Pokemon: Resurgence Chapter 26

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. Zapdos reveals why he has appeared before the ship, and Lucas devises a crazy plan to keep the ship from sinking.

Chapter 26

Lucy held a cloth to her bleeding head as she watched her men work on the safe. Their working conditions weren’t ideal, as the ship had capsized on its side, creating a confusing situation in which the floor was no longer under their feet.

A Magmar was positioned next to the safe, breathing a superheated stream of fire into the side to make an opening. Despite their precarious situation, she was unable to leave without the container in the safe, as it was too valuable.

Lucy was in a bad mood after all of her plans had failed due to an incompetent fool and the unpredictability of nature.

She had used one of the ship's engineers, who was a member of Team Rocket, to temporarily cripple the ship, giving her and her subordinates enough time to rob the passengers and flee on a boat with the spoils. However, the engineer made a mistake and, rather than partially crippling the engine and preserving some functionality, he managed to cripple the entire ship.

It wouldn’t have been an issue if not for the storm. How did a perfectly fine day with a favourable forecast turn into one of the worst storms she had ever seen? It was unsurprising that the ship capsized in such conditions.

One of her subordinates approached her. "We should be able to pry open the safe in about five minutes."

Lucy let out a frustrated growl. “What’s taking so long?”

"The safe's locking mechanism was damaged when the ship capsized. Magmar is taking his time going through it because it is so heavily reinforced. It was designed with Pokemon in mind."

Lucy threw the cloth on the ground, no longer concerned about her head wound. A ball of anxiety had lodged in her stomach. It was fine if she didn’t profit from the operation, but if she didn’t deliver the container to Vermillion City, her life would be on the chopping block. Even though most of her subordinates would have abandoned the ship once the operation was completed, her primary mission was to stay on board and ensure the item arrived in Vermillion City.

Because Team Rocket owned a stake in the cruise ship, they had previously used it to smuggle items, but none were more important than what was in the safe at this time. To be honest, she had no idea what it was, but the message her boss had given her indicated how important it was to him.

A few minutes later, the safe was breached, and her men extracted the heavy metal container inside. Fortunately, it wasn’t easily damaged; otherwise, their efforts would have been futile.

“Is our boat in position?” Lucas questioned one of the men.

The man nodded. "It received a beating, but it survived and is still seaworthy. It’s about two hundred feet away from the ship, waiting for your orders."

"Blow a hole in the hull," Lucy instructed. "It is the quickest way off the ship."

The man nodded and walked away to deliver the orders. Lucy fiddled with her pokeball nervously. She didn't want to fly out in the storm, but she didn’t have much of an option. She consoled herself with the fact that she wouldn’t have to fly very far.

A few minutes later, a small explosion erupted on the ship's side, resulting in a large tear in the metal. A Fearow flew out, carrying Lucy and the container on its back. Fearow frantically beat his wings, attempting to gain altitude and combat the strong winds.

"Mistress, I feel an overwhelming power coming from the skies above us," Fearow reported to his trainer.

Lucy frowned and looked up to the sky. She shielded her eyes from the rain with her arm as she searched for the source of Fearow's concern. Her eyes widened when she noticed the yellow bird, shrouded in electricity, looking down at her. A wave of shivers ran through her body as she was confronted with the most horrifying sight. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, desperately trying to give a command to her Fearow.

Fearow didn’t need to be commanded to act. When he saw the terrifying Zapdos above him, he realised they were in danger. He cawed and flapped his wings as he flew away from the ship.

Zapdos shrieked. A flash briefly illuminated the night sky, followed by a loud rumbling noise. As Fearow and Lucy attempted to flee, a bolt of lightning struck them. Lucy didn’t even have time to scream because the hundreds of millions of volts of electricity coursing through her body fried her in seconds. Fearow didn’t fare much better, dying a few seconds after his trainer.

