I Want To Lay the Very Best!

199 – Switching Out Pokémon

"Seriously, I don't mind the mess. This helps me so much." Tanya said, with a bright smile for both the Trainers. "You've even kept the Wingull occupied."

Under Remi's watchful eye, the Pokémon were fixing up the field so other people could play. Well, most of them. Morgan was off to the side corner, talking animatedly with a flock of attentive Wingulls. Concerning. Very, very concerning.

"We're glad you enjoyed it," Maple said, all bright smiles after the victory. "I was a little worried we were being disruptive. We were pretty noisy."

"Noisy is good! Keeping people entertained is part of the job; if things are too quiet, people will find other ways to entertain themselves." Tanya winked at Brandy, "You did really well with that in the Poké-center. A natural entertainer."

Maple took Brandy's arm, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm not used to being outshone, but my girlfriend is eye-catching, talented, and an absolute sweetheart. She deserves all the praise she can get."

Usually, Brandy would be embarrassed at that kind of praise, but Maple sounded so genuine it was warm honey for the mind. It'd feel mean to even fight against the truth of it. The warmth of Maple's hands also helped take the edge off the ache in her muscles. They'd pushed themselves for that win, and Brandy felt that good burn you get after a decent workout. Maple's touch took the edge right off. Should she beg for a massage? Or wait for the sun to go down and get something even more thorough.

She wasn't going to let Maple compliment her without returning fire.

"Maple's the perfect trainer," Brandy smiled. "I'm the disaster she's graciously adopted."

Maple nudged Brandy in the ribs, "You know that's the other way around. I will pin down your tall butt and blow raspberries on your belly until you admit it."

"You two are so cute." Tanya quickly butted on, "Maybe enjoy your winnings instead of declaring a new war. The sun will be down in a few hours, and then you can tear each other's clothes off. I'll scrounge up some Ginger Beers for you all as payment. You earned those. Dig a fire pit to drink them around! We bring out pallets for you all to break up to make a fire when it gets dark. People sell little bags of marshmallows. You'll love it. "

"Sounds like you're bribing us to behave," Maple smirked, pattering her fingers up Brandy's arm. Completely unfair. She was as bad as Brandy's Partners for making her heart travel up into her throat. "What if I don't want to behave?"

"All I can ask for is to show pity for the poor lifeguard trainer." Tanya smiled, "It's just me and Remi. We're not beating all the firepower you two can throw about. I'm sure you can amuse yourselves for a little bit longer! You both seem to be here for the tournament, so maybe plan for the Whimscott? Or get to know each other better. Go for a swim. Or-"

"Maple, give Tanya a break," Brandy said before Tanya could list every date idea under the sun. "We got plenty to talk about."

"Okay, okay!" Maple held her hands up in mock surrender. "I promise not to get carried away. I do want those Ginger Beers."

"You're stars." Tanya's radio crackled, and she held it up to her ear. The voice warbling on the other side was too muffled to hear properly. "And I got to go before someone explodes all over my beach. Take care, you two! Remi, give me a lift!"

Explode all over a beach? Saffira had said she wanted to capture a Pokémon before the tournament started. Had she come down to the beach anyway?

As much as Brandy wanted to offer help, Tanya knew where they were. She'd yell if it was really bad.

"So, keeping ourselves amused?" Brandy said, "Any ideas?"

"I do have one, actually." Maple leaned in to brush back a lick of Brandy's hair. "I've had a lovely taste of Brandy but barely met your Partners. Shall we do a swap? Get to know them a bit better. Marina really wants to meet you."

"And if Mahi causes trouble?" Brandy said, leaning forward to tap foreheads as she took Maple's hands. "She's being better, but you know Mahi."

"I do know her better! We went through a bit of an emotional roller coaster in the Water gym." Maple smiled, squeezing Brandy's palms, and she swung their arms back and forth in the warm sea breeze. "I wasn't the best person until Mercury helped readjust how I saw things. I like to think I'm doing better. Give her a shot; if she wastes it, I'll twist her ears off for you."

Maple flicked a look to Morgan, who was in a huddle with the Wingull now, her hat poking out of a sea of white feathers. "Do I need to watch out for Morgan?"

"Absolutely," Brandy grinned, "She loves to find loopholes in rules. She'll honor the win, but I'm sure she can find ways to get what she wants even if you're in charge."

"So confident. My lot all have their little issues. Morgan sounds like she's on top of it all. Why hasn't she Evolved yet?"

