Kyogre and Groudon Arise

Part 4

By Tigerseye

It seemed to get colder and colder as I made my way through Mt. Pyre's ground floor to the door which led to the outside. Espeon and Umbreon, my two loyal Pokémon, followed silently, their feet hardly making any sound on the floor.

A slight breeze stirred my indigo hair, and I blinked dust out of my silver eyes. My trainers made no noise on the metal floor as I walked through Mt. Pyre.

I saw a glimmer of light, and headed towards it. Espeon and Umbreon followed, Umbreon slightly in front so that I could see his golden glowing rings out of the corner of my eye.

I reached the exit to the outside of Mt. Pyre, and breathed in deeply as I stepped out of the gloom. The stars twinkled like diamonds and the sea below was as clear and smooth as glass. I turned and saw Mt. Pyre rising behind me, dark and forbidding. The old gravestones of ancient Pokémon stood in the light of the moon, buried years and years ago.

'Come on then,' I sighed to my Pokémon, smiling down at them. They looked up at me. 'We need to get to the top of this mountain and get the Orbs.'

I carried on, striding through the grass and hoping that wild Pokémon wouldn't jump out and get in the way of my journey. The grass was sparkling with evening dew and the moon cast spidery shadows on the ground. I carried on, warming up in the humid, mild air. Some steps appeared out of the clearing mist, and I walked towards them. I strode up the staircase, and continued.

I got to a large staircase made of grey stone, and began to climb up it. The mist here thickened so much that I could hardly see the way. I must be getting near the summit.

Espeon and Umbreon followed, not complaining and not making a single sound. The path in front of me straightened out. I followed it, feeling slightly dizzy. A blue and red glow lit the mist ahead, radiating out into the night like a light house's light. I slowly walked up to where the glows were coming from, beginning to smile. I glanced down at Espeon and Umbreon, who beamed back at me.

I reached the end of the path. A stone table stood there, engraved with symbols and rising to waist height. The Orbs sat there, innocently glowing, a strange heat radiating from them. As I began to reach out with trembling hands, a sharp flash of the visions I had been having made me gasp. The girl had been me.

As I realised, a strange wind stirred my hair and blew it across my face. The mist began to clear slightly, but not so much that I could see far in front. My breathing was deep; my heart thudded in my chest. Espeon and Umbreon mewed. The glow of the Orbs under lit my face. The grass fluttered in the soft breeze, the wind moaning in the crags.

I placed my hands over the blue Orb. Suddenly, I felt a surge of determination and exhilaration. This was my destiny. I was going to fulfil it.

I picked up the sphere of glowing magic, and swung my backpack off. I unzipped the key items pocket and slipped the Orb in, the blue glow disappearing into the darkness of my pack. I smiled. I took the red Orb, also slipping it down into the safeness of my key items section. Then, I swung the backpack over my shoulder and turned to leave.

Just as I looked down at Espeon and Umbreon, I felt a familiar feeling. Black stars of dizziness invaded my vision, and an orange mist descended over my eyesight. This time, the shapes forming were different. A tall figure, clad in swirling robes, riding on a Salamence, followed my others dressed in a familiar uniform... The Salamence's eyes glinted menacingly, as if chasing something. Then I realised. They were after me.

As soon as the vision subsided, I heard it. The Salamence's cry broke the silent night like a pebble into a still lake. I cleared my mind, and took several deep breaths.

'We've got to run,' I called to Espeon and Umbreon as the realisation sank in. 'They're after us! Run!'

I leapt down the first flight of steps, Umbreon and Espeon following eagerly at my heels. They bounded down after me. I landed in a crouch to prevent myself from twisting an ankle. I continued, the breeze stirring the ghostly pale fog and making the silvery grasses wave in the moonlight. I tried hard not to loose my way as I continued rushing through the misty mountain pathways.

Espeon and Umbreon rounded a corner in front of me, and I dived down the final set of stone steps. I heard another cry from the Salamence, cutting the air like a blade. It was closer.

'We're here!' I hissed, calling my faithful Pokémon over to the entrance back into Mt. Pyre's ground floor. I disappeared into the yawning mouth of the cave-like building and slowed my breathing, leaning against a wall.

