Gary Oak looked at the information again and again. Meteorological maps. Ocean navigation charts. Even satellite air traffic telemetry data that he obtained from less than legal means. Nothing made sense. There should have at least been a skeleton for the blimp, but there was no sign, no trace. The boy had to find out why.
The phone started to ring, but Gary ignored it to focus on his work. He knew he was on the verge of a breakthrough, he just knew it.
The answering machine clicked open and broadcasted its message to the roam. Please leave a message after the tone, BEEP!
Gary! It's me, your grandfather. His grandfather's voice rang out. I've been worried about you. I know things have been rough these past few weeks, but please talk to me.
The boy rose from his seat and turned towards the answering machine. A small part of him wanted to go talk to his Gramps, but he already knew what he was going to tell him. Besides, it was his fault Ash needed to make that stupid blimp ride in the first place.
I know that you don't want to give up and that's very admirable, but you can't just… focus everything towards a single end, especially not alone.
It's because everyone else has given up that I am alone now. Gary rose and stood over the phone. His hand went to reach the handle, but decided against it.
I know what Ash really meant to you. You may have had your ups and downs, but I know that deep down he was one of your truest friends. That's why you both shared the same dream. So, please. For Ash's sake, live on. BEEP At the beep the recording cut off.
Gary looked down at his half of a broken Pokéball, a small leaving his eye. "Sorry, Gramps. I can't do that. I have to keep going, to bring Ash home… even if he isn't alive to appreciate it, the jerk!"
Exhausted from his Gramps's phone call and eager to do more than just look at maps all day, Gary took one of his notebooks and walked out of the building.
If it wasn't for that crazy woman who wanted to find her boyfriend, Gary wouldn't have gotten the funding he needed to buy some property to make a base of operations. Apparently, she was rich and looking for her fiance who was on the same blimp when it went down.
Sensing his approach, Gary's Pokémon came at him.
Eevee burst from the sand and leapt onto Gary's legs. "Eevee! Vee! Vee!" she cried as she rubbed her body around her trainer's feet.
The boy knelt down and gently patted the Pokémon on the head. "It's good to see you, too, Eevee!"
"Vee!" Eevee rubbed her head against his side, accepting the gesture. She then looked him up in the eye and her expression became that of concern. "Eeeee?"
"Grandpa called again. I know he wants me to stop looking for Ash, but I just can't… not," Gary shook his head.
"Ee…" Eevee made a pained noise.
"Blastoise?" A large turtle Pokémon approached.
"Yeah. I want to head out to sea again." Gary sighed. "You okay to try diving again?"
"Blast!" his starter confirmed with gusto. He slammed his chest with one of his big, meaty arms.
"Yeah, I'll pack extra rations, too," Gary answered as he looked out at the Sun and towards the beach. Ash would have loved this place.
The boy left the house and walked to the shore.
He was then greeted by his newest Pokémon.
"LAAP," Lapras called, excitedly from the beach. The plesiosaur raised a flipper in a sign of greeting.
"How're you doing, boy?" Gary brought one hand forward and touched the flipper. "You like what I gave you for dinner, didn't ya?"
"LAAP!" he cried back, excited.
Gary smiled, glad that even if he couldn't find Ash, someone's life had been improved by his actions. He met Lapras during his first trip to the Orange Islands, to get the GS Ball and to send it to his Gramps's lab. Back then, the poor thing was beaten and abused by a trio of hooligans. The boy drove them off easily and took Lapras into his care. He also may have given a local artist a Summer job at his Gramps's lab, but that didn't really matter to Gary much.
The boy sighed. "Alright, Lapras. Do you think you will take me out to sea again?"
"LAAA!" The Water-type answered in confirmation. He slid his body from the beach, in anticipation.
Seeing the plesiosaur ready himself, Gary turned back to his starter. "Blastoise, I'm counting on you to Dive again."
"Blas," The large turtle grumbled.
"I know, I know, you don't like diving that far down alone," Gary answered back, annoyed. "But I don't really have anyone else."
"...Toise, blas blastoise?" Blastoise questioned, a hint of arrogance in his voice.
"You know how much it means to me," Gary almost pleaded. He didn't exactly know anything about what his Pokémon were saying, but he could almost string together a conversation with Blastoise since he had been with him the longest.
The large turtle shrugged and nodded his head. Then, a red glow surrounded him and he returned himself into his Pokéball.
Gary sighed and accepted that at least meant that Blastoise would be coming with him.
Eevee climbed onto Lapras's shell and made a triumphant cheer. "Vee!"
Gary smiled at the Normal-type, happy that she was tagging along as well. A part of him considered getting a Water Stone to get the Pokémon to evolve, but he didn't want to force that upon her. She was his Pokémon, but evolving is her prerogative. If she wanted a Water Stone, that was her call.
The boy climbed onto Lapras's shell and took one last look at his notes. "Lapras, take us in the North East direction and I'll add my corrections. I think I've accounted for oceanic drift, so if the wreck is there, Blastoise might be able to confirm it!"
"LAA!" Lapras cried. He pushed himself out to sea and began to swim in the desired direction.
Gary looked towards the horizon and hoped, desperately hoped that he'd find Ash at the other side.
He missed that idiot.
And he wished he had a proper submarine. Blastoise could only dive so far.
Ash decided that he hated Psychic-types. And Flying-types. And especially both at the same time.
The enemy Natu leapt up into the air and dive bombed him, beak extended.
The Riolu raised his arm to block the oncoming blows, each left a burning mark on his forearm.
Responding, Ash sent a back hand, which didn't do much damage, but threw off the pea colored bird.
"Gonna have to do better than that!" Natu quickly recovered and flapped his wings. A flash of purple energy covered his head.
Ash suddenly felt a sharp pain in his mind, his vision blurring and distorting. He nearly fell onto his knees.
"Ash!" Pikachu called out. "You can win this!"
Driven by his partner's words, Riolu steadied his footing and kept himself standing.
"Oh, still want more?" Natu laughed.
Ash gritted his teeth and went to charge the bird.
Natu deftly dodged out of the way and out of Ash's reach. "You can't even reach me!"
Strengthening his legs, Ash made a leap, but he was still too slow. Natu went out of the way, causing his attack to strike the ground and shatter the rock beneath.
"Ha!" the Natu laughed before throwing yet another bolt of Psychic force at the Riolu. "Nice try, but you're going to have to do better than that!"
This time, Ash was ready and he narrowly dodged the attack. He knew that because he wasn't evolved yet, his options for ranged attacks were very limited; even then, most of those options wouldn't have been effective against a Psychic-Flying-type. He could have tried a Quick Attack, but that would have only worked if Natu was close enough to the ground.
Fortunately, Ash knew better than to rely on only his moves. He picked up several of the displaced chunks of earth that had been torn up in the fighting and from the top of his lungs, he shouted, "Rock Throw!"
