Chapter 13
Walking to nowhere in particular was a nice change of events after getting lost for two weeks straight on their way to Vermilion. But now that they were actually here, the pair of Pokémon Trainers decided to walk around town and stock up on supplies before actually heading off. With Ash's new Gym Badge in hand – literally in hand – they walked down to the docks from a wide bridge. Giant cruise liners floated in the salt water as sailors walked off and on them, but Ash paid absolutely no attention to them in the far background as he held his Thunder Badge in the air as if it were the sun itself. It was only when he pulled his arm down did he notice the ships.
"Hey!" he said with interest, pinning his Badge to the inside of his jacket before the pair stopped and overlooked the ship in front of them. "Wow, oh man. I'd love to cross the ocean on a ship like this!"
"Yeah!" Brock agreed. "Just think of all the Pokémon we'd be able to see along the way." They both let out a sigh as their mind wandered, but his next words popped any thought bubbles they had. "We could never afford a cruise like that." Both of their shoulders slumped, and as if the words had drained them of all energy, they walked away with their arms hanging to the ground.
"Reality can really bum you out..." Ash murmured. They had hardly walked five steps though when a loud pop made them look up, and they saw confetti and streams shooting from a party-popper rain over them.
"Congratulations! You guys are way lucky! You can go on a super-deluxe sea cruise!" Two girls spoke, both with skin that was tanned to the point of being orange and their hair were bright orange and yellow, respectfully. Both wore school girl uniforms and bright makeup. Confused both at their appearance and the words they said, Ash and Brock blinked blankly.
"A sea cruise?" they repeated at the same time.
The two girls jumped up and got within inches of Ash, who flinched back, and the girl with the orange hair that reached out far back behind her smiled down at him. "Well, it's like, you know, we have these incredible tickets for you!" she said, ripping out a ticket featuring a boat on the front of it from the pocket of her skirt.
"Cooool!" her friend squealed in a high-pitched voice while waving her arms and leg.
"Cool, huh?" The girl holding the ticket held it out for the pair to make sure that it was an actual ticket. "These are tickets for the biggest party ever, on board the St. Anne cruise liner!"
"The famous St. Anne?" Ash questioned. He had heard of it before on T.V., as it was featured to be the first ship built to be completely unsinkable.
"Cooool!"
"The coolest ship on the sea!"
"Oh..." Brock muttered in thought.
"Everyone's going to be together and, like, have the coolest party!"
"Cooool!"
"And the party's for Pokémon Trainers only!" the girl with the bright orange hair added, lowering the ticket and zooming in close to Ash's face. Before he could do anything, her friend also got close to him.
"Cooool!"
Both of them jumped back and raised their hands in the air with their fingertips touching, forming a bridge. "Step this way! It'll be a radical party!" she continued, and her friend giggled. "All of the most radical Pokémon Trainers will be there!"
"Do you know anybody that says 'radical' anymore?" Ash whispered to Brock beside him with an eyebrow raised suspiciously, but Brock only looked on with suspicion.
"Okay, dudes! Here are your tickets!" the main girl spoke again, and both of them reached out and held out identical tickets, one of each of them.
"We'd love to go on the Pokémon Trainer cruise, but we really don't have the money to pay for it," Brock told them, and the girl reeled back.
"Oh, whoa! Like, you don't understand!"
"Cooool!"
"They're totally free!"
"Huh?" Ash muttered. Now his brows were reaching for his forehead.
"Totally free! To-ta-lly free!" she spelled out, and a smile spread across Ash's face.
"For free?!" he instinctively said, but then reality once again set in, and he frowned. "Why are you giving them away?"
"Like, we have to go out with our boyfriends, but we wanted to give our tickets to cool Pokémon fans," she answered.
"Cooool!"
"We saw you and thought you looked really cool." They once again held the tickets forward. "Just take these and have a really cool time!"
"Thanks a lot!" Ash thanked, the explanation being enough for him, and both him and Brock took the tickets from the two girls.
"No sweat!"
"Cooool!"
