"Darn it....stop jumping around! Vappy, try Water Gun again!"
River Ronessmee's Vaporeon fired another gushing stream of water from it's mouth toward the Torchic, which leapt out of the way just in time. The stream of water slashed through a tree trunk, and the thin pine tree toppled over and slammed into the ground, which kicked up a huge cloud of dirt and dust.
"...Rats," River said between coughs, "...Where did it go?"
She glanced around, waving a hand in front of her face to clear the dust, but there was no sign of the Pokemon. Her Vaporeon darted around, clamoring through the branches on the fallen tree.
It looked as though she'd blown it again.
"Man....I really want to catch a fire type," she said, taking off her red visor and wiping her brow. Even in the shade of this forest area, the midday sun was oppressive.
Her Vaporeon, rather smaller than others of its kind, didn't even seem the least bit exhausted, though, and scuttled back up to her, pawing at her feet. "I know," River said, scooping up the Pokemon. "You want to keep looking, but I need a break."
She threw one last look over her shoulder toward the woods before heading back to the dirt road she'd been walking down beforehand.
"Whew...another day off from work. I gotta be honest Aqua, I'm fine with taking breaks and all but there's just something about the ocean that keeps pulling me back in for more!"
In the opposite direction of River walked a young adult female with light brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a light-blue tank top, skinny jean shorts, and beige running shoes with a crescent-like pattern on the tip of each shoe, both points of the moon object facing upwards. . She sighed with a downcast expression, looking down at her ever-loyal Vaporeon.
"Vapor Vap..." responded the water-type, looking just as saddened.
Nicole nodded and was about to speak again before accidentally bumping into River.
River had been scratching her Vaporeon on the ears and didn't even see the other girl. The bump knocked her backward and she fell right on her rear. "Ah!" she exclaimed.
The other girl cried out in surprise as well. River reached out and grabbed her Vaporeon, looking up at the newcomer. "Sorry! I wasn't paying attention."
The other girl looked surprised as well.
The Vaporeon let out a surprised noise and started squirming. "Huh?" River looked down at the Pokemon. "What's wrong?! Are you hurt, Vappy?"
Nicole stepped back in surprise. "Oh! Sorry! Uh...Is there something wrong?" she asked.
River stared at the girl, genuine confusion filling her face.
The Vaporeon in her arms continued to wriggle around, and the one sitting on the ground between the girls let out a hiss.
"Oh!" River yelped in surprise. "I'm sorry! This must be your Vaporeon!"
Nicole helped Aqua back to her side before getting back onto her feet. "Oh! Aqua! Uh thanks," she then jumped back, startled by the hiss. "Whoa Whoa Whoa!!"
Never before had she heard a Vaporeon hiss until today.
River picked up her Vaporeon and set it on her shoulder. "Sorry...she does that when she meets another new Pokemon for the first time." Then she smiled at the girl. "But wow....you have a Vaporeon too!"
Nicole nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Aqua was my first Pokemon and we've been like sisters ever since." she said. "And what about you and...Vappy?" she asked.
River smiled, scratching her Vaporeon again. "She was a gift from a very special friend," she told the newcomer before her eyes lit up. "So, anyway, where are you and your...Aqua was it's name? Where are you guys headed?"
Nicole and Aqua smiled back. "We were just on our way to the park for some playtime. I'm a marine biologist but today I have the day off...unfortunately" she sighed.
"Oh, that's so cool! I'm actually a Water Trainer!" River jumped to her feet. "Actually, I'm just coming back from the Pokemon center back up this path that has a couple of habitat pools for Water Pokemon. There are all kinds of other species and stuff in the habitats too. Have you ever been up there?"
Nicole's interest suddenly peaked. "No I haven't but I'd sure as heck would like to have a look! How about you Aqua?" she asked, looking down to her friend.
Aqua happily bounced. "Vaporeon! Vapor!!" she answered.
Nicole chuckled. "Lead the way!"
"All right...it's just back up the path here toward the top of the hill."
River then stood stock still before turning around, her face a bit flushed. She looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry...I got so carried away I never even asked for your name." Then she held out a clenched fist. "I'm River...from the Aspertia City Gym."
Nicole began to walk down the path before stopping, turning around and noticing the...fist. "I'm Nicole from Beya Region's Paloma City." she awkwardly accepted the fist-shake.
River giggled at Nicole's surprise of her fist-bump, smiling at her new friend before they began walking back up the dirt path. A warm breeze blew through the trees, and leaves fluttered through the air around them. River's Vaporeon sat on her shoulder and swatted at the falling leaves.
The girls chatted happily about their home towns and their Pokemon as they walked along. River forgot about the fact that she hadn't even gotten a lot of sleep the night before.
After a short trek, they reached the small Pokemon center. River pointed to the small lake a good distance from the cozy looking log building. "That little lake is actually pretty deep. There are lava tubes under the water that lead down from the old volcano crater over there..." She pointed to it, "...And the Pokemon habitat pools are on the other side of the building."
Nicole and Aqua both smiled. "I'm guessing you and Vappy have been here many times," she paused. "Lava tubes? Volcano? I'm sorry but volcanoes aren't my strongest subject..." Nicole sweatdropped.
"Oh, okay." River said, watching as her Vaporeon chased a squirrel across the ground. "There are plenty of different species of fish and other animals though. Nurse Joy can give you a list of all the different Pokemon they have here in the habitat pools as well."
She then hefted her messenger bag over her shoulder and stretched her arms high above her head. "Man, after that long walk I feel like a swim in the lake."
Nicole grinned as she began to strip down to her two-piece light-blue swimsuit. "I thought you'd never say!" she chuckled.
Aqua beamed before running ahead towards the water. "Vapor! Vaporeon!!" she cried.
River took off her vest and tank top, then her sneakers, knee socks, and shorts, leaving only her red-lined black racing swimsuit. Her own Vaporeon joined Aqua in running toward the lake, and she took a Poke-ball out of her messenger bag and let out her Oshawatt. "There, Oshy...you can have some fun too!"
Once she'd finished undressing, she gave the ribbon holding up her ponytail a yank and let her hair down before splashing into the lake.
Nicole followed after the girl, taking a deep breath and jumping into the water.
River ducked her head below the water and looked down. The lake was exactly as she remembered it from her adventure just the other day. The lake floor slanted downward away from the shoreline before falling sharply away, and the entrance to the underwater caverns and lava tubes yawned at her....almost begging for her to dive in and go exploring again.
Her right hand involuntarily went to her chest as she remembered the fright she'd felt when she and Mi'ara had almost become trapped in those same caves....
'I wonder if that Kingdra is still down there,' she thought to herself.
Her Vaporeon was still chasing Nicole's around, and she watched them play, giggling a little, before she popped her head back above the water's surface and took a breath.
Nicole had gotten a head start as she began to dive deep towards the caverns, her curiosity peaked.
Being the girl's loyal companion and just as curious, Aqua followed right beside, there to lend a helping hand and protect her if needed to...
River watched a rather large Goldeen float by as her Vaporeon paddled along in front of her. She was just turning to point the Pokemon out to Nicole when she turned and saw the girl's feet vanish into the cavern that she and Mi'ara had been exploring before.
For a second, fear rushed through her as she remembered almost being trapped in there, but then she relaxed. 'It should be okay,' she thought, 'As long as I can remember the layout of the cavern. Plus I have Vappy with me now, and Nicole has Aqua...we'll be fine.'
She kicked her feet and followed Nicole into the cave.
Nicole and Aqua reached the inside of the cavern, having shaved off a quarter of the girl’s breath-hold time but it didn't matter. Nicole had practically been training her whole life to become a powerful swimmer and hold her breath for as long as possible AND with Aqua there to watch out for her, things should go swimmingly (badum-tsss)
Looking around, Nicole decided it was time to explore this new place.
River watched as Nicole moved effortlessly through the water. It was a little surprising to her how Nicole could look so at home in the water, but she would have to be comfortable being a marine biologist.
As Nicole examined the inside of the tunnel, River, swimming along with her own Vaporeon, came up behind Nicole and indicated the deeper part of the tunnel and began leading the way down, heading for the phosphorescent cavern she and Mi'ara had found during their own dive into these caves.
It only took her a moment to work her way through the narrow part of the tunnel just beyond the entrance to the cave.
The luminescent moss looked even brighter than the last time she'd seen it. Her Vaporeon and Oshawott apparently couldn't believe their eyes, and they both darted around the cavern, checking out the glowing, pulsating moss.
River gave Nicole a wink.
The cavern was still full of Pokemon. All the same Water-types she'd seen previously still swam around happily in the soft, glowing light.
After following River into the glowing section of the caverns, Nicole was amazed at the beauty of it all, almost gasping at how pretty and breathtaking it was.
