"That was awesome, Girono. Thanks for your help..." Iris expressed in a whisper, her forehead pressed to Girono's and her right hand cupping his neck. Jason heard this from afar, but while it hurt to hear someone praise their Pokémon for harming his, he understood Iris's words weren't malice toward him but appreciation toward her partner.
"Jason! Please tell me Ren is okay...!" Lillie cried, rushing over to Jason's and Ren's sides before producing a pale yellow, six-point star tetrahedron from her ivory-white and blue hip purse.
"I can't know for certain without taking her to Pokémon Center, but she should be fine," Jason responded, his eyes locking onto the tiny crystal in recognition. It was a Max Revive, and as the name implied, it was a potent and prohibitively expensive medicine that could rouse and fully restore an incapacitated Pokémon within its Poké Ball.
"That shouldn't be necessary, but I would understand if you decided to use it," Iris remarked, exuding calm as she walked over and knelt before Jason and Ren, her frilly gown spreading outward as she gently caressed the latter's head with her left hand, asserting, "Ren is a fighter. She has a heart full of determination, and even if the battle wasn't very long, I could feel your bond radiating like a pair of suns. The only thing you're lacking is experience. I can scarcely imagine how strong the two of you will be once you have a few Gym Challenges under your belt. Not to mention achieving Mega Evolution..."
As Iris caressed her head and showered her with praises, Ren's eyelids parted slightly to reveal she had regained consciousness. Jason saw this and felt a tingly sensation across his body, as the first thing Ren did after waking was stare at him, smile, and say, "Jason no worry...Ren is okay..." in a weak, reassuring tone.
"Silly girl...it's my job to worry..." Jason muttered, feeling a sourness in the bridge of his nose as he drew Ren close and hugged her. Her weight and the position she was in made this difficult, but he disregarded the growing tension in his lower back until she adjusted her position to sit upright and hug him back...
...
..
.
With Ren resting in her Poké Ball after treatment with a Full Restore, Lillie took it upon herself to give Iris a tour of Sanctum while Jason washed his body and waited on the edge of the hot spring. After what had happened, the urge to invest more into Ren's stats was at an all-time high. But, while he couldn't help perusing her Status, he ultimately resisted the temptation as he felt it was important for him and Ren to grow as much as they could organically before utilizing the System's shortcuts.
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[Status]
Name: [Rennae]
Title: [None]
Age: 0(113 Days)
Height: 154.5cm Weight: 136.2kg B/W/H: 85/53/89
Rank: 1-Star
[Physique: 200]
Strength: 63[+]
Vitality: 90[+]
Dexterity: 47[+]
[Cognition: 181]
Intelligence: 25[+]
Perception: 102[+]
Guts: 54[+]
[Spirituality: 172]
Spirit: 57[+]
Mind: 88[+]
Faith: 27[+]
[Skills]
[Healthy Body(E)], [Humanization(E)], [Steel Bones(E)], [Steadfast(F)], [Aura Reading(F)], [Aura Conversion(F)], [Martial Arts(F)], [Mimicry(F)]
[Special Abilities]
[Copycat(D)], [Endure(E)], [Quick Attack(F)], [Bite(F)], [Detect(F)], [Howl(F)], [Feint(F)], [Metal Claw(E)], [Bullet Punch(F)], [Counter(F)], [Work Up(F)], [Force Palm(E)]
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'If only she had an Ice-type move...' Jason sighed internally. Ren's stats had functionally multiplied by 1.6 compared to when she was a Riolu, but he estimated her Level to be around twenty. In the games, the Pokémon owned by Champions were typically between seventy and eighty-five, so there was still a tremendous gap between her and a Pokémon like Girono, who likely had hundreds of battles under his belt.
"Oh, wow. I thought we'd be walking into a large bath, but this is a proper hot spring..." Iris remarked, stepping into the bathing area alongside Lillie. Jason naturally glanced back at them, and what he saw caused his brows to rise, as, despite her diminutive stature, Iris had a tight waist, wide hips, and surprisingly toned thighs.
Seeing Jason turn his head, Lillie smiled brightly, waved her right hand, and then made her way over to him, expressing, "I hope we didn't keep you waiting for too long. And if you haven't already done so, I would be happy to wash your back."
"Speaking of which, your diet and workout routine must be insane. Your shoulders are nearly as wide as a Machoke's..." Iris appended, following Lillie over to Jason before openly appreciating his back with her hands on her hips.
"It's clear that you take care of your body as well..." Jason countered, his gaze briefly scanning Iris from the tips of her toes to her red-brown eyes without lingering anywhere in particular.
"You've got good eyes. I'm pretty proud of my beach figure~" Iris hummed, crossing her arms, raising her chin, and puffing out her chest, set with two modest mounds of healthy, slightly paler brown flesh and pale, rose-pink protrusions. More surprising was the fact that she had a tiny tuft of purple that didn't belong to her head.
"Right..."
Though he had already washed his back, Jason knew Lillie would be disappointed if he refused her offer. He also usually helped to wash her back and hair, so as he responded to Iris's self-aggrandizing, he rose to his feet and turned to face the duo while stepping out of the hot spring.
"Hmmmmn? Isn't your penis supposed to get bigger when you're around beautiful women...?" asked Iris, her brows rising as she unabashedly cast her gaze downward. She had read Jason's file from front to back, so she found his lack of reaction odd, and, depending on the explanation behind it, slightly vexing.
