AN: Hey guys. This is my first Pokémon fanfic, so I'm sooo sorry if it's a bit OOC or weird sounding. Please R&R b/c you rock. My favorite pairings are lazypervertshipping [Solana x Spenser] and eldershipping [Oak x Delia], so expect to see that a lot. Sorry if you don't like it. :P If you want to make a suggestion, let me know and I'll consider it. For now, enjoy~
South of Fiore
Spenser collapsed onto the rocky ground beneath him, his hands on the piece of shredded fabric that lay on the floor before him. Tears rushed down his face, creating dark splotches in the dirt. Gathering the familiar Ranger jacket between his fingers, he brought it up to his chest, clinging to it as though he could hug its owner.
"Solana…" he whispered, letting his head hang low. After several minutes, Spenser mustered up the strength to stand, though all he wanted to do was fall on the cave floor and die. In his head, he chanted the same words continuously: I will find them, Solana. No matter what it takes. I just hope that I'm not too late.
Quickly, he rushed out of the cave, still sore from his own battle wounds, but determined to catch up to the Night Rangers and Solana. Glancing around, his head still spinning from the hit he had taken earlier, Spenser remembered that Fearow was too injured to make the climb up the steep slope.
Fearow soared through the skies, carrying his partner along for the wonderful ride. The two had one simple mission: to find Solana. According to the intel from Lunick, several people had spotted a flock of Braviary, led by the infamous shiny Braviary, flying toward a smaller island near the shores of Fiore. The Night Rangers, having gained the trust of the Pokémon Rangers, were well known in the Fiore region. Their leader, Johnston, had secretly plotted against the Rangers. When Solana caught on, the NRs decided to put their plan into action and use Solana as bait.
Fearow caught sight of the small island, littered with rocky terrain, and dove in, determined almost as much as its master to find Solana. From the very first time Fearow had carried Solana when she first arrived in Fiore, he cared for her as much as he cared for his partner. Lost in thought, Fearow continued to plunge toward the island, now very close.
"Fearow, veer left!" Spenser cried, just as an arrow zoomed by his right side. Instead, Fearow panicked, terrified by the stream of sharp projectiles, and recklessly swerved in all sorts of directions. Just as Spenser and Fearow crashed into the trees, a female voice cried out: "SPENSER!" Then Spenser's whole world went black.
Spenser stood on the edge of the cliff, ready to hike around the entire island to find Solana. Holding his injured right arm with his left, he used the leftovers from Solana's jacket to forge a sling. Soon, he found himself sliding down the face of the mountain, unsure of his next destination. All he knew was that he had to see Solana again. After their last conversation—more like argument—he knew that it could not be the very last things that they said.
Spenser stood in the Ringtown Base in front of Solana. Her arms were crossed and her face had taken the position that they often did when she was absolutely determined about something.
"Solana, I am sure that you're over-exaggerating," Spenser said, attempting to remain calm.
"Spenser, I am telling you, there is something wrong with those Night Rangers. Sure, they have been helpful in our missions around Fiore, but something about them rubs me the wrong way!" Solana said, unwavering.
"Look, just because they have a different style of solving missions than you does not mean that they are ev—"
"Plus," Solana continued, cutting in again, "I heard them talking last night about stealing the Dragonite Bus!"
"Solana! That's enough!" Spenser said, furrowing his brow and losing his cool composure. "You probably overheard them talking about someone else who had planned to steal the Dragonite Bus. They were probably just planning ways to stop the villain in their tracks."
"I can't believe you would take their side over mine! I thought you of all people would actually listen!" She turned on her heel and headed toward the door.
"Solana, wait! Where are you going?"
"To prove to you that I am right about these goons! I'd ask you to join me, but it looks like I'm all alone on this mission." Without another word, she walked out the door.
"Solana," Spenser replied, reaching his hand out toward her to no avail. The doors slid shut, unusually loud, as though mimicking the fury of the woman who just left. "I wish I could believe you."
Replaying the awful memory in his head made him feel worse than a thousand falls and broken bones could ever try to reach. As he made his way toward where he had left Fearow to heal, Spenser awkwardly reached across his waist for his styler. Thankfully, it had survived the fall, and he was soon calling for back up. Why hadn't I thought of this earlier?
"Lunick here!" a chipper male squawked into the receiver, irritating to the injured Leader.
