-Chapter 2-
Surf
Marleon approached Rose, "Well that was fun.", he exhaled. She nodded back, "Look, I'm sorry about-", she began to say, but Marleon shook his head, "Dragonite will be fine. He's survived much worse than that. Might take him a day or two to, you know...recover his pride." Rose smiled and nodded, "I'll keep working on Tyranitar. I caught her fully evolved on Shadow Psychrome Island.", she explained. Marleon crossed his arms, "Well that explains the disobedience. But don't worry, the more badges you collect, the more she'll trust you. I will say though...she had the right idea with getting Dragonite with that Ice Fang. He's weak against ice types after all.", he responded.
Some of the crowd had left, but there was a good portion still there to watch Rose win her Rain Dance Badge. Ed had also joined the two of them and handed them microphones so the crowd could hear their conversation. Marleon reached into his pocket and presented the badge, "Well, you've definitely won a Rain Dance Badge!", he handed it to her. The badge was circular and blue, but with violet swirls on it, looking much like a whirlpool. Rose accepted the badge and held it up to show the crowd. They applauded at the sight, as she pinned it to her shirt next to the Charge Badge and the Psylink Badge. "With this badge, you also get the privilege to catch a Lapras here on Rain Dance Island. We hold an event at Lapras Lagoon near Hydrofoil Town every few days, in fact it'll take place this afternoon. We have another winner who will be participating, so you're welcome to join us.", Marleon explained. Rose shook her head, "I'll come back for that sometime, but I think I want to continue to challenge the gyms. I'm going after the Fire Islands Championship!", she spoke, the crowd clapping and cheering her on. Marleon nodded, "You can come back any time. So, who are you going to challenge next?", he asked. Rose grinned, "I'll be taking on Mike Thunderbird for the Thunderbird Badge!"
"I accept your challenge!", someone called from the crowd. Everyone looked up to the bleachers to see a man with spiked hair, wearing a jacket covered in thunderbolts standing before them all. Ed took Marleon's microphone and announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I don't believe it! From New Thunderbird Isle, the gym leader Mike Thunderbird is here! Let's give him a warm welcome to Rain Dance Island!", and applause rung through the gym. Rose looked up to Mike and nodded. "I'm looking forward to our battle, Mike!", she spoke, and then handing the microphone back, she looked to Marleon, "Well, I need to find the Pokemon Center. Thanks again for the fun.", she extended a hand. Marleon shook her hand and nodded, "Mike will be a tough opponent, but I know you can win. The Pokemon Center will be a few blocks down to your left." And as Rose turned to leave, waving to the last bits of the crowd who stayed, Marleon looked back up to the bleachers, and met eyes with Mike. He already knew something was up with Mike showing up on Rain Dance Island.
Marleon shook Ed's hand, "Hey thanks for being my announcer, you really get the locals riled up here. It's great." Ed laughed, "My pleasure, I love this job! You've got a few days off, right?", he asked. Marleon nodded, "Our next opponent will be here on the weekend." And as Ed left, the only other person at the gym was Mike. He finally joined Marleon on the gym's battlefield.
"Hello Marleon.", Mike spoke. The water-type gym leader nodded, "If you're here, I'm sure it's important. What's up?", Marleon responded. Mike crossed his arms, "Unfortunately, we need to talk. The League Commissioner isn't too happy about your performance as of late.", he responded. Marleon motioned that he needed to walk over to his office on the far side of the arena, and Mike followed. The office wasn't much, a small room in the corner with a desk and some machines. One of the machines was a transporter that he could send his Pokemon directly to the Pokemon Center through. He put Drago and Dragonite's Pokeballs in the slot and contacted the center. Nurse Joy appeared on the monitor, "Hello Gyarados...oh, hello Mr. Thunderbird! I didn't expect to see you there too!", she said. "Hey Joy, I'm just sending two over today.", Marleon said. "Very well, reception is open.", Nurse Joy spoke, and afterward, the machine whirred and the two Pokeballs began to glow brightly and then vanished.
