Chapter 6: Aboard the S.S. Anne

February, 5 years ago

"Alright, I admit it, I'm lost."

A groan came from the phone. "Are you serious, Jade?"

I screwed my eyes shut, not wanting to look at the phone. I knew she'd be upset.

Starr let out a frustrated sigh. "How did you even… didn't you get a ride?"

"I rode my bike," I mumbled. "I thought it would be cool if I found my way by myself, so I told my mom I didn't need a ride because it wasn't that far, and then…" My voice trailed off.

Starr didn't say anything. It was a good thing she couldn't see my face burning with embarrassment.

"I was excited to finally get to see your house," I added quietly. "It sounds really nice." She had a huuuge TV and a pool and a million snacks.

"I gave you the address—can't you just look it up on your phone?" Starr asked.

"I don't have my own phone, remember?" Mom said I was too young for one. Usually I didn't care, except for right now.

Starr was quiet for a while. "Are you calling from the Pokécenter or something?" she finally asked.

I paused. "Yeah."

"Alright. I'll be there in five minutes." And then the call ended.

I blinked in confusion. She was coming here? And so soon? I wasn't sure what to make of that, so I just went outside and sat down on the bench. It was a cold day. Another reason why trying to go by myself was a dumb idea.

Five minutes later, I heard a clip-clop sound coming from down the road and looked up to see a Ponyta trotting toward me. And Starr was riding on its back.

"Whoa!" I called out, jumping up from the bench. "Where'd he come from?"

"He's my mom's," Starr said as Ponyta stopped in front of me. "I go riding with him twice a week." Right, she had mentioned getting riding lessons before.

I reached out and ran my hand down Ponyta's neck. His fur was warm. I was a bit worried about getting too close to his mane, but the flames were just a warm tickle. It felt nice compared to the cold air.

"Sorry to make you come get me," I mumbled, glancing away.

Starr rubbed the back of her head. "Look, don't worry about it, okay? You ready to eat way too much popcorn and candy?"

I brightened a little. "Yeah!"

Starr gave Ponyta a pat on the neck, and he took off down the road at a trot. I followed them on my bike, finally starting to feel better.

"It's really cool that your parents finally let you have friends visit," I said. I'd never even seen her parents.

Starr glanced over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. "They're not home."

Today

The S.S. Anne was huge. It towered over everything else around it, which was saying something, as the rest of the cargo ships that frequented Vermilion harbor were the biggest I had ever seen. (Not that I'd ever been to a port town this large before, but still.) I had to crane my neck upwards just to get a look at the uppermost deck and the orange-rimmed smokestacks rising from the top.

I'd been standing in line for the S.S. Anne for about half an hour and still found myself staring at the ship. But then again, it was mostly to distract myself from the anxiety of having to stand in such a large bustling crowd. Adding to the anxiety was the experimental Pikachu, who stood at my heels with an indifferent sort of expression like he was trying to pretend he wasn't following me, even though he clearly wasn't here with anyone else.

I was kind of afraid to question him at this point, as I couldn't afford any unpredictable reactions with all these people surrounding us. Honestly, I didn't even know if someone stepping on his tail would be enough to send him into a violent rage. It was a valid concern given how often people were shuffled between lines, getting bags checked and Pokémon registered and ID cleared and—oh crap.

It hit me like a brick to the forehead. I had no ID on me whatsoever. No Pokédex, no passport, no anything. This single realization managed to instantly shove any vague concerns about Pikachu clean out of my head. What would they even do if they encountered someone trying to get on board with no ID? I couldn't possibly be arrested for that, could I? My eyes immediately flew to the security staff. And then, if it were possible, my stomach melted into even more of a black hole. I was carrying Pokémon inside Pokéballs without a license. That was definitely illegal. But if I left now, staying in Vermilion would have been entirely pointless. This had felt like my one chance to get out into the world and do something.

"Boarding pass?"

