CHAPTER 11: MAN-EATING CASTLES

After lunch, Red and Blue decided to go to the beach. They changed into their swimsuits and hit the beach. When they arrived, Red looked at a sign. It had a picture of a Palossand on it.

"Watch out for Palossand," read Red.

Blue looked at the sign and laughed.

"Oh, come on," said Blue. "That thing looks pathetic. They're actually kind of cute."

"Palossand is a cute Pokemon," said Red, "but they are extremely dangerous. They hypnotize you into tending them, which makes them stronger. They even eat small Pokemon by sucking them into the vortex. My guidebook also says that female Palossand are particularly aggressive during the breeding season, and they'll brutally attack anything that tries to harm their baby Sandygast."

"Yeesh," said Blue. "It's strange how such a scary thing could live near a resort!"

"That's why the grotto under the bluffs to the north is off-limits to people who aren't Trainers," said Red. "Over there, Palossand and Sandygast congregate in large numbers."

Red and Blue sat down at the beach and started working on their tans.

"It sure is a scorcher," said Red.

"Want to look at the clouds?" Blue asked Red.

"There aren't any clouds in the sky," said Red.

Blue looked up at the sky.

"Oh," said Blue. "Let's go swimming."

"That would be great!" said Red.

Red and Blue went swimming in the water. The warm waters of the ocean were refreshing. While Red was swimming, he heard the sound of vomiting. He lifted his leg and saw that it was covered in slime.

"Yuck!" he said. "I think I stepped on a Pyukumuku."

"Just wave your leg around in the water and the slime will come off," said Blue.

Red did what Blue told him to do, and surely enough, the slime came off.

"That's better," said Red.

"I know!" said Blue. "Why don't we swim over to that sandbar?"

"I don't know," said Red. "The sand there is shaking."

"Come on, Red," said Blue. "Don't be a pussy."

Red looked at Blue and scowled..

"Let's get it on," he said.

Red and Blue raced to the sandbar, which was separated from the beach by the high tide. Blue beat Red to the sandbar and held on to a palm tree.

"Ha ha!" he said. "I told you I'd win."

"I don't know about this place," said Red. "The sand here is shaking."

"I know, you dope," said Blue.

Blue walked closer to the shaking sand. A few Sandygast gathered there. They started to hypnotize Blue.

"Aw, they're so cute!" said Blue. He started petting them.

The Sandygast shot rays at Red, hypnotizing him.

"You're right," he said. "They are cute. Hey look! They're going somewhere."

Red and Blue followed the Sandygast over to a large sand castle, where they started to dance around. The shovel on the large sand castle started to twirl.

"Let's just spruce up this sand castle," said Blue.

"Yes," said Red. "Let's make it bigger and bigger!"

Suddenly, the large sand castle started to turn around.

"This sand castle is so nice," said Red.

"Let's fix it up," said Blue.

The sand castle slapped Red, which broke out of the hypnotic spell. When Red backed away and looked at Blue, he gasped.

"Blue!" said Red. "Watch out!"

"What?" Blue asked Red. "I'm busy tending this sand castle."

"That's not an ordinary sand castle!" said Red. "That's a Palossand!"

The Palossand turned around completely and looked at Red and Blue. She had an angry look in her eyes. She let out a deep, unsettling cry. Red immediately pulled Blue back.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" said Red.

Red and Blue started to run away from the Palossand, first crossing the sandbar, but the Palossand was savvy enough to cross the narrow channel and make it to land. Red and Blue continued fleeing, eventually hiding under the lifeguard stand (the lifeguard was not present). The Palossand started closing in on Red and Blue, who were cowering in fear.

Fortunately, a shadowy ball attacked the Palossand, causing it to scream and run away. Red and Blue looked up. A tall, skinny blond man about their age was standing nearby. He was wearing a black speedo and a purple sweatband. He had a Gengar accompanying him. It was Morty, the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City.

"Now get back to the sand pit where you came!" said Morty.

"Morty?" asked Red.

Morty walked over to Red and Blue.

"Don't worry," said Morty. "She's gone now. You can come out."

Red and Blue got out from under the stand and hugged Morty.

"Thanks for saving us," said Blue.

"Don't mention it," said Morty. "I've been here before, and if there's one thing I do well, it's handling Ghost-type Pokemon. I've actually caught at least one Palossand here."

"I'm still shocked," said Red.

"You have to be careful around Palossand," said Morty. "They hypnotize adults into tending them."

"That must have been what happened to us," said Red.

"What brings you here?" Blue asked Morty.

"I'm on vacation," said Morty. "My uncle is taking me on a safari in Lush Jungle in a few days."

"We went golfing earlier," said Red. "We met Kahili."

"I went golfing yesterday," said Morty. "The course here is very nice. But I especially like the beach. I just hope the lifeguard isn't going to be too pissed off"

Surely enough, the lifeguard approached them. He was a buff guy in a red speedo and sunglasses, and had a whistle around his neck.

"Excuse me, young men," he said, "but I saw you back there, and you know trespassing on Palossand breeding grounds is prohibited!"

Morty approached the lifeguard.

"It's okay, sir," said Morty. "These two are skilled Pokemon Trainers. The're friends of mine."

The lifeguard shrugged.

"Very well then," he said, "but I've got my eye on you two." The lifeguard walked away.

"Sorry about that," said Morty. "The lifeguard's a bit of a pain. Are you enjoying your stay in Alola?"

"Oh, yes," said Red.

"Definitely!" said Blue.

"By the way," said Morty, "there's a ball being held at the hotel tonight. Do you want to go?"

"Of course!" said Red. "But...we don't have anything nice enough for it."

"I could rent you a pair of tuxedos," said Morty.

"Thanks," said Red.

Morty yawned.

"I'm going to sunbathe some more," said Morty. "Want to come with me?"

"Yes," said Red.

Red and Blue spent some time with Morty before going back to the hotel.