Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. This is the first of two releases for today. I promised a second chapter last week, but I didn't have time to edit and post it due to work commitments.

Chapter 24

Lucas had said his goodbyes to the Ketchum's and moved out of their home a few days ago. He was standing on the dock with Meowth perched on his shoulder, alongside the other passengers. They were waiting for their turn to board the S.S. Anne cruise ship, which was set to depart from Vermillion City shortly. It was midday, and the temperature was unusually high for this time of year, with clear skies promising a lovely day on the open sea ahead.

Lucas looked up at the ship, his hands covering his eyes. Despite its small size in comparison to his old world's modern standards, it still had a commanding presence. He estimated that it could accommodate several hundred people. The ship had several levels beneath its main deck and three above it, including the bridge. The levels above the main deck provided all of the necessary amenities, such as bars, restaurants, and shops. It is also where, as the cruise advertised, all of the activities would take place.

He was fortunate to receive a free ticket, as cruise ship fares were not cheap. Suites, the most expensive accommodations, may cost tens of thousands of Pokedollars, depending on the length of the voyage. Aside from luxury, the primary driver of these exorbitant prices was security. To ensure the safety of its passengers, the cruise line hired individuals who were equipped with powerful Pokemon teams capable of dealing with any dangerous situations that could arise at sea.

In contrast to the land, the sea was a vast and unexplored realm teeming with Pokémon of all levels. There were Pokemon that could easily sink a cruise ship, such as Wailord, the world's largest Pokémon. The giant variants have the potential to grow to the size of a cruise ship, so it is easy to imagine the terror one would feel if they were to encounter one.

Lucas handed the crew member his ticket before ascending the ship's ramp. He passed through the crowd and climbed the stairs to the main deck. He positioned himself by the railing, waiting for the ship to leave the harbour.

"I'm going to take a look around, Meowth."

Lucas grabbed Meowth before he could leap from his shoulder. "If you run around right now, you will be apprehended by security. Wait until the ship leaves the harbour."

Meowth hopped up onto the railing and began grooming his paws. "I will have to do a lot of maintenance to keep my fur in good condition."

As he waited for the ship to depart, he perused through his menu. He had been debating whether to improve his Itemfinder function even further. Despite its hefty price tag of fifty thousand pokedollars, he believed it would pay off in the long run. The upgrade would increase the variety and value of the items he could find, so the sooner he got it, the better. Although it would deplete the majority of his funds, he would earn some of it back during the cruise.

After making his decision, he spent the pokedollars on improving the Itemfinder's functionality. Before pulling his guidebook from his inventory, Lucas ensured that no one was looking. He flipped through the pages until he found the new entry. As expected, the itemfinder's range had grown to a radius of ten metres, and there were new items added to the pool of hidden items. But another surprise awaited him. He could now find hidden items in urban areas. The upgrade was more important than he had anticipated.

Lucas had yet to discover a single hidden item in either Pallet Town or Viridian City, and he assumed this would always be the case, but it turns out he had been wrong. He continued reading the entry and discovered that the items would manifest differently than in the wilderness, where they were buried underground. The hidden items would appear as a small shadow in the shape of a pokeball, and only he could see them. He only needed to touch the shadow with any part of his body for it to be automatically added to his inventory.

"Does the ship count as a location with hidden items?" Lucas mused.

"Why don't you try it out?" Meowth rubbed his paws with excitement. "I bet there is a lot of treasure on board this ship."

"Later," Lucas said, "I want to take in the scenery first."

The ship's horns sounded ten minutes later, signalling that it was leaving the harbour. Lucas watched as the ship slowly sailed into the open sea. A cool breeze brushed against him, causing shivers throughout his body. He had a sense of dread, as if there were an unknown danger looming ahead of him. Lucas frowned and tightened his jacket around him. Why did he feel as though he was forgetting something?

"Now that I think about it, why would they give away free tickets so easily? Even if they are only for the cheapest cabins on the bottom deck, they must cost at least several thousand pokedollars."

