Though it took her nearly two hours due to her being off-site at the time of his call, Lusamine eventually arrived at her mansion via her personal Flying-Ride Pokémon, a Togekiss. There, Jason disclosed to her, Ellaine, Korrina, Lillie, and Wicke everything he could recall about their world and its status as an anime, manga, and video-game franchise within his own.
"This complicates things..." muttered Lusamine, seated behind her white, gold-marble desk with an uncharacteristically serious countenance, the long, white-painted nail of her right index finger rhythmically tapping her desk as she weighed everything Jason had revealed.
"It's certainly a lot, but I believe him," Ellaine stated confidently, seated cross-armed with her right foot pulled up, resting on her left knee in the chair to Jason's right. Then, glancing at Jason and smiling, she remarked, "Though you can expect me to pick your brain extensively when we return home."
"I have no more secrets to keep..." responded Jason, offering Ellaine an affirming nod.
With such conviction in his heart, Jason returned his gaze to Lusamine, stating, "On that note, the main reason I asked you to meet with me as soon as possible concerns your daughter..."
"Me...?" asked Lillie, blinking in surprise from her position, two chairs to Jason's left, separated from him by Korrina.
"Explain what you mean," appended Lusamine, her green eyes narrowing like a mama bear prepared to pounce in defense of its cubs.
"It concerns her Poképhobia," stated Jason, expanding, "You should have a man in your employ named Faba. Well, in my world, Faba is a villain who manipulates people's memories using his Hypno. I'm not saying your Faba is guilty of doing the same, but I can't ignore the similarities between your daughter's inexplicable phobia and the condition of her counterpart in the games I played as a child..."
Frowning deeply, Lusamine confirmed, "There is someone named Faba in my employ. He's the Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation as well as our Director of Research and Development. And he does, as you attest, keep a Hypno as one of his partnered Pokémon..."
Glancing at her daughter, a mix of anger, guilt, and frustration exuded from the depths of Lusamine's eyes. Faba was one of her oldest friends and someone she had trusted to helm the Aether Foundation's research. If what Jason was saying was true, he may have been deceiving her for decades. For what purpose, she had no idea. What mattered was that he was the one to discover Lillie when she had collapsed. And, while he was far from the only person she had gone to for answers, he was the first to diagnose her daughter with maladaptive, trauma-induced amnesia...
"We should contact the League and the IPP immediately," stated Wicke, her tone serious to the point of sounding solemn as she added, "I know how important Director Faba is to the Foundation, but utilizing a Psychic-type Pokémon to tamper with or erase someone's memories is one of the most heinous things a person can do. If it got out that someone near the top of the Foundation was misusing Pokémon to perform criminal acts, it could irreparably damage our image and the public's trust..."
"I don't care about that at all...!" shouted Lusamine, slamming her table as she rose to her feet, her hair appearing to billow outward from fury as she growled, "We can deal with the public and regain their trust by doing our jobs well. But no one—and I mean no one—messes with my children and gets away with it. If Jason's suspicions prove true, I will personally see to it that Faba is never allowed within a thousand kilometers of my daughter or a research facility...!"
"Alright, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Ellaine, rising to her feet and making a calming gesture with her hands as she reasoned, "I'm guessing one of the reasons Jason didn't come forward before now was that he wasn't certain our world was the same as the one he was familiar with. We also know of the existence of other, parallel worlds, so there's a non-zero chance our Faba is completely innocent."
"That's why I suggested that we contact the League or the IPP," stated Wicke, adjusting her glasses as she contended, "They can send someone to investigate Director Faba and collect information covertly. If we were to confront or hold him accountable without proof, he could walk even if he's guilty. And the compensation the Foundation would be forced to pay out would probably fund his research for the rest of his life..."
"The two of you are correct..." conceded Lusamine, sitting back down and directing an almost predatory gaze at Jason as she asked, "Do you recall why this fictional Faba tampered wth my daughter's memories? What was the motive behind his actions?"
With everyone's gazes focused on him, Jason couldn't help feeling a little tense. Despite that, his expression remained focused, his voice solemn as he responded, "I can't remember the specifics as this was years ago, but I'm reasonably certain it was to safeguard his career and conceal that he was conducting illegal experiments under the Aether Paradise. From what I remember, Lillie got lost and stumbled across his lab as he was midway through opening an Ultra Wormhole. An Ultra Beast that looks like a squid attacked her, but she was saved by an artificially created Pokémon called Silvally. To stop that incident and his illegal research from coming to light, he suppressed Lillie's memories using Hypnosis."
"Faba is the type to do everything in his power to avoid responsibility..." affirmed Ellaine, exhaling from her nose as she remained standing with crossed arms.
"And things line up too well for all of this to be a coincidence..." noted Lusamine, staring past Jason with narrowed eyes. She would do her due diligence, but as far as she was concerned, Faba was already guilty. The only question was how severely he should be punished...
