Fanfiction Pokemon Lightning Yellow

Episode 20b: A Spark of Frustration (part 2)

Previously, on Pokémon Lightning Yellow...


Lt. Surge looked Ash up and down, then eyed Tintri, who slunk back in fear at the blue eyed soldier's icy cold gaze. "You call that a worthy opponent for Raika? Only babies use Pikachus!"

Tintri began to spark angrily, but Ash calmly told the soldier before him. "Call me a baby if you must, but my Pikachu chose to remain this way. I will not force him to do anything he doesn't want to do."

Surge was unfazed. "Very well, then, maggot...you have until 1800 hours to attempt to open the way to the arena. Succeed, and you'll face Raika in battle. Fail, and you'll have to return to try again at 0700 hours. Your escorts are allowed to help you, but you have to find the two switches to unlock the door yourself."

Ash nodded as he tried oh so hard to suppress the angry tears welling up from inside him. "I accept your challenge, sir!"

Ash fumed as he watched a steel wall rose up from the Gym floor. I am not a maggot, and I am not a baby. he vowed. I am a beautiful and powerful phoenix...and I will rise from the ashes of your insults, and defeat you!

"1800 hours is 6 PM, right?" Misty asked, snapping him back to reality.

"Yeah...it's 10 AM now, so if we do the math right, we have eight hours to complete Lt. Surge's puzzle." Brock explained. "Remember what Clyde told us before--the two switches we need to find are next to each other in some way--they are not on an angle, or diagonal."

"When you three are ready, come through the door and begin your challenge." Lt. Surge's voice crackled through a speaker in the corner near the Gym entrance.

Ash nodded, and motioned for Misty and Brock to follow him to the bronze sliding door, which whirred open as they approached. As the door whirred shut behind them, he balked at seeing what looked like hundreds and hundreds of trash cans before him. "Okay...where should we start looking?"

A beep signaled that Misty had pressed a switch, only for a buzz to signal that the switch next to it was incorrect. "This is gonna be harder than we thought..."

Another buzz signaled that Brock had gotten a wrong combination. "So much for that corner..."

We can rule out the top right and bottom left... Ash thought before hurrying towards the two trash cans at the bottom right of the room. After pressing one of the switches, he pressed the switch at the end of the row, only for a buzz to signal he was wrong. Three corners down, and one to go... he thought as he dashed towards the top left of the room...

---------

Some time later, the trio met at the center of the room to discuss their next move. "We can rule out all four corners..." Brock mused as he crossed out the two switches in each of the corners of a diagram of the puzzle he had drawn out.

"I've been up and down the entire first column, and all of them are wrong." Misty reported, spurring Brock to X out the trash cans in the diagram's first column.

An idea occurred to Tintri. [Everyone...I may have an idea!]

"What is it?" Ash asked as Tintri bounded off his shoulder, and took Brock's diagram, propping it on an easel near the puzzle room's entrance.

[Were you guys looking at the colors of the switches?] Tintri suggested, making four circles matching each of the switch's four colors. [Aside from the switches we know are wrong, what if the two switches we need to find are also the same color, and positioned next to each other?]

"It's possible, but every trash can we've looked in don't have switches of the same color." Misty interjected. "Then again, we haven't looked in all of them yet...so let's try your idea of a pair of switches of the same color!"

Ash smiled as Misty and Brock hurried off to find two switches next to each other that were also the same color. "That was a great idea, bud..."

A buzz spurred Misty to report. "These blue ones on row 2 are wrong..."

"So are the green ones on row 3..." Brock sighed as Ash hurried to test some red switches in the top row. "Once we've looked in all the rows, we can try looking in the columns..."

As Ash returned to the first row, he noticed two yellow switches near the center of the row that had not been marked incorrect. We haven't checked these yet...so I'm gonna try them!

After pressing one of the yellow switches, he pressed the other switch...only for the door at the other end of the steel wall to rumble open! "Guys! I found it!" he called.

