A few days had passes since the mass battle in the forest outside Lavenderriere Town and they still hadn't dealt with the girls they captured. Marco thought it best to give them a little time to calm down and see that there was nothing to fear. It was pretty obvious after day one that they hadn't been treated well. While it was true they were prisoners they never spoke unless directly addressed and had a tendency to keep their eyes towards the ground. Sevon was the only exception and only because she had a sort of understanding with Jean and Zianna.
Kelly was resting comfortably in Marco's lap while he finished the last of his paperwork and sighed. He had noticed her bad mood as of late and decided to keep her with him while he worked from his apartment for the day. Not that she cared, her paperwork was finished and she was enjoying the extra time with him. He was actively trying to spend more time with his girls outside of training or taming them. They each were going to get an entire day alone with him and all were looking forward to it.
He bent over and gave her a kiss to get her attention. "Did you remember to sign off on having part of the bounty used to repair the buildings Carrie went through back in Lavenderriere?"
Since they were alone together she didn't have to be as official as she normally would be. "Sure did, she caused some minor damage but nothing too bad. I split the remaining difference between the unit accounts and your personal ones." She rubbed her eyes a bit. They had been taming earlier and now she continued to lay there topless. "You don't pay much attention to your accounts but there's a pretty large amount in there."
"Oh?" He scratched her head and brought up the information on his pokédex. It took a few seconds for his accounts to come up and when they did his hand froze in place. "How is that possible?"
"You must pay more attention to the stuff you sign. You're a partner in what turned out to be a very profitable honey production facility, remember?"
"I actually forgot all about it, not like things haven't been hectic or anything."
She was about to sit up but he started scratching her head again. "Sorry, with this peaceful day I've kind of forgotten that there are people out there actively trying to kill you." She heard the sound of his pokédex messenger going off and cracked an eye. "That had better not be the office; the others know we're not to be disturbed today."
He checked the message and started to chuckle. "Nope, it's Kasumi." He heard Kelly grumble something but continued on. "She's congratulating me on my win, giving me a hard time about my picking fights in every town I go to, and asking when I'll be back in Cerulesbian."
"She keeping tabs on you or something?"
"Or something..." He looked down and could see the tension in her shoulders. "Already knowing I'm going to regret this, you have a problem with other women being around me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You hate Kasumi and you've been making cross comments at Carrie since last month. Now that she's evolved I don't think she's going to continue letting you walk all over her like that."
She turned her head and bit him on the thigh. "It's something I'm coming to terms with."
"Try and figure it out before I have to get involved." He reached over and pinched one of her nipples in reply causing her to shudder for a moment. "But really, the other women... It's not like I make a habit of trying sleep with every woman I meet."
Feeling the bulge growing in his shorts she got up and moved to straddle him. "True, it's just the ones that are lucky enough to get close to you. Which forces me to bring up Chris."
He sighed and let his head roll back as she got settled. "Oh dear."
She smiled and ground her crotch against him with a soft moan. "Oh yes, oh dear indeed."
_____
Avalanche Office, 1035
After the battle that unfolded a few days prior Marco ordered the unit to take the week off and unwind. Naturally those who hadn't found hobbies outside of training or didn't have a specific job to do were bored. It was still the cold season so no one really went outside and spending the entire day eating just wouldn't do. The captives had already been taken care of for the moment so most had gathered in the viewing room to watch the gym battle from a better view.
Chesra had Mina standing up with her arms out and was taking measurements for the Kunoichi's new chainmail. Originally she was going to keep the same design as the previous set but thought better of it. At the rate girls from the unit were evolving she would probably chose to do so soon.
The Fallen Angel could tell her friend was still on edge about something and figured they could talk while the others were watching the match. "You've been really quiet since the battle. Something bothering you?"
Mina thought about Carrie and shuddered. "I don't want to talk about it here but I'm sure you sensed the same thing I did when the Giantess was killed."
"I did, I remembered those voices too. We'll discuss it later and figure out if we need to address our concerns to Marco."
"I'm sure it's already come up and even if it hasn't I don't think it will do much good. He's given her free reign to do as she pleases concerning that accursed thing. Until she starts posing a danger to those around her we can't say anything."
"Not true, we can say whatever we like but the final decision comes down to her. I'm his advisor after all and my words carry a significant weight."
Mina sighed and nodded in agreement. "Maybe talking to her directly would be a better idea. Where is she anyway?"
"Because of her change in elemental type she's decided to get more training in. You're your own pokégirl so you can do as you please but don't think of Carrie as the one who tortured you all those years ago. While she can tap into their abilities and they speak through her their opinions don't hold much weight." Chesra suddenly remembered something Alexis had mentioned earlier. "Besides you may want to wait until the other matters are settled."
"You mean Kelly; she's been riding her pretty hard as of late. Did something happen between them... Knowing Kelly it has to do with Marco." Chesra nodded and wrote down the final measurements leaving Mina free to stretch and have a seat. "Figured as much, just going to enjoy the taming and steer clear of the rest. Though I would pay to see what happens when they've both had enough."
"On to another topic, how's Zi adjusting to her new body?"
"Well, she's managed to bang her head a few times and has been spending a lot of time with that prisoner. Her powers have increased dramatically but she still sees me as her Beta so no worries on her becoming unruly."
"That’s a plus; Ari spent the majority of her time trying to prove herself better than me. If nothing else it gave her a goal to work towards... we need to get her back soon."
"I agree, after what happened a few days ago I believe Marco's done fooling around with Team Rocket. We just need to be ready for when he decides to take the gloves off."
"Oh we will be, I've decided to keep this form until after we face the Gym Leader in Sapphron City."
"Good." Just then Zianna walked in along with Sevon, the pair spotted the Beta's and took a seat next to them. "So, what's the good word?"
"Apparently my sister killed off four of Domico's harem before our battle even started. One died in some misguided attempt to gain her trust while the others fell after Haures was taken into custody." Zianna replied, making sure not to mention Delilah already informing them about the Nekomata.
Sevon nodded. "Cyri died the first week Miss. Ari was with us and then she killed two more for interfering with her training program. From what I understand, all that's left of Evan's harem is Pamela and Sandra. Miss. Ari is there but he knows she's far too dangerous to handle alone, probably why Pam wasn't part of the fighting." The Guard Maid noticed the odd looks she was getting and decided to elaborate. "Without Pam he has no control over Miss. Ari and knows she would kill him."
"Now we have a priority target for our next confrontation. We kill the Killer Queen and snatch Arianna's pokéball."
"What about the other two girls Miss. Kelly captured, what's going to happen to them?"
Chesra put her notes away and looked at the Guard Maid. "The Moon Bunny has been Level Fived and sent to a league training facility. From there she's going to be inducted into the military. The Imp is going to be working directly with me and Kelly during battles to help bolster our magical abilities. She won't be given any formal rank and will have no authority what so ever. This was decided on by the Colonel."
"And... what's going to happen to me?" Sevon asked hesitantly, her hand in her pocket fingering the teleportation coin.
"We're still working on that, until we have a full understanding of everything you know you're going to remain here."
~~~~~
While the others were watching the gym battle Chris was in the gym working out. A healing session was all that was needed to take care of the damage to her knee, the damage to her pride was something else. As she pounded into the heavy bag she let out her anger and frustration.
The detective had been trained from an early age by a pair of Amazons, a Chan and Lee respectively, and knew how to take defeat. But this was different, never before had she faced an opponent who beat her using so little effort. She also knew she was handled with kid gloves. Had Rachel, the only name they knew her by, been serious about hurting her things would have been a lot worse.
Jean sat in the corner reading a book, patiently waiting for her to finish and the Peekabu to show up. She had made plans to go shopping with Chris and Ashley in Cerulesbian City. Generally just taking a chance to go out and relax. After all the commotion caused after their gym battle they could also use the spare time to unwind.
