Chp 12: Workout

	"Maylene?" Seth said.

	"Oh, hey." She said, breaking off her fight with her lucario and turning to face him. 

	"Ready for our rematch?"

	"Are you okay? Like in the head? Cause no sane person would try again after yesterday." 

	"Well I-"

	"No. I will not fight you... but against my better judgment, I will allow you full access to the gym. You can train up as much as you want here, and I will fight you once you are fully, FULLY, healed." She said. 

	"Wait, can trainers not use this gym for free?"

	"Well the league gym part, yeah, but the equipment and stuff requires a membership, usually. Let's just say that conviction of yours reminds me of myself. And I swear, if you kill yourself in my gym, I will chase you into the afterlife and kick your ass."

	"Okay..." Seth said, looking around. "I have never been to a gym in my life..." He muttered. He crossed over to some weights. He had to be careful in here though. Usually, he would transform for a split second to do any heavy lifting, and adrenaline could start his transformations. In here, he would have to remain fully human. He had about two seconds if he changed forms accidentally before fur would come out. He was committed to getting stronger as a human, and fighting Maylene, as a full human, would be the perfect goal.

	"Me and Sky are gonna hit the treadmills." Soul said. 

	He nodded. He experimentally picked up a few weights, until he found one that felt heavy enough. With it in hand, he went over to the girls and sat on a bench nearby. He began to do curls while watching the girls. This place was not meant only for humans, and most equipment was set up so that pokemon could use them. The treadmills came in several sizes, with controls also located on the base too. Soul and Sky both claimed one, Soul having hers on high as she sprinted, and Sky at a slow jog. Seth's healing last night had helped a lot. He no longer needed the crutch, and it was longer agony to merely exist. He was still sore though, and moving was difficult. That and the pain of breathing. But it was nothing he couldn't handle. 

	There was a TV on hanging from the nearby wall, but the sounds from the rest of the gym drowned it out. There were subtitles on however. "Breaking news from Solaceon Town. The day care-"

	"Boring." Soul muttered, hopping off and changing the channel with the remote that sat below the TV. 

	After a while, Seth experimentally flexed his leg. "I think I'll take a run." He went over to return the weights, and got onto a treadmill, right next to Soul.

	"Hey, wanna race?" Soul said.

	"Alright." 

	"Top speed, first one to stop loses." She said, cranking it up. 

	Seth turned his up too, having to immediately go all out sprinting to avoid falling off. Soul was also hauling ass. After about thirty seconds, with Seth's lungs burning and legs screaming, he felt his skin prickle. He tried to hold it off, but the distraction caused him to step forward wrong, forcing him to jump onto the sides or slide off.

	"Ha, my win!" Soul gloated. 

	Seth turned the treadmill off, slumping over on it to catch his breath. "Alright... Let's go home." 

	They arrived back in the room, Seth collapsing on the bed. 

	"Remote." Soul said.

	"Shit, I don't think I can even move." 

	Soul got up and walked over him, reaching across and pulling the remote onto the bed and to the foot. Things went as usual for the rest of the day, just all of them relaxing from a few hours of exercise. Once the sun set, Seth didn't bother, or want, to get up and turn the lights on, so they just sat with the light of the TV. Sky had migrated up to Seth's side, allowing him to slowly pet her. 

	Once it was time for bed, Soul shut off the TV and crawled on top of Seth. "So, I recall you owing me something." 

	"Yea, I know, but I can barely move." 

	"Just relax and let me take care of everything~" 

	"Alright, I think I can manage." His entire body clenched under her as he swiftly transformed into an anthro absol. "Sky?" 

	"I'm fine. You two go ahead." She said, curling up, but still watching. 

	Soul moved up a bit, so her rear was in the right place. His clothing had merged with his human form and been replaced with a luxurious white coat, similar to hers, but shorter. When he transformed, first fur sprouted, and then his clothes faded away. They always reappeared after he turned back though. The only thing that was unique to his pokemon forms was on his lucario one, which was missing half its aura sensors, and had a collar. 

	She lowered and began to rub her damp lips against his sheath. But nothing happened. "What's up?" 

	"I dunno. I guess I hurt too much for a boner. Or too exhausted. I'm not resisting or anything, it's just not happening." 

	"Oh..." Soul said, sounding a bit depressed. She rolled over, going belly up next to him and cuddling into his furry side. 

	"Sound's like someone else misses being intimate too." Sky said.

	"Kinda. No cock for three months can do that to a girl." 

	"That's just her way of saying she loves you." Sky said.

	Soul glared at her, before lowering her head and closing her eyes. "That should be obvious. Let's just hit the hay. We've got another long day at the gym tomorrow. Your mate's gonna need a good lay after we beat Maylene." 

+++

	"You know, most people don't work this diligently, especially when injured." Maylene said, peering down at Seth. He was lying on his back, lifting weights, with Sky spotting him. "Kinda impressive." She sat down on the bench next to him, wiping the sweat off her brow with the towel around her neck. "Most trainers just let me beat the shit out of them until their pokemon can beat mine. No one really ever puts up a fight." She got up and looked down at Seth with a serious glare. "Just to let you know what you're working for. Don't disappoint me." She threatened. 

