-Chapter 6-

Thunder

Marleon kept going until he neared the shore on the edge of Hydrofoil Town. He was told that the Team Instinct building was close to Lapras Lagoon, and as he kept walking, he noticed a large facility begin to appear into view. He stopped when he could get a good look at it – the building wasn't as sleek and technologically advanced as the Team Mystic and Team Valor buildings, but it was definitely much bigger as far as square footage. In fact, there was a good amount of space for Pokemon to roam and enjoy. He noticed a sign nearby, with the words "Pokemon Center" and an arrow pointing to the building. Marleon blinked, looking back at the facility. Clearly that was the Team Instinct Zapdos logo on the front. Maybe it doubled as a Pokemon Center for Hydrofoil Town. Marleon always thought there should be one on this side of the island so that Pokemon trainers didn't have to go all the way back to Mariner City to heal their Pokemon.

As he approached, he noticed a few other things, namely that there was a barn, and several Miltank grazing peacefully in the pasture. This part of the facility was more inland, away from the shore. He continued and finally approached the building. It had some of the same aesthetic as the buildings on Rain Dance Island, they kept the same design. Though the lights on the outside were interesting, whirring with electricity and glowing brightly. The emblem of Zapdos was backlit with a bright yellow. He noticed the handles on the door, no keycard or anything to get inside. He opened it and stepped in, walking into a small foyer. The electrical theme continued inside, the place lit with a warm yellow and those bright lights also inside. There was a sign on the wall directly in front of him, an arrow pointing to the left signifying the Pokemon Center, and an arrow to the right with a smaller Team Instinct logo. Marleon looked to the left briefly, seeing another Nurse Joy chatting with a young Team Mystic trainer. There was a Starly sitting on the counter, fast asleep. He smiled, and began to turn when a Team Valor trainer rushed in, "Emergency!", he called. Marleon quickly repeated, "Emergency!", to Nurse Joy, who broke her conversation with the younger Team Mystic trainer, grabbing a stretcher and calling a few Chansey to help. Marleon held the door open and realized the Team Valor trainer was supporting a Charizard, who was clearly in pain. "What's the patient's condition?", Nurse Joy asked, as the Chansey pushed the stretcher up to Charizard and eased the large fire type onto it. "He got poisoned really badly. I didn't have any antidotes, so...", the Valor trainer replied, and Nurse Joy nodded, "That's all we need to know. Chansey, to the emergency room! I'll get the antidote." "Chansey!", the Pokemon responded, wheeling the stretcher in and turning left to go into the Pokemon Center. "I shouldn't have challenged that Mystic...didn't know her Nidoqueen was going to be that strong...", the Valor spoke. "It'll be alright, Charizard is in good hands here.", Marleon assured him. The trainer nodded, and went into the Pokemon Center. Marleon, however, decided to head down the short hallway to the Team Instinct side of the building. He had a bit of a smile on his face. It was good this location was here, because if there wasn't a Pokemon Center here in Hydrofoil Town...who knows what might have happened to that Charizard.

He was soon in another small foyer where the entrance to the Team Instinct headquarters was located. As to be expected, the door was an automatic one with no door handles, a keypad and a comm system to one side of the door. Marleon paged the front desk, "Hi there, I'm an Instinct.", he spoke into the box. A few seconds later, a voice responded, "Please confirm with your trainer card." Marleon pulled out his Pokedex, opening it up and showing his trainer card displayed on the screen. "Instinct confirmed. Welcome home, Marleon Takenawa.", and the door opened after he heard those words. He stepped inside the grand room, and saw Pokemon trainers walking with various Pokemon, a few he noticed were limping or struggling to walk. There were some that seemed to be amputees. A Scyther missing a whole arm, for example. The place was brimming with electrical currents that doubled as both the light source as well as the power for the building. In the center of the room was a massive gyroscope that was spinning and rotating impressively. Marleon probably stared at it for a good five minutes before he realized the receptionist was waiting for him. "Sir? We need to make you a keycard.", he spoke to Marleon. "Hmm? Oh, right.", the former Gym Leader chuckled a bit, looking around some more. He noticed a good amount of Miltank walking about. It made sense why they were here, since their milk had healing properties. "Smile for the camera!", the receptionist spoke, and Marleon turned and flashed a soft smile, then a whir of noise could be heard and a keycard popped out of a machine. The receptionist attached a lanyard and handed it to him, "I'll let Miss V know you are here. She's been eager to meet you, and hey, welcome to Team Instinct!"

