Narrator-POV:
Thump thump thump thump.
Traveling on the back of a Mamoswine might not be the most comfortable, but it is faster than a car in these conditions. At an average of 50km per hour, Mamoswine plows through the oversnowed roads.
"Sigh." Zoey lets out her frustration into the wind, leaning back into her hero's embrace. "This isn't quite what I imagined it to be when I would finally ride on a loyal pokemon's back with my boyfriend."
"It's the wind, isn't it?" Dawn turns her head, inadvertently pressing Zoey deeper into Swole while covering her face with her wildly fluttering hair. "It's so cold, even with Piloswine clothes."
Swole groans in pain. "No, it's the bumpy ride that is the problem. I can't feel my nuts anymore."
"Don't be so crude. No, the problem is that my mom is here with us. What a letdown!"
Her mother chortles.
"We could have traveled on our own, Ma!"
"With that strange explosion just two days ago? I betcha the pokemon are still agitated, and ah always tell you--"
"--Yer not gonna let us go to Snowpoint City alone. Yeah, yeah."
"Correct. The pokemon around here are just too dangerous. Especially the Froslass, now that you're traveling with your... friend."
"Boyfriend."
"Why are the Froslass more dangerous with me around?"
"Legends say," Margaret Evans puts on an act, her voice taking on a mysterious tone. "When a wife-to-be grows cold feet, she runs from the chapel into the snow, where the cold climbs high from toe to brow. She stumbles, falls, breathes her last sigh. From her heart, a Frosblossom grows, and Froslass opens her eye."
Just beside the road grows one with blood-red petals and a stalk like ice. It grows in patches, spreading around a larger flower in the very center. Ripping the center out would kill the cluster and curse the offender. Only a heartless monster would do such a thing, and so the curse freezes its heart solid. The petals at the edges can be used to make treatment against even the worst frostbite.
"In a regretful pursuit to find the husband she always wanted but was too afraid of claiming, Froslass roams the icy tundra and abducts men before freezing them into statues within her lair. One day, she hopes, she will remember what her husband looks like, and she will free him from his icy prison."
"This means you can't go around and talk to strange women around here, Swole."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean, Dawn? You make it sound like I run after every girl I see!"
"Maybe Cynthia too?!"
"Oh. You remembered that bit?"
Margaret sighs. "What did I do wrong with you, Zoey? There are so many decent guys around, and you chose him?"
"He's cute." Heroic, dashing, and handsome, Zoey wanted to say.
Dawn remembers when he was a scrawny nerd. "He didn't used to be a womanizer. He used to give his attention only to me." And so she never pursued him. Why should she? Without the pressure of competition, she felt like she could wait for the perfect opportunity forever.
"Hey, look at that." Margaret, who sits at the front, notifies the group, and they stretch their necks to look past her.
Up ahead is a crossroad. Nothing strange for Dawn or Swole, but for Zoey, "That's new. Isn't Lake Acuity that way?"
"It's the only thing that way. Lake Acuity and the wilderness."
Just beyond the crossroad stands a makeshift hut, cobbled together from two shipping containers. As they approach, three figures step outside. A man and a woman hastily pull on their Team Galactic uniforms as they shove a third man ahead - his cheeks burn red with embarrassment.
They briefly talk with each other before sending the third man to block the road. "H-halt!" He stutters.
Our group of heroes can only look at the cretin in disgust. Some fluid covers his face. Swole mutters, beyond repulsed. "You've got to be kidding me."
Dawn and Zoey do not recognize it, having never seen it before. Still, a person ought not to be talking to strangers while in such a disheveled state. He clears his throat, looking at his partners for support before addressing our group. "B-beyond this line is Team Galactic's private property. You can't go there."
"Can we talk to someone else?" Margaret sneers, recognizing the fluid from her younger days.
He looks for support again but only sees his... friends shaking their heads with cruel smiles on their lips. He turns back to our heroes; a droplet of a viscous something separates from his chin and lands on the snow. "N-no. You can't. You don't need to either. Team Galactic has everything under control."
