Hey everybody! I've got another chapter for you guys! Hope you enjoy :)
Loud cracks pierced the air as Steelix snaked its way across the thick layer of frozen ocean. Flurries of snow and ice flew high into the air behind them, fluttering back down as they continued on. Misty pulled the edges of her pink hoodie closer to her cheeks, angry eyes locked only on Lightning Island. The flashes of lighting and the thunderous roar they produced rattled the already jumbled thoughts raging through her mind. The perfect storm continuing to form both above and inside of Misty.
Despite her aquamarine orbs fixating on their destination, her vision only saw a deep chocolate brown color swirling before her. Raven hair accompanied the sight, as well as a crooked smile. What pulse of her heart she could feel fluttered with the wind against her skin, goosebumps rising from each passing second she pictured Ash inching closer to her. That is, until Brock grabbed her shoulder and the entire scenario repeated in her head. Again and again the recent memory played. Stopping with Brock and restarting with Ash. What would've happened had Brock not pulled her from her stupor? Would she have kissed Ash once again?!
The flutters turned to stings, jabbing deep knives into her chest. Part of her wanted to scream NO! No she would not have committed such an act against Rudy again. But then, the flutters returned faster than the stings could stay. Her heart quickly healing itself the moment Ash started the scenario back up in her mind. She tried to pass it off as the worry she felt for him and May heading to Ice Island alone. But since her brain would not abandon the would be kiss, she had no choice but to accept her situation. No matter how much she wanted to ignore it, shove it aside, pretend the moment her and Ash shared almost twice now had never happened….she couldn't. And dammit did that piss her off!
'You are getting married, Misty!' she screamed in her head. 'CUT IT OUT!'
Her palms slapped against the sides of her temple as she bowed her face into the shadows her bangs provided. Teeth cracked as she grit her jaw tight. Despite doing this, her eyes remained open, and from the corner of her vision, she spotted something yellow flittering in the wind. Aquamarine eyes snapped to the source, and a thin ribbon tied to her wrist billowed to and fro, slapping against her cheek gently. Slowly, she removed the hand from her scalp and held it before her, angry eyes growing soft and teary. She could almost feel Ash's fingertips against her wrist as he tied the ribbon in place.
"Misty?"
The female voice caught her off guard, causing her to rip her eyes towards Brock. He was sitting directly behind Steelix's head, too far from Misty to have spoken to her. Not that Brock had a feminine-like voice anyway. She then twisted herself back, craning her neck to peer over her shoulder at the thin honey blonde woman seated behind her.
Serena's eyes widened at the sudden motion, causing her to swallow hard. Misty had almost forgotten about the girl, and quickly softened her glare. "Yes?"
After a moment of trying to collect herself, Serena asked. "Are you okay?"
Was she okay?! No! She wasn't okay! Way to be perceptive, Serena!
"I'm fine," Misty huffed, placing both her hands back on Steelix and tightening her grip. "Just fine."
"Do….Do…." Serena swallowed hard once more, and furrowed her brow while she breathed in deep. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
"Talk about what?"
"Ash?"
"WHAT?!" Misty nearly broke her back spinning around to face Serena again. "Do you wanna ask me that again?"
The fear was evident in Serena's eyes, and Misty had to give the poor girl credit. Despite being obviously hesitant, she persisted on. "I asked if you wanted to talk about Ash," Serena repeated. "You know, girl to girl."
"You want to talk about the man you have a crush on?" Misty raised her brow and practically sneered. "With me?"
Serena flinched, pulling her blue eyes away from Misty. She didn't know why she was feeling so much anger towards the honey blonde. After all, Ash was fair game to the girl. Misty was the one getting married…
Serena's eyes came back, the fear under control and her stare hard. "No. I want to talk about the man you have a crush on."
Misty's mouth opened to retort, but no sounds came out. There was no denying it. Serena knew what Misty's heart was trying to push away. A growing feeling she could've sworn had been squashed a long time ago. The orange haired girl's eyes fell, her mouth closing slow. "I…."
