Chapter 4: Unable to Linger

Charlie hummed to himself. He was shaving off the small beard he had grown. The dark brown hair fell into the sink.

Alma called him from the other room in their apartment. "Hey do you have any mouthwash? I ran out."

Charlie paused his shaving. "There's some in the lower cabinet in the bathroom."

He heard Alma looking for it. "I found it! Thank you."

Charlie grinned. He looked younger without facial hair. Although only twenty-seven, he looked twenty. He cleaned the sink.

Alma walked by and saw him. She grinned. "Hey! You look really nice. I was wondering when you would shave."

He chuckled. "It's a new journey."

Alma fixed his hair a bit. "Your hair is always straight. I'm jealous."

Charlie brushed a bang away from her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with your hair."

She rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't know since you're not a woman."

Charlie checked his watch. "What time are we supposed to get on the ship?"

Alma searched for the tickets. "It's leaving at…noon."

Charlie panicked. "Alma! We only have ten minutes!"

The duo barely made it before the ship prepared to leave. Their tickets were checked. Neither knew what to expect. Most of their previous journeys were by plane and usually short. The majority of their ship voyages involved cargo and reeked of fish.

Alma's eyes gleamed. "It's like a cruise ship!"

Charlie checked their tickets. "I've never really heard of this ship."

"That's because it's very exclusive." A man told them.

They turned around to face him. "That's nice. Where are we headed?"

The man crossed his arms. He was dressed nicely: he wore a black tux. "It's on your ticket. We're headed to an island that lies exactly between the Hoenn and Johto Region. We refer to it as Trap Island, shortened from Trapezoid Island due to the culture of its inhabitants."

Alma frowned. "They use traps?"

"In a way, they do. They have a lot of activities that revolve around surviving mazes and puzzles. They're usually filled with traps." Charlie explained.

The man looked impressed. "You must be the Pokémon Researcher I heard about. Out of all passengers, only two knew about Trap Island. The other was a librarian. I hope you have a nice time on my ship." He walked away.

"He was the captain." Charlie told Alma.

She nodded. "He didn't seem very happy."

Charlie sighed. "I think he was forced to take this voyage. I remember hearing that Trap Island is only visited by two ships: one is yearly and the other is monthly. It isn't the time for either since they normally travel doing the summer or during the beginning of the month."

Alma smiled. "You know quite a lot."

Charlie smiled back. "Growing up with Pokémon Professors and encyclopedias as friends makes you rather knowledgeable."

Alma pointed to the other side of the ship. "Should we check our room?"

Charlie nodded.

Their voyage meant to last about two days. It was still the afternoon. Charlie was enjoying the view of the ocean from one of the many chairs. Most of the people around him were too focused on their idle chatter. Charlie never understood how they could focus on other things when something so majestic was right in front of him. It was practically the only reason he put up with ship voyages. It also helped that they were dirt cheap when Alma bribed the Ship Captain.

Charlie chuckled. He remembered that they once had to work with the ship workers. They had to help catch fish for the company that owned the ship. That was the only way they were allowed to tag along. He didn't remember seeing Alma much during that voyage though.

He sighed. The sound of people laughing and arguing was getting to him. He searched for an isolated area. The second floor on the ship seemed to be vacant.

When he arrived on the second level, he noticed another person there. It was a young woman with purple hair and light skin. She was wearing a beige sun hat and a cream-colored dress. She was staring at the ocean.

"Madam, do you mind if I join you?" Charlie asked her.

The woman turned towards Charlie. Her sharp red eyes pierced him. "I'm not interested."

Charlie apologized. "I only meant to join you in gazing at the lovely water. I did not mean any harm." He bowed his head before starting to walk away.

"Wait!"

Charlie turned around. "Yes?"

The woman's eyes returned to a fiery calmness. "I apologize. I've been hit on by almost ten guys since I've arrived. I escaped to the second level just to avoid everyone else."

Charlie frowned. "I'm sorry you had to be inconvenienced like that. I did not have a similar agenda. I only wish to admire the view. I was also bothered by the people on the first floor."

She nodded. "They ignore the water. It's probably nothing much to them. They're just here to probably gamble and drink. They don't enjoy the nature around them."

Charlie walked towards her. He leaned on the same rail that she was leaning. "I've only been on a few voyages before. I always love looking at the water. Due to my field of work, I see a lot of forestry and smaller bodies of waters. It doesn't compare to the dark blue of the ocean. I sometimes lose myself in it. I feel like if I just reached closer…" He stretched his hand in the direction of the water. "…that I could just disappear into it."

She laughed. "I'm sure you would! It's very cold here. I'm sure a regular person would have trouble swimming."

Charlie smiled. "It'd still be a nice experience."

She faced him. "My name is Violet- it is okay to laugh about that- Davidson."

Charlie bowed his head. "I am Charles. It's nice to meet you. Your name is quite beautiful. It matches your own beauty."

Violet blushed slightly. "Why, Charles, you're quite the charmer!"

Charlie grinned. "It is only the truth, madam."

They turned towards the water. "Can you swim, Charles?"

Charlie chuckled. "I can swim in regular water. If you throw me off the ship, I'll sink like lead."

Violet giggled. She gazed at him. He noticed her attention changed from the view. She winked. "Try your best to cool my fury then."

Charlie smiled. "I wouldn't dare do anything else."

Alma was in one of the workrooms for the sailors. The door was locked. The occupants included Alma and two burly sailors. Alma was on her knees, satisfying both men at the same time. She gripped each man by their girth. Her mouth and tongue focused on each.

