"I don't know..." I turned the small plastic container in my hands, weighing the benefits of purchasing the item versus the chunk it would take out of my wallet.

"It's guaranteed to make the shell of any Pokémon shine," the vendor responded, her colorful yet heavy gypsy garbs so unlike the t-shirts and jeans the other vendors wore.

The shade from the canopy, a striped cloth of varying blue and white dyes, did little to stifle the heat, though it kept the sun's glare off of myself, her, and her wares. The bright colors of the woven tablecloth and canopy had drawn my attention, the light aqua bottles proclaiming "Wartortle Wax" piping my curiosity. I'd never heard of the product before and as a dedicated Water Pokémon Trainer, it was something I wanted to remedy.

"It's $99,000," I replied, a little wary of purchasing so little of something so expensive.

The vendor didn't seem bothered by my hesitation. "We use Calcium in it to help strengthen the shell, boosting not only the Pokémon's overall defense against special attacks but also increasing their skills in using special attacks." She smiled, continuing to speak about the product in such a way that it was more of a proud brag and less of a sales pitch. "Rubbing it on their skin will also keep it from growing dry in the sun, though that part's just a temporary benefit. It also leaves a nice shine, helpful for showing off at contests."

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I still wasn't completely convinced. "What's the downside?"

"At the price we sell it at?" She laughed. "Nothing."

$99,000 was still a lot of money, especially for such a small container... but if it could do what she claimed, the price was reasonable. My desire to try it out was still slightly outweighed by my good sense not to get ripped off.

"Why not sell it at a PokeMart then, if it's so great?"

The gypsy gave a small scowl, some of her white teeth showing against her dark, coco skin. "Those stores, bah!" She tossed her hand up in a show of exasperation, her dark curls whipping around as she shook her head. "They only want brands endorsed by high end companies, not little gypsy shops."

I turned my attention back to the container in my hand, feeling the scale tip towards buying it. The cutesy picture of the Wartortle on the label, shell gleaming as he blew bubbles around the products name, reminded me of my Blastoise before he'd evolved. Wave Rider had been acting somewhat sulkish lately, though asking him had resulted in no response. Maybe he just needed some one on one time, a chance for me to give him some attention and a little TLC.

"Alright, I'll take one." I sighed, placing the container back on the table before pulling out my money purse.

If nothing else, at least Wave Rider'd have a nice shine.

=*=*=

I'd bought a few other items before returning to my home sweet tent. I could have stayed at the nearby PokeCenter but with the beach so near and the laws fairly lax about where trainers could and could not camp, I just preferred to find a secluded area. Besides, nothing quite beats sitting along the shore at night, looking up at the sky, and listening as the waves washed along the sand.

The area I'd chosen was amongst some large rock fragments, probably chunks that had fallen from along side the cliff a long, long time ago. The waves didn't reach it and those traveling via land wouldn't see it. The gray color of the tent also helped it to blend in from those who might be traveling from sea. Today, Gibor and Darla had remained behind to keep an eye on things while I'd gone to the bazaar... though really it was just an excuse for them to play in the water.

"Quag! Sire!"

Gibor noticed me first, having been basking in the sun. Really, he knew better than to float around like that! If some trainer thought he was wild, they'd try and catch him! It wouldn't work... but still, he could get hurt!

He rolled over backwards into the water before swimming over, my Lanturn surfacing beside him. She was much more apt at listening and obeying orders, the quietest of my group, though her greeting was no less enthusiastic.

"I wasn't gone that long, was I?" They chattered back to me, indicating no, but I had been missed nonetheless. "Sorry, guys. Maybe next time I should let Maimun do the guarding."

Both of them laughed, the idea of my Magikarp guarding anything somewhat unbelievable, especially when he had a bad habit of flipping himself upside down. I almost had a heart attack the first time I saw him belly up, thinking I'd killed him. For whatever reason, he was fine, though he did splash incessantly at times (I think it's because it's the only move he knows and he likes to use it to show he can do something... though I haven't the heart to tell him it's really not that useful).

"Come on out, Dora! I need a lift!" Lobbing the pokéball, a white light emerged along with a swirl of bubbles. My Lapras lifted her head, calling out, glad to be back in the water. Out of all my Pokémon, I think she would have been most content just to live her life in water, never coming out. I've often considered releasing her back into the wild, to let her go back to whatever life she had before me... but she denied it each time I asked.

She came partially onto the shore, allowing me to climb up on her back by using her fore flipper as a step. It didn't hurt her, being that I was so much lighter, and it made it easier for me to climb on. Grabbing one of the dull spikes along her shell, I pulled myself up the rest of the way, sitting contently on her back.

"Wanna go for a little spin, Dora?"

"Laaaaapras!"

Pushing off from the shore, she eagerly swam towards the open sea, Gibor and Darla following, the Lanturn leaping into the air with a splash, kicking up a spray of water that settled over my skin, making me laugh. It had been far too long since they'd had a chance to swim in such a large area, the last few times being small ponds or rivers which didn't offer much room for play. Speaking off... pulling out another Pokéball, I brought out another of my partners.

"Join us, Jamie!"

My Surskit emerged atop my Lapras' back, momentarily disoriented before giving a startled squeak and scuttling into my arms.

"Whoops, sorry. I forgot, you don't like deep water, do you?"

She gave a vigorous shake of her head... err, body.

"You don't have to go out onto the water, just enjoy the ride while Dora swims, okay?"

I'd caught Jamie a week ago, learning just this time around that the poor thing hated walking on water that she couldn't see the depths of. My best guess was, being a Bug and Water breed, she probably feared what might be lurking under the surface to try and eat her.

