Disclaimer:
This work is fiction. The work is presented under fair protection where applicable.
Feedback will be read, processed, and if it’s a flame it will be given the finger, then I will burst into hysterical laughter. Constructive feedback, be it criticism or praise, will be read, processed, given a smile, and filed away. To contact me, please send an email to socom.seal@(SPAM)yahoo.com. Remove (SPAM) for a valid email.
You should not read this if you are not of legal age where you reside. This work can contain rape, BDSM, cannibalism, and probably anything else my sick, twisted mind can come up with.
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Chapter 07
Barry was staring at his pokedex when he heard the commotion outside. He could hear Lars’ voice arguing with somebody, the other voice indistinct until he could hear them walk into the common room.
“What do you MEAN he’s been reassigned?” Lars roared. “We need hands HERE!”
“I’ll get you another Hunter.” Timothy’s voice drifted into Barry’s room. “It’s for his own good.”
Barry sat up when Timothy poked his head in. The Hunter glanced up at Barry and waved. “Yo. Glad you were listening, get packed up. We’re leaving.”
“Where are we going?”
“Zerobulo. You’re being reassigned.”
Barry felt a twinge of anxiety. “Zero-“
“Let’s go.” Timothy ducked back out of the room.
Barry grabbed his bags, walking out into the common room and starting for the door.
“Barry.”
Barry paused, looking at Lars. “Yea?”
The other Hunter was clutching a chair. “They wouldn’t tell me what you’ve got, Barry. They told me to be quiet. And now they’re sending you off to Zerobulo.” He shook his head. “Listen to Timothy. No matter what he tells you, listen. He’s one of the smartest men I know. He won’t let you down.”
Barry didn’t respond, only nodding slightly. Lars gave him a terse smile and watched the younger man walk towards the exit.
Timothy was waiting outside, his Enchantress already out of her ball. “Barry, you’ve got three minutes. Call your parents, tell them you’re being reassigned.”
Barry blinked. “But I don’t know...”
“You’re not supposed to.” Timothy interrupted. “Two minutes.”
Barry quickly pulled out his pokedex, keying in his father’s number. The phone rang until it switched to voicemail. “Dad, I’m not going to be in Goldenrod anymore.” Barry winced. “They’re reassigning me to Zerobulo. I’ll be safe, ok? I promise. Don’t worry about me.”
Timothy waited for him to hang up. “You’ll still be able to call them, but not for a few days. It’s unfortunate that you couldn’t talk to him in person but a message will have to do.”
“Why?”
“I’ll explain when we get there.” Timothy replied. “It’s going to be a shock, so just bear with it. Ok?”
Barry sighed. “Ok.”
“Tina, let’s go.” The Enchantress took each human’s arm, teleporting them. Barry gasped when the sharp, cold air hit, a stark contrast to the mild Goldenrod morning.
“Give me your Ka-D-Bra.” Timothy called, holding out his hand. “I need to make sure you don’t release her inside.”
Barry looked around, shivering slightly in the wind. “Where are we?”
“Outside the city.” Timothy’s voice hardened. “I said to bear with it. Give me her pokeball.”
Barry grabbed Mina’s pokeball, watching nervously when Timothy slipped it into his pocket. “What now?”
“Now,” Timothy replied, “we head inside.”
Barry felt Tina grab his shoulder, the unexpected contact startling him. The landscape twisted when they teleported again, a large metal door appearing in front of him. “MARTINA, ENCHANTRESS, GARDNER!” Tina yelled, her voice echoing in Barry’s ears and whispering through his mind. “ONE GUEST.”
“Return for your Tamer.” A voice called, Tina vanishing at the command. “Guest, step off the pad.”
Barry looked around in confusion, hesitantly stepping off the platform. “Uh-“
“GARDNER PLUS ONE.” Barry jumped at the yell, Timothy appearing behind him. “Teleport safe.”
“Lock it down.”
Barry looked at Timothy nervously. “What is all this?”
“You’ll be briefed later.” Timothy replied. “You can have your Ka-D-Bra back now.”
Barry took Mina’s pokeball back. “What was all that about?”
“You had to come in through the public pad.” Timothy replied. “While the block was open, we couldn’t risk an unauthorized pokegirl having access.”
“A block?” Barry followed Timothy through the door. “A teleport block?”
“That’s right.” Timothy stopped in front of a dark black glass window. “Timothy Gardner, L4, nothing to declare. Escorting one guest, four to declare.”
“Room two.”
Barry looked around for the disembodied voice, not noticing Timothy already moving on. “BARRY!”
“Coming!” Barry hurried to Timothy’s side. “What the hell is all this?”
“Procedure.” Timothy replied.
“I thought I was being assigned here as a Hunter.” Barry complained.
“You are. Until we can get to your paperwork, you’re my guest.” Timothy explained. “I said to bear with it, didn’t I?”
“Sorry.” Barry muttered. “What now?”
“You need to declare your harem.” Timothy replied, pulling open a door. “Just place them in the machine.”
Barry stepped inside, looking warily at the strange healing machine that dominated the space. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Barry pulled the pokeballs off his belt, slotting them into the machine. After he pulled his hands away the lid closed, a low light beginning to circle the latch.
“Guest, declare four. One Pirouette. One Ka-D-Bra. One Mossmelon. One Sphinx. No banned pokegirls detected. No banned combinations detected. No banned tech detected. Remove pokeballs.”
Barry quickly retrieved them when the lid opened. “Ok.”
“And you’re set.” Timothy smiled. “Come on. There’s someone you’ll want to meet.”
Barry followed him out, jumping when the lights in the room behind them snapped off automatically. “Someone to meet?”
“That’s right. He’ll help explain the security.” Timothy led Barry down a hallway, opening an office door and grabbing a pad. “Before we see him, you need to sign this.”
Barry took the pad, absently scrolling through the pages of writing. “What is this?”
“Are you aware of what security clearances are, Barry?”
Barry nodded. “Sure. I don’t think I have one.”
Timothy shook his head. “No, as far as I know you don’t. Your pokedex, any public computer, even the system in the Goldenrod Hunter station operates on clearance. As a L0, you couldn’t access anything more than basic and cursory information. However, this station operates on L5 clearance, publicly available to leadership and specific Hunters stationed here.”
Barry’s eyes widened. “That’s the top level.”
Timothy nodded. “That’s right. Almost every person you pass while you’re working here will have public L4, with a handful of L3 and L2. But each and every one of us has sealed L5 access. We need it, to be fully aware of criminal movements and possible incursions from Mt. Silver. You’ll have it too, after you sign this liability form. Of course, you won’t just be handed access to L5 information - the Videogirls here monitor every request. As long as you need it, don’t worry, just don’t go looking for things you have no business knowing.”
Barry took a deep breath. “Okay. I understand.”
Timothy waited for him to sign with his fingerprint and turned off the pad. “And with that, it’s official. Welcome to Zerobulo.”
“I’m so confused.”
Timothy chuckled. “Your transfer paperwork was already processed. For now, we’re going to start showing you around the station so you know where to go and what you can do. You’re not going on patrol for a few days unless an emergency pops up. That’s why I said you’d eventually be able to call your parents again, but not for a while.”