"Man, this woman is real good with her mouth!" One of the sailors exclaimed.

She focused on the second. "Oh good, I was so…close. Fuck!"

Alma's mouth was around the second sailor's gland. The sperm flowed down her throat. "I guess you lucked out. Your friend gets to fuck me."

The sailor growled. "Damn. Give me a minute. I'll get it up again."

Alma was already removing her shorts and panties. She placed them neatly on the table next to them. "How would you like it?" She asked the first sailor.

He led her to one of the chairs in the room. He sat down and motioned for her to sit down on his lap. While she got on top, he placed a condom on his pecker. She faced the other sailor. She spread her legs so he could see perfectly as the man slowly inserted himself inside Alma. She moaned. "Oh wow! You sailors really are thick."

The sailor she was sitting on started with a slow rhythm. He wanted to enjoy Alma for awhile. Alma wasn't complaining. She squeezed him whenever he moved. She fondled her breasts through the fabric of her T-shirt. "You really lucked out."

Her moans began to increase in volume as the sailor pumped into her with increased velocity. Her breasts, loosely held by her bra and shirt, jiggled up and down. The sailor used her hips to bounce her on his lap.

The other sailor began to rub his own tool. He stepped closer to her. "Hey, I'm not getting anything on my shirt. Wait your turn."

"Why not use your other hole?" The first sailor asked.

"If you even try, you will have to put together the pieces of your scrotum when I'm done with it." Alma threatened.

The sailors laughed. "She thinks she's tough!"

The look in her eyes deterred the second sailor. "I uh can wait."

The first sailor picked up speed. "Oh fuck! Damn, don't squeeze so much! I'm going- oh fuck- I'm cumming!"

He tried thrusting as hard as he could. Alma closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. She moaned slowly.

She got off. The second sailor quickly put on a condom. "I'm ready." He told her.

Alma giggled. "So am I." She jumped on him. He caught her. She helped him insert himself. "Do it against the wall." She commanded.

He obeyed, enjoying Alma's tight, moist warmth.

Charlie was still talking to Violet on the second level. They had talked about the various lands of their past. When Pokémon were brought up, Charlie's eyes had a twinkle in them. He kept Violet absorbed by his words for nearly an hour.

He coughed. "My apologies, madam, I tend to lose myself with my favorite subject."

She smiled. "Don't worry about it. You can call me Violet. Would you like to go to the dining hall? I'd really like a glass of champagne."

Charlie offered his arm. "I'll be honored to escort you."

She entwined her arm with his. "I'll lead the way though. I'm sure you're unfamiliar with the ship's interior."

They walked through one hallway, followed by two others. After a short elevator ride, they reached the dining hall. It was luxurious. The decorations consisted of diamond chandeliers, golden fixtures. There were large tables to serve a large group of people. The tables were made of fine wood. There were at least three bar areas. They walked to the closest one, taking seats at the bar. "I'll like a bottle of champagne and two glasses." Charlie told the bartender.

Violet drank from her glass first. "So, Charles, what exactly do you plan to do when this lingers?"

Charlie smiled. "I'm not sure actually."

Violet smiled. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're a rare type of person, Charles. You're not only nice, polite, and gentle, you're practically innocent." She let her hand fall to her lap. "I'm a creature that yearns for excitement but perishes if I remain for too long."

Charlie's smile contained sadness. "Stay for as long as it is safe for you. I do not wish to make you suffer."

Violet leaned closer. She gently pressed her lips against his. "You are a wonderful person, Charles."

Alma was humming to herself. She was skipping to the room she shared with Charlie. Before she got there, she noticed the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. A giggle escaped her lips. She hoped Charlie was having a nice time.

Having no real destination, she wandered towards the top level. There weren't many people since it was time for dinner. Although there were many vacant chairs, she decided to lean against the railing. She noticed that there was a bench where she was standing. Sitting down, she let her back lean on the railing. Her gaze lingered towards the sky. It was already dark, illuminating the sky with sparkling diamonds.

While she gazed at the sky, she noticed that there was a second level to the one she was on. She squinted. Alma could barely make out the sight of Charlie.

She got up. It didn't take her long to reach the second level. Alma found Charlie there. He was watching the waves in the dim night.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Charlie asked.

"You knew it was me?"

Charlie closed his eyes. "I can vaguely smell your perfume, among other scents."

Alma blushed. "I uh had some fun."

Charlie nodded. "I understand. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

She leaned on the same railing as him. "I saw the sign outside our room. I figured-"

"Her name was Violet. We briefly talked about our dreams. It was…special in a way. I was the one who couldn't bear to linger."

Alma sighed. She wrapped her arms around his left arm. "She's still fresh on your mind."

Charlie didn't answer. An answer wasn't necessary.

"She loved the water, didn't she?" Alma asked.

Charlie smiled. A tear trailed down his cheek. "She loved staring at the waves. She always fantasized that at some point, the waves of the ocean would just stop. That it would cause a different phenomenon to occur. We used to let the hours go by as we gazed at the waves. Everything melted away."

They both stared at the waves. Everything did start to melt way when the focus was on the water. Alma shivered, ruining the effect. "Let's go back before you catch a cold." He told her.

She didn't let go of his arm on the way back to the room. His tears had only stopped when they stopped gazing. Even as they rested in their beds, neither could shut out the everlasting sound of waves crashing against the ship.