Chapter 2: Back To Life
Alfa stepped onto the boat, interested in what would come next. Steven was standing next to him, the boat driving itself. There was no steering wheel, nor was there a throttle. Alfa guessed that it had been programmed to go to and from one destination only. Steven's secret base. He remembered the day he had first met Steven on South-Cross Island. The two of them had been pushed out of the buggy on the school field trip to the safari zone by the other kids and had fallen into the river:
After frantically pulling each other to shore, Steven had introduced himself. They had been about seven at the time.
"What are we going to do!?" Steven had cried out, starting to panic.
"Don't worry! I can get us out of here." Alfa had responded, panicking internally at the thought of what might happen to the two of them if this didn't work. He thought hard, focusing on one word: LATIOS. The two of them were lucky. Latios, Later to become Alfa's closest Pokémon friend, had caught Alfa's thought and located them, dragging the two of them out, barely above the trees. That experience had brought the two of them close together, and they were never seen without each other, until Steven moved off to Hoenn.
Steven's secret base was decorated with steel patterned, steel designed, and the occasional steel object. They had caught up on the times there.
"I heard that you had died. Frankly, I didn't know what to say when I saw you in Meteor Falls." He said as they sat down with their Pokémon socializing next to each other. Before they left, Alfa told him about the location of his secret base, so that they could leave messages for each other, and meet each other.
A few days later, he ran into two kids on their journeys through Hoenn, one aiming to conquer the gyms, and the other aiming to conquer the contest circuit: Ruby and Sapphire. They were interesting kids. Upon re-entering his secret base, Alfa found a package from Steven lying on the glass table. He read the note before opening it:
'Dear Alfa,
Inside this package are a keystone and a collection of mega stones that I will never use. Mega evolution is an interesting thing. Use them well. You should be able to figure it all out. I'm off to Unova for a while. You'll hear from me soon again. I'm going to propose to Elesa.
Use the stones well
Steven'
After getting over the initial shock that his closest childhood friend was likely to be engaged soon, Alfa opened the package. Inside were small black boxes with the label of the mega stone inside on the front. After sorting out the mega stones and handing the ones which belonged with his Pokémon to them, he had fitted the keystone into his new gear, which was what he called the new version of Ionix. He set out, never expecting what was to come next.
Alfa came back to reality with a start. They were back on Sky Pillar's peak. He let Rayquaza remain here, free to soar the skies, calling out Latios.
"Back home buddy. Back home." Alfa said to Latios, as the sleeker mega evolved form of Latios settled down next to him so that Alfa could climb aboard.
-/
Alfa stepped onto the doormat of number fourteen Altru Park. It was eight in the morning on a Sunday. He knew that one of the people inside the apartment would be awake, but the other three would be asleep. He let himself in using his old key to find Kellyn sitting at the kitchen counter, his laptop in front of him.
"You're back." Kellyn noted, without looking up from his computer.
"What're you doing at this time of the day that's more important than me coming back from Hoenn!?" Alfa exclaimed.
"Wait, What!?" Kellyn exclaimed, getting up. "I thought you were Keith. He went to get a cupcake at four and never came back."
"Knowing him, he probably passed out once he'd finished eating it." Alfa laughed as he met Kellyn in the brotherly embrace that only Keith could turn into a death grip. He stepped into the sunken lounge, wondering what the stairs in the new terrace lead to. As if he had read his mind, Kellyn answered.
"We bought out the lower floor for our Pokemon, you owe us by the way. The stairs lead into their window. We find it simpler than going out of the apartment and down the main stairs. It's also handy in case we misplace the key." Kellyn explained.
"Latios, you heard Kellyn. I'll just bring the others along in a bit." Alfa motioned to Latios. Latios gladly swept into the lower floor with a brief telekinetic message; goodnight, or good morning or whatever, I'm sleeping for a while. If you need to fly call our new buddy.
"So seriously, Keith isn't back yet?" Alfa asked, turning sharply.
"No. You think we should go look for him?" Kellyn replied, closing his notebook and sliding it into his locked shelf on the computer rack. "He might actually be in trouble."
"Let's go. We're going to have to walk to the mall. It's a Sunday, and I checked the car. No fuel." Alfa stated, dropping his bag on the couch and opening the door. All of a sudden, a gunshot sounded, disturbing the tranquility of the quiet Sunday morning in Altru Park.
"What the hell!?" Kellyn exclaimed.
"New strategy. What floor is the bakery on?" Alfa inquired, equipping Sceptile's gear disc.
"Third. Why?" Kellyn asked.
"Okay. You go from inside the mall, approach cautiously, don't let anyone inside see you. I'm going via building roofs. I'll contact you when I can see through one of the windows and I can tell you what's going on. But first, get a Pokemon out. Fast, and stealthy." Alfa replied, launching Sceptile's disc as the mega stone and keystone reacted, bringing about mega Sceptile.
