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

Hi all,

Here's the second release of the day. The ship's engines fail, which puts the passengers in a precarious situation.

Chapter 25

The rain lashed against the window, mingling with the ship's turbulent rocking caused by the massive waves outside. It was a stark contrast to the calm that had reigned earlier in the morning, with smooth seas and clear skies.

Lorelei turned away from the window and stumbled towards her bed. Even though her insomnia was due to something entirely different, she couldn't help but wish for the storm to stop, as the relentless motion was causing her unbearable discomfort. She reached out her hand to grab one of the folders scattered across her bed. Opening it once again, she quickly skimmed through the contents. This had become a habit for her over the last month as she sought the information that would break open the investigation.

Lorelei's purpose on the cruise ship wasn't for leisure but rather to investigate its owners. While the primary owner of the cruise line, who lived in the capital, had a good reputation for business practices, there was suspicion about their silent partner. They were known as Treasure Shuttle Inc., and their origins were murky and difficult to investigate given that their main base of operations was located in the Hoenn Region. The relationship between the two countries was insufficient to allow her to do a thorough investigation of their business.

The investigation was prompted by a number of incidents that occurred over the last decade. These incidents were frequent enough to attract the attention of the Kanto government. Owning a cruise ship was already a risky business, but the S.S. Anne had become a frequent target for criminals, despite the company's efforts to secure the ship. It could no longer be dismissed as simply bad luck. The company was only able to maintain its stability because it had a monopoly in the Kanto region, and the incidents were rare enough that they had no impact on its bottom line.

Customers were frequently victims of theft, with Pokemon being the primary target. Team Rocket's history of stealing and selling Pokemon on the black market made them the obvious suspects, but there was insufficient evidence to prove their involvement. The criminals' ease in targeting the ship, as if they had insider knowledge of the ship's routes and security protocols, was unsettling.

Lorelei had been investigating the company for the past month. During her investigation, she stumbled upon information indicating that the ship would become a target on its upcoming voyage, which was why she had decided to take the cruise herself. The main factor fueling her suspicion was the recent hiring of security personnel. All of them were affiliated with a recently established company that lacked the necessary experience and reputation to safeguard such a valuable commodity.

Unlike most cruise lines, which employ their own security personnel, this company chose to outsource the job. While this choice may have been motivated by a desire to save pokedollars by foregoing employee benefits, it posed a significant safety risk. The inconsistency of outsourced security could explain why the ship was targeted so frequently.

Another reason for her suspicion was the company's use of a free ticket promotion to entice more customers to board their cruise ship. This wasn't the first time they had implemented such a strategy that resulted in the customers falling victim to theft. Lorelei had her suspicions that this promotion was being used to inflate the number of people on the cruise as part of a scheme to make the criminals' operation more lucrative. However, this insinuated that the company was colluding with the criminals.

A loud noise from the corridor startled her, and she got to her feet. She retrieved a pokeball from her belt and opened the door to look outside. A Meowth was running down the corridor towards her, so she summoned her Cloyster for protection.

"Cloyster."

The Meowth noticed them and continued to run towards them. Lorelei was about to order Cloyster to attack when she noticed the Meowths' pitiful appearance. It didn't look like it was going to attack her; instead, it looked to be in a panic, as if it were trying to run from something.

"Cloyster, don't attack the Meowth."

Meowth approached and slipped past her legs as it entered her room. She was about to follow, piqued, when a security guard dashed down the corridor. A Golbat flew alongside him.

"What's going on?" Lorelei asked.

"Miss, did you see a Meowth run past here?" The man attempted to peer into her room, but Lorelei blocked the doorway, making him unable to see inside. "Could you possibly be hiding something in your room, Miss?"

"What makes you think that?" Lorelei smiled faintly, and something about her expression caused the guard to pause."I walked out of my room because I heard a noise. What is going on?"

"It got into a fight with another Pokemon," the guard explained. "It wrecked some of the upper deck flooring."