Surskit gave a nod, more of a shudder than anything, before lifting her eyes just over my arm. I stayed that way with her, waiting for her to relax while Gibor and Darla began an elaborate sort of tag game around the swimming Lapras. While Dora's speed remained the same, they would weave in and out, around and behind her, jumping out of the water, swimming under her, one chasing the other, back and forth, almost cutting the Lapras off several times but Dora didn't falter in her speed. Eventually, Jamie began cheering gleefully and pointing a spindly leg each time one would break to the surface.

I considered letting Maimun and Wave Rider out as well but Maimun really wasn't skilled enough at swimming to be able to keep up and Wave Rider had been acting temperamental lately, I didn't want his moodiness to upset the others. After the swim, I'd let him out and see what I could do to cheer him up.

Dora finally began to slow down, gradually coming to a stop while Darla and Gibor protested. Dora gave some remark about how next time they should carry me, while Gibor answered that I wasn't that heavy for a hefty Pokémon like her to carry. Now, I've found that, as the Pokedex claims, Lapras are gentle, very sweet creatures... but there's a few things that will set them off.

Dora's was her size and weight.

I held tight to Jamie as Dora reared, giving an indignant howl. Before he could make amends, perhaps even get it in his head to explain himself, Dora's front half was rising out of the water as her head leaned back, her mouth opening to execute a very strong Water Gun. Darla had had the good sense to get out of the way, submerging, but Gibor was still baffled by her reaction and got smacked right in the face with it, the power pushing him backwards and literally rolling him across the water till he was out of range and sank, without much grace.

"Dora, he didn't mean anything by it..." The Lapras landed with a splash, seeming intent on charging an Ice Beam for when Gibor surfaced so I tried to intervene. "He was just trying to say that you're such a strong Pokémon compared to himself that he felt sure that you would hardly notice me, that's all."

Dora considered this, the Ice Beam gradually fading as she gave a nod. Yes, she seemed to consider, he could have meant that.

Dora floated up with Gibor hanging from her back, the Quagsire spitting out a tiny stream of water before giving me a baffled look. I shook my head once at him, holding my finger to my lips and, thankfully, he let it be.

=*=*=*=

By the time we returned to the tent, the group as a whole was pleasantly exhausted. We'd made progress with Jamie, getting her to come on the water so long as she was right along side Dora. The Lapras mothered her something fierce, giving Gibor the old stink eye when he got to close to her "baby." It made me wonder, yet again, what kind of life she'd had before capture. Did she have a little one somewhere, waiting for her? Perhaps not, or else she'd have accepted my offer to free her, right?

I myself had joined in for a good portion of it, shucking my clothes and diving right in, still having my suit on from earlier that morning. A few Tentacool had come near, as though to spoil the fun, but Darla persuaded them to keep on their way with a few bright Flashes from her lure. They didn't know that she couldn't use Electric attacks without shocking the rest of us, but they weren't so inclined to try their luck either. Other than that, it'd been a fun few hours of splashing and laughing. I'd even had Maimun come out for a while, just so he could join in the fray (he flipped at least three times but actually managed to right himself once, a big improvement!).

After a specialized meal of cooked seaweed for Dora, some dried fish and fresh seaweed for Gibor and Darla, honey for Jamie, and some "Magi-Magikarp Num-nums" (don't look at me, I tried everything else. For whatever reason, it's all he'd eat!) for Maimun. There was also an assortment of freshly sliced berries, ranging from Cheri, Nanab, Bluk, Aspear, Sitrus, and Oran for them to pick and choose from, depending on their own taste. Rather than eat with them, I worked on preparing my meal and Wave Rider's. I'd gotten his favorite fish from the market, Sardines, and mixed them in a salad of not just seaweed but spinach, Drash, Tamato, and Romaine lettuce (I stuck with just the spinach and Romaine part of the salad, for myself, if you're wondering) for him to enjoy.

"Hopefully, this'll help cheer him up, right?"

As the answer was posed to myself, quietly, no one answered. No one was meant to... but I could have used the extra reassurance.

After they finished their meals, I returned my team to their pokéballs for a well-deserved rest. Tomorrow, we'd spend some more time along the beach before heading out to find some trainers to battle. There were a few spots I knew of where trainers would gather, either on the shore or in the water, and we'd check them out every few days. If I wasn't able to lighten Wave Rider's mood, I was hoping a battle or two might.

Reaching for his pokéball, held it in my hand for a moment or two, reluctant to open it. Would I really be able to help him? Or was I just kidding myself?

"Either way, I gotta try." Throwing the pokéball, Wave Rider emerged with a grunt. He looked around for a moment before turning towards me, inquiring as to what I wanted him to do.

"Eat! I made you your favorite!" I handed him the wooden bowl and he took it, peering into the mixture before plucking out a spinach leaf and plopping it into his mouth. He sat down with a "thump" onto the sand and I took that as a good sign, sitting near with my own salad so I could eat.

"Hey, Wave Rider, I got something really nice for you."

"Blast."

He seemed unenthused and it kind of stung. I took another bite from my salad before digging the bottle out of my bag, trying to show it to him. He glanced at it once, without interest, before turning his attention back to his meal, this time selecting a slice of Drash to crunch on.

I felt a strange ache inside, my nose starting to feel like it was burning, my eyes stinging, but I swallowed the feeling and tried again.

"It's supposed to help strengthen your shell." It felt like I was begging him but... I didn't understand why he was being so unresponsive. "Please?"

