Against All Odds: Outcast - Part 6
Outcast
Part 6
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The weeks leading up to Jason’s birthday seemed to progress on alternating speeds of unbelievably fast and achingly slow. He tried to spend as much of his spare time as he could near the pools where the Gyarados was being raised and trained. Had he been any other buyer, he might have been asked to leave the property after a few days’ worth of that sort of attention, but everyone knew Jason. One of those times where being the boss’s kid actually works out for something.
Plus he believed there was something to be said for having a Pokémon’s future owner or trainer in close proximity, if at all possible. He’d never seen any studies on the subject but he thought the matter of the “bond of partnership” Kyle was talking about earlier would be more easily facilitated by having him nearby. If the Gyarados was going to be his Pokémon, why not at least offer it the face it would have to get used to in the environment with which it was already familiar?
And so he found himself a nearby perch, day after day, watching the Gyarados prowl about in the pools or receive the training he intended for it to have. As the days progressed and he saw how the training worked, he began to realize that TM’s weren’t exactly the “quick” method some trainers professed them to be. Really, they offered a Pokémon the most basic understanding of how to perform a maneuver, but after the data disc was used, it was up to the Pokémon to figure out how to refine the measure for maximum effect and efficiency. And ultimately, that had to be achieved on its own.
Which makes sense... I guess I just always thought once the TM was displayed to a Pokémon, it just automatically knew how to do the attached move.
With that considered, Jason now found himself rather thankful that Pokémon, in general, were not liable to command mastery over any particular move without experience in it. Given the apparent disposition of the Gyarados to misbehave – it continued to pull pranks, scare passers-by perusing the tanks, splash water at everyone it saw, shove past other Pokémon in the tanks, and assorted nonsense – Jason wasn’t sure how wise it would be for it to know how to use attacks to their fullest effect.
But he trusted the trainers to be responsible in their jobs. It’s what I’m paying them for, after all.
Days transitioned into night oftentimes without him being fully aware. It wasn’t always his fault; overhead floodlights bathed the pools in all the artificial sunlight and heat they would need to keep the Pokémon within them comfortable, leaving it sometimes difficult for Jason to figure out whether dusk had arrived at a cursory glance. Of course, in the event they preferred cooler waters or darkness, the tunnel systems underneath the island provided an excellent refuge.
That was where the Gyarados seemed most comfortable. Naturally, that was the one place Jason’s eyes couldn’t follow, and that was usually when he went home. On days when he was more excited, he would end up skipping dinner to be closer to the Gyarados, a fact his mother gently reminded him of at least twice.
Summer break came upon them, and Jason’s grades were notably higher marks than they had been from five months previous. Dinner table conversation brought him accolades from his parents, as well as a friendly clap on the shoulder from his brother – the only physical communication Jason would really allow from Daniel, but the smile of pride and congratulations on his older brother’s face seemed genuine enough.
The day before his birthday, Jason was ushered out of the house almost immediately upon waking. Although he knew that the occasion would be celebrated most ostentatiously – as it had been the last fourteen times – and he wanted desperately to see just what sort of effort was being made to that end, he really required no convincing in the matter of staying out. Each day he’d spent at the pools watching the trainers work with his Gyarados, he believed he had felt a slight strengthening in the connection he knew he would share with his soon-to-be first Pokémon.
As he made his way to the marina, he couldn’t help but consider what sort of work it had taken to get to this point, not the least of which had been confronting his father about the man’s favoritism toward Daniel. It was then that Jason’s desire to have a Pokémon of his own had overridden his good sense, and now he felt somewhat silly about the matter. Looking back at it now, it seemed foolish – now, because he hadn’t been patient enough to wait for his father’s promise to be delivered, he would actually be forced to wait past his fifteenth birthday.
If I had applied myself as hard to my job and schooling without that discussion, I might have gotten this exact same Pokémon for free, instead of spending all my savings on him and then some, he thought, as he sought out his favorite perch, a pool just a short distance from the one the trainers used. He sat down with his chin against the guard rail and his legs dangling over the edge; there was no danger posed by the Pokémon residing just beneath his toes, as they were low-power and many were still asleep.
He pondered more. But who’s to say I would have applied myself that hard? I may be getting this Gyarados later than I might have, and maybe at greater cost, but it’s still gonna be mine, and not a gift from anybody else to be taken away on a whim. I’m earning this. Nobody can take that away from me.
He nodded to himself decisively. Yeah, this was the right thing for me. ...But the next time I want a Pokémon from here, I might be better off just doing good work in the first place!
