CHAPTER EIGHTY FOUR
Daniel held tightly onto the Pidgeotto as it banked and flew towards Cerulean City in the distance. Heavy rain had begun to fall and pelted them ceaselessly, blurring their vision.
"Arghhhh!"
Daniel held tightly as the Pidgeotto swooped closer to the ground and made a haphazard landing outside the Pokemon Center. Daniel was thrown off and landed face-first in a puddle of mud, as the Pidgeotto hooted blearily. Daniel scrambled to his feet, rubbing the grazes on his knees where he wore shorts and approached the injured Pidgeotto.
"Are you OK?" Daniel made to move the Pidgeotto, then remembered he had its Pokeball attached to his belt. Glancing up, he saw a Chansey emerge from the Pokemon Center, holding a striped umbrella above its head to keep dry. "Chansey! I'm coming in to deliver an injured Pokemon!"
Nodding, the Chansey rushed inside to alert the nurse. Daniel thanked the Pidgeotto for the flight, still feeling a bit weary and dazed as he held out the Pokeball and returned Pidgeotto safely inside with a flash of red light.
"Ugh," Daniel rubbed his forehead, vision bright with light as he rose to his feet and the ground seemed to shake. "I'm OK, I'm OK."
He entered the Pokemon Center, reaching the counter which was thankfully devoid of a queue. Nearby, a gentleman who sat on a bench glanced up from his newspaper while a janitor mopped muddy footprints off the black-and-white tiled floor.
"I have a Pidgeotto here," Daniel passed over the Pokeball which contained Joshua's mother's Pokemon. "And please heal my other four Pokemon, too."
Five Pokeballs were loaded onto the tray, which Chansey and took and ran through the machine. Barely a minute passed before Chansey removed the tray and handed the Pokeballs back to Daniel.
"Thanks," Daniel said gratefully to the nurse. "Do you know of Cerulean Cave?"
"Cerulean Cave?" the nurse frowned, turning to Chansey. "Of course we know it. But we don't get many Trainers who ask."
The elderly gentleman in the corner stood up, newspaper folded in half, forgotten. "Young man, did you say Cerulean Cave?"
Nodding, Daniel eagerly turned to the gentleman who wore a brown corduroy suit and brogues. "Yes. Somebody I know has gone in there against all better judgement to catch the Pokemon in there - "
"Mmm, that's a bad idea," replied the gentleman, who held the weight of the world's wisdom with his serious look. As an adolescent, Daniel responded with the typical youthful arrogance.
"I'm going in there to save him," Daniel replied. "Do you know where it is?"
Hesitating, the gentlemen replied, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Are you sure you're prepared, young man?"
Daniel began to fume, ironically at the impertinence of the disrespect being done to his name despite in the presence of someone older than him.
"I recently competed in the Indigo League," Daniel began, as though that solved all matters. "I'm more than competent to - "
"I know who you are, young man," the gentleman bristled. "Cerulean Cave is off-limits for a reason. It contains Pokemon more powerful than thought to be found in - "
"Yes, yes, I know! I know all that! But my friend is putting himself in danger and I have to save him!"
The elderly gentleman appraised him with a careful eye, taking time to consider while Daniel began to grow impatient.
"Young man, I was pleased to watch you battle in the tournament, however you did only reach the semi finals," the gentlemen barrelled on before Daniel could interrupt, red-faced. "Nevertheless, if your plight is as serious as you say, then I will offer what assistance I can. To reach Cerulean Cave, you must swim down the river that is found at the top point of Nugget Bridge. I haven't been there personally, but that is the general area where the cave entrance has been formed."
"Thank you, sir," Daniel added, grateful though he wished the man had hurried up a bit faster. He turned to the nurse. "Thank you!"
"You'll need some form of illumination in there. Take this torch!" the nurse cried, as Chansey abandoned her station to deliver the equipment. "Be careful out there!"
Daniel was drenched in pouring rain as he exited the Pokemon Centre. Glancing up, he saw dark clouds rising in the sky and the clash of thunder and lightning. Shivering in the cold, Daniel hurried through the city where the Nugget Bridge beckoned, abandoned by the usual row of Trainers who challenged contenders to win the prize of a Nugget. Daniel fondly remembered when he had taken the challenge, but brought his thoughts back to the more pressing reality at hand.
As he ran across the Nugget Bridge, Daniel considered using Pidgeotto to scout or possibly help him fly towards the cave, but he didn't want to risk it even though she had been properly healed. He was responsible for the Pidgeotto's fragile health while it was in his care.
