Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction and should be considered as such. It is also an adult-themed story, and should not be read by those who are easily offended by such or are not old enough in their respective country to be allowed to read it. This particular work is the property of
The PokeGirl Universe was first created by metroanime. Worship this person as God. In other words, I didn't create the setting, and I'm not taking any credit for it. Feedback is encouraged, and if you have constructive criticism then feel free to contact me at my E-mail address or via the PM system or whatever.
A/N: This is my first PokeGirl story, I really hope that the reader enjoys it. ^-^
Professor Kross had chosen the village for several distinct and valid reasons. For one, he did not like the bustle of cities. Samara Village was certainly no population hub. It was protected by many feral PokeGirl attacks by the nearby Mosertack Ranch and even a local Elfcourt. He also liked how the town symbolized the rebirth of the world after Sukebe's Revenge, having been leveled and rebuilt later. Mosertack afforded him the opportunity to study so many breeds without the risks usually associated with 'field work'. Many years ago, he had 'settled down' and built his laboratory in the village. The town council regarded him with respect, and he was a leading figure to the people.
However, his son was coming of age. Toman was something of an introvert, always quiet and reserved. He also aspired to become a great researcher and scientist, much to the elder Kross' pride. The Professor knew, however, that simple academic study was not enough to make him into a successful researcher. The boy needed real-world experience, and plenty of it, just as he had gotten in earlier years of adventure.
The day was cloudy and the bands of white in the sky had become flecked with gray, a harbinger of rains to come. Kross' view shifted from the window back to his computer screen, on which an image of NurseJoy waited for his reply. "I believe two weeks will be enough time for him. My son is exceptionally good at examinations."
She nodded. "Very well, Professor. Have you told him yet? It might be wise to consult him first."
"No, I'm going to when he returns home, though. Becoming a Tamer will give him the other side of the coin he just hasn't been getting with his books. I should have gotten him outside more in his early youth... Anyway, I do appreciate pushing the test date back, Nurse Joy. I know with the recent activity you've been busy."
"It's the least I could do to repay you," She replied, shaking her head humbly. "If you don't mind me asking this, why does he have to take the most strenuous examination? League protocol allows me great leeway in loosening requirements as I see fit. If you are so determined to see him pass, why not do that?"
"I have every confidence in my son," Kross replied pridefully. "He has always excelled in every mental endeavor he's ever tried. If he does fail the test, then he won't truly be ready for a journey yet, and I will re-evaluate my opinion of him. But that will not come to pass. And I am an honest man, and won't have the rules bent even for kin." He smiled slightly. "But, thank you anyway."
"I understand," Joy said. "Then, contact me with any other information when you can, and I will do the same. In any event, Ill be ready for Toman in two weeks."
"Yes. Good day, Nurse." He terminated the call promptly, the computer returning to the cluttered desktop space. After browsing through his new files on a discovery about Buzzbreast mating dances for a while, he stood up and stretched. Upon feeling several of his bones complaining, he winced and let out a long hiss. "I am not that old," He decided or convinced himself.
"You can still keep up with most of us." The cheerful female voice drew his attention, and he looked over to see the Stretchymaid entering his large study. She was wearing the traditional maid outfit, which fit well over her curvaceous form. The PokeGirl's eyes looked almost completely human, a deep and entrancing auburn color. Her skin, however, seemed polished like fine materials and hazy reflections of her surroundings etched themselves all over her sometimes. She walked closer, and once she was within range her arms extended, wrapping lightly around the Professor and drawing him suddenly nearer.
"Woah," He said, chuckling. "Is it time for a Taming again already? Has someone been feeding you something they should not have, Kiera?"
"Nope," Kiera replied idly. "I just like snuggling with you, Master." She demonstrated this amply by rubbing up against him. If she had been a cat-type, she might have literally purred. As it was, the Professor felt like purring himself. Suddenly she paused and said, "Oh, and Samir can't decide what to make for dinner, and wants your opinion, too!"
"I'm not going to be picky today," Kross said, his arms around her lovingly. "Tell Samir anything he decides is fine with me." Samir Durham was one of the several aides that the Professor had taken in. He was more of their head chef than a scientist who helped Kross with research.
She kissed him, becoming surprisingly involved in it. Kross was not about to protest, letting her get even closer to him in every way imaginable. Eventually she broke for air, luckily for her human companion. "Just because your lungs are elastic enough to store a ton of air, doesn't mean mine are," He lightly scolded her.
"Sorry," Kiera pouted cutely. "How will I ever make it up to you?"
"Well, it seems like a Taming session is in order either way now," He reflected, utterly unable and unwilling to resist her. "Oh, but first, I have another task for you. Something important is happening today, I'm going to start preparing Toman to become a Tamer."
"... A tamer? But doesn't he care more about books?" Kiera had found the teenager's intentional avoiding of Taming whenever possible a little bit insulting, but understood it was because of his nature.
"He'll learn better," Kross assured her. "Why don't you go fetch him from the Library before the rain begins, then?" The lab had a library wing, but its selection couldn't compare with the government-run facility that the Village had built a few years ago. Toman was sure to be found, when out of his house, in the Library or at the house of his few close friends. "Afterwards, we'll take this day off and Tame for a long while, ne?" She nodded eagerly. "Go then."
"You got it," She replied, unwinding herself from him. Although the felt slightly disappointed on an instinctual level, he simply sat back down in the computer chair. "I'll be back with Toman in a jiffy!" With that she was off, bounding out the door and down the stairs four at a time.
Kiera's species was never distinguished because of their grace or forethought. A more considerate creature might have gone down the sane way, especially with someone climbing up the steps at the same time. In her joy, the PokeGirl didn't see him until they were a few feet from impact.
