This work is fiction. The work has no relationship with any person existing at any time anywhere whether real or imaginary or copywritten. Everything in this work is mea culpa.
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You should not read this work if you are under the age of legal consent wherever you reside. This work may or may not contain any and/or all of the following: death, dismemberment, violent acts, implied sex, explicit sex, violent sex, rape, cannibalism, blasphemy (depending on your religion), BDSM, torture, mimes, and just about anything unwholesome that you could consider.
The pokegirl universe was first documented by Metroanime and to him all of us who reside or visit there owe a debt of thanks.
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Chapter 10
Helen headed down the dilapidated hallway with Kasumi behind her. She paused at the closed door and glanced back at her companion. “I can’t believe he decided to set up an office here. This place is horrid.”
“It was good enough for Shikarou once.”
“He was only here because he was setting himself up as a target and didn’t want anyone else to get hurt when he got attacked.” She knocked firmly on the door. “Kerrik?”
“Come in.”
Helen opened the door and froze. Kerrik was kneeling on the ceiling, poking at the base of the light fixture. His hair fell in a thick silvery braid to swing close to the floor. He looked down at them and laid the screwdriver on the ceiling next to him. “Good morning.”
Helen grinned. “Will the light come on if I pull the chain?”
He gave her a look of incomprehension. “What?”
“The chain.” The milktit stepped under him and gave his braid a soft tug. She yelled and jumped backward when the light came on.
Kerrik chuckled loudly. “Oh, that.”
Kasumi’s mouth dropped when Helen put her hands on her hips. “You are not a nice kami,” the milktit announced in an angry voice.
Kerrik kept grinning as he dropped from the ceiling, twisting to land on his feet. He snapped his head to drop his braid behind him, where it belonged, and cocked his head. “I never said I was.” Kasumi relaxed when he winked at her. He glanced at the light and it died. “I couldn’t resist the joke.”
“Was that the only reason you were up there?” Helen pulled out her wand and created a tray of tea and biscuits. She still sounded cross, but there was a definite undertone of amusement in her voice.
Kerrik shook his head as he dropped crosslegged onto the floor. “No; sometime in the past several years, the window was broken and wind from storms managed to bang the light around enough to cause a short. I was repairing it before I turned it on and it started a fire.” He gratefully accepted the mug of tea and gave them a curious look. “This is where it’s customary for me to ask why you two are here. So, why are you two here?”
Helen nodded and looked suddenly hesitant. Kerrik shook his head sadly. “Why is it that people seem to be worried when they have to talk to me? I don’t bite.” He smiled slightly. “Well, not unless I’m asked to and by the right persons. You are my son’s mate and she’s his wife; I am rather fond of both of you.”
Helen blinked. “What’s the difference?”
Kerrik shrugged. “Kasumi is married to him and you aren’t? As far as I’m concerned, you are his wife, too. You and he love each other just as much as he and Kasumi love each other, but I figured you’d argue with me if I called you his wife.”
Kasumi laughed softly. “He has a point, Helen. You would.”
A smile flickered around Helen’s lips. “Maybe he does.”
“How about I ask the question again and this time you pretend I’m someone you’re comfortable with?”
“It’s not that, it’s just I’m not sure I should be asking this question.”
Kasumi touched her wrist and Helen sighed. “Helen and I are concerned about the fact that no changes have appeared in us while Kozakura, who is only nineteen, is already showing kami powers.”
Kerrik nodded, keeping his face carefully blank. “What powers is she manifesting?”
“She can fly and she has an affinity for creatures of the air.”
“Considering her spirit creature, that would make sense.”
Kasumi frowned. “Spirit creature? Shikarou mentioned something about a spirit creature when he was teaching Faelan to access his kami powers.” A startled look crossed her face. “Your family has to face its beast to do so.”
Kerrik nodded. “That’s right. Kozakura’s creature is the goshawk and she’ll have attributes that reflect that.”
“How is it that you know what my daughter’s creature is when I do not?” There was an odd undertone to Kasumi’s voice.
Kerrik raised an eyebrow. “Don’t take umbrage with me, Kasumi. I helped her to awaken her gifts when she came and asked me to. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think about it and, apparently, she didn’t want you to know.”
Helen frowned. “Umbrage?”
“Kasumi has that tone that says she’s very angry right now and I don’t deserve it.” He snorted. “I know it quite well.”
Kasumi frowned. “You do? I haven’t been upset around you before.”
