//------------------------------// // A Pirates Strife For Me // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// Continuing their Equestria Region Journey, the group had finally arrived at Manehatten City. The true scale of the city hadn't been realised until they were all standing amongst the skyscrapers. Noise filled their ears, a combination of people shouting, cars and trucks flying by, the many city dwelling Pokémon and so much more. "Wow..." Spike gasped, "It's huge." "And it's bustling with history," Twilight added as she looked through all the landmarks on the journal. There was a building with a Rapidash's head on the top, an island just off the coast with a giant statue of a Gardevoir holding a torch. The town's enormous park, where people and Pokémon enjoyed themselves, and plenty of other sights. "So...what to see first?" "That's easy," Flash laughed, "Our first stop has to be the Manehatten City Gym." Springer and Astro let out growls of approval, both jumping up and down. "Seriously?!" Twilight barked back, "Can't you think of anything except the badge?" Flash turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "Twilight, the whole reason we came here was for the badge." Twilight put her hands on her hips. "And the second you get it, you'll wanna head off to the next town. Would it kill you to stop and sniff the flowers once in a while?!" "I have to beat the gym to get into the league! We need to-" "Okay!" Doc leapt between them, "Why don't we put it to a vote? Hands up on who wants to head to the gym?" Flash, Springer and Astro raised a hand. "And who wants to explore the city?" He, Twilight, Spike and Peewee all raised a hand, making Flash snarl, "Sorry Flash. Looks like we're exploring." "Fine..." Flash sighed, "Where do we go first?" "Good question," Twilight replied, pulling up a list on her journal. But before she could say anything, the sound of Spike's grumbling belly rang out. "Hmm....how about we start with lunch?" The others nodded, Twilight then typing food into her journal and getting a list of fifteen highly acclaimed establishments within the next five blocks. "This looks promising," she pointed a place, the guys agreeing to it a second later. But as they began to search for the place- KABOOM! The ground shook at the sound, everyone gasping before seeing a column of smoke suddenly rise up behind some buildings. "What's that?" Flash asked. "Looks like some kind of disturbance," Doc added. That was all Flash needed to hear before he, Springer and Astro ran toward the smoke, Twilight followed suit with Doc on her heels while Spike and Peewee brought up the rear. "Just once, couldn't we run away from where we know the danger is?!" Spike yelled, only to get no response in return. When they arrived, they found a Barbaracle running rampant, slashing away at anything in front of it. It also fired rocks from its body, the rubble crashing into local building windows. "It's going nuts!" Doc gasped. "But what's it doing here?" Twilight added, "We're pretty far from the harbor, so why is it attacking?" She didn't get an answer as Barbaracle used Rock Blast at them, forcing Flash to push her out of the way. "Look out!" He yelled as they hit the floor, the rocks zooming overhead and smashing into a window behind them. "This is getting dangerous," he stood up and pulled out a Pokeball. "I'll-" "Seed Bomb!" Before he could send out his Pokémon, a barrage of seeds slammed into the Barbaracle. The creature cried out as they exploded, everyone else turning to where the attack had come from. "Ya'll need to calm down, yah varmint!" Before they even saw her, they knew who it was. When she stepped into view, their suspicions were confirmed as Applejack with her Lombre by her side walked up to the Barbaracle. The Collective Pokémon roared as it charged, only for another voice to call out. "Grass Knot!" A pair of vines shot out of the cracks made in the ground before tying together into a loop that Barbaracle tripped over. Rarity stepped up beside Applejack as Herbarald ran to stand beside Lombre. "I can't believe they're here!" Twilight gasped until Barbaracle picked itself back up. "We need to help them." They nodded and reached for their pokeballs, only for another voice to call out. "Water Pulse!" A blast of water shot past them, striking Barbaracle in the face. An explosion came next, making it stagger back. The others now saw two new figures walk up, the sun shining down and covering them as they spoke up, "Hola. Now, what seems to be the problem?" The figure stepped into the light, revealing a young man in his mid twenties, with light brown skin and light blue hair. He wore a white shirt, denim jeans and had a dark blue scarf around his neck. Besides him was a Pokémon they recognized as a Reefincer, the two walked past them staring Barbaracle down. "Such rage. We must help it." Reefincer nodded and scuttled