Chapter 4: Crawford

Kate's POV

I knew it had to be the perfume that did all this. I was absolutely positive about it. Unfortunately since I was already in Vein Forest and I'd forgotten my stylus, I knew I would have to go to the Vein ranger base.

"Kate?" asked a person with an explosion of an afro on his head. It was Crawford.

I don't think he likes me but I don't know what this perfume can do. I better not take any chances but that said the wind is blowing my scent away from him so I should be fine…I hope!

"It is you! What are you doing here anyway?" asked Crawford walking towards me. Quickly I moved 5 steps away from him. He looked puzzled by my reaction.

"Hi Crawford! I was just going over to the base to call Rythmi. I kinda forgot my stylus heheh…" I replied sheepishly.

Please let him leave me alone. I don't wanna be mouth raped a fourth time today!

"Oh I was just heading back myself. I'll walk you there and I'm not taking no for answer!" he laughed. Even though he said it jokingly I knew he meant it plus I thought he looked kinda cute when he laughed.

Man! I like WAAAAAAAAAAAAY to many guys! Aghh! Why do all the guys I know have to be so hot!

"Alright um but I've kinda been training so…I sorta um smell so I'll just walk behind you…" I murmured while turning bright red.

"So that's why ya didn't want me to come closer." He laughed, "C'mon then!"

We talked the whole time we were walking till we got to the base. Crawford just kept asking me what was going on and cracking a few cheesy jokes while I just asked him if everything was alright and laughed at some of his better puns. It was actually kinda nice. Everyone looked pretty happy when we walked into the base. Luana actually tackled me to the ground with one of her bone crushing hugs.

H-how t-the h-hell did Luana get this strong? Uhhgg I think one of my ribs just punchered a lung!

"Whoa Luana, I don't think Kate can breathe!" exclaimed Elaine prying the peppy ranger off of me.

"Heheh s-sorry Kate I was just so happy to see you were alright!" laughed Luana. I couldn't help but smile and hug her back. Of course I gave her a normal hug.

"I'm fine really! I don't know why everyone seems so worried about me!" I exclaimed. After that Crawford explained that I needed to call Rythmi at the union unfortunately I had wait till her shift started.

Damn! I forgot she doesn't start till later! Man I don't know Kyūpiddo's number either!

"Heh well looks like it was pretty bad timing don't ya think?" laughed Barlow, "You can just wait here till Rythmi starts her shift."

"Hey Kate while you're here I don't suppose…you could…um make us a stew…or something?" stuttered Luana while rubbing her head sheepishly.

"You burnt the dinner again didn't you." we all asked while Luana nodded and sweat dropped anime style. I just laughed when the room filled with smoke from the scatter brained ranger's latest attempt at making dinner. Coughing Elian turned on the fan. I didn't know that it would blow my scent over Crawford, Barlow and Ollie but it did. I hadn't figured that out yet though.

I walked into the kitchen, put a pot of water to boil and started chopping vegetables for the stew.

It's a good thing that my mom taught me a ton when it comes to cooking. Of course things like veggie stew are still what I'm best at making.

"Hey Kate?" asked Crawford walking up to me as I waited for the stew.

"Hmm what is it?" I asked. Crawford walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Kate are you a pikachu?" he asked as I remembered the perfume.

"W-why would you ask me that?"

"Cause your shockingly beautiful…I think I need a paralyze heal…cause your stunning." He purred sliding his hand further down my body. It was then that I understood what had happened with the fan and I started struggling.

"C-Crawford l-let me go." I said as struggled again him. He just pressed his lips on my collarbone and smiled.

"Heh ya know Kate if you were in a Pokemon Contest, you'd win first place in the Beauty and Cuteness category." he smirked licking my neck.

Ice's face popped into my mind again.

Wait w-why am I thinking about him again! n-no! Why did Rythmi have to give me that stupid perfume?

"Crawford stop it! You're acting too much like Ice!" I yelled. Crawford froze then took his lips of my neck but tightened his grip on me.

