A Voyage to Treasure, Chapter 44
After spending that entire day together, Yunie vanished again for another pair of days. She told me she had to get all those pictures developed, and that took plenty of time. Alone in Olivine City, I decided to hit the streets and wander about.
The day after the convention, there were still hundreds of people more in town, but the day after that it seemed to quiet down as people returned home. For the most part, I spent my time at the park, letting Vulpix and my other Pokemon run free for a time. I couldn't begin to imagine how uncomfortable it was for them to be locked away in Pokeballs all the time. Between bouts of playing catch with Vulpix and Vaporeon, I took to reading that TCG rulebook and the newspaper. I wanted to make sure there wasn't any more developments regarding Team Rocket.
There wasn't much on them, save for an interview with Lance. According to the paper, he informed the reporter that Rocket had officially disbanded, and any remaining forces were to be considered rogue criminals and dealt with accordingly. With Giovanni off the radar, it felt like peace would reign over Kanto and Johto. And yet, I couldn't help but feel there was something missing from all this.
"Why, hello again, Star." I turned my attention away from the paper and to Jasmine.
"Hey! How are you? Come, sit down!" I threw the paper into the trash bin next to me, and offered Jasmine Vulpix's seat. She complained, of course, but I let her sit on my lap instead.
"What are you still doing here? Don't you have other badges to collect?" Her hair was fashioned the same as before, with the two little 'rabbit ears' held in place with barrettes.
"Actually, I'm done collecting badges here. I'm waiting for the SS Aqua to start boarding, so I can go to Hoenn." I reached into my bag, and pulled out my Johto trainer card to show her.
"Congratulations. Are you not going to visit Indigo Plateau, then?"
"No," I said, putting the card away again. "When I first started on my adventure, that was the plan. But as I went around Kanto, learning more and more about Pokemon and fighting, I decided not to. Instead, I came here, to do some more adventuring."
"I see, then why do you bother collecting the badges?" I could see why Jasmine would be confused. It was like working without pay, almost.
"Memories, challenge, checkpoints. The gyms in the region are kinda like points of interest. I travel at my own pace, and visit the gyms along the way. I haven't lost a match since Saffron City, my fifth gym. I'm not exactly sure what I'll do the day I lose another."
"I understand," said Jasmine, looking at my other Pokemon, who were relaxing on the grass just ahead. "If you challenge the leader again, it'd be almost pointless. Yet if you don't, your collection of badges will be incomplete."
"Guess I'll figure it out when if and when it happens." I smiled at Jasmine, who meekly smiled back at me. "By the way, Jasmine, how did you become a gym leader? You don't look much older than me."
"Well, sometimes gyms are inherited by the children of the previous leader, and sometimes, when the leader retires, they have to pick a new one almost immediately. I happened to be living here when they needed a new leader, so I was picked after Lance came by to test me."
"Just like that? Doesn't that seem a bit random to be official?" By that logic, I could be waltzing through a town at any given moment and be offered the job myself. Not that I'd take it; I have no interest in being a leader.
"Well, I don't work for in the League proper, so I'm not sure. Not that I mind being a leader, it suits me just fine."
"Yeah, I guess so. So, how old are you?" Rather than be caught off guard by the question, or blush, Jasmine put her finger to her lips and winked at me.
"That's a secret, Star."
~o~
The day of our departure had finally arrived. The SS Aqua was finally letting its passengers board, with its massive horn billowing throughout the city. Yunie showed up the same day, lugging around a suitcase almost as big as her.
"Where'd you get that?" I asked, helping her drag it along.
"Home, where else? Mom wasn't about to let me leave without packing a proper suitcase. Where's yours?"
"Right here," I said, patting my usual travel bag. "My house is in Pallet Town, so I can't exactly run back there to pack a suitcase."
"Oh, well, I hope you came prepared! The SS Aqua has all sorts of fun things to do on board, Pokemon battling aside. Got a swimsuit?"
"Yeah, are we stopping by some island along the way?"
"No, there's a pool on board! I tell you Star, this ship has it all!"
