o0o
*O*O*
In the meantime, Giovanni and Felicity had arrived at B-Deck. Unfortunately, they were caught in the stairwell.
It almost felt like a standoff, they had stopped for the patrol party in mid-argument.
They hid in the stairwell and waited for them to move on or end it. Both held onto deeply rooted beliefs, about alternative art pokemon cards.
He'd hoped they'd change the subject and fight about something more relevant. It seemed hopeless, they were stuck on it.
They waited a few minutes, but both remained vigilant. They fought like children, and soon after, the debate turned into a slew of petty insults.
Felicity leered at them, and whispered, " I wish they'd deck it out already."
Giovanni was done testing his patients. " I'm sick of waiting for it."
He could tell that persian had enough of it as well. After he whispered a command, the cat leaped into the corridor and sprinted out of sight.
The sight of the pokemon got them to drop the argument. Startled by the disruption, they chased after the cat.
That was his cue to go. Giovanni snatched a pokeball while they charged ahead. After they dashed past the stairwell, he stepped out behind them.
With their backs turned, Giovanni slipped into the hallway, then took advantage of the opportunity, " Nidoking."
Both men cursed, then called out their own pokemon. Persian was up against a tentacrule, the poison and water type didn't stand a chance against his pokemon.
Things weren't much different on his side of the battle. Nidoking stared at the largemouth and stocky wings of the water and flying-type pokemon, pelipper.
" Fake out," Giovanni ordered.
" Tentacrule wrap!" the pirate demanded.
He looked at nidoking. " Focus energy."
Nidoking eye's narrowed, the pokemon focused, then move increased its odds of landing a critical hit.
He brazenly entered the battle, " Pelipper, stockpile!"
Giovanni needed to put a stop to that before it got out of hand. " Let's put an end to that, taunt."
The sailor tried to counter it. " Wrap!"
The cat leaped past its tentacled opponent. The jellyfish had a far reach and managed to ensnare persian mid-jump.
Persian screeched when tentacrule grabbed a hold of him. Both pokemon lurched and struggled as the cat tried to break away.
The jellyfish tightened its grip, then slowly reeled him in. Persian hissed when they made eye contact, in a desperate bid, attempted to back away.
He waited for them to get close, then gave a command, " Power gem."
The cat thrilled, a ray of earthen energy streamed ahead. Tentacrule instantly let go of the cat when the attack punctured its side.
The jellyfish collapsed and fainted. It had gone quickly, but that might not be the case with the other.
The other continued to boost his defenses, " Pelipper, stockpile!"
" Taunt," Giovanni countered.
Persian charged ahead, and was ready to pounce. Pelipper squeaked in distress when the cat tackled it.
Both pokemon fell onto the floor and broke away from each other. After the move had activated, the bird could do only one thing, attack.
His pokemon's speed let him make the final strike, " Poison jab."
Nidoking's maw burst with poisonous energy when he swiped at the bird.
When the pokemon struck its bill and landed a critical hit. Pelipper crashed into the wall, then wearily collapsed.
Both of them panicked and attempted to regroup. They recalled their pokemon, then tried to make a run for it.
Giovanni was ready to stop them when Felicity took his side. The girl had terrible timing, and when she tossed a pokeball, it struck a nerve.
" Kingdra thunder-wave," she ordered.
The sea dragon didn't hesitate. Charged waves of electricity wrapped around their foe, then forced them to the floor.
They curled up and froze in a flightless position. That changed things a bit, so Giovanni adjusted the plan.
She recalled the dragon, then nudged him on the shoulder. " I couldn't let you have all the fun."
He didn't like her mindset but lost the chance to object.
All the commotion had brought about a group of passengers. He recalled nidoking and decided to drop the matter.
A passenger had noticed the pirates and praised them, " You two got 'em good!"
Felicity nudged Giovanni. " It was all this guy."
He paid no attention to it and refocused, then asked, " We're taking the ship back, is there anyone here who'd like to join us?"
A show of hand's let him know their sentiment was high, so he continued, " Common, let's get them out of here."
The group dragged their captives to a nearby cabin. There was something about it that made him feel powerful.
He wasn't unfamiliar with the feeling, but this had felt different. Perhaps it had to do with his unprecedented circumstances.
Felicity broke his train of thought when she suggested he be a Gym Leader. He chose not to remark, but it took him back.
If she had only known the truth, but this was no time to reminisce. They had arrived inside a cabin. So, he started to go over the plan.
0*0*0
It hadn't been very long since they had parked at the table. The conversation got old quickly, she felt like it had dragged out for hours.
Even though she had forced Galen to give the blandest dialog she could think of, the Captain managed to keep it going.
It only fed his ego, it frustrated her and she vented, Captain Crunch is starting to remind me of a bottomless beast. No matter how much you feed him he'll always eat it up.
At least we'll be there soon Mistress, Ninetails reminded her.
A deckhand stepped into the room and interrupted a tale of treasure and plunder.
After he realized he had interrupted, he stuttered, then made an announcement, " We'll be arriving in fifteen minutes Captain."
The Captain nodded, then asked, " Anything else?"
" We're preparing a boat in the F-Deck bay," the messenger added.
A wave of his hand put the grunt at ease, then he ordered, " All hand's on Deck."
After he left, the group fell silent. It was only then that Missy realized she should have the Captain's First Mate follow the order.
Like a puppet, she made Galen stand up. " I should be off, they'll need me on the bridge."
The Captain nudged him along. " Keep 'em in line for me."
" Yes Sir," he said.
She instructed him to leave but knew that once he left he'd be clueless about what to do after.
