=Chapter 49, Coral's Abduction=
*Jacob to Arky*
*Dear Arky, I know now why Coral has been acting weird, and now I'm wishing you had taught me a few things that you didn't teach me during my few years when I was studying with you. What Karen explained to me… well let's just say I won't be looking at some Pokemon the same way as I used to.*
*Not saying that I don't like Pokemon still, but there are just some things I was not expecting to learn about while on my journey.*
*In any case, it's been a few weeks since I last wrote to you, and quite a bit has happened! First of all, Coral's 'heat' passed, and Karen's Riolu Lance actually evolved during a match an hour before we were to depart on the ferry to Mossdeep City! Lance is now a Lucario, can you believe that, he and Karen have only been together for a short time, and now he's fully evolved!*
*Also, I finally got Harold's Megastone, it arrived on the ferry as we were traveling. Harold's Keystone is now part of a necklace he wears. He actually looks really cool! As for the Banettite that I got from that one Banette with Emerald, I'm sorry to say but… I actually decided to give it to someone else. I just couldn't use it and well… I don't think it really belonged with me. I left the stone in the hands of a young girl, I hope maybe she can make better use of it than I can.*
*Where am I right now, well, I'm writing to you from Mossdeep City, we're about to compete for our seventh badge, and my team is getting pumped and ready for a fight! Segan told me that the twins, Tate and Liza, a pair of Gym Leaders who excel in psychic powers and double battles alongside their Psychic Type Pokemon.*
*I think the best chance my team has to win this fight is with Harold and Sara, as those two are both among my strongest and most experienced team members. Ivan's fighting style doesn't really suit him to battles like this, Latias is a powerful Psychic type, but she doesn't have the experience yet to battle a powerful gym like this, but I also promised her I'd give her a chance.*
*Coral isn't up to fighting yet since her heat passed, so I'm letting her take a short break. Roran is ready to go whenever I need him, so he's on standby for now in case I need him. Kenna doesn't even count for a gym battle, so she's a no.*
*Things have been quiet on the 'evil groups' part… I wonder what's going on with them…*
(Jacob's PoV)
"I did it!" Karen yelled happily as she stormed out of the Mossdeep Gym, proudly holding up a small pink and gold badge in the shape of a heart, with a small purple jewel at its center.
"Lucarioooo!" Lance shouted in as much excitement.
"Way to go Karen!" Segan said proudly, applauding alongside his Froslass Glace.
"Froslass fross!" Glace said warmly. (Impressive work!)
"Nice job Karen, guess it's my turn now!" Jacob said, also applauding Karen.
(Congratulations are in order!) Sara said happily, applauding alongside Jacob.
"Alright Jacob buddy, you're up!" Karen said with a giggle, before giving him a hearty slap on the shoulder, and consequentially smacking him into the ground.
"Ow!" He groaned as he got back up.
"You'd think after being with me for over a year now, you'd have learned to endure those better…" Karen said looking embarrassed at Jacob as he stood up.
Sara meanwhile was helping him up with her hands, silently glaring at Karen. (She's lucky you are my trainer… and she is your friend…) She whispered to him privately.
"Just wait until the ferry to Sootopolis Karen… I'll get my revenge on you!" He grunted with a chuckle as he and Sara entered the Gym now. "Wish us luck!"
"Good luck Jacob boy!" Karen yelled.
"Good Luck Jacob!" Segan cheered.
"Froslass!" Glace called out just as he and Sara entered.
As they entered the first thing he and Sara saw was that the hallway was completely dark. The door behind them had the light blocked out, and they couldn't see anything within an inch in front of their eyes.
"What is going on here…" Jacob asked, nervous about moving forward without being able to see.
(I can't sense anything wro…) Sara said before she suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
"Sara?" He asked her.
(I… its nothing…) She whispered. (I just… thought for a moment… that I'd sensed… never mind me Jacob.) She released him and he felt her warmth from her mind enter his own. (I was thinking for a moment that I sensed you were in danger, but then it vanished, I don't sense it anymore, so don't worry!)
"Okay… your species is known for seeing the future… are you sure you're okay?" He asked.
He knew that Gardevoir were capable of sensing the future when it came to their trainers, so if she thought for a moment he was threatened, then he had to believe her. She wouldn't make a claim like that light heartedly.
