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Milotic and Primarina's long, flexible bodies lend well to deeply intimate encounters~

[section,expanded=A researcher’s report by A Vittata]
The water 1 egg group is the second largest egg group, including over 10% of described pokémon. However, this egg group is also the most environmentally diverse of any. Members of the water 1 egg group can be found at every latitude, in water of every salinity and temperature where pokémon can be found, and at every depth. Many even spend a considerable portion of their life on land. This diversity of ecosystem is related to a diversity of life history and behavior, and most importantly here, a diversity of courtship and mating behavior. In the case where two pokémon primed for sexual activity and share an egg group cross paths, but their courtship and mating behavior are significantly different, what is the result?

We know from trained examples that, as suggested by their shared egg group, Primarina and Milotic are sexually compatible, despite differences in their ecology. Milotic prefer freshwater ponds to the coastal saltwater Primarina thrives in. Primarina may migrate hundreds of miles during mating seasons or when food is scarce, while most Milotic will not travel more than five miles from where they hatched as Feebas during their entire life. Most relevant to their interaction, while both pokémon spend most of their time in the water, Primarina leave the water regularly for sleep and for a majority of their social activity, including courtship.

The Sawsbuck Estuary is one of the many brackish sloughs that connect the ranges of Primarina and Milotic. A muddy eelgrass-rich environment, the Sawsbuck Estuary is nursery habitat for Feebas and connects deep inland lakes to the coast. May 23rd, 2022 was a literal perfect storm by the Estuary, as a strong El Niño resulted in decreased upwelling that pushed the Primarina mating season to May, and offshore summer storms that made the Estuary more appealing for foraging than the open sea.

On this day, I was scuba diving in the Sawsbuck Estuary due to those same offshore storms. The tide was high enough that the riverbed’s depth suited a lone Milotic, who left his lake upstream. The serpentine beauty kept to the bottom, swimming in wide arcs down the river and disrupting Barboach and Wishiwashi hiding in the eelgrass. Between the clear water and his shining scales, the Milotic was completely visible; I do not suspect he was trying to hide.

Meanwhile, from upstream, a small raft of Brionne and Poplio were venturing into the Estuary, around ten individuals. I only noticed them when their leading Primarina torpedoed past from behind, which startled me enough to make my way to the side of the river as the rest followed. The Brionne and Poplio gave chase on the small water-types, who were still reorganizing after being scared from their home. The Primarina neither stopped nor joined. He clearly noticed me, but even wild Primarina in the area will regularly encounter people on boats or at docks. Instead, the Primarina swam down towards the bottom, after the obvious Milotic.

The Primarina caught up to the slower Milotic easily, chasing close behind and nipping at it without making contact. This was more likely chase-play or investigation than hunting; Primarina rarely hunt without the rest of their chorus[1], and use their bubbles to slow prey into a position to be cut off. This lone Primarina could have caught the Milotic if he wanted, but neither pokémon were even swimming at their fastest speeds.

This chase continued for about five minutes, interrupted by the Milotic’s sharp turn to face the Primarina. The unprepared Primarina harmlessly collided with the Milotic’s midsection, and spun as if to reorient himself. The Milotic followed this spin, swimming horizontally around the Milotic at a similar speed, until the Primarina reach a vertical orientation.

This is likely where courtship began from the Milotic’s perspective. Milotic courtship, and the courtship of other swimming members of the dragon egg group, is characterized by swimming patterns done in sync with partner(s) that are usually highly vertical, keep the ventral sides facing each other[2], and include helixing of the tails or bodies together without contact initially. To attempt to initiate this dance, the Milotic oriented himself vertically to match the Primarina, and began to swim upwards. When the Primarina did not rise to meet the Milotic, he sank back down, remaining vertical, before attempting to initiate the dance again. On the fourth attempt, instead of remaining still or rising to match, the Primarina followed from below, as if chasing again, and ran into the Milotic again.

Part of the reason the Primarina struggled to understand what the Milotic was attempting is explained by Primarina courtship. Primarina is a very vocal pokémon, and likely relies more on sound to communicate than any other member of the water 1 egg group. This is especially true of courtship, which is always initiated by singing[3], and nearly always on land. While Primarina is capable of sex underwater, it is hypothesized that the dispersion of higher-pitched sounds causes courtship songs to sound less like courtship songs from under the water.

