Authors Note: I FINALLY FINISHED RE-WRITING THIS! It was hard cause I needed something to happen in Union Cave. So, yeah, ti sounds really forced in some places.

I'd really appreciate reviews and stuff if you have the time. Anything to make me write better.

Part two.

Riiiiiiip

I opened my eyes quickly. Cadogan was hovering near the top of the tent, shredding the material with his beak and claws.

‘Cadogan!’ I gaped, getting up and snatching the Pidgey out of the air. He had completely ruined my tent. The sunlight spilled in through the various large rips in the roof, and looking around, he obviously wasn’t housebroken. I smacked my forehead.

‘Yeah, go Anna. Keep the untrained Pidgey in a tent why don’t you?’ I mumbled to myself, letting Cadogan go and watching him flutter outside and peck at grass.

I sighed and got up properly. Maelgwn curled up, trying to get back to sleep.

‘Come on.’ I murmured, prodding the Totodile. He curled up tighter, before finally deciding to get up.

I ate a shoddy breakfast of biscuits and more muesli bars. Maelgwn ate more Pokemon food, and Cadogan nicked off with more of my muesli bars. Little thief had ignored the food I had offered him and gone right into my bag, taken them and flown into a tree so I couldn’t get them back.

Have to give him points for cunning though.

I finally got going and started for Union Cave again. As it was still early morning, with the sun peeking over the horizon and the air was crisp as though it had never been breathed before. I didn’t like getting up this early, but I think it was worth it out here.

I saw the odd Pokemon alongside the path, like Bellsprout and Rattata. Trying to catch them was pointless. Cadogan had stuck around because he had wanted to fight. The other Pokemon knew better and scarpered as soon as I got within several metres.

‘This isn’t going to work.’ I sighed after yet another Bellsprout got away from me. Cadogan clicked his beak, which sounded quite loud as he was sitting on my shoulder.

We were rapidly approaching Union Cave, and to tell you the truth, I wasn’t thrilled. We had come to Union Cave once on a school excursion before, but we only went in a short way, and we had 50 torches and 50 other people.

I finally reached the solid wall of rock with only a small hole to get in through. I returned Cadogan, pulled my torch from my bag, picked up Maelgwn and stepped inside.

It was pitch black inside. I switched on my torch and began walking. The narrow beam of light  did a pretty lousy job of lighting my way.

‘Ouch!’ I snapped, hitting the ground for the third time. The entire cavern was huge, with a very uneven floor. The torch rolled away and flicked on and off a few times, before deciding to just stay off.

‘Totototototototototo.’ Maelgwn rambled, clinging to my arm as I groped around with my hand for the torch. The light from the entrance was far behind me, and the idea of being in here without a torch terrified me beyond belief.

My sister had offered to lend me her Electabuzz which knew Flash to help me through the cave, but I had insisted not to out of sheer pride. ‘I’ll be fine.’ I said.

‘Stupid torch. Where are you?’ I murmured to myself, groping around more, grabbing rocks and clumps of dirt but no torch.

There was a long, low wail. I froze, and Maelgwn dug his claws into my shoulder with fright. There was a screech and a rush of air overhead, and the sound of beating wings.

I whimpered loudly, frightened out of my right mind. I had no idea what had made that noise, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to find out.

I inched forward on my stomach, still groping for my torch. The wailing noise started again. I closed my eyes and cringed, praying for it to stop. As soon as it did, I began to feel around for my torch again.

‘Yes!’ I cried as my fingers closed around the cold plastic. I gave it a shake, and the light flickered back on. Maelgwn released his grip on my shoulder slightly.

I stood up and waved my torch around. There was nothing else in here aside from me and Maelgwn. The wailing had stopped, and the cave was completely silent.

I loosened Maelgwn from my shoulder and took a deep breath, and began walking again.

About a few hour later, I was still wandering around the caves. It was like a maze. It just went on and on with loads of dead ends. Only unlike a maze, you can’t just jump over the walls when you have no idea what you’re doing.

