Dan & Scoli: Part One

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“We’ve now arrived at Alola!  Paradise of Sun and Surf for humans and Pokemon alike!  For all you trainers waiting to disembark, we ask you to please remember your pokeballs and other belongings, to please respect the natural beauty and to keep from disturbing the wildlife as much as possible!  Thank you!”  The painfully chipper voice of the hostess was grating on my nerves to say the least.  “For everyone else; WELCOME TO AKALA CITY, HEAHEA ISLAND.”  And with that, a cheer went out through the boat from the other pokemon and the humans.  Even my master Dan found the atmosphere infectious.  “WOO, YEA!  VACATION! FINALLY! YEA!” He whooped, bouncing in his seat.  I smiled then, anyone would in the face of his joy.  But I still had to be careful, with so many strangers and unknown ‘mon in the area, anything could happen.

We made our departure at the docks keeping clear of the other passengers and their pokemon.  Or at least, I did; Dan was a bit too preoccupied admiring the area around the docks with the bright sands and sparkling waters to watch out for the other people as they made their way off the boat.  He bumped into several people all the way to the main road through town, apologizing several times though many seemed to not care all that much, they being as distracted as he seemed to be.  I still kept an eye on his pack and anyone that got too close, just in case.  “This place is Amazing, eh?”  He turned to me and I couldn’t help to smile as his eyes glittered in excitement.  I guess the warm tropical air was pretty nice after all that time on the mainland.  “Ah, don’t look so glum.  I’m sure we’ll find something you like!”  … Sometimes I truly hate having such a small, hidden mouth.

There was one last step to be made before we got onto the island proper; registering ourselves, or more accurately, Dan, registering us as he, a pokemon trainer on his journey, and I with him as his partner.  We waited our turn as the line to the registry slowly ground forward, inching our way closer as vacationer after trainer presented their documents and were allowed to proceed.  Being a head and a half taller than most did have some advantages as I could see over the heads of everyone in the line and keep an eye out for any “uncouth” persons who might try something.  Though Dan clearly believed there couldn’t be such people in a haven like this as he tried to strike up conversation with the man in a brightly colored shirt in front of us.  I still felt it would be best for at least one of us to remain alert.

Finally, we’d made it to the registry, the lady there seemed as high spirited as the hostess from the boat and looked strikingly similar to boot but given both of their professionalism (not to mention the booth that separated us) I decided to let this oddity pass.  “Hello there!  Oh my!  Is this your pokemon?” She said looking up at me.

“Yes, she is!  Scoli an me have been partners for since the start of my journey.  In fact, she was my first!”  Dan exclaimed with pride as he wrapped me in a big hug and I fought off embarrassment; yes, it was true that he never had a proper starter pokemon like most other trainers and yes, we even met under “Strange” circumstances, but… I just wish he wouldn’t put it that way.  It sounded so… ribald.

“Oh wow!  I’ve never seen a Scolipede that big before!  But, don’t trainers usually have a different type of starter?”  She tilted her head in confusion, bringing a finger to the corner of her mouth in thought for some reason.

“Yeah, but we met under, ah, unusual circumstances, eh?”

“Ah, I see!  How interesting!  But anyway, back to business.  Do you have your Trainer’s Pass with you?”  Dan quickly handed her the packet of our documentation.  “Okay, let’s see… Hmm… Oh my.”

“Is there a problem, miss?”  I tensed, shifted my stance; I hated unexpected surprises.

“O-oh, nothing!  It’s just that… I hadn’t realized how long you must have been on your journey.  You just- you seemed so young!”  We both relaxed as we realized there was no trouble.  “Ah, (ahem) well, more importantly, everything seems to be in order!  Now then, would you be so kind as to register all your pokemon?”

“Oh, no need.  Scoli here is the only ‘mon I need.”  There was a fire in Dan’s eyes as he said this and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t proud at that moment.

“Oh my! Just the two of you?  That’s quite impressive!”  This was followed quickly by several papers where Dan signed and I left my mark.  After that, we were free to the island proper.  “That’s everything!  Thank you for your time, and enjoy your stay!”