(I don't sense any danger, I promise you, I sense no danger to you now!) She said calmly. (Though… can you be careful about where you stand… you're very close to my… heart.)
"Huh… oh… sorry!" He said quickly.
The other thing he learned about Gardevoir, was the spike that protruded from her chest was actually her heart. Another thing he learned about was that, despite how trusting and devoted they are to their trainers, the one thing they never do, unless they truly, absolutely, trusted their trainer, 'beyond' what their species was known for… was allow their trainers to touch their bear hearts. Normally they have a thin psychic barrier protecting their hearts from being touched at all times, but if they 'truly' trusted their trainer, they could theoretically let down their barrier and allow them to touch it.
The Pokedex said that any trainer who touches their Gardevoir's hearts, will suddenly gain access to not only their minds and hearts, but also their 'souls'. If they were to touch their heart, they could affect their souls to their core. It only happened one time according to the Dex, but the entry stated that the trainer who did it, accidentally changed their Gardevoir's personality.
The Gardevoir told the trainer that, upon touching their heart, their very soul changed to perfectly suit the soul of their trainer. So perfectly suited that they became the 'perfect' Gardevoir for that trainer. What was so 'perfect' about the Gardevoir the Dex didn't state.
"Well, in any case, where are we supposed to go…" He asked, trying to change the subject.
(I don't know…) Sara said.
At that moment a small glowing light appeared to their left, and began moving around.
"Uh…" He said quietly as they both stared at it, their faces of confusion lit by the only source of light.
(Weird…) Sara said quietly.
They watched quietly as it floated in front of them, dancing ever so slightly from side to side, before backing away from them for a few feet and then pausing to resume its dance.
"I guess… we follow it." He said.
(I agree with you Jacob… I guess it wants us to follow.)
So they followed it and it confirmed what he said, it wanted them to follow it. As they drew closer it flew further down the hallway, but paused and waited for them to catch up with it. They continued to follow it further and further along the hallway, though he noticed it was beginning to turn into an ever increasing downward spiral.
(Where is it taking us?) Sara asked after five minutes of following the glowing light.
"This is one weird gym…" He said in agreement.
After a few more minutes though, the light stopped in front of a door, circled a doorknob for several seconds, before floating in a small keyhole. Instantly the hallway became dark, though now there was just the faintest of lights surrounding the door to indicate where they were to go.
"If there was ever an invitation, there's one there…" He said.
(Agreed…)
So they walked up to the door and, after feeling around for it, Jacob found the doorknob and pulled the door open.
Instantly the whole world seemed to light up, and both he and Sara found themselves not in a hallway, but in what could only be described as a vast 'galaxy'. The sky or walls, or whatever it was, was filled with stars and neon lights. There was a huge field of shifting lights, each so small they were the size of marbles, yet they all beautifully portrayed and lit the room. Below them they found they were standing on a small pillar, and the door behind them was standing completely alone, with no trace of the hallway's walls near it.
Despite this the hallway was still clearly visible inside the doorway, but the door itself seemed to have shrunk.
"Hehehe." A pair of voices said.
Turning around they saw a pair of people standing directly behind them, without them even noticing. They looked like they were wearing kimonos of some kind, and the two were obviously twins in their mid to late fifties.
"Do you like what we've done with the place?" The man said.
"Do you like what we've done with the place?" The Woman said.
They smiled and each closed their eyes, before each forming a hand signal, opposite of what the other made.
"We are twins you see…" The man said.
"That fight together as one…" The woman said.
The each put their hands over their eyes, with the man covering his left, while the woman covered her right.
"We don't need words…"
"To speak to each other!"
"For our psychic connection to each other is so great, that we can tell what the other thinks, without even having to think it!"
"For our psychic connection to each other is so great, that we can tell what the other thinks, without even having to think it!"
They both smiled and bowed to him.
"Congratulations, you have made it this far, I am Tate!" The man said.
"Congratulations, you have made it this far, I am Liza!" The woman said.
"And we are the Mossdeep City Gym Leaders!" They both said in perfect unison!
"If you have come…"
"This far, then that must mean…"
"You are here for your seventh badge…"
"To prove you are ready for the eighth!"
