Part III - The Cook

It was a bit of an adventure finding Professor Livesey's guest rooms, them being unlabeled like most of the second and third floor, but once one was found Jim, Zoey and Ralph fell asleep almost as soon as they touched the mattress sheets. Their sleep was so restful in fact that Livesey and Salva found their guests still sound asleep as the clock inched closer to midday.

"Oh dear, Salva," the Professor said. "It seems our guests need an alarm of sorts before they rise."

Salva gave Livesey a "do not worry" gesture. She then jumped from the Professor's shoulder and began bouncing on the bed. The jolting motions quickly aroused the three guests from their slumber.

"A storm! A storm!" Ralph cried out as he awoke. "We're destined perish!" He probably would have continued to panic if he had not taken a second look around him.

"Avail you worries, friend Ralph," Livesey reassured. "You have not taken to the sea quite yet."

"That's something that likely pleases him," Jim remarked. "Never has there been love lost between Ralph and the practice of sailing."

"Quite so!" Ralph agreed while trying to calm his sudden bout of shaking. "Ever since leaving Alola I have feared and hated the sea."

Salva seemed to notice how much she had unintentionally frightened Ralph and slowly walked over to give him a reassuring hug.

"[I greatly apologize, Ralph,]" she said. "[I was unaware such fears stirred within you.]"

Ralph's face started flushing so much it looked to burst. "W-worry not, you couldn't have known," he replied, struggling to keep his natural voice.

"At any rate, I still recommend rising yourselves," Professor Livesey continued. "I have sent for the Squire and I cannot imagine he shall be too long."

The kids quickly took the Professor's advice. Jim got dressed while Zoey and Ralph cleaned themselves in one of the many bathrooms available. After getting ready, the three guests traveled to the dining room for their first meal. Professor Livesey had an immaculate looking set of waffles awaiting them.

"I would tell to you all 'break your fast,'" she said. "But I believe this, instead, has become your lunch."

Jim nodded. "Indeed, ever since leaving the inn we seem to be sleeping well into the day, there being no need to rise early at present."

He, Zoey, and Ralph went a little melancholy at that, the destruction of the Admiral Benbow still being a somewhat fresh wound.

"There now," the Professor reassured. "The Squire shan't be long traveling here, and upon laying eyes on our work he shall see the voyage through."

"[And with that much wealth in treasure, the Admiral Benbow will be repaired with all haste,]" Salva added.

Ralph and Zoey smiled at the Scorbunny's words.

"Were those words of encouragement?" Jim asked, having not understood.

"Aye, they were," Zoey said, accompanied by Ralph and Salva nodding.

"Well, since there is time yet, Professor how have you fared recently?" Jim asked.

"I've fared well enough," Professor Livesey replied. "Every success seems hexed to be followed by a failure, but I shall gladly take some success over none at all."

"What success have you had?" Zoey asked.

"Why to start with, the very beds in this country house upon which you slept," Livesey proclaimed. "They are the results of attempting to embed the Sleep Powder of a Pokémon into the sheets."

"Do tell more," Jim and Zoey asked.

The Professor wasted no time in doing so. As she did, Ralph lay down on his back and started thinking. Specifically, he was thinking about what to do if Squire Trelawney did agree to fund a voyage to this island. The idea of sailing again, even if he did not have to hide the entire, time was not very appealing; what with its sea storms, scurvy, and other terrors. He then noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw that Salva had taken a seat next to him.

"[Does the Professor's research not interest you?]" she asked.

"Not especially," Ralph replied, sitting back up. He had managed to mentally steel himself so that he would not trip over his words while talking to her. "I hope she takes no offense."

"[I doubt so,]" Salva assured. "[I have seen all these experiments in the flesh of course. I have no need to hear them recounted.]"

"Did they go well, at the least?"

"[I believe many would have gone better that Professor Livesey could understand what I say.]" Salva's face grew a frustrated expression. "[You have bore witness to her continuous misunderstanding of my words, and she sometimes cannot even read the inflections of my voice.]"