Oh crap, now I was done for. I hadn't even noticed that I was now first in line. For several seconds I just stared at the woman at the check-in stand, completely unsure of what to do, or if it would even make sense to run away now before they could find out I had Pokémon without a license.

To anyone watching, the dread on my face probably looked ridiculous. My legs seemed to move without me telling them to. One step, then another, and I was at the check-in booth. At this point I didn't know what else to do but hand my ticket to the woman behind the stand. She paused slightly before looking it over, apparently a bit confused by my behavior.

"Ah, specialty invite. You'll be joining that line over there." She pointed off to the right, at a much smaller line in front of a different entry staircase onto the ship.

I blinked stupidly, unable to do anything but take my boarding pass back from her and mutter a distracted, "Thanks."

My footsteps were somewhat shaky as I wandered away from the main registration lines and down the pier toward the separate check-in booth. I glanced down at the boarding pass in my hand, vaguely recalling how Stalker had mentioned that it was a specialty invite. Still, with my luck, this had probably only delayed the inevitable ID check. I craned my neck to get a better look at the people in the front of the line, and if they needed to show ID, but I couldn't quite tell from this angle.

The people in this line were almost all my age or younger. But while I felt awkward and out of place, everyone else was chatting excitedly about the upcoming trainer's party. They didn't have to worry about being found out, or sent back home. That's what it meant to be a real trainer.

…Were any of them recruits for the rebel team? Would I see them after we arrived at our destination, wherever that was?

After several minutes, I reached the front of the line. The uniformed man at the check-in booth gave a welcoming smile, and I attempted to look like I wasn't dreading what would happen next as I set my boarding pass on the table. The attendant scanned it into a machine and then typed something for a bit.

"Are you a Pokémon trainer?" he asked.

This was it. The moment of truth.

"…Yes?" I said tentatively, wincing.

"I'll need to have the Pokémon you're bringing onto the ship recorded here."

I paused. I hadn't been expecting that. "Er, Charmander, Pidgey, and Pikachu."

The man typed a bit more, and then a small printer next to the computer spat out a plastic card. He hooked it onto a cord and handed it to me along with an instruction booklet.

"This is the card key for your room and we request that you wear it at all times during your stay. Welcome to the S.S. Anne."

And that was it. That was all it took for me to be admitted onto the ship. My mind was frozen in a stupefied shock as I slowly walked away from the check-in booth and approached the giant metal staircase that led up into the ship.

"They… they didn't check ID?"

I didn't even realize I had said it out loud until the kid behind me in line said, "Yeah, specialty invites aren't pre-registered or anything, so they don't need to."

I jumped a bit at his voice, as I hadn't been expecting a reply. Then I immediately had to banish the look of intense guilt from my face as I turned to face him. He was a small and skinny kid, maybe twelve or thirteen, with straight, dirty-blond hair that fell to his ears and light blue eyes. He gave me a bit of a searching look, like he was trying to figure something out. "What did you do?"

I stared blankly. "Huh?"

"You just have this look like you did something wrong." He laughed slightly. "What is it? Don't worry, I won't tell."

Great, just what I needed—some random kid interrogating me. I racked my brain for the best explanation that wouldn't give anything away.

"I just… thought they'd do a Pokéball inspection, and right now I don't have one for my Pikachu."

He waved a hand dismissively. "It's a trainer's party, they don't mind if Pokémon are out and about, so long as they're not too big. Weren't you paying attention when they announced all of this?"

No, I really hadn't. I had been too busy wondering if my Pikachu was going to kill anyone or not.

"By the way, I like your Pikachu. He looks cool."

I didn't bother to point out that he wasn't actually mine, as my previous statement had sort of made it seem like he was. And really, what else could I say? No, sorry, this isn't my Pikachu; he's a violent half-Legendary genetic experiment that sort of just decided to follow me around.

The kid raised an eyebrow. "You're kind of weird, you know that? I'm guessing you either you have a lot bothering you or you just don't like talking. Try to have fun at the party, m'kay? I'll see ya later." Here he lowered his voice to a whisper and said, "Or maybe at the place where we're all going, yeah?"