"But before you can, you must overcome our combined psychic powers as twins!" They said in unison again.
With that they jumped backward and each held up a Pokeball.
"Are you prepared for battle?" Tate asked.
"This will be a double battle!" Liza stated.
Jacob and Sara on the other hand simply stared at the twins, before nodding in unison as well. *These two are strange…* He thought privately to her.
(Either they really are psychic, or they just rehearsed that very methodically…) Sara whispered to him in agreement.
"Alright, my name is Jacob Beryl of Littleroot Town!" He said loudly. "I challenge the Mossdeep City Gym Leaders for my seventh badge to compete in the Pokemon League!"
Both of them nodded and smirked. "The rules are thus, a double battle, one Pokemon each, you as the challenger will use two to defeat our two, the first team to have no Pokemon will be the losers!" Liza stated.
"The victor is the last side standing, your prize for winning is the Mind Badge! Who will your Pokemon be for this gym match?" Tate asked.
"I choose Sara, and Harold!" He shouted, before bringing out Harold his Sceptile from his Pokeball.
In a flash Harold the Sceptile appeared, wearing a necklace containing his Mega Stone.
"Sceptiiiile!" He screamed proudly before getting into a battle stance.
Alongside him Sara moved forward to prepare for battle. Meanwhile, Liza and Tate turned around and walked 'on' the field of lights, showing that the lights were solid… or at least the floor was invisible, and jumped onto a platform on the far side of the room.
"For our Pokemon, we choose…" They both said in unison.
"Lunatone!" Liza called out.
"Solrock!" Tate shouted.
In a flash two Pokeballs were thrown, and two Pokemon appeared. One of them was shaped like a white crescent moon, the other like the sun with points sticking out on the sides. Both Pokemon stared silently at them, floating in front of their trainers, and power radiated from their very psychic powers. Even across the field Jacob could sense how strong these two Gym Leader's Pokemon were.
They were very experienced, and very powerful.
(They are old Jacob… they have seen many, many, many battles…) Sara confirmed for him, using her own powers to protect them from the psychic waves.
"Sceptile…" Harold growled confidently. "Let's win this…"
"Your right Harold, we didn't come this far just to admire our opponents, we came to win, so let's get started!" He yelled enthusiastically. "Harold, let's try out your new stone, Mega EVOLVE!"
He immediately put his hand to the Keystone on his bracelet and it responded to his touch, on Harold's neck a similar reaction took place, and soon both stones glowed vibrantly rainbow colors.
Weeks ago, Jacob would have been hesitant to use his Keystone, but after Emerald's teachings, her lessons, and her words, he and Harold both agreed that they 'had' to use the stones they were given. The power of Mega Evolution was too great to simply waste, they had proven worthy of the power, their bond had past all of the trials, only one task remained now…
Using the stone's gift…
In a powerful display of light, Harold's body was bathed in light, and soon his body changed… his tail grew, his blades expanded, his clawed hands became hooked, and his overall appearance gained a strange ferocity to it. Soon the change was finished and Harold had mega evolved…
"Scep…. TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILEEEEEEEEEE!" He screamed as he swung his tail forward, his voice full of such power that even the air was pushed aside ever so slightly.
Sara had to shield herself to protect from the wave of power. (Such… power…) Sara whispered in amazement.
"Let's start this battle off you two, Harold Leaf Blade, Sara Psychic attack!" He said.
Both of them nodded, and while Sara gathered her energy to launch at the Lunatone, Harold charged forward with his huge blades extended, and his massive tail swinging behind him.
Just as he charged though, the Lunatone's eyes glowed, and from the tips of its crescent body a ball of light appeared. Then the sphere was launched at Harold, who met it head on, but in his disregard for his own safety, he let the attack hit him full on without trying to protect against it. The result was his screaming pain as his mad rush ended.
The Solrock's eyes also glowed, and its body was wrapped in a display of purple energy, and what looked like stars, as its body glowed as well. Sarah's psychic attack struck the Solrock, but it shrugged it off and spun around to display its strength.
"Mega evolving has strengthened your Pokemon, but in doing so you have weakened it to my Lunatone!" Liza shouted.
"It gains strength, but gains weaknesses as well, weak to fairy type moves your Sceptile is! Do not underestimate our Pokemon's powers young Trainer!" Tate called out.
