the massive container ship held dozens of shipping crates neatly stacked atop one another. each had a series of symbols, and numbers on them, and what appeared to be, weight, on each of their large doors.
[break][break]
he didn't have a fucking clue what any of it meant. so he did what any self-respecting man plagued with a choice would.
[break][break]
"eenie. meenie. miney. moe!"
[break][break]
the garchomp descends on it, it's sharp teeth made for flesh, but powerful enough to rend steel. in just a few seconds, king's able to fit his head in the starburst shaped hole.
[break][break]
he grins.
[break][break]
stacks and stacks of pokeball variations stood out to him, shining beneath the halo of light around his head and wrapped so tight he could only guess at it's water-proofing.
[break][break]
"get this out of 'ere and toss it into the sea."
[break][break]
from here, he could make out nina's heartfelt sobs and screams. if they hadn't planned this beforehand, king would've been positive they were real. nevertheless, he only needed another minute to finalize this plan. while the garchomp works, he tosses an orb out from his wetsuit, and a lucario stares back up at him.
[break][break]
"disable the ship. make sure the screw - the motor - isn't workin'."
[break][break]
while xen races to the end of the ship, he takes a risk and peers over the edge to get a look at nina. he sighs heavily, rolling his shoulders, as she's quite literally swarmed with pokemon of all kinds. even his swampert, was assisting where it could, fending off sharks and the sailor's pokemon alike.
[break][break]
the thunderous sound of their package hitting the surface pulls his, and quite a few sailor's, attention. king curses under his breath, and in a race against time, recalls the garchomp and sprints towards the ship's other railing.
[break][break]
he nearly stumbles as the aura sphere collides with the screw, sending the boat lurching to one side in it's explosion, but maintains his footing. then, with lucario in tow, he dives off the ship.
[break][break]
the force of hitting the water, even in a dive, is enough to knock the wind out of him. only with the lucario's help does he get the oxygen mask over his lip once more. furiously, weakly, he's urging the gator with all his will to get the box as it sinks.
[break][break]
it complies, and xen returns to his orb, as king begins to make his way under his own power, for one nina larson.

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-garchomp"]

the explosion sends a ripple throughout the water, strong enough to knock king back half-a-dozen meters, ears ringing. groaning, he steadies himself in the now gentle current, moving a hand to his head. when he pulls it back, blood trails.
[break][break]
pain was nothing to him, and the hundreds of debris floating down from the ocean's surface in front of him had a clear priority. with renewed effort, he pushes himself ahead.
[break][break]
devastation was the only words that came to mind. a great fog of blood had descended, carrying chunks of pokemon of all shapes and sizes. somewhere near the bottom, his swampert was unconsciously drifting towards the ocean floor. a large chunk of scales from it's face had been torn away, revealing gnarled flesh and pale ivory bone. above it, one it's two fins had been completely severed.
[break][break]
when it was healed and if it survived, they'd have matching scars.
[break][break]
returning it to it's orb, his eyes scan the surroundings for the only human in the mess. when he finds her, unconscious and as limber as driftwood, he shoots up after her.
[break][break]
no tank. no mask. wounds, likely, but impossible to gauge beneath the shower of blood raining down on them. oh.
[break][break]
surrounded by sharpedo.
[break][break]
for fucks sake.
[break][break]
one turns on him, jaws clamped around the twitching flesh of a dead pokemon. king prepares to kick out at it, but the looming shape of a speeding feraligatr solves his issue.
[break][break]
the two collide, rampaging beasts and alpha predators, but the gator has limbs the shark does not. when it's over, she floats back in his direction, slowly working to surface with the two humans.
[break][break]
breaking the surface, he tosses nina on her back, checking her pulse. if he finds nothing - chest compressions and mouth to mouth. and not the kind he was expecting at the end of it.

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-garchomp"]

"quit fuckin' movin'. lie still."
[break][break]
there's scant room a-top the surfaced feraligatr, so king slides back into the water, arms draped over its tail like driftwood.
[break][break]
"ye nearly got yerself — and my swampert — killed when yer oxygen tank exploded."
[break][break]
the venom that drips from his words are water logged, breath ragged from the effort of all of it. fuck he was exhausted. he's forced to pause between sentences, and not for dramatic effort.
[break][break]
"arceus fuck."
[break][break]
he slams his hands down in the water in his anger, watching the white foam roll out and fade.
[break][break]
"we need ta go or else we're fucked. anythin' broken? ye dizzy or anythin'?"

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"]

his anger wasn't misdirected — this was her fault, after all — but it was being mishandled. seeing her flinch from his strike against the water, he's reminded of his mother. the correlation forces him to catch his breath for a solitary moment, before he turns his head to look away, and into the horizon.
[break][break]
"shit happens."
[break][break]
they had bigger fish to fry. she was injured, and the package was still at the bottom of the ocean a ways back. he'd need to come back for it later.
[break][break]
"try not ta move, ye? last thing we need is fer ye ta break yer neck or somethin'. we'll head back nice 'n easy and get ye checked out."[break][break]

it'd double their original time getting here, but, still, it'd be less than an hour, easy.
[break][break]
a pat on the gator's hind legs, and she's treading through the surface of the ocean with relative ease.

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"]

this woman, whatever her name was, had been an entirely different flavor of rocket than he was used to working with — genuine nervousness, fear, and ineptitude for their task. king wasn't entirely used to having less capable partners, nor was he suited to take care of one in the middle of the arceus damned ocean.
[break][break]
"don't thank me yet. haven't decided if i want ta leave ye out here or not."
[break][break]
he snorts, and spits salty water. his eyes were beginning to burn, forcing him to blink heavily. the heat was no better, either. cursing, he releases two pokemon. the garchomp extend their fin-like arms, catching the wind, as they hover directly above.
[break][break]
"give us some shade, ye? appreciate it."
[break][break]
only the beating of their wings, and the silent tread of the water, accompanied them on their journey. every so often, he'd check her pulse, and her limbs to ensure appropriate blood flow.
[break][break]
"ye starfish like this normally on first dates?"

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-garchomp"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-garchomp"]

his laugh is mocking, though not in a terrible way. finding a nerve and pressing it was his expertise, even if hers was very nearly actually exposed. with the sun dampened by his dragons, the trip had become slight more bearable.
[break][break]
"ye?"
[break][break]
he laughs, spitting out seawater without batting an eye.
[break][break]
"if ye survive, ye'll have ta show me. you definitely owe me dinner, sweetheart."
[break][break]
they were nearing the dive-point. it'd be the most arduous part of their journey, undoubtedly.

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-garchomp"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-garchomp"]