Chapter Six

Beating the Odds

"Misty!" Ash crooned once more, loosening his steely hold on his redheaded best friend. He held onto her shoulders at arms' length, his eyes beaming with ecstasy.

Misty let out a gasp once Ash let go, feeling her aching muscles still stiff at the abrupt tackle. She reached a hand over to her rigid neck, rubbing the tension off, when Ash embraced her again. The Gym Leader thought she heard a sob escape his mouth.

"Misty, I'm glad you're alright!" choked Ash, letting go of his friend once more, this time entirely. He turned away for a moment, rubbing an eye.

Ash looked as though he was crying a little. A smile graced Misty's face, the tension in her sore body washing away. Had he been looking for her this whole time?

"Ash, I'm so happy that you're okay, too!" Misty said, softly.

Ash turned to face Misty again, this time his eyes were dry but they shone with such affection that Misty's cheeks blushed a light shade of pink.

There was a brief silence shared between them as they beamed at each other with relief, while also catching their breath. Pikachu, however, broke the stillness between the two trainers by nuzzling against Misty's damp pant leg.

"I'm glad you're okay too, Pikachu!" Misty giggled, looking down at the cute rodent, showing its fondness for her. After collecting her wits, Misty shook her head, demanding, "How is that you're alive right now?"

This caught Ash off guard a bit. Why wouldn't I be alive? Ash thought. Scratching his temple, Ash asked, "What're you talking about?"

"I'm talking about some drink that was supposed to kill you!" Misty shrilled, the tension creeping all around her again. "I overheard Team Rocket talking about it."

Ash gave Misty a puzzled look before remembering the goblet that spilled back at the campsite. The goblet that held a poisoned liquid, killing the leafy surface of the jungle floor. "I didn't drink it," Ash finally said after thinking back on the memory. "Pikachu stopped me and it spilled."

Misty released a sigh of relief, gazing at Pikachu with gratitude. "What would he do without you, Pikachu?" she muttered to the rodent; Pikachu smiled in return. Her eyes turned back to Ash who eyed the interaction between Pikachu and Misty. "You didn't think it was me, did you?"

"I…did…actually—at first!" Ash stuttered defensively. "But once Pikachu stopped me, I knew that it couldn't have been you."

There was a pregnant pause between them as silence consumed the Hollow. Awkwardness wasn't something normal between the two friends. It became clear to both of them that there was more on their minds; thoughts that steeped but neither could bring their concealed concerns passed their lips.

"Uh…Misty?" Ash began, quietly, his eyes darting to Misty's face then to his feet. "About…what happened…"

Misty shook her head, putting her hands up to stop Ash from speaking any further. "Don't worry about it."

"But I—" Ash started but flinched when Misty brought a pointed finger close to his face.

"Save it," Misty told him but not in any way vexatious, instead she sounded calm. "We don't have to talk about that now. We need to help out our friends."

Ash's eyes twinkled with confusion. Deep down, the black-haired trainer wanted to apologize for his reaction to Misty's questions and especially for accusing Misty of intentionally trying to taint their friendship. And then of course, he abandoned her in this very forest, leaving her alone with her feelings, as he put it.

Misty observed the change in Ash's mood, feeling a little guilty for interrupting. Even though a part of her wanted to know what Ash was going to say about the incident, the very thought of Ash revealing his true feelings made her cringe. If Ash did not feel for her the way she felt for him, it didn't really matter; she wanted to remain his best friend and remain in his life and him in hers.

Another reason Misty ordered Ash to hold off was because they had to hurry and rescue their friends from Team Rocket. As important as rehashing her friendship with Ash was, they had bigger worries on their hands and wasting time was not an option.

"I appreciate it, Ash, but we don't have to discuss it. Not now, not ever even. We're running out of time. Our friends need us. They need you!"

Judging by the look on Ash's face, he had sensed the distress in his friend's eyes. He flashed a determined grin and nodded. "Alright, but what happened to you?! You're all wet."

