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With Feebas as the medium, Lionel's relationship with Lizabeth's family quickly grew closer.
He simply postponed his planned visit to the space observation center and brought Metagross and Flamethrower over that afternoon.
Under the pretext of teaching Feebas breeding techniques, he accepted Lizabeth's family's invitation and checked into the "Blue Lagoon."
Life on the ship was lively and pleasant, with Flamethrower and Deino being the most excited.
The theater troupe kept quite a few Pokémon:
A group of goofy little Woopers, a Poliwag that could barely walk, a little sea lion that loved sunbathing with its belly exposed, and a mischievous Poliwag.
Unlike Deino, these Pokémon living in the troupe had no aversion to dressing up, practically becoming the best models for Larvesta.
"Squeak!"
Larvesta, holding a small brush, directed Meredith, a member of the troupe, to levitate a palette of paints using her telekinesis. First, she painted a small star on Woopers's face, then filled in the mosquito coil pattern on Poliwag's belly.
Finally, it even volunteered to do the clown makeup for the troupe staff.
It must be said that Larvesta's talent for makeup was truly unparalleled; its six little black claws were agile and stable.
No matter the makeup style, once taught, it could learn it perfectly, creating red noses and painted faces that were even more exquisite than those done by the prop department.
"Larvesta's talent is wasted on it; it's a shame it's not a makeup artist!"
The troupe's makeup artist joked with a laugh. Watching the Pokémon lining up for Larvesta's makeup, Lionel couldn't resist taking out his phone to record this amusing scene.
Larvesta proudly puffed out its belly, head held high, exuding the air of a "top-tier stylist."
Deino's happiness was beyond words. Before, it couldn't beat Larvesta, always being bossed around and constantly subjected to Larvesta's "makeup attacks."
Now, with a group of "volunteers," Larvesta had no time to pay attention to Deino. Compared to Deino, the Pokémon in the troupe were so much better; everyone praised it, giving it incredibly satisfying feedback.
With this comparison, Deino didn't even deserve to have its makeup done.
Deino was naturally delighted. Now, it spent all its time clinging to Metagross. Ever since witnessing Mega Metagross's immense power, it had become a complete fanboy, eager to learn from Metagross.
Metagross didn't refuse. Being naturally combative, it found it amusing to train a rival.
Thus, the following scene was often seen on the deck: Metagross easily blocked Deino's attacks with one of its metal arms, then pointed out areas for improvement.
Sometimes, Metagross would even call on Vulpix and Flame Vulpix to train them as well, though certainly not as rigorously as it was with Deino.
The two little foxes treated this as a game, having a wonderful time.
Milotic, meanwhile, was training Feebas in the pool, patiently teaching it some basic skills.
Every time Milotic watched Feebas diligently practicing, its body twisting and turning, it reminded it of its childhood with Lionel, its eyes filled with tenderness, as if it were cherishing its younger self.
After becoming close with Lizabeth's family, Lionel also joined the theater troupe's rehearsals.
On the day of the performance, Milotic took Feebas on stage with it. Milotic stretched out its golden tail fins, creating a curtain of water that, refracted by the lights, formed a rainbow.
Feebas followed beside Milotic, enjoying the moment of being on stage together.
Upon seeing the Shiny Milotic, the audience erupted in cheers and applause. Many recorded the scene on their phones, and the live stream chat was flooded with comments:
"It's Milotic! Shiny Milotic!"
"This ticket was totally worth it! To actually see Milotic!"
[Milotic with Feebas, wow, I wonder when my adopted Feebas will evolve?]
After the performance, Lionel and Lizabeth's family sat on the deck for dinner:
"Speaking of which, I had a strange dream yesterday."
Lionel recalled a scene from an anime from his past life and casually remarked:
"In my dream, I was surrounded by seawater, following a Water-type Pokémon I'd never seen before as it swam into the deep sea. Finally, I saw a magnificent golden palace. It was so strange." "
The moment the words left his mouth, the expressions of Lizabeth's family changed instantly.
Lizabeth's grandfather, Shep, put down his water glass and looked at his son and daughter-in-law—Kyle and Meredith.
Shep, Kyle, and Meredith stared intently at Lionel, their gazes fixed on his emerald green eyes.
Then they pressed on, asking:
"What did the fairy in your dream look like?"
"I don't remember very well," Lionel said, feigning thought. "I only remember it was very cute, all blue."
Hearing Lionel's words, their breathing noticeably paused. Meredith asked softly,
"Lionel, where were you born?"
"Dewford Town," Lionel replied frankly, "right by the sea. But my parents passed away early, and I've lived alone since I was little." Meredith didn't press further, simply serving Lionel food, her eyes softening with an indescribable gentleness.
A week passed quickly, and the day of farewell arrived.
The "Blue Lagoon" was about to set sail for the Johto region, and Lionel would continue his gym challenge and Grand Festival journey.
At the harbor, Lionel exchanged contact information with Lizabeth's family. Learning they were going on a tour of the Johto region, he specifically instructed them:
"Consider me anytime if you encounter any trouble, don't hesitate."
Lizabeth nodded vigorously:
"I will! Thank you for your help these past few days. When Feebas evolves into Milotic, I'll definitely take a picture and show it to you."
"Okay, I'll be waiting for that day."
Lionel smiled and replied to Lizabeth, then took out several high-level energy cubes and handed them to Feebas in Lizabeth's arms:
"Remember to train hard, I'm waiting to see your evolution."
Feebas nuzzled Lionel's palm with its head, then
Lionel's Milotic, controlling water vapor, swam over, touched foreheads with Feebas, and said goodbye.
Larvesta, clutching a set of cosmetics given to it by the theater makeup artist, reluctantly bid farewell to the theater troupe's Pokémon. These past few days had been the happiest for Larvesta.
Every day it could do what it loved most. The Pokémon in the troupe were all talented, and their words were so sweet, they had a whole repertoire of compliments…
Lionel watched the Blue Lagoon gradually sail away from the port, before slowly departing with his Pokémon.
This On his second visit to Mossdeep Town, Lionel had basically accomplished everything he wanted and established a relationship with Lizabeth's family.
Regardless of whether the real world would have a storyline like the anime's "Prince of the Sea," Manaphy, as descendants of the Water People, Lizabeth and her family would naturally sense when Manaphy appeared.
Following the previous "misunderstanding," Lionel might be able to accompany them and meet Manaphy, the legendary mythical Pokémon.