AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 74 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I decided to add Wesley of Wednesday into this chapter because first of all, I got a little behind from the excitement of Whirl Camp. In this chapter, Wesley doesn't offer anything to Tristan and Hillary except that he knows the Captain of the S.S. Aqua. Speaking of which, the S.S. Aqua and its Captain are also added to this story. I also decided to have the little girl and her grandfather come into the mix. I decided to name the little girl Pooky, and I'm basing her off of Pooky the Troll from Dragon Tales, because she also wants to play. Of course, the Pooky in this story isn't bad; she's just bored. Come to think of it, she sort of reminds me of a toddler named Mindy from the animated series, Animaniacs. Mindy, you may recall, has a dog named Buttons, who tries to keep her out of trouble, but only at his own expense. This entire chapter is based off of the player's first voyage on the S.S. Aqua from Olivine City to Vermilion City, and I've added Stanly and his sailor partner to the mix, too. Hopefully, this helps you understand, but if you have questions, just ask. Please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan and Hillary explore the S.S. Aqua before heading out of Olivine City, but a gentleman asks for their help to locate his missing granddaughter, but it won't be easy, especially when Taz comes into the mix to play.
Chapter 74: THE LOST LITTLE GIRL
(Music Cue: Route 29 (as heard in "Forest Grumps"))
As our heroes prepare to leave Olivine City, they decide to take one last look at the open sea before resuming their Johto League journey.
Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi were all marveling at the gorgeous sunrise the next morning.
"I'm sure gonna miss the sunrises above the sea every morning," said Tristan.
"The breezes here are gentle, too," added Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi seemed to agree.
Presently, Tristan saw something on the pier. "Hey, isn't that the S.S. Aqua?"
Sure enough, there was a vessel that was at the harbor, and it looked like it was ready for people to board.
"Yup, that's it, all right," said Hillary. "They say it's the fastest ocean liner in the entire Johto region. I remember that it travels between here and Vermilion City in the Kanto region. It's not scheduled to depart for another three hours, so let's check it out."
Tristan thought about it. Then he said, "Sure, why not?"
And so they went to check out the S.S. Aqua.
"Hey, I can take you to the S.S. Aqua, if you'd like," said a voice.
Tristan and Hillary turned to see a boy behind them.
"Who are you?" asked Hillary.
"My name's Wesley of Wednesday," answered the boy. "I'm one of the Week Siblings. Monica and Tuscany expected that I'd meet up with you two at some point. Follow me. I know the Captain very well, and he said I could allow guests to tour his ocean liner before the ship leaves. What do you say?"
Tristan and Hillary were pleasantly surprised to meet the third of the seven Week Siblings, and happily accepted the offer.
Inside, the interior was full of hallways and luxurious cabins. Plus, there was a dining hall where people could eat.
"Well, what do you think, guys?" asked Wesley. "I'd say this is first class all the way, if you do say so myself."
"Wow, that's impressive," remarked Tristan. "This reminds me of when we came into the S.S. Aqua, and I first met my Blastoise when it was a Squirtle."
"You're right," agreed Hillary. "And we even helped the Captain overcome his seasickness. I still can't believe that all 23 of the ship's sailors were stuffing themselves full of food while their captain was ailing. Who'd do that?"
Just then, an elderly gentleman ran through the hallways looking all panicky, and suddenly bumped his head into Tristan's.
Both of them moaned in pain.
"Are you okay, Tristan?" asked Hillary.
Tristan rubbed his head and groaned. "Hey, watch where you're going, fella."
"Sorry about that, but I have to find my granddaughter!" explained the gentleman.
"Your granddaughter?" asked Hillary. "Where is she?"
"I don't know! She's been missing for hours!" explained the gentleman. "I agreed to play games with her, but then, when I turned my back for one minute, she was gone!"
"Do you know where you last saw her?" asked Wesley.
"I last saw her in our cabin," answered the gentleman. "But I didn't hear the door open or close. She must've disappeared into thin air."
"Hold on," said Hillary suspiciously. "Are you saying that your granddaughter just disappeared without a trace?"
