A Not-So-Small Territorial Dispute
By Lutro
Charles took one look at the afternoon sun and beamed. “Ahh, exquisite weather for a nice nap out on the sand.” The dewgong was grateful for the clear skies and the warm weather, with mother nature not having been kind for the past several days. But now the weather was warm, the clouds were gone, and the beach would be nice and hot for Charles to sprawl over and relax his afternoon away! Without hesitation Charles flopped along the land, already picturing how he would laze and sprawl out on the beach – his beach – for maximal comfort. His head was so far up the proverbial clouds as he traveled that he almost didn’t notice anyone on his beach as it came into view. He heard the same usual sounds: The ocean waters tickling the edges of the beach. The occasional wingull barking in the sky. A sword slicing through the calm winds and feet maneuvering atop the soft sand…

“...Wait, what?”

Charles, perched on top of a hill that led straight down to his favorite beach spot, glowered down at an intruding creature on his land! The dewgong watched as an otter, clad in blue and wielding a sword, exercised along the sands. Charles saw him mimic thrusts and parries, making the otter’s build match his strength and speed. He almost swam through the air on two legs, matching with the singing of his blade, tail flickering this way and that to maintain proper balance.

None of this impressed the dewgong, however, whose thoughts were purely on the notion that this creature was on property that did not belong to him. “Excuse me, my dear!” The otter halted mid-strike and looked up. Charles lunged forward, gracefully sliding down the sandy hill and landing with a solid thump, maintaining poise. “Might I ask what you are doing?”

The cocksure otter blinked, then grinned as he stood a couple heads taller than the posed dewgong. “Why, practicing,” he informed in a tone that one reserved for children. “Have you come to watch I, Rudder, train?” Charles scoffed. “I’ll take that as a no.” Rudder chortled and raised his blade once more. “Run along now. Or flop, or whatever it is you do to get around. You’re intruding on my beach, after all.”

“YOUR beach?” Charles growled, inching closer. “My dear, I believe that it is my beach that you find yourself intruding on.” The dewgong budged up against Rudder, causing the otter to stumble some. “You’ll find that this is Charles’ territory, and no others. Especially not the likes of you.” Rudder steadied his balance and gently set his sword aside, crossing his arms and looming over the dewgong. Charles retaliated with a haughty glare in return.

“I think you’re mistaken, Charles. This part of the beach belongs to me!”

“Is that a fact?” Charles countered. “And just what are you planning on doing if I take my usual slumber right where it is you happen to be swinging that twig of yours around, hm?” The dewgong smirked and shuffled his way right up near the water, making a point to wipe out the slew of otter footprints with flippers along the way. The otter’s hands were balled into fists when he stomped up behind Charles.

“Maybe I’ll just haul your tail out to sea, huh? I’m gonna make you governor of that scrap of land way out there if you don’t beat it!” Rudder thrust an arm out, indicating a small island a ways out along the horizon. His resulting smirk faltered when Charles rounded on him, thumping his tail to the ground in challenge. The dewgong looked as if he were about to throw down, before resuming a less-vitriolic posture. He returned Rudder’s smirk with a grin of his own.

“Now now, there’s no need for violence.” Charles glanced over his shoulder out over the waters and thought a moment. Nodding to himself, he turned back and smiled up at the otter. “How about a contest to determine who this beach belongs to, eh?” Rudder grunted, but didn’t interrupt, crossing his arms again. Charles lifted a flipper and indicated back towards the island. “You seem built for waters. How about a swim? The first one to make it out to that island will claim ownership of the beach. No arguments. No quarreling. Nice and simple.” Charles chuckled, then added, “Even for a simpleton like yourself.”

“What was that?” Rudder glowered, but let the snide remark slide with a mere growl. Instead, he began to stretch, rotating one arm around by the shoulder, than the other. “Fine. I could go for a quick swim anyway. And after you meet me on the island I expect you to stay there.”

Charles rolled his eyes and turned tail from Rudder, drawing a thin line across the sand right where the water lapped up against it. The dewgong felt no need to stretch or prepare. He had absolute confidence in his own abilities. Rudder flexed his tail and stretched his legs while Charles simply settled at the makeshift starting line, narrowing his eyes out towards the island to gauge just how far it was. It wouldn’t be the shortest swim but it was no marathon either. “Easy,” he said to himself, flicking his tailfin about as Rudder took a runner’s position next to the dewgong.

