"Yeah, and I need this key. Come on, you fat little—" Rex throttled his Munchlax again until it Spat Up the key, which hit the trainer in the eye. He fell backwards, groaning, before shaking his head in annoyance and running towards the door. "We're gonna live!"

He forced the key into the lock and twisted, rust grinding against ancient steel as Rex struggled with the door. Of course Sea Mauville hadn't updated its infrastructure in decades. Stupid nature preserve.

"C'mon... I ain't drowning here. I've got so much to live for!" He looked at Roy. "And you, I guess."

He slammed his body against the door. It groaned slightly, rust falling from the hinges. He did it again, and it continued to groan. Meanwhile, Munchlax waddled up to the door and waggled his finger, causing a Metronome to trigger.

The door exploded off its hinges.

Rex blinked once, that worked.

"Nice." He started running through the hall as more water rushed in. "C'mon, Roy! Let's hustle!"

---

Roy Aker
43. Force open a locked or barricaded door to access a critical area.

Roy and Rex both had three letter names that started with 'R'. As far as the young man was concerned, that practically made them blood brothers.

And blood brothers didn't leave on another behind. Especially when they risked drowning or decompressing in the vast pressure of the ocean outside. Between Munchlax and Feraligatr, little got in the duo's way as they tried to ascend through the sinking preserve. Why was it sinking? Hell if Rex knew.

"Haul ass, Munchlax!" Munchlax did so, shooting ahead far faster than the rest of the party. "Metronome!"

Munchlax waggled his finger once, causing an Ice Beam to strike a nearby wall and cover it with ice. Rex rolled his eyes at the mediocre roll.

"Use something good!"

The finger waggled. A nearby fire extinguisher exploded.

"Something better!"

The finger waggled. Roy and Rex's hair suddenly jumped up, full of static electricity. It would've been funnier if the duo weren't at risk of drowning to death.

"Oh for fuck's sake! Block the water!"

The finger waggled again, and a Crafty Shield formed itself from various pieces of debris behind Roy and Rex, reducing the deluge into a thin trickle, though the barrier would not hold.

In the distance, the end of the hallway beckoned.

---

Roy Aker
30. Use a pokemon to manage the flooding or water.

Rex ducked under a falling pipe, slid under a chunk of debris, and slipped around a dangling wire. Munchlax did the same, though the small beast was remarkably quick, dancing around the hall with impeccable dexterity.

"Yessir!" Rex nodded in agreement as water dripped down. His clothes were going to be ruined by this escapade with Roy, and he couldn't afford new ones. Hopefully this side hustle with the Ranger Corps came with some part-time pay, otherwise Rex would be sleeping under an overpass when this was over.

The door was tantalizingly close. The young trainer lunged forward, pushing against it with all his might. Rusty hinges creaked and grinded as the old mechanisms folded under their weight.

"Get in, Roy!" When the gruff man was clear, Rex and Munchlax began to push the door shut. "Gimme a hand!"

---

Roy Aker

A boat beat swimming, he supposed. Especially from a hundred feet below sea level.

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it here." Rex dug into his pocket and pulled out a slightly damp hard drive. It was wet, admittedly, but Sea Mauville was a ship turned into a preserve. If its tech wasn't waterproof, that was between them and Arceus as far as he was concerned. "Catch."

Rex prepared to throw the drive in a high arc, before blinking in realization.

"Bad idea. I'll just hold onto it for a minute." Rex patted himself down. A few bumps and bruises, but nothing particularly life threatening. He could keep going. He was happier that the drive was secure, otherwise the rangers would likely put him on standby and not take him off until the heat death of the universe.

A fate best avoided.

"I think we did pretty well, all things considered."

---

Roy Aker