Following their early-morning discussion and training, Lillie remained at Ellaine's to care for her egg while Jason, Ren, and Audino visited a lab to have their physical measurements, strength, and speed tested against the previous week's results.
ding-ding-ding-dong-ding
"One moment! I'll be right there...!" chimed Lillie, setting down her egg in its incubator before making her way around the sofa and to the front door. When she opened it, what greeted her was the sight of Maeve, modeling her custom white and gold Aether Foundation Security Uniform. With her were Nanahoshi, sporting a similar outfit; Bianca, wearing a pastel orange top, a white dress, and an acorn-like green hat with a white stripe; Seren, wearing a grey-blue top and a short pleated skirt under her lab coat; and Skyler, attired like an Alolan Nurse Joy.
"Yo. You called for us...?" greeted Maeve, her expression neutral as she raised her right hand casually.
"Yes. Now, please, come inside. There are important matters for us to discuss that I believe were better addressed in person," hummed Lillie, stepping away from the door and heading to the kitchen to retrieve the drinks and snacks she had prepared in advance. When they realized what she was doing, Bianca and Skyler immediately helped out. Meanwhile, the other three girls removed their footwear, donned house slippers, or made their way to the living room in their socks.
Once everyone was supplied with creamy bottles of Nanab-flavored Moo-Moo Milk and colorful macaroons, Lillie, Bianca, and Skyler similarly made themselves comfortable before the former opened the discussion, stating, "As you have no doubt concluded by now, the reason I requested each of you here today concerns Jason. Specifically, we are here to discuss each of your relationships with him, what you hope to achieve by remaining at his side, and what it means to be with him..."
"Then, shouldn't Jason be here...?" asked Maeve, seated with her feet pulled up on the sofa, her legs crossed, and her arms folded under her breasts with a slight frown.
"I spoke with Jason and Professor Burnet this morning, and he approved of my gathering everyone here to apprise them of the situation and to talk amongst ourselves," explained Lillie, fielding Maeve's question with a calm smile before raising her right hand.
"Now, to clarify everyone's position, please raise your hand if you have a genuine interest in remaining Jason's girlfriend. If your investment in him is simply the result of his otherworldly status or your curiosity toward sex, keep your hands down," stated Lillie.
Looking between themselves as if waiting to see how each of them would respond to Lillie's question, Maeve, Nanahoshi, Bianca, Seren, and Skyler initially kept their hands down. Then, with a faint hint of ruddiness tinting her cheeks, Maeve tentatively raised her hand, followed by the impassive Seren.
Smiling radiantly, Lillie questioned, "Did you always feel as you do now, or did your motivations change after you spent time with Jason and came to realize how caring and attentive he can be?"
With everyone following Lillie's gaze to stare at her with expectant gazes, the ruddiness in Maeve's cheeks deepened as she confessed, "You're not wrong. At first, I was just interested in trying out sex since everyone kept gabbing about it. But when Jason and I were alone in his Sanctum...it was the first time I experienced a boy actively trying to form a connection with me. It felt strange at first, but the longer we chatted and did sex stuff, the more I wanted to keep talking with him..."
"Mmn...he's so serious. It makes your heart race..." appended Seren, her cheeks gaining a blush of her own as she remembered Jason's passion-filled eyes staring at her almost unblinkingly as she shook and rolled her hips atop him.
"That's exactly what it is," affirmed Maeve, gesticulating with her hands as she attempted to explain, "It's like he listens to and takes everything you say seriously. Other guys I've dated barely paid attention unless we were talking about something they wanted to talk about, but when you're alone with Jason, he makes you feel like you can tell him anything, and he wouldn't interrupt you or try to change topics at all."
"But is he actually listening...?" asked Nanahoshi, her curiosity piqued as she had never seen Maeve so animated about a boy. As evidenced by the fact that she hadn't raised her hand, her interest in Jason was entirely the result of her curiosity toward sex. She was willing to become his girlfriend to satisfy her curiosity, but she had no intention of staying with him in the long term.
"He is," asserted Lillie.
"Definitely," affirmed Maeve.
"Nn..." appended Seren.
Keeping the conversation on track, Lillie preceded any possible cross-talk by explaining, "And therein lies the issue. Jason believes relationships are something to be cherished, so even if someone isn't serious about him, he will do his best to form a meaningful connection with them. It's one of his most endearing qualities, but it's also his greatest vulnerability as it leaves him physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted."
"What is your proposed solution?" asked Bianca, her expression calm and poised as she noted, "I presume you called us here with one in mind. Or is it that we are to discuss possible solutions as a group?"
Nodding, Lillie confidently affirmed, "Jason, Professor Burnet, and I have thought of a solution, but there are still many matters we need to discuss outside of that. For now, I will simply disclose that Jason will no longer be requiring those he has sex with to become his girlfriends. That isn't to say he will be having sex with just anyone. But henceforth, only those who are prepared to work alongside us toward our common goal of linking his and our world will be allowed to remain at his side."
"Mmn...that makes sense..." affirmed Bianca, nodding approvingly as she reasoned, "If Jason is really as described, then accepting just anyone as his girlfriend would be like a Trainer catching every Pokémon that crosses his path. If their goals are not aligned, it will just harm everyone involved."