Chris spun and back handed the bag then struck with a front kick that forced it backwards. "Damn it, I can do better than that."
"Maybe you could try learning a counter style, kind of like a counter element." Jean suggested while looking up from the romance novel.
Chris stopped and picked up her towel. "Real fighting doesn't work like that. Sure there are forms of combat that are considered to be better than other forms but it all comes down to the opponents’ mastery of their given styles."
"You're starting to sound like Chesra." Jean chuckled.
"Only because she's right. With pokégirls things are different, if you were to fight another Dark Kitsune who would win?"
"Ok, point having been made what would it take to beat Rachel?"
"The same thing it takes for you to beat a pokégirl of the same type, experience."
Just then Ashley came wandering into the gym. Her training uniform had several burn marks on it and she bled from a couple of spots but was in high spirits otherwise. "Lily is pretty good, too bad all that snow was on the ground." She unzipped her weight vest and puffed out her shirt. "I could use a shower and a little taming."
Chris struck the bag one last time then let out a calming breath. "I think we can get that taken care of before we leave. Besides I think I could use a reminder on why Pleasure Spark is banned in sex battles."
~~~~~
The trio was joined by Henrietta before they left and teleported to Cerulesbian City. It appeared as though there was a flurry of snow the previous night but the removal teams were already hard at work. The streets were busy as always with tamers making their ways around. Among them was someone they were hoping they had seen the last of a long time ago.
But there and looking slightly slimmer was Reginald Bernard IV. Life as a tamer was a lot rougher than he originally thought and he quickly discovered money wasn't getting him where he needed it be. Even if he had managed to acquire a couple of gym badges.
It was his Mist Bunny Amber who first noticed Jean window shopping and bumped into her. "Well if it isn't Jean, you're looking good." She shot sarcastically.
The Dark Kitsune ground her teeth in aggravation for a moment then thought of Marco. "Why thank you, time away from the fat bastard has been good to me. And you, you're looking old. Don't tell me the stress of suffering under his weight has finally taken its toll." She fired back just as Ashley and Chris made their way over. Amber was joined by Reginald who also recognized her. "Wow Reggie, I guess you managed to lose some weight."
Reginald fixed her with a hard stare. "Jean, I see switching tamers has done nothing to fix that attitude of yours. That guy who took you from me must have been all talk since you're with a woman now."
"If you mean my loving Master Marco, who doesn't force me to call him master, he's at home and gave us the week to do as we please. A prize for our victory in Lavenderriere. He really knows how to treat a pokégirl."
The mention of the town caused Reginald to shudder for a moment. He wasn't even able to make it through the graveyards let alone fight Integra or her assistants. "Well if you're still with him then who is this? Maybe she would like to get some lunch."
Chris shook her head in disbelief. "A) you're too young for me. B) I don’t like your attitude. And C) there's shopping to do."
"Don't you talk to him like that!" Amber yelled angrily. "Reginald's harem is twice as good as yours."
Ashley snickered to herself. "4.3 seconds."
"What?"
"That's how long it took for you to lose the last time you faced someone from our harem, 4.3 seconds."
At that very moment Henrietta came around the corner and was busy fiddling with her belt. "Sorry, damn line for the bathroom took forever." Immediately Amber started to growl. "Who's this?"
"What, you don't remember me?!" The Mist Bunny grunted.
Henrietta faked not knowing what the bunny was talking about for a moment. "Nope, but you're angry so I'm guessing you challenged my tamer and I kicked your ass. I don't have the time to remember everyone I beat."
"You cheated and hit me with a cheap shot."
"Really? I tend to shoot my opponents and let that be the end of it."
"YOU DID! You shot me five times!"
"Oh, then I didn't cheat you I just shot you, perfectly legal. You should have dodged."
Reginald stepped towards the Ghostrider but stopped when the flame licked off her collar. "Get your tamer because I want a rematch."
"He only has to be around for salvage battles and since that's not happening Chris could fill in."
"And if I did want a salvage battle?"
"He would decline. But come on, I got some time to spare."
"Are you sure this is ok?" Asked Chris.
"She asked for it, no backing out now." Reginald demanded.
Jean placed a hand on Henrietta's shoulder and gave her a pleading look. "Can I fight her, please? There's a score I need to settle."
"Ok fine, but you better not lose. Otherwise you'll be in for it when he finds out." Henrietta warned.
"Give me some credit, I did ace that that gym leader in Prussian after all." She said then felt a smug sense of satisfaction at the look Amber shot her. "That's right; I took down all three of them, Alpha included, on my own."
~~ Thirty Minutes Later ~~
The now five girls, Kasumi joined them, were laughing as they left the gym. It wasn't so much a battle as it was a savage beating administered by the Dark Kitsune. Reginald had blown yet another gasket after Jean nearly disemboweled the Mist Bunny. Kasumi saw them before the battle and was hoping Marco got her message and decided to stop by but became the judge for the match. Then she decided to go shopping with them.
Ashley was still laughing with her arm around the vulpine. "I can't believe you made her cry. Too bad Marco wasn't here to see it."
Kasumi giggled in agreement. "I think she wet herself too. Where is your hansom tamer anyway?"
"Busy fucking Kelly probably, she's been a real bitch as of late so they're spending the day together." Henrietta replied before taking a bite of her hotdog.
"I don't see how's that's different from any of the other times I've been around her. I get the feeling she doesn't like me." Pouted the tiny gym leader.
"You're not alone there." Chris smiled before throwing her arm around Kasumi. "But if you get the chance you should tame her. Worked wonders for our relationship."
"Really? I wonder why that is?"
All four girls started to chuckle then spoke in unison. "She squeaks."
They continued on their way around the city, visiting shops and enjoying the day. Since Kasumi was considered a local star they were getting treated pretty well by store owners and merchants. There were even a few who remembered them from the battle they had against Kasumi.
The day was coming to an end and there was one last shop Jean wanted to stop by. Her day alone with her tamer would be coming up soon and she wanted it to be productive as well as relaxing. They came upon Stone Enhancers, a store dealing in evolution stones and supplies, and started inside only to be stopped by an Amachamp.
"We have a strict look but don't touch policy when it comes to Evo Stones. If you can't keep your hands to yourself please wait outside."
Jean glared back at the muscle bound girl. "That's a fine way to greet paying customers."
The store owner, a hardened and older man, made his way from the back. "Sorry ladies, we've had some incidents in the past and after our recent rise in prices I can't any accidental evolutions."
Kasumi nodded and waved to the owner. "Hey Lee, how's business been?"
"Kasumi, rather slow as of late. Ever since that mess in Prussian everyone's shipments of evolution stones has slowed down. We've had to raise prices to make up the difference. Go ahead and let them pass."
The Amachamp moved to the side and let them in. Glass cases were set up for displays on the floor and lined the walls to show what was available. While the common stones were plentiful rarer ones weren't and the prices seemed to match. Just as pricey were the E-medals that hung behind the counter. Chris noticed that none of the cases had actual locks on them and appeared to be completely sealed.
"So ladies, what can I help you find today?"
Jean stepped forward and took a quick glance at a piece of paper. "I need a Shiny, Mana, and Dusk stone."
Lee's eyes bulged for a moment as he attempted to catch his breath. "You want all three?"
"Yes sir."
"Well I do have them in stock but it's going to be really, really expensive."
Chris craned her head to the side. "How much is really, really expensive?"
Lee pulled out a ledger and calculator then flipped to the back. After a few seconds of typing he let out a soft whistle. "One hundred and fifteen thousand SLC. That's with a discount if you get all three at once."
"Price is non-negotiable?" Asked Kasumi.
"Not for something like this."
Jean shrugged and handed over one gold and one silver SLC card. "I'll take ‘em."
Lee happily ran the cards and was even happier to pull out a set of gloves. The gloves themselves bore a slight resemblance to the ones the Enchantress Green used back in Lavenderriere but were longer, going up to his elbow. He went to each case and the gloves appeared to phase through the glass as he retrieved each stone.
