A Cherrygrove Emergency!

A young woman rushed along Route 29, medium braided pigtails brushing against her collar bone as her feet pounded against the packed dirt path. Sweat glistened on her skin, eyes a vibrant green in her panic. She was 21 year old Alexis, clutching a small blue and tan Pokémon in her arms. The whites of her eyes had turned red, bloodshot from the tears she had let fall.

"I'm so sorry, Cyndaquil, I'm so sorry," she sobbed, making a beeline for Cherrygrove City. Her home town, she had spent a good 12 or so years growing up in the small town. She rushed past the sign welcoming her to the city, far too absorbed in making her way to the Pokémon Center. Her Cyndaquil was in dire need of attention, after having fainted en route.

She knew her way around well enough. Though it had been a few years since she'd last visited, little had changed. She ran for the Pokémon center, bursting through the sliding doors. She rushed to the counter frantically, ringing the bell repeatedly in an urgent manner. She carefully set Cyndaquil on the table, the weakened Pokémon lying motionlessly.

Chikorita had been relentless, and now Alex was convinced capturing him had been for the best. She couldn't imagine letting that happen to another trainer. Not to mention what might've happened if she had failed the capture. She somehow doubted the little bastard would have stopped once merely knocking out Cyndaquil. She grit her teeth, retrieving the weak Chikorita's capsule from her waist and setting it on the counter. Even if he was an asshole, he deserved to be healed.

"Please, you have to help me..." she pleaded, explaining what had transpired to the Nurse when prompted. "You have to believe me...I didn't want it to come to this at all..." she trailed, finding it difficult to not choke on her own words.

Alexis was clearly shaken, and now that the adrenaline was wearing off she began to feel weak and light headed. She slowly nodded to the nurse, though she was heavily focused on the Blissey taking her Cyndaquil into the back. "Yeah, alright..." Alex trailed weakly.

She staggered over to a cushioned seat, setting her pack onto the floor as she plopped down into its comfort. She was so distressed she felt like she could just pass out right then and there. She closed her eyes, laying her head forward into her hands. Her elbows rested on her knees, propping her up somewhat.

So, the Chikorita had been causing trouble before. It made her feel somewhat better about everything. Still, she felt as if she should have done more to help Cyndaquil. Even though Nurse Joy's words were mildly comforting, Alex eyed the call center. She should call Elm, it was only fair. He trusted her with Cyndaquil and she failed. She shook, imagining his anger and disappointment. She imagined him demanding her to hand Cyndaquil back to him, and it tore her up inside.

It took her a few minutes to work up the nerve, before she finally stood up. She lifted her pack in hand, dragging it along hanging just above ground level to the visual phones. Her PokéGear probably would have worked just as well, but she figured he would at least recognize a Pokémon Center number. She dialed him up, letting it ring nervously.

Alex felt a bit like hyperventilating when Elm finally answered the phone. "Uhm, yes, Professor...I'm in Cherrygrove," Alex stammered, growing more worried as he went on. Her mouth gaped for a moment, unsure of where to start. She choked a bit, finally taking a large breath and sighing shakily.

"I have some bad news..." Alex began, "It's about Cyndaquil..." Alex went on to recount the story once more to Elm. She only hoped he would understand. She told him about her decision to capture Chikorita to prevent it from attacking again, and how Cyndaquil had protected her with everything he had.

"I hope you aren't too upset with me," Alex said, trying not to chew her own tongue nervously. "I understand if you want me to send Cyndaquil back to you, I haven't proven myself to be a worthy trainer..." Alex lowered the mouthpiece from her face a bit, her breaths short and erratic. She assumed it was a mild panic attack, she was fairly used to them depending on what was upsetting her.

Alex felt extremely awkward on the phone, wondering if she should tell Elm about her extensive training. To be honest, she knew how to battle rather well as opposed to most casual trainers. She had taken multiple courses on it in school when available. She chose ultimately against it, figuring it might make her freeze up seem so much worse.

