13 | THE NORTH STAR

The boiler room was a metallic jungle of copper pipes and bronzed cogs. Rolling clouds of sweltering fog filled the air. Pistons clinked and clanked in the darkness. The steam engine growled and hissed and purred in a clunky, uneven rhythm. Sizzling flames danced atop black as night coals, lighting up the area in fire-red hues.

Water condensed on the piping attached overhead and dripped onto the deck. The puddle below reflected the orange-tinted scene, attracting the attention of a small Pokémon. Gracie scurried to the water and sniffed it. Deciding it was safe, she dipped her head and lapped a mouthful.

"Mar."

Gracie jumped, startled. She looked up to see Nuri staring at her with her bill sealed in a frown. Unlike Gracie whose leaves were sticking to her pelt, the Magmar was unbothered by the heat. Nuri tossed her head and grunted. Gracie quickly left.

The outdoors were much cooler, chilling the sweat coating Gracie's body. She shook herself free of perspiration and shivered. This wouldn't do. She hunched down, wriggled her haunches, and locked her gaze on the door to the lower levels. A cold gust swept across the deck.

Like the wind, she cried in determination and darted ahead.

Her paws slid smoothly across the wood. Too smoothly. The soft fur covering the pads of her feet failed to gain traction. Gracie gasped, realizing this too late. She squealed as she slammed against the wall, causing strange shapes to swirl in her vision.

What was that?

Gracie recognized the raspy voice amidst her confusion. She shook her head yet again and followed the sound of it, leading her to the sleeping quarters. Inside the room, Omar slept on a hammock while August and Cyryl rested atop bedrolls on the floor. However, the former was wide awake, sitting upright and staring at Gracie where she stood in the threshold.

"Sorry," Gracie said, trotting to her side. She climbed into August's lap, nestling herself into the blanket. "I ran into the wall."

August sighed, running her fingers through Gracie's foliage. You should be sleeping, not running. You're not a Hoothoot.

The Shaymin tilted her head. "What's a Hoothoot?"

Hoothoot are bird Pokémon.

"Like Pidge?"

Aye, like Pidge. August's lips quirked. But Hoothoot are night Pokémon: they sleep all day an' play at night.

Gracie glanced at Pidge. He perched on a wooden beam up above, his head tucked beneath his wing. Pidge was nothing like Hoothoot, she thought. He rose at the crack of dawn every day to fly on the warm morning breeze.

"I wish I could fly like Pidge," she remarked, sharing her thoughts aloud.

You can fly when we get you a Gracidea.

Gracie sprung up, making August recoil. The Shaymin climbed onto her back legs and pressed her front paws on the other's stomach, trying to reach eye level with her.

"Really?" she asked excitedly. "How?"

August shrugged. Gracideas make Shaymin fly. I don't know how it works, though.

Gracie puffed her cheeks, reminded of how she lost the I Spy game the other day. She hadn't been able to find the live flower August saw. If she were better at the game, then she'd be able to fly now!

What's that look for? August questioned, nudging her cheek.

Gracie sat down, deflated. "I want to fly," she repeated.

You'll be flying soon. Get some rest.

August laid flat, pulling the Pokémon against her side as she tried to sleep. Gracie curled into a ball, but she wasn't tired at all. She squirmed out of August's hold and tried various positions, twisting and turning nonstop. A soft whine escaped her as she plopped onto her belly with her legs sprawled out.

Stop being loud, August complained.

Gracie wiggled up to her pillow, face-to-face with August for the first time since they traveled on that potato-filled ship. A dull, golden gaze drained from exhaustion and shining, onyx eyes full of interest stared at each other silently.

"August?"

Yeah?

"I have a question."

Say it.

"Where are the other Shaymin? The ones like me? Do they have Gracideas so they can fly?"

August's lips pursed, and she shifted her stare away. Her brows furrowed the slightest.

Taking this as a sign of thinking, Gracie added, "Cyryl said Shaymin are gone. Where are they? I want to meet them. Maybe they'll give me a Gracidea."

No response. The only sounds were Omar's snoring and Cyryl's nonsensical sleep-talking. August twisted the blanket in her fingers, pulling at loose threads as she thought. Gracie searched her bothered expression for an answer, but there was none. A bad feeling tugged at her gut.

"August?"

Her friend snapped out of it then murmured sadly, They're lost. A long time ago, there was a storm when they were flying. The storm changed the wind currents an' threw them off course. Nobody's seen them since.

Gracie's heart grew heavy with the answer, and she sunk into the pillow. "Oh no."

Something flickered in August's eyes, but it left as quickly as it came. She drew Gracie close to her, comfortingly stroking her face.

"We need to find them," Gracie pleaded, her voice small and fragile.

August exhaled deeply through her nose. Aye. We'll find them after we finish our book quest.

"We'll do it together."

Aye. Together.

"Promise?"

