Wow, I slept a lot but I'm still tired. That's what I get for not sleeping...
Sometimes I can't believe how far I am with this fan-fic; it makes me excited. I'd love to finish Part One with haste, as there's plenty more to come (okay, not as much as Part One; Part One is practically the only solid travel story; the other Parts deal with plot and not traveling every single place in a region).
I'm also editing chapters, so far 4-12. If I make any mistakes, tell me. Likewise, if the edits are important, I'll advise it so on my profile.

So now, let's begin!

Chapter 44
A Rushed Leave

Icy cold winds breathed down Marina's neck as soon as she began sprinting down the boulevard. Careful not to run into anyone she passed, she held her PokéGear fast in hand while the sight of the brick lighthouse trailed behind her. The belt she wore hugged around her hips, the Poké Balls jingling a little.

So I guess I will be going today.

A mixture of excitement and even an adventurous nature filled her heart from the thought. She giggled through her short breaths. The Pokémon Center was already close within her sight as she reached it. It was a straight shot from the lighthouse, so there was no need for a map to find her way.

I feel like I'm acting like some heroine braving even stormy seas or something... But I'm definitely going to go today, while I still can. Not just for getting Cianwood's Gym Badge, but for that Pokémon!

Marina snatched an agile turn when she reached her destination, slowing only a little to wait for the automatic glass doors to open. She dashed in as soon as she could, luckily with no one around for her to bump into. The soothing decoration that was the waterfall passed the corner of her eye and she grabbed her Poké Balls upon running toward the front desk.

"A-9," she breathlessly told the nurse her room number.

"You're in a hurry," Joy pointed out with a smile and went to fetch a tray.

"I'm setting off, actually. I have to get my stuff from my room, so I'll be right back." Dropping each one of her Poké Balls onto the tray's six indents that fit them perfectly, she watched as the pink-haired nurse took it.

"Your team will be right here and ready to go when you come back."

"Thank you!" Marina hastily bowed and grinned, continuing to dash past her into a corridor.

As she turned a corner when doing so, she belatedly noticed that someone was in her way. Not even bracing for impact, the girl's face was buried into a familiar black jacket. The person she had just run into stumbled back, only making a quiet grunt before grasping her shoulders.

Marina's surprised cry was muffled. A second or two later, she was shoved away and she too stumbled a little, slightly dazed. When she saw Silver's irritated expression, all her energetic momentum paused. An awkwardly-lingering silence passed by them for a moment as they stared.

"Humph," Silver let out a rough sigh. "Is that some sort of greeting to you? Do you always plow into unsuspecting people? That's the third time you've done it to me now."

The blue-haired girl made a little smile and, fully realizing what she had done, burst in a fit of giggles. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you," she laughed.

"Of course you didn't."

"It's true, though," protested the girl lightheartedly. Her rival, glaring, only gave her a less-intense-but-still-pissed-off scowl.

"...Tell me. Does this really only happen to me?"

"Basically."

"What wonderful luck I have," Silver commented with obvious sarcasm and rolled his eyes.

Marina inclined her head to bow once, apologetic despite her giggling. "I'm in a real rush to leave, so I have to go."

When she passed him in a brisk walk, Silver stated, "You're going to Cianwood, then?"

"Sure am," answered the girl Trainer. She waved her PokéGear over her head, nodding. "Wish me luck!" Upon the absent reply, which she imagined Silver shrugging and walking away, Marina skipped ahead.

The rest of her little trip went without any other run-ins. She slipped inside her room and gathered everything she had left out, placing them inside her backpack as she put on her jacket at the same time. Just then, her PokéGear went off. However, clumsy as she was at multitasking, Marina checked her looks in a mirror one last time before rushing to answer the call.

"Hello?" she greeted as she stuffed her hairbrush into her pink backpack.

"Marinaaa! It's Jackson! I'm glad I managed to reach you!"

"Oh, hi! You called at the right time, Jackson." Marina distractedly twirled her hair a little in thought, double-checking her memory of the things she had with her.

"Hm, why?"

"I'm going to go to Cianwood City right now," she stated and zipped up her bag. Her mind set refused to budge even as Jackson's astonished voice replied.

