Part V - The Chest and the Attack
Ms. Zoroark came running as soon as she heard the kids screaming. When she arrived in the room she briefly recoiled at the sight of Billy Bones unmoving on the floor, but quickly regained herself and hefted him into his bed to try and examine him.
"Is he well, Ms. Zoroark?" Jim asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
Ms. Zoroark shook her head. "He's dead," she said solemnly, blinking a few times as though she had something in her eyes.
Ralph recoiled in horror while Zoey fought through tears to voice a question.
"Is he slain by another stroke?" she asked.
"I do not believe so," Ms. Zoroark responded as she examined the late Billy Bones' chest. She then opened his closed hand that still held the ace of spades he had been given. "Look closely here, but don't touch," she instructed.
The kids looked and saw that the pink ink had been smeared somewhat in Billy Bones' grip and now covered part of his hand. It also seemed to be somewhat thick for ink.
"What ink is that?" Jim asked.
"A kind laced with a Poison Powder, I suspect," Ms. Zoroark said as she draped a blanket over the deceased Blastoise.
"But Poison Powder, like other attack moves, should not kill, no?" Ralph asked.
"In more normal circumstances," Ms. Zoroark explained. "But Billy Bones was already weakened in body by that vicious stroke; we Pokémon are resilient, but we are neither limitless nor invincible. Attacks such as Poison Powder can be deadly to such weakened Pokémon; especially when marred by unrelated illness or injury."
Zoey and Ralph nodded. Jim did as well. Even though he was not who that explanation was intended for, it was still important he heard it. Pokémon dying was not unheard of by any means, but it still felt jarring when it did happen since they so often lived longer than humans, fully evolved Pokémon like Billy Bones in particular.
The inn's family turned to the covered figure of the late Billy Bones for a few more silent moments before Ms. Zoroark rounded on the sea chest.
"Billy shall be buried later," she said. "His enemies are still fast approaching and we must be ready. Please empty his sea chest and find the map while I continue preparing the building."
The kids quietly nodded as Ms. Zoroark exited. Doing their best to not look at the covered up corpse that lay in the bed behind them they opened the chest fully.
"What in the Banished One's realm?" Jim could not stop himself from asking when he saw the contents.
The chest was mostly full of padlocks not unlike the one the late Billy Bones had broken off to open it.
"Well, a replacement would be needed every time he opened the chest," Ralph observed. "I suppose the mystery of its weight is no more."
"Could I, perhaps, sell them?" Zoey questioned.
"Ponder such a question later," Jim said. "Mr. Bones' map lies in here somewhere, help me to find it."
Zoey turned into Jim and began digging through the padlocks for other contents, most of which were buried underneath them. Billy Bones must not have needed or cared to keep much given how comparatively little there was beyond the padlocks. Among the odd seashell, small bags of coins and other strange trinkets there was a very fancy pocket watch that read 8:11 when it was found; a shovel, likely for digging up Flint's treasure when he went back for it; an oddly fancy tricorn hat, though what he would have worn it for was a question for the ages; a figurine of some creature that looked like an alabaster Rapidash with wings, though the mane and tail were a blue and green colour instead of pink; a model of something with a disc-shaped "head" on top of a body that had two long cylinders mounted towards its end, with the disc reading USS Enterprise NCC-1701 written on the front; and a book bearing the title of Pocket Monsters: The Animation Vol. 3. Zoey opened the book and read some of its contents while Jim continued digging.
"What's a 'gym leader?'" she asked.
Jim did not hear her, he had just found something. At the very bottom of the chest, inside a body pillow cover with an image of a seductive looking Lopunny on it, was a rolled-up piece of oilcloth. A large piece of paper of some sort seemed to be rolled up inside the oilcloth and was poking out.
"Zoey, Ralph," Jim said as he carefully grabbed the item in question and took it out of the chest. Once it was out, Jim unrolled the oilcloth. Stitched to the inside was indeed a rather detailed map of an island drawn upon paper. Among several symbols the kids did not understand, a date of 1745, and a set of latitude and longitude coordinates was a bright red "X" that was connected by a line to the words "bulk of treasure here."
"I think this is our treasure map," Jim said in awe. "And this date claims it was authored only a few years ago."
Zoey transformed back into herself and hopped upon Jim's head to get a better look at it. She gained a very large smile. "We shall own more wealth than the king himself!" she squeed.
Ralph could have sworn he saw money symbols of some sort appear in Zoey's eyes as she said that. "A fine discovery and a fair prospect, but a horde of pirates prowls for that map still, and it's a matter of hours before they arrive!" he cried. The pocket watch they found now read 8:39.