Marleon turned back to Mike, "Sorry, I wanted to get that taken care of first. So what's this about the commissioner?", he asked. Mike walked over to one of the computer terminals and typed on the keyboard. He brought up Marleon's record – with details on the Gym Leader's history. The numbers were impressive at first, he had a 70% win rate, but then the percentage began to decline. Each year, the numbers fell, until the most recent update with the battle against Rose added in. The number was at an abysmal 32%. The Rain Dance Gym Leader began to rub his head, "I knew it...", he sighed. Mike looked back, "I'm sorry, Marleon. But the rules are there for a reason. With this last battle, you are under your quota. The League expects gym leaders to maintain at least a 50% average win rate, and the minimum requirement is 33%."
Marleon closed his eyes. "So what does this mean?", he asked. "The league will probably start to look for a replacement for the Rain Dance Gym.", Mike responded, pressing the button to close out the screen. "All my hard work...this is my dream! They can't-", Marleon began, but he hesitated. "I...I can't lose this..."
Mike looked at the wall of the office. "I will admit, you are very qualified for this position. After all, I think you have the most impressive collection of badges I've ever seen.", he said. One wall of the office had several display cases, each containing the badges from Pokemon leagues spanning the globe. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn...even the Orange Islands League and other lesser known ones. Every badge was earned by Marleon, though he didn't always participate in the championship tournament afterward. He was a badge collector and gym leader fan. "Though, you are missing a set.", Mike said, and typed on the keyboard once more. A brochure popped up on the screen for the Kalos League. Marleon stared at the screen for a few moments. "I've wanted to go, but...I can't leave the Rain Dance Gym." Mike smiled, "How about I make you a promise, then? Go to Kalos and prove to us that you are Gyarados, the one and only gym leader of Rain Dance Island. Think of it as a sabbatical, we'll have someone to take care of your responsibilities here while you're gone. And when you return with a fresh set of badges, we'll have you take on a few challengers. If your ratio improves, you'll have nothing to worry about."
Marleon looked back up to the screen. He thought about it, and realized he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. "Alright. I'll do it.", he said. "If only to meet Wulfric, I'd like to add some more ice types to my team since Lapras is the only one I have at the moment. I think he'd be able to help me with the balancing." Mike nodded, "Good, I'll let the commissioner know the plan. Take a few days to get ready, and I'll have someone competent to handle the Rain Dance Gym before you leave." Mike turned and walked out of the office. Marleon stepped out as well, "Mike...", he spoke. The Thunderbird Gym Leader stopped, not turning around. "How did you know...that I was going to lose the battle today?", Marleon asked. "Let's just say that I trusted my instincts to be here today.", he turned back to Marleon and looked him in the eye, "There is no success or failure, there is only progress. When things aren't going the way you expect them to, it's time to change some things and try again.", and with that, Mike departed. Marleon stood alone in his gym. "No success or failure?", he questioned.
He closed up the gym, taking his fishing rod and tackle box as he began to walk down the streets of Mariner City. It was a nice, bright day, and the humid wind blew gently. The smell of seafood roasting was intoxicating in the market, coupled with the small souvenir shops with kites swaying in the breeze and wooden chimes clanking with every nice gust. Nautical flags adorned the buildings, adding the sound of fabric flapping to the symphony. It all was familiar to Marleon. It all was home.
