Yes. Inferno takes his leave, and so does your trio.

Inferno releases his grip on Kayla’s hips, letting her lower half slide onto the ground. With a sigh of satisfaction, the man stands up, walking over to his discarded boxers and pants. As he starts to pull them back on, he says “Well, I certainly enjoyed that a lot more than burning you all to ****. How about you?”

“Just leave.” Daniel growls venomously, stepping forward and kneeling by his lover’s side, never once looking at the Rocket. The brunette is still twitching occasionally, and her pale green eyes remain slightly unfocused. “My bag.” The blonde holds out his hand, not even looking back at you, just keeping his eyes on Kayla. Even his anger towards the Agent seems relatively forgotten as he focuses on the girl before him.

As you grab the Vermillion boy’s pack from the ground beside you and carry it over to him, the pink-haired man speaks again. “Aw, and here I thought we were getting along. Was it something I said?” His raspy voice drips with insincerity, and a mocking smirk sits on his lips. You glare at him, but say nothing. You just want him gone.

The blue-eyed young man continues to ignore the Agent, fetching his canteen from the bag you brought him rather than responding. He then looks up briefly at the trio of scientists. “Get me a towel or blanket or something from your camp so I can wipe her off.” His words are firm, and clearly not a request.

The paleontologists look at each other for a moment, and then the cautious one, Malcolm, responds. “Well, uh, our camp burned down, so, uh…”

“Here, just use this.” Ellie shrugs off her lab-coat, then shuffles up to Daniel and hands it to him. She still looks like she feels guilty, like she really feels like she should have been in Kayla’s place.

“Thanks.” The muscular blonde takes the coat and runs some water over it, then begins using it to towel off the slim girl laying on the ground. He gently wipes the sweat and semen off of her, no longer acknowledging anyone else in the room, especially not the Rocket. The girl’s breathing is steadying, and her body is no longer twitching.

“Well, I can tell when I’m not wanted. Guess I’ll head on out of here.” Inferno says, shrugging and shaking his head. He pulls a silver remote-like object out from a pocket of his long red coat, then continues to talk. “Thanks again for the fun, kids. Well, wasn’t all that fun… but it wasn’t totally boring either. Let’s battle again sometime, when you’ve all gotten stronger. Oh, and…” The orange-eyed man tilts his tinted glasses down, staring at you once more. “You guys may wanna consider joining up with Team Rocket. You’d all do really well, I think. ‘Specially you.”

There it is again. He keeps singling you out. “Wh-“ Before your question can even properly form, Inferno clicks a button on the device in his hand. There’s a flash of white light, and the dangerous Rocket vanishes with it, just like his compatriots had during the bat swarm. You exhale heavily in frustration, and shake your head. Join up with Team Rocket? What a fucking joke. Still, you can’t help but wonder what he meant when he said you would do especially well…What is it about you that he’s so focused on? And why does it still interest him, even when he seemed disappointed in you for some reason earlier?

You’re not going to figure out the answer to these questions right now, so you just shake them from your mind. You turn your attention back to your friends, and go to kneel next to Daniel at Kayla’s side. Clarity is returning to the girl’s green eyes, and the flush is retreating from her cum-covered face. Though, her face is still pink, much like the rest of her body. Her master’s gentle cleansing of her skin doesn’t seem to hurt her though, so it can’t be anything too serious. Thankfully.

The brunette begins to stir, her eyes flicking up to look at you and Daniel. Dried tears sit under the cum on her face, and her hair is still stuck against her wetly. “Did… Did he leave?” The girl’s voice is slightly hoarse, both from being throat-fucked and from shouting in pleasure so much. Her eyes seem both frightened and pained, and her expression hurts to see.

“Yeah, Kayla. He did. You don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll get you cleaned up, okay? Red, grab her clothes please?” The buff blonde asks. You aren’t sure if he didn’t use his nicknames for you two because he doesn’t feel like it’s appropriate right now, or because he’s so out of sorts that he genuinely forgot. It doesn’t matter either way, you quickly move to do as he asks regardless.

As you’re retrieving Kayla’s clothing, you hear her begin to softly sob, crying as her lover continues to wipe Inferno’s cum off of her. “I’m sorry…”

Daniel stops, and you approach the pair once again as he responds. “Sorry? Kayla, what are you sorry for? We’re the ones who should be sorry.” He seems utterly confused, staring down at the girl in disbelief. You’re just as surprised, having no idea what she’s on about.

“You… You… You had to watch that, though. Watch me… feel good from that. I’m sorry…” The Vermillion girl starts shaking slightly, sobs breaking through her every word. Your heart sinks. She feels… ashamed? No, no, fucking no!

A wave of painful emotions rushes through the blonde boy’s eyes, and your heart. But before you can say anything, you hear Daniel take a deep breath, and see him close his eyes. His fist that isn’t holding the lab-coat turned towel clenches hard, and you actually hear his knuckles crack. “So… It’s your turn to be a fucking idiot today, huh?”