Suddenly reminded that they were on the clock the kids quickly dashed out of the room to find Ms. Zoroark. She was downstairs boarding up a window in the dining area.
"Mother, mother!" Zoey chirped. "We have the Captain's map!"
"Well done, children," Ms. Zoroark congratulated. "Now we must defend it, and the inn."
"Shall one of us go and seek help from Hulbury?" Ralph asked. "Mr. Bones said to summon aid should he be given the Ace of Spades."
"Indeed, we should," Ms. Zoroark agreed. "Zoey, you shall go."
Zoey gave her mother a gesture resembling a solute while Ralph blanched.
"Can-can I not go instead, Ms. Zoroark?" Ralph asked.
"By taking the form of a flying Pokémon, Zoey shall arrive to town sooner," Ms. Zoroark explained.
Ralph gulped, but could not question the logic. He could only run so fast, and if Billy Bones' enemies were arriving at ten o'clock he might not make it to Hulbury and back fast enough.
"I'll depart upon the refilling and sealing of the Captain's chest," Zoey said.
"Why?" Jim questioned. "We have the map."
"I believe the Captain would not wish his other belongings to fall into his enemies' hands and paws," Zoey explained. "Do you not? Besides, if they believe the map remains in the chest they won't search you for it."
Jim thought about Zoey's logic for a minute before nodding in understanding.
Ms. Zoroark looked at the clock. 8:46. "If you must, then make haste with it," she said.
As instructed, the kids hurried to put everything they had pulled out back into the chest. One padlock was left out to lock the chest closed. With that done, Zoey jumped to the window sill of the late Billy Bones' room and transformed into a Corvisquire.
"Zoey, wait!" Jim cried.
"Have you a need, Jim?"
He moved to hand her the map, "Take the map; it shall be farther from the pirates reach with you."
She shook her head. "You keep it," she said. "I've no desire to risk dropping it in flight considering the speed at which I must travel."
Jim looked unconvinced. Zoey gave him a confident smile.
"You need not worry, Jim," she assured. "The map is in good hands with you."
With that bit of encouragement, Zoey turned and took off out the window before turning south in the direction of Hulbury.
Jim and Ralph turned to look at the clock and gulped. 9:09.
"I pray you, hurry Zoey," Ralph murmured.
"Jim, prithee come here!" Ms. Zoroark called.
Jim found Ms. Zoroark in his room working with some strong string. "Yes, Ms. Zoroark?" he asked.
"Come hither," she instructed. "And hand to me the map."
"What is it?" Jim asked, feeling worried as he did as instructed.
"I intend to sew the map to the inside of your coat so that we shan't drop it by mistake," Ms. Zoroark said. "Nor shall we appear to be carrying it on our persons."
Jim nodded as Ms. Zoroark used her claws to punch holes in the oilcloth surrounding the map before stringing it through and sewing into his favorite coat. It was a scarlet military tailed coat that Jim had been given as a birthday present by the local professor. Once the sewing was complete Jim adorned the coat with Ms. Zoroark's assistance.
"The tenth hour draws near!" Ralph cried in a panic. "The pirates approach!"
Ms. Zoroark gained a dark expression and looked out the window to Jim's room. Sure enough, there was a large number of people and probably Pokémon coming down the roadway. They seemed to have small torches in their hands based on the tiny lights it looked like they were carrying. Amidst the sound of the rabble was the distinct tapping of Blind Pew's cane.
"There it is!" a male voice cried.
The barking of familiar Houndoom could be heard speaking next.
"What says he?"
"He asked Pew of his faith in the poison ink," a female voice said.
"Of course I have faith in it!" a very familiar Kalos accented voice cried out. "Billy Bones should be bed-ridden by the Poison Powder by now! The mixture was a product of my own two hands!"
"That's what Black Shuck fears, I think," another male voice said.
"What do you imply!?" Blind Pew accused, sounding insulted.
As the invaders began bickering outside, Ms. Zoroark turned Jim to face her. "Jim," she said.
"Yes, Ms. Zoroark?"
"Harken to my words, if you are gifted a chance to escape the inn and retreat to Hulbury you take it," Ms. Zoroark instructed with a deadly serious voice. "Ralph as well, do you understand?"
Jim looked back to Ms. Zoroark in concern. "But what of you?"
"As your guardian, your protection comes before my own," Ms. Zoroark continued before looking down mournfully. "I know I'm not your true mother, but her last request was that I took you as my responsibility. Please do as I say."
