The waves rolled continuously.
A rare, perfect swell surged upward, yet no one was riding it. Most surfers were keeping a significant distance, either lying flat on their boards or bobbing in the water, clutching their gear.
On one hand, they were following the etiquette of not "snaking" a wave; on the other, they were staring in utter disbelief at the Aggron treading through the surf and the cheering young man on his back.
"A surfing... Aggron??"
Can Rock-type Pokémon even surf? They remembered that Aggron were supposed to be incredibly weak to Water-type moves! They thought seeing a Makuhita or Hariyama surfing was the peak of maritime oddity, but a surfing Aggron... it defied all logic.
But unlike the confused onlookers, Kashiwagi and Aggron were immersed in pure joy. Especially the latter—he had been the one resisting most stubbornly at first, yet now he was the one barking for "one more go." He carried his trainer through the shifting tides as if he had become a living vessel.
Though he had no board to lean on, the sound of Kashiwagi's laughter and rhythmic breathing on his back made him feel incredibly secure. His mind and body felt a profound sense of release.
Of course, Kashiwagi was enjoying it just as much. The sensation of standing atop the spray, swaying with the water's whims as if he might fall in at any second, was exhilarating.
But he felt safe.
Beneath his feet was his most trusted partner; he knew Aggron would never let him fall into danger.
Every time a wave curled into a vortex, Kashiwagi leaned forward, pressing his hands against Aggron's metallic back, feeling the reassuring vibration of his powerful frame. As his technique improved, he felt a strange illusion of merging with the Pokémon, as if they had become a single entity.
"Go for it!"
Kashiwagi shouted, and Aggron accelerated the rhythmic swaying of his tail, using the momentum of the curling wave to boost his horizontal speed—and then—
Then they nearly collided with someone who wasn't paying attention.
Fortunately, a sudden gust of wind erupted from the side, pushing the person a safe distance away and preventing a messy accident.
"Are you okay?" Kashiwagi asked, startled.
The man shook his head in the water and wiped his face, looking like he'd just cheated death. "I'm fine... I just spaced out for a second. My bad."
"As long as you're okay."
Kashiwagi shifted his gaze toward the source of that wind. He saw a figure over two meters tall, with hands as large as banana leaves and a physique as bulky as a sumo wrestler, yet radiating immense power.
Hariyama...
"Even if you have the ability, rookies shouldn't accelerate so recklessly," a voice called out.
A young man with wild, lion-like blue hair and an orange short-sleeved shirt appeared nearby. He smiled. "It's dangerous. Also, I'd recommend using a surfboard; there's a different kind of fun in that."
"Thanks, I understand," Kashiwagi nodded, accepting the advice.
"You're Brawly, aren't you?"
Brawly blinked, his expression turning awkward instantly.
"A challenger? Sorry, the Gym is closed today. I just couldn't miss out on this weather..."
It seemed he had a scripted response ready for the frequent challengers who tracked him down.
"It's fine, I already have a reservation. As long as you show up tomorrow, we're good." Kashiwagi patted Aggron's head, signaling him to head back to shore.
"Gron~"
"Don't hog all the waves; they've let us have plenty. Let's go rest, I'm exhausted."
Hearing his trainer's words, Aggron slowly swam back toward the beach. Brawly watched them go, not quite daring to mention that if the waves were good tomorrow, he might "accidentally" go missing again. Survival instincts had made this summer-loving Gym Leader quite clever.
On the beach, Kashiwagi and Aggron walked toward their parasol. Aggron shook the water off his body as he walked. Sensing water trapped in the holes of his head, he lowered his snout and shook violently from side to side.
Still not satisfied, he began snorting sand out of the cavities to clear them. He even pried the Aggronite out of the hole where it was lodged to blow out some grit. His obsessive-compulsive nature demanded total balance.
But just as he was about to shove the Mega Stone back in, he thought he saw the stone flicker with light. He widened his eyes to look closer, but the stone remained dull.
Aggron looked confused.
"What is it?" Kashiwagi turned back, seeing him lagging behind.
Aggron held up the Mega Stone. "Aggron~"
"What?"
"Aggroon!"
"It glowed... seriously?" Kashiwagi was stunned. He hurried over to inspect it. "Are you sure it wasn't just reflecting the sun?"
Aggron froze. "Gron...?" He scratched his head sheepishly, suddenly realizing that a sun reflection was highly probable.
"You big goof... Well, even if it did glow, what does that mean? It means our bond is strong, not that there's something wrong with the stone." Kashiwagi patted his head firmly, satisfied by the solid thud of his metal plating.
Mega Stones don't usually glow unless Mega Evolution is occurring or the "Key Element"—the deep bond between trainer and Pokémon—is being triggered.
Aggron felt that made sense. The surfing session had felt like a true "soul resonance." He shoved the stone back into place and stopped worrying.
As soon as Kashiwagi sat down, two girls ran over, asking for a photo with Mawile. They confessed they'd recognized her earlier but felt it was rude to approach while the trainer wasn't there.
After the photos, Kashiwagi sighed. "You're getting too famous. You can't even sunbathe in peace."
"Mawile~"
Mawile adjusted her arms lazily, looking incredibly vain. The attention of the last few days had thrilled her; she'd never imagined she would be so popular.
"There's more fame coming, don't worry", Kashiwagi teased.
"It might even become a hassle later."
"Mawile!" Mawile turned her back in a huff.
A hassle? Never! I could do this forever.
Kashiwagi laughed and changed the subject.
"Get ready mentally. For tomorrow's match, I'm planning to use you, Aggron, and Galarian Corsola."
The three called-out Pokémon nodded. Beside them, Chansey—who was stroking Deino's fur—felt a slight pang of disappointment.
Although she kept up with her training, she realized she hadn't been sent into a real battle in quite some time.
"It's a Fighting-type Gym. There's a lot of physical offense, which isn't the best matchup for you." Kashiwagi, always observant, noticed her sagging shoulders and hurried over to comfort her.
This was the third Gym, and as a former core member of the team, it was natural for her to feel left out.
"Your time to shine is coming later, trust me."
"Lucky!"
Feeling the gentle hand on her head, Chansey's mood brightened instantly.