Chapter 142:  Gathering (Part A) by Exodus  

Ellie stepped out of the cabin long after the boat had left Vermilion City, 
the fact that no one had dragged her out and turned the ship around proved 
that she’d gotten away with it.  
Finally she thought, she’d escaped the confined shelter of her parents and was 
headed towards a brand new location.  
The trip would take the night and some of tomorrow to get there so there was 
plenty of time to doze off during the morning, Ellie could usually sleep for 
hours at that time of day if not for her chores and errands expected of her at 
home.  

On the deck were several trainers, some Ellie recognised from Cerulean City, 
many others she didn’t, but chances were she would probably meet most of them 
along the way since they were all going to Hoenn for the same reason:  To 
train new and undiscovered Pokémon and compete in the Hoenn Pokémon League, 
much as many of their parents had done in Johto, Kanto and other places around 
the world.  

“Hey Turquoise Delight, you enjoying the trip?” smiled Calvin as he joined her 
to lean on one of the deck’s fences and observe the night sky and sea.  
“More than you know.” Ellie said serenely, before adding in the same 
mood, “And don’t call me that.”  
“It feels great to step on my own two feet, my folks aren’t as protective as 
yours but I’ve never left the continent before.  You calmed down yet?” grinned 
Calvin, staring outwards.  
“What do you mean?” stuttered Ellie, unsure of what he meant.  
“You were pretty hasty on the night this cruise left, what was the big rush?” 
Calvin clarified.  
“Nothing nothing...  Just wanted to get away from my folks.” she replied, 
telling the truth technically but wanting Calvin to believe differently.  
“Hard to say goodbye, huh?” he stated.  
“Didn’t have the time for that.” Ellie said absently.  
“O-kay...” pondered Calvin, “Anyway, I’m gonna go out onto the deck, see if 
any of the others are around, wanna tag along?”  
“Sure...”  

On the main area of the ship were well over a hundred people, all running 
around, playing games or relaxing as the moonlight shone over the ship.  
“I doubt your Kecleon has changed as yet.” conversed Calvin.  
“No, he’s still disappearing, but I’m sure I’ll find a way to sort out all my 
problems...” Ellie replied.  
“Cool, cos I wanna see you catch enough Pokémon to make Blossom work a little 
in exchange for all the Pokémon Data we’re giving her, then you’ll be spoilt 
for choice when we next battle.”  
“Actually, I’m not gonna be sponsored by Blossom, there were... complications, 
and I’ll be sorting them out when we reach Hoenn...” Ellie lied again, only 
now realising that since Calvin had Blossom for a sponsor, he’d surely hear 
about what she’d done through Blossom and try to stop Ellie as a result.  
Calvin was annoying and persuasive all throughout their childhood, but 
especially when it meant getting Ellie to do the right thing or something 
really important rather than personal gain, if he got word of Ellie’s running 
away, there would be no end to his pestering and solutions for her to return 
home.  
As much as Ellie had originally wanted to travel with him, she would have to 
ditch him as soon as they docked in, and go the journey alone.  
“Hey cool, they have vid-phones, maybe I should phone Blossom and show her how 
cool this place is, maybe even ask her about other sponsors in Hoenn for you.” 
suggested Calvin innocently.  
“No, don’t.” she said, almost giving herself away from her haste, “I mean, 
look over there, it’s Aaron and...  His dad?...”  
Aaron was another friend of the family, the son of Ellie’s eccentric ‘Uncle 
Chad’, despite his father’s embarrassing personality and his mother’s overly 
amount of love, he turned out to be pretty cool.  
“Come on Dad, I don’t need you here to baby-sit me, how am I supposed to find 
myself a nice girl to hang out with if you’re around?” he moaned.  