"No, that can't be," said Tristan in disbelief. "What's your granddaughter's name?"
"Her name's Pooky," answered the gentleman. "She loves to play games. But I have to find her before the ship goes out to sea and takes us with it!"
"We only have a few hours before the ship departs," said Wesley. "If we all split up, we'll have a better chance of finding her."
"Good idea," agreed Hillary. "Tristan and Wesley, you look on the left side of the ship while the gentleman and I look on the right side."
"Right," said Tristan. "Let's also agree to call if we find a trace of Pooky."
"Agreed," replied the gentleman. "Let's split up and search."
And so they did.
Tristan and Wesley looked on the left side of the ship while Hillary and the gentleman looked on the right side.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Theme (as heard in the Japanese version of "The Emperor of the Crystal Tower"))
Meanwhile, Taz, who had infiltrated the S.S. Aqua, came out from behind a nearby garbage can. "So, those kids are looking for a missing girl, eh?" he said to himself. "Well, if I find the kid, then I'll be playing with her, and I'll collect the big reward!" And he ran off to put his plan in motion.
Meanwhile, Tristan and Wesley were searching through cabin after cabin on the left side of the S.S. Aqua.
"Nope," said Tristan. "Pooky's not in here."
"Not in here, either," said Wesley.
"Where on board this ship could she be?" Tristan was feeling quite anxious. He knew that Pooky was somewhere on the ship, but he also knew that he had a limited amount of time before the ship took off.
"We'll find her, Tristan," Wesley assured him. "We can't lose hope."
"You're right, Wesley," agreed Tristan. "Let's keep looking."
And so they did.
Meanwhile, Hillary and the gentleman were calling out for Pooky as they searched the cabins on the right side of the ship.
"Pooky!" called Hillary. "Are you in there?"
"Pooky!" called the gentleman. "Please come out!"
But no response from Pooky came.
"Where is she?" The gentleman was getting anxious.
"Don't worry, sir," Hillary assured him. "We won't give up until we find her. She's gotta be somewhere on this ship. Come on, let's see what's in this cabin."
And they opened the door. But what they saw surprised them greatly.
(Music Cue: Goofball Alert (as heard in "Tricks of the Trade"))
It was a sailor, and he was snoring away in bed.
Hillary scoffed in disgust. "I don't believe it! That lazy sailor! He's snoozing on the job!"
Indeed, he was, for he was sound asleep.
Hillary tried to wake him up, but to no avail. "Ugh! What's with my uncanny luck with sailors?!" she shouted in disgust.
Presently, Tristan and Wesley arrived.
"What's going on, sis?" asked Tristan.
"We heard you shouting," added Wesley. "What's the matter?"
"That good-for-nothing sailor decided to take a nap instead of doing his job!" replied Hillary. Then she calmed down and asked, "So, what brings you here?"
"We found a staircase not too far from here," explained Wesley. "We think Pooky may be downstairs on the lower deck."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" said the gentleman excitedly. "Let's go find Pooky!"
And together, they left the room, leaving the sailor to sleep away. But when they went downstairs, another sailor blocked their path.
"Just great," grumbled Hillary. "It's another uncooperative sailor."
"We just have rotten luck with sailors, don't we, sis?" said Tristan.
"I'm sorry," said the sailor. "But you can't pass through here."
"But we need to find my granddaughter, Pooky!" protested the gentleman. "She's missing, and she might be down here! Have you seen her?"
"No, I haven't," replied the sailor. "But I'll tell you what I'll do: My partner, Stanly, likes to loaf around and do whatever he pleases. He likes to take naps instead of working."
Hillary knew who the sailor was talking about. "That jerk," she said disdainfully.
"If you find Stanly and convince him to get back to work, I'll let you pass," said the sailor.
"I guess we have no choice," conceded Hillary. "Come on, let's go."
And together, they made their way back upstairs to the cabin where Stanly was.
Sure enough, Stanly was still fast asleep.
Hillary had an idea. "Pikachu, come here for a sec."
