Okay, first I just want to thank my reviewers Dagon22 and Lolita of the Damned. Y'all are awesome. It's been taking me awhile to research sinking ships so in the end I decided to just make it simple and crash the blasted ship into some rocks! Sorry it took me forever to get this out. Let me know what you think, okay?

The Sabotage of the S.S. Alexei

Water…Too much water…

Saxon and I are back aboard the S.S. Alexei. The party has long since begun. There are many of us, trainers and pokémon summoned out onto the upper deck; the sun is beginning to set. I look on with pride as my charmeleon, Saxon, spews embers upon a youngster's mankey, knocking it out. The crowd goes wild!

We have our own small crowd going. A sort of makeshift tournament was devised out of boredom earlier on and Saxon and I are winning so far. The only conditions of the tournament are that no items such as potions or even soda pops can be used by pokémon or trainers and once a pokémon is fainted it can not be revived. Once a trainer is out of usable pokémon, he or she is out of the game.

I look to a tray of refreshments with longing. "I'm so thirsty…" This rule about no food or drink is ridiculous. I haven't had anything to drink in hours…

The youngster pouts as he returns his mankey to its pokéball and transfers some coins from his hand to mine. I shove them in a pants pocket and scan the ring around me for my next opponent. She steps out into the makeshift arena where Saxon awaits the summoning of her next foe.

My opponent is a Lass, a teenager really, roughly around my age. Decked out in a simple white blouse and long black skirt, she is rather tall and has wavy brunette hair that falls to her waist. Her eyes are a bright, startling green. On her face is a smile so arrogant, I want to wipe it right off and quickly.

The lass calls out to me, "Do you have any other pokémon to battle with, or are you going to keep using your charmeleon? Sorry, but Ember is getting old to watch over and over again." A roar of laughter emits from the crowd around us. I grip Saxon's pokéball in anger.

"How dare she make a fool out of me!? Who does she think she is?" I think to myself. "I can use Ythgim for now, see how he does."

"You can return for now, Saxon", I tell my charmeleon as I summon her into the pokéball. I call out Ythgim, the "mighty" magikarp. I see the lass's smirk as her eyes sweep over Ythgim in a glance and as she sends out a rattata into battle.

My face grows hot and I wish that I was anywhere but here, watching this haughty girl embarrass me.

"C'mon Ythgim, show this rat what you're made of!" I encourage the magikarp. But the flailing fish just splashes around the deck. The creature looks as if he can barely breathe, let alone fight.

"Rattata, use tackle", orders the lass, her voice faint with laughter. The rattata starts at a run before knocking the wind out of my magikarp. Ythgim cries out in pain and the crowd is cheering. The crowd that had been cheering for me just moments ago has turned against me. I don't like it at all.

Filled with anger and embarrassment, I hastily return Ythgim to his pokéball and summon Saxon in his place. The crowd jeers as Saxon opens her eyes to her foe.

"I am so THIRSTY!!!" I want a drink. I am irritated at this crowd, at my magikarp, at these stupid rules. At the tray of refreshments only a few paces away. At this lass for making me look bad. At her rattata for making my pokémon look weak. And at myself for getting into this mess in the first place. My mouth is dry and I am aggravated.

"Rattata, bite the charmeleon!" the lass orders. The filthy rat races up to Saxon and bites into her arm. "Saxon, use Rage!" I relay. "If only she could channel all of my anger, my discomfort and make someone suffer! Make that rat suffer!"

As if Saxon can read my thoughts she complies and goes on an all out Rage of Fury. She goes absolutely mad! Her eyes are bluish-white gems of fire and she radiates an aura of monstrosity. The flame on the tip of her tail blazes a beautiful blue.

Apparently, the lass is unaware of how dangerous a charmeleon's Rage can be. She orders the filthy rattata to bite Saxon again. She is so annoying, with that confident smirk on her face. The rattata is also confident. How ignorant they are. The rattata bites; Saxon doesn't even bother dodging it. She is waiting, expecting. Ready for her Rage to grow stronger.

Saxon is enraged now. She doesn't need any further commands from me. She attacks the rattata at will, knowing that I will not stop her. Once I tell her to use Rage, she knows what to do. Once I relay that command, she will attack until either she or her foe is unable to continue the battle. She does so now.

Saxon attacks. The poor rattata doesn't even know what hit it. It is trying to defend itself by Biting, Growling, using every defense mechanism in the book. The lass is relaying order after order but all attempts at bringing down this enraged charmeleon are futile.

The rat puts up a good fight. But every attack only enrages Saxon further. Only enrages me further. It is a surprisingly long match. In the end, Saxon, claws stained, is victorious; the rattata is lying on the deck, motionless.

