The Other Side of the Coin

The day dragged on.

At first the two had considered exploring more, but the trails down in the Route 205 Valley were even less wheelchair accessible than most. Clearly the Pokémon down here didn’t expect regular, or impaired, visitors.

So, to the clearing they stuck. It wasn’t long till the cards came out again. Gem was trying to teach her some Hoenn variant of poker.

It wasn’t going well.

Maybe it was just the heat, but it was possible that Hailey just had no pokerface whatsoever. Gem certainly always seemed to know when she was trying to bluff. The Minun was being encouraging, but she also had a hard time not giggling when she saw a tell.

“Go fish.” Hailey said, in an exhausted huff, tossing her cards on the small folding camp table that was part of their supplies. Even that gentle impact almost sent it tilting over.

“Not even a Magikarp would take that bait, doll.” Gem grinned. “We can take a break if you want though.”

“Break to do what? More cloud watching? Ugh, I’m just mad I can’t seem to read your face at all!”

“That is because I’m a master gambler! You should see me hit up the Game Corner!” A fact Hailey very much doubted, “but also, you’re just not used to having people study you, well, your face that is.”

Hailey just sighed at that, it wasn’t untrue. “The feeling’s mutual, I hate that it’s so hard to look people right in the face, makes me feel like a child, but I’m so used to just drifting away and ignoring everyone, that used to be mutual.”

“Welp, nothing for it but practise! Here, I’ll help, you can gaze upon my gorgeous form as long as you need.” Gem leaned forward, elbows on the table, sending some cards scattering to the grass. Eyes closed, her face was a picture of saucy mirth.

Hailey just reached across and pinched her cheek.

“You’d like that wouldn’t you, you little one track mind?” The delighted notes in the squeal were all the confirmation she needed.

“Still, I really do need to get better.” Hailey sighed, and leaned back in the chair. “I was the one who wanted to get out in the world, even if I didn’t think there would be much socializing it seems to have found me anyway somehow.” An idle thought had her pull the Dex from her pocket and flip it open.

“It is easier through the camera though…” she muttered. “Nothing but subject, framing, and composition there.”

“I knew there was something! C’mon, you know you wanna!” The Minun was practically begging. Hailey thought about teasing her some more, but what the heck. Weren’t you supposed to indulge your partners sometimes?

Gem practically jumped at the sound of the shutter flicking open.

“I call this one ‘pure maiden on a summers day’.” Gem said, lying down in the grass, legs kicked up behind her as she rested her head on her arms.

“I call it ‘girl who’s staining her nice clothes with grass’.” Hailey muttered, eyes fixed on the screen. To her credit, the Minun could actually pull off innocent surprisingly well, or perhaps dangerously well. If it wasn’t for the cheerleader getup… perhaps a nice sundress, she could easily be part of one of those cloyingly chaste calendars they’d sold in the hospital gift shop.

“Stained? Please doll, have some faith, I went for stain resistant fabrics. Now this one I call the Martini Glance.” It probably would work better sitting at an actual fancy bar instead of tipping back on a camp chair, miming a cocktail glass with a plastic cup. Even so, Hailey resolved to be careful about letting Gem glance over her shoulder at her.

“Have you even ever been in a fancy club? Pretty sure those places have, like, bouncers and cover charges.”

Gem merely scoffed as she stretched between poses. “Course I have, Mauville has a pretty big nightlife, not that it ever led to anything. Only so many overpriced drinks you can swirl around before you just say fuck it.” She trailed off.

“And what would you have done there? Surrounded by, I presume, flashing lights and drunk ladies?” It probably wasn’t the best to linger on an old hurt, a psychologist might have told Hailey, but it was the first thing she could think of to try and head off a spiral. Luckily, the intention seemed to have gone through.