"Wait, can you-" But Natu hadn't expected it. A rock hit him square in the head, dazing him for a second.
Capitalizing on that, Ash rushed him.
In desperation, Natu flapped his wings to lash at Ash with wind.
But Ash triggered his Quick Attack. The razor sharp slice of wind came at him at only a snail's pace. The accelerated Riolu leapt over the wave and slammed his body right over the Natu's.
The bird fell to earth, pinned by Ash.
He struggled to make another move, but Ash knew better to let him try anything.
"Hidden Power!" A surge of electricity coursed all over the Riolu and burst from him in an instant.
Natu made a pained groan and stopped moving.
"The winner is Ash!" Brock declared.
Ash leapt off of Natu, letting his opponent's friends recover him. He jumped in the air with a manic grin on his face. "Wohoo!" he shouted. Fighting had always got his blood pumping, but doing his own battles held a certain satisfaction.
His team went to congratulate him. Charizard picked him up and threw him into the air. The Riolu didn't mind at all.
"You did it, Boss!"
"Wow, you guys sure are tough," said the Flaffy from the opposing team, as he went to congratulate the Riolu. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us if we want to make it to the Tournament!"
"You guys were pretty strong, too!" Ash laughed while he was being carried by his team. "You did knock out some of our team, too. Like Bulbasaur and Geodude."
"And yet we still lost," the Flaffy lamented. He shook his head and then shrugged. "Well, on my family's honor, I concede. Here's our bet." He tossed a bag full of Carats to Pikachu, who managed to catch it.
"Pleasure doing business!" Pikachu shouted.
Ash didn't know how to feel about having essentially won money from his opponents, mostly because it was weird in retrospect. It was probably because of the video games he played as a kid, but he could have sworn that Pokémon trainers were supposed to give half their money to their opponent if they lost. And yet, none of the trainers he battled so much as put their money on the line when he challenged them; it was only when he was turned into a Pokémon did he encounter wagers like in his games.
Once his Pokémon were done celebrating and put him down, Ash went to clean himself up with a moist towel that Squirtle provided for him.
"Fresh popcorn! Get your popcorn here!" Brock howled to the crowd. A not insignificant amount of Pokémon gathered around him, requesting whatever snack foods he had for sale.
It was their second day in Wulfram Way and there was no sign of Team Rocket having arrived before them. As a result, Ash and his friends set up shop to obtain whatever money while they waited for their arrival. The current plan was that if Team Rocket didn't show up in about a week, they'd hire another ship to take them wherever there was another Emera.
As far as port towns went, Wulfram Way didn't seem too bad. It wasn't as large as Quartz Bay, but it seemed richer, with fancier stone buildings instead of cheap wooden ones. It also seemed to be a bit seedy and rough compared to Quartz Bay, with some parts of town being dangerous to be in at night.
Cyclizar said that while there weren't any proper bandits in the town itself, there were plenty of smugglers and thieves who made a fortune there. Some of it was even public and technically legal.
"I would prefer we leave as soon as possible," the Dragon-type said simply. "While I don't have any people from my past here, I'd still rather be away from anything too close to my old life."
Ash nodded quietly as he wiped the dirt off of his fur and washed his paws. He then went to the small cooking stand that the others had set up for him. With the fight over, it was time for Ash to return to his duty, as much as he wanted to continue training.
"There you are, Twerps!" a familiar voice shouted.
Ash turned his head to see Team Rocket walking right towards their shop.
Jessie no longer had that weird pink streak on her head, whilst for some reason James wore a Captain's hat and jacket. The actual Pokémon like Meowth and Victreebel were unchanged.
"Where have ya been?" Meowth hissed. "We've been lookin' everywheres for ya! And what with da get up?"
Ash smirked. "Oh, have we got a story for you."
"...And that was when I learned the truth not only of my parentage, but Ash's as well," Zorua Twerp explained.
Meowth rubbed at his temples, a migraine forming in the back of his skull. The story told by Team Rocket's unlikely allies sounded utterly ridiculous. Another human kid working for the same jerks that forced them out of the arcade business? Fighting a complicated battle against bandits? A Pokédex came to life? That some freaks decided that they liked to take mates that used to be a different species? All of that sounded freaky, especially that last one.
"You Twerps get into so much trouble even without us," Meowth complained as he rubbed his temples.
"Well, you sounded like you had trouble of your own," Buizel Twerp commented. "I mean, the Keepers tried to capture you. And then somehow you managed to smuggle yourselves onto a ship that would be attacked by pirates… A ship that is owned by someone we have to deliver a letter to."
"It does sound weirdly coincidental," Meowth agreed. "Especially since Fjord gave you this ship as a reward for helping out his son."
Nearly everyone was gathered in said ship's hold, since that was the most private place they had access to. They needed to be able to discuss everything they could away from prying eyes. Team Rocket had taken the lesson that the Samurott had given them to heart; it was best to avoid detection where at all possible. And that meant the best place to have private conversations was in a place that they were in control of.
"Well, the only reason we were on that ship in the first place is because Brother Sirocco said that its owner was a close friend of ours," James provided for everyone else.
"I mean, Ash meeting me in the first place was incredibly unlikely in the first place," Cinder replied. "But if it weren't for him being there in the right place, at the right time, I would probably still be with my Master."
"I mean, it could just be coincidence," the Riolu provided. "Like, what are the chances?"
I do not have probability calculation software, but it is incredibly abnormal for that to have been a simple coincidence. Dexter the flying Pokédex hovered over the room.
Meowth didn't like the implication. It made it sound like someone was deliberately guiding their actions, messing with them. Were they really doing things of their own volition or was someone out there pulling the strings? It didn't sit well with him, so he tried to brush it off. "Alright, so what are we doing?"
Riolu Twerp pulled out a small envelope from his bag and presented it. "We have to give this to Fjord, because he knows where this Crucible is. I haven't read it, but I think it's so that he can trust us."
"And then we can go turn human whenever we're free from this accursed place?" Jessie leapt on the table and proudly puffed up her chest. " I can finally go back to being my beautiful self!"
"Huh, I don't know," James thought out loud. "If I'm a Pikachu, it does mean Jessiebelle will never find me again."
Jessie slapped him with her tail. "Don't tell me you're thinking of staying a rat! Are you a man or a mouse?"
"A mouse doesn't have to marry that woman!" James replied back. "Besides, all of my outfits are now mouse sized."
"Seriously?" The actual Pikachu replied.
"Don't ask," Meowth groaned, remembering his part in sewing and stitching every single new outfit James wanted to have when he learned that his clothing gave him access to different moves. "Either way, so all we gotta do is dive in the place where this Crucible is?"
"It seems like it," Zorua Twerp answered.
"What's it a Crucible of?" Meowth asked her. "Like, I don't see how ordinary metal is going to help us be human again. This ain't a New Tork City Times bestseller."
