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Post by Shalin Nariya on Mar 10, 2020 2:40:42 GMT
The Training Grounds facility at Plum City was even larger than Birch's - it was around the size of a small airport. The sheer size of it took Shalin's breath away when she entered. There were practice facilities for every kind of Pokémon-related activity imaginable. Thankfully there was ample signage present to direct her where to go; with only a map and directory, she would have become lost for sure.
With the weather warming up, Shalin was certain the aquatic training areas would be busy, and most of them were. There were four giant, rectangular wave pools, four giant standard pools, and three courses just to practice with swimming Pokémon. Most of them were very busy, with one exception.
There was a figure-eight shaped course in the northeast corner. Shalin wondered how such a course could be safe, given the intersection in the center. Her question was answered when she arrived - there was a short tunnel in the course's center, underneath where the starting line was. Creative use of the third dimension is something she never thought about with aquatic courses - this would be more interesting than she thought!
No less than a week or two ago, she had left several of her Pokémon with a professional trainer. He charged her an arm and a leg, but said they would be "ready for evolution" when he was done with them. She released Classie, Prower, and Vannifar into the water, as well as Kiku and Serena a distance away from the track to observe their friends. Seconds after they had emerged, all four of them started gleaming so brightly that their combined light was visible from almost anywhere in the aquatic wing of the Training Grounds. Even after covering her eyes, she felt like they were burning from the light emitted by not one, but four Pokémon evolving at the same time.
Serena and Kiku, now a Persian and Skuntank, were both around their Trainer's height now, if not taller. Prower's flotation sac grew with him in size, the excited Floatzel swimming circles around a confused-looking Classie. Vannifar, now a hulking Tentacruel, floated toward the edge of the pool, rapidly blinking her bio-luminescent, red skin patches. Prower's smile turned into a grin, and Classie couldn't help but wear a broad smile as well.
Shalin opened her eyes to all of the newly-evolved Pokémon and fell to her knees in joy. "We've been through so much together, and now we're finally here. I could not have done it without all of you." She couldn't control being reduced to tears. "Thank you. All of you." Serena walked up to her, resting a paw on her shoulder...while she had her claws extended still. "Ow!" Shalin yelped as the Persian accidentally dug into the surface of her partner's skin a little farther than she wanted. "Careful, girl!"
When she looked up at her three aquatic Pokémon, she found all three of them were making a case to be first. "Tell you what, we'll make this a relay. Vannifar, you'll take the first lap; Classie, the second; Prower, the third." All three of them let out excited cries. Even Shalin was smiling brighter this time - it wasn't so cold outside that she'd freeze when stepping out of the water.
As Shalin mounted up, Vannifar drifted toward the center of the starting line, Prower and Classie quickly yielded to one side each. The Floatzel's tails left a wake that caused Shalin and her Tentacruel to bob up and down on the surface. It was a good thing she had saved Prower for last - apparently the orange sea weasel had some real power behind him. Red, yellow, and green lights progressively lit up on the arch just in front of the line, a timer starting on the green one. The two took off down the overpass...
---
Mod note: This does not count toward the word requirement, as it is exposition.
{WC: 644}
{PC: 1}
With the weather warming up, Shalin was certain the aquatic training areas would be busy, and most of them were. There were four giant, rectangular wave pools, four giant standard pools, and three courses just to practice with swimming Pokémon. Most of them were very busy, with one exception.
There was a figure-eight shaped course in the northeast corner. Shalin wondered how such a course could be safe, given the intersection in the center. Her question was answered when she arrived - there was a short tunnel in the course's center, underneath where the starting line was. Creative use of the third dimension is something she never thought about with aquatic courses - this would be more interesting than she thought!
No less than a week or two ago, she had left several of her Pokémon with a professional trainer. He charged her an arm and a leg, but said they would be "ready for evolution" when he was done with them. She released Classie, Prower, and Vannifar into the water, as well as Kiku and Serena a distance away from the track to observe their friends. Seconds after they had emerged, all four of them started gleaming so brightly that their combined light was visible from almost anywhere in the aquatic wing of the Training Grounds. Even after covering her eyes, she felt like they were burning from the light emitted by not one, but four Pokémon evolving at the same time.
Serena and Kiku, now a Persian and Skuntank, were both around their Trainer's height now, if not taller. Prower's flotation sac grew with him in size, the excited Floatzel swimming circles around a confused-looking Classie. Vannifar, now a hulking Tentacruel, floated toward the edge of the pool, rapidly blinking her bio-luminescent, red skin patches. Prower's smile turned into a grin, and Classie couldn't help but wear a broad smile as well.
Shalin opened her eyes to all of the newly-evolved Pokémon and fell to her knees in joy. "We've been through so much together, and now we're finally here. I could not have done it without all of you." She couldn't control being reduced to tears. "Thank you. All of you." Serena walked up to her, resting a paw on her shoulder...while she had her claws extended still. "Ow!" Shalin yelped as the Persian accidentally dug into the surface of her partner's skin a little farther than she wanted. "Careful, girl!"
When she looked up at her three aquatic Pokémon, she found all three of them were making a case to be first. "Tell you what, we'll make this a relay. Vannifar, you'll take the first lap; Classie, the second; Prower, the third." All three of them let out excited cries. Even Shalin was smiling brighter this time - it wasn't so cold outside that she'd freeze when stepping out of the water.
As Shalin mounted up, Vannifar drifted toward the center of the starting line, Prower and Classie quickly yielded to one side each. The Floatzel's tails left a wake that caused Shalin and her Tentacruel to bob up and down on the surface. It was a good thing she had saved Prower for last - apparently the orange sea weasel had some real power behind him. Red, yellow, and green lights progressively lit up on the arch just in front of the line, a timer starting on the green one. The two took off down the overpass...
---
Mod note: This does not count toward the word requirement, as it is exposition.
{WC: 644}
{PC: 1}
