33. Shopping. Again.

[x][Spend time with Woodmouse]
[x] Training, looking for bow for the girl and somewhere to practice

[x]Buy Stuff
[x]Pokegirls (Armsmistress and Dragonqueens)

[x]You've spent enough time here. Time to go...
[x]East

-----------------------------------

"So how does it feel?" you asked. 

"... it's ok?" your still unnamed Woodmouse shrugged. The two of you had spent the afternoon searching for a store selling decent weapons after your pokegirl had announced that the bows being sold at the local pokemart were "not really good". Personally, you couldn't really tell the difference, but since you'd already planned to spend the day with her anyway...

Pulling another arrow out of her quiver, she took a moment to carefully aim and fire the weapon. With a solid thunk, the arrow sank into the target. "Need more practice..." she muttered. 

"You seem to be doing alright," you noted, pointing towards your own target. "At least you're hitting the target most of the time."

"... you're holding it wrong," the mouse said, passing you the bow. "Need to pull it right."

"Can you show me?"

"... sure."

All in all, it's a rather enjoyable day, one that your Woodmouse seems to enjoy just as much as you do. The mouse pokegirl is somewhat shy, preferring to speak only the bare minimum necessary. Despite that, she's surprisingly bright, able to keep up with you and Isadora's discussions fairly easily even though she only learned to speak a few days ago. 

You get the feeling that she'd be more willing to open up once you leave the city. Being in an urban area seems to distress the mouse pokegirl for some reason, making her twitchy and uncomfortably nervous about her surroundings. 

---------------------------

Spent 3, 000 SLC on new Bow!

Woodmouse Social Link Increased!

2d4: 1+1: 2!

Current Social Link: [Rank 1/10] [2/10 to next level]

----------------------------------

The next morning, you make your way back to the Auction House, your metaphorically jingling wallet lending a spring to your step. Unlike last time, you've got more then enough money to afford some of the rarer and more powerful pokegirls. 

You actually made a list last night, trying to think of any pokegirls that might be useful for your harem. In the end, you narrowed it down to two breeds: the Armsmistress and the Dragonqueen. Both would serve as powerful front liners, something which you really do need. In addition, either would serve as useful trainers, though the Dragonqueen is admittedly more suited for that kind of task. 

Finding yourself back in another Purchasing Hall, you quickly type in your search perimeters, all but bouncing in your seat from excitement as the program loads, only to frown as you see the disappointingly few results on your screen. 

It turns out that pokegirls that are known as good Alpha material are always in demand. Add in the fact that dragon types are usually very attractive to battling tamers, and any Dragonqueens on the market tend to get snapped up quickly. 

[Mind Check: 66 92+5 (Academic Dabbler): 97]

Fortunately, you aren't limited to the Auction House stock. Changing to a web browser, you pull up information on every ranch in the league, trying to find any that happen to have Dragonqueens in their stock. You also use the search engine to look for profiles on any high level tamers, scouring several forums until you find a website devoted specifically to selling pokegirls from tamers who recently decided to retire. 

A moment later, your screen is filled with names. 

-------------------------------------------

[] Armsmistress Option A

Price: 75, 000 SLC

Notes: A rare winged Armsmistress, this pokegirl has several years of experience as a tournament battler under a particularly talented tamer. She's an exceptionally skilled duelist, but isn't used to fighting in a team. 

[] Armsmistress Option B

Price: 60, 000 SLC

Notes: Another winged Armsmistress, this individual was put for sale by a ranch specializing in flying types. She's reportedly faster and more maneuverable in the air compared to other members of her breed, but her lack of experience has kept the price somewhat reasonable. 

[] Armsmistress Option C

Price: 50, 000 SLC

Notes: This wingless Armsmistress has spent several years in a blacksmith's shop and is reportedly a skilled armor crafter. However, she is relatively weak by her breed's standards, with no battle experience whatsoever. 

[] Armsmistress Option D

Price: 35, 000 SLC

Notes: A new Threshold, this pokegirl hasn't even crafted her own armor yet. Is completely untrained and will probably need to be broken in before she can be useful. 

