Chapter 6 - Marooned

Delia and her shellder were underwater. The Pallet girl panicked, thinking it was the current generated by the whirlpool that brought them under, but soon noticed they were safe. The pair looked around in confusion, but all they could see was a clapping seel. A clapping seel with a strange electronic collar.

Did this pokémon just save them?

"Over here!" Cee waved, relief clear in her voice, as she watch Delia resurface. Quickly, with seel's and shellder's help, the trainer pulled her new friend to the safety of the lifeboat.

"Wait a second… where is our actual boat?" Delia asked, once more panic creeping in.

"I suppose it left…" Celeste said apologetically. "But we can captain our own ship, eh? Fun!" the girl finished while tapping her eevee for support.

"Veeev," the pokémon said, somewhat sarcastically.

"Do we have any supplies? Or a radio, maybe?" Delia asked, trying to better control her nervousness.

"Shit," Cee cried, cringing at the reproachful look Delia was giving her.

"It will be ok," the Pallet girl said, more to herself than to her companion.

"Yeah… I just can't believe I lost what was left of my camping gear. Again,"

"Your camping… gear?"

"It was a state-of-the-art camping gear," Celeste tried explaining, but Delia could give her a dumbfounded look.

"You are worried about camping gear?"

"State-of-the-art camping gear," Celeste explained once more, punctuating each word. "There was a sleeping bag that is supposed to be comfier than a hotel bed, a tent that has its own lighting system, pokémon sleeping mats with—"

"You are worried about a sleeping bag…" Delia interrupted the other girl while trying her best not to sound annoyed. "You are worried about a sleeping bag, while we are lost in the middle of the sea, without food, water or a way to contact people?"

"I really liked my camping gear. Plus, as I was saying, there was also a thermic mat for my pokémon to sleep in. It was super high-tech, you know? I thought I was being ripped off, but then, when I checked it, it was so cool. You see, the mat had these sensors that pick up the outside temperature and an embedded computer that… Ouch. DELIA!" the girl cried as her boat buddy kicked her leg.

"You were rambling about camping gear…" the assistant said in a very controlled voice. She was not arguing now. There was work to do.

With another deep breath, Delia brought back her smile. It was ok. She would not be angry with her new friend. People say strange things when they are afraid. Besides, Cee had just jumped into the sea to save her, she would also not be ungrateful. Everything was absolutely under control. They would find land and food and water. And once they were safe, they would figure out how to get rescued.

"Shelly and Seel can help us out," Delia said, wearing her confident, friendly smile again. Everything was going to be just fine. "Just don't put them to sleep by talking about your camping gear, ok?" Delia teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Celeste tried to give out her best sad yamper look, but was completely ignored. The Pallet brunette was too busy tying a rope onto the lifeboat and throwing it to the clapping seel and jumping shellder.

For a minute, Celeste entertained the idea of complaining about this whole situation, but a mean look from Aria made her change her mind. She would just have to sit in silence this once.

—*—-*—

The sun was low when the two girls finally found a small sandy islet. Delia carefully left the boat and took in their surroundings. The island had a few trees and rocks, and a small krabby was lazily making its way towards the ocean. Bathed by the golden sunlight and smelling the salty breeze, the girl felt like she was in a painting, but soon, the gloominess of reality settled back in. This wasn't a peaceful beach paradise. They were marooned there and it would be dark soon.

Delia ran her hands along her braided hair to make sure nothing was out of place and straightened her shirt. Once she was satisfied, she made her way to the two water pokémon.

"Thanks so much, Shelly," Delia said, hugging her shellder, "And you too, Seel!"

The girl took a small bag from one of her pockets and produced two pokeblocks for the pokemon.

"Things would be a lot worse if we were just drifting with the current. You guys saved the day," Delia concluded as the pokémon cheerfully took the treats from her hand.

Ok. Delia thought and proceeded to decide what their next move should be. They needed to find some food and water. Surely, they would have no option but to sleep on this island. The sand seemed soft enough, but they would be unprotected there. Maybe the lifeboat was better?

Splash.

"What?" Delia searched around for the source of the sound. Were pokémon playing? She considered, but only found Cee spread out in the sand, waves crashing on her. The girl having a fit of laughter, and the little eevee at her side was shaking her head while also not containing her own laughter.

"Are you two ok?" Delia asked, a little concerned. Did she miss a joke?

"Not in the slightest," Celeste answered, still unable to sit straight because of the laughing. "But I suppose I'm glad a gyarados didn't eat us or something."

"I don't believe wild gyarados are common around here."

"I suppose wild golem are not common in the middle of a big city either. But it's like they say, life is an electrode."

"Life is like an… electrode?" Delia asked, afraid that her new friend might be completely mad.

"Yeah! Life is an electrode, 'cause it will inevitably blow up in your face."

"Right…" Delia agreed. She was marooned on a tiny island with a crazy girl who would ramble about camping gear and say weird stuff about electrode. Perfect.

Trying her hardest to sound agreeable, Delia decided, "I'll look for some food," and then, pointing to the seel, "since you seem to know about sensors and whatnot, why don't you check that thing in its neck?"

—*—*—

"I think it's transmitting something," Celeste said while petting the seel. She should really get a water type, the girl considered, remembering the lapras she saw at the port in Vermilion. Things would be so much better if she had a lapras.

"What does that mean?" Delia asked, while carefully laying the berries she found on top of some leaves that were also neatly placed on the sandy floor. Absentmindedly, she continued, "We don't have water, by the way, but I am hoping the berries will help with dehydration."

"Imagine you phoned someone and never ended the call. This collar is the phone, and I supposed there is someone on the other side listening in for something," Celeste explained as she looked at the berries. She wasn't sure about them. "Please tell me t-that is not a tamato berry."

