Timeline of Errors

Part 18 - The lake, once again

Golbat lowered me on the pale green grasses covered in frost. A gigantic lake with water as dark as the night was lying before me. A small island in the distance, sitting right in the middle of the grand lake. Huddling my red coat, I walked up to the lake I've passed by hundreds of times to train. There was not a single soul around the lake, human and Pokémon alike.

This lake...

Soon, my thought drifted to a certain memory of a better day. Of a certain young man flashing a teasing smile as he handed me a fishing rod. Of his piercing gaze as he looked through my scarves, our hands touching. As we sat side by side, skirting around the truth as we kept talking. Of him picking up a Pokeball, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you. I wouldn't be able to do this without your help," he said back then.

I clenched my fists and shook it off. Taking out a a can of dry Pokemon food, I put my hand into it and made my way to the edge of the lake.

"Hey, that's dangerous! Get away from the lake!" his words from back then echoed in my ears.

Just like then, I put my hand into the freezing cold water. Right as I felt the water current changing, I pulled my hand closer to the surface. The water started bubbled up and a shadow appeared underneath the water surface. I pulled out my hand completely. Then, a huge blue creature with two fins on its head jumped out of the lake, the fins on its arms swayed.

...

Swampert.

No. Focus. You still have so many things to do. The next right thing, I thought and quickly switched out Golbat with Eelektross.

However, I suddenly felt slightly dizzy. The view around me seemed to slightly shake up and down, back and forth. I stood still for a second, ensuring that both of my legs were planted in the ground. Was the view really shaking or was it just me?

Right as I thought so, the quakes intensified. I could my heart almost leaping out of my chest as I felt the ground jolted and crashed like waves. As I felt my footing slipped, suddenly I found the water have gone up to my head, pulling down my clothes and hair. As soon as the freezing cold water touched my skin, I felt the surface of my face, ears and hands numbing from the cold. In the darkness, my heart was racing to no end. I felt as if I had screamed at the top of my lungs but the water drowned out my voice. My chest started to tighten. Water intruded my lungs, and I could feel it aching from the inside. As it tried to cough up the water, it took in more water and I soon found myself flailing in the water without a second thought.

Is this it...?

No. I must fight on.

I-

I can't.

Just then, I felt a strong pull on my wrist. Suddenly, I broke out of the water surface, only to find a tall young man wearing long dark brown coat. The moonlight shone on his golden bangs framing his fair face. His chestnut eyes searched for mine, they looked slightly less intimidating than usual.

With another pull, suddenly, I found myself sitting on the frost-covered grass, the night wind teasing my skin with its cold touch. Coughing up the last of the water inside my lungs, I hunched, trying to take deeper breath.

"Val, are you okay?" he said.

...

"Yeah," I replied.

"What were you doing?" He asked.

"...catching a water Pokemon," I said, "I told you-"

"Yeah, and I've told you that putting your hand into the water is dangerous!" he said, putting both of his hands put on my shoulders, "couldn't you just ask for help? That could seriously go wrong!"