-----------------------------------

[] Dragonqueen Option A

Price: 350, 000 SLC

Notes: A Blessed Dragonqueen, this particular pokegirl talented and experienced in both fighting and training. However, it should be noted that she has a very strong moral code and will absolutely refuse to follow any order she regards as evil. 

[] Dragonqueen Option B

Price: 300, 000 SLC

Notes: A former military pokegirl, this Dragonqueen has a file filled with commendations and praise for her professionalism and work ethic. Unfortunately, due to a recent scandal her owner's been forced to retire in disgrace and is selling off all his pokegirls. 

[] Dragonqueen Option C

Price: 250, 000 SLC

Notes: Relatively young and inexperienced, this pokegirl is nevertheless a good example of her breed. Raised in a ranch specializing in dragon types, she's more experienced with fighting then training. While she's a powerful battler, you do find some notes mentioning that she has some kind of problem with other dragon type pokegirls. 

[] Dragonqueen Option D

Price: 225, 000 SLC

Notes: Put on sale after her previous master died, this pokewoman is noticeably older then the others on your list. While she's definitely experienced, you note that she hasn't actually fought any battles for years. 

[] Dragonqueen Option E

Price: 200, 000 SLC

Notes: A reportedly troublesome personality and behavior patterns has driven the price of this pokegirl down slightly. Though she's a decent battler, she's apparently a bit too much of a sadist to make a good trainer. Her last master noted that she seriously hurt one of the pokegirls she was training as punishment for a minor dispute. 

-------------------------------

Current Budget: 384, 500 SLC

32. Punching ferals and other romantic stuff

[X] Make a Call!

- [X] Red (Make contact, set up a meeting point)

[X] Spending time with Isadora

- [X] Date

[X] Fight stuff!

- [X] Ferals (More Titmice)

-----------------------

"BLUUUUEEE! HI!" 

You leaned back from the pokedex, ears ringing slightly as you tried to figure out how to adjust the volume. On the screen, Red's face was zoomed in, giving you a clear and all too close view of her forehead and nothing else. 

"Red, I think you need to zoom out a bit." you said, fiddling around with the settings. "I can't see you."

"OH! SORRY!"

"How do I fix the volume? You're way too loud."

"HANG ON A SEC!" you heard a few beeps from the other side before Red's voice piped up at a much more comfortable volume. "Is this better?"

"Yeah, much better," you replied, even as you figured out how to zoom out the camera. Judging from the background, your old friend seemed to be in a tent of some kind. Red looked the same as ever, lying down on her front as she leaned back to whisper at someone you couldn't see. "How are you doing?" you asked. 

"Great!" she smiled, giggling slightly. "I had some trouble getting to the ranch, but once I got there everything got sorted out."

"Oh? What happened?"

She flushed, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, I may have tried to catch one of the ranch's guards by accident. Turns out they patrol the area regularly to clear out any ferals. I thought it'd be cool to catch a pokegirl before I even got there, so I kinda... ambushed one?"

"Seriously?" you blinked. "Did you get hurt? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Red laughed, waving off your concern. "I was waiting in a tree, so when she walked underneath me I dropped down onto her and hit her with a stick."

"Owtch." you grimaced. You friend may have been human, but thanks to her blood gifts, she could hit hard. "Did you get into trouble for that?"

"Maybe a little bit," she mumbled, playing with her fingers. "The guards got yelled at too, though. Apparently, they were supposed to be going in groups, so the ranch owner was pissed when they sent that girl out by herself." 

"Oh dear," you said, struggling not to smile at the thought of Red lining up with a bunch of ashamed looking guards. "Did you still manage to get your pokegirl?"

"Oh, yeah!" she replied, perking up noticeably before moving out of view. "You haven't seen her yet, right? Miranda, come over here!"

"Wait, wha- eek!" a voice shrieked over the call. You heard a few thumps and some giggling before a rather red faced pokegirl was shoved in front of the camera, trying desperately to cover up her assets. 

"This is Miranda, my Amazon." Red said, even as she spun the naked girl around so that you could get a better view. "She's a bit shy, but she's really strong! She's got this spear thingy that she practices with all the time and it's so cool to watch her go. Oh, right. Miranda, Blue. Blue, Miranda. Hopefully, you guys'll meet in person eventually."  