"It's okay to admit it," Serena said softly, not removing her eyes from Misty. "The world won't end just because you-" she hesitated suddenly, hearing the crack of lightning overhead. "Er, I mean….um…"
Misty stopped her by raising a hand, though her eyes remained down, unfocused. Ash's smiling face came to the forefront of her mind, quickly replaced with worry for him. "I'm scared, Serena." Aquamarine eyes met bright blue. "Ash is racing towards Mew knows what, and I'm scared he's going to get hurt."
"I'm scared too," Serena admitted. "But Ash has done this kind of thing before, right?"
"This time's different…this time…when…." Misty swallowed hard. "When the two of you fell off the cliff, my heart stopped. There's been plenty of times where I was scared for Ash's safety, but this time it's different. I can't explain why…"
Serena listened to her trail off, waiting a moment for Misty to continue. When she didn't Serena said, "Yes you can."
Misty's heart twinged at her words. Yes. Yes she could. "No…I can't…"
It didn't matter if there was a deeper meaning behind Serena's words, or Misty's thoughts. She was a committed woman. As far as she should be concerned, Misty was scared for her longtime best friend. Not for…
"We're coming up on Lightning Island," Brock suddenly called back to the girls. "Brace yourself!"
Both women looked ahead past Steelix, spotting why Brock was warning them. They were speeding towards a small cliff face, an easy climb for Steelix, but it would certainly jolt them. Misty gripped her arms and legs around the metal snake, anticipating the impact. With a loud crash of rocks, Steelix reared up and slammed into the cliff side. Serena shouted in alarm, and it was all Misty could do was hope the honey blonde was still on. Steelix's body was vibrating so harshly it took every ounce of strength she had to stay clasped to the Pokemon's back.
Steelix roared as it reached flat land on top of the cliff, taking the group onto Lightning Island and away from the frozen ocean. Ice covered foliage whizzed by in a white blur, throwing flurries of snow behind them. Misty raised her head, craning her neck back to check on Serena. The blonde was still there, eyes jammed shut.
"Final stretch, girls!" Brock yelled back to them. "Alright, Steelix, find Lugia!"
The metal snake roared, picking up its pace now that it was on solid ground instead of frozen ocean. Trees snapped and bent from the sheer force of Steelix, cracking and crashing to the snow. Misty's eyes hardened as they raced onward, a deep scowl covering her face.
You better be alright, Ash. Lugia will be free soon, so you better be ready to fix all this.
Lugia bellowed and twisted against its cage, flinching as electric shocks sparked from the turning rings surrounding it. Warped, burning metal surrounded it on all sides. Remnants of the flying building, smoking like the ruins they had become. Lawrence walked slowly around his prize, marveling at the sight of such a Legendary creature, clutching a small black box in his hand. Lugia's sleek feathers glistened, even without the sun overhead. Even in pain, this Pokemon emitted great power. It rippled the very air, sending exciting chills down Lawrence's spine.
Thankfully, the constant emittance of electric shocks was keeping Lugia from launching one of its attacks against the rings. The harder it fought, the stronger the rings would constrict. A design choice Lawrence made intentionally. How Moltres and Zapdos managed to escape, he still couldn't wrap his head around it, but he assumed it had something to do with those kids. No matter, he had his prize, and those kids were surely long gone.
Lugia screeched in agony, its eyes swiveling down to glare at the man below it. Lawrence whistled. "Oh my, you seem upset. This is a necessary precaution, you understand? The pain won't be permanent. Once I figure out a way to keep you under control without it that is."
The Legendary's eyes grew angrier, and it screeched once more, thrashing against its bonds. Sparks rained down from the impacts, but the rings held firm. Snow turned black as the sparks sunk to the ground below, and Lawrence smiled. After so many years of planning and building, he was here. He'd claimed the ultimate prize! The Beast of the Sea was under his possession.
Suddenly he frowned, glancing down to the black specks littered throughout the layer of white. Tremors tickled the bottoms of his feet, moving upward into his ankles and towards his knees. The top layer of snow shuddered, flurries of snow bouncing across one another. His fingers gripped around the box in his hand, his frown deepening. He looked up, turning on the spot and glancing all around. Trees surrounded him on all sides, enclosing him and his destroyed structure in a large circle. From the dense trees and the piles of wreckage, he had know way of seeing what was coming.
