Chapter 30 Calling Manaphy
Warning: Violent Character Death in this chapter.
Okay, this one is gonna be one of the scarier chapters I think with quite a bit of blood.
For a week Phantom sailed with his two prisoners. He kept them tied up where he could see them. Both Ash and May weren't in great shape, their stomachs rumbled every so often. Phantom only let them eat twice a day if they were lucky. He took them to the bathroom nearby when they asked at least. But things would reach a low pretty soon.
May woke up the morning of the seventh day with her head on Ash's shoulder. She blushed as she saw him asleep.
"Finally awake again eh girl?" Phantom asked. "Good, cause I think we're getting close enough to the Sea Temple for me to enact my plan soon enough."
He gave a wicked grin at her that sent a shiver down her spine. Something told her he planned to do something sinister to either her or Ash, or both.
…
Far down below them, in the Temple of the Sea, its Prince felt a familiar presence.
"Mama!" Manaphy exclaimed. "And-
…
Phantom turned back his attention back to the sea ahead. Just a little more he thought.
He drifted further ahead for a few more minutes then finally put the boat in park. Its engine ceased. They now simply drifted as the waves ran them. There wasn't a sign of land in any direction. He didn't know but he remembered this location of the ocean from his old ship's built-in map. Of course, the Sea Temple could move so it could be anywhere. He'd start here though, and he'd never rest until he found it and got what belonged to him.
…
Behind him, May struggled against the duct tape holding her in place. She'd tried this several times before when Phantom was asleep, but now that they were apparently reaching their destination things were getting desperate. Ash had done the same and been kicked for it by Phantom. It was no good though, she wasn't strong enough to break the tape, and her Ash was still asleep. He'd always protected her, but right now there was nothing he could do. Pikachu was gone, back with the others and neither of them could reach their pokeballs. She took a bit of comfort in the fact that Pokemon used less energy inside their pokeballs, but she hoped they were alright in there and not too hungry.
As he parked the boat, Phantom turned around and grinned at her.
"Now I can put my plan into motion!" he said.
He walked off down the boats hallways. Ash suddenly began to stir next to May.
"May, are you okay?" Ash asked in a concerned voice as he remembered their predicament.
"Yeah… but I'm scared," May said. "Phantom says we're close to the place where the Sea Temple was before. He just went down the hallway… he said he's gonna put his plan into motion."
Ash wanted to hold her hand, but he couldn't with the bindings holding both of them in place.
"We're gonna be okay May," Ash said. "Somehow."
May blushed and smiled for a moment. But it soon faded. "I hope so."
If only her hero and crush could get himself free. Then he could get his Charizard out and fly them back to the mainland.
Ash looked around and remembering Phantom was somewhere else in the boat began to struggle again. May joined him, but of them brought their taped hands to their mouths, trying to use their teeth to get the tape off. But they'd need Phantom to be gone a long time for that too happen. He always had his Parasect put them to sleep with spore when he slept.
They managed to get the tape off a bit but soon heavy footsteps told them Phantom was coming back. He carried a bucket filled with something red and it smelled like-blood! May had only a moment to shiver before Phantom threw the contents at her, getting her orange shirt stained red, as well as some on her face. A bit hit Ash as well.
"Hey what are you doing?" Ash yelled angrily.
"I'm gonna take little May outside and we're gonna go fishing for Sharpedo!" Phantom stated. "They'll be attracted to the blood from the Remoraid guts I just put all over you!"
May was filled to the brim with both disgust and fear. She knew Remoraid and other fish Pokemon were sometimes hunted for food. She'd eaten them Remoraid salmon on a few occasions herself. But being covered in them made her feel disgusted. The fear came from the thought of being fed to hungry Sharpedo. She remembered encountering them before, and had been lucky to only have her swimsuit torn.
Seeing her frightened expression, Phantom laughed. "Don't worry girl! I'm not gonna feed you to those Pokemon… maybe. I need you both alive to lure Manaphy to me. I just need you to be scared!"
He seized her by the collar and carried her off outside to the deck as she screamed. Ash struggled against his bonds. Phantom put May in a fishing net attached to a crane on the boat he'd stolen. He then dumped the contents of the bucket into the sea. Down below, pokemon smelled the blood.
May screamed again as she was lowered into the sea, Phantom laughed at the sight, taking satisfaction in tormenting her. He worked the controls of the fishing net and pulled her back up. May coughed as she emerged from the water and was reeled back in like a fishing lure.
Soon the fins appeared and four Sharpedo appeared.
"Ah!" May screamed. "Ash! Somebody help!"
Phantom laughed. "There are only two types of men in this world… oh wait you're a woman so you don't count for that! You woman are all the same, weak! Only good to cook clean and bare children!"