I blinked, unsure of how to respond. We had just reached the top of the staircase and were now taking our first step into the S.S. Anne. The kid gave a light wave before walking off. I waved absentmindedly, still caught off guard by what he'd said. So that confirmed it—there definitely were other recruits here.

I took several slow, uncertain steps into the main entry lobby, immediately floored by how massive it was. I never really had any expectation for what the inside of a cruise ship would be like—it was a lot like a fancy hotel lobby, with bright red carpet and massive circular staircases winding their way up past rows and rows of elaborate wooden banisters. At the far end of the room, several uniformed crew members were standing on a podium and directing the passengers around. The room had to be filled with nearly a thousand people already, and there were still others entering from the registered passenger entrance to the left. It didn't seem like we'd be able to leave the room until everyone had finished boarding, so I found the nearest staircase and walked up to the second level so there'd be more room in the entrance.

After about twenty minutes, a voice finally rang out over the intercom. "Welcome to the S.S. Anne! We all hope you enjoy you have a fun and relaxing stay on our inter-regional cruise, no matter where your destination may be. We will now take a moment to relay the mandatory safety briefing before leaving port. This ship is specially designed to accommodate and entertain Pokémon trainers, and as such…"

For the rest of the hour, the crew explained the rules of the ship, gave a brief rundown of what events would be taking place, and demonstrated what to do in an emergency—where the exits were located, how to use the personal flotation devices, stuff like that. Finally, after what felt like forever, the crowd was dismissed and we were free to roam about the ship. Almost immediately, life returned to the crowd as everyone in the lobby began chattering excitedly, making their way to the doors that led to the rest of the ship.

I had no idea where I wanted to start. The idea of participating in one of the many trainer's events just felt awkward since I wasn't a real trainer. I mean sure, they probably wouldn't check ID since it wasn't an official tournament or anything, but it still felt weird. I'd have to shake that feeling if I ever wanted to learn how to battle, but it didn't want to leave.

I unfolded the info booklet and browsed the list of events. Even if I couldn't work up the nerve to enter any of them, they would at least be entertaining to watch. My eyes settled on the special event starting tomorrow morning. Apparently, there would be an exclusive challenge open only to invite holders. Would that be when we found out more about the rebel team?

As I read, I couldn't help glancing down at Pikachu more often than before. He was staring intently into the crowd on the floor below us. Every few seconds his ears twitched.

I sighed and forced myself to look away. Come on, enough already. Everything was going to be fine.

Everything was not fine.

My heart was pounding and my breath racing as I charged away from the battle I'd been watching. I kept my pace to a fast walk to avoid looking suspicious, despite the fact that I wanted to scream.

Pikachu had stayed by my side the whole time while I got food and browsed a shop—why had he disappeared now?! Just when I'd gotten comfortable and thought I could watch a battle all the way through without checking on him every thirty seconds. Had he seriously just been waiting for a chance? But really, he could have left at any time—whether I saw him do it was irrelevant. So why now?

What was I supposed to do? My violent, unstable Pikachu was now loose because I was an idiot with no Pokéball for him. I didn't even want to think about what they'd do if a trainer's Pokémon attacked someone on board the ship. It was stupid for me to even bring him with me—what on earth had I been thinking? Granted, it wasn't so much that I was keeping him as that I was afraid to tell him to leave. But that fact didn't really make me feel any better.

Alright, had to find Pikachu now. Where could he have gone? My fingers were almost a blur as I unfolded the info booklet and skimmed the map of the S.S. Anne, desperately hoping for a clue. The ship's entry level was the middle deck, on the same level as the restaurants, shops, lounges, and dance room. Just above was the Pokémon Center, small arenas, contest hall, spa and suites. The lower decks held the engine room and all of the basic cabins and none of this was helpful, argh.