And Yunie wasn't kidding. From the extravagant main hall, lined with all sorts of sculptures of water Pokemon, to the halls belowdecks; everything was polished and sparkling. It was almost like being in a dream of a ship, the way it looked. Guessing it could be a new ship, I asked one of the deckhands, who told me the ship had only been in commission for a year. He also told me that it was pulling double duty now, since the SS Anne sunk a couple months back. This news, though old, shocked me! According to news reports, it was the work of Team Rocket and trainers on board the ship, after a massive battle broke out between the two groups. Glad I wasn't on that ship, then.
Yunie had arranged for us to share a cabin, after having talked to a few people around the ship and pier. How she was able to pull this off, being a girl my age, baffled me, but who was I to complain? Better to bunk with a friend than alone, or with a total stranger. Once we had settled in, we returned to the deck, awaiting castoff. Like Yunie said, there was a massive pool up there, in the shape of a Pikachu's head. Already a bunch of kids were splashing around inside, making me just a tad jealous. Vulpix was on edge, though, with so much water all around her.
"What's wrong, girl? Want to go back to the cabin?" I picked her in my arms, but rather than agree to the offer, she licked my nose and cuddled up close. She'd rather risk the ocean than be left alone.
"Starly's back in the cabin, Vulpix," Yunie chimed in. "You can play with her if you don't want to be here."
"Don't worry, I'll just keep her with me. Wouldn't want to miss the castoff while I'm belowdecks."
And missed it I would've. Just a few minutes after that little exchange, the ship's horn roared, signaling our departure. The ramp was retracted, the crowds on the pier cheered us on and waved goodbye. I was reminded of when I saw the SS Anne take off, wondering if that departure was her last. It also made me wonder if this was to be the SS Aqua's last. I didn't know how to swim; if something happened...?
"Don't worry," Yunie said, as if she were hearing my thoughts. "We'll have ourselves a great time!"
"What?" I said, panicking a bit.
"You looked a bit sad there, so I thought you were getting all weepy on me. Everything okay?"
"No-Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine." I waved back at the people, though I knew no one in the crowd.
Well, that wasn't true. As it turned out, there was someone I knew on the pier that day. Jasmine stood in the crowd, waving just as much as everyone else. Unfortunately, I didn't see her that day, but according to her, she saw me. We'd later meet on my adventure.
~o~
"Isn't this the life, Star?"
"Yeah, I guess." I answered Yunie, though if she were paying any attention at all, she'd have noticed I said it without so much as a hint of feeling. We were relaxing in the pool, which was great the first time, and the second, but now it was starting to get redundant. It was only the second day of the trip, and suffice to say, I was already being driven mad being around Yunie for so long.
"Let's lunch in a little bit, I'm starting to get hungry!"
"Sure, whatever," I answered, my voice trailing off. Yunie was a great person, very giving and friendly, but also extremely clingy when there was no where for her to vanish to for a pair of days at a time. After the ship departed yesterday, we got into the pool for a couple hours, then went for dinner. We got back in for a late night swim, or soak, in my case. I stayed on the steps by the exit, too afraid to even try to learn how to swim. This morning, we got in before breakfast, and after breakfast. At this rate, Yunie would have her fill of lunch and then cheer for another dip.
"Sounds like you're having the time of your life! Can't blame ya, it's great here!" Almost seemed like she was enjoying herself too much.
"I'm leaving," I finally worked up the courage to say, and got out of the pool. Yunie finally reacted to my words.
"Already? But lunch won't be served for another half hour!"
"Sorry, but I need to be alone for a while. I'll see you later." I wrapped myself in my towel and marched straight for the stairwell. The faster I distanced myself from Yunie, the better.
"Wait! Where're we meeting for lunch?" She screamed at me. I chose not to answer her.
Hoenn was still another four days away. Four more days with Yunie; the thought sent shivers down my spine. Not to seem like a meanie, but sometimes you just need time away from people, you know? I got back to our room, took a quick shower and changed back into my usual dress. Vulpix seemed to be enjoying herself playing with Starly, Yunie's Pichu. May have been a bit unfair to the little yellow Pokemon, but I needed Vulpix with me this time. I also made sure to grab my belt and Pokeballs.