forward, the others watching as Barbaracle charged with glowing fingers, preparing to use Razor Shell. "Crabhammer!" Reefincer's claws glowed blue, blocking Barbaracle's attack. "Now, use Rock Blast!" "Reef!" Reefincer leapt back as a circle of lights appeared around it, the lights quickly firing off other lights that faded to reveal large rocks. Barbaracle used Razor Shell to deflect the first ones, only to be struck by the next wave. "Guillotine!" Reefincer charged again, his claws glowing white this time. And as Barbaracle recovered from the last attack, Reefincer leapt up and clamped its claw around the Collective Pokémon's midsection. And before Barbaracle could respond, Reefincer lifted it into the air before swinging it down, smashing it into the ground. Barbaracle cried out as it hit the earth, its eyes suddenly changing to swirls. "Wow..." Flash whispered, "He beat it so easily." "That's Guillotine," Twilight added, "A move that instantly beats an opponent if it hits." "Awesome..." Spike finished as the figure now walked up to the once rampaging Pokémon. As he did this, Applejack and Rarity walked up to the group. "Flash!" Applejack yelled, "Twilight!" "I can't believe you're here," Rarity chimed in before noticing Flash's appearance. "Oh? I guess you like the clothes I made you?" Flash nodded back, "Yeah. They're awesome. Thanks." He then turned to the figure, "But who's that guy?" They all watched him spray Barbaracle with a Super Potion. "He's so strong." Applejack chuckled at this, "Believe it or not, that's the guy yah gotta beat if yah want to earn this city's Gym Badge." This caused everyone to go wide-eyed, "That's Tidal Wave." Tidal placed a hand on Barbaracle's chest as it sat up, closing his eyes and appearing to listen for something. Then, he spoke. "They took your friends. So that's why you're upset." Barbaracle let out a growl, nodding its top head to respond. "Don't worry. I'll get them back for you. Promesa." Barbaracle remained stoic, then nodded again before Tidal let it stand up. As it did this, several men ran over to them, "Take him back to the Gym for treatment. I've got work to do." They nodded began to lead the Barbaracle away, Tidal watching it go before turning to Applejack and Rarity. "Thank you for trying to stop it until I got here." "No thanks needed," Rarity replied, "We're just glad everything's fine now." "I'm afraid this was just the symptom of a worse problem." Tidal sighed before turning to Flash, "Are these your amigos?" "Eeyup," Applejack nodded. "This here's Flash Sentry." "Ah, I remember you from the Battle Tournament. Isn't he the one you asked me about before?" Applejack nodded while the others raised an eyebrow. "You asked about me?" "Yeah. Ah remembered Celestia telling you about this place." "We decided to come a week or so after the Battle Tournament," Rarity added, "Applejack needed her seventh badge, and this seemed like the best place to get it." "We figured you'd have been and maybe gone by the time we arrived," Applejack responded, "But then Tidal told us he hadn't been challenged by anyone like ya'll." "Yeah..." Flash scratched the back of his head, "We got a little side-tracked. A lot." He then went wide-eyed, "Wait...does that mean you've won the badge?" Applejack's reply was to take out an item he was aiming for. It was a blue badge with a silver outline in the shape of a wave, with two small silver lines in the arch of the wave. "Say hello ta dah Tsunami Badge." "Awesome," Flash replied before turning to Tidal. "I wanna earn one. Will you accept my challenge?" Tidal smiled at him, only to shake his head, "Mis disculpas, but I'm afraid I cannot right now. I must keep my promise to Barbaracle." "Barbaracle?" Twilight asked. "There's a reason it was rampaging. Its friends were taken away." This made everyone go wide-eyed, only to see Tidal sigh, "No doubt, it was the trafficking organization." "Trafficking organization?" Doc asked, getting a nod from Tidal. "They're trainers that capture Pokémon just so they can sell them. And they don't always do so in battles, preferring to trap or ambush the Pokémon in order to capture them before selling them off to the highest bidder. It's been going on for months." "That's disgusting!" Flash yelped, only to remember how many times he stopped Big Score from dong the same thing. "My words exactly," Tidal responded, "And these criminals captured Barbaracle's friends, a group of Binacle that lived on a rocky area near the port. Now they're who knows where." He crossed his arms at this, grumbling, "But I have to find them. Barbaracle's attack is proof this has gone too far. So please understand that I have to make this my number one priority." "I understand." Flash replied, "But if I can't have a battle, at least let me help you. I can't just stand ideally by while Pokémon are made to suffer." Tidal shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't allow that. This is my duty and mine alone. However," he took out a paper and scribbled something down, then handed it to Flash. "This is my Xtransceiver number. If you happen to hear anything, let me know." Flash took the number and nodded, Tidal and Reefincer turning to walk away, giving them a wave and a cry of goodbye in his foreign tongue. As he disappeared, Flash let out a sigh, his friends telling him to go eat. But as they did this, one of the very people Tidal was looking for had been in the crowd, watching the battle. And as the Barbaracle was taken down, he ran away, making sure no one saw him. He was a moldy fellow, a green skinned shorty with brown hair, wearing a light blue cloak and a bag over his shoulder. He ran through the back allies of the city, soon getting to a door and knocking it in a special way. Seconds later, the door opened and he walked inside, going through a hallway before getting to another door, knocking. "Boss?" "What?" He stepped inside and saw a man with black skin and gray hair, wearing a purple open vest over a gray sleeveless shirt and brown pants with black boots. He also had a gray beard that went to his stomach. The man was sitting at a desk with a computer and a suitcase full of shrunken Pokeballs sat beside him. "This better be important." "It is," he placed the sack down on the table, opening it up to show it was full of Pokeballs. "What did you bring me this time?" He took one and placed it next to the computer, a magnifying glass-like device folding out. It scanned the Pokeball, the screen soon showing an image, "Binacle?" He turned to the sack, "Don't tell me they're all-" "Yup," he nodded, "Super easy to catch. Fired a bomb full of Sleep Powder at them and caught 'em all." "You idiot!" The man yelled as he stood up, "Binacle are so common that nobody's gonna want to buy them. You've wasted both my time and Pokeballs." The smaller guy shrunk back at this, gulping, "Sorry boss. I uh...I just thought they'd come in handy." "Oh please..." he grumbled while sitting back down, "The best I can hope for is offering them as throw-ins to sweeten a deal." He let out a growl but grabbed the balls in the sack and placed them in another suitcase. "Whatever. I'll deal with you later." He stood up and headed for the door, "I've got a buyer to meet up with. Until I get back, try and make yourself useful. At the very least, find me something halfway decent to sell." "You got it Dreadbeard," he nodded as the man disappeared. Once he was gone, the man sighed. "Halfway decent. What's he expect, a Rayquaza to suddenly show up in the middle of town?!" He let out a moan and headed for the door. An hour or so later... Flash and the others were now having lunch at a café. The place had a large grassy area beside it, so they let their Pokémon out to eat or play as the humans had their own meal. Springer and Astro were both sitting on the floor, eating their food while Rarity marveled over Astro. "Oh, he's just precious. And that blue skin he has is simply breathtaking." "Thanks," Flash replied while Astro looked up from his meal and barked his own thank you. But as this happened, Flash let out a sigh, making Twilight turning to him, "Still wishing you could help?" Flash nodded. "You'll just have to let this one go. Tidal's on the case, and as much as I'd like to bring those traffickers to justice, we'd probably just get in the way." "Maybe...but does Tidal even have a lead? Who knows how long it'll take him to find out where these guys are. I'd be happy just finding a clue for him to follow." And as he said this, a moldy skinned guy walked past the café, only to spin around as he saw Astro. A greasy grin appeared on his face, soon morphing to a smaller smile as he walked up to Flash. "Hiya brother," he said, making the group turn to him as he pointed at Astro. "That's a top ranked Pokémon you got there," he reached down and picked the dragon up. "Have you considered selling him?" This made everyone go wide-eyed as he continued, "I'll pay yah three thousand for him right now." Astro began to shake in his hands as the groups stared at the guy, pieces instantly being put together for all of them. 