Mamoswine retreats, eyeing the stray droplet with untold concern, and Margaret strokes his back reassuringly. "What about the massive explosion? Did you guys cause it?" She asks.
"What massive explosion? There weren't any massive explosions. Are you trying to investigate it or something? There is nothing beyond this line. I mean, it's not like I could stop you. You're all trainers, right? Guys, are you gonna help me if they attack?"
"You can handle it. Don't be such a pushover." The woman calls out. "Loser." The freak only blushes harder.
"What's wrong with these people?" Dawn whispers, making Margaret realize just what kind of perversion she is subjecting her daughter to.
"Shame on you!" She spits at him, which only grows the situation worse. "Iew! Disgusting. We're leaving."
The snap decision to investigate the lake was abandoned almost as quickly as it was made. Our heroes move on, their journey now stained by what they have seen. Some understand too well, and they wish they didn't. Others, like Dawn, ask, "What was wrong?" wanting answers without knowing what they truly seek.
While Margaret vows to pen a furious letter to Team Galactic headquarters, not far away, Mars lounges at the edge of the barren Lake Acuity, sipping coffee and basking in the lingering warmth left by the Galactic Bomb.
Uxie is an illusive pokemon - tricky, able to turn invisible at will, and capable of teleportation. Even when cornered and stripped of her psychic escape routes, she remained a formidable opponent.
Slurp. The coffee has already cooled, but after such exhaustion, it still tastes great. "We did it."
Nonetheless, Uxie floats in a cage of reinforced miracle materials. Only minutes ago, she was knocked out and transferred - yet already, she's awake again. Accepting her imprisonment, she simply hovers in place and glares at Mars and Jupiter for the mistreatment.
"Good job, everyone. It was a worthy team effort."
None of the grunts respond. They are mentally and spiritually drained after days of constant fighting. They and their pokemon were mere cannon fodder, sent in to tire the enemy until Mars and Jupiter could finish the job.
"Indeed." Jupiter replies, relaxing on her own foldable chair. "We can be proud of our accomplishments. Do you think Saturn can finish his job alone?"
"No shot. He'll call for Cyrus's or Mercury's help after seeing our footage." Mars takes another sip. "How many died? Do we have a final count yet?"
"Check for yourself, lazy bitch."
"Uuurgh. You never do anything for me, Jupiii."
Jupiter sighs. "Five died." Their brains had been scrambled by psychic attacks. "But none of their pokemon have sustained permanent harm. And stop calling me Jupi. You're not a child. Start acting your age."
"I am acting the age I feel, you wrinkly old hag. Anyway, just five grunts is pretty good. We can replace them easily. Felt worse during the battle."
Jupiter patiently waited for Mars to finish her inconsequential tirade, glaring at her the whole time. Then, she speaks up. "Show me a single wrinkle on me."
"You're so old that you can't find them yourself?"
"You're only a year younger than me, Mars."
"I'm only seven in Torterra years."
A pair of grunts drags their fallen comrades by the feet, bagging the dead just a few feet from their bosses. Mars addresses one of them. "Hey, you! Go refill my coffee! And make sure it's hot this time!"
"Yes, madam." He stalks off, the sight of his comrades with blood and brain matter pouring out of their eyes and ears still fresh in his mind. Once out of earshot, he mutters to himself. "At least the benefits are great."
---
In the meantime, a crack grows in the shadows. A statue resembling a large humanoid pokemon trembles slightly.
Just north of Snowpoint City lies an ancient temple, built long before the city was founded, long before it had been a town, and even long before it had been a village. Way before the first moment of history was recorded, a hut stood in the frozen north of Hisui; a human would sleep within at night and guard the temple by day.
It was a time long before aura was understood or even named; people simply used it unknowingly to power machines that had been there for as long as their great-grandparents could remember.
Today, Maria - not to be confused with Mary - a purple-haired temple maiden wearing a pristine, pure-white dress, decides to take a day off. The blue gemstones adorning her outfit almost seem to shine in the same color as her eyes when her phone's screen reflects from them.
