Archive of Our Own

“Shut the fuck up.” 

Zero frowned a little, crossing her arms as she futilely attempted to converse with Marsh. Ever since they had met he had always had a bone to pick with her, antagonizing her at every opportunity and generally being a nuisance. Of course, that was more than likely because she was a Zangoose, and he was a Seviper.

“Sorry, just… Trying to make conversation. It's a long way to the dungeon, and we ought to do something to pass the time.” 

Marsh let out a displeased hiss. 

“The only reason we are even ON this mission in the first place is because you don't know how to keep your nose where it belongs, Zangoose.” 

Zero sighed, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of her snout. For some reason that she never really understood, Seviper as a species hated Zangoose, with the reverse being true as well. She alone seemed to be a notable exception to the rule, a fact which got her an endless amount of attention in the guild.

“Yes, well forgive me, Marsh, for caring about someone else. It's not like Redwood Forest is even dangerous, anyways. And my name is Zero, not Zangoose. As I have stated, repeatedly, for the past 6 months we have been teamed up.” 

“I'm not interested in learning the name of a Zangoose. As soon as I find a better partner, I'm leaving.” 

Zero smirked at that. “I dunno, I doubt you can find many better at fighting than me. We've met quite a few parties, and there's only been a few who I think I might lose to.” She did a mock strongman pose, flexing her muscles and raising her eyebrows at the serpent who just looked at her with disdain.

It was silent after that, and it seemed like Marsh had decided to end the conversation. Likely because Zero was right, or at least she thought so. Ordinarily she might have tried to continue it, but she didn't want to antagonize Marsh too much. As bad as he treated her now, it was a thousand times worse back when they first got assigned to be in a party together, so these moments where he wasn't being actively dickish were nice. Zero half expected to get her throat slit while she slept with how vehemently the Seviper hated her. 

She could still remember it like it was yesterday, waking up on that beach in a body she didn't recognize. Not that she could remember her original body anymore anyways, but it still took her time to get used to moving around as a Zangoose instead of as a human. And after she had learned how to do it properly, she suddenly found herself being dragged to a guild to become an adventurer by an overly excited Kirlia. 

Even before they had properly interacted, Zero could feel Marsh's eyes on her at all times, though she didn't understand why at first. Everyone seemed to know something she didn't, especially when she looked at him, not with hatred, but with curiosity. And when they all drew lots to see who ended up with whom, the collective gasp when Zero drew Marsh's name didn't go unnoticed.

And yet, here they were, after 6 grueling months of Zero trying again and again to make some sort of connection to Marsh, to make him not hate her. It had gone from threats to simple insults to passive aggressive jabs, and she couldn't help but feel a little proud of herself. He would kill her if she ever told him, but Zero found herself with quite a sweet spot for the grumpy Seviper, especially since she spent so much time with him. 

“Zangoose, we're almost there. Quit daydreaming and look alive.” 

Zero was pulled out of her reminiscence by Marsh's gruff voice, seeing that indeed, the forest was close. She pulled the note she had received from her backpack. 

*Please rescue my brother, he went on an expedition to Redwood Forest and hasn't come back.* 

She thought back to the tearful looking Goomy and steeled her resolve. Hopefully she wouldn't have to fight too much, but she would do what she must to protect his smile. 

“Let's go then, Marsh. I'm counting on you to have my back.” 

Marsh only grumbled, following in after Zero as she entered the forest. True to its name, Redwood Forest was, well, red. It looked like the entire area was constantly in the throes of Autumn, a layer of foliage on the ground that crunched beneath Zero's claws and Marsh's scales. The wind carried the distant sound of nature, young feral Pokémon playing as they danced through the leaves. The smell was of decaying plant matter, a somewhat sweet smell that made Zero wiggle her nose. 

“What a beautiful dungeon this is, isn't it, Marsh?” 

She smiled at her partner, who seemed to not be paying attention. 

“How deep do we need to go to find this kid? I want to get out of here as soon as possible.” Marsh's voice had a slight edge to it, barely even noticeable through his usual layers of crabbiness, such that Zero didn't pick up on it. 

“Not too deep, I don't think. This place isn't exactly miles wide anyways. Maybe we can even find him within a few minutes!” 

Zero pumped her fist excitedly, though she was quickly distracted by something else. Before the duo stood a lone Pokémon, a Sawsbuck. Curiously, its horns were not autumnal-like; rather, they had the small flowers of a springtime Sawsbuck. It was staring the both of them down, pawing at the ground and snorting in aggression. 

“Careful, Marsh. Looks like it's going to attack.” 

“No shit, genius. You take one side, I'll take the other.” 

As the Seviper finished speaking, the wild Pokémon lowered its horns down, charging at the duo in such a manner that they might be threatened, if it wasn't stumbling over itself and running at about the same pace Zero walked. She narrowed her eyes; something was wrong here. 

“Marsh, something's up. We need to find that kid, fast.” 

She was interrupted by a pitiful bleat from the Sawsbuck, who had collapsed on the floor next to her. She stared down at it with a mixture of confusion and pity, though it was not an expression Marsh shared. 