"We're not sure," Zorua Twerp lowered her head. "Father never explained beyond that it was necessary for making a spell. Of the rest, I assume Fjord will know more about it."
Meowth nodded his head. There was also that thing about everyone forgetting things when they left Citrine, but that seemed to be a confusing issue.
James raised one of his hands. "Alright then, Victreebel, wake up Murkrow and tell her we'll be leaving port as soon as our hold is loaded full of supplies."
"Aye, aye, Captain James!" Victreebel held up a vine in salute.
"Ahem!" Jessie huffed.
"Uh, aye, aye, Captain Jessie!" the plant monster repeated.
James glared at the Eevee, while Jessie glared back.
Meowth rolled his eyes, but he knew better than to interrupt their posturing. Besides, at least this way, he could get things done while they were distracted. "You better go," he told the Grass-type.
"Right, Meowth!" answered Victreebel as he wandered off.
Meowth then turned to the Twerps and their Pokémon. "Why don't you get your things in order? Probably help Victreebel get replacement supplies on board. That sort of thing."
"Right," Riolu Twerp answered as he left the hold. "You coming, Pikachu?"
"In a bit!" Pikachu answered. "I've got to ask Meowth some things."
Meowth raised an eyelid.
"Really?" the Riolu asked again.
"Yeah, just go ahead without me," said the Pikachu.
"Okay," Riolu Twerp answered as he ran up the stairs and out of the hold. Most of the other Pokémon present also left, probably to help out.
"What do you want with me?" Meowth stared at the mouse.
"There's something I need to talk to you about," Pikachu admitted with a sigh. "Something only you can do."
"...Sure, follow me." Meowth sighed. Something had to be important for the rodent to come talking to him, but it wasn't like the cat could do anything about it if the mouse wanted to. Besides, he needed to get away from Jessie and James.
The two of them practically steamed right in front of each other, almost growling.
Meowth took the opportunity to move from his seat and deeper into the ship.
"Should we… do something?" Pikachu said as he turned to look back at the former humans.
Meowth shrugged. "Nah, don't worry about it."
He didn't even bother looking, instead he heard Jessie and James getting into yet another argument, this time about who was Captain. Without a care, Meowth guided Pikachu deeper into the hold, enough that all he could hear were the muffled sounds of a tussle.
"We'll have the privacy we need here," the cat told the rodent. "Now what do you want?"
Pikachu looked hesitant for a moment, almost ashamed really. But then his eyes hardened and he glared right at Meowth. "I want to know how to talk to humans. All human words and everything. Accent or not."
Meowth pinched himself. Okay, that hurt. But no, he wasn't dreaming. "What's gotten into you? Who are you?"
Pikachu glared and then promptly shocked Meowth.
The cat fell against a wall, barely able to stand. "Okay, I believe you."
"I don't know if you know what this is like, but I want to always be able to talk to Ash." Pikachu turned his head away. "I never knew how much I wanted him to be able to listen to the words I'm actually saying. I can't stand the idea! So even if I have to become… strange to do it, I want it."
"And you want to do it because I'm the only Pokémon you know who can speak Japanese and English," Meowth guessed.
Pikachu looked like he was going to collapse. "How much do I have to sacrifice?"
Meowth was tempted to think of a way to make this a trap, something to snag Pikachu with at a later date, but didn't have it in him. That was the same question the cat asked when he walked down the road to trying to sound like humans. "Are you sure you want to be a freak like me?" Because nearly every other Pokémon called him that to his face.
Pikachu turned his head and looked Meowth in the eye with grim determination. "If I have to."
Meowth sighed and laid down the facts. "It'll take months if not years of practicing before you're at any level of competency. And that means no relying on verbal crutches for as much as you can."
"...That's a lot longer than I hoped," Pikachu frowned. "But if I have no other choice, I'll do it."
"Do you have other choices?" Meowth asked, though a part of him knew what the Electric-type wanted.
"I want to become human," Pikachu said the one thing Meowth expected him to say. "If Ash wants to become human again, I can't stop him. So, even if it means no longer being his Pokémon, I want to stand beside him."
"You really sure about that?" Meowth squinted an eye. "Like, you're really proud of being an Electric-type."
"I know, but…. A close friend told me that there's more to life than being powerful," Pikachu looked down at his feet before locking eyes with Meowth. "Would you take that option if you could?"
"What?" Meowth stammered.
"Would you become human?" Pikachu asked again.
"I'm a Meowth!" the cat insisted before looking down at his paws. "I mean, I am a Meowth, even if I am bad at it."
"Really?" Pikachu's tone iced with obvious doubt. "You've gone through all of that trouble of being like a human already. You walk like them, talk like them. You even have a job! So what's one more step?"
"Yeah… " Meowth looked down at his legs; not many other Meowth he knew walked like him.
"I mean, maybe things would be obviously better for you if you were a human yourself?" Pikachu suggested. "Like, it must feel odd for you since Jessie and James were the humans and you weren't."
"...Yeah," Meowth grumbled again. Pikachu had hit the nail on the sore point. Alot of Team Rocket didn't give him the respect he deserved because to them, he was just a common housecat. If he became human, would people start respecting him more?
The cat sighed. "I don't know what I'd do, because Jessie or James might end up staying a Pokémon." He then scrunched his face as he thought on it some more. "I think I'll do what the team wants."
Pikachu nodded, accepting that answer. "Then, I'll do whatever Ash decides I should. Then, if I can't, I'll ask for language lessons from you."
"Sounds like a plan," Meowth agreed before walking out of the room.
It was strange for Meowth to realize that while he had come to accept that humans could turn into Pokémon, the reverse just never clicked to him until he learned at least one person used the spell to turn into a human and have a kid afterwards.
And to think, he could turn himself human. Would Meowsie have picked him over that back alley stray if they had known?
Probably not, but it was fun to think about.
Though, why did humans need this spell to turn back to human? It's not like they needed a spell to become Pokémon; that just happened when they came here.
Stupid Jessie, refusing to let me be Captain… James fumed as he wrung out the water from his ensemble.
At least he'd managed to singe the Eevee's fur badly enough that she couldn't claim victory. But now his entire outfit was ruined and no use to anyone! And that wasn't getting into his hat!
"Cheer up, James!" Weezing smiled down at James' glowering face as the Poison-type's twin heads spoke as one. "At least now, Jessie is busy fussing over her fur."
"I suppose that's a bright side; I'll be Captain as long as Jessie keeps looking at that mirror."
"Could be a few hours," Weezing agreed.
James attached his suit towards a clothes line on the ship's bow and hoped that the Sun would dry it out. A part of him was tempted to ask Weezing to try using Flamethrower to dry it up, but the last time he tried that… didn't end well, and James didn't want a repeat. Instead, he satisfied himself by just wearing his Captain's hat; wet or not, he liked having something to wear.