The Gyarados came swimming out into the main pool, urged on by the tracking device circling its neck that was summoning it. Even from high above it, Jason could hear the rumbling through the water that signified the giant sea serpent issuing a growl, likely at having been awakened.
Its head rose above the surface of the water then, and it turned about until it was looking directly at him. Its perpetually-open mouth spilled out water and a vicious-looking forked tongue, the latter of which reeled back into its place of origin only an instant later. The expression on its broad, scaly face was impossible to read, alien as it was in comparison to a human visage, but the look in its eyes carried something that Jason wasn’t quite sure he liked. There was something there that gave him a premonition. He could not suppress the shudder the creature’s gaze seemed to urge from his body.
The shiver that coursed through his shoulders was evidently all the Gyarados needed to see, because as Jason re-settled himself on the edge of the tank, the Pokémon turned away from him and to the trainer floating in the water in front of it. Jason took a deep breath and blew it out, hoping to expel along with it whatever that feeling had been. He scratched the back of his neck. What was that about? he wondered. All of a sudden felt like someone was walking over my grave. Or maybe slinking over it like a snake...
He narrowed his gaze at the massive Pokémon now taking direction from the trainer below. Gonna take a while to reestablish that connection now. Whatever that was in his eyes, it wasn’t friendship. That was something else altogether. Then he glanced up at the sky – a couple of Wingulls were hovering and cawing while the sun continued to creep up the eastern horizon and spear through the clouds. He chewed his bottom lip. Well, now, there’s an alternative I hadn’t thought about. And probably more maneuverable than a Gyarados...
He sighed. Great going, Jason, spend all this time and money and effort to get yourself the Pokémon you’ve got your heart set on, then let your eyes rove just as the deed is being done. There’s your Pokémon, right down there, being taught all the moves you’re paying for it to know, and you’re wanting to look anywhere but there? Must be out of your mind.
...no, what’s really nuts is you’re talking to yourself like this.
“All right, let’s see what you can do!” the trainer called out. Jason recalled his name was Alan, and he was a fairly built middle-aged man with brown hair. He brought one muscular arm up and aimed an open palm at the sky. “Show me a Rain Dance!”
Jason rolled his eyes. Oh, brother. That move works and I’m about to get drenched. He got to his feet in anticipation of having to find himself another place to stand – and that place would probably have to be inside, since a Rain Dance performed on an island was likely to douse the entire habitat.
The Gyarados raised its face to the heavens and its mouth opened wider, if that was even possible, for an earth-shaking roar that beckoned the clouds themselves to do its bidding. In response, what wisps there were seemed to suddenly swell and darken, and the sun was suddenly obscured from view. Mist settled over the grounds. The mist became a drizzle, and Jason knew all too well the drizzle would soon become a steady rain, and then a deluge. Feeling not terribly interested in getting washed out, he got to his feet and sought out refuge from the cold droplets.
At the very least, you never have to worry about weather control here! he thought cynically. He stepped through the nearest entrance back into the complex and closed the door behind him, but then sought out the nearest window so that he could continue watching their progress. That done, he saw that Alan was evidently not at all put out by the rain – and why should he be? He’s in the pool already, not like he can get any more wet – and his arm was still extended upward, as if directing the Gyarados to continue expending energy in commanding the downpour to occur.
Jason pressed his forehead against the window. I hope he gets around to letting up soon... a Rain Dance causes it to rain for a little while before calming down to normal conditions and the island’s not really needing to be completely drenched here in order for Gyarados to prove he knows how to make things wet.
Then his brow wrinkled as he saw something in the distance – or at least thought he saw something there. It was difficult to make out but it certainly was standing out, now that clouds barred Tangelo Island’s usual permeation of sunlight, a shocking white shape that appeared to be prowling back and forth on the edge of CBC grounds.
Curiosity bade him to take a closer look at it, and he groaned at himself for wanting to do so. I really don’t feel like being rained on right now... then again, not like I’ve got anything else to do... He trailed away from the window, then trudged to the access hatch and took a deep breath before exiting back out into the rain.
Fortunately it was a steady patter instead of a thundering downpour. There was little mistaking it as the doing of a Pokémon; rain of this sort was too pleasant to be a natural occurrence on a tropical island like Tangelo. Living out in the tropics had the allure of 95% pleasant conditions... but the other 5% carried with it the most devastating weather most people had the distinct displeasure of meeting: typhoons and twisters. Whether they were tornadoes or hurricanes, they were all nasty, and everyone had contingency plans that usually involved hunkering down in their neighbor’s wine cellar.
