It was a cold winter’s day in Paloma City, a small and quaint little spot located by the sea in the now bustling-and-booming Beya Region. The fever of Christmas was in the air as snow lightly fell from above and every shop and home was decorated with colorful lights, wreaths, trees, and ornaments. Even the tallest building in the city which was dubbed “Tower 22” had a large tree made of lights proudly standing on the roof. It seemed every inch of Paloma was in the christmas spirit. Except for one…
A worn out aged building overshadowed by its neighboring shops. It was rather small with flickering letters making up the name: CHAPULIN PETS. The building had clear signs of abuse and age with cracked and chipped grey walls, graffiti left by troublesome youngsters, as well as a layer of dust on some parts.
A 5 year old brown-haired girl with ocean blue eyes, Nicole Porter, was walking down the busy streets with her mother and father. The cold weather urged her to wear a pink coat with matching mittens, somewhat tight jeans, and white snow boots which seemed to blend in with the powdery snow on the sidewalk she stepped on.
The family stopped to look at the failing business.
Nicole’s mother sighed as she adjusted her violet scarf. “Looks like he really is going out of business after all. I really wish we could help,” she sadly said.
Nicole’s father nodded. “Nothing we can do though. I heard this is his last day open. Poor guy’s been suffering since that incident with the Lillipup,” he recalled.
Their daughter, however, was focused on the tiny Pokemon in the window. A small, brown, fox-like creature with pointed ears, creamy fluffy scruff, and poofy tail with a creamy tip; A baby Eevee. Nicole gasped before tugging at her mother’s arm. “Mother! Look Look!” she pointed out.
Nicole’s mother followed her daughter’s gaze to the shop’s window and noticed the little Pokemon too. “Aw! Yes honey. I see the Eevee. It’s cute isn’t it?” she asked, looking down at the girl.
Suddenly, Nicole ran towards the store, barely avoiding being hit by an oncoming semi.
The girl’s parents gave chase, crossing the street when it was safe. “Nicole!!” they yelled.
Nicole payed them no attention as she approached the window and peered in, knocking on the glass to grab the attention normal-type creature. “Hi Eevee!” she greeted.
At first, the baby Pokemon was startled; this fear turned into curiosity and joy as it approached the window eager to greet its visitor. It sniffed the girl's hand only to be met with the boring scent of glass. “V-vee...eevee.” it squeaked.
Nicole just giggled as she watched the Eevee attempt to familiarize itself with the stranger. “Hi there, Eevee! My name is Nicole!” she greeted happily.
Suddenly she was scooped up by her mother who had a relieved expression on her face. “Nicole Porter!! Don’t you EVER run off like that again!!” she strictly said before holding her daughter close.
Nicole frowned. “But mother, I just wanted to say hi to Eevee!” she attempted to explain, pointing to the normal-type in the window who now had a confused expression.
Both parents suddenly noticed an elderly man in a checkered shirt, black pants, and snow boots exit the store with a ring of keys in his shaking hand. The man noticed them too and raised an eyebrow. “Can I help you with something?” he asked.
Nicole smiled. “Can I please have the Eevee in the window? Please mister?” she asked sweetly.
Nicole’s father frowned. “Nicole!” he scolded.
Nicole had a teary and saddened expression on her face. “But Daddy!!”
Nicole’s mother broke them up. “Honey! Think about it! Owning a pet teaches children how to be responsible!”
After much thinking, the girl’s father sighed with smile. “Oh alright...But this counts as your Christmas present, ok Nicole?” he asked.
Nicole nodded, smiling. “Yes daddy!” she agreed.
The girl’s father approached the man. “How much for the Eevee in the window?” he asked.
The man sighed. “Sorry but I’m closing up shop. I’ll be back in the morning to take that thing to a Pokemon shelter or maybe release it into the wild or something,” he sadly exclaimed.
Nicole began to tear up. “Wh-what? No! Please mister! It’s Christmas!” she pleaded.
But the man’s mind was set. “I’m sorry kid but there’s nothing I can do unless I get the money to keep this place going for a few more days, this shop is closed.”
Nicole’s parents frowned as their daughter began to cry.
“How much do you need?” asked the mother.
“I’m afraid it’ll be around $151,000 not including the Eevee…” the man said.
Nicole’s parents swore they felt their hearts stopping for a second. “Nicole, sweetie, don’t cry. We can go to another pet store! Maybe there’s another Pokemon out there that you’d like!” the mother insisted.
But Nicole refused to budge. “But I want the Eevee!” she protested.
In the end though, Nicole was hauled away in a weeping, teary mess.
The store owner shook his head before finishing locking up then walking home with a sad expression, unaware that something in his store was absent...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nicole was outside in the backyard of her house which was coated in ankle-deep snow. The girl sat alone, watching the snowfall, thinking of how much fun she would be having with her Eevee had her parents agreed to the old man. But alas, Nicole sniffled, mounting some snow together, trying to make a snowman all by herself.
Finally, the girl’s mother could watch no more as she stepped outside wearing a sweater and scarf along with her jeans and snow boots. “Nicole? Are you ok?” she softly asked.
The girl didn’t answer.
“Nicole...I know you really wanted that Eevee but we just don’t have the money. There’s nothing we can do. I’m sorry sweetie. Maybe there’s something else you want?” asked the mother.
Nicole sadly shook her head.
With a sigh, her mother reached down and patted her daughter on the head. “Don’t be sad, Nicole. You’re making me sad too. And come in soon. I’m making hot cocoa.” she advised before heading inside.
Nicole just nodded before continuing on with her attempt at a snowman until she heard a familiar cry.
“V-Vee.”
The girl immediately perked up and looked around for the source but only finding snow. “H-Hello? Who’s there?” she asked.
Then she saw a familiar set of ears poke out from the wooden fence separating her backyard from others. Long, brown, and pointed ears.
Nicole gasped and stood up, immediately forgetting about her sloppy snowman as she stepped all over it. “Eevee!” she cried, running towards the fluffy Pokemon.
The baby Eevee struggled over the fence, ending up face down in the snow before getting back up and fighting the cold to reach its new friend. “Vee! Vee!”
Nicole scooped the young normal type in her arms and pulled it into a hug all while laughing. “Eevee! You found me!”
Nicole’s mother rushed out as soon as she heard her daughter yelling. “Nicole! What is it?” she asked, panicking.
The girl ran over with the Pokemon in her arms, smiling. “Mother! Look! Eevee came to our house!!” she gleefully answered.
But the mother didn’t understand as she gasped and pulled her daughter inside, leaving the Eevee outside in the cold. “Nicole!! Are you hurt?! Did it attack you?!” she questioned, checking the girl over for injuries.
“Mom!! That’s Eevee from the store! Remember? It didn’t hurt me! It wants to be friends!” the girl reassured.
But the mother was positive this wasn’t the aforementioned normal type. “No Nicole! It’s a wild Pokemon! It can hurt you! Did you learn NOTHING at school??”
Nicole was determined to prove her mother wrong, stepping back outside and picking up the innocent Pokemon, allowing it to lick her and shower her with nuzzles and love. The girl laughed and returned the affection with some nuzzles of her own.
The girl’s mother was about to lash out but soon saw that her daughter was in no danger. “NICO...N-Nicole? But...how did it even get here on its own?” she asked.
Her curiosity was short-lived as she noticed a small bunch of Pokemon including a Rattata, a Bidoof, a Starly, and a Glameow, all peeking over the wooden fence, smiling.
Nicole and her mother were amazed before the posse of normal types fled into the wild.
Nicole’s mother sighed. “Whoo boy...this is gonna be quite the story to tell your father…”
The girl giggled. “So since Eevee’s here...”
The woman nodded, smiling. “We’ll see what your father says but as far as I’m concerned, Yes Nicole! Eevee can stay.”
Nicole squealed along with her new friend before hugging her mother. “Thank you, Mother!! I love you!! And I promise I’ll take care of Eevee! I’ll feed it and play with it and give it baths and-”
Nicole’s mother cut her off, placing a finger on the girl’s mouth. “Ok sweetie! I get it. But have you decided on a name yet? You’ll have to call her something! Plain old Eevee just gets boring, you know?” she asked.
Nicole nodded before turning back to her fluffy friend. “A name?”
The Eevee waggled its poofy tail excitedly. “Eev! Eevee Eevee Eev!” she squeaked.
Nicole giggled. “How about Eve?”
Nicole’s mother chuckled. “I don’t know, honey...sounds kinda simple to me, and there will be no simple names in this family! How about Evelyn instead?” she asked.
An idea flew into the little girl’s head. “Isn’t Eve short for Evelyn? So...her name isn’t just Eve after all! We’re really calling her Evelyn!”
The woman smiled. “That’s true. Then it’s settled. Welcome to the family, Evelyn. We’re ever so happy to meet you, isn’t that right Nicole?” she asked.
Nicole nodded, giggling as she pulled the little normal type in for another hug. “Yes mother! Welcome Evelyn! We’re gonna be the bestest friends!”
Evelyn smiled, happy to be part of the girl’s life as well as having a new home. “Eevee Eev, Veevee.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
14 YEARS LATER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“C’mon Aqua! We’ve got field work to do!”
Dressed in her casual sky-blue tank top, blue jean shorts, white socks, and water-resistant beige running shoes, the 19 year old marine biologist hoisted her luggage bags onto her white research trawler one by one before boarding the ship herself. Looking around, the girl searched the dock for her assistant who was running late for the second time that week.
