Chapter 46: Leviathan Rising (Part B) by Michael Keens/ Exodus Even though Abby’s Magikarp was more calm than the others of its kind, and although my Staryu had whittled down the Seadra’s health a bit, I didn’t have too much faith in Abby securing the victory. “That fish has guaranteed your loss and a failure to please me. Seadra, use Bubble!” shouted Black. “Draaa...” it snorted, bubbles flying outwards and forming a large area of foam, which the Magikarp charged through and tackled the Seadra hard, forcing it back with a visible lump on its head. “No...” exclaimed Black in disbelief. “Oh yes...” smiled Abby darkly. “Smokescreen!” shouted Black, and a dark cloud started to fill the air and the water, but a lot of splashing caused the smoke to be hit with many small waves of water, and the Seadra’s position was revealed. Abby’s Magikarp pushed forward but the Seadra activated its Agility technique and swiftly moved out of the way. “It looks tired Abby, I think one last hit will do it.” I whispered. “Tell me something I don’t know.” she frowned. Her Magikarp was being hit from all sides as the Seadra buzzed by and clipped it several times. “Magikarp...” it growled. “Abby! Just go for it! We save this boat, then we’ll probably secure our ride to Cinnabar!” I shouted out. Abby said nothing, her eyes focussed on the battle, and doing nothing as the Seadra buzzed by two more times. “Now!” Abby had been watching the Seadra carefully and saw a pattern in which after a certain amount of hits, it had to straighten itself out, Leviathan leapt at it with all its strength and determination, and slammed into the Seadra, sending it spinning into the air and landing on the water’s surface with a huge splash. “Heh, you really surprised me, you three worked well together, to cover for each other’s weaknesses.” said Black shortly after the Pokémon were recalled. “Thanks, I think.” I replied. “So, did they have what you were looking for?” asked the lady with a hopeful expression. “... Yes. My thirst for a great Water Pokémon Battle has been quenched. The boat is yours for now Beryl, but find the remainder of what you owe soon, see you around...” Black turned away and started walking, his two attendants following and sheltering him. “Thank you so much...” said the lady, Beryl. “Well we battle as hard as we can all the time, look Beryl, I know we were forced into this, and you thought this was out of the goodness of our hearts, but I’d possibly like a small favour in return.” I explained. “Name it.” she said swiftly. “Take us to Cinnabar Island and then to Fuchsia City.” I requested. “I thought you were sorted out on that, you said earlier...” “Yeah, well I thought I was, and I didn’t know you were a captain then.” I shrugged. “For free?... I don’t know...” sighed Beryl. “No, not for free, but for this much...” I whispered the figure in Beryl’s ear as it was slightly embarrassingly low. “That’ll do, its not that low a price to ask for you know, you’re just lucky I’m not as stingy as the other boat owners, I’ll do it.” I couldn’t help but grin, and then yell, “All right! We’re going to Cinnabar!...” Shortly afterwards, Abby, Emily, Beryl and I cast off and headed east towards Cinnabar Island. Beryl’s boat was a little small, but it had a small cabin we could take shelter in that led to a bedroom underneath the deck. Emily and Abby were warming up inside while I stayed out to keep Beryl company, seeing as she had kindly taken my offer and even did it today when the weather was so harsh. “So Beryl, tell me about yourself, seeing as we’re going to spend a few days together.” I requested pleasantly. “You know the interesting stuff already, I love this boat and would do anything to keep it, I’m into Water Pokémon, I’ll show you which ones I’ve got some other time. I’m more interested in you, you’re quite a character, and I don’t exactly have too much contact with people, usually my customers just want peace and quiet as they watch the scenery.” “Well, what do you want to know?” I asked a little uneasy. “Well for one thing, which of those girls do you like?” she grinned. “Ex-cuse me?!” I spluttered. “Sorry if that sounded inappropriate but I just wanted to know, I didn’t think it was such a big deal.” “Well, I’d really like to keep the relationship between Abby and I purely friendship, as for Emily, we were together