Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Shadows of Ganderosa
Chapter 24
Going Overboard
"So how much longer until we reach Port Town?" Ryan asked.
Team Rapture, Tom, and Tracey had been walking for hours. Dillan felt his energy beginning to drain away. He scanned the green horizon. They had been coming up and down hills in waves as they traveled forwards towards Port Town. The occasional tree provided slight shade to the grass below, but not much. Hazel had been checking her map frequently since they left Palando. She seemed to have a strange feeling that checking the map for a twentieth or fiftieth time was going to change their fate.
"Not much longer, now." Tom told the group. "Just over these hills lies the great, treacherous waves of the ocean."
"Once we get there," Dillan began. "What then?"
"Then you throw up from sea sickness." Tracey said.
"No." Tom said. "You won't throw up. We'll just talk with my sailor buddies and get them to let us out of the port. Once they agree, we'll be heading onto the ocean towards the tip of Frost Island."
"Hey, Dillan." Hazel started.
"What is it?" Dillan asked.
"You want to continue with your history lessons?"
"Hazel, I lost the history book when Jake attacked, remember?"
"That's not what I mean, silly." Hazel said playfully. "We don't need the book when we have me."
"Right." Dillan said. He forgot Hazel was a walking encyclopedia when it came to Ganderosa's history. "Do you guys mind?" Dillan asked Tom and Tracey.
"Whatever." Tracey said dismissively.
"We don't mind." Tom said.
"What part are you learning about?" Ryan asked.
"Hans Armadine." Hazel said.
"Horrid Hans?" Tracey asked. "You don't know about him?"
"N-No..." Dillan said. He felt embarrassed, like he should know. Why should I? I'm not even from this world. Why should I know about its history?
"Who are you to judge him?" Ryan asked with an annoyed tone. Tracey didn't answer. Dillan felt happy seeing Ryan defend him.
"It's fine." Tom told Dillan. "Some of us don't even know about King Maxamillian." He gave a hearty laugh. Hazel looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Anyways," Hazel said. "You want to start?"
"Why not." Dillan told Hazel.
"Alright." Hazel told him enthusiastically. She looked up at the sky and began. "King Hans, otherwise known as Horrid Hans, was one of the worst. His father, Carnandite Armadine, son of Darwin Armadine, spoiled Hans. As a result, Hans expected everything from everyone. He took from the citizens, pushing them to their breaking point. He hurt his servants for making the simplest mistakes. He would even hurt his wife, Felicia Armadine, when she made him mad. That's how Hans earned the name Horrid Hans.
"All of that happened when Hans was prince, not when he was king. His father was the real tyrant for letting Hans get, and get away with, anything Hans desired. After years of Carnandite's reign, he became sick. Some pokemon theorize that Hans poisoned Carnandite, but no one knows for sure. Well, once Carnandite died, Hans stepped up to be king.
"On the day of Hans' coronation, he stood up on the stage, waiting for his crown to be set on his head. That's when the attack happened."
"What attack?" Dillan asked.
"Remember when I told you that Judah Armadine the Second had a wife and a child?"
"Yeah." Dillan said.
"Well, Judah married a pokemon named Natale Arvaine."
"No way!" Dillan said, shocked by what Hazel had said. "Arvaine? As in the King Arvaine?"
"Well, yeah." Tracey said.
"Natale and Judah's grandson," Hazel began again. "Ronald Arvaine, attacked Hans Armadine. Ronald killed Hans and declared that Hans was a coward who didn't deserve to be king. Ronald Arvaine told the world that Judah Arvaine was correct in trying to kill Darwin because of what Darwin ended up doing. He said Darwin's lack of a relationship with Carnandite is what drove him to spoil Hans, creating a destabilized monarchy, which is exactly what happened. Ronald incited a rebellion against the Armadines. Later, it turned into a civil war that ended years afterwards with the Arvaines winning the Battle of the Red Wood Plains, making them the ruling monarchs. They decided on executing Hardemlite Armadine to end his lineage, and they succeeded."
"That's not true." Tracey interrupted
"What do you mean "that's not true"?" Hazel asked.
"Hardemlite had an heir."
"That's just speculation." Hazel said.
"King Gunter Arvaine hunted for the heir of Hardemlite." Tracey said.
"As a precaution." Hazel said. "He wanted to make sure the Armadines couldn't take control of the monarchy again."
"So you agree with killing off the Armadines?" Tracey asked.
"I didn't say that." Hazel told her. "I'm just stating facts. I'm not saying I supported the execution of Hardemlite or hunting down his son; assuming he had one."
"Whatever." Tracey said as she put her eyes back to the path.
Hazel cleared her throat. "As I was saying," she began again. "Hardemlite was the last heir of the Armadines."
"How do you remember all of that?" Dillan asked.
"Mostly, I just study." Hazel said. "There's actually a nursery rhyme about Horrid Hans that helps.
"Horrid Hans in his castle of kings. The pokemon he abused by taking their things. They had enough of their home of hell. Ronald Arvaine took control when Horrid Hans fell."
"Kind of dark, don't you think?" Ryan said.
"Aren't they all?" Hazel asked him.
"Good point." Ryan said.
"And that about raps it all up." Hazel told Dillan.
"That's it?" Dilan asked. "Nothing else is important?"
Hazel thought about his question for a few seconds before saying, "Not that I can remember. Unless you count the three riots that sprung up over the years because of groups like Team Armageddon. Nothing else has had a big enough pact on history to mention."
That can't be all there is. I didn't hear anything like the Enemy in any of the lessons. Maybe Hazel missed some information, seeing as she's been reciting from memory. If that's the case, then what's missing?
"Hey everybody!" Tom called out from the front of the group. "You see that hill up ahead?" He pointed a fin at a green hill that was a few feet ahead. Their path led up to the top of the hill.
"What about it?" Ryan asked.
"Well," Tom started. "When we get to the top, look ahead. I promise you won't be disappointed."
Dillan wondered what Tom was referring to.
"Is there something amazing in the distance?" Dillan asked.
"You bet." Tracey said. "Come on!" Tracey started running towards the hill. She started climbing its side in seconds. Dillan watched as Tracey reached the top.
"Race ya!" Hazel said as she tagged Dillan on the shoulder. Dillan smiled.
"No way you're beating me!" Ryan shouted. He made a dash to overtake Hazel.