You blanch at your friend’s harsh words, and Kayla stiffens. “What…?”

You’re half a second from punching the golden-haired young man in the back of the head, when he smiles at the tired girl. It’s a small, slightly sad smile, but it’s genuine and caring, full of affection. His eyes open again, full of mixture of pain, pride, and love as he speaks next. “You’re the one who told me that I have to expect and accept this kind of shit, right? If I have to accept this shit, so do you! So why’re you being hard on yourself now? Did you think not caring about whoever was fucking you would make you immune to physical pleasure or something? Did you think you would be able to ignore everything he was doing to you?”

The green-eyed girl blinks rapidly, clearly caught off guard. “I… Well…” The shame and anguish in her eyes clears slightly, being replaced by an anxious hope. “You’re not… upset?”

“Of course I’m fucking upset!” He snaps, but there’s no anger in his words, only agony. “I’m upset that you had to go through that! Upset that we couldn’t do anything! Upset that you feel the way you feel right now! But I’m not upset with you! Sure, maybe it would be better if you could’ve not cum during that. Or maybe it’s better that you did, I don’t fucking know! But you know what I do know?” Daniel’s voice is emphatic, and he grips Kayla’s shoulder’s, staring directly into her eyes. “I know that you took that like a champ, that you did that to protect us, and that you’re gonna be fine despite it all because you’re stronger than you think! And I know… that I’m really fucking proud of you, Kay!” The young man’s voice breaks, and his blue eyes well up with tears, which quickly start to flow down his cheeks and fall onto the slim girl’s bare chest.

Kayla starts crying again as well, though her tears aren’t from shame or disgust anymore. She smiles through the wetness on her face, staring up at the young blonde in adoration and relief. “Daniel… I… *sob* You… I don’t need too…?”

You take one of the brunette’s hands within your own, gripping it tightly. “He’s right, Kayla. You were amazing, and you shouldn’t feel bad about anything. We won’t let you feel bad about it. There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of. Thank you, Kayla.” Faint tears start to form in your eyes as well, and the Vermillion girl smiles back at you.

“Both of you… You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry… for being stupid… Thank you, Daniel, Red. Thank you so much.” She reaches out her other hand to grip one of her master’s hands that sits on her shoulder, and he takes it. The golden-blonde reaches his other hand back to grip your free one, and the three of you are now all interlinked. You stay like this for several minutes, holding onto each other, holding on to what’s important. You all wait for your tears to run out, just sitting quietly together and being there for one another. There’s no denying what just happened, but there’s no use dwelling on it either. You’re all going to move past this, and become stronger because of it. You can see in Kayla’s eyes that she’s taken your and Daniel’s words to heart, that she isn’t going to let this drag her down. Because she is stronger than that, and she has you both to help her be even stronger.

Eventually, once you’ve all stopped crying, Daniel completes Kayla’s cleaning, wiping her free of sperm with the scientist’s lab-coat. The girl is still fairly sweaty, but she’s cum-free at the very least. The trio of researchers has been silently standing apart from you all, respectfully giving you some distance as you all recover. With the slim girl finally clean, though still wet-haired, the muscular boy grabs her white panties from the pile of her clothes you set next to him, then begins to slide them up her legs for her. As the cloth reaches her hips however, she winces in pain. “Ow!”

“Kay!?” The Vermillion City blonde freezes in panic, concern filling his eyes as he pulls his hands away from the slim girl. “What’s wrong? What hurts?”

“My hips… I think… they’re burned…” She mumbles, and you and Daniel instantly turn your attention to the area in question. Sure enough, upon closer inspection, the area of her waist that Inferno had been gripping earlier is a light red as opposed to the pink of the rest of her body. Contact with him must have burned her slightly…

“Motherfucker…” The buff blonde’s growls, eyes filling with rage. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turns to his pack and starts digging through it. After a minute of looking, he pulls out a small circular container from within, and wastes no time opening it. A familiar cream rests inside; the same type of cream Brooke had used on her ass after Daniel had spanked it red during your joint forfeit. An ointment made by the Silph Company that speeds along natural healing, utilizing the same ingredients Potions are made out of. You didn’t know that the blonde had brought some of that with him, though it makes sense, given Kayla’s enjoyment of spanking. “This’ll sting a little, Kay.” So saying, the blonde scoops up a fingerful of the cream, then begins gently rubbing it into one of the girl’s hips.

“Mm!” Kayla tenses in discomfort, but lets her master treat her injuries. The blue-eyed boy quickly finishes one side, then starts on the other. You watch in amazement as the brunette’s reddened skin rapidly lightens in color, the handprints almost fading away entirely in less than a minute. Faint marks are still left over, but hopefully those will fade with time…

“There we go. All better. Now, much as I like seeing you naked, we should probably get you dressed.” Daniel says with a smirk, causing you and his **** to chuckle. There are no complications getting the girl redressed this time, and the mood is starting to lighten again. Everything that just happened was terrifying and painful, but it’s behind you all now. You have a lot to think about, but you can do that while you move forward together.

