Training for Up Ahead (Ophi and Cassie)

"For this one, I actually already prepared some tools on the way... So see, for the first fifty meters, we'll be swimming without any weights on our body... afterward, we'll add weights that's readied on the sides of the canal. Later, on the 200 meters mark, you'll start pulling the boat and Ophi probably can ride on it, just to see how it felt for you.

For the sake of not affecting the traffic too much, I won't be pulling a second boat. If we're tired, we ca park the boat somewhere and just have a lunch or chitchat. I've readied bunch of towels and heater on the boat. Also some meals gonna be delivered soon after," Valt explained.

Hope that's a good explanation! Well, either way... "First when you're about to get in the water... make sure to get yourself used with water by first.. wetting your limbs with less cold water gradually." Valt did this. The wind blowing is rather chilly, but at least it's not too bad. "Then your body..." he did this too "and then your head...! NRRRH!!" Yeeks, that's cold! "Rrr-rr-r-r-r-repeat several times with gradually cooler w-w-w-w-water..." Valt told his girlfriend while his teeth clattered. Thankfully after a bit the teeth chattering has subsided and he now entered the water.

"Whew, much better... Anyway, Ophi, make sure to not stand on the canal border if you don't want to get splashed, OK? Oh, and I've readied a raincoat for you just in case."

Him on the raft? "Well, I guess that's an alternative... yeah, I think when I get tired, I'll ride the raft. That's fine with you, yeah?" Valt asked. He's pretty sure he's rather heavy. Well, heavier than Cassie. That's the reason why he could stand up straight even if Cassie tried to flop on him.

"Well, I guess it's fair if Ophi doesn't want to. I felt it's a bit of a pity because I wish she could at least feel the water's greatness fro above the boat, but I guess..." ...there's this image of crying cat, one in panic inside Valt's head, when it comes to Ophi on a boat, so he quickly dismissed the thought.

...He really is envious of his girlfriend to be able to enter the water that easily though. When Valt is on the water, he suddenly noticed a miscalculation. His body is pretty much all muscles, so he need to keep kicking to stay afloat. This might gonna be tricky...

Ophi's question is interesting. "I think that's all dragon in nutshell, but Hikaru took cold better than me. I think the only dragon that's completely fine in cold would be Blucomon... if me and Cassie married and got a child later on I guess it'll be a Blucomon most likely," Valt answered. "Oh, that's interesting. I'm used to be a Dracomon too. I told you this, I think?"

And with that, Valt began swimming. He's a fast swimmer for sure. But to pace himself, he did not use his full strength, as expected.

Heh, Cassie is really cute huh. "What, is this some reverse pick up line?" Valt joked and bunted Cassie's cheek with his own teasingly. "But now that you said it like that, now I'm rather interested to try..."

Hmm, so she have to be protected from water from all side? "...What if the boat is in ball shape then?" Valt asked. "The type that will not sink... although probably eventually Hikaru going to commission some of those ships for the sake of those who can't get wet..."

Valt simply laughed at Ophi's counter that he could hear both of them. "Hey, I have a principle... if you wanna talk shit about someone, do it in front of their face!" Valt joked. "But either way, two of us just want you to share the fun you know?"

Hmm? Is that a nickname? "Don't worry about me. Those who are muscular tends to not float as well compared to those who have more fat than muscles in their body. My fat content is rather low after all," Valt explained.

Will Hikaru get as cold as he is? "Doubtful. That guy used ice attacks like mad. I actually wonder just how thick is his hide," Valt commented. "I think he's kind of thin under all that floof, but I can't be too sure... Yuuki tried to pat his body once, but his hand just pretty much sunk into those fur"

Valt noticed that they have swam for twenty meters. That's a good start. "Yeah, Bulcomon evolves into Paledramon then Crys Paledramon."

Interesting topic raised soon though. "How different it is huh... well it's definitely different. For example, I'm faster on land now. I can kick the ground better. I can fight better with my limbs, but in the past, I don't really use close range attacks, you see... unless absolutely necessary. I'm more to 'fire to your face' kind of guy... but about flying, I was master of flying. I flew better than Hikaru actually."

Valt chuckled at Cassie's obliviousness, but he guess it's not important. She's right. "Pick up line is basically you trying to be charming to your potential or current lover. But usually when it comes to straight couple like us, it's the boys that do it to the girls, just overall trying to woo them and make their heart beat faster basically, you know? And reverse pickup line literally just means that the girl did it instead, and make the boy's heart flutters."

Ophi does have a point... "But boats technically have different shapes too you know? There was actually a plan for a swan shaped boat that you don't paddle with your arms propel with your leg like a bicycle. Hikaru denied it after checking the size of the canals though. He said that it might caused a traffic because Digimons of Ys aren't quite small either."

Valt chuckled as Ophi questioned if she's free to talk shit back. "Well, as long as you don't mind me chaining shittalk after that, that should be fine."

Don't talk as if she's not there? "Eh, I just wondering if it'll make you more alert, shoo off the sleepiness a bit."

How big is Hikaru? "......Maybe you can try to check with him... but he's a king now, so you can't really touch him outta sudden... hmn."

