Author's Note: A fair warning, readers: Prepare yourselves. This is the most shocking, emotional, and heartfelt chapter yet!
Normal POV
Adam, Jason, and Michelle walked along the harbor looking for the ship they were supposed to be sailing on.
"Adam, what ship are we supposed to get on?" Jason asked, glancing at Adam who was looking at a huge, white luxury cruise ship.
"This is the ship we are taking. This is the S.S. Ketchum." Adam said.
Michelle's mouth dropped open and Jason was shocked.
"How could you afford three tickets for a ship of this size?" Michelle asked in amazement.
"Yeah, how did you do it, dude?" Jason asked, equally as shocked as Michelle.
"Well, I'm the son of the Pokemon Master and Top Coordinator." Adam replied. "I could afford this pretty easily."
"Oh, yeah. Right."
Adam glanced at the two and shook his head, sighing. "Let's go."
That one sentence broke the two out of their shocked states. The three walked onboard the ship and were amazed at what they saw when they entered inside.
The walls were painted not white, but almost grayish with a horizontal red line in the middle, while the floors were wooden. It looked like oak wood. The three walked over to the front desk where a young man stood dressed in a uniform.
"Hello and welcome aboard the S.S. Ketchum. Tickets, please." he said. The three of them handed the man their tickets. The man handed each of them a map. "This is a map of the ship. You should be able to find your way around. The ship will sail out to sea for the night and return to Vermillion City tomorrow morning. You need a room, correct?" he asked.
"Yes, sir." Adam said.
The man typed in something and then walked to the wall behind him. "Three beds and two bathrooms are in this room. Your room number is one hundred, located on the bottom of the ship. Enjoy your stay aboard the S.S. Ketchum." the man said, handing each of them a key.
"Thank you,"
The map of the ship showed a pool, a hot tub, a spa, two battlefields for battles and training, a Pokemon Center, a daycare center where the Pokemon can play, an arcade, a ballroom, several stores to buy supplies and souvenirs, and a restaurant with buffet tables.
Soon the ship was pulling out of the port and the group had decided they were going to split up and check out different things on board that they wanted to see.
Michelle's POV
I decided to go to the daycare center to drop off Eevee, Poliwag, and Growlithe to have fun while I had fun, too. After I dropped my Pokemon off, I was going to go to the spa, after reading about the yoga session they offered. My mom had told me yoga is a good way to relax. And I needed it with everything that had been going on, especially after my contest.
I walked into the daycare center and saw many Pokemon running around. I spotted a Pichu and a Pikachu playing with one another. A Jigglypuff drawing on a Psyduck's face, since it was sleeping.
"Hi! How may I help you?" a teenager asked, walking out from a room holding a Togepi in her arms.
"I got three more for you." I said.
"Okay, just sign your name and the Pokemon names. What are the three Pokemon?" the girl asked.
I glanced at the girl. She looked to be seventeen at the oldest. She had blonde hair pulled into a sloppy bun, orange eyes, and she was tanned. She wore a pair of jeans with a button up green shirt with a green apron around her waist.
"Eevee, Poliwag, and Growlithe." I said, signing my name.
"Okay. Please leave the Pokeballs. This is a requirement, because if a Pokemon gets into a fight, I must return it. It's the ship's rules." the girl explained.
"Okay, no problem."
"Oh, and please put some type of symbol on your Pokeballs and make a little side note. That way, you'll know which Pokeballs are yours. I have a lot of Pokeballs in the back room."
I glanced at my bracelet, which had my Pokeballs attached to it.
"Care to take my bracelet?" I asked.
"Okay,"
I released my Pokemon, and Eevee hopped down from my head. "Now you three be nice and have fun, okay?" I told them.
I unhooked my bracelet and hooked it onto the girl's wrist.
"Thanks,"
"Mhmm. No problem. Thanks for stopping by and don't worry, your Pokemon will be taken care of."
I left the daycare center and checked the map. I found the location of the spa and headed towards it.
I was glad my mom had packed me two sets of pajamas. I walked into the spa and looked around.
"Welcome,"
I glanced towards the front counter and saw a young woman sitting there.
"Hi, I saw that there is a yoga class..." I trailed.
"Oh yes, there is, sweetie. You're pretty young to be into yoga, but we do have it. Here, I'll show you."
