Joshthewriter
Charizard Fan
Journey
Death of Duty
Part 5: War on the Water
Found
Death of Duty
Part 5: War on the Water
Found
The League can't be everywhere. Some places… are just too remote to civilize completely. — Tracey Sketchit, Pokemon Research Aide
Artemis rose from the tunnel, flapping hard to gain altitude over the waves. The ocean slammed shut behind us, closing and cutting off Articuno's sanctuary for good with an tremendous roar. I watched the waves crash together in reverent awe and felt myself smiling innocently.
Artemis mutedly roared to announce her presence back on the surface, rising over the island. Her chest was heaving and her breaths ragged, but she was ever the alpha predator. She looked down, scanning the ocean along with me and growling as she saw the Fang.
"Take us down," I said, pointing down at the sleek ship anchored at the small dock.
Artemis swung down, cutting down through the air in a shallow dive. She flared her wings over the deck as a trio of deck workers waved me in. We hit the deck heavily, Artemis finally letting herself rest and slumping exhausted to the deck. I slid off her back, thanking her with a scratch on the back of her head. She wasn't built for sustained flight and the long flight up the tunnel had taken everything out of her.
"Where is Janine?" I asked.
One of the dockworkers pointed downwards. "Medical bay," he replied.
I raised my ball, returning Artemis and sliding her ball onto my belt. I dashed into the ship, ignoring the rancid sweat and oil that invaded my nostrils. I hadn't spent a large amount of time aboard the Fang, but it was not a very large vessel. It didn't take me long to find the ship's medical bay.
The medical bay was near the rear of the ship, just past the bunks. Three beds were filled by shinobi, Janine sitting wearily in the chair beside Leopold's bed.
"Janine," I said. "Is Leopold ok?"
She looked up at me in surprise. Her gaze flitted down to my ruined uniform, lingering on the bloody tatters of the shoulder where I'd torn it open to get at my bullet wound. "He's fine," she said in an exhausted voice. "His sense of humour is intact, and the ship's doctor says his sight will return with time and treatment."
"Bah," Leopold spat. "I don't need my eyes to kill Rockets. Let me out of here, Lady Anzu."
Janine turned to glare at him. "I already told you not to call me that," she retorted coldly. "I am not quite so old as to take my mother's address from her."
She turned back to look at me, stepping away from Leopold. "You're alright, thank Mew." She looked me up and down, shaking her head softly as she contemplated my blood soaked outfit. "So Archer escaped?"
I nodded solemnly. "He had a submarine waiting down that passage. I tried to stop him…" I trailed off, the end of my confrontation with Archer still slightly fuzzy. "I took a bullet for my trouble and got washed into the caverns under the islands."
Her fingers brushed against my chest, feeling cautiously at the bloody hole in my uniform. "And this?" she asked.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "The bullet," I said. "Shattered my collarbone and punched straight out the back."
Her hand dropped to her side. She inhaled sharply and couldn't tear her eyes away from my shoulder. She pulled me forward, looking at the exit hole on the back of my shoulder. "Doesn't look like it," she said. "How much potion did you drink?"
I frowned. "Some, but not enough to heal something like this," I said. My mind went back to the sanctuary, wishing that my pokegear had been working to take a picture. I pulled my sleeve down, showing her the thin blue line that wrapped around my wrist. "I found something down there. A place untouched by humans."
She yanked my wrist towards her, studying the mark intently. I saw recognition in her eyes and realized that she knew. She glanced up at me. "You found a god's sanctuary and lived to tell the tale."
I frowned. "It thanked me, healed me for my efforts. I think the Rockets were trying to capture it."
She pulled my sleeve down over the mark and looked up at me. "I would keep that quiet," she said in a hushed tone. "Seafoam will be crawling with glory seeking trainers if the news of Articuno's location gets out."
I nodded. "Best to keep that secret to myself then," I said. I crossed my arms and remembered the real reason for our mission. "Did we find anything useful in there?"