Toman Kross had returned earlier than usual from the Library as hunger had taken hold of his senses. As usual, he had entered quietly, nodded to a few of the workers in the Lab, and headed for his father's study. With a blinding impact and a lot of pain, he found himself in a heap at the bottom of the staircase, with Kiera laying over him confusedly. His glasses had been tossed against the ground hard, but thankfully their glass-plastic alloy did not break. He groaned quietly, looking up into the blurry figure of her face hovering over him. "... What happened?" He asked, his voice like the wind.
He had longish stark-white hair confined back into a functional ponytail, with small untamed bangs that drifted over his deeply chocolate-brown face. His eyes were a hazy cerulean color, pools of intelligence and calculation. Toman wore a white shirt and long black synthetic pants, and a set of refined shoes. All of his appearance was now in disarray, obviously. "Oh, Toman! I'm so sorry," She squealed, springing up and surveying the lanky boy. Humans being less flexible, she was relieved when he laid in what looked like a fairly natural position. "Are you ok?! I'm sorry," She repeated, ignoring her own minor pain.
One of his arms went around his stomach, which ached now doubly from impact and emptiness. "Ugh," He sighed. He had a low pain threshold, and was suffering from the fall in his back, legs, arms, and pretty much every part of his entire body. Toman had to force himself to calm down and said, "... Where are my glasses?"
"Oh, they're right here, let me get them for you," Kiera offered. She stretched her arm out easily, reaching over to the discarded spectacles and pulling them back in. She handed them to Toman, who gratefully placed them back on his nose. Definition returned to his sight, and he clearly saw Kiera bent over him closely now in concern. Being this close to the beautiful PokeGirl made him blush slightly.
"Did you hit me?" The teenager deduced, moving uncomfortably a little bit away from her.
"... Yeah," She replied, looking away. She was ditzy and clumsy, but when she messed up she always felt bad about it. "Master wanted you, so I was kinda happy to go, didn't expect you home so soon... I'm sorry."
She was a PokeGirl, property of Professor Kross, of course. Toman never thought of it that way, and sympathy welled up in the quiet boy. His care for the feelings of others was great, even for the servants and maids and inhuman beings living at the Lab. He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled comfortingly. "It's alright," He lied. "It wasn't that painful, and I'm fine now." His back throbbed horribly, and he hoped his spine hadn't had something done to it.
Kiera nodded. "... Right." She added lamely, repeating herself, "Uh, Master wants to see you." She motioned with one of her elongated hands up the stairs that Toman had been recently trying to climb.
"Can you please get off of me?" Toman asked politely. She did so quickly, hasty to make up for her latest mistake. "Thank you. Um, could you also help me up?" Kiera gladly did, pulling up the slightly wispy boy to his feet. He barely stumbled before regaining his balance and brushing off his shirt. "What does father want?" He asked in an attempt to divert the subject for a moment.
"He wanted to... um... erm..." The stress of the last minute or two had wiped out a good portion of her admittedly-bad memory. "... I forget. But it's important, I know that." It's rare Master puts off a Taming for anything, even his own kin.
"I'll go now, then." Without another word, he began to climb the stairs. Luckily for him, he reached the top without another PokeGirl flying at him, and chose to consider that a good omen of things to come. Reaching the ajar door of the study, he knocked three times on it and stepped in. "Father, I'm here. I came early to eat some dinner, but I heard you wished to speak with me." His voice got stronger, making it echo off the tall shelved walls of the enclave.
His father swiveled his chair to face Toman. "Ah, my son," She said happily. "Welcome home. I hope that commotion wasn't too much of a problem... sit down." He motioned to one of the guest couches that were against the railing leading over the chasm of a staircase winding down into the earth. Toman did so, grateful to stop standing up. The fall still affected him a bit.
Before he could speak again, Toman asked, "How did the research go? I heard from Kerry that you had gathered a lot of promising data, but needed a new hypothesis."
"Very good, in fact," The father nodded, impressed with his offspring. "Maybe you could peruse it later with me, if you have the time. But that is not what you came here for, and it's not what I'm going to talk with you about. Son, you will be seventeen in a mere two weeks, you are coming of age and this is a joyous thing to me. To the whole 'family'. I know of your admirable aspirations, of your wish to further science and human knowledge about PokeGirls. This is also something that makes me so proud, as your father.
But, as I have told you before, the ivory tower does not an excellent scholar make. To truly be a researcher, you must conduct... well, field research! I have planned this out, and I wish for you to temporarily become a Tamer and go on a journey of exploration."
Toman reacted as expected, filled with pride until the half-way point, and after that slowly turning to a stunned disbelief. "... And you're kidding?" One look at the older man's face assured him that he was being on the level. "... Father, I can't."
"Can't is a word I thought you swore never to use. 'Can't use can't', you proudly told the villagers who came to visit you," Professor Kross said, grinning. He recalled earlier days, before Toman had began the slow process of shutting himself off from most other people. Whereas the younger him was an optimistic and helpful dreamer, it seemed now he was a more pragmatic person, even if he still desired the best for his friends and family. "It will do you worlds of good to have an adventure or five."
He sighed. "I'm a weakling, and I know it. Everyone knows it. I wouldn't survive a day outside the village." The teenager had grown startlingly sober, while his Father seemed a little less edged. "The thought of... Taming a PokeGirl is still..." He blushed. "... discomforting to say the least, my father."
"You will have to deal with that any way you slice it," His dad countered. "You will get over your inherent shyness and weakness of body, and become a greater man for it. Toman... I hate to force you to anything, since even when a kid you were always so sensible and obedient. But I insist on this, son..."
