Prince of the Island (PG-13, Original/AU)

[electAbuzzzz]

Rating:PG-13, for pretty much everything a story can be PG-13 for, eventually.
Category: Basically, this is entirely ORIGINAL. The characters are original, and my view of the Pokémon world is... different. Some characters from many other canons will make cameo appearances from time to time, which is why I also marked this as AU.
Genre: Adventure. Not a journey fic. Not by a mile.
Disclaimer:Anyone who thinks I own Pokémon please raise your hands. Didn't think so. I do, however, own this story and its characters. If some of you find it familiar - I posted a very early draft 6 years ago on SNF. It sucked. I'm rewriting the whole thing. This is better.

-------------------------------------
Prince of the Island
by electAbuzzzz
-------------------------------------


Chapter 1: 'Vaporeon'​

The wind was a little chilling, but he had on a puffed coat, a pair of fingerless gloves and a tuque, and the hard work was keeping him warm, so he didn’t mind much. Besides, in just a few days he’ll be under the hot tropical sun, relaxing with a cold margarita by the pool… the same pool that was now covered behind him.

He was used to these early morning hours, anyway, and the view of the Pelipper flock flying above the Golden Gate Bridge in the post-sunrise sky was very inspiring. The only thing to ruin the scene was the revolting stench of the filthy Walrein on the rocks in the bay and the dead Remoraid carried in large nets on the pier.

He glanced over his right shoulder. Jade was crouching by the railing and helping to check the ropes with her Marill, Julep. He smiled when he noticed she was wearing the same ridiculous coat and tuque as he was. Sometimes their fathers can really get silly over these kinds of things. And still, even in this coat, she looked finer than most girls he knew. Not that it mattered to him – Jade was his best friend since before he learned to crawl, his sandbox buddy, if they ever had a sandbox growing up.

At the age of fifteen, Jade was a short but beautiful girl, with shoulder-length curly coal-black hair and sparkling deep green eyes that justified her name – the kind you can just get lost in, if they ever stopped moving. Having finished with the ropes, she looked up from her Marill to see Jonathan looking at her from across the deck. “Hey, Jonny-boy, need a hand?”

“Actually, I could. Grab that end, help me lift it up.”

It was still early September, but one could mistakenly think it to be late November by the temperatures. The crew didn’t complain, though, as they knew just like young Jonathan that in just a few hours ‘Vaporeon’ will set sail on another cruise towards warmer climates in faraway regions.

‘Vaporeon’ wasn’t a very fancy ocean liner, or a very large one for that matter, nor was it owned by a large cruising company. It was even small enough to be able to enter most wide rivers, when needed. But it did have a swimming pool, a large dining hall, several luxury suites, a couple of long-range videophones, a full staff of waiters, a Pokémon trading machine, and of course – the warmest, heartiest crew you could find on the ocean.

“So, Jonny-boy, which one of our exotic destinations are you more looking forward to?”

He smiled and looked up at her. “Sydney. It’s been forever since we docked in Australia.”

“You just want to call that girl you met last winter!” Jade laughed. “Personally, I miss the islands. I can’t wait to get to Mandarin!”

“Girl, what are you talking about? We’ve been to Pummelo two months ago!”

“So? If there’s one place on earth I can’t get enough of… it’s the Ascorbia beaches and the Valencia sunsets…” Jade answered with a dreamy gaze. “You know I got Orange blood in me…”

“Well, you better take your time to enjoy it;” a third voice joined their conversation. “We won’t be there for long.”

“Morning, dad…” Jade looked up, smiling. Her father, Joseph Star, was the navigator of the ship since before she was born. He was a pleasant man of warm Mediterranean heritage, tall, dark and handsome. An experienced sailor since childhood, and bald almost as long, Joseph navigated the ship in the oceans like in his own backyard. The backyard he never owned, that is.

He took a deep breath of the salty air and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. “You two ready to go? We leave at noon.”

“Sure.” Jonathan answered, still focused on his work. “Say, is my dad around?”

“I think Jack went to get a few things in the store. Saw him leaving about an hour ago. He should be back soon.” Joseph leaned on the railing and lit his cigarette. “By the way, you two heard we added another stop?”

The two teenagers stopped working and looked up, waiting for Joseph to continue.

