Rise From The Ashes Chapter 12-Surprise On The St Anne, a pokémon fanfic

Pokemon is owned by Gamefreak and all Pokédex entries are from Bulbapedia.

"Butts"- Humans speaking

"Butts"- Pokemon speaking

'Butts'- thoughts

"Butts"-Pokedex entries/TV commentary

Surprise On The St. Anne

After breakfast the next morning, Ash, Misty, and Brock headed down to the harbor to see the luxury cruise ship Misty had wanted to see so badly. All of Ash's Pokémon were out, as was Loki, who hated being in a Poké Ball for long periods of time. As soon as they reached the harbor, they noticed a beautiful cruise ship and ran over to it.

Brock: Wow…

Misty: It's beautiful.

Ash: I'd love to travel the world on a ship like that.

Brock: Yeah, just think of all the Pokémon we'd see along the way.

Misty: *sighs* It would be so wonderful to go aboard that ship. Just sunbathing on the deck all day and having a nice, relaxing cruise.

Brock: *sadly* Too bad we could never afford it.

Misty: Yeah. It's nice to imagine it though. At least we get to see it. C'mon guys, let's get a closer look. I want to take some pictures.

Brock was looking at a group of beautiful girls, going hazy eued as he approached them.

Brock: I'll meet you guys over there in a minute~.

Misty shrugged and grabbed Ash's hand.

Misty: Okay. C'mon Ash, let's go check out the ship.

They walked up to the cruise ship and looked at it admiringly. Misty took several pictures of it, then turned to Ash.

Misty: Hey, Ash. I want to get a picture of you and your Pokémon with the ship. Call Psi and Yami down and stand right there. Loki, you get in the picture too.

Ash called for his two Pokemon and they landed on either side of him. Cobalt, Green, Loki and Aidan stood in front of them. Misty backed up so she could get a good picture.

Misty: Now, smile! Loki, Yami, stop making faces at the camera! I want this to be a nice photo! Okay, hold still…

Brock: Guys, holy crap, you won't believe what just happened!

Ash and the Pokémon turned to look at Brock just as the camera's flash went off, amking Green yub his eyes from the flash.

Misty: Brock, you ruined my photo!

Brock: Forget the stupid photo! Look!

He held up what seemed to be three tickets for the St. Anne cruise ship. Misty's eyes widened in shock.

Misty: Brock, how did you get these? I thought they were really expensive.

Brock: You remember those girls I was talking to? Well, *sadly* they all had boyfriends…. *brightens up* But their boyfriends are taking them out on a big date tonight, so they couldn't use their tickets and they gave them to me!

Ash: That was nice of them.

Misty: Yay! Now we get to go aboard the St. Anne!

She grabbed Ash and Brock's hands and dragged them towards the St. Anne. However, they were being watched by the two girls Brock had talked to; a lovely girl with long black hair and an evil grin, a beautiful red-headed girl, and a girl with blonde hair that was tied into two pigtails.

Black Haired Girl: Looks like we got another three victims.

Redhead: I hate this job. It's humiliating; having to parade around in these little bathing suits and having jerks hit on you. And then you have to give said jerks free tickets. Why Giovanni doesn't just have people pay for tickets is beyond me. He'd get rich folks with rare Pokémon, rather then these stupid newbie trainers with common Pokémon that you can get anywhere, like the ones following that kid with the black hair. Plus, he'd have all the money from the ticket sales and I wouldn't have to wear this hideous suit!

Blonde girl: Don't insult the boss! He knows what he's doing!

Black Haired Girl: Plus, we're getting paid really well for this, so don't ruin it!

Redhead: C'mon, Domino, can't you see the flaws in this plan?

Domino: The only flaw to this plan is that Jessie, James, and Meowth are running it. The boss gave those idiots one last chance to prove themselves.

The three girls looked at Jessie and James, who were handing out free tickets, both of them dressed as teenage girls. They winced when James said, "Coool!" in a high squeaky voice that was obviously intended to be female.

Black-Haired Girl: Yeah, we're screwed.

—-

Just before they boarded, Ash reluctantly recalled Psi and Yami. The ship was too crowded; Psi would have an aneurysm with this much sensory going on, and someone could bump into Yami and get spooked, causing a panic.

Ash: What an awesome ship….

Misty: I could travel the whole world on a ship like this.

