Surfing Master Brawly

Zeno and Gu Yan both thought this Aron would suit Sapphire well, but Pokémon League rules stated that one had to be at least ten years old to catch Pokémon. Since neither of them could carry Aron, they could only let it follow along with them. The little Aron had excellent endurance and was not spoiled in the slightest despite its young age.

Gu Yan gave it a Light Stone. Even with its weight reduced by half, Sapphire still could not carry it, but the Light Stone could at least reduce its stamina consumption.

Petalburg City's harbor had finished its repairs, but the shipping routes would not officially reopen until tomorrow. The three of them could only spend another day experiencing Dewford Town's local customs.

Dewford Town's beach was still lively. There were many good fishing spots here, so fishing was the town's main recreational activity. In addition, since it was built on an island and large waves appeared from time to time, the surfing industry was also well developed.

Sapphire took Aron to play on the beach. She had originally wanted to go into the water, but Aron was afraid of water, so she could only keep it company.

Zeno was quite interested in fishing, but he had forgotten to bring his own rod. He tried renting one, only to find it especially awkward to use, so he decided to go surfing with Senior Brother instead.

Gu Yan had learned a little in Lilycove City last time, so he could at least keep his balance on a surfboard. Zeno, on the other hand, was a complete novice. He only dared lie flat on the board and paddle slowly with all four limbs. Carvanha followed behind him, kindly helping push his surfboard.

A huge wave rolled in. Gu Yan still wanted to challenge it, while Zeno scrambled away from the scene as fast as he could. Unfortunately, both of them ended up drenched like drowned rats.

"Haha, you two look miserable." Sapphire could not help bursting into laughter at their bedraggled appearance.

"You two are doing it wrong!"

A young man carrying a surfboard slowly approached Zeno and the others. Looking at that familiar face, Zeno felt as though he had seen him somewhere before.

"You are... I think I've seen you somewhere."

"Have you? Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Brawly."

"Brawly, the Leader of Dewford Gym?" Zeno vaguely remembered him.

"That's right."

Sapphire looked at his blue hair and seemed to recall something. "Weren't you the champion of that rock-climbing competition before?" The uncle who had opposed her had supported this guy.

"Oh, you watched that competition too?"

"Yeah. By the way, Gym Leader Brawly, why aren't you at the Gym? Why are you here surfing?"

"Our Dewford Gym isn't exactly a popular Gym. There haven't been many people making appointments lately, so I can't just stay there all the time." Zeno's words reminded Brawly of the Pokémon League inspectors. He had been caught by them before when he went out.

"From what you said just now, Brother Brawly, you seem to be a surfing expert." After spending so much time with Sapphire, Zeno had become more outgoing as well, already speaking to him like an old acquaintance.

"Haha, you figured it out. I started learning to surf when I was little. It's my favorite sport. I think surfing not only helps me forget my worries, but also lets me enjoy the thrill of battling the sea!"

"Brother Brawly, do you have any tricks?"

"For a beginner like you, the first thing you should learn is paddling."

"Could you be more specific? I don't understand."

"You should tie on your leash first. What you were doing just now was very dangerous."

"Okay, got it. Brother Brawly, please continue."

"When lying on the board, keep your center of gravity as close to the middle of the board as possible. Keep your head up and chest out, look straight ahead, support your upper body with your abdomen, bring your fingers together, and paddle rhythmically from top to bottom along both sides of the surfboard. Keep the nose of the board slightly above the water. Too low is bad for moving forward, while too high makes it difficult to maintain your balance."

"Thanks, Brother Brawly. I'll remember that."

"This isn't something you can learn in a short time. As a beginner, master these basics first."

"Brother Brawly, why don't you give us a demonstration?" Zeno was still very interested in surfing. Senior Brother's skills were a little lacking, and it was rare to meet a professional.

"No problem. Watch carefully!"

Brawly took off his shirt and performed a set of warm-up exercises on the shore. Zeno had already seen Brawly's muscles during the rock-climbing competition. His muscles looked natural, with an even sort of beauty, brimming with a young man's passion and vitality.

Brawly first demonstrated the paddling techniques he had just explained to Zeno. His rhythm was excellent; even a newcomer like Zeno could tell that he was highly experienced.

When it came time to stand up on the board, Brawly was equally decisive. After rising, he quickly found his balance. Zeno had tried it himself just now. In the moving water, keeping one's balance while standing on the board was extremely difficult. Yet Brawly handled it with ease, as though his muscles had developed their own memory.

"Senior Brother, that was so cool! Can you do what Brother Brawly does?" Zeno had just seen that Senior Brother could keep his balance too, and he could not help feeling curious.

"You think too highly of me. I only practiced for a few days in Lilycove City last time. If I had that kind of talent, why would I be a researcher?"

"Ah, what a shame we're leaving soon. Otherwise, I'd really like to ask Brother Brawly to teach me."

By then, Brawly had gradually entered the whitewater zone. Whether he was turning or riding over waves, he moved with practiced skill, looking every bit like a master of the tides.

Just as Zeno was about to cheer for him, he saw a massive wave rushing in. To avoid being soaked again, he quickly hugged his surfboard and ran toward the shore. Watching Brawly charge forward without hesitation, Zeno's heart filled with anticipation.

"Brother Brawly, go for it!"

Standing on the shore, Zeno shouted loudly to cheer him on. Hearing Zeno's voice, Brawly even found time to flash him a V-sign. As the waves drew closer and closer, Brawly could not help smiling.

Brawly charged toward the enormous triangular wave, bending slightly as he raced along beneath its base. Zeno grew anxious just watching him, but fortunately, Brawly made it through without mishap.

At that moment, the water beneath the sea began to surge back in great volumes. Brawly promptly lifted the front of his surfboard, steadied himself, and was not swept away.

The enormous wave had reached its final stage, and Brawly began adjusting his position. His posture was flawless. The air inside the wave tube was compressed intensely by the seawater, and Brawly was blasted out of it. In the end, he landed steadily atop the wave.

Brawly's dashing figure left the three people on shore dumbfounded. Just watching such a huge wave from afar was terrifying enough, yet Brawly had conquered it with ease.

Zeno felt that fooling around was fine. As long as he could maintain his balance and glide along slowly, like Senior Brother, that would be enough. He simply did not have the courage to challenge massive waves like Brother Brawly.

"Well, did you see that clearly?" Brawly ran over to them with his surfboard under his arm.

"I saw it clearly. That was so cool!"