Chapter 22
"Captain Paul Peterson"
When we finally heard the testimony of Robert Andrews at the trial today, not a single one of us were aware of what we were going to hear. The thought of watching your Pokemon go from loyal creatures to somewhat of monsters was very unbearable to take in. Especially since your Pokemon were being brainwashed into becoming weapons that would be used to harm others. As we returned to the Ketchum residence that night, Amanda couldn't help but wonder how Team Rocket and its affiliates would be able to do something so diabolical.
"Jeff, I cannot help but wonder," she said as we walked back in the door. "How could Team Rocket do such a thing to innocent creatures? It's so inhumane, don't you think?"
"Of course," I replied, taking off my shoes. "The man was merely trembling at the site of facing his accusers in an open court. I really don't blame him at all and I am pretty sure that any more witnesses who make their testimonies would say the same thing."
Amanda slid off her suit jacket and silver high heels and sat back down on the sofa as she sighed heavily. I soon joined her as I slid off my tie and sat down next to her.
"Personally," I said as I sat down next to her. "I think we need to cover a major witness who had their encounters with each organization. We have already done Team Rocket, now we need to cover the rest. Do we have anyone?"
"As matter of fact," replied Amanda, who was now getting a thought into her mind. "The captain of the St. Anne is among those being asked to testify."
"Captain Paul Peterson?" I asked. "What does he have to do with the trial? He was kidnapped by Somali Pirates, not Team Aqua members."
"He later confessed to the FBI that the pirates were seemed to be acting on orders from Archie Aorgio, the head of Team Aqua."
"What makes you say that?" I asked. "What did Team Aqua have to do with the hijacking?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself when you question him tomorrow," she said. "It's been over two years and the events are still fresh in his mind."
There was a long silence between the two of us for a moment and then I sighed heavily, accepting the fact that I had to interview a Sea Captain who was held captive by Somali Pirates acting on orders from Team Aqua.
Meanwhile, Ash, who was also at the trial, had walked back up to his room and changed out of the suit he wore and into some more comfortable clothes. Even he could not believe what Team Rocket had been doing. Sure, Jessie, James and Meowth would always stalk him and his friends, but he knew deep down that Jessie and James would not attack him and his friends on their own free will. They were following orders, but what they had done and what they attempted to do was enough to place them on trial.
"You know something, Pikachu," he said to his yellow electric rodent. "Even though Jessie and James have tried time and time again to separate us, I cannot help but think that at times, I could not help but notice that they didn't want to separate us at times."
"Pika?" asked Pikachu confusingly. "Pika, Pika, Pikachu?"
"I mean, let me look at it this way," explained Ash. "There have been moments where we have teamed up to escape certain situations and it was during those situations that they seemed to earn our respect and even when they seemed to defeat us at times, I could not help but respect them for at least trying to make a living."
"Pika, Chu, Chu," said Pikachu nervously.
"They were only attempting to kidnap you Pikachu," reassured Ash. "We both knew that they would never succeed, but they at least attempted to. That's why they are on trial."
He then noticed all of his Pokeballs on his dresser and walked over to them, staring down at them with a look of relief on his face.
"But, nevertheless," he said to himself. "I hope they pay for their crimes in a way that doesn't involve them going to the gallows. Don't you believe me, Pikachu?"
"Chu," he replied, rubbing his red cheeks as Ash smiled down at him.
The next morning, I came up to the podium and stared at Captain Paul Peterson who stroked his small beard as I walked up to the podium. Today, the attention was all on Team Aqua as many were still trying to recover from the testimony that Robert Andrews had given the day before on Team Rocket.
"Captain Peterson," I began. "In the spring of 2009, you were commander of the American Cruise Ship, the St. Anne, is that correct?"
"Yes," he replied. "We were sailing to Mombassa, Kenya when we were attacked by Somali Pirates. After a few hours, they managed to take me onto a lifeboat back to Somalia, but after three days I was freed by the US Navy Seals after they killed the pirates."
"Now, did you notice any Pokemon that the pirates used on your ship?" I asked. "Do not be afraid to be specific, captain."
Captain Paulson looked over Archie with a look of anger at him and Archie shot a glance back at him and then looked back at me.
"I do remember that they released a Tentacruel from its Pokeball and attempted to have it shoot at my ship. After a few minutes, I had my crew go into an emergency mode to hide the passengers before they boarded the ship and took us hostage."
"Did they use any Pokemon at any time on the ship?" I asked. "If they did, please address the court what Pokemon were used and how they were used."
"When they boarded the ship, they had released Squirtle and Wartotle from their Pokeballs and they got a tight grip on my helmsman and senior officer. They had attempted to do the same thing to me, but they stopped on the orders of the lead pirate," explained Captain Peterson. "During the time that they were on board until the moment they took me in the lifeboat, the Pokemon were ordered by the pirates to seek out the members of my crew."
"At this point," I asked again. "Did you know that the pirates were not acting alone?"
"I was later asked the same question," replied Captain Peterson. "And my response was that they were acting alone although I later heard them say during my captivity that they were going to turn me over to Team Aqua and that they were going to make join them and if I didn't join, they would kill me."
A slew of loud gasps and murmurs filled the courtroom as I absorbed the full brunt of the questioning. I remembered very well about Captain Peterson. He and I were both New Englanders and the first mate was from my hometown of Seekonk, MA. I had a tremendous amount of respect for Captain Peterson and his crew and for what they endured over these past few years since the hijacking.
"Did the pirates threaten you or your crew in anyway if you didn't join Team Aqua?" I asked.
"They threatened to kill me and then go back to my ship and have the Pokemon seek out and kill the rest of my crew," explained Captain Peterson. "They would then take my body back to Archie Aorgro and then he would feed my body to the man eating water Pokemon that he kept at his base."
A loud series of gasps came throughout the court as Judge Avery excused Captain Peterson from the stand.
"Thank you for your testimony, Captain," I said as he got down and looked over at the defendants in the dock. Archie looked over crossly at Captain Peterson over his testimony against him and silently hoped that when he got out of this, he would go after Captain Paulson and personally finished what the pirates had started…