“Auckland. We’ll head over there after Sydney. Probably stay there for a week or so.”

“Cool, give us a chance to tour a little.” Jonathan said. Living on ‘Vaporeon’ with their dads didn’t give them much chance to stay in one place for more than a few days. On the other hand, it sure gave them a chance to travel the world. There almost wasn’t a harbor city on the planet they didn’t know by heart – New York, Vermilion, Lisbon, Olivine, Singapore, Slateport, Rio de Janeiro, Canalave – it didn’t matter. They’ve been in them all, and more than once or twice.

Jonathan loved that part of his life – seeing the big world, meeting new friends from every corner of the globe on every cruise… Partying in Kingston one night and then lying on the beach in Miami two days later… Have a drink in Honolulu on Friday, and then visit the markets in Shanghai the next Thursday… Tokyo in June and Cape Town in December… Cinnabar to Tel-Aviv, Oslo to Sootopolis – the world was theirs. Every city they docked, Jonathan and Jade went out to explore with the other teenage passengers. They always found it pretty easy to get around, even in new places – they were both street-smart and charismatic, and Jade spoke five different languages almost fluently, all self-taught.

Now, setting the stage for another adventure in the Pacific Ocean, Jonathan could already feel it – that tingling rush of adrenaline. The rush that doesn’t stop even on his millionth sail.

“Jonny!” a thick voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Hi, dad… When’d you get back?”

“Just now…” Jack answered. “You mind going over to show our first passengers to their cabin? They’re boarding as we speak.”

“What, already?” Jonathan asked in surprise. “There’s still plenty of time before we leave… Hours…”

“Yeah, they came a little early, I guess.” Jack answered under his thick graying mustache. “Looks like they had a long trip, too.”

Jonathan got up and went to follow his father’s orders. He was the captain, after all. True enough, boarding the ship were a pregnant mother, her eleven years old girl and a dirty-blond blue-eyed boy of his age. Perfect.

“Hi, welcome to ‘Vaporeon’.” He started while taking off his gloves and tuque, which by now weren’t really necessary anymore.

“Hi.” The boy answered with a mild southern accent while his mother was searching for their tickets in her handbag. She looked very exhausted and preoccupied – probably the toll of her pregnancy, the trip, and having to look after two children apparently alone. Her bright hair was thin and unkempt, her eyes were bleary, and her daughter was leaning on her, practically sleep-standing.

“Here’re our tickets.” The mother said a little abruptly as she handed the folded papers to Jonathan, who then grabbed two of their heavier bags as he offered to show them to their suite. It was clear from the suite given to them that the Richards family, whose name he learned from the printing on their tickets, was hardly short on cash, which surprised Jonny a little since neither of them really seemed like it. Then again, maybe it’s just because they’re tired.

The hallway seemed endless with the heavy bags and the girl dragging behind, but eventually they made it to the suite. “There you go, Mrs. Richards. The keys are inside. Enjoy your stay.”

“It’s Janet. And thank you.”

“Oh,” the blond boy suddenly jumped and offered his hand, “and I’m Jimmy.”

“Jonathan.” Jonny answered and shook Jimmy’s hand. “If you need anything, I’ll be down on the deck.”

“That’s okay.” Jimmy said while his mother and sister entered the cabin. “I think we’ll just go take a nap. We had a long way on the train from Dallas.”

Jonathan nodded and turned to leave, when Jimmy stopped him again. “By the way, how long before we take off?”

“We leave San Francisco at noon.”

“Hmm… Okay. And our next stop is where, exactly?”

“Not until Mandarin Island.”

“And then it’s straight to Sydney?”

“Yeah… That’s where you’re going?”

“Yup…” Jimmy answered with a yawn. “Anyway, I’ll guess I’ll see you later.”

“Sure. Sleep tight.”

 

[Kamen_Fanatic]

Good chapter. Little slow, but that's beginnings for ya

 

[electAbuzzzz]

Thanx. Yeah, I have to admit this story starts slow. It'll pick up in a boom, but I needed proper character introduction first.