Kerrik’s ears stilled and his face went carefully blank. His voice was almost emotionless. “I think that line of questioning should end immediately because I’m not going to answer that question now, and frankly, I may never do so.” His voice warmed. “I take it that neither of you has had the opportunity to face your creature?”
Kasumi was watching him curiously. Finally, she nodded. “That’s correct. Until now, I’d forgotten that we might need to. Will you help us as you helped my daughter?”
He nodded. “I’d be glad to. In fact, if you two don’t mind, we probably need to do this in front of the rest of the family, so they’ll know what to expect if they choose to become kami.” He muttered something under his breath that neither Helen nor Kasumi could make out.
Helen cocked her head. “What is it?”
Kerrik suddenly had an expression similar to the one worn by Graeme the last time she’d caught him stealing cookies from the kitchen, a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation. He reached up and twisted an ear tuft absently, before growling softly. “I like everyone in your family to varying degrees and I’m worried that many of you won’t decide to become kami or sidhe. I don’t want to watch my daughters grow old and die when they don’t have to, but I can’t force this on them.”
“You’re worried about Candace.” It wasn’t a question.
“Kasumi, from what I can tell, pokewomen live into their early seventies. I’m concerned about all of the family harem pokegirls and several of them will never see fifty again. That includes Candace, Amy and Tetsuyo. A tamer and his pokegirls usually end their careers and start looking for another profession in their mid twenties and Pythia, who is the youngest of the bunch – well, not counting Jamie and his harem - is twenty three.”
His ears flicked. “On the other hand, how much exploring is anyone likely to do? It’s fortunate for the move that most of the harems are currently childless, but Elizabeth has Melanie to look after and homes will need built. Maybe your time of active exploration is over and maybe it should be.”
Helen’s ears went flat for a second.
He took a deep breath. “Anyway, one of the things you need to consider is that you have to drink the blood of a kami; so, you have a decision to make, one that you might want to discuss with Shikarou. His blood would work, as would mine, but I am more powerful than he is and sometimes that makes things better.”
Kasumi nodded. “We’ll discuss it with him and then talk with you, probably tomorrow.”
“There is something that you may need to consider.” Kerrik refilled his mug. “Right now, both of you are kami that have not yet come into your power. It does mean that you are now much harder to kill but it also means that you retain a good measure of your humanity. Coming into your power will change you and it is possible that not all of those changes will be positive ones.”
“What do you mean?” Helen gave him a curious look.
“You are a kami, and yet you still respond to many things just as if you were a pokewoman. When you come into your power, it is possible that pokeballs will no longer work on you.” His eyes met hers. “You value being in his harem and that means you still wish to be part of his combat team. Poppet is not, and one of the primary reasons she isn’t is because she won’t go into a pokeball.”
The color drained from Helen’s face. “You are absolutely correct. I’ll need to think long and hard about that.”
“That’s right. You also need to talk to Dorothea and see if she wants to come into her own as a kami.”
He rose smoothly to his feet. “I suggest everyone take their time while thinking this out. I’ll be around and, if you can’t find me, Aggie can.”
***
Jamie looked up as Madison settled into her shooter’s position. “Grandfather. Got another mission for us?”
Kerrik’s ears went back as Madison began shooting at targets downrange. “I think we’re still working on the evacuation mission.” He watched the duelist shoot for a few seconds. “She’s getting better.”
Jamie nodded. “Mother Nanu says that she shows promise and, when she gets good enough, she’ll start Madison on sniper training.”
“That’s good to hear. That’ll expand the utility of your harem.” The kami turned to face his grandson. “Can I talk to Ginevra for a few minutes? I need to ask her for a favor.”
Jamie’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “A favor? Can I listen to this conversation?”
“You’re her tamer.” Kerrik shrugged. “Just remember that you can’t order her to do what I’ll be asking.”
Madison put her rifle down and twisted around. “I’d like to hear this too, sir. This sounds interesting.”
“Sure thing.” Jamie released Ginevra. “Gin, Kerrik wants to have a chat with you.”
The demoness turned to face Kerrik and became motionless.
Kerrik clasped his hands behind his back. “Ginevra, I need to ask you to help me with a problem I’m having. You are the only pokegirl around that I know who can enter or leave your pokeball when you want to and I’d like to learn how it’s done.”
“You want to do that yourself?” Ginevra looked curiously at him and shook her head once. “You are not a pokegirl.”
Kerrik chuckled. “No, I’m not and never have been a pokegirl. However, that knowledge may prove useful in the future.”
“Then why do you want this knowledge?”
“I may need to teach it to others and, if so, I’ll need to know how it works.”
