Author's Note:
Hey guys. This is my first attempt at fan fiction, and I'm a generally new member around the site. I sincerely hope I don't fail your expectations as a reader, but hey, I'm trying my best. I thought I'd start out with a little bit of Pokémon fan fiction, mainly because I literally just finished the Pokémon Ranger game, which is always fun. For the record, it's the first one, that old one that no one seems to play except for me, because I'm a geek.
I'll be using most of the characters from the video game. I give credit to Nintendo for those characters from the game and of course the different locations (Fall City, Ringtown, etc.). Nintendo owns Pokémon and all of its content.
I apologize about the cliché beginning, but I promise you, this plot will veer from the video game. All NPC's are mine and the plot is of my creation as well.
Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please no bashing my story. Constructive criticism is allowed, but don't just outright insult me without trying to help me at the same time.
Here goes nothing!
Dear Sarah,
It seems to me that you have the makings of a great Ranger. You understand that Pokémon and humans are meant to live in harmony and peace, and that Pokémon are not tools for humans to use. From the other letters you've sent me, you appear to be compassionate, kindhearted, and determined.
I would love to meet you in person. Come to the Ranger Base in Ringtown and we can be acquainted there.
Sincerely, Spenser
My heart began to pound, and excitement coursed through my veins. I had received it! I had finally received the letter that I had been waiting for! Spenser had accepted me and now I was to be appointed a Ranger!
I flew upstairs to my room, the important paper stuffed hurriedly back inside its envelope, the official Rangers' seal crumpled slightly on the thick material. Grinning wildly, I blasted through the door, knocking over a few of my belongings. Various plushies of different types of Pokémon plopped softly to the floor, the fluffy, cottony fabric dampening the noise of impact. My wallpaper and thick, fuzzy carpet were both decorated with the Ranger seal as well as hordes of colorful Pokémon. I even had an official Ranger's uniform that I had "borrowed" the last time I had visited the Pokémon Ranger Base. I visited it often, taking impromptu tours by myself, exploring the training grounds and whatnot. I had even stumbled very conveniently upon the laundry room, where I had sneaked away a fresh, clean uniform. You could say I was a hardcore fan, or rather, an insane stalker.
I quickly changed into the Ranger's uniform and started shouting at my parents incoherent phrases that they interpreted as me being accepted, those smart little cookies. Racing out the front door, I grabbed enough money for the hourly ferry to Ringtown and hollered good bye to my folks. I told them I'd write when I had time. And just like that, I was gone, on to bigger and better things.
"We are arriving at Ringtown. Please gather all of your belongings and proceed to the exit, where crew members will help direct you. Stay on board until the ship arrives to a complete stop and wait until the ramps are lowered so that you may step onto the docks safely. Thank you for riding the ferry."
The crackling voice over the intercom sent blood rushing through my veins, and I was the first person to shoot out of my seat and dash toward the exit. A crew member steadied me when I nearly went overboard in my desperation to get onto dry land and into Ringtown.
"Aren't you excited," The lady flashed me a bright smile, but there was caution in her eyes. I bet she was afraid I was going to try to swim to land again in my enthusiasm to get to our destination.
"I'm going to be made a Ranger in Ringtown, so I can't wait," I grinned exuberantly back.
"That explains your clothes," The crew member smiled more sincerely this time, and released her hold on me. "Please wait until we lower the ramps. We can't have a drowning Ranger on our hands, now can we? Good luck, by the way. I'll be sure to call on you for help if I ever run into trouble with a Pokémon."
"Thank you," I waited impatiently as the wooden ramps were lowered and set up. As soon as they were finished, I merrily skipped off of the ferry, drawing quite a bit of attention as I left the docks.
While I was passing the tourist center, a sharp impact sent me sprawling to my feet.
"Owww," A pained voice came from next to me as I lay writhing on the ground, struggling to regain my senses. Stars flitted around the edges of my blackened vision, and I held my head as soreness made it throb.
"I am so sorry," I gasped, watching the poor person I blasted over in my hurry manage to get on his feet. A strong, lean arm helped pull me up, and I found myself face to face with a boy taller than me, but around my age. Bright, wide cobalt eyes matched messy, spiky, shaggy hair that hung in his sparkling, mischievous eyes. His hair was a deep bluish color, and I found myself staring into his never-ending fantasies of eyes. A square jaw, high cheekbones, and a prominent bone structure created a pure, openhearted face that was handsome and attractive. There was a naïve air around him, and yet I trusted him immediately. You could tell he was charismatic, outgoing, and dependable; just being around me made you brighten up and you automatically felt like you knew him, like you could trust him.
"It's fine," His cheerful voice was uplifting, and his crooked smile was probably the most amazing thing I had ever seen. His tanned skin and muscular, lithe body added all up to an image of probably the cutest guy I had ever seen in my entire life. The Ranger's uniform he was wearing hung loosely, but snugly around his lean, but powerful build.
"I wasn't watching where I was going. I was just really excited and I wasn't paying attention," I started babbling like I always do whenever I was nervous.
"Calm down," The stranger laughed good-naturedly. "I honestly don't mind that much. If Minun's all right, so am I." A squeaking, adorable little Pokémon with milky white and shimmering blue fur sparked with glowing, dark blue electricity.
"My name is Sarah," I held out my hand, and he accepted the handshake. His hands were rough, yet smooth at the same time. They were that type of hands. The type that you can't describe, but once you shake someone's hands and they have those roughly smooth hands, you know that they have those contradiction hands. You just know.
"Lunick," Lunick blinked at me, all smiles. "Are you a Ranger?"
"Not yet," I replied breathlessly. "I'm going to go through training here though."
"So you're that new Ranger Spenser was talking about. You're quite the topic around here. Say, where'd you get that uniform?"
