After settling in and getting Runa to join his Party, Jason and Lillie, seated atop a comfortable sofa with Audino to his right and Runa atop the latter's lap, inspected the young Ralts' Status.
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[Status]
Name: [Runa]
Title: [None]
Age: 0(8 Days)
Height: 44.6cm Weight: 7.9kg B/W/H: ??/??/??
Rank: 0-Star
[Physique: 18]
Strength: 01[+]
Vitality: 09[+]
Dexterity: 08[+]
[Cognition: 48]
Intelligence: 18[+]
Perception: 24[+]
Guts: 04[+]
[Spirituality: 34]
Spirit: 09[+]
Mind: 14[+]
Faith: 11[+]
[Skills]
[Healthy Body(F)], [Synchronize(F)], [Telepathy(F)], [Mental Resistance(F)]
[Special Abilities]
[Disarming Voice(F)], [Growl(F)], [Disable(E)], [Misty Terrain(E)]
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"Hmmn...her stats aren't particularly high, but that should be normal for a three-stage Pokémon..." Jason surmised faintly, wiggling his right index finger in front of Runa as he noted, "She definitely has amazing potential, though. Telepathy should be the Ralts-line's Hidden Ability. The fact that she possesses it alongside Synchronize shouldn't be typical..."
"You hear that, Runa? Jason says that you're amazing~" Lillie hummed, beaming from ear to ear.
"You're both amazing," Jason supplanted, causing Lillie's brows to perk as he smiled at her and noted, "Even if it's just with Runa right now, it's great to see that you're able to touch and interact with her."
"Ah...to be perfectly honest with you, I was a bit nervous when she began exhibiting signs of hatching..." Lillie confessed, prompting Runa to look up at her as she beamed lovingly and recounted, "But when our eyes met for the first time, it was like my world had expanded. I was no longer just me, but someone responsible for another's life and well-being. And as strange as it might sound, that realization made me feel complete..."
"It doesn't sound strange at all..." Jason countered, gently pulling Lillie's head toward him so he could kiss her crown. For the rest of the afternoon, he had her catch him up on what she had been up to since their parting in Alola. There wasn't much he hadn't already been made aware of through their nightly correspondence, but Jason had always been the type who preferred hearing things in person—it felt more personal. So, while he let Lillie lead the conversation, he mostly observed her with a faint, attentive smile...
...
..
.
As light rain cast the city of Wyndon in a misty yet warm haze, Jason found himself standing alone in a spacious, dimly lit room, thoughtfully gazing out at the city through a floor-to-ceiling window. The sun had set long ago, but as most buildings were fitted with specialized exterior lights to keep Ghost-type Pokémon at bay, it was quite the view.
"What are you thinking about with such a serious expression...?" asked a faint, husky voice, followed by a pair of slender arms with long, sharpened nails wrapping around Jason's naked torso from behind.
"Absolutely nothing..." Jason responded, his voice similarly lowered as he continued, "I was just...taking everything in..."
"Mmn...I see..." the voice hummed, followed by a pair of lips depressing against Jason's left shoulder. Then, modeling nothing but an ivory-white silk nightgown, Lusamine appeared at Jason's side, joining him in staring out the window with crossed arms, narrowed eyes, and a relaxed smile as she asked, "It all looks so small, doesn't it...?"
Shaking his head, Jason surprised Lusamine by softly contending, "It's the opposite. While certain things might appear small, viewing the world from afar has always reinforced for me how overwhelmingly massive it is when you look past humanity. Even if I spent every day of these next fifty years exploring it, I doubt I could experience more than one percent of its surface wonders alone..."
"That's an interesting way of looking at things..." Lusamine acknowledged, followed by a reflective silence. Jason was much younger than her, but as she turned her head and glanced up at his face from the side, gazing out over the overcast city, he seemed mature, deep, and appreciative—like he was fully immersed and captivated by every moment.
ba-dump
Feeling as though her heart had skipped a beat, Lusamine looked down at herself and pressed her right hand to her chest. It wasn't racing, but she could feel that her heart was thumping faster than usual. And despite how cold the room was, she felt hot and was beginning to sweat.
"Are you okay...?" Jason asked, his voice low, tinged with a hint of concern as he noticed Lusamine's actions out of the corner of his eye.
"Perhaps not..." Lusamine responded, turning her head and raising her face to meet Jason's gaze with an expression that caused his next words to get caught in his throat. She generally stared at him like a cat that had found itself a fat mouse to play with, but in that moment, she was looking straight at him. There was no playfulness at all. Just intense, deliberative observation...
Catching Jason completely off guard, Lusamine returned her gaze to the city below, the tension in her crossed arms increasing as she expressed, "It may be for the best that we...discontinue our relationship. I didn't think it was possible, but as we stand here, I find myself feeling more and more like a woman falling in love..."
Returning her hand to her chest, Lusamine sighed, "And as much as that prospect exhilarates me, I don't wish to become a burden weighing down your or my daughter's wings. Not when there are countless worlds for you to see and explore together..."
"You're a good mother..." Jason affirmed faintly, raising his left hand to caress the back of Lusamine's velvety and warm head. He had also been thinking he needed to address their relationship, particularly given his and Lillie's engagement. But since they played off and proactively encouraged one another in the bedroom, it was surprisingly difficult to come up with a justification for why they couldn't simply continue as they had been...
