Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Pokemon nor any of the many, many characters and Pokemon themselves, only my OC.
I took off my dripping shoes, set 'em beside me, an' peeled off my socks. Shlick! Shlick! Rubbed some o' the gritty sand when, eyes darting about, it was clinging to my hands! I couldn't spot a wash station nearby and the Center was somewhere in Hau'Oli city, so I stuck my hands and feet into the heated sand. The further I dug, the cooler and silkier it was.
'Maybe I should bury myself?'
Yanked free my hands; noticed most of the wet sand from earlier was gone, so I picked up a handful to rub off the rest of the moistness. 'Should've bought sunscreen, or at the least brought lotion for afterwards.' Made a little pile surround my legs; it was heavy. Then again, I should've worn a swimsuit instead of keeping my pants on.
'Least the sand between my toes isn't thick or scratchy.'
I turned my attention towards the ocean; listened to waves roll up, crash against the earth; for the surf to ebb forwards and back as water ripples, lapping the shore only for the ocean to rush and break once more. Spotted sailboats in the distance, meandering further an' further away, little Finneons darting to and fro. Heard Wingulls warning one another off what looks like a sandwich; smelled the mixture of salt spray, seaweed, the heat-. The breeze brought with it coolness and food and sunscreen and smog, vehicles honking, driving or even parking beside the concrete wall with the sun slowly traversing the sky, turning it a beautiful clear blue-white as fishermen lounged on the bridge, eating the ocean chill.
A lump of yellow shifted below my gaze.
'What in Mew's name?' At my raised brow, pebbled eyes froze.
'…tuh.' I went back to gazing at my surroundings until-
"G-OW!"
On top of me was a Sandygast and its blasted plastic shovel-!
"Holy- Getoff!" Sand piled and piled, weight adding as I attempted to free myself to no avail; it'sburyingmealive! My limbs could barely shuffle underneath the pokemon, each move sending prickles of sand to scratch my skin and entrench my further.
"Pfft! Ffftmngh!" Strands of yellow covered my mouth. 'Ican'tbreathe!' The Sandygast proceeded to Swallow my head.
The world whited out.
….
Sly dodged a Rock Tomb, wondering, once more, what possessed his trainer to play in the sand. Near the nest of those Palossand and Sandygast at that! 'Wait-!' Sandygast took the creamy ferret's distraction to try an Astonish! Standing still, the Furret let it hit, Mimicked, and used Surf as it flinched.
'Did Gastly finally learn how to control the earth?! Those Giratina bedamned Ghost types!' Hitting paw to paw, Sly Swaggered up to his downed foe who glared in Spite and Confusion. Before the Sandygast could pull off an Earthquake, Sly Sucker Punched him and told him to Knock it Off unless he wanted Rain to Dance. Cowed, Sandygast rains a Sand Attack above (hitting a passing a Yungoos off the wall), then Ran Away, revealing Sly's trainer alive and, well, alive. Waiting a tad to make sure there weren't any more sneaking sandcastles, the Furret turned to the task at hand: Digging out the idiotic female…
Leaving her mostly free, Sly took out Hazel's 'peoplez paperz' to reward himself.
(A few steps later saw a Furret dragging a young woman in a long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and bare feet [shoes and socks resting on her pack on top of her], oblivious to the Photographer who captured everything on film.)
….
"Why are you on the floor?" The amber-eyed, dark-haired man reached down, grasped the woman's raised limb and pulled, easily standing her up.
"Tch! Got lost again, didn't you? Why not use a map?" A leaf-eyed brunet scoffed. He crossed his arms to stare down the joyous hazel eyes. She sweat dropped, eyes squinting closed, lips twitching into a smile.
"Something like that~"
"And you!" The brunet turned an accusatory eye towards the raven, "Why is it you're helping her up? After all this time, you'd think she'd look before taking a step!"
"Green, really? It's not like I do it on purpose-"
The red glow of a pokeball releasing its occupant showed, revealing a prattling Furret sidling his way up the amber-eyed male's shoulders. A yellow mouse, Red's Pika, hopped on top of his hat and began to gesticulate wildly.
"-No, you just forget that that Arcanine of yours can track us down-"
A black and yellow fox, Vee, calmly walked away from his trainer, Green, to headbutt Red's legs and lead the others away from the bickering duo. It was time to eat and the Battle Buffet was right. there.
"-didn't even know you guys were here to begin with!"
"What about after, huh? I'm sure you-"
….
"-which is why I'm covered in sand!" Hazel harrumphed.
"…" Face palming, "I can't even look at you."
Giving the taller brunet a look, Hazel crossed her arms in a huff. Blinked. Rubbed her eyes, blinked again, then span in a circle.
"Huh."
The brunette nearly walked off when Green caught a hold of her shoulders. "And where do you think you're going?" Chestnut hair fell back to show hazel eyes peek into leaves above, her weight being held up by him little by little.
"Red disappeared."
Fingers dug slightly into her shoulders as he pulled her closer. She could see Green's face smooth out, "what," before a hand slid down her arm to take hold of her wrist. 'I'm so glad I wore this shirt. That would've felt so awkward.'
"Err. Yeah… An' now that I think of it, Sly's not on me either. So. I should probably be looking for him too, so. If you'll jus'-"
"Nope."
A tug at her wrist had her following the male to a, now busy, shopping mall.
"Nyu! I'm allergic to crowds!" She dug her heels in. Then almost tripped into his back as he pulled that slightest bit harder. She didn't take notice of his smile as she grumbled under her breath of the unfairness of him being taller, of her forever-shortness.
Minutes later, she smelled cooking in the air. "!" Tearing free, Hazel bounced in front of a door.
"Geez! Never knew you'd evolved into such a Munchlax! (if I'd known, I would've told you earlier…)"
Bumping her aside, Green spoke to the greeter who showed them towards a stuffed Furret, a Pikachu happily munching on a Malasada, a dozing Umbreon surrounded by licked-clean plates, and their missing friend who, once his umber eyes lit upon them, asked a single question:
"What took so long?"