'They're after the Orbs,' I whispered to Umbreon and Espeon. The sat down next to me and nuzzled my either side. I stroked them both. 'Thank you for coming with me,' I added. Espeon mewed happily. I was ready to leave. I slowly rose to me feet, and walked out of the doorway.

Nothing. I breathed a sigh of relief, and dug my hand into my pocket for Corsola's Pokéball. I found it, released her and patted her head.

'Back to Mt. Pyre pier, please Corsola,' I asked her quietly. I clambered onto her back, Espeon and Umbreon hopped onto my shoulders and we powered off through the water, leaving a stream of ripples in the calm sea behind us. The fog seemed to be getting thicker, if that was possible. I squinted into the night to try and see how far we were from the pier. I saw it, rising in the distance.

When we got there, I hurriedly dismounted Corsola and thanked her. I returned her to her Pokéball and placed it safely in my pocket. Espeon and Umbreon were still at my side. The Salamence in the distance seemed to have disappeared. I had a feeling I was going to be safe until the morning.

'Come on,' I muttered to my two Pokémon, 'let's go back to the camping area. We'll be safe until morning, I should think.'

I waded back through the fog, trailing through the long grass back to where Zahra and I had set up our tent. The moon was a luminous, bright globe in the dark sky, radiant with silver light. A gentle breeze stirred my hair, and also made the grasses sway.

I returned to the tent in our little clearing. The trees rose on all sides, dark in the night. I ducked down into the tent, and saw Zahra's sleeping form. As I was about to crawl into the tent, I stopped.

Espeon and Umbreon stood as still as statues, ears pricked. I froze. There it was again - a tiny rustle in the undergrowth. I wasn't going to take any risks. I brushed a strand of indigo hair behind my ear and lent down to wake my cousin.

'Zahra!' I hissed, tapping her on the shoulder. Espeon and Umbreon still listened, unmoving. I tapped Zahra on the arm, this time, harder. She murmured in her sleep, and then opened her eyes.

'Wha… What is it?' she muttered. She squinted at me.

'I got the Orbs! But I think Team Magma are going to ambush us here,' I explained urgently. 'You need to get ready to escape.'

Within the next few minutes, Zahra had got up and dressed, and packed away the loose objects. She silently took down the tent as I folded up the sleeping bags, and packed it all together. Espeon mewed softly and nuzzled my arm. I stroked her head lovingly. Umbreon also playfully pawed me.

'Do you two want to go back into your Pokéballs?' I enquired. If I was going to be captured, I needed to make sure that they were safe. They replied with a single nod each and I returned them to the safety of their Pokéballs.

Suddenly, I heard something.

'They're coming.' I whispered so quietly that I could hardly hear myself. Zahra picked up the luggage. She could manage to carry it herself. She gave me a weak smile.

Abruptly, there was an enormous crash of someone breaking through undergrowth, and a Magma Member launched himself out of the trees.

Zahra screamed. I jumped backwards, an automatic instinct, and lashed out towards the Magma Member with my foot. I missed, span around and regained my balance. Another two or three Magma Members emerged from the black forest. They dived towards me.

'Get her! She's the one that took the Orbs!' one yelled.

'Run Zahra!' I shouted as loud as I could. 'Don't tell your parents; I'll be fine!' She took my advice, gathering the equipment, and disappearing into the forest as quick as a hunting Persian. I admired her for being able to move with such agility when she was carrying the tent.

'Get off!' I cried at the Magma Member. I was alone in the clearing, with four Magma Members; all trying to capture me and steal back the Orbs. A flood of adrenalin coursed through my body. With a yell, I leapt into the air and managed to dive behind them. But they were quick to recover.

I spun around and held them off for a bit. There was no sign of Maxie or any other Magma Members. Yet. I called out in determination as I swiped at the nearest Magma Member's shoulders, causing him to drop me. The trees soared dizzily close behind them - my eyes didn't have time to make sense of detail.

'Stop struggling! You'll only get hurt!' They shouted at me. I didn't have time to release Latios or Latias, and they would only hunt me down anyway. The moon shone down to the clearing, making the scene colourless, cloaked in silver and black.

'I'll never hand over what you want!' I replied viciously, kicking out. I caught a Magma Member's leg and he cursed and backed off.