"Truly an enduring annoyance," Ralph agreed. He then noticed Salva was staring at him, almost directly into his eyes. He began to lose the composure he had hastily built up. "W-what it is?"

"[If I may be so bold, you awe me Ralph.]"

Ralph felt his heart flutter a bit at those words.

"[You and your friend, the Zorua Zoey.]"

And those words brought it back down a bit.

"What makes us worthy of such reverence?"

"[The ease with which you both speak the language of humans, I so very wish I was blessed with such a gift.]"

Ralph gained a somewhat nervous look. "I fear it's not a gift, but a skill acquired through long hours of practice," he explained.

Salva seemed to deflate at that information. "[I see,]" she said with audible misery.

Ralph was not sure what to do; he wanted to comfort the clearly upset Scorbunny but how could he without perhaps overstepping his boundaries or violating her personal space?

He did not end up having come up with an answer though; Salva brightened up and seemed to have an idea. "[If it must be learned, I simply need someone to tutor me, no?]"

"I suppose," Ralph agreed. She was staring at him again. "Are you asking me to be that tutor?"

"[If you would. I pray you, teach me how to speak the tongue of humans!]" Salva almost sounded pleading.

Ralph made several "uh" noises as he processed what was being asked of him. Eventually, he came to an answer. "I can certainly try, though perhaps another day."

Salva then got into Ralph's personal space by suddenly hugging the Rattata. "[A thousand thanks, dear Ralph!]" she cried. "[And I'm sure many more will follow!]"

Ralph smiled nervously through his flushing face. It became much more flushed when he noticed that Jim, Zoey, and Livesey had finished their conversation and were looking at them. Zoey in particular, as the only one who could have understood the whole conversation, was looking at him slyly. Meanwhile, Jim and Livesey were giving warm and supportive smiles.

"Congratulations to you Salva," Professor Livesey said. "Make the most of your time together."

"[I shall, Livesey,]" Salva eagerly replied. "[Soon only a natural speaker of human speech could match my fluency!]"

I feel she meant to imply something else, Ralph thought to himself.

To everyone's minor frustration, Squire Trelawney took his time getting to Livesey's country house. The sun had begun its descent towards the horizon by the time the doorbell was heard being rung. Livesey answered and in strode the Squire. He retained the fancy clothing but had forgone the large powdered wig. He was again accompanied by the Chesnaught known as Chester.

"Good evening, Professor Lively," the Squire greeted as he entered.

"My name is Livesey, sir," the Professor responded.

"Oh, an error on my part, I profusely apologize."

"It is accepted. Other matters require attending too anyways." Livesey ignored the misnaming to begin leading the Squire to her newly labeled "map room."

"Indubitably!" the Squire cried out. "You say you have studied the map Jim and his friends claim to be to the legendary pirate Flint's treasure?"

"I have." Livesey gained a confident smile as she thought of her discovery. "We also suspect we know the value of the treasure in question."

"Its value is of little concern to me," Squire Trelawney insisted.

"So you say, but we shall see," Livesey remarked as she led him into the room where the translated map, along with Jim, Zoey, Ralph, and Salva were waiting.

"Good evening Squire," Jim, Zoey, and Ralph greeted. Salva smiled a greeting.

"A very good evening to you all!" the Squire said before looking to the map. Chester nodded a greeting as well.

"Now as I was saying, of this total value—," Trelawney stopped and stared with wide eyes when he saw the number on the back of the map.

"Did you not just say—" Livesey started with a smug tone.

"Whatever I said previously is now irrelevant!" the Squire insisted before catching himself and returning to a somewhat more dignified posture. "By the legends, that is indeed a worthy take. But it does not prove the map's authenticity."

"No, but this shall," Livesey insisted. She took the page she had ripped from her journal and displayed next to the symbols on the map. "Here I have translated the characters upon the map; they are directions with which to navigate the island to this 'bulk of treasure.'"

Squire Trelawney nodded in satisfaction. "And these coordinates here," he pointed to the latitude and longitude measurements at the top of the map, "are they as reliable as your translation?"