Aqua was just as amazed as her trainer.
After a moment of letting it all sink in, Nicole kicked her legs and swam forward to examine the glowing moss. It was at times like this that she wished she had brought a test tube to put a sample in.
River found it hard to believe, but she was almost more impressed by the phosphorescent moss seeing it for a second time like this. She wondered exactly what type of moss it was or what could be making it glow like that.
'Maybe Nicole might know,' she thought.
She'd been keeping a mental countdown going in her head. River was all right for the moment, but she wondered how long Nicole would be able to hold her breath comfortably.
River then turned to see her Vaporeon lying in one of the beds of glistening moss, just like Mi'ara had done when River had first discovered this place, and it made her smile.
She then swam over to where Nicole was, apparently still mesmerized by the sight of the glowing plants.
Nicole immediately snapped out of her trance-like state upon seeing River swim over. As far as the air left in her went, Nicole was still calm and collected.
She pointed to the moss and gave a shrug as if to say 'I've never seen this type of moss before!'
River watched Nicole's body language, understanding coming after a moment; she'd clearly no idea about the moss.
She'd just turned her attention back to he two Pokemon, playing nearby, when her Vaporeon suddenly stopped swimming and perked up her ears, eyes going wide. Oshawatt also seemed to snap to attention, his body tensing up.
And then River heard it....the unmistakable call of a Kingdra!
'Those Kingdra...they're still here!'
Her body froze as fear gripped her, the memories flooding back in a fast-forward montage of images that rifled through her mind.
Nicole and Aqua were the next to hear the call but being so new to this place and its Pokemon, they obviously had no idea what dangers could be coming their way.
Seeing some water-types beginning to move frantically and panicked, Aqua darted over to Nicole, uneasy but ready to face whatever was coming! This wasn't the first time they went up against hostile Pokemon, legendary or not.
Nicole turned her head to face River, her facial expressions attempting to ask "Is everything ok? What's going on?"
River's Vaporeon swam in front of her and stared toward the tunnel opening on the opposite side of the cavern from the two girls. River meanwhile moved close to Nicole, looking back over her shoulder the way they'd come. 'Maybe we should get out of here,' she thought...
But before she could make a move toward the tunnel, her Oshawatt - which had been swimming by that very opening - came dashing toward her, and River could hear yet another Kingdra coming from that direction too.
'Oh, no!'
And as soon as that thought crossed River's mind, a massive creature - itself almost the size of the hole it came through - emerged from the tunnel, a pair of yellow eyes gleaming as it stared down the human intruders. The Kingdra was even bigger than River remembered, and it looked furious.
Nicole almost fainted from shock as she saw the sheer size of the Kingdra. 'Sweet...Arceus!' she thought. Never in her life had she seen such a monstrous beast. She had heard of wild pokemon with sizes ranging from tiny to abnormally large but this was different.
Then as the second one burst in, every single bit of will to fight off the attacker vanished. Now Nicole was terrified. She fought to keep herself calm so she wouldn't use up her remaining air in her mouth but even just looking at them made her want to scream.
Aqua too, was frightened. Kyogre was a challenge but it wasn't hard. TWO GIGANTIC Kingdra was impossible. "...vapor..."
River could almost feel Nicole's fear, and her own heart was skipping rope in her chest. She and Mi'ara had only had to deal with one Kingdra...but two at once, even with a pair of Vaporeon and an Oshawott on their side, might be a hopeless situation.
She spun around in the water to face the Kingdra behind her, her two Pokemon putting themselves in between her and her antagonist. Nicole bumped up against River's back, and she could feel the girl's heart pounding.
The two Kingdra floated in the water, as if taunting them. The yellow eyes of River's opponent bored into her face, and she felt frozen. These things were hard enough to outwit in a Gym, but here in the water...
She'd already been attacked once and had been lucky to escape.
"....Mmlllbrb...."
A sudden spasm shot through her chest, and she reflexively clasped a hand over her mouth. A burst of bubbles seeped between her clenched fingers. Her lungs were starting to ache.
Still, the Pokemon didn't move, but just kept floating, staring down River, its face filled with malice.
Nicole was in full panic mode, no matter how hard she tried, her heart was beating faster and faster. The longer she floated, staring at the massive beasts, the more she felt her lungs burning, craving fresh oxygen.
She then heard a muffled sound from River. Both girls' lungs were beginning to cave in and worst of all, two Kingdra the size of a bus or small house were going to make sure that there was no escape. They were either going to drown during a long staring contest with these monsters, or the wild water-types would just rip them to shreds at any second now.
Aqua was lucky that she could breathe underwater but now the last thing she would see before the Kingdra attacked HER was the terrible sight of her best friend...no, her sister being ripped limb from limb or seeing her swallowing water before the beasts make their move.
River's chest was starting to burn, and tiny bubbles were escaping from her lips. That all-too-familiar pain was coming back in full force....she'd nearly perished in these same caverns with Mi'ara, and now...
The Kingdra just continued to stare her down, it's face not even so much as flinching. The creature's gaze pierced into her, colder than dry ice.
But...the Pokemon still didn't move. It hadn't moved since it had entered the cavern.
'...Maybe,' River thought, stifling another choke as her lungs protested the lack of oxygen, '...It's just trying to intimidate us?' As aggressive as these Kingdra had seemed, the one that had attacked River before hadn't done so in this cavern, but a different one, much deeper in the cave.
Could it possibly have recognized her from that last time?
River moved her arms just enough to drift forward in the water just a bit, separating herself from Nicole's back. She could feel the girl's surprise as the water around her suddenly swirled with movement. River turned and gave her a look that said, 'Just keep calm.'
Nicole slowly turned around and nodded. If she was to live to see another day, she was going to have to trust River. She fought harder to calm herself and managed to do so slightly, copying the other girl's actions. Hopefully this would work...
River held out her hand and felt Nicole accept it. She then started kicking her feet, very slowly. Both Vaporeon swam in front of the two girls as River slowly drifted toward the cave opening, forcing her pounding heart to slow as best she could.
The force of the Kingdra's gaze drilled its way into her, and for a moment, she could swear she saw the creature shift, ever so slightly.
...Something tugged at River's shoulder, and she swung her head around toward Nicole.
Nicole was suddenly ambushed by the Kingdra the she was facing! It wrapped its tentacle-like tail around the girl's body and threw her against the cavern wall. The force of the impact and the pain made her exclaim in shock and hurt, her vision becoming blurry.
"VAPOR!!" Aqua shot over to the girl, swimming as fast as her paws and tail would carry her but she was also overpowered by a simple swish of the beasts' powerful tail.
Nicole strained and fought to keep going, covering her mouth with her hands in a futile attempt to escape and get to the surface, but it was too late. The last bit of air she had burst out of her mouth and rose upward as Nicole stopped moving and went limp.
Just before blacking out, Nicole's entire life flashed in front of her eyes like a split-second movie, only it seemed to take an eternity to finish.
'...this is it...my Pokemon...my friends...Aqua...goodbye...' was the last thing she thought before fading…
River screamed.
Nicole's eyes almost popped out of her head when the Kingdra behind her slammed her body against the cavern wall. The impact was powerful enough to dislodge a cloud of silt from the cavern wall, which clouded her vision.
...Then she heard the 'whoosh' of flowing water, and spun around just in time to see her own Vaporeon unleash a massive Hydro Pump. The stream of water hit the Kingdra coming toward River full force, pushing it backward.
'Ah!' River's mind was shouting at the rest of her paralyzed body to do something....anything! Without even thinking, she clutched Nicole's wrist and pulled...before she realized with a start that the first Kingdra still had its tail wrapped around Nicole's abdomen.
For a heart stopping moment, River and the Kingdra were face to face. River's eyes met those of the Pokemon, its yellow pupils staring fixedly into hers. Her entire body froze.
But even with what it had done to Nicole....River didn't see malice in its eyes. It just....gazed back at her.
The wild Kingdra that had its grip on the drowning girl refused to let go. It wasn't about give up without its prize! In fact, why let the chance of double prizes get away? It aimed its nozzle-like mouth at River as it prepared a Bubblebeam attack!
“...!”
River tried prying Nicole's body out of the Kingdra's grip, but the massive Pokemon refused to let her go.
Then River's heart almost stopped when she heard the familiar sound of a Bubble Beam building. She turned her head just in time to see the Kingdra rear its head back...
...Just as River's Vappy darted in front of her and took the full brunt of the blast!
The shockwave threw River backward and she felt Nicole's wrist slip out of her hand. Water and bubbles swirled all around her, clouding her vision so badly that everything became a tumbling kaleidoscope of browns and blues. She heard her Vaporeon cry out in shock from the force of the blast, and her hands groped uselessly in the torrent.