Low blood sugar and a ringing pain in his head combined to produce a temper less than stable in the teenager. However, even then, when his rage boiled up and he wanted to rebel, he could not. He was never one to fight against the inevitable. "... I have no choice, then. Won't I have to pass an examination at the PokeGirl Center before being allowed to be a Tamer?"
"Very observant," Kross nodded. "Yes, you will. The test is in two weeks, and it is no pushover, my son. Perhaps you might devote your wayward free time to studying for it. I have no doubt in your ability, but you can never be too careful."
"You're absolutely sure about this?" Toman sighed a long and profound sigh.
"I am absolutely sure about this," His father said. "It won't be so bad, I promise you! You'll be closer to achieving your dreams, just trust your father on this one."
"What will be on the test?" Not surprisingly, Ruby required all Tamers expecting to pass the test to know a wide variety of subjects. Mathematics, science, history, and language courses in the various common dialects were all required to pass, along with specialized PokeGirl care, taming, and battling subjects that would require lots of study. "A tall order."
"We both know you'll pass," The Professor said. "Now, go forth and fetch Kiera for me, if you please. Afterwards, get yourself something to eat. Then, begin to prepare for the test! Before you know it, you'll be an adventurer, Toman! You'll achieve things I never have, I can just feel it." Somehow, his dad's assurances failed to get very far in Toman's critical mind. I'm boned, He said to himself, letting out yet another sigh and letting himself out of the study.
Should've stayed at the Library.
/\/
Why did I have to come to the Library at the worst time? He wondered to himself. The date of the exams loomed ever closer, and Toman found the Library an inexhaustible supply of knowledge of all things related to PokeGirls. Unfortunately for the anti-social teenager, many of his 'fellow' Tamer hopefuls had found out the same thing, and were swarming the place, hungry to cram knowledge and pass their tests. The Village, like most places, produced a prodigious number of hotshots looking to make it big by becoming and Tamer and traveling abroad.
One of the 'hopeful's drove him the most up and down the wall, and seemed to enjoy doing it. Ivan Reshykya was large, tall, strong, and was well-aware of it. He seemed to enjoy making the shy and smaller Toman uncomfortable, which wasn't too hard to do. It hadn't evolved to full bullying yet, but Toman had found ways of coping with it over the years. Now, it was getting hard to ignore the wads of paper that kept hitting him behind behind.
What is he, a fucking four-year-old? He snarled within his mind, the thoughts trapped deep in a part of his mind that he never, ever let out. Toman was getting seriously agitated, slamming his book shut suddenly and standing up, heading back to replace it onto the shelf from which it had been retrieved. The Library didn't allow the PokeGirl reference manuals to be rented for some reason or another, which meant he was trapped there, possibly with Ivan, or other people, all of whom made him feel slightly uneasy.
The Reshykya family controlled a majority of the town council, and so were VIPs in the Village. Of course, his size alone would probably have discouraged people from sticking up for the neigh-silent Toman. The only fortunate thing that he could see was that the harassment hadn't turned violent yet, which would have been a true worry.
Thus was the pattern for nearly a week, Toman coming to the Library, finding Ivan, and trying to ignore his childish annoyances. Ivan always thought up new ways to bother him and put him off-task. Occasionally David reached his breaking point and headed home, but generally he resisted the Reshykya's efforts at taunting.
"Good luck on the test, Genius," He would always call after him when he stormed away, even if it got him lightly scolded by the Librarian a few times. Toman never replied, angrily walking down the large stone steps of the library and onto the Village common.
Samara Village was, by no means, tiny. Well-constructed and modern buildings surrounded him on all sides, along with paved roads and even a central fountain and forum. Many of the villagers preferred to walk around town, but a few of the wealthier ones even had cars. The people were generally a friendly lot to Toman, mostly due to his ties with the beloved Professor Kross. Within Samara, PokeGirls were given some measures of freedom and rights, and so it wasn't uncommon to see them around as well, performing chores or just relaxing.
He sighed, feeling the rare sunshine lapping at his sensitive face. The rain had come, watering the plants plentifully and leaving much of the ground a squishy mess, but it had also now passed on. The skies were blue and almost totally clear, allowing the sun supreme providence of the air like nature had intended. To himself he pondered aloud, "Well, my research was ruined again, so now what to do..."
From a distance, he heard his name being called. "Toman! Toman!" Blinking in confusion, he pivoted on his heel and saw a group of villagers approaching, accompanied by several different breeds of PokeGirls, fire and grass types alike. Being averse to groups of people, he instinctively tensed up. When he noticed who was leading the procession, however, he relaxed slightly.
It was Dominique Barrett, one of his friends. He was about a year older than Toman was, but still came to him for any questions he had. Dom was handsome, with a light, Scandinavian complexion and crystal eyes, along with unkempt yet short blonde hair. The native villager had always been so outgoing and charismatic that not even the reclusive Toman could long resist. Many of his plans revolved around getting Toman more 'fun-loving', although those plans tended to collapse painfully quick. "Hey, man. What's up?"
"Nothing much," He replied quietly, not making eye contact with anyone for several seconds but standing completely calm. "Just stormed out of the Library."
"Ivan again, eh?" Toman nodded slowly. "Figured so. The only reason he keeps doing it is that you let him get to you, Tom. He might be slow, but he's no evil destroyer of worlds. I think you're making a mountain of a molehill," Dom finished mildly.
