Rose is fluttering by the window when I wake up. I didn't see her come in last night, although Ten did give me the rundown on what happened.

"Rose made an absolutely stunning speech... she's emotional as she was before, but she's not as childlike. In fact, she's quite eloquent. Never seen evolution make anyone change so fast."

"I don't think it was just evolution. I think she just grew up."

I wonder if Shell would have grown up had he been given time. The image of a glorious Togekiss with his patterns, his coloring... it's almost unbearable yet here I am, thinking about it. I wonder how my early Pokemon would have looked evolved sometimes. With Ten, I get to see him every day, but the others will probably be nothing more than fantasies. After all, I might never see them again and-

You're going to find them you're going to find them you have to.

My head burns. Lately I can't tell if the voice is mine or Celebi's, which means that we're either becoming closer in opinion, in mind, or I might just be going crazy. With my life, I'd say all of those seem like pretty valid candidates.

"Rose." I say.

She turns. "It was a really beautiful funeral, if you were wondering. We had a lot of team members to pay our respect too."

"I can't keep you here, Rose."
"I was born here! I can't leave!" She yells, frustrated. She turns around, her eyes twitching slightly and her smile far too wide to be natural. "Isn't that how it works? I don't know! I don't understand anything anymore." She gestures in exasperation to herself. "Look at me, Ashley! I just grew up in two days. Two days! I can barely handle my own body or my own mind. I'm not even the Togepi you knew anymore and I never wanted to know any of this either. I just want my family to be happy but you aren't and everyone's been dying this whole time and... and!"

"You're still Rose and we still care about you." I tell her, placing my two fingers under her head. Her eyes stare straight into mine, full of childishness still. She looks lost and alone but there's no way anyone but herself can help her. I can only do what I can to help her through it. "It's going to be okay."

She lands quietly. "Thank you."

Suddenly, I'm pounced on from the side, knocking me against the carpet. "Guess whaaaat?" Fang asks.
"For the love of Mew please don't tell me. It is way too early in the morning for this." I say, trying to pull myself off the ground.

Fang pouts. "You'll find out sooner or later."

"What did you do?" I ask.
"I kind of sort of woke up at 2 and trained Pisces up into a Gyarados. I just wanted to tell you before you accidentally tried to use her and broke the hotel." Fang is beaming all the while as if this is some major accomplishment.

"What?! I told you not to go out at night alone!" I get up, knocking him off.

"I wasn't alone. D'spinas helped me!" he says cheerfully. "I would never go behind your back unless I had a scapegoat to back me up, obviously."

"Right. Guess we're going to go then." I say.

"I'm not in trouble?"
"I don't have the energy to care anymore. I can't discipline D'spinas anyways. She's probably more on top of things than I am." I yell, "However, I think that ruined my appetite. Guess we're eating the granola bars again instead of getting breakfast at the hotel!"

The entire team groans. Even D'spinas shakes her head at Fang, who shoots her a look of utter betrayal.

After we've all been filled with the absolutely delicious granola (and a few candied Oran Berries- I'm not that cruel) we check out and head out towards the ocean. Sailors are all clustered around near the bars while the wind blows ominously over the poppies. The city looks less populous than yesterday- in fact, almost no one is here at all. It may be due to the cloud cover overhead, but it's not that much, is it?

"This is giving me the creeps." I say. "Let's get out of here fast."

"You mean you're going to get out of here. None of us can swim save for the Gyarados." Reginae says.
"I can fly if you need back up." Ten says. 

"It'd be appreciated." I tell him. "Alright, we're leaving now. If you don't mind?" I ask the others. Reginae, Fang, D'spinas, and Rose disappear back into their Pokeballs. Once they're all out, I wade out up to my knees in the frigid water and then throw my own Pokeball out. The water surges out from under Pisces, who is now the size of a small boat, and I immediately regret my decision as a massive wave drowns me and nearly touches Ten. Coughing, I struggle back to shore.