Her friend Riley sent her a message, begging for her time and attention. He has found something cool in his grandparents' attic and simply must show it to her in person. Maria rolls her eyes at his exaggerated messages, but whenever she's bored, alone in her temple, Riley is there to keep her entertained with his habits.
She straightens her back, cracks a few joints, smooths out the layers of her maiden habit, and walks outside, not noticing the growing changes in Regigigas' prison.
As she strolls through the snow-covered city, Maria pauses at a bare patch of ground where the snow melts on its own. Beneath her feet, underneath the ground, a pipe carries hot water from the new electric heat factory to nearby homes. Central heating for the entire city - a clever ploy to attract new residents.
The idea did not pan out. Cheap heating was nice, sure, but most people preferred to live somewhere that did not need it in the first place.
Maria continues her stroll, trudging through knee-high snow, wondering what day of the week it is. Every Sunday, the city's fire pokemon clear the streets; judging by the ever-growing drifts, it must be Friday. She leaves deep footprints behind as she passes the rural houses clustered around the gym, some still standing exactly as they did a hundred, two hundred, or even three hundred years ago.
She does not glance at the most imposing building in the city. Why would she? She has seen it a hundred times before, and she has no way of knowing what is going on inside right this moment.
"Fuck!" Candice Kiai shouts, pacing her office in furious strides. The newest Gym Leader of Sinnoh, reduced to this. "What a fucking joke!" Behind her, Jynx watches the outburst with disinterest, standing guard like it's just another day.
She halts mid-stride to glare at the letter on her desk - then slams her fist into it, as if brute force could rewrite the words.
Replacing half the city's windows after Team Galactic's crackpot plan had been hell enough. And now this? "What were they thinking?!" She snaps and pulls at her twin-tails. "Do they want to ruin my reputation?!"
Well, who knows what that is supposed to mean? Anyway, it looks like we have skipped through enough time. Swole Solo, our hero, arrives at the edge of Snowpoint City with a majority of his harem, plus one mother, on top of Mamoswine's back.
The sun will set soon.
Nearby, a mysterious pair sits atop a rock.
---
Swole-POV:
"Are you sure you don't want me to take you all the way to the hotel, Zoey, my dear?"
"No, Ma. That's too embarrassing. You didn't need to bring us here in the first place! We're capable adults!"
"Oh, sure, sure. I don't doubt that, my little ray of sunshine. Come 'ere let me give you a big smooch before you go."
"Nooo--" Zoey was in no position to escape; she never stood a chance.
"And another one, just for good measure." Her face turns beet-red when she hears Dawn and me chuckle. "Love you, Zoey."
"... Love ya too, Ma..."
We slide off Mamoswine's back. As soon as my boots hit the snow and I sink to my knees, I've already popped Lopunny's and Riolu's pokeballs. They appear at my side in a flash, slipping into their usual positions like they never left.
I turn to Zoey's mom and wait as she resettles in Mamoswine's saddle. The big lug lumbers in a slow circle, presenting his rear to us. He's fast in a straight line - but turning? Absolutely dreadful.
Margaret Evans glances over her shoulder, eyes brimming with tears. "Goodbye, Zoey, my dear. Goodbye, Dawn... Swole too, I suppose."
"Bye, Mrs. Evans!"
I offer a polite smile. "Goodbye, have a safe trip."
"Mamo! Mamoswine!"
"Of course. My bad. Bye, Mamoswine."
"Thanks for the lift!" Dawn waves her hand, and Zoey steps up to Mamoswine to pet his face.
Her mother leans down to deliver a few more kisses against her will. "Goodbye, Zoey. I love ya, even if you make stupid choices."
"I love ya too, Ma, even if you can't understand them." Zoey winks and rejoins us.
We watch Mrs. Evans wordlessly command Mamoswine, and her pokemon kicks up a plume of snow as he begins his sprint.
"So." Dawn says as we finish standing around aimlessly. "What now?"
We're atop a high drift of snow at the very edge of the city, even though 'town' might be a more apt description.
