Chapter 5: Wild Horses & Pokegirls
Selecting the beginning six

WARNING: This is a fic that has silly moments and plotlines, but is set in a
dark world and explores concepts dealing with the darker side of human
nature. It also is *not* recommended for the young, rated NC-17 or something
or like that. There are elements which will disturb me, the writer, for
crying out loud.

DISCLAIMER: Various elements from this come from Greyman and a few other
erotic (or at least adult-oriented) Addventure writers on the web, Nintendo,
R.Takahashi/Viz, and other writers.

Annoying Announcer Voiceover: "We rejoin our story with our heroes at the
Tendo Ranch. Ranma was pulled from his own space and time by an experiment
in teleportation that was blown up by the evil Trauma Team (boo,hiss). Ranma
has chosen the path of least resistance at the time and has become a
Pokegirl Tamer and has two pokegirls that he knows about: Kasumi and
Nabiki - two Kittens from the Tendo PokeRanch. He was finally overcome by
his catfear conflicting with his feelings for two very nice and affectionate
catgirls, went into the Nekoken mode, and Tamed both girls much in the
manner of a Tomcat. When their younger sister tried to rescue them, Kasumi
stuffed Akane into a pokeball (laugh track briefly plays). Ranma doesn't
know he has a Tomboy as his third pokegirl.  Then he was summoned back to
the Ranch where a full assault is taking place."

---------------

Professor Stroak heard the signal go off that indicated that a Tamer's
excess pokeballs were being auto-rotated to storage here. Checking a
monitor, he was surprised to see that it was from RANMA. He really hadn't
expected Ranma to be that aggressive about collecting pokegirls, and would
likely stick to a small group.

As soon as one filled pokeball entered the storage area, an empty one was
teleported to replace it. A recent upgrade that the Professor had thought
would make things easier.

Professor Stroak glanced at the tally display. Ash, Ataru, and Gary had been
going for three months now.

[Ash Ketchum - 6] [Gary Stroak - 21] [Ataru Moroboshi - 7] [Ranma Saotome - 7]

Professor Stroak nodded, impressed. Ranma had caught as many as Ataru,
though a second screen showed that Ash had Tamed and bonded all his
pokegirls, as had Ataru. Gary had only Tamed and bonded 11 of his. Ranma had
only Tamed and bonded two.

[Ranma Saotome - 11]

Professor Stroak blinked. Waitaminute. What the heck?

[Ranma Saotome - 19]

Maybe this was some incredible talent that Ranma had? Did coming from an
alternate universe give him some alien superhuman power? Did martial arts
make *that* much of a difference?

[Ash Ketchum - 7] [Ranma Saotome - 24]

Checking a display, Professor Stroak checked and found that Ranma's
pokegirls were of a number of different breeds, all unconscious and showing
injuries. Meaning that Ranma was in some sort of situation like a Breeding
Frenzy where pokegirls were triggering each other into a mindless
fight-or-sex state. Maybe at the Tendo Ranch, as Soun had over a hundred
pokegirls there at one point.

[Ranma Saotome - 36]

Professor Stroak nodded, this explanation made sense. And, like a true
Tamer, Ranma was taking advantage of his speed and strength. Subduing the
distracted pokegirls, capturing them, and then moving on to the next ones
without pause.

[Ash Ketchum - 8] [Ranma Saotome -51]

A chime sounded. Automatically the Pokegirl League would be notified. The
League would then review the catch and decide whether to elevate Ranma's
status to Advanced Tamer. Which meant that he'd better get to Taming these
pokegirls as soon as possible.

[Ranma Saotome - 52]

Seeing the numbers finally stop, Professor Stroak got busy. These extra
balls would need to be put into a Training Machine. Most would be Feral or
nearly so, so a Level 4 Programming would be needed. A Healing Cycle was
obviously needed. Oh, and since Ranma struck him as being not that fond of
grime and goo, a Grooming Cycle would need to be tacked on to the procedure.