As he walked, he was greeted with waves and smiles. "Hey Gyarados!", one of the store owners called out. He gave a peace sign back with the hand he held his rod with. "That's the gym leader!", a pokemon trainer spoke to himself. Marleon heard it, and knew that would be another challenger. "Gyarados! Hey!", suddenly a girl came before him. She was holding an Aron in her arms, and Marleon stopped and gave a nod, "Oh hey Vicky, how's it going?" She smiled, "Great! I'm having a good visit here! I uhh...", she cleared her throat, "I wanted to ask if I could meet your Quagsire." The gym leader sat his supplies down, "Of course! You said you were interested in catching one of your own sometime, right? I think Quagsire would go really well with your ground-type theme.", as he took the Pokeball out of his pocket and released Quagsire. The Pokemon stood still, though yawning once again. "Oh he's lovely! Aron, wouldn't you just love to have a Quagsire friend?", Vicky asked her Pokemon. Aron tilted her head a bit, then quickly hid her face. Vicky smiled, "She's a little shy, sorry." Marleon chuckled, "I'm sure we'd be able to help you find a Wooper, though...probably would be better tomorrow. I've got a full day today." Vicky nodded, "Alright, that sounds great! I'll stop by the gym tomorrow then."
They parted ways once Quagsire was returned to his ball, and Marleon started to head on the road to Hydrofoil Town. The town was on the other side of the island, and he would pass by the Beachside Arena on the way there. The Arena was an outdoor venue for public Pokemon battles, and wasn't nearly as large as the Rain Dance Gym as far as seating but was perfect for trainers to battle outside of the urban areas of the island. As a matter of fact, the arena itself was just a flat area with outlines for the Pokemon to battle on. The stands weren't much, standard metal ones much like one would find at a baseball or a football field. As Marleon passed by, he took a glance and saw someone with a Ninetales facing another trainer with a Camerupt. He didn't recognize either of them, but he didn't stay to watch. A little while later he arrived at Hydrofoil Town. The town was famous for it's restaurants, especially having a diverse selection of cuisines to pick from. And with Marleon being a local celebrity, he often got to eat for free.
As he walked, one of the restaurant owners poked a head out of her shop, "Hey Gyarados! You having some noodles today? I've got a special bowl for you today!", she asked. He shook his head, "Sorry Sadie, I've-", Marleon began but he was interrupted, "Of course he's not having noodles! He's having a quesadilla from my store! Right Gyarados?", a man from another restaurant nearby called. Marleon shook his head again, "Sorry Jack, I had that yesterday, from your store remember? Actually...", he walked a little farther, and a woman met him by her door, "Here we are Gyarados!", as she handed him a small pizza box. He nodded, "Exactly what I was craving today, thanks Brandy!", then turned back to Sadie and Jack, "Sorry guys, I ordered this ahead before I got here." "Damn! Well you're having noodles tomorrow!", Sadie called, and Jack just began to laugh, "Ahh no, I'm sure he'll enjoy some of my fish tacos next!" The Gym Leader snickered and carried on, eventually making it to the pier that he enjoyed to fish from. He enjoyed the pizza and discarded the box in the recycle bin before he went to his spot on the pier. Reaching down to his belt, he tossed the three Pokeballs he had into the water, and let out Lapras, Lanturn, and Quagsire. "Alright, have fun but don't scare the fish from my spot. Still looking for that golden Magikarp, remember? And Lanturn, be mindful of the line." Lapras and Lanturn both nodded and began to splash and play in the water, swimming away from the pier. Quagsire just settled, yawning and relaxing. Ampharos stayed behind to wait for Dragonite and Drago the Gyarados to be returned from the Pokemon Center. The Gym Leader baited his line and threw the reel. He exhaled, relaxing. A tug on the line. He patiently waited for it tug harder, before he pulled and reeled in his line. "C'mon...hope you're a golden Magikarp...", he hoped, but as the hook emerged, he saw a Krabby hanging off of it. "Mmm...nope, not what I was looking for, but maybe you'll be good for-", he went to get an empty Pokeball, but by the time he gripped it in his hand, the Krabby let go of the line and splashed back in the water. Marleon blinked, and shrugged, baiting the line again and casting it.
