SAILOR

"Takeda! Takeda!"

Takeda, who had been resting his head on his palm, nearly fell and knocked himself on the ship's railing. His head snapped toward the source of the voice and he straightened his back. It was his boss, not the captain of the ship, of course, but the CSO— Chief Security Officer, Mister Richards.

"Yes, sir!"

"No slacking. You keep an eye out at sea, and you keep an eye on your Buizel."

"Yes, sir!" Takeda repeated again. Buizel, for his part, was barely visible from this high. There was the bright yellow of his flotation sac, but apart from that, Takeda only saw the white foam of the ocean.

And Legendaries, was it a mesmerizing sight. Calm blue waters as far as the eye could see without an island in sight. The horizon appeared a seamless curve, and Takeda couldn't see where the water ended and the sky began. The sun kissed his face and the wind blew in his hair, carrying a salty scent. Wild Wingull followed the ship wherever it went, flying high in the sky and occasionally landing to nab any food they could get their hands on.

"If I catch you dozing off, I'm throwing you overboard,"

That'd be illegal, you son of a bitch, Takeda grumbled to himself. He exhaled and ran his hand on the rusty railing. Takeda was a new sailor, and he'd recently gotten a job aboard the Evercrest Voyager, a container ship that traveled the world and shipped goods in between regions. Right now, they were traveling between Hoenn and Unova, and they were taking the long way because traveling near Orre's coast was a sure way to get your ship raided by a bunch of pirates.

Takeda was just a small part of what kept this ship running, but his job in the security apparatus was to have his water type keep a lookout for any wild Pokemon getting any ideas. The official position was Navigational Watch Officer, but that made it sound a lot fancier than it actually was. He was a dime a dozen, and there were at least two hundred people like him on this ship. The only requirement to get hired? Have a water type Pokemon that can keep up with this boat for hours at a time. The Pokemon worked in shifts, of course, but his Buizel had a lot of stamina since he could float along the water's surface and move using only his tail.

Takeda hadn't really imagined that he'd be a sailor, but he couldn't complain. The pay was good, since he stayed away from home and treaded dangerous waters for months at a time. The ocean was different from the routes, and Takeda knew routes. Just like many trainers with jobs aboard this ship, he'd failed multiple times in Hoenn's Circuit and decided to get a job instead of wasting his time beating his head against the wall. Routes were relatively calm, and Pokemon there could be negotiated or dealt with. In the ocean?

Well, there was a reason this job was dangerous as hell.

"Boss caught you slackin'?"

"Shut it." Takeda groaned. "Are you taking over my shift?"

He wouldn't have called Cameron his friend. More like an acquaintance because they shared the same job. The man was actually from Orre, and he'd entertained the entire ship with stories many nights in the crew's quarters. The region was lawless hell where death, looting and murder were just a way of life, save for a few safe zones and cities. Cameron's hometown didn't even have a name, nor was it on any maps, but it had been victim to raids many times in the past. He never did tell them how he had escaped, though.

The tanned man leaned against the railing. "Nah, just makin' rounds. If I look like I'm doing something, I'm not getting yelled at."

Takeda rolled his eyes. "You ever regret taking this job?"

"Isn't this only your fourth trip? And you're already thinking of quitting?" Cameron wheezed as he slapped his leg. "Why don't you go back to being a little trainer while you're at it."

"That's not even— you know what, never mind."

The man paused. "I'm just pulling your leg. What's on your mind?"

"It's just, you know… this is it. I'm just gonna be standing on a ship for the rest of my life, shipping whatever the hell is in those containers," he sighed, turning toward the huge row of red, metallic boxes. "Fuck, man."

"The pay's good."

"It's not about the pay, it's about being bored out of my mind. I should have tried for another job."

"Stick around another few months," Cameron shrugged. "This is your first go at Unova, right?"

"Not like I get out of the port. Heard Castelia was pretty though."