So, she made her last set of instructions simple. Then told him to remain indifferent to every challenge he encountered.
When the door clicked shut, she'd hoped it would be enough. Victor had noticed her concern, and she immediately let it go.
Unwilling to let him get the first word in, she said, " I was starting to worry that he'd never leave."
" I don't know what got into him," he muttered. " I'm sure the battle will put some sense back into that thick head of his."
" Right," she half-heartily agreed. " So, what happens now Captain?"
Victor nodded in approval, then praised her, " That's the spirit lass."
Missy's brow raised, and she played along, " The only other kind there is."
He caught the double meaning and smiled. " Ah, good one."
Missy shrugged, then thumbed over to the door. " Oi!"
His puzzled stare let her know that the expression was meaningless. She wouldn't allow the day to go on without changing that.
" Oi, it's Galarian slang for hello," she explained.
" We'll I'll be," he muttered.
He stood up and started for the door. " Common lass."
She stood up and spied her umbrella. " I don't want to ruin me outfit. Do you mind?"
He nodded in approval. " Aye, Common."
Missy picked it up, " Thanks, Captain."
She joined him on his way out. He started to get frisky after they set off. It took one tactic too many to hold him off, and she was livid.
*0*0*
Giovanni leaned back against the wall and looked outside a port hole. He had asked the lot if they had any questions, but no one seemed to have any.
Felicity began to go over her tips to dodge the pirates. He had readily let her take his lead.
He was much more interested in their location. The sun had set, but it wasn't yet dark enough to see the stars. A small island was off in the distance.
Everything he had read about The Sealed Chamber had led him to believe that it was on the bottom of the ocean. Perhaps the island was a staging sight for a dive.
Felicity nudged him, that was his cue to address the group, " Alright, I suggest you all split into pairs and get out of here. They're plenty of passengers still in the dark."
That was all it took for them to pile out. It wasn't the same as headquarters, but he still felt powerful.
The moment was short-lived and ended when Felicity asked, " What's our next move?"
" Are there any more cabins below?" he asked.
She looked down while she thought about it, then answered, " There are the crew's cabins on E-Deck."
Giovanni pondered it over, if this was his operation, he'd have people standing guard. He hadn't a clue how many were down there.
So he asked, " Is it heavily guarded?"
" I don't know, I've been sticking to the upper decks, but I did go down to F-deck to see if kingdra could make a break for it. There's a lot of them down there," she replied.
Her answer eliminated that option, so he made a suggestion, " I think it's best to wait for them to make a move."
Felicity nodded then added, " You'd make a pretty good leader."
Giovanni gawked, her flattery was genuine. " You think so?"
She caught on that he was surprised, and playfully carried on, " Well, yeah, without you we'd be, I don't know sitting around and waiting for Arceus knows what."
" I could see that," Giovanni joked.
Felicity huffed then dropped the matter and switched topics, " Good news is it'll all be over soon. I'll have a lot to talk about when I get home."
That reminded him of an earlier question and he asked, " Where is your home?"
The question stumped her for a moment for her wits to come around with an answer, " Tough question, smart guy. I hale from Sootopolis."
" Thanks, but affluent would be a bit more accurate," he corrected her.
Giovanni quickly returned to the topic, " The Crater City, I've read stories about the Draconoid People, my favorite is The Hero of the Shattered Sky."
Felicity was delighted to hear it and replied, " Rayquaza's a valiant pokemon, brave too, blasted that meteor clear out of the sky. I love that story. Did you know that book was based on our history?"
Giovanni nodded. " I've seen the murals, but I wonder if it's true, can your people summon rayquaza?"
The question made her pause, and after she thought it over, said, " It is, but I'm not in any position to summon him."
Giovanni raised a brow, puzzled, he asked, " Position?"
She nodded. " Yeah, only the Lore Keeper can do it. It'd be nice if we could though."
That brought about other questions. When the lights shut off he lost his chance to ask. No matter, it was nothing a bit of research couldn't answer.
Red emergency lights lit up the room before the ship's speakers crackled, an announcement started soon after, " All hands on deck."
" Due to treacherous seas, we'd like to remind all passengers to remain in their cabins at this time. Anyone found outside of their cabin may be subject to being thrown overboard."
Giovanni shrugged after the warning. " We'll see about that."
They had arrived, and it wouldn't be much longer before things got interesting. A rush of clattered steps hurried down the corridor.
The pirates praised or taunted one another while they prepared. He felt it was best to wait for things to settle down before they got started.
0*0*0
Meanwhile,
Missy and Victor had arrived on F-Deck. A stolen yacht was docked at the launch port. Hoards of men busily prepared to depart.
She counted sixty aboard the vessel. " It's going to be one hell of a battle."
Victor nodded. " Aye."
A pirate had spotted the Captain and hurried over, then handed him a loudspeaker.
He pulled another aside and instructed him to ready the jetty.
He used the speaker to amplify a few words of encouragement, " Through hell and high water we'll bring the sea to its knees! Now get out there and give Kyorge hell boys!"
A cheer erupted from the boat, then it cast off. After it left the dock, the jetty he requested took its place.
The small boat was manned by a two-man, both of them were pretty big boys.
She knew it wasn't going to be comfortable and hesitated, but the Captain encouraged her to climb aboard, " Ladies first."
Missy took the furthest seat, but ninetails struggled to get in. Do we have to Mistress?
Missy firmly encouraged the pokemon to get in, " Come along."
After the fox joined her, Victor climbed in and frowned when he sat next to the pokemon. " Do ya got her ball?"
Missy caressed the fox. " It's upstairs with everything else."