With that business taken care of, the Pikachu went to oversee the progress the Twerp made into getting themselves backed up and onto the ship. Now, Team Rocket could have simply hired some dock workers to handle this for them, but that would have cost extra. No, child labor was cheaper.
James entrusted Victrieebel to oversee Twerps as they filled up the ship.
Riolu Twerp oversaw his Pokémon hauling in supplies and packs into the ship's hold. They even started making a game to see who could carry boxes of supplies and materials better than the others. Charizard seemed to be winning, of the obvious reason he was that much bigger than the others.
Buizel Twerp went over the crates and started checking the supplies to see if anything. Most of her team went along with her, jotting down things on a list. Dexter, the living Pokédex, also assisted her. Oddly, Togepi's job was to simply watch Psyduck, in order to make sure he didn't do anything to disrupt the loading process.
As for Lycanroc Twe…was it really fair to call him a "Twerp" anymore when he was so much bigger than them? Those teeth of his, they were the stuff of nightmares. Mostly, the rock dog busied himself by feeding Onix for short-term hibernation, whilst his Pokémon along with that Cyclizar were helping out by taking things into the hold.
The only Pokémon James couldn't account for was Zorua Twerp. Now, where could she have been?
"And you need additional stamina, is that right?" a voice spoke from the ship's helm.
"That's right. CAW!" replied another. "These wings of mine ain't as good as some others at shiftin' da air!"
James hopped up the stairs that led above the Captain's Quarters. There, he found the missing Zorua, conversing with the temporary crew member that Fjord had hired for them.
"Oh, right. Your kind don't learn Tailwinding as naturally as other avians," said Zorua Twerp.
"Yeah, I'm gonna needs me some extra, long lasting tonics for my night shift!" said the Murkrow. "And an extra little boost can't hurt."
"I see," the Zorua said as she used a pen to put something into a notepad.
Both then turned to look at James as he came into view.
"I assume this is important," James spoke to them both.
"Murkrow simply requested medicinal supplements to make her duties easier," Zorua Twerp explained. "Simply because she is the only qualified Tailwinder on the boat."
"Not a lot of people in my line of work who don't know better than to ask questions." The bird then lifted her wings in a shrug. "I just shift the air a bit and make sure it's always goin' into the boat's sails. Maybe make sure the weather is nice and cool, no rain or snow onto the boat if I can make it, but no questions."
When Fjord got a Pokémon who could have worked with them without being a security risk, he selected a bird of a rather mercenary disposition who didn't pry into private matters that didn't involve her. She slept during the day and went to work at night. James suspected Murkrow might have had a history of working with smugglers, though he wasn't going to ask that.
James nodded his head, accepting the crow's reasons. If Murkrow needed extra energy to get through her job, he saw no harm in it. Besides, handling this now made him feel authoritative. "Very well, tell Victreebel if you need to source anything."
"I should have everything I need," Zorua Twerp replied. "Though, I am curious about one thing."
"And what would that be?" James questioned.
Zorua Twerp walked over to the ship's steering wheel, the one that controlled its rudder. A high seat was prepared, in the event that the Pokémon operating the wheel was shorter than four feet. "I know what the purpose of this is, but what's with this additional set of machines?" she then pointed towards the two brass boxes that flanked the wheel.
A chuckle reverberated through James's throat.
"Ooh, this is gonna be good!" Weezing replied.
In contrast, Murkrow made a groan before flapping off.
"Well, if you must know, it's a bit of a work in progress, but this here is meant to solve a problem that you might have noticed about us!" James practically giggled. "See, there's only so many of us and that means the ship isn't always operating as well as it could. Even with all of us working together, we can't control the ship's sails or mast as well as we'd like. We're way too few for doing that correctly."
"Oh, so it's supposed to control the ship?"
"That's right!" the Pikachu tapped one of the boxes. "These things aren't ready yet, but once they're online, many of the ship's systems could be controlled from one of these panels."
"And that works how?"
"Well, originally, I thought of using a radio, but I realized that it would have been hard to do that without manufacturing my own electronics. So, I'm thinking once I get the copper wires installed and some electric motors, I might be able to try something," James shrugged. "As for right now, though, there's a button to drop the sails, but there's no way to fold them back up except the manual way."
"That's fascinating!" Zorua Twerp's tail wagged. "You truly are very clever to have come up with something like that."
James cocked a grin. Someone finally approved of his genius. "Well, it wasn't just my idea," the Pikachu tried to temper his pride with some modesty. "See, with computer systems and all modern electronics, you could make entire ships operate with no crew or even a Captain at all."
Zorua Twerp's eyes practically lit up.
"It's in a magazine, but there's plenty of fully automated ships like that." James touched his chin. "I heard of one guy even trying to get a Pyramid to fly, but I haven't heard any update on that."
"And, such… wonders are going to be out there once we're through the other side? Zorua Twerp asked. Her face scrunched up. "How… hard would it be to obtain one?"
"More than I make over a hundred years," James said with a shrug. "I mean, if you discount Mom and Pop's fortune."
For some reason, that caused Zorua Twerp to frown. "...Why aren't you counting their wealth as part of your own?" her face scrunched up. "Did they disown you?"
"No, no. They wouldn't…. To tell you the truth, I think it would have been better if they did," James sighed. "I ran away from home when I was young because my parents wanted me to marry off to this awful girl."
That seemed to disturb the fox even more. "...You mean to say you don't miss them?"
"Nope!" James answered firmly. "Well, I miss my grandparents, but my mother and father are not… ideal in the least." Really, if there was one advantage to being a Pikachu, not worrying about them showing up and attempting yet another scheme to get him back into the family. "My mom and dad literally faked their own deaths to try to get me to attend the funeral."
"That… sounds awful. And I thought my issues with my father were bad." Zorua shook her head. "At least I can say my father does care in some fashion."
"You have family problems, too?" James asked, mildly curious. Some of the details were glossed over in the quick rundown earlier, so he was interested to know more.
"My father believed I would have been better off never knowing about my mother, as I saw her perish when I was very young." Zorua Twerp made a wince. "Father believed that it was best she was forgotten as well as anything that related too closely to her. This included my being… part-human."
"Right,"James thought. "I take it there's more?"
She nodded. "Grueling training exercises that I didn't maintain and a strict education to find myself a better position when I came of age… And even then, I barely saw him since he was always out of the house."
"I can relate to that," James admitted. Way back when he was a boy, his father really wanted him to have an expensive engineering background for some reason. "And you miss your father?"
The fox looked out to the town. "I had always thought that I would prove myself good enough despite how much he would have protested. And yet, he let me go, no matter how much he wished I remained." Then she looked down at her feet. "Knowing what I know now, seeing a glimpse of who he used to be, I wonder what kind of Maiju he would have been if mother was still with us."
