Mark walked down several halls within the Team Aqua base to his boss' office and when he finally reached it, he knocked.
"Come in." A voice called from within the room.
Mark now reached out his hand and turned the doorknob and entered Archie's office.
When Archie saw Mark, he immediately began expecting for little Arinia to be hanging back behind Mark like she usually did when Mark brought her into their base. This time however, Arinia wasn't there and that worried Archie.
"Mark, where's Arinia?" Archie inquired.
"That's what I came to see you about, Team Magma captured her and carried her off to be their prisoner, and I don't know where they took her...."
Archie jumped to his feet, "You've got to be kidding me! That's terrible..... Poor little Arinia, she must be terrified....."
Mark nodded sadly since the loss of his girlfriend to Team Magma had hit him hard.
Archie looked at Mark and saw that Mark was trying not to go to pieces over losing Arinia to Team Magma so he said, "Mark, I think they took her to their base in Lilycove. That might be a good place to start looking, though they might have taken her there and then moved her to another one of their bases."
Mark nodded and then asked, "What are we going to do?"
"Try to find and rescue little Arinia. She doesn't deserve to be a prisoner at the merciless hands of Team Magma but in your loving arms where I think she truly belongs." Archie said thoughtfully.
Mark smiled but that smile quickly faded at the thought of what was to come.
"I will get a squad to meet you at the entrance to our base who will go with you to help you track down Team Magma and find your sweetheart." Archie said.
Mark nodded and Archie smiled. "Good. Now go to the entrance and the squad should meet you there in a couple of minutes." Archie said still smiling while trying to keep Mark's spirits up.
Mark nodded and left Archie's office and headed to the entrance to wait for the squad to join him there.
A few minutes later, the squad joined Mark and they set out on a mission that they called "Find and Rescue Arinia".
Meanwhile, the Team Magma grunts were still keeping a close eye on Arinia even though she was sound asleep and had no idea that they were even there beside her as they drove to take her to where she would be offered to Groudon. Shortly afterward, an Admin got up and walked over to where Arinia was and where the grunts were gathered around her.
The grunt looked at the Admin before he asked, "Alright, look...even if we DO wake up Groudon, how are we going to subdue it long enough to capture it?!"
"That's not what we're trying to do! We're giving him the girl in exchange for a wish the boss wants granted!" The other Admin shot back.
"So!? Snag a Legendary in the process! The boss will thank us with everything he has!" The grunt said.
"SHUT UP! You'll wake her up!" The Admin shot back annoyed
Arinia shifted in her sleep and moaned a bit.
"Dammit! See!?" The Admin exclaimed.
Arinia opened her eyes and trembled in fear at the sight of them beside her.
"Oh, damn...now look what you did!" The Admin exclaimed.
Arinia drew back scared that he would hurt her.
"Kid, go back to sleep, and just ignore us." The Admin told Arinia in a stern tone of voice.
Arinia trembled at the sound of his voice and shook uncontrollably.
The Admin looked at Arinia sharply. "Just go back to sleep. We don't need a kid interrupting our plans. You'll be useful in ONE STAGE of this plan, but that's IT."
Arinia gulped and didn't know whether to obey him or be defiant.
"You got it...KID...?" The Admin asked her sharply.
The grunt called out his Altaria and had it sing Arinia back to sleep. Arinia's eyelids fluttered as she tried to stay awake, but that attempt was useless and before long she was sound asleep again.
"Whew...she's asleep...now, we were saying..." The Admin said.
"How far are we from our destination?" The grunt inquired.
"About a mile..." The Admin replied.
"And how far is it from where she'll be offered to Groudon?" The grunt asked.
"Further than that." The Admin replied.
"How much further from there?" The grunt asked while starting to get bored.
"Several miles..." The Admin replied with a sigh.
"So when we get there, do we give Groudon the girl, get Maxie's wish granted and then leave the girl there to die?" The grunt inquired.
"Yes." The Admin replied.
"We're going to leave her there to die?" The grunt said in disbelief.
"Of course!" The Admin replied.
"Does she deserve that? Wouldn't be better if we just kept her prisoner?" The grunt asked.
"Hmm...That works too, I suppose." The Admin said thoughtfully.
"So what are we going to do with her?" The grunt asked again.
"Leave her there for a little while...and then come back and take her prisoner." The Admin replied.
"What will we do with her once we have her again?" The grunt asked.