Plus the place was crawling with Pokemon. I managed to capture a Sandshrew and a Trapinch, but that was pure luck. The Sandshrew, now named Gareth, had fallen asleep and didn’t wake up until after he was in a Pokeball. The Trapinch had come out of his hole and tried to catch Maelgwns tail, which didn’t much please Maelgwn. After a small fight, I managed to catch Trapinch too.

I continued walking, moving my torch to look at the ceiling. A few Zubats were there, moving a lot more than I had seen them move earlier. Before, they simply looked like breathing, blue rocks. Now, they fidgeted and made strange screeching noises, almost like two people having a fight by running their nails down a blackboard. They didn’t really seem to mind me, as long as I didn’t bother them.

‘Tototo. Dile.’ Maelgwn muttered, sitting down on the rock floor.

‘You tired?’ I asked. He nodded. I sat down next to him and took my backpack off. I had brought in sticks from outside to make a fire in here, but I wasn’t sure how the Zubats would react to it.

I sat there for a long time, watching the Zubats. Eventually, they moved apart and flew off. Must be night time.

It was fascinating how they just knew it was night time. In here, I had to check the clock in my bag, but they just knew. I had always been fascinated by Pokemon and all, even if they were absolutely terrifying.

‘Aren’t they great?’ I murmured to Maelgwn, who was clinging to my leg. I petted his scaly head and stared at the Zubats as they fluttered out.

As soon as the last of the Zubats flew over my head, I started a fire and switched off my torch. It was only a small fire, but it was enough light to see by.

I released my Pokemon and began to pull food out from my backpack. Jeven the Trapinch and Gareth the Sandshrew looked around, completely confused. Maelgwn trotted over to Gareth and extended a claw, making a small friendly growl. Gareth stared for a moment, before putting his own paw into Maelgwns. Jeven didn’t seem quite so friendly. He glanced from me, to Gareth, to Maelgwn, to Cadogan with small, beady eyes. He moved a little further away and began to dig at a small area of sand among the rock.

‘Uh…Jeven?’ I blinked, moving a little closer. He continued to dig without looking at me. I contemplated picking him up, but the Pokedex entry stated that Trapinch could bite through concrete.

I ducked back to where Maelgwn, Cadogan and Gareth were perfectly happily nibbling on their food. I took a little bit of food away from Maelgwn and went back to Jeven. He looked up from his digging to look at me once more with his small white eyes.

‘Hi.’ I held out the food to him. Jeven paused, smelt it, but returned to digging. I sighed and went back to where my other Pokemon were. Cadogan finished eating and hopped onto my shoulder. I didn’t understand, really. How come Cadogan and Gareth were fine with me, yet Jeven backed off?

My thinking was interrupted by a long, echoing wail. I jumped, as did Maelgwn and Cadogan. Gareth and Jeven didn’t even flinch. I’m guessing that this wasn’t bizarre to them.

I swallowed and closed my eyes. Not much of a defence, but hey. I’m a firm believer in that “If I can’t see it, it can’t hurt me.”

I paused, running this over in my head. It didn’t really sound so stupid until right now. I opened my eyes, and the noise continued, reverberating off the rock walls.

This was ridiculous. Whatever it was wasn’t just going to go away.

I was walking once more, my feet barely making a noise against the rock. Cadogan was perched on my shoulder being stunningly calm considering birds don’t like caves very much. Maelgwn trotted alongside me, smelling every rock provided it didn’t range out of the torch light. Gareth was walking on my other side.

Or at least I thought he was.

I turned around. ‘Gareth?’ I blinked, shining the torch around the cavern. Gareth was several metres back, curled up into a ball.

I let out a long frustrated breath. I walked back to him, and poked him. Yep, he was asleep again.

‘Return.’ I held his Pokeball out. A jet of red light hit him and sucked him back inside. He had fallen asleep several times while walking. I had returned Jeven as he had also refused to follow me.

I froze as there was another low wail. Hey were more frequent and much louder now, making them easy to follow. Maelgwn ran back towards me, grabbing my shin and sinking his claws through my jeans.

