Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Urusei Yatsura Fan Fiction ❯ Poke Walk ❯ Sadie Poken's Day ( Chapter 9 )

Poke Walk: Chapter 9 - Sadie Poken's Day

Disclaimer:

Pokemon is a copyright of Nintendo. The characters of "Magical Twilight" are the property of Pink Pineapple {Japan} and SoftCel Pictures {USA} from the ideas of Akane Shinshakan and Kinya Watanabe. The characters of Tenchi Muyo are the property of AIC, Hiroki Hayashi, and Yousuke Kuroda. The characters of Urusei Yatsura are the property of Kitty Films - Fuji TV, AnimEigo, and Rumiko Takahashi. The characters of Bubblegum Crisis are the property of Studio AIC (Anime International Company), JVC and AnimEigo.

Some other characters and situations used with permission.

Special Disclaimer:

Pokègirls and Pokèwomen come from the Pokewomon Forum at http://disc.server.com/Indices/169881.html.

"Wild Horses and Pokègirls" is the creation of Metroanime.

C&C, MSTs are welcome E-mail: <kelvins.choice@att.net> or <kelvins.choice@comcast.net>

I have my books and my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock, I am an island.
And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.

"I Am A Rock" - Simon and Garfunkel

Report #4 - Student 'K'

     The process of integrating a Seraph and a Storm Demon into a Harem, and more importantly into a community, proceeds. The most important discovery, which may be applied to any Harem, is the application of an old Proverb 'All Frenchman wish all Frenchmen to be equal, yet each Frenchman wants special privileges.' The idea of special privileges to each Pokègirl seems counterintuitive to Harem harmony, yet it is the basis of the control I have successfully used. The privileges are small, and inconsequential, but skillfully chosen.

     The Storm Demon is always sarcastic, and challenging me as her chief, so she is the only one permitted to call me 'Master' without rebuke.

     The Seraph is desirous of physical contact and intimacy, yet uncomfortable with Taming, so I let her clean my ears with my head in her lap. Also, she is the finest swords wielder I have ever seen, and considering my own high level of expertise with a sword, that's saying something. So I will only practice with her, not the Sword Demon.

     Likewise, the Matron has the position as Alpha, for her administrative and political skills. She is also fascinated by bathing, drawing a sensual pleasure running a cloth over another, so I bathe with her and her alone.

     The Witch, who lusts after the position of Alpha is my magical student. Which none of the others have any talent in. And so on.

     Each will be allowed to do something that none of the others can, or has any great interest in. If I must explain it, I will have a logical and reasonable reason for my actions, yet each will know there is something only one of them is allowed, and this will focus any resentments on the privileges, not the person. Taking the Storm Demon as an example, the others take the `privilege` of showing this subserviency as a right denied them, while the Storm Demon sees it as nothing more than defiance, and thus not a privilege. Except they all know that the Storm Demon truly values her advantage.

     That is the key, the rights must be something so obvious that it is just the Tamer being reasonable, or so backward that it makes no sense to argue about it. Like giving the only fire-type in the Harem the job of starting the quiet evening's camp fire. Is the ice-type going to do it, or a Nymph? No, it is logical and minor, yet being specifically assigned the job makes the fire-type feel special, and it's a piece of her Tamer she doesn't have to share with the others.

     It requires a bit more work, remembering to keep certain chores exclusive to one girl or another, but it is a subtle and powerful level of control, requiring not force of personality on the Tamer's part, only requiring a good memory. Additionally, this has the effect of reinforcing the girl's certainty of her place in the scheme of things, something most Pokègirls cannot find within themselves. It also gives a level of authority and responsibility that all likewise crave. Her Tamer trust her and only her, with some responsibility.

     Jeff walked the street, alone. For the first time, since he'd arrived on this world, he felt really alone. The others wouldn't understand, he thought sadly, I'm a weapon, killing is what I'm for. They may be for fighting, but they're also social animals. I'm not, all I was supposed to be was a weapon, not fire and forget, but fire and pray the target's death also destroys your munition. Now I've got a target, all I have to do is eliminate it, and I'm free. I know that maybe their prayers, and mine, will be answered. He sighed, glanced around, knowing he was being followed by Gem, and that Mara could also find him any time she wanted. That bothers me most of all. Why would they want to be anywhere near me? With what's going on in my head? Sure, they taught me how to Tame properly, and I learned. An assassin has to blend in and learn all the best tricks. Good manners and deference to `betters` was just the best way to bypass their defenses, so I [mastered] all those tricks too. It was supposed to make me invisible, here it attracts every Pokègirl who isn't nailed down. Maybe if I started acting like the typical bastards, they'd treat me as the others do. I'd finally disappear below the radar and I could do the job as I was created to do it. As a lone weapon, not as a platoon leader. Maybe this is the first step.

     He glanced around again, reveling in his aloneness. Being alone feels . . . right, feels free, he thought, I hope the others enjoy their freedom. None of them appreciated getting 'dumped in the middle of nowhere', placed randomly around the city. They all hated it when I told them the locators in their collars had been deactivated, they couldn't find me or each other. They shouldn't have practiced the lines and the expressions. It tipped me off that it was a put up. The money, food, water and supplies seemed to offend each one of them. Too bad, I've got more money than I could ever spend coming in soon, it's only right I give them an decent `severance`. "Well, just for once, I'm not responsible for anyone," he muttered, "Besides, I left enough clues they should be able to figure out where I'm going, once the festival is over. I numbered the Pokècenters on the map for a reason. Worst comes to worst, they can stake out every ship headed to the Orange Islands."

     "The first thing I have to do is lock up this monster," he said of the case beside him, "No heavy weapons allowed in town during the festival." He headed towards the Police Station nearest his final destination.

     Gem peered over the parapet and frowned. It wasn't right to think of a Master as blood stupid IDIOT!! However, there was all the evidence necessary to draw that conclusion. On a day he should have been indoors getting to know his girls better, or out among the throng with them acting as guards, he scattered them like seeds across the city. She had considered simply landing next to them, pointing out the place on the map, and continuing after her teleporting Master. She shook her head at that thought, she had to stay close to her Master today. Some premonition of doom hung over the entire city. She didn't know how she knew, but she was certain that dark dealing were going on, using the festival as a cloak.

     Gem leapt from building top to building top, scanning the area surrounding her Master for threats and dangers. She also wanted to scare off any Pokègirls who had in mind to take her Harem-sisters' places. She didn't understand all the girls and how they interacted, she knew she didn't need to. She obeyed her Master and his Alpha, and she was rewarded, with company, food, clothes and love. It was all she needed to understand, all she needed period.

     Gem landed and glanced behind her. A trio of Pia and a single Vulvixx stood behind her, staring at her. She knew they posed no threat, but they kept staring. She knew that by now, any of the others would start making their strange noises, trying to communicate. These stood silent, staring. They seemed to expect nothing, and care about nothing. Gem shrugged and jumped to the next roof, knowing they could never keep up with her on the path across the city's roof tops.

     The police station was open early. The OfficerJenny at the desk wore a hat exactly like his own. Someday I'm going to find out what's so special about that damned hat! Jeff cursed silently. The weird look he got from her and several of the other police Pokègirls, all wearing similar hats, surprised him.

     "I'd like the check this in for the festival," he said as he set the case on the desk.

     "A great big rifle," the OfficerJenny said in bored tones, "Nonfunctioning weapons don't have to be checked."

     "That's good to know. This one - works," he replied. He caught the look of surprise on the OfficerJennies' faces.

     "Sub-caliber, right?" the desk 'Jenny asked. A human sergeant approached. Many of the Pokègirls did something to look busy. All of them looked unhappy.

     "Nope. If I may?" Jeff asked as he gestured to the case.

     The 'Jenny glanced at the sergeant, who just looked bored. "Sure," the 'Jenny said. Several of the others drifted over, trying to look as if they just `happened` to be headed that way. Two pairs, one of Growlies, the other of Warcats, positioned themselves to put him and the front door in a crossfire.

     My judgement of the local constabulary just went up a couple of points, he thought as he unlocked the case and opened it, careful not to point it at anyone. Inside, was The Gun.

     "I had heard they were actually making them," the 'Jenny said as she picked up the breechblock, "But I thought they were just rumors."

     "There's a Growlie on St. Helen's who is turning out a few for the police and military. I have her card," Jeff said as he set the card on the desk. It practically vanished. "If you like, I can set up a demonstration after the festival. I'll be in town for a few days afterward, " he said.

     "That would be swell," another 'Jenny said, "So you're here to call The Fancy?"

     "Not sure what that means, but if you mean collect Pokègirls - no. I was getting some obvious hints that mine thought they might do better with another Tamer. This seemed the place to let them find 'Mr. Right.'"

     The 'Jennies nodded.

     "Here's your receipt," the desk 'Jenny told him and he relocked the box.

     "The hat," the desk 'Jenny said, "There was a Tamer who blazed in here, after taking down a Team HyperRocket base, and a Neo-Legendary. Then he challenges Askelon to a duel, beats Cutey Honey in a fair fight, then takes her from Askelon. The rest of us have been wearing these hats as . . . well as a kind of show of support for Honey, we fancy her, so 'call The Fancy'."

     "I lost my hat, and there was a guy selling them," Jeff said, "I did wonder why this particular type. It's kind of old-style isn't it."

     "Not anymore," another 'Jenny practically squealed as she hugged her hat to her ample chest.

     "Thank you for explaining it," Jeff said nervously as he began backing away.

     "So you don't want any more Pokègirls?" the human sergeant asked with a knowing smirk.

     "Not really, not until I figure out what I'm doing wrong. I figure the Orange Islands will give me my best start on that journey."

     "Yeah, tough training."

     "You want to be good, you train hard," Jeff replied.

     "You might want to pick up a collar at the Pokècenter, like a girl's collar, it tells the Pokègirls that you aren't in the market," the Sergeant reminded him.

     "Thanks, I'll check it out," Jeff said and left. The last thing I need is to check in at the Pokècenter, any of them, he thought as he remembered the rules. Similar to the Crimson League's celebration, there were contests. There are a few of those I intend to enter, he thought with a smirk, The almost impossible ones. I want to fail at something I expect to fail at, rather than something I desperately need to succeed at. I also want to check out the new equipment, see what the tech level of this place is and see how Pokègirls celebrate, when they have no Master to answer to, when the tables are turned. There's also the idiots who have been following me. It's time I did something about that as well. Better none of the others are around to `help`, or to see what I can really do to normal people. He remembered the other important part, Anyone wanted to be `capturable`, instead of wearing the black collar, wears a brightly colored wristband, scarf or both. Although it isn't strictly necessary. Any un-collared human can be claimed, if a judge could be summoned. Although the `captured` human, marked or not, could protest the capture and challenge the capturing Pokègirl to a contest, adjudicated by the judge. At sundown, anyone with multiple captures would have the capturing Pokègirls challenge each other , the winner becoming the Tamer's Pokègirl. I suspect the collars are primarily for people here to sell products, or really weren't interested in more Pokègirls. Jeff briefly considered getting one, but then he realized, There might be a list of such people, a list that could be accessed and traced. Jeff considered his stock challenges, and suspected they would be enough. 'I'm going to the Orange Islands to study the Evangelion, after going through Tamer Bootcamp.' He'd seen even expert Tamers blanch at some part of that. It should be enough, I'll get that far and let the poor girl run away. Hunting Widows with a slingshot would be safer than what I have planned. I've got a theory about what actually happened in Australia, if it happened atop Pnakotica, but I'll need to check it out. If that doesn't scare off any potential candidate, I've got a few questions about EVAs that will prove in decipherable, although I'll have to let the judge know the correct answer before hand. He sighed and looked around, catching a glimpse of Gem before the girl could hide herself. I just hope the girls will just relax and enjoy themselves. I did ask them too, I doubt they'll obey. It's not as though anything they do will let them find me today.

