A.N.: Okay, this is the second chapter of my Pokemon fanfic. Wow, it hasn't been a day yet and I've already put up two chapters! Not bad for someone who's making this all up as he goes along! Special thanks to Aigue-Marine and sunshine5991 for being the first people to review!

Oh, and Pokemon is a trademark of Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.

0000000 SS Lucrezia 0000000

It was only a two hour walk south towards the docks. As Andy and Gilbert the Cubone arrived at the shipyard, they looked around for their ship. Andy took out his travel ticket and looked at it, "Looks like our ship is the S.S. Lucrezia. What a funny name."

"Bone, Cu Cu" Gilbert agreed. The two of them headed towards a ship near the end of the pier. There was a long line of people waiting in front of the ship's entrance. As Andy and Gilbert reached the end of the line, the line began to move. When they finally reached the entrance, the person receiving the tickets asked, "You heading for Hoenn?"

"Yeah, I am." Andy replied.

"Alright, then welcome aboard kid!"

With that, Andy headed in, carrying Gilbert in his arms. Inside, it looked to be a cruise ship. There were trainers all throughout the large gallery, with several battles occurring simultaneously. Andy and Gilbert looked at one battle curiously. The participants were two young trainers: one was a boy with reddish hair and grey clothing; the other trainer was a girl with black hair and a purple outfit.

"Rattata, use Tackle!" the boy shouted. The Rattata began charging at the opposing Pokemon, a Shinx.

"Really?" the girl said calmly. "Shinx, Quick Attack!" Shinx started charging at Rattata with amazing speed, and then suddenly went right, ending up on Rattata's side. Shinx then sped up and rammed hard into Rattata. Rattata looked rather dazed from the hit.

"End this with a Tackle!" the girl commanded. Shinx then charged at the still dazed Rattata, slamming into it, and knocking it out.

The referee watching over this match then declared "Rattata is unable to battle. The winner is Cindy!"

"Wow, you were tough!" the boy said in awe. "We couldn't even touch you."

"Well, looks like you need to study more Don." Cindy said with a grin. "I've already won 2 battles so far!"

Then Cindy looked at her audience and called out, "Is there anyone else who wants to challenge me?"

It seemed that most of the beginner trainers were uneasy with the idea, seeing as no one had been able to beat her. Andy looked at Gilbert inquiringly, to which Gilbert shook his head.

Cindy seemed to be frustrated with the lack of challengers, so she shouted "Well, someone battle me! Come on, it'll be fun!" Then she looked at Gilbert and then at Andy and said "Hey, you with the Cubone, how about a battle with me?"

Andy looked surprised and said "Wait, me?"

Cindy snapped impatiently, "Yes you! How about you battle with me? Or are you scared?"

Andy said slowly, "I'm not scared, but Gil here isn't really one for large crowds of people, nor does he have any battling experience."

"Well, you're the trainer, so it is up to YOU to change that!" Cindy said in an annoyed tone. "But if that little guy is scared, why not battle me with another Pokemon?"

"I would, but he's my only one" Andy mumbled. Gilbert looked up at Andy's disappointed face, then looked at Cindy and narrowed his eyes. "Cu!" Gilbert cried.

Andy looked at Gilbert in surprise. "You want to?" Gilbert nodded hesitantly "Are you sure?" Gilbert simply leapt out of Andy's arms and slowly walked to the center of the battling stage, and glared at Cindy.

Cindy laughed" Looks like your Cubone finally has the guts to fight! Are you ready kid?"

Andy took one last look at Gilbert and then turned to Cindy and nodded determinedly, "Let's go! And the name's Andy"

Cindy threw a Pokeball out, shouting "Whatever! I choose you! Lotad!" A small, blue Pokemon with a lotus pad on top of its head appeared. "Lotad!" it cried.

Andy pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at Lotad "Lotad, the Water Weed Pokemon. Lotad likes to serve as a ferry to Pokemon who can't swim." the Pokedex stated.

"Hmm, what about Gilbert, what attacks does he know?" He pointed the Pokedex at Cubone. The Pokedex stated "Cubone, the Lonely Pokemon. It's crying makes the skull helmet it wears rattle hollowly. Cubone's current repertoire of techniques include: Tackle, Growl, Bone Club."

"Ok, that works" Andy said slowly. He nodded at the referee, who then called "This will be a one on one battle between Andy and Cindy. There will be no time limit. Let the battle begin!" The bell rang.