Cameron smirked. "Hear me out. Me, Doyle, Jimmy, and Kaine were thinking of sneaking out when we get there, just for a few hours. Go to a bar, meet some girls, get laid—"

"Arceus—"

"No, I'm serious! You need to get your dick wet, man, that's your problem. Spend a night in a woman's arms and all of your stress will vanish. Not like the girls working here are any good, and I'd have to report that shit to HR."

Takeda scoffed. "Asshole."

"Yeah. I am. You're too innocent, Takeda. Tell me, what led you to this ship."

"Huh?"

"What made you get this job?"

"Isn't it the same for everyone? It's your fifteenth birthday, you think you're going to be the next big thing, but you realize that shit is harder than you thought?"

"Can't relate, I'm from the shitty desert," he smirked. "But I meant, why this job? It can't be the pay, you said as much."

"I thought it was a way to still have an excuse to travel," Takeda said after a short pause. "I was stupid and thought I'd actually get to use my paycheck and act like a tourist at every port we stopped at. I also thought it'd be good for Buizel and Carvanha. I have two water types, so why not use them?"

"Well, there ain't much those two can do against the threats of the ocean."

"No shit," Takeda deadpanned. "I'm a lookout— oh sorry, a watch officer. I'm no battler. But you worry too much. The waters are calm."

"Let me paint you a picture—"

"You're going to jinx us."

"In these waters? No, no, we've gone through this route a hundred times, the Pokemon here are harmless. Anyway, this was… fifteen years ago. My Swampert's a little pipsqueak Mudkip. We're traveling from Kanto to Galar."

"That's a long ass trip."

"Twenty-five to thirty-five days depending on the weather and what happens. Guess how long this one took."

"I don't know, two months? Three?"

"That was a trap. We never made it. Gyarados attacked us near the Sevii Islands. Half of the crew and their Pokemon went missing. That's what they always say. Missing. Can't recover bodies or Pokeballs in the damn ocean."

"Which island did you wash up on?"

"Oh, I don't remember. There are way too many on that archipelago to count. The natives threw a fit, let me tell you. That was back when they had their whole independence war and they thought taking us hostage would send Kanto-Johto a message. Those dumbasses didn't care if the company we worked for was fucking Galarian. Hell, there was only three fucking Kantoans and two Johtoans alive at this point. The vast majority of us had nothing to do with it."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"How'd you manage to get out?"

"Months of negotiation. Let me tell you, it's weird to be in the headlines and to have governments squabble over you when you're not even from the place. Anyway, long story short, the government invades and takes back control of the Sevii Islands. It was when they were still reeling from Team Rocket's last remains in Johto, so their forces were stretched a bit thin."

"Never thought you'd be the type to know about shit like that."

"Well, I am an old man."

"You're forty."

"I said what I said," he laughed, clapping Takeda's back. "Anyway, that day, the waters were perfectly calm, just like today. Gives you something to think about, eh? I hate it when it's calm… too calm."

"Correlation doesn't equal causation."

"Take it from an experienced sailor, Takeda. Can't you feel it? Everyone's on edge."

The young man turned around and started to notice the temperament of his older and more experienced crewmates. One, nervously tapping a foot against the metallic ground. Another, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. His head turned toward the bridge high up behind him and saw a glimpse of people looking through binoculars.

"Sailing's dangerous, kiddo," Cameron said. "We link the world together. We're the ones that allow them to frolic with their damn luxuries, and people never think about us. Hundreds of us die every year, but we aren't even a headline. Being taken hostage? Now that's interesting. Being vaporized by a Gyarados' Hydro Pump? People don't give a shit about that."

Takeda swallowed.

"So you should live every day to the fullest. You don't need no fancy dream. Come with us to Castelia. Here, I'll take over your shift, go and get some rest."

"Thanks," he nodded as he recalled Buizel. He barely got the words out of his mouth.

Cameron released a Swampert that was made of pure muscle into the ocean, and the ground type began to swim.

