Surfing the Seafoam, Chapter 18
Dawn always seemed to wash away the troubles from the previous day for me. All the questions I asked myself seemed to become a distant memory, and the only thing important now was my next destination. I guess I must've dozed off sometime in the night, because I woke up pretty much energized and ready for adventure. Once Vulpix was up and fed, we left the center, and Fuchsia City entirely.
Just south of Fuchsia was Route 19, quite possibly the shortest route in Kanto. It was only a five minute walk to the shore, and that's where Route 20 began. Cinnabar Island was on the other end of Route 20, so I needed either a ride on a ship or a Pokemon large enough to swim me across the sea. I reached for Lapras's Pokeball, and released him on the surface of the water.
"Hello, Lapras," I said, petting the giant critter's back. "I'm Star, your new trainer."
The Pokemon stared at me for a moment, like it was trying to determine whether or not it should listen to me. Vulpix stepped forward, barking at the large Pokemon. I was about to stop her, when Lapras began to chant something back at Vulpix, like the two Pokemon were talking to each other. I knew Vulpix would defend my ability as a trainer, so I let the two get acquainted for a moment. Vulpix finally turned to me and barked, so I took it as a signal that Lapras was convinced.
The large blue Pokemon crawled up on the shore, lowering its neck so that I could use it as a step stool to get up on its back. Once I had positioned myself between a number of the smooth spikes on its shell, Lapras pushed itself back into the ocean, awaiting my order to move onward.
"Let's go, then!" I said, pointing far to the west, where a tiny speck could be seen in the distance.
"To Cinnabar Island!"
~o~
If you've ever been on a cruise, you know just how fun the trip can be. Cruise ships have everything you could possibly need while on the trip, and generally enough activity to let you forget you're actually on a ship. Surfing on the back of Lapras, however, was no where near as fun. It was novel, at first, watching the waves pass us by, but after an hour of nothing but waves, you could see how I was starting to yawn quite often. Vulpix had long since fallen asleep in my arms, afraid she would fall off Lapras's back and into the ocean.
When on the road, there was always something happening around me. If there were no trainers out to challenge me, then wild Pokemon sprung up from time to time to keep me on edge. Out here, there was only the sound of the waves and winds, or of Lapras occasionally chanting a song. The peace of it all was a nice change of pace, but for once I wanted some kind of excitement. Where was Team Rocket's goons when you needed them?
"Lapras," I called to the Pokemon ahead, "Where are you from?"
The Pokemon let out a cry of some sort. I couldn't speak Pokemon, so as far as I knew, he was either telling a sad tale of a long lost home, or singing praises of a life in luxury before I came along. Seeing as how he was once owned by David's family, rich employees of Silph, I could imagine Lapras having been raised in some fancy pool somewhere in Saffron before ending up in my care. Or maybe Lapras's story was one of sadness, torn from his family long ago, never to see them again except for in his dreams.
I closed my eyes, trying to envision this sad tale. I pictured myself as a beautiful mermaid, swimming along blissfully under the sea, with my friends in the hundreds: water Pokemon, as far as the eye could see. Eyes capable of seeing without the aid of glasses, too. Down here, my beloved Vulpix wouldn't be my best friend, but perhaps a Horsea, or maybe even a Goldeen. A Psyduck would always keep me company, working his odd charms to try and make me laugh. And in this underwater paradise, there would be a Lapras family.
Of course, I wasn't sure if Lapras could actually live underwater, but that didn't matter. They would be close friends of the mermaids, and their son would always be by my side. Until one day, something terrible happens. A human ship comes along, and catches many of my friends in small, red devices. I try to save them, but I end up becoming a target myself. These humans have never seen a real mermaid before, and they want to catch me. Lapras swims in the way, and gets caught instead.
I try to free him, pulling at the net. Lapras lets out a sad cry, and he's hoisted away by the humans. Would they treat him well? Would they eat him? These thoughts would make the mermaid sadder and sadder, until finally she can't take the sadness anymore. She eventually gives up on living, and swims to the surface. When she gets there, she's surrounded by human fishermen, all trying to catch her. Heartbroken by how evil the humans could be, the mermaid started to cry, and her tears mixed with the ocean to create the Seafoam Islands...
