The Voyage to Mossdeep, Chapter 66
November first.
My first day being eleven years old. The excitement of the previous day was just a memory, and I had a bright and cheery morning to see me off from Lilycove. When I woke up that morning, Nancy was no where to be seen, though most of her servants were still in the house. I was instructed to enjoy my breakfast (like it needed to be said), and then meet up with Nancy on the far east side of town. I took my things with me this time, of course, as I was planning on continuing my journey today. Thanks again to Nancy's generosity, my bag was much lighter, with most of the stuff I had accumulated being shipped off to my house in Pallet Town.
Thus I enjoyed my breakfast, said my farewells to all of the maids and butlers, and hopped on the elevator for the long ride down to town. The entire trip down I had a feeling Nancy had something else planned for me, yet another gift or something to that effect. And by this point I was beyond trying to deny them. After all, anyway I looked at it they'd help me on my journey.
I met up with Nancy on the beach, where she was taking in the warm morning sun. Sebastian was standing nearby, a small basket in his hands.
"Good morning, Star! Did you sleep well last night? Any nightmares?"
"No, I was okay," I said, looking out to the ocean behind her. It sparkled in the morning sun, my next obstacle. Or so I thought.
"Splendid! Now, I know you're probably going to be leaving today, aren't you?"
"Well, I would like to keep moving, Nancy. It's been fun these past few days, but I can't stay here forever, you know." Though if forced to, I could certainly grow accustomed to life in the penthouse. Make no mistake.
"I know, and believe me, I haven't had this much fun in a long, long time! So, as one final farewell from me to you: here." She took the basket from Sebastian, and handed it to me. I looked inside before starting up the usual chatter, spotting only a small piece of paper inside. I read it aloud.
"'Destination: Mossdeep City. One Passenger'? A ticket?"
"Indeed! You'll be riding on the S.S. Tidal, a luxury ship! It'll take you from Lilycove to Mossdeep City. I know you're collecting gym badges, and there's a gym in Mossdeep you're sure to visit. One final gift." I most definitely didn't deserve Nancy as a friend.
"Thank you, Nancy. You have no idea- none, how much all this has meant to me. You're the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for." Even Vulpix chipped in with a few barks, even a playful lick on her hand.
"No, Star; you are. If it weren't for your kind words, why, I don't know where we'd both be today. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart." Nancy gave me a deep bow, which left me speechless. I could tell even Sebastian was taken aback by the gesture.
"Well, I wouldn't want to keep you. The ship departs at noon, so you have a few hours before you should check in. This is goodbye, I suppose." I could tell this was starting to weigh heavily on her.
"Nancy, if it's okay," I said, taking her hand, "I'd like to spend those few hours hanging out with you."
"Thank you," she said, rubbing her eye. "I'd like that."
~o~
The ship's horn bellowed into the air, and she began to pull out of Lilycove's harbor. I waved out from the deck to Nancy and Sebastian, who did the same from the other side. Those few hours passed us by in a flash, despite the fact we did nothing but talk at leisure in a small diner by the beach. Once both of them were out of sight, I let out a heavy sigh. I'd really miss Nancy.
The day was bright and cheerful, and of course everything looks far better when you're aboard a cruise ship. I took a seat by the rails, so I could stare out at the ocean. Vulpix didn't like the sea, so of course she hid underneath my chair the entire time. Naturally, I got bored of staring at the ocean before long, so I went digging through my bag to find something to do. Sadly, that also didn't eat up much time, as most of my junk was now probably half way to Kanto by now. One thing I did dig up was the small box containing the moonstone Nancy had bought me. Instantly I pulled Clefairy's Pokeball and released her.
"Look, Clefairy! It's a moonstone!" I showed her the sparkling rock, and of course her first instinct was to reach out for it. I pulled away just before her small hands touched it.
"Are you sure? If you touch this, you'll be forced to evolve, you know. You sure that's okay?" My warning seemed to reach her, though it did nothing to curb her desire for the stone. It looked like my guess was right, and since Clefairy lived near the moonstone naturally, they'd have no qualms about using it to evolve on a whim. And since that is why I sought out the stone in the first place, I once again offered her the stone.
She took it in her hands, and instantly her body burst into a full glow. She grew a few inches in height, and then stopped glowing. Aside from larger wings and pointier ears, she looked the same as before. As per tradition, I took out my Pokedex to scan her.
