18. A close one

Joel was standing next to the railing where Robert was before he went overboard. His eyes were wet and the only reason he hadn't burst into tears was out of pure stubbornness. After Kris recovered and Joel told her what happened, she immediately panicked and ran to find someone to help.

Joel didn't move. He knew the sailors and inspectors must be aware of the situation by now. Racing to tell them now would make no difference but he didn't stop her. Joel despaired as he looked over the water. The Carvanha had completely surrounded the yacht and Robert was still nowhere to be seen.

Logic told him that Robert was most likely already dead. Either drowned or devoured by the Carvanha, perhaps both. Joel still refused to leave. Robert was his first real friend and he refused to believe he was gone just like that. He wouldn't, he couldn't just let it be over just like that. His hands gripped the rail so tight it was making creaking sounds.

Just as his tears were about to spill over something caught Joel's eye. If he wasn't staring so intensely at the school of Carvanha he would have missed it. Shining through the small gaps from under the Carvanha was a strange bright light. It almost looked like that light produced when a Pokémon evolves, but there was also a strange red glow flowing in the light.

Before he could think more about it, he heard a commotion behind him. When he looked over he saw half a dozen inspectors rushing over. He was surprised to see so many but then he saw Kris trailing closely behind. They must have come up in a hurry to try and save Robert, otherwise just two or three inspectors would have been more than enough.

Thinking of Robert again Joel quickly looked back to the water, but that strange light had disappeared like it was never there. He didn't know what it was, Joel just hoped it was another instructor's Pokémon that had somehow saved Robert. Seeing no changes and the light gone Joel finally couldn't hold back his tears.

After the first tear fell the rest came like a flood. As he cried the inspectors arrived and were throwing Pokéball's and shouting to their Pokémon. Joel paid it all no attention. He stood there still, facing the water. Overwhelmed by the abrupt end of his first real friend.

RUMBLE! Splash RRRROOOAAARRRR!!

The inspector's Pokémon had barely hit the water before an ominous noise echoed out from under the Carvanha. All the Carvanha suddenly seemed panicked and before anyone could think more a huge blue serpentine figure erupted from the water and let out a deafening bellow from its massive, gaping maw.

All the people on deck needed to cover their ears to endure the beast announcing to the world its presence, and a beast it was. As they looked at the creature there was not a person who didn't recognise what it was. A Gyrados.

This Gyrados however was massive. It was at least 1.5 times the size of a normal Gyrados. It was currently looming beside the yacht, covered with blood and mangled pieces of Carvanha floating around it.

Everyone was left stunned by this sudden turn of events. Before even the inspectors could react the giant of a Gyrados looked down at the Carvanha with absolute and unbridled rage in its eyes. It then let out another mighty roar and dark black energy gathered around it.

An inspector seemed to recognise what was happening. He paled a little and yelled out, "use protect to defend the ship and brace yourselves." Even as he said that he sent out two more Pokémon who used protect on the side of the ship that the Gyrados was looming on. The other inspectors reacted quickly and there was soon a transparent wall of protect covering one side of the ship.

The moment they finished Gyrados let out another roar and the dark energy it built up formed a sphere around it and then violently surged outwards. In no time it slammed into the wall of protect that held strong. The school of Carvanha were not so lucky.

Dozens were smashed and tossed about by the expanding sphere of dark energy. Most were badly wounded, some were simply torn to pieces. Each time a Carvanha perished Gyrados would briefly glow red.

Through all this Joel's burning gaze was focused on Gyrados's head. Draped across its crest was a young boy. The moment Gyrados lowered its head to glare at the Carvanha Joel spotted him, it was Robert! After the pulse of dark energy faded Joel screamed out, "GYRADOS STOP!"

The inspectors were horrified that this kid was trying to get the attention of this monster. It was clearly focused on the Carvanha, and they were more than happy to simply let them settle the grudge. The six inspectors had also noticed the boy on the Gyrados's crest but didn't know how to get him down without injuring him.

Joel was the only person present that didn't think this was a wild Gyrados. Besides Margret, he was the only person that knew Robert had a third Pokémon, a Magikarp.

Gyrados was about to continue its rampage when it heard a familiar voice. It paused and looked over. Standing on the deck was a young boy that it recognised. Robert had introduced Magikarp to Joel on the first day they were on the ship, it knew they were friends. As Gyrados thought of Robert it felt its rage boiling over again.

