Ash x Gary (Palletshipping)

The Jig is Up, Jigglypuff!

Me: "Don't be afraid to check out the video of Jigglypuff singing! I promise you won't fall asleep...and get raped by Jigglypuff...maybe." *Wink*

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We're on a boat to Slateport City after Gary apologized to Brawly for Teagan's actions. It was kind of...rude, considering I was cruelly ripped from my sleep in Gary's arms, but at least I got an easy gym badge out of it. Actually, the easy part bothers me a bit. I wanted to do a fairer rematch, but Gary didn't want to deal with Teagan anymore, and Teagan eventually managed to convince me that Brawly just made a stupid pokémon choice and that's the exact reason why he lost.

The boat we're on is much bigger than the ferry we took to Dewford Town, and it really reminds me of that cruise ship Misty, Brock, and I got stuck on with Team Rocket when it sunk.

For that exact reason, I am terrified when the lights start to flicker on and off.

Gary notices the look on my face and stops his conversation with some researchers on the cellular respiration of poké cells?—whatever that is?—and comes over to me. He pulls me in for a hug and assures me that: "It's nothing, Ashy. Just some power surges or something, I'm sure."

I feel a little better, but then the captain comes on over the PA system, and I am met with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. "Hello, passengers, please stay calm, but we are having some power problems and would like you all to board the lifeboats in a calm and orderly fashion as soon as possible. Please do not bother collecting unnecessary personal belongings and feel free to join our crew members on a tour of the Abandoned Ship here on Route 108. That is all and thank you for choosing the St. Anne for your travels." Wait! Is that the same ship as before?! What the hell?!

"Never mind," Gary says, only making my stomach drop down to the sea floor so far below us, "Teagan!" he gets his daughter's attention where she's looking at some lady's Aggron with wonderment in her eyes, "Let's get off of this shipwreck! We are not using this line again," he adds under his breath.

Thankfully, we disembark safely, preventing history from repeating itself, and all of the lifeboats are directed to the Abandoned Ship while we wait for repairs to be carried out.

A crew member starts giving us all a tour as we step inside the rusty, dark wreck, beached up on some massive, jagged boulders sticking up above the water line. "Hi, everybody, we hope to have the St. Anne back up and running shortly, but, while we wait, let me introduce you to the Abandoned Ship! It's a relatively modern cruise ship, but no one knows who built it, crewed it, or even how it got out here in the ocean! In recent years, it is even said that the ship is haunted by a singing pokémon, mourning the loss of its trainer. According to these stories, when you hear the mysterious pokémon's song, you pass out and wake up with evil symbols all over your face!"

I am totally creeped out by this description, but Teagan and Gary look downright unamused as they exchange a critical, sideways glance. "That Teddiursa thing turned out to be real," I warn them.

"What?" Gary looks at me like I'm insane, and Teagan gives me this strange, quizzical look. I just shrug them off and pull away from the tour group, spotting something shiny in one of the dark, abandoned rooms. I know there's some sort of evil ghost pokémon out and about, but I'm curious, okay?

"Ash," Gary hisses, trying to direct me back to the group. But when Teagan follows me, he's forced to go along with our impromptu exploration of the wreckage.

When I get to the shiny thing, it just turns out to be a broken shard of glass, catching some sunlight through a rusted out hole in the ship's hull. I go back into the hallway while Teagan and Gary bicker over something stupid.

I can't see very far ahead of me in the pitch black environment of the ship, but another shiny thing glints in the darkness, and I proceed forward.

"Pikaaa..." Pikachu whines, putting its ears back against its head.

When we hear a sudden crash and then something scurrying across the floor nearby us, Pikachu leaps into my arms and hides its face in my jacket. "Oh, don't be such a baby, Pikachu. It was probably just some stupid Rattata or water pokémon," I gloat, feeling superior to my pokémon.

Just then, something leaps out of the shadows, and I scream.

*POV change to Gary*

I'm yelling at Teagan about how it's her fault that Ash wandered off when I hear a blood-curdling scream. Even distressed as it is, I immediately recognize the voice as Ash's and take off running down the hall.

Teagan follows me closely, clinging to me fearfully in the low light conditions.

When we get to right around where we heard the scream come from, something scurries across the floor in front of us, and we jump back—Teagan in fear, but I'm just startled is all.

It's then that I spot Ash laying on the floor, unconscious, with his Pikachu. He looks like he's got marker all over his face.

The scurrying thing makes another dash across the room, and Teagan and I slowly back away.

"Umbreon, help us out!" I release Umbreon from its poké ball, and the yellow markings on its body start glowing, illuminating the darkness.

What I see is a Jigglypuff, holding some sort of marker or microphone—I can't quite tell. I facepalm.

"It's a Jigglypuff?" Teagan asks, incredulous that this little, pink ball has been causing so much fear.

I open my mouth to tell her about how stupid this particular Jigglypuff is, trying to use sing on everyone it meets in hopes of finding someone who can hear out its song to the end without falling asleep—an obvious impossibility since the move, sing, is intended to put its victims to sleep.

But Jigglypuff opens its mouth to begin its song, and I have to put an end to this once and for all.

"Umbreon, use headbutt on Jigglypuff!"

Umbreon follows my orders, sending a disgruntled Jigglypuff to the floor with a big, red bump on its forehead. I pull an empty poké ball out of my lab coat and throw it, hoping to finally catch this culprit.

The poké ball starts wobbling, periodically glowing red as Jigglypuff struggles to escape from inside it.

But I win when the wobbling stops and the ball dings, signaling a successful capture.

I go over to collect my new Jigglypuff and then release it, ordering, "Clean up your mess," as I point to Ash's and Pikachu's drawn on faces.

I glance over at Teagan while Jigglypuff puffs out its cheeks, indignant, but eventually complies. She's staring at me with this blank expression on her face as her lips twitch with a restrained smile.

"You have a Jigglypuff," she tells me.

"Shut up," I retort.