once, I’m not sure if I’m ready to get back together with her, I need to concentrate on the League, plus I got a little burned last time. Could you try not to mention it in front of the girls?” I explained feeling uneasy. “Sure thing hon’, but I wanted more than that, I’m somewhat into romance so I’ll get back to you some other time to discuss this more.” “Hopefully this trip will be other by then...” I thought, not really being one to enjoy talking about my personal life, at least not at the moment. “So what’s up with you and Black?” I asked. “Black’s just an old acquaintance, I’d say friend, but he’s been a bit of a jerk lately.” replied Beryl. “Elaborate.” I requested. “He’s just become so competitive, he never wants to do anything about our Pokémon but battle, and he’s constantly hassling me into racing our boats, but since he’s got a wealthy family, he always spills on the best parts. I could do without all that, I’d love to just sail away from Ocean Town and go far away, but I just can’t afford to at the moment.” she explained with no difficulty at all, but she knew what the people in her life felt about her. “If it means anything, I like you, and therefore if we ever need to travel across water again, I’ll look to you first.” I promised. “That means a lot, Tetsi. Thanks...” said Beryl, turning away from the wheel to give me a happy and thankful look. “Beryl!” I shouted, as the boat shifted to the side and I lost my balance. “Oop. Sorry.” she apologised with a nervous grin. “Just don’t go doing anything like that again and I’ll stay true to that statement.” I amended. “You got it.” she winked. The boat tipped to the side suddenly and I spiralled backwards across the deck again, “I thought you said you wouldn’t do that!” “I didn’t! The storm’s picking up and you’re in for a little more falling about if you don’t grab on to something!” warned Beryl. The ship rose up across a large wave and crashed down, water spilling onto the deck at a great rate. “Tetsi!” shouted Beryl, “Empty as much as you can, the ship fills up and we sink!” “You don’t have to tell me twice!” I yelled back. “I’ll say it anyway, get rid of that water!” she ordered. “Girls!” I shouted, “Get a Pokémon and help out here!” They appeared quickly and the Pokémon that were called out was a Hypno, Mr Mime, and my Kadabra. “All Psychic Pokémon, I guess great minds think alike.” I stated, trying to bring light to the situation. Each Pokémon moved the water with their minds, while the girls and I did so manually, but not to as much success as the Pokémon. “Ku-dabra!” said Psychot, eyes glowing white, hand outstretched, and water in an invisible bowl rising and then tipping over the edge. “Mime Miime, Mime Miime!” chanted Miles, sending glass slates around to form cubes around great volumes over water and then throwing them into the ocean. “Hypno...” whispered Nightmare, letting loose Confusion blasts which literally blew the water out of the boat. We recalled the Psychic Pokémon shortly after the water was removed. “The worst is over.” said Beryl, “But the winds have pushed us into the Red Tides, a place I tried to avoid...” “Well the water’s not flowing onto the ship, so what’s the problem?” I inquired. “Graaaaaghhh!!!” came a horrible wailing voice that echoed across the sky. “WHAT was that?!” I shouted. “The sea’s most destructive Pokémon, and the Red Tides are where a group of these mistreated Pokémon have made their home. They hate being disturbed...” said Beryl with fear in her voice. “The sea’s most destructive Pokémon?...” I pondered, turning towards my allies one by one, before stopping at Abby, looking at her Pokéballs and being horribly reminded of what we were up against, just before they appeared. “Gyarados!” One popped up in front of the ship, two at the sides, and another two behind us. We were trapped! “They’re gonna tear up the ship! Please Tetsi! Please do your best to defend it!” shouted Beryl, drawing several Pokéballs. “Come on girls!” I shouted... “Star!” “Nairrr!” “Chu!” “Fairy!” “Mag-na-ton!” “Saurrr!!!” “Seel!” “Scyther!” The latter two Pokémon heard and seen belonged to Beryl, a Seel and a Scyther. I’d healed Twinkill just before we left, it immediately unleashed dazzling beams of electricity, as did Discharge, exploiting a double weakness seen in Water and Flying Pokémon, but these Gyarados