Pokemon: Resurgence Chapter 76

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. The group has to deal with a dangerous Pokemon, which leads to an unexpected situation. 

Chapter 76

The tunnel quaked as the Pokemon burst through the passageway, its massive bulk scraping stone from the walls. Its red eyes blazed with primal fury. The serpentine body stretched back into darkness, scales shimmering like polished steel.

>Species: Mega Gyarados

Level: 81

Condition: Excellent

Threat Level: Lethal<

"Bloody hell," Lucas breathed. His aura barrier sprang up, deflecting a shower of stone fragments. Nero planted himself in front, jaws snapping. 

"Formation!" Wallace shouted. "Don't let it corner us!"

Sabrina summoned Kasumi in front of her. Her fingers found her Mega Bracelet and light erupted as energy surged between her and Kasumi. The Alakazam's form shifted and grew, additional spoons materialising in a ring around its elongated body. When the glow faded, Mega Alakazam hovered beside Ashura.

At the same time, Wallace summoned two of his Pokemon. Milotic and Sealeo emerged in fighting stances, spreading out to flank the massive Pokemon. 

The Mega Gyarados posed such a massive threat that they should have used more Pokemon but they were constrained by the size of the tunnel and the fear that too much damage would bring the entire thing crashing down on them.

Mega Gyarados struck first, aiming for Sabrina’s Pokemon. Kasumi teleported clear while Ashura flipped backwards, debris raining around them. Its Hydro Pump carved through the wall behind them, the pressurised blast strong enough to punch holes through steel. 

"Keep it distracted!" Wallace commanded. "Milotic, Ice Beam! Sealeo, Aurora Beam!"

Twin beams of freezing energy lanced through the air. Mega Gyarados twisted with impossible agility, its bulk defying physics as it coiled away. Ice spread across steel-like scales without penetrating.

Kasumi's eyes blazed. Multiple spoons aligned, focusing psychic force that hammered the serpentine body. Scales creaked under the assault as raw power threatened to crush the beast. Ashura darted in beneath the psychic barrage, Thunder Punch crackling with concentrated electricity. Lightning sparked across its hide but Mega Gyarados shrugged off attacks that would have felled lesser Pokemon.

The counter-attack came instantly. Dragon Pulse erupted from gaping jaws, purple energy filling the tunnel from floor to ceiling. Milotic intercepted with Protect while Sealeo rolled clear. The blast splashed against the barrier in a shower of sparks.

"The ceiling's unstable!" Stern shouted, dragging crew members behind an outcropping.

Lucas expanded his barrier, sheltering the humans as rocks crashed down. Meowth pressed against his legs, whiskers twitching. "We need to scarper before this place comes down on our heads!"

Mega Gyarados lunged, fangs gleaming. Ashura met the charge head-on with Close Combat, each strike precise and devastating. Scales cracked under the assault but pure momentum carried the massive head forward like a battering ram.

"Look out!" Sabrina's warning came too late.

Wallace dove aside but the Aqua Tail caught his leg. The impact hurled him into the wall with a sickening crunch. He crumpled, blood staining his pants leg.

Milotic's screech split the air. Hydro Pump slammed into Mega Gyarados's gills, finally drawing a roar of pain. The sensitive membranes haemorrhaged under the assault. Sealeo followed with Blizzard, ice crystals swirling into a localised storm.

Kasumi seized the opening. All twelve spoons aligned perfectly as psychic energy wrapped around the thrashing form like chains. Muscles strained against the restraint as Mega Gyarados fought the telekinetic prison. Ashura launched upward, Thunder Punch aimed at exposed gills still weeping blood.

Mega Gyarados's tail whipped around with devastating force, forcing Ashura to abort the attack. But the delay proved costly. Its movements slowed, frost coating scales as Blizzard took effect. Ice crystals formed between armoured plates, threatening to lock joints.

With a deafening roar that shook loose more stones, it twisted violently. Its bulk slammed into walls already weakened by the battle. The ceiling groaned ominously, cracks spreading like spider webs.