“Zangoose, I wouldn't let it touch you. It might have a disease, or… Or something like that.” 

Zero flinched away at that statement, right as the Sawsbuck tried to lick her leg, its tongue lolling loosely out of its mouth as it took raspy, heaving breaths. It tried to crawl after her, but was ultimately unable to get its legs under itself to move. Zero's nose twitched, as a sweet scent started to hit her, wafting in from every direction it felt like. Or maybe it was always there, and she just didn't notice. 

“Hey Marsh… Do you smell that?” 

Marsh looked at her, his eyes almost imperceptibly widening. He started to slither past her and the immobile deer, moving with a grim determination. 

“We need to hurry, Zangoose. It might already be too late for this kid.” 

Zero was confused; was it really that bad? It seemed like that Sawsbuck was just a bit lethargic, but maybe Marsh knew something she didn't. She followed along, keeping up with his rapid slither as they delved deeper into the autumnal forest. 

As the canopy grew thicker, so too did the slightly sweet scent that permeated the air around them. The branches overhead seemed to be reaching out for each other, intertwining the trees together in a lover's embrace as the light struggled to get through. They passed by more and more lethargic Pokémon, each one barely even lifting their head to look at the duo as they sprinted past.

As they ran, Zero started to feel a little strange. Her body was heating up, and she found herself slowly becoming acutely aware of every single other Pokémon around her. Her breathing grew heavier.

“I think…I found him, Marsh. This way.” 

She took a harsh right turn, deftly moving through the trees with a frantic speed, though she knew not where this energy was coming from. She just knew she had to move fast, before something happened. She didn't know what it was going to be, but she could tell something was happening to her, and she was not a huge fan of it.

Marsh said something to her in response, but Zero didn't hear it over the wind rushing past her ears and her heart pounding in her chest, feeling like it was threatening to burst clean out of her. It felt like it was getting faster, and faster, building up to an unknown peak, until she burst into a small clearing. 

In the center of the clearing lay an unconscious Sliggoo, and Zero immediately recognized him as the older brother of the Goomy she had spoken to. She didn't notice, but she was growling aggressively. 

“Zangoose, back up. You need to control yourself.” 

Zero's eyes flicked over to Marsh, who now had a red bandana covering his mouth and nose. Almost immediately, she was hit with a sensation she couldn't explain, a burning desire to possess this Seviper in every way she could. The Sliggoo on the ground was a distraction, one that could not be tolerated. She needed to get rid of him.

As she started to growl, eyes now locked on the unconscious Sliggoo, Marsh let out a loud sigh.

“Of course you're too mentally weak for this. Stupid Zangoose, that's our client.” 

Zero's attention was not moved an inch from the dragon type before her, but there was something that definitely worked to distract her attention, that being Marsh slapping her upside the head with the flat side of his tail blade. 

“Owwww… What was that for, Marsh?” 

It took Zero a moment to get her bearings, and realize the thoughts she was having. Her cheeks had started to flush, and she felt an odd warmth permeating from her abdomen.

“Oh, man… You need to get the kid out of here, Marsh. I don't know what's happening right now, but I really want to get rid of him.” 

The Seviper simply nodded, pulling out a rescue badge and slithering towards the Sliggoo. Seeing Marsh go towards the young dragon, Zero felt a flash of jealous rage run through her, and she started to growl involuntarily. Marsh only looked back for a second to see her getting ready to run him down, before he activated the badge and warped himself and the client away. 

Zero was alone now, and now that Marsh had left her presence, her body started to scream at her. She was overtaken with a fiery hot want, no, need for something she could not define. She had never experienced anything like this in her short time as a Zangoose, and she was more than a little afraid, but at least this way she wouldn't hurt Marsh or the client. 

Very soon, though, Zero found herself no longer alone.

Marsh blinked slowly as he got his bearings after the warp, carrying the Sliggoo client on his back. He was back in the nearby town, where that dumbass Zangoose had taken a quest for Redwood Forest. There was a reason nobody wanted to take a job for that dungeon; the permanent Autumn time had a very predictable effect on any mammalian Pokémon that ventured in, and a lesser effect on any other types. But with how long the dragon type he was carrying had been in the forest, it was likely that he had been affected pretty heavily.

He quickly wrapped a blanket over the body of the Sliggoo, keeping him contained thoroughly; with Marsh's luck, the kid might end up setting off a wave of heat in the town, and that would just be a pain in the ass for everyone involved. He quickly started to look for the medical center, carrying his charge with a level of care that did not match his gruff attitude, if only because that would be what got him paid.

Luckily, the building was close by, and the Chansey at the front desk gave Marsh a friendly greeting as he came in. He wasted no time in explaining the situation to her.

“This kid's gotten way too heavy a dose of Redwood Forest.” The Chansey gasped at that, getting a mask of her own and putting it on.

“I got him wrapped up so we don't start an outbreak in the town, but I don't know how to care for someone with this.”

The nurse nodded, taking the Sliggoo and putting him on a cot, before talking to Marsh.