"Well! You may be smarter than you look, private...it's only 1300 hours." Lt. Surge smiled as the group reunited near the entrance to the main arena. "Plenty of time to see whether your baby Pikachu can beat Raika. If you do defeat her, a Thunder Badge is yours."

Ash nodded as he stepped onto the Blue side of the sleek metallic Poké Ball in the arena, facing the soldier and the golden mouse with a long wire-like tail before him. "Your proposed challenge is fair, sir! I am ready to give my all for a Thunder Badge, sir!"

To Be Continued...

 

Previously, on "Pokémon Lightning Yellow"...

As Ash returned to the first row, he noticed two yellow switches near the center of the row that had not been marked incorrect. We haven't checked these yet...so I'm gonna try them!

After pressing one of the yellow switches, he pressed the other switch...only for the door at the other end of the steel wall to rumble open! "Guys! I found it!" he called.

"Well! You may be smarter than you look, private...it's only 1300 hours." Lt. Surge smiled as the group reunited near the entrance to the main arena. "Plenty of time to see whether your baby Pikachu can beat Raika. If you do defeat her, a Thunder Badge is yours."

Ash nodded as he stepped onto the Blue side of the sleek metallic Poké Ball in the arena, facing the soldier and the golden mouse with a long wire-like tail before him. "Your proposed challenge is fair, sir! I am ready to give my all for a Thunder Badge, sir!"


Episode 21: Electric Shock Showdown!

Lt. Surge smiled at the black haired boy before him on the Blue side of the arena. This'll be too easy... "Come at me with all you've got, private!"

He motioned to his faithful Raichu. "Raika, let's go! Start with a Thundershock!"

[Start with a Thundershock, aye!] Raika smiled before charging up for the attack.

"Tintri, counter with your own Thundershock!" Ash called.

On the sidelines, Misty and Brock watched as both electric bursts fought for an advantage, but eventually Raikas blue-white burst overpowered the small yellow burst, sending Tintri flying backwards. "Tintri can't stand up to Raika's more powerful attacks!" Brock gasped as Tintri landed at Ash's feet, battered, but not beaten.

He unearthed a Poké Ball. "Ash! Call time out and call Tintri back! I'll lend you Terra for this fight!"

Ash made a T signal to Lt. Surge, than knelt down to his heaving Pikachu. "Are you sure you can continue the fight, bud? That was a nasty shock you took. I can swap in Terra if you need to rest..."

[No...] Tintri replied. [I came all this way to prove I can beat a Raichu as I am...and I am not backing down, giving up, or letting another mon still my thunder!]

Ash swallowed hard. "Okay..."

He called to Brock. "Tintri feels confident he can hold up to Raika, despite that nasty attack! So I don't think we'll need Terra."

"Okay then...if you're sure." Brock replied as he put the Poké Ball away. "I'll still have Terra on standby if you change your mind."

In the arena, Lt. Surge smirked at the turn of events. He's not swapping Pokémon after all? After all Raika's opening move did to his little Pikachu? This kid's either foolish, or has a lot of guts!

He called to Raika "Use Body Slam, and flatten the Pikachu into a Pika-cake!"

[One Body Slam, aye!] Raika smiled before making a flying leap into the air...

"Tintri, watch out!" Ash gasped as he saw Raika's shadow over Tintri.

Tintri veered away from the falling Raichu. [Missed me!] he taunted, sticking out his tongue as Raika weakly stood up in the crater her attack had created in the middle of the arena.

Ash smiled at the turn of events. "Let's flummox Raika some more! Full speed ahead with Agility!"

[Catch me if you can!] Tintri taunted as he became a supersonic yellow blur in the arena. Try as Raika might to squish Tintri with more Body Slams, Tintri dodged every attack, leaving more craters all over the arena.

The lightbulb went off in Misty's head as she watched the Raichu fruitlessly try to catch the yellow streak in the arena. "Oh, I see what Ash wants to do!"

"Since Lt. Surge evolved Raika into a Raichu too fast, she never had a chance to learn the speedy attacks she could've only learned as a Pikachu." Brock agreed.