     Misato had overflown half the city, before the sun had risen, and hadn't spotted Jeff or any of her Harem-sisters. At sunrise, she thought as she flew, The place will be swarming with Pokègirls and humans. But I know my Master. This early, he'll be out walking. That should narrow the field, she thought as she flew over a man walking near a police station, all alone. A more careful glance and she dismissed him, despite the hat, he was stoop-shouldered and shuffling. Not him. Damn you! What made you think - what gave you an inkling that we - I - didn't want you as our - my - Tamer? Ritsuko, why did you agree to this?

     Gem watched in stunned silence as Misato flew off. She couldn't believe that Misato had looked right at their Master . . . and didn't see him. Gem looked from her Master to the departing Misato, weighing the advantages of calling out to her, or even shooting at her. She shook her head and continued shadowing her Master, deciding to leave the others to their fates, while she continued on her mission.

     Jeff watched Misato fly off. I can almost feel poor Gem's frustration, he thought, Unlike the others, she isn't fooled by what she thinks she knows. She sees what is.

     He shrugged. It was always easy to appear to be someone else, he thought, If you clearly aren't who they thought you should be. He glanced around, carefully `not seeing` Gem. He smirked and continued on his way. She's well enough hidden, if I hadn't known she was there, I might have missed her. She'll do her job, despite what I want. He sighed again and kept walking.

     Ritsuko wasn't concerned, as she stepped out into the early morning. All I need to do is locate that hat of his, she thought, That should be - Her mind stopped as she saw literally dozens of people of various ages, body types and both genders wearing hats, tweed-looking jackets and some even carrying versions of 'The Gun'.

     Ritsuko suddenly felt her stomach drop and she scanned the people arriving in town. There is absolutely no way we'll pick him out of all this mess on sight! she realized, What did he do? Sell copies of his hat at the gate?!

     She suddenly thought, There are things worse that searching for a needle in a haystack, finding a particular needle in a pile of dissimilar needles. She headed out.

     I could follow his suggestion, and go have fun, she wondered if that might be a wiser course of action, He set this up. I could always treat his `suggestion` as an order. He might even be watching us, and he'll only collect those who followed his `order`, that would be a real kick in the head, and typical of him. He didn't want to be `guarded` and so he proves he doesn't need it, or he doesn't want us touched by whatever he is doing. She sighed, looked around while she thought, Maybe I should look for my `sisters`, I can always say I wanted to be with them having `fun`, and as long as I don't get too serious about the search, I will still be following his orders. Now, how do I think to figure out where they'll be? Of course, Kiyone! She'll go straight to every police station! All I have to do, is find the largest police station, and there she'll be! Ritsuko checked the map and strode off into the morning.

     "KIYONE!" came the voice of doom.

     Kiyone drew back into the darkness, eyes darting left and right.

     "Mihoshi! You're just imagining things."

     Yes, listen to Ryoko, Kiyone thought desperately, You didn't see anything.

     "Maybe she's been kidnaped!" Mihoshi whined at the top of her lungs.

     "Kiyone," Ryoko said, "Here? When she and the others have that Tamer?"

     "I was so sure," Mihoshi said hopelessly. "I just had to free her and bring her back to us!"

     "Come on, we have to find Tenchi, before Ayeka does. 'First to find me is my Alpha'. I'll kill him," Ryoko said as she strode off.

     Kiyone didn't climb out of the dark crevice she'd wedged herself into, for at least 10 minutes. Great, I have to dodge them, while searching for Jeff. "WHAT GODS DID I OFFEND?"

     "Kiyone! I'll save you!"

     Run away! Run away! Kiyone thought, desperately trying to escape a fate worse than death.

     "Please Mister," the little girl with the tear-filled eyes and the clasped hands called to him, "I've lost my Master."

     Jeff noted the odd facial markings, usually indicating a Megami. She looks almost exactly like Sasami. "Aren't you a little bit young? He's not really your Tamer or Master. I can't help you if you don't tell the truth."

     "I'll be his Alpha, when I'm old enough," she told him firmly, still looking miserable, "You'll help me . . . please?"

     "You're from the Masaki ranch, you're looking for Tenchi, right?"

     "Uh-huh." She nodded.

     "What are you called?" he asked. Ten bucks says 'Sasami', he thought.

     "Sasami," she said, and smiled exactly as the other one had.

     Of course it is, he thought, Wonder if she's anything like the one I met before? I should be able to find him easily enough with a spell. "Yes, I can help," he told her, "How'd you lose him?"

     "I saw something pretty and looked back . . . " She stood there, drywashing her hands and on the verge of tears.

     "Okay. He's in this direction, about 700 meters," he told her as he daubed her eyes with his handkerchief, "If we hurry, we can intercept him." He glanced to where Gem waited, and again `didn't` see her.

     They stepped into the crowd after their quarry. Jeff failed to note the slight change to his aura, which made him nearly unrecognizable by those who knew him. He seemed to miss Liv passing within 10 meters of them.

     Sasami smiled. I'm saving my sisters, but he has to have a chance to see what he's missing, and come back to it himself. Be and be loved as who he truly is, rather than either who he thinks he is, or who he thinks he wants to be, she thought as they pursued Tenchi, I promised not to use my powers. I never promised I wouldn't ask for help. Knowing when to depend on your own strengths, and when to delegate or ask for help is what designates a good Alpha. She smiled again at her ally, and giggled. Big brother Tenchi will be so happy, she thought.

     Mara spotted Oyuki coming out of a Pokècenter. "Hey, Oyuki!" Mara hailed her, "Which centers have you checked out?" Not that I'd have to depend on anything except my link to find him, she thought, As long as he's healthy and happy, I'm not going to lead them back to him. I'm just going to enjoy watching them flap around in a panic. She hid her smile at that thought.

     "1, 3, and 5 on his list, you?" the Megami of ice answered, giving away few signs of her frustration and anger. Only the chilling of the surrounding air confirmed it.

     "2, 4, and 6, no one there matches his description, and no one with his name checked out a collar."

     "So how do we proceed?" Oyuki asked, folding her arms inside her kimono, hiding her disquiet at the same time, "I cannot locate him within the city."

     "So somebody, probably him, is shielding him from us," Mara shrugged and answered. How about we follow his orders and have some fun? she wanted to ask, But oh no, you want only some control over your life. Not full control, not having all the rights and responsibilities of your own up keep. Having it all was the last thing you wanted. "Great, can't you figure out a way around it?" Mara asked, rustling her wings nervously. Please say 'no', please say 'no', Mara thought, adding real anxiety to her feigned jumpiness.

     "Yes, I should, something blocks me at every turn, and it's a different something."

     "OH! You can act like you're worried!" Mara ignored Oyuki's scowl. "You're thinking something dire and deadly is after him! Oh woes is us!" She put her hands on her cheeks in mock terror, then she relaxed. "Could it be he erected a multi-part defense, with different elements to stop all of our abilities?" Mara began walking away from the fuming Megami.

     "I was concentrating my mental energies on how to locate him," Oyuki replied with cold anger.

     "Oh, how clever and how typical," Mara said over her shoulder, "You still haven't admitted that part of his respecting us is, that if he moves against us, he'll take us just as seriously. His spell power makes him a threat to the Spinnenangsts, do you really think one little Megami can overwhelm his defenses. Especially since he's been planning this for weeks?"

     "Then what do you suggest?" Oyuki was marching after Mara. Her arms free and swinging with her rapid stride, her fists clenching and unclenching.

     About time, Mara thought, Under that cold and logical exterior does beat a heart. And anger I can use. "We go where he is likely to be," Mara replied, "That way, we'll also be acting as if we're out enjoying ourselves, which is what he intended."

     "So, you would deceive him?" Oyuki asked as she stopped, automatically folding her arms into her kimono's sleeves.

     "We may actually enjoy ourselves," Mara said as the looked around, pointing at the crowd around them, "On another note, what is with all the hats?"

     "They are called 'The Fancy'. They are Cutey's fans and supporters, they pay him tribute for his salvation of her," Oyuki said, "So they wear copies of the hat we see every day. I have not had time to thoroughly investigate all of the facts."

     "You spit out the correct answer, and call it an incomplete explanation," Mara told the Megami while she shook her head sadly, "He's right. You really do need to loosen up. Isn't our Master clever to arrange for you to do exactly that, on the day most suited for it?"

     "We must locate him," the Megami cooly protested.

     "You can't do both at once? I'm shocked, I thought Megami were talented," Mara teased, smirking at Oyuki's quirked eyebrow, "Besides, we can find him easily. Just follow the worst trouble, either he caused it, or he'll be solving it."

     "Or both," Oyuki replied, outwardly calm and unaffected, but a dusting of hoarfrost dusted her kimono.

     "Too bad the Langoud sank, no ship in the world is a match for her in speed or comfort," the ticket seller told Jeff from behind his desk.

     "Gives me more time to study," Jeff replied as he stood, "I can upgrade this, correct?"

     "Expecting to catch a lot of Pokègirls at the festival?" the agent leered, "Too bad my catchin' days are over. Looks like a bumper crop of cuties this year."

     "No, just expecting to meet up with a couple of friends."

     "Well mate, going to the Orange Islands, you'll learn Tamer's trade proper."

     "That's why I'm going," Jeff replied as he collected the tickets and headed out. Two third-class double occupancy rooms. With the option to trade up to a single occupancy 2d class, or 4 3d class doubles with a working passage, he thought of the options covered, No matter what happens, I'll be ready. It was well past breakfast, but not yet lunch. Still, I should get something to eat, he thought, and then -

     "Kiyone!!"

     - hide. Jeff stepped into an alley while the hunted slipped into an alley across the way, desperately trying to conceal herself. Interesting, he thought, then the hunters appeared, Mihoshi dragging a furious Ayeka.

     "Kiyone!" the Bunny Girl wailed at the top of her lungs, causing Kiyone to withdraw even deeper into the alley's debris.