She beckoned for me to follow her, walking up a staircase that led back up to the deck. "So much of it burnt up in the fire, or was shredded before we got there…" she trailed off, a troubled look on her face as we stepped onto the deck. "A lot of the surviving documents vaguely refer to a pair of projects working in tandem. There aren't many surviving details, but we do have one solid lead on the evolution machines. Project Catalyst was seemingly run out of a location in the the Sevii Isles. We aren't entirely sure which island yet, but we'll survey them in detail once we arrive. We now know that Archer seems to be the lead on this project, making his escape particularly frustrating."
I frowned, looking out at the sea. "So we go to the Isles now?" I asked. I needed to stop Archer. I needed to end this game of Rocket's, needed to put a stop to their sick attempts to play god.
She nodded. "As soon as my mother returns from the caverns. She was searching for you."
I blushed as I turned to face her. "You sent your mother to save me?" I asked. "How long was I down there?"
"This is the third day since you disappeared."
I couldn't help my jaw from dropping. "I was gone three days…" I shook my head. "Archer is probably gone to ground by now. He's probably tearing the Sevii Isles cell down as we speak."
She frowned and I saw the tension in her eyes. "I wasn't just going to leave you down there," she started in a frustrated tone. "Somebody has to care about your life, even if you don't."
I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not-"
"Shut up," she said, cutting me off. "You're reckless. You almost got yourself killed." She paused for a moment, practically seething at me. "You are incredibly lucky to be standing here, do you understand that? You could have been killed! You could have been trapped in one of those caverns and starved!" She rounded on me, and I could see the hurt in her eyes. She had thought me dead. "You should be dead."
"Janine, I-"
"No!" she said again, interrupting me. "What would you have me say to Surge? That I got his protégée killed?"
I stopped for a moment, a smile coming to my face. "Surge called me his protégée?"
Janine shook her head, though I saw her scowl soften. "I shouldn't have said that," she said.
"Nah," I started as my smile widened into a goofy grin. "You shouldn't have."
Eight days went past as the Fang sailed southeast towards the Sevii Isles. The island chain was significantly smaller and less populated than the Orange Archipelago, sitting nearly twice as far from Kan-Jo as the furthest island in Orange. It lay nearly halfway between Kanto's southeast shores and Hoenn's waters. Most of the islands were relatively undeveloped, but there were some independent settlements on islands One, Two and Three, with a small pokemon breeding centre on Four owned by Elite Lorelei Kanna. Islands Five through Seven were supposedly uninhabited, but Janine did confess that there was no completely accurate intelligence as Sevii operated outside the administration of any Pokemon Leagues.
We chased a small radar signature most of the way out of the shallows around Fuchsia, only losing it when it dropped off completely as we hit the open ocean. Janine steered us towards Sevii after that, trusting in what little intelligence we had. There was something in Sevii that Rocket didn't want us to find and we had the scent.
Training was an intense, every day affair. I went to sleep exhausted at the end of each night, woken again at dawn with Janine for more training. I ran myself ragged, pushing to keep up with the shinobi training regimen. I was decidedly lagging behind Janine, but I surprised both of us by only just keeping pace. I was still pathetically weak compared to her, even with my relatively physical upbringing.
My pokemon surged ahead of me, shaming me into pouring even more into my own training. Acolyte had made great strides with his balance and footwork, learning how to avoid and deflect incoming blows with minimal effort. Vector improved his own agility similarly, further reducing his reliance on his wings for movement. Both of them were learning and improving so much under Janine's and Brutus' tutelage that I was beginning to think that they might be close to surpassing Luna by the time we returned to Fucshia.
My few waking moments not training were spent in planning, going over scouting routes and detailing variables that I could expect to deal with. The Sevii residents weren't expected to be hostile, but Rocket had proved surprisingly popular among general populations before. We simply had to be ready for anything.
Artemis caught the warm updraft, rising above the miniscule island and gliding in a leisurely circle. Four Island was the smallest of the Sevii Isles, barely even half the size of either Seafoam island. It was a single spot of green in the vast blue sea, a miniscule speck in the grand scheme of the world.
I could see a single clearing near the southern shore. Several buildings rose between the treetops and I could see a helicopter atop the pad near the beach. A small boat was at the single jetty, a half dozen people unloading crates and carrying them inland. I grinned, knowing what the helicopter had to have meant. Lorelei was home.