CRASH!
Behind him, trees cracked and splintered apart, flying into the air and crashing to the ground with booming thuds. Lawrence twisted and fell into the snow to his rump as Steelix roared into view. It coiled its head high, giving the man riding the snake a chance to see from a birds eye view. Brock quickly glanced around, spotting Lugia and Lawrence among the rubble. He shouted to Steelix and the steel snake lowered back to the snow. Brock was already sliding off its side, thudding into the snow with a soft thump. Two more thumps sounded behind him, as well as the crunching of snow as the girls ran up to his side.
Misty's eyes landed on the trapped Legendary, squirming and twisting within its electrical bonds. Anger bubbled in her gut. She snapped her gaze down to the green haired man in the snow at the base of Lugia's cage. "You!" She shouted as Lawrence right himself and started to stand up. "Let Lugia go! Don't you realize what you're doing?!"
"You're destroying the world!" Serena added.
Lawrence looked to the younger adults with utter bewilderment. "You survived the crash?"
Misty's temple twitched. "Last chance," she barked, taking a few steps forward in the snow. She unclipped a PokeBall and brandished it forward. "Release Lugia!"
Lawrence's surprise fell into a scowl. "Release my prize? My life's work? Little girl, don't you understand the significance of my presence?"
"You did not just call me that," Misty seethed.
Lawrence stepped forward, throwing his arms out wide. "I am the Chosen One! I am meant to tame the Beast of the Sea-" he gestured back to Lugia. "You-" he motioned to Serena. "You say I am destroying the world? Don't you realize that by taming Lugia I will save it?"
Misty's rage reached a boiling point. This man…her fist clenched hard enough around her PokeBall it began to creak…this arrogant man thought HE was the Chosen One?
"Are you that stupid?!" she shouted. "This is all happening BECAUSE of you! You aren't saving anything! That's Ash!"
"Ash?" Lawrence blinked, then shook his head. "I do not expect someone so young to understand my plight. Why don't you run along now. Let the adult take care of this."
Snow might as well have been melting around Misty with the boiling rage emitting from her very pores. With a snap, she threw her PokeBall forward. "Go! Corsola! Spike Cannon!"
With a loud pop, the Coral Pokemon materialized with a battle cry and let loose a frenzy of sharp, glowing spikes that rocketed straight for Lugia's cage. Lawrence acted fast, raising the box in his hands and flicking a switch. From the surrounding rubble, rings similar to the ones around Lugia erupted high into the air. One swooped into the Spike Cannon's path, intercepting the attack with a barrage of sparks and electricity.
"Bubblebeam those things out of the sky!"
Corsola obliged, shooting bubbles in a blur up at the rings. They impacted against a few of them, detonating against the electrical currents with sharp crackles and pops. One ring fell to the snow, but the others swooped and headed straight for Corsola.
"Pancham, use Stone Edge!" Serena thrust one of her PokeBalls forward. It opened with a pop, and the little Panda appeared alongside Corsola. It cried out and slammed its fists down into the snow. Sharp rocks erupted from the ground, jutting straight up in a circle around the two Pokemon. Blocking the rings from entrapping Corsola. They bounced away, regaining their flight patterns and swirling up into the air. They swerved around, heading for Steelix.
"Dig!" Brock roared, and Steelix obliged, slamming its giant head into the snow and vanishing beneath the ground.
Three of the rings swooped into the hole after Steelix, but the rest broke off and went after the Trainers instead.
"Move!" Misty shouted, pushing Serena and jumping aside. Serena fell on her rump, but the rings whooshed right by her. They narrowly missed Misty as she landed on her chest in the snow.
Brock wasn't as lucky. He shouted in pain as two of them entrapped him in the middle, shooting small arcs of electricity into his muscles. Misty jumped to her feet and grabbed the ring on Brock's right side. Her teeth slammed together as jolts of electricity sparked against her hands. She ignored the pain and dug her heels through the snow, pulling back against the force of the ring. Serena rocketed to her feet, grappling the other ring and imitating Misty. An alarmed squeak escaped from the honey blondes chest as the electric current jerked through her arms. She didn't waiver though, gritting her teeth and pulling back with all she had.