Misty completely forgot about her harrowing journey from falling into the ocean to being rescued by the mermaids. Only when Ash asked her did Misty suddenly feel cold, once again aware of what she just went through.

"Long story," Misty sighed. "Team Rocket found me alone and had an Ariados use string shot on me." Misty felt herself shudder at being so close to such a horrifyingly, large arachnid Pokemon.

She continued to explain the details hastily, of what had happened to her. She mentioned that their friends were tied up and she was forced to walk the plank. Each detail of the story seemed to outrage Ash as his face morphed further into an enraged frown.

"Then, I came to on the shore and in front of me were May, Dawn and Serena," Misty finished.

Ash's face softened at the mention of the mermaids. They were his friends and even though they initially were not kind to Misty, he was glad to hear that they still looked out for her in a time of danger.

"So they're still on the ship, then," Ash said finally after Misty told him her story. "Okay! Let's go!"

He turned and leapt into the air but Misty stopped him from flying away.

"Hold on!" she panted, holding an arm out. "I can't fly."

"'Course you can, Mist," Ash dismissed, playfully thinking that this was a joke. "Follow me."

"Ash! I can't. I don't know what happened but I'm not able to fly anymore."

Ash lowered himself back to the ground, rubbing his chin, perplexed. "Can't fly, huh? Hmm…"

Misty shook her head, looking downcast. It was frustrating to discover that her only outlet of traveling in Neverland was flight and she could have escaped Team Rocket's ship painlessly had she been able to soar in the air. And yet, the ability had been taken away from her.

"I wonder…" Ash mused. "if Team Rocket had anything to do with it…"

"I don't know," muttered Misty. "I mean they had an Ariados use its string shot to tie me up."

"String shot tends to slow anything down," noted Ash. "Unless…"

Misty shot a baffled look at Ash, excitement boiling in her stomach. "Unless what? How can I fly again?" she interjected, surprising both Ash and Pikachu in the process.

Ash and Pikachu exchanged a nervous look. Facing his friend who was frothing for a solution, Ash chuckled awkwardly, "Well, this sounds silly, but thinking of happy thoughts usually works."

If Misty had looked confused before, nothing compared to how flummoxed she felt now. It didn't make any logical sense to her that thinking happy thoughts would keep her floating. But Misty had forgotten that she was in Neverland, a place where it is possible for humans to fly and mermaids to exist.

"Does it help?" Misty couldn't help but dare ask.

"It does for me," Ash replied, shrugging. "I think it did for you too…"

Misty expected as much. Although she didn't realize that when she was flying, she must've been thinking positive, happy thoughts. But maybe it stemmed more than thinking; maybe it was about feeling happy.

As the Gym Leader pondered more about the theory, she was amazed to conclude that Ash was right. When she was flying earlier, it was easy, natural (after some getting used to that is). And when she did fly, Misty happened to be with Ash, having a blast. And once Team Rocket captured her, all the euphoria she exuded had drained completely.

Misty then thought of how Ash was still able to fly. She smiled, gazing at Ash happily. Misty was then reminded what she admired most about Ash, which was how he always remained optimistic, happy-go-lucky. He always had pep in his step, controlling even the strongest emotions, pushing that aside and letting happiness mask it all.

"How do you do it?" Misty chortled softly.

"Huh?" Ash asked looking confused again.

Ah, there was that denseness but this time Misty was not bothered at all by it. She shook her head, sighing. "Let's just go, shall we?"

Ash was glad to see Misty in a much better mood and elated to know that she's safe and not hurt. "Okay!" he agreed. "Do you think you can fly now?"

Without even thinking about it, Misty gave her friend a sure nod. Ash was the first to jump into the air with Pikachu on his shoulder. He made sure not to hover to far from where Misty was standing, and as he floated easily, he lent a hand out for Misty to grab.

Though, Misty just shook her head, having Ash withdraw his arm. He beamed at Misty with confidence, waiting for her patiently. The redhead took a deep breath; she was going to try this very carefully.

