Odemon #746

“Everyone into position! Head! Fins! Bobby, no, you go on the chin. Good! Alice, the top! Next to Robert! Body team, remember your placements. Keep in order. Quickly! Don’t swim into one another, swim in the same direction. There you go! Okay, is everyone in position? Is anyone missing their buddy? Hold on, we’re missing somebody in the tail. Who is missing their buddy? Anyone?”
Everyone confirmed their buddy was there. Nobody knew who was missing.
The Wishiwashi School leader groaned. There was only one Wishiwashi who would go without a buddy and who wouldn’t join formation.
–
“I don’t see why I should have to go along with their indoctrination! I’m a free fish! I can’t be forced to follow orders. What is this, the army? My ideas are way better, anyway. It’s always the same thing, and it’s always following. I don’t get to do what I want, and it never changes!”
Calvin swam in a circle at the shore, the grassy shore hanging over the shallow waters. He looked up at the old Electabuzz statue on the shore, staring out into the sea, the vines and moss covering it showing how long since its sculptor left it on the shoreline.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Calvin said, “they think they’re the boss of me, but I don’t even get paid. I still wouldn’t do it if I got paid. I can make it without them. I’ll spend my life in a cave. Then I won’t have to do their stupid math!”
Calvin paused, eyes narrowed. “Besides, they always put me in the tail.”
He spun around back to the Electabuzz statue. “And another thing–”
“Whatcha doing here, kid?”
“What?” Calvin turned around. A swaying, towering Eelektross looked down on him.
“All alone, little Wishiwashi? You’ll make for a tasty little appetizer.”
“Not likely!” Calvin blasted a high-velocity stream of water from his mouth at the tall EleFish Pokemon.
The Eelektross rubbed its chest. “Ooh, as if I wasn’t already wet.” In one swift motion the Eelektross nabbed Calvin and held him over its mouth. Calvin flailed in the Eelektross’ grasp, despite not even knowing the move.
“Now hold still, fishy. This won’t hurt a bit. Until you hit the acid, anyway.”
A huge spray of water washed over Calvin as he flew from the Eelektross’ grasp back into the water. A massive surge of water like a battering ram slammed the Eelektross out of the sea and into the nearby forest.
“Calvin! What do you think you’re doing?” The School Wishiwashi swam to the shore, almost too big for Calvin to see the top of.
“You know, it’s weird when you all talk at once like that,” Calvin said.
“You’re going to get yourself killed,” the School Wishiwashi said.
“I had that guy on the ropes,” Calvin said.
“He was going to eat you–”
From the forest a sphere of crackling electricity exploded into the School Wishiwashi, scattering the school and leaving the leader unable to move.
“Looks like I’m in for an entire feast!” The Eelektross returned from the forest, wrinkled but not out.
“Oh no! I need to do something!” Calvin swam to the other Wishiwashi, all in disarray, and led them into a new School. “You! Go there! Over there! You’re there! That’s there! Go! Yeah!” Calvin led the Wishiwashi into a new School, a great School, the most fantastic school–in short, the world’s first ever Wishiwashi Tyrantrum form! Calvin led the Wishiwashi to grip the Eelektross in their massive Wishiwashi Tyrantrum teeth and devour him instead! Calvin was praised for his ingenuity and fantastic intelligence and became the world’s most famous Wishiwashi!
–
“So anyway, that’s my story,” Calvin said, finishing the telling to the Electabuzz statue. “It’s gonna be awesome! All I have to do is fine an Eelektross. Once I get my chance in the spotlight–”
Calvin saw a shadow come over him and turned around. A Wailmer leaned down towards him, mouth wide-open.
“Hi there,” the Wailmer said. “I’m just gonna eat you real quick, okay?”
A fin as big as the Wailmer smacked it into the air and it flew off through the air over the forest.
“Calvin!” The Wishiwashi School glared down at him. “What are you doing out here? It’s dangerous! You could have gotten eaten.”
Calvin looked away. “I was fine, I was about to beat that guy up before you showed up.”
“No, you weren’t. You’re not strong enough alone. None of us are. We have to stick together.”
“Well why can’t I be in charge? I’d be a great leader!” Calvin splashed about. “I have all kinds of ideas for how to improve things around here!”
“But you don’t have any execution,” the Wishiwashi School said. “You don’t know how to organize or order anyone.”
“I can boss everyone around!” Calvin said.
“You don’t have the respect you need to earn yet. That comes from willing to work with your partners. That’s how you need to see the Wishiwashi that you organize–as partners.”
“Then why do I have to be in the tail?” Calvin yelled.
“Everyone starts there. As you grow in levels you will move closer to the front. But you have to start in the tail.”
“I don’t wanna.”
“Get in line, Calvin!”
“Fiiine.”
And he did.
–
“That was an incredibly unsatisfying ending,” said a Lapras.
“Yeah, because I didn’t get to eat anything!” the Wailmer said.
“Shut up.”

-Odemon #746 Wishiwashi