Episode 4: The Walrein Racers!
Dylan, Ashton, and Kris took a trip west across the USA, following Route 66 and making a detour into Colorado. They made a stop in Denver before heading to the nearby town of Breckenridge, a popular ski resort town.
"Why are we here again?" Ashton asked.
"There's a Poké Ride event here in Breckenridge," Kris explained. "If you guys are doing the World Gym Challenge, then you'll need to register having a Poké Ride license. Some of the gyms don't have battles and are pure challenges and vice versa, so it's better to get a license now while we're early on in our journey."
Ashton shrugged. "I guess that's fair."
"The event is a Winter Games one, right?" Dylan asked. "I wonder what it will be. Snom Curling, Partner Pokémon Figure Skating, Abomasnow Bobsledding…"
"Look out!" shouted a voice. The trio quickly got out of the way as a human on a Walrein came barreling down the street, a blue ball rolling right behind them. The human and Pokémon ran into a snowbank, the human flying off of the Pokémon's back. "Ow… My back…"
"You okay there?" Dylan asked, going over and helping the man up. He was roughly the same age as the group, wearing a light-blue ski suit with a white beanie, blonde hair poking out under his hat.
"I'm fine," the man said. "You alright Walrein, Spheal?"
"Spheal, Spheal!" the Clap Pokémon cheered, popping out of the snowbank on top of Walrein's head. Walrein gave an equally happy noise.
"Good to see you're okay, buddy," the man patted the Spheal on the head.
"What was that all about?" Kris asked. "I don't think racing down the street is very safe."
"We were on the mountain, but we had to make a hard turn to avoid running into some Frigid Sandshrews," the man said. He shook Dylan's hand. "The name's Skyler, and this Spheal here is my buddy."
"Nice to meet you guys," Dylan said.
"Can you tell us where we can get Poké Ride licenses?" Ashton asked. "That's the reason we came to this town in the first place."
"Oh sure. My Dad runs the Walrein Races here in Breckenridge," Skyler explained. "This Walrein here is actually the one that he used to win all kinds of races back in the day."
"Not that it's going to help you in the long run," said an arrogant voice. A young man with red hair that spiked in the back walked up, wearing a black ski outfit.
"Oh, hi Wyatt," Skyler said in a small voice.
"The time of your family being on top of the Walrein Races is over," Wyatt said. "I'll be the next big star on these slopes, so why don't you take your Spheal and take a hike?"
"Sneasel!" shouted Sneasel, he Pokémon at Wyatt's side. It ran over and tossed Spheal in the air, forcing Skyler to dive back into the snow to cat it.
"Hey!" Ashton shouted. She got into Wyatt's face. "How about we have a battle so I can shut your face?"
Wyatt looked at Ashton and gave a short laugh. "Like I'm going to waste my time on Pokémon battles. If you really want to defend this loser, then meet me at race today. Don't be late, or do, not that it matters to me."
Sneasel stuck it's tongue out at them, only for Quilava to spit fire at the Sharp Claw Pokémon, making it panic and run to catch up with its trainer. Alpha flared his flames as a warning sign before returning to Ashton's side, the girl patting him on the head. "Stupid, not wanting to battle me. Probably couldn't take the heat of battle…"
"Actually, a lot of people around here don't battle with their Pokémon," Skyler said. "I mean, we have battle fields, but the focus is really on the Winter Games." He sighed and plopped down onto Walrein's back. "How am I going to win, Spheal?"
"We'll help you out," Dylan said. "Your family is the one that started the Walrein Races, right? So let's show Wyatt that it takes more than confidence to be able to win!"
"I mean, you should still try to be more confident, but sure, we can try to help," Ashton shrugged.
"I'm looking at it now, and the race is free to sign up for," Kris said, looking at her Pokégear. "There's even free classes for getting your Poké Ride license before they start."
"That's what we'll do then," Dylan said. "Let's get ready for the Walrein Races, everyone!"
[***]
Heading up the mountain, Dylan, Ashton, and Kris all signed up for Poké Ride classes, and after some training got their provisional licenses. They would have to go to an official Pokémon Center to apply for a full license, but after that they would be able to use Ride Pokémon wherever they wanted (within legal limits, of course).
