Chapter 37: Arrival in Silver Island

Saturday, 22 June, 2013…

"Announcement! We have arrived on Silver Island!"

Gloria: "Finally! I am so psyched about it!"

Me: "It has been a week… It will be over, soon…"

Gloria: "Don't be that way! You got a Medal, I will get a Ribbon, we met lots of people and had lots of experiences! It can't go wrong!"

Me: "I guess you are right. Whatever, let's dress up and leave the place."

Outside the cabin…

Angela: "How's it going, guys? Were I good at announcing yesterday?"

Me: "Surely better than that Fabio…"

Angela: "Sure! That is, I have a surprise for you!"

Gloria: "Surprise? Tell us, please tell us!"

Angela: "Now that Fabio's gone, I'm taking his place as a Ferry Tournament announcer!"

Gloria: "That's great, Angie!"

Me: "Does that mean no battling from now on?"

Angela; "I don't care! I have won this thing tons of times! Announcing is my dream!"

Gloria: "I see… That is, you won't participate in the Contest!"

Angela: "Are you silly? Would your favourite cowgirl leave you alone with that idiot Victoria?"

Me: "She's no longer an idiot…"

Gloria: "Whatever! Tonight, I am finally beating her, whatever she is!"

Angela: "That's the spirit! You will have to battle me as well!"

Gloria: "I know! And it will be great!"

Me: "What will be greater though is breakfast! Shall we?"

Both girls: "Right away!"

At the breakfast hall…

Victoria: "Hey, guys. Ready for the grand thing?"

Gloria: "More than ever! I will beat you, for sure!"

Angela: "I will be the one who wins it!"

Ralph: "No, I will be the one!"

Me: "Ralph, you here?"

Ralph: "Of course! I didn't sleep all night! All of yesterday's events, all of today's expectancies… I just couldn't."

Me: "I see. Good luck to you too!"

Ralph: "Thanks. As I can see, you are wearing your Silver Medal all over the place, don't you?"

Me: "Well, just for the weekend! It is a souvenir of all this week we had together."

Victoria: "Whatever… Where's Justin?"

Angela: "He was too occupied with yesterday's events. I guess he is negotiating with the Captain about Team Rocket."

Ralph: "Still, is everything safe for the Contest?"

Me: "I guess so. The bombing was about to be done, and we prevented it."

Gloria: "Still, I do not have a good feeling. Plus the dream…"

Victoria: "Which dream?"

Gloria: "I dreamt of having to battle at the Contest finals, just before a bomb exploded."

Angela: "Come on, it is from the stress about the case!"

Gloria: "No! I dreamt of it the night before boarding this ship, even before I met you, Angela!"

Ralph: "Sounds too metaphysic. I doubt it makes any sense."

Me: "Come on, guys! Team Rocket won't attack again! Even when we were not prepared, we were able to stop them. Imagine now, where both me and Justin's Pokemon will be all fully healed…"

Just then, Justin entered the scene, with all 5 pals in the background: "Did you mention my name?"

Angela: "Justin, where have you been?"

Justin: "We had to send off all Team Rocket members to Silver Island Police Department. We are done with all of this now."

Gloria: "Justin, do you think that Team Rocket can be a threat for today as well?"

Justin: "By all means no. Fabio looked like their leader. With their leader bet, they will be unable to face our prepared forces!"

Me: "That's what I said, except they do not believe me…"

Justin: "Come on! Eat, gather your Pokemon, feed and go register!"

After finishing breakfast and getting Pokemon…

Me: "Everyone, come out! I want to thank you all for your effort! This Silver Medal is the token of our rankings in the tournament!"

Gloria: "Come out as well! The time of the Contest has come! Marill, you get the Appeals! You three will get some of the battles! We should check the opponent's Pokemon first…"

Angela: "Rapidash and Altaria, come out! Altaria, you get the appeals! Rapidash, you get the battles! Get ready to rock, for this is our last battles ever!"

Ralph: "Ever? What do you mean by that, Angela?"

Angela: "I am quitting as a Pokemon Trainer! I am going to become the Ferry Tournament's new announcer!"

Victoria: "That's great! Don't you agree, Sylveon?"

"Syl!"

Victoria: "That is it! To make things interesting, I am going with you all over the Contest!"

"Sylveon!"

Ralph: "I am going with Raticate for the Appeals and Machoke for the battles."

Gloria: "What about Rhyhorn?"

Ralph: "I just caught Rhyhorn. I won't use it in this Contest."