He looked up, taking another bite of Drash before grunting and nodding, though he seemed unimpressed with the whole idea. I wanted to ask why he was acting like this, to demand he tell me what I'd done to make him be so cold, but it would probably only isolate him further from me.

"When we're done eating, we can try! It'll be fun!"

I turned to put it back near my bag, the movement and my cheerful tones meant to disguise the pained expression on my face.

=*=*=*=

Rather than using the Wartortle Wax immediately after he was done eating, I tried talking with him a little more. Most of the answers he gave were grunts or shrugs. Did he want to go swimming? Shrug. Did he want to do some battles tomorrow? Grunt. Did he know that if he didn't start answering me soon I was going to scream?

Alright, so I didn't ask that last one. But you get the point.

"Why don't you lie down now? We can put the cream on and see how it works."

He didn't grunt or shrug, opting to flop forward, kicking up a wave of sand with the impact. I had to brush a lot of it from my arms and legs, exhaling one long breath to keep from yelling. Something was bothering him and me losing my temper was not going to help.

Reaching for the container, I held the bottle lightly in my hands before twisting the cap off, the groves of the cap leaving an impression on my skin. Setting the lid aside, face up, so as not to get any sand on the inside, I peered in at my $99,000 purchase.

The white, almost paste like substance inside of it smelled substantially better than it looked. Like "Ocean Splash" or "Summer Beach" or some other fabricated scent to describe the crisp, mildly clean scent which would remind people of the sea. Wave Rider actually lifted his head towards me, sniffing intently... before turning right back the other way.

Sighing, I dipped my fingers into the goop. According to the lady, it was perfectly safe to apply by hand and, while I wouldn't get any enhanced abilities, it would make my skin really nice. Moving closer to him, I applied a healthy measure of the gunk to his shell, running my fingers over the surface as I worked to spread it along and rub it in. Odd... I'd always thought his shell was smooth, save for the grooves between his plates. That wasn't the case though. Each shell plate, rather than being smooth, had small furrows that were almost invisible to see but I could feel them. I don't think they were from battles, just a natural part of his shell.

"We could look at the stars," I offered, continuing to sit in the sand, using both hands now to spread the mixture along his shell. Surprisingly, a little bit went a long way. He gave another grunt so I tried again. "The next gym is only a few days away, we could leave tomorrow and head there." He didn't even bother with a grunt that time and I felt my smile fade as I continued to spread the cream.

=*=*=*=

The sun was beginning to set by the time I got to start work on his other side. I hadn't said anything else to him, too worried he wouldn't say anything or would just keep making indistinguishable grunt sounds. I did pause from rubbing the cream long enough to look at the change of colors in the sky. The clouds had taken a dark purple hue, the sky closer to the sun burning an array of oranges, reds, and golds, fanning further out into pale pinks and light blues. The sun slowly dipped into the sea, its reflection spreading across the waves.

"How pretty..."

He actually gave a reply, a real one, not of grunts or shrugs, but an actual agreement with my statement and continuing to add something to the effect of the array of colors. I felt the smile tugging at my lips and didn't stop it, continuing to spread the mixture along his shell. As the gypsy had said, the concoction really did make it shine.

Finishing with his shell, I took a look to see how much I had left. I was actually impressed to find I should have enough to rub on his skin. Perhaps I really would get my money's worth out of this after all!

Scooping some more of the paste onto my fingers, I dabbed it on his right leg, it being the closest appendage to me. He jerked his foot away, inquiring as to what I was doing.

"It's good for your skin too, now come on, give me your leg."

Reluctantly, he slid his foot back out of his shell. I shook my head, giving a little chuckle.

"You can be so silly sometimes," I told him, moving both hands to rub along his limb. Contrary to popular belief, i.e., anyone who doesn't own a Blastoise (or pre-evolution thereof), the skin is not the same as human skin, that is, one continual flow of flesh. Rather, the skin is designed more like flat scales in a rough, pebbled pattern. From a distance, it would appear as though it was flowing and continual, but up close, actually touching, it was very easy to distinguish the inconsistencies. If you ran you hands with the flow of scales, it actually felt smooth and soft. Rubbing the other way, you'd feel them catch on your skin, like sandpaper grains. It didn't hurt, so long as you didn't press too hard against them.

For the moment, I was rubbing the lotion with the flow of his skin, starting where it emerged from his shell, then gliding it along the rest of his leg to his foot and claws. Touching the palm of his foot, his claws flexed, closing slightly at the pressure.

"Tickles?"

He gave a grunt, but this time, it was an "I'm not going to say anything because either way I'm going to get it," noise. Laughing a little, I used my index and my middle finger to lightly play along his foot, watching him try to keep from twitching and failing horribly. He gwaffed a little, trying to cover his laughter with a cough, before grumbling with a hint of a plea for me to stop.

"Stop? Stop what?" My innocent tones didn't fool him, especially since I began using both hands to wiggle my fingers over his foot. He began pulling his leg back, kicking it out, trying to dislodge my tickle attack as he began laughing, full, deep throated laughter. It felt so good to hear him laugh like that again.

Abandoning his right foot, I dove for the left one, applying a little bit more lotion as I spread it along the base of his foot, watching as he squirmed in the sand, again calling for me to stop playing with his feet.

"I'm just putting the Wartortle Wax on," I answered. "It's not my fault you're ticklish."

I think his response was something along the lines of, "The next time you go swimming, I'll remember that." Which would have made sense... when he was a Squirtle, he'd been mischievous about tickling my feet with seaweed whenever I'd gone swimming, a trait he'd thankfully grown out of as a Wartortle.