The SS Aqua was a large ship, with plenty of places left unexplored. Yunie gave something of a small tour, but she mainly stuck to the places she was interested in visiting during the voyage. Of course, this excluded the entirety of B Deck, also known as the Battle Deck. It was down here where trainers gathered to flex their muscles while on the trip. I admit, I was starting to slip if I was turning to recreational battles for amusement. But at the time, I honestly didn't care, so long as Yunie wasn't involved in any way whatsoever.
Though battles could take place anywhere on B Deck, the majority of the trainers hung out in the cafe 'League On The Sea'. This little nook of the ship was owned and run by the Pokemon League itself, so rules were in full effect. Lining the walls were portraits of many different trainers, a number of which I recognized: Sabrina, Koga, Surge, Morty, Clair, Pryce; there was even a picture of Erika, as well as someone who bore a striking resemblance to Falkner of Violet City. If the rest of the portraits were of gym leaders, current and former, I would soon be meeting a number of them in person.
"Welcome, miss. What can I get you?" A waiter stopped by my table, notepad in hand, Pokeball on his belt.
"You always carry your Pokemon with you?"
"Sometimes guests order a challenge, and here even the helping hands must be prepared to accept. Is that what you'd like, miss?" I found it a bit amusing how he talked about battling so casually.
"Just a lemon tea, for now, thanks."
As my drink was prepared, I took in the sights and people around me. Many of them were young trainers, like myself, though there were a few stranger folk about. A sailor, a man with his son, a guy with long hair and guitar; people from all walks of life, with one thing in common. I was just amazed they weren't at each others' throats looking for battles.
"One lemon tea, for the miss. Anything else?"
"What're the rules for battling here? I notice no one's making any challenges."
"Well, if you make the challenge, the battle will commence, no questions asked. However, the guests here more often than not just want a place to relax and socialize with fellow trainers." I guess I could see the appeal. Trainers rarely spoke with one another outside combat, making us a bit of a group of loners. Perhaps it was in our nature, taking myself as an example. Much as I like Yunie as a friend, sometimes I just need to be alone with Vulpix and my other critters. I spend most of my time like that, anyways.
"Are you alright, miss?" The waiter leaned in a bit closer, snapping me out of my daze.
"Sorry, just a bit tired. What do you have for Pokemon to enjoy?"
I ordered some kind of special gourmet food specifically tailored to Vulpix. She seemed to enjoy it, which made me happy, if only a little. Even surrounded by people I could probably socialize with, if only for a little while, I still felt depressed. I didn't know what was wrong with me, and I hadn't the strength to try and figure it out, either. My loneliness and depression finally caught someone's attention, perhaps as a result of the tear that escaped my eye as I sat there staring blankly into space.
"Hello there. Are you alright?" I looked up, seeing an older boy, probably in his late teens. I wiped away the tear on my face, though it was a futile gesture.
"Yeah, just a little sad," I said, sighing heavily. Vulpix barked at him, but it was more of an invite than a warning. If she was alright with him, I guess there was no need for worry. I offered him the chair across from me.
"I'm Christopher," he said as he took a seat.
"Star. You worried about me?"
"I saw you sitting here all alone, I thought you might like some company. Traveling alone?" Normally, my guard would be up and alert when talking to total strangers about such matters. However, at that moment, I felt so disoriented and melancholy that I just said what was totally honest.
"Yeah, on my way to Hoenn to continue my adventure. Well, I'm sharing my cabin with a friend, but we're not traveling together."
"That's cool. I'm going back to Hoenn for a little adventuring myself. Your Vulpix there looks pretty well trained. You taking the League challenge?" I had a feeling I knew where Christopher was taking the conversation. Rather than answer him, I produced my two trainer cards, which I cleverly decided to carry with me this time.
"Wow, all sixteen badges from both regions! Impressive!"
"Yup, all thanks to my Pokemon's hard work. I'm not some newbie trainer." This was outright gloating, but it turned out to be a good thing. Simply talking to Christopher was already helping to improve my mood.
"No, you are not, Star. Almost makes me want to challenge you to a battle. Clearly, you're far and beyond the other trainers here." He was beckoning me to challenge him first, and I stupidly went and fell for it.