Their lifeless bodies began to plunge into the sea. Zapdos appeared beside them a moment later, its talons latching onto the container strapped to the Fearow's back. It tore the container free of its constraints and began ascending back into the sky. A moment later, the Legendary Pokemon vanished, having accomplished its goal.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Lorelei had witnessed the entire scene from atop her Cloyster, and could readily admit she was terrified. Even with her entire team, she wouldn't be able to defeat the Legendary Pokemon. Fortunately, it departed after retrieving the container. She had no idea what was inside, but if it was sufficient to summon Zapdos, it must be something significant. Team Rocket was insane to think they could mess with legendaries.

"That is not something you see every day," Lorelei said to Cloyster. "I am curious why there are so few sightings of the legendaries."

"That is because there are not many people who see them and live to tell anyone."

Lorelei nodded in agreement. While the legendaries didn’t actively target humans unless they screwed up majorly, their sheer power meant that they could kill without even meaning to. Zapdos was one of the legendaries who was a little more unpredictable. It took little to set it off, and the consequences could be disastrous.

Lorelei surveyed the scene around her. She knew the passengers had fled to the ballroom, but that wouldn’t have kept them safe when the ship capsized. There were probably many injured people who needed medical attention, but she couldn’t worry about them right now because she had a more pressing issue. Due to the rough waves, the ship was sinking faster than expected. Typically, the ship should be able to remain afloat for at least a few hours.

She was in the engine room talking to the engineers when the wave capsized the ship. Cloyster reacted quickly, freezing her boots to the floor, allowing her to escape relatively unscathed. After checking on the engineers, she made her way to the ship's deck. It was fortunate that she had Cloyster. He couldn’t fly very high or fast, but he could float in the air easily enough.

Her gaze was drawn to the nearby boat. Even though it was pitch black outside, there was a light on board that broadcasted its location. This had to be a Team Rocket vessel that the woman would have used to escape. They must have used some kind of trick to keep it afloat.

"We need to get on that boat," Lorelei said. "Go down."

Cloyster obeyed her command, and when they got close to the choppy waves, she summoned her Lapras. The Pokemon carried her over to the boat, which didn’t appear to be going anywhere for the moment. They probably had no idea what to do after seeing one of their comrades get fried by Zapdos.

Because it was so dark, they were most likely unaware that she was approaching them. If she could get on board, they might have a radio she could use to call for assistance.

She looked up as the rain and wind suddenly ceased, and an unnatural calm followed in its wake.

"Zapdos was probably the cause of all this crazy weather," Lorelei realised.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A few minutes earlier.

A loud rumble echoed in the passengers' ears, causing some to cry out in fear.

“What the hell was that?” Lucas gazed up as if he could see through the walls to the outside.

It sounded like thunder had broken loose inside the ballroom, it was so loud. Lucas waited a moment, but when the sound did not return, he turned his attention back to the Pokemon, who was carefully demolishing the wall. They needed to gain access to the upper deck, which contained the medical bay. A Scyther and a Machoke were working together to create the opening. Max was also helping them by removing the debris.

The people who were able to move had regained their bearings and were now working to establish a triage area in preparation for the arrival of medicine to treat patients. They were sorting patients based on the severity of their injuries. Some were moving the deceased to the far corner to avoid upsetting the other passengers.

Lucas examined the egg resting in the harness. Although the egg appeared to be unharmed when the ship capsized, he couldn’t stop worrying and had been checking on it frequently. He didn’t want to lose the Vulpix now, after all the time and effort he had put into it.

The floor beneath him lurched, and he stumbled, almost falling to the floor. It took Lucas a moment to realise the entire ship was shifting, which wasn’t a good sign. Everyone else seemed to realise the same thing, as they fell silent, waiting for the ship to stop moving. After what seemed like an eternity, the movements stopped. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Lucas frowned. They shouldn’t be celebrating yet.

"We are so screwed," Meowth whispered into his ear from atop his shoulder.

“Maybe,” Lucas replied. He approached Brock, who was helping to organise the patients and tapped him on the shoulder. “I’m going to check out the situation outside.”

Brock raised an eyebrow. “How are you going to get the doors opened?”

“With my Pokemon, of course.”

“Alright. We need to know if the ship is sinking.”

Brock understood what the ship's movements could imply.

Lucas approached the main entrance at the end of the ballroom. The doors were now suspended about twenty feet above him. It would take some effort to climb up there, but he had something better. He retrieved Icarus' pokeball and summoned him.