'It's him,' they all said together, Flash then getting up and grabbing Astro out of his hands, "I can't sell Astro." The man flinched at this, only to point at the teen, "Now hang on there. That's a good Pokémon...I'll pay you five thousand. Nah, no. I can make it ten grand." "I don't need the money," Flash growled back, the groups nodding back as Moldy sighed. "Fine. Then how about we do a trade? Is there maybe a Pokémon you want more than him?" Moldy's smile slowly twisted as he continued, "Cause the ones I got are rarer than rare." And as he said this, a bulb went off in Flash's head, a smile now appearing on his face. "You wouldn't happen to have any Binacle, would you?" The man went wide-eyed, Astro suddenly looking terrified, but then the man gave an expression like Christmas had come early. "Binacle. You're in luck. I just managed to get my hands on one a little while ago." He reached into his jacket and took out a piece of paper, "Meet me here later." Once Flash took the paper, Moldy quickly walked away, Flash sighing in relief as he vanished out of sight. "Jackpot." But as he said this, Astro bit him on the hand, making him cry out and drop him. The Starvern fell to the floor and stared up at Flash, showing tears in his eyes. "Astro..." Flash leaned down and grabbed him again, "Relax buddy, I'm not gonna trade you." "Star?" "I'm not." Flash hugged him at this, only to pat his head, "But I'm gonna make him think I am, then he'll take me to find those Binacle." "Flash...are you sure this is a good idea?" Twilight added. "Yeah," Doc nodded in agreement, "Maybe you should talk to Tidal about this." Flash let out a sigh, but nodded back as the group headed for a phone. Meanwhile... Tidal was in his gym, walking the hallways to check on Barbaracle. He arrived at the door to the infirmary and spotted his first mate, who had a Ditto hanging on his shoulder, walking out of the room. "How is it?" "Fine," he replied, "Still a little tired and a lot upset, but it'll calm down and heal up." "Good. But it may go on another rampage if we can't find its friends." Tidal commented before hearing a beeping sound. He looked down at his wrist, seeing a watch-like device making noise. Pressing a button on the side, the image of the teen he had met earlier appeared. "Flash?" "Hey Tidal," the others appeared onscreen. "I've got something you need to hear." One explanation later... "I told you I was the one who needed to find them!" Tidal barked, "Even after I told you that, you went and got involved with them!" "Sorry..." Flash replied, scratching the back of his head, "But I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by." Twilight moved in front of the screen, "We thought maybe you could arrest the guy Flash is going to meet, and then he could lead you to the rest of the criminals." "An interesting idea senorita, but he's very likely a low level flunky. If we do capture him, his boss would likely cut all ties to him while moving to a place he doesn't know and lay low." Tidal let out a sigh before focusing back on Flash. "Even so, it's worth a shot. Muy bien. You wanted to help, so you're going to meet this fellow and see what you can learn from him." Flash nodded, only to grimace, "I am a bit nervous though. If something goes wrong, they might take Astro and my other Pokémon." He looked down at the two out of their Pokeballs, both frowning back. "This isn't a good idea, is it?" "Don't worry," Tidal responded, "I have a plan. As long as you follow it, nothing bad will happen." Some time later... Moldy was now standing at one of the empty docks. He had his arms crossed, impatiently tapping his foot. That is, till he heard footsteps, turning to see Flash with Springer and Astro beside him. "About time," he growled before trying to summon a smile, "Glad you made the right choice brother. This'll be a good trade, just wait and see." "Yeah yeah," Flash replied, "So where's the Binacle?" Moldy pointed behind him with his thumb, Flash now seeing a boat in the distance. "A ship?" "Binacle are Water-types. Ain't no better place to keep them when they're not with me." He then pointed to the side of the peer, gesturing to a speedboat floating in the water. "Get on." Flash grimaced at this, the trio climbing into the boat as Moldy got on and started up the engine. The motorized dingy came to life, soon moving toward the water. And as they left, Flash sat down, feeling a slight shiver of danger. At the same time... Tidal and the others were in a dark room. They were all staring at a large computer screen with a map of the city, a red dot moving away from the place. "Wait..." Twilight commented as the dot left the land, "They're going out to sea?" "How the hay are we supposed to catch 'em now?" Applejack asked, turning to Tidal. "We have ta do somethin'." "We will," Tidal replied before turning to his first mate. "Prepare the Might Leviapent." The man nodded, walking off as he Tidal continued, "They thought they were safe off of land, but that was their error." He hopped off his seat before walking to the door, "I was born on the ocean. My father was a marine biologist, so I spent my entire life exploring the seas. Even after I came to Manehatten and chose to make it my casa, the sea never left my soul. I will not allow those pirates to sully such a wondrous place with their crime." The others nodded at this, now seeing him take out a Pokeball. "Time for you to bring justice to the seas, mi amigo." With that, they walked out of the room, now seeing something that took their breath away. Flash was still riding on the speedboat, now getting closer to their destination. It was a large black tanker boat, the deck covered in metal crates while a series of metal steps were connected to the side of the ship that they could use to climb up onto the deck. 