Man: Welcome aboard the St. Anne. Tickets, please.

Brock showed him their tickets and he motioned them inside. They entered a gigantic room with orange carpeting. There were hundreds of people there, and a lot of booths selling Pokémon products. Like Ash and Misty, a lot of others had their Pokémon out as well.

Ash: It's like a giant Pokémon convention.

Misty: It looks like everyone here is a Pokémon trainer.

They passed two kids who were holding their Charmanders.

Boy 1: Look at the smooth skin on my Charmander. That shows how healthy it is!

Boy 2: And look at my Charmander's tail! There's orange mixed in with red! Cool, huh? Check it out!

Loki: *rolls eyes* And there's weird mixed in with pointing out the obvious.

Another boy ran up to them, showing off his Squirtle.

Boy 3: Wait, look how hard the shell is on my Squirtle! Tough, huh?

Another kid looked at the new group, excitedly pointing at Ash's Pokemon

Boy 2: Hey, look at that kid's Pokemon!

They ran up to the group, all talking at once as they checked out Cobalt, Green, and Aiden.

Group: His Charmander's so cute!/Not as cute as mine, though!/Look at that Grass-type, it's so cool!/This one's fur is so shiny./What moves do they know?

Though Cobalt and Green blushed at the praise, Aidan nervously backed up as they moved closer. One of the strangers reached down to touch him, and Aidan prepared to shoot a Flamethrower at them, but Ash scooped him up, holding Aidan against his chest, and the Charmander relaxed a little bit.

Ash: *glares* Go away. You're making Aidan nervous by crowding around him like that!

There were disgruntled murmurs from the kids, but they turned and left.

Aiden: I don't like this…

Ash: Would you like to go in your Poké Ball so you can rest and they won't bother you any more?

Aidan nodded, and Ash returned him to his Poké Ball. Ash mumbled about idiots ruining Aidan's first cruise, then turned to his other Pokémon.

Ash: Are you guys okay? Do you need to go back in your Poké Balls too?

Cobalt: Naw, I kinda like the attention. I wanna see what new things I can spot with my new height.

Green: And I'm not going in the red and white sphere of boredom. Not when there's so much fun stuff to do.

Loki: Same here. Plus if any idiots bother us, I can soak 'em.

He grinned mischievously as Ash quietly translated what he had said to Misty, who just shook her head.

Misty: C'mon guys, let's check out the booths!

Brock was eyeing a beautiful girl sunbathing on the deck.

Brock: *walks away* You guys go on. I'll meet you in a few minutes.

Misty just shrugged and grabbed Ash's hand, dragging him in the direction of the booths.

Ash and Misty walked around, checking out the booths. There was special Pokémon food, herbal medicines, evolution items, customized Poké Balls, toys, and clothes for both humans and Pokémon. It was a Pokémon lover's paradise.

Misty: Hey, look over here! Oh, look at that, it's so cute!

They stopped at a stand run by a merchant, who smiled as he stood behind the counter. On the counter was a bingo cage with different colored balls and on the shelves behind him were Pokeballs of different kinds.

Ash: What's this?

Merchant: Why, it's Regional Roulette, of course. You see, I'm a traveler and I often have a habit of catching more Pokemon than I know what to do with. So, I decided to come here and give them away. For a price, spin the cage and depending on the ball's color, you get a Pokemon from a different region.

Misty: Hm…. Okay. Why not?

Ash, who had been buying some Poké Puffs for his Pokémon, turned around to see Misty give some cash to the merchant before turning the crank on the bingo cage. Eventually, a bright orange ball came out.

Merchant: Ooo, orange. An illustrious Pokemon of the Alola region just for you, missy. Enjoy.

The man reached behind him, handingMisty an orange Pokebal with a blue marking on the front, resembling a crescent moon. Misty grabbed the ball and curious to see what was inside, she opened it, revealing a skittish looking silver and purple horseshoe crab like Pokemon.

?; W-W-What's happening? W-W-Where am I?

Misty flinched seeing that it was probably a bug as Ash scanned it, Misty walking next to him to see what exactly she won.

Pokedex: Wimpod, the Turn Tail Pokémon. A Bug and Water type. Wimpod are often very skittish and alert, scattering the moment they detect an enemy's presence. As it desperately dashes off, the flailing of its many legs leaves a sparkling clean path in its wake.