"Without traveling there to see for ourselves, that question cannot have an answer," Livesey admitted. She strode over to a globe of the world. "However, they are located in the Decolore Island archipelago. These islands are numerous, largely uncharted, and host only territorial wild Pokémon as their inhabitants. Were I in Flint's profession, I would think them the perfect place to store a treasure."

The Squire gave a smile and a nod. "Then we have our clues and our mission," he said. "Livesey, you will reschedule or cancel any upcoming appointments. Tomorrow I shall make the preparations. In three weeks' time, we shall voyage for Captain Flint's treasure! Livesey, you shall be our navigator and cartographer."

"What of us, Squire?" Zoey asked.

"Why you shall all come as well!" Trelawney assured. "You three, who kept this map from the grasp of those vagabonds, are as deserving of a share of this treasure as anyone."

"Huzzah!" Jim and Zoey cheered.

Ralph smiled, though he was less on board with the idea.

"Though I feel another would be better fitted to my assigned role, I shall accompany you as desired, Squire," Livesey agreed. "I fear only one element within this matter."

"Pray tell it to me, Livesey."

"You, sir. With all due respect, Squire Trelawney, your mouth has no control over what it says or how loud it says it. Those buccaneers who sacked the Admiral Benbow and murdered this map's previous owner remain at large, and are likely not far gone if they know these children here to have thrown their lot in with Billy Bones."

Livesey turned to address everyone else in the room. "With these villains still at large, none of us shall travel unaccompanied until we are at sea. Squire, I trust you to remain with Chester here?"

"Of course, Chester shall be an unmatched bodyguard."

"[He shall never leave my sight,]" the Chesnaught assured.

"Salva shall be at my side of course," Livesey continued. "Though I shall visit so she may spend her desired time with Ralph."

The Scorbunny nodded thankfully.

"Which leaves you three," the Professor finished, looking to Jim, Zoey, and Ralph. "Can you all be trusted to stay by each other's sides until we depart?"

"Of course, Professor," the three answered together.

"Very good. Squire Trelawney, against my concerns, I am leaving the matter of finding a ship and souls to crew it in your hands so I may get my affairs in order."

"Avail those concerns, Professor!" the Squire proclaimed. "In three weeks hence we shall be at sea on the safest of vessels, piloted by the most loyal and respectful of crews!"

With quite some time before they were scheduled to set sail, Jim, Zoey, and Ralph had some time to relax and do other things.

Today Zoey was selling the padlocks from Billy Bones' sea chest, not that she told anyone where they were from. With Trelawney having agreed pay for the voyage entirely out of his own pocket, Zoey was quite looking forward to making some money for herself. She had sold several of the locks in question already, though she did have to lower the price a bit since the purchaser still needed to have a key made for the lock.

Jim was at her side as she worked her stand, reading one of the few books Dr. Joy owned that was not related to medicine. The map had been sewn back into his red coat which once more hung in the closet of the kids' guest room, away from anyone's sight. Behind the padlock stand, Ralph and Salva were having their human language lessons. The Scorbunny had been dropped off by Professor Livesey, who had then left with the Squire and Chester.

"As I said before, where our Pokémon speak comes naturally, speaking human language takes practice," Ralph started. "True fluency evades even young humans for the first few years of their lives."

"[I understand, but what must I do?]" Salva asked. "[I understand and can read and write the human language as well as any educated Pokémon or human; it is only a matter of speaking it.]"

"Aye, therein lies the major difference between human speech and Poké speak. Each Pokémon species' dialect of Poké speak is its own name or parts of it. How would you say 'Jim', for example?"

"Scor-ney," was Salva's Poké speak reply, though any Pokémon would have understood "Jim."

"Aye, but a speaker of human language would use 'Jim.' Spoken human language makes use of more sounds than any one Poké speak dialect; each corresponds to a letter or grouping of letters in the alphabet."

"[So to speak the human language, these sounds and how to connect them must be learned?]"

