Walter stood anxiously by the helm, his heart pounding as he watched the grunts pour onto the ship. Over the horizon, the captain witnessed the battle. The monstrous threat loomed on the horizon, its imminent explosion threatening to obliterate all of Dewford. howard slayte and the others stood defiant in the face of the icy monster. Howard won't be sailing home with him this time.

With a deep breath, he grabbed the loud speaker and yelled "EVERYONE GET ON THE SHIP IF YOU WANNA LIVE! LEAGUE, ROCKET, DOESN'T MATTER THE SEA IS BOUND TO NO ONE BUT THE BASIN BEAST!"


The ocean is free and so was Walter's allegiance. Team Cove sailed the waters between both sides. Raiding Dewford was a job for Rocket, but Walter was bound to no one. He couldn't let them die. No matter how free a pirate was, he always had his limits, his line drawn firmly in the sand. Innocent blood would not spill into the line and stain the sand.


Rocket grunts were baffled by the captain's orders. Was he crazy? How could he let everyone onto the ship?


Captain Storm Grin, no. Captain Delmar spoke again. "Listen here, grunts. This is my ship and I make the rules. And one of my rules is preventing as much death as possible. So you can either stay on the ship or walk back into Doomedford Town."


A smirk crawled onto the captain's face as his bravery returned once more.

---

psssssst...if you want your character to leave regardless of affiliation, this is your chance

Waves thawed from Regice's frozen grip as the sea began to warm again. With Isaac Merlo the shore guard distracted, she was safe to pull to shore. Soon they'd leave Dewford behind like a horrible nightmare. A boom thundered from the helm.

"The ice is receding! Raise the sails, mateys. I'm pulling her closer to the shore!"

The dark hull swiveled towards the shore. As she pulled into view, Walter saw him. howard slayte. He was alive! Who was he fighting alongside? Was that the leader of Dewford? Who's the dog? So many questions raced through the captain's mind. He guessed this was the "save the world" part of the plan. Didn't imagine it would be caused by Howard himself. Though, they were both working for a criminal organization so...maybe Walter should've seen that part coming.

The bright-eyed archaeologist never looked so dim. Was this his dream? Was this the "raid" he wanted? What kind of treasure wasthis? What did Rocket gain from this uncontrollable monster?

This wasn't a raid. It was an extermination.

The captain looked out at his friend across the crashing waves.

"Howard. What the hell have you done?"

tldr; The combination of the waves thawing and distracted Isaac Merlo allows Walter to pull into shore for evacuations. He sees Howard and is upset about how the raid turned out.

---

He couldn't flee any longer. The shore and sea continue to grow as one frozen sheet. If it wasn't for Isaac Merlo , there would be no ship. Only a sunken wreck ravaged by a titan above. And the crew. There would be no crew. Only drowned souls who bit off more than they could chew.

The captain scoured the deck and roared names with a barely hidden anxiety. Relief washed over him as he heard every Pokemon and human call back. They were all ok for now.


Regice stood on the shore, stunned in recoil from its DYNAMAX CANNON. That monster almost took everything. howard slayte was trapped on shore with this-this monster. Even off shore no one was safe. Everyone Walter had come to trust on his journey was almost wiped out in the blink of a cold glowing eye of a frost golem.

The captain's fists clenched tight and soon grew knuckles as white as sand under ice. He stomped to the helm of his ship and shouted the only order he could: "Charge the cannons!"

A flash of yellow sparked to life. WATTREL, first mate of the Thundercloud, let out a mighty DISCHARGE from the cannon's charging station. Crewmates scurried to port side and steadied their aim.

You fired your cannon. Now here's mine.


"FIRE!!!!" Walter roared with thunderous intensity. Electrified shots screeched out of the cannons into the sky. They hurled towards the titan like bolts of lightning piercing through the heavens.


The captain shouted his taunt on the loudspeaker. "You messed with the THUNDERCLOUD. Now here comes the storm!"

---

Frost soon covered the captain's beard. Even out at sea, the temperature was dropping rapidly. That thing was supposed to save the world? The titan of ice seemed to only have one goal: freeze it all.

Walter wouldn't dare interfere. Not only for the safety of his crew, but he couldn't risk the ship being trapped in ice or even destroyed. No ship. No get away.

He heard the faint shout of Isaac Merlo in the distance. If this were any other situation, he'd take the challenge. But with that golem on shore it was too risky to sail in just yet. The captain had to bide time. He grabbed the loudspeaker and jokingly roared into it.

"Perhaps another day, matey. Why don't you go focus on the giant snowman?"