Such were the thoughts that pervaded Jason’s mind as he made his way across the grounds, now thoroughly soaked and cursing himself for his own curiosity. And now he was beginning to wonder if that curiosity was to be rewarded with something unpleasant, because he was getting a very good idea exactly what it was he was looking at across the way.
A white-furred creature standing on four powerful legs... glimmering yellow eyes set inside a jet-black face... a single crescent-shaped horn jutting from its right temple...
Jason stopped in his tracks and felt the blood drain from his face. He had never seen a Pokémon like this one in person. The CBC didn’t keep them and to his knowledge, neither did any trainers on the island. The fur on this one was disheveled and the look in its eyes was unmistakably feral, indicating it was wild.
An Absol.
The Pokémon had leveled its gaze directly at Jason, or at least that’s what it seemed like it was doing – Jason wasn’t sure and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be. The legends of what Absols were capable of rang in his ears. Absols would appear wherever there was a great disaster about to happen. People misunderstood why they were there. They thought of them as some sort of evil omen, like they were bringing the disasters with them, and hunted them to the brink of extinction.
So if one is here now...
Jason turned this way and that, wondering who else was seeing the Pokémon prowling just on the edge of the grounds. But there was apparently no one in his visual range who had yet taken notice of the creature, and it wasn’t moving, nor had it allowed its piercing stare upon him to relent. He couldn’t help but look upon the Pokémon and wonder what exactly was coming that could be so disastrous as to draw it from whatever hiding place it had chosen.
It only appears before people in order to warn them of impending danger. And this one’s looking right at me. So it’s trying to warn me... but what’s going to happen–?
“Hey, stop!”
Jason’s eyes widened. It was Alan’s voice calling out, and much more loudly than it should have been. He tore his gaze away from the Absol and twisted around to look at what was happening in the pool. What he saw was the Gyarados, towering far above the trainer below it, yellow-white light welling from its mouth.
Oh, no... It came flashing back to him, the list of moves he’d wanted his Pokémon to be taught – the list included Rain Dance, Earthquake, Dragon Pulse, Surf... and Hyper Beam. He’d already known that Gyarados learned Hyper Beam at the apex of its abilities, but he’d wanted this one to have it now, so that when it was used, a trainer against it – and Daniel, in particular – might be faked out into believing they were facing a stronger foe than they actually were.
They’ve already taught him Surf, Earthquake, and Hyper Beam... they were supposed to do Rain Dance now so it wouldn’t stress his abilities as much as the first three did...
He was torn in two directions as to how to respond to what was unfolding before him. The rational thing for him to do was run away as quickly as possible, find a safe place and hunker down – the sight of the clearly unbidden energy buildup within the Gyarados’ maw was more than enough for Jason to understand that it was no longer acknowledging Alan’s control over it.
But the other side of him demanded for him to run to the trainer and try to get him away, somehow warn him of the Absol’s presence. Jason was hardly the only one privy to the knowledge that in all of recorded history, an Absol’s instinct had never been wrong. If there was something bad about to happen, and from the looks of things there was no good coming from this, then Alan needed to know.
He finally set one foot in the direction of the pool.
But his mind was made up far too late.
The Gyarados loosed a herculean blast of energy straight down into the water in front of it. The shockwave blew all the water out of the pool, along with the trainer, and created a glowing tower of water that rose dozens of feet into the air. Jason raised up a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light that speared through the column, then stumbled as he felt the ground shudder beneath him. Giant gaping cracks split the concrete foundation surrounding him.
He brought his hand back down.
The Gyarados was gone.
Alan lay on the concrete deck next to what remained of the pool dish. Jason’s eyes were still dazzled from the light so he couldn’t make out any details, but he was sure it was Alan because that had been the only human in or around the pool.
He felt himself regain his senses and his focus at that moment; he sought out the nearest staircase and raced down it to the injured trainer’s side. The middle-aged man was covered in ceramic and concrete dust, water droplets, and small cuts, and there was a dark trail of blood beginning to carve a path along the ground from his arm.
“Hey! Alan!” Jason called out to him, kneeling by the man’s side. He dared not touch Alan for fear of exacerbating his injuries. “Hey, are you okay, man?”
His question was answered with a mumbling groan. Alan’s head rose and turned to face Jason; the teen saw a trickle of blood seeping from the older man’s mouth. Alan ejected a rasping series of coughs, and each one forced a splatter of blood droplets to the ground beside him. He tried to arch his back, but then his face contorted in pain at doing so and he flopped back to the ground.