"It's running!" Sabrina shouted as Mega Gyarados retreated up the tunnel, leaving a trail of blood from its injured gills.

"The submarine!" Stern's face drained of colour.

Lucas cursed. "Nero, help me with Wallace. Everyone else, move!"

They half-carried Wallace as they sprinted through the tunnel. 

They burst into the docking chamber just in time to see Mega Gyarados's tail disappearing through the entrance. The submarine listed to one side, its hull crumpled like tin foil where the massive Pokemon had crushed it in its retreat.

"No..." Stern stumbled forward. "We're trapped."

Water trickled down stone walls as silence settled over the group. Thirteen kilometres of ocean pressed down around them, and their only escape route had just been crushed by an enraged Pokemon.

Lucas eased Wallace onto the stone floor, careful of his injured leg. Wallace's face had gone grey with pain, his usual theatrical demeanour stripped away by shock.

"First aid kits in the submarine." Stern ducked through the damaged hatch, metal groaning as he pushed past buckled panels. 

He returned moments later with a metal case. He knelt beside Wallace, hands steady as he cleaned debris from the wound and applied pressure bandages.

"Can you fix it?" Lucas nodded toward the submarine's crumpled hull. 

The damage looked catastrophic—steel plates torn like paper where Mega Gyarados had smashed against it.

Stern glanced at his crew. They shrugged helplessly, faces grim. "We can try, but..." He shook his head. "That much structural damage, at this depth..."

"You keep supplies aboard?" Wallace winced as Stern tightened a bandage. "Better unload everything. No telling how long the hull integrity will hold."

"Our Pokemon can help keep it afloat, but you're right. No need to take chances." Stern waved his crew toward the submarine. "Get everything useful out. Tools, emergency rations, oxygen tanks—anything we might need."

Wallace sent his Pokemon into the water. "Keep her afloat," he ordered. 

Milotic and Sealeo circled the damaged vessel, their combined strength supporting its listing bulk.

Sabrina pulled Lucas aside, voice low. "What about teleporting out of here?"

"Worth a try." Lucas summoned Dante. The Pokemon looked around, examining his surroundings with curiosity. "Can you teleport us out of here? We’re about thirteen kilometres down in the depths of the ocean.” 

The Gardevoir's uncertain shrug spoke volumes. He closed his eyes and disappeared... then reappeared instantly in the same spot, shaking his head.

"Thanks anyway," Lucas said, recalling Dante. 

Lucas paced the chamber, tension knotting his shoulders. Thirteen kilometres of ocean pressed down around them, escape routes dwindling to zero. The damaged submarine might as well be a coffin if they couldn't repair it. 

Furthermore, the Mega Gyarados could return any moment, seeking vengeance on them. Gyarados wasn't their only concern. The tunnels could hide dozens of wild Pokemon that had made the Seafloor Cavern their home. But the real threat lurked in the back of his mind. Kyogre. If the legendary returned to its domain, it could wipe them out in an instant. 

"We should make everyone comfortable." Sabrina touched his arm. "You can purchase one of those tent kits and retrieve it from your inventory."

Lucas frowned. "That means revealing my abilities."

Sabrina shrugged, "Say it's an aura ability. Storing items in a pocket dimension."

Lucas frowned. "Reveal that I'm an Aura Guardian? That's just as risky."

“Lucas, you used your barrier in the fight. Do you think they hadn’t noticed?” 

"True." Lucas nodded slowly. "Plus it will help with supplies. I've got plenty of food and water stored in my inventory.”

They rejoined the group. Lucas kept his explanation brief—him being an Aura Guardian, and having a dimensional storage with extra supplies to help them survive. Relief overshadowed any concerns about his abilities as he withdrew the tent kit from his inventory.

The dome tent went up quickly against the cavern wall. Lucas distributed food and water bottles while the crew salvaged what they could from the submarine. 