Lt. Surge growled in frustration at the trail of craters filling the arena, and Raika fruitlessly trying to catch the yellow streak. "Raika! Fill the entire Gym with the most powerful Thunderbolt you can! I don't care if you end up charring the whole city in the process!"

[A world record thunderbolt, aye!] Raika called before unleashing a mighty cry....

"Hit the deck!" Misty called as she led Ash and Brock underneath a stone bench near the Blue side of the arena. Seconds later, a blue white explosion rocked the Gym and the entirety of Vermilion City, destroying most of the arena floor and blowing out all the windows within several miles of the Gym in all directions.

When the light had faded and the dust settled, Lt. Surge confidently smirked at the scene of destruction. There's no way the baby could've survived that...

But as Ash, Misty, and Brock emerged from their shelter, they smiled with joy and relief, and Lt. Surge gasped with horror when they saw Tintri standing on his tail. [Ta-da!]

"How?" Lt. Surge gasped. "You should've been toast!"

[Got any butter to go with that toast?] Tintri taunted as he elegantly backflipped onto his feet again, facing the exhausted Raika.

"I see...Tintri simply used his tail as a ground to insulate himself from the electric shocks." Brock smiled.

"That, and that so called world record Thunderbolt exhausted Raika!" Misty noted Raika heaving heavily in what was left of the Red side of the arena.

"Raika, try a Thunderbolt that'll blow these pricks clear into the next galaxy!" Lt. Surge roared.

[I apologize...sir...but...I...can't...] Raika wheezed.

Raika's exhausted from that electric storm before! Ash smiled. So let's just fight thunder with thunder!

He called "Tintri, power up a Quick Attack with your own thunder! It's our turn to unleash an electric storm!"

"Okay, Raika, new plan!" Lt. Surge called. "Take Down that Pikachu!"

[Take Down, aye!] Raika called.

Ash's tense look turned to joy as Tintri met Raika by streaking into her stomach, with the impact shaped like a thunder phoenix. When the thunder phoenix faded a few moments later, Raika laid swirly eyed at Lt. Surge's feet.

Lt. Surge looked down on his fainted Raichu in shock for a moment. "Well, color me impressed...General Ash."

"General?" Ash asked, confused as Lt. Surge approached him with a badge shaped like a golden flower.

"I threw everything I had at you, yet you held firm in the midst of the storm." Lt. Surge explained. "That, and you showed me some pretty creative tactics!"

He offered Ash the badge. "I look forward to the day I and the rest of the troops can call you Master Ash."

[Yes, you are clearly the victor today, soldier!] Raika agreed.

Ash smiled as he looked down on his new Thunder Badge before saluting Lt. Surge in respect. "I promise Tintri and me will keep getting stronger, sir!"

 

Episode 22: Setting Sail From the Port of Sunsets


"Congrats on getting your Thunder Badge, Ash..." Brock smiled as the group emerged from Vermilion Gym that evening. "You've more than earned a nice dinner with a battle like that!"

"Yeah--name what you want, and we'll treat you." Misty agreed.

Ash thought for a moment before noticing a beautiful cruise ship in the harbor. "I've never seen a cruise ship this close before...wonder what line it's part of?"

"That is the SS Anne, the flagship of the Fortune Seas line." Brock explained. "The other two in her class are the SS Amy, and SS Aika. They're working on a fourth ship in this class, which will be named the SS Alis."

"Wow!" Ash gasped. "I would love to go on a cruise one day!"

"As cool as it would be to sail aboard the good ship SS Anne, cruises can get pricey..." Misty cautioned. "So unless you have 300,000 credits lying around somewhere, keep dreaming, and saving up."

"Maybe not..." a male voice interjected.

Misty whirled around to discover Bill showing her three cruise tickets. "Bill! What a surprise!"

"I was invited to go on the SS Anne's latest Alolan cruise, but some new information about our dragon bird came up--and the research project conflicted with the cruise dates...so no dream cruise for me." Bill explained. "So would you three like to go on my behalf? It would be all expenses paid for the three of you."

"Would we ever!" Ash eagerly snatched one of the tickets.