Jim looked into his guardian's eyes for a moment and nodded. "Of course," he replied. He then gave the Illusion Fox Pokémon a hug that was instantly returned.
"I pray you, take care," Jim asked.
Ms. Zoroark nodded then looked back out the window towards the small mob of invaders. The pirates had finally stopped bickering and had turned their attention back to the inn.
There was a loud knock on the boards that had replaced the once again broken door.
"Open the door innkeepers!" Blind Pew cried out. "We would have final words with Billy Bones!" He waited for a few minutes before banging on the boards again. "I said to open the door!"
"That is no door, Pew; it's a barricade of boards," a female voice amongst the invaders said.
"Oh," Pew muttered. "Then down with this barricade!"
"Aye, aye, boss!" a male voice cried. "Come shipmates!"
There was a cry of protest in Pokémon speak from a Garchomp.
"Because you 'ave a hard head, matey," a male voice responded.
"Make ready," Pew called. "CHARGE!"
There was the sound of many footfalls and then something smashing into the boards replacing the front door.
"Reset yourselves and try again you filthy landlubbers!" Pew cried out.
Another charge came, followed by another impact against the boards. The barricade would not hold forever.
Ralph had tried to flee to the cellar for protection while the pirates argued, but now that they were beating down the barricade he was hiding in a currently empty cupboard under the kitchen island. This allowed him to quite clearly hear the boards weaken with every strike. "Zoey, what delays you?" he wondered.
The Zorua turned Corvisquire in question had flown to Hulbury as fast as she could. As Billy Bones had instructed she went straight for Dr. Joy's business, a modest two-story converted building not far from the docks and the seashore. She flew towards a front window through which she could see the doctor in question attending to a shaggy, grayish-brown cat-like Pokémon.
"What in-!?" Dr. Joy cried as what looked to her like an ornery Corvisquire shattered through her window. "What is the meaning of this!?"
Zoey turned back into herself. "Dr. Joy!" she cried. "There's danger!"
"Zoey?" Dr. Joy asked, her anger receding upon seeing who it was. "What danger?"
"The Captain's dead!" Zoey explained. "His vengeful shipmates poisoned him, and now they march on the inn for his map if they haven't arrived already!"
"His what?" Dr. Joy questioned.
"His map to Captain Flint's treasure horde! He wished take us to it and share, and now his former shipmates come for it! All who obstruct their path shall be burned and slain!"
Dr. Joy nodded. She sent the Meowth on its way before grabbing her coat and hat. "Come, Zoey," she said, gesturing for the Zorua to hop on her shoulder. "We must summon the constable and her town guards."
Zoey jumped on the doctor's shoulder as she hurried out the broken window instead of bothering with the door. "I apologize greatly for that," Zoey said regretfully as she looked back at it.
"Fret not over such minor damage," Dr. Joy reassured. "A window is easily replaced compared to an inn."
The Town Watch's main building was located in the centre of town. With the hour as late as it was, most people had already gone to where they would be spending the night; be that their homes, their lovers' homes, or any of the bars. The lack of foot traffic made the trip to the Town Watch building much quicker. It was a very clean and polished two-story building with the Watch coat-of-arms displayed over the door. At the back of the building, a tall bell tower stretched above the small city's low skyline. A blue banner flew underneath the flag of Galar. When they arrived, they did use the door this time.
"Constable Jenny!" Dr. Joy cried.
"Dr. Joy, what is it?" the head of the Town Watch asked as she sat filling out some form at her desk.
"Pirates!" Zoey cut in. "They're coming for something at the Admiral Benbow Inn!"
Constable Jenny looked to a fresh wanted poster on the wall. "Pirate's such as the Houndoom 'Black Shuck?'" she asked.
"Yes, and a David Pew," Zoey added.
Constable Jenny wasted no more time upon hearing that name. She discarded the paper she was writing and got up from her desk. "Wait outside, we'll join you shortly!" she said before she ran to the back of the building. "Raise the alarm!" she cried as she went. "We have pirates afoot!"
As Dr. Joy and Zoey went outside to wait, a bell began ringing from the tower atop the back of the Town Watch building. The few citizens still outside at this hour turned to see the blue flag being lowered from its place next to Galar's regional banner. A yellow flag soon rose to replace it. The citizens still outside began heading inside once they saw the yellow flag while Dr. Joy and Zoey waited for the Constable.