"Six thousand pokedollars, to be precise," a male voice said.

Lucas' eyes widened as he noticed a young man standing beside him, whom he recognised almost immediately. He was wearing brown pants, an orange shirt, and a green vest. What truly distinguished him were his spiky brown hair and narrow eyes.

Brock Harrison, one of Ash Ketchum's companions, made an appearance in the first season of the anime.

"Have you also received a free ticket?" Lucas asked.

"That's right. I am not going to turn down a free cruise." Brock stepped closer to Lucas and whispered. "Especially with so many lovely ladies on board. This is my chance for some romance."

"How old are you? Fourteen? Fifteen? I have a feeling they won't be interested in you."

Brock spread his arms out wide. "The ladies don't care about such things. Why are they aboard cruise ships in the first place? Most of them are looking for romance."

"Uh, huh," Lucas deadpanned. "Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Lucas."

Brock shook his hand. "My name is Brock. An aspiring Pokemon Doctor and ladies' man."

"What exactly is a Pokemon Doctor? There are plenty of methods for healing Pokemon, so I wouldn't think such a profession was even necessary."

"No, that isn't the case. Even with the most advanced technology and Pokemon capable of healing, new medical conditions arise on a daily basis that cannot be treated conventionally. These are primarily inherent in certain evolutionary lines, but some are also the result of environmental factors."

"Interesting."

Brock leaned against the guardrail. "Of course, treatments are secondary to the primary goal of a Pokemon Doctor, which is nutrition. In reality, they are a subset of Pokemon Breeders who are dedicated to finding the best nutritional meals for Pokemon. Some trainers will hire them to conduct research and develop a meal plan for their team."

"That sounds lucrative."

It was something he could look into doing for extra income, though he didn't have any advantages over others in this regard. His insight skill revealed only a Pokemon's favourite food, not their best nutritional option. He had to experiment with recipes like everyone else.

"It certainly is, especially once you attract the attention of the powerful trainers competing for the championship. By the way, do you need a meal plan for your Pokemon?"

Lucas opened his jacket, revealing the breeder's licence badge pinned to his shirt. He received it in the mail yesterday and hadn't taken it off since.

"I have my Pokemon's nutrition under control, thank you."

"I thought I had found a customer," Brock sighed. When he turned around, he noticed a beautiful woman standing alone on the deck. "Excuse me, I need to meet someone."

Lucas observed Brock as he spoke with the woman. The woman quickly rejected him and walked away. He smiled and shook his head. Brock was hopeless.

"That guy is a loser," Meowth snorted.

"More like a hopeless romantic. Honestly, the woman appeared to be twice his age, and he is a minor. What did he think would happen?"

Lucas wondered why Brock was here on the ship rather than in Pewter City. He knew that some things would differ from the anime. Brock was unable to hold the position of gym leader at the age of fifteen because it had important responsibilities other than battling trainers. But he still had to care for his younger siblings. Perhaps his father was in the picture, despite the fact that the anime started with him not being present in Brock's life. In any case, it was none of his concern.

"I'm going to dump my stuff off in my room," Lucas said.

"And I'm going to explore." Meowth jumped off the railing and ran away.

Lucas descended to the lower deck, where the single cabins were situated. His room was quite small, consisting of only a small bed and some shelving for storing and hanging his clothes. At the very least, he had a window that provided an eye-level view of the turbulent waves outside. But staring at it for too long made him feel queasy.

His belongings were unpacked and placed on the shelves. He didn't have to worry about being robbed because all of his valuable items were kept in his inventory. He changed into a pair of board shorts but left his shirt off. In addition, he outfitted his harness and placed the Vulpix egg inside its pouch. He never passed up the opportunity to gain some more favourability.

Lucas left his room and began exploring the ship. He turned on Itemfinder so he could search for hidden items at the same time. The only disadvantage he saw to having hidden items on a ship was that they could be locked in other people's cabins. He wouldn't have access to them unless he broke in.