Then she spotted a familiar sight. A blue four-legged creature with rather wet skin, a mermaid-like tail, and a frilled white collar as well as finned ears and a dorsal fin at the top of its head. A Vaporeon.
Nicole sighed, relieved to see her friend. “And I thought I couldn’t get out of bed! Let’s go, Aqua! We have a deadline to meet and I’m not disappointing my boss again!” she snapped.
Aqua slowed down, looking down sadly. “Por...Napor…” she whimpered.
Nicole gasped then slapped herself in the forehead. Cranky girl struck again. “I’m sorry, Aqua...I lashed out again didn’t I? I’m just serious when it comes to work! Remember last time we ‘slacked off?’ My boss flipped. I don’t want to do it again! Marine biology is where I belong!” she proudly stated.
Aqua felt a little better, understanding her trainer being held to high expectations. But still, she wished for another day off from work for some more playtime. “Por Por!” she mewed before hopping onto the boat, ready to set sail.
Nicole smiled and knelt down for a quick series of pets to her beloved water type, reassuring her that everything was ok. “No hard feelings sis! I may get mad but we’re still sisters, right?”
Aqua gave a cheerful, friendly smile before nuzzling her friend, returning the affection. “Vap! Vapor Por, Napor!” she cried.
Nicole nodded. “And nothing can bring us down! But right now, we’re on the clock so let’s set sail and see what awaits us!” she exclaimed.
Aqua nodded back, watching her trainer start the boat’s engine and finally setting course for the ocean surrounding their home region, Beya.
The propellers spun to life, eventually gaining enough power to push the vessel forward.
Nicole and Aqua took one last look at their home, Paloma City, before setting off towards the open ocean.
The water was clear and blue as the rising sun’s light bathed the ocean with a dazzling display of sparkle. As the boat sped along, the wild Pelipper and Wingull seemed to follow overhead, riding the windy currents and seeming to enjoy themselves.
The ride was interrupted as a large shark-like Pokemon launched out of the water and was amazingly able to clear the front of the trawler, barely missing a collision by inches!
In a blind panic, Nicole shut the engines off and rushed out to the side, wanting to know what she almost hit. “What in the world was that?!” she wondered.
Aqua dashed out and joined her trainer in the search “Por Por Poreon!”
After a few seconds, the wild Pokemon surfaced, revealing itself to be a dark grey shark-like creature with a long, chainsaw-like snout, sharp teeth, and a tail with a long, powerful tip.
Nicole was surprised. “Whoa! Isn’t that a Razark??” she then reached into her back pocket and pulled out a red rectangular device. Holding the device close to her mouth, she spoke. “Pokedex scan.”
The device beeped before scanning the area visible in the camera lens. It made another beeping sound as the screen showed an entry with a picture of the Pokemon.
“RAZARK, THE RAZOR SHARK POKEMON.
THIS WATER-TYPE’S SNOUT ACTS LIKE A SAW BLADE, REQUIRING QUICK AND NIMBLE ATTACKS TO BRING DOWN ITS PREY. IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR SNOUTS SHARP, THEY SEARCH FOR TOUGH OPPONENTS AND OFTEN MISTAKE WATERCRAFT FOR POKEMON.”
Nicole turned the device off and stuffed it back in her shorts before looking back to the wild Razark. “So we were just mistaken for lunch! Still! A wild Razark! Don’t see those around very much which means this guy needs tagging!”
Aqua read her trainer’s mind as she rushed back into the ship’s cabin, emerging shortly with an object resembling a gun of sorts.
Nicole smiled. “Thanks Aqua!” she then turned back to the wild Razark which appeared to be getting impatient. “Now just hold still for the tag gun, Razark. This might hurt a little…”
With a pull of the trigger, the gun fired a small tracking tag at the wild Razark which would pierce the skin, immediately sending out a chemical which would take away the pain of being shot.
Unfortunately, the shot missed its target who was ready for the gun to fire.
Nicole grinned. “I expected as much! Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way!” she then turned to Aqua. “You know the drill, Aqua! Time to get wet!” she winked.
Aqua smiled before jumping over the side of the boat into the water below, ready for battle.
The wild Razark made its first move, charging at the opponent with its snout aimed right at the other water-type.
Nicole quickly realized that if she just ordered to dodge, the shark Pokemon might end up ramming the ship and leaving a breach in the hull, eventually leading to the entire vessel sinking. “Aqua! Swift!” she ordered.
Aqua did as told, summoning a series of star-shaped projectiles then sending them rocketing at the wild Razark. A direct hit!
Nicole pumped a fist in the air. “Way to go, Aqua! Now let’s use Ice Beam!”
With the foe still recovering from the Swift, it had no time to react as a beam of icy energy struck. But now the Razark was more mad than hurt. It shook off the pain before continuing the charge, finally landing a hit on Aqua with its sharp snout in a powerful Aqua Jet.
Nicole gasped. “Aqua!”
The water-type fell back into the water but easily withstood the impact and nodded, signifying to her trainer she was still in fighting condition. “Vapor!” she cried.
Nicole smiled and nodded. “Let’s try and stay away from the boat. A sinking ship is the last thing we want!” she advised.
Aqua nodded, understanding her trainer’s concern. “Por!”
“Now let’s...wait...where’d it go?” the girl asked, looking around in confusion.
Suddenly, Aqua was sent flying! The wild Razark had used Dive in hopes of catching the two off guard. It worked.
Aqua came back down with a splash but was far from done. “Vapor!”
Nicole smiled. “That’s it! Now it’s our turn! Use Shadow Ball!”
Aqua began charging up a blob of dark shadowy energy before hurling it at the opponent. “Vap!”
The wild Razark was too slow to dodge as the attack found its mark, sending the water/steel type flying before coming back down. It came back up, now looking rather exhausted.
Nicole beamed. “It’s weakened! Now let’s finish it off with Take Down!”
Aqua dove under before shooting towards the surface, going airborne then coming back down right on top of the wild Razark with a painful impact.
The wild Razark slowly floated to the surface, eyes swirling. The shark Pokemon had fainted.
Aqua came back up and swam to the rear of the research trawler. With a powerful pump of her tail, the water-type was back on solid ground and wrapped in the arms of her cheering trainer.
“Way to go, sis! You were awesome out there!” the girl congratulated.
Aqua smiled and nuzzled her friend. “Por Por Vapor, Napor!” she sheepishly thanked.
Nicole giggled before making her way back to the side of the ship and readying her tag gun once again. “Ok Razark. This’ll sting a little…” she warned.
With the trigger pulled again, the gun fired another tag. This time however, the object found its mark on the Razark’s tailfin, immediately activating upon impact.
Nicole smiled. “There we go!” she then began to feel bad for the wild Pokemon. Pulling out a few bits of Pokemon food from a container stored in the cabin, she tossed a few pieces into the water for the Razark to eat. “Bon Appetit, big guy! Enjoy!” she chuckled before putting the food away and returning to the controls.
Aqua immediately joined her, still wet from the battle but her trainer didn’t seem to mind. “Vaporeon Por!” she cried.
Nicole nodded. “Right! Onward!” she exclaimed before starting the engine again and driving the vessel onwards to the coordinates on the map hanging over the girl’s head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With a splash, Nicole dove into the water, eager to collect some samples and notes for her work. Now in only her cyan two-piece swimsuit, she grabbed onto her Vaporeon with a hiss from her mouthpiece as she exhaled. She’d need plenty of air in order to stay down long enough to get some solid samples as well as talk to and give orders to her Pokemon.
With a nod from her trainer, Aqua dove down to the sea bed, a large coral reef becoming more visible as they got closer.
The sight was breathtaking. Structures of many sizes and shapes as well as a multitude of aquatic Pokemon thriving about from Finneon and Mantyke to Clamperl and Corsola. There were also plenty of Beya region Pokemon that Nicole wasn’t too familiar with.
Lucky for the girl, her Pokedex was waterproof and made custom to withstand large amounts of pressure from the deep ocean. Nicole noticed a group of small and colorful fish-like Pokemon swimming nearby. Some were a single color, while others were two or three. Some had stripes or markings on their bodies and others were just plain simple. With a smile, Nicole activated her Pokedex once again and pointed it at the fish.
“TROPIGILL, THE COLORFUL FISH POKEMON.
WITH EACH COLOR, THERE IS A DIFFERENT BEHAVIORAL PATTERN. FOR EXAMPLE, ORANGE TROPIGILL SEEK SHELTER IN THE ARMS OF ANEMONEA WHILE DARK BLUE ONES MAKE THEIR HOMES IN SMALL HOLLOW CREVICES.”
Nicole’s eyes then fell on an odd pink creature with large arms resembling the base of an anemone with tentacle-like appendages following. It had small dot-like eyes and a small mouth, formed into a calm expression.
“ANEMONEA, THE SEA PLANT POKEMON.
THE LONG TENTACLE HANDS ACT AS A HOME FOR CERTAIN COLORS OF TROPIGILL, PROVIDING PROTECTION AS WELL AS SHELTER. ANY DANGEROUS PREDATORS THAT TOUCH THESE TENTACLES ARE STUNG WITH A POWERFUL VENOM BEFORE BECOMING FOOD FOR BOTH ANEMONEA AND TROPIGILL.”