     "Hello," he hailed the pair as he stepped out of the alley, "I thought all of you were looking for Tenchi. That's what Sasami said when she met up with him."

     "WHAT!" Ayeka screamed.

     "Ouchie, my ears," the Bunny Girl whined, as she covered them, "OWWW! OWWW! OWWW! Ayeka my ears!" Mihoshi complained as Ayeka grabbed them and dragged Mihoshi after her as she raced away. Jeff smiled at Kiyone, then obscured himself in the resulting dust cloud, to leave the area quickly. At some distance, he heard the sounds of a dumpster being reduced to a two dimensional object.

     "It's a simple heat transfer equation," the busty Alaka-Wham taunted the defeated university student who'd failed the Pokègirl's challenge.

     "Yes," Jeff said dryly, "The answer's easy, it's an ill-posed problem and cannot be solved." He shook his head. "And you haven't taken into account the carbon building up on the walls of the chamber. You'll go from perfect reflectivity to a black box within a period of time," he added to be nasty. A candle heating a room seems easy, Jeff thought, But with convection and radiation of the walls themselves, it isn't as easy as this Alaka-Wham was taunting her challengers with.

     "Uh, are you making a formal challenge?" the judge asked warily.

     "No, if she'd cheat on something so simple, I'd never be able to trust her work. I despise cheaters," he added as he walked away from the sputtering Pokègirl.

     Challenging a few of the Pokègirls on history was . . . interesting. The history of this place is so different from what I learned. At least I've got a list of books to set me on the right path, he thought as he headed for the more physical challenges.

     Find someone high enough above me that I might actually learn something, he considered, Good grief, Saotome would eat this bunch alive with sauce. And he'd have time to cook it himself. He saw one Amazon-chan who looked like she knew what she was doing, and headed in that direction to offer his test.

     "You will challenge . . . me?" she tried to hide her laughter. The others in her group were not so tactful.

     "I don't know how much of a challenge I'll be," Jeff admitted, "I'll probably have my head handed to me, but I should learn something."

     The Amazon-chan laughed delightedly. "What art do you practice?"

     "Pankration and Savate," Jeff said.

     "Begin."

     Jeff came in, he'd already analyzed her skills as she'd defeated several other opponents. A crochet kick followed up by a series of fast punches. She blocked the kick with her arm and dodged the punches. "The art also includes the use of a cane or sword," Jeff explained as he delivered a series of combinations, punches and kicks. In a fight for more than bragging rights, he thought, I'd use a lot more tricks, but I'm trying to learn some new tricks now.

     "Bo staff!" the Amazon-chan commanded. A Tyamazon tossed him a short staff, the shoulder height for the much shorter Tyamazon, and about war-sword length for his use. He saluted and attacked. The Amazon-chan was grinning. He hadn't landed a single effective strike, but she was learning an art she'd never seen before. She began hitting back, using his techniques, studying his blocks.

     He was soon on the defensive, but the Amazon-chan was testing him, probing his art, not trying to defeat or injure him, and enjoying herself tremendously. Her combinations came quickly, then she backed off as she sensed he was tiring, allowing him to catch his breath. Then he launched into another series of different attacks. Again the Amazon-chan picked them up, and forced Jeff back onto the defensive with his own techniques and her refinements. Ah, now that's what I came here for. Ouch! She certainly can hit!

     Gem sat on the roof overlooking the challenge area, and waited. She understood better than the others, understood her Master better. While she and the other Pokègirls felt a need to be with others, a need to be owned and dominated. Her Master needed to feel alone, no one depending on him, no one he could depend on. She glanced at the collection of Vulvixx, Pia, a trio of Ninjettes, a Kitten, a Pidgy and a immature Pinielf, all of whom stared at her Master with the same, strangely empty look. Not really hunger or desire, just interest. Gem had personally stuffed the BunnyGirl who tried to join, head-first into a trashcan. She was confident the BunnyGirl would take hours to figure out how to get loose of the open-topped can.

     She was very nervous about the almost-starving looks on some of the Pokègirls. That everyone of them was underage was of less concern. Gem knew her Master would take them in or at least heal them of part of their Ferality, as he had her. She also wondered why they had started assembling since she'd found her Master soon after he'd set out, and they'd been growing in number ever since. She knew they hid when her Master and Gem hid, and they all watched him as Gem watched him. It made her nervous.

     It also made her nervous that her Master seemed to want to cut all ties, she couldn't understand how someone would desire to cut all ties, even if only for a day. She knew that's what he wanted, but had absolutely no idea why he wanted it. It all made no sense.

     She sighed and reminded herself, she didn't need to understand. She watched as her Master bowed to the Amazon-chan he'd been playing with. The derisive hooting of the crowd at his `loss` was in stark contrast to the Amazon-chan's expression. Gem could understand the poor girl had desperately wanted to lose to her Master, and be `forced` to submit to him, but she'd not discovered how or how to swallow her pride to accomplish it. Gem shook her head. When he first got the sticks, she thought it would have been the perfect time for the Amazon-chan to make her mistake and `lose`. Gem had already learned how simple the procedure was, if that's what you wanted to do. Gem had seen how to register a claim, and had managed to get the help of a sympathetic Officer Jenny to register her claim on her Master the moment she could. Gem smiled at the police Pokègirl's reaction to the near-Feral presenting a photo, written description, and a set of fingerprints, a set she'd stolen from the ones the others had prepared for their plan. That she'd been in the picture, and thus `ruined` it was the clincher. She had watched the officer smile and pat her head, thinking it was just a little girl wanting to play at the big girls' game. Gem knew it was still legal, even for a semi-Feral Pokèkit like her.

     She jumped to the next building, tracking her Master. Her `army` followed as best they could. She looked at the collection of small, bright cloth buildings, one in particular made a noise she recognized. Her Master took the stance he did with the weapons he used, and the sound came again. Gem smiled as her Master fired, and the man inside the odd building began looking more and more nervous. Her Master set the gun aside and smiled at the man. He pointed at something Gem couldn't see within the building. Then he pointed several more times. The man relaxed and handed over several odd-looking, small, unmoving Pokègirls. Her Master headed towards the building where Gem had concealed herself. He tossed one of the odd, frozen Pokègirls into the air. Gem caught it easily. It was black, eight-legged and two-armed with a comical set of fangs. Gem thought it was a Widow almost as cute as her, she hugged it eagerly, imagining hugging her Master and the other spider-girl. She sighed and noted that several of the other odd, still girls were being hugged by the collection of Pokègirls who had followed Gem on her trek across the rooftops.

     Unseen eyes watched the scrying pool that watched their unwitting spy. "She was supposed to be an adult," the bemused voice buzzed.

     The Megami-Mama shuddered. "I did what was necessary," she whimpered.

     "It will put back our timeline," the voice droned, "But she will have an advantage in staying close to him. You note only the effects of his passage can be viewed? Not the man himself? Very curious," the amused voice buzzed.

     "Or it is necessary to disrupt other plans?" the Megami-Sama offered worriedly, "I do not know."

     "You entered into this agreement with full knowledge of what was going to happen, what would be necessary to direct things. The cost of failure both to yourself and the world, and especially, that your scruples and absolute obedience to this `Will` would have to be suborned."

     "Yes, Mistress," the Megami-Sama said miserably, "All but ignoring the Will have been accomplished, but the Will cannot be ignored. It . . . takes over . . . sometimes."

     "So Megami and Megami-Sama are inherently unreliable?" the voice asked with false civility.

     "I have tried to control everything I can. But not even you can control everything. All that you specified has been accomplished. She is utterly devoted to him, and to the limits, he to her. Perhaps more than if I had . . . been able to . . . exactly follow your instructions."

     "The sexual component," the buzzing voice demanded, all pretense of gentility vanished, "All you do is whine about 'The Mandates of the Will'!"

     The Megami-Sama cringed at the casual dismissal of the Megami's greatest secret, one she'd been tormented into revealing to her Mistress.

     "Honestly," the voice took on a calmer, though no less disgusted tone, "Don't you wish to be free of all such restraints?"

     "No!" the Megami-Sama replied forcefully as she shuddered violently at the mere thought of such a state. "Such emptiness," the Megami whispered.

     "Oh, that's right, someone did manage to free you, before you promised 'ANYTHING!' to be restored. I believe that part of the contract was fulfilled, now you're failing to live up to your end."

     "I . . . I will try harder," the Megami-Sama promised as she bowed her head.

     "She is a lovely little girl?" the voice queried, "Isn't she?"

     "I love her as I would my own daughter," the Megami-Sama admitted, stepping into the light the scrying pool provided, revealing her ravaged appearance. As if she'd been torn to pieces, and then reassembled with great skill but little care. She clasped her misshapen hands in prayer for her creation's continued health and happiness.

     The Amazon-chan whimpered as she plastered herself into a corner, her heels digging into the earth as she tried to crawl away. The wooden wall bowed from her efforts, but denied her release.

     Matrons are weak against fighting types, Ritsuko thought as she advanced in a fury, It was a simple question, you could have answered it. No, you had to make me angry! "The techniques you used," Ritsuko said as she clenched and unclenched her badly bruised fists, "You learned them from a man, a polite man, now, once again, 'Who was he? When did he leave? Which direction did he go?'"

     "Please!" the Amazon-chan whimpered and flinched at Ritsuko's glare, "He was here, but I can't remember any details of it."

     Ritsuko stopped, glanced at the others who were either cowering like their leader, or unconscious. "Perhaps he used a spell. Perhaps I overreacted."

     "No 'perhaps' about it," one of the onlookers shouted at her. The Amazon-chan clearly agreed, but was too terrified to speak the words.

     "I apologize, he is very dear to me and I must find him."

     "I figured that out," the Amazon-chan mumbled. Ritsuko winced at the accusing look.

     "One more thing?"

     "Yes," the Amazon-chan said and flinched as if she expected the beating to continue.

     "He doesn't retract his leg fast enough either." Ritsuko walked towards the exit.

     "Are you planning to join the Fighting Leagues?" some wit asked.

     "No, much too violent," Ritsuko replied breezily.

     "You certainly are," the same wit opined.

     "I heard that!" Ritsuko shouted. She wondered where the crowd had vanished to, before she stepped through the door and out into the main festival grounds. I am going to get to the Pokècenter, before I fall over, Ritsuko thought as she closed the door and staggered away, That Amazon-chan knew her stuff. I hurt all over.

     Liv had given up searching. He said to have fun, maybe until we have fun, we can't find him. That's the kind of thinking he'd use, the rotten, son of a bitch, she thought, Thin rationalization, but . . . possible.

     She looked at the contests and games. The `new` magic-using cards caught her eye and her full contempt. A Duelist leapt in her path. "You disrespected my school of magic," she announced as she flourished her cards, "You must be punished! By my power!"

