"That look in your eyes...a mix of caution and recognition. Do I, perhaps, frighten you...?" asked Lusamine, tilting her head slightly to the side and touching her chin with her right index finger.
"To an extent..." conceded Jason, setting Ren down and allowing her to hide behind him before meeting Lusamine's gaze and stating, "But people from my world are naturally wary of people in positions of assumed power and authority. I've been led to believe by Ellaine that I can trust you, but I don't trust anyone unconditionally..."
"I see," responded Lusamine, nodding, seemingly in approval, and smiling as she noted, "Professor Burnet did mention you were cautious. But I can assure you this. As long as you respect and treat Pokémon well, I have no reason to be your enemy or treat you poorly."
With Lusamine punctuating her words by playfully tapping the tip of his nose with her finger, Jason found himself at a loss. Fortunately, Korrina happened to arrive at that exact moment, entering through the front door as she remarked, "I saw a helicopter with the Aether Foundation's logo on the side. Is—oh, well, if it isn't President Lusamine."
"Ah, Gym Leader Korrina. It's good to see you again. I had heard you were here, but it's still a surprise. Are you not planning to take part in this year's World Coronation Series?" asked Lusamine, striking an effortlessly refined pose reminiscent of a fashion model with her arms crossed, her hip flared, and her left leg bent slightly at the knee, naturally drawing the eye to her long, slender legs—sheathed in leggings that were fifty-fifty white on the front, vanta black on the back, and fed seamlessly into her pointy golden-heeled, white-banded, turquoise-bottomed Omni Shoes.
"That isn't the case," refuted Korrina, shaking her head and posing with her hands behind her back as she explained, "My vacation ends in four days. Once it ends, I intend to film some PR videos and participate in the Island Trials. I plan to return here regularly, but I would jeopardize the support of my fans and have a lot of explaining to do to my sponsors if I don't at least make it into the Ultra Class—not to mention I still have my tie-breaker match with Bea."
"As expected of a Gym Leader. You understand your priorities well," noted Lusamine, closing her eyes and nodding approvingly.
birurururubirurururubirurururu
"Speaking of which, pardon me for a moment..." segued Lusamine, going from relaxed to focused as she held a flat, white, Rotom-esque phone up to her left ear and began heading toward Ellaine's room while responding to whoever had called her.
"Busy as a Combee, that one..." remarked Ellaine, shaking her head and exhaling a sigh as she, Korrina, and Wicke approached Jason, Ren, and Audino, who had been sitting next to the former's head and periodically changing his rag as it became lukewarm.
"Once again, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," expressed Wicke, extending her right hand to Jason. The latter naturally accepted it, and as he did, a familiar notification appeared.
[You have been acknowledged as a [Person of Interest] by the 1-Star Entity [Sophia Wicke]. Your current Bond Level is 18. Future gains will be increased by 10%.]
"Your name is Sophia...?" asked Jason, causing Wicke's yellow eyes to flash and a broad, clearly interested smile to develop across her face as she adjusted her glasses and hummed, "Fascinating. I had wanted to see if your System utilized information available to you to catalog people. But, unless Professor Burnet here gave away the game, it seems to be able to ascertain a person's true identity. May I please see this System Interface for myself?"
"You can see the window, but the interface is only visible to those in my Party," answered Jason, pulling up the increasingly familiar blue window for Wicke's perusal.
"Right. I recall Professor Burnet mentioning that previously..." muttered Wicke, her yellow eyes gleaming with fascination as, like nearly everyone before her, she extended her hand to sweep her fingers through the cool, liquid-like hologram.
"Alright. I'm going to get started on something to eat," interjected Ellaine, looking to Korrina as she asked, "Mind lending me a hand?"
"Of course. I'd be happy to~" chimed Korrina, beaming radiantly before she and Ellaine made their way toward the kitchen, prompting Audino to follow after them. Jason was tempted to do the same, but his path was promptly blocked by Wicke, her eyes glistening as she asked, "And how, exactly, do I become a member of your Party? Does our Bond Level need to exceed a certain threshold? And if so, does it increase faster when you perform what those of your world regard as intimate acts?"
"Do you maybe want to sit down...?" asked Jason, doing his best to be personable but adopting a slight frown as he felt Wicke was being a little too insistent.
"Is it fine if I sit next to you...?" asked Wicke, stepping past Jason as he half-turned to gesture to the sofa.
'Right...I think I can see where this is headed...' thought Jason, briefly contemplating his response before answering, "Not too close. Ren is at a very impressionable stage of her development..."
"Ren? Your Riolu...?" asked Wicke, stopping for a moment to turn and look down at Ren, the latter clinging to and effectively anchoring Jason's right leg. As she did, her knowledge of Riolu and Lucario surfaced in her mind, including the fact that, much like Eevee and other Pokémon who evolved via powerful bonds, their nature, habits, and even their appearances were heavily influenced by their partners.
"I believe I have just the thing~" hummed Wicke, producing a pink Poké Ball with white markings before pointing it forward and saying, "Come on out, Growlithe."
PSHA
Following a sharp, high-pitched sound and a flash of bluish-white light similar to an arc of lightning but much slower, a brave-looking Pokémon resembling a stout dog with pale orange fur, chevron-like black markings, and tufts of spiky beige fur atop its head, face, chest, and tail appeared, issuing an affirming, "Rawf...!"