"Wait for me!" Dillan shouted with a smile as he ran to join them. The gabite felt the wind in his scales like he hadn't ever before. He took a deep breath from the air as he reached the base of the hill and began climbing it with his friends. There was the slightest smell of salt lingering in the air. Dillan found it to be refreshing. He watched as Ryan ran ahead of Hazel. Dillan tried to keep up, but it turned out he was the slowest of the bunch.
Just then, his instincts took hold. He felt the urge to start shoveling dirt from the hill. Dillan broke away from the path quickly and began tunneling into the hill-side. He felt himself accelerate through the dirt. He was moving faster than before. His "Miracle Sense" kicked in. He saw Tom climbing the mountain slowly. He saw Ryan reaching the top with Hazel trailing. The gabite knew he wouldn't be in last place, not if he could help it.
Dillan made a straight line for the crest of the hill. He felt energized in the soil. The gabite tunneled to the top in seconds, overtaking Ryan from below. He sprang upwards like a rocket for five feet. In that instance, he looked ahead. From his vantage point, he observed the horizon ahead of him.
Tom didn't give a tenth of the information needed to describe what Dillan saw at that moment. Any description he would give the view he was staring at wouldn't do it justice. Dillan felt deep down inside of his heart that he had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life, even if he had his memories. In a fraction of a second, Dillan saw a massive body of water that stretched as far as the eye could see. The ocean.
The water glittered with the waves that overlapped each other. The sun reflected greens, whites, and blues on the water's surface. The sky was above the body of water. Clouds and different pokemon soared through the sky majestically. Dillan was in absolute awe. All of his senses were focused on this beauty that he beheld. He felt the sea breeze on his scales. He smelled the salt that lingered in the air. He didn't even notice the ground below him getting closer until it was too late.
Dillan hit the grassy hill. The good part was that he had his feet pointed towards the ground. He didn't land on the gravel path, so the grass slightly cushioned his fall. The bad part was he wasn't ready for the shock that gravity had in store for him. Dillan's legs took the brunt of the force, absorbing the shock by bending. He then fell forwards and landed on his stomach with a "thud". He felt his head spin for a few seconds.
"Are you alright?" Tracey asked. She ran up to Dillan to make sure he was okay.
"I'm fine." Dillan said as his vision became stable again.
"Dillan!" Hazel shouted. Dillan looked behind him to see Ryan and Hazel make their way from the path to him.
"Are you alright?" Ryan asked.
Dillan stood up and smiled. "Did you see it?" he asked.
"The sea?" Ryan asked.
"Not the sea." Tracey said with an annoyed inflection in her voice. "The ocean. The sea and the ocean are two completely different things. That," Tracey pointed towards the body of water. "That is the ocean. It's bigger than a sea. Also, Ganderosa doesn't have any seas, so however you got those mixed up, I can't tell."
"Chill out." Ryan snapped. "You don't have to be rude."
Tracey gave a huff. She looked at Dillan for a few seconds before walking away.
"Isn't it glorious?" Tom asked as he reached the top. "The smell of salt, the chilly breeze, even the sight. The ocean is a glorious thing to behold."
"It is pretty cool." Hazel said. "Though, I've already seen the ocean before."
"Ah," Tom said. "But have you seen the Indigo Ocean?"
"Well, no." Hazel said. "Is there a difference between this one and the one in Labensia?"
"Labensia's Ocean," Tom began. "Or as we sea fearers know it, the Lycanean Ocean, is known for its electrical storms. The Indigo Ocean, you might know it as the Alkan Ocean, is known for its green texture created by the coral reefs below the surface." Tom paused and scanned the horizon. Dillan was already staring at the ocean ahead of him. He couldn't pull his eyes away from the sight. To him, it was too spectacular. Tom pointed his fin to a spot on the shores. Dillan could make out a small town in the distance. "That's Port Town. Glorious little place filled with the best of sailors."
"So it does exist." Hazel whispered to herself. She pulled out her map again and looked from it to the town.
"It's about another two hour's walk from here."
"I'll show you guys around when we get there." Tracey said enthusiastically. Dillan was surprised to hear some excitement in her voice.
"That's the spirit!" Tom said as he patted Tracey on the shoulder.
Tracey looked at her father as if he switched on a light in her head. She immediately stopped acting cheerfully and scowled at Team Rapture. "I mean, if you want me to do it, daddy." Tracey said.
"That's a wonderful idea." Tom said, reassuring the point.
"Just try to keep up." Tracey said as she began walking down the hill. Tom gave a hearty laugh and followed.
"She's acting differently." Ryan said, though he sounded a little weird.
"She's starting to warm up to us." Hazel said. "It's nice to see."
"I hope we can be friends after this." Dillan said.
"Why?" Ryan said with a little apprehension.
"You don't like that idea?" Hazel asked.
"She's still rude to us." Ryan pointed out. "And she hasn't apologized for attacking us."
"She will." Dillan assured.
"You can be sure of that?" Ryan asked.
"Well, yeah." Dillan said. "I have this gut feeling that she's a cool pokemon."
"I'l believe it when I see it." Ryan said. "Let's just move on. Tracey and Tom are getting too far ahead for my liking." Ryan started walking dow the hill quickly to accompany Tom and Tracey.
"We better follow." Dillan said.
"Wait a minute." Hazel said. Dillan looked at her. "Have you noticed anything different with Ryan?"
"Different how?" Dillan said with curiosity.
"I'm not sure exactly." Hazel said. "He just seems a little... rude. Back at Harley's in Palando. I saw him acting strangely towards Harley. And he doesn't seem to have a problem with treating Tracey harshly."
"Well," Dillan said. "In both instances, he does seem to have a reason; not that it's a good reason, but that is Ryan."
"I know," Hazel said. "But he seems to be... ruder, if you will."
"Now that you mention it, I have noticed that. Do you think something's bugging him?"
"Maybe." Hazel said. "Whatever it is, I don't think he'll tell me about it. If he's going to tell anyone, he'll tell you. Though, he's not going to give it to you if you ask. You need to let him come to you."
"Alright." Dillan said.
"Now then," Hazel said with a smile. "Let's catch up to them." Dillan nodded in agreement and the two were off to rejoin the group.
"Here we are!" Tom anounced. "Home sweet home."
Dillan looked at the small town. There weren't many buildings. Dillan counted twelve at the most. All of the buildings were white with a wave pattern painted into the sides. Dillan thought it was a little weird to say the least. The roofs were all as flat as a slate. Almost all of the buildings were a single story. There was one two story building with a turquoise border around the top. The path was white cobblestone. Everything looked pretty and new. None of the town's colors were dim. They were very vibrant. It gave Port Town a nice glow to it. Dillan's favorite part was the sound of the waves that could be heard.