"Aye." Ralph pointed to Jim. "Jim's first name is the easier to pronounce, try it: 'Jim'."

"Eee." Salva frowned. "Eee-eee?"

"Worry not, it will take time," Ralph reassured. "Attempt the 'J' sound, 'Jay,'" he added providing a demonstration.

"Ge-ee?" Salva provided.

"You start was correct, however the ending was not."

Salva looked disappointed.

"You succeeded in making the sound for the letter 'G' however!" Ralph reassured.

"[Did I?]"

Jim and Zoey turned to watch the proceedings with interest.

"I cannot even remember the experience of learning to talk," Jim observed.

"Nor can I," Zoey agreed. "As Ralph says, Poké speak comes naturally and I too was quite little when I learned to speak human."

"Learning a new language is easier when young, I've heard," Jim added.

"Lucky for me, my mother worked closely with humans. I was quite literally exposed to it from birth." She then gained a curious look. "Has Ralph ever spoken about how he learned?"

"If memory doesn't deceive me, he once spoke of mimicking the sailors working the ships he stowed away on when asked by me," Jim answered.

The two were pulled from their thoughts and reminiscing by an approaching figure; Squire Trelawney as it turned out.

"Good afternoon, friend Jim and friend Zoey," he greeted as he approached. The reader and the padlock seller quickly noticed the Squire was unaccompanied.

"Squire Trelawney, where is Chester?" Jim asked. "Is he not to be by your side?"

"I left him in the company of Professor Livesey; she is meeting with the captain of a vessel I have optioned for our voyage."

"But it was the Professor specific orders to—," Zoey began.

"The Professor greatly exaggerates her concerns," the Squire dismissed. "A habit born from the caution she needed in the physical sciences, I am sure."

Salva sneezed.

"Beside the point," the Squire continued. "I am here with you now, am I not?"

"I don't think us to be as effective protection as a trained Chesnaught, sir," Jim said. "Only recently have Zoey and Ralph begun their battle training and—."

"It's in progress!" Zoey hastily cut in. She then shot a glare at Jim.

"Fret not over your fighting skill, or lack thereof," the Squire continued. "I wish to take you all to lunch! And I assure you; at our destination, we need not worry about violent confrontation."

Jim and Zoey looked to the sky. Based on the sun's position it was a little after midday and some lunch did sound good, especially if the Squire was paying.

"Alright," Jim said. "Take us to lunch, Squire sir."

After covering the vacant padlock stand with a blanket and pulling Ralph and Salva from their lesson, the group followed the eager Squire towards the coastline where this tavern he spoke of was located.

"No words I know can praise this location enough!" the Squire insisted as they traveled. "The jovial cook who runs this place is second to none in his culinary skill!"

It did not take long to arrive at the location in question: a single-story building resting upon a pier over the tides of the ocean. A set of outdoor tables were grouped on both sides of the path to the door and a sign on the roof gave the places name: the "Spyglass," with a picture of the same item under the word. A serving window was open to the outside area allowing for admittedly glorious smells to reach the group.

"[Does not the map mention a location with a similar name?]" Salva whispered to Ralph.

"It does…" Ralph remembered.

"Come along all," Trelawney said. "There is lunch to be had!"

No one else could say they shared the Squire's enthusiasm, suspicious as they were of the establishment's name. However, they still followed him towards the serving window where a man could be seen working inside the Spyglass. He looked up to see his approaching customers.

"Ahoy, Squire Trelawney!" the man cried as he rested the upper half of his body on the window sill.

The Squire led his entourage towards the man in question. As they approached Jim realized he recognized this man's voice, it sounded similar to that of the man who had pointed him to the morgue a few days ago.

"John Silver," Squire Trelawney greeted. "How fares business today?"

"Alas, slowly, my good sir," John Silver replied. "But for that lack of business, you have your choice of places to sit and everything to choose from our list of meals. Help yourselves!"

The Squire gave John Silver a nod before turning to his entourage. "Oh, but I must introduce my companions for this meal!" he said. "Here you have the Zorua Zoey." He gestured to the Tricky Fox Pokémon.

