Hey, everyone! This is just as funny one-shot that I thought of while thinking about my Pokemon Ranger story I might write soon. Yes, I had the opening song "Bright Eyes" from Watership Down running through my head when I wrote this. Most of my stories always seem to come into existence while I listen to music… Oh well! Sorry if Keith or Isaac are OOC, guys. Hope you like it anyways.
I do not own Pokemon Ranger 2 or its characters. I only own my character. End of discussion. This takes place between losing the Yellow Gem and the HQ invasion. Originally, it was just a HeroxIsaac story but I just couldn't leave poor Keith out. Onto the story!
Pokemon Ranger: Kisses at Sunset
Sharran sighed, resting her chin in her hands. The Pokemon Ranger was seated in the grass outside the Ranger HQ. Only moments ago, Operation Brighton was announced but Sharran hardly felt up for the challenge. She still felt down about losing the Yellow Gem to Heath in Haruba Desert.
Heath tugged the captive Keith out of the helicopter and put him on the ground, directly within Sharran's view. "I imitate Keith good, yes? Mimic him like he was me, right?" he asked.
"Sneas…sneasel sneas!" her Sneasel partner screeched.
"Bad! Bad weasel!" Heath barked. "You no beat me, weasel! No one beat Heath!"
"I'll beat you!" Sharran shouted.
"No, me no fight now. You save Keith, right?" Heath asked. "Give me Yellow Gem and Keith free."
"Don't do it, Sharran! Just run!" Keith cried. "I can handle this big brute!"
"Keith…" Sharran whimpered, her hand tightening on the Yellow Gem.
"Make quick choice, Ranger. Save friend or lose friend." Heath watched, already knowing her answer.
Finally, Sharran lowered her head and nodded. "You win. Let Keith go. This isn't worth losing Keith over. I'll give you the Yellow Gem!" She tossed the crescent moon-shaped gem as hard as she could.
Heath laughed, catching the gem in one hand. "Me get Yellow Gem for boss. You get Keith back now." He shoved the boy forward and Sharran caught him.
"Sharran, you shouldn't have done it," Keith muttered.
"I'm sorry, Keith. I couldn't lose you. You're my best…friend." Sharran began to cry and Keith was the only one there to comfort her.
Sharran sighed sadly. Sneasel was seated by her side, watching the nearby Staraptor fly in circles overhead. Then a shadow fell over the pair, causing the Dark/Ice-type's fur to bristle. The Sneasel jumped up and held her claws at the ready, hissing. "Sneasel sneas! Sneas sneas!" she snarled.
"Hey, calm down! I'm just here to see what's got your partner down in the dumps, Sneasel." It was Sven and Wendy, two Top Rangers living at the Ranger Union HQ. Wendy knelt by Sharran's side and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, mind if we talk?"
"Sure, why not?"
Something about Sharran's tone bugged Sven and he was pretty sure he knew what it was. "Are you still upset about losing the Yellow Gem?" he asked.
"…Maybe,"
"Don't worry about it, Sharran. You did your best and that's what counts!" Wendy said.
"Keith could have been hurt or worse if I didn't give it up!" Sharran complained. "I lost the Yellow Gem and I nearly lost Keith! Some Pokemon Ranger I am…"
"You did the best you could at the time, Sharran. Nobody else could have beaten both Cresselia and Magnezone in a row and still had the nerve to stand up against Team Dim Sun." Sven exclaimed. "You've done things unimaginable to any other Pokemon Ranger, Sharran. That's incredible."
"Then why don't I feel incredible?" Sharran asked. "I just feel exhausted, upset, and angry."
Sven and Wendy nodded to each other. "That's why I've asked Chairperson Erma to give you a little time off."
"But what about Team Dim Sun? The Incredible Machine? Operation Brighton?" Sharran asked. "Won't I be needed?"
"Maybe," Sven muttered. "But you're exhausted and stressed out as it is, Sharran. You've worked hard enough today. Wendy's taking you to Vientown to stay with the Area Rangers for a brief vacation. Isaac will be going as well to calm his frazzled nerves, too. You can rest and relax there."
"Are you sure? What about Keith?" Sharran asked.
"Keith has opted to stay here for now," Sven replied. "Unless something changes his mind. Actually, he has no idea you and Isaac are leaving. It'll only be for the day, so make it worth it."
"If you say so…"
Wendy sighed, sensing Sharran's sadness. "Don't worry. Keith will be all right and we'll get the Yellow Gem back. I promise,"
"Promises won't stop the Incredible Machine, Wendy." Sneasel jumped into Sharran's arms as the Ranger stood up.
"You'd be surprised what a simple promise is capable of, Sharran." Wendy said, standing up. Staraptor landed by her side and she climbed onto his back. "Go get Isaac, Sharran. We're leaving the moment you come back."
"If you say so, Wendy," The brunette retreated inside to locate the blonde boy genius.
Sven and Gwen looked at each other. "Do you think this will really work, Wendy? I don't think leaving headquarters will do her much good." Sven argued.