I resisted the urge to close my eyes and whimper. I was terrified, truly, but I felt like that if I didn’t check, I would never forget about it.

I combed my fingers through my hair with my free hand. I felt frustrated with myself, that I hadn’t already found what was making that noise and that I let it frighten me so much.

There was another long wail, and I had to clap my hands over my ears. The sound was bouncing off the walls, seeming to amplify as it came closer and passed.

‘Holy crap that’s loud.’ I grumbled, poking my finger in my ear and wiggling it around. The sound still seemed to be bouncing through my head the same as it had done through the cave.

Wouldn’t it be funny if this cave was someone’s head and I was walking toward their brain? Ack. I’m delirious.

The cave got larger and wider as I went along, until my torch light could no longer reach the roof. It was much more uneven here, with large jagged outcrops, and small plateaus here and there.

I groaned loudly as I hauled myself another of the slopes. Maelgwn was safely nestled in between my back and my bag, with his claws digging into my back and the torch in his mouth. I grabbed another of the smaller outcrops and pulled myself up, scraping my front as I went.

Cadogan gave a loud, indignant caw as I grabbed hold of the top of the plateau and hauled myself up.

‘Oh man, ow.’ I muttered as I reached flat ground. Maelgwn eased himself out from between me and my backpack, dropped the torch and ran to the other side of the plateau. The Totodile stopped, before running back and rambling at me in nonsensical gibberish.

‘I don’t understand you mate.’ I stated, my stomach feeling extremely sore and scratched. Maelgwn began to pull at my hair, still jabbering on.

‘Ow! Quit it!’ I snapped, getting up and snatching the torch off the ground. ‘I’m coming, I’m coming. See, I’m right…whoa.’

On the other side was what could only be described as a lake. The water sparkled under the torchlight, and it was absolutely clear. It was really deep, but the water was so clear I could see every rock on the bottom. I could always go for a swim. Though I wasn’t sure if the torch was water-proof. Maybe if I wrapped it in plastic…

They was a loud howl.

And it was close.

I looked around, flicking my torch back and forth as my heart began to feel like it was trying to tear itself out. Right in the middle of the lake was a large, blue and grey shape. It had long flippers under the water, and a large grey shell above. Its elongated neck ended in a head with a horn and large, sapphire eyes. I could recognise it as a Lapras, but only from textbooks. I had never seen one in real life before.

I stared at it. Or she. Most definitely a she. She opened her mouth once more and let out another wail. A long, sad, wail.

She had barely noticed me shining the torch in her face. Her eyes were downcast, and she just…she looked so lonely. I felt a pang of pity for the poor thing.

She let out another depressed cry, quieter than the last. I gave Maelgwn my torch, which he held obediently onto. Fantastic Pokemon, he was.

I found my bathers and board shorts in the depths of my bag and returned Cadogan to his Pokeball.

Let’s just hope Lapras don’t bite. Come to think of it, do they even have teeth?

I put away my torch, getting rid of what little light I had left. After waiting a few minutes for my eyes to adjust, I could just make out the silhouette of Lapras as she made more of the mournful noises from the back of her throat.

I slid into the water which, inviting as it looked, felt like thousands of little needles stabbing into my legs. Freezing cold needles.

Wasn’t such a problem for Maelgwn. He dived right in, only surfacing to carry on in a sequence of blather. Lapras stopped whimpering to look at us.

I swam over, with her towering over me. She was much larger than I had anticipated.

‘Hi.’ I murmured. She emitted a soft coo-ing sound and lowered her head to touch my cheek. Her skin was soft yet rubbery, like a Poliwags. Maelgwn surfaced beside her, and she turned to nuzzle him as well.

‘So you’re not a ferocious beast after all, huh?’ I whispered, stroking her neck. She began to make a soft purring sound. Even in the dark, her eyes sparkled. She was the single most beautiful thing I had ever seen. ‘Just lonely.’

