The Sports Fields

Splash.{{It's super effective! /shot}}

Setzer swam leisurely in the crystal clear water of the pool he had chosen for swimming lessons. It was outdoors, so the sun shone brightly overhead, and it was far from the school - close to the golf course in fact - so it was quiet, peaceful. He had also chosen this particular pool out of the others because it was isolated, and unlikely to draw attention, or a crowd. The last thing he wanted was people standing around and gawking at his attempts to teach a Furret how to swim, or ogling the large star tattoo on his back, or gossiping loudly and being a general nuisance during his Zen time.

He let himself sink into the water as he drifted through the sparkling curtain of it, weightless and warm all around him. The Sharpedo was sort of glad Zori would be there as well, because while he could easily put Kipper through the kind of Spartan/Hell training he put his old swim team through, he had a feeling it wouldn't work with the hyper young kid. He didn't want to drown anyone (well, not anyone he was going to teach). A gentle bump let Setzy know he had reached the bottom of the pool, and he stood to slowly pace its depths, as he contemplated what would have to do.

Zori firstly touched the water with one her leg and after that she jumped into water. It was great feeling, to let water cover fully your body. Little Zorua surfaced and pulled her hair on one side to see the swimming pool, it was quite big and she hoped that Kipper won't drown here.

In one moment she noticed Setzer who lay on water surface, he looked like he was sleeping. She slowly swam to him and touched his arm.

"I report my presence club president." Zori grined.

Kipper dashed into the pool yard afraid that he was going to be late. He had trouble finding his googles in his dorm room---then again he had trouble finding anything in the mess that he called a room. Upon entering the pool yard, Kipper noticed that both Setzer and Zori were already in the water so Kipper went over to a corner to put his Sinnoh brand dufflebag and towel down. He then took off his blue t-shirt and gloves and was left wearing only a pair of hand-me-down swim trunks from his older brother Kyran.
Placing the googles around his neck, Kipper then walked over to the edge of the pool close to where Zori and Setzer were. "I'm ready!" he announced cheerfully.

Water lapped gently over Setzer's gills as Zori swam close and touched him to alert him of her presence. He knew she was here the moment she entered the water, of course; it was his domain, his element, and he registered even the slightest ripple and vibration against his rough skin. The Zorua's 'club president' comment brought a smirk to his lips, but he didn't open his eyes until Kipper called out to them. The little Furret was prepared; he had swim goggles as well as swim trunks, which was more than Setzy had been expecting.

The Sharpedo had been swimming over on the deep end of the lavish outdoor pool, but he motioned over to the shallow end languidly. "Alright then yous two, we'll start over there on the three foot side. No sense in drownin' ya on yer first day, Kiddo." He dived underwater until only his fin stuck out, and shot across the pool like a torpedo. {{Ba-dum tsh!}} The water lapped around his waist serenely, hardly disturbed though he made it across in record time, and Setzer sighed with contentment as the sun shone down, warming the pool mildly with its rays.

Kipper nodded to Setzer and wondered to himself he was going to forever be called names-that-start-with-K-but-aren't-Kipper by Setzer. Walking along the side of the pool, Kipper couldn't help but watch in awe at how fast the Sharpedo was. The few Furrets that Kipper knew possessed some semblance of swimming ability, like his older brother, didn't look nearly as graceful or swift as Setzer--they looked more like they were calmly trying not to drown.

Once he reached the three foot end, Kipper used the stairs to carefully get in. The temperature was a little surprising to him causing his tail to bristle a little, but eventually, Kipper got all the way off the stairs and into the waist deep water. ((Kipper is 5'3'' so the water rises quickly for him))

As Kipper carefully entered the pool, Setzer studied the young Furret. Swimming wasn't particularly difficult in his completely biased opinion; for non-water types it was either just the ability to move and float at the same time, the ability to hold your breath and move around for long spurts of time, or a mixture of both. And Setzy figured he had potential, with training. Furrets were naturally speedy, and while swimming was usually a water-type dominated sport, it wasn't as if they were the only ones who participated or won competitions. (Setzy even knew a Scyther gijinka who had won a swim meet once, but that guy had been a beast, and it had been before Setzer had even ]joined the swim team...)

Waiting for Zori, Setzer moved some hair out of his face and asked Kipper "So what can ya do in the water? Are ya just slow in the water, or can ya only doggy-paddle? Can ya at least float? Tell me what ya can do and we'll work from there."

Zori appeared quickly near Setzer and she looked at Kipper."You should better ask him if it is his first time in water." She said and grabed Furrets hands. "I will be holding you, just lie on water and move your legs."Zorua smiled and hoped that during this simple practice he wont drown

Kipper thought for a moment. "Furrets don't really swim much since we really have no reason to be in the water. The only Furrets who do 'swim' only do it for fun, and I really don't think what they do counts as swimming." Kipper paused an looked at how deep the water was on him, then continued. "Since we aren't swimmers, the only times I've been in the water was to wade when it was hot and the water was really shallow. So I can't really do much I guess."