Chapter 2: Sun and Water​

Jonathan leaned on the railing and looked at the horizon. He loved that sight – the endless crystal ocean kissing with the clear azure sky. The North American coast was almost unnoticeable behind him by now. His coat and tuque have long been replaced with sunglasses and a tee shirt. A light breeze was blowing through his strawberry-brownish hair. Once again, he was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, heading towards another adventure.

“Here we go again, Jujube.” He smiled and said to his Poliwag, who was sitting on the railing beside him. Jujube was his first Pokémon and his favorite – a tough spot to achieve, considering Jonathan was never all that thrilled about Pokémon training. As far as he was concerned, he only kept his party of six to protect him from trouble, should any arise – and that was probably also the only reason his father insisted he’ll get his training license to begin with.

“Jonathan, right…?” A voice threw his back to the present. “Want some lemonade?”

Puzzled, Jonathan looked aside to find that rich blond boy from this morning, Jimmy Richards, standing in a light-blue polo shirt and swimming trunks, holding two glasses of cold lemonade. “I thought I was the worker and you were the passenger…” Jonny joked. “Did I get it wrong?”

“You want it or not?”

“Yeah, sure…” Jonny answered as he took the glass. “Thanks, Tex.”

“Oh, please don’t… I hate it when people call me that.”

They both laughed. “I won’t. You sleep okay?”

“Like a Snorlax. I really needed that, too. The night train was awful.”

“Why didn’t you catch a plane?”

“Oh, we were supposed to take my dad’s company jet, but there was some freak storm, we couldn’t take off. Probably some pissed-off Dragonair or something.”

“In Texas? Really?”

“You’d be surprised. So, um, how’d you get to work on this ship at your age, anyway?”

“Oh, I always lived here. My dad’s the captain. Jack Ross.”

“Cool. Your mom’s here too?”

“Nah, I never met her.”

“Oh… Sorry, I didn’t…”

“It’s okay. What about you? How come your dad isn’t here?”

“He’s in Australia on business for almost six months now. That’s why we’re going there, actually – so we can all be together when the baby’s born. Then we’ll all go back home when he finishes his work in a few months.”

“Why didn’t you just take your dad’s jet all the way to Australia?”

“Because my mom’s doctors say she can’t fly that far. The baby’s due next month, it’s too risky.”

Jonathan then felt a hand resting on his shoulders – Jade; he didn’t have to turn around to know. “So, Jonny-boy, aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend?”

“Yeah, Jade, this is Jimmy Richards. Jimmy, this lovely lady is Jade Star.”

Jimmy seemed surprised. “Your name is Jade Star? That’s cool. Did you know that there’s an Orange League gym badge called Jade Star?”

She smiled. “Actually, my aunt Luana is the Gym Leader in Kumquat.” With that, she revealed a necklace that was hidden under her shirt. The necklace had a Jade Star Badge tied in the end as its jewel. “That’s why my mom named me Jade.”

“That’s neat. You won that badge or…?”

“Actually, it belonged to my mom.”

Trying to change the subject quickly, Jonny jumped in: “So, you’re already dressed for a swim on the first day, huh?”

“Absolutely.” Jimmy answered, taking the hint. “I can’t wait till we get to Mandarin, too. People keep telling me I look like a beach-boy, but there’s no ocean in Texas, you know…”

“You don’t have a swimming pool at home?” Jonny smirked.

This surprised Jimmy a little, but he knew how Jonathan got that impression. “Nah. My parents preferred to live as simple as possible, so that Joan and I won’t get too spoiled. It’s probably because they both came from simple backgrounds, too. Anyway, you two up for a swim? Or do you have to work?”

“Sure, we can take some time for a swim.” Jade answered eagerly. “Just let us go get our swimsuits.”

“Great. I’ll be waiting in the pool.”

Jonny then recalled Jujube to its Pokéball, and he and Jade went down to their cabins to change.

Jonathan and Jade’s berths on the crew’s floor were just across the hall from each other. In less than three minutes, the two of them met back in the hall, dressed for the occasion – Jonathan in yellow broadshorts and Jade in a bright green bikini that matched her eyes.

“Hi, kids.” Captain Ross said as he walked past them. “I see you’re already going off to have some fun.”

“Hi, dad.” Jonny answered. “Yeah, we thought we should get some rest before tonight.” Jonny and Jade usually functioned partially as the ship’s resident entertainment crew, especially on the first nights of cruises.