"Have a nice day, for sure!" And with their hands free of the tickets, they skipped away without another word, but they didn't watch them and instead looked upon the tickets in their hands with smiles on their faces.
"All right! This really is cool, isn't it?" Exchanging looks, both Ash and Brock smiled ear-to-ear. They just couldn't believe their luck! They were really going to go on an all Pokémon Trainer cruise around the world!
Admiring the ticket in his hand as he had been admiring his Badge just some time before, Ash and Brock walked down the paved port, their eyes darting between the tickets in their hand to the many, many boats that were floating atop the ocean. "I wonder which one of these ships is the St. Anne..." the black-haired boy murmured aloud. But then, at the end of the port, their eyes fell upon the largest ship docked, and they locked eyes, knowing exactly that this ship was the one they were searching for.
"Wow, it's incredible..." Brock piped. And as they walked up to the ship, it seemed to get even more bigger than ever, towering even some buildings that Ash had seen in his life.
"What an awesome ship!" Ash exclaimed as they walked up the stairs that led up to the main deck. The amount of stairs was exhausting, but knowing what awaited them at the top, neither of them complained, and getting to the top, a man wearing a blue and red staff coat was politely waiting. The man looked at them with smiles, and the pair flashed their tickets to him, and he nodded in confirmation.
"Welcome aboard the St. Anne." The chestnut-haired waiter bowed to them, and then gestured a gloved hand in front of him. "This way." Following his hand, they walked past the main deck and headed towards an open doorway leading to the interior of the ship, and was completely blown away at what was through the door.
"Wow! Look at this!" Ash exclaimed, his jaw hitting the floor. The inside was like the inside of a mansion, and just this room in and of itself was already five times bigger than his whole house all laid out flat. There were hundreds of people inside, and the chatter was hard to distinguish from their location, but they all seemed to be having a good time. Several tables dotted the room, each lined with great-looking food, and it seemed to be just a lobby to make small-talk. Overall, it was really hard to imagine all of this was on a ship, and not some giant building.
They made their way to the back of the foyer where a pair of two marble staircases mirrored each other up to the second floor, but as they passed through the crowds, they noticed that a lot of people weren't snobby rich folks, but instead seemed to be filled with Pokémon Trainers much like themselves. Sure, there were still some rich people, but a lot of the kids seemed to be Ash and Brock's age, and some of them were even letting their Pokémon sit outside of their Poké Balls.
As they walked up the stairwell, they saw the area stretched out much farther still, and lined on either side were booths with little shops set up, where people could buy merchandise from Poké Balls to T-shirts and earrings that featured different Pokémon. "It's like a giant Pokémon convention!" Ash observed with a wide smile on his face. Just then, they walked by a pair of Trainers, and each of them were holding a Charmander, comparing the two Fire-types.
"Take a look at the smooth skin on my Charmander! That shows how healthy it is!" the first boy stated, rubbing the top of his Charmander's head to prove his point.
"Look at the flame on my Charmander!" the other boy said, lifting his Charmander's behind so the tail raised up in front of it like a candle. "There's orange mixed in with red! Cool, huh? Check it out!" Before the other boy could respond, a third boy joined in, rushing up to them while holding a Squirtle in his folded arms.
"Wait, look how hard the shell is on my Squirtle! Tough, huh?" the boy laughed, and behind them, Ash gave a knowing grin.
"My Wartortle and my Charmander are much better than theirs are!" Ash said pompously, and before he had the chance to reach for their Poké Balls, the familiar sound of a Pokémon battle starting grabbed his attention.
"All right! Bring 'em on!" The call craned his neck, and he hurried up ahead as he saw two Pokémon launch themselves into the air, collide and cancel each other's attacks, then fall to the ground. It was like a beacon, and Ash didn't think twice about leaving Brock behind as he pushed through the people and made his way to the front of the crowd to get a front-row seat to the battle. The two Trainers were a rich-looking man wearing a sharp suit, a top hat and dark sunglasses over his eyes, and his opponent was a kid about Ash's age wearing a green shirt.
