#098 Krabby
Krabby, the river crab Pokémon. Krabby live on beaches, burrowed inside holes dug into the sand. On sandy beaches with little in the way of food, these Pokémon can be seen squabbling with each other over territory – Nurse Evergreen.
Back at the same beach where she met Shellder, Nurse Isabelle was training with Dewgong in the water. From one of the stores at the promenade, she had rented a wetsuit. Together with Dewgong, she had entered the water. The coastguard were aware of her planned training and would keep an eye out in case she ran into trouble. Pidgeot was also flying around, somewhere. The independent bird could take care of himself and deserved a day off to roam around, as long as he returned by sundown.
Despite the sun being warm, the water was surprisingly cold. Dewgong didn't seem to mind at all, bouncing joyfully in the water, splashing Izzy. The Pokémon were native to colder regions so he felt right at home, she supposed. Submerging her entire body, she got the acclimatising over with, like ripping off a plaster. Gasping, she resurfaced, cursing under her breath. Meanwhile, Dewgong swam rounds around her breaching the water to drop with a dramatic splash or made pretty, tall jumps. It took a while to convince Dewgong to stop playing around, but when he was finally ready to work, Isabelle climbed on his back.
Or at least, that was the plan. Dewgong's fur, normally so soft, had turned slick when wet, and Izzy slid right off when she tried to get on. Wrapping her arms around his thick neck, she managed on the second try. Squeezing his sides with her legs a tad tightly, she sought a place to hold on. Unfortunately, there were none. Her legs would be her only security not to fall off. She hoped riding Ponyta had trained her thighs enough.
Together they swam around. From casually swimming along the shore, to racing as fast as they could and then coming to a halt. They also practiced staying in one exact space, pretending Izzy was treating some Pokémon. It wouldn't do to float away. One of the challenges Izzy encountered was staying on Dewgong's back. Inexperienced as she was, she would slide off at the most inopportune moments, struggling to get back up.
Only then did Isabelle notice someone on the beach. They had ended up at one of the more secluded parts of the beach without Izzy noticing. This place supposedly could only be accessed by sea. A girl sat on the beach, surrounded by little creatures, skittering around her. As Izzy and Dewgong set foot and fin on the beach, the girl slowly looked up. Her afro with a bright-coloured scarf was very familiar to Isabelle.
"Hey, Wendy. Fancy seeing you here. What … are you doing?" All around her college-days friend were Krabby. They were burrowed in the sand around her, they climbed over her lap. She even held one in her hands, stroking its pincers tenderly. As Izzy approached, it became obvious just how many Krabby there were. Soon, it was unable to walk without stepping on one, accidentally. There were hundreds of them,
"Nothing," was the reply.
"Right…" Isabelle said slowly. She truly cared for her and her gift with Pokémon was seemingly unique, but sometimes, she was a weirdo. It was obvious she preferred the company of Pokémon over humans. Izzy did too, at times, but to sit surrounded by Krabby for no particular reason? "See ya, Wendy," Isabelle said, since she felt hungry, possibly intruding on some complex Krabby ritual. If Wendy did not wish to talk, there would be no coaxing her.
"Sleep tight," came the distracted reply as the girl picked up another Krabby, tickling it until it squealed.
With a confounded headshake, Isabelle and Dewgong left her to do her business.
Only late at night did Wendy return to the Pokémon centre. She had seaweed in her hair and her clothing looked a bit torn and ragged, but she was beaming the brightest smile Izzy had seen in weeks. Isabelle, on the other hand, felt less like smiling. Her face and arms were pretty sunburnt, having spent inside for too long. She hadn't bothered using sunscreen either, today. Joy was lecturing her as she smeared some herbal ointment on her skin to help her heal faster. Meanwhile, her inner thighs burned like her first days riding Ponyta. It seemed the grip needed to ride Dewgong was not something her body was used to. It would be a long night for Izzy. When she couldn't sleep, she texted Dominic and told him about her day. He always made her feel better, with supportive messages or witty jokes.