Barry grimaced. “So I’m still suspended.”
“No.” Timothy smiled. “You’re not, Barry, but Zerobulo is nothing like what you were doing in Goldenrod. Until you figure out what we do, and how we do it, it would be unsafe to let you join the patrols.”
“So I’m suspended.”
Timothy sighed. “If you want to call a fresh start suspension, sure. Do that. Let’s go.”
Barry quietly followed him down the hallway, taking in the various amenities. “Am I supposed to live here the whole time?”
“You are.” Timothy gestured aimlessly. “There’s a cafeteria, dorms, an entertainment center, training facilities... it’s pretty nice.”
Barry caught a glimpse of a handful of Tamers through one of the doors they passed. “So where are we going now?”
“I told you, to meet someone.” Timothy paused in front of a door, pushing it open for a moment before moving on. “He’s in one of these.”
Barry followed him into the third door they came to, blinking to adjust his eyes to the sudden bright light. “Is this- are we outside?” He shook his head slowly and turned, taking in the grassy field. “No, outside is cold.”
Timothy chuckled. “MARK! BARRY’S HERE!”
Barry blinked. “Wait, Mark? The guy from my training group?”
Timothy grinned. “Yup. MARK! WHERE ARE YOU?” He looked around, his smile fading slightly. “This is his scenario room. Where the fuck is that kid?”
Barry jumped when he heard an explosion somewhere nearby. “Uh-“
“Ah, what the fuck.” Timothy grumbled. “Uhh, let’s see. Sapphire!” He released the Wyveri, “go find Mark, would you?”
Sapphire lifted her head, her nose twitching. “Four, Master. Five. Human.”
“Four pokegirls?” Timothy muttered. “Okay, he picked up something new. Go get him, please.”
Sapphire nodded, launching herself into the air. She winged her way into the field before abruptly shifting, slamming back into the ground. Barry yelled when the ground burst to life, grass and vines recoiling from the growling dragon and revealing a number of humanoid forms.
“There he is.” Timothy chuckled. “That’s cute, he’s practicing his bunker formation.”
“His what?” Barry asked nervously.
“Come on. I’ll just show you.” Timothy began walking towards the group. “Mark! You’re getting better. I couldn’t see you at all.”
One of the forms broke free of the group, revealing themselves to be the grinning Tamer. “Hey Tim. Yea, better, but Sapphire still saw straight through it.”
“If it confuses an attacking feral for even an instant, it’s done its job.” Timothy replied. “Look who I found.”
Mark turned, his grin widening. “Hey Barry! I heard a rumor you’d be getting posted here. Probably a bit overwhelmed, huh.”
“Uh, yes. What are you doing here? Are they just... throwing new recruits at the mountain and seeing who survives?”
“He’s officially stationed here.” Timothy interjected. “No more secrets.”
Mark nodded. “Awesome. So, no. They’re not just throwing new recruits at this place. You’re the newest guy here.”
Barry sighed. “And what does that mean?”
Mark reached into his pocket, withdrawing a badge. “Let me reintroduce myself. Mark Wehrman, Hunter.”
Barry stared at the badge. “You’re not... wait. I saw you. At school. You’re my age.”
“Sure am.” Mark chuckled. “I’ve been a Hunter since I was fourteen. Not officially, of course, but I passed my trials a few years ago. Been sitting at L1. I went through the whole provisional crap to make it all public.”
“So, you knew. Everything that we did out there, you knew what was going on.” Barry shook his head. “Did you fail your tests on purpose?”
“Eh, I didn’t know everything. The tests? Yea. Not the feral thing, I wasn’t allowed to have a pokegirl until then. It probably showed, huh?”
“I mean, no?” Barry massaged his temples. “That’s crazy, so you already have a real license?”
“Mmhm.” Mark gestured at Timothy’s pokedex. “What’s it locked behind, public L2?”
“It’s only L1.” Timothy replied. “Any real clearance knows your rank.”
“So why are you here?” Barry asked. “I mean, even if you’ve been acting as a Hunter for a few years, you’re still not even close to the kind of Hunter I’d expect to be stationed here.”
“Oh.” Mark grinned. “I live here.”
“You-“ Barry stared at him. “You... you live in Zerobulo?”
“That’s right.” Mark gave him a smug smile. “Oh but how, how could a kid from the most backwoods town in Johto get into such a prestigious school? After all, everyone got in on daddy or mommy’s money, didn’t they?”
“Hey, don’t tease him, Mark.” Timothy chuckled. “You’re no different.”
Mark shot him a disgruntled look. “Hey. It wasn’t money, it was a favor. Big difference.”
“Mm. Sure.” Timothy grinned. “Anyways. Barry, I’m leaving you under Mark’s care. Mark, make sure he’s all settled in before Saturday’s exercises.” He was turning away when a thought struck and he turned back. “Oh! And Barry, when you think you’ve got the hang of things, I need to debrief you on the Rocket activities you’ve been working on. We’ve had some suspected movements out here, so we need all the info we can get.”
Barry watched him leave, turning to Mark after a moment. “Well. How’ve you been?”
“Girls, form up!” Mark called, waiting for his harem to cluster behind him. “Doing well, man. Keeping things safe around here. What have you been up to?”
“Well, spent a few weeks chasing thieves in Goldenrod, got into some trouble, discovered I had an unidentified blood gift.” Barry shrugged. “And that sent me here.”
“So you’ve been busy.” Mark shooed him into the hallway, his harem pushing out after him. “Let’s give you the tour. You check your girls in yet?” He continued at Barry’s nod. “Cool, Gi can show them around while we’re walking.”
“Uh, ok, sure.” Barry looked between the pokegirls behind them. “Where is she...?” He trailed off when he finally took in the size of the girls standing there.
Mark glanced back and frowned slightly. “Shia, can you... lean down, a bit...?”
The towering Venuswhore giggled and crouched to reveal a glowering dog girl. “Thank you, Master.” She growled. “Hello, master Barry.”
Barry waved. “Uh, hey. Did she evolve?”
“Yea, she’s a Cerberass now.” Mark beamed at her. “The black and red looks fucking sexy, doesn’t it?”
“Sure does.” Barry grabbed his pokeballs but hesitated. “Maaaybe I should wait to release mine, though. I heard you have four pokegirls, and in the hall here I can only see one and a half.”
Mark laughed. “Yea, that might get a bit crowded.” He looked around and pointed. “There’s a common area over there, let’s head that way.”
The group spilled out into the room, a few other Tamers and pokegirls already occupying the space. Barry turned and watched the pokegirls spread out, finally able to see past the Venuswhore to the other two pokegirls standing there. “I don’t think I’ve seen either of them before.”
“Yea, you know Shia, kind of, but you’ve never met Aeris or Tara. Aeris is a Pidgette, and Tara is a Tesslass. I’ve been trying to get Aeris to evolve all week, but I think it’s too soon after she evolved from Pidgy.” He reached over and ruffled the avian girl’s feathers. “Get you flying faster than ever, right Aeris?”
The Pidgette cooed happily. “Yes Master. I want to fly the mountains.”
“We’ll get you there, don’t worry.” Mark chuckled. “Anyways. What you got?”