She nodded almost absently. “What will you give me for this?”
“Ginevra,” Jamie began but stopped when Kerrik shook his head.
“I told you that you can’t order her to do this. You can’t and I won’t let you try. Besides, her request is only fair.” He looked thoughtful for a moment and then shrugged. “What do you want?”
Ginevra’s response was immediate. “I want him.” She pointed behind her at Jamie. “Give me him and I will give you my secret.”
Kerrik’s ears flicked backwards to lie flat for a heartbeat. “I think you might want to explain that in slightly more detail.”
“All of my life I have been valued for what I am and what I can do. All have tried to make me change to better suit what they want from me, especially at the Conservatory. He is the first to want me for me and to accept me as I am.”
Kerrik nodded slowly. “You don’t want to be separated from him.”
“I can be taken in battle and I can be confiscated by the authorities,” she dragged out that last word in a sneer, “at their whim. You can make it so we cannot be separated.”
“That’s a pretty big request.”
She nodded. “What you want will help your daughters. It is my only real secret. It ,too, is a big request.”
“You’re shrewd, I’ll grant that. However, I will not do this without his permission.” He turned to Jamie. “I can make the two of you delta bond, which will allow her to find you anywhere. Is this something you’ll consider?”
“No.” Jamie smiled. “There’s nothing to think about. I have never considered giving Gin away and I’d be pleased to delta bond with her.”
Kerrik’s ears flicked. “Then I’ll make the arrangements and you two will bond tonight. Tomorrow, you will show me how you travel in and out of your pokeball until I am satisfied. You will also share your memories of the event with me, if I deem it necessary.”
A smile appeared and vanished on Ginevra’s face. “You make a good bargain. I agree.”
“I’ve had experience dealing with infernal creatures before,” he replied dryly.
Jamie gave him an odd look. “Why tonight? Do we need the light of the moon?”
“Not really, but doing something like that at night is traditional and you ignore the traditions involved in magic at your peril. Besides, it’s always pretty during the full moon.”
***
The flying pokegirl swooped out of the sun and straightened out when she crossed from water to land. Her wings flashed red, yellow and blue in sequence as she opened her arms and let her passenger fall. The passenger snap rolled and uncurled to land on its feet, going to all fours for a second as muscles absorbed the energy of the twenty meter fall. Then it bounced up and raced off, heading south as its transport curled around in pursuit and climbed to keep its quarry in sight.
Jamie checked off the pallet as Ginevra slid it into position. “That’s a full load.” She stepped back as he punched a button on the container wall. Hydraulics hissed quietly as the side of twelve meter container slid downward on its track and sucked inward to seal. A light next to the button changed from yellow to cyan to inform him that the container had sealed properly. A second light below it lit a brilliant red which changed several seconds later to cyan as well, indicating that the container’s stasis generator had spun up to full power. “That’s the last one for today. We’ll move them tonight.”
Shikarou and Kerrik both had been adamant on having the necessary provisions on hand to support the population that was moving while the new community was being put together. Kerrik had suggested containerizing the whole process for ease of movement.
He’d done some research and produced these twelve meter containers, claiming that the dimensions matched those in use in the forty foot containers popular before the war. It meant that if they kept using them when supplying or trading with other communities, they could drop a filled one and pick up an empty for later use. This would allow those detailed to make contacts and put together trading deals to travel light and move quickly, while a second team would deliver purchases and pick up anything destined for Haven.
Kerrik had put together some figures and determined that they needed supplies for six hundred active people for two years, just in case anything really unexpected happened. He’d looked at the foodstuffs available locally in the Blue League that Kasumi tended to purchase for the school and come up with a menu. It ran to a little over a thousand metric tons of food, so he’d decided that the best way to deal with the situation was to put the containers into stasis to allow all the material to be assembled under the cover of buying them for the school and stored without fear of spoilage. Since they bought from large and small farms all over the league, by the time anyone bothered to do the legwork to talk to them all and put the numbers together, the Wolf family and its retainers would be long gone.
The standard twelve meter container was rated for twenty six and a half metric tons, so forty of them were needed for all of the food. Of course, as soon as people had seen how convenient they were for the move, Kerrik had been forced to supply several more for other stuff.
He’d also produced a transport for the containers, and hinted that more of them waited at their new home. He called them lighters, but what they actually were was lightly armored platforms that could carry up to four containers at a time. They had antigravity generators for lift and propulsion and could be operated by a single pilot, although there were sleeping quarters for two tamer/pilots and their harems. Each even had a single PPHU built into the sleeping quarters. Cranes integral to the lighters could load and offload containers in less than a minute from the pilot’s console.