"Lunick! This is Spenser. I need backup, stat. I'm on the abandoned island south of Summerland. You'll find Fearow less than a half of a mile north of the base of the main cave, near the center of the island. You have to get him back to the Ranger base; he's injured."
"Where will you be, Leader?" Lunick asked, highly perceptive of the fact that Spenser had only left instructions regarding his companion of flight.
"I'll be scouting the island looking for the Night Rangers. If you happen to see activity on your way in, let me know so I can head that direction," Spenser responded, vaguely responding to Lunick.
"I'm on my way, Leader."
"Oh, and Lunick? Watch out for arrows. Spenser out." Picking up the pace, Spenser made his way to Fearow, determined to make sure that his feathered friend was still alright.
Spenser made it to the edge of the pool of water when he caught sight of Fearow, still lying in the same place he had been placed. Gingerly, Spenser checked his wounds and hoped his partner could last until the cavalry arrived. Just as he was about to continue scouting the island, Spenser's styler received an incoming call.
"Leader!" Lunick's familiar voice shouted over the sounds of rushing wind. "I see some activity about a mile west of where you said Fearow would be!"
"What kind of activity?" Spenser asked, hoping to get more information.
"Well, right now," Lunick paused as though distracted, "that's where the arrows are coming from. I'll get back with you when I've landed."
"Right," Spenser responded, already headed in the direction of the arrows. Hopefully, it was the location of a base, and the location of Solana.
About fifteen minutes later, Spenser was perched in a tree, silently peering into the camp. Three metal mechanisms rested in the middle of the camp, definitely the machines used to shoot the arrows at such fast and accurate rates. Three large men sat around a small fire, with their Braviarys nearby, resting. Hmm, I wonder where the leader is. He would be the best way to find Solana, Spenser mused as he continued to scan the perimeter.
Thankfully, Spenser was able to temporarily evade thoughts of his injured partner, who was in capable hands thanks to Lunick and Murph. Unfortunately, Spenser could not simply charge into the campsite. Wits and silence will be necessary to find different views of the grounds. As he slowly climbed back down the tree, awkwardly, thanks to his injured right arm, he stepped on a branch, snapping the twig. Or not.
"What was that?" One thug said, turning toward the direction of the noise.
"I don't know," another responded, "but we better check it out." Quickly, Spenser dashed around, avoiding any more twigs and any more thugs. He had unintentionally created a diversion long enough to sneak around the tent and peer inside.
Coated in ropes and dirt, lying on the ground, he saw his prize. Carelessly, Spenser rushed into the tent and scooped Solana into his uninjured arm.
"Solana," he whispered, hoping to wake her. He had honestly not thought of a way to get the two of them out of the camp, but he knew for certain that it would be easier to accomplish if she could walk on her own. Spenser nervously glanced around, making sure that no one else was in the tent. I suppose I should have looked around before entering the tent in a hurry, he thought, but then decided to lecture himself at a later point.
He watched as Solana's eyes slowly fluttered open, clearly surprised to see him as they quickly grew to the size of Pokéballs. Spenser sat her up and put a finger to his lips just before he reached into his pocket, suddenly grateful for bringing along a small knife, and cut the cords that bound her.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered as he worked, still nervously glancing at the entrance to the tent. Solana turned to him and shook her head, her lips, now free from bondage, turning downward.
"It's not your fault," she responded softly.
"Yes it is. This is all my fault. If I had only listened to you…" he trailed off just as he pulled the final bit of ropes away from her body.
"There's no time for this conversation," Solana smartly remarked, guessing by his whispering that the guards were still on duty. Quickly, they moved to the door, where Spenser moved the fabric slightly to get a look at the situation. The three thugs had returned to their fire, but one of the three Braviarys was not accounted for.
"Solana, I think we're going to have to make a run for it. I can only see two out of the three Braviarys, but that's a risk we'll have to take. Can you run?" Solana nodded. Worst case, Spenser thought, I'll distract them and hopefully Solana can escape.
"Okay," Spenser responded quietly. "Promise me that no matter what, you will run east for a mile until you meet up with Lunick and Murph." Another head nod from Solana, accompanied by a wary look in her eye. "Okay… Ready?" And with a head nod from Spenser, both took off out the door.