I folded up the booklet and shoved it into my bag before storming off in a hurry, attempting to navigate the crowded halls. I found my way back to the main lobby pretty quickly and took a turn for the front of the ship—that seemed like as good as any place to start.

Working my way through groups of passengers, I scanned all of the shops and training areas one after the other, stopping just long enough to get a good look at each one. It quickly became obvious that between all the trainers and the sheer number of areas, if he was trying to hide, there was almost no chance of finding him. I could only hope that hiding wasn't his goal. Then again, I didn't want him out in the open where it'd be more likely for someone to run into him either.

This never would have happened if I'd just told him to go be free in the wild. I'd been afraid to say it the whole time. But did I even have a reason to be so afraid? He hadn't attacked me or anything yet. I just didn't know.

At some point I made a wrong turn and found myself near the back of the ship, in a hallway devoid of passengers with only the occasional crewman walking past. I was about to turn around when it hit me. All of the areas I had searched were packed with people. And yeah, I'd been most worried about him hurting someone, but… what if he was avoiding people after all?

My brain latched onto that hope and wouldn't let go, so I pressed on toward the back of the ship, passing scattered crew members as I went. I glanced down each hallway branching off from mine one after the other, most of them leading towards lounges or souvenir shops. I didn't see him anywhere.

"So much for that…" I muttered, turning around in all directions. I was just about to head back; it was my only option at this point, but then—

I caught a glimpse of yellow out of the corner of my eye and spun around. Standing at the edge of a doorway was a Pikachu—the very spiky-furred hybrid Pikachu I was looking for.

"There you are!" I called out, running towards him and feeling more relief than I had in a long time. His eyes flickered in my direction but otherwise he didn't seem concerned with my arrival.

My footsteps slowed as I neared him, and it struck me that I'd have to do something about what had happened. Not later, now. I'd been putting off talking to him, and it couldn't wait. Even if I was dreading his reaction.

"We need to talk. Now." Even as I forced my voice to sound firm, I couldn't help wincing. There was no way he wouldn't hate being ordered around. But this wasn't a situation where I could afford to seem weak-willed.

The hybrid glanced at me over his shoulder, looking more annoyed than angry. "*Does it have to be now?*"

I stared at him incredulously. "Kind of, yeah!"

My fists were clenched, my heart pounding. Part of me still expected him to get angry, to lash out. But he didn't; he just gave me a hard stare for several seconds, then turned his back to me. I stood blankly, not sure what I expected him to do next, but he didn't move. Was he… waiting for me? Hard as it was to believe?

Hesitantly, I knelt beside him. "Alright, so…" How exactly was I supposed to start this? I still felt uneasy around him, but the fact that he hadn't done anything yet made it hard to put into words.

"I honestly have no idea what to think of you. I don't know why you've stayed with me. I don't know if it's safe to have you around other people, and I'm constantly worried that you'll, like, attack someone."

His fur bristled, and I half expected him to whirl around and snap at me. But he didn't, so I kept going: "There's no reason why I should assume you aren't dangerous to bring around people. And… I can't have you with me if I don't know what to expect," I finished somewhat awkwardly.

For the longest time, Pikachu didn't give any indication that he was even going to reply. Finally—without looking at me—he said, slowly and meticulously, "*I didn't give you a reason for staying with you because I hadn't decided why. I don't owe you a reason. So you can stop acting like I'm some kind of mindless, raging monster.*"

I blinked. "Wh…" A wave of guilt hit me, but then… no. No, I had to be firm on this. Even though I was already starting to question myself.

"I wasn't trying to treat you like one, it's just… you haven't given me any reason to think that you're not. All I've got to go off is what you were like on the plane." Violently lashing out at everyone around him and trying to break a window to kill us all.

"And besides," I went on, "if you're going to be staying with me, then I want a reason. You can't just follow me around forever without my say-so."

Again, he spoke slowly, with a deliberate emphasis on each word: "*You're not in control of me. Why should my actions concern you?*"

"What? It doesn't have anything to do with control. If you're with me, then I'm responsible for you, that's why. Why on earth would I think that I was in control of you?" The idea was almost laughable.

