We are trapped. Although Olivine City remains visible we are too far out to sea to consider swimming and we wouldn't want to abandon our Pokemon.

Koga tosses a Great Ball and an Arbok emerges from it with a warning hiss.

I look to Ellie in instant worry, Morty stands beside her and Steven in front. They are both trying to conceal their alarm and look calm, Steven is failing at it.

"Little Ellie," Koga addresses her mockingly, "all you have to do is get on a lifeboat with us without a fight and no one will get hurt. I have all your Pokemon so you don't have much of a choice here."

Koga tugs open his top to reveal several Poke Balls in the lining. I recognise mine there and wonder when or how he managed the theft.

"You're not Koga, who are you?" Kenji snaps. For a moment I'd forgotten him.

I see Kenji standing on our side, trying to look cross but his eyes are wide with fear. His hands run up and down his top and pat at his pockets making it evident that his Pokemon have been taken as well.

"Koga's Arbok has different markings!" Kenji continues his accusation.

"Kenji whose side are you on?" Proton demands irately. "Get over here now where you should be!"

Koga gives a smile that stretches out across his face before he bursts into a clownish laughter. He doubles over and there is a blur of movement. Clothes and a wig fly across the deck in a manic fashion until a tall, slender man with a uniform like Proton's and a purple mohawk. He gives a mock bow, grins at us and gestures to himself with a thumb.

"Petrel," Kenji snarls a name at him, "you sneaky bastard."

"You're the sneak Kenji," Petrel answers. "Ready to run to Paldea for a girl!"

"I was for stayin', you bought the ticket for me asshole!"

Petrel gestures outwards with both hands. "Less witnesses here and nowhere for anyone to run to." He turns his amused gaze on the rest of us. "For those of you playing catchup I'm Petrel, Rocket Executive and master of disguise."

"Come on Kenji," Proton pleads, "let's say you helped, get over here." He has a begging stare on Kenji and I sense his worry.

"I knew you were trouble," Looker is quick to accuse Kenji.

I glance over and see Looker glowering at Kenji, his brown stare is filled with anger with no room for fear. I'm not sure if he grasps our situation or is too oblivious to the danger to care.

I'm not sure what we should do here, the ship is still moving so either the captain is unaware of our peril or Team Rocket have taken over. I know only that I won't let them take Mia again no matter what I must do.

"Go get her, Arbok," Petrel orders.

The Arbok slides across the deck quickly, moving towards Ellie with a threatening hiss. Steven stands in its way and it strikes out with a snap of its fangs.

"Steven!"

I see Morty push Ellie to the left as his Haunter materialises from the air to attack the Arbok from behind. So we still have one Pokemon on our side then.

Petrel gives a tutting noise as Steven gives a yelp of pain.

Another Poke Ball is thrown and a Koffing emerges from it to engage the Haunter. I see Ellie out of the corner of my eye about to push herself up from the deck she has fallen to.

Morty skids on the deck, turning himself quickly to move and help Steven as the Arbok strikes out again. Steven and Morty hit the deck together and roll to evade its fangs as the Haunter attempts to paralyse the Koffing with its tongue. My eyes dart back and forth as I try to keep up with what's going on.

"Mr Larry we must do something here!" Looker cries out from beside me, making me aware that I have been motionless this entire time.

I don't know what he thinks we could do. I know Team Rocket are toying with us, we don't have our Pokemon and they outnumber us.

"Stop it, STOP IT!"

The deck quivers beneath us and I fall to my knees as my feet stumble with the motion. I hear the Team Rocket gangsters yell as they too are toppled over with the unexpected movement.

I look to Ellie as I feel a rush of heat passing by. Flames are shooting out of her fingertips, striking out at the Arbok and Koffing. The Pokemon reel back simultaneously with cries of pain as they are singed.

Ellie's face is blank, her eyes unfocused and I think that she has succumbed to one of these voids. I find her empty expression terrifying. How often has she slipped away like this? What if she doesn't return?

Hearing the heavy sound of steps, I follow the noise to see a large figure come charging up the deck towards Ellie and for a moment I am frozen. This man is huge in height and girth, the wooden floorboards thump beneath his boot clad feet as he approaches like an enraged giant. His huge hands are clenched into fists and as he nears I see that his face is scarred down one side and there are bald patches where his unruly brown hair will not grow. He is ready to swing a fist out behind Ellie but she does not seem to notice his approach. I can see an inflamed rage in his stare for her and I realise who he must be – Troy.

I start to run, moving to the left to avoid the flames. It's not something I'm used to, I'm not athletic, I don't jog and I only power walk if I'm late to meetings. This heroic person isn't me, it never has been. I won't make it.

I feel a lone Poke Ball rolling about in my inner jacket. I have one left after all. With no clue what moves it might know, I hurl the ball outwards in desperation. It is the hardest and fastest I have ever thrown a Poke Ball.

With an excited yip the Greavard emerges. It has the desired effect, Troy stops charging towards Ellie to stare at the Pokemon in confusion. Probably he doesn't even know what it is as they are native to Paldea.

I keep running until I reach Ellie's side. She drops her hands by her sides, the flames gone as quickly as they appeared and she turns still in her terror.

