* () = underwater speak. Because... because... that's why. Read and review! Please... I'm so bored right now...
Chapter Thirty-Six:
Discoveries in the Pond
Afternoon (12:32 P.M.), Empeza Forest Clearing
"LLOYD!" the Helioptile and Ducklett rushed over to where the Mudkip had been dragged underwater by the Basculin.
"()GWUGH!()" Lloyd spluttered on the water, which flooded him as he was dragged down by his tail fin by the blue-striped piranha. His limbs flailed, trying to escape the Basculin's grip, to rush back to the surface, back to air.
However, when he had been pulled deep enough underneath the water, the Basculin spun about and released him, throwing him away before directing a glare at him, "()I WARNED YOU!()" it snarled, "()I told you! If you ever came back here, I'D BITE YOUR F*CKING FACE OFF!()" he raced forward, fangs bared.
"()Wuh?!()" Lloyd's eyes widened, body reacting instinctively, swimming quickly to the side, dodging the Basculin's attack while slapping him back with his tail fin.
"()Dammit!()" the Basculin cursed, shaking off the hit, "()Stupid f*cker!()"
"()!()" the Mudkip blinked. H-He's talking... underwater?! Noticing this, he noticed something else as well: despite his spluttering, he didn't feel as though he were drowning. While the Basculin still cursed, he opened and closed his mouth, feeling the water flood inside, yet fail to cause harm. Oh! Of course! I'm a Mudkip, and thus a Water-type, so I can't drown! Under these kinds of conditions, at least. But... if he can talk underwater... He opened his mouth again, bubbles escaping as he spoke, "()...Can I? I... I can!()" he gasped in amazement, then frowned. How the hell does that work? Oh well, I can breathe AND talk underwater! That's awesome! "()Woah!()" he swerved to the right, barely dodging another Crunch from the Basculin.
"()Grr!()" the piranha growled at him, "()How dare you?! I told you to stay out of my territory! You were given a warning, and yet you insolently defied it!()"
"()Oh, I-I'm sorry!()" Lloyd gulped, "()I didn't know, I mean, remember! I forgot about this place! I didn't mean to intrude, I swear!()"
"()Likely story!()" the Basculin darted forward again, the water spiraling around him in an Aqua Jet, "()But you won't live to make the same mistake twice!()"
"()GAH!()" the Mudkip gasped, the priority attack hitting too fast for him to avoid.
Above the water...
"What was that?!" Stream peered over the water's edge.
"Whatever it was, we gotta help Lloyd!" Romsca declared.
"But what can you do? I'm the Water-type here, so I'm the only one who can go under after them," Stream explained, "Even then, I'm not a pure Water-type, so I'm not entirely adapted to working well underwater..."
"Grr," the Helioptile gritted her teeth, "Then it's up to you," she clenched her tiny fists, "My electricity would do more harm than good under there, and I can't perform as well as you can underwater anyway. Good luck!"
"R-Right!" the Ducklett nodded, glad to have her friend's support, "Please, Lloyd, be okay!"
She dove underneath the pond, leaving Romsca peering over the edge, "I hope you're both okay... Do your best, Stream..."
Back under the water...
Now, where are they? The Ducklett kicked out with her flippers and flapped her wings underwater to propel herself rather adequately if not awkwardly through the water while she searched for the Mudkip, "()Ah!()" she spotted him, tackled by the Basculin, body surrounded in spiraling water as he shot himself and the Mudkip right into the wall of the pond.
"(()GUH!()" Lloyd gasped, temporarily winded.
"()And now...()" the blue-striped Basculin backed off, then lunged with open fangs, "()DIE!()"
"()!()" recovering, the Mudkip dug his tail fin into the wall, pulling out dirt, which became mud, which he slapped into the Basculin's face in a Mud-Slap, "()BACK OFF!()"
"()Gyeeh!()" the blinded piranha recoiled, "()Damn asshole!()"
"()Oh, shut it!()" Lloyd growled, slapping the fish to the side with his tail fin before blasting it with a Water Gun!
"()RRAH!()" the blast of water shot the Basculin back into the wall, which it hit hard enough to temporarily stun it, the force of the blast underwater causing the Mudkip to shoot back as well.
"()LLOYD!()" Stream called out to him, swimming after him.
"()Huh? Stream?!()" Lloyd's eyes widened at the Ducklett, "()Ugh!()" he grunted as he crashed into the wall. Ow! What did I hit? It was an honest question, for he felt he had hit more than just the wall, he felt something more, if only slightly.
"()Are you okay?!()" Stream cried, moving toward him as fast as she could.
"()Oh...()" he shook his head, but smiled at her, "()Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Glad to see you, actually.()"
"()Thank Arceus!()" the Ducklett sighed in relief, "()Romsca and I were so worried about yo-AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!()" she was mere feet away before she cut off suddenly to shriek aloud in fright.
"()Huh? What are you screaming about?()" Lloyd stared at her in confusion, before turning over to look at what she had screamed at, "()!()" he blinked in surprise, eyes focusing on a large blue gem. W-W-What... the...
He was amazed. In his mind, he made the connection that it appeared very similar to the one he had seen Quin give to Veri, only this one shown blue, sapphire even, rather than ruby red, and had a different symbol on it, not an 'Ω', but an 'Α', an alpha. His mind did not dwell on the connection, however, for his attention grew focused on the gem, like it was calling to him, like he himself had some sort of connection to it. He felt as though it had not just been the pond that he had sensed, but this gem as well, which had drawn him to this pond in particular, both on his first arrival to the forest, and on his return. W-What... is it?
His thoughts were interrupted, though, by another cry from Stream, "()L-L-Lloyd!()"
"()Huh?()" he blinked, snapping back to reality, "()GWAAH?!()" and he gasped and spluttered on water as he realized what had originally made the Ducklett scream: while he had caught sight of the gem, he had failed to notice its location, for beside him the gem rested in the fleshless claws of a skeleton!