"Yes, thank you!" Misty smiled as she took a ticket.

"Let's head back to the Pokémon Center, and pack there...we have a few days before we board." Brock suggested as he took the third ticket. "We'll send plenty of postcards, and souvenirs!"

---------

"...and then Bill surprised us with three tickets to sail to Alola!" Ash excitedly explained as he proudly showed off his ticket and a red Alolan shirt with flower and phoenix designs.

"How fun!" Delia smiled. "I'll go through your dresser and send over some of your summer clothes. There's probably laundry service aboard the ship, so you should have plenty to wear."

"Don't forget a suit for Formal Night..." Misty suggested before addressing the image of Daisy on a second videophone. "As for me, I'm gonna wear that glittery sapphire gown I like for Formal Night..."

"Okay--I'll go find that and your beach gear." Daisy smiled.

Brock meanwhile, accepted a variety of his summer clothes plus a suit from an item transfer machine. "The kids were thrilled we're sailing to Alola..." he explained as he stashed the clothes inside a suitcase, along with beach supplies, and a few warm items. "Just in case it DOES get cold." he explained.

He next spread a list of excursions offered on the trip for Ash to see as Misty went to claim her items from an item transfer machine. "Any of these sound interesting? We'll be hitting all four major islands on our dream Alola cruise..."

"The Melemele Trail sounds fun..ooh, and fresh Nanab Berries from the world famous Lani Farm..." Ash mused as he marked some excursions for Melemele Island.

"Don't forget excursions on the other islands..." Misty reminded Ash. "If we time it right, we could see some of the local kids embark on the Alola Pokémon challenge--appropriately called the Island Challenge. There's no real League there, so their goal is to just make it all the way around the region."

"Sounds interesting!" Ash smiled as he found a Native Alolan to English dictionary to study on a table, periodically looking out at the majestic ship in the harbor...

 

Interlude: The Glory of the Sea (part 1)


"Here we are...number 164." Brock smiled as he swiped the group's stateroom key, revealing a spacious three bed suite. "This is home at sea..."

Misty noticed Ash wincing as she brought in the group's luggage. "You okay, Ash?" she asked as she set the group's bags inside the tub in the suite's roomy bathroom.

"The ship's emergency alarm is loud..." Ash replied, wincing at a memory of the muster drill moments earlier.

"Look at it this way--you should only have to hear it at the muster drill." Misty assured Ash. "Arceus willing we don't have to hear it again."

Ash nodded. "Why are all our bags in the tub?"

"Gotta check all the beds for Burmies." Misty explained as she helped Brock inspect the beds. "If they come home with you, they are a royal pain for you to get rid of. Even nice places can have Burmies, so always check the beds and around the room before you bring in your bags--put the bags in the tub, if your room has a bathroom, like this."

"The good news is, no Burmies anywhere." Brock reported as he turned off his PokeNav's flashlight. "So now we can unpack!"

"I'm ready to explore this ship, and see everything we can do at sea." Ash smiled.

"We are on Deck 9--nearby the main pool deck and the ship's main theater." Brock explained. "Bill left us a card explaining what's paid for us, and what we still have to pay for."

"If you're not in the mood to fight the crowds, all the movies and live shows are broadcast on our stateroom TV." Misty explained. "But believe me, you'll want to see all the shows live."

Brock raised an eyebrow at the list of facilities and amenities that were paid for. "Well! The spa is one place that is paid for for us--in the mood for a facial or a massage?" he asked Misty.

"I might get my nails done at some point..." Misty replied as she studied the list of events for the night. "But for tonight, let's jut look around, and see what the ship has to offer--after we unpack, of course."

As he unloaded his bags, Ash got a glimpse of the available excursions at Melemele Island. "Pity I don't have scuba training--going pearl diving sounds fun!"

"The next time you come to Cerulean, I'll see if I can talk Daisy into letting you and I use one of the Gym's pools for scuba training." Misty smiled, proudly showing off an icon of a red flag with a diagonal white stripe on her trainer card. "Then you can go pearl diving, and swim with wild Wartortles and Squirtles!"