As he fished, he thought he heard something. There were others on the beach enjoying the afternoon, so he assumed it was just someone playing in the sand. But then he heard it again. He looked to the ocean, scanning with a hand over his brow. That's when he saw someone drifting deeper into the ocean, splashing and calling out for help. "Riptide!", he exclaimed, realizing right away that the man was being carried out by the current. "Lapras! Lapras!", he called out to his Pokemon, who stopped splashing and at once swam over to the pier. Marleon hopped off the pier and landed on the shell of his Pokemon, "That way, someone needs help!", he pointed in the man's direction and then wrapped his arms around the Lapras' neck. He braced his feet on the spikes of the shell as Lapras took off toward the man in the current. Marleon's Lapras was well trained for agility, in fact it was one of the reasons why Rain Dance Island Lapras were sought after. They were some of the fastest Pokemon in the water. "Help! He-!", the man called out again before his head went under the water. "Gyao!", Marleon's Lapras cried to his trainer, it was Marleon's cue to hold on, and soon the Lapras dove under the surface. Marleon held on, holding his breath. By this point, a small crowd heard the commotion and watched from the beach.
Soon Lapras emerged, with Marleon taking a gasp of air, and the man sprawled on the shell between the spikes. The Gym Leader went to perform CPR on him, but the man at once began to cough up water and sat up. "Easy, easy! You okay?", Marleon asked. The man slowly nodded, "I'm...I'm alright...thank heavens this Lapras was...wait...", he looked up, still wheezing from the ordeal, but he locked eyes with Marleon, "Y-you're...Gyarados!" Marleon nodded, then turned to Lapras, "He's alright, bud. Let's head back to the shore." "Gyao!", Lapras spoke, and the three of them began to head back. "What's your name?", Marleon asked. "Garrett...damn that current was strong.", Garrett responded. "Yeah, it can be killer out here. Do you have any water-type Pokemon yet?", Marleon asked. Garrett pointed to his bag by the shore, "Just a Squirtle, his name is Gallant." Marleon nodded, "Make sure Gallant never leaves your side, Squirtle are expert swimmers and he'd be able to keep you safe from the riptide."
The three landed on the beach and someone brought a towel for Garrett. The Squirtle and a Fearow both also went to their master, now realizing something had happened. "I'm okay guys, really! All thanks to our friend Gyarados!", Garrett said, but Marleon smiled, "It was really my Lapras here. He's always been great at rescues..." He gave Lapras' belly a rub, and in that moment, Marleon remembered the day they met...
The ferry arrived on a stormy afternoon, but the storm pushed them on the wrong side of the island near Lapras Lagoon. Ferries and boats can only access the island from Karp Cove where the reef wasn't so high, so when the ferry got closer to the shore, it hit part of the reef. The young boy had left the safety of his parents to see what was outside, and despite his mother telling him to come back inside, he disobeyed and went over to the side of the boat. The hull hit another reef, with enough force to cause him to fall overboard. No one saw him fall off the boat, so it kept going, finally taking the long way around the island to dock while avoiding the reef. Meanwhile, the boy thrashed in the water, not knowing how to swim, and sank. He couldn't hold his breath, and started to black out when something caught him. Bringing him over the surface, he emerged on the shell of a Lapras. He coughed and gagged, rescued, but now lost from his parents. The Lapras would bring him to his pod, where several other Lapras chattered about what to do with him. Eventually they found a human by the pier to bring the boy to, and he was never reunited with his family, but began to make a new life on Rain Dance Island.
Garrett had recovered, but Marleon escorted him to the hospital in Hydrofoil Town just to be sure he checked out okay. He then went back to the pier, exhaling. The crowd had dispersed after the excitement was over, and he picked up his fishing line and went back to work. Quagsire hadn't moved, but Lapras and Lanturn were closeby, both peering up at the pier with concern. He looked down to them, "He'll be just fine. Thank you for the help, Lapras. And Lanturn, thanks for keeping an eye on Quagsire." The two nodded, laughing a bit as Quagsire yawned. Marleon continued to fish until it got a little later in the evening. He hadn't found his golden Magikarp, but he caught a few water-type Pokemon to help out with new Pokemon trainers. The local professor relied on him and the other Gym Leaders to provide starter Pokemon for champions in the making.
