Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon!

~~~Chapter Two~~~

A girl with spiky pigtails groaned as she opened her eyes. Dazedly looking around, she noticed she was lying on a bed in what was apparently a hospital room. She shifted a little and flinched, gritting her teeth, she silently cursed the legendary fire being. She wouldn't even be in a hospital bed if it weren't for that canine scratching her up as badly as it did. Sighing, she shook her head. Then again, it was half her fault. She was the one who decided to try and capture the overwhelmingly strong beast, and being a Ranger isn't a sweet walk-or is the saying 'cake walk'? Bah, it didn't matter.

Rolling onto her left side-facing the door-she blinked, blanking out on something important that happened after she battled Entei. After all, she didn't leave the building by herself; someone had to have carried her out of there, but who...?

She gasped.

Keith.

Keith was the one who came back for her.

But was he okay?

Rolling onto her right and more wounded side, ignoring her protesting injuries, her gaze searched the room. Immediately, her gaze rested on the sleeping figure dressed in loose white hospital clothing similar to her own, facing her, and laying on the bed next to her. She relaxed slightly; leave it to that dolt to be snoozing away while she worried about him. Laughing softly to herself, she stared at his face. Who knew when he was asleep he could appear so calm?

Usually that goofball was always smiling his bright, wide, and signature mischievous grins. He'd always be plotting some prank to pull on some unsuspecting victim. He was creative in his pranking methods. He'd also have that playful smile on when he knew he'd been caught red-handed. However, he could be clever and sly when wiggling his way out of harsh situations or confrontations. He was intelligent and book-smart, yet he did not care to show that side of him, he preferred acting care-free-he had more fun that way. Although he did act childish and enjoyed bragging, he was also rash and stubborn, easily provoked, and hot-blooded. He could also be insanely determined and thickheaded when he wanted to be. Despite all that, he was a caring, and michievious, person who loved making people smile-as well as striving to help others.

"I'm glad you're alright, Spiky."

The ginger opened his eyes and smiled at her, she raised a brow, had he been awake the entire time?

"Same goes for you, Ginger."

Keith chuckled, then winced as he broke into a coughing fit, "Stupid smoke..." He muttered.

Kate opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. Keith, failing to notice her slacked jaw, continued to speak.

"You know, that Entei was a pain! Did you see how he burnt the entire Main Building to ashes? Well, you couldn't have since you fainted, well, I did too, but not before I saved your sorry butt! You shoulda seen me! I was on fire! Well, not literally of course, but, you know what I mean. Anyway, I was so amazing! Too bad you weren't conscious to see me wipe the floors with Entei! And-"

"Your bragging lies are making my ears bleed." Kate interrupted him.

Keith pouted, lips starting to twitch into a grin, "I'm not lying."

"Yes you are! See! You're starting to smile like you always do when you're caught lying!"

Keith turned his head away from the girl, the grin now having taken over his face, "You're just upset that I saved your butt back there."

Kate snorted, "You really should get that nose of your checked, because it looks like it's growing longer, Pinocchio."

Keith chuckled to himself, "Whatever."

Suddenly Kate frowned.

"Hey," He blinked, "What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking... Why do you think Entei came to our school in the first place?"

Keith made a face, "I don't know, but if we meet him again, I'll mop the floors with him."

A smile played itself on her lips, "Suuure, are you sure you're training to become a Ranger? Last time I checked, Pokémon Rangers don't 'mop the floors' with Pokémon they capture."

"What? With the long hair-or is it fur? Eh, it doesn't matter-"He waved a hand nonchalantly, "that he has, he'll make a pretty useful mop, you know!"

Kate rolled her eyes, "But seriously, why did Entei come to our school?"

Her friend cast his gaze to the white tiled floor, "I don't know," he admitted, "I'm just as confused as you are. But," he looked up at her, "Entei's gone now, so we shouldn't worry about him."

Sighing, she stared at the ceiling, "Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Rolling onto her left side, a breath of relief escaped her mouth, glad to be laying on the less cut up side. The red-head, having heard the sound, perked his ears.

"Kate?"

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Didn't you ask me that already?"

"Yeah... But that noise..."

She rolled her eyes once more, "Keith," she chided, "I'm trying to sleep now."

There was a pause.

"Why?"

Kate wanted to slap her forehead, or at least slap some sense into the boy, instead she calmly explained, "Because we both need to rest and recover from our injuries. I figure I should hurry and get better so while your still laying around groaning because you didn't rest when you should have, I'll be fully healed to deal with you."