"Because-" Brandy faltered. That was actually a really good question. Why hadn't Morgan evolved yet? She'd been miserable with Cassidy and the pressure to fit in. Brandy had given her all the space Morgan wanted, and she was expressing herself with gleeful abandon. The Murkrow was a complete theater kid at heart, and she was having so much fun. What was Morgan missing to evolve into a Honchkrow? Did she have something to prove, or was she lacking something?

Brandy was sure Sparky's Evolution lay in making her more self-confident in her abilities. She was still feeling out the more fiery Carkol Calcine to worry about her third Evolution yet. Morgan, she didn't have a clue where to start. She was a Flying Type, and they hadn't really had much alone time to stretch her wings; maybe she needed some solo time with the Murkrow to know what was really going on under that hat of hers.

Something to work on.

Maple kissed her quickly to get her thoughts back on track, just a pleasant little peck that not even Tanya could complain about. "I'll get to know her and report back. Maybe she's too eager to impress you."

A suspicion arose in the back of Brandy's mind.

"Is this self-reflection part of the Water Gym?"

"I can't tell you," Maple smirked. "That's the rules. You'll have to work it out yourself."

So, there was something to work out. Interesting. Brandy had thought the Water Gym would challenge her ability to flirt, but she should have known better. None of the Gym's had been that simple so far.

"Hey, pretty lady!" a Wingull said, sliding beside Maple, "You're looking so good today."

"Delicious!" another said, picking her off Brandy and stroking her hair. "Wow, you're good-looking and strong; we're so lucky to meet someone like you."

"Goodness," Maple laughed, "Thank you? Are you doing okay?"

"Oh, we're doing great. Great!" the Wingull said with a rolling caw popping off the last word. "We want to show you a nice bird we met. You'll love her."

"And if we pass by the chip cone vendor on the way, you could always buy her a treat."

Morgan gave Brandy a smug look as complimentary Wingulls dragged away Maple, her tail feathers wagging as she followed after them. Wingulls with a bit of guile? This was going to have devastating consequences for the beachs ecosystem.

Maple could handle it. She'd have them eating out of her hand in no time. Now then. Let's see if Mahi was up for making up for past behavior.

Brandy had an idea how she could start.

---

"I feel this is a trick," Mahi said as she splashed Brandy with another burst of Water Pulse. "I gave up the spray bottle trick, and now you want to be soaked."

Brandy leaned on the shovel and luxuriated in the pressure of the water rippling off her skin. The day's heat mixed with the soaking from Mahi, making her Steam Engine thrum happily. When Mahi got the mix of heat and water right, Brandy felt invincible, her limbs thrumming with energy. It was exhilarating; she'd gotten to use it some in the Volleyball battle, but she'd never tried to max out the benefit. She felt she could jump high enough to punch the moon.

She definitely couldn't, but it felt like it.

"I love the way your skin shimmers," Marina said as she used a massive shovel made of ice to help Brandy dig out the fire pit. She was an industrious worker, all too eager to jump in to help. It reminded Brandy of Sparky a bit, that overwhelming eagerness to help and prove oneself. "You kind of wear the mist like a cape. Is it okay to find mist sexy?"

"There's so much sexy on this beach," Holly said, packing the sand around the pit's edge. Her tail drifting through it to spray it with water, making it clumpier and easier to pack. "Tall women, short women, thick women, huggable women, classy women. There's absolutely space for a sex mist woman."

Brandy snorted as she shook out her hair, spraying drops everywhere. "Sex mist woman? That's what you see me as?"

"Nah," Mahi said as she turned off the Water Pulse with a clasp of her hand. "You're the one that got away."

"You got lucky. The next girl who came along was way better." Brandy grinned, "No sex mist at all, just drop-dead gorgeous."

"Very confident for someone who hasn't seen Maple's inheritance yet," Holly giggled, "Might be sex mist. It might be even better. We've really pumped her up."

Marina shook her head as she kept digging. "Some pumping more than others."

"You'll catch up, babe," Holly said, her tail flicking over to bump Marina's silvery corset. "I'm taking it easy, and you've got so much more to give than me. Oooh, Brandy hasn't seen it yet. We should show off the beast."

Well, that would get them in trouble, and poor Marina had shied a little into herself at having the spotlight turned on her. The Lapras was so unlike Holly and Mahi. Quiet, polite, and quick to blush, Brandy wanted to protect her deeply. She threw her a lifeline by trying to push the topic along and away from her for now.