Rather than hopping into the air with the hope that she would remain there, Misty tiptoed as she willed herself to part from the ground. And to her amazement, Misty gradually felt gravity falling off, her body once more floating weightlessly.

Her toes parted from the leafy surface, and her body continued to soar a little higher, reaching Ash and Pikachu. She looked back down to see the progress she had made; satisfied that she was now able to take flight again.

"Alright," Misty sighed, giving Ash an affirmative look. "Let's head straight for their ship."

"Not so fast," Ash halted Misty. "We have to make sure that we spot them before they spot us…"

The tide was much calmer tonight, albeit higher. It must have to do with the full moon, which guided the way into the abyss. Team Rocket had been sailing for a few hours, into an unknown location. It seemed as if they were biding their time until daybreak to see if a certain flying boy would rise above their sails and raise hell.

The commotion from earlier had died down with the help of some Pokemon on board as well as instilling fear into the captives whom were still tied together on the middle of the deck.

Though as the night bled onward, the captives grew more restless and…

"I'm hungry…" Bonnie whined as her stomach made a low groan.

"Me too," Max grumbled in agreement beside her, unable to sleep despite the fact that he and the others should have been asleep back at the campsite long ago.

"I'm sure Ash will come save us. Any moment now." Tracey assured the two youngest of the bunch, casting a shadowy smirk of hope.

"Shut it!" screeched the Captain, giving her captives a baleful stare, causing Max and Bonnie to gulp and the rest flinch at the harsh voice.

Once her hostages had silenced, Captain Jessie resumed her conversation with James and Meowth near the wheel.

"Jessie, do you think we should still wait all night for the boy to turn up?" James asked. "I say he's good as dead, let's get rid of these twerps." He gestured to the huddled group on the deck.

"Not yet!" Jessie hissed, a little agitated. "My plan was to wait until daybreak."

"But if he is alive," Meowth began, stroking its chin. "What if he happens to be late? He was asleep when we last saw him at the tree house."

Jessie released an irritated huff. "If he's not here by daybreak, we dispose of the jungle gang there and we set off to find Pikachu!"

"You reckon Pikachu drank the juice too?" James implored.

"Nah," Meowth responded, plainly. Pokemon can sniff out the poison better than any human can. It's like our sixth sense. Or seventh since we have special abilities…"

As Team Rocket carried on with a private conversation near the wheel, the pirates went about their usual pirate duties, swabbing the deck, keeping a lookout in a post on one of the sail's pillars, loading cannons and what not.

Ash's friends remained in their spot, bound so tight, the older ones felt as though they were getting sawed in half. They all looked downcast, watching the moon move higher into the sky, revolving around the island as time progressed. There was still no sign of Ash or Pikachu, or Misty.

"Do you think Misty made it?" Cilan asked in a hushed voice to Brock.

Brock strained his neck to turn to Cilan beside him, giving him an answer, whispering, "I'm sure of it. She's a water type gym leader, she understands how the ocean operates."

"Yeah," Tracey's voice murmured from the other side of their circle. "She's practically a mermaid in the water."

"I wonder why she couldn't fly…" Gary mumbled to himself, but caught the ears of Clemont.

"Maybe it had to do with salty atmosphere in the air," Clemont hypothesized. "Or perhaps under stress, the ability to fly is somehow suppressed. Although I don't know how flying is even possible for a human."

"I hope she's okay," Bonnie whimpered, her eyes staring down at the rope, cutting into her stomach.

At the sound of Bonnie's pitiful voice, the others all became quiet for a moment. They did hear a splash and Team Rocket was pretty satisfied with sending her to depths of the murky ocean.

Misty was like a beacon of hope for them when she emerged from the Captain's quarters, hands free from any sort of bind and standing bravely in front of them as a shield before the enemies.

