Sorry for the long wait! Here comes a new chapter! I hope you will like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 13: Battle Aboard the S.S. Anne
We walked back to the Pokémon Center with Lt. Surge so he could heal his Raichu for the battle with Ash and Pikachu. However, I was pulled away by Ash, Misty, and Brock since they had some questions.
"When did you catch an Arbok, Ashley?" Misty asked.
"I caught Kobra when he was an Ekans just a few days ago", I answered.
"Wait! You trained with Ekans so much you managed to evolve it?" Brock said in surprise.
"Yes", I nodded. "I caught Kobra because Ekans and Arbok are in the dragon egg group, and I want to train all kinds of dragon-type Pokémon and the ones in the egg group, and Kobra knew Dig, so… Why not using him in the Gym battle?"
"That explains your change of behavior for the last few days", Brock mumbled.
"You keep surprising us with your strategies, sis!" Ash smiled widely. "I'm gonna do my best too with Pikachu against Lt. Surge!"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.
"I know you will, Ash", I giggled softly before I remembered something. "Oh, speaking of! Yesterday, I got something interesting."
"Huh?" my friends and brother said confusedly.
"On my way back to the Pokémon Center, I came across this lottery ticket. The first prize were tickets to this new luxurious cruise ship S.S. Anne that will leave Vermilion City this weekend on its first voyage to the Sevii Islands", I explained. "I decided to try once and won four tickets."
"No way?! You won tickets to the grand S.S. Anne?!" Misty exclaimed in shock.
"You've heard of it, Misty?" Ash asked.
"Of course I have! They said in the news that S.S. Anne is the latest luxurious cruise ship they've constructed! The critics has given the cruise ship five stars by its interior, food, service, everything! They've got a large pool for humans and Pokémon and several battlefields for practice training."
"Wow! That sounds awesome!" Ash nodded excitedly. "I'd love to challenge other Trainers and learn new strategies!"
"Pi pikachu!"
"And I'd love to taste their gourmet food and figure out the recipes", Brock nodded.
"Then… We'll go?" I asked just to be sure.
"Yes!" Ash, Misty, and Brock exclaimed happily.
Ash's smile dropped, though, when he remembered something. "Umm… Ashley, I'm sure there will be quite a crowd. Do you think you can handle it?"
Oh no… I didn't think of that. It was true I couldn't stand crowds and the noise, but… I didn't want to waste the tickets because of my…difficulty. I had to face it.
"I think so…", I nodded slowly. "If they have rooms where I can go and rest and I can have one of my Pokémon with me, I might be able to do it."
Misty grabbed the tickets out of my hand to check them. "Let's see… Oh, look! The tickets say there are food and rooms included, so I'm sure we'll have our own."
"If so, then we can go to the room whenever we want to catch a break", Brock nodded.
"When does the ship depart?" Ash asked.
"Tomorrow noon", Misty stated. "So we better get there straight after breakfast."
I was already feeling Butterfrees in my stomach. I had never been on a cruise ship before, so I was a little excited but also terrified. I didn't want to cause a scene by having a meltdown because of all the impressions around me… But if I had my Pokémon, my brother, and friends with me, I would try behaving for them.
XXXXXXXXXX
I gaped in disbelief when we made it to the harbor the next day. S.S. Anne was bigger than I first imagined. I had seen pictures of cruise ships in the newspaper and on television, but seeing one in real life was nothing compared.
"It's so…big", I mumbled softly while I held Luna in my arms.
"Fairy."
Other Trainers and non-Trainers were walking onboard the ship after showing the tickets to the guards. Seeing the massive line made me more nervous that I almost felt the need to throw up.
Misty gently patted my shoulder. "Don't worry, Ashley. Nothing will happen to you."
Ash placed his hand on my other shoulder. "Think about it like this; you've become a Pokémon Trainer and you've managed to get this far on your journey, sis. If you are able to do that, then you can conquer this challenge."
"Pikachu."
I tightened my hold on Luna a little before I took a deep breath and relaxed my shoulders. "You're right. Let's go."
"I got the tickets", Brock said, holding said items. "Follow me, guys."
