked at each other.
"Too bad we can't stick around and watch. I feel sorry for Mina."
"Yep, just a little bit." Henrietta nodded in agreement and placed her arm on her ally’s shoulder. The two walked out together, but just as they got to the middle of the hallway a thought struck her. "So... Who gets him first?"
____
Celaboner city, one of the many places in Indigo that was anti-pokégirl rights. It was just around 1000 when Henrietta teleported in with Marco. Though she wasn't the most skilled teleporter in the unit she was able to carry an extra person without too much issue. The streets were fairly clear and the skies were the same.
First order of business, pick up a starter pokégirl and there was no better place to do that than Two Heart Ranch. Marco was supposed to be building a harem to fight tamers, ferals, and Gym Leaders. With that in mind there were certain breeds he would be looking for specifically. Sure he had two powerhouses in back up but the new girls would have to be tough.
There were a couple of breeds that he would prefer to have and between his voucher and extra funds at least one would be easy to acquire. A Peekabu was nearing the top of the list if nothing else because they were versatile, a good breed that had the potential to be great with proper training. Considering that he was only allowed to have one pokégirl out in the city he kept Henrietta, since she would draw the least attention. They had decided to go for civilian casual clothing instead of the military BDUs. Marco was sporting jeans, a black t-shirt, and a light blue button down shirt over it. He wore it opened and it swayed lazily with the breeze. Henrietta opted for black tactical pants, a white tee, and a brown light jacket. He noticed she had a tendency to wear rather baggy clothing when out of uniform and didn't like to show off her figure. Being a pokégirl, she really didn't need to wear glasses but liked the look it gave her.
As the morning went on more people began to fill the streets. Young tamers made their way from shop to shop purchasing items here and there for their journeys. By the time they had finally gotten to Two Heart ranch clouds started to roll in. There was little chance of rain but the shade was welcome. Once inside they were quickly greeted by a MaidYvette.
"Good morning sir, miss. My name is Rose, how can I be of assistance today?"
"Good morning Rose. I have a voucher to pick up a starter pokégirl. How would I go about doing that?"
"Really? You’re getting a..." She cut her comment short when she saw one of his eyes close and the look she got from the other wasn't friendly in the least. She had already been disciplined twice for angering customers and couldn't afford a third strike. "Sorry, I mean I need to see you pokédex to confirm the voucher." She took his dex and plugged it into her computer. "There we go... Wow those are quite the scores you have there. But age and wisdom. Please follow the signs to the viewing rooms." She returned his pokédex and pointed to way.
"I know he seems a bit old to be a tamer but we've had some problems and it may just help bring in some money." Henrietta grabbed his arm and hugged herself close to him. "No worries love. I know we can make it work."
"I know dear, it's been a rough patch but I'm glad to have your support." Marco caressed her hand gently and the two started down the hall, leaving a dreamy eyed Rose to her work. Once far enough down the hall Marco gave her hand a squeeze. "So 'love' what was that about?"
"It really is odd for someone your age to be a tamer and she looked like she was about to start asking questions. I left the details vague enough to keep her occupied trying to think about what happened to us. Do you not approve?"
"No, the story was fine. But wouldn't it have been odd if she found out you were a pokégirl?"
"Yeah, but I look completely human and I haven't been added to your new pokédex yet. As long as I don't get scanned I get to play the role of your faithful girlfriend.”
“I suppose your right; let’s just get this over with. I never was fond of these kinds of places.” On the left was a door with two lights on the top and a sign next to it. [Enter when green, wait when red]
The light over the door was green, but before they could enter the door opened on its own. On the other side was a woman wearing a grey lab coat and a knee length green skirt and top. “Good morning or afternoon, whichever time it is. I’m Kelly Branoff, what can I help you find today?” She began tapping at the tablet computer and pulled up his data.
He nodded and shook her hand. “Morning, I’m Marco Readman, this is Henrietta. I’m thinking about getting a Peekabu but I would like to look around for a bit.”
