The story's really picking up now... so exciting! *crazy fangirl squeal*

I hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 37: Crossing Carvanha Lake

Cindy's eyes snapped open as she let in a surprised gasp. For some reason, she found it more difficult to breathe now, but maybe that was because of the condition of her body.

She was a mess. Her body was still faintly tingling, and it took her a moment to remember that it was Electivire who had paralyzed her and knocked her out. Some of the feeling was returning to her limbs, but she still couldn't move too much. Her head throbbed with every heartbeat, and her thoughts were fuzzy and misty.

She took a moment to regain her bearings. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the semidarkness, and after a moment of blinking hard, she could see a rough cloth covering ahead of her, like a net.

Ugh… Where am I? What's going on? How did I get here…? Cindy thought woozily, her mind still foggy. Well… I remember Carvanha Lake… Electivire charged at me and knocked me out… but then what?

Cindy tried to struggle up off her back, but then she got her first big surprise. She found that she couldn't move her arms or her legs.

Whuh—what happened?! Did Electivire permanently paralyze my limbs or something?

She struggled back and forth for a little while, but to no avail. She slumped down and sighed, defeated.

Suddenly, she sat straight up, her eyes shooting open. She looked around her and saw that the rough cloth completely surrounded her, trapping her in a bag. She looked down and found that her arms and her legs had been bound together by a thick length of itchy rope.

Her breathing became jumpy as she looked frantically around her prison. Questions bounced around in her mind, bringing on another sharp headache for the poor Cyndaquil. Surely, this was Team Chompy's doing. After Electivire had knocked her out, they must've tied her up and taken her away.

But that still didn't answer the biggest question she had: where was she now?

She tried to call out for help. "Hello? Somebody? Anybody? Help me!" she tried to say. But instead of her frantic pleas for help coming out of her mouth, all she said was "Mmm? Hmmm mmm? Mhmmm? Mmm hmmm!"

That's when she realized that she had been gagged as well. An oily rag covered her mouth, preventing words from exiting.

She tried to ignite her back, hoping she could burn out of the bag, but the effort left her exhausted and drained of energy. Only a few embers had sputtered out of her back, and even those tiny spurts of flame died out quickly.

After that failed, she tossed and turned for a little while longer, hoping to attract attention. She strained to talk through her gag, but she still couldn't speak through the rough rag. Eventually, she just gave up.

She was trapped, and there was no way to get out.

Cindy sighed and slumped back down, thinking about her current predicament. Why me? Why am I the special one? I'm the lucky human that gets turned into a Pokémon. I'm the lucky Pokémon who loses her memory. I'm the lucky Pokémon who is apparently the only one who can defeat Deoxys. I'm the lucky Pokémon who's kidnapped by Team Chompy. Why me? Why…

"Hey! The package is moving again!"

Electivire's scurvy voice was loud and clear through the bag Cindy was trapped in. Even though she was less than thrilled to hear his voice, it answered one of her questions. Now she knew that she was with Team Chompy, not abandoned in a ditch like she had thought before.

"Ugh. She's so restless!" Mawile's annoyed tones followed Electivire's voice.

"Should we shut her up?" Magmortar's deep voice said.

"No. Don't hurt 'er."

This voice was foreign to Cindy. It sounded so familiar to her, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint who it belonged to. She could tell that the speaker was male and was quite gruff.

"Shut it! You're not one to tell us what to do!" Mawile demanded.

"Yeah. Just be quiet and keep treading water," Magmortar said.

"Sheesh. Calm down, y'all," the foreign voice said.

There was a smacking noise followed by a low "oof!" Cindy assumed that whoever had protested against Mawile had just been hit.

"That's better. Now, do as Magmortar said: be quiet and keep treading water," Mawile said, sounding almost dainty as she spoke.

Cindy's mind began to buzz again. They had said something about treading water… was it possible that they were crossing Carvanha Lake? And was the Pokémon with the foreign voice ferrying them across?

Well, at least I don't have to worry about crossing the lake. These guys are helping me. That's one perk of being kidnapped…

"So what were we saying? Oh, right, about our package…" Cindy could almost see Mawile's evil grin. "Yes, right. I think we should give her just one sharp shock to let her know that we're still in control. What do you think, fellas?"

"Mawile, you know what Master Deoxys said. Make sure she's unharmed," the gruff voice said.