It took some time, but we finally made it onboard S.S. Anne. We went straight to the reception desk and received four copies of a key for a room. We looked up the room first to see where it was. By the time we found the room that had four soft beds, the captain spoke through the intercom and informed everyone onboard the ship that we were now leaving for the Sevii Islands. Shortly after that, we left our bags in the room and headed to the main area. There was a large crowd with humans and Pokémon alike and tons of merchandise booths. Waiter were walking around with trays loaded with food and drinks for both humans and Pokémon. The whole room was even bigger than a giant shopping mall!
"Wow, look at all those Pokémon, Pikachu! I'm itching to battle them!" Ash said excitedly.
"Pi pikachu!"
"I'll head to the deck and have a nice sunbath!" Misty smiled.
"And I'll check the buffet", Brock added.
"I think…I'll look around a little first", I nodded.
"Clefairy airy."
"Alright then, I guess we'll split up", Ash nodded. "You got your key, sis?"
"In my pocket."
"Cool. Then I'll see if there is someone who wants to battle me and Pikachu! See you later!" Ash said before rushing to the battlefields.
"I'll go back to our room to change into my bikini", Misty stated before she turned around and walked away.
"I think the buffet could be in that direction", Brock pointed at a group that stood by a large table with different dishes. "You want to grab something to eat, Ashley?"
"Not right now… I still feel a bit nervous", I replied.
"Okay then. I'll stay by the buffet if you need me", Brock said before leaving with a wave of his hand.
I sighed deeply, suddenly feeling a little tired. "Well… I guess we'll look around for a while, Luna. Make sure not to leave my side."
"Clefairy airy", Luna chirped as she gently patted my arms.
I tried imagining myself using the move Minimize and make me small as I walked through the crowd. There was lots of noise around me, but the majority spoke in calm voices, so it was endurable. I made my way to the merchandise booths to see if I could buy some souvenirs to myself, Ash, our friends, and Mom. Should I buy something to Professor Oak as well? He was like a grandfather to me and he had done so much for me.
The question was… What could be a good gift for him?
"Professor Oak has every book about Pokémon", I spoke to Luna who jumped down on the table by a booth while I picked up a book about water-type Pokémon living in the ocean. "He must know everything about them."
I opened the book and flipped through the pages until I stopped by one that had a mysterious picture. The footnote said it was a legit photo of a long and slim shadow resting at the bottom of the dark ocean. It was hard to see what the silhouette was, but its blue glowing eyes stood out.
I quickly read the text and saw there were speculations that this creature was a Pokémon, but no one had been able to identify it.
"Wow… This is interesting", I said as I showed the picture to Luna. "Maybe we'll find this one someday. If it turns out to be a dragon-type, I'll catch it."
"Clefairy!" Luna smiled.
I bought two copies of the book, one to myself and one to Professor Oak, a keychain of S.S. Anne to Mom, and keychains of a Bulbasaur, Starmie, and Onix for Ash, Misty, and Brock. I was about to head back to my room to put away the souvenirs when I stumbled upon a booth that made my hair raise up in anger.
A man in his early forties was trying to sell a Magikarp that was floating around in a water basin that was too small for it to move around. Magikarps and Gyarados belonged in the dragon egg group, so this was extra upsetting to me.
I walked over to the booth with anger boiling inside me. Luna jumped out of my arms and took the bag with souvenirs so I could grab my wallet.
The man didn't notice my anger as he thought I was going to be a calm customer. "Ah, welcome, young Trainer. Would you like to buy this magnificent Magikarp? This one's attack strength is extraordinary-"
"500 Poké Dollar! No more than that!" I growled before I opened my wallet and threw a 500 Poké Dollar coin at him.
The coin hit the man's forehead and stayed there for a second before it fell off and landed on the palm of his hand. He stared at it for a second in shock before a huge grin grew on his face. He cleared his throat and put away the coin to then pick up a Poké Ball. "Thank you for the purchase, Trainer. Here's Magikarp's Poké Ball."
I snatched the Poké Ball out of the man's hand and called back Magikarp, freeing it from its water prison. I then put away the Poké Ball and grabbed the bag from Luna before picking her up in my arms. I was still upset as I walked through the crowd, not realizing I had almost caused a scene when I confronted the seller man.