Marleon nodded. He didn't know who this "V" was, only that Quagsire was here somewhere. He waited for a little while before a dark-skinned woman approached. She was wearing a bomber-style jacket with a small Team Instinct patch on the left side. Her pale hair was styled in a way where a large portion covered part of her face, tapering to a tip. Her eyes were calm, a dour look on her face. "It's good to see you again, Gyarados.", she spoke calmly. Marleon blinked, "You look familiar.", he began to say. He noticed a Lairon was by her side. "Lairon...wait...Vicky?", he asked. V's pupils shrunk at the mention of the name. "So you do remember me. But please...I don't go by that name anymore. Just 'V'.", she said, tossing her hair a bit, "You caused quite a commotion on the island so far. Tell me, why didn't you come here first?", she asked bluntly. "Well, I was already in Mariner City when I arrived this morning, and I have a list with my Pokemon team. I needed answers from both Rose and Garrett, as well as...", he closed his eyes briefly. A vision of Drago flashed in his mind. V blinked, "Bad news, then?", she asked. "I've already lost one Pokemon today, and two more were refused to be turned back over to me.", Marleon explained. "Lost how? Death?", V asked. Marleon nodded, "My Gyarados, Drago...she was left in the Rain Dance Gym for about a year after it was closed by the city. She only survived the year thanks to some Pokemon who were living at the gym. But...she didn't make it." V closed her eyes as well, "I'm sorry. I remember her. She was beautiful.", then she opened her eyes, "I'm guessing you're about to ask me about Quagsire..."

Marleon nodded, "How is he?" V cleared her throat, "I'm not going to sugar coat it – he isn't well.", she began to say, "He's alive. But he's suffering." Marleon stepped forward, "Show me. I have to see him." V exhaled, "Of course.", and she turned and began to escort Marleon into the facility. He walked past a few Miltank who were waddling around the place. There were several trainers sitting in chairs, doing research. Marleon also noticed several chambers, but not like the ones he saw at Team Valor's location. These looked more medical, capsules where he could see Pokemon resting inside. V saw him looking into the rooms, and spoke, "We have several important roles as members of Team Instinct. Primarily, we are researching the nature of eggs and hatching. You'll see several incubation rooms here. But as you probably noticed, there are recovery rooms too. We have partnered with the Pokemon Center to assist in helping many Pokemon recover from battle. Sadly, many of them come to us in rough conditions." Marleon nodded, "I saw a few amputees." "Yes. Their injuries are from various incidents. Wrongful cohabitation. Inexperienced trainers taking on opponents too powerful. And in rare cases, mistreatment.", V replied. Marleon shook his head, "That's terrible. I don't know how anyone could abuse their Pokemon like that. I just can't fathom it..."

They stopped at a room and V knocked on the door. A trainer inside the room opened the door, and she spoke, "Quagsire has a visitor." The trainer opened the door fully for them, and V motioned him inside. There Marleon stepped in, and saw Quagsire for the first time in six years. The room was small, and he was sitting in a pool with water running, cycling. Quagsire's eyes were closed, and he was covered in vines. "Quagsire...?", Marleon asked, approaching him, reaching over. He put a hand on Quagsire's head. The Pokemon was warm, but trembling, and never opened his eyes. Marleon touched one of the vines, and felt a sharp pain in his finger. "Grnn!", he grunted and pulled back, looking at his hand. His finger began to swell, "What the...?"

V stepped forward, "It's an aggressive strain of Leech Seed.", she spoke. "A few years ago, Rain Dance Island was attacked by Team Rocket. The city rallied to defend the island, but their Pokemon were powerful...and it was apparent that they had been experimented on. A Rocket grunt challenged me with a Serperior, and I called upon Lairon to battle. Lairon did his best to battle, but the Serperior was just too fast. And then the Leech Seed...Lairon also was hit by it, but his metal body withstood the attack. The Rocket's Serperior was too strong, and Lairon was knocked out.", she explained, "I went to call on another Pokemon, but Quagsire chose to take on Serperior. He...he saved us all that day. I had never seen such a powerful water attack. Even if Serperior was strong against water, it was more than enough to repel the Pokemon and wash Team Rocket and their Pokemon into the ocean. Then...Quagsire went to help Lairon up...and the Leech Seed latched onto him. With Quagsire being a ground and water type, the seed grew rapidly inside of him. We tried to cure it, but...", she sighed, "...but it has burrowed too far into him. And we don't have an answer as to how to cure him. One wrong move, and he may die."