"Lotad use Growl!" Cindy cried quickly. Lotad let out a bellow at Cubone, who winced at the loud noise.

"Gil, Growl right back!" Andy countered. Gilbert let out a cry similar to Lotad's. Lotad took a few steps back.

Cindy frowned and said "Oh yeah? Lotad, show them your Astonish!" Lotad let out a sudden scream.

"Cu!" Cubone cried in surprise at the sudden sound. Andy called out "Tackle it!" Cubone charged at Lotad, while Cindy looked on seemingly unworried.

"Lotad, sidestep it and use Absorb!" Lotad waited until Gilbert was right in front of it, then took a step to the right and shot a beam of green light at Gilbert. Gilbert screamed in pain and surprise. Andy looked horrified at the damage Cubone took, calling out "No! Gilbert!"

Cindy smirked, "Looks like it'll be over soon. Lotad, end this with Nature Power!"

Lotad began to glow, before opening its mouth. Andy saw this and cried "Gilbert, shut its mouth with a Bone Club!" Gilbert looked at Lotad angrily, and then clubbed it on the head suddenly with his bone. The energy dissipated, and Lotad looked stunned.

"NO! LOTAD!" Cindy cried. Andy took this chance to call out, "Tackle!"

Gilbert lowered his head, and rammed into Lotad, knocking it out. The referee held pointed his hand at Andy and called out "Lotad is unable to battle! Andy is the winner!"

Gilbert ran to Andy happily, and Andy scooped him into his arms and gave the Cubone a big hug. "You were amazing Gilbert!" he said happily.

Cindy then walked up to Andy and said "Looks like you win this match kid. You broke my winning streak!" She then put her hand out, and Andy took it. "Congratulations."

As Andy and Gilbert walked to the food bar, the boy named Don walked up to him and said "Wow, you beat her! You're pretty good for a beginning trainer!"

Andy grinned before saying "Thanks, but Gilbert did the work. I just pointed him in the right direction." Don laughed at that and said "I guess so. Say, you wanna battle with me?"

Andy looked at Gilbert, who was chewing on a drumstick happily and said "Maybe later, Gilbert is pretty famished after that battle." Don nodded and asked "So why are you heading towards Hoenn?"

Andy looked at Don and said "Well, I have a friend who I'm meeting with there. Then, we'll head to Johto to start our journey."

"You're going all the way to Hoenn just to meet up with a friend?" Don exclaimed incredulously. "Wow, you guys must be close!"

Andy grinned, "Yeah, we were in day-camp together, and we've been best friends since. My other best friend, Keith, moved to Johto. It's kinda lonely at home, so I want to travel with a friend instead of by myself."

Don nodded, "Yeah, I can understand that. By the way, would you like to battle me after lunch?"

Andy nodded, "If Gil wants to, sure!"

Suddenly, a voice announced through the speakers, "Ladies and gentlemen, the S.S. Lucrezia is now setting sail. We hope you enjoy your ride on the S.S. Lucrezia."

Don looked at Andy and said, "Well, looks like we're heading out. I guess this is a good a time as any to eat." Andy nodded in the affirmative, and they both headed over to where Gilbert was happily chewing on a bone.

After they scarfed down lunch, Andy and Don headed towards a battling stage, Gilbert following them quickly. The boys went to opposite ends of the arena, and the referee nodded. "This will be a battle between Andy and Don. Each trainer will use one Pokemon each, with no time limit. Let the battle begin!"

"Gilbert, let's play!"

"Sentret, I choose you!" A tiny beige rodent-like Pokemon appeared from Don's Pokeball. Andy pointed his Pokedex at Sentret, who stated "Sentret, the Scout Pokemon. It has a very nervous nature. It stands up high on its tail so it can scan wide areas."

Andy thought to himself "Sentret looks to be stronger than his Rattata. I'll have to be a little cautious."

"Sentret, Quick Attack!" Sentret charged at Gilbert at amazing speed. Gilbert stood his ground, holding his bone out to protect himself. Andy cried out "Gil, use Growl!"

Gilbert let out a powerful wail, which seemed to slow Sentret down as it winced from the sound. Sentret then leaped towards Gilbert, intending to ram into him. Gilbert forced his bone in front of Sentret's path, who collided head on with it. They both struggled to force the other to give way. Andy then called out "Tackle it!"

Gilbert butted his head at Sentret, knocking it back. Don frowned as said, "Fury Swipes! Get it!"