The crowd ahead of us was beginning to clear out by the time we made it to the main road, off to their own tourist distractions, leaving only a few booths selling knickknacks and some locals milling about.  These distractions aside, we were here for more important reasons than idle relaxation or knickknack souvenirs, we were here to explore, train, and strengthen our prowess in battle by learning about these new Alolan pokemon and their secrets.

“Common Scoli!  I think the hotel is over here!” … It probably is best to first secure a place to stay while in a new area.  And so, we made our way towards the cluster of tall buildings that dotted the main road of the city.  Along the way stopping at several booths so my master could better see their wares.  “Hey Scoli!  Lookit this!”  He said taking my hand in his and urging me over to a beachwear booth.

There were dozens of hats, shirts, sunglasses and other accessories on display there, each different in their own little ways.  He got himself a pair of broad rimmed sunglasses, shaped like a pair of clashing mugs and a wide brimmed straw hat with a red sash as its band.  Sadly, this wasn’t enough for him, as he insisted on getting me something as well; the sunglasses wouldn’t fit my face and constantly slid off my earless head, and the shirts were a total loss for obvious reasons.  The hats suffered worse as none of them could cover my horns without foolishly hanging off them or folding up between them but just as I was about to give up, Dan sidled up beside the booth attendant and whispered something to him.  A moment later, and the man was working on another straw hat, cutting a pair of notches into the brim before settling it back on my head as a near perfect fit.  It still felt strangely loose, so much so that my master, with a surprisingly deft flourish tied a bright blue sash around its band, securing it firmly to my head and horns.  I must admit, as I crouched there in front of the booth’s little mirror looking at my reflection with its blue sashed straw hat standing next to my master in his red, it made me feel as cute as a venipede again.

Sometime later, we were finally approaching our next destination; emblazoned with the name “Gold Shores Hotel” across its front awning it was easily one of the biggest hotels I had ever seen, but this came as no real surprise given how busy the travel to the Alolan Islands must be.  It was, perhaps not a five-star hotel, but its clean atmosphere and pleasing decor was certainly a step up from our normal fare out in the fields or in small towns, or even the occasional cave or two.

A quick check-in with the front desk resulted in a short conversation between Dan and the person there, with my master asking about the kinds of pokemon around the islands and what he might expect or should probably avoid.  This was not a problem in itself and was perhaps very smart and responsible thing to do, what was troubling for me was that as I stood beside him watching the surrounding hustle and bustle, he insisted on leaning against my side, holding my hand as though trying to gain my attention as the man behind the desk talked. A difficult task to look and listen at two different things at the same time, I must admit.

So, we received our key with instructions that our room was on the third-floor west wing, number 316.  From there Dan led me over to the elevator that was… sadly unprepared for a ‘mon of my size but Dan insisted that he had no problems in squeezing in with me.  I was touched by his offer but still, having to crouch down so far so that my horns could clear... not to mention how much space my tail took up.  But my master was all too understanding; holding onto my hand as he pat my hip, insisting that “things would be just fine” and that I “had nothing to worry about.”  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I wasn’t claustrophobic.

The ride up was only interesting at the second floor, where an older human couple stumbled upon me taking up the majority of the elevator with my master sitting on my tail.  They told us that they suddenly felt they could use more exercise and had decided to take the stairs instead, before bowing respectfully and shuffling off.  Besides that slightly embarrassing encounter, there was no further trouble as we made our way to the room to drop our bags off, though I did spend a long moment searching the room for any surprises but turned up nothing.  There was just one small problem I found with the room; admittedly, I hadn’t paid much attention to the receptionist at the front desk as I had to those around us and had therefor missed one crucial detail about the room Dan had obtained for us…

“WOAH, THIS BED IS HUGE!”  He laughed as he jumped onto the room’s king size bed, bouncing and rolling with glee.  One king size bed.  Of course, he would order only one bed for the both of us.  I suppose it made the most sense given our limited budget and the fact that we had already spent years being so close to each other… still.

