Super Phoenix to the rescue!
Chapter 38: Phoenix's Rescue
Phoenix glided through the water, looking for any signs of Team Chompy or Cindy. He was beginning to tire and his stomach was growling from the lack of food, but he told himself that he wouldn't stop to rest until he found his partner and successfully rescued her.
I wonder… where is she now? Is Team Chompy treating her okay? Is she okay? Surely she misses me, he thought. But don't worry, Cindy. I'll be there soon, I promise! I won't stop no matter what happens!
Gradually his mind began to wander from the task at hand. He began to compare himself to a superhero: he was flying through the water in order to rescue his damsel in distress. He was just like all the famous superheroes.
He started to think of a name for his superhero self. Super Phoenix? No, too unoriginal… Power P? Mega P? No, that just sounds weird… His childish self was taking over, his young and naïve fantasies filling his mind. He had dreamed about being a superhero ever since he was just a little Piplup, and now his dream was finally coming true.
He began to think of a cool catchphrase to say when he finally rescued Cindy. Any good superhero said something witty when they saved the day. He would've said something like "I guess I'm your night in shining armor!" if it was actually nighttime, but dawn was breaking now, so that wouldn't work. There were so many witty puns that he could make when he finally rescued her…
He was so wrapped up in his superhero fantasies that he didn't notice he had waddled right into a trap.
The first thing he noticed was that the water seemed to get darker. That was strange, considering that the sun was rising. Shouldn't it be getting brighter?
Meh, I'm probably just swimming lower down. It's bound to be dark near the bottom, Phoenix thought dismissively. He shrugged it off and kept swimming down, burying himself in his superhero dreams once more.
Then that feeling descended on him. That all-too familiar feeling that he was being watched. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and the water around him seemed to get chillier. This was definitely an uncomfortable feeling.
At first, he thought it was Reuniclus watching over him like the guardian angel she was. Reuniclus? Is that you? Phoenix thought. He was positive that he'd hear her respond telepathically, but instead, all was silent, save for the sounds of the water around him.
That was his first sign that something was wrong. Reuniclus always gave him a heads-up when she was watching him. If she hadn't responded, that meant that she wasn't there.
He was completely unprotected.
Phoenix stopped swimming forward, his breathing slow and his heart accelerating. And that's when he saw them.
A huge school of Carvanha had surrounded him. At first glance, they didn't look very menacing. Their bodies, which were half red and half blue, were small, and their yellow fins were very large and looked very bulky on their bodies. But it was the grumpy look on their faces and their wicked sharp teeth that set Phoenix into a panic.
His eyes widened in fear at the school surrounding him. He had been wondering when he'd finally be seeing the Carvanha that ruled the lake, and now he was all too eager to get away from them.
He tried to stutter his apologies before he remembered he was in water. He couldn't say anything down here; all that would come out of his mouth would be bubbles.
Plus, these Carvanha didn't look like the forgiving type.
They closed in on Phoenix, their teeth glinting evilly in the light of the rippling water. They looked like they would be happy to sink those chompers into his flesh.
But I won't let that happen. I'm a superhero now! I can just wipe out all these guys as easy as one-two-three! Phoenix chided himself.
But then a massive shadow loomed out of the darkness, and Phoenix lost all hope of fighting his way out.
A huge Sharpedo had appeared from the shadows of the lake. It was like a giant shark: a large fish with a tall dorsal fin on its back. It had a large yellow scar over one of its eyes, and it was missing its tail. Its many teeth were sharp as spears.
The Carvanhas all turned to the Sharpedo, and from the looks of it, it looked like the newcomer was like the leader of this gang. That didn't make Phoenix feel any better, though.
Sharpedo glared at Phoenix, who shrunk down under its glare. It looked back to the Carvanhas and shook his head to the cowering penguin.
It didn't speak any words, but Phoenix knew what was going to happen. He braced himself to be swarmed by the Carvanha, who were turning back to him. One of them gnashed its teeth together like an angry dog.
Then, without any warning, the Carvanha charged.
If Phoenix was half a second too slow, he'd be dinner for the angry fish. He managed to sharply dive down away from the school, but not unscathed. One Carvanha managed to yank out a mouthful of feathers from his tail.
He yelped and grabbed his backside, which stung slightly, but he didn't seem to be seriously injured. If he loitered any longer, that might be a different story. He rose out of his dive and sped towards the surface, the Carvanha still hot on his tail.
Now, he was starting to wonder, why do I have to run away from everything? He fled from the Sableye in Mineral Underpass. He ran from the Lombres in Garden Grotto. Way back when, back before he was an explorer, he had run from the Budews and Shroomishes in Rose Road.
He was no superhero. He was just a chicken.