“Pidgeotto?” Icarus tilted his head as he assessed the situation around him. He looked at Lucas, wanting an explanation.

“I don’t have time to explain,” Lucas said. I need you to fly up and open the door. Fly outside if the conditions are safe enough. Meowth, you are going to ride Icarus and report back to me about what you see. In particular, the ship's condition."

‘You’re talking crazy,” Meowth protested. "There is no way Icarus can deal with that crazy weather."

As if in response to Meowth's protest, the wind and rain outside stopped.

Meowth scowled. “Me and my big mouth.”

Meowth climbed onto Icarus, clutching his feathers tightly. With a beat of his wings, Icarus flew up and arrived at the doors in a flash. Icarus used his beak to pull on one of the handles and the door sprang open. Lucas watched as Icarus vanished through the door, hoping nothing would happen to them.

A thud from behind him caused him to spin around. Captain Harrison was standing over the unconscious body of one of the guards.

"I caught him sneaking up on you," Captain Harrison said, wobbly on his feet. His arm had a piece of wood sticking out of it, and a makeshift bandage had been fashioned to stop the bleeding.

“Thanks for the help,” Lucas said, looking down at the guard. "He probably wanted to leave now that the conditions have improved outside."

A few people standing nearby seemed to have the same idea. They were looking at the door while fiddling with their pokeballs. It would be wrong of them to abandon the remaining passengers when there were so many injured, but he didn’t blame them for thinking that way. All they wanted to do was survive. In any case, their presence was unlikely to have much of an impact on the overall situation.

"Are there any other guards wandering around here?" Lucas inquired, scanning his surroundings.

Harrison shook his head. "The rest of them are either severely injured or deceased."

Lucas nodded, then reached down and removed the guard's pokeballs from his belt. “I will have someone watch him. Meanwhile, you need to rest. Let me help you find a place to sit."

"I need to take command of these people," Harrison insisted. "Based on the way the ship is settling, we don’t have much time before it sinks."

"Let us worry about it," Lucas said. "We can devise a strategy once I assess the situation outside."

Ten minutes later, they broke through the wall and into the upper deck. Lucas was considering being part of the search party, as it would allow him to explore more of the ship. They were looking for more than just medicine; they also needed water, food, and blankets to stay warm.

At that moment, Icarus flew back through the doors, but someone was following him. Lorelei was riding her Cloyster.

Lucas moved over to greet her as she descended to the ground. Meowth jumped and landed on his shoulder.

"The ship is doomed," Meowth whispered. "We should get out of here and leave these yahoos behind."

Lucas frowned but didn’t respond to his comment.

Lorelei climbed off her Pokemon and looked around to assess the state of the ballroom.

"What is the current situation?" Lorelei demanded.

"Hello, nice to see you are all right," Lucas said dryly but rushed to speak when he received a sharp glare. "So far, twenty-one people have died, and an equal number are in critical condition. The rest suffered minor or moderate injuries, and some people escaped unscathed. We have just broken through to the upper deck, which houses the medic bay. We will need medicine if we are to save some of these people."

Lorelei nodded. “I’m afraid we may not have enough time to save these people. The ship is sinking rapidly, and the ballroom will be submerged soon."

"Dammit," Lucas sighed. “We can’t just abandon these people.”

“We aren’t going to abandon them,” Lorelei stated, although she didn’t appear too confident. "Rescuers are on their way, but it will take some time for them to arrive. Fortunately, the storm had passed, so they should arrive relatively quickly.

“How do you know that?”

"Team Rocket had a boat following the ship," Lorelei explained. "It was most likely going to be used for their escape after they had stolen from the passengers. I managed to send a message to the mainland. They were already preparing for a rescue, which I find strange, but I’m not going to complain.”

“But it’s not going to be fast enough,” Lucas said. “Is there enough room on the boat for all the passengers?”

Lorelei gave him a derisive look. “Not even close.”

Lucas thought furiously, trying to devise a plan to save the sinking ship. After more than a minute of racking his brain, he nearly gave up, overcome by the seemingly insurmountable circumstances. But then his gaze fell on the Cloyster, which triggered a wild idea in his mind.