"All right! They're having a battle!" Ash cheered, having made it just in time for the gentleman to call out his next attack.
"Raticate, Super Fang attack now!" His Pokémon, a large rat-like Pokémon with tan and cream colored fur, closed the distance between it and its opponent – a purple starfish-like Pokémon with a red stone in the center of its body – and closed its massive teeth down on the gem. The Water Pokémon struggled in its grip, but with a quick twist of its neck, the gemstone shattered, and some pieces sprinkled to the carpeted floor as Raticate jumped away with its attack completed.
The purple Pokémon stood in place for a moment, but then let out an exhausted sigh and fell forward. A sign above the older man's head that read 'WIN' lit up in orange lights, signifying the end of the battle. Across the arena, the purple Pokémon's Trainer gasped and huddled down next to it, lifting it onto his lap and letting it lean against his body. "Are you okay, Starmie?" he asked, and then brought his forehead to touch the Mysterious Pokémon's appendages.
"Aw, don't feel too badly, young man," the gentleman stated, leaning against his cane. "It was only a practice match anyhow, and I just happened to be lucky."
"My, how gracious!" a woman in a pink and red dress said, parting from the crowd and draping her arms around the man's shoulders.
"Not at all, miss," he said, smiling at her, and then turned back to the young Trainer. "Keep working on building your Starmie's strength there." And with those last words, the Pokémon Trainer recalled Starmie back into its Poké Ball and merged with the crowd. "Well now, is anybody else brave enough to challenge my Raticate?" He opened his arm to the crowd in an inviting gesture. Excitement bubbled in Ash's chest, and he clenched his fist in excitement as he put on a mask of determination.
"I can't wait!" he exclaimed, and rushed out onto the carpet where Starmie's Trainer once stood. The gentleman and lady looked upon Ash with slight interest as he reached under his coat and fingered a Poké Ball on his belt. "How 'bout... battling my Pidgey?"
"As you wish," the gentleman agreed with a chuckle as Ash could see Brock push through the crowd finally through the corner of his eyes. A verbal agreement was all Ash needed, and the Pallet Town Trainer drew his Poké Ball and twisted his hat backwards as he reared his arm back.
"Pidgey, I choose you!" he cried, and the Poké Ball burst open, releasing the Tiny Bird Pokémon into the air. Pidgey cooed upon being released, and as it flapped in the air to steady itself, the gentleman wasted no time in his command.
"Raticate, a Jump Kick!" he ordered.
"Pidgey! Wing Attaaaack!" Ash countered. The two Pokémon shot at each other, Raticate with its leg extended while Pidgey with its wings outspread. The two attacks collided, and as Raticate landed on the ground, Pidgey swung around, and they jumped at each other again. Over and over, the Pokémon collided, sometimes ricocheting off each other, while other times passing each other as the first strike did.
Having enough of the stalemate, the smartly-dressed Trainer commanded his next attack. "Raticate, Hyper Fang attack!" Landing in front of its Trainer, Raticate got down on all fours and leapt into the air at Pidgey.
"Raticate!" it cried, and collided the front of its face into Pidgey's stomach. It was Pidgey's turn to let out a cry, and it attempted to steady itself in the air as Raticate landed in front of Ash.
"Pidgey, Gust!" Ash called, and as Pidgey was finally able to straighten itself out, it whipped around and started to flap its wings downward. Kneeling on all fours, Raticate closed its eyes and held on tightly to the carpet in an attempt to not get blown away. "Alright! Now a Whirlwind!" Pidgey cooed and flapped its wings harder, but Raticate managed to jump to the side, getting out of the way of the powerful wind blowing at it.
"Finish it, Raticate! Super Fang attack!" Raticate's Trainer ordered, using his free hand to hold onto his top hat so it didn't blow away from Pidgey's wind attacks. Pushing down on the carpet, Raticate soared at Pidgey, and the Tiny Bird Pokémon stopped waving its wings and let out a cry as it flinched back, and Raticate brought its powerful front teeth down on Pidgey's stomach and back, catching it between its jaws. Raticate landed with the helpless Flying-type in its jaws before whipping its head and throwing the Pokémon to the floor, where it lay unconscious.