Unlike Jubilife, Canalave, or Eterna City, there isn't a single high-rise in sight - just a sparse sprawl of eclectic homes. The first has red brick walls and dark red shingles; the next is built entirely from wooden logs, smoke curling from its chimney. The non-pattern continues like that as far as the eye can see. No two buildings look alike.
From our vantage point, we take in the full view of the city - it's not much larger than Sandgem Town. We can spot the gym, a contest hall, the pokemon center, and a cozy-looking blue shopping mall nestled among the buildings. Each one has a rustic style to it, unlike the modern versions I've grown used to in the other towns and cities of Sinnoh.
Zoey speaks up. "Well, how about I show you--"
A voice interrupts her. "Hey! Shut up, up there! I'm trying to concentrate!"
"Don't be so rude just because your tricks aren't working!" A woman's voice reprimands him. At the base of the little hill of pushed-aside snow sits a young couple sharing a picnic blanket.
The woman wears a strange white dress with large blue gems embedded along the center line of her chest and stomach. Her hair is covered in a white, religious-looking veil. A few strands of dark purple hair peek out from underneath it. Seeing us, she bows curtly. "Good evening. Apologies for my friend's rudeness."
"Maria?" Zoey asks. "Hey, do you still remember me? I was two years below you in school."
I can see the gears turning in Maria's eyes. They scan up and down Zoey's body until they stick to her red hair. "Penny?"
"Zoey. Close enough."
Close enough? Penny is her least similar sibling.
"And who is that?" Zoey teases her... old friend? "Your boyfriend? Isn't that..." She trails off while Maria turns away, trying to hide a growing blush. "R-Riley?"
Wait... That is, "Aaron!"
Before I could finish another thought, my hands moved on their own to pick Riolu up, holding her to my chest.
~"Daddy?" She mutters, and I don't know who she means. Oh, Arceus. What if she wants to leave me? What if she wants to return to her old trainer? Or biological father? I hold her tighter. I won't let her go. I'll... Lopunny will have to... I can't let her leave! She's mine!
~"Daddy, I can't breathe--" She... she means me. I ease my grip, and she breathes.
From his hat to the colors of his clothes, from his face to every strand of hair - he's identical. It can't be. I saw him die with my own eyes. Encased in crystal, until - until he and Lucario passed on. Together. "What's that dude's problem?"
Lopunny sneaks her arms around my waist from behind. Like a lifeline, they pull me into her warm embrace. The images I saw fade away.
Sir Aaron has died. Riolu is mine; she's never even reacted to his face. This is not Aaron. "I'm fine. I just thought you were someone I watched die." I'm falling further and further from my innocence, aren't I? Who fears seeing a true hero coming back to life, if not the villain?
"It's the clothes, isn't it?" He smooths out his shirt collar. "It's my grandpa's uniform. Supposedly, he was a guardian of aura. Wait, doesn't that mean you met an aura guardian?!"
"Don't be ridiculous." Maria dismissively rolls her eyes. "Aura guardians are made up. You just have a generic face."
"Have not!"
Maria giggles. "You sat there for hours, grunting and groaning in an attempt to prove me wrong. Let's be honest, it's nothing but a carnival costume."
What she says clashes with her outfit. She literally looks like she came straight from some temple, but believing in aura is ridiculous to her? "Aura guardians are real." They don't hear me.
"If it were just a carnival costume, then how do you explain this?" Riley holds up an old, yellowed photograph. "Why are you even so dismissive of them? You're working as a temple maiden; that's, like, the same thing, just different."
"It's not the same thing. Being a temple maiden is a job. Being an aura guardian is make-believe."
I can't see the details from here. "Should we go down to talk with them?"
"Why not?" Dawn shrugs, but Zoey hesitates. "Zoey?"
She looks down at the pair with a look I can't place. Her eyes return to us, and she smiles. "Sorry, I was far away. They're gonna be stuck arguing forever if we don't intervene."
Maria keeps their spat going. "It's just photo editing. They could do that before computers were a thing. Just print the pictures, cut and glue them how you want, and take a picture of the result."