"We'll see what happens when we get there." The Admin replied.
About fifteen minutes later, they arrived at their destination and their van stopped and everyone got out and unloaded Arinia from the back of the van.
"Good, now let's go find that altar we need to lay her on to make Groudon grant my wish." Maxie said grinning evilly.
"Right...lead the way, boss..." The Admin replied.
Maxie nodded and began walking towards a large slab of rock that lay about 50 yards away. They were ten yards from their goal when Arinia woke up again and began making a fuss while trying to free herself to escape.
"Calm down, kid..." The Admin said.
Arinia shook her head quickly so a grunt restrained her and held her to her little bed they were carrying her in while the Admin got a tranquilizer ready to give her.
"Alright, look. You stop moving, and I don't stick this tranquilizer in you! You keep squirmin', and in it goes." The Admin threatened menacingly.
Arinia trembled in fear.
The Admin stuck the tranquilizer in her arm as he said, You're feeling very sleepy..."
Arinia screamed.
"Why hasn't she passed out by now?" A grunt asked.
"Give her another one of a higher dosage." Maxie replied heartlessly.
Arinia looked scared.
"Right." The Admin said as he reached into a pouch and pulled out a larger one, then he stuck her in the arm with it.
Arinia tried to stay awake but this time the tranquilizer overpowered her and she slipped back into a deep sleep.
"Hahahaha!" The Admin said laughing.
"Now come on, we're almost there. We won't have any more interruptions with her being sound asleep." Maxie said on, everyone." The Admin said.
The Admin began to walk towards the shrine behind Maxie. The grunts brought up the rear carrying Arinia's little bed while she slept in what seemed like peace but hid what had put her there to begin with. They kept walking until they reached the rock altar Maxie had read about and told them about.
"Here it is, bring forth the girl." Maxie said smiling evilly.
The two Grunts carrying Arinia came forward, took out Arinia and put her on the shrine.
Arinia was now lying on the stone altar while they all looked at her, not caring that where she was laying was uncomfortable.
"Groudon, if you can hear me come on out, we've brought you a little girl like the prophecy so tells." Maxie yelled while trying to sound friendly.
"Yes...please come, Groudon..." The Admin said.
The ground started to shake as a large pokemon began to emerge from a cavern a little ways from the shine and made its way over to them.
"You know, I wasn't expecting that was going to work." The Admin said shaking his head.
Groudon lumbered over to the shrine and looked down at Arinia where she slept on the hard uneven surface of the altar. Groudon nodded his head at the sight of the girl and turned back to Team Magma.
"How is the girl?" The Admin asked.
Groudon roared a "she's fine now get to the point" kind of roar.
"Yes...Groudon...I wish for the world's landmass to increase so there will be more space for humans and Pokémon alike!" Maxie said, in a determined voice.
Groudon growled an "it will be done", but he actually meant that he would do nothing of the sort.
Four grunts made their way up to where Arinia laid on the altar and tried to recapture her while she slept and Groudon wasn't looking.
"Come on, let's scram!" Muttered Maxie.
"And leave the girl?" The Admin questioned.
"No, no, take her!" Maxie screamed.
"Yes Sir." A grunt said.
The grunts seized Arinia and put her back in the little bed and carried her away from the shrine and back to where Maxie and the rest of the group was. Groudon saw what they were trying to do and tried to stop them from taking her, but there wasn't much he could do to help the poor girl.
"Good, we have her again, now let's get out of here and head back to our base so that we can lock her up again." Maxie said to his group while he grinned evilly.
Arinia stirred, her eyes opening. Noticing where she was, she gave a strangled cry for help. Groudon roared and came their way trying to save Arinia from Team Magma. Arinia looked around as best as she could from her little bed and then she saw something that made her heart skip a beat. Running towards her as fast as his legs could carry him was Mark with his group following closely behind him. Mark had his Politoed out and Arinia couldn't help smiling despite how groggy she felt. Mark got close enough and then had his Politoed use Psychic to lift the bed she was laying on out of the Team Magma grunt's hands and then had it float her bed over to where he and his teammates were. Mark ordered Politoed to lower Arinia to the ground and then to stand guard lest Team Magma try anything. Mark ran to her and knelt beside her and moved her from her little bed so that he was cradling her in his arms as he hugged her.
"Arinia, I'm so glad you're alright." Mark said hugging her tighter.
