A/N: While this story is a sequel to 'Archeology Mishap!', it's not required reading; though I wouldn't mind if you read that story as well. Enjoy!
Great Marsh Mishap!
A Male POV Pokemon Fan Fiction
by Derald Snyder
So, this was the Great Marsh of Sinnoh.
You'd just paid your entrance fee and gotten your stock of Safari Balls, and now were wondering where to begin looking. It had been a few months since you had returned from that ill-fated archeological expedition empty-handed, and only now had your young Ponyta steed recovered enough to ride her once more. That tumble down a steep hill and sliding into a muddy riverbank had not been good for her health, to say the least.
You had come here to try and catch a ground-type Pokemon that could help you dig Ponyta out quickly if she ever became mired in deep mud again, not wanting to repeat history... but you were no Pokemon trainer, so this Safari Zone was your best bet. After thinking things over for a moment, you decide to take the train deeper into the marsh, hoping to find a good ground-type further in...
You step off the train once it stops, the musty smell flooding your nostrils... it was quite humid, causing you to sweat a bit despite not having moved much. But time was limited here, so you step off the platform, feeling the wet sod squish under your boots. Surveying the area briefly, you spot what appears to be a safe path, going on your way, trying to keep quiet so as not to spook any Pokemon that might be hiding nearby...
Movement nearby. You turn slowly, seeing something blue moving behind some reeds... then its head comes into view- it's a Quagsire. You shake your head- a dopey creature like this isn't what you want. So you turn to head deeper into the marsh...
"Quaaaag!" You hear something like water running- then the sod abruptly liquifies beneath your feet! You swiftly turn around as you sink down, desperately grabbing at the grass behind you... fortunately you're able to drag yourself back onto solid ground, crawling a few feet further to be safe.
Panting heavily after the close call, you can hear something akin to laughter from the nearby Quagsire. Then it hits you- the Pokémon must have used Muddy Water to turn the ground into quicksand! "STUPID QUAGSIRE!" you scream at it, hearing it flee into the reeds... "Ugh, my pants are ruined..." You're thankful for having chosen to wear old clothes that you didn't care about getting dirty...
You hear movement from another direction, quickly standing to your feet and grabbing a Safari Ball, just in case it's another mischievous Pokémon... but then you see blond hair beyond the brush, realizing it must be a human who heard your yelling, relaxing your stance...
"Hello? Are you all right?" calls a young female voice, causing you to tense up again- this time in disbelief. You know that voice! Sure enough, the brush soon parts to reveal none other than Cynthia, expert archeologist and champion of the Sinnoh region. She is wearing her usual black long coat and pants, though she also wears thick boots suited for this environment. "Oh, there you are! It looks like you managed to get yourself free. Thank goodness..."
"Uh..." your brain has locked up upon seeing the beautiful blonde woman before you, wondering how meeting her again like this was possible...
"My eyes are up here," she says curtly.
"Oh! Uh, sorry!" You shake your head, having snapped back to your senses. "Um, uh, what are you doing here?" You immediately berate yourself internally for being so impolite.
"Actually, I was asked by the Safari Zone staff to try and catch that Quagsire that tried to trap you," Cynthia replies. "You aren't its first victim, and business is starting to suffer because of it..."
"Really? But nobody at the front desk said anything to me about it, other than the general 'watch your step' warnings..."
"They want this issue handled discreetly," Cynthia explains. "By the way... have I seen you somewhere before...?"
"Um, you remember a few months ago, you helped me get my Ponyta out of that muddy riverbank...?"
"...Oh! Oh yes, now I remember!" Cynthia smiles and nods. "How could I forget the one who managed to steal a kiss from me?"
"Uh..." You feel your face heat up, turning your gaze away. "Heat of the moment, that's all..."
"Sure," she chuckles. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you. Maybe now you can help me return the favor..."
It takes a moment for you to comprehend that she means her helping your Ponyta, rather than the kiss. "Oh- oh yeah, sure! Um, you need help with that Quagsire, then?"
"Right. I've been trying to chase it to no avail, but now that you're here, perhaps we can flank it..."
"But what if I fall into another deep spot? I don't know the area like you do..."
"I'll help pull you out if that happens," Cynthia assures you. "Do you know which way it went?"
"That way, I think," you turn and point.
"Oh, good. If I recall correctly, the ground should be more stable over there," Cynthia says.
"Right, so I guess I'll act as a distraction, while you sneak up and capture that critter?"
"Sounds like a plan," she nods. "Let's hurry before it gets too far away from us..."
And so the two of you set off, Cynthia taking the lead, while you are careful to step where she steps, keeping your eyes and ears open... then she comes to a stop, while you barely avoid smacking into her from behind. "Is it nearby?" you whisper.
