The Gray Wake was a weathered general cargo ship just under 100 meters long, its hull stained with rust and salt from decades of hard use. Its faded registry markings matched the flag it flew well enough to pass at a distance. To most, it looked like another forgettable freighter drifting through international waters. To those aboard, it was a workhorse refitted for less legal jobs, with reinforced holds and sealed compartments hidden beneath layers of legitimate cargo.
From the bridge, the captain oversaw their current run, a discreet delivery bound for Cinnabar City in Kanto. The manifests listed scrap and decommissioned equipment, but the real cargo lay deeper in the hold, crated and restrained for transport. It was a simple job, with no patrol routes nearby, no scheduled inspections, and a buyer who paid well for silence and punctuality.
A knock broke the monotony. One of the sailors stepped onto the bridge, his face lit with excitement.
"Captain," he said, "Barraskewda picked something up. There's a luxury yacht just over the horizon on the starboard side, and it's crossing our route."
"Ranks?" the captain asked.
"One Expert and about a dozen Adepts."
The captain narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Ships like that usually carried at least an Elite ranked aura to survive these waters. No wealthy parent would ever let their child travel alone without protection at their side.
"Ghost types," the captain murmured.
Judging by the ranks, the ship, and their position in the open sea, the vessel likely belonged to a rich and powerful trainer whose child thought they were safe no matter where they went. The only way that made sense was if they were secretly being protected by Elite ranked Ghost type Pokémon.
The captain smiled menacingly. His own roster included several Ghost and Dark types, which made this particular vessel easy pickings. Since the ship belonged to someone wealthy, they would be more than capable of paying a ransom for their child, a bonus on top of the smuggling operation already underway.
"Gather the men. We've got a bit of a side job."
"Yes, Captain!" the sailor replied with a salute and a menacing smile of his own. Hopefully, the vessel had some women for him and the others to play with.
Once the sailor left, the first mate beside the captain spoke up. "Are you sure about this? We've got a good job lined up that could set us up for a decade. This might come back to bite our asses."
"Don't worry," the captain said. "Jobs like these are the easiest. No wealthy parent would avoid paying a pittance to get their precious child back from dangerous pirates."
"It's your call, boss," the first mate said with a sigh.
Moments later, they finally got a clear visual of the luxury yacht, and it was a sight for sore eyes for a vessel full of rough, violent, burly men out at sea for months. A dozen beautiful women lounged across the deck in swimsuits, surrounding a single muscular man who basked in their attention. To make matters worse, four of them were feeding him high-grade meat while massaging his shoulders and arms like attendants catering to royalty.
"Still think this isn't a good idea?" the captain asked dryly.
"Nah," the first mate said, envy written all over his face. "Let's hang the bastard in front of them."
"That would be a waste," the captain replied. "That man is clearly our ransom target. Expert rank at his age, a ship like that, and women catering to his every whim. It's textbook spoiled rich brat behavior. Go ahead and signal them to pull up alongside us."
"Aye, Captain," the first mate said, already reaching for the radio.
"This is Inspector Walker, badge 41729, aboard the Gray Wake. We have probable cause to suspect illicit cargo on your vessel. Reduce speed and bring her alongside our starboard. Prepare to be boarded for inspection. Failure to comply will be treated as hostile intent, and we will take action to disable your ship."
"This is Rotom of the Azure Voyager. Copy that, Inspector Walker. Reducing speed now and coming alongside for inspection."
"Prepare the signal scrambler," the captain ordered. "We don't want them sending out a distress signal."
"Yes, Captain."
"And prepare another identity for the ship," he added. "They may have already registered our name."
From the bridge, the captain watched the reaction on the yacht. The man on deck stiffened and began to panic, while the women gathered closer, concern evident on their faces.
"Typical," the captain scoffed. "Of course they'd be carrying drugs. What a waste of space."
Soon, the Azure Voyager was made fast alongside the Gray Wake, and the captain made his way down to board her. His men followed, fanning out across the deck as they began their inspection.
The captain scowled the moment his boots hit polished flooring. Their target stood his ground, facing them calmly. It was a stark contrast to the panicked figure he had glimpsed from the bridge earlier. The women gathered around him looked equally untroubled, openly ignoring the way the pirates' eyes lingered on their bodies.
