The Nightmare

Day in and day out, I was always tortured by Team Dim Sun. They never left me alone! Especially Lavana, she has had it out for me since I ruined her plans in Fiore.

I never gloated about how I beat her, I just won that battle. I let it go. I thought that memory was long gone for both of us, but I was wrong. Lavana has come from the defeated to my captor.

My time with these Dim Sun goons wasn't actually that bad. I mean, I got fed, somewhat. I had the freedom to sleep all day and I didn't have to work! This was more of a pet confined to its cage situation than torture.

However, there were roomers that I was going to be saved. Not saved as in another ranger was coming for me, but saved in the sense of that I was going to be a lab rat. But hey, I'll be able to get through whatever it is. (Unless I have to face some kind of laser, which would be a problem.)

I got up from the unstable cell bed I had. It creaked as I moved. I'm sure it'll break any day now.

I gazed over to my poor Buizel in the corner of the room. It has entered some kind of depression ever since we were confined to this cell.

"It'll be okay, Buizel." I told him. "We'll get out of this prison and take down Dim Sun! You can see Rythmi again, and Isaac too. Plus, we can go hang out at the partner farm where Kate, Kellyen and their family live."

I always told Buizel to cheer up. When gave Buizel a pep talk I also talked up myself. Staying positive was the only way to live in this prison.

"Good morning, slave." It was her squeaky voice of pure annoyance. "I see you're up now. Are you ready for your purpose?" a twisted smile crawled on her face. "What purpose could you be talking about high-lighter head?" That was my "nickname" for Lavanna. You have to admit that she has very unnatural hot pink hair.

"Shut it, ginger!" She hissed. "Now come on! You have something to do today, as I said." Her smile grew larger.

The doors on my cell screeched open. Two grunts entered the cell and filed behind me. Lavanna took the lead and marched the pack out of the cell.

"Okay, we're here." Lavanna broke the silence as we entered the strange room. I was surprisingly very beautiful in there. You could see all of the water types that lived around the area, not to mention the coral and rock formations.

I gazed around the room until I finally noticed a large, swirling, black cloud in the center of the room. How did I miss that when I saw the room? I mean, it's dead center of the room!

The cloud was surrounded by 5, no, 6 Gigaremos. Just looking at it plunged a tinge of fear in my soul.

Lavanna turned around. "Okay grunt," she began. "Push him in!" Before I could move, the two grunts behind me held my arms tightly behind my back. They dragged me across the pink carpet that was on a sliver on metal and shoved me into the darkness.

My eyes jetted open. I was back at the Ranger Union. Was that all just a really long dream? Thank Areceus! Then again, it may be too early to get excited.

I got up and walked out of my room. I decided today would just be a patrol day, unless something came up.

When I left my room something was odd. Besides a sudden chill that went through my spine, there wasn't a single ranger in the hall. Not one.

It was silent. The room was as quiet as a graveyard, if not quieter.

Was everybody on a mission? Did I sleep in that late? Or was it lunch break? No, there is always the stereo sound of the chatter in the cafeteria during lunch.

I suppose I'll ask Irma, or Rythmi, or another operator where everyone is.

Once I got to the top level, it was almost deserted. Only Isaac and Rythim were there, on opposite sides of the room.

I approached Rythmi who was staring blankly at the monitor above. "Hey Ryth, where's everybody?" She didn't answer. I spoke a little louder. "Rythmi, where's everybody."

"Hello Keith, many rangers are away at the moment. Kate and Kellyn are somewhere near or in the building." She spoke lifelessly, like a program.

I crept away from Rythmi. I approached Isaac. He was surrounded by piles and piles of paperwork. There were at least a dozen broken pencils and a few pens that were probably inkless.

"Hey Isaac, do you know where Kate or Kellyn are?" I am honestly too lazy to look all over the Ranger Union, or right outside it for that matter.

He completely ignored me and continued to work. "Isaac?" my voice a little louder. He continued to work. "YO, ISAAC!" I screamed. "Oh, Keith," He spoke like Rythmi, just like an android. He didn't even look up. "I am unaware of the locations of Kate and Kellyn. I have been busy. Good-bye."

I quickly approached the elevator. What the heck was going on here? My chest felt a sharp pain. Just thinking back at those moments caused so much pain in my chest. Those two, Isaac and Rythmi, it was unnatural.

What happened with Kate and Kellyn? I hope nothing is wrong with them. Especially Kate…

The conference room was my next destination. Maybe someone was there. The halls were still empty when I entered the lower level. The same almost went for the conference room.

Kellyn was curled up in a ball in the corner of the room.

"Kellyn, what's wrong? What happened around here? Where's Kate?"

He rocked back and forth slowly. "I don't know," he whispered. "But Kate… changed…" His voice trailed off after each set of words.

Not him too… "Kellyn, what's wrong?" my voice was urgent. "They're… all not right… They just work… all day and night…" I knew he was talking about Rythmi and Isaac.

"Kellyn, calm down. Everything will be fine."

"NO!" he shouted. "Everything is… apart…" He shuddered.

This was all so strange. "Kellyn, I'm gonna go get Kate, okay?" I said softly. "Don't… she's not my sister… she's a different Kate…" even as he whispered, Kellyn's voice sounded so afraid.

I got up anyway. The pain in my chest came back, tighter. It was as if my skin was pulling itself together, trying to break itself.

This is all so much. My best friends are androids and my other is so frail. What will happen to Kate? My chest drew tighter. I couldn't stand this pain. I already knew if Kate was the Kate I know and, I'll face this now, love, I might live through this nightmare. But if she changed like the others, I know this pain in my chest will kill me.

The pain wasn't even my chest, it was my heart.

I left the Ranger Union and saw Kate and my Buizel. This was the end. Not only has she changed, she had a Team Dim Sun uniform on.

I dropped to my knees. My heart was going to give out any moment now.

"Well, well, well, what do we have hear?" her voice was so dark. It just wasn't her. I looked over to Buizel. He wasn't breathing.

Kate turned around. "It's a shame really, it was a strong pokemon." A dark smile grew on her face.

"How could you!" I screamed. "I thought you loved pokemon! I thought you were a committed ranger! I thought this all meant something to you!" My heart was near its end. My last words might as well count.

Kate gave a dark laugh. "You thought wrong. I did this for power. Not even the former leader of Team Dim Sun could stop me once I had it." There was so much evil in words and poison in every word she said.

My time limit grew shorter.

"You also thought I liked you." She gave me a twisted smile. My chest grew tighter, tighter, tighter. I saw a light.

The light stopped and I was back at the Team Dim Sun base. "Lavanna," a grunt called. "the nightmare was successful."

It was all fake, no more than a nightmare. Kate was out there, safe and it was the one I knew. I love her too much to see her like that.

A/N: Hey there people! This story takes place when Keith was captured by Team Dim Sun. I'm not sure if said what happened, so I made this! It's a little too angsty for my taste, but I'm happy about it. Read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not, and will most likely never, own Pokemon