She was about to cry out when something clamped solidly around her chest, nearly forcing every particle of air from her chest in a split second. The other Kingdra now had a death grip on her with its own tail! River's arms were pinned so tightly against her sides that she couldn't even budge them! Pain assaulted her entire upper body, so fierce spots flashed across her eyelids.
'...No....why....is this...happening...?'
She saw Nicole's face flash through her mind...The girl was smiling as they jogged along the path in the sunlight, their Pokemon running along ahead of them...
The Kingdra tightened its grip, and River couldn't hold her breath. The tiny bit of life giving air was squeezed out of her chest, and she felt the cold water filling her mouth. Her throat constricted to keep the water out of her lungs, and agony sliced into her body.
'....No!'
The Kingdra that had Nicole noticed the other Kingdra with River in its grasp. A wave of jealousy washed over the giant before it let loose a powerful blast of Hydro Pump on its new enemy. It let go of Nicole to go over and snatch its other prize before it was attacked back! Now the two Goliaths were fighting, so focused on knocking the other one out that they failed to notice that the girl's Pokemon seized the opportunity to escape and rush back up to the surface with their trainers in tow.
'....'
River's vision began to fade. She had a vague sense of the water around her, and she could hear muffled sounds in her tortured ears, but...
There was a flash, and then...the pain vanished....
Her throat began to relax, and she could feel the cold water invading her body. She couldn't feel her arms and legs anymore.
Something flowed around her. She thought she could hear the faint sound of her Vappy calling out to her, but...
'It... Probably...is my...imagination....'
Her body began to feel heavy...and light began to fill her bleary eyes.
'...Am I...really going...to die like this?'
...And that was her last thought before darkness enveloped her.
After reaching the surface and hauling their trainers ashore, the water-types desperately pondered on what to do next. The water-types didn’t know CPR and the nearest PokeCenter would be too far to reach in time.
Aqua was about to give up before noticing something in Nicole's clothing that she had taken off before entering the water. A round object. The Vaporeon ran over and retrieved the object which turned out to be a Heal Ball.
With no time to waste, Aqua pressed the button on the ball, releasing the creature inside with a bright flash of light. The light faded to reveal a Gardevoir with a Gardevoirite hanging from its neck in the form of a necklace.
Aqua quickly told her friend what had happened to them in the caverns with the Kingdra attack.
Luna wasted no time as she cleared her mind and pointed both hands at the two girls, using Heal Pulse. (Please girls...you must wake up. You mustn't give up!) she telepathically said to the trainers, encouraging them to fight to stay alive and wake up.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for ANY signs of life...
Vappy watched as the warm glow enveloped her trainer.
'....'
River suddenly felt warmth. She couldn't tell where it was coming from....there was nothing around her, nor could she see anything. But....she could feel....something....and she thought she could hear a voice....a familiar voice....
...Her Vaporeon?
The warmth intensified, and suddenly, her chest heaved,...and her eyes flashed open. She coughed so hard she saw stars, and light blazed into her eyes. Her whole body flared with anguish as she coughed and wheezed, water pouring from her mouth. She clutched at her chest as a spasm shot through it, her back arching painfully. She instinctively rolled onto her side and hacked up the rest of the water.
After a moment, her heart finally began to calm, and she lifted her head....and looked right into the eyes of her Vaporeon, staring down at her with a teary, terrified expression.
"....Vappy," she wheezed, sucking down as much air as she could through her battered throat, "I....what...happened?"
Luna smiled. (I believe it's best if you had some more experienced and well-equipped people have a look at that Kingdra problem,) the psychic/fairy-type telepathically suggested.
Nicole began to undergo the same process of waking up as River did, being met with the warm, comforting, and incredibly relieved smiles of Aqua and Luna. "...Second time you two...saved my life..." She happily said, coughing out the last bit of water in her lungs.
River stared up at the gently floating Pokemon, relief flooding through her weak body. She could barely move and pain still pulsed through her....but....
....She was alive.
"Nicole," she said softly, "...Are you...alright?" She managed to push herself up onto her elbow in the damp sand as she turned back to the other girl.
Nicole nodded, regaining her strength. "Yeah...I'm fine." she said. "Th-thank you, Luna."
Luna nodded, smiling.
Aqua lovingly nuzzled her trainer, glad to see her alive.
Nicole pulled the Vaporeon in for a hug before turning back to River, looking a bit upset. "Did you know about that thing down there? Why didn't you say anything before we went in?" she questioned, seeing that the whole ordeal could've been avoided from the start.
The question hit her like a bolt of lightning...not only because she'd completely forgotten about the Kingdra inhabiting that cave, but because of that, she'd put this girl whom she barely even knew in grave danger. They both could have died if she'd just remembered and said something before they went into that cave.
Her heart sank, and tears fell from her eyes. "I....I'm sorry," she said between choked sobs, "I...I got ahead of myself..."
For a second, she thought of Mi'ara, and how close she and River had come to dying down in that same cave.
"Nicole...I..." she began to say, but then she just stopped. Her Vaporeon looked up at her with a sullen expression, rubbing against her leg with its cheek.
'...I screwed up, really bad,' River thought.
Nicole's growing anger towards River suddenly faded as she saw her beginning to cry. The adolescent sighed as she thought back to HER actions. Yes River didn't warn her about the Kingdra from the start but it was also Nicole who was blinded by curiosity and slight confidence that she didn't stop to question or look back at River for approval.
The young marine biologist made her way over to River and put an arm around her, sighing. "I-I actually should be just as sorry. I guess I got a little too curious and didn't even stop to consider any dangers. Also I forgot that cave diving is a pretty risky thing..." she apologized.
River wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she said again before she accepted Nicole's embrace and pulled her close. "I'm just glad that you're all right," she said, knowing that they'd both only been seconds away from never seeing the light of day again. She didn't know exactly how they'd gotten out of that mess, but that wasn't something she needed to worry about.
Another cough worked its way out of River's chest, and her Vaporeon climbed into her lap between her and Nicole, pushing against her.
She reached down and set her hand on the Pokemon's head. "It's okay, Vappy," she said, still a bit hoarsely, "I'm all right."
Nicole smiled.
Luna smiled as well before freezing, her smile fading...something was coming...
Nicole turned around, noticing the uneasy expression on the psychic/fairy-type's face. "Luna? What's wrong?" she asked.
Suddenly, Luna gasped. (GET BACK!!) she kinetically screamed before shielding everyone with Protect as the wild Kingdra burst out of the water. The monster was back and bursting with rage and it wasn't going to give up easily this time.
A scream pierced River's ears; a scream she immediately realized was her own. She didn't even have time to think about jumping up before the psychotic Kingdra released a massive Surf attack. River could only gape in horror as what seemed like the entirety of the lake surged upward into a tidal wave and crashed over the shoreline. The wave slammed into her already weakened body with its full force, and Nicole's hand - as well as her Vappy - were both ripped from her grasp by the sheer power of the wave. She felt herself tumbling through the maelstrom and tried to kick for the surface, but a split second later, the Kingdra was on top of her, wrapping its tail around her midsection once more, determined to drown her at the bottom of the lake. It squeezed her body like a metallic vice as it dragged her down along with the rapidly receding water.
Nicole, her Pokemon, and River's Pokemon all recovered from the attack before realizing that River was gone. The girl realized this and panicked but panic quickly turned into anger and determination. She quickly went over to her clothes, found two mouthpieces in the pockets of her shorts and nodded, a determined and heroic look on her face.
"C'mon everyone! If that thing wants to fight, we're gonna give it one!" she proudly exclaimed before putting one of the mouthpieces into Luna's mouth and leading everyone down. She remembered the uneasy face on River when they first heard Kingdra's approach. The beast had attacked before, but now Nicole and her Pokemon were determined to end its reign of destruction and terror once and for all.
River tried as hard as she could to break out of the Kingdra's grasp, but there was nothing she could do. This thing was the size of a house, and its tail alone managed to cover more than half of her entire body.
The tunnel entrance flashed by as the Pokemon plunged deeper into the water.
'It's.... it isn't going into the tunnels?' Was it trying to take into the deepest water with the greatest pressure that it could, or was there some other reason it was avoiding the caves?
The deeper the Pokemon dove, the greater the force on River's body became. The water pressure down here was crushing, and she could feel her sinuses straining against the weight of the water. Despite not being able to move, she finally got a look into the creature's eyes.
Unlike back in the cave, this time, it's did look malefic and angry. It's eyes sparkled with what seemed like demonic intent. For some reason....it wanted to drown her.
The light from above faded as the Kingdra went deeper and deeper, and River began to panic.
'...Nicole....Vappy....please! I don't want to die!'