"Good afternoon," Zoey greeted.

"Here is the Rattata Ralph," Trelawney continued.

"Greetings, Mr. Silver."

"This here is Saliva, the Scorbunny assistant to Professor Livesey."

Salva gave the Squire an annoyed look.

"Salva is her name in truth," Ralph corrected as Salva gave a greeting wave.

Silver gave the Scorbunny a smile before turning to Jim and gaining a look of recognition. "Well, Hulbury is a small cove to be sure," he said. "Hello once more, young man."

"Have you met Mr. John Silver before, Jim?" Trelawney asked.

"Once, sir; he pointed me towards the morgue a few days past," Jim answered.

"By Zekrom, a pleasure to meet you face to face," Silver said as he extended his arm to shake hands. "John Silver, such is my name."

"Jim Hawkins, Mr. Silver sir," Jim replied as he shook the offered hand.

Silver let out a jovial laugh and handed out a pamphlet listing the available dishes to choose from. "Now you all take to your seats, my first-rate server shall see to you."

The group did as asked and sat at a table roughly in the middle of the group. It did not take long before a Zangoose come outside holding a pad of paper and one of its claws dipped in pink ink.

"Have you all made your choices?" the Zangoose asked in a sweet-sounding feminine voice that Jim nonetheless found vaguely familiar.

So distracted was Jim with that Zangoose's voice that he did not hear his compatriots order. He knew this voice from somewhere, and yet to his frustration, he could not place it. He could not even provide a face or name to whom the familiar voice belonged.

"Jim?"

He finally heard his name being said by Ralph. He looked up to see everyone else, including the Zangoose, staring at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jim tried to shake it off. "I'll do the cheddar cheese on garlic bread sandwich, please," he ordered.

"Thank you, we shall see your meals here with all haste," the Zangoose said with a smile as she returned to the Spyglass.

"What distracts you, Jim?" Squire Trelawney asked.

"I thought that Zangoose's voice strangely familiar," Jim admitted. "Alas, I don't know why."

Ralph pondered this briefly. "Among the pirates that attacked the Admiral Benbow, was there not a Zangoose with them?" he asked.

Jim nodded. "Aye, there was; but hers was a voice gruff and deep, befitting of a buccaneer. Not a single grain of the sugar in the voice this Zangoose here could be found in that pirate."

"Forget not how cruel the pirate Zangoose was," Zoey added bitterly. "How she horribly injured mother before blighting her with poison."

Trelawney nodded in agreement. "I believe your ears deceive you Jim by associating the voice of the pirate with this server on basis of species."

"Perhaps you're right," Jim agreed. Pokémon of the same species did tend to have similar though not exactly the same voices.

Shortly after that conversation, the Zangoose returned. She had expertly balanced all the food on her forelimbs and head and gracefully placed them in front of those who had ordered them.

"Mr. Silver would join you all if he is welcome," she added as everyone began eating.

"He is, of course," Squire Trelawney said. "Send him our way."

The Zangoose nodded and returned inside. John Silver emerged from the Spyglass's front entrance a few moments later.

And he sent a bit of a shiver up the spines of Jim, Zoey, and Ralph. It was not his seemingly friendly face, which showed signs of middle age and maintained stubble. It was not his clothes which, though lightly stained from years of foodservice work, were otherwise immaculate. It was how his left leg was cut off close to the hip and how he used a crutch under his left shoulder to move around with practiced ease. With his lower half covered by the wall, the kids did not see it before. Now their minds rang out the warning given to them by the late Billy Bones:

Beware the man who walks upon one leg!

Silver noticed the looks of surprise and/or fear upon Jim, Ralph, and Zoey's faces. "What worries you?" he asked before following their eyes to his missing leg. "Ah, my missing appendage has startled you. Odd it may seem at first, but no use can found making an issue of it."

"Of course not," Squire Trelawney agreed. "Many unfortunate souls have lost a leg rendered unable to be saved, by injury or by blight to name two causes. Plenty have been seen by my own two eyes."