“Very good Mr. Readman, you two can have a seat here. The video monitors can be adjusted and you can scroll through the pokégirls that are currently on the site, then we have prerecorded videos of girls that are either in storage or off site right now. I see by your record here that you have a voucher for a free uncommon pokégirl. If you want one of the rearer breeds you just have to pay the difference. I'll leave you to it; just press the call button when you’re done." With that she flipped a switch on the wall and walked out.
The two of them sat there for an hour looking through videos of the various pokégirls. The videos were straight forward enough; the girls would standup, turn for profile shots, then move around and show off their bodies. The bottom of the screen ran basic bio information: age, height, domestic or feral born, literacy, education if any at all. Marco had decided on a Peekabu and was fortunate enough that they were all on site at the ranch. He pressed the call button and moments later Kelly had returned.
"Have you made your decision Mr. Readman?"
"Sort of, I have selected six Peekabu that I wanted to have a look at in person. Is that possible?"
"For safety reasons we can't put you in the same room. But we can put you in an observation room with one-way glass."
"That would be fine, thank you very much for your help." Henrietta waved and checked Marco’s pokédex to make herself look busy.
The three of them walked further down the hallway and came to another door. On the inside was a large one-way pane of glass, the room itself reminded the Marco and Henrietta of rooms police use for lineups. Soon the pokégirls filed in and took their places. He placed his hands on Henrietta's shoulders as she stood in front of him and activated his powers. Their eyes flashed a shade of violet and the girls lit up like Christmas trees.
"So hun, which are you thinking?" She leaned back against his chest.
"Well, they are all very nervous. Number five is on the verge of trying to make a break for it from the look of things."
"Yeah, that one has some anger issues. She is a new threshold and was sold to us to pay off a gambling debt. The family was pretty well known for their stance on anti-pokégirl rights. Seems like a grand set of karma, too bad her father has a gambling problem."
"Sounds like an entitled brat with really bad luck. Oh well, them's the breaks. What can you tell me about number two?"
"Yes Miss. A feral born, she was picked up for a special effects show but it wasn't working out. She kept shocking the actors and performing pokégirls. She wasn't in the best of shape when she was sold to us but the healing did trick."
"Can you define 'not in the best shape' and how was she shocking the performers?" Marco was looking at the fairly young looking Peekabu and the flames burning inside her. Her threat flame was white and almost non-existent; her emotional flame was grayish shade of blue much lighter than the others. Her strength on the other hand was violently fluctuating between yellow and red.
"When we got her she was in bad shape. Both of her eyes were swollen shut, her left arm had a compound fracture that had to be reset, a broken nose, and some missing teeth. After we reset her arm and healed her she was physically 100%, mentally... well... yeah. As for how she was shocking people, that was the strange part. Even on the slow motion cameras you could never actually see her strike her victims with bolts. It was all very strange." Kelly shook her head as she tried her best to clear her mind of the images of the Peekabus arrival.
"I would say that she can generate so much electricity that the insulation couldn't handle it. Not really her fault. Rietta what do you think about her?"
Henrietta arched an eyebrow but didn't bother to look back at him. "I think the poor thing is a wreck. Her eyes look dead but there is some heat back there. If nothing else misery loves company and Teá will have someone to play with."
"So that's a yes?" He nodded and Kelly punched some numbers on the tablet. "Since she's going to be your starter I'll have her level fived for you."
"No. That won't be necessary, I wouldn't mind running her through a cleaning cycle though." Marco watched the girls being ushered out of the room. With a gentle pat on the hip he and Henrietta moved back out into the hallway.
"So that's no to the L-Five and yes to a cleaning. She should be ready in a half an..."
A large crash was heard from a door at the end of the hallway marked [Authorized Personnel Only]. There was another heavy thud and the sound of muffled screaming as the door bowed outward. The alarm went off over head and the three of them kept their eyes on the door as they back away slowly towards the front desk.
"You have any idea what that could be?" Marco asked as he pulled Henrietta behind him. More muffled screams could be heard then another loud bang. With that last impact the metal door bowed even more and a splat blood sprayed against the walls. Then dead silence.
