CHAPTER FORTY SIX
Blinking uncertainly, Natalie glanced around at the dark cavern in which she had awoken, lying in a shallow pool of water which reached no further than her knees. Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself onto the hard, rocky surface of the cavern and glanced up towards the only source of illumination, a thin fissure which wound down a slimy path into the shallow path where she lay. She tried to wrack her brain, but nothing immediately resulted. Then she remembered the battle with the Tentacool.
"Squirtle? Poliwhirl?" Natalie glanced about, suddenly fearful as she saw the dripping stalactites and cavern walls glossy with slime and mildew. "Horsea?"
She was alone, but for the faint echoes of her words and the moon light flickering through the crevasse above. Try as she might, Natalie could not climb the slimy path, her clothes soaked wet and stinking faintly. She unhooked her backpack to rifle through it, Potions and Antidotes and Awakenings, to the sodden Town Map which she unrolled and tried to make sense of in the flickering light. It was no use. She was definitely somewhere between Cinnabar Island and Fuchsia City, but where she had no clue.
Natalie warmed her hands and blew on them with hot breath, noticing with a thrill of realisation that she still had her Pokeballs on her belt. Three would be empty - she remembered the Water-types fighting the leader Tentacruel - but she had returned Butterfree part way through the battle! Hurriedly, Natalie unhooked the Pokeball and pointed it into the air, red light flashing to briefly illuminate the cavern.
"Butterfree, I'm glad to see you!" cried Natalie, as the bug Pokemon twittered and flew uncertainly, unsure of the new surroundings. Settling on Natalie's shoulders, Butterfree shivered in the abject cold. "We're stuck in this cavern. The ship was knocked and I went overboard, and when I awoke I was here..."
Whether this made sense or not, Butterfree fluttered its wings and darted off towards the fissure, trying to fit through. At length, Butterfree disappeared from sight and Natalie felt a pit of gloom, suddenly vulnerable without her only Pokemon. Where were the others? What happened to the ship?
After a minute, still waiting, Natalie tried to scope out the cavern while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was a small cave, slime on every surface as Natalie crawled on her hands and knees, scared she would bump into something and trip over, hurt herself. She heard an almost inaudible flutter of wings as Butterfree returned, and gratefully Natalie glanced up.
"What's up there, Butterfree? Can you see the others?" asked Natalie.
Hurriedly, Butterfree shook its head. Natalie tried to phrase her questions designed with simple responses.
"Can you see land? Anyone we might locate for help?" Again, Butterfree shook its head.
Disappointment filling a pit in her stomach, Natalie realised she was trapped. There was no way Butterfree could lift her out of the cavern, and the longer she spent here without food she would be sapped of her stamina, which she needed to stay alert. Darkness pervaded every corner.
"Is there a way you can provide a source of light?" asked Natalie hopefully. But instead, Butterfree shook its head and quivered, releasing a Supersonic wave that heightened Butterfree's senses and tingled the hair on the back of Natalie's neck.
Comprehension dawned on Natalie. "I see! The supersonic waves allow you to interpret physical structure and impediments. I'll have to rely on your lead, Butterfree."
Nodding, Butterfree emitted a low humming and Natalie followed by sound, awkwardly grasping nothing but thin air as she rose and careful not to trip in her waterlogged sneakers. Blindly she walked ahead, with only Butterfree's whisper-quiet twitterings to follow as a guide, bumping into more than her fair share of stalagmites and slimy outcrops.
Twice Butterfree had to stop as Natalie stepped into tiny pools of water, teeth chattering and shivering in the cold as her footsteps were the main source of sound. Ominously she thought she was being watched, but cursed her paranoia as Butterfree emitted sound waves to detect presence. Of course, the denizens of the dark didn't need illumination to spot predators and Natalie felt the walls close in as her fear deepened.
Slowly, they heard the sound of rushing water and Natalie stepped into it, knee-high and sinking so that she gasped in fright. Her arms flailed for grip as she felt the current pull her, remembering the submersion during the ship battle and succumbing to shock, rigid as she swallowed water, tugged along without restraint.
"B-butterfree," she spat, unable to see in the darkness as the fast-moving current took her along, in what felt like a death spiral. "Help!"
Her head went underwater again, feeling the powerful surge of the current take her along as she tried to resurface, taking a deep breath and hearing the faint, far-off twitterings of her Butterfree.