"This looks pretty new." Hazel said with awe. "I've never seen buildings so white."
"Like a clamperl's..." Tom started. "Well, pearls. This place is as fresh as the ocean."
"Where is everyone?" Ryan asked. Dillan looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone in sight.
"They're on the waves." Tracey said. "Everyone who lives here owns a fishing boat."
"Fishing?" Hazel asked.
"You know." Tracey said. "With the pole and the hook. They go out and find the best sea food in Ganderosa. Sea weed and Coral."
"You can eat coral?" Ryan asked skeptically.
"Not just any coral." Tracey said. "You need to find Honey Coral; the kind of stuff they make into sugar."
"Using a hook doesn't sound very efficient." Dillan said.
"It's the life of a fishermon." Tom said. "Now then, why don't we go to the port."
"For your boat?" Hazel said.
"Exactly." Tom said with a smile.
Tom waved as he began walking into Port Town. Tracey ran ahead excitedly. Team Rapture followed.
They strode for about two minutes before turning a corner. Dillan found himself looking at the building with the turquoise roof. There was a sign that was painted half-way. It read, "The Bea" before ending with the rest of the unpainted sign. The building also had a mahogany door with blue-tinted windows. Other than the obvious differences, it looked like the rest of the buildings. To the side of the building was a dock that stretched out onto the ocean. There were two boats parked along the docks. One looked pretty big, like a captain's ship. The other looked like the first, but smaller. Dillan felt the urge to run across the dock to get a better look at the water.
"Alright, guys." Tom began. "I'm going to be inside of this building to get my boat on the water. You guys can either come with me or hang out on the boat. Your choice." Dillan knew which one he found more interesting.
"We're good to go on the boat." Hazel said.
"Alright." Tom said. He gave a wave and then departed through the wooden doors.
Hazel turned around to face Tracey. "So you live here?" she asked.
"I live in Palando." Tracey said sassily.
"Is that why you seem so enthusiastic about being here again?" Dillan asked.
"None of your business." Tracey said. She turned away from Team Rapture and began walking down the docks.
"Hey, Trally!" Ryan yelled.
"Tracey." Dillan and Hazel corrected.
Tracey turned around to face Ryan.
"What's your problem with the guild, anyways?" Ryan shouted.
"You guys are selfish." Tracey said.
"Yeah, and you're any different?" Ryan asked.
"Ryan." Hazel warned quietly. She stepped in front of the pachirisu. "I know she's annoying, but you need to let it slide. She's our ride."
"I don't care." Ryan said. He stepped around Hazel and started advancing on Tracey. "You have an issue with the guild; not us."
"I have an issue with anyone who's a part of the guild." Tracey said. "But you seem to be especially rude for such a small pokemon." Dillan winced at that comment.
"Ryan-" Hazel tried to warn again.
"You want to fight?" Ryan asked.
"You couldn't beat anyone." Tracey said.
"Watch what you say next." Ryan said.
"Ryan," Dillan said. "This isn't going to accomplish anything good. Please stop."
"No, Dillan." Ryan said. "She's been nothing but a royal pain ever since we met her."
"Same for you, shorty." Tracey said. Ryan clenched his fist. "Does that make you mad, tiny?" Tracey obviously noticed Ryan's anger with her short comments. "Based on your size, you must have a short fuse."
"That's it!" Ryan shouted. He pulled his fist back for a punch. Tracey looked at the pachirisu with a grin.
"Ryan!" Hazel shouted as she grabbed his fist mid-punch.
"Let him do it!" Tracey shouted. "Prove you're all nothing but cowards looking to make a quick poke off of the weak."
Hazel, with Ryan's fist still in hand, didn't expect what came next. Ryan brought his foot into Tracey's chin. Tracey's lower jaw slammed into her upper one with the sound of teeth slamming into teeth.
"Shut up!" Ryan shouted angrily. "Stop being such a witch!" Tracey was on the ground. She perked up her head and looked at Ryan with a grin. "What?" Ryan said in surprise. Dillan was taken aback as well. She's smiling? Why?
"I won't let you take advantage of my family." Tracey said. "No matter what." Tracey gave a shriek. Dillan felt his ear drums vibrate. Tracey began sobbing, tears and all. If Dillan didn't know any better, he would have believed she was actually hurt.
Dillan looked at the glaceon with shock. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Tracey?" Tom shouted. Dillan realized what she was doing. She isn't. The empoleon came out of the shack running. He looked at the group and found Tracey on the ground. Tom looked at Ryan's pulled-back fist. His face changed into one of frustration. "After what you did for me, I thought you were better than the guild."
"Tom-" Hazel began.
"Don't call me that." Tom stated sternly. "That name is reserved for my friends. You are most certainly not my friends. Address me as Mr. Adams."
"Mr. Adams," Hazel began. "I'm very sorry for my friend's actions-"
"Save your "sorry"s for another pokemon." Tom said. "I thought you were good pokemon. Now I see otherwise." Tom walked over to Tracey.
"Are you alright?" Tom asked.
"I think I'm bleeding." Tracey said as she stuck out her tongue. Dillan saw red teeth marks etched along the edge of Tracey's tongue.
"You're alright." Tom said. "You've taken worse hits, so you'll be fine."
"You're falling for this act?" Ryan asked with confusion.
"Don't you lay another paw on my daughter." Tom shouted at Ryan. "I don't care if you're the king's own son. You can't hit her, understand?"
"I-" Ryan began.
"Ryan," Dillan whispered. "You need to apologize."
"There's no way in Ganderosa-" Ryan whispered back. Hazel stepped on Ryan's tail. Ryan grimaced in pain.
"Do it." Hazel whispered sternly. "He's our ride and we can't lose him."
"But-" Ryan tried to protest.
"Ryan!" Hazel whispered harshly.
"Fine!" Ryan whispered. He looked Tom in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry I hit your daughter. I was out of line. As a guildmember, I shouldn't have let my anger get out of hand like that."
Tom looked at Ryan with eyes like swords, ready to cut the pachirisu in half should he step out of line. "I'll take you to Frost Island." He said. "But it'll cost you. Your actions have severed whatever debt I had with your group. So when I take you to Frost Island, you'll all be working for me on the ship. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir." Team Rapture said.
"Do you see that ship?" Tom said as he pointed to the smaller ship. "I want you three to go to that ship and wait for me."