“Ready when you are, Chuckles.”

“It’s Charles.”

“Whatever, Charlie. Count of 3?”

“Fine.” Charles gave his head and mane a toss, leaning down. “Three...”

“Two...”

“One...”

“GO!” Both shouted, Rudder taking a running dive into the shallow water while Charles lumbered into the ocean just behind. Once his belly stopped scraping against the shallow ocean floor and the waters dropped out beneath him, the dewgong swished his large tail expertly to power past Rudder, submerging completely. Rudder swam along using all of his limbs, sticking hands out and pushing the water behind, further propelling himself with kicking legs and swaying tail. Various sea-faring creatures were quick to get out of the way of the two ego-filled racers, long trails of bubbles left in their wake.

For the first leg Charles had the upper flipper on Rudder. The powerful tail precluded the use of his flippers, and the horn further speared Charles’ way through the water hydrodynamically to reduce resistance. He found himself a few lengths ahead of the otter before too long. For all he knew, though, since he refused to turn his head, Rudder was right on him. Rudder, meanwhile, saw the dewgong pulling away inch by inch. The big edge Charles possessed came in the form of a lack of need for fresh air: Rudder required regular breaks through the water’s surface, slowing him down somewhat, while Charles glided along underwater without any apparent need. In truth, the dewgong was holding his breath just as much as Rudder, but Charles could stay under for far longer.

Despite this disadvantage, Rudder was not giving up without a fair chance at victory. Swordplay and more kept the otter in good shape, and it showed in the ferocity in which he tore through the water. Being a natural-born swimmer to boot also ushered Rudder along more quickly through the waves, and his determination to not let this newfound rival defeat Rudder spurred him on further still. He’d found the beach completely empty, and it was a perfect place to practice, and maybe one day spar. No way he would give it up to some haughty seal! Rudder saw the flickering white tail ahead of him and glowered, pumping his arms and legs faster. His muscles started to burn, but it was nothing compared to what training usually put him through.

Slowly but surely, the otter was finding his stride, taking deep breaths in between strokes and staying under longer. He closed the gap, ending up side by side with Charles. The dewgong caught a sidelong glance of Rudder, a look of small surprise on his features as the otter began to pull ahead. Charles’ eyes narrowed as he powered along, but it was no longer enough to outpace the determined otter. Rudder soon found himself in the lead by a decent margin. Charles knew he was already giving it his all in his current shape, and it was proving to be ineffective. They were about halfway to the island at this point, and both could start making out the underwater portions of land starting to become clear in the distance.

The race would be over soon, and at the current pace Rudder would find himself with a comfortable beach.

So, Charles thought as he motored away, why not even the odds?

The dewgong slowed down some. Rudder glanced behind him and smirked, thinking Charles was giving up. But when Rudder resumed facing ahead, the dewgong began to grow. The pokémon’s body expanded in mass and size, displacing large swaths of seawater in the process. Charles’ head breached the surface and pushed out further, his smug smile growing along with the rest of his head. 12 feet, 20, 40! Every flap of a flipper would send a tugboat underwater. The growth continued with ease, Charles’ mass growing downward as much as it was up, with his flippers gliding along the surface and belly and tail pressing outward down to the depths below. Rudder only felt the amassing dewgong’s girth when a shockwave of water flowed over his submerged body. He stole another glance and did a double take, not facing Charles’ smug expression, but instead an ever-expanding mass of white fur that threatened to overtake his whole field of vision!

Charles lowered his head horn-first back into the water, now over 80 feet long. His wide flippers crashed like a thunderclap into the water, the resulting waves displacing Rudder completely. The otter struggled to right himself, then took off towards the island as fast as he could. When he breached the surface for a fresh breath he shouted to the air, “That cheat!” Looking back again as he dove under he could have mistaken the dewgong for a wailord, and very very big wailord at that.

And yet, Charles continued to grow.