"Clefable, the Fairy Pokemon. Its very sensitive ears let it distinguish distant sounds. As a result, it prefers quiet places."
The ship's horn let out another whistle, and in response Clefable's hands shot for her large ears. I gave her a soft pat on the head, but was curious about the ship's horn. It was still too soon to be arriving at Mossdeep, I thought. I looked out to the ocean surface, and saw something massive splashing around just off the side. It was a Pokemon, almost as long and large as the ship itself. The other passengers on the ship had mixed reactions; with some left in awe, others running belowdecks in fear. If that Pokemon attacked the ship, we could be in trouble. But did it have a reason to?
"What is that?" I asked one of the nearby passengers.
"It's a Wailord," he replied. It was a young man in a dark fedora. "They frequent these parts of the ocean, so it's nothing to worry about."
"I see." My Pokedex still in my hands, I aimed it at the large beast as best I could, hoping it would be enough to ID it.
"Wailord, the Float Whale Pokemon. It breathes through nostrils that it raises above the sea. By inhaling to its maximum capacity, a Wailord can dive close to 10,000 feet beneath the waves."
"A Pokemon trainer, I see," commented the young man at my side.
"Yeah," I said with a smile, "I've never seen a Pokemon so big!"
"Wailords are the largest of all known Pokemon. Because they're so large, using them in actual Pokemon battles isn't allowed for the most part, you know."
"Guess not, huh?" They wouldn't fit in any of the arenas I'd visited so far. I could only imagine what would happen if a Wailord was released in one of them. The Wailord let out a mighty bellow, then submerged again beneath the waves. The excitement gone, the passengers all began to shuffle back to their previous stations.
"You off to the Battle Frontier?" The young man remained standing by the rails.
"I am, actually. First I have to make a stop in Mossdeep City, though. Are you going to the Battle Frontier?"
"Sure am. Maybe we'll luck out and have a match there. If we're real lucky, we could end up battling side by side."
"They have double battles there, too?"
"Sure they do! Just depends what the coordinator wants from the trainers. Name's Roland, by the way." I shook his hand when he offered it to me.
"Star."
"My pleasure, Star. Good luck while you're at Mossdeep, and I hope I see you at the Frontier."
Roland gave me a farewell salute, and strolled off to another part of the ship. Clefable was having fun hanging around Vulpix, so I let her wander for a bit outside her Pokeball until the ship docked at Mossdeep. There was really only one order of business for me there, and that was to hit up the local gym.
~o~
I got off the ramp and onto Mossdeep soil. The name was appropriate for the island, as it was covered in grass and shrubbery. The island had an upward slope, with a large building situated at the highest point. It certainly wasn't the gym, so I really had no reason to be going all the way up there. My first stop was the Pokemon Center, as was par for the course, and then the gym. Because of my little vacation in Lilycove, I hadn't done my homework into what kind of gym leader ran the place here, so I'd be going in practically blind.
Skipping ahead ever slightly, I stood before the city gym. The structure was completely round, with only a symbol over the front door. I guessed it to be a replica of the badge, yet something about it all felt familiar. Shrugging off the feeling, I went inside, and followed the circular hallway around for a while before reaching a door marked with the same heart-shaped icon. Now, I was really starting to feel anxious, as I had the strangest feeling of deja vu. When I couldn't pinpoint the reason, I shrugged it off again and went inside.
The arena was the first thing I took notice of. I usually tried to gauge the type specialty through it, but this time it was made of a claylike material. It was hard, yet bouncy to the touch. When that didn't give me any clues, I looked to the gym leader. Rather, gym leaders. There were two kids sitting side-by-side on the leader's end of the arena.
"This is certainly a surprise," came a female voice from the pair.
"Indeed, Liza. I seem to know this trainer!" The second voice was male.
"Hello," I said, interrupting their conversation, "my name is-"
"Star," answered the girl, Liza.
"And she's come to challenge us for a badge," said the boy. The stood up and looked in my direction. Something about all this was starting to weird me out.
"That's right... how did you...?"
"We know who you are..."
"Because we know someone who knows you!" Their unison talk was beginning to get on my nerves.
"Okay, who?" To answer that, they each released a Pokemon. One of them I knew well enough: it was Lunatone, most likely the same one I met at Meteor Falls. The other was shaped like a sun instead, no doubt the companion I never got to see myself.
"You've met before, haven't you?" Liza said.