And I certainly didn't see the familiar figure of a rival Ash and I had.
XXXXXXXXXX
I was still boiling in anger by the time I returned to the shared room. Misty had already left for her sunbath, so I collapsed on my bed and finally let go of the anger. Luna jumped up on the bed and looked at me with a concerned expression.
"Clefairy…?"
I turned to her and gave her a tired smile. "I'm okay, Luna. It's just…seeing people selling Pokémon like that makes me so angry. They're just as bad as the Trainers who abandon their Pokémon." I patted my Pokémon on her head. "You and the others aren't dolls or tools that you can dispose of or throw away when you had enough. You are living beings… Our friends. I can never imagine throwing you and the others away like how Damian did to Charmander. I'm glad Ash is taking care of Charmander now."
"Fairy…"
I sat up on the bed and pulled out the book of water-type Pokémon living deep in the ocean. I picked the page with the photo of the mysterious Pokémon and read more about it.
I could barely stop myself from reading the entire book. It was so fascinating of how many Pokémon could live in the deep ocean and how their bodies had adjusted to the pressure for centuries.
I closed the book when I realized I should spend time with my Magikarp. I put away the book and the rest of the souvenirs in my bag before I picked up Luna again. "Come on, Luna. We'll go and find a pool where we can let our new friend swim around."
"Fairy!" Luna smiled.
XXXXXXXXXX
I made it out to the deck where the sun was shining brightly upon us. The crowd there was smaller than the one on the inside, so this felt better. Trainers and Pokémon were playing different games and took a bath in the pool. Some fire-type Pokémon were sunbathing with their Trainers. I even spotted a Sandshrew enjoying the sun.
I found Misty lying on a lounging chair by a pool that was a little smaller than the main one. I hurried to her to tell her about Magikarp. "Misty!"
Misty lifted her shades from her nose and smiled. "Ashley! Have you come to sunbath too?"
"No, not really", I shook my head. "I actually rescued a Magikarp that a man tried selling."
"What?" Misty blinked in disbelief.
"I bought Magikarp with 500 Poké Dollars, so I hope this will never happen again", I said while getting a little irritated again by the event.
"You did the right thing, Ashley", Misty nodded as she sat up on the lounging chair. "Can I see the Magikarp?"
"I was about to let it out and swim in the pool", I nodded before I grabbed Magikarp's Poké Ball. "Come out, Magikarp!"
"Magikarp karp!"
Magikarp dived into the water and swam around in circles in the empty pool. I removed my shoes and socks, and pulled up my pants so I could sit by the edge and dip my feet in the water. I shivered in delight by the cold water before I picked up my Pokédex and checked the data about Magikarp.
Magikarp, the fish Pokémon. Water-type. It is virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed. It is the most weak and pathetic Pokémon in the world. In the distant past, it was somewhat stronger than the horribly weak descendants that exist today.
"And yet Magikarp evolves into powerful Gyarados…", I mumbled softly.
"G-G-Gyarados…?" Misty stuttered.
I looked over my shoulder and saw she looked really pale and her body was shaking. "Are you okay, Misty?"
"Y-Yes, I'm fine…", she laughed sheepishly. "A-Are you going to keep Magikarp as it is…?"
I looked at Magikarp, who was a female according to the Pokédex, and gave her a smile. "No. I'm going to train Wanda so she'll evolve into Gyarados and make her stronger than Lance's own Gyarados."
"Karp karp?" Wanda said.
"O-Oh… Okay…", Misty said in a low voice.
I let out my other Pokémon and introduced them to Wanda. "Everyone, this is Wanda, our newest family member. She may be weak right now, but we'll train together to make her strong. Will you help her out?"
All of my Pokémon answered "yes", in their language and nodded their heads. I turned to Wanda and gave her a smile. I wanted to pat her, but I couldn't reach her from the edge of the pool.
"Welcome to the family, Wanda", I said softly. "I'm sorry you had to go through all the stuff that man must have done to you. Don't worry, though; I promise you won't suffer while you're with us. When you get stronger, will you help us out in Pokémon battles?"
"Karp karp karp!" Wanda swam around while jumping up and down from the water.