Nicole and her band of heroes made it down just in time to see the vanishing tail of the beast. She frowned before putting the other mouthpiece in and turning to Luna. "Use Teleport and get us in front of it!" she instructed.
The Psychic/Fairy-type nodded and in a flash of light, they had vanished.
Inside the tunnel, Nicole and her gang reappeared in front of the demonic Kingdra.
River smiled, seeing that Nicole and both girl's Pokemon had come to the rescue but the captive girl would be a bit surprised to see that Nicole wasn't even flinching by the pressure.
To the marine biologist, this was nothing compared to what her and her Pokemon had to face in the Beya region.
Luna's Gardevoirite necklace began to glow.
Nicole quickly wasted no time. "Beyond evolution! MEGA EVOLVE!!" she exclaimed, holding up her mega bracelet high above her head.
In a powerful burst of light and energy formed from the bond between trainer and Pokemon, Luna had transformed into Mega Gardevoir!
The wild Kingdra let River go and prepared to go all out on its new opponent. It clearly wasn't going down without a fight either.
"Let's start this off with a Dazzling Gleam!" she instructed before taking a breath, taking out her mouthpiece, and giving it to River. She would need air if she was going to help Nicole take the monster down.
Luna gathered all its energy and released it in a powerful blinding flash of light, critically hurting the opponent.
River watched in amazement as the blinding flash of light from the Mega Stone necklace around the Gardevoir's neck. And when the light faded....
'Oh my gosh,' she thought, staring at the newly evolved Mega Gardevoir, '...I've never seen anything like this!'
The Kingdra released her, and with the pressure on her chest now gone, the pain building in her lungs eased a little. Her Vaporeon and Oshawott swam up to her, and her Vappy lifted a paw upward, indicating the surface high above.
'No...' River thought, turning to watch as Nicole's new Mega Gardevoir, 'We have to help her!' As soon as she thought this, light blazed through the water, and the Kingdra took a direct hit from the most intense Dazzling Gleam attack she'd ever witnessed.
Nicole appeared next to her, holding out the mouthpiece, and River took it, nodding her thanks. She inhaled a welcome lungful of air, and the building anguish in her chest vanished at last.
"Vappy," she said, pointing at the Kingdra that had now tried twice to do her in, "Give Gardevoir some backup! Hydro Pump!"
River's Vaporeon reared back before a huge stream of water erupted from it's mouth, slamming into the side of the Kingdra's head. After the Dazzling Gleam, the Pokemon's eyes were closed and it never even saw the attack coming. The ferocity of the blast threw the Pokemon backward into the cavern wall with a tremendous crash, knocking rocks and sediment free.
Nicole grinned, back to holding her breath. "Dazzbbllbing Gleabbl Agllaibln!" she glubbed, doing her best to use up as little air as possible while issuing her commands.
Despite the bubbly distortion of the water, Luna understood the order because Nicole was also thinking it in her mind. But before she could attack again, the wild Kingdra had recovered from the tag team assault, retaliating with a Whirlpool attack.
The water swirled into a churning maelstrom. River managed to grab hold of her Vappy, but the raging current had separated her from Nicole. She clutched the mouthpiece tightly, fearing that Nicole might drown if she lost her grip on it and couldn't give it back to her.
The current intensified more, and River couldn't believe after the pounding they'd given it that the Kingdra could still unleash attacks this powerful. Oshawott had managed to grab onto Vappy's tail and was hanging on for dear life as River tumbled through the water.
'This whirlpool will pull us all the way to the bottom!'
She tried to find Nicole, but she couldn't see anything in the swarm of bubbles and sediment kicked up from the lake floor.
'We have to find Nicole! She just saved me! I'm not going to let her down!'
Unknown to River, Nicole and her Pokemon had clung onto a rock and were holding on for dear life. Unable to issue any commands or do anything for that matter, it appeared as if Kingdra had the upper hand.
'J-Just...hold...on!!' she thought, feeling her grip on the rock beginning to slip. If she let go, she'd be sucked to the very bottom, crushed by the intense pressure of the deep.
Just as she felt that the merciless current would do her in as well as her Pokemon, the Whirlpool attack ceased.
Both girls looked up and to their surprise, the OTHER wild Kingdra had joined in the brawl, unleashing a powerful Brine attack on the beast. It didn't even stop to look at the girls after its attack...could it be that this partner in crime Kingdra was now...helping the girls?
Nicole let go of the rock, seeing her chance to help finish off the wild beast. 'Luna! Bring up the rear with another Dazzling Gleam!' she commanded in her mind before her lungs started to ache and a surge of oxygen bubbles escaped from her mouth. She needed to breathe.
River's Vappy was about to be pulled from her grasp when the whirlpool stopped completely....
It only took her a second to find her bearings. She immediately spotted Nicole and her Pokemon unleashing a ferocious assault on the Kingdra....with another Kingdra helping them.
'...Is that the other one from before?' River asked herself, mind racing, '...Just what the heck is going on?'
And just as quickly, that thought vanished as she realized this might be their only chance of escape. "Vappy, Oshie...help them out," she shouted through the mouthpiece, "...Double Team!"
Her two Pokemon dove toward the Kingdra and slammed into it, knocking it backward and into the rock wall with a tremendous noise, bubbles and silt billowing everywhere. She was just about to give them another instruction when she spotted Nicole out of the corner of her eye, doubled over and clutching her chest, a tiny stream of air leaking from her mouth. 'Oh no!'
She kicked as hard as she could and reached the girl in a flash. She took the mouthpiece and put it in Nicole's mouth just as the girl fought off a major chest convulsion.
Nicole sucked in a huge breath of air, refilling her lungs with fresh oxygen. She sighed and gave a smile to River before turning to her Vaporeon. "Help them out, Aqua! Use Hydro Pump!" she instructed.
Now the tables had turned back. It tried to retreat but before it could even swim away, it’s strength was gone as it sank towards the bottom of the lake.
The demonic beast that had tormented River and other poor souls was defeated. Never again would it attempt to drown anymore humans or Pokemon. Its reign of terror was finally over.
For a long moment, River just floated there. She watched the defeated Kingdra sink to the bottom of the lake, r mind not quite able to wrap itself around what had just happened.
Her harrowing adventure through the tunnels with Mi'ara had been frightening, sure, but this...the scope of everything that had just happened fell over her in a single moment, and she threw her arms around Nicole in pure relief.
All their Pokemon gathered around them, and River turned just in time to see the other Kingdra, staring at the group the entire time, finally turn and swim away, heading for the yawning mouth of the cavern opening.
She watched it go, wondering why it had come back to help them, but decided it wasn't that important. She nodded to Nicole, and the whole group started swimming up toward the lake surface.
'...Mi'ara's never going to believe this,' River thought to herself, as she looked over at Nicole as she swam upward, wondering what she was thinking.
Nicole and her Pokemon started for the surface before the girl briefly stopped to look back at where the wild Kingdra once floated. "..." for a few seconds she just floated there, wondering if she should go back down to try and capture the other Kingdra. A Pokemon with such a large size would break some records and be extremely beneficial for her research. But finally, she decided to let the majestic creature be as she swam upwards to the surface. Little known to her, she had just done future swimmers here a huge favor. Now the mossy caverns were free from evil and open to the public to be explored.
River broke the surface and inhaled deeply, drawing the cool air deep into her chest. Nicole splashed up next to her moment later, taking a similar breath. A look back toward the shore registered the savagery of Kingdra's attack on the girls...several trees had been pushed down by its tidal attack, and gouges had been left in the sand along the narrow beach.
The sun behind them was starting to dip toward the horizon, bathing the now-tranquil lakeside in a dazzling mix of flaming colors.
Her Vappy paddled up next to her, and she scratched behind the Pokemon's ears. Her Oshawott swam up as well, not wanting to be left out of any congratulations. "You too, Oshie," River said with a giggle before looking up to Nicole, gently treading water next to her.
"Nicole..." River turned toward the other, lowering her gaze for just a moment before looking back up at her, "...Thank you. You saved my life...more than once back there."
Nicole took out her mouthpiece and smiled. "Well, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" she asked before swimming up to the girl and giving her a hug.
Luna, who's mega evolution had just faded, and Aqua swam to the shore and watched as their trainer and her new friend followed.
They decided to wait a bit and dry off before putting their clothes back on, talking about the amazing adventure they just had as well as some other things before deciding that it was time to say their good-bye's.
Nicole, now wearing her usual clothing, called Luna back into her ball before shrinking it down to the size of a ping pong ball and putting it in her pocket. "Well River, Today's a day I'll certainly never forget! Maybe I should come back tomorrow to do some research on that moss. Don't worry, I'll be sure to come prepared just in case something does happen. Who knows! We may just run into each other again!" she said before clenching her fist and holding it out for a fist bump. "Until then, keep on keepin on!"