Solana made it to the brush and out of sight long before Spenser had imagined she would. He watched as she rounded out eastward and was no longer traceable. About ten feet from the forest line, Spenser saw freedom ahead.
"BRAVIARY-RY!" A giant shriek cut through the sky as a blue creature, no doubt the leader's shiny, slammed onto the ground before Spenser, sending a dust cloud into the air. Although stunned by the entrance, Spenser took advantage of the accidental smog and dashed aside, avoiding the Braviary. His triumph, however, was short lived. The Pokémon slammed into Spenser's hurt arm, sending a shockwave through his body that caused him to collapse onto the ground. The Braviary reared back, ready to send its final blow, staring at its prey as though asking him if he had "any last words".
Spenser braced for an impact that never came. Instead, a large shockwave roared through the air, sending the foe toppling backward.
"Alright, Minun, let's do this!" Lunick cried, sprinting toward Spenser and standing near him.
"Mi-minun!" the small mouse cried.
"Pai-pai!" a similarly-toned mouse responded. Together, the duo paralyzed the Braviary and prepared it for capture. Spenser shakily stood; hoping to appear firm as his mentee successfully captured and released the Braviary, before watching as Lunick proceeded to take on the remaining thugs. Plusle and Minun stood together atop the leader, triumphant.
Solana re-entered the clearing and scooped up her Plusle, never more thankful to see her partner.
"Oh, Plusle! I thought I had lost you!" She said to the small creature.
"And I thought I told you to run for a mile until you reached Murph and Lunick," Spenser teased from behind.
"Well, I did reach Lunick," she shot back with a grin. As if on cue, Murph toppled into the clearing, having tripped on a tree root. "And now, I have caught up with Murph," she concluded, crossing her arms and glancing at Spenser.
Spenser looked down at his fellow ranger with a smile. He lifted his hand up to undo his make-shift sling when Solana's hand caught his arm.
"You need this more than me," she said worriedly, though she tried to hide it. Lunick and Murph moved over to Spenser to give their report.
"Elita and Silent Chris are on their way to help with the disposal of these Night Rangers. Also, Fearow is ready for transport back to Ringtown. You and Solana should go back with the medical team," Lunick finished, stressing that Spenser and Solana had little choice in being returned with the medical team.
Although Spenser wanted to argue, his aching arm forced him to accept Lunick's order and head back toward Fearow and the medical team. The two walked in silence for several minutes.
"I'm sorry," Spenser said, breaking the silence. "I should have believed you." He refused to meet her eyes.
"There was no way you could have known they were going to kidnap Plusle and I. I didn't even see that coming. I thought they were off to steal the Dragonite Bus," Solana replied, as though blaming herself.
"They probably were going to take the Bus… They probably changed motives when they caught wind that you suspected them." The silence returned, still uncomfortable.
"I'm glad you aren't hurt," Spenser once again broke the silence.
"It's too bad you had to take a beating," Solana shot back, eying his arm as well as several other bruises and cuts on his body.
"Actually, I feel like I deserve them in a way." Solana continued to walk in silence, hoping he would elaborate. "It's almost like my punishment for not listening to you." Silence appeared again. "Although I don't know how I could ignore you, because you're so loud." A small sparkle appeared in his eye as he glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow, teasing her.
Solana laughed and reached her arm out to jokingly punch his arm before thinking better about it and dropping her hand to her side again. "It's no fun knowing that I wasn't the one who put you in that sling," she teased. Suddenly, Spenser stopped abruptly and grabbed her arm, realizing that they were close to the medical team.
Solana whirled around toward him, giving him a slightly confused look.
"I'm so glad you're safe," Spenser said, before pulling her into a soft embrace, trying not to hurt his arm. She moved her arms around to his back, rested her cheek on his left shoulder, and closed her eyes.
"Don't you start snoring on me," Spenser said with a chuckle, earning him a light slap to the back of the head. She pulled away slightly, still in an embrace, but also able to look at his face, just inches away. She pressed her lips to his cheek as thanks for saving him.
"Come on, let's go meet up with the medical team," Solana said, walking away. "If you're good, maybe they'll give you a lollipop."
End~
AN: So what did you think? Good, bad, no? Please R&R. One thing I noticed is that I forgot the Plusle part of the story. Also, I really suck at describing battles, so the whole Plusle + Minun thing is really lame. Sorryyyyy ^^. Maybe I'll include it/update it later~