"Well, I didn't see a Meowth, so it must have passed by already," Lorelei replied.

"May I have a quick look into your room?"

"No."

"Miss, you need to cooperate."

"No," Lorelei replied, folding her arms against her chest. "You provide no evidence to suggest that I did anything wrong. You will be invading my privacy."

More security guards rushed down the hall with their Pokemon, including a woman with green hair. When she saw Lorelei, the woman's eyes widened, and she adopted a cautious expression. Did the woman recognise her? Lorelei looked around at the assembled security personnel and couldn't help but suspect something was wrong. Why would all of this security be required for a single Meowth?

"Miss Lorelei," the woman said with a smile. "My name is Lucy, and I am the head of security. May I ask as to why an Elite Four member is on the cruise ship?"

"Vacation."

"We would have given a better welcome if we had known," Lucy said. She cast a glance around, assessing the situation. "I would have thought you would be in one of the suites."

"Waste of pokedollars," Lorelei replied bluntly. "Was there anything else I could do for you? I need to go back to bed."

"There is nothing else," Lucy said, forcing a smile. "I bid you goodnight."

Cloyster floated into the room behind her, and Lorelei slammed the door shut. The Meowth was sitting on her bed casually, as if it had not just been chased by a bunch of people a moment ago. When it saw her, it raised its head and waved its paw.

"Who do you belong to?" Lorelei asked. "Why were they chasing you?"

Meowth shrugged its shoulders, unsure how to respond to her question.

"How stupid of me," Lorelwi remarked. "How about some yes and no questions? Nod or shake your head if it's a yes or no, respectively. Do you understand?"

Meowth nodded.

"Did they attack you?"

A nod.

"Did you happen to see or hear anything you shouldn't have?"

Another nod.

"They must have wanted to silence you before you got back to your trainer. Can you communicate with your trainer telepathically?"

Again, Meowth answered in the affirmative.

"Do you know who those people were?"

Meowth shook his head, but also nodded.

"But you have an idea?"

Meowth nodded.

"Is it Team Rocket?"

Lorelei knew the answer would be yes before Meowth nodded one last time. The Pokemon appeared to be intelligent, so there was no reason to doubt its words. If Team Rocket was on the ship, it meant it could be attacked at any time. Because of their interaction a few minutes ago, they may even move up the timeline. Lucy, the woman, already knew who she was and was undoubtedly wary of her presence on the ship.

She started pacing around the room, contemplating her next move. If the worst-case scenario occurred and the entire security team was compromised, she would be up against at least twenty people, and she had no idea how powerful their Pokemon were. Even if she was one of the Elite Four, she couldn't face them alone. She needed help.

Lorelei glanced at the Meowth. "Why don't you take me to your—"

The lights went out.

Lucas awoke with a start as a voice echoed throughout the ship.

"Ladies and gentlemen, do not be alarmed by the unexpected power outage. The engine is experiencing technical difficulties, but our engineers are working hard to get it back up and running. We have limited staff to serve everyone, so please proceed to the ballroom on the main deck until the ship resumes normal operations. Please keep in mind that we are in the midst of a storm, so use caution on the stairs and dress appropriately."

Lucas let out a curse and jumped out of bed. In a daze, he fumbled around until he discovered some clothes on the shelves. He threw them on, adding a rain jacket for good measure.

It appeared that his hunch that something was wrong had come true. He didn't know how the storm would affect the ship without an engine, so he had to prepare for the worst. Was a cruise ship seaworthy in a major storm without a working engine?

He grabbed his torch, stuffed the rest of his clothes into his bag, and tossed it onto the bed. There was a chance he wouldn't be able to return and retrieve it, but nothing valuable was in there. He finally strapped the egg to his chest and made his way to the door.

Outside, people crowded the corridors, heading for the stairs to the main deck. There was a lot of cursing, shoving, and pushing among the more impatient people. The ship's crew tried to calm the situation, but no one listened.

Lucas weighed his options and decided to wait until the crowd dispersed. He returned to his room and shut the door behind him. Another announcement came while he was waiting.