"Harold are you okay?" He called out to his starter.
Harold got back up, shook his head and screamed his fury at the Lunatone.
"Come on you two, we can turn this around, Harold, try Leaf Blade again but on the Solrock!" He yelled. "Sarah, try an Energy Ball on the Lunatone this time!"
Both Pokemon nodded, and turned their attention on the target of each other's previous attacks. Harold rushed at the Solrock, and Sarah gathered the natural energy around her, condensed it into a ball of green energy, and launched it at Lunatone.
The Solrock however, had other plans, and its eyes glowed for a moment, before creating duplicates of itself, using the move Double Team.
Lunatone's body glowed just like Solrock's did, and it gained the same power that it had as well. The result of this was that Harold's powerful attack missed the Solrock, and Sarah's Energy Ball did nothing worthwhile to Lunatone.
"Scep… tile… TILE!" Harold roared in anger at the copies of Solrock.
(Our attacks aren't working!) Sarah said in frustration. (Every time we try to attack one… it fails, and the other gets stronger!)
"Our tag team strategy is strong, if you cannot overcome it with tag team powers of your own, you will never defeat us!" Liza called out confidently.
"We can do this all day, you cannot trainer! We have done this for years, you have not!" Tate said boisterously.
He cursed himself silently, they were right. This was actually the first time his Pokemon have ever battled two on two. Most of their battles with exception to a rare few, have been one on one. Even the few times Sarah stepped in to support weren't double battles, they had no idea how to fight in a double battle.
He had to come up with a strategy fast.
"Harold, try Leaf Blading the Lunatone again, Sarah try to Energy Ball the Solrock!" He called out.
Both nodded, but Sarah felt what his real goal was.
Harold charged, Sarah charged up, and just like the first engagement, Liza's Lunatone launched a ball of light against Harold and the Solrock gathered power to increase its resistance to Sarah's attack.
Harold took the attack to the chest and the attacks were starting to get to him, even though he was just an inch away from the Lunatone, he had fallen just short. The Lunatone, seeing its distance to Harold, floated well away from him, far away from its partner but close enough to assist if needed.
(Have you spotted the pattern?) She asked him quickly while Harold stood up wearily, glaring at the Lunatone.
"Yea, I see it..." He whispered to himself.
Every time he targeted the Lunatone or the Solrock, the target of Harold's attack responded by either attacking or defending. The other, the target of Sarah's attack, took the chance to power its defenses up. They feared Harold's attack more than they did Sarah's.
However, it was more than that, Harold's and Sarah's fighting styles were very obvious, and it was even more obvious to Liza and Tate as he saw them smiling across the room.
Harold preferred close quarter combat, fighting up close with his leaf bladed arms and tail. Sarah on the other hand preferred long range battles with her psychic powers. Since he didn't want to risk Sarah's attack hitting Harold, he had to have Harold engage close enough to one target, while Sarah targeted the other at long range.
He'd learned what he needed to, but Sarah raised the question he was thinking seconds later.
(Great, now how do we use it?) Sarah asked him. (Harold cannot take much more!)
This was right, Harold was gasping for breath, both attacks were wearing him down.
"It's a risk you two, but I have an idea… Harold Agility now!" He ordered. "We have to work together or we'll never win this!"
Harold nodded and broke into a run, before picking up speed and becoming nothing more than a flash of green on the field. Both Solrock and Lunatone stared and watched the blur run in a circle, trying to keep up with the impossible speed of Harold in his mega evolved state.
"Now Sarah!" He ordered, not using words to convey his instructions.
Sarah nodded and closed her eyes, calming her mind and gathering power. In her evolved form, she could gather more power than she could as a Kirlia or a Ralts, so his plan was to use Harold's blinding speed to distract while Sarah gathered power. Since both Solrock and Lunatone had to watch Harold because of his sheer strength and speed, Sarah was relatively ignored.
While the two performed their moves, Sarah told Harold the plan via a psychic message, just in time though as both Lunatone and Solrock realized their mistake in focusing solely on Harold, and shifted glance toward Sarah, ignoring Harold now as he was moving too fast for them.
This was the opening they were looking for though, and Harold had guessed what Jacob had wanted, as the instant he yelled, "Leaf Blade!" Harold had charged the Lunatone that was too far away from Solrock to be assisted.