Dillan felt bad. He knew he didn't have anything to do with what happened to Tracey, but he still felt wrong. Team Rapture walked to the ship stationed on the dock.
Dillan caught Tom's words as he was walking away. "As for you, young lady." he said. Dillan didn't catch what was next due to a gust of wing blowing against his face.
When Team Rapture reached the ship, Hazel grabbed Ryan by the shoulder and forcefully turned him to face her.
"Watch it!" Ryan shouted.
"What's your problem?" Hazel asked sternly.
"That glaceon is a massive jerk!"
"So you kick her in the face?"
"I agree with Hazel." Dillan said. "That was going too far."
"She assaulted you at the guild!" Ryan protested. "You didn't beat her then and you didn't beat her last time! She should have been arested, but she wasn't because she's too young!"
"Exactly!" Hazel shouted. "She's too young to do anything! And you kicked her!"
"She deserves more than that!"
"No, she doesn't." Dillan said. "Stop fighting for me. Fighting her isn't helping me. It's hurting our chances of finishing this mission."
"Ryan," Hazel said. "You need to get your head on straight. I don't know what it is that's bugging you, but you need to focus on this mission. Don't jeopardize it for your own personal feelings."
Ryan turned away. He didn't look at Hazel or Dillan.
"Ryan," Dillan said. "Thanks for defending me, but Tracey was using you. I think I know why she came with us. For some reason, she hates the idea of Tom working with us. She tried to stop him by fighting me, but I think Tom wants to go through with this mission. I think Tracey's been trying to get under your skin; which is exactly what she did when you kicked her. Stop giving her control of your feelings. It won't help you or us."
Ryan stood there for a few seconds, taking in what Dillan said, before saying, "You're right." He still kept his eyes off of his teammates. "Something is bugging me. Because of it, I let Tracey in my head. I'll make a promise right now. I won't let my personal problems interfere with the mission any more."
"Ryan," Dillan said. "Tell us what's wrong."
"I can't, Dillan." Ryan said. "More pokemon will get hurt guaranteed. I can't do that to you guys."
"More?" Hazel asked. She tried to sound empathetic to Ryan.
"I can't say." Ryan told them. "But I won't let it interfere." Ryan hopped off of the dock and onto the ship.
"Alright you two." Tom said as he walked up to the group. "Get aboard." Dillan and Hazel complied. Whatever is bugging Ryan, I believe he won't let it interfere again. But still, what did he mean by "More"? I want him to tell me what's wrong, but he's not going to right now. Guess there's nothing I can do right now except wait for Ryan to tell me on his own time.
Dillan and Hazel boarded the ship. The deck was pretty nice. It was made of white wood with a few barrels scattered about. It had a mast sticking up from the middle that came up to a sail. A crow's nest rested on the top. There was a couple of doors in the deck that probably led below into the crew quarters. At the back of the ship, there was a wheel. Dillan ran over to the edge of the ship and looked over the side. We felt the sway of the ship with each wave that hit its hull. Dillan was very excited to be on the water.
"Alright you four." Tom said. Team Rapture walked up to their new captain. Tracey walked next to Dillan and sat down. She's with us? "Ryan, I want you to swab this deck." Tom walked towards the back of the ship and grabbed a mop and a bucket. He tossed it to Ryan.
Ryan caught the stick with both hands. It was twice the size of him. The mop threw Ryan off balance. He tried to stay up, but fell backwards instead.
"Hazel," Tom said. "I want you to take inventory below deck. There's a list of things we need for the voyage down the stairs." Hazel gave a nod and went to the double doors on the floor. She opened them up. It revealed a flight of stairs that led below. Hazel descended the stairs. "Dillan, I want you accompany me at the wheel and read the map. There are a few things we need to avoid on the ocean and I need someone to help me out." I get to help guide the ship? That sounds really cool! Dillan couldn't help but smile. "Tracey, I want you to help Ryan with the deck." Tracey's working, too? Dillan looked at Tracey. She gave a nod of acknowledgement to the job she was given.
Tracey and Ryan broke from the group and began mopping the deck; neither one paying any attention to the other. Dillan followed Tom to the back of the ship.
"Alright, kid." Tom said as he grasped the wheel. "Here's what I need you to do."
It took about thirty minutes to get the ship out of the dock. Dillan felt somehow at home with the tasks Tom was giving him. He also felt invigorated with the rocking of the ship. Dillan looked out on the ocean whenever he could, just to catch a glimpse of the view that presented itself.
The work Tom gave Dillan was unceasing. Tie this, untie that, check on this, go tell Tracey or Hazel to do something else, anything and everything that could be done. Dillan didn't care. It felt nice. Infact, he didn't even realize it had been three hours since they left the dock as well as the drop in temperature.
Dillan came back to Tom after checking on Hazel's progress with her new job.
"Hazel's doing fine, sir." Dillan said. "She's just about done with the last box."
"Good work, Dillan." Tom said. "Now, I want you to go up to the crow's nest and watch out for the glaciers. Shout down to me when you see any."
"Yes, sir." Dillan made his way to the middle of the ship where the mast was located. He found the ladder on the side and began scaling it to the top. Each ladder rung seemed to remind him how cold the air was. Maybe it was the increase in altitude. Don't be dumb. I'm not going that high. I must be getting tired.
As Dillan reached the top, he peered over the side of the crow's nest and viewed the ocean. He just couldn't get enough of it. I wonder why the ocean is so intriguing to me.
"What are you doing up here?" Tracey asked. Dillan jumped from the shock. He turned around to find Tracey on the crow's nest with him. "Really?"
"I didn't know anyone else was up here." Dillan said.
"Whatever." Tracey said as she rolled her eyes. She began staring out to the ocean as well. Dillan did the same. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. Tracey gave a groan. "Why aren't you mad at me?"
"What?" Dillan asked, surprised by Tracey's sudden question.
"It's annoying!" the glaceon shouted. "I've attacked you twice and you're still so calm! It's unnatural!"
"What's wrong with giving someone a second chance?" Dillan asked.
"There's nothing to gain from it! I just don't understand!" Tracey turned back to the ocean. She continued to stare at the waves. She gave a sigh and said, "How do you move on so easily?"
Dillan thought about the question. "I don't know." Dillan said. Come on. You have to have a better answer than that. "Well, maybe it's because I want to give others the chance to be good, you know?"
"But how?" Tracey asked again. "You make it sound so easy."
"I already have someone that I can't ever forgive." Dillan told Tracey.
