PoV:
1: Rhea (O_o oh no, what is with that title? What numbers, Jason?!)
I loosely follow this map as a visual guide; the creator made it in paint?!?! It’s insane! Some errors here and there, but I follow its design for the most part. Areas can be further apart, some cities are in the wrong places or not listed, and the regions aren’t nearly so close. The best map I’ve found, though!
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8:28 p.m. August 15th, Saturday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event). Day 67.
Events: Rhea won another Silver-tier Encrusted Badge after a tough battle! Now, our girls are on their way to getting their four Encrusted Badges for the League. Onward! Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June, and the end of registration for the Winter Indigo Cup is December 5th (111 days away).
Butterfree still fluttering their wings, Rhea held her childhood best friend’s hand, exploring Fuchsia’s hidden ninja village and letting go of all the stress that had eaten her up over the last several hours. Somehow, Jason made her feel like everything would be okay, and that wasn’t new, but this was different somehow.
Rhea’s fingers squeezed his as they followed the random maze of bridges and caves until they arrived at what appeared to be the back of a large, silky waterfall, too thin to climb like the others. Benches and faint green lights dotted the private room, and beyond it, a fuzzy picture of the village could be seen.
Jason’s free hand glazed over the back of her wrist, Rhea mirroring him as it left a line down the gentle stream. “Cool place… We haven’t seen anyone for a while, have we?”
“Ninja hideout,” Rhea snickered. “I bet there are a dozen or more somewhere here making sure we don’t do anything we shouldn’t.”
“Invasive peepers, huh?” Jason returned, guiding her to the bench that faced the smooth, rippling water as the secret city lit blazing fires to illuminate key areas during the night. “Hey, you doing okay?”
Rhea sat and adjusted her skirt, lips pulling in as she breathed and scanned the distorted buildings below; they’d climbed quite high through all those tunnels. She’d cooled down from the chemicals rushing through her veins to think clearer.
“Kind of… but not really.” Her focus shifted to the tall boy; no, maybe Jason was becoming more of a man now. Scanning his attentive face, she felt the same bitter spur that came from the knowledge that he’d be ducking out to Kalos in the morning. “I want to think I like you, Jason… I want to think what I’m feeling is real, but I’m also not sure… And you’re leaving. That’s a Toxic Move, man.” she grumbled.
Jason sighed, chest puffing up before deflating and looking away. “Yeah, I’m… kind of pulled between staying and going, to be honest. I did kind of rush into this to be sure of my feelings… when you haven’t had the chance to process anything through that thick skull of yours—eesh.”
She snorted, nails digging into his skin before pulling away, standing, and crossing her arms to look down at him. “I’m not trying to be that girl that holds you back… Actually, I have a better idea!”
Rubbing the area she’d left an imprint on, Jason sat back and gave her a curious smile. “I’m listening, Boss.”
Internally snarling at the crease his eye made, highlighting his half-smile, she screamed, Stupid! Why is he suddenly so handsome?! Get your head in the game!
Shifting her weight to hide her sudden jitters, Rhea cleared her throat and glanced at the corner of the cave, hoping her face wasn’t too red. “If you’re serious about this ‘bro journey’ thing, then I’m going to need some proof that this is something you’re totally on about… If you do like me, I don’t want to play second fiddle to a bunch of helpless guys who are only dragging you along to be their cook. Okay?”
Jason’s chest shook with quiet laughter. “Wow, Rhea, way to frame my homemaking skills. I mean, I was the one who always cooked when we went out camping, too.” His mouth became a line as he tilted his head to the side. “To be fair, when you got on that cooking thing with Bi, you got better at it.”
Rhea’s cheeks darkened with her glare. “Really? I’ll have you know I’m the best cook in my team!”
“Oof. Not selling Amira and Lori well there, My Lil Swablu.”
“Oh, shut up!” Rhea growled, slapping his arm and shaking her head at having her cooking skills being brought into question while her grandfather’s pet name came into the equation. “Just because you’re an amazing cook doesn’t mean I’m bad.”
