"Let's not talk about that!"
To hide his embarrassment, Brawly slapped the table, making a loud noise.
"Tomorrow! No more of that self-torture special training tomorrow! Come out to sea and Surf with me! You've been in Dewford Town for so many days, yet you haven't experienced the best waves here? You owe me this!"
He truly had put in a lot of effort to help with Ariel's pokémon's special training.
Ariel glanced at him; such a small request was nothing.
"Fine."
He nodded in agreement.
---The night grew deeper as the moon reached its zenith.
After bidding farewell to the Fujiki siblings, Ariel walked alone on the flagstone path back to the Gym.
The waves lapped against the beach, making a rhythmic splashing sound like tireless breathing.
That lively dinner and the brief relaxation were like stones thrown into the deep sea—only stirring a few insignificant ripples before being quickly swallowed by darkness and silence.
Ariel pushed open his door and released Inkay along with the last of the psychic miracle stones.
Inkay was floating in the center of the room. Its body was twice as bright as before, and the mental power it emitted caused visible distortions in the air.
On the floor, the light of the final psychic miracle stones was dimming at an alarming rate.
One, two... their energy was greedily extracted, eventually turning into pure points of light that merged into Inkay's small body.
Ariel closed the door, cutting off all the noise from the outside world.
He sat cross-legged, quietly watching the scene.
He could feel the power within Inkay constantly accumulating and compressing, like a volcano about to erupt.
The energy fluctuations in the air grew stronger, even causing a slight stinging sensation in Ariel's temples.
This was the precursor to a qualitative change.
---The next day, at the first light of dawn.
The morning light pierced through the clouds, gilding the azure sea with a layer of broken gold.
The sea breeze blew against his face with a salty, fishy scent, swirling up tiny shells on the beach with a soft rustling sound.
Brawly was already waiting there. He was shirtless, revealing bronzed, sturdy muscles. Beneath his feet was a surfboard painted with a Sharpedo pattern; his entire being radiated a sense of wildness and freedom that merged with the ocean.
"You're here?" Seeing Ariel, Brawly grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Fine," Ariel replied succinctly.
"That's good."
Brawly gestured with his chin toward the undulating surface of the sea.
"See that, Ariel? The ocean never listens to reason. You can only follow it, find its rhythm, and then, at the crest of the wave, explode with all your power! Fighting is the same way. Rigid moves won't win against the truly strong. Knowing how to go with the flow is the way of the king."
However, Ariel just listened calmly, then pulled that familiar black surfboard out of his space ring.
Brawly's smile froze on his face, and his eyes widened slightly. "Ho! Is it time for you to show me what you've got?"
Ariel didn't speak. He tossed the surfboard into the shallows. The moment a wave hit, he stepped onto the tail with one foot and used the wave's thrust to leap lightly onto the board. The whole process was smooth and seamless, without the slightest hesitation.
Brawly froze for a moment, then burst into laughter, giving Ariel a thumbs-up. "Not bad! As expected of you, surfing genius!"
Ariel's surfing skills were indeed something Brawly had personally acknowledged.
Although he had relied on Team Rockets' high-tech cheating methods to conquer those terrifying giant waves back then, it didn't mean Ariel's own skills were non-existent.
On the contrary, even without that high-tech surfboard, his understanding of balance and the tides already far exceeded that of ordinary people.
"Froak!"
With a crisp Growl, Froakie jumped out of its Poké Ball and dived headfirst into the cool seawater. Like a small blue torpedo, it quickly caught up with Ariel.
It swam nimbly around Ariel's surfboard, its yellow eyes filled with a hint of curiosity and excitement.
The ocean was the natural home field for Water-type pokémon.
"Machoke, you come out and get some exercise too!" Brawly tapped his Poké Ball.
A muscular Machoke appeared on another surfboard. Its legs were slightly bent, its center of gravity lowered. Even on the wobbling board, it was as steady as a mountain.
"Watch closely, Ariel! This is true maritime combat!" Brawly shouted, riding his surfboard like an arrow released from a bow, charging toward a giant wave forming in the distance.
Ariel's gaze sharpened, and he followed without showing any weakness.
The two figures chased each other across the deep blue sea, sometimes surging to the crest of a wave, sometimes diving down, kicking up large sprays of white foam.
Froakie didn't join the chase. It submerged into the water, showing only its yellow eyes.
Its gaze was firmly Lock-On to the feet of Brawly's Machoke.
The big guy was as steady as a mountain on the surfboard. With every jolt of the waves, the muscles in its ankles, waist, and abdomen would make subtle and precise adjustments.
It wasn't relying purely on brute force to stay upright, but rather a clever technique of using the opponent's force against them—neutralizing and guiding the wave's power until it merged with its own.
Ariel noticed this as well.
While surfing, he distracted himself to observe Machoke's movements. That ultimate control over core strength, that feeling of seeking absolute balance within motion... Wasn't this exactly the skill he had always wanted Froakie to master?
Evasion wasn't just about speed; more importantly, it was about body coordination and shifting the center of gravity.
Exerting force wasn't just about muscles either, but about twisting the power of the whole body into a single rope to explode at the most critical moment.
This ocean and this surfing Machoke were the best teachers.
Ariel's mind calmed down. He no longer simply enjoyed the speed but began to Mimic Machoke's posture, feeling every vibration from the surfboard beneath his feet and adjusting every muscle in his body.
Time passed quietly amidst the spray and sunlight.
By noon, the two men and the frog were all a bit tired, lying side by side on their surfboards, floating gently with the waves.
The two of them stopped at a small island.
"Whew... That felt great!"
Brawly wiped the seawater from his face, pulled two bottles of water from his waterproof bag, and tossed one to Ariel. "You really are a monster. You learn everything ridiculously fast."
Ariel unscrewed the cap and took a sip, not responding.
He gazed at the distant horizon where the sea met the sky, his eyes deep with thought.
Steven's progress over there should be about finished.
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