During Summer's voyage to Tangelo Island, she met Yuki, a Coordinator, and learned about her aunt's showboat. Then, the Trainer was kidnapped by OIATO, who wanted to stop the passengers from entering the islands. After a Fire Pokémon battle, Blaze was able to master Sky Uppercut to defeat Magma's Charizard. After that ordeal, Summer will finally board the famous Eevee Showboat. Who will she meet and how will she travel throughout the archipelago?
Chapter 3- The Eevee Showboat
I hope she's not late… I pondered, looking at my Pokégear. I was supposed to meet Professor Ivy at 9am in front of the Tangelo Island Pokémon Center, but it was almost 9:15. Yuki went on ahead to see her aunt and told me to call her when I was ready.
"Is that her, Summer?" Lightning alerted me by lightly tugging on my skirt.
I heard heeled shoes clacking on the pavement and looked up. It was a woman with lightly tanned skin, brown eyes, and chin-length plum hair that curled upwards at the ends. Under her white lab coat was a dark red shirt and a dark blue knee-length skirt. In her right hand was a brown briefcase decorated with native fruit and ivy leaves.
I was dumbstruck, my mouth staring to gape open. I can't believe it's her! THE PROFESSOR IVY!
Suddenly, I felt something thump against my left leg. My mind returned to reality, and I saw Lightning disapprovingly shaking her head. My eyes then frightfully returned to the professor, and my mouth immediately snapped shut.
"I'm so sorry, Professor Ivy!" I apologized with a bow.
She gave a friendly laugh and replied with a calm tone. "I understand, Summer. It's an honor to meet a junior research assistant interested in my work."
After I recovered, I took off my backpack and rummaged through it. "Here are the notes for the translation app, Professor," I said after finding the stack of papers.
She took the notes and glanced at the first page. "I appreciate you bringing them to me. Now I can help Professor Oak with the app. Would you like to see my lab?"
I glowed in excitement, but remembered something. "I would love to, but I promised my friend that I'll meet her after I'm done."
She slightly cocked her head and smiled. "Would that be Yuki, by any chance?"
"Yeah, that's right. She did mentioned she lived here for a while. How do you know her?"
Before Professor Ivy could answer, Yuki and a taller woman about the age of forty walked towards us. The unfamiliar woman had long, sandy blonde hair that had a braided halo design. Her pink dress was decorated white daisies along the edge of the skirt, which matched her tan sandals with a large daisy on each bridge. Next to her was a pink fox-like Pokémon with brown eyes, a red jewel on her forehead, and a two-forked tail. A green silk bowtie was snugly tied around her right ear.
"Professor Ivy!" Yuki happily exclaimed as Ichigo gripped her left shoulder. "It's good to see you again!"
The researcher grinned. "You too, Yuki and Daisy."
Yuki then presented her companion. "Summer, this is Daisy, my aunt and the one who owns the showboat I told you about."
"It's nice to meet you, Summer," Daisy replied in a motherly tone.
"Likewise," I replied as we shook hands.
We then heard a chime ringing. "Oh, that's my alarm," the professor answered. "I need to head back to the lab. Just let me know when you're coming to visit, Summer."
I sadly smiled. "Thank you, Professor." We then waved goodbye to her, and she walked towards the harbor.
The unfamiliar Pokémon then sniffed my relaxed hands and eventually Lightning. Daisy explained, "My Espeon, Twinberry, becomes familiar with people and Pokémon through scent. I hope you don't mind."
Of course not, Daisy," I calmly replied. "It's nice to meet you, Twinberry."
[Espeon, the Sun Pokémon and one of the evolved forms of Eevee. An Espeon is extremely loyal to any Trainer it considers to be worthy. It is said to have developed precognitive powers to protect its Trainer from harm.]
She returned to her Trainer and said in a meek voice, "You too, Summer and Lightning."
"So Summer," Daisy asked, trying to get to know me. "I hear you're traveling throughout the Orange Islands. Have you seen a showboat performance before?"
I shook my head. "No, but I do want to see one. Yuki told me a little about your performances."
Daisy clasped her hands. "Excellent! Why don't you travel with us? It'll be cheaper than taking the ferries. I'll take you to the boat. You can meet my staff and the other Pokémon there."
Lightning and I bowed. "Great, thank you!"