They did not have to wait very long. The thundering of hooves on the ground announced her approach, along with that of her fellow town guards. All of whom were dressed in blue tailcoats similar to the scarlet one Jim owned with white crossbelts held in place by a badge bearing their Town Guards coat-of-arms on its face. They were riding white unicorn Pokémon with long curly manes and tails of cyan and blue, though one of them lacked a rider itself.
"Climb on, with haste!" Constable Jenny ordered.
Dr. Joy did so and the party began riding out north towards the Admiral Benbow Inn.
"We must hurry," Zoey implored. "Blind Pew's message said he and his pirates would return at ten o'clock."
"Worry not, little Zoey," Constable Jenny assured. "I shan't miss this opportunity to see the pirate David Pew rotting in the gaol. All the speed you can muster, Rapidash!"
The Rapidash all collectively let out an affirmative whinny and picked up the pace towards the besieged inn.
"Ram it again you sorry excuse for sea scum!" Pew cried to his pirates.
This time, the sound that followed the cacophony of footfalls was the sound that the inn's three defenders dreaded.
CRUNCH!
"All of you in!" Blind Pew cried. "Billy Bones, it is time to pay your dues!"
Ralph could hear the invaders swarm through the dining area, knocking over tables and chairs as they went. He briefly peeked out from under the kitchen island and saw Blind Pew run face-first into a wall and clutch his nose. Then two of the pirates entered the kitchen proper; a woman in similar but decidedly less ragged clothing than her leader and a bipedal purple and yellow salamander-like Pokémon with an electric frill extending from its nose over its head and down its neck. The two began looking through the cupboards where the food was stored.
The woman hummed in approval. "No expense is spared here in matters of vittles," she said as she grabbed a loaf of sourdough bread from the cupboard and took a bite out of it.
"Agreed," the Toxtricity replied in human speech. "Perhaps we should help ourselves," he added before grabbing one of Ms. Zoroark's shopping bags and carefully filling it with fruits.
There was the barking of a Houndoom from the dining area.
"We're only getting ourselves a bit of dinner, Black Shuck," the Toxtricity replied. "You shan't so much need two more bodies!"
Black Shuck snarled in annoyance but said nothing more. Ralph heard the rest of the invaders begin clamoring up the stairs to the rooms, except for the two still looting the kitchen and occasionally eating what they stole.
Don't move, Ralph thought to himself. Zoey, where are you!?
Upstairs the invaders began their search of the rooms. Jim and Ms. Zoroark opened the door to Jim's room slightly to watch as they heard them smash down a few doors and find nothing, with Pew ordering them to keep searching. It also gave them a good look at the nearly burned out candles they were carrying for light. Eventually, they found the room they were looking for.
"Ah-ha!" one of the pirate men cried. "Here's the traitor, sound asleep! And here's his sea chest!"
The pirates quieted down at the announcement aside from some happy yet sinister chuckling, until the same man who found Billy Bones let out a sudden high pitched shriek more befitting of a frightened child.
"What!?" Blind Pew cried in frustration. "Do you wish to deafen me as well?"
"H-h-he… he..." the pirate started.
"Out with it!" Blind Pew ordered.
"He's dead!"
There was another silence as all of the pirates turned to Blind Pew.
"'It shan't kill him, only weaken him,' he said," another human pirate mocked, mimicking Pew's Kalos accent.
"'I need no help to mix it,' he said," a third human pirate added.
"First he returns with a bunch of nearly burned out candles in the stead of blasting sticks," a male maroon and black bipedal crocodile Pokémon continued. "Then he makes a deadly poison instead of a debilitating one!"
"A whole routine was planned and ready for when his back was against the wall," a female white cat/mongoose Pokémon growled in frustration. "And you render all the rehearsing for naught by poisoning him dead!"
"So we cannot gloat about our victory!" Blind Pew argued. "Our business here is disconnected from it anyway; open the chest and get the map!"
"It's locked, sir," one of the human pirates noted.
"Then search Billy and the room around him!" Blind Pew ordered. "The key must be here!"
Back in Jim's room, he snickered despite the situation.
"What amuses you, Jim?" Ms. Zoroark asked.
"Billy Bones' chest has no key," Jim explained. "He opened it by using Brick Break on the padlock, and replacing it with one of the several stored within."
Ms. Zoroark chuckled as well. "I had thought Zoey took the key with her to Hulbury."
Of course, this meant that the pirates were less than amused when no key could be found on Billy Bones or in the room around him.
"There ain't no bloody key here!" a human pirate growled in frustration.
"Every lock has a key!" another argued. "It must be here somewhere!"
Black Shuck barked out something. There was the sound of something metal being smashed and the chest opening.
