ka-chnkthnkvwvwvwvwvw
'I need to start wearing earplugs for this...' Jason thought, lying in a machine similar to an MRI with diodes connected to his major muscle groups. The machine was called a bioelectric impedance mapping device, and by sending electrical currents through his body from multiple points, it could create a detailed compositional map of his body, ascertaining his muscle mass, fat mass, water, and nutrient balance.
"Your calcium and potassium levels are a tad low, and your iron is on the high side. Other than that, you're only 1.6% off base from before you left. That hot spring of yours really is exceptional," Skyler remarked, speaking to Jason through a speaker as she monitored the mapping from an adjoining room, behind a glass pane.
"Does that mean I'm cleared to resume training seriously?" Jason asked, leading to a lengthy pause. It had only been five days since his return to the beach, so it was understandable that Skyler would be hesitant to give him a clean bill of health after a single week of recovery.
"I would prefer that you wait until the others have returned before you do anything toostrenuous," Skyler eventually responded, her tone sounding exasperated, even through the intercom.
"That's not too great an ask," Jason accepted. The Ultra Class battles had concluded two days prior, with Korrina, Maeve, and Nanahoshi concluding their respective seasons at Rank 59, 42, and 27. Korrina could have placed much higher if she had stuck to the standard 1v1 format and allowed Luca to run wild. But since her main objective had been to allow Laani, Scrafty, and Mienfoo to gain experience, she convinced her opponents to face her 3v3.
pshaaaa
As the door to the monitoring area slid open with a muted mechanical hiss, Skyler and Ren approached Jason, the latter watching attentively as the former removed the diodes from his muscular, nearly naked body. He had on a pair of dark grey, spandex-like boxer briefs, but that was it.
"I understand that you're feeling anxious after what happened, but you aren't going to become stronger overnight. Don't push yourself so hard that it causes others to worry, okay?" Skyler cautioned, her tone soft as her right hand settled on Jason's abs.
"Do I seem anxious? I thought I was handling things pretty well..." Jason countered with a smile. In truth, he was less anxious than frustrated—not just because there had been no word regarding the person who attacked him, but because the Constellations within his chat were being extremely cagey about the man's identity and intentions. There were those willing to sell him the information he wanted, but their prices weren't cheap.
"That mask of yours doesn't work on people who've seen your true face," Skyler asserted flatly, punctuating her words by giving Jason's abs a few light smacks.
"My true face..." Jason repeated, rising to a seated position and turning his head to meet Ren's gaze, causing her to perk up, smile, and wag her tail.
"No worries. Jason's face is good," Ren remarked supportively, leaving Jason at a slight loss and Skyler giggling in amusement.
"Alright, we're done here. You're naturally welcome to drop by whenever you please, but your condition is stable. It doesn't need to be monitored daily," Skyler stated, producing a red lollipop and handing it to Jason with a smile. Notably, instead of pulling it from the pocket of her pale pink and white nurse uniform, she pulled it from her collar—warmed with her body heat.
"Thank you...?" Jason responded, accepting the lollipop with a wry smile, removing its wrapper, and sticking it into his mouth, finding it tasted both sweet and salty.
"Hmn? What flavor is this...?" Jason asked, his brows perking.
"It's an Alolan staple—Salted Mago Berry. How is it?" Skyler asked, her blue eyes appearing to glisten with expectation.
"It's not bad. It reminds me of a sweet-and-salty mango candy from my previous world. The most notable difference is that those were dipped in chili powder, giving them a bit of a kick," Jason answered. Then, noticing that Ren was staring at him rather intently, he deliberated for a moment before presenting her the lollipop and warning, "Be careful not to chew or swallow the stick."
"Ren will be careful~!" Ren chimed, accepting the lollipop and hurriedly placing it into her mouth with a notably happy, closed-eyed expression. Fortunately for her, Jason wasn't particularly fond of sweets. And since Lucario were omnivores capable of eating just about anything, there was no harm in letting her try candy or confections. He just needed to ensure she properly brushed her teeth after the fact...
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After returning from Skyler's clinic, Jason spent the rest of the morning assisting with Ren's reading and speech practice before preparing lunch for everyone. Lillie and Dinah offered to help, but he assured them he had everything under control and left them to soak their feet in the pool used by Ellaine's Mantine when it was present.
'I could get used to this...' Jason mused, a relaxed, affection-tinged smile adorning his face as he peered over the counter at where Ren was setting the table before glancing over at Lillie, modeling a frilly white swimsuit as she dangled Runa over the water, allowing the wide-eyed Ralts to dip her toes. It was a balmy 36.6°C and more than a little humid, but they had all the windows open, allowing a cool breeze to blow in from the sea and up from the pool.
"Jason! Ren has finished setting the table...!" Ren chimed, pumping her clenched paws triumphantly.
"Great job, Ren. You become more skillful with each passing day~" Jason responded, his tone tinged with a hint of whimsy.
"Hmmuu~"
Clearly pleased by Jason's praise, Ren crossed her arms, puffed out her chest, and raised her chin smugly.
"Ren, why don't you come and join Runa and me? Even though Jason recently groomed you, it must be quite warm with all of that fur," Lillie offered.
