Striking while the Iron is Hot

"Jenny," Judith yelled at the distant Magneton. "You mind helping me with something?" It spun and hovered over to her. "You're a smart one, mind pointing me to magnetic north?" Perhaps it was overkill to use an entire Pokémon for a job that a handheld compass could serve, but Judith felt the simple task helped Jenny feel wanted. It hummed for a few seconds before orienting itself horizontally and spinning again. A handheld compass was also nowhere near as cool. Jenny slowly lowered each magnet until one remained straight, then pointed that one to Judith's left. "Awesome as usual. Thank you!" Another pleasant hum came, and Jenny floated off.

Judith looked back to her map, quickly marking north and smudging more ink on it in the process. "I should really get one of those touch phones," she grumbled to herself. If this was north, and that path went there, then the mating grounds should be about here, she mused, marking another circle. She only assumed that was right. Her computer had somewhat of a complete failure before she was able to confirm all of the info. She folded the map back up and took a deep breath to prepare herself. There was some hesitation before she could properly look over at Rex.

Rex was busy picking out rocks carefully to place in a pile. He would stop every so often to split one before placing the pair in the growing mass. Judith pocketed her hands and pulled on the lining inside. A battle of desire and needs pushed back and forth in her mind as she fidgeted on the spot. This would be the right thing to do, or the wrong thing. She had already gone through the effort, right? She should do it and get it over with. There probably weren't even any other Aggron here, she thought to herself. If that were the case, going there would be pointless. Though whether that thought made her want to go less or more, she couldn't tell.

The pensive woman opened her mouth over and over, trying to force out the words. She realized how stupid she must've have looked. Frowning, she walked over to Rex quietly while watching him chip away at his work. Slowly her frown was replaced with a smile. It was inaudible at a distance, but as she came up to Rex, she could hear a low happy hum emanating from him that was surprisingly relaxing. "Hey there, Rex," she said on reflex. He turned and gave her a cheery wave. "Having fun, are ya?" Rex nodded, adding a rumble to his contentment. "Good, good." What was she even here for again? Her mood soured, oh right.

"So, I was thinking." Rex slowed his actions. It was like he knew what was coming, making it all the harder for Judith to continue. Her hands were still buried deep in her pockets, turning over in them. "I found out that, you know, this place is nice and rocky. So like, it's good for uh, Aggron like you." She paused and tightened her fists. Rex stopped and merely looked on, looking almost bored. "So, you know. We could maybe go and see if there are any here. Females. Female Aggron that is." Judith managed to pry a hand loose to point behind her. "Just that way. A short walk. Won't be long." Rex looked at her, then at the path she presented. He set down his project and let out a few clicks, finally ending with a nod. "Great! Great." It wasn't that great.

The pair walked onward to the plains of love. Judith glanced about at the others for any wayward stares. Walking along with Rex wasn't an oddity, but she couldn't shake the feeling like they were doing something wrong. The situation felt as though she were a teenager again, sneaking off for an illicit kiss away from prying eyes. The others didn't seem to mind or notice the couple, still focused on their own activities. She pulled her hands free and tried to shake the sweat off of them. "A little hot today, isn't it?" she said. The small talk fell completely flat, as Rex didn't have much of an answer. "Well, I guess you wouldn't be bothered by a little heat." As she said that, the sun seemed to beat down on her relentlessly.

Rex extended his hand toward her, grasping the air. "You want me to uh..." She shut herself up and grabbed his hand. Instantly she was hit with a nice, cool sensation. "Oh wow, you don't feel it at all, huh?" Her nervousness melted away as she felt up his brisk, armored skin. They walked along, hand in hand for quite some time in tranquility. Judith's uneasiness soon returned, however, and Rex's cool exterior failed to stave off the unbearable heat. "The sun is just killing me today." She fanned herself with her free hand, silently chiding herself for not bringing her mister.

Suddenly, her whole world jerked upward. Judith was confused for a brief second before her focus reoriented with the ground. She had been pulled straight up into Rex's arms without a noise. The familiar position hit her thoughts and her mind quickly fell into panicked fear as she imagined herself to be a Bisharp. She inhaled sharply and squirmed fervently for a moment before being set back down as quickly as she had been picked up. The sudden shift caused her to pause. A strained groan from Rex hit her with guilt. She looked up at him with a wince. His eyes were downcast and his posture slouched. "Oh. No, no, no. Sorry, Rex. I was just..." Thinking about the worst thing possible? "I panicked. I didn't realize what was going on." How could she even imagine he would do that? She hugged his arm in a desperate attempt to console him. "Sorry," she said simply, looking up at him.