"Mostly unharmed. She could have a few cuts and bruises, but Master Deoxys would still be okay with that. An Oran Berry will fix her up," Mawile said.

"But—"

Too late. Cindy could already hear the massive footfalls of Electivire or Magmortar approaching her. She braced herself for an attack from the Pokémon, and just in time, too.

A huge hand came crashing down on top of her. She didn't know if it was Magmortar's "cannons" or Electivire's claws, but it didn't matter, because once the hand had hit its target, Cindy let out a muffled scream, and her body went limp.

XxX

Phoenix let out a long moan like a dying animal. "No… no… no… Please, dear Arceus, no…" He slid to the ground, his body swimming with anger, rage, and sadness. "No… Cindy can't…"

"I'm sorry, Phoenix. Shortly after Magmortar knocked you out, Electivire paralyzed and knocked Cindy out. Then they tied her up and began to make their way across the lake. I watched them from the heavens, and even though I was sad to see her dragged away, I knew I couldn't interfere," Reuniclus said.

Phoenix felt a surge of anger rush towards him, and he felt like taking it out on Reuniclus. He dragged himself up and clenched his wings into fists, skulking towards the ghost with rage steaming out of every pore in his body.

"You little… You just watched her get taken away?! Why didn't you do anything?! Were you afraid you were gonna get hurt? You said it yourself! You're already dead! You can't get hurt! Why didn't you interfere?! WHY?!" he demanded.

One tiny corner of his enraged mind reminded him that he was being absurd. Reuniclus didn't do anything wrong. She didn't cheer for Team Chompy or assist them or anything like that. So why was he so angry at her?

He thought about all this, and his anger drained out of his body, leaving him feeling empty and sad. He slumped down onto the ground again and sighed.

"My anger is directed towards all the wrong Pokémon. It's Deoxys I should be mad at. He's the one who's torn all these lives apart. He's the one who's done all this. He's the one I should direct my anger to," Phoenix murmured.

He wiped his beak and sniffled, feeling tears beginning to pool in his eyes. The only thing he could think about was Cindy.

"I… I understand." Reuniclus floated up to Phoenix and nodded in understanding. "Deoxys is chaotic. He feeds on chaos and misunderstandings. He's known for spreading unrest everywhere, and in times like these, it's easy to lose your judgment in a fit of temper."

"Yes. Wise words and all, but what about Cindy?" Phoenix said. "Where is she? Is she okay? Please tell me she's okay…"
The seconds slowed into hours as Phoenix looked at Reuniclus's eyes, not breaking his gaze. His eyes were hard and unblinking, demanding an answer. However, he didn't get an answer for quite a while.

"She's okay."

A bomb of relief exploded in Phoenix's heart. He leapt up into the air with a proud whoop, a crazed grin on his face. True, his partner was still being held with Team Chompy, but just knowing that she was unharmed was a huge relief to him.

"She's a little bruised and a little woozy, but she's unharmed for the most part. When we rescue her, we'll fix her up," Reuniclus said.

She exuded so much confidence as she spoke, sounding so sure that they would succeed in rescuing Cindy. Phoenix almost believed her… but then he remembered that Team Chompy could be anywhere on the lake. It could take them forever to find them, and even if they did catch up with them, they wouldn't let Cindy go without a fight.

"Don't worry. I'll guide you as much as I can, but I'm sure you can find her, even without my help. You're getting stronger, Phoenix. You don't need someone to always hold your hand. You can do it. I know you can," Reuniclus said, a sad smile gracing her features.

One part of Phoenix wanted to protest that no, he wasn't brave or strong. He was scared. Scared for himself, scared for Cindy, scared for all his friends, scared for the world. He wasn't ready for this. He couldn't possibly take down Deoxys.

But the other part of him was saying different things. He had come this far. He was strong, even though he didn't feel like it sometimes. He could find Team Chompy, kick their butts, and save Cindy. He shouldn't count himself out of this.

And at the end of the day, he was just exploring another dungeon. He could imagine that Cindy was just another lost Pokémon that he needed to save. He could just imagine that this was an average day of exploring, even though they so rarely had "average days".

He took a deep breath and let it out, his mind resolute. He would find Team Chompy. He would save Cindy. And he would help her save the world.

"See? You're plenty brave. You just choose not to see your bravery inside. You can do this, Phoenix. You can rescue Cindy. I know you can," Reuniclus said.