"Ouch." He said sarcastically, "That hurts Kate, hurts. You're making my injuries worse. See? Look, my finger's bleeding."

Kate shook her head and chose not to respond.

Keith smirked and spoke in a baby voice, "Owy, maybe you should kiss it and make it better."

Stifling a half-sigh and half-chuckle, Kate muttered, "How did you get a paper cut in a hospital room lacking books? Forget that, since when do you read?"

Keith grinned, successfully detouring her from her original plan with his not-so-fancy-lie-story, "Well, you see, it's a funny story actually..."

Kate then chose to promptly ignore him and shut her eyes.

"Hey. Kate? Are you listening? Kate~ Kate? Kaaaate. Kate. KataKataKataKata!" Eventually the persistent boy sighed, giving up on continuing to annoy the girl. He pouted to himself, now he was bored with no one to talk to-well, that wasn't true. But the other someone in the room was just going to ignore him, so it's pretty much the same thing as talking to no one. With a shake of his head, he was about to roll over onto his right side-the side facing the wall-when he noticed his friend's steady, even breathing, in pace with the rise and fall of her chest-well the side of her chest from his viewpoint.

He blinked and wondered what kind of wounds his companion had sustained from her fight with Entei, surely much worse than his if she was able to fall asleep that quickly when he was around pestering her. Glancing around nervously, he slowly slid out of his bed and approached hers. Close up, he could see just how many small ointment coated, cuts and burns were on her face.

Involuntarily, Keith sharply took in air, hissing with a slight sense of sympathy for his buddy-knowing fully well she must have been hurting more than she let on. He sagged his shoulders slightly, perhaps his teasing helped distract her focusing on her injuries. That, or he'd made her worse. He smiled, slightly, knowing Kate he'd probably helped her. She'd be back on her feet in no time flat.

Satisfied that his friend was alright-kinda-he edged backwards and was about to slip back into his bed when a murmur from his sleep-talking temporary roommate made him hesitate.

"People who... Stare at people... when they're sleeping... are... rude..." She trailed off, obviously entering a deeper level of sleep.

Keith blushed, instinctively raising his shoulders in embarrassment. Only to flinch when the burns on his skin rubbed together and he let his shoulders drop. The loose hospital clothing he was wearing slid gently around his collarbone from his movement. Slowly lowering himself back under the covers, ignoring most of his minor burns, he leaned against the pillows and closed his eyes.

A dreamless sleep soon followed.

~(**)~

The red-head was abruptly awoken by a loud squeal. Shooting up in his bed-which was a grand mistake on his part as he was sent groaning back into the pillows-the pain of his injuries suddenly made aware to his mind.

"KEITH!" A girl-who he failed to recognize- screamed.

"Wha-?"

Wearily Keith lazily slid his gaze over to the door as he slowly sat up. Quirking a brow in surprise, he was suddenly attacked by a girl moving fast enough to be a blur as she flew through the air. She crashed into him, pushing him back into the pillows in the process.

"OW!" Keith exclaimed, trying to push the girl off of him

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? That fire was fierce! How's your burns? You're face is all cut up and bruised and burned! Did you really meet Entei? And-"

"AGH!" Keith shouted, interrupting the stranger, "Get off! You're giving me more bruises!"

"Oh! Sorry!" Immediately she clambered off of the still injured boy and hopped onto the floor.

Now that she was standing still, Keith finally got a good look at her. She was young, around nine years perhaps? Only five years younger than him. She wore her long blonde hair in a high side ponytail on the left side of her head, leaving her remaining bangs to curve around her right eye in a child-like fashion. Her eyes were bright, and her smile perky as she gazed at him with wide green orbs. Four happinny trailed behind her, slowly and caustiously-yet curiously-entering the room.

Having finished looking her over, Keith spoke, "So, um, who are you?"

The girl smiled, giggling happily, "Mimi's name is Mimi!"

Keith felt a brow rising in slight surprise when he heard the child adress herself in third person.

"Er... Okay..." He brightened, "Well, my name's The Amazing One, but you can call me Keith."

He extened a hand for her to shake, which she took happily giggling.

But of course, there is always someone who must ruin his moment

"Are you filling a young child's head with lies again, Keith?"

Keith smiled innocently, leaning a little to the side to peer behind Mimi, "My dear Spiky," He chuckled, "Whatever could I be lying about?"