Once Wallace settled comfortably on a sleeping mat, Lucas caught Stern's eye. "We're going back to explore the tunnels."

Stern sighed. "I advise against it. We don’t know what else is lurking down there.”

“That’s why we need to check it out,” Lucas said. “We don’t want any nasty surprises catching us off-guard.”

Stern nodded. “I cannot stop you. Just be careful.” 

Lucas and Sabrina retraced their steps through the tunnels, with Meowth following behind them. They made sure to keep an eye on the ceiling, nervous that it would come crashing down on them. The battle chamber lay silent now, debris scattered across the ancient tiles. 

They began exploring the chamber to see if they could find any clues as to what had happened there. Lucas' light caught something on the wall. 

"Look at this." He brushed away the loose stone, revealing a mural preserved by the cave's unique environment. 

Two scenes played out in faded pigments—people wielding spears surrounding a Gyarados. Then the same Pokemon, transformed into its Mega form, facing off against a much larger shape. Kyogre's distinctive silhouette dominated the scene, rendered with primitive but unmistakable menace.

"They tried controlling Gyarados?" Sabrina leaned closer. "To fight Kyogre? That's either brave or insane."

"Maybe they weren't as devout worshippers as we first imagined." Lucas traced the symbols. "Or they grew tired of living down here and sought a way to escape.”

"But look—Gyarados is already in Mega form here. How? Did it discover a Mega Stone here and trigger the evolution itself? Or did the ancient civilisation discover some method of triggering the evolution themselves?”

"Whatever method they used, challenging Kyogre was suicide." Lucas stepped back, picturing the scattered bones they'd found. The positions spoke of violent death, terror and desperation. "Maybe this is why the civilisation died. It wasn’t Gyarados but Kyogree who killed them for their transgressions.”

Meowth appeared beside them. “There’s no loot here. Let’s go deeper.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “What happened to not caring about finding loot in the cavern.”

“Dat’s before we got rid of the scary Pokemon. Now, I can explore without a care in the world.”

“Until the next scary Pokemon comes along,” Lucas murmured. 

Meowth ignored him. He ran towards the tunnel from where Gyarados appeared and Lucas and Sabrina followed him.  

After several minutes of walking, the tunnel opened into a vast chamber that stole Lucas' breath. Luminescent moss carpeted the domed ceiling in swirls of blue light, casting rippling shadows across the cavern below. 

Islands dotted a lake, each a miniature jungle thriving in defiance of their impossible depth. Several massive trees could be seen amongst them, their trunks spiralling upward, thick as castle towers. Crude rope bridges connected the islands, looking as if they would crumble to nothing at first touch. A stone ledge rimmed the chamber, with dark tunnel mouths puncturing the walls at regular intervals.

The scene struck Lucas as fundamentally wrong—a slice of the surface world transported to these crushing depths. Yet here it was, an impossible garden flourishing thirteen kilometres beneath the waves.

"This is incredible," Sabrina breathed.

Lucas shook his head in wonder. "I never imagined something like this could exist down here. It must have remained untouched by human hands for centuries."

"Should we explore?" Sabrina's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Who knows what other mysteries this place holds?"

They summoned their Pokemon. Icarus and Xavier soared upward in tight spirals, keeping a lookout from above. The rest spread out in defensive formation, alert for threats.

Movement caught Lucas's eye. Something climbed the rock ledge with surprising agility, the shell glistening with moisture. Blue tentacles waved as it approached, eyes fixed on Sabrina with unmistakable curiosity.

>Species: Omanyte  

Level: 7

Condition: Perfect

Threat Level: None<

Lucas shook his head. “Unbelievable.”  

An Omanyte? Lucas recognised the Pokemon from the games. In this world, scientists hadn’t learnt to revive Pokemon from fossils yet. But who needed fossils when there still existed places that held these supposedly extinct Pokemon?

The Pokemon stopped in front of Sabrina. She crouched slowly, hands open. "Hello there, little one."

Omanyte shuffled forward. Sabrina scooped it up gently, and it curled against her chest.

