“Please enjoy you’re stay on the S.S. Anne.” The attendant smiled, behind the smiling Galvin Steel and Brass were jumping around in glee, finally. Finally they were on the S.S. Anne, the coolest cruise ship ever! Although for the moment the ship was being used for a researcher convention, there were still tons of cool things to do on the ship!

A plastic card was held before their faces making them stop their jumping. Oh right. Room keys.

“Alright, dinner is at six o clock, come back to the cabin at five.”

“Why five?” Brass asked

“We can’t go to dinner in our clothes.” Galvin stated bluntly as they walked to the elevators. Brass frowned and furrowed his brows.

“What’s wrong with what I wear?!”

“Brass, our clothes are kinda dirty, I don’t think that would go over well on the ship.” Steel piped up.

“Oh… but where would we get clothes that are good from?”

“Clothes rental.” Galvin stated in a matter of fact.

“You can rent clothes?!” Bass demanded “What kind of backwards place is this?!”

“Renting clothes is quite common.” The boy stared at his friends a little longer before walking away, muttering insanity. Steel looked to Galvin and smiled.

“Well, I’m off now! Bye!” maybe the ship changed books for every occasion, family trips could books for all ages, but for researchers there had to be all kinds of books benefiting research. Maybe there was one about the past of the regions, about the savors.

Steel closed the book and sighed. That had to be the third one she looked through with no results. For history books they didn’t seem to go that far back enough for what she needed. Steel crossed her arms and hummed. Maybe someone else checked out the books for research myths in creation of regions or for information on the heroes?

She looked to the clock, it was still early. A small lunch wouldn’t hurt.

Steel took the elevator to the 10th floor of the stop, once she got out of the glass elevators she looked at the map on the wall. According to it the simple restaurant was to the stern, meaning pass the pool to the left. Steel did stop to look at the pool and gasped. It was so huge! Two different medium hot tubs, a giant, but shallow, pool filled with colorful slides and fountains. Probably for children.

Although a swim would be nice for her and her pokémon but, at the moment, the pool was roped off preventing anyone from swimming at all. Her stomach suddenly rumbled reminding her why she even came out here in the first place. Steel blushed and rushed past the line of white chairs and towels.

The sliding glass doors opened up widely and Steel looked about excitedly. The first floor contained mostly different cooking stations, drinks, and side dishes. Tables and booths, both padded with green cushions, lined the windows. The second floor was not very different, many chairs and booths with a privet and rather expensive restaurant.

Steel approached a stand with plates and silverware, taking what she needed she walked to each station. Unfortunately that left her plate rather full and complicated to handle. She walked to the nearest table and took a seat. With a smile Steel began to eat her food, or attempted to, the clatter of plates captured her curiosity. She looked around, taking note of an employee loading dirty plates into a tub. From the back she looked vaguely familiar. Steel couldn’t put a finger on it until the woman turned around to face her.

Oh god.

That face. Her face. The Rune of the Viridian Forest.

The two of them stared at each other. Steel abruptly stood up, knocking her seat over.

“I LEFT SOMETHING IN THE LIBRARY. I SHOULD GO GET IT.” She shouted. The panicked girl ran out the diner and across the pool deck, she slipped and slid to the hall with the elevators. Steel pounded on the down button but seeing how long it was taking to get an elevator she gave up and ran down the stairs to the eighth floor. She scrambled down the hallway, chanting the room number. To the very end of the halls was the room she and her friends shared

“GALVIN. GALVIN. GALVINGALVINGALVINGALVIN.” The door opened and Steel jumped in, she ran to the balcony closed it and locked it, even closed the blinds. She couldn’t risk letting a Rune overhear her.

“Uh… Steel what are you doing?” he questioned closing the door behind him.

“Runes!” Steel flailed her arms and screamed in a volume so loud that the neighbors would of reported her if they were even there.

“Excuse me?” Galvin plopped down on his bed by the balcony and he continued to look at her like Ekans were coming out of her head and dancing a marry dance.

“Runes Galvin! Runes! I saw the one from the Viridian Forest; she was on the ship clearing tables!”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes! She was giving me this evil eye!”

“…” Galvin sighed “Alright, Brass should be here in an hour or so.”

“Can’t we go after the Runes? Like right now?”

“No, the ship set sail an hour ago and declaring that there is a Rune, and maybe more, without any proof might cause a panic or get us in trouble… maybe both.”

“But I know it’s her!”

“I think it may be better not to cause a panic.”

“Oh all right!” Steel sighed “he better get here soon…”

“Either way we should take our pokémon with us regardless of where we go.”

“Even dinner?” Galvin nodded

“Yeah, even dinner.”

“Wha’d you mean there are Runes on the boat! That’s impossible!” Brass hollered “You saw the security they had when we were getting on the boat!”