"Oh, alright... I'll play nice." I finished spreading the mixture along his foot before applying more on his leg, spreading it in similar fashion as I had his right. "Meanie."

This grunt more of a huff, along the lines of, "You started it," allowing for both disbelief that I had the audacity to call him "meanie" and a hint of a smile to it that made me feel as though I was going to be in trouble the next time I went swimming with him.

Maybe he'd forget by then?

Standing up, I didn't bother brushing myself off. Since I was moving to do his arms and would be sitting right back in the sand, it would have made very little sense. Settling myself next to him, I gathered some more of the lotion and put it at the top of his left arm, again gradually sliding it down, smiling faintly at the feel of his skin. If you ever get a chance to pet a Blastoise's skin, you should. It feels really cool.

Looking back towards the sunset, the sky was turning a darker blue, the bright colors from before fading as the sun finished its descent. The air was a little chillier coming off the ocean but my swimsuit, dried from earlier, was still enough to keep me warm. As I finished working on his arm, I turned to the sky, trying to find the moon. A cloud or even the cliff might have been obscuring it, for though I did see stars, I couldn't find the Cheshire's smile.

As I moved to do his other arm, I saw him gazing at me with such intensity that I almost forgot what I was doing. It didn't last long though, so I considered the possibility that I'd imagined it.

I still had enough of that goop on my hands that I used what was on them to finish his arm without taking any more out. Spreading it along, I turned his arm over to play with his hand, wiggling his fingers as I spread the lotion along each digit. He rolled his eyes at me and I just giggled, finishing up and taking another look in the jar. With what I had left, I should be able to have just enough for his head and perhaps his tail before running out.

Sliding over, the sand still warm from the departed sun, I changed positions so I was kneeling, lifting his head onto my lap so I could have easier access to apply the wax. I had to get some more of the wax from the bottle, smiling as I drew a smiley face on his forehead, the annoyed look he gave me worth it.

"What? Don't like it, Mr. Grumpy?" I retraced the smile to a frown. "That better?"

He gave a snort as a laugh, commenting that if I didn't do it right, he was going to find a Spinarak and leave it in my sleeping bag.

"Now that's just cruel!" I gave a playful pout before smearing the face with my thumb, streaking it along his forehead. He laughed again, big ones that shook his body and made me smile.

When he settled down, I dipped my fingers into the jar again and covered my fingertips in the wax. My palms cupped either side of his face, feeling the cool surface of his scales, and the warmth that pulsed beneath it. Curling my fingers, I began to 'crawl' my fingertips from his neck to his jaw, feeling the powerful jaw muscles beneath them. Despite those large cannons on his back, I always felt more sorry for the opponents we faced that had the misfortune of experiencing his Crunch attack.

When I had pressed into his jaw muscles, he let out a low sigh and relaxed a little more into my lap, the weight of his massive head settling into my lap. I smiled, but didn't say anything about how cute he looked. Instead, I increased my efforts, lending my arm strength into each rub of the wax to make sure I got deep into those facial scales.

When I was done with his head, I looked down at his neck, and all the leathery folds of loose skin. I was curious, so I dipped into the wax again and let my fingers sink beneath his chin to play with the flesh around his throat. It was much different than his face, the scales were very loose, which was what allowed him to dive his head beneath his shell whenever he used Withdraw, or wanted to hide his face after I made him blush!

But he was making no indication of that now. His eyes were shut, his mouth slightly agape, his hot, yet surprisingly clean breath wafting up to brush past my own. My thumbs could feel the air passing through his throat while my other fingers continued to pull and rub at the loose folds of scales, making sure I got every hidden inch of his neck. I loved playing with them, using one finger to rub along the length of the wrinkle. Of course, despite how much I wanted to tickle and fool around with it, I knew I must be running low on the wax and went slowly with every motion to ensure I got the best of it.

To make sure, I looked into my jar and was pleasantly surprised. "Hey, I still have enough to do your tail!"

Wave Rider's head jerked in my lap, his marine eyes widening before he gave a very abrupt shake of his head. "No? Why not?"

He turned his eyes away from mine, grumbling an indistinguishable answer.

"Well, if you don't have a good reason..." I started to rise, getting half way up to go do it anyway before his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist. "Hey!"

Again, he shook his head.

"Is there any particular reason you don't want me to rub lotion on your tail?" I tried to keep my voice normal but there was a sliver of irritation in there, waiting to rise to full fury.

He rolled his arms in a sort of shrug, muttering something that, again, wasn't an answer, still not looking at me.

I pulled harder at my arm, jerking back, rocking on my heels, but he held on. "Wave Rider, why not?"

No response.

I thought... I thought he'd finally opened up to me again... but he was still shutting me out!

"Fine then, be that way!"

Throwing the canister of Wartortle Wax down when he wouldn't let go, I tried prying at his claws with my free hand but he was much stronger than I was.

"Let me go!" I yanked and tugged till he finally let go, more of his own violation then any strength on my part. My momentum caused me to fall backwards, smacking my ass into the sand. It was more the shock of the impact then the actual impact itself that finally broke the Camerupt's back.

The tears came quickly, rolling down the sides of my face as I tried to turn away, tried to hide them.

"Why?" I asked him desperately, but not able to bring myself to look at his face, knowing it would simply be an expressionless slate. I couldn't bear to see it now, it would only make me more upset.

"What have I done wrong? I've been good to you, haven't I?" This wasn't about not being able to wax his tail anymore, I was hurt! I didn't know what to think. Was he mad at me? Had I insulted him in some weird way that only Pokémon could understood? Every possibility slid warmly down my sand-covered cheeks as I tried to cope with my frustration and compose myself, unsuccessfully of course.