“C’mon Scoli!  The beach awaits!”  I was jolted from these thoughts when I suddenly realized that he had already changed into his beach-shorts and an open button-down t-shirt and was already heading out the door.  I still don’t know how he can move so fast sometimes, but I quickly stored his pack under the bed for safekeeping.  I hesitated; should I keep the hat my master had gifted to me on while we were at the beach, or should I store it here for safekeeping too?  I took off the hat and held it in my hands, looking at its simplicity and the tender blue of the sash.  My choice was made, as I secured it to my head once more before I rushed to follow him out.  We took the elevator to the ground floor again, but this time with fewer distractions, thankfully, and waved to the desk man as we left.

Our path to the beach was a thankfully straight one, the designers of this city had known that it would be one of the main attractions to the island and therefor hadn’t skimped on designing it so.  All while we walked, my master kept pointing out the sights and attractions that surrounded us and assaulted our senses.

“Ohhh, look there!  Those food stalls look awesome, eh?”  They smelled atrocious though, but he bought us a pair of meat skewers anyway (they tasted alright, if a bit salty).  “The forest is so close you can hear everything going on in there!”  And it doesn’t stop at night either I’m sure.  He took a pamphlet from someone claiming to be a supporter of protecting the natural beauty of Alola, and browsed it for a short moment.  “LOOK AT THAT MOUNTAIN!”  The mountain actually was impressive for such a small island, rising high in the sky, almost touching the clouds.  He delighted in pointing out every little attraction and I was content to let him have his fun as he dashed back and forth across the road, stopping at me every time to show me every little thing he’d found or tidbit he’d learned.  His joy was my joy as well.

It took us some time but when we arrived at the beach proper, the first thing we noticed of this new area was both the heat that cast waves of light in the air and the golden sand that seemed to stretch for miles; a grand place for relaxation, were it not for the overabundance of both people and pokemon crowding the beach, so much so that their towels and umbrellas hid much of the sand just like the litter that dotted what wasn’t covered.  Dan however was much more interested in the water that crashed and rolled up the beach itself, sending child and adult tourists alike running in the spray.  There were also several pokemon out and about, relaxing and playing and even practicing with their trainers.

Anticipation grew within me as I watched trainers with their pokemon in mock battles; their moves were simple and effective but most of the younger teams didn’t seem to understand that their power-moves could be combed into their more basic attack patterns, though many of the more matured teams did seem to understand this.  Still, both old and new seemed to rely on sluggish brute force far too much; if one is to succeed in battle, then one must understand both their opponent and, more importantly, themselves.

“HEY SCOLI!”  My appraisal was cut short at my master’s shout, “I FOUND US A CLEAR SPOT OVER HERE, EH!”  Somehow, he had managed to gain some hundred-yard distance down the beach and was now waving his arms excitedly at me to come see his find of open beach space.  I honestly don’t know how he manages to move so fast so often yet remain so energetic.  Perhaps he had been training even more than I had previously thought somehow.  I quickly made my way to him, being careful of the hazards and pitfalls that surrounded me, such as the sandcastles, beach-towels, umbrellas, buckets and, of course, the beachgoers themselves.

As it turns out, running on sand is leagues different from running on solid ground; every step is uncertain as the sand crumbles away under one’s weight and balance becomes even more precarious as the shifting sands move in unpredictable ways meaning constant adjustments to one’s stride.  Add onto it that my own weight on such small feet as my own and I was… far less graceful than normal, so that by the time I’d managed to reach my master, I was surprised at how breathless I was and doing my best to not show it in front of him.  This turned out to not be a problem as he had already set up a large towel and parasol for the both of us and I felt I could rest a moment to catch my breath.  If nothing else, I now knew that beach training was a different beast all together, which could also explain why there were so many pokemon teams training and having fun here… Maybe those other teams were simply training different skills than I had expected.

“Alright Scoli, you can take a break here if you want while I check out the water.  Man, almost makes me wish I knew how to surf, eh?”  I tried not to let my surprise show as he chuckled at what he said, as though it were a joke of some sort.  Had he known just how tired I had become from such a short run?  Or was he merely being his usual kind self?  It’s hard to keep up with him sometimes, even when simply talking with him.  He turns around then, shucking his shirt and hat off and throwing them in a pile beneath the umbrella.