"Fine, I challenge you. About time I got out of this funk!" I rose from the table, which drew the attention of everyone else there. They all rose from their seats, and a few other waiters started shifting around the layout of the tables.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"They're making it a bit more comfortable for us to do battle. In the meantime, let's set the rules. How about two on two? Just a friendly spar." Almost felt like he was trying to soften the blow already. Wish I had known it was being softened for me.
"Okay, deal. Which Pokemon do you pick?"
The tables were moved to the edges of the cabin, and the other trainers quietly took their seats alongside the walls. Christopher took a spot near the kitchen, while I headed the wall next to the exit. Vulpix looked up at me, expecting to be sent out first. Normally, I'd wait for the opponent to select first, but I was starting to feel rather cocky. With Vulpix out on the field, Christopher picked his Pokemon: a Gengar.
"Vulpix, Flamethrower!"
"Use Hypnosis."
Vulpix opened her mouth to attack, but Gengar teleported above her, locking eyes. Vulpix wobbled around on her feet for a moment, before she fell over, knocked out cold.
"Now, Nightmare."
Gengar leaned in closer to Vulpix, digging his claws into her head. Of course, he went right through her, but continued to fiddle around with something, as if he could mess with her brain. After a moment, he finished, and backed away. Vulpix started whimpering, no doubt starting to feel the effects of Gengar's attack.
"Vulpix, wake up!" Despite my screams, she only continued to whimper and flail about in her sleep.
"Gengar, wake her."
Surprised by his command, I watched as Gengar floated over to Vulpix, and poked her in the head a few times. She shook off the grogginess, but didn't look as healthy as she did before falling asleep. The Nightmares had taken their toll.
"Let's call this one a victory on my end, okay? I don't want to hurt your Pokemon anymore than I have to." Christopher recalled his Gengar, which illicit a small round of applause from the other trainers. Since he did spare Vulpix from any real harm, I gave in and called her back to my side. This time, he chose first, and released a tall Pokemon I had never seen before. Without my Pokedex on hand, I couldn't see what it was really called.
"I've never seen that Pokemon before," I said, getting a closer look at it. It looked a lot like a human, but was covered from head to toe in red and yellow feathers. His hands resembled talons like a bird.
"He's a Blaziken, a Pokemon native to Hoenn. Choose your Pokemon, Star." I wasn't sure who to pick at first, until Blaziken snorted a pair of small flames in my direction. Perhaps with a clear type advantage, this battle could be won for a tie. I went with Vaporeon.
"Vaporeon, Bubblebeam!"
"Blaziken, defend and proceed."
Vaporeon blasted the red critter with the attack, each bubble exploding with a powerful amount of force. Surprisingly, Blaziken forced his way through the attack, his arms raised in defense and negating most of the damage! I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"Now, Blaze Kick."
Blaziken spun around, delivering a powerful foot to Vaporeon's face, one that was covered in flames. Despite it being a fire attack, Blaziken struck with such force that Vaporeon was left unconscious. His Pokemon possessed such power, even type advantages weren't helping!
Christopher recalled his Blaziken, and another round of applause went out for him. He beat me like it was a practice round against a straw dummy. With the battle over, the waiters sprung into action, fixing the tables back the way they were.
"Miss, would you like me to send your Pokemon to the infirmary?" The waiter from earlier was offering, so I put Vaporeon back into his Pokeball and handed him to the waiter.
"How long will it take?"
"Don't worry, I'll have him sent back to your cabin as soon as he's in perfect health. Just tell me which room it is."
After setting that up with the waiter, I turned my attention back to Christopher, who continued to smile at me as if nothing had happened. Of course, he won the match, so he was free to feel smug.
"I'm sorry your Vaporeon was hurt. I didn't mean for Blaziken to overboard with his attack."
"How was he able to withstand my Bubblebeam? Isn't he a fire type?"
"Yes, he is. But my Pokemon are at such a high level, they can resist their opposing types quite effectively. It still hurts them, but they've learned to withstand the pain."