Jason grinned and waved his hand dismissively. “Different cooks, different standards. Haha. No, I’m up for anything, Rhea. I am serious about getting stronger as a team with Len and Lucian. What hoops do I gotta jump through for a prize, Master?”
“Eh-heh. You’re ridiculous,” she snorted as he gave her a cute chime at the end. Somehow, her bangs had slipped out of place, forcing her to brush it back and take on a more serious tone. “Jason… I’m serious about wanting to get stronger. I’m going to ask Ash and Dawn to help me push hard… I learned what we’re up against in Silver from Janine.”
Fingers sliding through his ruffled, cobalt-blue hair, Jason nodded, leaning back to support himself against the bench. “I saw how serious you were… I got a rundown on the whole Buddy Bond thing you have going on with Lulu, too. Ash has really spurred your Aura training, hasn’t he? I’ve been feeling it radiating like an actual flame over the last two hours. What do I need to do?”
Rhea’s face softened as she released her stress and sat next to him again. “I want you to show me you’re serious. I want you to reach Gold and beat me at least once. We’re not going to go easy, too, and I know this is probably going to be hard for Sunny since I’ll use every advantage, including his feelings for Alice.”
“Oh?” Jason scratched his neck. “You might be surprised when I get back, and my shy rabbit makes your little bun hide behind your fine legs.”
“You’re hopeless,” she whispered, thighs tingling at the compliment as she elbowed him. “Come back and join us in Gold. Oh! And beat me once,” she swiftly added. “If you can’t do that, then I know you weren’t giving it your all.”
“Hmm. Wooh.” Jason folded his arms and shivered, looking up at the distorted light passing through the holes in the cavern ceiling. “Tall order, Goldie. Tall order… I know I’m not strong enough right now to fulfill it… but I will because you asked me to.”
Mouth suddenly sticky with saliva, Rhea’s gut squirmed, and she tightened her legs together, playing with her feet. “You do sound pretty serious… You know how strong I—Jason?”
He took her hand, drawing her widening eyes as he leaned in and planted another kiss on her lips, making her tense up. Pulling back, his hot breath pressed against her neck and cheeks, a nod and smile breaking Rhea’s concentration.
“Thought so… sweeter than Mago berries. I think I’m addicted, so… I don’t think I have a choice. Consider your challenge accepted, Sunshine.”
Pulling in her lips, attempting not to lick them, Rhea cleared her throat and swallowed whatever was in her mouth to save her desert-like throat. “You… play dirty,” she accused, feeling like he’d pulled the air out of her lungs again.
“I don’t have a choice when I’m up against the legendary Rhea.” Bending in to kiss her forehead this time, he chuckled and stood up, sticking his hands in his pants. “I’ve got a goal to reach, so I better get going, but maybe next time we meet, it’ll be cold, and I can hold your hands in the sleeves of my sweater?”
“Huh?” Rhea’s prickling thighs were soon overshadowed by the man standing over her, arms open. “What kind of fantasy are you imagining right now—us walking down a snowy beach together?”
Nonetheless, she got up to be drawn into his chest, feeling a new kind of warmth than everything she’d felt previously; it was like the world itself was a freezer, and Jason a welcoming fire. It had to be the stupid imagery he’d put in her mind.
Momentarily hearing his heartbeat with her ear against his chest, his voice transferred in a low rumble to her. “Sorry to say, Rhea, but I’m just a man, and we’ve got our weaknesses like any other Pokemon, and mine happens to be Alcremie.”
“Stupid.” She smiled, now imagining herself in the cream Pokemon’s butter; that didn’t last long until other thoughts turned her face a bright cherry. “So stupid!”
Almost falling as she stumbled back, skirt a raging inferno again, she held her tight fighters against her belly. Jason only laughed, seemingly oblivious to her train of thought as he rubbed his neck and glanced at the now dark ninja city.
