Special Guest, Jimi Newman appears courtesy of himself. Some of the arguments in this story actually happened too, and I decided to include them here just for fun. Titus is named after my cat, whom I gave away a year ago and still miss sometimes.
The pillow bounced into the wall, startling the sleeping Floreevee. Instantly, Flora sprang awake, and shrieking in alarm unleashed a volley of razor leaves. One buried itself in my shoulder, too soft to do any damage, it merely stuck to my nightshirt.
"Flori?" She voiced tentatively, staring at me a little nervously.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm just upset, that's all." Maki jumped into my lap from the lampshade and hugged me with his tiny little arms. "How could he do this to me?"
"Do what?" Fenrill's intrusive voice sounded in my head. "You mean because you have refused, once again, to give in to temptation of the flesh?"
My hand reached out for a pillow that was no longer there, being currently lying in the middle of the floor. "Shut up!"
"I don't see why you humans make such a big deal out of it," the Mew replied snidely, "it is, after all, just natural."
"You don't understand!" I shouted at her, feeling the tears building up. It was true, after all. I had denied Kameron, but that was not why I was upset. He had gone to visit her again.
The "her" in mention was Freyja, and this last week he had been spending almost every night with her. It didn't take much imagination to figure out what they were up to. Or at least not my paranoid imagination. I could not deny it anymore – Kameron had tossed me aside for a madwoman.
And Freyja was certainly mad, although she seemed a bit better then she had at the circus. Although she barely slept anymore, she had recovered from that near-catatonic state. And there was also no denying that things were pretty rough for her at the moment. But that didn't mean I approved of Kameron spending so much time with her! My imagination continued to take over. I mean, Freyja was beautiful, stunningly so, when healthy and even in her disheveled state she was still a great deal kinder to the eyes then I was.
No wonder Kameron preferred her company to mine.
"You are going to have to talk to him soon, you know," Fenrill hassled me, "I am recovered now and ready to take you towards your next adventure. And there's no way I'm letting you delay me anymore."
All the teleporting and other psychic skills were draining the poor Mew. She and her sisters were connected with a spiritual bond, and with their growing weakness, she grew weaker too. Perhaps that was why Loki had not tried to take her yet. I knew it would not be long now. She had been awake the longest, and was thus the strongest, but she was weakening. It had taken a full week and more chocolate then I could count (the boy at the grocer store was starting to look at me strange, I think he was beginning to worry about my health. I was beginning to worry about my income – I didn't get that much allowance, after all) to recover to a strength such that she could face Loki once more.
"Why don't we go now?" I suggested.
"You're going to get Kameron?" She asked.
I shook my head. "Nope, I'm going to prove that I don't need Kameron to survive. He doesn't need me anymore, so I no longer need him." I glanced over my Pokemon, who to take? The kits were starting to get quite big by now, "Florion?" I asked. "Want an adventure?"
Florion glanced nervously at his mate. "Flori, florion-on?" He asked, clearly anxious about leaving her behind.
"VaPOR!" She insisted. There was, after all, nothing much here that could harm her.
"Okay, Maki, of course, Florion, Dragosi, I'll probably need your wings! And Chiko, I guess. Flora, you'll have to stay with your mother, okay?"
"Flori eepre?" Flora nuzzled my hand.
"No, your REAL mother, the one that gave birth to you. I won't be too long and you're nearly weaned."
She licked my fingers tenderly. "Floreevee! Flori!"
"I'll take care, I promise!" I replied, stroking her small head. "And I'm sorry about the pillow, okay?"
"Flor!" She seemed mollified.
I called my Pokemon (excluding Maki) into their balls. This would be the first time in months that I had gone on an adventure without Kameron, and in all honesty, I was scared shiftless. "Okay Fenrill, beam us up!"
"Not yet," she replied. "There is someone outside who wishes to join us."
I sighed audibly. "It's Kameron, isn't it?"
"Not unless he has gotten smaller and furrier."
I opened the window and peered downward, a small furry shape stared back at me, and then began making its way up the wall.
The wall, you must note, was brick, somewhat weatherworn and yes, there were some vines growing on it, ivy in fact, so it was not unremarkable that the Ootachi (I don't like the English word) was making its way up the wall towards me. A moment later it stood on the window ledge. It had been amazing to watch, it moved so fast you could not see its short little legs, it appeared to be flowing up the wall.
"Tachi!" It said enthusiastically (I guess it's a foreign Furret?).
"Okay," I replied, "you can come too, but I don't understand why you want to."
"OotacHI!" It explained.
"Well, if you like, come on then." And so I called it into a Pokeball. "Okay Fenrill, now let us go, okay?"
*
It was cold, freezing cold. Maki huddled against my hair, burying himself in it. I was standing in shallow snow. Not very good, considering I'd forgotten to put on shoes and was wearing my woolly Ug boot slippers (not the height of fashion, indeed!) which were at least warm, but not overly appropriate for the terrain. It was not exactly what I had expected.
"Fenrill, where are we?"
"Somewhere most cold, in the land of the midnight sun," she replied.
I glanced upwards. There was no sun. There was no nothing, nothing but the darkness. "Midnight sun?"
"In summer, not winter."
"Oh." I began shivering. Maki jumped through the snow, staring at it cautiously, unused to the chill. His fur was all fluffed up, making him look like a bottle brush. He loped off through the snow, and, leaning heavily on my crutches (you do remember I had a pole fall on my leg at the end of my last adventure, right? Sure ya do!), followed him, Fenrill lying on my head, her tail batting against my back, nervously.
As we ventured into the woodlands, following a trail that only the Mew could see, a crackling and snapping of branches suddenly split the air. I managed to fling myself, and my crutches, aside just in time as a Swinub hurtled through the trees, a sleek silver Ninetails in hot pursuit. Cowering behind a bush, I watched as the pig pokemon whirled, a strange manouevere to watch for I could not see its legs, to face its pursuer.
It struck out with its tusks, taking a blast of fire straight in the face. The rank aroma of burning hair filled the air, but the boar was more resistant then that… Its tusks cut across the cheek of the fox Pokemon, leaving a trail of bright red on white fur. The fox yelped, and danced back, inhaling for another fire strike.
And suddenly a whoop split open the air and a Pidgeot soared down, swooping across the back of the Boar. There was a wild-haired young man sitting astride it. As I watched he sprang from the bird's back, rolled as he struck the ground, and plunged a spear upwards and into the boar's armpit, hitting the heart. It squealed, a blood-curdling sound that made my eardrums throb, and fell to the ground, a mass of long hair and blood that cooled as it made impact with the snow, leaving faint trails of steam in the air.
Instantly, the young man removed a wickedly long knife from his belt and began butchering the carcass. The Ninetails, unperturbed at him stealing its kill, suddenly scented something in the wind. Something that was not dead Swinub.
It trotted straight towards us. "Maki, get ready!" I whispered.
"Kimur!" Maki nodded, trying to make himself look frightening (and barely succeeding). I tensed myself, preparing for what might come. Certainly, I did not know how dangerous this young man in his cloak of animal pelt was, but I was not about to take risks either.
"Kikikimurrrrr!" I suddenly realised that Maki had jumped onto the Ninetails's head and was… stroking its plume?
"Maki, what are you doing!"
"Maki mur!" He insisted.
It was then I recognised the Ninetails. "Mercury!" I shouted.
"Nini!" Mercury nuzzled me, her tongue warm against my cold skin. And then I recognised the Pidgeot too. "Goldflash?" Or was it Goldstreak? I could never remember… damned stupid name, but I could hardly complain!
If Mercury were here and Goldflash were here, that meant…
"Rowan!" I cried, and the young man looked up from his kill. Beneath the blood and the dirt, familiar grey eyes turned my way.
