Further down the beach, a Floatzel and a Shellos seemed to be moving along at their own pace. As they got in a bit closer, the Grovyle would make a small noise in alert, causing Orion’s gaze to flick in the correct direction. Oh, oh damn two Pokemon he didn’t have in his fishy collection yet, and one of them already looked pretty strong. “How about we go over and meet them,” Orion smirked a bit. The Grovyle flashed a devious look before bouncing over. Orion followed a bit slower.

Rather immediately the Floatzel would take notice of the incoming Grovyle and took a sharp challenging stance. The Shellos seemed a little less tense and instead offered a small smile. “How about a battle?” Orion mused already aware of how his Grovyle’s mere presence was being judged and prepped for. The Floatzel looked at Orion and flashed a sharp grin. Well, that was an easy enough answer. “Grovyle, start with Seed Bomb,” he smirked. The Grovyle opened his maw spatting out a rush of seeds. The Floatzel grimaced taking some direct damage. Still, he had a plan up his sleeve and was quick to glow with a strange light. Aqua Ring? Well, aren’t you special?

“Giga Drain,” was the answer, and the Grovyle immediately absorbed the Floatzel’s strength causing him to flop forward. Not strong enough, heh… Apparently. Even down for the count, the Floatzel struggled to get back up, and this was enough to have a curious look coming to Orion’s features. Oh really? How sturdy this was. Running forward, the Floatzel whipped around with a Double Hit, slapping the Grovyle once and then twice. The latter yelped but withstood it (even if abet frustratingly). “Leaf Blade,” was Orion’s answer. Glowing a bright green, the Grovyle slashed forward hitting the Floatzel hard. Finally, there. Fishing out an Ultra Ball, Orion tossed it at the Floatzel.

The Shellos whined a little softly watching his (boy)friend be captured. Even if he didn’t think he could win, he had to try and uh… defend himself! (and maybe get the human to capture him too, heh). Calling out a challenge, he shot off a Water Pulse unexpectedly. The Grovyle winced and flashed an irritated look sideways. The Floatzel had been a strong contender, but this one was going to get it. Using a Giga Drain, he absorbed all of the Shellos’s strength and caused the small Pokemon to fall forward. Orion smirked and fished out a Pokeball, he would have caught that one anyways considering the species, heh.

They would walk for a little longer after that, but eventually the Grovyle would grow tired of the sand and the surf, and Orion would return him of his own volition. However, as he came around to a bridge that eventually lead up into a platform, a small troop of Buizel and Floatzel would catch his eye. Huh, that was interesting considering he’d just caught one and all. The thought to catch and sell them did come to mind, but with how Pokemon prices were going now a days, it was probably just cheaper to have them bred in mass amounts or something like that.

And yet…. This could also potentially be good training for a certain set of Pokemon he had on him as well. Smirking a bit, he whistled over to them causing five heads to turn in unison. Waving one hand, Orion released a Mareanie and a Spheal to the waters. “Mareanie, Toxic Spokes, and then Toxic as many as you can,” he called. “Spheal, be sure to avoid the spikes but start out one using a Super Fang.”

The small horde moved forward in unison but were immediately poisoned by the tactical opening of Toxic Spikes, those that were smart enough to quickly back up once they saw their comrades poisoned would get Toxic to the face instead. The Spheal, meanwhile, rolled around this ring, biting into one of the Floatzel fiercely. The latter yelped and slapped back with a Double Hit that sent the small ball rolling back again. The other Buizel were in a state of mixed confusion and irritation, some were were setting up Aqua Rings to mitigate the poison as best they could while others were quick to launch forward with Aqua Jets in retaliation. The high defenses of the Mareanie, however, kept him going just fine.

“Spheal, Body Slam that Buizel, Mareanie— Venoshock.” The Spheal went rolling, slamming into the Floatzel of interest while the Mareanie spat a special barb that had one in the Buizel bunch yelping in pain. The others quickly retaliated, but the Mareanie withstood it reasonably well all the same. The battle went on like this for some time, Orion ordering a Recover in there to strengthen the Mareanie and Pain Split when it was useful to revitalize the Spheal. The Spheal ended up doing quite a bit of the damage work, whipping in with Rollouts and Body Slams to keep the group confused and frustrated while the Toxicity weakened them slowly. They all seemed to faint at once, after a bit, however, and Orion smirked a bit too hard. Deciding he’d at least catch another Floatzel, he tossed a Pokeball to the fallen creature.

Orion had been about to return his Pokemon, even had his Pokeballs out, yet before he could, both seemed to burst with a light very familiar to him. The Toxapex and Sealeo that burst forth from it called out their names in power, and Orion’s lips quirked up high. Well damn, about time he saw some evolution. “Very nice, both of you,” he congratulated giving a nod to each. The Toxapex swayed a bit while the Sealeo clapped his fins together. Returning them after that, Orion stretched slowly. Hmmmm, what time was it? Maybe he should head back towards town. Looking back at the long bridges, he slowly started back that direction.