Abruptly, the ground shook. And this was not like it had with the destruction of the pool dish – no, now the entire island seemed to be rumbling beneath Jason’s feet. It shifted this way and that; it seemed as if the concrete slab on which he stood threatened to heave up and topple over on him. Instinctively, he got to his feet and started running – though to where, he wasn’t entirely sure. Any earthquake affecting one part of the island would have been affecting all of it...
An earthquake!
If Jason had been standing still, he might have dropped to the ground and buried his head in his hands. As it was, he still did so mentally, even while he raced to the nearest shoreline. They taught it how to use Earthquake, and now it’s gone into the tunnels under the island! This keeps up and everything my dad built here will crumble!
But right now, there was really nothing he could do. He had no way of knowing where, exactly, the Gyarados had gone under the island, nor did he have any means of tracking it. He wasn’t its trainer, nor was he officially its owner. He had absolutely nothing at his disposal that would help him control it.
His mind raced as he got to the shore. Rain was still coming down on the sandbar, creating a dark, dimpled landscape where just minutes before there had been a smooth yellow beach. Tourists and natives alike were huddled with each other in fright and confusion, trying to stand a fair distance away from any potential debris and stay on dry land at the same time. Some were scrambling about with no clear direction or purpose; others had a clear direction and were bolting in their chosen paths with all haste. Jason certainly felt himself a member of the former category... he truly had no idea what to do, now that he was here.
If I only had something, anything, to stop that Gyarados!
Several screams broke out among the people gathered on the beach. Jason followed their gazes back to the CBC grounds; spearing through the main office building was another blinding blast of energy. The white-hot stream sliced through the levels of the building like tissue paper and extended into the sky, then arced downward to the east and seared through the entire east wall of the structure. When the lance of energy ceased, Jason could see people inside cautiously peering through windows and through the destroyed segments... perhaps thinking the worst to be over.
But only a few seconds had passed when the ground shook again. Metal shrieked and the two halves of the office’s bisected wall slammed against each other. While strong, the building had never been constructed for this brand of punishment, and it shuddered violently – then started to fall apart right before everyone’s eyes. Jason heard more screams emit from the bystanders surrounding him as the faces they saw suddenly disappeared.
They’re... they’re... gone.
He slumped down onto the sand, hands over his eyes. I can’t believe this, I just can’t believe this! The Pokémon I wanted for myself, I was so impatient to get... now it’s going on a rampage and destroying everything I know! It’s hurting people!
“Jason?”
He felt someone touch his shoulder and he willed himself to look up at the hand’s owner. The face that looked down at him was that of Janice Forester, and the look that adorned her features was unlike any Jason had ever seen there. It was an expression of terror and uncertainty... neither of which he’d ever expected from her.
“What’s going on? What’s happening?” she asked.
“I... I...” He couldn’t produce a sentence, couldn’t even conceive of one, really. Then another barrage of cries assaulted his ears, and he snapped his head around to look back at the CBC grounds – just in time, because another great glowing tower of water was rising up in the pool arena. Because the shine of light within was more distant for Jason this time, he had less difficulty looking at it, and when the glow faded, he saw the Gyarados burst forth above the apex of the tower, to go diving back into the tunnel from whence it had come.
“Jason, what was that?”
He looked back at Janice again; her hand had clenched on his shoulder now, and her gaze had not yet turned away from where the Gyarados had appeared in the air. He plainly saw her gulp as the words stammered their way out of her mouth. “It looked like... like there’s a Gyarados in there, going crazy...”
And it’s my fault...
The entire ground rocked again, and people shrieked as they staggered and fell. Janice was one such person who took a full fall; she sprawled out on the sand next to Jason. As he was kneeling, the shuddering impacted him less, but it was more violent than the previous tremors had been... and it wasn’t stopping quite so suddenly, either.
More buildings located in the CBC grounds appeared to be suffering damage because of the quakes. Now windows were shattering, and bricks and rooftop devices – water supplies and smokestacks – were toppling over. Jason couldn’t even begin to hazard a guess as to the amount of money the damage could potentially cost, but surely it was enough at this moment to risk bankrupting the family business.
But more than that... the Gyarados, in its rage, was hurting people. Maybe even killing them.
I have to get it to stop somehow!
Wait...