"Kat…" He stuttered. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Err, this is a G-rated fic, Rowan, we can't use language like that…"
"Oh, sorry. I was just shocked, is all. Let me rephrase. What the hades are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you," I replied. "Where are we?"
"Somewhere far north, Norway by my guess," Rowan replied. His hair was hidden beneath a hood made from Magumarashi pelt and his shoulders covered by Swinub hide, it made him look like a wildman of some description.
"Been here a while then?" I asked.
"Months," he replied, "after dad died, I helped mother for a couple of years, but she remarried, and I wasn't needed anymore so I got a job working on a cruise ship. The money's great!"
"You never told me!" I hadn't even heard about his father. Had we really grown that far apart?
"You haven't exactly been easy to reach," he replied, "and your letters have never been forthcoming."
"I'm sorry," I replied. He was right. I had postponed writing, or forgotten to, there was always something more pressing to be done.
"No worries," he replied, "looks like fate has brought us together again, after all. And you have grown into an attractive young lady," he grinned, handsome despite the blood.
I frowned. "Rowan, you're like my brother!"
"I've been without female company for four months," he replied, "give me a break."
"Approach me closer and I'll give you two," I grinned, and suddenly we flung ourselves into a rather icky hug. "How's Electra?" I asked, pulling away finally.
Rowan's face fell. "I don't know," he replied, "I lost her Pokeball when the ship sunk. It's just me, Mercury, Goldstreak, Jimi and Wild. Oh, and Titus."
"Jimi and Wild."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you! I wasn't the only one stranded here, Jimi was too. You'll like him, he's lovely!"
"And you bring in the bacon, eh?"
"Indeed, wanna join us for dinner."
"I think I'll skip, you know I haven't eaten Pokemon meat for eight years, Rowan."
"Neither had I," he replied, "remember that vow we made when we were eight? Well, you'd eat them too, if there was nothing else available."
"What about berries?'
Rowan chuckled, glancing around the forest. "I don't believe you're going to school," he scolded, "its winter! Ain't nothing to eat but animals and snow. Or bark. Even the local Stantler have to chew lichen off trees and dig deep for bits of dry, tasteless grass."
"Oh, yeah, I guess my brain is a bit addled. Teleportation-lag."
"That reminds me, how did you get here?"
I motioned at Fenrill, "come out Fenrill!"
She had been strangely quiet, now she made herself cease to be disinteresting. "Mew!" She said, in greeting.
"Wow, another Mew, I thought those things were rare!"
"The rarest of them all… wait, what do you mean, another Mew?"
"My sister, he has met my sister!"
"Soon after we were stranded here, Jimi found one. Washed up and entangled in a fish net. She has odd little gills. He brought her up here and into the warmth of our cave and she's recovered. Slowly."
"Take me to her!"
"Insistent, isn't she?"
"You can understand her?"
"Yeh, Wild's almost as bad. Come on, let's go and meet them. I'm sure Jimi will be keep for his lunch. Want to help me carry it? I've cut out the squishy bits, I'll leave them for Gold and Mercury," the Pidgeot was already pecking at the intestines, its beak a blur. Mercury paced over and began eating in a much more refined manner.
Maki returned to my shoulder, pulling a face. He was a vegetarian, through and through. I brought out my Pokeballs.
"Dragosi can fly it up there."
"Drago-who?" At least that had surprised him. If a Mew fails to surprise, produce an extinct Pokemon. Never fails!
I pushed the button, releasing the Dragonfly Pokemon in a beam of light. He appeared and shuddered, his tail curling up, wings seeming to shrivel.
"Oh blast," I cursed, "I forgot bugs don't like the snow. Return!" And grass Pokemon didn't either. I was beginning to realise how useless I was. At least I had the Ootachi. The completely untrained and probably untrusting of humans, Ootachi. "We better walk," I concluded.
Rowan tied the Swinub's legs to a sturdy branch. "Well, with two of us I can do this in one trip," he replied. "And we shall eat pork tonight!"
I supported one end of the pole on my shoulder. It was rather heavy, even without the internal icky bits. However, I was not about to let Rowan see me strain. He heaved his end easily onto his shoulder, and we began the long slow march towards the cave, wherever that might be. After a while, Mercury came bounding in behind us, her pretty chest fur stained with blood, and Goldstreak (or flash or whatever) soared in behind us, its wings hitting us with a cold breeze every downbeat.
After an eternity, when my back was all but ready to give in, Rowan quickened his pace, almost forcing me to run to keep up.
"We're almost there!" He replied. And through the trees I could see a glow of firelight. Something barrelled through the trees, mewing furiously. No, it was not a Mew, but a small, rather wild looking Meowth. It darted around Rowan's feet, looking hopefully at the carcass. "You might think he likes me, but he's only after the food," Rowan replied. "We first noticed him when we set up camp here, lurking around the fire, drawn by the smell of meat. Poor thing was starving – its hard to survive in winter when you're a little hunter, especially one just past babyhood. So Jimi, softy that he is, began feeding him.
Then, one day, after a real cold night, we came out to find him lying half-frozen in the snow. Jimi was most amused when I picked him up, put him down my shirt and put up with a Meowth Popsicle until the little fellow woke up and started tearing my shirt apart. I still have the scars."
"I didn't know you had that mothering streak, Rowan," I commented, a little wryly.
He shrugged, "I've changed in the last few years, Kat, just like you have. You've filled up rather nicely."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Rowan…"
He shrugged. "Just kidding." But I didn't think he was. We had been like siblings, but it had been several years since we had seen each other, and we were starting to notice each other in a different light.
And then I thought of Kameron, and felt a knot in my belly. I missed him, oh hell, how I missed him… And his Pokemon too. I tried to put him out of my mind, and put a smile on my face as we laid the carcass on the ground (Rowan made no move to stop Titus eating it, probably the little Meowth couldn't make much of an impression on the large corpse), and walked up the steep path to the cave.
There were hides, Stantler I think, hanging over the door, but these had been pushed aside to let the smoke filter out. In the time they had been here, Rowan and Jimi had certainly put some effort into killing the wildlife. I could hardly blame them. In this environment it was kill or starve, as simple as that. Maki pushed straight into the cave, desperate for the heat. Being a grass type he was not fond of the cold, but was too stubborn to give up and hide away.
"Hey, Jimbo!" Rowan called, "look what I brought home, it's a girl!"
The curtain moved aside and a man slightly older then us peered out. He had long blond hair tied back in a pony tail and a substantial amount of facial hair. More-so-then Rowan, who although he had something vaguely resembling a beard, looked more like he'd forgotten to shave that morning.
"For lunch?" He replied, "you haven't resorted to cannibalism now, you blood-thirsty hunter?"
"Nah, I've got a Swinub for lunch, and Kat for dessert."
I hit him with my crutch. "Take a roll in the snow, hormone boy," I replied.
Jimi laughed. "Well, don't stand there freezing your derierre off, come on in. I've got some tea boiling."
"Tea?"
Rowan shrugged, "hot water flavoured with bark off a certain tree. It don't taste too great, but at least it only occasionally brings you out in a rash."
I frowned. "Are you serious? I never knew you to joke so much."
"Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me sane. That and Jimbo here."
"Jimi," Jimi replied, extending a hand to me (after first wiping it on his trousers. They were denim, I noticed. But surprisingly clean), "And you must be Kataryna, I've heard so much about you. Pleased to meet you."
His lack of surprise at me turning up here startled me. I quirked an eyebrow at him.
He nodded at a pile of clothing in the corner. "Wild told me you were coming here, with her sister. And hormone boy here has been talking about you every so often. Along with about a dozen other women."