"There are going to be some happy girls when they get these." He said with a smile and put them each in separate bags then in one larger bag together.
"Nope these are all for me."
Lee was going to ask what she needed all three stones for but Chris pulled his attention. "Excuse me; can I get the Fox E-Medal?"
"Sure, that's fifty thousand."
Henrietta scratched her head. "You know we already have one why buy one?"
"Ariel's been eyeing that medal in the vault for the last month and a half but since she doesn't know where it came from she won't take it. Our anniversary is coming up, seven years since she chose to be my partner. I thought it would be something she would like." She explained while handing over a card.
"That's so sweet, so what kind of pokégirl will she evolve into?" Asked Kasumi.
"A LawFoxx, she is an Officerjenny after all."
"Wait... so when you say partner you mean... You're a police officer?
"Close, I'm a detective in Sandstone. Ariel is my partner, lover, and friend."
"And she doesn't mind you wanting to sleep with Marco?"
Chris let out a loud laugh. "She wants to too; she'll never admit it though. Thanks," She said, taking the small bag and putting it in her pack along with the others. "This is supposed to be a surprise so please don't tell her, ok?"
"Sure thing, it's getting late so let's go get something to eat." Henrietta suggested after checking her watch. "I doubt the Jackass or Alpha Bitch will be home so we may as well eat out."
"Ouch, those are pretty rough nicknames." Laughed Kasumi.
"It's how I show I care."
_____
Avalanche Office, following morning.
Carrie was sitting alone at the kitchen table drinking a bottle of water when Kelly walked in, her mood going sour once she saw the girl. Ever since Yule the Duelist had been going out of her way to make cross comments at the expense of the former Penance. It was Carrie's breed more than anything else causing her to take the verbal abuse in stride and not lash out but now that she was a Mistress things were going to change. Marco had witnessed the interactions and warned Kelly of what could happen but she brushed it off as him worrying over nothing.
Carrie acknowledged her as she walked in and spoke in a soft voice. "Morning."
Kelly arched an eyebrow and went for the refrigerator. "So you can speak now." She shot in a hostile tone.
"Yes, speak, sing. I don't squeak though." She left her seat to wash her glass, putting her closer to Kelly.
The Duelist's face began to turn red from both anger and embarrassment. "Excuse me?"
Carrie never turned to look at her directly. "Psychic with a delta bond. I need to learn better control over it; seeing, hearing, and feeling through Master can have its disadvantages at times."
Kelly slammed the door, forgetting about her rings and causing the refrigerator to move. "You selfish bitch, I liked you better when you couldn't talk back!"
Carrie's punch came out of nowhere and hit hard enough to send Kelly up against the wall. The Duelist quickly recovered though and struck back with a front kick, making solid contact and forcing the other girl through the cabinets. Things escalated quickly from there as a full blown fight broke out. Kelly went airborne, intending to come down with a haymaker but got thrown through the table by telekinesis. Carrie lifted her again and prepared to slam her back down when a card appeared in the Duelist's hand. Before she could finish the slam she was hit on top of the head with a shield and dazed. Thinking quickly she glanced to the side and spotted Cassandra then grabbed a steak knife before Shadow Teleporting behind the card and slitting her throat then tossing it away.
The commotion was heard throughout the building and an audience was quickly gathering. No one knew what to do and getting between them looked far too hazardous. It all stopped when Chesra teleported between them with Marco and Bernadette. Kelly was quickly seized by Henrietta while Mina took hold of Carrie.
Marco took a quick look around the ruined kitchen then shot an angry glare at both girls. Immediately they stopped struggling though still held by the Betas and were maneuvered to stand before him. "What the fuck is going on in here!?" Both girls started speaking and for the moment he couldn't make heads or tails of what they were saying. Finally he lost his temper and yelled again. "Shut the hell up! You know what? I don't care, you're both in trouble."
"But..." Both girls started.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" His yell and tone causing everyone to go motionless. "I don't want to hear excuses! You both know better than this! You want to fight each other; you want to fight your family?! Fine! Chesra!"
"SIR!" She snapped immediately to attention, not wanting to make him any madder.
"You're in charge until I get back. They have two hours in The Pit to work out their differences. Kelly, you are no longer allowed to use your cards until I say so. Neither of them can have any weapons, armor, or use their powers. If they do, come get me." He made sure to glare at both of them. "Neither of you want them to come get me. After that, chain them together, they're going to clean up this mess. Order whatever you need to repair or replace the cabinets."
"Master, Marco..." The both started again but froze when he shut his eyes.
When they opened again they were back to the same soft and loving state he liked to keep them in. "You have no idea how disappointed I am in both of you. I don't want to speak to either of you right now but this will be handled when I get back tonight. Renae, you're dropping Bernie and me off at my parents."
"Yes sir." The Ice Princess responded quickly, taking them both by the arm and vanishing.
Chesra took the spot he left in front of the two girls and fixed them both with firm looks of disapproval. That was not the way they needed to start the morning. "What were you two thinking? You both know exactly how upset he was by that. Why were you fighting in here?" Neither of them said a word and that was just fine with her. "Even though the Colonel trains with us I doubt that he sees our true potential at times, I do, so instead of two hours in The Pit it's going to be four. You have ten minutes to get your gear on."
Carrie wrenched herself out of Mina's grip and fixed her with a look that made the Kunoichi back up. "Fine, I'll see you there." She said firmly before walking off.
"Alex, I want you on hand to observe them with me. Henrietta and Emaline, I need you two to prep the area."
Kelly let out an aggravated sigh. "Four hours, that's a bit much Chesra."
"You're in no position to complain. Don't forget that he restricted the use of your cards. Now get dressed, your opponent is waiting."
~~~~~
The pit was the only thing Marco had ever implemented that seemed outright cruel to the unit. Thirty feet deep with a diameter of sixty feet and padded metal post stuck in the ground at random spots, The Pitt was a form of punishment used for girls in the unit who couldn't settle a dispute through words and resorted to violence. Their weapons were taken away, they were given especially enchanted clothing that doubled their weight, and their powers were restricted to physical combat capabilities only. On top of that, heat lamps were used to increase the temperature or Renae and Selena would cool the whole thing depending on who was fighting, all to burn them out faster. The girls were exceptional and could fight for long periods of time so he always doubled what he thought was their limit and forced them to stay until time was up, healing when necessary and punishing anyone who broke the rules.
Only three girls ever figured out the true nature behind the punishments inflicted and once they confronted him he told them never to explain it to the others. Everyone had gone in at least once and it was almost considered a rite of passage for the initiates. Most importantly was that even after they finished fighting it out they were expected to spend the rest of the day together.
Kelly stretched lightly in preparation for her fight. She knew Carrie was tough even without her weapons and was thankful she wouldn't have the razor hair or fingers to deal with. "This is all your fault you know. You've been a bother ever since you joined his harem."
Carrie cracked her neck and bounced on the balls of her feet to get use to the extra weight. "That's a lie and you know it. I don't need to be a psychic to figure that out. You've only started being a bitch to me recently."
"Because you deserve it! You're in the way!" Those were the last words heard before the two girls approached each other.
Under normal circumstances, without cards there was no way a Duelist could beat a Mistress. The enhancements were just too out of balance for the fight to be fair. But Kelly was no average Duelist, she trained long and hard to reach the physical level she did and that was backed up by her rings. Carrie wasn't as strong or as fast as the Duelist but made up for that by being physically tougher to bring down. Her durability, endurance, and regeneration giving most breeds a run for their money.
The start of the confrontation was more brutal than the three girls watching overhead expected it to be. Though both girls scored clean hits Carrie took the worst of the exchange and hit against one of the post. Kelly charged forward to tackle but got caught and redirected head first into the same post. From there she was taken by the hair and rammed in twice more before bracing with her arm and throwing an elbow back into Carrie's chest. A nice lump was forming on the side of her forehead and she brushed her hair out of her face in time to block a kick headed her way. From there she grabbed and threw the girl before hammering away with several quick punches.