Oh, and he ought to do something for Ash's catch too.

[Ash Ketchum - 9] [Ranma Saotome - 52]

-----------

A few minutes previously:

Nabiki and Kasumi had grown up on a PokeRanch with an often dysfunctional
father. This meant that they were well familiar with pokeballs, training
machines, collars, brooding chambers, and many of the other aspects of life
as a pokegirl. Another advantage of being Domesticated as opposed to Feral.

Which was *how* two Kittens let themselves out of their pokeballs instead of
remaining in stasis while their Master bled to death.

Kasumi had immediately dragged Ranma off and began ministering to his
wounds.

Which left the other cat holding the bag. Also the pokedex, a few pokeballs,
and something that needed to be done.

Nabiki was, at her core, the sort of kitty who preferred intellectual
solutions to physical action. Not that she was a particularly lazy cat, but
she didn't like several things. Like getting dirty. Lots of forms of
exercise including pokebattles tended to get one dirty. She didn't care for
that at all.

So, she'd seen the problems. One, Master was unconscious with a pretty bad
injury. Two, the Ranch she'd grown up at was under fire from various
sources. Three, most of her half-sisters were unconscious or heavily injured
from what was obviously a sneak attack.

The solution wasn't completely satisfactory, even if it was obvious.

Then she'd had to explain it to this idiot.

"Because," said an exasperated Nabiki. "Master hurt. You really want the
sort of people who'd do this to steal and Tame all my sisters?"

"Well, no..." Ash allowed, then started throwing his own pokeballs. "Good
point."

"Think of it as stealing from Team Rocket or something," muttered Nabiki,
catching another four at once. "Excess will just be sent to storage, where
they'll be safe." She didn't want to share her Master - particularly with a
ludicrously high number of pokegirls, but as a Tamer he could only keep six
in his possession anyway. If he made it to Harem Master, that number would
increase. If he was a Researcher (unlikely from what she'd seen), he'd be
expected to keep perhaps eight. A Breeder would have a home and base of
operations, and *lots* of pokegirls.

Though the thought of Ranma getting a Breeder's License sent a delicious
flutter through her and made Nabiki want another Taming.

Ash grabbed a few. Nabiki grabbed a lot. Then both fled when the armored
vehicles came in. Neither thought their chances very good against these
villains.

Ranma was Nabiki's Master, and she was going to serve his interests as best
as she could. Just like a good Alpha would.

--------

Hans and Trixie lowered their weapons as they looked on at the nastiness
before them.

"Okay, who the heck else did the old Perv hire in on this? I told him Trauma
Team worked alone." Hans spat into the dirt as punctuation.

Trixie adjusted the zoom on her electronic binoculars. "Government types.
Lotsa black suited sorts. Looks like an audit by the Revenue Service."

Hans spat again. "Has to be Emma, she's the only one around who has the
authority and the hatred of pokegirls to do this sort of thing. Probably got
offered some money or artifacts, it wouldn't take much."

Trixie considered while she studied the events. "Most likely we'll get the
blame on this one, old goat set us up as fall guys. Like we've got access to
giant robots."

"Or would use something that clumsy," Hans agreed. "Considering that it *is*
that old Perv, he probably would just have to offer some legal ammo that she
could use against the Joketsuzoku Preserve. You know how much she's railed
against things like that."

"We'd better get going," Trixie said, folding the device up and putting it
into her belt pack. "The Perv probably has a trick or two to use against us,
so we'll have to get back at him when he's less prepared."

"I think I know the perfect way to get back at him," said Hans. "We'll have
to demonstrate what happens when you cross Trauma Team."

--------

Nabiki heard shots being fired and saw her Daddy being led out. He was
alive, however, which was more than what she had feared.

"So what happened, Nabiki?" Kasumi looked up from where she'd been healing
Ranma.

"Whoa, a Kitten who does psychic healing?" Ash was impressed. But then Ash
was easily impressed.