The pig tailed girl snorted, her expression amused, as she calmly met his gaze, "Oh yes," she mocked, sarcasm dripping from her tone, "You are so amazing, and wonderful, I am awed by you're presence oh, The Amazing One."

Keith cheery grin grew wider, "I knew you thought I was amazing!" Happily he leaned back into his pillows, singing.

"Spiky thinks I'm amazing! Spiky thinks I am wonderful! Spiky, oh, Spiky, Spiky loves m-"

Suddenly a pillow decided to body slam his face and tackle him off the bed.

"OW!" Keith exclaimed, getting on his knees and slinging an arm onto the bed, "You didn't need to throw me off the bed, Spik-"

"AGH!"

Keith ducked to avoid another pillow sailing his way. He grinned idiotically, obviously forgetting about the visitor and his injuries as he picked up a pillow of his own. Holding the fluffy object protectively over his head, he peeked above the bed to watch Kate. A smile of her own was lit on her face as she met Keith's stare, a challenge glinting in her eyes as she plotted a stradegy. Keith's grin widened. Quickly he reached for a previously assailing pillow laying near him on the floor. Smiling to himself, he took aim, and threw.

Apparently Kate was playing baseball.

Using the pillow in hand, she whacked the pillow back at him. Surprised, Keith failed to duck in time to avoid being hit, and thus was sent sprawling to the floor. Hyper on laughter now, he grabbed a pillow, and chucked it back at Kate without looking.

Too bad his aim was off.

The pillow socked the visitor and she went falling to the floor. The four Happiny rushed to her side, looking worried.

Kate stifled a laugh as she asked if the girl was okay. Keith, on the otherhand, was far worse off. Unable to hold back his laughter, he rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach as he laughed at his victim. Grinning like an idiot, he continued to laugh with his eyes closed.

That was a mistake on his part.

"Oh, Ginger~"

Assailing pillows began pouring attacks at him, laughing manically, he tried to dodge them. However, outnumbered by soft squares and two girls along with four Happiny-the visitor had joined in the battle-he was easily beat.

But not for long.

The girls ran out of ammo, Keith had all the pillows now.

Getting to his feet, still hyper from fun, Keith smirked and raised pillow filled hands.

The war had only just begun.

~(**)~

After many battles, Keith lost-but he would never admit he did, instead choosing to claim he was tired and didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings if he made them lose. The trio, having calmed down, gathered the pillows and put them back properly on each bed. Kate and Keith, now tired and sore, climbed back into their own beds.

It was then that Keith remembered something relatively important.

"Oh, hey," he began, looking at the young girl, "You said your name was Mimi, right?"

The girl looked at him, and nodded, "Yep!"

Keith glanced at the four Happiny behind her, all playing with one another, before he returned his gaze to the girl, confusion in his eyes, "I never met you before, and I've never seen you around here, so how did you know my name and about Entei?"

Mimi smiled, "Oh, that's easy! Papa told Momma, and Momma told Mimi!"

Keith cocked his head, "Papa?"

Kate, having heard the conversation, drifted her gaze over to the girl, listening.

Mimi blinked, confused, but then her eyes cleared as realization sunk in.

"You don't know? Mimi's papa is Mr. Lamont."

Keith raised a brow, still slightly annoyed by the way she addressed herself in third person, but nonetheless decided to query, "Your father's this school's principle?"

"Yep!" she replied cheerfully

"Okay then..." Keith shrugged, unsure of what to say now.

A few minutes of silence passed until a nurse entered the room. Upon spotting the young girl, she told her the two students needed rest. The young girl happily walked over, waved farewell, and left.

The nurse shifted her attention to focus on the two students.

"I hope she wasn't too much trouble." The lady apologized.

Keith grinned, "Nah, she was fun."

The nurse smiled and turned to Kate, "Kate, your bandages need to be changed now," Kate nodded and the nurse proceeded to help her to the bathroom, locking the door, and leaving the jokester alone.

He pouted, "Wait, now there's no one to talk to..."

~(**)~

A few minutes passed and Kate finally walked out of the bathroom with the nurse's aid.

"Keith," The nurse spoke, walking over, "Your turn."

Keith sighed, "Yea, yeah, okay, I know," and followed the nurse to the bathroom.

~(**)~

After being re-patched, the nurse left, leaving Keith to plop onto his bed and stare at the cieling.

Silence.

"I'm hungry." Keith whined.

Kate sighed.

And threw a pillow.