Barry triggered the releases, pointing at each pokegirl in turn. “I evolved my Tomboy into a Pirouette, and the Salalexis evolved into a Mossmelon.” He gestured at the other two. “And then I’ve added Mina, she’s a Ka-D-Bra, and Merineth there, she’s a Sphinx.”
“A Sphinx? Damn, Barry, she’s nice.” Mark laughed when Lagearna moved forwards and stepped in front of him. “Oh calm down, Gi. He’s got the cat, I’ve got my dog.”
Merineth smirked at the Cerberass. “Hello.”
Lagearna growled. “Master is mine.”
“And Master Barry is mine.” Merineth replied easily. “It’s not my fault if your master wishes to compliment me.”
Barry started to interject when he felt Mark grab his arm and begin to pull him away. “Wait, they-“
“Lagearna gets reeeeeally territorial.” Mark muttered. “Just walk away. They won’t kill each other, and I’ve told her to give yours a tour. It’ll work out.”
Barry glanced back to see the two pokegirls staring eye to eye, Merineth’s wings fully extended and dominating the space between the two harems. “Er, I don’t know...”
“It’ll be fine.” Mark urged. “Come on, let’s look at the cafeterias first.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barry exhaled when he felt the shockwave. It had been a few days since he had arrived in Zerobulo, not enough time to get used to the constant chaos, but enough time to understand it. It seemed like there was a major attack every day, whatever patrol was out there coming back bloodied. The various types of Hunters here each did their jobs, scouts, patrollers, defenders. Mark had explained his role as a defender - as Barry had seen, he acted as a stationary fallback point using his Venuswhore as a living bunker. The other defenders he had met seemed to use Rock and Ground-type pokegirls to form their bulwarks, or worked around the city’s defenses directly. He hadn’t been able to figure out Timothy’s job yet, but assumed he was a patroller, with the variety his harem covered.
“BARRY!” Heads turned at the call, Barry staring at the man approaching. “Good, you’re on time.”
“Timothy?” Barry asked in shock. “Is that you?”
“Who else?” Timothy grinned. “You’ve got your harem, ready to head out?”
“Hold on.” Barry was staring at Timothy’s outfit. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“Oh, this?” Timothy pulled at the tank top. “I always wear something like this when I’m on patrol.”
“But- Where’s your uniform?”
“It would be silly to wear it.” Timothy smiled. “You’ll see why. Come on, the team’s waiting.”
Barry followed, his harem filtering down behind him. “Am I really ready for something like this?”
“Probably not.” Timothy replied. “But you’re here now, so we need to get you into the patrol rotation.”
Barry nodded, following Timothy into an outer staging area. He could see two other humans standing there, various pokegirls milling nearby.
“Yo Tim!” One of the Tamers waved. “This the new kid?”
“Yup!” Timothy stepped forwards and shook the Tamer’s hand. “Good to work with you again Nick. Sorry I tried running your team off a few weeks back.”
The Tamer snorted. “I don’t blame you. Probably felt like a takeover.” He let go and nodded at Barry. “Stick with this guy, kid. He’ll keep you safe out there.”
“Yea, I’ve heard that.” Barry muttered. “I’ve seen you around the station, but you’re not a Hunter, are you?”
Nick smirked. “What gives you that impression?”
“You’re never in a Hunter uniform.”
Nick’s smirk fell. “Oh. Yea, I guess that would give it away.” He shot Timothy a look. “Shut your trap.”
Timothy hid his grin behind his hand. “Nick’s here as backup for us. Remember the Rocket stuff I told you about yesterday?”
Barry nodded. “The teleport arrests.”
“Yea. We don’t know how many they got into Johto before we started locking down the major cities, but we know they’re not random-walking through the wilds. We’ve got outposts everywhere watching for ports. Which means they’re going to start ramping up operations over Mt. Silver.”
“And that’s why I’m here.” Nick explained. “It’s standard M.O. for them to stir up a few feral attacks to divert our attention while they move goods through the pass. My team is on hand to stop those incursions faster than the criminals expect.”
“Hopefully in time to catch them in the act.” Timothy clapped his hands together. “But today, regular patrol. That one of your boys, Nick?”
Nick glanced back at the other Tamer. “Yea, that’s Henry. I figured we’d bring him for the extra power to cover the newbie.”
“I don’t need someone to cover for me.” Barry grumbled.
“Really? Because I do.” Nick shot Barry a smile. “Timothy does. Henry does. You don’t?”
Barry closed his eyes. “Ok, I get it. Sorry.”
“Nobody’s above needing some help.” Nick cautioned. “Staying alive. That’s your goal. Our goal. Having a friend at your back helps towards that immensely.”
“Barry, you’re with me.” Timothy cut in. “Nick and Henry will cover each other. Nick, we’re checking out Mike-8-12 to begin with today.”
Nick frowned. “That’s a bit deep, isn’t it?”
“Last night’s patrol found traces of a pack in the area. They think they’re day operators.”
“Then form a strike team for it? Why send a patrol.” Nick grumbled.
“We’re being sent to pin it down.” Timothy replied. “We’re starting in 8-12 and working our way through to 10-20. We’ll end off at the cabin if we don’t find any real traces by then.”
“You’re the boss.” Nick turned. “HENRY! Aerial infil. Think your bird can handle both of us?”
“We’ll ride on Sapphire.” Timothy said to Barry. “Keep your girls in their balls until I tell you. Alright?”
“What if we’re attacked?”
Timothy snorted. “Barry, you have my permission to ignore anything I say if it keeps you alive.” He grinned and bucked the boy’s shoulder. “We’ll be alright.”
Barry took a step back when Timothy released Sapphire, staring nervously at the dragon girl. “Are you sure?”
Timothy tapped Sapphire’s shoulder, waiting for her to shift before pulling himself onto her back. “‘Course not. But that’s the job. Let’s go.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barry stumbled when he slid off Sapphire’s back, catching himself before he fell. Behind him Timothy landed with practiced ease and turned back to the Wyveri. “Sapphire, get in the air. Low profile.”
Sapphire’s eye blinked and she returned to her humanoid form, taking off with a few pumps of her wings. Timothy lowered the arm he had used to shield himself from the debris her takeoff kicked up, looking back at Barry. “Alright. Nick and Henry are in their position, and she’ll keep us informed of any changes. I think it’s time you met my last pokegirl.”
Barry wiped dust from his face, coughing slightly. “You have another?”
“I do.” Timothy pulled out a pitch black pokeball. “She’s officially listed as my non-combatant.”
Barry watched him trigger the release, sizing up the pokegirl that materialized. “Another bunny girl?” He quickly clamped his mouth shut. “Sorry. I remember the last time I said something like that.”
Timothy snickered. “Barry, meet Claire. Claire, this is Barry. I’m sorry I couldn’t find some time for you to meet back at base.”
The bunny girl looked Barry up and down. “He’s very young, Master.”
“You already knew that.”
Claire’s face split into a beatific smile. “Of course. Barry, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Uh.” Barry awkwardly took her offered hand. “I, guess it’s nice to meet you?”
The shadow of a frown flashed across Claire’s face before she let go. “His gift is Psychic in nature, Master, but I assume it is an extension of charisma, of will, just as much as it is psychic.” She glanced back at Timothy. “It appears to be passive. At least, it isn’t active right now.”