"Pidgey!" Ash cried, and the same 'WIN' sign lit up above the dapper veteran Trainer.
"For a little Pokémon, it sure has some spunk," Ash's opponent complimented as Raticate scurried over to his feet, and the gentleman recalled it back into its Poké Ball. "Keep raising that there Pidgey, and I'm sure someday it will be a fine Pidgeotto." Ash was knelt down next to his Pokémon, cradling it in his arms carefully, and a frown was put on his face as the gentleman and lady walked away with their arms draped around their waists to go mingle with the rest of the party.
o 0 o
Between eating his frustrations at losing the Pokémon battle against the overconfident gentleman, and not knowing when he was going to eat such extravagantly again, Ash and Brock both were stationed at a table, mercilessly and without shame devouring the food laid out for them as the ship departed from the harbor. Between the meats of all kind, finger sandwiches spread out on plates in fancy patterns, and ending with desserts stacked higher than they would on display in a bakery.
"So, are you having yourself a good time?" The familiar voice of the gentleman brought Ash's attention away from the boned meats he was eating, and with a leg in each hand, he swallowed his food and saw the older man he had battled earlier with the Raticate approaching him with his lady friend walking beside him.
"Yes, sir; we're having a great time!" Ash responded with a nod.
"Might I ask how kids like you managed to get tickets to get on this here ship?"
"Oh, we were given the tickets by these two girls," the Pallet Town Trainer answered.
"My, that sure is odd," the woman droned in a southern accent, and gave Brock a lipstick-covered smile. Immediately, his face turned red and his hand lowered, still holding a sandwich that had one of the corners bitten off.
"She's beautiful..." Brock murmured in a daze, but Ash ignored him.
"Why is it odd?" he asked, cocking his head slightly.
"I'm sure it's nothing," the gentleman replied with a shake of his head. "It's just we've been hearing stories like that from a few other Trainers as well."
"Those girls must have some rich parents," his friend added with a chuckle.
"They were nothing compared to you," Brock complimented. The woman didn't seem to hear, however, and with smiles on their faces, they exchanged looks and the gentleman tipped the brim of his hat to Ash.
"Well, you two continue to enjoy yourself. I'm sure we'll see you around the ship." And as the woman wrapped her arms around the taller man's bicep, they walked away.
"Brock, what do you think he meant by he had heard that story a couple times before?" Ash pondered, his food still in his grip but mostly forgotten as he watched the pair disappear in the crowd of people. Brock, however, was still in his stupor and seemed to be staring out in space.
"Beautiful..."
o 0 o
They had been on course for an hour. Many times, Ash kept forgetting that he was on a ship, and it only took him exiting the luxury cruise liner and stepping out onto the main deck to remind him that he was. Practically in the middle of the ocean, there wasn't any land on both sides of them, and only sparkling sapphire ocean as far as the eye could see. But feeling the ocean breeze run its fingers through his hair, and feeling the fresh ocean mist kick up from the side of the boat and tickle his face really helped how stressed he had been the last few days. Between getting lost and losing to Surge, and finally winning against him, it really seemed like his luck was turning around.
He couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was amiss, however. The words of the rich man from earlier kept bouncing around in his head. Was it not a coincidence that Ash and Brock just happened to be walking by and those two girls just happened to have two tickets and gave them to them just because they thought they looked cool? The whole thing was slightly suspicious, and at the time, Ash was just elated that his luck was finally starting to turn around. Now, he wasn't so sure.
"There you are," Brock said, walking out from inside, and Ash perked his head up and smiled at his traveling companion.
"Yo, Brock-o," he greeted.
"I figured we could check out the artist's gallery and buy some cheap merchandise," the Pokémon Breeder suggested. "I figure I could at least try to find something to send to my little brothers and sisters at home."