A pop of a Poké Ball got Ash's attention. [We're gonna go see my wild ancestors?] Brenna gasped. [Where?]

"We're on our way to the beautiful Alola region." Ash explained as he watched Vermilion Harbor begin to disappear beneath the horizon. "Wild Squirtles and Wartortles are said to live there."

[But for now, we're gonna explore what's on the boat.] Tintri explained to the excited Squirtle. [There's so much to do on the ship, we may not ever want to get off!]

Inspired, Ash heaved all his Poke Balls skyward. "Come on out, everyone! We're off on a dream vacation!"

[No wonder I felt like we were rocking...] Saria mused as she spotted the list of excursions. [I wanna see this place...] she suggested, pointing out an excursion marked "Explore Verdant Cavern" on the list of Melemele excursions with a vine. [...and taste the Nanab Berries from the world famous Lani Farm...]

[I wanna see some real volcanos!] Blaze smiled as he admired a picture of a volcano.

[I want to see all the beautiful island flowers!] Wings chittered as he admired a blooming hibiscus picture on the second page of excursions.

[If Ash isn't afraid of heights, the aerial tours of the island sound like the closest thing to flying.] Mina chirped, pointing out a picture of a hot air balloon with a wing.

Ash smiled as his team admired the pictures and chattered over which excursions sounded the most exciting. "We have a few days at sea, so we have plenty of time to think about what we want to see on each island...but first, let's see what we can do aboard the ship!"

 

Interlude: The Angel in Green


As many of the SS Anne's passengers opted to hit the dance floor on the main deck for the sail away party, Ash led his companions towards a table near one of the quiet pools. "There, maybe now we can carry on a conversation without all the noise!" Ash smiled as he arrived with a taco plate from the main food court.

"A toast!" Brock announced, holding a Midori Mist can high. "To a dream vacation--and our bond as best friends."

"To a dream vacation, and an eternal friendship!" Ash and Misty agreed as three soda cans clanked together.

"If you don't mind, is it okay if I join your dinner?" a familiar female voice asked, snapping Ash to attention.

A smile formed on his face when he noticed a brown haired girl wearing a sky blue sleeveless shirt, a red skirt, and a white hat with a red band approaching the table. "Midori! What a surprise!"

"It's good to see you too, Ash..." Midori smiled as she took one of the empty seats at the table. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see you off when you left on your adventure--but you couldn't have picked any better traveling companions!"

"Speaking of which, how's Sprinkle doing?" Misty asked.

"Kari doing okay after we had to escape the Zubats?" Brock asked.

Midori nodded before heaving three Poke Balls skyward. "Sprinkle, Rei, Kari, come on out!"

Ash smiled as a Squirtle, a Vulpix, and a Clefairy materialized on the deck, near their master's chair. "Not a bad start for the team, there...that's if you even want a full team."

He smiled as Tintri hurried to introduce himself to Midori's Pokémon. "This is Tintri, my partner--apparently, Prof. Oak had an Eevee saved for me, but Gary got it before I could..."

Midori sighed. "Gary still bothering you on the road?"

Ash nodded. "Not only did he swipe the Eevee that was supposed to be mine, he dragged me into a battle whether I wanted to battle or not, left me all kinds of insulting messages..."

---------

"...so if he tries to ruin our dream vacation, I'm more than ready for him!" Ash finished filling in Midori some time later. "Even if he comes at me with all 151 Kanto Pokémon!"

Midori smiled. "Brave as ever...I mainly came on the cruise because Sprinkle wanted to see the wild Squirtles that roam the pearl beds surrounding the Alolan islands--never would I ever guess I'd find you all here!"

"See, when Serena moved away to Kalos the summer before fourth grade, Midori was there to comfort me and help me process saying goodbye to a dear friend..." Ash explained...

---------

In Ash's memory, a young Midori arrives to meet a young Ash in a park somewhere in Pallet Town, where Young Ash is glumly looking at an old picture of him and a blonde haired girl. "You miss Serena, don't you?"