“Oh don’t get me started, I had it all planned out. Sitting on a stool, sipping my drink, I’d catch someone’s eye from across the floor. Sometimes I’d think about them coming up to me, but I think I’d rather do the approaching actually. Lock gazes with them, hop down off the stool, and just stride across the floor to their table. Think I’d need a nice dress to really pull it off, just don’t know what style yet.”

“Uh huh, yeah.” Hailey was barely paying attention. She’d known Gem liked to strut since basically they’d first met, so it was no surprise she was doing so again. The only difference was she was holding it now, not moving.

One leg back, one leg out, slightly lifting her skirt, but not enough to see under it like the other night. Her belly was stretched, taunt, above it one shoulder dipped. Her face was the focal point though, of the shot of course.

Gem didn’t really have much of a muzzle like some Pokémon, so her face was shaped more like a humans. Except it was covered in a fine layer of yellow fur, so smooth and silky you could almost forget it was there. At the top it merged with her head fuzz to drop down in a little fringe, briefly Hailey wondered what it would look like if she grew it out, long enough to cover her right eye. The thought made her shudder for some reason.

Really, Gem was a mirror to her, a much better looking mirror. They were both small, but Gem was better proportioned. Slender, but the Minun wasn’t boney. Sharp tongued, but her partner had a cute face to help her pull it off. Hailey resisted the urge to reach up and touch her own face. Sunken, sallow, perpetually weary vs robust and rosy, or at least it would have been rosy if her cheeks weren’t permanently dyed blue.

The hardest part to look at, though, was her eyes.

Big, huge even, electric blue, highlighted in black, though Hailey didn’t think she’d ever seen Gem putting on mascara. Even when they were half lidded, sultry, they were still more awake than her own.

Even through the distancing medium of the camera they were… distracting, uncomfortable. There was no reason on Arceus’ green earth that they should have been looking at her that way.

It was all she could do to control the shaking in her hands, which was why Gem suddenly speaking nearly made her jump.

“Some-oneeeeeees thinking that she’s not worth it again!” Hailey had to focus on the screen to avoid looking at that smug grin.

“Liar! You said the bond didn’t let you read minds!” Ok, perhaps that wasn’t the smartest thing to yell out, but she was flustered.

Gem’s cackle only reaffirmed her embarrassment. “It doesn’t you silly Swana! But you have, like, three expressions, and I don’t think you’re pissed off right now…” No longer standing still, Gem strode forward, and in only a few steps she was right in front of Hailey. From there it was simplicity itself for the Minun to crawl up onto her lap. Legs over the arm rest, one arm around her neck. The camera screen was just a mess of yellow fur now, but Hailey still clung to it.

“No, I think you’re feeling something else. What is it Doll?”

Even if she’d wanted to talk, her jaw had firmly latched itself shut, instinctive protection against making a fool of herself.

“If you don’t say anything I guess I’ll just assume you are overcome with lust, only barely holding yourself back from holding me down and groping my tender…”

“You, uh, have a very nice face?” Hailey blurted out, more to keep Gem from talking than any other reason. It worked, as her partner fell into fits of snorts and giggles, which was only slightly better.

“Gee, thanks, you sure know how to make a girl feel sexy.” Gem teased, in a lighthearted manner.

“Well… what else am I supposed to say!”

“I dunno, that’s your job!” Gem couldn’t stop herself from laughing, feeding off her partners awkwardness. “C’mon, hit me with some soap opera lines, tell me my eyes sparkle like sapphires or something.”

“But they’re soooooo corny!” Hailey would have buried her head in her hands if Gem hadn’t been in the way.

“Maybe I like corny!” Gem said, before dropping her voice lower. “But then again, you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” With one hand still wrapped around Hailey’s neck, her other reached out to grab its human counterpart. “You can touch you know, you’re allowed. In fact, I insist.” The final line was whispered right into her ear as Gem shifted around, now in a wide kneel, knee on either side of Hailey’s thin legs, so she could face her directly.

What exactly were her options here? Shove Gem off? No, that would be plain mean. Just sit there like a Stantler in the headlights? That would be even more embarrassing! Really, the only sensible option… was to touch her.