Lucas went back to the middle of the ship, where the staircase led to the other decks. The engine room was located on the deck below this one, and a female security guard stood in front of it, preventing passengers from accessing it.

He approached the woman. "Can I see the engine room? I'm interested in seeing how everything works."

The woman raised her eyebrow. "What is there to see? The engines run on electricity, which is charged by dozens of electric Pokemon aboard the cruise ship. They work in shifts to ensure they have enough rest in between."

"So there is no way to see the engine room?"

"There is a guided tour beginning at three o'clock," the woman explained. "Because there aren't many people interested, there are always enough spots open."

"Alright. I will come back later."

Lucas continued to explore the first deck, but there was not much to see. His Itemfinder rang several times, but he couldn't get to them because they were hidden behind the locked cabins. There were bathrooms at either end of the ship, and he obtained his first item from one of the men's bathrooms. It was a strange location for a hidden item, but he wasn't complaining.

The first item was a Zinc, which raised a Pokemon's special defence by one. It was a vitamin created by alchemists, and it was extremely rare due to the ingredients required and the difficulty in making it. He could use these items to improve his Pokemon's weaknesses or enhance their strengths. Upgrading Itemfinder was already yielding results.

Lucas searched decks two and three, discovering a protein, two full heals, a super potion, and a great ball. The latter increased his chances of catching a Pokemon, but it cost significantly more than the standard pokeball. Even though he was leaving items behind, he was getting lucky with the ones he was finding. Was it due to the location, or just the upgrade?

He chose not to explore the fourth deck, which contained the suites. He didn't want to draw attention to himself since there were several security personnel on patrol. Based on his appearance, it seemed unlikely that he was a guest staying in one of the suites, and they could become suspicious of him.

Lucas returned to the main deck. Seeing that others were releasing their Pokemon, he did the same. As long as they were below a certain size, they were allowed to hang out on the main deck.

Icarus and Icari took off immediately and joined the other flying Pokemon in the sky. They body-checked each other, but no fight broke out. Their relationship was gradually improving, but it would require a lot of effort.

Max and Saphira looked around with interest. Saphira headed for the pool as soon as she saw it, forcing Lucas and Max to follow her. He wasn't going to leave her alone, as he could see she was attracting a lot of attention from the people on the deck. Lucas sat on the side of the pool and placed his legs in the water.

An older gentleman was staring at Saphira in the water. He started slowly wading over in her direction, only to be warned off by Max.

"Kid!" Electricity sparked on Max's horns, causing the man to retreat hastily.

"Good work!" Lucas patted Max's head. "Saphira can handle herself, but I appreciate the gesture."

"KId!" Max nodded. He started marching down the pool's side, looking at everyone suspiciously.

The sight made Lucas smile. Saphira had Max under her spell and was constantly bossing him around. Max was so laid-back, he did not seem to mind as long as she did not go overboard. Icarus was stubborn and refused to be pushed around. Meowth marched to the beat of his own drum and refused to obey anyone's orders, including his own, for the most part.

A shadow fell over Lucas, and he looked up to see a green-haired woman in a bikini standing next to him.

"Hello, handsome!" The woman sat beside him, uninvited. "My name is Lucy. Does the Dratini belong to you?"

"Yes." Lucas glanced at the woman. He had a feeling the woman was going to irritate him.

"There aren't many of them around anymore," Lucy commented. "Where did you find it?"

"On a beach near Viridian City. I was lucky to find her."

Lucy laughed. "You don't have to invent stories just because you don't want to tell me the truth."

"Why should I care what you think of me since you are a complete stranger? If I didn't want to tell you, I would just say so."

Lucy leaned in closer, pressing her body against him. "We could get to know each other better. How about I take you to my suite and we...talk?"

Brock rushed over just as Lucas was about to say something. "Lucy, there you are, my beautiful princess. How about I take you to get a meal?"

Lucy scowled. "I thought I told you to leave me alone, brat."

"Don't be like that," Brock said, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket. "I wrote a poem especially for you."