Before reaching the reef, one last Pokemon caught Nicole and Aqua’s attention.
It was a small mermaid-like creature with a pale blue skin coloration, large eyes with simple black pupils, no nose, a mouth, short blue hair, and a black marking on its torso, giving the illusion of a tank top of sorts. It had a body structure to that of a human child or toddler though its hands were just circular stumps. As for the rest of it, a green mermaid tail.
“SIRINI, THE YOUNG SIREN POKEMON.
UNLIKE IT’S NEXT AND FINAL STAGE OF EVOLUTION, LULLAMERA, IT HAS YET TO FULLY DEVELOP ITS SINGING VOICE AND ISN’T AS GOOD AT SWIMMING EITHER. ENJOYING THE COMPANY OF HUMANS, THEY ARE A COMMON SIGHT FOR BEACHGOERS AND SWIMMERS.”
Nicole turned the device off and attached it back onto her belt which also held her two other Pokemon and 3 small tubes for collecting samples. Letting go of Aqua, she kicked her legs and swam around, looking for anything worth collecting. “Let me know if you find anything, ok Aqua?” she asked.
Aqua nodded. “Por, Napor!” she replied an affirmative before swimming off, careful to stay nearby in case her trainer would ever need anything.
Nicole continued on, searching high and low for any samples until something finally caught her eye.
A piece of a Corsola twig.
“Aha!” the girl exclaimed, pulling off a sample tube, opening it, picking up the Corsola twig, and placing it inside before closing the container and clipping it back onto her belt.
“Por!!”
Nicole’s heart skipped a beat she was so startled. Kicking her legs, she swam over to her friend, wondering what she might’ve found. “Aqua? Aqua! What is it? You found something??” she asked.
The water type smiled, nodding eagerly. “Vaporeon, Napor!” she cried, pointing a paw towards the sand below her.
Nicole nodded and searched the sand before another Corsola twig caught her eye. This one however was much larger than the one she had found. “Whoa! Good eye, Aqua!” she remarked. Taking the tube that had the other twig, Nicole decided the larger one was worth studying. After replacing the sample, she clipped the container back onto her belt with a nod before turning back to her friend. “Nice work! Keep it up and we might just have some time for play later on!” she smiled, petting the water type’s dorsal fin.
The thought of playtime excited Aqua. Unable to contain her joy, she gave her trainer a playful nudge before darting off to look for more samples. “Por Vapor!!” she squealed.
Nicole giggled at her friend’s child-like behaviour before swimming after her, deciding to change tactics. “Hey! Aqua wait! Actually, let’s just look together! I think it’d be faster if we’re helping each other out instead of looking on our own!” she suggested.
Aqua, of course, was thrilled. “Por Por, Napor!” she answered with a nod.
Nicole nodded back before deciding it would be much easier if they had an extra hand. “Let’s get Aria out here! Thing’s will go much faster!” she then pulled off one of the balls from her belt, enlarged it, and threw it in front of her. “C’mon out, Aria!”
In a bright flash, Nicole’s song-loving Lullamera materialized with a cheerful “Lulla~!”
Nicole smiled. “Ready for work, Aria? We need to find some samples! Sound good?” she asked through her breathing device.
Aria nodded, even going as far as giving a military salute. “La Mer!” she replied.
Nicole giggled and nodded back before kicking her legs, continuing onward with Aqua. “Ok! Just stay close and keep your eyes open for anything interesting!” she instructed.
Aria nodded before pumping her blue mermaid tail and following the two, looking around for any samples worth studying.
Then her eyes fell on something long and noodle-like.
Aria motioned the two over and pointed to the coral where she’d spotted it. “Lulla!”
Nicole followed the water/dark type’s gaze and gasped. “Isn’t that an Anemonea tentacle?” she wondered before pulling out her Pokedex once again and scanning the object. After a few beeps, the device read out the information on-screen.
“THE TENTACLE OF AN ANEMONEA IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO AGGRESSORS UNLESS THE ANEMONEA CONSIDERS THE STRANGER AS FRIENDLY OR PASSIVE. WHEN SEVERED OR SHED FROM THE POKEMON, THESE TENTACLES CAN STILL STING. RESEARCHERS AND BIOLOGISTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION AND CARE WHEN STUDYING THEM.”
Nicole frowned. “Well, not everything is easy. Hmm….” she thought for a moment until a lightbulb went off. She smiled and turned to Aqua. “Vaporeon can control water! Think you can get the tentacle upwards a bit? Just enough to let it fall into the sample tube?” she asked, pulling said item from her belt and opening it.
Aqua nodded before focusing on the water. A small but strong current began to form, pushing the tentacle from its resting place towards the side before quickly changing in speed and force, lifting the appendage upwards.
Nicole held the tube steady as the current ceased, letting the tentacle gently float downwards and finally into the container. Sealing it up, Nicole clipped it back onto her belt with a sigh before turning back to Aqua. “Good job, Aqua! And good eye, Aria!” she congratulated.
Both Pokemon smiled before continuing onwards with their trainer.
A few minutes later, Nicole had found her last sample much to her delight. “Alright girls! That’s sample number three! We’re done here and it’s time to-” she froze as a low humming caught her attention. “...Do you hear that?” she asked.
Aqua and Aria fell silent as they listened. Both nodding their heads, they could hear it too as it grew louder and louder.
Nicole looked around, trying to find a possible source before her eyes urged her to look back. Her eyes widened with shock as she let out a gasp.
A huge fishing vessel roared overhead, its crew completely oblivious to the three beneath the waves.
But that wasn’t what had Nicole so shocked.
A large fishing net glided towards the girl and her Pokemon, attached to a crane aboard the ship. Millions of water types swam in a panic, trying to avoid being captured as the net drew closer.
Nicole screamed before kicking her legs as hard as she could, grabbing onto her Pokemon. “Swim away!!” she yelled.
Aqua and Aria looked back in horror before doing the same, swimming as fast as they could.
But panic caused the three friends to lose each other in the crowd of fleeing water types.
Nicole managed to swim out of the net’s path to safety before remembering her Pokemon. “Aqua?? Aria?? Where are you??” she called out.
Aqua immediately raced to the girl’s side upon hearing her name. “Napor!! Por Poreon Vaporee??” she asked.
Nicole nodded. “I’m ok! But where’s Aria?!” she questioned.
“RIA!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”
Nicole and Aqua looked towards the net to find that Aria’s tail was wedged between the rope and a struggling Pokemon inside!
The crew manning the controls onboard were ready to pull in their load of Pokemon as the crane began reeling in the chain.
Aqua darted towards the net with Nicole holding onto the water type’s body.
Nicole grabbed onto the net before making her way towards Aria. “Hang on, Aria! We’ll get you out of there!” she reassured before grabbing the rope and pulling as hard as she could.
Aqua grabbed onto the other end of the rope holding Aria in place and pulled as well.
Aria felt the grip on her tail beginning to loosen. She tried wriggling and squirming again, trying to get free. It was then that she felt half of her tailfin come free. “Lulla!?”
Now with the net halfway out of the water, Nicole and Aqua had to hurry.
With every ounce of strength they had, the two continued pulling on the rope. “C’mon Aqua! We can do this!”
Aria continued to shake and wriggle, feeling herself becoming more loose with every flick of her tail.
At last, with one final pull, Aria’s tail came free from the net just as it cleared the surface of the water.
Aria immediately tackled her trainer with a hug, eternally grateful. “Lulla Lulla, Merla!! Lullamera!!” she cried.
Nicole laughed. “Ok! Ok, Aria! It was nothing!” she looked up and sighed. “That was a close one...But we’re all in one piece, right?” she asked.
Aqua and Aria nodded in unison.
Nicole nodded back. “Ok...we got our samples! Now let’s head back to the boat! I still gotta study these things.”
Aqua nodded before allowing her trainer to grab on. “Vap!” she happily mewed.
Aria followed with a smile, happy to still be free and with her trainer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun was high in the sky, drenching the area with heat and making the seawater below dazzle and twinkle with the light of the midday. The wild Wingull and Pelipper that had followed Nicole’s white research trawler were now resting both in the water and on the railing of the boat saving their strength for the next flight.
Out in the ocean, Aqua and Aria were splashing around in the water and enjoying themselves while their trainer was hard at work in the research vessel’s cabin, studying the samples she and her Pokemon had collected.
Just like the boat, the cabin was rather small, separated into a small bedroom, dining area, and the heart of it all, Nicole’s workspace, consisting of a long metal desk under a few cabinets nailed to the wall and a hanging light. It felt like a tiny apartment but it was the cheapest research vessel Nicole could afford and honestly, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Aside from the door, two porthole windows were the only means of seeing the outside world: one located in Nicole’s bedroom and the other in her workspace. It was no garage or attic but Nicole could still get around and store food, supplies, and anything else she’d need while out at sea.
Nicole was never alone, even during her work at the microscope. Standing at her side was a Gardevoir with a necklace containing a special Gardevoirite stone.
Nicole sighed as she took another look through the microscope, picking up a pen and paper and jotting down her observations and notes. She paused for a bit upon hearing a voice in her mind.
(Hm. I see how you and River managed to forge a good friendship. There’s never a dull moment when either of you two are in the water.)
Nicole wasn’t surprised as she turned to the psychic/fairy type with a blushed smile. “Heh right,” she sweatdropped.