At around this point, I snapped out of the daydream, with Lapras nudging at me. After rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I looked past my Pokemon to a pair of islands we had come across. Confused, I pulled out the map Mom had bought me (and neglected to use for some time). Somewhere before Cinnabar was a small pair of islands, the very same Seafoam Islands I was just dreaming about. I woke Vulpix up, and told her to get off Lapras for a while, to help stretch our legs a bit. Once off, I put away the map, and pulled out my encyclopedia.
I flipped through the pages, looking for any mention of the Seafoam Islands. A number of ice and water type Pokemon were listed as natives of the island, but strangely enough there wasn't even a page in the book dedicated to the islands themselves. That is, until I finally got to one of the last pages of the book. It was the page dedicated to Articuno, a rare bird Pokemon. I told Lapras to crawl up on the shore to rest for a bit, and then I returned to the page on Articuno.
"A rare bird," I read aloud. "So rare, it has been considered a legend today. Articuno is believed to hide in the tallest mountains, making the snow that covers them. Rumor has it that one of these rare Pokemon hides in the Seafoam Islands of the Kanto region, though no one has been able to confirm this."
Vulpix tapped on the picture of Articuno, as if trying to tell me something. Of course, I didn't need her to convince me. I returned Lapras to his Pokeball for the time, and snapped the book shut. There was a cave just around the side of the island, just begging to be explored. No one had been able to prove there was an Articuno here, and I wanted to be the first to do so.
~o~
The islands on the outside were strange, a pair of small hills just floating about on the surface of the water. But inside, it was like a different world. The walls of the caves were lined with ice, and in the parts where enough light got in from the outside, the walls sparkled, like something straight out of a fairy tale. The wild Pokemon inside weren't aggressive, either, instead scurrying away once they noticed me or Vulpix entering the same cavern or tunnel.
The most common Pokemon inside were Seel, with a few Dewgongs lounging nearby. In the water, Goldeen and Seaking swan around, enjoying the water inside the caves, which was much colder than outside. Vulpix stayed next to me the entire time, growling at any Pokemon that got too close. If they did, it was only to be friendly, but I wasn't about to convince Vulpix of that. Being a fire type critter, I guess she was just uneasy around so much water.
I walked over to a small pond, where a few Goldeen were swimming. I touched the water, only to pull my hand back as quickly as possible. I knew it would colder because of the ice in the caves, but I didn't expect it to be freezing. Made my choice of footwear all the more poor for exploring this place. I kept moving, going from one tunnel to another, not exactly sure where I'd end up. Eventually, I came to another large cavern, only this one wasn't covered completely in ice.
I figured it was because of the light from the outside, seeing as how this cavern had an exit. Then I noticed something strange on along the walls. Broken pieces of ice melting on the ground, cracks along the walls. I even saw a footprint in a patch of slush. There had been a Pokemon battle here, and recently, too. I picked Vulpix up, just to be safe, and went out the exit in that cavern.
I ended up on the other side of the island, with the second one just a small hop away. If these weren't manmade, they sure could fool anyone. It was almost eerie how perfectly the cave entrances lined up. Before I jumped across to the other island, I took a quick look around. There was a small stretch of ocean below me, and I noticed a boat just around the side. It was a black boat, and it had a single letter 'R' painted in bright red on the side. I had asked for trouble earlier, and my wish was granted.
Inside the next island cave, I followed a trail of footprints, leading into a larger cave. Before I walked right into a trap, I poked my head around the corner. It was Team Rocket! About a dozen or so grunts, all searching around the cave for something. I held Vulpix's mouth shut, and tried to listen in on what they were saying.
"Did you get in touch with the mansion?" One voice said.
"No boss, something's wrong with our radios. Could be all this stinking ice."
"Then go back out that tunnel, and get a better signal! Do I have to order everything around here!?" The one called 'boss' walked over to the other side of the cavern yelling out orders to a few other grunts in the distance. If Giovanni was anywhere nearby, I'd be in big trouble.
"Boss, I think we found something in the next cave! It may be the bird!"
"What!? You! Call the mansion, now!"
The grunts split off into two groups, most of them running off down another tunnel on the far side of the cave. The one ordered to call the mansion took out his radio, fiddling with the dials for a minute before he started walking towards me. I ran back down the tunnel as fast as I could, keeping Vulpix's mouth shut the entire time. If I was caught here, there'd be too many of them to take on myself.
