The Deep

Muffled.

Submerged.

The sounds of bubbles rushing up to the surface.

Whole body aching.

Where…

Shanti’s vision is dreadfully blurry, feeling something crushing down upon her as she descends. She rubs at her eyes, trying to clear her vision, though it’s still not exactly the most vivid in the world. Everything is still fuzzy, she can make things out, but it’s all so very fuzzy.

It’s dark, too. So very dark. The light above looks as if it’s miles away, the Primarina falling further, further away from it. Yet she doesn’t feel as heavy, she feels light, floaty.

Something big weighing her down, that’s- That’s a part of her ship. The mast, the mast that blasted Shaymin tore apart, that little runt, the scoundrel, she’ll get back at her, she… Doesn’t feel the best.

A Primarina can hold their breath for a long, long time. But in Shanti’s state, it’s unlikely she’ll make it back to the surface in time. Too weak, too tired, too exhausted, too winded. Too defeated.

The pressure of the deep sea presses down against her body, hugging her tightly, not exactly in a good way, even for a water type Pokemon like herself. It’s a painful squeeze, an agonizing, crushing feeling that encompasses all her being. Mmnhh… She supposes she should have expected this at some point or another. Perhaps this was always her fate. Her namesake a new tone, a new meaning.

Shanti of the Sea.

To become one with the ocean she’d traversed by giving herself up to it, by allowing the sea into her body.

For almost a moment, she’s ready to do just that.

But then, she notices a glow coming from behind her.

A bright, warm, blue glow coming from the floor of the ocean, illuminating the surrounding, submerged ruins below.

The Flood Stone.

She made it.

She made it!

Any ideas of giving up are quickly brushed aside, leaving the mast that had been weighing her down to start swimming down on her own. The pressure gets worse, but she cares not. That’ll all be completely irrelevant soon enough.

The ruins are old, decrepit, covered with moss among other kinds of plantlife, not a single aquatic Pokemon down there in the depths other than herself. The Ocean Tempest, so forbidden, unknown to many, only by few, and here she is, about to acquire the bounty of a lifetime.

She makes her way down to the bottom, gazing upon the Flood Stone and basking in its warm, blue glow. She places her flippers upon it, feeling the energy radiating off of the orb as it glows and pulses in its socket. She grips it firmly, gritting her teeth, letting out a muffled grunt as a small plume of bubbles escapes from her lips, a muffled ‘pop!’ sound coming as she lifts the Flood Stone, holding it closely.

It’s hers. At long last, it’s hers! She feels so empowered, she can control Kyogre with this! She can- She- She…

Doesn’t feel any different.

She still feels the same.

No, no, that can’t be right, she was supposed to absorb its power, to gain control! Reach a new level of power! How can this be happening?

Kwoooooooooooooooogh…

Her blood runs cold.

A fearsome cry echoes all around the ocean floor.

She feels a looming presence lingering before her.

Shanti dares to turn around, her flippers trembling as she holds the Flood Stone.

A behemoth, colored a deep, dark blue, its underbelly a stark white.

Its body glowing, adorned with ancient, intricate runes and marking that illuminated an eerie, haunting yellow. Outstretched fins covered in those same markings, giant circles in the centers of its fins with runes that stretch out to the tips of its flippers, tail split apart, its segments flowing seamlessly in the water.

And those eyes.

Those glowing, orange eyes staring straight into her soul.

The goddess of the sea.

Kyogre.

Her body trembles before the deity, clasping the Flood Stone tight to her chest. She tries her best to stand her ground, but she can’t keep still. Even as she tries to glare at the Legendary Pokemon, her demeanor falters.

Not here.

Not now.

She will overpower the goddess, she will control her, she-

Kwoooooooooooooooooooooooogggghhh…!

She feels the ruins begin to rumble.

Kyogre’s cry is defeating even amongst the muffled noises of the sea.

Her whole body is shaking harder, trembling.

Weaker.

Weaker.

Weaｋｅｒ．．．

Ｓｈｅ　ｓｈｏｕｌｄ　ｎｏｔ　ｈａｖｅ　ｃｏｍｅ　ｈｅｒｅ．

Ｈｏｗ　ｄａｒｅ　ｓｈｅ？

Ｔｏ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｓｈｅ　ｃｏｕｌｄ　ｃｏｎｔｒｏｌ　ａ　ｇｏｄｄｅｓｓ．

Ｈｏｗ　ｐｉｔｉｆｕｌ．

Ｆｏｏｌｉｓｈ，　ｆｏｏｌｉｓｈ　Ｐｒｉｍａｒｉｎａ．

Ｉｆ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｃｅａｎ　ｓｈｅ　ｓｅｅｋｓ．．．

Ｔｈｅｎ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｃｅａｎ　ｓｈｅ　ｓｈａｌｌ　ｇｅｔ．

Ｎｅｖｅｒｍｏｒｅ．