"That's the behavior of a happy Magikarp", Misty told me.
"I'm so happy to see her so joyful and free", I smiled softly.
"Hah! So it really is you, Ashie!" a familiar voice spoke up from behind me.
I froze when I recognized that tone. I looked over my shoulder and held back a gasp. "Gary?!"
What were Gary and his fangirls doing here on S.S. Anne?!
Firered growled aggressively as he stood between me and Gary. My other Pokémon followed him and formed a shield to make sure I wouldn't get hurt.
"That's my name, alright", Gary smirked, causing the fangirls to shriek in delight.
I flinched by their screeching voices. I could never understand the reason why someone would screech like that because of their favorite idol.
I stood up from the pool just as Wanda jumped up from the water. She landed in my arms, catching me off guard for a second. Her scales were slippery, so I had a hard time getting a proper grip on her.
"Gary? Is this the rival you and Ash told me and Brock about, Ashley?" Misty asked.
"Yes", I nodded, glaring softly at my rival. "And he's the bully who harassed me back in Pallet Town."
"Hahahah! Please, I don't need those compliments", Gary laughed, waving his hand nonchalantly before he glanced at my Pokémon. "So your Charmander has evolved, eh? And you've got an Arbok too? Those two must be way stronger than your other weak Pokémon."
Back in Pallet Town, I used to be scared of Gary and felt like I was the dirt he walked on, but after becoming a Trainer, something had changed within me. I was starting to grow a backbone.
"I train all of my Pokémon equally, so don't you dare insult them!" I growled angrily.
"Mankiii!" Bruce hissed angrily, looking ready to beat up Gary.
"Oh really? Then I bet my Wartortle will defeat your Charmeleon with a single Water Gun", Gary chuckled.
"I don't want to battle right now", I told him. "I want to spend time with Wanda and make her part of my family."
"Karp karp."
"That worthless thing? Good luck training it until it becomes a Gyarados", Gary laughed. "Everyone knows it's hard to tame a Gyarados. I know you will fail at that."
"I will not!" I argued, slowly losing my patience by all those insults at me and my Pokémon.
"Okay, that's enough!" Misty intervened by stepping in between me and Gary. "We're on a cruise to enjoy the luxury and have a great time before we reach the Sevii Island. Let's not spoil the fun."
"I agree", one of Gary's fangirls nodded. "Let's go have some fun, Gary."
"Yes, you can battle your rival any other day", another fangirl added.
Gary looked at his fangirls before nodding. "You're right. I'll go bother Ash instead. I think I saw him by the battlefields. Smell ya later, Ashie!"
"Don't call me that!" I growled angrily.
Gary just smirked before he turned around and left me and my Pokémon alone. Once he was out of my sight, I relaxed my tense body. I hated how he kept bullying me. He made me feel so weak and small before, but I was now trying to stand tall and not let him push me down. It was a wonder he didn't try pushing me into the pool. But then again, my Pokémon had protected me.
"You were right about him being a bully, Ashley", Misty commented with her hands on the hips. "He tried disrespecting you and your Pokémon."
"He's always been like this to me", I sighed softly, relieved the scene was over. "He thinks he's better because he's the grandchild of Professor Oak."
"Just because you're the grandchild of someone famous doesn't mean you can put other people down", Misty added.
"Gary always bullies me because of my…disabilities", I added. "He has never been nice to me, except for one time long ago."
"Really? What happened?"
"Ash and I were at a summer camp arranged by Professor Oak two years ago. I followed a Poliwag through the forest when I found a girl the adults lost sight of, so I brought her back to the camp. Ash and Gary were both really worried, thinking I got lost in the woods too. I think they even had a fight because their faces were covered in dirt and bruises. Gary said that Ash was a terrible brother who couldn't look after his sister."
"Really…?" Misty mumbled before she gasped in realization and then giggled softly.
"What?" I asked.
"Oh, nothing", Misty smiled. "Gary might actually respect you more than you believe."
"What? That's not true!" I argued irritably. "He hates me!"
"If he really hated you, he wouldn't come up and talk to you", Misty pointed out.
"That's…a good point", I said confusedly.
"Well, let's forget him and have fun", Misty nodded. "Wanda seems eager to swim some more."