"Please don't panic and proceed calmly to the main deck. We aren't currently in any danger, but if you move too quickly, you may injure some people. Bring only the bare necessities and keep your luggage in your room. Also, keep Pokemon in their pokeballs to prevent any incidents from occurring."

Lucas wasn't panicking and was calmly contemplating the situation. If everyone was evacuating their rooms, didn't that mean he could finally get his hands on the hidden items he couldn't before? If they had left their doors unlocked, he could just walk right in. He waited another ten minutes for the situation to calm down outside before reopening the door.

He shone the torch down the corridor and found it deserted. The staff hadn't bothered to check to see if everyone had left their rooms. Lucas immediately began grabbing the hidden items on the second deck with his ItemFinder. He discovered another two vitamins, as well as some more pokedollars.

Lucas made his way to the staircase. He hoped to find Meowth along the way, as the rascal was still missing. If something happened to him, he didn't know how he could deal with it. The thief had quickly found his way into his heart, so he didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

As Lucas ascended the staircase, the ship lurched, prompting him to instinctively grab the railing for support. As he regained his footing, he felt a force collide with him and looked down to see Meowth tightly grabbing his jacket.

"Where have you been?" Lucas shouted angrily as he poked Meowth in the stomach. Despite his apparent anger, deep down he felt relieved that Meowth was unharmed.

However, the sound of footsteps drew his attention, and he looked up to see a redheaded woman descending the stairs. However, the sound of footsteps caught his attention, and he looked up to see a redheaded woman coming down the staircase. She wore a purple skirt and a sleeveless black dress shirt. There were glasses perched on her nose, adding to the intellectually cold look she possessed. Beside her floated a Cloyster, its high level indicated that the woman was not someone to mess with.

Species: Cloyster

Level: 75

Condition: Perfect

Threat Level: Zero

"Are you the owner of this Meowth?" The woman inquired.

"That is right," Lucas confirmed. "How did you find him?"

"He was running down the corridor near my room," the woman replied. "Hello, my name is Lorelei."

Lucas's eyes widened as he cast his gaze upon the Cloyster standing next to Lorelei, and suddenly everything made sense. This woman was none other than one of the Elite Four, renowned for her expertise in ice-type Pokemon.

"My name is Lucas. Do you know what is going on here? What caused the engine to fail?"

"I am going to the engine room to investigate," Lorelei explained. "I recommend you go to the ballroom right now because you aren't safe on your own. There could be Team Rocket members on board. Don't trust the security personnel. I assumed command and directed them to the main deck, but they could choose to ignore me."

"What?"

"If you get the chance, tell the captain about the current situation, but don't get caught."

Before Lucas could respond to Lorelei's request, she passed him on the stairs and promptly disappeared down the corridor.

"Good morning, partner." Meowth crept up to his chest and sat on his shoulder.

"Can you explain what's going on?"

"Start walking, and I will explain on the way."

Lucas didn't go straight to the main deck. He continued to look for hidden items on the third deck as Meowth told him about his encounter with the people in the suite.

"I should have known something was wrong," Lucas grumbled. "The next time, I will go with my gut instinct. I could have jumped off the ship while we were still close to the harbour."

"Yes, that would have been the appropriate response, Meowth."

Lucas ignored Meowth's sarcasm and continued searching the rooms for additional loot. He considered what he would do next. It was expected that Team Rocket would steal from the passengers at some point, but would this happen with Lorelei on board the ship? In the current emergency, they may decide to wait or act even more recklessly. Would they seize the opportunity to steal from everyone if everyone gathered in the ballroom? He assumed that Pokemon were the primary targets, and that people wouldn't leave them in their rooms in the current situation.

"I can't believe that the woman who was flirting with me was a member of Team Rocket," Lucas muttered. "I knew she was interested in Saphira, but not to the point of stealing her."

"She will come after you at some point."

Lucas nodded. "I am going to have to keep an eye out for her."

