Ultra Aether

Mantine Surfing

She's so cute... Ash thought. He shook his head and pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

Afterward, the group made their way to the green training tent. A girl with damp caramel-colored hair was already waiting for them. She wore a loose sky-blue T-shirt over a lime green swimsuit.

"Yo! I'm Kori," the girl said cheerfully. "I'll be teaching you guys how to surf!"

After introductions were exchanged, Kori led them into the large tent. Circles of about twelve training boards were stationed throughout the tent. A few circles were already occupied by other Lifeguards and surfers. After making her way over to a vacant circle, Kori instructed everyone to stand behind one training board.

"First," Kori began. "I need to tell you a few important ground rules. The reason why this beach is the ideal place for a Mantine Surf Spot is because of the reef since its structure is what makes the waves the perfect shape for surfing. That's why it's so important not to damage the reef. So no littering of any kind! Another rule is not to abuse the Mantine. No hitting, excessive scolding, the obvious. Our Mantine love surfing with different trainers, but you need to remember that they're still Pokémon, and they still have feelings. 

Kori placed her hands on her hips with a grin. "Anyways, enough rules. Let's start practicing!"

RotomDex had turned around and began to record, for future reference.

"When you're surfing, it's crucial to maintain your balance, otherwise you'll fall off of Mantine's back. Don't worry, if you do, your Mantine will fish you out. But it's still best to be mindful of your balance and avoid falling off in the first place."

Kori stepped onto one of the training boards, and it began rocking and lurching in different directions. Kori managed to stay on the board by moving her feet and shifting her weight.

"These boards are supposed to help improve your balance," Kori said. "Now you try!"

Everyone stepped onto a board, and the boards began moving. Sophocles was thrown off almost instantly. Kiawe stayed on for a bit longer, then fell off too. Mallow's foot slipped off and she toppled to the floor. Lillie fell backward and flailed her arms to try and stay upright, but to no avail. Ash and Lana fell off at almost the exact same time. Serena was the only one left standing, but upon seeing that everyone was lying on the ground, she hopped off of the board.

"Are you guys okay?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Sophocles replied.

Kori smiled. "That was pretty good for a first try. Let's work on our balance for a while longer."

About fifteen minutes later, everyone was able to stay balanced on the boards for a reasonable amount of time—everyone except Sophocles, who kept on falling off after about thirty seconds.

"Alright," Kori said. "That's enough balance practice. Let's talk actually surfing. If you want Mantine to go in a specific direction, just lean in that direction. When you're surfing on a wave, make sure you bend your knees. If you want to build up speed, go up the wave and quickly come back down. Once you build up enough speed, get onto a wave and yell 'Jump!' Mantine will help get you up into the air. Also. . ." She turned around and lifted a Mantine harness. 

"See these bars?" Kori asked, pointing. "Once you're airborne, kneel on the board and grasp these bars with both hands, so you won't get thrown off. Some advanced tricks require you to briefly hop off of Mantine, but it's best not to attempt these yet. If you don't feel confident about your sense of balance," Kori glanced at Sophocles, who was rubbing the bruises that he had gotten from falling off the board so many times. "Feel free to kneel on the board the entire time. You'll still have lots of fun! Now, come on, let's grab that gear and start surfing!"