Chapter Nine
Pongo and Perdita followed the two youngsters through the park. After passing through rows of trees and fields of grass, the spotted quartet arrived at an area entirely covered in concrete. The walls were covered in graffiti, and the floor curved downwards into large bowls. Dolly was beaming with confidence, "Welcome to the gnarliest skatepark known to dogkind!" Dylan rolled his eyes in bemusement, "This is literally the only skatepark you've ever used in your life." Dolly scoffed, "My point remains valid, ya dork!" Meanwhile, Pongo and Perdita winced and tilted their heads in confusion, with Pongo remarking, "What on Earth is a 'skatepark'?"
Dolly looked at her elders in mild surprise, "I'm guessing this wasn't a thing back in your time. It'll be easier if I demonstrate, and I know just who can help." Dolly then jumped on a nearby bench and titled her head up, "ATTENTION DELGADO! GRAB MY SKATEBOARD AND MEET US AT THE SKATEPARK STAT!" In the distance, the howls of other dogs began to again cross the city in the direction of 101 Dalmatian Street. The two adults were caught off guard once again, with Perdita saying, "Isn't it a little early to use the Twilight Bark?" Dylan responded, "Oh we don't call it that anymore. Nowadays, it's called the World Wide Woof, and it's free to use any time of day." Dolly looked toward the entrance and smiled, "And it's pretty darn fast too!"
A fast-moving figure moved through the skatepark's gate, riding atop the wooden board that Dolly had been using the day before. As it got closer, the small figure came into focus. He was one of the younger Dalmatian siblings, with a smattering of spots on his head, a sizable nick in his right ear, a helmet on his head and a larger one hanging from his mouth. He zoomed towards the elder foursome and turned the board perpendicular to them as he skidded to a halt. It was only once he stood still that Pongo and Perdita noticed his distinguishing feature: he was missing his back legs, instead relying on a red prosthesis with wheels to support himself. At the sight of his disability, Pongo and Perdita couldn't help but tense up with pity and concern.
Dolly hopped towards her younger brother with her trademark energy. The younger pup leapt from the board and approached his sister in turn, dropping the helmet from his mouth in the process. Upon meeting, the two bumped paws together. "You ready to whip it, Delgado?" Dolly asked excitedly. Delgado nodded with equal enthusiasm, "You bet, Sis, let's have some fun!"
Dolly and Delgado rushed to the edge of the bowl in the ground, with Dolly on her board and Delgado on foot. As they were both poised to jump down, Dylan popped up next to his sister and placed the helmet on her head. "Safety first", he quipped as Dolly and Delgado rolled their eyes. After Dylan backed away, the other two siblings returned their focus forward and leapt off the ledge. Both briefly plunged at a near 90-degree angle, then rolled out onto the flat cement floor. The pair zoomed all throughout the park, moving so quickly that they almost seemed to be flying. They rode over ramps and up the sides of the bowl, effortlessly doing all sorts of spins and flips.
As Pongo and Perdita observed their descendants, they felt conflicted. On a purely visceral level, they couldn't help but be awestruck. At the same time, all of their parental instincts were screaming that they should stop these children from putting themselves in harm's way. Dylan quickly noticed the concern on the elder Dalmatians' faces, "Are you two alright?" Pongo remained in stunned silence while Perdita replied, "This can't be safe! How can they even do that?!" Dylan chuckled, "It's a skill I don't pretend to understand, but there's no denying their mastery of the board."
Pongo shook off his disbelief, "But what about the little one? A pup in his condition shouldn't be taking those kinds of risks!" Dylan's widened slightly at this query, "Oh, oh dear. Not sure we call it a 'condition' these days, and those two know what they're doing, trust me." Unsure of Dylan's nonchalance, Pongo and Perdita returned their gaze to the pair showing off their skills. After several more minutes of gravity-defying stunts, Dolly and Delgado leapt over the rim of the bowl and skidded to a halt in front of the observing trio.
"Alright, that was quite the guh-narly display," Dylan said with enthusiasm. Delgado rolled his eyes while Dolly quipped, "Not quite, but I appreciate the compliment." Perdita spoke next, "Well, I must say that I've never seen anything like it, except maybe at the circus." Pongo nodded and chuckled, "I don't think either of us could do such things." Dolly's smirk expanded as she sensed an opportunity, "Why not? I know for a fact that our Mum can do it."
The elder Dalmatians were visibly surprised by this claim. After a moment's hesitation, Perdita spoke up, "Well then, I suppose it's worth a go." Pongo looked at his mate sideways for a moment, "Perdy, you can't be serious." Perdita, spurred on by Pongo's skepticism, grabbed a helmet and placed it on her head with confidence. Excited as the prospect of initiating a new skater, Dolly rolled her board over to Perdita with her trademark smirk. Dylan chimed on, "I admire your courage, but we should probably start with something a little easier than this giant bowl." Dolly nodded, "For once, I'm on the side of Captain Safety Pants. Best to start off easy."
The group moved to a series of smaller ramps several yards from the bowl. Perdy perched herself on top of Dolly's board, the helmet fastened to her head. Pongo was shaking his head in disbelief, but Dolly and Delgado were nodding in encouragement. After taking one last deep breath, Perdita lightly pushed herself towards the trapezoid ramp in front of her. The board made it halfway up and then rolled back down to level ground. Perdy chuckled in mild embarrassment, then gave herself a much stronger push. This time, the board made it up all the way up and over to the opposite side.
The younger Dalmatians cheered for Perdita, with Delgado saying, "Whip it, Aunt Perdy!" Her confidence boosted considerably, Perdita began pushing herself faster and faster. She rolled up and over several more ramps, and even jumped into the air with the board. The skepticism faded from Pongo's face, "Maybe this thing isn't so ridiculous after all." Perdita rode back and skidded to a stop in front of her mate. Jumping off the board, she said, "Oh Pongo, that was just delightful. Here, you give it a try!"
Pongo cautiously stepped onto the skateboard, while Perdita placed the helmet on top of his head. Noticing his hesitation, Perdita licked his cheek, "Don't worry, dear. If I can do it, so can you." Pongo smiled at his mate's encouragement and propelled himself toward the ramp with confidence. He made it to the top of ramp but stopped just before reaching the downward side. Nonetheless, Pongo beamed with pride at his accomplishment. Just then, the board rolled forward and slid down, knocking Pongo off balance and sending him falling onto the hard concrete with a thud.
The other four Dalmatians rushed to his side. Dylan and Dolly pulled Pongo off the ground, using their heads to prop him up. Perdita gently nuzzled her mate while Delgado asked, "Are you okay, Uncle Pongo?" The elder male was swaying unsteadily, woozy from his tumble. After a moment of wobbling, Pongo shook off his delirium somewhat, "Yes, I think so. Remind me never to use one of those infernal boards again." Perdita chuckled, as did the trio of younger dogs. Dylan spoke up, "Maybe we should move on to something a little less physical, and I think I have a few ideas." Dylan led the group out of the skatepark, trailed immediately by his siblings and with Perdita helping a still slightly dizzy Pongo at the back of the line.