“I'll get someone to notify his little brother. Though I have to ask, didn't you have a partner with you? That Zangoose girl?” 

Marsh scoffed. Of course the nurse would show concern for her. 

“She's back in the dungeon still. But she can hold her own, and I'm definitely not going back in there while she's still under the influence.” 

The Chansey frowned a little at that. 

“I wouldn't be so sure. There's been reports of an alpha wild Pokémon appearing around the forest lately. Is she strong enough to overpower an alpha?” 

Marsh narrowed his eyes. The Zangoose was probably going to be fine, right? She was strong, if nothing else. But maybe, if there was such a strong wild Pokémon around, it wouldn't hurt to check up on her. 

“I think… she'll be okay. She's strong. As a side note, where is the nearest shop?” 

The Chansey looked at him with an amused look, but simply provided directions to the shop. As he made his way through the streets, at a (probably) faster than reasonable pace (Why was he hurrying so much?), his thoughts were drawn unbidden to his adventurer partner. He was struck with a mental image of her, struggling to fight off an Alpha, bleeding out on the forest floor. He started to move even quicker, narrowly avoiding bowling over several Pokémon along the way.

As Marsh burst into the shop, he quickly went up to the Kecleon who was manning it.

“I need a Slumber Orb. Maybe a Stun Seed as well if you have one.” 

Marsh found himself growing increasingly antsy as he waited for the Kecleon to get the items, an anxious feeling he wasn't very used to spreading through him. Maybe he wasn't as unaffected by being in Redwood Forest as he thought, or maybe… it was something else.

Once he had paid for the items, he quickly left, making his way out of the town. The sun was still overhead, but it was starting to get lower and lower with every moment. He needed to get there faster, to find out what was happening. A very small voice in his head spoke to him. She could be in danger.

But he didn't really care what happened to her, of course. She was just a Zangoose. It would just be very inconvenient if he had to find a new partner is all. He talked a big game about leaving the group, but the Zangoose was right that she was tougher than pretty much anyone else. She was probably (hopefully) fine. 

As he reached the entrance to the forest again, Marsh didn't hesitate for even a second, darting through the underbrush and paying no mind to his surroundings as he removed his mask to scent the air. There was the ever-present scent of the forest, of course, tainted with the aroma of the season, but there was also the unmistakable scent of blood, and a lot of it. He followed the scent, pushing himself to go even faster.

The first thing Marsh saw when he entered the clearing was the unconscious, bloody Pokémon all around. Each one was in varying states of injury, but all were injured from claws and fangs. The next thing he saw was the largest Trevenant he had ever seen looming over Zero (when did she start being Zero instead of Zangoose?) with its arms laying slack at its sides. And the last thing he saw, to his shock and disbelief, was the Trevenant keeling over backwards unconscious, with Zero standing over it triumphantly.

Zero looked quite a bit different than the Zangoose Marsh had known, with claws covered in blood, and a crazed look in her eyes, searching around for any other aggressors. And then, her eyes locked on the Seviper at the edge of the clearing, and he suddenly felt like cornered prey, despite having a clear escape route in almost any direction. For a moment, she snarled, a growl rolling through the air and sending a shiver down Marsh's spine. Seeing Zero look at him with such an angry expression, like a proper Zangoose ought to, made him feel worse than it should have. But then, she seemed to recognize him, her expression softening.

“Oh, hi Marsh!” 

Zero waved cheerfully, as if completely ignorant of the blood and mess all over her arms. She ran over to him, a grin on her face.

“For some reason all these males keep coming after me. Not sure how I can tell they're males, honestly. Usually I'm pretty bad at that. Any ideas?” 

Marsh was still in disbelief. He had expected Zero to be able to handle herself, but it was like she wasn't struggling at all. Just how strong was this Zangoose? After a moment, he responded.

“This is the effect of Redwood Forest, you idiot. This is why I told you coming here was a bad idea. You're going into heat. Come on, we need to get out of here and find a place to lay low until it wears off.” 

Zero tilted her head, making her look like a confused Houndour. 

“Heat? But I don't feel very warm. I just feel a little more… aware of my surroundings.” 

“It's going to get worse at night, Ze-... Zangoose. You and I need to find a place to stay otherwise you're going to keep getting harassed. And we can't go back to town, otherwise the heat might spread to the residents, which would be equally disastrous. Come on, the sun is going to be setting soon, and I don't want to be around you when that happens.” 

Marsh turned and started to slither away without looking back. He knew Zero would follow him, more than likely; she never seemed to want to leave him alone. And right on cue, he heard her footsteps behind him, crunching on the leafy forest floor. He kept a normal pace, at least at first; it wouldn't do to tire himself out for no reason before they found a place to rest. But then, he heard a soft huff from Zero. Barely noticeable from how quiet it was, but it sent a chill down his spine. They were running out of time.

“Marsh, I'm starting to feel weird… Is this what heat feels like?” 