"You can mega evolve your Pokemon?" Kellyn asked, his eyebrow raised inquisitively.
"How do you know about mega evolution!?" Alfa exclaimed.
"I've been studying a lot while you were in Hoenn. Now let's get moving." Kellyn replied, leaving through the front door at breakneck pace. Nodding to Sceptile, Alfa ran through the glass doors and straight over the edge of the balcony leaping onto the roof of a nearby building, testing his new muscle's limits again, Sceptile behind him. Alfa kept running from roof to roof until he reached the building opposite the mall. He hadn't broken a sweat. He squinted into the window of the cupcake shop. There was Keith tied up, and a few other people cowering near the corners, and a man with a gun standing near the counter.
"Sceptile, I'm going in via the window, and I'm going to try and stop that man so that Kellyn can get the doors open. In case everything goes wrong, load up your tail missile with sleep powder and knock him out. If everything goes well, knock him out anyways so that we can take him away safely, got it?" Alfa instructed Sceptile.
As Sceptile nodded, Alfa called Kellyn on his cell.
"Kellyn you read me? Where are you?" Alfa asked down the cellular line.
"I'm hidden outside the bakery, I can see the situation, but they can't see me. Got a plan?" He inquired.
"Yeah, I'm on the roof opposite the bakery. The target's has his back to the window. I'm going to jump through the window, and hopefully onto him. When you see this happen, GET THE DOORS OPEN. If everything goes wrong, Sceptile's up here ready to tranquilize our target. I just have to break the glass first. If everything goes right, Sceptile will tranquilize him when everyone's clear for an easy arrest. I'm going to make my move now, so keep watching." Alfa replied. Shutting his phone and taking a breath. Without hesitating, he ran straight forward and leaped off the edge of the building, crashing through the bakery window. He managed to miss the target's main body, but landed on his gun hand, securing everything immediately. All of a sudden, the man ceased struggling and Alfa noticed a slowly dissolving red missile like tip in his back.
Kellyn rammed open the doors and let everyone out as Sceptile leaped through the window.
"That was quick. Sceptile, cut Keith out will you?" Alfa said, dusting off his hands.
"Thanks guys!" Keith shouted once Sceptile had cut him free.
"Let's get back home." Kellyn suggested, yawning suddenly.
"Yeah, let's." Alfa seconded as the trio headed out and home.
-/
Later that day, back in number 14 Altru Heights.
"Kellyn, there's some mail for you!" Alfa shouted as he picked up the mail. There was one letter for him identical to the one Kellyn had gotten. He handed Kellyn his and sat down on the couch, opening his. There were two papers inside. One was a letter and the other was an invitation. Alfa unfolded the letter reading it first:
'Alfa! Elesa said yes! I'm getting married! Um… the wedding's not for a while, but to get this over with, um… you're my best man. Kay? The invitation's included in this letter.
Steven'
Smiling, Alfa pulled out the invitation card:
Dear Alfa,
Steven Stone and Elesa Wilvin hope that you will join them for their wedding on the 31st of January 2015, in Mossdeep City, at number twelve Coast Street. We hope to see you soon,
Steven and Elesa
He went over to Kellyn and put his card next to Kellyn's.
"Steven or Elesa?" Alfa asked briefly.
"I used to live in Unova, next door to Elesa before I went to ranger school. You?" he replied.
"Steven used to live on South-Cross Island as well. We were best friends from the age of seven." Alfa answered. "We'll go together. I have a place we can stay there."
-/
The next day… at Altru Park's stage.
The news channels were swarming the area, not letting anyone but the rangers who pushed them aside get a proper view of the stage.
"People of Almia… No, People of the world, one year and three months ago, I took up the mantle of head of the Ranger Union, but today I am here to pass the mantle along to the rightful head of the Ranger Union. He has survived many catastrophes, suffered more than any of us can imagine, and yet he has survived. This is why, today, I call upon Alfa Snowbelle to take his rightful place as our leader!" Kellyn finished, handing over the badge signifying in charge to Alfa as the cameramen strained to get a good shot of it.
"You would all probably like to know why I didn't just assume this post long ago. Well it started with an attempt by former Team Dim Sun executive Lavana, to continue in their attempt for power again. She attempted to awaken the legendary Pokemon that created all landmasses: Groudon. We, the Ranger Union, stopped this, but as a result, my brother died. That day, I quit the union. After Chairperson Erma's death, Professor Hastings had become a little unhinged. This just made him loose it completely. He laid siege to my home in Kalos. Where I fought him and the might of the entire ranger union off, nearly losing my life in the process. Once I recovered, I travelled through Hoenn, to regain my self-balance, and I now I have assumed my post as head of the Ranger Union." Alfa continued, "And from this day forward, we will all work towards a new Almia, one that isn't ruled by corrupt, greedy, power thirsty, lunatics like Blake Hall, or governed by someone who has gone mad either. An Almia where anything is possible. An Almia, built on honest principles. The Almia of the future!"