Oh shit! I forgot how possessive all the guys have been since I said that.

FLASHBACK

Wendy, Rythmi, Luana and I were sitting in Rythmi's room just talking about girl stuff. Little did we know that the guys (Keith, Sven, Vant, Nage, Crawford and Isaac) were all hiding outside the window plus to make matters worse Isaac had put a truth serum in our drinks (which had now become mandatory for all ranger bases to have thanks to its effectiveness). Once we found out we all pummelled them senseless but that's a different story with a much higher age rating for gore, violence and attempted castration.

"So Kate out of all the guys you've met who you say is the best looking oh and it can be criminals as well cause it's just about looks remember." asked Wendy.

"Ummmm welllll I'd have to say…y-you know the Sinis Trio f-from Team Dim Sum?" I stuttered while blushing. The girls leaned in closer with wide eyes and nodded.

"W-well the leader of them is that Ice guy right?" the girls nodded again. "I-I think he…uhg he has got to be the best looking guy I've ever seen! I mean he's just so…I can't even describe it but whatever it is keeps making me have to focus even more during a battle in case I end up pinning him." I smiled blushing brighter and brighter still unable to control what was coming out of my mouth.

"WHAT!" yelled the guys from outside the window. After that they were always so possessive over me when Ice was around.

END FLASHBACK

Suddenly I felt something sharp dig in my leg. It was a needle one that was filled with truth serum.

Damn you Isaac!

"Alright Kate you're gonna tell me just how I was acting like Ice and you're gonna tell me NOW!" snarled Crawford in a very un-crawfordly way. I couldn't help it the serum was already in my veins. I gave up fighting it and told him.

"The last battle I had with the Sinis Trio Ice and I ended up getting separated from the others…while we were separated he licked my neck and put his lips on my collarbone…so that's why you were acting similar…heheh" I replied sheepishly.

"WHAT? HOW COULD YOU LET HIM DO THAT TO YOU?" he yelled at me.

"Y-you say that like I could have stopped it sooner…even though I stopped him as soon as I could…I couldn't process what he was doing because he grabbed me so fast…I-I'd n-never felt so scared around him before…" I trailed off with tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. It had been a long day and I couldn't take much more of it.

"K-Kate…I'm sorry." whispered Crawford holding me tight but this made him get another whiff of the perfume. "I'll make it up to you…by making you forget all about that punk Ice."

He spun me around and pushed me so I was lying on top of the table opposite the cooker. He grasped hold of my chin and started exploring my mouth, probing every tooth. He was being extremely brutal and my mouth was starting to feel sore but he kept nipping at my bottom lip. I thought I heard him mutter something about a punishment and that he'd never let Ice come near me again. This made me sad for some reason and I felt tear roll down my cheek. Crawford smirked and licked away the tear making me whimper.

"CRAWFORD!" yelled an extremely pissed off Barlow as he dragged the afro haired ranger off of me. Then Ollie ran in asking if I was alright before taking the stew off the heat. By some miracle the stew hadn't burnt. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING!"

I was terrified. Why? Because 1) that even now is the angriest I have EVER seen Barlow and 2) because I remembered that Ollie and Barlow must of caught a whiff of the perfume as well.

"Kate Rythmi's on the monitor. She seems anxious about something." shouted Elian. Needless to say I ran straight to the screen.

"RYITHMI WHAT THE HELL WAS IN THAT PERFUME!" I screamed making everyone jump back.

"O-oh y-you found out about the perfume? I'm g-guessing you want a-answers?" stuttered Rythmi.

"YOUR DAMN RIGHT I DO!"

"O-okay just calm dow-"

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN RYTHMI! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN MOUTH RAPEDTODAY! FOUR TIMES RYTHMI! FOUR TIMES!"I screamed. By now everyone looked terrified even I had to admit I was pretty hysterical.

"C-chipa" squeaked a small pokemon from under the table. It was Pachi.

"Pachi when did you get here?" I asked.