At that point, he finally turned to face me, his expression unreadable. I had no idea how he felt about my words until he said, "*You're strange.*"

I stared blankly. His piercing, hawk-like eyes stared back. I was just about to come up with a reply when he continued, "*Or maybe I just need to learn more about humans. You're not all the same.*"

I really had no idea how to respond to a statement like that.

"*I still don't have a reason for why I followed you, but…*"—he closed his eyes—"*what you saw of me on the plane… that wasn't normal.*"

I exhaled slowly. Alright. That was a good sign. And it did match up with what I'd seen of him the past two weeks. He'd been cold and elusive and aggressive… but he hadn't actually attacked anyone. So even though I had no way of knowing if he was telling the truth… I still felt like I could trust him more now. At least a little bit.

"Well… thanks for that… Pikachu," I told him.

His ears twitched. "*Don't call me that.*"

I hesitated. "Do you want me to call you number nine like the Rockets—"

"*Anything but that,*" he immediately cut in. "*And I do have a name. I only ever used it with… But that doesn't matter now… Call me Chibi.*"

I couldn't help cracking a smile. Chibi? The name sounded sort of… small and cute. Not really fitting for his personality.

He glared a bit at my reaction. "*What's so funny?*"

"Nothing, nothing," I said, not wanting to ruin the moment, since it must have taken some amount of trust for him to be willing to tell me his name.

"*So, you're going to show me the world outside of Team Rocket.*" It was a statement, not a request.

"I… guess I am?" I said with a bit of uncertainty.

Chibi nodded. "*Alright then.*"

I stood to my feet, a wave of relief washing over me. "Well… should we attend the party now? You'd get to battle—and it wouldn't be for your life or your freedom or anything," I added with a half-smile.

The Pikachu's expression hardened. "*That would be nice. But there's something you should know. The reason I left—I saw someone I recognized.*"

It took several seconds for the implication to sink in. "But… you were created by…" My voice trailed off. He'd never been around any humans other than Rockets, had he.

"*What's more…*" he continued. "*I overheard some kids reporting that their friends had gone missing.*"

I stared at him in disbelief. They'd found us. The Rockets had found us before we'd even gathered together as a team. Before we'd even started training to oppose them.

"You… you can't be serious," I finally managed.

"*Come on,*" Chibi said, turning to walk further down the hallway. "*Before you found me, I was searching for them. I want to find out what they're doing here.*"

It was obvious he was going to look into this with or without me. My legs were on autopilot as I shuffled after him, my mind still reeling with shock. It didn't seem possible. He had to have made a mistake. But I didn't dare question him as I followed—I could only desperately hope that we wouldn't find anyone.

The hybrid walked several yards ahead of me, stopping at each corner to glance in all directions before motioning that it was safe to follow. His expression was wary, but calm and collected at the same time—it had the effect of calming me, in any case. Chibi knew what he was doing. I had to put my trust in that.

And then the Pikachu's ears stood bolt upright. His eyes focused with laser intensity onto a supply closet before he bounded over to press a black-tipped ear against it. Not more than second later, he motioned for me to join him. My stomach twisted into a knot instantly. This was it. No losing my cool now. I cautiously tiptoed forward and put my ear to the door as well.

"I have no idea what you're talking about! I've never heard of anyone called Stalker and I don't know anything about any rebels!" a voice cried out. A young voice—couldn't have been any older than thirteen.

"That's what everyone we've asked has said. Why should we believe you?" This one was a lot older. Mid-thirties at least.

"Because it's the truth!" The voice was now growing desperate. "I'm just here for the trainer's party! Why else would I be here? And if there really are dangerous rebels hanging around, then shouldn't everyone know about it?!"

So they were interrogating passengers. This had to be why Chibi overheard some kids reporting missing friends. How many Rockets were elsewhere on the ship, kidnapping more trainers?

