The Return of the Leviathan
At the same time that Brendan and Gwen were on the ferry to Mossdeep, May was pacing in her cell, unknowingly copying her boyfriend. Her reason for pacing, however, was because her nerves were on edge. She had been trapped in this cell for nearly a week now, and even though her own Pokémon were with her, she severely missed Gwen and Brendan above all else. And Arceus knew that Brendan was probably losing his mind over the fact that he had just barely missed saving her.
Shelly came into the room while May was pacing. "So, worried, are we?" May looked up, and her expression said everything Shelly needed to know. She smiled sympathetically, sitting across from the cell. "You know, I'm honestly jealous of you and Brendan. You were so lucky to find such a good relationship so early. At your age, I was struggling to even get a boy to notice me."
May looked her over, noticing that Shelly was really beautiful, finding it hard to believe that she struggled for attention from boys. "You struggled to get boys to notice you? Most guys I know would be drooling over you."
Shelly chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard that a lot. Unfortunately, it was always from other girls." She sighed as she said that. "I sometimes wish I could go back and focus more on my social skills when I was your age. Maybe I wouldn't have joined Team Aqua if I had…but then I wouldn't be here now to help you and Brendan, so I guess it was all for a reason."
May seemed to still be uncomfortable as she sat and listened to the engine, having let silence fall. She then decided to get to more important business. "How will I escape when we get to the cave?"
Shelly looked a bit sad. "I don't know if you'll be able to. The caves are very tight and the only way out is to swim through about a mile-long tunnel that's underwater. Unless you have an oxygen tank and a very fast swimmer for a water Pokémon, you likely won't make it out."
"Then Brendan will just have to save me. Damn it, I hate being this damsel in distress, but I can't do anything," she said as she hit the nearby wall.
Shelly looked down with some guilt. "I know this is hard for you. You're the strongest person I think I've ever met, and I admire your unwillingness to be helpless…but right now there is nothing we can do. There's no use in worrying when you can't do anything about it."
May just groaned and fell on the bed, her arm covering her eyes. "How is it that I'm always the one that gets kidnapped? It's not like I even wanted to get involved in this shit. It was Team Aqua that made us want to help the way we did in the first place with a damn mugging in the Petalburg Woods. I was just happy to travel and become a coordinator with Brendan beside me."
Shelly seemed to be more personally affected by that, almost looking guilty. "Had I known then what I know now, I never would have ordered that robbery attempt."
May looked up at Shelly, her expression less shocked than the lieutenant of Team Aqua had expected from such a revelation. "So, you're the one who got us mixed up in all this shit."
Shelly looked down in what appeared to be shame. "Yes, I had no idea what that one order would bring…Arceus knows you and Brendan would have enjoyed your journey like you should have. However, I think that if it hadn't been Team Aqua, it would have been Team Magma. That doesn't excuse what we've done…"
May shook her head. "It's okay, if it hadn't been for Team Aqua and Team Magma, I doubt Brendan and I would be in such a close relationship. So, in a way, I guess it's something that we should thank you for."
Shelly smiled slightly, showing she appreciated the humor, then she shook her head. "No, you shouldn't. We've caused you two more trouble than anybody should be ever have to go through."
May sighed. "How long before we get to the cave?"
"It will probably be tomorrow morning. You should try to get some sleep first. You'll need it."
May pursed her lips then nodded. She loathed being the helpless girl, but she knew there was nothing she could do. She laid back on the very uncomfortable cot, starting to fall asleep. "Please lock the door when you go. I don't like the idea of other people watching me while I sleep." She got her response as the door closed and the lock fell into place. "Thank you," she whispered as an exhaustion she didn't know she had fell over her and she fell asleep.
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Brendan felt the wind in his hair, with his hat in his hand, as he and Gwen rode on the bow of Steven's luxury speedboat. They saw a cove approaching in the distance, and it was already clear that it was the Seafloor Cavern. "Well, May, we're almost there to get you to safety. Just wait a little longer." Gwen smiled as she heard him say it with such passion and determination.
They stopped over a deeper area when Steven approached from the cabin. "Alright, the cavern is below us. You should be able to dive in from here. It'll be a straight shot down." Gwen and Brendan nodded.
