"I guess that was a little too stimulating for you, huh...?" asked Professor Burnet, effortlessly pulling Jason to a seated position by his arm. The loss of feeling in his legs and his blackout only lasted a split second, so he was able to sit upright with help from both her and the Audino.
"Yeah..." responded Jason, his gaze fixed on Professor Burnet's lower half before she sat down in front of him and exhaled faintly from her nose with a faint smile. Then, extending her left hand, she casually tousled his hair and stated, "It takes courage to challenge your limits, but it's important to know when to take a step back..."
"Auwadinn..." appended the Audino, giving Jason a supportive hug while channeling warm, revitalizing energy into his body.
"..."
Closing his eyes and exhaling from his nose, Jason resisted the urge to contend that he wasn't a kid and that he didn't need reassuring. Instead, with his eyes closed and his heart racing nearly two hundred beats per minute, he, somewhat opportunistically, asked, "Do you think you could help me? Get used to being around women, I mean..."
"Help how?" asked Professor Burnet, noting, "If it's just bathing together, that's natural to save on water and the cost of heating it. And, if you want my opinion, I believe it's fine if you remain like this. There's nothing wrong with being a little awkward. I think it's cute."
"But I can't afford to be cute..." argued Jason, turning his head, opening his eyes, and doing his best to appear resolute as he asserted, "I need to be strong...strong enough so that, if I'm able to return to my home, I have the means to protect those I'm beholden to and care about..."
"Right...with you being so alike us, it doesn't always register that you're from another world and that you have family, friends, and people you care about awaiting your return..." noted Professor Burnet, her expression and tone softening as she spoke.
"It's fine..." muttered Jason, shaking his head. He wasn't trying to make Professor Burnet feel guilty or sympathize with him, so before she could think to apologize or try to comfort him, he lowered his unfocused gaze to her breasts and acknowledged, "I will never give up, but odds are that I'll never be able to return to my world. In the meantime, I will do what I can to integrate with yours..."
"That's a good mentality to possess," affirmed Professor Burnet, nodding approvingly before countering, "But while integrating with our culture will make it easier for you to live here, you don't need to force yourself. At the very least, I'm fine with you as you are. So, if there's anything I can do to make things easier or more comfortable for you while you're staying at my lab, don't hesitate to let me know. All I ask in exchange is that you help to satisfy my curiosity about you and your world. You coming here is a pretty big deal, you know?"
"Right..." muttered Jason, his eyes slowly coming into focus and his throat tightening at the sight.
"Does it hurt...?" asked Professor Burnet, causing Jason to feel confused until she clarified, "Your penis. Does it hurt when it swells up like that? It looks painful..."
"It doesn't really hurt..." refuted Jason, averting his eyes as he confided, "Though it is uncomfortable..."
"Will the swelling resolve on its own, or will it remain that way until you stick it inside a woman's vagina...?" asked the clearly curious Professor, leaving Jason at a loss as he got the distinct impression that she would volunteer her own if he affirmed the latter.
"There are ways to make it settle quicker, but it will go down on its own after I calm down..." revealed Jason, resisting the temptations whispered into his ear by the darker side of his conscience.
"Are you comfortable with discussing them...?" asked Professor Burnet, noting, "I'm not trying to get pregnant, but if I can help, you just need to explain how."
"Maybe once we grow closer..." muttered Jason, feeling like he was going to pass out from Professor Burnet's unabashed consideration. Her words effectively gave him free rein to request anything he desired, but since he had only known her for seven days, he felt he would be taking advantage of her if he yielded to his baser instincts...
"And how do we do that...?" questioned Professor Burnet, tilting her head and clarifying, "Grow closer, I mean. Because me, personally? I don't feel any sense of distance with you. Sure, we might be on different emotional wavelengths, but we're here, spending time getting to know one another. The only boundaries that exist between us are those we create. And, even then, they don't exist in reality. Look..."
Extending her left hand to clasp Jason's shoulder gently, Professor Burnet waited for him to meet her gaze before presenting a maternal smile as she asked, "Do I feel far away to you...?"
"It's the opposite..." responded Jason, his words trailing off and his gaze, once again, lowering.
"But you want us to be closer, right?" asked Professor Burnet. "Because I can give you space if I'm making things difficult for you. I'm here because you asked me to stay. And until you ask me to leave, I have no intention of doing so."
'She's not wrong...the only person creating distance between us is me...' acknowledged Jason, his face burning and the intense throbbing of his heart echoing loudly in his ears. His actions directly contrasted his words and desire for him and Professor Burnet to be closer, and to what end? He didn't want to take advantage of her, but on the other hand, she was keen to assist him. And if the person in question didn't feel she was being taken advantage of, what was he stressing over?
Seeing Jason lost in his thoughts, Professor Burnet waited nearly a full minute before proposing, "How about this? If you'll recall, I came here to inform you that I received the go-ahead to relocate you to my lab in Alola. For now, let's take a step back, get you packed up, and ready to head out. Our flight will take around eight hours—that's plenty of time for us to chat and get to know each other better. Then, when you're ready, you can tell me how we can become closer. Sound good?"