"I'm not one of his exploits," I replied. "We're like siblings, we are."
"I never said you weren't," he grinned. "Don't listen to Jimbo here, he's a pathological liar."
"I am not."
"See what I mean?"
"Anyway, would you like some tea, Miss Kataryna, and maybe then you can meet Wild."
Fenrill levitated to a few inches before Jimi's nose. "Forget the tea," she said rather fiercely, "is my sister well?"
The blankets moved aside and from them came a small, almost delicate Mew. Her fur, although pink, was tipped with a teal-blue, her ears were thin, translucent almost. She pushed aside the covers and levitated towards her sister. The two touched noses, and would have hugged, were their arms long enough for it.
"I'm bringing out my Pokemon now," I replied, then noticed Titus.
The Meowth was stalking Maki, who was currently giving the cave a thorough going over. It was only a small cave, but quite well equipped. The back seemed to be the sleeping area, judging by the piles of furs and blankets, and along the walls on both sides were hung various implements. These ranged from bowls and pots, most dented, to crudely carved utensils.
"This could be interesting," I replied, motioning in Titus's direction.
"Do you think I should stop him?" Rowan asked.
"No, let him learn the hard way."
This earned a puzzled look from the young man, who had clearly forgotten what the Lemur Pokemon was capable of.
Jimi pushed a mug into my hands. It had written on the side, "I l ve Ne o k." in chipped print. Remembering Rowan's caution, I sipped it gingerly, then actually drank it down. It was good, sweeter then I had expected, with a touch of lemon. After I placed it down I remembered my earlier promise and opened the Pokeballs.
Dragosi seemed to like the heat, and flapped his insectile wings, sending dust spiralling around the room. Jimi seemed genuinely surprised at the sight of him. Most people did, the creature was extinct, after all.
Chiko glanced at the two males distrustfully and plunked herself in my lap, making it abundantly clear that she was not going to have anything to do with the boys. Ever. If she could help it.
The Ootachi, as yet unblessed with a name, immediately pranced over to the fire, stood on its hindlegs, and carefully removed a piece of meat from the grill over the fire. Given it had been wild only a week ago, this showed amazing courage – or amazing attitude.
And lastly, Florion strode out and shook himself, glancing at me then my two male companions, frowned at me, "flori'd" in a almost nagging manner, and flopped down beside the fire. I could tell immediately that he did not approve of my companions, given that they were *gasp horror* boys, and Kameron was not here to protect me from them.
Meanwhile, Maki had found himself some sort of puzzle. One of those interlocking pieces ones, and was fiddling with it. The Meowth crouched low, wriggling his tail as he prepared to attack.
Jimi looked at me a little worriedly, but seeing my look merely shrugged. We all watched as the drama unfolded before us…
Titus pounced, at the same moment that Maki whirled, unleashing a starblaze that filled the entire cave with a bright irridescent white light (Maki had gotten pretty powerful by now). The Meowth immediately stiffened and dropped, in mid pounce, lying on the floor and twitching slightly. Rowan stood up and picked him up, cradling him gently.
"Don't you ever hurt my baby again," he mock-scolded Maki, quite aware that had the Makimur not defended himself, he would be cat food right this minute. Titus had not been playing, he was no house cat. The small spots in his fur marked him as a wildcat, born and raised. He merely stayed with Rowan for the reason that domestic cats had taken human companionship in the first place – food and warmth.
Maki made a rather impolite sign (I can't say I taught him that one, but he does pick up things easily) in the cat's direction, then turned his attention back to the puzzle.
"You have quite a collection of stuff here," I pointed out.
"It all washed ashore after the boat sunk," Rowan replied. "We scoured the entire shoreline for hours hoping to find Electra's Pokeball, but no luck. We did find a lot of bits and pieces though, enough to make some weapons and this fine cave."
"So what happened anyway?" I asked curiously. "And why are you still here when you could send Goldflash out for help?"
"Goldstreak," Rowan reprimanded me, "that's her name."
"We were holed during a massive storm," Jimi started the story for me, "I was hiding in my cabin, making a few sketches when it hit. There followed a loud screeching sound, like something very large being dragged across the side of the boat, and then silence – the engines just stopped.
Next thing you know they're demanding us all to put on our life vests and march up to the deck," he continued. "It was like a scene from Titanic."
"I had to help sort out the passengers," Rowan explained, "since I work here. I even think it might have been an iceberg what struck us – there's nothing much big out in the water, except Orka and Gyrados. Anyways, we got everyone into lifeboats – something rather different from Titanic I might add…"
"Then we floated out into the sea, which was still pretty wild. We watched the boat sink, which was pretty depressing and sat around in the freezing air, trying to keep the boat afloat until we were rescued. Unfortunately an Orka found us, and overturned the boat."
"There were eight of us on it at the time," Rowan interrupted, "I dunno what happened to five of them, drowned I guess, but Jimi and I and a girl called Gemma, managed to climb onto the boat. She had her Pokemon with her too, and called out her Gyrados to carry us to shore. I brought out Goldstreak to find the shore.
"It wasn't much of a shore though, this is Scandinavia, famous for its fjords, and when we finally found the shoreline we couldn't get up the steep cliff very easily, had to rely on her Gyrados and my Pidgeot to ferry us up. Jimi's useless, he ain't got any pokemon."
Jimi scowled. "I have Wild," he replied, stroking the blue Mew on the head. She nudged him in the chin and purrrred.
"But you found her on the beach!" I replied, "and what about all the debris you found?"
Rowan held up his hand. "Patience my darling, all shall be explained in time."
It was my turn to scowl now.
"Aside from such interruptions," Rowan continued, "I wish to continue my tale now."
"Go for it," Jimi seemed amused.
"We made our way to shore and huddled here until the storm passed over. This was four months ago, you know, and there was sun then. In fact, the sun lasted pretty much all day every day. I tell you, we didn't get much sleep until we caught on! So once we were dry and more-or-less warm, we explored our surroundings."
"I found the beach," Jimi explained, "we were searching for fresh water, because we needed some badly, and suddenly felt something sharp in my head, like pain."
"You're an empath?" I asked, aghast. Maybe Kameron was not so special after all.
He shrugged, "my mother always seemed to have some psychic talents, premonitions and such, maybe I inherited it. Anyway, the further we got, the stronger the pain got, like a headache, and then we found the stream. Against Rowan's complaints, I followed it and found that instead of leading to a sheer cliff, it led to a small beach. And on that beach I found Wild." He mussed the Mew's head fur.
"Goldstreak and I scouted the coastline looking for anything we could salvage," Rowan explained, "and brought back all the junk here. And most of it is rubbish. But some, like the pots and the mugs, were most useful."
"So," I asked, after it appeared Rowan had finished talking, "where's Gemma?"
"Do not interrupt me," he replied, "you shall disturb my master story telling skills. We made camp up here, about an hours walk from the beach, in this here cave, and lived here for a month or so, and then it began to get dark."
"Realising what was going to happen, Gemma pointed out that we could not survive here through the long dark winter, and bravely set out on her Gyrados to find help. Naturally, I offered to keep her company, but Jimbo here was too scared to be left alone."
"Yeah right. I just didn't trust the little horn-dog with a girl alone," Jimi grinned.
"You wanna share them right?" Rowan mocked, "but that's beside the point. She took off on her Gyrados and never came back. I dunno what happened to her. Maybe she found help but decided we weren't worth saving."
"Maybe she wanted to stay away from you and your overblown hormones?" Jimi quipped, he grinned at me, "I swear. I may be male but I still sleep with one eye open for fear of him."