Ash hated to see his best friend afraid, but helped Misty calm down.

Ash: Remember. He'll probably be like another Alex.

Nodding, Misty hesitantly knelt down to Wimpod's level, putting on a soothing smile for him.

Misty: Hi, Wimpod. I'm Misty, your new trainer. I promise I won;t hurt you. I hope we can be good friends.

She held a hand out to it. Though he flinched, Wimpod eventually saw Misty meant no harm, rubbing his head into her open hand. Seeing Wimpod being scared by the crowd, Misty returned him as they continued their trip through the St. Anne. However, they stopped once again at Misty's shout as she pointed at a booth.

Misty: Oh, look at that, it's so cute!

Ash: What is?

Misty: That stuffed Tentacool in the game booth! Isn't it adorable?

Ash looked over to see a carnival type game where you had to knock over a three bottle pyramid to win a prize. One of the prizes was a stuffed Tentacool plushy that was nearly as big as Aiden.

Ash: Um, sure…

Green: I don;t think it's that cute.

Cobalt: *shrugs* More power to her, I suppose.

Misty: Tentacool are one of my favorite Pokémon! I'm going to try to win it.

She ran over and gave the game operator, a sleazy-looking man with a handlebar mustache, a dollar and he handed her a baseball. She threw the ball at the bottles, but they didn't fall. The man asked her if she wanted to try again, a smug smile on his face, but she shook her head and walked away, a disappointed expression on her face.

Misty: *walking away* The game's probably rigged.

Ash hated to see his best friend disappointed. He took a dollar out of his pocket and walked over to the booth. Maybe he could win that toy for her. Green cautioned him that it probably was a scam, but Ash whispered that he wanted to try to get the toy for Misty anyway and that it was only a dollar to play, so he wasn't losing much. Cobalt followed, munching on one of the Pecha Berry Poké Puffs Ash had bought.

Ash: I'd like to play.

The game operator grinned and handed him the ball. Green and Misty had been right; the game operator WAS running a scam. As Ash prepared to throw the ball, the operator stepped on the pedal that put the bottles up, making them nearly impossible to knock down. But he needn't have worried; Ash threw the ball too high and missed. The game operator gave a smug smile and stepped off the pedal.

Operator: Too bad! Do…

But his words were cut off as the ball ricocheted off the back of the booth and hit the bottles, knocking them over.

Ash: Yes! I did it!

Operator: *sighs* Okay, what toy do you want, kid?

Ash: The stuffed Tentacool, please.

The shopkeeper handed it over and Ash thanked him before running off to find Misty, Cobalt and Green right behind him.

Meanwhile, Misty was checking out one of the booths that sold clothing and saw something Ash might like; a black T-shirt with a white tribal design of a Lucario on it.

Misty: Hey, Ash, what do you think about…Where'd he go? *to Loki* Have you seen him, Loki?

Loki shook his head.

Misty: He must have stopped at one of the booths. Let's go find him.

But before they got too far, she heard Ash's voice calling her name, and he ran from around the corner and up to her, his Pokémon behind him. He was hiding something behind his back and grinning mischievously.

Misty: What have you got behind your back?

Ash: Close your eyes and hold out your hands.

Misty gave him a strange look, but did it. She felt Ash place something soft and fuzzy in her arms and opened her eyes, seeing the Tentacool plushy she had wanted.

Misty: Aww! *hugs plushy* Did you win this for me? *Ash nods* That's so sweet! Thank you, Ash; you're the nicest guy ever.

She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek, making Ash turn red as a Tamato Berry.

Misty: C'mon, I want to show you something.

Ash reached up to touch the spot Misty had kissed, a goofy grin starting to appear on his face. He began to dreamily follow Misty, not seeing the pole that was right in front of him.

Green: Ash? Ash, watch out for that- *BONK!* …pole.

He and Cobalt ran over to check on their trainer, who was holding his nose in pain. Misty turned around and ran back over to Ash as Loki burst out laughing.

Loki: What happened, Ash? Too busy watching my trainer to watch where you were going?

Green: *joking* Guess he went love-blind

Ash went so red they thought steam was going to come out his ears, and hid his face.

Cobalt: Guys, come on, quit teasing him.

Green: Sorry. You okay, Ash?

Ash nodded as Misty checked him over.

Misty: I don't think you broke anything. How do you feel?