Kayla attempts to rise to her feet once she’s dressed, but her master swiftly puts a halt to that. “Ohhh no you don’t!” The muscular young man scoops his lover up in a bridal carry, lifting her skinny form with ease as he stands up. “Miss exhausted legs can just go ahead and relax. I’ll carry you. Can you manage the bags, Casanova?”

“Wait, hold on!” The green-eyed girl protests, a flush of embarrassment heating her face. “I-I can walk! Really! Put me down, Daniel, this is silly!”

“Nooope!”

“Don’t you ‘nooope’ me! Red, a little help?” The blushing girl turns to you for assistance.

“I’ve got the bags!” You reply, grinning back at her as you lift everyone’s belongings.

“That isn’t what I- Ughhh… You guys are seriously doing this, aren’t you?” The brunette slumps into her master’s arms, pouting adorably, but laying her head against his chest and snuggling in. “Fine. I guess you can carry me for a little while.”

“Yuh-huh! And you cannot stop me! So just enjoy it!” A wide grin splits Daniel’s face, and you’re astounded at just how quickly he can bounce back from… anything, apparently. And his energy is infectious; both you and Kayla are both in way better moods than you have any right to be after what’s just happened. But you can’t help it, the cheerful blonde just rubs off on you. It’s like you all cried put your pain, and his natural positivity has just taken over. You know it’s not really that simple, and that the events of today won’t fade away that easily, but… You’re all doing just fine for right now, and that’s what matters.

You turn to the three scientists, who have all been quietly watching you guys. They all have looks of mixed amusement and relief on their faces, and Grant steps forward. “Thank you all again so much for the help, and we’re sorry to have troubled you. If you’re heading out of the mountain, the exit is through that tunnel, just about fifteen minutes away.”

“Happy to help, despite it all. Are you three really staying though? Team Rocket could come back, you know.” You respond, not sure if it’s alright to just leave these people unguarded.

“We have to pack up whatever’s left of our stuff, but then we’ll leave. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Ellie assures you. “Thank you all again.” The woman’s eyes flick over to Kayla, and she smiles apologetically. “You’re… incredible. Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

Kayla shakes her head. “I’m the one who lost the battle. That was my responsibility… Sorry about your coat.”

“It doesn’t matter. Not in the slightest. Good luck on your way out, and with whatever you do afterwards.” The female researcher says, looking at the brunette in admiration.

“…I have a question before we leave though.” Daniel says, his jovial tone fading. “Did you have any? Moon Stones, I mean… Could this have been avoided?” You shiver slightly at the implication of his words. You’re not sure what he’ll do if they do have them…

Malcolm shakes his head, then looks Daniel in the eye. “No we were here, uh, digging up fossils. Like we said. If we did, uh, have any, I would’ve handed them over immediately. Honest.”

Listening to his words you really don’t think he’s lying to you, especially now. Plus, Team Rocket really tore through their things, and didn’t find anything. And Malcolm seems the most sensible of the trio, so you don’t doubt that he would have done what he said, if he had the option. He definitely seems to understand just how dangerous the crime syndicate is.

“…Good. We’re gonna go now, so stay safe. Try and come find us if you run into trouble.” The golden-blonde replies, a smile returning to his face once again.

“Thank you, we’ll keep that in mind. And hey, if you ever find yourselves on Cinnabar Island, look us up. We work in a research lab there when we’re not out in the field. We’ll try to think of someway to properly repay you.” Grant says, smiling back.

The three of you promise to remember that, and the scientists thank you all one last time as you bid them farewell. You and your friends exit the cavern, heading into the short, final tunnel that will lead you out of Mt. Moon. Daniel carries Kayla the whole way, even when she occasionally asks to be let down, and you carry all the bags. Honestly, the combined weight of everyone’s stuff is probably more than what the skinny girl weighs, so you kind of got the short end of the stick here. Nothing interrupts you as you make your way through the exit tunnel, not even any bats. You all chat and joke, doing your best to push lingering dark thoughts from your minds. Undisturbed, you all reach the end of the rocky passage, and exit into the early evening light that lies beyond. Eastern Route 4 spreads out before you, and Cerulean City’s skyline can be seen in the distance.

You’ve made it out of Mt. Moon.

Word from the author: With this, we are now 125 chapters deep into this branch. If you’ve been paying attention to the comments, you know that we have a batch of Perspective Shifts coming up next, so look forward to that. Speaking of comments, all of the ones I’ve been getting have been amazing, thank you all so much! We’re nearly at 2000 total likes as well, and I cannot tell you all how much I appreciate the support. Let’s keep this ball rolling! <3