We slid down through the sky as I surveyed the small island, marking buildings and the few other points of interest on the map Janine had given me. There wasn't much to mark, so I was done in less than a few minutes. I folded the map back up and slipped it back into my pack.
"Down," I ordered.
Artemis let out a deafening roar to announce ourselves and dove towards the island. She flared her wings, catching on the air and killing our momentum as she kicked up a spray of sand. I slid off her side as she landed on the beach.
A regal dewgong, practically identical to the one that I had seen beneath Seafoam, rose from the water. I could see a few other pokemon that were clearly Lorelei's in the water, but the Elite was nowhere to be seen.
A portly man waved me down, walking towards me with a clipboard in hand. "I'm sorry," he started. "This island is private property. I'll have to ask you to leave."
Artemis started a growl, but I silenced her with a glare. "I'm here to speak with Elite Kanna," I said, ignoring Clipboard's terrified outburst. "Urgent League business, I'm sure you understand."
He swallowed the lump in his throat, keeping well back of Artemis' murderous gaze. "She is currently indisposed," he replied. "I don't know when she will be available to speak with you. May I take a message?"
I shook my head and I saw the sinking look in his eyes. "I'll wait," I said, studying his reaction. "As I said, this is an urgent matter."
He nodded deeply and I saw panic in his eyes. He didn't want me sticking around on the island. I didn't know why, but Clipboard clearly was terrified by the idea of a Ranger snooping around. "I'll be sure to notify Lady Lorelei of your arrival," he said. "In the mean time, I must ask you to remain at the compound. The Elite uses this island as a breeding ground for her championship team. Some of the pokemon are particularly sensitive to strangers and may attack if they feel threatened."
I smiled innocently. They wanted me to leave and failing that to remain at Lorelei's compound. Something was up, but I couldn't tell what. "I'll wait here for the Elite," I said. They wanted to hide something on this island from me. I would play along for now, at least until I had something solid to go on.
Clipboard nodded. "Feel free to stop by the dining hall if you're hungry. We have plenty of food for your pokemon as well," he said. "Lady Lorelei is currently occupied, but she should return by nightfall."
"Thank you sir," I said. I glanced around. It was barely even noon. I had time to kill. I looked back at Clipboard with an innocent grin. "Do you have anywhere I could train?"
Acolyte pivoted on his toes, tracking my heracross as he buzzed across the field. Vector cut his flight, skidding to a halt and changing direction quickly with a buzz of his wings. Acolyte planted his feet, raising his club as Vector bore down on him. He deflected Vector's horn to the left as he sidestepped right, completely avoiding the heracross' attack.
Vector spun with a punch that Acolyte guided wide. The follow punch up met with a jab of Acolyte's club, parrying the blow as my marowak's counter found empty air.
Vector's wings buzzed out again as he threw himself into a desperate all-out attack. Acolyte backpedalled calmly, his club swinging up and parrying each blow with practiced efficiency. I watched on proudly as Vector's relentless assault was stymied so completely by my marowak.
Vector came in low with his horn and Acolyte seized the moment. He jabbed his club into the base of Vector's horn, trapping the bug against the ground. Vector shrieked and flailed, but Acolyte had the advantage and my heracross was utterly trapped.
I clapped, stepping onto the field. "Great job, you two."
They separated, Acolyte reaching down and offering his hand to Vector. My heracross hesitated for a moment, but reached up to pull himself up.
"Get something to eat," I ordered. "You two have more than earned a good rest."
Acolyte growled, raising his club. I heard Artemis stir behind me and turned to see what had drawn her attention.
She looked like she had just stepped out of an office, suit dress cut just below her knees. Her bright red hair was tied back in a long ponytail that was draped back over her right shoulder.
Lorelei looked up at Artemis and then back to me. "You asked to speak with me, Ranger?"
I waved Acolyte and Vector off to the bowls of food the island staff had provided me. Artemis laid her head back down after a sharp glare, keeping a wary eye on the newcomer. "Elite Kanna," I started. "I'm here with Leader Janine Anzu of Fuchsia. We have a credible lead that Team Rocket is using Sevii for something big."
She nodded and folded her arms behind her back. "Straight to business, is it?"