Her answer made him grumble, " It'll give her a taste of the sea."
Ninetails clenched her jaw. I'll give him a taste-
Missy stopped her, He's mine.
" To the island mateys," Victor ordered.
Their driver nodded. " Aye Captain."
The engine sputtered, but failed to stall. When it revved up when they got going.
They sped out of the dock and passed on the stern. Then coasted out to sea, the calm waters reflected twilight.
The waning crescent moon had started to set, but the light had managed to cast the silhouette of lone isles.
*0*0*
The noise in the hallway had settled quite a bit. It was eerie without the passing patrols.
The sudden change threwn persian's ears a curve ball, but the cat remained on his toes.
Since the conditions seemed ideal, Giovanni made his way to the door. " Perfect."
Felicity took his side, after a peek at the corridor, they departed. It was quiet, but he had little doubt that the interior remained unguarded.
If he had Missy with him, this might have been easier. She would have taken out their communications by now.
Her wit was always preceded by pandemonium. That was where her true power shined when chaos ensued.
This one was all his, he thought it best to be traditional. He started knocking on doors, Felicity followed his lead, and soon others joined them.
It felt strange to be at the front of an army, he preferred to lead above the battle from the back of a fray.
None of these people had pokemon, that had forced him to compromise. Still, the massive party behind him was a force of its own, that had its benefits.
The last thing he needed wanted was to be found out. Those who lingered in the stairwell could be a problem, and he wouldn't allow for it.
Giovanni stopped short of the stairwell. Then got the group to as well, before he motioned for them to listen.
Then announced, " I'm going to have most of you wait here while Felicity and I check the restaurant. We need a couple of brave people to go up a deck and get the others."
A group of three men and a lady answered the request, then a man quietly asked, " How will we know when to come down?"
He hadn't thought of that, thankfully Felicity had an answer, " I'll whistle alright."
The group seemed satisfied with the answer. So, the plan was put in motion.
Both parties stealthily made their way to the stairwell. They stopped and looked to see if anyone was around. There wasn't a soul to be seen, so they moved on.
When they arrived at D-Deck it was the same. Giovanni refused to believe that they had left their bounty unguarded.
Quietly, they made their way to the stern. When they go closer to the loot, he was proven right.
A small party could be heard around the corner and heard a group of men quietly chatting.
The trio conversed about the pokemon of the sea as they guarded the restaurant doors.
The conversation seemed a bit more refined. They were probably smarter than the first group.
Giovanni tapped Felicity's shoulder and stopped her a good distance before the bend.
She was uneasy so he reassured her, " I'll be right behind you."
His encouragement brought about a smile, and she put a thump up. " Kingdra and I got this."
Pokeball in hand, she stepped away while he and persian prowled behind her.
Felicity stopped short of the bend and listened. After she reassured herself, she whimsically threw the ball around the corner.
The group fell into discourse and had zero foresight and strategy. They hardly had time to panic, kingdra had already started to use thunder-wave.
He stepped around the corner and watched them tremble. One of the men clutched a radio, he snatched it out of his hand.
Giovanni listened to the channel, it stayed silent. He was ahead of the game.
It felt nice, but he wouldn't allow it to last, there was still too much that could go wrong.
When he stepped inside the Harlequin Room, it already had.
The room was cluttered with boxes, but that was to be expected. Missy wasn't around, they must have taken her with them.
0*0*0
Ninetails hadn't taken well to the sea. Luckily, the boat ride had been fairly short, it was a saving grace.
After seven minutes at sea, they landed on a sandy beach. The tiny island might as well have been a sand bar populated by Palm Trees.
The only thing of note was a stone building. When they got closer she noticed braille-like inscriptions on the door, they were accompanied by hieroglyphs.
The place reminded her of The Ruins of Alph. When Victor lit up a torch, it confirmed her suspicions.
He grunted, " I'm not that old fashion now am I?"
Missy decided she'd humor him, " I'd say you're slowly catching up."
The light cast onto a stone door, six steel-like stones encompassed a seventh.
She didn't know what to make of it, but her companion understood.
Ninetails got stiff at the sight. That's Registeel's insignia Mistress.
Missy hummed and asked, " Don't tell me we came all this way for a pokemon."
Victor shook his head no. " We came here fer Mythril."
" That sounds difficult, I'll get out of your way," Missy replied.
None of them had understood or cared to remark. So she stepped off to the side and let them have at it.
It took a moment for them to decide how to break through the door. When it was settled, they brought out their pokemon.
First up was the steel aunt pokemon durant. It was accompanied by a standing hermit crab with massive claws, kabutops. The helmet-like pokemon escavalier floated in between them.
Missy spied on the group. I wonder how long this is gonna take.
Ninetails humored her, They've got some good pokemon, so probably not for long. How are we going to stop them Mistress?
She hadn't thought of that yet, but shared her ideas, Were gonna let them wear themselves out, then take care of it.
The pirates ignored her and ordered their pokemon to attack. Escavalier drill-like arms bore into the stone, and durant followed after it and used the move iron head.
Kabutops used its water gun to keep both pokemon from overheating. The trio did everything they could to break through it.
After several minutes, a large crack had formed in the door.
Durant used iron head once more, the ant's skull gleamed with steel energy as it crashed into the crack.
The door split open shortly after the attack struck. Her captors cheered when a large part of it crashed to the floor.
Missy paid them little attention, the room ahead had caught her eye. A ceiling of obsidian loomed over the ruin-filled walls.
A large well was at the center of the room. When the group moved forward, Missy dashed over to the railing.
The well went deep in the earth and ended in a shallow pool. An iridescent plate gleamed at the bottom, and she suspected it covered a hole.