River Ronessmee's Vaporeon fired another gushing stream of water from it's mouth toward the Torchic, which leapt out of the way just in time. The stream of water slashed through a tree trunk, and the thin pine tree toppled over and slammed into the ground, which kicked up a huge cloud of dirt and dust.
"...Rats," River said between coughs, "...Where did it go?"
She glanced around, waving a hand in front of her face to clear the dust, but there was no sign of the Pokemon. Her Vaporeon darted around, clamoring through the branches on the fallen tree.
It looked as though she'd blown it again.
"Man....I really want to catch a fire type," she said, taking off her red visor and wiping her brow. Even in the shade of this forest area, the midday sun was oppressive.
Her Vaporeon, rather smaller than others of its kind, didn't even seem the least bit exhausted, though, and scuttled back up to her, pawing at her feet. "I know," River said, scooping up the Pokemon. "You want to keep looking, but I need a break."
She threw one last look over her shoulder toward the woods before heading back to the dirt road she'd been walking down beforehand.
"Whew...another day off from work. I gotta be honest Aqua, I'm fine with taking breaks and all but there's just something about the ocean that keeps pulling me back in for more!"
In the opposite direction of River walked a young adult female with light brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a light-blue tank top, skinny jean shorts, and beige running shoes with a crescent-like pattern on the tip of each shoe, both points of the moon object facing upwards. . She sighed with a downcast expression, looking down at her ever-loyal Vaporeon.
"Vapor Vap..." responded the water-type, looking just as saddened.
Nicole nodded and was about to speak again before accidentally bumping into River.
River had been scratching her Vaporeon on the ears and didn't even see the other girl. The bump knocked her backward and she fell right on her rear. "Ah!" she exclaimed.
The other girl cried out in surprise as well. River reached out and grabbed her Vaporeon, looking up at the newcomer. "Sorry! I wasn't paying attention."
The other girl looked surprised as well.
The Vaporeon let out a surprised noise and started squirming. "Huh?" River looked down at the Pokemon. "What's wrong?! Are you hurt, Vappy?"
Nicole stepped back in surprise. "Oh! Sorry! Uh...Is there something wrong?" she asked.
River stared at the girl, genuine confusion filling her face.
The Vaporeon in her arms continued to wriggle around, and the one sitting on the ground between the girls let out a hiss.
"Oh!" River yelped in surprise. "I'm sorry! This must be your Vaporeon!"
Nicole helped Aqua back to her side before getting back onto her feet. "Oh! Aqua! Uh thanks," she then jumped back, startled by the hiss. "Whoa Whoa Whoa!!"
Never before had she heard a Vaporeon hiss until today.
River picked up her Vaporeon and set it on her shoulder. "Sorry...she does that when she meets another new Pokemon for the first time." Then she smiled at the girl. "But wow....you have a Vaporeon too!"
Nicole nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Aqua was my first Pokemon and we've been like sisters ever since." she said. "And what about you and...Vappy?" she asked.
River smiled, scratching her Vaporeon again. "She was a gift from a very special friend," she told the newcomer before her eyes lit up. "So, anyway, where are you and your...Aqua was it's name? Where are you guys headed?"
Nicole and Aqua smiled back. "We were just on our way to the park for some playtime. I'm a marine biologist but today I have the day off...unfortunately" she sighed.
"Oh, that's so cool! I'm actually a Water Trainer!" River jumped to her feet. "Actually, I'm just coming back from the Pokemon center back up this path that has a couple of habitat pools for Water Pokemon. There are all kinds of other species and stuff in the habitats too. Have you ever been up there?"
Nicole's interest suddenly peaked. "No I haven't but I'd sure as heck would like to have a look! How about you Aqua?" she asked, looking down to her friend.
Aqua happily bounced. "Vaporeon! Vapor!!" she answered.
Nicole chuckled. "Lead the way!"
"All right...it's just back up the path here toward the top of the hill."
River then stood stock still before turning around, her face a bit flushed. She looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry...I got so carried away I never even asked for your name." Then she held out a clenched fist. "I'm River...from the Aspertia City Gym."
Nicole began to walk down the path before stopping, turning around and noticing the...fist. "I'm Nicole from Beya Region's Paloma City." she awkwardly accepted the fist-shake.
River giggled at Nicole's surprise of her fist-bump, smiling at her new friend before they began walking back up the dirt path. A warm breeze blew through the trees, and leaves fluttered through the air around them. River's Vaporeon sat on her shoulder and swatted at the falling leaves.
The girls chatted happily about their home towns and their Pokemon as they walked along. River forgot about the fact that she hadn't even gotten a lot of sleep the night before.
After a short trek, they reached the small Pokemon center. River pointed to the small lake a good distance from the cozy looking log building. "That little lake is actually pretty deep. There are lava tubes under the water that lead down from the old volcano crater over there..." She pointed to it, "...And the Pokemon habitat pools are on the other side of the building."
Nicole and Aqua both smiled. "I'm guessing you and Vappy have been here many times," she paused. "Lava tubes? Volcano? I'm sorry but volcanoes aren't my strongest subject..." Nicole sweatdropped.
"Oh, okay." River said, watching as her Vaporeon chased a squirrel across the ground. "There are plenty of different species of fish and other animals though. Nurse Joy can give you a list of all the different Pokemon they have here in the habitat pools as well."
She then hefted her messenger bag over her shoulder and stretched her arms high above her head. "Man, after that long walk I feel like a swim in the lake."
Nicole grinned as she began to strip down to her two-piece light-blue swimsuit. "I thought you'd never say!" she chuckled.
Aqua beamed before running ahead towards the water. "Vapor! Vaporeon!!" she cried.
River took off her vest and tank top, then her sneakers, knee socks, and shorts, leaving only her red-lined black racing swimsuit. Her own Vaporeon joined Aqua in running toward the lake, and she took a Poke-ball out of her messenger bag and let out her Oshawatt. "There, Oshy...you can have some fun too!"
Once she'd finished undressing, she gave the ribbon holding up her ponytail a yank and let her hair down before splashing into the lake.
Nicole followed after the girl, taking a deep breath and jumping into the water.
River ducked her head below the water and looked down. The lake was exactly as she remembered it from her adventure just the other day. The lake floor slanted downward away from the shoreline before falling sharply away, and the entrance to the underwater caverns and lava tubes yawned at her....almost begging for her to dive in and go exploring again.
Her right hand involuntarily went to her chest as she remembered the fright she'd felt when she and Mi'ara had almost become trapped in those same caves....
'I wonder if that Kingdra is still down there,' she thought to herself.
Her Vaporeon was still chasing Nicole's around, and she watched them play, giggling a little, before she popped her head back above the water's surface and took a breath.
Nicole had gotten a head start as she began to dive deep towards the caverns, her curiosity peaked.
Being the girl's loyal companion and just as curious, Aqua followed right beside, there to lend a helping hand and protect her if needed to...
River watched a rather large Goldeen float by as her Vaporeon paddled along in front of her. She was just turning to point the Pokemon out to Nicole when she turned and saw the girl's feet vanish into the cavern that she and Mi'ara had been exploring before.
For a second, fear rushed through her as she remembered almost being trapped in there, but then she relaxed. 'It should be okay,' she thought, 'As long as I can remember the layout of the cavern. Plus I have Vappy with me now, and Nicole has Aqua...we'll be fine.'
She kicked her feet and followed Nicole into the cave.
Nicole and Aqua reached the inside of the cavern, having shaved off a quarter of the girl’s breath-hold time but it didn't matter. Nicole had practically been training her whole life to become a powerful swimmer and hold her breath for as long as possible AND with Aqua there to watch out for her, things should go swimmingly (badum-tsss)
Looking around, Nicole decided it was time to explore this new place.
River watched as Nicole moved effortlessly through the water. It was a little surprising to her how Nicole could look so at home in the water, but she would have to be comfortable being a marine biologist.
As Nicole examined the inside of the tunnel, River, swimming along with her own Vaporeon, came up behind Nicole and indicated the deeper part of the tunnel and began leading the way down, heading for the phosphorescent cavern she and Mi'ara had found during their own dive into these caves.
It only took her a moment to work her way through the narrow part of the tunnel just beyond the entrance to the cave.
The luminescent moss looked even brighter than the last time she'd seen it. Her Vaporeon and Oshawott apparently couldn't believe their eyes, and they both darted around the cavern, checking out the glowing, pulsating moss.
River gave Nicole a wink.
The cavern was still full of Pokemon. All the same Water-types she'd seen previously still swam around happily in the soft, glowing light.
After following River into the glowing section of the caverns, Nicole was amazed at the beauty of it all, almost gasping at how pretty and breathtaking it was.