He smiled as he discovered another rare candy in one of the passengers' rooms.

"Your ability is a cheat. Maybe I should use this opportunity to search the rooms for some loot of my own, Meowth."

"There is no time for that," Lucas said with a shake of his head. "Let us proceed to the main deck and the ballroom. I don't want to search the suites, in case there are still Team Rocket members lurking there."

"Team Rocket is going to see me and either they will capture me or kill me," Meowth argued.

"Then you can go back inside your pokeball," Lucas replied, retrieving it from his inventory.

Meowth made a pitiful sound, but Lucas ignored him and returned him to his pokeball. He ascended the staircase to the main deck, only to be greeted by strong gusts of wind and pouring rain lashing him. The low visibility in the darkness made navigation difficult, yet some Pokemon offered their light to guide the passengers.

Lucas headed towards the ballroom, where a group of security guards were stationed. He did his best to avoid staring as he passed by them, knowing all too well that they were criminals.

The spacious ballroom was filled with hundreds of people, who were creating a deafening noise that made it difficult to hear one's thoughts.

The captain and other crew members were standing up on the stage, so Lucas approached them. He wondered why the captain wasn't on the bridge to keep an eye on the ship's operation.

"Lucas!"

Lucas glanced in Brock's direction as he approached. Unlike the majority of people here, the teenager appeared surprisingly composed given the circumstances.

"I am glad to see you are safe," Brock said as he slapped his shoulder. "Isn't it fantastic that something like this occurred? There are a lot of ladies who need to be consoled."

"Are you looking for a beating? Don't play around because the situation is far more serious than you realise."

"What do you mean?" Brock inquired, his face serious.

"Follow me," Lucas said, glancing around.

Several security guards were present, but they didn't seem interested in him. Thankfully, Lucy was nowhere to be seen.

They headed towards the stage, seeking out a crew member to request an audience with the captain. Initially met with refusal, Lucas decided to invoke Lorelei's name, hoping it would pique the crew member's interest. The mention of her name succeeded in capturing his attention, prompting him to approach the captain and whisper something into his ear.

The captain gestured for Lucas and Brock to come forward, prompting them to climb onto the stage. He was an older gentleman in his fifties, with a heavily creased forehead and a commanding presence that hinted at a military background.

"My name is Captain Harrison. What do you want?"

"It has to do with the security guards," Lucas said quietly. "Lorelei believes they are Team Rocket in disguise, and they will make their move at some point. They could even be responsible for the engine problems you are having."

Brock gasped and turned around to look around the room. Lucas grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. "Don't draw attention to yourself."

Captain Harrison frowned. "Where is Lorelei now?"

"She has gone down to the engine room to investigate," Lucas replied. "Do you think Team Rocket will make a move in this ballroom?"

"It's possible, but unlikely," Captain Harrison said. "It would quickly devolve into chaos with everyone here. It will be difficult for them to maintain control unless they have more members than just the security guards. Of course, if they did cause the engine to fail, this may be exactly what they are looking for. But they aren't our main concern."

"What could be worse than Team Rocket?" Brock asked.

"If the seas become any rougher, there is a chance that this ship will capsize. We need the engine back up and running as soon as possible; otherwise, we will be like sitting ducks."

That wasn't the news he wanted to hear. "I'm guessing that using the lifeboats isn't an option?" Lucas asked.

Captain Harrison let out a sigh. "Not in this storm. We would be squandering our lives. Furthermore, I don't want to consider using the lifeboats because we will have to worry about wild Pokemon in the sea. We are currently far from land. This couldn't have happened at a worse time."

One of the crew members approached the captain. "We are prepared to distribute the lifejackets."

"Have the crew distribute them to everyone. They might come in handy later."

The captain dismissed Lucas and Brock, who went to find a seat for themselves. They were given life jackets, which they immediately put on. Lucas took out his phone and discovered a message from Sabrina.

U r in danger. U need to get off the ship ASAP. I'm on my way 2 help.

