His battling days were long behind him—but any person could see that Asher was still not a pokemon to be trifled with.

Shauna hummed as they walked down the streets of Malie City. Malie was the perfect spot for the two of them to have settled in once they’d moved to Alola; it reminded her so much of her native Johto, after all. The lanterns set in archways, the swaying stalks of bamboo, the salty spray of the sea always ebbing and flowing against the docks… it was truly like a paradise on earth.

But though Malie was quiet, a tough enough pokemon could turn heads. She and Asher had been here for months, and the locals were still getting used to him. He was a lumbering behemoth of a Typhlosion, a rough collar of flame ringing his neck and spilling over his shoulders, the fire shining amber-orange against the darkening sky.

She and Asher had started their journey back in Johto, scrapping against Gyms and proving themselves to passing trainers. Shauna had amassed a potent team of battlers, but as her starter, Asher was indisputably her ace… he’d quickly evolved from a spunky Cyndaquil into a proud and powerful Quilava, and then again as a mighty Typhlosion.

It was then that he’d begun to court her. At first, Shauna had thought she’d misinterpreted his gestures, his forwardness and affection. It wasn’t until he persisted that she’d realized just what exactly her starter had in mind for the two of them.

The realization—that her own pokemon wanted to date her—had initially filled her with shock. But that shock quickly morphed into acceptance. It had been tentative, at first… almost as if they’d been playing at romance. A small date here, some cuddling there… But she’d quickly realized the depths of Asher’s affection and loyalty, and soon it became real; and before long, the young woman and her pokemon had progressed things to the next level.

Her smile broadened as she thought about it, giddiness and arousal burning her cheeks. She’d gone from training her Typhlosion to dating him… and taking him to bed.

What a world.

Her polished black shoes clipped against the sidewalk briskly as she walked. Behind her, Asher kept pace. She didn’t need to turn to see him; she knew him well enough to picture him in her mind’s eye, her Typhlosion dutifully holding her designer black leather bag like the world’s burliest valet. What a sight he must have made!

She stopped to regale the Alolan air. The sky was purpling as dusk faded into evening, a few of the early stars coming out; they gleamed against the darkness. The sight of them brought her comfort, as did the warm nearness of Asher holding close behind her.

Ironically enough, the start of their relationship had been the end of their battling career. Shauna’d had no problem sending her ace pokemon, her oldest partner, out in battle against powerful opponents… but once he became her boyfriend…

Well, suddenly even a minor scrape became something to wring her hands over, and the thought of a formidable adversary had become an insurmountable terror. If something happened to him…!

Thankfully, battling wasn’t the only way for a trainer to prove her worth. They’d pivoted to contests and found their true calling, their emotional and physical closeness translating to an inimitable stage presence. Asher wasn’t just a roughhouser on the battlefield; he was surprisingly dexterous for his size, even graceful. Their signature move was him sending up a spray of embers, the flickering lights drifting earthward as trainer and pokemon danced close, the spectacle ending with her held in her pokemon’s arms, the two of them locking gazes as the firelight danced and died around them. It always drew the crowd wild, even bringing romantic sighs from some of the onlookers. She and Asher had never kissed on stage; going that far was considered a bit gauche. But it was clear to anybody with eyes that the two of them were intimate.

Not that anyone minded. Human and pokemon relationships were uncommon but hardly considered immoral, and there was an extra layer of acceptance on the contest scene, where a closeness between partners was idolized and championed.

And after that, they’d toured the regions. Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kalos… every major region except Galar, thanks to its senseless ban of so many foreign species. Alola had been their last, and so they’d settled… though not without occasionally living the old dream. They’d won another contest the previous day, and Shauna beamed at the thought of the shiny new ribbon nestled in its case alongside so many of her others. She and Asher had decided to celebrate their victory.

And how better to do that than with a date?

Finally, they reached their destination: the Malie Garden. Having already planned their trip in advance, Shauna reached behind back to the purse that Asher was holding. Once she fished out a ticket, the attendant smiled and waved her through.

Glowing lanterns lit the inside of the garden, their inviting light a counterpoint to Asher’s slightly wilder glow. The evening was cool and pleasant, the garden plants dancing in the wind. A few other evening visitors strolled down the paths and across the bridges; most of them were probably on dates as well. Shauna could make out a man on a bench with a woman leaning her head on his shoulder, another woman farther in standing a bit closer to a Lucario than would be expected of someone with a typical trainer/trained relationship.

Spinning, she beamed up at her pokemon. “So,” she said, “where do you wanna go first?”

A low rumble sounded in his chest for a moment, and then Asher took the lead, Shauna following after. The two of them traversed a bridge of lacquered red wood; the water underneath burbled slightly, nature’s joy come to life. From her side, Shauna heard a soft laugh as a nearby couple held each other, one trailing kisses down the other’s neck.

They made their way to the tea shop in the park’s central island, still open despite this late hour. The pleasant old man who ran the shop, wrinkles creasing his eyes as he smiled, handed them two cups of steaming tea. The warmth bled through the porcelain and into Shauna’s fingers, and she sipped it delicately, shuddering at the warmth and the subtle notes of taste that played about her tongue.

They maneuvered to a solitary bench at the park’s edge; by now night had truly fallen, the sky a tableau of purple and navy, all but the brightest stars hidden by the city lights. Still, as the steam drifted up into the air, Shauna sipped her tea happily, scooching over on the stone bench to give Asher space to sit with her. The Typhlosion settled in, barely fitting onto the bench, and then he impishly downed the whole cup in one gulp.

“Asher!” Shauna laughed, swatting his side good-naturedly. “You’re not getting another one, you know!” He rumbled merrily in response and then shifted, nuzzling close to her—his presence warm and soft and safe.

How long did they spend like that, just quietly basking in one another’s company? Shauna couldn’t say for certain. However long it was, in her opinion it wasn’t long enough; she could have spent eons like this, the warm tea nestled like a spark in her stomach matched by the external warmth of Asher’s fur pressing against her. Some trainers thought Fire-types’ powers made them too blazing or powerful to nurture and embrace, but Asher was no Magcargo dripping with molten stone; he could regulate his heat to temperatures quite comfortable for a human, his collar of fire having waned down to a tiny glowing ring.

Eventually, her own tea was finished and Shauna, almost as by second nature, found herself laying on her side, her legs and hips on the stone bench with her head and torso nestled in Asher’s lap. She sighed with contentment; this closeness was what she lived for. Both of them, in fact.

Asher’s fur wasn’t coarse or rough, but neither was it supple and pliant. It was both strong and comforting, firm and inviting, like a quilt of peerless weave to pull over yourself as you slept.

A presence in her hair told her that Asher’s paw had drifted there. Shauna smiled, humming mildly to herself as he stroked her mahogany locks. The repetitive gesture lulled her into a half-sleepy state and she was content to just rest there with her pokemon, her partner, her lover, as he stroked and cared for her, his own chest rumbling slightly with affection and interest.

How far away their meeting seemed, the girl from Johto and the pugnacious Cyndaquil serving as her starter. Had anyone told Shauna then where fate would take her and Asher, would she have believed them? Could she have? To passionately love her pokemon…