Troy gives a yell and I glance over my shoulder to see the Greavard sinking its jagged muzzle into him.

He shakes his foot for a moment before kicking hard with his other foot sending the Greavard flying back with a yelp.

"No," Ellie says the word in a whisper. "My puppy...no."

I see Troy coming for us and try to urge Ellie to run but she is not moving. Even I feel a thrill of terror at his approach, his looming figure belongs in a nightmare. I can hear Proton cackling and know he is mocking our situation. Where can we go? What can we do?

I swing Ellie behind me and turn to face Troy as his shadow falls upon us.

"Move."

I shake my head.

Troy smiles and in an instant I am seeing stars.

My head reels backwards and I feel my legs buckle. For a moment there is only shock before the pain catches up and I realise I have been punched in the face. I'm not sure what I expected to happen here. Ellie is yelling as I struggle to shake off my stunned sensation. I don't have time to be dazed!

My vision swims as my eyes water but I make out Troy in a blur of motion. He is reaching for her again. I move to block him and give a yelp as his fist catches me in the stomach.

"Ouch," I hear Petrel taunt, "crazy Paldea man."

I can hear Kenji, Steven and Morty yelling and glimpse them back to back as Zubat, Koffing and Rattata move towards them. None of us knows how to fight, we are skilled at battling with our Pokemon not battling ourselves.

"No, no, no. Someone help, please, we need help," Ellie babbles a plea.

I hear the Arbok's scaled body gliding across the wooden floorboards of the deck as it moves to attack again.

Ellie yells again as Steven curses and I feel my head pounding in pain with it. I see deck chairs tumbling as if caught in a gale. They move towards the Grunts causing them to retreat with several cries of alarm as they duck, jump and fall in an effort to evade being struck by them.

"That's enough!" Troy orders. He tries to reach around for Ellie again but I sidestep to block him and in an instant his hands are about my throat. "Who are you?!" He demands as he turns his burned face down upon me to expose his rage.

I give a gasp as I feel my breath slipping away as my neck is crushed. Blackness creeps up at the edge of my vision but I keep my focus on him. This man killed my wife and stole my life, I will face him and let him know the truth of who I am even if he is to kill me. I want him to know I survived. I want Ellie to know the truth - that I never forgot her, that I've spent years holding out for her and I've been here all this time to help her.

"I'm her father," I choke the words out defiantly.

Troy's eyes widen in shock and his grasp slackens from me.

"Alright Ellie," Petrel's jovial call brushes over my revelation. "Let's settle down now if you want Kenji to come with us in one piece."

Trembling, sweat soaked and close to a faint, somehow I muster the energy to look over out of the corner of my eye.

Kenji is wrapped up in the Arbok's coils and at his throat a Raticate is bearing its large fangs. I wonder dully if they really mean to hurt him. It's doubtful, this Petrel character saw Ellie's transparent feelings for Kenji, he is only playing on them.

"Will we tell the boss here what Kenji's been up to? Do you want to tell Troy all about your time with Kenji?" Petrel queries mockingly.

"What does that mean?" Troy snarls.

I find myself flying over the deck in a blur of movement as he tosses me like garbage. With a gasp of pain I crash against the hard floor and for a moment I have to lie here to catch my breath. My ears are starting to ring, my head and heart are pounding and I don't know what to do.

I realise Ellie has gone still again and there is a hum of her power in the air.

"Please help," I hear her plea quietly, "anyone, someone."

"Ellie, would we say Kenji was only helping me in order to get you to come with us peacefully?" Petrel suggests.

"I would!" Looker snaps unhelpfully.

Ellie shakes her head. "No, stop it, please...I...I...no fire, flames are bad." She hugs herself and trembles. "Flames are bad."

"Leave her alone!" Steven yells.

I see Steven running towards her, bloodied and bruised, his right eye appears swollen and his left sleeve is tattered and blood soaked. He is set upon by a Koffing's sludge attack and sent reeling back, coughing and spluttering as the poisonous liquid coats him.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Steven roars out his defiance as he pushes the sludge off his face and tries to keep coming.

Proton and Petrel laugh at the display and I hear Kenji give a yelp of pain as the Arbok squeezes him.

Troy tosses a Poke Ball and I feel a fresh thrill of fear as Steven is confronted with a yellow and black striped Pokemon I do not recognise. It stands on two feet, almost the height of Steven and seems to quiver with energy.

"Thunder Shock," Troy gives the order quietly and coldly.

Steven has no chance to dodge the attack. As I push myself to my feet once more Steven's screams of pain fill the air. His body trembles on the spot as the electric attack rushes through him.

"That was only a minor jolt, I'll kill him Ellie if you don't move for that lifeboat now," Troy growls out.

I see Troy pointing to the right where a life boat waits at the edge of the ship.

There is a large rush of force from beneath us and in an instant I am falling again as the ship is knocked so hard it tilts to one side.

I hit the deck hard and am dazed again. I wonder how many injuries I have sustained on this ship. Nausea creeps up on me and I swallow hard. The gentle lapping of the Greavard's tongue revives me a little. I roll over to see it wagging its small tail at me as it gives a bark of delight. I push myself to my knees quickly in time to see the white behemoth rising up from the sea.

Now everyone is screaming.