Arinia smiled tiredly since she still felt very groggy from the tranquilizers Team Magma had given her. Mark continued to hold Arinia and then kissed her on the forehead and then laid her back into her little bed so that she could rest.
"AAARGH!! Get them, everyone!" cried Maxie. Maxie and the rest of Team Magma that was with him began to run towards the place Mark and Arinia were.
"Hurry! Grab a corner of her bed and let's get out of here!" Mark said to his teammates urgently.
"Don't let them escape!" shouted Maxie. Maxie released a Mightyena, which chased Mark and his teammates.
Arinia looked scared, "Mark! Don't let them get me!"
A huge burst of flame came from a Admin's Camerupt. "Everyone! Send out Pokémon and attack!" The Admin ordered.
Mark looked at Arinia before he said, "Don't worry, sweetheart, I won't let them take you again."
Flashes of white light came from Pokéballs. Many Fire and Dark types came out, such as Numel, Camerupt, Torchic, Combusken, Blaziken, Murkrow, Poochyena and Mightyena.
Mark looked at Arinia before he asked, "Arinia can you run, or are you too tired?"
"I'm too tired...I'm sorry, Mark." Arinia said sadly.
"Will you be okay if I carry you?" Mark asked her.
"That's fine," gasped Arinia, "but they're close...hurry..."
Mark's teammates set down her bed and Mark grabbed her quickly and bundled her into a blanket and positioned her in his arms, then Mark and his teammates started running away from Team Magma.
Maxie pulled out a normal handgun and starting shooting at them. "Do anything in your power to STOP THEM!!!!"
"Boss! Be careful! You might kill the girl!" A grunt cried.
"I know that! I'm shooting for the guy carrying her!" Maxie replied annoyed.
"Boss! What do we need her for? I thought we didn't need her anymore." The grunt questioned.
Maxie paused and lowered his gun. "Erm...eh...that's..."
"What should we do, boss?" The grunt asked.
"We never release a prisoner! Remember! Now chase!" Maxie ordered.
Mark and his teammates were almost to the waterfront where their ship was moored.
Maxie released the final shot in his clip. It traveled...and traveled...
"AH!" Mark cried as the bullet hit him in the shoulder. Mark was reeling in pain and dropped Arinia and she landed hard on the ground.
"HA!" Maxie ran forward and picked up Arinia. "Now I have you..."
"HELP!" Arinia cried terrified.
Maxie covered her mouth with his hand. "Shut up!"
An Admin came over to Maxie with another tranquilizer in his hand.
"Good, good! Stab her, damn it!" Maxie cried.
One of Mark's teammates had his Swampert use Water Gun on the Admin and another had their Walrein use Ice Beam on Maxie's hands and feet.
"What the fu...!?" Maxie struggled. "Damn it! Get me out!"
A Team Aqua grunt ran over and lifted Arinia out of Maxie's arms and then ran away from them towards their ship. An Executive came to help Maxie by using his Combusken to melt the ice covering Maxie's hands and feet. Many of Mark's teammates helped him up and helped him to their ship. The Team Aqua grunt carrying Arinia ran after them and when he reached their ship, he quickly boarded it.
"God damn it! They escaped!!" Maxie threw his gun to the ground in anger, and swore.
"Boss! They haven't left yet! We might still be able to get the girl!" An Admin cried.
"AH!!" Maxie charged towards the ship as fast as he could.
The grunt carried Arinia to an open cabin and put her in bed and then sat down beside her to guard her. Meanwhile, a Team Aqua Lieutenant went to the controls and started up the ship and pulled away from where they were docked, leaving Team Magma high and dry.
"ARGH!!!" Maxie swore much more loudly and much worse. "Oh, we'll get them one day...ONE DAY..."
Team Magma now headed back to their base since there was nothing they could do now to get Arinia back at this moment in time. Meanwhile, Arinia was in bed relaxing, and Mark was in the infirmary getting his shoulder examined.
"Shhh... you're OK now, Arinia..." the Grunt said with a smile.
"I was so scared......" Arinia said trying not to cry.
The Grunt pulled Arinia into a tight, but comforting hug. "It's alright, we won't let them get you again..."
Arinia nodded but still seemed scared.
"How's Mark?" Arinia asked worried.
"I have no idea...I'll go check on him, OK?" The grunt asked her
"Okay." Arinia replied still sounding worried.
He put down Arinia and walked into another room, where Mark was being looked at. Mark seemed to be in a great deal of pain while they were trying to extract the bullet from his arm.
