Uncontained

After I dressed, I sent out my Pokemon. Uriah was fucking pissed. You returned me without my consent, he growled.

"I know," I said. "I'm sorry. If you knew what I had to go through to get here, you'd understand."

You will not be forgiven. There will be consequences for your actions.

"I get that. I'm still sorry."

Uriah stalked off and I didn't see him for a long while.

The rest of my Pokemon had a blast, though. They chatted with other trainers' Pokemon and ate the food prepared just for them. Malachi and I wandered and trolled just like we used to at home. This boat probably cost hundreds of thousands to upkeep, though. I knocked over an ice sculpture by accident and broke it, and when we got stern looks from other people, Malachi told them I was drunk, so I staggered around drunkenly to make it seem true and Malachi pretended to help me outside. We busted up laughing. There were a lot of rich old people here that I was sure we offended. Malachi and I cooled off and leaned on the railing to see where we were. The moonlight pooled down and made the water black and silver. It was beautiful.

"Are you here to find Team Rocket?" Malachi asked quietly.

I looked at him in surprise. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"I heard they were going to cause a ruckus at eleven o' clock. I don't think it'll be that bad; they're attacking a boat full of prestigious trainers where the captain is the best swordsman in the region." Malachi shrugged. "I was invited, so I figured I'd stick it out and see what happens."

"And you thought I was the idiot."

He grinned. "I have a morbid curiosity. Plus there's free food."

I checked my watch. 10:49. "It'll be happening soon."

"Yeah. You'd better find your Pokemon."

We headed downstairs. Isaac, Florence, Summer, and Czeslaw were conversing with some other Pokemon. Near the food tables. Uriah wasn't there, as I expected. "Do you know where Uriah is?" I asked.

Isaac pointed and burbled. He went down the hall.

"Okay, come with me. I'm going to need you for a while. Something's going to happen."

They nodded sagely; they knew what I was referring to. Czeslaw, Isaac, and Summer moved to my side, but Florence was a little preoccupied. She was blushing and a brown little Pokemon with a skull over its face was holding her hand. It leaned over and nuzzled her face before leaving. Florence avoided looking at me when she bounded up my shoulder. "You have a boyfriend?" I teased.

She squeaked and buried her face in my hair. No...

I looked at Malachi. "Uriah went down the hall; he's my other Pokemon. Let's go find him."

"Okay." We started down the hall. Some drunk guy staggered with his girlfriend into their room. They almost tore down the gold decorations around it. "Beau," Malachi asked. "Can you understand your Pokemon?"

"Of course," I said. "It took a while, but now it's like they're speaking English."

Malachi paused. "I can't. At least not on the level you do."

"Really?" I was surprised. "I thought everyone could understand them."

"You have a different relationship with Pokemon that I'd never seen in a trainer before," Malachi mused. "That's why I was a little confused when I saw you talking to them."

I chuckled. "Maybe it's because I'm not a trainer. I refuse to be a part of the trainer cult."

Malachi's mood lifted. "What are you talking about? We have cookies in our cult."

I socked him in the arm. "Whatever."

Then we saw Uriah.

Scarlet blood dripped down his talons. I froze. "Uriah!" I demanded. "What the fuck did you do?"

He growled. Don't go in that room. There are cases of electrode. That gang you are presumably after are attempting to make them explode and sink the ship. I merely dispatched the guard when he panicked after he saw me.

"What did Uriah say?" Malachi asked.

"Team Rocket's going to sink the ship. In the room are boxes of electrode, Uriah just took out the guard." I began to sweat. This was nothing like I'd imagined. They were going to kill thousands of people. "We need to get everyone out of here."

"Let's find the captain and turn this boat around. His room is this way," Malachi said.

Uriah stalked past me; not in the direction Malachi was indicating. Florence sniveled. "Where do you think you're going?" I called.

I'm leaving. My own life is a higher priority than these humans and Pokemon.

Rage flared in me. Malachi stared. "What the fuck does that mean?" I demanded. "If this is your idea of getting back at me, that's not fucking cool. I can't believe you would sink this low."

Uriah didn't reply and continued walking. A vine slipped into my hand and Summer looked at me worriedly. I squeezed it.

"Coward!" I yelled.

Uriah stopped. What did you call me?

If there was anything I was good at, it was making people pissed off, and I found it worked on Pokemon just as well. "A coward," I snarled. "That's what you are. You'd save your own sorry ass before anyone else's. That's what a coward would do."

Uriah swiveled his head around and gave me a venomous glare. Calling names won't change my opinion, fool.

"You'll be a dishonorable Pokemon if you leave. You may not like it, but I need your support, and you need mine. Only a fool would think otherwise."

Uriah flared his nostrils and flames flecked at his jaws. "Beau," Malachi cautioned.

But then I saw a man in black come sprinting behind the charmeleon with a gun in his hand.

I couldn't think. I lunged forward and slammed Uriah down just as the gun went off.

BANG.