"Oh I sent him over to you!" smiled Rythmi, "Well now that you've calmed down a bit I'll explain."

I sat down in front of the screen and Crawford sat right beside me. He wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Ya know starMiE and starYU belong together do you get the message?" he whispered before Ollie dragged him over to the other side of the room. Crawford looked pretty pissed.

"Don't give me that look. Besides from what I've heard Kate likes cool guys so ya gotta play hard to get ok?" smiled Ollie. That shut him up straight away.

"Alright the perfume's name is Passion Perfume and Kyūpiddo-my sis- made it. She found out that if you mix certain scents in a particular order then combine it with a sample of the person who's gonna wear it then it can make anyone age 18-30 of the opposite gender want to make the wearer theirs. However the person must already have some romantic feelings for the wearer. Unfortunately it's pretty hard to remove the perfume from the wearer until they break it's spell on the ones who are attracted to them." She explained.

"W-why did you do it Ryth?" I asked.

"Kate…I-I-I'm so sorry…you must hate me…but I wanted you to get your confidence back…" she explained. Rythmi was nearly in tears making guilt fill me. I had never shouted at Rythmi like that.

"How could I ever hate you Rythmi? You're my best friend…and you've been like a sister to me. I am really angry but I could never hate you." I smiled. Rythmi smiled back. "But I would like to know how to break the spell."

"Alright but I'll have to get back to you on it. Only Kyūpiddo knows how to do that. Huh? Sorry Kate I gotta go!" she said as another ranger called in. the screen went blank before I could say goodbye.

"Well while you wait for Rythmi to get in touch with her sister can you go and deliver this to that Isaac guy at Altru." said Barlow handing me an envelope with a black disc in it, "unless you want to stay in the same room as lover boy over there." I grabbed the disc, ran straight out the door and into someone's muscular chest.

"Ow…oh it's you Kate!" smiled the guy I ran into. It was Keith. He had been my best guy friend since ranger school and also one of the guys I developed feelings for. Unlike the other guys I'd already ran into, Keith belonged to a group of guys I'd be happy to date but that didn't mean I'd risk our friendship over it. Like I said it was a groupof guys so until I was positive of my feelings -and their feelings for me- there was no way I'd confess.

"Hey are you taking that to Altru?" he asked pointing at the disc in my hand after we both stood up. I nodded.

"Yeah it's some data for Isaac…um Keith?" I asked timidly, "d-does anything about me seem different?"

"Huh? Um well your wearing perfume it smells nice by the way but…I don't see anything else." said Keith scratching his head.

"Oh that's great!" I exclaimed. Keith looked confused. "Well it's just that this perfume has caused me a lot of trouble…but I'm kinda glad that it doesn't affect you."

Although…I'm sorta disappointed that he doesn't have feelings for me…who am I kidding as if a boy like Keith would fall for me…

"Huh? Kate what are you talking about?" he asked. He must have seen me looking a bit depressed because he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his chest. "Kate…has some hurt you?" he whispered. He was looking at me with such intensity that I felt like I'd forgotten how to breathe. "If anyone had hurt you I WILL MAKE THEM PAY!" snarled Keith.

I'd forgotten how protective he is of me.

I smiled and before I knew it I felt like a huge burden had been lifted.

Who needs a boyfriend when I've got a guy friend like Keith!

"Relax Keith! I'm just a bit hungry!" I laughed. He shot me a smile that would make most girls' hearts melt.

"Well then we better get going to Altru so we can grab some lunch then! I need to go there anyway to deliver a report to mushroom myself." He laughed. I rolled my eyes at the mushroom comment.

"Y'know I think Isaac looks pretty cute with that hair style." I said just before capturing a Doudo. Keith looked shocked at my comment so he captured a Doudo and rode up beside me as we headed to Altru.

"Heh he might be cute Kate but I'm so much more of a man then he is…" he smirked.

Ok so how did you like it. Btw in a few chapters there might just be a little treat for all those Ice x Kate fans. ^^ plz plz plz review I NEED THEM TO LIVE!