Suddenly, there was an abrupt sound from behind me, and everyone stopped. Before my mind had time to make me run, a strong hand grabbed my shoulder. I cried out as it pulled me to my knees and another hand swiftly clamped across my mouth. The Magma Members stared up to whoever was behind me, smiling with satisfaction. Whoever was holding me gripped my arm and twisted it so I stopped struggling. My eyes watered.

'Enough,' said the person who was holding me. I experienced a pang of recognition. Maxie.

'Tell me, young lady, do you remember what I told you last time we met?' Maxie spat. My hair fell across my face as I nodded. I hung my head. My arm burnt, and Maxie's hand was still held steadily across my mouth.

'So, you decide to go and steal the Orbs, and then think that we can't catch you? Foolish. We are more powerful than you realise, rookie trainer,' he said. He pulled me to my feet, where I stood about a head shorter than him. It occurred to me that he was only a few, maybe three or four, years older than me. The Magma Members stood up and a couple folded their arms.

Maxie's grip on my arm relaxed slightly. I murmured with relief against his hand as the pain faded. My mind began to whirr as I tried to form a plan - but I just couldn't think straight. The Orbs were still in my pack, flat against my lower back. I didn't know whether the Magma Members knew that or not.

'What are we going to do with her, Boss?' asked a female Magma Member. Her long blue hair was wavy and her eyes matched. She looked stronger than the others; maybe she was an Admin. Her eyes met mine. I looked away.

'We'll take her to the Seafloor Cavern base. She can stay there the night until we have figured out where the Orbs need to be in order to release the legendary Pokémon.' Maxie replied. I still hadn't seen his face - his hand continued to be pressed firmly to my mouth, and I was facing away from him.

The wind stirred the tree's leaves, and I suddenly realised that the fog had cleared considerably. It must be about midnight. The moon was a silver sphere, glowing in the night sky. Stars speckled the velvet blackness of the heavens.

'I'll take her on my Salamence,' Maxie decided. With the hand not on my face, he delved into his pocket and bought out a Pokéball.

'Come on Salamence,' he said. With a burst of white light, a mauve dragon Pokémon formed in the flattened undergrowth, and roared. I had seen them on television before. They were incredibly powerful.

'Get back to the base via the underwater shortcut,' Maxie commanded the Magma Members as he gently pushed me towards Salamence. He took his hand away from my mouth and I gulped down the fresh night air. I glanced at Maxie's face and the recognition flooded back. Auburn spikes surrounded his tanned face, and warm chestnut eyes glimmered in the moonlight. A cloak encircled his body. He was wearing the same uniform as he had when we'd met in the museum - a red cloak of office, full-lengthed trousers and the same jumper with the Magma logo.

The Salamence growled softly in its throat. It didn't sound unfriendly. I carefully walked over to it and swung my leg over its back and settled behind the powerful wings, brushing my indigo hair out of my silver eyes. Maxie mounted behind me, and put his hand firmly on my shoulder.

'Right, Salamence, to the Seafloor Cavern, please,' he said. The other Magma Members departed. With a flap of almighty wings, the Salamence lifted Maxie and me up into the fresh, night air.

I saw the dark trees disappearing beneath us, the silvery grasses merging into a sheet of grey, and a night breeze caught my breath as it ran through my hair. The scent of flowers blew from behind us; the scent of sea salt was in front. And above us, the moon shone luminously in the pitch black of the star-speckled sky.

*     *     *

We landed on a small, wet island with some deep water in the middle. I hadn't been here before; I didn't even recognise the place from our holiday a few months ago. Ripples shimmering in the moon's light surrounded the island, and banks of fog lazily swirled about a hundred yards away. There was no land in sight. The sky was still clear; a gentle breeze blew from the West. Maxie dismounted.

'Get off and come here,' he said, beckoning me. He was being much kinder than I thought he would be. I silently slipped off Salamence's back and walked over to where Maxie was. He regarded me kindly with chocolate-coloured eyes.

'Return, Salamence. Thank you for the ride.' Maxie commanded. Salamence returned to the open Pokéball in a blaze of light.

Maxie took my arm. 'Wailord, it's your turn now,' Maxie muttered. He released another Pokémon into the water inside the Island. It was enormous. Waves rippled away from its massive body, lapping over the island. Its eyes sparkled in the starlight.

'Climb on,' Maxie said to me. I hopped onto Wailord's vast back, careful to not put my trousers into the sapphire water. Maxie clambered on in front of me. The starlit sky silhouetted his body.

