-Chapter 3-
Memento
"Attention all passengers, we are arriving at Rain Dance Island shortly. Please gather your belongings and wait for the crew to escort you to the marina once we have docked. The current time is 7:42 AM. For those not departing to Rain Dance Island, this ferry will depart for Terra Firma Isle at approximately 8:15 AM. We thank you for choosing Rapurasu Lines for your patronage here in the Fire Islands League."
The ferry pulled up to the dock, and once the ramp was extended and secured, the passengers unloaded. Everyone from future residents of the island to Pokemon trainers stepped onto the dock and took their first steps on the island. Among them was a man who hadn't stepped foot on Rain Dance Island in six years. Wearing a light jacket with an undershirt, a pair of blue jeans, boots, and a black bandanna over his head, he made his way down past the marina and into the residential area of the island. He really wasn't paying attention to the houses, but those who walked by would have noticed that they were quiet colorful. Most every house adorned one of three colors – red, blue, or yellow. A few of them even had a combination of the two, the so-called "house divided" sort of families. Rarely were there houses that sported all three colors, there may have been one or two.
Marleon wasn't focused on them. First things first, he had to visit home again. When the path split and heading left would go to Mariner City, he went right instead, going north to the peninsula where the Rain Dance Gym was located. As he walked, he noticed a few strange structures he had never seen before along the path. They were pretty advanced as far as technology, each of them adorned with red. There were Pokemon standing at the top, watching those walking by. He stopped momentarily to inspect one of them, looking up to see a Rhydon and a Houndoom staring down at him. "Huh...", he mumbled, and kept walking. He passed one or two more of them before he finally made it to the gym, expecting the gym to be operational. But to Marleon's surprise, the Rain Dance Gym looked like it hadn't been used or even visited in years. The walls were cracked but still stood. The windows were broken, vines had grown up the walls. The grass around the gym was pretty overgrown, and he could have sworn he saw a Rattata peek up from the tall grass before scurrying away. The front door had been boarded up, with the words "Condemned" spraypainted across the boards. He approached, inspecting the boards on the door, and noticed they had used some weak plywood for it. He gripped the board and ripped it down easily, tossing it aside into the grass. A few spooked Murkrow flew out from the grass, causing Marleon to jump. He checked the door, but it was locked. Marleon, however, knew where his spare key was, and walked around the perimeter a few steps before he found a certain stone in the foundation. It was actually a hollow stone, an picture of a Magikarp was etched into it, and when he pulled it out of the wall, it popped open and the key was there. He went back to the front door and unlocked it, taking his first steps back into the gym.
The interior of the gym was just as unused as it appeared to be outside. There was debris and garbage in the stands around the arena. Some sunbeams illuminated the place through a few of the open windows, and Marleon would have noticed a few Pidgey and Murkrow chirping away, perched up high. Several Rattata scurried across the gym once the door opened, a few hopping down into the pool. He heard a bit of splashing, but it looked like the water had been mostly drained. He couldn't tell from where he stood by the door. He assumed the place was mostly abandoned save for the rodents and birds, but then he heard something that he wasn't expecting – a low, weak growl. He knew that sound. It was unmistakable, and as soon as he heard it, he ran to the pool and looked in. "Oh my g...", he began to say, "Drago!"