Aqua was just as amazed as her trainer.
After a moment of letting it all sink in, Nicole kicked her legs and swam forward to examine the glowing moss. It was at times like this that she wished she had brought a test tube to put a sample in.
River found it hard to believe, but she was almost more impressed by the phosphorescent moss seeing it for a second time like this. She wondered exactly what type of moss it was or what could be making it glow like that.
'Maybe Nicole might know,' she thought.
She'd been keeping a mental countdown going in her head. River was all right for the moment, but she wondered how long Nicole would be able to hold her breath comfortably.
River then turned to see her Vaporeon lying in one of the beds of glistening moss, just like Mi'ara had done when River had first discovered this place, and it made her smile.
She then swam over to where Nicole was, apparently still mesmerized by the sight of the glowing plants.
Nicole immediately snapped out of her trance-like state upon seeing River swim over. As far as the air left in her went, Nicole was still calm and collected.
She pointed to the moss and gave a shrug as if to say 'I've never seen this type of moss before!'
River watched Nicole's body language, understanding coming after a moment; she'd clearly no idea about the moss.
She'd just turned her attention back to he two Pokemon, playing nearby, when her Vaporeon suddenly stopped swimming and perked up her ears, eyes going wide. Oshawatt also seemed to snap to attention, his body tensing up.
And then River heard it....the unmistakable call of a Kingdra!
'Those Kingdra...they're still here!'
Her body froze as fear gripped her, the memories flooding back in a fast-forward montage of images that rifled through her mind.
Nicole and Aqua were the next to hear the call but being so new to this place and its Pokemon, they obviously had no idea what dangers could be coming their way.
Seeing some water-types beginning to move frantically and panicked, Aqua darted over to Nicole, uneasy but ready to face whatever was coming! This wasn't the first time they went up against hostile Pokemon, legendary or not.
Nicole turned her head to face River, her facial expressions attempting to ask "Is everything ok? What's going on?"
River's Vaporeon swam in front of her and stared toward the tunnel opening on the opposite side of the cavern from the two girls. River meanwhile moved close to Nicole, looking back over her shoulder the way they'd come. 'Maybe we should get out of here,' she thought...
But before she could make a move toward the tunnel, her Oshawatt - which had been swimming by that very opening - came dashing toward her, and River could hear yet another Kingdra coming from that direction too.
'Oh, no!'
And as soon as that thought crossed River's mind, a massive creature - itself almost the size of the hole it came through - emerged from the tunnel, a pair of yellow eyes gleaming as it stared down the human intruders. The Kingdra was even bigger than River remembered, and it looked furious.
Nicole almost fainted from shock as she saw the sheer size of the Kingdra. 'Sweet...Arceus!' she thought. Never in her life had she seen such a monstrous beast. She had heard of wild pokemon with sizes ranging from tiny to abnormally large but this was different.
Then as the second one burst in, every single bit of will to fight off the attacker vanished. Now Nicole was terrified. She fought to keep herself calm so she wouldn't use up her remaining air in her mouth but even just looking at them made her want to scream.
Aqua too, was frightened. Kyogre was a challenge but it wasn't hard. TWO GIGANTIC Kingdra was impossible. "...vapor..."
River could almost feel Nicole's fear, and her own heart was skipping rope in her chest. She and Mi'ara had only had to deal with one Kingdra...but two at once, even with a pair of Vaporeon and an Oshawott on their side, might be a hopeless situation.
She spun around in the water to face the Kingdra behind her, her two Pokemon putting themselves in between her and her antagonist. Nicole bumped up against River's back, and she could feel the girl's heart pounding.
The two Kingdra floated in the water, as if taunting them. The yellow eyes of River's opponent bored into her face, and she felt frozen. These things were hard enough to outwit in a Gym, but here in the water...
She'd already been attacked once and had been lucky to escape.
"....Mmlllbrb...."
A sudden spasm shot through her chest, and she reflexively clasped a hand over her mouth. A burst of bubbles seeped between her clenched fingers. Her lungs were starting to ache.
Still, the Pokemon didn't move, but just kept floating, staring down River, its face filled with malice.
Nicole was in full panic mode, no matter how hard she tried, her heart was beating faster and faster. The longer she floated, staring at the massive beasts, the more she felt her lungs burning, craving fresh oxygen.
She then heard a muffled sound from River. Both girls' lungs were beginning to cave in and worst of all, two Kingdra the size of a bus or small house were going to make sure that there was no escape. They were either going to drown during a long staring contest with these monsters, or the wild water-types would just rip them to shreds at any second now.
Aqua was lucky that she could breathe underwater but now the last thing she would see before the Kingdra attacked HER was the terrible sight of her best friend...no, her sister being ripped limb from limb or seeing her swallowing water before the beasts make their move.
River's chest was starting to burn, and tiny bubbles were escaping from her lips. That all-too-familiar pain was coming back in full force....she'd nearly perished in these same caverns with Mi'ara, and now...
The Kingdra just continued to stare her down, it's face not even so much as flinching. The creature's gaze pierced into her, colder than dry ice.
But...the Pokemon still didn't move. It hadn't moved since it had entered the cavern.
'...Maybe,' River thought, stifling another choke as her lungs protested the lack of oxygen, '...It's just trying to intimidate us?' As aggressive as these Kingdra had seemed, the one that had attacked River before hadn't done so in this cavern, but a different one, much deeper in the cave.
Could it possibly have recognized her from that last time?
River moved her arms just enough to drift forward in the water just a bit, separating herself from Nicole's back. She could feel the girl's surprise as the water around her suddenly swirled with movement. River turned and gave her a look that said, 'Just keep calm.'
Nicole slowly turned around and nodded. If she was to live to see another day, she was going to have to trust River. She fought harder to calm herself and managed to do so slightly, copying the other girl's actions. Hopefully this would work...
River held out her hand and felt Nicole accept it. She then started kicking her feet, very slowly. Both Vaporeon swam in front of the two girls as River slowly drifted toward the cave opening, forcing her pounding heart to slow as best she could.
The force of the Kingdra's gaze drilled its way into her, and for a moment, she could swear she saw the creature shift, ever so slightly.
...Something tugged at River's shoulder, and she swung her head around toward Nicole.
Nicole was suddenly ambushed by the Kingdra the she was facing! It wrapped its tentacle-like tail around the girl's body and threw her against the cavern wall. The force of the impact and the pain made her exclaim in shock and hurt, her vision becoming blurry.
"VAPOR!!" Aqua shot over to the girl, swimming as fast as her paws and tail would carry her but she was also overpowered by a simple swish of the beasts' powerful tail.
Nicole strained and fought to keep going, covering her mouth with her hands in a futile attempt to escape and get to the surface, but it was too late. The last bit of air she had burst out of her mouth and rose upward as Nicole stopped moving and went limp.
Just before blacking out, Nicole's entire life flashed in front of her eyes like a split-second movie, only it seemed to take an eternity to finish.
'...this is it...my Pokemon...my friends...Aqua...goodbye...' was the last thing she thought before fading…
River screamed.
Nicole's eyes almost popped out of her head when the Kingdra behind her slammed her body against the cavern wall. The impact was powerful enough to dislodge a cloud of silt from the cavern wall, which clouded her vision.
...Then she heard the 'whoosh' of flowing water, and spun around just in time to see her own Vaporeon unleash a massive Hydro Pump. The stream of water hit the Kingdra coming toward River full force, pushing it backward.
'Ah!' River's mind was shouting at the rest of her paralyzed body to do something....anything! Without even thinking, she clutched Nicole's wrist and pulled...before she realized with a start that the first Kingdra still had its tail wrapped around Nicole's abdomen.
For a heart stopping moment, River and the Kingdra were face to face. River's eyes met those of the Pokemon, its yellow pupils staring fixedly into hers. Her entire body froze.
But even with what it had done to Nicole....River didn't see malice in its eyes. It just....gazed back at her.
The wild Kingdra that had its grip on the drowning girl refused to let go. It wasn't about give up without its prize! In fact, why let the chance of double prizes get away? It aimed its nozzle-like mouth at River as it prepared a Bubblebeam attack!
“...!”
River tried prying Nicole's body out of the Kingdra's grip, but the massive Pokemon refused to let her go.
Then River's heart almost stopped when she heard the familiar sound of a Bubble Beam building. She turned her head just in time to see the Kingdra rear its head back...
...Just as River's Vappy darted in front of her and took the full brunt of the blast!
The shockwave threw River backward and she felt Nicole's wrist slip out of her hand. Water and bubbles swirled all around her, clouding her vision so badly that everything became a tumbling kaleidoscope of browns and blues. She heard her Vaporeon cry out in shock from the force of the blast, and her hands groped uselessly in the torrent.
