Chapter 2 Lanturn Lighthouse
Ash and Alice are now walking on the road after leaving Virima City, they are inside the hotel and Alice says, "This hotel is where my sister and I lived, so now that we are going to start a journey, I think it will be better if we just check out."
"I see. Alice, you know this region well, right?" Ash asks, "Do you know about the gyms?"
Alice says, "I heard that there are a total of 18 gyms, and each gym will be using up to six Pokemon."
"18 Gyms and 6 Pokemon? That's a lot..." Ash says, knowing that he might not be able to see his friends for a long time because of that. "But that really gives me a good challenge."
"So what brings you to this Ceolis? I mean, my sister and I are on a vacation, what about you?" Alice asks.
Ash says, "It is because I want to be stronger so I can protect the ones I care about. If you didn't know, I almost let my friends died because I was careless...even though they don't blame me, I could feel that haunting me."
Alice notices the sad face Ash is making, and she says, "I am sure that you can be stronger."
Ash nods. "By the way, this is Virima City, right? So what can we do before the gym opens?"
"How about getting a bike?" Alice asks, "It will be useful on our journey."
As they get into the bike shop, they are asked if they are residents or tourists, after telling them that they are from Kanto, the owner of the bike shop just gives them bikes for free, much to their delight.
Then they also try to help a boy in a house finding a remote, and after finding it in the fridge, he gives them a Soda Pop as thanks. And in another house, they get an Old Rod so that they can try out fishing.
"So Ash, you really like to help others, right?" Alice asks, and Ash says, "Of course, if there is a help in need, I will be glad to help."
"You are so kind." Alice smiles, "And that's why I like you..."
"Did you say something?" Ash asks, not hearing clearly what Alice just said, and Alice quickly turns away with a blush. "Nothing."
When they are heading to the beach, Ash asks, "Since there is grass, have you ever think of getting a new Pokemon?"
Alice says, "I am not sure, since my goal is to make friends, and I am not sure if I want to capture Pokemon."
"I see, let's not worry about it and we should check out the beach." Ash says as Alice nods.
Once they get there, they see a Lanturn on the shore, and he signals for them to hop on, much to their confusion. "Are you going to let us ride on you?" Ash asks, and the Pokemon nods.
After riding on the Pokemon, they arrive at a place known as Lanturn Lighthouse. They see a man standing in front of them and he says, "Hello, and welcome to the Lanturn Lighthouse. I'm Professor Morgan Mangrove, and this is my Lanturn, Aoki."
"It is nice to meet you, Professor." Ash and Alice say in unison.
"If you're interested in the story behind this place, I've documented the details in a series of journals in the room in front of us. If you're here to see the Pokemon, the section behind the journal room is where you want to be. Otherwise, feel free to explore."
Ash and Alice see how the Professor leaving the room, as they decide to check out the journals. They find five journals and they decide to read the first one.
"Journal Journey #1 - About Me and How I Got Here. I like keeping records of my days with journal entries, and I'll be doing that here too. So if anyone stumbles upon this, hi. My name is Morgan Mangrove. I'm from the Sea Star Society, and I graduated from the Sea Star School, focusing on science. Even more specifically, my preferred area of study is marine biology. I haven't yet done anything in the field, but that might be about to change. And that ties into how I got here in the first place. In addition to Marine Biology, I also like searching for treasure. I went above the surface of Ceolis' waters for the first time recently, to go below the surface at a different place. I wanted to visit the Underwater Hotel. To the Sea Stars, the idea of an underwater hotel isn't anything out of the ordinary, since we have hotels and we live underwater. But the Underwater Hotel wasn't made by Sea Stars. It was made by a human from Unova, who grew up near underwater ruins. That human being Triston, one of the Ceolis League's Elite 4. The hotel also isn't an ordinary hotel. It's massive and has a reputation for beyond excellent customer service and employee satisfaction. A luxury underwater hotel built by a human definitely captured my curiosity. I went to see what it was like, and I wasn't disappointed. What I heard wasn't only true, it was an understatement. I had a few conversations with Triston himself, and he told me more about the inspiration behind the hotel, the Abyssal Ruins from his birthplace Undella Town. Divers who go to the Abyssal Ruins sometimes find ancient artifacts and forms of currency. Triston showed me his collection of Relic coins, and that ignited the treasure hunting spirit within me. The most common arrival spot for tourists visiting the Ceolis Region is Virima City. That's where I headed, to see if I could find a treasure like that of the Relic artifacts. My Lanturn, Aoki, is keeping me company as always. Maybe tourists will have dropped valuables that ended up lost in the sea, or perhaps these ruins that even we didn't know about. Maybe I'll also be able to advance my career as a marine biologist here. I commissioned some workers from the Sea Star Society to construct this lookout spot, which I currently don't have a name for. So this chapter of my life begins here." Alice finishes the first story, and Ash says, "That was quite long.