The Gardevoir was capable of telepathy, able to communicate with her trainer through thought. While she was perfectly capable of her own Pokemon speech, she prefered to try her hand at the human language. She had a love for knowledge after all.
Nicole finished another page of her notes before turning back to her Pokemon. “Still, that incident back there...ugh! Sometimes I just wish I could do something about humanity bothering the ocean so much. It just pains me to see such innocent water types get taken away like that…You know what I mean, Luna?” she asked.
The Gardevoir known as Luna nodded, showing a sympathetic expression. (I understand your feelings, Nicole, but honestly...I don’t understand how humans can be so cruel...But I see what you’re getting at. Atleast we’re both in favor for helping the world of Pokemon instead of hindering it…) she smiled.
Nicole smiled back and nodded. “Right…” she sighed before turning back to her work, looking through the microscope, then turning back to Luna. “Ok. I’m done with this sample. Next slide?” she asked.
Luna nodded, focusing her mind, and sensing the world around her before using a weak form of Confusion to mentally grab the desired slide for her trainer then switching it out for the one the girl was finished with. (The large Corsola twig, correct?)
Nicole nodded. “Yeah. Thanks Luna.”
Luna smiled. (You’re welcome!)
The girl went back to work, carefully analyzing and studying the sample before her, tediously jotting down her observations on a new page. It was then when she heard a familiar cry come from outside.
“Napor!!”
Nicole however wasn’t phased as Aqua had a tendency to lose patience when she was promised playtime. The brown haired girl sighed as she turned to the porthole window. “Not now Aqua! I’m still busy!” she yelled before going back to work.
“Napor!!”
Nicole felt a hint of surprise but still remained unconcerned. “Still busy! I’ll be out when I’m done!” she reassured before starting another paragraph on her notes.
“Merla!!”
Now the girl was rather worried. Aria never yelled for her trainer unless it was important. She quickly finished the sentence she was on before a tense expression on Luna’s face caught her attention. “Luna? What is it?” she asked.
The Gardevoir pointed out the porthole window towards the view of the open water. In the distance, a series of intense flashes and lights lit up the sky. (Nicole! Look out there! Those flashes...they can’t be from another ship!) she exclaimed.
Nicole nodded as she followed the psychic/fairy type’s gaze. “...Something’s up.”
Before either water type’s could call out to their trainer again, Nicole burst out the door to the ship’s cabin and rushed to the side, staring in the direction of the lights that somehow outshined even the midday sunlight. “What is that?”
But just as quickly as they started, the mysterious flashes stopped, leaving Nicole and her Pokemon wondering that they’d just witnessed.
Aria finally broke the silence as she backed away towards the rear of the boat, looking uneasy. “...L-Lulla Lullamera.”
Aqua followed suit. “Por…”
Nicole nodded, glancing from her Pokemon to the area where the flashes were then back to her Pokemon. “Uh right. Yeah. Ok Aria. Return.” she said, holding out the water/dark type’s ball out.
The center of the ball activated, dematerializing Aria back into digital matter before sucking her back in.
Aqua climbed back onto the vessel and was at Nicole’s side, still wondering what those flashes were. “Por por?”
Nicole shook her head in an attempt to get back on track with her work. “Nevermind that, Aqua. Let’s go back inside. I still have to finish my notes and you still haven’t finished your breakfast remember?” she grinned.
Aqua sweatdropped, nervously chuckling. “Por por…”
Nicole giggled as she lead the water type inside towards her workspace before a digital clock hanging nearby caught her eye. “Hmm. It’s still kinda early so maybe we will have playtime after all!”
Aqua jumped up and down, a gleeful smile on her face. “Por Vapor Por!” she cried before scurrying off to her food bowl located next to the girl’s metal desk. Sure enough, Aqua had only eaten half her food before heading off to play with Aria. Taking a sniff, she figured it was still good enough before taking a bite.
Nicole noticed this and smiled as she sat back down at her desk, scooting her chair in and getting comfy. “Still good?” she asked, looking down at her friend.
Aqua nodded with a mouthful of Pokemon food.
Nicole nodded back, smile never waivering. “Ok! Now I just need some quiet time to go through these slides and then we can play!” she reassured before turning to her microscope and picking her notebook and pen back up.
(Do you need anything Nicole?) Luna asked telepathically.
Nicole shook her head. “Actually I think I can do the rest on my own so you can relax! There’s an apple on the table over there if you want. I don’t mind!” she kindly offered, pointing to said table in the dining section of the cabin visible by an open door.
Luna smiled. (Well I do like apples. Thank you, Nicole!)
The girl smiled back before returning to her work with a relaxed sigh.
Luna walked over to the fruit on the desk and picked it up before taking a bite. Her face lit up as the sensation of sweet juiciness flooded her taste buds. “Voir!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“CANNONBALL!”
The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, bathing the ocean with a warm orange color.
Nicole had finally finished with her work with just enough time to spare. Keeping her promise to Aqua, the brown haired girl dove into the ocean in her usual swimsuit before coming back up for a breath of air. “C’mon in Luna! The water’s fine!” she insisted, turning back to the boat.
Luna was no stranger to getting wet but was hesitant. (Well if you insist…) she slowly walked over the rear before testing the water with her foot while holding onto the railing. Nicole was right. The water was pretty warm. Taking a deep breath, Luna took a step forward and let herself fall in, poking her head out of the water afterwards.
Nicole chuckled as she kicked forward towards her Vaporeon. “That’s the spirit Luna!” she then turned to the water type, wrapping an arm around its body. “Ready when you are, sis!”
Aqua smiled, letting her trainer take a deep breath before diving under with the girl in tow. “Por Vapor!”
The two dove towards the reef which now seemed to be more active than it was hours ago. The evening sun’s effect below water was breathtaking as the coral appeared brighter and more vivid. Swarms of Tropigill, Goldeen, Corsola, and other marine Pokemon swam about, going on about their business.
Nicole let go of her friend halfway, deciding to swim on her own. Upon arriving, she was greeted by a single Tropigill with an orange coloration and white stripes, an excited expression on its face. She gave friendly smile but also was surprised that a wild Pokemon would happily say hi out of the blue.
Aqua watched with an eager smile. “Por Por Poreon!”
The wild Tropigill motioned as if it wanted its new friends to follow before swimming off. “Tropi!” it cried.
Nicole grabbed onto Aqua once again, knowing she could never keep up with such a fast swimmer, before pointing in the direction the water type went.
Aqua nodded before pumping her tail and following the small Pokemon. “Vapor!”
Along the way, the two were joined by a pair of Luvdisc that glided above before swimming off. A wild Gorebyss darted past to apparently say hi before disappearing into a rocky crevice.
Eventually, the wild Tropigill came into view, only now joined by more of its kind.
Nicole tried hard to hold back laughter as she felt their small bodies rubbing and bumping against her skin. She let go of Aqua, joining the school in their swim for a moment before bidding the water types farewell and returning to the wonders of the reef.
Aqua was always right beside her trainer, never missing out on anything as well as providing protection if needed. “Por Vaporeon!”
Nicole happily nodded, agreeing with her friend while keeping a mental countdown in her head. Living by the ocean, Nicole would always spend her free time diving and improving her breath holding skill. Able to go 4 minutes and 10 seconds without air was impressive and handy in case of an emergency, yet every now and then she would challenge herself to stay down longer and keep strengthening her lungs. Nicole was still comfortable but knew it would be time to go back up for air soon.
Aqua suddenly gave Nicole a playful nudge, tempting her with a game of hide-and-seek-tag. “Por Poreon, Napor!” she teased.
Nicole grinned as she accepted the offer, reaching out for the water type.
But Aqua wasn’t going to go easy on her trainer as she darted behind a rock, hoping Nicole hadn’t seen her.
But the brown haired girl was right behind her, able to quickly tag the water type before pushing off of the rock’s surface and swimming away, looking for a place to hide.
Aqua pumped her tail and began looking around for her friend. After a minute of searching though, she was more worried than anything. “Napor? Napor??” she called out only to jump back in terror as her trainer burst out of her hiding spot inches away!
Nicole couldn’t help but giggle until a sudden burst of air exited her mouth. She instinctively covered her mouth to prevent further air from escaping before wrapping an arm around Aqua and pointing to the surface. “Mmph…”
Aqua nodded before powering upwards. “Por!”
Once above water, Nicole gasped, drawing in breaths of much welcomed air into her lungs. “Aah...thanks Aqua…” she panted.
Aqua nodded. “Poreon, Napor.”
Luna swam over to her trainer looking worried. (Nicole! Are you alright?)
Nicole nodded as her breathing returned to normal. “Yeah. I’m ok...And I totally scared ya, Aqua! “ she laughed.
Aqua laughed before tackling her trainer in an attempt to get even. “Vaporeon Por!”
Nicole was shoved under but was able to steal a breath before impact. She laughed, playfully shoving her friend only to be squirted with a weak Water Gun attack. “Hey! No fair! You’re a water type!” she protested when suddenly she felt something grab her leg and pull her down.
Aqua and Luna gasped only for fear to turn into relief as Aria came back up along with her trainer, both laughing.
“Nice one, Aria! That actually scared me a little!” Nicole remarked.
Aria pumped a fist in the air on a job well done. “Lulla~!” she cried.
