After washing Ren, eating lunch, and helping her practice her words for a few hours, Jason gathered with Lillie, Maeve, Seren, Bianca, and Skyler in his room for a detailed explanation of why each of them was there.
"My reason is pretty much the same as what I mentioned when we were alone..." started Maeve, looking uncharacteristically shy and ruddy in the face as she reiterated, "I don't have much going on outside of me being a Trainer. This gives me...direction outside of that. And, beyond that, I think you're a handsome and pretty cool guy..."
With Maeve averted her eyes, puffing her cheeks slightly, and pressing the tips of her fingers together, Jason couldn't help finding her incredibly endearing. A smile naturally graced his lips, but before he could respond or offer his thanks, Seren flatly chimed, "I want to study the relationships between Pokémon and people from other worlds. You're the only person I know from another world, so I'm going to conduct a longitudinal study on the influence you have on Pokémon and vice-versa..."
"So you're only interested in me as a subject of observation...?" asked Jason, unsurprised as Seren, despite her generally taciturn nature, was very diligent when it came to her research.
"That's not the only reason," Seren countered, shaking her head before plainly confessing, "You're my first boyfriend, and finding another would interfere with my research. I also want to keep having sex with you, so I will stay until you chase me away..."
"Mmn...then I'm happy to have you..." responded Jason, nodding. He still wasn't used to hearing people mention sex in such a casual manner, but it no longer left him feeling disjointed or taken aback. And since no one else present so much as batted an eye, it would be strange if he were the only one to frown or fuss.
Pointing to her face with the index fingers of both hands, Bianca beamed and revealed, "As for me, my situation is very similar to Seren's. And it just so happens that I came to the Aether Foundation to broaden my horizons and secure funding for my research into how humans and Pokémon grow stronger together. I also have a keen interest in understanding the origins of people and Pokémon—and I feel that your situation may very well have some correlation to both."
"I can definitely see how you would come to that conclusion..." affirmed Jason, offering another curt nod. Before he could move on to Skyler and presumably close out the explanations, however, Bianca's smile widened in a radiant, closed-eyed expression as she merrily appended, "Of course, I would also like to try having sex with you at least once and preferably a few times. Everything I've heard about it makes it sound very pleasant, so my Curiosity has been eating at me to experience it myself."
"On that note, I feel compelled to mention that Bianca has no intention of becoming your girlfriend—at least presently," contributed Lillie, prompting Bianca to nod and affirm, "That's right. I intend to stay on this project and work with you and the Aether Foundation for as long as I'm permitted, but I have an ongoing promise with a childhood friend of mine that if he's able to become the Unova Region Champion, the two of us would live together and eventually marry. We're not boyfriend or girlfriend, but since he hasn't given up, I want to continue supporting and encouraging him."
"Are you referring to Cheren, or is it someone else?" asked Jason, causing Bianca to blink and raise her brows in surprise. She was aware that Jason had knowledge of her world due to it existing as a fictional franchise in his own, but she was still surprised to hear him casually and accurately guess the person she was alluding to.
Seeing Bianca's shock, Jason smiled wryly and revealed, "In one of the games you appear in, Cheren has become a teacher, and there's a lot of evidence that points to the two of you being in a relationship. Nothing is stated implicitly, but it's highly implied."
"Cheren did mention that his backup plan was to become a teacher if he failed to become a Champion before we were twenty..." affirmed Bianca, her green eyes glistening as she transitioned from surprise to fascination. She was curious to know what else Jason knew, but since there was still a person who had yet to explain her rationale for being there, she directed a supportive smile at Skyler.
With everyone invariably turning their heads to stare at her, Skyler smiled shyly, scratched her right cheek with her right index finger, and revealed, "My motivations are admittedly a little selfish. While I have a keen interest in your and your Pokémon's health and growth, my goal since I was young has been to secure a benefactor so I can pursue a career as a High-Class Breeder. That's what drew me to the Aether Foundation. And by becoming a part of this alliance, I believe it will allow me to achieve my dream while also benefiting you and Miss Lillie."
"I appreciate your candor..." responded Jason, offering a slow, affirming nod. He wasn't enthused to learn that Skyler's motivations for becoming his girlfriend were to gain access to the Aether Foundation's money and resources, but as he knew her intentions weren't malicious, he didn't hold it against her.
"Please don't misunderstand," appended Skyler, her naturally friendly smile broadening as she confided, "I want to remain your girlfriend and learn more about you. I admit that I originally only agreed to us dating because it was a prerequisite to having sex with you. But now I want to experience the connection Lillie, Maeve, and Seren mentioned. It sounds wonderful."