The airborne rings circled back around and shot straight for the girls, but Corsola and Pancham jumped in the way. Spike Canon's and Dark Pulse's deflected the rings away, keeping them at a fair distance away from the Trainers. One by one they attempted to launch at the group, but the two Pokemon worked together well, covering the others blind spots.
Misty started to grunt aloud, pushing every ounce of strength she had into her muscles. Serena may have been thin, but the veins in her arms were beginning to bulge as she too grunted aloud, burning her thighs from the sheer force she was pushing into them. Brock winced and twitched as the electricity sparked against him, but he managed to groan a command. "S-S-S-Steelix….go….for…the box!"
Lawrence didn't hear, but the sudden vibrating beneath his feet sent an alarm through his nervous system. With the loud cracking of rock, the ground beneath his feet erupted upwards as Steelix emerged with a mighty roar. Lawrence stood atop its head, shouting in fright as he stumbled back and fell between the grooves cresting Steelix's dome. The three rings swooped out of the ground after the steel type, circling and attempting to lock the Pokemon in place. The electric sparks ricocheted off the Pokemon, doing little to no effect.
With a mighty shout of pain from both girls, Misty and Serena gave one final tug and the rings ripped apart from Brock. Both women fell to their rears, and Brock collapsed to his knees. The rings resumed their flight, joining the others. With an angry glare, Brock looked up. "Hit Lugia's cage!"
Steelix roared and faced the larger rings. It slammed its massive head straight into the electric shield. Sparks ignited and soared every which direction, showering over Lawrence and causing him to scream in fear. Steelix repeated the motion, sending more sparks outward. The green haired man scrambled away from the burning shower, small holes singeing into his clothing. He slipped, and with a shout, tumbled down the back of Steelix.
He rolled off the side, plopping into the snow with a dull thump. Misty rose to her full height, slipping in the snow as she raced his direction. Serena stumbled to her feet, following after the redhead. As Lawrence rose, he winced from another impact by Steelix, which caused him not to see Misty coming. She slammed her shoulder straight into the man, smashing him up against the Steel Pokemon. The box fell from his grasp, and dropped to the snow. Serena scooped it up and raised it high.
"NO!" Lawrence yelled, but his reaction was too late. Serena smashed the device against Steelix's steel hide. It sparked and fizzled, causing the honey blonde to quickly drop the remnants of the device.
Misty intercepted Lawrence's movement towards Serena, using her leg to trip the man and use her body weight to pull him to the ground. Brock raced to their side, shoving his hand into his back pocket. With one fluid motion, he whipped out a slick blue ribbon and wrapped it around Lawrence's wrists. Misty held the man in place as Brock tied the prize ribbon, and as they did, Steelix paused its assault against Lugia's electrical cage.
The shield was flickering in and out, sparking and fizzling much like the box Serena shattered. The rings fell from the sky one by one, disappearing into the snow with dull thumps. Lugia's roars became more forceful as the electricity shimmered and faded away. The Legendary suddenly extended its wings to their fullest length, shattering the remaining electrical currents and sending the larger rings soaring away. Steelix bobbed its head to the side to avoid one of them. The humans looked up in awe as the Legendary stepped forward into the now, its songlike roar piercing deep into their ears. Its eyes slowly turned down upon them, scanning the four of them over. Corsola and Pancham raced to stand between them and Lugia, peering up the Legendary with envy and caution.
Lugia locked eyes with Misty for a moment, and its voice entered her mind. 'The Chosen One?'
"He's headed for Ice Island," Misty quickly replied, pulling her arms away from Lawrence now that his hand were bound. "He needs your help!"
Lugia gave her a curt nod, and turned its head towards the sky. With three massive wingbeats that blew both Misty and Serena's hair back, Lugia rose into the air. Flurrying snow after it as it soared up and over the trees.
Lawrence squirmed beneath Brock. "You have no idea what you've just done. The world will surely meet its end now."
"Be quiet," Brock said down to him, then looked up to Misty. Her aquamarine eyes remained trailing after Lugia's form.
Serena brought her hand up to her chest as she too watched Lugia go. "We did it, Ash," she whispered.