     Ridiculous, she thought as she used her new gift from her patron, a breath weapon. It wasn't strong, but it bypassed most defenses, One good fire attack and all you are is a target. "Do you want to broil or concede?" she asked the still-smoldering, now-helpless Duelist as she stared at the charred remnants of her cards. Not fair, but eminently satisfying, she thought as the stunned Pokègirl nodded.

     I am not going to suggest they use metal or ceramic - by the Powers . . . I'm starting to think like him! She shook her head, ignoring the offered prize. The look on all those Duelists' faces was prize enough, Liv thought with a cruel smirk, So much for their new invincibility.

     Gem looked left and right, and wondered if she had a tail, how much would it be wagging. Her Master had lead the Amachokes a merry chase after he'd left the place where he'd won all the odd, fake Pokègirls. The two huge Pokègirls looked at the collection of tiny Pokèkits facing them. Their sneers infuriated the smaller, more numerous kits.

     "GEM!" she called, and all the Pia's dropped their tails, the Vulvixxes braced. The two Amachokes lost their smiles.

     "WIDOW!" Gem called along with cries of PIA!, VULVIXX!, and others. Fire and lightning played over the two big Pokègirls. The pair stood there, smoldering, blinking in amazement. Then they started grinning again.

     Gem leapt forward, baring her small fangs and sinking them into one of the bruiser's neck. An instant later, she sprang away, bouncing off the other one's head to make her escape. Her army had scattered, except for one Pia who kept firing jolt after jolt into the pair. The big girl she'd bitten suddenly started to dance uncontrollably, hitting her companion in her wild movements.

     Gem smiled as the Tarantism venom took its toll. The other one tried to restrain her companion, and Gem dropped on her.

     As Gem leapt away, she wished the two frantically-dancing figures would have fun, as much fun as she was having.

     She moved off, watching her `army` slowly reassemble, and keeping a weather-eye on her Master. She'd caught up with him in a few moments. She recognized the Pokècenter she'd thought she would find him at, after the festival. He'd gone in, while she wondered whether to follow or remain, he came out, without the huge bag of the odd, fake Pokègirls he'd taken from the cheater. Gem nodded her understanding, there would be girls without Tamers and if her reaction and her army's were any judge, the false Pokègirls would soothe the lost girls. Gem firmly believed, him taking them as Master, would be better, but she also knew it wouldn't happen.

     Then she saw the grim expression on her Master's face and the aggressive set of his hat, and she looked around to find what was causing it. He walked purposefully through the crowds. Humans and Pokègirls instantly got out of his way. Gem had to scramble across the rooftops to keep up. She glanced back at the others, who were struggling to keep Gem in sight, let alone keep up with her.

     Gem glanced down, and it was all she could do not to scream. She didn't recognize the Pokègirl, but from what she was sensing, it could only have been a Legendary. None of the others seemed to be able to sense it, but both Gem and her Master could. She wanted to retreat, he was advancing steadily.

     She considered leaping on the creature, then realized she'd only get herself and her Master killed. As she stared, trying to really see them, she realized that the two looked sort of alike. The sense of both of them was similar. She shook her head to throw away the thought that this creature and her Master were in any way similar. But the feeling didn't leave her. The similarity was less than Honey's or Mara's to her Master, but more than Oyuki's or Kiyone's. She wiped away the tears that had begun streaming down her face at the thought of losing her Master. She watched in amazement as the two changed completely. A sphere of steel surrounded by a purple glow, sending tendrils out of its mass. Facing, or opposing it was a multicolored sphere that simply began spinning. The shapes of the colors shifting on the two spheres as they both began spinning faster became a mesmerizing blur.

     Gem wanted her Master to fight the Legendary, and win. She clung to the parapet of the building to keep from being swept away by the unseen wind that billowed and now shrieked through the area, unable to do anything except watch. The balls spun faster, changed faster. The purple and steel ball sent out tendrils faster, but it found no grip on the sphere that was her Master. The steel and purple ball slowed first, it ceased sending out tendrils, while the multicolored ball sent clouds of color to orbit it before they returned. As the steel ball ceased to spin and began changing color to mirror the clouds, the multicolored ball approached, then began to penetrate and envelope it.

     With the fragments of steel and purple flashing across the surface of the multicolored ball, it began to slow both its rotation and it's color changing. Then the two spheres faded.

     MASTER! Gem's happiness faded as she spotted the Legendary. She thought her Master had beaten the Legendary, maybe even Tamed her. Gem wasn't happy about the possibility that a Legendary would join the Harem, she preferred to think her Master had killed the monster. Then the Legendary shook her head and glared at Gem's Master the way the other girls sometimes looked at each other. Then her Master made one of the noises that had special meaning. This one Gem understood perfectly.

     Gem wasn't sure who screamed louder, her or Dark Atmuff. She lay on the roof, staring at the sky, holding herself to keep from simply falling to pieces. Things had suddenly become more clear to Gem, but they were not things Gem wanted to know. Gem wanted to curl into a ball and scream so loud that the world could never come near her again, ever. She lay there, shivering at how small she was, how weak and fragile, and how huge and cold the universe was, how it would grind up a little Pokègirl like her without ever noticing, even a Legendary like Typhonia wasn't big enough or powerful enough to matter.

     She knew she had to help her Master, a good Pokègirl didn't abandon her Master. Even if she was small, tiny, unimportant, a good Pokègirl helped her Master. She tried to roll on her side, to shake off the effect of the sudden revelation of her place in the real scheme of things. Not a small part of a great machine, not even a little blob of grease, but nothing of any consequence, without meaning, without purpose, without her life or death meaning anything. She managed to crawl to the parapet, her prodigious strength amounting to nothing in the face of reality and the inertia of her depression. She realized the other Pokègirls hadn't been affected at all. She didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse that they were so ignorant of who and what they were.

     What she saw she couldn't explain. She saw the Legendary sobbing, holding her Master while he Tamed her. Gem suddenly understood, her mind had left, like water on a hot stove, it had boiled away and this wasn't really happening. The other girls watched her Master thrust in and out of the sobbing Legendary. Gem felt a jealousy that she wasn't down there, in her Master's arms, being comforted and reassured that while what she knew of the universe was true, there were people who would help her ignore or deny it. She watched the Legendary wrap her legs around her Master's waist, him running his hand through her hair. Him touching her with his lips and tongue as he had on the others, as the others had taught him to. Exciting her while reassuring her. Gem shook her head, she understood, the most dangerous Legendary after Typhonia herself, held onto her Master as if she might drift off like a balloon. Held on to the one thing in the universe that still understood she existed, that she still mattered, if only for an instant.

     She arched her back and cried out in joy, before relaxing back, her Master just holding the woman. Gem watched as they remained that way, her Master wrapped in her arms and legs, while they made their noises to each other. The Legendary had the tone of pain needing relief, her Master's tone was the one he used when he directed and corrected actions. Gem considered the odd connection as Dark Atmuff pulled her Master to his feet, knelt before him and began to suckle his manhood. Using her tongue to cover it, fondling his balls.

     Gem felt some jealousy that her Master had another lover, the others in her `army` were also looking longingly at the scene, knowing what they wanted, and knowing they couldn't have it, and barely understanding why they wanted and needed it. Gem understood that what they wanted was belonging, a powerful Master and above all sentience. If he could defeat such a monster, he was powerful indeed. She was amazed at the gentleness of the Legendary toward her Master. It made no more sense than the funny noises they made to each other. Then Gem remembered the queasy feeling her Master's sound had given her, and realized the Legendary had been the target, and had probably understood far more than Gem had. Gem smiled at the thought that her Master could beat a Legendary anytime he chose, then she snickered at the thought of an attack that would only work on Legendaries, perhaps only this Legendary, but was otherwise utterly useless, because none of the Pias or Vulvixxes had been affected in the slightest.

     When her Master was near release, the Dark Atmuff pulled back, and massaged her Master until he released in her face. Gem watched the once-monster glory in her submission to her Master, and wished she was permitted the same. While her Master dressed, Dark Atmuff licked herself clean. Then she leaned close, as if to kiss him.

     OUCH! Gem winced as the Legendary's headbutt sent her Master sprawling against a dumpster. The Legendary turned her back on him, stalked out of the dark alley, as soon as the light hit her, she vanished.

     Gem decided she wanted answers more than she wanted anything else. She jumped down and crossed the street, confronting her Master.

     "GEM!" she demanded.

     Her Master's response was her name, some other noises, all in the tone he used to jolly the others. Gem wasn't having any of it, she continued to stare at him, letting him see her anger with the situation.

     Her Master knelt down so they were face to face. He gestured, summoning a picture of a circle with many spines radiating out of it. He circled one spine and an image of Dark Atmuff appeared. He pointed to one, then two others, drawing squares around them, making creatures similar to Dark Atmuff appear on each spine. Then he drew another wheel with spines pointing inward. He said her name and pointed to several spines on this new wheel. Gem realized the spines represented Pokègirl elements, with the colors and pictures she'd seen in his Pokèdex, and that the Atmuff circle had all the same spines, except the one both winged girls and the spider girl all shared. She nodded. All the pictures that represented a Pokègirl's powers, there was an Atmuff for each. Gem stared in horror at her Master, who nodded. Gem gulped in fear.

     Then he made another design appear, it seemed to cover both wheels. Her Master's face grew furious, enough that Gem drew back as he waved his fist at it. His fury dwarfed her. She understood that this new image was her Master's blood enemy. It and all who worked for it and it's ends. Gem nodded, and to her relief, her Master smiled.

     He made a rod with the design on it, and broke it. Then he frowned and pointed at the design that still surrounded the Atmuff and Pokègirl wheels. Gem couldn't believe that anything her Master killed could ever survive, but his enemy had, somehow. It struck her that his enemy had created the Atmuffs, and the Pokègirls. That thought made no sense, but a searching look at her Master only got her a sad smile and a pat on the head. Gem felt frustration that she understood so little of the noises the others used to communicate. Instead he drew his knife, and drove it through his arm.

     "Blessed Widow!" she shouted, then saw that no blood poured from the wound. She looked at him in confusion as he drew the clean blade back out. She couldn't understand, she'd tasted his blood, felt the bond that blood offering created, yet a knife could not draw the same blood. She frowned and shook her head. He smiled and patted her on the head. Again her frustration grew. It went away as he picked her up and put her on his shoulders. She held on tightly. He raised his arm in a commanding gesture and said another of the few noises she completely understood, this one promised food. They marched off. Gem glanced back, her `army` filing off the roofs to carefully follow them. Gem wondered if they recognized the sound as well.

     "You are truly disgusting," Mara told the Megami, who looked unperturbed, "I mean . . . the sewers?!"

     "You did not have to grow up with Mihoshi," Oyuki said primly, "I did. A thousand deaths will never even that balance."

     "But with all the visitors, all the free food . . . do you have an idea what she'll be wading through?"

     "You showed little reticence in `assisting` her on her way, when she was wavering," Oyuki replied cooly, folding her arms into her kimono and staring at Mara, daring her to respond or escalate.

