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Summary: Alex needs to get to Cinnabar Island to continue his gym challenge. There's just one problem: he's a ground-type trainer, and his only pokemon capable of learning surf is spooked by deep water.
A short story about rhydon. Written for the PokePod project.
At the crack of dawn, Alex found himself on the Fuscia City public beach. Pale rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, tinting the sparse clouds pink. Here and there, krabby shuffled out of the sand, making for the ocean. And at the shoreline stood his rhydon, Rhea. She glared out at the at the ocean where tentacool bobbed, their crystals flickering before they disappeared beneath the waves.
A small wave crested and crashed on the beach, sweeping over Rhea’s paws. The rhydon flinched and retreated, growling at the receding water.
Alex sighed. This was getting nowhere. At this rate, they’d never make it to Cinnabar Island.
He flopped back in the sand, weighing his options. Rhea was the only member of his team that could learn to surf, but she clearly wasn’t over her last run-in with deep water. There was a ferry that could get him to Cinnabar, but he’d have to come up with enough money to pay the fare. And that meant seeking out fights or picking up a local odd job in Fuscia City.
His second option was to pick up a new team member. A water type that could carry him across the sea. But it could take weeks to get his new party member to trust him. Weeks that he would need to come up with food and resources for. Once again, money would become an issue.
That only left Rhea.
Picking up a fistfull of sand, Alex watched the grains slip through his fingers. What was he supposed to do?
A shadow fell over him. Rhea stared down at Alex, flicking her ears. She chuffed, nudging him.
“Hey girl,” he said, sitting up. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.” She leaned down to brush her snout against his shoulder, and he, in turn, patted her just below her horn. “You don’t have to learn surf if you don’t want to. I’ll figure something out.”
Rhea snorted, thumping her tail on the sand. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the ocean waves. Alex could feel the tension in her body, wound up like a spring. But then she let out a guttural growl, sweeping her tail across the sand. Spinning, she stomped back to the shoreline. As the water washed over her paws, she flinched but then trudged out further. A moment later, she was waist-deep in the surf.
Alex scrambled to his feet. “Rhea! You don’t have to do this! We can find another way!”
His rhydon turned back to look at him. There was a silent pause, then she chuffed and shook her head – a gesture she’d learned during their time together. Turning back, she took another careful step into the water. Then another and another, until she was neck deep. A wave washed over her, her head disappearing under the water.
“Rhea!” Alex raced into the water, not caring that his clothes got wet. Where was she?
A few feet away from where she’d disappeared, Rhea’s head broke the surface. For a second, there was a wild look in her eye as she flailed and righted herself. Then she relaxed, turning back towards Alex. She was floating. Her back broke the surface as she paddled to him, her tail acting as a rudder.
Slowly, a grin spread across Alex’s face. “You’re doing it!” he called. “That’s it, that’s a proper surf!
Rhea pulled up so that she was standing in the water next to him. She let out a triumphant roar.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said, reaching up to give her a pat on her nose. “I know it isn’t easy to get past your experience. But you’re doing so well. Are you certain you want to do this?”
A rumble sounded from the back of Rhea’s throat. She leaned down to give him a lick on the cheek.
“Haha! Gross!” But Alex couldn’t be mad. He could never be mad at Rhea.
Turning, he waded back out of the water. “Come on! For a performance like that, you deserve a treat before we hit the road.”
A short story about rhydon. Written for the PokePod project.
The Way to Cinnabar
In Alex’s humble opinion, ground-type pokemon were the best type of all. They understood the pure joy of digging in a sandbox, in coming home after a hard day’s work covered in dirt. But there were problems with raising exclusively ground-type pokemon. Especially when on a gym challenge like he was.At the crack of dawn, Alex found himself on the Fuscia City public beach. Pale rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, tinting the sparse clouds pink. Here and there, krabby shuffled out of the sand, making for the ocean. And at the shoreline stood his rhydon, Rhea. She glared out at the at the ocean where tentacool bobbed, their crystals flickering before they disappeared beneath the waves.
A small wave crested and crashed on the beach, sweeping over Rhea’s paws. The rhydon flinched and retreated, growling at the receding water.
Alex sighed. This was getting nowhere. At this rate, they’d never make it to Cinnabar Island.
He flopped back in the sand, weighing his options. Rhea was the only member of his team that could learn to surf, but she clearly wasn’t over her last run-in with deep water. There was a ferry that could get him to Cinnabar, but he’d have to come up with enough money to pay the fare. And that meant seeking out fights or picking up a local odd job in Fuscia City.
His second option was to pick up a new team member. A water type that could carry him across the sea. But it could take weeks to get his new party member to trust him. Weeks that he would need to come up with food and resources for. Once again, money would become an issue.
That only left Rhea.
Picking up a fistfull of sand, Alex watched the grains slip through his fingers. What was he supposed to do?
A shadow fell over him. Rhea stared down at Alex, flicking her ears. She chuffed, nudging him.
“Hey girl,” he said, sitting up. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.” She leaned down to brush her snout against his shoulder, and he, in turn, patted her just below her horn. “You don’t have to learn surf if you don’t want to. I’ll figure something out.”
Rhea snorted, thumping her tail on the sand. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the ocean waves. Alex could feel the tension in her body, wound up like a spring. But then she let out a guttural growl, sweeping her tail across the sand. Spinning, she stomped back to the shoreline. As the water washed over her paws, she flinched but then trudged out further. A moment later, she was waist-deep in the surf.
Alex scrambled to his feet. “Rhea! You don’t have to do this! We can find another way!”
His rhydon turned back to look at him. There was a silent pause, then she chuffed and shook her head – a gesture she’d learned during their time together. Turning back, she took another careful step into the water. Then another and another, until she was neck deep. A wave washed over her, her head disappearing under the water.
“Rhea!” Alex raced into the water, not caring that his clothes got wet. Where was she?
A few feet away from where she’d disappeared, Rhea’s head broke the surface. For a second, there was a wild look in her eye as she flailed and righted herself. Then she relaxed, turning back towards Alex. She was floating. Her back broke the surface as she paddled to him, her tail acting as a rudder.
Slowly, a grin spread across Alex’s face. “You’re doing it!” he called. “That’s it, that’s a proper surf!
Rhea pulled up so that she was standing in the water next to him. She let out a triumphant roar.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said, reaching up to give her a pat on her nose. “I know it isn’t easy to get past your experience. But you’re doing so well. Are you certain you want to do this?”
A rumble sounded from the back of Rhea’s throat. She leaned down to give him a lick on the cheek.
“Haha! Gross!” But Alex couldn’t be mad. He could never be mad at Rhea.
Turning, he waded back out of the water. “Come on! For a performance like that, you deserve a treat before we hit the road.”