We walked through the bustling streets and to the harbor. There, at the farthest end of the docks, was a ship with two portholes and a medium-sized black smokestack. It was painted chocolate brown, with five cream-colored lifeboats tethered on each side. There was a wide deck at the bow, and the name of the boat, which was painted on the back, was S.S. Eevee.
The gangplank was lowered once we arrived, and the two led us onto the ship and into the rotunda. It was a beautiful room with a glass case filled with pictures and memorabilia of the cast, light brown wooden floors, a large gold chandelier decorating the light blue roof, and a gold and silver staircase that led downstairs.
"This is amazing!" I gasped. Lightning couldn't help but open her mouth and nod.
"Thank you, Summer," Daisy said, smiling at my compliment. "It is important to give a good first impression. Not only do we have the shows, but we also function as a fancier mode of transportation throughout the Orange Islands. There's a small restaurant and bar downstairs along with the stage. We and any guests staying for overnight travel sleep on the first floor. Our storage and practice rooms are separated by a wall on the same floor."
"Can I give her the tour, Aunt Daisy?" Yuki offered.
"Of course. I'll gather everyone on the deck, then you can meet everyone once you're done."
"Come on, Summer!" Yuki gleefully shouted and ran downstairs.
Lightning and I followed her and Ichigo through the red, yellow, and blue decorated hallways, and we got a quick tour of the ship, including where I would be sleeping. It was a one-bed bunk on the east with a small white table behind it. The room also had red walls and a small porthole that overlooked Tangelo Island. I put my backpack down, then we headed to the deck where Daisy, a slightly brawny man with reddish hair and a thick red beard, and an elderly woman with black hair that was starting to turn gray. The man wore a red and black plaid shirt and brown jeans while the woman wore a thin pink cardigan and a long olive green shirt.
"Summer," Daisy introduced. "Meet my crew. This man's Will. He helps with the stage equipment and is the executive chef of the restaurant."
"Nice to meet you, Summer," he greeted with a booming, masculine voice. He stepped forward, his grey boots making the wood vibrate.
After we shook hands, Daisy continued, "And this is Marybelle, our storyteller and greeter. She has a lot of experience with showboat performances."
"Oh, hush, Daisy," she playfully teased. Her voice was a little soft, but it was warm and comforting to hear. "Welcome to the Eevee Showboat, dear."
Instead of shaking hands, we bowed. Daisy, Will, and Marybelle then removed their Pokéballs from the belt. "Now it's time to meet the rest of our crew!" she shouted as they tossed them into the air.
An Electabuzz and a Magmar, obvious with his yellow snout and red and orange body, appeared next to Will. A Clefairy and a Jigglypuff gently descended next to Marybelle. Finally, to my delight, Daisy's Eevee and her other Eeveelutions.
The Eevee looked very fluffy, especially his collar ruff. He wore a beautiful velvet black bowtie around his neck. The Vaporeon had smooth aqua fur and a long finned tail. A pink multi-petaled flower on her left ear gave her a sense of gentleness. The Jolteon had spiky yellow fur that made him more menacing than he appeared. A small round green pin was attached under his chin. The Flareon emanated a heat that I could feel even though he was several feet away. Around his cream collar ruff was a dark red wooden collar that played well with his orange fur. Finally, the Umbreon's yellow rings brightened her jet black fur. A small white crescent moon dangles dangled from her brass necklace. I was extremely tempted to scan all of them, but I knew it wasn't the best time for that.
"Will, why don't you go first?" Daisy asked. "Then Marybelle, then me."
"All right then. Summer, meet Charge, my Electabuzz, and Pyro, my Magmar." Lightning and I waved to them, and they returned the gesture with wide grins.
Marybelle continued, "My lovely Pokémon are Starlight, my Jigglypuff, and Moonbeam, my Clefairy. They like to play pranks, but they are relatively harmless. Say hello, you two." The two Normal types lightly smirked but waved to us as well.
"Now for our main performers!" Daisy shouted as she thrust her right hand into the air. Each of her Pokémon eagerly but patiently waited for their cues.
"First up, Buckeye! The youngest of our troupe, but the most eager to perform. He's the star of our most popular show series, Prism Power!" The Eevee released a spray of bright white stars into the air, which collided into each other and created a glittery shower.