Everyone laughed and continued to play until Nicole realized that time had slipped past. The sky was now dark and filled with bright stars as far as the eye could see. “Ok everyone! We had our fun but now it’s time for some shut eye. Aria and Luna, return!” she commanded once back on the boat, returning her Pokemon to their Pokeballs before heading inside with Aqua.
Tomorrow would be another busy day.
A worn out aged building overshadowed by its neighboring shops. It was rather small with flickering letters making up the name: CHAPULIN PETS. The building had clear signs of abuse and age with cracked and chipped grey walls, graffiti left by troublesome youngsters, as well as a layer of dust on some parts.
A 5 year old brown-haired girl with ocean blue eyes, Nicole Porter, was walking down the busy streets with her mother and father. The cold weather urged her to wear a pink coat with matching mittens, somewhat tight jeans, and white snow boots which seemed to blend in with the powdery snow on the sidewalk she stepped on.
The family stopped to look at the failing business.
Nicole’s mother sighed as she adjusted her violet scarf. “Looks like he really is going out of business after all. I really wish we could help,” she sadly said.
Nicole’s father nodded. “Nothing we can do though. I heard this is his last day open. Poor guy’s been suffering since that incident with the Lillipup,” he recalled.
Their daughter, however, was focused on the tiny Pokemon in the window. A small, brown, fox-like creature with pointed ears, creamy fluffy scruff, and poofy tail with a creamy tip; A baby Eevee. Nicole gasped before tugging at her mother’s arm. “Mother! Look Look!” she pointed out.
Nicole’s mother followed her daughter’s gaze to the shop’s window and noticed the little Pokemon too. “Aw! Yes honey. I see the Eevee. It’s cute isn’t it?” she asked, looking down at the girl.
Suddenly, Nicole ran towards the store, barely avoiding being hit by an oncoming semi.
The girl’s parents gave chase, crossing the street when it was safe. “Nicole!!” they yelled.
Nicole payed them no attention as she approached the window and peered in, knocking on the glass to grab the attention normal-type creature. “Hi Eevee!” she greeted.
At first, the baby Pokemon was startled; this fear turned into curiosity and joy as it approached the window eager to greet its visitor. It sniffed the girl's hand only to be met with the boring scent of glass. “V-vee...eevee.” it squeaked.
Nicole just giggled as she watched the Eevee attempt to familiarize itself with the stranger. “Hi there, Eevee! My name is Nicole!” she greeted happily.
Suddenly she was scooped up by her mother who had a relieved expression on her face. “Nicole Porter!! Don’t you EVER run off like that again!!” she strictly said before holding her daughter close.
Nicole frowned. “But mother, I just wanted to say hi to Eevee!” she attempted to explain, pointing to the normal-type in the window who now had a confused expression.
Both parents suddenly noticed an elderly man in a checkered shirt, black pants, and snow boots exit the store with a ring of keys in his shaking hand. The man noticed them too and raised an eyebrow. “Can I help you with something?” he asked.
Nicole smiled. “Can I please have the Eevee in the window? Please mister?” she asked sweetly.
Nicole’s father frowned. “Nicole!” he scolded.
Nicole had a teary and saddened expression on her face. “But Daddy!!”
Nicole’s mother broke them up. “Honey! Think about it! Owning a pet teaches children how to be responsible!”
After much thinking, the girl’s father sighed with smile. “Oh alright...But this counts as your Christmas present, ok Nicole?” he asked.
Nicole nodded, smiling. “Yes daddy!” she agreed.
The girl’s father approached the man. “How much for the Eevee in the window?” he asked.
The man sighed. “Sorry but I’m closing up shop. I’ll be back in the morning to take that thing to a Pokemon shelter or maybe release it into the wild or something,” he sadly exclaimed.
Nicole began to tear up. “Wh-what? No! Please mister! It’s Christmas!” she pleaded.
But the man’s mind was set. “I’m sorry kid but there’s nothing I can do unless I get the money to keep this place going for a few more days, this shop is closed.”
Nicole’s parents frowned as their daughter began to cry.
“How much do you need?” asked the mother.
“I’m afraid it’ll be around $151,000 not including the Eevee…” the man said.
Nicole’s parents swore they felt their hearts stopping for a second. “Nicole, sweetie, don’t cry. We can go to another pet store! Maybe there’s another Pokemon out there that you’d like!” the mother insisted.
But Nicole refused to budge. “But I want the Eevee!” she protested.
In the end though, Nicole was hauled away in a weeping, teary mess.
The store owner shook his head before finishing locking up then walking home with a sad expression, unaware that something in his store was absent...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nicole was outside in the backyard of her house which was coated in ankle-deep snow. The girl sat alone, watching the snowfall, thinking of how much fun she would be having with her Eevee had her parents agreed to the old man. But alas, Nicole sniffled, mounting some snow together, trying to make a snowman all by herself.
Finally, the girl’s mother could watch no more as she stepped outside wearing a sweater and scarf along with her jeans and snow boots. “Nicole? Are you ok?” she softly asked.
The girl didn’t answer.
“Nicole...I know you really wanted that Eevee but we just don’t have the money. There’s nothing we can do. I’m sorry sweetie. Maybe there’s something else you want?” asked the mother.
Nicole sadly shook her head.
With a sigh, her mother reached down and patted her daughter on the head. “Don’t be sad, Nicole. You’re making me sad too. And come in soon. I’m making hot cocoa.” she advised before heading inside.
Nicole just nodded before continuing on with her attempt at a snowman until she heard a familiar cry.
“V-Vee.”
The girl immediately perked up and looked around for the source but only finding snow. “H-Hello? Who’s there?” she asked.
Then she saw a familiar set of ears poke out from the wooden fence separating her backyard from others. Long, brown, and pointed ears.
Nicole gasped and stood up, immediately forgetting about her sloppy snowman as she stepped all over it. “Eevee!” she cried, running towards the fluffy Pokemon.
The baby Eevee struggled over the fence, ending up face down in the snow before getting back up and fighting the cold to reach its new friend. “Vee! Vee!”
Nicole scooped the young normal type in her arms and pulled it into a hug all while laughing. “Eevee! You found me!”
Nicole’s mother rushed out as soon as she heard her daughter yelling. “Nicole! What is it?” she asked, panicking.
The girl ran over with the Pokemon in her arms, smiling. “Mother! Look! Eevee came to our house!!” she gleefully answered.
But the mother didn’t understand as she gasped and pulled her daughter inside, leaving the Eevee outside in the cold. “Nicole!! Are you hurt?! Did it attack you?!” she questioned, checking the girl over for injuries.
“Mom!! That’s Eevee from the store! Remember? It didn’t hurt me! It wants to be friends!” the girl reassured.
But the mother was positive this wasn’t the aforementioned normal type. “No Nicole! It’s a wild Pokemon! It can hurt you! Did you learn NOTHING at school??”
Nicole was determined to prove her mother wrong, stepping back outside and picking up the innocent Pokemon, allowing it to lick her and shower her with nuzzles and love. The girl laughed and returned the affection with some nuzzles of her own.
The girl’s mother was about to lash out but soon saw that her daughter was in no danger. “NICO...N-Nicole? But...how did it even get here on its own?” she asked.
Her curiosity was short-lived as she noticed a small bunch of Pokemon including a Rattata, a Bidoof, a Starly, and a Glameow, all peeking over the wooden fence, smiling.
Nicole and her mother were amazed before the posse of normal types fled into the wild.
Nicole’s mother sighed. “Whoo boy...this is gonna be quite the story to tell your father…”
The girl giggled. “So since Eevee’s here...”
The woman nodded, smiling. “We’ll see what your father says but as far as I’m concerned, Yes Nicole! Eevee can stay.”
Nicole squealed along with her new friend before hugging her mother. “Thank you, Mother!! I love you!! And I promise I’ll take care of Eevee! I’ll feed it and play with it and give it baths and-”
Nicole’s mother cut her off, placing a finger on the girl’s mouth. “Ok sweetie! I get it. But have you decided on a name yet? You’ll have to call her something! Plain old Eevee just gets boring, you know?” she asked.
Nicole nodded before turning back to her fluffy friend. “A name?”
The Eevee waggled its poofy tail excitedly. “Eev! Eevee Eevee Eev!” she squeaked.
Nicole giggled. “How about Eve?”
Nicole’s mother chuckled. “I don’t know, honey...sounds kinda simple to me, and there will be no simple names in this family! How about Evelyn instead?” she asked.
An idea flew into the little girl’s head. “Isn’t Eve short for Evelyn? So...her name isn’t just Eve after all! We’re really calling her Evelyn!”
The woman smiled. “That’s true. Then it’s settled. Welcome to the family, Evelyn. We’re ever so happy to meet you, isn’t that right Nicole?” she asked.
Nicole nodded, giggling as she pulled the little normal type in for another hug. “Yes mother! Welcome Evelyn! We’re gonna be the bestest friends!”
Evelyn smiled, happy to be part of the girl’s life as well as having a new home. “Eevee Eev, Veevee.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
14 YEARS LATER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“C’mon Aqua! We’ve got field work to do!”
Dressed in her casual sky-blue tank top, blue jean shorts, white socks, and water-resistant beige running shoes, the 19 year old marine biologist hoisted her luggage bags onto her white research trawler one by one before boarding the ship herself. Looking around, the girl searched the dock for her assistant who was running late for the second time that week.
Then she spotted a familiar sight. A blue four-legged creature with rather wet skin, a mermaid-like tail, and a frilled white collar as well as finned ears and a dorsal fin at the top of its head. A Vaporeon.