"Sounds cruel," I said bluntly. Christopher laughed it off, which almost made me hate him more.
"I understand what you're saying, Star, but becoming a champion means making a few sacrifices."
"Champion? You're trying to overthrow Lance?"
"Actually, I want to become champion of a different region: Sinnoh. Lance has been in charge of the League in Kanto for so long, I don't think anyone will ever kick him out. Well, I'm afraid I must be going, Star. I have a date to attend. Hope your Pokemon get better soon."
Christopher got up from the table and left, just as suddenly as he walked into my life. I left soon after, not being able to stand the looks from the other trainers. There was no shame in losing to a better trainer, especially one so far ahead in terms of skill like him. Yet, because I was the one that grew overconfident and challenged him, it made me look bad.
Back at our cabin, I ran into Yunie again, who had only just returned from the pool.
"Oh! Star! Great timing! I was about to go get some lunch, want to come?"
"Yeah, sure. Why not?" I had satisfied my need to be alone, and to battle. I could endure Yunie's company for a while longer.
~o~
"Star! Guess what I just heard!"
"The ship will be arriving two days ahead of schedule?" Yet another morning off on the wrong foot courtesy of Yunie. I rolled over in my bed, trying to block out the light.
"Nope! There's some kind of contest being held today on A Deck! I heard they're going to be giving away great prizes!"
Now, how did Yunie find this out? Far as I knew, she was with me the entire time yesterday once we met up for lunch, and afterwards for dinner and general relaxation in our cabin. Short of her getting up before dawn and asking around, there was no way for her to know this. Narrative convenience aside, I was not one to turn down a chance at winning something in a contest. After getting dressed, I followed Yunie to A Deck, Vulpix tagging along today. If the contest was Pokemon related, as everything usually was, I wanted to make sure I was prepared. I left my other critters in the cabin, however.
"Yunie, how did you hear about this contest? More importantly, when?" Yeah, it was still bugging me.
"Does it matter? Point is we know about it, so might as well give it a shot!" I merely sighed. Sometimes I felt this entire adventure was being dictated by some snarky god.
Up on A Deck, several passengers were running around, quite a few of them in Pokemon costumes. Before I even had a chance to ask what was going on, I lost track of Yunie. Whether this was a good or bad thing was up for debate. Alone again, I wandered through the crowd, feeling like I was in some sort of wonderland. Some of the costumes were pretty lame, like a cheap mask and clothes of vaguely the same color as the Pokemon. Others showed true creativity; one person was dressed up as a Blastoise, massive shell made of plastic and all!
In the center of the all this was a huge sign, and Yunie standing in front of it. On the sign was a bunch of rules for this contest, and it suddenly occurred to me how she always seemed to know these things. That uncanny knack she had to disappear at times must've contributed to it. I walked up next to her, reading the sign for myself.
[One and All: SS Aqua's Pokemon Costume Pageant!]
In short, the staff of the ship holds a pageant on every voyage to and from Hoenn. Apparently, there's something similar of importance in the Hoenn region, so it was created to help bridge the gap between the two regions. The contest was for people to dress up as Pokemon, and the winner would get something quote 'extra special'. If the Bug Catching Contest gave away useless trinkets like scarves and ribbons, I wasn't expecting much from this one.
"Well, Star? How do you propose to win?" Yunie held her head up with one hand, like you normally do when thinking hard about something.
"I don't have a costume," I told her. "So I don't think I can even join up."
"That's where you're wrong! See, short of you knowing ahead of time about this contest, no one would come prepared! There's a selection of Pokemon costumes here, but the true winners know how to alter them just enough to win!" Yunie grabbed my hand, dragging me across the room and into a smaller room turned into a closet. Lining the walls were dozens of costumes, of all kinds of Pokemon, many of which I didn't even recognize.
"Wait, why are you pushing me into this? Aren't you going to try?"
"I'm no where near as cute as you! You have the better chance of winning, so better to focus on one good chance than two maybes." Yunie was lying, of course. I think she didn't want to join herself, but still wanted to use me to play dress up.
"Okay, fine. I want to win as well, so what should we do?"
"First, we need to pick the perfect Pokemon! Let's see what kinds of kid-sized costumes they have."