“What?”
“Claire’s a Snugglebunny.” Timothy explained to a confused Barry. “I wanted to see if she could pick up on what the tests haven’t.”
“Here?” Barry asked incredulously. “Now? You’re wasting time with your noncom in the middle of some of the most dangerous wilds in Johto?”
“She’s listed as that.” Timothy agreed. “But you don’t think I’d be stupid enough as to have a truly non-combatant pokegirl? Especially in a harem with a Wyveri.” He snickered. “Claire, post up. I’m releasing Samantha.”
Claire inclined her head slightly and Barry cursed when she abruptly vanished from view. “The fuck!”
Timothy released his Shednobi, waiting for the insectoid girl to melt into their surroundings. “Claire is...” he trailed off, his eyes unfocused, “...special. She has... had the Tenebrous template.” He glanced at Barry, a tear beginning to roll down his cheek. “I refuse to discuss how.”
Barry quickly held up his hands. “I don’t even know what that is.”
“Okay.” Timothy turned away and vigorously nodded his head. “Ok. Good. Good.” He took a steadying breath before turning back. “Well. I’m trying to be transparent. No more secrets, now that you’re here. I know you were... Curious, before, yea?”
Barry nodded cautiously. “Sure?”
“Now you’ve, seen one of my, uh, more ‘public’ secrets.” Timothy’s voice broke and he shook his head again. “Barry I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry that you’ve been dragged into this life. It’s a deadly, evil world. I didn’t think I’d be joining it either, until I had an incident like yours. On that day, my Rage manifested… And I killed someone. What followed was the worst few months of my entire life. It was a dormant trait; so they wanted to see if I had others.” He let out his held breath, looking directly at Barry. “I was also born with Pokegene. It used to be mild, barely level one, but now after all of their experimenting and... prodding, it’s full blown.”
Barry narrowed his eyes. “I don’t see any Pokegene.”
Timothy pursed his lips. “I know. I needed to tell you before I showed you. The secret that nobody knows.”
Barry watched Timothy relax, his arms drifting to his sides. For a few second nothing happened before the man’s body abruptly changed, his skin shifting and sliding along his limbs.
Barry took an involuntary step back at the sight but forced himself to watch in morbid fascination while Timothy changed. Eventually the movements stopped and he opened his eyes, bright red pupils boring into Barry’s slit eyes.
“This is what I really am.” He rumbled.
“How?” Barry breathed. Timothy’s face was still recognizable, even through the hard angles and different proportions, but there were now bright red and white feathers running along his entire body, starting from his neck and stretching all the way down his legs. He could see claws, real claws, on the ends of each of his fingers. “But you looked... so normal.”
“My mother was a Titto.” Timothy explained. “If there’s one thing I’m grateful for, it’s that she gave me her ability to change my body. I’m a Metamorph, able to take various forms, including what I looked like before... before I hit puberty.” He snorted. “This is why I couldn’t wear my uniform on patrol. I’d just shred it.”
“Master,” Samantha dropped from a nearby tree, “Claire requires assistance. One unknown has separated.”
Timothy grabbed his belt, releasing the rest of his pokegirls. “Leizi, Samantha has point.”
The Lopiki snapped her fingers, prompting the rest to fall out. “Lead on, Beta.”
Barry was staring at the pokegirls as they disappeared. “They weren’t...”
“Looked different than the casual look you saw before, didn’t they?” Timothy barked. “Get behind me, Barry. Just like you said, you’re too green for this. Now you get to see who we really are.”
Barry fell back, watching Timothy’s back. A few seconds passed before the man slammed his hands together, the muscles of his back standing out against the thin tank top. There was a visible aura surrounding him that only got brighter as Barry watched, looking almost like the older Hunter was on fire.
A noise in the trees caught Barry’s attention and his eyes widened when he saw the half naked pokegirl. She was swinging towards Timothy with laser focus, her own aura sparking around her.
Timothy glanced up at the incoming feral and roared, the fiery aura surging for a moment before soaking into his body. The feral screamed back, launching herself out of the trees and towards him.
Nearby, Claire swiveled towards her Master. “Oh, shit.”
Samantha stepped over to her, taking and executing the struggling feral Claire held. “Go to him.”
“It’s the kid I’m worried about.”
“So protect the kid.” Samantha gave the Snugglebunny an annoyed look. “You’re not thinking about ferals. Go.”
Barry screamed and threw himself backwards. The feral feinted towards Timothy but flew past, landing and dancing at the man’s back.
Barry grabbed at his belt, fumbling with a pokeball, any pokeball, to save him. He jerked when a pair of hands enclosed his and he craned his neck to see Claire standing behind him.
“Just watch.” The Snugglebunny murmured, her hands glowing softly. Barry felt his fear melt away, allowing him to turn back to watch Timothy.
Timothy staggered when the feral hit him and whirled, barely missing the dancing monkey. He growled, taking another hit in the side before lashing out, dealing a glancing blow to the dodging feral.
“Why aren’t you helping him?” Barry asked, still trying to figure out what Claire was doing to him. “The feral’s going to kill him!”
Claire shifted her grip, pulling him further away from the fight. “I am keeping your mind steady.” She answered his unspoken question. “As for Master Timothy, I’m not worried for him. I am worried for you.” She hissed, the shadows around them growing and wrapping the pair in darkness. “Be quiet.”
Timothy could feel Claire’s presence in the back of his mind and relaxed, allowing the bubbling fury each hit created to finally come to the front. He focused completely on her as his world faded, entrusting himself to the Snugglebunny.
The grinning feral spun, flipping head over feet to land a sickening blow to Timothy’s chest. She chattered excitedly, dancing away again from the motionless man.
Barry flinched and crammed his hands over his ears when Timothy screamed, the man coming to life and blitzing after the feral. The monkey pokegirl squawked, twisting aside from Timothy’s charge and scrambling halfway up a tree. Before she could turn he had caught her, grabbing her tail and slamming the feral back to the ground. She bounced from the force of the impact, her eyes swiveling towards what she had thought was easy prey. Timothy didn’t pause, slamming his free hand into her chest, driving her back to the ground before releasing her tail and grabbing the struggling feral by the neck.
“Is he-“ Barry whispered before Claire clamped her hand over his mouth.
“I said to be quiet.” She hissed, glancing at her Tamer. “Yes. He did.”
The feral grabbed at Timothy’s arm, spitting her fury towards the man. Timothy didn’t react, picking her off the ground by her neck and driving his fist into her stomach. He continued beating the feral’s body until she went limp, finally letting go and stepping forwards.
“That’s enough.” Claire murmured, letting go of Barry and leaping towards Timothy. She reached him as the man raised his foot, driving it into the feral’s chest. He was raising his foot again when she grabbed him, swinging her body around and latching onto his back.
Barry watched Timothy react, jerking a few times to throw off the new threat before beginning to grab at her. It took a few seconds before his movements slowed, Claire’s entire body glowing with power. Finally she let go, falling to the ground and holding Timothy upright.
He groaned, his body slowly shrinking and losing the mass the Boost had imitated. “Thank you.”
Claire smiled, patting his chest. “Sit down and rest.”