Jason turned in the direction of the beachfront welcome center, where southbound trainers arriving astride their water-faring Pokémon typically stopped for maps and supplies. Attached to the welcome center was a small extension of the CBC General Store... fully stocked with everything a trainer could want: potions, elixirs, protein and carbohydrate mixes – and capture balls of all kinds.
He shot to his feet and staggered toward the store, wrenching away from Janice’s clinging hand as he did so. The ground kept shaking, but he made himself run as fast as he possibly could, keeping only minimal contact with the ground. Rain pelted his face and torso, and wet sand clumps from his shoes spattered him as high as his own thighs.
Everything was a blur as he charged through the door. He knew exactly where the capture balls were, rows of them in miniaturized form under a long glass case to the left of the cash register. Focused as he was on acquiring the items inside that case, he wasn’t sure if there was anyone still in the store or not... and he didn’t really care. He sought out the fastest method of accessing the case – the back was locked, but he knew the glass wasn’t tempered. He grabbed a spinning display case standing atop the flat glass and turned it over with as much force as he could muster; the pane shattered instantly, and he reached inside and raked up as many orbs as he could in a single scoop of his hand.
He turned and raced back out the front door without a second thought. In fact, there was very little to evidence he had a first thought, save for his immediate desire to try and stop the rampaging Gyarados. Capture balls bounced out of the scoop he had made of his arm against his chest, but he wasted no time in trying to retrieve them. Even as he bolted top speed back into the CBC’s acreage, he considered, I’ve never used any kind of capture ball on a Pokémon before! I’ve seen other trainers do it on television, but I’ve seen a hostile Pokémon captured in real life maybe a grand total of six times! I’ve got almost no idea what I’m doing! All I can do is start throwing these things at it and pray they catch it!
But first he had to locate the enraged creature, which had dived back into the tunnels beneath the island. And in this area, the ground was now constantly shaking and shifting, which indicated that the tunnels directly beneath it were beginning to collapse from the siege upon them. The sound was deafening – Jason could hear nothing, and clouds of crumbled debris and dust were blurring his vision. Belatedly he realized that the haze must be coming from the damaged and destroyed buildings surrounding him and that his lungs could get clogged very easily. He pulled the neck of his shirt up over his mouth and nose and tried his best to take slow breaths, but already a painful stitch was developing in his side, and his breathing was labored at best. There was no helping it.
As violently as the ground beneath him shook, he knew that standing still was impossible, so he scampered this way and that, at the very least trying to remain upright. At the same time, he tried to count the number of capture balls still in his possession – four had survived with him. He knew them all by heart: two were standard issue Poké Balls, one was a Luxury Ball, and one was a Dive Ball. Some minuscule voice in his head was calculating the price of the items he had just stolen, then informed him that it hadn’t counted the ones he’d dropped.
The ground pitched again as his foot touched down, and he fell face-first to the ground. His vision swam and he felt something warm, wet, and sticky running across his face. Hazily, he considered the likelihood that it was blood. If there was pain, either he ignored it or it simply didn’t register – he got back to his feet.
And just in time.
Because the Gyarados had risen up once again through another access point in the pool arena, and was roaring as loudly as its voice could carry.
Jason grit his teeth. I’ve got you now...
He struggled forward and held the Dive Ball up in his right hand. I may not know much but I know this one has the best chance of catching a waterborne Pokémon. He cocked back, then hurled it as hard as he could.
It smacked the side of the Gyarados’ face, then splashed into the pool beneath it.
Jason’s eye narrowed. Wait, what...?
But the impact of the ball against its visage had not gone unnoticed. The Gyarados rounded on Jason and leaned down to look at him face-to-face... so to speak. Its own face was as long as Jason’s torso, and its jaws could easily accommodate someone his size if it decided to make a morsel of him.
Then Jason realized his mistake, and just how far below the level of “amateur” it had been. I didn’t enlarge the ball before I threw it! It won’t open when miniaturized!
But it was certainly too late for Jason to try again with that ball. The Gyarados growled and then lunged at him – instinctively he dove to his left, making the Pokémon miss by inches. He pressed the stud in the center of another ball in his hand – he didn’t bother taking note of what kind it was – and he lobbed it at the Gyarados’ side as the gargantuan Pokémon began to recoil from its failed attack.
This time the ball took the effect Jason had expected the first one to take... upon striking the Gyarados, it bounced away and upward, and snapped open. For the briefest of moments Jason could see within it the small shimmering mirrors and the incredibly complex miniaturized laser matrices that defined a Pokémon capture ball and gave it the ability to trap a creature this size, or any other, within its confines. As that instant lapsed into the next, a neon red glow of combined lasers poured out of the ball, instantly seizing upon the creature at which the ball had been thrown – intuitive technology at its finest – and the capture sequence was initiated.