I take a moment then to look at him, this human I call my master.  His back still bears the scar he took saving me all those years ago.  Only now, it’s well faded and surround by lean muscle and skin tanned dark by years out in the world.  Fairly tall for a human but still shorter than me.  I remember when it was the reverse; he used to carry me everywhere when we weren’t training or fighting.  His arms always felt so strong, warm, safe.  There was always a smile on his face, even when his hair got long and kept getting in his eyes, that’s why he always keeps it short now.  I have to fight to get my attention off him.

I checked around our area again as he made his way to the rolling surf; the waves were too small for anything other than splashing and wading around in them or some swimming further out.  The area around us was somewhat clearer than the “main” section of the beach but there were still several people and ‘mon about, though none of them seemed to be any threat at the moment.  There didn’t really seem to be much happening around the beach besides people playing and the constant beating heat from the sun, which drew my attention back to our shaded towel setup.  Today had been strangely stressful for how little action there had been; the ever-present heat and sun sapped my strength even through my new hat and made me feel so drowsy that I could almost believe someone was releasing sleep-powder into the air, my tail felt so heavy that I could hardly keep it away from the hot sand and the only thing keeping me from taking a nap in the shade of our umbrella was the thought that something might happen to my Dan while I dozed.  That and, perhaps, my pride, I must admit.

So, there I stood, quietly baking in the sun while I watched my master frolic in the water.  Perhaps I should rest before resuming what beach training I could, though the sudden thought struck me that the water could also prove to be a fine training ground as well as likely refreshing and cooling me off at the same time.  With this thought in mind, I threaded my way down to the beach, giving plenty of space to the other people occupying the area.

“WATCH OUT!” Someone shouted from the right.

I dodged backwards just a moment before something zipped in front of me, impacting the sand to my left hard.  My footing was still unskilled in the sand, as I slipped and fell backward, landing hard but catching most of my weight on my tail.  I was dazed for a moment before I realized that there were now several people running towards me, so I quickly got my feet under me and readied myself in a low crouch, ready for anything.

“WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! HOLD ON NOW!”  Dan shouted as he ran up beside me, still dripping with sea water.  “Are you alright Scoli?  What happened?”  There were two other people jogging up to us now along with three pokemon; a sandslash, a arcanine and a rhyperior bringing up the rear.  The human in the lead was apparently the face of the group, being taller than his counterpart, blond and tanned dark by the sun.  Most probably natives if I had to guess, and from the smug look on his face, a trouble maker like no other.

I realized suddenly that my hat was gone.  NO, I couldn’t lose that!  Not the gift my master had just given to me!  I franticly looked around for it in the sand, but Dan was already a step ahead, holding my hat as he gently set it back on my head.  “Don’t you worry.  I won’t lose it, eh?”

“Hoooy~, sorry about that.  Almost didn’t see you there.”  There was absolutely no regret in that “apology” from the newcomers as they too arrived.  “Hope you didn’t get hurt.  By the way did you see where the ball… Ah, there it is!”  He said as he jogged by to where a volley ball now lay.

I nodded to Dan to let him know I wasn’t hurt before I turned a glare to the blond boy’s back.  He didn’t look at us as he picked up the ball but I could see from the side of his face, he knew I was angry and that he was enjoying it as his smirk grew into full-blown shit-eating-grin.

“Hey, alright.  Just as long as you’re not hurt.”  Dan pet my hip to calm me down as he turned to the blond boy, “Hey, no worries.  We’re alright, just a bit surprised is all.  Just try to aim your spikes better next time, eh?” My master was the picture of humility right then, and for some reason, that completely wiped all emotion from the blond boy’s face.

He stared at us for an awkward moment and I felt my hackles rise from that almost lifeless look.  That look disappeared as fast as it appeared as he smiled and laughed, “Of course, of course.  My mistake…  It’s just that-“ but his friend cut him off, taking his side.

“Markela, C’mon.  You promised you wouldn’t today.” The chubby boy beside him hushed.  Markela didn’t like being interrupted like that, and seemingly hated it even more that it was from his “friend” with his pudgy face and dark brown hair.

And so, we stood there, tension thick in the air as Markela decided what would happen next.  “Tsk… Not even worth my time.”  He tucked his ball under one arm and turned away to leave.  “Let’s go, Jev.  This punk and his ‘mon aren’t worth the hassle.”