James patted Zorua on the back, startling the fox just slightly. "It's a sign I think that deep down, he is a good man… mon."
"Maiju," Zorua Twerp corrected.
"Point is, if you love something, you set it free," James raised his voice, just to make his words sound more profound. He smiled at the fox. "So, as much as he wanted you to stay, perhaps for your own safety, he let you go so you could be happy."
"I think you're right." Her tail slightly back and forth. "I just wish he could be happy, too despite everything."
"Hey, James," Weezing interrupted his trainer. "Victreebel is having trouble verifying an order for the replacement tools."
James sighed. It's always something with this ship, isn't it? He shrugged. "Sorry, I'll have to cut this short, but being a Captain means I have to do some things myself."
"It's perfectly fine," said Zorua Twerp. "I thank you for your time."
James took his hat off his head and made a bow. "You're welcome," he laughed to himself.
Then, he turned and walked down the stairway and down the gangplank to sort a rather tedious matter. All the while, he was glad to know that Zorua Twerp actually did have a loving family.
That insufferable James! He had to go and ruin my hair! Jessie hissed at her own reflection.
The standing mirror depicted her with most of her normally fluffy hair frayed and covered in soot. While other, less stringent minds would call the damage "superficial" and "easily recovered", Jessie knew better than all of them. It was simply a travesty! She looked hideous!
Drastic actions needed to be taken!
She shook her hair in an effort to throw away the soot from her fur. And while she did manage to fling off most of it, several splotches in her fur still remained.
Frowning to herself, Jessie wondered if it was the right time to take a well and proper bath. It had been a long while since she had one and now the Eevee felt she was starting to smell. Water wouldn't be a problem while they were in town or they had access to Water-types.
"Arbok!" she called. "Where's the soap?"
Instead of replying, her snake had said nothing.
Turning, Jessie tried to find the oversized cobra, but saw no sign. She called again, "Arbok, this isn't funny! Tell me where the soap is!"
Yet there was no response. Jessie huffed and walked down the trap door into the cargo hold. She saw the Twerps stacking boxes and supplies, but there was no sign of her Poison-type.
Frustrated, she went to the nearest Pokémon to get them to talk. "Hey, have any of you seen Arbok!?" she practically shouted.
Said nearest Pokémon as it turned out happened to be Lycanroc… Twerp? Either way, he walked over to him, a Pokéball in his mouth.
Jessie just stared as the tall canine loomed over her. She hadn't really noticed it until now, but the twerp had this look about him, a quality that drew the attention, especially this close. He looked perfect, especially with that luxurious mane that gave a wild, yet also ideal vibe…And those eyes, they were practically emeralds.
It was just enough to make her just a bit angry. Some people just get to be attractive looking with so little effort, that it was blatantly unfair.
Lycanroc Twerp gently set the Pokéball in his mouth down to the floor. "I think I saw him going off to a store."
"What for" Jessie almost demanded. "I thought you were already done shopping!"
"Not sure." the Lycanroc shrugged. "I was busy stuffing Onix so we didn't have to feed him during the trip. The boat's big, but I'm still not risking him sinking the ship."
Jessie fumed, unhappy with that statement. That useless snake! She wasn't going to get a proper clean up at this rate, not unless… She looked at the Lycanroc in the eye. Wasn't he some sort of Pokémon groomer? Yes, that was it. "Well, since he's not here, I need you to groom me."
"...Wh-What?" The Lycanroc stammered.
"You heard me!" The Eevee raised her chest. "I can't go about the ship looking like this."
"...Why should I-"
"He'll be happy too!" Meowth shouted, bringing attention to himself as he dashed into the hold.
"I would?" The Lycanroc turned to meet the cat's eyes.
The Eevee's ears twitched, not expecting another member of Team Rocket to show up. Though, she did sense the rock wolf was hesitating.
"Yeah, it'd be really helpful if you did keep Jessie entertained!" said the cat, one of his eyes twitching nervously. "Understand?"
"Right. I think I get it," the Lycanroc drawled.
Jessie could sense a hint of… something coming from the cat, but decided that she would rather spend the rest of the day getting bathed than question it. She had priorities! "Aren't you supposed to be an expert Pokémon caretaker? Surely, you can do some work for a natural beauty?"
"I don't exactly have hands, but I see about getting Geodude to help me out," the canine sighed. "I assume you want a bath?"
"And my hair properly combed!" Jessie added. It was truly unfortunate that in their little gang, only Meowth and James had the hands to properly care for her, yet they were so talentless when it came to looks. And as much as she wanted to care for her own beauty, she couldn't exactly get far with such small and inflexible paws.
"Right. Wait here."
The wolf took the Pokéball and set it into one of his bags. He took Geodude with him as went up the stairs.
Jessie went to follow them, but Meowth blocked the way.
"Hey, don't worry about getting up there!" the cat snapped. "We'll bring everything down here, for you!"
The Eevee squinted one of her eyes. Was it a risk if they flooded the hold? Whatever. If it was, it wasn't her fault! "Fine! Just as long as I'm cleaned up and my beautiful self once again!" she hissed as she laid herself in a corner to wait.
A few minutes later, the Lycanroc and Geodude came back, followed by a Goldeen and flying Pokédex.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Meowth went up and out of the way. "Be sure to take as long as you need! Be very thorough about it!"
The Lycanroc went through his bags and pulled out a bar of soap. Meanwhile, Geodude and Goldeen set up a small tub in the middle of the room. The floating goldfish Pokémon then blasted water into the tub to fill it up
The Eevee's fur rose on its end. She wondered if it was really safe to bathe in water that came directly from a Pokémon's mouth.
"So, lady, you afraid of water?" Geodude chuckled at her expense.
"Is that… sanitary?" Jessie asked.
"It's about as clean as river water if you've bathed in one." Geodude shrugged. "Look, it's fine. As long as you have better bathing manners than Vulpix, it'll be over soon."
"I'll be fine." Jessie fumed, but saw no point in trying to argue. Beauty was worth any sacrifice, even if it meant water dripping from her fur until it dried out.
"Just a word of warning, I don't know Scald, so the water isn't particularly warm," Goldeen spoke as she ceased.
The Eevee didn't like any word of that, but it's been months since she had anything resembling a warm shower in the first place.
The Lycanroc spat the bar of soap onto the floor near the tub. "Okay, get in and we'll clean you up."
The Eevee did as was instructed and leapt into the tub. Immediately she suddenly felt the water clinging onto her, like her body had been partially transformed into a sponge and now the water seeped into her fur. Parts of it, especially around her neck and tail, floated and bobbed in the water. Idly, she recalled how in the distant past one of the lessons she was given in nursing school was how bathing a Pokemon was often very risky because so many of the creatures hated being bathed in tubs. Now, she understood why.