"We managed to do okay so far, this winter, although we haven't eaten anything but meat for so long we can't stand it anymore. We tried storing some plants, but they taste pretty awful now, and we eat lichen when we can get to it. You can't live on meat alone – its pure protein and fat."
"I have a little something," I explained, indicating the knapsack on my back. I forgot to mention it before, but you should know by now we always take something along with us on our jaunts, its only sensible. So sensible I felt there was no point in drawing attention to it.
Instantly their eyes turned glinting at me, and I'd swear they were drooling. Talk about Pavlovian reaction!
"Err, a can of spaghetti, a block of chocolate and some scroggin (which is a little mix of peanuts, raisins, dried apricots and chocolate, often taking by trampers as a little snack food and pick me up).
"Chocolate! She said chocolate…" They both started moving towards me.
"MY CHOCOLATE!" Fenrill broadcast in our minds so loudly that they fell back stunned. I, being more used to it, merely blinked it off..
"Sorry, its her's," I replied, "but I can offer you some spaghetti. I think I packed a tin opener." More rummaging soon revealed it and a blanket, not to mention my ever present notebook and pencil. As a Pokemonologist, I always carried a notepad with me – you never knew what you might see. "Ah," I brandished the metal device.
Before you could name all 251 Pokemon, plus the ones I had discovered extra, we were sitting around scraping spaghetti and pork from our rather crude wooden bowls with even cruder spoons. The two males had polished off their plates in what surely must be a new world record, and Maki started helping me with mine, strand by strand. He liked to suck them up without using his hands at all. It was heinously messy.
"That was the best meal I have eaten, ever!" Jimi exclaimed, leaning back and patting his stomach.
Wild and Fenrill, both eating from the same bowl, were temporarily distracted and bumped noses as they both sucked up the same strand, Lady and the Tramp style. They fell over giggling. It was nice to see Fenrill happy again, she had finally found a Mew that was neither drained of its powers nor a little bit insane. Poor Chiko and Florion, both vegetarians, had to cope with peanuts and raisins, since Fenrill was fiercely hoarding all the chocolate and Maki had swiped all the apricots earlier, when I had been distracted by carrying the Swinub up to the camp.
"So, Jimbo, what time is it?"
Jimi glanced at his watch and shrugged. "I dunno, my watch stopped like three weeks again, as you well know."
"Are we tired yet?"
"Always. Time for bed then, do you think?"
I was beginning to worry, I had been here a few hours now, and knew that any minute now Loki would turn up and go for Wild. Loki had impeccable timing.
"You know, in the morning we can leave here, if no-one touches Fenrill's chocolate."
"Leave?" Jimi's face was a picture. "Oh, how great it would be to finally be able to properly wash my hair!"
"And be able to hang around with women again!" Rowan exclaimed. "Sorry Kat, but you're like a sister to me."
"We just have to wait until the sun rises."
"Kat!" Rowan snapped, "you do know the sun won't rise for another month or two yet?"
"I am well aware of that fact."
"She wants me," Rowan grinned at Jimi.
"In my nightmares," I replied, equally good naturedly. It seemed weird, Rowan and I had not seen each other for years, but given a few hours together were behaving just like we always had. "Well, we could go home now, if you like, I mean, running water… warm, soft beds…"
Jimi looked hopefully at Rowan, but Rowan, to my surprise, shook his head.
"I know Electra is around here somewhere," he replied, "and I cannot abandon her. I have to find her!"
I had suspected as much. Rowan was very fond of his Jolteon. I glanced at the Mew, "Fen, can you track her psychically?"
Fenrill shook her head. "I can only lock onto those I know, the only way for me to track her using my powers is if I go via Rowan's head, and that can be rather painful for the medium involved."
"Well, I trust you folks have searched this area as much as you can?"
"Wild's tried tracking her, but she's too weak at the moment, the strain of being trapped underwater really damaged her, even if she cannot drown."
"We've looked absolutely everywhere," Rowan added. "But she's not to be seen."
"Maybe she sunk with the ship? If she's in her Pokeball, she should be okay until someone finds her and brings her back."
"I thought about that, but the chance of finding the ship under that ocean is pretty remote. Plus I really can't swim that well."
"Don't look at me, I can't swim at all," I added.
"Err, I can doggy paddle," Jimi added helpfully.
"So really, we're pretty damned useless."
"No we're not," Fenrill replied, "I can create a protective bubble and assume the form of a Vaporeon, or Wild," she seemed faintly amused at the name, "can make like a Dewgong or Orka or even a Gyrados. We can search that way."
"Fenrill, are you actually helping us, in a manner that does not directly benefit yourself?" I asked incredulously, grinning at the Mew. Maybe she had got over her arrogance problem.
"The sooner we get this over and done with the sooner we can get my sister home, but she is no safer there then here. None of us are."
"Loki can find us anywhere, eh?"
"Yes, but her will have rather more difficulty finding my seventh sister. She is in the clasps of Team Rocket."
I shuddered, although I had guessed it all along. MewTwo had told me his "mother", and "sister" had been the Underground Mew, and he had been created by Team Rocket, after all, so it did not take much imagination to infer that they already had her. However, even if Loki was currently their leader, it would still be difficult for him to find their Top Secret laboratories, especially when he looked like a living nightmare.
"Not looking forward to that one," I replied. "Anyway, if you guys are up to it I suggest we search the waters now, because if the man hunting the Mews finds us, we're in big trouble."
"Hang about," Jimi queried, holding up a hand, "the man hunting the Mews? What do you mean? Is Wild in danger?"
"Yes!" I replied, "that's why I'm here." And very quickly I explained about Loki and what he was up to. They listened in breathless silence, asking only a few questions now and then.
"So, we better get onto it now then," Jimi said briskly. "And then get out of here as soon as possible, because I don't think our Pokemon are going to be very good against him."
"Err, no, since he has fire and air powers, grass and water Pokemon pretty much suck."
"Makimur!" Maki complained.
"I'm sorry," I hugged him. "You know you're the greatest Pokemon ever!"
"Maki MUR!" He agreed, rather arrogantly I felt.
"First though," Rowan interrupted, "and I'm sorry to spoil the fun, but we have two minor flaws in your plan. Firstly, we don't have a boat to get to the spot and secondly, we don't know where said spot is."
"You're wrong," Jimi replied, "no, we don't have a boat that is operational, but we do have a boat that could be repaired with a little work and we may not be able to find the spot, but if you ask really nicely the Mew here," he gestured at Fenrill, "will use your mind to link her mind with that of Electra's, thus locating her."
"But it might hurt a bit," I interjected, "and I don't know if you can take it, Rowan, since you are a pitiful wimp."
"At least I'm not a girl," he replied, bringing up an old joke between us. When we were very young, Rowan had often teased me for being a girl, since being such made me weaker and less able to cope. However, in a couple of situations, which I shall not get into here (to save Rowan's reputation) I had been forced to act the brave one, and protect him. The one case I shall definitely not mention ever (or Rowan would kill me, metaphorically speaking) involved a swarm of Beedrill, a big mud puddle, and a small boy with a slingshot. You can use your imagination here, but understand, Rowan has never been overly fond of Beedrill since!
"Do any of us know how to fix a boat?" I asked.
All humans shrugged, but Wild blinked at us. "I can try," she sent telepathically, sounding somewhat nervous. "I have seen it done."
"Very well then, let's go!"
I recalled my Pokemon, as I did not want them out in the snow, not unless they absolutely needed to, but left Maki and the Ootachi roaming free. The weaselish Pokemon seemed at home in the low temperatures, which were probably not that much different from what it experienced in its old home. It dashed around us as we walked through the snow (or limped in my case), darting around out legs and up trees, seemingly without any effort at all.