"I can hear it eating," she whispers to you. She then parts the reeds before her, then quickly closes them. "Okay, I see it. You wait here, I'm going around to the left. When you see me on the other side, or if it starts moving away, you holler and get its attention."
"You're the boss, Miss Cynthia," you whisper back in agreement. She gives you a brief smile before heading off, while you occupy her previous position... You can see the Quagsire in the distance, it's back to you while it munches on something unseen... it looks to the left briefly upon hearing Cynthia moving through the brush, but the noise stops after a moment. Staring for a little longer, the Pokémon goes back to eating, and you remember to breathe again.
Not long after, however, the Quagsire straightens up, and begins to leave... realizing you have to act now, you step out into the open, yelling the first thing that comes to mind... "HEY QUAGSIRE! YOUR MOMMA WEARS ARMY BOOTS!"
"Quag?" The Pokémon turns to look at you, confusion clear on its dopey face.
"Now, Miss Cynthia!" you call, moving a half step away just in case.
"Just a second-!" she yells back, apparently out of position. You see her stumbling out of the brush, promptly hurling a Safari Ball at the Quagsire, hitting it and sucking it in, falling to the ground.
But after a few seconds, the ball bursts open, the Quagsire yelling angrily in Cynthia's direction, then conjuring Muddy Water which flows into the ground below her feet! "Ahhh! Oh no!" she gasps as she begins to sink, her boots and knees disappearing in an instant!
"Miss Cynthia!" you cry in distress.
"Hurry, throw another ball!" she yells back, even as she sinks past her hips in the mud. You turn back to Quagsire, bending down to grab a handful of muck, then throwing it at the Pokémon to get its attention. The mud hits Quagsire in the side, the water/ground type turning toward you in anger-
-only to get nailed in the snout by the Safari Ball thrown from your other hand, its head snapping back before being sucked in! The ball falls to the ground once again, but this time it locks after only a second, Quagsire apparently having been caught too off-guard to put up much resistance. "I got it!" you cry in triumph.
"Great work, now help me!" Cynthia calls back. Turning back to her, you realize she has sunk past her waist in the newly-formed quicksand, the champion pushing her arms down to keep herself stable... You look around for a branch or stick you can use, but there are no trees in the immediate vicinity- just reeds, cattails and grass.
Coming to a decision, you drop to your hands and knees, beginning to crawl over to Cynthia, now up to her chest in the brown mud, her arms sunk in, the quicksand lapping at her slight bosom as she continued to squirm in her peril. "Oh, this won't do..." she muttered to herself.
"Hold on, I'm coming!" you call to her. You manage to get surprisingly close before the sod starts to give way under your hands, promptly moving back an inch. "Can you get your hand up?" you ask, trying to stay focused on her face.
"I don't think it will do much good..." she says cryptically, even as she frees one hand from the muck, reaching out to you. Realizing her hand is too slick with mud to get a good grip, you reach forward and grab her wrist instead, the fabric of her coat providing a good grip despite also being covered in mud. You then start to pull, but though Cynthia shifts forward slightly, you don't seem to be making any progress. "I was afraid of that..."
"Afraid of what?" you grunt.
"My boots are stuck in thicker mud down below," she explains. "I can't move them even half an inch..."
"Seriously?!" you say in disbelief, instinctively sitting up to try and get better leverage- but that causes the sod beneath you to give away, plunging you into the quicksand! "Oh no!" you cry, your feet pushing deep down to try and find purchase... and they do, but now you're sunk to the same depth as Cynthia herself, her wrist still in your grip. "Shhhhhhoot!" you barely keep yourself from cursing. Sure enough, it's just like she said- your boots are now hopelessly stuck in the thicker muck below.
"Oh dear, we're in a sticky situation now, aren't we?" Cynthia says in a tone that sounds more amused than distressed. "You're hurting my wrist, you know..."
"Sorry!" you release your death grip. But then she gently clasps your hand in her own, giving you a reassuring smile. "Um, but what do we do now?! You're not allowed to use your Pokémon in here, right...?"
"It's all right," Cynthia shakes her head. "When your time is up, the Safari Zone staff will send out someone to look for you if you don't return promptly. This isn't the first time someone's gotten helplessly stuck in the marsh... not even for me."
"You've gotten stuck before?" you repeat in disbelief.
"Is that so surprising? There was a time when I was a hapless rookie like everyone else, you know," she points out. "At least we're still in the sun here... there was a time I got stuck in some really cold mud, and ended up sick in bed for weeks afterward, with my grandmother caring for me... not a pleasant experience."