"According to the system, that's an Omanyte," Lucas said. "It’s supposed to be extinct. Scientists have only seen them as fossils."

"A living fossil? Right here in my arms?" Sabrina stroked its shell reverently. "Captain Stern will lose his mind when he sees this. Do you think there are more extinct species down here?"

"One way to find out." Lucas gestured toward the nearest island.

The rope bridge creaked under their weight, so they took their time crossing. They spotted several dark shapes in the water, which showed there were Pokemon in the lake as well. Meowth darted ahead, vanishing into thick vegetation when he reached the island. 

"Over here!" his voice carried back. "Found something interesting!"

They picked their way through the undergrowth, giving a wide berth to several Tangela who watched their progress with wary eyes. Meowth crouched beside freshly disturbed earth, whiskers twitching with excitement.

Lucas checked his inventory. The item Meowth had dug up was a technical machine: TM24 - Chilling Water

They combed the first island thoroughly but found nothing else of note. The second island proved more interesting—a small colony of Lileep swayed in a sheltered grove, their flower-like heads tracking the group's movement. 

The third island yielded a cluster of Kabuto hiding beneath some broad leaves. Lucas harvested several unusual plants he'd never encountered before, his Green Thumb skill identifying some interesting properties. As they were exploring the last island, Meowth drew their attention to another buried item.

========

HM07 - Dive

Description: This Hidden Machine contains knowledge of deep-sea navigation. When taught to a compatible Pokemon, it creates a protective barrier that enables rapid underwater movement. The barrier maintains a breathable atmosphere and regulates pressure, allowing extended submersion at extreme depths. The barrier can extend to a range of ten metres, allowing the player to explore the ocean’s depths with relative comfort and flexibility. Hidden Machines can be used infinitely but only for the player’s Pokemon. Furthermore, they are much easier to use than Technical Machines as they don’t require any devices. 

Warning: The barrier will wear down more quickly if it's struck by Pokemon.

========

"A Hidden Machine?" Lucas turned the device over in his hands. 

Hidden Machines had slowly been phased out of the games, rendered obsolete by newer mechanics. Yet here one sat in his inventory, transformed by this world's reality into something far more practical.

If Dive existed, other Hidden Machines must be here as well. The possibilities made his mind race. How would they differ from the games?

The HM’s value couldn't be understated, especially paired with his newly unlocked ocean mapping ability. Normal exploration at these depths would be suicidal —even his aura barrier would buckle under such immense pressure within moments. 

Sabrina peered at it. "What does it do?"

"Teaches Pokemon to create underwater barriers—like a personal submarine." Lucas's mind raced with possibilities. "We could explore anywhere in the ocean with this."

Sabrina stroked Omanyte's shell. "Should we teach Saphira Dive? It could be our ticket back to the surface."

"Not unless we have no choice." Lucas shook his head. "I've revealed enough secrets for one day."

"At least teach it to her now. Better to be prepared."

Lucas called Saphira over. The Dragonair glided across the cavern floor, scales gleaming in the bioluminescent light. He pressed the device against her head. Blue light pulsed between them as information transferred directly into her consciousness. Saphira's eyes squeezed shut, absorbing the knowledge.

"Mortimer, watch over her," Sabrina commanded. The Gengar materialized beside Saphira's coiled form.

They circled the chamber's perimeter, choosing the nearest tunnel mouth to explore. The passage opened into a sprawling residential complex—cramped chambers carved from living rock. Each room contained stone furniture, fixed in place as if grown from the floor itself.

Lucas sank onto a stone bed and winced. "Can't imagine getting a good night's sleep on this."

Room after room revealed the same austere living conditions. They discovered communal kitchens with fire pits carved into stone, workshops filled with primitive tools, and storage chambers that might once have held food and supplies.

The second-to-last tunnel's mouth gaped wider than the others—meant for something larger than human traffic. It led to another vast chamber dominated by a still, black lake. A single bridge stretched across dark water to a stone platform. 