“Not wrong… You know what I think I like about you the most, Rhea?”
“What?” Rhea asked, blowing the hot pressure welling up within her; she couldn’t handle any more compliments, and it was probably something like her athletic build, chest, or something every boy thought about. “You already said my, eh-heh, ‘fine leg,’ so I know where your eyes are going.”
“Mmm.” His gaze fell to her legs, making her want to curse her own tongue, but they soon returned to her face with a slight shrug. “I mean, you are super beautiful overall, including your legs, and your hair certainly does make you stand out as a bundle of sunlight, but… it’s your smiling blue eyes and lips that I most want to look at.”
That’s it, Rhea internally relented. He’s trying to kill me. No way he just said that… Who says that?! He said it was my lips that drove him crazy… Stupid! Stupid! Get out of your Muking head! He’s leaving you for a bunch of boys’ nights, idiot!
Gluping, her fingers found her elbow, and she smiled. “You mean that?”
“I do.”
“You do, huh?” Rhea asked, screaming at her bangs as they slipped out of place again, forcing her to brush it back. “So… what now?”
Jason kept his distance now, hands in his pockets again when he should have them on her face. No, he should keep his distance! He was being too handsy already! But it would be nice to feel the tingles to see if they would return again. Where was her brain taking this?!
Her mind snapped into focus as Jason sighed. “To be honest, it’s too cold in this world without something warm to snuggle or hold, so… can I at least get some photos of the fun you have each week to keep me from freezing in Kalos?”
S-Snuggle?! Rhea internally screamed; her hair should have been the color of Amira’s at this point. Someone to hold? Where is he coming up with these lines? Where does he want them to go? Focus! Focus!
“Eh-hehe. Sure… Umm. So, I guess I should head back and see my brother—Mom, I meant Mom.” Muk! “Yeah, so… I guess I’ll…”
“No, yeah… uh, you know the way?”
“No…” Rhea turned to look down the tunnel. “Are we lost?”
“Hssss-haha. No, I can figure it out… probably. Another adventure?”
“Another adventure.”
Walking beside him, she kept her hands to herself this time, holding them behind her back as they traced the path they’d taken. Jason offered a few more conversation points, yet her brain was already long past cooked, and by the time she was standing in the waiting room, she couldn’t say one thing they’d talked about on their return.
“Sis, you good?”
“Huh?” Blinking, she turned to see Jason giving her a strained smile, egg in his hands, and waving before leaving; Sunny slunk after him in a defeated walk, fur gleaming, bobbles adorning him, and an absolutely atrocious makeup fiasco caking his face. “Where’s he going?”
Kate snickered as she joined them, scrutinizing her. “What happened to you two?”
“Pwe-Pwe?!”
“Mawile!”
“Pun-Pun!”
“What—nothing!” Rhea hastily protested as her Pokemon swarmed her, peppering her with questions and no doubt wanting details to the emotions burning her up inside. It took all Rhea had not to remember the sensation or taste of his lips on hers. “I’m just… Where did Jason go?”
Her brother hummed and looked at the closed door before spotting her hyperactive, enthralled Pokemon jumping around her. “He said he had a lot of work to do to reach stage one of his goal. Was he okay? He knows Mom is going to be okay?”
Cheeks flushing at the introduction of stages, Kate looked at her closer. Her Pokemon were now discussing her deflections and moved to try and be a distraction as Nova tugged on Kate’s dress.
“R-Right! No, he totally knows—it’s umm… yeah.”
“It’s, umm, yeah, huh?” Kate repeated with a small smirk, kneeling down to scratch under Nova’s chin, melting the Eevee; it was total defeat. “Well, color me curious, Babe. What’s with that face, hmm? Something happen to you two while you were—”
“He’s just going to train. Oh, are, uh, Ash and Dawn back? They are! What happened?”
Framing her chin, Kate nodded with a twinkle. “Topic changer. Big! Yeah, they got in a bit ago, totally exhausted for some reason. Cute, aren’t they?”