"It's nice to meet you, Miranda," you said dutifully, even as your friend's starter struggled to get out of Red's grip. "Mistress, please!" the mortified looking pokegirl shrieked. "My clothes!"

"Relax, Mira," Red said, patting her reassuringly. "Blue's cool. You don't need to worry about her."

"B-Be that as it may, I don't like letting anyone else see me like this!" she stuttered, arms crossed protectively over herself. 

"Sorry Miranda, but Red's not exactly the shy type." you piped up. 

The Amazon sighed, suddenly looking far too exhausted. "I know."

As the pokegirl disappeared off-screen, Red settled back down into her former position. "Pretty nice, huh?"

"Oh, I dunno... she seems a little too stressed. Have you been pushing her hard, Red?"

Your friend giggled. "Maaaybe a little? We've been out here for a few days now, trying to find ferals to catch. No luck so far, though! All we've got are a few Cutiepie and a Buzzbreast we tripped over yesterday."

"Really? Where are you guys, anyway?"

"You know Raymond's Rock?" she asked, pulling up a map on screen to show you. "That little town here? I'm in a valley about half a day's walk away from there. There's this forest that supposed to be teeming with Bug types, but so far it's been a bust."

"Oh, too bad. You planning to stay there long?"

"Nah," she shook her head. "There's nothing good around here and my supplies are running out. I'll be packing up and heading back to Raymond's Rock tomorrow."

"Hmm... maybe we could meet up?"

"Yeah, that'd be cool!" Red smiled excitedly. "We'll have a proper battle! Don't think I'll take it easy on you just cause you're a friend, Blue!"

"I wouldn't dream about it." 

--------------------------

After calling Red, taking your Witch for a night out is calm in comparison. The two of you chat amicably over a dinner, tentatively asking questions and getting to know each other better. By the time you get back to the pokecenter, Isadora seems to be much calmer then you've ever seen her. 

While you don't think that you've made any more startling revelations, simply spending more time with her has caused your Witch to become more comfortable around you. 

--------------------------------

Isadora Social Link Increased!

2d4: 3+1: 4!

Current Social Link: [Rank 2/10] [16/20 to next level]

--------------------------------

Your hunting goes both better and worse then you'd expected. Better because you've caught a lot more Titmice this time around, and worse because your still unnamed Woodmouse got pretty badly hurt in the process. 

The poor girl tried her best, but it's obvious that she doesn't feel comfortable in the city. The mouse pokegirl was terribly nervous and seems ill at ease with the idea of fighting up close, possibly because of her low pain tolerance.

Isadora, on the other hand, seems to be getting the hang of using her spells in battle. The Witch enjoys the newly improved potency of her spells, though you've learned that she's very vulnerable while in the middle of casting. A particularly large feral managed to escape by charging her before she could cast, forcing the magic type to abort her spell in order to dive out of the way. 

All in all, you capture a handful of new Titmice, none of which are really worth the effort of keeping. You buy some Fire stones to evolve them into Vestas, then sell them off for a tidy profit.

[Gained 300, 000 SLC]

------------------------

What do you plan to do tomorrow?

(Choose 3)

[] Spend some time with your new Woodmouse
- [] Doing what? (Cuddling, training, date, etc.)

[] Spend some time with Isadora
- [] Doing what? (Cuddling, training, date, etc.)

[] Fight stuff!
- [] Look for more ferals
- [] Challenge someone to a fight

[] Make a call!
- [] Red's mum
- [] Your mum
- [] Red 

- [] Gold (You got his number from Red)

[] Buy stuff!

- [] What?

[] You've spent enough time here. Time to go...
- [] North (back to your hometown)
- [] South (towards the coast. The seaside town of Port Prosperity is supposed to be hosting a festival soon. Maybe you could join in?)
- [] East (towards the town of Raymond's Rock. They're always looking for people to help out in their evolution stone mine. Plus it'd give you a chance to meet up with Red again)
- [] West (There's a bunch of Old World ruins nearby - the remains of a city that was destroyed during the Revenge War. Maybe you could find something interesting?)