     "I'm supposed to be vicious and nasty," Mara replied, muttering and shaking her head in amazement as they walked, "I never expected to be bested in that regard by a Megami."

     "Would you like another popsicle?" Oyuki reminded the Storm Demon with a eager smile.

     "I'd rather have a pitchfork in my skull, thank you very much," Mara replied while shivering at that memory.

     "She will survive," Oyuki assured her, "Somehow, she always does. So do her companions, her whining makes one long for death instead."

     'Kiyone!' emanated up, past a nearby manhole cover.

     "Okay, point taken, she deserves it," Mara relented, "Is there any contest you want to compete in?"

     "Yes, but you'll laugh," Oyuki said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

     "At you? I like sleeping at night with both eyes closed. What is it?"

     "There is a delegation from the Edo League, they are challenging all to calligraphy, haiku, flower arranging . . . "

     "For you, none of that is embarrassing," Mara said as they walked, "So it must be the sumo wrestling."

     "I would think that would be more your field," Oyuki said as she poked the Storm Demon in the midriff.

     "I'll make you pay for that," Mara said menacingly.

     "Do tell," Oyuki replied with greater menace.

     "I thought Megami were supposed to be nice," Mara muttered as she turned away.

     "We are supposed to be good. Nice is to good, what a handshake is to a thorough Taming, so easy anyone can do it, and ultimately unsatisfying."

     "What do you suppose the others are doing?" Mara asked as she let the stretcher bearers carry several unconscious and wounded Amazon-chan past, to the Pokècenter, "Brutal."

     "She who cannot be named - "

     'Kiyone!' came from beneath them. Making both girls frown.

     " - is in hiding. Misato and Ritsuko are preparing or carrying out a meticulous search plan, which will prove useless. Liv is getting in trouble. I don't know what Gem and Cutey are doing." Oyuki glanced around. "And we are following our Master's last order." The pair headed towards the bright banners that indicated the Edo League's pavilion.

     The Snorlass's hand slid unsteadily towards it's goal. The silence in the room was profound, as all waited to see the outcome of the Snorlass's quest. The sound of plastic on plastic continued as the Snorlass looked blearily at it's goal. She closed her fist around the mug and drew it back across the table, knocking several plastic mugs off the table as she brought it towards her.

     With the mug on her belly, she looked triumphantly at her opponent, a thoroughly sloshed-looking Seraph, who lolled in her chair. The Snorlass raised the mug to her lips, draining the beer. Some ran down her chin, but she got most in her mouth, so the judges considered it drunk. Although not half as drunk as the contestants. She tried to slap the mug down on the table with authority. That she missed the table entirely ruined her performance and nearly pitched her out of her chair. Her supporters began dragging her back into an upright position.

     A cheer went up as the Seraph raised her head, and clumsily dragged her plum-colored hair out of her face. More frantic betting went on as the Seraph seemed to focus on the mug-covered table, and her next target. She grabbed at it, missed, knocking several empty mugs off the table. She pulled her arm back, stared intently at her hand, then at the mug.

     "Do'z yur tol'," she chastened her hand, which `nodded` back. "Beeer," she told it and pointed with her other arm for effect. Grabbed for the mug, got it this time and slid it across the table. At the edge, she let go and stared at it. Stakes were raised, more money changed hands. She grabbed the mug with both hands and carefully drew it to her lips, draining it slowly.

     Cheers filled the room as she accomplished the authoritative slap of the mug on the table, what the Snorlass had attempted. She grinned at it and sat back.

     The Snorlass reeled in her chair and remained unwilling to lose. Her hand found the newly placed mug, drawing it towards her unsteadily. She leaned down to put her lips to the glass, and straightened up as she drank down the golden-brown liquid. Except she kept straightening up until she fell over backwards into her cheering section.

     "Ama-cheer," Misato accused the fallen and snoring Snorlass as she stood, proving she could, and remained standing. Because she wasn't sure she could walk. There were cheers and boos, Misato turned to her `agent` and collected her share of the bets.

     "Nobody thought you could possibly win," someone said.

     "The Snorlass wanted to win," Misato replied, her drunken act completely forgotten, "I just wanted to drink as much delicious Thundercunt beer as I possibly could!" Cheers all around, especially from the proprietors, who had a commercial they'd eagerly use.

     Misato walked very carefully outside, drinking in the fresh air, hoping the world would quit rocking sometime soon.

     The NurseJoy pulled the Pokèball out of the Healing machine, and let Ritsuko out of her Pokèball. "Maybe you should more carefully consider fighting Amazon-chans, in the future."

     "I was looking for my Master. I . . . misplaced him."

     "And a highly skilled Amazon-chan was in your way?" The NurseJoy thought it was funny. "You didn't hurt her too badly. Although they did bring her in."

     "Sorry," Ritsuko said. "I guess I got a little overexcited," Ritsuko admitted as she collected her Pokèball, other gear, and left.

     "Okay," she asked as she looked around outside the Pokècenter, examining the throng, "Where would I be?"

     She headed in a random direction. Maybe I can have a little fun, she decided, Although watching that terrified Amazon-chan crawl away from a mere Matron was kind of fun.

     Jeff looked at figure with the smiling face, at the white van dyke, white suit and black tie. I am not going to speculate what they use instead of chicken, he thought as he balanced a dozen red and white buckets of food, They didn't specify exactly what they fry, only that they use the ancient recipe.

     Gem walked beside him, carrying several bags of the familiar side dishes. He carefully stacked six buckets on her head and balanced all but one of the remaining buckets on her outstretched arms. He took the last bucket and a bag of mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits and coleslaw to a table to wait for Gem's return from feeding her `troops`.

     What the heck am I going to do with that mob? he wondered, Like Gem, they are all underage, I could do what I did with Gem, then send them to the Masaki ranch. That's no real solution either. He could feel the hostile eyes on him, knew what they were. Are they holding back because of Gem's army? Or is that just an excuse to gather a greater force. They didn't see me talking - and other things - with Dark Atmuff, so they don't know. The idiots don't realize who their patron really is . . . and would never believe a `mere male` if he gave them proof. Fortunately, Gem can't understand the rest of the gossip that seems to be dominating the streets. Stories of problems in the North, stories about Miss Taylor's conspicuous absence at another Sadie Pokens day festival. That's something to look into.

     Gem returned empty handed. Jeff had already set out a plate for her. She looked around for the utensils, something Oyuki and Ritsuko had been drilling into her.

     "You don't use a knife and fork . . . " he shut up as he remembered she wouldn't understand, yet. He picked up the corn and took a bite, then a bite of the once-was-chicken. Gem got the idea quickly and dug in happily.

     It tastes like chicken, he thought as he cleaned off a bone, That's too small and too big to be any breed I've seen or heard of, or rat for that matter. 'Just enjoy it and don't ask' he remembered an old Special Forces motto about eating in the wild.

     "There are some things that defy explanation," Oyuki said to Mara with a disgusted sniff, as they walked out of the Edo League exposition. The Storm Demon's answering grin did nothing to improve the Megami's mood.

     "There's no shame in coming out second to the League's ranking Grandmaster," Mara soothed as she carried her fine wooden case, with the trophy inside, "It was very poetic, and the writing was very pretty. Now that you've got your own proper calligraphy set, you'll do better next time. You didn't see it, but the others would gleefully kill you to be honored with their Master's old set. Just what did that haiku mean anyway?"

     "I was attempting to synthesize our Harem and all it's interactions," Oyuki said, opening the beautiful lacquered box and seeing the brushes, ink stone and fine paper inside, "He was right, it was too chaotic."

     "You should have told them that's the effect you were going for," Mara said, "Our Harem certainly is chaotic."

     "Is that how you won that flower arranging contest?" Oyuki didn't shout, barely, "You, flower arranging?"

     "I've always liked gardens, and I had some help from our Master's link with me. I just put the chaos dead center, and the order around it. Then came up with a good line of patter about why I did it."

     "You lied to the judges?" Oyuki stopped and was aghast.

     "No, I just put what I had in mind in flowery terms," Mara said, continuing to walk and smile, "Why, are you jealous? You thought I couldn't do the artsy-fartsy stuff? I'm the opposite of my winning arrangement, all hard and sharp angles outside, some calm on the inside."

     "I doubt they ever saw anyone incorporate briars into a formal arrangement," Oyuki said unhappily as she fell in beside Mara.

     "It said what I wanted to say," Mara said dismissively, "And I beat you."

     Oyuki frowned as she folded her arms into her kimono, holding tight to her prize. "I wonder if those Amazon-chan are back in business. I have a sudden and overwhelming need to hit something. Repeatedly." She frowned at Mara's guffaw.

     Gem glanced at the cold girl, odd, even for a Pokègirl. She had green skin, a long tail and a set of teeth that were longer and sharper than any Gem had ever seen before. The small collection of Pias, Vulvixxes, Ninjettes and others that had been following Gem and her Master formed up to oppose this odd Pokègirl. It brought a smile to Gem's face, then a moment of concern as the other girl smiled also. An evil smile promising pain, and that she would enjoy inflicting it.

     Gem hated her instantly. She prepared her special `shout`.

     Suddenly, it was as if the world had vanished and only terror remained. Gem watched the other girls scatter in fright as fear gripped each of them as well.

     The odd girl's smile suddenly made perfect sense, as she leapt into the midst of the panicking girls. Her transformation into something that looked like a cross between a Chocoboob and an Feraligarter left Gem even more frightened as the huge creature slashed and bit at the girls around her, tearing them open, wounding but not killing instantly or painlessly. As intended, the girls screamed and writhed in agony before they died, tearing at Gem, for bringing them here, for not slaying this creature the instant she'd laid eyes on her, for quivering in fear and soiling herself rather than protect them from this monster. The odd girl advanced lazily towards Gem as she killed.

     Gem could barely master her own need to run away, let alone make an attack.

     As suddenly as it appeared, the fear vanished, and the severed head bounced off the odd girl's chest. Gem glanced back at her Master, who wiped his knife on the still-spurting, tattoo-covered corpse. He smiled at her, then the smile turned ugly as he looked at a small pack of the monsters who were trying to place themselves between her Master and another human-looking girl.

     "Your turn," he told her clearly. She was so shocked at understanding his words, that the odd girl nearly cut her, only the blade slid harmlessly off her natural armor. Gem knew the odd girl would not make such a mistake again. She considered her opponent, and the four other odd girls who were even now becoming identical monsters as they ran towards her Master. The human-looking girl raised her arms, revealing the tattoos there, and said something. Gem suffered a brief feeling of unease, and then it was gone. She knew her Master had protected her, she wished he had been able to protect all of them. The tattooed one ran away as her Master seemed to cease being there, as the four others ran past and through him, without affecting him. They paused to stare at him in utter confusion. Gem knew that she had to take advantage of this.

     Gem growled low and leapt at the odd girl, baring her fangs. The odd girl batted her aside.

