"You think I'm hopeless...?" questioned Jason, turning his head and body slightly to peer at the Audino straddling his lower back. In response, the pastel pink and beige Pokémon just smiled at him and continued with her massage.
"..."
Facing forward and resting his chin atop his folded hands, Jason did his best to look at the situation positively. If he intended to track down and potentially face off against Legendary Pokémon, he would need powerful Pokémon to battle alongside him. But for now, having one who could heal his injuries and mend his fatigue was better, as it allowed him to train and push himself longer and harder.
'I should hold off on asking until our Bond Level has increased...' thought Jason. For all he knew, the Audino already had a Trainer, so asking her to join him or become his Pokémon might be crossing a line he wasn't aware existed. The most prudent course of action then became to increase their Bond to the point that she would rather accompany him than remain with her original Trainer or in the employ of the League.
'But if her Trainer is a good person or the League treats her well, it would be pretty selfish to convince her to accompany me for my own benefit...I don't want to become the kind of person who uses others...' noted Jason, his expression morphing into a frown.
[Your Bond with [Unnamed] has increased by 3.]
Reacting to Jason's negativity, the Audino leaned forward and gave him a comforting hug, an exasperated but supportive, "Auwadin..." escaping her throat before she rubbed her soft and notably squishy cheek against him in an overt attempt to cheer him up.
'I could just ask her...' noted Jason, hesitating for several seconds before tentatively asking, "Do you already have a Trainer or someone you regard as a partner...?"
"Awadinn...?"
Rising to a seated position, the Audino stared at Jason curiously, her head tilted to the side as if contemplating her response. The truth was that she had grown up in the facility they were currently in, so while she had many people and Pokémon she regarded as her family, she didn't have a Trainer or partner. And since Pokémon like her weren't suited to battle, she wasn't sure she would be able to meet Jason's expectations, especially with how dedicated he was to training and becoming stronger.
"I know this is a very selfish way of thinking...but with your healing ability, I and any future Pokémon I partner with could become stronger, faster..." confessed Jason, his tone measured as he added, "But if the people here treat you well, you should stay. I would sincerely appreciate your support, but my problems are ultimately my own to solve..."
Hearing Jason's subdued admissions, the Audino couldn't help exhaling faintly from her nose and staring at him with a tinge of motherly affection in her pale blue eyes. She was treated well within the facility, but she was a Pokémon who lived to help, support, and heal others. If Jason believed she could be of assistance to him, then the implication was that he would be harmed by her not accompanying him.
Lying atop Jason's back, Audino resumed rubbing her cheek against and hugging him as she offered an affirming, "Dino, dinn~". At the same time, Jason received a notification he had never seen before.
[The 1-Star Entity, [Unnamed], wishes to join your Party. Will you accept her [Yes/No]?]
Having learned he could interface with his System using thought alone, Jason confirmed the Audino's inclusion in his Party. As he did, her name and a tiny, animated sprite depicting her appeared in the first of twelve empty rectangles of his main System interface. With it were green, blue, and purple bars denoting Health Points(HP), Mana Points(MP), and Spirit Points(SP). There were no numerical values next to them, but he learned that the Audino itself was [1-Star, Grade 334]. Checking her Status proper revealed:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Status]
Name: [Unnamed]
Title: [None]
Age: 24
Height: 118cm Weight: 38.1kg B/W/H: ??/??/??
Rank: 1-Star
[Physique: 103]
Strength: 28[+]
Vitality: 61[+]
Dexterity: 14[+]
[Cognition: 108]
Intelligence: 32[+]
Perception: 55[+]
Guts: 21[+]
[Spirituality: 123]
Spirit: 38[+]
Mind: 74[+]
Faith: 11[+]
[Skills]
[Healthy Body(E)], [Natural Regeneration(E)], [Bedside Manner(E)], [Fatty Body(F)], [Cheek Pouch(F)], [Humanization(F)], [Fertile(F)]
[Special Abilities]
[Pound(E)], [Zen Headbutt(E)], [Play Nice(F)], [Disarming Voice(F)], [Baby-Doll Eyes(F)], [Helping Hand(F)], [Growl(F)], [Life Dew(F)]
[Healthy Body]
Rank: E
Description: You have a naturally healthy body, granting you increased resistance to disease and illness.
[Natural Regeneration]
Rank: E
Description: You can recover from minor wounds, and broken bones will heal marginally faster.
[Bedside Manner]
Rank: E
Description: You have a decent understanding of dealing with patients in a hospital setting.
[Fatty Body]
Rank: F
Description: You have increased fat, granting you moderate resistance against the cold.
[Cheek Pouch]
Rank: F
Description: You can store things within your cheeks.
[Humanization]
Rank: F
Description: Prolonged exposure to humans has altered your physiology and instincts, granting you vaguely humanoid features and mannerisms.
[Fertile]
Rank: F
Description: Your chance of conceiving a child is increased by a marginal but not inconsequential amount.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
'She's older than I expected...' noted Jason, perusing the Audino's Status with a mix of intrigue and suspicion. He noticed there were no values for Free Attributes or Achievement Points, but there were plus marks next to each of the Audino's parameters. And when he thought about increasing her Faith, as he couldn't afford to raise most of her other stats, it caused a red [-2] to appear next to his available Free Attributes.
'So I can strengthen my Party members...' noted Jason. That would make it easier to strengthen any younger Pokémon he acquired, but the caveat was that it would hinder his own growth. Fortunately, when he added the Audino to his Party, he earned two Achievements and triggered a total of seventeen additional Quests, visible within his Quest Tab.
[You have acquired the F-Ranked Achievement: [Party Hardly]. 1,000 AP has been awarded.]