I nodded back. "Apologies, but I would have exchanged pleasantries hours ago. It has been a rather long and uneventful day training here."
She waved for me to follow her, turning around and ignoring my barb. "Walk with me," she ordered. "Your pokemon will be fine here."
I went to follow her. Curie squeaked nervously, bounding after me from the weights she had been working with. I turned and waved her back. "I'll be fine," I said. "Stay here with the others. Keep training."
She looked at me with those huge soft eyes and nodded slowly. She stepped back, keeping her eyes locked on me.
I turned away, following Lorelei away from the training field. She led me away from the camp, along a small trail carved out through the dense foliage. We walked in silence, Lorelei promising to speak with me candidly once we reached our destination.
She led me to a small crag on the northern side of the island. The temperature dropped the closer we got to it and I was reminded of the cavern beneath Seafoam. Lorelei beckoned for me to follow her and disappeared through a crevice in the side of the cliff wall.
I followed her, descending down a narrow staircase that wound around itself as the temperature dropped even lower. We emerged into a small blue cave, faint light reflecting off the ice. There was a wooden door blocking the path to the left, with another tunnel leading further down on the right. Lorelei walked up to the door, unlocking it with a small key.
"This place is very special," she started. "I use it as my sanctuary, away from the rest of the world. I find it helpful to have a place that I can use to just get away." She swung the door open and turned to face me as warm air billowed out. "We can talk privately here. The only ears here are my own."
I stepped through the door. Lorelei had a fairly large room carved into the cave, a small loft containing a kitchen and bedroom constructed beside a pool of water. The cavern was strangely warm compared to the rest of the cave.
She closed the door behind us and took a seat at her kitchenette. She looked up at me with weary eyes and gestured for me to sit opposite her.
I sat. "I like it," I said. "Very secret lair-like,"
She smirked. "I thought the same," she replied. Her smirk faded and I felt the mood change slightly. "What brings you to my islands?" she asked.
"Your islands?" I asked.
She shrugged. "I was born here," she said. "My mother washed ashore when my parents' ship was sunk off the coast. This islands saved her, these islanders took her in. They took me in." She smiled softly. "I grew up to be a powerful trainer, someone that the elders of the islands could rely on." She shrugged again. "They do," she said. "They rely on me to keep the islands safe and I would do anything for them." A small smile came to her face.
I leaned back. "So you're the person to speak with about finding Team Rocket. We've discovered a lead that indicates Sevii plays host to at least one major facility, likely to do with evolution-related research. We will be conducting an extensive search of the islands."
She nodded. "I am well aware of the Indigo League's manhunt. I assure you, there is no Team Rocket activity in Sevii. I would know if my islands had any Rocket presence."
"I assumed as much, else you would have informed Leader Surge."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, catching the slight accusation in my tone. "Careful how you speak to me," she said. "You are outside Indigo League jurisdiction here. Sevii is and independent region. I am the only authority to speak of on these islands."
I bowed my head. "I meant no disrespect," I said quickly. "We believe our intelligence is solid. They may be operating outside of your knowledge."
"What would you have me do?" She asked in a frustrated tone. "You have come here looking for something. I would like to kno-" A large lapras rose from the pool, gazing pensively at Lorelei. She stopped rn speaking and calmed her breath. "I apologize, it has been a taxing day. How can I help you?"
I shook my head. "We ask for nothing," I said. "Leader Janine simply thought to make contact with you, knowing of your esteemed position in the community here. We will be conducting our own investigation, with our own resources." I got to my feet. "We would just ask that you notify us if you do discover something."
Her smile returned, but I doubted it's authenticity. "I will be sure to do so," she said. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
I shook my head. "No, Elite Kanna."
She got to her feet, pushing in her chair as I did the same. "Then our business here is concluded." Lorelei looked at me, shifting her attention away from her lapras. "Thank you for coming to speak with me."
I nodded in reply, making sure not to break eye contact with her. I could see her mind working, could see that her thoughts were elsewhere. "We will be in touch," I said. "I must return to our operations now. It has been a pleasure speaking with you, Elite Kanna."