The lass's face is streaked with tears as she recalls the rattata into the safety of its pokéball where no more damage can be done to its body. She calls me a score of names that I cannot bear to repeat. Her rage would rival that of the red lizard right now. I take in her words, silently. She throws down some coins at my feet after using a particularly nasty hand gesture in my direction. I see the words her mouth is forming but I hear no sound come out. She can't speak, she is so furious. But I would be too, if someone's charmeleon did to mine what Saxon did to that rattata.

Before this, I didn't know how furious a charmeleon's rage could be. The lass, the rattata, and I, we were all ignorant. I had recalled how Saxon had battled in Vermillion City, when I was irritated at Surge and decided to take advantage of it again. I didn't know that she would channel all of her being into this one, stupid, meaningless battle. I didn't realize that the rattata would put up such resistance, that it would only enrage Saxon further. I didn't know that the rattata would soon be on a journey to the Tower, to Elysium.

The lass forms the curse words with her mouth but no sound comes to my ears. She walks below deck. I cannot pick up the money that she has thrown down. It wouldn't be right. Not after this. My gaze turns to my surroundings on deck. Sailors, gentlefolk, party guests, pokémon, all are stopped in their tracks, their battles with one another are forgotten. They are all staring at me.

I look to my charmeleon and she greets me with, "Char meleon char!" As if to say, "Hey, we won! Aren't you proud of me?" She stares at me with innocent eyes in total bliss of what has just occurred. I can't look back into those eyes. I can't look at anyone. I return the confused charmeleon to her pokéball and start toward the refreshment tray.

The onlookers quickly get out of my path as I make my way to the tray. All is completely silent. My throat hurts so badly, as if I have been yelling myself hoarse all night. Yes, the shining stars clarify that it is night. The battle had lasted for a while.

"HAD I been yelling? Yes. I had. Did it really last so long? Yes. It did."

I grab two bottles of Coke and make my way below deck to my cabin. All is silent. All are staring. Sleep eludes me for what seems like an eternity. The thought of those brilliant green eyes haunts me.

"What was her name? She had a name, why can't I remember it!? They all think I'm a monster. I know they do. And I am. I was angry, embarrassed. But I didn't know that Saxon would interpret those emotions! But it's not her fault, it's mine. She didn't know any better. I should have. Why didn't I tell her to stop? Surely I did! Didn't I? Didn't I?"

A violent shove stirs me from my sleep. I awake with a start to find myself on the floor of my cabin with a major headache. Everything's wet. The floor is covered with water. Too much water…

I incoherently grab my rucksack from off of the floor, secure my pokéballs to my belt loops, and rush out the door on my unsteady sea legs. The corridor is filled with water…I slosh through it to the upper deck. There is absolute pandemonium.

So many passengers are in a state of frenzy, running every which-a-way. Avian-type pokémon are released from their pokéballs left and right. Their fortunate trainers are leaping off of the ship a-bird-back and flying away. I only hope that they are going to get help.

I spot Huey and reach him in due time; the upper deck is packed with scared, confused passengers and it takes awhile to get anywhere. I have to shout to make myself heard; the din is overwhelming. "What's going on?" I practically scream in his ear.

"The ship's been sabotaged", he replies flatly. "The way the captain tells it, he was in his cabin sick as a dog, throwing up all over the place, when the ship started accelerating. When she came about, and collided right into that pile o' rocks yonder." The sailor jerks his head toward the bow and then starboard side.

I can only stare. The "pile o' rocks" is to me what looks like a small mountain out in the middle of the ocean. And the S.S. Alexei's hull is probably breached in a thousand different places, letting in the water… I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner.

"What makes you say it was sabotage?" I ask him.

He looks almost sick before bitterly replying, "The entire crew was enjoying that party last night. The night-crew thought they would step aside from their posts when a young lass went below and invited them up for a few drinks. They were gone for five minutes. But it was enough. Some of the pokémon were left in the engine room, shoveling coal into the boilers and such, just working, before the crew came back to find them all missing. Gone, disappeared, vanished."

My heart sinks as I recall the lass I battled and the gleam in her eyes as she went down below deck. I know it was her. It had to have been. But why take the crew's pokémon and sabotage the ship? What was she after? It made no sense. But then again, it does. What would I have done if it had been my pokémon that had been beaten like that?

The frenzy continues. People are absolute idiots, jumping off of the ship into the freezing water, trying to swim back to the mainland. They are idiots. Once they've jumped, some poor sailor has to go fetch a life preserver and toss it to them. If they can't reach it, another poor guy will feel it is his obligation to jump in after them, which only shows how idiotic he is. Well intentioned, but idiotic.