	She delivered a sharp chop to Seth's shoulder before leaving. Seth shelved the weight, and clutched it. "Shitfuck, that hurt." He looked at the gym leader as she walked away. "She was holding back that first time." 

+++

	"One on one? That it?" Soul asked. "You know how this will end, right?" 

	"Yeah, I know exactly what I'm getting into. And don't hold back." Seth said.

	"Alright~ Don't come crying to me when this is over." She said, lowering her head. 

	It was later in the day, after the sun had set, and the gym was officially closed. Maylene had allowed Seth to stay and retired to her quarters in the back. Most of the lights in the building were off, but Seth knew where the controls were, so that wasn't a problem. Sky was just next to the ring, which was only about a foot off the ground, looking in. 

	"Don't go too hard." Sky said. 

	Soul was off like a bullet, diving towards Seth in a blur and slashing him with her horn as she shot by. It felt like he took a punch to the gut, but it was spread over a line. He grunted but remained standing. Until she kicked him hard in the back of the knee that was. He stumbled forward, grabbing the rope to steady himself. He turned around, catching her horn with his hands before she could charge into him again. The force pushed him back, but the ropes held him in the ring. He leaned forward, wrapping an upper arm around her neck, trying to upend her and get her on her back. He succeeded, pinning her under him. But just as quickly, she spun around, pinning him. 

	"Ha. Nice try squishy." 

	"Who's squishy now?" He asked sarcastically, pushing up, moving his hands to her shoulders and lifting. She squirmed and leapt back, out of his grasp. 

	"So you have gotten tougher. Still just a human though." She opened her mouth and fired an ice beam across the floor, encasing his feet in ice. 

	"Shit! That's not fair! And that's really cold!" He said, trying to pry himself free.

	"Maylene won't hold back. She'll pull out all the stops against you, and so will I." She jumped into the air, swinging both her paws down at him. One left a trail of dark energy, the other psychic. Moves had a similar effect on humans, in that it would not leave real harm if the pokemon did not intend it, but they hit a lot harder, mostly due to the power gap. The force of the two attacks knocked Seth back and onto his ass. He prevented himself from falling all the way over with his palms behind him. He was totally out of breath, and he could barely get back up. But he was not done, and get up he did. 

	This didn't last long, as Soul charged once again. She head butted him squarely in the chest, but he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her neck, holding on tight. She tossed her head back, lifting him and throwing him up and over her. He lost his grip, flipping through the air and landing on his back. She was on him immediately, pressing her horn into his neck. "There, how about now?" She said. 

	"Yeah..." He said, sounding strained. "That's it." 

	"Damn right it is." She taunted. He was too tired to respond. 

	He drew in a few deep breaths before sitting up. "Alright, let's get out of here." He got to his feet, slid out of the ring, and went for the doors. But when he pushed on them, they didn't budge. "Great. Maylene probably has keys." 

	"Umm, that may not be a good idea..." Sky muttered, but the others were already off and didn't hear her. Seth lead the way to the rear of the building and knocked on the door, before opening it. 

	"Just a second." Maylene called out, but it was too late. The door was open and they could see everything. She was naked, and had her hand wrapped around the base of her lucario's dick, which stood tall as he sat down. They both separated, Maylene covering her small breasts and Lucario trying to hide his massive erection. 

	"Oh shit, I'm so sorry!" Seth said, looking away. "Uhh, we're locked in."

	"The keys are right there, on the hook." She said, pointing with one hand as her other arm covered herself. 

	Seth looked over, finding the keys and grabbing them. "I'll... leave them next to the door. Uhh, see you tomorrow." He said awkwardly.

+++

	"Seth. Come with me." Maylene said. She walked up to him as he was training. 

	"Okay?" He said. He followed her back into her room, with her shutting the door before the girls could come in. This left only him, her, and her lucario. 

	Maylene clinched her fists and looked at him sternly. "I expect your silence."

	"What? Oh... that. Yeah, I really don't care what you do." 

	She breathed a sigh. "Alright. That's good. While not illegal... our type of relationship isn't well liked. I could lose my job if it got out." 

	Seth drew his fingers across his mouth. "My lips are sealed." 

	"Good. I'll be around whenever you want to battle." She opened the door for him and allowed him to leave.

+++

	"So we're gonna try in the morning?" Soul asked.

	"That's what I was planning." Seth said as he relaxed. 

	"So are you gonna fight with me or Soul?" Sky asked.

	"I think I'll go with Soul. You have a type advantage, but having her might throw 'em for a loop. And she's kickass at wrestling." 

	"You don't even know." She said. "And with all your training, we're golden."

	"Would you please promise that you won't do this again? Pushing your body like you have can't be healthy."

	"I know, but I have to be strong. The world seems to be against us, and I don't know what's going to happen next. If we're not ready..." 

	"I'm always ready." Soul bragged. "and with your trump card form-" She covered her mouth. "Opps." 

	"Form? Is she talking about what you did in Snowpoint? What was it?" Sky asked. 

	"Hah..." He sighed. "I guess the cats out of the bag. So I discovered that I can... super charge? If I go into more than one form at a time. I call it Chimera form. That's how I beat Regigigas. But it has too many side effects."