Heart of Gold

I screamed as I fell.

I didn't fall for a long time. A second later I hit stone with a smack! and Ulric and Cupid crashed beside me. It felt like all my bones crushed together. I tried to breathe, but my lungs wouldn't expand. ”Astrid!" Luca's shouted from above. "Astrid!"

My head spun and I tried to get my lungs to work. My ribcage blazed in protest, but I sucked in air. Ulric bleated, panicked, beside me, but Cupid was silent. I had a horrific feeling she was dead. I reached for her, even though it felt like my arm had shattered into splinters, and she gave it a hot lick back. I shuddered in relief.

I heard the scientist above, "Hold still! We're going to get you!"

Even though I knew my body had experienced a terrible blow, I would've taken that over smashing the egg with it. Luca had taken it from me before we entered the Ruins so it was safe in his arms. I tried to move. My muscles ached, but lifted. The shaft of light from above cut into a square over me and blinded me to look up. I focused on the darkness around me and tried to make out my pokemon's forms.

Something darted in front of my face.

I shrieked and my voice echoed through the tunnel. It looked like a physical form of the letters on the walls. It stayed in front of me for a single second before disappearing. "Astrid! Astrid!" Luca's voice said.

I struggled to sit up. As I did so, a pair of arms swept under my legs and back and picked me up. Luca. He squashed me to his chest and in the darkness, I saw the scientists handle my pokemon. "You can return them," I said. My voiced croaked like a totodile. "My pokeballs..."

"It's gonna be okay," Luca said. I thought he said this more for himself than me. "It's gonna be okay."