A Carvanha chomped at Phoenix, barely missing his wing. He let out a yelp, surprised at how close the Carvanhas were now. The angry fishes surrounded him, gnashing their teeth angrily. Out of the corner of his eye, Phoenix saw the Sharpedo lingering just outside the group, and it too looked quite angry.
No! I can't keep moping on about whether or not I'm a chicken. I'll probably taste like chicken if I stick around long enough. I've gotta go!
He gave his wings another great flap, and he shot through the water like a torpedo. The Carvanha were dazed for a moment at his surprising speed, but they eventually continued their chase.
Phoenix was faster than the school, but only barely. The Carvanha were nipping at his tail and his wings, and he only barely avoided getting eaten. But he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. He was tiring quickly and his reactions were slowing. He had to find land fast or he'd die.
A sharp pain brought him out of his thoughts. He turned around and found that two Carvanha had taken to nibbling his arm. Their teeth dug into his wing, opening up a large gash. It hurt enough as it was, and he shuddered to think at what would happen if the rest of the school closed in on him.
He tried shaking them off his wing, but that only tightened their grip. Eventually he resorted to Drill Peck, his new signature move. The Carvanhas hissed and recoiled, giving Phoenix just enough time to get away from them.
He was really tiring now. His breath was jumpy. His beak was aching from the Drill Pecks; the Carvanhas had surprisingly tough skin. His heart felt like popping. He felt like he was going to die.
The Carvanhas were catching up to him. They tried to bite him, but they only got a mouthful of feathers instead. He knew his good luck would run out soon.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he finally saw it.
Something was floating on top of the water. It looked like a rock at first, but then Phoenix saw its four legs. They were as thick as trees and could probably crush him flat. They were slowly paddling across the lake, doing the doggy-paddle.
Something seemed vaguely familiar about those legs…
Phoenix sighed with relief. He could hop up onto this Pokémon and save himself from the Carvanhas. Then he could continue his search for Cindy without having to worry about the carnivorous fishies.
He shot up towards the Pokémon, trying to ignore the Carvanhas nipping at his feathers. He was about to hop up onto the Pokémon… but that's when things went wrong.
Something red appeared over the side of the Pokémon. Phoenix didn't need to guess at who it was, and he was most displeased.
Magmortar peered over the edge of the Pokémon, looking straight at him. He appeared to be saying something, and then the yellow head of Electivire looked at him.
Phoenix's stomach lurched. Team Chompy was being ferried across the lake on this Pokémon. And by the looks of it, they were expecting him.
Wait… That must mean… Cindy! Cindy must be with them! Phoenix grinned as he swatted away a Carvanha. Yes! I've finally reached my destination! Hang on, Cindy, because here I come!
A plan began to form in his mind. He smiled as he looked down at the Carvanha, who were still gnashing their teeth. He knew what to do.
Just before he shot out of the water, he realized that the giant legs belonged to Terrakion, the rude ox from Talented Tavern. It should've bothered him that Terrakion was ferrying Team Chompy across the lake, but he was determined to get Cindy back. He'd worry about Terrakion later.
The Carvanha were closing in fast. The Sharpedo circled around the fish, and the look on its face seemed to be egging them on. But Phoenix could care less about them. The bleeding, wounded penguin got closer and closer to the surface…
With one last burst of speed, he leapt out of the water and grabbed onto Terrakion's back, panting and gasping for fresh air.
It took him a moment to blink the water out of his eyes, but when he did, he was not at all happy to see who was on Terrakion's back. Mawile, Magmortar, and Electivire turned to him, expressions of shock or terror on their faces. They didn't look very pleased at his arrival.
Then he noticed a rather large sack made of reeds and rough cotton. It looked just about the right size to hold a good-sized Pokémon… like a Cyndaquil.
He was positive that Cindy was in that sack. However, he didn't jump right to it and try to get her out. It wasn't part of his plan. Instead, he let out a moan.
"Ugh… You gotta help me! There's a school of angry Carvanha after me! I know we aren't the best of friends, but please… Just this one time…" he pleaded. He put on his most pained face for added effect.
Magmortar and Electivire looked at each other dumbly and scratched their heads. Phoenix almost laughed at their stupidity. Clearly they were all muscle and no mind.
"Um… sure…? You can come aboard. Get away from those mean Carvanhas!" Magmortar said.
Phoenix was confused. Surely it wasn't this easy.
Right on cue, Mawile stomped her foot down. Terrakion grunted slightly, but he kept on trucking forward at his slow but sure pace. "You idiots! Can't you see that he's tricking you?! He's obviously trying to get on board so he can get the package and take off with his girlfriend!" she cried.
Phoenix expected that to happen. But that wasn't his plan. He wasn't going to grab the bag and run. He had a different plan.
"Heck, I bet he's just making this all up! There probably aren't any Carvanhas here at all! Either that, or they're all sleeping…" Mawile said.