shook it off and came at the Pokémon despite the heavy damage. One bit into Twinkill’s gem, cracking it a little, another blasted it with a charged Hyper Beam, and then the two rammed Discharge with so much force, it was flung into the mast and came apart. These Gyarados were definitely at a high level, but due to their apparent abandonment from their trainers, they’d obviously trained themselves to evolve and grow. Bahamut blasted one with an Ice Beam but it was soon helped by another to shatter it and then both use Hydro Pump to hit my dragon. Sparky and Pixie weren’t doing too well either, their small size making any attack from the Gyarados hit harder. Solar was charging a Solar Beam, at a Gyarados that had a similar idea, and fired a Hyper Beam. Unfortunately, Hyper Beam was superior, as it could be unleashed immediately and then take the user a moment to recover, while Solar Beam had to be charged first, and fired second. Solar’s beam came too late, although both beams collided, Hyper Beam was too far in use to be beaten by the opening of the Solar Beam, and the Ivysaur fell back weak. Beryl’s Scyther was flying by the Gyarados, quickly getting around their attacks and clipping them with its wings, but some teamed up and used Dragon Rage to vacuum the Bug-type in and damage it. And the Seel was blasting serpents with Ice Beams until one glared at him with glowing eyes, and petrified it long enough to pummel with a Thrash attack. “This isn’t working!” I shouted, “They’re too strong and they work too well together.” “Grrargh!!!” screamed the lead Gyarados, and its tail came darting forward at us, Emily and I dived down but Abby’s mind was occupied on her hurt Pokémon. “Abby!!!” I screamed. With a loud strike, Abby was catapulted into the water, her Pokéballs also flew everywhere, of the four still with Pokémon inside, three landed on the deck, the force of the tail acting as if they had been thrown. “Vul!!!” “Hypno.” “Don...” “That means...” “Karp...” said Leviathan, from where it floated near the ship. “Our Pokémon are too weak to go after her, Leviathan! Abby went overboard! You have to save her!” I explained. This smart Magikarp understood, and immediately dived, Abby was sinking fast and falling away from the ship, and Leviathan pushed itself to catch up, even though the currents were against it. Abby’s mouth was slightly ajar, and she’d drown before long, Leviathan let out a mighty “Magikarp!” and propelled itself towards her with strong movements of its fins. It floated below her so that she lay over it, and then came the hard part, getting back up. Abby’s life was ebbing away and Leviathan knew that, there was no way to save her... without forcing its evolution... “Magi-Karrrp!!!...” “They’ve been down there for too long...” I panicked, “I have to go after her!” “Don’t Tetsi!” shouted Beryl, “Its too dangerous, only a Water Pokémon can manoeuvre in this storm, that Magikarp is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, its stronger than the others.” “You’d better be right Beryl.” I replied. “Star!!!” A snapping Gyarados aiming to bite me was blasted back by Twinkill’s Thunderbolt attack, but a new Gyarados replaced it, rising up from the waters and staring at me. I looked back at it in the eyes, cautiously stretching my fingers to draw a Pokéball as fast as a cowboy would draw their guns in a fight, but I didn’t quite feel the need, the look this Gyarados was giving me seemed familiar. “Tetsubo! Look!” shouted Emily, pointing down, and there was Abby, slumped over the Gyarados’s body. “Leviathan?...” I questioned, reaching out to pull Abby up. “Tetsubo! She’s not breathing!” cried Emily, “She’s...” “No, I won’t accept that, just don’t get jealous Em’...” I said, slightly panicking but willing to perform C.P.R. I breathed in a couple of times, and then performed the necessary pushing against Abby’s body before trying again. “Come on Abby...” called Emily, “I know we don’t always see eye to eye, but its too soon to lose you, I’ll do anything to see you through this...” Midway through breathing in, Abby’s eyes shot open and she had a look of surprise on her face at our lips touching for a split second, before she coughed up and a lot of water was spat out, “You could start by not whining and fighting those Gyarados!” “Abby, you’re okay...” I said relieved. “I’m