Nicole sighed, relieved to see her friend. “And I thought I couldn’t get out of bed! Let’s go, Aqua! We have a deadline to meet and I’m not disappointing my boss again!” she snapped.
Aqua slowed down, looking down sadly. “Por...Napor…” she whimpered.
Nicole gasped then slapped herself in the forehead. Cranky girl struck again. “I’m sorry, Aqua...I lashed out again didn’t I? I’m just serious when it comes to work! Remember last time we ‘slacked off?’ My boss flipped. I don’t want to do it again! Marine biology is where I belong!” she proudly stated.
Aqua felt a little better, understanding her trainer being held to high expectations. But still, she wished for another day off from work for some more playtime. “Por Por!” she mewed before hopping onto the boat, ready to set sail.
Nicole smiled and knelt down for a quick series of pets to her beloved water type, reassuring her that everything was ok. “No hard feelings sis! I may get mad but we’re still sisters, right?”
Aqua gave a cheerful, friendly smile before nuzzling her friend, returning the affection. “Vap! Vapor Por, Napor!” she cried.
Nicole nodded. “And nothing can bring us down! But right now, we’re on the clock so let’s set sail and see what awaits us!” she exclaimed.
Aqua nodded back, watching her trainer start the boat’s engine and finally setting course for the ocean surrounding their home region, Beya.
The propellers spun to life, eventually gaining enough power to push the vessel forward.
Nicole and Aqua took one last look at their home, Paloma City, before setting off towards the open ocean.
The water was clear and blue as the rising sun’s light bathed the ocean with a dazzling display of sparkle. As the boat sped along, the wild Pelipper and Wingull seemed to follow overhead, riding the windy currents and seeming to enjoy themselves.
The ride was interrupted as a large shark-like Pokemon launched out of the water and was amazingly able to clear the front of the trawler, barely missing a collision by inches!
In a blind panic, Nicole shut the engines off and rushed out to the side, wanting to know what she almost hit. “What in the world was that?!” she wondered.
Aqua dashed out and joined her trainer in the search “Por Por Poreon!”
After a few seconds, the wild Pokemon surfaced, revealing itself to be a dark grey shark-like creature with a long, chainsaw-like snout, sharp teeth, and a tail with a long, powerful tip.
Nicole was surprised. “Whoa! Isn’t that a Razark??” she then reached into her back pocket and pulled out a red rectangular device. Holding the device close to her mouth, she spoke. “Pokedex scan.”
The device beeped before scanning the area visible in the camera lens. It made another beeping sound as the screen showed an entry with a picture of the Pokemon.
“RAZARK, THE RAZOR SHARK POKEMON.
THIS WATER-TYPE’S SNOUT ACTS LIKE A SAW BLADE, REQUIRING QUICK AND NIMBLE ATTACKS TO BRING DOWN ITS PREY. IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR SNOUTS SHARP, THEY SEARCH FOR TOUGH OPPONENTS AND OFTEN MISTAKE WATERCRAFT FOR POKEMON.”
Nicole turned the device off and stuffed it back in her shorts before looking back to the wild Razark. “So we were just mistaken for lunch! Still! A wild Razark! Don’t see those around very much which means this guy needs tagging!”
Aqua read her trainer’s mind as she rushed back into the ship’s cabin, emerging shortly with an object resembling a gun of sorts.
Nicole smiled. “Thanks Aqua!” she then turned back to the wild Razark which appeared to be getting impatient. “Now just hold still for the tag gun, Razark. This might hurt a little…”
With a pull of the trigger, the gun fired a small tracking tag at the wild Razark which would pierce the skin, immediately sending out a chemical which would take away the pain of being shot.
Unfortunately, the shot missed its target who was ready for the gun to fire.
Nicole grinned. “I expected as much! Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way!” she then turned to Aqua. “You know the drill, Aqua! Time to get wet!” she winked.
Aqua smiled before jumping over the side of the boat into the water below, ready for battle.
The wild Razark made its first move, charging at the opponent with its snout aimed right at the other water-type.
Nicole quickly realized that if she just ordered to dodge, the shark Pokemon might end up ramming the ship and leaving a breach in the hull, eventually leading to the entire vessel sinking. “Aqua! Swift!” she ordered.
Aqua did as told, summoning a series of star-shaped projectiles then sending them rocketing at the wild Razark. A direct hit!
Nicole pumped a fist in the air. “Way to go, Aqua! Now let’s use Ice Beam!”
With the foe still recovering from the Swift, it had no time to react as a beam of icy energy struck. But now the Razark was more mad than hurt. It shook off the pain before continuing the charge, finally landing a hit on Aqua with its sharp snout in a powerful Aqua Jet.
Nicole gasped. “Aqua!”
The water-type fell back into the water but easily withstood the impact and nodded, signifying to her trainer she was still in fighting condition. “Vapor!” she cried.
Nicole smiled and nodded. “Let’s try and stay away from the boat. A sinking ship is the last thing we want!” she advised.
Aqua nodded, understanding her trainer’s concern. “Por!”
“Now let’s...wait...where’d it go?” the girl asked, looking around in confusion.
Suddenly, Aqua was sent flying! The wild Razark had used Dive in hopes of catching the two off guard. It worked.
Aqua came back down with a splash but was far from done. “Vapor!”
Nicole smiled. “That’s it! Now it’s our turn! Use Shadow Ball!”
Aqua began charging up a blob of dark shadowy energy before hurling it at the opponent. “Vap!”
The wild Razark was too slow to dodge as the attack found its mark, sending the water/steel type flying before coming back down. It came back up, now looking rather exhausted.
Nicole beamed. “It’s weakened! Now let’s finish it off with Take Down!”
Aqua dove under before shooting towards the surface, going airborne then coming back down right on top of the wild Razark with a painful impact.
The wild Razark slowly floated to the surface, eyes swirling. The shark Pokemon had fainted.
Aqua came back up and swam to the rear of the research trawler. With a powerful pump of her tail, the water-type was back on solid ground and wrapped in the arms of her cheering trainer.
“Way to go, sis! You were awesome out there!” the girl congratulated.
Aqua smiled and nuzzled her friend. “Por Por Vapor, Napor!” she sheepishly thanked.
Nicole giggled before making her way back to the side of the ship and readying her tag gun once again. “Ok Razark. This’ll sting a little…” she warned.
With the trigger pulled again, the gun fired another tag. This time however, the object found its mark on the Razark’s tailfin, immediately activating upon impact.
Nicole smiled. “There we go!” she then began to feel bad for the wild Pokemon. Pulling out a few bits of Pokemon food from a container stored in the cabin, she tossed a few pieces into the water for the Razark to eat. “Bon Appetit, big guy! Enjoy!” she chuckled before putting the food away and returning to the controls.
Aqua immediately joined her, still wet from the battle but her trainer didn’t seem to mind. “Vaporeon Por!” she cried.
Nicole nodded. “Right! Onward!” she exclaimed before starting the engine again and driving the vessel onwards to the coordinates on the map hanging over the girl’s head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With a splash, Nicole dove into the water, eager to collect some samples and notes for her work. Now in only her cyan two-piece swimsuit, she grabbed onto her Vaporeon with a hiss from her mouthpiece as she exhaled. She’d need plenty of air in order to stay down long enough to get some solid samples as well as talk to and give orders to her Pokemon.
With a nod from her trainer, Aqua dove down to the sea bed, a large coral reef becoming more visible as they got closer.
The sight was breathtaking. Structures of many sizes and shapes as well as a multitude of aquatic Pokemon thriving about from Finneon and Mantyke to Clamperl and Corsola. There were also plenty of Beya region Pokemon that Nicole wasn’t too familiar with.
Lucky for the girl, her Pokedex was waterproof and made custom to withstand large amounts of pressure from the deep ocean. Nicole noticed a group of small and colorful fish-like Pokemon swimming nearby. Some were a single color, while others were two or three. Some had stripes or markings on their bodies and others were just plain simple. With a smile, Nicole activated her Pokedex once again and pointed it at the fish.
“TROPIGILL, THE COLORFUL FISH POKEMON.
WITH EACH COLOR, THERE IS A DIFFERENT BEHAVIORAL PATTERN. FOR EXAMPLE, ORANGE TROPIGILL SEEK SHELTER IN THE ARMS OF ANEMONEA WHILE DARK BLUE ONES MAKE THEIR HOMES IN SMALL HOLLOW CREVICES.”
Nicole’s eyes then fell on an odd pink creature with large arms resembling the base of an anemone with tentacle-like appendages following. It had small dot-like eyes and a small mouth, formed into a calm expression.
“ANEMONEA, THE SEA PLANT POKEMON.
THE LONG TENTACLE HANDS ACT AS A HOME FOR CERTAIN COLORS OF TROPIGILL, PROVIDING PROTECTION AS WELL AS SHELTER. ANY DANGEROUS PREDATORS THAT TOUCH THESE TENTACLES ARE STUNG WITH A POWERFUL VENOM BEFORE BECOMING FOOD FOR BOTH ANEMONEA AND TROPIGILL.”
Before reaching the reef, one last Pokemon caught Nicole and Aqua’s attention.