31. Making Money

Plan Takeshi:
And we have 7,500 SLC after all our supply purchases. So, we buy two Fire Stones (2x3,000=6000), use them on two of the Titmice, sell them (2x50,000=100,000), which would give us 101,500 SLC. Then we could buy a Leaf and Diamond Stone (3,000+6,000=9,000) and evolve the remaining one into a Woodmouse. That'd give us 92,500 SLC (Minus whatever the cost of a speech T2 is) that we could use to go back to the auction house and get another Pokegirl if we wanted, and a Plant/Ground Pokegirl who could help us with foraging for food out in the wild.

--------------------------------

A lot of tamers would simply sell off the Titmice for pocket change. The mouse girls are common and cheap enough that most wouldn't even bother training them to make them more valuable. 

Most tamers, in your opinion, are lazy idiots. 

While you wait for the healing machine to do its work, you open up your pokedex and use it to check a few things. After calculating prices and sales costs, you come up with a plan that should allow you to gain maximum profit for minimal effort. 

First, you check the marketplace to see if the evolution stone stall is still there. Unfortunately, it seems that they've already left some time ago. Annoying, but luckily you still have a Plan B.

The pokemart is a bit more impersonal then you'd like, but the stones are all good quality and the staff efficient at their jobs. You quickly purchase two Fire Stones and use them to evolve two of your new Titmice into Vestas. 

[Bought 2 Fire Stones (6, 000 SLC)

2 Titmice evolved into Vesta!]

You then sell off the Vesta for a profit of 100, 000 SLC, more then enough to go back to the pokemart and purchase a Leaf and Diamond stone to evolve the final Titmouse into a Woodmouse. You also take the chance to snag a Speech T2 to make it easier to communicate with your new pokegirl.  

[Gained 100, 000 SLC!

Bought Leaf Stone (3, 000 SLC), Diamond Stone (6, 000 SLC) and Single Use Speech T2 (5, 000 SLC)

Titmouse evolved into Woodmouse!

Now at 87, 500 SLC]

By the end of the day, you're exhausted from running around everywhere, but a quick glance at all the money now in your bank account cheers you up immensely. You've gained around 80, 000 SLC and a new pokegirl in a single day. Not bad for a starting tamer. 

Tonight, you'll tamer your new Woodmouse, but what will you do tomorrow? 

(Choose 3)

[] Spend some time with your new Woodmouse

- [] Doing what? (Cuddling, training, date, etc.)

[] Spend some time with Isadora

- [] Doing what? (Cuddling, training, date, etc.)

[] Fight stuff! 

- [] Look for more ferals

- [] Challenge someone to a fight

[] Make a call!

- [] Red's mum

- [] Your mum

- [] Red (You got her contact number from her mum the last time you talked)

- [] Gold You don't have his pokedex number

[] You've spent enough time here. Time to go...

- [] North (back to your hometown)

- [] South (towards the coast. The seaside town of Port Prosperity is supposed to be hosting a festival soon. Maybe you could join in?)

- [] East (towards the town of Raymond's Rock. They're always looking for people to help out in their evolution stone mine)

- [] West (There's a bunch of Old World ruins nearby - the remains of a city that was destroyed during the Revenge War. Maybe you could find something interesting?)

30. The Three Terrible Titmice

[X] Stick to something simple and nonthreatening - there are Titmice scurrying about in the garbage strewn alleyways. They aren't really dangerous, but they'll make a run for it the moment they sense trouble

------------------------

Isadora looked somewhat relieved once she realized that you weren't going to make her fight anything too dangerous. Titmice were relatively harmless and preferred to run rather then fight - the perfect target to test your starter's spells on. 

It took about half an hour to find your first targets - a trio of Titmice rummaging through a dumpster behind a restaurant. A quick glance revealed that two of them were significantly younger then the third - a mother and her kits, perhaps? The older feral moved with a noticeable limp, keeping a wary eye out for any predators. 

