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Korra is not disappointed with how the date auction went - it's not like she'd participated to get an actual date. She just wanted to help the cause and happened to be able to offer a pretty amazing day at the beach as a 'date'.

She doesn't know Rei, not really, but she's hosted plenty of teen outings around the islands and knows exactly where to start - once she'd confirmed Rei was okay with taking a jaunt down Sevii way. And it's easy to hop the ferry to Knot Island, the first of the Sevii islands. With nature tours, hot springs, beaches and the best spots for skin-diving in the whole chain of islands, it's the obvious choice for today's outing.

"So I actually live on Kin Island, which is Island Three," Korra says when they exit the ferry. She's dressed for the day in long blue board shorts and a white and blue wave patterned tank top, backpack slung over her shoulder. Ra the Floatzel is trotting alongside her, looking just as chipper. "But this one has some of the most fun stuff to do down here. I do guided tours and hikes on most of the islands, but what makes this one the best....is Treasure Beach!"

Rei spends the ferry ride over watching the waves as they go past. She's never seen the sea before. Not like this. She can sometimes see the shapes of pokemon under the water. Mantine chase the path the boat carves in the water. The sky above is blue and clear. The air smells of salt, and as they get closer to the island, tropical fruit.

She's wearing the swimsuit she picked up on the Solstice. The swimsuit is mostly white with an orange Magikarp on it, splashing around. She's also wearing her large straw hat to keep the sun out of her eyes and prevent it from burning her skin. At least, that is what she hopes.

"Treasure?" she asks, uncertain. Curious, though. Definitely curious.

Her Solosis, Mitochondria, trails behind her, bobbing up and down in mid-air.

"Treasure!" Korra beams. "So, the ocean's full of stuff. Ships sink, they lose cargo, stuff gets dropped...and when there's storms or really strong tides, that stuff ends up in the shallows. And Treasure Beach has a lot of strong currents that feed into it and gets a lot of storm activity. The beach there is perfect for skin-diving for treasure. That's when you're basically snorkeling but you dive down sometimes, you don't need special equipment. That's why it's called skin-diving."

All you need is a swimsuit and a snorkle and a free afternoon.

"I thought we could do that this afternoon."

A sea full of lost things. And they're just waiting on the shore to be found again. These things can still be salvaged. Cleaned. Kept, by someone who will treasure them or returned to those who lost them. Rei likes the idea of that. Can feel this... bubble of warmth inside, when she thinks of it.

"I see," Rei says, nodding to Korra's explanation. Listening with care. "I would like to try."

It sounds good. Even Mitochondria agrees, if only so that she can spend more time floating in the sea.

"Great! And then we can have a traditional beach bonfire!"

Korra's glad she seems enthused - Rei had paid for this, after all, through the auction. She wants to make sure the girl gets a memorable and worthwhile day.

"But first a little tour of the island. There's Pokemon here that you won't see in the wild anywhere else. And a lot of them are pretty friendly - tourists end up feeding them so they're used to people."

"What kind of pokemon?"

Rei asks, curious. She's gotten quite fond of them, in the short time since she arrived here. There's so many different varieties, and all of them seem to live freely and happily among the people.

She walks on the sandy beach, following in Korra's footsteps. Occasionally she looks ahead or out to the water, seeing the afterimages of pokemon in the shadows.

"All kinds! But we've got a bunch of the variant types here - like Meowth and Rattata. You'll see them on this island. They look different than the ones you'd see on the main lands."

Korra starts up the beach, towards a path into the tropical forest.

"I thought we'd take the road up the hot springs and then swing down to the beach, it's not too far, and it's really scenic. And there's no laws against catching Pokemon here, if you're looking for anything new to add to your team. I've caught a lot of my own around here."

"Let us follow the road."

Palm trees line the path, as pebbles and cobbles form together to make a path away from the sandy beaches. Now that it has been pointed out, Rei can see the shapes of pokemon scurrying in the tall grass. Some of them sit on the tree branches. Some glide through the air. Even among these creatures, there is variation.

"We'll want to stay on the side here, the Tauros Tours come through on this road. Those are for if you want to see all of the island - it's a little too much to do a full walking tour of."

Not in a day, at least. The mountain is a proper weekend trip at least, and that's only with ignoring everything along the way.