Wanda was moving restlessly in my arms, so I turned to the pool and let her jump into the water. Luna and Kobra followed her as they swam around in the pool, playing a game of tag. Firered lied down on his stomach next to Misty's lounging chair to sunbath. Bruce jumped around the side of the pool, but when he accidently got splashed by Kobra, he got a bit irritated and jumped in to join the game. Honey stayed on top of my head and used her wings to shield me from the bright sunlight.
I partially regretted I didn't change into my swimsuit. I wanted to join the fun, but I didn't want to get wet in my clothes, so I sat at the edge of the pool and dipped my feet. I smiled while I watched my Pokémon playing around.
Everything seemed really good with the cruise.
Almost too good.
Why did I have a feeling something was about to happen? Was it because of Gary?
No.
It was something else.
XXXXXXXXXX
This nagging feeling didn't fade when it was time for dinner. The feeling I had was a common thing I experienced in the past. I somehow had a sixth sense that warned me of danger just before it was about to happen. That feeling always turned out to be real, so I was pretty cautious.
I decided to eat in the shared room instead of the large dining hall where there was too much noise with the cutleries hitting the plates and people talking and laughing loud. I brought some food to myself and my Pokémon to my room. My Pokémon ate with a big appetite, unlike me who barely touched the food on the plate.
"Char?" Firered purred when he noticed I wasn't eating.
I gave him a forced smile. "I'm okay, Firered. I don't have much of an appetite."
The look in his eyes told me to try at least get something in me, so I poked on my food and cut tiny pieces of the sandwiches before eating them. By the time I finished my food, my tea got cold and my Pokémon had finished eating long time ago.
I could tell my Pokémon were worried about me. Kobra rubbed his head against my left arm while Luna climbed onto my lap. Honey settled down on my head and chirped softly.
"Thank you, guys", I smiled softly before sipping the cold tea. "It's just… I have a feeling something will happen soon. I've had the same feeling many times before and they've always been right, so… I hope nothing will happen onboard the cruise."
"Shaarbok?"
"Ki mankii?"
"Clefairy airy."
"Free eee!"
"Karp karp."
Firered tilted his head to the side before his eyes suddenly widened, his pupil growing very small. He turned to the door and growled aggressively at it.
"Firered?" I mumbled softly.
Next thing I knew, there was a large explosion somewhere on the ship. I shrieked in fear and hugged Kobra until the commotion calmed down. However, more explosions came as I heard people yelling from outside of the room.
"HELP! Evacuate the ship! Team Rocket is here!" someone yelled.
"Team Rocket…?" I mumbled confusedly. "Is it… Jessie and James?"
"Chaar!" Firered shook his head.
"No… Then…?" I trailed off as I put two and two together.
Was the entire evil organization attacking S.S. Anne?!
"We have to go and look for Ash and the others!" I exclaimed as I got up from my seat.
I grabbed everyone's bags before calling back my Pokémon, except Firered. Once I made sure I hadn't forgotten something, we ran out of the room and hurried to the source of the commotion. People and their Pokémon were running around in panic, but I figured out the main issue was in the main area of the cruise ship.
The doors were already open, so Firered and I ran inside to see a huge Pokémon battle going on between the Trainers and Team Rocket who were trying stealing the Pokémon. I quickly found Ash, Misty, and Brock and to my surprise, Gary and his fangirls were with them!
"Ash!" I yelled.
"Ashley! You're okay!" Ash exclaimed in relief when I reached him.
"I-I heard the explosion…and came here as fast as I could…", I panted as I gave the bags to my brother and our friends. "H-Here…"
"Thank you, Ashley!" Misty smiled as she took her bag. "My Poké Balls are in there."
Brock took his bag and grabbed a Poké Ball. "We've gotta work together to stop Team Rocket from stealing everyone's Pokémon!"
"Right!" I nodded as I straightened up. "Firered, are you ready?"
"Charmel!" Firered nodded.
"Count me in! Team Rocket spoiled this vacation and I want revenge!" Gary spoke up.
"Just don't get in my way, Gary!" Ash growled.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu growled.