"Why would my grandpa do that? It makes no sense; therefore, he really was a guardian of aura!"
The picture becomes clearer as we step downhill. It shows another Aaron clone in sepia colors with a Lucario by his side.
I keep my eyes on Riolu, searching for any remnants of Lucario. But instead of staring at the photo like I feared, she looks up at me, confusion in her eyes. Just how little of her did I save if she cannot even recognize Aaron? ... Am I okay with that?
Searching for a distraction, I inspect the photograph a little closer.
Aaron Clone number three wears a concentrated, almost pained expression as a sphere of sepia-colored aura hovers in front of his palm. Lucario stands beside him, its hand resting on his shoulder, offering silent support. I can't explain how, but I can tell this Lucario is different from the one I met. That means this must be a different Aaron too - if he's even named that.
"I'm telling you, Riley, it's fake! Just like all the other stupid traditions. Oh, Maria. I'm so sorry, but you mustn't go on a pokemon journey. Stupid traditions!"
"It's not just a tradition."
"Yes, it is."
"There are countless eyewitness reports of them."
"And they just so happen to disappear right around the invention of mobile cameras."
"Actually, I'm an aura guardian."
"See? The notion is so ridiculous that even Penny's friends are making fun of you."
"I'm not Penny, I'm Zoey."
Maria reminds me a lot of Dawn when she gets into an argumentative mood. She just starts to pretend that anything we say fits within her worldview and twists our words until they do.
I could show them. With proof right in front of her eyes, she won't be able to deny it. Heh. It's time to flex.
With one hand palm-up, I channel my aura, focusing on the things that define me: my love for my pokemon, my love for my girlfriends, my friendships, and even my rivalries. The pure desire to become the champion - to surpass everyone else. The experiences that have shaped me - the good, the bad, and the terrible. All of it makes up my soul, and I push it out through the palm of my hand.
It manifests as a soft, blue sphere, fluctuating and pulled from many directions. It reminds me of those old music visualizers that came preinstalled on our computer at home.
The spikes point to the anchors of my life, the ones who keep me going. I just hope nobody questions why Lopunny's spike is a little larger than all the others.
"See?" Talking becomes difficult, like stringing together words while calculating complex division in my head at the same time. "Aura guardian. Me."
"Woah!"
"How are you doing that? What's your trick? Can I--"
"No!" I pull it back into my body just in time. "No. You can't touch it. That's like touching a Gardevoir's horn. Are you insane? No, it's even worse than that! If I'm not careful, you could easily break a piece off, and it might get lodged in you forever!"
How do I know that? I don't. I'm making it up. I had to actively push my aura into Zoey when I taught her how to use it.
Riley looks at me with stars in his eyes. Meanwhile... "Was that really aura? Or just a parlor trick. Who are you even? And why do you seem so suspicious?" Maria wasn't impressed.
I need to turn up the flair. "Me?" With a dramatic flourish, I lift Riolu onto my shoulders, then pull Dawn and Zoey closer, feeling their warm waists in my hold. As I stand tall, Lopunny wraps around me from behind, her arms locking in a gentle yet firm embrace, her head peeking over my shoulder, eyes gleaming with malice.
"My name is Swole Solo of Twinleaf Town. Destroyer of pokemon gyms, hero of Alamos Town, and a genuine, real-life aura guardian."
---
"Woahhh." Maria draws it out monotonously, sounding not at all impressed. "Yeah, I don't believe you."
I told her of my amazing accomplishments, and she didn't believe anything!?
"He's telling the truth. As embellished as it sounds, I was there for like half of it."
"Suuure, Penny." - "I'm Zoey!" - "Anyway, this right here is our school!"
I turn around in confusion. We're at the edge of the city-- huh? No? We aren't? I guess I got too distracted during the retelling of my adventures. They started showing us around even though Penny-- I mean, Zoey said she already knows the city inside out.
"Anyway, I'm sure you can find something to do in there." Maria points at the regular school. "Bye." She and Riley leave.