Me: "I see. Good luck to you, whatever strategy you choose."

Justin: "As for me… Everyone, come out! I have to congratulate you for both a mission well done as well as for your battling spirit. Even though we got third place, you are still number one for me…"

Me: "Come on, come on! No more dramatic moments! Let's just go on with feeding!"

We finally set foot on land…

Gloria: "Off to the Contest Hall immediately!"

Me: "Come on! Wait for us!"

We followed the four to the Contest Hall, where they entered in to sign up. I stuck around with Justin and the others outside.

Me: "Are you really sure that there won't be any interference from Team Rocket tonight?"

Justin: "In fact, not… Team, let's scan the outsider of Contest Hall for clues! Scizor, you check all over the island for any suspicious base!"

Me: "Pidgeotto, you are going too!"

Justin: "Come on, Team! Let's begin!"

All: "Roger!"

While around the Hall, we noticed three suspicious strangers around…

Me: "Who can they be?"

Justin: "Don't know. We should follow them."

We followed them, and found out an underground hut. Pidgeotto and Scizor were hovering above it as well, indicating that something was suspicious in there.

Justin: "Scizor, return!"

Me: "Pidgeotto, return as well!"

Justin: "Come on, Team! Let's check the inside!"

We ventured further inside. There was a three-way structure.

Justin: "Farell and Darren, you take west. Robert, Ckavar and Etuart, you take east. Me and Thomas take north."

All: "Roger!"

The path then turned again three ways.

Justin: "We have no choice! You take the west and stick to the right. I do the same for east."

Me: "The north?"

Justin: "Got it! Urasring, mission time! Scout the north path!"

Me: "Wartortle, Sandlash! You go with Ursaring!"

"War!"

"Slash!"

We parted ways with Justin, only to find another three-way deeper in.

Me: "I haven't got enough Pokemon to use, if I want to keep one on my path. That is, stick to the right!"

Unfrotunately, right had to go three-way again. Right and right, I bumped upon Ursaring, Sandlash and Wartortle!

Me: "Okay, got it. This place is interconnected. Let's split again. Maybe we have some more chances."

Again, wandering around aimlessly, I bumped upon a Hitmonlee and HItmonchan.

Me: "Farell and Darren's Pokemon… They must be close. Can one of you show me the way to them?"

HItmonlee pointed to the right. I followed that way, only to stick again in a three-way.

Me: "Come on! How huge is that place! They went left, and I am to the right of where I started! What's going on?"

I bumped literally into every searching group. More than two hours have passed, until we all ended up at the very same spot.

Justin: "Looks like we will have to search out the exit together!"

Suddenly, the floor collapsed and we fell to the basement. Five men were waiting for us: "Welcome to Team Rocket's Secret Maze Base. The place to daze and get you craze!"

Justin: "What a case…"

"Don't you dare insult me. Rando, the Team Rocket Boss will teach you a lesson! Weavile!"

Justin: "Use Hammer Arm as soon as it pops out…"

Indeed, Ursaring knocked out Weavile before it was even able to materialize.

"Mightyena!"

Justin:"The same…"

"Golbat!"

Justin: "Giga Impact this time…"

"Okay, we lost! But…"

Justin: "Where's the bomb?"

"What bomb are you talking about? We have no idea…"

Justin: "I asked something! WHERE'S THE BOMB?"

"Okay, okay, in the Contest Hall!"

Me: "Wait, is there another bomb for real?"

"Of course there is! Didn't you really think that Fabio was the only one bombing the place?"

Justin: "You lead us out! Now!"

" I won't!"

Justin: "Wanna get a taste of Poliwrath's Hypnosis?"

"No, please not! We guide you off, you do whatever you want with the bomb, but you leave us alone!"

Justin: "For now… It's a deal!"

Team Rocket got us out. After checking off that it was not a trap, we returned to the Contest Hall. Over there, the others were waiting for us.

Gloria: "Okay, you were scouting the place, didn't you?"

Justin: "Of course not! We just…"

Victoria: "You just are unsure about the existence of another bomb."

Justin: "To be honest, we were. But no longer."

Gloria: "How come? You got any proof?"

Angela: "If Justin tells it, it must be so."

Victoria: "You shut up, cowgirl!"

Angela: "I don't care! I will become an Announcer Cowgirl! Plus, I have Justin to protect me!"

Me: "Okay, okay, we got it! What now?"

Justin: "Eat, sleep and roll!"

All: "Roger!"

Next time: The Contest Begins!