Young Ash nods. "We saw her off with a party, and I made her a photo book of some of our favorite pictures...yet I can't shake this feeling of sadness..."

Tears form in his eyes. "I miss her so much..."

"Come here..." Young Midori hugs Young Ash, letting him cry a little on her shoulder. "It's okay to be sad when someone you love moves away--the two of you were very close."

Young Ash accepts a Kleenex from Young Midori, then dries his tears. "I can only imagine what moving to a new region is like--not only do you have to deal with new people and a new school, but also a new culture and a new language..."

"So if you could write a letter to Serena right now, what would you say?" Young Midori asks as she leads Young Ash to a picnic table, then sets a piece of paper in front of him.

Young Ash thinks a moment as he finds a pen in his bag. "Dear Serena, I miss you so much, but I'm also curious about what it's like in Kalos..." he muses as he writes. "Are the people nice over there? How hard has it been to learn the local language?" ...

---------

A few days later, Young Ash is surprised to find Delia with a letter for him. "I think Serena wrote you a letter all the way from Kalos..." she smiles as she gives him a envelope with a black, white and red stylized Talonflame emblem.

A smile forms on Young Ash's face as he reads the letter, then excitedly copies down Serena's Kalosian address in his letter organizer. "Can we go to the post office today?" he asks as he retrieves the now three page letter he wrote with Midori a few days before. "I want to know how much it costs to mail something to Kalos."

"Well, put that letter in an envelope and address it, and we'll stop by the post office on the way to the store, okay?" Delia assures Young Ash as he carefully puts his letter in an envelope....

---------

"...so whenever we stop in a new place, I always make sure to tell Mom and Dad where we are, so she can forward me any mail I get--letters from Serena, letters from other friends, magazines, or comics." Ash concluded some time later.

"That's sweet that you and Serena have written letters all this time." Misty smiled.

"Arceus willing, the two of you will see each other again." Brock agreed, before changing the subject. "Since this is our first cruise, what are the must sees on the ship, and what can we safely skip?"

"I've been on this line before, so once we finish dinner, I can show you what's worth your time." Midori offered. "Since Anne is the flagship of the line, there's lots to do that the Amy or the Aika don't have...

 

Interlude: A Stage at Sea

"...after inadvertently singing a song that offends the king, Jasmine is threatened with being banished from the kingdom, unless she can prove she can use her fiddle and her song for good." Midori explained as the group approached the grand entryway of the SS Anne's main theater. "After wandering the fantasy land for a while, she tells her story to a kind innkeeper, who feels sorry for her. He tells her a dragon Pokémon is bringing terror on the land, and she can use her song to slay it--and adventure ensues from there!"

"Sounds exciting!" Ash smiled as Midori led the way into the grand theater.

'Course, I'm not spoiling the play's ending!" Midori grinned as she located some vacant seats near the middle. "On many ships, you can sit anywhere you like to see a show, so I picked some with a great view of the stage."

Brock nudged Misty as Ash flew into one of the four seats next to Midori. "Who knows? You may hear some fiddle tunes you've never heard before..."

"Well, if I hear some I like, FindTune is an Arceus send..." Misty smiled. "All you have to do is sing, hum, or whistle what you remember of the tune, and it'll ID what tune it is--or what tunes it sounds closest to. It'll give you sheet music to the tunes, as well, including guitar tab, whistle notes, harmonica tab, and a number of other trad instruments".

"Not sure if I packed my harmonica or not, but if I hear a tune I wanna learn, I'll ask you to help me find the notes or the tab." Ash smiled as the lights in the theater flashed the five minute warning...

---------

"...and the king got so mad, he threatened to banish me unless I can prove I an use my song for good." an auburn haired actress in a colorful blue, silver, and gold minstrel costume sighed. "While I admit that what I sang was not fit for the palace, I had no idea that thieves had traded the royal ballad I was going to sing with a bawdy drinking song!"

"Peace, Lady Jasmine...all hope is not yet lost." a man in a simple fantasy innkeeper's costume assured the actress. "You could use your song to slay the fearsome Dragonite that now threatens this land."