A real weight fell onto my shoulders, one that strangely lifted the heaviness my struggling emotions had burdened me with. Wave Rider's massive claws were resting against my skin, the scaled leather rubbing against me and the swimsuit I wore. I could tell he was trying to comfort me, but I didn't want him to do that, despite how my breath became naturally slower and calmer when he did.

Damn his hands, I wanted him to explain himself!

"Wave Rider, if you want to cheer me up, then let me know what's wrong. I want to help... but if you'd rather me leave you alone at least tell me why!"

He seemed to jump a little when I raised my voice. Good! I wanted him to feel a little bad... even though that somehow made me feel a bit worse.

Ugh, I couldn't win...

Deep grumbling and sudden tensing of his muscles made him seem like he was struggling to speak, to tell me something in his language, but even if I could have understood it, I knew it to be only half-told sentences.

But I wasn't mad... these broken syllables sounded different. He was trying, but he just didn't know how to tell me. I found more comfort at feeling the breath from those massive jaws passing by my neck, wrapping around my face and drying my tears. I couldn't stay mad at him, leaning myself back into his chest and placing my hand back to rest on his knee. "I just want you to be happy again, Wave Rider... you've been so distant that everyone is starting to worry about you. Especially me..."

I rubbed that scaled skin, tensing my fingers to sooth him the way he was doing me. Every time I flexed my knuckles around that muscular leg, I felt his claws dig slightly into my shoulders, making me giggle. I knew he was a little sensitive on his knee, so I must have been tickling him again, because he shivered out a cute little shivering command for me to stop it.

"No, I don't think I will," I laughed, playing with him a little rougher by drumming and digging my fingers into the strong muscles against my hand. "Not until you tell me everything!"

My interrogation seemed to be working, his eyes going wide with surprise at my sudden increase of pace. He wasn't exactly laughing, but I could tell I was making him uncomfortable in a playful way. My revenge seemed to be working exactly as planned! Soon I'd know everything I wanted-

His knee felt wet. I thought that it was a bit strange, until I felt his skin give a little. Suddenly, I was afraid for him! I turned around sharply, struggling a little in his suddenly tightening grip, but he couldn't stop me in time.

The first thing I noticed is that he wasn't standing the way I thought he was. His body was off to the side. This wouldn't have been a big deal... if his knee would have still been within my reach at this angle. It wasn't. I could see it, and my hand wasn't touching it. I took in a ragged breath before realizing that my hand was on his tail, not wanting my mind to catch up to the glaringly awkward realization that I knew was coming.

Wave Rider knew it, too, because a glance up at him revealed his head sinking slightly below his shell, revealing only his nose and his great-big eyes, which were staring back at me with a cute timidity.

I knew what had made my hand wet, especially now, because my nostrils had gotten a good hint of a deep, musky odor that was completely alien to me, which was odd in itself, seeing as how I knew almost everything about my Blastoise. There was only one thing it could be.

"Ah..." I started, stammering, wondering if I sounded like Wave Rider did just a few moments ago. It didn't occur to me to pull my hand away, some stupid portion of my mind thinking that I could still 'play it off'. I could tell his eyes were saying, "Please move your hand. Please move your hand. -Dear Lord!- Please move your hand." but I didn't. I saw that familiar panic in his eyes that glinted whenever he had rejected my offer of waxing his tail.

Was this it? Was this the source of all that trouble? I hadn't looked out of respect and decency, but my compulsory curiosity, as well as a sudden fierce feeling of spite at how such a trivial thing was causing me so much misery, drew my eyes down, and already I could feel the last few inches of his head sinking into his shell, his last line of defense.

"You can't be serious," I said with a smirk, finally looking at what I was dealing with here. Right at the base of his tail was this slightly damp slit and, slipping out of the folds, or rather, back into them now, was this round, tapered shaft. Obviously my discovery of it had dented it somewhat. "Wave Rider, is this what all the fuss is about? It's not a big deal..."

He popped his head out and looked at me, his mouth uttering words of indignant defense. "I'm not talking about your man...turtle...hood, I mean this! This whole thing..." It was my turn to be at a loss for words, my head clicking thoughts together absently as I tried to piece the puzzle. "I mean, sure, I'm flattered, but..."

Another few words of rejection from him and I looked up with an almost literal fire burning in my eyes. "What do you mean 'that's not it?' You had better start talking, now that the Skitty's out of the bag!"

He mumbled out more things, my hand not leaving that spot. Not to punish him, though I had half a mind to. No, I was just curious about the whole thing. I spent most of my time out swimming, so any mating I saw Pokemon doing had been underwater and blurry. It was still a kinky little thing to watch the few times I witnessed it, but I made it very subtle that I was paying any attention at all. I didn't want my Pokémon thinking I was some sort of voyeur... but if you're going to do it out in the wild, then you have to expect that sort of thing!

This train of thought happened all while Wave Rider was trying to drone out some sort of ham-fisted excuse for his inexcusable actions, but then that train pulled into the station and brought with it a possible solution to all this.

"Wave Rider... is it mating season? For your kind, I mean."

The way his eyes lit up with surprise and embarrassment told me I was right. I simply sighed and laughed, a mirthful thing that brought with it so much realization that I felt bad for the way I had treated him. It didn't, however, excuse him for being a dick. "You could have told me! You know I would have set you up with a nice breeder."

He grunted out something about how embarrassing the whole situation was and I conceded to the point. It would have been a bit weird to come up to me and ask me to find the nearest breeder with a Blastoise on hand to screw. It wouldn't have been all that easy, either, what with the rarity of his species under trainer care.