Marleon looked back Quagsire. The Pokemon seemed so calm, but he knew...Quagsire was in so much pain. "Damn it...", Marleon muttered. "Maybe...I might have someone who could help.", he began to say, turning to V, "But you're probably not going to like it." V looked to him, "I'm listening.", she spoke. "When I was at the Team Mystic headquarters, there were a lot of trainers doing research. I could ask Garrett-", but V interrupted, "Won't do any good. I've tried. Garrett thinks we have some sort of secret to the location of Articuno, and won't tell us anything until we help him locate the bird. In fact, I'd say he's obsessed with finding that bird." "Well we have to do something. I can't stand seeing Quagsire like this. I'll try talking to him about it. I think he'd listen to me, especially now that he has promised to help me get Lapras back.", Marleon explained.

It was getting late, and he noticed several of the rooms shutting down. The machines stayed on of course, the recovery chambers were lit dimly to allow the Pokemon to sleep. The incubators continued to rotate. There were Team Instinct trainers staying up to monitor them, but many of the others were walking down some of the corridors. "I should go, there should be power at the Rain Dance Gym again...I hope.", Marleon said. V smiled a bit, "I don't think you'd want to travel to Mariner City this late. Besides, there are always Pokemon trainers out there trying to do late-night battles. The gyms will change teams a bit in the middle of the night. Not really our style of course.", she said. Marleon crossed his arms, "That reminds me, I was wondering why Team Instinct is showing so much restraint. Why aren't you attacking more of the gyms?", he asked. V shook her head, "It's just not our time yet. Yes, the gyms are important. You probably noticed that our headquarters here aren't as impressive as the other two, right?", she asked. Marleon looked around a bit. He didn't really catch onto that, but it was true – the technology was a little older here in comparison to Team Mystic and Team Valor. The other two teams' headquarters were about as well funded as they could possibly get. "So now you probably know what the gyms are even there for. It's all about funding. The more control a team has of the island, the more of the profits their team gets, and the more upgrades and such to the headquarters.", V spoke. "But why? Why hold back?", Marleon asked. "It's just not the right time. Besides, we have everything we need, and sure, more funding would be good, but we are doing our part without getting involved. I'm actually enjoying watching Rose and Garrett squabble. It's quite amusing.", she chuckled softly. "It makes sense. Both of them think we're on their side. Well, Rose threatened me about taking gyms, and Garrett seemed to think Mystic and Instinct were natural allies."

"It's late. We'll discuss this later. You can find dinner in the mess hall, and then we reserved Room 634 for you. Relax and get your rest. This is your home now.", V put a hand on his shoulder, "Remember. There is no shelter from the storm.", her last words before she walked off, Lairon following behind. Marleon watched her leave, before he looked to the walls to find his way around. He would step into the mess hall and grab a few prepackaged things to take to his room. He eventually found Room 634 and swiped his keycard. He stepped inside, and blinked in surprise as there was a large plush Dragonair on the bed. The room was relatively basic, but had a cabin feel to it. Much like an upscale motel room, with Team Instinct flair all around. He set his meal aside and looked at the note by the plush on the bed. "Marleon, this was made just for you from a member of our team. Hope it keeps you company. -V" He chuckled a little bit, giving the plush's head a rub before he went into the bathroom. He cut the water on in the tub, filling it up to the brim before he took Magikarp's Pokeball and released him into the bathtub. "Karp! Karp karp karp karp!", Magikarp complained. Marleon smiled, "Ah...too hot?", he asked. He turned the cold tap on, and adjusted the water for Magikarp. The golden fish settled, "Karp...karp...", he spoke, calmer. Marleon smiled, "I'm sure you'll like having a place to swim for a bit. Oh...", he reached down and nearly took Drago's Pokeball off his belt. Wrong ball. He was glad he didn't accidentally try to bring her out. Instead, he took the Great Ball and released Swablu. The bird yawned and looked around. "Swablu, meet Magikarp. You two are the first members of my new team.", Marleon spoke. The bird hopped on the tub and looked down to the golden Magikarp. The fish glared at the bird. Swablu yawned once more, and hopped down, waddling back into the room. "Heh...guess you two will get to know each other better sometime. Get some sleep, Magikarp.", he spoke and gave the shiny fish a rub. He stepped back into the room, and crossed his arms. Swablu was asleep right in the center of the bed, cuddling up to the Dragonair plush. "Great...", Marleon grimaced, "Guess I can't move her." He sat at a desk and munched on the food he picked out, before cutting the lights off and climbing into bed, being careful not to disturb Swablu when he did. He rested his head on the pillow, thinking about everything he had experienced on his first day back. Drago's death. Dragonite and Rose's Tyranitar together. Lapras...and Blanche's refusal to return him. And Quagsire's situation. He closed his eyes, having a restless night.

