I Want To Lay the Very Best!

198 – Game! Set! Catch!

"Look at that, girls and gals!" Tanya yelled as she kicked her legs over the edge of Remi's giant hand in a swishing metronome.

"The Tall Dark Handsome Divas have stepped up their game. They'll be stepping on their opponents next. It looks like the Horny Messes comeback might be on the ropes!"

Tanya had a knack for being an announcer. Her assertive voice from years of lifeguarding carried great for announcing. She was hyping up everything they did like a pro. Not that it needed much hyping with how nail-biting the match had gotten. Brandy had smashed a point back almost right away to even the score. The next rally had gone back a few times. Then, Sparky Web shot the ball and slammed it down like a meteor hammer in the back of the court.

Brandy's team was one point from winning; from there, it'd become a no-holds-barred battle. Mahi was throwing so much water that one rally got washed back on a tidal wave. The other team hadn't even needed to touch it. Morgan was teleporting to pick up loose balls, and Calcine was working with Marina as a tall and powerful front line to slam home their shots.

Brandy was so proud of the teamwork. In battle, Pokémon usually got single-minded. But Calcine and Morgan together were a dangerous pair who could overcome those odds. They'd been pulling out every dirty trick in the book to get an advantage, and it was working.

"Holly, Aqua Tail those waves!" Maple said, her hair shimmering as she flicked a hand out to point at Mahi's relentless Waterfall Move. The Water didn't bother Holly and Maple at all. They just powered through it like it was a breeze. Brandy wasn't feeling well. Wisps of mist were coming off her skin. The fire in her Steam Engine heart could be stoked hotter with some water. But, too much water began to drown it. She was getting waterlogged, and poor Sparky was drenched. Sparks crackled off her and fizzled through the water soaked into the sand.

"Sparky, help spot for me!" Brandy called as she shielded her eyes to peek past the glittering spray of water. It wasn't just that Mahi could knock the ball back; her Waterfall waves blocked vision too, and the other team was abusing the heck out of it. The small crowd gathered to watch the show oohed and aahed appreciatively. Undoubtedly, this was great for Mahi's ego. However, it really wasn't helping Brandy!

"High up!" Sparky called, "It's on the wave crest. Have Maple give you uppies!"

To her credit, Maple didn't hesitate; she cupped her hands together and put it low for Brandy to get a foot in. Then, she tossed her like a Crown Tundra log, launching Brandy into the air and breaking the Waterfall around her body. The ball was just beginning its descent down the back of the wave, ready to surf to a free point. Brandy locked on and raised back her fist to punch.

There was a sudden sharp crackling, and then Brandy couldn't move. She was stuck in the wave, helpless to watch the ball bounce down its hard surface and touch the ground.

"What a comeback!" Tanya gasped from on high, waving at the crowd. "We thought the Horny Messes defense was too strong, but the lovely Lapras has turned the waterfall into a glacier."

Brandy could see Marina down there, hand to the sand on their side. Her Sheer Cold Move traveled through the sodden ground to freeze the Waterfall in the blink of an eye. They'd baited Brandy into the jump, fully intending to catch her. So sneaky! She couldn't be more proud.

Though she could have done without freezing her tits off. Her fiery core was already a bit angry at all the water it was getting soaked in; being turned into a human ice cube was putting her fire into a full-on sulk. Tiredness crept at the edges of Brandy's muscles.

"The next point wins the match! This ref is going to call a timeout while we break the ice," Tanya said. "Take a breather, everyone; we'll be back at it in a few minutes."

"I got you, Brandy," Remi said, reaching her hand out to touch her. The big, blobby green slime woman was as friendly as they came, and Brandy had been under her Skill Swap Move before. As she felt her body turning to jelly, she let herself flow out of the iceblock, splashing down atop Maple, who squealed like a Lechonk.

"My girlfriend's goo!" Maple cursed, "And she's in my hair!"

It got some laughs from the crowd; even the fluffy Wooloo were having a laugh at Maple's fate. Holly and Sparky were also tittering, but at a safe distance, just in case Maple noticed. Brandy tried to pull herself together and hug Maple, which wasn't easy with a suddenly amorphous body.

"Sorry, beautiful. I just go to pieces around you." Brandy said, pressing her mouth to the side of Maple's neck. Maple's skin was soft and cool against her lips, and she loved kissing it, but the lack of teeth made it less fun. She barely got a few gums in before Holly started lashing her with little water whips from her tail.

"No getting us disqualified. We're going to win," Holly hissed. "Keep it in your pants."