"Why is it full of padlocks!?" someone asked.
"Ignore the padlocks!" Pew cried. "Find the map!"
Whoever was digging for the map was being much more refined about it than the kids had been. But their search was still an exercise in frustration.
"It isn't here, sir," one of the pirates admitted.
"Then where is it?" the Zangoose questioned as someone began putting the contents back into the chest. "No map simply gets up and leaves on its own."
"The innkeepers!" Blind Pew cried. "They must have hidden it, or perhaps carry it themselves! Disperse and tear this inn asunder until you find that map, and bring me the innkeepers! I want them alive!"
Black Shuck barked questioningly.
"So that we may gloat to them!" Blind Pew answered, having somehow understood the Houndoom's question of "why." "Now move yourselves!"
The pirates split up. One group returned downstairs with Black Shuck at the front, while Blind Pew continued to lead the rest through the second floor and the rooms.
"Jim," Ms. Zoroark said. "Stay behind me, we shall retreat to my room. It holds a fire exit you can use to escape."
Jim nodded. "What of you?"
"I shall find Ralph and get him out," Ms. Zoroark replied. "Now let us go!"
Ms. Zoroark kicked down the door to Jim's room and rushed out with Jim close and behind her. Sure enough, some of the pirates were a short way down the hall and looking right at them.
"There they are!" the Krookodile pirate cried.
The two quickly dashed into Ms. Zoroark's bedroom at the other end of the hallway and locked the door. The Illusion Fox hurried over to a bookshelf and began pushing it, slowly revealing an open doorway in the wall. It did not take long for the pirates to start banging on the door.
"Well then, innkeepers!" the voice of the Zangoose cried from the other side. "We see Billy Bones has rewarded your loyalty and lodging with his greatest possession. Now surrender it to us, else we shall take it from your lifeless hides over his!"
Ms. Zoroark snarled and pushed the bookshelf out of the way enough for Jim to get through.
"Jim, go," Ms. Zoroark said.
Jim hesitated for a moment but did as he was asked and bolted through the doorway. He could not have done it sooner as a blam! signaled the lock on the door being blasted away. The door swung open from the blast to reveal the pirates on the other side with one of the humans among them holding a smoking blunderbuss. They all looked past Ms. Zoroark to see that Jim had vanished.
"Get the boy!" the human pirate with the gun cried.
His attempt to move forward was halted by Ms. Zoroark giving a loud snarl and generating a ball of ghostly black and purple energy in her forepaws.
"Get out of my inn!" she roared as she launched the Shadow Ball.
The Ghost-type Shadow Ball bowled through several of the pirates, knocking them to the floor before dissipating harmlessly upon hitting the Normal-type Zangoose at the back of the group. She gave a snarl of her own before the large claws on her left paw began glowing and crackling with energy.
"Face Crush Claw!" she growled as she charged Ms. Zoroark.
Ms. Zoroark easily dodged the Zangoose's first slash at her left, as well as the second at her right. However that second slash of Crush Claw had forced her into the bookshelf she had just finished moving, and unable to dodge to her right to avoid an attack on that side again. So when the third Crush Claw came in on the right a second time it slashed Ms. Zoroark into the bookshelf.
"Up and through the passage, mateys!" the Zangoose ordered.
The pirates finished righting themselves and charged for the fire exit.
A sudden jet of fire blocked them off, as well as set the part of the room ablaze.
"I ordered you all out of my inn!" Ms. Zoroark roared again and with greater volume as she charged the pirates.
The Illusion Fox grabbed the human pirate with the gun and tossed him into his fellows. As they struggled to get off each other another Shadow Ball impacted and blasted them back down the hallway, with some of them falling through the hole in the floor Billy Bones had made earlier during his encounter with Pew.
This, unfortunately, left an opening for the Zangoose to attack again; she clenched her digits into a fist which glowed a bright white and punched Ms. Zoroark through a wall into another room. The Zangoose followed her through the hole as the fire spread through the room behind them, with the creaking wood a standout signal that the structure was weakening.
"That Brick Break hurt greatly didn't it?" the Zangoose taunted. She advanced closer to the downed Zoroark. "Now be helpful, and tell me where the human brat has taken our map."
Ms. Zoroark mumbled something.
"Do speak up, your weakened pleas can hardly be heard," the Zangoose sneered cheekily.
"For… the third… time," Ms. Zoroark snarled. "GET OUT OF MY INN!"