As soon as they got eight containers ready for shipment, Kerrik would wait until nightfall and take them across to the new world, which he was referring to as Pokegirl One. He referred to this world as Pokegirl Prime, and the world where the zombabes had infested Glasgow was Pokegirl Two.
Ginevra paused. We are being observed.
Show me. In the weeks since they’d delta bonded, Circe and Stardust had worked with them to get the most out of their delta bond and, incidentally, put them years ahead of those who’d had no training. The image she sent him was almost as clear as if he’d been seeing it through his own eyes.
The fact that he saw everything around him like she did was still something he was getting used to, as was the fact that she didn’t really notice clothing unless she focused. It had caused him some personal embarrassment around his mothers and aunts, but fortunately, only a couple of them knew about it and they thought it more amusing than anything else.
It also helped him to understand her negative attitude towards wearing clothing herself.
He gave a mental chuckle at the figure he could see crouched almost forty meters from them, completely unaware that she was being observed. That’s Kozakura and she’s my sister from Kasumi. She may be getting ready to play a favorite game of hers. It involves jumping me and trying to scare me out of a couple of months of growth.
Ginevra grinned suddenly. I can hit her from here.
Nejiko will be not too far away. That’s her alpha and, like most phoenix, she’s very touchy, especially about her mistress. We don’t need the fight right now. Jamie returned the grin. Now, if she tries to attack me, feel free to defend my poor frail self.
I have informed Madison. The duelist was in Peacetown, working with Alice, Dame Mary and Dame Gwen to sound out the Caomh Sith Guard without warning the spies that the league had placed there. She is standing by to provide backup if we are attacked. Madison had redoubled her training after Ginevra and Jamie had delta bonded, perhaps trying to prove that she was worthy of such an honor, too. She’d mastered the teleport technique faster than anyone his mothers had ever seen.
Jamie snickered. I know how to ruin her day. He stood, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. “Why are you hiding out there, Koza? Surely you didn’t think I couldn’t see you there.”
“She looks angry.” Ginevra moved to stand near him. “I don’t lip read well, but I do not think the words she is using are ones that would please Kasumi.”
“She prides herself on her woodcraft.”
“Do not tell her about my abilities. She’s likely to try this again if she thinks she made a mistake.”
Jamie laughed quietly. “I would never do that and spoil our fun.” He felt a warm pulse of affection from her, quickly suppressed.
“She’s coming.” Ginevra moved to stand between him and the direction his sister was approaching from.
Kozakura’s black ears were partially folded down as she appeared out of the brush. “How did you know I was there?” She was slender, like her mother, and her black hair fell loosely to her waist.
Jamie shrugged. “It wasn’t hard to do. It’s good to see you again.” He gestured towards Ginevra. “I finally got a pokegirl. This is Ginevra.”
“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
He grinned. “Correct, sis. So how is Edo?”
Her ears came up and she grinned. “Dull. I’m glad to be away from there.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
She shook her head. “I found three male kami, but they were pathetic and nothing worthy of adding to our blood. One female was rather impressive, but I didn’t feel like waiting around for her to have a son who may or may not be remarkable in his own right.” Her eyes flashed. “We are hard to kill, but when Typhonna came through and redid things, many died when the land convulsed in agony. Others were killed by the Chinese spirit folk, whom they killed in turn.”
“Are they as prejudiced as father is?”
She glanced upwards as something glinted in the sun. “Nejiko is coming and no, the Chinese and Japanese spirits hate each other with a passion that makes father look quite reasonable. If they would band together, they would be far stronger, but it’ll never happen and as time passes their numbers decline. Their age may well be over.”
He nodded. “Are you coming?”
“Yes. We will forge a new place and if I have to, I’ll catch me a kami to claim as mine from this new Japan.” She smiled broadly. “It worked for mother and it will work for me.”
Jamie smiled back. “Whatever makes you happy or at least not violent.”
She gave him an odd look. “You’ve changed. You used to be afraid of me.”
“It’s been over two years, Koza. People change a little bit every day and it adds up.”
A slightly startled look appeared on her face. “That sounds like something grandfather would say.”
“I’ve recently spent a lot of time with him, maybe some of it rubbed off.”
Ginevra was watching the phoenix heading in to land. “The old one has some small kernels of wisdom and yet he often ignores them himself.”
Kozakura’s ears flicked. “Old one? She is impertinent.”
Jamie grinned. “And I like her that way. It’s cute.”