strong, you know that Tetsubo, now let’s teach those Gyarados a lesson.” she said with an exhausted smile, before staring at the new Gyarados. “Not that one!” I shouted. “What, you want to capture it?” inquired Abby. “Abby, that one’s yours, it saved you.” I explained. “... Leviathan?...” “Graaarrrghhh...” it spoke, a pleasant expression compared to the other Gyarados. “Abby, use it, it might be able to scare away these Gyarados for good.” I advised. “Tetsubo, sometimes you can’t help but state the obvious... Leviathan, thank you, now use Hydro Pump.” replied Abby. “Grrrarghh!!!” it screamed, a huge jet of water shooting out its mouth and catapulting a Gyarados upwards to land hard on the water’s surface where it sunk. “That went down quickly.” commented Beryl. “Yeah, well Twinkill and the others wore it out, but to be honest, Abby’s Magikarp has been raised well, why shouldn’t it remain strong after evolving?” I explained. “Oh yeah, other trainers probably neglected those Gyarados when they were Magikarp, and then they evolved just to get even before they came here, trained Pokémon tend to be more powerful than wild Pokémon.” added Emily. Another Gyarados came down on Leviathan and twisted around it, but he bit down on its scaly body and then freed itself of its grip before whipping it with its tail, flinging it away into defeat. The third now lay in front of the ship, and unleashed a blue tornado. “That’s Dragon Rage!” exclaimed Beryl. “Counter it in kind.” ordered Abby, and a Dragon Rage of his own was unleashed by Leviathan that tore through the first, and spun the Gyarados into unconsciousness. The two last Gyarados came at Leviathan from both sides, slammed into it simultaneously, causing him great pain, and then started to tie it up in their bodies. He roared out, and started thrashing around, damaging the right Gyarados but not getting it to let go, his eyes glowed with rage, and something was forming at the mouth, golden flickering beams. “Hyper Beam.” called out Abby, and Leviathan screamed out and blasted the Gyarados on its left, it was defeated before the blast’s damaging effect was over, the force pushed Leviathan back, but sent the other Gyarados further. The Gyarados that rose up in front of the others (defeated but now conscious) was obviously the leader, it looked at its group carefully, then at the one that had defeated them all. With a monstrous Leer technique, Leviathan sent shivers down the Gyarados’s large back, figuratively, and the five Water Pokémon screamed out in panic and darted away, surely not likely to take us on again... “Leviathan... Come here...” smiled Abby, openly expressing her joy. The brave and powerful Gyarados gently leaned next to the ship and Abby hugged part of it, “I knew you could evolve, I knew you were great, even when the whole world didn’t.” “Not to seem like a coward or anything, but I never badmouthed Leviathan in the past, cos I understand how Magikarp are.” I decided to mention. “Yeah yeah, Leviathan won’t take revenge on you.” stated Abby lovingly. After all this chaos, I think I deserved it when I drew out the Pokédex to take something out of this experience for myself. “Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokémon. Huge and vicious, Gyarados are capable of destroying entire cities in rage. Difficult to train because of their ferocity, trainers who tame a Gyarados will earn possibly the most dependable Pokémon around.” “Well the worse is over.” sighed Beryl, “So how’s about we get on with things and make our way to Cinnabar Island?” “Aye aye Captain.” I said, performing a fake salute as I did. Well, this had been a long and tiresome day, but it was the day in which we’d finally acquired our passage to Cinnabar Island. We’d made a new friend in Beryl, and Abby had been rewarded with the last evolution she was likely to get for now, just in time for the Pokémon League. The storms had died down a short time ago, and after the Gyarados had retreated, we were now into the early hours of the day. After all we’d been through, I for one needed some rest before we arrived at the town I’d journeyed towards for weeks, the town in which I’d (hopefully) earn my final Gym Badge. But we don’t always get what we want or need, do we?... End of Chapter 46B Back to Chapter 46A Next Chapter Back to Story List #41 - #60 Back to the Pokézone