"How does this body work anyway?" Maple prodded Brandy's chest inquisitively. Her finger sank up to the knuckle. "Can you put something in your pants? Show me the goo girl tongue."

"Sparky, help me. They really are horny messes."

"Easy," Sparky said. "Hey Maple. I know Infestation."

Brandy and Maple backed off each other immediately, hands held up in surrender.

"Yeah, that's right, no one messes with Infestation."

Calcine was melting down the ice wave, the cold air rolling down over them. They huddled together for warmth and to conspire.

"We're going to lose if they go all out again," Holly said. "Humans are all squishy and wonderful, but we're outgunned on the Moves."

"Guess you two are going to be in charge then." Brandy reached out to ruffle Sparky's hair. She batted the hand away.

"No way!" Sparky huffed. "I want Maple to make me do things. No quitting. Can't you flash them some boob? That'd stop them."

Maple shook her head. "Much as I want to see Brandy bust, Tanya would throw us off the beach. We got to wait until sundown to get naked."

Getting Brandy naked was usually the start of any plan. They really were breaking new ground today. Brandy couldn't help but feel Morgan had planned for this. While Pokémon had powerful Moves that a human couldn't match, Trainers had tricks beyond the Bond's power to keep up. When a Pokémon got worked up, they found it harder and harder to think beyond the next thing. Even Calcine in the fire Gym had been pretty straightforward in her intent. Teamwork broke down as clothing came off. That they couldn't strip genuinely neutralized one of her team's better advantages.

So how does a human beat a Pokémon without getting so smutty Tanya would kick them off the beach? Teasing was allowed, but that wouldn't be high grade enough to do it. They needed something sneakier. Maybe...

"How well trained is your team, Maple?"

"My team? Marina is very new, but she's a natural follower. We've been helping her come out of her shell. Mahi's behaving a lot better. I'm still working on her pride. Holly..."

"Isn't fucking non-stop," Holly grinned, wiggling her mouse ears. "Although if we lose, I am going to backslide and make sure you both pay for it. You're going to be going into the Tournament on stretchers."

She was probably kidding. Probably.

"I like to think my team follows my lead too," Brandy said, "I don't push them really, but they're happy to do it."

"You're a good leader," Sparky nodded, "And you get so worked up in battle it's infectious. We want to make you smile."

Very sweet. But in that, also the inkling of a plan.

"Okay then," Brandy grinned. "Here's what we're going to do. First Sparky, I need you to get something-"

---

Sparky was furiously signing autographs for a small family who'd been watching the Volleyball match with rapt attention. They'd all gathered in the shadow of a massive bear of a Pokémon. Her monstrous appearance was undercut by her two-tone pink and black fur that looked like a half-scoop of Neopolitan ice cream.

"You sure that's all you want for this?" the Bewear said as she pressed something into Sparky's hands. "The kids are going to love it. What a lovely souvenir. We're rooting for you!"

Sparky leaned down to tease the kids with little fizzling zaps of her fingernails. The pink-haired pre-teens giggled as she chased them around. "Anything for my best fans, and hey, you might just help out!"

Stuffing something into her fur and webbing it tight, she returned to the group with a grin. Brandy was working out her fleshy arms, getting used to being one solid piece again. "We ready?"

"We are so ready." Sparky grinned. "Never been more ready."

The Triple M's had also conspired while Calcine melted down the ice. Morgan and Mahi huddled under Marina's shadow, passing ideas back and forth. They'd have to adjust to whatever they had planned.

"Okay, everybody!" Tanya said, "We've given out enough ice cubes to make an iceberg, so I think we're ready to go. This is the match point for our two lovely teams. Let's have one last big cheer for them."

Sparky threw a thumbs up to her newest little fans as everyone else stared daggers across the net.

"I'm going to make you both give me a massage," Mahi said, lowering her voice so the crowd couldn't hear. "With your tongues."

"I would like a shell shine," Marina said. "If that's okay?"

"If you win, you can have whatever you want, Marina," Maple smiled. "And if you lose and ask nicely, it might happen."

The tall Lapras bounced on the spot, Tanya's eyes narrowing at her as she unconsciously made a few of the crowd swoon. Calcine dusted off her hands and squared up, giving Brandy a playful waggle of her eyebrows. Morgan pointed her fingers to her eyes and then to Brandy, "Know you're up to something, Joyce."

"I am, and you love it," Brandy smirked. "You can't resist a good scheme."

"Just serve. I've got some excellent schemes saved up for when we win."

They let Holly take the serve; her Bounce-powered shots let her drive it right over the net. They wanted the other team scrambling about to respond.