—

The crewmates' quarters were a cramped, hot and uncomfortable affair. The bunk beds were barely large enough to fit Takeda, and he was smaller than the average man. What had woken him up was a flurry of steps and activity on the deck of the ship. Takeda rubbed his eyes and yawned before tapping another man on the shoulder.

"You know what's going on?"

"Nope," he answered. "But I was about to go on deck. You're…"

"Takeda."

"Takeda. Right, one of the new guys. Don't panic, you'll be fine."

His words had the opposite effect, and Takeda's leg began to bounce. It was a nervous tick he'd had since he was a child, and he'd repeated it during every single Gym Battle he'd tried. And failed. In retrospect, worrying about losing some Gym battle had been stupid, especially compared to now. His life was on the line. Cameron's story still hadn't left his head, which Takeda assumed was the point. He'd been too lax, sleeping on the job and acting like he was some security guard at a mall instead of a sailor braving the most dangerous areas known to man.

There was a reason the ocean floor outside of very well-guarded areas with underwater cables couldn't be explored. Mapping was done by sonar, and every submarine sent down never came back up. Pokemon ruled here, and they would rule forever.

Takeda scrambled up the narrow stairs and pushed the door open. He'd expected rain to be battering down the deck, heavy winds or at least large waves, but there was nothing. The ocean was perfectly calm. Too calm. It was only now that he understood what Cameron had said. The suspense was killing him, and he'd rather for it to be storming than whatever the hell this was.

"Takeda! To your post, now!" Mr. Richards bellowed. A huge Kingler crawled by his side, onto the containers. "Protect the cargo at all costs!"

"What is it? What's happening? Cameron took over my shift—"

"There was a massive drop in the water temperature. Code Purple S."

Takeda audibly gulped. He was green, but he'd gone through training. He knew protocol and a drop in temperature that large at this latitude could only mean two Pokemon. Jellicent or Dhelmise.

"Focus, sailor!" Mr. Richards screamed. "To your post!"

"Yes sir!"

Takeda scrambled back to his position with Carvanha's Pokeball in hand. The water looked fine, but he knew the ship had measuring tools tracking the temperature and the water type Pokemon swimming around them could feel something coming. He released his water type into the sea.

"Carvanha! Be careful!" He screamed, cupping his hands. "There might be a ghost under the hull!"

Carvanha was too far for Takeda to hear his response, but he was far from the only water type there. He spotted Cameron's Swampert swimming with broad strokes way down the hull. As Takeda's eyes scanned for any disturbance in the water, his boss' words rang out in his mind. Protect the cargo. They were worth less than merchandise here.

He could see why Cameron behaved the way he did.

Two hours passed with no progress. The water temperature kept dropping until ice formed around the hull and slowed the ship down to a crawl. The Wingull had all left, and the sky was completely clear. Takeda shivered and frowned when he noticed he could see his breath. They were still next to Hoenn!

Suddenly, someone screamed.

"Jellicent!"

An audible series of gasps ran through the deck, but they didn't panic. They were sailors. Takeda leaned over the railing and saw a glimpse of a pink tentacle as large as one of the containers slither up the hull, but someone pulled him back by his collar.

"Don't look down, kid. Easiest way to get dragged down and drown."

It was Cameron.

"I didn't know Jellicent got this big," Takeda stammered as his leg bounced.

Cameron shrugged. "They can swell up to massive sizes. Call out for your Carvanha and tell him to stay away, he'll hear you."

Takeda quickly followed suit and hoped for the best. He heard the hull start to crack and the ship began to tilt starboard. Jellicent were monsters of the sea, known to drag ships to the bottom of the ocean to feed on any living creature that dwelled within. If you were lucky, you'd drown or freeze to death. If you weren't and you got stuck in a room with air, it was only a matter if time until Jellicent found you and touched you with a tentacle that would somehow stretch far into the ship and scan for anything alive.