Tracey turned and looked at him with confusion. "Really?" she asked.
"A pokemon named Arlon." Dillan said sadly. "I don't know why he hurts others, but he's the worst pokemon I've ever seen."
"What did he do?" Tracey asked. Dillan froze. He turned away from the glaceon. He looked to the sky sadly. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
"It's fine." Dillan said. "Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I've seen the worst in pokemon and I can't ever forgive them. I don't see that in you. I think you've been hurt by the guild. You mentioned something about your mother."
Tracey didn't say anything. She turned to look at the sky as well. The two stood in silence for a few minutes before Tracey said, "Her name was Arora." Tracey sounded as though she was drifting in a pleasant memory. "Years ago, my dad was sailing around on this very ship when he heard a beautiful singer on the front of the deck. Now, the strange thing was, he was supposed to be the only one on the ship. He investigated it to find a vaporeon. That vaporeon was my mother. She boarded the ship to cause some trouble, but when she met my dad, she was head over paws for him. My dad questioned her, but she eventually got him to loosen up and date her. Kind of strange, but that story is how I'm here today."
"So what happened?" Dillan asked.
Tracey's face tightened into a scowl. "I was eight when it happened. One day, my mother and I were walking home from shopping. Out of nowhere, a group of pokemon ambushed us. They were asking about an orange rock on a necklace. My mom said she didn't know what they were talking about. That's when they took her.
"I ran as fast as I could back home. When I got there, me and my dad went to the guild for help. They told us we needed to pay for their services. My dad agreed. They took our money up front. They said, "It's for the resources we're going to spend to find her". My dad spent his entire life savings trying to find my mom. The guild failed. They took advantage of my dad and left us with a broken family." Tracey was finished talking. She had her eyes squinted together tightly.
"I'm so sorry." Dillan said.
"I've been blaming the guild the entire time." Tracey said. She sounded angry. "It's their fault. They didn't help one bit. They said they found a few dead-end clues and told us she was gone. Liars! They didn't find anything! We asked for the evidence, but they told us they weren't allowed to give it to us!"
"Tracey, I'm very sorry for what happened to your family, I truly am. But you can't blame the entire guild for what one portion did to you."
"But what if it happens again?"
"I'm not saying that you should let your guard down, just that you should give the guild another chance."
Tracey didn't say anything. The two sat in silence, staring at the ocean.
"Ice bergs." Tracey said. Dillan looked ahead and saw a bunch of floating platforms of ice. The gabite just realized how cold it was. Dillan gave a shudder. "I better tell my dad."
"I'll do it." Dillan said. "He sent me up here for that very reason."
"Wait a minute."
"What?"
"What's that?" Tracey stuck one of her paws out to the horizon. Dillan followed where she was pointing. There was what looked like a brown boat floating towards them. It had a black flag with some kind of blue wail on the front. It was catching the wind, propelling the boat towards theirs.
"A boat." Dillan said.
"That's not good." Tracey sounded worried. She began climbing down the ladder with her paws like any bipedal pokemon would, which surprised Dillan. "Come on! We've got trouble."
The boat was gaining on their ship, getting into boarding distance. Team Rapture gathered on the main deck of Tom's boat accompanied by Tom and Tracey.
"What's going on?" Ryan asked.
"Did something happen?" Hazel asked.
"Dad," Tracey said. "It's them."
"Them?" Ryan asked.
"Pirates." Tom said with a grimmace towards the other ship. "This group of pirates in particular are the nastiest of ocean thieves that roam this part of the waters, waiting for travelers to get close enough to the glaciers so they can raid them."
"So what do we do?" Dillan asked.
"Can we scare them off?" Hazel asked.
"There's no scaring them." Tracey said.
"Then we fight." Ryan said confidently.
"I would like to deal with them without destroying my ship." Tom said. "Don't attack until I give the signal."
"And what's the signal?" Ryan asked.
"Just in case, when I say "Dairy Berries", attack them." Tom told the group. "I'll use it in a sentence. Don't attack before and most certainly not after."
"Yes sir." the group agreed.
They waited as the ship came up to the side. It was about two times bigger than Tom's ship with three masts, each dawning the same flag. Dillan shuddered, and not from the cold air. He counted at least fifteen crew members on the deck. He guessed there were probably more waiting underneath the ship's main deck. A plank of wood was lowered between the two ships. A pokemon hopped up onto the plank. If Dillan wasn't scared before, he was now.
The pokemon had a blue hat on his head. It looked like a captain's hat. The pokemon was about a foot taller than Dillan. It stood on six legs with bubbles for joints. The pokemon's legs were yellow that turned to black half way down. Its body was spherical with a brown pattern on its back. The most terrifying part was its head. It had brown, bushy eyebrows sitting on top of its massive, blue eyes. The pokemon's head was black with three blue spikes protruding from its forehead. It also had four black mandibles sticking out from the bottom of its head. It had a massive bubble of water surrounding its face. Dillan could only guess if it was used for defensive or offensive purposes.
The araquanid strode across the plank to Dillan. It was followed by a couple of orange crabs with fish tails.
"Greetings, my friends." Tom said cheerfully. "My name is Thomas Adams. Can I help you fine sailors to some beverages?"
"Beggin' your pardon," the araquanid said with a funny accent. His voice sounded gruff and like it was underwater. "But we be humble sailors in this region searchin' for a place to rest. You wouldn't happen to have some gold to part with to ease our weary burdens?" The two corphish snickered behind the araquanid.
"If you're feeling tired from the journey," Tom began. "Then why don't you take these?" Tom motioned a fin towards a barrel on the araquanid's left. "Its filled with whatever you wish to take."
The araquanid stamped one of his long legs on the floor. The corphish went to the barrel and opened it. They dumped the contents of the barrel on the floor. Dillan was surprised to see big chunks of shiny, raw gold spill out onto the deck.
"Boss!" one of the corphish shouted. "We're rich!"
"Not so fast." the araquanid said. He went over to the gold. The pokemon knelt close to the chunk of rock and examined it. He bean prodding it with one of his legs. He continued to do so for nearly two minutes.
"What's he doing?" Dillan asked.
"Making sure it's real." Tom said.
The araquanid picked the gold up and threw it onto the ground. The gold broke upon contact with the wooden deck, leaving a dent.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?" the araquanid asked.
"Depends." Ryan said. Hazel nudged him with her foot.
"Watch yer tongue, tiny." the spider said.
Ryan took a deep breath in, attempting to remain calm. "Don't overestimate your chances against me." he told the pirate.
