[Shalin Nariya]

Shalin's Party
//------------||------------||---||---||---\\
||NAME        ||SPECIES     ||LV ||HP ||EP ||
||Caprice     ||Vulpix      || 10|| 10||  5||
||Prance      ||Stantler    || 10|| 10||  5||
||Flit        ||Yanma       ||  6|| 10||  5||
||Kiku        ||Stunky      ||  6|| 10||  5||
||Serena      ||Meowth      ||  5|| 10||  5||
||Levy        ||Milotic     ||  9|| 10||  5||
\\------------||------------||---||---||---//

Shalin had originally planned on acclimating herself to riding her Pokémon in the wilds just outside Birch, but the local Rangers did not care for that at all. Apparently Arciel had several dedicated areas for novice riders, and each was maintained by rangers. Affectionately referred to as Kiddie Pools, Shalin wasn't exactly happy to have to start over from square one, but rules were rules, and she understood why they existed.

She had arrived at the Kiddie Pool on Birch's outskirts. She checked her Feebas in, showing the staff on duty her Prism Scale as intent to evolve to an eligible Pokémon. The pool itself was...big. And apparently heated, which was great for this time of year. It wasn't too terribly busy, either - a Starmie here, a Seaking there...there was even a rudimentary race track running along the outermost bounds of the facility. Now that would be a fun way to adjust to her new Pokémon.

The course was wide open, too, and more complex than Shalin expected for a learning one. The learning courses back in Johto tended to be simple ovals. This one had a couple of snaking turns on the backstretch, but had a long straightaway along the finish line. She released Levy into the water just behind the line. "Ready?" She asked her partner, holding her Prism Scale in her right hand.

The eager Feebas jumped out of the water to touch it. The fish's entire body glowed a bright blue, expanding immensely in size and changing in shape from icthanid to serpentine. The first thing Shalin saw after the glow faded was Levy the Milotic's beaming face. Her trainer's eyes were wide open. "...You're a big boy!" she gasped. Even the tail itself would be big enough for her to jump onto if she really wanted! One thing was for certain, though - she would need to look into an alternate Pokémon for shallower waters.

Levy swam over to the outside of the course and let out a majestic cry that left Shalin in awe of the evolution. Still. His head twitched after his trainer just stood there for a half-minute. "...Right!" Shalin sheepishly replied, sliding into the water and letting Levy catch her on his back, his peach scales offering a surprising amount of grip.

Shalin could feel the power behind the Milotic's pink and blue tail as he swam back to the center of the course, even with her Pokémon being gentle for both their sakes. "Ready?" She gently pat her Pokémon before grabbing on with both her hands as well. "Five...four...three..."

{WC: 439}

AP4CYbu0p_

[Gabe Alim]

Gabe really didn’t need another surfing Pokemon. He was more than likely going to keep Leo the Blastoise in his party rather than Ocea the Lapras. However, if there was one thing that Gabe was good at, it was preparing for unexpected things. Should he need a second surfing Pokemon, he would rather have put in the time and training now to have it than require it later. That was what brought him to the kiddie pool in Birch that day.

He came in a little after Shalin had started and on the opposite side of the water course. Dressed in a t-shirt, surfboard leggings, and sandals, he walked over to a table and immediately dropped a bag into the adjacent seat. He’d learned a little from the last time he was here— one such lesson being bring some extra sets of everything when coming here. Pulling out a towel, he draped it over the back of the seat and then fished out a water bottle and set that on the table in front of it. Once satisfied, he reached to grab Ocea’s ball. Turning, he started out towards the pool and the water that awaited.

A toss, a light, and a Lapras appeared in the water. She blinked, looked around, and then remembered what he had mentioned last time. Ah, right. Well. She was feeling healthy enough for this, so sure they could do this now. Twisting herself around, she allowed him to climb down onto her shell’s surface before starting to swim forward. The smoothness and fluidity of her movements were much more appealing than Leo’s, and Gabe was immediately rethinking what he had before about his prime surfer. This might not be a bad ride at all.

Looking out on the water, he noticed a few others practicing including a girl on a Milotic. Hm, what was she about to do?

4v7FlIBWp_

Shalin Nariya

[Shalin Nariya]

"Two...one...go!" Shalin shoved her hands into her mount on the word "go", Levy creating a large wake with his tail as he propelled the two forward with acceleration that surprised her. Riding a Milotic was very much unlike being aboard Prance or another land-bound Pokémon. His natural snaking stroke gently tossed Shalin from side to side, she struggled to maintain her balance. Worse yet, Levy was interpreting the erratic leaning from one side to another as turning commands, causing the two to snake across the entire lane. Though Levy's speed was fairly high, Shalin was making slow progress in navigating the course.

