a few minutes later, a young boy shuffles into the seat next to her, a buizel holstered onto his smaller frame. as he chatters to his pokemon, alia makes a mental note to release her marshtomp in a few minutes so he could enjoy the show as well. while the amphibian normally preferred partaking in more involved activities, she thinks he wouldn't mind sitting through this one. [break][break]

after skimming through the last few sentences, the young woman slips the pamphlet back into her purse. she calmly watches the remnants of the crowd insert themselves into the last few seats, like stray pieces of a nearly-completed puzzle. as her gaze drops back to her own lap, she feels the waves of impatience glowering from the boy besides her, fiery embers to her tranquil waters. needless to say, it doesn't surprise her when he turns towards her and strikes a conversation. [break][break]

peanuts? well, that certainly wasn't how she expected the conversation to go. alia angles her head towards the stranger, amusement evident through the smile dancing across her lips. "ah, hate to disappoint ya, but i don't think they'll be offering peanuts anytime soon." she says before pausing to rummage through her bag. she digs out a rage candy bar and offers it to the boy. "i have an extra bar if you want it, though." [break][break]

if he chose to take it, alia would withdraw her hands back into her lap. she was a chatty person herself, however, so it wouldn't be long before she leans in to ask, "so, is this your first time at one of these mermaid shows?"

[break][break]

+ Moss    [break]
+ the way. alia has barely just learned how to swim herself LMAO [break]
+ mentioned rage candy bar for bewitching brews

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"hope you like it!" she says easily, waving a hand around lazily. alia watches the boy work on the tough candy wrapper before shifting her gaze to his buizel, who jumped up with a little water show of his own. "aw, that's sweet that you came just for your little guy there. he's a cutie!" she pauses briefly. "that reminds me..." she leans back towards her bag, plucking out a duo-toned capsule and giving it a little spin into the air. [break][break]

a teal amphibian breaks out of the white gleam of light, a happy cry escaping him as he takes in his aquatic surroundings. he waddles over to the buizel curiously, sniffing the other pokemon before he shoots his own squirt of water in playful greeting.[break][break]

"thought it'll be fun for ino to watch the show too." alia explains with a smile, before continuing to answer the boy's next question. "i've never been to one of these, either. it's been years since i've came to an aquarium, so when i saw the advertisement for the show, i figured it was as good a day as any."[break][break]

before alia gets another word in, however, the lights above them dim, any remaining glow to the room concentrated up front. a quiet hush falls over the crowd like a gentle blanket, sets of round shiny eyes focused on the glass tank. she flashes an excited smile towards moss before redirecting her attention to the terrarium, exhaling a long-held breath as the performance begins. [break][break]

two mermaids adorned in iridescent attire of cool-toned hues dive gracefully into the tank, primarinas at their trails. the luminous scales on their clothed body catch onto bits of light as they swim south, casting holographic confetti that dance with the crowd. soft exhales of ooohs and ahhhs escape the audience, floating and dissipating into the ceiling as the show continues. [break][break]

leading with their arms, the mermaids spin around elegantly, glistening tails rippling the waters after them. their hands reach out to skim the schools of finneon and goldeen before propelling themselves back up, soft bodies dipping in graceful arcs as the primarinas weave around them to compliment their movement. the aquatic environment swirls and twists and parts with the mermaid's every move, no longer a mere backdrop, but a dancer of its' own right. everything in the terrarium played a part in this well-choreographed dance, immersing their audience in a spectacle of color and light and grace.[break][break]

a quiet wow leaves alia's own lips, mesmerized by both the kaleidoscopic lighting and ethereal lines of the aquatic dancers. the last time she felt this amazed by something, she thinks, is when she first witnessed mega evolution in real-life. her marshtomp, too exhilarated by the delicate performance, stood on his seat, orange eyes gleaming with excitement. oh, how he wished he was the one in there. 

[break][break]

+ Moss [break]

+ oh, little did the marshtomp knows... [break]
+ mentioned mega evolution for brewing potions [break]

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