Lucy quickly got to her feet and walked away, waving at Lucas. "I will find you later, handsome."

"Thanks for the assist," Lucas said as Brock sat down. "I had a feeling she would have been difficult to get rid of."

"I wish I had your problem," Brock grumbled. "I would love it if she showed a little interest in me."

"I believe she was more interested in Saphira than me. She didn't even ask for my name."

Saphira swam over and slapped her tail against the water, splashing it all over them. She swam away, trilling with delight.

"You are fortunate to own a Dratini," Brock remarked, wiping his face. "But I don't envy the attention you are getting from some people around here. There are some unscrupulous people on this boat. I met a guy who offered to sell me Magikarp for ten thousand Pokedollars."

"That is suspicious," Lucas concurred. "Although there may be some wealthy passengers on board who are stupid enough to buy them."

Brock looked up as Icarus flew overhead, the powerful beat of his wings causing large ripples in the water. A chair was blown into the water, and some people yelled in protest.

"Don't fly so low, Icarus!" Lucas yelled, sending everyone an apologetic look.

"Does he belong to you as well?." Brock asked. "You must be a fantastic Pokemon breeder. I haven't seen a Pidegeotto this big in a long time."

"I only finished my exams a few days ago," Lucas admitted. "I haven't produced an egg yet. I am aiming to do so with my two Pidgeottos."

"So you paid for that egg in your harness?"

"That is correct," Lucas replied, smiling as he touched the egg. "It's a Vulpix. I couldn't resist the temptation because Ninetales is one of my favourite Pokemon. So, how about you? What Pokemon do you have?"

Brock removed a pokeball from his belt. "Well, primarily rock-type. I can't release my Onix here, but I can show you Geodude."

Brock released the Pokemon onto the deck.

"Geodude!"

Species: Geodude

Level: 23

Condition: Perfect

Threat Level: Zero

"He looks like he is about to evolve," Lucas observed.

"Good eye. Only a bit more and he will evolve into a Graveller."

They spent the next half-hour in companionable silence. Lucas decided to spend the first day relaxing because he had worked so hard for the past few months that he had little time to catch his breath. The battle event didn't begin until tomorrow, so there wasn't much else to do but explore the ship and browse the merchandise.

The battle event resembled a battle arena rather than a traditional competition, with the exception that you could select your opponent. There was also no limit to how much you could wager because it was not governed by laws, as it was on land. However, security was present to ensure that no one was bullied by stronger trainers.

After spending a few hours in the sun, Lucas and Brock went to a restaurant for a late lunch. They had formed an unlikely friendship in a short period of time. Although he suspected Brock had ulterior motives for hanging around him. Lucas drew a lot of attention, and the teenager wanted to take advantage of that to improve his chances with the ladies. Brock was so transparent that it wasn't even funny.

Lucas followed the chief engineer down to the engine room. Only four people bothered to accompany him, and three of them appeared to be regretting their decision already. His Itemfinder alerted him as soon as he reached the bottom, and he went out of his way to discreetly collect the item while listening to the chief engineer speak.

The engine room was divided into two sections. There was the propulsion engine, a cylindrical behemoth that occupied a lot of space. The battery was attached to the back, with the most noticeable feature being a large metal plate. It didn't look like a typical electric battery from his previous world. The other section was an insulated room where all of the electric Pokemon struck the plate with electricity.

The chief engineer was Samson, a cheerful old man who spoke so quickly that he was almost intelligible. He was clearly enthusiastic about his job and liked to share it with others.

"The S.S. Anne was among the first ships to use an entirely electrically powered marine engine. Previously, all ships relied on diesel fuel, but that is no longer an option. This engine fully complies with Arceus' clean energy decree, and engineers have been working on improving its design ever since."

"Why is the battery designed in this manner?" Lucas asked. "Why isn't it designed to store energy rather than merely functioning as a device to transfer electricity?"