The araquanid began laughing. "He thinks he can fight us and win?" The corphish joined in, too. "Ye're outta yer mind! Don't ye know who yer dealin' with?"
Ryan didn't say anything. He just stared at the pirate with eyes of anticipation.
"We're the pirates who don't take no lip from anyone! We're the ones who'll take yer face and feed ye to the ocean godess herself! We're the ones known as the Marauding and Obliterating Pirates!"
One of the corphish jumped in. "Otherwise known as Mop!"
What?
"Did he just say..." Hazel said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Your team name is mop?" Ryan said with a smile.
"Garry!" the araquanid yelled at the corphish. "They're not suppose to know that!"
"Oh." the corphish, Garry, said. "Sorry, boss."
"What does it matter?" a new voice said from behind the group of pirates. The araquanid's eyebrows raised as though he was shocked. He turned quickly to face the new voice. Dillan couldn't tell who or what it was, but the araquanid took a step back when he was faced with the new pokemon.
"Sir!" the araquanid said fearfully. "Why're ye out?"
"Silence, Fredrick." the new voice said. "I told you to make this job simple and quick. We've already wasted five minutes on this hunk of trash and you're the one to blame.
"I'm tryin' to make it quick, but-"
"Stop making excuses." the voice said as though it was bored. "And drop the stupid accent. It's not cool and no one talks like that."
"But me voice." the araquanid complained.
"Garry. Leopold." the voice ordered.
The two corphish stepped out of the way.
"Sir!" the araquanid shouted with a new accent. "Please! Have mercy!"
"Get out of my way." the voice ordered. The araquanid stepped out of the way as well. That's when Dillan got a look at the source of the voice.
There was a green, small, chubby dinosaur sitting on the plank. It had white cheeks with a white stomach. It had its eyes shut.
"What?" Dillan said with surprise. He was shocked to see this small dinosaur bullying a pokemon like the araquanid. Dillan noticed Ryan looked confused as well. He had a paw under his chin as though he was thinking.
"So you're the captain of that ship?" Tom asked.
"Indeed I am." the dinosaur stated. "Let's get down to business. We're here for your women and children."
"Not going to happen." Hazel said defiantly.
"Well, do you at least have any treasure?" it asked. "You must have treasure."
"No treasure here." Tracey said.
"Then we'll take the boat!" the dinosaur said. "Jesse, make it quick and simple."
The araquanid gave a nod and started advancing on the group. Dillan planted his feet, ready to take or dodge an attack. Ryan took a step forwards before Tracey stopped him.
"What gives?" Ryan said.
"Not until the signal." Tracey whispered.
"Tell me, captain," Tom began. "What rules do you pirates abide by?"
"We have no rules." the dinosaur said. "We're pirates."
"Well," Tom said. "You do have rules."
"Your point is?" the dinosaur asked.
"One of your rules states that you can't show your face to your enemies." What?
The araquanid stopped in his tracks.
"Are you saying this isn't me?" the dinosaur asked.
"Of course!" Ryan exclaimed. "You're using "Substitute"."
"What's substitute?" Dillan asked.
"The user sacrifices some energy to create a fake for his opponent to attack." Hazel explained with a tone as though she just realized what Ryan said. "It usually comes in the form of that doll."
"So, captain," Tom said. "Now that I know that rule, I know your others as well as who you are."
"And who might I be?" the substitution doll asked.
"Captain Walter Green. I knew it was you from the start."
The doll exploded on the spot into a bunch of smoke. Once the smoke dispersed, Dillan saw a new body standing in the doll's place. The pokemon was a bipedal pokemon. It looked like a green frog. It had red cheeks and a green swirl on its yellow stomach. The pokemon had a yellow chin. It also had a lone, thick, blue hair coming off of its head and ending at a swirl.
"You're no push-over." the politoed, Captain Green, said. "Then I assume you know about the rule, "No Return"?"
"I do," Tom said. "But that rule belongs to another group of pirates."
"I'm surprised you know so much." Captain Green said.
"Your group likes to trick other sailors into thinking your group isn't what it appears to be. You're not the pirates of Mop." Tom gave a defiant smirk. "You're the pitrates known as the Alkan Special Slavers."
"Excelent!" Captain Green said as he began clapping his hands. "Spectacular! You've studied this ocean's pirates until mastery!"
"I envoke the Pirate Code of S. D. R."
The politoed stopped clapping. He stared at Tom with anticipation. "You do?" he asked.
"I do." Tom said.
"You do know the rules, correct?"
"I do." Tom said.
"Well, I don't." Ryan said. "Can someone tell me what's going on?"
"The rules of S. D. R. Are exactly as they imply." Captain Green said. "S. D. R. Stands for the Sudden Death Round."
"Sudden Death?" Dillan asked.
"The S. D. R. Simply means I have to fight an opponent of my choice."
"Of your choice?" Dillan asked. So I'm guessing he's a water-type. If he were to choose one of us, I think he would go with the person he thinks he can beat. Which of us is weak to water-types?
"I choose the charmeleon." Captain Green said.
Hazel gave a sigh. "I was hoping we could solve this without fighting."
"Not possible." Tom said. "A fight was inevitable. At least with an S. D. R. They'll have to leave when they lose."
"If they lose." Tracey said.
Captain Green walked across the plank and onto the deck of Tom's ship.
"We'll be fighting here." Captain Green said. "I wouldn't want to damage my ship with all the fighting."
"Alright." Ryan said to Hazel. "You can do this, Hazel. Use a Fire-Spin attack to blind him, then hit him with your Scratch attack."
"Alright." Hazel said.
"What's your last move?" Ryan asked.
Hazel looked at Dillan. "How do you use your Dragon Claw attack?"
Dillan thought about it. "I guess I focus on my fins and it just happens."
Hazel gave a sigh. "Alright." She turned from the group and faced Captain Green. The politoed stood proudly, staring Hazel directly in the eyes. Dillan and Ryan took a few steps back. They didn't want to get caught in the cross fire of this fight.
"So, you're with Team Armageddon?" Captain Green asked.
Hazel didn't respond.
"I guess it doesn't really matter." he said. "Even if you were, it isn't like we have a treaty or anything with Ignitus."