Daniel reached the apex of the Nugget Bridge, glancing around for a river as the elderly gentleman in the Pokemon Centre had described. The path to the right lead to the cape, while the path to the left beckoned beyond a copse of trees and he quickened his pace as he heard raindrops pelting running water. The river was narrow and treacherous, not for a novice swimmer let alone in this torrid weather.
"Go, Seel!" Daniel threw one of the Pokeballs upon his belt into the water.
Bursting open with bright red light, the Pokeball soared back into his outstretched hand while Seel broke the water's surface, easily manoeuvring the current and meeting Daniel at a shallow ridge of the brook so that he could climb atop Seel, holding tightly onto his neck.
"Let's go!" Daniel cried, as Seel leapt into the water with an almighty crash.
Daniel swallowed water and blinked rapidly to accustom himself to the rapids that surrounded them, strong currents which tossed them back and forth. Twice Daniel slipped off Seel but Seel had dived in to rescue his Trainer, who tightened his grip further still as Seel fought against the waves, pounded from above with raindrops while thunder clashed above.
They continued in this way for some while, clearly upon the outskirts of Cerulean City as all they saw was insurmountable cave walls on either side, with no safe passage to rest upon. Daniel's heartbeat quickened as he saw the mouth of the cave opening, as Seel swam around a corner and onto a barely discernible patch of muddy and waterlogged land. Seel helped Daniel to climb onto the ridge, then Daniel helped Seel clamber on though he required less assistance.
"Thanks, Seel," Daniel gasped, shivering and cold, socks and shoes filled with water and backpack pelted with raindrops. Seel nodded happily.
Glancing up at the mouth of the cave, Daniel retrieved the waterproof torch that the Pokemon Centre nurse had been kind enough to provide. He switched it on, casting its illuminative glow upon the darkened depths. He was reminded briefly of the cave that was Victory Road, but this was another challenge entirely.
Joshua's somewhere inside, Daniel thought. If he's got himself trapped in here, he has only himself to blame.
But Daniel could deny the adrenaline thrill was coursing through his system. He had conquered Kanto's Gym Leader circuit and made it into the top four of Indigo League. If Joshua had made it inside, then he could, too.
He released his other Pokemon from their Pokeballs, red light flashing so that they materialised just in the entrance of the cave, shielded from the pounding rain. Seel clapped happily beside Daniel who stood sodden in the rain outside, while Meowth cringed within the cave interior, Weepinbell did not mind the occasional specks of rain which filtered in and Arbok hissed lightly, sensing other Pokemon deep within the confines of the cave.
"Ready, guys?" Daniel blinked raindrops and wiped his face, entering the mouth of the cave. "Stick together. I don't know what we'll encounter in here."
Daniel sensed the immediate shelter overhead and from the cave walls around him that served to amplify sound and create a sense of claustrophobia. Behind him the pouring rain and river current were blocked out as a surreal silence took place in the cave. Daniel followed the passage and shone the torch upon the ground for illumination, hearing nothing other than their own footsteps. The passage was so narrow they had to walk behind one another.
The passage began to widen so that Daniel and his four Pokemon could more or less walk alongside one another, the cave walls damp and slimy whenever Daniel accidentally brushed up against one. The silence was so deafening that Daniel could hear every sound amplified; his own breathing, the slither of Arbok's tail, Meowth's footsteps. He heard the rushing of water and cast the torch light in front of him. So far the cave passage had been narrow with only one direction. As he walked forward, he stepped out into in an inhumanly large chamber.
From the rocky ridge on which he stood, he could see a labyrinth of water currents which flowed around other raised ridges, the edges of which were lapped at by the fast-moving current. His torch illuminated the water current which surrounded his ridge but could not penetrate the darkness deeper within the gargantuan chamber.
He cringed as he heard the unmistakeable flap and screech of Golbat, more feral than the high-pitched Zubat. Shifting shapes far off came into vivid illumination as Daniel shone the torch on them, spotting five headed straight for him in a wildly flapping, bloodthirsty pack.
"OK, guys!" Daniel shouted. "Meowth, Pay Day! Seel, Ice Beam! Arbok, Glare! Weepinbell, Stun Spore!"
Meowth's forehead coin glowed, blasting the pack of Golbat with a bright light. Seel directed an icy beam which seriously injured the Golbat and froze one solid, crashing into the water below. Arbok shot a fierce glare and paralysed one Golbat upon eye contact. Weepinbell released glittering powder into the air which paralysed the remaining, injured Golbat.