"I think a pokégirl got loose, the police are on the way now but the building has been locked down to prevent her from getting out into the public... Duck!" With one last bang the door came flying off the hinges and down the hall.
There she stood, around 5’7 and appeared malnourished for a girl of that height, blood dripped slowly down her razor clawed hands. Her silver hair was splayed wildly around her and cut into the leather top she was wearing. Glowing blue eyes stared into his from the other end of that hallway; he couldn't be sure because of her red skin but it looked like her face had cuts on it. As Henrietta looked at her she had a sudden feeling of anger welling up inside, both because she may know what the pokégirl is and more so because she might be ordered to put the girl down. It was just nearly audible but the soft sound of crying could be heard.
'That's not just blood; those are tears coming down her cheeks. I've heard of them but I have never seen one before.' Henrietta moved back in front of Marco, if this pokégirl rushed them she would have to fight her in the extremely tight space of the hallway. Still she could feel anger biting at her.
"I'm not going to bother asking what a freshly made Penance is doing here. But she needs to be stopped." Marco let out a deep sigh and shook his head; he wanted to avoid fighting and injuring innocent people, they had to keep it inside. Looking up he saw a potentially useful room marked taming restraints. "Look, if you can avoid it then don't kill her. Try and take her into the room of taming restraints..."
Just then the Penance made a break right for them. Thinking quickly Henrietta pushed Marco and Kelly back then charged forward meeting the girl at the intended room door. She kicked the door open and pulled the charging girl inside, throwing her against the far wall with a heavy thud. Immediately she picked up on how much heavier the Penance was than she looked, then noticed the slashes in her jacket. She knew the girl had blades for fingers but was careful to avoid them. ‘Where did these cuts come from?’ As the thought entered her head the Penance rushed forward and whipped her hair at Henrietta leaving several slashed on her cheek. 'Razor sharp hair? This one is full of surprises.'
"Look I don't want to hurt you but I can't let you leave here." A furious head shake was the response she got from the frantic girl. "I know you have been through something horrible but..." The other girl didn't waste any time charging her again and this time pinned Henrietta against the same door they had come in through.
The bladed claws ripped through her jacket and managed to draw blood before a solid punch to the chest knocked her away. Behind her she could hear pounding on the door and yelling coming from the other side.
"Use the restraints and be sure to watch out for her hair! Do you need any help?" Marco yelled from the other side of the door.
"You're a little late jackass, that hair is very sharp! I'm fine so stay out there!"
As she was talking she grabbed a heavy duty ankle restraint. With a wide swing she fully extended the lock bars turning it into a makeshift staff. The penance rushed her again but this time she was better prepared for her. She had backed up against the wall and was waiting. Just before the Penance connected Henrietta ducked out of the way and she put her hand right through the wall, locking her in place. In a swift motion Henrietta had her free hand locked into one end of the restraint then twisted it around behind her back. With a sharp kick to the back of the knee the Penance dropped to the other knee and had the restraint attached to the ankle on the opposite side. With her mobility severely hampered she began to thrash violently causing more cuts to Henrietta's face and torso. That was until she had finally gotten fed up and threw a thick leather mask over her head restricting her hair.
From the outside all Marco and Kelly could hear was the sound of violent fighting. Kelly jumped back in surprise when a bladed fist flew through the wall next to her head. A couple of seconds later the claw was removed and she could see a bloodied girl restraining a masked girl using heavy duty taming restraints.
"All... All clear" Henrietta yelled from the other side of the door. Marco kicked it open and rushed in to find Henrietta sitting in a chair clutching her right arm and stepping on the bar connecting the penances feet while her right hand held the chain connecting her hands and neck.
"You, um, how'd it go?" Marco took off his button down shirt and pressed it against the side of her face that was hit by the razor hairs.
