Chapter 90: Shipwrecked Stalker
It was the morning after the fishing competition. After a good night's sleep and a good breakfast Ash and Nikki were standing in the lobby of the Pokémon Center deciding on what their next move would be.
"Are we ready to head out?" Nikki asked.
"Just about. We still need to figure out our next destination," Ash said.
"Let me just take a quick look at the Pokécomm map and I'll find us a destination," Nikki said. She took out her Pokécomm and began scanning the map for a suitable location. As she was doing this a young blonde haired girl walked in and approached the front desk, catching their attention.
"She looks worried about something," Nikki commented.
"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I wonder what's up."
"Hello, Jane," Nurse Joy greeted. "What can I do for you today?"
"Hello. I was just wondering if anyone had found Sparky yet," the girl replied.
"Sorry, no," the nurse apologized. Upon hearing this her look went from hopeful to defeated.
"Oh, okay," she said.
"I wish I had better news to report," Nurse Joy said. Ash and Nikki watched as she slowly left the Pokémon Center. The two of them then looked to each other. They were curious to know what that was all about, and knew the only way they'd find out is by asking Nurse Joy. They approached the front desk.
"Is there something I can do for you two?" Nurse Joy inquired.
"We were wondering about that girl that was just in here," Nikki said.
"You mean Jane? It's sad what happened," she sighed.
"What happened?" Ash asked.
"She lost her Pokémon a while back. She's been coming here everyday since she lost him to ask if anyone has seen him, but unfortunately no one has," Nurse Joy explained.
"Oh no," Nikki said.
"Has anyone tried looking for her Pokémon?" Ash wondered.
"Not to my knowledge," Nurse Joy answered. "Everyone here's so busy with their own lives that they don't have time to look for a lost Pokémon."
"That is sad," Nikki commented.
"I'll say. I don't want to think about what would happen if I ever lost Pikachu," Ash said. Pikachu, who had been sitting on Ash's shoulder, placed a comforting paw on the side of Ash's head. Ash responded by reaching u and scratching the Mouse Pokémon on top of his head.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Nurse Joy asked.
"No, that's everything," Nikki replied. They said goodbye to her and left the Center. As they walked back towards the docks they couldn't help but think of Jane and her predicament.
"I really hate that for her," Nikki said.
"I do too," Ash agreed. "I wish there was something we could do for her." They continued to talk as they got closer to the docks. Eventually they arrived.
"Well, I guess we should head out," Ash said. Nikki was about to send out her Lapras so they could leave when Pikachu noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
"(Hey, isn't that the girl from the Pokémon Center?)" he asked, pointing down towards the other end of the docks. Ash and Nikki looked to where he was pointing. There, standing at the edge of the docks looking out towards the ocean, was the very same girl.
"That's her alright," Ash confirmed.
"She's probably thinking about her lost Pokémon," Nikki guessed. As they continued to watch her their hearts went out to her. Ash glanced at Nikki, seeing the concerned look on her face.
"You want to go talk to her, see if we can do something for her?" Ash asked. Nikki nodded at the two of them walked over to where she was standing.
"Excuse me? Jane?" Nikki said. The girl turned towards her.
"Yes? Can I do something for you?" she asked.
"No, but we were wondering if we could do something for you," Nikki replied.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"We were in the Pokémon Center when you came in earlier and we heard what you and Nurse Joy talked about," Nikki explained.
"If you don't mind us asking just what happened to your Pokémon?" Ash inquired. Jane gazed down at the water as she began to tell them what happened.
"It was just like any other day. I brought my Pokémon down to the beach with me to go swimming like I always do. I… I never thought anything bad would happen, but…" Jane paused as he emotion started getting the best of her. Nikki placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Go on," she urged.
"The waves started getting rough, so I decided to swim back to shore, but when I got there Sparky was no where to be found. I called for him, but he didn't answer," Jane continued, tears streaming down her face. "I don't know where he could be, or what could have happened to him. My poor Sparky." As Jane wept Nikki did her best to comfort her.