Every flap of Charles’ tailfin pummeled the ocean and sent the massive pokémon soaring through the waters. It took but a moment for the ever-growing Charles to sail by the stunned, frustrated otter. The only thing that stretched their meeting out more was the fact that Charles continued to gain mass and size. His flippers, tailfin, belly, head, mane, everything continued to be engorged, all while Charles carried a simple smile on his face. Once the enormous pokémon topped out over 150 feet in length, the growing stopped. Not that Rudder noticed, forced to stare at the retreating rear end of the gigantic pokémon easily outstripping him in the water. The windmill-blade-sized tailfin swayed back and forth in one mighty swing after another, further distancing the two racers. Rudder could barely tell which was which ahead of him now: The dewgong, or the island itself!

Charles sighed contently when his head poked above the water, splitting the sea as his massive bulk made way for him. The island was in sight and one simple leap away for the enlarged pokémon. Charles dipped under, then with one final swipe of the tail propelled himself through the air. He avoided the uncomfortable belly scraping by simply leaping over the final leg of the race, landing with a ginormous THOOM on the island, rattling every tree and rock and speck of sand, making all wildlife scatter. Rudder felt the resulting ripples from the landing hundreds of yards behind, signaling his resounding defeat in the race. Charles curled his large body around the outer ring of the small island, what few trees and other decorations it contained all surrounded by dewgong. Charles left its small beach open for his defeated opponent to eventually join him.

Rudder made his way to shore several minutes later. He was forced to do so under the smug guise of the enlarged head of Charles looming over him. The dewgong’s tail idly swirled about at the edge of the water while watching the otter climb back onto two legs and shake a fist at him. “What’s the matter, dear?” Charles’ booming voice asked incredulously, stirring up a small breeze as he reached a flipper up to fluff his mane.

“What’s the matter?!” Rudder shouted, pointing an accusatory finger right up at the pokémon. “You cheated is what’s the matter! I was winning and was going to outstrip you by a mile, and then you went and did… whatever this is!” Rudder gestured wildly as the giant dewgong before him. Charles barked out an open-mouthed laugh and maintained that smug grin of his.

“Rudder, I did nothing unruly or unfitting for a race. You have your arms, legs and tail to utilize as you see fit in a swim. I have flippers,” THUMP. THUMP. “A tail of my own,” SPLOOSH. “And this other natural talent of mine.” Rudder glowered further still, heaving deep breaths from exertion and anger. Charles lowered his head down to rest on the sand in front of Rudder, the otter standing about half as high as one of the giant dewgong tusks mere feet away. “Don’t tell me you have a problem with someone using one their natural abilities in a physical challenge. Do you?”

“You damn well know I have a problem with this, you filthy cheater!” Rudder spat, his own tail thudding – rather pathetically – against the sand. “Take the stupid beach, I don’t care. If a big fat dewgong like yourself is gonna be crowding it all up, what good does it do me?” He jabbed another finger right up to the edge of the massive muzzle in front of him. “Everyone will know you’re nothing but a giant, prissy, fat cheater! Charles the Cheater!”

Charles stopped smiling. “A cheater, am I? I don’t think so.” The dewgong’s grin returned after a moment, the dewgong guiding a massive flipper around to his front, hovering it over the mouthy otter. Just like that, the sun was blotted out for Rudder, completely and utterly replaced by a looming dewgong limb. “You lost. Fair and square. And to the victor go the spoils, as they say.” Rudder’s eyes widened when Charles suddenly slammed his flipper down on top of him. The otter had no chance to leap out of the way or even utter a shocked cry, finding himself splatted heavily onto his back, limbs splayed, pressed into the sand beneath him. Charles tilted his head to the side, listening to what Rudder might have to say. “What’s that? Harder?” he teased when muffled complaints arose. “If you insist, dear.” Charles ground his flipper against the beach and the otter’s body, squashing him deeper into the earth. Rudder moaned, the compressed sand against his back, unyielding dewgong flipper on his front. When the pokémon finally lifted the flipper away, Rudder was several feet deep into the beach, cheeks flushed deep crimson with embarrassment and face taught with anger.

“Filthy brute!” he exclaimed, wriggling to pull himself free from the newly-formed Rudder-shaped pit. He manged to pull himself out on shaky arms, standing and spitting as he shouted. “You dare humiliate me like that?! You’re nothing but a bloated blubberball!” Charles simply smiled through the thrown insults, further incensing Rudder. “And wipe that smug grin off your face, you overgrown fish bait!” Charles, in response, rolled his eyes and snorted, the resulting blast of air knocking Rudder back on his tail. Then the pokémon loomed upward, towering his hulking body over the recovering otter.