"As good as you would think, it hurts but I'm glad I didn't have to kill her." It really did look a lot worse that it was. Though the hair was razor sharp the cuts on her face were shallow with the exception of the first head whip on her cheek. Sure she had taken some unnecessary damage but the other girl was subdued and she had kept Marco safe, it was a win in her book.
“You, you’re a pokégirl? Well I guess I didn’t really notice… how could I not notice? What kind of breed are you?”
“No, I think I have some better questions. Like why are you making Penance in this facility?” Marco was furious, though not certain, he knew it took a tremendous amount of time and abuse to create a Penance.
“I would never do anything as deplorable as create a Penance. Besides, what makes you think she was created here?”
Marco gently removed the mask she was wearing and smiled at her. “I’m not going to hurt you; I need to take a look at your face. As soon as we are done we’ll have you healed and get a statement from you. Will that be ok?” She was still crying but had settled down and stopped struggling. Slowly she nodded and tilted her head up so he could have a better look. “Do you see those? Those are fresh cuts; do you have any idea how difficult it is to cut a Penance? Her hair is razor sharp, it sliced through Henrietta’s reinforced jacket just by brushing past it, but it’s not cutting her skin at all. That means that she just evolved and they didn’t have the chance to heal yet.”
Kelly blinked slowly, he was right, there was no way she just got those injuries. They were made before she evolved. “You’re right; we need to figure out where she was being kept and what happened to the person who was abusing her.”
“Henrietta are you ok to move or do you need a minute?” He reached back and released Chesra from his other pokéball. In a flash of red she materialized and looked around the area.
“I’ll be fine; I just want to find the heartless bastard who’s responsible for this. Chesra can you give me a quick heal?” Chesra had gotten right to work pouring healing energy into the cuts on Henrietta’s cheek.
“That was enough to stop the bleeding, it’s going to scar for now as you know but a full healing treatment will fix those. What will you have me do master?”
He let out a short sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose; he really did hate it when she called him that. “I need you to stay with her and make sure she’s ok. The police will be here shortly, make sure they don’t touch her, try to make her comfortable without releasing her. Hey, (he waved to get her attention) this is Chesra, she is going to take care of you until I get back. Try to relax and this will be over shortly.” The Penance nodded and sobbed when he finished talking then settled back onto the chair she was leaning against.
The three of them walked down the hallway, tracking the blood and scratch marks further down the hall. Once they got to the frame of the door that was kicked down the scene looked really bad. The lights were broken in different places and only the emergency lights were illuminating the hallway. The walls were lined with scratch marks and splatters of blood, low groaning could be heard from the various rooms and a darkened spot on the floor. A Nursejoy was trying to crawl to her feet, from what could be seen of her face she had a few deep gashes and a really nasty looking bruise. Kelly quickly rushed to her side and helped her up.
"Are you ok? What happened in here, where did she come from?"
"Give her a chance to get her head straight. Now miss. relax and take a deep breath, the police and medics will be here shortly. Can you tell us what direction she came from?" He raised her head and checked the side of her face.
"I'll be fine she just caught me off guard. We heard a loud boom then she came down from the ceiling. She was trying to open the door but couldn't grasp the knob with her finger bladed hands, and then she proceeded to beat the door down. The another breeder tried to stop her but wound up being used as a ram to break the door, we recovered his body quickly after it went limp then then others locked themselves in a room to try and heal him while I tried to talk her down. That's when she slammed my head into the wall. When I came to, you both were standing down the hall. What was that, thing?"
“That was a Penance; she’s been captured and is under guard. But, she was created here and I want to know why and how. You said she dropped down from the second floor?”
“Yes sir, up through the hole over there.”
They walked over to a pile of rubble and looked up. It was too dark to see through the hole. “Henrietta could you give me a boost up there?” With an eerie grin she grabbed Marco by the waist and flung him through the hole with enough force that he almost hit his head on the ceiling. “Damn it be more carefu..l … KELLY! HENRIETTA, I WANT HER UP HERE NOW!”