As he walked back through the sandbar towards Pahala again, something grabbed his leg. A sharp noise escaped from Orion, and he fidgeted on seeing a Sandygast pull itself up from the sand. Ugh, it was an interesting Pokemon but not one he was itching to catch right now. “Let go,” he ordered. The Sandygast wouldn’t. Orion’s teeth grit, and he fished out a Pokeball releasing the newly evolved Sealeo again. “Blizzard,” came the order. The Sealeo hesitated, clearly unsure if he was ready to freeze his master just for the sake of thi— “Blizzard,” Oh, alright.

Whipping up cold power in his maw, the Sealeo released a burst of frozen air that slammed into the Sandygast (and Orion’s leg). The prior yelped and sunk back down in the sand not willing to hold the man if he had that thing ready and waiting. Orion sighed and pat the Sealeo. “Thank you— who’s a good boy?” Orion grinned. The Sealeo stared wide eyed wondering who the good boy was. “You’re a good boy!” !!! OH! It was him!

A noise escaped from the Sealeo, however, and Orion frowned. “Hm??” Looking in the direction the Pokemon was staring, he caught of the Crabrawler that was scuttling along. Oh! While not a Water Type, that was one of his other favorite types wasn’t it? Flashing a grin at the Sealeo, Orion thumbed over.

“Start out with Hail this time,” Orion ordered. Whipping up a Hail storm, the Sealeo caught the attention of the Crabrawler rather quickly. The latter turned and swung his fists, hitting the Sealeo rather hard with a nasty Power-up Punch. Orion winced only afterwards remembering that Fighting had a special ferocity on Ice types. Well, no matter. “Rollout,” came the order. Curling up into a ball, the Sealeo went rolling forward, slamming into the Crabrawler and squishing him hard into the ground. Orion snickered briefly. “Keep at it,” and sure enough the Sealeo did so— unable to stop the momentum.

The Crbrawler tried very hard to keep from being completely pummeled, but the Sealeo’s rolls only seemed to get faster and faster and UHMPH. That last one in particular really really hurt. Popping up a bit thereafter, the Crabrawler formed a Payback, swinging fiercely at the Sealeo. The latter took the damage reasonably. “Now Blizzard,” Orion called. Whipping up a cold front, the Sealeo briefly froze the Crabrawler. Fishing out a Pokeball, Orion tossed it at the Crabrawler.

As the Pokeball dinged in capture, Orion preened a bit. “Nice work, boy,” he grinned patting the Sealeo again. The latter made an arf sound and was pet even more because of it. What a good sea doggo. He had considered returning him right then, but the blizzard wasn’t entirely over just yet, and the Sealeo was still recovering in that way so maybe he’d just wait a minute or two, heh.

But before this even happened, Orion caught something out of the corner of his eye. A— wait what the fuck? Was that a Golisopod?? Yes yes it was— giant water bug was coming up out of the sea with something attached to her head. From where he was, Orion couldn’t tell what it was, but once she got in closer, he was pretty sure that was a pair of Binacle??? They …. Seemed to be talking to one another, actually? Or maybe bickering was a better word. Orion’s brow quirked, and he had to admit he was intrigued. Evolved Pokemon were pretty rare as it was, and this one was one he didn’t have yet.

Though I think it’s also a Bug Type. Looking back to the Sealeo that was smiling at him, Orion smiled back briefly before returning him for now. He didn’t have many Pokemon that could combat such a strange type match up, but thankfully he did have at least one with him right then. A Pokeball was flung, and a Chinchou burst forth. The Golisopod and the Binacle seemed to stop having their conversation and looked forward to it. “Discharge,” was the order. The Chinchou seemed to sway softly with the water that touched him, before an electric glow took fold.

The Golisopod squirmed trying to get out of the water as quickly as possible only to be shocked heavily for it. Collapsing forward, she looked back in ager. Her poor friends had become silent too! Poor things! Forcing herself back up, she shook her head and formed a Slash. The Chinchou yelped from the heavy cut and flopped back momentarily. Orion winced. Damn that thing could give a hit couldn’t it? Well, all the more reason to catch it. “Discharge again,” he ordered. The Chinchou did his best, glowing bright and shocking the two Pokemon again. The Binacle fainted completely, and the Golisopod barely hung on. She might have attacked again had not Orion thrown a Pokeball at her shoulder, trying to capture the Binacle there. Looking back at him genuinely hurt, she resigned herself, folding in a little. Orion smirked and tossed a Pokeball at her too. Nice nice.