"Thank you, Professor," Alex said, saying her goodbyes to Elm before she hung up. Sighing gently, Alex retrieved her things and went back to her seat awaiting news about Cyndaquil. She took the water, sipping at it to rehydrate herself as she waited.

She rubbed her head with the free hand, sticking the moomoo milk in her bag for later. She never knew, it could come in handy. The cool water was all she needed right now, trying to work off the feelings she had over the whole situation. She glanced up, watching as various trainer walked in and out for routine checkups and the like. It only made her feel that much worse.

Alex sighed a bit on the news about her Pokémon. She did understand, though. Her sister had a Furret at one point who got extremely sick and needed emergency surgery. She was just glad that they seemed to be recovering without such extreme measures. "Alright, thank you, Nurse Joy," Alex said, standing up. She slid her pack strap over her shoulder, looking to the door.

She wasn't in the least hungry. She had eaten before leaving New Bark Town, and on top of that found having an appetite at all difficult under such distress. "I think I'll go sit by the water for now," she announced. "Would you mind giving me a call if they're better before I return? If you aren't too busy, that is-" Alex jotted down her PokéGear number in case Joy should need to use it.

With a small wave and feigned smile, Alex left the Pokémon Center for the time being. She knew her way around well enough where she didn't need to pull out her map. Growing up in the town meant as much. However, not many of the people were the same. Many of her old friends, well, as many as she had anyway, had moved away since. She made her way to the west side of town, overlooking the crystal waters.

She took off her boots and socks, sitting along the grassy edge as she dipped her feet into the cool waters. The gently current lapped against her ankles and calves, causing her tattoo to shimmer in the light. She looked out to the sea, only a single small island possibly within swimming distance could be seen as far as land went. She smiled faintly, it reminded her of summers growing up.

Alex listened contentedly as the Tailow cawed, watching the various water types all around her. She gazed into the waters, catching her reflection for a moment. She raised a foot, swishing the water around and making her reflection distort once more. She used to love it here as a kid. All the wild Pokémon in the area were fairly used to humans, so as long as she wasn't causing trouble she felt perfectly safe.

Even with the Tentacool under foot, she couldn't help but think of swimming. She tugged mindlessly at her tank's strap, contemplating unzipping it and just diving in. She knew that the jellies especially could be dangerous, but were generally fine if you stayed away from their stingers. She glanced down to her PokéGear, wishing somewhat that it would ring.

She sighed softly, looking up into the sky. Cumulous clouds littered it, though none looked too dark or heavy. There was still a good amount of sun shining through as well. She figured the weather would probably remain nice, at least for today. Unable to resist temptation, she stood and took off her top layer of clothing revealing her bikini beneath. It was a bit early in the year to go swimming, and the water was likely to be colder than preferred, but such circumstances were about the only ones where Alex was willing to deal with the cold.

She rolled her clothes, tucking them in her pack to keep the sand out of them, walking over to the deep pool she used to jump into as a kid. The water met the ground evenly, but it was a straight drop in, unlike most of the beach. She used to pretend she was actually good at diving off the small platform. She dove in, arms outstretched before her. Her hair wiggled a bit in the confined braids, which was good to keep it mostly out of her face.

She swam out a bit before resurfacing, taking a deep breath as her face was upturned. Though her eyes were closed, she could see the light and feel the sun. She wiped the water and free strands of hair from her eyes so she could see. She seemed perfectly at home in the water, floating gently with ease though her skin rippled as it reacted to the cold. Still, it was good for her to relax.

Surprised could hardly describe Alex, as her arms flailed a bit when she was raised up above the water. She caught her balance, quickly yet gently placing her hands between the spines on Corsola's back. The creatures were relatively rare, and so to see such a large one - no, she was RIDING her! Alex felt her heart skip a beat, jumping into her throat.

Still, the feeling was exhilarating! Her legs were ever so carefully draped around the larges spines on her back, dipping into the water as the Pokémon began to swim around. It was like a childhood fantasy, a game she might have played with her elder sister when they were young. She couldn't conceal the grin on her face, looking about as other Pokémon surfaced curiously. This was it, this was what she had wanted in a Pokémon adventure!