"Maybe, Dom," Toman shrugged. "Or maybe he's harassing me in my obvious vulnerability so I'm not as prepared for the exams, and he gets an advantage over me." Frankly, he needs every advantage in terms of intellect when competing with me...
"Or you're paranoid," A Candy Catgirl spoke up. She had caught the fancy of Dom, who treated her just like another of 'the guys'. Officially she was unnamed, but he had given her the nickname Caxap, which was Russian for sugar. It was an accurate title; she was about as sweet and energetic as Kiera most times, as long as her supply of candy was regular and plentiful. The fact that she was beautiful and curvaceous probably helped her getting along well. with others, too.
"There's that too," Toman admitted. "So, I've got nothing to do, and returning home now would probably have me walking in on a Taming session." Not what I'd call a great noon.
"You could join our ruffian band," Dom offered. "We're thinking of heading over to the Ranch and asking if any of the PokeGirls will help us with some battle practice. We won't have to actually fight in the exam but some practical experience can't hurt, right?" Mosertack Ranch was a large and benevolent business, having a reputation above what most other PokeGirl ranches achieved.
"Sounds good." With that, he fell in with the group as they continued down the road. Quickly passing out of the town limits, they entered the wooded area separating them from the Ranch complex. The road through the woods was well-maintained, and often Ranch-bred PokeGirls would even be patrolling to make sure no Ferals could attack random travelers. Their trip was, as usual, completely uneventful, walking about a kilometer before reaching their goal.
Although Toman didn't like to travel, he had to admit that going to the Ranch was worth the walk, even with people around him. So many different types of PokeGirls were on display, and the staff of the facility were always smiling and helpful. He was actually looking forward to getting there. When they reached the front gates of the Ranch's walled-in section, then, he was disappointed to see a familiar sight in the sky overhead- an approaching PokeGirl, specifically a Falcongentle.
The flying-type was bee-lining straight for him at speeds that, he was sure, weren't safe. If he wasn't aware of their status as couriers for important messages, or hadn't seen the distinct white red-cross armbands and hats, he might have been more alarmed. As it is, he felt somewhat curious, but mostly worried about bracing himself securely.
When she got near, she suddenly decelerated, her powerful dull-colored wings blasting huge torrents of air that knocked many of the humans down, including Toman. He fell in the dirt-road with a harsh thump, but luckily managed to keep his glasses on his face. Everyone coughed loudly as dust-clouds swirled around them, making breathing tough for a small while. "Sorry," She called out. "Had to move quick. I have a priority message for Toman Kross." Her harsh eyes seemed to be sizing up the humans for prey, but Toman also knew that was normal for her entire race.
"... I'm him," The professor's son said, picking himself up slowly. "What do you have?"
"Your father just had a heart attack," She said. "He was taken to the Center and stabilized, right now he's been sedated. I was dispatched to alert you ASAP, and bring you back to him if you wish." Unquestionably, sympathy had entered her voice as she bluntly delivered the shocking news. The others all gasped and looked around, alarmed, and Dom bowed his head in a knowing way.
Toman didn't react for several seconds, and then he said, ".... How will you take me back?"
"Hop on to my back, piggy-back style," She said, turning around and bending over slowly. "With your arms around my neck and legs around my waist. If you lay yourself right you won't interfere with my wings too much. And do hang on tightly."
He hesitated for a half-moment, paling at the thought of literally mounting her. The next cycle of his brain brought back the mind-numbing fear, and he obeyed her instructions. Gripping around her neck and waist with all of his strength, and got himself well situated on her back after pocketing his glasses. She waited patiently, easily bearing his small weight. When he said that he was ready, she flapped her wings twice and then kicked off from the ground.
They started towards the nearby village at a truly sickening speed, especially for Toman, who wasn't fully prepared for it. The wind bombarded him and numbed his face in moments, making him squeeze his eyes shut and bury his face against her feathery back. The feeling of being pulled backwards was intense, which only made him hold on tighter. Luckily, the voyage was nothing if not short. It took the PokeGirl all of a minute and a half to traverse the kilometer and make it over the village. She decelerated in the sky with a single flap of her mighty wings. "You OK?" She called to him.
"I'm wonderful," He replied, yelling as best he could over the rushing winds. "Are we landing on the roof?"
"Yeah, fastest way." She fell like a rock, trying to slow her descent with her wings as the PokeCenter grew under them. When they did land, it was safely, and she bent her knees to absorb most of the force of impact. Toman gladly slid off the first instant they were on the roof, barely catching himself from falling as his world began to spin. "That was my first time flying," He noted, shaking his head to try and clear it.
"Let's go inside now," The Falcongentle offered, walking over on taloned feet to open the door that led down onto the third story of the Center. He followed her, concern for his father once again overtaking everything else and numbing most of his senses. "The human wing is on the top level."
Since Samara Village wasn't large enough to rate a fully-dedicated human hospital yet, they used the PokeCenter to care for all injured beings. Nurse Joy proved competent enough at this task, but Toman had to wonder how she would do with Professor Kross. These thoughts were mostly occupying the non-shocked portions of his mind as they descended the stairs and emerged into the clean and well-lit medical building.
To either side stretched rows of doors, ajar, shut, or even locked, with papers on each declaring which patient occupied which room and what their problems were. The messenger had forgotten the number of Professor Kross' room, but with her sharp eyes she quickly scanned in both directions and found it, leading the way. Toman continued to follow like a lost puppy, only barely remembering to take out his glasses and put them back on his windswept and cold face.