Ms. Zoroark's third defiant roar was accompanied by her claws being clenched into a fist and glowing a light purple in a Payback attack. It was her turn to punch her opponent through a wall and into the next room. Ms. Zoroark then got back on her feet and advanced with flames dancing in her mouth. The Zangoose, despite being floored by the Payback, responded by generating a light blue glowing ball of energy at her mouth that seemed to lower the room temperature around it
"Flamethrower!" Ms. Zoroark cried as she blasted a jet of fire at the pirate Pokémon.
"Ice Beam!" the Zangoose yelled as intertwined light blue beams of freezing cold energy shot from the ball at her mouth.
The two attacks collided and seemed evenly matched.
Ralph was still trapped. All he could do was watch through the slim gap between the cupboard doors as the pirate woman and the Toxtricity continued to loot the kitchen. Since the thieves were relatively quiet about their business while the rest of the crew was decidedly not, he could still hear what was happening upstairs. He heard the pirates ransacking the rooms; he heard them find Billy Bones' body; he heard them try and fail to find the map, and he heard Pew order them to split up to find "the innkeepers."
Then he heard some of the pirates come back downstairs, with what sounded like a familiar Houndoom as their leader.
Ralph clamped his forepaws over his mouth as Black Shuck began to bark in irritation. "[The damn'd innkeepers have made off with Bones' map! Have either of yew seen 'em or it?]"
"I haven't laid eyes upon either," the Toxtricity replied. "I guarantee Georgia has not seen them herself, Georgia?"
"I have seen nothing but fine food," Georgia replied as she continued to fill her second bag.
Black Shuck growled in frustration. "[How surprising that yew 'aven't! Distracted, as yew are, with raiding their stocks of vittles instead of gettin' what we came for!]"
"You mock us now," the Toxtricity replied. "But there shall be nothing but praise for this when we sail for that treasure and eat like kings there and back again."
"[There shan't be any sailing to any treasure to without that map!]" a Pokémon that looked like the child of a dragon and a shark added.
Given how loud he was the Garchomp seemed the closest to the island. In response, Ralph unconsciously tried back away from the cupboard doors he had been relatively close to otherwise.
"Well, what matter of human or Pokémon do we search for?" the Toxtricity asked.
"[A boy of about fourteen years, says Pew. And a Zorua, Zoroark, and a Rattata should my nose not deceive me,]" Black Shuck said.
"There they are!" a voice cried upstairs.
"Well, some of them have been uncovered, it seems," Georgia observed.
"[Aye,]" the Garchomp agreed. "[Now if I were of a smaller stature, had fled down here, and sought somewhere to hide…]" he trailed off.
Ralph heard the warning whoosh of air and scampered to one end of the cupboard's interior mere moments before the island was cleaved in two by a Dragon Tail attack. With the island very open and himself exposed, Ralph found he was now staring into the faces of Black Shuck, the Garchomp, and a few other Pokémon and human pirates. A sight punctuated by the sound of a gun going off upstairs.
"[Hello there, matey,]" the Garchomp said in a deceptively friendly voice.
Black Shuck was decidedly less amicable in tone. "[The map!]" he angrily barked. "[Where'd you thieving inn scum take it!?]"
Beyond the pirates was the door to the cellar and Ralph's answer was to bolt for it, as had been his plan in the first place. His small size made it quite easy to slip through the bigger burly pirates and to his destination. As he dashed through the doorways and down the stairs, he heard angry shouts behind him.
"[Don't allow him to flee!]" Black Shuck barked.
Ralph quickly tried to find a new hiding spot, though that was easier said than done. The cellar was only used for storing barrels, most of them filled with alcoholic beverages, though a few contained black powder to start the stove with if the wood would not light. In the centre was a large table with tools resting on it for opening the barrels that rested on shelves lining each wall, apart from the one with the stairway.
The sound of bodies tumbling down the stairs behind him came to Ralph's ears and he bolted for the far side of the cellar. It did not take long for the pirates to right themselves and chase after Ralph. They rounded the table and cornered him from both directions, with Black Shuck jumping upon the table and giving Ralph a deathly glare from above.
"[The map!]" he barked again. "[Where is it!?]"
"I don't have it!" Ralph squeaked in panic.
"[Then who does!?]" Black Shuck demanded as flames began to dance in his mouth. "[Answer me or die!]"
With that, he blasted a Flamethrower at Ralph who instinctively jumped onto one of the higher shelves behind him. And for some reason, it was only now that the pirates realized just where they were.
"[Watch your flames, Shuck!]" the Garchomp railed. "[There's liquor stored down here! You could send us all to the Hall of Origin!]"