Ash: I'm fine.

Misty: I think we need to buy you a helmet. Now let's go. I found this shirt I think you'll love.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the booth.

Misty: It's this one.

Misty shifted her Tentacool to one arm, then picked up the T-shirt and handed it to him.

Misty: What do you think?

Ash looked closely at it, tracing his finger over the white Lucario. He loved the look of it; beautiful but powerful.

Ash: I like it.

Misty: Good, because I'm buying it for you.

Ash: You don't have to do that…

Misty: know but I WANT to. Is this your size?

Ash nodded and Misty paid the booth owner for the T-shirt.

Ash: Thanks.

Misty: You're welcome. Now let's see what that shirt looks like on you.

She handed Ash his new shirt and Ash stepped into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, he came out wearing his new shirt and carrying his blue vest. From Misty's suggestion, he slipped the vest back on, leaving it unbuttoned and tucking it back a little so the Lucariodesign could clearly be seen.

Misty: There, perfect. You know, that look really suits you.

Ash blushed at the vomliment while Cobalt and Green chimed in their agreement. However, thy saw Brock walking up to them. Ash smiled, only to then notice he had a black eye.

Brock: Hi, guys.

Ash: What happened to you?

Brock: Never flirt with a woman who has a protective girlfriend.

Ash: Um…. I'll keep that in mind.

Brock: Well, looks like you two had fun at least.

Misty: Yeah, we did.

Brock: And it wasn't a total loss. On the way here, I ran into this roulette booth that gave away regional Pokemon.

Misty: Oh, I think we ran into the same booth. I got a Pokemon named Wimpod from there. Did you get a Pokemon from there?

Brock nodded as he pulled out a blue Pokeball, its surface shining like a diamond as a round shape adorned the top, resembling a pearl. He opened the ball, releasing a blue frog-like Pokemon with constantly inflating orange cheeks and three fingers on each hand, the middle one being orange, as well. Every time the sacs inflated, the Pokemon released a croaking sound.

Misty: Wow… What is it?

Brock: Not sure. The guy said it was from Sinnoh when I won it. Ash, could you scan it?

Ash nodded, scanning the new mon with his Pokedex as the other two listened in.

Pokedex: Croagunk, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon. A Poison and Fighting type. Croagunk inflates its cheeks to release a deep croak, which it uses to attract the opposite gender for mating. These cheeks fill with a powerful toxin that it can also seep into its fingertips.

Brock: Croagunk, huh? Well then, welcome to the team, Croagunk.

Croagunk simply croaked, though he gave a small nod before keeping close to Brock.

Misty: I saw some booths selling Pokémon food and grooming supplies. Want to go check those out with us?

Brock: Sure.

As they walked that way, Ash looked around, being enthralled more and more with the sights. However, Ash looked back at his Pokemon, only to become concerned for Cobalt as he saw tears coming out of his eyes, however he seemed unaffected.

Ash: Cobalt, what's wrong?

Cobalt: What? Nothing, I'm fine.

Ash: Then why are you crying?

He reached a paw to his face, looking shocked as he saw his paw was wet with tears, only to look in shock as Green and Ash started tearing up too.

Cobalt: Guys, I said I'm fine. There's no need to cry.

Green: Wait, what? But we're not crying.

Ash: What's going on?

Suddenly, as Brock and Misty realized they were unconsciously shedding tears as well, Ash and his team heard what seemed to be childish sobbing coming from a young girl. They looked around, spotting a small blue blur running off as a merchant yelled.

Merchant: Stop that Pokemon! She's dangerous!

Seeing the poor Pokemon in trouble, Ash, Cobalt, and Green ran after it. The others turned only to barely see Cobalt leave with Ash and Green gone.

Misty: Ash, wait! Where are you going?!

Brock: Come back!

Ash chased after the sobbing blue form, noticing other people started tearing up as it passed them. However, after seeing a hanging banner in fcoming up, Ash came up with an idea.

Ash: Green, use a small Energy Ball to knock that banner down.

Green nodded, flicking an Energy Ball the size of a baseball into the banner, causing it to fall on what they were chasing. Ash came up and dug the Pokemon out, revealing it to be a small blue lizard like Pokemon with a curled tail and a yellow fin on its head.

Ash: Calm down, little one. I'm not going to hurt you.