Joel saw Gyrados pause and look at him, he looked right back in its eyes, and it seemed to recognise him. Joel was almost giddy with excitement. He was right, this was Roberts Magikarp. Seeing Gyrados about to rampage again he quickly called out, "wait Gyrados, we might be able to save him."

This time Gyrados completely froze. It took a long stare at Joel and then started moving over. One of the inspectors yelled, "what is going on, why are you trying to get that monster over here."

"There is no time to explain, take down the barrier now!" the inspectors didn't look convinced, but they knew who he was and decided to trust him this time. They let down the wall of protect but remained vigilant. Gyrados soon approached and lowered its head to Joel who with no hesitation raced over and pulled Robert down.

Gyrados took one last look at Robert before turning around and roaring at the remaining Carvanha before diving under to continue its massacre. The moment Gyrados left one of the inspectors rushed over to Roberts side. He ripped off Roberts shirt and placed a strange device on his chest and a different one on his mouth.

Both devices activated and water quickly started pouring out of Roberts mouth followed by his body jolting like he was being shocked. Joel and kris looked on feeling like they were standing on hot coals but couldn't move. Kris had long started crying and Joel almost started again.

After a full minute, Roberts body suddenly sat up as he started coughing. The devices on his mouth and chest automatically fell off. Kris was still crying but now had a big smile on her face. Joel was doing his best to hold his tears in but failed, he to had a big smile.

As Robert stopped coughing, he looked around a bit dazed. Slowly he came back to himself, his eyes soon returned to their usual stary black that drew people in. the crowd watched in joy as Robert slowly recovered from what happened. He then looked up at everyone, gave a big grin and said, "Well, that was a close one."

Kris and Joel almost slipped and fell while all the inspectors felt their face twitching. "Can you be a little more serious, we all thought you were dead."

"I thought I was done for too. That's why I said it was a close one."

"Why do I suddenly feel like all the tears I shed were cheated from me. Give them back dammit."

"Eh, you shed tears. Now that I look your face is covered in snot and tears."

"I should have known better, after all the wicked never die young."

"oi, oi, don't say something so ominous after I just had such a close encounter."

Eventually, the two devolved to pointing and yelling at each other. Neither of the two noticed Kris walk to their side, slowly raise her hands and conk them both over the head. "Can you two behave yourselves!" Kris then glared at Robert, "you especially. You just almost died! And now your just 'sniff' just arguing 'hic' and yelling like it never happened."

Kris couldn't keep her angry façade long before she started shedding tears again. Robert looked at Kris with a guilty expression, "sorry about that, truth is I'm still a bit out of sorts by all this. I feel a lot better now after yelling and venting a bit." Joel continued also looking embarrassed, "I guess I'm the same, truth is I feel a lot better now too."

Robert then looked around a little confused and focused his gaze on Joel. "How did I survive. I was sure the inspectors wouldn't make it in time. There were even some Carvanha coming at me. So how the heck did I end up here."

Joel looked back with wide eyes, "you don't know what happened." Robert just shook his head. The inspectors also looked over. Joel seemed to know something they didn't. "what's the last thing you remember."

"Last I remember was trying to get Magikarp out of its ball so it could swim away, the silly thing just looked at me. Then I blacked out." Robert had trouble remembering those last moments in detail. he was running dangerously low on oxygen by then and everything was blurry. "Wait, just before I passed out I think I saw…"

Robert thought hard to remember what he could and then it came to him. The bright light that engulfed Magikarp just before it all went dark. He quickly raced to the railing and then called out as loud as he could, "Magikarp! Where are you, I'm ok now."

Robert waited a few seconds but there was nothing. Just as he started to panic a little he noticed a huge shadow in the water heading his way. Just before it reached the yacht it erupted out of the water releasing a loud roar as it did. This time it didn't sound so filled with rage but more joyful.

Robert almost fell back on his ass as Gyrados erupted from the water in front of him. "Holy crap! What have I been feeding you? You're huge." Gyrados seemed to take that as a compliment as it let out another joyful roar. Robert just softly smiled and held out his hand, "thanks buddy, you saved my life today."

Gyrados slowly lowered its head and gently pressed its nose against Robert's hand. Gyrados felt more joy and relief than he thought he would be able to feel anymore. It had managed to make those stupid fish pay the price for their actions. Better still it had managed to save its trainer.

After all the tension faded from Gyrados it immediately slumped over and fell into the water. "Gyrados!"