At the exit, I jumped across to the other island again, ducking around the nearest corner. I let go of Vulpix, and told her to be quiet. The grunt made it to the exit of the tunnel, and continued to mess with the radio, trying to get it to work. His attention was on the radio, so I made my move.
"Vulpix, when he sees me, use Quick Attack, and get behind him, okay?" Vulpix nodded, so I got out from behind the bend and walked over to the edge. He still hadn't noticed I was there. I signaled for Vulpix to get closer to me.
"Hey there!"
The grunt looked up from the radio, but before he could say anything, Vulpix ended up behind him, pushing him forward into the the gap between the islands. It wasn't a long way down, but the grunt managed to stretch out his body just enough to make a bridge between the two caves. I kneeled down so he could hear me whisper.
"You promise not to make any noise, and I promise not to tell my Primeape to do jumping jacks on your back. Okay?" That was probably a downright cruel thing to say, but I had to show him I wasn't afraid to potentially kill him. Not that I'd ever dream of doing such a thing.
"Y-Yes, whatever you say, boss."
"Good then!"
I jumped over to the other cave, leaving the grunt behind. After making my way across the large cavern, I followed the tunnel the others had taken. After a short walk, I ended up at another large opening, this one packed with grunts. In the center of them all was a large ice sculpture. At least, that's what I thought it was, until I stared at it for a bit longer. It was an Articuno, frozen in ice!
"But boss! If something happens and the ice breaks, the Pokemon may escape!"
"You idiot! That's why we have this!" The boss pulled out a purple Pokeball, showing it to the other grunts.
"What's that?"
"A Master Ball. Giovanni had it made by the people at Silph while we were in charge there. Supposedly, this thing can catch any Pokemon, no exceptions!"
I stared at the purple wonder, but that wasn't the biggest issue here. If Team Rocket caught that Articuno, that meant Giovanni would get his hands on it. I couldn't let that happen. A few of the grunts picked up some hammers, approaching the block of ice in the center. I would have preferred to go in with a plan, but I was out of time.
"Hey! Rocket!" I screamed into the cavern.
All of them turned to me, shocked at what they saw. I guess none of them expected some little girl to try and stop them. I swear even one of them let slip a snicker. With Vulpix at my side, however, not a single one of them scared me.
"Who are you!?" The boss yelled.
"I'm here to stop you from catching that Pokemon! Unless you guys want to get hurt, you better start running."
They stood there, frozen for just a few seconds. Maybe it was the cavern that helped me out by letting my voice resound and echo, but they were scared of me, even if it was for just a single moment. The boss picked a Pokeball from his belt, and released a mean looking Arbok.
"What are you idiots standing around for!? It's one little kid! Kill her!"
The other grunts released Pokemon of their own, and within seconds the cave was packed with all manner of angry critters, from Weezing to Raticates and even a Grimer. About a dozen Pokemon against Vulpix.
"Arbok, Glare!"
The large snake's eyes glinted as it stared down Vulpix. I looked down at her, and saw that she wasn't moving at all. The rest of the grunts started screaming their orders, and all the Pokemon rushed us. This wouldn't end well, so I scooped up Vulpix's paralyzed body and started running for my life back down the tunnel. I could hear the angry roars of the Pokemon as they followed me, but I didn't look back. I reached for a Pokeball on my belt, feeling around until I found Primeape's.
When I was back in the other cave, I turned around and threw the ball into the tunnel, releasing Primeape. The large monkey looked at me, and then back down the tunnel. Arbok was leading the mass of critters down the tunnel.
"Primeape, Focus Energy, quick!"
Primeape started beating on his chest, pumping himself up for the next blow. The Pokemon closed in on him even faster. He'd only have one shot.
"Karate Chop the ceiling, now!"
Primeape swung as hard as he could, causing the area above him to crack and start raining down rubble. I dropped Vulpix, and grabbed Primeape by his other arm, dragging him out of the way just in time. The tunnel collapsed, locking out the herd of Pokemon coming after us, maybe even hurting a few along the way. I felt sorry for them; after all, it wasn't their fault. I picked up Vulpix, who was still having trouble moving.
"Primeape, come with me."
The large monkey followed close behind as I went down another tunnel. The grunts were still inside the cavern with Articuno, and I had just locked myself out of it. There had to be another way in. The tunnel I took led be back out to the other end of the island. Down by the shore, I saw the boats belonging to Team Rocket, and just a ways off in the distance, Cinnabar Island. I looked around, hoping there would be some other cave. There was another entrance nearby, so without thinking twice, I ran in, only to run right into another grunt.