The massive Gyarados bends down and I place my hand upwards, stroking her on the head. Her frills dilate and even though every breath she takes makes my hair fly up, I try to remain resolute.

"Hello." I say.

She says nothing. Her terrible reptilian eyes watch me like a Fearow watching a Rattata.

"You're awfully quiet."

"Not much t' say." the Gyarados admits, staring down at me. "I suppose you're expecting a thanks?"

"Would be nice, considering how we just saved you from being more than likely fish food."

"The other Pokemon aren't killing each other much n'more. What you really have to watch out for are the storms."

"What storms?"

"Get on. I'll show you." She tells me. She lowers herself so that I can get on, and I cling to one of the frills on her back as she moves swiftly through the water. "I do appreciate it, though. You keep good company, especially the small furry one. He is clearly a master warrior. He makes great claims."

I open my mouth but decide sassing Fang is probably not a good idea right now. Pisces turns so that I'm facing the Whirl Islands and I stare out at a massive storm in the distance. The sky is a deadly black only painted with even more ominous purples, and even from here the thunder crackles ominously.

A small, patrolling ship approaches with an officer on board. She's an Officer Jenny, although she's much bulkier than her siblings and her ripped sleeves reveal tattoos. She looks like she'd fit right in at one of Olivine's bars. "Ya can't do that here. No Trainers with less than one League win are permitted past this point on an aquatic Pokemon."

"Like a gym?" I ask. "I have four."

"Like a league." She revs her motor. "Double it. Elite Four. This is no place for rookies."

"When will this calm down?!" I ask. "Kind of in a hurry."

"Judging by past storms, if it really is the legendary beastie, it's likely the turbulence won't pass for months." she tuts softly. "I've heard all kinds of crazy things about Lugia."

"Wait, months?!" I slam my hand against my face, furious.

"If at all. No one knows what's been causin' it." the sailor says. "Sure is a pain for the rest of us, though."

"Is there any other way to get to Cianwood?"
"Ferry." she replies. "Next one leaves in a couple of hours. Should be at Cianwood tonight if you move quickly enough."

"Thanks." I say. "Pisces, let's head back." Pisces dips her head in consent and we move back through the water, ending with her depositing me on shore. I stroke her side again. "I suppose you don't want to be with us on land?"
"I can levitate, yes, but some rest might be nice. Farewell." She disappears in a massive surge of blue and the ocean visibly recedes a bit. I stare at her Pokeball in awe. I own that.

My other teammates reemerge and Ten flaps down from above. "Hullo!"

"I know you're not going to like this, but we're going to have to take a ferry instead."

"Well, obviously." D'spinas says. I'm sure that if Beedrills could roll their eyes, she would.

"What's the issue here? It's just a ship." Fang protests.

"I hate to say this, because I don't care either, but may I ask why we're changing our plans at all?" Reginae asks.

"Apparently the area around the Whirl Islands is super dangerous now. We'd have to wait for it to calm down and I don't have that kind of time. We have two years and we're already months into that! If we wait that long, we might not get through the Kanto League at all. We only have two years!"

"We do?"
"Yes!" I say, exasperated. "I'm going to have to keep you in your Pokeballs for a bit. Just... trust me here." With that, they all disappear again. I can sense their frustration. I never kept my old team inside so often and it just feels profoundly wrong to do so.

I sigh and turn towards the ferry. Is there something missing? Am I doing something wrong?
No, it's much worse than that. I'm doing something that's considered right for Pokemon trainers. I'm taking away their liberty.

No wonder Rose didn't think she could leave.
The ferry, located just near the bay on the other side of a cluster of rocks, is brightly colored and the manager is ridiculously cheerful as he takes my money and wishes me a safe voyage, leading me into the indoor cabin located under where all the steering and the like is going on. Luckily for all of us, after the first fifteen minutes of waiting, the boat comes to life and quickly moves away from the harbor. I move outdoors and feel the seaspray on my face. I've never really liked the ocean, despite growing up close to one in New Bark, but despite the seasickness I know I'll come down with I get the feeling this may just be a pleasant voyage.
"At this time, you may now bring out your Pokemon." calls the announcer.