Takeda heard and saw things. Attacks from Pokemon powerful enough to hope to stand up to a Jellicent of this size. Cameron leaned against a container with his arms crossed. There was nothing they could do. The engineers downstairs were probably hard at work, and so were the other members of the crew, but the trainers? They could only trust that their Pokemon would be enough. Takeda flinched when he heard a huge explosion somewhere below the ship— no, an explosion would be wrong. Something had punctured. The ship began to tilt more, and Takeda had to hold onto the anchored containers.

"We're still relatively close to Hoenn," Cameron said, his voice stone cold. "Carvanha and Buizel can alternate and take you there. You might die of hypothermia, but there's a chance."

"What about—"

"Worry about your own skin," he interrupted. "The ship's done for. Swampert!"

Protocol dictated for them to get on the lifeboats, but Jellicent wouldn't let them escape through those. Takeda stood on the left side of the container as the ship rolled onto its side and he heard a loud booming noise that felt like a shockwave blowing through his body. He stepped back for a second and saw that everyone was either falling overboard or jumping. It took him a few seconds to understand why. If he waited too long, he'd be buried by the ship.

Just when he was about to grab Buizel's Pokeball, Cameron held him back.

"Don't jump you fools! You're jumping to your death!"

Below the water, another Jellicent loomed. Blue, this time. It looked a little smaller, but it was still huge. Large enough to swallow up anyone that had jumped on this side of the boat.

There were two.

Swampert jumped out of the water and began to climb up the deck with his hands glowing white. When he reached them, Takeda noticed the frost anchored on his skin, and he couldn't help but think about Carvanha. The little water type was nowhere to be seen, but all he could do was pray for his safety.

"Hold onto him. Tightly."

Takeda's body moved on his own. Half of the ship was submerged at this point, but at least he figured he'd die trying. He grabbed onto Swampert's shoulder as tight as he could while Cameron held onto the other side, and the water type began to climb up toward the bow of the ship. His arms felt like jelly, but he couldn't let go. When they reached the top, Swampert jumped with no hesitation.

Takeda screamed as he fell toward the ground a hundred feet down. At this height, the water would feel like concrete, and they were going to hit ice anyway—

Swampert croaked. Water broke through the ice, spun and formed into a pillar that stretched high into the sky and carried the water type toward the ocean's surface. The cold hit Takeda like a truck, and his body immediately felt numb. First, his fingertips, then his arms, then his core. Swampert swam quicker than he'd ever seen him until the ship was nearly a dot in to horizon and the waters had returned to their warm state.

Takeda had been crying for the last twenty minutes.

Carvanha was gone.

"Sorry for your loss, kid," Cameron sighed, patting him on the back.

"C—Carvanha—"

"I know. I know how it feels. I know loss. All you can do is bear through it. I lost friends today. Colleagues. Fellow sailors. I don't even know who escaped and who didn't."

And they'd be declared missing.

"Why would anyone do this stupid fucking job?!" Takeda sobbed. "We're worth less than cargo! Fuck!"

Cameron sighed as Swampert continued swimming toward Hoenn. "If it's not us, some other poor sods will get enticed by the paycheck."

Takeda blinked. Declared missing. Every accident, out of the headlines and quietly buried.

"I see," he simply said. This wasn't a job. It was a death trap. A death trap that was necessary for global trade between regions.

"Hoenn's probably three days away. Swampert is strong, so he'll manage with a few breaks—"

Takeda interrupted with a scream after he felt something nibble his legs. Two yellow horns protruded out of the water's surface and Takeda's heart swelled. It was Carvanha! Swampert stopped and the water type dove into Takeda's arms and tackled him into the water. Arceus, he was still cold, but the tropical waters were warming him and he hadn't lost anybody! They were all alive!

"Ain't that something," Cameron smiled. "Get back on and recall your fish, kiddo. We've got a long way ahead of us. It's not over. Three days without without food is going to be tough. Swampert can handle the water front."

When they reached Dewford, they were almost exhausted, their skin wrinkled and swollen, and they were too weak to even walk.

Takeda vowed to never be a sailor again.

Cameron hopped on his next job the next month.