Kipper turned his attention to Zori who had suddenly grabbed his hands"Alright then..." He took a deep breath, placed his face in the water, and tried to lay on top of the water. He managed to do one or two kicks before he realized that (a) he wasn't really floating but rather was kind of awkwardly alternating between standing and kinda sorta floating and (b) he needed to breathe again and he couldn't do it with his face down. Kipper then quickly pulled his head out of the water, gasping for air, and pushed his now wet side bangs out of his face so he could see again.

Setzer rolled his eyes at Zori's enthusiastic and valiant attempt to help, and leaned against the wall to watch. It didn't seem very effective, because Kipper soon came up for breath. He crossed his arms and shook his head at the two of them.

"Before ya go back under to flop about some more, I'll give ya the rundown of the basics. Floating's the easiest part: air's obviously lighter than water, so when ya have lungs full of air yer gonna float, and if yer lungs are empty yer gonna sink because ya lack buoyancy. Practicin' kickin' should come first, so ya get a feel for steerin' with yer legs, since those are gonna power ya through the water. Holding on to the side of the pool will work just fine, or ya can keep holdin' on to Zori.".

The Sharpedo paused, drawing a thoughtful breath as he tried to think up tips for beginners. It was different when it didn't come naturally to someone... " Lessee... When ya start swimming, keep yer head steady. Remember to hold your breath; don't panic like a spazz. If ya blow bubbles out of your nose first, then water won't go up yer nose. So, go ahead and grab onto the side of the pool or Zori's shoulders, and let your legs float out behind you. It'll be easier if you put your face in the water, so yer level 'n crap. Start kicking your feet and get a feel for how it's done. Don't just kick all willy-nilly; kick with your thigh muscle, without bending your knees. And keep yer damn toes pointed." He paused again, a scowl on his face.

"Go ahead and practice that first. When ya got it down we'll move on from there."

Kipper nodded, his face displaying an expression he rarely-if ever-showed: concentration. "Zori, I'm gonna borrow your hands again" Kipper announced as gently grabbed them. Taking another deep breath, Kipper placed his face back into the water and tried kicking like Setzer had explained to him. It felt better to Kipper, less awkward than the last time, but he couldn't be too sure since he was completely new to it all. After a dozen kicks or so, Kipper resurfaced to hear what his two teachers thought about his latest attempt.

Setzer grinned, hands on his hips. "Just like I thought; ya gotta lot of potential! And I betcha that felt a lot easier too, didn't it?" He looked so smug it was as if he was the one doing a good job, instead of Kipper. (Perhaps he was glad his teaching was helping...? ouo)

Stroking his chin thoughtfully, the Sharpedo looked around the large expanse of the shimmering pool for a bit. "Hrm, we'll stay on this side for now, so ya can keep practicin'.... Now that ya got the basics of leg work down, we'll add the arms. Stay by the wall, of course, and Zori will help hold ya up for the first few practice runs. I'll spot ya, watch yer form." He pointed over to one corner of the pool, signalling where they'd begin.

"Now, let me think... To get yerself goin', just push off by jumpin' off the ground, or push off from the wall. It doesn't matter which arm ya use (I'm a lefty myself), but bring one up in front of you, hand cupped like this, and push your arm through the water until it's at your side. Then repeat with the other arm. It's as simple as that.Of course, at the same time yer gonna kick through the water with yer feet, like ya just practiced. All together it'll make ya move faster through the water."

Laughing quietly, Setzy shrugged. "Windmill arms and straight-legged kicks, it's just that simple. Oh! Breathing, right. Most beginners lift their heads outta the water like idiots when they need to come up for air, but keep yer head down. When ya lift it up to breathe, yer body stops all forward motion and sinks like a stone, because it thinks yer tryin' to swim up instead of forward. To breathe just roll to yer side like yer spinnin' or somethin'. It keeps yer head down but finds air with your chin just over the high shoulder."

Zori frowned, Kipper was small but he was really heavy, even in water it started to be difficult to hold him and not let him drown. She looked at Setzer, she was angry that he stood there and only was talking, maybe he was beter teacher that she, but he is far more strong than her.
Zorua looked at Furret, it looked like it would be really long day and Setzer won't let her go, before he decides to end this lessons.

Kipper nodded trying to remember everything that Setzer had just said. Turning to Zori he then asked,"Do you mind helping me with this too?". Kipper walked over to the spot where Setzer had pointed to and practiced making the arm motions that Setzer had described while waiting for Zori to come over. If he thought about it a little the arm motions were a bit like digging--something he was much more familiar with. "I'm ready whenever you are, Zori" Kipper announced.

Zori sighed and came to Kipper."I'm ready."She looked at Furret, she hoped that he will learn how to swim quickly, because if not she won't be able to move tommorow. Zorua once more looked at Setzer, who looked like haveing a lot of fun. "He will train him to death and me with him."She thought but she tried her best to help Kipper learn how to swim.

Zori was starting to make faces at Setzer, but he didn't mind. He wasn't asking her to support Kipper entirely, just to spot him, and make sure the little Furret didn't drown himself. Worst case scenario, he'd pull the little guy up himself, but the Sharpedo wasn't feeling too pessimistic here in the water. Kipper seemed to catch on rather quickly, and he was sure the little guy would at least be able to float by himself.