'So that's where they're doing business,' he mentally told himself. The speedboat's engine died, the dingy floating up to the stairs. Moldy then grabbed the railing, pulling the boat to a stop. Flash and his Pokémon climbed onto the stairway next, heading up to the deck as he saw multiple men lounging around the place. They were all asleep in some way or another, lounging around and leaning against the crates. Moldy walked up beside him. "Now, you'll just need to give me a minute to get the Binacle. Then we can trade." "Of course," he replied, "But I'm just wondering...how many more Binacle do you have? I might be willing to trade my other Pokémon for them if they're any good." "What, are you kidding? My Binacle are the best. And I got loads of them. Just give me a minute to go get 'em all." He began to walk away, but then stopped to point at Flash. "Don't move from that spot. A scary man'll give you a whooping if you do." With that, he walked away, leaving the three alone on the deck. Seeing the other pirates were still fast asleep, Flash smirked before turning to Springer and Astro. "Let's go guys. This is our chance to search the ship." As this happened, Moldy strut through the hallways of the ship, soon opening a certain door. When he walked inside, he found Dreadbeard and another man looking over an Ultraball. The man used a computer to scan the ball, humming as he did so. "So this is a Dratini that knows Draco Meteor. Quite impressive." Dreadbeard chucked at this, "I can tell you, it wasn't easy catching it. Took forever to lure the mother away before I could nab it." The man nodded before noticing Moldy, Dreadbeard seeing his confusion and turning to goon. "What do you want?!" Moldy smirked. "I need one of the Binacle. I got a sucker up on deck willing to trade me a shiny Starvern for one." "A shiny Starvern?!" The client gasped, "Maybe I should be talking to this guy myself." Dreadbeard and Moldy both frowned at this, knowing they might lose their deal. "Forget about that," Dreadbeard chimed in, "My associate isn't very smart. Probably saw something like a Ratatta and thought it was a shiny Starvern." The man hummed at this, "I'd still like to see this for myself." "Tell you what," Dreadbeard took another Pokeball from the briefcase. "Buy the Dratini and I'll throw in a Binacle, then we can see which of them the kid wants his Starvern for." The man raised an eyebrow at this, "You'd give me a Binacle?" Dreadbeard closed his eyes and gave a cocky smile. "Not like they're worth much already. Might as well give them to whoever's willing to take the worthless things." "What'd you say!?" The three turned to the door, now seeing a glaring Flash with his Pokémon, all of them shaking with rage. "You take these Pokémon away from their homes, separate them from their friends and threaten to sell them to who knows who, then you have the gall to call them worthless?!" Dreadbeard snorted at this, only to squint his eyes, "What's it to you?! They're...wait a minute. I know you. You're Flash Sentry, from the Battle Tournament." "That's right," Flash replied, "And I've come to free the Pokémon you captured just to sell off." "Is that so?" Dreadbeard guffawed before closing the briefcase. "I don't see how this is any of your business. After all, I caught them, so they're mine to do with as I like." Springer and Astro growled at him. "Honestly, how is this any worse then what you do with them? At least I don't force these little guys into fights just for my own amusement." "I don't force anyone to do anything," Flash almost yelled, "If my Pokémon didn't want to fight, I wouldn't force them too. I care and trust my Pokémon, because that's what a trainer does. Pokémon aren't tools to use for our own selfish gain. They're our partners, friends...FAMILY!" "Whatever," Dreadbeard responded in an almost yawn, "Honestly, I still don't see what the big deal is." "I'll make you see what the big deal is. And when Tidal gets here, he'll make you pay." "Tidal?" Dreadbeard almost went wide-eyed, "So...you're working with the Manehatten Gym leader that's been sniffing around." Flash nodded as the man turned to Moldy. "You idiot!" He grabbed him by the hood and threw him toward a window, the guy screaming as he smashed through the glass before a loud splash occurred. "You just brought a whole lot of trouble to me." "Then let's make this easy," Flash held out his hand. "Give me the Pokémon and I'm sure you can cut a deal." This got Dreadbeard to smile. "You must really care about Pokémon, especially with that speech you gave." He picked up the other briefcase and moved over to the window. "It'd be a real shame if something were to