After a short while we stood by the boat. If you could refer to it as such, it was in a rather disconcerting state. A rowboat, but it was missing rather a few important boards, not to mention that what was left was cracked and damaged.
"See why we can't just sail out of here?" Jimi asked. "So, what can you do, Wild?"
The little Mew ran her hands across the bottom of the boat, and motioned Fenrill over. The two had a rather odd conversation, which none of us could understand, save for the repeated "mews". Finally she too settled down beside her and motioned for me to come over. I did, looking puzzled.
"What are we doing?" I queried.
"Healing the boat," Fenrill sent.
"You're kidding, right!" I laughed. "That's impossible!"
Rowan and Jimi looked at me as though I were insane. "Kat?"
"Do not jest, just do it," Fenrill replied.
"Okay," I was skeptical, but still I placed my hands on the battered boat and willed the familiar power to rise in me. I was getting better at it now – I could heal anything, whether or not it be bonded to me emotionally. But that did not mean I could heal an inanimate object.
Nothing happened, as predicted.
For a while.
And then…
There was a strange sound, almost like the wood was expanding. Small green sprouts started to push their way from the wood, spreading out over the boards. Rowan and Jimi watched, agape.
"Very pretty," Rowan commented after a lengthy pause, "but how does this help it float?"
"The plants will hold the boards together, and stop up the gaps," Fenrill sent, "I know my swamp plants. This particular one is good at growing thick, just as we need it."
"Don't plants absorb water?"
"Well, yes, but slowly, and we should be able to stay afloat for at least a few hours. Now, would you like me to enter your mind, as much as I regret the thought of doing so?" Fenrill stared pointedly at Rowan.
"I guess…" The young man replied nervously.
"Sit down," she commanded. Rowan kind of folded at the knees and sat. Fenrill lay across his head, her hands on his forehead. She began making a keening sound.
Wild curled up in Jimi's arms, whimpering a little.
After a moment, Rowan's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell backwards, I leapt over and managed to catch him, jarring my injured leg in the process. Pain spasmed through me, but I gritted my teeth and bore it. It was weird watching his expression twist and change, distorting as Fenrill did something inside his head. Then, suddenly, she levitated upwards, and Rowan sagged in my arms, his grey eyes opening blearily.
"Oh, it is truly an angel," he whispered.
"Yeah right," I replied. "Fenrill, what did you find out?"
"Get that thing afloat and follow me!" Fenrill commanded, and instantly we sprung into action. Jimi and I carried the boat down to the water's edge, where, true to their comments, she did float, and did not fill with water. It now looked almost as though we were floating on a little island. Rowan staggered into it, staring across the water a little glassy-eyed.
"What did she do to you?" Jimi asked.
"It hurt," he whispered. "My brain, it hurts."
"I dug into his deepest memories and brought up any I could about his Jolteon. Then I used those memories to track her. She is in the water, about fifty minutes out, that way." She pointed, perching on the prow of the boat like a strange figurehead. Wild sat beside me, in the strange craft and Jimi pushed it off, jumping in beside us. On the shore, Titus sat down and began grooming himself diligently, pretending he was not interested or in the least concerned. Rowan had recalled Mercury and Gold-whatever earlier. The Ootachi stood at the rear of the boat, watching the shore disappear, until he bored of the spectacle and trotted over to sit beside Jimi.
"He seems to like you," I commented.
"Must know I love Ootachi," the young man grinned. He had a nice smile. Indeed, although I had not liked to mention it earlier, he was indeed a most nice-looking man. Although he was at least 3, maybe more, years older then me. He reached out and stroked the Ootachi's head.
This was something even I had not tried, but the ferret Pokemon seemed to approve of him, leaning into the scratch and turning his head to give better access to the itchy spots. We then, quickly, realised the first and most pressing problem.
We had not brought any oars.
Upon realising this fact, Fenrill sighed deeply, and glanced at her sister. Wild curled up closer to Jimi, rubbing her head against his chin, meowth-fashion. The Swamp Mew shook her head dismally, and sprang from the boat, transforming into a Fearaligtr with a massive "splash". I loped one of the vines free of the boat and flung it into the air, where the large reptilian Pokemon grabbed it in her mouth. She dove beneath the water, dragging the boat behind her with rather a good turn of speed. Rowan clung to the side, and then vigorously threw up his spaghetti overboard.
"My head is splitting," he muttered, "I don't feel so good." He looked horribly pale.
"Rowan," I asked, "are you going to be okay to go down and find the Pokeball?"
"Of course I am!" He replied, trying to sound bold, despite the fact that he was plainly feeling rather sick.
"If you're not feeling well, I can do it." Jimi volunteered, scratching the Ootachi on the chin. The Ootachi leaned into his hand, and promptly fell over.
"No!" Rowan's voice had gained strength now. "She's my Pokemon, and I'll save her myself!"
Jimi glanced at me and I merely shrugged. Once Rowan had his mind set on anything I wasn't about to go and change it. I mean, Rowan and I had grown up together, and we had quite a bit in common. Our stubbornness for one. There was no way I'd let someone else rescue one of my Pokemon just cos I was feeling a little queasy.
"Here's the spot," Fenrill informed me. "Now comes the fun bit. Wild?" She glanced at her sibling, who, rather reluctantly, left Jimi's side. They conversed together for a while, politely excluding us from the conversation, and then with an audible "pop" a pink bubble formed around Rowan. It began drifting upwards, into the air. Fenrill nodded at Wild, and then transformed into a Farfetch'd, flapping into the air and beating her wings to force the bubble towards the water. Assuming the form of a Dewgong, Wild dived at the bubble, pushing it and Rowan under the water. Then the Farfetch'd transformed into a Politoad, and dove in after them.
"Well, good luck to them, I guess," I said, a little shyly, leaning back in the overgrown boat and stroking Maki's bullet-shaped head. I could tell the little Lemur was keen to go into the water, but he was also rather frightened of water. Like me, Makimur could not swim.
"Yeah," Jimi muttered. He sounded rather nervous too. "Nice 'tachi," he added, "how long ago did you catch him?"
"A week or two ago," I replied, "he kinda just decided he liked me."
"MakiMUR!"
"Okay, after I freed him from a trap and all."
"So," Jimi frowned, "you're not a Trainer? I mean, Rowan's told me a bit about you, but it kinda gets a bit hazy – he talks about a lot of girls."
"That's Rowan for you," I grinned. "Well, I am a trainer, but you can forget all of this wanting to be a Pokemon Master rubbish. I'm more what you might call a Pokefriend." A gust of wind blew over then and I shuddered, drawing closer to Jimi instinctively. It was then I noticed how dark it was, how there was no light but the moonlight shining off the sea. At least there was moonlight. For some periods of time here it was so dark that one could not see their hand in front of their face. Maki's forehead glowed very dimly – he had not been able to recharge in the last few hours, and he was shivering too. The poor Lemur-type was used to warmth, and this frigid arctic air did not agree with him.
"You don't happen to have a fire type at all?" I asked, hopefully.
Jimi shook his head. "I've only got my friend Wild," he replied. The Ootachi wrapped itself around his neck and started gnawing on his jacket. "Hey! Cut that out!"
"It means he likes you," I replied, shuddering. "So, you're not a Trainer then, I take it?"
"Nah, always wanted to be, but I guess real life caught up on me. I won this trip, had a lucky break and thought it would be wonderful, and what do you know? I end up stranded in the middle of nowhere with a psychotic love maniac and a nervous Mew. Poor Wild has been injured, else she'd be able to teleport us out of here in no time." He glanced at me, "Pokefriend, eh? That must be interesting."