The door was open, and a familiar voice was wailing sadly. The messenger respectfully waited outside while Toman entered silently. The room was fairly small, with many medical devices and equipment surrounding the plain white bed. An offset-door led to a fully stocked bathroom with shower. The single window in the room had its curtains drawn, casting everything into dim shadow. Professor Allan Kross laid in the bed, under the covers, looking completely comatose. Medical readouts confirmed his continued life. Kiera was kneeling next to his bed, gripping his hand and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Father...." At the sight of him, it was hard to fight down his own tears. Instinctively he did so, although he stepped closer and watched the unmoving face of his sleeping dad. Thank God he's still alive, was the first cogent thought to make it through his head. As that knowledge slowly crept over his mind, he became less worried and more glad. He did find Kiera's behavior odd, however; she was acting like he had already passed on. "Kiera?"
At hearing her name, she looked up and saw Toman standing there. Instinctively she flew at him, clinging tightly and continuing to cry. "I was so worried," She said in between massive fits of sorrow. Toman put an arm around her, not finding words of comfort but hoping to help by his very presence. "We were Taming, when suddenly... he began to shake, but not like usual... his eyes went vacant... oh, Toman!" Under normal circumstances, such a discovery would cause disgust in the boy, but now he didn't care at all.
"It's alright," He finally said. "See? He's alive and his heartbeat's well. Probably been sedated to get some nice, solid rest and recovery." Toman pointed to the infinitely comforting little flatscreen display that showed the bouncing green line of the Professor's life. The rhythmic beeping didn't chance, either, with a strong and steady tempo. "Please, calm down, Kiera, it's over now."
Eventually her crying did begin to recede, and she now clung to him in a tired way. "Yeah... I think I need to get some rest, too. Thanks." Kiera stood up on her own, looking down. "Just need some time, you know."
"Yeah, I know," Toman assured her. "Go on home and rest. Your master will be back home by tomorrow, I guarantee you. Although he might not be fit to Tame you for a while." He managed a slight bit of humor because of the new joy he felt that his father had been spared.
"Maybe you can do it instead," She suggested slyly, her clever smile looking ill-worn now.
"Now you're getting delusional. Are the others here, too?" He was referring to the aides and other PokeGirls and everyone else who worked at the Lab. All of them felt like his extended family, and were treated as such. He had no doubt they would rush to see him safely.
"Yeah, most of them didn't want to be in here for a while, though," The Stretchymaid confirmed. "Are you gonna come back home now, too?"
"In a few. Right now I just need to think about things." He sat down on one of the comfortable visitor chairs with a long sigh of relief. He was tired from the walk and the subsequent flight, and the emotional stress added on top of that. Kiera took her leave, slowly walking down the hallway and out towards the lobby, where several of their 'family' were waiting.
Father... you're pushing yourself too hard, like always. You're too old for this sort of thing. But you've always been too proud to admit that, and you try regardless of the consequences . He stared at the unmoving closed eyelids of his single parent. I have so many questions I never had the courage to ask, Dad... about Mom, Taming, everything else. Think I'll add another one to the list.
Why are you doing this and making me become a Trainer, Dad? I don't understand why I need it, even if you're so fired up about it.
I hate it when I can't understand something.
NurseJoy was making her rounds, checking up on the human patients and reassuring those who were conscious and sapient. She leaned into the darkened room, and saw Professor Kross still peacefully out, and the equipment reporting no more major problems. After a moment, she also noticed the teenager sitting in the chair facing the bed, and recognized him as Kross' son. "Toman," She said in surprise.
Startled slightly, he looked over to see Nurse Joy outlined by the light spilling in from the hallway. "Nurse," He said. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about some things." At least I'm good at that. He stood up, and walked over to him. "I also wanted to thank you personally. I know that without your healing powers, this Center doesn't have the surgical capability to fix a patient in cardiac arrest. So you probably saved his life, right?"
She blushed slightly, surprised by his genuine and direct approach which was different from her usual brief interactions with Toman. "Urm... no, please, there's no need to thank me. It's my duty to heal people, it's why the League commissioned me." Most people didn't thank the syringes or the beds for their role in helping people, and she viewed herself much in the same light as those other tools of medicine.
"Still, you deserve to be commended," Toman nodded. "I'm sure father will agree when he's up again. I'm going home now, I believe, but please send word the moment he's awake. I'd like to talk with him."
"Of course," She replied, watching him take his leave, quiet as usual.
/\/
The test was nearly twenty pages long and the average test-taker consumed over two hours in completing it in total. There were a hundred and fifteen people who applied to become regular Tamers, and were tested on the same day that Toman Kross was, which was three days after Professor Kross returned home.
It took a while for the League-specialized test scanners to complete their function, the machines busily whirring away, but by sunset the results had been posted up in the Village common for all to see. Toman went out to see the results, persuading his father to remain in bed and recover more.
On the way down the street, he met Dom, who had also taken the test. "Hey, man," Dom greeted him cheerfully in the dusk red lighting. "So, how do you think we did?" Dozens of other teenagers and hopefuls passed them, clustering into groups or nervously walking alone on the edges of the sidewalk.
"No way to tell until we get there," Toman said blandly. Ivan brushed past him, which was easy with the size discrepancy, but mercifully did not turn and begin to talk at Toman.
"True enough. How's the Prof. doing? I hope he's getting a lot better." Dom knew about family tragedies, his grandfather had passed away early last year. He wanted to comfort Toman, but upon seeing it wasn't anything lethal he realized that the recluse didn't need it.
"Almost a full recovery is expected," The quieter boy said happily. "He's still a tough old man, even when he overexerts himself. I had to beg him not to come with me to see the results."