Misty heard the whisper, and for some reason, it spurred her forward.
"Misty!" Brock shouted as she raced for the tree line, following the path Steelix had carved for them. Corsola gave chase to its Trainer.
"Come on!" Ash shouted, throwing himself up over the edge of the crater's walls. He slid a bit from the ice, but managed to stop himself. His muscles ached from the shaky climb up the slope of ice rocks, but he couldn't focus on that now.
Pikachu popped up over the side, followed by Dedenne and Bonnie. Clemont shoved his sister's rear, giving her ample room to grab the side and haul herself up. Ash turned to help her, and then offered a hand to Clemont. As he scrambled up to the top, Blaziken lifted May and held her high. She easily climbed up the edge, falling to her knees beside Bonnie. Team Rocket winced as a detonation of Fire and Lighting happened just above them, followed by the rushing of wind as both Moltres and Zapdos whooshed by. Ash stood to his full height as Clemont safely made it up the side, and a shiver ran down his spine. This high up, the wind was fierce and pierced into his skin like needles. His hair whipped around wildly as he slapped a palm to the top of his head, keeping his hat in place.
Team Rocket let out a groan in sync, causing Ash to glance down at what they'd seen. Standing at the very top of the Ice Island Mountain, Ash could see for hundreds of miles. Smoke plumes rose from Lightning Island and Shamouti, contrasting greatly to the ice and then blending into the dark sky. Lightning clapped across the sky, further enhancing Ash's view of the frozen sea, which stretched all the way out to the curve of the Earth. Deep gashes pierced the ice, or large chunks had been blasted away by the Legendary Birds. What water free from the ice their was sloshed violently in the ensuing storm. The following thunder vibrated their very cores, vibrating the ice beneath their feet.
Gulping hard, Ash peered over the edge of the mountain. The slope down was steep, but evened out the closer it got to the Island. There was no other way down, they were going to have to take their chances. Pikachu scurried up his side, taking his usual perch with cheeks sparking.
"Let's go!" he had to shout over the wind, and then leapt off the side. His feet connected with the ice, and he barely managed to stay upright as he slid down the mountain side. Both arms shot straight out, swerving and swaying to keep his balance. The yellow mouse in his shoulder gripped his tiny claws into Ash's jacket, leaning against his head for support.
"Is he crazy?!" Jesse shrieked.
"I tink he's got a death wish," Meowth agreed.
"That's our only way down," May told them sternly, pulling up Blaziken's PokeBall. "Unless you want to stay up here."
Lightning cracked again, causing the Rocket Trio to shout. "NOPE!" They jumped over the edge after Ash, screaming in unison.
"Hold on to me, Bonnie," Clemont said urgently, and the little blonde girl gripped his side. Dedenne burried itself deep within her handbag. Clemont looked utterly terrified, with sweat forming on his brow, but he inhaled sharply and followed after Team Rocket. Him and Bonnie both shouted in alarm as they dropped over the edge.
Moltres and Zapdos shot by May once more, their caws hurting her eardrums. Her brown hair whipped in her face as she watched them go by, and then she turned back to Blaziken still in the crater. "Return," she pointed the ball at the Pokemon. The tiny red light recalled the Fire Type, and May clipped the ball back to her belt. With an uneasy shout, she too leapt off the edge of the mountain.
Single file, the group slid down the side. Ash picked up speed the further he went, a ticklish sensation on the bottom of his feet as they slipped and threatened to twist out from under him. Pikachu's cheeks cracked nonstop, his beady eyes on the sky, watching for the Birds. Ash had been in intense situation before, but this took the cake. Never before had he slid down an entire mountain on only his feet. One wrong move…and…well, he wouldn't be a Pokemon Trainer anymore…
Silently he prayed for his friends behind him, too scared to glance back should he lose his balance. Up ahead, the trees were drawing closer, until one whipped by, followed by another and another. He had to swerve himself to avoid running into one, and he heard Clemont shout from behind. Numbness spread across his face as the wind pressed hard into him. His eyes watered and burned, but he didn't dare blink.
