I somehow managed to stumble out of bed after that mind-shattering morning with Mom.
My hands were shaking so badly I could barely pull on my jeans, shirt, and cap.
Everything felt too tight, too real, like my skin didn't fit right anymore.
My face was still on fire, cheeks burning red as if I'd sprinted a marathon.
Every time I blinked, I saw her again: Mom's gentle smile, the slow roll of her hips over me, that impossible, scorching warmth wrapped around me, the little bulge in her tummy rising every time she sank down, marking exactly where I'd... where we'd...
No. No, no, no.
My mind was a complete storm.
That was Mom.
My own mom.
She said it was tradition.
But it felt so wrong.
So filthy.
And so... good.
My body was still tingling everywhere, legs shaky, a sticky, warm reminder still clinging between my thighs.
I could taste the faint salt of her kiss on my cheek, smell that familiar Mom scent mixed with something thick and aroused that made my stomach twist.
Fresh tears stung my eyes. I wiped them away hard, angry at myself.
What is wrong with me? Why did my body react like that? Why did I... why did I finish inside her?
I bolted out of the house without looking back, heart hammering, not even saying goodbye to Mom.
The door slammed shut behind me like it was trying to trap everything inside.
I ran the whole way to Professor Oak's lab, breath coming in ragged gasps, thoughts a jumbled mess.
The professor will know.
He'll explain this.
Or maybe he'll tell me it's not real. Maybe this is all a fever dream.
A bad, hot, confusing, shameful dream.
When I finally reached the lab, panting and drenched in sweat, I saw Gary Oak stepping out the front door.
Gary looked like he always had, just a bit thinner now, more lean and sharp-edged. His dark brown hair was perfectly styled, swept back in that effortless way that screamed confidence.
His jacket hung open just enough to show off a toned chest underneath.
And trailing right behind him was his famous cheerleader squad: two gorgeous girls in the skimpiest, sexiest outfits I'd ever seen.
Short pleated skirts that barely covered anything, tight crop tops straining over full breasts, thigh-high stockings, and ribbons tied in their hair.
They giggled and pressed themselves against him, hands sliding over his arms, chests brushing his back, whispering things that made his smirk grow wider.
One girl playfully nipped at his ear; the other dragged her fingers slowly down his chest.
Both were all over him like he was a king, and from the way Gary walked, confident stride, easy grin, he loved every single second of it.
Gary spotted me and stopped, raising an eyebrow with that same cocky smile.
"Well, well... look who finally showed up. The late Ash Ketchum. Better late than never, I guess."
He laughed, sharp and mocking.
My face went from flushed to blazing crimson as my eyes darted to the girls.
One of them winked at me, slowly licking her lips.
Gary noticed and chuckled.
"Like what you see, Ashy-boy? These two lovely ladies chose to travel with me. Guess they know a real trainer when they see one."
He flexed his arm casually, and the girls squealed in delight, pressing even closer.
"I just picked the best starter Pokémon from Gramps."
I stood frozen, face tomato-red, words stuck in my throat.
I rubbed my eyes hard, blinking like crazy, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
Is this really Gary? The same Gary from Pallet Town?
He looked like himself, just thinner, sharper, more... confident, but the way those two girls were hanging all over him felt completely wrong.
Only two cheerleaders? In my head, Gary always bragged about having a whole squad, like six or more.
But here there were just these two, gorgeous in ways that made my brain short-circuit.
Their short pleated skirts flipped up with every step, showing way too much thigh and the tiniest glimpse of lace underneath.
Their tight crop tops barely held in their chests, and they pressed themselves against him like they couldn't get close enough, one girl draped over his left arm, the other glued to his right side, giggling and whispering in his ears while their bodies rubbed against him shamelessly.
Why are they hugging him like that? Like... like they're his girlfriends? Or more?
Gary just smirked, arm casually around both their waists, fingers resting low on their hips like it was the most normal thing in the world.
This can't be real.
Gary was always cocky, but never... this.
Never with girls acting like they were ready to drop everything for him right there in the open.
Gary stepped forward and patted me on the shoulder, too hard, like always.
"Don't worry, loser. Maybe one day you'll catch up. Or maybe you'll just keep running late."
He turned to leave, waving lazily over his shoulder.
"Smell ya later!"
Then, Gary sauntered toward a sleek red convertible parked just off the path, something flashy that definitely hadn't been there in the old days.
One of the girls, the one with the blue hair, skipped ahead, hips swaying, and slid into the driver's seat.
She adjusted her skirt or tried to, and started the engine.
Gary climbed into the passenger side, the other girl hopping into the back seat and immediately leaning forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders from behind.
The driver girl blew me one last mocking kiss, engine roaring.
"Bye-bye, Ashy-boy~!" she called sweetly.
The car peeled out in a cloud of dust, the three of them laughing as they sped off down the road, leaving me standing there, confused, embarrassed, way too aroused, and more lost than I'd ever been.
What... what in the world is going on?
I shook my head hard, trying to rattle some sense back into it.
My legs moved before my brain could catch up. I turned and bolted straight for Professor Oak's lab, heart slamming against my ribs, mind spinning with questions I didn't even know how to ask.
I had to get answers. Now.