Ancient murals covered the walls in sweeping lines of faded paint—Kyogre depicted in various poses. One scene showed the legendary locked in combat with Groudon, and both of them looked different from their usual selves. It took a moment for Lucas to realise what their forms meant. 

"Could Primal Reversion exist in this world too?" Lucas muttered. 

A chime sounded in Lucas's head as a notification appeared. 

Explore the Sea Cavern Quest complete!

Reward: +50 reputation with the Hoenn Region, + 1 skill point.

Lucas dismissed the notification. It had been far easier to complete the quest after the Mega Gyarados vacated the caverns. 

Sabrina jabbed his ribs, pointing to the platform. A luminescent blue sphere pulsed on a stone plinth, casting ripples of light across the water's surface.

"The Blue Orb," Lucas said.

"What does it do?"

Lucas pointed at the mural. "It triggers Primal Reversion in Kyogre. It’s like Mega Evolution but different.”

Sabrina's eyes never left the sphere. "Why would Kyogre leave something so powerful just sitting here?"

Lucas's skin prickled. The air felt thick, heavy with unseen pressure bearing down on his chest. "You feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Something's wrong with this chamber. The air..." 

"I'm out!" Meowth bolted for the exit, fur standing on end. "That energy's making my whiskers buzz!"

Their Pokemon pressed close, bodies tense. Max's fur crackled with agitated electricity while Nero's scales scraped against a rock as he backed away. 

"What's wrong?" Lucas reached for Max through their bond.

"An unfamiliar energy is radiating from that orb. It calls to something primitive inside me, but every instinct screams danger."

Sabrina's Pokemon showed similar distress.  "The orb's definitely broadcasting something," Sabrina said. "They all sense it."

Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “I've never heard of anything like this."

He didn’t recall anything like this happening in the games. But he couldn’t rely on that knowledge when this world was much more than a simple video game

"Should we take the orb?" Sabrina asked. 

He shook his head. "Better not risk Kyogre's wrath." 

Lucas paused at the tunnel mouth when an idea occurred to him. He pulled a pokeball from his belt and Raijin burst forth in a flash of light.

The young Zapdos's head snapped toward the Blue Orb. Without hesitation, it shot across the chamber straight for the plinth.

"Raijin, stop!" Lucas shouted.

Raijin's talons grabbed the orb and tried to pull it from the plinth. But it seemed like the orb was stuck to the plinth, resisting his efforts. Electricity crackled across his feathers as he redoubled his efforts.

"What's got into him?" Sabrina asked.

"No idea. Stay here." 

Lucas broke into a run across the bridge, the air growing thick as treacle with each step toward the orb. He grabbed Raijin's wing, trying to haul him back, but the legendary thrashed against his grip.

"Bloody hell, Raijin!"

Lucas fumbled for the pokeball and recalled his Pokemon in a beam of red light. He stumbled back from the plinth, chest heaving.

"Right. Won't try that again. Something about that energy draws legendaries like moths to a flame."

They retreated down the tunnel, still trying to comprehend what had happened in the chamber. Lucas's steps slowed as realisation struck. "What if that energy affected Gyarados somehow? Triggered its Mega Evolution?"

“It’s possible," Sabrina replied.

"We should head back." Lucas scanned the walls. "But first I want to set up a Secret Base here."

"Planning return trips already?"

"This place is a goldmine of rare ingredients. We shouldn't waste the opportunity."

Sabrina gazed down at the Omanyte curled against her chest. "Alright. But if you get to violate this beautiful place with a Secret Base, then I'm keeping this little one. I can't resist."

“Finally getting over your psychic and ghost-type fetish?” Lucas asked.

Sabrina glared at him. “And my Lucas fetish.”

“Impossible.” Lucas grinned before sobering. "I might as well grab breeding pairs of the extinct Pokemon. Once Stern and Wallace learn what's down here, I might not get another opportunity."