Yunie started sifting through one row of costumes, while I started on the other. Ideally, I'd want a Vulpix costume, but I was open to most any other Pokemon. I wasn't big on dress up, so I'd be relying on Yunie's input to win this time. Though a few of the costumes were adorable, like a Paras outfit, or even a Mareep outfit, there was a Vulpix one as well. Take a wild guess as to which I ended up choosing.
"Looks solid enough," Yunie said, inspecting each part of the outfit. "There's a pair of ears, tails, and gloves in the shape of paws."
"Looks like an instant win. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Yunie said, which surprised me a bit. "Nothing at all. Why don't you get changed? I'll stand outside the door and make sure no one sneaks a peek."
Once she was outside, I started changing right in front of the door, my own preventive measure against peeping toms. The Vulpix outfit was a brown shirt and pair of shorts, along with the ears and gloves. It was simple, but the illusion that I was a Vulpix was pretty convincing, especially with the tails attached. Vulpix seemed to love the outfit, as she couldn't stop running circles around me, barking wildly. I opened the door, letting Yunie back in.
"Wow, real cute, Star! I knew it'd work!"
"What? It's the same costume as before, isn't it?"
"I meant that!" She pointed at Vulpix, then it finally hit me. People were dressed up as Pokemon outside, but I hadn't seen a single one with the Pokemon they were dressed as by their side.
"So, you think we have a chance of winning?" I asked, suddenly hopeful.
"Star, far as I'm concerned, you've already won!"
~o~
I lost.
I got third place, actually. The judges and crowd were all loving my outfit, especially with Vulpix at my side for comparison. However, second place went to an older girl dressed as a green bird Pokemon, Xatu I think was the name, and first went to a woman in a Ninetails outfit. I think you can see how she won first place. Still, the end prize wasn't a total loss: we each got to choose one of five solid white Pokeballs on a table. Four of them were empty, while one contained a Pokemon as a gift.
The Ninetails woman got to pick first, and chose an empty Pokeball. Rather than go next, the Xatu girl offered her place to me, no doubt hoping I'd pick an empty Pokeball to increase her chances. Of course, I saw this, but didn't object. There was still a 25% chance I could pick the right Pokeball. And pick it I did! I released the Pokemon inside the device, revealing it to everyone in the room.
It was white in color, its head shaped almost like a beret, and its tail formed like a brush. I didn't know what kind of Pokemon it was, but luckily, Yunie was there with that information.
"It's a Smeargle! Those are pretty rare!" The crowd gave me a round of applause, though the Xatu girl looked pretty angry and regretful of her decision. No doubt she was thinking something along the lines of 'and I was going to pick that one!'
Once the excitement died down, I left with Yunie. Rather than line up to change and return the costume, I took it with me back to the cabin. Yunie offered to take it back herself, leaving me alone in the cabin with my new Pokemon. I reached out cautiously, petting him on the head.
"Hello, Smeargle. I'm Star, your new owner," I told him, though once it was out, it felt a bit wrong. True, as far as we were concerned, I did own Smeargle, but it only sounded bad as I said it to him. He would prove to be a great ally and friend, yet this was how I introduced myself?
"Actually, let's start over. I'm Star, your trainer, and I hope we can be friends."
Yeah, it might have sounded a bit juvenile and crazy, but I couldn't shake the feeling. Smeargle didn't seem to care either way, and just tried to paint something on my face with his tail. I let him pass his tail over my cheek, giggling a bit as it tickled me. Vulpix just sat by us, watching him intently, yet also studying my own reactions. Once Smeargle had finished, I brought Vulpix closer, putting her between the two of us.
"This is Smeargle, Vulpix. He's our newest friend. Say hi!" She looked back at me, then at Smeargle. The doglike Pokemon didn't say a word, just stare blankly at her. Vulpix eventually nodded, and barked a couple times at him. Smeargle nodded, as if understanding whatever it was Vulpix said.
"I hope we all get along in Hoenn," I told them both, looking out the window. The sky was looking dark, as if a storm was on the horizon.
"And I hope nothing bad happens there, either."