Blows were being thrown from the most awkward angles, showcasing both girl’s agility and flexibility. While Carrie was trained quite well and turned out to be a good fighter Kelly had been doing it longer and was better at it. Chesra, Alexis, and Mina watched from overhead, looking for reasons to step in or heal. The longer they watched the more the Fallen Angel was starting to think she miscalculated the time they needed.
"I don't think four hours is going to be enough for them to work this out." Chesra stated.
Alexis nodded in agreement. "I know Carrie didn't just turn vicious all of a sudden. Why is Kelly so angry with her?"
"I'm telling you that sword may have something to do with it." Mina grumbled, remembering the look Carrie gave her.
Chesra shook her head. "Love makes you stupid. I believe this is the right move by the Colonel though, if they don't get this out now resentment will build. This may not be enough to fix the problem though... Man they are going at it."
Alexis took a sip of her tea. "I've been desensitized to this sort of thing but it's still hard to watch. What if they don't get down to the heart of the matter?" She said hoping Chesra would understand the meaning of her statement.
"Then the Colonel will handle it."
_____
Foreplay Island, Readman Residence
Since it was the first time Bernadette had seen his childhood home he figured she would be somewhat stunned. What he didn't count on were the tears. She spread her arms out and sucked in a deep breath, basking in the warmth of the sun and smell of the sea. Quickly she had tuned and threw her arms around him in a big hug, instantly forgetting how scary he was just moments before.
"This place is amazing; it reminds me of my home town."
Marco let out a slight laugh. "Well this is my home town, welcome to Foreplay Island."
"Colonel, I'll be on my way." Renae spoke quickly, wanting to bail before he snapped.
"Go ahead, I'll see you later. Dismissed." He nodded and sent her on her way.
The door opened and a pale figure strolled out holding a parasol. She gave a light clap while keeping herself covered from the sun. "Congratulations nephew, I heard my little trainee put on quite the show."
"That she did, though the little Mistress is in trouble right now. Is everything set?"
"Of course. Your father didn't mind since he's not using it right now and your mother prepared a basket for you."
"Excellent, thanks for everything."
"No problem nephew, you two have a good time."
Bernadette stayed quiet while the two went back and forth but her curiosity was peaked. "So where are we going?"
Marco pulled her into an intimate embrace and gave her a kiss. "Sailing my dear. I know you've missed the ocean so I thought you might enjoy this."
Her eyes lit up like he'd never seen before and she grabbed his hands and started towards the dock. "This is going to be so much fun, have you ever sailed before?"
"Nope."
That brought the Piratit to a screeching halt. "You've never sailed before? How are you planning on doing this?"
"I plan on relying on my favorite Piratit to get us through this. I'm placing my life in your hands." He replied without a hint of hesitation and with a genuine smile.
"Oh this is going to be a great day."
They made it to the dock in the back and found his father’s boat. The old one Eric owned was too badly damaged after it capsized so he bought a replacement. Sixty feet long with massive head and main sails as well as onboard motors. The sight of the ship was enough to bring a tear to Bernadette’s eye.
"A fine vessel this be, can’t wait to hit the open waters." She beamed slipping into her accent as she looked around on board. A large red cooler sat on the deck with a note attached. She handed the note to Marco and cracked the cooler opened. Inside were a large quantity of sandwiches, several regular drinks, and a large bottle of rum. "Your mother has exquisite taste in rum."
Marco was busy reading over the note and laughed. "Good sense of humor too." He felt her press up against him from behind. "Ready to set sail?"
"In a moment, you know you never did answer the question I asked you before the gym battle."
"Oh? And what question was that?" He blushed, faking ignorance.
"You know damn well what the question is." She laughed. "Why did you decide to keep me?"
He looked at the deck, almost ashamed of the answer he was about to give. "I really wanted to fuck you."
She blinked a few times then let out a booming laugh. "Good enough for me. I get shot and end up with a loving, scary, strong tamer who what's to tame me senseless. Oh we're going to be doing a lot of that today."
_____
Somewhere in the Indigo League
Tessa groaned weakly and tried to sit up but fell back onto the bed. Days had passed since the battle and the last thing she remembered before falling unconscious was a familiar and comforting voice. She clutched her side with a groan and rolled over, her top had been removed and bandages were wrapped around her chest. Her wounds had been partially healed but she was still sore in plenty of spots.
Lying part way on the bed and seated in a chair was the dozing Thorne Jaleen. The poor thing had apparently expended a massive amount of energy healing the Neo-Iczel and passed out shortly after. Her hair was a disheveled mess and her face was drained of color but she appeared to snore contently. Tessa rolled out of the bed on the other side then draped the blanked over the sleeping girl before slowly and painfully making her way out into the hallway.
A heavenly aroma hit her nose and began to coax her down the darkened hall towards the light of a cracked door. On the other side of the door was a Mousewife, busy at a large stove, clad in a pair of tight shorts, an apron, and nothing else. Tessa made her way in and took a seat at the table, looking around for any other remnants of her true master's harem.
"Morning Tess," The Mousewife greeted, though never looking back. "How are your wounds treating you?"
"Kaia, still a little sore but I'm alive. So better than I was expecting to be. What's cooking?"
"Eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, flapjacks, muffins, pie, fish, steaks, and a cake... It's good to have you home."
"It's good to be home."
She left the stove long enough to retrieve a pitcher of thick, murky looking liquid from the refrigerator and set it down on the table along with a glass. "Drink that, all of it."
Tessa eyed the concoction with a measure of apprehension. "What is it?" She took a sniff and fought back a gag. "And why does it smell rancid?"
"I hear talking, not drinking." Kiai replied in a warning tone as she went back to her cooking.
The Neo-Iczel knew better than to trifle with the Mousewife, even Andzral didn't give her problems. She poured a glass and started drinking. Chewing was a more appropriate description considering the thickness of whatever it was and unsurprisingly it tasted as bad as it looked and smelled. It was a small price to pay as she suddenly started to feel her strength renew and her wounds heal. She finished the rest and moved to the sink to start washing the glass. That was until the wooden spoon cracked her sharply on the hand.
"I'll take care of those later, now have a seat. Breakfast is almost done."
Tessa rubbed her hand and fought back a curse but took her seat again. "Where are the others, actually, where is that bitch Andzral?" She asked in a bitter and hurt tone.
This time the Mousewife turned to fully acknowledge the Neo-Iczel. "I know you're mad and probably a little hurt that she didn't take you away before Evan got his hands on you but there wasn't time. Once the news hit we all knew what would happen and you were already with him." Tessa was about to speak but got cut off. "She had to get us out first and she knew you could take whatever would happen to you, you've been through it before. Can you fathom what that bastard would have done to Jaleen or Evelyn, not to mention Vicky?"
Tessa nodded and sat back in the chair. Her mind went to the battle she left and the two girls she knew wouldn't make it. She had been singled out early by what obviously wasn't an Archangel and defeated in what amounted to little effort. The others wouldn't have fared much better against the power of the Avalanche pokégirls.
"I know you're right but it still hurt to be left behind. It's a little sad but the only one I could depend on was the War Hound."
Kaia turned back to the stove and started turning things down. "What happened? When I found you you could hardly breathe and were clutching a giant meat tenderizer. All of your ribs appeared to be broken and we didn't have any spare pokéballs on hand for the healing unit."
Tessa shuddered as the memories of the past month and a half came back to her. "Evan picked up where Master left off, trying to kill Marco Readman and capture the Avalanche unit. We ended up in Lavenderriere after Readman registered for a gym battle there and joined with Breaker Oran. Arianna, the War Hound, had warned Evan countless times that we were marching to our deaths in regards to trying to kill her former master but he didn't listen... he should have. The plan was to ambush our target outside of the gym after the battle and kill him in one quick strike."