He didn't respond, instead picking up the pace to a sprint, soon leaving the forest behind. All he could do was hope and pray he wasn't too slow, otherwise he'd have a whole new issue to contend with, and that was absolutely not a problem he wanted to solve. Zero's breathing grew heavier right as the duo came across a relatively well hidden cave, in the side of a small hill. 

“In here, Zangoose. Come on, hurry!” 

Zero stumbled into the cave without protest, Marsh following soon after. He scented the air, and grimaced. It was almost time, he could smell it from Zero's body. Inside, the cave was cool and dark, sending a chill through his scales. Zero walked around inside, seemingly momentarily distracted from her heat by the new surroundings. She seemed to have relaxed a little, which Marsh was very glad to see, if it meant that maybe she could withstand her urges. 

“This is a nice cave,” Zero commented, laying down on her back on the cool stone. “Feels great on my fur. So, what now? Do we just sit around and wait? And how long is it gonna be?” 

Marsh backed away, coiling up at the entrance to the cave. Maybe he ought to have let Zero stay out in the forest, find a male to take care of her heat, but the thought of that for some reason made him feel angry. He decided it was due to not wanting there to be more Zangoose babies in the world; that was why he was going out of his way to protect one of his mortal enemies. That was the only reason, there was nothing else going on there, nope.

“...From my understanding, waiting is all you're going to be able to do soon. I'll keep any wild Pokémon from coming in. I'm kinda surprised this is something you weren't taught about as a kid.” 

Marsh passively glanced over at Zero, his usual look of mild disgust absent from his face, though he didn't seem to notice. She was staring at the ceiling of the cave, a small frown on her face.

“I have amnesia, Marsh. You know this. I've told you this, repeatedly, just like so many other things about me. You're… Not that great of a friend, y'know?” 

As Zero spoke, a part of Marsh wanted to scoff in dismissal. Of course he was a bad friend, he wasn't even trying to be one. Zero was the one who was making all the effort to try and connect, in spite of… In spite of me constantly being a dick to her. Marsh averted his eyes, shame bubbling up in him and making his throat feel tight. He really shouldn't be feeling shameful about this, but for some reason Zero just made him feel bad for treating her poorly. The air in the cave was suddenly thick with tension, with the both of them unwilling to break it. 

Time seemed to pass at a crawl for Zero, resting on the cool stone floor of the cave. The words that she had said without thinking, hurtful as they were, were burning a hole in her mind. She didn't want to be rude to Marsh, that wasn't a good way to make friends. Even now, though, he didn't seem to care. He didn't say anything about it, and just didn't look at her. Zero felt awful.

And then, she started to feel a whole lot worse.

It started slow, as the orange hues of the sunset crept lower and lower, the light angling into the cave from the outside. Zero felt a sensation wash over her, tingling her to her core. She felt warm, almost oppressively so, the heat soaked into her muscles all throughout her entire body making her feel like it was the middle of summer. The warmth started to collect, trickling lower and lower until it pooled right under her gut, in a place that she had forgotten about ever since she had turned into a Pokémon. 

Zero's breathing became rough and heavy, her mouth wide open as she stared at the stone ceiling and tried to ignore the increasingly wet feeling between her legs. It had been so long, she had almost forgotten what it was like to feel anything close to this, this burning desire that was now radiating from her core, screaming at her to find a suitable mate. Her eyes snapped over onto Marsh, who was still not looking at her. Yes, he would do nicely. Or at least, that's what the heat inside of her told her. She knew he would never agree to that, though, with how much he seemed to dislike her. 

Zero slowly pushed herself up into a sitting stance, drawing a sideways glance from Marsh as she turned to face away. Her body was trembling, and she felt like she would be sweating if she could. A soft whine spilled from her throat, almost silent, but with the acoustics of the cave she might as well have been shouting it out. She just needed to outlast this heat. It was rough, sure, feeling like her insides were on fire, but she had to soldier through. If she made an advance on Marsh, he would never forgive her.

“...You want me to get you some water? It might help cool you down.” 

Marsh's voice came as a bit of a shock to Zero, making her startle. Not only was he actually talking to her in a nonaggressive way, but he was actually offering to help her; she didn't know what to think at this point. Her body did, though. That single waver in her ironclad belief that he didn't want anything to do with her wreaked havoc on her insides, the burning sensation reaching a peak that could only be described as hellish while her body yearned for the touch of another. 

“Y-yes, please.” Those two words were all she could manage to squeeze out without losing control and telling Marsh how she was feeling right now. Her voice was trembling, and her words had a soft whine to them that she hoped and prayed Marsh wouldn't mention.

“Alright, then. I'll be back. Try not to go anywhere, otherwise you might end up getting harassed.” 

Marsh left the cave quickly, leaving Zero by her lonesome. Her head started to feel strange, like there was a blurred edge wrapped around her mind, dampening her thoughts and making them less defined. Her eyes drifted down between her legs, to the spot where the warmth inside her was radiating from. 

“Marsh…” She said to nobody in particular, her paw creeping down between her legs.