"Same to you, Ash!" Gary retorted before he grabbed a Poké Ball. "Go, Wartortle!"
I ended up calling out all my Pokémon so we could fight all the Team Rocket grunts dressed in black outfits. Jessie and James were among their colleagues. It was easy to spot them in their white outfits, but they were easily defeated with the help of Firered and Kobra. Jessie's Ekans got frightened by Kobra and that was good distraction to knock it out.
Wanda tried battling too, but she could barely move in her current form, so I got an idea. Kobra grabbed her with his long body and threw her for an extra strong Tackle at Team Rocket's Pokémon. I would then call her back to her Poké Ball before someone could hurt her and call her out in a safe spot.
Everyone was busy battling Team Rocket that I didn't notice a Team Rocket's Raticate coming at me. Only in the last second did I hear its hissing noise before it jumped towards me. I barely got a chance to blink when someone pushed me out of the way and caused Raticate to crash on the floor. I grunted when I hit the ground and got smashed by the body on top of me.
"Ow…", I hissed softly before opening my eyes, thinking my hero was Ash. "Thank you, Ash-"
I stopped myself as my eyes widened in disbelief. It was Gary!
Gary had a worried expression as his face was centimeters away from mine. "Are you okay, Ashley?"
The shock got over and was replaced by irritation instead. "Yes. Get off of me!" I growled, pushing away Gary so I could get up.
My Pokémon hurried to me and see if I was okay. I grabbed Wanda and saw she had bruises on her scales, so I quickly brought out a Potion from my bag to heal her. While I treated her, I couldn't help but glance at Gary. Why did he protect me from that Raticate? He didn't like me, so it didn't make sense.
Everyone began cheering which made me look around in the room. Team Rocket and their Pokémon had been defeated. The Trainers brought the grunts to the wall and tied them up to make sure they couldn't move around. The danger was over.
Well… The first danger.
The ship started wobbling back and forth as if the captain had lost control of it. I shrieked before I fell down on my knees while still holding Wanda, but I threw away the Potion so I could balance myself with one hand.
"What's going on?!" I shouted.
"Ashley!" Ash yelled as he ran to me. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah, I think so", I nodded.
"Guys, there's a storm going on outside!" Brock called as he and Misty ran to us.
The second danger.
"Is that what causes the ship to move around?" I asked while Ash helped me stand up on my feet.
"Probably", Misty nodded.
"No, it's something else!" Gary spoke up.
I just realized he had never moved away from me. What was he doing?
There was a loud noise coming from the speakers. "Everyone onboard S.S. Anne, this is your captain speaking! The battle with Team Rocket has caused severe damage to the ship! Everyone must immediately evacuate S.S. Anne! Hurry to the lifeboats and follow the instructions closely on how to put on a lifejacket!"
That was the third danger! Was number three the magic number for danger today or something?!
"Oh no, this is bad!" Ash gaped.
"We've gotta hurry to the lifeboats!" Misty nodded.
"Right", I nodded as I grabbed my Poké Balls. "Everyone, return!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Everyone was pushing each other around as we hurried to the lifeboats. There was a thick crowd, so I made sure to hold hands with Ash to not lose sight of him. The ship was moving violently from left and right as the storm conquered the sky with lightning, rain, and powerful winds.
I hated being in a crowd like this. I felt like I was getting squeezed by a Wrap attack. It didn't make it better when the waves splashed against the ship, making it lean more on its side. The rain had made my hand slippery, so I lost my grip on Ash and got pushed back farther into the crowd.
"Ash!" I yelled frantically.
"Ashley!" I heard my brother yell in return.
The crowd pushed me until my back hit a railing. I held onto it from behind and looked over my shoulder. The dark ocean was throwing up water in my face, almost as if it was hungry and wanted to swallow me whole.
"ASH!" I yelled in panic. "MISTY! BROCK! HELP ME!"
My voice fell in deaf ears as I held on for my life every time the ship wobbled around. I couldn't tell whether I was crying or not; my face was covered by water from the rain and the ocean. My wrists started to hurt the more I held onto the railing in a backward way. I removed one of my hands to give it a rest, but that was a terrible mistake.
"Ashley! What are you doing here?!" Gary yelled as he headed to me with his fangirls. "Hurry to the lifeboats!"