"I take it things didn't go as planned." Finally done with her cooking she gathered the food onto the serving tray and set it on the table before fixing a plate for Tessa.
"You have no idea. Thank you," She replied gratefully. "Ronda's sister Tabitha was the first to fall while trying to act out Evan's plan. Then Ronda lost it and gave away our position. I can only guess that Readman was expecting to be attacked because aside from his harem he had another dozen pokégirls on hand. We had some decent back up from Team Rocket but I don't think it was enough. I ended up fighting a Beta from the unit and got my ass handed to me... I teleported away before she could kill me so I don't know what happened to the others."
The Mousewife gave a somber nod and started stirring cream into her coffee. "I doubt things got better after you left the field. Though Angelica has a really tough harem from what I remember."
"If we had listened to her we wouldn't have had a problem. After Evan refused to take her advice she wasn't willing to risk her full harem. She only brought her Alpha and Beta with her and said that if things turned bad they would leave."
"I see, well we have you back and if there's any justice in the world Evan is in a shallow grave." A yawn was heard from the other side of the room as a young looking Cabbit stumbled in wearing a long t-shirt. She started to reach for the food but was dealt a firm smack on the hand by Kaia's wooden spoon. "Wash your hands first."
The Cabbit rubbed her hand before starting towards the sink. "Good to see you're ok Tessa. Andy was worried about you."
Still feeling bitter about being left to Evan Domico's lack of mercy Tessa couldn't help her response. "If Andzral was so worried she should have come and got me!" She noticed the young girl wince and shook her head. "I'm sorry, just a little bothered by it is all. Thanks for your concern Vicky." 'Kaia was right; he would have done horrible things to them just to watch them suffer.'
A few hours went by after breakfast and the taming that followed shortly after. The taming was more out of necessity than anything else. Even though Alphonso Haures was a brute and a middle manager in Team Rocket he cared a lot for his girls. That's why he made sure there was a place they would be safe in the event something went wrong and a home in Umbra Village on One Island was a good spot. They could find a neighbor to tame them but no one wanted to risk letting a stranger into the house.
Though the village was situated in the middle of the island Tessa could still smell the ocean on the breeze. She had forgotten what it felt like to not be afraid every waking moment. She sat with her back against one of the wooden post on the porch and stared at Chesra's hammer. Her breathing tensed as another flashback of their fight invaded her mind.
"It seemed a lot smaller when she threw it at me." She mused with the realization that it was wider than her chest.
"Someone threw that at you? No wonder your ribs were broken." Vicky gawked while she tried to pick it up. Just before she got it off the ground her better judgment took hold and she let it rest.
"I was going to wait until you dropped it on your foot to tell you not to play with that."
"That's mean."
Kaia laughed at the young girl as she set a glass jug of tea out in the sun. "They say pain is the best teacher."
"Andy was really upset when she smelled it. Who did it belong to?"
Tessa winced again in memory. "The Fallen Angel she fought in Prussian City, the first true attempt on Marco Readman's life. Speaking of which, are there still orders coming from Rocket HQ?"
"Oddly enough there are, Andzral and I have been fielding the messages since Master was imprisoned. Because of how he was taken in they never touched his accounts and this place was kept off book so no one came here. Andzral drained the accounts and converted the money the second she understood what happened then started moving us here." Kaia thought more on it while scratching her head with her tail. "Since then we've been here trying to figure out what to do. After you dropped in Andzral said she would be leaving and would return when she could. We're supposed to make sure the others don't get into trouble while she's gone."
Evelyn tried to put on her best innocent smile. "When have we ever gotten into trouble?"
"Levitating tree and desk fire, ring any bells?"
_____
The Pit, 1300
The four hours were nearly up and both girls were completely burned out. Their fight managed to last for nearly the entire time limit but with a half hour left they ran out of steam. Now they each sat on opposite ends of one of the post with their backs to each other. Bruised, battered, and unable to move they sat quietly, heat lamps baking them and waiting to be retrieved by Chesra.
Carrie tried to will her eyes opened but was too tired. "You're pretty tough for not having regeneration."
"I'll admit, you've got some good moves. This was one of the toughest bouts in The Pit I've ever had." Kelly responded in something akin to praise.
"How many times have you been in?"
"This makes number eight. Most were done with Mina."
"Why her?"
"She liked to pick on me about how I look." She thought to Marco and smiled. 'He never cared how I looked. I know he loves me but...'
"Well that explains her... So what's your problem with me?"
"I'm not going to get into that with you. Marco's pissed at both of us now and it's all your fault."
Carrie wanted to reach back and yank her hair but didn't feel like moving. "I'm really trying here, but fuck it. You believe whatever you want."
"I think it's best if we both stop talking for now."
Chesra teleported in looking down at both girls as the lamps cut off. "Times up, we're going to heal you but not restore your energy. You two have a lot of work ahead of you."
Kelly glanced up at the Fallen Angel. "You're enjoying this aren't you?"
"There was nothing enjoyable about watching my Alpha and my favorite student beat the snot out of each other. I have my orders to follow and you're going to do what Master commanded... that is unless you want me to go get him."
"Let's just get this over with."
~~~~~
While it took about an hour to get them healed up the rest of their day was spent cleaning the kitchen. What would have been a simple job turned out to be a more difficult. There was five feet of chain attaching them by the wrist, it gave them enough room to maneuver around but forced them to work with each other to get the job done. Carrie would sweep while Kelly used the dust pan, Kelly screwed in the cabinets needing Carrie to hold them in position. This interaction forced them to communicate with each other and work as a team.
Cleaning finished and chained together they were still going to be stuck together until released by Marco. That meant everything had to be done together; eating, going to the bathroom, bathing. But unless it was specifically necessary they never spoke to each other. Because of the chain they stayed in neutral areas like the video room and bar. The others made sure not to make an issue of them being chained together. They had all been through it before and harassing them was a good way to get tossed into the pit with the chained pair.
Night had finally fallen and with it brought Marco and Bernadette. The Piratit appeared to be in a daze and had a glow about her while also looking quite pleased. Marco was a bit more than tan, being sunburned on a good portion of his body. They had a pleasant day of sailing, taming, lunch, taming, fishing, taming, taming, and taming. Never the less there was an issue to be handled and only he could deal with it.
Kelly teleported the three of them back to his apartment by his request. This was different than when he dealt with the members of the unit but she wasn't going to complain. Both girls idly rubbed their wrist once released and waited for him to get situated. Naturally they moved to separate parts of the room.
Once he reentered he could still see tension between them. "You two ready to talk civilly about whatever problem there is? What caused that disgraceful display this morning?"
"She started it." They both said in unison.
"All I did was say good morning. She's been being a bitch to me for a while now." Carrie explained.
Marco nodded in agreement and looked at Kelly. "It's true, you have been and everyone's noticed. I understand that you're upset, I know why you're upset, but I can easily say that this isn't helping the problem."
"You know? You've all known she's been doing this and you let it go?"
"Yes, and you have every right to be mad. I can't explain the situation because it's personal to her but you didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of this. All the same you were still fighting. How did it turn violent?"
Kelly spoke up quickly. "She embarrassed me, made fun of me squeaking!"
"Well you do, and you know I think it's cute... also means I'm doing it right. So what should it matter?" He replied with a short laugh.
"Yes, I said that and I'm sorry. But a little embarrassment is nothing compared to you saying you liked me better before I could talk, and that I was selfish! I was hurt, and angry, so I hit her."
Marco glared harshly at the Duelist causing her to break eye contact. "I have no idea where you got selfish from and saying you liked her better before she could talk? That's no excuse for punching her but I would almost let it go. Kelly... I don't even know where to begin."
"That was uncalled for; I said it in the heat of the moment and didn't think how hurtful it may have been. Honestly... I deserved to get hit for that. I'm sorry."