'Wailord, Dive!' Maxie commanded. Abruptly, Wailord dived into the warm sea, which was almost as still as glass. I was familiar with diving; as I had needed to do quite a bit last year. I felt the enormous bubble surround me and Maxie so we could breathe. I marvelled at the underwater scenery, smiling for the first time since the ambush.

Greyish-green weed waved in the slight current, and the light from the moon shone through the water's surface, making rippling patterns on the soft sand bed. It was beautiful. Clamperls hid in the weed, and Relicanths darted around, looking for food. Sheer underwater cliffs rose on both sides, isolating a passage through which we would travel. They flickered in and out of the moon's light, appearing to glow.

We arrived outside an enormous underwater cavern, the silver ripples reflecting on the stone walls. We entered into the yawning mouth of the cave. I shivered.

As Wailord turned upwards and broke the surface, the bubble disappeared and I looked around. I gasped. It was the cavern from my dream.

Sand covered the entire floor, right up to the brown stone walls. The top of the cavern stretched so far that it made me dizzy when I looked up. Ledges were scattered across the wall, and stalactites hung from the ceiling. A rock over the other side of the gigantic cave concealed an entrance deeper into the depths of the underwater base. The air was damp; I was surprised to see no fog.

I dismounted Wailord, and Maxie returned it. I stepped onto the dry sand, staring around in amazement. It was a wonderful place. I dropped my gaze to Maxie's face, realising he hadn't given me any particular orders.

Maxie was staring at me, no particular expression on his face. When he saw me glance at him, he started.

'Come on. I'm taking you to the control centre. I'll let you go in a few hours. You may see other members of the team working, but don't disturb them,' Maxie told me as he led me through the entrance to the rest of the Seafloor Cavern.

The place looked like it had been a Magma base for a long time. Metal tiles ran along the floors, and the walls were jagged and damp with sea water. The fog I hadn't seen yet made its appearance - it thickened along the ceilings of the caverns, making them glow silver. Most of the caverns were square-shaped, with pools of water in the middle - most surrounded by metal railings. I could not remember the way.

We finally got to the control room. Maxie opened the metal door using keys from a bunch that he had in a pocket, and it opened slowly. Blue light flooded out into the chamber we stood in, making the damp metal floor glitter. Maxie beckoned me in.

I gasped at my new surroundings. A square cavern reached up until the ceiling was lost in swirling fog. Around me were buttons, flashing rainbow colours, dials and monitors. Metal desks with these buttons on bordered the room, making a faint bleeping.

'I'll come back soon,' Maxie said. There was no point arguing. I went into the room, fiddling nervously with a strand of violet hair. But Maxie caught my arm. I turned and fixed my eyes on his.

'You're not allowed your bag,' he said with a slight smile. I fixed him with a cold stare, but could not form a plan in time. Reluctantly, I swung my bag off my shoulders and placed it in Maxie's open palm. He nodded.

'Thank you,' came his reply. He gave me a slight smile, and shut the door. I heard the key click the lock shut. I felt a sudden wave of determination. Maxie would let me go. And when he did, I'd be ready. I'd get those Orbs, and take them to Dad. He'd put Team Magma in their place. And so would I.

Little did I know that a certain Magma Member, one I had seen before, had been following us all the way. He had managed to hide in the Seafloor Cavern main entrance area, and was coming, straight to the control room.

*     *     *

I woke suddenly. I glanced down at my watch, and noted that it was past three o'clock in the morning. I had slept for a couple of hours, trying to form a plan. The warmth and the cool blue light of the control room had lulled me into a slumber. Suddenly, there was a scraping noise. I guessed that Maxie had come back to let me go. I set my jaw and stood up, running my fingers through my hair.

The door swung open, and bright silver light flooded the doorway. 'Hey!' Someone hissed. I looked up at the door, squinting in the light. A figure was there, hood covering face, silhouetted in the light of outside. I took a confident step forward.

'Yes?' I answered in a whisper. I slowly walked over to the door, trying to see who it was. Then, I heard the wonderful sound of jangling keys.

'I'm going to get you out of here,' said the figure. I was taken aback. I had no idea who it was - but it looked like a Magma Member.

