Pokémon Rangers: Guardians of Togepi
It always starts off with a seemingly un-amusing and uneventful day. But boy was Ben wrong. Why was he always wrong?
"Ben! I'll handle this end and you go get to Canal Ruins. Make sure none of the Pokémon get injured!" Summer pointed, she barely registered his nod.
"Pichu, you go on with Ben! He'll need your help." Pichu let out a salute, jumped off the legendary Pokémon and into Ben's outstretched arms. Ben never got a chance to protest. Instead, Suicune let out a terrifying cry and Summer disappeared upstream with the ground shaking and rain pouring.
How did a quick visit to the Aqua Resort result to a massive earthquake and a sudden Mission? He supposed he was asking for this; remembering this morning when Summer complained how there was nothing much to do after the Poke Pinchers disbanded.
Ben took a minute shaking this eerie feeling that something would go horribly wrong. But no matter how he tried, it just wouldn't leave him. Summer said he had a talent for sensing things. And he was almost never wrong. Scratch that- he was never wrong. He just hoped that this time, for Summer's sake, he was.
"Wha- What the... Sweet Arceus..." Suicune let out a low rumble making Summer almost jump in fright.
"Sorry 'bout that, buddy. I just... How?" Her words were lost as she returned her gaze to the waterfall, which parted revealing a small crack threatening to split the cliff in two.
Summer knew for a fact that there were a hundred Pokémon who lived peacefully atop of the falls. And every one of them were going to loose a home if she didn't stop the crack from widening in time.
But a familiar flash of red and blonde caught her eye. Summer didn't need to look at him to know who he was. Red Eyes slipped into the same cave where their final battle against Purple Eyes took place. Suicune let out another growl this time without the fond chiding you'd hear from a friend.
"We can get him later, Suicune. But right now, we need to figure out how to keep this stupid earthquake from destroying homes of millions of Pokémon." Summer knows Suicune could sense her growing frustration and the panic lining her voice. If she didn't get a hold of herself now, they might never get anything done.
A thought suddenly struck her.
"Suicune do you think you could freeze the waterfall?"
Suicune looked at the girl like she'd gone mad.
"No, no! Freeze it just enough that the falls can't chip off the rest of the cliff. If we can hold it together until the earthquake ends, then maybe we can clear this mission!" Summer could feel the confidence in her plan growing. And quite possibly- no matter how hard it was to believe- Suicune too saw the sense in her idea.
With a great cry, the great legendary Pokémon let out an ice beam and slowly, the current- and Silver falls- halted to a stop. Even though the river looked frozen solid, Summer knew that Suicune did his job too well.
She could see the silver flashes of Remoriad as they swam up and down the stiff waterfalls. Shortly after, the earth stopped shaking and the crack stopped breaking in two.
Summer let out a cry and threw her arms around Suicune's neck. The job was done and the poor Pokemon must've been tired.
With a content sigh, Summer hopped off his back and waved good-bye, "Thank you, Suicune!" The silvery Pokémon vanished into the clouds leaving a cool breeze in its wake.
Summer turned to the Oblivia Ruins where she last saw the ex-bad guy slip into.
"Okay, Red Eyes. What're you up to now." Summer muttered as she prepared her Styler for an encounter.
"Hey now... Don't be upset. I'm here now." Red Eyes cooed as he stroked a round rough stone. Summer was stunned, seeing Red Eyes so gentle handling the blue and red ringed stone.
"Red Eyes?" Now she was unsure whether or not this was the same Red Eyes she knew.
The boy noticeably jerked up and almost dropped the egg-shaped stone he held. Slowly, he turned around and his face visibly paled.
"Ahh if it isn't my favorite Aerial Ranger! How's Oblivia going?" He said nonchalantly, only his face gave him away: from turning white as the gigantic stone in his hand to a bright crimson red.
Summer looked at it with curiosity.
"Ohh I'm fine. You know Quests here, Pokemon there; typical Ranger duties. How about you though… How've you been doing?" The words breezed by like she didn't know half the things she was saying.
She stepped forward, inching closer and closer until Summer was two inches away from touching Red Eyes' hands. Summer brought her face closer to the stone, which she realized wasn't a stone at all.
The full realization of what it was hit her, "Oh my Arceus! That's a-" She pointed at the round object in Red Eyes' hand.