"Mmn...Ren will watch Jason..." Ren responded plainly, making her way around to the kitchen and using the stool typically used by Dinah to get a better vantage. It strained under her weight, but since it was solid rubber with a high-friction base, it didn't give.
Seeing that Ren was simply observing, Jason didn't urge that she join Lillie and Runa in the pool or Dinah in the living room. He would have if she insisted on helping, but there was little harm in letting her observe silently and out of the way.
shhhhk
Focusing on the deceased Pokémon before him, a roughly 30cm-long fish with a tapered, roughly football-shaped body, Jason deftly slid a long and thin filleting knife through its body. It had a white underbelly, a dark blue back, pointed fins, and two yellow stripes running along its body from the tip of its pointed nose to its tapered tail. At a glance, it resembled a small, cartoonish yellowfin, but if he wasn't careful, he could prick the organ that allowed the aptly-named Zapfin to discharge electricity. He was wearing insulated rubber gloves and using a non-conductive ceramic blade, but he wasn't going to be complacent.
crklecrklepap
Though the electric organ along the Zapfin's back arced and produced a series of popping sounds, Jason was able to separate and store it within an insulated container before moving on to the rest of the fish—filleting it lengthwise into four dark red loins. He then had to remove the bones, but since the flesh was chilled and somewhat rigid, the knife glided through it with surprising ease.
While shaving away the Zapfin's bloodline, a streak of deep crimson, nearly black flesh along the interior of the loins, Jason noticed that Ren had moved closer—her nose twitching inquisitively.
"Do you want to try a piece...?" Jason asked, raising his right brow and smiling.
"Can Ren try...?" Ren questioned, tilting her head as Jason didn't typically allow her to eat raw meat.
"You may. But remember to only eat raw fish that has been frozen for at least a few hours in advance," Jason explained, slicing off a long and thin piece of the loin he was processing before proferring it to Ren. As he did, she extended her black, retractable claws, carefully picked it up, and then tilted her head far back to drop it vertically into her mouth.
"It's good...!" Ren exclaimed, practically gushing as she cupped the side of her face and beamed. River fish were a staple of a wild Lucario's diet, so the mild, slightly sweet flavor of the Zapfin stimulated her taste buds a lot more than most foods.
"Here, try it with this," Jason appended, running a thin line of soy paste along a second piece of sashimi before presenting it to Ren with his right index finger and thumb. To his surprise, her reaction was to lean forward and open her mouth, providing him a view of her long, purple-pink tongue and her sharp, distinctly canine teeth.
"Aaaaah~"
"Alright, but just this once. Big girls need to be able to feed themselves," Jason remarked, carefully placing the piece of sashimi near the center of Ren's tongue before retracting his hand.
"Mmn..."
As Jason had previously taught her not to chew with her mouth open or talk while chewing, Ren offered an affirming hum before rolling the piece of increasingly tattered sashimi between her teeth and tongue. She liked the unseasoned piece better, but the second one wasn't outright bad.
"It's good," Ren affirmed with a nod, her somewhat plain reaction and the thumbs-up she gave making it clear to Jason that she was doing her best to be polite.
'Got it. So no soy sauce...' Jason mused internally. Outwardly, he removed his glove, tousled the fur atop Ren's head, and stated, "Now that you're a Lucario, you need considerably more protein in your diet. That means lots more fish where this came from."
"Mmn! Ren will eat lots..!" Ren chimed happily, clenching her paws and smacking her tail against the cupboards beneath the sink with a heavy, rhythmic thunk.
"But not too much. We don't want to upset your stomach," Jason hummed affectionately, retracting his hand from Ren's head to continue processing the Zapfin. Lunch for the day was sushi, fruit salad, and, for Runa, a bottle of creamy Moo Moo Milk. Luckily, it wasn't his first time preparing it, so he had preemptively let the rice soak for around half an hour before placing it in a rice cooker. The total preparation time took around an hour, but it was worth the wait as Zapfin, at least from Jason's perspective, tasted like the finest fatty tuna he had ever eaten...
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With Ren and Runa napping nearby after a hearty meal, Jason and Lillie did their usual routine of study-cuddling from early to mid-afternoon. They already knew everything they needed to know to graduate from the Pokémon School, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. They also read up on the Regions they planned to visit, soaking up as much as they could about the towns and cities they would pass through, important locations they should visit, and Pokémon habitats they would need to venture into to expand their rosters.
"If it's decided that we'll be visiting the Kalos Region to complete our first Gym Challenge, should we perhaps contact Professor Sycamore and have him sponsor us?" Lillie questioned, tilting her head back.
"I would like to see him again..." Jason affirmed, planting a kiss on Lillie's crown. Securing the sponsorship of a regional Professor was crucial for a Trainer just starting their journey, as it permitted them to keep many more Pokémon than normal. The thought of stealing a spot from a Kalos native wasn't pleasant, but Jason wasn't going to prioritize a complete stranger over Lillie, himself, and their Pokémon.
"Then consider the matter settled. I will discuss it with Mother when she returns and handle the registration personally~" Lillie chimed, clearly pleased with Jason's response. He would later learn that she was very fond of Fennekin. Coincidentally, he was fond of Froakie and its final evolution, Greninja. So, as long as the two didn't turn out to be female, the arrangement was perfectly fine by him...
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