"Quit makin' googly eyes A-Cup, I'm not askin' ya to carry a Wailord, I'm asking ya to spot Kitten over here. Just get started, and ya can stand when ya feel tired or something. It's not deep here, so neither one of ya should get worked up over this."

Listening to Setzer it somewhat dawned on Kipper that Zori helping him might have been a little stressful on her. So, when Kipper prepared to attempt the next lesson tried to not put too much of his weight onto her which unintentionally caused him to float. ((I'm saying unintentionally only because Kipper had no idea what he's doing))

Pushing off of the wall Kipper moved slowly trying to imitate what Setzer had said. The leg work felt good although he wasn't sure about the arms--it felt weird. He didn't get very far however, before he felt that he needed more air. Remembering, Setzer's advice, Kipper tried to roll to his side...and accidentally wound up swallowing a bunch of water.

Zori quickly grabed Kipper when she heard first cough of Furret. "Calm a bit, you tried to many things at once and it didn't worked." She smiled and helped him to stand. "Try one more time, but this time slowly, you almost swam already."
Zorua looked at Setzer hopeing that he gots more good tips for Kipper, as the teacher Zori is just hopeless.

There was a mental toss-up between bursting into laughter and facepalming: the facepalm won, but only by a fraction. Setzer moved closer to Kipper and Zori, and whapped the Furret on the back a couple of times to make sure there was no more water choking him up. "Easy Kid, easy! Zori's right, ya almost had it there. Next time ya go for air though, make sure yer mouth is aimed above yer shoulder and ya can actually feel the air before ya inhale. And stiffen yer arms a bit when yer swimmin': ya looked like ya were tryin' to attack the water with cooked noodles or somethin'."

Setzy moved back to the wall and leaned against it lazily, then nodded to Zori. "I'll spot him this time if ya want, so let's get started when yer ready."

Kipper coughed a little more--pool water tasted nasty. When he was done he smiled gratefully to Setzer and Zori appreciative of their advice and encouragement. "Above the shoulder..right!" Kipper repeated back determinedly. Kipper walked back over to the part of the pool where he was supposed to start and pushed off the wall again. Stiff windmill arms...straight-legged kicks he thought to himself as he slowly moved through the water again. When it was time to breathe, Kipper obediently lifted his head in a way that put his mouth above his shoulder, which allowed him to get some air and (thankfully) no water.

After a couple of minutes Kipper stopped to see how he did and catch his breath (he was still new to this after all). Looking back to where he had started, Kipper noted that he had not gotten incredibly far but he did get away from his starting point--and he wasn't dead--so that was good enough for him. Beaming proudly Kipper turned to his teachers to see what they thought.

Kipper did very well on his second attempt. Sure, there was a bit more splashing that substance, but his form had improved and there was no more demonstrations on how not to breathe water! Setzer slapped Zori on the shoulder {{he meant it in a friendly way, I swear! He sucks at being gentle, I'm so sorry! /QAQ\ }} and grinned. "AHA! What'd I tell ya?! Not bad, not bad at all!" He strolled over to Kipper and whapped him on the shoulder too, in a sort of congratulatory way.

"Not so bad, was it? All ya need to do really is keep practicin', and ya can show off to all yer friends in no time." Setzy flopped backwards and let himself float in the water, a thoughtful expression on his face. "There are a buncha other strokes 'n stuff, of course, but it's best to get the basics down, so for now ya can just practice what ya learned today. That is unless, of course, if A-Cup doesn't have anything to add. Oi, Zori, got any tips ya wanna throw at Kappa?"

Zroi rubed her backs, yup, Setzer didn' know meaning of word "delicately". She looked at him. "Nothing more that was said already." She came near Sharpedo and Kipper. "So if we are done with Kippers practices, maybe I will show you what I can do in the water?"The little Zorua asked, her tail flicked quickly, splashing some water around.

Kipper beamed eagerly. "I'd love to see what you can do!" He was sure that pros like Zori would know some really amazing swimming moves, that he could certainly learn from. Kipper moved a backwards to lean against a wall giving Zori room to swim.

"Yup, I know you would like to see how I swim."Zori said while geting out of pool. She walked to her bag and searched for her goggles, after puting them on she walked on platform. Little Zorua prepared herself for jump into the water.
Zori once more time glanced around the swimming pool, it was quite long distance, but with her speed she will swim through it quickly.

"Alright then, let's see what ya can do. I expect ya to impress me, since yer so damn confident." Setzer slid down and let himself float lazily in the water, smirking happily to himself. He remembered how quick she had been on the battlefield, so Setzy knew Zori wouldn't let him down in the water. He had seen Kazuki swim as well, and figured speed was a natural talent of Zoruas. They'd never be able to out-swim someone like him, of course, but it was still encouraging to know the school wasn't completely without hope.

Or motivation. It was nice that Kipper was here too (though the young punk would never say that out loud), even though he didn't know how to swim. It was far more entertaining to help teach him than Setzy thought it would be, and he was a quick learner. Perhaps he might have that swim team yet...