"It's going to be okay," Nikki said.
"But… what if I never see him again?" Jane asked. "He's my only Pokémon." As she cried Nikki could do nothing but try to ease her fears.
"I wish there was something we could do," she said.
"There is," Ash announced, getting everyone's attention.
"You mean…" Nikki said, having a good idea about what Ash was talking about.
"What are you talking about?" Jane asked.
"We're going to help you find your lost Pokémon," Ash told her. Hearing this put a huge smile on Jane's face. Overcome with joy she hugged Nikki tightly.
"Oh thank you! Thank you both!" she said. Nikki returned the hug while looking at Ash, an approving look on her face. After the moment had passed they decided to get to searching.
"So, where do we start looking?" Nikki asked.
"Jane, do you remember where you lost Sparky?" Ash asked.
"Sure do. Follow me." With that Jane led Ash and Nikki away from the docks on their way to the area where she had lost her partner Pokémon.
Minutes later Jane had led Ash and Nikki to a beach a good distance away from the docks.
"We were swimming right around here when I lost him," Jane said. Ash and Nikki looked around the beach. There wasn't anything particularly interesting about it. It looked like just a standard white sand beach. A few rocks were sticking out of the water just off shore where a few Wingull were sitting. However, there was something further out that caught Ash's attention.
"Is that a shipwreck?" he asked, pointing out towards the water.
"That? Yeah, it is," Jane said.
"What's on your mind, Ash?" Nikki inquired.
"Do you think it's possible that he may have taken shelter there when the waters got rough?" Ash wondered.
"I don't know… maybe," Jane answered. "But it's so far out. Do you really think he'd be there?"
"It's possibility we can't ignore," Ash replied.
"But how are we supposed to get out there? It's definitely too far for us to swim," Jane stated. Ash turned to Nikki.
"I believe you have a way for us to get there," he said.
"Sure do," she replied, grabbing a Poké Ball. She tossed it out, calling on her Lapras.
"Lapras, we're looking for a lost Pokémon that may be in that shipwreck out there," Nikki explained. "We need you to transport us out there so we can have a look around."
"(Leave it to me. I'll get you there in no time,)" the Transport Pokémon said.
"Well then, let's get going." The three of them climbed onto Lapras' back. Then, once they were all settled, they took off towards the shipwreck.
"Is there some kind of story behind that shipwreck?" Ash asked.
"I've heard that it's from the time right when Anders Island was first being settled," Jane said.
"So it's pretty old," Nikki assumed.
"It is," Jane told her. As they got closer to the shipwreck each one of them was thinking about what they would possibly find there. When they arrived at their destination Lapras managed to find an area of the ship that was low enough for them to get on.
"Thanks for the lift, Lapras. I'll call on you when were ready to head back," Nikki said. She returned the Transport Pokémon and joined the others in looking around the shipwreck. The first thing they noticed was the lack of Pokémon. It almost gave the shipwreck and eerie feel.
"There doesn't seem to be anything up here," Ash said. "Maybe we should continue or search below deck."
"But how do we get below deck?" Nikki wondered.
"What about over there," Jane suggested, pointing to a door that looked like it lead inside the shipwreck. "Maybe there are some stairs we can take inside."
"Good idea," Ash said. The trio approached the door, and just as Ash was about to open it Nikki stopped him.
"Hold on. We don't know what's on the other side of that door," she warned. "We should make sure we're ready."
"You're right," Ash agreed, "Pikachu, Buneary, get ready in case we need you." The two Pokémon hopped down in front of their trainers and got ready for battle. With that take care of Ash opened the door. Thankfully there was nothing dangerous on the other side, but it was so dark the couldn't see anything.
"Don't suppose you have a flashlight or something," Jane said.
"I've got something better," Nikki told her. She then grabbed a Poké Ball and called out her Shinx.
"Could you light this place up with your Flash?" she requested.
"(Sure thing,)" Shinx said. Seconds later the area was illuminated by Shinx's Flash, giving them plenty of light to continue their search. As they looked around they found stairs leading down into the bowels of the shipwreck.