"Now that we got that out in the open both of you come here." Both girls left their walls and stood in front of their master with eyes cast to the ground. "Do you know what's going to happen now?"
Kelly smiled weakly. "I don't suppose you're going to tame us both?"
"Actually yes, that's exactly what we’re going to do. You two are each going to help me tame the other. Any problems with that?" They both shook their heads then looked back and forth at each other. "So... who's first?"
_____
Avalanche Outer Perimeter
Out at the bordering area owned by Avalanche was a small lake in the middle of a patch of trees. Truth be known the lake wasn't originally part of the property but was formed during one particularly nasty fight between a young Chesra, Arianna, Zianna, and Mina. The lake itself was just a crater until filled in by Renae but when Marco confronted the four of them about naming it they settled on one based off their element types. From then on it was referred to as Dour Conflict and shortly after that The Pit was created.
None of that mattered to the girl currently sitting off the dock with her feet in the water. There was something about the scenery that always brought peace to the former Penance when she sat there. The others rarely strayed too far from the central area so she always found her way to the lake when she wanted some private time. She wasn't alone this time though; one of the lakes founders was on her way.
Mina was closing in when she heard the voice coming from by the water. She was still getting used to the idea of hearing Carrie speak let alone sing but much like Kelly's playing it was relaxing.
"It's all because,
I'm feeling sad and then I cry;
I don't know why...
The courage that I need,
The power to succeed,
Fills me with strength to fly...!
It's all because of..." She cut off when she noticed someone coming up behind her. "Something I can do for you?"
While Carrie's singing could be summed up as warm and inviting her natural tone seemed slightly more on edge and hostile. As if something was always keeping her on her guard. The only time she wasn't like that was when Marco was around.
"That's a beautiful song. I'm just stopping by to see how you're doing." Mina lied. The sword issue was still bothering her even after talking to Chesra days before and watching her fight Kelly in The Pit didn't help. "How are the new powers coming along?"
"Dark powers were very useful... But I'm thankful for having these powers now. I guess it's more so I'm thankful for the reason behind my having new powers."
"I watched the full viewing of your match against the Lucarda, that was quite the performance. Do... do you think you could have done it without the sword?"
Carrie could sense there was something the Kunoichi was trying to get to and considering how the Beta had been looking at her lately she was sure she wouldn't like it. "I'm not sure; I really owe you for giving it to me though."
Mina stared at Carrie, the Mistress having not turned back to look at her, and noticed she didn't see the sword on her. "Think nothing of it, where is it anyway?"
"The voices inside have been chatting me up all day and that Jurumi is still bitching a fit. I decided to place it in my pack and come here to clear my head. Before I evolved I couldn't hear them, now they are just chattering away. Oh well, it's my burden to bear."
That looked like the only possible transition Mina would be able to make. "You could always not use it anymore, reseal it so that you don't have to hear the voices or rely on its power."
"Excuse me?" Those two words had a definite edge to them as she stood and turned around. "I control it not the other way around. They can speak all they want but I make the final decision."
Now Mina had a reason to worry. Even though the harem and the unit trained and lived together it had been made very clear what the chain of command was. Carrie and the others respected them but when it came down to following orders their tamer was the supreme and only true authority.
Those piercing blue eyes focused on Mina's and never faltered. "If there's something you want to say to me then come on out and say it."
"Fine. It scares me, you scare me, it's taken me years to forget that voice. To forget the things she did, the things she made me do... And now she's speaking through you. What you did, how you killed that Jurumi, what you said to her at the end. It's all just like how that god forsaken Mazouku would have acted and I don't want you turning into that." Mina blurted out through shut eyes. When she looked back up Carrie's expression hadn't changed and that worried her more.
"Oh... So you think that just because she can speak through me, because I don't show mercy to my opponents, that I decided to trap the consciousness of some BITCH WHOSE SOLE PURPOSE WAS TO KILL MY MASTER IN THAT SWORD FOR ALL ETERNITY! ..." Carrie had steadily been getting closer as her voice rose.
"... I didn't mean..." Mina tried to cut in while backing up.
"YOU THINK IM CHANGING INTO SOME KIND OF MONSTER?! THAT I WOULD HARM YOU OR THE OTHERS, MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY!"
"STOP YELLING AT ME!" Mina finally screamed back. "I'm sorry ok; I should know I can trust you. The Colonel trusts you, Chesra trust you, and I trust you... I really do. But I'm afraid, I..."
Suddenly Marco, Ashley, Chesra, Henrietta, and Kelly teleported in around them. While Marco wasn't delta bonded to Mina he was to Carrie and could feel the intensity of the argument. Chesra and Henrietta came to get him when he called and brought Ashley along since she was with him. Kelly decided to tag along just to figure out what was going on.
"Every time I hear her voice it takes me back, back to a time when I was weak and useless. Constantly abused and forced to do things I didn't want to. I know you're not her, I know it, but I can't help feeling this way."
"What the hell is going on here?" Kelly asked in an attempt to figure out the problem.
Mina steadied herself. "We were talking about the sword and the effects I thought it was having."
"Talking? Talking generally doesn't merit a response like Marco and the rest of us showing up to make sure everything was ok." Kelly's eyes cut to Carrie. "This is your doing I guess." Even after their fight and the quite enjoyable taming session between the three of them she was still being hostile to the other girl.
Carrie completely ignored the Duelist and continued talking to Mina. "There are two things you need to understand Mina. First of all, that sword has no sway over me. I know what you're talking about, I've been through it. I would never do anything like that to you or any of the others. And secondly, there's a reason I deal with enemies the way I do, it's the same reason you and the others do the same. Him," She pointed towards a still confused and half-dressed Marco. "He's the reason. You're not delta bonded to him so you don't understand, every time, every fight, he's worried about us, all of us. It tears him up inside when we get hurt or when one of us dies on him, and it's just as bad on us when something happens to him. When he gets injured we know, when he spent those two months in a coma because we couldn't protect him we knew we were responsible, and that hurts just as much. So if I have to master a cursed sword, if have to killed every enemy that comes our way, if I have to absorb the powers of every pokégirl that dares to cause harm to him, you, or anyone he cares about. I have to live with it, I may not like it, but I'm going to do it."
Kelly let out a tense breath and nodded. "Carrie, I'm sorry. I've intentionally been mean to you because I let my feelings get in the way. Everyone here knows what's most important and for a while I didn't think you or the other non-military harem members understood. Bernadette still may not, but knowing our man she'll come to understand in time. You do understand though and that means a lot, what you're willing to do means a lot. I'm glad you're here and I'm sorry about the things I said, they were uncalled for and came from a place of misguided fear."
Now Ashley looked mad. "You didn't think we knew what was important, how important he is to everyone here? You thought you were the only ones that cared about him? I may not be delta bonded like you all and I can't just know what he's going though at times but I know how I feel. Don't you dare question my commitment to him."
"Fucking Christ, am I going to piss off everybody in the harem? I'm sorry, I have my own issues to work on and projecting my insecurities on to you all isn't right. None of you have ever given me reason to question your commitment to him or to us."
"Damn right we haven't."
Marco put an arm around both girls and hugged them close. "That's enough Ashe, she knows she was wrong and she's going to work on it. I don't want all this unpleasantness to get in the way of our evening. We have dinner and a movie to catch right."
"You're right, what I said may have been a little rough but that's the way I feel." The Peekabu let out a gentle sigh and pulled Kelly into a hug. "All is forgiven. There's still a lot to do so we don't need to be fighting with each other."
Carrie gave a single nod and started walking back to the building. As she got further away they could hear the soft voice of her singing again.
"It's all because of when I see, my friends
Oh my,
Every time,
They're always behind me
Pushing me on
Lighting the fire in me!"
Marco straitened his tie as he watched her walk away. "I believe that's a sentiment we all can appreciate."