The slop began to even out, to the point that Ash had to begin taking a few steps. Pikachu suddenly looked up and called his name. Zapdos soared just above the tree tops, angry eyes glancing down to the two below. It cawed aloud, feathers surging with electricity. Ash's eyes widened, and he dug his heels into the ice, throwing himself aside. The attack missed by inches, cracking the ice and sending shards up high.
The raven haired trainer hit the ground hard on his back, sliding straight into the trunk of a large tree. Pikachu fell from his shoulder with a squeak, and Ash collapsed to his chest. The others shouted in alarm, swerving to avoid the small crater Zapdos blasted into the ice. Ash groaned and looked up as another electric attack soared by, heading straight for Clemont and Bonnie. They screamed and managed to avoid the attack, but not the blast radius. It exploded at the base of a tree, uprooting it and two others nearby. The lemon blondes were knocked to the ice, sliding into another pair of trees.
May screamed in terror as one of the trees fell her way. She attempted to swerve her feet, but they slipped out from beneath her and she dropped, smacking her temple against the ice.
"MAY!" Ash's throat ripped.
"SHADOW BALL!" Jessie roared, tossing her PokeBall. Gourgeist appeared, no hesitation between that moment and launching the spinning dark ball of energy. It slammed into the tree, causing it to explode into a flurry of splinters. They rained over the non moving May, clattering against the ice harmlessly.
Two massive booms shook the ground from the other two trees, knocking Team Rocket from their feet. They crashed to the ice in a heap, scrambling to untangle themselves from one another.
Ash pushed through his pain, forcing himself to rise to his feet, eyes locked on May. From his distance, he could faintly make out a small streak of blood on the ice below her head, and his heart lurched. He took a single step forward when Moltres' caw rang down. A heat wave blasted over him as a stream of fire missed Zapdos and smashed into a group of trees. The flames melted through the ice, managing to catch the bark beneath ablaze. Clemont scrambled away from the fast spreading fire, pulling a shaking Bonnie with him.
Faster than Ash could fathom, the flames danced from tree to tree, melting the ice on the neighboring foliage. Ignoring the growing heat, Ash continued his race to May, but a loud cracking resounded above him.
"PIKAPI!"
Pikachu's shout forced him to look up, and Ash shouted in alarm. He threw himself back as a large branch crashed down, smashing into the ice between him and May. Flames danced across the bark, the leaves a blazing wall of fire.
"MAY!" He screamed again, his chest constricting in his panic.
"She's alright!" came a voice from the other side of the flames. James' voice. "We have her, and she's breathing."
"You need to go, Twerp!" Jessie's voice followed. "Don't worry about her, we'll get her somewhere safe!"
"Yeah, we's got her! You save da world!"
The squeezing in his heart faded ever so slightly. May was breathing! But… "I can't leave her!" Ash called back. "I'll find a way through, just give me a second-"
"Don't you dare!" Jessie barked. "You have something more important to do! Everyone and everything is counting on you. We'll put as much effort into protecting her as we do trying to steal Pikachu!"
"You can count on us!" James added. "We'll place our lives before hers!"
Ash heard their words, his heart swelling with an affection towards Team Rocket he wasn't sure he'd ever have. Regardless, he opened his mouth to argue back.
"Don't go givin' us one of your Twerpy hero speeches," Meowthe shouted. "Let us be da hero's for a change. You be da savior!"
The flames continued to grow higher, starting to circle around Ash and Pikachu. He was forced to step back from the heat, and his eyes began tearing up.
"Ash!" Clemont called fearfully, his eyes watching the spreading flames. Bonnie clung to his side, face buried into his overalls.
Pikachu and Ash stepped further and further back as the flames lashed out at them in attempts to capture the pair. Knowing deep in his heart he had no other choice, he swallowed hard. "Right!" he shouted. "Keep her safe!"
"GO!" Jesse screamed.
And Ash did. He spun on his heals and sprinted towards Clemont and Bonnie. They turned to run with him as he raced past, and the smaller group hurried away from the ever growing fire. Despite his heavy breathing, Clemont managed to keep up with Ash and Pikachu, pulling Bonnie along behind him.
"May will be alright, Ash," the lemon blond haired man wheezed out. "Team Rocket aren't that bad. They'll get May to safety."