"Thank you,"
The lady got up from behind counter and lead me towards the back. "Here is the locker room. Go ahead and get changed. Here is a key for locker, number ten. Put your things in the locker. I'll be waiting out here for you." she said.
I nodded my head and walked into the locker room. I unlocked locker ten and opened it. I changed into a pair of white sweat pants, a light blue shirt, and slid my sneakers back on. I closed the locker and locked it. I pulled my hair into a sloppy bun and walked out.
"If you don't mid me asking, but are you related to Misty Waterflower the Cerulean City?" the lady asked.
"Yes, she's my mom." I replied.
"Oh! You're Michelle Waterflower! I saw your contest debut. You were wonderful."
"Thank you,"
"Here you are. This is where the yoga takes place. It'll be starting in five minutes. Have fun."
I nodded my head and walked into the room, picked a blue mat and waited. Soon the yoga session was starting, but I ended up leaving early. Those yoga moves were too complex for me.
"Hmm...I think I'm going to go for a swim instead. That's a better way to relax for me." I muttered as I left the spa.
I walked to the top deck and saw that there weren't many people at the pool. A group of girls, a boy a few years older than me, an old man and woman, and a family of three. I put my bag down on a white chair that wasn't occupied. I grabbed my swimsuit and went to the changing rooms. I walked back out and put my clothes in my bag.
The pool was pretty big with two dive boards, the high dive and the low dive. I stepped into the pool and the water wasn't too cold but wasn't too warm, either. It was like the pool at home in the gym.
I dove under and swam for a little while before coming back up. I always enjoyed swimming, just like my mom. She had taught me to swim when I was just a little girl. Growing up, people always used to tell me how graceful I looked when I swam, gliding through the water with ease.
Swimming was a great way for me to relax my mind and body, much better than yoga. After a few minutes of swimming around, I lay very still on my back, floating as I closed my eyes, feeling the water flow around my body. It was pure bliss for me at that moment. I felt like I didn't have a care in the world.
"You're Michelle Waterflower, aren't you?" a voice asked. I turned around and found the group of girls. Seeing them up close, I figured that they were at least fifteen or sixteen.
"Yes...why?" I asked.
"I saw you in the Vermillion City contest."
"Oh," I was on this trip to be cheered up. I wasn't about to let these girls ruin it. "What do you want?"
"We just wanted to say, learn how to fight against Dragon types. Your battle showed you had never faced a Dragon Pokemon. If need be, catch a Dragon type; they're a good type of Pokemon to have. We all have Dragons."
"Thanks for the advice."
"No problem, we'll be watching the contests and maybe we'll see you again in one."
The group left and I shook my head. I swam for a little while longer and then I laid on the chair to dry off before I changed.
Jason's POV
Michelle bolted after we decided we were going to split up and meet back later. I glanced at the map again and sighed.
"What to do?" I asked myself.
I looked to see where the battlefields were. "I think I'll go and see if there's someone who wants to battle." I walked to the bottom floor and walked into one of the rooms that lead to one of the battlefields.
"The winner is Kristen! Kristen has three wins and zero loses. Who will challenge her next?" a boy about a year older than me cried.
I followed the green flag and found the girl known as Kristen. Kristen had to be at least thirteen. She had dark brown hair cropped to her chin, silver eyes, and she was tanned.
"Good job, Pikachu." she said, praising her Pikachu as she returned it.
"Any challengers?" the boy asked. A few people stepped back and the ones in the stands waited.
"Come on, it's just a friendly competition." Kristen said as she attached the Pokeball to her belt.
"A battle, hmm...I can go for a battle." I muttered to myself.
"I challenge you," I said.
Kristen looked over towards the voice and saw me walking forward. "Yay!" she cried, taking her side. I walked to the other side and waited.
"Name?" the boy asked.
"Jason,"
He nodded and took his place at the middle of the field. "The battle between Kristen and Jason will begin momentarily. This will be one on one, when one Pokemon is unable to battle, the match is over. Battle begin!"
"Magmar, let's roll!" Kristen cried, tossing her Pokeball.
"Magmar!" Magmar cried landing on the ground.
"Golduck, go!" I cried, tossing my Pokeball.
