Chapter 235: Abandoned Ship [Bonus]
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Sunset, Route 108]
The journey across the open sea was a symphony of sun and spray. Lorry, an incredibly reliable and steady vessel, cut through the waves with effortless grace.
Sapphire, utterly in her element, often sat at the very edge of Lorry's back, her hands trailing in the cool water, her laughter carried by the sea breeze. Azure, ever the observer, often watched the horizon, his mind mapping potential currents, assessing the shifting weather, and silently evaluating the growth of his Pokémon.
He'd occasionally bring out one of his team for a brief stretch and a breath of fresh air, letting Grovyle absorb the sunlight or Vulpix enjoy the sea air from a safe distance. He allowed Psyduck and Corphish to swim next to Sapphire's new Pokémon, Relly the Relicanth.
Ruby, on the other hand, spent most of his time meticulously grooming his Pokémon, preparing for imaginary Contest routines, or jotting down notes in a small, leather-bound book. He'd occasionally lament the lack of 'inspiration' from the plain blue of the ocean, as he tries to see his luck to find a Feebas or Milotic, much to Sapphire's exasperation.
She'd scoff, splashing water playfully in his direction as she said bluntly, "Can't you appreciate the outside, Ruby? You ain't gonna catch that fish."
He'd retort, wiping a stray droplet from his person as he stated, "Contests demand flair, drama, pizzazz! This is just... blue."
Azure would merely smile, letting their playful banter wash over him like the gentle waves. He understood both perspectives.
The raw power of the wild and the refined artistry of the stage – both were valid expressions of a Trainer's bond with their Pokémon. Time blurred into a comfortable rhythm of travel as they navigated the sea.
They navigated past small, uninhabited islets, their progress marked by the subtle shifts in the sea's temperature and color. Route 107 slowly gave way to Route 108, the water growing deeper, the currents stronger, hinting at a more profound, perhaps even ancient, presence beneath the waves.
/////
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Route 108 – Mauvile Sea]
It was late afternoon when a peculiar silhouette appeared on the horizon. Not an island, not a rock formation, but something angular and imposing. On Route 108, a moss-covered, half-sunken ship that has been abandoned for centuries lies in a sea cemetery.
This ship is known as the Abandoned Ship or, in the past, the S.S. Cactus. Its rusted hull, a testament to years of neglect, loomed like a spectral leviathan, half-submerged in the turquoise depths.
As Lorry drew closer, the decaying form of a massive ship materialized from the sea haze as they entered from Route 108 into the Mauvile Sea. Sapphire and Ruby's eyes widened as they yelled, "What's that?! An abandoned ship?!"
Upon seeing the Abandoned Ship, Azure murmured recognition dawning at him, getting their attention, "The S.S. Cactus… I've heard stories about this. A relic. Said to be full of fascinating history as it was modeled after the S.S. Anne."
Sapphire's eyes widened. She heard of it before as she exclaimed, "Really? I've heard of it… It's an old passenger ship that got stranded here ages ago."
Grinning lightly, Sapphire asked her Wailord in an excited manner, who gave a soft, echoing trill in response, "Wow! It's even bigger up close! Do you think there are any good fishing spots around it, Lorry?"
Ruby, for once, seemed genuinely intrigued. He murmured out loud, curiously eyeing the S.S. Catus, "An abandoned ship? Now this has potential for dramatic backdrops! Think of the shadows, the textures..."
As dusk began to paint the sky in hues of orange and purple, Azure said calmly, rubbing his chin in a curious voice, "Hmm… night is falling… It's foggy and visibility is low… so why don't we rest here for the night?"
Hearing that a decision had to be made about their sleeping arrangements. Sapphire casually says dismissively, "If that's the case, I'm gonna sleep on Lorry… and you two, 'cause you're boys… well, you know…"
Azure nodded in understanding, as did Ruby. While Sapphire was perfectly content to unfurl her sleeping bag on Lorry's broad, stable back, she declared, "It's like sleeping on a cloud, but with a heartbeat!"
Ruby and Azure had a different idea as they sighed. Ruby, following Azure's lead, calmly stated, pointing at the S.S. Cactus, "Exploring the ship might be fruitful. It could offer better shelter for the night than an open deck, and perhaps we can find some interesting items or even rare Pokémon. Besides, it's safer for the Pokémon from my team to stretch their legs indoors."
Ruby nodded, his earlier enthusiasm for aesthetics now tinged with practical concern. He said calmly, "And it would be a shame to miss out on such a unique structure. Who knows what secrets it holds? Maybe even a Feebas or Milotic is around here!"
Azure chuckled lightly, hearing that. With a plan in place, they carefully disembarked onto a partially submerged platform that led to the ship's rusty hull.
The Lorry nudged them gently ashore, then resettled itself in the water nearby, a watchful, familiar presence. Sapphire waved them off with a cheerful voice before snuggling down, already half-asleep, "Good luck! Don't get lost!"
/////
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Mauvile Sea – S.S. Cactus]
Azure, with Ruby by his side, stepped onto the decrepit gangplank. The air immediately grew cooler, thicker, carrying the metallic scent of rust and damp decay.