“Yea.” Timothy slowly sat, staring at the battered feral. “What is she?”
“Atelesia.” Timothy craned his neck to look at Barry. “Pokedex says Atelesia.”
“Hey, you told me about those goggles.” Timothy coughed, rubbing at one of the spots the feral had hit. “Cool. You alright?”
Barry shook his head, walking over and squatting next to him. “I am. Your pokegirl made sure you didn’t turn on me.” He sighed. “That was your Rage, wasn’t it?”
Timothy nodded. “It was. Like I told you. I’ve only ever killed one person with it.”
“And how many pokegirls?”
Timothy grimaced. “More than I wanted to. Is this one still alive?”
Claire nudged the body. “Barely, Master. You’ve collapsed her lungs.”
“If she can be captured, do it. They’re easier to carry that way.”
Claire nodded, reaching inside a small bag she carried and lobbing a pokeball at the feral. Barry was watching Timothy. “This is what you meant.”
Timothy leaned back, staring up at the trees. “Yea. Apparently I had a lot of latent bloodtraits. Combinations that made me a very strong weapon.” He chuckled slightly. “And so I’m here. Posted next to the most dangerous wilderness in the league.” He felt the same spot, getting to his feet. “I’m good. Claire, how are the others?”
Claire glanced towards where the rest of his harem had disappeared. “I still feel fighting, Master, but they’re finishing up. We should be free to move shortly.”
“Good.” Timothy looked up, waving his hand to Sapphire. “Let’s notify Nick and get going.”
Barry waited for the Wyveri to come and go before speaking again. “Do you like it?”
Timothy glanced at him. “Do I like what.”
“You said, back when you first met me, that I always needed to let my pokegirls fight for me. How no human can fight one.”
Timothy grimaced. “I meant it, and I stand by it. I don’t like it, Barry. I wish I didn’t have the abilities I do. In fact, I don’t. I’m not in control when that happens, I’m not me. Without Claire to bring me back I’d die. So no, I don’t like it, and I wish I didn’t have them.” He focused, the inhuman features slowly melting away until he was back to normal. “I envy you, really. You understand the bullshit without having it control you. You’re going to do great things, as long as you let yourself grow.” He began walking when Tina appeared next to them. “And that’s our cue. Let’s get moving.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barry stared at the table in front of him. The cafeteria moved with the evening crowd, Tamers and Pokegirls streaming around him.
“Hey, heard you went on patrol today.” Mark collapsed in the chair across from Barry and began jabbing at his food. “How’d it go? Saw you brought back half a dozen ferals.” He took a few bites before realizing Barry wasn’t going to respond. “Yo, you ok?”
“I don’t belong here.” Barry muttered. “I’m not strong enough to be a Hunter. This is ridiculous.”
Mark put down his fork. “What happened out there, Barry?”
“I don’t even know if I’m allowed to tell you.” Barry looked up at his friend. “Fuck, Mark, even you. I thought you were like me but I doubt my girls could hold up to yours in a fight. I saw what your Pidgette did on our way back.”
Mark shrugged. “She’s getting there, for sure. I’ve been having her train with one of those military guys, flying with his Mikila. Eventually she’s going to be scouting the mountain itself.”
“That’s what I mean.” Barry shook his head. “A few days before I came here, I got into a fight. I won. I thought I was doing good, with a brand new pokegirl standing up to another Tamer’s, even at a type disadvantage. And then I come here, watch harems I saw as being strong but attainable suddenly explode, doing things I can’t even dream of with my own girls. Your Pidgette fucking one shot that feral, Mark. It wasn’t even a fight, she just dropped it. And that wasn’t a weak feral, it was what, one of the Harpy evolutions?”
“Lady, I think.” Mark replied. “Not sure. She broke her neck from the fall and I didn’t care enough to I.D. the body.”
“Exactly.” Barry put his head in his hands. “That’s a second tier evolution, and not just something I’d think of as an easy fight. But nobody here thinks anything of it. You did your job. Your pokegirl defended the station. I stood there, next to two Tamers who I can never hope to match.”
“How’s Henry?”
“Alive. In the infirmary.” Barry began rubbing his temples. “Do you know about Timothy?”
“I know he’s going to be the new boss.” Mark replied. “I know his harem is a fucking terror, even that little Enchantress. Is that what you mean?”
“Him specifically. Something only he can do.”
Mark raised an eyebrow. “He had to do that on the patrol?”
“He didn’t have to, but he wanted to show me.” Barry stopped rubbing and just stared at the tabletop again. “I’m fucking nothing compared to any of you. I don’t belong here.”
“Come on, you’re alright.” Mark shoved Barry’s shoulder playfully. “I mean, your own harem isn’t that bad. Once your Ka-D-Bra gets to Alaka-Wham, you’ll have a solid pair with that Sphinx.” He began chuckling. “Pun intended.”
“That’s the point.” Barry swatted Mark’s hand away. “I’ve had her longer than you’ve had your Pidgette, and I can’t see her evolving anytime soon. You’re already waiting for yours to evolve, and I’m sitting here just getting my dick wet.”
Mark snorted. “Nah, you wouldn’t be worrying about it if that was the case. You’d be trying to figure out where an easy duty was, or keeping your head down.” He looked around. “Where’s your harem at?”
Barry waved randomly. “I’ve been letting them roam like the rest of you do.” He lowered his arms. “It keeps them happy, right? I’ve been trying to do the same, but as soon as I let my guard down my Pirouette went crazy.”
Mark’s expression was unreadable. “Didn’t she evolve from your starter, the Tomboy? The two of you were getting along pretty well during the training. She seemed happy enough that I saw.”
“Yea, until I started getting more pokegirls. I don’t think she gets along with others very well. Sometimes I wonder if I should trade her away.”
Mark gently lay his fork down. “Have you asked her?”
Barry blinked. “What?”
“I said have you asked her. Why she might not get along with the others.”
“It’s pretty obvious.” Barry snorted. “She’s jealous. Just a long, long list of petty jealousies. It doesn’t really matter, though. She’ll get over it, or I’ll replace her.”
“Hmm.” Mark was staring directly at him. “Have you ever considered it’s not the pokegirl, but the Tamer, that’s the problem here?”
Barry started. “Are you suggesting that I-“
“Yes.” Mark replied bluntly. “I am. I don’t think your Pirouette... what’s her name?”
“Rebecca?”
“I don’t think Rebecca trusts you, Barry.” Mark frowned. “How about your first feral. The lizard pokegirl, the... Salalexis, was it?”
“Cammie?” Barry slowly frowned. “Uh, she... hasn’t been very active, lately. Um. No, she was happy when we were, uh, chasing that Rocket goon.”
“And how long ago was that?”
“...a week.”
Mark gave him a terse smile. “Two pokegirls, seeming to lose their personalities and focus. The only common factor between them is you.”
“Ok, but no.” Barry growled. “My Ka-D-Bra. Mina. She’s doing great, even if she’s a bit overworked right now as Alpha. She’s handling it. Loves it.” Mark watched him for a few seconds until Barry broke. “Fuck! She’s a Ka-D-Bra, how can managing three pokegirls be overworking her?”