Sentret's claws began to glow, and it rushed at Gilbert. Andy countered, "Oh yeah? Gil, use Bone Club!" Gilbert used his bone to strike at the flailing Sentret, parrying its strikes easily. Then, Gilbert made a side slash at Sentret, slamming into it and sending Sentret flying back. Sentret landed on the ground, knocked unconscious.

"NO! Sentret!" Don rushed to Sentret as the referee said "Sentret is unable to battle. The winner is Andy!"

As Don recalled Sentret, Andy gave Gilbert a high five (not easy when you are five times taller). As they were celebrating, Don walked over to them with a look of dejection. He sighed, "Guess Cindy was right. I should study up more on battling."

"Nah, you did pretty good. You just have to work on your technique I guess. It's still too early for me to be giving anyone advice." Andy grinned.

As the S.S. Lucrezia sailed peacefully in the wave, the voice in the loudspeakers announced, "Trainers, the S.S. Lucrezia offers a complimentary one-hour Pokemon training course. If you would like to participate, please go out onto the deck. We guarantee that you and your Pokemon will leave stronger than when you first entered!"

At this announcement, many of the trainers on board grew excited. Pretty soon, there was an influx of trainers going through the doors to the deck. Don seemed interested, so he said good-bye to Andy and ran off to join the crowd of trainers. Andy shrugged and thought to himself, "I doubt one short course would help us get stronger. It's probably the ship's way of passing the time."

Andy then heard a snicker, and turned around to see Cindy rolling her eyes at the trainers heading out to the deck. She said, "If they all think that one little course will help them get stronger, then they must all be pretty desperate."

Andy frowned at her and said, "Hey, even a little help can go a long way! There's nothing wrong with trying it out." Cindy smirked at him and said, "So then why aren't YOU going? Is it because you know it's just a sham?" Andy looked at her and snapped, "No, I just don't feel like going! Is there a problem with that?"

Cindy simply laughed and said, "No need to get defensive! I'm just teasing you." Andy growled, "Whatever."

Gilbert had walked over to Andy to see who he was talking to. The little Cubone frowned at Cindy, and gripped Andy's leg. Cindy saw this and said, "Maybe you should go take the course. Your Cubone looks pretty young. It needs all the help it can get!"

Andy shrugged and said "Maybe, but only if Gil is willing." He looked at Gilbert, who looked confused. "You wanna take a lesson in battling buddy?" Gilbert simply shrugged non-committedly."

"Alright, I guess we might as well. It's better than staying here staring at the carpeting." Andy lifted Gilbert into his arms, and set off for the deck. Cindy shrugged and said, "Might as well follow. Nothing to do here."

When they reached the deck, they found themselves completely blocked by a crowd of people. However, they still heard the instructor saying, "Using your Pokedex, and a little personal effort, you can teach your Pokemon techniques that they normally do not learn naturally. Like this Vulpix here can perform an Energy Ball attack, which it does not learn normally in the wild."

Many trainers seemed interested in trying out that tip; however, there was simply too little room to call out any Pokemon. Andy simply pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at Gilbert. He pressed a button on it, and a display appeared on the tiny screen, with a list of all possible attacks Cubone can learn, naturally and through teaching. He found one interesting move, and decided on it, "Protect. That sounds useful."

"Anyone who wishes to try this out, come to the front please!"

Andy started pushing his way to the front, which wasn't easy with all the people so close together and Gilbert in his arms. However, he eventually forced his way to the stand, where several trainers were already trying to teach their Pokemon new moves. The instructor looked at Andy and said, "Well young man, what would you like to try?"

"Um, I think I'll go for teaching Gil here the move Protect." The instructor nodded slowly, "That's a relatively simple one. Maybe you would like to teach your Cubone another move as well? How about the move Sandstorm? That would be very useful."

Andy nodded hesitantly, "Alright, I guess that would be okay." Then he set Gilbert down, and said to him, "Ready to learn?" Gilbert nodded nervously.

The instructor started instructing them on how to perform the moves. After a few minutes later, the instructor went off to help another trainer, while Andy and Gilbert kept working on the moves. Before they could finish, the instructor started a new lesson on movements in the battle. He went on to teach them basic ways to create openings to win, as well as using types to one's advantage. By the time the hour was up, the instructor ended by saying, "Alright, who thinks they can use this stuff in a battle?"