She was about to cry out when something clamped solidly around her chest, nearly forcing every particle of air from her chest in a split second. The other Kingdra now had a death grip on her with its own tail! River's arms were pinned so tightly against her sides that she couldn't even budge them! Pain assaulted her entire upper body, so fierce spots flashed across her eyelids.
'...No....why....is this...happening...?'
She saw Nicole's face flash through her mind...The girl was smiling as they jogged along the path in the sunlight, their Pokemon running along ahead of them...
The Kingdra tightened its grip, and River couldn't hold her breath. The tiny bit of life giving air was squeezed out of her chest, and she felt the cold water filling her mouth. Her throat constricted to keep the water out of her lungs, and agony sliced into her body.
'....No!'
The Kingdra that had Nicole noticed the other Kingdra with River in its grasp. A wave of jealousy washed over the giant before it let loose a powerful blast of Hydro Pump on its new enemy. It let go of Nicole to go over and snatch its other prize before it was attacked back! Now the two Goliaths were fighting, so focused on knocking the other one out that they failed to notice that the girl's Pokemon seized the opportunity to escape and rush back up to the surface with their trainers in tow.
'....'
River's vision began to fade. She had a vague sense of the water around her, and she could hear muffled sounds in her tortured ears, but...
There was a flash, and then...the pain vanished....
Her throat began to relax, and she could feel the cold water invading her body. She couldn't feel her arms and legs anymore.
Something flowed around her. She thought she could hear the faint sound of her Vappy calling out to her, but...
'It... Probably...is my...imagination....'
Her body began to feel heavy...and light began to fill her bleary eyes.
'...Am I...really going...to die like this?'
...And that was her last thought before darkness enveloped her.
After reaching the surface and hauling their trainers ashore, the water-types desperately pondered on what to do next. The water-types didn’t know CPR and the nearest PokeCenter would be too far to reach in time.
Aqua was about to give up before noticing something in Nicole's clothing that she had taken off before entering the water. A round object. The Vaporeon ran over and retrieved the object which turned out to be a Heal Ball.
With no time to waste, Aqua pressed the button on the ball, releasing the creature inside with a bright flash of light. The light faded to reveal a Gardevoir with a Gardevoirite hanging from its neck in the form of a necklace.
Aqua quickly told her friend what had happened to them in the caverns with the Kingdra attack.
Luna wasted no time as she cleared her mind and pointed both hands at the two girls, using Heal Pulse. (Please girls...you must wake up. You mustn't give up!) she telepathically said to the trainers, encouraging them to fight to stay alive and wake up.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for ANY signs of life...
Vappy watched as the warm glow enveloped her trainer.
'....'
River suddenly felt warmth. She couldn't tell where it was coming from....there was nothing around her, nor could she see anything. But....she could feel....something....and she thought she could hear a voice....a familiar voice....
...Her Vaporeon?
The warmth intensified, and suddenly, her chest heaved,...and her eyes flashed open. She coughed so hard she saw stars, and light blazed into her eyes. Her whole body flared with anguish as she coughed and wheezed, water pouring from her mouth. She clutched at her chest as a spasm shot through it, her back arching painfully. She instinctively rolled onto her side and hacked up the rest of the water.
After a moment, her heart finally began to calm, and she lifted her head....and looked right into the eyes of her Vaporeon, staring down at her with a teary, terrified expression.
"....Vappy," she wheezed, sucking down as much air as she could through her battered throat, "I....what...happened?"
Luna smiled. (I believe it's best if you had some more experienced and well-equipped people have a look at that Kingdra problem,) the psychic/fairy-type telepathically suggested.
Nicole began to undergo the same process of waking up as River did, being met with the warm, comforting, and incredibly relieved smiles of Aqua and Luna. "...Second time you two...saved my life..." She happily said, coughing out the last bit of water in her lungs.
River stared up at the gently floating Pokemon, relief flooding through her weak body. She could barely move and pain still pulsed through her....but....
....She was alive.
"Nicole," she said softly, "...Are you...alright?" She managed to push herself up onto her elbow in the damp sand as she turned back to the other girl.
Nicole nodded, regaining her strength. "Yeah...I'm fine." she said. "Th-thank you, Luna."
Luna nodded, smiling.
Aqua lovingly nuzzled her trainer, glad to see her alive.
Nicole pulled the Vaporeon in for a hug before turning back to River, looking a bit upset. "Did you know about that thing down there? Why didn't you say anything before we went in?" she questioned, seeing that the whole ordeal could've been avoided from the start.
The question hit her like a bolt of lightning...not only because she'd completely forgotten about the Kingdra inhabiting that cave, but because of that, she'd put this girl whom she barely even knew in grave danger. They both could have died if she'd just remembered and said something before they went into that cave.
Her heart sank, and tears fell from her eyes. "I....I'm sorry," she said between choked sobs, "I...I got ahead of myself..."
For a second, she thought of Mi'ara, and how close she and River had come to dying down in that same cave.
"Nicole...I..." she began to say, but then she just stopped. Her Vaporeon looked up at her with a sullen expression, rubbing against her leg with its cheek.
'...I screwed up, really bad,' River thought.
Nicole's growing anger towards River suddenly faded as she saw her beginning to cry. The adolescent sighed as she thought back to HER actions. Yes River didn't warn her about the Kingdra from the start but it was also Nicole who was blinded by curiosity and slight confidence that she didn't stop to question or look back at River for approval.
The young marine biologist made her way over to River and put an arm around her, sighing. "I-I actually should be just as sorry. I guess I got a little too curious and didn't even stop to consider any dangers. Also I forgot that cave diving is a pretty risky thing..." she apologized.
River wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she said again before she accepted Nicole's embrace and pulled her close. "I'm just glad that you're all right," she said, knowing that they'd both only been seconds away from never seeing the light of day again. She didn't know exactly how they'd gotten out of that mess, but that wasn't something she needed to worry about.
Another cough worked its way out of River's chest, and her Vaporeon climbed into her lap between her and Nicole, pushing against her.
She reached down and set her hand on the Pokemon's head. "It's okay, Vappy," she said, still a bit hoarsely, "I'm all right."
Nicole smiled.
Luna smiled as well before freezing, her smile fading...something was coming...
Nicole turned around, noticing the uneasy expression on the psychic/fairy-type's face. "Luna? What's wrong?" she asked.
Suddenly, Luna gasped. (GET BACK!!) she kinetically screamed before shielding everyone with Protect as the wild Kingdra burst out of the water. The monster was back and bursting with rage and it wasn't going to give up easily this time.
A scream pierced River's ears; a scream she immediately realized was her own. She didn't even have time to think about jumping up before the psychotic Kingdra released a massive Surf attack. River could only gape in horror as what seemed like the entirety of the lake surged upward into a tidal wave and crashed over the shoreline. The wave slammed into her already weakened body with its full force, and Nicole's hand - as well as her Vappy - were both ripped from her grasp by the sheer power of the wave. She felt herself tumbling through the maelstrom and tried to kick for the surface, but a split second later, the Kingdra was on top of her, wrapping its tail around her midsection once more, determined to drown her at the bottom of the lake. It squeezed her body like a metallic vice as it dragged her down along with the rapidly receding water.
Nicole, her Pokemon, and River's Pokemon all recovered from the attack before realizing that River was gone. The girl realized this and panicked but panic quickly turned into anger and determination. She quickly went over to her clothes, found two mouthpieces in the pockets of her shorts and nodded, a determined and heroic look on her face.
"C'mon everyone! If that thing wants to fight, we're gonna give it one!" she proudly exclaimed before putting one of the mouthpieces into Luna's mouth and leading everyone down. She remembered the uneasy face on River when they first heard Kingdra's approach. The beast had attacked before, but now Nicole and her Pokemon were determined to end its reign of destruction and terror once and for all.
River tried as hard as she could to break out of the Kingdra's grasp, but there was nothing she could do. This thing was the size of a house, and its tail alone managed to cover more than half of her entire body.
The tunnel entrance flashed by as the Pokemon plunged deeper into the water.
'It's.... it isn't going into the tunnels?' Was it trying to take into the deepest water with the greatest pressure that it could, or was there some other reason it was avoiding the caves?
The deeper the Pokemon dove, the greater the force on River's body became. The water pressure down here was crushing, and she could feel her sinuses straining against the weight of the water. Despite not being able to move, she finally got a look into the creature's eyes.
Unlike back in the cave, this time, it's did look malefic and angry. It's eyes sparkled with what seemed like demonic intent. For some reason....it wanted to drown her.
The light from above faded as the Kingdra went deeper and deeper, and River began to panic.
'...Nicole....Vappy....please! I don't want to die!'