It was nearing sunset, and Marleon recalled Lanturn and Quagsire but left Lapras in the water. He set his fishing gear somewhere safe and walked along the beach, with Lapras following along the shoreline. They went to a separate pier, one made more of stone where the one he was fishing was wooden. This pier was special, and once he was there, he began to light a few torches. The sound of wild Lapras singing in the distance could be heard, aside from the lapping of the water on the shore, and some chirps of bug-type Pokemon coming from inland, it was the only other noise in the area. Marleon looked out to the horizon, and could see them, a large pod enjoying their afternoon.
As he turned back around, he saw a trainer approaching, along with a small entourage of friends and family. Will was a younger trainer, but he had won convincingly against Marleon in a gym battle earlier in the week. "Hey Will!", Marleon greeted him. "I guess I'm at the right place.", Will responded with a smile. The Gym Leader nodded, "Definitely, and out there is a whole pod of Lapras. One of them will be your new teammate.", he replied, pointing out to the family of aquatic Pokemon playing in the distance. "Wow...but how does this work?", Will questioned, holding his Rain Dance Badge in his hand. Marleon motioned to the stone pier, "Just hold your badge up there, it'll send a message out to the pod. And just watch what happens.", he gave a wink.
His friends and family spoke encouragingly, such as "You can do it, Will!" and "I can't wait to see this!", as Will stepped up onto the pier. Marleon's own Lapras was hanging out nearby, and Will looked back to Marleon before he held up the badge. The Rain Dance Badge began to shimmer as soon as the light from the sunset hit it, a gentle violet glow coming from the swirls etched in the badge itself. It grew brighter and brighter, and began to pulse vividly. As this was happening, Marleon's Lapras began to sing. His voice was loud, but the melody was soothing and harmonic. The crowd gasped in awe as they watched and listened, and once Lapras had concluded his song, they could hear the distant pod begin to sing back. The song was similar, hauntingly beautiful. Finally, the light began to subside in the badge, and once it ceased to glow, Marleon spoke, "They've received the message, you can put your badge away."
Will did that, pinning the badge back to his shirt, and he watched as one of the Lapras began to nuzzle the others. She had more of a pale, light blue to her skin, a younger Lapras in comparison to many of the others, and once she had said her goodbyes, she swam closer to the shore. Marleon smiled, "Looks like a female. She'll be a good fit for you.", he said to Will. The trainer didn't respond, simply fixated on the Lapras as she got closer, before she slowed and drifted to the pier. She looked down to him with gentle eyes, and lowered her head to give him a sniff. Will hesitantly reached and pressed his palm onto her muzzle, and the female closed her eyes and spoke a soft "Gyao..." Marleon's Lapras spoke a little to the younger female, and then gave both trainers a nod. "She's all yours.", the Gym Leader spoke, and Will reached into his pocket to collect a Great Ball, pressing the button on the ball to the Lapras' cheek. The ball opened and absorbed her in, wiggling once before settling in his palm. When the Lapras disappeared, the family and such applauded and cheered, Will sheepishly turning back and holding the Great Ball up to show them. Marleon clapped as well, and Will looked to him, "I'll take good care of her. Thank you, Gyarados!"
Marleon watched as Will stepped down to rejoin his friends and family, and then he turned to Lapras, "Ready to head home?", he asked. The Pokemon slowly nodded, looking back to the pod. He exhaled, sighing audibly. Marleon caught this, "Hey, we'll catch up with them again before we leave for Kalos. I'm sure they'll want to know about it.", he sighed a bit himself, reaching over and giving Lapras' neck a rub, "I just hope that whoever takes over this event does a good job with it while we're gone. We're counting on them...the wild ones are too." Lapras nodded, and Marleon returned him to the ball, before heading back into town. It was getting darker, so he hired one of the taxi services to take him back to Mariner City. He hopped in the back of a wagon that was pulled by a Girafarig, and he watched the sky as the stars began to appear, not minding the psychic Pokemon's tail was glaring at him the entire way.