She bowed her head towards me with a smile that I doubted. "The pleasure was all mine, Ranger."
I gazed at her duplicitous smile, hearing the insincerity in her voice. I didn't say anything until Artemis had carried me high above listening ears. Even then, I didn't speak except to confirm my return to the Fang. Something strange was happening in Sevii. And I had a terrible feeling that I was going to find out.
"We lost contact with Janine somewhere along Kindle Road," Lady Anzu said. "She had made contact with a man named Celio at the Pokemon Network Centre. Her last report had him reporting some stolen equipment. She was going to look into it for him."
I nodded, looking down over Artemis' side as I raised the radio in my hand. "I copy," I said. "I have eyes on the centre, I'm heading down now."
Lady Anzu's voice crackled out of the tinny speakers. "Find her," she said. "Keep her safe."
"I will," I replied. I flipped the radio to the short-range mode, eyes peeled for any signs of a response. "Janine, it's Marcus. Come in, over."
The radio remained stubbornly silent and no movement from the island drew my attention. I repeated the call twice, with no answer each time and slid the radio back into my pocket as I squeezed my heels into Artemis' side.
She dove hard, speeding towards the earth. She flared her wings at what seemed like the last possible moment, carrying us just over the sandy beaches on the eastern shore. She flapped twice, gaining the altitude to clear the trees as we sped inland over the rough jungle terrain.
Artemis banked hard, speeding over the two-story building and looping back around over the small dock on the south shore. The roof was a bright yellow and a large communications tower rose high into the air.
We put down in the small courtyards in front of the building, realizing that several more low huts sat against the walls. Walls nearly twenty feet high were ringed with foliage, thick leaves and branches casting shade on the small courtyard.
A small, thin man emerged from the building, watching as I dismounted Artemis and returned her to her ball.
"Celio, I presume?"
He nodded slowly. "And who might I have the pleasure of speaking with?"
I walked towards him, holding out a hand. "Ranger Marcus Wright. I'm working with Leader Janine, I believe you have already met her."
He nodded as he took and shook my hand. "She was heading up to Mount Ember," he replied. "Some strange men had stolen some equipment of mine." He turned, waving for me to follow him.
I stepped through the door after him. "Could you tell me anything else about these men? Any names or aliases?"
"They were led by a man named Gideon," he sighed and turned back to face me. "He was an assistant here for some time, though I believe that was a cover." He sat heavily in his desk. "One of the island residents saw these same men on the slopes of the volcano not two days past, setting up some sort of camp."
I nodded. "And Janine headed off after these men?"
He nodded in reply. "She promised to retrieve my stolen equipment. Our project will fail unless it is returned and-"
There was a knock on the door, and Celio waved the person in.
Another man, one whose face I vaguely recognized stepped into the room. "Celio," he started. "Lanette and Bebe are back onli-" He stopped dead, looking at me as I turned around. "I'm sorry," he said. "Am I interrupting something?"
"No," I replied. "I think I have everything I need." I looked back down at Celio. "Is there anything else I should know?"
He pondered for a moment, before looking back at me. "There are some hot springs along the path up to the volcano that serve as a way-station of sorts. It is possible that Leader Anzu is there. As I said, the route to volcano can be quite inhospitable at times. She could have stopped to rest."
I bowed my head slightly. "Thank you, Celio. Is there anything else you need?"
He nodded profusely and his eyes seemed to light up. "I apologize if it is not my place, but the people of One Island are struggling. There is little food except what we pull from the sea and these thugs led by Gideon have made off with what little we do have. We used to receive monthly shipments from the farms on Three Island, but the last two have not arrived. I have sent for aid from Lady Lorelei, but she has not responded." He got to his feet, folding his arms across his chest. "If there is anything you could do, the people of One Island would undoubtedly be grateful. I have enough stores to feed my staff for some time, but the island residents are not so lucky and I do not have enough to share for longer than a week or two."
I nodded and followed him as he led me back out to the courtyard. "I will speak with Leader Janine when I find her. I'm sure that there is something we can do to help, however I cannot promise that we will resolve the situation."
He bowed his head and the other man did the same. "Thank you, Ranger."