The Gyarados was breathing heavily, her body was resting and shriveled. The water was low around her, and garbage was drifting, scattered about. There were a few Rattata down there as well, and the moment Marleon was in view, they hissed and stood protectively around the Gyarados. "Easy, guys, I'm her trainer.", Marleon spoke. "Rattata!", the rodents shrieked back, the hair on their backs standing on-end. Then Drago opened her eyes and looked up. She tried to sit up, but she was too weak to move. She only groaned a bit. The Rattata slowly relaxed, "Rattatata?", they spoke to one another, before Marleon hopped down into the pool. When he felt like he was safe around them, he approached and pressed a palm into Drago's throat. She closed her eyes, exhaling. "Drago...I'm so sorry...", Marleon's eyes began to tear up at the sight of her like this, before he saw the garbage around – food, potions...he turned to the Rattata, "You...you brought her these? You took care of her?", he asked them. The Rattata nodded, "Ratta!", they responded. They even looked up to the birds. Marleon looked up to them, one of the Pidgeys cooed, and a Murkrow tilted their head. "All of you...thank you...I can't thank you enough for helping her.", he spoke, looking back down to Drago, before he stood and climbed out of the pool. He at once ran to his office, trying to turn the lights on, but there was no power to the building. He rummaged through one of the drawers and found a flashlight, trying to turn it on but it was weak. A few taps with his palm and it illuminated brightly. He first looked up to the wall, surprised that his badges were all still displayed. In fact it looked like the office was left untouched. He went to where his Pokemon team's balls were stored, and saw that all but Drago's were gone. Lastly, he had to make sure about something, pressing the button hidden on the side. The panel opened up, and a bit of dust floated in the air. He reached in, and pulled out the Master Ball he had stashed away. Marleon set it back in and closed up the chamber, before taking Drago's ball and quickly heading back to the pool. "Don't worry, everyone, she's going to be okay. I'm taking her to the Pokemon Center right now.", he said to the Rattata, Pidgeys, and Murkrow. They responded and backed away, and Marleon pointed the Pokeball at Drago and spoke, "Drago, return!" The red beam shot out of the ball, and the Gyarados was covered in a red aura before vanishing, absorbed back into her ball. As soon as she was returned, Marleon took off, running to the door and tossing it open without locking it. He ran as fast as he could, knowing the way to the Pokemon Center. He didn't bother looking at anything around him, despite how much the island had changed in the six years he was gone.
The Pokemon Center was always open, and Nurse Joy yawned, having a slow morning. That was interrupted when Marleon pushed the doors open and called, "Help! Emergency!" Nurse Joy turned and said, "Emergency? Okay, slow down, what's the emergency?" Marleon ran up to the desk and pressed Drago's Pokeball before her. "My Gyarados is dying. She's-", he began, but Nurse Joy interrupted, "Trainer Card, please." "What?", Marleon asked. "I need to see your identification, you have a Trainer Card, right?", Joy spoke again. Marleon slammed his hands into the desk, "We don't have time for this! Drago is dying!", he shouted. There was a brief moment of silence. Nurse Joy looked at the Pokeball, it had a distinct marking on it. Then back to Marleon. "Wait...you said Drago...like Drago the Gyarados?", she asked. The man nodded. "Then...you're...?", Nurse Joy asked. Marleon sighed, and untied his bandanna. His long, black hair fell down to his shoulders. He looked Nurse Joy in the eye. The Nurse shuddered, "You can't be...you're dead!", she exclaimed. Marleon shook his head, "I should be, yeah...but I'm not. I just went away for a few years. Now, can we please help Drago? I just found her at my gym, I don't think she has much longer.", Marleon pleaded.
"Blissey! Get the Emergency Room ready! The extra large stretcher, we have a Gyarados!", Nurse Joy called, taking Drago's Pokeball and rushing into ER. Marleon wanted to follow, but he simply watched as the doors closed, and a light above the room glowed, a silhouette of a syringe. He sighed, and slumped into one of the chairs. The first thing that caught his eye was a screen mounted on the wall. The words "Scoreboard – Rain Dance Island" read on the title, with a bar graph. The red bar was the longest, with the blue bar a little shorter. The yellow bar was quite short. There was some advertisement for a law office on it too. The room was very quiet, there was a booth in the corner that was curious to him, and he could hear some sort of jingle coming from it. He finally stood and walked over, peeking into the curtain. There was a place to sit and a screen, as well as three buttons of different colors. There was a Pokeball with three symbols circling around them. He knew he had seen those symbols before, three different looking birds...