“Of course... I am counting on you two for tonight, by the way. We have a big guest onboard and I want things to go well.”

“Sure thing, Jack.” Jade answered, curious. “Who is it? What’s the story?”

“A Professor Persian from the New-York University of Pokémon Study… He’s thinking of hiring us for a full year around the world for a marine research he’s doing, complete with a science crew and his family and everything. Should fix us pretty good for a while.” Jack laughed. “Just make sure you do whatever it is you always do. It usually works. Now go over to that swimming pool already!”

By the time Jonny and Jade returned to the pool, Jimmy was in the water, playing with his sister Joan.

“Look at them!” Jade whispered. “He’s so cute…”

Jonny was only half listening, though, as his attention was already fixated somewhere else – on a chaise lounge on the other side of the pool. “You know what? How about I leave you and Jimmy to get to know each other?”

“Huh? What are you talking ab…“ She then stopped and followed his gaze. “Oh, I get it… Well, have fun.” She said as she winked and entered the pool.

“Yeah, you too…”

Sunbathing across the pool in a chocolate-colored bikini was a gorgeous girl their age. Long legs, flat stomach, long silky blond hair, nice breasts… He couldn’t tell her eyes color under the shades, but hopefully that won’t be a mystery for long, he thought.

“Hi. Is this seat taken?”

She opened her eyes to look at him, not taking off her sunglasses or even moving her head. “You can have it.”

He lied next to her as nonchalantly as possible, but tried his best to keep a conversation going. “So, where’re you heading?”

“Auckland.” She answered without moving.

Jonny almost jumped in alarm when he heard that. “That’s impossible, we only added that stop at the last minute.”

“Yeah, that’s because of my dad, actually.” Then his words sank in and she finally took off the sunglasses to look at him – this time it was her turn to be surprised. “Wait, what do you mean ‘we’?”

“Oh, I live here… My dad’s the captain.” Amber. Her eyes are amber. And by the accent, she’s definitely a New-Yorker. He can always tell.

“Well, then I suppose we might be living together for about a year or so.” She said.

The pieces started falling together. This must be Professor Persian’s daughter, he realized. “In that case – I’m Jonathan.”

“Jasmine.” She smiled and turned around on her stomach, putting her sunglasses back on. “I guess I’ll see you around, then.”

“I guess so.” He smiled back as he got up and dived into the pool, splashing her a little.

Still wearing a smile on her beautiful face, Jasmine Persian closed her eyes and let the drops of cold water slowly stream down her back. “This is going to be a very fun cruise.” She thought to herself. “Very fun…”

 

[electAbuzzzz]

Chapter 3: Music of the Ocean​

Jasmine Persian looked closely at her reflection in the Bronzor-shaped mirror of her family suite’s bathroom, carefully applying her make-up.

“So sis, how do I look?” Her older brother asked, walking in through the slightly-open door in a full teal suit.

She giggled. “Come here, I’ll fix your tie. Where’d you buy this suit? It’s new…”

“Empoleon’s, on Rockefeller Plaza… They opened last month. Your dress isn’t so bad either.”

“Thanks,” she said, having finished with the tie. “I bought it in Celadon last year after the GPP1, and this is the first chance I’ve had to wear it.” Her long cream dress was very much flattering, and along with pearl earrings and bracelet, she looked very classy and stunning.

“Kids, are you ready?” Their mother yelled through the door. “Your father wants to leave.”

“We should probably go before he starts pacing or something…” He whispered, laughing. “By the way, sis, who’s that boy you were talking to by the pool earlier?”

“The captain’s son, Jonathan… He seems nice.”

At that point their mother barged in. “Jacob, Jasmine, we have to go! Come on already! Your father’s anxious to get there…”

“Fine, mom, we’re coming…” Jacob answered and left the room, dragging his little sister behind him. “Let’s go, I’m getting hungry anyway.”

-----​

Upon entering the dining room, the Persians were immediately spotted by Captain Ross. “Good evening, Professor Persian. I hope you’re enjoying your stay so far…?”

“Oh, yes captain. Everything is fine. I’d like you to meet my wife Jacqueline, my son Jacob and my daughter Jasmine.”