The demoness hissed and lashed her tail angrily.
Jamie ignored her and grabbed Kozakura in a hug. “Welcome home.”
She stiffened for a second and then was suddenly hugging him back fiercely enough to drive the breath from his lungs. “Thanks. It’s been too long.” Nejiko feathered in for a landing as she gave him an amused smile. “So, when are you going to join the ranks of the kami?”
“Not for some time yet. I have things I want to do first before I have to get used to claws and fangs.”
Kozakura nodded and stepped back. “That is your choice. Have you heard from Stephen?”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t bring him up around the house right now. Mother Candace says she’s proud that Stephen decided to stay here and finish college along with the other requirements for becoming a psychiatrist, but she still tends to burst into tears when his name gets mentioned right now.”
“What did father say?”
“That Stephen is an adult and it’s his choice to make. He does intend to keep an eye on the situation and I think he’ll try to lure Stephen to our new home when he’s done with everything.”
“Good. The family should not be scattered any more than it has to be.” She looked at the phoenix. “Nejiko, we’ll be heading for the Institute.”
Her wings shimmered and changed colors as she bowed. “Yes, mistress.” As was her wont, she completely ignored Jamie.
Kozakura flashed Jamie a smile. “See you later, Jamie. You won’t spot me next time.”
Jamie chuckled. “We will see.”
***
The sun peeked over the horizon and lit a field full of subtle movement as the elves talked quietly amongst each other. Gwyneth turned to her tamer. “We’re ready. The troops will move today and the herders will bring the herds through tomorrow. They’re gathering now, but being wary of satellite surveillance is keeping us from massing them in large groups.”
Shikarou nodded. “You can go ahead and mass them. Father says he replaced the league surveillance satellite with one of ours two days ago. It’s sending them edited images of this area.” He flashed a smile. “He doesn’t expect them to detect the change since they really can’t get up there for regular maintenance.”
“That will help a great deal. I’ll send out order today.”
They fell silent as Kerrik joined them. He smiled briefly. “They’re as ready as they’re going to get.”
“We are ready,” Gwyneth repeated.
“You’ve been training hard for the past decade, but you’re not up to the standards I’d like. Still, you’ll be a damned sight better than anyone you’ll be likely to face.”
The elfqueen looked over her troops. Three hundred elf type pokegirls and a hundred ponytaur and rapitaur stood in loose formations in the clearing. The morning sun glittered off of sword and knife hilts and almost every left shoulder had a bow slung on it. Most of the taurs had spears or lances and nearly half of them had bows of their own.
Ten elves were avariel and would provide an aerial unit for reconnaissance.
Twenty elves formed her special unit and half of them had been purchased from pokebay. All of them had previous military training from leagues all over the world. Each of them carried an Alexandria produced R-4 and all wore camouflage clothing that was slowly changing to match their surroundings, a gift from Kerrik.
Kerrik swept his eyes over the group. “Where are your dark elves?”
Gwyneth grimaced and pointed at a shadowy area. “They’re over there.” She sighed. “I know you’re right, but having them here is still causing problems.”
“You said that your lands were open to all elves and their evolutions. If that’s going to be true, then you cannot pick and choose. These chose to volunteer for your military and the fact that they’re very good at what they do is helping to prove that they have a place here.”
“I know, but it’ll be a while before they’re fully accepted. It’s been a challenge.”
“You’re up to it.” Shikarou patted her arm as she beamed at the compliment. “I never knew that so many of your troops have taken up the bow.”
“It’s not just the troops. Kerrik is helping us to establish an identity of our own and elves everywhere use bows.” She smiled. “He preferred that we all learn to use firearms, but those are just too noisy for many of us.”
Kerrik shrugged. “I’ve got some new toys to present to the family when we’ve moved. I’d give them out now, but if the leagues would have a collective shit fit if they ever got even a rumor that these exist.”
Shikarou looked curious. “What are they?”
“Rifle and pistol rounds specifically designed to be able to kill pokegirls. Everyone here uses old military rounds that they’ve adapted for that purpose, but these are just a bit beyond the local technological base’s ability to manufacture. However, they’re not so advanced that we won’t be able to explain them away once word gets out.”
“Firearms aren’t that effective against pokegirls.” Shikarou gave his father a curious look. “Everyone knows that.”
Kerrik nodded. “That’s true for a couple of reasons. First, humans have a distinct tendency to lie about hits; so many misses are ascribed as hits that have no effect. Second, many pokegirls are vastly tougher than humans, so the rounds that do hit have limited effectiveness unless the round impacts something vital.” His ears flicked. “I can’t do a lot about the first problem, but I’ve designed a round that will almost guarantee a one shot takedown in the majority of species if you do manage to nail a pokegirl squarely.”