Jim was not so sure, and from the look of things neither were Zoey and Ralph. The Squire had a point; a leg that could not be saved had to be removed. And there were likely many humans in the world that only had one. Further, John Silver did not carry himself like a pirate. He was much better dressed and polite than the pirate Pew, or even Billy Bones at times.

Jim decided to trust Silver, at least for now. "My apologies, Mr. Silver," he said. "Neither I nor my siblings here have seen a man with only one leg."

Jim recoiled and cursed himself. Never bring up such a fact in conversation, he mentally reminded himself as the Squire gave him a surprised look.

Silver gave an understanding smile. "Well, I am pleased to be your first one-legged friend then," he said.

Jim did a double-take.

"What causes you worry now, Jim?" Squire Trelawney asked.

"It is what did not happen that caught me, sir," Jim admitted. "Normally, when I confess to Zoey and Ralph being my siblings, the unaccustomed turn their heads to stare."

"No reason comes to my imagination for such action," Silver said. "A family is a family, whether there it is all Pokémon or all human or a mixing of both. If familial love abounds there is hardly any difference."

Jim smiled and nodded as he resumed eating. Finally, someone seemed to understand that. Squire Trelawney made light conversation with Mr. Silver, largely about topics that the other occupants of the table had no interest in and ignored. As they continued their lunch, a Houndoom emerged from the Spyglass.

A Houndoom that was missing the two horns from its head.

"By the legends!" Jim cried out. "It's Black Shuck!"

The familiar Houndoom turned at the call of his name to see the group at the table and snarled before running off.

"After him!" Zoey cried as she jumped from the table. "He's a leader of the pirates who destroyed the Admiral Benbow!"

Jim got up from his chair. "Come, Ralph, for the old Benbow!" he said.

"What can we do?" Ralph questioned as he and Salva jumped to Jim's shoulder.

"Anything more than sit and let him slip away again," Jim answered as he began following Zoey.

Silver got up from his own chair and began hobbling along as well. "I think he has not paid his fare, either," he added. "Run and catch him, children!"

Squire Trelawney's calls insisting to alert the Town Guard fell on deaf ears, so he ran to do it himself.

Black Shuck was still a fit Pokémon and easily kept ahead of the younger Zorua behind him as he fled into Hulbury's city centre. The young teenager and crippled middle aged man were not faring any better in catching up either.

"Stop, pirate!" Zoey cried out she desperately fought to keep the Houndoom from vanishing from her sight into the crowds.

Her shouts gained the attention of several human and Pokémon passersby who turned to see the Houndoom that they recognized from wanted posters. Some more brave bystanders tried to block Black Shuck's escape, though he would always blast them aside with a Flamethrower or Dark Pulse attack. His running speed seemed to increase as alarm bells began to ring out across the city. Looking down the intersections and between buildings, guards on Rapidash could be seen running ahead, likely to block off any paths out of the city. Black Shuck picked up his pace again, his levels of panic beginning to increase as well.

And then in his ever-rising panic, he took a wrong turn into one of the city's dead-end alleyways. When he turned around, Zoey was catching her breath and blocking his only way out.

Black Shuck snarled threateningly. "[Remove yourself from my path, little miss, before I must do so myself,]" he growled.

"Never!" Zoey shouted defiantly. "You're one of the scum who killed my friend the Captain and burned down my home! They shall be avenged!"

"[Hardly! Instead, you shall perish as they did!]" Black Shuck roared as he blasted a Dark Pulse at the Zorua.

Zoey easily rolled to the right to dodge it. That was the one part of her battle training that had gone well. She then opened her mouth and began to generate a Shadow Ball. But when she tried to fire it dissipated.

That part still was not going well.

Black Shuck took the opportunity to attack again. He charged with his teeth glowing a bright white with power for a Crunch attack.

This time, Zoey was not fast enough. The pirate Houndoom bit down on her torso, causing her to cry out in pain. Black Shuck then shook her around in his mouth like a chew toy before tossing her to the ground, just in time for the rest of his pursuers to come down the alley.