happen." He laughed while turning back to Flash, "If you attack us, then I'll throw these Pokémon into the sea." Flash gasped as Dreadbeard locked the case. "A fate worse than death, stuck at the bottom of the ocean until the end of time." "You're a monster," Flash growled. "Call me what you want. But if I was a Pokémon, I'd chose getting sold off to someone who really wanted me over spending eternity at the bottom of the ocean." Flash gripped his knuckles, growling as he said nothing. "Unless you want these guys on your conscious, drop all you Pokeballs onto the floor." Flash still remained quiet, only to let out a sigh and took out his Pokeballs, dropping them to the floor. Dreadbeard laughed as he watched them roll around, Moldy now climbing back through the window. "Take our guest to the brig. I'll deal with them later." "Got it," Moldy growled before walking up to Flash, "You're gonna regret messing with me." Dreadbeard turned to his client. "Now, shall we continue with our transaction? You said you wanted a Shiny Starvern, and I just got one in stock. Along with some rather well trained Pokémon." But as he said this, the ship suddenly rocked violently. "What the heck?!" The ship then rocked in the other direction, knocking them all off balance. "What's going on now?! Is no eyes Pete steering again?" He then ran up to the window, just in time to see a burst of water shoot out of the sea, hitting the tanker's side. "We're under attack!" As he said that, the ship rocked violently again. This time, the blow made Dreadbeard lose his grip, the suitcases flying upward. Seeing this, Flash pushed passed Moldy and caught them both. "Got 'em!" He yelled before he and his Pokémon headed for the door. "No!" Dreadbeard yelled as he pushed himself back up, "Get back here!" Moldy was about to follow, only to spot Flash's Pokeballs on the ground. "I can't believe he left them. And after all that..." He then picked them up, "Huh?!" He opened one up, finding it empty. He began opening the others, only to find they were all empty. "He tricked us!" Flash and Springer had now reached the top deck, managing to stay upright as the boat continued to rock. "Now to get out of here," he commented before hearing Dreadbeard's voice. "You're not going anywhere!" They turned to see Dreadbeard at the doorway, holding a squirming Astro by the scruff of the neck. "Hand over the cases if you know what's good for you. Or what's good for this little guy." He shined a big grin at this, only to see Flash smirk. "What's so funny?!" "Take a look for yourself." Dreadbeard raised an eyebrow, then turned to Astro. When he did, he saw that Astro's face had been replaced by two dots and a line. "What the?" Astro's body that began to change, morphing with a flash of light until it took the form of a pink blob. "Ditto!" he cried before slipping out of Dreadbeard's hands, slithering over to Flash. "Sorry, but Astro and the rest of my Pokémon are safe with my friends. You think I'd risk them coming here?! The only one that refused to be left behind was this stubborn idiot," he pointed to Springer as the Riolu nodded. Dreadbeard growled at this, only to smile, "In that case, I've still got the advantage." As he said that, several more pirates walked out from behind the shipping containers along with the client and Moldy, "Hand the case over, or else." But as he said that, the ship rocked again, the cause now exploding out of the water. They all turned to this, now seeing a giant serpentine Pokémon ascend from the ocean and stare down at them, a growl escaping its lips. "A Leviapent?!" Moldy gasped before seeing something on its head. "It's him!" Tidal Wave stood atop the sea-serpent, a water rebreather in his mouth and his clothes appeared bone dry. He stared at them before jumping off the Leviapent and landing on the deck, taking the rebreather from his mouth as he stood tall. "Hola, you're under arrest." "How did he find us?" The client asked, Dreadbeard now realizing Flash must have had a tracking device. As for the teen, he had used the distraction to run over to Tidal and showed him the briefcases. "The Binacle and all the other captured Pokémon are right here." "Good," Tidal replied as Dreadbeard pointed at the duo. "Get them!" The pirates charged at this command, only to suddenly get blasted by Leviapent when it unleashed a Hydro Pump that rocked the deck. The three growled at this, only for Moldy to spot something off the port bow. "Look!" He pointed out to the sea, the group now seeing a large wooden sailing ship. It had the Tsunami Badge on its sails and the front of the ship had what looked like a Leviapent head. In its mouth was a metal tube with chains coming out the ends that connect to the ship. "The Mighty Leviapent," Dreadbeard gulped. He then turned to growl as Tidal as his men picked themselves up. "Don't just stand there, do something!" The men flinched