There was then an explosion from somewhere else in the inn.
"What was that?" a human pirate asked.
"[Forget that,]" the Garchomp said as his nostrils twitched. "[What causes that smell?]"
Black Shuck's nose twitched as he picked up the smell too. "[It seems to smell of burnin' wood and... sulphur?]" he said. Then he looked down at the floor near where Ralph had been. The embers from his flamethrower had reached the barrels on the bottom shelf, and he gained a horrified expression Ralph thought he was not capable of when he saw its label.
"[It's gunpowder!]" Black Shuck screamed in horror. "[Out!]"
With Ralph and the map forgotten, the pirates all scrambled for the stairway, only for their mad rush to save themselves to lead to them tripping over each other trying to climb out. Ralph on the other hand easily forwent his fear of the pirates to jump down to the table and then over the pirates to scurry up the stairs and out of the cellar himself. Waiting in the kitchen were the Toxtricity and the human pirate Georgia, still looting the kitchen of what they could store in their bags.
"Well, hello there," Georgia smiled somewhat wickedly, "did you slip away from the grip Black Shuck?"
The Toxtricity chuckled. "What could possibly have been so much more important than the map that he let you go?" he asked.
Ralph didn't respond as the two pirates seemed to pick up the smell of burning wood and sulphur coming from the cellar. The silence meant Black Shuck speaking in human speech was quite audible.
"Uh oh."
The Admiral Benbow Inn was coming into view for the Hulbury Town Guard. It was only a matter of minutes before they arrived. They could not arrive sooner; smoke was billowing out from some of the second-floor windows as the light of fire danced within.
"My mother's room is aflame!" Zoey cried out in alarm.
"We're almost there, ready yourselves!" Constable Jenny cried to her deputies.
Boom!
The windows on the second floor were blasted to pieces as flames burst out.
"MOTHER!" Zoey screamed.
"Agility, Rapidash!" Constable Jenny ordered.
Every Rapidash in the entourage picked up speed and continued towards the burning inn.
BOOM!
There was another explosion, this one much more powerful and fiery than the last from what looked like the first floor. The Rapidash even briefly halted from the sound and shockwave.
Zoey screamed in horror again as Dr. Joy held her close.
"Forward!" Constable Jenny ordered, seemingly unfazed by the destruction. "Find and save the Innkeepers, and take any pirate scum you find dead or alive!"
The Rapidash whinnied in anger while the deputies let out a war cry at the scene before them and charged.
Jim had just gotten down the fire escape to the backside of the inn when the first explosion blasted through the night. Once he regained himself he looked up to see the silhouettes of Ms. Zoroark and that pirate Zangoose battling paw to claw again. He also heard the pirates scrambling to get out of the inn.
"Retrieve Bones' chest!" Blind Pew cried from inside the burning inn. "We shall not leave the field unrewarded!"
Jim gritted his teeth at the thought of the pirates making off with Billy Bones' belongings, but there was nothing he could do about it. All that mattered now was escaping with the map sewed to his coat. He hurried around the back of the inn, not even entertaining the idea of going to the front where the pirates would likely be evacuating. He came around the south side of the building and at the sight of lanterns and what looked like Rapidash coming up the road, hope ignited in his chest.
"Zoey! Constable!" he cried as he began hurrying towards the lanterns. "The pirates are-"
And then came the second explosion; and given how close he was, Jim was knocked off his feet. He regained himself and looked behind him in horror. Every kitchen window was shattered, and a fire was very clearly spreading inside.
At the sound of a groan, Jim looked under the window and saw a battered and familiar Rattata.
"Ralph!" Jim cried as he rushed over to his friend. "Are you injured!?"
Ralph groaned again but shook his head. "Not in any fatal manner," he said. "Though, I would appreciate being carried away."
Jim did not hesitate to pick up the tired Pokémon and rush towards the advancing Town Guard. "Constable!" he cried.
The officer in question and her entourage stopped to meet the boy and the Rattata in his arms. Zoey could not jump from Dr. Joy fast enough, changing into Jim to embrace them more easily.
"Jim! Ralph! All the gratitude to Arceus that you're alright!" she squeaked.
"Jim," Constable Jenny asked. "How many pirates did you count within?"
"One dozen at least," Jim answered. "Perhaps a few more, some are human, others are Pokémon."
"Very well," the Constable nodded. "We shall await their emergence; they can't stay in a building that burns."