She pet the Corsola, wanting to hug it but knowing that might not be the best idea as a sudden movement. Not to mention from that angle spines would likely jab her, she was accident prone enough without outside assistance. "Thanks so much, Corsola!" Alex chimed, still feeling excitement welling in her like a small child. How many people could say this happened to them, after all?

She looked down as they floated past some Tentacool, overly tempted to touch them. She always wanted to feel their squishy caps, but knew they could anger easily. Better not try now, she was happy enough to get to see some of the wild Pokémon up close like that. It made her think for a moment, maybe she should become a field scientist.

Alex rode along, the waters rising and lowering around her as they went. It was such an awesome feeling, like laying on the beach as the tide washed in over you. Being a water sign, and growing up so close to water it was almost a shock that her first Pokémon had been a fire type. Still, she didn't regret her choice in the least. She doubted any of the other starters could have handles Chikorita like hers had.

The thoughts about him made her mildly depressed, and worried about him. Being in the water had done its job to help her relax, at the very least. She saw some of the Tentacool approach, mildly fearing their stingers. However, when they more or less splashed her playfully, her mind was put at ease once more. She laughed a bit, raising one arm to shield her face from the assault as Corsola made a path.

She enjoyed the Pokémon playing around for a bit longer, before Corsola rode her to the shore. It would be easy enough to get out of the water from here, but she didn't want to leave at the same time. So many things could happen in a short time. What if another trainer came along and captured her before she could return?! Alex shook her head, she couldn't think like that right now.

"Hey Corsola, I just need to check my PokéGear, alright? I promise I'll come back and play again, though!" Alex announced, petting the shimmering coral Pokémon once more. She hoisted herself off the Pokémon's back, and onto the land. With a light jog, she rushed back over to her pack and grabbed the clip off of it. She nervously turned it on, checking for any new messages that she might have gotten from the Pokémon Center.

Alex stared for a moment at the display, somewhat disheartened. No new messages, it read, making the girl tempted to break the small electronic device. She clutched it tightly, taking a deep breath to convince herself not to. It would cost way too much to replace the damn thing, anyway. She exhaled, sighing as she accepted the fate at hand. She wasn't going to get her Pokémon back any time soon.

She clipped it back to her bag, moving the pack into shady brush. She didn't want any thieving trainers to steal her things if she was going to stay on the beach much longer. She brushed the sand from her knees, turning back to the Corsola. She feigned a smile, "Looks like I can play longer," she announced, walking back to the water's edge.

After a moment, she had a thought. "Say Corsola, do you want to go swimming around under the water?" she quickly fished out a mobile diving unit. It was small with a mouthguard, two tiny capsules on it which helped convert water into oxygen. It was similar to the ones Misty and her sisters used during their shows.

Rushing back to the water, she dipped her feet in, scooting off the earth and into it. "What do you say we go exploring?" Alex placed the mouthguard in. She knew it only had so many uses until she replaced the capsules, but she was fortunate that it only released oxygen when she bit down on it. Normal swimming would cause her to exert more energy, and she usually ran out relatively quickly. But with Corsola's help, she figured she could swim deeper and longer than usual.

Alex clutched to Corsola, giving a nod as she was unable to speak with the device in he mouth. Diving down, Alex was swept away by the sheer beauty of it all. She glanced up, able to see the light trickling down from above. After several seconds, she bit down the first time, taking in a full breath. Bubbles rose from the vent like structure at the front of the device.

She kicked lightly, making sure to preserve her oxygen while not fully relying on Corsola for transport. She had forgotten how beautiful such a secluded place could be, especially after spending the past several years in the big city. She waved to the jellies, awed by schools of fish Pokémon darting around. When they approached the coral reef, Alex released Corsola's spines, swimming forward to the structure.