Thinking that I'd leave him alone after he spilled the beans, he began trying to pull away, frustrated that I held on to his tail so firmly. "If you think you're getting off that easy, you're wrong," I said, my mind catching up an instant later with the entendre present in my words. I'm sure it would have been lost on Wave Rider anyway, but even so, I couldn't help but think that maybe I could learn more about how he, ahem, worked.

I stepped back and started stripping. My swimsuit top was in the sand just as my Blastoise poked his head out of his shell to see if it was safe. The sounds he made were so cute, his leathery neck stretching as he shot his head back and forth, muttering loudly, asking what I was doing.

"I don't want to get it filthy," I replied, but that only made him more curious. Good! It was time for him to be in the dark! He was freaking out, forgetting all about his erection as he worried about someone seeing me. Hah, now he's chivalrous?

"This place is too out-of-the-way," I told him, taking a deep breath and stretching. This wasn't the first time I was naked in front of him, sometimes, in fresh water, I liked to go nude. It wasn't often, and never when there was a chance someone could see us, but normally I had all my Pokemon out to stand guard. In this case, I wasn't sure if I wanted them to see what was going to happen. I really didn't know what was going to happen...

But that was part of the fun! The wind rolling against the cliff washed against me too, making me shiver. Turning back to my Blastoise, I noticed him starting to scoot back, a look of confusion in his eyes as I moved towards him.

"Don't be such a Squirtle," I told him, sitting down on my legs and placing my hands on my knees, leaning forward so that I could feel the weight of my boobs pulling me even further down. I smiled up at him, having no idea how I looked to him, but seeing as how his face was turning purple, I had a good idea what he was feeling: Frustrated, confused, and embarrassed.

Just the way I wanted him.

"Relax," I told him, feeling the sand shift under my legs as I scooted forward a little. "Don't you trust me?"

He squinted back down at me, making me giggle. Before he had a chance to withdraw his legs, I leaned forward and put my hands on his knees, using them as leverage to pull myself forward. The nervous tension had made his erection shrink a little, but it was still very much alive (part of me wanted to say that it was my doing).

"Now, how does this thing work?" I asked him, letting one of my hands slide from his knee and touch the tip of his tail. He was about to pull it back into his shell, but his erection would have caught horribly on the bottom. He was trapped by his own pent-up libido.

He started grumbling something again, asking what I was doing, but of course I wasn't going to answer him. Not with words, anyway. I slipped my legs beneath his and lifted my butt so it, and the part of the swimsuit I still wore, wouldn't scrape across the sand. I brought it back down on the base of his tail, looking around his shell and seeing the ocean. In this position, anyone passing by sea would be able to make out a big Blastoise leaning back, but nothing else, and my tent kept me from being seen from the sides. It was an ideal setting and here was where I was getting my Blastoise to open up to me, whether he wanted to or not.

I noticed the almost-empty container of wax beside his large leg and I picked it up, placing it on the small bit of sand between my crotch and his tail tip. Dipping one hand into it, I used the other to keep tweaking his tail to keep him from being able to pull it away. I was surprised that he hadn't tried again, though. Looking up to him, I saw him looking away, staring at the cliff wall and grumbling.

With a wide smirk, I reached my wax-covered hands into the dip between his tail and his shell and started working it in, the loose scales there giving just like the ones at his neck had. They were much warmer though, and it forced his attention back to me.

"I paid a lot of money for this wax, boy," I told him with a jokingly chastising voice. "I'm not going to let any of it go to waste. Besides, I'm curious about... well, this..."

My other hand, the one not coated with wax, slid back to that horizontal slit in his tail. It gave so easily, and the heat was impressive considering his type. He gave a loud grunt and leered down at me, telling me to be careful.

"I'm not gonna bite it," I reassured him, all the while trying to keep him from spazzing out by continuing to rub just above his erection with the wax-coated fingers, my other hand taking a less innocent approach. I caught the base of his shaft in the dip between my thumb and forefinger, letting out a little sigh as I felt that familiar warmth spread through my wrist. He asked me again why I was doing it, and I realized that I didn't have his stoic willpower, and I didn't want this little exploration ruined by his constant questions.

"Because I care, alright?" I told him, letting my palm slide up along the underside of that slowly growing tower, making my hand slick and wet. "And you owe me. I was worried that you were sick or hurt or that you just didn't like me anymore."

He grew quiet after that, like he was about to mutter an apology, but really I didn't feel like hearing it now. I wasn't a pro at this, in fact I've never done this to any guy before, but it didn't seem like rocket science. I wrapped my fingers around that slender, tapered pole and started pumping it, keeping my other hand busy massaging the muscles surrounding it and filling the grooves of his scales with the wax. "And here I am finding out it was something stupid like blue balls."

He cocked his head, my eyes rolling as I shook my own. "It's an expression. Besides, I don't even see any down here. Where do you keep them?"

My dirty little inquiry made him turn a darker shade, and I knew he probably wasn't too sure about what I was talking about, only that it wasn't the kind of question a trainer usually asks their Pokemon. Instead of waiting for an answer, I started looking, using my wax hand to rub the area just below his shaft while I continued to jack him off, the wet, sliding sound and the strange, musky scent the only things that reminded me how dirty I was being.

After a little while, I felt two swollen orbs just beneath his scales. I took in a deep breath, giving me another healthy dose of that weird scent as I started massaging one, then the other, watching how they stayed in one place, but the scales over them shifted loosely. I felt a gravel-like sound come from his throat and I looked up to see his eyes starting to shut.

