"This is the weirdest aftercare I've ever done," Sparky said as she gripped Brandy and Morgan's hands.

They all sat in a circle around the camp stove, which had the flame lit. It didn't really have the campfire effect in the darkened room and they all looked a little goofy, but Morgan seemed satisfied with the effect. Morgan had her legs crossed, but Brandy wasn't really able to fold her legs up right now. She needed to stretch. They hadn't gone easy, which was fine with her. Brandy had loved every moment of it, but the feeling of being stretched out hadn't gone away just because she was happy. All her muscles felt loose, and she was hoping they'd go back to where they were meant to be with time. Flopping about was embarrassing.

"I may have just beat Calcine," Morgan said low and soft, still quite content after getting to wear Brandy out. "But if you're going to share my voice, I need to know you more clearly."

"I wouldn't say you beat me," Calcine said, only to be cut off with a cluck of Morgan's tongue.

"Destroyed. Don't interrupt the ritual."

Calcine's orange eyes were a bright glow in the shadowed stone room, and Brandy didn't miss her grip tightening on her hand and the narrowing of her eyes at Morgan. She squeezed back and ran her fingers along Calcine's to soothe her. She'd got really lucky with Calcine and Sparky gelling so well, but as they said; more Pokémon, more problems. Hopefully, she could keep Calcine and Morgan's competitive natures defused.

"You're making all this up." Sparky said, "I thought you were just going to join the team."

It was a fair question, though Brandy was pretty sure she wouldn't bind Morgan till she'd resolved her problems with Cassidy. One good rebound fuck didn't really let you get over heartache like that, though it had certainly improved Morgan's mood.

Morgan didn't immediately dip back into her theatrics and instead stared at Sparky over the camp stove flame. "You'd have me on your team?"

"I mean, yeah. You're spooky, but you're cool." Sparky shrugged. "I kind of respect how much of a pain in the ass you were to pin down."

"You want me to join you because I'm annoying?"

Brandy nodded along with Sparky. For Sparky, that made total sense. She could respect a fellow mischiefmaker.

"Calcine? You enjoy being annoyed too?"

Calcine snorted. "I put up with it. You seem talented, and you'll challenge Brandy in the right way. You'll be a perfect fit once I put you in your place."

"Oh? And what place is that?" Morgan said with a sly smile. "Brandy, you want to explain what that means?"

Brandy did not because she wasn't entirely sure. Jealous Calcine wasn't something she was used to. Calcine liked a clear goal and to occasionally take charge, but more emotion had been spilling out of her lately. She was a bit hotter-headed and quicker to rile up, not letting comments slide as easily as she used to. Firmer in her intentions for Brandy, and not just the intention to press her up to a wall and fuck her until she became a gooey mess. She was still Brandy's rock, but one that wasn't just going to act as something for her to lean on.

It felt like good progress but also a step into something a little more dangerous. Raw emotions were easier to hurt, and Brandy really didn't want to do that. Her Partners had earned nothing but love.

"Partner." Brandy settled on. "Calcine and Sparky have a piece of me each. You don't have your own yet. Until you do then you're our tall, dark, and sexy friend."

"I take a piece?" Morgan tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You mean I share?"

Brandy shook her head. "We're not like the Flock. Sparky gets to have her fun and tease me. Calcine gets to be warm, firm, and tender to wrap up with. We'll find out what you like and find a way for you to get it."

"That's... strange."

Sparky cackled at Morgan calling anyone strange.

"It's how I'm doing it. I know I should be bending your ears and trying to make you all work harmoniously together, gathering up all that adoration for us to share, but this way feels right for me. Messy, but good."

Calcine tugged Morgan's hand, "Brandy's good. But you should get back to your ritual."

"What?" Morgan stared down at the camp flame. "Oh, it was just a way to get us talking. Hardly needed, but for the sake of completion. Just look into the flame and try to feel the bonds we share. "

The flickering blue flame of the camp stove was pretty in its own way, but Brandy didn't feel like it had any clues into how her bonds were. The hand-holding was better for it, feeling the warmth of her partners' hands. Calcine's firm skin made her feel safe, while Sparky's softer touch was lovely to sink into, but her sharp nails promised Sparky would have a little bit of her own fun.

"Well, all I feel from you is how nice feathers are." Sparky said, "But I got to say, you'd be great against the Psychic menace who wants to kick our ass if you do join."

"What." Morgan's reply was a short sharp cut,  lashed out at Sparky like she was lying and deserved a reprimand.

Oh, right. Mercury. Amazing that Brandy could even forget about her, but it had been a really busy few days.

