Chapter Five

After a little investigating, Kachi and Roku discovered that the real captain was tied up in his cabin. The sailors had had no idea - they had been told that the captain was sick and the rocket was his replacement.

"Thank you two so much!" said the captain, shaking both their hands. "Is there anything I could do for you?"

"Could you tell us where our cabin is?" asked Kachi.

"Of course! Of course!"

Their cabin was small, but clean, and contained two sets of bunk beds and two dressers. A girl stood looking out the window, painting. She heard the door click shut behind Roku and Kachi, and whirled around. A bright grin crossed her face.

"Hi! I'm Meijin. You can call me Mei!" she said, holding out her hand.

"I'm Kachi," said Kachi, shaking her hand.

"And I'm Roku," said Roku. Mei was very pretty. She had long strait green hair and deep blue eyes. Roku wondered for a moment if she had a boyfriend, but his question was answered when he noticed a picture of a handsome young man on the dresser that Mei had claimed for her own. He also noticed a diamond ring on Mei's finger.

"Are you engaged to this guy?" asked Roku. Mei nodded, her face glowing. "You don't look much older than us though."

"I'm seventeen, every one says I'm too young, but I love him, I know I do."

"Is he on this cruise too?" asked Kachi, unpacking a few of her things. Mei shook her head sadly.

"I'm not sure where he is... he's been missing for a while. I think it has something to do with his work on rockets..."

"Rockets?" asked Roku.

"He was a rocket scientist, well, that's what he was going to school for, at least. He was going to school in Goldenrod. I couldn't come with him - he proposed right before he left. I haven't heard from him since he left."

"What would the rockets want with a rocket scientist?" asked Roku.

"Who knows what they do anything for?" Mei sighed. "But I'll find him."

Kachi wanted to tell her that she was looking for team rocket too, that she felt her pain - but she couldn't. Not yet.

"What's that your working on?" asked Kachi, trying to change the subject.

"It's a picture of the sea," said Mei. "I love the sea, it's so pretty, but so powerful." Mei reminded Kachi of the sea. Greens and blues, pretty when calm, but so very powerful when angry.

"Then water Pokemon must be your favorite," said Kachi. Mei nodded. She loved water Pokemon. "Then here, have this," said Kachi. She held out a pokeball that contained the abandoned Tentacruel.

"For me?" said Mei, fluttering her long pretty eyelashes in surprise. "What is it?" she held the pokeball delicately.

"A tentacruel. A rocket who was impersonating the captain left it behind." Mei's eyes grew dark as a stormy ocean.

"Where did he go?!"

"He's gone." Mei sighed.

"I was hoping maybe he knew something - maybe he could have helped me find Okoru!"

"Okoru? Is that the guy in the picture?" asked Roku. Mei nodded.

"Koru, most people call him that. Did you know okoru means 'flare up'?" she smiled. "I suppose it suits him, he is a rocket scientist, after all. Or he will be, when he finishes college." She paused for a moment. "There was a rocket on the ship? What happened?" Kachi told her the story as she and Roku both finished their unpacking. "You were so brave!" exclaimed Mei. "Can I see your smoochum? I adore baby Pokemon! They're the cutest!" Kachi smiled as she took out Muchuru. She cradle the sleeping baby Pokemon for a moment, and then handed her to Mei. Muchuru stirred for just a moment before settling into Mei's arms. "She's so pretty." Kachi smiled.

"She's my prize Pokemon. I've had her since I was a baby."

"Really?" said Mei. "Interesting." A bell sounded. "Oh my! That means it's dinner! Can I eat with you? I've been on this cruise for a few days, and I've had to eat alone at every meal."

"Of course you can eat with us," said Roku.

"I won't be interrupting anything?" said Mei. Roku and Kachi both laughed.

"There's nothing to interrupt," said Kachi.

"Yeah, we just met yesterday," said Roku.

"Oh," said Mei with a soft smile. "You two just acted like old friends."

"Its actually not anything like that - " began Kachi. She and Roku began trying to explain things, but nothing could be heard through the din of each trying to get heard over the voice of the other.

~~~

Dinner was an interesting affair. At first no one spoke, but soon every one relaxed and began to enjoy each other's company. The three worked well together. Roku's bold comments and jokes made every one laugh, as did Kachi's wit and sarcasm. Mei mediated when the two came close to arguing, and kept the noise level to a minimum.

The group of three chatted in the dining hall late into the night, and it was well past midnight when Mei began to slowly withdraw from the conversation, and fell asleep. Kachi and Roku talked for nearly ten minutes before they noticed that Mei was no longer with them. They laughed softly.

"I guess we're just too much fun for her," said Kachi with a yawn. Roku nodded.

"Poor Mei... she deserves some sleep, we shouldn't have kept her up." Kachi shook her head.

"I think it was good for her, it cheered her up."

"I hope you're right... she seemed awful sad. I hate to see someone that sad..." he paused, and looked strait at Kachi. She caught his glance, but turned her eyes away in a yawn.

"Its time for - time for - time for bed," she yawned.

Roku sighed. He had thought maybe to get an answer from his sullen companion that night. "I suppose you're right. Shall we wake her or shall I carry her?"

"If you can carry her without waking her, then by all means, let the poor girl sleep."

Mei smiled in her sleep as Roku picked her up. "Koru..." she murmured in her sleep. "Koru... you're back..."

Roku made an odd face as he carried her to their cabin. X.X

Mei ended up waking up any way, because Roku and Kachi nearly had a bloodbath deciding who got the top bunk.

Kachi won.