"Golduck!" Golduck cried.
"Use Water Gun, Golduck!" I cried.
"Flamethrower!" Kristen cried.
The two moves collided and fought for dominance. Being a Water Pokemon, Golduck's water beat Magmar's fire and Magmar was hit by the Water Gun.
"Mag!" Magmar cried.
"Magmar, Smokescreen!"
I smirked and waited for the smoke to cover the field. I scanned the smoke and found the faint glow of Magmar's tail. "Golduck, use Aqua Jet there!" I cried, pointing to where the glow was.
"Golduck!" Golduck cried as water surrounded it and it launched itself towards Magmar like a missile.
"Magmar, dodge, quick!" Kristen cried. Magmar emerged from the now fading smoke. The attack had hit its mark.
"Haven't you forgotten?" I said with a cocky smile, "Aqua Jet is so fast, it always strikes first!"
"Use Flamethrower!" she yelled, starting to get angry about how the battle was turning out. The Flamethrower shot towards Golduck who had its back turned. The attack hit, but did little damage to Golduck.
"Just try to avoid this one!" I said, taunting her. "Golduck, use Confusion!"
"Magmar, no!" Kristen cried as psychic waves surrounded Magmar.
Magmar struggled to get up after the attack and stood still for a moment. "Mag..." it said weakly as it fell to the ground, defeated.
"Magmar is unable to battle! The winner is Jason and Golduck!"
"Good job, Golduck. Take a rest." I said, returning Golduck. I walked over to Kristen.
"Well Jason, that was a good battle. That Golduck of yours is a great battler." she said.
"Thanks. Your Magmar is a good battler, too." I said.
I walked out of the room and looked at the map. "What else can I do?" I asked myself.
I walked towards the Pokemon Center to get Golduck healed and then I would take my Pokemon to the Daycare so they can have fun, too.
I walked into the Pokemon Center and found Nurse Joy standing behind the counter.
"Even on a cruise ship, there's a Pokemon Center." I muttered as I unhooked Golduck's Pokeball from my belt.
"Hello, how may I help you?" Nurse Joy asked.
"Can you heal my Golduck?" I asked.
She nodded and took the Pokeball. I looked around and found the television and it was showing the contest from yesterday. It showed Michelle and Nikki's battle. I re-watched the battle until Nurse Joy said my name.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy." I said, taking my Pokeball.
She nodded her head and I walked out. I walked a little ways and entered the daycare. I glanced around and saw an Eevee, Poliwag, and Growlithe.
"Looks like Michelle came here." I muttered. I walked to the desk and signed my name and the Pokemon I had.
"Ow!" I glanced over the desk and saw a girl sitting up, rubbing her head. She must've been looking for something under her desk. She glanced up and saw me.
"Sorry, how may I help you?" she asked, standing up.
"Here to drop off my Pokemon."
"Okay, go ahead and release them. Please leave your Pokeballs, but make a side note of something different on them so we know which ones are yours."
I nodded my head and released my Pokemon. "You three have fun and be good." I said, and glanced at my Pokeballs.
"I don't have anything to mark my Pokeballs." I said.
The girl just nodded her head and took them from me. "Don't worry, I have a spot where I won't lose them."
I nodded my head and left.
"What should I do next?" I muttered.
I didn't want to do anything, but I decided to head to the arcade just to see what they had. I walked into the arcade and it was pretty nice. The lights were turned off with colored lights blinking around, the games lighting up the area where they were, and a pool table in a far corner with a pair of people playing.
I saw a game that I had played when I was eight and went to play it. The game was called Super Smash Bros and it was pretty fun.
Adam's POV
"Okay, I need to drop off my Pokemon and then..." I trailed as I walked towards the daycare.
"Pika..." Pikachu said.
"What, you don't want to be dropped off?" I asked.
"Chu."
"Don't you want to have fun?"
"Chu..."
"Okay then,"
I walked into the daycare and saw a lot of Pokemon. I spotted what I thought was Michelle's and Jason's Pokemon, who were probably dropped off earlier. I walked to the front desk and signed in and wrote the names of my Pokemon.
"Psy!" a Psyduck cried.
I glanced over at the Pokemon and saw a Psyduck with black marker on its face. I looked at the Psyduck and saw why it had cried out, it was looking at its reflection.