She nearly reached into her jacket but stopped herself after she remembered that she wasn't supposed to have it.
A minor inconvenience, but this was nothing she couldn't work out on her own.
Missy looked over the stonework and searched for anything that stood outside of the ordinary.
The railing had been crafted with care. Each plate had been cut to fit in seamlessly with the last. She figured that would be a logical place to start.
The center stone at the entrance looked different than the others. The ledge was slightly longer than the others.
It looked promising, so she stepped over. Then attempted to flip over the stone panel.
Ninetailes yelped, then protested, Mistress!
Missy didn't like hearing it but replied, I'm not letting them take it Ninetails. Think about it, once they know how to find it they'll probably go out and join the fight.
Victor had noticed and stepped over. " What are ya trying to do?"
Missy had managed to flip it over, four buttons were on the opposite side. " Figuring out what this was."
He looked it over with her. The glyph was simple and easy to decipher.
It read as open, close, water, and drain. The set of commands reminded her of a cooling system.
The Captain had figured out their meaning as well. He had no concept about what it was for, but that didn't stop him from meddling.
After he got a good look, he pressed a button. The group watched in awe as the plate started to move.
It slowly scrapped the stones and revealed a deeper pit. Minutes later, it stopped and rested on the floor.
They cheered, but the celebration was short-lived. A beast bellowed from outside, while the waves crashed along the shore.
Kyorgre's arrival stirred them up. She thought that was shameful that they were leaving so soon. The party hadn't even begun.
Victor looked at his deck hands, then gave an order, " We'll be back fer it later, I'm sending you two out there."
Both saluted, then ran outside. Victor seemed eager to join them, but after the earth quaked, his plans changed.
A ray of red light rocketed out of the well, a soft buzz followed, and she wished it would cease.
The beam of light darkened, its fuchsia aura had an incredible luster. As its intensity grew, the energy covered the ground like a blanket.
Ninetails whined when the energy started to spread. I don't like the look of this Mistress.
Neither did she, but Victor didn't seem to be bothered by it. He had been taken by something else, a ring on his hand had started to glow.
Missy spied him, then figured out why. A wishing star was the centerpiece of the ring. It shined brilliantly near the power source.
He seemed clueless about its activation. It wouldn't last for long, because she was certain that he knew how to use it.
*0*0*
Giovanni watched the sea stir. The wind picked and the wave's veracity grew after the sunset. It was a bit of a concern but felt he'd be ready for whatever came next.
While he watched the storm, the room had become a popular spot.
The past fifteen minutes had been hectic, countless passengers had stopped in to claim their pokemon.
They came with questions that no one had thought to ask. Then started what felt like an endless search for their pokemon.
After they made their claim, they were directed to go to one of several deck entrances.
When the foot traffic had slowed down, he welcomed the change. It meant they could finally start the operation.
Felicity tapped him on the shoulder. " Was that the last of them?"
" Yep, the bag's empty," she explained.
Giovanni wanted the cargo but hid his discontent. " Let's get out of here."
While she walked off, he tried to ignore the loot. Things would have been much easier if Missy had been around. She would have sent it all to the tardis on their way out.
Since this was his only chance to take it, and he happened to have the tardis with him, he figured he'd give it a go.
Teleport, he thought, but nothing happened. He'd hoped, but just as he expected, it hadn't worked.
He couldn't let himself get frustrated about it, so he kept got going. It took the group a few minutes to get back to A-Deck.
When they got up there, he motioned for the closet group to go starboard, while Felicity had the other go to port.
There was a lot of clout at the start of the conflict. Pirates and passengers shouted at one another.
The commotion only grew, growls of pokemon were accompanied by a slew of commands.
Colorful streams of energy mixed with the clash of fists. It was a strong start, but they were just getting started.
When someone ran past a porthole, they were followed by a jet of flames. He knew that it was going to be one hell of a fight.
He felt comfortable, so they proceeded down the corridor. They cautiously made their way toward the bow of the ship.
The bridge was located at the front. Once they took control of the ship's operations, their victory would be assured.
He took note of the battle, and a group of passengers rushed at a group of pirates. An electric burst crashed by them.
Shrilled screams came with their retaliation, and a psychic array of discourse ensued.
It was chaotic out there, but he liked the sound of it. The more he heard, the more he wanted to join the fight. He supposed it was too soon, and decided to save it for the bridge.
Felicity stopped and watched the battle. " Do you think they can handle it?"
" I think they're more than capable of handling this," Giovanni assured her.
Felicity nodded. " Yeah, if they keep this up they'll beat us to the bridge."
Giovanni wouldn't allow it, and replied, " Then we should make haste."
The path ahead was clear, but there was no guarantee the fight would stay outside. He picked up his pace and kept, but kept an eye on the battle outside.
0*0*0
The wind wailed while the waves crashed into the sea. Pandemonium heralded the start of the battle.
All the commotion had caught Victor's attention, but he remained puzzled. " I don't know how it's possible."
Missy shrugged with indifference, then explained the obvious, " It's a hidden power spot."
When thunder cracked from outside, Vitor turned to look at the battle. " Aye."
Disappointed by his lack of vision, Missy placed her hand on her hip. " So, are you going to keep standing there?"
He grunted, then spit. " I'll do what I like lass."
A water spout struck near the entrance, and the room quaked.
Victor flinched with the sudden disruption. She supposed the torrent had finally pushed him over the edge.
He leered at the frenzy, then looked back at her. " I suppose yer not getting very far with that pokemon."
" I think we'll sit this one out," Missy assured him.
