Once all three groups were aboard, introductions were quickly exchanged before everyone began making themselves comfortable on the deck. The ship was too small to allow for any real lounging, but there was enough space for them to pitch their tents and gather together around a few tables without feeling cramped.
The couple Alex had spoken with were Marlo and Leilani, trainers from Alola who had brought their daughters Malia and Nohea along with them. They hardly felt threatened by the journey, given their Elite ranks and years of experience as trainers.
Alvera didn't waste any time and quickly made friends with both girls, who were happy to talk with someone their own age. Once she learned that they already had Pokémon, she immediately asked for a battle, only to be shocked when they released a Magikarp and a Feebas that did nothing but flop around. In contrast, she sent out her Expert ranked Ampharos, which drew a few impressed looks from the onlookers.
The six girls were fresh trainers from Lavender City named Hana, Tessa, Sophie, Lila, Ivy, and Clara. They were close friends growing up and wanted to see the world once they turned sixteen, and their first stop was the Sevii Islands, which they had heard were safer to travel than Kanto's mainland. Financially, they scraped by on missions posted by the PokéCenter, mostly capturing jobs, investigations, and local requests that paid just enough to keep them supplied. As for food, they hunted Pokémon like normal trainers.
The remaining group consisted of two men named Victor and Nolan and a woman named Serena. They were longtime trainers in their mid twenties who already had six badges each. That meant each of them commanded at least four Expert ranked Pokémon, an impressive feat for regular trainers whose focus was the League circuit.
As for any suspicions Alex may have had with these three groups, Rotom gave him the all clear when it investigated their backgrounds. Everything came up clean except for one particularly unique individual when he introduced himself.
"Well, hello, ladies," the young man said with a confident smile, letting his gaze linger on Iris. "I must say, meeting someone as radiant as you is—" he started, before his companion Serena pulled a harisen fan from her space bag and smacked him on the head hard enough to floor him.
"I am so sorry," Serena said frantically. "This is Victor, and there is something wrong with his head. He has no sense of propriety, or danger for that matter. Please forgive him."
The girls chuckled while Alex remained unbothered. Victor reminded him of Brock from the anime, so he didn't feel particularly jealous. Besides, he had yet to introduce himself.
"I'm Alex, this is my daughter Alvera, and these women are part of my harem, except for a few of them," he said, watching as the guests' expressions shifted from pleasant to intrigued.
Harems weren't entirely unheard of, but they were usually found in novels or fairy tales, as maintaining one was far too expensive in reality. The lives of the rich and powerful were often carefully hidden from the public. Everyone wanted their privacy, after all.
"I'm a Champion ranked bounty hunter, so no funny business," Alex added in jest.
His joke had the opposite effect, causing the guests to stiffen, worried they might be targeted for something in their past.
"Oh, don't worry," Alex quickly added. "Rotom has already done a background check and all of you have nothing to worry about."
He gave Victor a knowing look. Victor, it turned out, had a harassment charge to his name, which he had already settled with a few nights in jail. Nothing serious or particularly criminal.
"Ahaha," Victor laughed awkwardly before slinking behind Serena, who gave an embarrassed smile.
It had been Serena who had brought the charges, only to drop the matter after Nolan begged her to give Victor a chance. Now they were a tight team, traveling together to complete the League's gym circuit, with Serena doing her best to keep Victor on a short leash and prevent any similar problems.
The girls finished introducing themselves before Alex turned to Lina.
"Would you mind preparing dinner for our guests as well?" Alex asked.
"Sure. No problem," she replied happily before heading to the ship's kitchen.
"Oh, you really don't have to," Marlo said. "We brought our own supplies, so there's no need to feed us."
"I insist," Alex said. "You are all welcome guests, so it's our duty as hosts to provide. Right, girls?"
They all nodded happily before splitting off to talk among the women in the group. Vera and Kaia gravitated toward Leilani, curious about Alola and her family's journey. Lyra, Mika, and Sable took an interest in the six girls, pulling Serena along with them for some girl talk. The rest of the girls joined one group or the other as conversations formed, while Alvera kept the twins busy with her Pokémon. As for Alex, he took Marlo, Victor, and Nolan aside.
"Can… can I ask you something?" Victor said, hesitating as Alex took out a bottle of whiskey to entertain his guests.
"Sure."
"How did you pull it off?" Victor asked. "The harem, I mean. I can barely manage trying to get a girlfriend, and you have, what, a dozen of them?"
"Yeah," Nolan added eagerly from the side. "How are they okay with sharing one guy?"