at this, only to see Leviapent dive back under the water while Tidal ran up to them. This made them smile as they charged as well, ready to beat him down before focusing on Flash. However, when the first guy reached Tidal, he threw a punch, only for the Gym Leader to sidestep without a second glance. He then thrust an elbow into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him before grabbing his shirt and throwing him overboard. He then did the same to the next guy, only to repeat it over and over. Using impressive martial arts skills, he was able to throw almost every pirate off the ship without getting hit. "Wow..." Flash whispered as all that was left was Dreadbeard, Moldy and the client. It was here he saw something that made him smile as he turned to his opponent. "Hey, Dreadbeard." The trafficker turned to him. "You want these," he held up the briefcases. "Then catch!" He threw them straight up, right over Tidal's head. Dreadbeard gasped and ran for the briefcase. But before they got within reach, the cases suddenly stopped midair. "What dah?" He asked, jumping to grab both cases...only for both to fly further up. It was then that he noticed they were glowing. They flew further up, and as Dreadbeard followed them, he saw Flash's plan. "Thank you," Twilight said as Owlicious brought the cases into range with Psychic. Spike was sitting beside her, and flying next to them was Flitanium and Skyler, who were carrying Doc, Rarity and Applejack. She grabbed the cases, opening them up to see everything there. "We've got what we came for." Dreadbeard growled at this, only to realize he had been distracted from Tidal. He turned to the Gym Leader, just barely managing to avoid a punch to the face while Moldy and the client charged. And with a single roundhouse kick, the two were knocked staggering back. The client soon fell over the edge, Tidal then sending Moldy to join him. At the same time, Ditto had taken Skyler's form and flew up to take the cases from Twilight. It flew off toward the Mighty Leviapent as the others flew down and landed beside Flash. "Boy am I glad to see you guys." "What would you do without us?" Twilight asked before holding out five Pokeballs and a Premier Ball, Flash taking them as Dreadbeard stood tall. "You punks think you're tough, huh?" He took out a Pokeball, "Well I'll show you brats!" He threw the ball, "GO!" The Pokeball opened and unleashed the creature within. The beast looked like a larger, bulkier Sharazor. It was about seven foot tall, and stood in a manner similar to a Kangaskhan or Nidoking. It was dark blue and had the same red V-shape on its head-fin, but now it was also covered in black stripes. Its head was almost entirely black, with only its forehead having a blue stripe that got larger as it went further back. The fins on its back, arms, legs and hips were blue, but had a black outline on the edge and its arms ended in razor sharp claws. "THRASHARK!" It roared while swinging its arms around, slicing the air as Flash took out his Pokedex. Name: Thrashark Category: Sea Predator Pokémon Type: Water Info: The evolved form of Sharazor. Even the most docile of this Pokémon will go into a dangerous frenzy at the sniff of a single drop of blood. Even its own trainer must take great care around it. The Thrashark growled before charging, Dreadbeard smirking as it prepared to slash at his enemies. But before it could get close, the water beside the boat exploded as Leviapent appeared, "Hydro Pump!" Tidal yelled, Leviapent unleashingn a blast of high-pressure water that struck the deck between the two groups, making the entire ship rock. "Whoa!" Dreadbeard yelped, "Are you mad?! You'll capsize us all!" "Maybe," Tidal replied, "But we can easily escape on Leviapent." Flash then took out his own Pokeball, "But you won't be getting away so easily." The ball enlarged, "It's time someone made you pay for the way you treat Pokémon! Prongs, I choose you!" A flash of red light came next, Prongs appearing on the deck. "Use Energy Ball!" "Stag!" The Stagrowth roared as the sphere of nature energy appeared at his mouth before firing, hitting Thrashark. Dreadbeard growled as he saw his Pokémon stagger back, "Shake it off! Don't let that weakling beat you!" Thrashark pushed itself back to its feet before charging, Prongs galloping forward to meet it. "Ice Fang!" "Dodge it!" Prongs leapt to the side, dodging the Thrashark's freezing cold fangs. "Now Bounce!" Prongs shot straight up, hitting the now off balance Thrashark after it had missed its attack, allowing him to smash all four hooves into its back. "THRASH!" It roared before getting slammed into the ground, Prongs leaping off him. "No," Dreadbeard hissed, "I refuse to let my entire operation be destroyed by a couple of kids!" Thrashark picked itself up again at this, "Aqua Jet!" Thrashark was consumed by water and shot through the air like a