With Lunatone so far away, it was alone and far enough from its tag team partner for both of his Pokemon to focus. Even though it was psychic the Lunatone still relied on Solrock to cover for 'its' mistakes with its own moves. Harold and Sarah had the advantage in this case, as they didn't need to be close together to work together.
"Sarah, now!" Jacob ordered.
Sarah opened her eyes, which were glowing white, and she condensed a powerful ball of green energy, and launched it at Lunatone just as Harold swung his leaf bladed arms at it. Against their combined powers Lunatone could not stand, and fell to the floor, its eyes nothing but spirals.
"Luuuu…" It moaned.
"Lunatone!" Liza gasped, before recalling the defeated Pokemon.
Solrock on the other hand, turned and charged at Harold, wrapping itself in a ball of fire, a move he recognized as Flare Blitz.
"Quickly you two, combo attack, Dual Chop and Psychic!" He said.
Both of them targeted and hit the Solrock with their attacks, Harold managed to endure the Flare Blitz, absorbing the massive ball of fire on his chest before spinning himself around, using his massive tail as a spring to get behind the Solrock.
Then just as Sarah's attack reached its target, Harold struck the Solrock dead on with two vicious hits from his huge leaf bladed arms.
Under that power, Solrock was flung forward where it lay on the floor, its eyes spinning and moaning, "Sooool…"
"Solrock…" Tate moaned, but moments later drew the Pokemon into its ball.
As the battle ended, Harold's body flashed and returned to his original form, and he wearily fell onto his knees and claws. "Sceptiiile…" He moaned quietly.
"Harold!" He yelled, before running out to his Sceptile, with Sarah 'walking' quickly behind him.
Moments later he reached his started and saw what had happened to him, his starter was exhausted, sweating, and gasping for breath. His eyes looked slightly red, and his limbs shook just enough to show the strain they were under.
"Scept… tile…" He moaned. "Scept… tile… sceptile… tile scept!"
Sarah translated for him soon after he said that.
(Mega Evolution… hurts…) She said. (That was… nothing… like I thought… it would feel like!)
"It hurts… do you want to not use it again?" He asked his starter, checking to see if he really needed medical attention, or was just tired.
Judging by the injuries he had, he needed rest, but he was going to take him to Nurse Joy because of how much pain his starter looked to be in.
Harold shook his head and chuckled, before giving him a thumbs up with his claws. "Sceptile… scep scep sceptile scep!" He said. "I'm fine really… it was just my first time Mega Evolving!"
(He is right Jacob, it was just our first time using it… perhaps with time and experience, as well as getting used to it, it will not hurt so much!) Sarah said politely. (Remember, Electra and her Manectric Mega Evolved before, and they showed no side effects. Perhaps it just takes time and more uses before we get over these things?)
"I hope so." He said.
After a few seconds Liza and Tate walked up to him with smiles on their faces. "Congratulations Jacob Beryl, you overcame our tag team strategy!" They both said in unison.
"We've been doing this for many years, since we were children." Tate said politely.
"But you overcame us easily, you spotted our strategy and adapted." Liza said proudly.
"It takes a strong trainer to adapt, and a stronger trainer still to strategize and implement on the spot!" They said together again. "For your efforts, and for your victory, we award you this badge, The Mind Badge!"
They held out a hand each, and sitting in the center of both hands was a pink and yellow badge in the shape of a heart. He took it and showed both of his Pokemon the badge, and they both smiled in agreement, they were proud of their achievement.
"Don't forget what you have learned today young Trainer…" Liza said.
"You must adapt to the field; learn from what you see!" Tate continued.
"On the field, you will show weakness, this is how it will always be." Liza said.
"But you can overcome these weaknesses by combining your strengths, just like in double battles, one Pokemon cover's the other's weaknesses." Tate said.
"Work together with your Pokemon, do not command them as if you are the only one!" Liza said.
"You must work as a team, or else you will fail every battle! Only by working together and combining your strengths…" Tate said.
"Will you achieve victory in anything!" They finished.
After that they both smiled, bowed respectfully to him, before a bright beam of light appeared below all of them.
"Good luck in your adventures, and take care of yourselves!" They both yelled, before the light blinded all of them.