"Dile!" a Totodile cried, shooting a Water Gun at the Psyduck.
"Psy-aye-aye!"
"No!" A girl ran over to the desk and looked at the list. She ran to the back room and didn't return.
"Totodile!"
The Totodile ran towards Psyduck about to use Bite or Crunch.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, leaping off my shoulder. He was going to take matters into his own hands!
Pikachu stood between Psyduck and Totodile.
"Pika..."
"Totodile!" Totodile cried, using Water Gun at Pikachu.
"Return!" Totodile was returned and so was the Psyduck.
"I'm so sorry Totodile attacked your Pikachu. It seemed to have gotten in a fight with some other Pokemon." she said.
"It's fine. Pikachu has taken worse hits than that. I have some more Pokemon for you."
"Okay. Anything different about your Pokeballs?"
"No,"
She just nodded her head. I released my Pokemon and faced them.
"Be good, okay?" They nodded their heads. I placed my Pokeballs on the desk.
The girl looked at me with a thoughtful look. "Are you...the son of Master Ketchum?" she asked.
I glanced at her and nodded my head.
"Well, just for the record, I don't believe what the news says." she said. "I think he's still alive."
"Thank you." I said honestly and gratefully.
She nodded her head and I left.
"Now what can we do?" I asked Pikachu. I looked at the map and thought. "Let's go check out the shops and see what they have. Maybe we can find something for mom." I said.
I walked to where the shops were and entered a shop that seemed to sell any souvenir.
"Please make sure your Pokemon stays with you." an old man said from behind the counter.
"I will, sir." I said.
He nodded his head and I walked through the store.
This shop sold shirts, purses, bags, little ships, and some Dive Balls. I also saw hats and sunglasses. I walked towards the back of the store and stopped in my tracks.
On the wall hung a picture of my dad. Below the picture, it read, "Master Ash Ketchum. This ship was named in his honor. This area has many things Master Ketchum has signed and/or donated. Please do enjoy your stay on the S.S. Ketchum." I walked to the area and looked. Sure enough, there were playing cards that had my dad's signature on them and pictures of my dad with some of his famous sayings on them.
I walked away and looked at the bags again. "Do you think mom will like this?" I asked, holding up a dark blue bag with white text on it that read "S.S. Ketchum".
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.
I nodded my head and walked around the store. I looked at the sunglasses. I grabbed two black pairs and one white pair for me and my friends. I walked to the counter and put the items on the counter. The old man rang up the items and put them in a bag.
"Your total is..."
I paid and thanked him. I started walking away and I heard the old man say something about my dad. I stopped and turned around.
"What did you say, sir?" I asked.
"It's a shame what happened to your father." he said.
I looked at the man. He was one of the ones who believed my dad was gone. I just shook my head and left.
"Pikachu, you want to train?" I asked.
"Pika!"
I walked to where the battlefields were and entered the one where you could practice.
"Great! We can practice alone here." I said. I set the bag on the ground along with my backpack.
"Okay Pikachu, let's do this."
Pikachu hopped down and waited.
"Use Iron Tail!" Pikachu ran and jumped as his tail became iron and slammed his tail into the ground.
"Okay, use your counter-shield!" Pikachu used Thunderbolt while spinning.
"Use Volt Tackle towards the wall and stop before you hit the wall." Pikachu ran and was covered by electricity and turned right before he would hit the wall.
"Good job, Pikachu. Nice reflexes." I said.
I heard footsteps and looked behind me. A girl about my age had walked in and stopped.
"Sorry...I just ummm...I just saw your ummm...Pikachu using ummm..." she said, her words trailing off.
"What?" I asked.
"That move...it was...ummm it-it was a contest move...right?"
"I...guess?"
"Two of those moves...they were contest moves."
"I know one was."
"H-how did yo-you come up wi-with th-the-them?"
"I didn't. My mom did. She's a coordinator"
"Oh..."
Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder. The girl walked away and I wondered why she was so nervous around me. I decided I was done with training.
"We'll train some more later, Pikachu." I said.
I couldn't really focus on training after what that man had said. Sure, I didn't believe it, but I just hate the fact that people are thinking it.
I walked around the ship and ended up in the lobby. I glanced at the clock to find that it was later than I thought.
