I’ve tried peeking through the window many times after that, but my new height was giving me quite some trouble in discerning anything useful. Even on my tippy-toes I could barely lift myself enough to see the sea level, much less anything resembling a port or land mass.

Think, I gotta think, goddamn it.

Right now even if my arms and legs weren’t bound there was still the chance of this ship already sailing across an ocean. By then even if I escaped onto the deck there would be nowhere to go.

There has to be something in here that I could use…

I turned my attention to the crates in the corner that were filled with balls of red and white. Pokeballs I would assume. The crates themselves however, had a brand that was inked over all of them.

S.S. Anne Express… S.S. Anne… hmm… if my memory of the game is correct… isn’t this the cruise that stops by Vermilion City once every year?

In the original Pokemon game, the way to clear this ship is to find the captain, cure him of his sea sickness and obtain an item called HM01(Cut). Then once you leave the boat after that, it sails away, never to be seen again.

Does that mean that so long as the player (me) doesn’t leave the boat, it will never be able to depart?

No… my game knowledge probably wouldn’t work here, I’ve never heard of a Pokemon directly attacking a player like I just experienced. Just the thought of what happened made my entire body shudder involuntarily.

Then what? Find the captain of the ship and explain to him the situation?

In the first place there was no hard evidence that the same captain even exists on this ship. And even if he did there was no guarantee that he’d believe me, or worse yet he might be siding with the kidnappers.

There was also the possibility of the bad guys numbering more than two. Afterall, whatever evil scheme that was taking place couldn’t have just been a simple abduction.

Otherwise why would they need to keep me on a ship… child trafficking perhaps? Are there more like me that are locked up as well? I did hear Mr. M mention that there was at least one other kid.

For now I should just worry about myself, after I escape I’ll file a report and the police force can take care of the rest.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

If I escape that is…

My attention turned to the aluminum cans that were loitered around the room. Although most of them came up empty, I found one with actual contents inside. Without wasting any time, I picked the can up with my mouth and stuck it tightly between my thighs. Then, with my teeth on the pin, I tried tugging the can open.

My jaws almost gave out from exhaustion when the sheet of aluminum finally started to budge, revealing a pasty red substance that had a faint scent of tomatoes.

Beggars can’t be choosers I guess. I never liked tomatoes back home, but I definitely needed to be in my best condition if this escape plan was gonna work out.

After devouring a whole can worth of tomato puree I started to work on the top part of the can which I just ripped off. Unlike the rest of the can which was smooth and dull, the singular sheet of metal which served as the cap had circular edges that were surprisingly sharp. By lodging it into the slits of the oak-planked floor, I was able to create something that can potentially free me from my binds.

C’mon… work already… I need to get out of these ropes first before the guys come to check up on me again.

Several minutes have passed as sweat began dripping down my neck. I could feel the rope loosening up but I knew it still needed a few good grinds before I was completely out.

“Bzttt BZTTT-”

I froze in my tracks at the sound of something metallic. It didn’t sound like anything a human could’ve made. Before I had a chance to analyze the situation I heard it again, growing louder this time.

“BZTT VOL BZTTT TORB!”

It didn’t take me too long to realize that the sound was coming from the crate of pokeballs in the corner. I say this because: one, the crate was rattling on its own. And two, streams of electricity were shooting out of it.

That’s two properties a wooden crate should never have, not to mention it was screaming “Voltorb” just a second ago.

Part of me knew exactly what was coming next and screamed to get the hell away, another part of me was curious at the sight and wanted to confirm with my own eyes.

Unfortunately the wrong part of me won over and I was blasted full-force into the face with a Voltorb explosion.

————————————————————————————————

“It must’ve been a sleeping Voltorb that got mixed up in the pokeball batch.”

“Those critters are indistinguishable from actual pokeballs until they make a move first.”

“The captain should take full responsibility! Look! They’ve even dragged a child into this!”

“But how come her arms and legs were bound with ropes?”

So… noisy…

“Are you okay, little miss?”

My ears were still ringing and I had the nastiest headache. But what I saw when my eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight was nothing short of a miracle. I was outside for the first time in years! And I say years because I was a dedicated shut-in NEET that procured even his meals online.

The vast blue sky, the gentle sea breeze, the sound of distant waves splashing against the shore. They were a first for me after so many years. And people, there were people, too! All of which surrounded me, murmuring and giving me looks of concern.

Is this Pokemon-filled dream finally coming to an end?

“Hang in there! We’re losing her! Someone call an ambulance!!”

The last scenes I saw were of two pink, round creatures with white frills over their arms, carrying me away on a stretcher…

Is it even possible for a person to faint this many times in a day…?

I pondered on about that, before blacking out yet again.