"How many Pokemon do you have with you?" Lucas asked.

Lorelei blinked at the random question. “My full team. I don’t go anywhere without them. Why are you asking?”

"You are an ice-type specialist, correct? What are the chances of getting your Pokemon to freeze the water around the ship and form a seal that keeps it from sinking?

Lorelei did not immediately dismiss the idea. She looked down at the pokeballs on her belt as if calculating her chances of successfully carrying out his plan. Lucas knew the idea was feasible simply because her Pokemon were so powerful. If they were on par with her Cloyster, they would be able to produce tonnes of ice. The only potential issue was how long it would take.

"It’s a risky plan," Captain Harrison stated, appearing beside Lucas. "There is a good chance that the weight of the ice will cause the ship to sink further if it cannot support the ship's weight above the water."

Lucas was well aware that the captain had far more experience than him, and that his plan was devised on the fly, with numerous potential flaws. "So, what do you suggest we do?"

“You need enough surface area to counterbalance the weight of the ship,” Harrison answered. “I would suggest that you work from the outside first. That way, when the ice reaches the ship, you will already have the support you need.”

"That might be too much work for even my Pokemon given the time frame," Lorelei said.

Lucas snapped his fingers. "How about asking for some assistance? There might be some people here with Pokemon that can use ice-type moves."

"You are just full of ideas. I like you!’ Lorelei exclaimed. She raised her voice to address the entire ballroom. “Listen up. I am Lorelei of the Elite Four. We don’t have much time before this ship sinks.”

That statement sparked an uproar. Those who couldn’t move due to their injuries cried out in despair, while those who could walk appeared to want to bolt for the exit. Lucas shook his head. Couldn't Lorelei have communicated it better?

“We have a plan,” Lorelei said. "I need everyone with Pokemon that can perform ice-type moves to volunteer their services. I intend to freeze the water around the ship to form a seal and prevent it from sinking. It should buy us enough time to be rescued.

A crowd of people approached and offered up their Pokemon. If Lucas had to guess, they were persuaded because of her authority; if someone else had proposed the plan, they might have called the person insane. They had to summon their Pokemon and explain the plan before returning them to their pokeballs and handing them over to Lorelei. She had a huge job on her hands to coordinate all of the Pokemon’s efforts, but she appeared unfazed.

Lorelei climbed back up onto her Cloyster. "I will take care of the ship. Make sure you get that medicine and care for the passengers."

The woman vanished through the doors, and Lucas hoped she would be successful. If she failed, he would have to figure out how to survive on his own. These people were strangers to him, so he would not try to be a saint and save everyone at the expense of his own life. Brock was the only person he would consider saving, given how quickly they had formed an unlikely friendship.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The rescue team was already flying towards the cruise ship. There were flying Pokemon in the front with moves that produced a lot of light, allowing them to navigate despite the darkness of night. A ship followed them, but at a distance, having only left the harbour when the storm passed. If they could rescue the passengers, they would transfer them to the ship on their way back.

Sabrina huddled in the saddle as the Pidgeot beat its powerful wings, flying at breakneck speed. Although she was cold, it wasn’t as bad as when she was drenched in torrential rain.

When the storm subsided an hour ago, she almost broke out into a cheer. The conditions were terrible, and she had several times questioned whether she had made a mistake in flying out to rescue Lucas, but she persisted.

Behind her, there were dozens more flying Pokemon, each carrying their trainer on their back. She had rallied the troops before leaving the mainland, realising she could not save the passengers on her own. It had taken some time, which made her impatient, but she had a duty to all citizens, not just Lucas.

Before they had moved out, they received an emergency transmission from Lorelei of the Elite Four. She had reported that Zapdos had appeared, which alarmed the rescue team. There was no way they were going to fly into an area where that Pokemon had appeared. Fortunately, the Pokemon had disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

It was fortunate for her that the strongest of the Elite Four, Lance, was in the city at the time and had been asked by the government to join the rescue mission. When it came to Legendary Pokemon, they needed the most powerful trainers available. Team Rocket's actions had caused quite a stir this time, and she had not expected the government to react so passively. When you mess with a legendary, disaster is likely to ensue, affecting the entire region.

