POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS - Chapter Three: Kanto Region.
"So, what are we going to do?" Keith asked her quietly as she clicked a few buttons on her Styler, bringing up the Browser and then clicking a few more buttons. She didn't answer until her eyebrow furrowed, "We'll need the help of one of the more well known professors to find a Pokemon that can possibly stop Darkrai. The problem we face is that he's not in Almia."
"Where is he then?" Keith asked with a confused look on his face. They had traveled back to the Ranger Union (with much reluctance on Kate's part) and were now on the top of the building under the Tree of Harmony. Rhythmi had joined them along with Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma, who had run forward to hug Kate (for Professor Hastings it was actually quite an awkward hug, but Erma's hug was more grandmotherly) and then had both taken in the problem and the importance to get it fixed. Kate looked up at Keith, her eyes showing sadness.
"As much as it pains me to say, someone will need to contact Professor Oak in Kanto. Kanto is known for having some of the most legendary Pokemon in the world, so one of them has to be able to take down Darkrai." She rested her chin in her hand and sighed, "Then someone will have to go catch the Pokemon. I'll be the one to do that, since it's my mind that Darkrai's messing with."
"There's no way you're going alone." Rhythmi said sharply, "You've been gone for a year, Kate. Keith and I didn't know what you were doing or if you were even alive. We don't want you on your own anymore." She clasped her hands around Kate's free one, and her brown eyes bore into Kate's blue ones.
Kate sighed again, looking away, "I don't know who you can spare, something is happening in Almia, Rhythmi. Something bad. You all managed for a year without me, you can manage for a little more. I promise I won't turn off my tracker or Voicemail and I'll report in regularly?"
"No." Keith said suddenly, "You're NOT going alone. I'll go with you if it makes everyone happy. I'm not the best Ranger here, Sven and Wendy could handle anything that pops up, and we also have Marie and John out in Haruba, they could be called in. Or even Barlow, Crawford and Luana. Elaine might even be able to help. The fact I'm making is… Kate and I do NOT make up the entire Union. There are ten other Top Rangers besides us, multiple Area Rangers, hell, even some of the students at the Ranger School could help." He looked around at the others who were staring at him now. "And Kate can not go alone, not from what I've seen."
"What are you talking about, Keith?!" Kate asked in confusion, "I can take care of myself!"
"You were breaking down this morning." Keith said quietly, a gentle but firm tone, "You thought your nightmare was reality and that nearly drove you to hysterics. If they keep getting worse, you'd drive yourself to a heart attack. I don't want that."
His sincere tone made her blink slightly and her heart skipped a beat. She sighed again, realizing he was right, "Alright. If everyone agrees, then Keith and I will go to Kanto to meet Professor Oak and find and capture whatever Pokemon we need."
Keith looked around at the others, as if daring them to object. Rhythmi looked at Kate's dejected acceptance first, then at Keith's determined stare and sighed, stepping forward and hugging both with one arm each lightly, "You report in regularly, you two." She whispered between their heads. "I'll have your heads if you don't." She released them reluctantly and wiped her eyes.
"Do be careful, dears." Erma said sternly, "We couldn't afford to lose both of you, not if Team Dim Sun was any indication. I expect you both back here in top shape, got it?"
"Yes Ma'am." Keith nodded slightly, and Kate closed her eyes and smiled, "Wouldn't expect less."
Hastings nodded curtly to them before saying; "It'd best assist you to know that Professor Oak resides in Pallet Town, which is about three miles over the border to the south. You two have grown strong through your escapades, and I'm certain you can reach there before the week is out." He frowned, "Be on the lookout for hostile Pokemon and Trainers."
Kate looked around at the three who were wishing her off in the best of wishes. She smiled again and wiped her eyes, "Thank you, all of you." Then she turned her gaze on Keith, who was watching her intently, "We should go as soon as possible."
He nodded before looking at the others as well, "We'll be off in an hour. We'll be preparing for our trip during that time, so perhaps it's best if we weren't disturbed."
The others nodded, and Rhythmi sighed softly, "You two have grown so much, you as sixteen year olds are so much more different than the thirteen year olds I came to love…" She ran forward to catch them in a hug again, and sobbed slightly.
"Be careful." She finally said, letting go again.
Keith and Kate shared a look with each other and nodded before both standing up and striding downstairs, leaving three very morose people behind them.
---
The wind blew her hair back as she soared on the Staraptor, a bit away from Keith, and she looked out over the land far below them, forestry blending into woods, which were crossed with paths and trails. She traced one path with her eyes for a few moments, until it became almost impossible to follow as the trees opened up into a field and the faded dirt blended back into grass.
"Kate!" Keith grinned, calling over to her, "I think we're in Kanto now! Look down at the different Pokemon roaming the fields!" Her eyes moved downward again, and she smiled, catching sight of all sorts of ground, grass, and flying types in the field. She saw a nest of Fearow and grinned, "Looks like the many 'Staraptor' here are the Fearow." She commented, "There are enough of them."
"Yeah!" he laughed, "So, how far is Pallet town from here?"
"Well, I'd say that little town down there fits the bill, we've been flying long enough to have gone three miles over the border." Kate muttered the last bit, eying the setting sun. "Even if it isn't we should land and find a place to stay."
"Right." Keith nodded, directing his Staraptor to fly down toward the small town. Kate banked above and patted her Staraptor, muttering a thank you before jumping off at a height of about twenty feet. The Staraptor flew off, flying out of sight back toward Almia.
"Well." Kate inhaled, "Kanto, here we are."
---
They took refuge in a Pokemon Center, and the Nurse Joy there was interested in hearing some of their Ranger stories, which got the attention of a few parents and kids who were in the shelter, and it led to a major retelling from Keith of their exploits with Sven in the Chroma Ruins, their adventures together in the Ranger Union, even going as far back as the challenge in Ranger School. Kate let Keith take the stage, instead sitting back and watching him as he retold the stories that were so familiar to her, and at the same time so strange.