On the other side of the room, Jonny and Jade were checking everything for the show. On many sails Jack managed to get a live band to play with them, but tonight they had to sing to playbacks. “Look who just walked in, Jonny-boy. Your girl from the pool…”

“Jasmine…?” Jonny turned around to look. “Heh, and this must be Professor Persian. It’s time for another move!” He claimed as he jumped offstage towards the entrance, reaching his father.

“Dad, I think it’s time to start…”

Noticing his son’s sudden appearance, Jack turned back to the professor: “Professor, have you met my son Jonathan yet?”

“No, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure.” Professor Persian answered with a slight British accent as he shook the boy’s hand firmly.

“Glad to meet you, sir. Let me show you to your table while my dad starts the evening.”

The first table by the stage was reserved for the Persians, and Jonathan led them straight to it. Once they reached the table, he held the chair out for Mrs. Persian, and then for Jasmine. He heard her whisper “nice tux” in his ear before she sat down, but just then his father went onstage, which was his sign to get ready. Before leaving, he noticed the Richards sitting three tables away in the corner of his eye.

“Good evening, everybody,” Jack’s voice was heard through the speakers. “I hope you’ve all been enjoying your first few hours on our lovely ship. For those of you who’ve yet to meet me, I’m your captain, Jack Ross. We have quite a night tonight, to start us off for another amazing cruise. Our waiters will be with you shortly to take your orders. Meanwhile, we have my favorite two singers in the whole wide world with us to brighten our evening. Ladies and gentlemen, two kids the entire crew here on ‘Vaporeon’ holds very dear to their hearts: Jonathan Ross and Jade Star!”

Everybody clapped their hands as Jonny and Jade went onstage. Jonathan was dressed in a full three piece tuxedo, while Jade was wearing a daring blue mini-dress which looked very good on her. Soft music started as they took their microphones and slowly started their mystifying version of the classic duet, The Nidoran Melody. The moment Jade opened her mouth to sing the first verse, the entire crowd went silent at once. They were fascinated by the unbelievable voice of this gorgeous young woman. Before the chorus was even reached, three couples have already stood up for a slow dance.

“Um, excuse me…” A half-whispering voice with a mild southern accent took Jasmine out of her gaze on the stage. She looked behind her left shoulder to see a dirty-blond blue-eyed boy of her age in a grey pinstriped suit offering his hand. “May I have this dance?”

This was too sweet to refuse. Besides, he is pretty hot. She didn’t say a word when she took his hand and let him lead her to a dance. “By the way, I’m Jimmy.”

“Jasmine… So where’re you from, cowboy?”

He smiled. “Dallas. You’re from New York?”

“Yeah… It’s that obvious?”

“Actually, I recognized your dad. I attended a lecture of his once about rare Pokémon.”

“I hope you didn’t pay any money for that, I get free lectures from him every other night at home.”

They laughed. Just then, Jonny and Jade finished their first duet, and everyone in the room applauded them. “Thank you, thank you very much.” Jonny said into his microphone. “I hope you’re all enjoying your meal. I just wanted to say, before we keep going, that Ms. Star and I are open to suggestions – if anyone wants to request a certain song, just say the word.” Music then started again, this time with a faster beat. If the guests were fascinated before – now they were downright enchanted. Something in the way these two moved and sang simply lit an electrifying magic in the air.

Jimmy wasn’t easily scared, though. Excusing himself for a few seconds, he went back to his table to take off his jacket. On his way he noticed something he didn’t see earlier – to the right side of the stage stood a maple grand piano, orphaned of a pianist. Taking a mental note, he then returned to show his dancing skills.

“You’re not hungry yet, cowboy?” Jasmine asked. “’Cause the food looks pretty good…”

He smiled again, swirling around with her. “Actually, yeah… Maybe we should take a short break after this one…”

Up on the stage, Jonny and Jade were going faster and faster, building up the tension, just like they’ve been doing since they were kids. Their chemistry was clear and vivid when they performed – the product of being together every minute almost since birth, with no other kids their age around.

The songs went by, as did the courses, and the passengers were enjoying themselves. “Good music, delicious food and fine wine…” Jacqueline Persian commented to her husband. “If they’re trying to impress us, they’re doing not bad.”

“I agree.” The Pokémonologist stated. “What about you two? Are you having fun?”

