DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, Marlon, or the other canon characters mentioned in the story. I do, however, own some characters, such as the reporters Nina and Rachel.

This story is rated T for language, nudity, and innuendos. Do not read if you are under 13.

THE ESTATE OF NIBIRU-MUL PRESENTS

GOSSIP GIRLS

CHAPTER 1: LARYNX DISSONANCE

It was a hot summer morning in Humilau City, a city consisting of many houses on raised platforms. The sun was very bright, and the water was nice and warm - perfect for swimming. People were going outside to swim.

Marlon, the Gym Leader of Humilau City, was swimming in a pool of water. He was wearing a blue speedo and a pair of goggles. He was helping Nate practice different swimming moves. Nate was on his back, wearing a purple speedo and a black sweatband. He was doing the backstroke.

"Am I doing it right?" asked Nate.

"Your arms should be a little closer together," said Marlon. "It will help."

Nate put his arms closer together and started to backstroke a little more. He managed to go a little further - until he nearly went head-on into a wooden pole.

"Nate! Watch out!" said Marlon.

Marlon quickly swam up to Nate and pulled him out of the way. He then helped Nate get back up.

"Sorry," said Nate. "I'm not the best swimmer."

"That's okay," said Marlon. "It takes practice. Not everyone can be like Michael Phelps." Marlon coughed.

"I wouldn't want to be like him," said Nate. "I don't want to smoke a bong."

Marlon thought this was hilarious. He laughed until he coughed a few times.

"Yeah," said Nate. "You're kinda like my older cousin, Lana. Lana was the best swimmer in town - she actually swam across the strait between Virbank and Castelia. Then it ended three months ago when she had a baby."

"How did that affect her?" asked Marlon.

"She gained quite a bit of weight," said Nate. "She's still trying to lose it."

Marlon giggled, but then he coughed a few times.

Nate lay down on the surface of the water and tried the backstroke again.

But not everyone is having fun. Some people are on the job.

There are two women sitting on the decks. They have notepads and pens in their hands. Their goal is to report some shit for people to read. These women were named Nina Faustini and Rachel Petit. Nina was a woman of average height with a light green hair in a bouffant and green eyes. She was wearing a light blue sundress. Rachel was a short woman with short brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white halter top and blue short shorts.

Rachel noticed Marlon's trademark swim pants tied to a post on the decks. Marlon was going to wash them later. They were near a light blue tote bag with a picture of a Wailord on it.

"Wouldn't it be cool if we took that?" Rachel asked Nina. "I love the fins on those pants!"

"RACHEL!" said Nina. "Marlon would be really mad at us if we stole his prized swim pants. Besides, we're supposed to be writing something for the magazine! The National Gymquirer won't be satisfied without the latest story on one of the Gym Leaders!"

"Okay, Nina," said Rachel. "But it would be good evidence! Remember when we stole..." Rachel was going to say something embarrassing.

"I told you never to mention that again," said Nina.

"Righty-O, Nina!" said Rachel.

"Let's watch Marlon a little while longer," said Nina. "Then we could get a juicy story for the National Gymquirer."

Nina and Rachel continued to watch Marlon and Nate. Marlon helped Nate learn a few swimming moves, but Marlon coughed quite a bit. They wrote some notes on the Gym Leader.

An hour later, Nina and Rachel saw Marlon saying good-bye to Nate, who was going back to the beach where the Pokemon Center was. Marlon got out of the water and climbed up the decks. He took his swim pants off of the pole and put them in his tote bag. Then he took a long white T-shirt out of his bag and put it on. He also put on a pair of sandals.

Marlon looked at Nina and Rachel.

"Hi," he said. "I see you've been watching my swim pants." Marlon coughed.

Nina and Rachel giggled.

"Uh...yes..." Nina chuckled.

"We were watching," said Rachel. "We're trying to get a good story on you."

"Why...' coughed Marlon, "thanks! I'd like to see how it comes out!" Being a laid-back kind of guy, Marlon wasn't normally bothered by stories on him published in the National Gymquirer. These stories could be dishonest, but Marlon knew that they were usually just for laughs.

Marlon picked up his tote bag.

"I like the notes that I took," said Nina, "but it might be a bit boring in print."

"Don't worry," said Marlon. "I'm sure the readers will enjoy it. I remember that one you wrote last week..." Marlon coughed yet again, but this time his voice was getting very hoarse. What was going on with his voice?

Nina and Rachel were startled. It looked like Marlon was coming down with a disease.

"It looks like you're sick with something," said Nina. "You'll need to go to the Pokemon Center and let a nurse test you." The Pokemon Center in Humilau City treated people as well as Pokemon.

"And you might want to avoid the water," said Rachel. "You're going to spread your germs and infect people if you stay in!"

"Okay," said Marlon. "I'll go."

While Marlon walked away, Nina and Rachel looked on. They started to giggle again.

"Marlon sure looks sexy in that bathing suit," said Rachel. "I think I want him for myself."

"I would love him too," said Nina. "But Marlon would never notice us. He has a steady girlfriend. And they could be married before you know it."

"He's younger than us," said Rachel. "He hasn't even reached 25. But we're both over 30. And neither of us have been with a man at all."

"Let's go follow him," said Nina.

"Sure!" said Rachel. The two followed Marlon.

Marlon made his way to the Pokemon Center. When he went inside, he saw Nate sitting near the entrance reading a book. Nate had put a shirt on as well. He waved hello to Marlon.

Next, Marlon walked up to the counter. He saw a nurse with pink pigtails. This was Tanya, the head nurse.

"Excuse me, Nurse," said Marlon, "but can you look at me? I'm losing my voice."

"Of course, Marlon," said Tanya. "Come this way."

Tanya took Marlon to another room. She sat him down in a chair. Tanya went over to the counter and took out a light.

"Open wide," said Tanya.

Marlon opened his mouth. Tanya held up the light near Marlon's mouth. She also felt his face. Then Tanya came to a conclusion.

"Your throat is swollen," said Tanya. "And I looked at the lymph nodes on your face, and they're swollen too. It looks like you have laryngitis."

"Laryngitis?" asked Marlon.

"Yep," said Tanya. "You might want to avoid talking too much. And don't forget to drink plenty of fluids. But what's most important is rest."

Marlon nodded his head. He was frowning.

Tanya then stepped back, and knocked Marlon's tote bag over. Out of it fell some of Marlon's belongings. Most of them were nothing special, but what fell out last was surprising - a plush Frillish. It was blue, signifying that it was male, and about five inches tall. The nurse picked the stuff up and put it back in the tote bag, but it was too late - someone had seen it.

Nina and Rachel were right outside the room that Marlon was in. Nina was writing things in her notepad, while Rachel was looking in with her binoculars. They had seen everything - Marlon had laryngitis. Nina and Rachel had not reported a disease before. They thought this would be juicy.

"Holy shit, Nina," said Rachel. "Looks like ol' Marlon's got a disease."

"And even better," said Nina, "he's got a little doll with him!"

"I wonder what the doll is for," said Rachel. "You don't normally see adults carrying those things. Well...of course you have that stuffed Happiny named MC Poopy Pants!"

"Oh yeah," said Nina. "Then again, we're going to die alone."

"At least we have each other," said Rachel. "Right, cookie?"

Nina blushed.

"Anyway," said Nina, "let's look closely at Marlon. We can write a real juicy story about this!"

"Yep," said Rachel. "I wonder what we should write about: Marlon's hotness, his laryngitis, or his plush Frillish!"

"I vote for all of the above!" said Nina.

"All right!" said Rachel.

Uh-oh...this is not good!