"I know." Alice says. "Let's read the next one."
"Journal Journey #2 - What's Happened So Far. One month has passed since I set up base at this lookout. I haven't found any treasure, but that's not surprising. I imagined I might, but that doesn't mean I was certain I would. As a treasure hunter, the possibility of treasure, no matter how small, is just as enticing as confirmation that someplace does hold treasure. But I have been observing the aquatic Pokemon of the area. Even though treasure is what led to me coming here, marine biology is still more important to me, and more realistic of a goal to focus on. Aoki gets along with the Marine Pokemon, and they seem used to all the people coming as a result of increased tourism and Virima's expansion. So far nothing groundbreaking has happened, but I'll stay here for now since Aoki and I are both enjoying ourselves." Ash says.
"This one is shorter...but it does tell the story of the Professor." Alice says.
"Yeah. Underwater Hotel and the Elite 4 member Tristan...I will definitely want to see them." Ash says.
"Journal Journey #3 - An Idea. It's now been six months that I've spent here. I believe I've seen all the regular aquatic species of Pokemon that live around Virima, both above and below the water's surface. And that, along with Aoki's presence, gives me an idea. What if I could bring more species of Pokemon here? My favorite Pokemon is and always has been Lanturn, due in no small part to having Aoki since I was young. When it comes to habitats, though, Chinchou and Lanturn are some of the rarest Pokemon in the Ceolis Region. They mostly inhabit the Yellow Sea, which is quite a distance from here. Me meeting Aoki was an uncommon instance of a Pokemon being found outside its normal habitat. The Ceolis Region has a very wide variety of Pokemon species. But what if your favorite Pokemon lives so far away that you wouldn't ordinarily be able to see it, and you don't currently have the means to travel there? Maybe I can help make those connections easier. And if I can get this idea going, I'm not going to limit it to just Chinchou and Lanturn, or marine Pokemon. There's a lot I need to plan. I need to think about which species I should try to introduce here, and how to care for them both on species and individual levels. this might also require me to propose my idea to get an endorsement and funding so that I have enough resources. There's a lot I need to think about if I want to do this right, but I'm determined to at least give it a try." Alice says.
"Yellow Sea? Is the sea there yellow? I never knew about that." Ash says.
"Who knows? Maybe we will get there if we travel further enough." Alice shrugs.
"Journal Journey #4 - Lanturn Lighthouse. Today it's been a year exactly! I did end up approaching the Pokemon Research Institute with my proposal. They liked my idea, but they were cautiously optimistic since I don't have any formal research experience and I'm basically fresh out of school. But the fact that I did complete my studies was enough for them to give me a chance to see if I'm capable. If I can populate this place with Chinchou and Lanturn and take care of them, then they'll support my project. And I've done exactly that! Chinchou and Lanturn populate this lookout now, and they're all doing well. Soon, I'll be able to bring in other Pokemon species as well. The future is looking promising! Oh, and I finally decided on a name for this place. With the Chinchou and Lanturn brightening the area, the place will now be known as the Lanturn Lighthouse!" Ash says.
"So the Professor succeeded in the project, that is why this place is formed." Alice says.
"And I wonder what is in the last one." Ash says.
"Journal Journey #5 - Success! It's now been two years. The Pokemon Research Institute was satisfied with how things were going here, so they gave their support. Now, I have several species of Pokemon residing here alongside Chinchou and Lanturn, and all of them get along well with each other. When I first came here, I never imagined this is what would happen, or that I'd be here so long, to begin with. But I'm glad. My work is officially recognized now, and I'm being called Professor Mangrove too. I've already had a handful of trainers coming here for a Pokemon they've always wanted to see and/or catch. That makes me happy. I've also made sure to respect each Pokemon's wishes. The only Pokemon in the viewing room past the journal room are the ones that are okay with interacting with or being adopted by trainers. All other Pokemon are in parts of the lookout not accessible to the public."
"So since we are here, how about we go check it out?" Ash asks, and Alice nods.
When they get into the viewing room, they can see a lot of Pokemon, after watching them, they decide to head back to the surface of Virima City and leave.
Here is a new chapter, and in this chapter, Ash and Alice check out the Lanturn Lighthouse, I hope you like it and the next chapter will be visiting the library.
Ash's Pokemon: Snorlax, Sirfetch'd, Noivern, Krookodile, Lycanroc, Heracross, Gengar, Lucario, Charizard, Greninja, Sceptile, Pikachu
Alice's Pokemon: Alolan Vulpix