"I would like to ask as well," Marlo said. "How do you keep everyone happy? I can just barely keep up with my wife, if you know what I mean."
Alex sighed, poured each of them a glass, and took a slow sip from his own before staring off into the distance. For a moment his expression turned faintly melancholic before he looked back at Victor with a serious face.
"I honestly have no idea," he said, shaking his head. "It started with sex, then somehow turned into a relationship. Before I knew it, I had a daughter. A few conversations and decisions later, and now I have a harem."
All three men looked at Alex with gaping mouths. It sounded like he was a protagonist from a harem novel.
"It almost always starts with sex, followed by prolonged contact through the jobs I offer them. Before I know it, they are brought into the fold. I don't really know how it works or how to control it, assuming that's even possible."
"As for your question," Alex said, turning to Marlo. "I'm an entire rank above them and I keep my body in top physical condition at all times because of my own interests and occupation. I can somewhat outlast all of them when it comes to sex."
All three of them widened their eyes in realization. Maybe Alex was simply too formidable a lover to walk away from. Maybe they should start working out if they want to improve their own chances.
"Do you… have any tips?" Victor asked.
"That, I can give you plenty of," Alex replied, and soon they were deep in discussion about how to train the body to be not only aesthetically pleasing, but functional as well.
Meanwhile, Serena found herself in the hot seat. She was surrounded by six teenagers and a few women her age, all curious about her relationship with Victor and Nolan.
"So? Which one is it?" Mika asked for the group. "Which one of them are you interested in? Victor, I can kinda see given your cute history and dynamic, but Nolan seems like the obvious choice since he's at least normal by contrast."
"I… I don't know," Serena admitted, her face crimson from all the sudden attention she was getting. "Victor has this adorable helpless puppy demeanor that's hard for me to ignore, while Nolan is my rock, you know. He's steady, calm, and reliable. I can't pick between them."
"Kyaa!" Hana squealed in excitement as the others began taking sides, each putting forward their own preferences.
They continued debating back and forth between the needy child who would satisfy their motherly urges and the reliable man who would take care of them, until Nyx popped her head into the conversation.
"Why don't you just take them both?" she asked.
All the teenagers went quiet, reminded that the women on this ship all shared one man. If there was anyone to ask about harems, it would be them.
"How?" Serena asked, leaning in as the other girls did the same, curiosity shining in their eyes.
"Be so far above them that they consider themselves lucky to share you," Nyx said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you have to be stronger than them for one thing," Nyx continued, listing the necessary qualities. "You have to outlast them in bed and then some, meeting both their sexual needs while making sure they know they can't afford another woman in their life. You also need to be needed. Make yourself so crucial to their lives that they can't imagine going on without you. Finally, you need to feed both their egos while making sure they know that you need them. Without any of these three, you're in for some drama."
"Is that how it works for you?" Tessa asked. "Is that how Alex has all of you sharing him?"
"Yeah," Nyx said, and the other girls nodded in agreement. "He fulfills every single one of our needs in a man and goes far beyond that. It's hard to imagine life without him."
"He brings a sense of security and adventure that just fills your life with color," Lyra added. "You know everything will be alright as long as he's beside you, and you also know that life will never be boring."
"He also includes all of us in the decisions that affect the group, and we were practically begging him to add us to his harem," Sable added.
"The point is," Nyx said, "whoever can provide more than necessary gets to have more partners. It's a simple math game that applies differently to everyone. Some people have greater needs while others barely have any. All of us have our own needs, which Alex manages to fulfill effortlessly, while he has this bottomless need that we struggle to satisfy."
"Then… how can I get from being their nanny to being that?" Serena asked.
"If you're already their nanny, then you're in the perfect position to take them both," Nyx said, leaning in.
"First, never nag them. Let them take you for granted. Next, be convenient and attentive, but subtle, so the small things you do for them can be easily overlooked. When you're gone for an extended period, they should realize just how much better their lives are with you.
"Then have sex with them, but let them know through it that you want more. Show a little disappointment, just enough for them to notice.
"Finally, when the big confrontation comes, and trust me, it will, make it clear through helplessness that you want both of them and can't choose. Leave the decision in their hands and wait for them to come to you. It's that simple."
The girls started taking notes on Nyx's advice, just in case they would need it in the future. Serena, on the other hand, had a fire ignited in her eyes, having found a new goal in life. They continued the discussion, covering more advice on how to actually become stronger and how to be more desirable, with the young girls paying the utmost attention.
Meanwhile, Vera, Kaia, and Iris's eyes lit up when Leilani began talking about Alola. They decided they had to visit the region if they ever went on another vacation.
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