"It is indeed. I've got quite a few Pokemon, have had more, but some of them I set free or gave away. Like my friend Razor. I got him from a Horsea and when he evolved into a Kingdra, I decided he was better off in the ocean."
"You let a Kingdra go? Man, those things are rare and pretty strong, you must be insane!"
I think that truly invoked my ire. "What, you mean it was better to keep him captive in a tiny ball, bringing him out only when I needed to fight off the powers of evil? If you think allowing one freedom is insane, then you are really a slave-master!"
Jimi held up his hands. "Steady girl," he said, "I was just making a point. I mean, if you're not a Trainer, yet you managed to get a Horsea to evolve into a Kingdra, you must be a pretty good fighter."
"We are indeed," I added, a little pacified. "But I don't fight for the sheer heck of it. Well, not much anyway," I added wryly, remembering the rather tragic fight that had resulted in Shadeon devolving the opponent's Flareon. "I only fight when its that or suffer greatly."
"If you only fight then, your Pokemon must be pretty weak." He pointed out, then gulped. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend you or anything…"
"Well, Jimi-boy, I will have you know that I have saved the world from disaster at least once – maybe more. And I am currently on a mission to save it a second time. My Pokemon may not fight much, but they are in no way weaklings. They are strong in spirit, and heart, and loyalty, unlike those kept captive like slaves. And, I suppose using them against Loki and Freyja a great many times has increased their skills, no end. Nothing like a battle with Team Rocket to get the fires raging!"
"Okay, I understand that a Kingdra might not be too useful on the land, and might not get much exercise. What other Pokemon have you released or given away?"
I counted them slowly. "First there was Spiko, my Nidorino, he ran off with a lady friend in order to help save a colony of Nidoran. And I don't see how you can claim I did a bad thing there without coming across as horribly selfish."
Jimi nodded, waiting for the next one.
"And then there was Snuggles. He was a Buru, I think you guys call them a Snubbull. Anyway, I gave him to an orphanage, to help a disturbed child. And you can't blame me there, he was much better at being a friend then a fighter anyway."
Once again, Jimi had to agree with me.
"My friend Kameron," I blushed a little at the mention of his name, feeling silly for doing so, "he had his Flareon evolve into this powerful Pokemon of Light, so that it could help rid the world of Diaboleon." I pondered for a moment, "make that saved the world twice, at least," I added.
"I guess that's a worthy cause," he chuckled, and I think he suspected I was exaggerating, but was too polite to mention.
"I had a baby Articuno for a while, but it evolved so I had to let it go."
"Now I know you're jerking my chain!" He exclaimed, "I mean, a baby Articuno? Don't be ridiculous, those don't exist!"
I shrugged, "don't believe me then. It still happened. Actually, that happened before the Solareon, but don't worry." I pondered, thinking back to all my Pokemon friends, "and of course Nessie. She was a sweetie. My Lapras friend."
"You let a Lapras go? Oh man, no wonder you're not a Trainer! I've heard about them, read about them – they're amazing!"
"I never pretended to be a Trainer. I said I was a Pokefriend! She found herself a mate and I couldn't deny her that, could I? Would you refuse to let one of your friends spend time with a member of the opposite gender just because it was better for you?"
"Well, when you put it like that…" Jimi relented, although I think it was partly because he was starting to see that pushing me further might result in him having to learn to swim. Fast.
"Anyway, how do you think Rowan's doing?" I asked, wanting to change the subject…
*
(Look! This is from Rowan's point of view, because, well, otherwise you have to listen to Jimi and I bicker, and once we get started on why wild Pokemon are stronger then captive Pokemon – or vice versa, you REALLY would rather be where the action is.)
My head was throbbing from the Mew's brain scanning technique, but there was no way I was going to give up and let Jimi or Kat save my Electra. I mean, Jimi's a nice guy, and Kat's a sweet girl, and pretty sexy too, but Electra is my friend! And if anyone was going to save her, it was me. The bubble was weird, but I could breathe okay, and that was the important bit. Pushing the bubble along was a beautiful white Dewgong and an emerald green frog-type, the likes of which I hadn't actually seen before, although I had heard of them. A Politoad. I expected it to be dark beneath the water, but after a little while I realised I could see, and a little bit later I realised why… Wild had transformed into a Lanturn, the light on her forehead glowing as brightly as a lamp. It was the brightest light I had seen, in these dark days.
After we had gone down a distance I felt my ears pop, and winced as a stabbing pain shot through my head. That had hurt! Not to mention that it was compounded by the pain from the brain scan earlier. And then I began to see signs of life. Not Magikarp, which were common closer to shore or in inland streams, but the glowing lights of Chonchou and the slowly moving, almost flying, shape of a Maintain, a Remoraid clinging to its wing, hitching a free ride. It was like a mystical, magical underwater world. And then we went deeper. Beneath me I saw the shape of the sunken luxury liner. It lay on the ocean bed, a sorrowful, dead shape.
"Well, we're here," Fenrill sent to me, and I winced at her telepathic voice. "Looks rather a mess, doesn't it? You'll have to take it yourself from here."
And suddenly the bubble vanished, and for a moment I startled and gasped, then realised that I could still breathe. And I could still see pink. Resting around my head and shoulders was a smaller, equally protective, bubble and the water, which should be frigid, seemed to be warm. Well, at least now I could swim… I stroked my way towards the liner, whilst Wild, still a Lanturn, swam beside me, her light illuminating my path, for otherwise the world would be complete darkness. It took me a while to find an entrance.
"I cannot stay in salt water much longer," Fenrill sent to me, "I must return to the surface. But don't worry – Wild will call me when you have found your Pokemon and wish to return to the surface. Until then, remember that the bubble will not last for more then twenty minutes. It is a thing of the fresh water, not the sea, and cannot withstand the salt for that long. Wild lacks the power to create such a thing. She is still weak, from her previous experience. But you can trust her, for she will call to me, won't you sister?"
"I shall," Wild's voice was thinner, frailer, then her sister's. She circled around me. "Follow child."
Feeling all the more anxious, I followed, glancing at my watch, only to find that I had forgotten it was not waterproof and didn't work anyway. It probably would've helped if I'd removed my shoes and socks too. Swimming was not easy, even when one could breathe, if one was wearing too much clothing. Still, needs must… I began to stroke towards the prowl of the ship, where I knew the nearest doors to be.
Inside, the ship was somewhat eerie. It was the darkness, the fact that everything was drowned and seemed ancient somehow. It had been several months since we had been stranded – enough time for Corsola to set up home on every flat surface. The Coral Pokemon watched me with unblinking eyes as I swam between them, down the flooded corridors. It was harder to find my cabin then I had suspected. Especially since I had been on the lowest floor, in the worker's cabins. This appeared to be the luxury level, or so the carpeted hallways and golden numbers adorning the doors would suggest. I could not resist peeking in a couple of rooms. They were somewhat less fashionable now, infested with Corsola and the occasional Chonchou. Maybe I would have considered capturing one, but neither a Ninetails nor a Pidgeot would be particularly effective down here. Anyways, what use were fish Pokemon? They couldn't fight in most terrain.
There were a couple of rings sitting on the dresser top, so I shoved them into my pocket. You never know when that sort of thing might come in useful. Hrm, perhaps I could ask Kat to marry me, particularly if she truly had ditched that Team Rocket kid. The thought of him made my skin crawl. I mean, after all he had done to hurt her, how could she still claim to love him?
Which led me to the next point. Where was he? I had got the impression from the few messages she had sent my way, that the two of them were inseparable. Yet here she was, in the wilderness, all alone. Was he looking for her? Or perhaps, and I almost dared not hope. Perhaps they had broken up? Perhaps she had seen that Team Rocket scum will always be Team Rocket scum…
She was a pretty young lady, even if we had been raised together, I mean, that didn't mean I couldn't admire her, right? Perhaps feature her in my dreams every so often?