"Gyarados?", Nurse Joy asked. Marleon looked over, heading back to where the ER door was. "She's ready for you. I'm sorry, but...", Joy shook her head. Marleon put a hand on her shoulder, "Take me to her." Joy nodded, and escorted him into the Emergency Room.
Drago was resting on a large hospital bed, a sheet covering most of her body save for the head and tail. A few machines were strapped to her, and her breaths were labored. "Drago...", Marleon mouthed, coming closer to her. He pressed his hand to her head. She never opened her eyes, just kept breathing. There was an audible beep from one of the machines, a life support monitor was keeping track of her heartbeat. Marleon closed his eyes, trying to hold back his tears, but they fell, soaking the tile below. "I'll...I'll be so lost without you, Drago...", he whispered to her. That moment, he remembered the day they met...
He was old enough to receive his starter Pokemon, and the draw was random. The Professor allowed him to choose one Pokeball on the shelf, each containing a water-type Pokemon. Marleon didn't know anything about Pokemon aside for his encounter with the Lapras pod, so he picked, and when he opened the ball, a Magikarp appeared. "Ah...how'd that get in there? We don't normally let new trainers take one of those since it'll be a challenge.", the Professor said, but Marleon shook his head, "No, I...I want to keep it.", he responded. "Are you sure? Magikarp are weak battlers. Surely you'd rather-?", the Professor began, but Marleon picked the Magikarp up and embraced her, the fish wriggling in his arms, "I'm sure. I'd never give up on this one."
He would have a tough time raising Drago, but when he returned to Lapras Lagoon, the Lapras that has rescued him insisted on joining his team. With the two of them together, Lapras protected Drago, until one day, she evolved into a Gyarados mid-battle. It would lead to Marleon winning his first badge.
The monitor's beeps slowed, and then...flatlined. Drago stopped breathing. Marleon wrapped his arms around her neck and sobbed. Nurse Joy approached and put a hand on his back. "Marleon, there's something else you should know. She...she laid an egg right before she lost consciousness.", she said. Marleon sat up and wiped his eyes, "Wh...what?", he asked. Joy pointed to a table nearby, where an egg mottled in green markings was sitting. "She laid this egg a few moments ago. I think...she was keeping it for you.", Joy explained.
Marleon walked over to the egg and felt it. Warm, pulsing...whoever was inside was alive. "I don't...I don't know how to take care of an egg though.", he admitted. "Oh, you've never used an incubator? Every trainer gets one. I can provide you one, but first, you'd have to register as a new trainer.", she explained. Marleon looked back to Drago, and then to the egg. He nodded, "Alright, I suppose I need to anyway. But first...", he took Drago's Pokeball and pressed it to her head. The Pokeball technology still worked despite the Gyarados being deceased, and Drago was absorbed into the ball. "What will you do with her?", Nurse Joy asked. "She deserves to be returned to the ocean, so I'll give her back when I can.", Marleon responded.
They returned to the lobby and began the process of registration. Joy took his information and registered him as a new trainer. He was given a Pokedex, a few starter supplies including an incubator, and his trainer card was uploaded to the dex. "Last thing to do is to choose a team. You'll use that booth over there for that.", she explained, pointing to the booth Marleon was inspecting earlier. He shrugged, "I really don't care about all of that to be honest.", but Nurse Joy insisted, "Trust me, it'll be better if you pick one of them. You'll have a headquarters to go to, and global support from your teammates." Marleon sighed and nodded, before slipping into the booth and pressing the "Start" button on the screen.