"Next is Primrose! She's a specialist in water-based special effects and one of the stars of our show, Trial by Triage!" The Vaporeon blew a stream of bubbles from her mouth, then a cool rainbow beam. The light shattered the orbs, making smaller rainbows that gently illuminated the blue sky.
"Here comes Cactus! He loves to end every show by popping balloons of confetti and streamers over our guests. He's another star in the show, Trial by Triage!" The Jolteon leaped higher than his teammates and shot white spikes upwards in the air. The streaks of light were highlighted when he unleashed a Thunderbolt, turning them into a lovely cloud white firework.
"If you thought that was hot, wait till you see Redwood! He's our specialist in fire and explosion based special effects and the final star in Trial by Triage!" The Flareon took a deep breath and exhaled the largest fireball I'd seen into the sky. He then jumped into the air and smashed it into the deck with his fluffy tail. I thought the deck would start to burn, but instead, the ball was separated into five smaller fireballs. They curled upwards again and creating a fiery star.
"She may be shy, but she's our star in our second most popular show series, Detective Moonflower! Here is, Moonflower, the Umbreon!" The Umbreon closed her eyes and formed a dark ball of energy with her mouth. As she launched it upwards, she suddenly disappeared. I was confused until I followed the movement of the Shadow Ball. Moonflower reappeared behind it and shot through it with a fast Quick Attack. Once she landed, it looked like a black cape flowing behind her.
Before Daisy said anything, Twinberry used her psychic powers to levitate into the air. "Finally, the leader of my troupe! She's the oldest, and most experienced, and loves to help her fellow teammates. She's the second half to Detective Moonflower, Dr. Twinberry, and the mother figure in Trial by Triage. Please welcome, Twinberry!" Using her psychic powers, the Espeon floated through five pink conjured rings, then combined them to form an atom-like shape in the sky. As the rings rotated and changed size, everyone oohed and aahed until the pink energy exploded, sprinkling everyone with pink sparkles. She then gracefully landed on the deck, and all seven of them bowed.
I enthusiastically clapped. "That was amazing! It was almost like watching a Contest appeals round!"
Daisy enjoyed the praise. "I'm so glad! With such appreciation for Contests, you must be from Hoenn, correct?"
As I nodded, Yuki added, "Aunt Daisy was actually a Coordinator before she became a showboat owner. She traveled all over the world and eventually became a Top Coordinator."
"Really?" I exclaimed. "In what region?"
Daisy grinned. "Johto and Sinnoh."
"Wow… A multi-Top Coordinator…"
Yuki then tensed up and looked at the ocean. Daisy noticed her niece's sudden behavior and changed the subject, "So Summer, are you ready to start traveling with us?"
"Actually...I was wondering if I can help out somehow." I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. "I feel kind of awkward getting a room and travel for free."
Daisy pondered my offer. "What Pokémon do you have, Summer?"
"So here's Lightning…" Then I threw four Pokéballs into the air. Blaze, Errol, Swirls, and Flower appeared and smiled at the crew.
"Wow, Pokémon from three regions," Will said, impressed.
"And a mixture of different personalities," Marybelle gleefully added. "Just the right mix we need for our shows."
I beamed. "Thanks everyone. This is Blaze, Errol, Swirls, and Flower. I do also have Rocky, but he's a pretty big Onix."
"Oh don't sweat it, Summer," Daisy replied. "I feel the same with Edelweiss, my Lapras. I'm sure we'll meet her later, and the same goes with you and Edelweiss."
"Well, it's getting close to lunch," Will interrupted with a clap of his hands. "Let's eat, then we'll discuss how you can help us."
We all nodded and went back inside. Afterwards we talked about doing tasks and what roles my Pokémon could play. Although I was excited about helping, I also wanted to see what was wrong with Yuki.
Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut
Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck
Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch
Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch
Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder
Rocky (Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail
Questions for the Chapter:
What do you think of the Eevee Showboat?
The performances in this chapter will be a preview for Contests in the future. Did you like the content of them and what should be improved?
P.S.- A new poll is up! This is about the shows featured on the Eevee Showboat, and if anyone is interested in reading them. One episode of a show will be in the main story, but the rest will be in a new story. If there are at least five votes, I will try to write the plot of the shows whenever I have time :)