My reverie was disturbed, probably a good thing, when suddenly something grabbed me about the middle, and dragged me towards the ensuite. (These luxury cabins had ensuites, that's how fancy they were!). I struggled, but was unable to free myself, so I screamed at Wild to help me, and she tried, she began to glow and suddenly a spark zapped out, hitting the Octillary that had me wrapped in its tentacles. I hammered at it with one hand, since I could feel nasty little barbs tearing through my drenched clothing. Unfortunately, for me, when the lightning bolt hit it, it kinda conducted the electricity into me as well, since it was holding me. Pain exploded through my body…
And for a moment everything went black. I don't know how long I was unconscious for, but when I regained consciousness, Wild hovered over me, Mew form again. She gently touched my face and clothing.
"Did I hurt you?" She whispered, in my mind.
"No, that's okay…" I clambered to my feet, floating upwards. The bubble felt weaker. I guessed I probably had maybe five minutes left. I definitely had to make haste. Electra would be in my cabin, that was where I had to look. "Can you transform into a form that will help me move fast?" I asked.
Wild experimented with a few forms, eventually settling for a Mantain. I clambered onto her back, taking firm hold of her shoulders, or whatever fish had for shoulders, and directed her in my head. I knew she could read my thoughts.
I think it still took a good three minutes to reach my quarters, and there, wedged beneath the bed, was Electra's Pokeball. I could've kissed it, but I didn't – I didn't want to look silly in front of the Mew.
And then I began to swim out again. By now the bubble felt very thin indeed and my socks were so waterlogged I could barely move my feet.
*
(Back to me again. And if you're wondering about the more personal details of above, Wild told me. Like all Mew, she can read minds. For better or worse…)
"Seriously, a Pokemon that views any other Pokemon as competition would not be accepted into a wild society."
"Of course it would! Pokemon aren't stupid, they know a stronger specimen when they see it!"
"And a tamed Pokemon doesn't know how to hunt. They're used to being healed from any injuries only moments after sustaining them, and they don't try to kill their opponent. They've been trained not to."
"But they'd learn easily enough.."
As you can see, Jimi and I were still arguing. The Ootachi sat on his lap watching the argument fly back and forth as though it were a physical thing. He kept grinning.
"Wild Pokemon are stronger – they have to cope with predation, and fighting for mates and sudden changes in temperature, not to mention having to hunt for food, whereas all tame Pokemon have to cope with is being fed twice a day, brought out occasionally for controlled battles in a situation where they know they aren't going to be killed, and being healed immediately from their injuries. Wild Pokemon have to survive their injuries."
"Yeah, therefore they are less healthy then an escaped Trained Pokemon."
There was no convincing some people. It was a pity he didn't have any Pokemon – it would've been an interesting competition, and I was almost ready to fight him too. Just to make my point, understand.
Domestic pets better able to survive then wild Pokemon, my foot!
*
(And back to the action)
I was just about to halfway out of the liner when I realised that my bubble, so to speak, was about to burst. In a last desperate move, I inhaled deeply, causing the bubble to vanish with a loud "pop" and tried to hold my breath. The water was so cold it burned, searing through my skin with such intricate pain I felt as though I had fallen in a vat of broken glass.
Call Fenrill! I thought furiously, hoping that either Wild or Fenrill would pick up on that one.
Wild transformed into a Dolfin, a mammalian Pokemon renowned for moving fast. She swam under me, and I grabbed her dorsal fin as she exploded upwards. There was no time to worry about the depth, or my eardrums, no time to worry about anything but getting to the surface.
Already I could feel that I was losing the oxygen in my lungs, and it took every effort not to inhale the water, for if I did, I would surely drown, whether Wild carried me to the surface or not.
*
(and me again…)
"Hey, what's that!" Jimi disturbed our argument just as it was getting fun. He pointed mutely at something in the water. The moonlight glinted off a dorsal fin…
I fossicked in my pocket for the Pokedex, only to realise that Kameron, of course, owned the cursed thing. There was a definite negative intent in the way the fin cut swiftly through the water towards us.
It wasn't an Orka was it? Please oh god, don't let it be an Orka!
It wasn't. It was worse.
*
(tense part to cut on, eh?)
Before I could properly burst my eardrums, Fenrill came rocketing down to meet us. She was a Politoad again. The bubble formed around me and suddenly I was not only able to breathe, but also blissfully surrounded by air, not water. How she did it I have no idea, nor did I particularly care.
"We must make haste, a school of Squalrush have sensed us, and even now are making their way towards the boat."
"What's a Squalrush?"
I didn't have to wait long for an answer, for suddenly the Shark Pokemon sliced through the water like a guided missile, twisting its body so that its open mouth closed on poor Wild. Since she was a Dolfin, it obviously hadn't recognised her. Since even dumb fish Pokemon should recognise the Guardian of the Oceans (and I'm not talking Lugia here, folks).
She transformed instantly, assuming her normal Mew form, and tapped the fish on the snout with her tail. Its eyes glazed over and it let her go, floating listlessly in the water as though thoroughly stunned. After a moment it began to sink. Blood trickled weakly from the Mew's damaged body. Mews were immortal, but could still take damage, especially when the damage was incurred by their own subjects. Fenrill started pushing my bubble towards the surface.
The blood in the water began drawing further shark Pokemon towards us…
As we broke the surface, I saw with horror that Kat and Jimi were clinging to the boat, the plants which had held it together had begun to disintegrate, and the vessel was slowly beginning to sink. Around them the water teemed with the fins of Squalrush and their slashing tails.
I was quite proud to notice, that although she was obviously terrified, Kat did not scream. She was a brave girl, and, in her fear, appeared all the more vulnerable and appealing. For a moment there I longed to hold her, to calm her.
Then my bubble burst. Literally.
*
(Now, after Rowan's rather disgusting POV, I'm sure you'll be glad to here things from my side of the story again.)
When the boat had started breaking apart, Jimi and I had decided to desist our argument. I was also beginning to wish I had hung onto Razor, as the young man had advised. Or Nessie… But it was too late for regrets now. The Ootachi had climbed up onto his head, and was snarling at the Squalrush as though that would somehow frighten them away. They did not seem particularly easily convinced. One came near and I struck it with my crutch (I'd hung onto these, of course). Semi-stunned, it grabbed a chunk of boat instead of me, which was, I guess, lucky in some ways, although the moment the boat went would be the moment that we went.
Suddenly a bubble holding Rowan erupted from the water, the exploded, sending him tumbling into the ocean with a splash. Chill water sprayed us.
Well, desperate measures…
"Chiko, Dragosi!" I called out my Pokemon, hoping they could survive the cold air and even colder water. "Chiko, pull Rowan from the water!" Chiko wrapped her vines obediently about the young man, sensing that now was not the time to disobey.
"Wild! Can you send them away!" Jimi shrieked, as his Mew friend erupted from the water and into his arms. Her chest, I noted was stained with blood.
She threw back her head, unleashing a mighty "mmmmmmeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww!"
Instantly, the turmoil in the water ceased, and the Squalrush all vanished, sensing that if they lingered their Guardian might unleash her wrath against them.
I guess…
It was at that precise moment that the vines holding the boat together finally gave in, and the boards, warped and twisted, gave in, sending all of us into the chilling water.
As Rowan had already noted, the water was so cold it was like a solid thing. Something with knives attached. I found the air catching in my lungs, my entire body screaming with pain. And then Dragosi, hovering in the air above us, scooped me out and somehow I managed to crawl onto his back.