Pikachu was confused, but it came to Hillary.
Then, Hillary whispered in Pikachu's ear.
Pikachu smiled, and tiptoed over to the sleeping Stanly. Then it let loose a Thunderbolt, blasting Stanly awake instantly.
Stanly crashed on the floor and stood up. "Wha...? What happened?"
"All right, you lazy loafer, it's time to get back to work!" demanded Hillary. "Your partner is waiting for you!"
"Oh, I see," said Stanly. "Well, nothing beats a battle when I'm on my break!" He took out a Poké Ball and threw it.
(Music Cue: Kanto Wild Pokémon Battle)
A Machop emerged from the white light that shot out of his ball.
Hillary was most annoyed, but accepted the challenge. "So, it's a battle you want, huh? Well, I've got just the Pokémon for the job. Squirtle, let's go!" She took out a Poké Ball and threw it.
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out of her ball.
"Do you think the girl will win?" asked the gentleman.
"I know she will," answered Tristan. "Hillary will work that sailor hard."
"Well put," said Wesley.
"Machop, Karate Chop!" commanded Stanly.
Machop charged at Squirtle as it prepared to chop Squirtle with the side of its open hand.
"Squirtle, Withdraw now!" ordered Hillary.
Squirtle's head and limbs disappeared into its shell and nullified the damage Karate Chop dealt.
Squirtle emerged from the shell, jumped back, and waited for Hillary's next direction.
"That girl is pretty good," remarked Wesley. "And she's handling this battle like a champ."
Tristan nodded in agreement. "That Squirtle of hers has really gotten strong during her journey with me. She believes in herself and thinks quickly on her feet."
"If she's as good as you say she is, you must've taught her well," smiled the gentleman. "You two will be wonderful champions someday."
"Thanks, I hope so," replied Tristan.
"Squirtle, Water Gun attack!" instructed Hillary.
Squirtle unleashed a blast of water from its mouth and scored a direct hit on Machop.
"Finish it off with Skull Bash!" shouted Hillary.
Squirtle glowed in a silver aura as it charged at Machop. It scored a second direct hit, sending it flying, much to Stanly's surprise.
"Machop!" gasped Stanly.
Machop had a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"You put up a good fight, Machop," said Stanly. "Well, win or lose, my break's over." He then returned Machop to its Poké Ball. "Gotta go!" And he dashed posthaste to the basement where his partner was waiting for him.
"Come on, let's go to the basement and continue our search for Pooky," suggested Tristan.
"Yeah, agreed Hillary. "Maybe that sailor will let us pass now."
And together, they quickly made their way to the basement.
The sailor was harshly scolding Stanly when Tristan, Hillary, and their friends arrived. "What were you thinking, sleeping on the job like that?! Do you have no pride as a sailor at all?"
"Well, you see..." began Stanly.
"I ought to drop you like a bad habit!" yelled the sailor.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" pleaded Stanly. "Please forgive me! Give me another chance! I won't do it ever again!"
"That's what you said every time before now!" said the sailor sternly. "How will I know you'll be doing honest work from now on?"
"Because that girl beat me in a battle but good!" replied Stanly as he pointed to Hillary.
The sailor saw Hillary with Tristan and their friends. "Oh, it's you guys. Hey, thanks a lot for getting my partner back into shape. Now that I know you were able to get him to work. I'll let you pass."
"Thanks a lot, sir," replied the gentleman. "We need to find my granddaughter, Pooky."
"Well, don't let us detain you any longer," said the sailor. "Go on and look for her. And best of luck to you."
"Thanks!" called Tristan as he, Hillary, and their friends made their way past Stanly and the sailor.
Then the sailor turned to Stanly and said, "As for you, you should have no problems working hard now. Now go and help prepare the S.S. Aqua for departure!"
"Yes, sir!" replied Stanly as he saluted the sailor.
Meanwhile, in the Captain's cabin, a little girl was trying to persuade the Captain to play with her. Yes, it was Pooky, the girl the gentleman was looking for. "Aw, come on, Captain, I wanna play! Pretty please?"