Lucas' brow furrowed in concern. The urgency of Sabrina's message suggested the situation could be far more dangerous than he initially thought. If she truly possessed psychic abilities, she may have had access to information that he was unaware of.

He attempted to call her, but there was no reception. Frustrated, he put his phone away and tried to come up with ways to save himself. It is a shame Icarus or Icari didn't evolve into Pidgeot; otherwise, he could have escaped the ship by riding on their backs. However, with the current storm, even that was a risky option.

"Did anyone else escape the ship with flying Pokemon?" Lucas asked.

"That would be stupid in this current storm," Brock replied. "Those who do have them will use them as a last resort in case the situation doesn't get any better."

"Dammit," Lucas groaned. "For all we know, a massive wave will come along and capsize us."

"Don't you dare jinx us," Brock said.

Lucas looked around the room once more. He tried to count the security guards in the ballroom but only got as far as nine. Lucy was still nowhere to be found, so either she was well hidden in the crowd or she was off doing mischief somewhere else.

After another fifteen minutes of waiting, the situation abruptly changed. Perhaps he should have listened to Brock and avoided jinxing everyone

The guards stationed outside hurried into the ballroom, urgently warning everyone to brace themselves for an imminent, colossal wave.

Screams erupted in the ballroom as people panicked and scrambled for anything to grab onto.

Captain Harrison roared. "You heard him. Brace yourselves for impact."

"Shit!" Lucas cursed.

"What should we do?" Brock yelled.

"Summon your Onix," Lucas cried. He took out a pokeball and summoned Max.

"Kid!" Max looked around, puzzled as to why everyone was panicking.

Brock summoned Onix, which was no easy task given its massive size. The Pokemon towered over them, its length almost brushing against the ceiling.

"Have him wrap himself around us," Lucas said, and Brock didn't hesitate to obey.

The Pokemon encased them in a wall of protection, and Lucas sunk his fingers into the groove between the rock segments for a firm grip. "Max cast the most powerful Protect you can around the Onix. Now!"

"Kid!"

Just before Lucas heard the roar of a massive wave, a shimmering blue wall surrounded them. A split second later, the wave slammed into the ship, sending a huge shudder through it. Lucas was almost thrown from the Onix, but he managed to hang on just barely. It was fortunate that the Onix had used its mouth to grasp one of the massive pillars for support.

Lucas felt his body rise off the floor as the ship began to tilt. The following moments were a blur of confusion and fear. As everything became disorienting, screams, including his own, merged in a cacophony of chaos. The ground disappeared beneath him, and then the ship slammed on its side, causing Lucas to lose his hold on Onix. He let out a scream, only for it to abruptly cease as he crashed into the protective barrier that still encased them. A surge of pain erupted in his side, leaving him with the sensation that something inside had broken from the impact.

He blacked out briefly before waking up in an unusual position. He was now lying flat on what had once been a wall, with Onix still surrounding him. It was as if a switch was flipped, and sound returned, which was dominated by screams and crying from the passengers.

"Kid!' Max appeared above him, looking at him with a concerned look.

"I'm fine, Max."

Brock appeared next to Max, his brow covered in blood oozing from a gash. "Are you okay?"

"Not too shabby," Lucas grunted. "Just how bad is our situation? Is the ship going to sink?"

"Yes, but I don't know how long it will take," Brock said. "It depends on how fast the water fills up the ship. It could take hours or even days."

"Wonderful," Lucas muttered. Groaning, he rose on his elbows to get a better view of his surroundings.

Everyone ended up jumbled in a disorganised heap on the side of the ship, creating an utterly chaotic scene. The magnitude of injuries or potential fatalities that resulted from the impact was something he couldn't bear to dwell on. It was his quick thinking that allowed him to devise a somewhat feasible plan in the heat of the moment. Despite this, he and Brock sustained injuries.

Lucas performed a swift calculation to find out their position on the capsized ship. He deduced that if the ship was perfectly tilted on its side, with the ballroom hanging in mid-air. If he decided to crawl outside, it would be a near vertical slide down the deck towards the ocean.