It struggled and cried before it spoke in a young girl's voice.

?: No! I don't want to go with that man! Please!

Ash: Woah, woah, it's okay. You won't go with him. I promise. Cobalt, can you use your aura to read her thoughts?

The Lucario nodded, holding an open palm at the little blue Pokemon. His dreadlocks started floating up as his eyes glow slightly.

Cobalt: She's young. Probably hatched recently…. Oh…. *frowns* Oh no….

Ash: What?

Cobalt: Poor girl's afraid. Apparently, the person who bought her is a rich and greedy crook who wants to use her in cage matches.

Ash: C…. "Cage matches"? You mean those illegal fights to the deaths for Pokemon? *disgusted* That's horrible!

Green: I'll say. Poor kid.

Cobalt: We're lucky she hadn;t been caught yet, otherwise, we'd be in trouble.

However, after seeing that Ash wasn;t going to harm her, the little lizard not only calmed down but is now softly nuzzling his face affectionaly. Brock and Misty came up, noticing their tears had stopped.

Misty: There you are, Ash. Is that what you were chasing, what is it?

Ash shrugged as he got his Pokedex, canning the new Pokemon.

Pokedex: Sobble, the Water Lizard Pokémon. A Water type. Sobble's skin is covered in a special membrane that turns transparent when in contact with water. Sobble's timidety causes it to sweat and cry so much that it turns invisible automatically. Its tears contain an enzyme found in onions where it causes other people to cry out of their control.

Brock: So, that's why everyone was crying while it was running. Seems like it really likes you, Ash.

Sobble: Mr?

Ash looked at the Sobble, who smiled at him. Though her smile trembled a bit.

Sobble: Can…. Can I please stay with you? You're really nice and…. I wanna be with you. Please?

She asked this, not knowing humans normally can't understand Pokemon. But luckily, this was Ash, so he understood completely. He reached into his backpack, pulling out the Friend Ball Brad gave him. He brought the ball close to Sobble, though she looked scared at the ball.

Ash: Sobble, if you want to be my Pokémon, I have to catch you first. So that way, bad people can't take you away from me.

Sobble: Okay. I don't want to leave you,

He tapped the ball against DSobble;s head, sucking her inside. It locked without so much as a struggle.

Misty: Well, looks like you got yourself a new Pokemon and a new friend.

Ash: Of course. I couldn't just leave her to be taken by that e jerk. She deserves a trainer and a team that will love her.

Green: *smiles* And she's got that now.

Ash: I wonder if there's a pool I can let Sobble out in. I want to get to know her a little bit better.

Brock checked a map he had found on the wall.

Brock: This says there's a pool for Water Pokémon on this level. We just go straight ahead and then to the right.

After a few minutes of walking, Ash filled Misty and Brock in on what was going on with Sobble. They were understandably pissed at the disgusting man, but let that go as they arrived at the pool, which was almost empty because everyone else was getting ready for dinner. Ash let Sobble out of her new Friend Ball, then sat on the side of the pool.

Ash: Hi, Sobble. I'm Ash and this is Cobalt, Green, Loki, Brock, and Misty.

He pointed to the others as he said their names.

Ash: Are you feeling okay?

Sobble: A little bit. Thank you for saving me from that man.

Ash: Of course… Do you have a real name? *Sobble nods no* Would you like a nickname, then?

Sobble: Yes, please.

Ash: Brock, can I borrow your laptop again so I can find a good name for Sobble?

Brock: Sure.

He took out the laptop and typed "Names for Sobble" into the search engine…. Only to get no results. Confused, Ash checked Sobble's dex page once again.

Ash: Well, I guess Sobble isn't from Kanto. Says here she's from a region called Galar… Maybe we should try looking up "Girl Names that mean water".

Brock nodded, typing it into the search engine.

Misty: Okay, there we go. These are a lot better.

Brock: Alright… How about Muriel?

Ash looked to Sobble, who shook his head.

Ash: No, that one's out.

Misty: Nixie?

Sobble shook her head once more.

Ash: No.

Cobalt: Oh, here's one I like. How about Azula? Apparently, people say "Azul" to mean blue in the Paldea region.

Sobble: I….I like Azula.

Ash: Azula it is, then. Is it okay if I scan you with my Pokédex to see what moves you know?

She didn;t know what that meant, but she nodded to make Ash happy, and Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning her once again.