Several seconds passed. I could almost hear my heart thumping, and part of me was afraid they'd hear it through the door. Footsteps paced back and forth inside the room, until finally—

"Knock her out, Machoke." The voice was dripping with disappointment. I winced as I felt the dull thud of an impact vibrate across the floor.

A second Rocket, younger than the first, sighed. "This is the fourth kid who's had no idea what the hell is going on. Starting to think this is a lost cause."

The first one chuckled. "Don't let any executives hear ya say that."

"There are hundreds of trainers on board for the party," the second countered, sounding frustrated. "Even if the rebels are here, what're the odds we'd find one? We can't possibly question everyone without giving ourselves away."

"Yeah, but it's not like we can just pass up this opportunity. You should've seen it—the head execs were freaking out when they heard that the guy organizing this was going around calling himself 'Stalker.'"

The younger Rocket gave an unimpressed snort. "Yeah, that narrows it down. Wasn't it all but proven that the original Stalker was multiple people? I mean, I know that all happened before I joined, but—"

"That's just the point. We have no idea who it is, and that's why we can't afford to ignore him. Whoever it is knows about the revolt. He could be a deserter. He could be the former commander. Do you have any idea how important that is? If there's even a chance we could get him, or any of the others working with him, we can't ignore it."

The revolt? Former commander? Tyson had mentioned something like that at the Viridian base, but I hadn't paid it any mind at the time.

Chibi nudged me with his elbow. "*So you and the rest of the potential recruits aren't their concern,*" he whispered. "*They're trying to flush out the leader, or anyone in his group.*"

"Huh. Well, from all the times I talked with him, it seemed like he was doing this alone. I don't even think he's on the ship right now."

"*That's good for us. They can't act too suspiciously or else risk tipping him off and losing their chance to get him. But they can't just do nothing. They've got the disadvantage here. And if I know the Rockets, they wouldn't have started this mission without a fallback in case things didn't go as planned.*"

Just then, I heard a buzzing sound like a text message alert, followed by one of the Rockets rummaging through a pocket. A few seconds passed in silence. Suddenly, the older Rocket let out a low whistle. "Well then! Looks like one of our teammates caught one!" My heart jumped into my throat.

"Really? Did they get any info?"

"…Doesn't look like it. Sounds like the rebels were kept in the dark about everything. The kid doesn't know the leader's real name, where they're going, what they'll be doing. Can't really say I'm surprised."

The younger one groaned. "So this was all for nothing?"

"It's too early to say that. Once we get everything set up tonight, the leader will have no choice but to reveal himself. And if he doesn't, we can just end the threat anyway. Now come on, let's meet up with the others."

Chibi leaped back from the door at once, jerking his head in the opposite direction and taking off for the nearest corner. I scrambled to my feet as quietly as I could and jumped after him, ducking out of sight the instant before the door swung open.

Now that I got a good look at the two Rockets, I couldn't help but stare—both of them were dressed as crew members. No wonder Chibi was the only one to notice them. And with a sinking feeling, it hit me—I wouldn't be able to warn the crew that Rockets had infiltrated their ranks. How could I know that the person I reported it to wouldn't be a Rocket themselves?

Chibi was fixated on the two Rockets now walking away from us. I gave him a puzzled look, but he just nodded sharply to himself. And then without warning, the hybrid shot forward in a blink, unleashing a blast of lightning at the older of the two. I didn't move from my spot on the tile floor. I could only stare in horror as the man gave an awful, garbled cry and sank to the floor instantly.

The younger Rocket spun around with a look of terror, but the hybrid didn't even hesitate. He lunged forward and—no, no I couldn't watch. But the sound of the man's screaming still gripped every inch of me.

Several seconds passed. Hesitantly, I opened my eyes a crack. The Rocket was cowering against the wall, and—what on earth was Chibi doing?

"Chibi?! What—?" My words just died.