Before she could react, Geodude rubbed his stony fingers onto her fur, as if to ensure the water had fully permeated her coat.
Jessie held still for the most part. She might have been bothered, but beauty was worth it.
Then, the ship started to move. She felt it shudder and move, noise from the top deck drifting the hold. The sails made an audible billowing sound, just as the metallic clang of the anchor's chain rattled the ship.
"Wait, what's going on?" Jessie's body shifted, her head angling towards the stairway.
Nothing you need to concern yourself with. The floating Pokédex moved in front of her. Now hold still.
Jessie was about to retaliate in protest, just as soon as a bright flash of electricity surged all over the Eevee's body.
She felt legs lock up, a numbing sensation moving all over her body. She tried struggle, but only succeeded in trying to stand. "Mutiny…" the Eevee managed to mutter.
Geodude and others ignored her. The living geode took the bar of soap and lathered into the Eevee's fur. Then, once she was thoroughly suddzed, Goldeen spat water at her to clean her body up.
Jessie gave up the struggle and let her captors do whatever it is they wanted.
Once they were satisfied, the Lycanroc lifted the Eevee out of the tub and onto a towel where she was swiftly wiped dry.
The numbing sensation in Jessie's legs was gone, but with that annoying Pokédex nearby, she was going to get paralyzed before she could do anything. Besides, at this point, she was already committed to her own beautification; she might as well go through with it.
That then led to Geodude rubbing a comb through the Eevee's fur, undoing the knots and snags as he went. Meanwhile, the Lycanroc went over her body, his eyes scanning for ways to improve her appearance.
Several minutes later, Geodude and Lycanroc stepped away and looked her up and down.
"I think it's done," the canine declared.
"Yeah, I'd say we've done good work?"
"Really?" Jessie questioned as she twisted her body in on itself to get a better look. Though without a mirror she could only see so much at once.
"I'd say you're about as good as we can make an Eevee with what limited supplies we have," the Lycanroc answered.
"You do look marvelous!" Goldeen supplied. "A practical bundle of cuteness!"
Objectively, you do look as an Eevee ideally should. The Pokédex provided.
"I do… feel better," Jessie looked at herself, her own words convincing herself. "Clean at the very least." she sighed as she turned towards her former captors."At least I don't have all of that soot on my fur."
The assembled Pokémon all gave her a nod of acknowledgement, accepting the reply.
"Now, you excuse me, I have a cat to beat up," the Normal-type growled as she went up the stairs.
She did not want to tolerate mutiny, especially not from Meowth who clearly was undermining her authority to support James. Yet once she reached top and met daylight, she first creature she saw was not the cat, but a familiar snake.
"Ah, hey Jessie. Are you…done?" Arbok stammered as his shadow covered Jessie. "You look… pretty."
"And where have you been?" The Eevee glared hard enough that it looked like Arbok was paralyzed at her sight.
"Oh, well… shopping." Abrok's fail shifted uncomfortably. "See, I was told that it was Christmas here in Citrine and well…"
"It isn't even May yet!" Jessie blinked. "You can't have Christmas in May. It's either December or July!"
"I know, I said the same thing, but hey, they have a different calendar here!" The snake's body shook. He tail shifted and he nudged a small box over to the Eevee. "Look, I just want to say, I got you something."
"You… got me a present?" The rage died within the Normal-type's heart. She had originally been upset that Arbok had disappeared when she needed help getting cleaned up, but since then she had managed to find more capable help. That and it sounded like the large snake had a good cause for her disappearance.
"Yeah, well… I didn't exactly have a lot of money so…" he sighed. "Just open it, okay?"
The Eevee stepped over to the small box and with her paws threw off the lid.
Inside was… something magenta colored? She pulled it out of box and dragged it into the light. It was nothing more than a simple wig, a long wig made of magenta colored hair.
Immediately, Jessie understood what Arbok's present was about.
"Look, see, I know you've been missing your hair and all because it's the most valuable thing in the world for you, but I couldn't figure out a way to make your hair grow like it used to. So… I did the only thing I could think of…" Arbok tried to explain.
"I… don't know what to say." Jessie had long missed her long and distinguishing hair. It had been her constant companion, especially when growing up. Yet, being an Eevee had more or less forced her to accept that she was alone…. Or was she?
"... I just thought it would cheer you up." Arbok bowed his head.
"I am! Really!" Jessie insisted. "Just, promise me you won't leave me, okay?"
The snake coiled his body and warily nodded. "Uh, sure!"
"Good…" Jessie sighed. Honestly, she should really think more about… people as kind as Arbok. Who would have thought a cobra could be so thoughtful? He was such a polite gentleman.
She closed the box and set it aside for later. "Hey, do you mind helping me out disciplining James and Meowth?"
"Uh, sure!"
There's something magical about swimming in the open ocean, without a care in the world. To Misty, it felt like nothing less than sweet release, like an itch that had long needed to be scratched being finally dealt with.
She swam beside the ship, her long, slender body jetting through the water with little resistance. The Buizel swam through an oncoming wave's crest, bursting through it without even being slowed down. Oh, how she missed this!
Though she was alone, she enjoyed herself. It was a good afternoon, with the sun giving warmth to the otherwise chilly sea.
While they had crossed through rivers and streams during their trek through the mountains, Misty felt it was simply not the same as traversing the sea. While fresh water was easier on her fur, the fact of the matter was, rivers were very constrained; if she went in one direction, she would always hit a curve, a barrier, or a blockage that impeded her motion and forced her to adapt.
But in the ocean, there were few limits to her. If she wanted to go one direction, she could travel in a straight line for miles without so much as needing to turn. If she wanted to go downwards, she could easily go deep enough that all Sunlight vanished from sight and the waters became still. Even tall waves were nothing more than entertainment to her. There was the occasional obstacle, yes, but nothing that she couldn't easily deal with due to her natural speed and aquatic agility.
"Hey, what's it like!?" a distant voice from the ship shouted above her.
Misty turned and found Ash, leaning at the side of the railings, a hand outstretched in a wave. "What's what like, Ash?"
"You know, what's it like to swim as a Water-type?" Ash then made a gesture with his paws. "You know, compared to how things used to be?"
Thinking she could afford to answer his questions, Misty turned onto her back and started to swim that way. It served to emphasize her upcoming point. "It's almost too easy! I could do this when I was a girl, but nowhere near this easily."
"Yeal, I can see that…" Though Ash's expression was contorted with thought.
Misty turned her head to watch the Riolu. Things had to be important if Ash was thinking deeply about something. "What's on your mind?"
"Just, when we got back to being human, we'll have to give up so many things." He raised one of his hands. "For me, I have to give up being able to feel other people. And I can't fight beside my friends, nor can I just… talk to them like I have been until now."