They reached the growing crowd of people who were standing around the big bulletin board. NurseJoy herself was also there, talking with anyone who had questions. The lists, however, spoke mostly for themselves. In one column was a solid majority of the hopefuls, and in the other, smaller section were those who passed the exam. Toman wasn't overly surprised, but still happy, to see both his own and Dom's names on the 'pass' rolls, even if Dom placed dead last there.
The crowd was getting noisy, either celebrating their achievement or vocally expressing their displeasure. Ivan had found himself failing by a wide margin, and thus his temper was flaring up. Toman was visually obvious amongst the 'winners', and so became the target of his rage. "You snotty little rich-kid," He glowered, looming over the smaller and weaker boy. "You think you're better than me just cause you got to pass some stupid test?"
"No," Toman said, unafraid, "I think I'm better than you because I'm better than you." This came as a surprise to many onlookers, who gasped. Insulting the brutish large teenager was not a healthy activity. Toman didn't care, at this point. He had become fed up. "I don't care that you aren't as rich as me. What I do care about is that you are a worthless bully reject, without the brains to aspire to anything greater. I don't know why you decided to pick on me, for years, but it's going to stop now."
Ivan's wrath was augmented further and further, but at the end he laughed loudly. "Oh, yeah? And what're you going to do about it, pretty-boy? You ain't got a PokeGirl yet. Maybe I should teach you a lesson in respect."
He's got a point there , Toman sighed to himself, feeling a little anxious now as Ivan took a step forward. He glanced over at Dom, who shrugged. Do something, he tried to beam through his mind to his friend. For once, that was exactly what he did, stepping forward and blocking the way. "Hold up, Ivan. This isn't right."
"You hear all that he said to me?" Ivan demanded. "Get out of my way, Dom, or I'll beat you up, too."
"This is bullshit," Dom spat. "I'm not going to let you hurt him, Ivan, and I know how to fight, unlike Toman here. Are you actually going to make something out of this, right here in front of everyone?" He stared right up into the larger guy's eyes angrily.
"... I don't know why you bother with that pussy," Ivan cursed. "Not in the mood for a real brawl right now, but you two just earned yourself some real trouble. Don't forget that." He slowly backed off, turning to walk back home. The crowd parted very quickly around him, watching him go in hushed tones. NurseJoy fretted in the back about the possibility of violence.
"I think we're only gonna get more trouble as real Tamers," The blonde grinned. "Oh well."
"Hey, man. Thanks." Toman occupied himself by going over the lists again and checking the names of the people he knew. The crowd slowly dispersed now that the spectacle had ended, going back to their previous worries and comforts. The sun had now completely set, plunging the world around them into increasing shadow and darkness. Lanterns and street-lights kicked in quickly, though.
"It was no problem," Dom said. "About time someone made Ivan flinch for a chance. I'll probably regret it later, but by then I'll have other worries. Hey, have you thought about what you're gonna get as your Starter yet?"
"Hm? A little," Toman admitted. "Father had me go out to the Ranch again, alone, just to check out some of the different kinds. I haven't decided on anything yet." He took a moment, and then said, "... We're actually Tamers now. Never expected to be one, honestly."
"Never expected you to be one, either," Dom chuckled. "But maybe the Prof.'s right. Maybe you'll even learn to like traveling around and beating the crap out of women."
"We can only hope. Well, I'm headed home for the night. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Another sign on the board said that Professor Kross' Lab would be passing out the Pokedexes, Pokeballs, and some Starters tomorrow beginning at noon.
"Yeah, bye." Dom turned to walk down a different path, softly singing a familiar tune. "Gotta catch em all..."
Toman quickly returned home, and was greeted at the door by most of the aides and PokeGirls. "Welcome home." Kiera said. "So, how'd ya do? Did you pass?" The others also wanted news about the exams, encircling the nervous boy.
"Yes," He replied, looking away. "I'm officially a PokeGirl Tamer. Yay me." He passed through the cluster of people and PokeGirls, heading down the hallway and towards his own room. They seemed confused by the obviously upset Toman. The day, in fact the past two weeks as a whole, had worn him down and he felt like a nice, long rest was the proper treatment.
It was a bad habit, but he left the television in his room on, even though he quickly fell sound asleep. His eyelids shut to the disharmony of a political debate in Ruby City, dreams luckily vacant of such venomous politics.
/\/
It was summer, and the weather was warm and pleasant for over seven months of the year anyway. The sky was, once again, bright and cheerful outside his window. The rays of victorious sunshine filtered through the small wisps of curtains, providing the only natural lightning in the room. Toman had been hit by a bout of lethargy even after waking up around ten o'clock, and simply laid in his bed. The TV continued to rage in the background, this time a live telecast of a battle tournament.
The last time Toman had brought up the subject of his mother, it was when he was a little kid. Professor Kross refused to tell him anything, changing the conversation instantly. The same had happened in the PokeCenter. Both times, he had not pressed the issue. Other questions, however, his father had been much more open to.
He had actually given Toman a tape, labeled as 'educational material', containing demonstrations of various Taming techniques. Toman had, of course, studied it closely, but the thought of it embarrassed him still. Just another part of my research to become a Tamer, he reassured himself, even as the honest part of him acknowledged enjoying watching it.
The championship battle had ended, but the teenager had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he barely noticed. He took more notice when the program switched to the Sex Leagues of the same tournament. Generally, he was quick to change the channel when he saw the distinctive raunchy logo of the Ruby Sex Battle Leagues, but today he just rolled on his side and began to watch.
Yeah, let's give them more of an excuse to screw, like they don't already, He thought sarcastically as the camera slowly panned through the large open-air stadium. The crowd packed the stands, energized and likely to only get more so as the battle commenced. After a bit of covering the audience, the cameraman turned his attention to the referee of the match. He was a decidedly average-looking man in the standard black and white striped shirt and black pants, with a green flag in one hand and a red in the other.