" You better, I'll be outside," he replied before he ran off.
The instant he left, she got out her phone. Then promptly started to text Giovanni.
*0*0*
The battle raged beyond the decks of the ship. Attacks of every element meshed together and struck, while others lit up the waves.
Trainers fought alongside their pokemon, while others took a crack at their trainers.
The cries of pokemon weren't great enough to drown out the arguments that followed. This battle was anything but decided, but he was ready to change that.
When they arrived at the passage to the bridge, Giovanni stopped to go over the plan but paused when his phone buzzed. Missy had sent an update.
The Captain had forced her to go to the island, but the trip hadn't been a honeymoon.
When they arrived the only thing he wanted was the treasure. He didn't find what he was looking for but had accidentally uncovered a forgotten power spot.
Apparently, that wasn't too big of a deal. Hidden forces seemed to be a trend these days. Since he had a wishing star, she expected big things.
He wanted to see that for himself and bolted to the closest window. Sure enough, a magenta beam of energy stretched into the heavens.
A second beam burst from the ground and shrouded the pokemon. When the energy dissipated, a true horror revealed itself, Centiskorch G-Max.
The pokemon was now seven stories tall and twice as long. Its exoskeleton platted its body, and hundreds of legs skittered out of it.
Felicity's jaw dropped at the sight. " How the hell did that happen?!"
Giovanni watched the pirates rally at the sight. " The island's a power spot."
The revelation only aggravated her. " Those are only found in Galar!"
" Until today changed things forever," he pointed out.
The battle at sea had gotten tense. A hum wailed from the waters ahead. A majestic pokemon crashed out of the waves.
The whale-like pokemon was smaller than a wailord. Its gigantic pectoral fins and tail resembled wings.
The instant Kyorgre emerged, it started to battle against those at sea.
A jet solid of water shot ahead of it and struck a large group in its path. Then aimed at centiskorch and used hydro pump again.
Whoever trained the centiskorch, had done one hell of a job. The pokemon coiled up like an accordion to protect itself.
The torrent evaporated before it could land a hit. Then centiskorch countered and unleashed a wave of flames.
Kyorgre avoided it and dived back into the depths. The ocean steamed up as the blaze passed.
Soon after, the ocean was set ablaze. The sheer power that the G-Max pokemon welded seemed unholy.
While the fire danced above the waves those stuck inside the assault did little they could to keep out of it.
Countless tentacool and tentacrule fell while the ocean burned. Their tentacles swayed and moved as the waves carried them.
The pokemon littered the ocean around the battle. They could still sting, and he wondered if that would decide the course of the battle.
Wingull and taillow took to the sky, then started to attack. A pair of pepplier started a whirlwind to guide the flames. While a twister of fire formed ahead of a gyarados.
When Kyorgre emerged to counter, it fell into the trap. The pokemon sharply cried out, before it plunged back into the depths.
The group blindly moved along, but when they succeeded a second time, it couldn't have been a coincidence.
He spotted a canoe tethered to a swampert, a pirate was on the radio. He seemed to be in charge of the group.
If he was, he did a great job of keeping everyone in line. He used his resources to keep them outside of the danger zone and still be ready to attack.
Felicity had noticed him as well, and concluded, " That's guys got eyes, they've got to be using the scanner to keep ahead, that's why they needed it."
The revelation put everything into perspective. " You're right."
" I'm not gonna let them get away with this," she sneered as she stormed off.
He chased after her but abruptly ceased. A myriad of colors shimmered and swirled around her. Strangely, her keystone had gone off without a pokemon.
Felicity thumbed the stone, bemused, she said, " I didn't think it was this bad."
Giovanni was candid and pried into the matter, " It's not the best spot to be in, what's going on?"
Felicity looked at the sky, then answered, " The only way this could've happened would be if the guardian fell."
" In times of crisis, a Lore Keeper's power can be granted to those who are worthy. I'm sorry but the Region's depending on me."
In light of the bad news, a different idea came to mind, " I understand, Id like to ask you to start this at the bow, it would help me out."
She gave a thumbs up. " Keep 'em distracted, I can do that."
" Then I'll take the ship," he replied.
" Awesome, let's end this," Felicity touted before she ran out the door.
This was a tough predicament to be in. So he thought it best to watch how it unfolded before he got going.
When Felicity arrived at the mast, she waved up and got their attention.
She wasn't a patient girl and demanded they come over. When they took her up on the offer, she dashed to the tip of the bow.
Giovanni stepped away into a shadow. Persian stayed close to him, eager to strike.
As he expected, the door to the bridge flung open. A trio of burly pirates rushed out of the bridge. They barged outside in pursuit of her.
They hadn't noticed him. After he was sure no one else was joining them, he stepped back into the light.
He hadn't a clue how many remained on the bridge. Judging by the way things were going, there couldn't have been many of them left.
0*0*0
While the battle raged, Missy worked to reseal the power spot. It was gonna take a while, a little more than ten minutes.
Until it had, the ebb of power that came from inside would be an issue.
The screwdriver had informed her that when centiskorch had gone G-Max, the influx of energy had been extraordinary.
That made the pokemon more powerful than normal, it was comparable to a raid den. What might have been a four-minute encounter would go on for much longer.
It only got worse from there, If the Captain learned that he could use multiple attacks at once, they'd be in serious trouble.
To top it all off, the uranium core had started to overheat when the power was turned on.
It wouldn't be long before the radiation tainted the island and spread. She wasn't for it, she still had a score to settle.
Unfortunately, it didn't matter how many times she pressed the water button to cool the place down, the button hadn't worked.