I surged to my feet, fire in my blood as I clasped my hat tight to my head.  How dare he.  How Dare he insult My Master!

“Scoli.”  A warm touch on my shoulder.  I look over at Dan and see concern plain on his face and the anger, the rage goes out of me like a breath of hot air; I never wanted to put such a burden on him.  It takes a long moment, but I manage to bring my emotions back under control as I center myself… Just like how he taught me so many times.

I look back at my master and his smile is back, warmer than any beach sun, and for a moment I almost can’t believe I let some beach punk get me so riled up.  I nod to my master to let him know I’m alright.  “Alright, cool.  We still got an hour or two before we gotta head back to the hotel.  So, let’s make the most of it, eh?”  And with that, he heads back to the water.

After a moment, I follow, splashing into the shallows and enjoying the cool crisp waves as they lap against my legs and tail.  Dan is already running circles around me in the water as I make my way deeper in.  The push and pull of the water along with sand washing away beneath my feet makes movement even harder than I had previously anticipated and I suddenly realized that I had no idea how Dan managed it.

There were others in the water as well, splashing, swimming and playing in their own little groups, but they were still a good distance away.  The water was crisp and surprisingly clear even with the waves, but that simply meant that there was no way for any person or ‘mon to sneak up on us.  “SPLASH ATTACK!!!”  I sputter and stagger somewhat as my back and head is doused with sea water.  I look to my attacker and see that, of course, it’s none other than my master looking guilty as sin.  “Uh oh.  It wasn’t very effective…”

I feel a sinister idea bubble up in the back of my mind.  Seizing upon it, I turn my back to him, confusing him for a moment before I lift my tail high, then slamming it down into the water raising a surge of water at him.

“ACH-!” He’s cut off as the water slams into him, knocking him off his feet.  “Oog, okay.”  He sits up in, spitting out some saltwater.  “You do realize… This. Means. WAR!”

Thus began a battle for saltwater survival, the likes of which I’d never before known.

Hours pass as our splash fight carried on at the beach, eventually involving several other beach goers, and I must admit, I never knew just how exhausting moving in the water or on the sand could be.  Even my master seemed to have worn out his boundless energy.  All and all, I had to admit, today had been both an eventful and tiring day, the only thing left for us was the rest that awaited at our hotel.  The sun hung low like an overripe fruit in the sky by the time we made our way down the street, casting our shadows long upon the ground.

We checked back into the hotel with no issue though there were several more people there milling about and chatting than before, though none of them seemed to take note of us as we entered or left.  We took the elevator again and this time I had no complaints about it or it’s cramped space as Dan insisted on holding my hand the whole way; I wasn’t sure I could handle the stairs by this point anyway.  We entered our room and thankfully found nothing changed, so no one had entered in our absence.  I took my still slightly damp hat off and set it on a side table before flopping myself face-first onto the bed, letting its luxurious softness cradle me and ease the tired ache in my muscles.  A moment later, I feel another impact in the bed as Dan flops on his back into it as well.

I turn to face him and he looks back at me, smiling in the dimmed room with the last of the sunlight slipping in from outside.  “You did really good out there Scoli.  And we both got a nice work out there too.”  He chuckled tiredly, probably feeling just as exhausted as I did.  Then seriousness entered his voice, “I know you’ve been working overtime trying to keep everyone and everything in check lately, and… I know that that guy really got under your skin too… but, well… I just want you to know, I’m really proud of you, keeping your cool like that.  If it had been me or he had said anything about you, I probably woulda just knocked his teeth in.”  His confidant smile made the room seem brighter then, and my heart lurched as I wanted nothing more than to hold him tight against me.  “I mean, you don’t have to worry so much.  I’ve always got your back just as much as I know you’ll always have mine.”

Exhaustion weighed me down like a pile of wet blankets, but I managed a sharp nod.  “Scolipede,” I said with as much strength as I could muster.

“Yeah… Let’s get some sleep then, eh?”  He shifted a bit to rest his head on the cloud like pillows before dropping off to a quick and deep sleep and as much as I wanted to hold onto this moment, sleep was a more pressing matter.  Besides, I knew there would be plenty more to do tomorrow.