Two days later...
The first rays of the sun pierced through the sky, brightening it up in a hazy blue. The stars were still shimmering a little, but every passing moment faded them away.
Aizen, having hidden his true identity through his psychic powers, arrived at the Gate of the Oasis of Phenac City, wearing a brown cloak with the hood down, his fake raven hair and brown eyes on display.
By his side, walking on its padded foot, was his Riolu, and hidden in his shadow, which was unusually dark, was his Mega Gengar.
Up in the sky was his Braviary, flying low and keeping watch all around.
The guards at the gate curiously looked at him as he approached, and without waiting for them to speak, he tossed them a token of Phenac City, which he had collected from Ein's hideout.
Seeing it, the two guards brightly smiled and only asked for his name and how many Pokémon he had on him.
"Zaine, and five Pokémon." He then intentionally asked his Mega Gengar to appear from his shadow, and seeing it, both tensed up a little.
He was allowed entry for a month, and they gave him a new token to stay in the city and access its facilities if he had enough money.
Aizen calmly entered through the gate, recalling Braviary inside its Pokéball, and for a moment, he was amazed at how beautiful the place was.
It was a true oasis in the middle of the harshest desert in the world, and there were waterways everywhere.
Riolu too was amazed at the sight and stared at his reflection in the water from atop the wooden bridge.
There were sprawling structures made out of white metal alloys, stones, and glass.
Even at this hour of the morning, the streets were already filling up. Shops opened, and an appetising aroma of breakfast wafted to his nose, pulling him towards one of the establishments.
The old man at the counter greeted him, and he smiled and nodded as he took his seat at the counter.
He had not eaten anything since he dropped off Lily, Michael, and Jovi at the Juniper Estate last night, and the eggs, bread, butter, and coffee were more than what he could have asked for, but they even had PokéFood for Riolu, who happily ate together with him.
Thankfully, PokéDollars worked in Phenac City, but only cash, and the prices were higher than average, though not exorbitant.
It was truly a marvel how the Oasis had managed to create this haven in the Orre Desert.
Aizen paid keen attention to the citizens and could sense that they were happy being here.
When he passed through the Red District, the brothels were still active, and a lot of girls threw him inviting looks, some even approaching to draw him inside their establishments.
He, however, politely declined the offers and entered the Pokémon Market, where Pokémon were going to be put on sale in a few hours.
Aizen even passed by the Slave Houses, where human slaves were going to be auctioned later in the morning. Yes, slavery was legal and widely practised in Phenac City.
His Riolu caught the attention of many people, and some traders even approached him, asking if it was up for trade or sale.
Aizen, of course, refused them, and to stop people from having ideas, he picked up Rio in his arms and helped him sit on his shoulder.
They spent the entire morning exploring the city, and by noon, they had only managed to explore half of it.
Right next to the Phenac Stadium and the Desert Casino was the Oasis Resort, the most expensive hotel in the city, and knowing that keeping too low a profile would only attract suspicion, he decided to stay there.
Paying for a suite, which cost ten thousand PokéDollars a night, he knew it was all worth it given the panoramic view of the city that he had.
The attendant asked him if he would like anything special, and his meaning was clear even if he had not worded it.
Aizen smiled at him, gave him a good tip, and requested a detailed brochure of all the major events in the city for the next ten days. He also requested a personal attendant, a beautiful and young one, clean if possible, who would be warming his bed during his stay. He also expressed his interest in the option of buying her out if he liked her enough.
It was all to lower the suspicion around him, making it appear that he had indeed come to enjoy his stay here and did not have other intentions.
His requests, which were very clear, brightened the smile on the man's face, who promised him that all would be delivered in half an hour.
Once he was alone with his Pokémon, he asked Riolu to have fun as it wanted to go to the balcony, and left the Mega Gengar to look after him.
Inside the dressing room, where closets were mostly empty, he quickly swept a check in the suite, making sure there were no wires or cameras, and as expected, there were none.
Phenac City was a haven for people who sought to do things in private there that they could not do anywhere else in the world.
He then took out a set of pyjamas and entered the bath, where he took a long and cold shower, until he sensed someone enter the suite, and he froze.
It was someone young, two to three years younger than him, and their Aura was bright. It was a girl with Aura Powers...
Frowning, he calmly cleaned himself up, and ten minutes later, he returned to the bedroom, where he found the girl nervously standing by the door, fidgeting in her maid outfit.
Her eyes were on his Riolu, who was curiously staring back at her, but Gengar was kind enough not to scare her and stayed hidden.
"Rio. Go, play in the lounge." He ordered his Pokémon, who obediently listened to him and left.
Aizen then approached the girl, who did not even raise her head in nervousness.
When he stopped right in front of her, she flinched, and nearly stepped back when he pulled her chin up and stared into her deep blue eyes.
His eyes glanced at her beautiful orange hair, the aristocratic features, and then he met her eyes again.
"What is someone as innocent as you doing here?" he asked, and watched the tears brim in her eyes.
She did not answer him, but what she did not know was that he could read her mind.
"Where are your parents?" he asked, receiving no answer from her mouth, but her thoughts answered him.
She was an orphan who had been raised by an old man in this city, whom she considered her grandfather.
Three weeks ago, some men had attacked her and her grandfather, stolen all their Sandile that they were raising, and even killed her old man, who helped her escape on her Flygon and take his Krookodile's Pokéball with them.
Since the old man owed debts, their house was confiscated, and both the Pokémon were taken by the Desert Chief, who promised her that she could get them back by paying off the debts in the next two years.
Aizen gently wiped away her tears, and knowing that she was not someone related to a Criminal Organisation, he gently smiled at her.
"I like you. Sell yourself to me for a lifetime. Name any price," he said, and she froze at his words.
Her eyes quivered as they stared at him in shock, he read all her fears and smiled in his heart.
"Only I will ever touch you," he whispered, leaning close to her face. "I will even give you children, and a life far away from this place."
Her heart thumped hard against her chest, but to her shock and fear, his appearance suddenly changed, and now he was fairer, handsomer, with haunting violet eyes and beautiful silver-white hair.
"You have seen the real me now, so say yes," he whispered and felt her fears subside.
She was an Aura Master even if she did not know about it, and she could sense that he was telling the truth now that he had stopped hiding his Aura from her.
The girl nodded her head, timidly, but her heart was far from timid. It was hammering against her chest now, and Aizen just stared into her eyes.
Suddenly, he leaned in and captured her lips, her eyes widened, and her heart nearly stopped.
He, however, was very gentle, and someone with a lot of experience.
It was not long before her body relaxed, and she lost herself to his taste and these newfound feelings and sensations.
When their lips separated, she instinctively reached forward to pull him in another kiss, but the wave of shame hit her first and she froze.
Aizen smiled as he watched her face burn in a scarlet blush.
"What's your name?"
She nearly felt dizzy at the question.
They had kissed, and they did not even know each other's names...
"Rui," she whispered.
"Aizen, but I am going by the name Zaine here," he informed her, and she timidly nodded her head.
It only took her seconds to realise that Zaine was an anagram of Aizen, and she had to hold back her giggle at the thought.
"So, how much do I have to pay to have you all to myself for the rest of your life, dearest Rui?" he asked as he pressed her against the wall and pulled her chin up, making her look him in his eyes again.
"Five... million... and two hundred thousand..." she nervously said, and only Arceus knew how relieved she was in her heart when she saw him nod unhesitatingly.
"Done," he said and effortlessly picked her up in a princess carry. He took her to the couch, and then sat by her side. "But first, tell me everything about you that I should know."
Rui, relieved that he was not interested in anything more at the moment, honestly told him everything about her.