[You have acquired the F-Ranked Achievement: [Just a Peek...]. 1,000 AP has been awarded.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Available Quests]
[Gotta Catch 'em All(SSS)]
[Surmounting a God(SSS)]
[Surpassing Limits(SS)]
[Surpassing Nature(SS)]
[World Champion(S)]
[Legend Challenger(S)]
[Regional Champion(S)]
[Path to the League(S)]
[Overcompensating(A)]
[Badge Collector(A)]
[One of All(A)]
[Born to Breed(B)]
[Region Explorer(C)]
[Path of Evolution(D)]
[First Conquest(D)]
[Licensed Trainer(E)]
[Familiarization(F)]
[Active Quests]
[Quarantine(F~S)]
[Laying the Foundation 3(D~C)]
[Completed Quests]
[A Pinchy Situation(F~C)]-Grade F
[Laying the Foundation 1(F~E)]-Grade F
[Laying the Foundation 2(E~D)]-Grade F
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perusing the requirements for his SSS-Ranked Quests, which included defeating Arceus and capturing one of each Pokémon and their regional variants—rewarding him with 100,000,000,000AP for his efforts—Jason's expression flattened in a dull stare. Such an exorbitant reward reinforced the impossibility of completing the Quests, and since he had no intention of dedicating his life to their pursuit, he decided to set his sights on more achievable goals. [One of All], for example, only required him to catch one of each Type of Pokémon. [Badge Collector] had him collect at least eight Gym Badges from a given region, and [Overcompensating] had him do the same, but for all regions...
[Your Bond with [Unnamed] has increased by 23.]
Noticing that Jason had fallen silent, his aura exuding contentment and a tinge of excitement, the Audino believed she had made the right decision. Making others happy made her happy, so while Jason continued perusing his Quests to set a goal for himself, the Audino closed her eyes, embraced him tenderly, and did her best to transmit her warmth into his comparably cool but broad body...
...
..
.
'This is really awkward...' thought Jason, seated within a large bath that had previously felt too large—now feeling cramped. Audino had insisted on accompanying him, and though it was novel and surprisingly pleasant to have his back washed, he couldn't help feeling as though he was doing something wrong.
pssssshaka-klnkfuwaaaa
Hearing the tell-tale sound of his room's front door opening, a feeling of panic washed over Jason, causing his body to tense and his wide eyes to shift to the bathroom's entrance.
"You in there, Jason...?" called out the voice of Professor Burnet, leaving Jason at a loss for words as, with the facility personnel not allowing him to leave his room, where else would he be?
"I'll be out shortly..." responded Jason, his voice low, tinged with a mix of shame and dread as he imagined how the beautiful Professor would react to seeing him emerge fresh from a bath with the Audino. Instead, he was left at an even greater loss as the door to the bathroom opened, followed by Professor Burnet blinking in surprise and remarking, "Oh? I was going to ask if you wanted me to wash your back, but it seems you're in capable hands."
"Dino~" chimed the Audino, giving Professor Burnet an affirming wave with her right hand before resuming her ministrations. Meanwhile, Jason had turned statuesque as his brain struggled to make sense of Professor Burnet's apparent disregard for the fact that he was naked and that she had walked in on him taking a bath. She even walked closer and sat atop his lidded toilet, her expression and body language completely casual as she revealed, "I've got some good news. We managed to talk some sense into those who were being stubborn, so while you won't be free to wander around, the League has agreed to let you close out your quarantine at my lab. Sound good?"
"It sounds incredible..." responded Jason, doing his best to appear and sound calm despite the absurdity of the situation. After meeting with her daily for a week, he knew Professor Burnet's sense of distance was non-existent, but he didn't think it would extend to her casually walking in on him in the bath. If he reversed the situation, did that mean she was okay with him walking in on her? And, if so, why? Had she developed feelings for him, or was it a cultural thing?
'Or maybe she doesn't view me as a man...' thought Jason, a slight frown marring his face. He was half-tempted to stand up and prove that he was a man, but since he didn't know how he compared to others in the world of Pokémon, there was a non-zero chance he would end up embarrassing himself.
Concluding, once again, that he could ask for an explanation rather than making assumptions, Jason glanced back at Professor Burnet and asked, "Is it customary for people in this world to bathe with or be seen naked by others?"
"I wouldn't say it's customary," countered Professor Burnet, leaning back and crossing her arms as she revealed, "But it's normal for those who live together. Why? Are people in your world embarrassed to be seen without their clothes on?"
"It varies from culture to culture, but where I'm from, it's not something you see or hear about too often..." responded Jason, facing forward with his face becoming increasingly warm as he couldn't help but imagine the exceedingly fit Professor joining him in the bath.
"Mmn...well, I'm not the type to judge others, and you don't strike me as the type to do so either..." contended Professor Burnet, shrugging as she added, "But if I'm making you uncomfortable, I can leave. I don't want to disrespect your values or culture."
"It's less that you're making me uncomfortable than excited..." countered Jason, causing the white-haired Professor to tilt her head confusedly and question, "Excited? How so?" as if she genuinely had no clue what he was talking about.
Following a brief pause, Jason looked back and met Professor Burnet's gaze, his expression incredulous as he asked, "Does this world not have the concept of sexual attraction?"
"Sexual attraction?" repeated Professor Burnet, leaving Jason wide-eyed and slack-jawed as she questioned, "You mean like how male and female Pokémon from similar Egg Groups are drawn to one another?"
'There's no way...' thought Jason, his brain unable to parse what he was hearing. Professor Burnet was clearly a mature woman, and from what he recalled from the games and his limited knowledge of the anime, she was married and had a kid. Unless the meme about Pokémon Breeders having no idea where Pokémon Eggs originated was legitimate, it didn't make any sense whatsoever for her to be unaware of sex and the concept of sexual attraction...
...
..
.