"Sorry, girl, but I have to prepare this ship for departure soon," replied the Captain.
"How's about I play with youse instead?"
The Captain and Pooky were startled to see Taz entering the room.
"Who are you?" demanded the Captain.
"I don't really think you need to know," retorted Taz. "Now, little girl, I'll play with ya. I promise to treat you right." And he slowly walked towards Pooky.
The Captain was most alarmed. "Little girl, get away!" he cried.
"It's okay," said Taz, rather innocently. "I won't hurt ya."
"Okay," replied Pooky. "How about 'tag?' You're it!"
(Music Cue: Wreakin' Havoc!)
She tapped on Taz just as he was about to grab her, and instantly, she ducked between his legs, causing him to land on his back. "Thanks for dropping! Bye!" She laughed and darted out of the Captain's room as fast as her legs could carry her.
Taz was most annoyed. "Come back here, you little runt!" And he chased after her.
"Hey, stop!" demanded the Captain as he chased after Taz.
Taz chased Pooky all over the ship as fast as he could, but no matter how fast he ran, Pooky was always just a little too far ahead. "I...hate...this..." he panted. "There are no words...in the English language...that describe...how much...I hate...doing this..."
Pooky ran on an on. She went through the dining hall and between the legs of the chefs, causing them to nearly drop prepared dishes.
Taz bumped into one of them causing him to send a plate of food into the air.
The food landed on the chef's head as Taz passed by. "Zeut alors!" he grumbled. "Zat was my best dish!"
The Captain ran in and saw the mess. "Sorry for all this."
"Oh, don't worry, Captain," said the chef as the Captain ran out. "It's not your fault."
Meanwhile, Taz was lagging further and further behind Pooky. Then he took out two Poké Balls. "All right! Magmar, Electabuzz, go get that girl now!" He threw his two balls.
Magmar and Electabuzz emerged from the white lights that shot out of them and attempted to block Pooky, but she easily slid between their legs, causing them to fall, too, but this time, on top of Taz, squishing him.
"Will you numbskulls get off of me and catch that girl for once!" barked Taz.
As for Pooky, she just kept running.
At that very moment, Tristan, Hillary, Wesley, and the gentleman came onto the upper deck where they saw Pooky come into view.
Pooky immediately turned around and saw the gentleman. "Oh, Grandpa! What are you doing here?"
"My little Pooky, are you all right?" asked the gentleman as he happily embraced her.
"Yeah, Grandpa, I'm okay," answered Pooky.
The gentleman breathed a huge sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're all right. But what are you doing running all over the ship?"
"I couldn't get the captain to play games with me, but this nice gentleman decided to play with me instead. I'm having a blast playing Tag, and I'm still not it!"
"Nice gentleman, huh?" said the gentleman. "What did this gentleman look like?"
"Well I didn't get a good look at him because I was in a hurry to avoid being tagged, but he had a beard."
Just then, Taz burst onto the scene with Electabuzz and Magmar right behind him. They were most mad.
"Aha! There you are!" shouted Taz. "I've got you now!"
Tristan and Hillary gasped in shock. "It's Taz!" they exclaimed.
"Argh! Not youse two again!" fumed Taz.
"Quick! Stop that man!" shouted a voice.
Tristan and Hillary turned around to see the Captain right on Taz's heels.
(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard in "Grin to Win"))
Taz, of course, was in full panic mode. "Yikes! It's the Captain! Come on, let's get outta here!" And he turned and fled as fast as he could with Electabuzz and Magmar right behind him.
"Get back here!" yelled the Captain as he chased him.
"Magmar, Smokescreen now!" ordered Taz.
Magmar turned around and shot a gray cloud of smoke from its mouth all over the entire upper deck as the other passengers screamed.
The result was instant panic.
"Careful!" warned the gentleman. "That smoke is dangerous!"
"We've gotta do something before someone gets hurt!" said Tristan.
"Leave it to me," replied Hillary as she took out her Poké Ball and threw it. "Squirtle, let's go again!"