The course's first real obstacle was coming up fast - a long but gentle left curve wrapping all the way along the north end of the aquatic track. Shalin eased her right hand's hold on Levy, the Water-type slowing for the curve. She tugged gently with her left hand, the Milotic rounding its outside. She could feel a push off the wall from time to time, her smart Pokémon saving her leg from scraping against the pool's wall. If this was what the beginner course was like, she had newfound respect for aquatic, or Arceus forbid, aerial Pokémon racers.

DIPjTkILp_

{WC: 205; total 644; roll total 95} Gabe Alim

[Gabe Alim]

The sudden explosion of water behind the Milotic had Gabe’s eyes growing for a second and following after as the girl and serpent moved. A small half-laugh escaped from him, and he shifted and leaned forward to Ocena’s head. “What do you think? They move pretty fast, but I don’t think it’s sustainable,” he chuckled a little. The Lapras too was watching the Milotic and girl move but only let out a soft tone in response. That was a lot of chaotic motion and she was sure they were going to collide with something if they didn’t slow down.

“Looks like they’re trying out the obstacle course, let’s follow,” Gabe commented. The Lapras glanced back before glancing forward again swimming up in fluid strokes over to a lane and then down it. With each fin, she stroke, she picked up speed— a lot more than Gabe was even ready for. He squirmed to sit back down comfortably as the water pulled around them and they started down the twists and turns as well. Somehow, they caught up with the girl and her Milotic for a moment, and Gabe gave a glance to her and offered a smirk before looking forward again and urging the Lapras to move faster.

Ocena was much better at fluid straightforward motion than the twists and turns, but Ocena had that covered. An Ice Shard would form of the sides of her fins, and she’d push off from the pool much faster and stronger than before, changing direction and then changing direction again as needed. It kicked up some waves and most certainly splashed anything in its wake but it didn’t get Gabe wet.

FbqZBxKLp_ + 31 = 69

[Shalin Nariya]

Once she passed the turn's peak, still on the outside lane of the course, she tugged a bit harder with her left hand, Levy twisting his body counterclockwise for a tighter turn and testing his rider's balance again. The girl was bobbing above and below the surface with each stroke of her partner's powerful tail, the crest of a wave splashing her face on occasion.



A Lapras and rider shot past Levy and Shalin with a great display of the Ice Shard boost, cresting the turn's apex perfectly. This man clearly had experience with aquatic Pokémon before. That would be her...eventually. But for now, she still had to learn how to maintain balance and control over an undulating Levy. Lapras looked a lot easier to control, but it would be a boring way to travel the seas once she got experience. For now, she just let the Lapras pass. Levy swaying back and forth again, interpreting his rider's swaying as commands to turn.



Speaking of balance, hers would be tested again as she came to the practice course's most difficult obstacle: two sets of "Mandatory" buoys forming a wide S-curve. She guided Levy to the inside of the track with the intent to turn the two curves into a single, albeit sharp, curve. As Levy slowed to complete the tight turn, Shalin realized with the right gear, she could also ride beneath the waves. One step at a time, though - she was struggling enough with just controlling a water-type on the surface. Moving in three dimensions would have to wait until she had more experience.



OA0so2RWp_

{WC: 267; total 911; roll total 179}

[Gabe Alim]

“Impressive, Ocena,” Gabe chuckled as he leaned in a little closer to the Lapras’s neck. She really was a great surf Pokemon (especially compared to Blastoise). He almost wouldn’t mind going out further than Plum or Ivy Town while riding her, though that would require time and planning on his part. He was aware of some islands that lay further out somewhere but couldn’t remember exactly where right then.

Feeling just a bit sorry for the girl and her serpentine Pokemon, Ocena released some Life Dew out into the water to revitalize those swimming here. The particular glow of the Lapras was not missed by Gabe, though, and he frowned a bit at her soft nature. She was definitely not as battle focused as Leo the Blastoise was, and perhaps he would stay Gabe’s cannon for that reason alone.

Moving through the buoys with relative ease (abet slower than the previous maneuvers due to the tightness of the turns), Gabe glanced back to the girl on the Milotic again. That was definitely not a ride he would have enjoyed, but he supposed he commended her for the desire to bother with it. Checking the time, he made a hand gesture sideways and had the Lapras move through the rest of the course with relative ease. After a little, he had her come to the side and hopped off. Getting some water for himself and a few berries for her from his bag, he drank and offered them. Ocena was happy for the gesture alone.

c|KcoPovp_ + 69 = 115; target acquired .

[Elayne]

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Shalin Nariya and Gabe Alim

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