His voice really carried, though, so much so that he didn't even need a megaphone to grip the attention of all onlookers. "This is an official Sex League match! The rules are as follows. Both Tamers are allowed two PokeGirls. The first one to reach orgasm or pass out is declared unable to continue. When I determine both PokeGirls on a team are unable to continue, the other side will be declared the victor. This is the first in a best-of-five series between Gregory Mendella of Ruby City and Marcus Fenix of Sera Village!"
As each Tamer was mentioned, the screen cut to a shot of them. Both of them looked aggressive but slightly nervous; which was only to be expected when their contest was being broadcast to the entire League. Each already had a Pokeball in one hand. The referee's professional stance was broken by his broad grin. "Begin!"
"Screw 'em flat, Lily!" Mendella tossed first by a moment, his Pokeball bouncing once off the padded floor-mats before opening. In a flash of light, his Belle Awesome took shape, appearing before the throngs of cheering people.
She was beautiful, her green skin seeming to shine under the warm sun. With an utterly cold glance at Fenix, she said to her master, "I am ready," then waited silently for her opponent. Two prominent flowers, with beautiful rose-petals, sprouted from her head. Excepting her skirt of long, reedy leaves, she was entirely naked. Thus all the better to flaunt her impressive breasts with dark nipples and just breathtaking figure in general. Toman agreed with the many members of the audience who whistled and generally expressed their approval.
"Come on, Bellena," Fenix followed, his own ball opening before it ever hit the ground. With a second flash that blinded the camera for a moment, his Enchantress was made manifest. She was a bit taller than an average human, and had significant and perky tits that were obviously already hard. She was dressed in tight, revealing clothes that showed so much skin, one wondered if she was actually wearing clothes at all. The crowd reacted particularly well to that. She giggled, blowing a kiss to the camera. Toman couldn't help a small goofy grin in return, even though the fight was about a hundred kilometers away.
"Ladies, I want a nice and dirty fight," The referee said as both PokeGirls stepped forward, meeting at the center of the arena. Bellena was slightly taller, and brazenly examined her opponent with hungry eyes. She licked her lips and nodded in confirmation to the ref. Lily didn't seem to think that he existed, and tried to lock her gaze with the other girl and intimidate her. "You may start." He took a quick step backwards, aware that some of these battles tended to get messy.
Unlike traditional PokeGirl Battles, where strategy and Tamer guidance were just as vital as physical ability, a Sex Battle was mainly left up to the instincts and prowess of the fighters. The Tamers could offer advice, but nobody knew their bodies better than the girls themselves. Ruby and other moderate Leagues were especially known for this, and to a degree this made their battles more fun to watch.
Lily launched herself forward, using her Erotic Kiss, a special sex-only attack. Wrapping her arms around the Enchantress' shoulders, her lips claimed Bellena's effortlessly. It took moments for the movements of her pheromone-laced tongue to elicit a muffled moan from the other girl. Mendella nodded in approval, confidently grinning at Fenix.
"Bellena, Nip Break," Fenix ordered in a rare display of Tamer command. Perhaps it was to help her clear her head from the pleasure. Responding, the Enchantress bit down on the Belle Awesome's tongue. At the sudden pain, she pulled it back into her mouth, weakening the Kiss' hold to the point where she could move her lips down, rapidly trailing her own kisses on the bare green skin. When she reached one of the hardening dark nipples, she took as much of the right breast into her mouth as she could and began to suckle on it. As if that weren't enough, she sparked a tiny amount of water from her mouth using magic to augment the plant's already hyper-sensitive spot.
It was probably already over. Lily was instantly moaning with abandon, beginning to shiver and only supported by one of Bellena's arms around her. She had no counter to this, especially in her current state of unfocused rapture. It seemed only a small matter of time before she came, and the referee leaned in closer. To what degree he wished to merely watch this spectacle was something that people in the audience debated.
Toman was so caught up in watching this that he didn't notice the hilarious irony as the station censored the curse from Mendella, but zoomed in to show Bellena's excellent mouth work. As when he had watched the reference tape, he noted that he had gotten an erection which only insisted on rising further and further, making it harder to think at all. Just as he was deciding to do something about it, he was interrupted by the click of his door's lock.
Kiera had been concerned about Toman locking himself in his room. She was worried that he was still miserable over the prospect of becoming a Tamer. Feeling like she needed to come talk to him, she had stolen the master key blueprint, produced a replica of the rare Toman key, and gone to see him. Opening the door, she saw what he was so enthralled in and that one of his hands had gone into his pants, and she grinned goofily. "Wrong time?"
Toman was struck dumb with sheer embarrassment, his dark skin easily showing the heavy blush that had fallen over him. "... Shut up," He managed, sitting up and crossing his legs, remembering to turn off the TV and withdraw his hand.
Wrong response. She literally glomped him, the flying tackle of a hug making him fall backwards but luckily not hitting the night-stand. "Oh, that's so cute! You're experimenting! And blushing! Poor little shy Toman's learning more about the world." Not only was her voluptuous body now over his, and a need had begun to pain him in his nether regions, but the cry of orgasm from the TV didn't help things either.
"Get off," He managed, struggling against the much stronger PokeGirl. "I thought Dad was your master!"
"He can't tame me for a while, and I need some," She squealed. "And you're his son, so I figure there isn't much of a problem!"
