Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Stories

From Water to Ice Ch. 2

It was sunny and serene on Glaseado Mountain, a drastic change after the blizzard that hit the previous day. But it wasn't all quiet. Maya was on the Snow Slope Run with her partner Lapras. The dual type slid down the path, using her flippers to steer herself in the direction of the colored flags. Maya was on her back, gripping one of the knobs on her shell to hold on.

"Yeah!" she cheered. "Go, Lapras! You're doing great!"

Lapras cooed in response, lowering her head to pick up speed. Maya was good at predicting the pokemon's moves, thus leaning with her on every turn to reduce drag. Grusha was waiting at the finish line, bundled up, as usual, and holding a stopwatch in his gloved hand. Maya and Lapras sped to the finish before skidding to a stop. Grusha stared wide-eyed at the time they made.

"Whoa…"

"What is it?" Maya asked, hopping off Lapras and giving her neck a pat. "Did we do well?"

Grusha finally shifted his attention to the pair. "Not only that, you set a new record at 36 seconds."

A delighted grin appeared on her face. "Seriously? Vaultin' Veluza! That's awesome!" She looked up at her partner. "Excellent work, Lapras! I'm so proud!" She hugged the large pokemon's head before returning her to her ball and going over to Grusha's side. "So? Does this prove that I'm ready to try the slopes without a pokemon?"

"I suppose it does. Let's get your gear ready."

The two of them climbed back up the path. Grusha's cabin rested just past the hill from the Pokemon Center near his Gym. Maya bundled up in the layers the former athlete had given her, and put on her helmet, goggles, and boots. Once ready, Grusha led her back out to the slope, watching her closely to be sure she properly used the bindings to keep her boots planted on the board. Without waiting for his approval, the woman tilted herself forward to begin her descent. It really was a lot like surfing. It required excellent balance and strong legs. The only thing that made the experience jarring was the fact that Maya had full control. When surfing, she had to follow the waves, but in snowboarding, she herself had to choose where to go.

It was reasonable that she'd make a mistake. Because of a slow reaction during a turn, the tip of her board caught one of the flags. That tiny hit threw her off balance, sending her tumbling through the snow until she rolled to a stop. Maya laid there on her back, panting softly as she gave her body a brief rest.

"Maya! You okay?!"

Grusha ran to her side, sliding a little on his way to her position. Through the dark goggles, she could see the worry on his face as he tugged his scarf down to repeat her name. It made her smirk a little.

"I'm fine. The snow cushioned my fall." She sat up, dusting powder from her coat. "Were you…worried about me just now?"

Grusha blinked at her before realizing that maybe he did overreact just a tad. "Well…" Turning his head away, he hid the pink tint of his cheeks under his scarf once more. "Yeah. Need I remind you that this mountain can be unforgiving. One false move and you could end up…like me." Maya's amusement vanished. "Winter mountains are dangerous. They can throw your life right off course, easy as that."

Maya stood, grabbing hold of his arm to keep her board from sliding and carrying her away. "That may be true, but I'm not one to back down and quit." Grusha met her fiery gaze. "I'm not afraid to take risks. No guts, no glory, as they say."

A soft, almost inaudible sigh escaped the Gym Leader. "Guess that's one way of seeing things. Come on. Try again. The other slopes are off limits until you can master the Snow Slope Run."

"Then I'll keep trying again and again - as many times as it takes." She smiled with full confidence. "You'll see, Grusha. I'm gonna be as good - no, better than you one day."