"Over - over here!" Natalie yelled, salt water searing her throat as she went under again, her stomach dropping as she felt the ground disappear below her and plummeted, unseeing in the darkness and body slamming the water with such force she was winded, swallowing a great deal of water as her insides painfully choked for oxygen. Her arm gripped the slimy outcrop of a stalagmite and blindly she pulled herself onto it, feeling her legs taken by the current but keeping herself aloft as she spluttered and breathed short, sharp breaths to clear her lungs.
Panic filled her brain as she gasped for life, almost kissing the stalagmite as relief not to have drowned, but her brain told her the slime was gross, and she smiled that her internal functions still worked. The pungent smell of her sweat, feel of her sodden clothes and damp hair were nothing compared to the thrill of escaping near death.
She made every move count, careful to the point of Slowpoke speed to ensure that she would not trip or fall. More cautious than before, now she double- and triple-checked each manuever as she traversed the rocky cavern, hearing the faint rushing of the powerful current below, her fear keeping her senses alive.
"Butterfree?" Natalie croaked.
She heard the flapping of wings, but they did not belong to Butterfree. Instead, a sharp shriek filled her eardrums and she felt the hairs on her body lift before she was beating her attackers off, Zubat whose supersonic waves detected her but she could only kick out and thrash wildly, lying on the ground with her hands covering her head and using her backpack as a further shield. She lashed out at one, two, feeling them get close but not close enough, until finally their screech stopped and she lay prone, not moving for a full ten minutes as she waited for the blood pulsing in her ears to subside.
Carefully, she made her way across the cavern floor, getting used to the slime she often grasped, finding it preferable to the fast-moving current below and again thanked her lucky Staryus she had escaped that particular trap alive. Limbs aching, she continued in this way for some time, having to backtrack at every instance where she could not longer feel rocky ground, her heart skipping a beat and her mind glimpsing endless descent in her fear. She was hungry, cold and panting with fear - where was Butterfree, and was she OK?
Still crawling, Natalie glimpsed something glitter inbetween two thin stalagmites that stood erect and pulled herself further along the slimy ground, hearing the water current come close to one side. Avoiding that particular ledge, the illumination was faint but as she grew closer, she saw that moon light flickered on the water's surface, from a narrow fissure above. If she moved closer, there might be a way to climb up the rocky walls.
Her sneakers filled with water again as she stepped into shallows, this time just a pool of water where no current flowed into, yet offshoots filled regardless. Goosebumps covered her ankles, up to her legs and she began shivering violently as she navigated the small pool, blinking up at the moon light which cast its glow inside the cave. Her knees bumped into something hard, a rocky outcrop, and she held tightly on it and pulled herself onto another source of land, quite surprised to find she was not alone.
Shivering in fear, though the icy cold wracked her still, Natalie glimpsed the wide, blue wings and fearsome feral nature that comprised the huge bird Pokemon that rose from its nest. Shards of ice dripped from its wings spread wide in irritation at having been disturbed from its slumber, blue like sapphires and fixing its baleful gaze upon Natalie, who froze metaphorically at the apparition before her.
"Oh," trembled Natalie, her lips feeling blue as the Pokemon haughtily tossed its neck, plumage glittering bright amid the shaft of moonlight. "P-please - I didn't mean to - "
The bird Pokemon cawed loudly, so that its chant echoed throughout the vast cavern. Beyond, Natalie could hear the flapping of Zubat wings and scuttling of Shellder and Krabby as they made for safe haven. Looking down on Natalie with its haughty features, wings spread wide and razor sharp talons gripping the ground, it was truly a sight for sore eyes whatever tendrils of fear crawled up Natalie's skin.
"I-I'm just looking for a way out - " Natalie clapped her hands to her mouth and cringed as the Articuno surged forward, hands over her head but no attack was forthcoming. Instead, the majestic bird bent down on its hindquarters and splayed its wings flat so Natalie could see the shimmering, sapphire-blue feathers. "What - do you want me to climb on you?"
Nodding, the Pokemon sank lower as Natalie carefully rose, unsure of this Pokemon's true intent as she ran a hand over the feathers, doubting it could hold her weight. When the Pokemon cawed in its musical chant impatiently, Natalie secured her arms around the majestic bird's back, feeling the weight of her carrier shift easily, and she realised she must be feather light to a bird this gigantic.