Ash: U-Turn? What's U-Turn?

Words appeared on the Pokédex's screen.

Pokedex: U-Turn is a Bug Type move where the Pokémon strikes swiftly with precision, then returns to its Poke Ball to switch out.

Ash: Wow, you have some great moves, Azula.

Azula: Thank you.

She wasn;t used to this. For most of her life, all Azula ever heard from trainers was that she was pathetic or annoying. But this boy, her new trainer, was treating her with kindness. For a few more minutes, Ash, Cobalt, Green, Loki, Brock, and Misty talked and played with Azula. Ash gave Azula a Poké Puff, which the Sobble ate eagerly, and told Azula about his other Pokémon and some of the adventures they had had. Azula had never been happier. She finally had a place where she fit in and teammates and a trainer who cared for her. She truly felt like she was home.

All too soon, the intercom announced that the Pokémon Pool was closing and that it was fifteen minutes until dinnertime. Ash allowed Azula to ride on his shoulder and the group headed towards the dining hall. Just before they reached their destination though, they spotted a huge crowd.

Ash: What's going on over there?

Brock: It looks like a Pokémon battle.

They went to a gap in the crowd and watched as an older gentleman's Raticate knocked out a young boy's Sandshrew.

Boy: Sandshrew! Are you okay?

He scooped up his Sandshrew in his arms, hugging it tightly. His opponent was an older gentleman, his Pokemon being a Raticate.

Gentleman: Don't worry son, it was only a practice match. *boy walks away* Is anyone else brave enough to challenge my Raticate?

Cobalt: A Raticate? Let's fight him, Ash!

Ash nodded and walked towards the gentleman on stage.

Ash: I'd like to challenge you, sir. *to Azula* Now Azula, watch carefully to how we battle.Y ou'll need the practice.

Gentleman: As you wish. Raticate, go!

Ash: Go, Yami!

Ash threw his Pokeball, releasing his Hanter, who chortled as he entered the fray.

Gentleman: Raticate, Hi-Jump Kick!

Ash: Yami, take the hit, then use Poison Jab!

Yami yawned as he stood in place, allowing the Raticate to phase through him due to his immunity. The Raticate cried in pain as he was hurt from his attack missing, which was only made worse as Yami jabbed it in the stomach. The Raticate cried out as its cheeks flushed with purple, showing that it had become poisoned.

Gentleman: Raticate, Crunch attack!

Ash: Yami, dodge, then Venoshock!

Yami got out of the way by inches, then spat a painful toxic sludge on the Raticate. It was hirt even more, due to the Pokemon already being poisoned.

Ash: Now finish it with one more Poison Jab!

The gentleman ran onto the field and scooped up his Raticate, Yami's poisonous hand skidded on the floor as he tried to stop before he hit the man. It comically broke like glass before the fragments evaporated and reformed into his hand.

Gentleman: That's enough now. I forfeit.

He handed Ash two hundred dollars in prize money before walking away with his Raticate, hoping to find a way to cure his Raticate while Ash hugged Yami.

Ash: Amazing job, Yami.

Yami: Thanks. *notices Azula* Who's she?

Cobalt: Oh, this is Azula. She's the newest member of our team.

Azula shyly waved to Yami, who smiled and waved back.

Misty: Wow, that was amazing. How did Yami take out that Raticate without taking a single hit?

Brock: Yami is part Ghost type, and as such, he's immune to Normal and Fighting type moves. Not only that, the Raticate was poionsed by Poison Jab then hit by Venoshock, which does a lot more damage to poisoned Pokemon.

Ash's stomach rumbled and he blushed.

Brock: *laughs* Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving too."

Their eyes lit up as they walked into the dining hall and saw (and smelled) the enormous buffet of delicious food. They piled their plates, Ash and Misty making sure to grab some food for their Pokémon too, and sat at one of the tables, eating their dinner happily. However, the Gentleman returned a little bit later, smiling at Ash as he came by with a woman.

Gentleman: Hello, boy. Having yourself a good time?

Ash: Yes, sir.

Gentleman: You know, that Haunter of your's is quite the kindred spirit.

Ash: Thank you, Sir. I put a lot of work into raising Yami.

Gentleman: Tell me. What did you think of my Raticate?

Ash: Uh… your Raticate's pretty good sir, got lots of guts.