Then, he turned to his trusty Empoleon. He had just the right trick for this situation. Thanks, Howard.

"Empoleon, cover us with Mist!" Walter whispered to the royal Pokemon.

A plume of white mist rushed out of Empoleon's beak and dribbled over the side of the ship. Soon, the sea around them was covered in a thick white fog. Walter grabbed the helm and repositioned the ship while still remaining in the mist. This wouldn't be a perfect solution but it would buy them some time.

"Howard, old mate, what the hell have you done?"

tldr: Walter is trying to keep the ship away from shore and danger for as long as possible. No ship. No get away.He uses Empoleon's mist to hide the ship for the time being.

---

Isaac Merlo howard slayte Eduardo Hisakawa

Omanyte squelched onto the ground with an exhausted gurgle. He gave that Claydol his all and even so it still stood mighty. They needed to hide again, as much as it pained Walter's eyes and beard.

"Excellent work, Omanyte! Now let's lose 'em in a Sandstorm!"

The fossil Pokemon spun and flailed its tentacles like a mini whirlpool. Sand kicked up into the air and soon created a screen of dust that obscured the party.

Walter's eyes teared up from the sand. His beard was coated in dust and pebbles. This, again, was not his element.

"Nice work, matey! Now let's leave it to the others.

---

howard slayte Grigori Sokolov Shred
Shell Smash/Sandstorm/Protect/Stone Edge/Rock Tomb/Stealth Rock
SHIFT: +10 modifier to moves of the same type for the next three rounds. 
pqjE1N|M +10 due to sand 

Even offshore, the frigid power of Regice was felt. Ice cold wind howled and scratched a chilling slice over the sea. Waves moved restlessly from the sheer power. Crew mates shivered looking out towards Granite Cave. The captain gave orders with a cautious tone.

"Cease fire! Stay ready by the cannons!"

Bombardment was no longer necessary. He had done it. That crazy rock nerd had finally done it. The golem was complete. The titan of winter was restored. howard slayte had achieved his goal. Raid Dewford. Save the world.


"What a mighty storm."


The Thundercloud rocked onward as the waves churned. He just had to bide time. That's all they had to do. Just wait until the raiders needed their trusty get away driver and sail faster than the wind.

The captain commanded his crew once more.

"Keep her steady now, mateys. Fight the cold! We need to make sure the raiders make it on board for our get away."


Sails folded in as crew mates pulled ropes. They couldn't let the wind drag them out to sea. Not yet anyways. Walter gripped the helm firmly, keeping the ship as steady as possible.

The sandstorm continued to rage, buffeting Walter's beard.

This type of storm wasn't familiar to the ship captain. He was far more familiar to the tropical storms that now felt like a distant memory, in this vast display of sand. It was just sand, sand, and more sand. It was almost impossible to see the Claydol in the distance, rising up like a crashing wave.

"All right, Omanyte! Let's blind them with Rock Tomb!"

Boulders fell from the sky, crashing into the Claydol. This Omanyte was beginning to pay dividends! It would be a great ally on the open sea, and it'd be an excellent way to keep those pesky Wingulls at bay!

Assuming they survived, that is.

---

howard slayte Shred Grigori Sokolov
Shell Smash/Sandstorm/Protect/Stone Edge/Rock Tomb/Stealth Rock
CRUSH: Moves that deal damage receive a +10 modifier.
jH7SbbKJ

The sandstorm continued to rage on.

"Omanyte, Stone Edge full throttle!"


Omanyte burst forth from the sand and gathered its geomantic energy. Jagged blades of stone rose from the ground as Omanyte released a small but somewhat menacing gurgle.

Sand swirled more aggressively in the crew's faces yet for a moment, Walter was able to see one of the blades stab the mighty Claydol. He could barely make out the jagged rock piercing through the hardened clay like a Wattrel diving into the sea. Before he could examine the rest of the damage, sand blew right into the captain's eyes.


Walter scrambled for a moment to clean the debris. This wasn't his element. He was a Magikarp out of water, a sea captain in a sandstorm. All he could do was hope the other blades landed with Omanyte's full power.

The storm raged on.

---

howard slayte Shred Grigori Sokolov
OMANYTE MOVES: Shell Smash/Sandstorm/Protect/Stone Edge/Rock Tomb/Stealth Rock
Crush- Moves that deal damage and have 100 base power or higher and one-hit knockout moves receive a +20 modifier.
6AMrrjEY +10 from the Sandstorm +20 from Shell Smash +20 for Crush

Golden sand blew like a storm. They had barely managed to land a blow on the mighty beast. Time to unfurl the sails and ride the desert wind to victory. The captain bellowed an order.