     "Gem," her Master's voice came to her again, this time she controlled her shock, "You aren't heavy enough to use those moves, use what I taught you."

     Gem nodded, remembering she'd torn the Manti apart by grabbing one part, bracing on another, and pulling. Even better, she'd used her special shout.

     She used it now.

     Jeff ran after the fleeing woman, hearing Gem's HyperBeam in the background. A beam of blue energy lanced out from his quarry's hand, and passed through him. To no effect.

     Fools, he thought, As if I'd be stupid enough to let you shoot me. You really are a disappointment.

     The girl suddenly found herself in a blind coledesack that hadn't been blind a few moments before. Her counterspell bounced off the construct, too weak to have the desired effect. The woman turned at bay. She brandished the small cigarette pack-sized box, as if it made her invincible.

     It's a particle beam, he thought as the glow filled the alley, setting the trash to smoldering, It can't work if I'm not there to be hit.

     She threw it at him, certain it had `failed` her, and drew a more reliable weapon, a rune-covered knife.

     "You will tell me what I want to know - sorcerer," he told the girl, who faltered as the screaming of her dinosaur pets abruptly ceased. He dove forward. Let's see if I still am what I was, he thought as he drove his fingers through her skull. Memories, thoughts, and being flowed into him, all stolen from his victim. The other he'd simply killed, this one he drained of her existence, before he drained her of life. Her fingers opened, dropping the knife to the ground, as her eyes rolled up in her head. Her consciousness battered at him in a vain assault, but it was simply smashing itself to pieces, surrendering all its secrets as it unraveled.

     As the target reverted to dust, he glanced back at Gem. His heart went out to the little Pokèkit. It's too early for you to learn that lesson, little one, he thought sadly as the girl held one of the slaughtered Pokègirls and wept. The Sanctuary Goth's pet Dameosaurs had killed these `inferiors` without mercy. Gem had killed them in turn, but could not restore the slain. Jeff considered, feeling the powers that he'd thought he'd rid himself of, `gifted` others with them. They were extremely weak, but there, and growing in both [intensity] and scope. Well, I've got them, he lamented, Although there's not much I can do with them right now.

     He wiped off Gem's bloodied arms and legs, as the girl whimpered unheard prayers to the unfeeling gods of this place.

     Sorry, kit, you can ask and ask, he thought as he picked her up, Sometimes the answer is still 'no'.

     She wrapped her arms and legs around him and sobbed into his shoulder as he headed back to the hotel.

     Misato looked over the parapet and spotted Kiyone cowering in an alley below.

     "Kiyone!" an absolutely foul looking and smelling creature was approaching, undeterred by any man or god, calling the Wolf-Spider's name.

     I thought Slutges were extinct, Misato thought as she dropped from the building, extended her wings and plucked the arachnid girl out of harms way. Landing on the building opposite the alley, Misato watched the creature run down the alley and stand at the base of the building shouting for 'the kidnappers to release Kiyone.' Unfortunate for her, Misato thought as the effect of the sudden dive and swoop, combined with the Wolf-Spider still clinging desperately to her packed stomach, with all her strength, made Misato release some of beer she still had aboard. Mihoshi was not the least appreciative, vocally so. I think I saw the shock wave of that scream, Misato thought as she pried the cowering Wolf-Spider loose, before the other girl induced another such episode.

     "Just who or what are you running from?" Misato asked as she got the girl loose.

     "A clinging leech who believes we must be bonded together. She's also chasing the Ranch manager's grandson. Nice kid, but I had . . . problems, with his Harem."

     "So that's why you were so eager to leave with a strange Tamer," Misato said unhappily, trying not to think of another clinging leech, who tried to use the rest of the Harem as a shield.

     "That, and I didn't want to get caught up in the constant battles over the boy. He's just not interesting enough to put up with the battles to get time with him."

     I think the real reason you didn't leave before, is that you were if not content, then could tolerate the situation, Misato thought without showing any expression, Once the boy came of age and the battles for him became the center of your existence, you realized you couldn't afford to be so picky about Tamers anymore. "You could have taken the Alpha position," Misato said, "I've met the rest of that group, you could have decided to outmaneuver and ride herd on the rest of them." The way Ritsuko did on you, she didn't say aloud. "Have you had any luck?" she asked, to change the subject, and dampen her anger with her Harem-sister.

     "Yeah," Kiyone said miserably, "Mihoshi was closing in, and he distracted her, and disappeared, but that was hours ago."

     "You had him and let him escape!? Why shouldn't I just drop you to her and have done with it?!" Misato shouted at the Wolf-Spider as she advanced in a fury, "You'd better decide if you're more loyal to him, or more afraid of Mihoshi!" Misato grabbed the girl by the throat. "And you'd better decide before the sun goes down, or I'll strip you naked, tie you with a ribbon and handcuff you to Mihoshi!" Misato's wings furled and unfurled rapidly, showing her agitation.

     Kiyone just cowered from the furious Seraph. "You wouldn't want to explain it to him," she replied, her words choked by the Seraph's grip.

     "If we ever find him," Misato countered, not willing to release her anger, but she let go of Kiyone. She stared down at the cowering Wolf-Spider. "Don't think I've forgotten your part in the reason we're out here looking, instead of in a hotel somewhere or better, him with a `no capture` collar and us looking around with him close at hand."

     "So what have you been doing?" Kiyone asked, then frowned and sniffed, proving she already knew.

     "I did look around, then I realized I should have been following his orders," Misato said, refusing to surrender the moral high ground, "I also checked by the magic booths, I saw that Liv had paid them a visit, but our Master - or is he just my Master?"

     "He's our Master," Kiyone bowed her head and replied quietly.

     " - our Master hadn't been by there, that they knew of," Misato completed her thought.

     "Why do I have the feeling he's watching us, and laughing?" Kiyone asked miserably.

     "More likely, he's run for the hills, let us find new Masters."

     "He . . . he wouldn't!" Kiyone looked up and exclaimed.

     Afraid of losing him, or more afraid of the alternative? Misato wanted to ask.

     "He didn't," Oyuki said.

     The Wolf-Spider and the Seraph jumped. "Would you quit doing that?" Misato yelled at her, ignoring the smiling Storm Demon.

     "Ki - yoooooooooneeeeeee," came the fading cry from the roof's stair access, tensing the Wolf-Spider up again.

     "Oh dear, someone must have iced up the stairs," Mara said with mock shock, "I just can't imagine who could have done such a thing."

     "Ouchie!" came from down below.

     "He booked passage to the Orange Islands, with two rooms. A tight fit, but enough for all of us," Oyuki said, frowned at Mara.

     "I was getting to that," Mara countered as she glanced over the parapet and smiled.

     "When?" Misato asked.

     "Right after I explained how Oyuki won a new calligraphy set," Mara countered as she straightened up and looked at the others, earning another frown from Oyuki.

     "I meant, when is the ship leaving?" Misato repeated, folding her arms beneath her breasts.

     "Oh," Mara commented, throwing back her shoulders and inhaling deeply, "Don't you want to hear - eep!"

     "Several weeks," Oyuki interrupted, poking the Storm Demon with an icy finger, "The ship has yet to arrive. So he is planning to take some or all of us with him."

     "Let me see your maps," Kiyone demanded excitedly. They handed them over. Kiyone looked from one to the other, then looked up at the expectant faces. "That - that - that - " she fulminated as she crushed the papers in her hand.

     "Master," Mara supplied with a grin.

     "Close, but not quite," Kiyone said as she calmed down, "The numbering of the Pokècenters. On every map it's different, except for the first entry, that one is the same on every map."

     "It can't be that easy!" Oyuki insisted.

     "It can," Kiyone replied, "He probably expects us at the first one, it's the only one the same on all the maps."

     "We could place someone there, to wait for him," Oyuki suggested.

     "And do what? Send up a flare?" Mara asked angrily, "You all keep assuming that you can coordinate your actions, yes Misato, just cause I slept through most briefings, that doesn't mean I ignored all of them."

     "He's forcing us to work together," Misato said.

     "Pokègirls always work together," Kiyone countered.

     "Not in making complex, strategic plans. Tactical and short-range yes, but not long-term," Misato replied, "We have money, and there are some shops still open."

     "Tomorrow isn't exactly long-range, and that's what you should be aiming at," Mara pointed out, "The sunset is in a few hours, the meeting was probably for tomorrow, not today."

     "It is if we are deciding that tomorrow we will insure we will find our Master, and we all chose him, and our life path," Oyuki told her, "That is long-range planning."

     "Congratulations." Mara applauded. "Our Master would be proud. It only took you all most of the day to figure that out."

     "Wait a second!" Misato confronted Mara, "You knew! You knew his plans, you've known where he was all along, and where he was going to be!"

     "I also knew he needed to be alone. I can't dredge out why, but I knew he needed it desperately. I also know that Honey is waiting at our intended final destination and that Gem is watching over him," Mara said off-handedly, "So, I was content to have fun. Watching you run around like Titmice that smelled a Griffon was lots of fun." Mara smiled broadly, then it faded. "But it's not fun anymore."

     Kiyone looked over the parapet, when she looked at Mara, she smiled. "So, do we have some fun? Or what?"

     "More long-range planning," Oyuki said, "He did tell us to 'have fun', I suspect that the 'under penalty of death' was meant to be humorous, but I would suspect that he wouldn't be thrilled if we did not follow that instruction."

     "There is that," Mara commented, "Or that's an excuse?"

     "There are many available Tamers," Misato told Kiyone and Mara, "If you find a Tamer who is more appealing, I suggest - "

     "I've - told - you - " Mara angrily bit off every word, " - he's - mine - I'm - his - you don't like it, you leave! You've got all these miserable dolts to chose from, I ain't leaving!"

     "Ain't - " Oyuki began.

     "Ain't is the contraction of am not. Don't give me any of this 'ain't isn't a word', if you're using am not, there ain't an alternative," Mara confronted the Megami.

     "Oh, so good to see you, my trusted packmates," Liv said as she set down her many parcels on the roof. Who threw a BunnyGirl at us?" The impending fight ramped down. A bedraggled Ritsuko was practically invisible among the parcels she carried.

     "What did you two do?" Kiyone asked incredulously, surveying the sheer bulk and number of the parcels, "Spend all your money?"

     "Better," Liv said, "You've seen the idiots walking around in the tweed coats and eerily familiar hats?"

     "Yes, it's been hampering our search," Misato admitted.

     "They call themselves - other people call them 'The Fancy'," Liv said, all smiles, "Guess what they fancy."

     Misato looked at the stunned expression on her Harem-sister's faces, and at the sad little nod from Ritsuko, confirming her worst fears.

     "Yep," Liv chirped, "So I've been selling stories about her exploits and her new Master and Harem-sisters."

     "Liv, you mean . . . " Oyuki said.

