STATE OF THE ART.

Anders hadn't seen the ocean often.

His childhood in Almia and the career opportunities he chased into the Galar region would take the blue-haired beauty just close enough to smell the sea from his bedside window, but always just out of reach to avoid any beach dwelling Pokemon. It was better that way, he thought, and it was that way that it stayed. Today, however, would be different. It had to be if he ever planned on being more than his fear. Though the sun was dipping under the horizon and painting the sky with brilliant brushes of red and orange, the cowardly beauty chose the slot of time just before dusk as the perfect moment. Less beach-goers means less domestic Pokemon. It was an optimistic thought, if anything.

Anders stood hesitantly on the step that meets Slateport's beach, watching the circling of birds in the darkening sky overhead with a growing restlessness in his chest. Did bird Pokemon usually gather like this, especially at a time like this? He couldn't recall, nor did he really have any memory of vising a beach with so many at once- if at all when he was home in Vientown. His Sylveon, Pixie, took notice of Anders' anxiety and reached a ribbon up to latch onto his hand reassuringly. The touch of his companion brought him out of his thoughts and startled him briefly, but he could do nothing chuckle at himself for doing so when his eyes met hers,"You make it seem like it's easy, Pix." And, just as she always had, Pixie stepped onto the beach before he had the courage to and pulled him along without a second thought.

The sand was cooler than he remembered, but it welcomed in memories of times before his fear took over- of visiting the beaches near Pueltown with Finn and Zander as they showed him the Krabby and Shellder in the tide pools. Thinking back to a time like that brought Anders' hand to his pocket, pulling out the two Pokeballs gifted to him just months before. In a flash, Larvitar and Bagon stood along Slateport's shoreline, both at knee height of the blue-haired beauty,"Alright, you three have fun. I'm going to be-" Anders pointed a little ways off,"-right over there. Don't wander too terribly far, okay?" The trio greeted each other before running closer towards the incoming tide, playing in the shallow waters that came and went.

Anders watched for a bit, smiling at the thought of his brothers once more before walking along the beach- blissfully unaware of the tiny turtles that had just begun hatching all around him.

tags: Celeste Abbiati
word count: 441
notes: first post babeyyyy