He returned to the Rain Dance Gym and let everyone out of their pokeballs. Dragonite and Ampharos both yawned almost in unison, who had uneventful days after the battle earlier. Drago the Gyarados had settled herself in the pool and was fast asleep. Quagsire waddled over to his favorite corner of the pool and relaxed. Lanturn and Lapras also had their areas in the water. The Gym Leader smiled. He had a great team, and hoped they all would be up for the challenge of taking on a fresh set of Gym Leaders. He walked back to where his office was and flipped the light on, looking at his badge collection once more. Every badge was a symbol of accomplishment, and he remembered each win vividly. And then, he walked over and pressed a hidden button on his desk. A small latch opened, and he reached in and pulled out a Master Ball. The Gym Leader held it in his hand for a few moments, the beautiful purple and white ball, with a distinctive "M" in the center...it was guaranteed to catch any Pokemon he threw it at. This was the prize he won from becoming the Fire Islands League championship a few years ago, but he never used it. He wondered if he should bring this with him on the sabbatical. He would begin his preparations for the trip in the morning, but for now, he put the Master Ball back, sealing it away before he cut the light off and proceeded to head back to where his private quarters were. It wasn't much – a bed, a television, a few shelves, a mini-fridge...about the essentials a small apartment might have. He settled in bed and flipped the television on for a little while, watching the afternoon news. Word had gotten out pretty quickly about his trip. There was a going to be an island-wide competition for the role of Substitute Gym Leader, and he watched a few interviews before he cut the television off. It was the last thing he wanted on his mind.
He closed his eyes and slept, but only a few hours went by before his eyes were open again. It was odd. He couldn't get comfortable, and his mind was racing about the recent events. He closed his eyes again, but when he opened them, he was standing on the ruins of a town. He didn't recognize that he was dreaming, and he began to walk. Familiar nautical flags were now shredded and flapping violently in the wind. Houses with crumbled walls and sunken roofs. Broken lamps and fences. Strange flags with symbols he hadn't seen before. He began to realize this was Mariner City, and soon he was racing to the Rain Dance Gym. All the while catching glimpses of those symbols again. One depicted a bird engulfed in flames, the flag coated in a vivid red. The second was a spiked bird, confidently posed in yellow against a black background. The final one was an elegant blue bird, wings spread against a darker blue. Those symbols...those birds, he knew them personally. Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno...the Legendary Birds. But why were those flags tattered across the city? He finally made it to the Rain Dance Gym, and to his shock, it was nothing but rubble! His Pokemon, where were they? He pressed his palms to his belt but the Pokeballs weren't there. And then he looked to the sky, and he saw something extraordinary – a blinding purple coated the clouds of the sky, and in them, flashes of light. Distinctive glows, lightning, bursts of flame, shimmers of ice...there they were! The trio of birds were battling one another, each pecking and using their element in an attempt to take down one of the rivals. He watched as they continued to war with one another, until he saw Articuno try to connect a blast of icy shards, sharp icicles, aimed at Zapdos. The Electric Bird moved out of the way just in time, but the trajectory was aimed right where Marleon was standing. He watched like a Stantler in the headlights as he was struck and pelted by the sharp, lethal ice shards.
Marleon sat up and gasped. He looked around, he was back in his room. Exhaling, sweating, he looked at the clock. It was about three in the morning. He sighed, trying to get the nightmare off his mind, before he finally got up and headed to the mini-fridge to get a drink. He opened it and pulled out a bottle of Dewgong Dew, popping it open and chugging greedily. He downed the drink quickly, and exhaled, looking to the window. The Rain Dance Gym was pretty close to the shore, nestled on a small peninsula that separated the Oceana Coastline to the north and Karp Cove to the east. He watched the blackness of the night for a while, the faint sound of the waves crashing against the shore...and then he caught a glimpse of something. Brief flashes of violet, it reminded him of the dream. In fact, it was the same hue of violet he saw in the sky in the dream, and the flashes were coming from the horizon. He came to the conclusion that these flashes of light were what inspired the nightmare, but they seemed unnatural. What if the dream wasn't just a dream? What if it was a vision of the future? It was entirely possible, especially considering some of the Pokemon that existed.