As the ship was carried further out into the ocean and the moon now cast directly above it, desperation and fear washed over the captives. Their minds remained boggled as to where their friends were and they all hoped the same thing: that Ash, Pikachu and Misty were still alive.

The ease and speed of flying had returned to Misty as if it never left, much to the redhead's amazement. Ash was indeed right; feeling happy was what kept her afloat, matching the speed of Ash as they exited Fairy Hollow.

Ash suggested that they quickly stop by the campsite to gather any of their friends' Pokeballs that might have been left behind. Sadly, though it appeared that Team Rocket likely pocketed them when kidnapping the group.

Upon finding nothing of any sort that could help them, Ash, Misty and Pikachu fled the campsite, ascending higher into the sky. Ash led the way, propelling himself further upward, the jungle dropping out of sight.

They were now miles up into the air when Ash stopped. He, Pikachu and Misty had a high view of the island, but because of the distance and the darkness of night, certain facets were miniscule in size.

One thing that did stick out was the peak of the summit. The grayish mound camoflouged at first perfectly with the night backdrop but became clear to their eyes once its shape formed into view.

Instantly, Ash zoomed towards the peak, Misty on his tail. Reaching the top of the mountain, Ash and Misty landed on their feet. Ash held a hand over his eyes, scanning the island. Misty did the same and was impressed with how clear everything seemed to be up there.

Sure most things looked small in size but she was able to make out certain things on the island in their minimized forms. Her eyes traveled over to the lagoon on the other side of the mountain and she swore she saw the fins of the mermaids submerge back into the waters. The redhead smiled to herself, relieved to know that they were at least safe.

Drifting her gaze over to the Dragon Village, everything seemed to be a lot quieter than it was hours before. The villagers appeared to have turned in for the night and the village itself looked as it did when Misty left it: untouched by any outsiders, mainly Team Rocket.

She was however able to make out Drayden's Haxorus and Iris's silhouette, chatting. At least they're all safe too, Misty thought.

"I don't see them anywhere!" Ash hissed, frustrated.

Misty's eyes swept over to the ocean and she was unable to spot a single boat, let alone a pirate ship on the black waters. Team Rocket must have sailed out pretty far. But where would they go? Was there a place beyond Neverland or would they return by morning in a loop? Could it be that they sailed to another island? Or perhaps even to Kanto, Johto even?

Pikachu was on Ash's head, leaning forward just enough to see out but not enough to obscure his partner's vision. By the look on Pikachu's face, Misty could tell that it had a hard time spotting the ship too.

"How are we supposed to find them when the waters' so dark?" Ash said through gritted teeth.

Misty then turned her gaze straight at the moon ahead, casting a spotlight on a spot in the ocean. She couldn't be too sure but Misty thought she was able to make out a miniscule silhouette of a ship with what appeared to shine white sails.

"Look over there!" Misty said hurriedly, pointing her finger manically at the small, shadowy vessel.

Ash spun his head too quickly, having Pikachu nearly dislodge from atop his head and feeling the effects of whiplash develop in his neck. He kept his gaze steady, though, spotting what Misty was pointing at. The ship looked so tiny from their position on the mountaintop.

"That must be them then," Ash concluded, eyes gazing fiercely at the tiny ship, sailing below the moonlight. "It's gone out pretty far. This is going to be one long flight."

"How long?" Misty asked, a little worried that their time was slipping away at lightening speed.

Ash shrugged a little unsure himself. "Who knows?"

Misty fidgeted, feeling more nervous than ever for her friends' well being. Time was running out and she wearily remembered that if Ash did not arrive by dawn, then their friends would be sent off into a cold, watery grave.

Her mind was boggled on what to do and how to get there on time. She wanted to leap back into the air and zoomed away from the island and into the open ocean where the ship was. It was still in sight, which gave Misty hope that it wasn't as far as she thought.

But, then Misty thought about what would happen if they did arrive on the ship on time. Team Rocket and the pirates, as well as the Pokemon technically outnumbered them. Back when Misty first encountered the pirate ship, fleeing unscathed was easier, considering they were gliding in the air and their friends were not aboard.