"I haven't been..." Lusamine countered, closing her eyes and leaning into Jason as she muttered, "But, regardless of what my children think, I try to be. I'm grateful that you've given me the opportunity to demonstrate that. At least to my daughter..."
"..."
As he knew very little about Lusamine's relationship with her son, Jason allowed the former's words to hang in the air. He didn't like giving advice unless he was reasonably certain it would be helpful. But in this particular instance, he felt compelled to say something.
"I don't know Gladion..." Jason began, cupping his hand around the side of Lusamine's head and resting his cheek atop his fingers as he asserted, "But I have my fair share of mommy issues. From that, I can say at least this with confidence...no matter how much we behave as if their affection torments us, there is nothing dearer to a boy's heart than his mother. We push people away because we convince ourselves it's for their own good, often because we feel guilty about actions we've convinced ourselves are necessary..."
Feeling a wave of guilt wash over him, Jason's words trailed off before he could finish them. Lusamine noticed this almost immediately, her usually sharp, narrowed green eyes softening as she stepped around to his front and guided his face to her bosom.
"There, there...you're a good boy, Jason..." Lusamine whispered, her voice warm and motherly as she cradled the back of Jason's head and gave his shoulders a few affirming pats. She didn't know the reason for his sudden inundation, but it wasn't difficult to infer that it was related to his previous world and those he had been separated from. Nothing could replace what he had lost, but if he permitted it, she was happy to provide him at least a semblance of comfort with her presence and warmth...
...
..
.
With Lillie being whisked away by her mother first thing in the morning, Jason completed his usual morning routine with Wicke. She was another woman he needed to reestablish boundaries with, but since she wasn't a relative of someone he planned to marry, their relationship was markedly less contentious than what his and Lusamine's had been.
"So, what are your plans for today? Meeting up with Korrina, I presume?" asked Wicke, wearing a pale pink, hot-pink-trimmed tank top and simple panties as she used a blow-dryer and an extensive kit of brushes, combs, and holding sprays to achieve her characteristically voluminous hairstyle.
"That's the plan," Jason confirmed, checking the very expensive-looking watch that Lusamine had gifted him while revealing, "We're supposed to meet up at an exclusive Battle Cafe. I'm going to be meeting some of her fellow celebrities and rivals..."
"Oh? Then I'll be sure to thank the President for taking Lillie away with her. If she hadn't, who knows when I'll never have you to myself?" Wicke hummed, setting aside the blow-dryer before wedging herself in between Jason and the sink. Then, sitting on its edge, she narrowed her eyes and spread her legs provocatively, appending, "I should take advantage while I can..." in a playful, deep, sing-song tone.
Feeling himself swallow involuntarily, Jason regained his briefly muddled senses, stepped forward, and began making out with Wicke on the edge of the sink. In the process, she hooked her legs around him, keeping him as close to her body as possible and eventually clinging to his body as he shifted from her lips to kissing her neck and shoulder.
"Did something happen between you and the President...?" Wicke asked, her voice a panting sigh as she began rhythmically tensing the muscles in her calves and thighs.
"She's discontinuing our relationship for mine and Lillie's sakes..." Jason answered, resisting the urge to slide Wicke's thin tank top up her body to reveal her large and very pillowy breasts.
"Mmn...I see..." Wicke sighed hotly, followed by a lengthy silence as she clung to Jason's body with her eyes closed and her cheek resting against his shoulder. The latter was reasonably certain she was reflecting on their prospective future together, so instead of interrupting her, he suckled her neck and gave her a small hickey.
"Have you and Lillie decided when you'll marry...?" asked Wicke, breaking nearly a three-minute silence.
"Around ten years from now by your world's standard..." Jason responded obediently.
"Alright...that gives me four to six years to enjoy our time together before I begin searching for someone else..." Wicke contended, leaving Jason at a slight loss. He was tempted to argue she should start her search sooner, rather than later. But since she had been assisting with his training, battle practice, and much more, he felt beholden and more than a little attached to her. Thus, after a moment of deliberation, he straightened his back and met the purple-haired woman's upturned gaze with a downward, narrow-eyed smolder...
...
..
.
"I'm so sorry...!" Lillie exclaimed, catching Jason completely off guard, as, after returning from wherever her mother had taken her, the first thing she did was take him someplace private to apologize.
"I feel as though I'm missing some important context..." Jason expressed, stepping forward to stop Lillie from bowing to him.
Raising her face to meet Jason's gaze, Lillie, sporting creased brows, a crinkled chin, and watery eyes, revealed, "I spoke with mother, and she explained how my reaching out to Iris and others to integrate them into our plan was rushed, causing you undue pressure and anxiety. That was never my intention."
Shaking his head, Jason smiled, drew Lillie into a hug, and firmly asserted, "Then you've done nothing to apologize for. You're doing your best to take charge and keep things organized, and I would never fault you for that. If anything, I should thank you for continuously thinking ahead and pressing forward..."
"Then, what about what you and Mother discussed...?" Lillie questioned, raising her head from Jason's chest to ask, "Are you absolutely certain my actions aren't causing you to feel burdened?"
"Some burdens are like a blanket, bringing comfort and warmth..." Jason hummed, grabbing the sides of Lillie's face, running the tips of his fingers through her hair, and giving her a chaste, lingering kiss. Then, meeting her watery-eyed gaze with a hint of wryness in his smile, he teased, "We just need to be careful not to smother one another..."
...
..
.