"Thank you for this Steven. Will you be joining us?"
"No, I'll be up here and ready to start the boat at a moment's notice," he said.
Then be sure to keep an eye out for a sudden downpour. That should tell you if we made it in time to stop Archie, Gwen said with a serious tone.
"I will." As he said this, he handed two air masks to Brendan and one to Gwen. "This is the diving gear. Just put it on and the rest of the wet suit will cover your body from there, and they already have radio communications set up between them. The third one is for May when you get her."
Brendan and Gwen both put their masks on, and true to Steven's words, a wetsuit seemed to appear from nowhere as the masks got a tight seal around their faces as air began to flow. Their feet were then covered by flippers as they got to the edge of the boat and prepared to jump in.
"Remember, either Groudon or Kyogre in their Primal form alone would be enough to bring cataclysm to Earth. Both at the same time could destroy the world as we know it. Be sure you get there in time," Steven's tone told them that there was no room for debate, not that Brendan wanted to debate that point. They simply nodded before falling back into the water, diving down immediately, and finding the cavern that had only recently been drilled by Team Aqua's submarine.
May, I swear I will hold you in my arms when we get you safe, Brendan thought.
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May was currently being dragged through the caverns by Shelly, who had worked with her to make this a convincing act. They were going to let Archie get to Kyogre, but they would act to stop him as soon as they got there. This was a risky strategy, but Archie was planning to leave grunts behind as they went. He was expecting Brendan to follow them, so he wanted multiple people to stay back and at least slow him down. May and Shelly figured that he would only have himself and the two of them when they got to Kyogre. It would help immensely when they tried to stop Archie, who was proudly carrying the Blue Orb in his hand, from awakening the great beast.
The walk was very uneventful, other than the grunts being stationed around the cave, and the rooms they passed through pretty much all looked the same to her, short of some boulders in the path, or a couple rooms filled with water that had very strong currents. That near monotony came to an end as Archie dismissed the last grunt and they entered a room full of mist and small crystals that seemed to glow a light blue color. It was a beautiful, but chilling room. It gave the sense that they were close to something powerful and dangerous, yet beautiful at the same time. As they descended into the cavern, there was a looming mass of what looked like grey stone, but the details were too sharp, even for the best sculptors. Then there was the sheer size of the statue, looming at least seven feet tall, with half of it being underwater. While she couldn't confirm it with her Pokédex, there was no doubt in her mind that this was the super ancient Pokémon. The mere sight of the leviathan made her heart skip a beat with a mixture of fear and awe.
May then looked back at Shelly, who nodded as she let go of her wrists and May's hand immediately went to Miranda's Pokéball. She let out her Blaziken, who glared at Archie as he turned in shock. "What is this? Shelly, why is she not still bound, and how does she have her Pokémon? And why are you not doing anything to stop this?" he nearly shouted. Before he could get his answer, his radio sounded. "Speak, what is it?"
"Sir, this is Tom, the grunt you stationed at the entrance. The kid with the Gardevoir is already here. He swept my team and his Gardevoir put me to sleep briefly. He's likely almost to you by now." Archie cursed at this message.
"Very well, get everybody you can back to the sub and start the engine. I'm almost finished here. Over and out." He then turned to Shelly with a deep glare. "Well, have you thought of your answer? What is the meaning of this?"
Shelly sighed. "Sir, you've lost sight of what this organization should stand for. You started us as a conservation group. We worked to keep waterways clean. Now, however, you're so obsessed with this dream of expanding the ocean that you've lost your integrity. You even resorted to kidnapping a girl who only did what was right. I couldn't allow you to continue this."
Archie just glared and sent out his Sharpedo, who began to swim in the pool of water Kyogre was in. The leader of Team Aqua then grabbed his keystone, and, without saying anything, initiated a Mega-Evolution. The Sharpedo changed significantly, his fins all growing longer as he also gained multiple, yellow markings around his body. The Pokémon looked intimidating, but Miranda would be fine. After all, she had her mega evolution too. May sighed, seeing that the talking route would do no good.