"I know," Ash said back through breaths, and that was all. It was taking a lot of effort not to slip on the ice.
Despite starting good, Clemont began to fall behind, Ash's lead growing further and further. Bonnie stayed by her Brother's side, slowing with him as they continued on. It was evident on her face, terror and confusion. Emotions someone so young should never have to feel.
Just when Ash started losing his stamina, he broke from the trees, racing onto the frozen sand of the beach. He skid to a stop at the oceans edge, eyes gazing out towards the long distance between there and Shamouti. His chest rose and fell rapidly, sharp breaths burning his lungs with each inhale. Clemont and Bonnie broke the tree line behind him, covered in sweat and breathing even harder than him. There was no way they could run the rest of the way back to Shamouti. Not across a barren, frozen ocean. Especially with Moltres and Zapdos soaring high above them. Their attacks blasting and detonating against one another.
"What….now…." Clemont wheezed, bending over and placing his palms against his knees.
Ash didn't reply. He couldn't use Charizard to fly the rest of the way. His fire type was too injured to handle such a rigorous flight. Tauros would be tired from its run across the ocean the first time, and wouldn't make it with one, let alone three of them on its back. They were stuck.
Bonnie suddenly gasped, and pointed ahead. "Look!"
Both Ash and Clemont followed her line of sight, and even Ash had to fight the urge to gasp aloud. Soaring low, causing snow to blast up behind it, Lugia rocketed straight for them. Coming from the direction of Lightning Island.
"Is that…" Clemont stood up, adjusting his glasses as awe covered his expression.
"Lugia," Ash suddenly beamed. "They did it! Misty, Brock, and Serena did it!"
"Pikachu!" the mouse cheered.
The Legendary's silver feathers glittered, even with the lack of sunlight, as Lugia flew across the ocean. It's songlike roar reached them before the Pokemon, and Lugia whooshed over them, circling up into the air and slowing itself down. The icy wind ruffled Ash's clothes, and he turned to watch Lugia soar.
Lugia swerved and headed for them, flapping its massive wings as it landed on the beach with a thud. "Chosen One," its elegant voice boomed.
Clemont and Bonnie gawked.
"Do you have the Treasure?" Lugia continued.
"Right here," Ash nodded, producing the Blue Sphere from his jacket pocket. He held it out, the blue light deep within dancing from his touch.
Lugia nodded, and bent down. "Get on."
Ash stalled for a moment, not expecting the Legendary to offer a ride so simply. Pikachu scrambling up Lugia's wing snapped him back to reality, and he pocketed the Treasure once more.
"Let's go," Ash said to Clemont and Bonnie before hurrying over to Lugia.
They climbed up the Legendary's feathers, taking care not to pull any out. Once they were on, Lugia beat its wings and rose into the air. Ash hadn't been properly seated, and lurched a bit from the sudden motion. Bonnie shouted in surprise, fear, and a bit of excitement, while Clemont groaned. High they soared, turning sharply and beelining straight for Shamouti. Ash had a better view of the Island from this distance now, and could see small fires within the town. Hopefully, Gary and the others were getting people to safety and combating against the flames. His heart ached for all his friends, praying for their safety.
Lugia suddenly jerked as angry caws came from behind. Lightning arced past them, narrowly missing Lugia. Fire soon followed, the heat wave close enough to cause Ash to sweat. He craned his neck back, peering over the lemon heads of Bonnie and Clemont. Moltres and Zapdos gave chase, wings flapping fiercely as they launched attack after attack. Lugia bobbed and weaved, swerving up and down to avoid each one.
Ash found himself gripping tight into its feathers in an attempt to stay still. He hunkered down low, hoping to not be hit by an attack or to lose his grip. With both hands gripped tight against Lugia, he wasn't able to move very much. A strong gust of wind slapped him in the face, and his hat ripped from his head. His head twisted to the side to watch it flutter away in the wind, vanishing amongst the darkened sky.
Lugia jerked harshly once more, receiving a direct strike of Zapdos' lighting to its underside. A horrified scream erupted from Bonnie, and Ash cracked his neck twisting the other way. A piercing cold harsher than the wind froze his heart as he watched the little girl slip from Lugia's back and topple over its side.