"Hello, new trainer, and welcome to the world of Pokemon!", a professor he had never seen before spoke. "Pokemon are wonderful creatures, and-", Marleon rolled his eyes. He's a seasoned Pokemon Trainer, he didn't need to hear all of this. Luckily, there was a "skip" button. He pressed it, and it cut to the chase, "There are three teams to pick from, each with their own strengths. Choose wisely, for you will not be able to change your team once you have picked.", the Professor spoke, and then the yellow button illuminated. The screen went yellow, the symbol with Zapdos on it, and a man appeared. "Hey! The name's Spark, the leader of Team Instinct. Pokémon are creatures with excellent intuition. I bet the secret to their intuition is related to how they're hatched. Come on and join my team! You never lose when you trust your instincts!" He was a young guy, spiked blonde hair, and a smug grin to his face. Marleon blinked, "Huh...", before it went to the next screen, the blue button illuminating. The screen went blue, the symbol of Articuno appearing, and a woman with white hair glared at the screen. "I am Blanche, leader of Team Mystic. The wisdom of Pokémon is immeasurably deep. I am researching why it is that they evolve. My team? With our calm analysis of every situation, we can't lose!" Marleon nodded slowly, "Not too bad..." Then the screen went red. The logo depicting Moltres emerged, and a dark-skinned woman was shown, smiling. "I'm Candela, Team Valor's leader! Pokémon are stronger than humans, and they're warmhearted, too! I'm researching ways to enhance Pokémon's natural power in the pursuit of true strength. There's no doubt that the Pokémon our team have trained are the strongest in battle! Are you ready?" Marleon rubbed his temples.
The three were shown once more. The Professor spoke again, "Now is your time to choose! Remember, you can't change your team once you have chosen." The buttons patiently waited for him to press one of them. Yellow, Blue, Red. He crossed his arms and began to think. "Well...I use ice types in my gym team, so...Team Mystic?", he started to press the blue button, but then he hesitated. "No...I'm not sure, there was something about that leader...I don't think...no, not them.", he looked at the red button, "How about Team Valor then. I think I could fit in with them. And I've known Moltres personally, so...", he started to press the red button. But then he looked at that yellow one. And he remembered seeing a screen in the lobby. The bar graph on it, of the three, the yellow one was the lowest. He took a look at Spark's face again, and at the symbol for Zapdos. "Oh what the heck.", he pressed the yellow button. "Are you sure you'd like to join this team?", the screen flashed with a confirmation. "Yes yes, you don't have to ask twice.", he pressed the yellow button again." The screen went yellow, and Spark gave a salute, "Congratulations and welcome to Team Instinct!", he spoke. The Trainer Card updated in his Pokedex, and displayed the Zapdos logo behind Marleon's information. He stepped out of the booth and Nurse Joy had the egg in his incubator, as well as an extra gift – a Team Instinct baseball-style cap. "Congratulations on the choice! You can find Team Instinct's headquarters in Hydrofoil Town. They set up close to Lapras Lagoon. Team Mystic is also in Hydrofoil Town but closer to the Aqua Rainforest. And Team Valor is located here in Mariner City...which is why you saw quite a lot of red around here.", she explained. "Thanks for the information, but can I ask...is there any sort of log about where my original Pokemon team is?", Marleon asked. "Hmm...I think you can use the database for that. There is a terminal over there.", Joy pointed to a computer nearby. He nodded and went over, sitting down and typing on it. He searched for himself and a profile showed up:
Marleon "Gyarados" Takenawa
Status: MIA/Deceased
Affiliation: No Team
Occupation: Rain Dance Island Gym Leader
Pokemon-
Lapras – Adopted by Mr. Heron – Team Mystic Headquarters
"Drago" (Gyarados) – Adopted by Mr. Daté – QR Construction, LLC
Ampharos – Adopted by Anonymous – Karp Cove Lighthouse
Quagsire – Adopted by "V" - Team Instinct Headquarters
Dragonite – Adopted by Ms. Selene – Team Valor Headquarters
Lanturn – Adopted by Mr. Giant – Hydrofoil Aquarium
Marleon printed out the list, and gathering his supplies, he spoke to Joy once more, "Thank you for the help." She smiled and nodded, "I'm sorry about-", she began, but Marleon shook his head, "You did everything you could for her. And besides...she said her goodbyes in a way I didn't expect.", he rubbed along the top of the incubator before he slipped the strap on and carried it out. He put the Team Instinct hat on his head and stepped outside.