"We’re not from around here. They won't take kindly to us poaching from a Hoenn discovery."

"Exactly."

Lucas opened his menu and purchased a Secret Base Kit from the shop. He set the base up in the tunnel but didn’t bother going inside. It could wait for now. 

Back in the main chamber, the Omanyte barely struggled as Sabrina captured it. Lucas captured pairs of each of the three fossil species. They put up more of a resistance, but none of them were above level forty so his team didn’t have any trouble defeating them.  

He thought about checking the lake for Pokemon but decided he had done enough for the moment. They had another cursory look around before heading back to the entrance.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The fire's warmth barely pushed back the cavern's chill. Lucas shifted, careful not to disturb Sabrina's head in his lap as she dozed. Metal clanked against metal as the crew worked on the submarine's hull, their curses echoing off the stone walls.

He pulled up his menu, selecting the World Map tab. The new legendary Pokemon filter revealed a new wealth of information on their territories. Moltres' claim stretched across Cinnabar Island, a crimson stain bleeding into the surrounding waters. Zapdos had carved out an area around the power plant and Lavender Town, while Articuno's territory encompassed the Seafoam Islands. Mewtwo's territory was harder to pin down —a shifting purple haze that never quite settled in one place. It only displayed the territories of legendary Pokemon he had met.

Most intriguing was Raijin's territory—any property Lucas owned glowed with a familiar electric-blue aura. The young legendary had already claimed his properties as part of its domain.

He switched to the quest tab, examining the entry that had caught his eye:

Raijin's Territories: Purchase a large area of land that satisfies Raijin's need to have his own territory.

Reward: +1000 favourability with Raijin, + 1 skill point.

The quest highlighted why regional reputation mattered. Land ownership laws restricted how much territory any citizen could claim—a sensible measure given how much space wild Pokemon required. Only those with plenty of money could acquire significant holdings, since they could afford the property taxes.

Lucas considered the quest. The easiest method to completing it would be to expand upon the farm he had purchased in the Rota Kingdom. But the and there was at a premium and would cost him a fortune. Should he look for something cheaper in Kanto? 

All legendary Pokemon seemed driven to establish territories but on a far grander scale than ordinary Pokemon. Mew's warning about legendaries seeking their own domains after Arceus had withdrawn from the world made more sense now.

Captain Stern settled beside the fire. "The lads reckon they'll finish repairs in a few hours," he murmured, mindful of Sabrina. "We'll test it come morning."

"Sure they can make it safe?"

Stern tugged at his beard. "Not entirely confident at these depths. But I've had a thought—your aura barrier could reinforce the repairs."

"Would that work?"

"Worth testing, isn't it?" Stern nodded toward the submarine. "Better to know now than thirteen kilometres up."

"Fair point. Some testing would ease my mind."

"Sabrina’s telekinesis might help too. An extra layer of protection."

Sabrina stirred, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "What do you need?"

Stern outlined his plan—combining their abilities to shore up the repaired hull. Sabrina would use her telekinesis to apply force from the inside, countering the pressure from outside the submarine, while Lucas layered a barrier over it. 

"Truth is, I'm chomping at the bit,” Stern said. “We've just made the discovery of the century. Living fossils! And the ancient civilisation! But it means nothing if we don't make it back to report it."

"No good to anyone if we end up crushed like tin cans," Lucas agreed.

"Right, you are, lad." Stern's weathered face creased in a grimace. "Much as it pains me to admit."

Lucas glanced at the submarine's hull. Even with their combined abilities, ascending through thirteen kilometres of crushing pressure would test the limits of their powers. 

But what choice did they have? The alternative was teaching Saphira to ferry them up individually—exposing abilities that would raise far too many questions.

"Let's run those tests," Lucas said. "See what we can manage between us."

Stern pushed to his feet, joints creaking. "I'll get the pressure chamber set up. We can simulate different depths, and see how your barriers hold."

As Stern's footsteps faded, Sabrina touched Lucas's arm. "You're worried about something else."