I dropped Vulpix, and the grunt grabbed me by the neck, hoisting me up into the air. I cried out, and Primeape came running to my aid. The grunt threatened me if he got any closer, but Primeape was already running at full speed. Before the grunt could do anything, Primeape grabbed the grunt by his face, yanked him over his head, and threw the guy into the ocean. I took a few deep breaths, rubbing my neck. Primeape placed his hand on my back, stroking me softly.
"Thanks, Primeape, I owe you. Lead the way."
I scooped up Vulpix, who continued to fight the paralysis from Arbok's Glare attack. Primeape ran a bit ahead of me, furious at the grunts that tried to hurt me. I knew they'd probably be expecting me to come through that tunnel, so I decided to lay my own little surprise for them. After a bit more running, I screamed out into the tunnel.
"Don't touch that Pokemon, Team Rocket!"
Since Primeape was ahead, I knew that by the time they assembled on the other end of the tunnel, they'd be expecting me, not an enraged Primeape. And exactly like I predicted, Primeape went ramming through the grunts on the other end. When I showed up, he was finishing off the group. The boss was trying his hardest to break the ice holding Articuno.
"Primeape, stop him!" I screamed.
Primeape beat on his chest before running towards the grunt. The grunt swung the hammer at Primeape as he approached, but the Pokemon caught onto the other end, grabbing hold of the weapon and swinging it around towards the cavern wall. The boss went flying with it. In my arms, Vulpix had finally shaken off the paralysis, so I put her down.
"Vulpix, use Flamethrower on the ice and melt it!"
In the meantime, I ran over to the Rocket boss, digging into his pocket for the Master Ball. Once I had it, I ran back to Primeape's side. Vulpix shot her flames at the ice, melting it away little by little. I noticed the boss trying to get up, so I pointed at him.
"Primeape, make sure he doesn't move!"
My Pokemon stood over the man, pounding a fist into his other palm. The boss raised his hands, signaling his surrender. Content, I turned my attention back to the ice, which was now mostly gone. I told Vulpix to stop the attack. With such a small amount of ice left, the Articuno inside sprung to life, and broke out of the frozen cage.
The bird fluttered about in the center of the cave for a moment, stretching its wings. The Master Ball was in my hand, and I have to admit, I was tempted to throw it at Articuno. Such a rare Pokemon would be an astounding find, especially to share with Professor Oak back in Pallet Town. But as the bird got back into its usual rhythm, I realized that if I caught it, I'd be no better than Team Rocket. Once the bird was ready to take flight again, it looked me in the eyes.
"Go on," I said in a soft voice, lowering my hand with the Master Ball in it. "You're free."
The large bird landed in front of me, lowering its head as a sign of thanks. Then, it started to flap its large wings, letting out a blast of supercool air throughout the cave. It squeezed through a small opening in the ceiling of the cavern, and then vanished into the skies beyond.
"How could you?" I turned to the Rocket boss, who sat there against the wall, clearly furious. "You just let escape one of the rarest Pokemon in the world!"
"Maybe," I replied, tucking away the Master Ball in my bag. "But better that than letting you have it."
~o~
I picked up Vulpix in my arms, and told Primeape to follow me. When we were inside the tunnel, I ordered Primeape to seal the tunnel the same way he did before. It would take the grunts a while to dig their way out, and give me enough time to make my escape. After putting Primeape back in his Pokeball, I ran out to the shore where Team Rocket's boats were.
The grunt that Primeape had thrown into the ocean was just crawling back onto the shore. I picked Lapras's Pokeball, and threw it out into the ocean. The Pokemon was released, and the grunt got down on his hands and knees upon seeing it.
"How do you work these boats?" I asked him, Vulpix in my arms growling.
"Uh... just turn it on and steer with the lever." The grunt pointed to the start up switch and the lever. I walked over to the boat and jumped in.
"Your friends are trapped inside that tunnel, you should go help them."
The grunt nodded, and walked over to the tunnel. I ordered Lapras to wreck the other two boats, which the grunt saw but couldn't do anything about. Once Lapras was back in his Pokeball, I turned on the boat, and started towards Cinnabar Island. As the Seafoam Islands got smaller behind us, I looked towards the sky. Somewhere up there I saw a blue bird, one that was more than happy I had been there to save it.