     "Not lies . . . well, I charged a lot more for detailed truth. I usually took trade goods instead of money, and no more than they could afford. Besides, Sylve and Mackie must have shot their mouth off, or somebody in Tenchi's camp, but most of these morons were basing their thoughts on completely incorrect information. I also kept things vague enough that they couldn't be sure. I did tell the truth about our Master keeping a Seraph, a Witch, a Megami and a Storm Demon." She glanced at the quartet. "I also told them her help would be invaluable in keeping them from killing each other." She paused for dramatic effect. "Isn't that right? Or did I mis-hear?"

     The group managed to look embarrassed.

     "I kept mum about Gem, but I did tell them he managed to evolve a Tarantella on their first Taming, so Honey might have a lot to look forward to."

     Kiyone clenched her fist and her jaw.

     "I did tell them all about the duel, and that actually Honey surrendered, she wasn't defeated. Those dorks kept talking about him as the Widow Slayer reborn, Sukebe returned or the second coming of Ranma Saotome, if he defeated Honey and was 'making love to' or 'mercilessly ravishing' her." Liv's temper boiled over, at someone else being the center of the universe. "She's just a Titto for gods' sake!" The Witch calmed down. "I did tell them some interesting stuff about us, just to make it fair."

     "Such as?" Ritsuko asked with an expression of dread.

     "Ooo, I told them about an evolution of a Matron into a fighter who could dismantle a high-level Amazon-chan. You didn't think that was going to disappear, did you?"

     "Oh God!" Ritsuko hung her head as her Harem-sisters stared at her.

     "You . . . what?" Kiyone asked, seeing the Matron with new eyes.

     "Can we change the subject," Ritsuko pleaded, "Please?"

     "It's okay. I did tell them that our - her new Master was more a cuddler than a Tamer, so he'd be a real comfort to Honey. Although he did Tame four of his girls the first night he got them, and they couldn't stop talking about it the next morning."

     "You conveniently left out you were complaining mightily," Mara said darkly.

     "They wanted to hear about Honey, not me," Liv replied defensively, "Besides, they all wanted Honey to be happy, now they know she will be."

     "You realize he's going to collect half the Pokègirls wearing those silly hats?!" Kiyone shouted at her.

     "No, I didn't. You should hear how they think she acts. He could walk into one of their prayer meeting and they'd never really notice him."

     "This isn't funny," Ritsuko insisted.

     "Oh, yes it is," Liv countered.

     Cutey looked up from the books she was reading, as her Master and Gem returned. She'd felt his vague distress as he'd gotten closer, but she hadn't been able to figure out any details.

     "What happened?" she asked.

     "We ran into a pack of assassins. Gem got most of them, but not before a pack of Ferals who'd been following her had gotten killed."

     "Did you tell the authorities?" Cutey asked as she accepted the sleeping child from her Master. Gem immediately held on with all her arms and legs, remaining asleep.

     "I let them know," he replied, "There was nothing that could be done, except analyze the bodies. I think the incident will be hushed up. I also know they aren't the only ones."

     "You mean . . . " She sensed her agitation was waking Gem, and the girl needed rest. She forced herself to be calm. "You're being hunted?" Cutey asked in horror, "You should call the others back immediately. You should - "

     "Send them away, lure the enemy in, and destroy them," he replied coldly, "Our most minuscule colleague's geographic proximity to the malefactors had a deleterious effect on the mortifying process. But I'm not going to tell her that."

     "So what do you want me to do?" she asked as she sat down with the child in her arms.

     "Just what you're doing," he told her, "I still have other things to do."

     Things you don't want us to know about, Cutey thought, And just how am I supposed to keep her here when she knows you're out there? My abilities won't fool her for long, I didn't know you well enough to mimic the little clues Gem uses to tell who is who. I still don't. She watched him go, knowing he'd be back, what ever was in his way. That's what really frightens me, she thought.

Jeff's Harem

Oyuki - Megami
Kiyone - Wolf Spider
Misato - Seraph
Ritsuko - Matron
Mara - Storm Demon
Gem - Blessed Widow
Liv - Witch
Cutey Honey - Titto

DARK ATMUFF, the Legendary Dark Warrior Pokègirl

Type: Near Human
Element: Fighting/Dark
Frequency: Extremely Rare (Unique)
Diet: any
Role: supreme warrior, unknown
Libido: Low (variable)
Strong Vs: Dark, Ice, Rock, Normal, Steel, Ghost
Weak Vs: Flying
Attacks: Growl, Slash, Bite, Scratch, Kick, Pummel, Dodge, Fury Swipes, Tail Slap, Counter, Pose, Stone Palm, Backhand, Resist, Gatling Kick, Gatling Punch, Chi Blast, Hurricane Kick, Quick Attack, Leg Sweep, Sabre Claw, Headbutt, Mirror, Nightshade, Energy Drain, Chi Barrage
Enhancements: Legendary Qualities, Legendary Salient Qualities, Thick Hide, Enhanced Reflexes (x15), Enhanced Speed (x15), Enhanced Strength (x45), Endurance, Chi Aura
Evolves: None
Evolves From: Atmuff (possible/unconfirmed, mechanism unknown)

     Atmuff met her death at the hands of the three Legendary bird Pokègirls, but that was not her end. Recently, she has resurfaced, alive again and stronger than ever before. Somehow, someone or something brought her back.

     Dark Atmuff, for that is what she calls herself now, looks similar to how she was before. Her build hasn't appreciably changed, nor have smaller features like her hair length or color. What has changed though is that her body now bears dark stripe-like patches. These patches are scars covering where she was injured. The injuries have healed, but the scars are colored wrong, being a deep black instead of a healthier-looking hue. The Tigress-like effect makes Dark Atmuff look like even more imposing than she was in her previous incarnation, especially when she treads on all fours.

     What power brought Atmuff back from beyond death is unknown, since even the greatest of psychic or magic powers by various Pokègirls have always fallen far short of resurrection. The questions of who brought her back, for what purpose, and if she is being controlled, are questions that even she herself may not know the answer to. Even if she does though, it's doubtful that anyone else will ever be privy to such knowledge. Her mind seems to have been warped by the process; she will now attack random targets, including non-combatants, something she never did before unless they were between her and a combat target. Her esoteric phrases are even odder than usual, often times being contradictory and making no sense at all. Her body seems to have been altered on a fundamental level by the resurrection also. Her chi, which was colorless before, is now a deep purple. Whereas before she only manifested her chi when she was in battle, Dark Atmuff now tends to keep her chi aura flowing around her more often than not. While her martial arts are still incredibly powerful, she now uses more mystic attacks, such as Nightshade, to devastate her enemies. She also uses Energy Drain quite frequently, almost as if she needs to take energy to survive. Both of these attacks are the same purple as her chi, apparently indicating she is using it to fuel these new attacks. She also can use the Chi Barrage technique, which allows her to release multiple Chi Blasts at once at a single target. When she manifests her chi as a visible aura of power around her, she is using the Chi Aura enhancement. This superior version of Resist, allows her to not only shrug off Burn, Freeze, Poison, Paralyzation, Sleep, or Confusion, since her high chi flow instantly defeats such weak attempts to alter her system, but also increases her strength, speed, and reflexes, all without sacrificing any health. When her Chi Aura is active, Dark Atmuff is considered to have Enhanced Reflexes (x17), Enhanced Speed (x18), and Enhanced Strength (x48). Her chi seems to be almost damaging to others around it, but this can't be confirmed since she has a tendency to kill others around her anyway. Occasionally, she will take a downed foe and force herself on him for a quick Taming, but this rarely happens. Even when it does, she usually kills him after her climax. This, along with the rest of her behavior, could possibly change if whatever it was that altered her mind can be undone. Or possibly not. It's impossible to know.

     What Dark Atmuff's agenda is remains a mystery. She doesn't seem to be seeking her killers to obtain revenge. Rather, she will appear in various locations around the world, attack mercilessly, and vanish. While this is similar to what she did during Sukebe's Revenge, this time she isn't targeting military powers. Indeed, her targets now seem almost random. What she desires may be a question that is answered too late…

LEGENDARY QUALITIES: All Legendary Pokègirls have these special attributes, making them above and beyond other Pokègirls:

Truly Unique: All Legendary Pokègirls cannot be copied. Attempts to clone them always fail, and morphing other beings into copies of them always produces sub-standard versions. Titto, for example, can take Dark Atmuff's shape and even copy her powers to some degree, but not any of her Legendary Qualities or Legendary Salient Qualities (see below), nor her learned skills. They can have their base stock altered to be used in the formation of a new Pokègirl type though.

Deathlessness: Despite having been around since Sukebe's Revenge, all the Legendary Pokègirls are still around and going strong. This superior version of longevity makes them immune to death from natural causes. They will never die unless they are killed. However, poison, disease, or any unnatural cause still has a normal chance to kill them, barring their special immunities and strengths.

No Weakness (Level X): All of the Legendary Pokègirls can ignore their type's normal weaknesses, to a point. When facing a Pokègirl at or below a certain level, if that Pokègirl is a type the Legendary would normally be weak against, she instead treats it as though it were of a type she had no specific advantage or disadvantage against. For example, Dark Atmuff has No Weakness (Level 102). If she were to face a Flying type Pokègirl, or anything else that was considered Strong vs. Fighting or Dark, at or below level 102, she wouldn't be considered weak against it, nor would it be considered strong against her. Pokègirls at a level above the Legendary's No Weakness level treat things normally.

LEGENDARY SALIENT QUALITIES: Some Legendary Pokègirls have special qualities others don't have. Here is Dark Atmuff's array of special attributes:

Environmental Resistance: This ability allows Dark Atmuff to shrug off damage that could be done to her from extremes in her surroundings, letting her continue to fight. With this quality, natural extremes of temperature or atmosphere do not hinder her. The key word is "natural." Special elemental powers from other Pokègirls could still affect her (although she could still resist them, see below) since they tended to be more extreme than most natural environments. This ability does not remove the need for air, so breathing is still necessary.

Breathless: This ability is what makes Dark Atmuff have no need for air. She can hold her breath for any length of time and not be affected by it. Together with the Environmental Resistance power, this lets her fight almost anywhere without worrying about the consequences of a particular location.

Energy Immunity: This quality lets Dark Atmuff ignore up to two types of energy at once. Various types of energy include heat, cold, sound, sonic, electricity, etc. She can change which two she was unaffected by at will, and did not need to concentrate to maintain her resistance. The energy resisted was total, with no affect on her at all. The only type of energy she can not resist was psychic energy, since that power was totally beyond her. Between this and her other Salient Qualities, Dark Atmuff is able to survive in virtually any local condition, even in space or in molten lava.

Warped Chi: The process that brought resurrected Atmuff altered her life force, changing her into Dark Atmuff. This is most prevalent in her chi, which has been warped. One of the most significant effects of this is that when she manifests her chi aura, anyone touching physically touching her takes damage as her warped chi interacts violently with a person's normal chi, which every living thing has. The damage isn't too severe, but repeated damage from contact between normal chi and her warped chi can add up eventually, especially on when the physical contact is in the form of being punched or kicked by her. Dark Atmuff does not take damage from the contact. When her chi field is not manifested, this power does not take effect.