"*Tell me your mission!*" he demanded. The experiment was standing on the Rocket's chest, holding a brightly glowing tail right up to his neck. The young man was shaking all over, eyes wide and pleading.

"W-what do you want from me?!" he yelled. "I'm just a grunt!"

Chibi hesitated slightly, raising an eyebrow in confusion. After several seconds, realization crossed his face. He turned to me and called out, "*Translate for me!*"

"What?"

"*Come on, we need this information!*" he shouted.

I stared at him weakly, my brain too muddled to work out what he meant. Translate? Because the man didn't know Pokéspeech?

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words felt hollow and lifeless. "What's your mission?"

The Rocket gave a frantic glance between Chibi and me, but didn't say anything. Chibi glared before shooting out a wave of sparks, causing the man to jerk backward and shout, "Our mission is to identify the rebels and their leader!"

"*And how do you plan to do that?!*" Again, I repeated the question.

The Rocket stared at him, sweat dripping down his face—he was clearly afraid to say too much. Chibi pressed his tail harder against the man's neck until it was nearly digging into the flesh. God, I had no idea what move that was, but he probably could have ended the man's life right there.

"W-we were gonna use explosives to hold the ship hostage and force the rebel leader to reveal himself," the Rocket finally stammered out in one breath.

I jumped upon hearing hurried footsteps echo from the other end of the hallway. Was it just the crew coming to investigate the commotion, or was it more Rockets? Or both?!

"Um, Chibi, I think we need to—"

"*I hear them,*" the Pikachu said. He had just pulled a small, red and black cell phone from the man's pocket with the label "R-com" inscribed on the front. Chibi slid the device across the floor to me, and I caught it. He then gave one last look at the captive Rocket before slamming the flat of his tail into the man's temple and running off.

I sat there frozen, still too stunned to work through what I was supposed to do. Chibi stopped running and turned back towards me with an exasperated look on his face. "*It's only a matter of time before the others figure out what happened here. We need to go somewhere they won't find us!*"

I shook my head, trying clear the haze of panic and just think straight, for the love of crap! Somewhere they couldn't find us… somewhere they couldn't—

"My room!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet and bursting into a sprint to catch up with Chibi while grabbing the card key hanging from my neck. "It's room B120!"

"*I saw the stairs this way!*" he called out.

We continued to race down the hallway, turning a corner leading to the elegant staircases nearest the main event room and bolting down them. I couldn't hear if any footsteps were after us with all the battle sounds from the trainer's party. Either way, had to keep running. I jumped two or three steps at a time, desperate to catch up with Chibi while constantly throwing frantic glances over my shoulder.

We reached the right floor and didn't waste any time sprinting down the hallway lined with cabin rooms. Just a little bit more, and—there it was! I held my card against the scanner on the door handle, unlocked the door, threw it open, and bolted inside with Chibi before slamming it shut behind us.

I stood there, doubled over and panting hard and trying to work through if we were safe or not. This was insane—we weren't supposed to be in danger on this ship. How did they find us already?!

My brain was too wracked by frustration and stress to think logically at this point. I threw my backpack to the floor and stumbled toward the bed, now completely lightheaded. I had no idea what to think about all of this, least of all if I should do anything or not. The whole thing was insane, and I just wanted to pretend I had never found out about it.

I vaguely realized that I'd been staring at Chibi since we got to the room. I tried to convince myself that I had no reason to be afraid of him anymore. We'd sorted things out. And now I couldn't stop shivering just from being in the same room as him. I needed to say something—anything. For about the millionth time that night, the words wouldn't come.

"*I know what you must think of me,*" he said.

I almost jumped. The hybrid gave me an incredulous look, and I immediately tried to rearrange my face into one that was less freaked out.

"I… just… that was kind of brutal back there."

His expression hardened. "*They were Rockets. I did what I had to. I've always done what I had to.*"

I sighed. He did have a point. I didn't like it, but it was a point. But then…

"…Does that include what happened on the plane?"