Then when the light stopped blinding them, Jacob saw that he, Sara and Harold were back in the corridor.
"This is one weird Gym…" Jacob whispered to them.
(You said it Jacob…) Sara whispered in agreement.
"Sceptile…" Harold muttered as well. "Agreed…"
They all headed toward the front door, and walked out to see Karen and Segan, as well as their Pokemon idly waiting for them and talking to each other. Upon noticing the trio Karen grinned and waved at them.
"Didja get it?" She asked.
Jacob in response took his hat and turned it to reveal 'seven' badges pinned to it.
"ALRIGHT JACOB!" Karen yelled as she, in traditional Karen spirit, slapped him heartily on the shoulder, only this time Sara created a psychic barrier to protect him slightly. "I swear psychic Pokemon are such spoilsports!"
Sara merely giggled while Harold and Jacob high fived each other.
(She had a hard time against Liza and Tate, they didn't give Ziggles and Lucario much chance to fight the way she likes to fight…) Sara whispered to him psychically as they all headed toward the beach to relax and eat.
Because Mossdeep City was on an island, the biggest attractions came in two forms, the first was the launch pad that occasionally launched rockets from time to time, something about scientific expeditions.
The other came from the far more popular, beach attractions, miles of beachfront untouched by city life and completely natural for all those staying there. As they entered the beach area, they could see dozens and dozens of trainers, city dwellers, families, and all sorts of Pokemon just strolling, lazing, enjoying themselves on the beach.
"All right kids, Uncle Segan had your umbrellas and chairs all set up while you guys were busy finding the Gym!" Segan yelled as he led the way, his smelly patch coat flailing in the wind.
"An ice cream says he scared away everyone in five feet with his coat's smell." Karen whispered to him quietly.
"You're on!" He whispered back.
They walked along the beach to where Segan said he'd set up their chairs and umbrellas, and sure enough, Glace floated forward and waved at them from between three large umbrella chairs, with a huge section of the beach reserved just for them and their teams. And sure enough, as Karen said, five feet in either direction, there was nobody to be seen in their small section of the beach.
"I like chocolate and sprinkles on my ice cream Jacob boy!" She giggled to him.
Moments later they released their Pokemon, and pretty soon the cries and calls of three Mightyena, a Linoon, a Breloom, a Milotic, a Ponyta, a Swellow, a Lucario, a Sceptile, and a Latias could be heard across the cacophony of all the other noises on the beach.
(Sarah's PoV)
"Alright guys, Jacob, Segan and I have to go get changed, we'll be back in a bit!" Karen yelled as they all dropped their bags in the middle of their umbrella chairs.
"Take care you guys!" Jacob yelled, leaving them all to enjoy the sun and the fresh air.
Instantly after their trainers left, the other members of Jacob's team crowded around her and Harold, asking eagerly for details about the Gym Battle.
"How hard was it?" Roran chirped.
"Did you guys last long?" Ivan barked.
"Was it awesome?" Latias asked.
"Were you harmed…" Kenna asked.
"Did Jacob need help from us?" Coral asked.
She shook her head and grinned at their questions. (No, it was difficult, but we did have some troubles since it was double battle.)
"Aw a double battle, I wanted to be in one!" Roran chirped miserably.
"It's our Alpha's choice, he chose the strongest, and his choice was right!" Ivan barked in response.
"Are you saying I'm not strong wolf?" Roran chirped back angrily. "Let's go, you and me, one on one!"
"I'll take you on any time!" Ivan growled, letting electricity flow into his fangs.
Before either could carry out their bold claims or actions, Harold grabbed both with his clawed hands, pushed them into the sand, and bent low to stare into each of their eyes. "Don't forget why we are here; we are 'here' to 'relax'… not 'fight'!" He growled threateningly. "We won our seventh badge… who won it, doesn't matter… we'll all have a chance to battle in the future… we still have one more to earn. Now… no more 'fighting'… start 'relaxing'… am I clear?"
Both Pokemon nodded and were allowed to get back up.
She giggled at Harold's display of strength, he had, in the last few weeks, asserted his dominance as the 'head' of their team's hierarchy, with Jacob being higher. She, though ready and willing to fight for that spot, as her species nature told her that she had to protect Jacob at all times, was more than content to sit below him and above the rest as the second strongest and highest member in their hierarchy.