August gently poked Gracie's forehead.

Promise.

Gracie noticed just how groggy August appeared and fell quiet so she could sleep. The Shaymin watched her close her eyes and drift off. She then gazed up at the window beside Omar's hammock in wonder. Even from her position on the floor, she could see the twinkling stars sparkling in the night sky.

As the haze of the slumber veiled Gracie's mind, she imagined what it'd be like flying through the sky with August and the Shaymin and even the Hoothoot. She hoped that dream became reality true soon.

⚔️

The bright stars above were nothing in comparison to the roaring flames engulfing the Savage Hydreigon below. Raw screams and clashing blades erupted from all around, mixing in with the feral snarls and guttural cries of battling Pokémon. As the chaos swarmed around her, a lone woman stood in the center of the deck by the fractured mast, scarlet drenching her coat as she stalked after a collapsed man scrambling away from her unbridled fury.

Calico trained her cutlass on Patel's trembling form, prowling towards him like a Liepard cornering a wounded Deerling. The aquamarine inferno illuminated her livid expression as her heterochromatic eyes shone with malice, and her teeth bared in a sneer.

"You mustn't value your life, Hiran," she barked. "Attackin' me in the midst of the night? You're beggin' to be offed."

Patel attempted to stand up, but his legs gave out from under him. He coughed up blood and clutched onto where his arm used to be. The lost limb lied by his side.

Calico restrained from coughing as the billowing smoke attacked her lungs, snapping, "I shouldn't 'ave let you go back then."

She slid her blade beneath his chin, lifting his head up to meet her gaze. In his eyes, she saw defeat.

"See you in the Distortion World."

The Savage Hydreigon's captain collapsed with a thud. Calico glared in disgust at his corpse then looked around. All eyes and ears were on her, equally horrified and astounded.

Standing in the ring of blue fire, she called to them, "Sink the ship."

The shouts fell deaf on Calico's ears. Mind disconnected from her heart, she crossed the gangplank back onto the Zoroark's Deceit with Zo trailing behind her. She knew Martim would finish the job. He'd become her most reliable personnel since—

Calico clenched her jaw. The world was full of backstabbers; out of anyone, she should know this best.

The captain watched her crew destroy the other vessel in silence. Her Pokémon prevented others from bothering her. Once the screaming quieted, Calico left to her cabin for a drink. She grabbed a half-empty jug and drank straight from it, unbothered by the stray drops dribbling down her neck.

"Zoroark," her companion grunted.

Calico wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and turned to her doorway. Martim stood there, battered and bruised, with his own Greninja beside him.

"Cap'n," he said, "there's a prisoner askin' fo' your presence."

"We give no quarters," she dismissed.

"'e says 'e knows a wench with yellow eyes."

Calico paused mid-sip. "Bring 'im."

Martim waved in a Poliwrath gripping a small man by the back of his neck. He was a tiny thing with his skinny frame and short limbs. The man gasped beneath Calico's glower, legs shaking and palms sweating.

"What're you called?" she demanded.

"P-Punyaa, ma'am," he stammered, his fruity accent drenched in fear.

Calico set her fists on her hips. "Punyaa, tell me I why shouldn't send you to the grave."

Punyaa flinched. "B-because I have some good information. A few nights ago, I heard a she-pirate was run outta Ashwind by the Rubre Navy. The leader of that squad was a woman, too. There aren't a lot of women around with that much power..."

His words trailed off as Calico came closer to him. Her boots clacked against the wooden planks in carefully measured steps. Before him, she stood two heads taller. She exhaled a chuckle as his breathing hitched.

"Go on," she pressed.

"Um." Punyaa's ears burned red. "I heard something else: the she-pirate and the leader looked alike. Both had yellow eyes. They might be kin."

Memories of years past appeared before Calico. She lounged at the desk behind her, drunk as could be, retelling her history to an equally intoxicated August. They were sharing her most prized wine she'd been saving for a special occasion, but she opened it instead on the night of her twin's death.

August grumbled, "My older sister, Shannon, practiced sword-fightin' in secret to duel her suitor an' won. She begged the dusty lard to let her apply to become a captain like him."

"An' it worked?" Calico snorted.

August slammed her hands onto the table, vibrating the bottles of rum. "Aye! She got in 'cause the academy fancies him, an' everyone praised her fo' bein' the first woman to be enrolled."

An idea sparked in Calico's mind. She smiled a crooked, malicious smile. "Good to know." She nodded to Martim. "Take care o' 'im."

Punyaa thrashed wildly as Poliwrath picked him back up, crying, "W-wait! I helped you!"

"Aye, you did." She shrugged then sarcastically added, "May your good deed 'elp you in the afterlife."

Calico turned on her heel as the men left, studying the map splayed out in front of her. She traced her finger around the town of Ashwind, the smirk on her face growing. If she couldn't locate August herself, she'd force the pirate to come to her instead.