"That is ordinarily the case, but there is something called a refractory period..." Lillie confirmed, her eyes briefly narrowing before she went on to answer Iris's many questions regarding Jason's physiology in a clinical, matter-of-factly manner. Jason cooperated, and though things got a little more hands-on than he would have liked, Iris ultimately wasn't interested in taking things further. She did end up sitting next to and leaning into him in the hot spring, but it was to get a better look at his System interface as he walked her through each sub-menu and fielded questions she readily admitted had been entrusted to her by the League...
...
..
.
"Alright. I'm going to head out. I have interviews, photoshoots, matches, and a bunch of other things to take care of, so we probably won't be able to meet and interact freely until I arrive in Alola. It's been fun meeting and getting to know you. Give Ren my regards," Iris expressed, extending her right hand to Jason with a broad, confident smile.
"I will. And thanks again for allowing us to battle you," Jason responded with a nod, accepting Iris's handshake and taking note of how strong her grip was as she nearly crushed his hand in her grasp.
"On that note, I'm looking forward to seeing how much the two of you have grown between now and our next match~" Iris hummed, releasing Jason's hand and trading a few words with Lillie before departing like a storm receding toward the horizon.
"She was really strong..." Jason noted aloud, standing beside Lillie as they watched Iris leave together.
"Champions are individuals who are said to have surpassed the limits of humans," Lillie proferred. "Iris may be young by Champion standards, but that is further proof of her exceptional ability and character. It's a shame she didn't appear all that interested in sex. But it's reassuring to know she will be helping us set up and promote the Alola League. After Cynthia and Diantha, Iris is the most popular female Trainer in the world."
"Speaking of Champion Diantha...I've noticed you aren't carrying around your incubator..." Jason noted, suppressing the mild incongruence he felt at Lillie lamenting Iris's disinterest in sex. On his end, Iris's restraint made him respect her more. But that was a conversation for later.
"I was hoping you would bring that up~" Lillie chimed, grabbing Jason's hand and pulling him along as she gaily hummed, "Come along. There is a surprise waiting for you in our shared bedroom."
'She must have brought Audino with her. And since Wicke is here, Miltank should be as well...' Jason concluded, allowing himself to be pulled along with a faint, confident smile. He didn't want to spoil Lillie's surprise, so he kept his speculations to himself.
Confirming Jason's suspicions, Lillie led him to a spacious room adorned with a white, gold-embellished, gold-handled door. The interior was both luxurious and refined, with silver-hued, gold-trimmed bedroom dressers, matching furniture with white leather cushions, and a large, canopied bed with pale, silver-hued curtains. Next to that was a small play area, clearly intended for Pokémon recreation and rest.
Seeing the familiar figure of Audino, knitting a sweater atop a rocking chair, Jason couldn't help smiling. And amid the soft blocks and plushies adorning the play area, his eyes were naturally drawn to the pale green, red-horned crown of a small, child-like Pokémon with pale white fur that was mostly concealed beneath a frilly white nightgown.
Reacting to Jason's and Lillie's arrival, the barely knee-high Pokémon looked over with large red eyes and a three-fingered hand covering its mouth. And as their gazes met, Jason got the distinct impression that a tiny, invisible hand had reached out to touch his mind.
"I'm back, Runa, Audino. And I've brought with me the boy I've told you all about~" Lillie chimed, leading the way into the room and confidently making her way over to the diminutive Pokémon, her one and only partner, Ralts. As she approached, the Ralts, Runa, readily lifted its arms, allowing her to pick it up and hold it like a small child as she turned to introduce it to Jason.
"Jason, Runa. Runa, Jason. Jason here is my fiancé, so he's going to be helping me take care of you, okay~?" Lillie hummed, beaming from ear to ear as she gently bounced Runa using her left arm and hip.
"It's nice to meet you..." Jason expressed, offering a slight nod and what he hoped to be a disarming smile.
Demonstrating that it comprehended what he and Lillie had been saying, Runa stared at Jason for several seconds before extending its left hand toward him and smiling. Jason was somewhat surprised to see three tiny pink dots lining Runa's finger tips, but since its body was covered in sleek white fur, sans the green hair framing its head and partially hanging over its eyes like a bowl cut, it made sense that it would have padding along its fingers and presumably its toes.
Extending his right hand and index finger, Jason allowed Runa to grab it with surprising strength. At that exact moment, a notification appeared in his vision.
[You have become [Acquainted] with the 0-Star Entity: [Runala Masters]. Your initial Bond Level is 38.]
'That's pretty high to start...' Jason noted, the smile on his face exhibiting relief and growing appreciation for the wide-eyed, effortlessly adorable-looking Pokémon. Its name implied it was female, but after his and Ren's most recent bonding moment, he was no longer excessively concerned with the possibility of fate or some other external force ensuring he was surrounded by famously contentious Pokémon.
"I knew she would accept you~" Lillie hummed, her eyes narrowed as she observed the interaction between Jason and Runa. Ralts were perceptive and famously shy Pokémon. Her Ralts, in particular, had the Synchronize Ability, so it could both sense a person's emotions and convey its own via touch.
Catching Jason a little off guard, Runa's smile brightened before she retracted her hands, clasped them together as if she were praying, and began singing in a soft, bell-like voice. The peculiar sound caused Jason to feel as if his brain were vibrating, but it wasn't an unpleasant sensation. Rather, it instantly reminded him of the faint sounds and vibrations from the aquarium he used to observe unblinkingly as a child. It was like pure, calming nostalgia in song form. And with Audino coming over to hug him, Jason, even if only for a moment, allowed himself to feel at home...
...
..
.