Team Rocket or not, Misty had to give them credit much to her chagrin. The enemies have proven to escape danger themselves and crafty enough to capture a group of trainers and leave a poisoned goblet for Ash to meet his demise. The crime organization has proven to be a lot smarter this time around.

As Misty tried to think of a plan, Ash removed himself from the edge of the mountain, floating in midair. "C'mon Misty, let's save our friends," he stated determinedly.

"Hold on," Misty said suddenly. "I think we might need some reinforcements."

Ash gave his friend a curious look. "From who?"

Misty scoffed, rolling her eyes. Typical Ash, acting before thinking things through. He was ready to soar headfirst into danger before having a proper plan. And although Misty admits that sometimes Ash has proven to come out of sticky situations alive, the redhead refused to let his stubbornness get in the way this time.

"Just follow me," Misty replied, calmly, leaping off the mountain, allowing herself to fall just above the trees of the jungle.

Ash, with Pikachu followed her down the mountain. As they reached the tops of the jungle trees, Misty led the way into a familiar direction.

The speed Misty was going at, surprised Ash as he always thought he was the expert flyer. Even he had a hard time keeping up at Misty's pace. She zoomed faster and faster, dodging branches and flying Pokemon in their wake.

Finally after gliding at speeds that rivaled a Pidgeot, the Dragon Village greeted them having Misty halt and drop to the ground. Ash dropped to his feet as well, running behind Misty.

Drayden and Iris appeared before them, noticing how frantic Ash and Misty were, exchanging confused looks.

"Misty? Ash?" Iris said, looking from one to the other.

"What's the matter?" Drayden asked, furrowing his brows.

Misty was panting, trying to catch her breath before saying, "We need your help."

More hours stretched on as long as the endless ocean they were sailing on. The moon no longer cast a spotlight above the watercraft and instead had reached the other end of the ocean. The night was waning and sunrise was getting closer by the hour.

Team Rocket had retired into the cabin below for the night and judging by the sounds of snoring and heavy breathing, they were sound asleep. The pirates were no longer scrambling about the vessel, and all took various spots on the boat to keep watch of anything out in sea.

The air began to nip the exposed flesh of the captives as the air became colder and shrouded with mist. With how low the temperature was dropping, Ash's friends could not wait until sunrise to bask in the rays' warmth.

All was quiet on the boat, the pirates practically ignoring the group, still bound in a circle. They all huddled together for warmth, but still could not fight the chills that coursed through their bodies.

"Wh—when d—d—do you g—guys think the sun w—will be u—u—up?" Gary asked, through clattering teeth.

"A few hours," Clemont shuddered feeling an icy chill run down his back.

Daybreak was indeed a few hours away as the moon was beginning its slow descent into the ocean, which was no longer as black as it had been all night.

No one knew where they were now, likely far from Neverland by this point. But one couldn't be too certain, since the waves weren't strong enough to carry the ship at great strides.

"We have to get loose," Cilan suggested, wriggling against the firm, thick rope. As he and the others tried to wiggle free, the rope burned against their arms, causing a few of them to pause in pain.

"It's too tight," Brock groaned, miserably. "It's impossible to even move with this rope."

"My arms feel like their going to fall off," whined Max, stomping his feet on the deck in frustration.

"Shh!" Bonnie said harshly to Max. "Team Rocket will hear us."

Max responded with a sheepish grin, sweat dropping. "Eh…right."

They all looked to see if the pirates had noticed Max's sudden outburst but then collectively released a sigh of relief when they caught sight of the pirates twitching in their spots, their limb bodies leaning on various objects on the ship: the pirates had fallen asleep.

"They must be used to this cold," Gary pointed out.

"Where's Ash?" Max asked suddenly, but much softer than before.

"Who knows?" Gary responded with a bitter taste lodged in his throat. He hated being helpless. It was not a characteristic that Gary ever withheld; too much pride to ever ask for the aid of anyone.