"Well, that's what we were looking for," Ash said
"Y-Yeah," Nikki stuttered, clearly a bit nervous. Ash could sense her nervousness and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It's going to be okay. If things get hairy we've got our Pokémon here to protect us," he told her. His words seemed to do the trick for she wasn't feeling as nervous anymore. With that taken care of they descended down the stairs with Pikachu, Buneary and Shinx leading the way. As they traversed the interiors of the shipwreck they once again found it devoid of Pokémon. And yet…
"Is it just me or does it feel like someone… or something is watching us," Nikki said.
"I've got that feeling too," Jane agreed. "What do you think it is?"
"I don't know, but it couldn't hurt to have an extra set of eyes," Ash said. He grabbed a Poké Ball and called out Absol.
"(You have need of me?)" the Disaster Pokémon asked.
"We're searching for a lost Pokémon, but we have the feeling that something is watching us," Ash explained. "We need you to help us keep an eye on our surroundings in case something comes after us."
"(Of course. I'll make sure we're safe,)" Absol vowed. Now that they added Absol the group felt better about searching for Jane's Pokémon. They continued through the interior of the shipwreck, searching every room they came across. In the midst of one of their room searches Absol tensed up, attracting everyone's attention.
"What is it?" Ash asked.
"(Your earlier suspicions were correct. Something is indeed watching us,)" he reported. This news didn't set well with the others.
"Is… Is it friendly?" Jane asked.
"(Too early to tell,)" Absol answered. "(Still, I'd be careful from here on out.)" This report left them all feeling a bit nervous, but the only thing they could do was stay alert. They continued searching the different rooms, all the while wondering when their mysterious stalker would strike.
"We've searched nearly every room in this shipwreck. Maybe he's not here," Nikki said.
"But where else could he be?" Jane wondered.
"Don't give up just yet. We've still got a few more rooms to search," Ash told them. "Sparky may be in one of those last few rooms." Left with that possibility they kept going. As they approached the final few rooms Buneary's ear perked up.
"(Hey! I hear something!)" she said.
"You do? What does it sound like?" Nikki inquired. Buneary focused her hearin gon the sound.
"(It sounds like… whimpering,)" she replied.
""That might be Sparky," Ash said. Hearing that they may have found her missing Pokémon filled Jane with a sense of hope.
"Can you tell where the whimpering is coming from?" Nikki asked. Buneary once again focused on the sound, this time trying to determine where it was coming from.
"(Sounds like it's coming from that room up ahead,)" she said, pointing to a room just up ahead of them.
"Sparky?! Sparky, is that you?!" Jane called. They waited for a response, but when they didn't get any they began to worry.
"Come on. If that is Sparky we need to get him out of here," Ash said. The approached them door, all of them wondering if their search had finally come to an end. Ash opened the door, revealing what looked like the captain's quarters. And huddled up in the back corner of the room was a small Chinchou.
"That him! That's Sparky!" she cheered, tears forming in her eyes.
"Well, now that we've found him let's get him and us out of here," Ash said. They took a few steps towards Sparky when Absol jumped in front of them, stopping them in their tracks.
"(Hold it!)" he barked, a serious expression on his face.
"What is it?": Ash wondered. Absol appeared to be focusing on something, but no one could tell what it was.
"(Get back!)" the Disaster Pokémon shouted. No one questioned him as they all moved back. Seconds later the floor exploded upwards as a massive Pokémon sprang up from below.
"What is that?!" Jame shouted.
"It's a Swampert!" Ash said. Nikki took out her Pokécomm and scanned him.
Name: Swampert
Species: The Mud Fish Pokémon
Pokécomm Entry: It can swim while towing a large ship. It bashes down foes with a swing of its thick arms.
"What's a Swampert doing here?" Nikki wondered.
"I don't know, but something tells me he's why there aren't any other Pokémon here," Ash commented.
"You think he ran all the other Pokémon off?" Nikki questioned.