torpedo, Flash just glaring at the pirate, "And I refuse to lose to someone who only sees Pokémon as tools, or something you can just sell to make a quick buck." Prongs charged as well, heading straight for the water covered Sea Predator Pokémon. "Horn Leech!" "Stag!" Prongs' horns glowed green while growing, meeting Thrashark as he thrust his antlers forward. The two attacks collided, the higher force of Thrashark's Aqua Jet pushing Prongs back. However, it was only a few steps, and he soon got a strong footing before stopping the attack cold. "Stag...GROWTH!" With a mighty swing, Prongs sent Thrashark hurtling into the air. The Sea Predator screamed as the water around its body exploded off it, Dreadbeard gasping while Leviapent chose this moment to attack. "Aqua Tail!" Tidal yelled as Leviapent raised its tail out of the water, water soon spiraling around the tip. And with one mighty swing, the leaf-shaped tail end slammed into Thrashark, sending it flying. "THRASH!" It yelled as it flew through the air, eventually disappearing into the horizon with a familiar ding and flash of light. Dreadbeard was completely speechless, unable to respond. That is, till he heard a growl, turning to see Tidal walking up to him with the others behind him and Leviapent glaring at him from above. "Ahora, you have two choices. Surrender, or be sunk." He looked over to the land in the distance, "I'd say we're a good ten hours from land by swimming. We have Leviapent, and we'd be happy to give you a ride, as long as you surrender." Dreadbeard glared at Tidal, only to sigh and raise his arms. "Fine. You got me." Everyone smiled at this, Tidal pressing a button on his Xtransceiver to call his ship. By the time they all returned to land, the sun was beginning to set. Tidal, Flash, Twilight, Spike, Doc, Applejack and Rarity watched as Officer Hard Case took Dreadbeard and several more pirates into custody. And as they disappeared, Tidal turned to Flash. "Thank you for helping me amigo. I know this was both difficult and dangerous." "It was, but I don't regret it. I was able to help save Barbaracle's friends." As he said this, the group turned to see one of Tidal's crew handing the Binacle over to the Collective Pokémon. There were many other Pokémon that would soon be released once they had been properly examined and treated, but for now, Barbaracle gave its thanks before turning back to leap into the water with its friends. Once they were gone, Tidal glanced back at Flash, "You have a good heart, and by the way you battled, it's clear you love and care for Pokémon." Flash nodded back, "You remind me of myself in a way. And while you might be reckless, I know a certain someone who would likely have done the same thing. You're a lot like him." The others raised an eyebrow at this, not knowing Tidal had been talking about Equestria's current champion. "You said you wanted to challenge me to a battle, is that right?" Flash nodded again, "Does that mean you're gonna accept my challenge?" "Si, but it'll have to wait." Flash frowned at this. "There's something I have to take care of right now. On our way back, Dreadbeard's crew decided to cut a deal, and gave us some information about where the Pokémon trafficking ring is based." "But Dreadbeard's been captured." Applejack pointed out, "Doesn't that mean the whole thing should collapse?" "Maybe. But it's also possible someone else will take over for Dreadbeard. And even if they don't, there may be other captured Pokémon at this base. I need to check it out." "Then we'll go with you," Flash responded, only for Tidal to shake his head. "As much as I'd like to have you help, this is something I must do. Besides, I can't leave Manehatten unprotected. So wait here and prepare for our battle. And if anything happens before I get back, I entrust you with dealing with it." Flash gasped at this, only to nod once more. And with that, Tidal and his crew climbed back on board his ship before it began to pull away from the port. Once it was a good distance away, the figure-head opened its mouth and the metal tube fell out and splashed into the ocean as the chains extended. Seconds later, Leviapent appeared from below the ocean with the tube in its mouth. It began to swim forward, tugging the ship along by the chain, making it easily vanish into the sunset. As Flash watched the ship disappear, his mind thought back to Dreadbeard and his men. How they could be so cruel to such gentle creatures? He then remembered Team Shadow, Big Score, Cadmus and all the other rotten people he had met since the start of his journey. He knew he couldn't allow people like them to get away with mistreating anyone, be it people or Pokémon. With their arrival in Manehatten filled with craziness, our heroes now prepare to stay until Tidal's return. What other adventures await within the big city? Only time would tell. As the journey continues.