"Eh?! You know there's that new tropical storm out there, right?"

"I sure do."

"And you're going to travel now?"

"Yup," Marina replied without a single doubt and wandered around her small room a little.

"But that's dangerous...!" Jackson argued.

"It'll be fine; the weather's nice at the moment. Besides, I have my Lapras that I can ride on. It's either now or never."

"If you think so... Just be careful!"

"I will, I will," Marina reassured, "But I have to get my Pokémon and check out now, so..."

"What? We hardly even talked!"

"I know, sorry Jackson. I want to save my PokéGear's battery while I still can." The irony of the truthful excuse rang through the girl's head, and she nearly let out a sudden bitter laugh. However, she held it in and swatted it aside.

"Okay," Jackson replied in disappointment, "Still, be careful out there and call me soon!"

"Alright then, will do," Marina accepted with a nod, "Bye!"

"Bye, Marina!"

As she ended the transmission, she smiled. I'm surprised he agreed to hang up so quickly. Slinging her PokéGear around her neck as she always did, Marina paced back to the bed to equip her backpack. She grabbed the card key resting on the desk and stole a glance at the guest room one last time before making a swift leave from the guestroom.

Moments later she picked up her Pokémon and made a quick turn for the bulky video phones that were set up against the wall. Grasping Phany's Poké Ball, she hurried her way over to it, sitting herself down as she dialed Professor Elm's number. There were a few uninterrupted rings before Elm finally answered. His glasses were slightly askew as his face appeared on the monitor.

"Oh. Hello, Marina," he said quickly.

"Are you busy?" Marina asked with a smile.

"Quite. Very much, actually. You might be interested; there's a bit of research that we want to do about how some species of Pokémon evolve when trading while—," the Professor stopped himself before he could continue his rambling, "Oh, never mind that, did you want something?"

"Mm hm. I'm full of energy right now; a spur of the moment kinda thing. But I'd like to trade out Phany, my Donphan, for Kenya the Spearow," the girl answered brightly.

If I'm going out on the sea, I think it'd be best to have Kenya instead of Phany...Also, Kenya needs some training anyhow, she thought.

"Ah, I see, I see..." The young-looking man broke eye contact with her to perhaps move some things aside, turning his back for a moment to ask his assistant to fetch Marina's Pokémon. He turned back to her, commenting, "You know that you can use one of the Pokémon Center's PC's to switch out Pokémon, don't you? It's really quite convenient for the both of us to save some time."

Marina's eyes then darted around the lobby, spotting a couple computers sitting in the corner. "Oh, I forgot about that," she murmured and smiled, "Sorry, you must be really swamped."

"Not at all, I'm just reminding you, Marina," his eyes suddenly went bright and he went on excitedly, "Oh, but that reminds me of something I recently found out about the Pokémon you hatched from the egg."

"Really? You mean Amber?" The Trainer watched curiously as Elm shuffled through more paperwork that had piled on his desk.

"Yes, after some digging I did, it turns out that your it is a species of Pokémon native to the Hoenn region."

"Hoenn...?"

"Yes!" Elm exclaimed and held up a data sheet in front of him so the girl could read. The familiar picture of a light yellow and red Pokémon was most prominent among the paragraphs of textual information. "This is what the Pokémon looks like, correct?"

"It is!" Marina nodded and the Professor pulled the paper away so he could look at it himself. "What kind of Pokémon is she?"

"A Plusle."

"Plusle? Hm..." The girl could only vaguely remember the name from her studies before she became a Pokémon Trainer.

"Yes, Plusle, and it's of the electric-type. But what puzzles me more is how you came about to find the egg. You said you found it in Ilex Forest; Plusle are exclusive to Hoenn, and not a wild one has ever been sighted in Johto or Kanto..." He seemed to go into deep thought as he murmured to himself.

"Well, I just found the egg; I never saw any other Plusle around," even so, Marina glanced at Amber's Poké Ball, "Do you think it could've belonged to someone else?"