It wasn't quite as easy as that; Calcine stamped her foot and dropped their entire side of the court into a sloped depression. It meant the ball had just that bit further to hit the ground, and worse yet, Mahi had her hands out, spraying water and filling up their side. They'd agreed if it touched the water, then it wasn't considered a point, but no one had thought they'd just make a swimming pool as protection.

It would take a minute for Mahi to fill it up; until then, Morgan used her wings to beat up a windstorm to halt the ball. It still came in hot but was literally scooped up by Marina as ice flowed out of her fingertip to make a long-handled spoon. The glittering weapon got a few gasps from the crowd as she used it to launch the ball up high. It should have been an easy lob shot for Brandy's team to return. Morgan wasn't about to have that and flowed after it. Her black feather teleport put her in the perfect spot to smash the ball down. Then, she swooped away with a cackling caw as it rocketed down towards Brandy's side of the court.

"Holly, Helping Hand!" Maple yelled, holding out an arm behind her. Holly gave her a low high-five with both hands that came with a crackling of white energy.

Maple moved faster than Brandy could even see. Almost like she'd copied Morgan's Teleport, she got right under the ball and uppercut it so hard Brandy couldn't believe it didn't burst. The loud donk of compressed leather made quite a few people on the edges jump, Maple sucking her knuckle as she sent the ball high.

"It's not our side!" Morgan yelled. "They're laying it up!"

"Calcine, Smokescreen!"

Calcine was blowing out smoke before she even noticed it'd been Brandy who yelled the order. She tried to choke the smoke back, but it spread among her team. Morgan flapping her wings to try to clear it out.

"Mahi, clear it with a Water Pulse!"

A jet of water arced through the smoke as Sparky fumbled with her chest, ripping the webbing off her Bewear gift. Mahi's Water Pulse splashed over Marina and froze solid as Marina squealed, slashing her hand to break off the jet.

"That was Maple!" Morgan yelled, "Don't listen to the other side!"

Brandy couldn't help an evil chuckle. They might not be able to scramble the other teams' brains, but everyone was worked up right now. When a Pokémon got their blood up, they tended to grab onto their Trainer's orders for guidance. Even if they were meant to be on the opposing team.

The chaos was perfect as Maple's high punch came back down. Brandy's Steam Engine was purring in her heart from the hot, sunny weather, and it gave her arm the strength to punch the ball high up over to Holly. While the ball was still on their side, Sparky swung her webs and slingshotted her present right over the net.

Morgan came swirling out of the smoke, her wings flapping to clear it. She jumped when she saw a white ball sailing towards her, moving swift as the wind to batter it with her wing back over the net while her team got in order. Sparky's web cocoon burst when Morgan's wing hit it, and the chip cone inside exploded, spraying Morgan with salt and greasy chips.

"What the-" Morgan huffed, as she looked over the net to see Holly giving the Volleyball a light bomp with her hands over the net.

Right next to her, Sparky blew a kiss. Evil revenge in her eyes.

"Oh, you little yellow sh-"

Thankfully, the family-friendly event was kept so, as a swarm of Wingulls descended on Morgan worse than any Infestation. Morgan went down in a squawking ball of feathers as they savaged her. Holly's low lob shot slipped past Marina's outstretched spoon. Mahi's accidental ice spike had weighed down the tall Lapras just enough she couldn't reach it. The ball hit the sand, then rolled down to splash about in Mahi's kiddy pool.

"Game point to the Horny Messes!" Tanya yelled. " Let's give a hand to everyone for the creativity. That was quite the show! And an extra one to the Trainers for proving they can have fun with Pokémon without causing me trouble."

Brandy wasn't so sure about that. Morgan was going to get out of that ball of Wingull eventually. Calcine sighed next to her and dove in to dig her out, fighting once again for her Partner against the Wingulls' chip-fuelled savagery.

"Rematch!" Mahi yelled, "You cheated better than us."

"I'm still up for that tongue thing if you ask very nicely." Maple said, "And make the kids a proper pool."

"And you've got a shell to shine," Marina reminded. "Pretty please."

"What do you say, Brandy? Shall we be good winners? At least until the sun goes down."

Brandy could work with that. She wasn't cut out to be a tyrant. Her only real command was for Holly and Sparky to give her high fives until her hands hurt. Then she took the time to show everybody off to the crowd. Even a very sulky Morgan. Everyone deserved a little bit of extra attention for indulging her in the great sport of Volleyball.

The net slowly sank into the pit Calcine had dug.

Well. Volleyball-ish.