I released Artemis and swung myself onto her back. I bowed my head and squeezed her sides with my heels. We shot into the sky with rhythmic wing beats, heading high over the small island.
One Island itself was rather small. The small rock, overgrown with jungle was maybe a mile or two across at its widest and under a mile long. Kindle Road itself was no more than a few atolls rising from the waves, shallow water and spits of coral stretching across a ten mile trail towards the smoking volcano to the north.
Artemis carried me over Kindle road, sparing me the long and arduous journey it would have been on foot. We saw few signs of civilization, most of the wooden huts clustered around the eastern beaches of the island itself. A smattering of small vessels drifted through the atolls, paddle boats and canoes all fishing for a meal.
The Fang sat further out in deep water, lazily curling northwards to sweep around the volcano. I could see movement on the deck from Artemis' back and my mind drifted to Leopold for a moment.
I passed them all without concern, repeating the same call on the radio that I had been making since I arrived. Janine would have signalled for me if she had been on any of the vessels and I spotted no signs of her presence on Kindle Road. There was nowhere to rest to speak of. The atolls were all exposed, boiling hot specks of rock and coral in the centre of a raging ocean. There was no shelter from the elements, so I kept moving north as I kept my eyes peeled.
It took us almost a whole hour as we approached Mount Ember. We combed along the coast of One Island, only departing the shore once I was sure Janine was not camped out somewhere on the overgrown north shore. We cut straight across the water, making directly for the small building housing the hot springs at the base of the volcano.
Artemis touched down on the black rock of the volcano's base, looking longingly up at the peak. I slipped off her back, caressing her at the base of her neck.
"Looks like home," I started. "Doesn't it?"
The breeder Erika had acquired her from was based on a volcanic island off the coast of Cinnabar. It was one of the few prehistoric pokemon centres in the world, restoring kabuto and omanyte populations from fossils as well as raising the world's only publicly known colony of aerodactyl. It was the brainchild of Cinnabar's Leader Blaine Katsura, the culmination of his life's work in bioengineering.
"I promise we'll visit soon," I said softly. I felt Artemis purring under my hand as she turned her head to look at me. "We can show everyone how strong you've gotten!"
She nodded slowly, looking longingly up the cliff at the peak. Smoke billowed into the sky, a black tower rising above the volcano.
"You know, it's supposed to be dormant." A frail, bald man appeared at the door of the building, looking down at me through bespectacled eyes. "Dead for ages!"
Artemis growled, but I calmed her with a hand. I stepped in front of my pokemon. "Then why is it belching smoke like that?" I asked. "Volcanoes aren't supposed to do that if they're dormant."
The elderly man at the door of the building smirked knowingly. "That'd be old moltres. Legends say he lives up there, just bathing in the lava all day." The old man shrugged. "Or it could just be a vent down to the earth's core. Who's to say for certain? Nobody has climbed old Ember in ages, so nobody knows."
I stood there impassively. "I am a Ranger, from Kanto," I said, hoping he would understand what that meant. "I am-"
He shrugged and turned around. "Come with me," he said, more an order than a suggestion. "I know why you came here."
I glanced at Artemis. She was still looking up at the volcano, practically aching to take flight. "Go," I ordered, watching her eyes light up. "I still have Acolyte and Vector if I need them, I'll be fine."
She took off in a hurry of mad flapping, disappearing around the side of the volcano and leaving me alone with the old man.
"You are the second outsider to visit us today," he said. "Has something happened?"
"I am searching for my companion," I said. "A young woman not much older than myself. She has purple hair and she may be dressed in strange clothes."
He shrugged. "All you mainlanders are strange to us simple folk," he replied as he led me into the building. "But there is a young woman here who fits your description." He gestured to the wall of hangers and cubbies. "You must change your clothing. We do not allow outside items into the spring. I will wait for you below."
I nodded, turning to the wall as he disappeared into a cloud of steam that billowed from the open door. I saw Janine's purple scarf and armour tucked away in a cubby and suppressed a shiver as I contemplated that thought. I quickly removed my uniform, folding it and stuffing it away into one of the waiting cubbies. I took one of the robes hanging off the wall, wrapping it around my naked body.