"We have a kind of ongoing thing with Mercury," Brandy tried to say casually, hoping her Partners couldn't feel nervousness through the bond. "She's training up to beat me now."

"I don't know who Mercury is."

Right! Morgan wasn't even from this continent. She's probably the only local Pokémon who doesn't have a clue who Mercury is.

"Galarian Rapidash. Tall, pretty, absolutely huge dick." Sparky was all too enthusiastic to explain how doomed Brandy was. "You get the idea."

"Ah, a shame she's such a bother. You don't deserve the hassle."

"Oh no, when I say huge dick, I mean like." Sparky opened her mouth wide and did a blowjob motion, poking her tongue into her cheek to bulge it out. "Literally huge. She big."

"You seem to think a lot about huge dicks." Morgan said, a little amusement in her tone.

"Hey, I am sadly cursed with one. It's a weight I have to bear."

Morgan laughed and shook her hands, swinging Calcine and Sparky's arms. It was strange she seemed to get on with Sparky better than Calcine. Their personalities barely matched beyond their fighting styles. Maybe it was because Sparky was more in touch with herself, and it appealed to the Dark side of Morgan. Or Morgan was more mischievous than Brandy thought.

"Warm and tender," Morgan echoed Brandy's words about Calcine, eying the Rolycoly. "You seemed a lot firmer than someone who wanted a cuddle."

"It could be a very firm cuddle. One she can't escape." Calcine smirked. "Maybe I enjoy making her body mold to mine."

"Ah, you want to smother her. Understandable, Brandy is very smotherable."

Okay! This had to be stopped before she ended up with her face stuffed in a pillow again.

"Morgan. We'll have your back with Cassidy. We'll fight for your right to talk. All of us."

Two nods from her Partners, no hesitation. It was so sweet that they were willing to throw in so eagerly, whatever their reasons for doing it.

"And I think I grasp what went wrong, at least in parts. I guess my question is," Brandy licked her lips. The awkward part came here. "Do you want to go back to her? I'd love to bind you. I'd do it right now if you let me. But it's your choice."

Morgan stared into the fire for a long time, the glow reflecting off her eyes as the wisps of smoke collected under her hat. She seemed frozen by the question, but no one broke her out of it. If she needed time to think, they could all just enjoy being there with each other until she had.

"I don't know." Morgan said finally, "The honest truth, I've been with her so long and done such great things. I'd hate not to see how her journey continues. I'd miss Harper, we got along really well, and all the rest I want to see them grow strong. They have a new girl I've not even met."

"You can keep in touch," Sparky said, "But I guess it won't be the same."

"No, not at all. Being a part of Cassidy's legend will be a lot different to hearing about it. And, well, we're all Flying types. Self-absorbed and insular. Long distance doesn't work well for us."

"That's not-" Brandy kicked her leg out past the stove to rub it against Morgan's leg. She couldn't hug her in the circle, but she felt some contact had to be done with talk like that. "That's not how Flying has to be. You've shared a lot, and you wanted to connect. You need some time now and then for yourself. That's not going to break apart everything you've made. Cassidy's chased you for a long time, from what I can tell. If they all really were like that, they'd have forgotten you."

Morgan shrunk up into herself some, hiding her eyes with her hat. But Brandy didn't need to see the smile to know it was there. "You're convincing me to go back to Cassidy, you know?"

"I'd rather you were happy with her than miserable with me." Brandy said, "Seriously. However this fight goes, we'll back up your decision."

Smiles all round, a pleasant moment. Brandy could feel the warmth and comradarie and it was good.

"But I want to play with your tail," Sparky chipped in. "I bet it'd get even puffier if I shocked it."

"Absolutely not."

Well okay, some warmth, comradarie and teasing.

"I want your hat," Calcine said, eying it up. "I'd look better in it."

"You'll die first. The hat stays on me."

"It's my color, though. I'd look very dashing."

A bit of warmth, comradarie, teasing, and some death threats.

"You touch the hat, and I'm going to fly you up to the clouds and drop you." Morgan broke the circle to hold the brim.

"I'm a rock, I'm good at falling." Calcine said as she snapped a hand at the hat.

"Into the sea. The deepest part. You'd have to wait for a Huntail to find you before you ever got out, and I'd kick you back in again if you did."

"Worth it. It's a great hat. I'd be the most fashionable thing the Huntail has ever seen."

Morgan teleported away in a rush of feathers, and Calcine charged after her, Sparky cackling madly as Calcine chased Morgan around the room, Morgan getting increasingly frantic as Calcine got closer to grabbing her hat.

Okay, so they were going to be a mess.

But that's fine. Messes were fun too. Brandy could work with that.