I turn towards the girls, searching their faces for problems, but they seem completely fine with this. "Anyone else think this was a very strange encounter?"
"Nope." - "Nooo? Should it be?"
"What are we doing here? Why are we at the school?"
As if ripping them out of a trance, they blink and turn around in pure confusion, muttering about why we are here. I know how we got here. I remember how! But why?
"That's strange." Dawn finally agrees. I almost thought I was going insane. "Why would we be here? Schools aren't even open at this hour, right, Zoey? It's not like this school here is special, right?"
"Nope. A regular school." Zoey taps her chin in thought. "And I remember telling her we didn't need a guide. I was practically born and bred in Snowpoint City... Or did I forget to tell her that?"
"This is creepy." They nod in agreement. "How often do you think this happens, and we just don't notice it?"
"I-- I don't want to know." Dawn mutters. "Anyway, we're finally at the hotel; let's quickly check in and warm up!"
"They even have a sauna."
"Let's go!"
...
...
...
Dawn is still in the bathroom, preparing herself. Her white towel lies on the bed, while everyone else carries theirs in their hands, paws, claws, or, in Sewaddle's case, on top of her head. But Sewaddle's towel is just a washcloth.
Salandit seems eager for the sauna. I described it as a hot room - conveniently omitting the steam part. After all of hers and Sewaddle's whining about the cold, it's no surprise she's tapping her claws in anticipation. Meanwhile, Lopunny, impatient as always, taps her leporine foot in boredom. Leporine means bunny-like. I nod sagely - for absolutely no reason.
Zoey chuckles and calls me a nerd under her breath.
... My own patience is running thin. What's there even to get ready for? We're going to shower afterwards! "Dawn, I'm coming inside!"
"You're doing what?!" Her screech comes through the bathroom door before I open it up. "Hey!" She sits atop the edge of the bathtub. "What the hell? I could have been on the toilet! You can't just storm into the bathroom when a lady is using it!"
Heh. Lady.
"Stop grinning. I bet that's what you hoped for, huh?"
"Huh?"
"Catching me in a vulnerable place at an opportune time, when I'm with my pants around my legs and relieving myself? Pervert."
"This did not occur to me." Maybe it should have. "What are you doing?"
"Painting my nails."
She has a little flask of pink nail polish in front of her. And her lips are darker than... usual? Darker than the last time I looked at them closely. It's been a while.
"Can I try?"
"Huh?" She tilts her head, pointing at the nail polish. "Sure. I mean, why not? Knock yourself out."
I grab my camping chair from the other room before sitting down next to Dawn.
She finishes the nail she was currently working on before passing me the flask and the little brush that comes with it. Raising her finger to her mouth, she blows on the nail. "You know, that seems really out of character for you."
"Does it?"
"Uhhh, yeah? Swole, who doesn't want to fight in contests because they are too girly, wants to wear my pretty pink nail polish?" She chuckles. "That's just hilarious."
"I think you misunderstand."
She looks away from her fingernail, staring in my eyes like a confused Lillipup. "What do you--" I already have her hand in mine.
She's too confused to do anything as I pull her hand closer, preparing her ring finger to receive some nail polish.
"Wha-? Wait, hold on." I shake my head. "You're just going to ruin my poor fingernails."
"Don't worry, I'll be gentle."
I raise the brush and--
"You need to dip it in the bottle first."
Ah. Right. Makes sense. I dip the brush, then carefully align the bristles with the base of her fingernail. A little pressure spreads them evenly across the surface. I glide it towards the tip. Done?
Hm. No. It's not quite an even coating. I spin the brush, switching to the other still-wet side, and try again. This time it comes out perfect: a pale pink sheen that's completely smooth.
Careful not to smudge it, I lift her hand to my lips and blow gently.
Done.
"And this has been taking you forever? Seems simple enough."
She looks up, baffled. Her fingers twitch - she wants to pull her hand back but doesn't dare ruin the polish. Her expression shifts into indignant anger. "W-well, it's not like this is all I had been doing."
I resume the task, continuing with her pinkie finger. "What else were you doing? Flicking your bean?"