"I was counting on the Tamer's limit to get as many as I could to Professor
Stroak's place. Since Ranma got his pokedex from there, that's where his
overflow would end up."

"I wonder what *I* got anyway," Ash wondered aloud as Nabiki started filling
Kasumi in on the havoc.

[Open][File][Brief][List]
[Tomboy; Peekaboo; Kappa; Pidgy; Barbisaur; Charmandi; Tigress; Snorlass;
Minotaura]

"Wow! A Tigress! I've heard what those are like in bed!" Ash practically
drooled at the thought.

*SHOOM!* "ASH! YOU BETTER NOT FORGET YOUR ALPHA!" *SLAP!*

Kasumi and Nabiki stared at the pokegirl who had just let herself out of her
pokeball.

"Oops," said the pokegirl. "Forgot how my strength's gone up. Uhm. Oh well,
he'll be okay."

"You just decked your Master?" Nabiki was alarmed by this.

"Oh that's okay. He gets worse all the time. Say, if you know psychic
healing, could you take a look at him?" The pokegirl shrugged. "By the way,
my name's Misty."

"Nabiki, Tendo Ranch. Specialty in Information Gathering and Covert
Operations."

"Kasumi, Tendo Ranch. Specialty in Domestic skills."

"Well, Misty is a Tomboy," Misty indicated. "Originally Misty was human girl
but you know what sometimes happen when human not purebred try to be Tamer."

"Your heritage activated, huh?" Nabiki nodded. "What happened, accident with
a pokeball?"

"No, Misty was fishing for pokegirls. Misty like Water types. Misty got
pulled in, was Tamed by pokegirl instead of Tamer. Ash came by while Misty
was still unconscious, saw naked pokegirl and into pokeball Misty went."
Misty momentarily looked angry. "Then he wreck Misty's bike! Rrrrrr."

"Still, if you were planning on being a Tamer, you must have a lot of skills
that someone like Ash can use." Nabiki sat down and watched her Tamer with a
wistful look. Looked like *nobody* got some extra Taming tonight.

"Yes, Misty does. Though stupid Ash let me get almost Feral before he'd Tame
me." Misty looked over the other unconscious Tamer. "Wow. Looks like you
lucked out. Your Tamer is a total hunk!" His shirt was off and this was
quite obvious to Misty.

"Yes, well, we like him. You wouldn't believe how he Tamed us. Acted just
like a big male cat," Kasumi confided, blushing severely.

"Wow!" Misty looked envious. "How thoughtful of him."

"Unnnnn," said Ranma, coming awake to find a pair of brown eyes regarding
him with concern. Joined by another pair a moment later.

"Master?" "Master?"

"Toldja call me Ranma..." groaned Ranma.

"We're not alone," warned Nabiki.

"Oh that's okay, Ash calls Misty Misty all the time. Only ones he not name
are Feral." Misty waved it off. "Misty call Ash LOTS of things. Nice to know
Ash isn't only one to buck custom."

"Rrranma," began Nabiki, "let me explain to you about tactics and
responsibility. What do you think happen if you're killed to your
pokegirls?"

"Aw, I'm hardly even scratched."

Kasumi silently lifted Ranma's shirt up. One finger indicated the golf-ball
sized hole that went through the front and back of that shirt.

"Oh man, that was one of my best shirts..." Ranma's voice trailed off as he
realized what he was looking at, then checked to find a little circle of
pink skin just below his lowest rib. "Uhm..."

"If Kasumi didn't have Psychic Healing, you'd be dead," pointed out Nabiki.
"And what did you think you were doing, attacking mecha in a rush? You need
to consider your position..."

--------

Ranma started tuning out Nabiki's lecture as details penetrated.

1) He owed his life to the c-c-c-catgirl housewife. No, Kasumi. He owed
Kasumi his life.
2) The sort of tactics and strategies his father had drilled into him for
the past decade were not that effective. Insulting and dodging that Peekabu
had failed. Charging that car had clearly not been the smartest thing he'd
ever done.
3) These guys didn't fight with any sort of honor. They struck from hiding,
and tried to kill their target in that first shot.