"The orb." Lucas stared into the fire. "Raijin's reaction to it. If it affects legendaries that strongly..."

"You think others might be drawn here?"

"Kyogre's certain to return eventually. But what if others come seeking that power? Stern already knows about it, so it won’t be long before they send another submarine down here to retrieve it."

Sabrina squeezed his hand. "You can return here with Saphira and see if you can take the orb from the plinth. Hide it in your Secret Base. But let's focus on getting back to the surface first."

Lucas nodded. It was a good plan. “How was I so lucky to get such an intelligent girlfriend?”

“Miracles do happen.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=

The submarine's metal groaned as they ascended. Lucas's arms trembled, sweat soaking his shirt as he maintained the aura barrier around the damaged hull. Beside him, Sabrina's face was drawn with concentration, her telekinetic power adding another layer of protection.

"Two kilometres up," Stern called from the helm. "Eleven to go."

Movement on the sonar drew a curse from the crew member manning it. "Contact! Coming up fast from the starboard quarter."

Stern grabbed the periscope. "Bloody hell— that’s Team Aqua’s symbol."

The enemy submarine closed the gap, sleek and predatory compared to their battered vessel. Hatches opened along its flanks, disgorging a swarm of water Pokemon into the murky depths.

"Incoming!" Stern yanked the controls hard to port. Their submarine lurched as three Sharpedos and a Huntail shot past, their attacks leaving trails of bubbles in the water.

"We can't take hits like this," Lucas ground out, his barrier flickering as another attack glanced off the hull. "The pressure at this depth—"

"Hold on!" Stern drove them into a thermal vent's billowing clouds. Super-heated water turned the sea milky white, concealing them momentarily from their pursuers.

A Tentacruel prowled the edges of the vent field, searching. A Kingdra's Hydro Pump carved through the water beside them, the pressure wave rattling their teeth.

"Can't stay here," Stern muttered. He killed the engines, letting them drift in the current. "Heat'll cook us if the pressure doesn't get us first."

"There!" Wallace pointed at the sonar. "The gap between their search pattern."

Stern fired the engines. They shot through the opening, but a Relicanth spotted them. Its Ancient Power attack clipped their stern, sending them into a spin.

"Lost depth control!" A crew member shouted. "We're sinking!"

"Not today." Stern wrestled with the controls. Their descent slowed, then stopped. "Everyone alright?"

Lucas nodded. The barrier had held, barely. Sabrina looked equally drained.

The enemy sub appeared above them, herding them deeper with waves of Pokemon attacks. Each hit threatened to rupture their already-compromised hull.

"They're not trying to destroy us," Wallace said. "They want us alive."

"The scanner," Stern spat. "Should've destroyed the bloody thing."

“Maybe they were seeking to explore the Seafloor Cavern as well,” Lucas suggested. 

They didn’t have time to consider his suggestion. They nearly collided with a formation of Huntail, their serpentine bodies writhing as they unleashed Water Pulse attacks.

"Can't keep this up," Lucas gasped as his barrier absorbed another hit. He added another layer of the barrier on top of the old one, trying to reinforce it further.

"Seven kilometres up. We might—"

The sonar erupted in warnings. Something massive approached from the depths, moving faster than any submarine.

Every Pokemon pursuing them broke off their attack, scattering in terror. Even Team Aqua's submarine retreated, its engines straining as it fled.

"What the bloody hell?" Stern's hands tightened on the controls.

A shadow passed beneath them, bigger than their submarine. Bigger than a Wailord. Power radiated through the water, pressing against Lucas's barrier like a physical weight.

Stern's face went grey. "It can't be."

The shadow circled up, resolving into a familiar shape that struck primal terror into their hearts. Red lines pulsed across armoured hide as Kyogre emerged from the depths, its presence turning the ocean itself against them.

The legendary's eyes fixed on their crippled vessel. Its massive jaws parted, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

"Oh shit."

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas and the crew have to face an irate Kyogre. 

Thanks for reading.