“Maybe you’re not letting her do her job.” Mark replied quietly. “If you’re not careful, your Sphinx is going to go the exact. Same. Way.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” Barry hissed. “They’re pokegirls. I’m their Master.”
“Maybe you should respect them a bit more than as weapons.” Mark retorted. “Pokegirls they may be, but they still have personalities. Emotions. Wants, and needs, and if you don’t work with them they will work against you.”
“I don’t mistreat them.” Barry snapped. “They eat what I eat. I do my best to take one to my bed every night. They’re Pokegirls. They’re made to fight.”
“Barry, if I walked up to you and told you I was going to ignore you because you were rich, only focusing on your connections, would you think that was ok?”
“I’ve played this with them too.” Barry retorted.
“Then what’s your answer?”
“Fuck you.”
“Exactly.” Mark stood. “They’re not just made to fight. They have feelings, and free will. I allow Lagearna to lead the harem, and respect her intuition if something needs to come to my attention. Yes, I am her Master. I am all of their Master. And she is a creature that can reason, think, talk, and work like a human. I let her do that.”
Barry rolled his eyes. “Really? You’re going to tell me to treat them like a human now. They’re. Pokegirls. They do what their Masters say. It’s what they do.”
“Alright, go ahead.” Mark picked up his plate and started to walk away. “Order your harem to get along. Order Mina to enjoy what you’re doing to her. Order Rebecca to forget whatever makes her the way she is. And come back to me in a week, let me know how many pokegirls you still have.”
Barry angrily watched him go, pushing back from the table after a minute and stomping out the door.
Who did he think he was? Lecturing him like he was some sort of adult. Mark was younger than him. Just because he’d had some sort of advantage didn’t make him any better. After all, he didn’t need pokegirls that didn’t want to fight. He just needed to find the ones that did. Like Merineth. She was powerful, and she responded to his orders like a Pokegirl should.
He was pulled out of his angry thoughts when he saw the figure walking towards him. Claire stopped when she saw him, watching him carefully.
Barry stopped. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before he spoke. “What do you want.”
Claire shook her head slightly. “Timothy likes you. Don’t do this.”
“Oh, so you’re just protecting your master.” Barry spat. “Get out of the way.”
“You hate me.” Claire replied. “You hate me because I do not give you a title you do not deserve. I do not give you respect.”
“You’re lucky you’re not my pokegirl.” Barry snarled. “Get out of my way.”
“Is it because of the bullies, or do you just use them as an excuse?” Barry froze at her words. “Have you instead always hated us, keeping those thoughts just out of reach, unless they suited your need? A Tamer can not succeed on hate, Bartholomew. Mark is better because he respects his pokegirls. You claim they would die for you but his have already tried.”
“I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you.” Barry muttered.
“You can’t believe you’re having A conversation with me.” Claire corrected. “Because you still don’t see me as something able to do so.”
“Are you some kind of fucking therapist?” Barry hissed. “Some kind of special pokegirl?”
Claire shrugged. “Yes. I am also a Snugglebunny. A touch telepath.”
Barry’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t been in my head. I would have felt it.”
Claire gave him a bitter smile. “I have been all through your head, Bartholomew Tarina Messer. Twice.”
“You-“ Barry grimaced. “You bitch.”
“You want to kill the part of you that is pokegirl.” Claire replied. “But you were not born wanting to do that. You had a mother, and to you it didn’t matter what she was. She was your mother, someone worthy of being loved. But as you grew, you watched your father ignore her. You watched him interact with others, and over time you realized there was something about your mother that was different from the other females you occasionally saw.”
“shut up.”
“Something that she was was disgusting to him. But you wanted his love. So you began seeing her as disgusting, too.”
“I said SHUT UP!”
Claire stepped away from the wall when Barry charged, disorganized fists flying. She easily blocked his arms, spinning him around and taking him to the ground. “And then as you got older, as you were bullied, you realized what it was.” She trapped his leg before Barry could even move it to retaliate. “Don’t try. I’m touching you; I can see every move you try to make.” Barry relaxed slightly before trying to yank his arm free, crying out in pain when her grip tightened. “I said not to try.”
“Fine!” Barry screamed. “Do whatever you want, pokegirl.”
“You believe that’s the strongest insult you know.” Claire cocked her head. “I see. So you attempted to mutilate yourself just days after realizing your mother was a pokegirl, and being a pokegirl was what your father hated the most about each of you. You are a very perceptive young man, Bartholomew. I can understand why Timothy likes you.”
“Shut up.” Barry whispered tearfully. “Shut up.”
“It was always your father, wasn’t it.” Claire murmured. “You always wanted to please him. But he made sure he remembered where you came from. Is that why he gave you your mother’s name? To make sure he never forgot that you weren’t as human as he might have liked.”
The tears began falling from Barry’s cheeks. “Please stop.”
Claire gazed down at the back of his head. “I see. You were the bastard, born from a mistress. You and-“ She abruptly let go and got off of him. “I- I’m sorry, I couldn’t know-“
“You’re in my head.” Barry called angrily. “Can’t you read ahead far enough so that you don’t SPEAK?”
Claire’s mouth worked. “I, I don’t see it all at once, only at first what you... are thinking about. Is she...?”
“Be quiet.” Barry snapped. “Be quiet or gods help me I will find a way to kill you and everything you hold dear.”
For the first time since she had started talking, Claire listened. She stepped back, waiting for him to stand. Slowly Barry got to his feet, still staring at the wall.
“I never want to see you again.”
Claire slowly shook her head. “I can’t promise that.”
Barry looked back at her with hate filled eyes. “Then take it.” He held out his hand. “And never speak to me again.”
Claire hesitantly reached out, taking his hand. After a moment she let go, a horrified sadness creeping into her eyes.
Barry gave her one last glare before sweeping past, heading back the way he had come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Timothy pushed onto the ramparts, ignoring the chill and looking around desperately. He took a deep breath when he saw Barry standing in the middle of the wall, staring out over the forest.
“Barry?”
Barry looked his way and back out. “So what did she say.”
Timothy sighed, closing the door behind him and walking over to where Barry stood. “You should come inside.”
Barry shook his head slightly. “I never wanted to remember these things.”
“Barry, please come inside.”
“The sentry wouldn’t let me sit on the edge.” Barry continued, oblivious to Timothy’s words. “Said it was too dangerous. Not sure if I want to thank him or curse him.”
Timothy lowered his head. “I’m glad he didn’t let you. Your sister isn’t down there, Barry.”
Barry sighed, sinking to his knees. “So she told you everything.”
“Yea.” Timothy joined him. “There aren’t any words I can say that make this pain go away.”
“There never can be.” Barry replied. “There’s only one way to make it go.”
“If you die, she dies.”
Barry glanced at Timothy. “The hell do you mean by that. She’s dead. Long dead.”
Timothy shook his head, wrapping his arms around his knees. “Other than you, I’d say only your mother remembers her. Right?”
Barry looked away. “If even.”
“So if you were to jump, she’d die with you. Her memory, who she was, will vanish. You’re keeping her alive, Barry. By remembering her she is still here.” He shook his head. “Yes, she is gone. And when her body dies, it will be someone else who dies with it. Your sister exists only through you.”
Barry returned his gaze to the forest. “I see your pokegirl taught you a few things.”