"We got em on the rocks now, Omanyte. Let's set sail with a Shell Smash!"

Now was the moment for Omanyte to prove his worth as a crewmate of Team Cove. The ancient Pokemon's shell shook and cracks soon formed. Water burst out of the cracks like geysers shooting bits of rocky shell onto the ground.

Yo ho! If Omanyte proved anything to Walter before this journey, it was gusto. Never had he seen a more daring Pokemon. Hopefully by the end of this adventure, they'd wind down on the sunny beach reveling in their new treasures.

---

howard slayte Shred Grigori Sokolov
OMANYTE MOVES: Shell Smash/Sandstorm/Protect/Stone Edge/Rock Tomb/Stealth Rock
BOOST - Moves that raise the user's attack, special attack, or speed add a +20 modifier to the user's next attack in the following round.
4cRIzTp8

A pirate knows treasure when he sees it. And this was certainly one massive treasure emanating with hatred. Sand whirled around the battlefield, obscuring the vision of both the Rockets and the gigantic Claydol.

It was finally time to work with Omanyte. The two barely knew each other yet here they were, fighting against one of the greatest foes Walter has ever faced...on land.

"Omanyte! Stealth Rock port side!" The captain barked with bravado.

Lucky for Omanyte, the captain went over ship directions before the journey for future reference. Omanyte lept off of Walter's shoulder and scattered jagged rocks around the tomb guardian. The slightest movement would trigger the stone blades to pierce the Claydol.

"Great work, Omanyte! Let's see if this beast can sail past the jetty, aye?"

Omanyte plopped onto the ground awaiting for its captain's next orders. They may be smaller than everyone else, but they had a gusto to rival the Sea Basin Pokemon itself.

---

howard slayte Shred Grigori Sokolov
OMANYTE MOVES: Shell Smash/Sandstorm/Protect/Stone Edge/Rock Tomb/Stealth Rock
AFFLICT- Apply a damage-over-time effect that removes 10 HP from the boss each round for the rest of the thread. This effect can only be used once per team for the entire thread.
0NP7iqbO

Through the veil of sweat on his face, Walter attempted to keep a brave smile. Paldea's bright and sunny shores couldn't prepare him for this kind of heat. Not even the Asado Desert near Cascarrafa could do it. A pirate in the desert was about as useful as a...well as a pirate in a desert.

Walter stared at the strange ancient Pokemon on his shoulder. Howard had given it to him for the expedition since most of Walter's Pokemon were poorly built for the environment. What was it called again? Omanyte. He couldn't believe this Pokemon over millions of years old was on his very shoulder.

The captain perked up and inquired the group with a dry voice and gestured to the cooler on his back.

"So, anyone need water? You know I brought some sea breeze lemonade if anyone needs some wind in their sails. Brought it straight from Paldea too."

He didn't dare drink first. A brave captain would never. Though...that lemonade wouldn't stay cold for long.

---

Shred Grigori Sokolov howard slayte

The Rocket Thundercloud's dark hull moved through the sea like a terrible storm. The mechanic did great work. She was almost a completely different ship than the Indigo Wind. Her sails were changed from Walter's typical blue, white, and indigo to a simple black. Her symbol, once a happy Wattrel in flight, was now a red R with a thunderbolt piercing through it.

Even her captain was now unidentifiable. His eyes were wrapped in a dark black mask and his head was adorned with a large pirate hat. Long gone was his beach shirt or old jacket and bare chest. Now he wore a larger, more intimidating black jacket with a simple blue shirt.


This was no longer Walter and the Indigo Wind. The jolly pirates of Team Cove were gone and replaced with a dark reflection.

"Man the zap cannons! Fire at the sands!" the captain barked to his crew. He did not want anyone hurt. Howard asked for no serious damage or injured people.

The stun cannons would not be strong enough to kill someone. All they did was stun. They were designed for quick engagements but they were perfect for sewing panic in Dewford. Booms ran out from the Thundercloud's hull. Balls of lightning screamed as they dove into the shore.

Golden explosions were met with cries and screams of panicked townspeople. Hordes of innocent lives rushed away from the shore, scrambling to find safety.

Walter turned on the ship's sound system and voice distorter. He yelled "Avast! I am Captain Storm Grin of the Rocket Thundercloud. Terror of the Seas, the Lightning Raider, and here to plunder your shores. Yo ho ho!"

He was now a villain. A no good pirate. Yet he reveled in it. Infamy and honor. Two rivers flowing parallel to one another. Walter was as free as the ocean itself.

He sailed between the rivers.

---

Eduardo Hisakawa