"It'll get her mind off of losing the Yellow Gem, Sven. Just trust me on this." Wendy replied. "Besides, maybe seeing old friends will help her calm down. She's just a kid and yet she's facing the best of an evil organization bent on world domination."
"I know," Sven nodded. "What's the world coming to?"
After she found Isaac, Wendy carried both of them toward Vientown on her Staraptor. Sven simply waved as they left before he went back into the Ranger Union. He had a certain Ranger to talk to. This is gonna be an interesting vacation for Sharran, Sven thought, smiling.
Barlow and the other Area Rangers of Vientown were already waiting outside as the Staraptor landed before them. Wendy hopped off its back to greet them before helping Sharran and Isaac off. "We're in a bit of a mess at the Union, so I thought you guys might take care of Sharran and Isaac for a bit," she explained.
"No problem! We'd love to have Sharran around again!" Crawford laughed, striking his Ranger pose.
"Not again…" Barlow groaned, slapping a hand over his face.
The others laughed except Sharran, who simply smiled. Her mind was still thinking over the decision about the Yellow Gem. Suddenly, she was jerked out of her thoughts by the Staraptor taking off behind them. Wendy said her goodbyes before departing, leaving the Top Ranger and former Team Dim Sun scientist behind. I hope Keith is okay, Sharran prayed.
"Hey, Sharran!" Luana cried. "It's good to see you again. You've been so busy fighting Team Dim Sun that you haven't come to visit in a while."
"Luana! It's not her fault, it's Team Dim Sun's!" Crawford scolded. "Besides, she's here now."
"Oh, who cares about Team Dim Sun at a time like this?" Elaine asked, brushing a few brown bangs from her face. "Good to have you around again, Sharran. Who's your friend?"
"I'm Isaac," Isaac explained. "Mr. Kincaid tricked me into working for Team Dim Sun, but now I'm helping Prof. Hastings find a way to stop them."
"Cool!" Elaine laughed. "So, you're Sharran's boyfriend?"
"What?!" the duo cried. "No!"
"Elaine, that wasn't funny!" Crawford said. "Though…"
"You two do look cute together." Luana finished.
"All right, enough with the teasing!" Barlow ordered. "I know you're all excited that Sharran's back but how about you cool it a tad? Sharran, welcome back. We've missed you."
"I've missed this place, too." Sharran looked around, taking in the town and surrounding forest. To think only two weeks ago, I lived here with these guys. Now I'm a Top Ranger fighting to save the world from Team Dim Sun. It all happened so fast…too fast. Far too fast for my liking.
"Sharran? Are you okay?"
"Huh?" She looked up to see Crawford standing beside her. "What were you saying?"
"I was asking how long you'd be staying here. Are you okay? You spaced out,"
"I…I have a lot on my mind right now. Wendy said we'd be spending the day here." Sharran replied. "Operation Brighton will be starting tomorrow. We have to be completely prepared."
"Well, you'll be relaxing today. We're gonna make sure of it!" Luana exclaimed. "No work for you today, Sharran. I can promise you that!"
The whole day was spent exploring and chatting the day away. Despite his original tenseness, Isaac gradually started to relax and talk freely to the Rangers. True to her word, Luana ensured that Sharran's styler was kept untouched the whole day. The day ended with a picnic dinner on Breeze Hill.
"Whew! That was delicious!" Crawford cried, flopping backward in the grass.
"So, how was your vacation, Sharran?" Elaine asked.
"Wonderful. Thanks, everyone. I guess I needed this." Sharran stared at the clouds, only to notice Sneasel staring at the entrance to the ridge. "Sneasel, what are you doing?"
"Maybe she's staring at the ocean," Luana suggested. "Well, I'm exhausted. Who's coming back to the base with me?"
Elaine and Crawford both joined her as they left. Only moments later, a very familiar face appeared. "This is where you were, Sharran! Don't do that! You scared me when you and Isaac just vanished like that!" It was Keith!
"Hey, nice seeing you again," Barlow greeted. "I better be heading back too before those guys do something they're not supposed to. See you in a while, Sharran." Barlow left, leaving the trio alone.
Sharran was seated near the edge, staring toward the setting sun. Isaac was seated to her left, eyes watching the ground. Keith finally settled down on Sharran's other side, looking away from his friends. They all remained silent aside from the sounds of Sneasel and Buizel playing just as short ways behind them. It was Isaac who finally broke the silence.
"What are you doing here, Keith?"
"I came looking for you and Sharran. You two always get into trouble if I'm not around." Keith looked up at Sharran and noticed the sad look in her eyes. "What's wrong, Sharran? It is about the Yellow Gem?"
"…Yeah,"
"Sharran, I thought you were done thinking about that." Isaac pointed out. "So what if you had to give it to Heath? Keith is safe and we'll get it back. It's in the past now. There's no point regretting what couldn't be changed."
"I know, Isaac. It's just, I…I wish it hadn't happened." Sharran finally muttered.
"Sharran, I'm fine thanks to you. Stop thinking about and keep moving forward!" Keith urged. "It's not like you to worry about things like that. Why are you doing this?"