"Oh," was all you could think of to say in reply. You can feel the mud soaking into your clothes, not ice-cold, but just below lukewarm. But then you realize you've lost track of how much time you have left... "Um, how long does it take before they send someone out?"
"About ten minutes," Cynthia replies. "But given that we're pretty far out, it might take them a while to locate us..."
"Ugh... I hope we don't catch cold while we're waiting," you groan.
"Hmm..." Cynthia looks down, biting her lip in thought. "...Well, if you're worried about getting sick, maybe we could embrace to preserve body heat..."
"Embrace...? A-as in, hugging each other?" you say in mild disbelief.
"Exactly. We should be close enough to..." Before you can protest, she pulls you toward her, while shifting forward herself... You feel her other arm wrap around your waist, Cynthia then letting go of your hand to push her arm into the mud, which wraps under your armpits... before you realize it, your chest and hips are pressing against her body, your arms instinctively wrapping around her as well. "There. This should do nicely."
"Uh... yeah," is all you can say back to her, looking down to see her slight bosom pressed against your chest, the mud lapping at your sides... You then look up, locking eyes with Cynthia, her face so close, feeling your mouth and lips going dry...
She smiles knowingly, saying, "You want to kiss me, don't you...?"
"Me and every other straight male in Sinnoh," you gasp, swallowing to try and get some moisture back in your throat.
"A fair point," she chuckles, before closing her eyes and closing the distance...
It takes a moment for your brain to register the moisture on your lips, inhaling sharply through your nose... (Wait, did she-? She did! She is!) Your entire body quakes from the realization, that Champion Cynthia is hugging and kissing you affectionately. She then moans softly, causing your joined lips to quiver, erasing any doubt that this was an accident.
You reaffirm your embrace, the two of you gently rocking back and forth against each other, hearing quiet sucking and burping sounds from the quicksand that has entrapped you, breathing hard through your noses as you continue your lip-lock... Your brain has short-circuited, alternating between oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods and she's kissing me she's kissing me she's kissing me!! You're almost expecting an alarm to go off, to wake you from this wonderful dream...
(Ding-dong!) You hear your name called, breaking off from Cynthia and turning your head to listen. "Time's up! Your Safari Game is over! Please bring any remaining Safari Balls back to the front desk! If you are stuck in the marsh, a staff member will be out to retrieve you shortly!"(click)
"See? What did I tell you?" Cynthia gently teases.
"Right," you grunt as your mind comes back to reality. "I doubt one person would be enough to get us out of this mess..."
"But the staff is authorized to use Pokémon for this exact situation," she points out. "And they can always go back to get more help if they need to..."
"Right. ...So, how long did you say it would take them to find us?"
"Well, given we're in a clearing, I'd say... about 15-20 minutes at least." She then gives you a knowing, seductive smile. "Whatever shall we do until then...?"
"Whatever you want, Miss Cynthia," you reply, gently resting your forehead against hers.
"Well in that case..." she says before engaging you in another deep kiss, both of you closing your eyes as you embrace tightly, enjoying the feeling of pressure from your hugging and the quicksand sucking at your bodies...
*Some time later...*
"Ugh, my clothes are ruined," you sigh as you and Cynthia finally re-enter the front desk building, escorted by a few Safari Zone employees. "I can't ride on Ponyta like this..."
"Well, since you helped me out with catching that troublesome Quagsire, perhaps I can repay you by driving you to my house, so you could shower and get your clothes washed along with mine," Cynthia suggests.
"Uh..." Your brain briefly locks up at the fact that Cynthia just effectively invited you to her home. "But, I can't just leave Ponyta alone for that long..."
"It's all right, we can take care of your horse while you're gone, if that's what you're worried about," one of the Safari Zone staff spoke up.
"Really...? Okay, well, if you end up having to feed her, just keep in mind she prefers celery, not carrots."
"We'll see what we can do," he nods. "Oh, and before we forget..." He holds out his hand, another employee handing a Safari Ball to him, which he promptly hands over to you. "Congrats, he's all yours now. And good riddance."
It then dawns on you that it was your ball that captured the Quagsire earlier. "Oh, geez... I don't know how to discipline this thing! I'm a digger, not a trainer!" Turning to Cynthia, you plead, "I don't want to take time out of your busy schedule, but surely you know someone who can help me with this guy...?"
"Sure, I think I can hook you up with a ground-type specialist," Cynthia nods. "I'll make a call when we get to my house. Oh, and don't worry about wrecking my car seat, I covered them with plastic just in case something like this happened. Like I said, not my first time getting all dirty..."
"Right..." you nod, before something occurs to you. "But is it the first time you've gotten stuck with a cute guy like me?" You wink knowingly.
Cynthia just laughs at your quip, a few of the staff laughing along with her...
~*Fin*~