The structure was filling with steam, all of it escaping from the doorway the man had disappeared through. I could see a staircase descending into the darkness and swallowed the lump in my throat.
"What is it with these islands and caves?" I asked, muttering the question under my breath. "First Seafoam, then Lorelei, now this?"
The air was thick with the heat. The sweet, smoky scent of incense rolled through the steam and I could hear the faint sound of water splashing into a pool. I followed the man's figure by the dim light of the lamps burning on the wall of the cave. There was water on my left, gently lapping against the floor.
"You must remove your garb to enter the spring," he said. "No outside items may enter the spring."
I looked at him, a frown on my face. He was really going to make me go find a naked Janine while also naked myself. I could see the wry grin on his face and watched him turn and depart.
"Goddamn pervert," I muttered under my breath. I slipped the robe off, stepping into the blissfully warm water.
I sucked in a breath, surprised by the comforting heat. I waded into the water up to my waist, moving away from the dim lamps burning on the wall. It was almost pitch black away from the lamps, something that I'm sure was intentional.
"Janine?" I half whispered.
There was no answer.
I cupped my hands over my mouth, looking around for movement as I waded further into the spring. "Janine?" I whisper-shouted.
I heard a splash to my left and turned to face the noise. "Marcus?" I heard her surprised voice ask. "The hell are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," I said, wading towards her but being sure to maintain a distance for modesty's sake. "Your mother was worried after the welcome Lorelei gave me."
I saw her through the steam, leaning back against the wall of the spring. Only her arms and shoulders were sticking out of the water. I could barely make out her figure in the dark, something I was secretly grateful for. It made it easier to ignore the nudity.
She leaned back, looking at me curiously. "Was the frigid bitch as cold as usual?"
"She was suspiciously resistant to the idea of Rockets in Sevii," I said, folding my arms across my chest. "And her staff clearly did not want me poking around Four Island."
"Do you think she could be Rocket?" Janine asked. "My father was. What if there are more corrupt league members?"
I shrugged. "I'm sure I just put us onto her radar then." I glanced around, taking in the hot spring as my eyes adjusted to the faint light. "What're you doing down here?"
She shrugged, creating waves that rose and fell on her chest dangerously. "Stopped for some rest after I took care of Celio's thieves." She looked up at me, moving slightly closer with a coy grin. "What are you doing down here?" she asked, stopping a few feet away from me. The water line sloshed precariously on her chest, threatening to expose more skin as she moved. "You knew I'd come out eventually. Why take your clothes off and come after me?"
"Janine," I started. "Could you please not move quite so much?" I asked. "The water… it almost…"
She stood up, dispelling any notion of privacy between us. Water streamed down her body, hugging curves and lines that I couldn't ignore. It beaded up on her chest, drops of water rolling down tanned skin. "What's wrong?" she asked innocently.
I tried to say anything, tried to think about anything else. Janine pushed closer to me, eyes locked on mine as I fought to keep eye contact. She knew I wanted her, had probably known since before I even set foot on the Fang. All I could see were her eyes, soft purple glinting in the low light.
Then she kissed me. She was wrapping her arms around my neck, skin pressing against mine. I stopped thinking, stopped fighting the moment as she kissed me with reckless abandon. We went down in a splash of warm water and I didn't argue as we let the rhythm take control.
Pokédex Entry #131 – Lapras
This gentle, peaceful giant has been driven to near extinction in the once pristine Kan-Jo Sea. Human pollution and seaborne shipping have devastated these pokemon's traditional breeding grounds in the Sevii and Orange Islands. Only a handful remain, and while there is hope with recent conservation efforts, populations remain stubbornly low.
Lapras are large, empathetic creatures who live in small herds that migrate vast distances. They have been sighted off the shore of almost every region, often in search of schools of fish pokemon to feed upon.
Lapras have proven capable of telepathy and basic psychic ability, sparking questions about their typing. However, experts insist that this pokemon does not possess the psychic subtype.
Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101
Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,
Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:
Luna, Ninetales
Acolyte, Marowak
Vector, Heracross
Curie, Chansey
Artemis, Aerodactyl
Aaaaand thats as explicit as this story will get. Don't ask, you horny bastards because I won't.
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