Marleon got dressed and went out to the gym arena. Each of his Pokemon were fast asleep, and he kept quiet as he went toward the door. But about the time he passed by Drago, she opened and eye and peeked to him. The Gyarados let out a low growl, and Marleon at once put a finger to his lips. "It's just me, girl.", he whispered. Drago settled but tilted her head, starting to sit up and move over to the edge of the pool. Marleon walked over and gave her a rub on the head, "I'm just going out for a few minutes. Don't worry, I won't be long. I know it's late, but...keep an eye on the place while I'm gone, alright?", he asked her. The Gyarados sleepily nodded, and nestled her chin on part her serpentine body, yawning wide. Marleon headed out and locked the gym up behind him, before he walked around the perimeter of the gym. In a small storage shed facing the beach, he had a few kayaks and other supplies. He took a life vest and a supply kit, as well as a bright neon green kayak, and set out on the water, paddling in the direction of the light he was seeing. The water was strangely calm, almost perfectly still. This was definitely unnatural, he was sure of it. But he had to know what was out there. His adrenaline kicked in and he was paddling as fast as he could, getting closer to the light in the distance. It grew brighter and more vivid the closer he got, but soon he felt the kayak being pulled. The water wasn't as still as he thought it was, there was a strong current that was pulling him closer. He was losing control, and began to paddle in an attempt to correct himself when the kayak began to turn and go backwards. His paddling was getting him nowhere, and when he looked back to see what was causing the bright violet glow, he felt his heart skip a beat inside his chest. He was being dragged into a giant whirlpool. The light was coming from under the water, but it was bright enough to illuminate the torrent, and his kayak was so light that it was easily being pulled by the flow. He tried his best to resist the current, but before he knew it, he was spiraling in circles and finally pulled under the water. He held his breath, trying to get back up to the surface, but the vortex was keeping him submerged. He briefly got a glimpse of what was causing the light. He briefly saw a glowing violet silhouette. Piercing eyes glared at him. He felt himself fading. Couldn't hold his breath. He felt a pain right in his spine, and he went to gasp but took in water. The last vision he had was those violet eyes glaring at him, and then everything went dark.
"How is he?", someone spoke. "Breathing. Conscious. Musta took a nasty fall from 'is boat.", someone else responded. Marleon wearily opened his eyes. It was early morning, and he was looking up at a boat mast. He sat up and rubbed his head. "Well well! Look whose up!", one of the voices spoke. Marleon looked around, rubbing his eyes now. He was surrounded by a few people, they were wearing matching outfits. Striped shirts, torn shorts, bandannas with a stylized "A" in the center. "How ya feelin', bucko?", one of them asked him. He rubbed his head again, "Got a headache...I...where am I?", Marleon asked.
"Safe. Yer aboard tha Perippā, a fine vessel. What's yer name, lad?", one of them, clearly a superior, asked him. Marleon went to say his name...but he couldn't remember it. He couldn't remember how he even got there, who he was, or any of the previous events. "I...I don't remember. I don't know who I am." One of the men looked over to the others and said, "Get Archie on the line. We've got another recruit for Team Aqua.", before back to Marleon, "That's alright lad, just take it easy. Ya must be goin' through a bit of amnesia. We'll get ya back on yer feet, fer now come have some grub.", they helped Marleon up and into the cabin of the ship. "So ya ain't got a name or a story, at least not fer now. How about we call ya...Barnacle Bob?", the ship's captain suggested. The Gym Leader slowly nodded, still rubbing his temples, still disoriented.