“Yes,” he assured the tiny creature. “I do dare.” Rudder stared open-mouthed as Charles let himself fall forward, huge flippers spread outward and furry form sinking right down over the beach, the water, and the otter all at once! Rudder attempted to dart out to the side, but Charles was simply too big to escape. The dewgong caught Rudder full on in the chest, flopping directly onto Rudder and mashing his enormous body into the beach and ocean all in one go, head landing chin-first comfortably into the water to boot. A giant splash resulted along with another resounding THRUM emanating from the giant dewgong’s seismic event. Rudder found himself immersed in the thick dewgong fur and part of the mane as well, mushed into sand and water and having absolutely no recourse when it came to movement.

“Dumb… seal!” Rudder squeaked, unable to do a thing but talk to himself. He couldn’t budge the gigantic pokémon so much as a millimeter, but Charles swayed his upper body back and forth as if nestling into the earth, rolling and squishing Rudder all along the beach and the water, tearing his clothing up, matting down his fur and leaving him in a positively miserable state. He tried to flick his tail, but couldn’t even muster that. Every part of his body was immobilized by the extremely-sized dewgong’s girth. Charles sighed under the afternoon sun, though his gaze never tore away from where he could feel Rudder, and his smile only grew.

After several minutes of wriggling, the dewgong sat up. Giant gushes of water flowed down his body, with more dribbling off his chin. He let out an amused laugh when he found Rudder stuck to his body, the dewgong peeling Rudder off with a flipper and letting him dangle by the tail. “You know something, Rudder?” he asked coyly, letting the otter dangle and twist about as thrown punches hit nothing but air. “A race that length and growing to this size doesn’t come without its cost. I haven’t had a bite since breakfast and am positively famished after today’s victory.” Charles held Rudder up to his snout, and he took a deep whiff of the otter’s body, the shocked otter’s fur standing on end. “Ahhhh… You smell quite tantalizing to boot.”

“You’re joking. You’re joking, right?” Rudder spat, taking another futile swing through the air. “You think after all that’s happened today I’m gonna let you eat me? Dream on, fatty! If anything you should go on a diet or some– Whoa!” Charles suddenly flung the otter straight up into the air, sending him twirling upward and back down, the dewgong catching him with his other flipper. Charles carried him back to the beach, with the pokémon tossing him to the ground.

“Oh, my little loser, it’s not up to you, now is it?” Charles hummed. Rudder had just enough time to pull himself to his feet before a giant flipper sent him careening to Charles’ flicking tailfin. The massive dewgong had re-oriented himself around the island, and his backside was there around the bend, enormous tail fin careening down to THOOM and THUNK Rudder into the ground like a hammer to a nail. The otter lay stunned when a giant looming dewgong head snuffled and sniffed over his entire body. He groaned further still when that pokémon’s huge mouth opened above, massive thick tongue pouring out and sliding over his body. “Mmm,” Charles purred, dragging his tongue over the tiny otter again and again, savoring the taste and getting an idea for Rudder’s flavor. “You taste positively divine, dear. It’s a wonder you’ve not been snapped up before now...”

“Knock it off!” Rudder shouted, having been pushing up against muzzle and tongue in vain this whole time. “What gives you the right, huh, tubby? You big dimwit!” Charles chuckled and licked Rudder again, much to his consternation. “Slimy cheater!” Lick. “Dumb seal!” And then a change of pace, as Charles brought his lips down to Rudder and nibbled on him ever-so-gently. Rudder actually froze at that, until the maw was removed, leaving the thoroughly-tasted Rudder to lay there and curse out the dewgong further.

“Now now, who taught you to speak like that?” Charles chuckled, scooping Rudder up in a flipper and bringing him to eye level. He licked his lips loudly, drool smacking every which way as more saliva dribbled off Rudder. “Well, choose your words wisely. They may end up being your last!” He casually tossed the swearing otter about his flipper, not giving Rudder a chance to find sure footing. With his other flipper Charles idly scratched at his mane. “Or maybe they won’t.” A hungry glint flashed across his eyes as he held Rudder right up against his muzzle. “I suppose you’ll just have to wait and see.”