Glancing at her daughter, who looked equal parts confused and hurt, the fury in Lusamine's heart compounded. Unfortunately, there was a process to everything. If she took matters into her own hands, she could very well end up spending the remainder of her life behind bars. Thus, after closing her eyes and leaning onto the knuckles of her right hand, she composedly stated, "I will confer with the League on this matter. Their investigator will likely have questions for Jason, but in the meantime, the five of you are to return to Akala Island and continue living as if this matter doesn't concern you..."
"That's probably the wisest course of action..." confirmed Ellaine, shifting her gaze to Jason and smiling as she asked, "Unless, of course, you have something else you believe we need to know?"
Nodding, Jason stared at Lusamine, meeting the platinum-haired woman's gaze as she opened her eyes and listened to him reveal, "In the media I'm referencing, you go on to become possessed by the same squid-like Ultra Beast who attacked your daughter—the mind-controlling Nihilego. Under its influence, you become a villain who twists the Aether Foundation into a criminal organization. I don't wish to see that happen..."
Regaining a faint, amused smile, Lusamine commented, "I'm beginning to understand what Ellaine was referring to when we spoke in private. You're a very considerate young man, especially toward those you feel indebted to..."
"He really grows on you, doesn't he~?" asked Ellaine, her tone playful as she met Jason's gaze with narrowed eyes, prompting his cheeks to warm as he resisted the urge to look away.
"I am curious, though," remarked Korrina, earning everyone's attention, particularly Jason's as she pointed to herself and asked, "Did I appear in any of the media you mentioned? I never really planned to visit the Alola Region before we met, so I can't imagine what role I would have played in all of this."
"You were a fan favorite character from your original series, Pokémon X and Y, so you appeared as a recurring character in many seasons of the anime..." answered Jason, causing Korrina's eyes to light up and a happy smile to blossom across her face. She worked hard to be the best Trainer and Gym Leader she could be, so it was gratifying to hear that her efforts were recognized in Jason's world.
Seemingly realizing something from Jason's statement, Korrina's smile broadened further as she playfully inquired, "What about you? You were clearly a fan of our franchise. Did you happen to be one of my presumably many fans~?"
[Several Constellations hold their breath in anticipation of your answer.]
Ignoring the notification that had appeared in the corner of his vision, Jason nodded in affirmation, stating, "I would be lying if I said you were my favorite heroine, but you definitely left an impression."
"Alright, now you've got me curious..." interjected Ellaine, causing Jason to tense as she abruptly perched herself atop his right thigh, her yellow eyes staring intently into his own as she asked, "Where did I rank among these so-called heroines...?"
Feeling the tension in the room suddenly shift from serious to borderline sensual, Jason found himself at a momentary loss. His mouth opened as if he wanted to respond, but no words came to him. Fortunately, Ellaine was simply teasing him, her eyes narrowing and her smile mischievous as she drew closer to his lips and huskily appended, "I suppose it doesn't matter. I'm clearly near the top right now..."
Shattering what remained of the tension from the previous conversation, Ellaine preempted Jason's response with a leading kiss. That was already unexpected, but midway through their making out, she separated from his lips to stare into space with a cheeky smile, stating, "Thanks for watching until now, but things are about to get heated. If you would like to observe in the future, you're welcome to try and persuade Jason by providing him with useful information, AP, and Skills."
[The Great Sage Who Peeks Under Skirts gifts you 1,300 AP along with the message: Looks like you've picked yourself up a damn fine woman. Lucky little shit.]
[Many Constellations concur with the Great Sage Who Peeks Under Skirts.]
[The Lost Wanderer Of Myriad Realms gifts you 5,600 along with the message: You should cherish her and the relationships you've formed until this point. It might not be easy due to the differences in your cultures and common sense, but true love is something fought for and fortified through tribulation. Trust in your feelings, but do not submit to passion. Pleasure is fleeting. Love can transcend time itself.]
Noticing the inordinately long donation message, Jason did his best to read it before his lips were invariably seized by Ellaine, her increasingly nimble tongue invading his mouth. What followed was the five women, including the very buxom Wicke, thanking and rewarding him for coming forward and revealing the truth to them. If Jason were being completely honest, it was a bit much. However, after crossing several lines he never thought possible the previous night, his once rigid principles had become as floppy as wet, well-boiled spaghetti...
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Though his request to meet with Lusamine had delayed his group's return to Akala Island until the following morning, Jason couldn't help feeling a mix of relief and triumph as he lay in his bed with Lillie sleeping atop him and Korrina lying to his left. The visual upgrade he had received from the Faux Third Eye was extraordinarily useful when trying to make others feel good, and while he was yet to make any of his girlfriends orgasm, he had come to the conclusion that it was less a consequence of his inexperience than the fact that they simply couldn't.
Fortunately, while he had fallen short of the proverbial finish line, Jason had received numerous compliments from the girls as he did his best to satisfy each of them. Lillie, in particular, seemed to greatly appreciate his efforts. Their current position was the result of her desire to feel closer to him, so as he reflected on the day and periodically glanced at the massive aquarium that now dominated the entry-side wall of his room, Jason gave her back and bottom an affectionate caress...
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