Heaven in Hell

A/N: Odd name for a humor/romance story, eh? ColdCoffeeshipping, or for those who haven't heard of it, BarryXPaul. This takes place at Canalave City, which, as you all know, is a group of islands. That's where the water comes from. Also, there's not much humor in the prologue.

~PROLOGUE~

Barry whimpered as the giant man in the leather jacket shoved him into a wall. He felt his head crash against the wall of the building and his eyes were sent spinning. His head began to pound in pain. His Pokeball belt was ripped off of his waist by strong arms. Two thieves towered above him, waving it in his face. Barry whimpered once more.

"Give it up already, string bean."

"We already have your Heracross, Staraptor, and Roserade. All we need now is your precious Empoleon."

"So hand it over and maybe you'll get out with all of your limbs!"

Barry lifted himself off the ground with a grunt and flung his last Pokeball at the thieves. Empoleon was released in a puff of smoke.

"Empoleon! Hydro Cannon!"

As a sphere of icy blue began to form in Empoleon's beak, the thieves hurled a rope at him. The rope tied around his beak, shutting the Hydro Cannon off. Empoleon struggled, but the thieves dragged him in and tossed him in a metal cage. One of the thieves grabbed Empoleon's Pokeball straight out of Barry's hands. Exhausted, Barry fell to the ground of hands and knees, panting. "How can they beat me so easily?" Barry whispered to himself, losing self-esteem. "Am I really that weak?"

"Now we'll teach you a lesson for fighting back!"

"Yeah!"

One of them grabbed Barry by the limbs, the other by the neck, gagging him. Barry tried in vain to scream, but it was too muffled for anyone to hear. Kicking and wailing, Barry was dragged off to the nearby water. Eyes wide, he flailed harder, only to cause a punch in the back. He ignored the thieves' hostility, for he was only thinking about the rising terror in his stomach. A boat that was running by a propeller began to float by. As it almost passed, the thieves got ready to toss him. Barry shut his eyes tight. Holy meepers, they're going to throw me at the boat??? Is that how I'm going to die??? I haven't fallen in love! I've never had sex! I haven't figured out what I'm supposed to do with this Poketch! I'VE NEVER HAD SEX!!! Barry screamed mentally to himself.

The person driving the boat seemed to catch his eye, however, and stopped the propeller. Not quickly enough, however, because Barry, with eyes shut, felt himself being hurled into the water feet-first and collided with the propeller. It wasn't going fast enough to kill him, but he felt the skin on his knee being torn apart. He tried to scream, but bubbles only floated from his mouth, using the last of his breath. He opened his eyes, but closed them again, as all he saw was a thick cloud of blood in front of his face. He squeezed his eyes as tight as he could with the feeling creeping up his back that the propeller could be right in front of his face, even though it had stopped now.

Is that blood from my knee? Oh, bugger, that blood is from my knee!

Barry looked toward the surface, studying the alley for the thieves.

They were gone.

I'm going to drown and die without my friends. I wanted to die with my Pokemon, but now they'll never see me again.

As Barry sank, his eyes slowly closed and he didn't try to move. His heart grew cold. He felt himself drifting toward the bottom. His burial had no one but himself.

Before he was unconscious, he heard a splash and a body diving down towards him. Bubbles filled the water and floated toward the surface slowly.

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Barry sat up with a jerk and started to cough up water onto the ground. He panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, kid, are you okay?" the man with the boat said. Barry looked around. He was on solid ground again. He didn't know if he was saved or in heaven.

"I think…" Barry started. More nasty coughing interrupted him. He was soaked completely, and blood covered his right knee. "I think so. Am I dead?"

The man couldn't help but chuckle. "No, you've only been out for a few seconds, actually," he assured. He grabbed Barry by the arm and helped him up. "The name's Sailor Eldritch. I own the only express ship to Iron Island. What's your name, boy?"

"Barry," he said drearily, feeling sick. He suddenly stood straight up, thinking of the thieves. "Have you seen…"

He was cut off by the sound of footsteps through the alley and screaming voices. "There's the kid! Get him! Scrawny brat!" they shouted.

"BUGGER!" Barry shouted. "There's more of them now! Thank you, Eldritch, I gotta go!" Ignoring the stabbing pain in his knee, he bolted down the street of Canalave, limping slightly, getting slower and more exhausted with every step.

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Wow, I didn't know I could be this cruel… ~Furyfur