As Marsh left the cave, he took a deep breath of the cool and clean evening air. He never would admit it out loud, but the scent in the cave was starting to get to him, causing feelings that he didn't know what to do with. Or maybe it was amplifying something that was already there? The more he thought about it, the more that seemed to be the case, and the more he felt disgusted with himself. But he couldn't help it; Zero smelt downright sinfully appealing like that, and if he spent much longer in that cave he was going to do something he would likely regret.

But for now, he had an objective. A simple one, one to get his mind off of Zero and her alluring appeal. He just needed to get some water. Simple, and easy; find a river. Everything needed to drink, so really all he had to do was find a large enough group of scent trails and they should lead him right to one. And then he could… What? Go back to Zero, back to that cave that made him feel like his insides were being twisted into a knot from all the sensations? But he did say that he would get water for her, and Marsh was anything but a liar.

Thankfully, or maybe unfortunately since he couldn't stall for very long, there was a river nearby, as Marsh could tell by the sound of running water slowly increasing in volume. As he followed the scent trail of a group of young Deerling, he pulled a canteen from his pack, thoughts still stuck on Zero. No matter how he tried to distract himself, he couldn't stop thinking about her, much to his dismay. It was getting harder and harder to ignore the awful truth, that he didn't hate Zero. In fact, if the feeling in his gut that persisted even outside of the cave she was in was any indication, Marsh felt the opposite of hate. He wanted to claw his scales off.

When Marsh approached the river, he spent a moment looking around for any wild Pokémon that might be around. Once he was satisfied he was alone, he filled the canteen with the cool river water, and began to make his way back. Every undulation of his scaled body pushed him further and further to a place that he really did not want to be, but the alternative was to not only be proven a liar by not assisting Zero when he said he would, but also to leave her unguarded, a prospect which was unthinkable. Even so, he took his sweet time getting back to the cave Zero was in. 

As Marsh entered the cave, he was met with a much more powerful scent than before, the scent of feminine musk making his head spin. 

“Fffuck…” He half-whispered to himself, before steeling himself and moving to the chamber Zero was in. She was still faced away from the entrance, though the similarities to how she was previously ended there. Every single breath she let out was accompanied by a soft whine, and both of her hands were tucked between her legs. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was doing, especially with how her body was trembling, and an idiot Marsh was not. He knocked his tail blade against the cave wall, making a clanking sound from the sharp scales hitting against the stone.

“I… Got your water.” Marsh's voice was strained, every word spoken like it was taking all of his self control to get the words out. He was tense, a part of him wanting to bolt and not come back, but he kept moving closer. If Zero heard him speak or approach, she did not acknowledge it, so he simply set the canteen down beside her and returned to his spot at the entrance of the chamber. 

He heard the sound of her picking up the canteen, greedily gulping down the cool fluid without pause. The sounds she made had Marsh blushing in spite of himself, every gulp and swallow sending a lewd image into his mind that he couldn't quash. Once she was done drinking, she sighed in satisfaction, before starting to speak.

“Marsh… You need to leave.” 

She didn't face him, and her voice was low, but the stone walls made it so Marsh could hear her clearly as she continued.

“I don't want to do anything that…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “That I'd regret.” 

Marsh knew what she meant. She didn't want to lose control when there was a male around. Otherwise, she might try to do something to him. And yet…

“I don't think I'd regret it…” Marsh mumbled under his breath, confessing to himself as he looked towards the entrance. He didn't see it, but Zero's ear twitched before he spoke at a normal volume.

“Not happening. Imagine the bad press I'd get if I didn't take care of my useless partner when she was struggling like this.” 

Zero sighed, though that quickly transitioned into a whimper. Marsh rolled his eyes, and started to slither over. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but being closer to her felt right right now. He stood at her side, scenting the air, and a small smirk grew on his face, like a switch had flipped in his mind. It was far better to not deny himself his sin and blasphemy against Seviper-kind, if his heart was so set on it. After all, Marsh was very selfish and rude; he knew himself better than anyone. He ought to just indulge, consequences be damned.

“M-Marsh? You shouldn't be here… You should let me suffer my heat in peace.” 

Marsh leaned in, his snout almost right up against Zero's ear. He flitted out his tongue, making her shiver as he whispered to her. 

“Zero… I don't want anyone else to have you. Can I make you mine?” 

Truthfully, Marsh didn't know where this side of him had come from. It was a very sudden change in his outlook, and the rational part of him suspected it might have been due to Zero's pheromones. However, the rational part of him had little to no control over anything, least of all his actions. Zero slowly turned her head to look at the Seviper who was gazing down at her with a possessive grin.

“You called me Zero…” Her voice was filled with wonder, though she seemed to be ignoring the other part of Marsh's sentence. He could fix that, though. 

“I'll call you whatever you want me to, Zero. Just so long as I get the chance to make sure nobody ever takes you away from me.” 

The implications at that seemed to finally register in Zero's mind. Her already heat-flushed face grew even redder, and as she stared back at Marsh, she looked to be at a loss for words. 

