"We're here!"
After getting off the maglev train, the group transferred through two buses before finally reaching their destination.
Entering the resort, they checked into their pre-booked rooms. Satisfied with the accommodations, they headed out for a quick meal, and by the afternoon, their leisure time officially began.
Owen and Eevee stepped onto the beach. The feeling of the soft, yielding sand instantly sent a wave of relaxation through their bodies and minds.
"How is it, Eevee?"
Barefoot on the perfectly warmed sand, Owen took a deep breath. The air felt incredibly refreshing. The sea was a deep azure, the sky was clear, and a gentle sea breeze fluttered by. Most importantly, the beach was dotted with plenty of older sisters in swimwear.
"Vee, Vee~~"
Eevee rolled around in the sand. Since it was her first time at a beach, everything was exciting and new.
She wasn't the only one; the shore was teeming with Trainers and Pokémon. Staryu, Seel, Slowpoke, Oddish, Psyduck, Dratini... all sorts of species were present.
Wait...
Dratini? Talk about a high roller.
In addition to the Pokémon, there were many adults and children. Some kids were digging for stones with small buckets, others were having water fights with their sleeves rolled up, some were preparing to swim with inner tubes, and others were busy building sandcastles!
Seeing another Eevee nearby building a sandcastle, Owen's Eevee immediately started to learn. She used her two small paws to churn the sand around her.
Interestingly, she was a fast learner; though it was her first time, her sandcastle was shaping up quite well.
"Not bad."
Owen sat down next to her, focusing intently on her performance. Honestly, the castle Eevee was building wasn't bad at all.
In Owen's eyes, it was much prettier than the one the other Eevee was making across the way.
After a while, Owen realized that the prototype for this castle was actually from a movie they had watched together yesterday... apparently, the little one had a very good memory.
When she finished, Eevee compared her work with that of those around her. The comparison made her incredibly proud. She blinked, looked left and right, and then tilted her chin up high, seemingly very satisfied with her masterpiece.
However, as Eevee scanned the area again, her gaze inadvertently landed on a girl and her Pokémon also playing in the sand. Her expression shifted to one of hesitation.
It was a Sandshrew. The palace it had built was significantly more majestic and grand. Eevee looked back at her own castle with newfound doubt.
Owen followed her gaze; the opponent was a Ground-type Pokémon—it was only natural that Eevee couldn't beat a specialist at playing with sand.
But Owen didn't expect what happened next: after thinking for a moment, Eevee suddenly swiped her paw, flattening her castle, and started over.
She seemed determined to do a "major renovation" and create a structure even more spectacular than the one across from her.
"Vee, Vee!!"
While building, Eevee gestured for Owen to wait for her. Seeing her serious expression, Owen's mouth quirked into a smile. He hadn't realized before that this little creature was so competitive.
Building sandcastles—a game as simple as it gets—was the first thing to make Eevee look truly serious.
Owen was more than happy to see her focus. Instead of rushing off to do other things, he sat quietly by her side, watching her pile the sand up and refine it over and over.
The Competition
On the other side of the beach, the rest of the Psychology Club members finished their walk and gathered to find Owen.
"We checked it out—the 'Wave Pool' isn't too crowded right now. Let's head there first."
"Eh? What are you two doing? Building sandcastles?"
"Yeah... Eevee seems really interested. Sorry, why don't you guys go ahead? I'll stay here with her," Owen said, pressing his palms together in apology.
Luke said, "It's fine. Building sandcastles is actually pretty fun. Why don't we all join in? Let's have a contest to see whose Pokémon builds the best one."
Tiffany agreed, "Sure!"
Once Mason and Justin accepted the suggestion, their Pokémon immediately looked at Eevee with competitive glints in their eyes.
With permission granted, the Pokémon sprang into action: Persian, Graveler, Gloom, and Golbat all pounced onto the sand...
After the round of competition, Mason's Graveler had the most exquisite work, followed by Tiffany's Persian. Little Eevee only ranked third. This made Eevee feel even worse.
Eevee: Σ(°△°|||)︴ (Critical Hit!)
"Vee..." Eevee looked at the rankings dejectedly, then turned her gaze back to the Sand-Palace the Sandshrew had built. Even now, that one was the most magnificent.
She was actually in fourth place...
"Hahaha..." Owen rubbed Eevee's head. "It's okay. When we have free time tomorrow, I'll bring you back. We'll aim to build it better and better."
"Vee..." Eevee finally nodded.
Owen exhaled. Thankfully, she was sensible.
After finishing up there, everyone headed to the water park. The thrill of the rides temporarily distracted Eevee, but the fun didn't make her forget the sandcastle.
The next morning, little Eevee woke up even earlier than Owen. She frantically patted Owen's cheek with a look of total determination, chirping "Vee, Vee" as if to remind him to fulfill his promise.
"I know, I know."
Owen pulled the Eevee off his face and let out a groggy yawn. "Don't worry, I can spend the whole day with you today."
Free time was something to look forward to. Although Tiffany had invited him to go somewhere else, Owen politely declined for Eevee's sake.
Tiffany is precious, but freedom is higher; yet for Eevee's sake, both can be cast aside!
Since it was early, the temperature wasn't as high as yesterday. The sand felt slightly cool underfoot, but that didn't dampen Eevee's enthusiasm. Running back to the same spot, she immediately began to build without a second thought.
She was recreating the grand structures she saw in the movies. Owen noticed that her memory was truly excellent; she remembered the details of the architecture with shocking clarity—better than he could.
"Vee, Vee!" Before long, she finished. But when she recalled the Sandshrew's palace from yesterday, she shook her head in dissatisfaction and flattened her work again.
"Keep going, take it slow," Owen encouraged. Eevee wore a look of steely resolve.
Time ticked by. One hour... two hours... three hours...
Owen was surprised by how much time had passed while Eevee worked tirelessly. Her sandcastle had improved drastically, but it still lacked that certain "something" compared to the Sandshrew's work from the day before.
The beach was starting to get crowded now, and the temperature was rising. As Owen stretched, his eyes suddenly widened. He spotted them again: the girl and the Sandshrew from yesterday.
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