"You may have just saved our lives," Brock said while reaching down to tear a strip from his shirt. He tightly wrapped it around his head and continued, "Let me examine your side."

"I'm fine."

"I'll be the one to assess that." Brock forcefully pushed him back and lifted his shirt. "Wow, that's a pretty ugly scrape, but I can't say if it's something more serious, like a broken rib."

"It feels like something broke, but it might have just been the impact," Lucas said. He pushed himself up and gradually rose to his feet, disregarding the pain.

A few fortunate individuals managed to escape with only minor or no injuries. They were already taking the initiative to organise the rest of the survivors and provide treatment for the wounded. Recognising that they might be in this situation for a prolonged period, they knew they had to collaborate to ensure their survival.

Lucas hoped that rescue would arrive promptly to offer assistance. Amid these thoughts, he remembered that Sabrina was on her way, though he was uncertain how long it would take her to reach them due to the severity of the storm.

Brock recalled Onix because it was occupying too much space and its weight could pose a risk to the stability of the ballroom.

"Somebody help my son!"

Lucas followed the sound of the despairing voice and spotted a woman huddled beside a toppled table. Made of solid oak, the table appeared weighty. Protruding from beneath it was an arm that the woman tightly held onto.

"Come on," Lucas said. "Let's see if we can help."

Walking over to the stricken woman, they examined the scene more closely. Based on the size of the arm, it was clear that it belonged to a child. How unlucky the child must have been to end up under the table when there were only a few in the ballroom in the first place. Lucas winced, already picturing the scene in his mind. The table had to have fallen on the boy, and the impact would have been severe. Could the boy even survive such an ordeal?

"Help me, please!" The woman grasped Lucas' arm.

"Kid!" Max showed Lucas a gutsy pose, indicating his willingness to help out.

"Go ahead, but be careful," Lucas cautioned. "Lift the table and we will slide the boy out."

Max nodded and crouched down, grasping the table's edge. Straining, he slowly lifted the table, revealing the child beneath it. Lucas was expecting to see a sad sight, but he was pleasantly surprised to see a shell, which belonged to a Squirtle, lying on the boy's stomach. The Pokemon had withdrawn into its shell to protect both itself and the boy. He may have just saved the boy's life.

"Turbo!" The woman exclaimed.

"I got him," Brock said. He knelt, grabbed the boy's arms, and carefully slid him out from beneath the table.

When the child was clear, Max let go of the table, and Lucas patted his head, commending him on a job well done.

Brock examined the boy quickly, checking to see if he was breathing.

"Is he all right?" The woman asked.

"He is breathing normally," Brock said. He examined the boy further, and the only injury he discovered was a knot on the boy's head. "Aside from the knock to the head, he appears to be fine. He could have a concussion, though, so you need to monitor him."

"Thank you," the woman said as she embraced her son. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Thank Turbo," Lucas said, smiling. "Without him, it may have turned out differently."

Brock and Lucas walked away from the pair, looking for other injured patients. It quickly became clear how many people had been injured by the impact. Some of them might die if they don't receive medical attention soon.

When Lucas noticed one of the crew members slumped over in a daze, something occurred to him. He walked over to the man and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The crew member looked up. "Can I help you with something?"

"Is there a medical bay on the ship?" Lucas inquired. "With potions used to treat humans?"

"Yes," the man replied, "but it's on the deck above this one. Uh, at least it used to be."

"We are going to need them if we are going to save the critically injured," Lucas told Brock.

Brock nodded. "We need a way to access the medical bay."

They jumped as thunder clapped outside, reminding them that the storm was still raging. It was a source of concern because they had no idea how it would affect the capsized ship. They could never have predicted that the sound would herald the arrival of something terrifying.

Outside, a Pokemon appeared. Zapdos descended from the clouds like a god, looking down at the cruise ship with cold indifference.

So, what do you think? The crisis is far from over. How will Zapdos' appearance affect things?

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Thanks for reading.