He took one more deep breath and approached the shore of Carvanha Lake. The sky was still dark, but a few wisps of light streaked across the sky, signifying morning's approach. The waves of the water gently lapped the muddy shore, rippling peacefully. The water spread out for as far as the eye could see.

"I'm ready," Phoenix said.

He was about to wade into the water when something brown caught his eye. He turned around and found Cindy's Explorer Bag lying on the ground. It looked slightly scorched, but it was intact, and that was what mattered.

"After Cindy fell unconscious, the bag slid off her shoulder. They must've not noticed it while they were tying her up," Reuniclus explained.

"Lucky me. They probably would've tried to steal it, and that wouldn't be very good, would it?" Phoenix said as he slung the bag over his shoulder. He fastened the pockets securely and approached the water, bracing himself for a long journey.

"You can do it, Phoenix. Cindy is depending on you," Reuniclus said.

Phoenix braved himself. "Yes… yes, I can do it. I can do it! I can get out there and save Cindy! I know I can do it! Let's go!"

Reuniclus chuckled at Phoenix's enthusiasm. "That's the spirit! Now, go! Get out there and rescue her!"

Phoenix grinned. "Okay! Here I go!"

He dove into the water with a whoop. As he disappeared below the waves, a huge splash disturbed the calm surface of the water. Reuniclus put up her arm to shield herself from the droplets of water that flew up into the air. Once everything calmed down, Phoenix was gone, leaving nothing but a trail of bubbles in his wake.

His rescue mission was underway.

XxX

The dull, pulsating pain brought Cindy around again. She slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath, but as she inhaled, her stomach contracted and protested. It felt as if she had run straight into a wall.

Ugh… ouch… it hurts… she thought as she slowly exhaled. The pain subsided a little, but she still felt terrible.

She managed to get a good look at her stomach and wasn't surprised to find a rather large bruise on it. As her mind sharpened back into focus, she remembered what had happened: she was squirming around so much that Magmortar or Electivire (she still wasn't sure who) decided to shut her up for a little while.

Well, I guess I won't be squirming around any more. I don't want a repeat of that.

She looked up and found that she was still in the rough bag. Her hands and feet were still tied behind her back, and her mouth was still gagged. Her stomach growled, suffering from the lack of food.

She looked up into a hole in the bag and found that it was still very late. The sky was starting to turn gray, and a few of the stars were blinking out. Morning was on its way.

"Are we there yet?" Magmortar moaned.

Mawile sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you, we're not there yet! Sheesh! Do you see land anywhere around here? No! So to answer your question, no, we're not there!"

"Don't lose your temper, boss!" Electivire said.

"You! Shut up! You're almost as annoying as Terrakion here. If he was only a little faster, then maybe we would be at land faster! So don't tell me what to do!" she snapped.

Cindy shook her head, already tired at their bickering. Then she gasped and sat straight up.

Wait… Mawile just said… "almost as annoying as Terrakion here"… Does that mean…?!
 "Yes. Unfortunately, Terrakion has gone rotten…"

Cindy gasped again, searching for the source of the voice. It wasn't Mawile or any of her lackeys, and it wasn't Terrakion. It was Reuniclus, but she was nowhere to be found.

Reuniclus? Was that you?

"Yes. I'm sorry I can't show myself now; it would be too much of a risk. However, we can still communicate, even though I'm not here now," she said.

Whew. I'm so glad that I have someone who's nice here… Cindy thought. Anyway, let's get down to business. What were you saying about Terrakion?

"You know about Terrakion, correct? He didn't really like you so much. He was rude, he made fun of you, and he basically made your life miserable. Do you know why he did it?" Reuniclus asked.

Because he was working for Deoxys? Cindy thought. I mean, I never really liked him or anything, but I never would've expected he'd go to Deoxys's side…

"Well… in a way. See, long ago, he had two friends: Cobalion and Virizion. They were strong and would never leave his side. He considered them his only friends, as nobody else could put up with his gruff personality."

Reuniclus paused. Cindy nodded to show she was following her.

"But then one day, they left him to go to other lands. Virizion joined a small exploration team in a region far away, and Cobalion supposedly sacrificed himself for the fate of other Pokémon. Terrakion was the only one who stayed. Now, after they left, he was sad to see his friends leave him. He thought they were fed up with him and left him in anger. He was both heartbroken and angry…"

Cindy nodded. She had a feeling that she knew where this was going.

