I Want To Lay the Very Best!

207 – You Know the Rules, and So Do I

Maple's dress was so simple, and yet Brandy was studying it very, very intently. 

It was a lovely little light blue one-piece with white trim, just some relaxing seaside colors. The frills of the dress stopped just below Maple's butt, but that was only when she wasn't moving. Every step she took made it flutter and show just the slightest bit extra, and it was starting to make Brandy drool. The back was nothing but two criss-cross straps, and all the creamy skin on show demanded attention. Maple's whole team had some lovely dresses, but Maple had thrown away subtlety for her own. This was the Trainer outfit equivalent of a half-brick to the side of the head. 

Worse, Maple knew precisely what it was doing to Brandy, and she was swishing her hips with every step, laughing politely at every twitch Brandy gave while walking. 

"I was worried I wouldn't match up to you. I'm glad you like it." Maple grinned. "A Trainer has to use all she has to stand tall with her Pokémon, doesn't she?"

Brandy couldn't even answer. She could only stare. Her gaze had locked on the spot between dress and skin, her hands grabbing fistfuls of her maid dress to keep them from doing anything. All she could think about was how good it would feel to get in there and squeeze, and she wasn't alone. Morgan was outright panting next to her, and it wasn't because she was warm in her elaborate maid dress.

Calcine was the only thing stopping them from walking right off the pier and into the sea, gently steering them both with taps of her hands and some amused snorts at how hopeless they were being. 

"Oh, don't you all look lovely!" a new voice spoke, and Brandy looked up against her own wishes. "Welcome to the Wandering Whimscott!"

It was a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a puffy white jacket and wearing a cheap pair of greenhorns. She had a clipboard and a thick bunch of colorful wristbands in her hands. Brandy hadn't been paying attention to where she was going and gave a little start when she saw the enormous white side of the cruise ship, a small gangplank stretching from it to an opened doorway in the side. 

"I'm Lucy! I'm in charge of ensuring all the Trainers for our Tournament don't have any problems and getting you started. So, I do have to check you're both Trainers before we go on," Lucy said with an apologetic smile. She had the tired enthusiasm of someone who'd been working hard on something she loved and knew there was still plenty more work to go. "Can I see your Dex registrations, please?"

Maple was happy to show off hers, while Brandy had to stare at Sparky until she pulled it out from between her breasts with a guilty grin. Brandy was used to it going missing; she always knew where it'd be in the end. Lucy checked both over, laughing at how warm Brandys was before making a few notes on her clipboard and handing the two of them a set of wristbands. Maple's was a deep jade green, while Brandy's was a vibrant ultraviolet-like purple. 

"Do the colors mean something?" Morgan said, "I notice you have a few matching sets in your bundle, but no more than two."

"Oh! Very clever." Lucy clapped, which made Morgan preen her feathers. Trust her to try to work out the rules immediately. "You're correct; once you have your wristband, the Tournament officially starts for you. It's for the best we get you in quickly, so do you mind if I rush you through the rules?"

"Oh heck yeah, go fast," Sparky nodded, "I'm eager to see the competition."

Everyone else nodded, giving her the space to talk. She did say speed was useful. 

"Perfect!" Lucy clapped her hands. "As you know, the Wandering Whimscott is a tournament that takes place across the whole of Galar. Today, we're doing our first round on the Cruise Ship Bubblebath, which a very kind patron has allowed us to use. I'm sure you'll meet her. She adores Trainers."

Lucy's speech was rushing a bit; the poor girl seemed overwhelmed with her job. She tried to smile in a pleasant way, but Lucy kept stumbling over her words. Well, she was a Trainer. She could do better.

"Sorry, quick question," Brandy said, a hand raised. "You look like you've been on your feet all day. Calcine, do you want to give her a shoulder rub?"

"Wha- that'd be lovely, but it's really not..." Lucy's words trailed off as Calcine slipped around her, towering over the woman by at least a head. She delicately laid her fingers on Lucy's shoulders and began rubbing, and the woman deflated. Her hair trailed down her cheeks as her head sunk forward. "Mmmm."

