Ri couldn’t sleep that night.  When she first heard Aqua tell her the tale of it’s misfortune, she had always wondered how things could have been different.  What if those pirates didn’t attack Aqua’s trainer.  Ri never would have met Aqua, maybe never become a breeder, maybe, never have met Billy.  She turned quickly throwing her covers onto the floor covering her sleeping pokémon.
    Billy was sleeping in the bed next to her a woke up from the noise.  “Ri, what’s wrong?”
    “NO!!!”  Ri woke up.  She was breathing hard and sweat was falling from her forehead.  “Oh…  It was just a dream…”  She looked for her pokémon who were fighting their way out of the covers.  “Agh.”  Ri lifted the covers off her two scared pokémon.  “Sorry.”
    “Ri, are you ok?”
    “Yes…  Sorry Billy…  I guess telling that story, it, it brought back some sad memories.”
    “It’s ok.  You had nothing to do with Aqua’s trainer.”
    “Huh.  Wait a sec.  I didn’t say anything about that.”
    “Are you sure?  I coulda sworn you did.  Maybe you said it in your sleep.”
    “Hmm, maybe.”
    “Well, I have something special for you Ri.”
    “Huh…  What is it?”
    “Get dressed and meet me in the main hallway in a few minutes.”
    “Um, ok.”  Billy left quick while Ri put on her morning clothes.
    Meanwhile, Billy and Travis were sitting on a bench in the main hallway.  “Ri is definitely gonna love this.  I got it from the pokémon show just before the ship set sail.”
    “I don’t remember seeing any show.”
    “Oh, it ended a day before the ship left.  You might not have been here then.  I think they are having another on this boat!”
    “Cool.  What pokémon did you get?”
    “It’s a very special one.  It’s called Marril.”
    “A Marril?”
    “Yes.  Here, look.”
    Billy looked at the blue tailed, blue eared, blue belly mouse pokémon.  “Oh.  That’s very nice.  How much do you want for it?”
    “Hey, consider it a gift.  You and Ri look so nice together, I’d really like to make her feel just as happy today as you.  Hey, I have some other nice pokémon for that special girl when I meet her.  Maybe tonight.”
    “Hehehe…  Thank you Travis.  Don’t worry, I’m sure someone’s out there for you.”  Travis grinned.
    “Tell Ri I said hi.  Cya later tonight at the convention.”
    “Hey, no prob.  We’ll definitely be there.”
    Ri collected Aqua and Julie and left the room.  “I wonder why Billy is in such a cheery mood today.”  Ri didn’t stop to look at the date.  Today was PokéValentines Day.  It was a day when couples express their feelings to each other and usually the guy gives the girl a cute pokémon.  Ri had totally forgotten about the day as she walked towards the main hallway.
    “Ah Ri.”
    “Good morning Billy.  What was it you wanted to show mmmm…”  She was interrupted by Billy giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.  “Huh?!?”
    “Happy PokéValentines Day Ri!!!”
    “MARRIL!!!”
    “Huh?  Hey, you aren’t supposed to come out now.”
    “Marril?”
    “Oh…  Ehheh…  Ri, I hope you accept my gift to you.  Travis found me this cute water pokémon.  He said that it’s so nice to be around, it’ll cheer anyone up.  And, well, you look like you need something to cheer you up.”
    “Ohhhh, it’s very cute Billy.  Thank you!”  Ri kissed Billy now.  He blushed.  They weren’t the only couples in the hallway though.  Many other trainers exchanged pokémon to their friends.  Sam and Jen were up there too.
    “Oh Sam, thank you.”  Jen planted a big kiss on his forehead.  Sam looked like he was about to faint.
    “Hehehe…  Guess everyone gets like that…  Ri, what are you going to call Marril?”
    “Hmm…”  Marril wiggled its spherical tail a few times in anticipation.  The it started to wiggle its ears.  “Wiggler wouldn’t sound right.”  Marril facefaulted, not even knowing her actions were influencing Ri’s decision.  “Hmm…  How about Bluu?”
    “Marril!  Marril Marril!”
    “Ok, Bluu it is.  You are very cute Bluu, yes you are.  Thanks so much Billy.  Water types really are my favorite.  Not that you aren’t great too Julie.”
    “Nido!”
    “Haha…”
    “Ri, walk with me.  There’s something else I want to show you.”
    “Um, ok.”
    She followed Billy to an area where they were alone.  “Ri, ever since you told me the story the first time, I wanted to find out what happened to Aqua’s trainer.”
    “Did you?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did she die?”
    “No, she’s alive.  I doubt she remembers Aqua now…  She lives on an island off the coast of Seafoam.”
    “Did you find out what happened.”
    “Yes.  Her boat was taken over by pirates.  She hid Aqua away so they wouldn’t find her.  She escaped one night but didn’t have much.  She said she only wanted Aqua to live if she didn’t make it.  She thought she had seen some other Horseas, but I guess it was too dark to really be sure.  Patrol boats found her adrift the next day.”
    “Wow…  So that’s what happened.  Well, now I won’t ever have bad dreams about that anymore.”
    “Good.  Hey, tonight, they are having a pokémon convention in the dining hall before dinner.  Travis is going.  Let’s go too.”
    “Ok!”  Ri’s pokémon jumped into her arms and they went to breakfast.  So far, the day was turning out to be a great PokéValentines Day.  And as the SS Dove continues it’s voyage to the Golden Islands, Ri gets even more anxious for the breeder’s contest that awaits.  Don’t miss the next exciting episode of, The Tale of a Pokémon Breeder.