Lance was flying behind her on his massive Dragonite. With this one Pokemon alone, he would be able to carry over a dozen passengers on his back. They may need to, considering the state of the ship. She just hoped that Lucas was okay.

Lance flew forward, signalling that he was transferring to the Pidgeot. She yelled at him to stop, infuriated by his recklessness. He jumped gracefully into the saddle behind her, his cape flapping in the breeze.

He kept his distance because he knew she didn’t like being touched. He was like an unwanted big brother, meddling in her affairs. She tried to get rid of him, but he was extremely persistent.

“What is it?” Sabrina asked.

“Who is this mysterious boyfriend you are going to rescue?” Lance smirked.

“None of your business.”

"Sabrina," Lance whined. "I am worried about you. No one gets close to you because, to put it kindly, you are completely frigid. But then you leave for a few weeks and happen to meet someone who has broken through your defences. Who is the bastard that messes with my little sister?”

She didn’t even bother to respond.

"Pidgeot, would you mind shaking off the insect that is clinging to your saddle?" Sabrina inquired and received an affirmative chirp from the massive Pokemon.

Lance cursed and had to leap back over to his Dragonite as Pidgeot began performing some daring manoeuvres. Despite being a dragon-type specialist, he struggled with heights. He usually relied solely on his own Pokémon for transportation. It was his fault for being nosy, which led him to come over to speak to her.

"I am going to meet Lucas and see if he is good enough for you," Lance yelled. "If he isn't, I will throw him overboard."

Sabrina was seriously considering setting Salem on him, as he was getting on her nerves.

After another hour of flight, they finally spotted the ship. Sabrina's breath caught in her throat as she witnessed the breathtaking scene before her: an ice shelf encircling the capsized vessel, preventing it from submerging beneath the waves.

However, the ship was not completely safe. The spectacle had drawn a large number of sea Pokemon, and she could see dozens of them moving across the ice towards the ship. A large chunk of ice appeared to have been smashed off the ice shelf, and she noticed a massive shape moving just beneath the waves.

"Go check on the passengers," Lance instructed her. "The rest of us will take care of the wild Pokemon."

Sabrina raised her hand, indicating that she received the message. She ordered Pidgeot to descend towards the ship. According to Intel, the passengers were in the ballroom, which was now situated just above the ice shelf after the ship had submerged some more.

When she reached the open door, she asked Pidgeot to hover while she peered inside. She was met with a chaotic scene, but some semblance of order had been restored, and she could see several people receiving treatment. She expected some casualties given the destruction, but she desperately wished Lucas wasn’t one of them.

Pidgeot was too big to fit through the doorway, so she summoned Alakazam and had him levitate her down into the ballroom. She was swept into someone's arms before her feet had even touched the ground. She didn’t have to look up to recognise who it was as she buried her head in his neck and inhaled his scent.

"Hey, we are meeting a lot sooner than expected," Lucas said, smiling into her hair.

Sabrina raised her head, frowning. “Don’t even joke about it. Do you realise how worried I was about you?"

"I have an idea based on how you are squeezing me," Lucas joked.

She tried to escape his embrace, but he tightened his grip on her. He raised her face and brushed a kiss on her lips. The contact was brief, but it left a trace of warmth on her lips. Her eyes widened as she raised her hands to his chest, pushing against him. This time, he released her, and she took a few steps back. She touched her lips, wondering how the sneaky bastard had easily stolen her first kiss.

“How did you know I was in trouble?” Lucas asked. “Lorelei said that the rescue team was already ready when she contacted emergency services.”

Sabrina took a moment to reply. "I woke up with a bad premonition. It was so overwhelming that I couldn’t ignore it."

She expected him to question her further, but Lucas only nodded.

"Well, I am glad that you arrived so quickly. This has been a crazy night. I didn’t get to see Zapdos, though," Lucas complained, pouting. “That would have been a sight to see.”

Sabrina placed her hand on his forehead. "You don’t appear to have a fever. Maybe you are just insane."