Hazel struck first. She didn't want to give Captain Green the upper hand. She stopped in her tracks aand planted her feet. She drew her head back and shot a swirling burst of fire towards Captain Green. The pirate didn't make any attempt to dodge the attack. He started dancing on the spot, moving his body around in quick movements. The fire ball made contact. It spread around Captain Green, engulfing him in a fiery tornado. Dillan couldn't see what was going on inside of the tornado. Is he stunned? When the Fire Spin died down, Captain Green was in a pose. He had his hands towards the sky, as if begging for rain. Dillan noticed Hazel was grimacing. He looked at Ryan who also seemed disturbed by the pose.
"Rain Dance." Ryan said distastefully.
"What's that?" Dillan asked.
"It's a move that summons a rain storm." Ryan explained. "It lowers fire moves and raises water-type attacks."
A group of clouds began spinning in the air, creating a thick layer in the sky. Rain started coming down, soaking the ships and its crew members.
"Moves like those won't work against me." Captain Green announced cockily. He knelt down and leapt into the air. The amount of height he had from a single bounce shocked Dillan. The politoed disappeared into the clouds above.
Hazel grimaced. She had her eyes towards the sky, waiting for the politoed's strike. She waited for about a minute, but the attack didn't come. She lowered her guard.
"Where did he go?" she whispered to herself. That's when he struck. The politoed came down with such speed and force. Hazel tried to get out of the way. She slipped and fell onto her stomach. The politoed landed on Hazel's back. She gave a cry of pain as her back bent from the impact.
"Hazel!" Dillan and Ryan yelled. Captain Green hopped off of her back. He went to the side of the ship and leapt off into the ocean.
Hazel, very shakily, got to her feet. She grabbed her tail with her left hand and began holding it under her chest.
"Oh, no." Ryan said. "That's why he chose Hazel. She's a charmeleon. Being a fire-type in the rain is bad enough, but to have a weakness like Hazel's makes it worse."
"What do you mean, "A weakness like Hazel's"?" Dillan asked.
"Her tail-flame isn't meant to be exposed to too much water." Ryan said. "It can last a good amount of time, but after a while, it'll take a drain on Hazel's energy to stay lit."
"That's not good." Dillan said.
"She needs to beat this guy or she's toast." Ryan told him.
Hazel closed her eyes, as if she was focusing. She extended her right arm all the way out in front of her. He kept it there.
"What's she doing?" Dillan asked Ryan.
"I don't know." Ryan said.
Out of nowhere, a massive wave washed over the deck. Dillan looked on top of the wave and saw Captain Green riding it. He was heading straight for Hazel. She didn't move. She didn't look at the wave. She just kept her paw out in front of her. Her face began twitching as though she was trying to concentrate.
"Hazel, move!" Dillan shouted.
Hazel opened her eyes and looked at the wave that came towards her. She gave a shocked grimace and attempted to jump out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough. The wave smashed into her, consumed her. She began rolling around in the wave, being pulled to the top before smashing into the deck of the ship. Captain Green jumped from the wave before the impact. He landed on top of Hazel.
"Is this the best Team Armageddon has to offer?" he asked. "I thought you guys took over the Alkan Guild. Seems it was just dumb luck."
"Get off!" Hazel shouted.
"Little missy," Captain Green said. "Just give up. You can't win. This match was decided the moment I chose you. Give up now, or face my strongest attack."
"And let you take this ship?" Hazel said weakly. "No way."
"Suit yourself." Captain Green said. He stepped off of Hazel and planted his foot in her stomach. Hazel inhaled sharply. Captain Green stepped back. His red cheeks began growing. The politoed opened his mouth. A beam of light shot from Captain Green's mouth. It went straight for Hazel. She looked at the attack and rolled to the right. The beam grazed Hazel's back. She gave a cry of pain. Dillan noticed Hazel's crimson scales were a bright red on her back.
Captain Green got down on one knee. "You dodged the attack?" he questioned.
Hazel stood up very quickly, almost falling over. She was obviously tired. She dashed shakily towards Captain Green. The politoed grimaced. He tried to move, but he seemed weak from the last attack. Hazel jabbed her paw into the politoed's chest. She fell on top of him because of her momentum. The two were on the floor. Hazel got up first. She began slashing her claws across the politoed's stomach in an attempt at weakening him. Captain Green was only fazed by the attack. He recovered quickly. He pulled his feet back and kicked Hazel. His kick was packed with so much force, the charmeleon flew into the air and off of the ship.
"Hazel!" Dillan called out. He ran over to the right side and looked down at the waves.
Hazel was in the ocean, bobbing up and down. In a split second, Dillan saw a blur move past him and dive into the water. He watched as Tom tore through the waves towards Hazel. He grabbed her and turned back towards the ship. Tom moved with such speed, he launched himself out of the water, Hazel in tow, and landed on the ship. All of this happened in seconds.
"Hazel," Dillan began. "Are you alright?"
Hazel was shivering, but she stood up and faced Captain Green.
"You lose, girl." Captain Green said.
"I'm still standing, Captain." Hazel protested, ignoring Dillan's question.
"That will change very quickly." Green announced. He dashed forwards towards Hazel. She extended her right arm in front of Green with an open fist. She tightened her expression as though once again trying to concentrate. She flexed her hand. Her claws began glowing slightly. They extended about an inch. Hazel opened her eyes and stared at her Dragon Claw Attack.
"That's it?" she said with surprise. Captain Green was on top of her now. Hazel turned her attention to his attack. The politoed began throwing punches, attacking Hazel. Hazel blocked and dodged the attacks, but Dillan could tell she wasn't going to last long. The rain's affecting her too severely. She needs to end this fight, or she'll get too warn out to battle.
Captain Green gave a right hook at Hazel. She ducked below the attack. That's when the politoed swept underneath Hazel, making her fall to the ground.
"Give up, girl." Captain Green said. Hazel looked up at the politoed. She gave a yell as she swept her own foot at Captain Green's legs, forcing him to jump backwards. The pirate landed on his feet and stared at Hazel. The charmeleon slowly made her way back to her feet.
"How many pokemon have you hurt, Captain?" Hazel asked.
"Let's just say you aren't the first and won't be the last." the captain said. "Why do you ask?"
"So you don't care?" she asked. "You don't care about hurting others?"
"Miss," Captain Green began. "I'm a pirate. Baddest of the bad. Richest of the rich. If I have to hurt a few random pokemon to achieve my goal." He gave a shrug. "What does it matter? If anything, I'm sparing those idiots from the burden of their heavy wallets." Hazel began to shake. Her breathing became heavier. Captain Green looked at the charmeleon with interest. Her shaking worsened. "Is this some kind of trick?"
Hazel fell forwards onto her knees. She began to hyperventilate.