"At Meteor Falls, you helped Lunatone save Solrock from Team Magma."
"Yeah," I confirmed, "but I didn't exactly do much. I was trying to help, but Lunatone sort of went on his own while I was trying to escape myself."
"Still, it was your intervention that allowed us to meet with our Pokemon," said Liza.
"And that same intervention will allow us to do battle here today." I still didn't know the boy's name.
"Cool," I said, hoping to get this battle over with as quickly as possible. "T hen let's get started! What are the rules?"
"We will each use two Pokemon," said Liza.
"We battle together as one, so there will still be only four Pokemon on the field. Defeat us, and you earn the Mindbadge."
"Okay," I said, looking down at my belt. A double battle, something I hadn't done in a gym match since Viridian City. Only this time, I'd be alone. Against these two psychic type users. I was running a risky gambit here, but I chose the Pokeballs belonging to Clefable and Gastly.
"The Pokemon have been selected," said Liza.
"And now the battle begins. And my name is Tate, Star. I read your thoughts." The very thought scared me. And it all hit me at that moment: the deja vu. It was Sabrina's battle all over again.
"Lunatone, Rock Polish!"
"Solrock, Fire Spin!"
"Gastly, Clefable, scatter!"
That first round was a total disaster on my part, I admit. I didn't expect them to start so strong, though fortunately my panicked command allowed both of my Pokemon to evade the massive tornado of flames. Solrock was fronting their force, with Lunatone hiding out behind him, powering up for the next attack. They had the advantage of being able to synchronize their attacks perfectly, while I had to think on my toes just to keep up. It wouldn't be an easy fight.
"Solrock, Solar Beam!"
"Lunatone, Psywave!"
The two Pokemon exchanged positions, with Lunatone now shielding Solrock while he charged up his upcoming attack. Lunatone aimed for Clefable first, releasing a pulsing wave of invisible energy.
"Clefable, use Defense Curl!"
Clefable quickly encircled herself with a magic mirror, which helped to curb the damage inflicted by Psywave.
"Gastly, use Night Shade!"
"Lunatone, Cosmic Power!"
The moon Pokemon began to sparkle like the stars in the night sky, completely negating Gastly's attack.
"Solrock, Solar Beam!"
The two switched places again, and Solrock released the pent up energy. The beam struck Gastly head on, though for all its flash Gastly was able to weather the attack quite well. I was doomed at this rate, as the two siblings continued to hide behind each other. I had to overpower their defenses somehow before they got another clear shot.
"Solrock, use Cosmic Power!"
"Lunatone, Rock Throw!"
Again the two Pokemon swapped positions, preparing for a long range assault. I'd need to get close for a better chance at attacking, which is when an idea hit me.
"Gastly, use Shadow Ball from atop Clefable! Clefable, use Gravity!"
My two Pokemon joined forces as quickly as possible, allowing Clefable to freely use her Gravity ability on the field. Forced back to the ground, Solrock's Cosmic Power was interrupted, while Lunatone's Rock Throw was rendered useless. Gastly followed up quickly with Shadow Ball, which blasted Solrock clean in the face.
"Keep it up, you two! Another Shadow Ball!"
Gastly hurled another dark attack at Solrock, who was once again powerless to stop it. Though I was happy that the battle was going in my favor, I had the feeling this simple strategy wouldn't be enough to beat these twins.
"Lunatone, Psychic!"
The moon shaped critter behind Solrock began to glow, and both Gastly and Clefable were caught by the powerful attack. The Gravity field neutralized, Solrock was able to get off the ground again, while Gastly and Clefable were held aloft. First was Gastly, who was crushed by the sheer force of the ability, and exploded into several fragments. Though it was painful to watch, he was already dead, so that couldn't exactly be fatal, you know? However, Clefable took an especially painful blow as well. She was flipped face down, and forced into the ground, causing it to crack all around her.
"Clefable! Are you okay!?" There was no response from her, which worried me more. It took her a moment, but she was able to pick herself up. She was badly hurt, and couldn't last much longer in this fight. Gastly also gathered himself up, though he was looking equally tired already. Meanwhile, Lunatone was still in prime condition, and Solrock still had plent of spunk left in him. This battle was on its way downward.
"Lunatone, Rock Throw!"
"Solrock, Fire Spin!"
Tate and Liza both saw this as a means to end the battle, as well. I had only a split second to come up with a strategy, and by some divine miracle it came to me right when I needed it.