"Good question," Samson said, beaming. "The simple answer is that before the war, storage batteries were made with lithium. Because the mining of this metal has a significant environmental impact, the scale on which it's mined has been severely impacted. It's in high demand, so this is the next best thing. We use the plate to transfer energy, which means we need a lot of electric-type Pokemon on board to keep the engine running."

"Don't we rely on electric-type Pokemon for most of our energy needs?" A woman asked.

"That's correct," Samson replied. "Using Pokemon continues to be the best source of clean energy. Did you know that, after normal and water-type Pokemon, electric-type Pokemon are the most common in the world? They are in high demand. Other technologies, however, are emerging to reduce our reliance on Pokemon, which are prohibitively expensive to maintain."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

"By using solar energy," Samson clarified. "We can meet twenty percent of our energy needs for this ship just by harnessing it. The ship's entire roof is covered in solar panels that collect energy from the sun. While the start up cost is prohibitive, it's far cheaper than Pokemon in the long run. Scientists are experimenting with ways to make it even more efficient, such as combining solar panels with Pokemon that can use moves that produce sunlight. But that means we are still reliant on Pokemon, so we are trying to strike a balance between the two that provides the most cost efficiency."

Another engineer approached Samson and whispered in his ear. Lucas, who was the closest, could hear what the man was saying.

"Sir, there appear to be some anomalies in the engine readings. We are experiencing power fluctuations that are affecting the ship's performance."

"Is the Pokemon producing enough electricity?" Samson asked quietly.

"Their output is normal. It's something else we can't determine."

Samson nodded before speaking up. "Okay, I am afraid we will have to cut this tour short because I have some business to attend to."

Lucas walked back up the stairs, wondering what was wrong with the engine. There was nothing too obvious to be concerned about during the brief exchange, so why was he feeling the same sense of impending doom as before?

He paused to check his inventory to see what he had acquired, which turned out to be a rare candy. It had been a good idea for him to venture into the engine room for this alone.

As he returned to the main deck, a sudden, loud rumble jolted him, and thunder roared in the distance. A heavy downpour followed shortly afterward. The weather was quickly changing for the worse. There were no storms predicted for today, but the ocean was unpredictable.

He spent the next few hours before dinner, exploring the ship and searching for items. One of the items turned out to be five thousand pokedollars, prompting him to consider another upgrade. With his inventory almost full, he decided to upgrade it by ten slots for the price of ten thousand pokedollars. The extra space would soon become necessary as he accumulated a wider range of items.

It wasn't until he was on his way to dinner that he realised he hadn't seen Meowth since he ran away earlier that morning. What could that rascal be up to?

Meowth looked through the curtain, keeping a watchful eye on the two men sprawled out on the sofa. They were well past inebriated after drinking and gossiping like old ladies for the past few hours. It was hard to listen to, Meowth.

He wondered how he had gotten himself into this situation. After leaving Lucas, he immediately went looking for loot. He initially avoided the suites because the security guards were no joke. However, after becoming bored while exploring other areas, he returned to the fourth deck to see if he could sneak into one of the suites. Everyone who stayed there had to be extremely wealthy and could afford to miss a few items. He was mainly looking for jewellery, as the value to weight ratio was the best.

But, after sneaking into the suite, he was almost caught when the occupants returned. He hid behind the curtains, fully expecting them to leave after a short while. That wasn't the case, and he was now slowly dying of boredom. He could try to escape, but there was only one problem. There was only one exit from the suite, and it was guarded by a Raticate. Although the Pokemon was too stupid to notice him hiding here, there was no way he could get through without it noticing him.

There was a window behind him, but it was made of thick glass that was tightly sealed. He might be able to open it, but he will make too much noise. He would only have a few seconds to open it before the Raticate attacked him. Besides, he had no idea how difficult it would be to climb up to the main deck from here. He didn't want to end up taking a dip in the sea, Meowth.

His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he had not eaten since breakfast this morning. He drooled uncontrollably as he imagined his partner eating fish in the fancy restaurant. Dinner, however, had long since passed, and he estimated that it was past midnight. Was his partner looking for him at all, or had he forgotten about him?