"What's going on?" Tracey asked Dillan. "Is she alright?"
"Hazel?" Dillan asked. He took a step forwards, but Tom grabbed his shoulder from behind. Dillan looked back.
"If you intervene, we'll all be fighting for our lives." Tom said.
"But-" Dillan tried to say. He was interrupted by Hazel. She gave a yell. Dillan turned to see what was going on. The charmeleon's tail started flailing around. Hazel started gripping at her head. She was looking into the sky.
"What in Ganderosa?" Ryan exclaimed.
Dillan watched Hazel's tail. He was very shocked by what he saw. Her tail-flame began flaring, sending embers all over the place. Dillan watched as Hazel's flame suddenly went out.
"What?" Ryan asked fearfully.
Dillan watched Hazel. Her tail-flame was out, but surprisingly, Hazel continued to grip at her head.
"That's abnormal." Captain Green said. "You're flame is out, yet you aren't dead."
Hazel continued panting. Hands continuing to shake, she grabbed on her tail and slowly pulled it in front of her. Hazel looked at it with shock. She tightened her grip and slammed it into the floor. The tip of her tail shot a few embers. Hazel looked towards the sky and gave a shout. A massive beam of blue light emerged from Hazel's mouth and shot into the air into the clouds. Dillan watched in absolute awe, wanting to know what was happening. The clouds stopped spewing water.
"You stopped my rain?" Captain Green said with awe. "How is that possible?"
"What's going on?" Hazel asked. She stared at the sky, eyes wide open. The clouds began to part, revealing the sun. Dillan was shocked. He didn't know how, but the sun seemed very bright and harsh, spreading its heat all over the boat. Dillan looked at Hazel. Her tail sparked. A new flame appeared on the tip of Hazel's tail. The shocking thing about it was that her tail-flame turned blue.
"I don't believe it." Tom said with awe.
"What?" Dillan asked. Tom looked at the gabite with a smile.
"What are you doing?" Captain Green asked. Dillan thought he detected a slight bit of fear in the captain's voice.
"I don't know," Hazel said. She took a deep breath. Her tail stopped flailing and her arms stopped shaking. "But it feels good."
Hazel stood up. Dillan was surprised to see her do it without wobbling. She began walking towards the politoed.
"You seem to have recovered your energy." Captain Green said. He gave a menacing grin. "It doesn't matter. You'll still lose!"
Captain Green's cheeks grew. They became bulbous sacks. The pokemon opened his mouth and used another Hyper Beam. Hazel planted her feet as though she was ready to take the attack. She opened her own mouth and breathed a massive, blue stream of fire. Dillan, standing feet from the battle, could feel the heat that came off of the flame. It engulfed the hyper beam attack. It looked as though it had absorbed the blast. Captain Green's eyes grew wider than Dillan thought was possible. The flame hit the politoed in the chest, throwing him into the ship's railing. He hit the wood with such force, he broke it. The flames sent him over the edge of the ship and into the water below.
"Captain Green!" the araquanid shouted. He dashed over to the side and looked down at the waters below. He turned to the two corphish and yelled, "The Captain's down! You two get down there an' fish 'im out!" Dillan noticed he was using his accent again.
"You can do that," Tom said. "But I want you off of my ship."
"We aren't goin' anywhere!" the araquanid shouted as the two corphish jumped overboard to retrieve their captain.
"Get off of this ship." Hazel ordered. Her tail-flame fluctuated wildly. The araquanid looked at Hazel with a scowl. "Now."
"This won't be the last you see of us!" the araquanid shouted as he made his way over the wooden plank and onto his ship. A group of pokemon removed the plank from the two ships.
"We better hurry," Tom said. He dashed towards the ship's steering wheel. "Before they hange their minds." Tom moved the steering wheel left, breaking away from the pirate's ship.
Dillan moved to the side of the ship. He watched as the two corphish bobbed in the water, carrying their captain back towards their gabite turned around to face Hazel.
"That was amazing!" Tracey said. "I've never seen anything like it!"
"What did you just do?" Dillan asked.
"And why is your tail-flame blue?" Ryan asked.
"Honestly," Hazel said. "I'm not-" she stopped abruptly. Hazel fell to her knees. She moved her paws to her chest and began panting again.
"What's wrong?" Dillan asked as he ran over to his friend.
"My chest!" Hazel said. She sounded strained, as though she was in a lot of pain. "It feels like its on fire!" Dillan watched Hazel with fear. What's going on with her? She began shaking. Her tail started flailing wildly again. Dillan noticed Hazel's tail-flame fluctuating. It started shifting from blue to orange. Hazel fell over onto her stomach. She stopped moving.
"Hazel!" Dillan shouted. Ryan moved closer to Hazel. He began checking her for vital signs.
"She's breathing," the pachirisu said. "But not very well." He turned to Tom. "Tom!" he shouted. "How far are we to the next town?"
Tom was staring at the group with worry. He obviously saw what had happened. "A few hours at the least." he announced. "Take Hazel below deck. We have a room with a bed and some medical supplies."
"Alright." Ryan said. He turned to Dillan. "Help me out." Dillan moved towards Hazel. He didn't get very far before a loud "boom" accompanied by a shake threw him to the ground.
"What was that?" Ryan asked.
Tracey looked over the ship's railing. She turned back and said frantically, "Captain Green isn't holding up his end of the bargain!"
"He's attacking?" Dillan asked.
A fire ball just missed the ship, hurdling itself past and into the water.
"With a vengeance!" Tracey shouted.
"Dillan," Tom said. "Take Hazel below deck! Tracey and Ryan, get to the crow's nest and start attacking that ship!"
"Right!" they all said in unison. Dillan parted ways with the group.
He went back on his word. What did I expect from a pirate? The only thing to come out of Hazel's fight was the loss of an ally who can help us. I need to get Hazel below deck so I can help before we're all sunk!
(Author's Notes)
Alright. Now I know exactly what some of you may be thinking, "You can't make Hazel do that! No one's ever been able to do that! You're changing how pokemon works for your own advantages!" Well, you're wrong. I'm not going to tell you exactly where something like this pops up in the pokemon cannon, but it does and once I explain what's going on with Hazel, then I'll tell you. For now, trust it is a legitimate part of the Pokemon franchise.
That's all for now! Thanks to everyone who's read thus far! If you had an issue with the chapter, tell me. I'm doing this for personal growth as well as bringing enjoyment to you guys. As such, I'll try to make things better! Anyways, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!