I had no idea why I said it. His eyes widened—I tensed up, expecting him to lash out. But I was completely unprepared to see him turn away with a tortured look, body quivering.

"*Don't bring that up. Again. Ever.*"

"I… I'm sorry?"

Chibi continued to face the wall, his expression torn. Slowly, he forced his eyes shut. "*Why did I think he would have wanted…?*" He shook his head sharply. "*Never mind.*"

He didn't say anything else after that, so it seemed best to give him a moment. His words still echoed in my mind, however. He'd done what he'd had to. Opposing Team Rocket and living through it would sometimes mean striking back at them violently. I didn't have any reason to be bothered by that… and yet it still bothered me.

I clenched my teeth, feeling stupid—it was the sort of thing I'd have to get over during my time on the rebel team. Ajia had done it. It only made sense that I'd have to as well.

Ajia…

"Ajia!" I exclaimed, bolting upright and whipping my wallet out of my pocket to grab the small, torn piece of paper she'd written her Pokégear number on. In an instant, I grabbed the phone off the bedside table and punched in all the numbers before realizing that I didn't have a dial tone.

Instead, a recorded voice said, "We thank you for staying aboard the S.S. Anne. If you would like to place outgoing calls during your trip, please register your bank card or trainer's license, and you will receive the bill at the end of your—"

I slammed the phone back on the receiver and buried my face in pillows. "Great. There goes my only hope."

"*Don't tell me you plan on hiding in here all night,*" Chibi said, leaping onto the bed. I detected a bit of scorn in his voice.

"What else am I supposed to do? If I leave, they'll find me. I'll be captured, killed, whatever, end of story."

He gave me a piercing stare. "*You don't honestly think you can just ignore Rockets being on this ship when it's filled with potential enemies against their cause? They want to hold the ship hostage with explosives. But you said it yourself—the rebel leader isn't here. What do you think they'll decide to do when they figure that out? Leave and go home? Or teach him a lesson by ending the threat right here and now?*"

Almost as if on cue, the R-com in my pocket vibrated, making me jump. I retrieved the device and tapped the main button, causing the screen to light up with a new text message.

"Primary mission potentially compromised. All agents meet at the rendezvous point immediately. Secondary mission to commence at 0300," I read aloud.

Chibi nodded. "*Thought so. Do you still think you'll survive the night even if you hide in here?*"

I shivered at his words, unwilling to look him in the eye. "What am I supposed to do to stop them?"

"*Anything. Whatever we can.*"

I raised an eyebrow, both incredulous and hesitant. "Are… you saying you'll help me?"

"*If I'm with you, then I'll be helping you. Simple as that.*"

I paused, taken aback by how straightforward he was being now. "I… wasn't sure if you'd get angry if I asked for help. You were pretty angry about the idea of me being in control of you." In retrospect, it made sense. He was raised by Team Rocket. Had he ever had a choice in anything at all?

The Pikachu scoffed. "*It's only fair. And besides, humans have their uses. Even if I don't need one to battle well.*"

He didn't need a human to battle well? What was that supposed to mean? It was just sort of a basic fact that humans were better at strategic thinking. But I guess he wasn't exactly a normal Pokémon.

I took a deep breath. "Alright, so we're going to stop them."

Chibi paused slightly, but then nodded.

We were going to stop them. I repeated it again in my head, but it still felt fake and it was hard to ignore the fact that I just plain really didn't want to do this. I had agreed to join the rebel team knowing that my life would be in danger, but now that it actually was, I couldn't handle it.

Chibi's words still echoed in my head, though. No matter what, I had to do something. If I was killed while trying to stop this (I went numb just thinking about the fact that it was a very real possibility), then it didn't matter, because if I didn't do anything, we'd all be doomed. Yes—I kept telling myself that I had no choice. No matter what, I had to do something.

"So the mission begins at 3am," I said, swallowing hard just to get the words out. "That's when we'll make our move."

Chibi turned to face me, his expression softening. *Then I suggest you get some sleep.*"