Nicole and her band of heroes made it down just in time to see the vanishing tail of the beast. She frowned before putting the other mouthpiece in and turning to Luna. "Use Teleport and get us in front of it!" she instructed.
The Psychic/Fairy-type nodded and in a flash of light, they had vanished.
Inside the tunnel, Nicole and her gang reappeared in front of the demonic Kingdra.
River smiled, seeing that Nicole and both girl's Pokemon had come to the rescue but the captive girl would be a bit surprised to see that Nicole wasn't even flinching by the pressure.
To the marine biologist, this was nothing compared to what her and her Pokemon had to face in the Beya region.
Luna's Gardevoirite necklace began to glow.
Nicole quickly wasted no time. "Beyond evolution! MEGA EVOLVE!!" she exclaimed, holding up her mega bracelet high above her head.
In a powerful burst of light and energy formed from the bond between trainer and Pokemon, Luna had transformed into Mega Gardevoir!
The wild Kingdra let River go and prepared to go all out on its new opponent. It clearly wasn't going down without a fight either.
"Let's start this off with a Dazzling Gleam!" she instructed before taking a breath, taking out her mouthpiece, and giving it to River. She would need air if she was going to help Nicole take the monster down.
Luna gathered all its energy and released it in a powerful blinding flash of light, critically hurting the opponent.
River watched in amazement as the blinding flash of light from the Mega Stone necklace around the Gardevoir's neck. And when the light faded....
'Oh my gosh,' she thought, staring at the newly evolved Mega Gardevoir, '...I've never seen anything like this!'
The Kingdra released her, and with the pressure on her chest now gone, the pain building in her lungs eased a little. Her Vaporeon and Oshawott swam up to her, and her Vappy lifted a paw upward, indicating the surface high above.
'No...' River thought, turning to watch as Nicole's new Mega Gardevoir, 'We have to help her!' As soon as she thought this, light blazed through the water, and the Kingdra took a direct hit from the most intense Dazzling Gleam attack she'd ever witnessed.
Nicole appeared next to her, holding out the mouthpiece, and River took it, nodding her thanks. She inhaled a welcome lungful of air, and the building anguish in her chest vanished at last.
"Vappy," she said, pointing at the Kingdra that had now tried twice to do her in, "Give Gardevoir some backup! Hydro Pump!"
River's Vaporeon reared back before a huge stream of water erupted from it's mouth, slamming into the side of the Kingdra's head. After the Dazzling Gleam, the Pokemon's eyes were closed and it never even saw the attack coming. The ferocity of the blast threw the Pokemon backward into the cavern wall with a tremendous crash, knocking rocks and sediment free.
Nicole grinned, back to holding her breath. "Dazzbbllbing Gleabbl Agllaibln!" she glubbed, doing her best to use up as little air as possible while issuing her commands.
Despite the bubbly distortion of the water, Luna understood the order because Nicole was also thinking it in her mind. But before she could attack again, the wild Kingdra had recovered from the tag team assault, retaliating with a Whirlpool attack.
The water swirled into a churning maelstrom. River managed to grab hold of her Vappy, but the raging current had separated her from Nicole. She clutched the mouthpiece tightly, fearing that Nicole might drown if she lost her grip on it and couldn't give it back to her.
The current intensified more, and River couldn't believe after the pounding they'd given it that the Kingdra could still unleash attacks this powerful. Oshawott had managed to grab onto Vappy's tail and was hanging on for dear life as River tumbled through the water.
'This whirlpool will pull us all the way to the bottom!'
She tried to find Nicole, but she couldn't see anything in the swarm of bubbles and sediment kicked up from the lake floor.
'We have to find Nicole! She just saved me! I'm not going to let her down!'
Unknown to River, Nicole and her Pokemon had clung onto a rock and were holding on for dear life. Unable to issue any commands or do anything for that matter, it appeared as if Kingdra had the upper hand.
'J-Just...hold...on!!' she thought, feeling her grip on the rock beginning to slip. If she let go, she'd be sucked to the very bottom, crushed by the intense pressure of the deep.
Just as she felt that the merciless current would do her in as well as her Pokemon, the Whirlpool attack ceased.
Both girls looked up and to their surprise, the OTHER wild Kingdra had joined in the brawl, unleashing a powerful Brine attack on the beast. It didn't even stop to look at the girls after its attack...could it be that this partner in crime Kingdra was now...helping the girls?
Nicole let go of the rock, seeing her chance to help finish off the wild beast. 'Luna! Bring up the rear with another Dazzling Gleam!' she commanded in her mind before her lungs started to ache and a surge of oxygen bubbles escaped from her mouth. She needed to breathe.
River's Vappy was about to be pulled from her grasp when the whirlpool stopped completely....
It only took her a second to find her bearings. She immediately spotted Nicole and her Pokemon unleashing a ferocious assault on the Kingdra....with another Kingdra helping them.
'...Is that the other one from before?' River asked herself, mind racing, '...Just what the heck is going on?'
And just as quickly, that thought vanished as she realized this might be their only chance of escape. "Vappy, Oshie...help them out," she shouted through the mouthpiece, "...Double Team!"
Her two Pokemon dove toward the Kingdra and slammed into it, knocking it backward and into the rock wall with a tremendous noise, bubbles and silt billowing everywhere. She was just about to give them another instruction when she spotted Nicole out of the corner of her eye, doubled over and clutching her chest, a tiny stream of air leaking from her mouth. 'Oh no!'
She kicked as hard as she could and reached the girl in a flash. She took the mouthpiece and put it in Nicole's mouth just as the girl fought off a major chest convulsion.
Nicole sucked in a huge breath of air, refilling her lungs with fresh oxygen. She sighed and gave a smile to River before turning to her Vaporeon. "Help them out, Aqua! Use Hydro Pump!" she instructed.
Now the tables had turned back. It tried to retreat but before it could even swim away, it’s strength was gone as it sank towards the bottom of the lake.
The demonic beast that had tormented River and other poor souls was defeated. Never again would it attempt to drown anymore humans or Pokemon. Its reign of terror was finally over.
For a long moment, River just floated there. She watched the defeated Kingdra sink to the bottom of the lake, r mind not quite able to wrap itself around what had just happened.
Her harrowing adventure through the tunnels with Mi'ara had been frightening, sure, but this...the scope of everything that had just happened fell over her in a single moment, and she threw her arms around Nicole in pure relief.
All their Pokemon gathered around them, and River turned just in time to see the other Kingdra, staring at the group the entire time, finally turn and swim away, heading for the yawning mouth of the cavern opening.
She watched it go, wondering why it had come back to help them, but decided it wasn't that important. She nodded to Nicole, and the whole group started swimming up toward the lake surface.
'...Mi'ara's never going to believe this,' River thought to herself, as she looked over at Nicole as she swam upward, wondering what she was thinking.
Nicole and her Pokemon started for the surface before the girl briefly stopped to look back at where the wild Kingdra once floated. "..." for a few seconds she just floated there, wondering if she should go back down to try and capture the other Kingdra. A Pokemon with such a large size would break some records and be extremely beneficial for her research. But finally, she decided to let the majestic creature be as she swam upwards to the surface. Little known to her, she had just done future swimmers here a huge favor. Now the mossy caverns were free from evil and open to the public to be explored.
River broke the surface and inhaled deeply, drawing the cool air deep into her chest. Nicole splashed up next to her moment later, taking a similar breath. A look back toward the shore registered the savagery of Kingdra's attack on the girls...several trees had been pushed down by its tidal attack, and gouges had been left in the sand along the narrow beach.
The sun behind them was starting to dip toward the horizon, bathing the now-tranquil lakeside in a dazzling mix of flaming colors.
Her Vappy paddled up next to her, and she scratched behind the Pokemon's ears. Her Oshawott swam up as well, not wanting to be left out of any congratulations. "You too, Oshie," River said with a giggle before looking up to Nicole, gently treading water next to her.
"Nicole..." River turned toward the other, lowering her gaze for just a moment before looking back up at her, "...Thank you. You saved my life...more than once back there."
Nicole took out her mouthpiece and smiled. "Well, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" she asked before swimming up to the girl and giving her a hug.
Luna, who's mega evolution had just faded, and Aqua swam to the shore and watched as their trainer and her new friend followed.
They decided to wait a bit and dry off before putting their clothes back on, talking about the amazing adventure they just had as well as some other things before deciding that it was time to say their good-bye's.
Nicole, now wearing her usual clothing, called Luna back into her ball before shrinking it down to the size of a ping pong ball and putting it in her pocket. "Well River, Today's a day I'll certainly never forget! Maybe I should come back tomorrow to do some research on that moss. Don't worry, I'll be sure to come prepared just in case something does happen. Who knows! We may just run into each other again!" she said before clenching her fist and holding it out for a fist bump. "Until then, keep on keepin on!"