Rhea pulled out her phone and walked around her brother to take a picture of the pair, her Pokemon tailing. Leaning shoulder-to-shoulder, resting against each other, the two sleepy-heads were passed out, Pikachu and Piplup snoozing in their laps.
“What happened to them? And… where’s everyone else?”
Kate stood beside her brother, joining her and keeping her voice down. “They’re talking in private. Mom’s still asleep, though. We’ve been officially kicked out. Bummer, huh? I think they found Ghetsis, but he got away with just a blown-off arm or something.”
“You okay, Sis?”
Retreating to another wall to sit, Rhea experienced a sudden rush of fatigue. Nova jumped on her lap, Mya and Alice holding onto her knee and staring up at her.
“Haaa. Just… drained. I think I’ll close my eyes for a little, too.”
Kate’s gentle hand rubbed against her shoulder. “Yeah, just relax for a bit. Today must have been draining. An intense Encrusted Challenge, and then the Muk with your mom.”
Keeping the details to herself, Rhea snarled inside.
And my best friend randomly asked to kiss me out of the blue before flying off to a whole new region. No, he kissed me twice, and made me imagine all sorts of insane things! The stupid idiot.
“Yeah,” she grumbled, “you could say a lot happened all at once. I just need… a little sleep…”
She barely got the words out as the warm energy V sent her dwindled, and she slumped against the arm of the chair. Heat caressed her body, bringing her into a safe embrace, and when her eyes cracked open again, she was lying in a bed, a familiar Bellossom scent wafting around her.
“Mom?”
“Mmm. Hello.”
Her mother’s arms pulled her closer, making her panic a little. “Mom, your burns—they’re… gone?”
Rhea got a mouth full of her mom’s big, thick, blonde bun as she pulled her back in, and she saw her Pokemon surrounding them. “It’s okay, Rhea. I’m okay…”
Settling in, she allowed a half-sleeping Alice to snuggle closer, catching Mya as the only outlier, unable to get in on the action due to her weight and steely body. Nova was cuddled next to her mother’s Bellossom at the foot of their bed, between their legs, and Lulu was nuzzling against her mom’s chest this time.
She examined what little of her mother she could see, trying to pluck strands of hair from her mouth. “Blah… How?” A horror movie situation put a spike through her now thumping heart. “How… long was I sleeping?”
Her mother stroked her head and chuckled before directing her to a half-empty bottle on a table. “A few hours since you were brought in. My rapid recovery is thanks to… that. Doctor Anna, Brock, and so many others worked hard to prep me, while Ash and Dawn went to Mt. Quena, and found the real Clarity Lake, where Mewtwo had moved it.”
Looking over the smooth, unblemished skin that had severe chemical burns among many other lacerations only hours ago, heat rose in Rhea’s nose. “Wow… that’s… Why don’t we have a store of that stuff since it works so well? Are you really okay?”
“Yes, Sweetie. I’m doing much better.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, Mom,” she mumbled through her tears, hugging her tightly.
“Eesh—well… mostly okay!”
“Sorry…”
Her mother puffed out a hot breath and kissed her forehead. Resting against her, she nuzzled closer. “Clarity Lake is something very important to Mewtwo… Amira’s grandfather once tried to steal the miracle water in order to turn a profit, and it was those waters that saved him from the special machines Giovanni used to weaken him… Mewtwo hasn’t had the… best track record with humans… Either of them.”
Finding her mother’s hand, she squeezed it. “Ash is friends with him, though, right?”
”Mmm. Friends is a… strong word and not one Mewtwo takes lightly,” she whispered. “From what I hear, they had some trouble convincing him to allow them to bring some back, but they did manage to convince him, which shows how amazing Ash truly is, because I doubt your aunt would have been able to go that route.”