And the timing could not have been more crucial, for the Gyarados was rearing back for another physical attack upon Jason when it was suddenly surrounded by the harsh glow of the capture energy matrix. The shimmering red light bound the massive Pokémon in place and the Gyarados’ image began to dissolve into the glow. Jason tried his best to recall from his studies exactly how the devices worked; its physical mass was being converted into energy that, ideally, would be confined to the interior of the ball. The specialized mirrors inside, designed precisely for this purpose, would infinitely rebound the quantum-level energy until the ball reopened... that energy could convert back to physical form only when in contact with the world outside the ball.
But if the Pokémon you’re trying to catch hasn’t been weakened or isn’t exhausted enough, it can create an energy surge during the dematerializing process that can destroy the sensitive mechanics inside the ball... and then it’s only as good as your average chew toy.
The thought occurred to him at the precise moment the Gyarados’ physical form had completely dissolved into the ball, and the solid laser net ensconcing it dragged the Pokémon’s energy inside. Because of the recoil of the energy flow, the ball was still hovering in midair, in defiance of most laws of conventional physics. The top clacked shut, and then the ball clattered to the ground and rolled across the ruined concrete foundation toward Jason.
His first instinct was to back away from the device – it now contained the essence of a monster that had very likely just decimated his family’s life and quite possibly killed some of the people working for them – but instead he scrambled forward and picked it up, eyes focused on the stud in the center of the ball. Besides being the means by which a ball could be enlarged or miniaturized, it bore a light in its center that glowed the same harsh red as its capture matrix when during an attempted capture the target Pokémon was trying to escape confinement.
And that light was glowing quite brightly at him now.
He muttered a curse, then cast about, searching for the shore – in the confusion, he wasn’t sure of his bearings. The cloud of dust surrounding him wasn’t helping matters any; his field of vision was almost completely occluded by the stuff now. To make matters worse, the capture ball in his hands was beginning to whistle and rattle... noises that a capture ball only made when its machinery was badly malfunctioning. And that meant the Gyarados was battling its way free.
He squinted as he looked closer at the ball. It was one of the two standard issue Poké Balls he had snatched, which meant he still had one more of that brand, plus the Luxury Ball. But he knew neither of them had any more strength than the one the Gyarados fought now. And the plaintive noises it made were only getting worse, the shaking more violent.
Jason had no time, and no sense of direction. So he did the only thing he could think to do.
He chose a direction and stuck with it, running for all he was worth.
He kept his hands closed tight over the ball, as if that would somehow prevent it from popping open and releasing the energy inside. In truth, he knew how dangerous it was to be holding a ball a Pokémon was struggling against – if the energy surge was powerful enough to destroy the insides of the ball, then it was certainly enough to cause him serious harm.
Abruptly, he tripped over some unseen obstacle and fell forward... and continued to fall, much further than he should have in order to hit the ground nose first.
He opened his mouth to scream in surprise and fear.
At the same time, the ball in his hands popped open, despite his futile attempt to contain the Pokémon within.
His vision blurred, but he could see congealing within the beam of angry red light beside him, a Gyarados was forming.
All sense gone, he lashed out with his arms and scrabbled for purchase on the Pokémon – perhaps the only immediate option for survival was simply to grab it and hang on.
And so he did.
Then he felt the impact. It was harsh and unforgiving and it battered him on all sides... but his descent continued even further. His mouth and nose and ears filled up with fluid contaminated by the debris that had fallen into the impromptu cavern. Now he was engulfed in water, and the Gyarados’ tail was thrashing hard, its body undulating beneath him.
Jason held on to the Pokémon for dear life as it churned through the waters. He couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, and couldn’t even move, save to hold as tightly as he possibly could to the creature... and hope that it would break through to the surface soon.
He felt himself beginning to thrash alongside the Gyarados as the deprivation of air became unbearable, and his instinct to hang on was slipping in favor of releasing it to locate oxygen somewhere – anywhere except this aquatic creature that, he felt foolish for realizing only now, needed no air to survive. It was amphibious and could breathe in both environments.
Then the Gyarados whipped its tail once more, snapping Jason so hard that he felt the darkness of blacking out overtaking him.
And, as with so many other things... there was nothing he could do about it.
Nothing at all.
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© Matt Morwell, 2011
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