"He was confused. He wasn't thinking straight. That's why he joined Deoxys. But now he's starting to rethink his ideas. He's only following orders begrudgingly. He didn't want to start the cave-in, but he had to…"

Cindy nearly screamed before she remembered that she still had her gag tied around her mouth. THAT LITTLE—HE WAS THE ONE WHO NEARLY KILLED SABER?!

"Yes. He didn't want to, though. He's started to take a liking to you guys. You're strong and determined and nice, and he didn't want to cause the cave-in. Please, Cindy, believe me…" Reuniclus urged.

And now he's ferrying me to certain doom, I bet! He's gonna probably take me right to Deoxys and pass it off as "just following orders"! That stupid Pokémon… I'll kill him! I'll kill him!

"Cindy, please calm down. Every time someone gets angry, Deoxys gets stronger. He feeds on confusion and anger and ailments. He's quite the terrible Pokémon," Reuniclus urged.

No kidding. He has the power to corrupt normally innocent Pokémon, Cindy agreed. But I'm still angry.

"Hey, I know something that might boost your spirits," Reuniclus said.

Really? What? Cindy asked, still somewhat angry at Terrakion.

"Phoenix is on his way to rescue you right now. I'm positive that Team Chompy won't be able to escape him. He'll probably have you rescued before you're even across the lake!"

If she could, Cindy would jump for joy and let out a triumphant whoop, but she couldn't. But just as Reuniclus promised, her spirits were lifted with the thought of Phoenix swimming through the water to find her.

She relaxed and slumped down, feeling a lot better than she felt five minutes ago. Sweet! Now all I have to do is wait…

XxX

As soon as Phoenix dove into the water, all his worries melted away.

This was his domain: under the water. He controlled it. There was no way anything could go wrong now.

It was as if he had stepped into a whole different world. The water was incredibly clear, despite the black night sky above. Tiny schools of teal Remoraids flittered past like tiny silver darts. The sand was soft below his feet, and seaweed and kelp dotted the floor.

Phoenix inhaled deeply, the water entering his nostrils like a breath of fresh air. For reasons he could never understand, he could breathe underwater like he had gills. He wasn't complaining; he couldn't drown, which was definitely a plus.

Now… All I have to do is find Team Chompy. All I know is that they're somewhere on this lake, which could be several miles wide. I might get lost, or they might find me before I find them… He reviewed the plan in his head as he examined a tiny bubble rising up. Then he broke into a grin. It'll be fun!

He pushed forward with his wings, feeling the water glide slowly over his down like a gentle caress. His legs kicked forward as he propelled through the water effortlessly. He could've laughed out loud. This was his comfort zone. He was the king of the lake. Nothing could stop him!

…That is, until he met his first hostile Pokémon.

An Octillery, a large, red octopus, appeared before him, and by the looks of it, the Octillery wasn't happy. A look of pure rage was on its face.

Phoenix started to back up from the octopus, trying to distance himself from its glares, but he had barely moved an inch when the Octillery decided to attack.

It reared its head back as Phoenix inched away, and just before he was about to dart off through the water again, the Octillery flung its head back at Phoenix as it released a black ball of ink.

The inky ball sped through the water with surprising speed, tainting the crystalline fluid with black dye. Phoenix just had time to gasp before the inky ball caught him in the chest.

It felt like he had been hit with a less powerful Energy Ball. The inky blob sent him tumbling through the water, which was now tainted a thick, soupy black. It didn't hurt too much, but it threw Phoenix off-balance and restricted his vision. His stomach began to bruise where the blob had hit him.

He didn't waste any time. He could just barely make out the shape of the Octillery frantically swimming away from him, and it was clear that the attack was meant as a diversion so it could get away unseen. Phoenix wouldn't let it have the satisfaction of a hit-and-run, though.

He silently propelled himself through the water, straining to see through the murk. As he approached the Octillery, he held his breath, fearing that even the slightest noise could alert his foe. He was only a yard away from the red octopus when he decided to attack.

Phoenix streaked through the water like a bullet, his beak aimed at the Octillery's retreating back. His small yellow bill began to glow a light blue, and it elongated into a fierce sharp beak that would rival most birds of prey.