Finally, the captain's grabbed hold of a loudspeaker. He yells at everyone, "Ladies and gentlemen, please do not panic!" Yeah, we're on a sinking steam ship and you're telling us not to panic. The din is in a state of uproar. I can't hear anything else that the captain is saying.

I hear something, faint. Is it the loudspeaker again? No, something else. Music? I look to the bow. Musicians have taken out what instruments that haven't been ruined, stood up, and started playing. Their conductor, baton in hand, has a smug expression on his face. So do the musicians. But they play. A Concert F, is it? Wow, Huey, I didn't know you could play the sousaphone. Sheets of music are on stands that have appeared from out of nowhere. They aren't panicking, like the rest of us. They just play that one, singular note, sustain it, and we all marvel as it rings. Everyone is listening. Everyone is calm.

I see her. The saboteur. She is playing the flute. I know it's her; the memory of those brilliant green eyes haunted me all night. Our eyes meet. Hers widen in surprise and she drops her flute onto the deck. She instantly jumps over the side of the railing and turns back to me. She smiles at me before she plunges into the water. As if this is just an act. As if we're old friends playing some stupid game. She jumps, and I feel sick to my stomach.

I don't even wait to hear the splash, not that I would be able to anyways with the musicians playing. I run forward, grab her abandoned flute and stow it in the rucksack still on my back. "WHY?Why did she go and jump?"

I look around. Did anyone notice that she had jumped? Did anyone recognize her? Did anyone even know that she existed? Everyone is listening to the captain now. He's back on the loudspeaker. I don't care about what he has to say. My mind is replaying the last few seconds over and over again in my head. I relive her jump moment after moment. I can't take it anymore.

Like the fools before me I don't even bother kicking off my shoes. All on my mind is the thought of the lass-drowning. I break into a run and sail over the railing. Midair I think I hear Huey, "DRAKO, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!!!" Blue, blue, rushing. In a nanosecond I fill my lungs with the biggest breath I have ever inhaled and shut my eyes before impact.

Splash! Cold, freezing cold! Why in the bloody blazes does the ocean have to be so cold?! Need to swim up. I exhale the air in my lungs and buoy to the water's surface. So stupid, idiotic. Why did I go and jump?

I am dog-paddling like hell, trying to stay afloat. I open my eyes. I don't see her! Where is she? I don't recall jumping so far. The S.S. Alexei seems so far away! I couldn't swim back to her even if I tried. It would be useless. I've never been a great swimmer. Holy shit!

I am swept under by the wave. Water is up my nose, in my mouth, going for my lungs. I panic and reach for the pokéballs on my belt loops. Magikarp! Please be a good swimmer…In a second the giant fish is out and I grab for him immediately. He can't swim. He is struggling, trying to break free of my hold, but in my panic I only tighten my grip.

I feel strong arms pulling me up. Up, to the surface. I'm there! I can breathe again. The pain in my ears is unlike any other! My rescuer releases me. I open my eyes to see a pissed-off Huey, wearing a life preserver, and cursing me out. Huey takes off the life preserver and pushes it to me. I put it on, gratefully. I turn around to see my rescuer. Polywhirl. So it was Polywhirl who rescued me. Where is Ythgim, my magikarp?

A bright white light blinds me; I can no longer see anything. Not Huey, not the ship. Just the light. Suddenly, I can see again. An eerie sound rings in my ears. I look to Huey who is as puzzled at hearing it as I am. We listen for the sound. It's getting louder. And louder.

The waves are waving back and forth violently. Submerging from out of the water is what looks like a long blue tail; the sound is ringing unbearably in my ears. No longer eerie and soft but a roaring note of discord. The force of the waves reel me backwards.

The owner of the long blue tail is fully submerged to the water's surface. A mighty sea-serpent/dragon that could pass for the identical twin of the traveling salesman's picture. Ythgim?! He's furious; rushing towards me his note of pain becomes a song of peril. I can only writhe in pain.

"AH!!!" Searing pain! I feel as if I have just been hit by a freight train, stung by a thousand beedrill. Tiny pinpricks of pain are wrought in my face. Blood is running into my eyes.The tail is wrapping around my throat now and lifting me up into the air.

Desperate, I hold out Ythgim's pokéball and try to find my voice to return this mad dragon. Instead of the now familiar beam of light that calls the pokémon back into captivity the serpent is still here, attemping to squeeze the life out of me. Can't breathe. Ythgim's pokéball drops from my hand and splashes into the water below.

I can faintly hear Huey cursing, ordering Polywhirl to attack…