"So what kind of race is this?" Ashton asked. As the group would be participating, they had all changed into ski outfits, with Ashton wearing black, Dylan wearing white with purple accents, and Kris wearing blue with yellow accents.
"It's just a standard race to the bottom of the mountain," Skyler explained. He patted Spheal on the head, the Clap Pokémon now wearing a pair of ski goggles. "This isn't a competition for money or even an official race, so that's why visitors to the town can compete with the pros."
"Heh, that's why there's no chance for you winning," said Wyatt, appearing next the group on his own Walrein.
"You again," Ashton growled.
"Let's not start a fight here," Kris said. "Save that rage for the slopes, Ashton."
Speaking of which, I believe the race will be starting soon, Aurora said.
The group put aside their anger for Wyatt and went over to where the race was being held. Many people were lined up, already saddled onto their Walrein at the starting line. One of the racers even had a shiny coloration Walrein.
"Alright racers are you ready for the annual Walrein Open Race!?" the announcer called. "We'll be broadcasting the race to the people at the bottom with our Rotom Drone, so be sure to smile!"
"You ready Aurora?" Dylan asked his Pokémon.
I'll keep us safe on the way down, the Lucario replied, tightening the red scarf she was wearing.
"Good luck guys," Kris said.
"We're gonna crush this!" Ashton said confidently, giving a thumbs up to Skyler.
"Yeah, we can try," the boy said nervously. He checked to make sure his Spheal was right beside him.
"Are you ready?" the announcer called. "Get set… Go!"
Wyatt's Sneasel immediately used Icy Wind, which while not affecting the Walrein did give Wyatt a large boost forward.
"That jerk!" Ashton yelled. She gave her Walrein a pat on the side to get moving, speeding down the mountain as the race truly began.
All the racers went down the slopes, following the slalom flags to get the optimal path down. Some racers had smaller Pokémon with them to help out, such as using a Flying type to get an aerial view of obstacles up ahead or using an Ice type to create patches of ice to slide across. Ashton and Wyatt were leading the pack, with Kris, Dylan, and Skyler in the middle.
"We're coming up on the forest run," Kris said, looking over her map. "Stay on course or else you might run into something."
"Got it," Dylan nodded.
As they entered the forest, Sneasel started to use Icy Wind on the trees, creating icicles that the other racers had to avoid. Some racers managed to get around, while others were knocked off of their Walrein, effectively taking them out of the race. When Skyler tried to avoid these icicles, he ended up dropping Spheal, sending the Clap Pokémon spinning out of control down the hill.
"Oh no, Spheal!" Skyler cried.
"I'll get him!" Dylan shouted. "Kris, try to catch up and help Ashton, I'll stay back here and help Skyler."
"You got it," Kris nodded, speeding up to get out of the forest section.
"Aurora, can you use Water Pulse to try and redirect Spheal?" Dylan asked. "Aura Sphere would be more reliable, but Spheal is an Ice type so I don't want to hurt it with a super effective move."
I'll see what I can do, Aurora replied. The Lucario closed her eyes, then jumped off of Walrein at blinding speed, bouncing between trees to catch up to the out-of-control Spheal. She then placed her paws together and fired off a Water Pulse, which hit in front of Spheal and sent the Clap Pokémon up into the air, blasting out of the forest as they came to the edge.
"Vex, go and catch Spheal!" Dylan shouted, tossing out Vex's Poké Ball. The Sound Wave Pokémon flew out of his ball and rushed forward, catching Spheal out of the air and bringing him down to Dylan. "Great job, Vex! Here you go, Skyler!"
Skyler caught Spheal, which gave a happy cry after returning to its master. "Thanks, Dylan. Now then, let's win this! Spheal, use Water Gun!"
Spheal did as it was told, pushing them forward and catching up to the front of the pack. Dylan returned Vex as Aurora hopped back onto Walrein, the Lucario using Water Pulse to move them faster as well. Soon all four heroes caught up to Wyatt, whom looked over at Skyler in shock.
"You!? I left you all in the dust!" he shouted. "I won't let you take my moment. Sneasel, Icy Wind!"
The Sharp Claw Pokémon did as it was told, releasing a chilly breeze that didn't affect he Pokémon but made the humans turn away to get out of the blast of cold air. While the main trio pulled back, Skyler pushed through the cold, racing up until he was neck and neck with Wyatt. They clashed with their Walrein, but it was clear that neither of them was going to let up.
