Chapter 2

Zero folded up the map and stood up. He gave it to one of the Magnemite and looked at the hole in the glacier. He gulped and looked at his Magnezone.

"Ok, Magnezone. I need you to take me back up there," Zero said, trying to sound sure of himself. Magnezone glided over to him and waited patiently as Zero gently climbed on. After what seemed like an hour, Zero got back in his frozen ship. It seemed so different from when he was inside. The ice inside sparkled when the sunlight hit it and it seemed like a happy place instead of a prison. It felt so much colder than before though… He began to search the ship, until he heard a familiar female voice weakly calling out his name. He looked in the direction the voice was coming from and saw the flickering hologram of Infi.

"Infi! I thought you had been destroyed!" An overjoyed Zero exclaimed. Infi smiled with what seemed like a great effort.

"Almost, but not quite… Master Zero, is there anything you need?"

"Yes, one more thing. Where is that blue suit I used to have?" Zero asked. Infi paused, searching her memory.

"It is… in the… cargo hold with… your other things…" She began to fade in and out.

"Infi!" Zero cried, but the hologram blinked out and didn't come back on. Zero turned and walked toward the cargo hold as an all too familiar tear slid down his forlorn face once again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He returned from the cargo hold carrying a large blue messenger bag and wearing his newly found suit. The top was a blue and silver jacket with a high collar and long sleeves. The jacket split in the front at his waist and continued to his knees. The bottom part of the suit was a pair of long blue and silver pants. The suit fit as well as it did in his days working as the assistant to Newton Graceland. He quickly shook those happy but painful memories out of his head. He strode over to Magnezone, who was waiting with the utmost serenity. Zero crawled on one more time, happy to be rid of this place forever. As they flew down the glacier, Zero held tightly, but didn't close his eyes. When they touched down, Zero took in the surroundings one more time and headed down the dirt path towards the coast. His Pokemon followed suit.

It was a long and tiring walk to the coast, giving Zero a lot of time to think. Were my actions as pure as I thought? Did I just want to rule the Reverse World. Thinking of, can you reach the Reverse World from Johto? How am I even going to get off this island? I'll go insane if I don't. What will I do in Johto? I hope no knows about what happened here, or else I might have to change my identity. Fun, fun… These questions and thoughts, along with countless others, plauged his mind relentlessly on the way to the coast. When they finally reached it, Zero saw a ship in the distance. His face lit up. Well that solves one problem, he thought. He quickly turned to Magnezone.

"Can you carry me out to that ship?" Zero asked expectantly. Magnezone buzzed and swept him off in the direction of the ship. The Magneton and Magnemite followed behind them in a V-formation. The wind rushed through Zero's hair as Magnezone sped through the air at the fastest speed it could go. He saw Mantyke and Remoraid jumping up out of the water, and he felt the salty spray of the sea. He felt free all over again.

As they got closer to the ship, Zero could tell it was a giant cruise ship at least eight stories high. The writing on the side said, "S.S. Lapras." Zero gawked at the ship and was caught unaware when an exhausted Magnezone dumped him onto the deck of the ship. He rolled and shook his head. The deck was deserted, though it looked like the party deck. He stood up and dusted himself off. He hoped the ship was going to Johto, then he thought, as long as it's sailing away from Sinnoh, who cares? He laughed to himself, but no sooner had he taken five steps, when a pretty girl with long dark blue hair and eyes the color of sapphires burst on deck from the stairs coming from below. She wore a white sailor suit that flattered her hourglass figure. She had a stern look on her face that suddenly changed when she saw the handsome man on deck. She slinked toward him, swinging her hips.

"The party deck is closed, but if you want, I can show you a good time," she began to play with Zero's bangs, pushing them away from his face. Zero jumped back and fixed his bangs back over his eye.

"You know, as tempted as I am by your offer, I'm going to have to pass. I'm not that kind of a person," Zero replied, appalled at this woman's behavior, "I just need to know where the ship is going."

"We are headed for Olivine City in the Johto region. That's not a problem is it?" The girl replied. Zero smiled, and began to sneak away.

"No that's perfect. Thank you, miss," Zero answered. He quickly walked toward the stairs with his Pokemon close behind.

"Let me know if you change your mind!" The lady called after him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Zero looked around the ship and found an empty room. The room had a nautical theme and two twin beds. He sat down on the bed on the left and opened his messenger bag. He took out the five Pokeballs he was able to find in the cargo hold. He did a quick head count and found that he had six Pokemon: Magnezone, three Magneton, and two Magnemite.

"Magnezone, can I keep you outsude of a Pokeball?" Zero asked. Magnezone nodded as best it could and buzzed. Zero smiled and brought the others into Pokeballs. He patted Magnezone's head and looked through one of the porthole windows.

The sunset was one of the most beautiful sights he had ver seen in his life! The glow of the sun turned the water into liquid gold. The horizon was yellow and orange while the sky above was pink and purple. Diamonds began to dot the sky as Zero yawned. Turning around, he stretched and looked at the white wall clock. It was coming up on 8:30. He could not believe that just two hours ago, he had been bailed out of the glacier, and a mere five hours ago that he almost had the Reverse World in his hands.

"It's ben a very long day. I'm going to turn in early," he yawned again and took off his jacket. Just then, the sailor girl entered. She stopped and stared at his perfect body for a second before regaining her composure. Her face turned pink and she bowed.

"I'm terribly sorry! I didn't know that this room was being used," she stuttered.

"Well it is," Zero scoffed, " and if you can't tell, I'm trying to get ready to go to sleep." He put his hands in his pockets, put his feet shoulder-width apart and pushed his hips forward, his normal pose when he is agitated. The girl's face turned bright red.

"Sir, before I go, I want to apologize for my behavior earlier. I don't know what came over me…"

"Yeah, yeah it's fine. Just don't let it happen again. Now can you not tell how tired I am?" Zero replied impatiently. The girl straightened up and left with an annoyed look on her face. Zero got into the bed and pulled a couple of woven blue and white blankets over him.

"Women…" he muttered as he closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He awoke to the sound of harsh sirens and the sense that the boat was rocking violently. He got up quickly and woke up Magnezone on the bed next to him. He grabbed his messenger bag, pulled on his jacket and burst out of the room.

People with lifejackets were running and screaming:

"We're sinking! Lord, save us!"

Zero, followed by Magnezone, raced up the stairs to the party deck. He dashed over to the railing. As he gazed out at the sea, he found the storm majestic and beautiful. He was enthralled by the gale force winds that blew his hair everywhere, the dark clouds that seemed to be eternally crying, and of course, the terrible seas.

Suddenly, a wave crashed on deck. That, along with an unexpected pitch of the ship, knocked Zero into the tossing ocean. His back trembled with pain as it hit the water eighty feet below where he was standing. He sunk lower and lower. He quickly secured his messenger bag to him with his remaining strength. The last thing he saw was Magnezone diving into the water.