Gwyneth gave him a horrified look. “And you’re going to give that out to use on us?”
“Of course not. It’ll be exclusive to the family for many, many years.”
Shikarou frowned. “Would it take out a widow?”
“I don’t recommend getting that close to a widow. I suggest cruise missiles, guided artillery or orbital bombardment for them.”
“That’s not very sporting.”
Kerrik turned to stare at his son. “And what the fuck does sporting have to do with widows? They’re a menace to all life in the area where they turn up and they need to be zapped just as soon as possible.” He shrugged. “I considered trying to destroy the arachnae as a species, but I couldn’t come up with a bioweapon so specific that I couldn’t guarantee that it wouldn’t eliminate a lot of other insect pokegirls, too. Couple that with the fact that only a tiny percentage of arachnae become widows and it didn’t seem right to eradicate them. So, when they pop up, we kill them, unless they happen to be in the lands of our enemies. We’ll probably kill them there, too; but I’d suggest evaluating the situation beforehand.”
Gwyneth smiled. “Don’t let Svetlana or Derdekea hear you talking like that.”
Kerrik chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve timed the portal so it’ll be early morning at the transit point. It’s warmer there, but that’s just something we’ll have to get used to. There was a rain the night before and the ground is damp, but not sodden.” He glanced at the troops once more. “Are either of you going to give the motivational speech that so many rulers seem to think important at junctures like these?”
Shikarou shook his head. “Nothing comes to mind. Gwyneth?”
The elfqueen nodded and stepped forward, drawing her sword and holding it overhead. It began to glow softly and conversations ceased as the troops turned to face her and came to various states of attention. “My subjects,” she began, using the spell that allowed all within sight to hear her normally, “it is time. Go forth and secure our new home for us and for our king and his family.”
Many of the troops turned their gaze on Shikarou. While a lot of the elves who came to the preserve had done so because of the chance of having a permanent home of their own, others had come out of curiosity at the one thing that no other elfin kingdom could boast of, a male ruler who sat at the queen’s side. The fact that both Gwyneth and Shikarou worked tirelessly to care for and protect them had won their respect and, eventually, their love.
Kerrik watched them, his face and ears carefully neutral. He became animated again when Gwyneth turned to him. “Please take them through.”
He nodded and turned to the troops. “We’ll go through with cavalry in the van and the infantry in the center. The special units will make up the rear.” There was a rustle of movement as elf cavalry troops mounted their tauric pokegirls.
Four portals opened on one end of the clearing and Kerrik bounded in their direction. “I’ll go through and verify that everything is ok before anyone else does. In the meantime, be forming up to go through.”
He slipped through one of the portals and returned via a different one. “Everything looks good. Troop commanders, move them out. I’ll be on the other side and I’ll give you deployment instructions.” He turned and disappeared back through the portal as a handful of elfqueens started calling out orders.
Soon the units shook themselves out and a fairly orderly procession began through the gates. It took nearly half an hour for the last elf to disappear through the gate.
Gwyneth sighed and slipped her arm through Shikarou’s. “I can’t wait to see our new home, but I agree with Kerrik’s suggestion that the leaders may be under magical surveillance and they might know if we go over early.”
Shikarou squeezed her arm against him. “I can hardly wait, too. It won’t all be joy and lightness, but a place where we can live without oversight or fear will be worth it, even with the occasional hurricane.”
She laughed. “We will build our homes and our forests strong enough to withstand whatever nature can throw against us.”
He nodded. “And we will build ourselves and our children strong enough to weather whatever anyone else tries.”
***
Jamie shook his head as Madison grinned. “I win! That makes the score twenty seven to two.”
“I should just give up playing against you.”
“Oh, no, sir, you are getting much better. I’m just really good.” She patted his hand and started gathering up her cards. “You really need to focus on your mid-game strategy. That’s your weak point.”
Ginevra looked up from her text. “I think she cheats.”
The duelist turned purple. “I would never cheat at cards!”
The demoness grinned. “No? Then it’s a good thing we do not play, for I would always defeat you.”
Madison sniffed. “You’re a bitch.”
“You should never forget that.” Ginevra rolled up the scroll and tucked it into her backpack. “The old one is coming.”
Jamie gave her a curious look. “And just what are you hiding from him?”
“Nothing important,” she muttered.