It was brilliant, especially as the sun danced around, distorted by the water around them. She got as close as she could, careful not to physically disturb anything when she noticed a glint from below. Something sheen caught the sun rays, causing her to change her objective. She swam down, lightly brushing away some of the sediment that had settled over time. She hoped people weren't littering here, and intended to remove the foreign object from her favorite swimming hole.

Alex was enjoying the sights beneath the surface, and the company of so many of the elusive coral Pokémon was more than welcomed by the young woman. She bit down, taking a breath as bubbles again rose. She wouldn't have much more time before needing to resurface. She wasn't sure whether to be happy or upset by the trove she found, caught between her delight for useful items and her dismay that someone discarded these into the ocean.

It was hard to tell how long any of it had been down there, or where it had washed in from. Still, she did her best to pick up as many of the items as she could. She reached for some of the pearls, taking careful note of which ones actually belonged to the Clampearl. She wished her Pokédex worked under water, she doubted she would get to see another one any time soon. Either way, she didn't feel like losing a limb for such a small gain.

Once her arms were relatively full, and she was convinced she'd gathered most of the discarded items she looked to the Corsola she'd been swimming with. With one hand, she awkwardly motioned, pointing to the surface. She was trying to signal that she needed to resurface, especially to drop off the stuff at the shore line. More yet, she was running low on Oxygen.

She began to kick, her body's natural buoyancy helping her along. Still, it was one of those struggles she used to face as a small child. Exhaling and sinking down as far as possible, before making a frantic effort for the surface. Her chest felt tight, capsules empty as she kicked harder, trying desperately to breach the top.

Alex felt a body beneath her, suddenly rushing her toward the surface. She broke through, spitting the device into her hand as she gasped for air. After panting for a moment, she realized the situation she was in. She was more or less mounted on the squishy helm of a Tentacruel! The jelly was quite large, and the thin mucous membrane surrounding it made it a little slimy. She cringed a bit, but enjoyed it at the same time. Guess she got to feel it after all!

"Thanks, Tentacruel..." Alex panted. She regretted none of it, though. She'd cleaned up and managed to snag a few things she could use later on. Not to mention she wasn't dead - that was definitely a bonus. She reached out a bit as Tentacruel swam her toward the ledge, the massive jelly cap barely breaching the water as it was.

Tossing the larger things onto shore, Alex freed up her arms. She gave Tentacruel a soft pat, thanking him again as she slid off his cap and back into the water. She swan the extra few feet, hoisting herself back onto the grass. She sat, feet dipped in as she fell onto her back to catch her breath.

After a few minutes, she sat back up and grumbled a bit. Retracting her feet, she walked over to her pack, dragging it over to her treasure trove. She took out a towel, drying off the pearls and the like as she tucked them into a safe pocket, emptying out the change purse to opt for her own wallet. She would discard of the sunken one later. Then she carefully untangled what she could of the rod, folding it and putting it away. She would see if someone could fix the line for her later.

She hadn't noticed much how the time had flown, until the chill of evening set in. A breeze blew, sending ripples of goosebumps over her dampened body. "Ugh," she groaned, shivering as she did her best to dry herself off as well. She paused, looking back to the water to see if Corsola had returned.

Alex slid her shorts and shirt back on over her bikini, talking to Corsola as she did so. "...So after all that, I ended up with a talking Cyndaquil as a partner, can you believe that? But man, that Chikorita was a beast..." she droned on, making small talk and telling the water type of her adventure thus far. She finished up, lacing her boots up when she noticed the yellow light blinking on her PokéGear.

"Hm?" she hummed curiously, unclipping the device as she checked it. Her heart skipped a beat, both excited and nervous as she reviewed the message. "Great news, Corsola! They're all healed up, now!" Alex chimed, kneeling beside the water. She was mildly entertained as the Taillow swooped down and landed on her back.

"You guys hungry?" She was used to feeding bread crumbs to bird and rodent Pokémon, so it was natural to come to mind now. Reaching into her pack, she pulled out the half empty pokéchow container from before. She popped open the seal, putting some of the kibbles in her hand as she lowered her hand toward Taillow and Corsola. "Here, I made it myself!"