Tail lashes? "I don't generally use my tail. A bit too risky in my opinion," Valt admitted. "If someone tries to cut my tail while I swing it, I think the result going to be quite fatal. Still, a solid flame...? That's news. My flame are corroding as Coredramon. As Dracomon it's generally just exploding and pushes people back. I think that's why I got my anti-defensive measures ability. Mainly because my attacks as Coredramon also destroys enemy's defenses."

...Familiar scent?

"Hmm? You think he's someone's lost child?"

That was too dorky for Valt's heart to be absolutely gobsmacked and beats faster, but it was the second best as the dragon's face and ears started to go red.

"Y-you sure did," Valt answered, trying to hide his embarrassment by half submerging his head under the water. Now that he's used to the cold, the water underneath the surface felt warmer than the surface, but that's probably because of the temperature adjuster that prevented the water from being too cold... it doesn't work as well on the surface though.

"Hmmm, good point," Valt admitted to Ophi's comment. "Generally, when it's flat, it's called a raft. A boat is if it's in curve shape, whether it's with or without roof... then if it's full on enveloping you and it goes underwater it's called submarine... However, I guess to make it easier to categorize, people just slap "boat" to everything. By the way, if it goes under the water, protects you from water, but cannot really move, it's called a diving bell."

True, politeness is virtue. "I mean yeah, but before you can just touch him if you're friends with him, and he'll sometime offers it. But because he's a king now, that's not as easy. He can't say 'hey, fluff me' or something like that."

How sturdy his hide? "...Probably not the slightest. But the most annoying thing about him is that he's bad if you're planning to take it easy. He heals a lot and his defenses are solid. The last thing you should do is to make it a drawn out battle. He'll win," Valt commented. "He admitted that if he's fighting me as Alphamon, there is a huge chance he'll lose.... but if he's fighting me as Plutomon, my luck probably kinda going to run out."

Huh... A cannonball like flame rather than explosive... "...That's mental somehow," Valt commented. "Never heard that kind of flame before."

...But Valt did not expect what would come outta Ophi next. "Oh, he smelled like me...."

....Wut?

Valt slowly turned his head at his disciple, and unfortunately hits the border of the canal while he wasn't looking. Yet, despite this mishap, the blue dragon's eyes did not leave Ophi, and he's still swimming forward, his cheek smushed against the wall... shocked much?

"...Girl, wut? I don't remember... i don't remember Penny telling me we got a child or something... because I think if we does, she would immediately tell me and all that... Eh? ...Eh? EH!?"

Then immediately he turned his head to Cassie. "Cass! Trust me, I'm not a deadbeat dad that would abandon his own kid!"

"....H-hey, you shouldn't tease your teacher too much," Valt protested... too weakly for his taste. Still, when Cassie claims him as her Vmon, part of him just felt so elated, and none of the teasing seem to be matter at the moment. He licked the Gomamon X's cheek affectionately.

"..Salty."

...But it can't be helped. The canal in Ys isn't really the best for drinking. It's for transportation. There are certain level of salinity on the water. It's much milder than seawater obviously, but it's by no means freshwater. Freshwater is very precious for Ys, and the underground reservoir is the only place where it can be found. It's unknown if it's finite or not, but due to practically living in arid land, it's a precious resource. Other than for consumption, the water is almost never used thanks to that. There are tool, however, that changes snow outside to water, and then purified from salt content. This is what used for bathing water. It's less saline than this, but it's still not recommended for drinking.

There's indeed some misunderstanding it seems. "Oh, no, diving bell is only for looking at what's at a depth, you see... wait a sec." Valt took out a bowl from his infini-store, then take out a small glass that's definitely shorter than the bowl. He filled the bowl with water and then upside down pushes the glass in.

"If you do this, you'll see that there are air trapped inside the small glass. That's the idea behind a diving bell. You'll stay dry, and it's mostly used for observation. Now, the bell is actually connected with chains that can be pulled anytime, usually by ship. And when it got pulled you can return to surface, just like that!"

Well, that has been Science 101 with Valt, he guess!

Hmmm, another misunderstanding. "Oh no, not like that. I mean he's free to do whatever he want in private, but if he ask his friends to fluff him while he's out in public, it'll be a bit complicated. The only ones that allowed to touch his fur in public is his family, his partner, and his husband obviously... But even then it's a bit eyebrow raising if they fluff him in public. I think we're still allowed to touch him in private, like in the base's bathhouse or something."

Hmmm, how would Ophi fare? "...Pretty well I think? I think you can win, if you don't let him keep defending and bide his time. But if you're facing him as Plutomon, I think that's going to be hell all the way. You'll probably struggle because his nasty tactics kind of just pierces all sort of defenses. Good thing is that it's not always active."

Hmmm, this young dragon's creativity seem to be the key. "...I think it's matter of common sense. If you believe, your attack can do things that's a bit illogical. For example, I can do this.." Valt formed an aura sphere on his palm. "See? By Vmon's common sense, this is 'unthinkable'. But for me, this is 'common sense' I guess it means that he's very creative."

Thankfully, it looks like that the sisters believed in him. That's a relief..."Y-yeah, sorry... I'm just... really shocked I guess... Still, a guy that smelled like me? I mean, I'm still here... So did he started mentioning about Aniki or anyone else?"