“I think Jasmine’s having lots of fun, dad.” Jacob joked, earning a stabbing finger in his side.

Everyone’s attention was then turned, however, to the change of music. Instead of another full instrumental playback, there was clearly a real piano being played in the room, generating the soft familiar tune of Darling Volbeat. Looking behind her, Jasmine was surprised to see Jimmy sitting on the piano, his jacket back on, producing these sweet notes.

She wasn’t the only one surprised, of course, as Jonny and Jade were prepared for something else. It didn’t matter, though, as they were good improvisers, and there was almost no song they didn’t know the lyrics to. Seeing an opportunity, Jonathan used the song’s long introduction to quickly bring Jade a bar seat, whisper something in her ear and leave the stage.

Jade sat down, adjusted her microphone and opened her mouth to sing again, filling the air once more with her incredible voice, mixing with Jimmy’s beautiful music. That was the moment Jonathan took his turn to approach Jasmine’s table. Now it was his turn for a dance.

“Do you mind if I steal your daughter for a few minutes, professor?” He asked with a melting boyish smile.

“It seems you’re wanted tonight, honey.” Professor Persian joked.

“Well, I have to make sure I won’t get bored living here for a full year, daddy, you know…” She said as she got up.

“Hey, Jonathan,” Jacob suddenly asked, “since we have a surprise pianist, you guys wouldn’t happen to have a spare guitar in the back too, would you?”

“Actually, there’s one just below the piano. In tune, too.”

From his spot on the piano, Jimmy peeked over to the stage. Jade was sitting on the bar chair, eyes closed, looking very relaxed and beautiful in her singing. He decided to do the same – he didn’t need his eyes to play this tune. His fingers were dancing around the keyboard by themselves.

Just as he was reaching the ending, he sensed someone near him, pulling something from under him. When he opened his eyes, he found a man a few years older than him opening up a guitar case beside him. He recognized him from earlier.

“You’re Jasmine’s brother, right?”

“Jacob, yeah… Hey, ‘you know Magic in the Night?”

“It’s the one from that Christmas cartoon, right? Yeah, I know it. You’re helping me with that?”

“Absolutely,” Jacob answered as he took out a classical red cedar guitar, “let’s have some fun.”

-----​

By midnight that night, four hours into the feast, most guests have long retired to their cabins. Only five teenagers remained in the empty dining hall, still singing, playing, dancing, wining and dining themselves, and generally having a great time together.

“We did pretty good tonight, Jonny-boy.” Jade said as she took another slice of Watmel from the desserts buffet. Jonny was sitting on the edge of the stage with Jimmy and Jacob, who was still holding his guitar.

“Yeah, and we got Richards and Persian here to thank for part of that.”

“You were all great.” Jasmine agreed, eating a piece of Nanab in melted chocolate. “Does this happen every night?”

“Well, not every night,” Jade answered, “but more often than not, although not on such a large scale.”

“I think we’re gonna enjoy living here, sis.” Jacob said, playing a few notes.

“That means we’ll need to make sure dad signs things with Jonny’s dad over here.” She winked.

“What sort of research is your dad planning on doing on this ship, anyway?” Jimmy asked.

“We’re not sure exactly,” Jacob explained, “he doesn’t talk about it much. What I do know is that he’s been researching legendary Pokémon most of his adult life, so I can only assume he’s searching for tracks of a certain legendary Water Pokémon.”

“Wow, this sounds exciting.” Jade said. “But why commit on exactly one year then?”

“We don’t really know anything.” Jasmine repeated. “He couldn’t tell us even if he wanted to. The university is treating it like some big secret.”

“Well, I’m getting tired.” Jacob said, putting the guitar down. “You coming back with me, sis?”

“Yeah, I guess so. G’night everybody, t’was fun.”

“I should probably quit to bed too.” Jimmy said. “See y’all tomorrow morning.”

“What’d’ya say Jonny-boy, you tired too?” Jade asked when they were left alone, sitting beside him and putting her head on his shoulder.

“Surprisingly, no… We’re on our feet for almost twenty hours straight, but I’m pretty much awake.”

“Yeah, I don’t really feel like going to bed either. Wanna pull an all-nighter?”

“Sure. My room or yours?”