"I kind of found it."
"So we've got a stalker on our hands. You little thief," His joking tone and the teasing glint in his eyes made me feel a bit lightheaded with relief. I was afraid Lunick would be angry that I had stolen a uniform, him being an expert Ranger and all.
"Sorry," I mumbled sheepishly.
"It's a bit big on you, but you look great in it. Like an actual Ranger," Lunick winked at me. "How about I escort you the rest of the way to the Ranger Base?"
"Thanks," I trailed after Lunick, watching my step around the Minun so as to not accidentally step on it.
"This is it," Lunick led me through the doors to the Ranger Base and brushed against me reassuringly.
"Don't be nervous. Spenser's a good leader. He won't bite, and neither will any of the other Rangers, including me." He winked at me again and stepped to the side.
"Spenser's upstairs with his Fearow," A kind of chubby boy with an even chubbier Slowpoke lurked in the corner. His rumpled Ranger's outfit and pink cheeks reminded me a little kid, even though he was probably my age.
"You'll just have to wait then. Why don't you get acquainted with Murph? He's another Ranger here, obviously." Lunick leaned against the wall, a permanently pleasant look on his face. In the short time I had known him it was already clear what a docile, friendly disposition he had. Lunick seemed brave and courageous, too, and from his muscular, slender build, it was clear he was strong and confident as well. He was also one of those nature buff types, and clearly had to respect the environment and Pokémon in order to be a Ranger. An aura of trust and energy surrounding him made you always feel psyched around Lunick. It was as if his face was programmed to always have that mischievous, brooding glint in his eyes and that silly, crooked grin plastered widely on his face.
I wandered over to Murph and said hello, patting his Slowpoke.
"I rather like your Pokémon," I complimented. "It has a glazed look in its eyes that reminds me of your expression."
"I get that a lot!" Murph said excitedly. His half-lidded eyes were sleepy and he seemed to be rather incompetent of Ranger status, but he was friendly enough and seemed to be a goodhearted person.
"Hey boss," Lunick called out casually as the elevator doors opened, revealing a tall, imposing man with a mane of greenish, silvery hair. His face was young and energetic, and upon closer inspection, the silver streaks in his hair were not from old age, but were actually natural highlights.
"What odd hair he has," I mumbled aloud quietly to myself. Lunick shot a look at me, and an amused chuckle escaped from his lips. Blushing furiously, I chastised myself and vowed to keep my mouth shut until Spenser was finished talking to me.
"This is Sarah," Lunick suddenly appeared at my side, placing his head on my shoulder while, of course, grinning wildly. "She's that awesome new trainee Ranger you were raving about. I read your letters. They were pretty good. Almost like poetry,"
"Oh, quit bothering her Lunick. I apologize for his annoying behavior." Spenser huffed jokingly, a glimmer of a smile on his serious face.
"Lunick's not that annoying," I replied uncomfortably, not sure how to handle the situation.
"Say, where'd you get that outfit?" Spenser noted absentmindedly.
"I gave it to her," Lunick cut in before I could reply. "I showed her to the Ranger Base and supplied her with a new uniform. If she's going through training, I thought Sarah should look the part."
"Ah," Spenser acknowledged Lunick's response with a nod of his head. Murph yawned in the corner.
"Thanks," I whispered underneath my breath. Lunick grinned and flashed yet another wink at me. That was probably the third time today, but it never seemed to get old with him.
Leaning against my shoulder, Lunick blew his bangs out of his eyes. "Should I give Sarah the grand tour?"
"Let me explain things first, Lunick. Patience, grasshopper," Spenser smiled widely.
Lunick chuckled before striding away to stand next to Murph, his hands in his pockets. "I am no grasshopper, sensei." The whole "grasshopper" "sensei" thing seemed to be an inside joke between the two Rangers. Murph yawned again.
"I'm sure you already know some basics about being a Ranger, given the information in your letters. Rangers must be dedicated and determined. They help everyone in the world, both humans and Pokémon. They must be compassionate and loyal, and they have to understand the balance of Pokémon and humans. You seem to have that understanding.
"This is a Styler. You use it to capture Pokémon in order to receive their help with tasks or to calm them down if they are injured or angry." Spenser brought out his Styler and turned it on. Twirling it around, Spenser drew glowing blue loops around in the air.
"Think fast," Lunick tossed something to me, and I caught it easily.
"Nice reflexes," He complimented mildly, a playful glint in his steady gaze. "That's your official Styler. Turn it on and bask in its glory."
"Quiet, grasshopper," Spenser smiled. A beeping noise emanated from Spenser's Styler. I assumed it was a text message.
"Darn, I have to take this. Lunick, Murph, I trust you know how the orientation works. Explain the how the Styler works to Sarah and introduce her to the rest of the Rangers on the base. Afterwards, you can begin her training if I'm not back."
"Got it, boss," Lunick began to toss his Styler around, throwing it behind his back and around his legs and arms. It was a bit like watching a game of hacky sack, but with only one person.
Spenser retreated back upstairs using the elevator. Murph yawned in the corner, and was currently lightly dozing.
"Oi, Murph!" Lunick shook Murph awake. "It's time for Sarah's orientation."
After Murph woke up fully, Lunick and Murph – but mostly Lunick – began the lengthy explanation of using all of the Capture Styler's functions. Lunick then went on to explain the process of capturing a Pokémon and then using captured Pokémon in order to complete tasks, such as burning a log in the way or breaking a large boulder obstructing a doorway.
"That's about it. If you don't mind, I think we should just get started training. Introducing you to all the Rangers gets rather tedious. You should meet most of them on the training grounds, where all Rangers go to polish up their skills." Lunick finished his lecture, leading me out the door and outside.
"Are you ready to go train?"