While Milotic is capable of sound, its vocal range and sense of musicality (as we would recognize it) is much more limited than that of a Primarina, and it is possible underwater sounds from it would still not register to the Primarina as an attempt at courtship.

Once the pair were once again facing each other ventrally, the Milotic wrapped its tail around the Primarina, right below the Primarina’s hip. While an occupied tail made swimming upward slower, Milotic can wiggle the entirety of its body for swimming. This time, pushing the Primarina from below communicated what the Milotic wanted, and he swam upward along the push. A few repetitions of this, and the Primarina continued these vertical swims unassisted, even as the Milotic began to circle the Primarina during their ascents.

This continued for nearly 30 meditative minutes, the Milotic transitioning slowly between swim patterns to better allow the Primarina to adapt. However, when it came time to helix, the Milotic encountered a flexibility problem: while it was not difficult for the Milotic to circle its body around the Primarina like a spring, the Primarina would not be able to mimic this shape even if the Milotic could communicate it. The Milotic either realized this or had grown impatient with the dance, and coiled tighter to make contact with the Primarina, skipping the helixing swim altogether.

Physical contact is the last part of Milotic courtship, and does not happen often between Milotics outside of that circumstance. However, physical contact is common among Primarina during daily activity, so even as the Milotic wrapped around the Primarina, it is reasonably possible the Primarina did not yet realize he was being courted. The first absolute indication was likely the mouth kiss. When the Milotic planted his mouth on the Primarina’s, his body writhed in a way it hadn’t since courtship began. Aside from the fact it was one-sided, typical Milotic courtship continued from there, as the Milotic switched the way he wrapped around Primarina and continued to kiss him.

By the time 10 minutes passed, both Milotic and Primarina were clearly erect. Primarina almost always copulate on land, so even here, typical Primarina mating behavior was not viable. Lucky for the Milotic, Primarina’s shape is similar enough to allow the Milotic to shift from a courtship wrap to a sex wrap, and pushed his dick into the Primarina’s asshole with little resistance. Since Primarina was clearly not familiar with this arrangement, the pair would slowly sink as Milotic thrusted, before Milotic unwinded his body just enough to propel the pair away from the bottom before continuing.

The Primarina displayed no discomfort with the position, though; during the short periods where Milotic’s mouth left Primarina’s, the Primarina made barks typical of pleasure. In addition, the Primarina eventually figured out how to wrap his tail around the Milotic’s, presumably attempting to help the Milotic maintain contact.

After about 5 minutes, the pair’s sex reached a comfortable rhythm where neither was adjusting to reach a more comfortable position, and a mere five minutes later, the Milotic was the first to cum, followed seconds after by the Primarina[4]. Both these pokémon are very cuddly after sex, so instead of separating, the two sank into the eelgrass intertwined, staying there for about 20 minutes. This was followed by a two hour stretch of period chase-play and cuddling until the Primarina’s chorus returned from upstream.

The most important conclusion from this sexual encounter is how the courtship and copulation was not a middle ground between the two pokémon’s typical behavior. Instead, the pokémon who performs courtship in this environment, the Milotic, took the lead, making the calls on what courtship was necessary and taking the time to teach the Primarina when he did not find the behavior obvious. However, the Milotic had the benefit of a partner whose general body shape is similar enough to allow for a typical Milotic sexual position, so I wonder what concessions might be necessary between pokémon where significantly different shape accompanies different behavior. That aside, if a Milotic found themself on land and courted by a Primarina, would we see the reverse? That is, the Milotic being lead through Primarina courtship and mating behavior?

[1]A chorus is a group of Primarina and their prevolutions.

[2]This is as opposed to similar courtship found in some members of the water 2 egg group, where most of the courtship dance keeps the ventral side facing down.

[3]Brionne courtship is quite different than Primarina in this regard, usually centered around dance. Ontogenetic courtship shifts are not well explained, but are likely an important part of understanding differing courtships within an egg group.

[4]It is here where the picture was taken. A photo any sooner would have considerable blur.
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