"I hope this feels good," I told him, going back to work. I realized I said that to take my mind off of how my cheeks were starting to flush. It was just curious fun in the beginning, but the thought that I was actually getting him off was a bit thrilling! "A trainer should be willing to do anything to help their Pokémon..."

I don't know whether I was telling that to myself or to him but I felt my back muscles stretch as I slowly leaned forward. His tail was curling, pushing the thickening rod into my grip. I giggled to take attention away from how... warm I was growing. I had to stifle a gasp when his tail tip accidentally touched the edge of my bikini, tugging it up.

Apparently, I didn't do a good enough job of that, and I felt him staring down at me again, saying something that made me want to hit him. "Well, if you want a real punishment, maybe I should leave you like this! Call everyone out to see what the big deal was! I'm sure they're dying to know..."

He growled, but the playful tone behind it assured me he knew it was a joke. I'd have to tell them all eventually, especially if this worked and Wave Rider suddenly became more complacent.

But enough about the future, I thought. I had been leaning forward more and more, a sick little voice inside my head wondering about what to do next with my big blue toy. I scooted backwards, putting his tail in my lap, and I let go of him, making him look down to see if my threat was a real one.

I'm sure he was pleasantly surprised when I lifted my tits and wrapped them around his shaft, his pole gliding over my skin like a thick eel. For a few seconds, he lost it, giving a loud groan and making his tail jump in my lap, his cock bumping against my chin before I could close my thighs around it to keep it steady.

"I am not explaining any injuries because of this, Wave Rider," I told him, his lurching eventually ceasing and allowing me to get back to what I was doing. "If you're going to do that, go slow, okay?"

With a grunt, he agreed, resuming his thrusting at a much more manageable pace. I looked down, watching how the tip bulged and shrank with every little movement, a small slit running from his tapered tip to about a few inches down. I opened my mouth, sighing and realizing how shaky my breath was. His arousal was so thick that I could taste it, and it wasn't all that bad. I leaned my head forward, hoping I was doing this right, and gave the tip a little kiss.

I got a grunt of approval, my eyes shutting while I licked the slick film from my lips. It was salty, very salty, but also had a flavor I couldn't place. I guess I could call it 'guy,' but I had nothing else to compare it to.

In any case, I knew if I went to start sucking him, I couldn't do it for long without my taste buds screaming. I kissed it again, opened my mouth a little, and let it slide across my tongue.

There was still a hint of salt, but it wasn't nearly as eye-watering as the film before. I guess it just needed a coating to keep it from drying out in the ocean. I tasted more of the male flavor, but could only fit the head into my mouth. Which was fine, I heard they're more sensitive around the head anyway.

His grumbling grew louder and I felt his shaft start to pulse against the base of my tongue. I looked back up to him, watching him wince as if he was trying to swallow something he didn't agree with. I was about to ask him what was wrong but against my boobs I felt his cock, I dunno, unfold at the tip. I looked down, staring back down at not a tapered head, but a large funnel with a round hole in the middle. "What is-"

I found out. Damn did I find out. My mouth was open when it happened, giving me a good sample of how different his skin tasted compared to what was now blasting all over my face.

Surprised, I spit it out, leaning back to get away from the massive spray. The wet mess followed me, slamming against my chin with enough force to make my hair bounce with the impact. I scooted away, only to have the next spurt arc and splatter over my naked chest! He wouldn't stop and I couldn't get away from it!

When it finally settled down, I took time to survey the damage. I was coated from the waist up, which is a lot more than I expected to happen, probably because he was a water type, I dunno. I had taken off my top to avoid it getting messy, but now I wish my towel wasn't so far away. I sat up, groaning as I felt the stuff oozing down my cheeks, chin, neck, and breasts. I reached up to wipe some of the gunk out of my eyes, only to realize my hands were still slick and succeeded in only spreading it out like a musky jelly over my skin.

"You could have warned me you'd do that!" I yelled at him, knowing my argument was a bit futile. I mean, I was going for that anyway, but I had to get my sudden burst of frustration out somewhere. "I'm soaked!"

The bastard just chuckled and asked me if I wanted a bath. I recall how, the last time I had agreed to be bathed by him, I got a huge Water Gun that ended up kicking more mud and making me dirtier than I was to begin with. "No thanks," I glared up at him, watching him move closer to me, leaning in and opening his mouth. I knew he was about to Water Gun me again. I closed my eyes, expecting any minute to be met with a sudden wash of extremely cold water.

"I said no, you big-"

I was cut off again by him, this time by a hot, wet, solid mass slapping against my neck, followed by an even hotter breath. My words were sucked back into my chest before I could let them out, and I reached out to grab his shoulders as he did it again. His huge arms rippled with muscle, his scaled skin the only thing keeping my closed eyes from thinking him to be this heavy man pinning me down into the sand...

Fuck, I was still horny from before! Between more licks, I was able to form a sentence.

"Wave Rider... nngh... I think I'd be alri...alright with a towel..."

His chuckling sounded almost threatening, the heat straight from his lungs drying his saliva as he wiped that huge tongue over my face to pick up more of his mess. Apparently, a towel wouldn't do for him, or maybe it was because my fingers kept squeezing his muscles, sending mixed signals, and he decided to go for the one more pleasing to him.

Damned if he didn't choose the right one.

His heavy body rolled me onto my back, his arms planting in the sand beside me. I forced myself to open my eyes, looking up to him, my chest shamelessly heaving beneath him.