Kerrik gave the duelist an amused look as he entered the room. “Isn’t it true that Jamie will never have your tactical acumen since you use your foresight to see what cards you’ll get during the game?”
Madison blinked and blushed. “Sir, I’m beginning to see why you annoy my alpha so much.”
Ginevra snickered quietly as Jamie’s mouth dropped. “Is that how you do it? You are a sneaky wench.”
Madison’s flush deepened and she stared fixedly at the cards clutched in her hands.
Kerrik chuckled. “There’s nothing wrong with using the abilities you have to your advantage, just don’t brag about how good you are without letting him know that he can never be that good. Save the real bragging for your enemies and never tell them how you beat them.”
“I’m sorry, master,” Madison said to Jamie in a small voice.
She squeaked when Jamie dragged her into his lap. “It’s ok, Madison. The old one is right.” The duelist sighed and relaxed into his embrace.
Ginevra nodded wisely. “That is a smart strategy and you should always be smart.”
Kerrik raised an eyebrow as he placed a shoebox sized plastic box on the table with a thump. “True, which is why I’m so surprised at how dumb you’re being Ginevra. If I were Jamie, I’d seriously consider making Madison my alpha.”
Ginevra shot to her feet. “I am not stupid! Explain yourself, old one!”
“Ginevra! You will not take that attitude with anyone, much less my grandfather!” Jamie twisted around in his seat, carefully clutching Madison against him as Ginevra hissed loudly at Kerrik. “Now that I’m pretty sure you’re not about to hurt my demoness, how about you explain that statement.”
Kerrik nodded. “I will, but first, here’s your request.”
Jamie smiled slightly. “Madison, that box is full of cards for you.”
The duelist grinned and kissed him soundly. “Thank you, sir. I’ll look at them after I get to hear all about how dumb Ginevra is. Will I become the alpha?”
Ginevra hissed again and lashed her tail angrily. “I am not stupid and I am the alpha!”
“Grandfather, perhaps you should explain before Ginevra explodes.”
Kerrik nodded. “It could be that I’m wrong, so I’ll need to ask a couple of questions first. Ginevra, what kind of pokegirl are you?”
The demoness turned to face him and rose to her full height. “I am a demoness.”
“What is a demoness?”
“I do not understand the question.”
His ears flicked. “What is your elemental typing?”
She cocked her head. “I am a magic and ghost and psychic. I am also infernal.”
“Do you retain any typing from being a youma or a daimon?”
She nodded slowly, her golden hair glittering in the light. “In part, I retain a lot of my ground attributes but more of them if I become a youma again.”
He clasped his hands behind his back. “You can learn spells and other techniques from sources such as other pokegirls or that magic missile scroll you stole from the Institute.”
Ginevra froze. “You know about that?”
“Kasumi mentioned it to me. The surveillance systems recorded the theft and Jamie’s account has been charged for the price of the spell.”
Jamie plucked his pokedex from his belt and opened it. “Hey, that was pretty expensive.”
Kerrik glanced at him. “Of course it is. She’s not a student. Anyway, you can learn spells and techniques from outside sources, as can Madison. You were one of her teachers in her mastering teleport, weren’t you?”
Ginevra nodded. “She needed the help and it would make her more versatile.”
“And yet you won’t learn from her to increase your own versatility,” Kerrik observed quietly.
Ginevra bristled. “She has nothing that is useful to me.”
Madison nodded. “Most of my techniques are useless for her and she already knows foresight. Nobody would accept an aura of cute coming from her.”
Kerrik frowned. “You both are magical pokegirls. Isn’t card conjuration a magical technique?”
Ginevra’s jaw dropped but she recovered almost instantly. “I cannot learn that!”
“Have you tried, or is it something that you just know?”
Jamie was as shocked as his pokegirls. “It’s exclusive to the duelist.”
“What about the duelette? She’s not even a magic type before she evolves, but she can learn it.”
Madison shrugged. “She learns it when she evolves.”
Kerrik gave her a curious look. “I think that she evolves when she learns it. That kind of technique would be the perfect catalyst for the evolution from ingénue to duelette. If I’m right, then there is no reason that other magic types couldn’t learn card conjuration, except that they don’t have an instructor. Ginevra does.”
Jamie frowned. “Do you know why the duelist won’t use cardcaptor cards?” He covered Madison’s mouth as she tried to speak. “She’s just going to say that she’d never do it.”
Kerrik frowned. “I’ve never investigated it, but it would make perfect sense.”
Madison jerked her tamer’s hand free. “Sir, you understand?”