"Flicking my bean? What's that supposed to-- oh. I get it." She chuckles before flicking me with her free hand. "You know, most people can keep themselves together. Not everyone has to hide in the bushes to... uhhh..."
"Choke the Fletchling?"
"Yes. Not everyone loses control of themselves so much that they have to choke their Fletchling in some bushes with a fashion magazine."
I still have that in my bag. What an amazing read. "It wasn't for fashion. It was a trainer magazine. In my defense, I had an incredible dream that morning, which didn't really leave me with a choice."
"I'm sure you didn't." Dawn rolls her eyes.
The conversation stalls as I concentrate on flawlessly painting her other hand. Dawn, clearly doubting my prowess, watches me like a Hawlucha, as if I might slip up at any moment.
"Have you been using that stuff often? I can't say I ever noticed your nails before."
She seems slighted by that, pouting her lips. She must have worn it before, and I was just blind--
"No. I've only painted my nails for competitions. It didn't feel necessary before."
"What changed?"
"Nothing. I guess I'm just growing up." She sees my questioning stare. "Have you ever seen an adult who doesn't wear nail polish?"
I shrug. "I can't say I have or haven't. It's not really something I've looked out for."
"Oh." She relaxes, and the tension that I didn't notice before dissipates. "What exactly is it that boys do look out for... Never mind. I get it. That was a stupid question. So what do you like about them? Big? Small?"
"Breasts of all sizes can be equally amazing. It's the overall shape and form that makes a perfect set of boobies. If you want me to give you a 1 to 10 rating, I guess you would need to show me yours."
"Ha. Ha. Nice attempt, but you saw them before."
"That was ages ago! You must have grown since then, and my memory isn't perfect, you know?" Lies. The image of her cute, perky, petite, pale, palm-sized, and palatable-looking breasts is still perfectly ingrained in my mind.
Dawn looks elsewhere, deep in thought. Tracing her eyes, I notice she looks at the door - Zoey is still waiting behind it.
"Are you jealous again?"
"No. Do you want to see them?"
I find my head nodding up and down faster than I can think. Once the world stops bobbing, I spot her eyes rolling in their sockets just as wildly. "Alright, but only looking."
She slips her hand out of my hold. The paint has long since dried, and she slowly lifts the hem of her shirt, revealing her stomach.
A single blue hair peeks out between her navel and her waistline. All of a sudden, her hands dart down again, pulling the fabric with her and hiding the lonely strand from sight.
Her face is crimson red. "Sorry. I-- I--."
"What's there to apologize for? It looked cute."
"Cute?" I nod. "But that's unattractive..."
"Who said that?" Thinking back on Mars, it was one of her hottest features. Apart from her impressive underboobs, of course. She looked so mature with it. "Sounds like bullshit."
"A magazine. You don't mind it?"
"Nope. Like I said, the little bit I saw looked cute. Stop worrying about the silliest things, Dawn. No more stalling, show me your boobs already!"
"Alright, alright! Calm your tits!" She laughs.
The mirth doesn't last long, though. All too soon, the worrywart hesitates with her hands placed at the hem of her shirt.
Lopunny knocks on the door. ~"Hey, master? If she's taking too long, you can have my boobs instead."
Empoleon dutifully translates.
Dawn's face grows even redder until a plume of steam erupts from her nose - she snorts like a Tauros. "Even your pokemon makes fun of me? That's it, no more!" With one aggressive pull, she lifts her shirt and her bra along with it. "Look at them all you want!"
Nice.
Supple.
They really did grow a bit.
A firm shape. Perky around the nipples and a pink areola.
Hypnotizing.
"Had enough yet?"
I shake my head, my hand reaching across the sheer infinite space between it and her mounds.
"No touching." She lowers it all at once, ending the spell.
My shoulders sag. My head hangs in shame. Greed was my downfall.
"Come on. Let's not keep Zoey waiting." Dawn, the time-waster, says before getting up, taking her little bottle of nail polish, and hurrying out of the room, while I'm left staring at where her boobs once were.