“What if Runes took over the boat so they could get the researchers?!” Steel demanded through the bathroom door. “Then it would make perfect sense! They load all their grunts on, the grunts then pose as employees and when the time is right they corner them and take them to their base!”

“Well, when you put it like that it does make sense…” Galvin admitted. The bathroom lock suddenly clicked, Brass muttered something among the lines of finally. The chosen outfit for the night was a simple velvet black gown with a V shaped cut.

“Does it look good?” She asked. Galvin nodded, placing a pair of black heels at her feet. Steel stared apprehensively at them. Oh this was going to be fun. With a huff of determination she placed a hand on Galvin’s shoulder to balance herself as she slid a foot into a heel.

“You look fine.” He smiled. “It was a nice pick.” Galvin offered her a hand. Steel denied it and took a step forward. She could feel her ankles trembled and give away making fall flat on her behind. Brass burst out laughing at his friend while Galvin sighed with a smile and offered his hand once more. Pulling her to her feet he walked her to the vanity.

Steel went to work on her hair as Brass ran into the bathroom to change, a few minutes later it could be heard him screaming and cursing at his injuries. Galvin sighed.

“Do you need help in there?”

“YES.”

Brass sat at the table rather bored. For a fancy ship the dinners were a complete drag. All anyone was doing was talking about their boring research or dancing, which was just as much or even more, dull. He picked up his glass of water and swirled it about.

“I wonder where Galvin and Steel went to…” he looked over the railing to the first floor of the dining hall. They could be down there at the ballroom, but that might not be, Steel couldn’t dance for squat and Galvin probably couldn’t either unless Daisy taught him.

“Just follow my lead.” Galvin grunted through his teeth as Steel removed her heel from is foot.

“I’m sorry!” Steel exclaimed, glancing to her feet. “I didn’t mean to…”

“I know, I know…” Galvin shook his head. He placed a hand on Steel’s hips and guided her once more, Steel soon enough got the hang on it and they continued to dance until the band on stage came to an end. The crowd broke into a light clap and returned to their seats, for Steel and Galvin they were greeted by a child.

“You two danced together?” Brass made a face, a mix between disbelief and amusement. “That’s so gross.”

“Please grow up.” Galvin grunted leading Brass to snicker even more.

“Why? Are you mad?”

“Annoyed is the proper word.” Brass broke into a fit of laughter and giggled. He hooted and cackled as he leaned back in his chair Brass kept it up despite Steel’s protests, demanding he calm down and put all four legs of his chair one the floor. Suddenly, Brass made a choking sound, he and chair fell back and hit the ground with a thud.

“Brass!!” Galvin looked around and gasped. Brass wasn’t the only one. Half of the dining hall was on the floor, unconscious. Laughter began to fill the three floors. It was hardly cheerful. Mocking. Darkness suddenly shrouded them and a single light lit the stage. It was…

“RUNE!!!” Steel screamed. Galvin looked up to see her hanging over the railing, pointing accusingly to the woman on the stage wearing a team Rune uniform. The researchers were shocked and horrified. How could a Rune get onboard with the ship’s tight security?

“Welcome my brilliant friends, you have been chosen!” the single Rune grinned as they spoke into the microphone. “Chosen to aid our leader in her research of PokeSoul.” Everyone began to whisper and murmur. Just what could PokeSoul possibly be? Never had single one of them once heard of such a thing. Was it some secret project of theirs?

“I can see your confusion; you must not worry my dear scientist and researchers. Your questions will be answered. PokeSoul is everything, the power to become one with the pokémon. The power of the ancient savors. It is our leader’s goal to become one with a pokémon of legend and dominate this tiny region. All that we ask of you is to translate the scriptures of old ages and create all she needs and you will live with your life.”

Steel gasped. That’s why she couldn’t find any books or information. Team Rune took it all for their own needs!

“As I speak, we are arriving to our research facility and you will meet our master face to face. Enjoy your free time ladies and gentlemen.” The Rune bowed with a huge smirk and walked off stage.

Something had to be done fast or they all were in big trouble, especially her and her friends… they would be useless to the Runes, they would most likely kill them! Steel glanced to Galvin, who glanced to her then glared back at the empty stage as panic occurred around the two of them. Half of the ship was incapacitated due to whatever was put into the drinks and the other half was defenseless and was acting crazy in fear.

Reminded of her drink Steel knocked it over, wetting the green table cloth. (Taking note of this Galvin followed the motion with one hand in his pocket.) Steel then glanced to the handbag in her lap, all four of her pokémon rested inside, Seaa, Bubbles, Kate and Paris, a recently obtained Paras.

…

Yes. This must be done. She and Galvin had to take back control of the ship.