"With pleasure," I say, releasing the five smaller members of my team.

"First one to the top floor gets dibs on the steering wheel!" calls Fang, dashing up towards the stairs that lead to the steering and operations room.

"I've got him." Ten says. He tries to open his wings but the wind blows the feathers wildly around and he closes them again. "Never mind! I'm walking." He totters away. Poor Ten.

"Time to get some sunlight, I suppose." Reginae sighs, lying down on the dock. I just sit there awkwardly with Rose, who despite what I kind of assumed was a mutual agreement earlier has no intention whatsoever to talk with me.

As for D'spinas, she's surprisingly not sniping things and is sitting indoors with her head down with us two. Girl's party, right? All we need now is the giant ungodly water snake and we'll be all set.

I admit that I fell asleep until I heard the news.

"The storms are much worse than predicted and appear to be moving this way. This was not on our forecast, however, we can ensure a continued safe voyage as we are already through most of the worst.. For the time being, we recommend that all travellers stay indoors and have any aquatic Pokemon ready in case of emergency.

I stare out the window. We're far from the Whirl Islands, which are on our right, but the sky above is murderous. It's so much worse up close than it was from a distance. Rain falls all around us, going from a drizzle to sheets in under a minute. Storms begin to rock the boat wildly and in the distance I hear the cry of some Pokemon.

"My Meera! She's in the water!" cries a Trainer. "Please, please stop for her! She's a fire type, she can't swim!"

The boat slows and someone's water type goes in after it, and everyone cheers as they bring her back up. Unfortunately, this only makes everyone a target as water races over the sides and the boat rocks again, moving everyone back.

"It's going to be swamped! The boat is going to break!" yells a passenger.

"Everyone to the lifeboats!" calls the captain over the speaker. The calmness from before is dissipated and now it's clear that both the crew and passengers are all freaking out. Heavy static plays over the system, ending in a heart rending screech that seems to go on for hours. I feel panic rising in my throat.

Someone has fogged over the glass. In several tiny letters, someone has written 'if you don't want to drown again, I'd suggest leaving'. Below it, more fog reveals, 'I think drowning would make a pretty boring final battle, personally. PS: I didn't kill your Nidorina.' This is followed by a smiley face.

First of all, before I drown: screw you, Red. Some day I am going to see you again and when I do I will kick your puny ass back to whatever glitchy cyberhell it came from.

Second, I currently have my own ass to save. My team senses my fear more quickly than I do, but I'm ready to go. "We need to go, now!" I burst out of the cabin, the team hot on my tail.

"There's nowhere to go!" Reginae yells.
"We have a water type for a reason. Get in your Pokeballs, now!" I withdraw the team and then click open another Pokeball. "Pisces!"

I send Pisces out and prepare to get out of there. Lightning strikes above and the water surges. I can see her health going down as if on that awful screen and though I know that in the last scenario a Gyarados was the killer and not that victim I can't stop seeing Lilly's death. This water is unsafe. I can't do it. I can't.

You can't cause another death you can't you can't-

I withdraw her, searching desperately for lifeboats. My Pokeballs shuffle in my bag. If worse comes to worst, the bag is heavily waterproof. However, no one will be able to find them at the bottom of the ocean...

A child screams in the distance. I turn to see water washing over the deck as the entire boat creaks and groans. I giant wave surges us to the right and I move towards the other side, unable to cling to anything.

Celebi's might moves through my whole body for own seconds before the adrenaline flickers out. The fear is uncontrollable now and the ocean is gearing up for another hit. I cry for oxygen, for safety, but another wave runs past and I fall past the fickle railing and into the sea. 

(FOR ANYONE WHO READ THE CHAPTER I ACCIDENTALLY PUBLISHED THIS GOES FIRST SORRY

also extraordinary chapter tomorrow whoop)