"Good work, guys," Daniel lowered his voice, as the darkness began to seep in around them. Cautiously, he walked to the water's edge as Seel inspected the current. "Ah!"
Seel was knocked backwards by a Seaking who used Horn Attack, flailing as it landed on the ridge and bounced back into the water on the other side. Daniel dragged Seel to safety as his other three Pokemon closed in to their Trainer, each watching the other's back as the fast-moving current around the ridge began to shift and splash, dark shapes landing upon the ridge which Daniel hastened to shine his torch upon, forehead dripping with sweat in fear.
A Kingler landed from the left, pincers scuttling; an Arbok slithered from the middle, near where they had tested the water; and a Slowbro clambered onto the ridge from the right. Daniel forced himself to remain strong and felt his Pokemon shrink in fear but contract with courage as he cried,
"Weepinbell, to the left! Mega Drain on Kingler!"
"Seel, to the middle! Take Down on the enemy Arbok!"
"Arbok and Meowth, to the right! Toxic and Slash on Slowbro!"
Weepinbell glowed green as Kingler leapt forward with a Crabhammer, dealing damage which Weepinbell recouped in full by draining Kingler of health and healing accordingly.
Seel leapt for enemy Arbok, but enemy Arbok evaded the tackle as Seel suffered recoil. Enemy Arbok delivered a harsh Bite to Seel, making him yelp in pain.
Arbok glared menacingly at Slowbro, but he closed his eyes and released a Psychic which blasted Arbok backwards in great pain, while Meowth avoided the Psychic blast and lashed out at Slowbro with sharp claws.
"No!" Daniel shouted in horror, attackers on all sides while his party of Pokemon defenders mightily held their own.
Weepinbell finished Kingler off with a Slam, sending the Water-type scuttling back into the currents, unconscious.
Seel shot a Bubblebeam towards enemy Arbok, as enemy Arbok used Glare upon Seel to paralyse him. Enemy Arbok was blasted backwards into the current from the force of Seel's powerful surge of bubbles, but leapt back onto the ridge as sleek as a slippery serpent.
Slowbro blasted Meowth backwards with another Psychic, which Arbok evaded by using Dig to hide underground.
Desperate, Daniel reached for his Full Heal and rushed to Seel. He shouted instructions,
"Arbok, use Dig on enemy Arbok!"
"Weepinbell, Mega Drain on Slowbro!"
"Meowth, Slash on Arbok!"
Arbok burrowed underneath and tackled enemy Arbok, causing it to flail mid-air as Meowth leapt up to deliver a Slash attack which finished it off. Weepinbell turned its attentions to Slowbro, glowing green as Slowbro dealt a third Psychic blast which hit Weepinbell and Arbok. Weepinbell suffered severe damage, recouping it almost in full as it drained Slowbro of health and recovered accordingly. Arbok had fallen unconscious upon the ridge.
Kingler was long gone and enemy Arbok lay unconscious, but the Slowbro wavered in its determination to fight on. Daniel had cured Seel of paralysis with his Full Heal, glancing with dismay to his unconscious Arbok.
"Take out that Slowbro!" Daniel shouted. "Meowth, Bite! Weepinbell, Slam!"
Slowbro directed a Water Gun jet which knocked Meowth backwards into Daniel, while Weepinbell pounced upon Slowbro to deal a damaging Slam which finished the Slowbro off. Moaning, Slowbro collapsed unconscious on the ridge.
Panting heavily, Daniel reached inside his backpack for a Revive. He administered it to Arbok and gave each Pokemon besides Weepinbell a Super Potion, as his Grass/Poison-type Pokemon had replenished plenty with the proceeds from Mega Drain.
"Good work, guys," Daniel patted each of them in turn. "That was close. Seel, do you think we can traverse this current?"
Seel turned to him and nodded. He spoke in indecipherable Pokemon language to the others, and they nodded, taking a step back from the water.
He retrieved three of his Pokeballs and with red light flashing to briefly illuminate the cave, they returned inside. "It's just you and me, huh, Seel?"
Nodding, Seel swam into the current and aided Daniel to hold on tightly. He was worried that he could only battle with Seel while travelling by water.
"I should've asked Natalie," Daniel said out loud, thinking of her three Water-types. But he cursed, reminding himself that it was he who had to perform the rescue, not Natalie. He was the one who had to accomplish this task. Assigning blame or making excuses made no point in this treacherous cave.
Daniel held on tightly to Seel's neck and Seel cast off from the water's edge, into the current and darkness beyond.