_____
The days had passed and morning found everyone having a pleasant breakfast around the new table. Spirits were high and with the month coming to an end Tam would be returning soon. Kelly had talked privately with the harem to lay her concerns to rest and clear the air incase word had gotten to the rest of them. Avalanche as a whole were going to continue to take time off with a relaxed training method and more team building exercises.
Jean appeared to be particularly excited. When Marco said that he would be spending a special day alone with each of them she insisted that hers be last. There was something special she wanted to do and while it would require the help of an outside source the payoff was going to be more than worth it. Naturally she kept Marco in the dark, she didn't want him knowing what she had planned until it was too late for him to back out. Not that he would.
Marco poured another glass of juice and prepared to address the table. "As you all know, the second I'm released from the military you all become free pokégirls. What are your plans after that?"
The table had gotten quiet as everyone started to think. Nikki was one of the first to speak up. "I think I'll try and become a gym pokégirl. Always facing new challengers and testing them to see if they have what it takes to be real tamers."
Emaline smiled. "I rather like that idea. Though I would love to have everyone else there too. Maybe even get the Colonel to be the gym leader."
"It's not unheard of, I mean look at Colonel Guile. Though that would mean that sooner or later Marco would have to start taming all of you." Chris said with a laugh. "All and all I like the idea though, Avalanche gym, tamers desperately trying to earn their Ice Cold badges."
Renae laughed as well. "Poor bastards wouldn't stand a chance. I bet they would shut us down after six months for not giving away enough badges."
"That or because the Colonel would revoke the tamers status of anyone he saw abusing their girls." Alexis added before taking a sip of her coffee.
"For me to be that harsh on them and get away with it the gym would have to be on the islands." Marco mused, giving the idea serious thought.
From the side they could hear the front door opening and shortly after the visitor was in the doorway of the kitchen. There was a multitude of first for Avalanche to go through, the most important being that it was Hiyori standing there. It was the first time any of them had seen her out of uniform and in casual wear, that being jeans, a light shirt and a jacked. She kept her hair in its braid though and still carried the powerful disposition she always had. Along with her was Teá, the shorter Peekabu giving everyone a friendly wave.
Everyone from Avalanche stood up, waiting for General Butcher to enter then shared looks of confusion when the Dire Wolf waved them off. "No need to fuss everyone, this isn't a business call."
Still slightly confused, Marco motioned for them to come in while Chesra went and got them seats. "Miss. Hiyori, to what do we owe the honor of a visit?"
She bowed gratefully to Chesra before taking a seat. "First of all, good morning everyone. I received a personal call from one of your harem with a request for assistance in a matter. Teá decided to tag along so she and Ashley can catch up. It's good to see everyone looking well..." Her eyes caught sight of a girl who looked strangely familiar. "Carrie?"
The Mistress nodded and waved back. "In the flesh and without the red skin. It's nice to see you Hiyori."
"Likewise."
"Would you like something to eat?" Marco asked.
"Oh I'm quite... okay..." She took a sniff of the air and her sharp nose picked up on a delicious scent. "Is that fish?"
"Yes, picked up fresh this morning, our expert fish cook Bernie made the dish herself. Please have some, and then explain why Jean felt the need to bother you."
Hiyori placed a few of the fish on her plate then gave her attention back to Marco. "How do you know it's her?"
"I don't really, but she seems to be the least surprised to see you. Still I'm sure there's a good reason."
"Well you are correct; she asked me a simple favor that I could take care of quite easily. I need to take you both to a special location and then I'll be on my way."
He knew that Jean had something special planned and had been keeping it a secret the whole week. He just wasn't sure what Hiyori had to do with it. But if the Dire Wolf wasn't being inconvenienced by it he would just go along with it. Jean finally spoke up, concerned that he was upset with her. "Please don't be mad, it's something really special we have to do together... but to get the most out of it we have to travel kind of far away."
Now his interest was peaked. "How far is kind of far?"
"Um... The Edo League... Trust me; it's going to be worth it."
"... Do you even speak the language?"
Hiyori finished her first fish with a delighted smile and cleared her throat. "Currently she does not but some time with me using Dream Time will make her quite fluent."
"So... If you don't mind me asking, why are you doing this?"
"Truth be known, getting you moved to Black Ops was far more difficult than General Butcher would let on. I'm sure you're aware that not many of the officers cared much for you and having you gone was going to be a dream come true... under the assumption that they could get their hands on the remnants of your unit. Leo saw more in you than they did and didn't mind your unorthodox yet very successful style. All the time and effort that he put into making sure you got what and where you needed has never come back to bite him and in fact elevated him to the position he's in now. I thank you for this. So if it's a mundane task such as this or waging war on your side in the event you need help I am ready and willing to lend a hand."
Marco was left speechless and Hiyori went back to her fish while he cleared his head. "I... I'm not sure what to say."
"You're welcome; being the General responsible for overseeing the unit that fought toe to toe with Sanctuary and came back with captives has brought Leo nothing but praise and pardon my French. Shit isn't the only thing that can roll downhill."
Sevon rubbed her fingers over the coin she kept in her pocket while listening to them talk. They had never even looked at her funny let alone harmed her, but she had been there for a week. By now Phoebe was surely thinking the worst. She was hesitant to look across the table at those who treated her so well.
"Mr. Readman?" She called in a low and almost inaudible voice. "Were there anymore questions you needed to ask?"
"You've appeared to answer everything you could have as honestly as you could. Alexis finished your interrogation and I don't have anything to add. Why?"
"Because I've kept my sister waiting long enough. Angelica assured us that you wouldn't hurt us and she was right, you're all very kind. But it's time that I leave. I'll give Miss. Ari your regards."
Marco was about to reply but she broke the coin and vanished before anyone could move. Oddly no one appeared to be concerned about it either. "Alex, is her leaving going to come back to haunt us?"
The Cherub took another sip of her coffee. "No sir, she's no danger to anyone here. Her sister and Angelica had plans for getting her from Evan anyway and if they all thought she was dead until now that just works out better for them. She'll tell them about how she was treated and that will give Angelica and her harem even less reason to come after us. Well..."
"Well what?" Kelly asked somewhat nervously.
"Well that's according to the psychological profile I built of Angelica Oran based off what Sevon told us and the little data I could find on her. There's a big question mark hanging over that woman though."
Hiyori finished her last fish and cleaned her mouth. "That question would be; why is such a person working for Team Rocket in the first place?"
_____
Elsewhere in the league that morning a group of pathetic looking pokégirls were looking back at their new master. Some looked ready to break into tears, some already had, and a few looked fired up. The Demon-Goddess and Killer Queen stood with firm looks, each flanking a side of Evan. Farther away and against a tree leaned the War Hound.
"Congratulations, each of you was personally selected by me to be in this harem. My name is Evan Domico; you are to refer to me as Master Domico. The women behind me are what is left of my last harem, Sandra is the Alpha and Pamela is the Beta. Those positions are available to anyone who believes she's worthy of the title."
All the girls continued to stay quiet. The rumors about the man they stood in front of weren't good ones. The fact that he referred to his current girls as what was left didn't help to ease the tension. Even though they were all supposed to be there for combat; different breeds brought different takes on the situation. One girl in particular didn't seem to be bothered at all.
The lime green furred Warcat stepped forward. "How exactly do I go about becoming the Alpha, Master Domico?"
"Now that's a good question. My Alpha before Sandra here betrayed me and paid the price for it. You want to be my Alpha; I command absolute and unquestioning loyalty, any problem with that?
"No, Master Domico. I am the Alpha you seek."
"We'll see, you all begin your training today."
A fire pulsed in the girl’s eyes as she looked back at Evan. "I don't need any additional training and I'm willing to kill my harem sisters if asked to." Though Evan did appreciate her enthusiasm he was finding that he would need to rein the overzealous feline in.