It was the first time he got a good look at the city. Those structures he saw earlier were all over, most of them red but there were a handful of blue ones. There were buildings with Team Valor advertisements painted on the walls, Valor flags all about. In addition, those scoreboards were on just about every corner, the stats still the same. He got a better look at it now, understanding what exactly he was looking at. Gym stats. There was a small map of the island with blips scattered across the island. The area around Mariner City was mostly covered in red blips. Blue ones dominated Hydrofoil town. There were yellow blips mostly along Lapras Lagoon and the Aqua Rainforest. He figured it out there, those structures he was seeing around were the new gym system. The teams were battling one another for control of those gyms. He didn't know why, but he planned to ask. Suddenly, the screen began to flash with an announcement message. Those who were walking by stopped and looked up at the screen.
"Attention Rain Dance Island! This is a Channel 130 Action News Report! Brought to you by the Law Office of Docket Deeds!", a cartoon logo of a Ponyta wearing a purple suit and a red tie, pointing a hoof onto the distance popped up. The slogan 'Don't say neigh! Call today!' was displayed for a brief few moments, before the screen went to two reporters, a man and a woman. "I'm Cindy and this is my co-host, Tommy. We now have confirmation that the former Rain Dance Gym Leader, Marleon Takenawa, has registered as a new trainer on the island!", the female reporter said. "Damn it...how'd they find out so quickly?", Marleon muttered to himself. "Our sources on the island confirm that 'Gyarados' registered at the Pokemon Center in Mariner City. While we have yet to confirm that this trainer is in fact the former Gym Leader, our field reporters are on the way there now to cover this breaking news on the ground!", the male reporter spoke. Marleon broke his view of the screen to look back at the others who had been passing by, all of them now looking at the Pokemon Center, locking eyes with him. "Is that him?", one of them asked. "That guy? The Instinct?", someone else pointed at him. Marleon took a step back, "Son of a-", he grumbled, when a few news vans covered in "Channel 130" logos came onto the scene, sliding to a halt and parking. A reporter and other paparazzi spilled out of the vans, along with several cameramen, who all rushed up to the Pokemon Center. "Sir! Sir are you-?", they began to question him. Marleon sighed. So much for having a low profile. "Yeah...I'm Gyarados.", he responded.
The reporter turned to her cameraman, as the screens around simultaneously broadcast the news event. "Oh, we're live with Delilah Wolfgang on the scene! Delilah?", the female newscaster spoke. "Hello, I'm Delilah Wolfgang, and I'm here at the Mariner City Pokemon Center with the man in question. Sir, you said you are indeed Marleon "Gyarados" Takenawa, the former gym leader of this island?", Delilah asked and held the microphone up to Marleon. He cleared his throat and said, "That's correct." "Can you confirm your identity?", she asked. Marleon hesitated, then carefully slid his jacket off. He was wearing a tank top underneath the jacket, much like he would normally wear. He then lifted the fabric from the right shoulder, revealing an interesting scar. The scar looked like a mix between a deep cut and a burn. "I was told my Dragonite is here in Mariner City at the Team Valor headquarters. If that is true, then you will know the scars on his body. They look much like this scar I have.", he began, "Years ago, I joined my fellow Fire Islands gym leaders to defend the islands against Mewtwo. Dragonite and I both were hit with a psychic blast that left these scars." Marleon, lost in the moment, remembered that day...