"A very apt metaphor. Thank you, Assistant Professor Bianca," expressed Lillie, sporting a gratified smile. She had made nearly the same argument to Jason, so she appreciated that someone as experienced and respected as Bianca had come to the same conclusion.
"And I guess if we flipped things around, we'd be like a bunch of Pokémon competing for the same Trainer's attention..." remarked Maeve, linking her fingers behind her head and leaning back, her pink eyes unfocused as she gazed thoughtfully at the high ceiling.
"That's...certainly one way to look at things..." conceded Lillie, her smile cramping slightly before she segued, stating, "Now, before each of you makes your decision, there's something I need to show you. After that, I imagine you'll have many questions—which I will do my utmost to answer as Jason's proxy and fiancée."
Rising to her feet, Lillie took a few seconds to relocate her egg and its incubator to a shelf before positioning herself before the group in front of the powered-off television. Then, though it wasn't strictly necessary, she closed her eyes, bowed her head, and folded her hands over her chest as if she were reminiscing or offering a prayer.
Seeing light begin to emanate from Lillie's cleavage, the eyebrows of the group shot up in curiosity. When she further produced the crystal sphere containing her now-silver Pactio card, they either sat forward or adjusted in their seats, slight gasps escaping their throats as she closed her hands around the sphere and kissed it, producing a brief flash of blinding white light that strangely didn't affect their vision long-term.
"Now, allow me to explain to you the existence of Pactios..." stated Lillie, her expression playful and a hint of vanity accenting her smile and voice as she recounted the events of the previous afternoon, evening, and that morning while cheerfully showing off her white and gold dress. She took tremendous pride in being the first to form a Pactio with Jason, and while she was happy to share him, she would never permit anyone to take from her the top position in his heart...
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After a long morning of training and tests, Jason was eager to return to Ellaine's place so he could, hopefully, unwind a bit before sundown. He was even considering taking a nap, but as he entered through the front entrance with Ren on his shoulders and Audino following behind them, a peculiar sense of danger washed over him.
"Hello? Is anyone here...?" Jason called out uncertainly, not expecting to find the living room empty. Ordinarily, Wicke would be present, waiting for him in her battle attire. And since Lillie was looking after her egg, she was supposed to be home as well.
Alleviating most of Jason's concerns but leaving him with others, Lillie emerged from the hallway leading to their and Ellaine's room with a broad smile, remarking, "Welcome back. And you're just in time today. We've just finished setting everything up," in her favorite Pikachu pajamas.
"Is Wicke here...?" asked Jason, setting Ren down and allowing her to run ahead to the bath while he observed Lillie with confusion. Wicke, for one reason or another, had never entered their room. Whenever she spent the night, she always stayed in Ellaine's room, so he couldn't help feeling that something was off with the current situation.
"She isn't. But we have many other guests," answered Lillie, approaching to give Jason a transient peck on the lips before pulling him along with a smile, stating, "I think you're going to like it."
Though many questions appeared in his mind, Jason allowed himself to be pulled along to the entrance of his and Lillie's shared bedroom. What awaited him when she opened it was the scene of Maeve, Seren, Skyler, and Bianca seated on the floor around dishes of fruit, bread, and a variety of snacks in similarly cute, color-coded pajamas. Maeve was dressed as a pink Deerling; Seren was a Dragonair; Skyler was a Wigglytuff; and Bianca was a Politoad.
'I definitely missed a development somewhere...' noted Jason, entering the room at Lillie's insistence, prompting the four women to rise to their feet. Maeve looked by far the most nervous and uncomfortable within the group, but she was the first to step toward him, her expression serious as she expressed, "I'm in this for the long haul..." before wrapping her arms around him.
As his brain began piecing things together, Jason followed Maeve's lead by angling his head in the opposite direction and meeting her halfway for a kiss. He would later learn that she and the other women present had all agreed to help him and Lillie prepare for his inevitable return to his world. And while it was still up for discussion how each of them would help, that decision translated to a nearly fifty-year commitment to, at the very least, work together and support one another...
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With several hours passing since Lillie's confrontation with the members of the research team, Korrina found herself feeling listless as she lay face down atop a comfortable, king-sized mattress in nothing but a white tee and red short shorts. She would ordinarily spend her free time exercising or training her Pokémon, but as days turned to weeks since the last time she had seen Jason, she felt increasingly empty. Not depressively so, but in a way where she wondered why she was working so hard to finish the Island Challenge and appeal to complete strangers when there was a boy she really liked waiting for her return...
"I wonder...is this what it feels like to be in love...?" Korrina asked herself, turning onto her side and habitually tucking her hands between her thighs to warm them as she stared at the nearby clock. Jason was a creature of habit, so she knew that, at that moment, he was most likely settling in for the night with either Lillie, Ellaine, or Wicke. And the more such thoughts played in her mind, the more she realized she missed his intense passion and earnestness. Sure, it wasn't as exciting as leaping out of a plane and surfing six-meter swells, but there was one thing Jason could provide her that nothing else could...a feeling of contentedness that transcended the need for stimulation...
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(A/N: I'm currently hosting a poll on my patreon, so if you would like to see more of this or any of my other stories, feel free to drop by and make your voice known. The link will be in the comments section.)