Gentleman: In that case, I'll be forward; would you like to trade your Haunter for my Raticate?

Ash's eyes widened at the request, but he shook his head.

Ash: Sorry, but I don't like trading my Pokemon. Yami's more than just my battlin partner, he's a member of my family.

Gentleman: Oh that's too bad… Well, what do you say to a temporary trade? That Haunter of your's goes under something special when traded.

Ash: Well…. I don;t know.

Gentleman: As soon as it's done, we'll trade back. Promise.

Ash: Hm…. Okay, deal.

The man nodded as he escorted Ash and his two starters into the hallway, where a machine with two spaces inder tubes laid and a screen was displayed up top.

Green: Ash, what's this about trading Pokemon?

Ash: *whispers* You see, when other trainers like each other's Pokemon and agree with each other, they trade them. It's actually pretty common among trainers.

Gentleman: We're here. Alright, just place your Haunter's Poke Ball on that space, I'll put my Raticate right here.

Nodding, Ash placed the ball on one of the spaces as the Gentleman did the same and pressed a button. The two balls were sucked into the tubes and on the screen, silhouettes of a Haunter and a Raticate could be seen. And just like that, the balls dropped back.

Gentleman: And that's that…. Alright, like I promised, we'll trade back.

Ash was relieved that the man kept his word, pressing the button and allowing the balls to switch places once more. However, Raticate's silhouette showed, but a blob like shape also showed instead of a Haunter. And just like that, both trainers regained their Pokemon.

Ash: Thank you, sir. For keeping your end of the deal.

Gentleman: Not a problem, dear boy. *bows* Adieu. *walks back*

Cobalt: What…. What's going on? Where's Yami?

Ash: I'm pretty sure this is the surprise he wanted.

He opened the Pokeball, releasing Yami, but as he was let out, the ghost's form mprhed and grew in a bright light before it fainted. Now, Yami was more rotund with a full body with limbs and tail, but you could still tell it was him with his red eyes and signature grin.

Yami: *dazed groan* What happened?... *looks at himself* Oh my Arceus, I have feet!

Azula: Wha-What happened?

Ash: It's okay, Azula. You see, some Pokemon evolve via trading, like Kadabra or Haunter. *takes out Pokedex* Take a look here.

Pokedex: Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon and the evolved form of Haunter. A Ghost and Poison type. Gengar can pass through solid matter and appear almost anywhere. Since Gengar absorbs any warmth around it, the temperature suddenly drops wherever it appears. This Gengar is level 28, Male, and has the ability, Cursed Body. It knows the moves Shadow Ball, Shadow Punch, Sludge Bomb, and Venoshock.

Yami: *laughs* They're like leg hands.

With business done, Ash returned Yami as he and his team went back to the dinner hall. However, as soon as he came back in, everyone in the dining hall screamed as the door suddenly shut and locked and the lights went out. Some of the waiters and vendors tore off their costumes to reveal Team Rocket uniforms. They were wearing machines on their backs that looked like vacuums. Jessie, James and Meowth, the leaders of this operation, leapt on top of the tables and began to say their motto, but it didn't seem like James's heart was in it. He seemed depressed about something.

Jessie: To protect the world from devastation!

James: *depressed* To unite all peoples within our nation…. *sigh*

Green: These guys AGAIN?!

Loki fired off what was supposed to be a Water Gun, but it was much stronger and more pressurized, sending Jessie, James, and Meowth off the table and into a wall. Loki had just learned Hydro Pump. The Rocket Trio got up, groaning.

Meowth: NEVER interrupt the motto!

Grunt: Forget the stupid motto! Let's just start with the actual plan!

Jessie: Team Rocket will now take possession of your Pokémon!

People began to mutter to themselves in fear and confusion as the Team Rocket members turned on their vacuums and everyone's Poké Balls started flying towards the machines. Ash's Poké Balls started to come off his belt, but he grabbed them out of the air, screaming in rage and charging at the nearest grunt, hitting the grunt in the gut with his head. The grunt fell to the ground, groaning, and Ash stole his vacuum, sending it into reverse and pelting a wave of grunts who were trying to grab him with Poké Balls.

A grunt tried to grab Ash from behind, but Cobalt and Green quickly took him out with Force Palm and Leaf Blade.

Cobalt: We've got your back, Ash!