Rex raised his head and gave Judith a gentle pat on the back. "You'll forgive me for acting like an idiot, then?" He nodded and gave a rumble in response. "Are you absolutely sure?" She squeezed his arm tightly, alhough he most likely barely felt it. He gave a more energetic nod coupled with a squint of the eyes. That was his way of smiling, since his hardened features scarcely allowed him to express himself. "Alright then. Do you think you'll still want to go?" He rolled his eyes and nodded again, then pointed at the path. "Great!" She finished off her groveling with another squeeze of the arm and separated herself from him. A small part of her wanted to stay stuck to him for just a little while longer. "Let's get going!"

The walk forward was a calm but awkward one. Judith kept looking at Rex to read his expression, trying to gauge his interest in the location and making sure her outburst didn't cause him any lasting damage. Whenever Rex caught her staring, he would return her gaze with his improvised smile and a rumble. That soothed her nerves somewhat, but Judith couldn't shake the guilt that plagued her thoughts. She considered asking him if he truly forgave her, but didn't want to press the matter. Despite that, she wanted to fill the silence somehow, since it was far worse in the relatively ghostly landscape. "So... Find any good rocks?" Conversationalist of the year, easily. Rex nodded without any further input on the topic. He must've known how trite the question was. She considered asking the tried and true question about his thoughts on the trip, though considering it was a small stroll in comparison to the last few trips, it seemed pointless.

"You think you could live out here?" Judith suddenly asked. Rex tilted his head and looked around before nodding. "Probably a lotta good pickings, huh? I think I'd like it too." He rumbled. "Still, I think I'd miss supermarkets!" Rex croaked repeatedly as a crude form of laughter, easing Judith's thoughts. This was nice, even if the purpose of the trip wasn't exactly being fulfilled. She looked at their surroundings, trying to look for any signs of feminine metal creatures. No luck, only solitary rocks and scattered shrubbery. For some reason that instilled a sense of ease into her. That was probably the wrong feeling, so she picked up her search. Aggron were probably a rarity out in the wild, at least, in this region. She looked back at Rex with a small smile. Suddenly she felt quite lucky to be with him. That was, until a sharp pain dug into her arms and she was yanked up into the air.

Judith let out a sudden scream and sent her body into a frenzy of kicks and punches at whatever had snatched her. Whatever had her in its grasp was far stronger, and the effort was wasted. She looked down at the ground. It was dizzyingly high and sent a pang of nausea through her body, lumping onto the sharp pain in her arms. That grey dot on the ground must have been Rex. That realization didn't help matters. She tried a few more frightened kicks without much thought, cursing loudly all the way. A loud roar interrupted her thoughts, followed by a small glimmer from the dot below. Crunch. Screech. The shift in Judith's gut confirmed she was falling back to the ground. She spun in the air, her back to the ground. Her panic turned to full blown hyperventilation and her body became numb. Something yelled in the back of her mind. "Catch her! Catch her! Catch her!"

Something pushed against her back, causing Judith's heart to drop. She must have hit the ground. She was dead. That was it. She gave one last glance at the creature that had grabbed her. It was almost a speck in the sky, framed by droplets of blood. Oh, she was bleeding? Large wings, long tail, purple-ish tinge. She gave one last curse to it and shut her eyes tight. What a terrible way to go. It's a shame she couldn't tell the others she loved them before she went. A force pushed against her, basically sealing the deal. That must have been what death felt like. Not so bad.

"You're fine. I know you're fine. I can see you're fine," a voice babbled in her head. Something pushed against Judith's face. "I know you're fine. Please, open your eyes." Her whole body shook as more things prodded her face. She winced and opened her eyes. The sky was still there, but was a small circle surrounded by familiar faces. "See? Fine. Fine, yes. I knew it." Carolyn, Jenny, and Rex peered down at her with varying states of worry across their faces. Flora rested her head on Judith's stomach, completely aghast.

Judith was still numb from the fear, but an overwhelming sense of relief washed over her. Her breathing slowed and she chuckled softly. The group surrounding her sighed, visibly releasing their tension. She realized at that moment that Rex held her in his arms, gently rocking her back and forth. His lips were parted in fear and his eyes half-closed. "I'm OK," Judith said shakily, the last of the adrenaline running through her. She shifted and immediately locked up in pain. "Ow, ow, ow." A stabbing pain ran through her arms.