"Mmn...alright, then...happy to have you..." affirmed Jason, not sure how else to respond. He originally planned to tell Skyler that she didn't need to keep pretending to be his girlfriend to remain in their group. But if she was now serious about their relationship and getting closer to him, he felt they should be able to make things work.
"Then I guess I should say something next, right...?" asked Jason, smiling awkwardly as he passed his gaze over every member of the group before settling on Lillie. Seeing her staring back at him with clear, expectant eyes caused his expression to soften, so with a bit more confidence, he passed his gaze over the group once more before bending forward with his hands on his knees and bowing as low as his seated posture permitted.
"I would never be able to thank you enough for choosing to stand by me, but I can promise you this...I will do everything in my power to ensure you never come to regret doing so..." expressed Jason, mustering every ounce of sincerity and gratitude he possessed...
[Your Bond with [Lillie Argyle] has increased by 114. Current Bond Level is 44,348]
[Your Bond with [Maeve Mayers] has increased by 48. Your relationship status has changed to [Promise-bound Lover]. Current Bond Level is 1,911. Future gains will be increased by 100%]
[Your Bond with [Seren McKenzie] has increased by 18. Your relationship status has changed to [Convenient but Invested]. Current Bond Level is 1,041. Future gains will be increased by 50%]
[Your Bond with [Bianca Schroed] has increased by 17. Your relationship status has changed to [Curious]. Current Bond Level is 347. Future gains will be increased by 20%]
[Your Bond with [Skyler Joy] has increased by 21. Your relationship status has changed to [Appreciative]. Current Bond Level is 881. Future gains will be increased by 30%]
Though he could have done without them, Jason interpreted the series of notifications he had received as an indication that his sincerity had gotten through to the women present. This was all but confirmed when he raised his head, finding all five women staring back at him with smiles—even the usually impassive Seren.
"Is it necessary to be so serious all the time...?" asked Meave, crossing her arms and exhaling in faint exasperation from her nose. Despite this, the only emotions in her distinctive pink eyes were appreciation and a hint of fondness that could be something more.
"That's just the way Jason is~" hummed Lillie, her tone sonorous, tinged with a suppressed giggle. Then, as the de facto moderator of the group, she clapped her hands, drawing everyone's gazes as she happily chimed, "Now that everyone has had a chance to express their reasons for being here, the next topic of discussion should be our schedules. It would be a little problematic if everyone were to start living here suddenly, and since Jason needs time to focus on himself and Ren, we should coordinate our schedules around their training."
Raising her right hand, Maeve offered, "I can help out with his morning routine and foundation training. I'm usually on the night shift, so the only time my schedule regularly overlaps with his is in the early morning or on my days off."
Spurred by Lillie's suggestion and Maeve's contribution, the five women began breaking down how they would both spend time with and support Jason's training. Jason was largely a spectator in this, but he didn't mind as he enjoyed schedules and structure. Having to think about such things himself would be stressful. So if he could just focus on what he needed to do while the girls decided amongst themselves how they would spend his free time, he welcomed their administration...
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Though the girls' discussion had lasted until dinner and kicked back up with Ellaine's inclusion, Jason went to bed that evening feeling optimistic and a little giddy about the future. Being the only male at a sleepover with six women was still awkward. But as he was ultimately the only source of sexual tension, he viewed it as an opportunity to practice acting normal in situations that were intimate but platonic...
'Today has been an amazing day...' thought Jason, sporting a contented expression as he stared at the high ceiling of Ellaine's bedroom with Lillie and Seren flanking him in soft cotton nighties. He had spent hours mostly just listening to other people speak, but he felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from him with Lillie taking charge and getting everyone on the same page. He had expected there to be drama, possibly even a bit of conflict. Instead, everyone had stepped forward, clarified their intentions, and worked things out like people who respected one another's time and input—a stark contrast to how humans from his previous world commonly conducted themselves...
'But with these developments, I'll need to start seriously thinking about my actions moving forward...' Jason realized, closing his eyes. As he did, the images of various influential figures in the world of Pokémon surfaced in his mind—not just heroines. He had previously drafted a rough timeline of events he could recall at Ellaine's request, and most of his calculations placed him seven to ten years before the events of the plots he was most familiar with. The most urgent of these was the events of the Darkest Day, but since the mastermind he had implicated was the President of a mega-conglomerate and a League Chairperson, investigating and holding him to account was considerably more difficult than Faba...
Imagining the scene of Eternatus's monstrous, hand-like form tearing a hole in the sky in real life, Jason's slightly creased brows began to bead with sweat. There was no guarantee it would emerge, but if it did, he had a difficult time trusting that it could be fended off as easily as it was in the anime and games. Zacian and Zamazenta would presumably appear, but if they failed to repel it, it could become an existential threat to the world—not just the Galar region...
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