“Zerooo… Let me have you Zero.” Marsh finally started to make a move, moving his head lower to nuzzle at her soft furred chest. She really was pleasant to touch, especially with how warm she was right now. It was like having a furry heat rock against his cheek, and he hummed happily.

“Marsh…” Zero sounded conflicted, which frustrated the Seviper a little. Why wouldn't she just give in to her desires? He could tell that she wanted him too, he could smell it in the air. All he could hope for was that she wouldn't say no. Again the rational part piped up, claiming that he had been too much of an asshole to her for her to be willing to mate. And again it was ignored, the more animalistic side of the serpentine Pokémon staring hungrily up at Zero.

“Yes, Zero?” 

Zero said nothing for a moment, before turning her head away from Marsh. 

“Promise me… Promise me you won't regret this. That… That you won't claim you never did it. It burns so Arc damned bad… But nothing would be worse than that.” Her tone was solemn, even though her breathing hitched and her paws shook. Marsh stopped nuzzling against Zero for a moment. He was a little impressed that she was still able to focus on anything other than her heat, but what she was asking for was serious. He pulled away, causing her to turn her head towards him as they stare into each other's eyes.

“I promise.” Marsh's eyes glimmered like rubies, looking at Zero with an intensity that had usually only been reserved for hatred. Maybe it was the effects of her heat that was causing him to say that, but it didn't matter now. All he wanted was her. Maybe he would regret it in the morning, maybe he wouldn't. But now, he had made a promise, and Marsh was not a liar.

Zero didn't speak, simply nodding slowly in acceptance. She exhaled, reaching out to place her paw on Marsh's side. Even now, her touch was gentle, her restraint evident as she pet him. It was an unexpected sensation to be sure after the conversation about asking permission to help her with her heat, but Marsh found himself leaning into her touch greedily. 

“Zero…” He thought for a moment, then decided against saying more. It would be better to let his actions speak for themselves, and they spoke quite loudly as he leaned into Zero's neck and started to lick at it. The sound that came out of Zero from that was akin to a strangled moan, like she did her best to suppress it but failed miserably. Marsh's mouth split into a wide grin, before he latched onto Zero's neck and started to drag his long tongue over every inch he could reach.

Zero was immediately reduced to a whimpering mess, her legs trembling as she clenched her thighs together. 

“Marsh…” She moaned out his name, her paw still on his side; her claws had started to slide out, poking against his scaled body. “D-dont…ggh…Don't tease me…” Marsh pulled away, looking at the large spot of now wet fur he had licked into her neck with his tongue poking out of his mouth. Maybe he was being a bit of a tease, but it was certainly entertaining. 

“Oh, alright, Zero. If you insist.” He started licking a path down her body, leaving a trail of wet fur behind him until he stopped right at her navel. His head slowly tilted up to look at her, grinning as he saw her in all her chest-heaving, wide-eyed, trembling glory. “Be a good girl and open your legs for me, Zero.” 

The dirty talk had the desired effect, causing Zero to shiver as she slightly parted her thighs for her Seviper lover. And slight was all that he needed, looking down lightning fast to push his snout between her legs. 

The flavor was indescribable, at least to Marsh. Maybe if he tried, he could find the words to express the pleasure he got from dragging his tongue up Zero's perfect slit again and again, but he wasn't really interested in being a wordsmith at the moment. Zero had wrapped her legs around Marsh's neck, moaning with abandon as he stimulated her sensitive lower lips. She put both paws on the back of his head, pulling him forward and mashing his snout against her entrance, careless of the large fangs that were now pricking her thighs. 

Marsh took the response from Zero as a very explicit invitation to eat her out, an invitation which he took full advantage of as his tongue slipped further and further out of his mouth. Every movement of his tongue was another bump or ridge of her insides to explore, and explore he did, finding the spots inside of Zero that made her squirm the most and moan the loudest. 

Every inch of her insides was mapped out by his tongue, Marsh's attention solely focused on his task. In this moment, the eternal feud between Zangoose and Seviper meant nothing to him; no, all he cared about was pleasing the Pokémon in front of him. Zero's legs squished even tighter around his face, and she humped forward, grinding her slit against his snout.

“Ohhhh Arceus, Marsh! I'm going to…” 

That was all the warning Marsh got before Zero made a mess of his face, her fluids flowing like a typhoon as he eagerly lapped it all up like he hadn't had a drink in days. Zero was curled forward, keeping her legs wrapped around and hands placed on Marsh's head, whimpering and shivering in silence as what Marsh could only assume was the hardest orgasm she had ever had rocked her body. 

It felt like she had held him for hours, just sitting there as he continued to lick at her through her orgasm, but eventually she relaxed a little. But only a little; once Marsh finally pulled away from her pussy, he saw that she was staring at him with the same crazed look he had seen in the clearing where she had massacred the wild Pokémon. 

“Breed… Me.” 

After Zero had regained a moment of clarity from the mind-boggling orgasm that Marsh had just given her, her body screamed at her for more. Take more, and more, everlasting and eternal, her urges said, and as she stared down at the Seviper before her, she found less and less reason to do anything but give in to them. Marsh, thankfully, was of no mind to waste time; it seemed like either he was just as affected by her heat as she herself was, or he was just a horny bastard. 