But Red Eyes could tell she was about to make a huge commotion and covered her mouth quickly.
"Shhhhhh!" He hissed furiously.
"Mmmmmhhhhh! Mmmmm hmmm mmm!" Summer shook her head, glaring daggers at Red Eyes.
Red Eyes realized his mistake, "Sorry!" He apologized frantically and jumped back letting go of the egg-shaped stone. It seemed like the whole room held its breath for a split second.
"Be careful!" Summer dove for the egg and held out her hands to cushion it.
Once Red Eyes saw the egg secure in her grip, he let out a sigh. Summer stood up with a blazing scowl. Red Eyes held his palms up; half in surrender, half in protection.
Summer burst out, "Why do you have this in your possession? I happen to know for a fact that the Aqua Resort day care reported a missing Pokémon Egg! And you shouldn't be so careless. What if I hadn't caught it in time? Who knows what poor Pokemon would've lost a life!"
Instead of getting angry, Red Eyes let out a tired sigh and said, "I'm so glad you're here."
This caught Summer by surprise and momentarily drifted from her train of thought.
"Well…" Summer said, blushing. "Just don't do it again."
Red Eyes sighed again and fell backwards to sit on one of the protruding rocks. Summer did likewise and sat opposite to him, cradling the egg in her arms.
Red Eyes stared at her for a moment, watching her movements like there was nothing more interesting than the Ranger in front of him. Summer, meanwhile, looked at everything except Red Eyes, finding everything more interesting than him. And anyway, she was more intrigued with the Pokémon Egg she had in her gentle grasp.
"Do you know what Pokémon this one is?" She asked softly, after another minute of silence. Red Eyes shook his head. When Summer looked at him questioningly, he took a deep breath and began his explanation.
"I've been employed by the inn keeper," "Mr. Macro?" Summer asked, Red Eyes nodded.
"And for a while he always asked me to go on errands. Bringing food to a couple who were hiking to Silver Falls, helping find a missing Pokémon for a kid, things like that."
"Sounds like standard Ranger duties." Summer mused, a smile on her face. Red Eyes never thought of if that way but now that she mentioned it he did realize that he enjoyed doing those kind of tedious jobs. There was something relaxing in the pace he did it and seeing the people thank him with happy expressions.
"I guess so... Anyway, so I'd always go up Silver falls, one day I see a flash and I suppose curiosity got the better of me. I normally avoided going to the Ruins but this time, I felt a tug in my gut and decided to check it out."
Summer inched closer and closer until they were sitting side-by-side.
"When I look in a crack, I see that and realize it was a Pokémon Egg. I've read about a few in the old man's books so I knew that it wouldn't survive if it didn't have anyone keeping it warm. Before I knew it, I've been going back to this cavern ever since."
Red Eyes looked at her but gestured for him to continue. He complied reluctantly, "Whenever I took too long or if I'd skip a day, something like this would always happen. You know... Thunder clouds, Hail storms, Earthquakes... And they would always stop as soon as I was within inches."
Summer couldn't resist a smile. "Awwwwww! That's so sweet!" Red Eyes felt his cheeks turn as red as his eyes.
"You're just like its father!" She exclaimed and burst out in a fit of giggles.
"Hey! Don't laugh. It isn't funny." Red Eyes muttered like a child throwing a tantrum.
"I'm sorry.. You're right." Summer said, wiping a tear from her eyes between short breaths.
Summer stood and Red Eyes raised an eyebrow wondering where this was going. Summer coughed into her fist and said, "On behalf of the citizens of Oblivia, I'd like to thank you, Red, for saving this fortunate Pokémon. You have my deepest gratitude."
Red Eyes knew she was only reciting a line Rangers were taught to thank a person or citizen and it shouldn't have meant anything to him. But he felt his heartbeat quicken as the words poured out. For some reason, he knew that her words were sincere and her smile, genuine.
Red Eyes smiled for the first time in Arceus knows how long.
"Ahh!" Summer exclaimed, making Red Eyes jump wiping the smile from his face.
"What is it?" He got up and saw the egg glowing. "Red Eyes!" Summer said, panicking.
"Calm down, Ranger! It's about to hatch."
In a final burst of light, Summer cried out and Red Eyes reached forward to support her.