His eyes swept over to the now distant moon, watching it slowly sink lower and lower in the ocean. His gaze was transfixed with a glimmer of hope. You're too stubborn to die, Ash, Gary said in his mind, expecting Ash to come out of nowhere, denying Gary's claim. And with that bit of hope lingering in his head, Gary remained certain that his friend would come to their rescue soon.

"I'm sleepy…" Bonnie yawned, leaning onto her older brother's arm just below his shoulder. Gravity was pulling her lids, but she forced herself to stay awake, lest she wants anything to happen to everyone else.

Clemont, however, reassured her otherwise. "Try getting some sleep, Bonnie." He looked down at the blonde head by his side, bearing a soft grin.

"But big brother, what if Team Rocket throws us into the ocean?"

"That won't happen. I won't let it happen, none of us will." Clemont's smile grew when his blue eyes met the droopy ones of his sister.

"But…what about…zzz" Bonnie muttered before her voice melted into heavy breathing. She had succumbed to the exhaustion that overwhelmed everyone. She wasn't the only one.

Max and Dedenne had drifted off in the past couple of minutes, their eyes shut and their bodies now limp. Aside from Max and Bonnie being the youngest ones, and Dedenne being Dedenne, all three of them had a trying day as it is. From being kidnapped by Team Rocket the first time and taken to the cavern where they were submerged in the frigid waters inside to getting captured once again, and this time unfortunately still in the clutches of their captors.

It seemed as though the older ones of the group were also submitting to the bleariness. Cilan and Tracey were both nodding off, jolting whenever they realized they were about to fall asleep. Brock's head was dipped downwards but he twitched his foot to keep him awake. Clemont checked on Bonnie and Max, making sure they were okay, but could not suppress the yawns that escaped his mouth.

And Gary, although tired and cold, his eyes remained wide open. He was staring blankly to the sky, lost in thought. He was debating the likelihood that Misty survived. He knew more of her than who she is as a person. From what he knew though, Gary admitted that Misty was a great trainer that carried a fierce personality, in a good way. Why couldn't she fly? He continued to ponder silently.

As the night drew to a close, the moon now vanished into the water, which was no longer black but carried flecks of purple and red as the sun began its ascent into the sky. The dark sky evaporated into a light blue, the stars fading from sight. The mist that shrouded the atmosphere had burned off thanks to the sun's presence.

Gary was still awake by the time the sun was rising. He still carried hope that Ash and Misty would appear. But he couldn't completely ignore the aching feeling in his gut that something bad did happen to them. The thought that Ash either fell into some sort of trap placed by Team Rocket or that he was still oblivious to where his friends were, worried Gary. The same can be said for Misty. Gary truly believed that she survived her fall into the ocean but ocean waters were never predictable.

With the sun climbing the now bright blue sky, the rest of Gary's friends began to stir as the sun's rays warmed their cold skin.

"What time is it?" sighed Cilan, his lids still a little droopy as he looked around him.

"The sun's up," Max replied, his vision bleary despite having his glasses on. The realization that morning had arrived sent a spike of anxiety boil in Max's blood. "Wait? It's sunrise now! What's going to happen to us?!"

"Shh, Max," Gary told him, shooting his dry eyes at the boy. "They're still asleep," he jerked his head towards the Captain's cabin.

"Ash still hasn't shown up!" Max went on, worriedly, causing the others to become more alert of their predicament.

"What if something bad did happen to him?" Tracey whispered, exchanging a weary look with Clemont. "And Misty too…"

"I'm sure they're coming," Brock said, trying to sound as calm and confident as possible.

"But it's been all night," Max retorted.

"Max, calm down," Cilan ordered him calmly, even though he himself was beginning to doubt their chances of rescue. "Though, I am worried about him, Pikachu and Misty," he whispered to Brock.