I growled, refusing to receive help from him. He had hurt me so many times I couldn't trust him! It still didn't make sense why he protected me from the Raticate before.
"Leave me alone!" I snarled and pushed him back with both my hands when he tried grabbing me. "I don't want your help!"
"Don't argue now, Ashley! Our lives are in danger! We have to evacuate!" Gary retorted.
Another large wave hit the ship, making it lean closer to the ocean. I tried grabbing the railing, but my feet slipped on the deck and before I knew it, I was falling off the ship. I watched Gary's horrified face getting further away before my body hit the water.
I immediately covered my mouth and nose with both my hands to keep the air in my lungs. The ocean was black and I couldn't tell what was up and down. The current wasn't as violent as the storm on the surface, so I tried to swim with my legs.
I started to panic again when I realized I wasn't moving in the way I wanted, and I was bad at holding my breath for a long time. My lungs already felt like they were going to explode.
Was this going to be my death?
No, I didn't want to die yet! I had to reach my goal and become the best dragon tamer!
Small bubbles escaped from my mouth as I was losing air. My sight got hazy as my soul was fading away from my body. I thought I was hallucinating when I saw a pair of blue eyes glowing in the dark water. Those eyes looked similar to the ones of the picture I read in the book I bought about water-type Pokémon.
Was this…a dream?
The glowing eyes came closer as I slowly closed my eyes as bigger bubbles came out of my mouth. If this was a dream about me seeing the mysterious Pokémon…then I knew I would die in a peaceful dream.
XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV
Everyone onboard S.S. Anne, including the restrained Team Rocket grunts, made it to the lifeboats before the cruise ship finally capsized and slowly floated down into the black ocean. Ash, Misty, and Brock made it onto one of the lifeboats with Jessie, James, and Meowth who were tied up. Ash and his friends looked at the other lifeboats, hoping that Ashley made it to one of them.
"Ashley! Ashley, answer me if you hear me!" Ash yelled.
"Pika pika!"
"Ashley!" Misty and Brock called worriedly.
"Save your breath, guys!" a voice responded.
The male twin turned to a nearby lifeboat in which Gary and his fangirls were sitting on. Gary had an irritated look, but it also contained signs of sadness and regret.
"What do you mean by that, Gary?!" Ash growled angrily. "Ashley is still alive!"
"No, she's not!" Gary spat back, causing Ash to freeze. "She… She fell overboard… I saw it with my own eyes."
"N-No…", Misty said in shock before tears ran down her cheeks.
"I-It can't be…", Brock's voice shook in horror.
Ash was stunned as his brain comprehended the news. His sister…really fell into ocean? "No… Y-You must be lying…"
"It's your fault!" Gary shouted angrily. "You failed to look after her again!"
"I tried to!" Ash argued as tears accumulated in his eyes. "I held her hand, but we got separated by the crowd! Why didn't you help her?!"
"I tried, but she pushed me away, saying she didn't want my help!"
"You find that surprising?! Ashley hates you for all the stuff you've done to her! You're a bully in her eyes!"
"Okay, okay, you two, calm down!" Brock grabbed Ash's shaking shoulders. "We're on lifeboats in the middle of the ocean and everybody is on the edge. We don't want to let a fight break out."
"Chu…", Pikachu whined sadly.
Ash grunted angrily before he hit the inflated lifeboat with a fist. He lowered his head down and began bawling his eyes out. He didn't care if he screamed like a newborn baby; he had lost his twin sister who he cared and loved. He had been with her on every step in their first ten years, helping her to mature and understand the world around her. He had protected her from the bullies, like Gary, and they had worked together on projects and helped their mother out with the house.
The twins had promised they would go on a journey together and stay together until they would both fulfill their dreams.
Now… One of the twins was now gone. It was like a missing piece of Ash that he needed to feel completed.
"I'M SORRY, ASHLEY!" Ash yelled into the sky.
No one said a word as they let Ash cry his heart out. Pikachu started crying too as he crawled into his Trainer's arms. Ash brought him up to his chest and gave him a tight hug.