Anything Goes was a powerful style because it was so adaptable and it took
the best from whatever other styles it could find to add to itself.

He'd been trying to carry on as usual, but Ranma decided it was time to
throw out his father's tactics and use the philosophy behind his School.
Learn and adapt.

He was just so tired...

------

Professor Stroak opened the door, not surprised at the identity of three of
those present.

Kasumi and Nabiki carried their Tamer in between them. Ash followed, and his
presence *was* a surprise. Followed by Ash's Alpha - the Tomboy Misty.

"Misty, I have good news for you, I've completed the Transfiguration
Chamber." Professor Ash greeted the redhead. "You don't have to remain a
Tomboy if you're still wanting to become some other kind of pokegirl."

"Transfiguration Chamber?" asked Kasumi as she lowered her Tamer to the
couch.

"Something developed a few years ago in one of the attempts to build a means
of keeping human girls from undergoing Threshold, as well as the attempts at
artificial forced evolution. The EDEN Project." Professor Stroak held up a
salt-shaker like device and passed it over Ranma's body. "He looks fine.
Exhausted though. Looks like psychic healing. That repairs physical damage
but it taxes the resources of the patient as well as the healer. Your work,
I assume, Kasumi?"

Kasumi nodded, looking fairly exhausted herself.

"You've earned a rest, Kasumi, return," Nabiki held up her sister's
pokeball. There was a moment of hesitation, but Kasumi let the capture beam
take her.

"Hmmm," hmmed the Professor as he looked over Nabiki. "Nabiki, isn't it?
You're ready to evolve it looks like. Better warn Ranma before your next
Taming."

"Evolve?" Nabiki blinked in surprise. "Nabiki become Catgirl instead of
Kitten?"

"Most likely," suggested the Professor. "I'd expect Kasumi to be at about
the same stage."

"That could be handy, Master still not have any good fighters," Nabiki made
a face. "Nabiki know that stupid speech impediment due to recent first
Taming. Nabiki know it temporary. Nabiki still tired of sounding like
Bimbo."

"Hey Professor," Ash said, tipping his cap towards his mentor. "Mind if I
borrow a Training Room? I think maybe Peekaboo might make a better Alpha."

Misty snorted. "Yeah right. She's a *Feralborn*. Nice girl, cute, certainly
her electric attacks are powerful, but she can't even say anything other
than her name. It'll take another month before she learns to do half the
shit you have me doing. You can't zap tent pegs into place, and her physical
strength ain't half of mine. But then she's just a mouse type..."

"Misty - return!" Ash waited until Misty had turned to red light and gotten
sucked within the device before putting it back onto his belt. "Let her
worry a little. She shouldn't a' hit me that hard."

"Actually, Ash, I *do* have an idea to try out with your Peekaboo. You're
familiar with Technique Training (T2) Machines?"

"Oh yeah, sure. Of course. Errr. No."

"An engram recording method developed using some of the same oldtech of
Sukebe's Taming Machine, used for teaching a pokegirl a single attack
technique," explained Nabiki. "Sorry, Professor, I've followed your work for
some time."

The Professor frowned for a moment at being addressed so familiarly by a
pokegirl, then shrugged. "Yes, well, the technology has been around for
awhile. What I've done is tried recordings of various things other than
attacks, such as language skills."

Nabiki immediately grasped that and explained it for Ash, who was obviously
lost. "Brilliant. That way even those wild pokegirls like the Feralborn can
be taught at least a basic grasp of the language."

"Yes, well," the Professor was a little startled that a pokegirl was showing
*this* much intelligence. "Preliminary tests are promising."

