Until a cough broke the heavy silence.
All four of us flinched at once.
My arms loosened.
Meowscarada's paw froze against my back before slowly slipping away.
Gardevoir's trembling fingers pulled back from me.
Lopunny's long ears shot straight up, twitching sharply toward the noise.
And just like that, the warmth surrounding us shattered.
Someone was behind us…
I twisted sharply toward the sound, heart slamming violently against my ribs.
My eyes instantly landed on the figure standing at the edge of the clearing.
And he was huge.
Easily seven feet tall with a broad, powerfully built frame shaped by years of hard training. His shoulders stretched wide beneath his clothes, giving him an imposing presence without even trying.
Yet strangely… he didn't feel threatening.
He stood there casually, one hand resting near his pocket while the other hung loosely at his side, like he had simply wandered into the clearing by accident.
Messy ocean-blue hair fell across his forehead, framing sharp light-blue eyes.
Those eyes drifted over me before settling on Meowscarada, Gardevoir, and Lopunny still pressed tightly against my sides.
There was no disgust on his face.
No shock either.
Only a strange sort of warmth. Almost gentle. Like he had stumbled onto something completely natural.
Beside him stood an elegant Espeon.
Her sleek fur shimmered beneath the scattered sunlight filtering through the trees, giving her an almost dreamlike glow. The red gem on her forehead pulsed softly while calm purple eyes swept silently across us.
And somehow…
She looked even less surprised than he did.
My stomach dropped.
How long had they been standing there?
The last few minutes crashed violently through my mind.
The tears.
The desperate hugs.
My complete breakdown.
The way I had clung to the girls while whispering sorry again and again.
And even before that…
The moss beneath us.
Their bodies tangled around mine.
Soft moans.
Heavy breaths.
Hands.
Fur.
Heat.
My entire face burned.
Suddenly, every inch of my skin felt painfully exposed, flushed hot with raw embarrassment beneath that calm, knowing gaze.
I swallowed hard as the girls instinctively shifted closer against me, their warmth pressing softly into my sides while the stranger continued watching us in quiet silence.
The man let out a warm, rumbling laugh.
It wasn't mocking.
It wasn't cruel.
It sounded more like the kind of laugh someone gives after witnessing something unexpectedly heartfelt, something so sincere they cannot help but smile at it…
Slowly, he raised both hands with palms facing us and fingers spread wide in a calm, harmless gesture.
The kind people use to show they mean no harm.
"Easy there," he said gently.
His voice was deep enough to vibrate faintly in my chest, yet there was an easy warmth behind it that softened the sheer size of him. Familiar somehow. Comforting in a strange way I couldn't explain.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to judge."
He tilted his head slightly, and for a brief moment something softer crossed his face as his eyes drifted toward the girls still pressed tightly against my sides.
"I've seen a lot of things across many worlds," he continued quietly. "But loving your Pokémon like that?"
A small smile touched his lips.
"That's beautiful. Nothing to be ashamed of."
I stared at him.
Across many worlds…?
What did that even mean?
The man slowly crouched beside his Espeon, all that overwhelming size somehow becoming gentler the moment his attention shifted toward her.
His large hand moved behind her ears, thick fingers scratching softly through her fur.
"Espe~♡"
The elegant Psychic-type immediately melted into his touch, eyes slipping half-closed as she pressed her cheek firmly against his palm.
And the way he looked at her while she melted happily into his touch…
It caught me off guard.
There was affection there.
Real affection.
Not the distant kind a Trainer gave a partner.
Not simple pride either.
It was deeper.
Softer.
The same kind of tenderness I saw in Meowscarada's eyes when she curled against me at night.
The same warmth in Gardevoir's touch whenever she held my face.
The same devotion in the way Lopunny clung to me like I was her entire world.
His thumb brushed gently along Espeon's cheek while she happily rubbed against his hand again. Completely comfortable. Like this kind of closeness was normal for them.
Natural.
Loved.
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry as heat continued burning across my face while the girls stayed pressed tightly against me in silent support.
"You… heard us?" I asked quietly.
My voice came out smaller than I wanted.
Almost fragile.
The man nodded once.
Simple.
Honest.
"I heard."
The quiet amusement in his light-blue eyes softened into something gentler. Something strangely understanding.
Then he let out a light chuckle and gave a small, polite bow, one large hand resting against his broad chest.
"Ah, where are my manners?" he said smoothly, his voice warm and polished. "I should have introduced myself properly from the very beginning. My name is Gil Crest, and this lovely lady here is my partner, Espeon."
"Espe~♡"
The elegant Psychic-type dipped her head gracefully beside him. Her purple eyes stayed calm and warm as her forked tail swayed lazily behind her.
"Ryan," I answered slowly. "This is Meowscarada, Gardevoir, and Lopunny."
[Note: I forgot Ryan's surname.]
Even now, I was still struggling to process what was happening.
But Gil smiled faintly, his light-blue eyes shifting warmly to each of the girls in turn.
"Nice to meet you, Ryan," he said. "And it's a pleasure to meet you three beautiful ladies as well."
I blinked, caught slightly off guard by how naturally refined he sounded. It wasn't forced or overly formal.
Just… effortless.
Like manners and elegance had been woven into him so deeply he no longer even thought about them.
A brief silence settled over the clearing before the warmth in his expression softened again.
"But what you told them… isn't entirely correct."
My breath caught sharply in my chest.
For a second, the world genuinely seemed to tilt beneath me, my thoughts crashing together so violently I could barely hold onto any of them.
Isn't correct…?
Behind me, Meowscarada's ears shot straight up with a sharp swish of air.
Gardevoir's crimson eyes widened as something fragile and desperate flickered across them.
Hope.
Lopunny let out the tiniest squeak before pressing even closer against my side, her fluffy body trembling with nervous energy.
Gil slowly straightened back to his full height, sunlight spilling across his messy ocean-blue hair and turning it almost liquid beneath the golden light.
"Having children with your Pokémon isn't impossible," he said carefully.
"It's just… extremely difficult. The kind of thing that sends people chasing forgotten places, ancient knowledge, and answers buried across the world. And the road to finding those answers is dangerous enough that most never make it to the end."