"Because I…I…" Because I can't stop imagining what could have happened to you if I had chosen wrong, Sharran thought. "I don't want to lose anyone to Team Dim Sun!"
"Sharran…you saved both Keith and I from them." Isaac said. "If it wasn't for you, the Incredible Machine might've been finish by now. If it wasn't for you, Keith might've been in even worse danger than just kidnapping. It's thanks to you that we were both saved. We're grateful for all you've done."
Keith and Isaac glanced at each other before the brunette stood up. "Isaac, could I talk to you?"
"I guess so."
Sharran watched as the duo walked off, whispering. Eventually, the whispering evolved into a faint argument. All she heard was "likes me", "mushroom head", "overconfident fool", and a few other insults. After a few minutes, they returned and stopped in front of her.
"Truce?" Keith asked.
"Truce," Isaac agreed. "For now, at least,"
The boys returned to their spots on either side of Sharran. "What were you guys arguing about?" she asked warily. "I hope it didn't involve me."
"The setting sun is magnificent, isn't it?" Isaac asked, ignoring Sharran's question.
"Uh…yeah. I like watching the sunset." Sharran looked back toward the brightly-lit water as the sun sank below its waves. "Everyday I lived in the Ranger Base here, I'd come out here and watch it. It's beautiful."
"Yeah, just like you." Keith's eyes widened when he realized what he said. "Aah! Did I say that? Oops!"
"Huh?" Sharran smiled, blushing. "You're silly, Keith."
"It looks like your eyes are glowing when you look at the sunset, Sharran." Isaac pointed out. "I think it's lovely."
"Thanks, Isaac." What's with these two all of a sudden? Sharran wondered, her blush growing brighter.
"I've heard that if you kiss the one you love most during a sunset, you're destined to be with them forever." Isaac suddenly said. "At least, that's what a Pokemon legend once said. Maybe it works for humans, too."
"Well, maybe we should test it." Keith chuckled.
"We?" Isaac asked.
"Sure, why not? We'll fight if we both don't do it, Isaac." Keith replied.
"What are you two planning?" Sharran asked, starting to get worried.
"And what if it works?" Isaac demanded.
"Well…we're stuck. But who cares, really?" Keith said. "You in or not?"
"Fine, but only because she'll need someone smart in her life, unlike a risk-taking fool like you."
"Oh, you better take that back, mushroom head!"
"Why does everyone always make fun of my hair?!"
"Why are you two fighting?!" Sharran shouted.
The two boys fell silent before glaring at each other. "Now?" Isaac asked.
"Now," Keith nodded.
Before Sharran could say a single word, the duo kissed her cheeks at the same time just before the sun completely vanished. Her face turned bright red while Sneasel and Buizel simply stared in surprise. After what felt like an eternity, the boys pulled away and started mumbling. Sharran finally got her voice back. "What was that about?"
"Well, we…" Keith started.
"We both kind of…" Isaac began.
"Have this crush…"
"We love you, Sharran…"
Sharran blinked in confusion before smiling. She wrapped an arm around her two friends. "I should've known. Isaac, I noticed how you acted but I never noticed anything odd about Keith. Either way, I guess love never came to mind."
"So, does that mean—?"
"Do you hate us?" Keith asked.
"What? No!" Sharran laughed. "I don't hate you, either of you. I'm just…surprised. Who'd have thought two of my old classmates would start fighting over me like that?"
"Mr. Kincaid, actually. It's the reason he was so angry at me when you found me." Isaac admitted. "He purposely tried to make me forget about you, Sharran."
"The nerve of that guy!" Keith growled. "When I find him, I'll…Grrrr!"
"Cool it, Keith. We can deal with him once we execute Operation Brighton tomorrow." Sharran reassured. "For now, how about we head back to Vientown? Barlow must be wondering where we are."
"Sure," Keith nodded.
"Let's go!" Isaac cried.
As they headed back to the Vientown Ranger Base, Sharran held both Isaac and Keith's hands. Though she couldn't make up her mind entirely, she decided that she would stay with both of her friends. Even if that legend of the forever love came true, she didn't mind. She liked both of them already. How different could love be?
Unfortunately, rumors were flying once they returned to the Ranger Union HQ the following morning. "So, did you three kiss yet?" Chairperson Erma chuckled.
It only took Keith seconds to realize who the culprit was: the very same person who sent him to search for Sharran in the first place. "SVEN!!" he shouted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, how was it? Sorry if it seems a bit bad on the romance part. This didn't turn out how I wanted it to. Then again, when do most of them? They always seem better in my head for some reason…
Also, I just found out that there will be a PMD3 game called Explorers of the Sky. It's practically a direct sequel to PMD2 and includes Grovyle and Dusknoir! Hooray! The partners have also been expanded to include Riolu, Vulpix, Phanpy, Shinx, and Eevee. It hasn't come out in Japan yet but I can't wait to find out more about it. This is so exciting!
I hope you liked it anyways. Please review!