It was a small mermaid-like creature with a pale blue skin coloration, large eyes with simple black pupils, no nose, a mouth, short blue hair, and a black marking on its torso, giving the illusion of a tank top of sorts. It had a body structure to that of a human child or toddler though its hands were just circular stumps. As for the rest of it, a green mermaid tail.
“SIRINI, THE YOUNG SIREN POKEMON.
UNLIKE IT’S NEXT AND FINAL STAGE OF EVOLUTION, LULLAMERA, IT HAS YET TO FULLY DEVELOP ITS SINGING VOICE AND ISN’T AS GOOD AT SWIMMING EITHER. ENJOYING THE COMPANY OF HUMANS, THEY ARE A COMMON SIGHT FOR BEACHGOERS AND SWIMMERS.”
Nicole turned the device off and attached it back onto her belt which also held her two other Pokemon and 3 small tubes for collecting samples. Letting go of Aqua, she kicked her legs and swam around, looking for anything worth collecting. “Let me know if you find anything, ok Aqua?” she asked.
Aqua nodded. “Por, Napor!” she replied an affirmative before swimming off, careful to stay nearby in case her trainer would ever need anything.
Nicole continued on, searching high and low for any samples until something finally caught her eye.
A piece of a Corsola twig.
“Aha!” the girl exclaimed, pulling off a sample tube, opening it, picking up the Corsola twig, and placing it inside before closing the container and clipping it back onto her belt.
“Por!!”
Nicole’s heart skipped a beat she was so startled. Kicking her legs, she swam over to her friend, wondering what she might’ve found. “Aqua? Aqua! What is it? You found something??” she asked.
The water type smiled, nodding eagerly. “Vaporeon, Napor!” she cried, pointing a paw towards the sand below her.
Nicole nodded and searched the sand before another Corsola twig caught her eye. This one however was much larger than the one she had found. “Whoa! Good eye, Aqua!” she remarked. Taking the tube that had the other twig, Nicole decided the larger one was worth studying. After replacing the sample, she clipped the container back onto her belt with a nod before turning back to her friend. “Nice work! Keep it up and we might just have some time for play later on!” she smiled, petting the water type’s dorsal fin.
The thought of playtime excited Aqua. Unable to contain her joy, she gave her trainer a playful nudge before darting off to look for more samples. “Por Vapor!!” she squealed.
Nicole giggled at her friend’s child-like behaviour before swimming after her, deciding to change tactics. “Hey! Aqua wait! Actually, let’s just look together! I think it’d be faster if we’re helping each other out instead of looking on our own!” she suggested.
Aqua, of course, was thrilled. “Por Por, Napor!” she answered with a nod.
Nicole nodded back before deciding it would be much easier if they had an extra hand. “Let’s get Aria out here! Thing’s will go much faster!” she then pulled off one of the balls from her belt, enlarged it, and threw it in front of her. “C’mon out, Aria!”
In a bright flash, Nicole’s song-loving Lullamera materialized with a cheerful “Lulla~!”
Nicole smiled. “Ready for work, Aria? We need to find some samples! Sound good?” she asked through her breathing device.
Aria nodded, even going as far as giving a military salute. “La Mer!” she replied.
Nicole giggled and nodded back before kicking her legs, continuing onward with Aqua. “Ok! Just stay close and keep your eyes open for anything interesting!” she instructed.
Aria nodded before pumping her blue mermaid tail and following the two, looking around for any samples worth studying.
Then her eyes fell on something long and noodle-like.
Aria motioned the two over and pointed to the coral where she’d spotted it. “Lulla!”
Nicole followed the water/dark type’s gaze and gasped. “Isn’t that an Anemonea tentacle?” she wondered before pulling out her Pokedex once again and scanning the object. After a few beeps, the device read out the information on-screen.
“THE TENTACLE OF AN ANEMONEA IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO AGGRESSORS UNLESS THE ANEMONEA CONSIDERS THE STRANGER AS FRIENDLY OR PASSIVE. WHEN SEVERED OR SHED FROM THE POKEMON, THESE TENTACLES CAN STILL STING. RESEARCHERS AND BIOLOGISTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION AND CARE WHEN STUDYING THEM.”
Nicole frowned. “Well, not everything is easy. Hmm….” she thought for a moment until a lightbulb went off. She smiled and turned to Aqua. “Vaporeon can control water! Think you can get the tentacle upwards a bit? Just enough to let it fall into the sample tube?” she asked, pulling said item from her belt and opening it.
Aqua nodded before focusing on the water. A small but strong current began to form, pushing the tentacle from its resting place towards the side before quickly changing in speed and force, lifting the appendage upwards.
Nicole held the tube steady as the current ceased, letting the tentacle gently float downwards and finally into the container. Sealing it up, Nicole clipped it back onto her belt with a sigh before turning back to Aqua. “Good job, Aqua! And good eye, Aria!” she congratulated.
Both Pokemon smiled before continuing onwards with their trainer.
A few minutes later, Nicole had found her last sample much to her delight. “Alright girls! That’s sample number three! We’re done here and it’s time to-” she froze as a low humming caught her attention. “...Do you hear that?” she asked.
Aqua and Aria fell silent as they listened. Both nodding their heads, they could hear it too as it grew louder and louder.
Nicole looked around, trying to find a possible source before her eyes urged her to look back. Her eyes widened with shock as she let out a gasp.
A huge fishing vessel roared overhead, its crew completely oblivious to the three beneath the waves.
But that wasn’t what had Nicole so shocked.
A large fishing net glided towards the girl and her Pokemon, attached to a crane aboard the ship. Millions of water types swam in a panic, trying to avoid being captured as the net drew closer.
Nicole screamed before kicking her legs as hard as she could, grabbing onto her Pokemon. “Swim away!!” she yelled.
Aqua and Aria looked back in horror before doing the same, swimming as fast as they could.
But panic caused the three friends to lose each other in the crowd of fleeing water types.
Nicole managed to swim out of the net’s path to safety before remembering her Pokemon. “Aqua?? Aria?? Where are you??” she called out.
Aqua immediately raced to the girl’s side upon hearing her name. “Napor!! Por Poreon Vaporee??” she asked.
Nicole nodded. “I’m ok! But where’s Aria?!” she questioned.
“RIA!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”
Nicole and Aqua looked towards the net to find that Aria’s tail was wedged between the rope and a struggling Pokemon inside!
The crew manning the controls onboard were ready to pull in their load of Pokemon as the crane began reeling in the chain.
Aqua darted towards the net with Nicole holding onto the water type’s body.
Nicole grabbed onto the net before making her way towards Aria. “Hang on, Aria! We’ll get you out of there!” she reassured before grabbing the rope and pulling as hard as she could.
Aqua grabbed onto the other end of the rope holding Aria in place and pulled as well.
Aria felt the grip on her tail beginning to loosen. She tried wriggling and squirming again, trying to get free. It was then that she felt half of her tailfin come free. “Lulla!?”
Now with the net halfway out of the water, Nicole and Aqua had to hurry.
With every ounce of strength they had, the two continued pulling on the rope. “C’mon Aqua! We can do this!”
Aria continued to shake and wriggle, feeling herself becoming more loose with every flick of her tail.
At last, with one final pull, Aria’s tail came free from the net just as it cleared the surface of the water.
Aria immediately tackled her trainer with a hug, eternally grateful. “Lulla Lulla, Merla!! Lullamera!!” she cried.
Nicole laughed. “Ok! Ok, Aria! It was nothing!” she looked up and sighed. “That was a close one...But we’re all in one piece, right?” she asked.
Aqua and Aria nodded in unison.
Nicole nodded back. “Ok...we got our samples! Now let’s head back to the boat! I still gotta study these things.”
Aqua nodded before allowing her trainer to grab on. “Vap!” she happily mewed.
Aria followed with a smile, happy to still be free and with her trainer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun was high in the sky, drenching the area with heat and making the seawater below dazzle and twinkle with the light of the midday. The wild Wingull and Pelipper that had followed Nicole’s white research trawler were now resting both in the water and on the railing of the boat saving their strength for the next flight.
Out in the ocean, Aqua and Aria were splashing around in the water and enjoying themselves while their trainer was hard at work in the research vessel’s cabin, studying the samples she and her Pokemon had collected.
Just like the boat, the cabin was rather small, separated into a small bedroom, dining area, and the heart of it all, Nicole’s workspace, consisting of a long metal desk under a few cabinets nailed to the wall and a hanging light. It felt like a tiny apartment but it was the cheapest research vessel Nicole could afford and honestly, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Aside from the door, two porthole windows were the only means of seeing the outside world: one located in Nicole’s bedroom and the other in her workspace. It was no garage or attic but Nicole could still get around and store food, supplies, and anything else she’d need while out at sea.
Nicole was never alone, even during her work at the microscope. Standing at her side was a Gardevoir with a necklace containing a special Gardevoirite stone.
Nicole sighed as she took another look through the microscope, picking up a pen and paper and jotting down her observations and notes. She paused for a bit upon hearing a voice in her mind.
(Hm. I see how you and River managed to forge a good friendship. There’s never a dull moment when either of you two are in the water.)
Nicole wasn’t surprised as she turned to the psychic/fairy type with a blushed smile. “Heh right,” she sweatdropped.
The Gardevoir was capable of telepathy, able to communicate with her trainer through thought. While she was perfectly capable of her own Pokemon speech, she prefered to try her hand at the human language. She had a love for knowledge after all.