"Alright, Archie, I don't hold anything personal against you…but I cannot allow you to wake Kyogre. You saw the destruction caused by Groudon, and I know you know deep down that Kyogre will only bring more destruction on that scale. So, if you refuse to admit that you're wrong, I'll just have to use force." May stood straight and lifted her wrist, touching her Keystone. Miranda's body changed into the more streamline form of her Mega Evolution. The Blaziken closed her eyes, her muscles all flexing at once as both she and May waited for their chance. What they didn't notice, however, was that the Blue Orb, which was powered by the same kind of energy a mega stone, was beginning to glow with the energy released from the mega evolution.
"Samerios, use Crunch!" Archie said, using his Sharpedo's real name. The shark Pokémon leapt from the water and began to fly toward Miranda.
May smirked and spoke calmly. "Miranda, use Sky Uppercut." Miranda opened her eyes and immediately leapt forward, her hands both glowing with energy before she leapt at Samerios, closing both hands. She then ducked just as Samerios was about to bite down on her shoulder, driving her right fist into his underbelly. The Sharpedo's mouth hung open as he fought for his breath. "Again," she said quietly. Miranda switched hands, hitting him again in the same spot on his body, making him fly back and collapse behind Archie.
May smiled and recalled Miranda as the Pokémon reverted to her normal form. That was when she heard running footsteps behind her, and she felt a very familiar, and warming presence. She barely had time to turn around before Brendan wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Despite her trying to be composed, she just hugged back and felt a tear of joy falling down her face. "I missed you, what took you so long?"
"May, I'm so sorry I didn't keep you safe. I promise I'll-" Brendan started to say, only to have May pull back and silence him with a kiss. It didn't last long, but it told Brendan all he needed to know. She always knew he would protect her, and she couldn't be happier with her choice. The moment was then cut short by a burst of energy that pushed Brendan back, only for Gwen to take his spot. While Brendan wasn't thrilled about being separated from the woman he loved, he could only laugh slightly at Gwen's actions.
We missed you so much, May. Please don't ever get kidnapped like that again. You're too important to us, Gwen said, her mental voice even making it clear that she was crying too.
"I promise you both, I will not get kidnapped again. It wasn't fun for me either," May just sighed happily after saying this.
Unfortunately, Archie had other plans as he noticed the glowing of the orb. After recalling Samerios, he wound-up to throw the Blue Orb at Kyogre. "I don't care if I lost the battle. Kyogre must awaken. I must fulfill my dream to make the world right!" Brendan saw this, and he quickly ran to try and restrain Archie, hoping to stop the throw, but it was too late. The Aqua leader let go of the stone just before Brendan tackled him.
All he could do was watch helplessly as the Blue Orb struck the leviathan and it began to glow brilliantly. Cracks began to form in the stone covering the creature, letting out a blue light. Brendan stood up shakily, looking on in awe. "Fuck…not again." Before he could say any more, Shelly slapped him to get his attention, and she looked serious.
"Get May and Gwen to the submarine, tell them to power up the engines. I'm going to try and get Archie to follow me," she seemed desperate as she said this.
Brendan just nodded. "Alright, but be sure you get out of here too, regardless of whether Archie comes with you." She seemed to agree with her expression, as she ran to Archie's side, trying to pull him with her as more of the legendary Pokémon slowly became more visible as the stone crumbled. It's body mostly seemed to be glowing a shade of blue that looked like the depths of the ocean, with white and yellow streaks along its body.
The creature began to grow to more than double in size, and the power it radiated almost made the air feel thick. Luckily, it didn't slow any of them down. But, as they were about to get to the end of the misty cavern, there was a deafening roar, which held such a primal level of power that it even caused the ceiling to start crumbling. Boulders began to crash to the floor around them. Just before they left the room, Brendan turned and was surprisingly grateful to see both Shelly and Archie running toward them. There was a massive torrent of water cascading from the ceiling now, and the water level was rising behind them. Gwen saw them as well and teleported them to her side, and all five of them made their way toward the exit. Unfortunately, it seemed they would not escape the rising water in time as they came to one of the rooms full of fast-moving water. Brendan was about to have Gwen teleport them to the other side when there was a massive earthquake, causing a weaker section of the wall began to collapse, opening to the beach where the submarine was stationed, and the engines were already running.