Almost immediately, every hand in the audience flew up in the air. The instructor laughed, pointed at a random trainer, and started a battle. Soon, he had a line of challengers, all eager to try out their new tricks. Surprisingly enough, the instructor defeated every single challenger without breaking stride. When everyone on line was beaten, he said, "I think one more battle of my own choosing will suffice. How about you?" He pointed at what looked like Andy, though Cindy stepped forward.

Cindy said, "I'll take you on!" The instructor frowned and said, "My mistake, I was pointing at the boy with the Cubone, but I don't mind facing both of you at once! I could use this opportunity to teach people about double battles!"

Cindy shrugged and looked at Andy, who nodded. He stepped forward as well and said, "Alright, I'll accept your challenge as well."

The instructor nodded at the referee, who called out, "This will be a double battle between Instructor Luis, and… uh names please?"

"Andy." "Cindy."

"…right, this will be a double battle between Instructor Luis and The team of Cindy and Andy. The challenger, Luis, will be using two Pokemon at once. Both Andy and Cindy will only be allowed one Pokemon each. The battle will be over when both Pokemon from one team are unable to battle. There will be no time limit. Trainers, select your Pokemon!"

Cindy tossed a Pokeball, calling out "Go Shinx!" Shinx appeared in a flash of light.

"Gilbert, let's roll!" Gilbert ran out to the battlefield alongside Shinx. Luis threw out two Pokeballs, shouting, "Go! Illumise! Vulpix!" Out appeared two Pokemon: Illumise was a blue and lilac firefly-like Pokemon; Vulpix was a red-orange fox, with six curly tails.

The referee then shouted, "This will be a double battle between the teams of Cubone and Shinx, and Illumise and Vulpix. Let the battle begin!"

Cindy called out quickly "Shinx! Use Charge!" Shinx began surrounding itself with electricity. Luis smirked and called out, "Illumise, use Helping Hand! Vulpix, use Heat Wave!"

Illumise began glowing with blue light, and then clapped, sending the blue light at Vulpix. Vulpix shot a wide stream of heat at Shinx and Cubone. Andy frowned and called out, "Gil, try out Sandstorm!"

Gilbert began twirling his bone quickly, aiming the wind at the ground. A large cloud of sand shot forth, which impacted with the Heat Wave, dissipating it. However, a backlash of heat knocked Gilbert into Shinx. Cindy frowned at Andy, who smiled apologetically in response. Cindy then shouted, "Shinx, use Spark!"

Shinx surrounded itself with a large ball of lightning, and charged at Illumise and Vulpix. Luis laughed at this, saying, "Using a head-on attack against two enemies isn't the wisest decision. It leaves both Pokemon open to counterattacks like this. Vulpix, use Confuse Ray! Illumise, use Buzz!"

Vulpix's eyes began to glow, and it shot a wave of energy at Shinx. The attack froze Shinx on the spot. At the same time, Illumise began vibrating its wings, sending a loud shockwave at both Shinx and Gilbert. Andy called out quickly, "Protect!"

Cubone began twirling his bone rapidly, and held it up like a shield at the shockwave. The Bug Buzz struck the spinning bone, and rebounded at the ground. Unfortunately, Shinx was so lucky, being sent flying from the attack. Cindy shouted out quickly, "Quick, use Tackle on Illumise!"

Hearing this command, Shinx began charging. However, Shinx didn't seem to be able to tell where Illumise was. It ran off on a tangent, and rammed Gilbert. Andy screamed, "Hey, stop that!" Unfortunately, Shinx began gnawing on Gilbert's bone. Gilbert kept tugging, which resulted in a tug-of-war between the two.

Luis smirked, "If your Pokemon can't work together, then you won't stand a chance. Let's end this! Illumise, use Hidden Power! Vulpix, use Energy Ball!"

A.N.: The ending to this battle should be obvious, but I guess I'll leave a cliffhanger for you all to contemplate (Not that it's a very impressive cliff). Sorry about how boring this story is so far. But somehow, I don't think anyone can start a journey with super powerful Pokemon. So the intense battles will have to wait a while. Oh, and if anyone wants to help me with this story (especially how to avoid turning Andy, or any other main character, into a Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu), I'd appreciate it! Also, I would like to warn you all ahead of time that Andy (me and my character of the same name) is gay. Any problems with that, either get over it or don't read. Feel free to review, and all that stuff. In all honesty, I'm only writing for fun, NOT for reviews. So to avoid ending with a sour note, um… I LOVE BUNNIES AND KILLER BIRDS!