“Yours. But let’s take some berries and whipped cream first. We’ll need the sugar.”

“Great. And I got some ice cream in my fridge.”

“I’ll get my PJs.”

 

[Kamen_Fanatic]

That sounds like a good moment-in-the-making. Great chapters!

 

[electAbuzzzz]

Thanks. We'll get there soon.

Chapter 4: Morning Sun​

“So everything’s going okay, Joseph?”

“Sure thing, Jack. We went past Hawaii last night, just on schedule.”

“Good. Have you seen the kids this morning?”

“Not yet, but I can’t say I saw much of the sun yet either, so they’re probably still sleeping. They stayed in the dining room pretty late last night…”

“I’ll go check on them. They’re usually already running around at these hours.” Jack sighed as he thought of the fact that about forty years ago, he and Joseph themselves were kids running around on his father’s ship – the captain’s son and the small Moroccan deckhand of the long-lost ‘Sea Pearl’. Who’d have thought this is where they’ll end up – their own ship, proud and paranoid parents to kids of their own.

Jack Ross and Joseph Star were never the worrying type – it’s the hard trials of life that shaped them to always look behind their backs, especially where their children are concerned. They’ve already been through enough in their time.

“Jonathan? You awake?” Captain Ross asked through his son’s door.

“Yeah dad, come in.”

Opening the door to the small cabin, Jack was surprised to find not one, but both kids sitting on the opposite ends of his son’s bed. On the right was Jonathan, sitting in boxer shorts and an old Ninja Squirtles tee shirt, holding a nearly empty bucket of chocolate-fudge ice cream. Across from him was Jade, in a pink tank top, her legs hidden under the blanket, with a whipped cream can in one hand and her mother’s necklace in the other. He couldn’t help breaking a small smile, thinking of how many times he found them like this when they were younger. In his mind’s eye, Jack saw his little boy looking at him with his big almond brown eyes, his lips stained in pudding. “You do know you’re not six anymore, right?” He said, snapping back to reality. “You’re fifteen years old.”

“We were just talking, dad.” Jonny answered.

Jack shook his head in amusement. “You kids live good lives, you know that?” He turned to leave, but paused for another moment. “By the way, good work last night. The professor and his family seemed to have a good time.”

“And all the other passengers, dad. Don’t forget about them.”

-----​

Jimmy woke up slowly in his suite, forcing himself out of bed. Two feet away, his sister was playing on her bed with her Teddiursa, Jowjow.

“Joan, what time is it?”

“Ten, I think.

“Mom’s still asleep?”

“Yeah…” She went back to Jowjow, but then turned to him again. “James, how much longer is it before we get to dad?”

“You have to stop this new habit of calling me that.”

“It’s your name.”

“Well, I prefer Jimmy. And it should be about two weeks.”

“That long?”

“Don’t forget we have to get from Sydney to Melbourne. This ship doesn’t take us all the way.” He answered on his way to brush his teeth. “You coming up for a swim?”

“I think I’ll stay here with mom and Jowjow today.”

“Okay…” He said, washing his face. “If you change your mind, I’ll be in the pool.”

-----​

Up in the swimming pool, Jacob Persian was relaxing in the water, wondering about the answers to the questions he was asked last night about his father’s research. Jacob and Jasmine were both very passionate about Pokémon from a very young age, through in different aspects, and Jacob read most of his father’s researches. Who is he searching for? Is it Suicune, the crystal beast of the north wind? Or maybe Phione, the elusive prince of the warm seas?

A sudden splash of water broke his thoughts. He turned around, seeing a Poliwag and a Marill swimming around him. “Hey,” Jonny said, “what’s up?”

“Great. Are these two yours?”

“Jujube is.” Jonny answered, holding his Poliwag. “Julep is Jade’s.”

“Where is she?”

“Right behind me. Is your sister coming?”

“Yeah, she’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“Hey guys.” Jade joined them.

“Hey.” Jacob replied. “You know, you two seem a little tired…”

“We didn’t sleep…” She explained.

“Guess who?” Two strong hands covered her eyes from behind.

“Morning, Jimmy.” She answered, clearly enjoying his touch and attention. “You just woke up?”