"Combined with your paper in the Breeder database about forced evolution and
the possibility of stabilized DNA, that would... ehhhh... be kinda technical
actually." Nabiki suddenly realized that she was *way* out on a limb here.
She had some basic idea of Professor Stroak's views and stance on pokegirls,
and that he was actually fairly pro-pokegirl, but if he suspected that some
of his remaining pokegirls were actually spying on him and subtly
encouraging his research into certain areas, and reporting back to a
*network* of such pokegirls? This could backfire *real* fast. "Uhm, at
least, that's what Daddy said the other day. Myaaa! Nabiki want take nappy
right now."

"Hmmmm," said the Professor, suspicions aroused. A Kitten being this clever?
Following his theories? As for the lie about Soun Tendo, Professor Stroak
doubted that Soun had read more than the titles of his latest series of
articles. Well, halfbreeds tended to have odd talents. Like her sister
Kasumi and her odd psi abilities. Normally he'd turn a blind eye to such
things, like most Breeders and a number of researchers, unless the pokegirl
forced him to confront these things. His own pokegirls were clever enough to
realize that legally he had to report such things, and so did all their
computer access with sufficient subtlety that he could claim ignorance
later. Though he'd have to keep an eye on this one. If she turned out to be
another Limbec Pirate Queen in the making...

Nabiki saw that look, interpreted it correctly, and went into full "I'm just
a cute lil' Kitten mode." Inwardly she cursed. A Dominatrix named Lao had
(about seventy years ago) snapped the neck of her Tamer and gone off to form
the Limbec Pirates. It had taken twenty five years for the Pirate Queen to
be brought down. In the wake of her adventures, the beginnings of laws
protecting pokegirls had been brought down and it had been a slow road back.
Showing signs of intelligence was okay. It was expected of Domesticated
pokegirls. Knowledge of advanced research could be considered threatening.
Threatening meant that it could scare humans. Scared humans tended to be
very very dangerous.

Oddly enough, from Lao's comments that had made it to public record, her
activities had had the *opposite* effect of what she had intended. Instead
of freeing pokegirls from slavery, she had set everything back nearly to the
time of Sukebe's War. The leaders of the League themselves were likely to
still be ready to crush anyone who even looked like they might rock their
boat now, some with perfectly good intentions as they hoped to head off
another Madame Lao...

-----------

The woman smiled as she rode the elevator up to her office. With this
information, she could at last gather enough support. The Joketsuzoku
Preserve was doomed!

She hated pokegirls. From the least offensive A-bra to the most reclusive
Zeromer. She *hated* them. Though she was in her eighties, she well
remembered the day that the news had reached her family that a policeman
named Lugard had been killed by the Limbec Pirates. Her father. The Growlie
that had been her father's pokegirl partner, missing. Apparently dominated
and Tamed and recruited by the Pirates thereafter.

Oh yes, Emma Tanaka had reason to hate pokegirls. And that hate had curdled
over the years. Evidence had indicated that Lao had gotten some support,
initially, from the Joketsuzoku. Emma suspected that it had continued after
their public show of disgust following the massacre on a cruise ship though
the evidence had indicated otherwise.

The Limbec Pirates had eventually fallen, but now groups like Trauma Team
had appeared to follow the path blazed by the previous group.

First the Joketsuzoku would fall, then she had a good chance to destroy the
others.

"Agent Tanaka."

Emma Tanaka looked up. Large officious looking types. "What is the meaning
of this?"

"Tanaka-kun. You have misused League equipment and personnel," said a large
man in a black suit and tie. "You are on administrative leave pending a full
investigation."

--------

Ranma was still being fussed over by his two Kittens, while Ash had let the
Professor conduct experiments on both Misty and his Peekaboo (Misty had
wanted to try the Gene Therapy to change to another sort of pokegirl, while
Peekaboo would be the third subject for the Language Trainer) and really
didn't have that much to do at the moment.

But none of that was as important as the amount of food being ladled out.
Though Kasumi and Nabiki attempting to hand feed Ranma had ended with both
catgirls checking to make sure all their fingers were still in place.

"I can't wait to Tame my Tigress," Ash said, hoping to impress this other
Tamer. Tigresses had a major reputation. Fierce in battle and in bed.