"Why don't you just quit!" Wyatt shouted. "Your family's time ruling the slopes is over!"
"You think this is all about my family?" Skyler questioned. "I just want to be the best Walrein Racer I can be. It doesn't matter if we raise Pokémon in the Walrein family, being a racer is my dream!"
Wyatt laughed. "Oh, that's rich. Sneasel, take this loser out with Fury Swipes!"
Sneasel jumped up to try and attack Skyler, but Spheal jumped in the way of the attack! The Clap Pokémon then knocked Sneasel away with a Rollout, forcing Wyatt to return his Pokémon as Spheal went rolling down the mountain.
"We're almost at the finish line," Dylan said.
"I hope that Skyler wins this," Kris said.
"Yeah, kick Wyatt's butt Skyler!" Ashton shouted.
The two Walrein racers were neck and neck, to the point that by the time they reached the bottom, it was impossible to tell which one crossed first. The announcer called for Rotom to replay the race footage as the rest of the racers crossed the finish line, ready to determine which of the racers had one.
"Here it is, the final results," the announcer said. The video replayed the finish line crossing between Skyler and Wyatt, revealing that… "And Wyatt is the winner!"
The heroes were in shock at this, while Wyatt and Sneasel started jumping around in victory. "That's right, I'm the best! Take that, Skyler! Your family's time on the slopes is over, for good!" he kept cheering, but slowly stopped when he noticed that no one else was joining him. "Hey, what gives? I just won!"
Dylan listened and heard the crowd mumbling to themselves.
"Did you see what he did in the forest with the icicles?"
"He even tried directly attacking a fellow racer at one point."
"Why is he taking this race so seriously? It's not even an official match."
Sounds like the people don't agree that Wyatt is a true winner, Aurora stated.
Ashton came over and gave Skyler a pat on the back. "Good job dude. You might not have won the race, but I think you'll be seen as the more respected racer, at least compared to that guy."
"Hey, I heard that!" Wyatt shouted.
"You were supposed to," Ashton retorted.
"Hey, where's Spheal?" Kris asked.
The sound of rolling came from the hill, and soon all the racers dodged out of the way as a decently large snowball came tumbling down the hill. It crashed into the stands, sending snow everywhere and burying Wyatt and Sneasel. A Pokémon popped out of the snowbank, jumping down and glomping Skyler to reveal a Sealeo.
"Spheal? You evolved!" Skyler said in surprise, sitting up and hugging his Pokémon.
"It defended its trainer to help him try to win," Dylan said. "I think that it's connection to you allowed it to evolve."
"He must want to become the best Walrein Racer ever as much as you do," Kris said.
Skyler looked at Sealeo, then smiled. "We'll keep training, Sealeo, enough so that when you become a Walrein, we can make a name for ourselves and make our family proud!"
The heroes cheered at Skyler's declaration, though soon a cold breeze hit them, making them shiver. "How about we go inside and warm up a bit?" Dylan suggested. "We can spend the night here before moving on to our next destination. I think I know where I want to get my first Gym Badge."
"You guys can come stay at my family's lodge," Skyler offered.
As the heroes walked off, Wyatt popped his head out of the snowbank, shivering from the cold. "H-hey, a-anyone? I t-think we'ere st-stuck."
"Sneasel," Sneasel huffed, popping out of the snow to try and dig its master out.
Author's Note
I really liked the idea of Poké Ride in Sun and Moon, so I hope that it returns some day in the future. It leads to a lot of cool ideas and gives Pokémon more to do outside of this battle. It was fun writing this chapter as I got to channel the anime with a fun chapter that expands the world of Pokémon, plus I just wanted to write a Ski/Walrein race.
Also, seeing as the regions as we know them in the Pokémon games don't exist in this world, regional forms will have different names, such as Alolan Sandshrew being called Frigid Sandshrew. I based this idea off of how we do regional animals in our world, such as Snowy Owls compared to regular Owls.
Azakael: Somewhere in one of my sketchbooks is a picture of a Walrein bobsled with a small child shrieking on the 'Mon's back that I drew up on break some random afternoon. Either way, the idea of the Spheal line rolling down icy hills makes me grin. They are freaking adorable. (Except for Glacia's Walrein that gave the much, MUCH younger Azakael trouble. Screw that thing.)