Marsh began to coil around her, pinning her arms to her sides rather tightly so that she couldn't move an inch. He moved with a certain urgency, like this was something that just needed to be done; like they needed to do this together. Zero felt a warm something press up against her drenched slit once she was fully coiled, and with little ceremony it was thrust deep within her, Marsh hissing in pleasure.

That one single lancing thrust made Zero intimately familiar with the texture and feel of Marsh's member, with the first couple inches covered in barbs that were deliciously stimulating before smoothing out for the remainder of the lengthy rod. She wordlessly cried out in pleasure, her body squirming in Marsh's steel grip. It was incredibly snug inside her; if it was any bigger she doubted it would fit. That passing thought was immediately swept away as he started to pull out, the barbs again rubbing against her walls and making her whimper.

“M-Marsh…” Before Zero could think of anything to say, the Seviper silenced her with a look as he pushed back in almost agonizingly slowly. No matter how much her body screamed at her to take it faster, to use him to slake her thirst, she could do little with her lack of leverage. And so, Marsh began to toy with his prey, ever so slowly pushing inside to his base before equally slowly dragging himself out. 

“I love the sounds you make, Zero…” Marsh whispered into her ear again, giving her a gentle squeeze in his coils. “You're so adorable when you're mine.” Zero was barely paying any attention, focusing on the fleeting glimpses of pleasure she got from Marsh's slow and teasing movements. But no matter how hard she tried to get satisfaction, the stimulation was only enough to make her heat unbearable.

“Marsh…Marsh please!” She begged, not for anything specific, but for him to help her. He was Marsh, he could help her. He was amazing, and strong, and sexy. Surely he would listen to her pleas. Zero's legs were a mess, drenched in her own fluids; surely Marsh felt it too, felt how much she needed him.

“Please what, Zero? Tell me what you want from me. And I'll give it all to you~” Marsh groaned into her ear, humping a bit faster and giving her a small taste of the delicious pleasure she was seeking. Zero could barely take it anymore; she didn't know Marsh had it in him to tease her this much, but she would do anything to make him stop.

“B-Breed me, Marsh… I don't want you to stop until… Until…” She couldn't say it aloud. She was far too nervous and flustered, even in the throes of her heat. The thought of vocalizing her desires, for Marsh to not stop until she was leaking white, was too much for her. Fortunately, it seemed as though Marsh understood, as he started to pick up the pace to an almost breakneck speed immediately. 

“Good girl, begging for me like that… Now take all of it!”

Zero was swamped in the sensations coursing through her, every thrust of Marsh's long and spiny member adding another firework of pleasure to the eruption within her. She could do naught but moan her pleasure out to whoever could hear, scarcely remembering to breathe only whenever she could make out Marsh's labored grunts. Every second that passed only pushed her closer to her peak, the pleasure mounting higher and higher as Marsh essentially used her as a fleshlight.

And then, she felt it. And heard it, that being Marsh hissing loudly as he bottomed out, shooting rope after rope of his thick seed into her waiting body. The sensation of the warm fluid was too much for her, pushing her over the edge right along with him and making her walls clench hard on his shaft. She wordlessly cried out, her limbs straining to find something to hold onto but gaining little purchase against Marsh's stalwart coils. 

They stayed there for quite some time after both of their orgasms had winded down, with Marsh slowly loosening his coils and allowing Zero to finally move comfortably. They were both short of breath, but neither of them seemed to want to say anything regardless. It was only once Marsh had laid out on his back, leaving Zero straddling him, that anything changed. 

Zero felt a tingle within her loins once again. She had thought that her heat would have been satisfied, but now she saw just how mistaken she was. She slowly lifted up off of the member she had been impaled upon, dripping Marsh's life-giving essence onto his body. She stepped slightly back, looking at what had been inside of her. She blinked slowly when she noticed that there was not one, but two members there, one covered in a mix of here's and Marsh's fluids, and the other painfully erect and still pristine, though leaking quite a bit of pre. 

She looked from one member, to the other, the back again. Zero knew she was having a good idea, as she slowly reached down to hold both members together, smearing the fluids from the used one against the clean one. Marsh lifted his head up to look at her, still somewhat dazed.

“What're you… Doing?” His voice sounded like he was a bit drained. Zero couldn't help but giggle. Soon he was going to be a lot drained, if she could help it. She stepped back over his members, lowering down so that both heads were prodding at her slit.

“Again.” Zero said nothing else. She didn't need to, nor did she particularly have anything to say. Instead, she spoke with her actions, slowly lowering herself until both barbed cock heads had slipped beyond snugly into her entrance. Saying that they both fit was a bit of a lie; rather, she made them fit, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. And that was only the heads. Zero whimpered as she struggled to imagine what taking them all the way would feel like.