Nicole finished another page of her notes before turning back to her Pokemon. “Still, that incident back there...ugh! Sometimes I just wish I could do something about humanity bothering the ocean so much. It just pains me to see such innocent water types get taken away like that…You know what I mean, Luna?” she asked.
The Gardevoir known as Luna nodded, showing a sympathetic expression. (I understand your feelings, Nicole, but honestly...I don’t understand how humans can be so cruel...But I see what you’re getting at. Atleast we’re both in favor for helping the world of Pokemon instead of hindering it…) she smiled.
Nicole smiled back and nodded. “Right…” she sighed before turning back to her work, looking through the microscope, then turning back to Luna. “Ok. I’m done with this sample. Next slide?” she asked.
Luna nodded, focusing her mind, and sensing the world around her before using a weak form of Confusion to mentally grab the desired slide for her trainer then switching it out for the one the girl was finished with. (The large Corsola twig, correct?)
Nicole nodded. “Yeah. Thanks Luna.”
Luna smiled. (You’re welcome!)
The girl went back to work, carefully analyzing and studying the sample before her, tediously jotting down her observations on a new page. It was then when she heard a familiar cry come from outside.
“Napor!!”
Nicole however wasn’t phased as Aqua had a tendency to lose patience when she was promised playtime. The brown haired girl sighed as she turned to the porthole window. “Not now Aqua! I’m still busy!” she yelled before going back to work.
“Napor!!”
Nicole felt a hint of surprise but still remained unconcerned. “Still busy! I’ll be out when I’m done!” she reassured before starting another paragraph on her notes.
“Merla!!”
Now the girl was rather worried. Aria never yelled for her trainer unless it was important. She quickly finished the sentence she was on before a tense expression on Luna’s face caught her attention. “Luna? What is it?” she asked.
The Gardevoir pointed out the porthole window towards the view of the open water. In the distance, a series of intense flashes and lights lit up the sky. (Nicole! Look out there! Those flashes...they can’t be from another ship!) she exclaimed.
Nicole nodded as she followed the psychic/fairy type’s gaze. “...Something’s up.”
Before either water type’s could call out to their trainer again, Nicole burst out the door to the ship’s cabin and rushed to the side, staring in the direction of the lights that somehow outshined even the midday sunlight. “What is that?”
But just as quickly as they started, the mysterious flashes stopped, leaving Nicole and her Pokemon wondering that they’d just witnessed.
Aria finally broke the silence as she backed away towards the rear of the boat, looking uneasy. “...L-Lulla Lullamera.”
Aqua followed suit. “Por…”
Nicole nodded, glancing from her Pokemon to the area where the flashes were then back to her Pokemon. “Uh right. Yeah. Ok Aria. Return.” she said, holding out the water/dark type’s ball out.
The center of the ball activated, dematerializing Aria back into digital matter before sucking her back in.
Aqua climbed back onto the vessel and was at Nicole’s side, still wondering what those flashes were. “Por por?”
Nicole shook her head in an attempt to get back on track with her work. “Nevermind that, Aqua. Let’s go back inside. I still have to finish my notes and you still haven’t finished your breakfast remember?” she grinned.
Aqua sweatdropped, nervously chuckling. “Por por…”
Nicole giggled as she lead the water type inside towards her workspace before a digital clock hanging nearby caught her eye. “Hmm. It’s still kinda early so maybe we will have playtime after all!”
Aqua jumped up and down, a gleeful smile on her face. “Por Vapor Por!” she cried before scurrying off to her food bowl located next to the girl’s metal desk. Sure enough, Aqua had only eaten half her food before heading off to play with Aria. Taking a sniff, she figured it was still good enough before taking a bite.
Nicole noticed this and smiled as she sat back down at her desk, scooting her chair in and getting comfy. “Still good?” she asked, looking down at her friend.
Aqua nodded with a mouthful of Pokemon food.
Nicole nodded back, smile never waivering. “Ok! Now I just need some quiet time to go through these slides and then we can play!” she reassured before turning to her microscope and picking her notebook and pen back up.
(Do you need anything Nicole?) Luna asked telepathically.
Nicole shook her head. “Actually I think I can do the rest on my own so you can relax! There’s an apple on the table over there if you want. I don’t mind!” she kindly offered, pointing to said table in the dining section of the cabin visible by an open door.
Luna smiled. (Well I do like apples. Thank you, Nicole!)
The girl smiled back before returning to her work with a relaxed sigh.
Luna walked over to the fruit on the desk and picked it up before taking a bite. Her face lit up as the sensation of sweet juiciness flooded her taste buds. “Voir!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“CANNONBALL!”
The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, bathing the ocean with a warm orange color.
Nicole had finally finished with her work with just enough time to spare. Keeping her promise to Aqua, the brown haired girl dove into the ocean in her usual swimsuit before coming back up for a breath of air. “C’mon in Luna! The water’s fine!” she insisted, turning back to the boat.
Luna was no stranger to getting wet but was hesitant. (Well if you insist…) she slowly walked over the rear before testing the water with her foot while holding onto the railing. Nicole was right. The water was pretty warm. Taking a deep breath, Luna took a step forward and let herself fall in, poking her head out of the water afterwards.
Nicole chuckled as she kicked forward towards her Vaporeon. “That’s the spirit Luna!” she then turned to the water type, wrapping an arm around its body. “Ready when you are, sis!”
Aqua smiled, letting her trainer take a deep breath before diving under with the girl in tow. “Por Vapor!”
The two dove towards the reef which now seemed to be more active than it was hours ago. The evening sun’s effect below water was breathtaking as the coral appeared brighter and more vivid. Swarms of Tropigill, Goldeen, Corsola, and other marine Pokemon swam about, going on about their business.
Nicole let go of her friend halfway, deciding to swim on her own. Upon arriving, she was greeted by a single Tropigill with an orange coloration and white stripes, an excited expression on its face. She gave friendly smile but also was surprised that a wild Pokemon would happily say hi out of the blue.
Aqua watched with an eager smile. “Por Por Poreon!”
The wild Tropigill motioned as if it wanted its new friends to follow before swimming off. “Tropi!” it cried.
Nicole grabbed onto Aqua once again, knowing she could never keep up with such a fast swimmer, before pointing in the direction the water type went.
Aqua nodded before pumping her tail and following the small Pokemon. “Vapor!”
Along the way, the two were joined by a pair of Luvdisc that glided above before swimming off. A wild Gorebyss darted past to apparently say hi before disappearing into a rocky crevice.
Eventually, the wild Tropigill came into view, only now joined by more of its kind.
Nicole tried hard to hold back laughter as she felt their small bodies rubbing and bumping against her skin. She let go of Aqua, joining the school in their swim for a moment before bidding the water types farewell and returning to the wonders of the reef.
Aqua was always right beside her trainer, never missing out on anything as well as providing protection if needed. “Por Vaporeon!”
Nicole happily nodded, agreeing with her friend while keeping a mental countdown in her head. Living by the ocean, Nicole would always spend her free time diving and improving her breath holding skill. Able to go 4 minutes and 10 seconds without air was impressive and handy in case of an emergency, yet every now and then she would challenge herself to stay down longer and keep strengthening her lungs. Nicole was still comfortable but knew it would be time to go back up for air soon.
Aqua suddenly gave Nicole a playful nudge, tempting her with a game of hide-and-seek-tag. “Por Poreon, Napor!” she teased.
Nicole grinned as she accepted the offer, reaching out for the water type.
But Aqua wasn’t going to go easy on her trainer as she darted behind a rock, hoping Nicole hadn’t seen her.
But the brown haired girl was right behind her, able to quickly tag the water type before pushing off of the rock’s surface and swimming away, looking for a place to hide.
Aqua pumped her tail and began looking around for her friend. After a minute of searching though, she was more worried than anything. “Napor? Napor??” she called out only to jump back in terror as her trainer burst out of her hiding spot inches away!
Nicole couldn’t help but giggle until a sudden burst of air exited her mouth. She instinctively covered her mouth to prevent further air from escaping before wrapping an arm around Aqua and pointing to the surface. “Mmph…”
Aqua nodded before powering upwards. “Por!”
Once above water, Nicole gasped, drawing in breaths of much welcomed air into her lungs. “Aah...thanks Aqua…” she panted.
Aqua nodded. “Poreon, Napor.”
Luna swam over to her trainer looking worried. (Nicole! Are you alright?)
Nicole nodded as her breathing returned to normal. “Yeah. I’m ok...And I totally scared ya, Aqua! “ she laughed.
Aqua laughed before tackling her trainer in an attempt to get even. “Vaporeon Por!”
Nicole was shoved under but was able to steal a breath before impact. She laughed, playfully shoving her friend only to be squirted with a weak Water Gun attack. “Hey! No fair! You’re a water type!” she protested when suddenly she felt something grab her leg and pull her down.
Aqua and Luna gasped only for fear to turn into relief as Aria came back up along with her trainer, both laughing.
“Nice one, Aria! That actually scared me a little!” Nicole remarked.
Aria pumped a fist in the air on a job well done. “Lulla~!” she cried.
Everyone laughed and continued to play until Nicole realized that time had slipped past. The sky was now dark and filled with bright stars as far as the eye could see. “Ok everyone! We had our fun but now it’s time for some shut eye. Aria and Luna, return!” she commanded once back on the boat, returning her Pokemon to their Pokeballs before heading inside with Aqua.
Tomorrow would be another busy day.