"Ouch...Mark, how are you feeling right now?" The grunt inquired.
"In a great deal of pain....... Right now I really hate Maxie even more than I did before this mission." Mark replied while grimacing in pain.
"That's hard to do." The grunt replied.
"How's Arinia?" Mark asked while trying to get his mind off the pain.
"She's fine, just tired..." The grunt replied.
"What did they do to her anyways?" Mark asked still groaning in pain as they finally extracted the bullet from his arm.
"They gave her tranquilizers." The grunt replied.
"Damn that Maxie.... She did nothing to him!" Mark cried clearly angry.
"He wanted her to get Groudon, I heard..." The grunt replied.
"Damn that Maxie! He never gives up!" Mark cried.
"No he doesn't...man, I wish we could get back at him." The grunt replied.
From the other room Arinia started crying and they thought they heard something but weren't sure what.
"Is that Arinia?" asked the Grunt.
"Probably........ Why don't you go see." Mark said sitting up after the doctor had bandaged his arm.
"Sure..." the Grunt ran out and back to the room where Arinia was in.
Arinia was lying facedown in her pillow crying when the grunt entered.
"Arinia?" The grunt put his hand on Arinia's back. "Are you OK?"
Arinia rolled over and sat up but when she did so, the grunt observed that two places on her arm were badly swollen.
"Oh...is that from the tranquilizers?" The grunt asked her.
Arinia nodded and then shook at the memory of what they had done to her.
"Ah...it'll all be over soon...we'll destroy Team Magma!" The grunt cried while trying to keep Arinia's spirits up.
"I sure hope so... I don't want to be near them again!" Arinia cried with a new surge of tears trickling down her cheeks.
"Yeah...I know...I wouldn't want to either, if I was in your shoes..." the Grunt said sadly.
Just then Mark appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, Mark." The grunt said.
Mark acknowledged the grunt and then came over to Arinia sat down beside her and moved her so that he was cradling her in his arms.
"Mark...do you suggest we go to the base now?" said the grunt.
"It's imperative that we do, if they ambush us they might recapture her and then we might never see her again." Mark said holding Arinia tighter.
"Right," said the grunt, "I'll go talk to the captain of this ship..."
"Thank you, her best bet to be safe is to be at our base where we can hide and protect her." Mark said.
The grunt nodded and walked out of the room. Arinia laid her head against Mark's shoulder while she cried.
"Aw...Arinia...help will be on the way...we'll be at the base shortly...I promise." Mark said, comfortingly.
"I don' t understand why Maxie wants me to begin with!" Arinia cried crying harder after she said that.
"Neither do I, Arinia. Neither do I..." Mark said while trying to soothe Arinia.
"I'm afraid of what'll happen if Maxie manages to kidnap me again." Arinia said sounding fearful.
"Not to scare you, but...knowing Maxie, it would be something awful...but let's not think about that." Maxie told Arinia while holding her tight.
Arinia's eyes went wide, "Li....ike.... what?"
"Probably being kept prisoner for life." Mark told her.
Arinia shook and trembled in fear at the thought.
"But, I assure you, that will not happen. Not on MY watch." Mark told Arinia firmly.
"What would I ever do without you?" Arinia said hugging Mark.
"I feel the same way, sweetheart, and I'll always protect you. I will always protect you..." Mark gave Arinia a little squeeze and smiled.
The grunt came to the deck of the ship where an admin was steering the ship.
The grunt walked up to the admin. "Um, excuse me...can you bring us back to the Team Aqua base?"
"Because of Arinia?" The Admin inquired.
The grunt smirked. "Eh-heh-heh...yeah."
"I was heading there anyways, I was thinking the exact same thing, I don't want Maxie to get her again......" The Admin said.
"Yeah, I know..... Maxie does atrocious things to his prisoners....." The grunt said his voice trailing off.
The grunt sighed. "Alright, so, you send someone after me to let me know when we've arrived?"
"Sure thing, be sure to tell Mark we're heading back to base." The Admin answered swiftly.
"Right." The grunt nodded and turned around to walk away.
"Oh, and you might want to get the doctor to look at Arinia to make sure she's alright, I don't think Maxie took care of her very well......." The Admin added with a sigh.
"I got it." The grunt replied.
"Good." The Admin replied.
The grunt walked away to go get the doctor so that Arinia could be examined to make sure that she was as well as she should be on a good day.