Sticking to the shadows, you glanced at Isadora and signaled for her to attack when ready. The Witch frowned, mentally sizing up her opponents before deciding to target the injured feral. She whispered under her breath, spitting out words too quickly for you to comprehend as the air around her grew thick and heavy. 

Sensing trouble, the older Titmouse squealed out a warning. The ferals attempted to scatter, but it was already too late. A greyish-green bolt of energy leaped out of Isadora's fingertips, streaking across the air and striking her target as it tried to flee. The feral shrieked in pain as it collapsed, limbs twitching uncontrollably as it struggled to stand. 

Before it could recover, you stepped forwards, tossing a pokeball even as the other ferals scampered out of sight. A moment later, the device beeped, signalling a successful capture. "Well done, Isadora," you complimented as you picked up the pokeball. "I wasn't expecting you to take one out with a single spell."

"Well, it wasn't that difficult," your Witch said, looking rather pleased with herself. "Sap Strength isn't a very powerful spell, but against a weak and injured target it was perfect."

"Do you know any other spells?" you asked. 

Isadora nodded, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Yes, but I'll need to test them out on something first. That spell... it wasn't much stronger then usual, but I seem to have more control over it now then when I was still... well, before I became this."

Over the course of the afternoon, the two of you explored the back alleys and side paths where Titmice liked to gather. Unfortunately, you only caught two more - it seems that the city recently hired a bunch of tamers to do a purge of any ferals living within the city limits. The ones that survived are cunning, canny, and all too easily spooked. 

While you're a little disappointed at the slim pickings, Isadora at least has gained a bit more combat experience. The Witch revealed two more spells during your hunting attempt: Blinding Curse, which blinds a single target for a few moments and Crippling Curse, which causes the target to suffer horrific agony but drains some of the caster's own life force to cast. In addition, she has access to Mystic Bolt, which she insists is not a "real" spell as it simply involves gathering a chunk of mana and tossing it at an enemy, and Witch's Curse, which she declares to be not worth casting as her curses are more effective. 

The two of you continue hunting until Isadora admits that she's too tired to cast anymore. As you make your way back to the pokecenter, you can't help the urge to keep rubbing the pokeballs on your belt. You've finally caught a pokegirl! Sure, it's just a bunch of Titmice, but it's still better then nothing, right? At the very least, you can sell them for some extra cash. 

Once you reach the (blessedly air conditioned) pokecenter, you speak to the sleepy looking Nurse Joy at the counter and arrange for all your pokegirls to be healed and cleaned. As you wait for the machines to finish their job, you decide to...

[] Sell all three of the Titmice you've caught (gain 30, 000 SLC)

[] Sell two, but keep one for yourself (gain 20, 000 SLC)

[] Sell one, keep two for yourself (gain 10, 000 SLC)

[] Keep all the Titmice? 

---------------------------

AN: Lucky you picked this option. The background rolls were pretty bad, but since you were just chasing Titmice the only thing that happened was that you couldn't find as many as you were supposed to. 

29. Cuddling and Catching Ferals

"You done this before?" you asked, trailing kisses down the Witch's neck. The pokegirl gasped, squirming slightly at the sensation.

But she didn't turn away.

"N-Not with another girl," Isadora muttered. "It feels... different."

"So I'm your first time?" you smirked, pulling her into your lap, hands slipping under her clothes to tease and tweak her nipples. Isadora mewled and moaned, her shivering body leaning into your touch. "Well, I'll need to make this extra special, then, won't I?"

"P-please..." the pokegirl panted. "Ah!"

"Please, what?" you whispered, pinching a hardened nipple between your fingers. "I can't do anything unless I know what you want..."

"M-more..."

"More what?" you pulled your hands down to rest on her belly, ignoring the Witch's groans as she was denied release. You leaned forward, nibbling on her ear as the pokegirl squirmed adorably. "You need to speak clearly~"

"More... mistress." she whispered. "P-please!"

"Well, since you asked so nicely..."

Isadora gasped as your hands roamed her body, arcing her back as one hand rose up to grasp onto a breast while the other went down underneath her skirt.

"Shh... you're a good girl, aren't you? A good pokegirl?" you murmured into her ear, stroking her lower lips gently.