Mewtwo threatened the islands, invading with an army of psychic-controlled minions. The gym leaders assembled on Old Thunderbird Island, where an intense battle took place. During that time, Marleon and his Dragonite had an opening to challenge Mewtwo. "Dragonite, Hyper Beam!", Marleon called, and Dragonite opened his maw and unleashed an impressive beam of concentrated energy. Mewtwo was just a little too quick though, avoiding the Hyper Beam but it barely seared part of the legend's tail. In retaliation, Mewtwo aimed a hand at Marleon, using psychic to hold him in place. Dragonite was recovering, and Marleon hovered, unable to move as a psychic beam charged toward him. He braced himself, mind flashing with memories of his life as he thought this was his end, but at the last moment, Dragonite jumped in the way, taking the brunt of the burst of energy. Dragonite screamed in pain, but withstood the blast, though parts of it couldn't be blocked and struck Marleon as well. The two of them collapsed, steam rising off of their bodies as their flesh was seared from the attack. "D-dragon-", Marleon tried to speak, his dragon-type Pokemon panting and groaning next to him. The moment distracted Mewtwo just enough that Mike Thunderbird's Zapdos was able to connect with a Thunder against the legend, the other gym leaders following with attacks while Marleon finally got to his feet. He returned Dragonite, but switched out with his own legend – Suicune. The Legendary Dog took Marleon to a safe location where he could administer to both his wounds and Dragonite's as well. They rejoined the battle once they had healed themselves, and with their efforts, the gym leaders successfully defeated Mewtwo. But not at a cost...Old Thunderbid Island was nearly wiped off the map, and would be inhabitable for some time after the battle.
By the time Marleon had snapped out of his flashback, he looked up to the scoreboards to see a side-by-side comparison of him from that moment and an older photo of him where he was shirtless. He grimaced a bit that they picked that photo, but it confirmed that the scars were identical and that he was who he said he was. "There we go, everyone! This is in fact 'Gyarados'! Now, a few more questions...", Delilah began to ask, but Marleon held his hand up, "I really don't have time for-". "Sir, please, you've been gone for six years. Just a few for the locals of Rain Dance Island. I promise it'll be short.", Delilah asked. The Gym Leader tossed his jacket back on and nodded, and she asked, "Where exactly have you been for the past six years? What happened that day when you disappeared?" Marleon hesitated, and rubbed his head, "To be honest, I don't remember much about it. I woke up early in the morning, and went out on my kayak on the water. I don't remember the reason, but...when I came to, I was in a clinic on Cianwood City.", he explained. Delilah gasped, "Thats...in Johto!", she exclaimed, and Marleon nodded, "A doctor had a Hypno that helped me recover my memories. I barely remember anything else that had happened, but...it was a shock to find out I was gone for several years." Delilah nodded, "Thanks, and one more question. I'm sure everyone would like to know...why did you join Team Instinct?" Marleon forgot he was wearing the hat with the logo. "Oh, umm...well...", he stuttered a bit, "Honestly, I didn't have much time to really research them, so I just picked one.", he said.
Delilah nodded, "Alright, that's all for-", but Marleon interrupted, "Hey can I add one more thing?", he asked. The reporter nodded, and she held the microphone up to him. "It's just a request. I haven't been here for some time, and I need to talk with some old acquaintances. Please don't ask me to battle you. I don't have any of my original Pokemon. In fact...I'd really like them back. I will be visiting those who adopted my old team members soon, so if you're listening, please expect my arrival.", Marleon spoke. Delilah held the microphone back to her own lips, "Reporting from Mariner City, I'm Delilah Wolfgang, Channel 130 Action News."
A few of the bystanders rushed toward the former Gym Leader, wanting to ask questions, but Officer Jenny and several other police officers came in, "Alright people! Nothing to see here! Gyarados has work to do!", she announced. The crowd was persistent, but eventually, they finally dispersed. The scoreboards returned to "Team Scores brought to you by the Law Office of Docket Deeds", and Marleon took his first steps away from the Pokemon Center, heading into the city he knew like the back of his hand, though realizing it looked much different than he remembered.