The silence was profound, broken only by the creaks and groans of the ship itself, like a sleeping giant slowly dreaming itself apart. Flashlights in hand, they pushed open a heavy, warped steel door, its hinges screaming in protest, and entered the labyrinthine ruins of the S.S. Cactus.
*CLANG*
The interior was a testament to time's relentless march. Corridors stretched into inky blackness, lined with rusted lockers and overturned furniture. Water dripped from unseen leaks in the ceiling, pooling on the grimy floor.
Dust motes danced in the beams of their flashlights, creating ghostly trails in the gloom. The ship felt alive with unseen presences, a dormant ecosystem of metal, mold, and hidden Pokémon.
They moved cautiously, Azure's senses heightened, Ruby's artistic eye scanning for interesting details…
*SCUTLE*
A sudden scuttling sound from behind a stack of crates made Ruby jump. From the shadows, a pair of glowing red eyes emerged, belonging to a wild Zubat that flapped erratically before darting away.
Further in, they encountered a few more common denizens of abandoned places: a couple of Grimer slithering sluggishly across a grimy floor, their purple forms barely visible in the dim light, and a nervous group of Magnemite hovering near exposed wiring, their magnetic pulls occasionally rattling loose debris.
Ruby muttered, adjusting his glasses to see better in a surprised voice, "Quite the welcome committee. Though I admit, the Grimer offers a surprisingly rich texture palette… even if they stink bad."
Azure chuckled at that as his Pikachu and Eevee were alert for any danger, and he replied casually, "True. Although if I had a Muk as a Pokémon, I would prefer the Alolan variant. Damn thing would be only weak to Ground Types with a Poison and Dark Typing. Not a bad Pokémon to raise…"
Ruby looked at Azure, aghast at the thought, as he rebutted fiercely, "Nu-uh! Even if you get one weakness, it's still a Muk! The stink is something I can never hope to bear! Even your Pokémon agree!"
Azure turned to his shoulders, seeing Pikachu and Eevee both agree with Ruby's words, making him pout, "Tch. Traitors…"
Pikachu and Eevee stuck their tongues out childishly as Ruby grinned, seeing even Azure's Pokémon agree with him. They continued deeper, past what looked like a collapsed dining hall and into a series of smaller cabins, searching for a relatively dry and secure spot to rest.
As they delved deeper into the ship's bowels, passing through what must have once been the opulent dining hall, now a wreckage of broken tables and chairs. They wandered around till they found vegetation inside the halls of the ship.
Azure is leading ahead with his Grovyle, Kirlia, and Bagon out. Ruby, with his Nana, Kiki, Mumu, and Rara out looked around as he mumbled under his breath, "Hmph! I've lived in cities all my life. When I travel, I stay in hotels for the nights. And my first camping trip turns out to be inside a ghost ship…"
Azure chuckled lightly as he led away with a flashlight, always being alert as he said calmly, eyeing the plants, "Well, there are worse places to be camping. Besides, there are so many plants around here. Oh! Berries!"
That got Ruby's attention. He shifted his gaze to see some berries as he smiled, yelling in excitement, eyeing them, "Wow!! Razz Berries! Bluk Berries too! This place even has Wepear berries!"
Azure nodded, seeing multiple berries as he said bluntly, with his Pokémon being cautious of anything that would pop up, "These berries must have been growing here undisturbed for years."
Ruby smiles, seeing the berries as he suggested, his Mumu calmly says, "The spelon berries over there are very rare. Go ahead and try some, Mumu."
*Boing*
Mumu goes to pick some Berries, but something attacks him before he can get them. Ruby realizes that it must be a wild Pokémon as he yelled, "Is there something there? Was it a wild Pokémon? It's no use trying to run. The fin on Mumu's head is like a radar. It can read your movements in the air and reveal your location to my other Pokémon."
*SMASH*
Using Mumu's radar, Nana and Kiki attack the Pokémon, revealing the Wild Pokémon as Ruby yelled, "Okay, come on out of there! Let me get a good look at you!"
The wild Pokémon appeared to be a wild Plusle and Minun. Ruby paused as he thought, awed by their cuteness, 'Adorable… they're so… cute.'
But Mumu and Rara were giving him a deadpan look. It caught Ruby's attention as Azure from the sideline chuckled, "Uh oh… someone's in trouble…"
Ruby shook his head as he calmed himself down. Due to finding them cute, Ruby decides to let the two off with a warning, "Sigh… oh, all right. I'll forgive you two. It was just a little mischief, after all."
But then Ruby was curious as he asked, confused about what they're doing on the ship, "But if you're a Wild Pokémon… what are you doing on this ship?"
The Plusle and Minun point to an old diary that had withered with age. Azure picks up the book as he examines it carefully, "A diary, huh? It's dated 2 years ago… maybe it belonged to somebody who came out here?"
While Azure was examining the diary carefully, Ruby pities the two as he tries to comfort them softly, saying, "Did you lose your master? Or maybe you were abandoned… I see… You two were just lonely, weren't you?"