He fell out of bed, dinging his head on the nightstand next to him. He sat up and groaned, rubbing the tender spot on his head. No blood, but it left him with a good headache. He stood and looked over to the bed. Swablu was splayed right in the center, snoring loudly, the Dragonair plush draped across her like a makeshift blanket. Marleon kept rubbing his head, deciding this would be the last time he'd let her sleep on the bed like that. He went into the bathroom and turned the light on, completely forgetting Magikarp was in the bathtub. The fish flailed at once, excited to see him, "Kaaaarp!" Marleon nearly jumped, his adrenaline was all over the place this morning. "Magikarp you scared the hell outta me!", he huffed.

He returned Magikarp and drained the tub, getting a shower and then got dressed. He then turned the television on while he continued to wake up. "Good morning, Rain Dance Island! I'm Cindy!", the female newscaster spoke, her male counterpart continuing, "And I'm Tommy! Here are your gym stats for the day, brought to you by the Law Office of Docket Deeds! 'Don't say neigh, call today!'" A graph popped up on the screen, and the newscasters commentated, "As you can see, Team Mystic has taken the lead for the day. They control half of the gyms on the island, at 15 gyms blue. Team Valor controls 9 gyms, and Team Instinct with 6." Marleon noticed Swablu had woken up, and after she had a minute to yawn, he returned her and headed out. He walked by the mess hall, but noticed it was crowded. Marleon passed on getting a free breakfast, and instead decided on picking up something in town. Hydrofoil Town was famous for having some good restaurants after all. He also reviewed his list. The Hydrofoil Aquarium was the closest to him since it was in town, so he'd see if he could find Lanturn there. Afterward, he would go back to the east side of the island where the Karp Cove Lighthouse was. Ampharos was supposed to be there.

The Team Instinct headquarters was bustling already. A few trainers were gathered around an egg that was hatching, that Marleon could hear had hatched into an Omanyte. That's strange...he thought those were extinct. He noticed a Machamp walking by as well, one of its arms was bandaged up pretty well. Still imposing though, he didn't look the Pokemon in the eye when the Machamp walked by, but did turn and watch as it settle on a medical chair and lean back. The trainers attached some things to the arm, and Machamp began a session of electro-therapy. Marleon smiled a bit. This was the sort of place Rain Dance Island needed. He was pretty happy with his choice of team.

He stepped outside right as a steady rain began to fall. Should have checked the forecast. Marleon began to run, about the time a large thunderbolt struck nearby. The thunderclap was immediate. That was way too close, in fact he could even hear the tree it had struck crackle and fall. At least the town wasn't too far, and he kept running before he made it to Main Street. A few of the restaurants had their "Open" lights on. He needed breakfast, so he picked the first one he saw and went inside, about the time a second thunderclap sounded. The rain intensified at that moment, and he exhaled. Made it just in time.