"I'm sure we can get through these rules quick enough," Calcine said, her voice rumbling deep and warm. "Keep going, Lucy. Don't mind me."

"Right, yes. Of course."

"And if you're still stressed after," Holly piped up, twirling the hem of her poodle dress, her tail whipping around in the air. "I got some ideas!"

"You should probably start before she acts on that," Maple smiled. "You're doing great, go on."

"Okay, where was I?" Lucy sighed happily, working her shoulders into Calcine's hands. "First round! You'll have one fight today, and you'll begin it with one Pokémon out. As the fight progresses, we have a big ship bell that'll ring, which means you can bring out one more up to a maximum of three. Usually, I'd ask you to pick the three beforehand so bigger teams don't have an advantage, but you've made it easy for me."

"So the team compositions will change as the fight goes on." Maple nodded, "And you can pick a Partner who'll help you better if you're losing. It's a little rough on teams that rely on synergy."

"Maybe!" Lucy gave Maple an awkward, cheerful smile. "Sorry if that screws you bad? I'm not a fight expert, but the rules differ for every round. If this one is rough for you, maybe the next one in the next location will be easier." Lucy smiled, "Just do your best! And our two judges will try to give you a fair score. You can meet them down by the bar area. We've got two celebrities, I won't spoil the surprise, but like, holy shit, it's so good."

"A little starstruck, are you?" Mahi grinned. "You know you're meeting future celebrities, right? Someone in this Tournament will make it big."

"I'm really trying not to think about that," Lucy blushed as she leaned back against Calcine for comfort. Her chest made a great heated headrest. "So the matches will start in about an hour; you'll be called up by name, so stay below decks until then, please? The audience will be up top, and we don't want you getting lost in them."

Lucy gestured to a huge queue stretching down the pier that Brandy hadn't noticed due to Maple's devilish dress. A few were looking their way and even taking pictures of the Maids and Maple's classily dressed team. 

"There is a reason to stay below anyway. Your bracelet color will match your opponents, so you can find them and meet them easily. Maybe try to work out what their team is and how they will fight."

"Won't they just see us?" Sparky said, squeezing her chest and threatening to burst it out of the cut-out diamond of her maid dress. "These babies are not exactly camouflaged."

"Good point! Uh," Lucy checked over her clipboard, reading snatches of it to jog her memory. "Okay, okay, uh, hand out bracelets. Explain Tournament. Bell rings in the fight, letting them bring in more Pokémon. Guest Judges. Use the bracelet color to find your opponent."

Lucy clicked her tongue as she read further down the list, then jumped and bumped her head against Calcine's chest when she finally got it. "Aha! Oh, sorry, Ms. Carkol. But I found it! You can only have one Pokémon out until your match is over. We've got booths set up on the top deck for Trainers to watch matches in private. You can have everyone out when you're in one of those. But be sure to put them away before you leave. Also, whoever you pick will be the one you fight with first! No switching this match."

"So it's a tactical choice," Calcine said as she patted Lucy's hair. "If you show your strongest hitter, you'll give away who your team is based around. But if you lead with someone who needs support, they'll be alone for a while."

"Shame," Morgan said, "Much as I'd love to participate in the mind games. I don't think leading with me would be a good idea. I can't ambush on my own."

Maple had only been in a huddle with her team for a second, and they'd already come to an agreement. 

"I'll be taking Marina," Maple said, "She can keep me safe, and I might be able to trick my opponent into thinking I'm an Ice Ace. Brandy, we'll watch your match. Don't lose!"

"Never dream of it," Brandy smiled as Mahi and Holly kissed Maple on the cheek before they got balled. "You also need to win, so we have an excuse to meet up in the future. Good luck, all of you," Marina bowed to offer Maple a hand, and the pair went up the gangplank together and away into the shrouded ship interior. 

"Maple's got a good plan; hope she doesn't mind me stealing it," Brandy said with a sigh as that scandalous dress disappeared from view, "I'm not even an Ace; I could take either Calcine or Sparky and try to convince our opponent I'm an Ace, one of their Types." 