Toman stopped struggling, leaning back and putting his 'clean' hand over his forehead in annoyance. He had no choice but to accept the teasing, which continued until Kiera drew bored and stood back up. "Sorry," She said. "Couldn't help myself." Her eyes lingered several moments on the unreasonable size of the tent in the teenager's pants.
"Worry about helping me next time," He ordered, pulling his hair back with a pocketed hair-band, even though it had become quite messy and disheveled from sleeping and Kiera. "What do you want, and who do I have to kill for letting you get a Toman key?"
"Just worried about you," She replied, having a seat on the edge of the bed and ignoring Toman's feeble attempt to kick her off. "Even you manage to drag yourself into the company of your family by this time, unless you've got a problem. Wanna talk about it?"
"Not sure a PokeGirl would understand. Much less such an outgoing one," Toman said, rolling over to conceal his bulge, which still throbbed impatiently. "Hell, you're strong compared to me, too."
"Just because he keeps me sane isn't the only reason I'm with Master," Kiera said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "He knows what he's doing. He wouldn't have made you a Tamer unless he really thought it could help you- he's so proud of you that he won't stand you not to be the best."
Toman's only reply was, "When should I get my PokeDex, Balls, and Starter?"
"Whenever you're ready," She said. "We've been in open-house mode for about an hour already. People are arriving in ones and twos randomly to get their stuff. Master felt strong enough to get into the Dex Lab, and from there he's giving speeches and equipment. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you this early."
He had managed to calm himself down, the erection receding and leaving him only feeling warm and gasping slightly. "Alright. I'll go now." Upon hearing this, Kiera became hyper again, grabbing his hand and pulling him up, out of bed. He had slept in his clothes, which were wrinkled but otherwise decent enough for the house. "Woah!"
"You said now," She said with determination as she led the way out of his now rather dark room and into the hallway, "So now it is. Not letting you loose your nerve."
In this fashion he was dragged out back, to the lab-oriented part of the dwelling. The floors changed from homely wood to solid and polished steel. They passed several research rooms and a computer terminal linking to the house network. Aides and PokeGirl assistants inside waved to them or called out simple greetings, which Kiera returned.
Professor Kross was seated on one end of a large storage room, which had been cleared save for two prominent racks. One rack held dozens of freshly-programmed Pokedexes, the devices holding a wealth of knowledge about all known PokeGirls. The other held organized lines of seven red Pokeballs, segmented by small stripes from other groups. A line of PokeGirls stood prominently in the back of the room, facing the Professor and waiting. They were all obviously nervous but excited about their 'big day'- all of them kits who were freshly matured and prepared to be Tamed. There were all types of fairly common Girls amongst the ranks.
From the door they entered, Toman looked from the PokeGirls on one side, coloring at the sight of so many naked woman, to his father and the racks on the other side. The Professor said, "Welcome, Toman. Today is it. Having passed the test and with my blessing, you shall become a PokeGirl Trainer today!"
"Yay," Toman said.
"Your enthusiasm will, no doubt, grow for your journey as you get underway," He insisted. "Take the green-striped PokeDex at the end, my son. It is a special editable model, similar to the research units issued by the League to licensed Professors, but without the transmission/rewrite functionality." Toman did so, flipping it open and discovering a keyboard on the inside around the slightly-smaller screen. "It also accepts verbal recordings up to a total of a hundred and twenty hours. Using this tool, begin your journey of knowledge. Add new data on PokeGirls and periodically send it back to me for analysis, just like any other field researcher."
Toman actually did smile at that. "Thank you, father." He meant it- it was an honor to be trusted with research, even if that honor was one he did not want. "Why are there seven Pokeballs? I thought we got six."
"You get six empty ones," He explained. "Plus the one that holds your Starter. I know the rule is usually six in total but I feel that everyone needs an advantage over those from richer towns. By the way, feel free to choose any of them. They have all told me they would love to be with the prodigal son of the Kross family."
The introvert tensed up again. "Oh, you told them..." Usually females paid him more attention when they learned his last time, especially shallow ones. This annoyed him on a general 'don't like folks' level, but also on a more personal level of disliking materialists. He looked over. Ever since he had been confirmed as Toman Kross, all of the PokeGirls had been murmuring excitedly. Meeting his gaze, they gave him, for the most part, dazzling smiles that made him blush yet again.
One of them in particular caught his eye. Like the Belle Awesome she was a plant-based PokeGirl, but her skin was slightly more green along with her flowing hair, with darker cheetah-like patches over her bare body. and she didn't have a flower coming out of her head. Instead, she had a large plant bulb on her lower back. She was also stunningly beautiful to him, despite her discoloration. His new PokeDex also noted to him in the file about her species, called a Boobisaur, that she had large breasts. He didn't need the file to notice that, eyes lingering on the swelling mountains of flesh. She had to be the biggest in that regard of any of the others.
"They're D-Cups," She spoke up, to everyone's surprise. "And my eyes are here, Master." It was more of a surprise when she called him that, despite not having been selected.
Toman cocked an eyebrow. "I'll note that in the file, then. Why are you calling me Master? I'm not your Master, haven't chosen you yet. A little out of line there." The other girls started whispering, sure she had offended him and blown it.
"Oh, but you're gonna choose me," She replied with perfect confidence. "Knew it the moment you walked in."
"So you're a Psychic-type too?" He acted like he was putting that into the PokeDex, too. For some reason, despite how shy he was, he couldn't help but be witty and friendly to her. "Tell me, what's your name, then? Oh, nevermind." They didn't get a name, he recalled, until they were chosen for them by their first Tamer. He looked over at the Professor. "Father. I'll take this one." Professor Kross grinned.
That was the beginning of Toman Kross' new life.