“You don’t need a girl, you’re still young, Pokémon Masters like you and I 
shouldn’t be getting ourselves tied down, we have to resist the attention that 
females shower us with and push forward towards our goal!” his father stated 
as if he was an action hero, complete with exaggerated motions to express his 
words.  
“There is So much wrong with that statement!” complained Aaron, “I’m 
seventeen, old enough to have a girlfriend, I’m not a Pokémon Master and 
neither are you, and I’ve only started training Pokémon now because I was 
previously busy working at the Pokémart for years and never had the time, and 
if Mom heard you talk about not getting tied down by women...”  
“But she’s not here, is she? I love her and everything but I’ve been stuck in 
Chalk Town for too long, my heart burns with a need to compete, and this new 
tournament is the perfect excuse, I mean, opportunity, to show the world that 
there is a champion among them.”  
“Your Pokémon are old Dad, I don’t think they can cut it like they used to, 
and if you did win, it would only be because the guys you used to compete with 
aren’t participating ever since they retired from Pokémon Training.”  
“That’s besides the point and-”  
“Hey, it’s the guys, sorry Dad, I’d love to hear more but I have to catch up.” 
Aaron interrupted.  
Aaron couldn’t have gotten to Ellie and Calvin sooner, he was very eager to 
get away from his dad, “Hey guys, it’s been ages.”  
Up close, Aaron’s black/green hair was as spiky as ever, and he was wearing a 
cool red jacket and trousers.  
“Hi Aaron, I’m glad you’re finally following in your father’s footsteps and 
training Pokémon.” Ellie smiled.  
“I’d rather alter from that path actually, I don’t want to become that naive 
and sure of myself, in fact, if I ever become like him, just shoot me there 
and then.”  
“I’ll see what I can do.” joked Calvin.  
“Hey there little ones, I guess you’re all itching to become like your Uncle 
Chad.” grinned Aaron’s father as he barged in on the conversation, his hair 
was still brushed over his face with a pony tail at the back and he was 
wearing a sleeveless shirt.  
“Actually, My dad’s kinda my role model.” replied Calvin, Ellie would have 
said the same except she just didn’t feel as strongly about her father as the 
others.  
“Are you competing too Mister Masters?” Ellie questioned innocently, “It’s 
just, aren’t you a little overqualified for this?”  
“Nope, the world’s a little misguided, if not for a few errors Not due to my 
actions, I’d be the one the world regarded as champ and not your father Ellie, 
I bear no grudge against the guy who shaped me into the expert trainer you see 
before you, but I know I’d have won a tournament if not for certain 
incidents.”  
“Must be one of Dad’s lesser accomplishments.” Ellie thought.  
“The only errors could only have been yours Dad.” whispered Aaron, bringing a 
smile to Ellie’s face, she admired him for standing up to his father as boldly 
as he did and wished she could be the same.  
“Where was ol’ Tetsubo anyway? I saw all the others from the original gang but 
not your dad at the send-off.” questioned Chad.  
“We ran a little late.” Ellie replied, “There wasn’t time to say goodbyes on 
the ship.”  
“You know I’m available if you need help with your training or anything, it’s 
the least I can do for Tetsubo.”  
“Thanks Uncle Chad, I’ll... keep that in mind.” sighed Ellie, knowing full 
well she wouldn’t take him up on his offer.  
“Well, I’m gonna go scope out the competition, maybe get in a couple o’ 
battles, come watch me Son, or no allowance.”  
“Aw Dad!” complained Aaron, walking away, “You know I’m desperate for money at 
the moment, it’s not fair to use that to make me do whatever you want...”  
Ellie and Calvin glanced at each other and a smirk came to their faces, they 
then continued to stroll around the entertainment deck to pass the time...  