Henrietta jumped to the second floor carting Kelly in her arms, Marco was furious and pacing back and forth in front of a metal table. It was obvious why he was so upset. The table had heavy duty wrist and ankle straps to hold a pokégirl down. Next to the table was a rolling tray with various surgical devices, a few of them were still bloody. Against the far wall there was a tripod knocked over with a camera still attached to it.
Marco was seconds from losing control, there had better be a damn good reason for this or there were going to be lots of problems. "Please, tell me how you didn't know about this. I'm trying to be calm about this but just explain it to me." Worked his way over to the camera and removed it from the tripod.
Kelly backed away from the two of them and opened the door to look out into the hallway. "This part of the second floor is being renovated and marked off limits. This is one of the taming rooms and is sound proof to keep from disturbing office workers. The renovation has been going on for two and a half months... Why are you so calm?"
"Cool Headed blood gift. Here look at this, do you know this guy?" He rewound part of the video, when it started playing again there was a man in a lab coat walking around the table. A Diva was strapped down and gagged. It looked as if she had been there for quite some time already. There we're jagged gashes on her cheeks, her finger nails had been pulled off, and electrodes were attached to her thighs.
"Oh my pretty Diva, it is such a shame that you don't struggle anymore. Even with that gag you have such a splendid voice." He drug the blade of a scalpel along her face leaving a long cut.
There was a pleading look in the girls’ eyes, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to stop or to just finish and kill her. There was barely anything left of the dress she once work, he had insisted that she look perfect for the camera but it was useless now. The Diva had finally given up hope and closed her eyes to try and will her death. With a loud crack her head was snapped to the side from a hard slap.
"I don't remember giving you permission to rest. We still have much to go through together." His back was to the camera and the clanking of a belt buckle being undone was nearly audible.
"This was taken a little over an hour ago, I'm just so... Wait... Do you hear that?" They all stopped breathing and paused the video trying to figure out what the sound was. A low male groan was coming from somewhere in that room. In a corner they finally notice a pile of dark colored blankets. They rustled a little and an arm slid out from underneath it.
"Ugh... I can't believe that bitch evolved... Should have killed her when I... Oh good, I could use some help here. I'm pretty sure I have a concussion and I've lost quite a bit of blood." It was the same guy from the video.
"David... What have you done, how could you have done this? In my facility? Why?"
"You could never understand. It's such a rush of..." David was just getting to his feet and started to rant, that was until Marco punched him in the stomach.
"I don't care to understand something as depraved as you. Kelly this way please. Henrietta... make sure he's alive for the police." He grabbed Kelly by the wrist and pulled her out of the room.
"It would be my pleasure to make sure he is ready for the police. Come here..." The smile Henrietta wore was someplace between bloodthirsty glee and pure fury, it was the last thing they saw before she kicked the door closed.
"He's human, she's not allowed hurt him. She will be sent to execution if she lays a hand on him."
"This happened on your watch, in your building, for who knows how long. I want to say that you're just as responsible as he is, but that's just not the case is it. As it stands, a full investigation, review, and audit of this facility is in your future." He continued to walk down the hallway in search for the stairs. "With any luck though that will be the most of your problems."
"I plan on cooperating as much as I can; it's this way back to your other pokégirl... Wait a second. Why are you getting a starter? I've seen you with two other pokégirls and apparently they see you as their master. What's going on here?"
"That's classified; all I can tell you is that I am a beginning tamer."
After leaving the stairwell and hanging a left they were back at the room he left Chesra in. The only problem was the police blocking the door; two humans took the back line while an OfficerJenny and a Growlie were talking by the door frame.
"You understand you are disobeying a lawful order. Move aside and let us through." A police officer stated plainly to Chesra.
"Currently your orders do not supersede my Master's. I was told that you would be coming and not to let you touch her. The easiest way for me to do that is not to let you in. He should be back shortly." She folder her arms and planted a foot back just in case she was rushed. "Any and all grievances can be taken up with him."
"It seems I got back just in time. I am Marco Readman Chesra's tamer. Chesra go down the hallway then up through the hole in the ceiling. Henrietta should be there with the primary suspect. Make sure he is okay then help him down the stairwell and bring him here." She nodded and took off down the darkened hallway.
