Chapter 13: Mission - Recovery
Everyone was in position. Rikki would power one column while Pikachu would power the other, then take over for Rikki once he had depleted his energy. Cerberus had an incredibly heavy and large sandwich tied to her tail, which was long enough to drag it on the ground, even when she was running. Naria would work at the column and attempt to get a lock-on, but if she couldn't get it in fifteen minutes, they would have to abort the mission.
Pikachu and Rikki nodded to each other, and began a thunderbolt. All the systems in the portal columns fired up, and Naria quickly began to work at the machinery.
Naria began broadcasting what she was doing. "Beginning to locate target," she said. "Scanning dimension in close range."
Several minutes passed before something occurred. At that moment, Laguna dashed in and glared at Ash. "There you are!" he shouted. "I don't know how you got past me, but—"
"Shhh," Ash commented. "Do you wish to save your friend or not?"
"I'm more concerned how you got past me," Laguna growled.
"Warles," Ash suddenly said, "contact your leader. Have Laguna out of the way until Kevin is retrieved."
"Is that necessary?" Warles asked.
"I certainly could appreciate the silence," Naria said irritably.
"Fine then," Warles remarked. Laguna went on to say something else, but he wasn't halfway through his threat before he suddenly disappeared.
"Thanks," Naria commented, unaware of what happened. She resumed her broadcasting. "Subject not located within short range. Increasing sensor range and scanning as size increases."
In between dimensions, Kevin was drifting in and out of consciousness. Though his body was suited for the turbulence, hunger and thirst also was affecting his mind. One moment he would see nothing but drifting color, the next he would float next to a portal with a color 'curtain' over it. He had seen so many worlds and so many different creatures and inventions that he thought his eyes would disintegrate.
I can't fly, I can't walk, and I can't swim through this dimension, Kevin thought. The only way I can move is what current takes me, and that I can't even choose. And to make things worse, every time I go by one of these portals, I'm always haunted by the vision of me stranded there forever. I just can't make it stop. He turned his head and stared off into space. Why, I almost feel like I'll die out here before they can find me. I can imagine them, working to get me back at the portal…
Kevin shook his head. Why did I just think that?!? He wondered. He looked back in the direction before another current flipped him again.
No way! There's the portal!! He exclaimed. Naria? They are trying to get me! Please hurry… with that, he lost consciousness again.
Back through the portal, something flashed on the column. "I've found the target!" Naria exclaimed. She began working hard. Ten minutes had already passed, and they only had so long to get a lock-on. "Beginning target lock-on now!"
"Is it standard procedure to announce what you're doing?" Mirmik asked.
"No, but it's better this way," Naria explained as she worked the many buttons on the column. "If I manage to build the bridge to Kevin, Cerberus can immediately get to work."
"I see…"
13 minutes.
"Got him!" Naria exclaimed. "Building the bridge…"
Suddenly, the lights on the column began to flicker. Ash realized before Naria what was occurring. "Rikki and Pikachu," he said, "You're going to have to increase the energy supply. If you don't, the bridge will fail."
"Got it," Rikki said. He and Pikachu increased their energy.
14 minutes.
"Bridge built!" Naria exclaimed. "Opening portal!"
"I… I can do this…" Rikki commented. He was beginning to show signs of fatigue. The increase of supplied electricity had cut his time down to twenty minutes.
"Portal opened!" Naria motioned to Cerberus. "Go now!!"
15 minutes. Cerberus dashed through the portal to reach the wayward Kevin.
The bridge was far longer than the one to Naria's world. Kevin had drifted so far away from the portal that to Cerberus he appeared to be an ant. However, she knew the risks, and had to hurry.
17 minutes.
"Come on, Cerberus!" Mirmik cheered. "You can do it!"
Cerberus reached Kevin and tried to wake him. "Come on, Kevin!" She said. Realizing that he may not be unconscious because of the dimension, she heaved him over her shoulder, grunting from the additional weight. "Man, you're heavier than you look!"
19 minutes.
Rikki was beginning to tremble at every joint. He was even having a hard time standing. "I… have to… keep it open…" he said, stumbling over the words.
"Just hang in there, Rikki!" Mirmik remarked. "Cerberus is only halfway back! We can't lose them now!"
20 minutes.
"I… must…" Rikki managed to say before collapsing completely. He had used up all of his electrical energy, and so the fatigue knocked him cold.
"Pikachu!" Ash commanded. "Now it's up to you! Keep the column at full power!"
"CHUUU!!!!" Pikachu shouted, increasing his electrical output. The cry was forced, and everyone knew that if Cerberus didn't get through soon, they would lose her and Kevin.
21 minutes.
Cerberus was barely three-fourths of the way back. She knew the time. "Naria!" she shouted. "Do you need to do anything else?"
"No," Naria answered. "Why?"
"Your cables!" Cerberus shouted. "Fire one out here and drag him back!!"
"Good idea," Naria commented. Reaching out her hand, she fired a cable from her wrist and into Cerberus's hand. Cerberus wrapped it around Kevin's waist, still walking forward, and threw him as far as she could toward the portal. She herself then dashed toward the entrance.
"We're almost finished, Pikachu," Ash remarked. "Keep at it. You are capable of it."
"Chuuu…"
Naria was pulling in Kevin as fast as possible. It wasn't as fast as Cerberus's natural run, but it was faster than the hybrid carrying him.
22 minutes had just ended.
Kevin's foot poked through the portal. "Grab him!" Naria shouted.
Everyone except for Ash, Pikachu, and Rikki helped to pull Kevin in through the portal. His wings were barely through before Pikachu's electrical supply diminished, causing the bridge to shatter, the column to power down, and the portal to close all at once. By that time, everyone except for Ash was shaking, either from nervousness or from fatigue.
Another minute passed before anyone said anything. "Give Kevin some breathing room," Ash said, breaking the silence.
Everyone backed away, and Kevin woke up once again. He was a quick learner, and the first thing he noticed was that he was on hard ground. Quickly looking around, he let the view sink in before he broke down and began kissing the floor, no matter how embarrassing it looked. "Home!" he shouted. "Home!"
"And food," Cerberus added, taking the sandwich off her tail and handing it to Kevin. "Hungry?"
"Thank you," Kevin said gratefully, and began to eat it messily. Eventually, he stopped, and looked embarrassed. "Man, I'm probably making a fool of myself…"
"Don't worry about it too much, Kevin," Warles sighed. "You have this moment. We're all just glad you're back and not dead!"
"Including I," Ash added. "It's good to see you once again."
"Me too," Kevin said, not realizing who it was.