Marleon sat at the bar, dripping a bit from the rain. He looked around, now recognizing this used to be Sadie's Noodle Bar. It looked more like a standard cafe now, with knickknacks nailed to the walls and various TVs mostly broadcasting the news. There were a few with live coverage of a Pokemon tournament from Johto. He also caught a glimpse of a few Team Mystic flags hanging on the walls. A lot of them actually. It was about this time he looked forward and didn't realize the bartender was standing in front of him, his arms crossed. "Oh, hey! Killer rain out there, huh? I didn't recognize the place, this used to be a noodle bar, right?", Marleon asked. The bartender's eyes twitched. "Alright, well...what do you have for breakfast?", Marleon asked. "You've got a lotta nerve comin' in here, you know.", the Bartender replied. Marleon blinked, "Huh?", he asked. "You clearly didn't see the sign in the front. 'Team Mystic Only'. We don't serve wimpy Instincts here.", the Bartender spoke. At this time, Marleon noticed a small crowd gathering around him. All wearing blue. He sighed, "Look, I don't want trouble. I'll leave as soon as the rain lets up.", he spoke. The Bartender looked around at his patrons, and nodded to them. They grumbled and sat down, and then he spoke to Marleon, "Fair enough. I don't want to see you in here again."

The Gym Leader stood and walked back to the door. He waited a good ten minutes for the rain to settle, looking down the streets for anything that looked like it'd be more friendly for his team. There was another restaurant close by that had an illuminated Team Instinct logo, and once the rain settled, he hurriedly crossed the street and went into the other restaurant. He slipped inside, exhaling. And looked around to see all eyes on him. "Hey it's Gyarados!", one of the patrons spoke. "Gyarados actually did join Team Instinct!", another cheered. Marleon relaxed, at least it was a little friendlier in here. The restaurant had been here for some time, he remembered coming here before. It was a tea and bakery sort of cafe. "Welcome in, Gyarados!", the host spoke, "We've saved a seat here just for you." Her name was Pippi, and she led Marleon over to a booth where he sat and observed the scenery. Much like the restaurant across the street, this one was covered in team flags, though for Team Instinct instead of Team Mystic. The décor was more homely, with display cases full of cakes and other sweets. "What can we get you? It'll be on the house, you're a celebrity after all.", Pippi spoke, pen at the ready to write down his order. Marleon didn't really know what to ask for, "Please, you don't have to do that. I can pay.", he asked, but Pippi smiled, "I insist. You helped my Will a long time ago. It's the least I can do to thank you." Marleon chuckled, remembering Will. He was the last trainer that got to participate in the Lapras Event right before Marleon disappeared. "Oh! Will was a good kid, and a fantastic Pokemon Trainer! I hope he's been doing well!", the Gym Leader responded. Pippi chuckled, "He's just fine. He and his Lapras have been representing for Team Instinct in the Alola region." Marleon grinned. "Outstanding! Hmm...surprise me on the order. I'm happy to try anything."

Pippi smiled, "Right away!", and she walked off. Marleon leaned back in the booth and looked around the room again. There were quite a few Pokemon trainers here, even some buddy Pokemon hanging by their masters. Even the buddies were enjoying breakfast. A short time later, Pippi returned and placed a few things before Marleon – a croissant filled with chocolate, a few petit-fours, a piece of baklava, and an espresso. She also placed a small bowl with some circular puffs in it. "This is for your Pokemon. Enjoy!", she bowed and went to serve the other patrons. Marleon smiled. This was very kind of her. He pushed his plates to the side before he pulled out the two Pokeballs with Magikarp and Swablu, releasing them. Swablu looked around curiously before she hopped onto the table and found the puffs immediately. She began to eat, cooing softly. Magikarp, of course, began to flop and panic on the stall. "Karp!", he complained. Marleon rolled his eyes, reaching over and taking a few of the puffs in his hand and began to hand feed Magikarp. The fish settled and ate, though still sideways. The Gym Leader used his other hand to enjoy his own breakfast.

With the three of them fed, he returned the two Pokemon about the time Pippi returned. "How was everything?", she asked. Marleon nodded, "This was fantastic. But...I need to ask...", he began, "Is this restaurant only for Instincts?" "Of course. We wouldn't serve anyone but the best here. There is no shelter from the storm!", Pippi replied. A few of the other trainers in the bakery raised their fists up, "No shelter from the storm!" they called out. Marleon's smile faded a bit, "Hmm...well. I was on the receiving end of that before I came in here. I went into the restaurant across from you by mistake, the one that supports Team Mystic.", he said. Pippi crossed his arms, "If you ask me, they're the only 'mistakes' around here. What did they do? Did you get hurt?", she asked. Marleon shook his head, "No, they just kicked me out because of the team thing. But listen...I don't understand why there's so much animosity about the team choice.", he spoke. Pippi sighed, "I'll admit...I had more customers when I could serve anyone. But the other restaurants followed suit on picking a team and only letting those team members come in. Will chose Team Instinct, so of course I'd pick the team he liked." "But it's not fair for the Mystics and Valors...", Marleon sighed. Pippi hesitated, but nodded, "You're right. I'll speak to my fellow restaurateurs about the matter and see if we can't put a stop to this. I'm sure Jack next door will be on board. His restaurant went with Team Valor but he's been welcoming everyone lately." Marleon smiled, "I think it'll be fine to have your preference and to display the team proudly, but it's in a step in the right direction to let anyone come and enjoy your dream."

