"Sure am." He said in response to all three of her questions as he snatched the bottle, never having drunk even a single cup of alcohol in his life as he tipped back his head and took a good swig.

He liked to live in the moment.

"Hooey!" He gasped out as he felt the whole drink go down and then his body temperature summarily go up, feeling something try to climb up his throat- which he quickly stomped back down with a good swallow of air.

"That tastes awful!" He said, finally managing to get his words out with a laugh, his snickers carrying over the night as he looked at the woman. "I ain't stuck here with you lady, you are stuck'ere with me! Bet ya weren't hoping for some kid in really good suit when ya signed up fo' this."

He grinned.

"But I was hoping for hot and or fun people, and I'm two for two so far! Arceus must love me!"

He was bold as brass and not afraid to speak his mind- or maybe he had gotten tipsy with that single swig of the bottle he had taken. Either was possible.

When they found the raft, his almost sound mind had said to leave well alone.

But then that sound mind was slapped into the abyss by Skyler's sheer brilliance.

"... I've been waiting to hear that my whole life, I realized just now." He said in the most stone cold serious tone imaginable, nodding. "Take me away, Captn'!."

He leapt into the raft, grinning wide. ADVENTURE TIME!

---

TAG: skyler dross

"Ay Ay, Capt'n!" Said the youth as he threw himself against their 'ship', helping push it into the water, utterly oblivious to the unpromising creaks the wooden thing made under the stress of their pushing.

"Moons a lovely shape tonight, Capt'n!" He said when they finally managed to push the entire thing into the sea, catching the oar thrown his way as he propped his foot atop the raft, gazing up to the sky. "Perfect for adventure!"

Full moon. The waves would be amazing this late into the night.

His Oar was soon submerged into the sky, an awed yelp escaping his lips as a particularly unruly wave tilted the entire thing, stumbling about as he spoke.

"What're yer orders, Capt'n?" He said, swallowing down any misgivings about the entire situation even as had to kneel to prevent himself from falling off the damned thing. "Lord Kyogre's feeling testy tonight!"

---

TAG: skyler dross

"Guess he's sucking it, then!" He said as he broke into a laugh, moving to obey her command. "Aye aye, Capt'n! Lord Kyogre's gonna do some learnin' tonight!"

So what the heck was starboard anyway? She was paddling on one side, so he assumed she meant other was meant for him.

His oar struggled against tormentous waves, paddling proving to be more work than he had assumed it would be; yet another reason to thank Noah for his fitness teachings. A few months back and he was pretty sure he would have been swallowed, chewed and spat out by the seas by now.

"Just how I like 'em, Capt'n!" He was being quite a bit more sardonic than his date, but he was at least being honest.

He was having a lot of fun. He feared very little from the sea when an experienced Sea Captain and his own pokemon were by his side.

He was foolish like that.

But even as foolish as he was, he felt a wave of abject terror rise to his chest as a massive wall of water rose high above them, a gargantuan wave that didn't belong anywhere near a bloody beach.

So maybe he shouldn't have been surprised when he peered over his shoulder and realized just how far away the coast was.

"Water or not, I think mine're gonna be wet after this." He said rather blandly as he turned his attention back to the wave, their raft slowly being swept up its curve-

Right before it came crashing down upon them.

---

TAG: skyler dross

When the water came crashing down upon them, Doug had little option in mind but to cling to the Captain, the contents of his stomach feeling pretty loose as they were taken for a wild, disorienting ride under the surface.

The air in his lungs was practically beaten out of them, and no amount of kicking seemed to help pull their heads out of the water. He had deep dived within the sea several times now, and had believed he had gotten the fear he used to feel in control.

But of course, that was an illusion. With no equipment or even pokemon to help him, the flash of terror came back with a sharp pang as his gaze settled upon the dark ocean and his lungs burned for water.

He was going to die, at this rate. They both were.

At least, they were, until a flash of red light suddenly displaced a massive amount of water as a gargantuan shadow popped into place.

Horror of a different variety filled him as his eyes popped open wide as saucers, a massive maw opening wide to swallow him whole.

And then he was dead.

Cough cough cough!

Or not.

"W- what... what?" He said, asking while laying on his side, coughing out lungfuls of salt water, blinking slowly as he took in his surroundings, the captain's words barely registering.

S. S... Nautilus?

"Did... did we get swallowed by a Wailord?" He said as he turned his tired gaze to her. Not just any Wailord, he realized. Her Wailord.

Well, better than dying.

"Thank the many lords." The youth groaned as he let himself drop onto the tongue, arms and legs spread wide. "I thought I'd finally bit it."

Too bad he was probably not going to learn anything from this experience other than to never go raft-riding without professionals.

"Hooh... Where to now, Capt'n?" He said, asking from the floor, looking the soaked woman up and down. "Lookin' good, by the way."

---

TAG: skyler dross

He was safe and sound inside a giant whale, so he could believe that.

"Nothin' but a sunday stroll, I say." He said with a chuckle, holding a fist to the air, before letting it drop to the side with a chuckle at her next words, grinning at her before winking.

"What can I say? The dress looks mighty fine from this angle." He said before breaking into cackles, rolling away and back to his feet just in case any swift retaliation came, before immediately tumbling down face first upon the tongue when the Wailord came to a rocking stop upon the beach's sand.

"Instant karma, huh?" He said with a groan as he pried his face off the spongy surface, dragging his sleeve over it as he stumbled out of the giant pokemon, cold wind instantly buffeting him as they went from the warm insides of the wailord to the wintery night sky.

An arm was suddenly slung over his shoulders as he stumbled again, a pair of soft lips pressed to his cheek. Not quite the punishment he had expected.

He grinned wide, cheeks coloring. When the bottle was offered to him, he took it gladly, accepting her bad influence with delight.

"Ay Ay, Capt'n!"

---

TAG: skyler dross