May gritted her teeth, she struggled against her bonds desperately. To her surprise the tape came off. The water had weakened its stickiness. But her victory was short lived as a Sharpedo leapt up from the water at her and narrowly missed the net.
"I wouldn't do anything like call a Pokemon to free you!" Phantom said. "You make one wrong move I'll send you back down there!"
May grimaced. She didn't have any options right now. If only she had an opportunity of some sort.
"Mana! Mana!" a familiar voice said.
May felt her heart leapt at the voice.
"Manaphy!" she exclaimed.
The little blue water Pokemon splashed through the water, he looked up at May in concern.
"Mama!"
Phantom laughed again. "Finally I have you again Manaphy!"
"Bad man!" Manaphy said.
"That's right, Bad Man!"
"Let Mama go!"
"I'd be happy too! But only if you give me the power of the Sea Crown!"
"Mana?"
"Give it to me! Or I'll feed your 'Mama' to those Sharpedo!"
…
Ash heard May scream outside and doubled his efforts. He had to save her! He gripped the tape with his teeth once again and pulled with his hands. He had to save his friend, the girl that had been his student, whom he'd helped grow into a near Top Coordinator. He remembered all those times they'd shared together like splitting the Terracotta ribbon without even having to say a word about it… they'd just known. Her catching Pokemon like her Wurmple, Skitty, Bulbasaur. How he'd encouraged her and helped her through tough spots, and when she failed the first time he felt bad for not teaching her to battle properly.
He wasn't gonna fail her this time!
Come on! He thought. Gotta break free!"
Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Ash's arms glowed blue and his strength increased tenfold. He ripped the tape holding his arms apart, that hurt though. He gritted his teeth in pain then looked at his arms which glowed for an instant longer. It had been brief but he recognized this power. Aura. He'd used it once before at the Tree of Beginning. But it had been so long he'd thought maybe that had just been a one-time thing.
Whatever the case, now was not the time to dwell on that. He had to help May! Ash looked down at his legs which were still bound by a long piece of tape. He took hold of the end with his now free hand and began tearing away at it.
Faster! Faster! He told himself, focusing into his arms, which suddenly glowed again and moved at an incredible speed. The tape unrolled bit by bit until it finally cape off. Ash was free! He got up and reached for a pokeball on his belt. He then went out on deck where Phantom worked the controls for the fishing net he had put May in. Her eyes widened as she saw him.
"Ash!"
"What?" Phantom exclaimed in surprise.
"Sceptile get May to safety!" Ash said throwing his Pokeball.
His Hoenn grass starter emerged from its ball and with a quick leaf blade cut the net before grabbing hold of it and getting it back on the boat. The net came undone and May was free.
"Are you okay May?" Ash asked.
"Yes!" she said as she held back a sob and he helped her to her feet.
"You won't be for long!" Phantom shouted as he charged at them, not even bothering to call upon a Pokemon of his own.
Ash was seized by the throat and pushed against the wall of the boat. May screamed before turning angry.
"Hey leave him alone!" May said.
And he kicked the Pirate from behind… straight in the balls! Phantom groaned lowly in pain and released Ash. The raven haired trainer seized on the opportunity to punch the pirate in the face with all his strength. The blow gave the old man a bloody nose.
"Ah! Why you little brats! I'm gonna…"
Whatever he planned to do them now was drowned out as Sceptile grabbed hold of him and threw him into the ocean… where the Sharpedo were waiting hungrily.
They swam towards him, smelling the blood from his nose. He screamed, bubbled pouring out of his mouth. He tried to swim upwards back to the boat but was nowhere near fast enough. The mouths of the shark pokemon opened and he screamed as they tore at him.
Ash held May who whimpered. Suddenly Manaphy leaped onto the deck, looking at the human girl he'd imprinted on over a year ago.
"Its over for Phantom then," Ash stated.
"I'm glad he won't be after us anymore. But that was a violent end," May said. "Glad it was him and not me though."
"Mama alright?" Manaphy asked.
"Yes, I'm fine Manaphy," May said as she looked down at the water pokemon and picked him.
Manaphy then turned to Ash. "Papa alright?"
Ash and May's eyes both widened.
Well having Ash use aura to escape wasn't my original plan but after a recent review I got I thought it might make a good addition. Ash could use it in the eighth movie after all. And I read a pearlshipping fanfic that had him descended from Sir Aaron, I had that suspicion myself when I was in Junior High 15 years ago. He even looks a bit like Sir Aaron. Well, that was violent ending for Phantom. He dug his own grave there. Now its just Giovanni, but what has he got up his sleeve? What will happen between Ash, May, and Manaphy now?