Sometimes his occupation wasn't worth the trouble, Meowth.

There was a knock at the door. Meowth retreated deeper into the curtain as one of the men struggled to his feet to answer the door. A green-haired woman entered the room and looked at the two men with disgust.

"What on earth do you think you are doing?" The woman kicked the standing man, knocking him to the floor. "We have a big operation tomorrow, and here you are getting shit-faced drunk."

"Come on, Lucy," the man on the couch whined. "We were simply unwinding after a stressful day. Tomorrow will go off without a hitch. There's nothing to worry about."

"You idiots," Lucy growled. "Everything has the potential to go wrong. "If you mess up tomorrow, I will feed you to my Ariados."

The men shuddered.

"Do you know what I saw earlier? A Dratini. It alone is worth the entire operation. There will be a small change in plans. When the operation starts, I will go after the owner, so make sure you do your job properly."

Meowth nearly made a noise when the woman mentioned Dratini. She must be referring to Saphira, because what were the chances of finding a second Dratini on board the ship? He needed to warn his partner that he was in danger. Escaping was more important than ever.

The Raticate approached Lucy and rubbed its head on her leg affectionately. It froze and looked in the direction of Meowth's hiding spot.

Not good, Meowth.

It chittered and dashed towards the window. Meowth burst through the curtain, startling the occupants and narrowly avoiding being skewered by the Raticate.

"Catch him!" Lucy yelled, reaching for a pokeball on her waist.

Meowth jumped, grabbed the handle, and yanked the door open. He rushed into the corridor, feeling an itch between his shoulder blades. He slammed the door behind him just as something hit it, splintering it. Without looking back, he dashed down the corridor, towards the staircase that led to the lower decks. The sound of running footsteps echoed behind him, confirming his suspicion that he was being followed.

A security guard appeared from an intersection up ahead, accompanied by a flying Golbat. Meowth, who had initially felt relieved, became alarmed when the Golbat suddenly launched an attack at him. He evaded the attack thanks to his quick reflexes, but it was clear that Golbat was not taking him seriously. The force of the attack tore up the floor, leaving a large hole that exposed the deck below.

Meowth leapt through the opening without hesitation and fell to the lower deck. He landed on all fours and continued running. What was he supposed to do now, Meowth?

Outside, the storm continued to intensify.

Sabrina awoke with a gasp. As she sat up in bed, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over her, but she couldn't pinpoint the source. Fragments of a nightmare lingered in her mind, but when she attempted to grasp them, they vanished into nothingness.

She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heart race. Her skin was soaked in sweat, and her nightgown clung uncomfortably to her body. She pushed her blanket aside and swung her feet out of bed.

Suddenly, Salem appeared beside her, its head tilted curiously at her.

"Aren't you supposed to be devouring my nightmares? After all, they are a rather delectable delicacy for you."

"It was a dream that you were supposed to see."

"I can't even remember what it was about," Sabrina exclaimed, frustrated. "Why don't you tell me?"

"That's not going to happen."

Sabrina didn't know why her thoughts had wandered to Lucas at that precise moment, but she reached for her phone, feeling something was about to happen to him. She called his phone number and pleaded with him to answer. When he didn't respond after a minute, she sent him a text message, warning him that something was wrong on his end. She had no idea if she was correct or even if he would receive the message. But she had to give it a try.

She got dressed and started gathering some supplies. Unfortunately, she couldn't use Alakazam to teleport herself directly to the ship because it didn't have a tower to guide him. She would have to rely on a flying Pokemon to get to the ship, which would take some time. Furthermore, she had no idea where the ship was at the moment. She could make an educated guess, but it was still like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Sabrina reflected on how she had let herself develop feelings for Lucas, despite her reservations about starting a relationship with a man due to her history. She wondered if he would still be interested in her once he found out about her past.

She shook her head. That was something to worry about in the future. Right now, she needed to get to him and make sure he was safe.

So, what do you think? The next chapter is going to have some excitement.

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Thanks for reading.