"We'd both do well as a lead." Calcine folded her arms. "Sparky's webs and bite might get an early advantage. I'd be more of a brawl until you can bring in a heavier hitter. I don't think you can pull off a Rock-like calm, but you look like a Fire Ace through and through with your spiky red hair and eyes."

"Tall, long limbs are kind of Bug, though," Sparky grinned. "And I know you can be a menace when you want to. You've got enough stamina to pass as Electric, so we'd keep them double-guessing. They might even think you've got a Centiskorch as backup and are trying to trick them. You do look like you inherited a whole lot from Spitfire to me." 

"Well, neither of you are helping me pick." Brandy pulled Calcine back from Lucy, her hand palming her firm stomach as she considered the options. 

Calcine was the team's tank, and Sparky was their heavy hitter. She needed the one who could cover the most bases, but they both had a nice varied moveset so that didn't help much to make up her mind. Brandy looked up at the white side of the cruise ship. A few people were hanging over the railing at the top, waving down at them.

A Cruise ship was a very unique place for a fight, and that gave Brandy her answer.

"Sparky, it's you." Brandy said, "The terrain will be bad for Calcine."

"We're not going to be in the water." Calcine said, "I can handle it."

"No, it's not that," Brandy kissed Calcine's neck, "It's the ship. It's all wood and steel. No concrete, no earth."

"No way to use Rock Tomb," Calcine sighed. It was her best disabling move, and her best terrain control wrapped up into one. The only real weakness was that it could only work with what was there, and she'd have nothing on this ship the move worked on. "Frustrating, I'll still be good, but you're right. Without that, I will be limited, and if they try to use all the water from the sea, that just makes Sparky stronger."

"Don't feel so bad," Morgan said, putting a wing around Calcine's shoulder. "You'd be the best choice in any other situation. Think of the poor me who will always be the second fiddle."

Brandy disagreed; she was sure Morgan's Gust wind powers were versatile enough to pull her weight in a solo fight, but this was tough enough to pick. She wouldn't make it even worse by starting a new argument. 

"I will keep Brandy from getting fucked until we can get you both out," Sparky crossed her heart. "I got to impress my tall ladies if I want to get spoiled."

Calcine reached down and picked Sparky up, squishing her between herself and Morgan. "What you think Morgan? Can we trust her?"

"Absolutely not," Morgan gasped, raking a fingernail across the exposed thigh in Sparky's lacey tights. "She's trouble through and through; if she fails, we're going to have to punish her."

"Sabotage," Sparky gasped, "Sabotage!"

"The reward will be even better," Morgan purred. "You want the reward, not the lash."

Sparky definitely didn't look like she wanted to avoid the lash. She was away in her own world in that head, bottom lip bit so hard it was going white. 

"Goodness," Lucy looked at Brandy desperately. "Much as loving this, I was told to keep you moving so you didn't just watch to see who the teams were. Can you uh..."

She gestured at the blossoming threeway with a blush bright enough to match Brandy's hair. 

"They're terrors," Brandy laughed. "But I love them. Come on, you two. In the ball, I'll see you soon."

She zapped Calcine and Morgan, vanishing them in puffs of red light. Leaving Sparky hovering in mid-air for a moment, she dropped to her feet and wobbly staggered over to Brandy to lean on her.

"I miss them already," Sparky pouted. "Feels weird."

"It does," Brandy got an arm under Sparky's armpit and picked her up for a squeeze. "But they believe in you; let's go find our opponent. We don't want to let them down."

"Me and you again," Sparky smiled, leaning her head into Brandy. "I'm going to show you all I've learned. We're going to beat some ass."

"Do something to asses for sure," Brandy nodded. "If you can wrap them up for Morgan and Calcine to feast on, you'll be the show's star."

Sparky gave a groaning puff as Brandy walked her up the gangplank, her body trembling.

"Scared?"

"Excited." Sparky said, "And scared. But we can do this."

"Yes, we can." Brandy was going to make sure of it.