"I'm sure they miss you a lot," Ash said with a smile, and together, the pair walked into the interior of the ship once again. As they pushed the doors open, their eyes locked on their destination of the marble staircase that led to the second level, but suddenly, the heavy doors that they just opened slammed shut. Ash and Brock whipped their heads around, surprised at how forcefully they shut, but the loud bang wasn't by itself, and the echoing effect seemed to be happening all over the foyer and upper levels. This was confirmed when the door leading outside from which they first entered was the last to slam shut automatically.
Just then, the wait staff, and even some of the Pokémon Trainers among them, all pulled at their clothing, and one by one, they revealed that underneath their uniforms and clothes were black uniforms with familiar-looking 'R's on the front of their chests. Their eyes were covered by shadows from the berets they wore on their heads, but their evil smirk was more than enough to try and guess which side they were on. Strangely enough, they all also wore what looked like metal-looking backpacks on their backs, with two tubes extending up and resting on their shoulders. Some of the darkly-dressed gang members jumped up on tables, while others sneered, and the Trainers around them moved away from them as though they were diseased, scared looks etching upon their faces.
Just then, all the lights in the interior of the ship turned off, but before anyone could even yell in fear, a light in the middle of the foyer turned on, and standing on top of two tables that had been stacked up on top of each other, were two Team Rocket members wearing white uniforms instead of black underneath their metallic backpacks, and Ash instantly recognized them as the pair of thieves from Mt. Moon that tried to steal the Moon Stone. Strangely enough, while the girl with the red hair looked as confident as always, the male with the shoulder-length blue hair looked depressed, his eyes closed and limbs hanging as if he were being pulled to the floor by invisible weights.
"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie called.
"To unite all peoples within our nation..." James added.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above..."
"Jessie!"
"James..." the blue-haired Rocket member sighed.
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" Jessie cried, extending her hand dramatically outward. Beside her, James sighed again and seemed to sink lower.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight..."
From the crystal chandelier above, Meowth jumped down, flipping as it landed on its back paws. "Meowth, that's right!" With their motto over, the lights all turned back on.
"Team Rocket will now take possession of your Pokémon!" Jessie yelled out confidently to the crowd that had gathered around them. The flood of Pokémon Trainers all murmured amongst themselves, thrown off by the motto, but still apprehensive about what was happening.
"What are they talking about?"
"Our Pokémon?"
"What do they mean?"
"This is ridiculous."
But suddenly, the reason for the devices on their backs became apparent, as with a flip of a switch on the straps, the tubes over the Rockets' shoulders began to suck in air. It took everything in them not to be sucked away, and they had to brace themselves as their hair and clothes were strewn about. But as they raised their arms to block their eyes from the wind, their Poké Balls were soon sucked by the machines off their belts and out of their pockets one by one. The Trainers up front who had their Pokémon stolen let out a helpless cry.
Before them, a husky Team Rocket member walked up to Brock and extended a gloved hand. "Give me your Pokémon!" he demanded, and another one snuck up behind Ash.
"Don't make me take 'em!" the skinnier of the pair threatened, but Ash was quick in his response, and as he spun around to face the darkly-dressed grunt, he reached to his belt and threw a Poké Ball out.
"Wartortle!" he cried, and in a burst of light, Wartortle appeared and fired a Water Gun at the grunt. He sputtered as his entire body was blasted off his feet and on his back, where the machine sizzled and sparked and finally electrocuted him, leaving him lying dazed. The Rocket grunt that approached Brock looked speechless, and though his eyes were hidden under his hat, Ash could tell he was darting them between Ash, his Wartortle, and his fallen comrade.
"If they're gonna try to rob our Pokémon, we might as well make it a battle!" Ash called to the other onlookers that had their attention drawn to him.
"Yeah, we can't just surrender!" a Trainer nearby agreed with a nod.
"Let's fight back!" a boy next to him wearing a Squirtle shirt added. The Pokémon Trainers around him all cheered, and before Ash knew it, they all whipped out Poké Balls and threw them through the air.
"GOO!" they all cried.