"Sounds good..." repeated Jason, nodding. His brain subsequently stalled when Professor Burnet stood up, giving him a close, unobstructed view of what should have been her most closely guarded secret, but he snapped out of it quickly when she promptly extended her hand to help pull him to his feet. As she did, he grazed her lower abdomen, but instead of reacting as though he had done something wrong, the bronze-skinned beauty just smiled and exited the bath ahead of him...
'This really isn't my world...' Jason acknowledged, his gaze lowering to gawk at Professor Burnet's bottom with marginally less trepidation than before. He briefly tensed when the Audino placed its hand somewhere it shouldn't have, ostensibly trying to ease his pain. But since he knew she was only trying to help, Jason forced a smile, caressed her head with his right hand, and offered a subdued, "Thanks..." before exiting the bath and proceeding to dry himself off. It then fell upon him to help dry the Audino off, but with Professor Burnet's help and guidance, it didn't take too long, and he got to learn how to use a blow-dryer properly...
...
..
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[Eight Hours Later]
Since he didn't do well on planes, or most modes of transportation, for that matter, Jason ended up sleeping for most of the flight to the Alola Region—made up of four main islands with dozens of lesser islands in a tightly packed archipelago.
"That's a massive volcano..." remarked Jason, leaning his head against the slightly curved wall of the private jet he, Professor Burnet, and the Audino were being transported in. There were plenty of other seats available, but Professor Burnet had occupied the one to his left, causing Jason to tense as she leaned over him to stare out the same window, noting, "That's Wela Volcano. It's the largest active volcano in Alola, and the second-largest in the world. If you want to search for Fire-types, that's the best place in the region to look."
Suppressing the urge to ask Professor Burnet to mind his personal space, Jason asked, "What about the island? What's it called...?" while doing his best to disregard her warmth, softness, and the flowery aroma rising from her body.
"Oh? I thought I already mentioned that," said Professor Burnet, returning to her own seat as she restated, "The island is called Akala, located in the north-eastern region of Alola. As for my lab and home, they're situated on the outskirts of the island's largest city and port, Heahea. I'm not too fond of loud places and large crowds, so my lab's off the beaten path—located along a beach that's perfect for surfing, diving, and soaking up the Alolan sun. I'll have to take you out on the water and teach you how to meditate. It could be just what you need to help with your anxiety."
Imagining Professor Burnet in a bikini, Jason's cheeks warmed slightly as he responded with a faint, "Mmn...I'd like that..." while continuing to stare out the window. Akala Island was much bigger than he expected, and as far as he could recall, Alola was the smallest region in the Pokémon world. The fact that the island seemed isolated, encircled by beautiful azure sea as far as the eye could see, made it clear to him that the world was much larger than he had presumed...
"What are you thinking about...?" asked Professor Burnet, gently bumping Jason's left shoulder with her right.
"This world...it's beautiful..." responded Jason, tempting Professor Burnet to ask if his wasn't. Since that might stir up some bad memories, however, she just smiled and remained silent, keeping her arm nestled to Jason's as a form of support. If his claims about his world having close to nine billion people were the truth, she imagined it wasn't a particularly pleasant place to live. Thus, until he was ready to reveal more of his own accord, she had decided to focus on familiarizing him with their world, as, more likely than not, it would be his as well from then on...
...
..
.
After touching down at a private landing strip, Jason rode with Professor Burnet and Audino in the back of an armored transport that took them to their destination. More accurately, it took them to the start of a dirt road that cut through a dense tropical forest, requiring them to walk nearly two and a half kilometers to reach Professor Burnet's private lab and home, a large, yellow-tiled lodge perched on a short cliff overlooking white sandy beaches and a beautiful blue bay.
"Didn't you mention that your house was small...?" asked Jason, gazing at Professor Burnet's house in awe as they approached. It was only a single story, but it had a wide, wrapping porch, a steepled roof that suggested it had an attic, an attached annex that presumably housed a spacious bath, and a half-acre private garden encircled by berry trees. Rather than cozy, as Professor Burnet had described it, it was more like a multi-million dollar beach house...
"Hmn? This is about the average here in Alola," revealed Professor Burnet, once again reinforcing to Jason that he lived in a very different world than the one he originated.
"More to the point, we should hurry inside," suggested Professor Burnet, gesturing with her chin at the setting sun before asserting, "The Pokémon in this region are famed for their temperate natures, but it's generally best to remain indoors at night. If you cross paths with a malicious Ghost-type or a hungry Salazzle, things could get dicey quickly."
"Dino, dinn...!" chimed Audino, fervently nodding her head to reinforce what Professor Burnet was saying. She was prepared to defend Jason if they were attacked, but as a Pokémon who specialized in support, they would be at a disadvantage against a predator that specialized in poison and speed. Ghost-types, on the other hand, were the specialty of Normal-types like herself.
"Munchaaaa~!"
Interrupting the exchange and drawing Jason's attention, a short and very stout Pokémon with predominantly dark blue fur and large, pointed, cat-like ears began stomping across Professor Burnet's porch as it ran out to greet them. Jason instantly recognized it as a Munchlax, and though it had to weigh at least a hundred kilograms, Professor Burnet had no issues catching as it leaped through the air and into her embrace. Then, as Jason was marveling at how effortlessly powerful the woman at his side was, a familiar voice called out, "Jason! Professor Burnet! Alola~!" from the direction of the beach...
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