He left afterward, looking out at the weather. The sky was still overcast, but at least the rain had stopped. He had the address for the Hydrofoil Aquarium, in fact he remembered exactly where it was located in the center of town. As he walked, he did pay more attention to the restaurants. Many of them had the signs that he didn't notice at first. "Valor Only", "Team Instincts Only Welcome Here" "Mystic Only, All Others Stay Out". It made his heart sink seeing the division. This wasn't the Rain Dance Island he remembered. He continued until he saw the large building that was the aquarium. There was a mural of Lanturn painted on the side of the building, and another of a Mantine. He was impressed with it, though remembering that it was always covered in paintings of Buizels and Floatzels before. The change was nice, and he was almost sure why they picked Lanturn for the painting. He found the entrance and approached the ticket counter. "Hi there, one please.", he asked. The cashier smiled, "Trainer Card, please.", he responded. Marleon blinked, "Oh, right...", he reached into his pocket and took out his Pokedex, holding it up. The cashier used a scanner and scanned a barcode displayed on the trainer card, then said, "Okay, you're good to go in!" Marleon blinked, "Uhh, wait, how much do I owe you?", he asked. The cashier chuckled, "Today is a free day for Team Instinct members. It's on rotation during the week. You must not have known that, but it's your lucky day, huh?", he responded. Marleon shrugged, "Guess so! Thanks.", and he went into the aquarium.

It was much larger inside than he remembered. There were tanks that held all sorts of different water-type Pokemon. Marleon was familiar with all of them of course, but he could see the wonder in the eyes of the others walking around as they watched Sharpedos and Mantine swim gracefully in the giant tanks. There was a small section that had Horsea and Seadra. Marleon remembered having a Seadra on his team at one point. He missed her, she was a good addition to the team. He would continue and see a tank with an Octillery, with signs all around saying "No flash photography!". He carried on, looking at tanks filled with Krabby, Luvdisc, Whiscash...even a separate area filled with Piplup and Prinplup. Not the attraction he was looking for. In fact, he looked at his list again. Mr. Giant. He wondered who that could be. Eventually, he found someone who worked at the aquarium and asked if they knew a Mr. Giant. "Not sure, let me check...", the worker said, walking over to the wall and picking up a phone to dial the management. "Hello...we have a man here looking for a Mr. Giant. Okay. Thanks.", she hung up the phone and turned to Marleon. "Ed Giant is the announcer for the Chinchou and Lanturn show. You'll find him there, I think the next show is in about twenty minutes." Marleon nodded, "Ah, thanks.", and looked at a map to find where this show was located at. Though in his mind, he was thinking about that name, and the occupation as well. It struck him almost immediately. He never did ask Ed what his last name was when he worked for Marleon at the Rain Dance Gym. It had to be him, Marleon was sure of it."

He waited for the show to start, being the first person in the stands. There was a large tank there, and pictures of Lanturn and Chinchou all about. He leaned back and thought about this. If his Lanturn was involved in the show, there was a good chance he might not want to leave. Or as the situation lately has been, he will be refused to be released back to Marleon. He was getting used to the rejection.