"Ugh... once isn't enough, huh?" My eyes, after seeing the powerful, yet soft expression on his face, almost melted themselves closed again. He shook his head, his heavy cheek brushing and pushing against mine. He said something... that touched me actually. At least, I thought it was touching. I felt it more than I understood it, but the meaning wasn't lost on me. He wanted to... well, breed me. Not in a naïve way either, just because he thought it'd be fair. Well...

I was curious, but a little scared as well. He was... he wasn't small. But I was eager! I could feel my heart racing ever since he told me what he wanted to do! I've never done... well, not with another person anyway.

I didn't refuse. Really, I couldn't. Hell, I could barely tell him I accepted, instead showing him that I wanted it by reaching my hand down to my hips and slowly removing the bikini bottom. He was still on top of me, so I had to slide it down with my legs, the constant shifting from side to side giving me ample time to, er, 'get to know him,' as the case may be. My thighs rubbed along the sides of his shaft as I wriggled, making my face burn with blush as he chuckled and murmured a joke about how I could just keep that up and he'd be good.

My fist thumped helplessly against his heavy chest, beating my embarrassment out, though more likely I was trying to desperately keep my mind from thinking about what was about to happen. It was inevitable, though, at least to me it was. I wanted it to happen...

He had better appreciate it!

I heard the sand sing a little as his knees shifted closer to me, that... thing wagging a little and pushing against my bare rump. That made me hiss in a sharp breath, arching my back against his scaled chest and pushing my hips into him. It affected me more than I thought it would, the anticipation, the closeness of his sex to mine...

Oh yeah, I wanted this to happen!

"Go slow," I told him, making him smile. I half expected a 'turtle' joke, still taking this whole situation lightly. His cock slipped over my crotch, the tapered tip pulling at my lower lips. It felt so good my face twisted in a perverted wince, making my Blastoise further demean me by making his chest rumble with a deep chuckle.

"Don't laugh!" I pursed my lips, thumping against his hard shell with my fist again. His chuckle died, but his smile remained, though it too, on a different hint to it. I looked into those large eyes of his, and that's when everything hit me. The expression on his face made my body grow warm and my cheeks flushed. I realized that this wasn't a joke, this was so very real...

My smile had faded, and my mouth was slightly open, tasting his salty scent, and feeling helpless and protected at the same time. My tongue kissed the roof of my mouth as I took in another breath, my vision starting to haze as I felt him sliding into me.

My toes curled, feeling him penetrate me so very slowly. Part of me scorned having told him to take me gently, while the other completely surrendered to him, the thought of how this was a bad idea completely dead.

"I want..." was all I could say, my breath taken in another gasp as my mind went into shock. I had destroyed my own cherry, through exercise, but beyond that was still a virgin, nothing ever having slid that deeply into me, especially nothing so hot. I felt him pulsing and throbbing inside of me, his silent breathing drying the sweat and his leftover saliva from off of my cheeks. My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down to me. It made him pull out an inch, only to push it back in and make me squirm again.

God this felt good... He felt good...

Everything became blurry, pleasure being the only thing binding me to this world as the seconds rolled by without notice. I felt him in flashes, milestones of his depth within me. In a moment of awareness, I blushed when I noticed that the sand below our union was becoming soaked with what we were doing.

"Harder," I finally, clumsily finished my request, my voice barely above a whisper as my arms rubbed against the soft scales of his neck. His response came slowly, the soothing comfort of his body against mine relaxing, but we weren't lounging. We were fucking. I wanted to feel that.

And I did. My ass slid against the sand as a sudden thrust made me shout, my grip on his neck tightening and my cheek ramming into his face, burying my head against him. Before he could think he hurt me, I urged him onward, and received another thrust. That tapered rod mashed against my spot, and my vision filled with stars every time, his upper body holding me tightly while his lower one gladly accepted my invitation.

His speed was increasing, I only knew this because my body was arching more and more. I wasn't sure if I was about to cum, or if I was stuck on one long orgasm, but it felt so good that I didn't care.

I felt a tongue slap against my neck, snapping my mind awake. Every sensation exploded against me, and I felt that strong, sharpened thing within me unfold into a funneling bell like it had before. It gave way to my inner walls but put up such a soft resistance that my hips were sent into a sudden spasm. That would have been it for me there but I heard a primal grunt and felt him thrust one more time into me, that bell end spreading my body and pounding my spot that one final time.

That's when I came. God, I couldn't have missed it! My body erupting, my fingers buzzing, my teeth rumbling with my blood, my nipples dragging over his chest, that deep warm feeling within me that I've never felt before...

I've cum before, but it's never made my... Oh God! He's cumming! I felt like I was about to burst but whatever didn't stay in flooded out of me, down my butt crack, and dripping onto the sand.

I was breathing... that's all I knew. Everything else was so overloaded. When my vision returned, I saw his face, and an instant later felt his tongue again. He was still hard inside of me, but it was slipping backwards, that belled tip holding back a flood that I knew was coming. When my arms regained feeling, I let them slide from around his neck, slipping to his cheek and rubbing it soothingly, smiling weakly as I leaned up and gave him a little kiss on the tip of his nose.

"See what happens when you tell me what's wrong?" I told him, a happy little grumble coming from his throat as he finally left me, my cheeks burning red as a thick slurry of our juices plopped onto the sand.

"Mm... I think you've learned your lesson."

Yeah... I sure showed him.


=*=*=*=


"Five bottles?" The look on the gypsy's face was one half skeptical and one half glee, making for a really interesting whole. "Are you sure you're the same girl who was debating over getting just one?"

I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up from inside of me. "I wouldn't want the rest of my team to feel left out, would I?"