"Yeah," Brock murmured back, not wanting to Max to overhear. "But Team Rocket is still asleep, so we still have time before anything happens."

And as if the parameters of the watercraft heard Brock's words, the doors of the Captain's cabin flung open with a clang, jolting the pirates awake and causing the captives to flinch.

Strutting out of the cabin, lordly, was Team Rocket, led by the Captain herself. They all had impish smiles on their faces, which were much more refreshed than those of everyone else.

"Good morning," Jessie drawled. "Nice to see that you're all still here." James and Meowth chortled at the sight of their hostages still bound in their spot on the deck, barely having moved an inch.

"And…" Jessie continued, looking over to where the sun was. "I guess the flying twerp has fallen." She and Team Rocket burst into devilish giddy.

The other pirates had gathered around, waiting on some sort of order from Team Rocket but did not hesitating in joining in on the laughter.

The captives all glared at the cruelness of Team Rocket and the pirates. And once the laughter had died, Jessie flashed an evil smirk at the tied group saying; "I guess there's no point having you all around anymore. Without further ado, it's time for a morning swim."

Jessie glided forward, trying to look fearsome to her hostages. She took pleasure in seeing them all helpless there, not able to escape their ultimate demise. "Who'd like to go first?" she asked maliciously.

Suddenly there was a sound of something coming out of the water. James, Meowth and the pirates all rushed over to the edge of the boat, peering down to find something.

Jessie walked over to the edge, pushing through the pirates in the way. She looked down to see something that she normally would not be happy to see. But in this case, Jessie thought the appearance of this visitor perfect.

"We've got company," she said.

The captives all held their breath in hope, thinking that it could be their friend at last. Yet, Jessie was very eager to break the news to her hostages. "Don't get too excited, unless you all are eager to fall into the jaws of a Ferliagtr."

The water Pokemon that pursued Team Rocket into the cavern the night before was in the ocean, waiting by the ship. It gave a low hiss, causing the crew to back away from the edge of the boat.

"Now let's—" Jessie began before getting cut off by a defiant voice.

"None of us our going in that water," Gary shouted. "You can't make us!"

The whole ship fell silent. The crew all watched as Jessie's face twitched as a response to Gary's outburst. And the others tied, gasped.

"You have no choice, brat," Jessie hissed, leaning closer to Gary, brandishing her hooked hand threateningly. "When I give my command, you're all going to get thrown off."

Gary eyes bore in the Captain's with pure contempt. He did not flinch as Jessie brought the tip of her hook, towards his nose. Gary continued scowl straight into Jessie's harsh gaze.

"You think you've won?" he sneered, but not in his usual cocky way. "You underestimate him. And Misty and all of us."

"You underestimate me," Jessie growled, the crew wincing at the harshness in her voice. She lowered her hooked hand to Gary's chin, pulling his face upwards, cutting into his flesh.

"Stop, please!" Cilan asked.

"Quiet!" Jessie spat.

"He's right!" Bonnie spoke up.

"Yeah, we're not going into the ocean!" Clemont barked.

"And what are you going to do then?" Meowth squeeze passed the crew with James by its side.

"You're all outnumbered," James explained. "You're all tied up with no Pokemon and your friends are dead."

"No they're not!" Gary spewed.

The others began to wriggle out of their bounds again, even though it was futile. They broke out into indistinct yells and cries of defiance, supporting Gary's belief that Ash and Misty were still alive and that Team Rocket had not won yet.

The pirates all released their Pokemon to stop the ruckus ensuing, but their fearsome Pokemon were still not enough to silence the outcry. James and Meowth tried to hold some of the captives down as they kicked and writhed out of their control.

"Hey!" Meowth shouted, placing a paw on his mouth before revealing his claws and swiping Brock across the face.

Brock released a cry of agony. Tracey kicked his feet to fend off the cat but James snatched up Meowth, out of harm's reach.

The boat erupted with screams, cries from the Pokemon, and shouts of commands and yells of resistance from the hostages. The watercraft began to rock steadily due to the rumbling aboard. Everything was getting out of hand and the Captain was not about to give up.