My suspicion was confirmed. I saw the red uniform: the hood, the three-quarter lengthed trousers, the black Magma logo of an 'M' with a circle cut from underneath on the jumper and the red and black boots and gloves. With a sudden pang of recognition, I identified him as the Magma Member who had been stalking me. My stomach somersaulted.

'What are you doing?' I asked. He looked about the same age as me, if not a few months older.

'I'm getting you out of here,' he answered in hushed tones, waiting for me to walk over to him. I smiled to myself with courage.

'Thanks,' I said, looking away.

'No problem,' he whispered.

'But why -'

'No time for questions,' he said softly. Without waiting for me to say anything else, he took my hand and ran across the sand-covered floor.

He led me through two caverns, ones that I hadn't seen before. He was obviously taking me a different route. Water dripped from the fog above, plinking into puddles on the floor. The walls seemed roughly carved out as if they had been formed by underwater rivers. Boulders littered the ground, water surrounding their bases.

Suddenly, in the second cavern, he stopped abruptly. I skidded to a halt over the gritted floor. He was staring up at a security camera, peeking out of the fog. It dripped with moisture, keeping completely still.

'Don't… move…' he murmured, still holding my hand. He slipped his fingers into his pocket and with amazing accuracy and speed, flung a knife at the camera. It shattered, and sparks flew from the jagged glass.

'It'll short-circuit the cameras for a while, but we need to turn them all off,' he called to me. We entered another cavern right alongside the one we had been in. My footsteps changed from a thumping to a clanging as I realised I was on a metal bridge, suspended over a fast flowing undersea river. Metal rails dripped on the edge, shining with the light from the silver fog.

The Magma Member sprinted to a metal door marked 'Security.' He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the keys. He slipped the smallest one into the lock, and, with a satisfying click, the door swung open. A strange lilac light pooled out onto the metal bridge. I entered the room, staring around in wonder.

It was like the control room, only much bigger. There were button panels bleeping in different colours, filing cabinets, computers and monitors all over the place. The Magma Member seemed to know what he was doing.

'Two… five, nine… six, seven three…' he murmured, tapping in numbers on a button panel glowing with tiny neon lights. Suddenly, there was a mechanical sighing as a system was shut off. The security monitors blinked out, fizzing in black and white sparks. Then, they fell silent.

The Magma Member let out a sigh of relief. His hood still covered his face, but I had noticed he was about two inches taller than me. He stood up from the chair he had perched on.

'Now we can get around unnoticed,' he said. 'Maxie and many other Members will be on night-patrol.'

I still stood in the middle of the room, glancing around. I hadn't said anything since he had shushed me in the cell room. He took my hand again, and we jogged out of the room, and to the end of the metal bridge where a metal staircase shone with small pools of salty water.

'Careful,' muttered the Magma Member. 'The stairs are slippery.'

He went down first, leading me and I slowly made my way to the bottom of the glinting staircase. We stood on a glistening rock, the fog loosing its glow as the ceiling was so high. The water rushed past, spitting up a fine mist. I saw an exit on the other side.

'We've got to get across,' the Magma Member said. He dropped my hand and delved into his pocket, smiling. He bought out a Pokéball.

'Go, Wailord!' he called. The same Pokémon that Maxie had Dived with burst forth from the Magma Member's open Pokéball. 'Can you get us across the current, please?'

The enormous whale Pokémon called out a melodious cry, and turned as if asking us to get onto its back. The Magma Member jumped on. He seemed used to surfing.

'Come on,' he called to me, smiling. I hopped on, and gasped as I nearly fell off sideways. Wailord powered off into the strong current, the water glimmering under the silvery light, hazy with the sea mist. I grabbed on to the Magma Member's shoulders, the material of his jumper soft under my fingers.

We travelled at a fair pace across the undersea river, Wailord swimming with its powerful fins and tail. Several times I got slightly splashed, the tepid water soaking through my clothes. I glanced to my left, and saw an enormous entrance to where the underground river flowed from. Stalactites hung low from the roof, cutting though the water; they were so low. The cave was completely black.

'We're nearly there,' announced the Magma Member. I still didn't know his name. He continued to have his hood up, shielding his face from my vision.

We got to the other side, the rocky bank emerging in the mist. An exit yawned open not too far away, black and forbidding.

Wailord continued right up to the stone bank. The Magma Member leapt off, landing neatly on his feet. He put out a hand to help me up.