Indeed they did not. The pirates quickly began emerging from the inn as the blaze continued to grow more ferocious. Ralph spotted the woman Georgia and the Toxtricity who looted the kitchen, still with the bags of food slung over their backs. Jim recognized the Krookodile who was helping another human carry Billy Bones' chest out of the inn. Even Black Shuck emerged eventually, though he was now lacking his other horn as well.
"OW!" Black Shuck yelled. He then began barking out loud to his fellow pirates who seemed very disinterested in whatever he was saying; even the other Pokémon who could actually understand him.
"Now, my guards, seize them!" Constable Jenny bellowed.
The constable and her deputies gave another war cry and charged at the pirates. The buccaneers heard and saw them and began panicking.
"SCATTER!" the Krookodile shrieked, dropping Billy Bones' chest before fleeing up the road.
The rest of the pirates did the same, though some, such as Black Shuck, chose to retreat into the woodland on the other side of the road instead.
As the constable and her deputies pursued the pirates, Dr. Joy took Ralph from Jim and began examining him. Zoey turned back into herself and realized someone was missing.
"Jim, what has become of mother?" she asked, fearfully.
Jim grimaced. The last he'd seen her, all he saw was her silhouette battling with that pirate Zangoose. Looking back toward the second floor, it was not quite as ablaze as the first but it was only a matter of time. If she was not outside by now…
Then a figure emerged in the front door, and a glimmer of hope found its way to Jim and Zoey; until they heard that familiar Kalos accent.
"Fellows? You have not left Pew behind, no?" Blind Pew asked as he began to exit the inn.
He did not get very far.
BOOM!
Another explosion from the second floor brought the part of the building above Pew down on top of him. And then two figures came down after the rubble and rolled onto the ground.
It was a very battered and soot-covered Ms. Zoroark and Zangoose, though the soot only showed on the latter.
Both combatants attempted to get up, but Ms. Zoroark was clearly the more worn down of the two. The Zangoose stumbled to her feet first and somewhat haggardly walked over to her opponent. Ms. Zoroark eventually got up herself, but not before the Zangoose reached her, claws glowing a poisonous dark pink colour.
"You and your brats have made a living hell of this night," she snarled. "So with Poison Jab I shall return such a gift tenfold!"
The Zangoose's claws stabbed into Ms. Zoroark. Not enough to truly puncture, but that would not be needed. Ms. Zoroark took on a sickly look and collapsed again.
"MOTHER!" Zoey screeched.
The Zangoose turned and saw the kids, along with a very angry looking Dr. Joy and Rapidash.
"Rapidash, seize her!" Dr. Joy ordered.
The Rapidash obeyed and charged the pirate Pokémon.
The Zangoose responded by quickly firing an Ice Beam at her attacker.
"Use Psybeam!" Dr. Joy quickly instructed.
The Psychic-type unicorn Pokémon halted its charges and fired a rainbow coloured beam of energy from its horn. Upon colliding with the Ice Beam, the attacks canceled out and exploded.
When the smoke cleared, the Zangoose was gone.
Ms. Zoroark snorted in spite of herself. "For all of that sea scum's injury, she remains quite agile."
Dr. Joy rushed over to the similarly injured Illusion Fox. "Do try to keep from speaking, Ms. Zoroark," she implored. "You must conserve your energy."
The kids huddled around the doctor and her battlefield patient.
"Is she well, Dr. Joy?" Ralph asked.
"She'll be better once I have taken her back to Hulbury for treatment," Dr. Joy responded. "Rapidash, I shell need you to carry her."
The Unique Horse nodded and patiently let Dr. Joy gently lift her patient onto her back.
"Come," Dr. Joy said. "You shall stay at my home tonight, all of you."
The kids nodded. Before they could leave though, Zoey looked back to something still resting abandoned in front of the burning inn.
"Dr. Joy?" she asked nervously.
"What is it?"
"Can we take that sea chest there with us? It falling into our possession was the Captain's wish."
Dr. Joy gained a dark look at the thought of bringing anything the Captain owned with them but did not object. Zoey turned into Jim again and tried to lift the chest with the real Jim's help. Once the chest full of padlocks and assorted junk proved to be too heavy for the kids, the Rapidash used Psychic to help.
With that, the kids followed Dr. Joy down the road towards Hulbury. As they did, it began to rain and they looked back at their old home. The fires within the Admiral Benbow Inn were slowly being doused by the rain but it was too little too late. Jim clenched his coat closer to himself, both because of the rain and to reassure himself that the map was still sewn to the inside. It was.
The pirates may not have gotten what they had come for, but they had made sure the innkeeper family had paid for it with almost everything else.