"What primary suspect. What's going on here?" The Jenny was not happy with the current situation; there were a number of injuries and property damage to be written up as well as this tamer and his Armsmistress to deal with. "I want to know what's going on and I want to know now."
"Afternoon, I'm Kelly Branoff, owner of Two Heart Ranch. We have had an incident with one of our employees abusing pokégirls, she turned into a Penance and Mr. Readman was helping with the situation since he was here."
"And what was your business here today sir?"
"I'm here to pick up a starter pokégirl; I was just getting ready to leave when this went down. We detained the rampaging pokégirl then went to investigate where she came from. I have a video camera with conclusive evidence that points to the suspect."
"Where did you get the camera sir?"
He smirked and handed the camera over to the human officer. "It belonged to the suspect himself."
"You’re going to have to come down to the station and fill out a report on the incident." The OfficerJenny spoke as she moved towards the Penance.
"Not going to happen, you have all the evidence you need and I have other things I need to get done today. What are you planning on doing with her?"
"This is not up for discussion and that is none of your business." The male officer stepped up in from of Marco. "Your pokégirl already caused us enough trouble. At least now I know where she gets it from."
"As the owner of said pokégirl and of this facility I would like to know what you're going to do with her."
"Well from what we have gathered she attacked people in this facility. That means she will be confiscated and more than likely turned into poképower."
"She had just evolved and if you have any idea of how you evolve a pokégirl into a Penance then you know it's not her fault. If someone is going to be punished for what she did it should be David!" Kelly shouted and moved herself in front of the Penance.
There was a dull thud from the other end of the hallway then the door to the stairwell opened. Henrietta stepped through first wearing a smile that could only be described as pleased. Chesra was following closely behind, dragging an unconscious David behind her. He had been healed but was sporting an impressive lump on his forehead.
"What's the meaning of this, what happened to him?" The second officer ran over to check the man’s vitals.
"He fell down some stairs. Is there anything else you need us to do sir?" Chesra dropped the man to the floor and reentered the room with her master.
"No. I'm just waiting to get my starter then we are leaving."
"I thought I said you had to come to the station. Cooperate or you'll be arrested."
"You can't arrest him. He's just helping while he's here and if he refuses to give a statement then that's on you." Henrietta crossed her arms and rest against the wall outside the room as she spoke.
"And just what would you know about it?" The OfficerJenny eyed her, trying to gauge what she might have to fight.
"To answer Kelly's previous question, I'm a Calamityjane. So I know everything you do, you useless twit."
"Now now no need to be rude. Kelly, if she's willing I would like to take the Penance with me as well." Marco reached down and stroked her cheek. She had been quiet the entire time and looked up at him with watery eyes. "I would have to warn you, it will be a lot of hard work though. Would you be ok with that?" She nodded slowly and he gently brushed a hand over the top of her head. Then he instantly regretted it, having completely forgotten about her razor hair.
"If she wants to go with you then she's all yours, no charge."
"Now see here, you can't have her. She's under arrest for attacking humans." The male officer stepped forward again.
"Sir I just finished reviewing the video camera," The Growlie walked over and handed him the camera. "It’s exactly as they said. She transformed right on the video, blew a hole in the floor and was just trying to escape. As it stands we have conclusive evidence of this man’s crimes, he will also be charged with kidnapping, and any charges brought up against the Penance will be directed to him as well."
"That's fine, but we will still need a statement from you sir."
“If you going to press the issue then fine, fax a copy to this address and I’ll return it completed.” He handed his pokédex over to the OfficerJenny. Instead of a fax address thought, it had his name, rank, official position, and in flashing red print at the bottom a message. [CLASSIFIED: DON”T YOU DARE SALUTE ME!] Said OfficerJenny went cross eyed for a moment, then recovered and handed it over to the male officer. “Is that good enough?”