Rudder was about to retort with another stinging jeer when the massive dewgong maw spread open wide before him. “Mlaaaaah~” Charles sounded out, the cavernous yawning humid mouth and twitching gullet beyond laid out before the captive otter. Rudder stared straight into the depths of Charles’ muzzle, from the thick lines of saliva connecting roof to lower lip, to teeth glistening in the sun, to the tongue wavering eagerly for its meal down below.

“Wait, wait!” Rudder shouted just as the flipper flicked, hurling him headfirst into the awaiting dewgong mouth. He landed with a thick splat against the malleable surface of the tongue, all light vanishing when Charles closed his jaws with a satisfied murr. The dewgong’s tongue sprang to life at that instant, flicking the otter to one cheek and mashing him against it. The barest form of an outline formed against the outer cheek of the pokémon, it vanishing just as quickly while Rudder was tasted and enjoyed. Trickling drool leaked from the corners of Charles’ mouth as he ate the otter, sliding him about, pressing tongue to cheek or roof, positively coating the other swimmer in copious amounts of drool. Charles could feel Rudder fighting tooth and nail, doing all he could to stop himself from becoming dewgong chow, but within the darkness the otter had other emotions battling within him, making some threats come out half-hearted.

“Mmm… you taste just as good as your samples had to offer,” Charles mumbled through clenched jaws, his booming voice rattling Rudder to the core. He could just make out the otter slinging more insults and swears his way, inaudible of course. Some louder than others. At some moments the dewgong thought that the doomed prey wasn’t struggling or pushing out against the dominating tongue as much, but the thought was dismissed from the pokémon’s mind with the taste overpowering his thoughts instead. The louder muffled words coming from inside were still impressive enough to reach Charles in the form of muffled whines and curses. Charles happily enjoyed his afternoon snack (a generous term given Rudder’s size), making sure he eked out every slice of flavor he had to offer. 

Rudder was thrust about to every corner of the gigantic maw he was becoming rapidly more intimate with, unable to do a thing with the tongue tossing him every which way. He continued to fight, but couldn’t help but… almost enjoy the sensations as well. His mind battled between the need to escape, and the desire to remain. Between several strings of curses and insults flung at the giant dewgong snuck in a few moans of pleasure, some of which even Rudder was surprised to hear from himself. Despite the varied emotions, however, Rudder found himself imprisoned and completely at the mercy of Charles. After several more minutes of teasing, tasting, and slurping, the otter found himself nestled in the center of the tongue towards the back, feeling every breath the dewgong took, teetering over the edge of the gullet. This vantage point in the darkness snapped Rudder out of whatever other moods he may have been feeling, sensing the deep unyielding abyss that was the dewgong’s throat yawning before him. He let out his loudest string of swears yet, while Charles had a look of utmost serenity and content on his face, drool making small ponds on the sand near the ocean water. The muffled complaints within ceased when Charles idly flicked his tongue back, sending Rudder careening towards the awaiting throat, and…

GLURK!

Silence fell along the island as the echoes of that swallow permeated the island and beyond. The devoured otter made the barest of bulges in the throat for a second before vanishing into the depths of Charles, the dewgong happily licking and smacking his lips, eyes lidded and looking down at his own body. “Absolutely divine,” he mumbled, the roaring boom of that declaration ringing in Rudder’s head, along with the squelches of the pokémon guiding him to the enormous stomach that awaited him.

Charles curled back up onto the island fully, taking up most of the available space as he settled down on his chin, staring right at his own giant belly. He glided an idle flipper over to the huge stomach a minute later, pressing and squeezing into the flabby fur with a chuckle. If he listened hard enough, he could just make out the muffled complaints from his recent meal. But even a gentle breeze overpowered the otter’s gripes. “Looks like I won fair and square after all,” Charles said with a punctual lick of his lips. He yawned and glanced over to the mainland, shrugging a shoulder. “Nothing wrong with being governor of this place and having the beach as my own as well.” The afternoon sun was still out and shining over the giant dewgong’s curled form. That combined with his recent activities did coax the pokémon into taking a nap right there on the spot. “The beach isn’t going anywhere. A nice nap here would do me good.”

Charles fell asleep not long after, with the loud-mouthed Rudder devoured and taking up residence in his stomach. The dewgong licked his lips idly in his sleep and napped his afternoon away, smug and satisfied that he had defended his territory, won a race, and taught a puny creature a lesson.