From Tsunami to Ebb

The banquet hall was filled with cries and shouting as pokemon materialized before their trainers. The Shadow Gang, with Roxy at the head, stood on one side of the room, pokemon growling and ready to fight. Team Dream, with Carmen and Missy leading, ganged up on the other side with pokemon joining every trainer for battle.

Cass ran to Dark. "What�re we going to do? They�ll kill everyone!"

But the placid cousin kept her cool. She observed every motion, every uneasy glance from the two groups. Kaumi now saw the girls and hurried over. He carried a small child in his arms. Cass gasped at the sight.

"Hey! I found you guys."

"That�s the captain�s daughter, right?!"

"Yeah, she was over there," Kaumi gestured, "in the corner and crying. She can�t find her father and she�s scared." Kaumi set the girl down and Cass tried to comfort her. Kaumi now looked to Dark and spoke calmly, "Why didn�t you want to dance?"

"Social scene. I didn�t mean offense."

Kaumi nodded, not really understanding her, but considering her choice. There was an explosion of sound and Cass covered the little girl�s ears quickly. The boat shook at once and the four of them were thrown into a wall like rag dolls. Cass still held tight to the girl and became a barrier between her and the hard wall. Seconds later, everything was normal again, and people were picking themselves back up. The electricity between the groups hadn�t even begun to fade, however, and they were ready for another collision. It didn�t take a genius to figure that they had all attacked each other at once and thrown the boat.

"Cass, get up!" Dark helped the girl up then looked to her cousin. She rubbed her head. "After a hit like that I thought you�d be out."

Cass smiled, and a look of curiosity crossed her face. "Me too." She leaned forward, and behind her sat a fluffy sheep pokemon. "This thing saved me�?"

The little girl giggled happily. "This is my Mareep, Flower. By the way, my name is Corey."

"Mareep? I�ve never heard of one of those�" Flower squeezed out from behind Cass.

"Yep! Daddy sailed all the way to Johto to get me one! It protected you �cause you protected me."

Dark was entirely distracted from the small talk, as was Kaumi, watching her every move cautiously. She was glaring at Roxy with a growing hatred. She had been proud to take her leader�s place. Maybe from her angle it was an honor, but it was sick. The Shadow Gang was the lowest organization there was; that was it.

Subconsciously aware of Kaumi, Dark leapt from her spot and sprinted across the hall. Kaumi called out behind her, but she was long gone. Cass shouted something too, but it was all a mix of words behind her. Her elbow went out, back, swung around, and smack! Roxy, not even seeing the action coming, fell to the floor from the punch to her face. She supported herself on one hand and caressed the stinging cheek with another.

After the brief assumption of victory, Dark felt her own punch times two on her back and hit the floor. She went up to her knees, gasping quietly.

Roxy was standing now, laughing. "Good job, Electabuzz. It�s just like you to avenge your master. You there, you�re a fool to have attacked an elite trainer like myself. I may not be physically strong, but my pokemon�s skills and my tactics will take down any other." She narrowed her eyes. "You�re a weakling."

The words were a jump-start to Dark�s body. In a split second, she was on her feet. "Is that a challenge?"

"Interpret it how you want."

Dark reached for her pokeballs� chain, but no sooner had she done so then Espeon lunged in front of her.

Carmen stepped forward. "She�s my foe. Don�t let her be a burden, fight your own."

"We�re foes too, you know that."

She nodded. "Yes, I know. Team Dream is foes with everyone, just like the Shadow Gang. We�re so different from that group, yet so similar�"

Espeon and Electabuzz went at it with a Thunderpunch here and a Psybeam there. They Headbutted and Tackled until they lay defenseless on the floor. Carmen called hers back with a smile, then the reluctant redhead pulled her own.

"Roxy. You�re young, so you have a lot to learn about battling, even if you are an elite Shadow. I commend your efforts. Alas, when I was nineteen, I was out studying physics and advanced chemistry and could care less about the pokemon world. Keep training, you will improve." Before Roxy could rebut, Carmen had vanished.

Missy, who had been near the whole time, sweatdropped. "A Smoke Bomb�go figure�"

Cass, with Corey holding her hand, and Kaumi reached Dark.

"Attention passengers! We were experiencing some difficulties, but everything�s back to normal now. We�ll reach Cinnabar at about noon tomorrow- due to great weather our trip has been cut short. Therefore, to my great apology, we will be unable to complete our annual Lapras Cup." There was a groan. "Thank you, and have a good night."

Cass looked down to the excited Corey, having just heard the voice of Captain Ebb. "It looks like your father is back on the bridge."

"Daddy! Will you take me there?"

"Sure!" Team Dream and the Shadow Gang dropped their tensions. All their pokemon were safely away, and they now wore average clothes once again.

The group knocked on the door of the bridge. "Yes?" A tall man opened it and squinted at them. "Oh! Corey! Come in, do come in!" The door was swung wide and the group went in. Ebb greeted his little girl with wide arms and happy laughter.

"You found my daughter! I was so worried�I�m sorry you got left all alone in there, deeply sorry." He straightened up with Corey at his side. "Ah, you, young lady, you�re the one who won the contest! You�re even more lovely up close."

"Ah�thanks," Cass said faintly. She�d been battered around a bit during the big fight and sure didn�t feel as pretty as she had before.

"You three, I�m just so glad. Well, you know what," he cleared his throat. "The prizes from the Lapras Cup we still have even though canceled the Cup was. So, in return for your hospitality, I give you the �30000 for Cinnabar. Oh, and you can have this little odd stone found by me earlier."

Cass looked at her hands as the thick, tied bundle and a polished orange stone was handed to her. She whispered mockingly to Dark, "That�s more than I paid for our rooms, so there." In defense, Dark took the stone.

They went back down to their quarters, exhausted from the evening, and hoped to arrive joyfully at their destination the following day.