Authors note: I seriously recommend before you read further to read Burning Sands first. The continuation of this story will then make more sense

On with the show:

Chapter 2

We join Ash and the crew today in Lilly Cove City trying to catch a ferry to Moss Deep so Ash can earn his seventh Gym badge. However, they are about to run into some major technical difficulties.

"Closed! What to do mean closed?" Ash said talking to an armored soldier standing outside the ferry terminal.

"Kid just read the sign" replied the soldier.

Brock looked at the sign and read out loud: By Order of the Government All Domestic Naval Traffic Has Been Suspended For An Indefinite Time. Any Civilians Caught in Domestic Waters Face Twenty-Five Years in Prison And A $500,000 Fine.

"That's just plain asinine. How is food going to be transported to the small towns on the islands?" Brock exclaimed.

The soldier replied, "We are currently air-lifting supplies and medical necessities to the outlying islands. Please move along. I'm not in the mood to arrest children today."

Max inquired, "Why exactly is everything shut down?"

"Sorry kid, I'm just following orders. I have no idea what the hell is going on. If you need a place to stop and rest, I recommend one of the surrounding hotels. The Pokemon Center is full of stranded trainers so you can't stay there." stated the soldier.

That night the gang were eating at the cheapest restaurant they could find. Every good restaurant was filled to capacity with military personnel or stranded travelers. Brock said, "We might have to pitch a tent in the park. I called around there are no vacancies."

May stated, "Won't we get arrested to loitering?"

"I don't think they are enforcing that law, when we placed the park, trainers were already starting to pitch tents." said Max.

Ash said, "This really ticks me off! All I had to do was get on a simple ferry and I could have my seventh badge by now."

A familiar voice said, "Yeah, ain't that a kick in the teeth?"

The gang turned to see see someone they hadn't seen since that incident in the Melville desert. Ash said, "Morris, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Company orders, I'm surprised I ran into you guys, I just came in here for some cheap Crab Rangoon." "How's life been treating you? And please tell me you haven't run into Team Tech again." said Morris.

Max sighed, "Thankfully no. One run in with those gene splicing psychos is enough for a lifetime."

May added, "I still have nightmares about them. Plus the fact that I now need to dye my hair all the time also serves as an unpleasant reminder."

Ash said, "Do you know what is going on here? The soldier said he had no idea, just following orders."

"I have a pretty good idea." stated Morris while scratching Ash's Pikachu behind the ears. "A few days ago, one of the Navy submarines simply vanished into thin air. From what I'm able to piece together, no wreckage or bodies, simply nothing. It 's like that freaky Bermuda Triangle thing on the other side of the world. The reason they are shutting down everything is because it's a sub capable of launching cruise missiles."

Brock stated, "I thought all those things were decommissioned at the end of the cold war 60 years ago."

Morris sighed and said, "Yeah, but you know the military. They think if you don't have something that could destroy the world some terrorists or another country could walk all over you. They are so damm desperate to find it, they are dropping enough sonar buoys so you could practically walk across the damm Atlantic without getting your feet wet."

"Unbelievable" said May. "How does something like that just vanish?"

Morris replied, "You got me. All I know is that the government is afraid that if they don't recover it, one of the terrorist groups Aqua or Magma might. Knowing them, if found they would use it against each other to terminate the others existence. Thank goodness the missiles aren't nukes. But enough about that, I overheard you want to get to Moss Deep. Remember how Devin was resurrecting fossils now?"

Max said, "Oh Yeah, how could I forget?"

Ash then added, "So how is that going?"

Morris stated, "Pretty well. I was sent here to do some minor aquatic research. Get this--near the Sharpedo Trench. There are colonies of Relicanth. They are rock and water Pokemon that have survived since prehistoric times. They want me to observe them in their natural habitat and find out how they have survived for so long. That way we will have a better idea of how to reintroduce formally extinct Pokemon into the current environment."

Ash replied, "That's so cool." "So, where does me getting to Moss Deep come into this?"

Morris smiled and said, "I don't know how the hell they did it, but the corporate exects managed to get me special permission to be on the water. Unfortunately, however, I was suppose to pick up my crew at Moss Deep, but they are stranded. How would you all like to be my replacement crew. It's not that hard and will only take about a week. Plus you get to see extremely rare Pokemon in their natural habitat undisturbed for millions of years and I can drop you off after everything is finished."

Max said to Ash, "Ash this is a chance of a lifetime. Imagine a colony that hasn't been seen since the dinosaurs. Imagine all that we can learn."

Brock added, "As a breeder, I'm very interested in this too. I'm curious to see how they survived down there."

May then added, "I can get a perfect suntan on the boats deck! A week long cruise, how perfect."

Everyone else sweat dropped and Morris whispered to Ash, "Hasn't changed a bit has she?"

Ash stated, "It's settled--we leave tomorrow morning. Morris you have your crew."

Pikachu just smiled and gave a paws up.

Please read, review and recommend.

Next time: Out on the Sea

Rave Drifter