"I do," Ash confirmed. Their conversation was cut short when the Swampert took aim and fired off a powerful Water Gun at them, forcing them to jump out of the way.
"We've got to get to Sparky!" Jane shouted.
"I know, but I don't think that Swampert is just going to let us walk up and get him," Ash said. "We're going to have to drive him off first."
"In that case let me take a crack at him," Nikki said. "Shinx, use Charge Beam!" Shinx charged up her electricity and fired off her Charge Beam. However, the electrified beam did no damage to the massive Swampert, who simply laughed at her attempt.
"What the… what happened?!" Nikki gasped.
"Swampert's part Ground, so Electric attacks won't work on him!" Ash explained. The Swampert then counter-attacked by firing a Mud Bomb at Shinx, the super-effective attack hitting for massive damage and knocking the Flash Pokémon down at Nikki's feet.
"No, Shinx!" Nikki cried. As she checked on her downed Pokémon the Swampert was getting ready to attack again.
"No you don't! Absol, use Shadow Ball!" Ash shouted. Absol quickly formed a Shadow Ball and fired, striking the Swampert in the face and interrupting his attack.
"Follow up with Night Slash!" Ash continued. While Swampert was recovering from the last attack Absol charged in and slashed at him with his Night Slash. However, the attack appeared to do little damage.
"We may need some more muscle to take this guy down," Nikki said. Ash was way ahead of her, already preparing a second Poké Ball to throw out.
"Go, Croconaw!" he shouted, sending out his Big Jaw Pokémon to assist Absol. While this was going on Jane never took her eyes off of Sparky, the small Chinchou shivering in fear at the battle taking place right in front of him. She then felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over and saw Nikki smiling at her.
"Don't worry. We'll save him," she promised. Jane returned her smile and nodded before turning her attention to the battle between Ash and the Swampert.
"Absol, use Shadow Ball! Croconaw, use Hydro Pump!" Ash instructed. Absol once again fired off a Shadow Ball while Croconaw unleashed a torrent of water from his maw, the two attacks pushing the Swampert back some. However, the Mud Fish Pokémon wasn't about to go down without a fight as he fought back with Mud Bomb.
"Croconaw, destroy that with Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted. The Big Jaw Pokémon fired his powerful Water attack, blasting the incoming Mud Bomb apart. Unfortunately the attack was only meant as a distraction, for once the attack was destroyed Swampert came charging through, swinging his massive arm and striking Absol with a Hammer Arm. The impact sent the Disaster Pokémon flying back into Croconaw, knocking both Pokémon to the ground.
"Are you two alright?!" Ash asked in a panic. Croconaw was just a bit dazed and got back up to his feet. Absol, though, took the worst of the damage and was in rough shape. Seeing his ally in such bad shape enraged the Big Jaw Pokémon to the point where he charged Swampert and bit down on his arm, getting a grunt of pain from the Mud Fish Pokémon. He began shaking his arm, trying to dislodge Croconaw. But the Big Jaw Pokémon refused to release his grip.
"Hold on, Croconaw!" Nikki shouted. No matter how much Swampert shook Croconaw still held on. After a while the Mud Fish Pokémon decided to try a different tactic, using his other arm to deliver a Hammer Arm, finally dislodging the stubborn Big Jaw Pokémon from his arm.
"This isn't looking good," Jane commented.
"Ash, switch them out!" Nikki shouted. Looking at his downed Pokémon he thought that would be for the best, but just as he was about to grab their Poké Balls Croconaw began to rise to his feet.
"(N-No! Let me finish this battle,)" he requested. Ash hesitated for a moment, thinking about his request.
"Are you sure you want to?" he asked. Croconaw looked back towards Ash before responding.
"(Positive!)" the Big Jaw Pokémon replied. There was a certain look on his face, a fire in his eyes, that made Ash believe that he could win. He stored the Poké Balls.