"A Dragonite!" the actress gasped. "How come His Majesty doesn't know of this?"

"To avoid undue panic and alarm." the actor playing the innkeeper replied. "If nothing is done, the king won't find out about the Dragonite until the castle is burnt to cinders..."

In the audience, Ash savored the heroic melody and the actress singing onstage. "This is getting good!"

"CDs of the soundtracks to all the shows on the cruise are in the onboard gift shop, if you want an easy souvenir..." Midori whispered back as she watched the set change to a set of an oracle's house.

"Come inside, singer of songs...I know why you have come." an actress in the role of the oracle assured the actress playing Jasmine. "You have been wrongfully banished, but you can make things right again if you can slay the Dragonite that now threatens us all."

"What must I do to slay the Dragonite?" the actress playing Jasmine asked.

"In order to slay the Dragonite, you must seek the eight Beads of the Elements." the actress playing the oracle replied. "Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Snow, Thunder, the Moon and the Sun..."

 

Interlude: A Relaxing Night At Sea


"That was a great show!" Ash raved as he, Misty, Brock, and Midori made their way down a hallway aboard the SS Anne's main deck. While the other passengers opted to spend the night with more shows, more games, and more dancing, Ash's energy was fading quickly.

"I wonder where the spa is?" he mused. "A massage before bed would be wonderful..."

"Massages, baths, facials, and other spa experiences are paid for for us." Brock explained. "But any soap or bath products you want to bring home to Mom, those you have to pay for."

A door with a wave design on the right side of the hall made Ash smile. "This has to be the spa..." he smiled as he opened the door, leading the group inside the quiet and relaxed oasis filled with massage chairs, massage tables, jetted baths, saunas, steam showers, and other items meant to soothe and relax weary and tired humans and Pokémon alike. A Jolteon purred as a Machop gently massaged its fur, its human master relaxing in one of the jetted baths.

"Where do we even start?" Ash wondered, awed at all the equipment, and relaxed humans and Pokémon using them.

A vacant massage chair in a semi-circle of massage chairs got his attention. "These have to be even better than the ones in the mall at home!"

"The massage chairs are free for all passengers, so relax all you like." an attendant assured Ash as she put out fresh towels for those using the baths and showers.

Once settled in the chair with Tintri, Ash studied the chair's settings. Let's start with 15 minutes on the gentlest setting--not sure how much stronger these are than the ones at the mall...

After flicking a few switches, the chair came to life with a gentle hum, relaxing the weary boy and his Pikachu...

---------

"Ah...a perfect end to our first night on board..." Misty smiled as she and Midori--now in their bathing suits--relaxed in a jetted bath.

"From a cruise veteran--don't try to do everything on the ship, or on the islands--all at once." Midori cautioned. "That would be tiring and stressful, plus defeat the point of a vacation."

Misty smiled as she watched a spa attendant scrub Pearl's jewel. 'The whole point of a vacation is to relax."

"Since we'll be at sea for the first few days of the trip, I can tell you guys what you have to do on the ship, and what's not really worth your time--and some things the schedule in the cabin won't tell you." Midori explained as Sprinkle floated by her on the jets of bubbles. "I will reiterate that if you don't want to fight the crowds, you can see all the shows on your stateroom TV. If you're not feeling formal night that night, it's okay to order in room service."

"I know the dining rooms weren't open tonight, but what will dinner be like once the dining rotation begins tomorrow?" Brock wondered as a Machoke gently massaged him from one of the human massage tables.

"Basically, the same wait staff will follow you from restaurant to restaurant, so the same staff will take your orders and bring food and drinks every night." Midori explained. 'Sometimes, there are theme nights with special menus--I know our cruise is gonna have a Alolan theme night for sure..."

"If you only get to try one kind of Alolan food, ask for a malasada for dessert." Brock informed Ash. "Thank me later."

"Point noted for when the Alola night comes around." Ash smiled as the massage chair finished its cycle.

He stretched as he got up from the chair. "That was relaxing...I feel like I could take on the world now!"