"Zoey!" Jim and Ralph cried in horror.

"Vile pirate!" Silver cried out.

The Houndoom seemed surprised by the insult given how wide his eyes went.

"I fear my own Pokémon companion is away," Silver continued. "You must fight this battle!"

As Zoey struggled to get up, Ralph nervously jumped down from Jim's shoulder with Salva.

"[I shall help you, Ralph,]" she said.

"Then most of the fighting will fall to you, I fear," Ralph replied nervously.

Black Shuck snarled and launched a Flamethrower at the two new Pokémon in his way. Though Salva easily jumped away, Ralph was frozen by the shock of being attacked.

The Flamethrower knocked him out in one hit.

"[How dare you!]" Salva screeched at the unflinching Houndoom as she landed.

"[I shall do you worse!]" Black Shuck cried back as he fired off a Dark Pulse.

Salva dashed to evade the stream of dark rings, leaving a trail of white light behind her. She continued the Quick Attack by charging the Houndoom and ramming him in the chest. It did not seem to do much, but it did get Salva close enough for her next move.

"[Have a Double Kick!]" she said.

Her foot paws glowed with white energy and kicked into Black Shuck's chin one after the other. The Houndoom yelped in pain. An attempted retaliatory Crunch was also avoided through Salva leaping high into the air and coming back down on Black Shuck's back to deliver another Double Kick.

"[Damn you!]" he barked. He watched Salva bounce off his back and carefully predicted where she would go. Then he fired another Dark Pulse. This time it hit its mark.

Salva hit the ground, hard. She was able to get back up, but it was clear she was already faltering from the much more powerful Dark Pulse.

Black Shuck took his chance. He charged, forcing Salva to quickly roll to dodge out of his way, but it was not an attack. He continued towards the two humans standing between him and the way out. Jim instinctively ducked to avoid the charging Dark Pokémon, but Silver did not. He instead sidestepped and used his crutch to trip the charging Houndoom up, sending him tumbling out of the alley and landing in a heap on the street.

When the Houndoom looked up, Constable Jenny and the Town Guard with their Rapidash and other guard Pokémon surrounded him. He wisely surrendered.

And so Black Shuck was placed in a prison cart and taken away under the eyes of numerous citizens of Hulbury. Jim watched as well, holding the injured Zoey and Ralph in his arms with Salva resting on his head. Squire Trelawney had rejoined them, having come with the Town Guard to the scene. As Black Shuck was carted away he gave a last look out the back barred window. Oddly, it seemed to be a look of betrayal directed at John Silver who seemed quite content as the pirate Pokémon was taken to gaol.

"I must take these three to Dr. Joy, now," Jim said.

"I shall inform Livesey of where her assistant is recovering," Trelawney assured. He then brightened up. "Ah, that reminds me. Silver, would taking to sea once more be of any interest to you?"

"For what role would you have me, Squire?" Silver asked. "And for what voyage?"

"I would have you as the Ship's cook, my good sir. Only you could make quality meals out of what is packed tight in barrels. And the voyage is…"

Trelawney trailed off at Jim and Salva frantically shaking their heads, trying to remind him not to give away the details of the voyage.

"…is to the Decolore Archipelago," Trelawney amended. "'Tis an expedition to explore the islands; perhaps to map them for future settlement."

Silver gave a hearty smile. "For a chance to see those islands again I would join as a common sailor!" he said. "You shall have me as your cook, Squire Trelawney. When do we sail?"

"We weigh anchor in two weeks' time," the Squire replied.

"I shall be ready," John Silver said. "For now, it is best I return to the Spyglass and get my affairs in order. Good evening all!"

With that, the one-legged tavern owner took his leave. Jim began walking back to his temporary home with Trelawney accompanying him. As he walked he thought over the day; and from those thoughts, he concluded that Mr. John Silver, with his refinement, cleanliness, and his lack of unprovoked belligerence, could not possibly be the dreaded one-legged pirate man Billy Bones had warned them of.