“I think I do. You activate cards by infusing them with your life energy, which gives them a pseudo-life and allows them to unlock the power in their abilities. I’ve only seen one cardcaptor in a battle, and that was during a visit to London. My impression was that a cardcaptor’s cards have their own form of life and that your technique wouldn’t affect them, since it has no effect on already living things. It might actually cause the spirits in the cards harm if you tried or it might harm you.”
Madison nodded vigorously. “That’s right, sir, but how did you know our secret?”
Kerrik shrugged. “I see things differently than others do.”
Jamie’s arms tightened around Madison. “Madison, why couldn’t you have just told me that when I asked why you couldn’t control cardcaptor cards?”
She burrowed into his arms. “I didn’t know how to say it. I just know that master Kerrik’s words feel right.”
“Even if Ginevra can’t learn card conjuration, it’s a very powerful technique and I’d want to see her try,” Kerrik said quietly. “If she can master it, it will increase her flexibility a great deal and make your harem that much more powerful in the long run, since you’ll have two pokegirls who can do that.”
“I will master that technique!” Ginevra folded her arms. “If a stupid ingénue can master it, then a stupid demoness can, too.”
“Did you just say you were stupid?” Madison stared at her.
“The old one pointed out something that I was dumb enough to accept on the basis of just because. That makes me stupid, but I will fix that and become smart again.” She hissed. “It was not something that I could not understand; it was something that I did not think to question. Not thinking is stupid.” She hissed again. “It does not mean you should be alpha.”
Madison was eying her cautiously. “I didn’t think to question it either, so I’ll agree with you this one time.” She frowned. “I do not wish to sound selfish, sir, but I do not want to have to share cards with anyone, not even Ginevra.”
“I want my own cards. Not ones that have your essence on them.”
Madison looked like she was trying to decide if she should be offended.
Kerrik smiled. “Not to mention, Jamie can’t afford to buy more rare cards. If Ginevra can master card conjuration, I’ll make sure she gets cards of her own.”
“Thank you, grandfather.”
Kerrik’s smile became a grin. “I’ll actually manufacture the cards before she tries. That way I can make sure Ginevra gets some that will survive her claws. Madison’s are waterproof, but not talon resistant.”
Madison shuddered at his words.
Ginevra bowed in Kerrik’s direction. “Thank you, old one.”
“Why do you call me that?”
“It is what I see. You are full of power that can only be gathered in the fullness of time.”
He blinked. “Really? I’ll have to work on hiding that.”
“That would be wise. It gives potential enemies a way to identify you and makes me hunger for that power. Why are you not master of everything?”
“Being the boss is overrated. I have much more freedom if I’m not the scut in charge.”
“When I am the master, I will make Jamie do all of the scut work.”
Kerrik smiled slightly. “There are some responsibilities that the master cannot shirk if he or she intends to be a good master. And I mean good as in successful or efficient, not as in good versus evil.”
Ginevra looked at him thoughtfully. “What if I were the master-behind-the-scenes?”
“That really doesn’t change anything in regard to those responsibilities.” Kerrik shook his head. “If you don’t do them, you’re not the master. It could be that someone else is, or that nobody is, but you’re not the one in charge.”
“I will have to think about your words, old one.” She cocked her head. “When will I get my cards? I insist on better cards than Madison has.”
Kerrik’s eyebrows climbed. “I’ll give you a couple of easy ones to see if you can master the technique. If you can do that, I’ll get you more. The best cards, I think, I’ll hold back until I see how good you are. After all, having powerful cards means nothing if you can’t use them well.” He turned to Jamie as Ginevra’s emerald eyes began to glow softly. “I’d suggest that, if it turns out that Madison can teach card conjuration, you might want to think long and hard before letting her teach anyone outside your harem. It’s a powerful technique and you might not want your sibs being in a position to use it against you.”
“That sounds like good advice and I’ll go with that.” Jamie shifted Madison around on his lap. “It also means that when I add to the harem, she’ll probably need to be a magic type so Madison can teach her, too.”
“You’d build a harem full of card using pokegirls? That’ll definitely be useful against your foes.”
Jamie just grinned and nodded.
***
Name: Wolf, Jamie Harris
Age: 17
Residence: Caomh Sith, Blue Continent
Region: Scotland
Status: Active
Rank: 15
Security Clearance: Epsilon
Licenses
Tamer Y
Master Tamer Y
Researcher N
Watcher N
Breeder N
Active Harem
Species Name
Demoness Ginevra
Duelist Madison
Badges: None