When she tried to fix the malfunction with the screwdriver. After multiple attempts, a simple remedy couldn't be found.
Ninetails quivered from the radiation's heat. Mistress.
Missy grimaced before she started for the door. The radiation could kill you, we have to get out of here.
The warning brought about a question, Don't you mean us? Mistress.
She shook her head no. I was raised near a star with radiation infinitely stronger than this. Time Lords can handle it, but you can't take much more.
Ninetails seemed bothered, but quietly followed her out. The fox didn't have any ideas about how to fix the problem either.
It was troublesome, to say the least. She had done all she could to try and stop it and failed. So, she thought it best to accept it and go forward.
The winner of the battle would determine the future of the power spot, and ultimately, the Regions.
Kyogre cried out as it struggled in the waves. The pirates took the opportunity to attack and launched a swarm of attacks.
They pokemon wailed, and the multitude of attacks struck it as a single force. Kyogre screeched as it was pummeled around like a toy.
The pokemon floated gracelessly and struggled to move with the waves. While it foundered along, they prepared to strike again.
Kyorgre failed and turned in a desperate bid to fight back. It was tired and its foes were quick to counter its attempt. They launched another single strike.
When it struck, the whale screamed. It was unnerving to hear, and even more so to watch.
After the onslaught ended, the pokemon sagged like a rag doll. The creature had taken too much.
The shriek of a new challenger turned heads. A dragon had unexpectedly arrived to challenge them. The sight of the pokemon was a welcome respite.
Not too far off in the distance, an opulent aura shimmered from the bow of the ship. Rayquaza shined brightly as a brilliant light encircled it.
When the illumination faded, Mega Rayquaza roared. Its mega evolution was a sight to behold. The outline of its body glowed in sync with its ribbon-like tendrils.
The pokemon was a force to be reckoned with before it had mega evolved. She was unsure how much it had changed.
With a wave of her screwdriver, she crunched the numbers. The results were startling, both pokemon were equally matched.
What did it say Mistress? Ninetails asked.
Missy placed it back, then cautiously filled her in, They're equally matched, this one's gonna come down to skill.
Those in the fray began to adjust their tactics. Rayquaza was their next target, the pokemon knew it.
The dragon roared, then tenaciously accepted their challenge. The pirates hadn't expected it to strike back so quickly.
Rayquazas fierce roar echoed through the clouds. A volley of meteors burst from the stars and headed straight for them.
They desperately tried to get out of the way, but the attack was too great of a force.
When the meteors crashed into the sea most of them were flung from their pokemon, those who hadn't were overtaken by the waves.
All of the excitement had cheered up Ninetails. I'm glad Rayquaza's come to put an end to this, Mistress.
Do you have any idea what brought it about? Missy asked.
While they watched them flee, Ninetails replied, Kyogre's in trouble, that must be why it came Mistress.
Centiscorch's body crackled before it flung a gigantic fireball at the dragon. Rayquaza fell into a dive, then gracefully avoided the fireball.
The slender pokemon flew like a kite, and elegantly regained altitude. As it soared higher, the breeze turned to a gust, and the clouds ominously grew darker.
Things didn't look good, so she opened up her umbrella. Seconds later, the wind stopped, and the waves settled.
Those in the sea used the calm to get out of there. The Captain picked grabbed his blunderbuss, then tried to fire a shot into the air to get their attention.
His plan had failed when his gun ceased to fire. He growled in aggravation and chucked it on the beach.
He motioned for them to come over, but his efforts were fruitless. They either hadn't heard him or had wanted to live to see another day.
Victor gave up and held onto what he could keep control of, the battle. " Centiscorch, Max Flame!"
The centipede's body erupted into flames before it unleashed a tsunami of fire.
Rayquaza shrieked, it countered with a hellish tempest. Gale-like winds fanned the flames before a downpour put them out.
When she was sure that both attacks had ended, Missy approached him, " Oi! I popped out to see how things were going?"
His eyes were locked on the battle, but he growled in annoyance. " It's not good."
Rayquaza used the break in the fight and regained altitude. The winds followed its course.
The Captain bit his lip. " It's getting ready to use hurricane again, I'd get back inside if I was you."
She didn't like how he handled himself but kept her cool, " I think we can deal with a spot of rain."
Victor wasn't fond of her protest, and started to order her around, " Go back inside! That's an order!"
He was demanding, but she embraced it with feigned outrage, " An Order!"
The Captain fumbled for his gun before he remembered he had discarded it. So he drew his sword, then pointed the blade at her.
Victor's threat was cute, and had almost seemed harsh, " I made you part of me crew lass. I don't want to cut you into pieces, but if ya don't take my orders I will."
Missy pointed her umbrella back in exchange. Victor stared at her, he didn't know what to make of it. At least Ninetails understood, and dashed away from them
The way he looked at her stirred up a sinister feeling. All of those pent-up feelings about the day had come around.
Since he had been the cause of most of them, he made for an appropriate target.
The wind started to pick up, but he didn't take his eyes off her and gave a command, " Max Protect!"
Her weapon of choice puzzled him, and brought out his reason, " Fickle thing's no match fer me sword. Get back inside, or I'll send ya back like the last."
Missy held a firm guard, and replied, " I'd like to see you try."
The wind screamed, and sheets of rain followed after. They were drenched, but this was a standoff, and neither relented.
After the tempest passed, he charged at her. She let him get close before she trusted up and blocked.
Victor brought down his sword, both of their weapons locked. He took a step toward her and tried to get closer.
His belly was open, but if she had tried to kick him away she'd been vulnerable to his blade.