Timothy shook his head sadly. “She wanted to help, Barry. I won’t excuse what she did but she only wanted to help. You’re hurting. Hurting in ways that are ruining the bonds between you and your harem. She thought that by forcing you to face the cause of that hurt, you could start to heal.”
“Sure.” Barry scraped at the ground, finding a loose chunk of material and whipping it over the edge. “I hate my father. There. Facing the cause.”
“Is that really the cause?”
“Yea.” Barry found another chunk and began rolling it over in his hands. “It is. He killed my sister. Beat my mother. Turned me against her and my entire family. And never, not once, praised me, until I was far enough along that he didn’t have to raise me anymore.”
“You were always trying to earn his praise.” Timothy murmured. “And the time he gave it, it was because you didn’t need him anymore.”
Barry shook his head slightly and turned to Timothy. “What do you mean by that?”
“Look at you.” Timothy smiled. “You’re a provisional Hunter. You’ve got your own harem. You’re on your own, living, eating, playing, all because of the work you are doing. Not him. He’s not pulling you around anymore. You don’t need his validation any longer.”
Barry turned back away. “He’s my father.”
“He doesn’t control you.” Timothy reached over and grasped Barry’s shoulder. “Just like the bullies lost their hold on you, so has he.” He thought for a few seconds. “You haven’t called them since you got here.”
Barry shook his head. “Same with them.”
“So let go.” Timothy released Barry’s shoulder and stood. “You’re so worried about working in his shadow you’re not able to do what you need to. Let go.”
“I’ll never forgive him.”
Timothy nodded. “He doesn’t deserve your forgiveness. But you need to focus on now. You’ve got pokegirls depending on you. Looking to you for love, just as you always looked to him.” He raised an eyebrow. “Will you do what he did, or make your own choice?”
Barry gritted his teeth. “I am not my father.”
“Well you’ve sure been acting like him.”
Barry shot the older man a glare and pulled himself to his feet. “You don’t know me.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” Timothy stepped back to let Barry push past him. “But I’d like to. Maybe tomorrow, we can hang out.”
Barry stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Maybe, but I don’t think so.” He turned and shot Timothy a small smile. “I need to apologize to someone.”
Timothy returned the smile. “Someone?”
“Yea.” Barry smile faded. “A lot of someones.”
“Barry.” Barry turned back at Timothy’s call. “Claire was... distraught, when she found me. She didn’t tell me everything. What, but not how. How did... how did your father...?”
“How was he involved?” Barry asked. “You don’t want to know.”
“I need to.”
Barry snorted, staring at him with a carefully neutral look. “Easy. When she went through threshold, he asked his friends who wanted a fresh pokegirl. One ran a breeding program, and offered to buy her. One day my sister was there, and the next, she was gone, treated like a piece of meat and tossed to the highest fucking bidder. It took me TWO. YEARS. to find the bastard that took her from me. To find her. And when I found her, she didn’t recognize me. She looked me in the eyes and asked me who I fucking was.” He slammed his hand against the door, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks. “They’d killed her. Used her for her body and nothing more. You want to know why I won’t touch a dragon? It’s not because of my mother. It’s because of her. Because I’m terrified that I’ll find one and discover my sister staring back at me.” He shuddered. “Of course that wasn’t the end of it. It couldn’t be. He had a son, a year older than I was. And one day, I saw him. At my school. Being followed around by a beautiful red dragon girl.”
Timothy felt his stomach turn. “Barry...”
“You asked for this.” Barry snapped. “So listen.”
Timothy quieted.
“My world turned upside down.” Barry whispered. “I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t. I, I thought maybe I could do something, save her. But she didn’t want to be saved. Because she was already gone. The thing that looked like her didn’t recognize me again. They had done it again. Killed her because they didn’t like the way she was. He knew, of course. Knew all too well. And I...” Barry trailed off. “I don’t know where she is anymore. They probably put her back in the breeding pens. I had tried to forget.”
Timothy bowed his head. “I’m sorry I asked.”
“I needed to say it.” Barry cried. “Your... Claire was right about one thing. I’m not hiding it from myself anymore, which means I can start to move forward.” He shook his head hopelessly. “Maybe.”
“The son.” Timothy called. “If he didn’t have her anymore, what happened to him?”
Barry turned fully to him, a grim smile on his face. “The one happy memory I have of the whole damn tragedy. You’ve read my file. You know exactly where that sack of human filth is.”
Timothy winced. “I saw the incident report.”
“He’s still in that coma.” Barry’s smile turned into an evil sneer. “Over four years he’s been there. It’s made me enemies in Goldenrod but I don’t care. I know he ordered her first L5. He confessed. He’s paying for her murder.”
“There was something else about that report, something-“
“Haven’t you questioned me enough?” Barry spat. “I’ve got a god damn Ka-D-Bra wandering around somewhere. She’ll read my mind and after the two of you turning me inside out the instant she does she’ll faint. I’m in no fucking condition to see her and I don’t want any more therapy. I’m done. Go fuck yourself.”
Timothy quietly waited for him to go back inside, stepping over to the ramparts. The midafternoon landscape spread out in front of him, deceptively peaceful in its stillness.
“Thanks for talking that kid down.”
Timothy looked over to the sentry and nodded. “Thanks for keeping him from trying.”
“He’s the new arrival. Figured that injury today had rattled him. We see it sometimes, with the new transfers.”
Timothy grunted, turning back to the view. “We do. He’s a bit like me, too, so I’m hoping he’ll learn how to fit in.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” The sentry glanced to the side. “I’ve got a scout reporting back soon, so I’ll take my leave.”
“Stay safe.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rebecca gazed despondently out the window at the dark night sky. She didn’t need this. She already got more than enough time to herself in her pokeball. She wanted to be with him, to fix what she had done, but he was always with the others, always ignoring her for-
A voice outside made her jump and she turned, eyes widening when she saw Barry stepping into the room. “M-Master, I-“
“Thanks for taking me to her.” She heard Barry say to someone outside. “Hey, Revvy.”
Rebecca winced. “I’m sorry for running off Master, but I couldn’t find you and-“
“Stop.” Barry stepped closer. “Let me speak.”
Rebecca flinched, bracing herself.
Barry stopped in front of her. He sighed when he saw her trembling and thought hard about what he needed to say. “Rebecca, I’m sorry.”
Rebecca blinked, looking at him. “You- What?”
Barry nodded. “I’m sorry. Over the last few weeks I’ve hurt you and I need to make that right.”
Rebecca stared at him until she felt tears begin beading in her eyes. “Why?” She whispered. “Why are you saying this?”
“Because it’s true.” With a start Rebecca noticed how red Barry’s own eyes were. “I have ignored you and destroyed our... our friendship, all because I, because I- hated you.” He winced. “But today, I figured it out. I don’t hate you. I hate a lot of people and a lot of things but not you. Not you as Rebecca, and not you as a pokegirl. But because you’re here, I was putting that on you and that’s... not... fair.” He shook his head. “You have nothing to do with why I thought I hated you and it wasn’t right to treat you like you did.”
Rebecca felt the tears begin to drip down her cheeks. “What are you talking about?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Barry reached out and embraced her. “All that matters is I was wrong, and I’m sorry. So, so sorry.”