"Dibs on the redhead," one of the men muttered, grinning.
"You've got taste," another chuckled. "Keep her. I want the blonde one. I've always had a thing for blondes."
"Quiet," the captain said as he stepped forward toward their target. "You must be the owner of this ship. I am—"
"Not interested," Alex cut in, flashing his Interpol ID. "You are all under arrest for attempted piracy, impersonating an inspector, and an extensive criminal record tied to your activities as Captain Daxen, a renowned smuggler wanted in three regions. Surrender peacefully, or I will be forced to use violence."
The captain's mouth fell open. He was about to deny everything when one of his men returned from "searching" the ship, hauling a crate they had planned to use to justify an arrest.
"Captain! I found some drugs in this crate!"
"Oh? Drugs as well," Alex said calmly. "I'll be adding that to your report."
The rest of the crew tensed, ready to move at their captain's command.
The captain weighed his options. He had no way of knowing whether the ID was real, nor whether this man truly had the authority to arrest them all. One thing was certain, though. Interpol agents were never pushovers. At minimum, they were Champion ranked and infamous for their obsession with capturing criminals.
He weighed his options and realized he didn't have much of a choice but to attack. On one hand, their target might actually be an agent, which meant they were doomed with no chance of escape. On the other, he might only have access to Interpol's network, in which case they could still ransom him off to his parents. Either way, attacking would reveal his opponent's capabilities, while surrendering would be pointless.
"Attack!" he shouted. "Try to take a hostage!"
The crew rushed the girls, opening their Poké Balls and releasing Expert ranked Pokémon before stopping dead in their tracks. A terrifying wave of Elite and Champion ranked auras flooded the ship as Alex and the girls unleashed their auras and Pokémon all at once.
The deck was suddenly crowded with powerful Pokémon capable of destroying everything in sight with just a few moves. Most threatening of all were the distinct auras of five Champion ranked Pokémon and one trainer.
"Fuck!" the captain shouted.
He was actually picking a fight with an Interpol agent. He released his own Pokémon, a combination of Ghost and Dark types, while retreating to the ship. He didn't manage to get far before a hand grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him back to face a pair of Crobats that used Hypnosis, knocking him out. His Pokémon were all knocked out as well after a barrage of Dazzling Gleam from Alex's defense team.
The few men he had brought onto the ship barely managed to recover from their shock before being overwhelmed and knocked out along with their Pokémon, completely outnumbered and overpowered.
"Transform!" Rhea and Alvera shouted as they pressed the buttons on their vambraces.
The metal expanded, crawling up their arms in smooth, articulated segments before spreading across their torsos and legs. Panels clicked and shifted into place, forming sleek joints that allowed full mobility while reinforcing every limb. By the time the process finished, their bodies were completely encased in futuristic, sci-fi-looking exoskeleton suits of black and silver, glinting under the deck lights from head to toe, with integrated sensors and subtle energy conduits tracing along the armor's surface.
Rhea rushed forward with Tinkaton at her side and immediately kicked one of the pirates in the balls, sending him into the air before Tinkaton jumped and swatted him onto the cargo ship.
"Charge!" she screamed as she boarded to wreak havoc, Tinkaton bouncing happily at her side.
Alvera advanced on a Kingler before releasing Ampharos and Boltund.
"Thunderbolt! Thunder Wave!" she commanded.
A bolt of lightning shot from the pair, electrocuting the Kingler and paralyzing it, but it remained in the fight. It rushed her and used Crabhammer, but before it could slam its claw down, Alvera kicked the Kingler into the air, sending it flying. Another round of Thunderbolts knocked it out completely before it fell into the water below.
"Haha!" she laughed in victory, hands on her hips.
"Alvera!" Alex called out.
"Yeah, Dad?" she called back, afraid of being told to stay on the yacht with her mother.
"Want to come board the ship with me?" he asked.
"Can I?" she beamed, filled with pure glee and disbelief.
"Just make sure you don't get too far from me."
"Okay," she said before rushing to Alex's side and running with him to board the ship.
-----
Support me on Patreon
patreon/babywrath