Chapter 25, everybody! Sorry for the delay on this—my schedule kicked my can these past two weeks. :( But now you have an extra-long chapter to make up for it, considering I smushed this one and the next together (individually, they were just too short).
ChangelingRin, thanks for the review! Well good, I'm not changing my plans—I've had this scripted and written for quite some time now. Yes, the 'Mew lives under an abandoned truck' thing is an old urban legend—back before the Internet was what it was now, with the original games and no way to (legally) obtain Mew in-game, several different stories popped up regarding ways to obtain Mew, and looking under that truck before the S.S. Anne left port was one of those supposed ways (it's possible, apparently, if you get someone to trade you a Pokémon that knows Surf, but there's nothing under there—and if I had been thinking of it, I would have had Ash find a stale cookie, since that's what you find in Fire Red/Leaf Green…maybe I ought to edit real quick…).
Ardtornismyname, thanks for the review! Um…maybe….
Dunkaccino, thanks for the review! Sorry about that—I need to start posting this earlier than midnight….
Luktopius, thanks for the review! Wave as it passes by!
Autumn Affinity, thanks for the review! Yes, come back! The title's kind of pointless without you.
IAmUmbreon11, thanks for the review! But of course. Now if it were a water truck—*bricked* Yes, well…aha, thank you. Apparently, yes it does. Now consider Sun/Moon, which actually shows the trainer's position in relation to the Voltorb….Yes…I blame Dragonsrule18 for doing it first. Thank you! I hope to continue to please! :D
Grievousrommel, thanks for the review! Yes, but he'll still try….I have another reference I must look up, it seems….
Jakeroo123, thanks for the review! And the piece of information—I had thought he learned it in Sinnoh. *shrug* This is also true…and that's definitely true. As is that. As is that….
Thor94, thanks for the review! Yes….
IceDragonGirl36, thanks for the review! Well…probably….
Yami-chan and Unrealistic, thanks for the review! Yes, but don't tell him that….Thank you, glad it's still entertaining. :D
Delta4phoenix, thanks for the review! Eh….Me too, although my personal reason is because he makes me think of the Shadow. :D And the movie, of course (if I just had the PMD game to go on, he'd be my least favorite though—being a Pikachu in a dungeon full of Lightning-Rod Rhypherior was not fun).
Johnny Spectre, thanks for the review! But how would you send it?...
AveragePichu, thanks for the review! I figured it was the natural approach, although Darkrai might find it easier if he listened to music….
Cjonwalrus, thanks for the review! I agree—definitely a fun Pokémon to write about. :D
RamenKnight, thanks for the review! And thank you for liking it—I hope to continue to please! :D And congratulations on being the 300th review. :D
Pokémon © Game Freak; Nintendo
A-Team © 1983 Stephen J. Cannell & Frank Lupo
And now, for something completely different:
The creators of Wreck-It Rypherior are pleased to announce that a sequel is in the works. Mark your calendars now so as to avoid missing it. Brought to you by Fangdango—where the sight of a Raticate is a good thing!
The uniformed man at the gangplank took their tickets and exchanged them for room keys.
After goofing off on deck and reenacting scenes from the movie Titanic (although Misty pointed out that probably wasn't wise, considering that ship's fate), the first thing they did was head for their rooms.
Well, one room, since Ash was the first one to reach the door and unlock it.
"Oooh," Ash noised upon entering. "Very…very…."
"Posh?" Misty guessed.
"High-class?" Brock offered.
"Expensive," Ash settled on. "Look at that bed," he said, depositing his backpack and flopping backwards onto the bed. "Ohoho, this feels good."
"Let me see," Brock said, sloughing his backpack before flopping down next to him. "Oooh, this does feel good…."
Misty joined them. "It doesn't beat my waterbed," she said after a few moments.
"You have a waterbed?" Ash asked, awed.
"I lived in a Water-type gym; of course I did."
"I want one," Ash muttered.
"Pika," Pikachu noised, rubbing his face against the soft sheets.
"You have to admit, this does beat a dirt bed," Brock said.
"Or a brick bed," Ash added.
"Wake me when we get there," Misty said.
Ash forced himself up. "We can sleep later! I heard one of those guys say that this was a trainer cruise! That means this ship is chock-full of trainers to battle! Ready, Pikachu?"
"Ka," Pikachu said, voice muttered by dint of his face being buried in the sheets.
"Ash is right," Brock said, sitting up as Ash retrieved his backpack. We'll have time later to sleep—there's still plenty of ship to explore."
"Aw man," Misty muttered, following the boys out.
A few moments later, Ash reentered, picked up a protesting Pikachu, and left again, ignoring the minor electric shock he was receiving.
Deep in a portion of the S.S. Anne, plotting was progressing.
"I can't believe we got stuck with dis job," Meowth muttered, using his claws to tap a keyboard one key at a time. The glamor of receiving such a job had faded once they got to the fiddly logistics portion of it, which constituted a good ninety percent of the job. So much for the awesome promotion.