"Maybe, but leaving behind an exotic egg such as that is beyond me. There is a local legend in Ilex forest, about a mythical Pokémon that leaves eggs from the future. So perhaps—oh, what was that?!" Professor Elm paused as a dull thump sounded from somewhere off screen, causing Marina to tilt her head. The man vanished from the girl's sight, returning moments later with a red and white sphere in hand.

"What was that?" Marina questioned, puzzled.

"My assistant knocked over some books," Elm sighed with a grin, "I have your Pokémon right here; though I'm happy to say that it evolved into a Fearow while it was here. It's been trying to train whenever it was outside, so I'm not surprised."

"He evolved? Really? Into a Fearow?" Excitement bubbling inside her, Marina smiled widely. Containing it, however, she placed Phany's Poké Ball on the transporter module attached to the video phone, though not without quickly giving the Poké Ball a kiss. A few seconds later, the sphere vanished in thin air to be replaced by another that contained her bird Pokémon. She took it in hand, nodding. "Thank you. I'll be sure to use the PC next time!"

"Great. Take care, Marina," Professor Elm encouraged before the connection was terminated.

Marina giggled as she looked down at Kenya's Poké Ball, holding it close and standing. "It's been a while since I've seen you," she said.

Then, pulling her Lapras's Poké Ball from her belt while she clipped Kenya's, Marina left the Pokémon Center. She quickly made her way near part of the shoreline where no boats were tied up. The wind whipped in her face as she glanced at the ball silently at first. She threw it high, catching it when it fell.

The large blue Pokémon swam in the waters a little before turning to her Trainer. Marina pursed her lips at her Lapras's constant empty stare, and the uncomfortable feeling she had when she looked at her. But she relaxed a little when the creature looked away from her, showing that it was not confrontational.

"...Lyra," she attempted to call her Pokémon's predetermined nickname. However, the Pokémon gave not a glance, merely observing the sea around her with a glazed look. "Is that a good name for you? Lyra?"

Marina then sighed, "Lapras."

This time, Lapras turned her head toward her at once. The girl approached with an innocent smile, motioning to come closer as firmly as she could. Obedient, Lapras drew near right beside the pier. The Pokémon twitched with strong disdain when Marina went to pat her head, so the girl quickly withdrew her hand.

"…I've already taught you Surf, so I want you to take me across the sea to Cianwood City," she ordered promptly, which was the best way to communicate with Lapras so far. Though distant, her Lapras always obeyed her whenever Marina had her out, unlike Muu-chan the Misdreavus at one point.

In accordance to the command, Lapras tilted her head away and shuffled in the water until she was close to the wharf.

Marina, with a fleeting smile, gazed at the Pokémon's rough shell. She sighed deeply, taking the time to gather her nerves. She stepped off the land and onto the woozy wobbling of her ride. The nervous girl settled on Lapras's back in a spot most comfortable and secure to her.

"Okay," she whispered to herself. "It's fine…it's okay."

The foreign sensation of bobbing on the water calmed her a little, and they drifted as Lapras waited for her command. She looked back at the shore, where a few onlookers watched her—some intrigued and others amazed at Marina's rare Pokémon. Making a friendly wave at them, Marina looked out at the ocean's choppy yet sparkling surface.

"Let's go, Lapras! Swim straight ahead!"

After a day and a half of peaceful weather, the tropical storm barraged the Whirl Islands. The winds unleashed menacing howls, occasionally thrusting the flow of the water into the cave that was Marina's shelter. Darkness shrouded around the girl Trainer, who huddled on a damp boulder jutting above the cavern floor. The rain outside cowered at the mercy of the zephyrs, pouring down heavy and relentless.

But she was not the only one that took hiding from the raging storm, and she was reminded of this every time lightning illuminated the darkness. Other wild Pokémon grouped together by species, most away from her and the cave's opening as they were driven for their safety. Marina also made a note not to look up whatsoever, because she suspected that Zubat made their home on the ceilings as well.

A severe crack of lightning struck through the sky, followed by a monstrous boom of thunder. Marina held her warm jacket close to her. For a moment, Marina considered bringing out King for company, but quickly denounced the idea. Her Pokémon needed rest, or at least protection from the mighty storm that brewed violently outside.

I hoped I wouldn't get caught, but there's nothing I can really do now.