The Octillery just had time to look stunned before Phoenix's beak connected with the back of its head. A large wound opened up in its red flesh, and it slowly sunk into the depths of the ocean, a look of surprise on its features.

Phoenix grinned as his beak shrank back to its normal size. Sweet! I've learned Drill Peck! That should make this dungeon a lot easier… he thought.

He looked out into the water. A Magikarp swam past him, though it didn't have any interest in battling him. He looked down and found that he could no longer see the bottom of the lake. It had vanished into a deep blue abyss.

No, I don't have time to go sightseeing. I've gotta save Cindy! Phoenix chided himself.

He began to glide through the water with ease, like a knife cutting through butter. He would find Cindy in no time. He just knew it.

XxX

The night passed on, and Cindy was still trussed up in her bag. Reuniclus hadn't left her mind, and in times of silence, she'd strike up a conversation with the ghost. It was relieving to have some friendly company when she was surrounded by bad guys.

Soon, Cindy could see the sun begin to rise through the hole in her bag. She smiled at the sight of morning's approach, but no one could see her beam because of the rag that covered her mouth. She really wished that the rag would be removed soon.

"Finally! The sun rises!" Mawile said grandly.

"Does that mean that we can maybe get to land soon?" Electivire complained.

"Yeah. I'm tired of just sitting here. I wanna do something fun!" Magmortar bellyached.

"Patience, my friends. Patience," Mawile said.

Cindy was taken aback by this relatively calm response. Last night, Mawile would've exploded into a fit of rage at such a comment. Now she seemed happy. Gleeful.

Then it dawned on her.

She's just excited because we're getting closer to Deoxys. Then she could try to force me to join him, and if I decline, she'll be able to watch me be ripped apart…

"Very wise deduction, Miss Brandt," Reuniclus spoke in her mind. "And unfortunately, I think that's the case. They're eager to see what happens when Deoxys confronts you. It's their version of entertainment."

That's sick. They're really sick, Cindy thought with disdain. But I'm sure that won't happen, as I know that Phoenix will come to rescue me.

"That's the spirit."

But for now, all I can do is wait…

"Indeed. And I daresay that we'll be waiting for quite a while…"

XxX

During his journey through Carvanha Lake, Phoenix encountered many different Pokémon.

Horseas (blue seahorses with sharp fins) slunk through the water lazily, but when Phoenix approached them, they turned hostile and began to attack him. They weren't very strong, but it was still annoying to have seahorses swarming around him like overly attatched dogs. It took a long time to throw off the Horseas, and when he finally did, he was covered with bruises and small cuts.

Another time, he ran into a Chinchou, which was a small blue Pokémon with two glowing orbs on its head. The Chinchou caused him quite a bit of trouble, as it was an Electric type, which Phoenix was weak to. He did eventually throw it off, but not before he was fried by the fish's attacks.

He encountered many more Pokémon, like a Froakie (a teal frog with long arms and legs) and a Shellder, (a clam-like Pokémon) and one time he could've sworn he saw the slinking shadow of huge sea serpent, a Gyarados.

But for the most part, he was just fine. He felt like he was on top of the world as he glided through the water, and he felt like he could finally put his troubles to rest. He felt truly at peace as he swam through the crystalline waters.

But then things started going awry.

It had been about two hours, and Phoenix was still going strong. He didn't tire as easily when he was in the water, he noticed. He was starting to get a little hungry, but he gritted his teeth and stuck it out. Once he rescued Cindy, he'd have a proper meal.

He had the feeling that he was getting closer to Team Chompy. He'd constantly look up to the surface, scanning for any signs of the trio or Cindy. He would sigh in disappointment every time he looked up and found nothing.

He got more and more distracted, focusing more on looking up than exploring. One time, he wasn't paying attention, and he accidentally ran into a rock. He took a few moments to nurse a bump on his head before finally regaining his bearings and continuing his swim. But he felt that he had lost quite a bit of time.

Phoenix ran into many more things over the course of his exploration, and he had many cuts and bruises to show for it. But there was one thing that happened that was more painful than everything that had happened so far.

XxX

ZOMG PLOT TWIST TERRAKION SECRETLY WORKS FOR TEAM CHOMPY!111!1

And just because I love making you wait, I'm gonna end this in a cliffhanger. Mwahaha.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for the late update, but don't forget to review!