Hours that were spent laughing were retold, and she only remembered minutes, if not seconds, of that laughter. Their pledge in front of the pledge stone, she only remembered the pang of sadness when Keith and Rhythmi ended up going to Fiore. Keith thankfully stayed away from stories of Operation Brighton, instead focusing on stories that wouldn't upset her. She smiled slightly when he started telling everyone about their first ever mission.
"Well, we had to deliver this very special box, and we had to be VERY careful not to tip it at all. When we finally got it to the team, it turned out to just be the lunch! Then, a commotion on the beach made everyone desert that delicious lunch…"
She chuckled at his voice, as he held the suspension in the story and at the same time was acting like it was a joke. She spoke up, "Turned out that a few Pokemon were causing a ruckus, we quickly took care of them."
"You got your Pachirisu." Keith smirked and she raised a hand to pat the Pachirisu on her shoulder, who chattered in glee at getting all the attention in the room. The kids gasped in awe and started chattering as well, asking if they could pet the Pachirisu.
"Pachi?" Kate looked at the Pachirisu on her shoulder, which jumped into one of the little girls' lap. The girl squealed before happily beginning to rub her partner behind its ears.
Keith fabricated up an excuse to get away from the avid listeners and Kate rescued her partner, who now looked overwhelmed by the attention. She held out her arm to it and it clambered up onto her shoulder again, hiding behind her head until she made it to the room where she and Keith were sleeping.
"We survived." Keith said with a chuckle, as he tugged the sheets of one of the beds in the room away from the pillow. Kate smiled as she scooted under her own blankets, and turned on her side to stare at the wall.
Keith looked at her for a few seconds before shaking his head and also climbing under his sheets, his face red. "Night." He said quietly, clicking off the lights in the room.
"Night." She replied, her eyes already closed.
---
She saw her little sister again, still bleeding horribly from the hole in her chest, staring at her in agony.
"Big Sister, why couldn't you save me?" Little Sis asked quietly, "Why did you let him do this to me?" she reached out a bloody hand, "Why couldn't you fight the darkness that is growing in your heart?"
'Fight… the darkness…' Kate wrestled with the black ropes holding her back, bit at the dark gag that prevented her from speaking, and reached out a restrained hand to try and touch her sister's pale face…
She sat up silently, her eyes wide, her breathing sharp. Looking around the shadowed room in silence, she willed her heart to slow down from its frantic rate; she didn't want Keith worrying again…
'No. Best not to worry him with this… I can deal with it.' She shook her head slowly, before looking at him. He had turned over in his sleep and was facing her direction. She blinked when she saw his relaxed face; 'He looks so different when he's asleep.' She exhaled slowly, looking away.
"I'm sorry… for leaving," she whispered, looking at her hands, "I… hope you can forgive me."
He shifted and she closed her eyes, sighing softly, and she only opened her eyes when she heard the quiet response, "I already did."
Looking over at him again, blue eyes met brown and a tingle shot down her back. He exhaled, not breaking his gaze, "Did you have a nightmare?"
"Yeah… same as last night." She looked down; "Only this time Little Sis talked to me… asked me how I could let it happen…" she wiped her eyes gently, looking up again, "I didn't want to worry you with this…"
"Kate." Keith said sharply, "I'm here to help you through this, okay? Anything you need to tell me, I'll listen."
"I know," she whispered, "But these scare me so much…"
He swung his legs out from under the blankets and crossed the room, pulling her into a hug and breathing out, "Kate, I'm here. Talk to me…"
"I…" she started, closing her eyes. "Keith, I…"
"Voicemail, Voicemail!" the alarm came suddenly from both of their Stylers, "Kate, Keith: Rhythmi here! I expect a report."
'Damn.' Kate thought, 'A report. What do we tell her?'
"This is Keith; we've arrived in Kanto unharmed, Rhyth. Bunked down in a Pokemon Center last night, going to see Professor Oak today after getting directions to Pallet town."
"Kate, your report?"
"Not much else to say, Rhythmi. We're still intact, we haven't faced any enemies yet."
"Aright then." Rhythmi said, the smile in her voice easy to hear, "Rhythmi out."
Kate looked at Keith for a second before sighing, "Well, we'd better get directions to Pallet town so we can find Professor Oak, and so we don't have to deal with Rhythmi later." She climbed out of bed and pulled her hair into a ponytail without thinking.
"Oh, no you don't." Keith said, grabbing her wrist and tugging the ponytail out gently. He guided her hair back into its old pigtails. "You lived in these pigtails before you disappeared, I want you to live in them again."
Kate chuckled, "That's rather oddly stated, Keith." She looked over at him and snickered at the red tint in his cheeks.
"Let's just go!" he said embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Whatever you say, Keith, whatever you say."
A/N: Ketchum Kid, I think it was, you were commenting on her fooling Isaac with a pair of glasses... er, I was trying to make it seem like Isaac had obviously known from the beginning... the pause before he says "Teya"? that usually means that someone is just saying that even though they know otherwise.
Also, StrawBerriKitty, you said it was slightly depressing why she was hugging Keith... This is by no means a very happy story. She's dealing with the nightmares that are scaring her beyond reason while she's struggling to find a way to stop them... Keith's trying to help her through it, and she's in all means thankful for that, but her fear and sadness (the darkness) is dominating her feelings right now. Expect more depressing-ness.
Just a few things I needed to address to prevent TOO much confusion. Also: I could probably have had this chapter in yesterday, but I found this really cute Kate/Keith line art that I just had to color in. Blame the line art, people! It's not my fault!