She twisted the umbrella and broke out of the lock. They stepped back and away from one another, the space between them had advantages.
He hadn't used it, she was in no rush. So, they circled each other in anticipation of the next move.
*0*0*
Giovanni had snuck up to the entrance of the bridge. He wanted to figure out who was inside before he did anything.
The man in charge was weary with panic. Whomever he was working with seem less enthused.
Giovanni listened for a bit, then determined there were two men at the helm.
He felt confident he could claim the bridge. Persian was ready to start, and when he motioned for him to get ready, the cat gleefully obeyed.
When he flung the door open the cat ran inside. The cat looked at the pirate as if he were a plaything. He left up and tackled him in the chest.
They fell to the floor. While persian clawed at him, the pirate tried to push him off. The other took advantage of the opening and landed a knockout punch.
When he got a look at the other man he understood why. The deckhand was fed up with them as well.
It was disappointing, he hadn't gotten the battle he had hoped for. He figured he'd get another chance soon enough.
He was relieved when Giovanni entered the bridge, " I'm glad to see you, how's the uprising going?"
Giovanni shrugged, the battle on the island had got his attention once more. " It's going as planned."
His jaw dropped. " Huh?"
He wasn't having it and disregarded the confusion and continued to watch. Centiscorch had just blocked the force of a hurricane.
It was impressive, but then something else caught his eye. There were people on the beach, and he wanted to know what they were up to.
" Do you have a pair of binoculars?" Giovanni asked.
" Ah, yeah," the deckhand answered while he handed him a pair.
When he got a better look at them, he could hardly believe his eyes.
Missy was engaged in a sword fight with the Pirate Captain. He looked the part, more so when he swiped at her with his sword.
When she parlayed with her umbrella, he got the impression that the Captain was frustrated.
Who would have ever thought that an umbrella made for a good weapon? No one, if he hadn't known her, wouldn't have believed it either.
They were going hard at it, she charged at him and then dodged before he could counter. Then used the opening to strike him in the head.
It was fascinating to watch, but the deckhand had to interrupt, " What's going on out there?"
Giovanni handed off the binoculars. " Have a look."
His jaw dropped at the sight. " That's one hell of a woman."
Giovanni nudged him and mentioned, " She boarded with me."
The revelation amused him and offered back the binoculars. " You're a lucky man."
He headed for the door. " I'm gonna get the crew, we gotta bone to pick with that guy."
Giovanni motioned for him to carry on. " I wouldn't doubt it."
0*0*0
" Max Flame!" the Captain demanded before he charged at her again.
His sword slashed through the air and struck her umbrella. Missy used the opportunity to force his sword into the sand.
The Captain grunted while he forced it up. When he broke free, he backed away from her.
Victor was starting to get impatient, she'd hoped he would embrace those feelings.
While she waited him out, centiskorch unleashed another plume of fire. The storm chased after the flames, then sheets of rain beat down on them once more.
She was ready for this to end, but unwilling to end it any other way.
Victor grunted when the storm ceased. " Yer umbrella's as strong as me sword."
The remark made her scoff. " It's much stronger than that."
He didn't believe her. " I don't understand how, it wasn't built fer fighting."
Missy didn't want to argue about it and opened up the umbrella. Then motioned for him to come at her.
It took him a moment to decide what he was going to do, but choose to follow through. When his blade struck the shield, he was violently repled away.
Victor had been flung a considerable distance and lost his sword after the backlash.
He started to panic, the truth must have shocked him. He frantically tried to fumble up.
His efforts became more conflicted the closer she got to him. He froze when she drew her screwdriver, then lost any sense of self-preservation.
" I told you how it worked," she started.
Victor was at a loss for words and stammered, so she carried on, " Since we've arrived at the end of this battle, I'll let you in on a little secret."
Missy used the energy around her to charge up the screwdriver. Its crystal became more vibrant by the second.
She'd hardly noticed, the look of terror in his eyes was captivating. " Some of us arrived from beyond the eons."
" We always come off as Gods, but sometimes we take a different path and become a legend, or in my case, a Campion."
Shortly after she started, centiskorch shrilled. The pokemon had finally relinquished the excess energy.
After it returned to normal size, it made an easy target. Rayquaza had noticed the change and prepared to end the battle.
The dragon shrieked, then flung a blade of air at its foe. The centipede tried to skitter away but had no luck. When the attack struck, the pokemon screamed.
Only the Captain remained, the best he could do was whimper.
Missy vengefully informed him of her intention, " This one's for all of the other girls who didn't get lucky."
It was an easy shot, but she aimed for his heart out of principle. She had almost followed through with it when Ninetails leaped in front of him.
Stop it! she cried.
The pokemon had finally managed to enrage her. " Get out of my way!"
Ninetails parked in the sand and remained defiant, No, you've taken this too far. Just because he's a bad person doesn't give you the right to kill him.
He's killed many others, Missy objected. Get out of my way.
Ninetails shook her head no. That still isn't a good reason to. Killing him makes you no better than him.
Sparing him won't help any of the girls or the others he's hurt, but it will send a message to the next, she sneered.
Her reasoning fell onto depth ears, Ninetails clung to her conviction, That doesn't mean that people can't change Mistress. You've changed for the better, I don't want you to lose that.
The pokemon had gotten it wrong. The only thing that had changed was her understanding of this world.
If she had been able to leave when she arrived, none of this would have ever happened.
Still, understanding anything always started a journey. A quest for knowledge that preceded the limits of the heart.
When it came to this world, those determinations could only start when she was certain about her true feelings.
She had seen many things and was driven to learn more. Their history, their culture, she hadn't visited all of the Regions, and that was just the start of it.