"Hey, Adam." Jason said, walking over.
"Hey," I said.
"Where's Michelle?" he asked.
"I don't kn- you know, I bet she's by the pool." I said, stopping in mid-sentence. Michelle does love the water, after all.
"Well, how about we go and find her and then go and eat some supper?"
"Fine with me."
We walked to the deck and to the pool. We found Michelle standing at the railing looking at the water. She didn't have Eevee with her so I guess those were her Pokemon that I saw in the Daycare Center.
"Hey, Michelle." we said, walking up to her.
She turned around and smiled.
"Hey, guys. Adam, once again, thanks so much for getting these tickets." she said.
"My pleasure,"
"You wanna come with us and get some supper?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, I'm starved. All that swimming gave me an appetite."
We walked back into the ship and got all of our Pokemon back from the Daycare Center. Then we headed to where the food was served.
After eating, we walked to the bottom floor and found our room.
"Wow,"
The room was awesome. It had three beds with dark blue sheets. The walls were white and the floor was red carpet. A bathroom was also in the room.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired." Michelle said, walking to the bathroom to get into her pajamas.
Soon we were in our beds. I glanced to the back wall and saw a window. The window showed the moon and the stars.
"'Night," I said.
"'Night," Jason said.
"'Night, you guys." Michelle said.
I looked at one star in the sky and said goodnight to my dad...wherever he was.
Normal POV
A submarine was traveling under the sea, heading to intercept the S.S. Ketchum. It had a red "R" on its sides. On the sub was one of Team Rocket's elite commanders, Darien. He sat in the command chair on the bridge as a crew of grunts in black uniforms were at their computer screens, monitoring the various systems.
When the world hears about what we're about to do, it will throw the world into a state of fear and confusion. And this will be just a taste of what's to come for them! Darien thought to himself.
"Commander Darien," said a female grunt, "We have the targeted ship in range."
"Good. Are there any other ships in the area?"
"No, sir. Nothing on radar."
"Is the E.M.P. torpedo ready?"
"Loading it now, sir." said a male grunt.
"The E.M.P. will create an electromagnetic pulse that will shut down their radio, G.P.S., engines, and all other electrical power on the ship. It'll be dead in the water, unable to move or communicate. Make sure we stay at a safe distance from the ship or we'll be caught in the blast radius. Once we're certain that the ship can't call for help, we'll begin the assault. And we have to make it fast before they realize what's happening. We're so far out at sea, that we'll be long gone by the time help comes for them."
"Torpedo ready, Commander."
"Put the periscope's image on the main screen." An image of the S.S. Ketchum appeared in front of him. "Match bearings to the ship...target locked...launch now!" A grunt pressed the launch button and the torpedo sped through the water.
"Torpedo running." said the grunt monitoring the projectile. "Distance to target is 10,000 meters...5000 meters...1000...500...100."
"Detonate now!" Darien called out. He pressed a button and the E.M.P. was released as the torpedo exploded, releasing its electric waves through the water and into the cruise ship. On the main screen, the entire ship went dark.
"E.M.P. successful, sir."
"Good. Now for Phase 2. Bring us in closer and then release the Gyarados! Begin the assault!"
Hatches on the sides of the submarine were opened and more than a dozen angry Gyarados swam towards the cruise ship, firing Hyper Beams and Dragonbreath attacks. The bottom hull of the ship had holes blown through it as water flooded the ship. Some Gyarados grabbed the torn edges of some holes with their mouths and used their incredible strength to rip the hull, making the holes larger. As the hull grew weaker, some of the Hyper Beams blew right through the bottom of the ship, all the way up through the decks, and out through the top!
The ship split into three pieces as it began to disappear beneath the waves. Anybody in the water who was still alive was crushed by large pieces of falling metal and debris. All of the Water Pokemon on the ship who hadn't been in their Pokeballs were killed by the Gyarados when they hit the water.
In the end, it only took fifteen minutes for the ship to completely sink beneath the waves. The only thing that was left floating on the water where the S.S. Ketchum had been only minutes before, was a tangled mess of metal, wood, Pokeballs, personal items, bags, clothes, and bodies of both people and Pokemon alike. Not a sound was heard.
