As he walked along, he noticed something a little out of place. Bits of sand that didn't look like they were just off of someone's shoe, led along to what seemed to be one of the rain drains. Tilting his head, he watched a pile of sand shift and move before sure enough, he could tell it was a pokemon. Oh he heard of this! Was it a...a sandygast? That sounded right. He knew it was part ghost but..something looked off to it...like...something was missing?
"Whatcha ya doing?" Skids asked gently as he stayed put.
The sandy pokemon jumped slightly, not expecting a voice and it seemed to retreat to a shadow of a nearby house. Skids removed his hands from his pockets and held his hands open, kindly smiling at the pokemon as he noticed the dot like eyes staring at him.
"No pokeballs in hand, it's okay." Skids assured them, letting his gaze rest on them.
Considering this pokemon was in a spot where humans usually were, he didn't expect it to rush away from him. In fact, he knew that there was a chance it would still run away but it was at least used to some contact with humans. The sandygast stared at him, a few blinks before they slowly left the shadow. The sunlight hitting them and letting him see the stubby little arms, the gaping hole that served as their mouth, and the shovel....wait.....
Right on the top of their head was nothing. Yet he knew that sandygast's normally had a toy shovel on their heads or a trowel; as the small garden instrument often looked the same as a beach toy shovel. He tilted his head as he stood there, though he pointed to the top of his head as he spoke.
"Where's your shovel?" Skids asked.
The small pokemon glanced around nervously, putting their stubby arms together as they shifted in place. Turning the pointed at the street drain that Skids had spotted them at before. Had they lost it down there? Skids took a step forward and the sandygast once more rushed to the shadows of the building. Skids didn't lose his smile. This pokemon was possibly very shy, perhaps it wasn't actually from the town? Had someone left it behind? Or did they merely get here from the beach through a accidental means? Sometimes pokemon stowed away in delivery trucks and ships...maybe that happened? Or this sandygast was from here and it was just of a shy nature? It was probably young and not that used to humans yet.
Walking to the drain, he knealt down and looked between the bars. Sure enough there was a glint of red down there. Well that answered it. The poor thing must've dropped it down there. Hm...how to reach it though? The sandygast stayed in their current spot, tilting their body slightly as one would if they were tilting their head. Skids removed his coat and set it on the ground, revealing his dark green t-shirt that always some part of it was noticeable under the brown article of clothing. Reaching down, he tried to see if he could fit his hand comfortably between the gaps and if so, do the same with his arm.
His hand slipped through easily but once he got to the elbow, he couldn't really go any deeper. That would be a uncomfortable squeeze if he could. At the moment, he was merely testing to see if he could reach the item. There was still...a gap between his fingers and the shiny red shovel. He pressed a bit harder to try and reach, the tightness around his arm caused a increase of discomfort as his finger tips weren't any closer to the shovel. So he stopped and pulled his arm before he could risk getting himself stuck.
"Hm..." Skids muttered.
HE didn't have anything he could use to grab it and he knew that bringing another pokemon out would just make the sandygast uncomfortable. Slowly the sandygast came out of it's place in the shadows, coming to a rest near the trainer. Tilting it's form whenever Skids shifted in his spot as he pondered how to tackle this. Though he soon felt something poking his leg and he glanced down to the small pokemon. Gesturing with it's stubby arms, it pointed at his arm and then the drain again.
"I can't quite reach it. Do you want me to try doing that again though?" Skids asked them, a tad confused.
A nod left the pokemon and Skids shrugged slightly. Well if he was understanding this right, it wouldn't hurt. Repeating the process again, the sandygast watched him as he reached for the shovel. It was close but not close enough. That's when he felt it. Something weighing on his shoulder for just a few moments and then that weight seemed to even out and disappear as something was moving down his arm. It was awkward trying to tilt his head to look, it didn't take long to figure it out. The sandygast had flatened itself against his arm and was slowly moving down it! The small pokemon slipped between the bars with what room was left due to Skid's arm in there, it was a good thing they were comprised of sand. The weight of the pokemon started to register though as it's mass reached his wrist.
Forming little arms as his hand was encased in the and, they felt around for the familiar plastic handle. Grasping ahold of it, the sandygast slowly went up Skids' arm, though they paused at the gap of the drain. Skids adjusted his position slightly so he could use his free hand to reach into one of the empty gaps from a different section of the drain cover, and offered to take the shovel. The pokemon didn't hesitate to let him take it and thus he pulled the item to safety. Now the thing of sandygasts is they usually could take control of pokemon and even small children or at the very least influence. Given Skids' older age though, it had no effect. He did feel a odd sensation in the hand holding the shovel but figured that was due to trying to stick his hand through the small area of the drain.
"There we go, you're much smarter than I was with this." Skids said as he gave the sandygast a smile once they were out of the drain.
Pulling his other arm free, he moved his fingers due to the dull ache in his arm. Probably a unwise idea considering it be a very bad thing to get his arm stuck in there. The sandygast remained on his shoulder and SKids didn't really mind it, the weight was back but that was due to all that compressed sand resting there. So he held the shovel up to the small pokemon.
"This is yours." Skids added.
The sandygast quickly accepted the shovel and made their way off the man, looking very happy as they settled back on the street beside him. Smiling as he sat there, Skids adjusted his seat and grabbed for his coat. Placing the shovel back on it's head, the sandygast raised it's stubby arms with sounds of joy. Rotating in it's spot as it celebrated. Once it stopped it's little dance of joy, it's round stone like eyes staring up at him.
"I'm happy I could help you out." Skids says. "Perhaps you'd like to tag along? That way I can help you keep a eye on your prized possession there?"
As he spoke, he pulled out a pokeball and offered it to the small pokemon. It was their choice.
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Notes: Gonna try to catch it with befriending, I am sorry this is so long lol
