Apple Sweat (Preview)

“Phew! Now, that was a good workout!” Heavy footsteps approached from the right, JD turning and seeing another large anthro Pokémon arriving.

It was a burly, heavyset Tyrantrum with a thick muscle gut that just couldn't be fully contained by his own tank top. He glistened with sweat, his clothing damp with it too. Even with how big the Zangoose was, this new mon towered over him.

“Caleb is feelin’ the burn now!” the Tyrantrum chuckled, leaning against the counter. “He's definitely gonna need to buy some new clothes with how beefy he is!”

“Heh, great to hear!” the Zangoose chuckled. “You always get people lookin’ their swollest, dude!” He glanced back at JD, realizing the human hadn't left yet. “You know, why not keep that training going today? This scrub here could use your touch.”

Scrub? JD flinched. “Wait, are you talking about me?”

“Mhm!” The Zangoose turned back to him and smiled. “Yeah! This guy here is Roc, one of our trainers. Since you're new, he's the perfect guy to help you fit in!”

JD didn't say anything, just looking up at Roc… and up. The guy was intimidating, neary double his width and arms as almost as thick as his head. The dino mon smiled, making him flinch with those sharp fangs of his. He was certain the guy was perfectly fine, but he didn't seem like the right guy for him.

“Err, thank you, but I'll just…” JD looked back to the main room, staring at a row of treadmills and looking for a spot to jump on. “I'll just go over there and-”

“No no, it's better that you team up with Roc, honestly,” the Zangoose explained, “If this is really your first time here, he can help you warm up right so you don't strain anything. He can also judge what kind of routine would suit you at your current level. It's way better than just jumping on a treadmill and running for an hour.”

JD gently gulped, looking at the T-Rex dragon. “Well, probably, I-I shouldn't take up your time. It sounds like you just wrapped up with someone. Plus, you probably want to hit the showers after all of that.”

Roc snorted and gave a hearty chuckle. “Oh, don't worry about me! I don't mind helping break in a newbie and get ‘em into the spirit of things around here.

“Besides!” Roc lifted an arm and flexed it. His bicep bulged far more than JD could've imagined, his scaly skin glistening. “I already worked up a good sweat and scent. I don't wanna mess up my special mojo if I take five or hit the showers.”

JD was about to ask him what he meant by “scent”, but the dragon anthro suddenly had an arm on him, pulling him close. “Come on! Let's get you started, bro! I got a good idea on what we should do.”

JD understood what “scent” meant now. Being that close as Roc led him away towards one of the doors, he got a full blast of it. It was heavily musky from all of the presumably hard work he had just done. It was a lot, even making his human nose tingle and heat up.

By the time they reached one of the doors, JD's nose was burning. When Roc released his grip on him, JD quickly stepped back from to get some regular air. The dino didn't seem to mind or even notice. “So, this is where we're gonna get you all swolle and fit… err, your name?”

“Oh, JD. But listen, I think I'll just-” Roc opened the door wide and ushered him in with a gentle, by the dinosaur's standards at least, push.

The room was massive, seemingly even bigger than the main room they were in. It was filled with all kinds of equipment for lifting from dumbbells to barbells to bench presses. On the right wall was a huge mirror that stretched from end to end. Several gym patrons who weren't busy lifting were taking the time to admire themselves in it, flexing and posing.

However, the main thing JD noticed was the stench. This room reeked of sweat, several different flavors of it all mixed together and thick. It made his eyes water. He tried to fan a bit of it away, but gave up fast when he realized how pointless it was.

“Let's get you set up… there!” Roc led him over an unoccupied bench press and sat him down. JD prepared to lay down, ready to just get things over with, but Roc stopped him. “We'll work up to that. First…”

Roc hurried over to a giant rack filled with dumbbells of all sizes. He grabbed a lot, easily carrying them over to JD and laying them before him. “We'll start here with some basic lifting. Wake up those arms of yours and then move up in challenge. Any questions?”

JD had many questions on his mind, but they were hard to focus on. Only one was able to break through, and it made the most sense to ask. “Do we have to do this in here? This room… well, it's kind of… ya know…”

“Smells?” Roc laughed. “Dat's just the scent of results, bro! It's naturally in all gyms, but especially true here. Everyone here has it, so it wouldn't matter where we went. Either ignore it or breathe it in! Whatever works for you!”

JD frowned. That wasn't the answer he wanted. However, he couldn't get too mad, especially with how light headed he was starting to feel. He simply nodded and managed to ask another question, “So… where do I start?”