"You're not OK. Not entirely," Carolyn replied. Her brows were ever so crooked, adding a spatter of worry to expression. "Rex, please, keep her still. I'll retrieve the first aid kit." She glanced down at Judith. Her serious guise broke for a split second into more worry, and then she left. "Flora, you can let go of her now." The Meganium whimpered and shifted away. Judith looked down to see vines unwrap from her, letting blood flow freely and sending a tingle across her body.

"Thank you all," Judith said as casually as she could, then laid her head back down, trying to ignore the pain in her arms.

_

With freshly wrapped wounds, Judith was carried on the way back to their tiny camp by Rex. "My legs are fine, I can walk," she said. It was completely in vain, but Judith was slightly happy about that. Rex hadn't even responded to her, and continued to soldier on with her firmly in his arms. She took the time to just appreciate his grasp, being held so closely to him. It was just a shame it had to be in this scenario. Her happy thoughts helped to smother the stinging in her arms.

Before long they were back at the camp. Rex stopped and looked hesitantly down at her. "I'll be fine, rumbly boy." She gave him a smile and a pat on the chest. He carefully put her right side up and set her down on a rock, then settled in right next to her. Judith was disappointed to have the experience end so early, but was happy it happened nonetheless. The rest of the group surrounded her.

"I believe we should take you to a hospital," Carolyn said, far more seriously than normal. Her hands hovered around Judith's wounds.

"I'll be fine, just a few scratches, right?" She looked at the bandages. They had been wrapped expertly around her arms, but felt a little too tight.

"While true, I don't quite trust my medical skills. I doubt some stun spores will help either." Carolyn looked to Flora, who raised her vines again. "No, no more."

"Thank you for the help, Flora." Judith leaned forward and gave the creature a pat on the head. "I guess I should thank you for catching me too, huh?" Flora shook her head and gave a babbling chirp, as if trying to explain something. "Hm?

Carolyn piped up in Flora's place. "Flora's vines aren't quite strong enough to catch you at those distances. She helped ease the fall, but it was Rex who caught you."

"Oh!" Judith stood up and turned to her metal prince. "Thank you!" He gave a small shake of the head and a gentle rumble. "Don't be modest." She gave him a hug, or as good of a hug as she could give at his size. "Hey, lean down for a second." Rex hesitated but complied all the same. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "That's my gift to you, thank you!" It was a reward for him, yet she figured it was more of a convenient excuse for her to share some intimacy, as well as an apology for earlier. Rex let out something that was a mix between a croak and a rumble, then squirmed uneasily. "You're welcome!" His embarrassment was adorable.

"If we aren't going to the hospital, what then?" Carolyn asked.

"Let me just get my energy back and we'll head back home, OK?" Carolyn nodded, but didn't seem too pleased with her answer. Judith gyrated her arms, working out the pain with a wince. "Shouldn't take too long." She looked at Jenny, who, like usual, was merely watching silently. "Right, Jenny?" It hummed.

"I doubt Jenny is an expert on human anatomy. Or anatomy in general, for that matter."

"You never know."

"I know quite often, actually." Carolyn nodded. Her stubbornness was as cute as ever.

"Alright, alright. Let's just relax for a bit, have a treat." The group eased off of Judith, parting with uneasy looks. Rex, however, stayed right by her side, still watching over her. "I'll be fine, really. Just have to uh"--Judith looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun--"keep an eye out for anything." It didn't occur to her up until that moment that whatever attacked her could still be lurking about. She took a step closer to Rex, practically nuzzling up against him. "Actually, you know what, I'll just stick with my big guy." She gave him a comforting pat. He nodded and returned the favor, causing Judith to laugh.

"I think I'll have a quick snack before we leave. How about you?" Rex shook his head. "Alright then. We'll have to give you a real good meal tonight as thanks!" Judith awkwardly shuffled over to the food box with Rex in tow, then shuffled back to her seat. The heat had slightly weathered her nicely packaged sandwich, making it a little frumpy and mushy. She shrugged -- then winced and remembered her wounds. "Care for some?" Judith asked as she unwrapped the sandwich and held it up to the Aggron. He took a fairly sizeable bite that was still small for his size. "Good, huh? Make sure to thank Carolyn when we get back!"

As if by summoned by name, Carolyn walked into view. "May I talk with you about something privately?"