"Yes mistress," she gasped. "I'm a good girl! Imma good girl! Pleasepleaseplease- Ah!"

You bit and suckled onto her neck, leaving behind a trail of hickies as your fingers worked their magic. Isadora's body wasn't as lean and muscular as Red's but it seemed that they both had similar sensitive spots. You ground your palm into her clit as your fingers slipped into her pussy, enjoying the pokegirl's mewls as you stroked her to her first orgasm.

As the Witch collapsed, gasping for breath, you pulled your fingers out of her pussy, raising the dripping digits to her lips. "Clean them." you ordered.

Mindlessly, obediently, she submitted, licking and suckling on your fingers until you pulled them out of her mouth. "Good girl," you whispered, stroking her hair as she relaxed into you. "Now, take your clothes off. You have a nice tongue. I want to see just how good you are at using it."

"Yes Mistress!"

------------------------

Isadora Social Link Increased!

2d4+4: 4+4+4: 12!

Current Social Link: [2/10]! [12/20] to next level!

-----------------------------

The next morning, you slept in a little later then usual, taking the chance to cuddle with your starter pokegirl. The Witch slept soundly, snoring adorably as she wrapped her limbs around you like a particularly clingy limpet. 

As nice as it felt, you did have a schedule to keep to. After gently waking her up and taking a quick shower, the two of you made your way out of the pokecenter and began walking towards the outskirts of the city. 

"So, what exactly are we hunting for, M-mistress?" Isadora asked, stumbling slightly over the title. 

[] Stick to something simple and nonthreatening - there are Titmice scurrying about in the garbage strewn alleyways. They aren't really dangerous, but they'll make a run for it the moment they sense trouble

[] Look for something with a little more bite to it - you've been told that there are feral Kittens and Catgirls that like to lurk in the emptier parts of town. They're sneaky little bitches, but they tend to travel alone

[] How about a REAL challenge - the Nurse Joy at the pokecenter warned you to avoid a certain part of the city. Apparently, a pack of Puppies has taken up residence in one of the abandoned houses in the ghetto. The authorities are planning to send someone to handle it, but if you get there first you might be able to grab one and run away before its friends catch up to you

28. Isadora

"Your name is now Isadora," you decided. Yes, that seems like a nice name.

"Isadora. I-sa-do-ra." the Witch repeated before nodding. "Alright, seems as good as any other name. Anything else you wanted?"

"I know you've been to an actual magic school before, but I'd like to know what exactly you can do." you said, sitting up to look at her better.

The newly named Isadora frowned, tapping her chin as she thought. "Well, I specialized in Black magic, which is, uh, not very nice."

"So... necromancy?"

"That's part of it," she nodded, "but it's more... how do I explain? A lot of my spells are based on decay, entropy, that kind of thing. Really nasty stuff."

Well, even if it wasn't very nice, you could certainly see the uses for something like that. "So how many spells can you cast?"

"I'm... not sure?" the Witch frowned. "It used to be only two, maybe three spells before I used up my mana. Now... I think I can do it more, but I'd need to practice. My magic feels... different."

"Good different or bad different?" you asked, feeling a little concerned.

"Neither. It's just... different." she shook her head. "It's like... getting into your old car and finding out that someone replaced the engine last night. I can cast better now, I think, but I need to get used to it first."

Well, that seems fair enough. You can get her to fight some practice matches in town or go for a walk in the outskirts and find some ferals to beat up. Either way, this feels like it needs to be a priority. Isadora's your starting girl and you need to make sure she can fight effectively.

For now, it's almost dark, You'll both rest for the night and wake up bright and early tomorrow. But first...

You don't think you need to tame her yet, but she's bound to start feeling ferality creeping in soon. Do you want to push the issue or respect her boundaries?
[] Tame Isadora
[] Don't tame Isadora

Tomorrow morning, you'll...
[] Look for a tamer who's willing to have a practice match
[] Look for some ferals to fight

-------------------

Isadora Social Link Increased! 

2d4+2: 4+2+2: 8

Current Social Link: [2/10]! [0/20] to next level!

Isadora is willing to listen to your orders!