This made Misty think about what being a human girl again would mean for her. She had always thought of herself as an adept swimmer, but she knew her human capabilites were outright clumsy and sluggish in comparison. And that ignored the fact that Staryu, Goldeen, and even Togepi would practically become a whole world away from her. "It would be… difficult," Misty agreed. "So, you're thinking of… not becoming human again?"
"I'm not sure," Ash answered firmly. "But I think I'd still like to go back to just being a kid from Pallet Town when this is all over."
Misty frowned. She didn't like how depressing the conversation was due to its topic. So, she changed it. "Hey, what's having a Pokéball like?"
"Huh?"
"Pikachu told us last night, remember?" Misty reminded him. "The two of you told us all about that setup you did. I didn't even play it, but I know you ripped those lines from that battle simulator game's intro!"
That caused Ash to giggle, his tail trashing furiously. "Oh yeah. I played that game a lot before I got to be a real trainer!"
Which made Misty wonder about the game's quality, but she digressed. "Either way, what's it like?"
"Oh, it's great!" the Riolu laughed. "I don't know why, but there were comfy seats and floor mats in mine!"
"Are you pulling my leg, Ash Ketchum?" Misty snapped, not believing what she was hearing. "You're telling me that your Pokéball has furniture?"
"Yeah?" Ash shrugged. "There's also some… uh, Bulbasaur called them… amenities that vary based on type. Like, I had a bunch of training dummies, while Squirtle has a small swimming pool in his. Charizard gets a nice roaring fire to stay beside."
The Buizel stopped swimming, her gaze locked onto the Fighting-type. Ash wasn't exactly a great liar, so he had to have been telling some truth, yet… this sounded utterly ridiculous. Why were there tiny houses inside each Pokéball? Who exactly was responsible for putting those things in there? "... Why are Pokéballs like that?"
"I don't know!" Ash admitted. "It's just weird, right? It's like each Pokéball is meant to be very comfy for the Pokémon put inside it. Like, Staryu and Goldeen both said theirs were full of water."
In retrospect, Misty had never asked her own Pokémon what their Pokéballs were like. It honestly never came up. Though, as she thought about it, an implication emerged. "Is… that why Pokémon eventually just let themselves get captured? Because they get a nice and comfy house they can stay in?"
"Yup!" Ash barked. "Squirtle told me all about it! Some Pokémon once see the house, they just decide they'd like to live in their Pokéballs!"
"... Do you have a spare?" Misty found herself asking, curious about what she might see if she had her own Pokéball.
"No…" Ash admitted. "I mean, I have two, but I'm saving those just in case we need to do something.""
"That's fair," Misty answered. She might have been curious, but it wasn't an important matter to her.
"HEY STOP!" what sounded like Meowth blared out from the aft.
"HOLD STILL AND EAT YOUR VEGGIES!" Jessie shouted, just as several loud thuds rattled the ship.
"What's going on?" Misty adjusted his swimming to compensate for the ship slightly going off course. She wondered just what context that the Eevee's shouts would make any sense.
Ash stared at the back of the ship before nodding his head. "Jessie's angry at Meowth over something. She's taking out her frustrations on him. Meowth … is disgusted because Jessie is putting something awful down his throat."
"Oh. He probably deserved it then." Misty shrugged. It was probably nothing then, though it was a little eerie to see Ash just…know all of that by using his natural Riolu sensory abilities. It wasn't exactly psychic powers, but the fact was, Ash could pick up and learn what was going on in people's heads if he wanted.
Ash then turned to her, a look of concern over his face. "Uh, did I do something wrong?"
"Ash!" she groaned, slapping her head. They had this conversation just the other day and the Riolu didn't really have an off-switch to his powers
"Gee, you don't have to get so…" but the Riolu shut his mouth as he rapidly turned his attention towards the ship's port and starboard directions, as if frantically looking for something.
Misty knew immediately that something was up. "Ash. What's going on?"
"I don't know. But I feel something." Ash's eyes flickered back and forth. "Like we're being watched!"
A chill went up Misty's spine and she knew that could have been a sign of trouble. Ash might not have been psychic, but he had the ability to sense people's emotions. If he could sense someone, there was every chance he could be right."
"Go tell the others! I'll search the waters!" The Water-type ducked under the wave to see if there were any other Pokémon swimming nearby. No, not that she could see at any rate. Yet despite any sign of obvious danger, she felt exposed in the water; if there were threats, they might not have been present
The Buizel neared the ship and climbed up a rope ladder that was draped over the side to get onboard.
At the top, she saw Ash talking to Zubat and Cyclizar
"I'm serious!" he shouted. "I feel something!"
"Uh, you sure?" Zubat cried out, turning her body in different directions to potentially find what Ash was worried about.
"When I was a thief, it was always a good idea to be cautious. In this case, a Riolu's senses are said to be very reliable when dangers are nearby." Cyclizar offered. He brought how claw over to the stump of his arm, which had in recent days started to grow longer. "I can fight now, though I am still not at my best."
Ash grimly nodded. He then turned to Misty, almost looking relieved.
"There's no one in the water," Misty offered. The closest she had seen were small, distant fish. Unless Ash was worried about seaweed attacking or the algae to revolt, there was nothing from that angle.
Ash sighed, though he didn't look like he liked what he heard.
"Either way, we should warn the others. It could be nothing, but better safe than sorry," Cyclizar said as he walked towards the cargo hold.
"Yeah!" Zubat agreed as she went to fly to the back of the ship. "I'll go check on if Team Rocket can stop fighting themselves and see if they're willing to help."
"Ash, you better stay here, stay on the lookout for if you find anything!" Misty said as she went to follow Cyclizar into the hold. She wanted to make sure Togepi was safe and secure; she had decided to let her little baby have a nap, whilst she went swimming.
"Right!" the Fighting-type agreed, his gaze spinning around.
As Misty approached the stairs down into the hold. She had realized something. Ash should have easily picked out the direction their would-be attackers would have come from. Yet, he kept looking all around him, as if he expected someone to be in that direction. While it was entirely possible that what threatened them was invisible or very small like a Joltik, she had a gut feeling that the answer was much simpler.
Misty turned her head up and noticed that in the bright and sunny afternoon skies, there was a small, looming cloud that seemed almost out of place. And it was directly over them, keeping pace with their speed exactly instead of moving back and forth.
And that was when she knew that she had been looking at that cloud for too long.
She spotted a glint of light overhead and her body moved faster than her mind did. She dodged out of the way, bringing her head just a hair's breadth away from where a blade of wind cut into the wood of the ship's mast.
"Ash!" Misty shouted. "They're above us!"
The Riolu snapped to attention, just as a beam of freezing light ran over where he stood. Misty couldn't see what happened to him, but she had her own problems.
The cloud dissipated immediately, revealing several large bird Pokémon just as they swooped down. She recognized most of them immediately.