"The boss thought you earned it, what with all the Pokémon you've been presenting," a grunt said, giving his new Spearow a glance before returning to his keyboard. "And your team has a good track record with machines."
"We were busy with another assignment," Jessie told the grunt; she too had lost the rose-colored glasses upon getting to the grind of the assignment.
"Everyone is. Heheh, I tell you though, Cassidy and Butch were livid when they found out you got this assignment."
Meowth wouldn't have been surprised if Jessie started purring right then and there. She and Cassidy had a rivalry that apparently started before he had met her.
He decided right then and there that female Pokémon were bad enough to try to figure out—he wasn't even going to try fathoming female humans.
"The machines are ready to go!" James declared happily, emerging from a side room.
"Perfect!" Jessie said. "Now we just wait for these trainers to weaken each other's Pokémon, and then they'll be ripe for the taking!"
Meowth couldn't help but chortle as he rubbed his paws.
He just loved it when a plan came together.
Ash tried very hard not to be dismissive of the trainers that he faced in the main room. Instead, he used the weaker ones to grind some more, focusing on training Lenny and Charmander. Lenny was due for evolution—he was sure of it.
But after beating an older man's Raticate—he had to switch in Patches for it—the challenges he received died off considerably. After he noticed that people were pointedly avoiding him, he gave up and hit the buffet.
"Get your fill?" Misty asked as he came over to their table.
"Of?" Ash asked, confused.
"Battling—I can tell you didn't get your fill of food," she said, indicating his overfilled plate as he sat down.
Ash ignored her for a moment of silence before digging in. "I stopped getting challenges, so I figured I could eat some—wow, this is good."
"I understood maybe every fifth word of that."
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Brock scolded. "And don't eat so fast—you'll choke."
Ash shrugged—he hadn't yet. And besides, if he dallied in eating, Darkrai would often employ Shadow Sneak to steal his food when Ash's mother wasn't looking.
Ash swallowed; great. He had almost forgotten—
Misty glanced over at some outburst, scowling; Ash took a moment to take a drink of Poké-Cola.
"Boy, that kid's loud," Misty observed. Ash leaned to see who she was looking at.
He just managed to divert his head in time so his spit take didn't spew all over Misty or Brock.
"I told you you'd choke yourself," Brock said, thumping Ash on the back as he coughed and spluttered.
"What is it?" Misty asked.
Ash finally managed to inhale and answer.
"Gary Oak."
Before Misty could react, Ash was up and running, Pikachu just managing to jump off the table and onto his shoulder as he passed.
Ash fished in his pocket as he approached Gary—taunting yet another poor sap.
"Hey Gary!" Ash hollered, finding what he was looking for.
He threw the nugget at Gary as he turned, startled. Gary caught it out of reflex and held it up.
"Huh," Gary noised, tossing it back. "Well, Ashy-boy, got lucky, didn't you? I softened 'em up for you."
"I don't care if you ran over them with a steamroller," Ash returned, catching the nugget and pocketing it. "You owe me a match, Gary."
Gary made a dismissive noise and tossed his head.
"Unless you're too much of a sissy to fight me," Ash added.
There was a round of oohs at this—huh, so the little kids did have some purpose.
Ash reflected that he probably shouldn't think that way about kids his age—yet again, another effect of—
"Fine, I'll battle you," Gary said, pulling out a Pokéball. "But no crying when you lose!"
"Okay, the average Pokémon detected in the main hall has low HP—we should be able to attack soon."
"Why or how dey quantified something so simple as exhaustion is beyond Meowth," Meowth muttered, feet on the counter and arms crossed behind his head.
"Wow," Jessie noised. "I didn't know you knew all those big words."
"Fine—insult me, why dontcha?"
"Should we commence the attack?" a grunt asked.
Meowth looked around before remembering that they were technically the point team on this. Wow, from the outhouse to the penthouse.
And all because of that creepy mystery 'mon, Darkrai.
That Clefable's dire warnings still gave him the heebie-jeebies.
"Let's wait until these two finish their battle," James said, pointing at a screen. "They look like the last two with a full team—after that, then we strike."
"Full team versus full team alright with you?"
"Sure is!"
"Fine then!" Gary called, flinging a Pokéball. "Growlithe! I choose you!"
An orange and cream dog materialized.
"Okay, Growlithe are fire," Ash muttered. "Charmander, go!"
Charmander appeared on the field.
"Is that such a good idea?" Ash heard Misty ask.
"It's Fire against Fire," Brock told her. "There aren't any advantages, but there aren't any weaknesses, either."
"Charmander! Open with Smokescreen!" Ash called.
"Growlithe! Use Odor Sleuth!" Gary ordered.
"Great," Ash muttered—it would be a bit much to hope that all that Growlithe smelled was smoke. Okay, next move….
"Charmander! Ember!" Ash called.
Charmander spotted something moving and spat fire at it—Ash hoped it wasn't one of the waiting staff.
Gary started laughing. "Moron! Growlithe has Flash Fire! Fire moves just make him stronger!"