"I got to say," Brandy said as she picked up the shovel and returned to digging. "I do kind of wish I had someone with Water Moves on the team. They'd go so well with Calcine and me now."

"Yeah, you kicked our ass real bad," Mahi sighed. "I was really hoping we'd win. I don't seem bitter about it, right? Maple's been trying to teach me how to let things go. We're both kind of bad losers."

"You've been cool," Brandy said, looking up to Mahi after a few more shovels, "We are cool now, right?"

"Brandy Joyce, you are such a marshmallow." Mahi grinned as she sat down on the edge of the hole. "Don't let me off that easy."

"I think forgiveness is admirable," Marina said, flicking a little sand Mahi's way. "And you need practice with that."

Mahi shook some sand out of her frills; the white and pink pieces that hung off her were just a little translucent like she was wearing colorful gossamer veils. It made her every movement alluring, like a relaxed belly dancer. "I've already forgiven her. I just wouldn't mind if she rode my ass a bit."

"Wow," Holly whistled. "You haven't even let Maple peg you. Are you going to let Brandy be your first? You take apologizing seriously."

Mahi sent a squirt of pressurized water Holly's way. The Marill ducked behind her sand wall to avoid it, her big blue mouse ears wiggling over the top in mischievous delight.

"We're cool," Mahi huffed as she kept her arms raised, aiming at Holly's position. "You brought Maple and me together. She gets me; she's got that drive to win, too. That well of bitterness that can wash up when things don't go our way. You get that?"

"A little," Brandy admitted. She'd felt really annoyed when Cassidy hadn't fought her properly. "I can handle losing as long as my Partners are happy with it. I hate it when people don't try to win. I want to see their best."

Mahi thumped her heart with a fist. "I can feel that. I'd feel insulted if someone let me win out of pity. Marina's the edge of the coin. She's convinced she only wins because people pity her."

Brandy looked Marina up and down. She was half a foot taller than Brandy, in a gorgeously ornate dress with a silvery corset that made her look like royalty. There was nothing about her that looked pityable.

"You fought hard on the court. It's hard to believe you don't give your all,"

"Told you," Holly said, peeking over her sand dune. "You're a badass, and we'll keep saying it until you cry and admit it."

Marina waved them off. "I have a long way to go. My Sisters are all far more accomplished. I can barely carry Maple upon my back."

'Thinks she's short,' Mahi mouthed to Brandy, using a hand low to the ground to help clarify the unspoken words. Her shrug after gave away how silly she found it. She wasn't wrong either. Marina was still massive by human standards. Her perspective was so odd.

"Maple's shorter than me," Brandy said, "Is she weaker?"

Marina smiled, "I understand your point. She's made it a few times. It's just easy to know something and harder to feel it. Growing up as the runt isn't something I can just forget."

"Ugh," Holly groaned, leaning over her sand dune. "Imagine being short. How horrible would that be?"

"That's not what I mean, and you know it," Marina smiled, reaching over to stroke Holly's ears. "There's better Lapras out there, that's all."

"Is there fuck," Mahi huffed. "You're on our team, so you're the best one. We got the best Goldeen, we got the best Rat."

"Marill," Holly said without any heat in her voice. She'd clearly heard it enough she didn't care.

"Sure," Mahi said as she sprayed a tiny water jet at Holly. Who just used it to wash her sandy ears. "The point is Maple only gets the best. So you're the best Lapras. I mean, you can fuck like a train. She made noises not even Holly's got out of her."

Poor Marina blushed again, the pink blossom rather vivid against her blue skin.

"Does that make me the best girlfriend?" Brandy said, "If she only has quality."

"Well, tell you what." Mahi turned the jet of water Brandy's way, the water soaking into her red bikini as Mahi drew lines on her body. "You're in charge of us; we know so much about Maple."

"So much," Holly said, "Inside and out."

"I admit I've learned a thing or two." Marina smiled, "She's quite the woman."

"So Brandy, if you were to ask questions, we'd have to answer. You're in charge today after beating our asses at Volleyball." Mahi grinned, leaning in. "So, what do you want to know about our Trainer? We know all her weaknesses."

"That sounds great," Brandy said, leaning on her shovel. Her arms aching from all the work. "Can I get a massage while I do it?"

"Brandy," Mahi slid into the pit with her, leaning in as she ran along Brandy's flank. "You can have anything you want."

Well then. If Brandy had doubts about Mahi's sincerity, now was the time to put them to the test.