"Privately?" She looked back up at Rex. He was certainly unsure about the thought. "Carolyn can protect me too. I'll be fine." Rex shifted his gaze to the Lucario.

"Absolutely, Rex. You have my word." He nodded.

"Here." She handed the Aggron her unfinished meal, which might as well be his. "You can finish this while I'm gone." Judith gave him a parting caress and walked off with Carolyn, a reasonable distance away.

"You're going to have to tell him," Carolyn said suddenly, spinning on the spot to face Judith.

"Tell him what?" Judith already had an inkling of what she meant, but she still had trouble admitting it to herself.

"Your feelings, Judith." Carolyn crossed her arms. Judith would have done the same were it not for her wounds. The woman shifted on the spot uneasily. "I do not blame you for what happened earlier, but it wouldn't have happened without your ridiculous plan."

Judith rolled her eyes. "It wasn't ridiculous. I looked it up. On the Internet. It doesn't get any better than that."

"In any case, you could have died even if there were more Aggron here. Do you think an aroused female would take your presence kindly?" Carolyn stared harshly. It was almost impossible not to be drawn in by her ruby eyes.

"Well-- Uhm, maybe... not. I don't know. I didn't-- I didn't look that up." The pressure on Judith was enormous. Not quite nauseating, but still extremely imposing.

"I imagine you didn't, no." The Lucario frowned. "I don't want to do this, but it's for your own good." Judith held her breath. "Either you tell him or I do. None of this is healthy." And admitting your interest in a Pokemon was? Judith, of course, didn't say that. She couldn't say much of anything. "Do you understand?" No doubt Judith had the ability to pull rank and order her not to, but that didn't seem right. Not for Carolyn or for herself.

Judith eventually nodded and said, "Alright."

"Good. Good." Carolyn sighed, dropping her arms. "I'm glad. Don't be afraid. Even if he denies you, you'll still be good friends." Even if? As if there were a hair of a possibility that he would be interested? Judith should have scoffed. The Lucario walked off, leaving the trainer to stew in her own embarrassment and nervousness. It was one thing to talk about sex with a friend, it was another to flat out admit their interest. Not to mention the inherent taboo that came with the territory. She couldn't even look at Rex or approach him, not that it mattered, since he quickly returned to her side with a rumble. Judith didn't reply, as she was still deep in thought, coming up with and quickly discarding a hundred conversation starters. Her eyes stared straight into the ground.

Rex moved in front of her, leaned over and waved. "Uh, yeah. So." What to say? Just say it outright? The thought alone stung. Maybe she should just suggest something else and go from there. Her nerves were begging her to move, the tension was painful. "So, you know. Like. Uhm. So you know how we were doing those things? To help you with your... stuff?" Her gaze slowly moved up to meet his own. Rex's eyes never looked more innocently blue. How could she say any of this? "So maybe. Maybe we could you know." Rex tilted his head. "Instead of them it could be, ah, you know." He doesn't know, just finish your damned thought. "It could be me?" As soon as Judith said that, she deflated entirely and bowed her head. That couldn't have gone worse.

Judith slowly looked back up. Rex's eyes narrowed and he held his hands together. She shot up straight, ignoring the stab of pain in her arms. "Well! I mean, you don't have to! Or, uh, I don't have to. But I mean." Her mind had completely lost the reins, letting whatever her heart and whatever erotic thoughts remained take over. "I might be a little small but, I think, maybe, you know." Her hand came tentatively up to her mouth, and she gently pumped it, then pushed her tongue into her cheek. She continued the charade for a few seconds before blushing and snapping her arm back to her side. Rex looked at Judith, then down at himself. He perked up for a moment and turned away slightly with a shaky croak, clearly surprised with his mouth agape. Or shocked? At this point, was there a difference?

"What I'm trying to say is, I like you!" Judith gritted her teeth and patiently awaited her Aggron's response. His mouth was still agape, eyes looking every which way until landing squarely on Judith. Rex lowered his hand, his mouth closing soon after. There was an oppressive feeling on the air. Rex continued to shift and visibly ponder, occasionally placing his hands on his cheeks. Suddenly, Rex took some cautious steps towards her and extended his hand, then quickly retracted it. Some more tense seconds passed and he gently hugged his trainer. It was probably the most careful and light hug she ever received from him, but simultaneously the most comforting and understanding. From her perspective, that was. Her mind could have been playing tricks on her from the very start.