Realizing that they were either separated from their Trainer or abandoned, Ruby pities the two and tries to comfort them. Plusle and Minun give Nana, Mumu, and Kiki some Aguav, Mago, and Wiki Berries, respectively.
Ruby sees this as a harmless gift, openly laughing happily at the scene, "You want to give us these berries as a token of friendship…? Haha – "
*Shii*
But before his team could eat the Berries, Rara used confusion, halting them. This caught Ruby's attention as Rara lifted one of the berries to him as his eyes widened, "What, Rara, why stop the gift – huh? Wait a second… these are Aguav Berries! You just tried to confuse my team!"
Being caught red-handed, they snickered as they began to run away. Angered, Ruby takes chase of the trickster duo with his Pokémon following suit. Azure, along with his Pokémon, blinks at this as he mutters, "Well… that happened. But with Ruby distracting those two, the real treasure…"
Azure tilts his head to a hidden room filled with vines, grabbing his attention. He grinned lightly as he brought out Kirlia to Teleport inside without disturbing the wildlife…
/////
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Route 108 – Mauvile Sea]
Meanwhile, outside the S.S. Cactus Sapphire, she lay down in her sleeping bag, contentedly grumbling bitterly, "Tch. Why does Master have to help my rival? He doesn't have to be responsible for him…"
*Splash*
*Psst*
Outside, Sapphire hears sounds and believes that Azure has come back due to being fed up with Ruby. But she quickly realizes that she was wrong and hears voices outside alerting her immediately.
"I can't wait to see this stupid sea dry up…"
"Heee! Heeee! Hee! Just the thought tickles me!"
*Woop*
Sapphire quickly goes on guard, knowing that more people have come to the ship, 'Someone's here…!!"
*Tmp*
Quickly putting away her sleeping bag in her spatial bag, she whispered to Lorry, "Quick Lorry, hide!!"
*Blubbl*
Lorry dives underwater as Sapphire notices two figures landing on the ship from the sky. She hid behind the overgrown trees, listening and peering at the two who fell in.
*RSTL*
*KRNCH*
Having sensed the presence of someone else, Sapphire hid. Two people clad in red cloaks, a man named Tabitha, spoke out excitedly with a Swellow on his shoulders, "Heee! Hee! The Abandoned Ship! This is where it's kept, right?"
The other person in a red cloak was a woman named Courtney, popping out her bubblegum with her own Swellow on her shoulders. Sapphire thinks cautiously, 'Who are they? I can't see their faces clearly through all this fog and stuff…'
Soon, Tabitha spoke up in an excited tone as he spoke to Courtney, "Come on! Time for treasure hunting, Courtney!!"
However, Courtney leaned on the railing as she, boredly eyeing Sapphire's hiding place. Tabitha, not noticing this, yelled, outraged, "Don't you have anything to say…?!"
Courtney sighs as she leans her back against the railing. She says boredly, "You search for it, Tabitha. I'm staying put."
However, Tabitha refused when Courtney told Tabitha to go alone, but they got into an argument and settled it with a coin toss. Courtney wins, as she says boredly, "I win. Hurry up and get over there, you dope!"
So, Tabitha is forced to go on deck alone anyway as he grumbles out loud, "You'll be sorry you made me go all by myself!!"
As Sapphire hides, Courtney reveals that she knew Sapphire was there the entire time and attacks in a serious tone, "Phew… well? Come out. I know you're hiding in there!!"
*SMASH*
Smashing through the tree, breaking through, revealing a startled Sapphire. Both began to struggle as Sapphire, in their struggle, Courtney manages to grab Sapphire's face briefly before…
*KICK*
Sapphire kicked Courtney in the face as she summoned her Ninetales, "Ninetales – Ack! Why you…!!"
*Pop*
Sapphire calls out Rono and Chic against her Ninetales as she yelled, "Rono! Chic! Come on! Lemme see your faceeee – URGH!!!"
Suddenly, Sapphire clutches her face, crying out in pain, which Courtney explains casually to Sapphire as she orders her Ninetales, "Hahaha! Your eyes are burning, aren't they? These gloves spurt out juice from a Tamato Berry. Ninetales! Flamethrower!"
*Ssssss*
Ninetales unleashed a stream of fire at Chic and Rono. Both lost instantly to the fire, sizzling as Courteny gloats confidently, "I knew you were hiding there the moment I got here! That idiot Tabitha didn't seem to notice. You know, I'm glad I stayed behind! There's gonna be trouble if people find out about us."
Courtney scoffs that her companion, Tabitha, was too dull to detect intruders and says she can't afford to let anyone know about them. But Sapphire uses this time to escape, as she recalled her Rono and Chic, "Kirly! Teleport!"
*Shiii*
Courtney's eyes widened as Kirlia appeared, teleporting the group away. Courtney frowns as Ninetales goes to her side, mumbling as her eyes harden, "She's really hidden herself well this time… but no witnesses."
/////
A/N: Reach the goal of 200 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!