"Such a strong starter…" Coral whispered privately to her as Harold left to sit and sunbathe.
(Indeed he is Coral, but I hope you aren't thinking of him in another regard…) She said in agreement, choosing to sit next to the serpentine Pokemon in the shade of the umbrellas.
"Oh heavens no… I don't want to find a mate… at least… not without Jacob's permission…" Coral said, mumbling the last few words.
Sara nodded in agreement as well, thinking the same thing.
Ever since Coral's heat passed, she's avoided the topic of 'mating' as much as possible. Being a 'trained' Pokemon, she couldn't seek out a mate as she normally would have if she were wild. Instead, she had to seek her trainer's approval of her mate and her permission 'to' mate them. This was the only drawback to this topic that they tried their best to avoid, they didn't want to leave Jacob, but at the same time, those 'urges' were quite strong and hard to resist.
She was just glad that Segan's medicine helped them through it.
(Hey guys…) Latias asked as she floated over them both. (You think my brother passed by here with Jessy and the rest of their team?)
(Why do you ask?) Sara asked.
(Because I can sorta feel his psychic presence, it's a 'thing' we have, we can sorta feel where the other has been.) She said with a smile.
"If they were here, they probably moved on to another city." Coral said.
"Get back here with that!" Ziggles yelled with mirth at that moment.
They all turned to watch as Ziggles, Nora, Lora, Shrew, and even Ivan chased after Kenna, who had somehow found a plastic disc that humans called a 'Frisbee' in her mouth. They were now chasing the shiny Ponyta around on the sand trying to get it from her. Kenna giggled the entire time as she ran around their space on the beach in a circle, laughing as the others tried to steal the Frisbee away from her.
Meanwhile Roran was bathing in the sun and sand as well, taking the chance to relax and snooze. Glace was busying herself preparing drinks for the trainers when they came back, and Harold was enjoying the sun and sand while watching the others playing with Kenna, and she noticed him smiling and suppressing the urge to laugh.
"It's so strange you two… we are all training to defeat that evil group from creating Shadow Pokemon… and yet, here we are… acting like we haven't a care in the world and relaxing like nothing is wrong!" Coral whispered to them.
(We need these moments Coral… to remind us of what we're fighting for.) Sara thought sadly to her.
(Yea… I guess you're right.) Latias said, before floating over to join Harold in sunbathing.
"Hey guys we're back!" She heard Jacob yell in the distance.
She turned and saw her trainer Jacob walking toward them with Segan and Karen, all wearing their swimsuits. Both Segan and Jacob wore 'trunks' while Karen wore a two-piece swimsuit, and both Jacob and Karen with ice creams.
(Jacob's PoV)
Jacob sat down in his chair and saw Harold get up to sit next to him instead. "Hey buddy, enjoying the beach?" He asked
"Sceptile!" Harold said with a nod.
"Milooo?" Coral asked, slithering in front of him to talk to him now.
"What is it Coral?"
"Milo tic… tic milo?" She asked, nodding toward the water where other trainer's water Pokemon were playing a game of 'Poke-volley ball' in the ocean, using a large colorful rubber ball.
"Sure Coral, you can go for a swim, just be careful out there!" He said with a giggle. "Don't want someone seeing you and trying to catch you again like Jessy did the last time you swam!"
She smiled and nuzzled him in gratitude, before slithering off toward the water to jump in, earning some 'oooh's' and 'ahh's' from all the people who saw her gracefully jump into the water.
"You have a nice team of Pokemon Jacob." Karen said as she laid back, eagerly eating her ice cream.
"You do too Karen!" He said.
"Yea… but really Jacob… my team isn't nearly as strong as yours…" She said with a sigh. "I think it's time to admit it… I'm just never going to catch up to you."
"What are you talking about, you and your team are strong Karen!" He said, never once hearing this side of her before.
"Face it, every time we face a gym, I struggle at first, but you manage to pull through more easily." She said, eating her ice cream. "Then when the big problems happen, when we face the really tough guys… I crumble, and you stand tall… Just face it, your team is the one with all the really strong and powerful Pokemon, you even have 'two' legends on your side, and you barely had to fight to earn their trust and loyalty! But my team… two Mightyena, a Breloom, a Lucario, and a Linoon. And I'm going to help you beat Shadow Pokemon?"