The two held each other for a long time. Finally Rebecca pulled away, her tears dry. “I love you, Master.”
Barry stared back with pain in his eyes. “I’ve said it but I don’t love you, Rebecca. You’re my pokegirl and I want you but I don’t think I love you.”
Rebecca smiled. “I thought so, Master, but that’s ok. You understand. So I love you.”
Barry bowed his head. “I can’t believe you’d just accept something like this.”
Rebecca nuzzled his cheek gently. “I wanted to, Master. All I wanted was to know you want me. To know you did not want to hurt me like you have.” She looked into his eyes when he looked up. “What happened, Master?”
“Some people talked to me.” Barry replied. “Helped me start to understand why I feel the way I do. Showed me that I needed to change.”
Rebecca cocked her head. “Do you want to change, Master?”
“Listen to you.” Barry whispered. “I have been hurting you and your first thought is still of me.” He shook his head in despair. “I don’t want that. I’ve never wanted that.” He looked at her for a few seconds before pulling away. “Come with me. I want to talk to you about your training.”
Rebecca quietly followed, only pausing long enough to grab a set of exercise clothes. The two wandered through the halls, finally stepping into a dimly lit room.
“I was told this is ours.”
Rebecca blinked, squinting in the low light. “What is it, Master?”
“Lights full.” Barry called. Slowly the illumination rose, revealing a large blank room. He turned. “It’s a training room. We can use it however we like.”
Rebecca looked around. “What did you want to do?”
“Sit with me.” Barry pointed at two chairs near the wall. “I want to show you some things.”
Rebecca followed him over, sitting and watching him expectantly. Barry walked over to the center of the room, placing his pokedex down and stepping back. The lights slowly dimmed again and he returned to her, taking his seat. “Watch.”
Rebecca watched as the holographic display came alive, projecting a video of a moving pokegirl. It looked like some sort of documentary, shots of the girl sitting and talking interspersed with action scenes. “What is this?”
“She’s a Pirouette.” Barry explained. “Just like you. I went and started researching, seeing what kind of things your breed does. I found this company, that rents out bodyguards to rich and influential people who need an unknown guard. She was one of the pokegirls they advertise.”
Rebecca watched the movie play, making an interested noise when she saw the pokegirl seem to dodge through a flurry of swords. “She seems strong, Master.”
“She is.” Barry looked at her. “But I think you can be just as good. If not better.”
Rebecca looked at him. “You do?”
“I do.” Barry stood when the playback finished. “As of today, I want to assign each of you a job. A primary job, something you’re meant to focus on while training even while you’re working to just get stronger.”
Rebecca watched him walk over to the pokedex. “What do you want me to do, Master?”
Barry selected a new video and walked back. “I need someone to stand next to me at all times. A bodyguard. I want you to do that.”
Rebecca felt a thrill run through her, the video beginning to play. “I would like that, Master.”
“This video isn’t public.” Barry explained as they watched. “They sent this to me when I explained who I was and that I have a Pirouette of my own. This is that girl again.”
This time there was sound. The Pirouette was seated leaning back from another man, her eyes seemingly staring off into the distance. “What is she doing?” Rebecca murmured.
“They use this video to demonstrate her abilities to potential customers.” Barry explained. “This was while she was on the job.”
The two men at the table were talking but the recording was intentionally muffled, keeping their words private. Rebecca watched when the pokegirl stiffened, her lazy gaze slowly traveling away from the table.
“They said she saw a threat across the street.” Barry whispered. “But didn’t act in an attempt to keep her client from losing his meeting.”
Rebecca watched the Pirouette slowly turn her head, disguising the motion behind a yawn and stretch. “She’s been alert the whole time?”
“That’s what it looked like.”
Another minute or two passed before the audio spiked. Rebecca jumped at the gunshot, looking at the man the Pirouette was next to. Red lines had been overlain on the image, highlighting a bullet stopped a foot from his head. “What!”
“It gets better.”
The Pirouette reached out, plucking the bullet from the air. As she studied it another set of lines appeared, tracing a second shot clear over everyone’s heads. At the second gunshot the pokegirl grabbed her panicking client, sweeping him under her arm and disappearing from frame faster than her lazy countenance belied.
Barry watched the video cut off. “He lived, even through a secondary ambush. She stopped a bullet, using her aura. I didn’t even know that was possible.”
Rebecca was staring at the empty air. “I don’t think I could ever do something like that, Master.”
“I don’t expect you to.” Barry smiled. “It’s something that your breed can do. Something crazy you can do when you’re stronger. Something to work for, potential you know you could one day achieve.”
Rebecca slowly nodded. “Something to push for.”
“That’s right.” Barry stood, holding out his hand. “Well? You won’t be Alpha, but you’ll be at my side as much as possible. Do you think you can accept that position?”
Rebecca took his hand. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes.” She felt the tears start to come again and beamed. “Thank you, Master. Thank you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
!!Details Locked to L4!!
Tamer profile of Bartholomew (Barry) Messer
Age: 17
License: Hunter – Provisional
Clearance Level: 0
Blood Traits:
Pokegene 1 – Flarebra
Trainer
Alpha Will – Feral
Harem:
Minerva (Mina) – Ka-D-Bra
Rebecca (Revvy) – Pirouette
Camilla (Cammie) – Mossmelon
Merineth (Neith) – Sphinx
!!Details Locked to L1!!
Tamer Profile of Mark Wehrmen
Age: 16
License: Hunter – Level 1
Clearance Level: 1
Blood Traits:
Location
Harem:
Lagearna – Cerberass, Alpha
Shibara – Venuswhore
Aeriesafa – Pidgette
Tarene – Tesslass
!!Details Locked to L5!!
Tamer Profile of Jonah Bates
Age: 17
License: Hunter – Provisional
Clearance Level: 0
Blood Traits:
Psychic Invisibility
Fetish
Information blocked.
Restricted by ~hs2D5gj8~
Harem:
Lucy – Xerablondi, Alpha
Jane – Grotitle
Mary – Hotgoblina
Nina – Dracona
Tamer Profile of Eric Holiday
Age: 17
License: Hunter – Provisional
Clearance Level: 0
Blood Traits:
!!Tamer’s Disease – Severe!!
Endurance
Recovery
Harem:
Clara – Ice Battle Angel, Alpha
Candace – Vixxen
Megan – Boobleaf
Ashley – Warcat
!!WARNING!!
Tamer has severe Tamer’s Disease. Do not keep from taming in excess of two days. If Tamer has not tamed for three days, prepare for Frenzy.
!!Details Locked to L3. NonCom Locked to L5!!
Tamer Profile of Timothy Gardner
Age: 27
License: Hunter – Level 4
Clearance Level: 4
Blood Traits:
Monster Out – Full Metamorph
Rage – Fighting/Fire
Fast Healing – Magic
Recovery – Potent x2
Boost – Fighting/Fire
Pokegene 3 – Blazicunt
Harem:
Claire – Snugglebunny, NonCom
Leizi – Lopiki, Alpha
Samantha – Shednobi, Beta
Sapphire – Wyveri
Noir – Z-Bra
Hestia – Blazicunt
Martina – Enchantress