"Gastly, Destiny Bond towards Lunatone! Clefable, Healing Wish, NOW!"
Gastly locked eyes with Lunatone, a dark string forming just in time to tie both Pokemon together. Meanwhile, just as Solrock's Fire Spin began to take form and envelope my critters, Clefable clapped her hands together, releasing a few dazzles of light. A second later, both Pokemon were engulfed in the flames, with stones hurled into the deadly mix for good measure. At one point during the seconds-long scene, I had to look away, but I opened my eyes when it all died down.
Both of my Pokemon were on the ground, completely knocked out. I looked to Lunatone, who remained afloat, but only for a moment. A dark spirit took grasp of it, and forced it to the ground as well. My gaze turned back to Gastly, who remained still on the ground. Then, a small flicker of light stirred him, before he rose again, entirely capable of fighting at full strength! Clefable's wish had come true just in time! What's more, Gastly's body began to glow, and I couldn't believe what was happening. He was evolving!
"Solrock, Confusion!" It was down to Tate's Solrock and my new Pokemon, Haunter.
"Haunter, Sucker Punch!"
Solrock's eyes started to glow, but Haunter vanished from sight just after. He appeared behind the sun shaped Pokemon, delivering a powerful punch than forced Solrock to the ground.
"Haunter, use Shadow Punch again!"
"Solrock, Cosmic Power!" I could tell Tate was starting to panic now that his sister wasn't able to lend assistance.
Solrock began to sparkle again, while Haunter's arms vanished from sight. The reappeared again behind Solrock, each delivering a powerful blow that seemed to pierce Solrock's defenses. The large Pokemon was starting to show signs of fatigue, indicating it was time to end this battle.
"Haunter, use Night Shade!"
Once his arms were back in their rightful places, Haunter reeled back to deliver his attack. However, just before it went off, his entire body began to glow. I knew what was to follow: Haunter's Pokemon Power! Tate saw it coming as well, and tried his best to brace Solrock for it.
"Solrock, Cosmic Power!"
The Pokemon put up its defensive barrier once more, but it wouldn't be enough. Haunter's greatest ability, the Nightmare, radiated complete darkness from his body, swallowing Solrock whole. It washed over him like a river, and when Solrock could be seen again, he was knocked out on the ground, traces of the darkness still lingering on his body. A silence reigned over the arena following that victory. It was so close on my end, I couldn't even bring myself to cheer.
Not to mention Haunter's attack was rather horrifying in itself.
~o~
"Congratulations, Star," both Liza and Tate announced in unison. "You've earned the Mindbadge."
Each of the twins offered me a badge, though neither of the two was willing to back down. I ended up taking the badge Tate was holding, since the deciding part of the match was against his Solrock.
"That was truly a startling finish," he told me.
"Indeed, I did not expect any of your strategies to overcome our synchronized attacks," said Liza.
"You know, neither did I. When you squashed my Pokemon with that Psychic, I thought it was all over for me. Thank goodness that last second plan worked out." I pinned the badge onto my trainer card, which now only had one slot remaining.
"You're a talented trainer, Star," said Liza.
"Perhaps there may even be something of a psychic ability buried deep within you." I smiled at Tate, but shook my head at the same time.
"No, I don't think so," I said, shuddering at the thought. "I'm just another normal trainer, thats all. I mean, I've never even caught a psychic Pokemon before."
"You should consider it," said Tate.
"Yes, perhaps it's all you need to begin developing your psychic bond with your Pokemon!"
"Again, no thanks, you two. It was a great battle, and I hope we see each other again. Maybe at the Battle Frontier?"
"Unfortunately," began Liza.
"We can't go. We have other duties here in the gym."
"Oh, bummer," I said. "I guess this is goodbye, then?"
The two twins looked sad to see me go, but there was nothing that could be done. I said my farewells to both of them quickly, as to not drag out their sense of sorrow for too long. Once I was outside the gym, I breathed a sigh of relief. Vulpix looked at me confused, so I kneeled down and gave her a pat on the head.
"I was afraid they'd use their powers and turn me into something, like Sabrina did, remember? Then again, she did say that was impossible, and it was all in my head..."
Vulpix looked at me with her head tilted sideways. I giggled to myself, suddenly remembering why she was so confused.
"I forgot, you were out cold then. Well, never mind. Let's get going, right? We have to cross the ocean again to reach our next destination."