Ellie noticed her cousin Vincent at one point, his spiky light green hair was 
tied in a ponytail and he was wearing blue shorts and an orange short sleeved 
shirt with small black lines that crossed others to form star shapes dotted 
over it, he was pleading to a large group of girls about something, it could 
only be his desperate proposals for a date, he’d always asked for advice on 
girls every time he’d visited Ellie since they were young.  
“Come on girls, I’m gonna be champ of the Hoenn League and my Spheal is the 
bomb, don’t you wanna travel with someone of my calibre?”  
The group of girls stopped suddenly, the Pokémon in front of Vincent doing so 
in kind, but Vincent kept right on walking, tripping over his Pokémon and 
landing in a heap.  
The girls burst into laughter and walked away, while Vincent looked really 
down about the whole thing and drummed his fingers on the floor.  
“Um... hey Vincent...” Ellie said softly, although her concern for him wasn’t 
the only thing on her mind as she drew out the Pokédex to view the round light 
blue seal Pokémon.  

“Spheal, the Clap Pokémon.  This Pokemon prefers to roll around with its 
spherical body than walk on land.  This Pokemon claps loudly to show pleasure, 
usually when it is about to eat.”  

“Um, hi...” he grinned, picking himself up from the floor and recalling the 
Pokémon.  
“Sphee-”  
“You didn’t happen to see that did you?” he questioned with a look of 
embarrassment on his face.  
“Every moment of it.  Are you Still chasing after girls?” Ellie replied 
bluntly.  
“I have to, they’re obviously too shy to approach me, so I’ve got to help them 
with that until I find a girl that’s suitable for me.” Vincent said, actually 
believing every word of what he just said.  
“You haven’t listened to a word of advice I gave you over the years, have 
you?” accused Ellie tiredly.  
“I listened!...  I just disagreed with most of it, that’s all.  So, Uncle Tet’ 
finally let you go it alone?”  
“More or less.”  
“It’s those sorts of things that make me glad I’m the child of someone who 
didn’t become a famous champion.  My Dad’s pretty passive about what I do, 
provided it’s not illegal or anything.”  
“Do you want to hang with me once we’ve docked in? I have a feeling I’ll need 
the company.” Ellie suggested, before thinking, “And possibly someone who 
stands out in embarrassing situations more than I.”  
“Ahhhh, I don’t think so.  You’d cramp my style, and girls might think we 
weren’t related, in fact, that’s probably why that group stayed away.”  
“But I was nowhere near you when...  Forget it.  You’ll only dismiss any 
information I have to say.”  
“No hard feelings? I’m sure Calvin can keep you company...”  
With that Vince’ took off, leaving Ellie on her lonesome, or at least once 
they docked in if Ellie couldn’t find anyone who wanted to immediately team up 
with her.  
“Hey Elle, it’s Wanda, let’s talk to her before she disappears.” called 
Calvin.  
Wanda was the youngest member of what Ellie considered to be their circle of 
acquaintances, she had light purple hair tied back, with two balls on either 
side that long strips of hair dangled from, and she wore a green and blue 
dress with several frilly parts on the shoulders, wrists, skirt and heels.  
Ellie and Calvin ran over to the young girl walking towards the cabin of the 
ship towards her room and practically fell in front of the doorway to greet 
her.  
“Hi Wanda...”  
“Um...  ‘ello...” she said nervously in her odd British accent, but she 
couldn’t be blamed for being remotely nervous after the rush the two had made 
to block her off.  
“How are you? I haven’t seen you for a while, although we totally understand 
why.” smiled Ellie.  
“Cou’ we... no’r talk abou’ ei’?...  Oi’m no’r quie’ ready fer that, only ta 
train Pokimon an’ fine’ a goal in loife...” explained Wanda.  
“Absolutely, in fact, why not travel with me?” suggested Ellie.  
“Us.” corrected Calvin, at least that’s what he though he was doing.  
“It’s nice o’ ya ta look ow’ fer me, buh’ Oi’ll be fine, Luriri is stronger 
than she looks.”  
“Who’s Luriri?”  
“Don’t you remember Calvin, it’s her Azurill, she’s had it for years, it was a 
present from...”  
“... Moi mum...” finished Wanda, since Ellie didn’t have the heart to.  
With that, she released it just to prove her point, the tiny blue mouse 
Pokémon with a large ball tail that was the unevolved form of a Marill.  
“Azu!” it called out, before standing in front of its owner.  

“Azurill, the Aqua Mouse Pokémon.  These Pokémon are sometimes known to play 
around with their large rubbery tails, by spinning it like a lasso and then 
hurling it, the momentum can carry this small Pokémon far.”  

“If ei’s okay wi’ ya, Oi’d like ta retire fer the day...” said Wanda softly 
as she squeezed by Ellie and left.  
“I thought the other guys would be happy to team up with us.” sighed 
Calvin, “But it looks like it’s just you and me, unless that spoilt brat 
Selene joins us, but that’s very doubtful and-”  
Ellie’s expression tried to warn Calvin but it was too late.  
“And... she’s right behind me, isn’t she?”  
He turned to the tall lady with dark blue hair with zigzag strips hanging over 
her face, she wore a black sports bra and white sports jacket plus tracksuit 
bottoms.  
Selene was the daughter of yet another friend of the Capture family, Scott and 
Carrie, they made a nice couple but Ellie figured they had spoiled Selene, 
since she turned out to act so horrid towards others, Ellie rarely saw her at 
friend and family gatherings and even when she turned up, she never wanted to 
be a part of the group.  
“Would you move aside?...” she ordered.  
“Selene, I didn’t know you were there, I’m sorry about-”  
“Do you think I care what you say about me? I don’t.  Come along Ache...”  
With that, a small Grass Pokémon with a shell-like helmet on top of it 
scuttled out from behind the doorway and followed her, its expression and body 
language similar to Selene.  

“Seedot, the Acorn Pokémon.  This Grass Pokémon can usually be found in trees, 
hanging off branches and absorbing moisture, doing so makes this Pokémon’s 
body glossier.”  

“We’re better off without her, she really sucks the fun out of everything.” 
stated Calvin.  
“Let her be, it’s her loss.” stated Ellie, the idea of leaving Calvin 
saddening her but trying to hide her mood from him.  
“Well Elle, since there’s no one I or you know left to talk with, how’s about 
we challenge some of the newbie strangers before our journey together?”  
“Why not?...” Ellie sighed, guilty of what she had to do to Calvin when he was 
getting so comfortable with them being together.  

End of Chapter 142A  

Back to Chapter 141B
Chapter 142B
Back to Story List #141 - #160
Back to the Pokézone