"Suck them up! Suck them up! Suck them all up!" Jessie cried, still standing on top of the double-stacked table. And while some of the thrown Poké Balls were pulled into the vacuum hoses and deposited into the box at her back, the ones that weren't unlucky enough burst open. Many flashes of light gave Ash sensory overload, and he looked around in amazement as Pokémon formed all around him, both in the air and on the ground. There were also lots of Pokémon that he recognized, but some that he didn't.
"That a way 'ta go, guys! Keep suckin' 'em up!" Meowth cheered, bouncing from foot to foot while the Rocket grunts persisted with their vacuums. "Make sure you get every last one!"
"Squirtle, go!" Ash turned his head, and saw the gentleman who had fought him with his Raticate throw out a Poké Ball, and the familiar blue turtle Pokémon appeared at his feet.
"Squirtle!" it called.
"We've got to fight them together!" Brock proclaimed, and Ash agreed instantly, looking down at his own Water-type.
"Wartortle, go!" he said, pointing at Squirtle.
"Wartor!" the Turtle Pokémon nodded, and it and Squirtle jumped together. Together, they gathered with other Squirtle and Wartortle from other Trainers, soon making a pyramid that faced the Team Rocket members and let out a Water Gun, which turned into a powerful torrent that washed away some of the grunts through the window, breaking it and sending them outside.
Not skipping a beat, Ash twisted back his hand and drew another Poké Ball from his belt. "Charmander, I choose you!"
Another flash, and Charmander appeared on the carpet with one foot in the air. "Char!" Gathering with the other Charmander that were partaking in battle, they all stacked on top of each other similar to how the Squirtle and Wartortle had. "Char! Char! Char! Chaaaarrrr!" Taking in a deep breath, each of them let out a powerful Flamethrower attack, which all combined into one mighty stream of fire, blasting through the other side of the foray and throwing any Team Rocket grunts unlucky enough to be in their range off the ship.
Not wanting to be left out, Brock retrieved his own Poké Ball from his vest and pressed the button in the middle to expand it. "Geodude, goooo!" he cried and tossed the Poké Ball out. The light from inside spiraled around in midair, eventually forming into the Rock-type Pokémon.
"Geodude!" it cried, and floated over to five other Geodude. The Rock and Ground Pokémon all interlocked their hands, forming a strong circle before spinning around and around through the air and collided into some Team Rocket members with a hard-hitting combined Tackle.
Farther along, a pyramid of Bulbasaur all let loose Vine Whip attacks, able to strike multiple Team Rocket members at one time, and Ash stared in amazement. Seeing this many Trainers working together to battle against evil was really one of the things that made being a Pokémon Trainer worth it, and the thought made Ash smile as he looked up at a mass of Butterfree fluttering together in a group and using their Stun Spore attack on some Rocket grunts, keeping them frozen in unusual positions as the golden powder swept over them.
"Hand over the Poké Balls!" a lanky Team Rocket grunt shouted smugly despite being on the losing side, and pointed the hoses over his shoulders at Ash, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. Reacting quickly, Ash figured he would oblige, and threw a Poké Ball from his belt forward.
"Pidgey, I choose you!" The red and white sphere hit the floor and opened facing the ceiling. A burst of light shot like a geyser into the air, and Pidgey came soaring out of the light and mingling with many other Pidgey and Pidgeotto. "Pidgey, group Gust!" The Pidgey and Pidgeotto flapped into the air and spun around and around, moving so fast that it looked as though they were sitting still in the air with their wings open. Eventually, a funnel of wind formed around them, and as the wind got stronger, it sucked in the Rocket grunts, and they screamed as they spun around and around in the air before the Gust tornado smashed through the ceiling, and spat them out into the air and out of mind. When the powerful winds from the Flying Pokémon stopped, the grunts had been disposed of.
"We did it! Great job!" Ash cheered, and the other Pokémon Trainers around him joined him. "I think we should all be very proud of our Pokémon. And we taught Team Rocket a lesson they'll never forget!"