Before he had the chance to answer, they suddenly heard Jasmine’s voice calling for them. “Hey, guys, come check this out!” Turning around, they realized passengers were crowding by the railing, looking at something in the ocean in awe. Getting out of the water as fast as they could, the group rushed to the starboard to see what all the fuss was about.

The vision exposed before their eyes was truly spectacular. Only six feet from the ship was a gigantic group of Mantine half-swimming half-flying along with them. “This is incredible!” Jimmy yelled, putting his hands on Jade’s shoulders.

“Yeah, and I got an open spot on my party!” Jade exclaimed. “Time to fill it… Go, Juggle!”

Out of Jade’s Lure Ball popped a slim, long, magnificent white Dewgong, jumping into the cold ocean’s water.

“You named your Dewgong ‘Juggle’?” Jasmine asked.

“No, her original trainer did. I traded with this Russian circus-girl, Jana, who was on a cruise with us from Dublin to Copenhagen two years ago.”

“What did you give her for it?” Jimmy asked.

“My Whiscash… And Jonny gave her his Milotic for her Buizel.” Getting back to the spirit of capture, Jade turned back to her Dewgong. “Juggle, use Ice Beam!”

Following orders, Juggle opened her mouth and released an Ice Beam straight forward underwater, not trying to hit anything specific as she was surrounded by Mantine all around her. This first attempt failed at trapping any of them, instead creating a large ice surface in the water, which immediately floated up. Some of the jumping Mantine actually landed on the surface, but slid right off it the next second – all except for one little Mantyke, who ended up lost and confused in the middle of a misplaced block of ice on its way south.

“Look at it!” Jade cried out. “What a cutie!”

“Here we go again…” Jonny laughed. “The same thing happened when you tried to catch a Gastrodon in the Red Sea last year and ended up with a baby Shellos.”

Too little to fly or bounce off, the Mantyke remained on the ice, not knowing what to do. “Juggle, get over there! Use Ice Shard!”

Swiftly making her way through the mass of Mantine, Juggle got on top of the ice, causing the Mantyke to slide over at her direction. Seeing an opportunity for a Headbutt, the Mantyke attacked, but was too small to cause damage. Juggle’s close-range Ice Shard sealed the deal, and a Pokéball fell from above to capture the lost Mantyke. Loyal to her circus training, Juggle used her tail to toss the ball back to Jade, before being recalled to her Lure Ball. In less than twenty seconds, the whole battle was over.

“Nice catch, girl.” Jasmine cheered. “Mantyke’s not my style, but Water-types seem to work for you.”

“That’s just because it’s all you run into when you live on an ocean liner.” Jade explained. “Now I need to name this little ‘tyke.”

“How about ‘Jam’?” Jonny offered.

“You’re just thinking about the jam sandwiches we had this morning…” She giggled. “But why not, he’s just as sweet… At least until he evolves.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.” Jacob stepped in. “Mantyke is one of the most unique Pokémon to evolve.”

“Oh, I know,” Jade said, “but I got a Remoraid, Jetty, so it’s not a problem.”

“You weren’t kidding about those Water-types, huh?” Jimmy commented.

“Wait a minute, jam sandwiches?” Jasmine asked. “When did you two wake up? After last night, I slept in till an hour ago.”

“We didn’t exactly go to sleep.” Jade explained. “We had a little after-party at Jonny’s. Anyway, are we coming back to the pool or what?” Content with the newest addition to her party, Jade jumped back in the pool, followed by the Persian siblings, Julep and Jujube.

Jonny was about to do the same, when he felt a hand on his shoulder – Jimmy. “Hey man,” Jimmy whispered, “should I back out?”

Not sure what Jimmy’s talking about, Jonny answered with a confused look.

“You and Jade…” Jimmy explained. “Is there something going on?”

Jonny laughed. “No man, it’s cool. Jade and I took baths together when we were babies. We spend nights with each other since we were kids. It’s not like you think. Now stop being stupid and get in the pool.”

The five of them stayed in the pool area almost until sunset, when the sun was no longer there to warm the water. The air was still hot though, and warm southern winds were hovering above, so they let themselves dry on the deck for a while, all wrapped up in towels and bundled up with one another. Jacob was the first to go take a shower, leaving the fifteen year olds on their own to watch the twilight sky changing color– another day has ended.