"Karen…" He whispered sadly, not once seeing his friend like this.
Then after a few seconds, she smiled and flung a water balloon at him that she was hiding on the other side of her chair in the bag she stashed her clothes in.
"GOTCHA ahhahah!" She yelled giddily.
Jacob, now soaking wet, grinned as Sara psychically handed him one of the water balloons she had in the bag, and he promptly threw it at her.
"No I got you!" He said.
"Oh you're on~!" She yelled as he got up and ran away from her. "Get back here you, nobody pulls a fast one on me!"
However, just as he ducked to avoid another water balloon, he heard a scream of fear coming from the beach, and both he and everyone turned to the sea, where the water Pokemon had been playing their game. There in the water, they saw a large speed boat had suddenly appeared and had cast a huge net, entrapping the water Pokemon in it. On top of the boat, several people wearing lab coats and sunglasses were attempting to reel in the net, with several electric type Pokemon zapping any Pokemon attempting to stop them.
Unfortunately, the net had missed the majority of the water Pokemon, all of them had retreated toward the land where their trainers were.
Only 'one' had been caught in the net, a Milotic.
"CORAL!" Jacob yelled as he saw what was happening.
Instantly all of Jacob's team stopped playing or lazing about, and began to rush with their trainer to reach the water, even as the net was reeled in with Coral thrashing to break free.
"Miloooooo!" Coral screamed, wiggling and writhing, trying to break out but unable to as the net wound tighter and tighter with each attempt.
Without thinking, Jacob leapt into the water and swam toward his Pokemon. Beside him Ivan jumped and Harold jumped as well to swim alongside him. Latias and Roran flew above, while Sara and Kenna stayed on land.
While he swam to get closer, Latias and Roran tried to get at the boat, but the instant they tried powerful electric attacks stopped them, and several powerful hits forced Latias to fall into the water.
(Jacob, Latias is paralyzed!) Sara yelled fearfully.
"Harold… get Latias!" He yelled while still swimming toward the boat.
Harold nodded and swam to Latias, but Ivan couldn't keep up with the water swirling around them now. Despite his abilities he wasn't meant for swimming in the ocean, Harold could use his tail to help but neither of them could swim as well as any water Pokemon.
Seeing this he told Ivan to head for land, and Ivan nodded regretfully, turning around and struggling to swim back to shore.
"Coral!" He yelled, trying to get closer to Coral.
As he neared the boat, other people's water Pokemon's had joined in the attempt to rescue Coral, but the Electric pokemon on the boat were forcing them away, and now Roran was forced to flee lest he suffer the same fate as Latias.
Then, just as Coral was pulled onto the boat, one of the electric Pokemon on the boat spotted him, and sent a jolt of thunderbolt at him. The attack missed him by the narrowest of margins, and seeing him in danger, Coral launched herself as best she could, throwing the attacker off mark and causing the follow up shock to hit 'her' instead.
She screamed in agony, just as the boat's engine roared to life, and the boat began to pick up speed.
"NO!" He yelled, trying to swim faster, but the wake of the boat leaving forced him back, and forced him under.
As he went under he lost his bearings and had to swim hard to get back to the surface, but the second he did he looked for the boat…
But it was nowhere to be seen…
Coral was 'gone'…
"CORAAAAAAAAAAAAL!" He yelled to an empty and uncaring ocean.
=Author's Notes=
I am soooo sorry to everyone for the lateness of this chapter… but I am so busy with so many other things!
I am a senior in college and can barely devote time to writing my stories… and for that I am sooooo sorry T.T please forgive me for the lateness!
I promise you, this story isn't dead, in fact I'm approaching the final chapters, the story of the Shadow Pokemon is going to reach its conclusion… and Arceus, or Arky as Jacob knows him as, will soon learn if his faith in this human, has proven his hopes worthwhile or if it was another failure.
As for the 'possible' romance between Sara and Jacob that people seem to be pointing out…
I'll let you guys determine if they should become a couple, but that wasn't the original intend behind this story!
It seems to be happening that way though…
Thank you all for following… Arceus' Book!