"But there are! See?" He held out his arm, which was still wounded and oozing out blood. Magmortar and Electivire winced, but Mawile wasn't fazed by the wound.
Then a shadow caught his eye.
He only had time to duck down before the Carvanha leapt aboard.
Mawile screamed. Magmortar and Electivire backed up, nearly tumbling into the water. They all tried to avoid the Carvanha that had catapulted out of the water like a ballistic missile. Luckily for Phoenix, the angry fish missed him, splashing down in the water behind him.
Mawile and her cronies eased their way back onto their feet, grimacing and grumbling. "What the heck was that thing?!" Mawile spat.
The sack by Phoenix's feet stirred.
"Carvanha," Phoenix breathed. "They still haven't given up. They'll chase me until they catch me. So that's why I need your help!"
"Forget it! Why do we care if you get eaten by those—AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Mawile screamed as another Carvanha catapulted to her. She just barely avoided being chomped by the angry fish.
"He's right. They won't stop chasin' him 'till they get him. We've gotta let him aboard," Terrakion said gruffly.
Phoenix blinked in confusion, but he tried to hide it behind a mask of fear.
Another Carvanha flew out of the water and rammed into Magmortar. He let out a yelp and teetered back and forth, put off balance by the sudden arrival of the Carvanha. Another Carvanha appeared and rammed into Electivire, causing him to freak out. Phoenix couldn't help but smile at the overreaction of the Fire and Electric types.
"You idiots! They're just little fish! Get rid of them!" Mawile screamed.
"We're trying! We're trying!" Magmortar cried, trying to swat away a Carvanha that had bitten on his arm. It didn't seem keen to let go any time soon.
"Try harder!" Mawile had to duck under another Carvanha, but this time, she was too slow, and the piranha rammed into her and bit the back of her head. She screamed and flailed about, but the Carvanha still bit into her.
Soon the air was thick with angry Carvanhas.
"We've gotta get out of here! Terrakion, keep trucking on!" Mawile screamed, ducking under a fish. "Go! Hurry up, you useless thing! MOVE!"
Phoenix felt Terrakion tense under him. The ox turned around to Mawile, a look of pure fury on his face. His rock solid body began to tremble in rage.
"Ya know what? No. I'm not gonna follow your orders any more. I've been pushed around all my life, and I won't let ya control me any more!" he said, his voice deceptively calm.
Mawile growled, trying to look angry, despite the fact that her arm was being nibbled by two Carvanha. "You little… Do you forget who's boss here?! I'm the boss! You will do as I say, or there will be some severe consequences. Do you understand?!"
"No! I'm not gonna let ya dictate every action like I'm your puppet! Signing up for this was the worst decision I ever made! I thought I would be able to make a difference in the world, but instead, I just got to be pushed around by you jerks. I HATE IT!" he raged.
"Master Deoxys will hate you! He'll do anything in his power to stop you!" Mawile said as she rolled around in an attempt to dislodge another Carvanha.
"He's not my master any more. From this moment on, I'm with Team Blaze! Cindy and Phoenix are my masters now! So SCRAM!" he roared.
A muffled noise brought Phoenix's attention back to the sack. Terrakion's thrashing was making the sack slide down his back, closer to the Carvanha-infested water. If Cindy was in that bag…
Phoenix lunged at the bag, grabbing it just before it splashed into the water. It was heavier than he had expected, and he nearly fell into the water himself, but he just barely managed to keep his balance.
"I've got you," he breathed.
A low moan came from the bag, and Phoenix recognized it as Cindy's sweet tones. He grinned. Cindy was okay. He had finally saved her, just like a superhero had. Against all odds, he had survived, and now he had rescued his damsel in distress. He dragged the sack onto Terrakion's back and clutched it tightly, making sure it wouldn't slide off again.
Another sharp pain brought Phoenix out of his superhero fantasies. He turned around and came face-to-face with a Carvanha that had begun to nibble on his tail. He let out a sharp yelp but didn't panic. Instead, he simply slapped it away, and it fell into the water with a splash. But it still did manage to create a good-sized wound on his tail.
"Listen, y'all. I'm tired of being bossed around by you. Ya think you're all big and tough and all? Well, let's see how well ya fare against THIS!" Terrakion snarled.
He began to thrash and shake like a bucking bronco, throwing off Carvanhas and making Team Chompy unbalanced. Phoenix grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be one of Terrakion's horns, and held on tight, one hand around the horn and one hand around Cindy's sack. Terrakion didn't protest against him holding on.
Magmortar was the first to fall into the water. He gave a great yell as his back hit the water, and with a mighty splash, he was gone. Electivire followed him, and he too disappeared into the blue water. The Carvanhas directed their attention to the two wet Pokémon and dove in after them.