Wild, on the other hand, managed to catch Jimi before he even fell in the water by assuming the form of a Lapras. He clung desperately to her neck, whilst the Ootachi shook itself furiously.
With amazing presence of mind, I managed to draw out the Pokeball I never used, Maki's ball, and somehow recalled him, beaming him into the prison he hated so much. It probably helped that he had been crouching on a piece of timber, that had been tipping precariously.
"Fenrill! Grab Rowan and Chiko!" I screeched, as the little grass type strained to drag the young man onto the only piece of boat that remained above the water. The Mew took on the form of Blastoise – the largest Pokemon she could mimic, and dived under them, surfacing with Chiko braced against her cannon pumps and Rowan sprawled across her back. He was not moving, the only thing keeping him aboard was the Chikorita's vine whip.
"To shore!" I ordered Dragosi, and already his wings were starting to ice over a bit. In near desperation, we all set out towards the shore, and the warmth of Mercury.
*
"He's so cold," I whispered, placing my hand on Rowan's chest, trying to feel a heartbeat. "How long was he in the water for?"
"Too long," Wild replied, "I think his heart is frozen. If it makes you feel better, his last thought was of you."
"No!" I shouted, "it doesn't! It doesn't make me feel any better at all! He's the closest I ever had to a brother and I can't let him die."
Fenrill hovered close to his face. "I'm afraid you're too late."
I threw a cup at her, and it actually hit. I don't think the Mew had expected it. She bounced against the wall, catching herself in time and glared at me.
"Sorry for just stating the truth," she snarled.
Beside me Jimi anxiously covered Rowan in blankets and put a pillow under his head. The Ootachi rubbed against his face, as though trying to give some of his warmth to the boy on death's door. Mercury watched anxious, annoyed at us for refusing her close access to her Trainer. We had stripped off all of Rowan's soaking clothes, and I had averted my eyes whilst Jimi had covered certain delicate parts of his anatomy with a blanket, and I, wearing only my underclothing (which had somehow escaped getting soaked – I guess I had not quite been in the water long enough) lay beside him. Because, as Jimi had pointed out, when one suffered from intense cold, it was necessary not to give them sudden heat. Body heat worked best.
And somehow I doubted he was going to be first to volunteer to crawl beneath a sheet with a naked man. Or nearly naked, anyhow.
"His heart has stopped," Fenrill, obviously thinking herself a medical doctor, declared. "If there is someway to start it again, I would suggest you try that now."
I felt the tears spring to my eyes. They had been collecting in my eyes ever since we had got Rowan ashore and realised he was not going to wake up. Now they finally spilled over.
Jimi put his hand on my shoulder. "Can't you do anything?" He asked the Mews.
"We cannot restore life, merely heal the damage already done," Fenrill replied. "And Kataryna's talents can heal, but not start the heart."
Suddenly Jimi's eyes brightened. "Doesn't Rowan have a Jolteon? Isn't that what we saved?"
I felt hope welling in my heart for the first time. If we could start his heart again, surely I could heal him from there. "It's in his jacket pocket!" I could not believe we had forgotten Electra, after we had gone all that way to find her! Risked so much!
Rather swiftly, Jimi unearthed the Pokeball, "go Electra!" He shouted, and the lightning Eon sprang out, instantly running to Rowan's side. I drew back the sheet, exposing Rowan's chest. He was somewhat more muscular then Kameron, but I pretended not to notice. "Electra, use a thundershock to start his heart again!"
Electra narrowed her eyes at me, "jol?"
"He's dead, but if you can start his heart again, we can save him!"
"Jol jol!" That was enough for the loyal Jolteon. I moved quickly out of the way as she unleashed an electric attack that seemed to disappear into Rowan's chest. Leaving a small smoking hole. Anxiously, I put my hands on his throat, searching for a pulse. Somewhat disgruntled at having been pushed aside, Electra began licking his face.
After a desperate race of despair, I felt something, a soft fluttering, like a dying bird and almost as erratic. His heart had begun again. Now, it was my turn… Placing one hand over his heart, drawing the blanket over us both, I tipped his head back, parting his lips. And, whilst I called on the healing powers I knew I had, I also breathed oxygen into his lungs.
Suddenly, with a great gasp, he spasmed, rolling over on his side, and spat out mouthfuls of cold, salty water.
"Mama, I'm so cold…" He whispered. "So cold." And his voice was slurred, but I knew that he would be alright.
Now it was my turn to pass out, exhausted from the healing energies I had spent.
*
When I awoke, I was lying not in a dark, miserable cave, but in my own bed, back at the university. For a moment I thought everything had been a dream, a terrible, complicated dream, but when I sat up (still feeling giddy) I realised that Jimi was sitting on my spare bed.
"Wha?" I asked, coherantly, whilst Maki threw himself into my arms, nuzzling my face excitedly.
"Fenrill found your chocolate supply," Jimi explained, "and teleported us all here. Nice place, by the way, do you always live with so many Pokemon?"
Flora was industriously suckling one of his fingers whilst one of her rowdy brothers was playing with his pony tail.
"Yeh," I slurred, feeling as if my tongue were a mile thick. Jimi, as though picking up on my discomfit, handed me a glass of water, which I sipped gratefully. "How's Rowan?" I asked, finding my throat worked at last.
"In hospital," he replied, "but he's going to be okay. Looks like we got the oxygen to his brain just in time. Luckily it was cold, he was literally cryogenically frozen. Otherwise he'd still be alive, but he wouldn't be him anymore."
"Can I see him?"
"In a minute," Jimi scolded, "firstly I think there's someone here who wants to see you."
Reality struck me again. It had to be Kameron. "Let him in."
I was wrong, and sorely disappointed, it was Doctor Warwick.
"Been getting up to mischief, have you?" He scolded me, mockingly, "entertaining boys in your room again, eh?" He grinned. "Don't go doing that again, I warn you! Kameron, Freyja and I were worried stiff when you disappeared without us, and without telling us where you were going. And then we find you've been taking a dip in the Arctic sea."
"Did you come here to tell me off?" I said, somewhat grumpily, "because if that is the case, then I think I need my rest."
"Sorry," the Doctor replied, wrapping his arms around me. "But you terrified us! I mean, you're like a daughter to me. Only, I'm not really old enough to have a daughter." He added. "Anyway, it was all I could do to keep Kameron from bursting the door down. I've had to, err, forcibly restrain him. But I have to know, Kat, why did you run off without us?"
I glanced at Jimi, and he immediately nodded and left the room. There were some things I did not wish to say in front of semi-strangers.
"I, I don't think he loves me anymore," I sobbed, feeling ashamed for letting myself go in front of Frances. The Doctor sat beside me, and wrapped his arms around me.
"Is this about Freyja?" He asked. "Because I assure you, Kameron's friendship with her is purely platonic. He loves you. I mean, he hasn't slept since you vanished, and if it weren't for the fact that you could have been anywhere in the world, he would have chased after you. In fact, I think he was planning to, although lord knows how he was going to work out where you were."
I gulped. "I don't know if I can face him." And in truth, I felt very foolish. And rather ashamed in myself. I mean, had I not just proven that I did not trust him?
"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter," Doctor Warwick replied. "For if I were to try and stop him he would probably beat me to a pulp and visit you anyway. So I really am not willing to try."
He stood up, and walked over to the door. Kameron must have been standing outside the whole time, although I doubted he could hear what we had said. He darted in immediately.
I didn't know what to say, and as soon as I saw the look of worry on his face, the dampness on his tanned cheeks and the love in his eyes, I realised there was nothing to be said.
I opened my arms, and let him enfold me.