Delia chuckled at the girl's fearsome reaction.

"It's a chople berry. Spicy, but not THAT much," she explained. "You mean someone is listening to our conversation? Could we ask for help?"

"Maybe… but I don't see a microphone. I don't know how we can use that to talk to someone…"

"What is in your mind?" Delia asked.

"I don't think this seel likes this collar… Look," Celeste said, pointing to scratch marks both in the collar and around it, in the pokémon's skin. "I think it was trying to take it off…"

"And maybe it thought a human could help, so it went looking for a boat?" Delia theorised.

"Maybe? But only a human could have put it on, so I thought he was someone's pokémon. Maybe a runaway?"

"Hm… I… I'm not a specialist, but I guess it's actually wild," Delia said. "I mean, the professor always says you can tell… and seeing how this seel is acting, I think it's wild."

"Well, you are the one working with the hotshot professor. I trust your judgement," Celeste said, and the seel clapped in accordance. "I guess our friend agrees with you, Delia."

Delia giggled and soon noticed Cee was still thoughtfully eyeing the collar. Before the Pallet girl could say anything, Celeste looked at her with a smile.

"I hope you don't judge me when I get a rock and smash this thing open."

—*—*—

"Okay, now use powder snow, but try to focus your aim right here," Celeste directed her pokémon by pointing to the hinges of the collar. She hoped that by hitting a more delicate part of the gadget with the ice, the hinges would become brittle and be easier to break.

"Piiix!" Powder complied, letting out her gusty winds.

The pokémon was very surprised when she left her pokeball earlier. She didn't expect to be at a beach with two strange sea creatures and she didn't expect to have to eat that disgusting fiery berry for dinner. But she wasn't sad. There was a nice chilly breeze, and the sea made her feel happy and somewhat nostalgic. Besides, the alolan vulpix liked the other human who was showering her with attention. It was nice to be loved and pampered, and she loved she didn't have to share the attention with Aria this time.

"Thanks, Powder, that was great!" Celeste said, brushing the snow from her shoulders. They should probably work on aim at some point, but Cee wasn't complaining; her vulpix had been amazing and frozen the collar as she wanted.

Now it was time to smash! the trainer decided while sitting down in front of the seel.

"Hey, let me know if I hurt you, ok? My dominant hand is still out of commission and I'm not all that good with the other one."

"Seeeeel," the clapping pokémon cried while jumping onto Celeste's lap.

"I can do that for you, you know?" said Delia, not taking her eyes out of the vulpix.

Thump. Thump.

"It's fine," Celeste said between hits. "Besides, I would not dare to rob my Powder of all the attention you have been giving her."

"Well, she is the prettiest thing ever," Delia said, thanking the stars for having befriended this crazy girl. She would have never got the chance to see an actual alolan vulpix otherwise. They were rare even in Alola.

Thump. Thud.

And like that, the collar was off. It was easier than Celeste expected. The seel, who got startled for a second, was now jumping around in happiness.

It is so cute, Celeste thought.

The trainer, taken by the seel's happiness, joined in the celebration. She took the pokémon by its fins and spun around with it. The trainer and pokémon were overjoyed.

Until Celeste tripped.

Both fell down and rolled in the soft sand until the crashing waves hit them. All they could do was laugh. Aria looked over at her trainer and sighed. She wouldn't, right?

It was so nice to have this seel around, Celeste realised. He would be amazing on her team. She could picture it: Aria, Powder and Seel. Together with her, they would be an unstoppable quartet. It was perfect.

Celeste looked over at the seel. He was so happy clapping, and she bet he was grateful, too. Who wouldn't be? Celeste had given him food. She had played with him and now that she had taken the bad collar away and they were having so much fun.

Chucky the seel. That sounded perfect. She would have to check if he liked the name. He definitely would, though. He just looked like a Chucky.

"Hey, Seel…" Celeste started giving away a wide smile. That was the moment of truth. "What would you say about coming along with me?"

Delia peered, surprised at the other girl.

"Seel?"

Powder and Shelly, noticing what was going on, paid attention too.

"Yeah!" Celeste said, still smiling. She could already (probably) understand him.

The trainer was finally getting the water pokémon she had been dreaming of. Well, she had been dreaming of a lapras, but Chucky was just as amazing.

"If you come with me, we can be friends and laugh together all the time!" Celeste started explaining. "Plus, you will get really strong, you know? Because I'll be a strong trainer one day, with a team of really strong pokémon."

"Eeeel seel!" the seel said, clapping its fins.

"So you will come with me?!" Celeste jumped excitedly, with the pokémon's reaction.

She reached out for a pokeball in her pocket. Thankfully, they were not all in her long-lost backpack.

"Okay, here we go."

With a good hand, the girl readied her pokeball. She nervously threw it into the air a few times and, eventually, managed a clumsy throw in the seel's direction.

But the seel batted it away with its tail.

"Hey. What the—" Celeste started, but a water gun to her face interrupted her.

The seel still jumped excitedly around the girl. Until it finally jumped into the water and swam away.

A/N: poor girl, I don't seem to let her catch a break (or a seel). Tune in next time to see if Celeste's chaotic energy will finally make Delia snap. Hahaha.

Anyway, I want to admit to something, I love to write Celeste rambling about random stuff when she gets scared. This time around it was camping gear and a Pokémon mat that can regulate temperatures, but what will it be next? *suspense*

Now that my own rambling is done, I hope you liked the chapter! Thanks again for feedbacks and comments.

Updates might be a bit slower from this week (my chapter buffer is slowly getting smaller and I like to have a space between writing the chapter and posting it. Just to be sure there is at least some quality here). I'll aim to have one or two a week, anyway :)