“Zero, be careful…” Marsh said with worry, though he was unable to hide the tinge of pleasure from his voice. That hint was all that Zero needed to keep going. She wanted to make Marsh feel good too, because if he felt good, she felt good. She lowered her hips ever so slowly, spreading her walls wider than they were ever intended to be. Every bit of progress was accompanied by an equal amount of waiting for her body to adjust, until finally she was entirely and completely penetrated.

To say she felt filled would be like calling a Wailord somewhat big. She was shaped around Marsh's cocks, and they stretched her like nothing had ever done before. Not that she had ever had sex before now, but it hardly mattered at this point. Marsh started to lift his head up again to look at her, but Zero gripped his neck and pushed him back to the ground with a moan as the movement shifted the members inside of her.

“You stay. Let me… Do this.” 

His eyes were on her, watching her like a hawk as she took deep breaths. And then, once she was ready, she began to lift. Up, the barbs dragged against her walls much harder than before due to the increased pressure. Down, she could do naught but squeak as she was filled to the brim again. Judging by the building pressure between her legs, Zero was very quickly nearing yet another orgasm already. 

Up, Zero took a deep breath in, doing her absolute best to remain controlled and calm. Down, the air was forced out of her as she spared herself on Marsh's twin cocks. She barely registered his pleased hisses, the end of his tail wrapping around her leg. With every slow movement, Zero slowly became more and more acclimated to the stretch of her insides. As she bottomed out again, the mounting pleasure boiled over, her slit clenching tightly as she orgasmed anew. Marsh groaned, humping upwards lightly as his dicks were caught in Zero's vise-like grip and pushing a strained moan from her lips.

“Zero, you… Are you sure you can handle this?” 

Zero started to growl, glaring at the male beneath her who dared to question her capabilities. She lifted up, then dropped down, again, and again, and again, pushing through the overwhelming sensations as best as she could to prove him wrong. Every bounce was another hiss from him, another sharp gasp from her as she finally started to pick up the pace.

Maybe she should have seen it it coming, fucking herself through her orgasm on raw determination. Her body was starting to ache, dull knives being driven into her at every movement. But she couldn't stop now, not when she could tell that Marsh was getting close as well. He writhed beneath her, eyes screwed shut from pleasure as both of his members were stimulated at once. Zero was nearing her limit of what her body could handle, but she needed to make sure he finished. It was a requirement, as essential as eating or breathing. And she could tell that she was nearing her goal, as his dicks twitched within her, leaking pre while his hips bucked like a mechanical bull with a low battery. 

“Maaarsh!” 

Zero reached her limit again, her body shivering as her overstimulated slit was hit with another orgasm directly after the previous one. Despite her efforts, it didn't seem like she was going to be able to push Marsh to his own end; that is, until he did a single lightning fast coil, squeezing tightly as he rutted into her with a feral energy. Every thrust burned her insides, overstimulated as she was, but the pleasure burned just as bright as Marsh used her to reach an orgasm of his own.

As he bottomed out within her, burying every inch of his dicks as deep as they would go until her insides were shaped around him, Marsh's orgasm came with an explosive force. The volume was hardly reduced at all, even after his initial orgasm, painting Zero's insides white with his seed. She was, in a word, bred. Thoroughly, completely, entirely, with no room for any doubt or alternative. And she loved every second of it, a mixture of purrs and moans coming from her at every pump of cum inside of her. 

Zero flopped forward onto Marsh as her body finally gave out, taking shaky breaths as she rested on top of him. Marsh seemed to be out of it as well, his flow slowing to a trickle while he sleepily nuzzled Zero's fur. They both laid there, Zero barely able to move, as Marsh's dicks deflated and slipped out of her, leaving her slit leaking his cum profusely. The last thing that Zero remembered of that night was kissing Marsh's scaled body, purring all the while.

Marsh groaned as he awoke, the soreness of his muscles screaming at him. He focused, trying to remember what had happened to make him so sore; it was then that he noticed that he was being held in the arms of Zero. She was still asleep, purring as she rested with a serene look on her face. The air reeked of sex, leaving no doubt as to what had transpired.

Marsh wanted to find any reason to deny it. Surely he would have been strong enough to not let Zero's heat affect him right? But it must have. He didn't remember all of last night, but there was no way that he would actively choose to lay with the enemy like that unless he was under the influence. He tried to slowly extricate himself from Zero's grip, only to find that she was now awakening.

“Mmnngh… Marsh?” Zero's voice sounded strained from overuse, as if she had spent a good portion of the previous night shouting. She hugged him a little tighter. “Good morning, Marsh. Did you sleep well?”

Marsh didn't know what to say. His thoughts were racing at a mile a minute, trying to find any way to rationalize this in a way that made him not be a species-traitor, but he was drawing a blank. Evidently it was showing on his face, as Zero frowned.

“You seem to be thinking awfully heavy, Marsh. Do you… Want me to go?” 

Even now, like this, after they had clearly mated, Zero was still concerned about Marsh in such a selfless way that Marsh couldn't help but feel guilty. A single memory of the night before passed through his mind, clear as day. 

“No. Please, Zero, stay with me.” Marsh smiled at her, tentative but genuine. “After all, I promised.”