Misty had slowly stopped crying when she spotted something in the distance. A large serpent-like creature was swimming toward the lifeboats. The closer it came, the clearer it got. Misty blinked twice before she cried out in panic.
"A GYARADOS!"
Everyone started panicking when they spotted the Gyarados. The majority of Trainers knew that wild Gyarados could get deadly violent, so they had to make it go away.
Pikachu was too tired to battle after the fight before on S.S. Anne. Ash looked up at Gyarados with his swollen eyes. He could sense something familiar from this Gyarados. There was something about its aura…
"Wanda…?" Ash mumbled.
"Wanda?" Brock repeated. "Isn't that the name Ashley gave to her Magikarp?"
"I don't care about that, just make it go away!" Misty screamed as she held onto the former rock-type Gym Leader while shaking like a leaf.
The other Trainers were also panicking, but some managed to keep their cool and called out their water-type Pokémon to battle Gyarados, including Tentacruel, Dewgong, Slowbro, and Kingler.
The Gyarados shook its head as it spoke to the Pokémon that were about to attack it. Meowth listened closely before he meowed in realization. "Wait! Don't attack the Gyarados! She's carrying her Trainer on the back!"
Gyarados nodded before the other Trainers' Pokémon swam aside to allow the large atrocious Pokémon approach the lifeboat with Ash and his friends. The female Gyarados moved her body and revealed the unconscious body of Ashley resting on her stomach.
"Ashley?!" Ash exclaimed in disbelief. "So it is you, Wanda!"
"Ghyaaa!" Wanda roared with a nod.
Brock grabbed the female twin and placed her on the lifeboat before performing CPR. "We've gotta clear her lungs! She's got water in them!"
He pressed his hands on Ashley's chest and started the compressions. He quickly counted each compression while everyone waited nervously for the good news. Misty was still shaking by Wanda, but she was now holding Ash's shoulders. The male twin watched the medical procedure with worried eyes, praying that his sister would make it.
Seconds later, Ashley started coughing, showing signs of life. Brock helped her sit up and patted her back so she could throw up the sea water that nearly destroyed her lungs. Everyone on the lifeboats cheered happily, releasing the negative emotions they had for some time now.
Ashley took several deep breaths to calm her throat down now that it got clear from the water. She felt very weak and leaned back into Brock's arms. "W-What happened…?"
"You almost drowned, but your Magikarp somehow made it out of its Poké Ball and evolved into a Gyarados to save you", Brock explained calmly.
Ashley looked up and saw her Pokémon smiling at her. "Wanda… Thank you…"
"Ghyaa…"
"Ashley!" Ash exclaimed with tears in his eyes before embracing his sister. "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought I lost you!"
Ashley smiled weakly before raising her right arm to give her brother a half hug. "I… I'm glad I made it…"
Pikachu jumped into the female twin's arms after Ash moved back so his Pokémon and Misty could also shower Ashley with warm hugs. Gary watched in relief from the other lifeboat how his second rival had survived the horrific incident before he noticed the ocean had calmed down, including the storm.
Everyone looked up when the clouds cleared up to reveal a night sky with thousands of stars and the big silver moon. No one said a word as they saw the glowing stars and even a couple of shooting stars. It was like everyone had fallen into a trance and forgot about the capsized cruise ship.
Moments later, several rescue ships from the Sevii Islands reached the lifeboats and brought everyone to the island, giving the survivors shelter and warm food and clothes.
While Ashley called back Wanda and got help to get onboard one of the rescue ships, she couldn't help but think at the silhouette she saw when she was under water. Had that been just a hallucination or did the creature save her?
Whatever it was, she hoped to one day find it and thank it for saving her.
XXXXXXXXXX
The Magikarp that Ashley bought is the one I got in my Firered game at the Pokémon Center before Mt. Moon.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ashley's party:
Firered the Charmeleon (male)
Bruce the Mankey (male)
Honey the Butterfree (female)
Luna the Clefairy (female)
Kobra the Arbok (male)
Wanda the Gyarados (female)
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Ash's party:
Bulbasaur (male)
Pikachu (male)
Pidgeotto (male)
Beedrill (male)
Charmander (male)
Squirtle (male)
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Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:
Squirtle x4 (males)
Krabby (male)