Her hearts slowed, then she relented. The excess energy burst out of her screwdriver as she stood down.
Ninetails broke into tears and ran over to her. Thank you.
The fit of anger had worn her out. That was nothing she wished to share.
What she wanted was for the pokemon to understand her point of view. It was the only way they could go on together.
They still had a long path ahead of them, maybe she'd manage to convince the pokemon along the way.
Since their conflict had ended, she embraced the fox, Don't thank me for it, let's just be.
While she caressed the fox the Captain caught her eye. He was still petrified by fear, and incredibly confused. That was probably for the better.
A clap of thunder rumbled in the distance, and when she looked over spotted the ship.
Chaos and cheap tricks duked it out on every deck alongside the pokemon battles.
Giovanni and Felicity's plan must have succeeded. Judging by all the discourse, Giovanni might have taken one from her playbook.
Missy broke their embrace, and her eyes narrowed at the Captain. What should we do about him?
Ninetails cocked her head, while she pondered it over. I think we should let him be, Mistress.
Whenever Team Flare came back around they were bound to be disappointed. She had no intention of leaving before the core cooled down.
That left her with a problem, she hadn't a clue how to go about it. Her stint of Rage hadn't helped things, she'd hardly noticed the heat until now.
It wasn't a great situation, but it wasn't unfixable. The simplest way to correct it was to cool it down with the ocean.
That's when she realized why Kyorgre was its guardian. It must have stuck around.
She scoured the sea until she found the pokemon. It had managed to regain some of its bearings but was still dazed.
The only thing the pokemon did was stare at the island. Mega Rayquaza hadn't devolved either and loomed overhead.
Kyorgre wailed, it seemed like the pokemon had called out to them. When ninetails yelped back, her suspicion was confirmed.
Ninetails nodded, then looked at her. Kyogre says we need to leave so he can cool down the core.
She was all for it and strapped the vortex manipulator to her wrist. To be clear, we're leaving Captain Crook behind?
Ninetails looked over at him and frowned. It's a means to an end Mistress.
The pokemon's answer gave her hope for a bright future. I think it's a perfect ending.
The fox took her side while she delicately did some math. The ship wasn't too far away, and if her calculations were correct, they arrived close to the bridge.
At the press of a button, they were engulfed by a blinding white light. Sure enough, they had arrived near the bridge, and close to the fray.
Giovanni was there as she had expected. If you took the bridge you had the ship, it was the only way it worked.
When she stepped inside, he looked away from the binoculars. He was happy to see her and motioned for her to join him.
He gestured at the island, then asked, " What happened over there?"
" Their Captain decided to take me along with them," she stopped and realized she was drenched.
After she explained what had happened, she teleported inside the tardis and cleaned herself up.
Then changed into a fresh copy of her clothes. When she popped out, felt much better.
She'd been gone for a bit, and Felicity had returned. The girl was stunned by her sudden appearance, as were the crewmen around her.
It had puzzled her, but she didn't make a remark. She was much more concerned about something else.
" Rayquaza won't listen to me anymore, I don't get it," Felicity explained.
Since she knew what was going on, Missy decided to give her the answer, " There's a uranium core melting under the island, and they're waiting for the ship to leave so they blast that sandbar into the sea."
A hushed chatter followed the revelation. Giovanni spied her, so she winked and then silently told him that the screwdriver had told her.
A man took the helm. " What the hell are we waiting for? Let's go!"
The crew got to work, and the ship started to move. Felicity remained awestruck, but Giovanni broke her free of it.
Then explained, " Sometimes, a hero's final act isn't at the end of the story. In your case, that's for the better, because it means you'll live to see another day."
Felicity gulped, then agreed with him, " Yeah."
Then spied them and asked, " So what now?"
Giovanni looked at Missy, then said, " The matters been taken care of, so I think my partner and I will be off."
Felicity rolled her eyes. " I can only hope that you're leaving to go off and have another epic night, Mr. Sakaki."
Giovanni gawked, but Felicity playfully stayed ahead of him, " I won't keep you two. Later."
He grunted, then shrugged it off, but Missy pried into the matter, " What was that about?"
Giovanni sighed, then strolled off the bridge. " Don't worry about it."
She wasn't about to let him off that easily. " I'm anything but, I just want to know what you told her?"
He looked away and leaned onto the railing. " I told her I had one hell of a night. Then I found out the pirates had been on board for two days."
He hadn't finished the story, but it was difficult to hold back her laughter.
Giovanni noticed and rolled his eyes. " So, she thought my night was epic."
After they laughed it off, Missy added, " Sounds like it must have been."
Distant roars got them to settle down. There was no helping it, when the pokemon attacked, the wave would force the ship aground.
With things getting risky, she punched in the coordinates for the Virbank City Base. The group huddled in, at the press of a button, set off.
The velvet sky blended and then steamed around the ocean. It was short-lived, the time stream got shaky when the pokemon attacked. The colors around them were chaotic but had faded into a dark void.
Everything turned grey when they arrived at their destination. It was nice to be back, but she still had a meeting to attend.
Giovanni took a look at his phone and grimaced, " We're about to be late."
" Do we have any chance of making it?" she asked.
He grunted at the question, then set off down the hall. No matter what it took he was determined to be on time. Since she couldn't change that, she dashed after him.
Authors Notes: Hello, it's taken a while for me to update. I wanted to get these chapters up sooner than this, but life happens. I'm just glad I got it out before the new games. I'm looking forward to them.
With the holidays just around the corner, my job is going to get busy. I'm hoping to have another chapter ready by January. I hope you all are doing well out there.