"Mmmmfff," said Ranma with his mouth full.

"Well, there's a problem with that, Ash," said Professor Stroak.

"A problem?"

"Yes, with your captures too, Ranma. Most of them have been disqualified."
The Professor waited until Ranma had mumbled an acknowledgement before
continuing. "But Ash, you really shouldn't Tame either the Snorlass or the
Tigress. The Minotaura is fine, just be sure you use the restraints."

Ash nodded, puzzled. Everyone knew the story of Douglas, a good Tamer who
had accomplished many great adventures with his Amazonchan Lilac.
Unfortunately, he got out of the habit of using restraints and his pokegirl
accidently broke his spine during a Taming session. The Alpha followed her
Tamer shortly thereafter, her heart broken. The story was repeated as a
lesson of why it was necessary to use the tools even when your pokegirl was
loyal and true. "I understand *that*, Professor. But why can't I Tame the
Tigress or the Snorlass?"

Professor Stroak sighed deeply, then brought up displays on the two
pokegirls. "Because, Ash, it really lacks class to Tame members of your own
family."

===========

NAGA, the snake pokegirl
TYPE: Animorph, Near Human
Element: Poison
Frequency: uncommon
Diet: small animals, usually eaten whole and live
Role: rarely utilized, their diet and habits tend to spook people off. They
are also (like Starboob and some other varieties) lesbian in their tastes,
making them difficult for male Tamers to work with.
Libido: Low (no particular high points)
Strong Vs: Grass, Bug
Weak Vs: Ghost, Rock, Metal
Attacks: Leer, Poison, Wrap, Wrestle, Sex Attack 2, Bite
Enhancements: Extreme flexibility (bones are actually hard cartilidge with
softer areas), poison injectors under the nails and in the fangs can deliver
one of four poisons - selectable by the Naga. Hypnotic gaze that only works
on specific types (mainly mouse, bug, or bird types) of pokegirl.
Evolves: Garter (Very Near Human type, weaker but more popular, mechanism
for evolution unknown), Arbust (normal evolution, entire body becomes mildly
poisonous and can spit venom), Sideviper (rare, only encountered as a Feral)
Naga is an unpopular choice for a pokegirl. Due to a lack of hard bones, her
strength is usually blunted unless she can hug or wrestle with her foe. Her
main attacks are through the use of the various poisons her body normally
produces. Sleep venom is the usual attack, which is how she keeps her prey
from struggling as she swallows them. There are also many other problems
with having a Naga, such as their coldblooded nature making them susceptible
to opponents with Ice attacks.

EVA, the fox-squirrel pokegirl
TYPE: Animorph, Humanoid
ELEMENT: Normal
FREQUENCY: uncommon
DIET: berries, nuts, common pokechow
ROLE: Pets, guard animals, and domestics
LIBIDO: Average
STRONG VS: None
WEAK VS: Rock
ATTACKS: Quick, Aura Of Cute, Tackle, Leap
ENHANCEMENTS: fur, capability of evolving to an elemental form, speed.
EVOLVES: Flarea (flamestone), Vaporita (waterstone), Joltina (thunderstone)
Eva, the fox-squirrel pokegirl, is furry and cute and fairly popular. They
are loyal, affectionate, and fairly intelligent. Many have been trained to
be good domestics and enjoy being helpful in almost any regard. They respond
well to affection, and their possibility of evolving into one of their three
elemental forms gives them good combat potential.
Evas also have a bad reputation that they have only slowly begun overcoming.
On the Orange Continent, about twenty years after Sukebe's disappearance, an
attempt to evolve an Eva using an Angelstone resulted in the continent
almost completely beneath the waves. Now the Orange Islands have a No Evas
Allowed policy, though most people don't know why other than "Evas are bad
luck."

next chapter:
revelations for Ash?
transformations of Tomboys?
Tamer Jim gets some action?
Ranma rewards his pokegirls?
oh my!

============