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out of it and awaited Hillary's directions.
"Now, Squirtle, use your Water Gun attack to blow that Smokescreen away!" commanded Hillary.
Squirtle shot a powerful blast of water from its mouth and quickly cleared the smoke away.
Taz and his Pokémon were in plain sight.
"Now it's my turn," said Tristan as he took out his Friend Ball and threw it. "Bayleef, I choose you!"
Bayleef emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball.
"Bayleef, stop them with your Vine Whip!" instructed Tristan.
Bayleef extended two green vines from its leaf necklace and tripped Taz, Electabuzz, and Magmar, causing them all to hit the ground.
"You're through, Taz!" declared Hillary. "Now get off the ship!"
"Ha! Try and make me!" retorted Taz as he got to his feet. "Electabuzz, give 'em a Thunder Punch!"
Electabuzz charged at Squirtle and Bayleef as electricity crackled through its fist.
"Squirtle, Water Gun now!" commanded Hillary.
"Bayleef, Razor Leaf attack!" ordered Tristan.
Bayleef shot a flurry of razor-sharp leaves while Squirtle unleashed another blast of water from its mouth.
Both attacks combined and scored direct hits on Electabuzz, causing it to crash into Magmar and Taz.
"Now, Bayleef, send them all flying with Vine Whip!" shouted Tristan.
Bayleef extended its two vines again and wrapped them around Taz, Electabuzz, and Magmar. It spun them round and round until it tossed them high into the air.
"WE'LL REMEMBER THIS!" yelled Taz as they disappeared into the sky.
DING!
(Music Cue: Surf (The Sea (M40B (1997-1998))))
Later, everyone walked down the gangplank of the S.S. Aqua and talked with the Captain.
"I sincerely apologize for my granddaughter's behavior, Captain," said the gentleman. "We really didn't mean to give you so much trouble when we had to go looking for her." He turned to Pooky and said sternly, "Say you're sorry, young lady."
Pooky bent her head down low and said, "Sorry, Captain."
"Aw, don't worry about it," chuckled the Captain. "As long as that character is not causing any more trouble on my ship, that's all that matters. I'm just glad that you two are reunited. Besides, I was quite curious myself when I was your granddaughter's age."
"I guess that explains your curious side, also, doesn't it, Tristan?" teased Hillary.
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," replied Tristan.
The gentleman turned to Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, Togepi, and Wesley. "I'd like to thank you all for your help, too. If it hadn't been for you, we never would've gotten things back to normal around here."
"We were just glad we could help, sir," replied Hillary.
"Well, Captain," said Wesley, "I guess we'll see you later then, huh? Have a safe trip."
"Thanks, Wesley," replied the Captain. "And keep doing great things for all the Trainers you meet."
"I will."
A few moments later, everyone watched the S.S. Aqua toot its horn and slowly depart from the Olivine City harbor. Then it turned around and went faster and faster out to sea until it was out of sight.
"It sure would be nice to cruise along in that thing," said Tristan.
"I'm sure we'll see the S.S. Aqua again soon, Tristan," Hillary assured him. "Besides, we have more journeying to do, and you're just two badges away from entering the Johto League."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" said Tristan as he excitedly started off.
"But wait!" called Pooky. "Don't you guys wanna play with me?"
Tristan and Hillary looked at each other. Then they said, "Sure, why not?"
"How about a game of Hide-and-Seek?" suggested Pooky.
Everyone agreed to the idea.
"I'll be it!" called the gentleman. "And try not to go too far from us, Pooky, all right?"
"I promise, Grandpa!" replied Pooky.
Tristan, Hillary, Wesley, and Pooky all split up to hide in different safe areas in Olivine City as Pikachu and Togepi hid with their Trainers.
And so, with another victory over Taz, and Pooky safely reunited with her grandfather, our heroes are ready to press on toward Mahogany Town, where Tristan hopes to earn his next Gym badge. But first, a quick game of hide-and-seek. Who knows? Maybe Pooky is good at hiding!
► TO BE CONTINUED