She discovered a new sense of respect for the Legendary, former World Champion, having currently lost it to Red in their last conflict. Although her aunt told her once that Ash had beaten her, Rhea, being a little girl with an invincible aunt, didn’t believe her, but now she was seeing just how phenomenal the ‘Hopeless Kanto Failure’ was.
“So, how long will you be in here?”
Her mother carefully reached for a remote on the side table. “I’ll be in bed for at least another few days; your father will make sure of that.”
Nodding in agreement, Rhea’s brow furrowed while staring at the screen as it lowered automatically from the ceiling; it was a VIP medical room, after all. “Good. And… what’s this?”
“Hehehe.”
“Mom… why are you giggling?” Rhea slowly asked, fear now twisting her gut as the TV flipped on. “No-ho-ho.”
A close-up shot of her walking hand-in-hand with Jason came into view, shot in top-quality definition, and at a range that made her want to scream and pull her hair.
“How?”
Snickering came from behind them as a puff of smoke revealed Janene. “Kid, did you really think you’d escape the young kunoichi girls doing what they do best? Romance is a hot topic, and they go to great lengths to escape their peers’ eyes. You just flaunted it right in their faces.”
“Mmgm-hmm-hmm-hmm,” Rhea cried, sinking into oblivion as Jason took her down to lift. “You have to destroy this. Mom, have you seen this yet?! No, of course, you did with that look on your face. Kill me!”
Her mother wiggled closer. “Oh, I think it’s adorable. And the way you told him you couldn’t say you loved him when I knew you were hot and bothered tells me all I need to know. I called it when you were twelve. Your dad and I have a running bet.”
“No!”
Janine leaned against the side of the bed with a silly grin. “I liked the part about the legs. You know one of the kunoichis actually put a ‘leg, butt, and chest-glance counter’ on her recording. Curious as to the tally? Hehe. You’ve got the whole village in a buzz.”
Nova’s ears rose with her head as she looked between them. Rhea was trying not to look; her body temperature was already rising beyond normal levels.
“Pwe?”
“Pun-Pun…” Alice grumbled, nuzzling her arm.
Mya was still dead to the world.
Rhea rubbed between her eyes. “Mistakes have been made. You need to destroy this! Full purge!”
“Oh, c’mon,” her mother said with a rosy smile as she nudged her. “You’ll love this in the future. Oh, that look of you melting inside his gaze, fingers closing around your neck—”
“Mom!”
“Okay. Hehe. Okay. I’m sure the ninjas won’t let it get out, right, Janine?”
Janine’s purple eyes shifted to the side with a strained chuckle. “Well… we also teach our ninja to be industrious… proactive… anything for the mission, so… No, of course, they’d be discrete,” the woman laughed off. “I haven’t been supervising them, so I’ll go see how they’re doing.”
“Janine!” A rush of smoke and the High Master of Fuchsia escaped. “This… cannot be happening. Mom… what do I do?”
“Enjoy being young and getting your first Butterfree kisses! You felt the swarm. Don’t lie to me; a mother knows.”
“Haaa.” Sweeping back her bangs, she stroked Nova’s fur as she crawled up to nuzzle her hand. “I don’t know what I felt. It doesn’t matter; he’s leaving tomorrow.”
“Well…”
Rhea’s glare shot to her mom. “Well, what? He didn’t leave tonight. He left tonight, didn’t he? I can’t believe him!”
“Sweetie,” her mother giggled, “you told him to show you how serious he was, and he has a lot of training to do if he’s going to keep pace with you, but… he has some advantages in his favor. A boy on a mission for his heart is not one to underestimate!”
“You’re ridiculous,” she moaned, using her pillow to beat her laughing mother. “Mmgm. I guess… it is good he left before I had a chance to change my mind,” she admitted, hugging the pillow against her chest as Nova wiggled under it, tail wagging as her little black nose poked through. “I don’t trust my stupid mouth not to ask him to stay… I’m thinking about it now.”