"So soft," Natalie mumbled, more to herself as she stroked the beast's glittering feathers, careful with her touch. She glanced above to the fissure, which looked scarcely big enough for them to both fit. "Are you sure - "
Blinking in the sudden light, Natalie turned to face the glowing orb which scattered its beam of light upon the cavern. Cawing loudly at this disruption, Natalie was definitely not in control of this mount as the bird Pokemon stamped the icy ground beneath it with sharp talons and regarded the approaching figure.
"Hey - what - what are you doing? I was here first!" shouted the silhouette, now visible enough to be seen carrying a torch.
Briefly illuminated, the man was lined and aged from the shadows cast on his face but couldn't be older than thirty. He wore full explorer's kit and stared accusingly at Natalie, who relinquished her grip on the bird while astride it, but quickly learned it was better to stay on as the glittering beast moved, discomfited at this surprise. Natalie wanted to shout out, but to surprise this skittish Pokemon with a sudden shout might earn her a sharp bucking off.
"I've claimed this Pokemon! Articuno's mine!" shouted the man, his voice reverberating around the cavern. "Go, Electabuzz!"
In a flash of red light that illuminated the cavern, the Pokemon called Electabuzz stepped forward, crackling with electricity. Its yellow fur was striped with black, distinctly humanoid and standing on two feet. Noticeably, Articuno stiffened underneath Natalie and she concluded that it must be because her mount was definitely a Flying-type, probably a dual Ice/Flying type, and would be greatly harmed by Electric attacks.
"This is our chance, Electabuzz!" shouted the man. "Thunder Wave!"
Natalie held on for dear life as the Articuno took a step back only as a preamble to release an icy blast, forming as an frosty barrier against the wave of electricity Electabuzz shot forth. With a crack like a gunshot, the electricity struck the icy impediment and shattered it to pieces, leaving the Articuno defenseless. Furiously, the Articuno began to flap its wings.
"You're not getting away!" cried the man, as Natalie felt her mount buck and become airborne. "Electabuzz, Thunder!"
Glowing static, Natalie watched as the Electabuzz gathered power as Articuno soared the length of the cavern to gain speed and headed for the fissure above. Pain coursed through her as she felt her insides seize up and her heart give out for a second as the electricity coursed through her veins, suffering the same fate as the Articuno who collaped upon the cavern floor, heaving its great chest in pain. Natalie was thrown against the rocky wall, gasping as her shoulders and back throbbed in pain.
Beside her, the Articuno began to rouse, fury in its eyes as icicles gathered into shards from the air around it and solidified into a swirling blizzard, directed towards the man and his Electabuzz. Buffeted and blown over, the man tried to stand up though the Electabuzz remained standing, suffering the brunt of the attack as icy shards cut into its fur. Crackling with electricity, Electabuzz fell to one knee though it glanced back at Articuno, who panted in pain.
"Finish it! Thunder Wave!" shouted the man, clothes covered with ice.
On its last leg, Articuno puffed up its chest in stoicism, blasting another beam of ice from its beak that glowed and illuminated the cavern, but not before the current of static electricity entangled Articuno, paralysing it as it lay unmoving upon the cavern floor. Startled, Natalie got to her feet but tripped on the slime, tasting blood in her mouth as her chin hit the hard ground.
"Electabuzz - Electabuzz, oh never mind - " the man got to his feet, only a stretch of water separating him from the nest where Natalie and the fallen Articuno lay. He fetched an Ultra Ball from his belt and with what seemed like practised movement, threw it at the glittering bird who lay prone. "Articuno, you're mine!"
Glimpsing the fallen Articuno's gaze, Natalie watched in horror as the Ultra Ball made contact, dematerialising the Articuno into bright red light that flashed the empty patch of ground as the Ultra Ball settled onto the ground, shaking and quivering with the Articuno restrained inside.
"I got it!" shouted the man, jumping up and down in what seemed like fifty years in the making. "I caught the legendary bird - "
Natalie gasped as the Ultra Ball bounced back, spilling forth the fallen Articuno in exactly the same position it lay prone as though it had never been captured. Discarded, the Ultra Ball toppled into the divide of water below.
"No - no - I thought I had it!" cried the man, who turned to his Electabuzz. "What's wrong with you? You haven't paralyzed it good enough!"