“Um… Yes sir. Sorry you to hold you up today, we’ll fax the paperwork to the office and you can take care of it when you get to it.” He quickly handed the pokédex back. “Drag that scum along, Miss. Branoff please come to the station as soon as possible. Let’s go people; we need to get out of the way of the paramedics.”
“… What was that about? They went from attempting to arrest you to just wanting to get away from you.”
“Once again, that’s classified. Can I just conclude my business here?” He started to walk off towards the waiting area up front. “All I wanted was one Peekabu. I get roped into a fight, then into an investigation, run across an amaz…” His voice cut off as he went through the doors. Kelly just shook her head, it had been a screwed up morning… but at the very least it was almost lunch time. She just needed to make sure his two pokégirls were prepared for him and while that was going on she would do some digging of her own.
An hour had gone by and Marco found himself waiting patiently on a bench. Henrietta had asked to go back in the pokéball to rest a little more and Chesra was acting as a guard for her adrenaline dumped master. She recognized Kelly walking out from the building and nudged her master to get his attention.
"Miss. Branoff, I hope that there weren't any problems."
"Of course not... Lieutenant Colonel Readman..." Her digging had paid off and through a few newspaper clippings and video reports, had him identified as the man she was dealing with.
"You've been a busy little Buzzbreast I see. Did you finish with my new pokégirls?" He chided her and shook his head.
"Yes I did, they both got a cleaning cycle and are ready to go. I really want to know though, why are you getting a starter. I've seen some of your girls in action before, so why did you want fresh pokégirls?" She handed him his pokéballs and took a seat next to him.
"I want to travel, see the parts of Indigo I haven't, teach some young tamers how to treat their pokégirls, and win some gym battles. And though the ladies I've called my family for the longest time could do that, they aren't trained to fight for sport. Chesra here could have killed those officers without drawing her sword and the only reason Henrietta had any injuries at all was because she was trying to subdue not kill." He knocked on the side of Chesra's armor to get her attention. "Not to say they can't hold back. I think I've had more than enough fun for today, ready to go home?" She nodded and took his hand.
"I was going to offer to take you to lunch, but I guess you have other things to do today. When you come back be sure to stop by."
"I'll consider it the next..." In a poof Chesra had teleported away with him, by the time he knew what happened they were back at the barracks. He chuckled and gave her hand a squeeze before walking off. "That wasn't very nice; do I make all you ladies that jealous?"
"If you have to ask, a few of us yes. None quite at much as Kelly, though she would never admit it openly. There is a question on our minds though."
"What does the collective of beauties want to know?"
"Which one of us you will take into your bed first?"
That caught him off guard, he really hadn't given it much thought, but to have it brought up in such a blunt manner. "Well to be honest, I really haven't given it much thought; I am open to suggestions though." His eye brow lifted up as his normal childish and goofy smirk formed.
Chesra blushed deeply, she was the least selfish of the whole group, but did have her own wants. "I can't make an unbiased opinion or suggestion to such a question. At the end of the day though we will be with you and that's all that matters."
"You always will be my most trusted companion, never forget that." He removed the pokéballs from his belt and handed them to her. "Please let them out, make sure Henrietta gets healed first though. After that, take the new ones to Kelly so she can get the basic information from them. Thank you, for everything you've today." He walked into his office and quietly shut the door behind him.
"You never have to thank me master; I owe you everything I am."
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Alpha- Kelly- Duelist |
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Delta |
Echo |
Indigo |
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Beta- Chesra- Armsmistress |
Beta- Henrietta- CalamityJane |
Beta- Mina- Kunoichi |
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Emaline- FireMaiden |
Field Beta Selena- Caphoochie |
Renae- IceMaiden |
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Arianna- War Hound |
Alexis- Cherub |
Isabella- Mecha Musume |
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Kim- Bombshells |
Rebecca- Smokey |
Zianna- Lupina |
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Nikki- SexSlash |
Lily- Gloomy |
Leona- Lamia |
Harem
Chesra- Co-Alpha
Henrietta- Co-Alpha
Penance
Peekabu