She cocked her head, almost like a nod. I felt sympathetic. One of the main reasons I left to be a trainer was to get out of school. I never enjoyed school. How could I? I was the ‘freak’ at my school, always had been. Not to say I didn’t want to be, I had no issues with being the strange one with no friends. Everybody there sucked anyway. I would usually stay by myself, walking around the school during break times with my hands in my pockets.

I suppose occasionally screaming at people who bothered me couldn’t have really helped my image much. Nor trying to convince Matthew that no, staples couldn’t go through human skin, hold out your hand and I’ll show you.

Jerks. The lot of them.

I snapped out of my fun-filled self-pity and hatred to look up at Lapras again, who was trying to nuzzle me without dunking me in the water.

‘Yeah, yeah, I’m paying attention to you.’ I giggled, trying to fend her off. She came closer and licked my face, completely ignoring my vainly pushing her away.

I played like this for hours. Lapras was just after company, that’s all those roars were about. I would have liked to stay, but my skin was becoming way too tender under its combination of wrinkles and goose bumps trying to keep me warm to no avail.

‘Well, it’s been fun.’ I patted Lapras’ nose as I began to back to where I thought shore was. ‘But I have to go before I freeze.’

I turned to look around. As I moved forward, I felt my shorts tighten around my stomach and I was jerked backward. Lapras pulled me above the water by the waist of my pants, the rest of my body flopping on either side. I felt like one of those toys in those awful arcade games with the huge claw at the top.

‘Put me down!’ I yelled, lashing out with my arms and legs with no real aim in mind. Lapras shook her head, shaking me with it. ‘Why aren’t you putting me down?!’

Maelgwn clambered up Lapras’ neck to look her in the eye, and began what I could only assume was reasoning. Lapras simply shook her head again, shaking me again. The material of my board shorts was strong, but pushing in around my gut, causing bile to rise up in my throat.

Maelgwn stopped going on to listen to Lapras’ making small, mournful whimpers in her throat. She sounded so pathetic, I almost wished that I didn’t feel so nauseous so I could feel sympathetic.

After more ‘conversation’ between the two Pokemon, Lapras dropped me back into the water. It took me a few seconds to register that I was actually underwater, and I should pr consider getting air in the near future.

I kicked my way to the surface and started towards the vague outline of land in the darkness. The moving water behind me implied that Lapras was following, but didn’t dare touch me again.

I got on shore and grabbed my bag, finding my torch underneath my clothes. I flicked it on, and after a few shakes, it stayed on.

Lapras floated in the shallowest water she could get into, watching me even though the light was in her eyes. Eyes that were full of tears.

My entire body racked with guilt. ‘I didn’t know animals aside from humans could cry.’ I murmured quietly, feeling stupid for not having anything better to say.

She made a small noise, almost like the mewing that baby Meowths made, only even softer and sadder. I waded back into the water to pet her again, though slightly afraid she would once more decide to pick me up.

I touched the side of her face. ‘I don’t want to leave you. I really don’t.’

She just stared back at me. Maelgwn floated in beside me, watching Lapras as well.

‘I’m sorry.’ I sighed, leaving my hand in place and stroking her with my thumb. She leaned into my hand, still making mewling noises. She really didn’t want to be alone here.

Wait…

I went back to my backpack. Lapras wailed as I ran back to it.

‘Hold on!’ I yelled back at her. Maelgwn tried to run to me, but by the time he was even halfway, I already had what I wanted and was heading back to Lapras.

‘You can come with me!’ I exclaimed, waving the Pokeball in her face as Maelgwn gave a defeated sigh and ran back into the water. Lapras cocked her head at me.

‘See, you get in, then I can take you somewhere where you’ll have lots of company and won’t need to ruin their pants to get them to stay.’ I rambled, making frantic hand gestures as well. Lapras just stared.

Great, now Pokemon think I’m crazy too.

I went on for a little longer, trying to explain a Pokeball and capture and not really making progress. But I think she understood. He bowed her head and tapped the Pokeball with her nose, and vanished in a flash of red light.

Authors Note: Yep. The thing with Matt and the staples actually happened. Matt was a jerk.