"Come on, let's get out of here!" May shouted. Brendan grabbed her hand and they all sprinted out, going up the gangplank as the grunts inside had it retract, and they all got below deck just as the submarine began to dive. Shelly led the group to the bridge, where she immediately ordered a full speed out of the cavern, knowing the hole they drilled in was just a straight shot out, and with the engines on this submarine they knew they should be able to escape, barring any damage. The grunts got the sub in-line with the tunnel, and hit the throttle, moving faster than would be considered safe under any other conditions. They were about halfway out of the tunnel when Kyogre broke through the ceiling of the cavern, causing three massive boulders to start to cave-in.
"Can't this thing go faster?" Brendan shouted, his fear radiating through his voice.
"No, it can't. We're already pushing it. The engines will overheat if we go any faster than we're moving now," Shelly said.
Oh, and what am I, chopped liver? Gwen said, trying to break the clear tension and fear in the room. Her eyes began to glow as she used psychic to stop the boulders from falling. Brendan and May could both tell she was struggling to hold them up, but they knew that any attempt to help would just distract her. Thankfully, the submarine's speed allowed her to gradually drop the stones as they cleared each one. Brendan, who hadn't let go of May's hand since they got on the submarine, slightly tightened his grip. May just turned to him and gave him a tight, reassuring hug.
"We will be fine," she said. That was when Gwen let the last boulder fall, blocking off the cavern, even if it hadn't already collapsed entirely. From there, they were able to escape without any further scares. At least, that was until they started to surface. Immediately, they could see that there were massive storm clouds, rain was coming down harder than anybody in the ship had ever seen, and there were multiple cyclones forming around them, and the water was swirling violently, waves reaching nearly twenty feet high. Not too far away, they watched Kyogre breach through the waves, almost flying before diving back into the water and creating a massive wave, which struck the submarine, making it rock, even while it was still mostly underwater.
Inside, the submarine was as silent as a tomb, nobody fully comprehending what they were seeing. They had been told that waking Kyogre would be what saved the world, but this looked more like the end. Archie looked the most affected, his expression was both broken and terrified. "What is this? I just thought-" Shelly slapped him hard across the face.
"YOU DID NOT THINK! If you had been thinking, you wouldn't have given that orb to Kyogre. You knew your grand plan was wrong the moment your brother woke Groudon. He's dead now, and you just went ahead with your plan because you couldn't admit you were wrong," she yelled.
"But the Blue Orb was supposed to control Kyogre. I should have been in control," he said.
This time, Brendan spoke up. "That's not even close to true. If you hadn't assaulted the old couple on Mt. Pyre to get the orb, you might have learned that the orbs control the Primal Reversion of Kyogre and Groudon. You not only woke up the second of the super ancient Pokémon, you and Maxie both gave them the key to gaining more power than most Pokémon get from a Mega Evolution."
Archie glared at him briefly, but then something in him broke, as if the weight of what he had just wrought on the world was now hitting him. Before anybody could do anything to stop him, Archie went to the hatch and hit a button to deploy an aluminum lifeboat with two oars inside. He got in and began to row out. From the bridge, Shelly looked on helplessly as the leader of Team Aqua rowed into the distance, but he did not see the massive form in the water approaching from the bow of his boat. And it was moving too fast for anybody to even react. All they could do was watch as the boat was launched into the air with a powerful Water Spout attack.
From the bridge of the submarine, Archie's body could be clearly seen flailing as he fell back to the water, but Kyogre had other plans. He breached again, this time, directly under Archie, with his mouth open. As soon as Archie landed on the Pokémon's tongue, it snapped its jaws shut and swallowed him whole.
While Brendan tried to keep himself from vomiting at the sight, Shelly was sitting in utter shock with tears falling. It was just like with Maxie. In the end, Archie's twisted goals wound up putting him in his grave.
Thank you all for reading this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it. I do have a summer job, but I should still be able to write more often now, so hopefully you won't need to wait another month for the next update.
As always, please leave a constructive review, and let me know what I can improve on.
Until next time – jmoul18