The branches in the tree rustled when Arianna pushed off of it. She made her presence known to the girls for the first time and caused some of them to back away. Coolly, she stood before Evan with her hand out. "Lord and Master Domico, give me her ball."
"What do you need her ball for?"
"It's to keep her alive; you may not be fast enough to realize she's going to die so I'll ball her as soon as I'm done. She doesn't seem to know how to listen either and while I deplore how you tame your new girls I think she could use the harsh treatment."
Evan and Arianna had finally come to a bit of an agreement or better yet, and understanding. She laughed at them without mercy when she found out how poorly their mission went and even after he beat her it did nothing to hamper her mood. Since then and to Pam's dismay he had started taking her advice more seriously.
Evan tossed the ball at her and crossed his arms. "You're the trainer and it's your job to get them in line. You do what you have to, kill one of them if you must but I don't want any issues out of them. Understood?"
Arianna held the ball in her hand with her thumb poised over the recall button. "Before I get started I want them to understand exactly what they are getting into with me. Please take out your dex and read both of our entries." Evan did as she suggested and read both her entry as well as that of the Warcat, the irony between the two war pokégirls not being lost on anyone. "Now that that's out of the way let's get some thing’s out in the open. I hate him and if the opportunity arises I'm going to snap his neck then make sure you're all awake to see who I kill and who I don't. Don't worry about Pam, if I start doing that it's because she's dead and I'm not under her power anymore. I hate the weak, anyone too weak to support themselves means that I have more work to do so I'm going to toughen each and every one of you up." All the girls except the Warcat began to shift away from her.
The Warcat stepped out from the group. "You're all talk. We all heard our stats; I can beat you without breaking a sweat."
Arianna sighed and stepped away from everyone else before moving into a stance. It appeared slightly off with her still holding to pokéball in her forward hand while the other was just slightly behind it in knife edge position. "You're more than welcome to prove your point."
The Warcat lunged from where she stood and prepared to come down with Slash. Unfortunately for her Arianna read the attack well ahead of time and countered, knocking the Slash away with the pokéball holding hand and thrusting the other palm into the feline’s chest where her heart would be. The force was enough to stop the girl dead in midflight, make her heart stall for a few seconds, and caused her to drop to her knees clutching her chest.
Arianna waited until the Warcat's eyes were about to roll into the back of her head then recalled her. "As you can tell I've been trained not to give a fuck about enhancements or numbers. Pissing me off is akin to knocking on deaths door and I will answer, so when training, you will do exactly what I say. The only thing's I want to hear are yes ma'am and I will do better. Is that understood?" The others were still too stunned to move or speak and that just wasn't going to do. Her growl came out low and she teleported in front of them before taking the closest girl, a Griffin, by the throat and lifting her up. "I didn't catch that."
"Yes ma'am!" They all screamed.
"Very good," She released the girl and shoved her back into the line. "Any questions?"
One girl, a light blue Vaporita raised her hand. "One must wonder why you aren't the current Alpha."
Arianna eyed the girl and took note of how she spoke and maintained her composure. "A fair question that I did explain partially. As I said I hate him and will kill him if given the opportunity. As his Alpha that would put me in close proximity to him at all times and that would mean more chances to kill him."
Another girl, a red furred Foxymaiden, was next in the line of questions. "If that's the case then why do they keep you around? It's obvious there's not much to stop you so why take the risk?"
"Ah, another good question. Pam here is a Killer Queen and keeps me from lashing out and killing him. Lord and Master Domico's boss is forcing him to keep me around until he finishes his impossible mission or dies. Either way I'm just biding my time until things change. There's time for one more question before you start running."
"What's this impossible mission?"
"Your job is to capture girls from the Avalanche unit of the Indigo Military and attempt to kill their commanding officer, Colonel Marco Readman."
"That doesn't sound all that difficult."
"To put things in their proper prospective I'm a member of that unit and there are others much stronger than me. As soon as I kill Lord and Master Domico I'm going back there." It was obvious that she had confused them and at that point their time was up. "Now get running, anyone I catch is going back into the ball to be healed. Because I'm going to beat them to a bloody stump."
Without wasting a second thought the girls took off running like their lives depended on it. Evan nodded in mild approval then caught the ball Arianna tossed back at him. "Not bad, but that's enough talk about killing me."
"Don't like it, do something about it."
Sandra sighed and took a seat on the ground. She was also trying to figure out what the War Hound was up to. "There are plenty of weak girls out there, why aren't you taking to them like you did with the others?"
"The last ones I decided to care about died; I'm not going to get attached to them because I already know their fates."
"Don't be so sure." Evan spoke in a haughty tone. "Angelical was a bigger pain than she was an asset. Campbell is going to be way more useful than she was."
"Funny, if you listened to her I would be an obedient, broken, wreck. Mourning the death of my Colonel and preparing to kill myself."
"That would almost have made it worth it."
_____
One Island, Haures Residence, 2130
Over the course of the week all of Tessa's injuries were completely healed. But despite the ability to laze around all day she found herself sticking to the training program Arianna had established. It made her feel better and after some prodding she got the other girls involved. Vicky bitched a vicious fit in the beginning but a healthy application of the wooden spoon was enough to get her in line.
They were all sitting around the table eating dinner when the door was thrown opened. The Hunter Bondage Elf entered quickly while dragging a tied up and squirming body behind her. The breed couldn't be told due to the head bag but it was clear whatever it was it wasn't happy about her current situation.
Kaia shook her head in disapproval and let out an exhausted sigh. "You should call when you're bringing company for dinner."
"That's not funny Kaia. Help me get her situated and I'll explain everything." The pair made quick work of getting the struggling girl into a chair and strapping her down before removing the head bag. Even with the angry scowl and muffled cursing the Officerjenny was rather attractive. "If you don't calm down things are going to get a lot worse for you."
"Damn it Andzral, who in their right mind kidnaps an Officerjenny?" The Mousewife prepared remove the girl's gag but fixed her with a stern and even look. "I'm going to take this off, now if you start screaming I'm going to jam your mouth open and cut out your tongue, understood?" The officer stopped squirming and nodded slowly. "Now, would you like something to eat, we have plenty."
"I would like you to let me go. Why am I here, what did I do wrong?"
"You poor thing, I'm actually pretty interested with why you're here too. Andy?"
Andzral was busy fishing through one of the kitchen drawers and didn't look back to answer. "The only thing that's important about her is where she works. Ah, there it is!" She cheered before pulling a meat cleaver out. "Now... Sarah I want to get some things out in the open. No matter how this goes you're going to get hurt, how much depends on you. Even if you tell me everything you know I still have to hurt you a bit but if you don't tell me what I want to know I'll just dice you up and still get what I want." The Officerjenny's eyes went wide and she started struggling again. "Shhh, it's okay, I know you're afraid and believe me when I say this isn't personal. If you cooperate they will make sure you're well taken care of and I'll personally take you home. So let's not let a bad attitude get in the way of what could be a fairly painless talk."
____
|
Alpha- Kelly- Duelist |
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Delta |
Echo |
Indigo |
|
Beta- Chesra- Fallen Angel |
Beta- Henrietta- Ghostrider |
Beta- Mina- Kunoichi |
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Emaline- Fire Maiden |
Field Beta- Selena- Caphoochie |
Zianna- Wolf Queen |
|
Kim- Bombshell |
Rebecca- Smokey |
Renae- Ice Princess |
|
Nikki- SexSlash |
Alexis- Cherub |
Isabella- Mecha Musume |
|
Arianna- War Hound- MIA |
Lily- Belle Awesome |
Tam- Catgirl- School |
|
|
|
Leona- Lamia- KIA |
Harem
Chesra- Co-Alpha
Henrietta- Co-Alpha
Carrie- Mistress
Ashley- Peekabu
Jean- Dark Kitsune
Bernadette- Piratit
Handler
Christina Reynolds
Ariel- OfficerJenny