"BONNIE!" Clemont roared, and shoved himself off after his sister.
Ash's scream was lost in his throat as both his friends vanished, falling down to the frozen ocean below. Lugia twisted again, and Ash caught a glimpse of Bonnie reaching up to her brother as Clemont angled himself down after her. Then they were gone as Lugia soared on, dodging another blast of Fire from Moltres.
Blue hair flew behind her as she ran through the now empty streets of Shamouti. The image of Gary falling from the sky burned into her mind. Dawn's heard beat wildly, pushing her on without realizing the sheer exhaustion she was causing herself. She hadn't stopped to think, she'd just ran, leaving her Pokemon behind to handle the situation. She knew they could, right now she just needed to find Gary.
Last she saw, he had crashed into the trees to the South, but that was the furthest he possibly could've from her. After what felt like years of running, she emerged from the buildings and found the Southern tree line. Panic seeping further into her heart, she started running up the line, glancing through the foliage for any signs of the man. How was she supposed to find him?!
"Dawn?!"
The sudden male's voice caused her jump harshly. She skidded to a stop, raising her fists in defense. Her dark blue eyes swiveled around the immediate area, scanning the buildings and trees. She spotted silhouette of a man in the foliage, and she back-stepped a bit. When her eyes decided to focus, a tall man with groomed auburn hair came into view.
"Rudy?" she asked quizzically, dropping her arms. Her voice caught in her throat when she saw the man lugging another, unconscious person with him. "GARY!" She shouted, sprinting into the thick foliage. She shoved branches aside and made it to them, coming to a stop by Rudy. "Gary?!"
Gary didn't reply, and when Dawn took in his appearance, her chest squeezed. There was a deep gash across his forehead, and dozens of smaller ones across his arms and torso. His wrist was swollen to triple its normal size, and his mouth hung open.
"He's not responsive," Rudy told her heavily, "I watched him crash down. He had a Dragonite with him, but I recalled it into its PokeBall. It wasn't responsive either."
Dawn's eyes teared up as she continued to look Gary over. She started to reach out to him, but Rudy's voice stopped her. "We need to get him medical attention right away, can you help me carry him?"
Dawn's eyes snapped up. "I-uh-Yeah! Yeah, let's hurry!"
She quickly scurried to Gary's other side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Warm blood tickled her neck as one of his gashes rubbed against her nape.
"We have to be careful," Rudy told her. "We don't know if he has any major internal injures."
"Right," Dawn said quietly. "You lead."
Rudy nodded and started forward, with Dawn supporting Gary from his other side. Her eyes burned from the tears continuing to build. If this had happened to Gary, what could be happening to her other friends? She stepped out of the trees, placing a foot onto solid concrete of the sidewalk.
"Have you seen Misty?" Rudy asked, his voice shaky. "I haven't seen her since the Ceremony, and I…"
His voice faltered, but Dawn didn't dare look at him. "I…I saw her this morning, and she was alright then…"
Alright was strong word for the situation Misty had been in…and now…
Rudy said nothing else, his stare growing distant and scared. Dawn could relate. Her friends were out there somewhere, maybe fighting to stay alive even. She cast a worried glance at Gary's scuffed face, and her heart cried. Please be alright…
Fearful aquamarine eyes watched Lugia swerving through the air as Misty stood on the edge of Lightning Island. Moltres and Zapdos gave chase, attacking with a ferocity Misty had never seen before. It was as if they were growing angrier and angrier with each passing second. Lugia was growing tired, receiving more hits the longer the chase went on. If that kept up…
Misty's worst fear came to life as Moltres swooped underneath the Legendary and circled around in front of it. Zapdos connected a direct hit from behind as Moltres did from the front. Lugia's cry of pain reach all the way to Misty before it began to plummet from the sky. Her chest caved in on itself as Ash and Pikachu's frames came loose, limply trailing behind the falling Lugia. With a piercing crack, Lugia crashed through the ice, vanishing below the raging ocean. Ash and Pikachu smashed into the water behind it, disappearing from Misty's view altogether.