And Hailey was starting to realize she really did want to do that.

Her hands raised, shakily, and started petting the Minun. Not on the chest, or the hips, she wasn’t quite that bold yet, but even her arms, shoulders, thighs were fascinating to explore.

Gem really was soft to the touch, her short fur almost conforming around the hand. Under the fur was even more surprising though. Gem might be small, relatively wiry except for her thighs, but it wasn’t just bone under there, Hailey could feel the muscle. Hailey could tell that, even if she was a normal, healthy girl, the diminutive electric type would still have been many times stronger than her.

The fact that she was just kneeling there, letting Hailey run her hands all over her, only responding with small noises of approval and pleasure? It was making her feel something.

Next she moved to Gem’s face.

If anything, her cheeks were even softer than her thighs. It was so pleasant to just rub them, run her hands up and down her ears, cup the Minun’s chin. Gem was fully leaning into it now, eyes closed, almost purring. However, this close up, something else was becoming distracting.

Gem’s lips.

Like the rest of her partner they were… petite, nothing like this one Kangaskhan she’d saw seen years ago and which had, for some reason, stuck in her memory. Still, they were full, smiling occasionally the tip of her bright blue tongue stuck out.

Inviting, that was the word.

Logically, Hailey knew it wasn’t really a big deal, kissing was about the most minor thing people did with their partners. Hell, even teenagers would sneak out to go play spin the bottle with some wilds or their older siblings partners, or so TV told her. While Gem might make a catty comment about it, that wasn’t her being mean, she’d probably be thrilled!

Still, that didn’t make it any easier. What did was the fact that the Minun’s eyes were closed. If she’d been watching…

Fuck it, the midday heat was making her feel a little daring.

Leaning in, it was just a quick peck, missing the lips, but it still it made her face burn. Not helped by the eruption of giggles out of Gem

“Oh Arceus! Help! This devious human is taking advantage of my poor body!”

“S-shut up!” Hailey started to move back, only to run into the impediment that there was now a hand behind her head. Gem’s eyes were visible now, boring holes through her.

“Oh no no no, no kiss and run here. You need to learn your lesson.” That was the only warning Hailey got before the Minun dove right in.

The first sensation was that of lips on lips. Hailey could only perceive her own as dry, a bit cracked, but Gem’s were soft, damp, and felt like they were burning hot. There wasn’t much time to appreciate them though, as that cheeky blue tongue was quick to work. Even if she was in a mind to put up much resistance it felt like it could have forced it’s way in anyway.

Hailey had never quite gotten what people liked so much about kissing, but she was coming around. The sensation was… weird. Gem was leaving no corner of her mouth unexplored, even dipping further back. It shouldn’t have felt good.

And yet.

AND YET.

She wanted more.

Hailey found herself pushing back, or as much as she could against her much stronger partner. Gem held firm, but was clearly pleased, at least if the noises she was making were any indication. It wasn’t much of a battle, but still, that breathless feeling was only partially due to growing oxygen deprivation.

It wasn’t clear how long it lasted, only that Gem was the one to break things off, pulling back with a deep gasp while Hailey was left wheezing. Despite the exertion, it almost seemed like Gem was the one left more discombobulated, through tears of strain Hailey could almost see a shudder run up her spine.

“Ooooooooooooh Arceus, that’s it, that’s what I’ve been missing!”

“What, messing around with Pomona wasn’t doing it for you?” Hailey coughed. Despite what her body was telling her, she wanted to dive back in. It was the most comfortable she’d ever felt while hacking her lungs up.

“That’s all good fun, even better with a Bonded Mon, but it’s not the same. I know you don’t get it yet Hailey, but I could feel it! You wanted me, needed me! Sweeter than anything in the world, fills a girl up more than a fat equine co-!”

There were some things Hailey wasn’t interested in hearing yet, but she really wanted to explore this whole Bond thing a bit more.

So she dove back in.