"Alright. I trust you," he said. Croconaw nodded before turning to face the Swampert again. The Mud Fish Pokémon had a smug look on his face, almost as if he were certain he'd win. But Croconaw was determined to prove him wrong. He let out a loud bellow, almost as if he were issuing a challenge. Then, his body took on a white glow.
"What's happening?!" Jane wondered.
"I think he's evolving!" Nikki answered. Everyone looked on as Croconaw's body began to change, growing bigger and bigger. When the light finally died down standing there was a much different Pokémon than before.
"He evolved into Feraligatr!" Ash cheered as he took out his Pokécomm to scan his new Pokémon.
Name: Feraligatr
Species: The Big Jaw Pokémon
Pokécomm Entry: It usually moves slowly, but it goes at blinding speed when it attacks and bites prey.
By this time Absol had gotten back to his feet and was ready to rejoin the battle. He looked to his side, seeing his newly-evolved teammate.
"(Well, this was unexpected, but at the same time most welcome,)" he commented.
"(You ready to take the fight to this guy?)" Feraligatr asked, flashing a toothy grin.
"(Indeed,)" Absol replied. With both of his Pokémon back up and ready to go Ash resumed giving them instructions.
"Alright Feraligatr, use Bite!" he shouted. In the blink of an eye Feraligatr had his jaws clamped onto Swampert's arm once again. Recalling what he did last time Swampert got ready to use Hammer Arm, but Ash was wise to his tactics this time.
"Absol, use Shadow Ball!" he called. The Disaster Pokémon quickly formed the Ghost type attack and fired, the orb exploding right in Swampert's face. The sudden attack caused him to lose focus, interrupting his attack. Feraligatr took this opportunity to swing the Mud Fish Pokémon around and throw him to the back of the room.
"Now Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!" Ash instructed. Along with his new evolved form came a dramatic increase in strength, something Feraligatr showed off with his Hydro Pump. The Water attack, much stronger than before, was powerful enough to send Swampert crashing out the back of the shipwreck and into the ocean. Everyone ran to the hole he created to see if he'd come back or not. After a few moments it was clear that he had been driven off, perhaps for good.
"Well, that takes care of him," Nikki said. Now that they were safe Jane wasted no time in running over to Sparky and scooping the Chinchou up in her arms.
"Oh Sparky, are you alright?" she asked. The Chinchou smiled at her, letting her know he was okay. Jane, with tears in her eyes, hugged him tightly. Ash, Nikki and their Pokémon looked on, all of them pleased with the outcome.
"I'm glad we were able to reunite them," Nikki said.
"So am I," Ash agreed. He then turned to his Pokémon and smiled.
"I'm proud of you two," he told them. Both Absol and Feraligatr returned his smile before turning back to the heartwarming scene in front of them.
With their business at the shipwreck concluded the group returned to the mainland, this time with an extra passenger in the form of Sparky. After making landfall the first thing they dd was head to the Pokémon Center so Nurse Joy could check on the Pokémon.
"Well Jane, I'm happy to say that Sparky is perfectly healthy, despite his ordeal," the nurse reported.
"Oh, thank you," Jane said as she took him back. "I owe it to Ash and Nikki for getting him back for me."
"We were just glad we could help," Nikki said.
"And speaking of which your Pokémon are back to full health as well," Nurse Joy said as she returned Ash and Nikki's Poké Balls.
"Well, I should be heading home. Thank you again for all you did." With that Jane let the Pokémon Center, Sparky in her arms as she headed home.
"I'm glad you were able to help her find Sparky," Nurse Joy told them.
"So are we," Nikki replied. "So Ash, should we head out now?"
"I don't know. It's getting pretty late in the day." He pointed out the front door, where the sky was turning orange.
"I think we should spend another night here and leave in the morning," he suggested.
"I'll prepare some rooms for you," Nurse Joy offered. They thanked her and followed her to the back. After the events of the day it would feel good to take a good night's rest.
A quest to help a little girl find her lost Pokémon ends with Ash getting a new one of his own. With Croconaw evolving into Feraligatr how will this play into future battles? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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