Lucas wore a satisfied expression. "I like how you are being more forward with me."

Before she could respond, Lorelei approached them. "Well, Sabrina, you are not who I expected to see here. But I guess it explains why the rescue team was so quick to respond."

Sabrina nodded. “I was glad to help. It was an amazing idea to use the ice like you did.”

Lorelei gestured to Lucas. “It was your boyfriend’s idea.”

Sabrina looked at Lucas in surprise, although it wasn’t unexpected. He had demonstrated his intelligence to her on several occasions.

"Where is the rest of the cavalry?" Lorelei asked.

“Outside,” Sabrina replied. “They are taking care of the wild Pokemon that are converging on the ship.”

"I should have known that would happen," Lorelei sighed. “How are we going to move the patients?”

Sabrina considered her question. “We can’t fly some of these patients out considering their condition. The ship appears to be stable so we will stay here until the ship following behind us arrives.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The ship arrived without incident the following evening. It had pushed its engine to its limit to arrive so quickly. All of the passengers were transferred to the ship, which had better facilities for their care. The majority of the rescue team stayed behind with Lance to investigate the scene, but Sabrina was sent away because she wasn’t needed. They needed to find clues as to what Team Rocket had been transporting and why it attracted Zapdos’ attention. The cruise line was going to receive a lot of scrutiny in the coming days, as it was obvious that they were involved to some degree.

Lucas was given his room, and he immediately took a hot shower to alleviate the chill in his bones. As he stood under the spray, he reflected on the events that had taken place and wondered why he kept getting caught up in them. Still, he had gotten some amazing rewards out of it, even if he didn’t participate in the events that were supposed to take place on the second day.

He had joined the group that went looking for supplies and managed to find a few more hidden items. Although he didn’t believe he had obtained all of the items on the ship, it was a good effort given the circumstances. If he calculated his gains, they more than compensated for the fifty thousand Pokedollars he spent to level up his ItemFinder skill, which didn’t include the stat-boosting pills.

After taking a shower, Lucas collapsed onto the bed and was out like a light. The next morning, he entered the dining hall to get some breakfast and found Sabrina sitting down at one of the tables.

Lucas sat down next to her, and Meowth took the menu and began browsing through it.

Sabrina watched Meowth with interest. "The more I see of him, the more intelligent he seems."

Meowth gave her a thumbs up, indicating his approval of her comment.

“Have you given him a name yet?” Sabrina asked.

“He doesn’t want one,” Lucas replied. “I must have tried a hundred names, and he rejected them all.”

“A lot of trainers don’t give their Pokemon names.”

“Can I ask you something?” Lucas reached out to grab one of her hands.

Sabrina didn’t pull away. “What is it?”

“What is your relationship with Lance?”

“Did he do something to you?”

“He interrogated me for twenty minutes,” Lucas said. "It felt like it would have been longer if he wasn’t so busy."

“Ignore him. He has given himself the role of my older protective brother, and he takes it seriously."

Lucas shuddered, "He is pretty difficult to ignore when a big-ass Dragonite is standing behind him. Do you realise how intimidating that is?

"I can imagine," Sabrina replied, her lips curving.

"You are enjoying it too much," Lucas complained.

“Lucas!” Brock shouted and came running over to their table. "When were you going to tell me that you have such a beautiful girlfriend?"

“Never.”

Brock sat down and introduced himself with a bright smile. “Hello, Sabrina. If you ever get tired of this fellow, give me a call.”

"Ignore him," Lucas said, seeing Sabrina become overwhelmed by Brock's enthusiasm.

They ordered breakfast and began discussing their plans when they reached Vermillion City. Lucas would immediately travel to Saffron City to join the Alchemist's Guild. He needed to locate an auction house to sell his potions as well. He figured he could make a lot of Pokedollars if he sold a few Growth Potions.

“I don’t have any plans after leaving the ship,” Brock confessed. “Do you mind if I stick around for a while?”

"Sure," Lucas said, shrugging. “I don’t see why not.”

So, what do you think? It’s a slow end to the chapter, but things will pick up in the next chapter when Lucas visits Vermillion City.

Thanks for reading.