A Fearow landed right at Misty's feet, her pointed beak and sharp eyes pointed right at her. Meanwhile, a Cramorant and a Pelipper hovered over the aft, covering Team Rocket. Other birds hung in the back, readying themselves to intervene if need be.
Her heart thrumming in her ears, Misty stood firmly on her legs, ready to move at the moment's notice.
"What's the meaning of this!?" Jessie demanded. "Can't you see we're in the middle of something?"
That earned her a Water Gun, which knocked her back.
"I just bathed already!" the eevee growled.
"Uh, Jessie, I don't think they care," James answered.
"Be silent!" shouted a large armored bird as he flew overhead. Misty had only seen these bird Pokémon once before, in picture books about Galar. The Corviknight landed onto the deck of the ship with an unsettling thud, his armored feathers bundling up like they were a well manicured coat. "Team Rocket, you have evaded us once before, but Slavers and Bandits like you will face justice, outsiders."
He stepped over to Jessie, James, and Meowth, a clear sign of menace towards them in particular. "I will not make the same mistakes as Arcanine."
Misty paled. She remembered the story that Team Rocket gave them earlier that day, about how Arcanine had nearly succeeded in capturing them if not for a daring escape. This must have been another Keeper.
Jessie and James took defensive postures, both gearing up for a fight. Sparks covered both of them.
Yet the Corviknight kept advancing, unperturbed. "You and everyone on this boat will be taken into our custody. Do not resist."
Similarly, the Fearow that loomed over Misty took several steps forward, her talons thudding against the wooden floor.
The Buizel clenched her paws, forming fists. She didn't like the idea of going down without a fight, especially not when she feared that these brigands would easily find out that they were human. Yet, a part of her was unsure of making the first attack, she was heavily outnumbered and she had no idea of how powerful the avian Pokémon was. Worse still, her best weapon against these Flying-types was something she hadn't perfected just yet.
And that was when the floor from under Corviknight burst open. Ash leapt out from the gap and knocked a sucker punch square into the armored Flying-type's head.
Corviknight buffeted the jackal pup away with one of his wings. He stared at the Riolu, wordlessly making his hatred known.
Ash growled, raising a palm in defiance.
Water Guns blasted from the windows, whilst jets of Flamethrower burst from the cargo hold.. Pokémon from below deck and inside the ship walked out, their natural weapons ready to bear. None were happy to meet the newcomers who invaded the ship.
"Hm. Very well, then." Corviknight took to the air. "Keepers, Attack!"
Misty didn't even let him finish uttering words. With a hastily constructed Aqua Jet, she catapulted herself towards the Fearow before she realized it.
The Buizel slammed her body into the bird's midsection, knocking the wind out of her and forcing the Flying-type into the air.
In response, Fearow sent a cascade of feathers in her direction, blocking out Misty's vision.
The Buizel swatted the feathers away, only to be subject to a flurry of rapid pecks as Fearow lunged at her. Misty tumbled backwards and broke away from the Fearow's relentless strikes, pain erupting all over her body.
In an instant, the girl-turned-Buizel saw the area around her. All over the ship, fire, water, and lightning flew out in every direction, with leaves, stones, and poison flooding the gaps. Misty couldn't keep track of it all, but she saw Pikachu facing some Taillow, whilst Brock threw rocks at a Cramorant. The only other thing she noticed was Ash and Team Rocket together facing off against the Corviknight and his small entourage, but she couldn't make out any details about what was going on there.
Misty thrust her observations out of her perception and returned to her own battle. Fearow lunged once again, but this time, the Buizel rolled to the side and let loose her secret weapon.
Ice running into her veins, she gathered it all into a tiny sphere that covered her arm, frost nipped at her paws. And then she slammed the Ice Punch all against Fearow's side.
The bird screeched in pain as the congealed frost clung to her and coated on of her wings. Frozen feathers broke off along with shards of ice.
But Misty was not done.
She tackled the the Fearow, preventing her from backing away.
Fearow thrust at her with her other wing, slamming the Buizel into a wooden wall. She went to send a flurry of pecks at her opponent.
Misty narrowly avoided the strike and took the opportunity presented to her. She hastily drew the cold to her other paw and thrust it against the Fearow's skull.
The bird screamed in pain and confusion as she staggered away, her face covered in ice.
The Buizel hunched over, exhausted from her newest move. Her fingers felt numb, her paws covered in unintended frost. It hurt, but a little freezing wouldn't stop her.
Yet before Misty could resume her fight against the Fearow before she could fight again, the whole ship rattled and shook. Massive thuds surged from the aft.
She turned towards the rear and saw the Corviknight flying overhead, winds and clouds gathering around him, like he was at the eye of a hurricane. A faint green light gathered around him. "Enough of this! Cease your resistance!"
The fighting all over the ship paused as in the span of a few seconds, everyone's attention was drawn towards the gigantic crow.
Corviknight's feathers then took on an emerald sheen, with red lines covering the outer edges of his wings. Golden markings covered his belly and defined the gaps in his feathers.
Misty had no idea what this was, nor what to call it, other than a transformation of some sort. She could feel that Corviknight had grown stronger and this was echoed by the other Keepers raising shouts and praise, as though they simply knew victory was now in their grasp.
"Mantle of Rayquaza!" Corviknight shouted triumphantly.
The Pikachus threw bolts of lightning towards him.
But the now transformed crow simply raised his wings and threw spirals of wind at the electrical attacks. That diverted the Thunderbolts, knocking them away.
Misty gasped at awe, never having seen nor heard of something like this before.
Yet she didn't have to think about this, as Corviknight flapped his wings once more and threw a Hurricane right at the boat.
The ship shook violently to one side. Misty grabbed onto a loose rope, desperate to hold on before being blown off the ship.
It felt like it was about to capsize, but the wind died just before it hit the tipping point. The harsh gale winds created by Corviknight ceased.
Then the ship rocked backwards, swinging in the reverse. Misty found herself tossed onto the floor by the sudden change of momentum. Her smaller and lighter body didn't hurt much from the impact, though it highlighted her already existing injuries.
Others nearby staggered to their feet, recovering from the sudden change in momentum. Most weren't too injured, though some were more nauseated than others.
"This is your last chance to surrender," Corviknight declared.
The Flying-types weren't nearly as injured, all of them having flown away from their leader's attack. Everyone knew the birds had the upper hand due to their mobility.
Though she was fine physically, Misty was rattled by the sheer power that seemed to be at Corviknight's disposal. She had seen such power before, but usually it was in the hands of truly powerful trainers such as the Elite Four or Champion.
Yet, it wasn't like she could just give up, could they?
She turned to see Ash nearby, his teeth clenched. He wasn't giving up.
And neither would she.
This chapter took a while due to some injuries and an inability to see what I wanted to do for Jessie's part and how I wanted to advance her characterization overall. I feel satisfied.
As to Corviknight's thing, I call it Mantling, which will get a full explanation later.