(Creator's Note: This is one of three possible resurrections of Atmuff; the others are Neo-Atmuff and Cyber-Atmuff.)

DAMEOSAUR, Sanctuary's Speedy Guardians, the Modern Gyno-Dinosaur

Type: Animorph, velociraptoid dinosauroid
Element: Rock/Fighting
Frequency: non-existent outside the Dark Continent (Very Rare there)
Diet: meat. Usually they kill Feral Pokègirls, but the Dameosaurs aren't adverse to eating nosy humans trying to locate Sanctuary.
Role: guardians of Sanctuary. The Dameosaur serves as a "picket fence" shield and early-warning/defense system for Sanctuary. Often also serves as a babysitter or personal aide/sexual companion inside Sanctuary.
Strong Vs: Bug, Dark, Electric, Fire, Flying, Ice, Normal, Poison, Rock
Weak Vs: Fighting, Flying, Ground, Plant, Psychic, Water
Libido: Low to Average (when it comes to mating season)
Attacks (normal mode): Tail Slap (using her tail to hit her opponent)
Attacks (battle mode): Tail Slap, Gut-Rip Kick (using her toe claws to disembowel an opponent), Head Crush (crushing the opponent's head in her jaws), Head Butt (hitting the opponent head on at high speed).
Enhancements: Metamorph; Dameosaurs transform from normal (humanoid) mode to battle (dinosauroid) mode. Possesses semi-armored skin in either mode, though it is softer to the touch in normal mode. Very fast runners, almost on par with a Cheetit. Can leap triple their erect standing height to bring down a low-flying opponent (i.e. a Griffon).
Evolves: Pterodame (Angel Stone), Nessidame (Water Stone)
Evolves From: None. The Dameosaur and its branch-off breeds, the Pterodames and the Nessidames, have NO direct genetic relation either to pure-bloods or other Pokègirl breeds, even the Sanctuary Goths.

     In a parallel dimension Sukebe discovered in his travels, there was a place called Jurassic Park, a would-be amusement park where scientists created modern-day dinosaurs, descendants of the greatest animal dynasty in Earth's history. Taking a liking to the Velociraptor in particular, Sukebe obtained cell samples and returned them to his lab, placing the samples in storage. They remained untouched through the Revenge, somehow winding up in the very cave the founders of Sanctuary discovered years later.

As they studied Sukebe's technology, Sanctuary's founders decided to use the dinosaur samples to create a "guardian" Pokègirl who would protect Sanctuary from any land-bound threat (like a Tamer who would not take well to encountering an all-Pokègirl village free of human oversight).

     The result of that, first appearing in PS 214/CE 2206, is the Dameosaur, a metamorphic reptilian humanoid. Later came the Dameosaur's evolved breeds, the flying Pterodames and the water-borne Nessidames.

     The Dameosaur, in "normal" mode, resembles a green-skinned humanoid with a thick tail as long as she is tall. The tail is somewhat prehensile; a Dameosaur can balance herself on her tail for short periods of time. She possesses soft feathers for hair branching from her head, usually shaped in a tomboyish-like cut. Feather color is usually black or grey.

     Adult Dameosaurs are big, averaging 7 feet 6 inches (229 cm) tall.

     When transformed into "battle" mode, the Dameosaur assumes the traditional shape of a Velociraptor, though she still keeps her humanoid breasts and five digits on fingers and toes. The big toe on a transformed Dameosaur's foot extends into a "hook claw" (usually about 8 inches [20 cm] in length), the most well-known mark of a velociraptoid. With the hook claw, a Dameosaur could readily disembowel most Pokègirls in an instant, even those with pseudo-armor covering the abdomen.

     Dameosaurs have the same mental development as the average Tamed Feralborn Pokègirl elsewhere, though they can speak normally (even when they are in battle mode). Following Sanctuary civil custom, they address Sanctuary Goths as "Ms. (given name)" (for bonded Goths) or "Miss (given name)" (for unbonded Goths). They are genetically/mentally programmed to never harm any resident or guest of Sanctuary, especially when it comes to the children residing there. Since no men are allowed within the walls of Sanctuary, Dameosaurs are mentally programmed to kill any man on sight.

     The only exception to this is when the male is the Pet of a Sanctuary Goth, though such men are not brought into Sanctuary itself.

     Most Dameosaurs live in packs supervised by a Sanctuary Goth, they protecting a sector of the community's surrounding fields. Others serve as nannies/babysitters to the town's many orphanages and schools. Dameosaurs can also be found serving as the assistant/lover of a Goth (regardless if the Goth has a Pet or no) working inside the community.

SANCTUARY GOTH (a.k.a. GOTH OF "YOU-KNOW-WHERE", a.k.a. DARK ANGEL), the Independent Pokègirl Who Can Choose Her Own "Pet" (Tamer)

Type: Very Near Human
Element: Magic/Psychic
Frequency: Extremely Rare - save for those chosen to be a "Pet" to this type of Pokègirl, the Sanctuary Goths are totally unknown (though there are some parties who have heard rumors about this particular breed, much less what they have created in the Dark Continent). If they are encountered, they are almost ALWAYS mistaken for normal Goths or pure-blood humans.
Diet: human standard
Role: as any one will describe her role, she's one of "society's balance-keepers." Often rescues abandoned Pokègirl babies and/or abused Pokègirls, then helps resettle them in Sanctuary. Also protects her Pet from any "unhealthy influence" (people like Gendo Giovanni, for example).
Libido: Low (unbonded) to Average (bonded to a Pet)
Strong Vs: unknown
Weak Vs: unknown
Attacks: Aura of Danger, Aura of Menace, Aura of Doom. A bonded Sanctuary Goth can also project the Aura of Love to her Pet or her Pet's Pokègirls. Goths supervising Dameosaurs/Pterodames/Nessidames also develop the Aura of Command (NOTE: these attacks are not spoken out by the attacker).
Enhancements: The Gift of Sight (a form of clairvoyance which allows her to watch anything of interest beyond visual range) and Teleport. However, a Sanctuary Goth's greatest enhancement is her independence, the absence of the "pack" mentality other Pokègirls have. In essence, save for her need to have a human lover (referred to as her "Pet") to bond with, there is nothing in common between a Sanctuary Goth and any other Pokègirl breed.
Evolves: None
Evolves From: Any Pokègirl breed (with aid of a special Ebony Evolution Stone) or pure-human (after being transformed into a Pokègirl). There is no "random" evolution into a Sanctuary Goth.

     The Goths of Sanctuary ("You-Know-Where" as those "in the know" outside that community always call it when speaking of it in public) first came into being around PS 196/CE 2188 when a band of a dozen near-Feral humanoid Pokègirls stumbled onto an abandoned hidden base supposedly set up by Sukebe himself somewhere in the Dark Continent.

     While the exact details of the "Discovery" remain a closely-guarded secret even among most Sanctuary Goths, this is known: the Pokègirls were exposed to a mental enhancement device that shattered the subconscious need for them to seek out a Tamer/Master, then they evolved into fully-sentient, self-directing beings. With that, the band began to research the history of the "Creator" (Sukebe) and what motivated him to unleash his Revenge.

     After coming to master the technology that miraculously fell into their hands, the band relocated to a secluded part of the Dark Continent to create an all-Pokègirl society modeled after the Joketsuzoku Preserve. To ensure the continuation of Sanctuary, selected human males (chosen because of their willingness to perceive Pokègirls as social and emotional equals to pure-blood humans) were allowed to become a Goth's "Pet" (the words "Tamer," "Taming" and all variations of same are NOT used in Sanctuary; it is seen as VERY gauche there) so children could be birthed.

     Along the way, the Sanctuary Goths also began a policy of rescuing abused Pokègirls and abandoned Pokègirl-descent babies and having them raised in a society free of human prejudice. The Sanctuary Goths were VERY busy bring in Pokègirls during the aftermath of Mao's Rebellion.

     If an adopted citizen of Sanctuary proves herself to be of the "right frame of mind" to help lead/guide the community into the future, she can be evolved into a Sanctuary Goth. If they are not, they can choose to remain in Sanctuary or leave it to seek out a kind Tamer (usually one who may have been adopted [or will be adopted] by a Sanctuary Goth as her Pet).

     The Sanctuary Goths are dedicated to evolving the society birthed in the aftermath of Sukebe's Revenge, for the benefit of humans AND Pokègirls. They are "hidden" backers of Pokègirl-rights groups and the "dark" enemies of those who would desire to see Pokègirls kept in their "slave" role.

     Like their "normal" Goth cousins appearing in the Crimson League and elsewhere, Sanctuary Goths revel in darkness, dealing with the more shadowy nature of existence. They project a moody demeanor to all around them, even their Pets (though they can be VERY passionate when it comes to sex).

     They call it "grounding themselves in that thing called Reality."

     The distinctive marks of a Sanctuary Goth are tattoos worn on the upper arms, normally in black ink. Common tattoo themes include crosses, winged hearts, snakes, barbed wire, skulls and other "moody" motifs.

     The way you can tell a "born" Sanctuary Goth (Chikage Hirosaki, for example) from an "adopted" Sanctuary Goth (Atako Moroboshi, for example) are in the number of body tattoos. Those born as Sanctuary Goths usually have tattoos ONLY on the arms. Adopted Goths often decorate their legs, breasts and even their faces atop the standard upper arm tattoos.

     A Sanctuary Goth's Aura attacks are actually self-defense mechanisms she uses to keep the curious and the potentially dangerous away from her. Used in conjunction with their Sight and a lot of street-savvy, Sanctuary Goths pretty much avoid those seeking to capture them. This is especially meant to guard them against those League leaders who, having heard whispers about an "all-Pokègirl, no humans allowed, civilization" existing somewhere in the Dark Continent, strive to catch one of these girls).

     To that end, some residents in Sanctuary have dedicated themselves to expanding studies in genetic enhancements that would shield them against capture or detection. Regardless of which, most Sanctuary Goths who foray into the outside world are taught to NOT draw any attention to themselves.

     The best way to do that is to remain in the shadows.

     Many Sanctuary Goths, when they enter puberty, begin to delve in necromancy or other magical studies that allows them to better understand the societies which existed before Sukebe's time. Sanctuary is, atop being a Pokègirl refuge, a large repository of pre-Sukebe historical, cultural and scientific knowledge, the protection of which being another reason the community's existence is guarded so much.

     It is the ultimate desire of the Council of Elders (Sanctuary's ruling body) that, when the time is right (i.e., when sentient Pokègirls are given the same social rights as pure-blood humans), the whole sum of their knowledge and learning will be opened to the rest of the world.

     A special note: Sanctuary Goths ALWAYS possess family names.

     Further, it is seen as VERY gauche for a Goth to be intimate with another Goth's Pet without the latter's express permission.