"Are there any types of Pokemon you really like? We've got all different types here."

Rei thinks about it a moment. She is not sure she has been here long enough to decide. But she thinks of how sunny it is here, and of all the palm trees around them, and comes to a conclusion.

"I am fond of Grass types."

Perhaps she might see some new flowers here. Mitochondria, in the mean time, bops to the side of the road, away from any Tauros that may come passing through.

"We definitely have grass types here! You'll probably see some Bounsweet along the way. They're pretty cute, and their evolutions are really cool!"

Korra doesn't have any of her own, but she's well familiar with them anyway. They live wild in the islands, and are a pretty popular Pokemon.

"And lots of water types, too, obviously. They're kind of my favorite, but I like all the elemental based Pokemon a lot."

"What makes the elemental ones different from other types?"

She wasn't aware there was a distinction. Fire, Earth, Air, Water... what else could count? Do rock and ground both stand for the earth? It must be difficult, to split creatures into so many different categories. Each with their own set of powers.

"The elemental types have a lot of elemental moves naturally, and have attributes associated with it. Like my Arcanine, Iqniq, he's a fire type and you can tell! And Ra here...he's a water type, and he works with me on lifeguard duty."

She gestures to the Floatzel who stands up on his hind legs proudly.

"I had elemental powers, back home, so that's why I'm really drawn to those types."

"So it is familiar to you." Yes, she understands. She has no talents like this that she is aware of, but perhaps it is comforting for others to be reminded of home.

Rei is not particularly good at carrying a conversation, and so she goes quiet as they approach the hot spring, taking in the sights and sounds.

"Yeah! I've even been able to teach some of mine some cool tricks to do with their moves! I bet they'd love to show off for you later."

Ra nods and chitters in enthusiastic agreement.

"And these are the hot springs! If we just hang out quietly for a little bit, we'll see all kinds of Pokemon. Follow me."

With a grin, Korra leads Rei a little off the path beyond the springs, to a small formation of natural rocks that make a comfortable spot to sit, the hot springs still in view. She's more than happy to make conversation for the both of them.

Rei follows her, carefully. She does not want to trip on any slippery rocks. The water is warm below her feet, where it slides out from beneath the stones and grass. She looks up at the rock formation, judging the weight and the angle, before taking a seat on top of a suitable pile. She listens to the hot spring as it babbles and bubbles. Watches steam clouds form and froth. Looks at the greenery as it sprouts. Mitochondria rolls herself into the water, bobbing along the top like a beach ball.

"It is peaceful here."

"It is."

Korra folds her legs under her at the top of the tallest pile of stones. It's obvious this is somewhere she's sat plenty of times before, and Ra settles in beside her, lying down to watch the sights.

"I may be sort of away from a lot of things, living here, but...I don't think I could go back to living permanently on the mainland again."

She keeps her voice pitched low and stays still, letting the natural world around them adjust to their presence.

"It's louder in cities," Rei agrees. So many people around, and all of them are so busy, so fast. It gets overwhelming to keep up with all of the sights and sounds.

"Do your pokemon like it here as well?"

"They do! A lot of them come from here, and the ones I caught or hatched on the mainland...they've adjusted really well. A lot of them help me with my work, actually! Not just Ra."

Korra does more than just lifeguard duty, she's something like a park ranger and wilderness guide in one.

"And my Gyarados loves it, because I live right on the beach."

"Do they battle often? It seems common here."

"Yeah, I get challenged pretty often. Usually by tourists, they challenge a lot of local trainers. I try and use my water and local Pokemon when they do, that's the whole point."

It's just one of those things people do in the islands, battle island Pokemon and trainers. The same as visiting the beaches or seeing the mountain or going on a boat tour, it's a popular tourist activity.

And it means Korra and her team don't get rusty!

"Oh...hey, look..."

There's a faint rustling in the underbrush nearby, and Korra leans forward and points, directing Rei's attention.

"I think we might have a local visitor!"

Rei looks where she is directed, leaning forward on the rock.

The grass rustles from side to side, and she can see the shape of a shadow beyond the greenery. Her Solosis, for its part, continues to soak up the sun in the spring, blissfully unaware of any potentially approaching pokemon.

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Beach Day

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