Loki hit a grunt with Hydro Pump, Misty punched one in the face, knocking him to the ground, and Brock grabbed a dinner tray and slammed it into another grunt's head. Then Brock released Bulbasaur and Croagunk and Misty released Alex, both of whom used Stun Spore on the approaching grunts while Croagunk nonchalantly hit one with Poison Jab.

Ash: *to others* Are we Pokémon Trainers or aren't we?! I don't' know about you guys, but I'm not letting them take away my Pokémon! Who's with me?!

He sent out Psi, Yami, and Aidan, who saw the grunts and quickly began attacking. The other trainers cheered, then released their own Pokémon. Aidan got with another group of Charmander and they hit the grunts with a group Flamethrower. Psi led all the other Psychic into a group attack and Yami did the same with the other Ghost types. Cobalt and the other Fighting Types quickly disarmed the grunts of their vacuums and released the Pokémon trapped inside, who quickly joined the battle all the while Green and even Azula stood guard at Ash's side, making sure no grunts could get near his trainer.

A quick-thinking older man broke through one of the windows of the ship and ran to the control room, unlocking and opening the doors. The grunts were chased through the ship and onto the deck.

Boy: Pidgeotto! Group Gust!

The Pidgeotto joined with the other Flying types and unleashed the attacks, which combined to make a massive tornado, blowing all the Team Rocket grunts off the ship. Everyone cheered, happy they were now free from Team Rocket. Some people clapped Ash, Brock, and Misty on the back, congratulating them for their quick thinking and courage.

They went back inside to the dining hall and Ash sat down, taking deep breaths as the adrenaline faded away. Ash's Pokémon clustered around him. Aidan and Azula climbed on his lap as Green and Psi sat by his side and Yami and Cobalt nestled next to him. They watched as the other trainers sorted out their Pokémon, making sure they had all of their teams back.

Psi: You did amazing out there, Ash. Your strategic thinking and contasdeous passio truly saved the day.

Cobalt: I still can't believe you tackled that guy, then stole his vacuum and took out those other grunts. *laughs* Looks like those self-defense lessons really paid off. I'll have to teach you some more fighting moves.

Green: Sounds like someone's Sceptile side came out again. *hugs Ash* We're very proud of you.

Ash: Thanks. By the way, Psi, Aiden, we have a new teammate. She's….

But Ash's words were cut off by the ship swaying violently, sending Ash's chair tipping and him falling to the ground. Luckily, Yami caught him before he could slide into a wall.

Green: What the hell's happening?

Misty ran to the window, growing horrified at the sight outside.

Misty: It's a huge storm!

Brock: The ship is going to have a tough time getting back in waves like this.

Ash, Misty, and Brock quickly began recalling their Pokémon, just in case an evacuation was necessary. They didn't want any of them to get hurt in what probably would be a mad scramble to get to the lifeboats. No one knew it, but Jessie, James, and Meowth were still aboard the vessel too. The ship swayed, knocking James into a wall and making him drop his fake golden Poké Ball containing a Magikarp he had been tricked into buying from a merchant. The ball rolled down the hall, and James, wanting to get his money back from the Magikarp Salesman, rushed to get it.

The passengers rushed over to the captain's deck clamoring in fear.

Captain: There's no need to be alarmed! The waves just pushed us a little off course! And the ship's supposed to be unsinkable, so there's no need for alarm!

Suddenly, a massive wave rocked the ship, making everyone look around in terror. When they turned back, they noticed the captain was missing. Looking around, they saw him lowering himself down on one of the lifeboats.

Captain: Like I said, no need to panic! I'm just testing out the lifeboats!

Crewman: You son of a bitch!

Everyone began to panic, rushing for the lifeboats. Someone slammed into Ash, sending him flying into a wall and knocking him out. Brock and Misty rushed to help their friend and were also knocked into the wall by a group of frightened trainers. The ship tilted violently, throwing Ash, Brock, and Misty down the hallway and into another room. They were unnoticed by the other passengers who all got out in time just before another huge wave hit the St. Anne.

The St. Anne began slowly sinking to the bottom of the sea, an unconscious Misty, Brock, and Ash still trapped inside along with Jessie, James, and Meowth, who had also been knocked out. The question of is the St. Anne was truly unsinkable was answered just now, but the next question is….

Can our heroes make it out of this adventure alive?

TO BE CONTINUED…..