'Thanks, Wailord,' he said, returning his Pokémon. He straightened up and looked at me. His dark face was shadowed by his hood, which glistened with the sea mist. It was cool and damp in this cavern with the river. I smiled back at him.

'This is the way to Maxie's office,' he said, waving his hand in the direction of the exit that stood next to us. He disappeared into the foggy blackness. I followed nervously.

'Keep close,' he whispered. 'You don't want to walk into the wall at the other end.'

'Okay,' I answered, also talking softly. I could feel fog against my face, and as we disappeared into the stone corridor, the light from the exit we had been through faded. A faint silver glow lit the cavern we were in, lighting the jagged walls and making mysterious shadows dance. I tried hard not to look at them as I walked on the uneven floor.

Suddenly, the corridor narrowed to a metal door, which glinted slightly in some mysterious light.

'This way,' he informed me. 'This should be Maxie's office…'

The Magma Member grabbed the catch on the door and pushed hard. The door stuck fast.

'Hm. Just as I thought…' The Magma Member murmured.

As he opened the door with another key from his pocket, a red and blue glow lit the room we were situated in. The floor was littered with pebbles, the walls glistened with moisture. I squinted into the bright glow of Maxie's office.

I stepped in nervously. The dusk enveloped us, darker than the silver glow from outside. Then, I saw them. They were together, on a metal table, under a cage of thin, faintly glowing wire. They were the only source of light in the room, illuminating all the crags of the ceiling and the upper walls.

'There they are…' I whispered under my breath. I reached out to lift the metal cage -

'No!' hissed the Magma Member. I jumped, and snatched my hand away.

'…Sorry - it's electrocuted. I just need to find the button and we can turn it off,' he said. And with that, he began searching the button panels and dials that were on one desk towards the back of the room. Suddenly, there was a crackling sound, and then the wires around the Orbs faded to black.

'You can take it off now,' the Magma Member informed me. 'Here. Use my gloves, just in case the electric current hasn't fully gone off.'

I took the gloves from the Magma Member, and slipped them over my hands. As I did so, something stirred in my mind.

This is Team Magma. I thought to myself, hesitating. Do I really want to get involved? After all, they might want me to help them with their plans. Taking a deep breath, I made a decision. Pulling the gloves fully over my hands, I reached out with trembling fingers, and lifted the weightless cage off the table. Then, I laid my gloved hands on the smooth surface of the blue Orb.

Then, I suddenly remembered something. 'I need my bag,' I told the Magma Member. He grinned under his hood.

'Thought of that,' he said. And from behind his back he produced my bag. I beamed in amazement. I handed him his gloves back.

'It was over there.' He signalled to a desk with paperwork scattered across it. I smiled gratefully and took it. I slipped the Orbs back into the key items' pocket. The weight was comforting when I swung my pack over my shoulders. The room was shrouded in black; the Orbs had provided the only light. Tiny neon buttons flashed and twinkled here and there.

'Let's get out of here,' I said at once. The Magma Member made towards the back of the enormous control room. I followed curiously, and then saw that there was a concealed door in the back of the room. It glistened with moisture.

There was a grating sound as the door opened into somewhere I recognised. It was the entrance cavern.

Suddenly, a shrieking alarm began to sound. The Magma Member's face was abruptly filled with alarm.

'Damn! I forgot the security system!' he yelled over the wailing. I bit into my lower lip. I was incredibly tired, having not slept since the two hours in the control room. But I knew there was no chance of any other escape. I set my jaw. I wasn't going to lose the Orbs again.

'We've got to run!' he shouted to me.

And with not another word, he grabbed my hand again, and sprinted across the sandy floor towards the underwater sea tunnel. The walls soared around me, jagged and uneven. Drips rained from above. As we were running, the Magma Member pulled out Wailord's Pokéball and released it into the sapphire water just as we reached the pool. The Magma Member launched himself onto Wailord's back, and I followed. I saw streaks of red rushing out from behind the rock, but before I could focus on them, Wailord dived into the sea.

I caught my breath as we were propelled through the underwater tunnel, the shimmering moonlight filtering down from the surface, reflecting on the cliffy walls. Weed danced on the sea bed, hiding Clamperls. The silvery bubble surrounding us wavered as a Relicanth passed so close he almost touched us. Wailord made towards a patch of seabed lighter than the rest - the place where we would break the surface.