"Look, Ren, this is Growlithe," stated Wicke, crossing her left arm across her body and beaming kindly as she proposed, "Why don't the two of you go play while Jason and I talk?"
"Growf...!" appended the Growlithe, stamping its front paws, lowering its chest to the ground, and wagging its tail excitedly.
"Ren...?"
Though her red eyes glistened with excitement at the presence of the Growlithe, Ren looked up at Jason rather than listening to Wicke. He could tell she really wanted to accept the buxom scientist's suggestion, so after a moment of deliberation, he nodded affirmingly and expressed, "Just be careful not to break anything, and don't wander into the forest. I will take you there myself soon..."
"Rena~!" exclaimed Ren, giving Jason's leg a brief, vice-like hug before taking off and leaping out an open window with the Growlithe promptly pursuing.
"Now, then. Shall we speak comfortably...?" asked Wicke, grabbing Jason by his right wrist and pulling him around to the front of the sofa. There, he sat down first near the rightmost armrest, prompting the woman to tilt her head and question, "Now, then, where shall I sit? The closer, the better, I presume...?" before perching her inordinately round and soft bottom at an angle on his lap.
"What are your intentions...?" Jason asked, a slight frown marring his face, as, despite his efforts to remain calm, his body reacted of its own accord in response to Wicke's warmth, softness, and scent, which permeated his body and senses.
Sporting a broad smile, Wicke stated, "I wish to know everything there is known about you, the world you originate, your mysterious System, and the Subspace you call Sanctum. Of course, if my actions concern or cause you even mild discomfort, you need only to tell me. Ensuring your comfort and continued cooperation are my top priorities."
"Then, unless you're fine with being my girlfriend exclusively, you should remove yourself from my lap..." said Jason, exhaling a faintly heated sigh from his nose as he added, "It's inappropriate in my world for a woman to sit on the lap of a man who isn't their father, husband, or boyfriend..."
"Yes, I was told as much by Professor Burnet," affirmed Wicke, nodding. Then, with a broad, playful smile, she adjusted her glasses and added, "You're a little young to be a realistic candidate for the position of my husband, but if you don't mind that I'm a tad older, I don't mind being your girlfriend for the duration of the research period. I have a rather keen interest in what you call bedroom activities."
'At least she's honest...' thought Jason, exhaling a second sigh from his nose before glancing in the direction of the kitchen. Ellaine and Korrina had made it clear they didn't mind if he dated other women. Most other men in his predicament might slobber at the bit if presented with such an opportunity, but he required more than physical attraction to get intimate with someone. At the very least, that's what he wanted to believe...
"Please remove yourself from my lap..." said Jason, his expression and tone calm.
"Oh...of course..." responded Wicke, her cheeks tinting a prominent shade of red as she removed herself from Jason's lap and sat with a considerate distance between them. She genuinely hadn't expected him to refuse her proposition, leaving her feeling more than a little embarrassed as she had never behaved so forwardly.
Taking note of Wicke's embarrassment, Jason shook his head and calmly asserted, "Make no mistake. You're a beautiful woman, and Ellaine wasn't mistaken about my...appreciation for breasts. If I were single, I would be incredibly fortunate to have a woman like you as my girlfriend. But I have two girlfriends. They may not have a problem with me having more, but I want to respect the integrity of our relationship..."
"I see..." muttered Wicke, removing and habitually cleaning her glasses as she sighed, "It's a shame, but as I mentioned before, my top priorities are ensuring your comfort and continued cooperation. I sincerely apologize if my behavior has given you any doubt regarding the veracity of that claim."
"Really, there's no need to apologize..." countered Jason, shaking his head a second time before conceding, "Once we get to know each other better, it's not out of the question that we could become a couple. That's just the order of operations in my world. There are exceptions, but people who are serious about finding someone to share their life with first start by getting to know them..."
"Then, please, feel free to ask me anything you'd like~" responded Wicke, donning her glasses and regaining her smile. She had thought that Jason had shut the door on her, but his explanation made it clear that wasn't the case. At the present moment, it was only open a crack. But as long as she played her cards right and neither Ellaine nor Korrina closed it on her, she was confident that Jason would eventually permit her entry into the inner confines of his life. After all, she had experience working her way into the inner circles of high-profile and cautious individuals...
"Please accept my apologies for the interruption. I cleared my schedule for this afternoon, but as the President of a transnational foundation, my time is seldom my own," stated Lusamine, emerging from the hallway with a weary smile. Then, noticing that Jason and Wicke were seated together on the living room sofa, her smile broadened as she made her way over to them, asking, "Oh? Are the two of you becoming better acquainted?" with a hint of playfulness in her tone.
"To be more exact, we were clearing the air and laying some ground rules regarding our interactions..." stated Wicke, prompting Lusamine to blink in surprise as she immediately grasped what the purple-haired scientist was attempting to convey indirectly. This was somewhat disappointing, as she had been looking forward to experiencing the peculiar sense of relief and comfort Ellaine had described. But since she couldn't simply order Jason to use his mouth and tongue on her, she pulled out her phone and told her pilot to be ready to depart...
...
..
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