Pushing herself up to rest against the headboard, her mom pulled her head against her lap. “Hey… I know you’re confused. That’s a good thing. It means you’re not rushing into things. I bet he kicked his team into gear to leave because he didn’t think he could leave if he waited.”
“Boys…” Rhea snickered, letting her mom refashion her hair. “Total lack of self-control, making girls’ lives a nightmare.”
“You preach, Sweetie! Still, I am a bit disappointed I wasn’t able to hear the story from you first. Are you going to tell the girls or your brother?”
Directing an incredulous look up at the blonde, Rhea snorted. “Amira and Lori… maybe. Sabin? Most definitely not, and I don’t know if Kate would stab me or tease me for the rest of my life.”
“Stab you—okay, what—why would Kate stab you?”
Rising up and rubbing her arm, Rhea hissed. “Yeah, Mom… you don’t know the things I know about Sabin’s girlfriend. Kate—I love her; she’s good for my bro—but she’s crazy, Mom…” she mumbled, recalling the bites, scratches, and lip cuts on her brother; even Jason got bullied growing up, but maybe he deserved it. “Like, super crazy.”
Dodging questions from her suddenly protective mother, Rhea eventually was able to get free. Her mom needed rest, and she needed to check in with her teammates.
Returning her Pokemon to their balls and moving the sleeping Cosmog to her shirt front, Rhea kissed her goodnight; on the other hand, her mother was now totally determined to get into Sabin’s love life. Mom stuff. Smug at successfully rediverting her mother’s attention, Rhea made a promise to herself to corner Ash and Dawn tomorrow for training.
Rhea waved her goodbye, and Koga teleported her back to her super-fancy spa inn’s pirate room. It was dark, and the Poison Grandmaster’s flash of rainbow lights temporarily blinded her, making spots blink across her vision.
“Haaa. First, pajamas—” Rhea’s heart stopped as a light flipped on from the large suite room’s entertainment area, where Amira and Lori sat, legs crossed. “Oh, uh… Hey! You, umm, waited up for me.”
Amira swung her remote to the expansive TV and flipped it on; a still-frame shot of Jason and her first kiss flipped on, making a rock drop into Rhea’s gut. If that wasn’t enough, in the corner was a counter, instantly diverting her frozen mind.
Legs: 42
Chest: 37
Butt: 57
Lori wore an Impidimp grin. “I didn’t know you and Jason starred in a romance flick. Care to explain this juicy film, Sunshine? Amira had to pay 10,000 credits for this original.”
“Amira… Lori… I’d, uh… rather not explain—what, 10,000 credits?! Amira!”
Staring at the counter, Rhea was floored. There is no way he looked that often! How did I not see it? And my butt—I mean, it’s not flat, but nothing special? Perv… Wait, has he been looking for years?! He totally has! Was legs his code… for butt?!
The redhead had calm and warm eyes. “I expected you wouldn’t want these circulating, so I asked my mother to discreetly collect them all and utterly destroy them. If you don’t want to talk about it, then that’s fine, but if you have something to get off your chest, then we’re here.”
The purple-haired Unovan girl held up a thumb with a forced smile. “Me, I’m mainly here for the hot and steamy parts! C’mon, spill! How is he that crazy good of a kisser?”
Rhea’s hesitation melted away as she walked forward to join them. “Right?! Like… for real. Wait, is he good? I thought I was just super inexperienced.”
“Ho-ho,” Lori scratched her head, giving their kiss a side-long view. “Girl, I’ve got plenty of experience, and that move would have made me blush. Woooh! Boy’s got moves. No wonder you were seeing stars. He’s definitely got his eye on that Ninetales, if ya know what I mean! I bet he didn’t even know his slow, wandering eyes were lingering like that. Hehehe. Boys be boys.”
Amira gave her an encouraging smile. “Personally, I don’t think that is all that much for the time they spent together; I’d like to know the time looking at her face rather than a momentary glance at the rear. Also, Lucian texted me when they got on the plane. Boys are stupid?”
Rhea rolled her eyes. “So stupid!”
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