Suddenly, a powerful lurch of the ship threw all off balance; the more coordinated Trainers managed to keep their footing, but some fell to the side. Panic glittered in all of their eyes, and the smiles that filled the room had suddenly disappeared as they all sat in silence while the ship straightened itself. Soon enough, another lurch, this one from the other way, tossed them around yet again. This time, the boat teetered back and forth under their feet.
"Oh, no! It's a big storm!" a girl cried, staring out the window. Everyone huddled around the windows and the holes that they had made during the battle royale, and saw the clouds above had turned an angry black.
"It'll be tough to get back with waves like this..." Brock murmured, and another girl overhead him and fear glittered in her eyes.
"What?!"
Some of the more brave Pokémon Trainers and adults went off to go find the captain, and everyone waited around to hear what they would say, all of them recalling their Pokémon one by one. Ash and Brock exchanged nervous looks, and screams erupted from the upper deck as the boat lurched again. There was a huge rush of movement, and soon a whole river of people began to pour outside.
"They're evacuating the ship!" a teen about Brock's age told the pair while running outside. "Get to the lifeboats outside!" Ash and Brock tried to hurry, trying to look out of the way for panicking people who were only looking to shove everyone out of the way.
"Brock!" Ash cried as the smaller boy was absorbed into the mass of people. He reached out, trying to grab his friend, and for a moment, he thought he lost him, but the familiar tan hand reached out and grabbed onto Ash's fingers.
"C'mon, Ash! I got you!" Brock declared, and giving a tug forward, the pair came together again, and followed the panicked masses where they finally found a red life boat that was not filled up just yet.
The whole scene happened in a matter of moments, flashing past them like someone had hit the fast-forward button on a VCR player. Ash's blood ran cold as they were lowered into the sharp waves, and they were carried to where the other full lifeboats were gathering. Everyone was muttering amongst themselves – some younger kids crying at what was going on. Thunder boomed above them as the waves threw them around. Overall, they were a little wet, but in one piece. But now, time seemed to slow down, and a giant wave collided into the St. Anne. A deafening crash sounded over the thunder, and a second wave just as big as the second knocked into the already tilting ship. Everyone watched with bated breath as the famous St. Anne and all her glory flipped over, showing its red underbelly.
"May I have your attention, please!" the captain announced with his arms held out at his side and standing up like a statue in the middle of a square. "Anyone who didn't leave the ship safely, please say 'Aye'!" Everyone stared in dumbfounded silence at the bearded captain, and he cleared his throat and put his hands on his hips. "Good! Well done. Everyone's safe, then!"
o 0 o
Inept as the captain seemed to be, he at least had the decency to radio for help before the ship had gone down. A fleet of more sturdier, smaller military ship was on them within the hour, and Ash and Brock couldn't believe their luck. After having close to a near death experience, they were being rescued at last.
"Is everyone okay?" The Officer Jenny from Vermilion City was leading the rescue operation, and much to Brock's chagrin, wasn't on the ship they were on. She still checked on everyone to make sure that there were no emergency injuries.
"The only injury I'm suffering from is love!" Brock declared as she asked him, but she simply just gave a check-mark on her clipboard and moved on, leaving the Pokémon Breeder's head hanging in shame. "Now it's a broken heart..."
Throughout the whole ordeal aboard the St. Anne, no injuries were reported, and as they landed back safely in the Vermilion Harbor after a few hours, Ash and Brock could almost kiss the ground, now soaked from the rain that was pouring down from above. The loud thunder and flashes of lightning were barely noticed by the pair as they disembarked towards the Pokémon Center for a long night of rest. At least they weren't at the bottom of the sea.
-end-
Ash:
Party:
Wartortle (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Dig, Water Gun, Bite
Pidgey (Poké Ball)
Moves: Gust, Sand-Attack, Whirlwind, Wing Attack
Bulbasaur (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip
Charmander (Poké Ball)
Moves: Flamethrower
Krabby (Poké Ball)
Moves: ViceGrip
Badges:
Boulder Badge
Cascade Badge
Thunder Badge
Brock:
Party:
Onix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig
Geodude (Poké Ball)
Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle
Zubat (Poké Ball)
Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic
