Chapter 7: Fireworks

The banquet hall was fairly large- the largest room on the ship from what it seemed. And the smell… 

'He wasn't kidding about those ribs, was he.'

 I could smell the applewood smoked delicacies even with the kitchen doors shut. I felt a smile grow as my stomach felt particularly empty. 

'…There's that woman from earlier, too. I guess she finally decided to show up to a dinner.'

 A pokemon in a frilly black dress was sitting beside her, it's eyes closed halfway. 

'Is that a… gothiteer? Goth-telepo? It has weird black fan things on its ears and a frilly dress…'

"Goth? Gothiteehee!"

As if it heard me thinking, it turned around and giggled before the woman next to it pulled it around again. 

'Seems like they're pretty close.'

The pokemon struggled a bit, but seemingly out of jest as it didn't try to turn around when she let go. I looked over to the end of the room, just a few paces away from me and Mom. The old man… no, he didn't look so old donning his proper uniform now. 

'How much can one jacket change a man…?'

"Hello everyone, I am Augustus Briney."

He straightened his teal tie, his age and weight seeming to fade. His slightly scraggly beard from just a few minutes ago was brushed and cleaned up, and his captain's hat was straightened like an arrow. 

'Are those medals on his jacket from the military? I may be able to recruit him…'

"I've been your Captain during this luxurious voyage. It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to the farewell banquet where we celebrate the end of our voyage, and the beginning of something new. As this is this lovely ship's final voyage, we have prepared quite the feast." 

He gestured with his arms wide, his voice carrying an authority only the veterans commanders had. Not nearly like Drayden, but certainly not fit for a random captain to have. 

"I hope that this trip will forever stay in your memories. Especially, as a fond one. But I won't keep you all too long, as I'm sure you're all starving. So let's-!"

Clack!

The sound of the entry doors opening echoed in the silent banquet hall. I had thought it was the kitchen for a second, but it was definitely from our right. 

'I guess the captain was joking about waiting for everybody…'

"Sorry, but I think there's something that needs taking care of first."

Three people entered as if they owned the place. 

I almost reached for my pocket again, but paused. I might need more time if it was an actual emergency. 

'Ugh, they're the jerks who refused to even talk this entire trip. Even this trainer lady was better than them. Might need to clean house so they don't ruin the mood…'

I clenched my fists, feeling my right hand ache badly. The bone was sprained, and the painkillers the nurse recommended would just make me injure myself more. I'd need to rely on grappling, but it shouldn't matter since I was decent in both strikes and grappling. I wouldn't need a sword either, so…

"Hrm? What is the issue here? Please, return to your seats!"

"Hm… No, I think we won't."

I inched to the edge of my seat. This is the type of garbage that gets my blood boiling… It's like I was made for this. Taking out the trash, as it were. 

"This ship is under our control now."

Wap!

Murmurs and whispers echoed like thunder. I had started moving, but right as I stood up they spun on the spot and their appearances changed in an instant. How…?

'Psychic pokemon?'

I looked around, but the only pokemon I could see was the gothi-something pokemon who was looking on, but I couldn't see any signs of it doing anything. Psychic energy was easy to sense, so it couldn't have been it. 

"What is the meaning of this!?"

Mom yelled, running out in front of the captain before I could find the actual threat in this scenario. These idiots were just a trap, and the pokemon who had removed their disguises was far more deadly right now. 

"Is… Is this a hijacking?"

Melody's accent was clear again, and she inched back from the piano as she spoke. She was scared… Everybody looked off put. None of them seemed to be in disguise, but it may be a stronger pokemon than I thought.

"You must be insane if you run in front of people like us."

The man in the front fiddled with a black and yellow pokeball as he spoke. That was more than just a warning, it was a threat. 

'Guess I'll have to bite the bait.'

"But we'll give you the benefit of the doubt and let you sit back down. C'mon, take our generous offer!"

'Good, it'll buy some time for me to-'

"I refuse."

"..."

'What? Why? No, she-'

"Grrgh… You'll regret this, lady!"

"Crescent! Get Mykah out of here!"

He moved quickly, but my Mom's words echoed in my ears. Crescent? Who is-

"Gothi~"

The black-dressed pokemon let out a cry as I felt the world spin and shift like a kaleidoscope around me. 

"This ship is going doooooowwwwwnnnnn…"

What… is…

POP-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'…Cap… The captain's room? Where…?'

"Cough, cough."

Smoke filled the air. I looked around, seeing debris everywhere. 

"Urgh!"

Forcing my heavy body to my feet, I looked around. 

'The map-'

I grabbed the old and new map. One of a kind or not, I wouldn't mind saving a relic. 

"Cough, cough."

I moved forward. To the exit. Gotta move…

"Hah…"

Holes in the floor leading to the levels below. Smoke billowed out as I passed, lurching forward with the ship as I moved down the stairs only to be caught by a man at the bottom.

"Kid!? Thank goodness you're alright!"

He stepped back, and I noticed his soot stained green suit. It was one of the talkative guys… 

"Lenard? What happened!?"

"I was outside of the hall when the explosion went off. I was too nervous to go in after it started, and then those three barged in and the explosion-!"

He was rambling. I stepped forward to try to calm him down. 

"It knocked me off my feet and flat on my face, but I'm alright. But now we're trapped… The floor has collapsed here and-"

A ball of red metal formed behind the frantic man, quickly forming into a strange pokemon. 

"Wh-what!? Another of these-"

"...!"

I lurched forward, but the pokemon changed form again and swept the man away. I hit the ground, feeling the warm floor. 

'The floor beneath must be on fire… Keep moving. The banquet hall…' 

"MOM!?"

I rushed to my right, forgetting the man for now. 

'Is she alright? Where…'

"Hey, look who it is! I gotta say kid… I'm glad to see you."

Melody. I didn't see Mom behind her. She seemed unhurt, aside from a few soot marks on her legs and a small scratch on her left arm. 

"I dunno how ya were able to weasel yer way out of that explosion, but kudos to you!"

I bit my tongue. I wanted to ask about Mom, but priorities. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm doin well enough. Thank ya fer asking. The smoke here is intense. We can't stay for long, but…"

Her light smile contrasted with her rough condition. She was very pretty- like my Mom was… 

'I can't lose four parents.'

"The Captain seems to have been conscious through all of this. Maybe he'll know something?"

Following her to the other end, the banquet hall was in shambles. Fires, broken chairs and tables… And a massive hole in the center of the room. It would probably collapse soon, but there didn't seem to be any exits. 

'Maybe in the kitchen?'

We walked up behind the Captain, his back to us as he stared into a large fire. 

"Augustus, you're too close to the fire! Please, step back!"

"..."

His posture… His hands behind his back fiddling with each other. I know what he's feeling. 

"The beautiful S.S. Oceana is done for. My prized possession. She won't make it to her final destination, after all this time."

'Despair. He… He's old. I don't know if he has it in him to push forward like I barely managed to.'

"The ship can be replaced! What can't be replaced are the lives still strewn about the ship!"

She turned to me. What? I can't… I don't know what to say. Her eyes softened- did she see?

"Look, Mykah survived the blast, didn't he?"

"Oh…"

'Ah. Maybe she isn't as psychic as I thought.'

"You've been conscious for this entire ordeal, Augustus. Do you know where his mother is?"

"Ah… yes. After the explosion, Nancy jumped down below in pursuit of the assailant that destroyed this ship."

I turned around. The hole was filled with smoke. But the floor… Ten? No, twelve feet between floors. I couldn't see the floor, but I could guess the distance based off of the stairs. 

"So she's down there, then? That's no good. C'mon, Augustus. We need to get off this thing."

I stepped back a bit. 

"If we work together we can-"

'Fuck gravity, I'm not losing a Mom again.'

"Mykah, w-wait!"-"Mykah!"

The feeling of weightlessness was always exhilarating, but the landing was the rough part. The world slowed around me, adrenaline rushing through me as I landed blindly in the smoke.