I took a deep breath and looked behind me. I could not see anything at first; only the swirling sea water, black in the distance. But slowly, dark shadows came into view. I didn't get a chance to see what they were, because Wailord abruptly turned upwards and swam towards the surface. Bubbles wavered up beside us, silvery in the dark sea.

We broke the surface with an almighty splash. The moon was still shining down to the sapphire ocean, and the banks of sea fog continued to swirl around - however, they were thinning.

'I've got a flying Pokémon; we can get away easily,' I said hurriedly, swinging off the pack from my shoulders and feeling about for Latias' Pokéball. I found it, and immediately threw it into the air, releasing Latias. It cried its magical cry, and its ruby feathers fluttered in the wind. The Magma Member had no time to be amazed at the legendary; Team Magma was after us. Fast. I leapt onto Latias' back with my bag in front of me, and helped the Magma Member up after me. With a flap of crimson wings, Latias flapped into the air, and glided off into the sea fog. The Magma Member gasped, clutching my shoulders, and gripped to me tightly.

'I don't like heights,' he whispered shakily. I laughed sympathetically, despite my fear.

'Don't worry. I'll take care of you,' I giggled. Now I was away, and Latias crying with joy, my worries seemed to fade. The sea fog damped my face and clothes, moisture droplets settled in my violet hair and the salty air stung my silver eyes.

But then I heard it. Salamence.

It wasn't Maxie's. I didn't know how I knew, but I did. It came at us fast, out of the swirling fog, and startled Latias. The Magma Member riding Salamence was the Admin I had seen before, at the campsite ambush. She fixed me with a stare, cold with determination. Latias was trying to shake them off our tail, but if the fog didn't clear soon, I was going to fall.

I glanced down to the water below, smooth as glass. I decided that I'd rather stay warm and dry, and so we turned suddenly. It worked. The Admin swerved and nearly toppled down to the ocean. I grinned. We might make it.

'Where are we going?' enquired the Magma Member behind me, still hanging onto me for dear life.

'I don't know…' I muttered.

I glided through the air on Latias' back, frantically trying to navigate out of the fog and back to Lilycove. But there was an abrupt noise from behind us. I turned, and saw the Salamence gaining rapidly on us. I felt the panic rising in my throat as Latias dived to try and shake them off our tail. The Salamence glided beneath us, and suddenly lunged upwards. Latias manoeuvred too sharply, and my bag slipped. The Admin shouted with triumph and darted back down under us, catching it in trained hands. I swore out loud.

'We'll get it back,' the Magma Member reassured me. I relaxed. In his company I felt better about things. I swerved, and followed the Salamence. Suddenly, I saw my bag falling through the air. My heart leapt. I reached out, and snatched it out of the air.

'Yes!' I cried with joy.

Suddenly, the Salamence appeared out of nowhere. I screamed, and the Magma Member yelled in alarm. Latias didn't have time to think, and swerved to avoid a dangerous collision. I thought we had made it.

But I slipped.

I couldn't regain my balance. Latias' smooth, feathered neck escaped from the grasp of my fingers and I fell. I cried out as I tumbled to the shimmering ocean beneath, my stomach empty with the shock of falling. The sapphire water rushed up to meet me; I had no time to scream as the summer wind rushed past my ears…

Suddenly, there was a magical cry that I recognised - and then, before I knew what was happening, Latias swooped underneath me and I landed on its back. My heart was beating so hard that I could feel it in my throat, and I sweat of fear ran down my face. I couldn't speak. But I was saved. Thanks to Latias.

'Oh my gosh!' exclaimed the Magma Member as he hauled me back onto Latias' back. 'I thought… I thought you were going to fall into the sea -'

'Don't,' I advised him, only just having enough breath to speak. I clung onto Latias' soft feathered neck and let my heartbeat and my breathing return to normal, as we headed into the sea mist, towards Lilycove City. The smooth, sapphire ocean rushed past beneath us, as level as glass, not a ripple to be seen.

Despite my recent shock, I was feeling more determined than ever. Team Magma won't get away with this, I thought confindently to myself. I'm going to stop this, once and for all.

On the horizon, through the rapidly clearing mist, the sky was tinged a beautiful pastel pink. An orange hue brightened the Eastern horizon.

Sunrise.

*     *     *

Onto Part 5...

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