A little while later, the stands had filled with more people. The lights dimmed. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Hydrofoil Aquarium!", an announcer spoke. Marleon recognized the voice immediately, as a spotlight hit a man standing on a platform. "My name is Ed, and I welcome you to today's show featuring the water-and-electric Pokemon, Chinchou and their evolved form, Lanturn! Relax and enjoy!", he gave a salute and the lights dimmed again. Marleon smiled while the applause sounded in the crowd. He was glad Ed was still doing what he loved to do. A song vocalized, beautiful singing while shapes began to emerge in the tank. The colors were distinctively yellow, orbs floating in the water. They began to move about, making geometric shapes to the singing, synchronized to the harmony. The music picked up some, and a ring began to glow neon above the tank. The crowd gasped as a Chinchou hopped up and passed through the ring. A second one did the same. The third one was a little short and got stuck on the bottom of the ring, wiggling a bit before slipping off and dunking in the water. The crowd giggled at that. But then a pair of Lanturn began to dive out of the water in unison, circling the tank together, before they both took their places. The two fish swam quickly and jumped for the ring, almost looking as if they were going to collide with one another. One went high, the other went low, and they barely grazed each other as they passed the ring in unison before both splashed in the water. The crowd cheered at the spectacle. Marleon was even clapping. The ring disappeared, and the Pokemon under the water began to make shapes of various Pokemon using their glowing orbs. First, a Charizard shape. Then a Lucario. Then...a Gyarados. Marleon wondered if that was on purpose. The show carried on for a little longer before, at the very end, all the Pokemon did a fantastic leap out of the water and descended with a giant splash. The lights came on, and Ed returned, "How was that, folks? We hope you enjoyed the show and enjoy your stay here in Hydrofoil Town!"

The crowd applauded once more and began to disperse. Marleon stood, "Ed! Ed!", he began to call, but the crowd thought it was part of the show, joining in and doing a chant. "Ed! Ed! Ed!", they chanted. The announcer smiled and gave a bow, looking at the crowd. Marleon wasn't sure if he was even able to be picked out from the crowd, but the announcer turned and walked backstage. Marleon sighed. That wasn't the plan. He followed the crowd out where they could look at the Pokemon who were in the show through a viewing glass into the tank. The Chinchou glowed peacefully, not really minding the patrons as they swam idly. The two Lanturn, though, were playing with the audience, opening their mouths like they were trying to eat the children. They scared a few of them while the parents laughed. Marleon waited patiently. The crowd took a long time to move on, but eventually he was the last person to step up to the window. He looked at the Lanturn there, who had swam back into the tank away from the glass. They didn't even notice him there, the male and female playing a bit. Marleon wanted to bang on the glass to get their attention, but he knew that was against the rules here. The last thing he wanted to do was to be kicked out of the place. He just pressed his hand into the glass, watching Lanturn and his mate swim about.

It was enough to make him choke up. It was his Lanturn, no doubt about it. And he was so happy with his family. Marleon lowered his head, a few tears rolling down his cheeks, before he began to turn away. But he noticed something, and looked up. Lanturn, his male, had come to the window, and was looking at him. "Lanturn...", Marleon spoke. The male recognized his old trainer, and began to glow his orb a bright, beautiful shade of blue. The female Lanturn joined in, giving her mate a nuzzle before she was glowing a blue light on her orb. The Chinchou all came close, all their eyes on Marleon as they joined their parents. The Pokemon all pulsing blue lights on the other side of the glass. It caused a commotion as the patrons around looked over and saw the lights, and the lone man standing at the window. Marleon wiped his tears, then looked up to his old friend in the tank. He was happy for Lanturn. He began to turn when he was met with a friendly face. "I don't believe it! Marleon Takenawa!", Ed was standing before him, along with his Sandslash. The former Gym Leader wiped his eyes once more, "Ed! Good to see you again!". He put a fist up. Ed laughed, and reached over, giving him a fist bump. "We've gotta catch up. I heard you were back in town. Trying to get the gym up and running again?", Ed asked. Marleon looked back to Lanturn, "I...I was going to try to, but the way things have been looking, I don't know if it'll happen. I haven't gotten the old team back together, and after I saw your show...I couldn't ask for Lanturn back. Not after seeing him and his family.", he spoke. Ed sighed, "It would be tough to let him go. I could ask management though.", but Marleon shook his head, "Don't. He's happy here. I can always come visit him." Ed nodded, "Well hey, how about I do something for you then?", he asked.

Ed had Marleon put on a VIP guest list, and gave him a badge that gave him full access to the aquarium. He was even allowed backstage, and Ed led him to the tank where Lanturn and his family were. Marleon was met with the happy fish on the edge of the platform, and he was able to give his old Lanturn a rub on the head as well as meet the family. He sat up, "Thank you, Ed." Ed chuckled, "It's the least I can do. You can visit them any time as long as there isn't a show going on." He escorted Marleon back to the main area, and he left the aquarium, a little happier this morning than he had been the previous day.