"ENOUGH!" she shrilled over the noise, much to the amazement of some. The pirates ordered their Pokemon to stop what they were doing and James and Meowth both walked over to Jessie's side at once.

The ship was shrouded in silence again, but the tension was a layer thicker.

Jessie's eyes flashed back down to Gary with utter rage. Gary felt his heartbeat do a somersault, but he tried to remain as composed as possible.

"You go first!" Jessie hissed, a smile forming on her lips. "Untie him," the Captain told the pirates. "And if any of you decided to try something, you'll be next." She shot a glare to the others as two pirates untied the rope, while being circled by a Toxicroak, a few Mightyena and a group of Golbat.

As Gary was released from the tight rope, he made an attempt to push through the two pirates, but another pair of pirates who began to drag him to the plank grabbed his arms. "Unhand me!" he shouted, pulling against their weight but was not strong enough.

"Gary no!" Bonnie shouted.

"Quiet, girl!" James spat.

As the pirates pulled him towards the wooden plank, Jessie led James and Meowth see him off.

"Too bad you can't fly," Jessie guffawed, evilly.

Once Gary stumbled onto the end of the plank he saw below him the Feraligatr waiting for something to fall. Its eyes held no mercy for him. A Golbat flew to where he stood, flapping its wings loudly in front of him, trying to push him off.

Gary watched his footing but it became increasingly difficult as the plank trembled.

"Gary!" the others cried.

Gary gave a fleeting look to his friends before Jessie gave a command that would seal his fate.

"Golbat, wing attack!"

Gary turned to see the massive bat, swing one wing at him, landing a painful blow to his side and felt himself plummeting into the water.

"No!"

"Gary!"

"How could you?!"

As Gary's friends' cries subsided, Jessie cuffed an ear with excitement, waiting to hear the fateful crash into the ocean.

But no splash was made, much to the panic of the Captain and her cohorts.

"What happened?" James asked looking puzzled. "Why did we hear anything?"

Jessie rushed over to the edge of the boat, looking down to find no ripples or any sign of submersion. She also noticed that the Feraligatr was nowhere to be seen. "Feraligatr's gone," she whispered.

"Maybe, it caught him with its mouth and took him below," Meowth guessed.

A sense of uneasiness was embedded on Jessie's face. She backed away from the edge, feeling as if something was about to surface. Upon noticing everyone's eyes on her, including her captives, Jessie tried to shake the feeling uncertainty.

"Uh—there you have it!" she proclaimed, lordly. "Now who's next?" She walked down to where the rest were tied up, but paused suddenly when she heard a whoosh of some sort above her.

Everyone looked up, confused as to what that was. It had happened so fast and no one saw anything. Jessie then inched closer but then shadow passed swiftly above them.

The pirates all stood tense, holding their Pokeballs, and their Pokemon hissing madly.

"What'd you suppose?" Max said quietly, peering above him to see where the shadow had come from.

"Hmph! Enough of this. James, Meowth, grab—" Jessie froze when she spotted a massive shadow behind a sail on her boat. The others were mystified by this unknown silhouette and curious to know who or what it belonged to.

"What's that?" Clemont asked in stupor.

Before anyone could answer, there came a bright beam out of nowhere that shot through the sail, scorching it into ashes in a matter of seconds. However whatever emitted that powerful beam disappeared before any eyes were laid upon it.

"What's going on?" Jessie shouted as smoke fogged the deck. She looked around to see everyone coughing and sputtering from the smoke. Her eyes stopped, however at a new shadow floating in the cloud of smoke; a familiar shadow.

Her eyes shook with rage and disbelief as she glowered at the silhouette. Just when Jessie thought she had succeeded and was rid of this nuisance that caused nothing but failure, the presence of this silhouette reminded her that the battle was not over yet.

"Sorry I was late, Captain."

TO BE CONTINUED…