Growlithe demonstrated by leaping out of the smoke and tackling Charmander, sending the poor lizard skidding. Ash didn't need the frantic pinging of his Pokédex to tell him he was bad off—he returned Charmander with no comment.
"One down, Ashy-boy," Gary taunted.
Jerk. "Go, Patches! Horn Attack!"
Patches hit the ground running—and the Growlithe, too.
"Growlithe! Ember!" Gary commanded.
"Poison Sting and dodge!"
The Ember burned up the Poison Sting, but it got Patches out of the Growlithe's line of sight—Patches took advantage of that and drove his horn into its side. Growlithe rolled and didn't get up.
"Growlithe, return," Gary ordered, pointing a Pokéball at the prostrate Pokémon.
"We're even, Gary," Ash pointed out.
"Not for long—go! Nidorino!"
Patches' double in all but his namesake appeared on the field.
"Okay, Poison's weak against Ground," Ash said. "Patches! Use Dig!"
Patches looked at the floor and then back at Ash, confused.
"Aaash," Misty moaned as Gary laughed. "You have to be aware of your surroundings!"
"You're in a cruise ship," Brock explained upon seeing Ash's expression. "There's no ground for Patches to dig in."
"Nidorino!" Gary gasped, recovering. "Use Horn Attack!"
Aack! "Poison Sting to distract it!" Ash called.
Patches spat the needles at the Nidorino's face before dashing away—he narrowly dodged the goring horn aimed at him.
"Double Kick now!" Ash said.
Patches put two perfect Nido-footprints on the other Nidorino's rear end. It skidded past Ash from the extra impetus, then recovered and ran around him, readying for another charge. It wasn't paying attention, it was so mad—
"Double Kick to the face!" Ash yelled.
Patches hesitated a moment before obeying the order, dropping to his stomach to avoid the horn before slamming a foot into the Nidorino's face.
Patches looked as astonished as Gary as the opposing Nidorino fainted.
"All right, Patches!" Ash cheered as Gary returned his Nidorino.
"Don't get cocky," Gary scolded, sending another Pokémon out.
Ash blinked at the gray Pokémon before him. A Machop. Great—no type advantages, but no weaknesses, either.
"Poison Sting!" Ash said.
"Cross Chop!" Gary ordered.
The attacks collided, and Patches fainted—but the Machop was bristling with poison needles.
And Ash knew just the follow-up.
"A Paras?" Gary asked, when Ash made the swap. "Are you serious?"
Ash smirked before giving his order. "Frenzy, take out that Machop."
Frenzy ramped up to his hind legs with a wild scream before rushing the alarmed Machop. Gary was too startled to give an order.
Not that the battle lasted long enough to justify one.
Gary scowled as he switched in a Zubat.
"Take care of that one too," Ash said.
"Wing Attack!" Gary yelled.
The attack barely registered on the Paras—Ash half-expected to hear a buzzsaw effect as Frenzy hit the Zubat.
The Zubat hit the ground too.
Gary switched in a Geodude, looking concerned now.
"Ash, switch Frenzy out," Brock called. "He won't be able to take a direct hit from a Rock Throw."
"Hey! No kibitzing!" Gary yelled.
Ash frowned, but saw Brock's point—Frenzy didn't dodge attacks; he'd be squished with the first rock.
"Frenzy, return!" Ash called, pulling the Pokéball out.
Frenzy instantly scuttled to Ash's side.
"That's not quite what I meant," Ash said, returning Frenzy. Let's see, Patches was out….
He looked to Pikachu. "You can take him, right?"
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu said, sparks flying as he jumped off of Ash's shoulder.
Gary barked out a laugh. "Don't you know about type-advantages, Ashy-boy?"
"I sure do," Ash said. "Pikachu! Iron Tail!"
He savored the startled expression Gary had as Pikachu slammed into the Geodude.
"Geodude, counter!" Gary called.
"Don't let it recover!"
Pikachu didn't.
"Fine then," Gary said, making his final exchange. "Go, Raticate!"
Two mouse Pokémon faced off.
"Get it!" both trainers yelled.
But within a few moments, it was evident that the Raticate was the stronger.
"Pikachu, return!" Ash called, intending to switch Frenzy back in.
Pikachu shook his head and charged at the Raticate.
After he covered half the distance between the two, his body became enveloped in electricity.
And then he slammed into Raticate, sending its electrified body sprawling next to Gary.
Ash blinked, uncomprehending. Quick count on his fingers—
"We did it," he breathed. "We did it!" he cheered, louder, dropping down so Pikachu could run up to him. He winced at the leftover electricity, but didn't much care—he had done it! He had beaten Gary Oak!
He wished Darkrai had seen it.
Gary returned Raticate, scowling at Ash—
The lights dimmed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, now that the battles are concluded, we'd like to direct your attention to the floor show!"
Ash blinked, confused. Floor show?
But then he heard the beginning of a well-rehearsed motto.
And started preparing for trouble.