Mawile, on the other hand, wasn't falling in as easily. She had grabbed on to Terrakion's other horn and was shouting very creative profanities at both Terrakion and Phoenix.
Of course, that made Terrakion even angrier, and he continued to shake his body in an attempt to dislodge Mawile.
"Even if you knock me into the water, I will survive! Electivire can fry all those Carvanha and we'll be safe! We'll come after you both, I swear!" Mawile screamed over his thrashings.
"I don't care! I don't care if ya end up killin' me, 'cause I'd much rather die free than live as a slave to you!" Terrakion bellowed. "SO SCRAM!"
At that last word, he frantically shook his head, instantly throwing Mawile into the water. With a scream and a splash, she hit the wild waters and disappeared below the surface.
Phoenix barely held on. His wings were starting to ache from the effort of holding on to Terrakion's horn, and Cindy's prison was starting to slip out of his other arm. From inside, he could hear Cindy's muffled voice, and it was clear she was screaming at the top of her lungs.
Just as he was certain he was about to lose his grasp and tumble into the water, Terrakion halted his thrashings. He shook his head once more to regain his bearings, and Phoenix finally let go and slid down to his back.
"Ya okay, Phoenix? Cindy?" Terrakion said.
"Obviously not! She's still stuck there!" Phoenix snapped. Now, the surprise of Terrakion being allied with Deoxys was finally starting to crash down on him. His anger rose up his throat and escaped his mouth in a scream of rage.
"Whoa! Calm down, Phoenix! It's okay. It's okay! I'll explain everything once we get to shore. In the meantime, ya might wanna get your partner outta there," Terrakion said.
Phoenix nodded warily, baffled by Terrakion's suddenly nice behavior. He hated them. He had said that on many occasions. And he was with Deoxys. He should hate them even more now. So why was he being so… nice now?
He didn't have time to think of that. Another muffled noise came from the bag, and his attention was brought back to Cindy. The bag shifted around a little bit.
"Yeah. Ya should get 'er outta there. She's cramped and hungry and she's probably aching to see ya," Terrakion said, the kindness clear in his tones.
Phoenix nodded vigorously and bent down low to the sack. It was closed with a tight knot, but he was sure he could untie it.
"Don't worry, Cindy. I'm right here. It's gonna be okay," he whispered.
The sack gave a slight shuffle to show she understood.
Instead of taking the time to untie the knot, Phoenix went for the quicker method: using Drill Peck on the knot. It worked; the bag fell open, revealing what was inside.
Curled up at the very bottom was Cindy. Her hands and feet were tied together with a thick length of rope, and a rag had been tied over her mouth, acting as a gag. No wonder she hadn't been able to speak.
She opened her eyes a fraction of an inch and gazed up at Phoenix, and when she saw his smiling face, she let out a dull squeal. She had a rather large bruise on her chest and a few other minor wounds, but otherwise, she looked unharmed but scared.
Phoenix didn't waste any time. He helped Cindy struggle out of the bag and back onto Terrakion's back. Then he untied her hands, her legs, and finally, her gag. Then he helped her stand up, but from the way her legs were shaking, it was clear this was quite the ordeal for her.
She finally got a good look at Phoenix, and her eyes lit up with excitement. "Phoenix…?" she asked.
"Yep. It's me. I'm here," he replied with a grin.
Cindy nearly knocked him over into the water with a massive tackle hug. "Oh, Phoenix! I'm so glad you finally came! I was so worried, I heard the commotion outside and I thought you would be eaten by those Carvanhas, and I'm glad you weren't, but—hey! Your arm's bleeding!"
She began to talk at a million miles an hour, all the words falling out of her mouth as everything registered. The sky was starting to turn its usual cyan color. The lake still stretched out for miles, but now the water was anything but calm. Team Chompy was still flailing about in the water, trying to stay afloat.
It didn't look like they had thrown off the Carvanhas, but knowing them, they would probably find some way to survive. But a full-scale attack by a school of angry Carvanhas was definitely going to set them back a little.
"I know my arm's hurt, but I could care less about it now," Phoenix said, rubbing his injured wing.
"Yes! I don't really care if you got hurt. The point is that you're alive and you're here. That's what really matters to me," Cindy said.
"Yeah. You're right."
As Terrakion sailed away from Team Chompy flailing in the water, Cindy and Phoenix sat on his back, their hands locked together, glad to be in each other's company. And while there wasn't anything romantic between the two, Phoenix felt as if he had rescued his princess from an evil monster.
Not a worry crossed their mind as they sailed on and on. Phoenix stopped worrying about Terrakion. Cindy stopped worrying about her friends. And they both stopped worrying about Deoxys and the looming threat of his disease. They put their worries to rest.
In other words, they were completely happy.
XxX
And everyone lived happily ever after. THE END!
...Except not really. The Pokérus virus is still out there. And Deoxys is still at large.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review!