Marina eventually found herself dozing into an uneasy, on-and-off sleep. Each time she dreamed, the reoccurring vision came to her mind without fail. She saw the same girl, the same two Pokémon, the same Suicune—yet she would wake when a startling bolt of lightning decided to shake her from her slumber. Then it was difficult trying to ease herself back to sleep, for apprehension of both the weather and the dream. It was difficult to tell which she disliked more.

As soon as she began to wonder if anyone could ever truly relax enough to sleep through this, her mind was overtaken once more by the endless cycle.

Marina slowly opened her eyes, stretching as her consciousness came back to her.

How long did I sleep this time...?

As she scanned the dark cave, she almost thought she was still dreaming until she heard the few soft cries of other creatures. Hearing them clearly, she realized the oddity that caused her to think this. The typhoon's strong gales were absent, and she could barely hear the gushing waves that had attempted to flood the cavern. She waited, and then a conclusion arrived clearly in her mind.

It was silent. The storm must've finally passed over after all those long hours enduring it.

Deciding to check outside, she worked through the dark putting away the light blue jacket she used as a blanket; she was wearing the white and pink one to better match with the red shirt she currently had on. Marina stood and grasped her PokéGear in order to check the time. Its screen lit up her face, and she hummed in thought.

It's 4:17AM...that's really early. Her somewhat illuminated eyes shifted to the exit of the cavern. Soft rays of moonlight slunk through the hole, peaceful and inviting. She slipped down to the damp ground, grabbed her backpack, and headed for it.

An omnipresent cry sung through the silence, quickly forcing her to stop in place. The wild Pokémon shuffled as they heard the soothing sound. It seemed to come from all sides and had a faintly distinct melody attached to it; the singing nearly sounded like it could be replicated on some sort of flute.

What is that?

The unseen creature produced another singsong call, leading her to dash outside in hopes to catch sight of it.

"Wow," she whispered. She managed to walk a couple more steps until her feet were rooted to the sand in amazement.

The sight was breathtaking. Silvery dust seemed to coat the waxing moon like sugar while the stars not overtaken by the walls of clouds winked brightly. Literally everything around her was shrouded in a veil of midnight blue water whose silent waves reached for her sneakers. The remaining winds from the storm shrieked at random, but yielded to the ultimately placid atmosphere.

Drinking in this fantastic view, Marina was lost in its elegance, as were the couple brave Pokémon that decided to follow after her. She wished she had a camera to capture the sight.

Before she could enjoy the moment further, the ubiquitous song returned and Marina could conclude now that it indeed came from outside the cave. She and the wild Pokémon checked their surroundings with a start to find the source as the very sand beneath them shivered. The singer was close, very close, leaving its audience in expectation.

The ground shivered again and Marina immediately reached her hand for a Poké Ball on her belt, a bit jumpy along with the animals that nearly cowered behind her like she was their shield.

It...Is it a big Pokémon? Really big, she thought.

In the distance, a certain spot of water became disturbed. The droplets burst apart, revealing the shining figure of a giant sea monster. It spread its magnificent wings, which contained various glistening hues of silver and snow white. Marina gaped in awe at the Pokémon that ascended higher into the sky, the girl's body tensing as it opened its mouth wide to shed another echoing song.

The bird-like being twisted and dived back into the ocean, which bended and rippled by its will. It took some time for the water to settle, permanently marked by the appearance of the potent sea creature. After the creature's last faraway echo, the group of wild seal Pokémon barked with energy and rushed back into their shelter.

Marina was the only one left. The slight purring of thunder returned, and the clouds released drops of rain to sprinkle on her head, but she did not move. A light sigh escaped her as she glanced around her, finally letting her arm fall from her belt. Clutching the strap of her bag, she began to choose what words she would use to describe her experience in her next diary entry.

When she realized that she was standing in the rain, she briskly sprinted back to the cave. Marina paused and looked over her shoulder at the unmatched beauty of the restless water and the cool night sky. Making a quick smile, she covered her bandana with her hand and hurried into the cavern.

Ohoho. An innocent cameo!

Until next time, dear readers, when we meet at the local pharmacy...