Four hours later, rescue ships and helicopters had arrived after losing contact with the S.S. Ketchum. There was nothing they could do except begin to gather the bodies and debris floating on the water.
Back in Pallet Town, Dawn, Leaf, and Gary sat in the living room of the Oak household. Dawn had walked over to talk with her friends and brought along Piplup and Buneary with her. Leaf sat on the couch beside Dawn chatting away while Gary lounged in the recliner. Piplup and Buneary, along with Leaf's Bellossom, were chatting in their Pokemon language.
"Anymore news with the League?" Leaf asked.
"No, nothing about the League. Just more people voting and saying he's dead." Dawn replied softly.
Leaf hugged Dawn, trying to comfort her friend. "It'll be okay. He's out there somewhere." she said. "If there's one thing that I've learned about Ash in all the years that I've known him, it's that he always manages to pull through and beat any challenge that faces him, even when he, Gary, and I, were little kids growing up together."
Dawn nodded her head and smiled. "You're right, Leaf. I may not know where he is right now, but I know he'll come home when the time is right."
"I wonder where the boys are now?" Gary asked aloud.
"Vermillion City. Adam called me yesterday and said they'd be taking a cruise today, spend tonight onboard, and be back in the city tomorrow." Dawn answered.
"Isn't Misty's daughter traveling with them now, too?" asked Leaf.
"Yes. Her name's Michelle. She lost in her contest yesterday and Adam told me he was doing this as a way to cheer her up. They're sailing on the S.S. Ketchum, appropriately enough."
"Hopefully they had fun today. Cruises are a great way to relax and enjoy yourself."
"Do you two-" Gary started, but was stopped in mid sentence by a knock on the door. "I'll get it." he said, standing up. Gary walked out of the living room and to the right into a small hall.
"Officer Jenny?" Gary said, shocked.
"Hello, Prof. Gary. May I come in?"
Gary walked back to the living room with Officer Jenny following.
"Oh good, Dawn is here, too." she said softly. "That'll make things easier."
Dawn and Leaf looked at Officer Jenny with worried expressions.
"I have some news for all three of you. Gary, you might want to sit down." Officer Jenny said slowly.
Gary walked over to the recliner and sat down and waited for Officer Jenny. Leaf gripped Dawn's hand.
"Your children, Adam and Jason, along with the girl Michelle, are dead along with the Pokemon they had." Officer Jenny said.
Suddenly, time stopped and everything was silent.
Leaf felt her heart shatter. Her son was dead along with his Pokemon. Only ten years old and he was gone. Leaf felt rocked and had her hands in fists, biting her knuckles, something she only did when she was upset or scared...and hadn't done it in years, since she was usually always a joyful person. Tears fell from her eyes.
Gary's head was bent down. He was crying silently.
Dawn felt her whole world crumble. First Ash vanished, and now Adam was dead. She was all alone now, and had nobody left. She broke down into tears and it took everything she had not to fall to the floor and scream.
Buneary and Piplup were also crying. Both had just lost Pikachu, the love of one's life, and the other's best friend.
"H-How?" Gary asked looking at Officer Jenny.
Officer Jenny had a grief-stricken expression. "The S.S. Ketchum sank. We don't know what happened, but judging from all the debris, we believe it was attacked and destroyed by something...or someone...but we have no idea who or what did it.
"Everyone on board is dead. There are no survivors. Less than half of the bodies were found in the water and your children were not among them. Neither were their Pokemon. They, in all likelihood, drowned and went down with the ship. I'm so sorry for your losses." Officer Jenny then left the house.
Dawn and Leaf cried, hugging one another. Gary walked over and stood by the couch where the two sat. Leaf stood up and hugged her husband, crying into his chest. Gary glanced at Dawn who was looking at the roof, her body shaking. Her eyes flickered to him and he held his arm out to her. Dawn stood up came over to the two.
The three adults stood in the living room hugging and crying together.
"I h-h-have noone n-now. Th-they're b-b-both g-g-gone." Dawn said, softly stuttering.
Author's Note: And so, Team Rocket strikes their most chilling blow yet. The S.S. Ketchum is gone, and Adam, Jason, and Michelle are dead. Is this all that there is? Is this the end of their journey...forever?
You'll have to wait and find out in the next chapter...if there even is another chapter.
The End...?