Looking into the injured Articuno's eyes, Natalie reached for her backpack and in her struggle to find a Paralyz Heal, her hands closed on the spherical Great Ball she had bought back in Fuchsia. She hesitated for only a moment, then took the Paralyz Heal and sprayed it on the Articuno, who closed its eyes and winced.
"What are you doing?" yelled the man. "You're ruining everything!"
"You electrocuted me, you bastard!" Natalie screamed, her high-pitched voice a comparison to the loud, whinging tones of the man.
Slowly, the Articuno began to rouse, stretching its wings that ached from paralysis, turning on the Electabuzz with cold fury. Natalie ran forth, almost slipping in her haste understanding the brevity of time and leapt for Articuno's back, who knelt at the right time to help her onboard.
"Electabuzz, Thunder!" screamed the man. "Don't let her leave!"
Breathing and panting, Natalie fastened her arms around the bird Pokemon's neck in what she hoped wasn't too tight as the Articuno took flight, expelling an icy mist that obscured the cavern interior as Electabuzz's Thunder attack narrowly missed, cracking like a gunshot over Natalie's shoulder against the rocky wall which crumbled. She held on tight and kept her eyes closed through the icy mist as Articuno flapped its wings, at once a surge of speed going upwards and Natalie felt her stomach drop as this time she was zooming up, up, up...
The night sky greeted her and she saw the dark blanket of stars amid the crescent moon, flying high with great fear in her throat as she held onto Articuno for dear life, glancing down at the cave that became only a speck in the stretch of ocean which spread for miles. Satisfied it had escaped danger, the Articuno swooped down and flew atop the water, so fast that it startled wandering Magikarp and Goldeen who swam, mouths gaping up at the glittering blue that lasted only seconds.
"A-articuno," Natalie whispered, thrill in her veins as the bird swooped low and high, a tremor running through it and cawing as the aftershocks of the electricity ran through it. "M-my Butterfree - my Butterfree is stuck in the cave..."
Turning abruptly, the Articuno flew close to the cave, not inside one of the fissures in the ceiling but slowing down upon a sparse grassland, digging its talons in tight as it almost crumpled, visibly shaken from the Electabuzz's Thunder attack. Natalie climbed off in case her weight was hindering upon the Articuno's labors.
Glimpsed in the moonlight, Articuno was a majestic spectacle as it reared its head and chanted, lilting its tone so that it seemed to reverberate in the very fibres of the earth. Coming upon an idea, Natalie reached for her backpack but the Articuno stiffened, fearing another attempt at capture.
"No - no - I have a Potion," Natalie dug out the Potion, paltry as it was likely to help Articuno, and slowly held it out in her hand for the bird to see. Hesitantly, the Articuno stayed still as Natalie administered the potion, which seemed to revive a bit of stamina to the poor creature, though it remained in pain.
Suddenly, Natalie heard the familiar twittering and turned to see her Butterfree, emerging from a fissure in the rock, never a greater sight to see.
"Butterfree, I've been so worried - I've missed you - "
In great delight, Butterfree flew into arms and Natalie embraced her close, careful as always not to squash the butterfly Pokemon. Holding Butterfree in her arms, Natalie turned to watch as Articuno flapped its wings, impatient to leave and search for a safe haven in which to recover.
"Thank you, Articuno," said Natalie, meaning it. "Please know how grateful I am. I will think of you always as my saviour."
Nodding an imperious assent, the Articuno took a few steps back and rushed forth, taking flight into the starry sky. Natalie and Butterfree watched as the brilliant blue bird became but a sapphire speck in the sky. Feeling disheartened, Natalie hoped the Articuno would find somewhere safe to recover. Dark blue ocean spread for miles in every direction, no land visible beside the outside of the cavern on which she stood, when she noticed that one of the Articuno's feathers was stuck to her backside.
"Wow," Natalie turned the feather over in her hands, individual strands glittering with brilliant blue. It was tender to the touch and yet quite inflexible, like a shard of ice.
Butterfree twittered and flew lazily about the night sky, flying overheard to search for help.
"You will come back, won't you?" Natalie smiled, as Butterfree flapped its little wings and soon headed out of sight.
Natalie settled against the rocky cavern exterior, sand and dirt clinging to her clothes as she breathed in the night air. She held the icy feather close, hoping that she would be rescued.